What do you do when you've found true community, only to have to leave it soon? A community which loves you and wraps their arms around you when you need it the most, and are so willing to lift you up....
but then you have to leave. Exit stage right. Just when things start getting good, and you have to go. What do you do?
I'll only be gone for 5 months. But then I'll be back in similar, but not the same, community (kinda like you can't step in the same river twice...) And I will be changed.
What if things aren't the same? I mean, they'll never be the same as they were tonight. laying on of hands is powerful. and i realized tonight how much these friends that i have made, whether recent or over the past year and a half, have influenced me and been a huge part of my life.
so, I have a true, pure, holy, loving community. How do I sustain that? Or does it have to break down to build up again?
I don't like that second idea....
Friday, December 5, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
+==Sermonizing {006}==+
My Sermon from today (11/23) "A Different Kind of Thanks"
Will you picture this with me? Close your eyes, if you feel comfortable. You are walking downtown in Chicago. You are approached by a man with a ragged coat and a few missing teeth. He asks you if you have any change.
At this point, being completely honest with yourself, what is your reaction? No one is hearing this besides you so be real. What would you do?
Let’s change the scenario. What if you looked closer and beneath the brim of the hat, you see a friend of yours. Now what is your reaction?
One more scenario. You look even closer. It is Jesus. Now, despite the odds of this occurrence, what is your reaction?
What is the difference between each of these people for you?
Would you join me in prayer??
God may the words of my mouth and the meditations of each of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, for you are our rock and our redeemer. Amen.
Out of personal experience, I know I have done this all before. We have helped so many people, but at the same time, we have not helped… so … many… people. Why is this? Why is it that we think its ok to help some but not all? To help our friends but not strangers? We look and make assumptions about whether we should help someone.
Our passage for today, Matthew 25, is a judgment passage. However, away from it being just that, I believe it is one of the most important scripture lessons for us in the New Testament. Jesus tells us that the sheep, the righteous, are the ones who gave him food when he was hungry. Who gave him something to drink when he was thirsty, they welcomed him when he was a stranger and clothed him when he was naked. They visited him when he was in prison and took care of him when he was sick.
Those to whom he is speaking are slightly taken aback. You can hear the tone in their voice. “And when was it what we did these things for you?’ You can almost see them nudging one another—“do you remember this? I don’t remember seeing him, I mean, when would he have been in prison??”—And Jesus says to them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” Here’s where we as members of the church get excited. We think that this is fabulous. We have a ticket into Heaven because we have helped someone. I walked the crop walk, so I helped feed someone. I donated clothes, so I clothed someone. I visited a member of our church in the hospital, so I helped the sick… that’s three right? Ok so…
But wait. Didn’t Jesus say something about some people who didn’t feed the hungry? Who didn’t visit the imprisoned, or take care of the sick? Welcome the stranger or clothe the naked? Oh and what was it Jesus said to them? Oh yea, they will go away into eternal punishment. Now this is not to scare you or intimidate you. But this poses a serious question.
What do we do? Let me share a story with you.
In "Good Goats: Healing our Image of
God" Dennis, Sheila, and Matthew Linn write
about a presentation they made to a group of nuns
about this reading: "How many of you, even once in your life,
have done what Jesus asks at the beginning of this
passage and fed a hungry person, clothed a naked
person or visited a person in prison?" All
the sisters raised their hands. Dennis said,
"That's wonderful! You're all sheep."
Then Dennis asked, "How many of you, even
once in your life, have walked by a hungry person,
failed to clothe a naked person, or not visited
someone in prison?" Slowly, all the sisters
raised their hands. Dennis said, "That's too
bad. You're all goats."
The sisters looked worried and perplexed. Then
suddenly one very old sister's hand shot up. She
blurted out, "I get it! We're all good
goats!"
So what are we? Are we really bad sheep? Or are we are really good goats.
Let me say this before I get too ahead of myself. This is not me telling you to say a prayer or think about those who will not get food to eat this Thanksgiving. This is not about donating your leftovers to a homeless shelter…..Even though both of those are good things to do.
This is about something different. When we sit down to our meal where we will gorge ourselves with lots of food, we will most likely thank God for the things for which we are grateful. Well, I want you to be grateful for something new. Something different. We need to realize how COOL, how AWESOME it is that we have the ability to be Christ to the world. But more importantly that it is our responsibility to be Christ in the world.
It was Saint Theresa of Avila who said, “Christ has no body on earth but ours, no hands but ours, no feet but ours. Ours are the eyes through which the compassion of Christ looks out upon the world, ours are the feet with which he goes about doing good, ours are the hands with which he blesses his people.”
Wow. Did you hear that?? Ours are the eyes through which the compassion of Christ looks out upon the world. We are Christ to the world. Talk about building the Kingdom of God.
How does this change your view of what you have done and plan to do? The Message version of the Bible, a great interpretation by Eugene Peterson says in Proverbs 3, “Never walk away from someone who deserves help; your hand is God’s hand for that person. Don’t tell your neighbor, “Maybe some other time” or “Try me tomorrow” when the money is right there in your pocket.” End quote. I know that, for example, on my journeys downtown in Chicago, my home town of Battle Creek, and in Washington D.C. that when I see some people I tell them, “Nope, sorry, I don’t have anything on me.” Only to look down and see a $5 dollar bill in my purse. And it used to be because I was afraid of what they might do with the money… drugs, alcohol… I told a friend of this issue and she told me that we just have to trust. We have to put our faith in God that the person will make the right decision. If God entrusts us with this world, so much so that we are to do God’s work here, then shouldn’t we trust these people who are our neighbors, our brothers and sisters in Christ, with what we give them?
I heard once that if you truly know Christ. WHEN you truly know Christ you live and breathe the love and compassion of Christ without having to think twice. When we don’t have to think twice about giving, that is when I believe you or I for that matter, are on the right path with God. .That is when you are truly the model of Christ in the world. When we live love. When we breathe love. We live and breathe compassion instinctively. When we know Christ we see the face of Christ in everyone we meet.
Our Psalm for today, Psalm 100, tells us
“Know that the LORD is God.
It is he that made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.”
We are the sheep of God’s pasture. So if we are claimed by God as sheep and only doing the work of goats, how does that work?
In the Message version, again, it says, “God made us. We did not make God.” So often we find ourselves caught in this place of judgment and assumption. Judging those who we meet on the streets. These actions are us making God. We are attributing actions to God that we do not and cannot know. Because we reflect who God is, we are making God to be one of judgment. But God made us. God made you and you and you and me, the person you saw on the street begging for money last time you went downtown, the person who asked you for help of some sort. God made each one of us. And we are to show our compassion, our Godly compassion, to them.
This is not a new notion. The idea that we might do something to help others. It was suggested by Barbara Brown Taylor that we must have a “doing theology.” That is, “one which consists of not having a faith but doing faith.” St. Francis of Assisi is quoted as saying, “Preach the gospel at all times. If necessary, use words.”
Taylor also tells us that in the end it will be known “how we behaved when we thought God was not around.” Not just in church, but in everyday encounters with others, all children of God. “We are called into relationship,” she continues, “even when that relationship is unlikely, momentary, or sad. We are called to look at each other and see Christ...” (The Preaching Life).
We are CALLED to look at each other and see Christ. This wasn’t a wimpy rule God made up for the fun of it. It’s not a rule that was meant to be broken. We are CALLED. Just as we are called to our vocations, our families, our churches. CALLED to see Christ. It is just that important.
So now that we have all that figured out. Or, at least exposed, what are we to give thanks for, then?
Again, this is not about being grateful for all that we have because we have been blessed, because we have not been blessed more than anyone else. This is about being thankful for seeing Christ in the homeless. The poverty stricken. The sick. The imprisoned. The naked. The thirsty.
It is about being thankful for this calling we have as Disciples of Christ. This calling which permeates our being so much so that others see the face of Christ in us. That is something for which we should be thankful.
Be thankful. Be thankful for your ability to be Christ to the world. Be thankful for others to have this CALLING. Be thankful for seeing the face of Christ in everyone we meet.
Be thankful
It may be a different kind of thanks, but it is a good kind of thanks.
Amen.
Will you picture this with me? Close your eyes, if you feel comfortable. You are walking downtown in Chicago. You are approached by a man with a ragged coat and a few missing teeth. He asks you if you have any change.
At this point, being completely honest with yourself, what is your reaction? No one is hearing this besides you so be real. What would you do?
Let’s change the scenario. What if you looked closer and beneath the brim of the hat, you see a friend of yours. Now what is your reaction?
One more scenario. You look even closer. It is Jesus. Now, despite the odds of this occurrence, what is your reaction?
What is the difference between each of these people for you?
Would you join me in prayer??
God may the words of my mouth and the meditations of each of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, for you are our rock and our redeemer. Amen.
Out of personal experience, I know I have done this all before. We have helped so many people, but at the same time, we have not helped… so … many… people. Why is this? Why is it that we think its ok to help some but not all? To help our friends but not strangers? We look and make assumptions about whether we should help someone.
Our passage for today, Matthew 25, is a judgment passage. However, away from it being just that, I believe it is one of the most important scripture lessons for us in the New Testament. Jesus tells us that the sheep, the righteous, are the ones who gave him food when he was hungry. Who gave him something to drink when he was thirsty, they welcomed him when he was a stranger and clothed him when he was naked. They visited him when he was in prison and took care of him when he was sick.
Those to whom he is speaking are slightly taken aback. You can hear the tone in their voice. “And when was it what we did these things for you?’ You can almost see them nudging one another—“do you remember this? I don’t remember seeing him, I mean, when would he have been in prison??”—And Jesus says to them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” Here’s where we as members of the church get excited. We think that this is fabulous. We have a ticket into Heaven because we have helped someone. I walked the crop walk, so I helped feed someone. I donated clothes, so I clothed someone. I visited a member of our church in the hospital, so I helped the sick… that’s three right? Ok so…
But wait. Didn’t Jesus say something about some people who didn’t feed the hungry? Who didn’t visit the imprisoned, or take care of the sick? Welcome the stranger or clothe the naked? Oh and what was it Jesus said to them? Oh yea, they will go away into eternal punishment. Now this is not to scare you or intimidate you. But this poses a serious question.
What do we do? Let me share a story with you.
In "Good Goats: Healing our Image of
God" Dennis, Sheila, and Matthew Linn write
about a presentation they made to a group of nuns
about this reading: "How many of you, even once in your life,
have done what Jesus asks at the beginning of this
passage and fed a hungry person, clothed a naked
person or visited a person in prison?" All
the sisters raised their hands. Dennis said,
"That's wonderful! You're all sheep."
Then Dennis asked, "How many of you, even
once in your life, have walked by a hungry person,
failed to clothe a naked person, or not visited
someone in prison?" Slowly, all the sisters
raised their hands. Dennis said, "That's too
bad. You're all goats."
The sisters looked worried and perplexed. Then
suddenly one very old sister's hand shot up. She
blurted out, "I get it! We're all good
goats!"
So what are we? Are we really bad sheep? Or are we are really good goats.
Let me say this before I get too ahead of myself. This is not me telling you to say a prayer or think about those who will not get food to eat this Thanksgiving. This is not about donating your leftovers to a homeless shelter…..Even though both of those are good things to do.
This is about something different. When we sit down to our meal where we will gorge ourselves with lots of food, we will most likely thank God for the things for which we are grateful. Well, I want you to be grateful for something new. Something different. We need to realize how COOL, how AWESOME it is that we have the ability to be Christ to the world. But more importantly that it is our responsibility to be Christ in the world.
It was Saint Theresa of Avila who said, “Christ has no body on earth but ours, no hands but ours, no feet but ours. Ours are the eyes through which the compassion of Christ looks out upon the world, ours are the feet with which he goes about doing good, ours are the hands with which he blesses his people.”
Wow. Did you hear that?? Ours are the eyes through which the compassion of Christ looks out upon the world. We are Christ to the world. Talk about building the Kingdom of God.
How does this change your view of what you have done and plan to do? The Message version of the Bible, a great interpretation by Eugene Peterson says in Proverbs 3, “Never walk away from someone who deserves help; your hand is God’s hand for that person. Don’t tell your neighbor, “Maybe some other time” or “Try me tomorrow” when the money is right there in your pocket.” End quote. I know that, for example, on my journeys downtown in Chicago, my home town of Battle Creek, and in Washington D.C. that when I see some people I tell them, “Nope, sorry, I don’t have anything on me.” Only to look down and see a $5 dollar bill in my purse. And it used to be because I was afraid of what they might do with the money… drugs, alcohol… I told a friend of this issue and she told me that we just have to trust. We have to put our faith in God that the person will make the right decision. If God entrusts us with this world, so much so that we are to do God’s work here, then shouldn’t we trust these people who are our neighbors, our brothers and sisters in Christ, with what we give them?
I heard once that if you truly know Christ. WHEN you truly know Christ you live and breathe the love and compassion of Christ without having to think twice. When we don’t have to think twice about giving, that is when I believe you or I for that matter, are on the right path with God. .That is when you are truly the model of Christ in the world. When we live love. When we breathe love. We live and breathe compassion instinctively. When we know Christ we see the face of Christ in everyone we meet.
Our Psalm for today, Psalm 100, tells us
“Know that the LORD is God.
It is he that made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.”
We are the sheep of God’s pasture. So if we are claimed by God as sheep and only doing the work of goats, how does that work?
In the Message version, again, it says, “God made us. We did not make God.” So often we find ourselves caught in this place of judgment and assumption. Judging those who we meet on the streets. These actions are us making God. We are attributing actions to God that we do not and cannot know. Because we reflect who God is, we are making God to be one of judgment. But God made us. God made you and you and you and me, the person you saw on the street begging for money last time you went downtown, the person who asked you for help of some sort. God made each one of us. And we are to show our compassion, our Godly compassion, to them.
This is not a new notion. The idea that we might do something to help others. It was suggested by Barbara Brown Taylor that we must have a “doing theology.” That is, “one which consists of not having a faith but doing faith.” St. Francis of Assisi is quoted as saying, “Preach the gospel at all times. If necessary, use words.”
Taylor also tells us that in the end it will be known “how we behaved when we thought God was not around.” Not just in church, but in everyday encounters with others, all children of God. “We are called into relationship,” she continues, “even when that relationship is unlikely, momentary, or sad. We are called to look at each other and see Christ...” (The Preaching Life).
We are CALLED to look at each other and see Christ. This wasn’t a wimpy rule God made up for the fun of it. It’s not a rule that was meant to be broken. We are CALLED. Just as we are called to our vocations, our families, our churches. CALLED to see Christ. It is just that important.
So now that we have all that figured out. Or, at least exposed, what are we to give thanks for, then?
Again, this is not about being grateful for all that we have because we have been blessed, because we have not been blessed more than anyone else. This is about being thankful for seeing Christ in the homeless. The poverty stricken. The sick. The imprisoned. The naked. The thirsty.
It is about being thankful for this calling we have as Disciples of Christ. This calling which permeates our being so much so that others see the face of Christ in us. That is something for which we should be thankful.
Be thankful. Be thankful for your ability to be Christ to the world. Be thankful for others to have this CALLING. Be thankful for seeing the face of Christ in everyone we meet.
Be thankful
It may be a different kind of thanks, but it is a good kind of thanks.
Amen.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
+==processing==+
Processing anything is an important part of my life. And because I have this on my mind, I'm going to process here because I don't have anyone to process with elsewhere.
Seminaries.
holy. cow.
This isn't my next major decision and I'm not feeling the pressure to pick yet, but I do want to get started so that when I go somewhere I feel called to it.
