Deuteronomy 30:11-14; Romans 10:8b-18; Matthew 4:18-22
Dear Friends in Christ -
It's never easy to wait. Sometimes it's easier to wait for someone or something that we're not excited about. Sometimes it's easier to wait if we just deny how excited we are.
But this Advent, dare to remember how precious Jesus is to you. One way to do this is to take a minute to think back to when you first felt Jesus as a powerful presence in your life. Was it when you saw a sparkle in your favorite aunt's face? Was it hearing the Christmas story read at Sunday School? Was it when a neighbor showed you an unexpected kindness, and you knew there was goodness in the world and wanted a name for that goodness?
We follow Jesus for a reason - because He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Getting connected to His goodness makes the waiting . . . harder, but better.
Blessings,
Janet+
Monday, November 30, 2009
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Ready and Waiting
Jeremiah 33:14-16; 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13; Luke 21:25-36
Dear Friends in Christ -
In the midst of our preparations for Christmas, the question that Jesus asks his disciples - and us - is whether we're ready for his SECOND coming. The way to get ready for that, Jesus says, is to "Stand up and raise your heads." In the midst of the scurrying preparations for Christmas, most of us are in a posture that's more head-down-shoulder-to-the wheel. Even, and especially, in the midst of it all, Jesus calls us to stop, stand still, and look up.
Advent is a season for attentive waiting. During the whole season of Advent, the baby Jesus doesn't come. We decorate, and he doesn't come yet. We bake, and he doesn't come yet. We make calls and send cards, and he doesn't come yet. The purpose of all this waiting is NOT to torture children (or adults!), but to give us time to ready our hearts for a mind-blowing, reality-transforming miracle.
This year, my goal is to be ready for that. Oh, I'll wrap some packages and host some parties and all that, but my number one agenda item every day is going to be to take a little time to be still. To wait.
Following is the beautiful little poem that I used in my sermon today, which holds precious inspiration for me in my waiting.
Faithfully,
Janet+
Kneeling -- by R. S. Thomas
Moments of great calm,
Kneeling before an altar
Of wood in a stone church
In summer, waiting for the God
To speak; the air a staircase
For silence; the sun’s light
Ringing me, as though I acted
A great rôle. And the audiences
Still; all that close throng
Of spirits waiting, as I,
For the message.
Prompt me, God;
But not yet. When I speak,
Though it be you who speak
Through me, something is lost.
The meaning is in the waiting.
R. S. Thomas, “Kneeling” from Not That He Brought Flowers. Copyright © 1968 by R. S. Thomas.
Source: Collected Poems 1945-1990 (1993)
Dear Friends in Christ -
In the midst of our preparations for Christmas, the question that Jesus asks his disciples - and us - is whether we're ready for his SECOND coming. The way to get ready for that, Jesus says, is to "Stand up and raise your heads." In the midst of the scurrying preparations for Christmas, most of us are in a posture that's more head-down-shoulder-to-the wheel. Even, and especially, in the midst of it all, Jesus calls us to stop, stand still, and look up.
Advent is a season for attentive waiting. During the whole season of Advent, the baby Jesus doesn't come. We decorate, and he doesn't come yet. We bake, and he doesn't come yet. We make calls and send cards, and he doesn't come yet. The purpose of all this waiting is NOT to torture children (or adults!), but to give us time to ready our hearts for a mind-blowing, reality-transforming miracle.
This year, my goal is to be ready for that. Oh, I'll wrap some packages and host some parties and all that, but my number one agenda item every day is going to be to take a little time to be still. To wait.
Following is the beautiful little poem that I used in my sermon today, which holds precious inspiration for me in my waiting.
Faithfully,
Janet+
Kneeling -- by R. S. Thomas
Moments of great calm,
Kneeling before an altar
Of wood in a stone church
In summer, waiting for the God
To speak; the air a staircase
For silence; the sun’s light
Ringing me, as though I acted
A great rôle. And the audiences
Still; all that close throng
Of spirits waiting, as I,
For the message.
Prompt me, God;
But not yet. When I speak,
Though it be you who speak
Through me, something is lost.
The meaning is in the waiting.
R. S. Thomas, “Kneeling” from Not That He Brought Flowers. Copyright © 1968 by R. S. Thomas.
Source: Collected Poems 1945-1990 (1993)
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Inspiration at the press of a button
Dear Friends in Christ -
One of my favorite things last Advent was an online calendar of meditations hosted by Trinity Wall Street. Each day, the calendar offered a beautiful, powerful opportunity for reflection, through words, visuals and/or music. Our friends at Trinity have given notice that they've created a brand new inspirational Advent calendar for 2009. Beginning tomorrow (11/29), it will be available at: www.trinitywallstreet.org/advent. Enjoy!!!
Blessings,
Janet+
One of my favorite things last Advent was an online calendar of meditations hosted by Trinity Wall Street. Each day, the calendar offered a beautiful, powerful opportunity for reflection, through words, visuals and/or music. Our friends at Trinity have given notice that they've created a brand new inspirational Advent calendar for 2009. Beginning tomorrow (11/29), it will be available at: www.trinitywallstreet.org/advent. Enjoy!!!
Blessings,
Janet+
Friday, November 27, 2009
The unthankful heart . . .
"The unthankful heart... discovers no mercies; but let the thankful heart sweep through the day and, as the magnet finds the iron, so it will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings!" - Henry Ward Beecher
May your heart continue to find reasons for thanksgiving!
Faithfully,
Janet+
May your heart continue to find reasons for thanksgiving!
Faithfully,
Janet+
Thursday, November 26, 2009
A Hymn of Thanksgiving
All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.
Each little flower that opens,
Each little bird that sings,
He made their glowing colors,
He made their tiny wings.
The purple-headed mountain,
The river running by,
The sunset, and the morning,
That brightens up the sky;
The cold wind in the winter,
The pleasant summer sun,
The ripe fruits in the garden,
He made them every one.
He gave us eyes to see them,
And lips that we might tell,
How great is God Almighty,
Who has made all things well.
~ by Cecil Frances Alexander
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.
Each little flower that opens,
Each little bird that sings,
He made their glowing colors,
He made their tiny wings.
The purple-headed mountain,
The river running by,
The sunset, and the morning,
That brightens up the sky;
The cold wind in the winter,
The pleasant summer sun,
The ripe fruits in the garden,
He made them every one.
He gave us eyes to see them,
And lips that we might tell,
How great is God Almighty,
Who has made all things well.
~ by Cecil Frances Alexander
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Thanksgiving: religious or secular?
Dear Friends in Christ -
I've always thought of Thanksgiving as a religious holiday, started by Christians celebrating their survival in a new land. Today I learned that most people think of the modern holiday is a secular celebration. If the amount of shopping done over the weekend is any indication, the religious types may have to cede the point. Certainly WAY more people will shop over this weekend than will go to church.
Going to church isn't the only way to make the holiday holy, though. Making it holy is primarily about the intention of our hearts. Anytime, anywhere (even at the mall!), we can get close to God by simply acknowledging His presence. The special Presence we often feel when we gather together and give thanks is this: that when we bear witness to one another of God's goodness, we catch a glimpse of His glory.
Whether your thanksgiving prayers are little or big, beautifully crafted or impromptu, as long as they're from the heart, they will stir His power again in our midst. Whether the holiday is "religious" or "secular," if we say our prayers, God will be there. And wherever God is is holy.
Faithfully,
Janet+
I've always thought of Thanksgiving as a religious holiday, started by Christians celebrating their survival in a new land. Today I learned that most people think of the modern holiday is a secular celebration. If the amount of shopping done over the weekend is any indication, the religious types may have to cede the point. Certainly WAY more people will shop over this weekend than will go to church.
