Pentecost 6 - Curriculum Vitae

Readings:  Ezekiel 2:1–5; Psalm 123; 2 Corinthians 12:2–10; Mark 6:1–13

This May, the business news carried several reports about Scott Thompson.  After serving as Yahoo’s CEO for only six months, Thompson announced his resignation in the wake of a growing scandal regarding the qualifications he listed on his Curriculum Vitae.  A Curriculum Vitae, or CV for short, is a fancy term for a type of resume.  It is a brief account of a person’s education, qualifications, and experiences typically sent with a job application.  Employers, looking for the most qualified people, often base hiring decisions on a single CV entry that makes one candidate stand out over another.

In addition, companies will share management’s CV information with their stockholders in order to retain their confidence in the organization.  One of Yahoo’s stockholders, wanting to be sure Yahoo made the right choice, carefully scrutinized the newly acquired CEO’s curriculum vitae.  What he discovered was troubling.  Thompson’s CV stated he had earned a degree in computer science and accounting from a small university in Massachusetts – a claim that was only partially true.  Thompson did not have a degree in computer sciences, only in accounting.

When faced with the inaccuracy, Thompson claimed an over-zealous head hunter firm (who vehemently denied the claim) added the information without his knowledge in order to make him look more desirable to Yahoo.  In all the uproar, he was forced to resign.  The unfortunate part of this story is that Thompson was more than qualified to take on the position with the degrees and experience he already had.  However, because the competition in the business world is so intense, someone felt the need to embellish on his education in order to make him stand out in a crowd of other very successful candidates.

We are a society that values qualifications!  Think about it… most people will not seek care from a physician without first verifying the doctor’s training, education, or specialty.  We wouldn’t hire a divorce lawyer to defend us in a criminal trial, nor would we hire a machine operator to fly a jet, or a pilot to clean our restrooms.  In every walk of life, we depend on people who are trained and qualified for the job they are expected to perform.

It wasn’t any different in Jesus’ time.  Even then, there was a hierarchy of trained people – especially in the synagogues where a religious teacher would have studied all of his life in order to teach others about God’s word.  So when Jesus shows up in his hometown and begins to teach in the synagogue there, the people are offended. 

“Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands! ³Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?”

It didn’t matter to the people in his hometown that Jesus had already established himself as a man with extraordinary knowledge of God’s word.  It did not matter that news of miracles and healings were being reported in every town he visited.  All that mattered to them was his CV… and it was notably lacking in ancestry and education.   Not only is Jesus just a carpenter, he is only the son of Mary.  

In Jesus’ day, sons were recognized by their father’s name.  Calling him the son of Mary insinuates there is a question about who his father actually is.  In their eyes, he was not qualified enough to be a teacher in their synagogue, let alone the messiah.   

It is in this context of rejection that Jesus sends the disciples out into ministry.  They are not allowed to take anything with them except a staff, a pair of sandals and one tunic.  They could take no bread, no bag, and no money for their belts.  They had no plan for growth, no financial resources of their own, and very few qualifications.  They are ordinary people commissioned to do ministry by a leader who has been rejected by the religious authorities and his own hometown.  Even his family thinks he has gone a bit mad.  But Jesus would not give up.  He continued to move on, proclaiming the Gospel, healing the sick, and transforming  lives.  His journey to Jerusalem would eventually give hope to all, ensuring that rejection, troubles, division, and even death would not have the final word.

This is the legacy of the church today – ordinary people with few qualifications and seemingly limited resources are commissioned to serve, heal, and transform lives.  By all the standards for success, then and today, the church should have never survived.  But God’s standards are not our standards.  Miraculously, the church has lived, thrived and shared the good news in the midst of this struggle since the beginning.  It is a living reminder of life springing up from death, and God’s power bursting through our weakness. 

Those of you who are long-time members of this congregation can attest to the difficulties we have endured throughout the years.  We began as a mission congregation and struggled to keep our ministry alive throughout most of our existence.  Over the years, we have seriously discussed closing our doors twice, and many of us continue to wonder when the same discussion will come up again.  Although we had a brief period of growth and vibrancy that many of us long for again, we have since experienced a loss in financial support, and a decrease in membership partly due to a time of very painful conflict. 

If we were to examine our congregation on paper, if we had a curriculum vitae for our church, it wouldn’t be a stand out alongside a host of other churches with big plans, big program, lots of members, and robust giving.  Fortunately, our standards for success are not God’s standards.   We are small and in the eyes of others ill-suited for the task, but we are no less apt to carry out God’s mission than other churches.  Despite our shortcomings, just as with the disciples in today’s Gospel, God has entrusted us with the good news of God’s great love for the entire world and sends us out to serve, heal, and transforms lives. 

Faced with what seems like an impossible task, we hear a word of comfort from Paul who gives encouragement to all affected by troubles for the sake of the Gospel.  Paul knew first-hand what it was like to be judged by other’s standards and found lacking. In today’s text he admits his weakness and explains that he has been forced to come to terms with it.  Paul speaks of his experience as a thorn in his flesh, threatening to torment him to the point of giving in to it.  Three times, he has prayed that it would leave him.  God’s answer to him - “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”’

These words to Paul are proclaimed to us here today!  God’s grace is sufficient for us! 

What would it mean to be the church that allows God’s strength and power to move through it?  It means coming to a new understanding of serving God based on Jesus’ power to bring life from death, freeing us to view our struggles as a blessing that allows us to be visible witnesses of God’s power made perfect in our weakness.  It means being able to give up our ideas about what it is to be a successful congregation and recognizing the futility of striving to be a “successful” church based on other’s expectations. 

Striving to be something we aren’t is sucking the life out of us, preventing us from rejoicing for all that we do have.  God has already given us exactly what we need right here and right now to carry out the work of the Gospel, doing what matters in our church, in our lives, and in our community.

