Dear Lenten Trekkers,
I recently saw the award-winning film, Hugo, that addresses what it means to feel invisible, lost and forgotten as they are experienced in a young boy, Hugo and his young friend, Isabelle; along with Papa Georges Méliès & Mama Jeanne. Hugo, recently became an orphan as a 10 year old, but not before his father taught him about clockwork & tinkering with machines; Isabelle’s parents were killed in an accident when she was a baby and was adopted by her godparents, Georges & Jeanne.
Georges was an early filmmaker and an inventor of special effects in the 1930s; his wife, Jeanne, starred in many of his early movies. Georges & Jeanne became discouraged with these early attempts of filmmaking at the onset of WWI and he was forced to sell his films in order to get money in order to survive. Georges had also created an automaton (robot) that he believed was lost in a museum fire; leaving him to think that there is nothing left of his life’s work.
Regardless of the varied circumstances that unite these characters, so much of their lives left them feeling lost and forgotten. But there’s a conversation between Hugo & Isabelle that speaks of how having a real purpose in life can help overcome one’s sense of being lost &
forgotten:
Hugo: “It’s important to have a real purpose in life…”
Isabelle: “What does real purpose mean?”
Hugo: “Doing what you’re meant to do…”
Isabelle: “Everything has a purpose—clocks tell time; trains take you places.”
Hugo: “That’s why broken machines make me sad. They can’t do what they’re meant to do. It’s the same with people…If you lose your purpose, it’s like you’re broken…like Papa Georges Maybe we can do something to fix him…
Isabelle: “I wonder what my purpose is…”
(Hugo takes Isabelle to the top of the clock tower high above the streets of Paris and looking out into the dark night, Hugo speaks):
“I come up here a lot. And when I look out in the night, I see the whole world before me; as if it were one big machine. Machines never come with any extra parts, you know. They always come with the exact amount they need…So I figured if the entire world were one big machine, I couldn’t be any extra part either. I had to be here for a reason…and you are too…”
We continue to make our way with Jesus and his companions as we travel to Jerusalem during this second week of Lent…
Ponder this:
· Do you believe that everyone is here for a reason?
· Who are the people in your life, near and far, who
feel alone and forgotten; who don’t believe they are here for a reason?
· Do you believe that discovering or re-discovering
one’s purpose in life helps one not feel forgotten/like an extra part?
· If so, what can you do to help someone regain a
sense of purpose and wholeness, who has fallen or about to fall, among the forgotten:
maybe an older person who lives alone or is homebound;
maybe a street person; a neighbor; someone whose health has been
compromised;
someone who’s lost his/her job; a recently retired person;
or a young purpose examining the meaning & purpose for his/her life;
someone whose loved-one has died;
or maybe it’s you?
Will you reach out to someone who feels forgotten? Will you help someone discover or re-discover how much God loves them and how God can help them figure out his/her purpose? Will you allow God into your own life and help you figure out your purpose? God is our constant guide and companion along this journey and stands ready to give us all we need to be whole once again…Thanks be to God…
Blessings, Rev. Joanne
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Thursday, February 3, 2011
The Instruction Manual
Good Morning All!
This past Sunday we took a closer look at Micah 6: 1-8 that contains the wonderful exchange between God and God’s people as if they were present in courtroom. God asks, “Dear people, how have I done you wrong?...” and goes on to point out some of the many ways God has provided for the people.
And then the people get their chance to speak and we hear the familiar question,
“With what shall I come before God?...and Micah speaks out, “God has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does God require of you but to do justice, love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?”
Much of scripture is like an instruction manual. We’re all familiar with the phrase, “When all else fails, read the instructions!” And I fear the same may be true for many of us when it comes to seeking guidance and wisdom for the living of our lives. When in doubt; when we’ve run out of time and patience; when we are at our wits end; when we are at the end of our rope; when our life is in a mess; when we’ve dismissed any and all hope; when we’ve exhausted all other resources to answer the big questions in life; it’s then that we finally turn our thoughts to God and God’s Word for our next instructions.
Anne Lamott In her book Operating Instructions: A Journal of My Son's First Year, describes the afternoon she misplaced her father. It seems his brain cancer had progressed to the point where he was functioning much like an eager-to-please three year-old. She needed to go to the bank and because she could not leave him home alone, she took her father with her. The nature of her bank business was such that she couldn’t use the drive-thru so she made sure he was securely belted in his seat and gave him a candy bar to keep him busy.
Of course there was a long line. And because she was uncomfortable leaving him there in the car she found herself asking those around her to hold her place and she checked on him through the bank window. The last time she looked, he wasn't there -- the car was empty! She felt like adrenaline had been injected directly into her heart. She paused to calm herself and as she went to leave the bank, she could see her disoriented dad passing by the window, his face smeared with chocolate…holding his candy bar, staring up at the sky as if were expecting his next operating instructions.
Sometimes you and I pace back and forth; drive endlessly through the country back roads to clear our minds; or we toss and turn at night restlessly trying to figure out our next operating instructions. And we too find ourselves looking up toward the heavens for God… (and more than likely I too have chocolate smeared on my face :) ) seeking God; seeking desperately for a word from God; to hear God telling us what to do next…
We are guilty of wasting so much time and energy looking for answers in unsatisfactory places. People of God! God’s has already given us an instruction manual and has made it plain how to live; what to do. It’s quite simple and yet it’s quite complex. And it’s so life changing if we dare to live it out. "Do what is fair and just to your neighbor; be compassionate and loyal in your love; and don’t take yourself too seriously…take God seriously…" (Eugene Peterson’s translation)
Blessings, Joanne
This past Sunday we took a closer look at Micah 6: 1-8 that contains the wonderful exchange between God and God’s people as if they were present in courtroom. God asks, “Dear people, how have I done you wrong?...” and goes on to point out some of the many ways God has provided for the people.
And then the people get their chance to speak and we hear the familiar question,
“With what shall I come before God?...and Micah speaks out, “God has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does God require of you but to do justice, love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?”
Much of scripture is like an instruction manual. We’re all familiar with the phrase, “When all else fails, read the instructions!” And I fear the same may be true for many of us when it comes to seeking guidance and wisdom for the living of our lives. When in doubt; when we’ve run out of time and patience; when we are at our wits end; when we are at the end of our rope; when our life is in a mess; when we’ve dismissed any and all hope; when we’ve exhausted all other resources to answer the big questions in life; it’s then that we finally turn our thoughts to God and God’s Word for our next instructions.
Anne Lamott In her book Operating Instructions: A Journal of My Son's First Year, describes the afternoon she misplaced her father. It seems his brain cancer had progressed to the point where he was functioning much like an eager-to-please three year-old. She needed to go to the bank and because she could not leave him home alone, she took her father with her. The nature of her bank business was such that she couldn’t use the drive-thru so she made sure he was securely belted in his seat and gave him a candy bar to keep him busy.
Of course there was a long line. And because she was uncomfortable leaving him there in the car she found herself asking those around her to hold her place and she checked on him through the bank window. The last time she looked, he wasn't there -- the car was empty! She felt like adrenaline had been injected directly into her heart. She paused to calm herself and as she went to leave the bank, she could see her disoriented dad passing by the window, his face smeared with chocolate…holding his candy bar, staring up at the sky as if were expecting his next operating instructions.
Sometimes you and I pace back and forth; drive endlessly through the country back roads to clear our minds; or we toss and turn at night restlessly trying to figure out our next operating instructions. And we too find ourselves looking up toward the heavens for God… (and more than likely I too have chocolate smeared on my face :) ) seeking God; seeking desperately for a word from God; to hear God telling us what to do next…
We are guilty of wasting so much time and energy looking for answers in unsatisfactory places. People of God! God’s has already given us an instruction manual and has made it plain how to live; what to do. It’s quite simple and yet it’s quite complex. And it’s so life changing if we dare to live it out. "Do what is fair and just to your neighbor; be compassionate and loyal in your love; and don’t take yourself too seriously…take God seriously…" (Eugene Peterson’s translation)
Blessings, Joanne
Thursday, November 11, 2010
God Moments
Good Morning All,
It’s been a while since I’ve put a musing in print; though hardly any day goes by without some spark of spiritual insight igniting my soul. Reflecting on the 3+ hours on most Sundays, I find myself laughing or at the very least smiling or perhaps even holding back a tear or two; at the various events, observations and conversations that always bring a “spark to my soul.” These are what I call, “God moments” that keep me going in the days ahead. And last Sunday was no exception…
First off, I was on the lookout for a family who had spoken with Mary Lou earlier in the week who were seeking a community of faith. She shared about the 2 services; childcare and morning classes, including Disciples 101 class and invited them to attend. They came to the 9a Gathering and remained for the Education Hour.
Right before I began Disciples 101, the class members were getting acquainted and I learned that they are from Billings, MT. I told them that we had 2 other households from Billings who were actively involved here--referring to the Swanser households. And just as I finished that statement, in walks Judy Swanser and Kole Swanser. And as I observed them making “home” connections with each other, I smiled knowing that even strangers who come from the same home town can instantly feel like long lost friends. “Six Degrees of Separation” is alive and well at Covenant!
And each Sunday without fail, there are the Acolytes who approach their responsibilities with such serious concentration. They bring such joy to me and to so many of you. I am always amazed at how the younger children who are not much taller than the Communion Table are able to make wick and flame ignite; reminding us of the Light of Christ in our presence.
Later that day, one by one, on a crisp Fall afternoon, cars and trucks began to arrive in the parking lot, filled with owners and families , accompanied by a variety of dogs; and one brave cat who came to be blessed. Just before we were about to begin, I saw a couple sitting in their truck watching all the activity. When I greeted them I learned that their dog died last year and their cat, just a few months ago; and they simply were there to celebrate all pets & their owners and to remember the wonderful memories that their own pets had brought to their lives…a convergence of healing and joy…
Another woman from the community arrived with her dog, Baxter; as did another couple from the community with their 3 large dogs, Bruiser, Ripkin & Emmie. What fun to see the true welcoming spirit of Covenant, as all were warmly greeted by friendly barks and jumping paws by Covenant pets: Hans, Heidi, Diego, Chloe, Tucker, Boone, Hurricane, Casey & Polly. As we prepared for the time of blessing all the pets were curiously checking each other out; and the children could be heard introducing their pet to another. All were then blessed and received a commemorative medal and treats!
While we were all enjoying human treats of hot apple cider, animal cookies, apples and lively conversations, some of the younger children were off by themselves being quite busy. I watched Tess Rutledge take a full pitcher of water from a card table taller than she as she very carefully filled the 4 water bowls at the Canine Corner. And a few of us also watched Seth Baldwin, as he lifted his cat in her carrier, step by step up the ladder of the slide on the playground…waiting to see if Chloe was about to have the ride of her life! But Seth decided otherwise… :)
In the midst of the “f(l)urry of activity” I met a man named Tracy, who had recently returned to Cary after 20 years living elsewhere; and when I asked his last name, I couldn’t believe it. Turns out he is one of founding era members of Covenant! What fun it was to make that connection and to share Covenant stories together…
So, with a smile in my heart, I bask in the many memories of just this one day and paws (pause) to remember that each one of us experiences so much of life on any given day…and as we make our way through, we can choose to affirm that God is in the midst of it all providing us with many unexpected joys and satisfactions…or we can choose to move headlong, full steam ahead, elbowing our way from sunrise to sunset, totally oblivious to all there is to celebrate…May we move through this day and every day, in the words of Jesus, with “eyes to see and ears to hear…” As well as minds to think and be aware, accompanied by hearts that feel...May it be so…may it be so…
Blessings, Joanne
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Humor with a Message
Good Morning All,
Hopefully as one spends even just a little bit of time around Covenant, it becomes increasingly clear that humor and laughter play an important part in our life together as this community of faith. Humor is a gift from God and when appropriately used, can greatly diffuse anger or defensiveness and overall, humor has the ability to “cure whatever ails us!”
God’s humor was evident during Holy Week, even on the most somber of nights when we gathered for worship on Maundy Thursday…it was April 1st…April Fool’s Day…what irony when you stop to think about it…The scriptures remind us of how Peter was so insistent with his words and assumed attitude regarding his undying loyalty to Jesus as recorded in John 13, as Jesus was sharing the Passover Feast with his friends; telling them that he will only be with them a little while longer; and then giving them the new commandment to love one another.
Peter, genuinely being caught up in the moment, declares that he REALLY wants to go with Jesus, wherever he’s going…
”No matter where, Lord…I will lay down my life for you, Lord…”
“Really, Peter? Hmmmmm….”I tell you this, before the rooster crows, you will have denied me 3 times…”
“Oh no, not me Lord…You’ll see…I’m gonna go with you, Lord…hide and watch… Hmmmmm…April Fool’s, Lord…April Fool’s…
We’ve heard it said that laughter truly is the best medicine. And Frederick Beuchner reminds us that laughter comes from as deep a place as tears; and in a way, I believe it is the same place, deep within our very souls. As much as tears do, laughter comes out of the darkness of the world; the shadows of life. Because of laughter & shadows occupying the same place within us, the shadows of life are not ever totally eliminated.