Going to church isn't the only way to make the holiday holy, though. Making it holy is primarily about the intention of our hearts. Anytime, anywhere (even at the mall!), we can get close to God by simply acknowledging His presence. The special Presence we often feel when we gather together and give thanks is this: that when we bear witness to one another of God's goodness, we catch a glimpse of His glory.
Whether your thanksgiving prayers are little or big, beautifully crafted or impromptu, as long as they're from the heart, they will stir His power again in our midst. Whether the holiday is "religious" or "secular," if we say our prayers, God will be there. And wherever God is is holy.
Faithfully,
Janet+
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
32 Shopping Days Left Until Christmas?
Dear Friends in Christ -
Was it this morning or yesterday morning when I heard the countdown on the radio for the first time this season? Because I make many of the Christmas presents that I give, I have already started my Christmas preparations, but I'm not yet ready to start the countdown.
For me, the countdown process has two emotional pulls - one positive, one negative. On the positive side, there's excitement, a sense of anticipation. As an adult, it's different than when I was a kid. It's more about masterminding plans to help my kids find joy and delight during this season. On the negative side, there's the pull toward fear. It seems that it's not only the marketers singing the song, but even my friends - not enough time, not enough money, not enough of the "toy of the year" on store shelves.
This year, I'm going to intentionally steer away from fear by giving myself the gift of serenity, and starting today, I'm going to pray the Serenity Prayer on a regular basis, the WHOLE THING. Then when I'm done praying it, I'm going to try to "stay" in it by continuing its exercises throughout the day. Do you know the Serenity Prayer? The famous part goes like this:
God grant me serenity
to accept the things I cannot change,
courage to change the things I can,
and wisdom to know the difference.
Here's the rest of Reinhold Niebuhr's prayer - which contains the secret of how to do the first part:
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him forever in the next.
Amen.
Here's my "final answer": it doesn't matter to me how many shopping days there are until Christmas. Everything thing that needs to get done will get done, God willing, in His time. The rest, I'm letting go of so my heart is free to rejoice.
Faithfully,
Janet+
Was it this morning or yesterday morning when I heard the countdown on the radio for the first time this season? Because I make many of the Christmas presents that I give, I have already started my Christmas preparations, but I'm not yet ready to start the countdown.
For me, the countdown process has two emotional pulls - one positive, one negative. On the positive side, there's excitement, a sense of anticipation. As an adult, it's different than when I was a kid. It's more about masterminding plans to help my kids find joy and delight during this season. On the negative side, there's the pull toward fear. It seems that it's not only the marketers singing the song, but even my friends - not enough time, not enough money, not enough of the "toy of the year" on store shelves.
This year, I'm going to intentionally steer away from fear by giving myself the gift of serenity, and starting today, I'm going to pray the Serenity Prayer on a regular basis, the WHOLE THING. Then when I'm done praying it, I'm going to try to "stay" in it by continuing its exercises throughout the day. Do you know the Serenity Prayer? The famous part goes like this:
God grant me serenity
to accept the things I cannot change,
courage to change the things I can,
and wisdom to know the difference.
Here's the rest of Reinhold Niebuhr's prayer - which contains the secret of how to do the first part:
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him forever in the next.
Amen.
Here's my "final answer": it doesn't matter to me how many shopping days there are until Christmas. Everything thing that needs to get done will get done, God willing, in His time. The rest, I'm letting go of so my heart is free to rejoice.
Faithfully,
Janet+
Monday, November 23, 2009
Perception is 9/10 of the Law
Dear Friends in Christ -
I was in the post office today, laden with packages and cards. After I had processed the packages with the postmaster and purchased my stamps, the lady in line behind me said, "Wow. You're so organized;you put me to shame. I haven't started my shopping yet or done my Christmas cards."
I laughed and told her the truth: the packages were Advent calendars to our godchildren, which I rushed around and bought and mailed today, in vain hope of my godchildren in Washington and California receiving them before Advent begins in less than a week. And the "cards" were actually invitations to a party that's happening in less than two weeks; proper etiquette says they should have gone out two weeks ago.
"Whew," she said, "now I don't feel so bad."
How often do we perceive that everyone else is "ahead" of us? Managing their time better? Finding the better bargains?
These perceptions that we have are often not only untrue, they're also dangerous. They cause us to feel inferior and defeated.
As the holidays approach, I invite you to join me in the holy discipline of self esteem. Every time you're tempted to think that someone else is doing more/better, give yourself a pat on the back for the good choices you're making. Say yes to what is good for YOU and YOUR family, and say no to things that don't bring YOU life and joy. Then ask God to help you have confidence in your good choices.
As your self-perception changes from "I'm behind and struggling" to "I'm making good choices and I'm happy about them", so you will be. Happy. And even more connected to the power of God in daily living.
Faithfully with you in this holy discipline,
Janet+
I was in the post office today, laden with packages and cards. After I had processed the packages with the postmaster and purchased my stamps, the lady in line behind me said, "Wow. You're so organized;you put me to shame. I haven't started my shopping yet or done my Christmas cards."
I laughed and told her the truth: the packages were Advent calendars to our godchildren, which I rushed around and bought and mailed today, in vain hope of my godchildren in Washington and California receiving them before Advent begins in less than a week. And the "cards" were actually invitations to a party that's happening in less than two weeks; proper etiquette says they should have gone out two weeks ago.
"Whew," she said, "now I don't feel so bad."
How often do we perceive that everyone else is "ahead" of us? Managing their time better? Finding the better bargains?
These perceptions that we have are often not only untrue, they're also dangerous. They cause us to feel inferior and defeated.
As the holidays approach, I invite you to join me in the holy discipline of self esteem. Every time you're tempted to think that someone else is doing more/better, give yourself a pat on the back for the good choices you're making. Say yes to what is good for YOU and YOUR family, and say no to things that don't bring YOU life and joy. Then ask God to help you have confidence in your good choices.
As your self-perception changes from "I'm behind and struggling" to "I'm making good choices and I'm happy about them", so you will be. Happy. And even more connected to the power of God in daily living.
Faithfully with you in this holy discipline,
Janet+
Sunday, November 22, 2009
If you're looking for inspiration . . .
. . . dear friends, I hope you'll come to church today. If you're up early on Sunday morning surfing the web and deciding how your day will take shape, please make church part of your day! Both choirs will be singing and the kids have made something very special that they're going to present during the Children's Moment.
As I'll say in the opening lines of my sermon, I come to church to learn and to get inspired, too. I know you do, too, and God is already on the move, preparing something special for us today.
See you at church!
Blessings,
Janet=
As I'll say in the opening lines of my sermon, I come to church to learn and to get inspired, too. I know you do, too, and God is already on the move, preparing something special for us today.
See you at church!
Blessings,
Janet=
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Duck! It's the holidays
Dear Friends in Christ -
On Thursday, I read a fairly amusing and very helpful article in the New York Times about the relational stress that we face over the holidays. (see http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/19/garden/19manners.html?pagewanted=3&_r=1). The helpful part was the article tells the truth. The article bravely names some of the bad behaviors that cause breakdowns and subtly invites us to realize and take responsibility for our parts in relational tensions.
The most difficult part necessary for peacemaking is left unaddressed by the author, however. And that part is forgiveness. Forgiveness is a process - a process that begins with telling the truth. And sometimes with making a strong - though sometimes unpopular - move to establish clear boundaries and right the situation.
In the Gospel lesson in today's daily readings, Jesus talks about the importance of forgiveness. And he says there are consequences in leaving forgiveness undone. Really, we know that without his telling us, don't we?
Following is today's reflection from Forward Day by Day, which was helpful to me in thinking about the issue of forgiveness. Helpful to me, personally, and hopefully helpful to you, too, in preparation for the arrival of family and friends during this holiday season.
Blessings,
Janet+
A Reflection on Matthew 18:21-35:
To forgive is as important as to love. Jesus makes forgiveness a radical new imperative. It deflates the "eye for an eye" mentality, and it makes holding grudges unnecessary.
