8/30/11 The Old Testament lesson for this week comes from Exodus 12, which has the background of and the instructions for keeping the Passover. Each family is to take an unblemished lamb, cook it, and eat it, not leaving a single scrap left over. As I reflected on this passage, I realize that I have plenty of blemishes, some obvious and some hidden. Upon further reflection, I realized that Jesus the Lamb of God also was blemished. His body was whipped, pierced, broken, full of blemishes. Yet by his wounds, we are healed, made whole. In fact, by this sacrificial Lamb, we find ourselves forgiven and without blemish.
Love,
Lynn
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Monday, August 29, 2011
turning the tables
From my sermon on 8/28/11 from Romans 12:9-21
“If your enemy is hungry, give him something to eat.” Is there a table like that? Where things get turned around, get turned right?
The first part of this passage has to do with being an “insider”, a Christian. Some of the hardest people to deal with are fellow Christians. Sometimes folks come to church hoping to escape fighting. They want Shang-ri-la, Eden. Remember my first year with you as pastor, I spent preaching about conflict from I Corinthians. The early church fought over lots of things, just like we do today. The trick is to learn how to fight fairly.
Is there a table where we can get things turned around? John Savage is a UM pastor, psychologist and consultant. In his early years, he served a local church in upstate New York. A member of that congregation owned a restaurant with a table reserved for members of the church. Anyone who had a gripe, an issue, a problem could meet John there. John promised not to bring his “gospel gun,” you know how we pastors can shoot people down with our jargon, our authority, our degrees. John would stay there until he and the person could reconcile. No bill was ever presented at that table.
The passage from Romans seems to have lots of verbs in the imperative tense, lots of “oughts” and “shoulds.” But I looked at the text in the Greek, because I know that y’all love for me to do that. Most of the verbs are participles, “ing” words. It is as if Paul is saying, “This is an ongoing project. You will always be working on this. You will never finish.” The verbs are all plural too. It is as if Paul is saying, “Don’t try to do this by yourself. This work is best done in community.”
We start working on reconciling within the community of faith and then we slowly move out. You notice in the passage how we move from saints (insiders) to strangers to enemies. Is there a table where we get things turned around with the world?
I want you to google this concept, “pay what you can” cafes. I read about One World Café in Salt Lake City and So All May Eat in Denver. There are published, suggested prices, but everyone pays whatever they can. Some pay 2, 3, 4 times the price. Some leave just a few cents. Some pay in goods or services. “I have a car I can donate. I will do the tile work in the bathroom. I notice you need new flatware, and I have some.”
A few are poachers. They try to pay nothing. Denise Cerreta of the Denver café watched a group of poachers pay nothing several times. She finally confronted them at the table. She said, “When you pay nothing, it feels like you are stealing from me.” They paid up.
It leads to that passage, the quote from Proverbs 25, “if you enemy is hungry, feed him, if he is thirst, give him something to drink, for by so doing, you heap burning coals upon his head.” At the table one must face reality of one’s actions. One must reflect on the relationship. When Denise told the poachers what it felt like, she got them to see what they were doing to her personally. Their shame felt like burning coals.
Most are grateful. One man left a $100 bill by his empty bowl of soup. He was homeless. He said, “I was blessed today, so I wanted to pass the blessing on.”
Is there a table like that where enemies get fed? I pray to God that there is. We live in culture of revenge. I read a lot of action-adventure novels, books by W.E.B. Griffin about the military, and spies, and cops. I am reading Tom Clancy’s latest best seller right now, Against All Enemies, with its drug cartels, and the Taliban. The driving force in these books is revenge, getting back, getting even.
In this world we need a table where things get turned around, get turned right. I remember how after WW II, we didn’t punish our enemies. We helped Japan and Germany to rebuild. Now we are partners with them. Maybe there is a table like that.
I need a table like that. I like to be liked, but sometimes I upset people, yes church people. I have had a family with a young woman with an unplanned pregnancy go into high anxiety mode and try to push a wedding through without counseling or forethought. I hated to confront them. They didn’t like much for telling them the truth. Then God has such a sense of humor. The very next Sunday after the shotgun wedding that I didn’t perform was communion Sunday. Which serving station did they come to? Mine! I held out the bread to them, “The Body of Christ broken for you, this is a sign of God’s love for you in the body of Christ.”
Is there a table like that in this world? It goes all the way back to Psalm 23, “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies.” It goes all the way back to that meal we call the Last Supper that Jesus ate with one who would betray him, one who would deny him, and others who would desert him. To these at the table, he said, “This is my body given for you.”
Is there a table like that? The good news I have to share with you today is that there is. It is right here. We keep coming here until we get it right.
“If your enemy is hungry, give him something to eat.” Is there a table like that? Where things get turned around, get turned right?
The first part of this passage has to do with being an “insider”, a Christian. Some of the hardest people to deal with are fellow Christians. Sometimes folks come to church hoping to escape fighting. They want Shang-ri-la, Eden. Remember my first year with you as pastor, I spent preaching about conflict from I Corinthians. The early church fought over lots of things, just like we do today. The trick is to learn how to fight fairly.
Is there a table where we can get things turned around? John Savage is a UM pastor, psychologist and consultant. In his early years, he served a local church in upstate New York. A member of that congregation owned a restaurant with a table reserved for members of the church. Anyone who had a gripe, an issue, a problem could meet John there. John promised not to bring his “gospel gun,” you know how we pastors can shoot people down with our jargon, our authority, our degrees. John would stay there until he and the person could reconcile. No bill was ever presented at that table.
The passage from Romans seems to have lots of verbs in the imperative tense, lots of “oughts” and “shoulds.” But I looked at the text in the Greek, because I know that y’all love for me to do that. Most of the verbs are participles, “ing” words. It is as if Paul is saying, “This is an ongoing project. You will always be working on this. You will never finish.” The verbs are all plural too. It is as if Paul is saying, “Don’t try to do this by yourself. This work is best done in community.”
We start working on reconciling within the community of faith and then we slowly move out. You notice in the passage how we move from saints (insiders) to strangers to enemies. Is there a table where we get things turned around with the world?
I want you to google this concept, “pay what you can” cafes. I read about One World Café in Salt Lake City and So All May Eat in Denver. There are published, suggested prices, but everyone pays whatever they can. Some pay 2, 3, 4 times the price. Some leave just a few cents. Some pay in goods or services. “I have a car I can donate. I will do the tile work in the bathroom. I notice you need new flatware, and I have some.”
A few are poachers. They try to pay nothing. Denise Cerreta of the Denver café watched a group of poachers pay nothing several times. She finally confronted them at the table. She said, “When you pay nothing, it feels like you are stealing from me.” They paid up.