And here we are, just a few days out from Easter Sunday and aware of it or not, anyone who celebrated God’s great miracle of Christ’s resurrection has also celebrated God’s biggest joke accomplished in the face of evil. Having said this then, it’s obvious right from the start, that God’s sense of humor and God’s ability for joke telling doesn’t bear much resemblance to the kind of humor we readily recognize in our everyday world.
God’s humor is probably more appropriately viewed as irony—public scrutiny of either a vice or some kind of foolishness with no attempt to be cruel or harmful to another. It’s a story about a particular situation or a person or group of people that evokes some kind of subtle insight. There is always something to be learned from irony. It’s humor with a message. This is what God’s humor is.
And while it may be a stretch or at the very least, uncomfortable or disrespectful to think that God has a sense of humor, yet alone dare to link God’s humor with Jesus’ resurrection; there are several examples of God’s humor found throughout both the Hebrew Testament and the New Testament. All we have to do is to begin by reading the Creation stories and then pause to look in the mirror for confirmation of God’s humor! :)
Each day, as we celebrate God’s love for all of Creation, our love for God and for those with whom we share life, we are reminded over and over again of the outlandish, extravagant, prodigal God we worship…the God who does the impossible, the highly improbable with the impossible and the highly improbable.
We know and believe the miracle of Christ’s resurrection to be God’s finest hour of sharing humor with a skeptical and cynical world. God has played the trump card and God indeed has had the last laugh. God’s love has triumphed over evil and over death. Thanks be to God!
Blessings, Joanne
Hopefully as one spends even just a little bit of time around Covenant, it becomes increasingly clear that humor and laughter play an important part in our life together as this community of faith. Humor is a gift from God and when appropriately used, can greatly diffuse anger or defensiveness and overall, humor has the ability to “cure whatever ails us!”
God’s humor was evident during Holy Week, even on the most somber of nights when we gathered for worship on Maundy Thursday…it was April 1st…April Fool’s Day…what irony when you stop to think about it…The scriptures remind us of how Peter was so insistent with his words and assumed attitude regarding his undying loyalty to Jesus as recorded in John 13, as Jesus was sharing the Passover Feast with his friends; telling them that he will only be with them a little while longer; and then giving them the new commandment to love one another.
Peter, genuinely being caught up in the moment, declares that he REALLY wants to go with Jesus, wherever he’s going…
”No matter where, Lord…I will lay down my life for you, Lord…”
“Really, Peter? Hmmmmm….”I tell you this, before the rooster crows, you will have denied me 3 times…”
“Oh no, not me Lord…You’ll see…I’m gonna go with you, Lord…hide and watch… Hmmmmm…April Fool’s, Lord…April Fool’s…
We’ve heard it said that laughter truly is the best medicine. And Frederick Beuchner reminds us that laughter comes from as deep a place as tears; and in a way, I believe it is the same place, deep within our very souls. As much as tears do, laughter comes out of the darkness of the world; the shadows of life. Because of laughter & shadows occupying the same place within us, the shadows of life are not ever totally eliminated.
And here we are, just a few days out from Easter Sunday and aware of it or not, anyone who celebrated God’s great miracle of Christ’s resurrection has also celebrated God’s biggest joke accomplished in the face of evil. Having said this then, it’s obvious right from the start, that God’s sense of humor and God’s ability for joke telling doesn’t bear much resemblance to the kind of humor we readily recognize in our everyday world.
God’s humor is probably more appropriately viewed as irony—public scrutiny of either a vice or some kind of foolishness with no attempt to be cruel or harmful to another. It’s a story about a particular situation or a person or group of people that evokes some kind of subtle insight. There is always something to be learned from irony. It’s humor with a message. This is what God’s humor is.
And while it may be a stretch or at the very least, uncomfortable or disrespectful to think that God has a sense of humor, yet alone dare to link God’s humor with Jesus’ resurrection; there are several examples of God’s humor found throughout both the Hebrew Testament and the New Testament. All we have to do is to begin by reading the Creation stories and then pause to look in the mirror for confirmation of God’s humor! :)
Each day, as we celebrate God’s love for all of Creation, our love for God and for those with whom we share life, we are reminded over and over again of the outlandish, extravagant, prodigal God we worship…the God who does the impossible, the highly improbable with the impossible and the highly improbable.
We know and believe the miracle of Christ’s resurrection to be God’s finest hour of sharing humor with a skeptical and cynical world. God has played the trump card and God indeed has had the last laugh. God’s love has triumphed over evil and over death. Thanks be to God!
Blessings, Joanne
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
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
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
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Open the Door
Good Morning All,
How many doors can you think of? I recently came across this question in a devotional book I am using during Lent entitled, Open the Door; A Journey to the True Self, by Joyce Rupp. I first thought of a screen door; revolving door; glass door; patio door; front /back door; car door; garage door; swinging door; trap door; and if you’re old enough to remember or come from an area of the country where tornadoes come calling, there are cellar doors.
It’s not much of a stretch to move from the naming these physical doors that we use almost daily to “door” as a metaphor for our spiritual lives; and to begin envisioning the door of our heart or the door of our soul…the entry into our deeper, more spiritual selves as we dare to begin a journey with God as our companion, our spiritual director and guide.
On the first Sunday in Lent we spent some time with Jesus in the wilderness and his exchange with the Tempter (aka Evil One; Devil; Lucifer, Beelzebub, et al.) There was no mention of a door or even a gate or gateway into this wilderness; the two of them were simply there.
Sometimes I guess you just find your way there, not too sure how you actually got there. But the challenge, I think, comes from exploring how one arrives or through which entryway or door one comes, to begin or to re-enter one’s spiritual journey…filled with time in the wilderness as well as “lying down in green pastures.”
Does the door of your heart/soul have a sign on it? What does it say? I can think of a lot of signs that may hang on the door of my heart and I imagine that the sign on the door on any particular day and time would be different; depending on what drives us to this time of deeper spiritual exploration; the need and desire to walk and talk with God. I can see the door of my heart with a sign that says Welcome, complete with a welcome mat and a light in the window…Come on in God; you’re warmly welcome here!
And then there are times when that sign would appear in bold letters, maybe even all caps: ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK! Or DO NOT DISTURB! NO TRESPASSING! NO LONGER AT THIS ADDRESS! Whew! When this happens, just like Alexander in the children’s story, I must be having “a terrible, horrible, no good very bad day.” But I think many times when I dare to delve deeply into my spiritual being, the sign above my door says, Doorbell Broken…Please knock! I am brooding; mulling things over...not much is going all that well; but I still want to be open to God’s presence in my life.
Whenever I think about the metaphor of the door, I can see the famous painting by Warner Sallman of Jesus knocking at the door…”Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door; I will come in to you and eat with you and you with me.” (Rev. 3: 20)
Jesus is standing at the door “politely” waiting an invitation to enter your heart/life. The most intriguing part of this painting is, there is no doorknob on the outside of the door. We’re told he intentionally left it out...letting us know that the door to our heart is only opened from the inside.
So we hold the power; we choose to open the door or to keep it closed.
But when it comes to everyday life’s pushes and pulls, there are always the uninvited circumstances that swoop down and begin clobbering us and clamoring for our attention. And these uninvited occurrences or people force their way upon us…accidents; test results; diagnoses; betrayals; death of a loved one…No matter whether we willingly open the door to our heart or the uninvited circumstances force their way in with a battering ram…we are never alone…God IS always there, offering God’s hand; God’s presence; power; courage; comfort…and somehow, maybe not immediately, but eventually, we learn and grow and change in unimaginable ways…Thanks be to God…Who’s that knocking at your door?
Blessings, Joanne
How many doors can you think of? I recently came across this question in a devotional book I am using during Lent entitled, Open the Door; A Journey to the True Self, by Joyce Rupp. I first thought of a screen door; revolving door; glass door; patio door; front /back door; car door; garage door; swinging door; trap door; and if you’re old enough to remember or come from an area of the country where tornadoes come calling, there are cellar doors.
It’s not much of a stretch to move from the naming these physical doors that we use almost daily to “door” as a metaphor for our spiritual lives; and to begin envisioning the door of our heart or the door of our soul…the entry into our deeper, more spiritual selves as we dare to begin a journey with God as our companion, our spiritual director and guide.
On the first Sunday in Lent we spent some time with Jesus in the wilderness and his exchange with the Tempter (aka Evil One; Devil; Lucifer, Beelzebub, et al.) There was no mention of a door or even a gate or gateway into this wilderness; the two of them were simply there.
Sometimes I guess you just find your way there, not too sure how you actually got there. But the challenge, I think, comes from exploring how one arrives or through which entryway or door one comes, to begin or to re-enter one’s spiritual journey…filled with time in the wilderness as well as “lying down in green pastures.”
Does the door of your heart/soul have a sign on it? What does it say? I can think of a lot of signs that may hang on the door of my heart and I imagine that the sign on the door on any particular day and time would be different; depending on what drives us to this time of deeper spiritual exploration; the need and desire to walk and talk with God. I can see the door of my heart with a sign that says Welcome, complete with a welcome mat and a light in the window…Come on in God; you’re warmly welcome here!
And then there are times when that sign would appear in bold letters, maybe even all caps: ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK! Or DO NOT DISTURB! NO TRESPASSING! NO LONGER AT THIS ADDRESS! Whew! When this happens, just like Alexander in the children’s story, I must be having “a terrible, horrible, no good very bad day.” But I think many times when I dare to delve deeply into my spiritual being, the sign above my door says, Doorbell Broken…Please knock! I am brooding; mulling things over...not much is going all that well; but I still want to be open to God’s presence in my life.
Whenever I think about the metaphor of the door, I can see the famous painting by Warner Sallman of Jesus knocking at the door…”Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door; I will come in to you and eat with you and you with me.” (Rev. 3: 20)
Jesus is standing at the door “politely” waiting an invitation to enter your heart/life. The most intriguing part of this painting is, there is no doorknob on the outside of the door. We’re told he intentionally left it out...letting us know that the door to our heart is only opened from the inside.
So we hold the power; we choose to open the door or to keep it closed.
But when it comes to everyday life’s pushes and pulls, there are always the uninvited circumstances that swoop down and begin clobbering us and clamoring for our attention. And these uninvited occurrences or people force their way upon us…accidents; test results; diagnoses; betrayals; death of a loved one…No matter whether we willingly open the door to our heart or the uninvited circumstances force their way in with a battering ram…we are never alone…God IS always there, offering God’s hand; God’s presence; power; courage; comfort…and somehow, maybe not immediately, but eventually, we learn and grow and change in unimaginable ways…Thanks be to God…Who’s that knocking at your door?
Blessings, Joanne
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
The Norm Factor
Good Morning All,
Have you ever found yourself overhearing, maybe even eavesdropping on a nearby conversation? I’m not talking about a covert operation or juicy bits of gossip; nothing intentional…just simply being within earshot of people talking to one another…OK, enough of my trying to justify my own actions…:)
Well…recently I was seated outside a treatment room at my chiropractor’s office where the door is always open and if the patient has a particularly loud voice, sometimes the conversation takes over whatever else you may be doing at the moment. I was working on the morning crossword puzzle trying to think of an answer when the gist of what I heard was that the woman (patient) worked at Trader Joe’s and she made it a point to learn the names of the regular customers…back to the puzzle…A few moments later a phrase came wafting through the air and landed in my ear. I heard her say, the “Norm Factor.” So much for 37 down…I found myself mulling over that phrase, first thinking that it might refer to “the norm as in normal, factor;” perhaps meaning doing whatever in a routine or normal way.
Then it hit me…a flashback to the once popular television show, Cheers…set in a neighborhood bar in Boston , MA . One of the principal characters was a guy named Norm…always there seated at the bar engaged in conversations. I remember that his persona and role was responsible for the memorable phrase out of the show’s musical theme, “…where everybody knows your name…” Maybe you’re already ahead of me (not too difficult a task when it comes to the latest business world approaches/gimmicks/techniques).
Popular culture once again gives us a phrase that we can incorporate into our lives in some way. Think about it. The “Norm Factor” can play an important role in so many situations: if you live in a retirement community; or an officer or member of a particular club or organization; or work teams; office staffs and colleagues; or your child’s classmates/teammates and parents; staff and faculty of schools and colleges…any and all settings that are based on welcoming others and assimilating them into a particular community or organization…
And so it goes with our community of faith…you and I have so many opportunities to put the “Norm Factor” into play by welcoming and assimilating others into life at Covenant…getting to know the people who walk through Covenant’s doors—members and guests alike as we worship, study, lead and serve together; i.e. Do you know our childcare workers? Choir members?
Today is Ash Wednesday, (worship at 7:30p) the beginning of Lent, as we journey to Jerusalem and beyond, with Easter Morning just around the next few bends in the road…some of us are called to “give up” something…usually it’s a bad habit that we can simply pick it up again after Easter. But I want to challenge each of us to “take up” something…
I want us to take up the “Norm Factor” here at Covenant…Each week I challenge you to make a concentrated effort toward meeting and welcoming someone—member or guest--that you don’t know along with the challenge of remembering his/her name…write it down on your Sunday bulletin or notepad; whatever works best for you, so that you can greet them by name the next time you see them… WEAR YOUR NAMETAG!
