I've never thought of myself as a creature of habit. I've always put the accent on flexibility rather than routine. Yet, I found myself waking up this morning at my usual Sunday morning time, the time I get up to prepare myself for the day's worship, feeling somewhat lost. It's Sunday morning and I have no place to go!
The habit is strong, I'm discovering. For years, I have had the same Sunday morning routine. I have gotten up at 5 a.m., showered, dressed, and headed off to church. There I pray, reflect on my Sunday morning worship responsibilities, making sure they are in order, and in the quiet of the sanctuary, go through the message of the day, until other staff come to make their preparations.
This morning, as I woke at the normal Sunday time, my inner preacher started the routine until I remembered that this Sunday morning I have no place to go. Worship has been cancelled due to inclement weather. There is no need for the regular preparations. The key is on flexibility rather than routine.
Strangely enough, I find that already I am missing worship at Grace Church: the preparations, the gathering of the church family, the prayer with the choir, the "break a Christian leg" quip, the liturgy and music that draw us into a deeper experience of God's grace, the privilege of sharing the scripture and message.
I am reminded that the worship of God in Christ in community is woven into the fabric of my being. I know that there are persons who say that they can "worship God by themselves or on the beach or golf course or ......" I even understand the sentiment. We can experience our love and devotion of God on our own. Yet, I can't help remembering that worship in the Bible is always communal. "Where two or three are gathered in my name..." There is a connection between a gathered community and worship. Basic to God's design of worship is the gathering together of God's people.
Suffice it to say, I miss the gathering of God's people this morning for worship. I miss the conversations, the interactions, the connections, the hearing of God's Word shared in the midst of a community. It's Sunday morning and there's no place to go.
For today, Mark and I will be "two gathered in Jesus' name," but I look forward to worship next week with the entire Grace Church community. I look forward to next Sunday morning when I will have a place to go.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Tucked Inside on a Snowy Day
There was no doubt in my mind, as I looked out the window of our apartment as daylight was breaking in, that the weather people hit this one right! From its inception, late yesterday afternoon, to its continued fall this morning, it seems that we are indeed in the midst of a nor'easter/blizzard.
Tucked inside on a snowy day, what to do? In a world that is all about go, go, go, about filling every waking minute of every day with some activity, it's the question. Tucked inside on a snowy day, what to do? How do I live this day when we're going to get 18 to 24 inches of snow? Maybe more?
Sipping my cup of hot chocolate with caramel swirl marshmallows, listening to Ukee and Liz tell us how deep the snow is, prayers for the people whose jobs take them out into the blizzard float through my mind: those plowing the city streets and the roads...DelDot...police officers...Ryan...Dave...hospital staff...people who are making sure that our needs are taken care of on the worst weather day of the year! How grateful I am for these faithful risk-takers.
Tucked inside on a snowy day, what to do? Relax with a good book...watch a movie or two...spend time with Mark talking about everything and nothing....cook...eat...spend quiet time with God listening...post blogs(It's almost as much fun as journaling)...enjoy this time..
Tucked inside on a snowy day, what to do? Remember those who are homeless...who are out on the streets of our city...those whose emotional illnesses prevent them from wanting to seek shelter...those who may perish without help...Pray that these folks will find a safe haven from the storm...the cold...the wind.
Tucked inside on a snowy day, what to do? Believe that wherever persons are today in this massive storm, that they will experience the presence of God in a transformative way.
Tucked inside on a snowy day, what to do? In a world that is all about go, go, go, about filling every waking minute of every day with some activity, it's the question. Tucked inside on a snowy day, what to do? How do I live this day when we're going to get 18 to 24 inches of snow? Maybe more?
Sipping my cup of hot chocolate with caramel swirl marshmallows, listening to Ukee and Liz tell us how deep the snow is, prayers for the people whose jobs take them out into the blizzard float through my mind: those plowing the city streets and the roads...DelDot...police officers...Ryan...Dave...hospital staff...people who are making sure that our needs are taken care of on the worst weather day of the year! How grateful I am for these faithful risk-takers.