It leads to that passage, the quote from Proverbs 25, “if you enemy is hungry, feed him, if he is thirst, give him something to drink, for by so doing, you heap burning coals upon his head.” At the table one must face reality of one’s actions. One must reflect on the relationship. When Denise told the poachers what it felt like, she got them to see what they were doing to her personally. Their shame felt like burning coals.
Most are grateful. One man left a $100 bill by his empty bowl of soup. He was homeless. He said, “I was blessed today, so I wanted to pass the blessing on.”
Is there a table like that where enemies get fed? I pray to God that there is. We live in culture of revenge. I read a lot of action-adventure novels, books by W.E.B. Griffin about the military, and spies, and cops. I am reading Tom Clancy’s latest best seller right now, Against All Enemies, with its drug cartels, and the Taliban. The driving force in these books is revenge, getting back, getting even.
In this world we need a table where things get turned around, get turned right. I remember how after WW II, we didn’t punish our enemies. We helped Japan and Germany to rebuild. Now we are partners with them. Maybe there is a table like that.
I need a table like that. I like to be liked, but sometimes I upset people, yes church people. I have had a family with a young woman with an unplanned pregnancy go into high anxiety mode and try to push a wedding through without counseling or forethought. I hated to confront them. They didn’t like much for telling them the truth. Then God has such a sense of humor. The very next Sunday after the shotgun wedding that I didn’t perform was communion Sunday. Which serving station did they come to? Mine! I held out the bread to them, “The Body of Christ broken for you, this is a sign of God’s love for you in the body of Christ.”
Is there a table like that in this world? It goes all the way back to Psalm 23, “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies.” It goes all the way back to that meal we call the Last Supper that Jesus ate with one who would betray him, one who would deny him, and others who would desert him. To these at the table, he said, “This is my body given for you.”
Is there a table like that? The good news I have to share with you today is that there is. It is right here. We keep coming here until we get it right.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
prayer in 3 acts
8/25/11 My breath prayer is Psalm 105:1, "O give thanks to the LORD, call on his name, make known his deeds among the peoples." Act 1 is to give thanks. As I walked this morning, I gave thanks that I could walk, that my body still works so well, that I could see the deer, and hear the birds sing. Act 2 is to call on his name. As I walked, I did my usual routine of holding various people and situations before God, seeking what blessing God has for them. Act 3 is to witness. I have more open today to openings that God provides for me to make known his deeds among the peoples. In particular, we have had a lot of families visiting our preschool classrooms today. I am saying "hi" and greeting them.
Love,
Lynn
Love,
Lynn
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
strength
8/24/11 My breath prayer for the day comes from Ps. 105:4, "Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually." My strength is not what it once was. I am 58, and I still walk, lift weights, swim, etc. I can still put in the hours at work. But it is nothing like it used to be. I bump up against my limits more quickly.
I really need to hear this passage today, as I have spent the last 2 days at the Bd. of Ordained Ministry retreat where I learned all of the time, and energy, and courage it is going to take to help the church go through the next paradigm shift. I don't have that kind of strength, but the LORD God does. It is a good exercise for me to humble myself and let God be my strength, the strength of His Church, the strength of all creation.
Love,
Lynn
I really need to hear this passage today, as I have spent the last 2 days at the Bd. of Ordained Ministry retreat where I learned all of the time, and energy, and courage it is going to take to help the church go through the next paradigm shift. I don't have that kind of strength, but the LORD God does. It is a good exercise for me to humble myself and let God be my strength, the strength of His Church, the strength of all creation.
Love,
Lynn
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
not the same old thing
8/24/11 This Bd of Ordained Ministry retreat is really pushing me. Gil Rendle, our consultant, challenging us with moving from the old paradigm of taking care of the institution, the local churches and the pastors to the new paradigm of taking care of God's mission of making new disciples of Jesus Christ. There will be much wailing and gnashing of teeth as many small churches will be dying, many old rules will be broken, and many new changes enacted. It will take courage, patience, and trust to get through this time. I pray for myself that I will have the energy and drive to be part of this process and not part of the problem. I pray for our denomination, this church that I have known since my birth and have been serving in the ordained capacity for the past 33 years.
Love,
Lynn
Love,
Lynn
Monday, August 22, 2011
in order to go forward, retreat
8/22/11 Our Bd. of Ordained Ministry is having its first ever retreat. We have lots of meetings, business sessions, interviews, etc., but never before have we had a retreat. What makes it even better is that the Bishop and the District Superintendents and the chairs of District Committees on Ordained Ministry are present as well. We are at the Oblate Center in San Antonio for 2 days.
Our chairperson asked me to give the opening devotional. So I had everyone stand in a circle and sing the Hokey Pokey. I asked everyone to bring their whole self to the retreat. Our act of confession was to name before another person what is keeping us from bringing our whole self here: start of school, fall programming at church, hospital calls, etc. After a word of pardon and assurance, I asked the group to help me remember all of the times that Jesus went on retreat. In a book by Len Sweet, he had a chapter called, "come apart, so you don't come apart." My language for it was "in order to go forward, retreat." Jesus would go away with his disciples, or spend all night in prayer, or go into the wilderness for 40 days at the start of his ministry, or go the Garden just before his crucifixion. I then had the folks to own what was the word for them, what they hoped would happen on this retreat. Our sending forth was singing, "Go now in peace" and sharing the peace of Christ.
At the end of this first day, I can say that it has been worthwhile. I have been challenged to ask the right questions that lead to transformation of the church.
Love,
Lynn
Our chairperson asked me to give the opening devotional. So I had everyone stand in a circle and sing the Hokey Pokey. I asked everyone to bring their whole self to the retreat. Our act of confession was to name before another person what is keeping us from bringing our whole self here: start of school, fall programming at church, hospital calls, etc. After a word of pardon and assurance, I asked the group to help me remember all of the times that Jesus went on retreat. In a book by Len Sweet, he had a chapter called, "come apart, so you don't come apart." My language for it was "in order to go forward, retreat." Jesus would go away with his disciples, or spend all night in prayer, or go into the wilderness for 40 days at the start of his ministry, or go the Garden just before his crucifixion. I then had the folks to own what was the word for them, what they hoped would happen on this retreat. Our sending forth was singing, "Go now in peace" and sharing the peace of Christ.
At the end of this first day, I can say that it has been worthwhile. I have been challenged to ask the right questions that lead to transformation of the church.
Love,
Lynn
Sunday, August 21, 2011
a whole new way of thinking
From my sermon on 8/21/11 from Romans 12:1-8
So on the first day of school, the kindergarten teacher was trying to help the children feel at ease through playing a game with animal sounds. “Amy, what sound does a cow make?” Moooo. “Johnny, what sound does a pig make?” Oink…. Tracy what sound does a cat make. Meow. Phil, what sound does a dog make? Bark, bark. Julie, what sound does a mouse make? She said, “Click.”
