Nola's Devotionals

On "Being" the Church

2011-05-25T18:30:00.000-07:00

A couple years ago I first heard the slogan, “Don’t Go to Church . . . Be the Church!” I thought it was a cool slogan. I even posted it as my Facebook status. A lot of my friends “liked” it. What I didn’t realize is that “Be the Church!” is a movement. You may have heard the ads on the local radio. Christians are cancelling Sunday morning worship services and going out into their communities and “being” the church by fixing up houses for the elderly, feeding the homeless, and doing hand-on missions of all types. In many ways, I admire the efforts that are behind the “Be the Church!” movement – a group of Christians who are striving to be the hands and feet of Christ.

It prompts me to ask, though, “What does it mean to ‘be’ the church?” Is it doing missions and service projects? Yes! Is it feeding the homeless? Certainly! Is it praying with and for each other and for the world? Of course!

Is it worship?

This summer I will go to Western Theological Seminary in Holland, MI to take an “intensive” class on RCA Worship. It is a required class for RCA ministers of Word and sacrament. On worship.

Worshiping is something that we do together as Christians. In worship, we are “being the church”! We learn our theology from the hymns we sing. Our liturgy patterns the kingdom of God. Through routine participation in the liturgy we grow in our ability to see the world as Christ does, not just on Sunday but every day. There exists an intersection between liturgy and Christian ethics. In worship, our hearts are tuned to the heart of God. Our lives are linked to the life of the world. The practice of worship patterns a way of living for Christians. It is a way Christians are "being the church."

The word "liturgy" means "work of the people." Eastern Orthodox use a phrase, "liturgy after the Liturgy." Our work (Liturgy) on Sunday morning continues in the work (liturgy) of our week. The "work of the people" continues as we are commissioned to go into the world.

As I said, I admire the efforts that are behind the “Be the Church!” movement. I would admire it more, though, if Christians were giving up Saturday afternoon leisure activities, instead of Sunday worship, in order to “be the church.” Tell me what you think. What does it mean to “be the church”?

(For more on worship and theology, I recommend "A More Profound Alleluia: Theology and Worsip in Harmony" edited by Leanne Van Dyk)

Continuing to Seek the Face of God

2011-04-15T18:19:00.000-07:00

Psalm 27

At times it can be very clear to us the direction which God would have us go. Other times, though, we are left worrying and wondering if we are making the right decisions or not. At the end of Psalm 27, when the Psalmist said, “Wait on the Lord,” I don’t think he meant to sit around and do nothing until we have a perfectly clear vision of what God wants us to do with our lives before we step out to do something. “Wait for the Lord” is also sometimes translated as “stay with God” or “trust the Lord.” Poverty, injustice and suffering are happening all around us. We should inquire of the Lord, seek God’s direction, but when we’re not sure of the specifics, we can rest assured that when we work to mend the brokenness around us, we are working where God is already present.

When we feel a little directionally challenged, like we aren’t hearing a clear message about which path to follow, we might be able to find an ounce of hope from the confidence that is demonstrated in the Psalm. We, ourselves, can be confident because God always has and always will guide God’s people. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, led his people out of slavery in Egypt and guided them through the desert. Even when it might not be so clear to us, God never has and God never will forsake us—God will always be our guide.

This attitude, that God will never forsake us, is evident in the words of the Psalmist when he proclaims, “For he (God) will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will set me high on a rock.” (Ps 27:5, NRSV) We, too, may seek the face of God because we want to be comforted and protected by God.

I wonder, though, if seeking God in the first place is precisely what got David into the position he was in – in the position of needing God’s protection.

When we seek God’s direction, when we let ourselves be guided by God, when we work for God’s kingdom on earth, chances are that we might just be asked to do some things that will be met with resistance. We might be asked to step out into something we are not comfortable doing. However, like the Psalmist, we need not fear because we, too, can put our trust in the providence of God. The God who brought the Israelites out of slavery, who fed them in the desert, has protected those whom he has chosen to be a light in the world and to be the salt of the earth. We may not have manna falling from the sky, but, we have something even better. As baptized children of God, we have been marked in Christ with a seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Beholding the Beauty of the Lord

2011-04-05T18:45:00.000-07:00

One thing I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: to live in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple. – Psalm 27:4

Why did David request to be in the presence of God, why did he seek the face of God? David had confidence that when he sought after God, that God would respond; God would indeed reveal himself. David was seeking the face of God in order to behold the beauty of the Lord. When we seek the face of God, don’t we, also, long to behold the beauty of the Lord?

When we come to worship each week, don’t we hope to have an encounter with the One we worship? Who doesn’t desire to hear a word from the Lord that will touch our hearts, inspire us, encourage us, comfort us and maybe even convict us?

When we think about beholding the beauty of the Lord we may also think of places outside of the church sanctuary. What about times we are overcome with awe from nature’s beauty – a sunset on the beach, the view from a mountaintop? This all sounds quite lovely, and it is. But, let’s face it. There are times when we don’t take time or perhaps we don’t pay attention to the beauty of the Lord. This is not just true in our busy society today. In my Hebrew class, we recently translated Genesis 28. This is the story of Jacob’s dream of the ladder that had messengers of God ascending and descending on it. Jacob woke up from his dream and exclaimed, “Surely the Lord is in this place – and I did not know it.” (Gn 28:16b, NRSV) God was present. Jacob was not. The Lord was with me – and I did not know it.

Have you ever experienced something similar in your life? I have. It was a hot, sunny afternoon and I was sitting on the bleachers while my son was practicing baseball with his team. The sun was burning the skin on my arms. I was looking at the ground, thinking that I hadn’t spent much time in prayer that day. As I was making plans of when I would set aside time that day for prayer, a cool breeze brushed across my skin. It took my breath away and woke me up to that thought that God was already present with me right there in that moment. In that moment I needed to wake up and spend a few moments in prayer.

I didn’t learn my lesson, though. A few minutes later I was still on the bleachers, writing out my grocery list and thinking about how I would spend some quality time with my son later that evening. Suddenly, laughter broke out among all the kids on the baseball team. Again, I was not paying attention. I was wrapped up in planning the future and I missed the event of the moment that caused the laughter!

Often, spending “quality time” with the ones we love – whether it be our family or beholding the beauty of the Lord, we simply need to wake up and pay attention to what is already taking place in the moment. When we wake up and pay attention, I don’t think we can help but find ourselves feeling like King David did when he responded, “I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the LORD.” (Ps 27:6b)

Seeking the Face of God

2011-04-03T18:49:00.000-07:00

If you could ask God for only one thing, what would it be? Good health? To be loved intimately and unconditionally by another person? Wisdom? World peace? To turn back time so that you could get a “do over” in life?

In Psalm 27, only one thing is asked for. And that one thing makes even the most worthy of the requests I just mentioned pale in comparison. “One thing I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: to live in the house of the LORD all the days of my life.” (Ps 27:4a, NRSV)

The Psalms tell us a lot, not only about the characteristics of God, but also about how human beings openly and honestly relate to God. Psalm 27 speaks volumes about the desire humans have to experience the presence of God – the one thing David seeks after is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of his life.

Why do you think this is the one thing David seeks after? He speaks of evildoers who want to devour his flesh, of armies that are encamped against him and of war rising up around him. But, the one thing he asks for is not for the annihilation of the evildoers or the destruction of the armies or the ceasing of the war against him – he asks for one thing – to be in the presence of God. He says, “‘Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud, be gracious to me and answer me! ‘Come,’ my heart says, ‘seek his face!’ Your face, LORD, do I seek.” (Ps 27:7-8, NRSV) The Hebrew word used here for “face” is figurative; it means “presence.” The one thing David requests of the Lord is to be in God’s presence.

Ultimately, isn’t this the one thing we all long for – to be in the presence of God all the days of our lives?

This Psalm is often read as part of a funeral liturgy. It offers living hope that those who have died are living eternally in the presence of God, and perhaps it reminds us that we, too, have the possibility of living now in the presence of our almighty God.

Have you ever asked a child what they would wish for if they could have only one wish? The smart kids will ask for more wishes!

I’m not suggesting that we view God as a cosmic vending machine that dispenses the prizes we wish for. But, what I am suggesting is that David is giving the smart answer by asking to be in the presence of God. In the presence of God, we are better able to confront whatever it is that is placed before us – in life and in death.

(This is an excerpt from a sermon I gave at First Reformed Church of Cary in March 2011)

(Image from Scripture Pics)

Encouraging One Another

2011-02-04T17:53:00.000-08:00

“For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness." Romans 12:4-8

“Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Spiritual gifts are not magical. We are not instantaneously perfected in them the moment we are cleansed in the baptismal waters. It takes time, prayer, and experimentation to even know what our spiritual gifts are in the first place. Once we start discovering them, it takes a lifetime of practicing and nurturing them in order for them to reach maturity. We will most likely stumble a few times along the way. Our brothers and sisters in Christ will see us when we trip up because spiritual gifts cannot be practiced in the privacy of our own homes. Our gifts are meant to edify the Church so that’s where we exercise them – in the Church, with each other.

As Christians, we are called not only to use our spiritual gifts, but to encourage and build up one another. I think this encouragement and building up is essential to developing our gifts. Fortunately, I have witnessed this being done numerous times for members of my church family, by my church family. Kind words spoken. Opportunities given. Open-mindedness to trying out new ideas. Warm hugs. Pleasant smiles. Encouraging words. Patient attitudes. Non-judgmental statements. A gentle sense of humor.

I have not only observed others who receive such compassion and encouragement I’ve been on the receiving end of it myself. As I develop my pastoral and leadership gifts, there will be times when I will stumble along the way. The first time I served as a leader in celebrating Communion, I was about half way through the liturgy (which I knew without hesitation just before the service!) when I completely blanked out on the next sentence. As I looked out into the congregation I didn’t see anyone rolling their eyes or giving me a critical look. What I saw, instead, were encouraging smiles that portrayed a “you can do it!” attitude and sympathetic eyes that demonstrated a “we all make mistakes” kind of understanding.

I am thankful to be in a church that is so faithful about encouraging and building up one another. If you are unsure about what your spiritual gifts might be, then I hope you will ask trusted friends what gifts they see in you – and then test them out. Or, if you know what your gifts are but have let them get a little rusty from lack of exercise, then I encourage you to give them a workout. And, as the apostle Paul says, “encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you have been doing”!

Marked for a Purpose

2011-01-09T18:36:00.000-08:00

Matthew 3:13-17

“This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” It feels good to receive praise and kind words from someone we look up to. But we generally think that in order to receive praise we have to do something to earn it. Studying hard in school leads to an A on the report card. Hours of practice and time spent at the batting cages gives a young baseball player the ability to hit a line drive down third base for a double. When he reaches second base, that young man will almost inevitably look over to see the smile of approval on his dad’s face. But, God showed his approval, was well pleased with his beloved Son, even before the Son began his ministry. This is consistent with the way God has done things throughout history – choosing to love humankind before anything is done by humans to earn God’s love or approval.

Noah was saved from the flood because he was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. But, even Noah wasn’t perfect – soon after the ark was on dry ground he drank too much wine. God’s covenant to never flood the earth was made to Noah and to all generations after him. The generations after Noah received the promised covenant before we were even born, before we did anything to earn God’s praise.

Look at Abraham. We don’t know why God chose to make a covenant with him – to make of him a great nation and bless him and his ancestors. Abraham wasn’t perfect. He lacked trust when he tried to pass his wife Sarah off as his sister, twice.

Matthew’s genealogy in chapter 1 shows the lineage of Jesus to come from people like David who was a murderer and an adulterer. He listed five women in his genealogy – all of them except for Mary have either Gentile origins or Gentile connections and they were in relationships that were somewhat suspect. But God works outside of the cultural norm.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus affirms that God does not choose to bless those who our culture might lift up. Instead, God chooses to bless the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, and the peacemakers. (Matthew 5) The kingdom of God is upside down, it is in contrast to our cultural norms.

We come to be baptized because like Noah and Abraham, like the merciful and the meek, we have been chosen by God. Baptism is a sign and seal of God's covenant of grace with us and our children. It is with us and our children. Most of my Baptist Divinity School classmates, who I love and who I know love me, would probably not relate to me on this matter – I like that we baptize babies in the Reformed Church.

Infant baptism, covenantal baptism, is not a part of the tradition I grew up in. My church practiced what is called “believer’s baptism.” Believer’s baptism requires that the one being baptized must say a sinner’s prayer and make the choice themselves, when they reach a certain age of awareness, to be baptized. I was baptized as an adult and for many years I struggled with the notion of infant baptism, wondering how babies could be baptized when they were incapable of making the decision to follow Christ for themselves. I wrestled with whether or not infant baptism was Biblical. I thought putting a little water on someone’s head was, well, kind of wimpy in comparison to a full immersion baptism. In fact, I still prefer full immersion when it comes to an adult being baptized.

Over time, though, I’ve come to the place where I not only feel good about having had my own children baptized as babies, but I am also completely comfortable with the thought that I might be baptizing babies myself someday as a Minister of Word and Sacrament.

Let me share some of the reasons why I’ve come to be at peace with this by using an illustration. A classmate of mine is in the process of adopting a baby from Rwanda. He and his wife already love this child before they have even held her. They have chosen to adopt this baby and promise to always care for her and love her. Someday, this baby might grow up to be a rebellious teenager. She might tell them that she wishes they had never adopted her. She could run away and reject them as her parents. But, none of that will change the fact that she was adopted into their loving family. She will always be a part of their family. They will always love her unconditionally.

When a baby is baptized, a claim is made on that child. When I was in the Methodist Church we sang a lullaby to newly baptized babies as the pastor brought the baby out into the pews for their new family to gawk over. The song went something like this: “Sally, Sally, God claims you, God helps you, protects you. and loves you too. We this day do all agree a child of God you’ll always be.” That baby belongs to a new family, the Church. God and this new family have made a claim on this child, they vow to love this baby and nurture it. Even if that baby grows up someday to say she doesn’t want to be a part of that family, it doesn’t change the fact that she has been adopted by God and by the Church, a loving family.

Another reason that I have come to be fond of infant baptism is that baptizing an infant clearly puts the emphasis on who the main actor is in all baptisms – God. We are the recipients of what God does. As William Willimon says, “The power of sacraments like baptism and communion does not entirely depend on me – my thoughts about God, my ability to love God, my feelings about myself or God, my skill at leading a holy life. In his infinite love, God has not left us alone. God continually, graciously, unconditionally gives himself to us and makes himself present to us in ways that can be touched, tasted, felt, seen, acted.”1 Baptism is first and foremost something that God does.

Something else happens in baptism. At the baptism of Jesus, the Spirit descended like a dove on Jesus. The Holy Spirit empowers and equips us at our baptism. Baptism is a means of God’s grace. The RCA baptism liturgy says that “In baptism God promises by grace alone to send the Holy Spirit daily to renew and cleanse us; and to resurrect us to eternal life.”2 Daily! How often do we remember that this happens daily? Immediately following Christ’s baptism he was led into temptation. Even though we have been claimed, marked by God, we will face temptations. But, as baptized Christians, God sends the Holy Spirit daily to renew and cleanse us. Remember that – daily! Remind yourself and remind your children. Tell them who they are – they are baptized children of God. We are baptized children of God and there is a responsibility that goes along with that.

We are not marked to go out on our own to serve our Lord. Christ didn’t do his ministry alone. From the start, he gathered up disciples who left their nets and followed him. We journey in our ministry with other disciples of Christ. In fact, there is a reason we don’t do baptisms in private. “In the Reformed Church, baptism is always performed in the context of a congregation of God's people. The congregation commits itself to the spiritual nurture of the infant, child, or adult being baptized. Baptism is the mark of corporate as well as individual faith. The journey of faith that begins in individual baptism continues in the church community.”3 It is the Church that bears the task and that is called to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28)

Christ was marked for a purpose. We are marked for a purpose. Baptism is a sign and seal of God’s promises to his covenant people. Just as baptism began Christ’s journey of ministry it begins ours. Our baptism initiates us into a new family and a new way of life. This new way of life is often at odds with the status quo and with what the world values. It is at odds with other allegiances like nation or family. A friend of mine succinctly says “baptism trumps biology.”4 We are no longer defined or constrained by our family ties or experiences or upbringing, but through baptism we “belong body and soul, in life and death to our faithful Savior, Jesus Christ.”5 Christ’s ministry led him to a shameful and bitter death of the cross and our ministry calls for us to bear the cross of Christ. In our baptism we die. Our death is to the old life and we are born anew. “We are cleansed in Christ's blood, buried with him unto death, that we might rise with him and walk in newness of life.”6

Thanks be to God that we are marked in love and we are marked for a purpose. Amen.

This post is adapted from the sermon I gave today (the first Sunday after Epiphany) at First Reformed Church of Cary. Following the sermon we reaffirmed our baptismal vows and the choir sang this old spiritual as we came forward to put water on our foreheads as a symbolic way to remember our baptism.

1. William H. Willimon, “Remember Who You Are: Baptism, a model for Christian Life, Page 34.
2. Worship the Lord: The Liturgy of the Reformed Church in America
3. RCA Website
4. Debra Dean Murphy
5. Heidelberg Catechism Q & A #1
6. RCA Website

The Journey, the Star, and the Worship

2010-12-25T12:54:00.000-08:00

Matthew 2:1-12

The nativity scene on the bookshelf in my living room shows baby Jesus surrounded by Mary and Joseph, an angel, the wise men, the shepherds, and some animals. At our Christmas Eve service we talked about the shepherds and the wise men coming to visit Jesus. But scholars and historians tell us that the wise men likely did not arrive on the scene until Jesus was a few years old. In his gospel, Matthew didn’t give us dates and he didn’t tell us how long it took for the wise men to get to Jesus so I don’t think such details are all that important to God’s message.

Even though we don’t know when the wise men arrived, it is clear that it must have been a long journey from “the east.” They were coming from far away, not just from a neighboring village. They were following a star. I wonder if they thought about where the star would take them. What did they have to give up, leave behind, in order to follow the star? How long would they be gone? Like the wise men, we too, as followers of Christ are on a journey. We don’t always know exactly where this journey will take us when we faithfully follow the star. On the journey we will be asked to leave some things behind. We don’t know where there might be rough terrain or hardships along the way. The Scripture does not speak to how many wise men there were on the journey, we often assume it was three because there were three gifts. But, it is clear that there was more than one. The wise men were not alone on their journey and we are not alone on ours. We have companionship with one another on the journey.

The journey of the wise men was not random or unaided. They followed the star that led them to the Christ child. The journey we take as Christians is also not random. Our star, our revelation of God is in Jesus Christ. If we stay focused on the star, on Christ, we might encounter rough terrain and when we follow our star, we might be asked to take some risks. We are told to do things like take up our cross each day. But when we follow, we will find what the Magi experienced. “When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy.”

I see this story, though, as about more than a long journey, or about being guided by a star, the story also reveals the purpose of the journey and the star – to pay homage to a king. So, what does it mean to “pay homage”? Some translations use the word “worship.” The Greek word used in this passage was commonly used to “describe the custom of prostrating oneself at the feet of a king."1 To pay homage, to prostrate oneself before the Lord, creates an image of an intense, whole-hearted form of worship – of giving ones whole self to the Lord. I’m not suggesting that we all need to physically prostrate ourselves on the floor in order to properly worship God. What I am suggesting is that we ask ourselves some questions about the way we worship – how do we pay homage to the Lord? Do we give our whole selves to God? Are we fully attentive in our worship, kneeling before Jesus as the wise men did?

Notice verse 11: “On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure-chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” Looking at the gifts, “the gold was precious, worthy of a king; frankincense was incense worthy of a divinity; and myrrh was a spice used in burials. So the gifts were appropriate for one who was a king, a God, and a suffering redeemer. They could also symbolize our response: gold – virtue or good deeds, incense – worship or prayer, and myrrh – suffering and sacrifice.”2 Not that the gifts are unimportant, perhaps they were part of the worship. But I think more important than the gifts themselves is what happened before the gifts were given. The worship, the homage, was paid, first. The wise men gave themselves first and after that they presented their gifts.

Just as the wise men traveled together on a journey, may we find support and companionship as we travel the journey of life and faith together. May we have clear vision, keeping our sight set on the brightest star of all, the star that brings us salvation. And, may we pay homage by fully giving ourselves to God when we worship the One who was placed in a manger, who lived a life without sin, and who died on a cross for our sins. Our journey is a precious journey of life everlasting. Amen.

1 Thomas H. Troeger, Feasting on the Word: Year A, Vol. 1, p. 215.

2 R. Alan Culpepper, Feasting on the Word: Year A Vol. 1, p. 215.

Image from Art Net

Winter Solstice: The Longest Night

2010-12-19T13:34:00.000-08:00

This Tuesday night, December 21st, is the winter solstice. It marks the beginning of winter, and it will bring with it the shortest day – and the longest night – of the year. For those who are worried about how to pay for their next meal, for those who will find an empty chair at the dinner table this Christmas Eve, and for those who are sick or carry a heavy heart for a loved one who is suffering, the long nights can be excruciatingly long.

The prophet Jeremiah is known as “the weeping prophet.” He was called to preach and prophesy to God’s people during a time of turmoil and upheaval. The book of Jeremiah can be a difficult one to read because it contains a lot of doom and gloom. But, it also provides a message of timeless hope. I would imagine that it brought comfort to the people of Judah who had been taken from their homeland by the Babylonians and forced to live in exile. While in exile, God’s people found themselves faced with some troubling questions – did the nation’s collapse mean that God had forgotten them? Had God turned away from the covenant made at Sinai? Was the Lord powerless in comparison with the deities who had won the war? How could the people possibly survive the destruction? Had God abandoned them? What did the future hold?

There are times in our own lives today when we may feel as if we are living in a sort of exile and our troubling questions might not be all that different from the people of Judah. Why do bad things happen to good people? Where is God in all the turmoil and injustice that goes on in our world today? How can we possibly survive some of the tragedies of our lives? When we’ve lost a loved one, or when we acknowledge our health will never be like it once was, or when we cannot find resolution or reconciliation in a now broken relationship that had once brought us happiness and fulfillment, we might, like the Israelites, wonder with despair about how our altered future will unfold.

Within the doom and gloom in the book of Jeremiah, lies a section of chapters that scholars refer to as the “Book of Consolation.” Jeremiah chapter 31 is a part of this book within a book. Listen for the message of hope that God gave to a wounded people, just at the time when they needed it the most:

The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the LORD. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, ‘Know the LORD’, for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the LORD; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more. Jeremiah 31:31-34 (NRSV)

God shows his people a profound kind of intimacy by saying, “though I was their husband.” God promises an even more radical intimacy through the new covenant. This new covenant “is given by God without reason or explanation. God wants the relationship with the people and resolves to have it. So God declares that he will write himself into the people.” (Walter Brueggemann)

God says, “I will be their God and they will be my people. No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me.” We read this passage today through the lens of the New Testament. We see the new covenant as being fulfilled in Jesus Christ, partially now and more fully when Christ returns. We are among those who “know the Lord.” Think about that – about what it means to “know the Lord.”

God did not take away the suffering that the people of Judah experienced. Today we still endure pain and sorrows and at times we might feel as if God has abandoned us, but God has not abandoned us, God is with us – God is with us and God is for us. We “know the Lord” through the love and redemption given us in Jesus Christ.

Take a moment to reflect on these questions:

I ask again, what does it mean to “know the Lord”?

What does it mean for the Lord to be our God and for us to be God’s people?

Where do you see God in your current situation?

When you look back on your life, on times when you have felt sorrow and sadness, times when you may have wondered where God is – looking back now, where do you see the hand of God?

How does knowing God change the way you might see your future?

How do you find comfort in knowing that you are a beloved child of God?

In the darkest moments of our lives, we may at times wonder if we really “know God,” but we need not worry. We can take comfort because even in our anxiety and unknowing, God knows us. God knows us with a radical intimacy that we find expressed in the passage from Jeremiah. You are known by God – the giver of life and the sustainer of light – you are known and loved by the One who first loved you. Amen.

(This is an excerpt from a reflection I gave at First Reformed Church of Cary's Blue Christmas service on December 19, 2010.)

(Image from: http://www.guardian.co.uk/gallery/galleryguide/0,,196447,00.html)

Advent Blessings

2010-11-26T11:07:00.000-08:00

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name.” Psalm 103:1

During Advent, I often sign my correspondence with “Advent Blessings” as compared to “Sincerely,” “Yours Truly,” or some other traditional ending. As a Hebrew student, this year when I say “Advent Blessings” I have a broader understanding of what it means “to bless.”

Have you ever wondered how we bless the Lord, as in Psalm 103? How can we (the creation) bless God (the Creator)? Doesn’t that seem a little backwards? God blesses us, but what can we do to bless God? The Hebrew word that is used in this Psalm is the word “barak." This word means to bless, but it can also mean “to kneel.” When we bless the Lord, we are not passing blessings unto God. We are expressing how blessed God is, kneeling humbly before the Lord. In the Psalm, “Bless the Lord” might also be translated as something like “Adore the Lord with bended knees.”

Around Thanksgiving, my friend Debra Dean Murphy, who teaches religion classes at West Virginia Wesleyan College, had the following thought-provoking statement written as her Facebook status: “Count your blessings” is pop-theology with a dubious connection to the Bible. In the Old Testament, "bless" is most commonly used as a liturgical exhortation, as in "Bless the Lord." In the New Testament, we are enjoined to bless those who curse or persecute us. We're not so much the recipients of blessings as we are those who bless God and bless others.

My friend’s statement reminds me of who Jesus calls blessed. Jesus did not say blessed are those who have nice houses or drive BMW’s or even those who have good health, loving marriages, or beautiful children (not that we shouldn’t be thankful for these things). Jesus said those who are blessed are the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake. (Matthew 5:3-10)

My prayer for us this Advent season and beyond is that we will bless the Lord (adore the Lord with bended knees), that we will bless others, and that we will consider who Jesus himself calls blessed.