Tucked inside on a snowy day, what to do? Relax with a good book...watch a movie or two...spend time with Mark talking about everything and nothing....cook...eat...spend quiet time with God listening...post blogs(It's almost as much fun as journaling)...enjoy this time..
Tucked inside on a snowy day, what to do? Remember those who are homeless...who are out on the streets of our city...those whose emotional illnesses prevent them from wanting to seek shelter...those who may perish without help...Pray that these folks will find a safe haven from the storm...the cold...the wind.
Tucked inside on a snowy day, what to do? Believe that wherever persons are today in this massive storm, that they will experience the presence of God in a transformative way.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Preaching in the Shadow of an Earthquake
How does one preach the good news of Jesus Christ in the shadow of a 7.2 earthquake that, within seconds, destroyed 200,000 plus lives, tore apart families, leveled buildings, made those who were already economically poor even poorer? How do we sing the Lord's song in the midst of such devastation and heartache?
The answer is to be found in the people of Haiti whose incredible faith allows a woman buried under a building for six days to come out singing; another to be rescued from under the rubble, proclaiming "I'm alive!" The answer is to be found in the people all over the world who have joined in prayer together for a country to which most of us have never been and for a people we have never met.
Before this earthquake, my connections to Haiti were limited to the French tutor Jean Max Sam who taught me enough French to get me through my language requirements in college; to the four people in one of my churches I served who went to Haiti to do some work at the Albert Schweitzer Hospital; and to the Haitian start up church in our annual conference. All in all, Haiti was simply not on my radar. It most certainly had little impact on anything I might preach. All that was changed last week when, at 4:53 in the afternoon, Haiti was altered forever.
This week I am wondering how one preaches in the shadow of an earthquake. A small child, after being rescued, offered me an answer. When asked what she wanted, she replied that she "hoped for something to happen, to happen tomorrow." Ah, I thought to myself, in the shadow of an earthquake we need to offer the expectation of a favorable future under God's direction. We need to offer hope and we need to be able to offer, to anyone who asks, the reason for the hope we have. We need to tell our brothers and sisters in Haiti who are listening, we need to remind ourselves, that hope is eternal. It makes all sorts of things possible, even the rebuilding of a city and a people who currently seem beyond help.
What does this hope look like, this good news of God? How does this sermon end? You tell me.
We've all been invited to tell the story.
The answer is to be found in the people of Haiti whose incredible faith allows a woman buried under a building for six days to come out singing; another to be rescued from under the rubble, proclaiming "I'm alive!" The answer is to be found in the people all over the world who have joined in prayer together for a country to which most of us have never been and for a people we have never met.
Before this earthquake, my connections to Haiti were limited to the French tutor Jean Max Sam who taught me enough French to get me through my language requirements in college; to the four people in one of my churches I served who went to Haiti to do some work at the Albert Schweitzer Hospital; and to the Haitian start up church in our annual conference. All in all, Haiti was simply not on my radar. It most certainly had little impact on anything I might preach. All that was changed last week when, at 4:53 in the afternoon, Haiti was altered forever.
This week I am wondering how one preaches in the shadow of an earthquake. A small child, after being rescued, offered me an answer. When asked what she wanted, she replied that she "hoped for something to happen, to happen tomorrow." Ah, I thought to myself, in the shadow of an earthquake we need to offer the expectation of a favorable future under God's direction. We need to offer hope and we need to be able to offer, to anyone who asks, the reason for the hope we have. We need to tell our brothers and sisters in Haiti who are listening, we need to remind ourselves, that hope is eternal. It makes all sorts of things possible, even the rebuilding of a city and a people who currently seem beyond help.
What does this hope look like, this good news of God? How does this sermon end? You tell me.
We've all been invited to tell the story.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
When Bad Things Happen
There's no denying that a bad thing has happened this week in Haiti. 45,000, maybe 50,000 or more, people dead. Everyone's weighed in on this tragedy: the news media, Rush Limbaugh, Pat Robertson, the General Boards of The United Methodist Church. Everyone's weighed in; that's usually the case when bad things happen.