We have a whole new way of thinking today, don’t we? I never knew in High School that the most important class that I would take would be typewriting. Now they call it keyboarding. How many hours, how many tasks do I do on the computer every day!
Paul talks in the passage about renewing your mind so that you may discern the will of God, the good and perfect and acceptable will. I have some practical, biblical ways of thinking to offer you today. The first is humor. Did you feel the lightness of being at the opening story with its laughter. Humor frees us up.
The passage warns against thinking more highly of yourself than you ought. Paul is doing a word play on the word think. It literally in the Greek, don’t hyper-think. Now, none of you suffers from over-thinking, do you? Paul says to think with sober judgment. The word is to think with a sound mind, sensibly. Humor is a great way to keep us from taking our selves too seriously.
So, here’s the way most of us learned the alphabet…..the alphabet song….a b c d e f g h i j k l m m o p q r s t u v w x y and z, now I know my abc’s , next time won’t you sing with me. Let me sing modern version, a b c d e f g h i j k l m m o p q r s t u v www.alphabet.com. It is whole new way of thinking.
Paul also says to present our bodies as a living sacrifice to God. We think not just with our brains but with our whole beings. The Jewish faith and the Christian faith did not see humans as a conglomeration of parts, but as wholeness. Body, mind, spirit….are all interrelated, inseparable. We are to think with our bodies. I understand from the world of medicine that this is true. We have not just the brain, but the central nervous system, and in fact chemical and electrical signals at the cellular level. We think with the whole body.
We live out an example right now. How many right handed folks? Interesting, you raise your right hands. Take a pen or pencil in your right hand. Lefties take a pen or pencil in your left hand. Now I want you to think about a problem or an issue or concern. Got it? Now shift the pen or pencil to the other hand. Reflect, do you get some new insight? We I get stumped with a crossword puzzle or even bigger issues in life, sometimes I simply switch to my non-dominant hand, and an answer comes. Where does that come from? We are using our wholeness.
This whole new way of thinking could look like this: if you are a quiet, contemplative person, you might need to take a walk or swim to get a fresh perspective. If you are active, you might need to pause and pray and be still. If you are a wordy person like I am, you might need to focus on an icon.
A week and a half ago, I had our staff go on a retreat. We went to an art gallery run by Hilary’s sister, called Eye of the Dog. We did our linear planning, but we also had an hour and a half for an art project. We were to create a collage using found objects, ephemera. We were to let ourselves be drawn to objects. Was I excited about this? No! I was scared. But I created something on this 4” x 4” square. I was attracted to music, butterflies, a key, the word faith, the phrase “it is ok to be assertive.” Where did all of this come from? I had a whole new way of thinking.
Paul also says to think as the body of Christ. We are not just individuals; we are members of one another. We are community. We think better together. It is not “group think” ala George Orwell’s 1984. We realize we need different points of view. I tend to be a visionary, big picture, future tense sort of guy. I love to throw out ideas. But I need people around me in the body of Christ with their gifts who ask: how much will it cost? How does that fit with this other thing on the calendar? Have you prayed about it? How will it affect the least among us? We think better as the whole body.
As a Christian community, we think not just of ourselves, but of others. As the church, we are one of the few groups that exists for those not here. We are thinking of 5th graders in this church with a new program called FISH that helps these tweens navigate the middle school years. We have incoming high school freshmen buddying up with upper classmen to lessen the fear of that transition.
As United Methodists, we have a new motto: Rethink Church. We have lived into this motto the last 2 years by calling off morning worship and going out into the community to be the church, doing service projects and meeting people where they are. Now we are going a step further.
Have you missed Pastor Jim? Some of you have wondered if I shut him up in a dungeon. Jim has been doing field research for us on Sunday mornings. He has been visiting other churches to see best practices and also what needs are being missed. He has been going to Starbuck’s to visit those of the church of the brunch. He has been talking to the cyclists who pass by our church on Sunday morning by the thousands. All of this in preparation for a new worship service called the Point. It is for those who aren’t here yet. It will be on Sunday evenings, starting just 5 weeks from now, on Sept 25. There will be small groups that feed into the Point. One is Celebrate Recovery for those working the 12 step programs. One is for business people called Taking the Talk of Sunday into the Walk of Monday. Bible Studies and youth groups and others will be on Sunday evenings to lead into the point. Jim says the mission of the Point is to “wake up, connect, change the world.” It is a whole new way of thinking about church.
This renewing of our minds transforms us. I believe our selves become re-wired, new neural pathways are created. This life of worship, prayer, Bible Study, service…this following Christ changes the way we think. I heard on NPR that if you spend 10,000 hours doing something, you become an expert at it. You can check off another hour here.
I believe that following Christ gives us a whole new way of thinking. I witnessed it this past Thursday. Kim was going in for her 2nd surgery in 9 days’ time. It was tricky, spinal cord surgery. Thursday morning, we stood around her bed---her family and I. We adults prayed some out loud. Evan, 7 yr old son of Kim and Phil prayed too. He said, “God, we love you. Jesus, we love you. Heal my mom. Bring her home quickly.” For a moment there, I believed all of this stuff that I have been telling you.
This following Christ gives us a whole new way of thinking.
So on the first day of school, the kindergarten teacher was trying to help the children feel at ease through playing a game with animal sounds. “Amy, what sound does a cow make?” Moooo. “Johnny, what sound does a pig make?” Oink…. Tracy what sound does a cat make. Meow. Phil, what sound does a dog make? Bark, bark. Julie, what sound does a mouse make? She said, “Click.”
We have a whole new way of thinking today, don’t we? I never knew in High School that the most important class that I would take would be typewriting. Now they call it keyboarding. How many hours, how many tasks do I do on the computer every day!
Paul talks in the passage about renewing your mind so that you may discern the will of God, the good and perfect and acceptable will. I have some practical, biblical ways of thinking to offer you today. The first is humor. Did you feel the lightness of being at the opening story with its laughter. Humor frees us up.
The passage warns against thinking more highly of yourself than you ought. Paul is doing a word play on the word think. It literally in the Greek, don’t hyper-think. Now, none of you suffers from over-thinking, do you? Paul says to think with sober judgment. The word is to think with a sound mind, sensibly. Humor is a great way to keep us from taking our selves too seriously.
So, here’s the way most of us learned the alphabet…..the alphabet song….a b c d e f g h i j k l m m o p q r s t u v w x y and z, now I know my abc’s , next time won’t you sing with me. Let me sing modern version, a b c d e f g h i j k l m m o p q r s t u v www.alphabet.com. It is whole new way of thinking.
