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
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
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
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