And…I especially challenge each of us to begin learning the names of all our children; and an even greater challenge is matching them with their parents. What a wonderful gift that keeps on giving…creating a lasting memory of being part of a church family where everybody knows your name.
Isaiah 43:1 reminds us that God names and claims us; calls us by name…and I believe, God in turn, calls us to do the same…
Cheers, my friends! Come to Covenant…where everybody knows YOUR name…Joanne
Have you ever found yourself overhearing, maybe even eavesdropping on a nearby conversation? I’m not talking about a covert operation or juicy bits of gossip; nothing intentional…just simply being within earshot of people talking to one another…OK, enough of my trying to justify my own actions…:)
Well…recently I was seated outside a treatment room at my chiropractor’s office where the door is always open and if the patient has a particularly loud voice, sometimes the conversation takes over whatever else you may be doing at the moment. I was working on the morning crossword puzzle trying to think of an answer when the gist of what I heard was that the woman (patient) worked at Trader Joe’s and she made it a point to learn the names of the regular customers…back to the puzzle…A few moments later a phrase came wafting through the air and landed in my ear. I heard her say, the “Norm Factor.” So much for 37 down…I found myself mulling over that phrase, first thinking that it might refer to “the norm as in normal, factor;” perhaps meaning doing whatever in a routine or normal way.
Then it hit me…a flashback to the once popular television show, Cheers…set in a neighborhood bar in Boston , MA . One of the principal characters was a guy named Norm…always there seated at the bar engaged in conversations. I remember that his persona and role was responsible for the memorable phrase out of the show’s musical theme, “…where everybody knows your name…” Maybe you’re already ahead of me (not too difficult a task when it comes to the latest business world approaches/gimmicks/techniques).
Popular culture once again gives us a phrase that we can incorporate into our lives in some way. Think about it. The “Norm Factor” can play an important role in so many situations: if you live in a retirement community; or an officer or member of a particular club or organization; or work teams; office staffs and colleagues; or your child’s classmates/teammates and parents; staff and faculty of schools and colleges…any and all settings that are based on welcoming others and assimilating them into a particular community or organization…
And so it goes with our community of faith…you and I have so many opportunities to put the “Norm Factor” into play by welcoming and assimilating others into life at Covenant…getting to know the people who walk through Covenant’s doors—members and guests alike as we worship, study, lead and serve together; i.e. Do you know our childcare workers? Choir members?
Today is Ash Wednesday, (worship at 7:30p) the beginning of Lent, as we journey to Jerusalem and beyond, with Easter Morning just around the next few bends in the road…some of us are called to “give up” something…usually it’s a bad habit that we can simply pick it up again after Easter. But I want to challenge each of us to “take up” something…
I want us to take up the “Norm Factor” here at Covenant…Each week I challenge you to make a concentrated effort toward meeting and welcoming someone—member or guest--that you don’t know along with the challenge of remembering his/her name…write it down on your Sunday bulletin or notepad; whatever works best for you, so that you can greet them by name the next time you see them… WEAR YOUR NAMETAG!
And…I especially challenge each of us to begin learning the names of all our children; and an even greater challenge is matching them with their parents. What a wonderful gift that keeps on giving…creating a lasting memory of being part of a church family where everybody knows your name.
Isaiah 43:1 reminds us that God names and claims us; calls us by name…and I believe, God in turn, calls us to do the same…
Cheers, my friends! Come to Covenant…where everybody knows YOUR name…Joanne
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
One of Us
Good Morning All,
Super Bowl XLIV may have been one for the audience viewing record books. I don’t know if you were among the estimated 106+million who watched the game and/or commercials or not, but I wonder if you were among the 38.6 million people who watched the debut of the new reality show Undercover Boss. The show features chief executives of major corporations, who for one week go undercover as entry-level workers to not only rub elbows with their employees but also to identify some of the unsung he-roes and she-roes among the workers.
While I watched this new show, mostly, I suppose, because it immediately followed the Super Bowl, I became increasingly intrigued by the show’s premise. And as I reflected on this idea of CEO’s rubbing elbows with the workers and becoming one of them, my thoughts quickly shifted to how we have been making our way along our faith journey since the Day of Epiphany on January 6; which then makes it hard to believe that it has only been a little over 6 weeks since Christmas Day!
So much has happened in our world and in our lives in such a brief period of time. So why look back? Why all the focus on a celebration that seems eons ago? All I know is that I continue to look back only so I can more fully move ahead…Christmas was not simply a few days back in December that we managed to survive. Christmas marks so much more…It was the beginning of understanding yet again, how much God loves us; how God’s timing is everything…being born as the Christ Child; reminding us of how God plunged into the darkness of a waiting world, longing to know that the Light of the World had come and any and all darkness can never extinguish it.
This is the message that has stood the test of time; a message that brings us to the here and now; a message that will accompany us into the days ahead. We dare to look back a mere 6 weeks so that we might continue to remember how God came to Earth as one of us…much more than an undercover boss mingling among us or rubbing elbows with us.
I recall the chorus of a once popular song, “If God Were One of Us;”
What if God was one of us
Just a slob like one of us
Just a stranger on the bus
Trying to make his way home
While I’m not inclined to think of God as a slob, the underlying message is that God’s very self is within every woman, man, boy & girl on this planet—not just within people we like and love; or who look and live just like us; or possess the same values; or are of the same belief; but within every last one of us…
…And that’s it, isn’t it? God is one of us…the One who relates to all aspects of our humanness; the One who continues to pitch God’s tent right in our backyard…
So, here we are, traveling together along this faith journey…There’s a bend in the road up ahead…and in a week’s time, the Spirit will once again lead us into and through the season of Lent; the time we will spend with Jesus in the wilderness of our faith; taking some “holy timeout” as we wrestle with some of life’s deepest and darkest moments of the soul; as we await the Light of Easter dawn…May we seek and sense God’s presence along the way…Blessings, Joanne
Super Bowl XLIV may have been one for the audience viewing record books. I don’t know if you were among the estimated 106+million who watched the game and/or commercials or not, but I wonder if you were among the 38.6 million people who watched the debut of the new reality show Undercover Boss. The show features chief executives of major corporations, who for one week go undercover as entry-level workers to not only rub elbows with their employees but also to identify some of the unsung he-roes and she-roes among the workers.
While I watched this new show, mostly, I suppose, because it immediately followed the Super Bowl, I became increasingly intrigued by the show’s premise. And as I reflected on this idea of CEO’s rubbing elbows with the workers and becoming one of them, my thoughts quickly shifted to how we have been making our way along our faith journey since the Day of Epiphany on January 6; which then makes it hard to believe that it has only been a little over 6 weeks since Christmas Day!
So much has happened in our world and in our lives in such a brief period of time. So why look back? Why all the focus on a celebration that seems eons ago? All I know is that I continue to look back only so I can more fully move ahead…Christmas was not simply a few days back in December that we managed to survive. Christmas marks so much more…It was the beginning of understanding yet again, how much God loves us; how God’s timing is everything…being born as the Christ Child; reminding us of how God plunged into the darkness of a waiting world, longing to know that the Light of the World had come and any and all darkness can never extinguish it.
This is the message that has stood the test of time; a message that brings us to the here and now; a message that will accompany us into the days ahead. We dare to look back a mere 6 weeks so that we might continue to remember how God came to Earth as one of us…much more than an undercover boss mingling among us or rubbing elbows with us.
I recall the chorus of a once popular song, “If God Were One of Us;”
What if God was one of us
Just a slob like one of us
Just a stranger on the bus
Trying to make his way home
While I’m not inclined to think of God as a slob, the underlying message is that God’s very self is within every woman, man, boy & girl on this planet—not just within people we like and love; or who look and live just like us; or possess the same values; or are of the same belief; but within every last one of us…
…And that’s it, isn’t it? God is one of us…the One who relates to all aspects of our humanness; the One who continues to pitch God’s tent right in our backyard…
So, here we are, traveling together along this faith journey…There’s a bend in the road up ahead…and in a week’s time, the Spirit will once again lead us into and through the season of Lent; the time we will spend with Jesus in the wilderness of our faith; taking some “holy timeout” as we wrestle with some of life’s deepest and darkest moments of the soul; as we await the Light of Easter dawn…May we seek and sense God’s presence along the way…Blessings, Joanne
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Carried Away
Good Morning All!
I came across this Musing written June 14, 2005…and now, here we are 4 years and few days later and it seems the same message applies…Hmmmm…the more things change, the more they stay the same…What do you think? Joanne
Yesterday when the news broke regarding the acquittal of Michael Jackson, I watched as hundreds of fans outside the courthouse erupted with shouts and acclamations of joy and satisfaction. The press, Michael Jackson and his family filed out showing very little emotion. 20 minutes later the Jackson motorcade arrived back at Neverland to be greeted by hundreds more fans, dancing and celebrating outside the gate. The trial has been covered worldwide. And the trial is over; and the “post-trial” follow-ups begin; ad nauseum, I suspect since collective “inquiring minds” are insatiable when it comes to celebrities. And this goes for fans as well as those who are greatly disturbed by the verdict.
Normally I wouldn’t be apt to give this any further press; but in celebrity cases, when interest is so high and it’s the topic for so many around the water coolers, I can’t help but wonder what the attraction really is all about. We act as if we really “know” anyone in the public eye, i.e. film, TV and music celebrities, professional athletes, politicians and world leaders. And with knowing seems to come ownership; as if we have the power to determine their every move; even their destiny. And with our dollars and ballot boxes, I suppose we actually do have some say-so; but you get my drift.
We may or may not be Michael Jackson fans, but if we’re honest, most of us have gotten caught up at some times in our lives, in the “inquiring minds want to know” pursuits when it comes to the famous or infamous who are making headline news. Some spend endless hours reading and watching the news or the biography channel or the entertainment channels; some spend endless hours near or at the scene/courtroom/senate chambers, etc. wherever the action is taking place. Some spend not only time but money to support their habit as a groupie; a fan; a supporter.
It’s times like these when we’re inundated with Michael Jackson media attention that I also wonder why the efforts of living a faithful life do not call forth the same dedication. How many times do we see hundreds of people in long lines to enter worship? How many times do we see people elbowing their way to the front to get a seat so that they might feel God’s spirit moving through those who have gathered as community? How many times do we get excited about our faith? How often do we find it difficult to put the Bible down because we are so caught up in wanting to learn more about God’s love for God’s people?
How many of us carry the words of scripture in our hearts and minds like the lyrics to our favorite songs? How many times do we spend consecutive nights camping out so that we can gain entrance to a church sponsored event? How many mornings do we wake up hoping that we will catch a glimpse of God? How many times does God take our breath away? Just wondering…
Blessings, Joanne
I came across this Musing written June 14, 2005…and now, here we are 4 years and few days later and it seems the same message applies…Hmmmm…the more things change, the more they stay the same…What do you think? Joanne
Yesterday when the news broke regarding the acquittal of Michael Jackson, I watched as hundreds of fans outside the courthouse erupted with shouts and acclamations of joy and satisfaction. The press, Michael Jackson and his family filed out showing very little emotion. 20 minutes later the Jackson motorcade arrived back at Neverland to be greeted by hundreds more fans, dancing and celebrating outside the gate. The trial has been covered worldwide. And the trial is over; and the “post-trial” follow-ups begin; ad nauseum, I suspect since collective “inquiring minds” are insatiable when it comes to celebrities. And this goes for fans as well as those who are greatly disturbed by the verdict.
Normally I wouldn’t be apt to give this any further press; but in celebrity cases, when interest is so high and it’s the topic for so many around the water coolers, I can’t help but wonder what the attraction really is all about. We act as if we really “know” anyone in the public eye, i.e. film, TV and music celebrities, professional athletes, politicians and world leaders. And with knowing seems to come ownership; as if we have the power to determine their every move; even their destiny. And with our dollars and ballot boxes, I suppose we actually do have some say-so; but you get my drift.
We may or may not be Michael Jackson fans, but if we’re honest, most of us have gotten caught up at some times in our lives, in the “inquiring minds want to know” pursuits when it comes to the famous or infamous who are making headline news. Some spend endless hours reading and watching the news or the biography channel or the entertainment channels; some spend endless hours near or at the scene/courtroom/senate chambers, etc. wherever the action is taking place. Some spend not only time but money to support their habit as a groupie; a fan; a supporter.
It’s times like these when we’re inundated with Michael Jackson media attention that I also wonder why the efforts of living a faithful life do not call forth the same dedication. How many times do we see hundreds of people in long lines to enter worship? How many times do we see people elbowing their way to the front to get a seat so that they might feel God’s spirit moving through those who have gathered as community? How many times do we get excited about our faith? How often do we find it difficult to put the Bible down because we are so caught up in wanting to learn more about God’s love for God’s people?