Advent Blessings,

Nola

"Guide Me"

2010-11-15T03:36:00.000-08:00

(This is the sermon I gave at First Reformed Church of Cary on 11/14/2010)

Scripture: Acts 8:4-8, 26-40

This passage about Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch will always be a particularly meaningful passage to me. It reminds me of my first day at Campbell Divinity School. At the beginning of my first class, the professor announced that we would be reading this story every week, taking turns in sharing a brief reflection about the text. As he read off the dates for each class period, my classmates raised their hands to sign up for a reflection. There were more students than class periods, so it wasn’t required that I participate. I struggled with making a decision and by the time I got brave enough to lift my arm, the only dates left were during the latter part of the semester.

My stomach was immediately in knots. Why did I volunteer to do something I didn’t have to do? And, if I were going to sign up, why didn’t I raise my hand right away? So many other students were going before me - how could we read the same passage every class and still come up with fresh insights? I thought we would become tired of the same story and surely nothing would be left to say about it by my turn. Surprisingly, we didn't grow weary of the text. And, as the semester unfolded, we found each student to be inspired with thoughts that took on a new perspective from the week before it. Reading the same story in a group, whether it be in a divinity school class, a Sunday school class, or any group of believers gathered together, a richness will be added to individual’s understanding of the passage as each person shares their own insights and perspectives. This uniqueness of thought is just one example of how God continues to illuminate the holy and inspired words of the Bible. God still speaks today! The Bible is the living word of God.

Needless say, after spending a whole semester on this passage, I had a hard time narrowing down what to include in my sermon and still, well, get us out in time for lunch. The affirmation I had about Scripture, that God continues to speak through its words and in light of our upcoming church-wide Bible study, I felt prompted to focus on the role of Scripture itself in this passage, on our need to be guided, and on our calling to be a guide for others.

Before we get into the heart of talking about the role of Scripture, though, we first need to know a little more about the main characters in our story – Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch. In this passage, Philip sets a prime example for Christians throughout time on how to evangelize. He was not one of the twelve original disciples selected by Jesus. He was part of one of the early groups of believers that formed in Jerusalem after the death and resurrection of Jesus. But, it’s not only pastors or missionaries that are called to evangelize – as followers of Christ, we are all called to “therefore make disciples of all nations.”

In Acts chapter 6, prior to what happened in the passage we read today, Philip was chosen as one of the seven to help with the daily distribution of food. There was a disagreement in the early community of believers that some widows did not think they were receiving a fair share. We are told that those to be selected for the task of feeding the widows were to be “of good standing and full of the Spirit and of wisdom.” The fact that Philip was chosen tells us something about the way he was regarded. Philip is clearly an evangelist in the passage we read to today, but even when distributing food to the hungry, I would argue that Philip was evangelizing. St. Francis of Assisi said “Preach the Gospel at all times, use words when necessary.” Sometimes the best evangelism comes in the form of a sandwich – of meeting someone’s physical needs.

In accordance with Scripture, Philip evangelized through his actions, but he also evangelized through his words. When he evangelized, he didn’t seem to mind how big his audience was. He preached the Messiah to the crowds in Samaria and he sat alone next to an Ethiopian, guiding him and proclaiming the good news about Jesus Christ.

Another main character in our story today is the Ethiopian Eunuch. One scholar describes him this way: “Look at him: the man is an Ethiopian, which means that he was gorgeous (because in those days the Ethiopians were considered the most beautiful of all people in the ancient world); the man has a chariot and a scroll, which means that he was rich since that’s the kind of thing rich people had; he’s the Queen of Ethiopia’s treasurer, in charge of all her money, which means that he was powerful. Beautiful, rich, powerful, and—a eunuch, a castrated male, which means that in the eyes of Jewish law, he was a mutilated outcast, forbidden to even enter the temple. No one was allowed to talk with him, or have a meal with him, or even touch him, no matter how beautiful, rich, and powerful he was.” (Anna Florence Carter)

We’ve met the characters. Now, let’s look at what part Scripture played between the Ethiopian and Philip. The Ethiopian was riding along in his chariot, which probably looked like a covered wagon, and he was reading a scroll of the prophet Isaiah – the suffering servant prophecy in Isaiah 53: “Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and like a lamb silent before its shearer, so he does not open his mouth. 33In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.” I would imagine that the Ethiopian, being himself marginalized, would have felt something in common, a sort of connection, with this suffering servant he was reading about in Isaiah.

When Philip came running alongside his chariot in response to the Spirit’s guidance, Philip asked him if he understood what he was reading. The Eunuch replied, “How can I, unless someone guides me?”

Unless someone guides me.

The Ethiopian could read and acquire information from what he was reading. But, it doesn’t do us much good to read the Bible in order to just gain information alone. In some ways, I think we are all like the Ethiopian in that we need a guide. The Bible gives us a starting place and a place to check our answers. But, it helps to have someone guide us. The reason we can’t just read the Bible on our own is because that’s not the way it was written to be – it was written to be read in community as well. Paul, for example, was writing to specific churches and his letters were intended for the edification of the church, of the congregation as a community.

Let me be clear about what I am and am not saying. We should open up our Bibles and read them in private. And, we can read it on our own, we don’t need a priest to interpret the passages for us – we are the priesthood of believers. But, what I am saying is that the Bible is meant to edify the Church. And, it can be difficult for us to understand, to interpret, and to know how to apply it to our lives when we try to do it in isolation from other believers.

Let me give an example of what I mean about the Bible not always being so clear cut by using one man’s experiment of trying to live the Bible as literally as possible for one year. J. A. Jacobs gives a humorous account of his religious experiment in his book titled, A Year of Living Biblically. As a part of his experiment, Jacobs did not cut his hair, he changed the way he dressed – not using any mixed fibers, and he significantly altered his diet. Just think about all those food rules in Leviticus! Jacobs, perhaps like many of us, found the Sabbath difficult to observe. That was, until the one day when he accidently locked himself in the bathroom with nothing to do for hours until his wife came home. At times, he annoyed his wife - like when he asked her not to sit on the furniture once a month when she was "unclean." He also amused her by always telling the complete truth. Jacobs found many rules in the Bible to be too difficult (and some even illegal) to uphold. He used creative and comical ways to bend outdated rules, including the way he stoned an adulterer without her knowledge. He dropped a pebble on a random woman’s shoe assuming that at some point in her life she must have at least had impure thoughts, making her an adulterer. Even Jacobs, though, discovered that he couldn’t interpret the Bible alone. “So he met with others to discuss its meaning. It drew him into community and into a new way of thinking of others.” (page 187, J. Peter Holmes, Feasting on the Word Commentary)

Let’s get back to Philip and the Ethiopian and the role of Scripture in our narrative. The Ethiopian understood the importance of Scripture in his search for God. He recognized his need for someone to guide him. He needed a guide, but so did Philip. Philip had been guided by the Spirit to follow the chariot – the Spirit gave him direction, inspiring his interpretation of Isaiah to the Ethiopian. Philip was obedient to God’s calling and I think the reason he was so in tune with the Spirit’s prompting was because he understood the importance of studying Scripture. Scripture points us to God.

Starting with Scripture, Philip told the Ethiopian about the good news of Jesus Christ. Upon receiving this guidance, the Ethiopian was changed. He found acceptance from the Suffering Servant who was himself marginalized. He wanted to know what could prevent him from being baptized. As a Eunuch, he had been prevented from being a full member of the Jewish community. But, nothing prevented him from being baptized as a Christian – from being a full member of the Body of Christ. Through the Scriptures, Christ was revealed to him and nothing would exclude him from being a full Christian. How did he respond to this? He went on his way rejoicing!

FRCC is getting ready to start “The Word from Heaven in 2011” in which we will read through the Bible in a year. Next Sunday is Consecration Sunday and we will pledge our financial gifts as well as our gifts of time and service. There will be an opportunity to commit to trying to participate in “The Word from Heaven in 2011” program. Be sure to check out the article about it in the Family Times. If you feel it is too much to commit to reading the whole Bible right now, there is also an option to read just the NT and Psalms.

As we read through the Bible as a congregation in 2011, we are learning and growing in God’s grace together, answering for each other the Eunuch’s question – how can we understand it without someone to guide us? With the guidance of the Holy Spirit working amongst us, we will guide each other. The sermons throughout the year will be connected to the readings and there will be opportunities to meet in small groups to discuss what we’re reading. Just as it was confirmed for me in my class last year, God continues to speak through the words of the Bible. While it is a big commitment, one that should really be thought through and prayed over, we can be confident that out of the study and hard work, fruit will be born, lives will be transformed, and we, like Philip, can individually and as a church learn to become better evangelists, enabling us to live out the great commission of making disciples of all nations. And, because Jesus Christ is revealed to us in Scripture, how can we not be like the Ethiopian and go on our way rejoicing! Amen.

Almighty God,

We come to you in prayer with so many reasons to rejoice.

We rejoice because you continue to speak to us today.

We rejoice for the words of the Bible that point to you.

We rejoice that you have revealed yourself to us in the suffering servant, in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We rejoice, knowing that you invite and welcome all of your children equally – the outcast and the accepted, the marginalized and the prominent, the poor and the rich, the weak and the powerful. You love us all.

Gracious God who brings joy, we ask that just as the Spirit guided Philip, that your Spirit will also guide us, individually and as a congregation. May we, like Philip, hear, respond, and be obedient to the ways in which the Holy Spirit moves among us, prompting us and nudging us to do your will. May we, like the Ethiopian Eunuch rejoice always in the gospel, in the good news of Jesus Christ our Lord who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever - we pray in His name. Amen.

Ask, Search, Knock & What's Wrong with My Prayers?

2010-10-26T04:47:00.000-07:00

Luke 11:1-13

(Continued from yesterday’s post)

I have one more struggle with the “ask, search, knock” passage. I think it could cause us to focus too much on ourselves by making us ask questions about where we are falling short in prayer – questions such as, “Why doesn’t God answer? Am I not asking often enough? Am I not searching hard enough? Do I knock loud enough? Isn’t my request in line with God’s will enough? What is the right combination of prayer in order for God to give me what I am asking for? Don’t I have the right technique? How can I persuade God to answer my prayer?” I am asking, but I am not receiving – what is wrong with ME and MY prayers!

First of all, I think these are the wrong questions to ask. It is true that “ask, search, and knock” are all active verbs which require something more of us than just passively waiting for a solution. We should take heed to the African proverb that says to “pray with our feet” by being active in doing something to answer our prayers. We can make efforts to bring about peace, to comfort someone who is sick, and to alleviate poverty. I relate to Shane Claiborne when he says he wants to ask God why there is all this suffering and misery in the world – hungry, poverty, disease – why don’t you do something about it God? But, he is afraid God will ask the same question of him! Asking, searching, and knocking just might require something of us.

However, I do think there is more to prayer than just our actions and our prayers alone. This semester I’ve been reading part of John Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion and I’m particularly intrigued by the implications reformed theology has on prayer. As Margit Ernst-Habib points out, “Reformed theology, and John Calvin in particular, has always emphasized that we cannot separate who God is and what God does from who we are and what we are called to do. God’s sovereignty over all areas of our life does not allow for a disconnection of private and public faith life.”

If we use this Reformed perspective as principle, then we recognize that our focus in reading the “ask, search, knock” passage should have not just one, but two areas of focus. We tend to focus on what we are to do – we are to ask, search, and knock and to be persistent in prayer. But, I want to suggest that looking through a reformed lens this passage is just as much about God as it is about us. We need to keep this double perspective in mind when we look at what “persistence” in prayer means.

What about God’s persistence? “God’s persistent, unshakable, everlasting love for us, for all of God’s creation.” According to Calvin, what we deserve is God’s condemnation. “But, God is so persistently in love with us, God’s love is so sovereign and unshakable, [as we sing in worship, God is invincible, immortal, God only wise and] we can trust in this God” to answer our prayers by giving us what we need. We can have confidence that God listens to our prayers. God does hear us crying out day and night, in joy and in frustration, in petition and in thanksgiving. God hears us. Even though you might not see it at times, God does hear you! God listens to your prayers and God answers even if the answer not what we want. We can trust God and God’s faithful persistence as a God who loves us as our heavenly parent. Are you yourself a parent? To quote Luke, "Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Taken in context, I can find truth in the “ask, search, knock” passage. Because, taken in context, we discover that God is faithful in giving us, not what we want, but more importantly, what we need. God is not a slot machine God; he is a living, loving parent who wants us to be in relationship with him and with each other. And, although it is clear that Jesus tells us to take action, our prayers should not cause us to focus on what we are or are not doing right when it comes to asking, seeking, and knocking. Jesus tells us to be persistent in prayer, but we are praying to our God who is himself persistent in loving us.

So, I conclude by encouraging you to PRAY! "To Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.”

Amen!

(Image from http://scripturepics.org/)
(Ernst-Habib, Margit, Feasting on the Word: Year C, Volume 4. p. 188)

Ask, Search, Knock & The Slot Machine God

2010-10-25T18:53:00.001-07:00

(Continued from yesterday's post)

Luke 11:1-13

The second struggle I have with the “ask, search, knock” passage is that I think it can cause us to have an unattractive view of God. It is the potential of falsely changing our image of God from a loving, compassionate parent to something more like what Donald Miller calls a “slot machine” God. In his book titled Blue Like Jazz, Miller explains that early in his spiritual journey he did not “on any sort of emotional level, understand that God was a person, an actual Being with thoughts and feelings and that sort of thing.” For him, “God was more of an idea….something like a slot machine, a set of spinning images that doled out rewards based on behavior and, perhaps, chance.” He would pray “thinking the cherries might line up and the light atop the machine would flash, spilling tokens of good fate.” What he describes was more like superstition than prayer. If something good happened, it was God, if not then he “went back to the slot machine, knelt down in prayer, and pulled the lever a few more times.” He liked that God because he “hardly had to talk to it and it never talked back.” Let me prequalify by saying that I don’t support gambling or the lottery and I most certainly don’t recommend praying to the “slot-machine” God. Taken out of context, though, the “ask, search, knock” passage could lead us to imagine a “slot machine” God.

However, we won’t get this unattractive image of God if we read these verses in context with the rest of the passage. In fact, what we get is quite the opposite. What Donald Miller came to realize and what we also need to know is that God is not a slot machine God. God is a living, loving God. The image of a living, loving God, is, I think, the way we should read this passage. We should pray persistently, not because we are waiting to see if the numbers 7 7 7 will line up when we shoot up our prayers in hopes that this time our prayers will work. Instead, we persistently cry out to a God who conceived us in love. Let’s read what happens before the “ask, search, knock” verses: “(Jesus) was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” He said to them, “When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name."

The first thing Jesus teaches the disciples about prayer is to say “Father.” Starting with the word “Father” emphasizes a parental type of relationship. Not a distant slot machine. We pray to our heavenly parent – the point of persistent prayer; of asking, searching, and knocking, is about relationship with God and with each other. Our persistent prayer is to be intimate, an interactive conversation of talking and listening with a loving, living God. Prayer is also about our relationship with each other. Let’s read further, “Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us. And do not bring us to the time of trial.” Jesus does not teach us to pray for “my” daily bread, he teaches us to pray for “our” daily bread. A closer look at the parable also shows us that the one who was knocking on the neighbor’s door in the middle of the night was doing so in order to get bread for a friend. We “ask, search, and knock” in the context of relationship with God and with each other.

(I will post part 3 "What's Wrong with My Prayers?" soon)

Ask, Search, Knock & Unanswered Prayer

2010-10-24T16:29:00.001-07:00

“So I say to you, ASK, and it will be given you; SEARCH, and you will find; KNOCK, and the door will be opened for you. 10For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” Luke 11:9-10 (NRSV)

This is what Jesus told his disciples when they asked him how to pray. Now I certainly don’t want to argue with Jesus, but how can these verses be true? Have you ever wondered why some of our prayers seem to go unanswered? Have you ever asked and did not receive, searched and did not find, knocked but the door did not open? I don’t know about you, but I have struggled with this “ask, search, knock” passage. Let’s take a look at it together to see if we can make some sense of what Jesus is saying.

I’m going to start with the first struggle I have had with this passage. It has the potential of making us think there is a problem with prayer. “Ask, and it will be given you.” “Everyone who asks receives.” This does not always ring true to my experience. Does anyone else see a problem with this? How many times have we asked and not received? Praying for a loved one to come to know Christ, but they wander further and further away from having a relationship with God and from living a Christian life. What about praying for someone who is sick to be made well and they end up growing sicker? Praying for peace and continuing to endure the tragedies of war. Praying for an end to poverty and knowing that millions of people still die from hunger. I could go on and on, but my point is that we have all likely experienced times when we feel that God is not answering our prayers. We asked and did not receive. We searched and did not find and we knocked, but the door was not opened.

And, it’s not just you and me. Even the apostle Paul asked for the thorn in his flesh to be removed. It seems to me that asking for a thorn to be removed from the apostle whose writings make up such a large portion of our New Testament Bible would be a worthy and just request – one that is in line with God’s will. But, God didn’t remove the thorn, God answered, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in your weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9) So, I think we can argue that these “ask, search, knock” verses have the potential of making us think that there is a problem with prayer.

Let’s think about this some more... I have found that even though I have struggled with this notion of unanswered prayer, I think the real problem is that my focus has been wrong. It may seem like it at first, but the problem is not with unanswered prayer. Our problem has more to do with us not getting what we want. The problem is that what we want is not what we need. What Paul needed and what Paul got was God’s grace.

In the time of Jesus, the people were looking for someone to save the Jews from the Roman Empire. What they wanted was not what they needed. What they needed was a Savior that transcends political boundaries. When Jesus died on the cross, his followers momentarily felt that their prayers were unanswered. It was a seemingly horrible tragedy. But, what they wanted was not what they needed and what we want is not always what we need. There’s a wise saying, I don’t know who originally coined it. It goes like this, “Prayer doesn’t get us what we want, but prayer helps us want what we need.” I believe that is true. Perhaps we can find truth in what Jesus is telling us after all, because thankfully, God does give us what we need!

(This is an excerpt from the sermon I gave at First Reformed Church today - I'll post part 2 "Slot-Machine God" and part 3 "What's Wrong with My Prayers?" soon)

Image "Knock" from www.Scripturepics.org

Holy Spirit and Catechism, part 3 (Comforter)

2010-09-29T04:04:00.000-07:00

The Holy Spirit “comforts me.” – Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 53

Scripture Reading: John 14:15-17, 25-27; John 16:4b-15.

This scripture reading from the gospel of John is part of the farewell discourse that Jesus gave to his disciples. Jesus was telling them that he was getting ready to leave. Can you imagine how the disciples felt when they heard that Jesus, who they loved and followed, who they spent all their time with, who was their teacher and comforter, was going to leave? Their hearts were filled with sorrow.

In a church that I was in prior to coming to First Reformed Church of Cary, we had prayer stations at our contemporary worship services. I was one of the prayer ministers and worshippers could come to the prayer station during the praise music at the beginning of the service and we would pray with them. One Sunday, this very cute little girl, probably in about first or second grade came to the prayer station with her mother. She was starting at a new school and as she partially hid behind her mother, she asked in a quiet voice to pray because she didn’t want to leave her mother - she didn’t want to go to school and feel alone. We prayed with her and I gave her a cross that a lady in the church had hand crotched for us to give out at the prayer stations. I told the little girl that she could put it in her pocket and carry it to school and when she felt alone she could touch it to remind her that God is with her. God is with her in the form of the Holy Spirit.

Even though these transitions in life are necessary and healthy, there is a feeling of loneliness for both the parent and the child on that first day of kindergarten or on the first day of high school. I’m already feeling some anxiety knowing that my older son will have a driver’s license soon and will be leaving home for college in a few years.

I think perhaps one of the scariest times in our lives are those moments when we feel as if we are all alone. When we don’t know what is going to happen to us – when our future is uncertain. Feelings of loneliness come when a spouse or parent has died and your future becomes hard to imagine. Or when a marriage promise has been broken and you are left feeling betrayed. When a pink slip comes in what is now your last paycheck and you don’t know what kind of marketable skills you have to offer, especially in a weak economy. At some point in our lives we will likely have feelings of abandonment or despair. There might even be times when we feel alone or orphaned even when we are in the midst of family and friends.

We may feel alone. But, we are never really alone. Jesus promised his disciples a Pareclete, the Comforter, Helper, Spirit of Truth, Counselor, an Advocate - these are all names for the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit, who comforts us, remains with us today. But, the presence of the Holy Spirit isn't always something we can describe or put into words. At times we are like the little girl who came to the prayer station and need to be reminded that God is with us. Sometimes, we don't even recognize God’s presence until we look back at a difficult situation and realize that we could not have survived it alone, without the help of God. Feeling God's presence and coming to trust in God’s presence is the work of Holy Spirit. That's what Jesus promised to his disciples, and that's what Jesus promises you and to me, too.

We are not alone. We have a comforter in the Holy Spirit.

Holy Spirit and Catechism, part 2

2010-09-27T08:28:00.000-07:00

"The Holy Spirit has been given to me personally," Q & A 53 - Hieldelberg Catechism

How do you think of God? Do you think of God as being great and describe God by using words like powerful, sovereign, transcendent – as a powerful ruler controlling, judging the universe? Or do you think more of God as good and use words like abiding presence, compassionate, loving, a friend you can talk to, a loving parent? Both are true. God is both great and good. If we take either of these attributes too far, there becomes a tension – taken to one extreme God would become aloof, like a clockmaker who winds up a clock and lets it run. No personal relationship. No Holy Spirit. But, taken to the other extreme, seeing God as just a friend, then God becomes almost human, the same as creation. This tension between God as great, as sovereign, and God as good, as being present with us, is part of the long-standing question that we humans have about God. It is part of the mystery and paradox of our God.

God is great and sovereign, but God is also good, God is with us. The Holy Spirit has been given to us personally. The thought of a God who gives us the Holy Spirit personally helps us see God’s goodness – to see God as merciful, loving, and abidingly present.

God really is great and powerful and sovereign and we shouldn’t lose sight of that, but if we focus too much on just those attributes, then I think it can be intimidating for us to talk to God, to share our deepest desires, our faults, and fears with God. At times when I cannot find words to adequately express myself to God or at times in my life when God has felt more distant than near, more powerful than personal, then I find Romans 8:26-27 to be helpful and encouraging. "Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”

The Holy Spirit who intercedes for us has been given to us personally.

Holy Spirit and Catechism

2010-09-24T17:02:00.000-07:00

This Sunday, Pastor Chuck and I are going to give a cooperative sermon – we’re preaching one sermon together. Two weeks ago his sermon title was “God,” last week it was “Jesus,” this Sunday the title will be “Holy Spirit.” I have to admit that at first I was thinking I would have rather worked on one of the earlier sermons. We are Reformed, after all, and it seems we spend much more time talking and thinking about the Father and the Son than we do on the Holy Spirit. But, the Holy Spirit is the third part of the trinity and we worship a triune God.

We decided to organize our sermon around Q & A no. 53 of the Heidelberg Catechism:

Q. What do you believe concerning “the Holy Spirit”?

A. First, he, as well as the Father and the Son,
is eternal God.

Second, he has been given to me personally,
so that, by true faith, he makes me share in Christ
and all his blessings,
comforts me,
and remains with me forever.

I’ll post more about the Holy Spirit “given to me personally” and who “comforts me” next week.

New Beginnings

2010-08-30T14:20:00.000-07:00

“I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:19 (NRSV)

Last week began the first week of my second (of four) years at Campbell University Divinity School. It was wonderful to see my fellow classmates and professors again and to meet some new students. Since I don’t have an early morning Tuesday class this year, I didn’t arrive on campus until just before chapel began. There is no better way to start the semester than by worshiping together!

Last year, going back to school was certainly a new beginning for me. This year, this week to be exact, will be yet another new beginning as I begin working as Intern Pastor at First Reformed Church of Cary. Fifteen years ago I quit my job as an Insurance Underwriter in order to be a full-time stay-at-home mom. I had intended to go back to work when my younger son started kindergarten – he just started middle school!

I have spent a lot of time over the last several years trying to figure out what I would be when I grew up. I prayed a lot, trying to discern what God would have me do. It hit me a little over a year ago that while I was spending all that time trying to figure it out, trying to work out all the details, there was (and still is) poverty, injustices, brokenness, and suffering happening all around me. Instead of just sitting around and trying to figure out the details, I decided I needed to do something – to trust and follow God. This led me to divinity school and, I believe, to my new position at First Reformed Church. Are you trying to discern God’s call in your life? Trying to figure out the details? Maybe it’s time for a new beginning, time to do something – to trust and follow the God who makes a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. The details can be worked out along the way.

(Image: "Wilderness" from ScripturePics)

Praying for Children, Praying for Justice in Wake County

2010-08-25T07:04:00.001-07:00

As I was praying for my own children this morning, I was thinking about all the other moms and dads who must also be praying that their own children will have a safe first day back to school today in Wake County. It would have been easy for me to pray just for my own children and move on about my day. But, what about other kids who have not been given the advantages that my kids were born into?

Suddenly, my prayers felt very shallow.

Do we not have a responsibility to pray for all children? Children who will be impacted by the new Wake County School Board’s decision to do away with the diversity policy? Do we not have a responsibility to, not only pray for, but to stand up for and speak out for all children? Wake County was once the school system that other counties throughout the country looked to (a school system that I was proud of) for their economic diversity policy. That was before the new school board voted to do away with it.

Monday, August 30, has been designated as a day of prayer for social justice in Wake County. There will be a Clergy Summit at 3pm at Martin Street Baptist Church in Raleigh and a Mass Prayer Meeting at 7pm at Pullen Memorial Baptist Church. This day, August 30, is a significant day as it marks the anniversary of the 1971 Supreme Court decision, Swann versus Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education, to promote integration in public schools.

Did you pray for your own children this morning? For your loved ones? Come out to the Mass Prayer Meeting on Monday or at least set aside a block of time to intentionally pray for children, parents, and leaders in Wake County (at least on that day). Ina Hughes wrote a beautiful prayer for ALL children. Will you pray it with me? Will you also pray with me for children, for justice in Wake County?

A Prayer for Children by Ina Hughes (adapted)
We pray for children
Who sneak popsicles before supper,
Who erase holes in math workbooks,
Who can never find their shoes.

And we pray for those
Who stare at photographers from behind barbed wire,
Who can't bound down the street in a new pair of sneakers,
Who never "counted potatoes,"
Who are born in places we wouldn't be caught dead,
Who never go to the circus,
Who live in an X-rated world.