Paul also says to present our bodies as a living sacrifice to God. We think not just with our brains but with our whole beings. The Jewish faith and the Christian faith did not see humans as a conglomeration of parts, but as wholeness. Body, mind, spirit….are all interrelated, inseparable. We are to think with our bodies. I understand from the world of medicine that this is true. We have not just the brain, but the central nervous system, and in fact chemical and electrical signals at the cellular level. We think with the whole body.
We live out an example right now. How many right handed folks? Interesting, you raise your right hands. Take a pen or pencil in your right hand. Lefties take a pen or pencil in your left hand. Now I want you to think about a problem or an issue or concern. Got it? Now shift the pen or pencil to the other hand. Reflect, do you get some new insight? We I get stumped with a crossword puzzle or even bigger issues in life, sometimes I simply switch to my non-dominant hand, and an answer comes. Where does that come from? We are using our wholeness.
This whole new way of thinking could look like this: if you are a quiet, contemplative person, you might need to take a walk or swim to get a fresh perspective. If you are active, you might need to pause and pray and be still. If you are a wordy person like I am, you might need to focus on an icon.
A week and a half ago, I had our staff go on a retreat. We went to an art gallery run by Hilary’s sister, called Eye of the Dog. We did our linear planning, but we also had an hour and a half for an art project. We were to create a collage using found objects, ephemera. We were to let ourselves be drawn to objects. Was I excited about this? No! I was scared. But I created something on this 4” x 4” square. I was attracted to music, butterflies, a key, the word faith, the phrase “it is ok to be assertive.” Where did all of this come from? I had a whole new way of thinking.
Paul also says to think as the body of Christ. We are not just individuals; we are members of one another. We are community. We think better together. It is not “group think” ala George Orwell’s 1984. We realize we need different points of view. I tend to be a visionary, big picture, future tense sort of guy. I love to throw out ideas. But I need people around me in the body of Christ with their gifts who ask: how much will it cost? How does that fit with this other thing on the calendar? Have you prayed about it? How will it affect the least among us? We think better as the whole body.
As a Christian community, we think not just of ourselves, but of others. As the church, we are one of the few groups that exists for those not here. We are thinking of 5th graders in this church with a new program called FISH that helps these tweens navigate the middle school years. We have incoming high school freshmen buddying up with upper classmen to lessen the fear of that transition.
As United Methodists, we have a new motto: Rethink Church. We have lived into this motto the last 2 years by calling off morning worship and going out into the community to be the church, doing service projects and meeting people where they are. Now we are going a step further.
Have you missed Pastor Jim? Some of you have wondered if I shut him up in a dungeon. Jim has been doing field research for us on Sunday mornings. He has been visiting other churches to see best practices and also what needs are being missed. He has been going to Starbuck’s to visit those of the church of the brunch. He has been talking to the cyclists who pass by our church on Sunday morning by the thousands. All of this in preparation for a new worship service called the Point. It is for those who aren’t here yet. It will be on Sunday evenings, starting just 5 weeks from now, on Sept 25. There will be small groups that feed into the Point. One is Celebrate Recovery for those working the 12 step programs. One is for business people called Taking the Talk of Sunday into the Walk of Monday. Bible Studies and youth groups and others will be on Sunday evenings to lead into the point. Jim says the mission of the Point is to “wake up, connect, change the world.” It is a whole new way of thinking about church.
This renewing of our minds transforms us. I believe our selves become re-wired, new neural pathways are created. This life of worship, prayer, Bible Study, service…this following Christ changes the way we think. I heard on NPR that if you spend 10,000 hours doing something, you become an expert at it. You can check off another hour here.
I believe that following Christ gives us a whole new way of thinking. I witnessed it this past Thursday. Kim was going in for her 2nd surgery in 9 days’ time. It was tricky, spinal cord surgery. Thursday morning, we stood around her bed---her family and I. We adults prayed some out loud. Evan, 7 yr old son of Kim and Phil prayed too. He said, “God, we love you. Jesus, we love you. Heal my mom. Bring her home quickly.” For a moment there, I believed all of this stuff that I have been telling you.
This following Christ gives us a whole new way of thinking.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
urgency
8/18/11 I used to operate in a hyper mode, running from one crisis to the next, loving the adrenaline rush, needing to be needed, the more urgent the better. As I have gotten older, I have realized that is a pretty unhealthy way for me to live. Maybe emergency room personnel need to operate this way, along with 1st responders like fire, police, EMS, etc. But most of life is not lived in urgent mode.
I felt a twinge of my old calling for urgency just a few minutes ago. I had just come from an early hospital visit to see a woman and her family off into surgery. I got back to church because I had 2 appointments lined up in my office. But as I arrived, I learned that a charter member of the church was dying. I wanted to go immediately to be with him and his family, but I had a conflict with 2 standing appointments. I called my associate pastor who was able to go.
One of the appointments was with the Stephen Ministry Leaders. We are putting together a team of caring laypersons who will do a ministry of listening and healing. It is exactly so that we won't always be in an urgent mode.
JC died this morning. I got to sit with his wife for an hour and a half as she waited for the medical school to come pick up his body. There was no sense of urgency.
Love,
Lynn
I felt a twinge of my old calling for urgency just a few minutes ago. I had just come from an early hospital visit to see a woman and her family off into surgery. I got back to church because I had 2 appointments lined up in my office. But as I arrived, I learned that a charter member of the church was dying. I wanted to go immediately to be with him and his family, but I had a conflict with 2 standing appointments. I called my associate pastor who was able to go.
One of the appointments was with the Stephen Ministry Leaders. We are putting together a team of caring laypersons who will do a ministry of listening and healing. It is exactly so that we won't always be in an urgent mode.
JC died this morning. I got to sit with his wife for an hour and a half as she waited for the medical school to come pick up his body. There was no sense of urgency.
Love,
Lynn
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
prey
8/17/11 Usually I will talk about the word, "pray." But in Psalm 124:6, the word is "prey." My breath prayer for the day is "Blessed be the LORD, who has not given us as prey to their teeth." I don't like to consider myself as prey, as one is hunted by a predator out to eat me. I don't like to think of myself as on the run, scared, always looking over my shoulder. Thank God that the Psalmist sees the LORD as the one who rescues us out of this dynamic. We are snatched away from our enemies. We are not prey.