How many of us carry the words of scripture in our hearts and minds like the lyrics to our favorite songs? How many times do we spend consecutive nights camping out so that we can gain entrance to a church sponsored event? How many mornings do we wake up hoping that we will catch a glimpse of God? How many times does God take our breath away? Just wondering…
Blessings, Joanne
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Remote Control
Good Morning All,
When I was preparing for ministry I participated in a basic unit of Clinical Pastoral Education as a student chaplain at the University of Kentucky . This experience allows you to take a deep and critical look at yourself while serving in a hospital setting and offering pastoral care to the patients—speaking with them; counseling with them; praying with them. Through this experience and the many years of pastoral ministry that have ensued, I have accumulated a wealth of knowledge about a variety of medical procedures, illnesses, etc.—just enough knowledge to be dangerous and yet not enough knowledge to put M.D. after my name! :)
All this has helped me be increasingly more comfortable in hospital settings and have encouraged me to be curious about a whole host of things and to be aware of my surroundings while visiting with patients..
This past week I was visiting one of our members prior to his surgery that morning. There didn’t seem to be anything out of the ordinary in the room, until the nurse wheeled in a contraption I had never seen before that also included a different kind of gown for the patient to change into. After that happened, I got a closer look at this new gizmo that resembled an old-fashioned hair dryer, complete with a white coiled hose.
The nurse said that the hospital was trying out this new technique on patients who would be in surgery longer than one hour; to help regulate the patient’s body temperature. The special gown has a plastic connection to which the coiled hose is attached…you punch a few buttons and it begins to blow warm air into the gown. Wooooo Hooooo! The gown then began to look like a huge inflatable pillow. Great invention!
Then I looked down and noticed that he had a small remote control in his hand. I quickly looked around for a television or monitor, only to discover that the remote was given to him to help him regulate the temperature of the forced air. How appropriate for him to have a remote control even on his way to surgery. His wife said it was quite appropriate since he’s happiest with a remote control in his hands…he’s King of the Remote!
It was then time for us to pray before they wheeled him off to the OR and I couldn’t resist this opening phrase:
“Gracious God, in our desire and our need to always be in control, remind us, that YOU are there as the One who calls us to trust in you as the God of all time and all circumstance…
As I left his room I began to think about the whole issue of control in our lives. Now while I don’t believe that God controls us like a puppeteer, I do believe that God asks us to ultimately trust God always and in all ways; to let go of our need to figure everything out on our terms--as though we could possibly control what will happen to us from the time we rise and when we put our head on the pillow at night. It’s the very idea that we cannot control it all, that calls us to trust God more…to get us through whatever each day may hold no matter how challenging or joy-filled it may be.
As difficult as it is to trust God, it seems to me that our attempts to control it all can be detrimental to our well being. Think of all the wasted time we spend worrying, fretting, stewing in our own juices and then think of how that affects our physical, mental emotional and spiritual health. What about the times we spend trying to second guess others; attempting to figure out any and all possible outcomes to whatever comes our way? And all for what purpose?
Even our coins remind us, “In God we trust…” But we rarely look at our coins while spending them. Then there’s that wonderful phrase, “Let go and let God…” Easier said than done most days…But do you think we could actually do this? Wonder what would really happen if we try this wisdom on for size. Are you willing to give it a shot?
I will if you will. Let’s get started today…Now where’d I put that remote?
Blessings, Joanne
When I was preparing for ministry I participated in a basic unit of Clinical Pastoral Education as a student chaplain at the University of Kentucky . This experience allows you to take a deep and critical look at yourself while serving in a hospital setting and offering pastoral care to the patients—speaking with them; counseling with them; praying with them. Through this experience and the many years of pastoral ministry that have ensued, I have accumulated a wealth of knowledge about a variety of medical procedures, illnesses, etc.—just enough knowledge to be dangerous and yet not enough knowledge to put M.D. after my name! :)
All this has helped me be increasingly more comfortable in hospital settings and have encouraged me to be curious about a whole host of things and to be aware of my surroundings while visiting with patients..
This past week I was visiting one of our members prior to his surgery that morning. There didn’t seem to be anything out of the ordinary in the room, until the nurse wheeled in a contraption I had never seen before that also included a different kind of gown for the patient to change into. After that happened, I got a closer look at this new gizmo that resembled an old-fashioned hair dryer, complete with a white coiled hose.
The nurse said that the hospital was trying out this new technique on patients who would be in surgery longer than one hour; to help regulate the patient’s body temperature. The special gown has a plastic connection to which the coiled hose is attached…you punch a few buttons and it begins to blow warm air into the gown. Wooooo Hooooo! The gown then began to look like a huge inflatable pillow. Great invention!
Then I looked down and noticed that he had a small remote control in his hand. I quickly looked around for a television or monitor, only to discover that the remote was given to him to help him regulate the temperature of the forced air. How appropriate for him to have a remote control even on his way to surgery. His wife said it was quite appropriate since he’s happiest with a remote control in his hands…he’s King of the Remote!
It was then time for us to pray before they wheeled him off to the OR and I couldn’t resist this opening phrase:
“Gracious God, in our desire and our need to always be in control, remind us, that YOU are there as the One who calls us to trust in you as the God of all time and all circumstance…
As I left his room I began to think about the whole issue of control in our lives. Now while I don’t believe that God controls us like a puppeteer, I do believe that God asks us to ultimately trust God always and in all ways; to let go of our need to figure everything out on our terms--as though we could possibly control what will happen to us from the time we rise and when we put our head on the pillow at night. It’s the very idea that we cannot control it all, that calls us to trust God more…to get us through whatever each day may hold no matter how challenging or joy-filled it may be.
As difficult as it is to trust God, it seems to me that our attempts to control it all can be detrimental to our well being. Think of all the wasted time we spend worrying, fretting, stewing in our own juices and then think of how that affects our physical, mental emotional and spiritual health. What about the times we spend trying to second guess others; attempting to figure out any and all possible outcomes to whatever comes our way? And all for what purpose?
Even our coins remind us, “In God we trust…” But we rarely look at our coins while spending them. Then there’s that wonderful phrase, “Let go and let God…” Easier said than done most days…But do you think we could actually do this? Wonder what would really happen if we try this wisdom on for size. Are you willing to give it a shot?
I will if you will. Let’s get started today…Now where’d I put that remote?
Blessings, Joanne
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Wind and Fire
Good Morning, All!
Pentecost is coming! Pentecost is coming! Pentecost is coming! And as we prepare for MY favorite holiday in the church year, I have to admit I’m a bit disappointed…it’s only 4 days until this “great getting’ up mornin’” and I’ve scoured the town and there are no window decorations; no signs that count down the days; no special sales; no holiday recipes; no special flags for our cars…Bummer. Surprising as it may seem, there remains a marketing boom yet to be discovered! :)
And while Pentecost Day is the “official” beginning of the early Church, the birthday of the Church, it’s important not to think of it in terms of bricks and mortar and not to simply focus on Covenant Christian Church. I so love Pentecost because it is not a holiday that you can celebrate by yourself. There is nothing about self in this special day. Pentecost is a celebration of and for the community of faith wherever it is found…
It’s one of those stories in scripture that describes the presence and power of the Holy Spirit at work. As described in Acts 2, it’s a day filled with activity and forward movement; filled with energy that serves to fuel and refuel people of faith.
This story contains so many rich symbols of the Spirit:
· rushing wind coming through the Upper Room where the disciples were gathered;
· breathing on them, filling them with confidence and power;
· tongues of fire, giving the disciples all the inspiration they needed to go forth and share the Good News of God’s love in Jesus Christ; giving them the words of speech that any and all would be able to understand;
· the Spirit descending upon them like a dove, surrounding them and enveloping them, making them whole.
· And then you add the bold vibrant colors of red and orange.
Now can you at least begin to understand why Pentecost is such a great day in the life of the Church? This day quite forcefully reminded those early disciples of how God would make good on a promise Jesus had made to them—the promise that God would never abandon them; that an Advocate, a Comforter was coming to them. And once this promise was fulfilled, they somehow knew that the roles they would play in establishing the early church meant there would be no time for standing still; looking down or drawing in the sand with their big toes…
This was a day for paying attention yet the disciples could never know at that very moment, the impact of everything that was happening around them. But their faith was their strength. Their faith was the key that allowed them to respond to this Mighty Wind and Fire. They somehow knew to respond; to grab hold; to hold on tight; all that was happening was preparing them for the bumpy ride that lay ahead—a ride that could never be captured at an amusement park; a ride that was filled with chills and thrills and literally could take one’s breath away, only to fill them with new breath—the breath that would never die.
For all of you thrill-seekers out there, if this isn’t enough excitement for you, know that the icing on the Church’s birthday cake this Sunday, is when Tom Evett, Becky Layko, Andrew Stiles & Katherine White, come forward to make their Confession of Faith…to accept Jesus Christ as Lord & Savior of their lives. And then to later share in the sacrament of Baptism. In so doing they are also saying “Yes!”—Yes to life; Yes to capturing a ride on the Wind of Faith that will indeed be their strength for whatever the road ahead brings.
With each celebration of Pentecost Day, you and I are called upon to renew our faith; to renew our commitment and dedication to support the life and ministry of Covenant Christian Church; praying for the strength and courage to move forward into God’s future. We stand at the precipice between the present and the future; toes curling over the edge, as we survey God’s grandeur before us. And we are invited to soar with the eagles; but only sprouting wings, once we dare to fly!
Let’s gather for worship on what promises to be a “great gettin’ up mornin’” and don’t forget to wear RED! If finding something red becomes a bother, come anyway!
Blessings, Joanne
Pentecost is coming! Pentecost is coming! Pentecost is coming! And as we prepare for MY favorite holiday in the church year, I have to admit I’m a bit disappointed…it’s only 4 days until this “great getting’ up mornin’” and I’ve scoured the town and there are no window decorations; no signs that count down the days; no special sales; no holiday recipes; no special flags for our cars…Bummer. Surprising as it may seem, there remains a marketing boom yet to be discovered! :)
And while Pentecost Day is the “official” beginning of the early Church, the birthday of the Church, it’s important not to think of it in terms of bricks and mortar and not to simply focus on Covenant Christian Church. I so love Pentecost because it is not a holiday that you can celebrate by yourself. There is nothing about self in this special day. Pentecost is a celebration of and for the community of faith wherever it is found…
It’s one of those stories in scripture that describes the presence and power of the Holy Spirit at work. As described in Acts 2, it’s a day filled with activity and forward movement; filled with energy that serves to fuel and refuel people of faith.
This story contains so many rich symbols of the Spirit:
· rushing wind coming through the Upper Room where the disciples were gathered;
· breathing on them, filling them with confidence and power;
· tongues of fire, giving the disciples all the inspiration they needed to go forth and share the Good News of God’s love in Jesus Christ; giving them the words of speech that any and all would be able to understand;
· the Spirit descending upon them like a dove, surrounding them and enveloping them, making them whole.
· And then you add the bold vibrant colors of red and orange.
Now can you at least begin to understand why Pentecost is such a great day in the life of the Church? This day quite forcefully reminded those early disciples of how God would make good on a promise Jesus had made to them—the promise that God would never abandon them; that an Advocate, a Comforter was coming to them. And once this promise was fulfilled, they somehow knew that the roles they would play in establishing the early church meant there would be no time for standing still; looking down or drawing in the sand with their big toes…
This was a day for paying attention yet the disciples could never know at that very moment, the impact of everything that was happening around them. But their faith was their strength. Their faith was the key that allowed them to respond to this Mighty Wind and Fire. They somehow knew to respond; to grab hold; to hold on tight; all that was happening was preparing them for the bumpy ride that lay ahead—a ride that could never be captured at an amusement park; a ride that was filled with chills and thrills and literally could take one’s breath away, only to fill them with new breath—the breath that would never die.
For all of you thrill-seekers out there, if this isn’t enough excitement for you, know that the icing on the Church’s birthday cake this Sunday, is when Tom Evett, Becky Layko, Andrew Stiles & Katherine White, come forward to make their Confession of Faith…to accept Jesus Christ as Lord & Savior of their lives. And then to later share in the sacrament of Baptism. In so doing they are also saying “Yes!”—Yes to life; Yes to capturing a ride on the Wind of Faith that will indeed be their strength for whatever the road ahead brings.
With each celebration of Pentecost Day, you and I are called upon to renew our faith; to renew our commitment and dedication to support the life and ministry of Covenant Christian Church; praying for the strength and courage to move forward into God’s future. We stand at the precipice between the present and the future; toes curling over the edge, as we survey God’s grandeur before us. And we are invited to soar with the eagles; but only sprouting wings, once we dare to fly!
Let’s gather for worship on what promises to be a “great gettin’ up mornin’” and don’t forget to wear RED! If finding something red becomes a bother, come anyway!
Blessings, Joanne
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Gifts of Creation
Good Morning All,
Here it is 3 days after we celebrated Earth Stewardship Day and so much of what happened as we worshipped together and many of the readings and music we shared, still resonate in my heart and mind. That’s how it is with experiences that speak to us; they’re meant to be captured by the wind and come back to us time and time again. In the gentlest of offerings I share some of them with you in the hope that they will speak to you as together we remember, in the words of Matthew Fox, God’s “Original Blessing”—the gifts of creation, whose care-giving has been entrusted to us.