We pray for children
Who bring us sticky kisses and fistfuls of dandelions,
Who hug us in a hurry and forget their lunch money.
And we pray for those
Who never get dessert,
Who have no safe blanket to drag behind them,
Who watch their parents watch them die,
Who can't find any bread to steal,
Who don't have any rooms to clean up,
Whose pictures aren't on anybody's dresser,
Whose monsters are real.

We pray for children
Who spend all their allowance before Tuesday,
Who throw tantrums in the grocery store and pick at their food,
Who like ghost stories,
Who shove dirty clothes under the bed and never rinse out the tub,
Who get visits from the tooth fairy,
Who don't like to be kissed in front of the carpool,
Who squirm in church or temple and scream in the phone,
Whose tears we sometimes laugh at and whose smiles can make us cry.

And we pray for those
Whose nightmares come in the daytime,
Who will eat anything,
Who have never seen a dentist,
Who aren't spoiled by anybody,
Who go to bed hungry and cry themselves to sleep,
Who live and move, but have no being.

We pray for children who want to be carried and for those who must,
For those we never give up on and for those who don't get a second chance.
For those we smother ... and for those who will grab the hand of anybody kind enough to offer it.

Summer Reading, Part 2

2010-08-23T04:10:00.000-07:00

Continuing from yesterday's post, more recommended books from my summer 2010 reading collection . . .

Telling Stories: Tall Tales & Deep Truths by Tony Cartledge: Dr. Cartledge taught 3 of the classes I took last year – Life & Work of a Minister and Old Testament classes 1 & 2. He’s also the author of Baptist Blogs Today. Telling Stories is a compilation of creative short stories that relate to Bible passages. This book gave me some new insights and triggered my imagination on ways to make worship more creative through the use of storytelling that engages the human mind at any age.

Preaching as Testimony by Anna Carter Florence: Especially helpful for female preachers – but, whether you are a woman or not, a preacher or not, this book is insightful for anyone who wants a deeper understanding about preaching and engaging the scripture. Florence starts out by giving a fascinating narrative of three female preachers who used testimony as a style of preaching – Anne Hutchinson (1591-1643), Sarah Osborn (1714-1796), and Jarena Lee (1783 - ?). I got a little bogged down by the theory in the middle of the book, but my attention was recaptured when she applied her thoughts on the narratives and theory to preaching as testimony today. The final chapter, “The Wide-Awake Sermon” is invaluable as it gives concrete, practical suggestions for engaging the scripture in order to preach as testimony (or to lead a Bible study or to do an in-depth self-study.) I checked this book out from my school library while taking a summer class and have not been back on campus since class ended. It will be well worth the library fine I will have to pay when I return it tomorrow!

Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spiritualityby Donald Miller: This book has been sitting on my shelf for a couple years with my good intentions of reading it. I’m glad I finally got to it this summer. In this spiritual memoir, Miller gives a genuine and passionate description of his spiritual journey. He describes his early thoughts about God and his difficulty in seeing God as father because of his negative relationship with and image of his own father. Miller includes several stories about his friends and their faith journeys, as well. While in college, he and his friends set up a confession booth on campus. Instead of hearing other’s confessions, they dressed up like monks and made a confession to their non-Christian classmates for the wrongs of Christians throughout history – from the crusades, to indifference and being judgmental. He found that students who visited the booth gained a newfound respect and that he, himself, was significantly changed by the experience. Miller shows, in a non-threatening way, that the Christian faith is still relevant in a post-modern culture.

Summer Reading, Part 1

2010-08-22T13:27:00.000-07:00

There’s nothing like putting my feet in the sand and listening to the sound of ocean waves crashing while reading a good book! This summer, I have found it to be especially enjoyable, whether at the beach or on my living room couch, to be able to read books of my own choosing and not be tested on them!

Here’s a list of my summer reading along with a brief review:

Welcoming the Stranger: Justice, Compassion & Truth in the Immigration Debate by Matthew Soerens: A thought-provoking book that debunks myths, provides a history of immigration, shares personal stories of immigrants, and challenges/invites the reader to think Biblically about immigration. Even if you’ve already read about the immigration debate, I think you’ll learn some more things from reading this book. I did. Want to know more about this book? Read Debra Murphy's review in The Englewood Review of Books.

The Shaping of a Life: A Spiritual Landscape by Phyllis Tickle: I love The Divine Hours series and couldn’t wait to read this spiritual memoir by the woman who is the author of those books. I was mildly disappointed in the book, but truth be told, I only made it about half way through – maybe it gets better at the end. I did, however, enjoy reading about how Tickle gave a recount of her childhood and her earliest memory of prayer. Her mother had a daily routine of sitting on a special bench to read the Bible, mediate, and pray. Tickle watched in hiding and knew what her mother had in this holy time was something she, too, desired to have. The best part for me – I ordered this book used on Amazon for very cheap and was pleasantly surprised to have received a copy that was signed by the author!

Space for God: The Study and Practice of Prayer and Spirituality by Don Postema: I’m going to read this one again! My pastor loaned me a copy of this devotional book – probably, at least in part, because its aim is to give a deeper appreciation of John Calvin’s theology and the reformed tradition. You do not, however, need to be reformed to appreciate the depth and beauty contained in this book. It displays artwork for reflection, daily readings, mediations, prayers, wisdom quotes from dessert fathers, devotional readings from the Heidelberg Catechism, and daily spiritual formation exercises with an invitation to make more space for God in our busy lives. Instructions are given in each chapter that make it easy to use this book as a group study.

Tomorrow, I hope to continue writing about my summer reading as I give a brief description of some other books I read this summer - Telling Stories: Tall Tales & Deep Truths by Tony Cartledge, Preaching as Testimony by Anna Carter Florence, and Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller. What good books have you this summer?

Where Did Summer Go?

2010-08-13T13:08:00.000-07:00

A friend told me yesterday that he knew I was having a busy summer because it has been so long since I’ve updated my blog. It wasn’t until his comment that I realized just how long it has been – almost two months! Now, with only one more week until school starts, I’m wondering – where did summer go?

In June, our long-time friends visited us from Missouri. Then, our family took a trip to New York City. I visited a childhood friend who I haven’t seen in over 20 years. We did all the touristy activities, like visiting the statue of liberty, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and going to the top of the Empire State Building. While in New York, I also went to my first classis meeting (2 hours north of NYC) and was taken under care of classis. This is the second of many more steps towards ordination as a Minister of Word and sacrament in the RCA. From New York, we headed straight to Indiana for the second leg of our busy June vacation – a family reunion.

In July, I took a Counseling Theories and Techniques class at Campbell. The professor told us we should gain just enough knowledge in that class to make us dangerous. So, if you see a funny look on my face, like I’m trying to psychoanalyze you, watch out! Also in July, I preached another Sunday morning sermon at First Reformed Church of Cary. As I was writing the sermon, I didn’t realize we would have a youth group from another state worshipping with us that morning. When I found out (after it was too late to change the sermon), my first thought was that I should have made it relevant to these young people who were giving up a week of their summer vacation to do mission work. It didn’t take long (less than a minute) for me to recognize God’s sovereignty in the situation when it dawned on me that the sermon text and message, on the Parable of the Good Samaritan, could not have been a more perfect fit – an unplanned by ME perfect fit!

In August, my family and I spent two weeks at the beach on the NC coast – relaxing, reading, watching movies, playing cards, swimming, and playing in the sand. On Monday, it will be back to work for my husband and time for me and the boys to get ready to go back to school. Soon, my head will be immersed in my fall classes –Christian Theology, Biblical Hebrew, and Ethics & Spirituality/Religion in Counseling. Today I ask – where did summer go? Soon I’ll ask – where did the semester go?

Fired Up about the Death Penalty

2010-06-18T05:42:00.000-07:00

Early this morning a man in Utah was executed by a firing squad – yes, a firing squad in the year 2010! A target was attached to the chest of Ronnie Lee Gardner. The members of the firing squad raised their guns, fired, and killed Gardner. Four of the five members had bullets in their guns. One did not.

Utah legally ended this method of killing in 2004, but Gardner, who was convicted of murder in 1985, was covered under a grandfather clause which allowed him to choose this form of execution. It is shocking that in 2010 and in the USA a firing squad would be used – it seems so barbaric. But, isn’t any form of capital punishment barbaric? It seems barbaric to me, but thirty six states still allow it!

Capital punishment is just plain wrong no matter how it is implemented. The National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (NCADP) website provides some facts and figures that show: executions are carried out at huge costs to taxpayers, race plays a part in who dies, the death penalty does not deter the crime, and states have been unable to prevent accidental executions of innocent people.

In addition, most religious groups in the US regard capital punishment as immoral. Writing from the perspective of a Christian (and I know not all Christians will agree with me), it seems clear to me that the death penalty ignores the concept of rehabilitation. Christians should be concerned with redemption rather than retribution. The death penalty closes the door to forgiveness and is not compatible with the Spirit of Christ and the ethic of love. I will take it a step further to say that I think Christians should advocate against capital punishment and work towards its abolition. The earlier referenced website for the NCADP provides some practical ways to help do this.

It seems that Christians get fired up about a lot of things these days and unfortunately this can, at times, project an image of anger, hate, and judgment instead of displaying the qualities of love, mercy, and humility that Jesus modeled for us. When it comes to putting an end to barbaric killing, Christians should get fired up and let the one who is without sin cast the first stone.

("Jesus was once asked for his support of the death penalty. He reply: Let one who is without sin cast the first stone." The Mennonites will send you a poster with this quote, free of charge - check it out HERE.)

Ordination and "Resurrecting Excellence"

2010-06-06T17:43:00.000-07:00

What does “ordination” mean? In the insightful book, “Resurrecting Excellence: Shaping Faithful Christian Ministry,” Gregory L. Jones and Kevin R. Armstrong provide a well thought-out definition for this word. They proclaim that ordination means “to build up the community of Christ and to strengthen its witness.”

I have been thinking about this word, “ordination,” and how it applies to me for over a year now. Prior to starting Divinity School, I knew I was being called to some type of professional ministry, but wasn’t sure if the work I might do would require ordination or not. Now I know. In a few weeks, I will go to the Mid-Hudson Classis meeting in NY to request being taken under their care. This is the second step of the ordination process for me in the Reformed Church in America (RCA). It will likely take about 3 years for me to complete the process. So, why should I, or anyone else, seek ordination?

First, ordination is a Biblical practice. Ordination of priests is found in the Old Testament in Exod. 28:40-41, Exod. 29:9-29, Lev. 16:31 and 21:10. In the New Testament, examples of ordination are found in Acts 6:1-6 and Acts 13:1-3. I would conclude, then, that ordination is a Biblical practice.

In addition to being a Biblical practice, it is a traditional practice. In my opinion, “tradition” should play an important role in the life of the church today. Perhaps my views about tradition have been formed as a result of my years as a United Methodist and thinking about the importance of their theological guidelines: reason, tradition, experience and the scripture. Ordination is part of tradition and has been practiced throughout the history of the church.

Ordination, then, is a Biblical practice and a practice of church tradition.

What about the theology of ordination? In the chapter titled “Resurrecting Excellence in the Pastoral Vocation,” Jones and Armstrong point to three main theological understandings of ordained ministry – “calling, profession, and office.” It is worthwhile to explore each.

Calling: Anyone seeking ordination should do so out of a sense of calling from God. Jones and Armstrong quote H. Richard’s Niebuhr’s four part description of “the call to ministry.” First, there is the initial call to be a Christian. Second, “the secret call” in which a person feels to be internally called to serve in ministry. Third, “the providential call,” which is “that invitation and command to assume the work of ministry which comes through the equipment of a person with the talents necessary for the exercise of the office and through the divine guidance of his life by all its circumstances.” Fourth, “the ecclesiastical call” by which an invitation is extended for work of the ministry. I think that while the first two inner callings are essential, the latter two elements are also necessary. People, with good intentions, can thrash around all kinds of thoughts, ideas, and even delusions in their own minds and attribute them as coming from God. Having those thoughts confirmed (or denounced) by others in one’s community of faith is crucial.

Profession: In the United States, pastoral ministry is often thought of as a profession – not unlike doctors or lawyers. As a profession, education and training are important for pastoral ministry. Education provides specialized knowledge and understanding, whereas training teaches practical skills. Just as a doctor should have medical school, someone who serves as a pastor for their profession should have a theological education. Only on rare occasions and under very special circumstances, will my denomination ordain a pastor without a M. Div. degree. I have been told that the reason ordained ministers in the Reformed church wear clergy robes is to symbolize academic robes, signifying the importance of a theological education. The thinking of my church is compatible with my own. It is hard for me to understand how someone could teach something that they themselves have not studied. However, I have to admit that I know (and respect) some ordained ministers in other denominational traditions who have not been to seminary and pastor churches that seem to be thriving, so perhaps someday I will find some flaws in my logic.

Office: The office has, theologically speaking, been a way of “emphasizing that the clergy represent Christ in and for the community – in preaching the word, celebrating the sacraments, and ordering the life of the church – as well as in and for the world.” This is a serious undertaking that should not be taken lightly – to represent Christ. I prefer to think about this the way Jones and Armstrong do when they point out that clergy should commit themselves to “growing into” the office they occupy.

In conclusion, I think those of us who are called to ordained ministry can only hope that because of what we do or even in spite of what we do that we will somehow, with the help of God, be able to fulfill the definition of ordination as described earlier: to “build up the community of Christ and to strengthen its witness.”

(Jones, Gregory L., and Armstrong, Kevin R., Resurrecting Excellence: Shaping Faithful Christian Ministry, Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2006.)

Knowing God

2010-05-31T08:29:00.000-07:00

(Following is an excerpt from a sermon I gave on Trinity Sunday at First Reformed Church of Cary based on Ezekiel 37:1-14)

“And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken and will act,” says the LORD. Ezekiel 37:13-14 (NRSV)

Why did God do it? Why does God continue to breathe life and Spirit into dry bones and hollow bodies? We are told several times in the Ezekiel passage that God breathes life so that his people will know that God is Lord.

What does it mean to know God is Lord? To “know” can range in meaning from the mere acquisition and understanding of information to intimacy in relationship. At times, those who we are in the most intimate relationship with are the ones we take most for granted. To know in the context of this passage means more than just a mere acquisition of information. It means intimacy in relationship and with intimacy comes vulnerability.

It is clear that God desires for us to know that God is Lord. Yet knowing God, having an intimate relationship with God, may seem ethereal or otherworldly. What does it really mean, in practical terms, to know God is Lord?

It means we pray knowing that even when the answer is not what we want to hear, God does listen and God does care.

To know God is Lord means that we, as a congregation, spent 50 days, from Easter to Pentecost, in discerning God’s will for our church and it means that we need to continue to pray and discern God’s call and we need to act; continue to know God is Lord.

To know God is Lord also means that we trust. We trust that if we follow God’s path, then God will use our actions to bring new life into our dry and troubled world. Even at times when we may not see results right away (and we may not see results of our efforts immediately), we can trust that the Spirit is working.

To know God is Lord means that we will do things that might seem strange to others – like use our vacation time to help build a house for Habitat for Humanity or take time out of our busy day to visit with and listen to someone living in a nursing home.

To know God is Lord means more than doing church on Sunday morning. It means being the church, the body of Christ, in our world every day.

To know God is Lord means to recognize that our actions to help others are not acts of piety – thinking that we are better than those who we are helping. We are not just helping them – the poor, the lonely, the oppressed – to see Christ. Christ is in the midst of their crisis. Christ is in the heart of their situation and we need them, those who we might call “the needy” so that we, ourselves, can more clearly see Christ in them. To see Christ more clearly helps us see that God is Lord.

To know God is Lord means to take risks for the kingdom of God. It causes us to maintain hope when there seems to be none left. It leads us to see and believe that new life can enter into dryness.

To know God is Lord causes us to see that exile and dryness are not forever. It prompts us to recognize that there is something special about this God who never gives up on God’s people.

The God who breathed life into the most seemingly impossible, the most seemingly hopeless situation in a valley of very dry bones, the God who continues to breathe into dry bones today and who brings us UP out of our graves – this is the same God we know is Lord and the same God who became flesh and lived among us, who suffered on the cross and who was not overcome by death.

The God who not only resurrected his only son Jesus from the cross, but also left with us an Advocate, a Mighty Counselor, the Holy Spirit who abides within us and continues to bring new life!

Prayer: Gracious, merciful, and loving God, May we always know that you are Lord.

Even in times of dryness and moments when we feel disconnected, we acknowledge that it is you, Lord, who breathes life and who makes all things new.

Throughout the history of humankind and even today, your people have a tendency to mess up. Thank you for not giving up on your people.

Even though we know you, we have a life-long journey before us in growing to know you and your love more and more each day. Continue to breathe your Spirit in us as individuals and as a congregation and continue to reveal yourself to us, comfort us, convict us, teach us, and guide us.

Heavenly Father, we ask that through the power of the Holy Spirit, you will make Jesus known to others through our words and our actions and that you will grow us in our love for Jesus as we see him revealed in the lost, the lonely, the poor, the oppressed. . . .and in each other.

We pray in the name of our Lord Jesus who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever. Amen.

Reformed Ladies with Prayer Beads

2010-05-18T07:52:00.000-07:00

This weekend, I took a few ladies from the First Reformed Church of Cary on a prayer retreat to Oak Island, NC. The weather was perfect, the food was delicious, and the deepening of friendship was priceless! We took prayer walks on the beach, ran our bare feet through the sand, and talked for hours.

On Saturday, we partook in an activity that might seem a little unorthodox for us (as members of a Reformed Church). We made prayer beads. We talked about their history and reasons for using them as a tool for prayer. Then, we prayed together as we moved our fingers around our homemade circle of beads.

While most Protestants probably think of a rosary when they hear the words “prayer beads,” the practice of praying with beads actually predates the rosary. Buddhists and Hindus have been praying with beads for thousands of years. Buddhists use a “mala,” which is a string of 108 beads with a tassel on the end. The number, 108, is symbolic for the 108 earthly desires which followers seek to overcome. Muslims use a circle of 100 beads which represent 99 names for God and 1 name that is known to Allah alone.

In Christian practice, beads were used by the Dessert Fathers in the 3rd century who first used pebbles to count daily prayers. In the late 3rd and early 4th centuries, St. Pachomius and St. Basil were credited for inventing a prayer rope which was more portable than carrying pebbles. Some Eastern Orthodox monks were in the practice of using beads to recite all 150 Psalms every day. Can you imagine praying all 150 Psalms every day? Others, especially many who were illiterate, used a Chotki to recite the Jesus Prayer (“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner”). A Chotki has 100 beads with a tassel on the end for wiping away tears.

In Western Christianity, monks used beads to mark the 150 Psalms that were recited in worship on a weekly cycle. As more laity began praying beads, they moved from praying the Psalms to praying the Lord’s Prayer. It was easier to memorize, especially for those who could not read. It was in the 12th and 13th centuries, when devotion to Mary became great, that the “Hail Mary” prayer was formulated. This prayer was a standard devotional practice in the middle ages, but was not recognized by papacy until 1520. The practice of praying with beads eventually faded out for most Protestants beginning in the reformation when more emphasis was put on reading Scripture and printed devotional materials.

In the 1980’s there was somewhat of a revival in prayer beads when Rev. Lynn Bauman devised Anglican Prayer Beads which contain 33 beads - symbolic for the years of Jesus' earthly life. There are 4 groups of 7 beads—called weeks which represent spiritual perfection/ completion as well as 7 days of creation. The cruciform beads form a cross. Praying the beads three times around can be a reminder of the trinity.

Why pray with beads? I find the tactile aspect of holding something to be helpful in engaging not only my mind and heart, but also my body. It helps me concentrate and stay focused on prayer. We live in a fast-paced world and Owens(1) points out that using physical senses can “break our addiction to a frenetic speed.”

How can someone learn to pray with beads? During our prayer retreat this weekend, we used a prayer from "Praying with Beads: Daily Prayers for the Christian Year.” King of Peace also has some helpful prayers to use with Anglican Prayer Beads. They can also be used to recite the Jesus Prayer or the Lord’s Prayer. There is no right or wrong way to pray with beads. One of the ladies in our group suggested using the beads to pray by using the “five finger prayer” – the way she has taught children to pray. This would be done by using each of the cruciform beads to start a new category of prayer. If nothing else, the beads can be held on to as a reminder to pray.

Hopefully the ladies of First Reformed Church will continue to use our beads as a tool for prayer. But, regardless of whether we do or not, I think we would all agree that we have grown in our love for God and for one another from spending this weekend together. We have already talked about planning for the next retreat weekend in which we hope to include others who want to join us in a weekend of playing, resting, eating, conversing, worshipping, and praying.

1 Owens, Virginia and Doer, Nan, “Praying with Beads: Daily Prayers for the Christian Year,” 2007, vii.

(First image from "The Black Cordelias")

(Second image from King of Peace)

(many thanks to my historian friend, Alison, who helped me learn about the history of prayer beads)

SCHOOL IS OUT! HOW DOES IT FEEL?

2010-05-10T20:35:00.000-07:00

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
time to be born, and a time to die;
time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
time to kill, and a time to heal;
time to break down, and a time to build up;
time to weep, and a time to laugh;
time to mourn, and a time to dance;
time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
time to seek, and a time to lose;
time to keep, and a time to throw away;
time to tear, and a time to sew;
time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
time to love, and a time to hate;
time for war, and a time for peace. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (NRSV)

I have heard this question a lot since Thursday: How does it feel? How does it feel to be done with finals? With your first year of Divinity school? With your exams and paper writing?

When I respond “great,” I mean it. But, even though a weight was lifted after turning in my last paper on Thursday, I couldn’t bring myself to rush home that day. After class, I decided to hang out in the break room and talk to other students. Then, I went to the library to peruse a book I haven’t had time to look at during the semester. After that, I stopped by a professor’s office to talk to him one last time before I left for the summer. I was glad to be done, but I wasn’t really ready to leave. It dawned on me that I wouldn’t be back again for a while. I won’t see most of my Divinity school friends until late August. That’s a long time! They have been an important part of my journey over the course of the year. I’m going to miss them.

I’m also going to miss standing on the wide steps in front of Taylor Hall where I frequently went to get a good signal on my cell phone. I'll never forget the day I sat on the metal picnic table with my spiritual formation group as we shared lunch and confided our fears and hopes. I will miss Elaine and Lynn who work in the offices – Elaine who let me share her umbrella and then drove me to my car on the day it was pouring down rain and Lynn who challenged me to be faithful in keeping an exercise regime (which I was not very successful at despite her encouragement). I’m going to miss seeing Anita in the library. She checked out my books with a friendly smile and pleasant conversation. What about chapel? How many times have I reflected on the deer and the stream in the stained glass window of Butler Chapel? The Alpha and Omega symbols? I’m going to miss looking up at the pipes of the organ while listening to Patty play. . .

Perhaps I’m getting a little too sappy and sentimental here. I will be back, after all. It will take me about three more years to graduate. I will enjoy my break this summer, but by August I am sure I’ll be chomping at the bit to go back. Much of what I will come back to will be the same. But, not all will remain unchanged. My dear friend Lindsi will have graduated. Dean Codgill will be Dr. Cogdill and Dr. Wakefield will be Dean Wakefield. Kelly will have a new last name and Dr. Jorgenson will be wearing a new ring on his left hand. I’ll no longer spend hours studying at the same desk with a private hutch in Carrie Rich library. But, I hear the new library will be amazing.

It blows my mind to think that at this time last year I struggled to muster up enough courage to pick up the phone and call Kelly Jones “just to get a little information” to see if I might possibly take a few classes. I think that must have been the most important phone call I’ve made all year.

So, how does it feel? It feels like I’m in the right place at the right time with the right people - newfound friends who share my passion to learn and grow by fostering our gifts so that we can better serve the Lord we love. How does that feel? "Great" is an understatement!

Cheap Food: Is it Worth the Cost?

2010-04-21T14:51:00.000-07:00

Food, Inc. airs tonight on PBS.

I wrote this reflection after watching the film last summer:

This week I took my 14 year old son and my mother-in-law (who lived on a farm most of her life) to see "Food, Inc." at The Galaxy Theater in Cary, NC. The movie was well done and we all learned some things from watching it.

I knew before I entered the theater that there would be some graphic and disturbing images of animals being mistreated. I knew the film would address the impacts of industrial farming on the environment. But, among the scenes that I found most worrying were the interviews of employees and hidden camera footage of Smithfield Foods, the largest pork producer and processor in the world.

Anyone who lives in NC and follows the news knows that Smithfield Packing Plant in Tar Heel, NC, has a reputation for mistreating their worker's - many of whom have been bused into NC from Mexico by Smithfield recruiters. Many of whom are former corn farmers gone bankrupt as a result of NAFTA. US subsidies to the corn sector caused the price of corn to drop so significantly that Mexican corn farmers were put out of business. These ex-farmers, who are desperate to feed their families, are cheap labor for Smithfield. They are worker's who won't complain about being mistreated or about working long hours for low wages because they are in the USA illegally and have no rights. At one point, the film showed clips of ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agents raiding a trailer park and arresting Smithfield worker's for not having proper documentation. It was pointed out that these agents don't go after Smithfield Foods or the company executives who recruit the worker's from Mexico in the first place. Smithfield can sell cheap meat, but what is the cost?

I'm a bargain shopper and I cringe when I see the price of Organic produce in the grocery store. I'm busy and it is a time-saver for me to buy all of my groceries at the Supermarket rather than drive out to the local Farmer's Market or to plant a garden. When my kids have weeknight sporting events, the drive-thru is so convenient. I'm not going to change all of my habits overnight. But, watching Food, Inc. sure does make me think about the cost of cheap food and inspires me to take more steps towards purchasing wholesome food and foods that don't come at the price of another human's wellfare. We do vote every time we make a purchase. And, as the farmer pointed out at the end of the film, it is up to us to demand wholesome food. Can we afford not to?

Romero's Prayer Still Offers Hope and Encouragement

2010-03-24T08:38:00.000-07:00

Oscar Romero was a Catholic Bishop and a voice for the poor and the victims of the Salvadorian Civil War. Today marks the anniversary of his death. He was murdered on March 24, 1980 as he held up the Communion cup while celebrating the Eucharist.

