midweek message

Blogging Through Lent: A Reflection on Lent

 Posted by on March 5, 2012
Mar 052012
 

Throughout the season of Lent, we’ll be posting a series of reflections from members of our church community. This week’s post comes from Terry White:

Do you wonder about faith?  I do.  How do you learn to have faith?  Where do you go to get it?  Once you have it is it always there?  Can you lose it?  Is faith something you can give away?  “Here, you want some of my faith?  I got a little extra, you can have it.  But I might need it back later.”  How do you teach faith?  What page is that on in the Bible?  Do they teach that course at seminary?  FAITH-301.  What would the prerequisites be?  Are the exams written, oral or practical?  Do you get a grade in Faith class or is it a pass/fail course?  Just how do you measure faith?  Is it small or large?  What is a little faith?  Is that where you start?  Would I die for my faith?  I’d like to think that I would but I’m not sure I want to find out.  Does that mean I wouldn’t  die for my faith?  So, many questions about faith.  Why is faith so difficult?

After pondering this faith business off and on, organizing and reorganizing my thoughts on the matter.  I have settled on it in this manner.  Learning to have faith is sort of like learning to walk.  You just do it.

I sat my granddaughter, Lelah, down for ‘the talk’ when she started showing an interest in walking.  I said, Lelah , my beautiful child, you are only 8 months old.  Are you sure you want to undertake this endeavor?  It’s going to be tough.  You’re going to do some crying, maybe even get a bloody nose.  Lelah knows where her nose is, so she pointed to her nose.  At the least, child, there will be bumps and bruises.  Are you ready for that?  Why don’t you just sit and play for a few more months.  Let your Mom and Dad carry you around for a while longer.  You know, once you start down this path there is no turning back.  I laid it all out for her and she listened intently.  When I had finished Lelah looked at me for a while.  Then she crawled off babbling, on her way to the coffee table, where she promptly pulled herself up to a standing position.  I guess I had her answer.  So I went over to Lelah and let her grab my pointer fingers and we went for a walk.  As we walked I told Lelah that her Poppy wouldn’t always be there as a crutch for her.  I explained to her that she would need to rely on her inner ear to maintain her balance.  Lelah knows where her ears are so she let go of my fingers to point to them.  Yep, she fell.  That was lesson #1.  It wasn’t long and she was back on her feet ready to try more walking.  It’s been over 200 days now and Lelah is becoming quite the little walker.  We did have many more lessons and I probably should mention that Lelah’s parents did help some with her training in my absence.  Fortunately, no one kept count of the falling and crying and frustration.  Lelah just kept working at it and like magic she got better and better at walking.  It won’t be long now and she will be running, trying to keep up with her cousins.  One day when Lelah decides to talk, I’m sure she will be thanking Poppy for all his help teaching her to walk.

You can think about faith and read about faith and talk with others about faith but in the end you have to have your own faith.  You just decide you want it and start using it and it happens by instinct.  Let your inner self take control.  After all it did a pretty good job teaching you to walk.  It all starts with desire.  Go out and do it.  There will be bumps along the way.  Just keep working at it.  Have a little faith. Take a walk and it will grow.

Lenten Practices

 Posted by on February 22, 2012
Feb 222012
 

In my reading about Lent this week, I learned that the word “Lent” comes from the German word lenz meaning spring, and this seems appropriate as outside my window the daffodils bloom and song birds sing.  Lent has traditionally been a time of fasting, forty days during which we remember Jesus’ fasting in the desert.  We often think of Lent as a time of giving up sweets or red meat, but we need to be careful not to treat Lent like another chance at our New Year’s resolution or a forty-day diet plan.  It’s important that we ask ourselves what the greater purpose of this season of Lent is, and how our Lenten practices (be they giving something up or doing something new) bring us closer to God.

