Dear Friends in Christ -
I'm excited to be getting together with you all tomorrow morning for worship. At the 8:00 a.m. service (in the chapel), we'll be blessing and sending forth our youth mission team. At the 10:00 a.m. service (in the church), we'll say prayers for the team as they travel down the road to D.C.
This week, God has been preparing a special message for them - and for us - on what is (at least in my mind) an unusual topic for such an occasion: disappointment. Is it a word that YOU need to hear, too?? Come and see!
Blessings to you on this sunny day!
Janet+
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Monday, June 22, 2009
How to ask for what we need
Dear Friends in Christ -
When the Israelites moved into the desert, they were likely thinking more about the benefits of getting away from Pharoah than they were about the drawbacks of living in the desert. After they crossed the Red Sea, though, they soon started missing the comforts of their former home - like readily accessible food and water.
Their needs were real, and there were many ways that they could have gone about getting those needs met. They could have started digging a well. They could have sent scouts to find a stream or oasis. They could have asked God for help. But instead of doing any of those things, they sat around complaining. Their complaining got them in big trouble with God because He saw their complaining for what it was: lack of trust - in each other, and in Him.
God knows we need stuff, so He doesn't see it as a sign of failure or weakness when we ask. On the contrary, He's waiting for us to come to Him, so we can know His care for us and experience His power and glory.
Yesterday, Guy Beardsley, a local organic farmer, asked God clearly and directly for something we really need. In doing so, Guy set an example for us to follow, an example of speaking to God directly rather than complaining, of drawing closer to God rather than pushing Him away in frustration.
Following is the prayer . . . which I'm praying again today.
Faithfully,
Janet+
THANK YOU, LORD, FOR THE GROWING SEASON, AND WE RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR A LITTLE MORE SUN - TO COMBINE WITH YOUR LIFE FORCES TO GIVE US GARDENING AND FARMING SUCCESSES. AMEN.
When the Israelites moved into the desert, they were likely thinking more about the benefits of getting away from Pharoah than they were about the drawbacks of living in the desert. After they crossed the Red Sea, though, they soon started missing the comforts of their former home - like readily accessible food and water.
Their needs were real, and there were many ways that they could have gone about getting those needs met. They could have started digging a well. They could have sent scouts to find a stream or oasis. They could have asked God for help. But instead of doing any of those things, they sat around complaining. Their complaining got them in big trouble with God because He saw their complaining for what it was: lack of trust - in each other, and in Him.
God knows we need stuff, so He doesn't see it as a sign of failure or weakness when we ask. On the contrary, He's waiting for us to come to Him, so we can know His care for us and experience His power and glory.
Yesterday, Guy Beardsley, a local organic farmer, asked God clearly and directly for something we really need. In doing so, Guy set an example for us to follow, an example of speaking to God directly rather than complaining, of drawing closer to God rather than pushing Him away in frustration.
Following is the prayer . . . which I'm praying again today.
Faithfully,
Janet+
THANK YOU, LORD, FOR THE GROWING SEASON, AND WE RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR A LITTLE MORE SUN - TO COMBINE WITH YOUR LIFE FORCES TO GIVE US GARDENING AND FARMING SUCCESSES. AMEN.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
A Prayer for Father's Day
Dear Friends in Christ -
The following prayer for fathers, offered at worship today, was written by our own Guy Beardsley. May it continue to bless our dads, brothers, mentors and others. Please share it with the men you love.
Faithfully,
Janet+
Almighty God, Father of us all, on this Fathers Day, we thank you for fathers, and we pray that you help us to remember King Solomon's wise declaration "that children are an inheritance from the Lord." Please guide us fathers to conduct our lives so that we: combine your guidance with understanding; observe your values and standards with compassion; balance our emotions with logic; practice exemplary conduct; work together in family activities; show respect and leadership sprinkled with a sense of humor; be protective without being overbearing; give encouragement and praise when appropriate; remember that laughter is sometimes the best medicine; and that we love and honor each family member. Amen.
The following prayer for fathers, offered at worship today, was written by our own Guy Beardsley. May it continue to bless our dads, brothers, mentors and others. Please share it with the men you love.