Websites only do so much, and therefore I am limited to what I know about a seminary.
I was looking today and felt specifically NOT called to a couple places. My problem lies in the thought that I want to go to a UCC seminary. Ther eare 7 of them....
CTS (Chicago)
LTS (Lancaster)
ANTS(Andover-Newton)
PSR (Pacific School Rel.)
UTSTC(United-Twin Cities)
BTS (Bangor)
ETS (Eden/ St. Louis)
So here's what my list of UCC seminaries looked like after today
LTS
ANTS
ETS
I have my reasons for not liking the others and they are valid, i promise.
Here's my other thing.
PTS
Ok, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary is NEAR AND DEAR to my heart. Like, affectionately so. I went to SYI, a summer program there, in 2005 which changed my life and did nothing but affirm my call to ministry. Then I went back twice for two different reunions, again being a godsend because i met one of my best friends there, who then later interned with me this past summer. So it's been a life changing place so far. I'm nervous about that. Leah (my assc. pastor at home) who is like my mentor, said something a while ago about me being careful- she didn't want me to just pick the place that I was comfortable with (meaning PTS) but she also didn't want me to go where she went for favored reasons (CTS). Well, we know I'm not going to cts, so what does that mean for PTS?
I dont know.
i hate that phrase, yet i use it a lot.
I just dont know.
Dr. Beauchamp, director of our ministry center on campus, has really good intuition about things. And he said something the other day about me going to PTS and said it in a way as though I am fighting it. And I would love to go to PTS just because its a place where I am comfortable. But I did that with college and I don't want to do that again.
I don't know.
I do have another year and a half before I graduate college, and then I will do a year or two of volunteer work with Lutheran Volunteer Corps. And then I will go to seminary after that, but for now, I don't know that I can be at peace about it.
So be it.
Seminaries.
holy. cow.
This isn't my next major decision and I'm not feeling the pressure to pick yet, but I do want to get started so that when I go somewhere I feel called to it.
Websites only do so much, and therefore I am limited to what I know about a seminary.
I was looking today and felt specifically NOT called to a couple places. My problem lies in the thought that I want to go to a UCC seminary. Ther eare 7 of them....
CTS (Chicago)
LTS (Lancaster)
ANTS(Andover-Newton)
PSR (Pacific School Rel.)
UTSTC(United-Twin Cities)
BTS (Bangor)
ETS (Eden/ St. Louis)
So here's what my list of UCC seminaries looked like after today
LTS
ANTS
ETS
I have my reasons for not liking the others and they are valid, i promise.
Here's my other thing.
PTS
Ok, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary is NEAR AND DEAR to my heart. Like, affectionately so. I went to SYI, a summer program there, in 2005 which changed my life and did nothing but affirm my call to ministry. Then I went back twice for two different reunions, again being a godsend because i met one of my best friends there, who then later interned with me this past summer. So it's been a life changing place so far. I'm nervous about that. Leah (my assc. pastor at home) who is like my mentor, said something a while ago about me being careful- she didn't want me to just pick the place that I was comfortable with (meaning PTS) but she also didn't want me to go where she went for favored reasons (CTS). Well, we know I'm not going to cts, so what does that mean for PTS?
I dont know.
i hate that phrase, yet i use it a lot.
I just dont know.
Dr. Beauchamp, director of our ministry center on campus, has really good intuition about things. And he said something the other day about me going to PTS and said it in a way as though I am fighting it. And I would love to go to PTS just because its a place where I am comfortable. But I did that with college and I don't want to do that again.
I don't know.
I do have another year and a half before I graduate college, and then I will do a year or two of volunteer work with Lutheran Volunteer Corps. And then I will go to seminary after that, but for now, I don't know that I can be at peace about it.
So be it.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
+==oh dmb...==+
Great song by Dave Matthews Band...
She was his girl, he was her boyfriend
Shed be his wife, and make him her husband.
A surprise on the way any day any day
One healthy little giggling, dribbling baby boy
The wisemen came, three made their way
To shower him with love while he lay in the hay
Shower him with love, love, love
Love,love,love
Love,love was all around.
Not very much of his childhood was known
Kept his mother mary worried always out on his own
He met another mary, who for a reasonable fee,
Less than reputable was known to be
His heart was full of love, love, love
Love, love, love
Love, love was all around.
When jesus christ nailed to his tree
Said oh daddy-o, I can see how it all soon will be
I came to shed a little light on this darkening sea
Instead I fear Ive spilled the blood of my children all around
The blood of my children all around
The blood of my childrens all around.
So Im told, so the story goes
The people he knew were less than golden-hearted
Gamblers and robbers,
Drinkers and jokers, all soul searchers
Like you and me, like you and me
Rumors insisted that he soon would be
For his deveations taken into custody
By the authorities, less informed than he
Drinkers and jokers, all soul searchers
Searching for love, love, love
Love, love, love
Love, love was all around.
Preparations were made for a celebration day
He said eat this bread but think of it as me
Drink this wine and dream it will be the blood of our children all around
The blood of our children all around
The blood of our children all around
Father up above
Why in all this hatred do you fill me up with love, love, love
Love, love, love
Love, love is all around
Father up above
Why in all this hatred do you fill me up with love, fill me love, love, yeah
Love, love, love
Love, love, and the blood of our children all around
She was his girl, he was her boyfriend
Shed be his wife, and make him her husband.
A surprise on the way any day any day
One healthy little giggling, dribbling baby boy
The wisemen came, three made their way
To shower him with love while he lay in the hay
Shower him with love, love, love
Love,love,love
Love,love was all around.
Not very much of his childhood was known
Kept his mother mary worried always out on his own
He met another mary, who for a reasonable fee,
Less than reputable was known to be
His heart was full of love, love, love
Love, love, love
Love, love was all around.
When jesus christ nailed to his tree
Said oh daddy-o, I can see how it all soon will be
I came to shed a little light on this darkening sea
Instead I fear Ive spilled the blood of my children all around
The blood of my children all around
The blood of my childrens all around.
So Im told, so the story goes
The people he knew were less than golden-hearted
Gamblers and robbers,
Drinkers and jokers, all soul searchers
Like you and me, like you and me
Rumors insisted that he soon would be
For his deveations taken into custody
By the authorities, less informed than he
Drinkers and jokers, all soul searchers
Searching for love, love, love
Love, love, love
Love, love was all around.
Preparations were made for a celebration day
He said eat this bread but think of it as me
Drink this wine and dream it will be the blood of our children all around
The blood of our children all around
The blood of our children all around
Father up above
Why in all this hatred do you fill me up with love, love, love
Love, love, love
Love, love is all around
Father up above
Why in all this hatred do you fill me up with love, fill me love, love, yeah
Love, love, love
Love, love, and the blood of our children all around
Friday, November 7, 2008
+==What's in a call?==+
read each of these different descriptions of call. which one grabs you? what do you feel pulled to? If you're planning on going into a different kind of work besides ministry of some sort, view the poet Rainer Maria Wilke's quote about a vocation in writing and apply your own.
Each one of us has some kind of vocation. We are all called by God to share in His life and in His Kingdom. Each one of us is called to a special place in the Kingdom. If we find that place we will be happy. If we do not find it, we can never be completely happy. For each one of us, there is only one thing necessary: to fulfill our own destiny, according to God's will, to be what God wants us to be.-- Thomas Merton
You are on the verge of something special. You know it. You can feel it. Something is in the air. You are restless and don’t know why. You wake up in the morning with flutters in your stomach even though your calendar doesn’t indicate any special meetings scheduled for the day. Your mind is racing from thought to thought, and you can’t figure out why. A voice in you won’t be quieted, but you can’t quite make out what it is saying. You wonder if you’ve forgotten something but you’ve forgotten what. Nothing has happened or is about to happen. But it is, and you sense it. Today is not the first time you’ve felt like this. This feeling has been coming in waves, off and on, for some time. You’re on the verge of giving birth and don’t know it.-- Reneeta Weems
The call to ministry begins as a story; a story of an encounter between an individual and God … the claimant comes to the community of faith for confirmation. At this point the story is transformed into narrative in order to persuade the community of the authenticity of the call. The difference between story and narrative is not necessarily to be seen as error or deception; rather, story is an individual’s attempt to wrestle, as did Jacob and Paul, with God and self, and later narrative is the attempt to explain the transformative encounter in a way that makes sense to others; it is retrospective interpretation.--William H. Myers
Before I can tell my life what I want to do with it, I must listen to my life telling me who I am. I must listen for the truths and values at the heart of my own identity, not the standards by which I must live – but the standards by which I cannot help but live if I am living my own life.-- Parker Palmer
There are different kinds of voices calling you to different kinds of work, and the problem is to find out which is the voice of God rather than of Society say, or the Superego, or Self-Interest. By and large a good rule for finding out is this. The kind of work God usually calls you to do is work (a) that you need most to do and (b) that the world needs most to have done. The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet. -- Frederick Buechner
The poet Rainer Maria Rilke in his book, Letters to a Young Poet, uses powerful, evocative language to try to help a young man discern a vocation to be a poet. Rilke wrote:
There is only one thing you should do. Go into yourself. Find out the reason that commands you to write; see whether it has spread its roots into the very depths of your heart; confess to yourself whether you would have to die if you were forbidden to write. This most of all: ask yourself in the most silent hour of your night: must I write? Dig into yourself for a deep answer. And if this answer rings out in assent, if you meet this solemn question with a strong, simple "I must," then build your life in accordance with this necessity; your whole life, even into its humblest and most indifferent hour, must become a sign and witness to this impulse.
Each one of us has some kind of vocation. We are all called by God to share in His life and in His Kingdom. Each one of us is called to a special place in the Kingdom. If we find that place we will be happy. If we do not find it, we can never be completely happy. For each one of us, there is only one thing necessary: to fulfill our own destiny, according to God's will, to be what God wants us to be.-- Thomas Merton
You are on the verge of something special. You know it. You can feel it. Something is in the air. You are restless and don’t know why. You wake up in the morning with flutters in your stomach even though your calendar doesn’t indicate any special meetings scheduled for the day. Your mind is racing from thought to thought, and you can’t figure out why. A voice in you won’t be quieted, but you can’t quite make out what it is saying. You wonder if you’ve forgotten something but you’ve forgotten what. Nothing has happened or is about to happen. But it is, and you sense it. Today is not the first time you’ve felt like this. This feeling has been coming in waves, off and on, for some time. You’re on the verge of giving birth and don’t know it.-- Reneeta Weems
The call to ministry begins as a story; a story of an encounter between an individual and God … the claimant comes to the community of faith for confirmation. At this point the story is transformed into narrative in order to persuade the community of the authenticity of the call. The difference between story and narrative is not necessarily to be seen as error or deception; rather, story is an individual’s attempt to wrestle, as did Jacob and Paul, with God and self, and later narrative is the attempt to explain the transformative encounter in a way that makes sense to others; it is retrospective interpretation.--William H. Myers
Before I can tell my life what I want to do with it, I must listen to my life telling me who I am. I must listen for the truths and values at the heart of my own identity, not the standards by which I must live – but the standards by which I cannot help but live if I am living my own life.-- Parker Palmer
There are different kinds of voices calling you to different kinds of work, and the problem is to find out which is the voice of God rather than of Society say, or the Superego, or Self-Interest. By and large a good rule for finding out is this. The kind of work God usually calls you to do is work (a) that you need most to do and (b) that the world needs most to have done. The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet. -- Frederick Buechner
The poet Rainer Maria Rilke in his book, Letters to a Young Poet, uses powerful, evocative language to try to help a young man discern a vocation to be a poet. Rilke wrote:
There is only one thing you should do. Go into yourself. Find out the reason that commands you to write; see whether it has spread its roots into the very depths of your heart; confess to yourself whether you would have to die if you were forbidden to write. This most of all: ask yourself in the most silent hour of your night: must I write? Dig into yourself for a deep answer. And if this answer rings out in assent, if you meet this solemn question with a strong, simple "I must," then build your life in accordance with this necessity; your whole life, even into its humblest and most indifferent hour, must become a sign and witness to this impulse.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
+==breathe==+
I saw a NOOMA video (rob bell, anyone?) a while ago which was about breathing. He talked about how we are supposed to breath 4-6 times a minute, yet most people are found between 15 and 20. That blows me away (hahaha...). He talked about Ruah (the hebrew word for Spirit, Breath, wind) and how when we breathe, speak the hebrew word for God (Yahweh). Even the letters of the word... yod, hay, vav, hay. When we breathe in (yaaaaah) and out (weeeeeehh).
Part of it on our side is intentional, but still, it is a fantastic thought. The Israelites had it, calling a god they couldnt name "Yahweh." They nailed it.
In the Hebrew language (i'm in the class now) there are words which have certain emphasis put on them that just make the word so different, so real. Of course, now that I am talking about it I can't come up with an example, but its really cool. Or if you add letters/vowels to a word to attach a preposition or whatever, that makes a difference too. It's really neat. It's hard to learn, but its way cool.
Anyway, breath. What if we made the intentional effort to breathe during our day? Of course we're breathing all the time, but what if everytime you breathed you noticed it. What if everytime you breathed, you said Thank you to God or after a period of quiet you praised God for the breath which permeates your being.
What if we paused to breathe two long breathes evertime the phone rang, or everytime we went to open our computer or got on facebook... name something that you do frequently, open a door, wave hello, whatever it is. Breathe intentionally in that moment.
Breathe.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Yah.
Weh.
Yod
Hey
Vav
Hey
Breathe.
Part of it on our side is intentional, but still, it is a fantastic thought. The Israelites had it, calling a god they couldnt name "Yahweh." They nailed it.
In the Hebrew language (i'm in the class now) there are words which have certain emphasis put on them that just make the word so different, so real. Of course, now that I am talking about it I can't come up with an example, but its really cool. Or if you add letters/vowels to a word to attach a preposition or whatever, that makes a difference too. It's really neat. It's hard to learn, but its way cool.
Anyway, breath. What if we made the intentional effort to breathe during our day? Of course we're breathing all the time, but what if everytime you breathed you noticed it. What if everytime you breathed, you said Thank you to God or after a period of quiet you praised God for the breath which permeates your being.
What if we paused to breathe two long breathes evertime the phone rang, or everytime we went to open our computer or got on facebook... name something that you do frequently, open a door, wave hello, whatever it is. Breathe intentionally in that moment.
Breathe.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Yah.
Weh.
Yod
Hey
Vav
Hey
Breathe.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
+==Doubt==+
So here is a prayer of confession from my church at home which really struck me a while back.
O God, I confess my doubt to you, for it is deep and wide, like a fresh would whose sting cannot be softened by any ointment or bandage.
One moment, I praise with song and dance and the next moment, I turn away from you. I mistakenly beg for certainty, proof, and control over that which cnanot be known or controlled. I cry out, "Show me!"
My doubt suffocates me even while you breathe on and within me. Open space for me enough to breathe in hte reality of your presence in all htat I do, in all that I seek, in all that I doubt, and resore new life in me that I may know belief in you, which is deeper and wider than any doubt.
Guide my questions that they may expand my awareness and trust amidst the unkown, the mystery, the inexplicable. Amen
O God, I confess my doubt to you, for it is deep and wide, like a fresh would whose sting cannot be softened by any ointment or bandage.
One moment, I praise with song and dance and the next moment, I turn away from you. I mistakenly beg for certainty, proof, and control over that which cnanot be known or controlled. I cry out, "Show me!"