Debra Dean Murphy wrote an eloquent post about Romero on her blog, "Intersections: Thoughts on Religion, Culture, and Politics."

A film about Romero's life, titled Romero and staring Raul Julia, is availiable on Amazon and Netflix.

Here's a trailer:

We can feel overwhelmned or discouraged when we pray and work for God's Kingdom on earth and don't see immediate results. Romero's words give us hope and remind us that we are only planting the seeds. "We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs. We are prophets of a future not our own."

A prayer by Oscar Romero to commemorate the anniversary of his death...

It helps, now and then, to step back and take a long view.

The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts,
It is even beyond our vision.

We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction
Of the magnificent enterprise that is God’s work.
Nothing we do is complete, which is a way of saying
that the kingdom always lies beyond us.
No statement says all that could be said.
No prayer fully expresses our faith.
No confession brings perfection.
No pastoral visit brings wholeness.
No program accomplishes the church’s mission.
No set of goals and objectives includes everything.

This is what we are about,
we plant the seeds that one day will grow.
We water seeds already planted,
knowing that they hold future promise.

We lay foundations that will need further development.
We provide yeast that produces far beyond our capabilities.

We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation
In realizing that. This enables us to do something,
And to do it very well. It may be incomplete,
But it is a beginning, a step along the way,
An opportunity for the Lord’s grace to enter and do the rest.

We may never see the end results, but that is the difference
Between the master builder and the worker.

We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs.
We are prophets of a future not our own.
Amen.

(This is mostly a re-post from my earlier entry on March 24, 2009 - but, I think the words of Romero's prayer are worth repeating!)

FAITH, the New TULIP, (part 2)

2010-03-18T16:05:00.000-07:00

In case you haven’t noticed, my friend, Dr. Debra Dean Murphy, has, with my permission, turned my last post into a homework assignment for her “Christian Traditions” class at West Virginia Wesleyan College. I would like to thank all of the students who left comments – I enjoyed reading each one of them. Thank you! Due to the volume, I have decided to write a new post in which I will attempt to give a comprehensive response.

WHY DID I “CONVERT”? First of all, I want to be clear that I did not change religions – I have been and still am a Christian. The primary reason for my switch from the Methodist Church to the Reformed Church has more to do with my husband and in-laws (who are of Dutch heritage) than with me having any type of deep theological revelation. Although the Reformed Church (RCA) invites and welcomes all ethnicities, it is has Dutch roots. I am married to a Dutchman. It was an easy move – the similarities between the two denominations far outweigh the differences. Worship in the Reformed church is so similar to that of the Methodist church that most visitors would not even be able to tell the difference between the two. Even though I sort of fell into the RCA (or maybe it was predestined?), I love being a part of it and feel passionate about many of the positions the church holds, particularly in regards to social justice issues.

THE DOCTRINE OF PREDESTINATION AND MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE: When I first accepted Christ into my life, I thought it was completely and totally my decision. But, I wonder, when I professed those words, how much of it was my own effort and how much was the work of the Holy Spirit? Over time, I have come to attribute my acceptance of Christ to the work of the Holy Spirit who gave me the ability to believe. God gave me my faith and I did absolutely nothing to earn it. The praise goes to God.

THE STICKY WICKET: "THE ELECT" IS GOD UNFAIR? Why would God only choose some and not others? This is the hot button and point of contention that most people have with Calvinism. I understand the controversy and I wrestle with it myself. Let’s take a look at the book of Romans: Chapter 9:1-29 contain strong arguments for predestination. Calvinists often quote from Romans 9 to support the doctrine of “the elect,” particularly 9:13-16 (NRSV): “As it is written, “I have loved Jacob, but I have hated Esau.” What then are we to say? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” So it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God who shows mercy.” But, don’t stop at Romans 9, read on… Romans 10:13 and 11:1-14 give a strong argument for free-will. The Bible contains both. Those who favor the free-will stance focus primarily on these verses while Calvinists tend to focus more on Romans 9.

So, you ask, “if God does choose some (“the elect”) and not others, then what about those who were not elected?” While it is not the traditional viewpoint of Calvinism nor is it the dominant perspective, there are some Calvinists today who say that all of creation are the “elect.” They look primarily at Romans 9 and say it really is about God choosing who will be saved. But, they would add that the Bible says God wants ALL to be saved. Who can resist God’s will? They conclude that God chooses to save everyone. Arguments could be made against this logic, but I do think it is interesting and something to ponder.

Here’s where I find peace: The Bible does not speak clearly about what will happen to those who are not part of God’s chosen elect. In my opinion, if we speculate and decide for ourselves what will happen to these people, we are playing God and we walk in dangerous territories. We do know, however, that God is just and merciful and loving and we can put our trust in God. I like what Paul says in Romans 11:33-36 (NRSV): "O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to him, to receive a gift in return?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen."

FREE-WILL VERSUS PREDESTINATION: If free-will is taken to an extreme, then one might conclude that our salvation has nothing at all to do with God and therefore we do not even need God. The other extreme would be to say God has so much control that it doesn’t matter what we do – we become robots. Keep in mind that the reasons for the Synod of Dort and for the “five points”(TULIP) were polemical in nature. There was a concern that Arminius and his followers were giving resurgence to Pelagianism by teaching that people could choose Christ without any help of the Holy Spirit. Have you ever noticed that when someone is writing rhetorically and arguing against an extreme viewpoint they will lean towards the opposite extreme to make their point? I think that this was part of what was going on in the Synods of Dort. There was a desire to switch the balance away from an extreme view.

When it comes to the balance between the extremes of free-will (that we don’t need God) and the extremes of predestination (we are robots), most Christians fall somewhere right in the middle of the two extremes. Some lean slightly to the free-will side (typically Baptists, Methodists, Assemblies of God) and others (typically Reformed, Presbyterians) tend to lean towards the predestination side which I am attracted to because of the emphasis on our dependence and reliance and need for God’s grace and on the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

THANK YOU, again, to all the students who left comments. If I did not answer your question or if you would like to discuss this topic more, please leave a comment here. No matter where we stand in the free-will/predestination spectrum, as followers of Christ we all have in common our love for Christ and our call to work together in furthering God’s kingdom.

May God bless you and keep you! And, may your professor be merciful unto you! Peace!

FAITH, the New TULIP

2010-03-14T19:02:00.000-07:00

Having switched denominations about two years ago (from Methodist to Reformed), I like to joke about giving up on the pursuit of holy perfection in order to join up with the totally depraved – a perfect fit for me! I am a newbie to Calvinism, but am intrigued to learn this new (for me) way of thinking. So, when my pastor began a class a few weeks ago on the 5 points of Calvinism, I signed up immediately. We are reading
“F-A-I-T-H Unfolded: A Fresh Look at the Reformed faith” by Jim Osterhouse who presents F-A-I-T-H as a new acronym for
T-U-L-I-P (a catchy way to help people remember what the five points of Calvinism are all about).

TULIP:

T = Total Depravity (we are so totally affected by our sinful nature that we are totally unable to contribute anything to our salvation)

U = Unconditional Election (God chose certain people before the world was created to be adopted in God’s family)

L = Limited Atonement (Jesus’ death on the cross was sufficient to cover the sins of the world, but it is applied only to those whom God has chosen)

I = Irresistible Grace (We may hold God off for a while, but the Holy Spirit regenerates us so that ultimately, we cannot resist God)

P = Perseverance of Saints (Osterhouse says “believers persevere in their faith because God preserves his own people”)

The Reformed faith tradition gets a bad rap by those who summarize the entire belief system up in the five points/TULIP. It can be confusing and it is a narrow view of the Reformed faith. It is important to know that John Calvin did not invent TULIP. His writings are much broader in scope and Calvin himself did not utter the words “five points.” Calvin lived 1509-1564. The TULIP acronym was not developed until the 20th century – around 400 years later! It is based on the 1618-1619 Canons of Dort and even the Canons of Dort did not intend to give an extensive statement about the Reformed faith.

Looking at both TULIP and the Canons of Dort alone are still a narrow view of the Reformed faith. The Canons of Dort are only one of three (and potentially to be four) denominational Standards of Unity in the Reformed Church (RCA). We also acknowledge the Heidelberg Catechism and the Belgic Confession. And, because the Reformed church is "reformed and always reforming," we are considering the addition of a fourth document, the Belhar Confession. Even with the addition of this fourth standard of unity, the people of the RCA are quick to point out that the final authority in the Reformed faith is Holy Scripture and our faith is centered in Christ. These standards of unity help us clarify and give order to our thoughts. In his article, “Calvin’s Comeback? The irresistible Reformer,” J. Todd Billings expresses his opposition to New Calvinists who limit their faith system to TULIP by stating that “The New Calvinists pick the TULIP from the Reformed field, overlooking the flowers. There is much besides TULIP in this spacious field that has grown from the seed of God’s word.”

While it is still a narrow view of the Reformed faith, I think most will find the FAITH acronym easier to understand and more helpful than TULIP.

FAITH:

F = Fallen Humankind
A = Adopted by God
I = Intentional Atonement
T = Transformed by the Holy Spirit
H = Held by God

I am still wrestling with and trying to wrap my mind around Reformed theology, but I have to admit that I am surprised at how much of it I relate to. In particular, I resonate with an old hymn that Osterhouse includes at the end of his book on FAITH:

I sought the Lord, and afterward I knew
he moved my soul to seek him, seeking me;
It was not I that found, O Savior true;
no, I was found, was found of Thee.

Why I Wear a Crucifix

2010-02-26T04:16:00.000-08:00

During Lent, I wear a necklace with a crucifix on it. The crucifix is a cross with a representation of Jesus’ body still hanging on it. I started this tradition a few years ago after a trip my family and I took to Rome. I guess it is because I am in a Reformed Church and go to a Baptist seminary that I sometimes get strange looks and inquisitive comments about my crucifix. So, I will attempt to explain why I wear a crucifix.

The symbol of the cross (not so much the crucifix) is very prominent in our culture. People wear crosses on their jewelry. It’s displayed on bumper stickers and used in garden art. At the Christian bookstore, you can find images of the cross for sale on stationary, t-shirts, baseball caps, neckties, and handbags. I’ve seen a cross as a tattoo on someone’s back and around a rapper's neck alongside huge gold chains. Our churches often adorn a cross at the top of a steeple.

We are accustomed to seeing the symbol of the cross every day. But, before the 5th century, Christians avoided use of the cross due to the disgrace associated with this heinous form of death. Instead, Jesus was primarily represented as a lamb.

In the 5th century we start seeing the use of the crucifix. Images of the crucifix in the middle ages tended to depict Jesus with his eyes open and no trace of suffering to reflect the resurrection, revealing Christ’s triumph over sin and death. By the 13th century, Christ’s body was often depicted as twisted and bleeding to emphasize his humanity and it was by this time that the crucifix became established as an altar centerpiece in most churches. During the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century, the crucifix, and in the case of John Calvin, the cross, too, was banned as a form of idolatry.

Today, the crucifix is primarily used in Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Eastern Orthodox Churches. Those who use the crucifix site from 1 Corinthians 1:23: “we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles.” In the Protestant tradition, we use the empty cross to represent that Christ has risen. Yet the Cross and the Crucifix symbolize the same thing: the death of Christ our Lord for the salvation of the world.

When I see a crucifix, a different emotion is invoked than when I look at a cross. I remember visiting a Catholic church with my friend growing up and being intrigued by the large crucifix on the altar. It made me feel uncomfortable and a little scared. I was reminded that before the resurrection, Christ died a painful death on the cross. As I stared at the suffering Christ, my fear was overcome with a sense that this Jesus, who hangs on the cross, suffers for me, and for all humankind. Out of love, something very profound was taking place. Out of love, the almighty creator of the universe became flesh and sacrificed himself for me and for every person sitting before him.

Looking at the crucifix and thinking about Jesus suffering on the cross can make us feel uncomfortable, but it can also bring comfort. Even Martin Luther, the leader of the Protestant reformation, made this point during a sermon on John’s Gospel in the early 1530’s. While reflecting on his days in the monastery he said, “It was a good practice to hold a wooden crucifix before the eyes of the dying or to press it into their hands. This brought the suffering and death of Christ to mind and comforted the dying.” We have a great high priest who is able to sympathize and who suffers with us.

As with most Protestants, I prefer to think about the empty cross that represents Jesus’ resurrection. But, I think it is important not to lose sight of the suffering and death that took place on that cross before the resurrection. I wear a crucifix around my neck during Lent to help me remember. I like to put my fingers around it and reflect upon the cross and on human suffering and what it means to carry my cross.

Christ has died.

Christ has risen.

Christ will come again!

Amen.

Spiritual Housecleaning

2010-02-22T05:14:00.001-08:00

"This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true; but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." I John 1:5-10 (NRSV)

Since I started seminary last fall, I have been a little busy. My class load is equivalent to a full-time job. So, after having been a full-time stay-at-home mom for the last 14 years, it has been an adjustment for me and for my family.

I’ve had to learn that it’s okay if my house is not kept perfectly clean all the time. In fact, I have gotten to where I just don’t even see the dirt the way I used to see it as long as things are picked up on the surface.

In the evenings, I like to burn a candle on my kitchen counter. Recently, I was downstairs by myself, reading a book. I decided to walk in the kitchen to get something to drink. I could see my way around in the kitchen well enough, because of the light from the candle. I looked around my dimly-lit kitchen, and thought, “Hey, it’s not too bad. No dishes in the sink. The unread mail is at least in a neat stack on the counter. I know my son took out the trash earlier that day. My kitchen is actually pretty clean today!”

Then, I made the mistake of turning on the ceiling light. That kitchen sink that had seemed so clean, because there were no dirty dishes in it, actually was not so clean. As I looked around, I noticed other things, too – the crumbs on the floor by the trash can. When was the last time I mopped the floor? The counter, too, had a stain on it – it looked like someone had spilt some iced tea and neglected to clean it up (probably me).

I wish I would have kept the light turned off! The light revealed all the dirt that I did not see in the darkness. All the while, I knew that if I were to take it a step further, I would see even more dirt. I knew better than to open the “junk drawer” where we keep all the stuff we don’t know where else to put –the drawer that I will attempt to organize, someday. I could have taken a flash light and shined it up in the corners of the ceiling and I am sure the light would have revealed some neglected cob webs. A brighter light and further exploration would reveal more than I was able to confront that day. So, I got my drink from the refrigerator, turned the light off, and went back to reading my book. It took my mind off of the kitchen that looked great on the surface, but was really quit filthy when exposed to the light.

In the scheme of things, it does not matter that much if my kitchen is clean or not. The bigger concern comes when we look at our lives. Is it time for some spiritual housecleaning? We may feel that we are “good” on the surface – and we may very well be “good” on the surface. But, what do we see in the light? The fact is – we are all sinners. When the light of Christ shines within us, we can see impurities. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”

The season of Lent is a good time to take inventory and look at those areas in our lives that need to be cleaned up. Often, it is easier just to turn the light off and look only at the deceptive surface level. As we journey through Lent, taking a closer look at the areas in which we need to confess and then doing some spiritual housecleaning can help us prepare for the celebration of Easter.

Ash Wednesday

2010-02-16T17:25:00.000-08:00

Ash Wednesday, the seventh Wednesday before Easter Sunday, is the first day of Lent. It marks the beginning of a period of penance and reflection. On Ash Wednesday, we reflect on our own mortality and remember that we are dust and to dust we will return. Yet the steadfast love of God endures forever! The imposition of ashes on the forehead is a sign of penance and mourning. Last year's palm branches are often used for the ashes. During Lent we prepare ourselves for the death of Christ on Good Friday and for his resurrection on Easter Sunday.

Psalm 51 is often read during an Ash Wednesday service. When we pray Psalm 51, we humbly confess and lament our sins. We ask God to "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me."

Psalm 51
1Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.
2Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
3For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.
4Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgment.
5Indeed, I was born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me.
6You desire truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.
7Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have crushed rejoice.
9Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.
10Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.
11Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me.
12Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit.
13Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you.
14Deliver me from bloodshed, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your deliverance.
15O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.
16For you have no delight in sacrifice; if I were to give a burnt offering, you would not be pleased.
17The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
18Do good to Zion in your good pleasure; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem,
19then you will delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on your altar.

Do you want to know more about Ash Wednesday and Lent? Dennis Bratcher's article in CRI/Voice Institute is a great resource.

On Creeds and Worship

2010-02-14T18:24:00.000-08:00

In the Reformed Church, we recognize three historical creeds as statements of Reformed beliefs: Apostle’s Creed, Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed. While we do not recite the latter two on a regular basis, we do say the Apostle’s Creed every week.

About twenty years ago, when I first began attending a church that uses the Apostle’s Creed, I dreaded that time in the worship service. I felt as if I were the only one who didn’t know the words to it. Having grown up in a non-creedal church, I had never learned it. It was embarrassing to pull out my hymnbook when even young children knew the words. I sort of mumbled along, pretending to say it. How boring and repetitious to say the same thing week after week! That’s what I thought at first, anyhow.

I’m not sure exactly when it happened, but somewhere along the way I have changed my mind about how I feel when it comes to saying the Apostle’s Creed in worship. It has grown on me. I have been changed by it. I will even go as far as to say that on most Sundays, I look forward to that time in our worship service.

Why? Why do I love when we recite the Apostle’s Creed in worship?

First, saying the Apostle’s Creed reinforces the basics of our faith. It’s a teaching tool as well as a reminder.

Second, the Apostle’s Creed is ecumenical – it promotes unity with other churches. I wonder how many others throughout the world are saying the creed at the very same moment we say it on Sunday morning. How many Christians have said it over the centuries?

Finally, and I think most importantly, I like that it is a time when we all agree. We may not, in fact we do not, agree on everything. I think our differences are healthy, though. They force us to grow in patience, and they make us an interesting and unique group of people. While what we think and believe individually is important, I don’t think it is as important as what we believe collectively. When we say the creed together, we are individually submitting to collective wisdom – a concept that seems to be unpopular in our culture today, but beneficial as we work together as the Body of Christ, striving to further God’s purposes.

Although God does not “require” it to be said (and admittedly there are still some days when it feels mundane to say it), I’m glad for, and even look forward to, that time in worship when we recite the Apostle’s Creed together.

40 Days of Discipline: A Journey to the Cross

2010-02-04T12:25:00.000-08:00

(This is a reflection I wrote for RCA's H.O.P.E. Prayerline)

"I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God--what is good and acceptable and perfect." --Romans 12:1-2

The women's fellowship group at First Reformed Church of Cary (FRCC) in Cary, North Carolina, has been reading and discussing a book on spiritual disciplines--practices that Christians do not because we have to in order to earn favor with God, but because we desire to open ourselves up to ways God can help us grow spiritually. Spiritual disciplines help strengthen our relationship with God and make us better witnesses for Christ.

Our study of the disciplines has inspired us to use the theme of spiritual disciplines to create a Lenten devotional book. Members of our church family will contribute reflections, poetry, prayers, stories, and artwork. Each week of Lent will focus on a spiritual discipline: confession, worship, service, study, fasting, meditation, and prayer. The idea is that we will be intentional about increasing our practice of the "spiritual discipline of the week" during Lent in preparation for Easter.

Prayer is a discipline. We may not like the word "discipline." It can be perceived as negative or unpleasant. We may even equate it with the word "punishment." My children fear it. I fear it! Who wants to undergo discipline if it is seen as punishment?

Discipline, however, is not the same as punishment. Discipline becomes more appealing if we think of it as practice or preparation. For example, if I want to be a concert pianist, I must discipline myself to practice. Hours and hours, days, weeks, and years of consistent practice--a discipline! With time, my piano playing will improve. Through the discipline of prayer, which also takes hours and hours, days, weeks, and years--a lifetime of practicing--God changes us and transforms us to be more like Christ.

While prayer is only one of the seven disciplines covered in our devotional guide at FRCC, it is the most essential. All spiritual disciplines are dependent on prayer--service without prayer lacks direction, Christian meditation is a form of prayer, and the purpose of fasting isn't to lose weight but to be more focused on listening to God, which is prayer!

This Lenten season, we will journey to the cross as we pray and practice spiritual disciplines. We will journey together, offering our bodies as living sacrifices, refusing to conform to this world. We will open ourselves up to the transforming and renewing power of Christ and to being drawn closer to God.

Though we put forth an effort during our 40 days of discipline, our transformation is dependent on the one who saves us. It is Christ who cleanses us, transforms us, renews us, and meets us on our Lenten journey with loving, outstretched arms.

"Making Room for a Prayer Room"

2010-01-20T16:39:00.000-08:00

Hurray! There’s a new addition to the campus of Campbell University Divinity School – a prayer room! The benefits of having a prayer room for seminary students are obvious. But, what about having a prayer room at your church? A few years ago, I was involved in creating a prayer room at Apex United Methodist Church. Following is a re-post of an article I wrote for H.O.P.E. Prayerline – “Making Room for a Prayer Room.” The article provides some tips for starting a church prayer room and reasons why it’s important to have one.

MAKING ROOM FOR A PRAYER ROOM

"My house shall be called a house of prayer." Matthew 21:13

Having been involved with the planning, implementation, and maintenance of a church prayer room, I can testify both to its importance and to the challenges involved. For my church, patience was the key! It took several years for the initial vision of a prayer room to become a reality.

With worship attendance increasing and a growing Sunday school program, space was becoming a precious commodity. The thought of designating an entire room solely for the purpose of prayer seemed to some an inefficient use of space--not because prayer is unimportant, but because prayer, as we know, can be done anywhere. Even those who strongly supported the idea of a dedicated prayer room struggled to find a location for it. The initial planning brought about some frustrations, but it taught us the importance of persistence. The prayer room has been open for almost three years now and is a vital part of the congregation's life.

If you are thinking about starting a prayer room at your church, it is crucial to have your pastor's full support. In his book Making Room to Pray, Terry Teykl devotes an entire chapter to "Persuading Leaders to Make Room to Pray." In Blueprint for the House of Prayer, Teykl offers 10 reasons why your church needs a prayer room:

1. Prayer rooms make it possible to schedule prayer.

2. They promote agreement in prayer by providing a place where information can be gathered and prayed over.

3. They offer a place to record the deeds of God, lest we neglect to thank him and praise him for all he does.

4. They make a statement to the community about the importance of prayer.

5. They provide a place where prayer can be practiced and matured.

6. They are inclusive--anyone can pray in a prayer room.

7. They act as "hearing aids" for church leadership.

8. They provide a place where serious concerns can be soaked in prayer.

9. They minister the presence of God to those who come.

10. They provide a "control center" for strategic prayer evangelism, warfare, and other prayer ministries.

Once you have initial support from church leaders, it's time to find the ideal location for your prayer room. Some churches set aside a classroom. If possible, find a quiet location where prolonged prayer can take place without interruptions. For this reason and because our church remains locked when not in use, we chose a room that has its own keypad entrance and is not connected to the rest of the church facility. One disadvantage we soon discovered was that when the church is locked, so are the restrooms. Still, the benefits of being able to enter the prayer room at any time by use of a keypad outweighed the inconveniences. The keypad code is easy to remember and is given to all church members. This provides security without the need to copy numerous keys. We considered leaving our prayer room open 24 hours a day, but decided to limit access to dawn until dusk by setting a timer on the keypad.

Church prayer rooms are used in different ways. Pray, brainstorm, visit other prayer rooms for ideas, and think about what the purpose of your prayer room would be. How exactly will it be used? Who will maintain it? Teykl suggests using the prayer room as a place to schedule prayer in a systematic manner by having people sign up to pray at stated hours. The goal is to have someone praying at all times during the week. Other prayer rooms are used as call centers.

In our prayer room, we keep Bibles, hymnals, devotionals, meditative music, and books on prayer. Other prayer rooms may have kneelers, candles, windows that overlook a garden or other nature area, icons, artwork, an altar, maps, a prayer journal to document praises, prayer request cards, a listing of all church members, or lists of those who are sick or struggling.

Our prayer room is used in different ways throughout the week by individuals, prayer partners, and small groups. It may be used for intercessory prayers, as a source of refuge, or as an uninterrupted place to listen to and intentionally spend time with God. The first small group to use our space met weekly for intercessory prayer. On Sunday mornings, our church prayer ministers, who identify themselves by wearing name badges, are available to step into the prayer room with anyone who asks. Stephen Ministers, persons trained as congregational caregivers, also use our prayer room as a private location to meet their care receivers.

When undertaking this project, be prepared! Making room for a prayer room means making room for the surprising ways that God will work in the life of your congregation.

Back to School, Lent, and the Discipline of Study

2010-01-14T14:03:00.000-08:00

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” - Matthew 22:37, NRSV

". . . and with all your MIND!"

Classes will start back up next week at Campbell University Divinity School (CUDS).

Goodbye Facebook.

Goodbye TV.

Goodbye sleep.

(Well, maybe I can make time for some occasional Facebook usage.)

Despite the goodbyes, I am beyond ready to go back; and to study, learn and see my much missed CUDS friends! This semester I’ll be studying Old Testament II, New Testament II (wonder if I’ll regret taking OT & NT the same semester), Life & Work of a Minister (a spiritual formation class taught by my OT professor who also writes an awesome blog: Baptists Today Blogs- check it out!), Reading of a Spiritual Classic (Augustine’s Confessions – can’t wait to discuss it!), and Life-Span Development (a class offered through the Counseling School).

With one semester behind me and knowing a little about what to expect, I feel better organized and more confident than I did this time last semester. In addition to classes, I’ve found an exercise buddy who will go to the University gym with me between classes. She’s pretty smart so I don’t think it will take her long to see through all the petty excuses I can make up for being lazy!

Next week I’ll be in classes; but today, I am working on a devotional book for Lent. Members of my church family will contribute to the book which will contain reflections, poetry, Scripture readings, prayers, stories, artwork, etc. The theme is on spiritual disciplines – those practices we do as Christians, not because we have to in order to earn favor with God, but because we desire to open ourselves up to ways in which God grows us spiritually, making us better witnesses to Christ and strengthening our relationship with God. Each week of Lent will focus on a specific discipline: CONFESSION, WORSHIP, PRAYER, SERVICE, STUDY, FASTING, and MEDITATION. The idea is that we will be intentional about increasing our practice of the “spiritual discipline of the week” during Lent in preparation for Easter.