It is so important Jesus includes it in the prayer he teaches the disciples: "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." It is the only condition placed on God's mercy. We must forgive one another from our hearts: as we have been forgiven, we must forgive.
This is easier said than done. We build walls around our hearts when we are hurt. Saying to someone who apologizes "Okay, I forgive you," but in a tone of anger or insincerity, does not make for absolution for the offender or for us.
If we need time to process both the hurt and the apology, that is okay. Forgiveness is too important to minimize. But leaving someone hanging indefinitely is not godly behavior, either. Restoring a right relationship is worth the time. Healing two hearts at once can be the most loving act we ever accomplish.
And because we are human and sinful, we will have lots of chances to practice forgiveness.
On Thursday, I read a fairly amusing and very helpful article in the New York Times about the relational stress that we face over the holidays. (see http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/19/garden/19manners.html?pagewanted=3&_r=1). The helpful part was the article tells the truth. The article bravely names some of the bad behaviors that cause breakdowns and subtly invites us to realize and take responsibility for our parts in relational tensions.
The most difficult part necessary for peacemaking is left unaddressed by the author, however. And that part is forgiveness. Forgiveness is a process - a process that begins with telling the truth. And sometimes with making a strong - though sometimes unpopular - move to establish clear boundaries and right the situation.
In the Gospel lesson in today's daily readings, Jesus talks about the importance of forgiveness. And he says there are consequences in leaving forgiveness undone. Really, we know that without his telling us, don't we?
Following is today's reflection from Forward Day by Day, which was helpful to me in thinking about the issue of forgiveness. Helpful to me, personally, and hopefully helpful to you, too, in preparation for the arrival of family and friends during this holiday season.
Blessings,
Janet+
A Reflection on Matthew 18:21-35:
To forgive is as important as to love. Jesus makes forgiveness a radical new imperative. It deflates the "eye for an eye" mentality, and it makes holding grudges unnecessary.
It is so important Jesus includes it in the prayer he teaches the disciples: "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." It is the only condition placed on God's mercy. We must forgive one another from our hearts: as we have been forgiven, we must forgive.
This is easier said than done. We build walls around our hearts when we are hurt. Saying to someone who apologizes "Okay, I forgive you," but in a tone of anger or insincerity, does not make for absolution for the offender or for us.
If we need time to process both the hurt and the apology, that is okay. Forgiveness is too important to minimize. But leaving someone hanging indefinitely is not godly behavior, either. Restoring a right relationship is worth the time. Healing two hearts at once can be the most loving act we ever accomplish.
And because we are human and sinful, we will have lots of chances to practice forgiveness.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Unplugging the Christmas Machine
Dear Friends in Christ -
We had a reflective, joyful, full-of-peace conversation this evening about Christmas. About how to participate in the beautiful, lovely, holy things about Christmas and leave the rush and crush and overwhelming expectations behind.
I would recommend the book we used to guide our reflections ("Unplug the Christmas Machine" by Robinson and Staeheli), but I know most of you don't have time to read it - and I don't want you to feel guilty about another thing left undone!
Instead of reading the book, how about taking a few minutes to reflect on "THE CHRISTMAS PLEDGE" that the authors suggest taking at the beginning of the Season?!
Here it is, with my invitation to join me in keeping it throughout the Advent and Christmas season. At the end, let's compare notes and see how we did - OK?
Faithfully,
Janet+
THE CHRISTMAS PLEDGE
Believing in the true spirit of Christmas, I commit myself to:
- Remember those people who truly need my gifts
- Express my love in more direct ways than gifts
- Examine my holiday activities in the light of my deepest values
- Be a peacemaker within my circle of family and friends
- Rededicate myself to my spiritual growth
May God add a blessing to our faith-full endeavors!
We had a reflective, joyful, full-of-peace conversation this evening about Christmas. About how to participate in the beautiful, lovely, holy things about Christmas and leave the rush and crush and overwhelming expectations behind.
I would recommend the book we used to guide our reflections ("Unplug the Christmas Machine" by Robinson and Staeheli), but I know most of you don't have time to read it - and I don't want you to feel guilty about another thing left undone!
Instead of reading the book, how about taking a few minutes to reflect on "THE CHRISTMAS PLEDGE" that the authors suggest taking at the beginning of the Season?!
Here it is, with my invitation to join me in keeping it throughout the Advent and Christmas season. At the end, let's compare notes and see how we did - OK?
Faithfully,
Janet+
THE CHRISTMAS PLEDGE
Believing in the true spirit of Christmas, I commit myself to:
- Remember those people who truly need my gifts
- Express my love in more direct ways than gifts
- Examine my holiday activities in the light of my deepest values
- Be a peacemaker within my circle of family and friends
- Rededicate myself to my spiritual growth
May God add a blessing to our faith-full endeavors!
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Apparently, that wasn't the only thing that was cancelled
Dear Friends in Christ -
I've missed posting these past couple of days because our DSL service was cancelled! UGH!
We didn't do it. The phone company doesn't know who did it. But someone put in a disconnect order. It took the phone company the push of an electronic button to cut our service off - and three days and a visit to the house to put it back on.
The epiphany in the midst of this saga: that perhaps the reason something simple like this throws me off my game is that I'm already living too close to the edge. Of course, I could have posted from my office, but didn't have any extra 15-minute space in which to collect my thoughts and type. I could have posted at a coffee shop, but didn't have time on the way to or from picking up the kids to add that in.
Of course, this is why I hate interruptions like this so much: I'm forced to see things from a slightly different angle. If everything goes as planned, I don't have to run into myself coming around the corner - and be challenged to learn something . . . again.
With "service restored," I'm back on the wireless waves. And I'm hoping that things will run smoothly for a day or two. I'm not sure I can stand too many "close encounters of the grace kind" too close together.
Onward and upward!
Faithfully,
Janet+
I've missed posting these past couple of days because our DSL service was cancelled! UGH!
We didn't do it. The phone company doesn't know who did it. But someone put in a disconnect order. It took the phone company the push of an electronic button to cut our service off - and three days and a visit to the house to put it back on.
The epiphany in the midst of this saga: that perhaps the reason something simple like this throws me off my game is that I'm already living too close to the edge. Of course, I could have posted from my office, but didn't have any extra 15-minute space in which to collect my thoughts and type. I could have posted at a coffee shop, but didn't have time on the way to or from picking up the kids to add that in.
Of course, this is why I hate interruptions like this so much: I'm forced to see things from a slightly different angle. If everything goes as planned, I don't have to run into myself coming around the corner - and be challenged to learn something . . . again.
With "service restored," I'm back on the wireless waves. And I'm hoping that things will run smoothly for a day or two. I'm not sure I can stand too many "close encounters of the grace kind" too close together.
Onward and upward!
Faithfully,
Janet+
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
CANCELLED
Dear Friends in Christ -
The Drew and Jack Show scheduled for tomorrow night (WED) has been cancelled. Due to lack of interest.? Certainly, only 5 families signed up on the sign-up sheet. Checking around yesterday, we found 4-5 more families that intended to come but didn't sign up. At Vestry last night, a couple of more people indictated they hadn't signed up, because they didn't intend to come for the dinner, but that they were planning to come. In the end, still only 20 people. Not enough to get Drew and Jack all the way here from Hartford on a cold fall night.
I'm sad that we couldn't pull this off. I really wanted to hear them myself. In fact, in cancelling with them yesterday, Jack said they would still come before the end of January if we want to have them.
RSVPing is a lost art in our culture, but one of several practices that we need to be faithful to in our parish life together. I have to confess, I didn't even sign up on the list, though I bought all the stuff to make a huge cassoulet. Sigh.