My doubt suffocates me even while you breathe on and within me. Open space for me enough to breathe in hte reality of your presence in all htat I do, in all that I seek, in all that I doubt, and resore new life in me that I may know belief in you, which is deeper and wider than any doubt.
Guide my questions that they may expand my awareness and trust amidst the unkown, the mystery, the inexplicable. Amen
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
+==With the Poor==+
The one thing on which we can all agree, all faiths and ideologies, is that God is with the vulnerable and poor. God is in the slums, in the cardboard box where the poor play house. God is in the silence of a mother who has infected her child with a virus that will end both their lives. God is in the cries heard under the rubble of war. God is in the debris of wasted opportunity and lives, and God is with us if we are with them.
Source: Bono, 54th Annual National Prayer Breakfast speech, February 2, 2006
Source: Bono, 54th Annual National Prayer Breakfast speech, February 2, 2006
Friday, September 12, 2008
+==Sermonizing {005}==+
HARD LOVE
What if. WHAT IF someone told you they had the key to Christianity? That key that told you how to be a Christian in the world today? You may feel as though you are the best Christian you can be… and don’t let me tell you otherwise. But lets be honest, and let me re-emphasize to you what it means to be Christian.
The key to Christianity is found in our scripture for this week: Romans 13:8-10
Don't run up debts, except for the huge debt of love you owe each other. When you love others, you complete what the law has been after all along. The law code—don't sleep with another person's spouse, don't take someone's life, don't take what isn't yours, don't always be wanting what you don't have, and any other "don't" you can think of—finally adds up to this: Love other people as well as you do yourself. You can't go wrong when you love others. When you add up everything in the law code, the sum total is love.
Paul is quoting Jesus here. This word, love, is found numerous time in the New Testament and especially the gospels due to Jesus. Jesus was a revolutionary. He was changing the way people thought back then. He was an “out with the old, in with the new” kind of guy. In the passage, Paul is telling us that the Ten Commandments were good, and still important. It is not an issue of relevancy, but of priorities. And lastly, we get too caught up in the nitty gritty of things these days. We find people picking apart the Bible purely to cast out others, to separate “them” from “us.” That’s not the purpose of the Bible, or of Christianity for that matter.
But this is it. The ESSENCE. The KEY to Christianity. It is LOVE.
This is not confession time by any means, but I encourage you to think about someone who bugs you, annoys you, or makes you angry. Got it?? Now imagine… what would it take to love them? Not the boyfriend/girlfriend type of love, but the love Jesus speaks of? What would happen if you loved them?
Now answer the question, will it be easy?
I will tell you right now. NO. NO IT WILL NOT BE EASY. It isn’t, and it shouldn’t be. Love is hard. Following Christ should be hard.
This has become the norm in society today, for religion to be easy, especially Christianity. But lets think about other religions. Islam. Our Muslim brothers and sisters pray at least 5 times a day, IN ARABIC. And currently they are celebrating their holy time of Ramadan which requires them to fast from dawn to dusk. Or how about our Jewish friends? For those who choose, remaining kosher is an extreme sacrifice. Not to mention they take their Sabbath very seriously and it is from Friday night to Saturday night. Not too much partying for them! Our faithful friends are dedicated. And Christianity can come off as easy. But let us be reminded of how often we follow in the Law of Christ. The law of love. Jesus transforms the way we think about love. Or so he should. The question is, who would Jesus love?
I don’t care if you are Catholic or Protestant, Gay or Straight, Black, White or Brown, Male or Female, Muslim, Jewish or Hindu. I DON’T CARE. I am going to try to love you with every ounce of my being, no matter my view on your religion, lifestyle, or denomination. It is a simple notion that can change the way you live and can improve the lives of others around you. Its hard. And you know, we are always asking that God’s will be done. But God’s will for us is to love.
“But God this person always wants to talk to me and I just never have time, and they don’t understand…” “Oh, and this person. AH! They always bug me and I don’t understand why they cant just leave me alone!”
Perhaps God is trying to speak to you through that person. Maybe God with work through them to help you. Or perhaps God is trying to work through you to help the other person. Either way.
LOVE WINS.
David Bailey, one of my favorite music artists, sings a song about different church names when opening the yellow pages. After his long list of churches, in alphabetical order for the most part, he says this…
Don’t worry about who is right or wrong.
If the spirit makes us strong, can’t we all just get along?
I’m all about diversity. It’s true in every family.
What works for you might not for me.
But really can we just agree, that life is hard and God is good
and Jesus showed us that we could
Live in peace with one another.
I’m not a stranger, I’m your brother.
We were told to love each other
And I wonder what would happen… if. We. Did.
Amen.
What if. WHAT IF someone told you they had the key to Christianity? That key that told you how to be a Christian in the world today? You may feel as though you are the best Christian you can be… and don’t let me tell you otherwise. But lets be honest, and let me re-emphasize to you what it means to be Christian.
The key to Christianity is found in our scripture for this week: Romans 13:8-10
Don't run up debts, except for the huge debt of love you owe each other. When you love others, you complete what the law has been after all along. The law code—don't sleep with another person's spouse, don't take someone's life, don't take what isn't yours, don't always be wanting what you don't have, and any other "don't" you can think of—finally adds up to this: Love other people as well as you do yourself. You can't go wrong when you love others. When you add up everything in the law code, the sum total is love.
Paul is quoting Jesus here. This word, love, is found numerous time in the New Testament and especially the gospels due to Jesus. Jesus was a revolutionary. He was changing the way people thought back then. He was an “out with the old, in with the new” kind of guy. In the passage, Paul is telling us that the Ten Commandments were good, and still important. It is not an issue of relevancy, but of priorities. And lastly, we get too caught up in the nitty gritty of things these days. We find people picking apart the Bible purely to cast out others, to separate “them” from “us.” That’s not the purpose of the Bible, or of Christianity for that matter.
But this is it. The ESSENCE. The KEY to Christianity. It is LOVE.
This is not confession time by any means, but I encourage you to think about someone who bugs you, annoys you, or makes you angry. Got it?? Now imagine… what would it take to love them? Not the boyfriend/girlfriend type of love, but the love Jesus speaks of? What would happen if you loved them?
Now answer the question, will it be easy?
I will tell you right now. NO. NO IT WILL NOT BE EASY. It isn’t, and it shouldn’t be. Love is hard. Following Christ should be hard.
This has become the norm in society today, for religion to be easy, especially Christianity. But lets think about other religions. Islam. Our Muslim brothers and sisters pray at least 5 times a day, IN ARABIC. And currently they are celebrating their holy time of Ramadan which requires them to fast from dawn to dusk. Or how about our Jewish friends? For those who choose, remaining kosher is an extreme sacrifice. Not to mention they take their Sabbath very seriously and it is from Friday night to Saturday night. Not too much partying for them! Our faithful friends are dedicated. And Christianity can come off as easy. But let us be reminded of how often we follow in the Law of Christ. The law of love. Jesus transforms the way we think about love. Or so he should. The question is, who would Jesus love?
I don’t care if you are Catholic or Protestant, Gay or Straight, Black, White or Brown, Male or Female, Muslim, Jewish or Hindu. I DON’T CARE. I am going to try to love you with every ounce of my being, no matter my view on your religion, lifestyle, or denomination. It is a simple notion that can change the way you live and can improve the lives of others around you. Its hard. And you know, we are always asking that God’s will be done. But God’s will for us is to love.
“But God this person always wants to talk to me and I just never have time, and they don’t understand…” “Oh, and this person. AH! They always bug me and I don’t understand why they cant just leave me alone!”
Perhaps God is trying to speak to you through that person. Maybe God with work through them to help you. Or perhaps God is trying to work through you to help the other person. Either way.
LOVE WINS.
David Bailey, one of my favorite music artists, sings a song about different church names when opening the yellow pages. After his long list of churches, in alphabetical order for the most part, he says this…
Don’t worry about who is right or wrong.
If the spirit makes us strong, can’t we all just get along?
I’m all about diversity. It’s true in every family.
What works for you might not for me.
But really can we just agree, that life is hard and God is good
and Jesus showed us that we could
Live in peace with one another.
I’m not a stranger, I’m your brother.
We were told to love each other
And I wonder what would happen… if. We. Did.
Amen.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
+==Sermonizing {004}==+
A Damascus Road Community
Saul was on his way down the road to Damascus persecuting Christian Jews. He was “out for the kill,” you might say. He was a religious zealot, speaking out against and arresting those who were followers of Jesus. He had been well known in the area and so people were afraid of him. As we heard in the reading, on the Road to Damascus, he saw a light which was so incredibly bright and heard a voice speaking to him. It was the voice of Christ. Saul is made blind and goes for three days without food or drink. Then, Ananias has a vision of Jesus as well. Speaking of people being afraid of Saul, Ananias was one of them. When Jesus spoke to him in a vision, we heard a sense of anxiety in his voice. He was not necessarily afraid of him as a person, but was concerned for his own well being, as any follower of Christ would be with Saul on the prowl. His immediate reaction to the vision was, “YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS! EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT HOW TERRIBLE HE IS AND YOU WANT ME TO LAY HANDS ON HIM AND CURE HIM OF HIS BLINDNESS?! What the heck?!” Jesus is like, Just go to him. I have everything under control for I have chosen him. Please, just do it.
Please join me in prayer… God may the words of my mouth
and the meditations of each of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O God, for you are our rock and our redeemer. Amen.
So here are both of these guys in seemingly awkward positions. Saul was just made blind by someone he doesn’t believe in, and Ananias has to go cure Saul’s blindness. What a duo. Now in order to understand all of this, I think we need to back up a little bit. The Borg book, which many of you have been reading mentions this conversion as one of three types. The three types are: conversion from no religion, to a religion; from one religion to another; and conversion within a religion. Saul was an very religious person. He called himself one type of Jew, but was then converted to another type of Judaism. To that which we commonly call “Christian Jews.”
However, this sermon is not really about Paul, himself. This is about the community that surrounded Paul after his conversion.
So here’s a question…Do any of you remember when you were converted? I think it would be a safe guess to say most of you grew up I the church and therefore your “conversion moment” was your baptism. Or perhaps you have come and gone from the church so the most recent time you dedicated yourself to coming to church was your conversion moment. Or maybe you used to belong to something other than the UCC and the moment in time when you changed denominations, when you realized what the UCC was about and decided you loved it was your “conversion moment.” Or perhaps you don’t feel as though you have had one yet. And that is ok too. But, whatever it is, it is unique. It may not be the same as the person next you and that is great. It shouldn’t be and there is no reason to compare. I think a lot of times people get nervous when the word converted comes around because then we get this picture of “Born Again Christians” or Overly Converted Christians who seem way to excited for their faith and don’t know what to do with themselves…and it scares us. But as Borg points out, conversion changes the way one sees. It gives us a new perspective. Now if you think of a conversion as this, it is a pretty refreshing thought. It becomes more tangible. Something we can grasp. But think about this.
This means that we are continuously being converted. Whether it is any part of a church activity or service, even things in the wider community- such as shopping, work, things at home, or out playing-- can give us an entirely new perspective on things.
So then, what happens? We have a new perspective. Do we just run with it? Do we go off telling people “I had a brilliant revelation today! And it totally changed my perspective I want to tell everyone!” Well, that is great and all, but we tend to be blind to various ideas and feelings after having a “conversion moment” because we are on a spiritual high. We take this change to heart and go with it. Blinding us to other ideas. Don’t get me wrong, spiritual highs are AWESOME. (For example- General Synod… over 9000 UCC members worshiping in the Hartford Civic Center? Talk about a spiritual high!) However, you have to realize that community is necessary in order to continue the conversion. You need people in whom you can confide to discuss and process what you have experienced and learned.
I have a friend at Elmhurst who is planning to go to Eden Theo. Sem. after graduating from college. I explained to her last year that I was beginning this member in discernment process and broke it down for her to see if it was something she was a part of or interested in and said to me…”I can discern on my own. I don’t need all sorts of groups to help me do that. I’m doing just fine.” I was taken aback by her statement because I have sort of always figured that you just have to do it that way. I could never see myself discerning on my own, and you shouldn’t either. It’s hard to rely on ourselves. That’s why we need communities to which we can turn.
Whether it’s discerning your call or processing through an experience, you need a community to uplift you and help you. It is not a time to think you can do it on your own. I have found that when I rely on myself, I don’t do as well, but when I put my trust in God or in those who surround me and can educate me in different ways, I can do so much more.
The promise of God's presence in community is in these words of Jesus, "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." Not only are we called to be a strong community, but we are a community of Christ, built on the foundation of faith in a God who calls us into this place in our lives.
So getting back to the story, Ananias goes to Saul, lays his hands on him, and calls him brother. At this moment, Saul becomes Paul and something like film or scar tissue falls from his eyes and he regains his sight. He finally saw the light—literally and figuratively! Saul was knocked off of his high horse and was given a reality check or as one of my friends says, hit over the head with a spiritual 2x4. He realized what he had been missing for so long. He shouldn’t be persecuting those who follow , he should be following in His way. It was an… “AH-HA!” moment. Ananias’ welcome to a former zealot becomes a model for churches today. It shows us the supportive, restorative role the church is to play in the lives of our community.
As most of you know, back in March I met with Church Council to present to them why I feel I should be considered a Member in Discernment with the United Church of Christ. This status grants me a support system through this, my local church, and the association to help me discern and guide me from now until my ordination. It is a fantastic program for candidates like me who feel called to ministry and want the support and guidance of others. This is much like the community by which Paul was surrounded.
Ananias supported Paul to his fullest and without the vision and the actions that followed by him, Paul would not have been the person we know of today, the transformative soul whose voice and writings permeate our New Testament. God put each of you in this church at this place in your life. We are all called to live in a community, grounded in Christ, which supports and guides others. We are called to be a church together and if we are not there for one another, how can we fulfill God’s call for our lives as a community?
SO think about us. Think about First Congregational Church, United Church of Christ in Battle Creek, Michigan. Are we the transformative kind of community by which Paul would feel embraced? A community which, through God, helps the other members of our community by support and encouragement? By asking the big questions? By deepening your faith? Is this place helping you? I bet you’ve been transformed and converted while you’ve been here and didn’t even realize it! Or perhaps you’re realizing it right now! Based on his conversion, Paul comes to realize the importance of an evolving, transforming, and redeeming community. If this churches job is to help you continuously convert yourself, change your perspective, and this isn’t happening, then examine your relationship to this church. This is a scary way to think about things because we fear change. We fear new perspectives because what if it changes us? GASP! [hands to mouth] OH MY GOSH!.This doesn’t have to be about the church, it could very well be a question of if you are open to being changed, being converted by this conversion community here. We are being constantly reminded through scripture and the actions of others to be as Christ, to follow in the example he left us and if we aren’t seeing that, then we need someone like Ananias to take away the scar tissue and let the light flood into the deepest part of our souls.
We must be as encouraging, inspiring, and helpful as we can be in order to become a Damascus Road Community. It is not a matter of whether or not you as one person in this community think we can do it or not. It is a communal effort that has already been started. We have to brush the scales off of each others eyes. We must pray for others. You don’t just sit next to that person in the pew every Sunday. You are all children of God and Brothers and Sisters in Christ. When you realize that, these people aren’t just your pew neighbors anymore. Your church body should be to you as Ananias was to Paul.
If we are to become the conversion community God is calling us to be, we must do what it takes to be a Damascus Road Community. This Damascus road experience transcends Christianity. We hear the phrase in secular circles too—whenever someone has a grand realization. That means something. Paul’s story isn’t just for this community but for all communities. Groups of people are always evolving and changing as time goes on. And it is evident that the power of community is incredible.
