tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22185434629146602642024-02-07T20:27:52.017-08:00 Narrating Grace Discovering extraordinary grace in everyday life.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13567537300320071908noreply@blogger.comBlogger53125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2218543462914660264.post-78473612369274797152013-10-01T12:26:00.002-07:002013-10-01T12:26:44.021-07:00Narrating Grace Has Moved!You'll find me at <a href="http://www.narratinggrace.wordpress.com/">www.narratinggrace.wordpress.com</a>. See you there!Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13567537300320071908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2218543462914660264.post-17057682777750516252013-08-07T12:38:00.000-07:002013-08-07T12:52:24.436-07:00The Power of Apology Part II<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I preached a sermon in June about the power of apology—not the
defense of Christian faith kind of apology but the gut-wrenching admission of
fault we all know too well. At the end
of my sermon, I asked the congregation to think of someone or some situation in
need of an apology in their lives. I
also asked them to apologize and to report back to me about their experience.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I came into this little experiment with assumptions (as every
researcher needs a hypothesis). Yet as
so often happens, the data surprised me.
I thought I’d receive stories about repaired relationships and long-lost
friendships renewed. I thought people
would tell me about estranged relatives and re-energized marriages. These situations may have occurred, but people
didn’t tell me about them. Instead, I
received stories of people apologizing to themselves—and not one but <i>multiple</i> stories. I was floored. Throughout my sermon writing and delivery,
and even as I waited for the responses, this option didn’t even occur to
me. It’s a good reminder the Spirit
works between my mouth and the hearer’s ears—and thank God for that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I received a gorgeous email from a woman who went home that
Sunday after worship and took out a JC Penney photo of herself at age two. I don’t even want to try to summarize her
words as they are so heart felt and beautiful.
So here they are as she wrote them:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I talked to that
beautiful child. I told her she was beautiful and smart and kind and strong. I
told her she didn't deserve some of the things that have happened to her. I
told her that her faith was strong and that she was alive because of that
faith. I told her that the faith that her parents lovingly taught her would
save her life time and time again. I told her how smart she is because she
believes that God provides. Then, I told her I was sorry. That she didn't
deserve to be treated so harshly by her adult self. Too much blaming. Too much
shaming. Things in life happen. Some people go through life fairly uneventfully
and some people have a different journey all together. In this beautiful little
girl's life, she would have many struggles and she would suffer tremendously.
But, she came through it all. I told the little girl that, from now on, she
would be treated with the respect that she deserved. Because, as it turns out,
she's a pretty great human being. She's not the reason so many bad things
happened. They just happen. And, God provides. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And if that wasn’t enough, she ended her story with this:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I got the sense
that she forgave me. Praise God for that gift. I think that it has taken me so
long to apologize because I wasn't sure if she would forgive me at all. And,
how would I live with that? But, as always, fear is not real. All is well with
my soul.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thank
God for the sighs of the Spirit. <span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’m reminded of <a href="http://www.brenebrown.com/" target="_blank">Brené Brown</a>’s assertion in her book <i>Daring Greatly</i>
that our ability to love others directly hinges on our own self-compassion. Connecting with others requires connecting
with ourselves first. God’s grace gives
us the gift of a precious identity—as beloved children of God. When we can see ourselves as God sees us, it
moves us to see those around us in the same way. Maybe true apology to others can’t happen until
we’ve apologized to and accepted ourselves.
The reality is forgiving ourselves may be the hardest forgiving we do.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I received another powerful story from someone struggling to
forgive himself for mistakes made in his past.
He regrets some choices he made (don’t we all?) and isn’t sure how to
move forward with forgiving himself and letting his regrets go. Yet his past led to experiences of deep learning.
He learned to walk away from difficult
pressures and embrace his own values.
His profound wisdom about what’s truly important in life is now
razor-sharp. Yet forgiving himself is
still an ongoing struggle—as it is for so many of us. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Throughout our lives, God’s grace is sufficient. Even if we struggle mightily to accept
ourselves with all our flaws and mistakes, God’s grace is bigger than any
self-doubts we may have. When our
emotions are unreliable and our self-criticism can’t be contained, we are
called to trust in an unwavering and dependable God—a God who already knows our
deepest shames and hurts. The gift of
the cross and resurrection stands for all, and God embraces us as we are, for
Jesus Christ already had the last words with sin—<i>no more</i>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>"For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." </i>Romans 3:22b-24</span></div>
Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13567537300320071908noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2218543462914660264.post-84216519289694731742013-07-16T08:33:00.001-07:002013-07-16T13:22:54.250-07:00Prayers for Reconciliation and Grace<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ve been struggling to form a post about the recent court
case in Florida. I don’t know the
details of what happened between Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman that night. I don’t know what was said in the courtroom
that led to the decision of the jury. I’m
keenly aware of my removal from these issues and race is such a fiery topic, I’m
afraid to approach it. Yet as people of
faith we need to figure out how to think about and react to a decision that affects
our neighbors deeply. I hear shock and
anger from fellow pastors who work with urban congregations. I know there are parents in my own community
who are <a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/frame?post=1297439981&group=0&frame_type=a&blog=3934905&link=aHR0cDovL2ZlZWRwcm94eS5nb29nbGUuY29tL35yL3NoZWxvdmVzbWFnYXppbmUvZ1pvei9-My9qZmhINDVhYkEway8&frame=1&click=0&user=0" target="_blank">having conversations over the dinner table with their teenage children</a>—conversations
that include warnings about walking alone in their own neighborhoods. The ripples from Martin’s death and Zimmerman’s
acquittal will spread for many years to come.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our faith is living—it’s meant to be used at times like
these. How do we process societal issues
and happenings through the lens of faith?
Undergirding the highly emotional topic of race (and in the Martin case,
the death of a young boy) is our common belief in God’s emphasis on community
and care for the neediest among us. How
do we as Christians engage Zimmerman and his family after the acquittal—are we
going to ostracize them or work to bring them back into community? How do we engage Martin’s family? And most importantly—how do we work together
to prevent something like this from happening again? How do we create a world where kids (of any
race) are safe as they walk their own streets?
Bishop Mark Hanson of the ELCA posted a tweet on Sunday asking, “Are we
now ready to build a world in which George and Trayvon would be contemporaries
in Jesus’ Good Samaritan story, not violent enemies?” And Pastor Rick Warren’s simple tweet on
Saturday said it all: “Hurt people hurt people.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The first step is keeping our eyes open. As much as we hope and wish race relations
are getting better (and in many ways, they are), this case opened up a flood of
emotions and reminded us there’s still work to be done. I'm sharing some articles that are helping me
process the events and learn why they're so deeply hurtful for so many. You may not agree with the assertions made. It’s eye-opening reading nonetheless and
helps us all view the outcome from a different perspective--for faith is also about opening ourselves up to other views. The loving creator
of the universe is big enough to hold you up when you feel your faith is
challenged. It will come out stronger on the other side.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I tried to find articles that weren’t terribly political,
but let’s be real—this issue is inherently political. But I think despite our political
differences, the church should be the place where we can talk respectfully
about these issues. I welcome
conversation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Christena Cleveland <a href="http://www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2013/july/3-things-privileged-christians-can-learn-from-trayvon-marti.html" target="_blank">wrote a helpful piece</a> for The Exchange that
challenged me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bishop Stacy Sauls lays out <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bishop-stacy-sauls/george-zimmerman-verdict_b_3600570.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003" target="_blank">some provocative questions</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Greg Carey, professor of New Testament at Lancaster Theological
Seminary, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/greg-carey/the-zimmerman-verdict-and_b_3595630.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003" target="_blank">thinks about how to hold unity in the church</a> in the aftermath.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wonderful: <a href="http://jonathanmerritt.religionnews.com/2013/07/16/3-things-christians-can-do-after-the-zimmerman-verdict-an-interview-with-leroy-barber/" target="_blank">An Interview with Leroy Barber</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’m sad to say I neglected to pray about the situation and
its outcomes in church last Sunday. It’s
been on my mind ever since. Lesson
learned. Here is my prayer:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">God of grace, pour your reconciling grace upon us as a
community and a nation. We pray for the
loved ones of Trayvon Martin. We pray
for George Zimmerman and his family. May
we find ways to work for justice, peace and safety for all our children. May our eyes be opened to the plights of our
brothers and sisters. We know your faith
and love are strong enough to destroy shame, hatred and evil. Use us as workers for your kingdom. Amen.</span> </div>
Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13567537300320071908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2218543462914660264.post-10643055182638194052013-07-15T07:08:00.001-07:002013-07-15T07:17:02.255-07:00Sermon for Annika<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sermon
for 7-14-13<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Text:
Luke 10:25-37<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dear
Annika,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Welcome
to the world and to the waters of baptism. Today promises to be a hot summer day and we’re enjoying a stretch of
beautiful sunny weather after a long, cold, wet spring. It's so good to celebrate your baptism today. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today’s
gospel lesson is a parable of Jesus—a story. I find it appropriate because so much of life is about story. Madeleine L’Engle says in her book <i>Walking on Water</i>, “We cannot Name or be
Named without language.” We need
language and stories to tell us who we are.
You’ll learn your name, Annika, connects you to your mom, your grandma,
and other women in your family who share the middle name Ann. It’s also a Scandinavian name, which is a nod
to your family’s heritage and traditions. Your middle name, Roselle, connects you to your other grandma, whose
middle name is Rose. So from the start,
when your parents named you, they wove you into the ongoing story of their
families—as you begin the story of your parents’ expanding family. No doubt you’ll hear, learn and repeat
countless family stories as you grow—stories of vacations and long car trips
and hiking in the mountains. Stories of great-grandparents, recipes passed down for generations and
relatives who walked to the beat of their own drums. Maybe you’ll visit old family cemeteries—full
of stories and memories—or places where your parents and grandparents used to
live. All of these stories will become
your story, and you’ll learn and claim the language you’re given.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stories
will be told about you, too. Stories of
how you’re attached to your mom and don’t like to be far from her for
long. How you like to be held close and
nap with your mom and dad. How you
like—demand—to be stimulated and don’t like to sit still, which connects your
parents’ story to the story of so many other parents around the world who know
what it’s like to walk a baby for hours around the house, bouncing and talking
and singing until they’re ready to fall over.
There’s a reason why once you’ve spent a lot of time with a baby, no matter how long it’s been
since you’ve held one, you’ll immediately start to bounce once a baby is put
into your arms. The story stays with us
and becomes a part of us, and your parents will do this too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In
baptism you receive another story.
This morning you received the waters of baptism, connecting you with the
story of our God who walked with God’s people through thick and thin until
God’s salvation plan had to expand to the unthinkable. God's word was spoken over the waters and you were named a child of God. God’s love was so deep that God came as a
baby—like you, Annika—to save the world.