This is turning point time in our life together as a parish. Three years in to my relationship with all of you, we've done some great things together - and are ready to receive even more of what God has in store for us. Some of the "old guard" families have moved; some people have passed away. Many, many new families have joined us. In order to move ahead TOGETHER (Jesus has a "no one left behind" policy), we have to pull together and COMMUNICATE with each other.
Thank you to those who did RSVP! For those who didn't and would really like to hear Drew and Jack, let me or Steve Johnson know. Perhaps we will reschedule . . . but only if you really want to. This sort of offering is NOT compulsory. It's simply an offering to help you and to inspire you in the things God is calling you - and me - and all of us - to do.
Whether events like this are CANCELLED or ON, what I most want for each and every one of us is to get closer - to each other and to God. In grace, we can manage to use even a cancellation for that purpose.
Faithfully,
Janet+
PS - I'm hosting the "Unplug the Christmas Machine" discussion at my house on Friday night at 7:00. If you plan to be there, please RSVP by Thursday (tomorrow) at 3:00 p.m. We need at least 10 people to have a dynamic, productive session. Thank you!!!
The Drew and Jack Show scheduled for tomorrow night (WED) has been cancelled. Due to lack of interest.? Certainly, only 5 families signed up on the sign-up sheet. Checking around yesterday, we found 4-5 more families that intended to come but didn't sign up. At Vestry last night, a couple of more people indictated they hadn't signed up, because they didn't intend to come for the dinner, but that they were planning to come. In the end, still only 20 people. Not enough to get Drew and Jack all the way here from Hartford on a cold fall night.
I'm sad that we couldn't pull this off. I really wanted to hear them myself. In fact, in cancelling with them yesterday, Jack said they would still come before the end of January if we want to have them.
RSVPing is a lost art in our culture, but one of several practices that we need to be faithful to in our parish life together. I have to confess, I didn't even sign up on the list, though I bought all the stuff to make a huge cassoulet. Sigh.
This is turning point time in our life together as a parish. Three years in to my relationship with all of you, we've done some great things together - and are ready to receive even more of what God has in store for us. Some of the "old guard" families have moved; some people have passed away. Many, many new families have joined us. In order to move ahead TOGETHER (Jesus has a "no one left behind" policy), we have to pull together and COMMUNICATE with each other.
Thank you to those who did RSVP! For those who didn't and would really like to hear Drew and Jack, let me or Steve Johnson know. Perhaps we will reschedule . . . but only if you really want to. This sort of offering is NOT compulsory. It's simply an offering to help you and to inspire you in the things God is calling you - and me - and all of us - to do.
Whether events like this are CANCELLED or ON, what I most want for each and every one of us is to get closer - to each other and to God. In grace, we can manage to use even a cancellation for that purpose.
Faithfully,
Janet+
PS - I'm hosting the "Unplug the Christmas Machine" discussion at my house on Friday night at 7:00. If you plan to be there, please RSVP by Thursday (tomorrow) at 3:00 p.m. We need at least 10 people to have a dynamic, productive session. Thank you!!!
Monday, November 16, 2009
The sirens stopped
Dear Friends in Christ -
Living right here on the town green with the fire department only a block away, I'm accustomed to hearing the sirens go by. Soft from a distance, louder as they get closer, then fading as the trucks move past.
Today, the sirens were soft at first, then louder as they got closer. Then they stopped. That abrupt end to the regular pattern drew me to the window. When I looked out, I saw two fire trucks, two ambulances, three police cars and a few vehicles of volunteer firemen parked awkwardly on the lawn. Uh oh.
Before I flew down the stairs to greet them, I looked out the window again. No smoke. So at least that was a small comfort.
As I crossed the parking lot, I saw it - a large American-made car perched up on the rock wall surrounding the chapel with its front end mashed into a boulder put in the flower garden as a landscape ornament. If it weren't for the boulder, the car might have ended up in the sacristy!
Even better news: no one was hurt. The elderly gentleman driving the car said that the brakes failed as he was navigating the parking lot. Sure enough, when the tow truck guys came, they could push the brakes all the way to the floor.
All's well that ends well, they say. And that was certainly true today. A couple of other cars in the parking lot were also damaged, but not badly. The gentleman driving the car was shaken up, but not terribly.
The police officer in charge kept saying that we didn't need all the fire trucks. But I was grateful that they came out in such force when they heard something was amiss at the church. They wanted to be sure that the people - and the church - were OK. I thanked them. And I meant it.
Faithfully,
Janet+
Living right here on the town green with the fire department only a block away, I'm accustomed to hearing the sirens go by. Soft from a distance, louder as they get closer, then fading as the trucks move past.
Today, the sirens were soft at first, then louder as they got closer. Then they stopped. That abrupt end to the regular pattern drew me to the window. When I looked out, I saw two fire trucks, two ambulances, three police cars and a few vehicles of volunteer firemen parked awkwardly on the lawn. Uh oh.
Before I flew down the stairs to greet them, I looked out the window again. No smoke. So at least that was a small comfort.
As I crossed the parking lot, I saw it - a large American-made car perched up on the rock wall surrounding the chapel with its front end mashed into a boulder put in the flower garden as a landscape ornament. If it weren't for the boulder, the car might have ended up in the sacristy!
Even better news: no one was hurt. The elderly gentleman driving the car said that the brakes failed as he was navigating the parking lot. Sure enough, when the tow truck guys came, they could push the brakes all the way to the floor.
All's well that ends well, they say. And that was certainly true today. A couple of other cars in the parking lot were also damaged, but not badly. The gentleman driving the car was shaken up, but not terribly.
The police officer in charge kept saying that we didn't need all the fire trucks. But I was grateful that they came out in such force when they heard something was amiss at the church. They wanted to be sure that the people - and the church - were OK. I thanked them. And I meant it.
Faithfully,
Janet+
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Sorrow, and yet
Dear Friends in Christ -
Not long ago, I had dinner with a friend who confided in me her "unChristian" thoughts about a family member who had, well, really been a jerk, to put it mildly. As our conversation went on, my anger smoldered right alongside hers, but somehow along the way, sorrow also crept in. Sorrow about . . . I'm not quite sure. Sorrow that someone was so careless with my friend. Sorrow that meanness exists at all.
Just hours after I got home that night, I stumbled across this poem, which sticks with me, offering some small ray of hope, though in an unexpected way.
May light also find its way into your darkest experiences.
Faithfully,
Janet+
THE USES OF SORROW by Mary Oliver
(in my sleep I dreamed this poem)
Someone I loved once gave me
a box full of darkness.
It took me years to understand
that this, too, was a gift.
Not long ago, I had dinner with a friend who confided in me her "unChristian" thoughts about a family member who had, well, really been a jerk, to put it mildly. As our conversation went on, my anger smoldered right alongside hers, but somehow along the way, sorrow also crept in. Sorrow about . . . I'm not quite sure. Sorrow that someone was so careless with my friend. Sorrow that meanness exists at all.
Just hours after I got home that night, I stumbled across this poem, which sticks with me, offering some small ray of hope, though in an unexpected way.
May light also find its way into your darkest experiences.
Faithfully,
Janet+
THE USES OF SORROW by Mary Oliver
(in my sleep I dreamed this poem)
Someone I loved once gave me
a box full of darkness.
It took me years to understand
that this, too, was a gift.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Living this goodness
Dear Friends in Christ -
What I really wanted to do was write a poem that captured the simple beauty of this evening. But it's getting late and I need to go to bed. So I'm just taking a minute to remember, and give thanks for ribbons of conversation threading together pearls of laughter. The scrape of metal chairs on wooden floor. The clink of forks and knives on china. The scent of warm winter foods - tomatoey pasta and roast beef and hot coffee - wafting down the hall from the kitchen.
After a busy day with my kids, I wasn't sure I wanted to get gussied up and go to a "church thing." Especially after a couple of folks I had hoped would come called at the last minute to let me know they couldn't make it.