We need to steer away from the path of independence and join this transformative Damascus Road Community which is right here. And happening right now. Amen.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
+== Being Critical==+
On Being Satisfied
Elizabeth O'Connor
I had never thought before that being critical of myself was being critical of God who made me and even now pronounces me satisfactory as is. If God is the creator, it is not appropriate to rebel against one of his creations, even if that creation is myself. That would be expressing dissatisfaction with God. This does not mean relinquishing my goals for growth, but rejoicing in what is while I reach for what can be. I can give praise for myself as faulted as I am, and then take the next step. In this response, God is not only the One who goes before me, but is God with me.
In giving praise for ourselves we become more aware of how many strains of self-hatred weave through our self-love. We are misguided when we worry about the people who think too well of themselves. Our wars with each other are grounded in self-hatred, not self-love....
Elizabeth O'Connor
I had never thought before that being critical of myself was being critical of God who made me and even now pronounces me satisfactory as is. If God is the creator, it is not appropriate to rebel against one of his creations, even if that creation is myself. That would be expressing dissatisfaction with God. This does not mean relinquishing my goals for growth, but rejoicing in what is while I reach for what can be. I can give praise for myself as faulted as I am, and then take the next step. In this response, God is not only the One who goes before me, but is God with me.
In giving praise for ourselves we become more aware of how many strains of self-hatred weave through our self-love. We are misguided when we worry about the people who think too well of themselves. Our wars with each other are grounded in self-hatred, not self-love....
Sunday, July 20, 2008
+==family==+
I love them most of the time...
But I hate that my family doesn't understand me.
Will they ever learn?
Maybe I don't want them to...
But I hate that my family doesn't understand me.
Will they ever learn?
Maybe I don't want them to...
Saturday, June 28, 2008
+==Ordinary Spirituality==+
So there's this really cool website called "Inward Outward" and it is a blog by the Church of our Saviour in Washington DC. YOu should get their daily email. It's really insightful- one of the best I've ever signed up for. Below is a link to today's. It is an interview about spirituality with Eugene Peterson ("author" of THe Message version of the Bible).
Read it.
Absorb it.
Comment on it.
http://www.inwardoutward.org/?p=758
Read it.
Absorb it.
Comment on it.
http://www.inwardoutward.org/?p=758
Monday, June 23, 2008
Saturday, June 21, 2008
+==erg==+
If we are so "fearfully and wonderfully made" (Ps. 139) then why the hell am I, and others around me, so disgusted with me?
Friday, June 6, 2008
+==Christian Communities==+
Power understood as the ability to accomplish desired ends is present in human relationships no matter how particular communities or societies are organized. Nevertheless, Christian communities recognize that the source of power in their life is the love of Christ which inspires and directs them. This is a style of power not of coercion but of empowerment of others.... It also connects to those at the margins of society who search for word of God’s love and justice.
- Letty M. RussellThursday, June 5, 2008
+==running==+
Running.
It's so freeing.
When nothing is stopping you... no time constraints... no injury... not even any pain.
I'm trying running as a meditative sort of thing these days.
In my process of trying to get in shape, I find that running (whether i have to interject walking or not doesn't matter anymore) feels so good.
The other day was rough and even though i probably ran about a mile total, because my breathing was short and inconsistent, i found myself struggling. Struggling to make it a while without walking...
But today. Today was different. Today was better because I found my niche. Inhale (two steps) exhale (two steps):: repeat:: It was perfect. I made it TWO miles with just a short break.
Then because it was somewhat meditative I imagined or rather tried to feel the Spirit of God enter my body as I ran the first two steps and then exhaled all the frustrations in my life as I stepped the next two. It's an amazing feeling.... it's hard when you get bored of running, but that is when you find a new path and take that... find new things and run more.
Be free. Free in Christ, free in deed, free in life. Be free.
i'm going running again.
+==Sermonizing {003}==+
So I was asked to be the keynote speaker at Battle Creek Christian's 8th grade Graduation today. In honor f this occasion (from which I never experienced haha) I revised a sermon I previously wrote to fit this time in their life which will hopefully present insight to them as they step out into high school and beyond. So here it is...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…
That is the Great Commission as they like to call it. In the book of Matthew, these are Jesus’ last words. Unlike the other gospels, He says… “Make disciples and baptize them.” Baptize them… now, Jesus and his disciples hadn’t led a baptismal ministry—they were busy curing people… In this case, Jesus is referring to baptism as the act marking a transition from being outside a Christian community to discipleship within it. Do you guys remember when you were baptized? Well, the ritual of baptism isn’t limited to the life you lead or to your church. It has an outward effect. I read this, and I like to use the image of a pebble being tossed into the water. Our actions causes ripples and as they expand outward in motion, so are the baptized to go out and have an ever-lasting and ever-expanding effect on the rest of the world. Now, those who were to be baptized were going to be disciples also. You know, the disciples weren’t just the twelve guys that made up Jesus’ posse. Oh no. They are ALL OF YOU. After Jesus had resurrected, the invitation to be disciples to the nations extended to everyone. In every city. and every nation. Even you. And even me.
To give you all a little background on me::::::
About four years ago I felt called. I didn’t know what it was at first. I didn’t realize that God was calling me to be in ministry. But, one of the first nights my church’s new pastor led youth group, I stayed after and talked to her for two hours. In those two hours, we discussed all sorts of stuff which included my recent spurt in going to church. I suddenly loved it. As we kept talking, I realized that I have a passion for God’s work in the world. I had also just gone on my first mission trip that summer and realized that helping people was what I liked to do most. Everything seemed to be falling into place. However, it wasn’t all good. I had SO MANY QUESTIONS! It felt like the one time God was calling me to do something special and I had no faith at all and was so scared! I wasn’t meant for this. I had plans for college and stuff. However, God decided to throw me a curveball now? As soon as I thought I had everything planned out, God was screwing everything up. Well, that’s what I thought anyway….
So many people are called by God in the Bible—Jeremiah, Mary, Isaiah, just to name a few. But in Isaiah chapter 6, Isaiah sees a vision of God. Isaiah was scared, initially, as any of us are when we first realize we’re being called to do God’s work. You don’t necessarily have a “Go get em” kind of attitude. Isaiah, at first, wanted to hide from God because he knew that God was so perfect and mighty and amazing and that he wasn’t. He was full of imperfections and sin and he knew it. However, an angel appeared and touched his lips, with a HOT BURNING COAL, nonetheless, and cleansed him of his unrighteousness. God then showed Isaiah the problem for which God was calling him. The Israelites were a di-sas-ter, a complete mess. They were drifting away from God, not listening, and avoiding God at all costs. After Isaiah saw this God asked “Whom shall I send?” Isaiah responded, “Here I am Lord. SEND ME!” Send me… Well, that was a brave move! When I felt God calling me to ministry, I said WHOA! I don’t think so! Me? A PASTOR?! Nuh-uh. But just as Isaiah was called, so is each of you and as you already know, so was I. Now for the rest of the story.
It was the most confusing feeling in the world but I knew I had to follow where God was sending me. As I started going to church more I got involved in a few committees and in youth group. I went to the Summer Youth Institute at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary in 2005 with 35 other teens from around the U.S. I thought that the two week program would help me figure out what I was doing with my life. However, my questions still weren’t answered. But it’s part of the process. As you grow up and move onto bigger and more challenging things, you are bound to have questions. And for the record. IT IS O.K. Now that I’ve finally settled with having all these questions, I’m on a search for answers. Now I’m trying to figure out where I belong and what I am doing. But for now, I’m going to wait for God to lead me.
God sends each and every one of you to be who you are supposed to be. Just because you might not be called to be in professional ministry, doesn’t mean you can’t minister in your everyday life. As a matter of fact, you should! At my church, we say “I too minister here!” This tells us that the work we do at home, at our jobs, and at church is all ministry. Now, this means we are giving hope to the hopeless, showing kindness, and loving those who may be different from us. IN Micah 6:8 in the message version of the Bible, it says, “Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, and don’t take yourself too seriously—take God seriously. “ As you grow up you will be called to minister in the name of Jesus Christ, allowing your faith to shape who you are and how you live out that call.
If you have ever seen the movie Pay it Forward, you know that Mr. Simonet, the teacher, asks the class to change the world. Some kids didn’t even try the assignment but Trevor did. In the end, Trevor changes the world by doing one act of kindness for three people and then telling them to do the same so we get something looking like a phone tree, right? Well, Mr. Simonet goes on to say a little bit later that his project requires an extreme act of faith in the goodness of people.” See, our Christian lives can be like that too. If we all tried to help others and do service for others and told them to pass it on, we would have a rather large amount of good people in the world, wouldn’t we?!
God has spoken to people throughout the ages and is still doing so to us. This is why pastors say a charge of blessing or a benediction at the end of the service—to Send us forth into the world carrying the light of Christ with us, and reminding us that worshiping God doesn’t end at 11 o clock or so on a Sunday morning. We are to spread our light to others. Allow our ripples to effect others. Pay it forward to others so the rest of the world can see the effects of what it means to have a faith. Even if this means donating money through school or church to help victims of natural disasters, giving hope to those with cancer by participating in Relay for Life. DO IT! These are good things and just simple things that can help change the world, no matter how small!. Reach out and let kindness hope and perseverance shine through you.
Jesus’ last words in Matthew are a promise of his continuing presence in us and the church. “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” There is no day, no hour of the day when God is not by our side helping us along the way.
Be the pebble tossed into the lake. Be the kid who wants to change the world. Be the one to shine your light on all those with whom you cross paths. You may make the difference for one person, or quite possibly, more. But that is all it takes.
As you graduate from this place and move onto bigger things in a different location, be reminded that God is always with you—through schoolwork, sports, church, service, the good and even the bad or scary, and even to the end of the age. But may you remember this for all your years. And may you remember the values and ideals Battle Creek Christian has taught you. I certainly still do! And you should too! Thank you and Congratulations to the graduating class of 2008!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…
That is the Great Commission as they like to call it. In the book of Matthew, these are Jesus’ last words. Unlike the other gospels, He says… “Make disciples and baptize them.” Baptize them… now, Jesus and his disciples hadn’t led a baptismal ministry—they were busy curing people… In this case, Jesus is referring to baptism as the act marking a transition from being outside a Christian community to discipleship within it. Do you guys remember when you were baptized? Well, the ritual of baptism isn’t limited to the life you lead or to your church. It has an outward effect. I read this, and I like to use the image of a pebble being tossed into the water. Our actions causes ripples and as they expand outward in motion, so are the baptized to go out and have an ever-lasting and ever-expanding effect on the rest of the world. Now, those who were to be baptized were going to be disciples also. You know, the disciples weren’t just the twelve guys that made up Jesus’ posse. Oh no. They are ALL OF YOU. After Jesus had resurrected, the invitation to be disciples to the nations extended to everyone. In every city. and every nation. Even you. And even me.
To give you all a little background on me::::::
About four years ago I felt called. I didn’t know what it was at first. I didn’t realize that God was calling me to be in ministry. But, one of the first nights my church’s new pastor led youth group, I stayed after and talked to her for two hours. In those two hours, we discussed all sorts of stuff which included my recent spurt in going to church. I suddenly loved it. As we kept talking, I realized that I have a passion for God’s work in the world. I had also just gone on my first mission trip that summer and realized that helping people was what I liked to do most. Everything seemed to be falling into place. However, it wasn’t all good. I had SO MANY QUESTIONS! It felt like the one time God was calling me to do something special and I had no faith at all and was so scared! I wasn’t meant for this. I had plans for college and stuff. However, God decided to throw me a curveball now? As soon as I thought I had everything planned out, God was screwing everything up. Well, that’s what I thought anyway….
So many people are called by God in the Bible—Jeremiah, Mary, Isaiah, just to name a few. But in Isaiah chapter 6, Isaiah sees a vision of God. Isaiah was scared, initially, as any of us are when we first realize we’re being called to do God’s work. You don’t necessarily have a “Go get em” kind of attitude. Isaiah, at first, wanted to hide from God because he knew that God was so perfect and mighty and amazing and that he wasn’t. He was full of imperfections and sin and he knew it. However, an angel appeared and touched his lips, with a HOT BURNING COAL, nonetheless, and cleansed him of his unrighteousness. God then showed Isaiah the problem for which God was calling him. The Israelites were a di-sas-ter, a complete mess. They were drifting away from God, not listening, and avoiding God at all costs. After Isaiah saw this God asked “Whom shall I send?” Isaiah responded, “Here I am Lord. SEND ME!” Send me… Well, that was a brave move! When I felt God calling me to ministry, I said WHOA! I don’t think so! Me? A PASTOR?! Nuh-uh. But just as Isaiah was called, so is each of you and as you already know, so was I. Now for the rest of the story.
It was the most confusing feeling in the world but I knew I had to follow where God was sending me. As I started going to church more I got involved in a few committees and in youth group. I went to the Summer Youth Institute at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary in 2005 with 35 other teens from around the U.S. I thought that the two week program would help me figure out what I was doing with my life. However, my questions still weren’t answered. But it’s part of the process. As you grow up and move onto bigger and more challenging things, you are bound to have questions. And for the record. IT IS O.K. Now that I’ve finally settled with having all these questions, I’m on a search for answers. Now I’m trying to figure out where I belong and what I am doing. But for now, I’m going to wait for God to lead me.
God sends each and every one of you to be who you are supposed to be. Just because you might not be called to be in professional ministry, doesn’t mean you can’t minister in your everyday life. As a matter of fact, you should! At my church, we say “I too minister here!” This tells us that the work we do at home, at our jobs, and at church is all ministry. Now, this means we are giving hope to the hopeless, showing kindness, and loving those who may be different from us. IN Micah 6:8 in the message version of the Bible, it says, “Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, and don’t take yourself too seriously—take God seriously. “ As you grow up you will be called to minister in the name of Jesus Christ, allowing your faith to shape who you are and how you live out that call.
If you have ever seen the movie Pay it Forward, you know that Mr. Simonet, the teacher, asks the class to change the world. Some kids didn’t even try the assignment but Trevor did. In the end, Trevor changes the world by doing one act of kindness for three people and then telling them to do the same so we get something looking like a phone tree, right? Well, Mr. Simonet goes on to say a little bit later that his project requires an extreme act of faith in the goodness of people.” See, our Christian lives can be like that too. If we all tried to help others and do service for others and told them to pass it on, we would have a rather large amount of good people in the world, wouldn’t we?!
God has spoken to people throughout the ages and is still doing so to us. This is why pastors say a charge of blessing or a benediction at the end of the service—to Send us forth into the world carrying the light of Christ with us, and reminding us that worshiping God doesn’t end at 11 o clock or so on a Sunday morning. We are to spread our light to others. Allow our ripples to effect others. Pay it forward to others so the rest of the world can see the effects of what it means to have a faith. Even if this means donating money through school or church to help victims of natural disasters, giving hope to those with cancer by participating in Relay for Life. DO IT! These are good things and just simple things that can help change the world, no matter how small!. Reach out and let kindness hope and perseverance shine through you.
Jesus’ last words in Matthew are a promise of his continuing presence in us and the church. “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” There is no day, no hour of the day when God is not by our side helping us along the way.
Be the pebble tossed into the lake. Be the kid who wants to change the world. Be the one to shine your light on all those with whom you cross paths. You may make the difference for one person, or quite possibly, more. But that is all it takes.
As you graduate from this place and move onto bigger things in a different location, be reminded that God is always with you—through schoolwork, sports, church, service, the good and even the bad or scary, and even to the end of the age. But may you remember this for all your years. And may you remember the values and ideals Battle Creek Christian has taught you. I certainly still do! And you should too! Thank you and Congratulations to the graduating class of 2008!!