STUDY should be an easy discipline for me to engage in over the next few months! In his book, “Celebration of Discipline,” Richard Foster describes study as having 4 important steps:

1) Repetition
2) Concentration
3) Comprehension
4) Reflection

My goal this semester is not to forget step number 4. Reflection: to ponder the meaning. While comprehension defines what we are studying, reflection defines the significance. This fourth step reminds me of a big difference in the way I study now compared to in my undergraduate years at Indiana University (Go Hoosiers!). Back then, big hair and shoulder pads were essential! And, I was primarily concerned with getting a passing grade and earning a degree. Of course I still want both of those things. But now, I want more. Reflection. Significance. Meaning. Retaining what I study in order to better serve God and to love God with all my heart, all my soul, and all my MIND!

(PS... If you go to the CUDS website and look at the bottom left corner, and wait, a quote with my picture will cycle around)

Intimately Known

2010-01-08T07:40:00.000-08:00

"O LORD, you have searched me and know me." Psalm 139:1

As a mother, I wonder how anyone could know my children more intimately than I do. I remember the day they were born, when they first sat up, took their first steps. I know where their birthmarks are and what types of food they love to eat and which ones they hate. When my boys are happy, I smile and when they hurt I wish I could suffer in their place--anything to take away their pain. As well as I think I know my children, God knows them more intimately. As much as I love my children, God, our Heavenly Parent, loves them more selflessly – for God so loved the world, he gave us his only son.

The words of Psalm 139 can be frightening – there is no where we can go to escape or hide from God. But, this psalm can also bring great comfort when we think of God as our Heavenly Parent who loves us more perfectly than we know how to love others. The One who searches us is also the One who lavishes grace upon us - the One who is love.

The psalmist tells of how God already knows us completely. God knows our thoughts before we speak them. So then we may ask, why pray? Why tell God when God already knows? There are times when we don’t know how to express ourselves. We are unsuccessful at putting our feelings into words. Other times we may feel ashamed to talk to God – maybe we are angry or have doubts. But, God already knows our anger, doubts, and fears. We are the ones who need to talk to God. In doing so, God changes us, heals us, and lets us see our circumstances in a new light. We can shout out our deepest desires, fears, anger, pain, because God already knows. When we keep those emotions hidden and bottled up we are not protecting God or being polite. God already knows our thoughts. Yet when we express ourselves, in whatever ways we can, we name our trials and open ourselves up to God’s healing.

What might we be trying to hide from God or perhaps even from ourselves? God’s right hand will hold us.

O LORD, you have searched me and known me.

You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far away.

You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways.

Even before a word is on my tongue, O LORD, you know it completely.

You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is so high that I cannot attain it.

Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence?

If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.

If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me fast.
- Psalm 139:1-10

If God is for Us . . .

2010-01-01T08:03:00.000-08:00

If God is for us, who is against us?

When we jump for joy;
and when we fall to our knees in despair.
God is for us.

When we whisper gently to God;
and when we yell at God and say this is not fair! This is not what I bargained for!
God is for us.

When we happily sing “Jesus loves me! This I know”;
and when we have a hard time seeing God in our situation and don’t feel loved.
God is for us.

When we are healthy;
and when we are sick.
God is for us.

When we share our thoughts with God in prayer;
and when we don’t know how to put our feelings into words or when we intentionally avoid our thoughts completely because they cause too much pain.
God is for us.

When we are thankful for a job that gives us satisfaction;
and when we are tired of knocking on doors to find employment.
God is for us.

When we feel good;
and when the pain feels like it’s more than we can bear.
God is for us.

When we have certainty;
and when we have doubts, wondering why bad things happen to us.
God is for us.

When we laugh with friends;
and when we sit alone in the darkness, with bloodshot eyes and no tears left to cry.
God is for us.

When we praise God;
and when we are angry at God and the world and whoever else we can blame for our situation.
God is for us.

When life is going well;
and when we think nothing could worsen our situation and then something happens that does make it worse.
God is still for us.

If God is for us, who is against us? Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord!

What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written,
‘For your sake we are being killed all day long;
we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.’
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:31-39 NRSV

(Image from Cork Hope)

Mary at the Manger

2009-12-24T00:01:00.000-08:00

And Mary said,
‘My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
His mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.’
And Mary remained with her for about three months and then returned to her home. - Luke 1:46-56

I wonder how Mary must have felt looking down at baby Jesus in the manger. Surely she was physically exhausted. Who isn’t after giving birth? And Mary didn’t have all the conveniences we have today – no hospital room with nurses or doctors to help her, no electricity or indoor plumbing, and no epidural or modern day pain killers! She was in a smelly stable. Her baby was not in a crib that was approved by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Her baby, the king of kings, was lying in a make-shift feeding trough.

While gazing at her baby in the manger, I wonder if Mary reflected on the events of the previous months. Just ten months prior, she had no idea that her world was going to be turned upside down. She was a Jewish girl living in Nazareth, engaged to be married to Joseph. What soon-to-be bride doesn’t dream about what her married life will be like? She was probably anticipating a pretty ordinary life. If she had a plan mapped out, surely this was not it!

When the shepherds made their visit to the holy family, they reported what the angels had told them about Jesus. We don’t know what Mary said at the manger, but when the shepherds spoke, she “treasured” and “pondered” their words in her heart. I wonder if she was reminded of that fateful day when her life was interrupted – the day when the angel Gabriel spoke to her, telling her that she, a virgin, would give birth to Jesus. Jesus, the Son of the Most High, who would reign over the house of Jacob forever. I would have probably asked more questions, but not Mary. Mary said “Here am I, let it be with me.” Mary said yes without knowing what the future would hold. Having this baby out of wedlock could have cost Mary her life. Joseph, her family, her community could have cast her out or even stoned her to death. Gabriel did not promise that it would be easy or that Mary wouldn’t have to take risks. He didn’t assure her that there wouldn’t be pain or difficulties. Regardless, Mary was brave and obedient, she trusted God, and she made the selfless response, “let it be with me.”

What else might Mary have been thinking about at the manger? She may have thought about her baby’s future. Mary, like others who were familiar with Hebrew prophesies, was likely expecting an earthly king. I doubt if she had a true grasp on the enormity, but she did know her child was special. I wonder if she worried about how she could possibly raise such a child. What could she teach him? She may have felt unworthy. But since she would have known God’s penchant for choosing unlikely people for amazing tasks, perhaps she wasn’t so surprised that she was the favored one.

As she was looking at the precious gift of a promise foretold lying in a manger, I wonder if Mary thought about her cousin Elizabeth. It’s possible since Mary spent three months of her pregnancy with her. Months ago, when Elizabeth greeted Mary, she confirmed the words of the angel Gabriel. She exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” She referred to Mary as “the mother of my Lord.”

Mary responded to Elizabeth’s greeting with a song, known as the Magnificat. Mary was obedient and faithful, but her song also shows us that she was far from weak or docile. It does not allow us to romanticize Mary as being nothing more than dutiful and silent. Mary praised God for being merciful and she made bold and radical claims about God’s ancient promises. She spoke of the coming of salvation as a great reversal – The Lord has scattered the proud, brought down the powerful, lifted the lowly, filled the hungry and sent the rich away…empty.

Mary certainly sets an example for us to look to today – she was faithful, obedient, brave, selfless, and she boldly proclaimed a reversal of the status quo; praising God who is merciful and who remembers the needy and the lowly. Mary is blessed among women as the one who gave birth to the King of Kings, the Prince of Peace, the Son of the Most High who reigns forever!

The Longest Night

2009-12-18T05:43:00.001-08:00

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” John 1:5

This Monday is the longest night of the year – winter solstice. The days are short and the nights are long. For some, the nights are excruciatingly long. You don’t have to be the Grinch to dread the festivities that surround Christmas. This time of year can be lonely and sad for many.

As I’m celebrating time spent with my family and friends, am I paying attention to those who are lonely? As I complain that I have eaten too many sweets, what am I doing to assist my neighbors who can’t afford their next meal? As I take pleasure in finding the perfect gift for my children, do I stop to help those parents who can’t purchase toys (let alone clothes or food) for their children? When I arrange the placemats at my dinner table, am I sensitive to the sadness that surrounds those who have an empty chair at their table this Christmas?

In order to provide a quiet, meditative service for those who may not feel like singing “Joy to the World,” many churches are offering special “Blue Christmas” or “Longest Night” services. If you live in my area, First Reformed Church of Cary invites you to our service this Sunday evening. Come alone or bring a friend.

"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:18

Rejoicing on the Way

2009-12-06T19:16:00.000-08:00

“When they came out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing." Acts 8:39 (NRSV)

As my first semester of seminary is drawing towards an end, I finally have time to reflect on the past few months (and post to my much neglected blog!). Today, with only one class left in the semester, I’ve been thinking about my first day at CUDS (Campbell University Divinity School).

At the beginning of my first class, the professor announced that we would be reading the story of Phillip and the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:4-8 and Acts 8:26-40) every week, taking turns in sharing a brief reflection about the text. As he read off the dates for each class period, my classmates raised their hands to sign up for a reflection. There were more students than class periods, so it wasn’t required that I participate. I struggled with making a decision and by the time I got brave enough to lift my arm, the only dates left were during the latter part of the semester.

My stomach was immediately in knots. Why did I volunteer to do something I didn’t have to do? And, if I were going to sign up, why didn’t I raise my hand right away? So many other students were going before me - how could we read the same passage every class and still come up with fresh insights? I thought we would become tired of the same story and surely nothing would be left to say about it by my turn. Surprisingly, we didn't grow weary of the text. And, as the semester unfolded, we found each student to be inspired with thoughts that took on a new perspective from the week before it. This uniqueness of thought is just one example of how God continues to illuminate the holy and inspired words of the Bible. God still speaks today! The Bible is the living word of God.

Many powerful reflections were given throughout the semester and mine was certainly not the best one given. But, here’s what I said when it was my turn:

The Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing.

I think this puzzling verse is the model of a healthy pastoral relationship – healthy for both the pastor and for the parishioner.

If I were Philip, would I have wanted the eunuch to at least be a little sad that I was snatched away before he went on his way rejoicing? Couldn’t the eunuch have said, “Oh, I wish I could have thanked Philip for sharing the gospel with me and for baptizing me.”? And THEN gone on his way rejoicing?

Philip was snatched away, but the eunuch went on his way rejoicing.

Now that I’m in seminary, I am asked a lot of questions. Some people think that I suddenly have all the answers. Of course, I tell them I don’t. But still, they seem to look to me as an authority. I have to be careful how I respond. I want to equip them to think and reason and grow without depending on me.

Philip was snatched away, but the eunuch went on his way rejoicing.

Have you ever wanted to step down as a committee leader, but stayed on for fear that no one else would step up to the plate? If I leave, will the ministry die out? Who will continue it?

Philip was snatched away, but the eunuch went on his way rejoicing.

As pastors, teachers, and counselors we need to be careful of unhealthy dependencies from those whom we minister. And, we need to be careful not to think too highly of ourselves as leaders or take the credit for what the Spirit has done.

The Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing.

And praise be to God, he went on his way rejoicing!

(Image of Phillip and the Eunuch from http://breadsite.org)

Promoting Peace through Music

2009-11-04T02:36:00.001-08:00

Hope you enjoy watching this latest "Playing for Change" video. I did. Check out the website to learn more about this unique ministry and to watch additional episodes of these inspiring videos.

Reformation Day & Luther's Words on Prayer

2009-10-31T08:40:00.000-07:00

October 31, 2009 is more than just Halloween, it is Reformation Day! What better time than today to be reminded of Martin Luther's wise and convicting words on prayer?

In "A Simply Way to Pray," Luther wrote these instructions on prayer to his good friend Peter, the master barber. Christians today can benefit from Luther’s 16th century warning about being distracted away from prayer. Luther wrote:

It is a good thing to let prayer be the first business of the morning and the last at night. Guard yourself carefully against those false, deluding ideas which tell you, “Wait a little while. I will pray in an hour; first I must attend to this or that.” Such thoughts get you away from prayer into other affairs which so hold your attention and involve you that nothing comes of prayer for that day.

The Beggar, the Cape, and the Chapel

2009-10-12T06:00:00.001-07:00

My husband and I saw a man begging for money at a busy intersection in Raleigh on our way to the recent U2 concert. The light turned red as we approached the intersection and we were confronted with the question of “what to do?” Our car was at the front of the line and the beggar was behind us. I’m embarrassed to say that this made it easier to drive on by. We didn’t make eye contact with him. I asked my husband, “What do you think Bono would do right now?” Bono may have stopped to help, but we know what Jesus said about “the least of these.” Despite that, we wanted to get where we were going – to a concert featuring a band who is known for their activism, to a concert in which an obscene amount of money was paid for a single ticket, to a concert that we wanted to get to quickly so that we didn’t have to be confronted by the man who was begging for money.

Today as I’m reading The Story of Christianity by Justo L. Gonzales for my Church History class, I am once again challenged with what to do about the man who stands begging for money. I am inspired by the story of the early monastic, Martin. Martin responded in a better way than we did. As he was walking with a friend, he saw a man who was cold and asking for alms. Martin had no money, so he took off his cape, cut it in half, and gave half of his cape to the shivering man. This act of kindness became well known. A small church displayed a piece of Martin’s cape for all to be reminded of his act of sharing. We can be reminded, still today, of how Martin shared his cape whenever we hear the word chapel. “Chapel” comes from the word “capella” – the word for the piece of cape that was held in this little church many centuries ago and the word for the cape that Martin shared with the beggar when he had no money to give him.

35for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ 37Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? 38And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? 39And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ 40And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’ Matthew 25:35 – 40

Brian McLaren Speaks at Butler Chapel

2009-09-30T03:53:00.000-07:00

Butler Chapel was packed yesterday as students, professors, and returning alumni came to hear Brian McLaren speak as a guest lecturer. McLaren wrote about his visit to Campbell on his website, calling the people of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship a group he is “tremendously impressed with and optimistic about.” McLaren can be described as a progressive evangelical who is part of the emergent church. His lecture focused on the post-modern church.

Prior to his visit at Campbell, I didn’t know too much about him. But, I thought McLaren brought many valuable teachings for church leaders of today and tomorrow. He is an engaging speaker with thought provoking ideas. I plan to read some of his books during school breaks and hope to post more about the "post-modern" church in the future.

During the afternoon session, McLaren talked about hell. He believes the doctrine of hell is antithetical to the cross. In other words, he does not believe in a literal hell. I would love to explore this thought further, but I have two exams next week, my friend Debra is coming to visit tomorrow, and I’m going to the U2 concert this weekend – no time to think about hell today! So for now, I will leave you with this bold prayer:

“Loving God, if I love thee for hope of heaven, then deny me heaven; if I love thee for fear of hell, then give me hell; but if I love thee for thyself alone, then give me thyself alone. Amen.” - Dr. Samuel Wells, Dean of Duke Chapel - 12/10/2006

A Glimpse of Heaven in Cary

2009-09-27T14:14:00.000-07:00

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:4 – 6)

I have heard it said that Sunday morning in America is the most segregated hour of the week.

That was not the case this morning in Cary, NC as First Reformed Church of Cary (FRCC) and Iglesia Cristiana de Cary (ICC) combined worship services.

They are Anabaptists. We are Reformed. They use power points. We use hymn books. They play guitars and drums. We play an organ. They raise their hands and shout "amen" and "halleluiah." We tend to be, well, a little more reserved. They speak Spanish. We speak English (and maybe some Dutch). None of that mattered this morning.

There was no "us and them," no "we and they." We were one.

The ICC worship leader started us off by promising that today we would get a glimpse of heaven. That promise was soon followed with the ICC Worship Team leading us in energetic praise music. We sang some verses in English and others in Spanish. When Pastor Elie from ICC read Scripture in Spanish, the words appeared on the screen in English. Someone translated as he gave a meditation on the sacrament of baptism.

We didn’t get caught up in our differing traditions on baptism as an ICC family of five were baptized by immersion. It was the first time my teenage son (who was baptized as an infant) has ever witnessed this type of baptism. The baptisms were followed by our Chancel Choir, dressed in their robes, singing “O Love of God”/”Amor De Dios.”

We had already seen that promised glimpse of heaven, but we were not done yet. Pastor Chuck from FRCC gave a meditation about our other great sacrament, Holy Communion. He started by introducing a third language to our already combined language worship – Greek. The word Kiononia, meaning “sharing” or “fellowship,” was the perfect word for our Kiononia in the body and the blood of Christ. The Bell Choir, wearing their black gloves, rang as the bread and wine/juice were distributed.

The promise was certainly fulfilled as we got a glimpse of heaven this morning.

We followed our amazing worship service with what both of our congregations seem to do quite well – a shared potluck lunch!

I wonder why we don't worship (and eat) together more often...

Week Four: Having A Short, Yet Profound Thought...

2009-09-16T13:24:00.001-07:00

God, who is the almighty, all powerful, maker of heaven and earth, creator and sustainer of the universe is also a loving and merciful Parent who cares to be involved in the intimate details of the lives of all of His creation - even mine. Wow! We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. But, thanks be to God that it is through His love and our Lord and our Savior, Jesus Christ, that God brings wholeness to our broken lives and that God continues to work in and through our lives by the gift of the Holy Spirit.

I love being at Campbell and feel God’s presence in this place and in the new friends He has connected me with. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed with the workload, but the Spirit always manages to give me the strength I need to keep up with it. My desire to learn and study has only grown more intense since I’ve been here. Every time I start to have a doubt about my calling, something is said or done that knocks me in the head to give me a reverent fear and to simply say, “Oh! Wow, this is really real!” God has been, is and will be in this journey and in all things.

Amen!

Week 3: Communion, Prayer, Thomas Merton

2009-09-13T06:12:00.000-07:00

We are reading "The Story of Christianity" by Justo L. Gonzalez in my Church History class. This week we read about how worship centered around communion in the early church. It is only in recent years that many Protestants have switched the focus of worship from communion to preaching. In the early church, communion was the highest form of worship.

Before church buildings were established as places dedicated to the purpose of worship, Christians most frequently met in each other’s homes. It was also a custom to worship at the catacombs. It seems strange to us today to think about going to a graveyard to take communion, but it made perfect sense to early Christians. They believed communion joined them not only with each other and with Christ, but also with those faithful saints who lived before them. Meeting at their tombs was a way of including those who came before them in this highest act of worship.

I wonder if the modern day church is missing something by putting less focus on what was the highest act of worship up until recent years.

I've never gone to a gravesite in order to share communion with saints of the past, but I do frequently imagine myself praying with them. As we pray The Lord's Prayer in unison every week in worship, I think about all those who have prayed it, who are praying it, and who will pray it. In my Introduction to Theological Education class, we read (and prayed together) a prayer by the Trappist monk, writer, poet, and social activist, Thomas Merton (1915 - 1968). Perhaps you, too, will relate to all or part of it. Merton's timeless prayer (as quoted in "Hearing God's Call" by Ben Campbell Johnson):

My Lord God,

I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you.

And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this, you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it.

Therefore will I trust you always, though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face perils alone.

Amen.

Week Two: Thinking about Martyrs and Church Growth

2009-09-06T06:34:00.000-07:00

Church growth is a hot topic in many mainline churches today. I wonder how much time and money are spent attending church growth seminars, hiring consultants and running campaigns. A quick search on Amazon for books related to “church growth” shows 18,728 results!

In my Church History class, we are reading “The Rise of Christianity” by Rodney Stark. Stark (who was not a Christian at the time he wrote this book) argues that in the early church, martyrdom actually helped the rise of Christianity. Wouldn’t it seem to be just the opposite? Why would anyone want to be a part of a new religious sect where membership could result in public torture and death? Yet Stark says martyrdom helped church growth. I am not, of course, promoting martyrdom in order to grow the contemporary church! But, I do think it is worthwhile to reflect on Stark’s reasoning.

He argues that the commitment and loyalty Christians had to their God, even to the point of death, gave Christianity a high perceived value. Pagans grew to respect Christians for their bravery and faithfulness. They began to wonder about and even desire to have what those people had – something they were willing to die for.

Outsiders also witnessed the fruit that was being born from these followers of Christ. They saw how Christians were so bent on helping the poor and the widow and even each other, for example.

Stark also points out that the church was stronger because the “free-riders” were weeded out. This sounds kind of harsh, but think about it. Those who were mooching off the system, who wanted to receive benefits without contributing, were the first to deny their faith during times of persecution. As a result, those who remained were the hard-core, committed ones.

God’s grace is free and available to all. We do not want to exclude anyone from coming to our church who wants to be there. But, I wonder, do we actually hinder church growth by making membership too easy? Just come when you feel like it, no pressure. Many churches are adding program after program to attract new members. Some have even stopped passing an offering plate during worship as to not offend visitors. Does working to make church more fun and appealing lead to growth? How many church shoppers are going about the process in a consumer-oriented way? When visiting, shoppers want to know such things as: What type of music do they have? Can I wear my blue jeans? Oh, and what kinds of children’s programs are offered?

How many churches are quick to respond to these questions with a smorgasbord of exciting programs and opportunities?

Last spring, I had the privilege of visiting Grace Community Fellowship in San Francisco. They have a 9 month new member class (to represent the birthing process). New members get to sign up to take out the trash and serve coffee. Despite the required commitment, membership is growing and people still want to join.

I wonder how many of the thousands of books regarding church growth suggest requiring more commitment among members as a strategy for growing the church. Let me be clear: I do not think promoting sacrifice and self-giving alone will grow the church. And, the sacrifices I'm talking about are nothing compared to those of the great church martyrs. I do, however, think that through sacrifice, commitment, and self-giving, the church will bear an attractive fruit - an irresistible fruit that will attract new members and lead to church growth. What do you think?

The Calvin Quiz

2009-09-04T12:06:00.000-07:00

More about John Calvin at Calvin 500

July 2009 marked the anniversary of the 500th birthday of John Calvin. Test your knowledge by taking this fun quiz - are you a Calvin scholar? I admittedly had to guess on a few to receive my scholar badge.

Click here to go directly to the quiz: The Calvin Quiz

The First Week

2009-08-27T19:41:00.001-07:00

All Divinity School classes are in this building - Frederick L. Taylor Hall of Religion.

Butler Chapel is the newest addition to Campbell University. The first chapel service was held there on Tuesday as many alumni returned to worship together with the new students.

I loved my first week of school. And, yes, I was the nerdy new student who brought my camera and took pictures to record the first day!

Here are a few thoughts that my fabulous professors have already sparked:

- Church attendance is down. Church programs are more prevalent than ever. What do people want? They don't want more programs; they are thirsty for Jesus Christ! Wouldn't you agree?

- How do we grow Christians? The way we grow Christians is to re-discover the spiritual disciplines. Too often people brush off the disciplines as being too “Catholic.” They are missing out. There is a re-discovery of the disciplines in recent years. Have you read "Celebration of Discipline" by Richard Foster yet? Read it again or read it for the first time.

- Did you know the pagans called the early Christians atheists because they worshipped an invisible God? Even before that, the earliest followers of Jesus were not called Christians. They were Jews who still worshipped in the temple. They were not a part of a new religion and did not deny Judaism, but they were convicted that the Messianic age had come. Do we too often forget our Jewish roots and even the Jewishness of Jesus?

- In my Old Testament class, we started at the beginning - Genesis. Did you know there are two accounts of the creation story? Don't believe me? Compare 1:1 - 2:4a with 2:4a - 25. You will notice that the second account cannot be an expansion of the first when you look closely at the order of events and the number of days involved. Also notice what names are used for God, how God is portrayed to humans, and differences in literary style and vocabulary. Could there have been two authors?

- What is the meaning of pastoral care? It is "the art of communicating the inner meaning of the Gospel to persons at their point of need. “ - Wise

Hope you enjoyed reading these few highlights of the first week. Now, I am off to read more about the early church....

Back to School

2009-08-20T21:49:00.000-07:00

Well, it’s official now. Today I registered for classes at Campbell Divinity School (and made my first tuition payment!). I spent the day (8:30 – 4:30) at New Student Orientation. We started with breakfast, followed by a welcome and devotion by the Dean who challenged us to take something away. We are all busy and adding Divinity School to an already busy schedule… well, not a good idea. I’m not sure what I will take away just yet, but have a feeling less sleep is coming my way!

Compared to the general population of students at Campbell University, I am old. At the bookstore, a student asked me if I worked there. I’m sure that as I was walking around on campus I was mistaken as a professor….or, maybe even as a parent of a student. But, the Divinity school student population is more varied. The average age is 37.

The age range of students should make for intriguing conversations about the Bible and theology and I look forward to getting to know the fascinating new classmates I met today. I talked to a man who runs a homeless shelter, a military chaplain, several pastors (some of whom have been preaching for many years), young people who have wisdom beyond their years, and dedicated students who will commute two and three hours to get to school. No more complaining about my 45 minute drive!

There are some cool benefits that go along with being a student that I just thought about today – I'll have my own university email address. And, now that I have a student ID, can I pay the “student” price at the movie theater?

Classes start on Tuesday. So begins the journey of a seminary student…

Cheap Food: Is it Worth the Cost?

2009-08-13T20:40:00.000-07:00

This week I took my 14 year old son and my mother-in-law (who lived on a farm most of her life) to see "Food, Inc." at The Galaxy Theater in Cary, NC. The movie was well done and we all learned some things from watching it.

I knew before I entered the theater that there would be some graphic and disturbing images of animals being mistreated. I knew the film would address the impacts of industrial farming on the environment. But, among the scenes that I found most worrying were the interviews of employees and hidden camera footage of Smithfield Foods, the largest pork producer and processor in the world.