But as I pulled into the parking lot, the lights glinted invitingly through the windows. And the evening rolled out in simple grace and style. Talents graciously shared. Everything lovingly prepared.
Harvest dinner. A time to give thanks. And I am so grateful to be part of this community where I catch glimpses of God in the goodness of being together and in creatively pulling together to give and serve. Living this goodness is its own poetry.
Blessings - and thanks,
Janet+
What I really wanted to do was write a poem that captured the simple beauty of this evening. But it's getting late and I need to go to bed. So I'm just taking a minute to remember, and give thanks for ribbons of conversation threading together pearls of laughter. The scrape of metal chairs on wooden floor. The clink of forks and knives on china. The scent of warm winter foods - tomatoey pasta and roast beef and hot coffee - wafting down the hall from the kitchen.
After a busy day with my kids, I wasn't sure I wanted to get gussied up and go to a "church thing." Especially after a couple of folks I had hoped would come called at the last minute to let me know they couldn't make it.
But as I pulled into the parking lot, the lights glinted invitingly through the windows. And the evening rolled out in simple grace and style. Talents graciously shared. Everything lovingly prepared.
Harvest dinner. A time to give thanks. And I am so grateful to be part of this community where I catch glimpses of God in the goodness of being together and in creatively pulling together to give and serve. Living this goodness is its own poetry.
Blessings - and thanks,
Janet+
Friday, November 13, 2009
Healing
Dear Friends in Christ -
Since Sunday, I've been paying attention to this spot on the top of my foot. Rushing around in the kitchen in my socks, I splashed boiling water on it. Immediately the skin blistered and peeled away leaving, as my kids would say, a big owwie.
As I've dressed the wound each day, giving it air and salve and covering, I've literally watched the skin grow back, millimeter by millimeter. It's so amazing to actually be able to watch healing take place. To see a hurt get better.
I spoke with someone this week who is struggling with his own wounds - internal ones, deep ones. He's waiting for healing to happen, and he wanted to know: How can you tell if healing is happening when the wound is internal? How do you measure progress when you can't see it?
I have to confess that I didn't have any easy answers for him. I'm not sure there are any easy answers. But I suspect if he gives the wound in his heart the air of truth and the salve of faithfulness (putting one foot in front of the other as best he knows how) and the covering of encouragement from those who care for him, his wound will heal. Millimeter by millimeter. And though it's hard to be patient. That kind of healing - the kind that's from the inside out - will last.
Faithfully,
Janet+
Since Sunday, I've been paying attention to this spot on the top of my foot. Rushing around in the kitchen in my socks, I splashed boiling water on it. Immediately the skin blistered and peeled away leaving, as my kids would say, a big owwie.
As I've dressed the wound each day, giving it air and salve and covering, I've literally watched the skin grow back, millimeter by millimeter. It's so amazing to actually be able to watch healing take place. To see a hurt get better.
I spoke with someone this week who is struggling with his own wounds - internal ones, deep ones. He's waiting for healing to happen, and he wanted to know: How can you tell if healing is happening when the wound is internal? How do you measure progress when you can't see it?
I have to confess that I didn't have any easy answers for him. I'm not sure there are any easy answers. But I suspect if he gives the wound in his heart the air of truth and the salve of faithfulness (putting one foot in front of the other as best he knows how) and the covering of encouragement from those who care for him, his wound will heal. Millimeter by millimeter. And though it's hard to be patient. That kind of healing - the kind that's from the inside out - will last.
Faithfully,
Janet+
Thursday, November 12, 2009
My chief work is prayer and yours is . . .
. . . dear friends, also prayer. But prayer is NOT only the pious down-on-your-knees prayers in church, nor just the scripted prayers in the prayer book, nor just words to God shut in your room alone at home.
Prayer is all the conversation we have with God in the room of our mind and soul. Wherever we go, whatever we do. Prayer can be stirred by something we read or something we see in nature, by work or through our interactions with people.
The leader of our clergy retreat, Esther de Waal, is an expert in Benedictine prayer. St. Benedict lived in the end of the 5th century and beginning of the 6th century. Though many people think of him as a priest, he never was. He started monasteries as a "brother," and focused on the life of brothers learning to live in harmony with each other. The traditional model had been more top-down, learning from and being ordered about by a "father" who was mentor and final authority on everything.
Our homes are not unlike these early Benedictine communities: places where we struggle to get along with each other and to love each other, places where we do the work and learning and celebrating and communing which sustains us.
This home community is also the place where we say our daily prayers. Of course, our home communities are also sustained by the weekly coming together with other home communities at church to worship, but these Sabbath prayers are only a small part of the prayers we need to thrive.
Part of my at-home prayers are in the form of poetry. I've always felt short of shy about confessing that, feeling somehow that reading someone else's beautiful meditations must be cheating in some way. But our speaker, Esther, talked about the joy and nourishment she takes in poetry. In poetry, we stand alongside someone who is seeing the beauty and glory of creation, and even across generations and centuries enjoy that poetry together.
So here's a gift of poetry from me to you today, a poem written not be me (as "The Geese" poem that I posted last week was), but by a famous Welsh poet, R.S. Thomas. Enjoy your prayers!
Faithfully,
Janet+
THE BRIGHT FIELD
I have seen the sun break through
to illuminate a small field
for a while, and gone my way
and forgotten it. But that was the pearl
of great price, the one field that had
the treasure in it. I realize now
that I must give all that I have
to possess it. Life is not hurrying
on to a receding future, nor hankering after
an imagined past. It is the turning
aside like Moses to the miracle
of the lit bush, to a brightness
that seemed as transitory as your youth
once, but is the eternity that awaits you.
Prayer is all the conversation we have with God in the room of our mind and soul. Wherever we go, whatever we do. Prayer can be stirred by something we read or something we see in nature, by work or through our interactions with people.
The leader of our clergy retreat, Esther de Waal, is an expert in Benedictine prayer. St. Benedict lived in the end of the 5th century and beginning of the 6th century. Though many people think of him as a priest, he never was. He started monasteries as a "brother," and focused on the life of brothers learning to live in harmony with each other. The traditional model had been more top-down, learning from and being ordered about by a "father" who was mentor and final authority on everything.
Our homes are not unlike these early Benedictine communities: places where we struggle to get along with each other and to love each other, places where we do the work and learning and celebrating and communing which sustains us.
This home community is also the place where we say our daily prayers. Of course, our home communities are also sustained by the weekly coming together with other home communities at church to worship, but these Sabbath prayers are only a small part of the prayers we need to thrive.
Part of my at-home prayers are in the form of poetry. I've always felt short of shy about confessing that, feeling somehow that reading someone else's beautiful meditations must be cheating in some way. But our speaker, Esther, talked about the joy and nourishment she takes in poetry. In poetry, we stand alongside someone who is seeing the beauty and glory of creation, and even across generations and centuries enjoy that poetry together.
So here's a gift of poetry from me to you today, a poem written not be me (as "The Geese" poem that I posted last week was), but by a famous Welsh poet, R.S. Thomas. Enjoy your prayers!
Faithfully,
Janet+
THE BRIGHT FIELD
I have seen the sun break through
to illuminate a small field
for a while, and gone my way
and forgotten it. But that was the pearl
of great price, the one field that had
the treasure in it. I realize now
that I must give all that I have
to possess it. Life is not hurrying
on to a receding future, nor hankering after
an imagined past. It is the turning
aside like Moses to the miracle
of the lit bush, to a brightness
that seemed as transitory as your youth
once, but is the eternity that awaits you.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
A Veterans Day Prayer
Dear Friends in Christ -
Here on retreat, I was reminded by a colleague that prayer - saying my own prayers and teaching others to pray - is the #1 thing I'm called to do, not just on retreat days, but every day. How true. Many other things press in, but this is indeed my chief work as a Christian leader, for this work of prayer is nothing more or less than being in relationship with God, myself, those around me, the world.