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
+==mmm powerful==+
No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.
- 1 Corinthians 10:13-14
The world is overcome not through destruction, but through reconciliation. Not ideals, nor programs, nor conscience, nor duty, nor responsibility, nor virtue, but only God's perfect love can encounter reality and overcome it. Nor is it some universal idea of love, but rather the love of God in Jesus Christ, a love genuinely lived, that does this.
- Dietrich BonhoefferMeditations on the Cross
And as much as I am about the ecumenical, interfaith love that is expressed through all faiths and no faiths, this still rings true.
- 1 Corinthians 10:13-14
The world is overcome not through destruction, but through reconciliation. Not ideals, nor programs, nor conscience, nor duty, nor responsibility, nor virtue, but only God's perfect love can encounter reality and overcome it. Nor is it some universal idea of love, but rather the love of God in Jesus Christ, a love genuinely lived, that does this.
- Dietrich BonhoefferMeditations on the Cross
And as much as I am about the ecumenical, interfaith love that is expressed through all faiths and no faiths, this still rings true.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
+==shucks==+
Dagnabbit...
I had some brilliant thought earlier but i have since lost it. so I dont remember what I was going to write but it was going to be way cool.
I'm reading Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert and its AMAZING. I love it. I'm 1/3 of the way done in two days. That's big for me. I can hardly put it down. In the book, I just left italy and am on my way to India.
I'll give you an update at the end!
peace love happiness.
adios
I had some brilliant thought earlier but i have since lost it. so I dont remember what I was going to write but it was going to be way cool.
I'm reading Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert and its AMAZING. I love it. I'm 1/3 of the way done in two days. That's big for me. I can hardly put it down. In the book, I just left italy and am on my way to India.
I'll give you an update at the end!
peace love happiness.
adios
Saturday, May 24, 2008
+==can't believe it==+
It's been three years.
Three years without him.
Three years a family has been down a member.
Three years a youth group has been without a youth.
Three years we have mourned over this loss.
It's taken me three years to stop crying.
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
I remember when we used to watch his stupid videos which resembled the show "Jackass."
I remember when we watched him set off a bottle rocket in a church parking lot in KY.
I remember when I used to think he was so weird. He was only misunderstood.
I remember the moment I was told he had died so vividly.
======> We had had three students commit suicide in our high school that school year. But now it was May 24th 2005. I received a pink slip in band (4th block) asking me to immediately come to the office. There was supposedly someone waiting for me there. I got teased out of class and took my stuff and strolled to the office. I get there and see Megan Brennan (a current youth group advisor), tissues in hand, crying. I asked what was wrong and the only things that came to mind was "is Leah ok?" Leah, who is our associate pastor and my mentor. No, it couldn't be. I wonder if Jim, our other yg advisor, is ok. Russ? Roger? Andrew? Crap, what's wrong. And she said, "Honey, Shawn died this morning." She could barely get it out. I dropped into her arms and lost it. I wasn't Shawn's best friend... I don't really even remember any conversations I had with him. But it was a loss. Another loss in my life that I really didn't want. One that made this opportunity for life seem so obsolete. Megan and I held each other in our arms as we cried in the office. I was in shock. "what happened? When? Does everyone know?" "The only thing we know is that he was in a car accident on his way to school. His mom called the church and let us know so we're trying to let everyone know. I didn't want you to find out any other way. I wanted to tell you." I was heartbroken for our church and his family who had lost someone with so much creative talent and incredible ability to a stupid accident. Of course I was too stunned to really think about it. I had two teachers walk by me in the office and ask what was wrong and I simply said someone from my youth group had died in a car accident and they gave me a hug, told me they were sorry and moved onto the mailbox room. Megan said that they were calling all the youth group members houses to tell them what had happened and that they were opening the church for us to come over and think and process, cry and pray. We were all planning to meet around 6. But after we parted from the school I called a Sara on the golf team and told her what had happened and that I wasn't coming to golf practice. Then I headed over to Jennifer's house and I don't remember why because she, Lindsay, and Ellie had all set out for senior trip that morning. Linds and Ellie were both in youth group and loved shawn dearly. I guess they found out and cried all the way to New York (people probably thought they were crazy). I went to church that night and we sat and talked, stood and cried, circled and prayed. It was too hard to get anything out. I didn't know what to do. Ali, in the midst of prayer turned to me and hugged me and we just stood there, tears on shoulders, hair in mouths, distraught. We lit candles. One of all of our most beloved memories of him was his love of fire and pyrotechnic-side. He was funny. Always wanting to light stuff on fire (hence the bottle rocket) -among other things. It was hard. I had one of my friends the next day tell me "well, its not like he was your best friend or anything"-- I was like yea, right, like that makes a difference. Jerk. i was pissed. Anyway, we sat at church for a good five hours just processing and crying, trying to figure out what had happened and how we were going to cope with it. (I remember Leah telling me later on that that night she went home, sat on her porch, cried, and lit a cigarette. She doesn't smoke, but it was one of those stressful moments.) Leah had managed not to cry while we were at church, but it was definitely her pastor coming out of her so she could show support for the rest of us. I had never seen so many youth gathered at that church before. The following day, after school, two of my golf girls brought me a plate of cookies and a card. I just about lost it again. The card said something to the effect of sympathy, and we're here if you need us. It was amazing.
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
So here we are, three years later. I don't know that many people will remember, I mean, youth group kids. There are a select few, but it could be out of sight, out of mind. Whatever it is, I hope people still realize how much of an asset he was to us and how much of an inspiration he continued to be.
===================================================
Another story:
We went on a mission trip just three weeks after he had died and it was to Washington D.C. Shawn had signed up to go because he loved the one in Kentucky so much the year before. Anyway, we walk into this church sanctuary where we were holding devotions. Ellie, Lindsay, Leah, Ali and I look up at the front of the sanctuary and there is the most amazing stained glass window we have ever seen. Leah and Lindsay turn to the rest of us and say, "Shawn would have loved that." And they couldn't have been more right. Now, mission trips had always been a revival of faith and a time for thought, especially when it came to devotions. Every night on that trip, the five of us would stay up until 3 am -easily- talking and mostly crying. It wasn't easy to get over. Only a few weeks had passed and it was still vivid. We did this on each mission trip following. (It got less intense as we went on.)
***************************************************************
Final story:
He was one hell of a musician. He could play guitar and sing like no tomorrow. He played with Andrew when we were in KY. Before that, at the graduation service at church, he and Andrew played the DMB song, "Where are you Going?" It was great. After shawn died, our tech guy at church made us all copies of him and andrew playing at that service. It's now on my iTunes, and i love it dearly.
####################################################
Alright. So here we are three years later. I miss him. I wonder all the time what he would be doing right now. I think about all the stupid stuff he did and how he died in a car accident and not by catching himself on fire, or getting hit by a car as he was trying to jump over it.
What were God's intentions for our loss?
Why was it important to happen then?
What happened?
A lot of times I believe "Shit happens" and sometimes I believe God really does only put people on earth for a short while, like God did with Enoch. But still. I wonder.
I'm sorry I didn't get out to the cemetary today...
We miss you Shawn. We always have and always will.
RIP Shawn Harnden 1987-2005
Sunday, May 11, 2008
===aw man===
I have some habits I seriously need to
..........................K......................................
.....................................I.......................................
.............................................C.........................................
.......................................................K........................................
..........................K......................................
.....................................I.......................................
.............................................C.........................................
.......................................................K........................................
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Sunday, April 27, 2008
.... sermonizing....{002}
So I gave a sermon today at a UCC church in Bensenville. St. John's and Immunuel UCC churches are dying and Peace is the stronger of hte three so they are all merging to become one church. This was written specifically for their situation. enjoy!
Unity Starts at Home
(I told this story without notes... so it isn;t as developed here.... but the last two sentences are what matters.)
I was in Guatemala in 2007 with a group from church…. We were shopping in a market in Chi Chi… my pastor, Leah, and I were in a shop when I heard the words “mateo venticinco” and I asked the vendor what church was on the radio. He pointed us in the right direction as my pastor told me that was the “least of these” passage…. We experienced the church… when we left, Leah posed the question, “He was preaching on the Least of These passage. Who do you think the “least of these” are to the people here in Guatemala?”
Would you pray with me? May the words of my mouth and the meditations of each of our hearts be acceptable in Your sight, O God, for You are our Rock and our Redeemer, Amen.
SO you might be thinking, what the heck is she talking about? First she reads some passages about helping the less fortunate, the least of these, then this story is about being in Guatemala and discussing justice from a native persons perspective. And the title of this sermon is talking about unity. So what in the world is she going to be talking about today? Well let’s see where this goes, shall we?
The least of these. What does this even mean? The poor? Faithless? Lonely? Lost? Addicted? Downtrodden? The imprisoned? The sick? The homeless? The hungry?
My guess would be that the first image that comes to mind may be those who ask for money on the streets of downtown Chicago. Or maybe the image of a 3rd world country comes to mind, now that I’ve mentioned Guatemala. So, then to answer my pastor’s question, what does that mean for those who we consider the least of these? If to us the Guatemalans, all those who live in 3rd world countries, and those who are suffering on our home turf, the United States, then to those people who are being preached the same scripture, who are the least of these?
Let’s do a little exercise to make this seem more real. Close your eyes if you wish. Now, picture this… it’s 15 degrees outside, the snow is falling and winds are high. You find yourself wearing a sweatshirt and jeans. Your shoes have holes and your children are without. Your family has not eaten in a couple days. You take your three children and huddle up together in the cove of an entrance to a building with nowhere else to go. The last happy moment in your mind was the day before you lost your job and thought life was great. Now open your eyes. How do you feel?
Our society has continuously pushed people into a perpetual state of instability and economic stress. Families starve, children are sick and men and women freeze on the street- and that is just in the United States. Abroad, millions are infected with HIV, living on few cents a day and struggling for life. Daily, oppression is becoming the death of minorities, no matter their location.
So what? Why does it matter that these people are having a rough time. After all, they probably put themselves in that position. Why should we bother helping them? They’re probably hopeless.
Have you heard people ask these questions before? Have you ever muttered them yourself?
Well then, does Matthew 25 have an answer for you!
The passage which Angelica read for us today from the gospel of Matthew addresses this very issue. This section of scripture focuses on end times and the judgment. It tells us what it takes to get into Heaven. Although Jesus uses sheep and goats, we can assume he’s talking about us, about humankind. The sheep he uses as righteous people and goats become a metaphor for those who do not obey his commandments. The sheep have provided clothing, food, shelter, and taken care of those who needed help and because they did it to “the least of these,” they had done it to Christ. However, we hear that the goats did not so much take the same action. Instead, the goats are basically condemned to hell as Jesus tells them that they did not take any of the action the sheep took and because they did not do it to the least of these, they did not do it to Jesus either. In the end, it is what we expect. The sheep, the righteous, are sent to heaven as the goats enter eternal punishment.
This heaven and hell separation has been the theology of Christians for centuries. It
is either one or the other. But let’s shed some new light on that idea. My theology, by which I mean that which I have read, studied and learned tells me that the Kingdom of Heaven is here on earth, even after we pass away, which means—now here is where we get hopeful—that if we don’t get it right the first time, because of God’s gracious nature, we have as many tries as we need to get it right. There aren’t necessarily three strikes and you’re out or nine lives, such as that of a cat. Instead, we get to do it over and over until we get it right and then we all go to heaven… some just might come late.
See, in verse 44, it says that, “Then they will also answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you’?” This means that of course if the goats had seen Jesus in all his glory and splendor that they would surely not have denied Jesus anything for he is Lord and their mentor! So does this mean that when we see people on the street who are struggling for life, if they aren’t all fancy shmancy that we shouldn’t help them because the disciples, well, the goats, didn’t do it? Did you hear the outcome of the goats?! They were condemned to hell! Or on my terms, they have to do it over and over again until they get it right. So what does it take to become sheep?
We’ll come back to this. But first, I find it ironic that today is Churches Uniting in Christ Sunday. The same Sunday as one of your first worship service as one fully united church. First let me give you some background to CUIC Sunday. In 2002, four months after the tragic events of 9-11, nine churches, a number which has grown since its inception, came together on MLK jr. weekend to commit themselves to a new relationship with other denominations characterized by faith and hope in an time of suspicion, terror and fear.
It was said by Rev. Michael Kinnamon that “in an age of fearfulness Christians gathered… to celebrate the love of God that casts out fear—to demonstrate fearlessness in the way we live as churches with one another.” If we cast out this fear which burdens us as Christians, possibilities seem endless. We have the ability to fulfill our obligations as Christians to do justice and love kindness as we walk humbly with God.
The reason we struggle to break these forces which divide us has a sole reason: fear. The UCC statement of faith gives us “the courage in the struggle for justice and peace.” It is my favorite part of the Statement of faith and the UCC in general because it gives us something we might not think of, act on, or hear of otherwise.
I love that phrase “fearlessness.” To demonstrate fearlessness in the way we live. It is a powerful statement. As a church we need to act out of fearless love which is promoted by the unity of the church, a church united in Christ which comes together to “challenge the system of white privilege that has so distorted life in this society and in the churches themselves” as the CUIC statements says.
So we did something today that was out of your norm as far as I know. We passed the peace. And I want to reflect on that for a minute. So many times this action is seen as [get up and walk and act it out] oh man, I have to stand up, walk around and pretend to be nice to people, shake hands with others at 9:30 in the morning. It tends to be a few more awkward minutes than we want. But I encourage you to think about this. Listen to the words. “Passing the Peace.” It is a beautiful notion. We send on peace to another. We share and give peace to one another. Peace. We all need peace, whether it is because of inner turmoil, external forces, our families, our relationship with God, or our busy life. We all need peace.
I believe peace to be one way to finding unity. If we are respectful of each other and therefore at peace with one another, it is so much easier to do things together when we are of one church, one body of Christ.
Helping the least of these can happen on our own, as individuals. But as the book of Ecclesiastes says, when three strands come together, they… we… are stronger. You hear of entities becoming separate because of the differences which divide them. But instead of focusing on the differences, we must focus on what brings us together. It can be as simple as the fact that you all attend church in Bensenville. Or it can be as obvious as your belief in our Still Speaking God and in Christ. If we do not, we get too caught up in the politics of it all and lose sight of the important things in life. So as we discuss serving the least of these, whoever they may be, what is going to happen if we are too caught up in the politics and internal forces which are causing a schism which tends to lead our focus somewhere other than injustices which face us?
I want to challenge you to think about that. Think about your similarities and your strengths as individuals and as a church to see what you can do for the least of these in your community and abroad. To learn and understand yourself as one church, united and uniting in Christ.
We cannot just be united on Churches Uniting in Christ Sunday. We cannot just be united with the other 10 denominations which are a part of this. We must first be united as a church. The saying goes, charity starts at home. Well, unity starts at home too. It must start here and now if we plan to help undo the problems which plague our world and provide for the least of these. No matter who they are. Or where they are.
Amen.
Unity Starts at Home
(I told this story without notes... so it isn;t as developed here.... but the last two sentences are what matters.)
I was in Guatemala in 2007 with a group from church…. We were shopping in a market in Chi Chi… my pastor, Leah, and I were in a shop when I heard the words “mateo venticinco” and I asked the vendor what church was on the radio. He pointed us in the right direction as my pastor told me that was the “least of these” passage…. We experienced the church… when we left, Leah posed the question, “He was preaching on the Least of These passage. Who do you think the “least of these” are to the people here in Guatemala?”
