"‘If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.’" - Jesus (John 8:31b-32)
Dear Friends in Christ -
My experience of reading the Scriptures today was as blah and grey as the weather outside. While I'm hearing Jesus say, "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples . . .", I'm feeling less like a disciple and more like a squirrelly second-grader itching to go out to recess!
So what to do, what to do . . . ???
Well, what I needed today - and many days - was to read God's word and then to find a place to encounter truth "with skin on." Places I reliably find incarnation that helps me hear God's Word afresh:
The rhythm of poetry or the melody of song
A super-sqeezy hug from one of my kids
Touching nature - with my feet or my hands
Giving a kind word to someone in need
And . . . today . . . today, I encountered Goodness in a delicious little book, a book that's a rhymed blessing from a father to his daughter. Here's one of my favorite lines . . .
"[Keep her from]Dull days at fourty,
false friends at fifteen -
let her have brave days
and truth,
Let her go places
that we've never been,
trust and delight
in her youth."
All these things, I pray for you as well.
Faithfully,
Janet+
PS - The book is called "Blueberry Girl;" it was written by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Charles Vess.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Because of love
". . . because God's love has been poured into our hearts." - Romans 5:5b
Dear Friends in Christ -
The apostle Paul knew something about suffering. In the course of his career as a missionary, he was beaten and chased out of town and jailed and mocked and shipwrecked . . . and beaten some more. But when he talked about his suffering, he didn't talk about how unfair it was. He didn't dwell on his aches and pains or quit being a disciple because of the horrible way he was treated.
There's something else Paul didn't do in response to suffering: he didn't say he enjoyed it! NO ONE enjoys suffering, and God doesn't expect us to pretend that things are hunky-dorey when they're not.
But God does ask us to be patient and to trust him while we're waiting-waiting-waiting for God's promise to unfold. What promise? His promise to make ALL THINGS work together for the good of those who love Him. (Romans 8:28) The trick for Paul - and for us - is not to give up on God while he's in the process of getting the job done.
Paul didn't give up on God, and because of God's love, he learned the following secret, which he shared in a letter to the church in Rome:
" . . . suffering produces endurance,
and endurance produces character,
and character produces hope,
and hope does not disappoint us . . ."
Faithfully,
Janet+
Dear Friends in Christ -
The apostle Paul knew something about suffering. In the course of his career as a missionary, he was beaten and chased out of town and jailed and mocked and shipwrecked . . . and beaten some more. But when he talked about his suffering, he didn't talk about how unfair it was. He didn't dwell on his aches and pains or quit being a disciple because of the horrible way he was treated.
There's something else Paul didn't do in response to suffering: he didn't say he enjoyed it! NO ONE enjoys suffering, and God doesn't expect us to pretend that things are hunky-dorey when they're not.
But God does ask us to be patient and to trust him while we're waiting-waiting-waiting for God's promise to unfold. What promise? His promise to make ALL THINGS work together for the good of those who love Him. (Romans 8:28) The trick for Paul - and for us - is not to give up on God while he's in the process of getting the job done.
Paul didn't give up on God, and because of God's love, he learned the following secret, which he shared in a letter to the church in Rome:
" . . . suffering produces endurance,
and endurance produces character,
and character produces hope,
and hope does not disappoint us . . ."
Faithfully,
Janet+
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Who Do We Expect God To Be? - Redux
"When they heard these words, some in the crowd said, ‘This is really the prophet.’ Others said, ‘This is the Messiah.’ But some asked, ‘Surely the Messiah does not come from Galilee, does he?'" - John 7:40-41
Dear Friends in Christ -
What a great Scripture lesson to follow on the heels of Kate's sermon!
The questions raised here are such important ones: Who is this Messiah? How is he - and how is he NOT - who we expect him to be?
Some of the people I know who are most distant from God are distant because they are angry with God. Underlying their anger is a tremendous well of disappointment that God hasn't made good on his promises.
I struggle to talk with them about their disappointment because I'm so aware of their pain. Some of them have children who have died. Some of them struggle mightily with addiction or depression or another overwhelming problem over which makes just getting through the day a HUGE struggle.
God promises to be with us always, but he never promised to fix our problems. God promises to bring us Life, but he doesn't promise that someone we love won't get killed in an accident. And yes, that's confusing. And yes, that doesn't feel like enough.
Relationship with God requires us to move forward even when we can't see our Guide, to receive this day as a gift even though we will almost surely encounter loss and pain in it.
These days, I'm operating on this set of expectations:
I expect God to be perfectly good, but I expect all people and situations in this world to be imperfect.
I expect God to give me what I need to get through this day, and as He does that, I expect myself to continue learning to trust Him with tomorrow.
Faithfully,
Janet+
Dear Friends in Christ -
What a great Scripture lesson to follow on the heels of Kate's sermon!
The questions raised here are such important ones: Who is this Messiah? How is he - and how is he NOT - who we expect him to be?
Some of the people I know who are most distant from God are distant because they are angry with God. Underlying their anger is a tremendous well of disappointment that God hasn't made good on his promises.
I struggle to talk with them about their disappointment because I'm so aware of their pain. Some of them have children who have died. Some of them struggle mightily with addiction or depression or another overwhelming problem over which makes just getting through the day a HUGE struggle.
God promises to be with us always, but he never promised to fix our problems. God promises to bring us Life, but he doesn't promise that someone we love won't get killed in an accident. And yes, that's confusing. And yes, that doesn't feel like enough.
Relationship with God requires us to move forward even when we can't see our Guide, to receive this day as a gift even though we will almost surely encounter loss and pain in it.
These days, I'm operating on this set of expectations:
I expect God to be perfectly good, but I expect all people and situations in this world to be imperfect.
I expect God to give me what I need to get through this day, and as He does that, I expect myself to continue learning to trust Him with tomorrow.
Faithfully,
Janet+
Monday, March 28, 2011
3/27 SERMON - "Who God Is and What God Does" (Part 4 of a 6 part series)
WAY OF SALVATION: THE BIBLE AND THE 12 STEPS - Part 4 of 6
Dear Friends in Christ -
Our seminarian intern, Kate Spelman, preached a really wonderful sermon this week. Her sermon was the fourth in our six-part sermon series "Way of Salvation: The Bible and the Twelve Steps."
Here are a couple of excerpts from her sermon. Hopefully it will stir your interest in reading the entire text of her sermon, which, along with the texts of all the sermons in this series, will be available from our parish office soon. Hopefully by the end of this week!
Blessings,
Janet+
WHO GOD IS AND WHAT GOD DOES . . .
Listen, I once heard a story –
A man, a very religiously devout man, died. And of course he went to heaven. And he gets to the pearly gates, and meets St. Peter. And Pete says to him, "Would you like to meet God?" The man says, "Absolutely!" He wants to see God face to face, and worship God like he was taught to do. So Pete brings him to a giant chicken coop, and there is God. And God is a chicken. A talking chicken, but otherwise a normal-looking chicken. St. Peter has to muck out the coop once a day. God needs some gravel to digest what God eats.
Now go ahead tell someone who missed the sermon that the intern told you God is a chicken. (And if they come after me, I will cite for them Luke 13:34 and Psalm 17:8!) But that’s not really the point to this story – and it isn’t over yet. But think – would you know God if you saw him? Would you be able to see God If he was right before you, but looked all wrong? Or would you end up saying, “This cannot be the Messiah, can it?!?” I also want to suggest that just seeing God isn’t everything. Certainly, it’s not the end of the story. Lent is about a deeper connection with God, A God who surprises us and confounds our every expectation.
The very religious man has met Chicken, that is, God, and is understandably a little upset. And he says to Chicken, “You have to send me back. I have children, I have to warn them!” The Chicken shrugs (as much as a chicken can shrug and says, “OK.” And the man wakes up in his hospital bed, with his wife and his oldest daughter standing over him. And when he opens his eyes, they begin thanking God for answering their prayers. The man has too many tubes in his nose and mouth to communicate. But he is glad to be back.
When the man is well enough to go home, he’s stewing and planning his words. The family gathers for dinner; all the kids shower and put on some nice clothes. The younger boy picks up all his art supplies from the table, without being asked. The teenage son who seems to spend all his time at his girlfriend’s house comes home for dinner. And his wife brings out the main course – roast chicken!
The man becomes so agitated he starts to get up from his wheelchair But his oldest daughter reprimands him and tells him to sit. “I have to tell you!” He yells “What, dad? What?” The kids ask. “I have to tell you about God!” He is stammering now, impatient. “OK, Dad. “ “All right” “Tell us” they all say. And he looks at the faces of all his children, the younger boy’s hair still wet from the shower, the oldest daughter looking more like her mom every day. And he looks at his wife, who put on the earrings he bought her for their anniversary last year, even though he heard her telling her sister on the phone that they’re not really her style. He looks at his family, And the man who has seen God says, “God has been so good to me. God is all knowing and all loving. Let us praise the name of the God who brought me back from the dead.” And he bows his head and leads his family in the same grace they’ve used since the kids were babies.
So what happened in that story? Did the religious man lie? Did he cover up the truth? I don’t think so. I think he told an even greater truth than he knew he was speaking.
Dear Friends in Christ -
Our seminarian intern, Kate Spelman, preached a really wonderful sermon this week. Her sermon was the fourth in our six-part sermon series "Way of Salvation: The Bible and the Twelve Steps."
Here are a couple of excerpts from her sermon. Hopefully it will stir your interest in reading the entire text of her sermon, which, along with the texts of all the sermons in this series, will be available from our parish office soon. Hopefully by the end of this week!
Blessings,
Janet+
WHO GOD IS AND WHAT GOD DOES . . .
Listen, I once heard a story –
A man, a very religiously devout man, died. And of course he went to heaven. And he gets to the pearly gates, and meets St. Peter. And Pete says to him, "Would you like to meet God?" The man says, "Absolutely!" He wants to see God face to face, and worship God like he was taught to do. So Pete brings him to a giant chicken coop, and there is God. And God is a chicken. A talking chicken, but otherwise a normal-looking chicken. St. Peter has to muck out the coop once a day. God needs some gravel to digest what God eats.
Now go ahead tell someone who missed the sermon that the intern told you God is a chicken. (And if they come after me, I will cite for them Luke 13:34 and Psalm 17:8!) But that’s not really the point to this story – and it isn’t over yet. But think – would you know God if you saw him? Would you be able to see God If he was right before you, but looked all wrong? Or would you end up saying, “This cannot be the Messiah, can it?!?” I also want to suggest that just seeing God isn’t everything. Certainly, it’s not the end of the story. Lent is about a deeper connection with God, A God who surprises us and confounds our every expectation.
The very religious man has met Chicken, that is, God, and is understandably a little upset. And he says to Chicken, “You have to send me back. I have children, I have to warn them!” The Chicken shrugs (as much as a chicken can shrug and says, “OK.” And the man wakes up in his hospital bed, with his wife and his oldest daughter standing over him. And when he opens his eyes, they begin thanking God for answering their prayers. The man has too many tubes in his nose and mouth to communicate. But he is glad to be back.
When the man is well enough to go home, he’s stewing and planning his words. The family gathers for dinner; all the kids shower and put on some nice clothes. The younger boy picks up all his art supplies from the table, without being asked. The teenage son who seems to spend all his time at his girlfriend’s house comes home for dinner. And his wife brings out the main course – roast chicken!
The man becomes so agitated he starts to get up from his wheelchair But his oldest daughter reprimands him and tells him to sit. “I have to tell you!” He yells “What, dad? What?” The kids ask. “I have to tell you about God!” He is stammering now, impatient. “OK, Dad. “ “All right” “Tell us” they all say. And he looks at the faces of all his children, the younger boy’s hair still wet from the shower, the oldest daughter looking more like her mom every day. And he looks at his wife, who put on the earrings he bought her for their anniversary last year, even though he heard her telling her sister on the phone that they’re not really her style. He looks at his family, And the man who has seen God says, “God has been so good to me. God is all knowing and all loving. Let us praise the name of the God who brought me back from the dead.” And he bows his head and leads his family in the same grace they’ve used since the kids were babies.