God in Christ endured the cross and gave salvation to all through the
resurrection. And today God continues to
save, to give faith and hope and life in the waters of baptism. So God can write in God’s book of life,
“today I baptized Annika.” You’re now a
part of the story of the baptized, those who can say, as Martin Luther did when
he felt attacked by the devil, “Stop! I am baptized!” I am a child of God. I am loved and precious. I am adopted and grafted onto the tree of
life. I am part of the story. I am baptized. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Story
will be a big part of your life from now on and will be the way you learn and make sense of life. L’Engle also says that stories, like music
and art, <i>make cosmos </i>(the Greek word
for world)<i> out of chaos</i>. We live in this big, crazy world full of
unpredictability and suffering and vulnerability. We live with so many unanswered
questions. Yet stories help us make
sense of the chaos around us. They give
us a framework to live, a way to express ourselves, and a guide to follow. Stories help us process all we see and
hear and witness around us and sense an even bigger world. We learn and witness the possibilities of God
in story.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Your
parents will read you books and before they know it, you’ll be reading books to
yourself. You’ll learn about Bible
stories. There’s a reason Sunday School
is all about Bible stories. It’s the
place children absorb, learn and make these stories a part of their own
story. Many adults today haven’t heard
the stories, and they miss something crucial.
To have Bible stories as part of your life from the beginning—so they
become a part of you and your story—is a true gift. It's why your parents' and sponsors' baptismal promises to you include placing the Scriptures in your hands.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This
is why Jesus used stories (parables) so often.
He used them to connect ideas and concepts of God to everyday life. The familiar story we hear today—about the
Good Samaritan—leads us to question how we’re living our everyday lives. We hear of a man left beaten in the ditch,
passed over by a priest and a Levite (a dedicated temple servant). A Samaritan—someone who was considered
outside the realm of a good Jewish neighbor—is the one who tends to the man’s
wounds and pays for his stay in an inn while he heals. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This
story leads us to ask questions of ourselves.
What kind of neighbor are we, and who do we consider our neighbor? The
lawyer asks Jesus who his neighbor is in order to limit who he is responsible
to. Yet Jesus turns it all around in
this parable, when he ends it by asking the lawyer, “Who was the greater
neighbor in this story?” It’s an easy
answer. The Samaritan helped his
neighbor in need.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Your
baptism today brings you into a greater story—a story of humanity and the
Christian faith. From now on, the gift
of baptism will change you. You won’t be
able to walk by a hurting stranger without feeling a pull in your gut or see
difficult images on the news without wondering if and how you can help. You may not always be able to act on it, but you will
feel it in your bones, because that's what faith does to us. God’s gift of
faith will shape how you see everyone else in your life. You’ll see all people as children of God,
loved and cherished like you, and this will guide and direct you as you seek to
live according to God’s will. Anyone in
need—despite cultural, religious or ethnic distinctions—will be your
neighbor. Jesus’ stories are now your
stories, Annika. Hear them often and
well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jesus’ parables almost always
have surprise endings. The man who wonders who his neighbor is ends
up questioning his own identity and ability to be a neighbor. The rich man is asked to forget the
commandments and give all he has to find salvation. The one sheep who is lost—despite many other
sheep still hanging around—is sought and found.
An all-powerful God becomes a vulnerable baby to save humanity from the
powers of sin and death. This flesh and
bones God becomes ultimately vulnerable at the cross, giving his life for ours,
and out of this powerlessness comes the power to change the story of history. Today, the story continues as we baptize
babies—those who can’t choose or even accept God’s love—knowing all we need is
God’s love to make a baptism work. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This
is your story, Annika. May it make
cosmos out of your chaos and guide and direct you as you grow. You will always be baptized. Amen!
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype","serif";"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13567537300320071908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2218543462914660264.post-82542198974337260292013-07-08T09:11:00.002-07:002013-07-08T13:41:30.873-07:00My Daily Books<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All I’ve wanted to do lately is read. I find myself stopping at the library with
armloads of books at least once a week—last Friday I realized I may have a
problem when I checked out 14 books even though I still had plenty at
home. (Many of those books were for my
kids, but <i>still</i>.) It’s been a chaotic year at our house, and
reading has been my escape and therapy (it’s a good activity for
introverts). We’ve been experiencing a
lot of changes—many of them very good changes, but disconcerting nonetheless—and books have been my friends
through them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/943552_10151755807816354_405810630_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/943552_10151755807816354_405810630_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is my nightstand. I have more books on the floor (though I didn't take a picture of them as to appear *normal*). </span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Every time the
weather gets hot and school is out I flash back to wonderful memories spending
entire summer days reading all over the house where I grew up. I read in my bed with a flashlight, in the worn
armchairs and the basement couch with books propping up the place where the leg
fell off, and in my beloved hammock in our yard. I remember reading <i>The Hobbit</i> in two days, physically grieving after finishing <i>The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe</i> and
<i>A Wrinkle in Time</i>, falling in love
with Judy Blume, and devouring book after book in <i>The Babysitters Club</i> and <i>Sweet
Valley Twins </i>series. Summer simply makes me
want to read.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We also quit cable.
This may also have something to do with my increased time spent at the
library. I haven't yet decided if this is a good thing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’m so, so fortunate to have a job that allows me to read
(and write)—a lot. Sometimes I still feel
like I’m getting away with something when I’m in my office reading through Barbara
Brown Taylor sermons or keeping up with Rachel Held Evans' <a href="http://rachelheldevans.com/" target="_blank">blog</a>. There’s nothing better than a morning sitting
down at my desk with a cup of coffee and one of Eugene Peterson’s books.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I stumbled upon Sarah Bessey’s wonderful <a href="http://sarahbessey.com/in-which-i-announce-10-book-week/" target="_blank">10 Books a Day For a Week</a> series recently, and I realized <i>hey</i>! I can take all this crazy book obsession and
put it on my blog! I won’t be doing 10
books a day—I need time to read, mind you—but I’ll put up lists as I’m
inspired. Here’s today’s list:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Devotional Books I Read Regularly (Meaning Almost Daily)</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>The Bible</i> Of course I had to put this first. A very helpful tool for me is the Moravian
Daily Texts. You can <a href="http://www.moravian.org/subscribe.html" target="_blank">subscribe to them over email </a>and receive Bible verses every day along with a prayer. It’s a great way to start the day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Living-Message-Daily-Help-God-Centered/dp/0061240362/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1373299722&sr=8-1&keywords=living+the+message" target="_blank">Living the Message</a></i> Eugene Peterson is my pastor. He always manages to convict, inspire and direct me in unexpected ways.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bread-Journey-Daybook-Wisdom-Faith/dp/0060663596/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1373299751&sr=1-1&keywords=bread+for+the+journey" target="_blank">Bread for the Journey</a> </i>Oh, Henri Nouwen. His writing is so full of wisdom and gentleness and
truth. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Faith-Alone-A-Daily-Devotional/dp/0310265363/ref=pd_sim_b_2" target="_blank">Faith Alone</a></i> These short devotions are taken from Martin
Luther’s writings and sermons. I’m still
amazed at how contemporary many of them feel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Good-Poems-Garrison-Keillor/dp/0142003441/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1373299845&sr=1-1&keywords=good+poems" target="_blank">Good Poems</a></i> Garrison Keillor’s collection makes poetry accessible
and oh so real. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cup-Our-Life-Spiritual-Growth/dp/1933495316/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1373299880&sr=1-1&keywords=a+cup+of+our+life" target="_blank">The Cup of Our Life</a></i> Joyce Rupp is one of my favorite authors
and thinkers. She helps me make sense of
life, grief, and change.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Share your favorites with me too! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13567537300320071908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2218543462914660264.post-20715985194247732152013-07-02T14:18:00.005-07:002013-07-03T09:53:56.950-07:00Friday Five: Tuesday Edition<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm late to play the <a href="http://revgalblogpals.blogspot.com/2013/06/friday-five-take-five.html" target="_blank">RevGalBlogPals Friday Five</a> from last week. So here is my Tuesday edition:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whoosh! My calendar is packed. And June is almost gone! There's the old saying, "Bad luck comes in threes" but I've decided that "Busy-ness comes in fives!" So this week we'll take things five-at-a-time. Tell me:</span></i><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. <b>Five flowers you'd like in a bouquet or in your garden:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Orange roses, number one. Followed by tulips, begonias, tiger lilies, and hydrangeas. I don't do much of the flower planting at my house, but I reap the benefits of a husband who enjoys landscaping.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. <b>Five books you want to read (or re-read):</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>VB6</i> by Mark Bittman</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm just beginning to discover Frederick Buechner (I know, I'm behind the times) so his books/sermons/essays are at the top of my list.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>The Brothers Karamozav</i> by Dostoyevsky. I've picked up this book numerous times but just can't get through it. Someday.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Gilead</i> by Marilynne Robinson is currently on my nightstand.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Notorious Nineteen</i> by Janet Evanovich (and yes, I've read all 18 other Stephanie Plum novels)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. <b>Five places you want to visit:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Washington, DC</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Greece</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tanzania</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Iona, Scotland</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">New Zealand</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. <b>Five people you'd invite for coffee/tea/beer and pizza:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My Mom</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Barack Obama</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eugene Peterson</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Amy Poehler and/or Tina Fey</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Madeleine L'Engle</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. <b>Five chores or tasks you'd gladly give to someone else:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Again, thanks to my husband for:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Doing bills and tracking tax information</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cleaning the gutters</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I would also gladly hand over:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Washing dishes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cleaning the bathrooms</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Picking up socks everywhere. in. my. house.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Bonus: A five ingredient recipe!</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hate to hand this over as it's my go-to potluck/party recipe, but here it is (I'm counting the two sugars as one):</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Grape Salad</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4 lbs. grapes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8 oz. cream cheese, softened</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8 oz. sour cream </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 cup sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stir together the sour cream, cream cheese and sugar (and a little vanilla, if you want) in a big bowl. Stir in grapes. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sprinkle on:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 cup brown sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 cup chopped pecans</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let sit overnight in the fridge. The brown sugar and pecans will form a crust that is irresistible to most (if not all) people.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bring to a party and watch it disappear. Prepare by bringing copies of the recipe with you. You will be asked.</span>Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13567537300320071908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2218543462914660264.post-83026558711195262492013-07-01T15:57:00.001-07:002013-07-01T16:04:03.605-07:00Do Something<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sometimes I get so caught up in the business of being church
I forget the Spirit actually moves in this place. I read articles about how God is acting
outside the church and we need to escape our walls but sometimes I see God
moving right here, in this building, in this congregation. I get so outward-focused (rightfully so, in
many instances) I fail to see God’s presence in worship and in committee
meetings that take place in our library or around the big table with some
questionable chairs surrounding it in the Conference Room. I forget the prayers in this place actually <i>do something</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One evening I sat with a group of people who told me how special
it is to be alone in a church building.