Would you pray with me? May the words of my mouth and the meditations of each of our hearts be acceptable in Your sight, O God, for You are our Rock and our Redeemer, Amen.
SO you might be thinking, what the heck is she talking about? First she reads some passages about helping the less fortunate, the least of these, then this story is about being in Guatemala and discussing justice from a native persons perspective. And the title of this sermon is talking about unity. So what in the world is she going to be talking about today? Well let’s see where this goes, shall we?
The least of these. What does this even mean? The poor? Faithless? Lonely? Lost? Addicted? Downtrodden? The imprisoned? The sick? The homeless? The hungry?
My guess would be that the first image that comes to mind may be those who ask for money on the streets of downtown Chicago. Or maybe the image of a 3rd world country comes to mind, now that I’ve mentioned Guatemala. So, then to answer my pastor’s question, what does that mean for those who we consider the least of these? If to us the Guatemalans, all those who live in 3rd world countries, and those who are suffering on our home turf, the United States, then to those people who are being preached the same scripture, who are the least of these?
Let’s do a little exercise to make this seem more real. Close your eyes if you wish. Now, picture this… it’s 15 degrees outside, the snow is falling and winds are high. You find yourself wearing a sweatshirt and jeans. Your shoes have holes and your children are without. Your family has not eaten in a couple days. You take your three children and huddle up together in the cove of an entrance to a building with nowhere else to go. The last happy moment in your mind was the day before you lost your job and thought life was great. Now open your eyes. How do you feel?
Our society has continuously pushed people into a perpetual state of instability and economic stress. Families starve, children are sick and men and women freeze on the street- and that is just in the United States. Abroad, millions are infected with HIV, living on few cents a day and struggling for life. Daily, oppression is becoming the death of minorities, no matter their location.
So what? Why does it matter that these people are having a rough time. After all, they probably put themselves in that position. Why should we bother helping them? They’re probably hopeless.
Have you heard people ask these questions before? Have you ever muttered them yourself?
Well then, does Matthew 25 have an answer for you!
The passage which Angelica read for us today from the gospel of Matthew addresses this very issue. This section of scripture focuses on end times and the judgment. It tells us what it takes to get into Heaven. Although Jesus uses sheep and goats, we can assume he’s talking about us, about humankind. The sheep he uses as righteous people and goats become a metaphor for those who do not obey his commandments. The sheep have provided clothing, food, shelter, and taken care of those who needed help and because they did it to “the least of these,” they had done it to Christ. However, we hear that the goats did not so much take the same action. Instead, the goats are basically condemned to hell as Jesus tells them that they did not take any of the action the sheep took and because they did not do it to the least of these, they did not do it to Jesus either. In the end, it is what we expect. The sheep, the righteous, are sent to heaven as the goats enter eternal punishment.
This heaven and hell separation has been the theology of Christians for centuries. It
is either one or the other. But let’s shed some new light on that idea. My theology, by which I mean that which I have read, studied and learned tells me that the Kingdom of Heaven is here on earth, even after we pass away, which means—now here is where we get hopeful—that if we don’t get it right the first time, because of God’s gracious nature, we have as many tries as we need to get it right. There aren’t necessarily three strikes and you’re out or nine lives, such as that of a cat. Instead, we get to do it over and over until we get it right and then we all go to heaven… some just might come late.
See, in verse 44, it says that, “Then they will also answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you’?” This means that of course if the goats had seen Jesus in all his glory and splendor that they would surely not have denied Jesus anything for he is Lord and their mentor! So does this mean that when we see people on the street who are struggling for life, if they aren’t all fancy shmancy that we shouldn’t help them because the disciples, well, the goats, didn’t do it? Did you hear the outcome of the goats?! They were condemned to hell! Or on my terms, they have to do it over and over again until they get it right. So what does it take to become sheep?
We’ll come back to this. But first, I find it ironic that today is Churches Uniting in Christ Sunday. The same Sunday as one of your first worship service as one fully united church. First let me give you some background to CUIC Sunday. In 2002, four months after the tragic events of 9-11, nine churches, a number which has grown since its inception, came together on MLK jr. weekend to commit themselves to a new relationship with other denominations characterized by faith and hope in an time of suspicion, terror and fear.
It was said by Rev. Michael Kinnamon that “in an age of fearfulness Christians gathered… to celebrate the love of God that casts out fear—to demonstrate fearlessness in the way we live as churches with one another.” If we cast out this fear which burdens us as Christians, possibilities seem endless. We have the ability to fulfill our obligations as Christians to do justice and love kindness as we walk humbly with God.
The reason we struggle to break these forces which divide us has a sole reason: fear. The UCC statement of faith gives us “the courage in the struggle for justice and peace.” It is my favorite part of the Statement of faith and the UCC in general because it gives us something we might not think of, act on, or hear of otherwise.
I love that phrase “fearlessness.” To demonstrate fearlessness in the way we live. It is a powerful statement. As a church we need to act out of fearless love which is promoted by the unity of the church, a church united in Christ which comes together to “challenge the system of white privilege that has so distorted life in this society and in the churches themselves” as the CUIC statements says.
So we did something today that was out of your norm as far as I know. We passed the peace. And I want to reflect on that for a minute. So many times this action is seen as [get up and walk and act it out] oh man, I have to stand up, walk around and pretend to be nice to people, shake hands with others at 9:30 in the morning. It tends to be a few more awkward minutes than we want. But I encourage you to think about this. Listen to the words. “Passing the Peace.” It is a beautiful notion. We send on peace to another. We share and give peace to one another. Peace. We all need peace, whether it is because of inner turmoil, external forces, our families, our relationship with God, or our busy life. We all need peace.
I believe peace to be one way to finding unity. If we are respectful of each other and therefore at peace with one another, it is so much easier to do things together when we are of one church, one body of Christ.
Helping the least of these can happen on our own, as individuals. But as the book of Ecclesiastes says, when three strands come together, they… we… are stronger. You hear of entities becoming separate because of the differences which divide them. But instead of focusing on the differences, we must focus on what brings us together. It can be as simple as the fact that you all attend church in Bensenville. Or it can be as obvious as your belief in our Still Speaking God and in Christ. If we do not, we get too caught up in the politics of it all and lose sight of the important things in life. So as we discuss serving the least of these, whoever they may be, what is going to happen if we are too caught up in the politics and internal forces which are causing a schism which tends to lead our focus somewhere other than injustices which face us?
I want to challenge you to think about that. Think about your similarities and your strengths as individuals and as a church to see what you can do for the least of these in your community and abroad. To learn and understand yourself as one church, united and uniting in Christ.
We cannot just be united on Churches Uniting in Christ Sunday. We cannot just be united with the other 10 denominations which are a part of this. We must first be united as a church. The saying goes, charity starts at home. Well, unity starts at home too. It must start here and now if we plan to help undo the problems which plague our world and provide for the least of these. No matter who they are. Or where they are.
Amen.
Friday, April 25, 2008
...all the time...
God is good
ALL THE TIME.
ALL THE TIME
GOD IS GOOD!!!
(Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Not only did all the stress this week get me an A- on my Bio test, but my finger, which 5 days ago couldn't hold weight, can now swing a golf club :])
It's funny how much it takes for me to believe in the power of prayer. I go in these cycles of prayer. But this whole week I've prayed for these two things (among other which I may never see the result) and look what happened! Now, still, part of me makes me want to say... yea, coincidence... but I'm slowly learning to appreciate the good and gracious natures of God.
Love it.
Peace, shalom, salaam.
(If only the homework ended. I have a paper to finish writing. One due next friday. one due in three weeks and a sermon to prepare. Things are winding down :])
ALL THE TIME.
ALL THE TIME
GOD IS GOOD!!!
(Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Not only did all the stress this week get me an A- on my Bio test, but my finger, which 5 days ago couldn't hold weight, can now swing a golf club :])
It's funny how much it takes for me to believe in the power of prayer. I go in these cycles of prayer. But this whole week I've prayed for these two things (among other which I may never see the result) and look what happened! Now, still, part of me makes me want to say... yea, coincidence... but I'm slowly learning to appreciate the good and gracious natures of God.
Love it.
Peace, shalom, salaam.
(If only the homework ended. I have a paper to finish writing. One due next friday. one due in three weeks and a sermon to prepare. Things are winding down :])
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Oh, Jesus
So, I had a revelation while reading for homework the other night. My next post after this will expand on the idea, but I want to hear your thoughts...
I read a quote by Dorothy Day who was the founder of the Catholic Worker House and Paper. She said, "It is cheering to remember that Jesus Christ wandered this earth with no place to lay HIs head. The foxes have holes and the birds of the air their nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head."
Jesus never had a place to live!
(that's not an exclamation point like HAHA JESUS DIDN"T HAVE A PLACE TO LIVE! but more like whoa, Jesus really didn't have a place to live)
Think about that and tell me what you think....
I read a quote by Dorothy Day who was the founder of the Catholic Worker House and Paper. She said, "It is cheering to remember that Jesus Christ wandered this earth with no place to lay HIs head. The foxes have holes and the birds of the air their nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head."
Jesus never had a place to live!
(that's not an exclamation point like HAHA JESUS DIDN"T HAVE A PLACE TO LIVE! but more like whoa, Jesus really didn't have a place to live)
Think about that and tell me what you think....
Thursday, April 10, 2008
+=hmm=+
Here's the Verse and Voice of the day from Sojourner's Magazine online (sojo.net)
Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem,look around and take note!Search its squares and seeif you can find one person who acts justly and seeks truth--so that I may pardon Jerusalem.
- Jeremiah 5:1-1
Those who have created the evil are those who have made possible the hideous social injustice our people live in. Thus, the poor have shown the church the true way to go. A church that does not join the poor in order to speak out from the side of the poor against the injustices committed against them is not the true church of Jesus Christ.- Oscar A. Romero The Violence of Love
I love the voice... but the verse is what is making me ponder... what does that mean, just one person can free jeruslem? ALL of Jerusalem... How is that possible? What does that mean for us today??
Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem,look around and take note!Search its squares and seeif you can find one person who acts justly and seeks truth--so that I may pardon Jerusalem.
- Jeremiah 5:1-1
Those who have created the evil are those who have made possible the hideous social injustice our people live in. Thus, the poor have shown the church the true way to go. A church that does not join the poor in order to speak out from the side of the poor against the injustices committed against them is not the true church of Jesus Christ.- Oscar A. Romero The Violence of Love
I love the voice... but the verse is what is making me ponder... what does that mean, just one person can free jeruslem? ALL of Jerusalem... How is that possible? What does that mean for us today??
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Back to the Future
Lots of thoughts floating around in my head, especially about how I really need to be going to bed so i can be rested for another full day tomorrow. And then my roommate reminded me of my mantra-- you can sleep when you die. So, therefore, here I am.
I realized yesterday (again) how anxious I am for the future. I currently have three countdowns going on right now. The first is until my internship at SYI in Pittsburgh this summer. Currently: 83 days, 14 hours, 39 minutes. The second is the end of school : 43 days, 12 hours, 39 minutes. And the final one is the end of school one but the days are being counted down post it by post it note on our wall. It actually looks pretty cool. I'd take a picture and post it if I had the energy. Maybe in the future...
ALL this to say that I need to stop looking ahead. and start living in the moment. I have one life to live. Thusfar, I can easily say I've lived it cautiously. Granted, I'm not a daredevil and that won't change. But I want adventure. I think that's why I'm really bucking to go to New Zealand. To have adventure. But then again it scares the hell out of me.
I can't be satisfied with myself. with who I am. Currently, I am...
1) trying to lose weight
2) stop biting my nails
3) stop touching my face (too much oil!)
4) become more spontaneous
5) become less of a procrastinator.
That's a lot for one chunk of time, but I need all of it to better myself... especially my confidence. I'm not happy with who I am physically or mentally. I feel inadequate, in a few ways.
I'm getting off on a trail... ok. It's just that I'm so excited for the future I can't be excited for what might happen in my day. It's one thing to say I can't wait till my test is done. It's another to say I can't wait till seminary. Because it's a lie. I CAN wait till seminary. That's going to mean harder work, preparing for a job, living on my own, REALLY, on my own, and then some. So I can wait. But I want to get past this petty college stuff. I like college. I LOVE IT. But all the gen eds that are making me frustrated and giving me poor grades. I just want to study what I like.
For heaven's sake, my blog is titled "live here... right now..." after a song I really like. Why can't I do that?
What would that look like?
Spontenaity?
Happiness?
I don't know. But it sounds appealing, whatever it is. I have to quit wanting to get back to the future and worry more about staying in the present. Why is that so hard? We are so much about getting ahead... progressing... It's the same reason EVERYONE moves forward when we are sitting at a red light. One person moves forward, then the next person behind htem, then the next, and then....
WHERE ARE YOU PEOPLE GOING THAT YOU NEED TO BE THERE IN SUCH A HURRY?!
--------------endthought--------------------
I WANT TO CHANGE THE WORLD!
NOW!
DOING ANYTHING!
EVERYTHING!
ONE PERSON AT A TIME.
WHATEVER IT TAKES.
WHY IS IT SO HARD?
----------------ENDBOLDTHOUGHT-------------------
ON A FINAL NOTE. I want a significant other. As I type this, my roommate is on the phone with her boyfriend whom she calls "babe" constantly. It's annoying. But I want someone to call my own. At this point, I'm afraid of dating because 1) I have such high standards but also 2) whoever I date in college, if i lower standards, may most likely not be my significant other forever and that I don't want. I'd love to have a boyfriend for just a while... ANYTHING. It's getting frustrating. Everyone around me... my parents have started asking me consistently. I'm not aggressive when it comes to this. I like for them to come to me. I'm not making first move. That's dumb. They can do it. Maybe i'm intimidating? Hardly... I think?
Oh, well...
---------------------------enditalicizednaivethought-------------------------------
I realized yesterday (again) how anxious I am for the future. I currently have three countdowns going on right now. The first is until my internship at SYI in Pittsburgh this summer. Currently: 83 days, 14 hours, 39 minutes. The second is the end of school : 43 days, 12 hours, 39 minutes. And the final one is the end of school one but the days are being counted down post it by post it note on our wall. It actually looks pretty cool. I'd take a picture and post it if I had the energy. Maybe in the future...
ALL this to say that I need to stop looking ahead. and start living in the moment. I have one life to live. Thusfar, I can easily say I've lived it cautiously. Granted, I'm not a daredevil and that won't change. But I want adventure. I think that's why I'm really bucking to go to New Zealand. To have adventure. But then again it scares the hell out of me.
I can't be satisfied with myself. with who I am. Currently, I am...
1) trying to lose weight
2) stop biting my nails
3) stop touching my face (too much oil!)
4) become more spontaneous
5) become less of a procrastinator.
That's a lot for one chunk of time, but I need all of it to better myself... especially my confidence. I'm not happy with who I am physically or mentally. I feel inadequate, in a few ways.
I'm getting off on a trail... ok. It's just that I'm so excited for the future I can't be excited for what might happen in my day. It's one thing to say I can't wait till my test is done. It's another to say I can't wait till seminary. Because it's a lie. I CAN wait till seminary. That's going to mean harder work, preparing for a job, living on my own, REALLY, on my own, and then some. So I can wait. But I want to get past this petty college stuff. I like college. I LOVE IT. But all the gen eds that are making me frustrated and giving me poor grades. I just want to study what I like.
For heaven's sake, my blog is titled "live here... right now..." after a song I really like. Why can't I do that?
What would that look like?