So what happened in that story? Did the religious man lie? Did he cover up the truth? I don’t think so. I think he told an even greater truth than he knew he was speaking.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Through a cracked windshield, what can be seen?
"He is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. O that today you would listen to his voice! Do not harden your hearts . . ." - Psalm 95:7-8a
Dear Friends in Christ -
One of my dear friends wrote the following Lenten reflection for her church. I was so touched by it - particularly by the "heart" questions she asks - that I wanted to share it with you.
Blessings,
Janet+
When the rotted-out tree landed on my car while driving to work this winter, I numbly pulled over on Mansfield Avenue, called for help, and from my seat surveyed the dreadful damage to my husband's luxury SUV. Surrounding drivers emerged, incredulously inquiring about me, and five men started hauling the tree's broken limbs out of the road so the surrounding world could resume. Despite the immense impact to the base of the windshield, precisely where my legs had been, I was 100% fine. Swiftly thereafter, repair-mode ensued. And although that uprooted day led to a whirlwind of routine frustrations that accompany all accidents, we relish in God's blessing that I am alive and unharmed.
But somewhere inside, I can't help but wonder: what if I had been hit by another car, rather than a tree? What if there had been a person to blame? How would we have treated the stranger who almost killed me and caused a huge headache with our insurance company? Would we have chosen to forgive? Would we have noticed God's blessing? I forget sometimes that people, like trees, are inherently beautiful, intricately designed through nature and nurture. Depending on how others enter my world, I may see them as lacking dimension. But I think God graced me with His tree to remind me that just as trees can rot from within, drop branches or fall entirely, people are equally susceptible to causing these kinds of accidents. And I must be wise and avoid convenient blame or even hatred when I feel wronged. Instead, I must trust that like me, my enemies have many dimensions, and by meeting them with mercy and forgiveness, I will undoubtedly unearth another one of God's blessings.
-- Lindsay Hayes Hurty (2010)
Dear Friends in Christ -
One of my dear friends wrote the following Lenten reflection for her church. I was so touched by it - particularly by the "heart" questions she asks - that I wanted to share it with you.
Blessings,
Janet+
When the rotted-out tree landed on my car while driving to work this winter, I numbly pulled over on Mansfield Avenue, called for help, and from my seat surveyed the dreadful damage to my husband's luxury SUV. Surrounding drivers emerged, incredulously inquiring about me, and five men started hauling the tree's broken limbs out of the road so the surrounding world could resume. Despite the immense impact to the base of the windshield, precisely where my legs had been, I was 100% fine. Swiftly thereafter, repair-mode ensued. And although that uprooted day led to a whirlwind of routine frustrations that accompany all accidents, we relish in God's blessing that I am alive and unharmed.
But somewhere inside, I can't help but wonder: what if I had been hit by another car, rather than a tree? What if there had been a person to blame? How would we have treated the stranger who almost killed me and caused a huge headache with our insurance company? Would we have chosen to forgive? Would we have noticed God's blessing? I forget sometimes that people, like trees, are inherently beautiful, intricately designed through nature and nurture. Depending on how others enter my world, I may see them as lacking dimension. But I think God graced me with His tree to remind me that just as trees can rot from within, drop branches or fall entirely, people are equally susceptible to causing these kinds of accidents. And I must be wise and avoid convenient blame or even hatred when I feel wronged. Instead, I must trust that like me, my enemies have many dimensions, and by meeting them with mercy and forgiveness, I will undoubtedly unearth another one of God's blessings.
-- Lindsay Hayes Hurty (2010)
Saturday, March 26, 2011
The Secrets of the Psalm
"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want." - Psalm 23:1
Dear Friends in Christ -
Often, when I hear this Psalm, I get stuck on the first line . . . "I shall not want."
While it's true that I'm not lacking for food or clothing or shelter, I have so many wants. I want things that I truly NEED - like new windshield wipers so that I can see while driving in the rain - and things that I DON'T need - like a new KitchenAid mixer to replace a 40-year-old hand-me-down mixer that still works.
Deeper than that, I have these other wants . . . longings for forward progress in so many areas of my life. Longings for safety for my kids and peace in the world.
As I've prayed this Psalm over and over today, one of its secrets unlocked. The first word in each of the next four phrases is the key. "HE makes me to lie down in green pastures; HE leads me beside still waters; HE restores my soul. HE leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake."
Ah, yes. When I bring my whole self to my Shepherd, everything falls into the right order, the right perspective, the right priority. I can relax even my most intense agendas for good and enjoy God being in charge.
When I do that, another of the Psalm's secrets is revealed . . . "Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for YOU are with me." Praying this Psalm shows me how prayer itself moves me closer to God. What starts out as a third person prayer, becomes an intimate first person conversation . . . and Life in His house, where my whole heart is at rest, its deepest longings fulfilled.
Faithfully resting this day,
Janet+
Dear Friends in Christ -
Often, when I hear this Psalm, I get stuck on the first line . . . "I shall not want."
While it's true that I'm not lacking for food or clothing or shelter, I have so many wants. I want things that I truly NEED - like new windshield wipers so that I can see while driving in the rain - and things that I DON'T need - like a new KitchenAid mixer to replace a 40-year-old hand-me-down mixer that still works.
Deeper than that, I have these other wants . . . longings for forward progress in so many areas of my life. Longings for safety for my kids and peace in the world.
As I've prayed this Psalm over and over today, one of its secrets unlocked. The first word in each of the next four phrases is the key. "HE makes me to lie down in green pastures; HE leads me beside still waters; HE restores my soul. HE leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake."
Ah, yes. When I bring my whole self to my Shepherd, everything falls into the right order, the right perspective, the right priority. I can relax even my most intense agendas for good and enjoy God being in charge.
When I do that, another of the Psalm's secrets is revealed . . . "Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for YOU are with me." Praying this Psalm shows me how prayer itself moves me closer to God. What starts out as a third person prayer, becomes an intimate first person conversation . . . and Life in His house, where my whole heart is at rest, its deepest longings fulfilled.
Faithfully resting this day,
Janet+
Friday, March 25, 2011
What made the world fall away
"O come, let us sing to the Lord;
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!" - Psalm 95:1
Dear Friends in Christ -
Though the date stamp at the top of this blog post says "Friday," I'm actually writing it on Saturday. Last night, I was so excited about what was happening that I simply forgot to sit down and write.
What was so exciting? Bible study. I attend lots of things at church that are exciting or interesting or inspiring, but rarely do I attend something (at church or anywhere else, for that matter!) that really makes the world fall away.
What is it about this Bible study . . . ? Well, I think it's the no-holds-barred approach. We're tackling life's most important questions and issues head on . . . what are we clinging to that keeps us down, holds us back? . . . what does it mean to really be committed to Jesus?
I was seven years old when I first asked Jesus to come into my heart. The next time I remember praying to God to help me with my life was when I was fifteen. When I was a freshman in college, I sank to new lows and asked God to show me a better way. When I was a junior in college, I renewed my commitment to God again - and was baptized.
If I heard that story about someone else's relationship with God, I would probably be tempted to think that either: (1) The person was somewhat insincere about committing to God, so it took multiple attempts for it to "stick." OR (2) The person was pretty sincere, but relationship with God was a challenging process.
Since this story is my story, I can tell you that . . . both A and B are true! These experiences, and many more, have been occasions when the world fell away and something new in me opened up to Life, to GOD.
It happened again for me last night, and my fondest wish for you is that God finds you in this way, too - and soon.
Refreshed by His love,
Janet+
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!" - Psalm 95:1
Dear Friends in Christ -
Though the date stamp at the top of this blog post says "Friday," I'm actually writing it on Saturday. Last night, I was so excited about what was happening that I simply forgot to sit down and write.
What was so exciting? Bible study. I attend lots of things at church that are exciting or interesting or inspiring, but rarely do I attend something (at church or anywhere else, for that matter!) that really makes the world fall away.
What is it about this Bible study . . . ? Well, I think it's the no-holds-barred approach. We're tackling life's most important questions and issues head on . . . what are we clinging to that keeps us down, holds us back? . . . what does it mean to really be committed to Jesus?
I was seven years old when I first asked Jesus to come into my heart. The next time I remember praying to God to help me with my life was when I was fifteen. When I was a freshman in college, I sank to new lows and asked God to show me a better way. When I was a junior in college, I renewed my commitment to God again - and was baptized.
If I heard that story about someone else's relationship with God, I would probably be tempted to think that either: (1) The person was somewhat insincere about committing to God, so it took multiple attempts for it to "stick." OR (2) The person was pretty sincere, but relationship with God was a challenging process.
Since this story is my story, I can tell you that . . . both A and B are true! These experiences, and many more, have been occasions when the world fell away and something new in me opened up to Life, to GOD.
It happened again for me last night, and my fondest wish for you is that God finds you in this way, too - and soon.
Refreshed by His love,
Janet+
Thursday, March 24, 2011
The Choice for Today
My lips will shout for joy
when I sing praises to you [God];
my soul also, which you have rescued. - Psalm 71:23
"Very truly, I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life, and does not come under judgement, but has passed from death to life." - Jesus (John 5:24)
Dear Friends in Christ -
Every day, I have a choice: to hope or to despair.
The evidence for hope shows up first: the sun rises, so bright that even on days like today, when there is a great blanket of clouds between it and me, the light shines through to waken the birds, and their songs waken me.
The evidence for despair arrives close on the sun's heels: the news on the radio breaks into the morning quiet with the latest about war and natural disaster abroad, about state budget cuts and school bullying.
At a fundamental level, the evidence on both sides is "true." So then it's up to me. I have to make the choice. What will I choose to focus on? What emphasis will order my day?
God's desire for what I should choose is no secret. Joy . . . hope . . . truth . . . and He states it most clearly in the 30th chapter of Deuteronomy. He says, "CHOOSE LIFE!"
So this day, I'm not going to forget about the things in this world that are broken and unjust, painful and wrong. I'm just going to breathe God's love in deeply and work like crazy to share that love, until all creation is choosing Life as one.
Faithfully choosing,
Janet+
when I sing praises to you [God];
my soul also, which you have rescued. - Psalm 71:23
"Very truly, I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life, and does not come under judgement, but has passed from death to life." - Jesus (John 5:24)
Dear Friends in Christ -
Every day, I have a choice: to hope or to despair.
The evidence for hope shows up first: the sun rises, so bright that even on days like today, when there is a great blanket of clouds between it and me, the light shines through to waken the birds, and their songs waken me.
The evidence for despair arrives close on the sun's heels: the news on the radio breaks into the morning quiet with the latest about war and natural disaster abroad, about state budget cuts and school bullying.
At a fundamental level, the evidence on both sides is "true." So then it's up to me. I have to make the choice. What will I choose to focus on? What emphasis will order my day?
God's desire for what I should choose is no secret. Joy . . . hope . . . truth . . . and He states it most clearly in the 30th chapter of Deuteronomy. He says, "CHOOSE LIFE!"
So this day, I'm not going to forget about the things in this world that are broken and unjust, painful and wrong. I'm just going to breathe God's love in deeply and work like crazy to share that love, until all creation is choosing Life as one.
Faithfully choosing,
Janet+
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
"Do not sin any more!"
"See, you have been made well. Do not sin any more, so that nothing worse happens to you." - Jesus, to the man he had healed (John 5:14b)
Dear Friends in Christ -
Jesus rarely comes off as peevish as he seems in this quote from today's Gospel lesson (John 5:1-18), but Jesus is completely fed up with this guy who keeps blaming others for everything that happens to him.
You might know someone like that . . . heck, some days you might BE someone like that: someone who complains about the actions of others rather than doing what you can to take responsibility for yourself, to reach out to ask for the help you need.
Jesus takes us up on even our smallest movement in this direction. Though the guy in today's Gospel lesson doesn't call out to Jesus for healing or even acknowledge that's what he really wants, Jesus takes his presence near the pool to be the tiny crack of openness required to start the man's healing process. While the guy's body is healed instantly, it takes longer for his heart to change. And Jesus sticks by him each step of the way, even prodding him firmly along when necessary.