On this Veterans Day, I invite you to join me in giving thanks for the service so many have given to our country - their labors, their lives. Let us remember to say a kind, encouraging word to the Veterans we know, and to lift them all to God in prayer.
Faithfully,
Janet+
A VETERANS DAY PRAYER
God of peace,
we pray for those who have served our nation
and who laid down their lives
to protect and defend our freedom.
We pray for those who have fought,
whose spirits and bodies are scarred by war,
whose nights are haunted by memories
too painful for the light of day.
We pray for those who serve us now,
especially for those in harm's way.
Shield them from danger
and bring them home.
Turn the hearts and minds
of our leaders and our enemies
to the work of justice and a harvest of peace.
Spare the poor, Lord, spare the poor!
Let the peace you left us,
the peace you gave us,
be the peace that sustains,
the peace that saves us.
Christ Jesus, hear us!
Lord Jesus, hear our prayer!
-Concord Pastor
Here on retreat, I was reminded by a colleague that prayer - saying my own prayers and teaching others to pray - is the #1 thing I'm called to do, not just on retreat days, but every day. How true. Many other things press in, but this is indeed my chief work as a Christian leader, for this work of prayer is nothing more or less than being in relationship with God, myself, those around me, the world.
On this Veterans Day, I invite you to join me in giving thanks for the service so many have given to our country - their labors, their lives. Let us remember to say a kind, encouraging word to the Veterans we know, and to lift them all to God in prayer.
Faithfully,
Janet+
A VETERANS DAY PRAYER
God of peace,
we pray for those who have served our nation
and who laid down their lives
to protect and defend our freedom.
We pray for those who have fought,
whose spirits and bodies are scarred by war,
whose nights are haunted by memories
too painful for the light of day.
We pray for those who serve us now,
especially for those in harm's way.
Shield them from danger
and bring them home.
Turn the hearts and minds
of our leaders and our enemies
to the work of justice and a harvest of peace.
Spare the poor, Lord, spare the poor!
Let the peace you left us,
the peace you gave us,
be the peace that sustains,
the peace that saves us.
Christ Jesus, hear us!
Lord Jesus, hear our prayer!
-Concord Pastor
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
What is seen
Dear Friends in Christ -
I'm on a retreat led by Esther de Waal, a Welsh lay woman who has raised four boys and written many books on prayer and personal faith. She's been talking a lot today about noticing things, living of life in which we really see things rather than just flying from one thing to another, full of busyness and distraction. She talks of this as receiving an invitation directly from God - and taking God up on it.
I don't know about you, but my days can be so busy and my head so full of this thing and the other that I don't even notice the houses and trees I'm driving by, the sound of the leaves skittering across the pavement.
In my retreat room, there was a little scrap of paper on the desk when I arrived; it had writing on it. It took me a minute to notice it, but it was clearly God's invitation to me on this retreat and in the days to come. May you sense God's invitation to you in it, too.
"People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don't even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child - our own two eyes. All is a miracle." - Thich Nhat Hanh
Blessings,
Janet+
I'm on a retreat led by Esther de Waal, a Welsh lay woman who has raised four boys and written many books on prayer and personal faith. She's been talking a lot today about noticing things, living of life in which we really see things rather than just flying from one thing to another, full of busyness and distraction. She talks of this as receiving an invitation directly from God - and taking God up on it.
I don't know about you, but my days can be so busy and my head so full of this thing and the other that I don't even notice the houses and trees I'm driving by, the sound of the leaves skittering across the pavement.
In my retreat room, there was a little scrap of paper on the desk when I arrived; it had writing on it. It took me a minute to notice it, but it was clearly God's invitation to me on this retreat and in the days to come. May you sense God's invitation to you in it, too.
"People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don't even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child - our own two eyes. All is a miracle." - Thich Nhat Hanh
Blessings,
Janet+
Monday, November 9, 2009
Breaking Bridges
Dear Friends in Christ -
This evening, I was sitting in the drafty, over-lit Bridgeport train station waiting for the arrival of the Amtrak train bearing our speaker for the Clergy Retreat. The train was a bit late, so I plopped myself down on one of the metal benches. The station was fairly crowded so I chose a seat in the midst of a group of African American women who were swapping stories of a common experience they all shared: going to jail.
One of the young women was going on about how it was much better to be arrested in New York than in Connecticut. At least in New York, she said, you know what you're being arrested for. She told the other women how she got in an argument with another woman. Someone called the police and both of them were hauled away in handcuffs. "I couldn't even understand why," the woman said, "the cop kept saying something about breaking bridges. I kept wondering what he talking about."
Eventually, when she got to the police station, someone explained to her that she was being arrested for "breach of peace." But she still didn't know what that meant. And no one, she said, would explain it to her. They just made her take all of the beads and bands out of her hair before taking her picture and finger prints and processing her into the jail. "Great," she said, hanging her head, "and then I look a mess, too."
Curious, but trying not to stare, I glanced at her several times, trying to get pictures in my head to go with the words I was hearing. Life had worn so hard on her that she looked a decade older than her 20-some years. She had teeth that could have used good orthodontics and hardened, down-turned lines around her mouth and eyes. If life were easier, she might have been pretty.
But she was stuck. Stuck in a world where peace is so illusive that she and her friends offhandedly share stories of being jailed. How many bridges in a young woman's life have to be broken before being jailed is just part of the routine for her and her friends? How many bridges in our community have to be broken before we run out of options and resort to repeatedly throwing people in jail?
Faithfully longing for better things,
Janet+
This evening, I was sitting in the drafty, over-lit Bridgeport train station waiting for the arrival of the Amtrak train bearing our speaker for the Clergy Retreat. The train was a bit late, so I plopped myself down on one of the metal benches. The station was fairly crowded so I chose a seat in the midst of a group of African American women who were swapping stories of a common experience they all shared: going to jail.
One of the young women was going on about how it was much better to be arrested in New York than in Connecticut. At least in New York, she said, you know what you're being arrested for. She told the other women how she got in an argument with another woman. Someone called the police and both of them were hauled away in handcuffs. "I couldn't even understand why," the woman said, "the cop kept saying something about breaking bridges. I kept wondering what he talking about."
Eventually, when she got to the police station, someone explained to her that she was being arrested for "breach of peace." But she still didn't know what that meant. And no one, she said, would explain it to her. They just made her take all of the beads and bands out of her hair before taking her picture and finger prints and processing her into the jail. "Great," she said, hanging her head, "and then I look a mess, too."
Curious, but trying not to stare, I glanced at her several times, trying to get pictures in my head to go with the words I was hearing. Life had worn so hard on her that she looked a decade older than her 20-some years. She had teeth that could have used good orthodontics and hardened, down-turned lines around her mouth and eyes. If life were easier, she might have been pretty.
But she was stuck. Stuck in a world where peace is so illusive that she and her friends offhandedly share stories of being jailed. How many bridges in a young woman's life have to be broken before being jailed is just part of the routine for her and her friends? How many bridges in our community have to be broken before we run out of options and resort to repeatedly throwing people in jail?
Faithfully longing for better things,
Janet+
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Thank you
Dear Friends in Christ -
Strains of the song "I get by with a little help from my friends" are running through my head. I'm so grateful for the enthusiastic, hard-working help we had at the church - and at the rectory - raking leaves today. People ask me all the time, "How do you do it all?" The truth is, I don't. I have help. Lots of help.
The leaf raking help was especially touching to me because this really isn't something that Ed and I are equipped to do. We've never owned our own home, so some of the basic tasks that it takes to maintain a house and yard are new to us. Leaf season is particularly daunting, because we have several BIG leaf-producing trees and no leaf blower (not that we would know how to run one if we had it!).