Spontenaity?
Happiness?
I don't know. But it sounds appealing, whatever it is. I have to quit wanting to get back to the future and worry more about staying in the present. Why is that so hard? We are so much about getting ahead... progressing... It's the same reason EVERYONE moves forward when we are sitting at a red light. One person moves forward, then the next person behind htem, then the next, and then....
WHERE ARE YOU PEOPLE GOING THAT YOU NEED TO BE THERE IN SUCH A HURRY?!
--------------endthought--------------------
I WANT TO CHANGE THE WORLD!
NOW!
DOING ANYTHING!
EVERYTHING!
ONE PERSON AT A TIME.
WHATEVER IT TAKES.
WHY IS IT SO HARD?
----------------ENDBOLDTHOUGHT-------------------
ON A FINAL NOTE. I want a significant other. As I type this, my roommate is on the phone with her boyfriend whom she calls "babe" constantly. It's annoying. But I want someone to call my own. At this point, I'm afraid of dating because 1) I have such high standards but also 2) whoever I date in college, if i lower standards, may most likely not be my significant other forever and that I don't want. I'd love to have a boyfriend for just a while... ANYTHING. It's getting frustrating. Everyone around me... my parents have started asking me consistently. I'm not aggressive when it comes to this. I like for them to come to me. I'm not making first move. That's dumb. They can do it. Maybe i'm intimidating? Hardly... I think?
Oh, well...
---------------------------enditalicizednaivethought-------------------------------
Sunday, April 6, 2008
What shall I do with my life?
This comes from the end of a sermon given to Boston U. students in 1939 by Howard Thurman. The first phrase in one he repeated thrice in the sermon (once for each temptation of Jesus in Matthew 4:1-11).
"I love Jesus for the shaft of light that he throws across the pathway of those who seek to answer the question, What shal I do with my life?
Give me the courage to live!
Really live-- not merely exist.
Live dangerously,
Scorniging risk!
Live honestly,
Daring the truth--
Particularly the truth of myself!
Live resiliently--
Ever changing, ever growing, ever adapting.
Enduring the pain of change
As though 'twere the travail of birth.
Give me the courage to live,
Give me the strength to be free
And endure the burden of freedom
And hte loneliness of those without chains;
Let me not be trapped by success,
Nor by failure, not pleasure, nor grief,
Nor malice, nor praise, nor remorse!
Give me the courage to go on!
Facing all that waits on the trail--
Going eagerly, joyously on,
And paying my way as I go,
Without anger or fear or regret
Taking what life gives,
Spending myself to the full,
Dead high, spirit winged, like a god--
On... on... till hte shadows draw close.
Ten even when darkness shuts down,
ANd I go out alone as I came,
Naked and blind as I camm--
Even then, gracous God, hear my prayer:
Give me the courage to live!
"I love Jesus for the shaft of light that he throws across the pathway of those who seek to answer the question, What shal I do with my life?
Give me the courage to live!
Really live-- not merely exist.
Live dangerously,
Scorniging risk!
Live honestly,
Daring the truth--
Particularly the truth of myself!
Live resiliently--
Ever changing, ever growing, ever adapting.
Enduring the pain of change
As though 'twere the travail of birth.
Give me the courage to live,
Give me the strength to be free
And endure the burden of freedom
And hte loneliness of those without chains;
Let me not be trapped by success,
Nor by failure, not pleasure, nor grief,
Nor malice, nor praise, nor remorse!
Give me the courage to go on!
Facing all that waits on the trail--
Going eagerly, joyously on,
And paying my way as I go,
Without anger or fear or regret
Taking what life gives,
Spending myself to the full,
Dead high, spirit winged, like a god--
On... on... till hte shadows draw close.
Ten even when darkness shuts down,
ANd I go out alone as I came,
Naked and blind as I camm--
Even then, gracous God, hear my prayer:
Give me the courage to live!
Sunday, March 16, 2008
+=Sundays=+
I love Sundays.
Especially in the spring.
I love the feeling of being renewed by church.
I love the feeling of having all day to do homework.
(Even though I dont like the homework.)
I used to think it was just another day.
Sunday is just like Saturday.
But why don't I feel like this on Saturdays?
Church.
It's the healing, renewing, invigorating feeling which church brings.
Sundays are beautiful.
Sundays are powerful.
Sundays are my favorite.
I love Sundays.
Especially in the spring.
I love the feeling of being renewed by church.
I love the feeling of having all day to do homework.
(Even though I dont like the homework.)
I used to think it was just another day.
Sunday is just like Saturday.
But why don't I feel like this on Saturdays?
Church.
It's the healing, renewing, invigorating feeling which church brings.
Sundays are beautiful.
Sundays are powerful.
Sundays are my favorite.
I love Sundays.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Peter, Paul and Mary had it right
PETER, PAUL AND MARY lyrics - Some Walls
Some walls are made of stone
Sometimes we build our own
Some walls stand for years
And some wash away with tears
Some walls Some walls
Some walls are lined with gold
Where some hearts stay safe and cold
Some walls are made of doubt
Holding in and keeping out
If there's any hope for love at all
Some walls must fall
Some walls Some walls
Some walls are built on pride
Some keep the child inside
Some walls are made in fear
That love let go will disappear
If there's any hope for love at all
Some walls must fall
How will you ever know what might be found
Until you let the walls come tumbling down
If there's any hope for love at all
Some walls, some walls must fall
If there's any hope for love at all
Some wall, some walls, some walls
Must fall
-----------------------------------------------
I don't know much about the group, but I do know this song is not only amazing, but incredibly true.
This past thursday we had a rally at Elmhurst to protest the hate going on at our school. There were recently hate crimes committed against all sorts of different minorities. (Things included a quote from American History X, the N word, swastikas, and tearing down of a Black history month poster.) These happened in three different res. halls. I'm not going to get into the politics of it because students were upset at the administration for not informing us or doing anything. But either way, the issue is hate and the walls which are formed from it.
If there is any hope for love at all, walls must fall. A lot of these walls around hate issues I think are built out of fear on behalf of those who committed the crimes.
I don't have much thought besides that other than that. The lyrics explain this pretty darn well.
What kind of walls have you built? How are you going to help them fall?
Some walls are made of stone
Sometimes we build our own
Some walls stand for years
And some wash away with tears
Some walls Some walls
Some walls are lined with gold
Where some hearts stay safe and cold
Some walls are made of doubt
Holding in and keeping out
If there's any hope for love at all
Some walls must fall
Some walls Some walls
Some walls are built on pride
Some keep the child inside
Some walls are made in fear
That love let go will disappear
If there's any hope for love at all
Some walls must fall
How will you ever know what might be found
Until you let the walls come tumbling down
If there's any hope for love at all
Some walls, some walls must fall
If there's any hope for love at all
Some wall, some walls, some walls
Must fall
-----------------------------------------------
I don't know much about the group, but I do know this song is not only amazing, but incredibly true.
This past thursday we had a rally at Elmhurst to protest the hate going on at our school. There were recently hate crimes committed against all sorts of different minorities. (Things included a quote from American History X, the N word, swastikas, and tearing down of a Black history month poster.) These happened in three different res. halls. I'm not going to get into the politics of it because students were upset at the administration for not informing us or doing anything. But either way, the issue is hate and the walls which are formed from it.
If there is any hope for love at all, walls must fall. A lot of these walls around hate issues I think are built out of fear on behalf of those who committed the crimes.
I don't have much thought besides that other than that. The lyrics explain this pretty darn well.
What kind of walls have you built? How are you going to help them fall?
Saturday, March 8, 2008
sermonizing { 01 }
I think I'm going to start posting sermons as I write them, or ones that I have written in the past... or ones which I write for fun. Just because i can...
Hopefully you get something out of them....
So, the following is a sermon I'm giving this tuesday night at our ecumenical worship service on campus. I think this should be the final copy. If it isn't, don't worry, not too much was changed from it...
They say seeing is believing. But. What if. WHAT if we believed without having to see?
Of course, we don’t see miracles exactly how Jesus did them back in the 1st century. I believe miracles can still happen but not simply with words or a combination of spit and mud.
The gospel lectionary for today is one which we have heard over and over again. Someone is dying or on their death bed, a family member informs or comes running for Jesus, tell him, Jesus goes and cures the person, and all is well.
This story is different though. What sets it apart from all the others? The dialogue. It is the conversation between Jesus and Martha, the disciples and spectators which draws us in to explain the meaning of the passage.
[in a bitchy tone with attitude] I imagine Martha to have sounded something similar to:
“If you had been here, my brother wouldn’t have died.”
[in a male sarcastic tone] And the Jews who were watching sounded something like:
“Well, if he loved him so much why didn’t he do something to keep him from dying? After all, he opened the eyes of a blind man.”
How many times have we heard this said by someone else? Or probably even yourself? Maybe it sounded like “Well geez God. Thanks. Grandma was so devoted to you. If only you could have spared her from cancer.” Or maybe you heard someone else say, “If your God loves you SO much, then why does he let people starve, disasters happen, and wars continue?” I know I’ve said or at least thought this before…
However, Martha said to Jesus, “I know that he will be raised up in the resurrection of the end of time.” She knew this about him. She knew that he was a man of faith and there was no doubt about it. She knew he would rise up eventually. She didn’t realize, of course, that Jesus was going to do it then and there.
So then, Jesus cries a little, goes through the motions and raises Lazarus from the dead. As we move on towards the end of the passage, the message version of the Bible says, “That was a TURNAROUND for many of the Jews who were with Mary. They saw what Jesus did and believed in Him.”
Don’t get me wrong now. I think belief is important and integral in our lives. What about faith? We hear these words thrown around so often these days. What does faith even mean anymore? To me, this term can be exchanged with the world “knowing.” After all, how often do we say we believe, but in fact, we do not? I can believe and have faith that a specific situation will be okay in the end. But there is something different between believing and knowing. We oft hear the verse from Hebrews, “Faith is being sure of what you hope for and certain of what you do not see. “ In this, the words “sure” and “certain” seem as though they portray “Knowing.” Right? I mean, if you’re sure of something you know that something is happening, or whatever the case may be.
You may believe in the power of the love of God. But do you believe so hard that you know that no matter what, God will always be there? Know that God will get you through a death? Know that spring really is going to come?
What will it take for you to know that God’s love for us conquers all?
The scripture setting for today described the lectionary passages as “promises of life from a seemingly hopeless situation.” Think of that. A seemingly hopeless situation that is… Maybe it’s something from your life, something you heard…. Got it? Now, do you think that maybe if we KNEW that something good could come from that situation it could turn from hopeLESS to hopeFUL?
Now if we knew something good could come of it, would you do something about it? There’s the catch. You see, you can’t just KNOW. I’ve built it up to seem that way, but there’s more. Being a Christian requires doing the work of Christ in the world.
The Coca Cola Company is taking clean water from African villages. Janitors who work for Target Corporation are being overworked and underpaid.
We can’t just know these things. We have to take action. We have to petition, protest, pray. They’re brought to our attention for a reason, you know. We have to do the work of Christ in order for things to be resolved.
So we can’t see Jesus work a miracle in society today. And I’ve found that most times, when something miraculous happens people find it a coincidence rather than a miracle. What cloth binds us and prevents us from believing in the power of God and of the Holy Spirit when such miracles happen?
So, what will it require for you to take action and solve the injustices which plague our earth?
What is it going to take for you to know that the love of God conquers all?
Believe, have faith. But more importantly know that God is always on your side.
And know that the spring season is on its way.
Amen.
(I'm starting to see a pattern... haha are you?)
Hopefully you get something out of them....
So, the following is a sermon I'm giving this tuesday night at our ecumenical worship service on campus. I think this should be the final copy. If it isn't, don't worry, not too much was changed from it...
They say seeing is believing. But. What if. WHAT if we believed without having to see?
Of course, we don’t see miracles exactly how Jesus did them back in the 1st century. I believe miracles can still happen but not simply with words or a combination of spit and mud.
The gospel lectionary for today is one which we have heard over and over again. Someone is dying or on their death bed, a family member informs or comes running for Jesus, tell him, Jesus goes and cures the person, and all is well.
This story is different though. What sets it apart from all the others? The dialogue. It is the conversation between Jesus and Martha, the disciples and spectators which draws us in to explain the meaning of the passage.
[in a bitchy tone with attitude] I imagine Martha to have sounded something similar to:
“If you had been here, my brother wouldn’t have died.”
[in a male sarcastic tone] And the Jews who were watching sounded something like:
“Well, if he loved him so much why didn’t he do something to keep him from dying? After all, he opened the eyes of a blind man.”
How many times have we heard this said by someone else? Or probably even yourself? Maybe it sounded like “Well geez God. Thanks. Grandma was so devoted to you. If only you could have spared her from cancer.” Or maybe you heard someone else say, “If your God loves you SO much, then why does he let people starve, disasters happen, and wars continue?” I know I’ve said or at least thought this before…
However, Martha said to Jesus, “I know that he will be raised up in the resurrection of the end of time.” She knew this about him. She knew that he was a man of faith and there was no doubt about it. She knew he would rise up eventually. She didn’t realize, of course, that Jesus was going to do it then and there.
So then, Jesus cries a little, goes through the motions and raises Lazarus from the dead. As we move on towards the end of the passage, the message version of the Bible says, “That was a TURNAROUND for many of the Jews who were with Mary. They saw what Jesus did and believed in Him.”
Don’t get me wrong now. I think belief is important and integral in our lives. What about faith? We hear these words thrown around so often these days. What does faith even mean anymore? To me, this term can be exchanged with the world “knowing.” After all, how often do we say we believe, but in fact, we do not? I can believe and have faith that a specific situation will be okay in the end. But there is something different between believing and knowing. We oft hear the verse from Hebrews, “Faith is being sure of what you hope for and certain of what you do not see. “ In this, the words “sure” and “certain” seem as though they portray “Knowing.” Right? I mean, if you’re sure of something you know that something is happening, or whatever the case may be.
You may believe in the power of the love of God. But do you believe so hard that you know that no matter what, God will always be there? Know that God will get you through a death? Know that spring really is going to come?
What will it take for you to know that God’s love for us conquers all?
The scripture setting for today described the lectionary passages as “promises of life from a seemingly hopeless situation.” Think of that. A seemingly hopeless situation that is… Maybe it’s something from your life, something you heard…. Got it? Now, do you think that maybe if we KNEW that something good could come from that situation it could turn from hopeLESS to hopeFUL?
Now if we knew something good could come of it, would you do something about it? There’s the catch. You see, you can’t just KNOW. I’ve built it up to seem that way, but there’s more. Being a Christian requires doing the work of Christ in the world.
The Coca Cola Company is taking clean water from African villages. Janitors who work for Target Corporation are being overworked and underpaid.
We can’t just know these things. We have to take action. We have to petition, protest, pray. They’re brought to our attention for a reason, you know. We have to do the work of Christ in order for things to be resolved.
So we can’t see Jesus work a miracle in society today. And I’ve found that most times, when something miraculous happens people find it a coincidence rather than a miracle. What cloth binds us and prevents us from believing in the power of God and of the Holy Spirit when such miracles happen?
So, what will it require for you to take action and solve the injustices which plague our earth?
What is it going to take for you to know that the love of God conquers all?
Believe, have faith. But more importantly know that God is always on your side.
And know that the spring season is on its way.
Amen.
(I'm starting to see a pattern... haha are you?)
Friday, March 7, 2008
The Progressive Era
Yea, ok, so I'm a history geek. What can I say...