In these days of Lent, may you have the courage to stop blaming others, to receive Jesus gift of healing and live into it, and to give Him all the praise, so that He can make you well.
Faithfully,
Janet+
Dear Friends in Christ -
Jesus rarely comes off as peevish as he seems in this quote from today's Gospel lesson (John 5:1-18), but Jesus is completely fed up with this guy who keeps blaming others for everything that happens to him.
You might know someone like that . . . heck, some days you might BE someone like that: someone who complains about the actions of others rather than doing what you can to take responsibility for yourself, to reach out to ask for the help you need.
Jesus takes us up on even our smallest movement in this direction. Though the guy in today's Gospel lesson doesn't call out to Jesus for healing or even acknowledge that's what he really wants, Jesus takes his presence near the pool to be the tiny crack of openness required to start the man's healing process. While the guy's body is healed instantly, it takes longer for his heart to change. And Jesus sticks by him each step of the way, even prodding him firmly along when necessary.
In these days of Lent, may you have the courage to stop blaming others, to receive Jesus gift of healing and live into it, and to give Him all the praise, so that He can make you well.
Faithfully,
Janet+
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Technology . . . and fear
"For I am not ashamed of the Gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith . . ." - Romans 1:16a
Dear Friends in Christ -
Technology always seems to be racing ahead of me, turning corners into places I've never been before, opening up possibilities I'm not ready to entertain. In addition to all that, I'm an INTROVERT by nature, which means that I have no need whatsoever to have a "presence" on the internet.
However, I believe that our church . . .(St. Paul's on the Huntington Green in Shelton, CT - which I'm spelling out here so that anyone running a search today for "church" and "Shelton" might stumble on St. Paul's today through the 'back door' of this blog post) . . . Anyway, as I started to say, I believe that St. Paul's has a CALLING to have a presence on the internet. The modern-day version of shouting God's faithfulness from the housetops is to host a blog or website that's attractive enough to get 100,000 hits and/or pop up on the Google search engine when someone's searching for "inspiration and Connecticut."
I'm overwhelmed and frightened by technology, but I've been asking God for the strength to face my fears and us in venturing forth . . . because the Good News is worth sharing. Today, I felt God's encouragement through - of all places - the internet. I was blown away by the dozens and dozens of birthday blessings that came my way through Facebook. Thanks to all my faithful e-friends, I'm inspired to try to figure out how to use Facebook to bless others.
Perhaps I'll start by figuring out how to actually use the Facebook page I created but now almost never look at! All the agony and frustration of learning to work this technology will be worth it if, through it, even a handful of folks encounter God's saving power.
Faithfully facing my fears,
Janet+
PS - Afterword: Just yesterday, my daughter came home from school and announced that for the rest of the year, they'll be doing 90+ percent of their homework on the internet. I felt a chill, as if a grey shadow passed low over my head on a blustery day. Did dinosaurs have this feeling before they became extinct??
Dear Friends in Christ -
Technology always seems to be racing ahead of me, turning corners into places I've never been before, opening up possibilities I'm not ready to entertain. In addition to all that, I'm an INTROVERT by nature, which means that I have no need whatsoever to have a "presence" on the internet.
However, I believe that our church . . .(St. Paul's on the Huntington Green in Shelton, CT - which I'm spelling out here so that anyone running a search today for "church" and "Shelton" might stumble on St. Paul's today through the 'back door' of this blog post) . . . Anyway, as I started to say, I believe that St. Paul's has a CALLING to have a presence on the internet. The modern-day version of shouting God's faithfulness from the housetops is to host a blog or website that's attractive enough to get 100,000 hits and/or pop up on the Google search engine when someone's searching for "inspiration and Connecticut."
I'm overwhelmed and frightened by technology, but I've been asking God for the strength to face my fears and us in venturing forth . . . because the Good News is worth sharing. Today, I felt God's encouragement through - of all places - the internet. I was blown away by the dozens and dozens of birthday blessings that came my way through Facebook. Thanks to all my faithful e-friends, I'm inspired to try to figure out how to use Facebook to bless others.
Perhaps I'll start by figuring out how to actually use the Facebook page I created but now almost never look at! All the agony and frustration of learning to work this technology will be worth it if, through it, even a handful of folks encounter God's saving power.
Faithfully facing my fears,
Janet+
PS - Afterword: Just yesterday, my daughter came home from school and announced that for the rest of the year, they'll be doing 90+ percent of their homework on the internet. I felt a chill, as if a grey shadow passed low over my head on a blustery day. Did dinosaurs have this feeling before they became extinct??
Monday, March 21, 2011
"Gone Fishin'"
Dear Friends in Christ -
I wanted to let all y'all know that I hadn't forgotten about you. I just didn't get a post up today due to birthday revelling!
I'll be back tomorrow!
Blessings,
Janet+
PS - And I'll post Sunday's sermon summary later this week, too!
I wanted to let all y'all know that I hadn't forgotten about you. I just didn't get a post up today due to birthday revelling!
I'll be back tomorrow!
Blessings,
Janet+
PS - And I'll post Sunday's sermon summary later this week, too!
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Light refreshment for the Second Sunday of Lent
"I lift up my eyes to the hills; from where is my help to come? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth." - Psalm 121:1-2
Dear Friends in Christ -
Happy sunny first day of Spring!
You remember, of course, that Sundays in Lent are days of refreshment . . . so it's time for a few little funny stories that were sent my way this past week. I hope they lighten your heart and bring a smile to your lips, as they did to mine. Enjoy!
Blessings,
Janet+
One Sunday in a Midwest City, a young child was "acting up" during morning worship. The parents did their best to maintain some sense of order in the pew but were losing the battle. Finally, the father picked the little fellow up and walked sternly up the aisle on his way out. Just before reaching the safety of the foyer, the little one called loudly to the congregation, "Pray for me! Pray for me!"
________________________________________
One particular four-year old prayed:
"And forgive us our trash baskets
as we forgive those who put trash in our baskets."
________________________________________
Another little boy was overheard praying:
"Lord, if you can't make me a better boy, don't worry about it.
I'm having a real good time like I am."
Dear Friends in Christ -
Happy sunny first day of Spring!
You remember, of course, that Sundays in Lent are days of refreshment . . . so it's time for a few little funny stories that were sent my way this past week. I hope they lighten your heart and bring a smile to your lips, as they did to mine. Enjoy!
Blessings,
Janet+
One Sunday in a Midwest City, a young child was "acting up" during morning worship. The parents did their best to maintain some sense of order in the pew but were losing the battle. Finally, the father picked the little fellow up and walked sternly up the aisle on his way out. Just before reaching the safety of the foyer, the little one called loudly to the congregation, "Pray for me! Pray for me!"
________________________________________
One particular four-year old prayed:
"And forgive us our trash baskets
as we forgive those who put trash in our baskets."
________________________________________
Another little boy was overheard praying:
"Lord, if you can't make me a better boy, don't worry about it.
I'm having a real good time like I am."
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Is the promise for me?
"If you will diligently observe this entire commandment that I am commanding you, loving the Lord your God, walking in all his ways, and holding fast to him, then the Lord will drive out all these nations before you, and you will dispossess nations larger and mightier than yourselves. Every place on which you set foot shall be yours . . ." - Deuteronomy 11:22-24a
Dear Friends in Christ -
So here's what I really want to know when I read a passage like this from the Bible: Are the promises for ME? Or were the promises for THEM, and I'm just reading about them 4000 years later?
I SO badly want the promises to be for ME. I know that I don't get all the "loving the Lord your God, walking in all his ways" stuff right all the time, but I LONG to be rewarded for the things I do get right. I want to see the fulfillment of at least some of God's promises in the now.
It's at this point that I can practically see God sitting in the rocking chair in my office, chuckling under his breath and shaking his head. The evidence that God IS fulfilling his promises is literally all around me, in the roof over my head, in the scent of hot coffee in the air, in the nutritious breakfast comfortably digesting in my belly.
Perhaps if I focused on being grateful for those things rather than pouting about the unfolded laundry, the windy chill in the air and the work I still have to do, then Way would open for me to receive even more of His promises.
How about you . . . what's getting in the way of God's promises being fulfilled in your life?
May God's strength give us strength to live in His way and receive His goodness this day,
Janet+
Dear Friends in Christ -
So here's what I really want to know when I read a passage like this from the Bible: Are the promises for ME? Or were the promises for THEM, and I'm just reading about them 4000 years later?
I SO badly want the promises to be for ME. I know that I don't get all the "loving the Lord your God, walking in all his ways" stuff right all the time, but I LONG to be rewarded for the things I do get right. I want to see the fulfillment of at least some of God's promises in the now.
It's at this point that I can practically see God sitting in the rocking chair in my office, chuckling under his breath and shaking his head. The evidence that God IS fulfilling his promises is literally all around me, in the roof over my head, in the scent of hot coffee in the air, in the nutritious breakfast comfortably digesting in my belly.
Perhaps if I focused on being grateful for those things rather than pouting about the unfolded laundry, the windy chill in the air and the work I still have to do, then Way would open for me to receive even more of His promises.
How about you . . . what's getting in the way of God's promises being fulfilled in your life?
May God's strength give us strength to live in His way and receive His goodness this day,
Janet+
Friday, March 18, 2011
What To Do?
"So now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? Only to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the Lord your God and his decrees that I am commanding you today, for your own well-being." - Deuteronomy 10:12-13
Dear Friends in Christ -
On this day, even as the sun rises and the birds sing here in Shelton, it seems that well-being is threatened in so many parts of the world by diaster and war. Radioactive meltdown continues in Japan. International "intervention" in Libya has been authorized by the UN. And in the midst of this we have our own troubles. Economic woes, illness, running arguments with family members and neighbors.
In all these stresses and struggles, how do we get our bearings? By following the basic rules of His road. The things God asks of us don't ever change: to love Him, to obey His commands.
When troubles - small and big - arise, we're tempted to think that we need revised instructions, a "new and improved" program of action. But what we really need is trust His Way even more, to focus on doing what God calls us to do. If we neglect this emphasis, we often find ourselves wasting energy complaining about the actions of others or criticizing our leaders, at home or abroad. Sinking into depression or negativity drains our own energy and the energy of those around us.
In staying close to God through prayer and obedience, we gain strength and courage for whatever lies ahead. Our own well-being is enhanced - enough that we often find we have more than we need, enough to share.
Faithfully staying close,
Janet+
Dear Friends in Christ -
On this day, even as the sun rises and the birds sing here in Shelton, it seems that well-being is threatened in so many parts of the world by diaster and war. Radioactive meltdown continues in Japan. International "intervention" in Libya has been authorized by the UN. And in the midst of this we have our own troubles. Economic woes, illness, running arguments with family members and neighbors.
In all these stresses and struggles, how do we get our bearings? By following the basic rules of His road. The things God asks of us don't ever change: to love Him, to obey His commands.
When troubles - small and big - arise, we're tempted to think that we need revised instructions, a "new and improved" program of action. But what we really need is trust His Way even more, to focus on doing what God calls us to do. If we neglect this emphasis, we often find ourselves wasting energy complaining about the actions of others or criticizing our leaders, at home or abroad. Sinking into depression or negativity drains our own energy and the energy of those around us.
In staying close to God through prayer and obedience, we gain strength and courage for whatever lies ahead. Our own well-being is enhanced - enough that we often find we have more than we need, enough to share.
Faithfully staying close,
Janet+
Thursday, March 17, 2011
St. Patrick's Day, a Day for Courage
"Though we had already suffered and been shamefully maltreated . . . we had courage in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in spite of great opposition. For our appeal does not spring from deceit or impure motives or trickery, but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the message of the gospel, even so we speak, not to please mortals, but to please God who tests our hearts." - 1 Thessalonians 2:2-4
Dear Friends in Christ -
Today was a day for eating corned beef and cabbage, for drinking green beer. But in the midst of the celebration, we are called to remember what the celebration is about.