So thank you. Really. A lot. Not only did we get the job done, but I learned a lot from you all about how to do a fall clean-up. Years from now, when I'm retired and own my own home, I'll know what to do with all those leaves!
Faithfully,
Janet+
Strains of the song "I get by with a little help from my friends" are running through my head. I'm so grateful for the enthusiastic, hard-working help we had at the church - and at the rectory - raking leaves today. People ask me all the time, "How do you do it all?" The truth is, I don't. I have help. Lots of help.
The leaf raking help was especially touching to me because this really isn't something that Ed and I are equipped to do. We've never owned our own home, so some of the basic tasks that it takes to maintain a house and yard are new to us. Leaf season is particularly daunting, because we have several BIG leaf-producing trees and no leaf blower (not that we would know how to run one if we had it!).
So thank you. Really. A lot. Not only did we get the job done, but I learned a lot from you all about how to do a fall clean-up. Years from now, when I'm retired and own my own home, I'll know what to do with all those leaves!
Faithfully,
Janet+
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Leaf Raking
Dear Friends in Christ -
Not in New Mexico. Not in Florida. But in New England, leaf raking is a ritual of the fall. Not one of my most favorite rituals, I have to confess, because it's a lot of work. But it does put me in touch with the wonder of creation and the cycle of life.
Sunday promises to be the perfect day for a little leaf raking (the weather forecast predicts sun!), and the Maintenance Team hopes that you'll come to rake leaves here at St. Paul's. Why? Because we need your help! We're struggling to make budget this year, and we're hoping to save the $400-$500 we usually have to pay for fall clean-up.
Many hands make like work (and save money!), so wear your jeans to church and bring a rake. Immediately following the service, we'll get organized (and get a nibble and a cup of coffee). Then we'll rake like mad for an hour. Then we'll have hot cider and donuts. Having worked off the calories in advance, the donuts are guilt free! Bonus.
I look forward to seeing you at church - and in the parish yard afterwards!
Blessings,
Janet+
PS - If you've got a leaf blower, bring it along!!!
Not in New Mexico. Not in Florida. But in New England, leaf raking is a ritual of the fall. Not one of my most favorite rituals, I have to confess, because it's a lot of work. But it does put me in touch with the wonder of creation and the cycle of life.
Sunday promises to be the perfect day for a little leaf raking (the weather forecast predicts sun!), and the Maintenance Team hopes that you'll come to rake leaves here at St. Paul's. Why? Because we need your help! We're struggling to make budget this year, and we're hoping to save the $400-$500 we usually have to pay for fall clean-up.
Many hands make like work (and save money!), so wear your jeans to church and bring a rake. Immediately following the service, we'll get organized (and get a nibble and a cup of coffee). Then we'll rake like mad for an hour. Then we'll have hot cider and donuts. Having worked off the calories in advance, the donuts are guilt free! Bonus.
I look forward to seeing you at church - and in the parish yard afterwards!
Blessings,
Janet+
PS - If you've got a leaf blower, bring it along!!!
Friday, November 6, 2009
They won the lottery, but still . . .
Dear Friends in Christ -
The Old Testament stories in the daily office readings for the end of this week have been from the book of Ezra. Ezra was a priest of the Israelites when they were captive in Babylon. Ezra was singled out by the king for a special mission; he was to lead his people out of slavery, back to Jerusalem, to rebuild the temple and their lives.
The king even gave them a whole huge heap of money and other resources to use in their journey and in the rebuilding. The king gave them everything they could have asked for, and more. It was like they had won the lottery.
The king even offered to have his soldiers and calvary travel to to Jerusalem with the Israelites, to protect them along the way. But this is where Ezra turned off the spigot, saying in effect, "thanks, but no thanks." Ezra didn't want the people to be dependent on anyone but God. If the king kept giving them stuff, how would they know whether or not they were still in relationship with God, relying on HIM as their God, their creator and sustainer?
I have to confess that I have dreamed of winning the lottery. But I have always wondered: if I already had everything, how would I remember, day in and day out, to rely on God? Ezra was stong enough to guide his people into remembering that living in a trusting relationship with God is the BEST place to be.
Faithfully,
Janet+
The Old Testament stories in the daily office readings for the end of this week have been from the book of Ezra. Ezra was a priest of the Israelites when they were captive in Babylon. Ezra was singled out by the king for a special mission; he was to lead his people out of slavery, back to Jerusalem, to rebuild the temple and their lives.
The king even gave them a whole huge heap of money and other resources to use in their journey and in the rebuilding. The king gave them everything they could have asked for, and more. It was like they had won the lottery.
The king even offered to have his soldiers and calvary travel to to Jerusalem with the Israelites, to protect them along the way. But this is where Ezra turned off the spigot, saying in effect, "thanks, but no thanks." Ezra didn't want the people to be dependent on anyone but God. If the king kept giving them stuff, how would they know whether or not they were still in relationship with God, relying on HIM as their God, their creator and sustainer?
I have to confess that I have dreamed of winning the lottery. But I have always wondered: if I already had everything, how would I remember, day in and day out, to rely on God? Ezra was stong enough to guide his people into remembering that living in a trusting relationship with God is the BEST place to be.
Faithfully,
Janet+
Thursday, November 5, 2009
The Geese
The geese have come.
They landed
at the far end of the field
in the near darkness before night.
They settled in quickly, strutting about,
folding and unfolding their feathers
tight against their round bellies.
They peck the ground, dinner.
But then, all at once,
from their various stations on the ground,
they lift together silently
into the air, as if pulled up
on puppet strings.
Soft finger of air moves
across my face as they pass close above me
to where?
With a twinge of grief at their departure,
the trees and I breathe
goodbye.
They landed
at the far end of the field
in the near darkness before night.
They settled in quickly, strutting about,
folding and unfolding their feathers
tight against their round bellies.
They peck the ground, dinner.
But then, all at once,
from their various stations on the ground,
they lift together silently
into the air, as if pulled up
on puppet strings.
Soft finger of air moves
across my face as they pass close above me
to where?
With a twinge of grief at their departure,
the trees and I breathe
goodbye.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Hardset Biorhythm
Dear Friends in Christ -
Since the time changed, my 4 1/2-year-old son has been getting up by 4:45 a.m. EVERY MORNING. His biorhythm is set hard and fast, time change or no time change. So I'm a little bedraggled.
But sometimes being a little bedraggled myself just helps me to notice (and have compassion for) other folks who are frayed around the edges, too. It doesn't take much to realize how people get this way. Relentless schedules. Downturned economy. Flu raging. Oh, yeah, and then there's the fact that our country's still fighting a war.
In the midst of all of that, how do I keep going? Well, I'm striving to have a spiritual biorhythm that's as attached to God as my son's biorhythm is attached to the time of day. My son knows what time it is because his stomach tells him, "TIME TO EAT." That's why he appears at my bedside at 4:45 a.m. saying, "Mommy, I'm hungry." I'm trying to get back to obeying my spirit when it yells, "TIME OUT." You know, it does say that. And often. Deep breath, a little quiet, a prayer. Nothing too dramatic. But obeying the spiritual biorhythm isn't an added extra. It's what can keep me going. Even on bedraggled days.
Faithfully yours,
Janet+
Since the time changed, my 4 1/2-year-old son has been getting up by 4:45 a.m. EVERY MORNING. His biorhythm is set hard and fast, time change or no time change. So I'm a little bedraggled.
But sometimes being a little bedraggled myself just helps me to notice (and have compassion for) other folks who are frayed around the edges, too. It doesn't take much to realize how people get this way. Relentless schedules. Downturned economy. Flu raging. Oh, yeah, and then there's the fact that our country's still fighting a war.