This fall, using the Doing What Matters activities, we will begin the process of discovering our gifts based on the talents and passions God has already given us to do ministry.  We are uniquely qualified to live out God’s love in mission despite our struggles.  Each of us has been gifted with the same Spirit given to the prophet Ezekiel, the gift of God’s grace that is sufficient, and the promise that Jesus has already guaranteed with his life, ensuring rejection, troubles, division, and even death will not have the final word.

We have everything we need right now to serve God as a community of faith.  Trusting in God’s promise of sufficient grace and strength, may we refuse to be judged by the measures of the world, and embark on a faithful journey to do what matters to God, carrying out Jesus’ mission to proclaim the Gospel, heal the sick, and transform lives.    Amen

Clear vision…. It’s a wonderful gift! Being visually challenged, I understand the importance of being able to focus clearly on something. You see, when I first wake up, I usually don’t put my glasses on right away. I CAN see well enough to make my way down the stairs….to let the dogs out… and even to put on the coffee.

But one day early, in the morning, I was walking across the living room and saw something brown skitter in front and off to the side of me. I couldn’t see the object clearly, but it looked enough like a spider. I froze in place and screamed.

Afraid I would lose track of that monster on the floor, I couldn’t move. Meanwhile the dogs were whining to go out and were probably wondering about all the noise. When I noticed that the gigantic tarantula didn’t move, I took a wide sweep around it and put the dogs on their leashes. Grabbing my glasses from the counter and one of Bill’s shoes, I gingerly stepped back into the living room.

I wasn’t sure if I was overjoyed or disappointed……it hadn’t moved.

Bravely, with Bill’s shoe in the air, I got close enough to mark my target….and realized…. The huge scary spider was nothing more than a dust bunny that had rolled in front of me like tumbleweed. Not being able to see clearly, my imagination got the best of me.

When the disciples first heard Jesus preach the Good News of God’s kingdom, they saw something in him that made them want to leave everything and to follow him. In a short time, they were convinced that Jesus was the one that God promised to Israel…… convinced that Jesus was the long awaited Messiah who would become king and free them from Roman rule.
Everywhere they went they witnessed Jesus performing miracles - freeing a man possessed by demons, cleansing lepers and healing the sick who flocked to him.

One day when Jesus healed a man’s withered hand on the Sabbath, the religious leaders accused him of being a madman and worse yet, consorting with Satan. Worried about his safety, Jesus’ mother and brothers tried to talk to him….to dissuade him from continuing his public ministry. Nevertheless, through all of this, the disciples maintained the clear vision of Jesus as the Messiah.

Not surprisingly, when Jesus announced that he wanted to go to the other side of the sea, they readied the boats for the journey and set sail. They didn’t see the signs of an oncoming storm.
Because Galilee is a very shallow body of water, the winds often create a monster of the water making even the largest boat vulnerable to destruction. These storms are always unexpected.
The type of boat that Jesus and the disciples used was probably NOT one of the largest boats on Galilee and would have been quite small. A friend who toured Israel boarded such a boat and said that even though the sea was as smooth as glass, as soon as the passengers stepped onto the deck, it began to rock violently.

Knowing this gives us a little perspective about the kind of storm that would have frightened seasoned fishermen. Desperately working to bail out the onslaught of water, the disciples soon realized that they were in imminent danger of sinking. Focused on the storm, the task at hand, and the seriousness of the situation, they suddenly realized that they were missing one set of hands on deck.

Where in the world was Jesus??? Angrily, the disciples awakened him from sleep. Jesus…what are you doing????? We followed you out here… NOW look at what you’ve gotten us into! Can’t you see what’s going on? We are doing everything we can LITERALLY do to keep our heads above water and you’re sleeping!!! Don’t you CARE that we are dying????

They were on the brink of death and they felt alone and they were very afraid.

Awakened by the disciples, Jesus remained calm. With a few words, he took control of the wind and the waves, calming the sea with a show of his power over creation. AND, he revealed the truth about the source of their fear. They had become distracted by the stormy seas and could no longer remember all that Jesus had done and taught. They had lost their focus……..in fact… they had become blind to Jesus who was in their midst and had the power to save them.
Discipleship ISN’T easy! Storms ARE inevitable. While some are products of our imagination, like the giant hairy spider that I saw in the living room - others are real, like the one in our Gospel lesson today.

Christian life is counter cultural. As children of God, we have heard and seen evidence of God’s abundant love for us. We give because God first gave to us and we sow God’s grace because God had mercy on us. Sometimes, the simple act of offering God’s grace and forgiveness CAN become controversial in a community of faith. Controversy often leads to conflict… anxiety…and fear that is formidable enough to threaten a community’s very existence.

A little over a year ago, several of us gathered at the Terkelsen’s for dinner and a meeting of the Church Health Team. Guided by the principals of the Natural Church Development program, we were working on the task of helping to build a healthy congregation by focusing on passionate spirituality. At the time, we had just faced a difficult conflict in the life of our community. The overall picture of health wasn’t very good. The task ahead of us seemed monumental.
As we ate, we talked about the storm that we had faced and the effects that were still rippling through our community. We were afraid to introduce too much change into an already shaky situation. Our BIGGEST fear was that our work would only make things worse. All of us were somewhat pessimistic and anxious that night.

We began to pore over the extensive material that was given to us until one of us found something that helped to calm the waves of fear. It was right there…. in the middle of one of the manuals. A sentence practically popped off the page at us and stopped us in our tracks. It said that to be healthy, a church must expect that Jesus IS present in the midst of the community and that miracles ARE a part of his presence.

Instantly, we knew that if we personally didn’t believe that Jesus WAS present and COULD work miracles, then we might as well give up. We realized that we had spent so much time focusing on the anxiety and the circumstances…. that we had lost our focus on Jesus’ presence in our midst. If we could work to help refocus ourselves and the eyes of our community back to Jesus, we WOULD begin to see miracles. It was a like a weight lifted from our shoulders. Jesus WAS in our midst and we no longer had to bear the burden alone.