Love,
Lynn
Love,
Lynn
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
eating for a good cause
8/16/11 I have figured out that the congregation that I get to serve as pastor likes to have a good time. Last night, our Endowment Committee had a deal with Mimi's restaurant, that any person or group with a coupon from our church would get 15% of their bill directed to the Fund. Cathy and I got there first. It was her first day back at work, coming from a day of teacher in-service. I was hoping that we could have a good meal and that she wouldn't have to cook. The meal was excellent. More than that, the atmosphere was exciting. Our church came out in great numbers. By the time we left at 6:20, I had already counted 45 people with the coupons. There was laughter. There were smiles. I got to meet new people who came as guests of our church. A young family who has been visiting our congregation shared a prayer concern with me. We paused and prayed right there in the restaurant. A family of 5 with 3 children came out. Another couple brought the mom in her 80's. We raised some money for the Endowment Fund. We raised some awareness about the Endowment Fund. More than that, we had fun, eating for a good cause.
Love,
Lynn
Love,
Lynn
Monday, August 15, 2011
the message
From my sermon on 8/14/11 from Romans 10:5-15
When I was growing up and going to worship, there was a time when the pastor stood up and gave a speech. We called it ….the sermon. In fact, for most of my years of preaching this Sunday speech has been called …the sermon. In the last few years though, it has come to be called by a different name…..the Message. How did that happen? I think that it may have something to do with our desire to connect with people, to make the Word of God come near where people live.
I have doing this for more than 33 years now, and I have always tried to make this speech relevant. You may wonder where I get these speeches each week. I know I wonder! One of the things I have learned to do is to pray as I prepare. Yes, I do the work of translating the passage of scripture, I read the commentaries, I interpret what is going on in the culture, but the most important thing I do is to pray, “God, what do you want your people hear today?”
So here’s the message that most often comes to me from God: Tell the people that I love them. That’s what the cross and resurrection of Christ are about. I have come near my people in Jesus. I know what they are going through. Jesus is broken for them and with them. I have raised Jesus from the dead to offer hope.
There is a new translation of the Bible, called the Message, really a paraphrase by Eugene Peterson. Part of this Romans passage he interprets this way:
It's the word of faith that welcomes God to go to work and set things right for us. This is the core of our preaching. Say the welcoming word to God—"Jesus is my Master"—embracing, body and soul, God's work of doing in us what he did in raising Jesus from the dead. That's it. You're not "doing" anything; you're simply calling out to God, trusting him to do it for you. That's salvation. With your whole being you embrace God setting things right, and then you say it, right out loud: "God has set everything right between him and me!"
I am going to ask you to do an in class assignment that will continue as a homework assignment. I want you to write down the message God has for you. What is the good news you have to share? Who is Jesus to you and the world? Writing this down is a teaching tool: it is a way to reinforce this lesson.
I know you may be intimidated by doing this. But consider this true story. One of the world’s greatest theologians was Karl Barth. He wrote a 13 volume series called Church Dogmatics, one of the most thorough explanations of the Christian faith. He was Swiss, but wrote a confession of faith that was used by the confessing church in Germany to stand against Hitler. He made only one trip the USA in 1962. After one of his lectures, he was asked, “Dr. Barth, can you summarize what you believe?” He answered, “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” You don’t have to write 13 volumes. All I am asking you to do is to take this sticky note and write what you believe about Jesus. What is the message?
You may want to hang it on one of the bright ribbons in the narthex. You may want to put it on your refrigerator door or your bathroom mirror. Most importantly, you may want to share with God’s people out in the world.
Still I know you are hesitant and insecure about doing this. You want to quote St. Francis of Assisi to me, “Preach the gospel at all times; if necessary, use words.” I want to praise you as a congregation. You are terrific at proclaiming the gospel through your actions. Your witness is clear through your good works. Two weeks ago, 11 of you went out on a Sunday Morning to the Church Under the Bridge. Earlier in the summer, we had taken a collection of clothing for our neighbors who live on the streets. Two weeks ago, we gave away more than 180 pairs of shoes, 5 tables full of pants and shirts and socks and women’s underwear, the very things our brothers and sisters had asked for. What a message!
But sometimes we need words. Yesterday, I went to the Austin District United Methodist Men’s breakfast. About 24 guys were there. When I first came in, I was greeted with the question, “Lynn, what’s with your Aggies going to the SEC?” You are not going to believe this, but nobody consulted me. The president didn’t call, and the AD didn’t ask my opinion. Here’s the thing about words: sometimes you have to start with small talk before you get to the big talk. Sometimes with guys you need to talk about football before you talk about his affair. Sometimes you need to talk about the horrible heat outside before you talk about heaven and hell. Our little talk can lead to the big talk.
As part of the program the United Methodist Men talked about the clothes closet they run for homeless men that is downtown and part of the ARCH, the community outreach to the homeless. I didn’t even know they did this ministry. After the program, I was visiting with one of the men who works in this clothing ministry 3 Mondays a month. He said, “We try to form relationships with these men. We call them by name. We look them in the eye. We shake their hands. Last Monday, I shook the guy’s hand. I was trying to let go, but he continued to hold onto my hand. He said, ‘Pray for me.’ So I took him out of the way. I kept holding his hand. I put my other hand on his shoulder. Then I listened…to God…to what was going on in this man. All I felt about him was anger. I prayed, ‘Dear God, you know your child, you know how angry he is, you know what is behind this…’ The guy was crying. I prayed for his healing. At the end of the prayer, I took him to the pastor because I knew he needed even more talk and healing.
We establish relationship. We listen…to God and to the person. We pray. We take the message out of this 2 dimensions into the God dimension. People need to hear a word from God. We have that good news.
Sometimes, people have gotten an MRI or an EKG, but they want to hear from JC. Sometimes, people measure themselves by the size of their stock portfolio. This past week they went up and down like a yo-yo. They need to hear the message of their worth as a child of God.
Who needs to hear the message that God has placed upon your heart? Who is in your sphere of influence? Is there a co-worker, a neighbor, a family member who need needs good news? You might write their name on that sticky note. You have a message and an address now.
Paul certainly did this. He met people where they were with the message of God’s love in Jesus Christ. In chapters 9-11 here in Romans, he is arguing that this love is for everyone. He did by going to synagogues and to marketplaces. He would witness when he was brought to trial in the courtroom. He walked and took boats to take the gospel to new places. He wrote letters to encourage the spread of the good news.
In this passage are so many words about the message: lips, proclaim, preach, confess, good news. Now it is our turn to share the message. That is the good news I have to share with you today.
When I was growing up and going to worship, there was a time when the pastor stood up and gave a speech. We called it ….the sermon. In fact, for most of my years of preaching this Sunday speech has been called …the sermon. In the last few years though, it has come to be called by a different name…..the Message. How did that happen? I think that it may have something to do with our desire to connect with people, to make the Word of God come near where people live.