So we're talking about this in my history class and I was actually reading my book for once and things are finally starting to connect. In class, Burdick said that Progress had become a secular religion. And he's right. It still is today, especially for businesses and churches, ironically enough...
In the book, Woodrow Wilson is quoted saying, "We are not put into this world to sit still and know. We are put into it to act." How true is this?!
Especially as Christians. Not the mere fact that we need to be "active in our faith" but to be active Monday- Saturday, doing what God has called you into the world to do or be. For me, this means being the best friend I can, being the best committee member I can, and being the best student I can. (For now anyway....)
Maybe for you it means doing any random act of kindness in a day. Or maybe it means sharing part of what you own with someone who has so little.
You know what you are called to do. How you are called to act. DO that. BE that. ACT.
Actions speak louder than words remember.... (this is what I keep in mind as to whether or not I should evangelize... yuck...)
So we're talking about this in my history class and I was actually reading my book for once and things are finally starting to connect. In class, Burdick said that Progress had become a secular religion. And he's right. It still is today, especially for businesses and churches, ironically enough...
In the book, Woodrow Wilson is quoted saying, "We are not put into this world to sit still and know. We are put into it to act." How true is this?!
Especially as Christians. Not the mere fact that we need to be "active in our faith" but to be active Monday- Saturday, doing what God has called you into the world to do or be. For me, this means being the best friend I can, being the best committee member I can, and being the best student I can. (For now anyway....)
Maybe for you it means doing any random act of kindness in a day. Or maybe it means sharing part of what you own with someone who has so little.
You know what you are called to do. How you are called to act. DO that. BE that. ACT.
Actions speak louder than words remember.... (this is what I keep in mind as to whether or not I should evangelize... yuck...)
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Quotes
I'd like to hear your thoughts on all of them.....
I think joy and sweetness and affection are a spiritual path. We're here to know God, to love and serve God, and to be blown away by the beauty and miracle of nature. You just have to get rid of so much baggage to be light enough to dance, to sing, to play. You don't have time to carry grudges; you don't have time to cling to the need to be right.
- Anne Lamott
Inherent in a fast is a feast. When we fast from food, we feast on prayer and God’s bountiful love. When we fast from divisive patterns of relating with others, we feast on the amazing awareness that each face we see is the face of Christ. When we fast from building social, economic, and political walls, we feast on our universal oneness with the One.
- Marilyn Brown Oden
Perhaps you are called just to be faithful in the humble practice of a short fast once a week. Do not underestimate what God can accomplish in you through the consistent offering of such a discipline.
- Marjorie J. Thompson (Think of this as meaning quality and consistency over quantity and length. I think there was more to this quote than what I put down...)
Thoughts? Comments? Sarcasm?
I think joy and sweetness and affection are a spiritual path. We're here to know God, to love and serve God, and to be blown away by the beauty and miracle of nature. You just have to get rid of so much baggage to be light enough to dance, to sing, to play. You don't have time to carry grudges; you don't have time to cling to the need to be right.
- Anne Lamott
Inherent in a fast is a feast. When we fast from food, we feast on prayer and God’s bountiful love. When we fast from divisive patterns of relating with others, we feast on the amazing awareness that each face we see is the face of Christ. When we fast from building social, economic, and political walls, we feast on our universal oneness with the One.
- Marilyn Brown Oden
Perhaps you are called just to be faithful in the humble practice of a short fast once a week. Do not underestimate what God can accomplish in you through the consistent offering of such a discipline.
- Marjorie J. Thompson (Think of this as meaning quality and consistency over quantity and length. I think there was more to this quote than what I put down...)
Thoughts? Comments? Sarcasm?
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Out of the Box
"Out of the Box... OUT of the box!"
Do you remember this TV show which was on Disney at about the 10 o clock hour during the weekdays in 1998? It was a bunch of kids and two grown-ups, Viv and Tony, who built a GIANT playhouse out of boxes and sang songs, played games, did crafts and all sorts of stuff which was easy to do at home. (Their crafts, most times, would end up being their puppets for the puppet show at the end.) As much as the show was called "Out of the Box," they were most certainly inside the giant box of a playhouse. So where did the title come from? Oh right, what they were taking from the playhouse, OUT of the box. ("take one box, put it with another, lets find one thats long and wideee-out of the box, out of the box!" -- theme song quote!)
Anyway, not the point. So, I'm excited. First of all, today has been a great day. But more importantly, about today, there was an international education fair at school and I got information on going to New Zealand. I'm planning for the spring of 2009 and through one university in Chirstchurch, I can study, history, theology/religion, and peace/conflict studies (all which integrate into my majors/minor as well). Plus they speak english there, it's warm (at least warmer than here!) and it's beauty is beyond words to describe (or so I've heard). (Sorry, there are a lot of parenthesis around here...)
However, I'm in conflict. I have never been away from my family with limited access to their voices or faces for more than two weeks at a time anywhere farther than Pittsburgh, PA. At least, not that I recall. I'm not sure, but that was hard at first. However, that was in high school. By that time, I will be 5/8ths done with college and will have had more experience away from home. I think as long as I'm being productive, making friends and doing stuff I love, I will be fine.
This is not a post for me to just worry and explain feelings, by any means, but an opportunity, rather, for me to talk about stepping out of the box. Getting out of your comfort zone. Jumping away from the norm. Moving away from home base.
This is unusual for me. Yes, I'm a liberal. Yes, I like change. Yes, I like exploring and traveling. YES I'm excited to go! BUT it will be a change. Five months in a country I've never been to before, with people I don't know, and a culture unlike my own. It sounds more exciting right now than anything. but the fact that I will be there for such a long time scares me. i know it's a great experience and even better opportunity. but it scares the shit out of me. I like planning and knowing whats going to happen. This will be a great chance to branch from that.
Wow, this isnt turning out how I wanted...
well, here's the moral of the story.
Branch out. Take a leap of faith. It will be awesome and you'll be happy you did it because when you ever get an experience like it again??
Do you remember this TV show which was on Disney at about the 10 o clock hour during the weekdays in 1998? It was a bunch of kids and two grown-ups, Viv and Tony, who built a GIANT playhouse out of boxes and sang songs, played games, did crafts and all sorts of stuff which was easy to do at home. (Their crafts, most times, would end up being their puppets for the puppet show at the end.) As much as the show was called "Out of the Box," they were most certainly inside the giant box of a playhouse. So where did the title come from? Oh right, what they were taking from the playhouse, OUT of the box. ("take one box, put it with another, lets find one thats long and wideee-out of the box, out of the box!" -- theme song quote!)
Anyway, not the point. So, I'm excited. First of all, today has been a great day. But more importantly, about today, there was an international education fair at school and I got information on going to New Zealand. I'm planning for the spring of 2009 and through one university in Chirstchurch, I can study, history, theology/religion, and peace/conflict studies (all which integrate into my majors/minor as well). Plus they speak english there, it's warm (at least warmer than here!) and it's beauty is beyond words to describe (or so I've heard). (Sorry, there are a lot of parenthesis around here...)
However, I'm in conflict. I have never been away from my family with limited access to their voices or faces for more than two weeks at a time anywhere farther than Pittsburgh, PA. At least, not that I recall. I'm not sure, but that was hard at first. However, that was in high school. By that time, I will be 5/8ths done with college and will have had more experience away from home. I think as long as I'm being productive, making friends and doing stuff I love, I will be fine.
This is not a post for me to just worry and explain feelings, by any means, but an opportunity, rather, for me to talk about stepping out of the box. Getting out of your comfort zone. Jumping away from the norm. Moving away from home base.
This is unusual for me. Yes, I'm a liberal. Yes, I like change. Yes, I like exploring and traveling. YES I'm excited to go! BUT it will be a change. Five months in a country I've never been to before, with people I don't know, and a culture unlike my own. It sounds more exciting right now than anything. but the fact that I will be there for such a long time scares me. i know it's a great experience and even better opportunity. but it scares the shit out of me. I like planning and knowing whats going to happen. This will be a great chance to branch from that.
Wow, this isnt turning out how I wanted...
well, here's the moral of the story.
Branch out. Take a leap of faith. It will be awesome and you'll be happy you did it because when you ever get an experience like it again??
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Still don't have it figured out...
Here are some amazing lyrics by a wonderful man named david m. bailey. He plays for the Summer Youth Institute every year and also does concerts around the country. Check him out...
Challenges
Tide comes in, tide goes out
Kinda like my faith and doubt
Some days I pray, some days I shout
Still don't have it figured out
Some days I could walk on water
Other days I know that I would sink
Every day brings a different challenge
To the things I feel and what I think
Sun will rise, sun will set
Like my hopes and my regrets
There's a reason we forget
I just haven't found it yet
Some days I can see forever
Other days I know that I am blind
Every day brings a different challenge
To the truth I'm trying to find
I know there are many others like me
For all I know this song was meant for you
Hang on to your faith & keep on looking
That's really the only thing to do
Challenges
Tide comes in, tide goes out
Kinda like my faith and doubt
Some days I pray, some days I shout
Still don't have it figured out
Some days I could walk on water
Other days I know that I would sink
Every day brings a different challenge
To the things I feel and what I think
Sun will rise, sun will set
Like my hopes and my regrets
There's a reason we forget
I just haven't found it yet
Some days I can see forever
Other days I know that I am blind
Every day brings a different challenge
To the truth I'm trying to find
I know there are many others like me
For all I know this song was meant for you
Hang on to your faith & keep on looking
That's really the only thing to do
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Couple things...
First, let me just say "PRAISE GOD!" God is so amazing, good, and faithful.
I have a friend who has lost her father, cousin, and uncle (within two months of each other) and then some. Her boyfriend lost his mother in 8th grade (same time the my friend lost her dad).
Not too long ago, in the same week, i found out her aunt had esophogeal (sp?) cancer, and her boyfriend's dad had prostate cancer.
First words in my mind were, "Well shit, she cannot lose another relative and he certainly can't lose both parents. This sucks. What the hell am i supposed to say..."
So I prayed. I prayed everytime I thought about them. I hate seeing people lose loved ones. It pains me to see that. I continuously prayed for their healing, recovery, life, loved ones.
"He can't lose his only other parent. She can't lose another relative. Please God."
Last weekend she went home to see her mom and to drive to Indy to see her aunt in the hospital because she wasn't doing too well.
I was informed today that her aunt is going really well. She was able to drink liquids other than water today and in a few weeks will be able to eat. (Assuming, Praying, and Hoping all goes well until then.) I then asked about her boyfriends dad. He is doing really well. Cancer-free and doing well.
God is so faithful to us, and so good. I used to think it took big events for me to finally realize God's love for us. I love it. Sometimes I really question my faith, but I love experiences like these when you realize that God is really there. here. around. all over.
And now for something completely different...
Reality Check...
I don't know that I've ever had a reality check like this...
We were in Ministry class today and were talking about helping the poor and homeless. Do you give money when you walk by someone on the street holding out a cup? Do you say, "Do you have Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior in your heart? Here, let me help you." ? What action do you take? Rather, think about what action you SHOULD take...
I shared an experience in class where I gave popcorn to a man on the street (rather than money because who knows if he would use it for drugs or alcohol) and said that he wasn't very grateful (or at least he didn't sound like it).
Then Dr. B said to me... "We have to quit being judgmental. We are all made in God's image, so what makes them any different?" I'm in line with the second half of that statement. I whole-heartedly believe that. But me? Judgmental? No way! This can't be! I always claim to be so not judgmental!
Well shit. This sucks. I can't believe I was judging people. I guess it makes sense. That is somewhat ridiculous for me to ASSUME he's going to use it for drugs/alcohol. Who am I to say that it matters what he uses it on? Sure, we'd rather have it not be either of the aformentioned entities. But really now. Dr. B said, "What if he uses it for a bottle of [insert alcohol here] which warms you? What if he's really cold in the winter and this is the only thing he can afford that will warm him inside to keep warm overnight?" Ok, so it's still not helping his alcohol thing (ASSuming he has one).... but. ok. I can see that. I'm convinced.
I decided that everytime I give money to someone, I'll pray that they use it in whatever way best helps them. No matter what it is. God's faithful right? I already figured that one out. Surely God will do what He/She/It can to help this person.
I fully believe that. What is this revival of faith suddenly? In the midst of uncertainties, issues with my self-[insert whatever here], among other things... I'm still believing this.
It brings tears of joy and a smile to my face. I'm content. Thank God. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
Shalom.
Hopefully this quote hits, lands upon, rests, runs into you....
"We can be realistic about what we face because that's exactly where God's love finds us, restoring hope and confidence when all seemed lost."
I have a friend who has lost her father, cousin, and uncle (within two months of each other) and then some. Her boyfriend lost his mother in 8th grade (same time the my friend lost her dad).
Not too long ago, in the same week, i found out her aunt had esophogeal (sp?) cancer, and her boyfriend's dad had prostate cancer.
First words in my mind were, "Well shit, she cannot lose another relative and he certainly can't lose both parents. This sucks. What the hell am i supposed to say..."
So I prayed. I prayed everytime I thought about them. I hate seeing people lose loved ones. It pains me to see that. I continuously prayed for their healing, recovery, life, loved ones.
"He can't lose his only other parent. She can't lose another relative. Please God."
Last weekend she went home to see her mom and to drive to Indy to see her aunt in the hospital because she wasn't doing too well.
I was informed today that her aunt is going really well. She was able to drink liquids other than water today and in a few weeks will be able to eat. (Assuming, Praying, and Hoping all goes well until then.) I then asked about her boyfriends dad. He is doing really well. Cancer-free and doing well.
God is so faithful to us, and so good. I used to think it took big events for me to finally realize God's love for us. I love it. Sometimes I really question my faith, but I love experiences like these when you realize that God is really there. here. around. all over.
And now for something completely different...
Reality Check...
I don't know that I've ever had a reality check like this...
We were in Ministry class today and were talking about helping the poor and homeless. Do you give money when you walk by someone on the street holding out a cup? Do you say, "Do you have Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior in your heart? Here, let me help you." ? What action do you take? Rather, think about what action you SHOULD take...
I shared an experience in class where I gave popcorn to a man on the street (rather than money because who knows if he would use it for drugs or alcohol) and said that he wasn't very grateful (or at least he didn't sound like it).
Then Dr. B said to me... "We have to quit being judgmental. We are all made in God's image, so what makes them any different?" I'm in line with the second half of that statement. I whole-heartedly believe that. But me? Judgmental? No way! This can't be! I always claim to be so not judgmental!
Well shit. This sucks. I can't believe I was judging people. I guess it makes sense. That is somewhat ridiculous for me to ASSUME he's going to use it for drugs/alcohol. Who am I to say that it matters what he uses it on? Sure, we'd rather have it not be either of the aformentioned entities. But really now. Dr. B said, "What if he uses it for a bottle of [insert alcohol here] which warms you? What if he's really cold in the winter and this is the only thing he can afford that will warm him inside to keep warm overnight?" Ok, so it's still not helping his alcohol thing (ASSuming he has one).... but. ok. I can see that. I'm convinced.
I decided that everytime I give money to someone, I'll pray that they use it in whatever way best helps them. No matter what it is. God's faithful right? I already figured that one out. Surely God will do what He/She/It can to help this person.
I fully believe that. What is this revival of faith suddenly? In the midst of uncertainties, issues with my self-[insert whatever here], among other things... I'm still believing this.
It brings tears of joy and a smile to my face. I'm content. Thank God. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
Shalom.
Hopefully this quote hits, lands upon, rests, runs into you....
"We can be realistic about what we face because that's exactly where God's love finds us, restoring hope and confidence when all seemed lost."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)