The Irish celebrate Saint Patrick as their patron saint because he came to bless them and to save them. Well, the truth is, the first time he set foot on the shores of Ireland, it was as a 16-year-old slave, stolen away from his family. Eventually, Patrick snuck away, caught a boat back to England, and studied to be a priest. After he became a Bishop, Patrick felt called to go back to Ireland - not to curse the people there in anger, but to bless them. Using the three leaf clover as a symbol, Patrick taught the Irish about the Trinity. I imagine that many came and listened to Patrick because they learned the story about the slave boy who became a Bishop, and their priest.
On this day of celebration, I invite you to remember the courage and love of Patrick and to follow his example. Surely there are people in your life who have earned your wrath. Likely those same people would benefit from receiving God's gift of truth and love, through you.
Blessings,
Janet+
While many would have harboured undying bitterness toward their former captors, Patrick didn't.
Dear Friends in Christ -
Today was a day for eating corned beef and cabbage, for drinking green beer. But in the midst of the celebration, we are called to remember what the celebration is about.
The Irish celebrate Saint Patrick as their patron saint because he came to bless them and to save them. Well, the truth is, the first time he set foot on the shores of Ireland, it was as a 16-year-old slave, stolen away from his family. Eventually, Patrick snuck away, caught a boat back to England, and studied to be a priest. After he became a Bishop, Patrick felt called to go back to Ireland - not to curse the people there in anger, but to bless them. Using the three leaf clover as a symbol, Patrick taught the Irish about the Trinity. I imagine that many came and listened to Patrick because they learned the story about the slave boy who became a Bishop, and their priest.
On this day of celebration, I invite you to remember the courage and love of Patrick and to follow his example. Surely there are people in your life who have earned your wrath. Likely those same people would benefit from receiving God's gift of truth and love, through you.
Blessings,
Janet+
While many would have harboured undying bitterness toward their former captors, Patrick didn't.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Speechless
"For we have become partners of Christ, if only we hold our first confidence firm to the end." - Hebrews 3:14
Dear Friends in Christ -
What kind of confidence do you have in Jesus? Is it enough?
"Enough for what?" you might ask.
Enough for whatever you are called to do, whatever is required of you.
This morning, a front-page article in the New York Times humbled me, left me speechless. The article was about the "faceless 50" - the brave few who volunteered to stay behind at the nuclear reactors in Japan to try to help prevent a deepening catastrophe. Though they know they could well die, these few are offering up their very lives for the good of the many.
In the midst of this catastrophe, we, too, are called to do something: to pray. After working at two of the most recent disaster sites in this country, I know that there are sometimes, though I wish to pray, I have no words. So today, as in past days at Ground Zero in the aftermath of 9/11 and in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, I reach for a Psalm, an ancient prayer with new meaning in the midst of this latest disaster:
Psalms 130
Out of the depths have I called to you, O LORD;
LORD, hear my voice; *
let your ears consider well the voice of my supplication.
2 If you, LORD, were to note what is done amiss, *
O LORD, who could stand?
3 For there is forgiveness with you; *
therefore you shall be feared.
4 I wait for the LORD; my soul waits for him; *
in his word is my hope.
5 My soul waits for the LORD,
more than watchmen for the morning, *
more than watchmen for the morning.
6 O Israel, wait for the LORD, *
for with the LORD there is mercy;
7 With him there is plenteous redemption, *
and he shall redeem Israel from all their sins.
Praying with you for "the faceless 50" and the other 450,000 people who are homeless in Japan this day,
Janet+
Dear Friends in Christ -
What kind of confidence do you have in Jesus? Is it enough?
"Enough for what?" you might ask.
Enough for whatever you are called to do, whatever is required of you.
This morning, a front-page article in the New York Times humbled me, left me speechless. The article was about the "faceless 50" - the brave few who volunteered to stay behind at the nuclear reactors in Japan to try to help prevent a deepening catastrophe. Though they know they could well die, these few are offering up their very lives for the good of the many.
In the midst of this catastrophe, we, too, are called to do something: to pray. After working at two of the most recent disaster sites in this country, I know that there are sometimes, though I wish to pray, I have no words. So today, as in past days at Ground Zero in the aftermath of 9/11 and in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, I reach for a Psalm, an ancient prayer with new meaning in the midst of this latest disaster:
Psalms 130
Out of the depths have I called to you, O LORD;
LORD, hear my voice; *
let your ears consider well the voice of my supplication.
2 If you, LORD, were to note what is done amiss, *
O LORD, who could stand?
3 For there is forgiveness with you; *
therefore you shall be feared.
4 I wait for the LORD; my soul waits for him; *
in his word is my hope.
5 My soul waits for the LORD,
more than watchmen for the morning, *
more than watchmen for the morning.
6 O Israel, wait for the LORD, *
for with the LORD there is mercy;
7 With him there is plenteous redemption, *
and he shall redeem Israel from all their sins.
Praying with you for "the faceless 50" and the other 450,000 people who are homeless in Japan this day,
Janet+
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
What you can do for the people of Japan
"Because [Jesus] himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested." - Hebrews 2:18
Dear Friends in Christ -
The pictures of the suffering in Japan are gripping my heart. People whose lives were flowing right along from one sufficiently fed, well-landscaped day into another are now homeless and, literally, living in darkness because their power plants are melting down.
I don't have any personal friends in the affected area. But some of you do. I hope that as you find out what people need, you will let those of us in your parish family know, so that we can help.
In the mean time, I challenge you to join me in being the hands and feet of Jesus, to do what you already know needs to be done -
1) to pray to the One who, because he knows suffering, also knows how to bring comfort, and
2) to give whatever you can to one of the large aid organizations (AmeriCares, Save the Children, etc.) that is already landing relief on the shores of Japan and will continue to do so in the days and years to come.
If you think such small efforts don't matter, consider this: there are hundreds of churches in Japan today because of a small band of 12 apostles who lived 2,000 years ago and in Israel, half a world away.
Faithfully,
Janet+
Dear Friends in Christ -
The pictures of the suffering in Japan are gripping my heart. People whose lives were flowing right along from one sufficiently fed, well-landscaped day into another are now homeless and, literally, living in darkness because their power plants are melting down.
I don't have any personal friends in the affected area. But some of you do. I hope that as you find out what people need, you will let those of us in your parish family know, so that we can help.
In the mean time, I challenge you to join me in being the hands and feet of Jesus, to do what you already know needs to be done -
1) to pray to the One who, because he knows suffering, also knows how to bring comfort, and
2) to give whatever you can to one of the large aid organizations (AmeriCares, Save the Children, etc.) that is already landing relief on the shores of Japan and will continue to do so in the days and years to come.
If you think such small efforts don't matter, consider this: there are hundreds of churches in Japan today because of a small band of 12 apostles who lived 2,000 years ago and in Israel, half a world away.
Faithfully,
Janet+
Monday, March 14, 2011
3/13 SERMON - Way of Salvation: The Bible and The Twelve Steps (Part II)
WAY OF SALVATION: THE BIBLE AND THE TWELVE STEPS (Part 2 of 6)
(An exerpt from yesterday's sermon)
Gospel text for the day: Matthew 4:1-11
I spent a lot of time in church as a child, and years of observation taught me that church people sorted out into a couple of groups. One group was the “wanna be” people – they wanted things to go better for them; they wanted to be good, except they didn’t seem to be exerting much effort of their own to help things work out. The other group was the “try again” people . . . These folks chose over and over to put their effort into trying to do the right thing even when things kept going wrong.
After a while, a pattern was readily apparent. The people who had the most amazing stories about how Jesus had helped them weren’t the most perfect people, they were the people who were the try again people, the “one day at a time” people.
“One day at a time” is a mantra among the folks who are members of Alcoholics Anonymous. It means they’re living in the moment, not getting ahead of themselves. Not rushing ahead of their God. It means they’re showing up for the God they trust is going to show up for them. Even when things aren’t going well. Even when they don’t understand.
This "Way of Salvation: The Bible and the Twelve Steps" sermon series was born out of a deep longing that I had for all of us to really meet God in Lent. So I asked myself: where do I see people meeting God on a regular basis? Where do I see people’s lives really being changed? Every morning of the week, I look out my window into the church parking lot, which is full by 7:00 a.m. every day. Why? Because something is happening here that it changing people’s lives, it’s called Alcoholics Anonymous.
For some of you, the Lenten discipline you’ve chosen – praying or fasting or giving – is enough to connect you with God, it’s enough to take you the next step forward in your relationship with God. But some of you are really in a difficult spot and need a full-life overhaul. If you’re one of those folks, I want to suggest that HERE, in the Twelve Steps of AA is a faith that works.
In the years since the founding of AA, many different kinds of groups have tested the effectiveness of the Twelve Steps. Not just alcoholics and addicts, but also people with all sorts of “hurts, habits and hang-ups.” And there isn’t a one of us who doesn’t have at least a few of those!
Concern has been raised in some Christian circles that AA and the Twelve Steps might not be “Christian,” after all, they mention a “Higher Power,”, but not “GOD” in specific. In order to find out if they’re fit for us, I think we should test them against the teachings in the Bible.
The founders of AA, Bill W. and his companions, actually hit bottom in such a way that they didn’t build the Twelve Steps of AA from Scripture. Many of them were too alienated from the church for that. What they did was build the Twelve Steps of AA from their experience of what it took to get sober. And then, no surprise, folks took a look at the Steps and realized they fit right in with what the Bible teaches.
How do we see this in the steps we're considering today? [In Steps 3 and 4: 3) We made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him. 4) We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.]
Fundamentally, I think the questions behind these next two steps is “what truths are we willing to see?” and “what are we willing to do about those truths?” So in the first two steps we “saw” our weakness and God’s strength. But this is where the rubber meets the road: are we willing to trust God?
In today’s Gospel lesson, this is precisely the question that Jesus himself faces when he is tempted by Satan in the wilderness. Jesus has just been baptized and has started his ministry by being driven out into the wilderness by the Spirit to prepare for what lies ahead through fasting and prayer. After 40 days, Jesus is in the paradoxical position of being extremely spiritually strong, but extremely physically weak. And this is the time that Satan chooses to pounce.
It would be easier for Jesus - and for us - if Satan dangled temptations for bad things in front of us, but no! Satan tempted Jesus - and tempts us - with things he knows we long for, things we feel we need. Satan's tricky; his real temptation isn't even the things themselves, it's that he tries to get us to reach for things in the wrong way. Each time, Satan’s invitation to Jesus was to forget trusting in God and instead reach out for things on his own strength.
Each and every time, Jesus stayed strong and rebuffed Satan. How did he do it? Well, notice what he did: each and every time, he flung the very words of Scripture in Satan’s face. Jesus was victorious because he held onto what he knew to be true - about his God and about himself.
In AA, steps 3 and 4 are the pivotal point, the point where belief has to turn to action. And the most important action is willingness to see who God is and who we are. The "fearless moral inventory" isn't done to make us feel small; it's done to make us honest, to bring us nose to nose with our God, the One who raises us up.
(An exerpt from yesterday's sermon)
Gospel text for the day: Matthew 4:1-11
I spent a lot of time in church as a child, and years of observation taught me that church people sorted out into a couple of groups. One group was the “wanna be” people – they wanted things to go better for them; they wanted to be good, except they didn’t seem to be exerting much effort of their own to help things work out. The other group was the “try again” people . . . These folks chose over and over to put their effort into trying to do the right thing even when things kept going wrong.
After a while, a pattern was readily apparent. The people who had the most amazing stories about how Jesus had helped them weren’t the most perfect people, they were the people who were the try again people, the “one day at a time” people.
“One day at a time” is a mantra among the folks who are members of Alcoholics Anonymous. It means they’re living in the moment, not getting ahead of themselves. Not rushing ahead of their God. It means they’re showing up for the God they trust is going to show up for them. Even when things aren’t going well. Even when they don’t understand.