I can only imagine the devastation that exists in Haiti, the fear that the people there have experienced, the heartbreak of families, friends, and neighbors. It's frightening to think how life can be ordinary one moment and, in the next, totally out of hand!
Where is God in all this? That's the question I heard today, several times. Where is God?
Here's the thought that came to me as I read United Methodist reports on Haiti. Where is God in all this? God is in the relief people from The United Methodist Church who were already in Haiti for reasons not yet disclosed. Already there, these trained men and women can make a difference. Where is God in all this? God is in those six VIM (Volunteer in Mission) groups from the United States who were already in Haiti to lend their talents and skills to the people of the country. Where is God in all this? God is in United Methodists who are preparing to go to Haiti as first responders. Where is God in all this? God is in United Methodist congregations throughout the world who are making up Health Kits for the people of Haiti and collecting money to send to UMCOR. Where is God in all this? God is in every act of compassion and restoration that happens in Haiti.
The people called United Methodist will gather their resources from every corner of the globe and send them into this earthquake ravaged country. Long after every other agency is gone, UMCOR will stay in Haiti until the work is done. Where is God in all this? God is in Haiti in the form of United Methodists (and many, many others) who will remain there until the country is restored to wholeness.
When bad things happen in one part of the world, it is a call to the rest of the world to remember what God requires of us, "to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with our God," and to respond in faith with an experience of grace.
A bad thing has happened in Haiti. What will we do?
I can only imagine the devastation that exists in Haiti, the fear that the people there have experienced, the heartbreak of families, friends, and neighbors. It's frightening to think how life can be ordinary one moment and, in the next, totally out of hand!
Where is God in all this? That's the question I heard today, several times. Where is God?
Here's the thought that came to me as I read United Methodist reports on Haiti. Where is God in all this? God is in the relief people from The United Methodist Church who were already in Haiti for reasons not yet disclosed. Already there, these trained men and women can make a difference. Where is God in all this? God is in those six VIM (Volunteer in Mission) groups from the United States who were already in Haiti to lend their talents and skills to the people of the country. Where is God in all this? God is in United Methodists who are preparing to go to Haiti as first responders. Where is God in all this? God is in United Methodist congregations throughout the world who are making up Health Kits for the people of Haiti and collecting money to send to UMCOR. Where is God in all this? God is in every act of compassion and restoration that happens in Haiti.
The people called United Methodist will gather their resources from every corner of the globe and send them into this earthquake ravaged country. Long after every other agency is gone, UMCOR will stay in Haiti until the work is done. Where is God in all this? God is in Haiti in the form of United Methodists (and many, many others) who will remain there until the country is restored to wholeness.
When bad things happen in one part of the world, it is a call to the rest of the world to remember what God requires of us, "to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with our God," and to respond in faith with an experience of grace.
A bad thing has happened in Haiti. What will we do?
Friday, January 8, 2010
Invitation to Be a Soul Friend (Anam Cara)
Recently I received an invitation that has touched me to the very core of my being. It was an invitation to join a small circle of soul friends. I received this invite in a face-to-face sit down with a colleague who had become aware of the Celtic tradition of the anam cara or soul friend.
Immediately, I was hooked. In a world where ordained ministry tends to create Lone Rangers, which by the way was one of my fav shows as a child, I was moved by my colleague's invitation. It struck a chord with me. Over my years in ordained ministry, while I have had many friends, I have also experienced a certain loneliness. I have lived with the sense that there was always a gap in their understanding of me; that there were some things about the life of a female clergy person that could not be understood by those outside the circle, no matter how hard they tried. When I say outside the circle, I am not speaking of non-clergy friends. Some of my clergy "friends" have little understanding of who I am and my interactions with them have led me to feel as if I was a fish out of water.