What if we were to approach these forty days hoping to make more room in our lives for God, determined to practice being in conversation with God, open to listening to the ways in which God speaks to us, quieting our own minds so that we can encounter God more often, giving thanks and praise for the ways in which God has blessed us?  What if these forty days were a journey that we committed to walk each day that would bring us closer to God and make God’s movement in our lives more apparent?  What if we opened ourselves up, as Jesus did, to all that God is calling us to do and be?

What can you do to remind yourself of God’s presence?  Try not to take on too much.  Choose one or two things that you can practice in your daily life.  Here are some ideas to get you thinking about what might be good for you:

  • Say a prayer each time your phone rings or when you get a text: “Hi God, I’m listening” or “Thank you God for life” or “God, thanks for your love.”
  • Set an alarm for a certain time each day and when it goes off, take a couple of minutes to sit quietly and admire God’s creation.
  • Give up sweets and each time you say no to desert, thank God for God’s nourishment and sustenance.
  • Set aside 5-10 minutes in the morning to read scripture.
  • Write God an email or text message each day and send it to yourself.
  • Give up a specific TV show or internet activity and do something else that you love instead.
  • Before bed, make a gratitude list and look at it when you wake up the next morning.
  • For every cup of coffee you buy, donate a quarter to a cause that’s important to you.
  • Set aside some time to read poetry each day.
  • Write a letter to someone you love or who has influenced you once a week.
  • Do something extra around the house to help out.
  • If you have a tendency to over-commit, practice saying no when someone asks you to get involved in something else.
  • Meet with a prayer partner once a week to share your joys and concerns and then pray for each other throughout the week.
  • Attend our Lenten Series on Spiritual practice on Monday evenings at 7:00pm.

Dear God, thank you for this Lenten season – a time to reflect on our lives and to be intentional about drawing nearer to you and opening ourselves to the many ways in which you are at work in our lives.  Help us to be disciplined about our practice this season. Thank you for the example of Christ, who showed us what it means to love you and to love our neighbors as ourselves. Amen

Twelve on the Twelfth

 Posted by on February 15, 2012
Feb 152012
 

At the urging of a friend, I’m doing a little project this year: On the twelfth day of every month, I take twelve photographs that document my regular life for that day. I’ve managed not to forget in January or February, and it’s been really fun.

But on Sunday – February 12 – as I looked back on the pictures I’d taken throughout the day, I realized that the best moments weren’t ones that could be captured by a camera. They were moments when people, unconnected for any other reason, come together to become the church. Here then, are my twelve on twelve: Twelve moments when I saw the church being church on February 12:

1. On a cold, cold morning, the sanctuary was warm with the greetings of friends.

2. Over breakfast, I heard the good news of the birth of a great niece and an update on someone who had had surgery recently.

3. In worship, the laughter of the community floated up to heaven, as joyous as any prayer or song of praise.

4. The table was set, as always,  with the feast of abundant welcome.

5. After church, several of you welcomed a stranger who needed a helping hand, took him to lunch, and gave him a ride home.

6. Another of you took communion to a member of the church who couldn’t be in worship.

7. Our youth spent the afternoon on an interfaith tour and visited a synagogue, a mosque, and a Catholic church, to learn about faith traditions that are different from our own.

8. Also throughout the afternoon, there were emails flying among our marketing team, with ideas about how to spread the word about First Christian Church.

9. The elders, who are taking seriously the challenge to pray for our congregation, shared things they were grateful for in the past month.

10. The board, who take seriously their responsibility to make good decisions for the congregation, asked good questions.

11. In every meeting and every event, our leaders led with humor and grace.

12. We went off, into the night, filled with the good news that God is at word here.

Somebody’s Babies

 Posted by on February 8, 2012
Feb 082012
 

I was doing some worship planning on Tuesday afternoon when I clicked over to CNN and saw images from Syria that made my stomach turn and made me want to go gather my children up in my arms and never let them go. The terrible violence happening there this week, including the deaths and maiming of many children and families, is truly heart-wrenching. I read a little bit, looked at a couple of pictures, and then couldn’t take it any longer and turned back to what I was doing, wanting to put those images out of my mind and retreat to the safety of my quiet office.