I have doing this for more than 33 years now, and I have always tried to make this speech relevant. You may wonder where I get these speeches each week. I know I wonder! One of the things I have learned to do is to pray as I prepare. Yes, I do the work of translating the passage of scripture, I read the commentaries, I interpret what is going on in the culture, but the most important thing I do is to pray, “God, what do you want your people hear today?”
So here’s the message that most often comes to me from God: Tell the people that I love them. That’s what the cross and resurrection of Christ are about. I have come near my people in Jesus. I know what they are going through. Jesus is broken for them and with them. I have raised Jesus from the dead to offer hope.
There is a new translation of the Bible, called the Message, really a paraphrase by Eugene Peterson. Part of this Romans passage he interprets this way:
It's the word of faith that welcomes God to go to work and set things right for us. This is the core of our preaching. Say the welcoming word to God—"Jesus is my Master"—embracing, body and soul, God's work of doing in us what he did in raising Jesus from the dead. That's it. You're not "doing" anything; you're simply calling out to God, trusting him to do it for you. That's salvation. With your whole being you embrace God setting things right, and then you say it, right out loud: "God has set everything right between him and me!"
I am going to ask you to do an in class assignment that will continue as a homework assignment. I want you to write down the message God has for you. What is the good news you have to share? Who is Jesus to you and the world? Writing this down is a teaching tool: it is a way to reinforce this lesson.
I know you may be intimidated by doing this. But consider this true story. One of the world’s greatest theologians was Karl Barth. He wrote a 13 volume series called Church Dogmatics, one of the most thorough explanations of the Christian faith. He was Swiss, but wrote a confession of faith that was used by the confessing church in Germany to stand against Hitler. He made only one trip the USA in 1962. After one of his lectures, he was asked, “Dr. Barth, can you summarize what you believe?” He answered, “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” You don’t have to write 13 volumes. All I am asking you to do is to take this sticky note and write what you believe about Jesus. What is the message?
You may want to hang it on one of the bright ribbons in the narthex. You may want to put it on your refrigerator door or your bathroom mirror. Most importantly, you may want to share with God’s people out in the world.
Still I know you are hesitant and insecure about doing this. You want to quote St. Francis of Assisi to me, “Preach the gospel at all times; if necessary, use words.” I want to praise you as a congregation. You are terrific at proclaiming the gospel through your actions. Your witness is clear through your good works. Two weeks ago, 11 of you went out on a Sunday Morning to the Church Under the Bridge. Earlier in the summer, we had taken a collection of clothing for our neighbors who live on the streets. Two weeks ago, we gave away more than 180 pairs of shoes, 5 tables full of pants and shirts and socks and women’s underwear, the very things our brothers and sisters had asked for. What a message!
But sometimes we need words. Yesterday, I went to the Austin District United Methodist Men’s breakfast. About 24 guys were there. When I first came in, I was greeted with the question, “Lynn, what’s with your Aggies going to the SEC?” You are not going to believe this, but nobody consulted me. The president didn’t call, and the AD didn’t ask my opinion. Here’s the thing about words: sometimes you have to start with small talk before you get to the big talk. Sometimes with guys you need to talk about football before you talk about his affair. Sometimes you need to talk about the horrible heat outside before you talk about heaven and hell. Our little talk can lead to the big talk.
As part of the program the United Methodist Men talked about the clothes closet they run for homeless men that is downtown and part of the ARCH, the community outreach to the homeless. I didn’t even know they did this ministry. After the program, I was visiting with one of the men who works in this clothing ministry 3 Mondays a month. He said, “We try to form relationships with these men. We call them by name. We look them in the eye. We shake their hands. Last Monday, I shook the guy’s hand. I was trying to let go, but he continued to hold onto my hand. He said, ‘Pray for me.’ So I took him out of the way. I kept holding his hand. I put my other hand on his shoulder. Then I listened…to God…to what was going on in this man. All I felt about him was anger. I prayed, ‘Dear God, you know your child, you know how angry he is, you know what is behind this…’ The guy was crying. I prayed for his healing. At the end of the prayer, I took him to the pastor because I knew he needed even more talk and healing.
We establish relationship. We listen…to God and to the person. We pray. We take the message out of this 2 dimensions into the God dimension. People need to hear a word from God. We have that good news.
Sometimes, people have gotten an MRI or an EKG, but they want to hear from JC. Sometimes, people measure themselves by the size of their stock portfolio. This past week they went up and down like a yo-yo. They need to hear the message of their worth as a child of God.
Who needs to hear the message that God has placed upon your heart? Who is in your sphere of influence? Is there a co-worker, a neighbor, a family member who need needs good news? You might write their name on that sticky note. You have a message and an address now.
Paul certainly did this. He met people where they were with the message of God’s love in Jesus Christ. In chapters 9-11 here in Romans, he is arguing that this love is for everyone. He did by going to synagogues and to marketplaces. He would witness when he was brought to trial in the courtroom. He walked and took boats to take the gospel to new places. He wrote letters to encourage the spread of the good news.
In this passage are so many words about the message: lips, proclaim, preach, confess, good news. Now it is our turn to share the message. That is the good news I have to share with you today.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
a crumby God
8/11/11 My breath prayer today comes Matthew 15:27, :She said, 'Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table.'" Jesus is outside the boundaries of Israel in the region of Tyre and Sidon. A woman from way outside the boundaries of the Jewish faith, a Canaanite woman, approaches Jesus. She begs, and pleads, and intercedes on behalf of her daughter who is demon-possessed. Jesus is reluctant to act...until the woman pulls the punch line of even dogs get to eat the crumbs from their masters' tables. Even a little bit from Jesus is more than enough. I would rather have a crumb from God's table than all of the riches of this world. Just a little bit of bread and juice at the communion table become the mystery of the presence of Christ. Just a little bit of fellowship and prayer with some other believers is more than enough to sustain me for the journey. All I need is a crumby God.
Love,
Lynn
Love,
Lynn
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
collage
8/10/11 Yesterday, we had our annual staff retreat. We try to spend some time away from our usual routines to look back at what went well and what could have gone better. We look ahead and put some programs and ministries on the calendar. We address some problem areas and anticipate conflicts in launching new programs.
Every year, I try to have some surprise or enrichment to get us to look at things differently. In other years, we have had a drum circle or instruction in Xi Gong. Yesterday we met at Eye of the Dog Art Studio. Beverly was our resource person. She also happens to be the sister of Hilary our children's minister.
Beverly had us do a collage. We could choose a canvas mounted on a box. We could paint it, add pictures or words to it. Beverly had a huge collection of ephemera (fancy word for left-overs, like magazines, wrapping paper, sheet music, coins, buttons, etc.). We were to create a piece of art, using both sides of our brains. I was very task-oriented and finished before anyone else. I saw where the staff members were crowded around one area, so I would go to another area and let whatever I found there speak to me.