This "Way of Salvation: The Bible and the Twelve Steps" sermon series was born out of a deep longing that I had for all of us to really meet God in Lent. So I asked myself: where do I see people meeting God on a regular basis? Where do I see people’s lives really being changed? Every morning of the week, I look out my window into the church parking lot, which is full by 7:00 a.m. every day. Why? Because something is happening here that it changing people’s lives, it’s called Alcoholics Anonymous.
For some of you, the Lenten discipline you’ve chosen – praying or fasting or giving – is enough to connect you with God, it’s enough to take you the next step forward in your relationship with God. But some of you are really in a difficult spot and need a full-life overhaul. If you’re one of those folks, I want to suggest that HERE, in the Twelve Steps of AA is a faith that works.
In the years since the founding of AA, many different kinds of groups have tested the effectiveness of the Twelve Steps. Not just alcoholics and addicts, but also people with all sorts of “hurts, habits and hang-ups.” And there isn’t a one of us who doesn’t have at least a few of those!
Concern has been raised in some Christian circles that AA and the Twelve Steps might not be “Christian,” after all, they mention a “Higher Power,”, but not “GOD” in specific. In order to find out if they’re fit for us, I think we should test them against the teachings in the Bible.
The founders of AA, Bill W. and his companions, actually hit bottom in such a way that they didn’t build the Twelve Steps of AA from Scripture. Many of them were too alienated from the church for that. What they did was build the Twelve Steps of AA from their experience of what it took to get sober. And then, no surprise, folks took a look at the Steps and realized they fit right in with what the Bible teaches.
How do we see this in the steps we're considering today? [In Steps 3 and 4: 3) We made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him. 4) We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.]
Fundamentally, I think the questions behind these next two steps is “what truths are we willing to see?” and “what are we willing to do about those truths?” So in the first two steps we “saw” our weakness and God’s strength. But this is where the rubber meets the road: are we willing to trust God?
In today’s Gospel lesson, this is precisely the question that Jesus himself faces when he is tempted by Satan in the wilderness. Jesus has just been baptized and has started his ministry by being driven out into the wilderness by the Spirit to prepare for what lies ahead through fasting and prayer. After 40 days, Jesus is in the paradoxical position of being extremely spiritually strong, but extremely physically weak. And this is the time that Satan chooses to pounce.
It would be easier for Jesus - and for us - if Satan dangled temptations for bad things in front of us, but no! Satan tempted Jesus - and tempts us - with things he knows we long for, things we feel we need. Satan's tricky; his real temptation isn't even the things themselves, it's that he tries to get us to reach for things in the wrong way. Each time, Satan’s invitation to Jesus was to forget trusting in God and instead reach out for things on his own strength.
Each and every time, Jesus stayed strong and rebuffed Satan. How did he do it? Well, notice what he did: each and every time, he flung the very words of Scripture in Satan’s face. Jesus was victorious because he held onto what he knew to be true - about his God and about himself.
In AA, steps 3 and 4 are the pivotal point, the point where belief has to turn to action. And the most important action is willingness to see who God is and who we are. The "fearless moral inventory" isn't done to make us feel small; it's done to make us honest, to bring us nose to nose with our God, the One who raises us up.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
A Psalm and a Story for this Day of Refreshment
"For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his steadfast love towards those who fear him . . . As a father has compassion for his children, so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him. For he knows how we were made . . ." Psalm 103:11,13,14a
Dear Friends in Christ -
The Sundays during Lent are set apart as days of refreshment, days when we take a break from our Lenten disciplines to celebrate how amazing God is and how wonderful it is to be His children.
The most celebratory thing I read this week was an article from National Public Radio's "This I Believe" series. It flows in perfect harmony with today's uplifting Psalm, so I wanted to share it with you.
Enjoy!
Blessings,
Janet+
"THIS I BELIEVE" by Kimberly Woodbury
I remember an article about a group of astrophysicists who sent a probe deep into space. They sent it to a place so far away that you would expect only bottomless silence. And instead they found waves — sound waves that they traced all the way back to the Big Bang.
I believe that those sound waves carry the borning cry of the cosmos. That a whisper from God’s lips created all that is and all that was and all that will be, and that that whisper set it into motion in a cataclysm so great that 14-billion years later those sound waves still echoes through a world without end.
My father used to tell me that I was stardust. It wasn’t until I was grown that I learned that he stole the line from Joni Mitchell. But it’s still true. Every molecule, every atom, every subatomic particle that ever was came into being with that whispered word of God. And they are all still here, circulating through the universe and binding us to each other through all of time and space.
I believe that I will, during my lifetime, inhale seven of the very same molecules of air that were exhaled by the incarnate Christ. I believe this because I did the math. I really did.
It’s where the energy came from, too –- from God’s great cataclysm. All of the energy born at the dawn of creation still dances through the universe. Energy, traveling on different wavelengths, changing from gamma rays to x rays, to heat and to light. We say that God is light, and imagine celestial illumination — a ray of light, a ray of hope, the eye-light of a newborn savior, carrying God’s love directly into human hearts. I do believe that this is so.
But I also believe that God is a like a single photon, a particle of light so mysterious that it makes me think of the Heisenberg uncertainty principle: We can never know exactly both its position and its composition. If we try to hold onto a photon, to slow it down enough so that we can really see it, we find that we have, in our grasping, lost the very thing we sought to hold. I think I do this to God when I try to make Her small enough to understand.
I believe that those sound waves are a siren call of invitation. Invitation to remember that we are all stardust and that we are all connected, each to each. Invitation to let go and to follow a dancing wave to the edge of mystery, where the God who is among us waits in bottomless silence.
-- Kimberly Woodbury wrote this essay for a colloquium at Berkeley Divinity School at Yale University, while working towards her master’s degree. She enjoys exploring the space between science and faith. After her graduation this spring, Woodbury will work as an Episcopal priest and chemistry teacher in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands.
Dear Friends in Christ -
The Sundays during Lent are set apart as days of refreshment, days when we take a break from our Lenten disciplines to celebrate how amazing God is and how wonderful it is to be His children.
The most celebratory thing I read this week was an article from National Public Radio's "This I Believe" series. It flows in perfect harmony with today's uplifting Psalm, so I wanted to share it with you.
Enjoy!
Blessings,
Janet+
"THIS I BELIEVE" by Kimberly Woodbury
I remember an article about a group of astrophysicists who sent a probe deep into space. They sent it to a place so far away that you would expect only bottomless silence. And instead they found waves — sound waves that they traced all the way back to the Big Bang.
I believe that those sound waves carry the borning cry of the cosmos. That a whisper from God’s lips created all that is and all that was and all that will be, and that that whisper set it into motion in a cataclysm so great that 14-billion years later those sound waves still echoes through a world without end.
My father used to tell me that I was stardust. It wasn’t until I was grown that I learned that he stole the line from Joni Mitchell. But it’s still true. Every molecule, every atom, every subatomic particle that ever was came into being with that whispered word of God. And they are all still here, circulating through the universe and binding us to each other through all of time and space.
I believe that I will, during my lifetime, inhale seven of the very same molecules of air that were exhaled by the incarnate Christ. I believe this because I did the math. I really did.
It’s where the energy came from, too –- from God’s great cataclysm. All of the energy born at the dawn of creation still dances through the universe. Energy, traveling on different wavelengths, changing from gamma rays to x rays, to heat and to light. We say that God is light, and imagine celestial illumination — a ray of light, a ray of hope, the eye-light of a newborn savior, carrying God’s love directly into human hearts. I do believe that this is so.
But I also believe that God is a like a single photon, a particle of light so mysterious that it makes me think of the Heisenberg uncertainty principle: We can never know exactly both its position and its composition. If we try to hold onto a photon, to slow it down enough so that we can really see it, we find that we have, in our grasping, lost the very thing we sought to hold. I think I do this to God when I try to make Her small enough to understand.
I believe that those sound waves are a siren call of invitation. Invitation to remember that we are all stardust and that we are all connected, each to each. Invitation to let go and to follow a dancing wave to the edge of mystery, where the God who is among us waits in bottomless silence.
-- Kimberly Woodbury wrote this essay for a colloquium at Berkeley Divinity School at Yale University, while working towards her master’s degree. She enjoys exploring the space between science and faith. After her graduation this spring, Woodbury will work as an Episcopal priest and chemistry teacher in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Another invitation to "Come and See"
Nathanael said to him, ‘Can anything good come out of Nazareth?’ Philip said to him, ‘Come and see.’ - John 1:46
Dear Friends in Christ -
Jesus found Philip. Philip found Nathanael. In response to Philip's enthusiastic announcement that he's found the Messiah, Nathanael is all bluster and blow. I can just picture the air whooshing out of Philip's heart balloon as it's punctured by Nathanael's pin-prick response.
And here's the thing: Nathanael really IS interested in this Messiah. When Jesus meets him, Jesus knows it, and says to Nathanael, "Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit." No deceit, perhaps, but certainly some conceit. Jesus gamely overlooks Nathanael's flaws, and welcomes him on board as a disciple anyway.
But have you ever been in Philip's shoes? Have you ever invited someone to come see what you're seeing, to enjoy what you're enjoying, only to have them pooh-pooh it with some disparaging remark?
Following Jesus - and inviting others to see what you see, to experience what you've experienced - is not for the faint of heart. Just stay strong, as Philip did; extend the invitation again, just as Philip does here. Jesus is pushing toward the person you long for Him to meet. And Jesus has the power to cut through all the bravado, all the bluster and blow, to call out their goodness and welcome them to follow, too.
Blessings,
Janet+
Dear Friends in Christ -
Jesus found Philip. Philip found Nathanael. In response to Philip's enthusiastic announcement that he's found the Messiah, Nathanael is all bluster and blow. I can just picture the air whooshing out of Philip's heart balloon as it's punctured by Nathanael's pin-prick response.
And here's the thing: Nathanael really IS interested in this Messiah. When Jesus meets him, Jesus knows it, and says to Nathanael, "Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit." No deceit, perhaps, but certainly some conceit. Jesus gamely overlooks Nathanael's flaws, and welcomes him on board as a disciple anyway.
But have you ever been in Philip's shoes? Have you ever invited someone to come see what you're seeing, to enjoy what you're enjoying, only to have them pooh-pooh it with some disparaging remark?
Following Jesus - and inviting others to see what you see, to experience what you've experienced - is not for the faint of heart. Just stay strong, as Philip did; extend the invitation again, just as Philip does here. Jesus is pushing toward the person you long for Him to meet. And Jesus has the power to cut through all the bravado, all the bluster and blow, to call out their goodness and welcome them to follow, too.
Blessings,
Janet+
Friday, March 11, 2011
First encounters
"The next day John [the Baptist] again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, ‘Look, here is the Lamb of God!’ The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, ‘What are you looking for?’ They said to him, ‘Rabbi’ (which translated means Teacher), ‘where are you staying?’ He said to them, ‘Come and see.’ They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon. One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his brother Simon and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (which is translated Anointed*). He brought Simon* to Jesus, who looked at him and said, ‘You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas’ (which is translated Peter*)." - John 1:35-42
Dear Friends in Christ -
A couple of weeks ago, my eight-year-old daughter spoke dreamily of what it might be like to meet her favorite teen rock star. The impression her wistful wonder made on me came wafting back when I read this passage from the Gospel of John, this story of first encounters with Jesus.
Of course, the situation was very different in many ways. For one thing, my daughter knows all kinds of details about what her favorite teen star looks like and sounds like. She could pick him out of a crowd in a hot second. Jesus arrived on the scene without posters, without fanfare. The closest thing he had to an agent or a manager was his cousin, John the Baptist, who pointed Jesus out to people and encouraged them to pay attention to what he was saying and doing.
Another difference between my daughter's hoped-for encounter with the teen star and people's first encounters with Jesus was that the teen star is doing all sorts of stuff to draw attention to himself. Jesus isn't making it easy for people to understand him or get to know him. He avoids answering their questions straight-on and had the audacity to tell a guy he's just met that he's going to have to change his name.
Do you remember your first encounter with Jesus? What impact did it have on you?