“Praise God!..
Praise God, sun and moon; praise God all you shining stars!
…Praise God, you highest heavens…sea monsters and all the deeps, fire and hail,
snow and frost, stormy wind…mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars…
wild animals and all cattle, creeping things and flying birds…rulers and all peoples…
Praise God!” (Psalm 24)
The angelic voices of the children allowed us to see firsthand that God had indeed created them and all children, ever so bright and beautiful:
All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small,
all things wise and wonderful, in love God made them all…”
(“All Things Bright and Beautiful” Cecil F. Alexander, words; Martin Shaw, melody)
Psalm 24: 1-2 set the stage for “The Creation Connection”:
“The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the word and those who live in it;
for God has founded it on the seas and established it on the rivers.”
Followed by a most wonderful poem penned by Elizabeth Barrett Browning:
“Earth's crammed with heaven,
and every common bush afire with God.
Only he who sees, takes off his shoes.
The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries.”
When we take time to remove our shoes as opposed to simply plucking the blackberries of our routine busyness, we can affirm that the Earth is indeed “crammed with heaven and every common bush afire with God.” These words certainly can be heard as an invitation that beckons us to see the wonders of nature as gifts from God and our call to be stewards of the Earth’s resources.
But in them I also hear an invitation to look for God all around us, not just in the beauty of the natural world; but in whatever we experience throughout each day--leaving very little to circumstance or happenstance. Seeing “every common bush afire with God” paints the backdrop for our day, from the time we awaken each morning until we lie down for a night’s rest. And against this backdrop the scenes of our life unfold bit by bit, moment by moment. “Oh, the places you’ll go today; the people you’ll meet…” (Dr. Seuss)
Look around you, people of God!
Blackberries are not yet in season ‘round here;
the warmth of Spring begs us to take off our shoes…
We are standing on Holy Ground… (jvb)
Blessings, Joanne
Here it is 3 days after we celebrated Earth Stewardship Day and so much of what happened as we worshipped together and many of the readings and music we shared, still resonate in my heart and mind. That’s how it is with experiences that speak to us; they’re meant to be captured by the wind and come back to us time and time again. In the gentlest of offerings I share some of them with you in the hope that they will speak to you as together we remember, in the words of Matthew Fox, God’s “Original Blessing”—the gifts of creation, whose care-giving has been entrusted to us.
“Praise God!..
Praise God, sun and moon; praise God all you shining stars!
…Praise God, you highest heavens…sea monsters and all the deeps, fire and hail,
snow and frost, stormy wind…mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars…
wild animals and all cattle, creeping things and flying birds…rulers and all peoples…
Praise God!” (Psalm 24)
The angelic voices of the children allowed us to see firsthand that God had indeed created them and all children, ever so bright and beautiful:
All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small,
all things wise and wonderful, in love God made them all…”
(“All Things Bright and Beautiful” Cecil F. Alexander, words; Martin Shaw, melody)
Psalm 24: 1-2 set the stage for “The Creation Connection”:
“The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the word and those who live in it;
for God has founded it on the seas and established it on the rivers.”
Followed by a most wonderful poem penned by Elizabeth Barrett Browning:
“Earth's crammed with heaven,
and every common bush afire with God.
Only he who sees, takes off his shoes.
The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries.”
When we take time to remove our shoes as opposed to simply plucking the blackberries of our routine busyness, we can affirm that the Earth is indeed “crammed with heaven and every common bush afire with God.” These words certainly can be heard as an invitation that beckons us to see the wonders of nature as gifts from God and our call to be stewards of the Earth’s resources.
But in them I also hear an invitation to look for God all around us, not just in the beauty of the natural world; but in whatever we experience throughout each day--leaving very little to circumstance or happenstance. Seeing “every common bush afire with God” paints the backdrop for our day, from the time we awaken each morning until we lie down for a night’s rest. And against this backdrop the scenes of our life unfold bit by bit, moment by moment. “Oh, the places you’ll go today; the people you’ll meet…” (Dr. Seuss)
Look around you, people of God!
Blackberries are not yet in season ‘round here;
the warmth of Spring begs us to take off our shoes…
We are standing on Holy Ground… (jvb)
Blessings, Joanne
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Facing Challenges
Good Morning, All!
Recently I was listening to an interview with Thomas Friedman, foreign affairs journalist with the NY Times and author of Hot, Flat and Crowded-Why We Need a Green Revolution; an intriguing title for later consumption. He was comparing the global financial crisis with Mother Nature’s crisis of global warming and its impact.
Friedman spoke about the various bailouts that are necessary to turn our economy toward the better but was quick to point out how there are no bailouts with Mother Nature. While there are and have been huge warning signs about Planet Earth and what’s pending, we humans, out of our propensity for greed and our tendency to think things really aren’t all that bad, the only solutions are to stop the bleeding; to keep things from getting worse…not a 180 degree turn around.
But Friedman spoke a word of hope for the economic crisis and Mother Nature’s crisis by modifying a quote by Rahm Emmanuel, who got it from somewhere else, “Never let a good crisis go to waste.” I am still mulling over that quote…and know that these are wise words for us no matter the crisis du jour.
Let’s face it…life indeed has its moments of crisis, the ones we face individually as well as those we must face together as a family, as a community, in our school or workplace, our nation or global community. We’re constantly challenged by health and healthcare issues, issues that affect our growing children, from bullying, fitting in, excelling in their studies and the overall excellence of our school system; our aging parents; our personal finances; job loss and job security; bailouts; saving the planet…STOP!
So what do we do when we are first hit with a crisis? Well, at least after we get through the panic mode? :) Hopefully as people of faith, we seek God’s guidance and continue to do so throughout the length and breadth of the crisis. And yet so many of us at least entertain the idea of finding ways of escape and burying our heads in the sand out of denial. But once we come to our senses and realize that our struggles are not going away and probably are worsening in the process; we ask God for strength, courage, wisdom, clarity; and direction as we set our jaws firmly acknowledging the challenge before us. And then after exploring the variety of solutions, we choose at least one, and go forth to solve.
Friedman also went on to say that in his travels and the countless emails he receives he is excited about the innovation and creativity that has surfaced. And I believe this is what happens as the result of any crisis, any challenge, and any exciting opportunity that is squarely tackled.
And I see this happening here within our community of faith. I am always so pleased at the collective wisdom and insight whenever we have to overcome obstacles or joy-filled challenges here among us. Especially when everyone is invited into the mix to help solve whatever we must face; to help create the possibility; to bring about the change. The creativity from the youngest among us to the most experienced is so gratifying; as is the new and renewed energy.
And once we sense the percolating ground upon which we are standing, the possibilities are endless. God is truly at work among us, inspiring us and yes, challenging us to experience the BDOs before us—the Beautifully Disguised Opportunities—a Covenant-claimed phrase brought to us by Debbie Miller J We are not just walking, sauntering, moseying into God’s future, we are running head on into it!
Is the glass half-empty? No! It’s not even half-full. The glass of God’s goodness is overflowing, spilling over us like the waters of baptism, offering us renewed purpose, renewal and refreshment!
Come on in, the water’s fine! Even if you can’t swim, this community of faith is here to buoy you up! Blessings, Joanne
Recently I was listening to an interview with Thomas Friedman, foreign affairs journalist with the NY Times and author of Hot, Flat and Crowded-Why We Need a Green Revolution; an intriguing title for later consumption. He was comparing the global financial crisis with Mother Nature’s crisis of global warming and its impact.
Friedman spoke about the various bailouts that are necessary to turn our economy toward the better but was quick to point out how there are no bailouts with Mother Nature. While there are and have been huge warning signs about Planet Earth and what’s pending, we humans, out of our propensity for greed and our tendency to think things really aren’t all that bad, the only solutions are to stop the bleeding; to keep things from getting worse…not a 180 degree turn around.
But Friedman spoke a word of hope for the economic crisis and Mother Nature’s crisis by modifying a quote by Rahm Emmanuel, who got it from somewhere else, “Never let a good crisis go to waste.” I am still mulling over that quote…and know that these are wise words for us no matter the crisis du jour.
Let’s face it…life indeed has its moments of crisis, the ones we face individually as well as those we must face together as a family, as a community, in our school or workplace, our nation or global community. We’re constantly challenged by health and healthcare issues, issues that affect our growing children, from bullying, fitting in, excelling in their studies and the overall excellence of our school system; our aging parents; our personal finances; job loss and job security; bailouts; saving the planet…STOP!
So what do we do when we are first hit with a crisis? Well, at least after we get through the panic mode? :) Hopefully as people of faith, we seek God’s guidance and continue to do so throughout the length and breadth of the crisis. And yet so many of us at least entertain the idea of finding ways of escape and burying our heads in the sand out of denial. But once we come to our senses and realize that our struggles are not going away and probably are worsening in the process; we ask God for strength, courage, wisdom, clarity; and direction as we set our jaws firmly acknowledging the challenge before us. And then after exploring the variety of solutions, we choose at least one, and go forth to solve.
Friedman also went on to say that in his travels and the countless emails he receives he is excited about the innovation and creativity that has surfaced. And I believe this is what happens as the result of any crisis, any challenge, and any exciting opportunity that is squarely tackled.
And I see this happening here within our community of faith. I am always so pleased at the collective wisdom and insight whenever we have to overcome obstacles or joy-filled challenges here among us. Especially when everyone is invited into the mix to help solve whatever we must face; to help create the possibility; to bring about the change. The creativity from the youngest among us to the most experienced is so gratifying; as is the new and renewed energy.
And once we sense the percolating ground upon which we are standing, the possibilities are endless. God is truly at work among us, inspiring us and yes, challenging us to experience the BDOs before us—the Beautifully Disguised Opportunities—a Covenant-claimed phrase brought to us by Debbie Miller J We are not just walking, sauntering, moseying into God’s future, we are running head on into it!
Is the glass half-empty? No! It’s not even half-full. The glass of God’s goodness is overflowing, spilling over us like the waters of baptism, offering us renewed purpose, renewal and refreshment!
Come on in, the water’s fine! Even if you can’t swim, this community of faith is here to buoy you up! Blessings, Joanne
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Clearing the Clutter
Good Morning Lenten Trekkers,
Here we are just about to begin the second week of Lent. How’s the trip been so far? Did the wintry weather get in your way? Any new insights? Or is the week going by so quickly, filled with the “same ol’, same ol’?” Are you so overwhelmed that you barely have time to breathe or to look up from your work? Are the demands of your life so complicated that there is no time to simply be?
Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to prepare for this 6 week trip we call Lent, our Journey to Jerusalem . In some ways this trip is like any other we might take. Not only are we getting ready as we choose our clothes appropriate to what we will be doing on our trip, we are also tying up loose ends as we prepare to leave our home. And then when the final countdown begins, ticking away the hours and then minutes before we are to pull out of the driveway, either to head for the airport or head on down the highway, there are those things that we simply have to leave behind and leave undone—housecleaning, perhaps or at least straightening up a bit; unfinished projects; unanswered mail or unreturned phone calls. The time for twirling around in one spot is over. The time wasted in procrastinating has come to an end. We have no choice; we have to leave it all and be on our way and we’re more tired than when the preparation first began!
The journey through Lent can be just as overwhelming for us as pilgrims of the faith. In order to take time…any time…to even prepare for, let alone experience the journey, we must muster up a bit of the “d” word most of us abhor… ”Discipline.” And as Richard Foster reminds us in his book, “Celebration of Discipline,” we must first begin by removing the clutter of our lives in order to be free to discover what God has in store for us. And that’s the purpose of our journey these next few weeks, right? We have set out to discover what God has in store for our lives; to perhaps meet God for the first time; or as Marcus Borg contends, “to meet Jesus again for the first time.”
Freeing ourselves, taking time to clear our cluttered minds, hearts, eyes and ears, in order to know, feel, see & hear, is harder than the journey that goes before us. We must continue to rid our lives of all that is unnecessary, unwanted; whatever is blocking us, keeping us, from what God has in store for us. Just like fasting physically prepares us more deeply for the spiritual encounters, clearing the clutter, allows us to be freed up from the clutches of all the stuff we’ve accumulated in our lives.
It’s as if the accumulation of our things possesses us, owns us above all else. That’s why we cram stuff in every available nook and cranny. We fill up whatever storage areas we have and then spend money to rent storage units for the overflow! Most of us complain of too little storage space when what we really need to do is to have fewer things to put in the available space we have.
The wakeup call during Lent is one of simplicity. The call to simplicity isn’t just based on the need to get rid of the excess material possessions; it’s also a call to simplify, to rid our busy schedules; to clear our calendars, our Blackberries, of so many meaningless things on our “do to lists.” It’s a call to no longer let our lives be so governed, so possessed by our schedules and to find more time to be with those we love and enjoy.
It’s so true. We find such comfort in surrounding our lives with things; with a filled calendar so it looks as if we are really important and busy; and many of us fill every waking moment by running hither and yon, simply to pass the time so that we don’t have to face emptiness or loneliness or whatever we fear or brings us discomfort. And all for what purpose?