The current economic situation in this country is affecting all of us, including the church. Two weeks ago, during our celebration of ministry, the stewardship team began the program with a slide that illustrated our giving in the last year. For me, the ups and downs of the points on that graph seemed to be creating a series of waves symbolizing the appearance of yet another storm. The graph is a snapshot of the reality of our current financial status. But our stewardship team didn’t dwell on it. Instead, it began to focus on Jesus and the work that we continue to accomplish in his name and WILL continue to accomplish when we remain focused on Jesus’ presence in our midst.

Through this storm and many others, I have witnessed God’s love working through you. In the last year, many have been blessed with a sense of new hope and commitment to God’s work in the world. It is evident here through the process of healing and wholeness.
JESUS is in our midst when you meet together in prayer, when you organize tag sales so that a family might obtain affordable and safe shelter, when you invite our children to be full participants in worship, and when you gather to learn about the wonders of God’s grace and love.

To our new members, Sara, Kristin, Laurie, John… and Phillip and Janice and their children Kate, Philip, and Emily…. We welcome you today into this body of believers. You are also a sign of Jesus’ presence in our community.
We are not perfect…..but we have been gathered into this community of faith and united by God’s gracious love for us.
As you declare your faith today, you join with us as we seek to live out OUR faith by offering ourselves to God and being open to following Jesus into the world. The storms ARE inevitable….but Jesus is in our midst with a word of good news that frees us from fear.

A devotion I read recently said it best, and I would like to share those wise words with you today. “God’s Good News is not illusory; it does not deny the fact that we live in perilous times, and it does not attempt to shift our focus to an other-worldly utopia.

It IS the Good News that despite all of the troubles, trials and traumas we face, love endures. The Love of God is steadfast, and it ENDURES forever!

It IS the Good News that all of our suffering is redemptive… which is to say that God uses our pains to produce greater stamina, greater integrity and greater maturity in us.
In God's processes of redemption, bad is exchanged for good.

It IS the Good News that despite all that has transpired to tear us apart, God has gathered us together. And it is our togetherness that gives us strength to face the challenges ahead.” (see note)

This is the promise that God has given to us and that we now share with you - as together, we seek to focus on Jesus who is ALWAYS in our midst. AMEN

note: This quote is taken from one of the UCC's Still Speaking devotional writers. You can sign up for these daily devotions here:

http://i.ucc.org/FeedYourSpirit/Subscribe/tabid/101/Default.aspx

Jesus Calls You Friend

An inspirational writer described friendship like this, "There comes that mysterious meeting in life when someone acknowledges who we are and what we can be, igniting the circuits of our highest potential."

All people crave friendship, but true friendship isn't always easy to find. Friendship is a gift, a relationship where people can share their greatest sorrow and their greatest joy. Beyond that, true friends help us to be successful people!

Believing that my friends would be supportive of the work that I do, and hoping to get a little inspiration for this sermon, I sent out emails to several people and asked them the following question, "What is it like to be considered as Jesus' friend?"

I got responses from a few brave souls who were bold enough to share their thoughts despite the possibility that I might relate them to you today. Some talked about their relationship with Jesus in the context of their ability to talk to him about anything and their faith that Jesus would never cast them aside. Their responses are a beautiful reflection about all the qualities that make Jesus the perfect candidate for a lifelong friendship.

However, that wasn't the question that I originally asked.

Read Jesus' words one more time….. "Instead, I have called YOU friends."

Now read my original question again, "What is it like to be considered as Jesus' friend?"

Did you recognize the difference that time???? Jesus is telling us that WE are HIS friends!!!!

When I shared this thought with a co-worker, she stared at me with a look of horror on her face. "Wait a minute", she said. "Jesus said that we are HIS friends???? Boy is THAT intimidating. How can we EVER live up to that?"

Sociologists describe friendship as a gradual reciprocal process that includes self-disclosure, glued together by intimacy. Friendship begins when one person takes the risk of disclosing personal information that tests whether the other will reciprocate.

In today's text, the word Philos, translated as friend, is the Greek word for loved one. It describes the basis for our relationship with Jesus.

However, being loved by Jesus is not without its consequences. Jesus makes it clear that being his friend, or loved one, carries with it certain expectations. His friends, those he first loved, WILL bear good fruit. These good fruits are a natural expression of the process of reciprocity and self-disclosure that Jesus sets into motion by first calling us his friend…

This relationship…… this friendship…. it is ALL in his hands.

Today's reading from John's Gospel is the finale for last week's Gospel lesson. As a whole, both of these readings are a part of what is known as the Farewell Discourse where Jesus compares himself to a vine that feeds and nourishes its branches.

This discourse is what we might describe today as a "pep talk." Its central message is based on Jesus' relationship with God. Out of that relationship, God's love flows through him and nourishes his disciples to produce good fruit. So too, Jesus, abiding in God's love, nourishes his disciples.

This constant flow of God's abundant love empowers all of Jesus' friends to bear good fruit….fruit that will last.

Jesus has chosen us as his friends, grafted us onto the vine where we receive God's abundant love that produces healthy branches. Just as the branches of a vine naturally bear good fruit of its kind, those who are a part of Jesus' vine naturally bear the good fruit of God's love to the community of faith and beyond.

We do not need to worry about our own inadequacies because Jesus is the driving force of our relationship. HE is the one who initiates the relationship. HE is the one who gave up his life for us as a sign of God's love and HE is the glue of intimacy that binds us together in a relationship that is life-giving and joyful.

God's abundant love is evident in the good fruits that flow through people like Rick Cesar. A parishioner of Cross Lutheran Church and a registered nurse who worked at a nearby local hospital, Rick began noticing that many of the patients coming into the E.R. weren't seeking emergency medicine. They were seeking primary medical care. Many of them were unemployed or underemployed, living below the poverty level with no health insurance or government assistance.