Anyone who lives in NC and follows the news knows that Smithfield Packing Plant in Tar Heel, NC, has a reputation for mistreating their worker's - many of whom have been bused into NC from Mexico by Smithfield recruiters. Many of whom are former corn farmers gone bankrupt as a result of NAFTA. US subsidies to the corn sector caused the price of corn to drop so significantly that Mexican corn farmers were put out of business. These ex-farmers, who are desperate to feed their families, are cheap labor for Smithfield. They are worker's who won't complain about being mistreated or about working long hours for low wages because they are in the USA illegally and have no rights. At one point, the film showed clips of ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agents raiding a trailer park and arresting Smithfield worker's for not having proper documentation. It was pointed out that these agents don't go after Smithfield Foods or the company executives who recruit the worker's from Mexico in the first place. Smithfield can sell cheap meat, but what is the cost?

I'm a bargain shopper and I cringe when I see the price of Organic produce in the grocery store. I'm busy and it is a time-saver for me to buy all of my groceries at the Supermarket rather than drive out to the local Farmer's Market or to plant a garden. When my kids have weeknight sporting events, the drive-thru is so convenient. I'm not going to change all of my habits overnight. But, watching Food, Inc. sure does make me think about the cost of cheap food and inspires me to take more steps towards purchasing wholesome food and foods that don't come at the price of another human's wellfare. We do vote every time we make a purchase. And, as the farmer pointed out at the end of the film, it is up to us to demand wholesome food. Can we afford not to?

The Silent Lunch

2009-08-05T14:43:00.000-07:00

(See my reflection here in RCA's HOPE Prayerline. August issue: Prayer Retreats)

Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence" (1 Kings 19:11b-12).

When the noise in the cafeteria at my son's school escalates to unacceptable levels, the children are threatened with the punishment of a silent lunch with no talking at all. For these children, silence is a punishment.

During a prayer retreat a few years ago, I was disappointed when our leader suggested that we mature, responsible adults eat our lunch in silence. After spending the morning in contemplative prayer, I was looking forward to friendly conversation during the noon meal. For me, as for the kids at my son's school, imposed silence during a time of anticipated fellowship felt like punishment.

I had some immediate epiphanies on the day of the retreat, and I have continued to reflect on them ever since. I remember that we began the meal by singing the Doxology and praying the Lord's Prayer in unison. As we sat down at our tables in silence and began to fill our plates with food, we were very much aware of each other's physical presence, yet it was freeing to know that we didn't have to make small talk or discuss the weather. More importantly, the needs of those sitting at my table soon became evident; for instance, the man sitting across from me could not reach the pitcher of iced tea (and he could not ask me to pass it to him), so when his cup ran low, I refilled it. After I finished eating my dinner roll, a woman sitting a few seats away from me handed me the bread basket. We were practicing a holy mindfulness that would have been difficult in the midst of chatter.

That day, I ate my food more slowly and savored the flavors. I thought about the volunteers who prepared lunch for us and about where our food came from and the many paths it took to get to our table. I gave thanks for the farmers who harvested it and for the helpers who were going to clean up after we were finished eating.

Some may think of a spiritual retreat as a time to withdraw from the world or as an opportunity for self-indulgence, like a day at the spa. Although we hope to feel refreshed and renewed, a spiritual retreat is not primarily for individual fulfillment. The purpose is not to escape our troubles nor to pamper ourselves, but to bring ourselves more fully into the world as the body of Christ.

The simple act of a silent lunch, even when begrudgingly approached, can impact the way we think about the world and the needs of those around us. My silent lunch prompted me to pay more attention to the growing trend toward organic and locally-grown foods. What we eat impacts those around us as well as those living a world away. Buying products with Fair Trade labels ensures that farmers receive fair compensation for their labor. Eating locally grown, pesticide-free fruits and vegetables helps reduce our carbon footprint and is an important step toward being better stewards of God's good creation.

In a world of fast food, noise, and busyness, a silent lunch may be hard to find. It may be a welcome treat, or it may feel like a punishment! Either way, when practiced with holy mindfulness, silence is a worthwhile spiritual discipline and a way for us to better hear God's gentle whisper.

"Just BE"

2009-07-25T05:15:00.000-07:00

I've been unusually busy this summer; so busy in fact, that I have neglected to keep up with something I love to do - write for my blog. In the busyness of my summer, I am reminded of the importance of silence and of my necessity to "just be." Today's posting is a re-post of a reflection I wrote after returning from last summer's vacation - some words I need to be reminded of again right now.

"Just BE"

“Be still, and know that I am God!
I am exalted among the nations,
I am exalted in the earth.” – Psalm 46:10 (NRSV)

When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
-- Matthew 6:7 – 8 (NRSV)

“Just BE” read the bumper stickers we saw during our recent family vacation to the town of Banner Elk (BE) in the mountains of NC. The majesty of God’s astounding creation that surrounded us made my own words seem useless and pressed me to reflect upon the ways in which I pray. When I pray, am I doing all the talking? Do I ever act like the Gentiles (referred to in Matthew’s Gospel) by heaping up empty phrases? Even if my requests are honorable and in line with God’s will, prayer should not be solely about asking God to do something. When speaking with a friend, would I dominate the conversation by making requests of them? With a new acquaintance, the quietness in a conversation can be awkward. It takes time for silence to be comfortable. But, how wonderful it is to reach a point of intimacy where we can simply be in someone’s presence without needing to fill the silence with words. In genuine and lasting friendships we talk, listen, and just spend time together. Why would our relationship with God be any different?

It can be a challenge for most of us, living in this busy, noisy, fast-paced world, to find a time and place to practice the spiritual discipline of silence and solitude and to “be still” before God. In 1 Kings 19:12 we read of the prophet Elijah’s experience of hearing God, “Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.” We must be silent and listen in order to hear God’s gentle whisper. Dallas Willard states in The Spirit of the Disciplines that “Silence is frightening because it strips us as nothing else does, throwing us upon the stark realities of our life.” The silence causes us to look inwardly which can be painful as we see our inner brokenness and our need for a Savior. Yet we are also hopeful as we recognize our dependence on a merciful Creator who loves us. God knows the deepest desires of our hearts. He knows what we need before we ask him.

I hope you, too, will have the opportunity to visit the beautiful town of Banner Elk, NC where the “Just BE” signs are plentiful. More importantly I hope you find time for solitude and silence to “Be Still” before God and experience what it means to “Just Be”.

What Will You Be When You Grow Up?

2009-07-08T19:10:00.000-07:00

I’ve been fascinated at how my son’s response to this question has changed over the years. When Matthew was about 5 years old, our pastor asked a group of kids during a children's sermon what they wanted to be when they grew up. The adults sitting in the pews smiled at the cuteness of the responses. I was surprised by Matthew’s answer when he proudly announced that he wanted to be a baker. I was surprised, that is, until he added “Because, I love to eat cake!” Children’s career ambitions are so refreshing and uncomplicated.

As we learn and grow, that childhood simplicity inevitably becomes more complicated. Yet, while we are never too young to ask ourselves what we will be when we grow up, I have recently learned that we are never too old, either.

During the last few years of my wonderful 14 year career of being a full time stay-at-home mom, I’ve been contemplating the idea of re-entering the workforce. I recognize how fortunate I am to have some time to explore various options. I thought I would return to my former profession in the field of insurance. But, it didn’t take long for me to realize that was not my calling. I have stressed and worried, asking myself “What will I do when I grow up (or return to the workforce)?” I was trying to figure it out on my own without much success.

When I started asking some trusted friends to pray and to help me discern my workplace calling, the answer became clear. I made a mental list of what I really love to do: write, speak, read and discuss books on theology, lead Bible studies and prayer groups, be a listening ear and encourager for others during times of hurt and suffering, pray with and for others, volunteer in activities that help the poor, the weak, and the immigrant. A pattern was developing. It also dawned on me that people had been asking me for years if I had ever thought about going to seminary or becoming a pastor.

As I started mentioning to others that I might have a calling to some type of full-time ministry, I have been overwhelmingly affirmed. In fact, it seems that I was the last to know! The reactions have surprised me - “It’s about time you saw that!” And, “Why has it taken you so long to figure it out?” No one is surprised by my big, life-changing revelation. But, without the support of my community of faith and without their help and prayers through the discernment process, I would have never discovered the calling to attend Campbell University Divinity School in the fall. This is only the first step and I appreciate all future prayers and help from those around me who will guide me in discovering, at age 42, what I will be when I grow up.

"WELCOMING THE STRANGER: Justice, Compassion & Truth in the Immigration Debate"

2009-06-26T15:49:00.001-07:00

FEATURED: WELCOMING THE STRANGER by Hwang/Soerens. [Vol. 2, #26]

Posted using ShareThis

My friend, Debra Dean Murphy, recently reviewed “Welcoming the Stranger” by Matthew Soerens and Jenny Hwang for The Englewood Review of Books. This is a timely review for a book that addresses the long overdue and urgent need for change in U.S. immigration law - now!

Do you think undocumented workers should wait their turn and immigrate the legal way? Are you mad because they don't pay taxes? Check out Debra's review that shows how "Welcoming the Stranger" dispels myths and misconceptions about immigration and invites us to "love the immigrant."

Praying the Difficult Psalms

2009-06-17T06:51:00.000-07:00

(See my article posted here and other articles about Repentent Prayer in the June issue of H.O.P.E. Prayerline: a ministry of the Reformed Church in America, "Inviting Intercessors and Prayer Leaders to Grow in Prayer")
(This is a re-post from 3/11/09)

O my God, make them like whirling dust, like chaff before the wind.
As fire consumes the forest, as the flame sets the mountains ablaze,
so pursue them with your tempest and terrify them with your hurricane.
Fill their faces with shame, so that they may seek your name, O Lord.
Let them be put to shame and dismayed forever; let them perish in disgrace. Psalm 83:13 – 17

I don’t like this Psalm.

In fact, I prefer to avoid all the imprecatory Psalms. “Imprecatory” means to curse or to call down harm. I’d rather focus on Psalms that offer comfort or that give praise and thanksgiving to God. Yet, these difficult, unpleasant Psalms remain in the Bible. They are part of the Word of God, for the people of God—thanks be to God!

Some may argue that these difficult Psalms are too “Old Testament” and don’t really apply to us today. Why should we recite and pray them in an age of grace? If we ask God to make our enemies like “whirling dust,” aren’t we praying in conflict with what Jesus teaches? After all, we are called to “love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us” (Matthew 5:44) and to “love our enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return.” (Luke 6:35).
What are we to do with the imprecatory Psalms?

I can recall a time when praying Psalm 83 may have been therapeutic. Perhaps I could have reached a willingness to forgive sooner if I had prayed this Psalm.
Several years ago, we came home from a weekend vacation to discover someone had broken into our house. As soon as we pulled up in the driveway, we knew that something was wrong. The garage door didn’t open quite right. Our car was missing. And we soon found that other things were missing, too: Someone loaded up everything they thought was valuable into our car and took it all.

In addition, our belongings were tossed out of dresser drawers. The thieves ate food out of our refrigerator, leaving the floor sticky from the iced tea they spilt. They had even ransacked our baby’s nursery!

Our personal and sacred space had been invaded. I was angry! I felt violated. I was afraid. How could I sleep in my own house after this? Who could have done this and—would they come back? I was certainly not ready to forgive! And, I had no desire to pray for those who had persecuted me.

What if I would have shouted out the words of Psalm 83 in the heat of my anger? God already knew I was angry. Praying this Psalm can act as a safe release, a comfort of knowing that we are not alone and that it is okay to lament and to rage. We can cry out our deepest emotions to God; the imprecatory Psalms help us do this safely and productively.

The thieves were eventually caught. When I saw their pictures my thoughts about them slowly changed. Three of the four thieves were teens. The police officer told us he found some of our belongings underneath a baby’s crib in one of their homes.

Now, I see faces on the “thieves.” One was a 16 year old single mom. What brought her to this point? What circumstances are in her life that I’m unaware of? What does her future hold? What about the future of a baby whose mommy hides stolen goods under her crib? What advantages will my son have in life compared to a baby born into that life?

Prior to seeing their faces, it would have been easier to pray, “Make them like whirling dust.” Twelve years later, I still occasionally think about them. My thoughts are particularly drawn to the mom and her child, who must be about 28 and 13, respectively, now. I can sincerely pray verse 16, asking God that they would come to “seek your name, O Lord!” Please forgive them, O God, and surround them in your love.

When wrestling with and reflecting upon the words of Psalm 83, I see that even though I prefer to avoid them, they are a gift from God not to be avoided. We know that Jesus prayed the Psalms. While hanging on the cross Jesus cried out the first verse of Psalm 22, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” I wonder if Jesus might have even prayed an imprecatory Psalm the day he turned the tables of the money changers?

Like it or not, it is in our human nature to be angry at times. Even if I do not feel angry and everything in my life seems to be going okay, it is likely that someone else’s life is not.

When we pray the Psalms we are saying the prayer of the Church. In his book, Life Together, Dietrich Bonhoeffer tells us that “even if a verse or a psalm is not one’s own prayer, it is nevertheless the prayer of another member of the fellowship, so it is quite certainly the prayer of the true Man Jesus Christ and his Body on earth.”

Almighty God, open our eyes when we are blind to the many gifts you place in front of us. You know our deepest emotions; our anger, our hatred and our fears, even before we are ready to confront them ourselves. Thank you for the hidden treasures of the Psalms that we may find "difficult". As we pray them, transform us by turning our anger into forgiveness, our hatred into love, and our fears into compassion and a deeper trust in You.

Amen

Nola's Devotionals

2009-06-15T19:41:00.000-07:00

When I started my blog it was partially an experiment to see if, with my limited technological skills, I could figure out how to set one up. I wanted an outlet for my writing and blogging seemed to be the best means for that. I didn’t put much time or thought in the title and didn’t know that a year later I would still be posting to Nola’s Devotionals. Over the last few months I’ve been contemplating the word “devotional.” Is this really the word I want to use for a title? Perhaps I could come up with a better name. I wondered if “devotional” in today’s understanding implies fluff or a lack of substance.

Last week, I made the decision to keep devotional in my title. Reading Devotional Classics: Selected Readings for Individuals and Groups, edited by Richard J. Foster and James Bryan Smith, has shed new light on the meaning of devotional. You will see the quote at the top of the page that convinced me not to make a title change. I certainly do not compare my writing with C.S. Lewis, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, St. Augustine, Teresa of Avila, or any of the authors of the 52 short excerpts that are included in Devotional Classics. But, attempting to write devotionals that “aim at the transformation of the human personality – that seek to touch the heart, to address the will, to mold the mind, that call for radical character formation, that instill holy habits" (both in the writer and the reader) seems like a challenging, yet worthy goal to strive for in my blog postings on Nola’s Devotional’s.

RCA and The Belhar Confession

2009-06-08T21:18:00.000-07:00

History was made this morning when the Reformed Church in America (RCA) General Synod voted 165 to 65 to adopt the Belhar Confession as a fourth Standard of Unity. Historically, the denomination has held three standards - the Heidelberg Catechism, the Canons of Dort, and the Belgic Confession. Today's decision must be ratified by two-thirds of the RCA’s 46 classes, or regional church bodies. The classes will report their vote to the next General Synod.

The Belhar Confession, dating back to 1986, comes out of the struggles with apartheid in South Africa. It claims, among other things, that “individual, racial, and social segregation is sin” and that “since segregation is sinful, segregation should not be permitted within the Body of Christ.” It affirms "unity, reconciliation, and justice."

The decision to adopt the Belhar as a Standard of Unity did not take place overnight. It has been under consideration for the past 24 years. Nine years ago the General Synod invited RCA congregations to study the Belhar. In 2007, it was provisionally adopted in order to be tested for possible approval in June 2009. The conversations surrounding the Belhar have been met with both compelling reasons for and passionate arguments against its adoption. The primary objection does not seem to be the content of the Belhar itself, but the fear that it will be used in the future to support gay issues. Dialogue is ongoing and divisions run deep pertaining to the RCA's position on homosexualiy. Perhaps a topic for a future posting. I am happy with the vote of the General Synod and am more interested in seeing how God might use the adoption of the Belhar to bring about "unity, reconciliation, and justice."

James Seawood, the newly elected General Synod president, commented: "We do a beautiful job of writing up what we would like to see done, but there's a gap between what we have written and what actually happens in our local congregations. That must not be allowed to continue." Seawood is the second black person to be elected as General Synod president.

It will be interesting to see what actually happens in local congregations as a result of today's General Synod vote.

(Click here for a PDF file of The Belhar Confession)

Literalism....

2009-06-03T10:07:00.000-07:00

This hilarious "Literal Video Version" of the 80's hit Total Eclipse of the Heart is making its way around social networking sites. I'm not going to attempt to pull out any type of deep theology here. I just think watching it might cause you to crack a smile and possibly even reflect on the absurdity of taking something that was never meant to be understood literally and attempting to understand it that way.

A. J. Jacobs gives a humorous and insightful account of his attempt to live out the Bible in a literal way in The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible. As a part of his experiment, Jacobs did not cut his hair, changed the way he dressed (no mixed fibers), and significantly altered his diet. He found the Sabbath difficult to observe until the day he accidently locked himself in the bathroom with nothing to do for hours until his wife came home. At times, he annoyed his wife - like when he asked her not to sit on the furniture once a month when she was "unclean." He also amused her by always telling the complete truth. Jacobs found many rules in the Bible to be too difficult (and some even illegal) to uphold. He used creative and comical ways to bend outdated rules, including the way he stoned an adulterer without her knowledge (I'm not telling how, you will have to read the book to find out!).

Is the Bible the living Word of God? Absolutely! What happens when we understand it too literally? Absurdity!

Protestants Observing Ascension Day

2009-05-21T05:30:00.000-07:00

“On the third day He arose from the dead, He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father almighty.” - - The Apostle’s Creed

Today, the 40th day after Easter Sunday, is Ascension Day. This day marks the last appearance of Christ to his disciples after his resurrection at Easter – the day he ascended into heaven. Protestants who think this day is reserved only for Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholics to observe, may find it interesting to read some of Calvin’s thoughts about the “benefits” of Christ’s ascension for our faith. John S. McClure quotes some of these thoughts in his informative article, “The Ascension — a promise of great things to come” in Presbyterians Today Magazine:

 Through Ascension-faith we experience Christ "transfusing us with his power." Calvin envisions Jesus as high and lifted up, seated at the right hand of God, where he "lavishes spiritual riches" upon "his own people."

 Ascension-faith experiences Christ as a "constant advocate and intercessor" who "prepares a way and access for us to the Father's throne." Through the eyes of his own faith, Calvin imagines Christ as a kind of holy distraction for God who "turns the Father's eyes to his own righteousness to avert his gaze from our sins." He sees Christ persuading the Father's heart to look with favor on us so that we do not have to dread our own eventual entrance into the heavenly throne room.

 Most important, Ascension-faith discovers that Christ's Ascension "has opened the way into the Heavenly Kingdom, which had been closed through Adam." The Ascension is nothing short of the inauguration of the Kingdom of God, a new age in which faithful Christians find that they have access, through Christ, to God's ultimate reality and purposes.

These are compelling reasons for us to spend some time today in prayer and reflection on Christ’s Ascension. Maybe even check to see if a local church is having a worship service this evening. If you live near Raleigh, NC, check out the choral evensong at St. Michael's Episcopal Church in Raleigh at 7 pm. Or, check out Debra Dean Murphy's reflection on Ascension Day on the Ekklessia Project website.

"Take This Bread", Feed My Sheep

2009-05-20T07:39:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading Take This Bread by Sara Miles. In her spiritual memoir, Miles tells about how her life was changed, turned upside down even, the first time she took communion. She was raised by atheist parents and never had anything to do with church until one morning when she walked into St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church in San Francisco. Someone handed her a piece of bread calling it the body of Christ and a sip of wine, the blood of Christ. She knew she was eating bread, made of flour and yeast, but somehow she knew that this piece of bread was more. She was filled with urgency, a hunger, to come back to the table again and again. This hunger for communion led to a curiosity about Jesus. She began studying the Bible and could not stop thinking about Jesus instructions to Peter on exactly how to love him: “Feed my sheep.”

15When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17He said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.” John 21:15 – 17

Miles explains how taking communion brought her to discover what she was meant to do - feed people:

And so I did. I took communion, I passed the bread to others, and then I kept going, compelled to find new ways to share what I’d experienced. I started a food pantry and gave away literally tons of fruit and vegetables and cereal around the same altar where I’d first received the body of Christ.

Listen to Sara Miles as she speaks about her book in NPR's "This I Believe" segment. She has challenged my thinking and will inevitably inspire all who read her memoir. Hope you will check it out!

God as Feminine?

2009-05-08T04:53:00.000-07:00

As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem. Isaiah 66:13

Can a woman forget her nursing child, or show no compassion for the child of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me. Isaiah 24:15 - 16

What is our image of God? Every week in worship we pray together, saying “Our Father who art in heaven.” Do we see God as an old man up in the clouds with a long white beard? Does anyone picture God as looking like Morgan Freeman in Bruce Almighty or resembling George Burns in the popular 70’s film, Oh God!?

When my son was in the first grade, he was asked to draw a picture of himself with people he loves. He drew our family and his grandparents all standing in a row. Along side of us was an old man with a long white beard. He said that was God who is always with us. I noticed that instead of drawing God up in the sky looking down at us, he portrayed God as right beside us. I was challenged to think about how I would have tried to draw God.

Why do we assume that God is male, only? Is God limited to gender? What about God as feminine? God created them, male and female, in the image of God they were created (Genesis 1). This mother’s day weekend on Facebook, Rob Bell’s Nooma video which explores female imagery of God, titled She, is available for viewing at no charge. Bell suggests that God transcends yet includes what we know as male and female. He says (and I agree), “Maybe if we were more aware of the feminine imagery for God we would have a better understanding of who God is and what God is like.”

Mother's day will probably be mentioned in our worship services this Sunday, but it is not a religious holiday. In fact, it is a relatively modern term which was not started until the early 20th century. Even so, may you have a Happy Mother's Day and may we give thanks not only to our earthy mothers, but also to our Heavenly Parent!

Return to Facebook and Just Eating?

2009-04-30T17:15:00.000-07:00

"We can just eat as a mundane activity done without mindfulness, or we can eat justly and explore the relationship between our food and justice. Eating can be a vehicle for practicing our faith." - Presbyterian Hunger Program staffer Andrew Kang Bartlett.

If you’ve been reading my blog (or the newspaper!), you know that I gave up using Facebook for Lent this year. The goal for giving up an item for Lent is not the same as going on a diet, or setting a New Year’s resolution, or striving for self-improvement. Ultimately, it is about drawing ourselves closer to God. Letting go of an activity that consumes considerable chunks of our time and replacing it with more time spent in prayer, will heighten our attentiveness to God.

I didn’t stay away from Facebook for 40 days because I think Facebook is a horrible vice. It can be, if it becomes an obsession or replaces personal contact. I’m also learning that it can be a valuable tool. The benefits of Facebook for communicating with friends who live in other states and for reconnecting with high school pals are obvious.

This morning, I posted a simple “status update” about how I was looking forward to cooking with friends today. This evening, plans are being formed to start a class using the guide, “Just Eating?: Practicing Our Faith at the Table.” After participating in a “Just Eating?” study a couple years ago, some friends of mine formed a group called “Community Dinners.” They were kind enough to ask me to join them. Once a month, six of us meet to prepare meals to freeze and use during the month. As a result of being convicted and inspired from the “Just Eating?” class, we use Organic, local, in-season and Fair Trade ingredients.

It’s good to be back on Facebook and I look forward to meeting with the Facebook friends who want to join me in taking a deeper look at how the act of eating can be a vehicle for practicing our faith.

Grace's Hospitality

2009-04-22T15:08:00.000-07:00

On our recent trip to San Francisco, I visited two churches with “Grace” in their name – Grace Cathedral and Grace Fellowship Community Church. You can see from the pictures I posted last week that Grace Cathedral greets visitors with its famous Ghiberti doors, labyrinths, and intricate stained class windows. It is located in the heart of the affluent Nob Hill District. Grace Fellowship, on the other hand, meets in what appears to be a type of warehouse located in the largely Latino populated and lower-income Mission District.

While Grace Cathedral provides hospitality for the many tourists and field trip groups that come through each day, Grace Fellowship provided me (and I’m sure all of its visitors) with an unexpected hospitality. I was a little concerned, at first, that being a tall red-headed woman, I would feel out of place at this predominantly Chinese-American church. That fear quickly subsided when I was greeted with warm welcomes.

When we started sing, I felt a tap on my arm. I thought the person next to me wanted to exit, so I held my hymnal up to my chest and backed up. He motioned that instead of leaving he wanted to share my hymnal. I felt a little silly, thinking I should have been paying more attention to him. As I sat the hymnal down at the end of the song, I noticed that he had a hymnal. He didn’t want to share with me because there were not enough to go around. He wanted to share because he didn’t want me to feel alone. Small gestures of hospitality are greatly appreciated. I won’t soon forget Grace’s hospitality!

Stand by Me

2009-04-16T04:04:00.000-07:00

We saw some great street performers while we were in San Franscico. My dear friend, Charles, told me about this video. I love it! He suggested that the song has a deeper meaning when one substitutes the word "Savior" for the word "darling." Thanks Charles! Hope you all enjoy the video.

Breaking from the Past and Pressing Toward the Goal: A Guided Meditation for the Labyrinth Walk

2009-04-14T00:01:00.000-07:00

Philippians 3:4b – 14
4If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: 5circumcised on the eight day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee, 6as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.
7Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. 8More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. 10I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, 11if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
12Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14I press on toward the goal for the prize of heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.

BEFORE ENTERING THE LABRYINTH
Read Philippians 3:4b – 11 slowly and enter the Labyrinth when ready. As you journey towards the center, think about:
Ø Where do I find confidence in the flesh?
Ø What do I regard as rubbish?
Ø Where do I need to break away from the past?
Invite the Holy Spirit to help you look inward to the center of your being to illuminate areas where you find confidence in the flesh. Ask for help in letting go and shedding these layers that inhibit you from knowing Christ and the power of his resurrection

IN THE CENTER OF THE LABYRINTH
Spend time in contemplation with God. How has God in Christ Jesus already made you his own? When you are ready, read Philippians 3:12 – 14 three times.
AS YOU WALK OUT OF THE LABYRINTH
Forget what lies behind and strain forward to what lies ahead, re-entering the world as a renewed disciple, pressing toward the goal for the prize of the call of God in Christ Jesus.