If you haven't had a first encounter with Jesus, seek one. How? By showing up at places Jesus is likely to be. Or by having someone who knows Jesus point him out to you.
Jesus wasn't just "back then." He is alive and even today leading his followers into new adventures . . . showing them where he lives, changing their names. Take him up on his invitation: "Come and see."
Faithfully,
Janet+
Dear Friends in Christ -
A couple of weeks ago, my eight-year-old daughter spoke dreamily of what it might be like to meet her favorite teen rock star. The impression her wistful wonder made on me came wafting back when I read this passage from the Gospel of John, this story of first encounters with Jesus.
Of course, the situation was very different in many ways. For one thing, my daughter knows all kinds of details about what her favorite teen star looks like and sounds like. She could pick him out of a crowd in a hot second. Jesus arrived on the scene without posters, without fanfare. The closest thing he had to an agent or a manager was his cousin, John the Baptist, who pointed Jesus out to people and encouraged them to pay attention to what he was saying and doing.
Another difference between my daughter's hoped-for encounter with the teen star and people's first encounters with Jesus was that the teen star is doing all sorts of stuff to draw attention to himself. Jesus isn't making it easy for people to understand him or get to know him. He avoids answering their questions straight-on and had the audacity to tell a guy he's just met that he's going to have to change his name.
Do you remember your first encounter with Jesus? What impact did it have on you?
If you haven't had a first encounter with Jesus, seek one. How? By showing up at places Jesus is likely to be. Or by having someone who knows Jesus point him out to you.
Jesus wasn't just "back then." He is alive and even today leading his followers into new adventures . . . showing them where he lives, changing their names. Take him up on his invitation: "Come and see."
Faithfully,
Janet+
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Where will your Lenten discipline take you?
"For you are a people holy to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on earth to be his people, his treasured possession . . .the Lord set his heart on you . . ." - Deuteronomy 7:6-7
Dear Friends in Christ -
And so, today, Lent shuffles in on quiet foggy feet jostled along by a cold gusty wind. The Farmer's Almanac promises a taste of Spring around the corner. I can't wait.
Sometimes Lent happens almost entirely before Spring arrives. This year, Lent forms something of a seasonal bridge from Winter to Spring. Hopefully Lent will also be a time when whatever is wintry in our hearts also is transformed into fresh springy newness.
The source of newness in our hearts is ALWAYS God, in one manifestation or another. Have you adopted a Lenten discipline that will cause you to encounter God on a regular basis? Let's face it, while giving up chocolate or eating more fish might be good for your body, it likely won't get you closer to God.
In the run-up to this Lent, I have prayed long and hard about my own Lenten discipline. Usually I choose a Lenten discipline through which I can accomplish something - I give up chocolate secretly hoping to lose a few pounds. Or I commit to reading the Bible secretly hoping to find a few nuggets I can use in my sermons. Even when I "succeed" I generally fail to get closer to God. Soo . . . this year, something different . . .
This year, my discipline is to engage in one act of random kindness, delighted laughter and/or senseless beauty. Why this? Because whether I succeed or whether I fail, I think God will find me and I will find God in the midst of it.
What's your discipline? Will it take you closer to the One who has set his heart on you?
Blessings,
Janet+
Dear Friends in Christ -
And so, today, Lent shuffles in on quiet foggy feet jostled along by a cold gusty wind. The Farmer's Almanac promises a taste of Spring around the corner. I can't wait.
Sometimes Lent happens almost entirely before Spring arrives. This year, Lent forms something of a seasonal bridge from Winter to Spring. Hopefully Lent will also be a time when whatever is wintry in our hearts also is transformed into fresh springy newness.
The source of newness in our hearts is ALWAYS God, in one manifestation or another. Have you adopted a Lenten discipline that will cause you to encounter God on a regular basis? Let's face it, while giving up chocolate or eating more fish might be good for your body, it likely won't get you closer to God.
In the run-up to this Lent, I have prayed long and hard about my own Lenten discipline. Usually I choose a Lenten discipline through which I can accomplish something - I give up chocolate secretly hoping to lose a few pounds. Or I commit to reading the Bible secretly hoping to find a few nuggets I can use in my sermons. Even when I "succeed" I generally fail to get closer to God. Soo . . . this year, something different . . .
This year, my discipline is to engage in one act of random kindness, delighted laughter and/or senseless beauty. Why this? Because whether I succeed or whether I fail, I think God will find me and I will find God in the midst of it.
What's your discipline? Will it take you closer to the One who has set his heart on you?
Blessings,
Janet+
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
The Lenten Invitation . .
"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me . . . The sacrfice of God is a troubled spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." - Psalm 51:11,18
"I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, to the observance of a holy Lent." - Book of Common Prayer, p. 265
Dear Friends in Christ -
Because the invitation to a holy Lent is accompanied by instructions to pray, fast, repent and give to those in need, we may be tempted to think that the purpose of this season is to get us straightened out and perfected. It's not. The purpose of this season is not perfection, but CONNECTION, connection with the God of our salvation.
For many of us, the thing that gets in the way of our connection with God is not failing to try hard enough but, rather, trying too hard. We work, we sweat, and we struggle. Then we berate ourselves for our shortcomings, we feel guilty about our failures, and we worry about what we might have done better. We think we can do it. We think we should do it.
For thousands and thousands of years, Hebrew and Christian spirituality was based in an understanding of a perfect God and imperfect human beings. But with the Industrial Age came a fresh sense of empowerment - and power. Surely human beings who could make bright shiny things in the world could also perfect themselves. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Christian churches - Catholic and Protestant - emphasized greater "holiness" - and became increasingly rigid, moralistic and judgemental. As striving for perfection was encouraged, faith started to flag, because experience taught something different than the church was teaching. People discovered that the pursuit of perfection was fatally flawed. No matter how hard they tried, they never "got there."
A spiritual revolution sprang up in the 1930s. Bill W. and his companions started exploring a spirituality that was ancient, but also proved practical for modern times. Their quest for sobriety and their desire to really live was characterized by getting things back in the right order. They said, "First of all, we had to quit playing God."
In the season of Lent, we are invited to disciplines of prayer, fasting, repentance and giving, not as a way to perfect ourselves, but as a way to discover over and over again how God saves us. As a way to see - one day at a time - that God is God and we are not. We are people who need God.
Today, the black ashes we wear on our foreheads call us back to the foundation: "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return." We receive these ashes as a reminder of our fragile, flawed nature and as an invitation to connection with the God of our salvation.
Faithfully,
Janet+
(PS - I've missed a couple of days of posting, so before I push further into my Lenten discipline of writing here each day, I'm going to post things for the last three days . . . if you're curious, go back and take a peek!)
"I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, to the observance of a holy Lent." - Book of Common Prayer, p. 265
Dear Friends in Christ -
Because the invitation to a holy Lent is accompanied by instructions to pray, fast, repent and give to those in need, we may be tempted to think that the purpose of this season is to get us straightened out and perfected. It's not. The purpose of this season is not perfection, but CONNECTION, connection with the God of our salvation.
For many of us, the thing that gets in the way of our connection with God is not failing to try hard enough but, rather, trying too hard. We work, we sweat, and we struggle. Then we berate ourselves for our shortcomings, we feel guilty about our failures, and we worry about what we might have done better. We think we can do it. We think we should do it.
For thousands and thousands of years, Hebrew and Christian spirituality was based in an understanding of a perfect God and imperfect human beings. But with the Industrial Age came a fresh sense of empowerment - and power. Surely human beings who could make bright shiny things in the world could also perfect themselves. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Christian churches - Catholic and Protestant - emphasized greater "holiness" - and became increasingly rigid, moralistic and judgemental. As striving for perfection was encouraged, faith started to flag, because experience taught something different than the church was teaching. People discovered that the pursuit of perfection was fatally flawed. No matter how hard they tried, they never "got there."
A spiritual revolution sprang up in the 1930s. Bill W. and his companions started exploring a spirituality that was ancient, but also proved practical for modern times. Their quest for sobriety and their desire to really live was characterized by getting things back in the right order. They said, "First of all, we had to quit playing God."
In the season of Lent, we are invited to disciplines of prayer, fasting, repentance and giving, not as a way to perfect ourselves, but as a way to discover over and over again how God saves us. As a way to see - one day at a time - that God is God and we are not. We are people who need God.
Today, the black ashes we wear on our foreheads call us back to the foundation: "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return." We receive these ashes as a reminder of our fragile, flawed nature and as an invitation to connection with the God of our salvation.
Faithfully,
Janet+
(PS - I've missed a couple of days of posting, so before I push further into my Lenten discipline of writing here each day, I'm going to post things for the last three days . . . if you're curious, go back and take a peek!)
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Shrove Tuesday Quiz
Dear Friends in Christ -
We had a great time at the pancake supper. We even had entertainment! It was provided by those who came to eat; they didn't know that they would also be the stars of the show!
Those gathered answered the questions of the Great Shrove Tuesday Quiz put together by Rev. Janet (with the help of Wikipedia and a few other websites). See how well you do with the questions . . .
Faithfully rejoicing (and loving those pancakes! - thanks, Byron and crew!!)
Janet+
SHROVE TUESDAY QUIZ
1. What does the "shrove" in "Shrove Tuesday" mean?
Shrove is the past tense of the word "shrive," which means 'to obtain absolution.' The root of the word comes from the Middle English 'shriven' or 'schrifen' meaning to write or to prescribe (related here obviously to a priest prescribing a penance for a sin)
2. Why is it Shrove TUESDAY and not Shrove Monday or Shrove Thursday?
Because it immediately preceeds Ash Wednesday, which is on a WEDNESDAY!
3. What is another name for Shrove Tuesday?
FAT Tuesday. This name derived from the practice of consuming especially rich foods before the fasts of the season of Lent.
4. What does the English "Highway Act of 1835" have to do with Shrove Tuesday? (This is an especially tricky one - and, no, it doesn't have anything to do with taxes!)
As far back as the 12th century, "mob football" was a game played as part of community celebrations of Shrove Tuesday. It was played on public roadways. The Highway Act of 1835 banned the playing of football on public roadways.
5. Who traditionally participates in a pancake race, and how is it done?
Women are the tradition participants in a pancake race, in which participants run a certain distance while flipping a pancake in a skillet a certain number of times. Currently a "Great Pancake Race" is part of a famous Shrove Tuesday celebration competition between the towns of Liberal, Kansas and Olney, Kansas.
6. When is Ash Wednesday? (Yes, some smart aleck said 'tomorrow' - which, while true, was not exactly the point!)
Ash Wednesday is 46 days before Easter. Lent is a celebration of 40 days, which does NOT include the six Sundays that occur during the season.
7. Why are black ashes used to mark peoples foreheads on this occasion? (Yes, some smart aleck said, 'because white ashes don't show up.' Again, while true, not the point!)
Using black ashes as a sign of repentance echoes a Near Eastern tradition of throwing ashes over ones head to signify repentance before God.
8. Is receiving ashes a sacrament?
No. Ashes blessed and used on this occasion are considered a 'sacramental' - a material object that is blessed and set apart to 'excite good thoughts and increase devotion.'
9. What are the three traditional spiritual disciplines of Lent?
Prayer, fasting and almsgiving (giving to help those in need)
10. Name someone in the Bible who fasted?
Jesus, Moses, Elijah
What was the effect?
To cause them to rely less on their own strength and more on God
We had a great time at the pancake supper. We even had entertainment! It was provided by those who came to eat; they didn't know that they would also be the stars of the show!
Those gathered answered the questions of the Great Shrove Tuesday Quiz put together by Rev. Janet (with the help of Wikipedia and a few other websites). See how well you do with the questions . . .
Faithfully rejoicing (and loving those pancakes! - thanks, Byron and crew!!)
Janet+
SHROVE TUESDAY QUIZ
1. What does the "shrove" in "Shrove Tuesday" mean?
Shrove is the past tense of the word "shrive," which means 'to obtain absolution.' The root of the word comes from the Middle English 'shriven' or 'schrifen' meaning to write or to prescribe (related here obviously to a priest prescribing a penance for a sin)
2. Why is it Shrove TUESDAY and not Shrove Monday or Shrove Thursday?
Because it immediately preceeds Ash Wednesday, which is on a WEDNESDAY!
