Makeovers

Good Morning Lenten Trekkers,

I have been spending some time this week as a participant in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Black Ministers’ Retreat in Goldsboro . It’s been quite a warm and welcoming experience as well a challenging time filled with great preaching, worship and forums to help us better understand the history of the Black Disciples congregations and the Assemblies Churches unique to NC/VA & northward to NJ. All of us come out of the same history; separated during years of segregation due to racial prejudice and bigotry, aka fear and ignorance. How refreshing it is to know that many of us are committed to breaking down these barriers and how discouraging at times to realize how slowly the drum beats for all of us.

The theme for the retreat, “Lord, Make Me Over,” is based on Jeremiah 18:1-10--kind of like a call for a spiritual “Extreme Makeover-Home Edition” …recognizing that it’s a bit more extreme for some than for others! :) Nonetheless, it is good to be among folks who aren’t afraid to admit their own flaws who also accept yours as well. It’s a great theme for Lent---Make Me Over…a time for introspection and a time to change whatever needs changing in one’s life. And so often that means a lot of hard work in the deep recesses of my soul…

I have to admit that I can only do so much “gloom and doom” and “Oh, what a worm am I” kind of meditation, prayer and soul-searching at any given time. I always need a bit of joy thrown in for good measure. Maybe that’s why Lent doesn’t include Sundays; so we can celebrate and discover the joy of God’s Resurrection Miracle and God’s miracles from day to day. And then to also find time to laugh; to enjoy God each day and to enjoy God forever.

While few among us enjoy criticism or even a little critique about who we are as a person or the work that we have done, I must admit I enjoy the banter on most given days that takes place with those who take time to comment or challenge a message I have labored over and then dared to proclaim each week during worship. It lets me know that you are out there listening and thinking and brooding about it all.

But this past Sunday was a first for me…I had shared a couple of stories to support the reading from Luke 13: 31-35 about Jesus weeping over Jerusalem because the people didn’t listen to God and yet how God still desires to gather God’s children as a mother hen gathers her brood under her wing. Through these stories my intent was to share the good news of how God always cares for us no matter what…no matter what pain or suffering comes our way. But one young person heard it quite differently.

What follows is a brief account of an exchange I had with Dane Swanser, age 9, as he, his mom, Lynn & younger brother, Gabe were leaving after the 9am worship:
Lynn: Tell Rev. Joanne some of your thoughts about her message this morning…pause…
Dane: Well, I thought worship was supposed to make you feel good…
Me: So, you don’t feel good after being here? Why is that?
Dane: Well, first you tell a story about a girl taking care of baby quails and how they got to the point where they would fly into the air and come back to her when she called them to come home…and then you tell me that a cat had come and killed them all!
Me: OK…hmmmm….
Dane: Then you went on to tell a story about how a chicken coop burned to the ground and the farmer found a burnt up chicken who died and left her 4 chicks all alone. What’s good about that? And then in the last song we sang, we were singing about death and dying…I tell you what…I’m not feeling good at all!
(Now Dane also had a twinkle in his eye during most of this exchange, so when I began to laugh, he did too)!
Me: Well, I guess you got me this time, friend. Even though you have missed the point of the gospel lesson about how God cares for us in the good times and bad…I have to tell you I so appreciate your take on all this…

First off, how wonderful it is that you were paying attention to the message and how good it is for you to take time to tell me what you’re thinkin’. And you have given me so much to think about…

You’re right, I’ve just finished telling you two pretty sad stories…I never thought about it that way…I guess I was too busy trying to get a certain message across and totally lost sight of how it could be taken otherwise. And I thank you…I really do thank you…I so enjoyed our conversation

What I did next was exactly what Jeremiah speaks about in Jeremiah 18: 3-4; how “Jeremiah goes down to the potter’s house and there he was working at his wheel. The vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand and he reworked it into another vessel, as seemed good to him…”

I quickly went to the pulpit and did an instant makeover on the 11am message! :)

May your own Lenten make-over attempts bring a smile to your face…

Blessings, Joanne