One man talked of prayer vigils in a former congregation when he’d sit
alone in the sanctuary at two in the morning full of prayers as he tried to
stay awake. Another woman talked of
practicing the organ in the quiet of her childhood church on Saturday evenings
when she was in high school. I realized
I take it for granted when I practice my sermons in the empty sanctuary as the
afternoon sun slants over the pews. I
don’t always notice when I come in early on Sundays and walk through the stream
of colors lighting up the floor from the sun shining through the stained glass
windows. God is outside this building—but
God is in it too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I experienced a lot of prayer last week and I didn’t do much
of the praying. Someone reminded me our
fancy Lutheran scripted prayers can take the wind out of Spirit-filled
prayer. The beautifully written words
are wonderful and have their place—but not at the expense of spontaneous prayer
(as writer Anne Lamott says, there are three essential prayers: Help, Thanks
and Wow). I don’t want to snuff out
in-the-moment prayer. At a church small
group gathering, I heard heart-felt tear-filled prayers prayed around a friend
newly diagnosed with cancer. I sat with
a group of people hell-bent on moving this congregation to a new place—sometimes
birth is easier—praying that God would be present in this discernment. I was lifted by the honest prayer around me
as we all spoke to God filled with hope that God really hears us. Faith tells us this is so.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I found myself held up by the prayers around me. These prayers </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">did something to me</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. As a
pastor, I’m almost always the one to pray out loud. I don’t mind it. But when someone offers to pray for me or
pray instead of me, I’m able to step back a moment and experience the power of prayer. It’s so good to remember prayer has nothing
to do with education or experience or age or faith. The powerful prayers of children are a
testament to its all-inclusive nature. The prayers of last week lifted me, gave me
hope and inspired me to keep moving ahead knowing this church—this little
building—</span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">does something</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> to bring
about the Kingdom of God. And maybe I need to start letting others pray for me (and instead of me) much more often. </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13567537300320071908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2218543462914660264.post-27953155389576573882013-06-24T12:23:00.000-07:002013-06-24T13:03:05.466-07:00Sermon for Lauren<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I thank David Lose at <a href="http://www.workingpreacher.org/" target="_blank">Working Preacher</a>, as is so often the case, for the inspiration for this sermon.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Text: Luke 8:26-39</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dear Lauren,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today is God’s good day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A good day to baptize you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Unconditional love, declared for you<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">God crossed all boundaries to make this day happen<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To call you Lauren, my child, beloved<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You are Mine<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">God made you, Lauren Lyn<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And says, “She is good”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gave you a sweet smile<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Calm demeanor<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A big sister who likes to teach<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Though some days you won’t want to learn<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You’ll challenge, stretch and bless your family<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Your parents will ask, “Why us?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some days this will be a pleading question<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When you pace them to exhaustion with questions<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sticky furniture, whiney dissatisfaction and nap-neglect<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sister-shenanigans<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the same time they ask, “Why us?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With awe and reverence for the girl you are<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All of you—your quirks and blessings<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Created and claimed by a loving and faithful God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">God in Jesus did the same, long ago<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Crossing the sea to Gentile land<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For one act<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To meet and free a man<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Called Legion<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Named after the demons who possessed him<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At least 6,000<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No one knew his real name anymore<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They spoke for him<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ran from him<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He was trapped in the tombs<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wandering in a graveyard<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No clothes to protect him from scorching sun or sandy wind<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Breaking the shackles with great, heaving seizures<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Running frantically into the wilderness to spare others his
sight<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Empty, devastated, no one<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dangerous, separate<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Heartbreaking.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bound. Chained.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Legion.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bound. Chained.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The world tells us:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We’re never good enough<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Skinny enough<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Smart enough<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Organized enough<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Joyful enough<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rich enough<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Talented enough<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Friendly enough<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Strong enough<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nice enough<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Happy enough.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Worth enough.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Worth anything.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We tell ourselves<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I lack.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’m deficient.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I fail.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ve failed <i>a lot</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I disappoint.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I can’t.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’m not.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Legions of issues.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Depressed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anxious.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On medication.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Screwed up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Addicted.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fired.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let go.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Broken up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Denied.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Aren’t I worth keeping?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lauren,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The world may tell you <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Convince you<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Worse yet--<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You’ll convince yourself<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You’re nothing but a patchwork<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of what you lack<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mistakes you’ve made<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Talents you don’t possess<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A body that doesn’t fit the right type<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You’ll say, I’m Legion<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Identified by my 6,000 problems and wrongs<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You’ll ask<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Aren’t I someone?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Aren’t I worth keeping?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Oh yes.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jesus crossed the waters for you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">JUST for you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He takes your sin and perceived lack and throws it into a herd of
swine, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">hurling themselves off a cliff, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">shattering your chains, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">removing bounds<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We don’t lack. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We ABOUND<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Abound in God’s love <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Child of God<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Washed clean and cherished<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So much more than our failures and disappointments<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So much more than our addictions and health issues<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So much more than our insecurities and egos<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not more, but <i>through</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not lacking, but whole</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">God taking our weakness, our sin, and making something good out of it</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For God knows how to work with weakness and make it powerful.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You are good.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All of you.</span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Clothed in a warm robe of righteousness<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Grafted onto the tree of life so we grow from God like
branches from a Redwood<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sturdy, ancient<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Part of a long, long story<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rooted in our identity as children of God<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When you’re lost<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Forgotten who you are</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Think of this warm, rainy, sticky summer morning<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When the waters of baptism flowed over your head</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When God drew you into God’s community<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sealed you with the Holy Spirit</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Marked you with the cross of Christ</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Forever.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ground yourself in the ancient tree of God<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Deep roots<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nothing can shake you<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nothing else has the last word<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The bonds are shattered<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Deficiencies,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Silenced.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Demons,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Silenced.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Evil, </span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Silenced.</span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Only God's voice left to tell you through the sheer silence:</span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You are beloved</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Child of God<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Blessed and claimed for all you are<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Abundant and full<br /><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let your light so shine!</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Lauren.</i> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13567537300320071908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2218543462914660264.post-58881360484080574002013-06-19T12:47:00.002-07:002013-06-19T14:08:02.863-07:00The Power of Apology<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sermon
for 6-16-13<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Text:
Luke 7:36-50<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #010000; line-height: 22.390625px;">One of the Pharisees asked Jesus</span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2218543462914660264" style="background-color: white; color: #0000bb; line-height: 22.390625px;"></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #010000; line-height: 22.390625px;"> to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and took his place at the table. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #010000; line-height: 22.390625px;">And a woman in the city, who was a sinner, having learned that he was eating in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #010000; line-height: 22.390625px;">She stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began to bathe his feet with her tears and to dry them with her hair. Then she continued kissing his feet and anointing them with the ointment. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #010000; line-height: 22.390625px;">Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, ‘If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him—that she is a sinner.’ </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #010000; line-height: 22.390625px;">Jesus spoke up and said to him, ‘Simon, I have something to say to you.’ ‘Teacher,’ he replied, ‘speak.’ </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #010000; line-height: 22.390625px;">‘A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed five hundred denarii,</span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2218543462914660264" style="background-color: white; color: #0000bb; line-height: 22.390625px;"></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #010000; line-height: 22.390625px;"> and the other fifty. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #010000; line-height: 22.390625px;">When they could not pay, he cancelled the debts for both of them. Now which of them will love him more?’ </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #010000; line-height: 22.390625px;">Simon answered, ‘I suppose the one for whom he cancelled the greater debt.’ And Jesus</span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2218543462914660264" style="background-color: white; color: #0000bb; line-height: 22.390625px;"></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #010000; line-height: 22.390625px;"> said to him, ‘You have judged rightly.’ </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #010000; line-height: 22.390625px;">Then turning towards the woman, he said to Simon, ‘Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has bathed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #010000; line-height: 22.390625px;">You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #010000; line-height: 22.390625px;">You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #010000; line-height: 22.390625px;">Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.’ </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #010000; line-height: 22.390625px;">Then he said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’ </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #010000; line-height: 22.390625px;">But those who were at the table with him began to say among themselves, ‘Who is this who even forgives sins?’ </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #010000; line-height: 22.390625px;">And he said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you; go in peace.’</span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let us
pray: God of grace, help us to admit our
need for your grace and forgiveness, and to receive your forgiveness with
gratefulness that leads to transformation.
Amen.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This
morning, Luke gives us a beautiful story of forgiveness and transformation. Jesus is invited to dinner at the home of a
Pharisee named Simon. Simon’s role as
a Pharisee means he's part of the religious elite. This dinner is a formal affair. It’s a gathering of powerful men in the
community for conversation and debate. That’s what makes the entrance of the
bold woman so surprising—even though privacy was different then and people were
used to strangers coming in and out of their homes. She clearly doesn’t belong. <b>She’s
identified as a sinner.</b> We don’t
know her specific sins, but that’s not important. What’s important is everyone seems to know
about her sins. Her sins have become her
identity in the community.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Her
actions are shocking. She intends to
anoint Jesus’ feet with oil, but first she washes them with a river of her own
tears. She wipes them with her hair,
which meant she had to take her hair down—another politically incorrect move. She covers his feet with kisses, and finally gets
out her oil to anoint them. Her actions—inspired
by her overwhelming gratitude—are absolutely outrageous! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This
story provides a wonderful sense of balance.
Simon is the woman’s counterpoint. For every appreciative gesture she makes,
Simon makes an equally cynical move. She
shows gratitude and he shows judgment. He
can’t believe Jesus is allowing a sinner to act in such a way—in his home! Why isn’t Jesus admonishing her? Simon says to himself, “If Jesus really knew
what she has done, he wouldn’t let her near him—much less touch him.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some interpret the woman’s actions as a
plea for forgiveness and think she is anointing Jesus out of repentance. But I tend to agree with those who think she anoints him because he
has <i>already</i> forgiven her. This changes
our view of her actions, and we are left with her sheer and total gratitude. Her gratefulness knows no bounds. She’s so
overwhelmed by what Jesus has done for her that she can’t hold back. She breaks all the rules about politeness and
manners to express her thanks. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Simon,
her opposite, sees himself as the righteous one. We often judge Simon as the
bad guy in this story. We like to
think of ourselves as more like the woman--but we relate to Simon. We know Simon’s hardness of heart, for how
can we live life without a developing a few callouses? Often we can’t see our own need for
forgiveness. Jesus turns all of Simon’s (and our) assumptions upside down. The woman had a great need for forgiveness and so she
feels the most gratitude. Someone who
knows no need for forgiveness loves little.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This
is what got Jesus in trouble. Not his
healing acts or teaching or feeding thousands.
It was his <i>forgiving</i> (or more
accurately, his <i>boundless</i> forgiving). His willingness to touch known sinners and
those who thought forgiveness was out of reach is what stirred up controversy. He identified with the lost and that is
what led him to the cross. Those in power didn't want to look deeply at their own hearts and actions, and Jesus forced them to time and again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
themes of apology and forgiveness still ring true today. <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/otl/news/story?id=5993137" target="_blank">There was an powerful story</a> about forgiveness
in sports news a few years ago. Umpire Jim Joyce blew a call that cost pitcher
Armando Galarraga a perfect game. Yet the amazing part happened after the game—Joyce
actually admitted he was wrong and asked for forgiveness. Bill Geist covered
the story on CBS Sunday Morning. He
tells it like this:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>…It
was looking like just another depressing news story when something shocking
occurred: the umpire admitted his mistake
and … and apologized. “It was the
biggest call of my career and I kicked the s--- out of it. I just cost that kid
a perfect game," he said. He didn't
make up excuses, didn't say the devil made him do it, didn't announce that he
was going into umpire rehab. How
old-fashioned! Nobody takes
responsibility and sincerely apologizes anymore (often on advice of
their attorneys). But what about the
victim? The wronged pitcher? He forgave
the umpire, saying, "Nobody's perfect.