But then I made myself look back. These are real people, I told myself. These are somebody’s babies. Some mother loves these children as much as I love mine.

This is not the way God intends for us to live.

It’s easy, especially in this age of non-stop information, to get numbed by what seems like a continuous stream of pain and terror in the world. We are so inundated by images of heartache that we sometimes don’t let ourselves feel the pain of what is happening. But our hearts should break a little bit, shouldn’t they?

This month, we lift up the ministry of Week of Compassion, which helps Disciples of Christ congregations like ours respond to humanitarian crises and natural disasters all over the world. Week of Compassion doesn’t let me retreat to the comfort my life; I get a weekly email from them that tells me just what’s going on, how WOC is responding, and how I can help.

When I write my check to Week of Compassion later this month, I’ll be praying for the people of Syria and giving thanks for people like Brandon, Elaine, and Amy – the WOC staff – who keep those images of pain in front of us, but accompany them with images of hope.

Calling Conversations

 Posted by on February 1, 2012
Feb 012012
 

Frederick Buechner – writer, pastor, theologian – says that “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”

I was thinking of those words all weekend, as I gathered with the leaders of First Christian Church for our leadership retreat Saturday morning, and again as we installed those leaders in worship on Sunday. At the retreat Saturday, we spent most of the day talking about where God is calling us – both individually, and as a congregation. I’ve identified three areas in which I think God is particularly calling us as a congregation. This isn’t an exhaustive list, of course; there are other things we’re called to do as well. But as I watch our congregation, as I see the ways in which God is moving among us, these three callings keep coming up. They are:

Ministry to Children and Families: Our youth ministry program has always been important, and right now we have a lot of potential for growth in our ministry to families with young children.

Involvement in our Community: There are great needs in our community, and as people of faith, we are called to serve those in need and work for a better world.

Calling and Teaching New Leaders: First Christian has a history of calling leaders into ministry, and we’re currently discovering what an enriching experience it is to be a teaching congregation.

On Saturday, our leaders spent some talking about these callings. We didn’t make any decisions or even set any goals – it was just a conversation, the start of an exploration that will continue in coming weeks and months.

I’m excited about these callings. I’m excited to see what’s next. I might even, if I were to be so bold, suggest that these are the places where our “deep gladness” meets “the world’s deep hunger.”

 

The kingdom of God is like…

 Posted by on January 25, 2012
Jan 252012
 

… someone scattering seed on the ground (Mark 4:26)

… a mustard seed (Mark 4:31)

… a circle of strangers sharing in a word of prayer

… a new day dawning full of fresh possibilities

 

Monday evening: we wait, a little apprehensively, for the clock to read 6:00.  Outside the glass doors, a crowd of women wait also.  Scott, Dorisa and I are volunteering as part of FCC’s young adult group at  the the old YWCA building where a winter shelter has been set up for homeless women.  We, along with volunteers from Our Lady of Grace, are here to greet the residents as they arrive at 6:00pm – women who are homeless right now, trying to put their lives back together, working to find somewhere to live come spring.  I’ll admit that I’m outside my comfort zone, not sure what to expect or do.

Cold air meets warm as Dorisa holds the door open for the residents to make their way inside out of the cold, wet night.  “Good evening,” she greets them with her warm smile.  They line up for Scott to sign them in and then make their way into the gymnasium where beds are arranged and tables set for dinner.  When it’s time for dinner, I find a place in the circle of people – volunteers and residents, holding hands for a word of grace.  As I look around me, I realize that God’s kingdom is like this circle – a place where people who would normally have no reason to cross paths find themselves joining hands in prayer and thanksgiving.