Faithfully,
Janet+
Almighty God, Father of us all, on this Fathers Day, we thank you for fathers, and we pray that you help us to remember King Solomon's wise declaration "that children are an inheritance from the Lord." Please guide us fathers to conduct our lives so that we: combine your guidance with understanding; observe your values and standards with compassion; balance our emotions with logic; practice exemplary conduct; work together in family activities; show respect and leadership sprinkled with a sense of humor; be protective without being overbearing; give encouragement and praise when appropriate; remember that laughter is sometimes the best medicine; and that we love and honor each family member. Amen.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Rest in Peace, Rise in Glory
Dear Friends in Christ -
Our beloved Doris Duplease, mother of Joan Guerin and mother-in-law of Charlie Guerin passed away early Wednesday morning at the Guerin's home here in Shelton. She was 89.
A complete obituary is available on the Connecticut Post website.
You are invited to celebrate Doris life and mourn her passing from us on Saturday, June 20th:
2:00-4:00 p.m. - Wake at Larson Funeral Home, 2496 North Avenue, Bridgeport
3:00 p.m. - Eastern Star service of remembrance at Larson
4:30 p.m. - Liturgy of the Resurrection at St. Paul's (Chapel), 25 Church Street, Shelton
5:45 p.m. - Reception for Family and Friends at St. Paul's (Parish Hall)
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that gifts be made to the St. Paul's Choir Robe Fund, 25 Church Street, Shelton, CT 06484.
May Doris rest in peace and rise in glory, and may all family and friends know the strength and peace of God's abiding presence in this time.
Faithfully,
Janet+
Our beloved Doris Duplease, mother of Joan Guerin and mother-in-law of Charlie Guerin passed away early Wednesday morning at the Guerin's home here in Shelton. She was 89.
A complete obituary is available on the Connecticut Post website.
You are invited to celebrate Doris life and mourn her passing from us on Saturday, June 20th:
2:00-4:00 p.m. - Wake at Larson Funeral Home, 2496 North Avenue, Bridgeport
3:00 p.m. - Eastern Star service of remembrance at Larson
4:30 p.m. - Liturgy of the Resurrection at St. Paul's (Chapel), 25 Church Street, Shelton
5:45 p.m. - Reception for Family and Friends at St. Paul's (Parish Hall)
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that gifts be made to the St. Paul's Choir Robe Fund, 25 Church Street, Shelton, CT 06484.
May Doris rest in peace and rise in glory, and may all family and friends know the strength and peace of God's abiding presence in this time.
Faithfully,
Janet+
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
GREAT MEETING
Dear Friends in Christ –
On Sunday, I participated in a great meeting. Hmmm . . . the words “great” and “meeting” in the same sentence. Unusual? Definitely. Dishonest? No – in spite of the fact that we’ve all had experiences that illustrate why the descriptor typically preceding the word “meeting” is “boring”. What made Sunday’s meeting great? Well . . .
1. We started by telling the truth about the tough stuff that’s going on in our lives and in our work here at church.
2. We prayed, and told God the truth.
3. We talked about all the ministry stuff we wanted to do.
4. We discovered that we’re not sure how much work is enough. There are always more things we “could” do than we “can” do.
5. We started to make a list of things we’re NOT called to do.
It felt good to make that list; REALLY good. Because, in the process, we discovered that there are some things we can feel good about NOT doing. Things we are bad at (yes, even at this wonderful parish there are a few of those). Things we used to do that we’re no longer interested in doing. Things we would like to do, but don’t have the resources for right now.
Identifying a list of things we’re NOT called to do helped us to touch down more solidly on the ground of what we ARE called to do. Guilt lost its hold in the face of truth. Clarity gave us breathing room and renewed energy.
We can fantasize all we want about being other than we are – better, stronger, smarter, holier. But the truth is, we are only called to be the people of God in THIS place. And even with our limitations, our flaws, our growth-stunted places, our unfulfilled potential, God only asks us to become more fully what we are (His beloved people) and to offer what we have (that which He has given to us). And when God sees us being who we are, and doing what He calls us to do, God says that’s enough, that’s good.