You don't see an umpire after the game come out and say 'Hey, let me
tell you I'm sorry.' He felt really bad," said Galarraga. Such an act of grace, class and maturity is so
rare in these contentious times no one quite knew what to do! General Motors
presented Galarraga with a Corvette. <br />
<br />
Before the teams' next game, Joyce and Galarraga met at home plate, the umpire
wiping away tears, and many Detroit fans cheering them both … even the fans
were showing sportsmanship! One man
admits his mistake, the victim forgives him. That shouldn't be news … but these
days it is.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It may
be a stretch to compare Jim Joyce with the woman in our story from Luke, yet
when is the last time you saw a MLB umpire cry? His display of emotion, regret,
and gratefulness at being forgiven by Galarraga hits us in the gut. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As Christians, we feel pressure to forgive and
often feel guilty when we can’t muster up a truly forgiving heart. But we don’t talk much about the transforming
power of apology. The Jewish faith lifts up the power of apology and claims forgiveness only happens after a heartfelt apology. When an apology is perceived to be honest, forgiveness is mandated. <a href="http://judaism.about.com/library/3_askrabbi_o/bl_simmons_forgiveness.htm" target="_blank">Rabbi Shraga Simmons says</a>, "</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">It is usually excruciatingly difficult for people to admit
explicitly that they have done wrong. We excuse ourselves. We refuse to admit
the truth. We shift blame. We deny the obvious. We excel at rationalizing. But
the person who wrenches from himself the unpleasant truth, 'I have sinned,' has
performed a great and meaningful act."</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Maybe
our gospel text speaks to our hardened hearts—hearts that refuse to see our
need for forgiveness. I’m don’t want to
confuse this with shame—thinking you’re bad to the core. Rather, I hope apology opens up acceptance
of yourself and transforms you. There is power in apology. AA certainly tells
us apology and taking responsibility for one’s actions are essential for
transformation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I
ask you all to participate in an experiment with me. Throughout the next week or two, think of
someone who needs an apology from you.
It may be God or someone living or dead—only you can identify that person. If you can, act on that apology and tell me
about it. I don’t need any details, but
I’m interested to know how the act of apology transforms or changes you. I want to know about the experience. I’ll take your stories and include them in
some future writing so you can see the thread of apology weaving through our community and beyond. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
first step to knowing God is knowing we need God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Amen.</span>Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13567537300320071908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2218543462914660264.post-85914323370439595022013-06-03T12:33:00.002-07:002013-06-03T12:54:05.066-07:00Ocean-side Faith<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A couple of weeks ago I spent some time in the magical
little town of North Wildwood, NJ. Granted,
I may love the town because I spent my time there with dear friends I haven’t
seen in person in three years. We spent
our time together talking (and talking and talking), reading for hours at the
beach and exploring the local delights.
We found a bagel shop where local residents (and those who’ve owned
vacation homes there for years) could walk in on a quiet morning, sneak into
the kitchen, and dress up their own bagel.
While playing trivia at a local establishment one evening, the local
handyman haggled us from the opposite corner of the bar. Everyone was friendly as we walked down the
street or on the sea wall next to the ocean.
The conversations with strangers rarely stopped at hello—they all seemed
to genuinely want to know about us and introduce us to their beloved town. Their extraordinary friendliness almost made
me wonder if I’d return home to a new slew of Facebook friend requests and
wedding invitations. Not to be, although
I’m sure if I crashed their parties they’d welcome me in without any questions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And oh, the ocean.
Our first morning there it was sprinkling and windy, yet I pulled on my
shoes and set out for my first-ever ocean-side run. The waves were active while I ran, crashing against
the shore with insistence while whitecaps waved frantically. A ship settled far off the coast in the fog
and seeing it made me feel lonely as it sat in the vast empiness. The ocean’s power is in its ability to make
us feel simultaneously frightened and calm.
There’s peace and comfort to be found along with a reminder we’re only a
small part of God’s good creation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of my friends kept saying, “The people here love it so
much, and they want us to love it just as much.” Their passion was contagious. I’m still thinking about North Wildwood as I enter
back into my patterns of leading worship and talking about the mission of the
congregation I serve. I know mission and
evangelism are about more than hospitality and getting people into the
building. I know it’s about listening
(and listening again) to the community around us as we look to reforming for
the present and future. I know it's not about making our congregation welcoming enough. Even if we built a perfect building, others may not come. I know it's about finding our unique mission. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yet I can’t get North Wildwood out of my head. The people there drew me in by their passion
and their genuineness. As we walked past
a neighbor of the condo we rented, each time he’d tease us about helping him
wash his driveway. A man sat by us as we
watched the ocean, talking about the recent rise of the tide. The people noticed us and treated us like we
were worth a bit of conversation. Their
friendliness was contagious and heartwarming.</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What if we, people of God, displayed such unabashed passion for
our faith and our congregations? We may
not have a beautiful ocean-licked town, but we do have a bigger-than-the-ocean God
who claims us at a font full of water made holy.
We want people to walk into our church kitchen to dress their own bagel
(or coffee) as they talk with local friends and neighbors. Our faith brings us such joy, peace and
comfort. We can speak of our faith the way the people of North Wildwood
talk about their little piece of the ocean—with pride and welcome, hoping people will become part of our community and come back again and again. Day-to-day life is different than a vacation at the ocean, yet we need to remember people are at a congregation for only moments--a vacation from and for life each Sunday.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't have answers, but I know my experience of hospitality was powerful enough that I'm still thinking about it. So I'll continue to ponder what hospitality will look like in our changing churches and culture. </span><br />
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<a href="https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/9764_10151688644501354_1372576147_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/9764_10151688644501354_1372576147_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The view from my first ocean-side run.</span></div>
Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13567537300320071908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2218543462914660264.post-5850258854547668512013-05-13T11:47:00.003-07:002013-05-14T10:18:16.886-07:00A Revelation Sermon<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sermon for 5-12-13<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Text: Revelation 21:1-6<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dear friends in Christ, grace
and peace to you from the one who is, who was and who is to come. Amen.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The rapture seems to be
everywhere these days. Every time we
turn around we hear of another group trying to pinpoint the day of Jesus’
return. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last fall we watched as the supposed date for
the end of the Mayan calendar arrived…and nothing happened.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Many of you have read the
Left Behind series and watched the movies, both of which depict the rapture
event.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you aren’t aware, the rapture describes
when a small group of faithful and chosen Christians will be quickly whisked up to
heaven (leaving behind eyeglasses, watches, jewelry, etc.) and those who aren’t
faithful enough will face seven years of tribulation before Christ’s final
return and judgment.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Those who believe in the
rapture don’t know when it will happen, so they’re always looking for signs
that it’s beginning. There’s a website
called <u>www.raptureready.com</u> and each day it’s
updated with possible new signs of the coming of the rapture. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The rapture is in our
collective conscience. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Armageddon and tribulation are now household words.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The rapture is based on a
theological system</b>, not solely on the book of Revelation. This system takes selected verses from Daniel,
Ezekiel, 1 Thessalonians, 1 Corinthians and Revelation (along with other Biblical books) and pieces
them all together to create a timeline for how the world will end. This idea was brought into popularity in the
early 1800s by an English writer named John Darby<b>, </b>and some Christian groups claimed it with a fiery passion we
still see today.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The rapture is not a Lutheran
idea. If you remember very little from this sermon, I hope you remember that. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rather, Lutherans (and most
mainline churches) rejoice in the entire book of Revelation. We don’t worry about the rapture. Revelation isn’t a mysterious code to be
broken. Rather, it’s meant to reveal to
us the character of Jesus, what our future holds, and the sense of urgency that
exists as we live in a clearly broken world that needs our help. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Revelation is a letter
written to give persecuted people hope. John
wrote it to seven different churches who struggled with many of the same
challenges we do. They knew persecution,
violence, great poverty and suffering.
Other churches were wealthy and apathetic--a theme that may hit a little too close to home for some of us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s easy to get swept up in
the sensationalism and anxiety that gets drummed up by Revelation and the idea
of the rapture. Yet it’s important to
view Revelation as a whole. Rather than
getting caught up in the visions of the broken seals, the bowls, the dragon,
the beast, the horsemen, and the creatures with human faces and countless eyes,
it’s helpful to look at the pattern and the overall themes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Revelation isn’t
chronological, but cyclical. It moves
from visions of despair and violence to gorgeous and expansive visions
of the heavenly realm over and over. Every
time we feel we can’t take any more terrible and disturbing images, John moves to a
vision of worship and glory. The book
ends, as we read this morning, with the most beautiful future vision in all of
Scripture.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Revelation doesn’t tell us
about the rapture when we might be chosen as the lucky ones who escape the seven
years of tribulation. Instead,
Revelation depicts how (as one commentator writes) God “raptures” down to us. Salvation is not us going to a mysterious
place called heaven, but God coming to us.
The book begins by telling us how Jesus Christ is in our midst. Jesus’ presence is a huge theme in
Revelation—as is Jesus’ sacrificial love.
Revelation is ecological. God has
a commitment to the earth, and the earth is where salvation will occur. God embraces all of creation and changes it
for the better. What we know and love is
not abandoned, but transformed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Revelation 21 tells us of the
heavenly city of Jerusalem descending from heaven to the earth. Everything is transformed and made new—not
annihilated, but changed. In this
changed city, there will be no more dying and pain, no more tears, and no more
hatred or persecution. There will be no
more injustice. God’s holy city is made
new. It’s wonderful how this newness is
located in the city—a place of community, where all God’s people live together.