This week reading Mark 4:1-6:29, I have found myself particularly drawn to the parables. Many of Jesus’ parables offer insight about Jesus’ identity, which in Mark even his closest friends do not seem to understand, and about the nature of the kingdom of God.  Jesus’ parables remind us that we can learn about Christ and the kingdom of God through the seemingly mundane and ordinary parts of our lives – the sowing of seeds or watching a garden grow.  This week, standing around a circle with strangers lifting up prayers of thanksgiving to our God reminded me of the inclusivity of the kingdom of God – that it is open for all.  The parables remind us that there are opportunities all around us to hear news of God or to see God’s kingdom revealed.  What in your life today reveals to you the kingdom of God? Think about what in your life can help to finish this sentence:

The kingdom of God is like…

Holy God, we give thanks for all those things around us that remind us of you and reveal your kingdom to us.  Help us to work to build your kingdom.  Help us to shine our lights, that we may share the good news of your love and peace with others.  Amen.

Word Spreads

 Posted by on January 18, 2012
Jan 182012
 

I said last week that Mark might have been a blogger if he had lived in an internet age. After reading this week’s section of Mark’s gospel (1:21 – 3:35; the full schedule is here), I still think so. In fact, I think Mark would have been a big fan of Facebook and Twitter, and all those sites that spread news quickly and rapidly. The pace of Mark’s story doesn’t slow down after those first few verses. Jesus has barely finished calling the disciples away from their fishing boats before word spreads throughout Galilee about him. It’s like a social media ad campaign, a story that went viral and zipped around the region at lightning speed.

Notice how many times the words “at once” or “immediately” are used in 1:21-28 alone. The word “immediately” is found some 35 times in the gospel as a whole. Things are happening fast, and people are responding. Crowds gather wherever Jesus goes. At one point, so many people are jammed into a house that some folks have to dig a hole in the roof to help their friend get to see Jesus. Another time, the crowds are so thick that Jesus has to get in a boat to keep from being pushed into the sea of Galilee.

What were all these people talking about? What was the big deal? Two big things: First, Jesus showed an incredible capacity to heal and drive out demons. He demonstrated a power that the people hadn’t seen before. Second, he did it on the Sabbath, defying all the rules established by the authorities. Some people came to see his works of power; others came to catch him in the act.

And something curious happens as well. Jesus doesn’t seem to want anyone to know his true identity, doesn’t want anyone to proclaim him Son of God. Why not?

We’ll talk about it Sunday…. join us, won’t you?

Good News – Now!

 Posted by on January 11, 2012
Jan 112012
 

If the internet had been around when Mark was writing his gospel, I think he might have been a blogger. He would have appreciated the immediacy of our information age, when news gets to us fast, when stories are told quickly, and with urgency. That’s how Mark wrote the story of Jesus’ life: there’s an intensity to it, as if he’s so excited to tell us the good news that he can hardly catch his breath.  Here’s what Eugene Peterson, author of The Message, has to say about Mark’s gospel:

“Mark wastes no time in getting down to business – a single-sentence introduction, and not a digression to be found from beginning to end. An event has taken place that radically changes the way we look at and experience the world, and he can’t wait to tell us about it. There’s an air of breathless excitement in nearly every sentence he writes. The sooner we get the message, the better off we’ll be, for the message is good, incredibly good: God is here, and he’s on our side.”

Over the next six weeks (January 15 – February 19), we’ll be making our way through Mark’s gospel, in worship and in a new Sunday school class. We’ll explore the historical context of this earliest gospel and listen for how God might be speaking to us through these stories today.