Praying with the Labyrinth

2009-04-13T00:01:00.001-07:00

My husband and I were in San Francisco last week and had the opportunity to visit Grace Cathedral. The labyrinth is a wonderful tool for contemplative prayer. Grace Cathedral has two. I tried to walk the indoor labyrinth, but was not too successful in concetrating with all of the field trips that were taking place that day.

There are three stages of labyrinth walk:

As you enter: Releasing - quieting and emptying the mind and letting go the cares of the world.
At the Center: Illumination - opening to insight, finding clarity and having new awareness. This is a time to engage in private meditation and prayer.
As You Leave: Integration - taking what you have received back out into the world.

Some basic approaches: (from Lauren Artress, Walking a Sacred Path, Rediscovering the Labyrinth as a Spiritual Practice (2006.))

Reflect on where you are in life—focus on a question, perhaps for discernment during times of transition, or finding balance.
Gracious attention—simply quiet your mind and let thoughts go. Then allow a gracious sense of attention to flow through you as you walk through the labyrinth.
Ask a question—What question do you keep asking yourself, even subliminally? It should not be a yes or no type of question but something from the heart. It may be a burden you carry or a decision you need to make.
Use of repetition—like a Christian centering prayer. Carry a word or phrase with you as you walk. It should be something meaningful, like inviting the Holy Spirit: “Come, Holy Spirit, Come” or reminding yourself that you belong to the light.
Reading Scripture—ie reading a psalm.
Intercession—Call to mind those you wish to pray for.
Carry an unlit candle to the center, light it, and walk out carrying the light.

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T11:00:00.001-07:00

He is risen! He is risen, indeed!

Happy Easter!

Holy Week Meditation

2009-04-08T00:01:00.002-07:00

(This is taken from a meditation that I'm giving today at the Fuquay-Varina UMC Holy Week service. Before the meditation we will reflect on the last 5 Stations of the Cross, using artwork by Gwyneth Leech - hope you will click on her name and check out her work)

(Crucifix at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, CA)

Jesus is stripped of his garments, nailed to the cross, dies on the cross, is taken down from the cross and laid in the tomb. The cross is empty. Jesus has not yet risen, but the cross stands empty.

The symbol of the cross is very prominent in our culture. People wear crosses on their jewelry. It’s displayed on bumper stickers and used in garden art. At the Christian bookstore, you can find images of the cross for sell on stationary, t-shirts, baseball caps, neckties, and handbags. I’ve seen a cross as a tattoo on someone’s back and around a rappers neck along side huge gold chains. Our churches often adorn a cross at the top of a steeple. We are accustomed to seeing the symbol of the cross every day. But, before the 5th century, Christians avoided use of the cross due to the disgrace associated with this heinous form of death. Instead, Jesus was primarily represented as a lamb.

In the 5th century we start seeing the use of the crucifix. The crucifix is a cross with a representation of Jesus’ body still hanging on it. Images of the crucifix in the middle ages tended to depict Jesus with his eyes open and no trace of suffering to reflect the resurrection, revealing Christ’s triumph over sin and death. By the 13th century, Christ’s body was often depicted as twisted and bleeding to emphasize his humanity and it was by this time that the crucifix became established as an altar centerpiece in most churches. During the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century, the crucifix, and in the case of John Calvin, the cross, too, was banned as a form of idolatry.

Today, the crucifix is primarily used in Roman Catholic, Anglican and Eastern Orthodox Churches. Those who use the crucifix site from 1 Corinthians 1:23- “we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles.” In the Protestant tradition, we use the empty cross to represent that Christ has risen. Yet the Cross and the Crucifix symbolize the same thing: the death of Christ our Lord for the salvation of the world.

When I see a crucifix, a different emotion is invoked than when I look at a cross. I remember visiting a Catholic church with my friend growing up and being intrigued by the large crucifix on the altar. It made me feel uncomfortable and a little scared. I was reminded that before the resurrection, Christ died a painful death on the cross. As I stared at the suffering Christ, my fear was overcome with a sense that this Jesus, who hangs on the cross, suffers for me and for all humankind. Out of love, something very profound was taking place. Out of love, the almighty creator of the universe became flesh and sacrificed himself for me and for every person sitting before him.

Looking at the crucifix and thinking about Jesus suffering on the cross can make us feel uncomfortable, but it can also bring comfort. Even Martin Luther, the leader of the Protestant reformation, made this point during a sermon on John’s Gospel in the early 1530’s. While reflecting on his days in the monastery he said, “It was a good practice to hold a wooden crucifix before the eyes of the dying or to press it into their hands. This brought the suffering and death of Christ to mind and comforted the dying.” We have a great high priest who is able to sympathize and who suffers with us.

I purchased a crucifix a few years ago on a trip to Rome. I keep it in my bedroom and sometimes I hold it and reflect upon the cross and on human suffering and what it means to carry my cross. None of us are immune from suffering and we respond to it in different ways. Often people develop a deeper trust in God in a time of suffering, but some turn away from God or lose their faith because they cannot understand how a loving God could let people suffer. When it comes to suffering in the world, I think at some point we all ask the age old question of “why”? We are challenged by the wisdom of the Bible when our logic is defied. The Apostle Paul tells us to “rejoice in our sufferings.” Doesn’t it make more sense to grumble and complain and have self-pity in our sufferings? Yet Paul, who, after being severely flogged and hanging from chains in prison, sings praises to God. If it were me would I sing praises or would I be asking “why me?” and saying “it’s not fair”! Not Paul. Paul writing to the Romans says “rejoice in suffering”. Do you think that’s really what Paul meant to say? Rejoice in suffering?

In his Apostolic Letter on the Christian Meaning of Human Suffering, Pope John Paul II points out that when we ask the meaning of suffering we seek the answer to this question on a human level. We cannot help but notice that the Holy One we are asking this question of is suffering Himself and wishes to answer us from the cross. John Paul says,

Christ does not explain in the abstract the reasons for suffering, but before all else He says: "Follow me!" Come! Take part through your suffering in this work of saving the world, a salvation achieved through my suffering! Through my cross! Gradually, as the individual takes up his cross, spiritually uniting himself to the cross of Christ, the meaning of suffering is revealed before him. He does not discover this meaning at his own human level, but at the level of the suffering of Christ. At the same time, however, from this level of Christ the meaning of suffering descends to man's level and becomes, in a sense, the individual's personal response. It is then that man finds in his suffering interior peace and even spiritual joy.
Our logic is defied. We are told to rejoice in suffering. Last Sunday, on Palm Sunday, we saw that instead of an earthly king on a warhorse, we find the Prince of Peace, an Eternal King, a homeless man that rides on a donkey. What we expect is not what we discover. What we want is not what we need. We ask questions of a Divine Creator and we seek answers on a human level. There is much that I do not understand about suffering in this world. But, I do know that out of love, Christ suffers along with us.

I don’t understand why my grandmother had to suffer for years from Alzheimer’s and live her final years on earth in a nursing home, but I do know that on her good days she was comforted by the letters she received from her thoughtful and caring church family. I don’t understand why my son Matthew had to be born with a bone disorder that caused him to break his thigh bone 3 times by the time he was age 6, but I do know that he smiled when his friend was willing to stay inside and play board games with him when he couldn’t run and play outside. I don’t understand why seemingly perfect marriages sometimes end in divorce, but I do know that Stephen’s ministers are able to provide care and support and a listening ear during times of brokenness. I don’t understand why so many children in Africa die of AIDS, but I do know that groups like ZOE Ministry make real differences. I don’t understand why people living right here in our community have to face homelessness, but I do know that the Wake Interfaith Hospitality Network provides hope and relief. I don’t understand why so many hard-working farmers are living in poverty, but I do know that even though we might pay a little more by purchasing Fair Trade products we can be ensured the farmers are making fair profits.

My calling and passion is in the ministry of prayer. I have thought a lot about and have learned some things about human suffering when I was a leader of prayer ministry and from being involved with congregational care at Apex United Methodist Church.

It is a privilege to be able to pray with someone. I had the chance to do this at both the quarterly healing services and at the weekly prayer stations. The prayer stations are set up at the contemporary worship services. Prayer ministers are available for prayer during the praise music and during communion.

The first Sunday I prayed at the prayer station, a woman I prayed with found me after the service. She told me that she came to worship that morning with a very heavy heart. Her mother had just been diagnosed with cancer and she could think of nothing else. Her mother’s cancer diagnosis did not change the moment we prayed, but a heavy burden was being lifted as we prayed. When I pray with someone, I think of myself as a hollow tube with openings at both ends. God’s love from the cross flows through us, like flowing through a hollow tube, to reach others with a never-ending supply of love as we pray and as we carry each other’s burdens.

I cannot put an end to suffering by myself, but as a part of the Church, the body of Christ, we can search together for the meaning of suffering and hope to find reasons to rejoice by taking up our crosses and suffering with each other, with those in our community and those in our world as we listen to the One who comes to us with a love that suffers and says, “Follow Me!”. He meets us on the cross with outstretched arms, with a love that suffers, and gives us strength and courage. Only with Christ can we rejoice in our sufferings.

We rejoice also in knowing that those who share in the sufferings also share in the glory. To the Romans Paul writes: "We are...fellow heirs with Christ, if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us." Oscar Romero said “We should not wonder that a church has a lot of cross to bear. Otherwise it will not have a lot of resurrection.”

As we follow Jesus call to love those who suffer: the hungry and thirsty, the lonely and the sick, the oppressed and the widow, the grieving and the war stricken, impoverished and the strangers living in our midst; we take up our crosses and we suffer along with them because Christ has gone before us and suffered on our behalf. We join in Christ’s deep love for the suffering and find meaning and reasons to rejoice in a love that goes beyond our human reasoning, in a love that is divine, in a love that suffers, in a love that is glorified, in a love that rejoices and in a love that never ends. Amen.

How Do You Fill in the Blank?

2009-03-31T15:48:00.000-07:00

I’m always inspired by the passionate people I meet at the events sponsored by the NC Council of Churches. Today’s Legislative Seminar was hosted by White Memorial Presbyterian Church and was attended by Christians of many denominations from all over the state. I knew it was going to be a great day when Scott Bass of the Nazareth House in Raleigh opened us in worship. I recommend reading Yonat Shimron’s article in the Raleigh News and Observer about Scott and his ministry.

Although he hasn’t always been, Scott is now an active opponent to the death penalty. At the beginning of his sermon, he held up a sign which his group carries in protests with a quote by Rev. W.W. Finlator, “Some day we shall live under a government that refuses to kill its citizens.” Scott asked us to fill in the blank, “Some day we shall live under a government that _________." People took turns calling out their answers which included: shows hospitality, makes health care available to all, understands the mentally ill, provides quality education for all children. How would you fill in the blank?

Nurturing, Obeying, Letting Go

2009-03-29T17:00:00.000-07:00

Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Philippians 2:12 - 13 NRSV

My nieces, ages two and six, visited last week. I wish they lived closer. I miss them. Aren’t they cute?

My Nieces

It must have been just yesterday when my boys were my niece's ages. How can it be that I'm already attending high school informational meetings? Is it really only four more years until my baby will go off to college? If the next four years fly by as fast as their first four, then I better not blink!

My boys with their Cousins

In the book of Philippians, the Apostle Paul is writing a letter from prison to a church he had established in Philippi. He makes an appeal for obedience based on Christ’s example (Phil 2:12 – 18).

When reading verses 12-13 (quoted above), we are reminded of our call to live as followers of Christ, even when we think no one is looking. There is a plea for good works in the context of God’s prevenient grace. We work out our own salvation while at the same time God is at work within us.

When I read these verses today, I think about children growing up. Paul asks his beloved to always obey him, not just in his presence, but much more in his absence. As my boys grow older, more and more of their time will be spent in my absence. Will they be responsible, conscientious, and independent young men? Faithful disciples of Christ? Will they always know the unconditional love of God? I pray that they will they work out their own salvation with fear and trembling, knowing it is God who is at work in them, enabling them both to will and work for His good pleasure.

Romero's Prayer Offers Hope and Encouragement

2009-03-24T00:01:00.000-07:00

Oscar Romero was a Catholic Bishop and a voice for the poor and the victims of the Salvadorian Civil War. Today marks the anniversary of his death. He was murdered on March 24, 1980 as he held up the Communion cup while celebrating the Eucharist. A film about Romero's life, titled Romero and staring Raul Julia (Kiss of the Spider Woman), is availiable on Amazon and Netflix.

Here's a trailer:

We can feel overwhelmned or discouraged when we pray and work for God's Kingdom on earth and don't see immediate results. Romero's words give us hope and remind us that we are only planting the seeds. "We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs. We are prophets of a future not our own."

A prayer by Oscar Romero to commemorate the anniversary of his death...

It helps, now and then, to step back and take a long view.

The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts,
It is even beyond our vision.

We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction
Of the magnificent enterprise that is God’s work.
Nothing we do is complete, which is a way of saying
that the kingdom always lies beyond us.
No statement says all that could be said.
No prayer fully expresses our faith.
No confession brings perfection.
No pastoral visit brings wholeness.
No program accomplishes the church’s mission.
No set of goals and objectives includes everything.

This is what we are about,
we plant the seeds that one day will grow.
We water seeds already planted,
knowing that they hold future promise.

We lay foundations that will need further development.
We provide yeast that produces far beyond our capabilities.

We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation
In realizing that. This enables us to do something,
And to do it very well. It may be incomplete,
But it is a beginning, a step along the way,
An opportunity for the Lord’s grace to enter and do the rest.

We may never see the end results, but that is the difference
Between the master builder and the worker.

We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs.
We are prophets of a future not our own.
Amen.

A Prayer for the Difficult Psalms

2009-03-18T00:01:00.000-07:00

Almighty God, open our eyes when we are blind to the many gifts you place in front of us. You know our deepest emotions; our anger, our hatred and our fears, even before we are ready to confront them ourselves. Thank you for the hidden treasures of the Psalms that we may find "difficult". As we pray them, transform us by turning our anger into forgiveness, our hatred into love, and our fears into compassion and a deeper trust in You.

Amen

The Difficult Psalms

2009-03-11T00:01:00.001-07:00

Scenes from the Life of Christ: 11. Expulsion of the Money-changers from the Temple

O my God, make them like whirling dust, like chaff before the wind.
As fire consumes the forest, as the flame sets the mountains ablaze,
so pursue them with your tempest and terrify them with your hurricane.
Fill their faces with shame, so that they may seek your name, O Lord.
Let them be put to shame and dismayed forever; let them perish in disgrace. Psalm 83:13 – 17

I don’t like this Psalm.

In fact, I prefer to avoid all the imprecatory Psalms. “Imprecatory” means to curse or to call down harm. I’d rather focus on Psalms that offer comfort or that give praise and thanksgiving to God. Yet, these difficult, unpleasant Psalms remain in the Bible. They are part of the Word of God, for the people of God—thanks be to God!

Some may argue that these difficult Psalms are too “Old Testament” and don’t really apply to us today. Why should we recite and pray them in an age of grace? If we ask God to make our enemies like “whirling dust,” aren’t we praying in conflict with what Jesus teaches? After all, we are called to “love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us” (Matthew 5:44) and to “love our enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return.” (Luke 6:35).
What are we to do with the imprecatory Psalms?

I can recall a time when praying Psalm 83 may have been therapeutic. Perhaps I could have reached a willingness to forgive sooner if I had prayed this Psalm.
Several years ago, we came home from a weekend vacation to discover someone had broken into our house. As soon as we pulled up in the driveway, we knew that something was wrong. The garage door didn’t open quite right. Our car was missing. And we soon found that other things were missing, too: Someone loaded up everything they thought was valuable into our car and took it all.

In addition, our belongings were tossed out of dresser drawers. The thieves ate food out of our refrigerator, leaving the floor sticky from the iced tea they spilt. They had even ransacked our baby’s nursery!

Our personal and sacred space had been invaded. I was angry! I felt violated. I was afraid. How could I sleep in my own house after this? Who could have done this and—would they come back? I was certainly not ready to forgive! And, I had no desire to pray for those who had persecuted me.

What if I would have shouted out the words of Psalm 83 in the heat of my anger? God already knew I was angry. Praying this Psalm can act as a safe release, a comfort of knowing that we are not alone and that it is okay to lament and to rage. We can cry out our deepest emotions to God; the imprecatory Psalms help us do this safely and productively.

The thieves were eventually caught. When I saw their pictures my thoughts about them slowly changed. Three of the four thieves were teens. The police officer told us he found some of our belongings underneath a baby’s crib in one of their homes.

Now, I see faces on the “thieves.” One was a 16 year old single mom. What brought her to this point? What circumstances are in her life that I’m unaware of? What does her future hold? What about the future of a baby whose mommy hides stolen goods under her crib? What advantages will my son have in life compared to a baby born into that life?

Prior to seeing their faces, it would have been easier to pray, “Make them like whirling dust.” Twelve years later, I still occasionally think about them. My thoughts are particularly drawn to the mom and her child, who must be about 28 and 13, respectively, now. I can sincerely pray verse 16, asking God that they would come to “seek your name, O Lord!” Please forgive them, O God, and surround them in your love.

When wrestling with and reflecting upon the words of Psalm 83, I see that even though I prefer to avoid them, they are a gift from God not to be avoided. We know that Jesus prayed the Psalms. While hanging on the cross Jesus cried out the first verse of Psalm 22, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” I wonder if Jesus might have even prayed an imprecatory Psalm the day he turned the tables of the money changers?

Like it or not, it is in our human nature to be angry at times. Even if I do not feel angry and everything in my life seems to be going okay, it is likely that someone else’s life is not.

When we pray the Psalms we are saying the prayer of the Church. In his book, Life Together, Dietrich Bonhoeffer tells us that “even if a verse or a psalm is not one’s own prayer, it is nevertheless the prayer of another member of the fellowship, so it is quite certainly the prayer of the true Man Jesus Christ and his Body on earth.”

(I wrote this devotional for "Psalms for the Journey: A Lenten Book of Days". You can see the entire Devotional book on the Fuquay-Varina UMC website.)

Lent, Facebook, and the N&O

2009-03-09T09:41:00.000-07:00

When I gave up using Facebook for Lent, I had no idea it would make the headlines. It was fun to be interviewed by Yonat Shimron, the religion reporter for the Raleigh News and Observer, for the article in today’s paper. Yonat is an excellent reporter who left me with the impression that she is a smart woman and an all around nice person.

I’m thrilled with the way her article reads. It is, however, a little bit humbling to have the first sentence of a front page article telling the world that I have a problem! What can I do except laugh about it and hope that in some way God will be honored by it? Lent is a sobering time of penance and reflection, yet we can still smile at ourselves without being disrespectful to our observances of Lent.

Each year Rowan Williams, the well-respected theologian and Archbishop of Canterbury, endorses a book for Lent. This year’s book is titled Why Go to Church? The Drama of the Eucharist by Timothy Radcliffe. Radcliffe reminds us to smile at ourselves, “When we confess our sins at the beginning of Eucharist, we both throw away our dignity and claim it. We cast aside all our ridiculous and laughable pretensions to be important and admirable people because of wealth or status or power, and smile at ourselves.” He also quotes Herbert McCabe as saying, “We can see ourselves as comic figures – everyone who takes himself too solemnly is a bit ridiculous. And this too is to share in God’s own way of seeing things.’ Our God ‘is amused by his wayward children – especially when they are being very pompous and solemn’.”

Will I return to Facebook after Lent? Probably. Using Facebook is not the problem, overusing it is. The sacrifice I make during Lent of giving up Facebook may seem easy or weak to those who have not spent as much time on it as I have. Giving up chocolate or red meat would not have much meaning for me as one who could give up those traditional Lenten sacrifices with little effort. I offer my time in prayer and service to God instead of using Facebook as a humble sacrifice. It is, as with any sacrifice I could make, minor in comparison to the sacrifice that Christ makes. And, 40 days of giving up something is a short time compared to the many who do not get to choose their sacrifice and whose poverty and afflictions are endured beyond 40 days.

Praising God through the Psalms

2009-03-04T00:01:00.001-08:00

First Reformed Church of Cary

“To see what (praise) really means we must suppose ourselves to be in perfect love with God – drunk with, drowned in, dissolved by, that delight which . . . flows out from us incessantly . . . in effortless and perfect expression . . . “

- C. S. Lewis, Reflections on the Psalms

My prayer study at the First Reformed Church of Cary has been following the guide, Disciples: Prayer. We recently read a chapter on praising God through the Psalms. The author (Jonathon Brownson) noted that for whatever reasons, we can be at a loss of words when it comes to praising God. Fortunately, God helps us out by providing the poetic language of the Psalms. Try praising God through the Psalms by praying Psalm 145. It begins with “I extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever” and concludes with “My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord, and all flesh will bless his holy name forever and ever.”

In class, we accepted the challenge presented in our study guide to write our own psalm. We are sincere in our expressions of praise and are by no means attempting to compare our psalm with the timeless, majestic, God-inspired words of the Bible. Together, we came up with this acrostic psalm of praise:

Praise Him for He is good;
Righteous is His Holy name!
All loving, all knowing, all caring, all giving, and all mighty is He.
In God we trust. In all things we give Him praise.
Sing to the Lord for our salvation.
Eternal and everlasting is His love. Amen

(For a more in-depth look at praying the Psalms see my 7/30 posting)

Ash Wednesday

2009-02-25T00:01:00.000-08:00

Ash Wednesday, the seventh Wednesday before Easter Sunday, is the first day of Lent. It marks the beginning of a period of penance and reflection. On Ash Wednesday, we reflect on our own mortality and remember that we are dust and to dust we will return. Yet the steadfast love of God endures forever! The imposition of ashes on the forehead is a sign of penance and mourning. Last year's palm branches are often used for the ashes. During Lent we prepare ourselves for the death of Christ on Good Friday and for his resurrection on Easter Sunday.

Psalm 51 is often read during an Ash Wednesday service. When we pray Psalm 51, we humbly confess and lament our sins. We ask God to "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me."

Psalm 51
1Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.
2Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
3For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.
4Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgment.
5Indeed, I was born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me.
6You desire truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.
7Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have crushed rejoice.
9Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.
10Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.
11Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me.
12Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit.
13Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you.
14Deliver me from bloodshed, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your deliverance.
15O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.
16For you have no delight in sacrifice; if I were to give a burnt offering, you would not be pleased.
17The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
18Do good to Zion in your good pleasure; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem,
19then you will delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on your altar.

Looking for a Lenten guide for prayer? My friend, Debra Dean Murphy (who writes for Ekklesia Project), put together a great devotion book for her church that can be accessed online, "Psalms for the Journey: A Lenten Book of Days."

Do you want to know more about Ash Wednesday and Lent? Dennis Bratcher's article in The Voice is a great resource.

Prayer, Renewal and Action on Immigration

2009-02-18T00:01:00.001-08:00

Senor, escucha nuestra oracion!

Lord, hear our prayer!

The prayer vigil, called "Prayer, Renewal and Action on Immigration", is still on my mind. I met and reconnected with some very interesting people who are advocates for an immigration reform that values family unity and honors the humanity of all people. In addition to song and prayer, we heard from some fantastic speakers. I was privileged to have sat next to one of these speakers, Gayle Phares. Gayle is a leader for the Southeast Region of Witness for Peace. Even though immigration has taken a back seat to our nation's concern about the economy, Gayle expressed the urgent need for reform now. "We need to stop the raids and deportations now. We need to work for change in the immigration law, now." She pointed out that in addition to promoting humane immigration reform, we need to address the poverty and trade policies that are at the root of migration. Gayle does more than just speak about these important topics, she immerses herself in them. She, along with a few passionate others, are visiting the impoverished village from which many NC immigrants originate. Their visit is part of an effort to learn more about why so many risk their lives by leaving their homeland. Have you ever visited Mexico? The landscape is beautiful.

Immigration is a complex issue and the current debate is filled with misinformation, myths and fear. We should all take time to be more educated about this important matter. It impacts us all. The Immigration Policy Center is an excellent online resource.

People have strong opinions about immigration and are not afraid to voice them. Unfortunately, a lot of dehumanizing language is used to describe our fellow human beings. How should people of faith respond? First of all, we pray.

Not all of us will be called to work with outstanding organizations such as Witness for Peace or El Pueblo. Yet we are not called to complacency, either. The religious leaders at the prayer vigil asked everyone to speak with the persons who represent us in the Senate and in the House. To whatever degree God calls us when it comes to advocacy; we cannot forget that all people, of all skin colors and of all nationalities, documented or undocumented, are children of God who should be treated with dignity and respect.

Prayer vigils for immigration are taking place all over the United States. One is taking place this evening 7:00PM – 8:00PM at Emmanuel Hispanic Presbyterian Church in Durham, NC. Locate a prayer vigil in your area at Interfaith Immigration.

Additional Information from:

The United Methodist Church

The Reformed Church in America

The Catholic Church

The Lutheran Church

The Presbyterian Church

A Muslim Perspective

Upcoming Prayer Vigils for Immigrants

2009-02-11T00:01:00.001-08:00

“Do not mistreat foreigners living in your land, but treat them just as you treat your own citizens. Love foreigners as you love yourselves, because you were foreigners one time in Egypt” - Leviticus 19:33-34

“I was a stranger and you welcomed me” - Matthew 25:35

These prayer vigils are part of a nationwide movement to raise awareness about the current challenges immigrants are facing. For more information or to locate a prayer vigil in your area, go to Interfaith Immigration.

Learn more about immigration and people of faith and find out how to join the NC Religious Coalition for Justice for Immigrants at Welcome the Immigrant.

Raleigh Interfaith Prayer Vigil
DATE: Monday, February 16, 2009
TIME: 10:00AM – 10:45AM
LOCATION: The Methodist Building
1307 Glenwood Avenue, Raleigh, NC, 27605

Durham Interfaith Prayer Vigil
DATE: February 18, 2009
TIME: 7:00PM-8:00PM
LOCATION: Emanuel Hispanic Presbyterian Church
2504 N. Roxboro St., Durham, NC, 27704

Making Room for a Prayer Room

2009-02-04T00:01:00.000-08:00

(See my article posted here and other articles about Prayer Rooms in the February issue of H.O.P.E. Prayerline - a ministry of the Reformed Church in America, "Inviting Intercessors and Prayer Leaders to Grow in Prayer")

"My house shall be called a house of prayer." Matthew 21:13

Having been involved with the planning, implementation, and maintenance of a church prayer room, I can testify both to its importance and to the challenges involved. For my church, patience was the key! It took several years for the initial vision of a prayer room to become a reality.