This speaks directly against our temptation
to live narcissistic lives, and calls us to embrace our community and creation
itself.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #333333;">The
tears that are wiped away are not only the tears we have shed, but the tears we
have caused. God will wipe away the pain
of sin throughout time, not only now but throughout history. As another commentator writes, “</span><span style="background-color: white;">God will not just comfort
us and help us to forget the bad things, but God will redeem the whole sorry
story of human history.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This vision has given hope
and life to Christians throughout the ages—from the hymn “Shall We Gather at
the River” to Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>“With
this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of
hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our
nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be
able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail
together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one
day.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This
is the ultimate hope of the resurrection—when the lion will lay down with the
lamb and creation itself will be completely renewed.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
following is a video of chimps seeing creation for the first time after being
in laboratories for many years. Many of
the chimps were in the wild before they were put into research, so seeing the
world for the first time is at once familiar and transforming—just like God’s
ultimate resurrection of us and all of creation illustrated in John’s
Revelation.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://img.youtube.com/vi/_cpUnUUQF3o/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://youtube.googleapis.com/v/_cpUnUUQF3o&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://youtube.googleapis.com/v/_cpUnUUQF3o&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></o:p></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To be released from the anxieties of the rapture frees us for life. We're free to love, to transform, and to work for justice. We're free to care for creation and to begin God's transformation of the earth today. All the while, we cling to hope and find strength in what is to come. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There's a story often told about Martin Luther. When he was asked, "If Jesus were to return today, what would you do differently?" He responded, "I'd finish planting this tree." In other words, the best way to prepare for the coming of the Kingdom of God is to live our lives, caring for creation and one another. Amen.</span></div>
Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13567537300320071908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2218543462914660264.post-52265200131633243442013-04-16T12:11:00.003-07:002013-04-16T13:41:26.937-07:00Prayers for Boston<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What a world we live in. So many of us suffer from tragedy fatigue--for me, it manifests as a slow realization to the extent of the suffering in Boston. It's been hard for me to absorb what's happened. This afternoon I noticed a flag flying half-staff at the house across the street from the church (I have a good view of it from my office window). My first thought was, "I wonder why it's flying so low?..." Moments later the sadness of Boston enveloped me once again. This fatigue connects me to those living in places experiencing continual and unpredictable bombings--I can't imagine the terror and sheer tiredness of it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the midst of all of the news coverage (don't get me started on the press reporting premature predictions just because they don't have anything else to say and need to fill air time!) I have found solace in--of all places--Facebook. I see comforting quotes from Mr. Rogers and Patton Oswalt tick through my news feed and it makes me feel better. Others have connected me with great reflections and stories. I have few words this day, so I share the words of others. Prayers fill my heart, even as I feel afraid to pray--just as it feels counterproductive to get too hopeful about a new job possibility or longed-for pregnancy (and no, that's not self-disclosure). May God open our hearts to trust and daring hope. May we be compassionate and may it make a difference.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here are two lovely reflections from two local pastors: <a href="http://pastorjohnkeller.org/2013/04/16/running-after-boston/" target="_blank">John Keller</a> and <a href="http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Lament-for-the-Boston-Marathon-Bombing-.html?soid=1101790489606&aid=FF5s_2lesQU" target="_blank">Glenn Berg-Moberg</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://theblueroomblog.org/boston-link-love/" target="_blank">The Blue Room</a> has some wonderful links.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-raushenbush/responding-to-boston-anger_b_3092758.html" target="_blank">Holy anger and affirming life</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And this: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">May God's peace and hope reign.</span></div>
Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13567537300320071908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2218543462914660264.post-60397424864373059972013-04-06T18:49:00.000-07:002013-04-06T21:29:12.976-07:00Goodbye, Mr. Ebert<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I remember Roger Ebert's Movie Yearbooks sitting on the bottom shelf of an end table in my grandma's basement. I leafed through them, amazed this man had seen and reviewed what seemed like countless movies every year--and giggled every time I came across a turkey symbol next to a hated film. Siskel and Ebert felt like regular visitors in my childhood home, and I watched At the Movies each week as Ebert struggled through various surgeries and valiantly tried to return to his seat next to Richard Roeper.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Roger Ebert launched his internet presence about a decade ago, and his website has been on my favorites bar ever since. Every Friday I looked forward to checking for his new reviews. Soon he began writing his <a href="http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2013/04/a_leave_of_presense.html" target="_blank">blog</a>, which became more and more autobiographical as his illness progressed and took his ability to speak. His writing was candid, breathtaking, wise, and heartbreaking. His perspective on life was empathetic and inspiring. His 2010 <a href="http://www.esquire.com/features/roger-ebert-0310" target="_blank">cover photo and article in Esquire</a> made me stand up and applaud. I was awed by his resiliency and hope in the face of his illness, and the courage it took to reveal his true face to the world. I feel like I lost a good friend and mentor on Thursday.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2013/04/05/rip-roger-ebert-life-itself/" target="_blank">Goodbye, Mr. Ebert</a>. </span><br />
<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13567537300320071908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2218543462914660264.post-19750450613183579082013-04-01T11:00:00.001-07:002013-04-01T18:49:00.138-07:002013 Easter Sermon<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sermon
for Easter Sunday, 3-31-13</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Text:
Luke 24:1-12<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Alleluia! Christ is risen! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Christ
is risen indeed! Alleluia!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kevin
Kling is a wonderful local storyteller.
I recently heard him talk about a serious motorcycle accident he was in 10
years ago. The accident left him with a
paralyzed right arm and required surgery to reconstruct his face. A man who witnessed the accident was so
convinced Kevin had died that he started telling people about his death. Even after this man read in the paper about Kevin's survival, he still couldn’t believe it.
Kevin likes to joke that whenever he sees this man on the bus in
Minneapolis, the man still turns white and looks as if he’s seeing a ghost. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resurrection
is almost impossible to believe. It’s
outside of our experience. Death always
seems to have the last word in this life.
How can we believe it?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Luke
gives women a big role in his gospel. He
has the most women (at least five, possibly more) on the scene when they go to
Jesus’ tomb on Easter morning. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
women are perplexed when they find the stone rolled away and no body present. The first thing the angels say to them is, “</span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don’t you remember</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">?” “Don’t you remember Jesus said he would rise
from the dead?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
women remember, and they believe.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The women
don’t see Jesus’ resurrected body. They
only have a story, like us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But
they remember.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
women run to the disciples to tell them the news. Even though there are at least five women
claiming they saw the empty tomb, the disciples don’t believe them. Instead, they think the women are telling an idle
tale.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Idle
tale” is a tame translation of the Greek word <i>leros</i>. This is the only time
<i>leros</i> appears in Scripture. It’s the root of the word delirious. The disciples think the women are delirious—crazy—out
of their minds. To translate it crudely,
the disciples think the women are full of crap—that their story is bull*^%#. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To
dare to believe in the resurrection is an act of courage and faith. If you have trouble believing it, you’re in
good company.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yet Easter
is more than simply saying yes to the resurrection; it’s saying no to the power of
death and destruction that surrounds us.
By accepting hope we say NO to the darkness. The resurrection puts
darkness and death in their place. When
Jesus rose, death’s power was destroyed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last
week I talked with someone about time he spent in the hospital several years
ago. He was there due to a serious
health issue, and he told me his fondest memories are of the overnight nurses
and attendants. They were often
immigrants and people he didn't connect with on a regular
basis. The hardest part of being in the
hospital is often during the night, when there is time to think and worry and the
visitors go home. The compassion of the people who cared for him carried
him through those fearful hours. They
brought him life and hope and pushed the darkness away. They walked with him into the light of dawn.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
darkness was put in its place, and it was replaced with hope. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Don’t
you remember?</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If
you’re in the midst of death, stress, grief, depression, anxiety, darkness,
self-hatred, disappointment…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Don’t
you remember?</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jesus
said he would die and would rise again on the third day, for you. <i>Don’t you remember?</i> <b>Alleluia!</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Don’t
you remember</i> the times in your life when death seemed like the only reality,
the only option? And somehow, somewhere,
you found life and hope? <i>Don’t you
remember?</i> <b>Alleluia!</b> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Don’t
you remember?</i> Someone reached out to
you, or you reached out and found someone, and you recognized each other and
found compassion and support together? <i> Don’t
you remember?</i> <b>Alleluia!</b> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Don’t
you remember?</i> A warm spring day suddenly
appeared in the midst of a seemingly endless winter? <i>Don’t you remember?</i> <b>Alleluia!</b> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Don’t
you remember?</i> When new green shoots appeared in the middle of miles of the charred and sooty remains of a forest fire? <i>Don’t you remember?</i> <b>Alleluia!</b> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Don’t
you remember?</i> The time the right dosage
was found and the medication finally lifted the depression and anxiety? <i> Don’t you remember?</i> <b>Alleluia!</b> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Don’t
you remember?</i> Death and destruction are in
their place, and the hope of the resurrection stands firm! <i>Don’t you remember?</i> <b>Alleluia!</b> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">WE SAY
NO to the powers of death and destruction, even though they surround us, nip at
our feet, and try to tell us they have the final word. WE SAY NO.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">WE SAY
YES to the power of the resurrection and hope.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">WE SAY
YES to the resurrection, here and now. Eternal
life is lived out each day in our acts of compassion, recognition and laughter. <b>Alleulia!</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In
2003, the Massachusetts Mental Health Center was about to be demolished after
almost 100 years in operation. Artist
Anna Schuleit was asked to <a href="http://www.1856.org/bloom/main.html" target="_blank">create an artistic exhibition</a> to honor the building
before it was torn down. Throughout her
work in various hospital settings, she was saddened by the lack of flowers in
psychiatric hospitals and centers. For her exhibition, she filled the old building with 28,000 potted plants and
flowers. The building was opened to the public for four days during the exhibition. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She
left the building as it was, but filled it with new life. It was the same, but transformed—just like
Jesus—just like us.</span><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/BLOOM-by-Anna-Schuleit-Tiny-Office-with-Tulips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/BLOOM-by-Anna-Schuleit-Tiny-Office-with-Tulips.jpg" width="218" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/BLOOM-by-Anna-Schuleit-Red-Mums-640x920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/BLOOM-by-Anna-Schuleit-Red-Mums-640x920.jpg" width="222" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/BLOOM-by-Anna-Schuleit-White-Tulips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="http://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/BLOOM-by-Anna-Schuleit-White-Tulips.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype","serif";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And my favorite--she took the basement hallways and covered them with sod, which was raked and watered throughout the day and continued to grow:</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/BLOOM-by-Anna-Schuleit-Basement-with-Sod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/BLOOM-by-Anna-Schuleit-Basement-with-Sod.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some
people found great healing in that building, and they found her exhibition to
be a testament to their experience there.
Others had suffered greatly in the building, and found profound hope in her
expression of joy. They were given a new remembrance of the building.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She
then donated all the flowers to psychiatric hospitals, general hospitals,
halfway houses and homeless shelters throughout New England.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Darkness
was put in its place, and new life created hope and joy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We are
a resurrection people. That’s why we’re
here this morning.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s
easy to only see death in the world.