Seeing that these people in his community had nowhere else to turn, Rick had the idea to begin seeing patients in the church's basement where he provided basic primary care. Then, through another parishioner, he met a resident intern who was also passionate about medicine and helping people in need. The two teamed up to officially open a clinic that has since grown into a roster of volunteer physicians including primary care doctors, a psychologist, neurologist, physical therapist, pharmacist, and podiatrist.

This elaborate network of volunteers and resources has made it possible to turn a $1 donation into $10 of medical care -- an invaluable benefit to a community that's often barely scraping by.

A story such as this one is only one example of how God's love is poured out for the world through the good fruit of God's people.

Good fruit begins with an understanding that God cares for all of creation and that all are worthy of being cared for. Good fruit blossoms when we recognize that each of us possess unique talents and passions. Good fruit lasts when we place those gifts in God's hands all the while being open to the possibility for using those gifts for the sake of others.

Like Rick, each of us has gifts that have the capability of carrying God's abundant love into the world. What are the gifts and passions that God has given to you? Have you shared them with your fellow workers in Christ? If not, perhaps now is a good time to do just that. After all, God HAS promised to give us what we ask for when we bear the good fruit that flows out of God's abundant love.

Today, we have come face to face with the one who acknowledges who we are and what we can be. HE is the one who ignites and sustains the circuits of our highest potential.

This is what Jesus does for you and for the world when he calls us his friends.

The Transfiguration - Mark 9:2-9

How many of you have heard of the radio commentator Paul Harvey?

Well, every week when I was young, I listened to his radio broadcast, “The Rest of the Story”. In his characteristic voice with relevant pauses, Paul Harvey would describe the life of an ordinary person. Sometimes it would be about someone who came from the so-called wrong side of the tracks. After a well-planned commercial break, the person’s name was revealed and it was always someone very well known. Inevitably, I would be in awe of the rags to riches stories that I heard. For me, they brought hope that when I grew up, there was a chance that my life could become legendary too.

About half of my hopes did come true. I have grown up, or at least gotten older…as evidenced by the fact that I can even talk about Paul Harvey! But my life is anything but legendary and it is unlikely that it ever will be.

Mark’s Gospel is a bit like a Paul Harvey radio commentary read backwards. Beginning with the first verse, Mark introduced us to the central character this way:

“The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”

Instead of beginning with the obscurities of Jesus’ life, Mark begins with a name and an image of someone really special...Jesus…the Son of God… the Messiah… the anointed one who would free Israel from the domination of its oppressors.

Originally read to the community of believers as a whole, the book of Mark flows rapidly from one event to the next with each event connected to the story before and after it. Up until the transfiguration story, Jesus had performed many miracles including healing the sick, casting out demons, exerting control over the stormy seas, feeding thousands, walking on water and raising a child from the dead. The whole time, Jesus tried to convince people not to tell anyone about the miracles. His requests were by and far unheeded and the news of his deeds spread like wildfire.

In today’s text, we find Peter, James and John…alone on a mountaintop with Jesus. Suddenly they are joined by two of the most revered figures in the history of Israel… it’s like a gathering of God’s A-team! Moses, who first led the people out of Egypt into the Promised Land; Elijah, who rode a chariot into heaven so that he could once again return to announce the coming of Messiah; and Jesus, whose face is glowing, like a neon sign announcing his divinity.

In awe, Peter immediately suggested that they build three tents as a tribute to this wondrous event – a hall of fame, so to speak for God’s prophets. He barely got a chance to get the words out of his mouth when a cloud appeared and none other than the voice of God said, “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”

I bet the inner three couldn’t wait to hear what Jesus was going to say! I suspect that if I were one of them, I would have been caught up in the implications of what I just witnessed…. It seems that finally, Moses, Elijah and God officially announced the coming of the promised Messiah. What an honor it would be to spread the news!

But I would have been wrong! Instead, Jesus told the disciples not to tell ANYONE what they had seen. Why would God’s son Jesus, the Messiah, insist that his disciples not tell anyone? Why would Jesus want to be so obscure? Why would Jesus continue to insist that he was going to die?

What follows the transfiguration story seems to suggest that for Jesus, life on earth isn’t at all about the mountain top experience. Instead, this mountaintop experience is a declaration of God’s love for him that affirmed Jesus’ journey into the valley of his own pain and suffering.

Perhaps the true miracle in the transfiguration is not the revelation of Jesus’ divinity, but the fact that Jesus willingly walked away from the mountaintop… no longer glowing and in sparkling white garments, but instead clothed in the mundane form of humanity.

God, in human form, made a choice to fully experience the valley, joining us as we walk through our own valleys. He did this knowing that our misunderstanding of his purpose would ultimately be responsible for his suffering and death on the cross. At the end of his human life, a crown of thorns and a sign hung over his broken body mocking him as the king of the Jews is all that remains.

Last week in our adult discussion group, we had the opportunity to watch a Nooma video titled Kickball. After the video, we discussed the question, “Do you think that God is ALWAYS good?” In the discussion that followed, Dan made a statement that describes why we often doubt God’s goodness and therefore God’s love. Dan said, “God is always good…………. as long as we are the ones who can determine what good looks like.”

Too often, our lives are filled with disappointment and difficulties and during those times we don’t feel very loved by God.

I wonder… Does our own eagerness to be the judge of God’s goodness and love stem from our misunderstanding of Jesus’ role as the Messiah? Can we trust that God is AWAYS good because God loves us???

Today’s story of Jesus’ transfiguration is a sure sign that we CAN. It is a reminder of a love so strong that Jesus was willing to experience a difficult and painful walk in life’s valleys for the sake of the ones he loved.

This week, we will observe Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of the Lenten season. Together, we will remember that we were fashioned out of dust by the loving hands of God. In the end, our bodies will become dust again. Nevertheless, God cares about what comes between our first and last breath. Because he cares, God’s perfect love for Jesus is revealed to us, offering strength in the deepest valleys of our lives.