I truly believe that you and I consciously or unconsciously, create a frenzied, frantic life so that we intentionally have no room for whatever we’re uncomfortable doing…and I contend what lies deep within most of us, is our discomfort, our fear of what might happen if we let God into our lives; or let more of God into our lives…
Gosh, just think…if we do that… before we know it, God’s in charge…Imagine that…
Blessings, Joanne
Here we are just about to begin the second week of Lent. How’s the trip been so far? Did the wintry weather get in your way? Any new insights? Or is the week going by so quickly, filled with the “same ol’, same ol’?” Are you so overwhelmed that you barely have time to breathe or to look up from your work? Are the demands of your life so complicated that there is no time to simply be?
Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to prepare for this 6 week trip we call Lent, our Journey to Jerusalem . In some ways this trip is like any other we might take. Not only are we getting ready as we choose our clothes appropriate to what we will be doing on our trip, we are also tying up loose ends as we prepare to leave our home. And then when the final countdown begins, ticking away the hours and then minutes before we are to pull out of the driveway, either to head for the airport or head on down the highway, there are those things that we simply have to leave behind and leave undone—housecleaning, perhaps or at least straightening up a bit; unfinished projects; unanswered mail or unreturned phone calls. The time for twirling around in one spot is over. The time wasted in procrastinating has come to an end. We have no choice; we have to leave it all and be on our way and we’re more tired than when the preparation first began!
The journey through Lent can be just as overwhelming for us as pilgrims of the faith. In order to take time…any time…to even prepare for, let alone experience the journey, we must muster up a bit of the “d” word most of us abhor… ”Discipline.” And as Richard Foster reminds us in his book, “Celebration of Discipline,” we must first begin by removing the clutter of our lives in order to be free to discover what God has in store for us. And that’s the purpose of our journey these next few weeks, right? We have set out to discover what God has in store for our lives; to perhaps meet God for the first time; or as Marcus Borg contends, “to meet Jesus again for the first time.”
Freeing ourselves, taking time to clear our cluttered minds, hearts, eyes and ears, in order to know, feel, see & hear, is harder than the journey that goes before us. We must continue to rid our lives of all that is unnecessary, unwanted; whatever is blocking us, keeping us, from what God has in store for us. Just like fasting physically prepares us more deeply for the spiritual encounters, clearing the clutter, allows us to be freed up from the clutches of all the stuff we’ve accumulated in our lives.
It’s as if the accumulation of our things possesses us, owns us above all else. That’s why we cram stuff in every available nook and cranny. We fill up whatever storage areas we have and then spend money to rent storage units for the overflow! Most of us complain of too little storage space when what we really need to do is to have fewer things to put in the available space we have.
The wakeup call during Lent is one of simplicity. The call to simplicity isn’t just based on the need to get rid of the excess material possessions; it’s also a call to simplify, to rid our busy schedules; to clear our calendars, our Blackberries, of so many meaningless things on our “do to lists.” It’s a call to no longer let our lives be so governed, so possessed by our schedules and to find more time to be with those we love and enjoy.
It’s so true. We find such comfort in surrounding our lives with things; with a filled calendar so it looks as if we are really important and busy; and many of us fill every waking moment by running hither and yon, simply to pass the time so that we don’t have to face emptiness or loneliness or whatever we fear or brings us discomfort. And all for what purpose?
I truly believe that you and I consciously or unconsciously, create a frenzied, frantic life so that we intentionally have no room for whatever we’re uncomfortable doing…and I contend what lies deep within most of us, is our discomfort, our fear of what might happen if we let God into our lives; or let more of God into our lives…
Gosh, just think…if we do that… before we know it, God’s in charge…Imagine that…
Blessings, Joanne
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Beginning the Journey
Good Morning All!
Today is Ash Wednesday, the day that begins the holy season of Lent. Lent is the 6 weeks, 40 days, not counting Sundays, that lead us to the joy of Easter morning. And why don’t we count Sundays? Because as Christians, Sundays are set aside to celebrate the miracle of Christ’s resurrection.
So here we are, embarking on a holy journey; a solemn, soul-searching time; and in the midst of it all, we pause to worship God’s power and triumph over death. The rhythmic pattern we will experience in worship will be a mixture, a blending of both death to self and life eternal. The kind of soul-searching to which we are called has to do with whatever transforms us into new beings through God’s grace. Amid the stresses of everyday life, the economic challenges, the search for meaningful work, the cries of those in need of life’s basics in our own community and around the globe; the maiming and killing in so many places; and in particular, our involvement in the war in Iraq & the escalation of events in Afghanistan, we come to this holy season in need of the rest and renewal that our journey of faith offers each of us. This time in our spiritual quest calls us to intentional times of prayer and meditation.
We are being called to be faithful in our attendance in worship and study as a faith community to seek wisdom and insight; comfort and solace. We are called to be there for one another; to uphold one another; to help each other in times of struggle; and when necessary, to carry one another’s burdens for a while. Through it all, God, as our constant companion gives each of us the strength and courage to pick ourselves up and dust ourselves off.
But even more than all this, as pilgrims in the faith, we are called to an even more radical understanding of this holy season; and it has to do with how we choose to live in response to the cries and needs of this life. We are called to identify with Jesus and the same Spirit that led him into and out of the wilderness and back into the everyday world.
According to Marcus Borg, in his sermon, Taking Jesus Seriously, Ash Wednesday is a time for giving one’s own word that we will live with the same compassion and justice as Jesus’ disciples in the everyday world. And in doing so we will indeed renounce our sins of turning away from our responsibilities for those who are marginalized—the poor, the oppressed, those who are discriminated against and devastated; who are rendered powerless and voiceless and who turn to you and me for strength and courage; to give voice to their needs and concerns.
Some of us choose to adopt the Roman Catholic practice to “give up” something we value or desire for the next few weeks, only to gorge ourselves with whatever we have given up, on Easter morning and the days that follow. Personally I have found it far more rewarding to engage in the discipline of “adding” something to my daily life; some one thing that will make my life more fulfilled. Perhaps the one discipline you and I choose to take on can truly make a difference in the life or lives of another. So, who is it who needs to experience our compassion? Who is it who needs us to cry out for justice on their behalf? Who are the hungry; the naked, the homeless, the oppressed, the disenfranchised? “Open our eyes Lord, we need to see Jesus…”
Tonight, we will gather for a brief Ash Wednesday service at 7:30pm (childcare provided). We will be called to move closer and closer to the One who offers us all that is needed to help us drink deeply of the Spirit that brings new life even to the dead. We will receive the sign of the ashen cross upon our foreheads reminding us of our humble beginnings and our common human end. The Journey to Jerusalem begins with a single step…Let’s get started… Blessings, Joanne
Today is Ash Wednesday, the day that begins the holy season of Lent. Lent is the 6 weeks, 40 days, not counting Sundays, that lead us to the joy of Easter morning. And why don’t we count Sundays? Because as Christians, Sundays are set aside to celebrate the miracle of Christ’s resurrection.
So here we are, embarking on a holy journey; a solemn, soul-searching time; and in the midst of it all, we pause to worship God’s power and triumph over death. The rhythmic pattern we will experience in worship will be a mixture, a blending of both death to self and life eternal. The kind of soul-searching to which we are called has to do with whatever transforms us into new beings through God’s grace. Amid the stresses of everyday life, the economic challenges, the search for meaningful work, the cries of those in need of life’s basics in our own community and around the globe; the maiming and killing in so many places; and in particular, our involvement in the war in Iraq & the escalation of events in Afghanistan, we come to this holy season in need of the rest and renewal that our journey of faith offers each of us. This time in our spiritual quest calls us to intentional times of prayer and meditation.
We are being called to be faithful in our attendance in worship and study as a faith community to seek wisdom and insight; comfort and solace. We are called to be there for one another; to uphold one another; to help each other in times of struggle; and when necessary, to carry one another’s burdens for a while. Through it all, God, as our constant companion gives each of us the strength and courage to pick ourselves up and dust ourselves off.
But even more than all this, as pilgrims in the faith, we are called to an even more radical understanding of this holy season; and it has to do with how we choose to live in response to the cries and needs of this life. We are called to identify with Jesus and the same Spirit that led him into and out of the wilderness and back into the everyday world.
According to Marcus Borg, in his sermon, Taking Jesus Seriously, Ash Wednesday is a time for giving one’s own word that we will live with the same compassion and justice as Jesus’ disciples in the everyday world. And in doing so we will indeed renounce our sins of turning away from our responsibilities for those who are marginalized—the poor, the oppressed, those who are discriminated against and devastated; who are rendered powerless and voiceless and who turn to you and me for strength and courage; to give voice to their needs and concerns.
Some of us choose to adopt the Roman Catholic practice to “give up” something we value or desire for the next few weeks, only to gorge ourselves with whatever we have given up, on Easter morning and the days that follow. Personally I have found it far more rewarding to engage in the discipline of “adding” something to my daily life; some one thing that will make my life more fulfilled. Perhaps the one discipline you and I choose to take on can truly make a difference in the life or lives of another. So, who is it who needs to experience our compassion? Who is it who needs us to cry out for justice on their behalf? Who are the hungry; the naked, the homeless, the oppressed, the disenfranchised? “Open our eyes Lord, we need to see Jesus…”
Tonight, we will gather for a brief Ash Wednesday service at 7:30pm (childcare provided). We will be called to move closer and closer to the One who offers us all that is needed to help us drink deeply of the Spirit that brings new life even to the dead. We will receive the sign of the ashen cross upon our foreheads reminding us of our humble beginnings and our common human end. The Journey to Jerusalem begins with a single step…Let’s get started… Blessings, Joanne
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Rejoice!
Good Morning All,
I like to think that Covenant has an ongoing “gratitude journal…” On a daily basis there is so much for which to be grateful. We are truly blessed in so many ways…too numerous to mention them all. But here are a few ways in which we have been most recently blessed:
Yesterday was a great day! I got to meet and hold Charles Warren Linguist, our newest addition to our church family. I was there when he met his 2 big sisters, Lillian & Audrey, and shared in their delight; and to take some family photos.
Rejoice!
It was only 2 weeks ago that I also held Magaina Martha Hamm. Her twin brother, Garrick, needed to remain in the hospital nursery when I was there. And we’re grateful and happy that Garrick and Magaina are now at home together with their older brother and sister, Yavin & Jadzia.
Rejoice!
Just last Saturday, 25 Covenant children and friends met at the NC Food Bank to help sort 3,200#s of pasta that will feed hundreds of families in the area. As a church family we also donated 191# of food for the backpack project, knowing that a lot of children will have nutritious food to eat on the weekends.
Rejoice!
This past Sunday was yet another of those “great getting’ up mornin’s” around here. Marilyn Williams brought a message of “Hope, Trust and Faith,” at the 11am worship; giving us much to think about in our relationship with God and one another as individuals and as a church family. Rejoice!
Immediately following worship, we reconvened the called congregational meeting to consider the call of an Associate Minister. We are pleased to have extended the call to Randy Holste as our Associate Minister with Youth & Children. And we are also pleased that he has accepted this call and look forward to serving with him. :)
Rejoice!
We are so very blessed and there are many reasons for great rejoicing in our own lives and families and in our church family. One of the greatest lessons I have learned about rejoicing comes from a young child in the Christmas Pageant at First Presbyterian Church in High Point , NC :
The young children were dressed as the animals, running down the aisles toward the manger. The little brown cow was a 4 year old boy whose costume was waaaaaay tooooo big for him. He had to hold it up from the bottom so he could run. He tripped and fell and got right back up again and again until he arrived at the manger. He was rushing to the microphone to say his speaking part. He gathered his costume up around him, stood up on his tip-toes and proudly shouted out, “We-joice! We-joice!” :)
Yes, we can rejoice and be exceedingly glad on our own…but I believe it is a much richer and more meaningful experience when we We-joice together! We-joice! God is with us…
Blessings, Joanne
I like to think that Covenant has an ongoing “gratitude journal…” On a daily basis there is so much for which to be grateful. We are truly blessed in so many ways…too numerous to mention them all. But here are a few ways in which we have been most recently blessed:
Yesterday was a great day! I got to meet and hold Charles Warren Linguist, our newest addition to our church family. I was there when he met his 2 big sisters, Lillian & Audrey, and shared in their delight; and to take some family photos.
Rejoice!
It was only 2 weeks ago that I also held Magaina Martha Hamm. Her twin brother, Garrick, needed to remain in the hospital nursery when I was there. And we’re grateful and happy that Garrick and Magaina are now at home together with their older brother and sister, Yavin & Jadzia.
Rejoice!
Just last Saturday, 25 Covenant children and friends met at the NC Food Bank to help sort 3,200#s of pasta that will feed hundreds of families in the area. As a church family we also donated 191# of food for the backpack project, knowing that a lot of children will have nutritious food to eat on the weekends.
Rejoice!
This past Sunday was yet another of those “great getting’ up mornin’s” around here. Marilyn Williams brought a message of “Hope, Trust and Faith,” at the 11am worship; giving us much to think about in our relationship with God and one another as individuals and as a church family. Rejoice!