3. What is another name for Shrove Tuesday?
FAT Tuesday. This name derived from the practice of consuming especially rich foods before the fasts of the season of Lent.
4. What does the English "Highway Act of 1835" have to do with Shrove Tuesday? (This is an especially tricky one - and, no, it doesn't have anything to do with taxes!)
As far back as the 12th century, "mob football" was a game played as part of community celebrations of Shrove Tuesday. It was played on public roadways. The Highway Act of 1835 banned the playing of football on public roadways.
5. Who traditionally participates in a pancake race, and how is it done?
Women are the tradition participants in a pancake race, in which participants run a certain distance while flipping a pancake in a skillet a certain number of times. Currently a "Great Pancake Race" is part of a famous Shrove Tuesday celebration competition between the towns of Liberal, Kansas and Olney, Kansas.
6. When is Ash Wednesday? (Yes, some smart aleck said 'tomorrow' - which, while true, was not exactly the point!)
Ash Wednesday is 46 days before Easter. Lent is a celebration of 40 days, which does NOT include the six Sundays that occur during the season.
7. Why are black ashes used to mark peoples foreheads on this occasion? (Yes, some smart aleck said, 'because white ashes don't show up.' Again, while true, not the point!)
Using black ashes as a sign of repentance echoes a Near Eastern tradition of throwing ashes over ones head to signify repentance before God.
8. Is receiving ashes a sacrament?
No. Ashes blessed and used on this occasion are considered a 'sacramental' - a material object that is blessed and set apart to 'excite good thoughts and increase devotion.'
9. What are the three traditional spiritual disciplines of Lent?
Prayer, fasting and almsgiving (giving to help those in need)
10. Name someone in the Bible who fasted?
Jesus, Moses, Elijah
What was the effect?
To cause them to rely less on their own strength and more on God
Monday, March 7, 2011
3/6 SERMON - What to do in the Waiting Place
Dear Friends in Christ -
Eventually, I'm going to figure out how to post copies of my sermons online (print and/or audio). Until then, I'm going to post the high points / hot spots here on the blog on Monday mornings, so that you can carry it into the week with you. Also, feel free to share it with your friends; studies show that you learn even more about something as you share it!
Blessings,
Janet+
WHAT TO DO IN THE WAITING PLACE
Now is the time when we cross over from the season of Epiphany to the season of Lent. God knows that these transition spaces, these waiting places are especially difficult for us, so the story we have from the Gospel today is a big, flashy important one. It's a story of a time when the disciples were crossing over, too.
The disciples had been following Jesus for quite a while, and they had figured out that he was, for sure, the Messiah. Peter even got up the gumption to say it out loud to Jesus: "You are the Christ." But then, what next? After six days of letting the truth of that statement set in, Jesus took a few of his disciples up onto a hill and was transfigured before them in dazzling light.
What happened next between Jesus and his disciples shows us clearly how we should NOT - and how we should - live in an in-between time, in a waiting place:
Not speaking, but listening
Not staying down, but rising up
Not fearing, but living in faith
NOT SPEAKING, BUT LISTENING
Of course, as soon as the light around Jesus dims, the first thing Peter does is start talking. It takes a voice from heaven to shut him up. And what does the voice say? "This is my beloved Son; LISTEN to him." In times when we're not sure what to do, the most important thing to do is to . . . LISTEN . . . to God.
NOT STAYING DOWN, BUT RISING UP
When the voice from heaven booms out, the disciples are terrified and drop to the ground, cowering. But Jesus doesn't want them to stay there. He comes to them and touches them, gently encouraging them, in the face of all distress and fear, not to stay down, but to RISE UP, with his strength to guide them.
NOT FEARING, BUT LIVING IN FAITH
And what does Jesus say to his disciples? The same thing that people always hear from God when they've seen a mind-boggling, heart-stopping flash of glory . . . like when the shepherds saw the bright angels in the field, or when the angel came to talk to Mary . . . "DO NOT BE AFRAID," that's what Jesus says to his disciples. Whenever Jesus tells his disciples NOT to do something, though, he also gives them something TO DO. In this case, he tells them NOT to speak about what they've seen. So what are they supposed to do? Share what they've experienced by LIVING the truth of it . . . by healing and encouraging and showing God's goodness through the way they live.
LISTENING, RISING UP, LIVING IN FAITH . . . that's what we're to do in our waiting place . . .
Eventually, I'm going to figure out how to post copies of my sermons online (print and/or audio). Until then, I'm going to post the high points / hot spots here on the blog on Monday mornings, so that you can carry it into the week with you. Also, feel free to share it with your friends; studies show that you learn even more about something as you share it!
Blessings,
Janet+
WHAT TO DO IN THE WAITING PLACE
Now is the time when we cross over from the season of Epiphany to the season of Lent. God knows that these transition spaces, these waiting places are especially difficult for us, so the story we have from the Gospel today is a big, flashy important one. It's a story of a time when the disciples were crossing over, too.
The disciples had been following Jesus for quite a while, and they had figured out that he was, for sure, the Messiah. Peter even got up the gumption to say it out loud to Jesus: "You are the Christ." But then, what next? After six days of letting the truth of that statement set in, Jesus took a few of his disciples up onto a hill and was transfigured before them in dazzling light.
What happened next between Jesus and his disciples shows us clearly how we should NOT - and how we should - live in an in-between time, in a waiting place:
Not speaking, but listening
Not staying down, but rising up
Not fearing, but living in faith
NOT SPEAKING, BUT LISTENING
Of course, as soon as the light around Jesus dims, the first thing Peter does is start talking. It takes a voice from heaven to shut him up. And what does the voice say? "This is my beloved Son; LISTEN to him." In times when we're not sure what to do, the most important thing to do is to . . . LISTEN . . . to God.
NOT STAYING DOWN, BUT RISING UP
When the voice from heaven booms out, the disciples are terrified and drop to the ground, cowering. But Jesus doesn't want them to stay there. He comes to them and touches them, gently encouraging them, in the face of all distress and fear, not to stay down, but to RISE UP, with his strength to guide them.
NOT FEARING, BUT LIVING IN FAITH
And what does Jesus say to his disciples? The same thing that people always hear from God when they've seen a mind-boggling, heart-stopping flash of glory . . . like when the shepherds saw the bright angels in the field, or when the angel came to talk to Mary . . . "DO NOT BE AFRAID," that's what Jesus says to his disciples. Whenever Jesus tells his disciples NOT to do something, though, he also gives them something TO DO. In this case, he tells them NOT to speak about what they've seen. So what are they supposed to do? Share what they've experienced by LIVING the truth of it . . . by healing and encouraging and showing God's goodness through the way they live.
LISTENING, RISING UP, LIVING IN FAITH . . . that's what we're to do in our waiting place . . .
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Sunday Sermon . . . from 2 Weeks Ago
Dear Friends in Christ -
In an effort to keep a promise I made two weeks ago, I'm posting (at long last!), the main points from my sermon on Sunday, February 20th. The Gospel text for that day was the passage from Matthew (5:38-48) in which Jesus tells his disciples to turn the other cheek, go the extra mile, and surrender not only their cloaks when asked, but also their tunics. At first glance, such instruction could lead one to think that Jesus was teaching his followers to give in to their oppressors. But what Jesus was actually doing was teaching his followers to be revolutionaries.
I hope you enjoy benefit from these summary notes from the sermon I offered two weeks ago . . .
Blessings,
Janet+
CHARACTERISTICS OF JESUS' REVOLUTION
Indeed, revolutions are springing up all over the world these days. Political revolutions in Egypt and Bahrain and Libya and Yemen are changing political landscapes and toppling governments.
The kind of revolution that God wants to happen here – beginning with us – is just as powerful – and has the potential to be even more sweeping and long-lasting. The kind of revolution that God wants to happen here is a revolution of the heart.
Jesus himself teaches us what this revolution looks like – and it’s like nothing this dog-eat-dog, all-about-me world has ever seen. The keys to the revolution are the four ‘S’s – it’s SUBVERSIVE, it’s SWEEPING, it’s SHOWN, it’s SUSTAINED.
SUBVERSIVE - Jesus taught his followers that the best way to be free from oppression was to choose for themselves, to declare their independence by offering more than was demanded of them. On the surface, this may look like giving in, but really it's graciously rising above the circumstances and oppressions around you.
SWEEPING - The Gospel passage for the day ends with Jesus invitation to "be perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect." Before we give up trying before we get started on this seemingly impossible task, we need to be aware of the real meaning of the word that's translated here (from the Greek) as 'perfect.' This word actually means 'whole' or 'complete.' In other words, Jesus is inviting his follwers to be fully who they were created to be: power-full children of the living God.
SHOWN - Jesus did not expect his followers to figure out on their own how to live the life to which he was calling them. He lived in order to SHOW them how to be full, holy, true, joyful people of God. The path to living the kind of faith we're called to live is paved with the stories of the faithful. Think of the people you most admire, people who are fully good, fully alive; follow the example they've shown.
SUSTAINED - Remember that Jesus only expects us to do the possible. And what makes this kind of revolutionary living possible is the power of God. We cannot - we should not even try! - to do this on our own steam. This kind of life, this kind of love, requires us to be connected to God so that his goodness and hope and peace can flow through us. It is God's never-ending supply of power that sustains us in the wild kind of loving life to which we are called.
In an effort to keep a promise I made two weeks ago, I'm posting (at long last!), the main points from my sermon on Sunday, February 20th. The Gospel text for that day was the passage from Matthew (5:38-48) in which Jesus tells his disciples to turn the other cheek, go the extra mile, and surrender not only their cloaks when asked, but also their tunics. At first glance, such instruction could lead one to think that Jesus was teaching his followers to give in to their oppressors. But what Jesus was actually doing was teaching his followers to be revolutionaries.
I hope you enjoy benefit from these summary notes from the sermon I offered two weeks ago . . .
Blessings,
Janet+
CHARACTERISTICS OF JESUS' REVOLUTION
Indeed, revolutions are springing up all over the world these days. Political revolutions in Egypt and Bahrain and Libya and Yemen are changing political landscapes and toppling governments.
The kind of revolution that God wants to happen here – beginning with us – is just as powerful – and has the potential to be even more sweeping and long-lasting. The kind of revolution that God wants to happen here is a revolution of the heart.
Jesus himself teaches us what this revolution looks like – and it’s like nothing this dog-eat-dog, all-about-me world has ever seen. The keys to the revolution are the four ‘S’s – it’s SUBVERSIVE, it’s SWEEPING, it’s SHOWN, it’s SUSTAINED.
SUBVERSIVE - Jesus taught his followers that the best way to be free from oppression was to choose for themselves, to declare their independence by offering more than was demanded of them. On the surface, this may look like giving in, but really it's graciously rising above the circumstances and oppressions around you.
SWEEPING - The Gospel passage for the day ends with Jesus invitation to "be perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect." Before we give up trying before we get started on this seemingly impossible task, we need to be aware of the real meaning of the word that's translated here (from the Greek) as 'perfect.' This word actually means 'whole' or 'complete.' In other words, Jesus is inviting his follwers to be fully who they were created to be: power-full children of the living God.
SHOWN - Jesus did not expect his followers to figure out on their own how to live the life to which he was calling them. He lived in order to SHOW them how to be full, holy, true, joyful people of God. The path to living the kind of faith we're called to live is paved with the stories of the faithful. Think of the people you most admire, people who are fully good, fully alive; follow the example they've shown.
SUSTAINED - Remember that Jesus only expects us to do the possible. And what makes this kind of revolutionary living possible is the power of God. We cannot - we should not even try! - to do this on our own steam. This kind of life, this kind of love, requires us to be connected to God so that his goodness and hope and peace can flow through us. It is God's never-ending supply of power that sustains us in the wild kind of loving life to which we are called.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
What made Jesus different?