It’s much harder to say no to it and claim the hope and life of the
resurrection. There are days when it all
seems like bull*%&#.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But in
the midst of all of it we dare to be courageous and have faith.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes,
the resurrection happened. AND WE HAVE
STORIES TO TELL.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don’t you
remember that Easter morning, when Jesus rose and the powers of darkness and
death were destroyed? Don’t you
remember? <b>Alleluia!!</b><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/BLOOM-by-Anna-Schuleit-orange-Tulips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/BLOOM-by-Anna-Schuleit-orange-Tulips.jpg" width="219" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Amen.</span></div>
Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13567537300320071908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2218543462914660264.post-51806328770294599552013-03-12T14:32:00.001-07:002013-03-12T14:32:55.506-07:00Good Enough<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
I’ve been intrigued by buzz around Sheryl Sandberg’s book <u>Lean In</u>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I haven’t read the book (yet), but the conversations about it have been fascinating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I agree with the idea that in order to survive—even thrive—in life, we have to make choices about where we spend our energy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also think it applies to men as well as women.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A balanced life is a myth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s no way we can “do it all” or spin all our plates in the air at once.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A fulfilled life involves prioritizing, hard choices and loving community support.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Better to spend energy and do few things very well than to spread oneself too thin and do a mediocre job across the board.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
But--there are times in life when everything seems to fall out of place, and there’s no energy left to put it back together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For perfectionists, these periods are excruciating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I can’t perform to my perceived utmost best, I’m tempted to not perform at all (note the lack of blog posts for the past month).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last week I found myself leaving the doctor’s office with a prescription for antiviral meds and a case of shingles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This isn’t convenient in the middle of Lent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had to let go of some important tasks and spend lots of time with an ice pack on my couch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was forced to depend on others to care for me as I rested.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had to settle for less time spent on my sermon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I couldn’t wait until I felt 100% better before I showed my face again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had to admit my weakness and ask for patience. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Sometimes we can’t strike a perfect balance in life (isn’t leaning in—and out—an attempt at balance?).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are times when we’re held up by others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are times when we have to be <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">good enough</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good enough because we’re worthy of patience and understanding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good enough because we need help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good enough because we can’t do our best all the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good enough because we’re beloved children of God.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sometimes the bare minimum is all we can do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And sometimes that’s good enough. I'm feeling better.</div>
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<span class="text"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”</i></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Matthew 11:28-30 (from <u>The Message</u>)Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13567537300320071908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2218543462914660264.post-57400936865900922662013-02-14T09:15:00.000-08:002013-02-14T09:15:11.977-08:00Ashes<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Last night I forgot the oil to mix with the ashes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For some reason, we pastors never think to get the ashes until the last minute (or maybe that’s just me).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every Ash Wednesday I feel like I step over a threshold and begin the steep drop to Easter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe I try to hold off the day because I’m never quite ready for Lent, even though I love it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before last night’s service, I found someone willing to go home and grab some oil out of her kitchen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It felt appropriate to mix the ashes with oil from a partially-used up bottle—oil used to make nightly dinners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ashes are earthly and homey, not some mysterious concoction I put together using various potions in my office.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ashes are us. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
I remember frantically burning leaves on the front stoop of our open country parsonage while preparing to preside over my very first Ash Wednesday service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I shivered out in the prairie wind, trying to prevent the smoldering ash in my metal pie tin from blowing away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No one told me leaves don’t make good ashes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I spent too much time picking out various sticks and chunks of earth before mixing them with the olive oil in my cupboard—because new pastors do hear about the horrors of mixing ashes with water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Doing so creates lye, which burns skin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A secret part of me has always liked the image of people leaving the church with little crosses seared onto their foreheads—a Harry Potter-like mark of our sin and redemption.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Marking people with ashes is emotional.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first few years I held back tears every time I placed them on the smooth foreheads of infants and children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each year I wonder who is receiving the ashes for the last time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While people come forward, time stops and the repetition of the words “Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return” sits heavy on my heart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m humbled by the intimacy of declaring death while people allow me into their personal space.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some people close their eyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Others meet mine, listening intently to my words as I push their hair aside and smudge ashes onto their skin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The earthiness of it grounds us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God isn’t far away in some abstract place we hope to see someday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh no—God is in the ashes and my words, on our skin and in our hearts, keeping us tethered to the earth that creates and sustains us.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sometimes we want God to be abstract, to put God into a box pushed against the wall in the living room, to put God in a crate when we leave the house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We don’t want to be reminded of the false promises we chase every day—promises of younger skin, a fulfilled life through whole foods and yoga, an easy solution in the next self-help book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ash Wednesday takes these promises and exposes them for what they are—empty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The truth is in the ashes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are mortal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our days are numbered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nothing will change that truth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only God gives us hope and salvation as we live day-to-day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God sits in the ashes with us, in the depression and addiction and hopelessness and broken promises and bad choices and pornography and abuse and SIN.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And out of these ashes—through the cross—rises the resurrection promise and the freedom to give it all to God who has changed your life already through the love and grace and mercy found in Jesus Christ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13567537300320071908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2218543462914660264.post-10452074083926805922013-02-05T11:22:00.001-08:002013-02-05T11:39:31.013-08:00Sermon for February 3, 2013<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Text: Jeremiah 1:4-10, Luke 4:21-30</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Word of the Lord came to me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I thought…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It would build me up, but it broke me in half.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was too young to hear it, but it claimed to create me from the beginning.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When Jeremiah hears God calling him, he claims he doesn’t know how to speak because he’s only a boy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God says, “Do not say, ‘I am only a boy’, for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and you shall speak whatever I command you.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It would fill my heart with fear, but it terrified me to my very core.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Throughout the Bible, whenever God or God’s messengers appear, they find terrified people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So often throughout Scripture we hear, “Do not be afraid.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It would close my mouth in humility, but it commanded me to speak.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Word of the Lord came to me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I thought…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It would humble me, but it appointed me above the nations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It would look for someone better, but it found me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eula Hall, an Appalachian activist with only an 8<sup>th</sup> grade education, founded Mud Creek Clinic many years ago in southeastern Kentucky to provide health care for the poor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She calls herself “the hillbilly activist.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She said, <span style="color: black;">“I looked, and I said to myself, ‘taint right like this, no medical service here, taint right. Somebody needs to act.’ I guess that somebody was me.”</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It would give me comfort, but it commanded me to destroy and overthrow.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Freedom Riders risked their lives during the Civil Rights movement by riding public transportation throughout the South and challenging the unjust laws.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were committed to nonviolent action, and they were regularly beaten and jailed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many of them were in their 40s and 50s.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It would leave me in ruins, but it called me to open up a new creation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The actions of the Freedom Riders led to the credibility of the Civil Rights movement and helped bolster civil rights campaigns, desegregation, and fair voter registration.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It would make me special, but it made me see the outsider.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jesus’ hometown church thought they were important because they knew him from when he was young.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus deeply offended them and led them to violent rage by saying he came for the outsiders and not only for them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A good clue: if people aren’t special in our society, chances are they are the most special people to God. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Word of the Lord came to me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I thought…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It would predict the future, but it gave me the truth about the present.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Prophets don’t predict the future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead they give the truth about right now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It would give me visions of the fruits of my work, but it forced me to be patient and rely on God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It would give me peace, but it made me open my eyes to suffering.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Word of the Lord came to me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I thought…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It would center me, but it flung me to the outer edges of society.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It would slow me down, but it sent me on a journey to Jerusalem.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It would quench my thirst, but it walked me into the desert.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It would protect me, but it allowed me to go the cross.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Following Jesus means to follow the path of the cross.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We die to selfishness, greed, ambition, jealousy, and consumerism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are raised to a new life of joy, promise, hope and justice. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Word of the Lord came to me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I thought…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It would stay steady, but it crossed all boundaries, including the tomb.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It would only speak to me, but it became a man who died for me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It would tell me why I don't deserve to hear it. It gifted me with pure grace and love.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I thought the Word of the Lord would break me down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it gave me a new beginning—one full of salvation, hope, and a meaningful life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Word of the Lord came to me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I thought...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It would speak and I would listen. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I became a Living Word.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Amen.</span></div>
Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13567537300320071908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2218543462914660264.post-54912918099604283212013-01-17T10:48:00.002-08:002013-01-17T20:03:12.891-08:00Spiritual But Not Religious<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
Lillian Daniel is senior pastor of First Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, in Glen Ellyn, Illinois.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She published an explosive article over a year ago that’s still reverberating throughout mainline Protestant conversations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s titled <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lillian-daniel/spiritual-but-not-religio_b_959216.html" target="_blank">“Spiritual But Not Religious? Please Stop Boring Me.”</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also found <a href="http://www.unitedmethodistreporter.com/2013/01/qa-tough-love-for-spiritual-but-not-religious/" target="_blank">this recent interview of Rev. Daniel</a> very helpful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve been pondering her assertions since I read her article.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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She refutes the idea that those who claim to be “spiritual but not religious” are somehow unique or on a higher plane than those who participate in a religious community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She unabashedly defends the benefits of being part of a congregation, and says she is done apologizing for Christian churches and pastors who are nothing like her and the congregation she serves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She’s direct, unapologetic, and forceful. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Rev. Daniel is careful to say she isn’t speaking to those who’ve left after being hurt by the church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every pastor has heard story after story from people whose deep pain cuts our hearts and stirs up our righteous anger toward hurtful congregations and pastors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet often these congregations aren’t anything like hers, and she’s tired of people lumping all of Christianity together. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Her words hit a nerve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her article is polarizing—some are profoundly offended, others are energized.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her article has almost 600 comments on The Huffington Post, many of them critical.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I heard Rev. Daniel speak about this topic at the Festival of Homiletics in Atlanta last May.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The audience was made up of a thousand pastors from many different denominations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She received a standing ovation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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A particular comment in the interview I reference above has stayed with me:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">When I speak on this topic people often accuse me of not being compassionate, and often it’s my fellow mainline clergy in the Protestant world, particularly in the liberal traditions, and I myself am in the liberal Protestant tradition. Their attitude seems to be, “These are wounded people, and if we are just kind and nice and listen to them, they will show up in our pews.” I think that’s been the mainline evangelism project for the last 50 years: “If we’re nice, they will come.” And how’s it working for us?<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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Pastors (often women pastors) use niceness as a crutch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is terror in the possibility someone will think we’re opinionated, direct and unapologetic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We diminish our extensive training and education that qualify us to preach, teach and guide. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This translates into our congregations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The upheld and cherished value becomes “we’re a nice congregation.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When people ask what they love about their church, the answer is “We’re friendly and welcoming.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or—“Our pastor is really nice.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or—“We’re not like that church down the road.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We don’t expect anything of our congregations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And in Minnesota, the cultural values line up well. <o:p></o:p></div>
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So often our evangelism tactic is purely reactive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We're so afraid of offending we start every conversation with a new person with an apology.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I’m sorry, but I don’t think I know you.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I’m sorry, do you understand our antiquated bulletin?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or—even worse—we become so paralyzed by fear we don’t approach anyone new.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or—even worse than that—we’re apathetic about our church and don’t think anyone would really want what we have to offer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’re surprised when we see new members join, and we hope they stick around even after they discover our foibles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We try to please and we forget to challenge.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I find Rev. Daniel's unabashed love for her congregation and denomination refreshing and inspiring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She sincerely believes being part of a religious community is valuable and life-changing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She believes the church offers crucial benefits to our faith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She claims participating in a church is deeper and more meaningful than reading The New York Times or hiking in the woods on Sunday mornings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To be a part of a religious community means to be fed, shaped and inspired.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She’s proud of what her community has to offer and she doesn’t apologize.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Evangelism comes from our hearts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not about filling pews to balance the budget.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>True evangelism grows from our own unabashed love for our church and our faith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We evangelize when we show others how our faith has made a difference in our lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We move others when we’re honest about our belief in God and the role of our religious community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We don’t need to apologize for the inspiration and guidance we find in our church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rather, we boldly claim our faith changes us, and being challenged by our religious communities is integral to our growth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We pray people in our communities are challenged and stretched.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We’ve been nice long enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s time to be proud and challenging and confident.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s embrace the countless way our religious communities make a difference.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s sing their praises and claim our unique offerings to the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have much to offer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13567537300320071908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2218543462914660264.post-91030087730162647862012-12-24T21:53:00.004-08:002012-12-25T06:35:26.029-08:00Christmas Sermon <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Sermon for 12-24-12<o:p></o:p></div>