Immediately following worship, we reconvened the called congregational meeting to consider the call of an Associate Minister. We are pleased to have extended the call to Randy Holste as our Associate Minister with Youth & Children. And we are also pleased that he has accepted this call and look forward to serving with him. :)
Rejoice!
We are so very blessed and there are many reasons for great rejoicing in our own lives and families and in our church family. One of the greatest lessons I have learned about rejoicing comes from a young child in the Christmas Pageant at First Presbyterian Church in High Point , NC :
The young children were dressed as the animals, running down the aisles toward the manger. The little brown cow was a 4 year old boy whose costume was waaaaaay tooooo big for him. He had to hold it up from the bottom so he could run. He tripped and fell and got right back up again and again until he arrived at the manger. He was rushing to the microphone to say his speaking part. He gathered his costume up around him, stood up on his tip-toes and proudly shouted out, “We-joice! We-joice!” :)
Yes, we can rejoice and be exceedingly glad on our own…but I believe it is a much richer and more meaningful experience when we We-joice together! We-joice! God is with us…
Blessings, Joanne
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
The Voice of Authority
Good Morning All,
“You’re not the boss of me!” That’s how I began last week’s message and we all laughed a bit but more than this, we could all relate to the phrase, either having heard children or young people say it or having said it ourselves. And while it sounds more childish than childlike, and we might not say it aloud, my hunch is, we still think it when we come up against people in authority or who at least think they’re in authority!
Which then brings us to yet another other phrase, “Question Authority…” a great phrase to live by as we attempt to discern who we will or will not grant that power over us. And that’s what's at issue here, isn’t it? Who is it to whom we grant or do not grant authority? There are the usual answers like, “parents; grandparents or other older family members; bosses; teachers; law enforcement personnel; newscasters & journalists (the meteorologists obviously cannot be trusted due to their erroneous forecast last evening) :); scout leaders; coaches; the President, as one child said last Sunday…whose voices and what they have to say to us, bring with them, some sense of authority. And we often respond by taking it all in; learning from what is said; searching for the facts; and/or by doing as we are asked or commanded to do so.
Then there are all the other voices in our lives that bombard our space and demand to be heard…commercials and come-ons that try to take money from your pockets; folks who seem a bit shady or untrustworthy; people who speak in convincing ways that seem too good to be true and usually are…people who are simply trying to take advantage of us…and of course our own consciences.
All of this can leave us a bit confused about authority in general. We hear so much about the breakdown in authority at many a turn--within so many homes and family life; in the classroom; on the playing field; in politics and government at every level; and in the Church at large.
Which voices do we listen to? We must take time to listen to all those around in an effort to clearly discern which voice is the voice of authority –a voice that can make a real difference in one’s life.
In Mark 1: 21-28 we are presented with a story of Jesus teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum when he is interrupted by a severely deranged man who cries out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?" "Have you come to destroy us?" “I know who you are, the Holy One of God…” And Jesus responds by speaking to the unclean spirit who has taken up residence within the man. "Quiet! Get out of him!" And with that, the afflicting spirit threw the man into spasms, protesting loudly—and got out.
It’s easy to readily dismiss demons/unclean spirits in the literal sense, but very few of us can dismiss the presence of evil in this world. Call it what you will; describe it as you will; most of us can attest to the certain influences in our lives; the power of all kinds of voices that speak all too loudly; those that grab hold of us as if holding us hostage; those forces or mindsets that seek to wound or even destroy our spirits; as we allow them to take root and even residence in our minds and hearts.
These forces shout in the voice of arrogance, the voice of fear, the voice of shame, the voice of prejudice and hatred. They replay mental tapes of unworthiness or inability to do anything right; they so greatly influence how we view people who are different from us and allow us to discriminate against them… We can't conquer any of these demons alone…but conquer them, we must; or we will at some point, self-destruct, losing any and all perspective about what it means to be a child of God. We have to lean into our faith: the love, the forgiveness that is not only at the core of what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ, but is woven into the fabric of our faith. Jesus, the Word made flesh, spoke with real authority, a voice that belongs to God…are you listening? Blessings, Joanne
“You’re not the boss of me!” That’s how I began last week’s message and we all laughed a bit but more than this, we could all relate to the phrase, either having heard children or young people say it or having said it ourselves. And while it sounds more childish than childlike, and we might not say it aloud, my hunch is, we still think it when we come up against people in authority or who at least think they’re in authority!
Which then brings us to yet another other phrase, “Question Authority…” a great phrase to live by as we attempt to discern who we will or will not grant that power over us. And that’s what's at issue here, isn’t it? Who is it to whom we grant or do not grant authority? There are the usual answers like, “parents; grandparents or other older family members; bosses; teachers; law enforcement personnel; newscasters & journalists (the meteorologists obviously cannot be trusted due to their erroneous forecast last evening) :); scout leaders; coaches; the President, as one child said last Sunday…whose voices and what they have to say to us, bring with them, some sense of authority. And we often respond by taking it all in; learning from what is said; searching for the facts; and/or by doing as we are asked or commanded to do so.
Then there are all the other voices in our lives that bombard our space and demand to be heard…commercials and come-ons that try to take money from your pockets; folks who seem a bit shady or untrustworthy; people who speak in convincing ways that seem too good to be true and usually are…people who are simply trying to take advantage of us…and of course our own consciences.
All of this can leave us a bit confused about authority in general. We hear so much about the breakdown in authority at many a turn--within so many homes and family life; in the classroom; on the playing field; in politics and government at every level; and in the Church at large.
Which voices do we listen to? We must take time to listen to all those around in an effort to clearly discern which voice is the voice of authority –a voice that can make a real difference in one’s life.
In Mark 1: 21-28 we are presented with a story of Jesus teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum when he is interrupted by a severely deranged man who cries out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?" "Have you come to destroy us?" “I know who you are, the Holy One of God…” And Jesus responds by speaking to the unclean spirit who has taken up residence within the man. "Quiet! Get out of him!" And with that, the afflicting spirit threw the man into spasms, protesting loudly—and got out.
It’s easy to readily dismiss demons/unclean spirits in the literal sense, but very few of us can dismiss the presence of evil in this world. Call it what you will; describe it as you will; most of us can attest to the certain influences in our lives; the power of all kinds of voices that speak all too loudly; those that grab hold of us as if holding us hostage; those forces or mindsets that seek to wound or even destroy our spirits; as we allow them to take root and even residence in our minds and hearts.
These forces shout in the voice of arrogance, the voice of fear, the voice of shame, the voice of prejudice and hatred. They replay mental tapes of unworthiness or inability to do anything right; they so greatly influence how we view people who are different from us and allow us to discriminate against them… We can't conquer any of these demons alone…but conquer them, we must; or we will at some point, self-destruct, losing any and all perspective about what it means to be a child of God. We have to lean into our faith: the love, the forgiveness that is not only at the core of what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ, but is woven into the fabric of our faith. Jesus, the Word made flesh, spoke with real authority, a voice that belongs to God…are you listening? Blessings, Joanne
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Fight the Good Fight
Good Morning All,
At the end of last week I declared that it had been “the week that was…” and indeed it was and it kept getting better and better for me as the weekend unfolded; even though the snow became a distant memory only captured in the photos on my screen saver… :) But as we all know, in the midst of all that is wonderful, I was reminded that there is more to life than the here & now.
As most of you are aware, Kay Yow, the Coach of the NC State Women’s basketball team, died last Saturday morning. Within and beyond College Women’s Basketball, her reputation on and off the court was legendary. The professional and personal accomplishments throughout her life are numerous, but so much of what she was able to do was done so in the midst of surviving Breast Cancer for 22 years. As I reflect on that one thing alone, I realize how far we have come since 1987 in the fight against all cancers, but especially Breast Cancer. People are living longer and better because of the research that has been done. And Kay Yow and her notoriety has been very instrumental in raising funds most recently through “Hoops for Hope,” which has brought increased awareness to the disease.
But it is Kay Yow the person who encompasses all these efforts, who will be deeply missed and fondly remembered. Her spirit as she faced each day and coached her teams; her special attention to each of the young girls who attended her summer basketball camps; and most of all, her courage in the face of such adversity which was rooted and grounded in her deep and abiding faith in the God who renewed her, strengthened her and sustained her all throughout her life. Her battle with cancer was done publicly, which brings an added dimension to her example for all cancer survivors, giving us courage to keep on keepin’ on. She indeed according to Paul’s words, “…has fought the good fight and finished the race…” (IITimothy 4:7)
At the end of last week I also learned that a dear young friend, The Reverend Brooke Schneitman, died from complications from surgery to remove an aneurysm. Her recent health was compromised by similar issues, yet all she wanted was to graduate from seminary and to be ordained…fulfilling God’s call and claim on her life to serve the Church in some way. She graduated from Lexington Theological Seminary last May and was ordained at FCC, Black Mountain , NC , this past August. And those of us who supported her throughout this time often wondered with all the demands of ministry, how she would be able to muster the energy to serve the Church. But we also knew that she and her call to ministry were in God’s hands. Brooke’s strong faith, sense of humor and welcoming smile touched so many lives in her not so long life. She too has fought the good fight and has finished the race…And we are grateful.
Last Sunday during worship we also rejoiced greatly as we heard the good news for one among us, Denise Loughridge , who continues to fight the good fight. She has so courageously faced her own battle with colon cancer these past two years and at her recent check-up received the very best of news about her health. And we celebrate life with her. And at the same time, we continue to lift in prayer, Vicky Vanderford, who continues with her treatments for Breast Cancer…holding her in prayer and holding up so many examples of all those among us who know what it is like to bravely face compromising health issues.
All of us, each in our own way, go forth daily to slay the many dragons of destruction in our lives...not just related to our health…but anything and everything that, otherwise, if we allow it, has the power to destroy us in an instant…Yet we go forth with another Power who equips us with indescribable resources deep within us…each of us grateful to God for a faith that brings courage, patience, a sense of humor, and strength; all of which miraculously comes to us when we least expect it and need it the most.
Thanks be to God for the many ways in which God’s healing presence is made known to us each day of our life…
Blessings, Joanne
At the end of last week I declared that it had been “the week that was…” and indeed it was and it kept getting better and better for me as the weekend unfolded; even though the snow became a distant memory only captured in the photos on my screen saver… :) But as we all know, in the midst of all that is wonderful, I was reminded that there is more to life than the here & now.
As most of you are aware, Kay Yow, the Coach of the NC State Women’s basketball team, died last Saturday morning. Within and beyond College Women’s Basketball, her reputation on and off the court was legendary. The professional and personal accomplishments throughout her life are numerous, but so much of what she was able to do was done so in the midst of surviving Breast Cancer for 22 years. As I reflect on that one thing alone, I realize how far we have come since 1987 in the fight against all cancers, but especially Breast Cancer. People are living longer and better because of the research that has been done. And Kay Yow and her notoriety has been very instrumental in raising funds most recently through “Hoops for Hope,” which has brought increased awareness to the disease.
But it is Kay Yow the person who encompasses all these efforts, who will be deeply missed and fondly remembered. Her spirit as she faced each day and coached her teams; her special attention to each of the young girls who attended her summer basketball camps; and most of all, her courage in the face of such adversity which was rooted and grounded in her deep and abiding faith in the God who renewed her, strengthened her and sustained her all throughout her life. Her battle with cancer was done publicly, which brings an added dimension to her example for all cancer survivors, giving us courage to keep on keepin’ on. She indeed according to Paul’s words, “…has fought the good fight and finished the race…” (IITimothy 4:7)
At the end of last week I also learned that a dear young friend, The Reverend Brooke Schneitman, died from complications from surgery to remove an aneurysm. Her recent health was compromised by similar issues, yet all she wanted was to graduate from seminary and to be ordained…fulfilling God’s call and claim on her life to serve the Church in some way. She graduated from Lexington Theological Seminary last May and was ordained at FCC, Black Mountain , NC , this past August. And those of us who supported her throughout this time often wondered with all the demands of ministry, how she would be able to muster the energy to serve the Church. But we also knew that she and her call to ministry were in God’s hands. Brooke’s strong faith, sense of humor and welcoming smile touched so many lives in her not so long life. She too has fought the good fight and has finished the race…And we are grateful.
Last Sunday during worship we also rejoiced greatly as we heard the good news for one among us, Denise Loughridge , who continues to fight the good fight. She has so courageously faced her own battle with colon cancer these past two years and at her recent check-up received the very best of news about her health. And we celebrate life with her. And at the same time, we continue to lift in prayer, Vicky Vanderford, who continues with her treatments for Breast Cancer…holding her in prayer and holding up so many examples of all those among us who know what it is like to bravely face compromising health issues.
All of us, each in our own way, go forth daily to slay the many dragons of destruction in our lives...not just related to our health…but anything and everything that, otherwise, if we allow it, has the power to destroy us in an instant…Yet we go forth with another Power who equips us with indescribable resources deep within us…each of us grateful to God for a faith that brings courage, patience, a sense of humor, and strength; all of which miraculously comes to us when we least expect it and need it the most.