May your Lenten journey, inspired by today’s glimpse of God’s love, allow you to be an active part of… in Paul Harvey’s words………………….. The rest of the story!

Christmas is Coming

I knew that the end of the year would not be easy. I had scheduled time to have almost all of my wood floors refinished the week before Thanksgiving with the hope of celebrating Thanksgiving in my home as we have done almost every year since we moved here.

In a time management class, I learned that to estimate the amount of time it takes to complete a project, one should add half of the original estimated time to get a realistic figure. I should have doubled the amount of time for this project!!!!!

My parents were on a cruise in the Bahamas and we stayed in their home while the floors were being done. It rained the entire week which greatly lengthened the amount of time it took for the floors to dry between coats. On Sunday, when my parents returned, we could not yet move in. To top it all off, my mother in law was in the hospital before Halloween and was soon being moved to a Rehab for recovery.

My brother was due to arrive at my Mom's on Wednesday night and would stay until the following week. So, being ever so careful, we moved some of the furniture in on Tuesday but could not set up everything until after Thanksgiving. So much for Thanksgiving dinner at my house unless we all walked barefoot and sat on the floor to eat.... Not to mention the challenge of trying to cook in a kitchen that had my dining set and half of my living room set piled in.

The floors are beautiful!!!! In fact, the transformation was so stunning, it brought tears to my eyes when I first saw it. My husband decided he wanted to take the one large bedroom that was refinished for our own room. This led to a whole new project including stripping wallpaper, putting up crown rail, replacing windows, the porch door and the closet door and of course, painting. This room had been our office and needed a LOT of work to transform it into a bedroom.

Finally, several weeks later, we were able to move all of the bedroom furniture in two weeks before Christmas. Between spending as much time as I could with my brother and his family and trying to re-organize my home, I was unable to even think about Christmas.

Thank God that I managed to schedule vacation time the week before Christmas! The week is almost over already and still so much to do! If anyone finds a few extra minutes, please float them my way!!!! I sure can use them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Christians by Maya Angelou

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not shouting "I'm clean livin'."
I'm whispering "I was lost,
Now I'm found and forgiven."

When I say.. "I am a Christian"
I don't speak of this with pride.
I'm confessing that I stumble
and need Christ to be my guide.

When I say.. "I am a Christian"
I'm not trying to be strong.
I'm professing that I'm weak
And need His strength to carry on.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not bragging of success.
I'm admitting I have failed
And need God to clean my mess.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not claiming to be perfect,
My flaws are far too visible
But, God believes I am worth it.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I still feel the sting of pain.
I have my share of heartaches
So I call upon His name.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not holier than thou,
I'm just a simple sinner
Who received God's good grace, somehow!

About a year or so ago, one of my friends started a chapter of the Red Hat Society. She recruited many of the over 50 women of our church...including my Mom. For many months, they bugged me to join, but I resisted... Being only 49, I really wasn't ready to be a Red Hatter. What I didn't know was that there is a provision for someone like me... Women who are "looking forward" to celebrating their 50th birthday are able to join the group as a Pink Hatter. After attending a meeting last Christmas, I decided to go for it. On the right is one of the three pink hats that I have purchased... I think it is my favorite.

Sadly, I will no longer be able to wear my pink hats after December 11th when I turn 50. While I have never really loved the color pink...for some reason, my year as a "Pinkie" has made me come to love it!

SSSSSSSSOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO..... even though my days as a "Pinkie" are numbered, and others view the Big 5-0 as being some kind of ungodly curse, I am able to celebrate each day without fear. Being in the company of some really wonderful, creative, fun and loving women who have already broken the 50 year barrier has allowed me to celebrate my milestone birthday proudly. I am confident that when I finally turn in my pink hat, I will gladly trade it in for a Red Hat. Life DOESN'T end at 50.......... It has only just begun AGAIN!!!!!!!

Now, where in the heck will I find purple clothes???? :)

Tyrese Turns 7

You just got to love this kid! Wearing a Happy Birthday hat that his cousin made especially for him, Ty Ty is anxiously awaiting the arrival of his cake. He knows that once he blows out those candles, he can start to open his presents!

You should have seen his face when he opened his Lego Star Wars II games...and to top it all off, a box of Star Wars Pez dispensers. What more could any child ever want!


Tyrese!!!!! Pawma loves you!!!!!! 

Food for Thought

1 Kings 19:1-15
Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, "May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them." 3 Elijah was afraid [a] and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4 while he himself went a day's journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. "I have had enough, LORD," he said. "Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors." 5 Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, "Get up and eat." 6 He looked around, and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. 7 The angel of the LORD came back a second time and touched him and said, "Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you." 8 So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 There he went into a cave and spent the night. The LORD Appears to Elijah
And the word of the LORD came to him: "What are you doing here, Elijah?" 10 He replied, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too." 11 The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." 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. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" 14 He replied, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too." 15 The LORD said to him, "Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram.

I get the chance to preach this week while our pastor is away on vacation. I’m almost sorry I said yes. The Gospel lesson talks about Jesus, the bread of life and how we must eat his flesh to gain everlasting life. My studies have taken me from the Holiest of Holies in the Tabernacle where the showbread sits as a sign of God’s presence, to a study of cannibalism. It has all been just a little too bizarre for me.