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Text: Luke 2:1-20<o:p></o:p></div>
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Let us pray:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God Incarnate, God with us, enter into our lives this day and every day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>May the Good News of Jesus Christ claim our hearts and give us hope in the midst of our everyday lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amen.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I’m going to share something with all of you.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I’m a bit of a Scrooge.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I have a strong stubborn streak, and whenever I’m faced with expectations about how I’m supposed to act or be, I get bucky.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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I get bucky about Christmas.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The expectations are overwhelming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t enjoy wrapping presents (I said it!).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t like crowds, so taking the kids to see Santa is painful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t like being told I’m supposed to be cheerful and happy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes I am happy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes I want to be grumpy at Christmas, or sad, or disappointed or tired.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I get caught up in the idea that somehow I am holding Christmas up—holding it all together. That if I slip and let something fall, Christmas won’t be right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What if I don’t get the Christmas cards out on time?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What if I don’t get that favorite cookie made?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What if I don’t get that present mailed?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are so many expectations and so little time, and that makes me grumpy.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Christmas is hard to pin down because each one can be so different, and it changes as we get older.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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Some Christmases can never be replicated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll never again have a Christmas like the one when I was in elementary school—when Santa brought me a red-haired Cabbage Patch doll named Jill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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I’ll never again have a Christmas like the first time I led Christmas Eve worship as a pastoral intern in Boise, ID and I went out to Olive Garden with the Associate Pastor between services and my husband and I spent a quiet Christmas Day together—just the two of us—our very first Christmas together as a married couple.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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I’ll never have a Christmas like my first leading a congregation in a church in a tiny town, when a young boy came back to my office with me after the service, chatting the entire time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we came back to the sanctuary, everyone was gone, including his family (his parents and his grandparents each assumed the other had taken him).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We waited together in the dark and quiet church, looking out at the cold and snow.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And now I have Christmases with my own kids, which brings a specialness of its own.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I know you can all share a multitude of Christmas memories. Each Christmas is different, and we collect Christmas stories as the years go on.</div>
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I’ve spent Christmases full of new and profound grief, Christmases spent sleeping as I recovered from intense college finals weeks, Christmases when my whole family got the stomach flu and threw up together, Christmases trying to blend two families, Christmases changed by divorce, Christmases ending old traditions and starting new ones. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Christmas is full of memories, hopes, dreams, expectations, stress, disappointment, joy, strife, and grief.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we get older, we realize many of the Christmas songs we love are full of longing and feel bittersweet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Christmas hymns we sing are full of memories and carry history in our hearts and as we get older they become bittersweet as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Christmas is fickle, and every year is different—some years are great and some years aren't so great.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But one thing is always the same.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Every year, we hear this Christmas story from the book of Luke.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Every year, we hear about Jesus arriving in a humble stable to people just like us, people harried and not quite ready for his arrival.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The angels visited a group of shepherds, who were people on the outskirts of society, able to give nothing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Jesus doesn’t come after we have it all together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus doesn’t wait to arrive until after all the presents are wrapped and under the tree and the house is clean and ready for guests.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus doesn’t wait until we’re appropriately cheerful and full of the Christmas spirit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus doesn’t wait until our relationships are mended and we’re finally nice to that uncle who we have to invite over for the holidays.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Jesus doesn’t wait until our faith is strong.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Jesus arrives in the middle of all of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God chooses Mary and Joseph as his parents, people who are young and unsure and scared—and who aren’t ready for him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God surprises the shepherds while they sleep and watch over their flocks on the hill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Christmas is not about us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’re not holding it up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even if we have the worst Christmas ever, even if we don’t buy a single present or bake a single Christmas cookie, God arrives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even if the hardships of life bear down upon us and we feel like we’ve completely given up on God, God arrives in the midst of it all and says, “Do not be afraid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I bring you Good News.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For this day a child has been born for YOU, who is Christ the Lord.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All is well.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God hasn’t given up on you.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It doesn’t matter what kind of a Christmas you’re having.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you’re having a wonderful Christmas this year, be thankful and blessed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you’re having a terrible Christmas, be lifted up by the hope and new future given to us all by the birth of a baby boy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>May God’s unconditional love surround you and give you comfort and joy this season.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Now let’s keep singing and rejoicing, no matter what.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Amen!</div>
Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13567537300320071908noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2218543462914660264.post-80560236924338049602012-12-17T20:04:00.001-08:002012-12-17T22:13:40.137-08:00No One Could Blow Them Out<div style="text-align: justify;">
Before worship yesterday, I pondered what I would say about the horrific events in Connecticut. The children were leading worship so I wasn't preaching. I decided to light two candles on the altar in remembrance (thankfully realizing 28 lit candles wouldn't mix well with wiggly, excited kids) and say some brief words at the beginning of worship. I wanted to be vague (so I wouldn't scare any children) and talk about how our act of worship--led by our children--was our way to stand in the face of unimaginable violence.</div>
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When I stood up in front of the congregation to say my opening remarks, I directly faced the kids bouncing around at the entrance to the sanctuary, waiting to process in. They sparkled with energy (not only because many of them wore itchy shiny gold halos). I could almost see the cloud of nervous joy rise up like dust around their feet. They were safe, enjoying life, and surrounded by people who love them. My gratefulness at this simple morning overwhelmed me and the emotions were too much. I stood in front of the congregation without words, and we wept together in grief and thankfulness for the lives of our children and children everywhere.</div>
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I'll never forget how the children led worship yesterday--not because it was perfect but because it was profoundly meaningful. I'll remember the twins who geared themselves up to say their lines by taking a moment to breathe deeply and say "Okay!" to themselves. And the girl who ran past the microphone, barely getting her line out before disappearing into the pews. And the girl who stood an extra moment in the spotlight, grinning out at the crowd. And the boy who tripped over his flowing robe, and the girl who spoke so eloquently I had a vision of her as a future teacher, and the boy who said his lines so earnestly, and the sisters with the matching pigtails and smiles, and the boy who took a bit longer than the rest to line up to sing, and the tiny girl who stole the whole show. And the words of Scripture, words of hope and prophecy reminding us to love our neighbor, read by children's voices.</div>
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After worship, I became distracted by conversations and a long meeting. When most people had left, I turned out the lights in the quiet building. I noticed two candles still burning on the altar. No one could blow them out. </div>
Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13567537300320071908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2218543462914660264.post-18143712117571004112012-11-26T11:42:00.001-08:002012-11-26T12:51:33.340-08:008 Lessons I’ve Learned After 8 Years of (Mostly) Solo Ministry<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
I’m not a seasoned pastor by any means, but this list is full of what I’ve learned at the beginning of my career in ministry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The lessons, both painful and enlightening, are still fresh in my mind, so here they are, written as for a new pastor:<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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1. Network.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Having a group of other pastors to talk honestly with and glean ideas from is essential.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you aren’t part of a weekly text study, join one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you can’t find one, start one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It'll be your lifeline and your weekly sanity check.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The resources you’ll share and receive will be invaluable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My first call was in a very rural area and the pastors in my text study shared my weekly frustrations, lonely days and celebrations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I developed a beloved friendship with a wise pastor whose passion for rural ministry still showed after 40 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Recently my family and I visited him and his wife in their new retirement home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We hadn’t seen each other for a few years, but the continued warmth and support was evident as they served us a special lunch and he set up his trains in the basement so my son could play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’ll need the help and support of fellow pastors, and a few of these relationships become sacred.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Be active about searching them out. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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2. Listen to friends and family.<o:p></o:p></div>
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You’ll also need to be intentional about keeping up your friendships outside the church and spending time with your family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ministry lends itself to living in a bubble and it’s important to leave it periodically.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Get some real-world perspective.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Have fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If they think you’re working too much, burning yourself out, or becoming weirdly focused on liturgical traditions/writing down every single sermon illustration you notice/rehashing a conversation with a congregation member, you are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Listen to them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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2. There will always be another Advent.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I remember planning my first liturgical season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was convinced it had to be the best! Lent! Ever! After a few seasons of this, I realized there will always be another Advent—that’s the beauty of a church year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pace yourself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Church work is a marathon, and if you run at a sprinter’s pace you’ll tire quickly. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You don’t need to find room this year for every beautiful confession or every single Advent hymn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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4. Failure is the only option.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Get comfortable with spectacular, public failure because you’ll experience a lot of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can’t preach most Sundays for many years without preaching a terrible sermon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And by terrible, I mean a sermon you preach as quickly as possible and immediately burn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guarantee you’ll plan some wonderful programs and no one will show up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The bulletin will have embarrassing misprints and you’ll forget the name of the baby you’re about to baptize.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of these are great learning experiences and will only make you better prepared for what’s ahead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They’re painful but necessary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They also make you appreciate the programs that do work and the sermons you’re very proud to preach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And don’t forget the Holy Spirit works mysteriously in the midst of it all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pastors need lots of grace, and ministry doesn’t let us forget it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Besides, parishioners <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">love</i> to see your human side and tease you for your mistakes. <o:p></o:p></div>
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5. Ministry is all trial and error.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Don’t let the failures get you down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Risk is an essential part of ministry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’ll take all sorts of creative, personal, and public risks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Often you won’t know what works with a congregation until you try it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If no one shows up for a program, use that information to hone your future planning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you try something and many people get angry, you’ve discovered an area of passion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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People will complain and grumble.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trying to please them all will paralyze you and your ministry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let go and embrace risks as an individual and as a community.<o:p></o:p></div>
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6. Strategize.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So many people want so much of my time that I need to do lots of prioritizing—and saying no.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Know what’s essential.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I once had a rural pastor tell me there are three things every pastor needs to do: preach the best you can, visit people in their homes, and love their kids.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I find if I faithfully do hospital and home visits, preach thoughtful and well-prepared sermons, and honestly engage the youth of the congregation I serve, I receive a lot of grace when it comes to evening meetings and bulletin misprints. Good preaching takes time, and that means something else has to give.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every context is different, but you’ll need to find out what matters most to a congregation—and you—so you can prioritize.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Play up your strengths and interests and recognize your weak areas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t just go with a canned Confirmation program.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What interests you?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you love world religions or pop culture?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are you a musical or movie or sports buff?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Incorporate your passions into your teaching and preaching.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you’re excited about a topic, chances are the congregation will be too, and you’ll all have more fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Look for people with different strengths than yours and let them handle your weak areas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’re not expected to do everything, even though we pastors like to think we can. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Enjoy the slow weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’ll have lots of crazy weeks with funerals and retreats and Holy Week (sometimes all in the same week).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you encounter one of the magical weeks without Confirmation or sermon planning, take an afternoon or an extra day off, and enjoy it. And for goodness' sake, take all your vacation!</div>
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7. Find good feedback.<o:p></o:p></div>
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You need good feedback to hone your skills and tap into the congregation’s passions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’ll need to double-check your missional direction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Find a few trusted people in the congregation to give you honest, helpful, constructive feedback and check in with them often.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Be careful they don’t become feeders for congregational complaints.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rather, use them as your eyes and ears in the congregation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What’s working well?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why is a certain area lacking energy?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let them take the pulse of the church for you.<o:p></o:p></div>
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8. People like to feel useful.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Stop prefacing requests with “I’m sorry, but…” or “If you’re not too busy…”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This has been the hardest lesson for me to learn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t like asking for help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s been difficult for me to realize I’m inviting people into opportunities to serve, and many people like to feel useful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By depending on the same few people I know will say yes, I end up with burned out volunteers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Reach out and give new people the chance to participate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t be afraid of failure or people saying no.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just keep asking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Better yet, find people who have the gift of invitation to support you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At one church I served, one woman recruited over 100 Vacation Bible School volunteers every year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was her ministry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What a blessing!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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I end with a bonus lesson that overarches this whole list: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">trust your instincts</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can read a ton of books about evangelism, pastoral care, preaching and administration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, there is always more to learn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But only you know the church you serve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You know their points of pride, their insecurities and their idiosyncrasies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trust yourself to translate what you’ve learned into their context.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes you need to leave the books on the shelf and go your own direction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Just like y</span>our own list after eight years of ministry may look very different than mine.</div>