On the day I received the invitation to become a soul friend, it was an aha moment. As I listened to my colleague, I suddenly realized that my struggles have been around the co-issues of trust and security. In these two things, built on the foundation of unconditional love, of grace, is found the solution to a certain kind of loneliness that happens when colleagues are unable to accept us as we are. As we engaged in holy conversation, naming the colleagues we would entrust with anything, the best and the worst, our "successes" and our "failures," persons who wouldn't use either against us, it was a moment of great clarity. These colleagues actually exist and have been in my circle of friends, in some form or fashion, over the years. This treasure has always been available to me. With one exception, instead of appreciating this and seeking to deepen these relationships, I have spent far too many years leaning toward professional loneliness.
On the day I received the invitation to become a soul friend, the one giving the invitation didn't know it, but he gave me an incredible gift. The Spirit of God used him to open my eyes to see that there are colleagues with whom I can truly be myself, colleagues with whom I can truly open up and share when things in the church are working and when they are not. Soul friends. Anam cara.
As 2010 begins, this circle of friends will begin a new phase of our journey together. I pray that it will lead us to be defined in new ways and to be more accepting of who we are and who we can become as together we experience God's grace.
Immediately, I was hooked. In a world where ordained ministry tends to create Lone Rangers, which by the way was one of my fav shows as a child, I was moved by my colleague's invitation. It struck a chord with me. Over my years in ordained ministry, while I have had many friends, I have also experienced a certain loneliness. I have lived with the sense that there was always a gap in their understanding of me; that there were some things about the life of a female clergy person that could not be understood by those outside the circle, no matter how hard they tried. When I say outside the circle, I am not speaking of non-clergy friends. Some of my clergy "friends" have little understanding of who I am and my interactions with them have led me to feel as if I was a fish out of water.
On the day I received the invitation to become a soul friend, it was an aha moment. As I listened to my colleague, I suddenly realized that my struggles have been around the co-issues of trust and security. In these two things, built on the foundation of unconditional love, of grace, is found the solution to a certain kind of loneliness that happens when colleagues are unable to accept us as we are. As we engaged in holy conversation, naming the colleagues we would entrust with anything, the best and the worst, our "successes" and our "failures," persons who wouldn't use either against us, it was a moment of great clarity. These colleagues actually exist and have been in my circle of friends, in some form or fashion, over the years. This treasure has always been available to me. With one exception, instead of appreciating this and seeking to deepen these relationships, I have spent far too many years leaning toward professional loneliness.
On the day I received the invitation to become a soul friend, the one giving the invitation didn't know it, but he gave me an incredible gift. The Spirit of God used him to open my eyes to see that there are colleagues with whom I can truly be myself, colleagues with whom I can truly open up and share when things in the church are working and when they are not. Soul friends. Anam cara.
As 2010 begins, this circle of friends will begin a new phase of our journey together. I pray that it will lead us to be defined in new ways and to be more accepting of who we are and who we can become as together we experience God's grace.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
When It Snows on Saturday
According to the weather reports this morning, if we're going to have a snow fall of gigantic proportions, perhaps up to 20 inches, it's good that it is happening on Saturday, on the weekend! If I heard that sentiment expressed once, I heard it expressed on every weather report I listened to this morning. All gave a brief nod to the things that would have to be cancelled: holiday concerts, Christmas shopping, visits to the gym, parties with friends. I kept waiting for one of them to mention that churches would have to cancel worship; but none of them did.
Why am I surprised? The Christian Church is often viewed as insignificant in today's culture. Yet, I guess I thought that it would be factored in during a season of the year whose underlying foundation is the Christ child though I know that marketers have made it about family, a perspective that seems to be winning!
When it snows on Saturday, perhaps it is an opportunity for those active in the Christian Church to take a look at why it is ignored; why it fails to be on the radar of local reporters within a week of Christmas.
In a world where people daily are experiencing loss in their professional and personal lives, how can the church rediscover a way to be relevant? How can it be a vessel of grace to a hurting world?
The weather reporters remind me that it is urgent that we answer these questions so that when it snows on a Saturday, especially the Saturday before Christmas, they will recognize the importance of the Church's role in the community and include it in its reporting.