To top it all off, there is this Old Testament lesson. At first, I thought verses 1-15 were all included in the reading. It turns out that the verses in black…those that I was hoping to use in my sermon aren’t even included in the reading… DRATS!!!! Anyway, this is a result of my thoughts today:

Here is Elijah… SO zealous to change the hearts and minds of Aram and his evil wife Jezebel that he charges in with a flaming sword and kills every single prophet of Ba’al. Now if that doesn’t get rid of this lousy Ba’al worship crap, I don’t know what will…LOL. Instead of ridding Israel of Ba’al, these killings do nothing but cause Jezebel to dig her heels in, rejecting God and Elijah all the more. And now, Jezebel is sending out her warriors to search out and kill Elijah. Elijah’s zealous actions to rid Israel of false God’s is a failure… Ba’al still reigns in the hearts of Jezebel, the King and the people. In deep depression…not only for the failure to rid Israel of this wicked god, but maybe even in his remorse for allowing his zeal to cause needless human death….Elijah seeks refuge in a cave. It is here that Elijah learned a valuable lesson. God needed Elijah to be strong in body and spirit for what was to come. Angels tended to him, offering cakes of bread and water so that Elijah could make the journey into God’s presence on Mt Horeb. Elijah is in the cave so that he can die but God has other plans….and in that plan God reveals that even though God’s power is like that of the wind and the tumult of an earthquake, God chooses to be revealed in the work of angels and in the silence that follows the tumult.

In any case, Elijah’s zealous acts in trying to rid Israel of idolatrous worship are not the answer. And we still have not learned to listen to God in the silence and to seek God in the ordinary.

May you my friends be blessed with seeing God in the ordinary things of your life. May your spirit be nourished by God’s angels and God’s purpose for your life in Christ be revealed in the silence.

Darned Pictures

Here we go for a hundredth time! Been trying to put my picture in my profile since I started this last year. I have never had a ny success.

I get the pic in and then when I go back...it's GONE!

Let's hope this time it works!

God's Gift Gone Bad

Medical breakthroughs abound in this day and age. I have never understood why some religions have tried to stand in the way of man's creative thinking. Many medical discoveries have enhanced, and enriched our lives in ways our ancestors would never have imagined. New technology has not only allowed us to live longer lives, but allows for a greater quaility of life. My belief is that God has created us with the ability to think and to solve problems for the benefit of humanity and for God's glory.

Unfortunately for us, even our God given gifts can be corrupted. Our culture generates our natural and sinful propensity for personal greatness. Recently there have been two news stories that epitomize this dilemma of trying to get ahead at the expense of humnaity's benefit.

The first example is of the Korean doctor who lied about the number of stem cells he had available for research. Even more troubling to me is the instance of a doctor who faked data in a research project for oral cancer.

People who suffer serious illnesses depend on cutting edge research to improve the quaility of their lives. Faking research such as this can put people's lives on the line. Drug companies who develop and market drugs put so much pressure on its scientists to perform. The cost of developing new drugs skyrockets and one mistake can put a multi million dollar project into a spiral of doom causing the company and its stockholders to lose money.

The thing is, I fully understand the motivations of these doctors. In high school, I had to do a science project. I started out with the best intentions on a project that would chart the growth rate of plants when left alone to grow versus plants that were talked to every day. It really was stupid of me to choose a project such as this. Even my friends will attest to the fact that I don't give much care for the plants that I have and the only kind of plants that survive at my house are the ones that grow on their own. Two weeks after I planted the beans I was using, both sets of plants died. My project was due soon....what would I do? Get an F on the project? Of course not! I lied...I made up the whole project and in the process got a B+ on it.

To this day, I still feel the guilt of this deception. The good news is that I learned from it. Two years later, I failed miserably at another attempted project (this time making donuts). Learning my lesson, I brought my hard as a rock donuts to class to show that I had tried to complete the project, even though I had failed. Guess what...I got an A anyway... just for trying.

Perhaps our society needs to stop placing so much emphasis on the bottom line and instead begin to reward people for their honest efforts to discover things. Maybe then the temptation to take a wonderful gift from God and to use it for evil would one day be overcome.

God, Thank you for the grace you have given to us. It is the grace that forgives us of our wrong doing and at the same time turns us around and encourages us to walk in new directions..no matter how difficult they might be. AMEN

Christmas

Christmas! It's the most wonderful time of the year! And so the song goes. I am truly blessed with grandchildren to grace our home for Christmas. Their little faces are such a joy to behold on Christmas morning as they rip throuugh their presents from Santa. It is truly amazing because has so many toys for them that they just don't all fit under the tree at home..

This morning, both my daughters came to the house with their families. My mother and father were there as was my mother in law who had stayed with us the night before. They coulddn't wait to open their gifts.... It was over in a flash!

Afterwards, we all ate breakfast together. My son in law had to go to work and my youngest daughter went home to go to the childen's (other) grandma's house. My oldest daughter stayed here with her two boys. Around noon, we all fell asleep for a well deserved nap.

Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord

Mark 1:1-8 1The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2It is written in Isaiah the prophet: "I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way" 3"a voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.' " 4And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. 6John wore clothing made of camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7And this was his message: "After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

Perhaps I am just going through a confusing time in my life, but it seems ever so much more difficult for me to figure out which direction God leads. It seems to me that in this culture, there is a growing trend to meet God through "self-awareness" or the presence of God in nature or one another. In some respects, I can understand this trend since we are indeed made in God's image and have been given God's Spirit in our hearts. So in essence, there is God with us and God among us. But as I look deep within myself, I do not see God. Instead I see blackness....sinfulness abounds. Even the goodness that comes from within is marred by my own sinful motivations.

And so, my journey begins with recognizing this about myself and others. My journey begins with baptism, washed clean by the power of God. Even now, I feel as if I am in the wilderness...tempted to do great things. But I am afraid bec ause unlike Christ, I have not recognized Godly timeliness....Jesus knew that turning rocks to bread was not necessarily a bad thing....he did it for the crowds who gathered to hear him. Jesus knew that he was not to throw himself off of the mountain...and yet he threw himself into the arms of the Roman and Jewish leaders and submitted to death on the cross. In the end, he recieved kingship over the world...not by worshipping Satan, but by discovering the gift of God's timeliness in all things.