In the midst of all of that, how do I keep going? Well, I'm striving to have a spiritual biorhythm that's as attached to God as my son's biorhythm is attached to the time of day. My son knows what time it is because his stomach tells him, "TIME TO EAT." That's why he appears at my bedside at 4:45 a.m. saying, "Mommy, I'm hungry." I'm trying to get back to obeying my spirit when it yells, "TIME OUT." You know, it does say that. And often. Deep breath, a little quiet, a prayer. Nothing too dramatic. But obeying the spiritual biorhythm isn't an added extra. It's what can keep me going. Even on bedraggled days.
Faithfully yours,
Janet+
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Rest in Peace, Rise in Glory
Dear Friends in Christ -
As we were saying our prayers during the 8:00 a.m. service on Sunday morning, our oldest member, Rose Czajkowski, passed from this life into the next. She was 97 years old.
Last week, another one of our oldest members, Virginia Tucker, 92, made her way into eternity. Both of these wonderful women had seen a lot of living.
Though I have known each of these women for only a fraction of their long lives, their passings move me to grief. As they leave this life, the ground beneath us shifts. Things will never be the same.
I felt that way, too, as we said goodbye to Marybeth and Jerry Banks on Sunday. They're not dying, they're just moving. But with their leaving, the ground shifts again.
When things change, so dramatically, so permanently, and deep inside ourselves, our hearts cry, "What's going to happen to me? With the sea of life constantly changing, is my little boat going to be swamped or overturned?"
The promise of God to us is that He will take care of us. As the Bible reminds us, "Jesus Christ is the same - yesterday, today and forever." (Heb. 13:8). We can embrace the changes that happen, even the losses we grieve, because the power of Jesus' resurrection will always see us through. We don't always like change; it's hard to move on without some of the anchors that made us feel so secure. But we can dare to celebrate the lives of those we love and let them move into their own glory, confident that Christ will move us, in good ways, into the next glory He has for us.
Faithfully,
Janet+
As we were saying our prayers during the 8:00 a.m. service on Sunday morning, our oldest member, Rose Czajkowski, passed from this life into the next. She was 97 years old.
Last week, another one of our oldest members, Virginia Tucker, 92, made her way into eternity. Both of these wonderful women had seen a lot of living.
Though I have known each of these women for only a fraction of their long lives, their passings move me to grief. As they leave this life, the ground beneath us shifts. Things will never be the same.
I felt that way, too, as we said goodbye to Marybeth and Jerry Banks on Sunday. They're not dying, they're just moving. But with their leaving, the ground shifts again.
When things change, so dramatically, so permanently, and deep inside ourselves, our hearts cry, "What's going to happen to me? With the sea of life constantly changing, is my little boat going to be swamped or overturned?"
The promise of God to us is that He will take care of us. As the Bible reminds us, "Jesus Christ is the same - yesterday, today and forever." (Heb. 13:8). We can embrace the changes that happen, even the losses we grieve, because the power of Jesus' resurrection will always see us through. We don't always like change; it's hard to move on without some of the anchors that made us feel so secure. But we can dare to celebrate the lives of those we love and let them move into their own glory, confident that Christ will move us, in good ways, into the next glory He has for us.
Faithfully,
Janet+
Monday, November 2, 2009
Pious and boring
Dear Friends in Christ -
When I re-read my blog post from yesterday, I wasn't much pleased with it. I wrote it in a sleep-deprived early morning rush, and upon re-reading it sounds a little, well, pious and boring.
I do love the Feast of All Saints. It's a day when I get to celebrate that as Christians, our team ultimately wins. Every time. Even when it doesn't look like we're going to. Even when nobody thinks whatever we're going through will work out.
There was a real sense of God's presence in the 10:00 a.m. service. Right in the middle of our worship together, we did two things: 1) we baptized four new Christians - Shara, Jeremy, Annabelle and Amery - and 2) we said goodbye to Jerry and Marybeth Banks. The Word of God at the beginning of the service and the Sacrament of the Eucharist at the end of the service wrapped our joys and sorrows together like warm arms. Everlasting arms.
The sadness at seeing Marybeth and Jerry leave is almost unbearable. They've been here for so long and have contributed so much. How will we get along without them? Not only do we wonder who will do all the work, but also we feel a little less certain about how the next adventures will go. We felt more confident when all the heavy hitting players were in place.
But now, as the Banks move to their next calling, we welcome the newest ones who are called to be here, worshipping with us, fellowshipping with us, serving with us. How we will care for each other and work alongside each other, where and how we will see the Glory of God along the way is anybody's guess.
Only this is for sure: whatever's around the corner is likely to awe-inspiring, not stuffily pious, and full of adventure, not boring. Not in the least.
Faithfully yours,
Janet+
When I re-read my blog post from yesterday, I wasn't much pleased with it. I wrote it in a sleep-deprived early morning rush, and upon re-reading it sounds a little, well, pious and boring.
I do love the Feast of All Saints. It's a day when I get to celebrate that as Christians, our team ultimately wins. Every time. Even when it doesn't look like we're going to. Even when nobody thinks whatever we're going through will work out.
There was a real sense of God's presence in the 10:00 a.m. service. Right in the middle of our worship together, we did two things: 1) we baptized four new Christians - Shara, Jeremy, Annabelle and Amery - and 2) we said goodbye to Jerry and Marybeth Banks. The Word of God at the beginning of the service and the Sacrament of the Eucharist at the end of the service wrapped our joys and sorrows together like warm arms. Everlasting arms.
The sadness at seeing Marybeth and Jerry leave is almost unbearable. They've been here for so long and have contributed so much. How will we get along without them? Not only do we wonder who will do all the work, but also we feel a little less certain about how the next adventures will go. We felt more confident when all the heavy hitting players were in place.
But now, as the Banks move to their next calling, we welcome the newest ones who are called to be here, worshipping with us, fellowshipping with us, serving with us. How we will care for each other and work alongside each other, where and how we will see the Glory of God along the way is anybody's guess.
Only this is for sure: whatever's around the corner is likely to awe-inspiring, not stuffily pious, and full of adventure, not boring. Not in the least.
Faithfully yours,
Janet+
Sunday, November 1, 2009
All Saints Day
Dear Friends in Christ -
Every year I muddle through Halloween (a "holiday" I enjoyed as a child only for the dressing up part and as an adult only for getting together with our friends and the joy of seeing my kids enjoy dressing up), to get to All Saints Day.
All Saints Day is this time when I do three things:
1. Look around me and recognize the awesome-ness of the "living saints" I live with in my household and community day-in and day-out and
2. Hold in my heart the saints who I no longer see, remembering the uniquenss of their lives and feeling gratitude for what they gave to me.
3. Pray that I might live up to carrying on their example.
Today, we're going to gather as saints at St. Paul's, worshipping as we always do at 8:00 a.m., in the Church on the edge of the old graveyard, where the saints will be praying and singing with us especially on this day. Then at 10:00 a.m. we'll be gathering with the saints around the font, welcoming our newest saints to join us on the journey to heaven.
As the sun begins to warm the sky this morning, I think I hear the angels' song . . .
Faithfully,
Janet+
Every year I muddle through Halloween (a "holiday" I enjoyed as a child only for the dressing up part and as an adult only for getting together with our friends and the joy of seeing my kids enjoy dressing up), to get to All Saints Day.
All Saints Day is this time when I do three things:
1. Look around me and recognize the awesome-ness of the "living saints" I live with in my household and community day-in and day-out and
2. Hold in my heart the saints who I no longer see, remembering the uniquenss of their lives and feeling gratitude for what they gave to me.
3. Pray that I might live up to carrying on their example.
Today, we're going to gather as saints at St. Paul's, worshipping as we always do at 8:00 a.m., in the Church on the edge of the old graveyard, where the saints will be praying and singing with us especially on this day. Then at 10:00 a.m. we'll be gathering with the saints around the font, welcoming our newest saints to join us on the journey to heaven.
As the sun begins to warm the sky this morning, I think I hear the angels' song . . .
Faithfully,
Janet+
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)