May you have a great meeting – 1:1 with God or with others – where you become clear about what you’re NOT called to do, so you can find freedom and joy in doing what you ARE called to do.
Faithfully,
Janet+
On Sunday, I participated in a great meeting. Hmmm . . . the words “great” and “meeting” in the same sentence. Unusual? Definitely. Dishonest? No – in spite of the fact that we’ve all had experiences that illustrate why the descriptor typically preceding the word “meeting” is “boring”. What made Sunday’s meeting great? Well . . .
1. We started by telling the truth about the tough stuff that’s going on in our lives and in our work here at church.
2. We prayed, and told God the truth.
3. We talked about all the ministry stuff we wanted to do.
4. We discovered that we’re not sure how much work is enough. There are always more things we “could” do than we “can” do.
5. We started to make a list of things we’re NOT called to do.
It felt good to make that list; REALLY good. Because, in the process, we discovered that there are some things we can feel good about NOT doing. Things we are bad at (yes, even at this wonderful parish there are a few of those). Things we used to do that we’re no longer interested in doing. Things we would like to do, but don’t have the resources for right now.
Identifying a list of things we’re NOT called to do helped us to touch down more solidly on the ground of what we ARE called to do. Guilt lost its hold in the face of truth. Clarity gave us breathing room and renewed energy.
We can fantasize all we want about being other than we are – better, stronger, smarter, holier. But the truth is, we are only called to be the people of God in THIS place. And even with our limitations, our flaws, our growth-stunted places, our unfulfilled potential, God only asks us to become more fully what we are (His beloved people) and to offer what we have (that which He has given to us). And when God sees us being who we are, and doing what He calls us to do, God says that’s enough, that’s good.
May you have a great meeting – 1:1 with God or with others – where you become clear about what you’re NOT called to do, so you can find freedom and joy in doing what you ARE called to do.
Faithfully,
Janet+
Monday, June 15, 2009
CHURCH CROSSING
Dear Friends in Christ -
Yep. This blog looks different. Yep. It's on purpose, the result of some revelations from the continuing education class that I took last week.
My friend Donna (also a priest who has required "cont ed" hours to log) invited me to take a course with her, entitled "Faith and the Practice of Writing." Author Nora Gallagher taught the course, and she really pressed us to not only write, but also to make sure we're saying something important in a clear and compelling way.
One day, at lunch, the discussion circled around the practice of blogging. I confessed that I find most blogs BORING, including, occasionally, my own! So we talked about what makes blogs NOT boring, and agreed that one blog that was not boring was Julie Powell's blog "The Julie/Julia Project." Why? Because it's a blog with a plotline: a secretary in a dead-end job cooks 536 Julia Child recipes in 365 days in her tiny kitchen in an NYC apartment. This compelling, plot-driven blog was so not-boring that it became a book; the movie version will be out in just a few weeks.
So what about THIS blog? Well, I think all you readers out there deserve a little more than what you've been getting. Not that nice little stories about parish events and honest reflections on spiritual things are bad - they just don't make for truly compelling reading on an ongoing basis.
From this day forward (for at least the next year!), this blog is going to be about our "Church Crossing."
In the past few years, we, the people of God at St. Paul’s, have left our own version of Egypt, crossing a Red Sea of longstanding budget deficits, a failed relationship with a former rector, and crumbling facilities. Now we have (almost) balanced our budget, built great relationships, and beautifully restored our facilities. We’ve made the passage out of Egypt. Now we're solidly in the desert.
Now, you may be thinking: “What?! Desert?!? Wait a minute! I'm not sure that sounds like progress. I'm not sure that's where I/we want to be!”
But think about it. For the Israelites – the first “people of God” – the desert meant deliverance from oppression, from old ways of living that were, at the very least, not the best. The desert meant being “on the move” from where they had been to where they were going: the land of promise. The desert meant being closer to, and intentionally led by, God – personally – pillar of cloud by day, pillar of fire by night. Having sand in every crack and crevice of pots, sheets, and ears was worth it.