"Now when Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes." - Matthew 7:28-29
Dear Friends in Christ -
What made Jesus different from all the other leaders and gurus out there? There was a deep internal consistency between what he SAID and what he DID. In other words, he walked the talk. How this played out in day to day living, however, looked more like a steady goodness spilling out all along a winding path rather than a lockstep march in a singular direction.
Jesus lived 100% in tune with the Spirit - and the spirit of the law (the commandments). The Scribes lived 100% in tune with the letter of the law. But have you ever noticed that there's no capital L "Letter" associated with the letter of the law? That's because even from the beginning, God gave the gift of the law only as a way of getting us on the right track to relationship with Him. Once we figured that out, His hope was that we would move from leaning on the law to leaning on Him.
Most rule-breakers aren't known for their "authority." Rule-breakers are usually known for being against authority. Jesus was different. He had authority because he was 100% true to the Spirit - the Spirit of God, the Spirit of love. In that Spirit, he once "broke" the Sabbath to mill grain with this fingers to feed those who were hungry. In that Spirit, he once turned away from people who were clamoring for healing and moved on to another town so that he could fulfill his #1 mission of teaching the Good News.
People didn't always like Jesus. They didn't always treat him well. But they always recognized that he was different, that he alone had authority. Even his enemies respected him for that. The question for us is this: Will we live like Jesus' enemies and respect him from a distance - or will we live like Jesus' disciples and follow him as our Lord?
Striving to follow,
Janet+
Dear Friends in Christ -
What made Jesus different from all the other leaders and gurus out there? There was a deep internal consistency between what he SAID and what he DID. In other words, he walked the talk. How this played out in day to day living, however, looked more like a steady goodness spilling out all along a winding path rather than a lockstep march in a singular direction.
Jesus lived 100% in tune with the Spirit - and the spirit of the law (the commandments). The Scribes lived 100% in tune with the letter of the law. But have you ever noticed that there's no capital L "Letter" associated with the letter of the law? That's because even from the beginning, God gave the gift of the law only as a way of getting us on the right track to relationship with Him. Once we figured that out, His hope was that we would move from leaning on the law to leaning on Him.
Most rule-breakers aren't known for their "authority." Rule-breakers are usually known for being against authority. Jesus was different. He had authority because he was 100% true to the Spirit - the Spirit of God, the Spirit of love. In that Spirit, he once "broke" the Sabbath to mill grain with this fingers to feed those who were hungry. In that Spirit, he once turned away from people who were clamoring for healing and moved on to another town so that he could fulfill his #1 mission of teaching the Good News.
People didn't always like Jesus. They didn't always treat him well. But they always recognized that he was different, that he alone had authority. Even his enemies respected him for that. The question for us is this: Will we live like Jesus' enemies and respect him from a distance - or will we live like Jesus' disciples and follow him as our Lord?
Striving to follow,
Janet+
Friday, March 4, 2011
The Waiting Space
"Hear, O Israel, the statutes and ordinances that I am addressing to you today; you shall learn them and observe them diligently." - Deuteronomy 5:1b
Dear Friends in Christ -
It happens on a fairly regular basis that my 5 1/2-year-old son asks me for something and, in the few seconds of space while I'm still deciding what to give him, he throws a fit. Then, of course, if I was going to give him exactly what he wanted right that minute, I have to give him a consequence first. When he learns to wait, the quality of his little life will improve significantly.
I wonder if there's a similar dynamic going on between us and God. In the Scripture passage we read yesterday, we heard Jesus himself encouraging us to ask God for things. And he pretty much promised that God would answer and that we would 'receive.' But yet, we often don't feel like we 'receive.' Why is that?
Well, perhaps it's because we don't wait. And if we do wait, we don't wait long enough. Let's face it, most of the stuff we ask God for is significant, and maybe God needs time to be with us, to pray for us, to prepare us to receive. But instead of believing in God's goodness and waiting patiently for His loving response, we stomp off in our own direction. When God gives you what you asked for, will you still be around to receive it?
Because God is the good, wise parent that He is, He has given us something to do in that waiting space: to learn and observe the Commandments diligently. Doing this is not our ticket to get what we want; it's our way of being faithful to the One who is faithful to us, especially in the waiting spaces.
Struggling to be faithful in the waiting spaces,
Janet+
Dear Friends in Christ -
It happens on a fairly regular basis that my 5 1/2-year-old son asks me for something and, in the few seconds of space while I'm still deciding what to give him, he throws a fit. Then, of course, if I was going to give him exactly what he wanted right that minute, I have to give him a consequence first. When he learns to wait, the quality of his little life will improve significantly.
I wonder if there's a similar dynamic going on between us and God. In the Scripture passage we read yesterday, we heard Jesus himself encouraging us to ask God for things. And he pretty much promised that God would answer and that we would 'receive.' But yet, we often don't feel like we 'receive.' Why is that?
Well, perhaps it's because we don't wait. And if we do wait, we don't wait long enough. Let's face it, most of the stuff we ask God for is significant, and maybe God needs time to be with us, to pray for us, to prepare us to receive. But instead of believing in God's goodness and waiting patiently for His loving response, we stomp off in our own direction. When God gives you what you asked for, will you still be around to receive it?
Because God is the good, wise parent that He is, He has given us something to do in that waiting space: to learn and observe the Commandments diligently. Doing this is not our ticket to get what we want; it's our way of being faithful to the One who is faithful to us, especially in the waiting spaces.
Struggling to be faithful in the waiting spaces,
Janet+
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Really?
"Ask, and it will be given you . . . " - Matthew 7:7a
Dear Friends in Christ -
Whenever I come to this verse in Scripture, this is my question: "Really? Anything?" So tonight, instead of wondering any longer, I'm just going to try it. I'm going to ask God directly. Sooooooo . . . here's my prayer . . . and I encourage you to say one of your own. Down the road, when (notice I didn't say 'if'!) God comes through, we can compare notes on His goodness.
Faithfully,
Janet+
Dear God -
Really? Anything? OK, then. You know what's on my heart. Even though I'm afraid to say it out loud. I'm asking. I trust you to come through. Thank you in advance.
Very truly yours,
Janet
Dear Friends in Christ -
Whenever I come to this verse in Scripture, this is my question: "Really? Anything?" So tonight, instead of wondering any longer, I'm just going to try it. I'm going to ask God directly. Sooooooo . . . here's my prayer . . . and I encourage you to say one of your own. Down the road, when (notice I didn't say 'if'!) God comes through, we can compare notes on His goodness.
Faithfully,
Janet+
Dear God -
Really? Anything? OK, then. You know what's on my heart. Even though I'm afraid to say it out loud. I'm asking. I trust you to come through. Thank you in advance.
Very truly yours,
Janet
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Knowing what God knows
"In your distress, when all these things have happened to you in time to come, you will return to the Lord your God and heed him." - Deuteronomy 4:30
Dear Friends in Christ -
Have you ever asked God to tell you about the future? I have. I went through a period of time some years back when I asked, begged, cajoled, and pleaded for God to reveal things to me. I thought that more information would enable me to make better choices. Really, I just trusted myself more than I trusted God.
Of course, God has had people ask him for this sort of thing before . . . a lot, in fact! In this passage of Deuteronomy, God even responds to this request in the affirmative: God tells the Israelites not only that they're going to make it to the Promised Land, but also what's going to happen when they get there. Unfortunately, it's not good news. God tells them that when they get there they will be rebellious and disobedient - and they'll suffer for it. Obviously, this is not what the people had hoped to hear!
Perhaps God doesn't answer our questions about the future more often because if we stop to think about it, we already know the answers:
1. We're going to make some mistakes.
2. No matter what, God will be with us.
So now, knowing what God knows, could you, would you trust Him more?
Faithfully,
Janet+
Dear Friends in Christ -
Have you ever asked God to tell you about the future? I have. I went through a period of time some years back when I asked, begged, cajoled, and pleaded for God to reveal things to me. I thought that more information would enable me to make better choices. Really, I just trusted myself more than I trusted God.
Of course, God has had people ask him for this sort of thing before . . . a lot, in fact! In this passage of Deuteronomy, God even responds to this request in the affirmative: God tells the Israelites not only that they're going to make it to the Promised Land, but also what's going to happen when they get there. Unfortunately, it's not good news. God tells them that when they get there they will be rebellious and disobedient - and they'll suffer for it. Obviously, this is not what the people had hoped to hear!
Perhaps God doesn't answer our questions about the future more often because if we stop to think about it, we already know the answers:
1. We're going to make some mistakes.
2. No matter what, God will be with us.
So now, knowing what God knows, could you, would you trust Him more?
Faithfully,
Janet+
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
IN or OUT . . . or Half-Way In Between
"But the Lord has taken you and brought you out of the iron-smelter, out of Egypt, to become a people of his very own possession, as you are now." - Deuteronomy 4:20
Dear Friends in Christ -
It's been a long time since I've written . . . February is my least-favorite month, the month I find it hardest to get motivated. The cold. The gray skies. And, this year, the SNOW! But today is the first day of March, and even though there's not yet a chance of crocuses poking up through the snowbanks in my yard, there are flowers on the new page on my calendar. So it's time to start growin' again, time to get rollin' . . . toward LENT (which begins March 9th).
One of the classic Bible stories associated with Lent is the story of Exodus, the story of God's chosen people moving out of slavery in Egypt and into the Promised Land. The same God who rescued the Hebrews from the Egyptians reaches out to rescue us from our bondage, whatever that bondage may be - depression, addiction, worry, negativity, self-recrimination.
When God reaches out to us, we have an important choice to make: are we going to stay IN or are we going to let God lead us OUT? Like the Hebrew people, we rail against the things that hold us IN, but when God starts to lead us OUT, we get scared. All of a sudden, the familiar bondage we are in has more appeal than the uncharted freedom God promises. It feels risky to trust God.
So then we hedge a little. And we end up exactly where the Hebrew people ended up: Half-Way In Between. It wasn't God's "Plan A" to have His chosen ones stuck in the desert for 40 years. But they kept focusing on what they didn't have rather than on what they did have, they kept trying to take matters into their own hands rather than trusting in God.
God wants to help us, but in order for Him to be able to do that we have to stop hanging on to thoughts about how "it was warmer in there by the furnace." Do you know what an iron-smelter is? It's a furnace so hot that it burns the hardest substances known to man. And it WILL consume us if we don't follow God OUT, all the way OUT.
Faithfully,
Janet+
Dear Friends in Christ -
It's been a long time since I've written . . . February is my least-favorite month, the month I find it hardest to get motivated. The cold. The gray skies. And, this year, the SNOW! But today is the first day of March, and even though there's not yet a chance of crocuses poking up through the snowbanks in my yard, there are flowers on the new page on my calendar. So it's time to start growin' again, time to get rollin' . . . toward LENT (which begins March 9th).
One of the classic Bible stories associated with Lent is the story of Exodus, the story of God's chosen people moving out of slavery in Egypt and into the Promised Land. The same God who rescued the Hebrews from the Egyptians reaches out to rescue us from our bondage, whatever that bondage may be - depression, addiction, worry, negativity, self-recrimination.
When God reaches out to us, we have an important choice to make: are we going to stay IN or are we going to let God lead us OUT? Like the Hebrew people, we rail against the things that hold us IN, but when God starts to lead us OUT, we get scared. All of a sudden, the familiar bondage we are in has more appeal than the uncharted freedom God promises. It feels risky to trust God.
So then we hedge a little. And we end up exactly where the Hebrew people ended up: Half-Way In Between. It wasn't God's "Plan A" to have His chosen ones stuck in the desert for 40 years. But they kept focusing on what they didn't have rather than on what they did have, they kept trying to take matters into their own hands rather than trusting in God.
God wants to help us, but in order for Him to be able to do that we have to stop hanging on to thoughts about how "it was warmer in there by the furnace." Do you know what an iron-smelter is? It's a furnace so hot that it burns the hardest substances known to man. And it WILL consume us if we don't follow God OUT, all the way OUT.
Faithfully,
Janet+
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