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Ministry is exhausting, unpredictable, and frustrating. It's also exhilarating, profoundly meaningful, endlessly creative, and full of joy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pray for strength and patience, and know you’re not alone. Take good care of yourself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And remember—in the end it’s God’s ministry, not yours. </div>
Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13567537300320071908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2218543462914660264.post-12202868426543582452012-11-15T09:11:00.000-08:002012-11-15T09:20:20.626-08:00Links for the Weekend<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
Stewardship’s been on my mind, so here are some great links about finances, giving, and living a meaningful life:<br />
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Do you want to give to the victims of Hurricane Sandy? <a href="https://community.elca.org/HurricaneSandy" target="_blank">ELCA Disaster Response</a> is one option.</div>
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I’ve been turning to <a href="http://www.thesimpledollar.com/" target="_blank">The Simple Dollar</a> for practical tips on finances and living a meaningful life.<o:p></o:p></div>
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How <a href="http://www.npr.org/2012/08/20/158947667/study-reveals-the-geography-of-charitable-giving?sc=emaf" target="_blank">charitable</a> are our communities?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Stressed that Christmas is only six weeks away?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Check out these <a href="http://simplemom.net/holiday-budget/" target="_blank">six steps to a relaxed Christmas</a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/exhaustion-is-not-a-status-symbol/2012/10/02/19d27aa8-0cba-11e2-bb5e-492c0d30bff6_story.html" target="_blank">Exhaustion is not a status symbol</a>.<br />
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Mark Hanson (presiding bishop of the ELCA) asks us the important question now that the election is over—<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7c7opvpHhyY&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">now what</a>?<o:p></o:p><br />
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Is church—as we’re currently doing it— <a href="http://www.churchleadership.com/leadingideas/updates/121114.html" target="_blank">not working</a>?<o:p></o:p><br />
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If you don’t know about <a href="http://rachelheldevans.com/" target="_blank">Rachel Held Evans</a>, you need to.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p>Enjoy! </o:p></div>
Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13567537300320071908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2218543462914660264.post-38734238113335779022012-11-12T11:28:00.000-08:002012-11-12T11:31:58.701-08:00Sermon for Sunday, November 11<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<em>This sermon was informed by the book <u>Ministry and Money</u> by Janet and Philip Jamieson--a wonderfully practical book for pastors.</em></div>
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Text: Malachi 3:8-12<o:p></o:p></div>
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Let us pray:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Giving God, grow in us generous hearts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Help us to give, not out of guilt or only obedience, but out of joy and freedom, knowing you bless us with all we need.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Jesus’ name, Amen.<o:p></o:p></div>
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When I first began planning for this eight-week Stewardship series, I wasn’t so sure about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eight weeks is long time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I worried some of you would get very tired of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was afraid it would begin to feel like an eight-week-long fundraising effort.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the midst of a presidential election, it could feel like overkill.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Yet I’m learning a lesson.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stewardship is such a broad topic and covers so many parts of our Christian lives that I’m starting to feel like an eight-week series may be too short.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a relevant and essential topic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stewardship is so basic to what we believe as Christians that it seeps into every area of faith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Lutherans we believe God blesses us first with mercy and forgiveness, and we live out our faith in response to those gifts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s the same with Stewardship—God gives us gifts and talents and everything we need, and we give them away faithfully and joyfully.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Stewardship is also relevant because it addresses the power money has over us in our everyday lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We make choices about money each day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We worry about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It makes us feel stupid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We feel trapped by it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We enjoy it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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The church has something very important to say about money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a theologian, <em>I</em> have something important to say about money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the church doesn’t talk about money, we’re missing a huge part of people’s lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a strong relationship between our faith and our finances and we need to discuss it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So often we like to think of money itself as sinful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rather, money is neutral.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s simply a tool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What we do with it reflects the state of our hearts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can allow it to have power over us, or we can use it to make a difference in the world and give us great joy.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Today’s Stewardship theme is tithing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here’s what I think about it, and here’s how I use the concept in my own life.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Tithing hasn’t always been easy for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When my husband and I began our first calls in small rural congregations, we had a lot of student debt that challenged and still challenges us in our ability to give.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For a long time I felt extraordinarily guilty about not being able to tithe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My giving wasn’t joyful because I always felt badly that it wasn’t up to a tithe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That magic 10% number haunted me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It didn’t allow me to enjoy what I was giving. Yet we move closer and closer to our goals every year (even exceeding some), and we’ve found that the more we give, the more we want to give.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But we’ve forgotten about tithing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once we all reach that 10% number, why stop?<o:p></o:p></div>
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I know what the struggle to tithe involves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t think the concept of tithing is meant to guilt and shame us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s an Old Testament concept—we heard it in our text from Malachi today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus barely talked about tithing, and it was only in warnings about religious hypocrisy—don’t claim you tithe just to impress others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tithing hasn’t always been the way the church has raised funds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s actually a more modern concept from the past 100 years or so.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Here’s what I think about it:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a good guideline.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a great goal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it’s not meant to shame you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not an obligation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it’s not a graduation once you get there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For God isn’t Lord over just 10% of our belongings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God is Lord over all, including the other 90%.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I like the idea of a tithing as a spiritual discipline.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s something we practice doing—and it’s not always easy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tithing is meant to be inspiring, not shaming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s meant to be exciting, not a heavy burden.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s meant to be a source of joy and not guilt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s meant to free you, not entrap you in impossible expectations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Give what you can, and pray that God will allow you to give more and more as you grow in this part of being a Christian.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rejoice in what you can give, for God will use your gifts. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our reading from Malachi says, “God will open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God calls us to tithe, but I believe God will use whatever we give as a blessing to others and the world.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Of course, I think Christ the King is a worthy cause.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe in what we do here, or I wouldn’t be giving my career to the mission of this congregation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve seen lives changed by what we do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our mission is not to stabilize the budget, although we are responsible to keep it balanced. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our mission is to make a difference, to eliminate suffering, to empower and heal people and families, to build relationships, and to spread the gospel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t give to the budget.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our budget is a tool to foster our mission.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Give to the budget that allows us to do our mission.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Give to help us connect, and teach, and keep.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Give so we have a warm and welcoming building where people can come to have their children baptized, watch them get married, and bury their loved ones.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Give so kids have a safe place to come with people who care about them as they learn about what God means in their lives—and that they are important and valued children of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We make it a priority to have a Youth and Education Ministries Director.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Give so she can continue to empower the congregation to grow in its youth and education ministries.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Give so our musicians can continue to bless our worship with wonderful music.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Give so our outreach ministries can continue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a congregation, we tithe 10% of the money we take in each year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a congregation, we experience the freedom and joy of knowing God’s blessings aren’t something we need to keep all for ourselves.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I believe in what Christ the King does. There are countless other ways Christ the King lives out its mission.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also believe in your generosity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you want to increase the mission of this church, please consider increasing your gifts—even by a little bit.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And don’t only give to the church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Give to whatever makes your heart burn and ignites your passions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stewardship isn’t just about giving to the church. It's a way of life!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stewardship is about living generous lives that know freedom and joy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What are you passionate about?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is money holding you back from following your dreams?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trust in God and take the leap!<o:p></o:p></div>
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May we all continue to grow into the freedom found in living generously.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>May we hear God’s call to live with open hands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One way to really make your faith feel real is to give—give what you can, and ask God to inspire and challenge you in your future giving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Amen.<o:p></o:p></div>
Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13567537300320071908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2218543462914660264.post-72138215903012066102012-11-05T13:57:00.002-08:002012-11-07T11:18:40.398-08:00A Prayer for Election Day<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
Listen to me, God.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I join in the chorus, loudly: I’m so tired of political ads.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My 2-year-old picked up the phrase, “I’m sick of this,” from hearing me say it every time an ad fills the TV screen or blurts through the radio, the announcer sounding so serious, as if I’ll trigger the apocalypse if I vote for the wrong candidate. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I feel anxious every time I hear about a poll. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The pollsters and slick media faces want me to worry, because it’ll pull me into the vicious circle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Worry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Get more information.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Worry some more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Watch TV more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Listen to the radio more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Worry.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I wonder how I’ll feel on Wednesday morning.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I know what I want the results to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know what I don’t want them to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t trust those who think differently than me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They don’t know the real story—the real consequences for their decisions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They haven’t thought it through, because if they really, really thought about it, they’d see it my way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They’d see I’m right.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The hardest part for me is realizing I’m not in control in a flawed system that will dictate my life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel like the results of the vote will sit in my living room and I’ll have to walk around them like the beanbag chairs my kids drag around. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m out of control as I try to choose between two flawed candidates and vote on two flawed amendments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why can’t it be clear-cut?<o:p></o:p></div>
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I put it in your hands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t give you much, but this I will lay in your lap.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gladly.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Give me strength, courage and compassion as I make the leap in the voting booth tomorrow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Help me to think about those without a voice, because I need to speak for them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Give me thoughts of children’s faces and those who are vulnerable and forgotten.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is your Holy Spirit in the voting booth?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope it is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please, let it be.<o:p></o:p></div>
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On Wednesday morning, give me peace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve spent so much time thinking I’m right that it’s going to take me a while to stop thinking everyone else is wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Be patient with me. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll need courage as I embrace the decisions of the community—whatever they may be. Give me compassion for my neighbor, even the one with different political leanings. He came over yesterday to help us move furniture, offers the use of his snowblower and is a good neighbor. Help me remember. </div>
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But please, don’t put out the fire in my gut (is that the Holy Spirit too—or my pride?).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’ll be another election soon.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Amen.</div>
Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13567537300320071908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2218543462914660264.post-70425555434428919482012-10-25T14:37:00.001-07:002012-11-07T11:19:00.586-08:00Be Proud<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
A couple of weeks ago, I sat having tea at the home a dear member of the congregation I serve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She talked to me about her husband of many years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She told me of his strong faith and dedication to the church, and then she said, looking me in the eye, “I’m very proud of his faith.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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I haven’t been able to get that out of my head.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I’m reminded of the big (almost obnoxiously so) photo of my husband and me on our wedding day that hangs in our bedroom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I get older, I’m surprised at how young we look and how much time has gone by since our wedding day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our wedding guests wrote notes to us on the mat surrounding the photo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I treasure them all, but one hits me in the gut every time I read it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the midst of lovely words like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">love always</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">best wishes</i>, and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">congratulations</i>, it says <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">be proud of each other</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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So often we forget to be proud—not only in our marriages, but in all our relationships.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So much is packed into that little saying—<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">be proud of each other</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Celebrate each other’s accomplishments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Look for the best in one another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When times are difficult, affirm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Words of praise need to be part of your regular conversations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remember how fortunate you are to be together.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I think of the way I get embarrassed when my son says, “You’re the best mom in the world.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I immediately think of why I don’t deserve it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think of the too many nights in a row he ate chicken nuggets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think of the week he wore the same outfit to school for several days (probably one day more than he should have).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think of every reason why I don’t deserve such sweet, sincere words of praise.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Yet what if I believed those words? What if, in his world, I’m the best mom for him? I can forget about the days I can’t remember the last time he had a bath. Instead, I’ll think of what I do well—baking cookies with him, starting dance parties in the kitchen, and reading him stories before bed. I'll remember it every time I tell him I'm proud of him and see his delighted smile. </div>
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What if our churches were places of praise? What if we focused on being proud of one another? We'll look at someone sitting on the other end of the pew and see the best. We'll celebrate each other's accomplishments and lift up each other's gifts. In the midst of all this affirmation, we’ll live into our best selves. It’s not a simple fix to bigger problems, but I think it’s a start. What if we said to one another, “I’m proud of your faith?” These are grace-filled words.</div>
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<em>I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind— just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you— so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ.--</em><em>1 Corinthians 1:4-7<o:p></o:p></em></div>
Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13567537300320071908noreply@blogger.com0