My collage was on the smallest canvas. I wanted to take the pressure off myself of trying to fill a large space. I painted the background a navy blue, my favorite color. I put the word "faith" in the center. I had butterflies as symbols of the resurrection. I have a piece of sheet music to illustrate my love of music. I had the word "Yes" in raised wooden letters (tiles from scrabble). I had a phrase, "it is ok to be assertive," as that is something I am integrating more into my life now. I had another phrase, "seeing thing differently" upside down. I had a key to show openness to God. I had a coin to show concerns over retirement. I had a dice to show that our choices matter, but I had the number 3 showing face up on it to illustrate that God, the Triune God, is Sovereign.
This is not an exercise that I would have chosen for myself, which is exactly why I wanted to do it. Our staff all shared their collages with the whole group. They seemed to have gotten a new insight into themselves and into one another.
Love,
Lynn
Every year, I try to have some surprise or enrichment to get us to look at things differently. In other years, we have had a drum circle or instruction in Xi Gong. Yesterday we met at Eye of the Dog Art Studio. Beverly was our resource person. She also happens to be the sister of Hilary our children's minister.
Beverly had us do a collage. We could choose a canvas mounted on a box. We could paint it, add pictures or words to it. Beverly had a huge collection of ephemera (fancy word for left-overs, like magazines, wrapping paper, sheet music, coins, buttons, etc.). We were to create a piece of art, using both sides of our brains. I was very task-oriented and finished before anyone else. I saw where the staff members were crowded around one area, so I would go to another area and let whatever I found there speak to me.
My collage was on the smallest canvas. I wanted to take the pressure off myself of trying to fill a large space. I painted the background a navy blue, my favorite color. I put the word "faith" in the center. I had butterflies as symbols of the resurrection. I have a piece of sheet music to illustrate my love of music. I had the word "Yes" in raised wooden letters (tiles from scrabble). I had a phrase, "it is ok to be assertive," as that is something I am integrating more into my life now. I had another phrase, "seeing thing differently" upside down. I had a key to show openness to God. I had a coin to show concerns over retirement. I had a dice to show that our choices matter, but I had the number 3 showing face up on it to illustrate that God, the Triune God, is Sovereign.
This is not an exercise that I would have chosen for myself, which is exactly why I wanted to do it. Our staff all shared their collages with the whole group. They seemed to have gotten a new insight into themselves and into one another.
Love,
Lynn
Monday, August 8, 2011
nothing can separate us from the love of God
from my sermon on 8/7/11 from Romans 8:31-39
We often read this passage at funerals. At funerals we may be asking the question, "Can death separate us from the love of God?" I don't want to make light of death. Grief can hurt. Wen we lose someone, there can be shock, numbness, denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and just pure exhaustion. We wonder if we have been left all alone.
We who believe in the God revealed in Jesus Christ have a particular answer to the question, can death separate from the love of God. In Jesus, we have a God, who has lived our life with all of its thoughts and feelings, who has died our death, and lives again so that we might live also. We follow Christ in life, in death, in life beyond death. So can death separate us from the love of God? We say, "No!" Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Paul is so sure that of this that he lists some 17 things that could threaten to cut us off from God's love: tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, sword, angels, rulers, powers...
What's on your list? My suspicion is that you have a list of things that you think might keep God's love from you. Maybe it's who's on your list? What person threatens you.
Your list might contain the loss of your job. We have many euphemisms: laid off, made redundant, reduction in force, etc. It may be that you have retired. I know of us males it is particularly hard. So much of our identity is tied up in what we do. Can the loss of your job separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus? No.
Maybe it's cancer, such a dread disease. Yesterday, a longtime friend of ours was buried. Kelli was a teacher, a worker at NASA, a wife, a mother. She was a seeker. When we first came to know her, she was not a believer. We invited her to Bible study. She came with her questions. When she got cancer, her questions got clarified. I don't mean that God caused her cancer. I mean that Kelli started asking about the meaning of her life. She came to believe in Jesus Christ and to testify to his goodness. Can cancer separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus? No.
Can the start of school? It won't be long now, but the answer is still no. Can this awful Texas heat?...well, the answer is still no.
How about something you did a long time ago, something you still hold against yourself. You know right where the evidence is kept. You keep it carefully filed away. No. Paul says, nothing in all creation. We are God's creatures. Not even ourselves, our worst enemies, can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Our greatest fear is the fear of being alone. Paul affirms that nothing can separate us from the love of God. We are never alone.
There is one part of the passage I would like to omit, the part of being sheep being led to the slaughter. I don't like that imagery. I went back and read Psalm 44 from whence the quote comes. It is an affirmation of faith in the Lord God who has worked our salvation all down through the ages. It says though that faithfulness to God does not equal success and big rewards. In fact, sometimes faithfulness to God engenders persecution and hardship. Still, we remain loyal to God, in spite of the outward circumstances.
That leads me to my closing, a film clip, which I rarely do. It comes from Places in the Heart, a movie set in Waxahachie, Texas, during the dust bowl, during the Depression. In the opening scene, a young black man accidentally shoots the sheriff and kills him. A lynching follows. The widow, played by Sally Fields, who wins an Oscar by the way, is struggling with 2 small children. The bank officer places a blind relative as a boarder with her. She gets a black man to help her farm. They must produce a crop to keep the bank from foreclosing on the farm. There is a drought, a tornado, and all kinds of trials. They make it through. In this final scene, they are in a church service. The critics pan this scene, but I think it is so powerful. See them pass the elements of the sacrament of communion along the pews--the bread and the tray with the little cups. There are ordinary citizens in the town. Now watch closely, the black man who helped them farm is sitting in the pews with the racist white folks. He serves the blind man boarder next to him. He serves the 2 little children. They serve their mom. She serves her dead husband, who serves the young black man who shot him. The young black man says ever so softly, "Peace of God."
That is what is happening today in this sacrament of communion. As we gather at the table, we claim that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
We often read this passage at funerals. At funerals we may be asking the question, "Can death separate us from the love of God?" I don't want to make light of death. Grief can hurt. Wen we lose someone, there can be shock, numbness, denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and just pure exhaustion. We wonder if we have been left all alone.
We who believe in the God revealed in Jesus Christ have a particular answer to the question, can death separate from the love of God. In Jesus, we have a God, who has lived our life with all of its thoughts and feelings, who has died our death, and lives again so that we might live also. We follow Christ in life, in death, in life beyond death. So can death separate us from the love of God? We say, "No!" Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Paul is so sure that of this that he lists some 17 things that could threaten to cut us off from God's love: tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, sword, angels, rulers, powers...