With worship attendance increasing and a growing Sunday school program, space was becoming a precious commodity. The thought of designating an entire room solely for the purpose of prayer seemed to some an inefficient use of space--not because prayer is unimportant, but because prayer, as we know, can be done anywhere. Even those who strongly supported the idea of a dedicated prayer room struggled to find a location for it. The initial planning brought about some frustrations, but it taught us the importance of persistence. The prayer room has been open for almost three years now and is a vital part of the congregation's life.

If you are thinking about starting a prayer room at your church, it is crucial to have your pastor's full support. In his book Making Room to Pray, Terry Teykl devotes an entire chapter to "Persuading Leaders to Make Room to Pray." In Blueprint for the House of Prayer, Teykl offers 10 reasons why your church needs a prayer room:

1. Prayer rooms make it possible to schedule prayer.

2. They promote agreement in prayer by providing a place where information can be gathered and prayed over.

3. They offer a place to record the deeds of God, lest we neglect to thank him and praise him for all he does.

4. They make a statement to the community about the importance of prayer.

5. They provide a place where prayer can be practiced and matured.

6. They are inclusive--anyone can pray in a prayer room.

7. They act as "hearing aids" for church leadership.

8. They provide a place where serious concerns can be soaked in prayer.

9. They minister the presence of God to those who come.

10. They provide a "control center" for strategic prayer evangelism, warfare, and other prayer ministries (49).

Once you have initial support from church leaders, it's time to find the ideal location for your prayer room. Some churches set aside a classroom. If possible, find a quiet location where prolonged prayer can take place without interruptions. For this reason and because our church remains locked when not in use, we chose a room that has its own keypad entrance and is not connected to the rest of the church facility. One disadvantage we soon discovered was that when the church is locked, so are the restrooms. Still, the benefits of being able to enter the prayer room at any time by use of a keypad outweighed the inconveniences. The keypad code is easy to remember and is given to all church members. This provides security without the need to copy numerous keys. We considered leaving our prayer room open 24 hours a day, but decided to limit access to dawn until dusk by setting a timer on the keypad.

Church prayer rooms are used in different ways. Pray, brainstorm, visit other prayer rooms for ideas, and think about what the purpose of your prayer room would be. How exactly will it be used? Who will maintain it? Teykl suggests using the prayer room as a place to schedule prayer in a systematic manner by having people sign up to pray at stated hours. The goal is to have someone praying at all times during the week. Other prayer rooms are used as call centers.

In our prayer room, we keep Bibles, hymnals, devotionals, meditative music, and books on prayer. Other prayer rooms may have kneelers, candles, windows that overlook a garden or other nature area, icons, artwork, an altar, maps, a prayer journal to document praises, prayer request cards, a listing of all church members, or lists of those who are sick or struggling.

Our prayer room is used in different ways throughout the week by individuals, prayer partners, and small groups. It may be used for intercessory prayers, as a source of refuge, or as an uninterrupted place to listen to and intentionally spend time with God. The first small group to use our space met weekly for intercessory prayer. On Sunday mornings, our church prayer ministers, who identify themselves by wearing name badges, are available to step into the prayer room with anyone who asks. Stephen Ministers, persons trained as congregational caregivers, also use our prayer room as a private location to meet their care receivers.

When undertaking this project, be prepared! Making room for a prayer room means making room for the surprising ways that God will work in the life of your congregation.

A Prayer for a New President and a New America, by Shane Claiborne

2009-01-28T00:01:00.000-08:00

Shane is standing in front of the community center that burned down during the 7 alarm Kensington fire that struck on June 20, 2007.
(Becky Garrison, photographer)

Potter Street Community

If you've been reading my blog, you probably already know that I like to quote Shane Claiborne - 11/5/08 and 7/23/08. Shane is one of the founding members of The Potter Street Community, formerly called The Simple Way. He is a leader in the New Monasticism movement and the author of Ordinary Radicals and Jesus for President. His newest book (with co-author Jonathon Wilson-Hargrove), Becoming the Answers to our Prayers, is on my "read soon" list. This past Sunday, my son and I had the privilege of hearing Shane preach in Durham, NC. He was introduced by Rev. Craig Kocher as "one of the most visible voices on the Christian landscape of this country." I am inspired by Shane's passion to end poverty and challenged by the words of his "Prayer for a new President and a New America." His sermon from last Sunday can be viewed from the Duke University Chapel website.

A Prayer for a New President and a New America by Shane Claiborne:

God of Abraham, Miriam, Hannah, Rizpah, and David…
God of Elijah, Amos, Ruth, Isaiah, Deborah…
God of Mary, John the Baptizer, Peter, Paul, Philemon and Onesimus…
God of Anthony, Ambrose, Dirk Willems, Teresa of Avila, and Francis of
Assisi, God of Dorothy Day, Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa, William Wilberforce, and Oscar Romero
and God of love, grace, and hope…

Thank you for creating a perfect world.
Forgive us for the mess we have made of it.
Thank you for creating Jubilee, gleaning, and Sabbath as patterns to
ensure that the poor are cared for, the earth rests, and inequality is
dismantled.
Forgive us for choosing the patterns of empire.
Thank you for using the weak things to shame the strong and the
foolish things to confound the wise.
Protect us from becoming too strong or too wise.
Protect us from ourselves.

Forgive us…
for the groaning of creation
for the millions who die of hunger and curable diseases
for warehousing people in prisons and using them for labor
for the scandal of billions wasted in war
for worrying about tomorrow and storing up more than this day our
daily bread
for an economy that mirrors the seven deadly sins
for our Caesars and our Herods
for the violence and greed in our own hearts
Save us from ourselves.

Deliver us…
from the arrogance of power
from the myth of redemptive violence
from the tyranny of greed
from the ugliness of racism
from false hope and counterfeit change
from the cancer of hatred
from the seduction of wealth
from the idolatry of nationalism
from the paralysis of cynicism
from the ghettoes of poverty
from the ghettoes of wealth
from the blood-stained pages of history
and from the legacy of slavery.
Deliver us oh God.

Give us the courage…
to bless the poor in a world that blesses the middle class.
to bless the meek in a world that admires aggression.
to bless the hungry in a world that feeds the already fed.
to bless the merciful in a world that shows no mercy on evildoers.
to bless the pure in heart in a world of clutter and noise.
to bless the peacemakers in a world that baptizes bombs.

Give us imagination…
that we might not conform to the patterns of this world.
that we might shatter indifference and interrupt injustice with grace
that we might choose the cross over the sword
that we might be as shrewd as serpents and as innocent as doves
that we might consider the lilies and sparrows as they shame Wall
Street’s splendor
that we might choose the dream of God over the dreams of nations
that we might cling to the God that so loved the world, not just America
that we might allow our Jesus to change America rather than America to
change our Jesus.

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Fixed Hour Prayer

2009-01-21T00:01:00.000-08:00

“Seven times a day I praise you…” (Psalm 119:164)

When our boys were younger, we frequently purchased annual passes to the Asheboro Zoo. It was a fantastic way to get some fresh air, a little exercise, learn about animals from Africa and North America, and make some lasting family memories. Our photo albums are full of pictures that help us remember those trips. One memory, however, is not of my own family, but of a family I don’t even know. When leaving the zoo one afternoon, we observed a Muslim family as they were praying. I was fascinated with the way they rhythmically placed their prayer rug on the grassy area by the picnic tables, bowed down, and offered prayers. Knowing that Muslims pray at least 5 times per day, and recalling that our family didn’t even say a mealtime prayer that afternoon, I realized we have something to learn from people of other faiths.

Not too long after that visit to the zoo I began hearing more about the richness of the Christian practice of fixed hour prayer; also called the daily office, liturgy of the hours, divine hours, or common prayer. Whatever we call it, this type of prayer is heavily rooted in the Bible and is prayed at specified hours throughout the day.

With numerous books and online resources available, learning about fixed hour prayer isn’t too difficult. Sorting through all the information and implementing it into daily practice is the challenge! Thankfully, this past fall a friend introduced me to “The Divine Hours” series by Phyllis Tickle. Tickle’s books are easy to follow seasonal guides to fixed hour prayer. I just received my copy of the next book in the trilogy, “Prayers for Springtime” , which covers February through May. Unlike using the Book of Common Prayer, there is no flipping or turning to find the right page. More time can be spent in prayer. Each day contains four offices: morning, midday, vespers, and compline (to be observed before retiring). Although I admittedly have not yet reached my goal of praying all four offices every day, I can attest to the benefits of trying to follow the divine hours over the past four months.

At first, I was concerned that praying at set hours and following specific prayers would soon become a mindless ritual, just something else to mark off of my “to do” list. My discovery, however, was that praying the divine hours has made prayer less ritualistic and less repetitive, offering timeless words of the Bible and liturgy that has been tested for centuries. These prayers often become ingrained into my thoughts throughout the day and I find them particularly helpful on days when I can’t seem to find the right words. Praying the divine hours provides a connection to the prayers of other Christians throughout the world and throughout time. The prayers are less self-centered and more eloquent than my own. They take the focus away from me and place it towards God, making the words of the Psalmist, "Seven times a day I praise you..." come more naturally.

Prayer and Love

2009-01-14T00:01:00.000-08:00

In last week’s posting, I mentioned that the goal of prayer is love. When the lawyer asked Jesus, “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 22:36 – 40)

Taking an even closer look at the teachings of the early Ammas and Abbas, we learn that loving God and loving our neighbor are inseparable. Throughout her book (“To Pray & to Love"), Bondi quotes Desert Father, Dorotheos, who provides modern readers with an image that epitomizes this way of thinking. The closer we are to our neighbor, the closer we are to God and the closer we are to God, the closer we are to our neighbor. Who is our neighbor? The early monastics believed our neighbor to be the whole world. They also taught that before we can love the whole world we must first love those in our community. Here are some timeless and inspired words of wisdom from Dorotheos, written in the 6th century, but continuing to speak to us today:

Suppose we were to take a compass and insert the point and draw the outline of a circle. The centre point is the same distance from any point on the circumference. Now concentrate your minds on what is to be said! Let us suppose that this circle is the world and that God himself is the centre; the straight lines drawn from the circumference to the centre are the lives of men. To the degree that the saints enter into the things of the spirit, they desire to come near to God; and in proportion to their progress in the things of the spirit, they do in fact come close to God and to their neighbor. The closer they are to God, the closer they become to one another; and the closer they are to one another, the closer they become to God. Now consider in the same context the question of separation; for when they stand away from God and turn to external things, it is clear that the more they recede and become distant from God, the more they become distant from one another. See! This is the very nature of love. The more we are turned away from and do not love God, the greater the distance that separates us from our neighbor. If we were to love God more, we should be closer to God, and through love of him we should be more united in love to our neighbor; and the more we are united to our neighbor the more we are united to God. May God make us worthy to listen to what is fitting for us and do it. For in the measure that we pay attention and take care to carry out what we hear, God will always enlighten us and make us understand his will.

What is the Goal of Prayer?

2009-01-07T00:01:00.000-08:00

2009 is here. For many, January is a time to reflect on the past year and set goals for the upcoming year. What are your goals for 2009? Do you have a goal for prayer? It's beneficial to set a goal of intentionally spending more time each day in prayer. But, have you ever thought about what the ultimate goal of prayer is? Why do we pray? Over Christmas break, I read a book my prayer partner recommended, "To Pray & to Love: Conversations on Prayer with the Early Church” by Roberta Bondi. Bondi tells us that for the early monastics the ultimate goal of prayer was very clear. The goal of prayer is LOVE. As modern Christians, how do we view prayer? When we pray, is there a goal? Sometimes it can feel like our goal is for God to answer the way that we think our prayer should be answered. I believe the early monastic's simple, yet profound view on prayer is what we all are really seeking when we pray. When we pray we are seeking God and when we seek God we find love. The goal of prayer, then, is love.

(Do you agree with this idea? Disagree? Please leave a comment with your thoughts on the goal of prayer)

The Christmas Season (It's not over on December 25!)

2008-12-28T00:01:00.000-08:00

We often think of Christmas as a single day, but it is actually a season of the year. It essentially extends four weeks before December 25 and two weeks after. The time before Christmas is Advent. Christmas begins with Christmas Day December 25 and lasts twelve days until January 6, Epiphany (also known as Three Kings’ Day). Epiphany means “to show” or “to reveal”. This day recalls the magi, who by bringing gifts, “revealed” Jesus to the world as Lord and King.

Consider holding back one gift to be opened on Epiphany to mark the gift-giving of the magi. Continue to use your Advent wreath throughout the Christmas season by lighting the Christ candle before dinner saying, “Christ is born! Hallelujah!”

Christmas Day

2008-12-24T00:01:00.000-08:00

"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it." (John 1:5)

Candle lighting: Light all the candles, saving the Christ (white) candle for last.

Question: “Why do we light this candle?”

Response: “We light this candle because the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.”

Sing:
Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing!

Scripture Reading: John 1: 1 – 14

Prayer: Loving God, thank you for the gift of Your Son, Jesus, the true light that darkness has not overcome. The Lord is come! Christ is born! Hallelujah! Amen!

Fourth Week of Advent (December 21 - 24) LOVE

2008-12-21T00:01:00.000-08:00

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

Candle lighting: Light again the first purple candle, saying: “Let us live in hope and walk in the everlasting light of the Lord!”

Light again the second purple candle, saying, “Let us wait patiently for the coming of the Lord, the Prince of Peace.”

Light the pink candle, saying “Rejoice in the Lord always!”

Question: Why do we light this candle?

Response: We light this candle to give thanks for God’s unconditional and steadfast love.

Sing:
O come, Desire of nations, bind
All peoples in one heart and mind;
Bid envy, strife and quarrels cease;
Fill the whole world with heaven’s peace;
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!

Daily Scripture Reading:
Sunday, December 21 - 2 Samuel 7:1-16
Monday, December 22 - Luke 1:26-38
Tuesday, December 23 - Luke 1:39-56
Wednesday, December 24 - Luke 2:1-20

Daily Prayer: God of love, God who is love, you are the source of our hope, peace, joy and love. As we strive to further your kingdom on earth by sharing these virtues with others, give us the courage to respond in faith as Mary did. We have nothing to fear because you are with us always, along with your Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Advent Prayer by Henri Nouwen

2008-12-17T00:01:00.000-08:00

Lord Jesus,

Master of both the light and the darkness, send your Holy Spirit upon our preparations for Christmas.

We who have so much to do seek quiet spaces to hear your voice each day.

We who are anxious over many things look forward to your coming among us.

We who are blessed in so many ways long for the complete joy of your kingdom.

We whose hearts are heavy seek the joy of your presence.

We are your people, walking in darkness, yet seeking the light.

To you we say, "Come Lord Jesus!"

Amen.

Third Week of Advent (December 14 - 20) JOY

2008-12-14T00:01:00.000-08:00

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16 - 18)

Candle lighting: Light again the first purple candle, saying: “Let us live in hope and walk in the everlasting light of the Lord!”

Light again the second purple candle, saying, “Let us wait patiently for the coming of the Lord, the Prince of Peace.”

Light the pink candle.

Question: “Why do we light this candle?”

Response: “We light this candle in joy. As the coming of Jesus our Savior draws nearer, our joy builds with our anticipation of his birth. Let us rejoice always!”

Sing: O come, thou Wisdom on high,
And order all things, far and high;
To us the path of knowledge shows,
And cause us in her ways to go.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!

Daily Scripture Reading:
Sunday, December 14 - Isaiah 61:1 – 4, 8 – 11
Monday, December 15 - Psalm 126
Tuesday, December 16 - 1 Thessalonians 5:16 – 24
Wednesday, December 17 - John 1:6 – 8, 19 – 28
Thursday, December 18- Psalm 98
Friday, December 19 - Luke 2:8 – 15
Saturday, December 20 - Romans 16:25 – 27

Daily Prayer: God who brings joy, who loves justice, and who leads us in the path of righteousness: we pray for those who sow in tears; that they will reap with shouts of joy. Keep us alert, as were the shepherds living in the fields; so that we will see, and bear daily witness to, the perfect gift that you have made known to us in Christ Jesus. Amen.

ENDLESS GRACE

2008-12-10T00:01:00.000-08:00

Send your Word, O Lord, like the rain, falling down upon the earth.
Send your Word. We seek your endless grace.

Advent Hymn, “Send Your Word”

Words: Yasushige Imakoma, 1965 (trans. by Nobuaki Hanaoka, 1983)

Music: Shozo Koyama, 1965

In the secular world, the new calendar year starts on January 1. As a set-apart people, our year starts with the Church calendar, four weeks prior to Christmas Day. We wait, watch, and prepare for the comings of Christ Jesus into our lives. While the secular calendar marks Christmas towards the end of the year, it is fitting that as followers of Christ we begin our year in anticipation of the Nativity of our Savior, whose birth reminds us that “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God” (John 1:1).

As with the differing calendars, the moods of these two seasons can also be in competition. Our focus during Advent can be interrupted by the world’s pull towards consumerism and overindulgence. Stress and anxiety levels often increase. Busyness sets in.

In contrast, the mood of the season for the set-apart people is more contemplative, restful, and reflective, with an emphasis on simplicity and generosity. The words of the Advent hymn “Send Your Word” draw our attention to seeking God’s endless grace, guiding light, and healing power.

How can we do this? How can we maintain a contemplative and reflective mood and stay centered on seeking these things?

In October, I helped facilitate a class at Fuquay-Varina UMC called “Praying in New (Old) Ways.” I was touched by the warmth and grace displayed by the class participants. During our time together we explored prayer practices that have sustained Christians for centuries: praying with beads, walking a prayer labyrinth, lectio divina, and praying with icons.

In the weeks since, I’ve been drawn back to these ancient traditions. Intentionally setting aside time during the Advent season to practice these forms of prayer helps keep me centered on the way of the set-apart people thirsting for God’s Kingdom on earth.

Consider starting a new tradition this Advent. Check the weather forecast and choose a sunny day to walk a Labyrinth (search online to find one in your area). Prepare to enter the Labyrinth by reading the lectionary Psalm for the week. As you journey toward the center, shed those thoughts and anxieties that distract you from God. Quiet your mind. While in the center, engage in prayer and mediation, recalling that God is always the center. Walking out of the Labyrinth, think about how you will integrate what you have just learned into the larger world.

Practice lectio divina (or sacred reading) with the lectionary readings for Advent. This involves slowly reading a section of scripture two to four times and reflecting in silence on what God is saying to you. It is, for many of us today, a new way of reading the Bible. We are not reading in order gain information or to look for ways to confirm a position that we already hold. Rather, Lectio involves slowing down our reading and savoring each word. We read scripture as if we are reading a love letter or a note from a beloved friend or family member.

Whether we walk the prayer labyrinth, use lectio divina, or engage in other forms of contemplative prayer this Advent, let us seek ways to allow the light of Christ to illumine our paths, leading us to a deeper awareness of God’s endless grace, guiding light, and healing power.

Second Week of Advent (December 7 - 13) PEACE

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“For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)

Candle lighting: Light again the first purple candle, saying: “Let us live in hope and walk in the everlasting light of the Lord!”

Light a second purple candle.

Question: “Why do we light this candle?”

Response: “We light this candle to remind us that Christ is the Prince of Peace, the One promised from the beginning of the world. Let us wait patiently until the coming of the Lord.”

Sing:
O come, thou Dayspring, come and cheer
Our spirits by thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight,
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!

Daily Scripture Readings:
Sunday, December 7 Isaiah 40:1 - 11
Monday, December 8 Psalm 85
Tuesday, December 9 2 Peter 3: 8 - 15
Wednesday, December 10 Mark 1:1-8
Thursday, December 11 Isaiah 11:1 – 10
Friday, December 12 Isaiah 9:1 - 7
Saturday, December 13 Revelations 21:1 – 6

Daily Prayer: Everlasting God of Peace, in the wilderness of Jordan you sent a messenger to prepare the way for the coming of your Son whose first Advent was surprising and unexpected: a humble birth in a stable in the middle of the night. We don’t know when or how, but we know Christ will come again. We wait in anticipation, not in fear, as we prepare to welcome our Savior, the Messiah, the Prince of Peace, the One who makes all things new. Come soon, Lord Jesus! Amen.

THE ADVENT WREATH

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The circle of the wreath, which has no beginning or end, reminds us of God himself and of His love that has no beginning or end.

The wreath is of evergreens (real or artificial), recalling that our faith, our hope, and our love are always alive when they spring from God and His Son.

The candles represent the One who said, “I am the Light of the world.”

The four outer candles, each representing a Sunday/week in Advent, symbolize the centuries of waiting between the prophet Malachi and the birth of Christ. The light of the candles increases each week as the time comes close for the Light of the world to be born.

The color purple, historically the liturgical color for the season of Advent, is used for three candles. This color represents repentance and renewal as well as being the color of royalty; fitting to welcome the King of Kings.

The pink candle, often used in the third week, represents joy. The shift from the purple to pink lessens the emphasis on penitence as attention is turned more towards celebration of the season.

The white candle in the middle is often called the “Christ Candle.” White is a traditional color representing Jesus, reflecting his purity and holiness. The candle is in the middle of the wreath, just as Jesus needs to be in the middle of our lives.

First Week of Advent (November 30 - December 5) HOPE

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“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)

Candle lighting: Light one purple candle

Question: “Why do we light this candle?”

Response: “We light this candle to remind us that our hope is in God, and in his son, Jesus Christ, who brings light into the world.”

Sing:
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here,
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!

Daily Scripture Reading:
Sunday, November 30 - Isaiah 64:1- 9
Monday, December 1 - Psalm 80:1 – 7, 17 – 19
Tuesday, December 2 - Mark 13: 24 - 37
Wednesday, December 3 - 1 Corinthians 1:1 – 9
Thursday, December 4 - Isaiah 2:1 - 5
Friday, December 5 - Isaiah 60:18 - 22
Saturday, December 6 - Romans 15:4 – 13

Prayer: God of hope, we are the clay and you are the potter. Restore us, Lord God of hosts; let your face shine. Wake us up and keep us alert with the expectant hope that we will beat our swords into plowshares, and our spears into pruning hooks. Strengthen us, giving us enough hope to keep us from complacency, to keep us working for the Kingdom of God, and to keep us living faithfully so that in all things you will be glorified through Christ Jesus. Amen.

Praying through Advent

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Advent begins this Sunday, November 30.

The church year, unlike the secular calendar year, does not begin on January 1. It always starts four Sundays before Christmas Day with the season of Advent. Advent means “to come” or “to arrive.” The focus of the entire season is on the three comings of Christ during Advent: the remembrance of the birth of Jesus the Christ in his First Advent, the Word to us now, and the anticipation of the return of Christ the King. It is a time of expectation, preparation, and longing. We wait, watch, and prepare for the comings of Christ Jesus into our lives. While the secular calendar marks Christmas towards the end of the year, it is fitting that as followers of Christ we begin our year in anticipation of the Nativity of our Savior, whose birth reminds us that “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God” (John 1:1).

Each Sunday during Advent, I will post devotional guide for the week. This guide will be an invitation to set aside the busyness and anxiety that often overwhelm us during the weeks preceding the celebration of our Savior’s birth. It is intended to be used with an Advent wreath, but can be adapted if a wreath is not used. All family members should participate in some way by intentionally engaging in a time of prayer and preparation for the coming of the Messiah, Emmanuel, the Prince of Peace, the King of Kings!

NAVIGATING

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As my friend Diane and I served together in the prayer ministry at our church we were often asked to pray for those struggling through sorrowful times. Diane shared a poem with me that she wrote many years ago during a difficult time in her own life. She tells of how she was riding her bike and praying that God would help her see her way through the time of sadness. All of a sudden the dark clouds in the sky parted to reveal an incredible sunset, inspiring her to write this touching poem (that I post with her permission).

NAVIGATING

I mustn't let my ship go down
to pity and self-woe.
I've got to keep my faith in God
and let my fears all go.

Although my ship's been tempest-tossed,
I've weathered every storm.
With Him my ship was never lost,
His harbor is my home.

Each time my ship goes out to sea
my sails will be full-blown,
and in the stars I'll see God's eyes
to guide me safely home.

Friendships

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When he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2So many gathered around that there was no longer room for them, not even in front of the door; and he was speaking the word to them. 3Then some people came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. 4And when they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and after having dug through it, they let down the mat on which the paralytic lay. 5When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” (Mark 2:1 – 5)

I was a little sentimental last week, thinking about my friendships. One precious friend is moving to another state in a few months and another may take a job which will result in us seeing each other less often. While I’m dismayed by all of this, my spirits will be lifted this week when I have the opportunity to fly to Chicago to visit a friend I haven't seen for years. I anticipate our reunion and know we will easily pick right back up where we left off.

While reflecting on friendships, I’m reminded of the paralytic and the four companions who went to extreme efforts to lower their friend through the roof to see Jesus. We can all think of times that we were like the paralytic, in need of help, and of instances when we have acted as one of the four friends. In prayer, we can bring our friends (or more challenging, our enemies) to Jesus as we imagine ourselves in this scenario. Slowly read Mark 2:1 – 5 two or three times. Take time to imagine the scene around you, the sights, sounds, smells. Who is in the crowd? What might Jesus be saying to the crowds of people? Why are they coming to see Jesus? Do they seeking His healing? Do they doubt the stories they have heard about Jesus? Are they just curious? Could they be following the crowds, unaware of the magnitude of what is taking place? Why am I there? Why do I seek Jesus? Do I search for proof? In what areas am I in need of His healing? If I’m holding one corner of the mat for a friend, who might be holding onto the other three sides? What is the expression on the face of the crowd when they see someone being lowered through the roof? What is the expression on the face of Jesus? When something is not easy (as when the friends could not initially get through because of the crowd) are we willing to be creative, to work harder or do we just give up? Imagine yourself in the presence of Jesus as you continue to bring each person to him in prayer.