Thanks be to God for the many ways in which God’s healing presence is made known to us each day of our life…
Blessings, Joanne
Sunday, January 25, 2009
The Week That Was
Good Morning All,
Reaching deep, very deep, into the recesses of my mind, I remember as part of the old television show, Laugh-In, there was a weekly segment called, TW3—That Was The Week That Was; where the host comedian would highlight the previous week’s current events. This past week certainly will be among my favorites. It began on Monday, the MLK holiday, heading for Greensboro to be among the 25 or so participants in the Disciples Women’s Blitz-Build—a joint effort with Greensboro ’s Habitat for Humanity. The original plans calling for the finishing of a 2 story home for a single mom, Adrianna, and her 2 young sons. Adrianna had already clocked in over 315 hours of sweat equity—well over the required hours each future homeowner must do. She is now quite well-skilled in doing just about anything needed to construct and finish a home!
While I only was able to work this one day, and a lot of our time was spent getting ready to do some of the work, we were able to put scaffolding together, hang doors—OK a few bent nails were lost to the process; cut & cope floor molding. As you can imagine, 25 women in a small 3 bedroom home, filled with 2 table saws for cutting molding, vinyl siding strips, molding strips, folks wielding hammers, etc. the working quarters were quite cramped…but story-telling and laughter filled up whatever space was empty.
Late in the afternoon, I headed home, feeling good about our work, blessed to make new friends and to know that by the end of February, Adrianna and her sons would have a chance at several new beginnings in their new home. And I must admit, as I travelled I-40E, my excitement grew as I anticipated the possibility of the predicted snow fall headed our way…(Don’t ask me which brought me more excitement, OK)? :)
Let’s see…enough food in the house…plenty of hot chocolate…wood stacked on the front porch, my mental checklist was complete…I had all that I needed to be snowed in...I knew that it had been at least 4 years since any significant amount of snow had come our way…were Greg and Chris really reading this right…the meteorologists have been wrong so many times before…and it was just raining as I made my way closer to home…could I be setting myself up for a huge disappointment? Can you tell I love snow?
As I went to bed, I left one window shade up half-way, so that when I would awaken in the night, I could readily see if the snow falling…as I awakened around 5am, I began to hum the old Austrian Carol, Still, Still, Still, “Still, still, still…One can hear the falling snow. For all is hushed, The world is sleeping, Holy Star its vigil keeping. Still, still, still..” Yes!
What a perfect backdrop to Inauguration Day, watching the various networks, picking up on the excitement and anticipation of the millions of folks who were making their way to the Mall, ready to take their 12 x 30 inch space on the ground…to witness the swearing in of our 44th President of the United States . And our first African-American President.
Partisan politics aside, there is always joy and hope as we share in new beginnings…in our own individual lives and now together as a nation…a nation in need of hope and joy in the midst of the overwhelming economic challenges we are facing, with the growing ranks of newly unemployed and homeless; figuring out how we can help those in need and boost our economy at the same time; our involvement in 2 wars; the need to reestablish ourselves as a better-respected player at the world’s boardroom table of leadership…and then listening to our President remind us that we are all in this together…calling for unity of purpose; compassion and restoring us to peace…
And then on Wednesday to be able to see and hear the Inaugural Prayer Service at the National Cathedral, with our own Dr. Sharon Watkins, General Minister & President, delivering the sermon, capped off 2 days worth of celebration…Her message was spot on…centered around words of scripture from Isaiah 58: 6-12 and Matthew 22: 36-40; and began by sharing a Cherokee wisdom story that reminds us that there are 2 wolves struggling within us…one is vengeful, angry, resentful, and filled with self-pity; while the other is filled with compassion, faithfulness, hope, truth, integrity and love…Which wolf wins? The one you feed…
She also spoke to the President about “…how much we need him and the other leaders to be guided by the wise counsel of the prophet Isaiah to work for the common good, for public happiness, the well-being of our nation and the world…in which liberty and justice prevail…”
(To hear the full message; to see a transcript and the service program, go to www.nationalcathedral.org and follow the links). How proud you will be as a Disciples of Christ!
This certainly has been a TW3 week for me…and it’s not over…as we head into the weekend we have an opportunity to be refreshed and renewed as a community of faith as we hear the Word of God come to us with the same challenge to feed the wolf of compassion, faithfulness, hope, truth, integrity and love within us…Come, Satisfy the Hungry Heart as we make our way into this new year that draws us into God’s future together…Blessings, Joanne
Reaching deep, very deep, into the recesses of my mind, I remember as part of the old television show, Laugh-In, there was a weekly segment called, TW3—That Was The Week That Was; where the host comedian would highlight the previous week’s current events. This past week certainly will be among my favorites. It began on Monday, the MLK holiday, heading for Greensboro to be among the 25 or so participants in the Disciples Women’s Blitz-Build—a joint effort with Greensboro ’s Habitat for Humanity. The original plans calling for the finishing of a 2 story home for a single mom, Adrianna, and her 2 young sons. Adrianna had already clocked in over 315 hours of sweat equity—well over the required hours each future homeowner must do. She is now quite well-skilled in doing just about anything needed to construct and finish a home!
While I only was able to work this one day, and a lot of our time was spent getting ready to do some of the work, we were able to put scaffolding together, hang doors—OK a few bent nails were lost to the process; cut & cope floor molding. As you can imagine, 25 women in a small 3 bedroom home, filled with 2 table saws for cutting molding, vinyl siding strips, molding strips, folks wielding hammers, etc. the working quarters were quite cramped…but story-telling and laughter filled up whatever space was empty.
Late in the afternoon, I headed home, feeling good about our work, blessed to make new friends and to know that by the end of February, Adrianna and her sons would have a chance at several new beginnings in their new home. And I must admit, as I travelled I-40E, my excitement grew as I anticipated the possibility of the predicted snow fall headed our way…(Don’t ask me which brought me more excitement, OK)? :)
Let’s see…enough food in the house…plenty of hot chocolate…wood stacked on the front porch, my mental checklist was complete…I had all that I needed to be snowed in...I knew that it had been at least 4 years since any significant amount of snow had come our way…were Greg and Chris really reading this right…the meteorologists have been wrong so many times before…and it was just raining as I made my way closer to home…could I be setting myself up for a huge disappointment? Can you tell I love snow?
As I went to bed, I left one window shade up half-way, so that when I would awaken in the night, I could readily see if the snow falling…as I awakened around 5am, I began to hum the old Austrian Carol, Still, Still, Still, “Still, still, still…One can hear the falling snow. For all is hushed, The world is sleeping, Holy Star its vigil keeping. Still, still, still..” Yes!
What a perfect backdrop to Inauguration Day, watching the various networks, picking up on the excitement and anticipation of the millions of folks who were making their way to the Mall, ready to take their 12 x 30 inch space on the ground…to witness the swearing in of our 44th President of the United States . And our first African-American President.
Partisan politics aside, there is always joy and hope as we share in new beginnings…in our own individual lives and now together as a nation…a nation in need of hope and joy in the midst of the overwhelming economic challenges we are facing, with the growing ranks of newly unemployed and homeless; figuring out how we can help those in need and boost our economy at the same time; our involvement in 2 wars; the need to reestablish ourselves as a better-respected player at the world’s boardroom table of leadership…and then listening to our President remind us that we are all in this together…calling for unity of purpose; compassion and restoring us to peace…
And then on Wednesday to be able to see and hear the Inaugural Prayer Service at the National Cathedral, with our own Dr. Sharon Watkins, General Minister & President, delivering the sermon, capped off 2 days worth of celebration…Her message was spot on…centered around words of scripture from Isaiah 58: 6-12 and Matthew 22: 36-40; and began by sharing a Cherokee wisdom story that reminds us that there are 2 wolves struggling within us…one is vengeful, angry, resentful, and filled with self-pity; while the other is filled with compassion, faithfulness, hope, truth, integrity and love…Which wolf wins? The one you feed…
She also spoke to the President about “…how much we need him and the other leaders to be guided by the wise counsel of the prophet Isaiah to work for the common good, for public happiness, the well-being of our nation and the world…in which liberty and justice prevail…”
(To hear the full message; to see a transcript and the service program, go to www.nationalcathedral.org and follow the links). How proud you will be as a Disciples of Christ!
This certainly has been a TW3 week for me…and it’s not over…as we head into the weekend we have an opportunity to be refreshed and renewed as a community of faith as we hear the Word of God come to us with the same challenge to feed the wolf of compassion, faithfulness, hope, truth, integrity and love within us…Come, Satisfy the Hungry Heart as we make our way into this new year that draws us into God’s future together…Blessings, Joanne
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
God's Beloved
Good Morning All,
The other day a friend of mine and I were sharing stories of childhood. I spoke of how my parents told me that there wasn’t anything that I couldn’t do or become, if I put my mind to it. I always felt encouraged and supported by my parents when it came to my dreams and aspirations. And I looked over at my friend and it was as if he weren’t fully present. What’s wrong? Did I say something to upset you?
“Oh no,” he said. “But do you have any idea of how lucky you are?” “I would give anything to have had either one of my parents believe in me or encourage me to find my way in life.”
‘Even to this day, I have a hard time turning off the voice inside me that is so critical…”
“Can’t you do anything right?” “You’ll never amount to anything.” “What makes you think you can do that?” “I honestly can’t think of a time when I didn’t have to fight these demons running around in my head.” “Every time I had a test or a try-out for band or sports, I could hear my father say some of these things and I was defeated before I even got out of bed.”
I can’t imagine living with that kind of constant criticism. How does anyone ever manage to grow in one’s self-esteem when there’s always someone standing over you with those kinds of comments? How does one ever succeed at anything after being bombarded in this way?
Especially when our tendency as human beings is to mostly hear the negative things said about us; the negative voices from within; or to only focus on our failures…Why is that, do you suppose?
Last Sunday as we reflected on the Baptism of Jesus as recorded in the first few verses of Mark’s gospel, we did so in relationship to our own baptismal story. We focused on the Voice that declared, “This is my beloved; with whom I am well-pleased,” as Jesus came up from the water. By virtue of our own baptism, we too share in this same declaration. This means that YOU are God’s beloved. Imagine, even for only a moment, how much God delights in YOU.
I suspect that many of us have difficulty thinking, let alone believing, that God cares for us this much— especially in times of failure, or worse, betrayal; in times of disappointment or suffering.
And yet I truly believe that every last one of us longs deep within our very being, to hear these words…to know that our first, middle and last name…our only name given to us by God, is always, Beloved…
God recognizes each one of us as a beloved daughter or son. And God welcomes all of us into relationship with God as God offers us this important invitation: “Let me show you a new way…Come walk with me out of the former shadows of your life and into the light of a brand new day…I have claimed you and called you by name. You are mine. You are my child. You are my beloved. You make me glad!”
May we be guided by these words as together we move into this New Year…
Blessings, Joanne
The other day a friend of mine and I were sharing stories of childhood. I spoke of how my parents told me that there wasn’t anything that I couldn’t do or become, if I put my mind to it. I always felt encouraged and supported by my parents when it came to my dreams and aspirations. And I looked over at my friend and it was as if he weren’t fully present. What’s wrong? Did I say something to upset you?
“Oh no,” he said. “But do you have any idea of how lucky you are?” “I would give anything to have had either one of my parents believe in me or encourage me to find my way in life.”
‘Even to this day, I have a hard time turning off the voice inside me that is so critical…”
“Can’t you do anything right?” “You’ll never amount to anything.” “What makes you think you can do that?” “I honestly can’t think of a time when I didn’t have to fight these demons running around in my head.” “Every time I had a test or a try-out for band or sports, I could hear my father say some of these things and I was defeated before I even got out of bed.”
I can’t imagine living with that kind of constant criticism. How does anyone ever manage to grow in one’s self-esteem when there’s always someone standing over you with those kinds of comments? How does one ever succeed at anything after being bombarded in this way?
Especially when our tendency as human beings is to mostly hear the negative things said about us; the negative voices from within; or to only focus on our failures…Why is that, do you suppose?
Last Sunday as we reflected on the Baptism of Jesus as recorded in the first few verses of Mark’s gospel, we did so in relationship to our own baptismal story. We focused on the Voice that declared, “This is my beloved; with whom I am well-pleased,” as Jesus came up from the water. By virtue of our own baptism, we too share in this same declaration. This means that YOU are God’s beloved. Imagine, even for only a moment, how much God delights in YOU.
I suspect that many of us have difficulty thinking, let alone believing, that God cares for us this much— especially in times of failure, or worse, betrayal; in times of disappointment or suffering.
And yet I truly believe that every last one of us longs deep within our very being, to hear these words…to know that our first, middle and last name…our only name given to us by God, is always, Beloved…
God recognizes each one of us as a beloved daughter or son. And God welcomes all of us into relationship with God as God offers us this important invitation: “Let me show you a new way…Come walk with me out of the former shadows of your life and into the light of a brand new day…I have claimed you and called you by name. You are mine. You are my child. You are my beloved. You make me glad!”
May we be guided by these words as together we move into this New Year…
Blessings, Joanne
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