What's on your list? My suspicion is that you have a list of things that you think might keep God's love from you. Maybe it's who's on your list? What person threatens you.
Your list might contain the loss of your job. We have many euphemisms: laid off, made redundant, reduction in force, etc. It may be that you have retired. I know of us males it is particularly hard. So much of our identity is tied up in what we do. Can the loss of your job separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus? No.
Maybe it's cancer, such a dread disease. Yesterday, a longtime friend of ours was buried. Kelli was a teacher, a worker at NASA, a wife, a mother. She was a seeker. When we first came to know her, she was not a believer. We invited her to Bible study. She came with her questions. When she got cancer, her questions got clarified. I don't mean that God caused her cancer. I mean that Kelli started asking about the meaning of her life. She came to believe in Jesus Christ and to testify to his goodness. Can cancer separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus? No.
Can the start of school? It won't be long now, but the answer is still no. Can this awful Texas heat?...well, the answer is still no.
How about something you did a long time ago, something you still hold against yourself. You know right where the evidence is kept. You keep it carefully filed away. No. Paul says, nothing in all creation. We are God's creatures. Not even ourselves, our worst enemies, can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Our greatest fear is the fear of being alone. Paul affirms that nothing can separate us from the love of God. We are never alone.
There is one part of the passage I would like to omit, the part of being sheep being led to the slaughter. I don't like that imagery. I went back and read Psalm 44 from whence the quote comes. It is an affirmation of faith in the Lord God who has worked our salvation all down through the ages. It says though that faithfulness to God does not equal success and big rewards. In fact, sometimes faithfulness to God engenders persecution and hardship. Still, we remain loyal to God, in spite of the outward circumstances.
That leads me to my closing, a film clip, which I rarely do. It comes from Places in the Heart, a movie set in Waxahachie, Texas, during the dust bowl, during the Depression. In the opening scene, a young black man accidentally shoots the sheriff and kills him. A lynching follows. The widow, played by Sally Fields, who wins an Oscar by the way, is struggling with 2 small children. The bank officer places a blind relative as a boarder with her. She gets a black man to help her farm. They must produce a crop to keep the bank from foreclosing on the farm. There is a drought, a tornado, and all kinds of trials. They make it through. In this final scene, they are in a church service. The critics pan this scene, but I think it is so powerful. See them pass the elements of the sacrament of communion along the pews--the bread and the tray with the little cups. There are ordinary citizens in the town. Now watch closely, the black man who helped them farm is sitting in the pews with the racist white folks. He serves the blind man boarder next to him. He serves the 2 little children. They serve their mom. She serves her dead husband, who serves the young black man who shot him. The young black man says ever so softly, "Peace of God."
That is what is happening today in this sacrament of communion. As we gather at the table, we claim that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
what are you seeking
8/4/11 My breath prayer for the day comes from Genesis 37:14b-15, "He came to Shechem, and a man found him wandering in the fields; the man asked him, 'What are you seeking?'" I wonder if you ever feel like this, wandering in the fields. You are not outstanding in your field; you are out standing in your field, not knowing where to go, what to do. The question the man asked is a good one: What are you seeking?
In the church we have "seeker services." We believe that it is not simply "what" but "whom" are you seeking.
St. Augustine said it well long ago, "our hearts are restless, till they find their rest in thee."
What are you seeking?
Love,
Lynn
In the church we have "seeker services." We believe that it is not simply "what" but "whom" are you seeking.
St. Augustine said it well long ago, "our hearts are restless, till they find their rest in thee."
What are you seeking?
Love,
Lynn
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
2 degrees
8/3/11 It has been hot here lately....unholy hot...hot enough to try one's soul...hot enough to cause an electric power alert. The past few days as I have driven home, listening to NPR on KUT radio, the alarm has gone out: conserve electricity, especially between 3 and 7 p.m. I cannot save the world, but I can do my little part. I have turned our A/C temperature setting up 2 degrees to 79 degrees.
We can blame big corporations, but everyone of us has a responsibility for God's creation. Some of the biggest polluters, users of energy, and causes of global warming are the billions of us who drive our cars, use all kinds of electrical devices, and turn our A/C's down. I propose turning our A/C's up 2 degrees in order to keep our planet from heating up another 2 degrees.
Love,
Lynn
We can blame big corporations, but everyone of us has a responsibility for God's creation. Some of the biggest polluters, users of energy, and causes of global warming are the billions of us who drive our cars, use all kinds of electrical devices, and turn our A/C's down. I propose turning our A/C's up 2 degrees in order to keep our planet from heating up another 2 degrees.
Love,
Lynn
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
feet
8/2/11 My breath prayer for the day comes from Romans 10:15, "And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? Asit is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!'" A book of devotions called the Daily Disciplines had as its focus this passage today. The author remarked about his feet that he did didn't think of them as very beautiful. When I look at my feet, I see a large scar on my left foot. When I was a preschooler, I was playing on a swingset in my grandparents' back yard in Marble Falls, Texas. A piece of metal scraped the top of my left foot off. I can remember it vividly, rolling around in the grass in the dark, squeezing my foot. When my parents got me to the back porch light, they were shocked to find a bloody mess. I remember getting 13 stitches at the emergency room at the hospital. It took a long time to heal in my memory. And getting the stitches out is still seared into my mind.
I have had other trouble with my feet, especially rashes. I am prone to skin irritation, and sweaty, non-aerated places like inside shoes only help.
But these feet have been called to proclaim the gospel. Week by week I stand before the gathered community and try to string together some words of hope and healing. Some of my colleagues preach bare-footed, emulating Moses' example of realizing he was standing on holy ground. How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!
Love,
Lynn
I have had other trouble with my feet, especially rashes. I am prone to skin irritation, and sweaty, non-aerated places like inside shoes only help.
But these feet have been called to proclaim the gospel. Week by week I stand before the gathered community and try to string together some words of hope and healing. Some of my colleagues preach bare-footed, emulating Moses' example of realizing he was standing on holy ground. How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!
Love,
Lynn
Monday, August 1, 2011
temporary relief
8/1/11 I woke up this morning to the news that our nation's governmental leaders are striking a deal that will avert a default on our paying our bills. I am relieved...temporarily. My breath prayer for the day comes from Romans 10:9, "If you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." When I read this verse, I wish it meant just a one-time-walking-up-front-at-the-end-of-the-service-profession-of-faith. I have come to believe that following Jesus is an all day, every day joy and discipline. It is not just a temporary relief, one time acts. I know our nation has many more steps to take and issues to resolve. I am happy for the temporary relief, but I am also longing for the longterm relief.
Love,
Lynn
Love,
Lynn
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)