Mark is also the shortest of the gospels, and it’s a good read. You might want to read through the whole thing before we get started this Sunday. However, if you want to spread it out and read along with us, here’s the schedule:

January 15: Mark 1:1-20
January 22: Mark 1:21 – 3:35
January 29: Mark 4:1 – 6:29
February 5: Mark 6:30 – 7:37
February 12: Mark 8:1 – 10:52
February 19: Mark 11:1 – 16:19

Stars and Sea Monsters

 Posted by on January 4, 2012
Jan 042012
 

My family and I spent our day off on Monday at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh, exploring the wonders of the natural world. We learned the difference between a water salamander and an eel (an eel has fins; a salamander has legs). We touched a hissing cockroach (ick), and petted a box turtle (cool). We saw the bones of a dinosaur millions of years old. We walked through the living conservatory and watched a blue morpho butterfly spread its wings.

On the main level of the museum is an exhibit of sea creatures: ghost crabs, baby sea turtles who scramble back to the ocean after they hatch, seahorses and fish of all sizes and colors. Suspended above is the skeleton of a giant whale, so big that it puts into perspective the size of a human life.

As I stood looking up at that enormous whale (praying for the strength of the steel cables holding it suspended from the ceiling), I thought of the “chorus of praise” Thandiwe talked about in her sermon last week. Psalm 148 describes the whole creation singing God’s glory: mountains, hills, fruit trees, cedars, wild animals, cattle, creeping things, flying birds, princes and rulers, men and women, old and young, sun and moon and shining stars, and even, verse 7, all the sea monsters – like that giant whale above my head.

Before we left the museum, I took one last look at a poster hanging on the wall on the fourth floor, kind of out of the way, not part of a major exhibit, but incredible nonetheless. It was a picture of something that will never be contained in a museum, something we’ll never quite be able to touch, something we’re just beginning to know how to explore. It was a composite photograph of the Milky Way galaxy, taken by three space telescopes to create a view we’ve never been able to see before. All those planets and stars, with at least one of them containing life as varied and beautiful as a whale and a butterfly.

I found myself thinking of another star – or, who knows? Maybe one of the very same – that guided some curious seekers to a house in Bethlehem several centuries ago. What they found there was not what they expected, maybe not even what they were looking for. But still, they fell to their knees and joined their voices in the chorus of praise.

What an incredible world God has created for us. What a gift to live in it together.

‘Tis the Season

 Posted by on December 21, 2011
Dec 212011
 

It is, of course, the season of giving. Little wrapped packages topped with bows are appearing everywhere. Cards and candy and homemade goodies are being passed around and enjoyed (and, in the case of the chocolate treats that make their way to my desk, devoured). The food donation box at the church is overflowing with holiday meals that will be delivered to the food bank today. I’ve been especially inspired by stories of people anonymously paying off layaway bills for families they didn’t even know. This is a season that inspires people to give.

It is good, and holy even, all this giving. It is a glorious thing to let people know we love and appreciate them. It is right to respond to the good news of Christ’s birth by sharing what we have.

However.

Is giving really the last word for this season? Here are a couple of challenges to mull over as you’re wrapping up the last of those gifts this week:

The first is this: Hungry people need food in June just as much as they do in December. Families struggle to pay their rent and utilities year round. I hope our giving doesn’t stop when we take down the Christmas lights, and I hope that we ask the harder question that lurks just below the surface: What does such need exist in the first place, and what can we do about it?

The second challenge comes from Will Willimon, who says this in an essay entitled The God We Hardly Knew:

“The Christmas story is not about how blessed it is to be givers but about how essential it is to see ourselves as receivers. We prefer to think of ourselves as givers – powerful, competent, self-sufficient, capable people whose goodness motivates us to employ some of our power, competence and gifts to benefit the less fortunate. Which is a direct contradiction of the biblical account of the first Christmas. There we are portrayed not as the givers we wish we were but as the receivers we are… God wanted to do something for us so strange, so utterly beyond the bounds of human imagination, so foreign to human projection, that God had to resort to angels, pregnant virgins, and stars in the sky to get it done. We didn’t think of it, understand it or approve it. All we could do, at Bethlehem, was receive it.”

 May you be blessed in your giving and your receiving this Christmas.

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