The message of this day and age confuses me. I cannot look within to discover God's direction. And so, I look to my baptism, to the sharing of Christ's body and blood in Holy Communion, and to the cross where the perfect one suffers for my sake. It is where I get a glimpse of God's direction for faithful living and it is where I find the forgiveness to keep searching for the right direction.

One upmanship

I was reading my email this morning, most of it is from a dog list of which I am a member. Every now and then, there is a discussion about other breeders and their practices. Statements condemning the practices of some breeders usually force people who own dogs from those breeders to feel as if their dogs are substandard. It is kind of sad when an owner is excited about the quality and tempremant of their pup and someone rains on their show with such accusations against the breeder.

I can understand where some of those who are quick to condemn are coming from. They deeply love the breed that their dogs represent and wish to keep the temperament and beauty that is standard in that breed for years and years to come. The problem is, many "good" breeders have used the same lines to breed their dogs for so long that the animals actually become inbred. Long dormant recessive genesare waiting to be stirred up suddenly become dominant. This inbreeding causes the to animals suffer from the very genetic and temperametal disorders that the breeders have been trying to avoid. Unkknowingly, while trying to make the perfect perfect breed, these well meaning people have cut the gene pool down to a small one with the very same problems they were once trying to avoid.

There is a dilemma here of course. A poodle is definitely a distinctive animal. Their curly hair, square body, long legs, deep chest, pointed snout and long ears make them distinctly poodles. Breeding too far from the breed standard will definitely begin to make dogs that are no longer poodles. So while there may be reasons to allow more open breeding within poodle lines, going too far away from the standard will produce an animal that in essence becomes something other than a poodle.

The same kind of thing happens with people of faith. While discussing faith, people with certain theologies will condemn others with different beliefs making them feel substandard in their own faith. Even as these people have good intentions about keeping faith pure, they end up insisting on certain practices concerning their faith that become a stumbling block for those who are trying to be faithful. In doing so, the very faith they are trying to protect becomes corrupt rather than life giving.

Here too there is a dilemma. Christian faith is defined by some very common beliefs...things like an understanding of the mystery of the Trinity, the incarnation of Jesus, the obedience of Christ even to death, the resurrection of Christ and his ascension into heaven, the proclamation of this God given gift given with the hope that all of creation might one day be made right with God. When we wander too far off the beaten track with our theology, we end up with something that becomes less than Christian.

I sometimes wonder what the implication of "going too far" is for either of these scenarios. Allowing the breeding of a diverse number of poodles will end up with a breed that is very diverse but in the end will end up with a breed whose only commonality is that they are dogs. Accepting and welcoming views other than traditional faith will end up with people of faith whose theology is so diverse that the only thing left in common at all is that they are people.

Good thing? Bad thing? I suppose some would disagree on the answer to this quesiton. For me, I enjoy the individuality of the poodle and do not want to see it stray so far from the poodle line that it will no longer be recognized as a poodle.

As for faith, the basic tenets of Christian faith seem to make the most sense to me as the story of God and God's people has unfolded throughout time. In a world that is empowered by the sin of self and selfishnessm reliance on our own capabilities seems to be what feeds this selfish tenedency. Instead, we need a people set apart who trust in the hope of God's salvation. They are not here to condemn others, but to do God's work, proclaiming the gift of God's son so that all might be reconciled to God. It is these people who are called to selflessly serve God's creation in love. I don't want to see our faith stray so far from the Christian beliefs that it will no longer be recognized as Christian but neither do I want it to be so narrow that millions of people will never be able to relate to the gift of God's perfect love.

Surprises!

I never could fool my mother! When I was five, I was visiting a friend's house. Their mom offered me some cookies and milk, and not wanting to be rude, I accepted. When I got home, my mom asked me if I had eaten some cookies. You see, we had a rule in our house....no snacks between meals and my mom was pretty strict about making sure that there was always room for a healthy meal. So, I did what any five year old would do. I lied. And to my surprise, I ended up in the corner. No, it wasn't the two eyes behind my mother's head that gave me away...instead, it was the cookie crumbs that were stuck to the corner of my mouth.

I still can't keep anything from my mom. I have spent the last ten months planning a surprise 50th anniversary party for her and my dad. SOMEONE spilled the beans! But even if they had not, I am pretty sure that she would have already figured it out anyway. There are any number of things that have happened in the course of the last ten months that could have given it away. In the end, it certainly wouldn't be those proverbial eyes behind her head. Instead, the case of the missing key would have most likely tipped her off.

You see, a friend and I wanted to get a nice picture to put into a frame that she had purchased for this special event. So one day about a month or so ago, we snuck into the house while they were gone and snapped a few digital pictures of what we wanted. We very carefully put everything back in its place and left. As luck would have it, the picture that we really liked was oriented incorrectly. Once again, we secertly entered the house to take more photos.

It was a very cold and rainy evening when I got the frantic call from my father. Dressed in only a tee shirt, he had taken the dog outside and somehow had gotten locked out of the house. When he went to get the key....it was missing. I started to think about both times that I went into the house and distinctly remember putting the key away the first time, but don't really remember what I did with it the second time...my guess is that I didn't put it back. I hope that my Dad can find a way to forgive me when he finds out....poor Dad, I always seem to get a chuckle at his expense!

Somethings never change....I am my own worst enemy when it comes to trying to keep something from my Mom..... maybe one day I will learn my lesson....and then again...maybe NOT.

Gifts

Mention the word gift and I bet most people's thoughts turn to Birthday or Christmas memories. But, when I think of gifts, I think of God.

In I Corinthians, Paul offers a list of spiritual gifts that God has gifted to the body of Christ, that is, the church. Every member of Christ's church has already received a spiritual gift to be used for serving others in the glory of God. Discovering that gift can be a real challenge though. Just ask anyone how God has gifted them to serve and you may find someone with a puzzled look on their face. I have begun to see that we do a very poor job helping people to discover those gifts.