So here we are. The desert’s all ours. Let’s figure out how to get a rhythm of moving forward and pitching our tents, moving forward and pitching our tents.
Faithfully with you in our “Church Crossing,”
Janet+
Yep. This blog looks different. Yep. It's on purpose, the result of some revelations from the continuing education class that I took last week.
My friend Donna (also a priest who has required "cont ed" hours to log) invited me to take a course with her, entitled "Faith and the Practice of Writing." Author Nora Gallagher taught the course, and she really pressed us to not only write, but also to make sure we're saying something important in a clear and compelling way.
One day, at lunch, the discussion circled around the practice of blogging. I confessed that I find most blogs BORING, including, occasionally, my own! So we talked about what makes blogs NOT boring, and agreed that one blog that was not boring was Julie Powell's blog "The Julie/Julia Project." Why? Because it's a blog with a plotline: a secretary in a dead-end job cooks 536 Julia Child recipes in 365 days in her tiny kitchen in an NYC apartment. This compelling, plot-driven blog was so not-boring that it became a book; the movie version will be out in just a few weeks.
So what about THIS blog? Well, I think all you readers out there deserve a little more than what you've been getting. Not that nice little stories about parish events and honest reflections on spiritual things are bad - they just don't make for truly compelling reading on an ongoing basis.
From this day forward (for at least the next year!), this blog is going to be about our "Church Crossing."
In the past few years, we, the people of God at St. Paul’s, have left our own version of Egypt, crossing a Red Sea of longstanding budget deficits, a failed relationship with a former rector, and crumbling facilities. Now we have (almost) balanced our budget, built great relationships, and beautifully restored our facilities. We’ve made the passage out of Egypt. Now we're solidly in the desert.
Now, you may be thinking: “What?! Desert?!? Wait a minute! I'm not sure that sounds like progress. I'm not sure that's where I/we want to be!”
But think about it. For the Israelites – the first “people of God” – the desert meant deliverance from oppression, from old ways of living that were, at the very least, not the best. The desert meant being “on the move” from where they had been to where they were going: the land of promise. The desert meant being closer to, and intentionally led by, God – personally – pillar of cloud by day, pillar of fire by night. Having sand in every crack and crevice of pots, sheets, and ears was worth it.
So here we are. The desert’s all ours. Let’s figure out how to get a rhythm of moving forward and pitching our tents, moving forward and pitching our tents.
Faithfully with you in our “Church Crossing,”
Janet+
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
The Spirit has come; what now?
Dear Friends in Christ -
When the Spirit came to the disciples at that first Pentecost, there was this huge display of God's power - wind and tongues of flame, then fresh connections with people in many languages. In the days following that amazing scene, power continued to ripple out. People continued to discuss the happenings. New communities of faith started to form.
In these days after we experienced Pentecost last Sunday, how have we continued to feel and see the Spirit of God at work? How has it been happening? Where are fresh new things opening up?
On the roof ledge outside my window, there's a little bird singing so loudly that her whole body is shaking. And suddenly now, there she goes, flown away. Is the quivering power of her song lost now that she has stopped singing? No way! It's ringing in my heart. I carry its echoes inside me. Who knows how long they will stealthily inspire me, secretly rippling out from me in the most unexpected ways and places.
Faithfully,
Janet+
When the Spirit came to the disciples at that first Pentecost, there was this huge display of God's power - wind and tongues of flame, then fresh connections with people in many languages. In the days following that amazing scene, power continued to ripple out. People continued to discuss the happenings. New communities of faith started to form.
In these days after we experienced Pentecost last Sunday, how have we continued to feel and see the Spirit of God at work? How has it been happening? Where are fresh new things opening up?
On the roof ledge outside my window, there's a little bird singing so loudly that her whole body is shaking. And suddenly now, there she goes, flown away. Is the quivering power of her song lost now that she has stopped singing? No way! It's ringing in my heart. I carry its echoes inside me. Who knows how long they will stealthily inspire me, secretly rippling out from me in the most unexpected ways and places.
Faithfully,
Janet+
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