Why am I surprised? The Christian Church is often viewed as insignificant in today's culture. Yet, I guess I thought that it would be factored in during a season of the year whose underlying foundation is the Christ child though I know that marketers have made it about family, a perspective that seems to be winning!
When it snows on Saturday, perhaps it is an opportunity for those active in the Christian Church to take a look at why it is ignored; why it fails to be on the radar of local reporters within a week of Christmas.
In a world where people daily are experiencing loss in their professional and personal lives, how can the church rediscover a way to be relevant? How can it be a vessel of grace to a hurting world?
The weather reporters remind me that it is urgent that we answer these questions so that when it snows on a Saturday, especially the Saturday before Christmas, they will recognize the importance of the Church's role in the community and include it in its reporting.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
tiger woods and questions of grace
I have only once touched a golf club. After that, I found it far more rewarding to watch golf than to play it. If truth be told, I started watching televised golf because my mother-in-law is an enthusiastic fan and I found myself caught up in her passion.
I grew quickly into a Tiger Woods' fan. What drew me into the wide circle of Tiger-followers was his amazing gift to creatively and imaginatively work his way out of the tough spots he found himself in on the golf course, all of which, for the most part, were of his own making, as is true of any golfer.
It is difficult to be a Tiger Woods' fan these days. How can one admire a man who has seemed to handle his commitment to his wife and children so carelessly and arrogantly? It seems as if his wildchild days that he enjoyed prior to his marriage have never stopped.
Tiger's response has been to hole up and, I suspect, to try to creatively and imaginatively work his way out of the tough spot he has found himself in which, by all appearances, is of his own making. Why would we think that he would handle his personal life any differently than he would handle himself on the golf course?
Like many, I will never again see Tiger in the same way. I don't put much stock in cheating on your spouse and inflicting wounds on your family, those you claim to love. The easy thing would be for his wife to take the children and run! That would hurt him! The far more difficult thing would be for Tiger to honor his commitment to his wife and family, if his wife is willing to let him, and do the rigorous work that it would take for his marriage to work. Can you imagine the new found respect that Tiger would receive if that were to happen?
It doesn't take much to kick a guy when he's down. It takes a great more energy to encourage a guy to change his cheating ways. This is no "cheap grace" of which I'm speaking. It entails Tiger changing his lifestyle, becoming transparent and honest. It is about his being refined by many experiences of grace.
This is not some naive rambling. It is the belief of one for whom God's grace has been sufficient over and over again. It is the belief that with God, all things are possible.
I grew quickly into a Tiger Woods' fan. What drew me into the wide circle of Tiger-followers was his amazing gift to creatively and imaginatively work his way out of the tough spots he found himself in on the golf course, all of which, for the most part, were of his own making, as is true of any golfer.
It is difficult to be a Tiger Woods' fan these days. How can one admire a man who has seemed to handle his commitment to his wife and children so carelessly and arrogantly? It seems as if his wildchild days that he enjoyed prior to his marriage have never stopped.
Tiger's response has been to hole up and, I suspect, to try to creatively and imaginatively work his way out of the tough spot he has found himself in which, by all appearances, is of his own making. Why would we think that he would handle his personal life any differently than he would handle himself on the golf course?
Like many, I will never again see Tiger in the same way. I don't put much stock in cheating on your spouse and inflicting wounds on your family, those you claim to love. The easy thing would be for his wife to take the children and run! That would hurt him! The far more difficult thing would be for Tiger to honor his commitment to his wife and family, if his wife is willing to let him, and do the rigorous work that it would take for his marriage to work. Can you imagine the new found respect that Tiger would receive if that were to happen?
It doesn't take much to kick a guy when he's down. It takes a great more energy to encourage a guy to change his cheating ways. This is no "cheap grace" of which I'm speaking. It entails Tiger changing his lifestyle, becoming transparent and honest. It is about his being refined by many experiences of grace.
This is not some naive rambling. It is the belief of one for whom God's grace has been sufficient over and over again. It is the belief that with God, all things are possible.
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