Too often, the church has "jobs" that need to be done and any warm body who is able to work is chosen to fill the position. Unfortunately, there are many times that we often fill round holes with square pegs. Unfortunately, both the outcome of the job and the person trying to do that job are stifled by the poor fit.

Last night, I had the opportunity to witness the result of a task done by a person whose gifts have been embraced by the commuity and where she has been empowered to use them for God's glory! When Michelle started to share her vision for our church's 50th anniversary party, there were a few skeptics about what she had in mind. But she had a vision and she came up with a plan! Lack of funding didn't hold this woman back! Using her gift of hospitality, she hosted one of the best nights our congregation has ever experienced. She found a way to make it happen and we even raised a little more than a hundred extra dollars to add to our growing "Fuel for the elderly fund."

How wonderful it is when God's gifts are recognized and used for God's glory!

Time

My alarm went off at 6AM. Actually, no, if truth were to be told, I forgot to set it. But there I was, wide awake at my usual time... 6AM. One would think that would be plenty of time for someone to ready themselves for work that begins at 8:30.

I think part of the problem is that I really don't want to go to work. I enjoy waking up and spending a few minutes while my dogs greet me with a good morning kiss. They love to lay on the backs while I rub their tummies...a good morning massage.

Then it is off to the kitchen door. Their time outside is usually pretty brief because they know that when they come in, food will be the next item on the agenda. I usually have enough time to make a pot of coffee and pour a bowl of cereal or throw a bagel in the toaster while they are out.

Most times, I am able to fold a load of laundry or put the dishes in the dishwasher away. When my breakfast is done and the girls are finished eating, they know exactly where we are going next. Ginny usually races ahead of me, up the stairs, jumping on my computer chair. She figures it is a good place to be since I always eat my breakfast here while I read my email. The best part for her is when I get interupted and have to leave the room for a moment. When I return, her little face is right in my breakfast dish....oh well, I really didn't want to eat it all anyway.

I don't know what it is about my morning ritual, but the time just seems to slip through my fingers. Like right now...I am already five minutes passed the time that I should be jumping in the shower.

Oh how illusive time is! It seems the more I have, the faster it flows through my hands...not like sand in an hourglass, but more like the rushing water of a Tsunami. As I get older, and my minutes here on earth become fewer and fewer.....why does it seem that time slips away faster and faster?

Smiling Faces?

January 4, 1975...there is a wedding...ours. We are young, 18 and 19 years old. The final picture in our wedding album is a picture from the car. In it, I am smiling...my husband has this look on his face that says..."What the hell did I just do?"

Fast Forward 30 years. My husband is now 50, I am soon to be 49. We have been blessed with two lovely daughters and four grandchildren.

While the faces have aged over the last thirty years, I can't help but to notice something....you can see it in this picture. There I am with the biggest smile you could see...and there he is... with a face that looks as if he would rather be anywhere else but here.

Can anyone tell me.... "What's up with that?"

Has both our tenuous beginnings and our life together been such a burden? Does he really just hate cameras that bad? I can't say I love cameras that much...but how can you not smile when you are in the midst of such a beautiful family?

Sometimes I feel a million miles away from him and I wonder if that is the way it began and if that is the way it will always be.

True Sacrificial Giving

I have a friend who truly knows how to give all of herself to God. Today we worked together on a project for our church, raising money for fuel for the elderly. She had a box of bears, collector's editions, that she was selling. The price was good for the item, but like at all tag sales people wanted an even bigger break. I could tell she was a bit hesitant to let them go for anything less than she was asking....and when she made the sale she told the woman that they were very special to her. They were her best friend's bears...a woman whom she loved deeply and lost without warning.

I am so blessed to be surrounded by people such as her who are a shining example of the sacrifices that people make in the name of our wonderful God! These bears are a part of the memories of her friend...a link to a loved one. And yet, she is willing to give them up for the work of the kingdom. And the legacy of her friend will now live on as an elderly may receive a gift that will allow them to stay warm during this cold New England winter.

What an awesome thing to witness! God, thank you for your gift to me of such a giving friend.

What I needed to Hear

As the president of a small congregation, I have had to lead our members through a time of great change. It was about a year ago that our Pastor told us that he had decided to accept a call at another congregation. He had been with us almost 11 years...definitely not without conflict, but we had become good friends. When it came to life in the church and the need to define our mission and vision, he was my mentor. Now granted, things weren't always rosey with us as we worked together, but I always felt that I could speak with him in truthful love and vise versa. Now that he is gone, I find that I really miss that comfortable relationship.

We have a new pastor onboard. I have to say that from the start, I have had my doubts. But the congregation approved this call and it is time for me to begin the work of supporting this new pastor as she begins to lead us toward fulfilling our mission and vision. It should be exciting and wonderful... but for me, it isn't.

Instead of an excitement for the future, I see fear. There has been gossip and ugliness that has been the underlying current in this call and I can't seem to steer us clear of it. There are decisions to make that I know are the right thing to do, but decisions none the less that will alienate some members of our congregation that I deeply love. And through it all, I just want to be able to do God's will in all of this.

I spoke with our interim pastor about this after church this AM. As I shared my fear of screwing everything up with what I said and did, he related to me exactly what I needed to hear. That sometimes no matter what you do, there someone will be upset with your decision. But, you must be true to yourself...because it is you that you have to look at in the mirror each and every day.

I remember meeting a lesbian couple awhile ago. Tatooed on one of the women's arms was an armband. Written above that band were the words, "Be true to yourself." They struck me then as very powerful and how wonderful that this woman was able to live out her life as she was without pretending she was anything else. I had forgotten about them and now that I heard them again, I am reminded that ultimately, I must do what I feel is right. I need not get wrapped in the acceptance of others, but must only care if I will accept myself when I wake up the day after making any decision.

And yet, if I am true to myself, where in this is God?

I must never forget that God is deep within my heart. His voice is there to guide me and as long as I know that God is there, I will know that being true to myself is in fact, being true to God.