Wedding, planes, and a mission trip. Tired? Yes. Happy? Absolutely!
Wedding:
It's been a long day. It began this morning with the wedding of Kyle Fennemore and Liz Terhune. A very special occasion. Kyle is the son of two people with whom I attended high school. It's been a joy to have Kyle and Liz choose to come to Grace Church.
Planes:
After the wedding and a quick trip home to finish packing my carry-on bag (I had already sent ahead my larger suitcase - no one can ever accuse me of traveling light), we were off to the Philadelphia airport: Neil, Paul, Penny, Edwin, Carol, Kim, and me. There we caught our flight, first to Memphis, then a short layover, and then on to Biloxi.
Mission Trip:
At our final destination, we were met by Maryke and Glen Cottman who had driven down ahead of us. After renting a van, the team made its way to Ocean Springs where we will be staying at Camp Hope which is a part of the Vancleave United Methodist Church.
Camp Hope is dormitory style, men on one side and the women on the other. Also staying this week is a team from Waynesboro, PA. After making up our beds, making the wireless connection so we can be in touch with you, chatting for awhile, choosing a church to worship in tomorrow morning, and praying, we're off to bed. Tomorrow we'll send pics! Too tired tonight.
Sweet dreams! Tomorrow is coming all too soon!
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
A Lesson in Humility Taught by Tiger Woods
In a week when I am preaching on humility, a rather hidden virtue for many in a world where we're taught to have pride, I have learned a lesson, once again, from the world's number one golfer. This time the lesson was not about getting out of a difficult spot in a golf tournament served up by an extremely confident, albeit prideful, young thirty-something who seemed to have everything going for him: a beautiful wife who loved him, cute children, a devoted mother, a dedication to helping educate children who might not otherwise have had a chance, and doors open all over the world just at the sound of his name.
Today, following in the footsteps of many 12 steppers, Tiger took to the air and taught us a lesson in humility as he began, what many of us hope to be, the repairing of his affair-scarred life. Standing in front of a group of people, even those who are closest to you, and confessing to the hurt you've inflicted, the harm you've done, your self-centeredness, the belief that you thought that power and dollars gave you the right to do whatever you wanted whenever you wanted and now you now this is not accurate, is a test of courage and strength.
To those who have criticized his use of a manuscript, I say "Stop it." Tiger wanted to make sure that he said everything he needed to say. I can only imagine that his nerves were out of control which lends to forgetfulness, at times. Like a preacher who uses a manuscript, this written word was still his own thoughts, feelings, and words. Lighten up!
In the 13 minutes in which he spoke, he eluded to the dangers of being prideful, of thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought and then, I suspect without even knowing it, he began to teach us a lesson in humility. This man, who led his family, friends, and the public worldwide to believe falsely that he was a man of integrity, a good guy who we wished we knew, took the giant step to begin to put things right.
In front of the camera, he humbled himself. He owned that he had fallen away from his faith and that he was seeking to reestablish that faith. He owned that he had miles to go in his relationship with his family and that the concrete measure of how he was doing would be made evident in his behavior. In front of the camera, he humbled himself as a means of beginning the process of healing his relationships. In the world of recovery, it was an important step!
Tiger's press conference, which seemed to irritate those members of the press who thought it was too controlled, was an experience of grace for me. In an earlier blog, I expressed my hope that he would be the guy I believed he was and would do the difficult work that is involved in the healing and recovery process. Today, as a man who we know as extremely private, humbled himself in the sight of family, friends, and people worldwide, I caught a glimpse of the Tiger of the future. Here is a man who has the potential to teach us all a thing or two about grace; a grace that has been modeled for him, in his own words, by Elin who, I suspect knows a thing or two about humility.
Just as I have done in the past with the lessons I have learned from Tiger on the golf course, it is my hope that I can take this experience of grace, this lesson in humility, and live it for myself. In the meantime, I'll be offering thanks for Tiger's and Elin's witness. Who would have suspected that the world's number one golfer would teach us off the golf course?
Today, following in the footsteps of many 12 steppers, Tiger took to the air and taught us a lesson in humility as he began, what many of us hope to be, the repairing of his affair-scarred life. Standing in front of a group of people, even those who are closest to you, and confessing to the hurt you've inflicted, the harm you've done, your self-centeredness, the belief that you thought that power and dollars gave you the right to do whatever you wanted whenever you wanted and now you now this is not accurate, is a test of courage and strength.
To those who have criticized his use of a manuscript, I say "Stop it." Tiger wanted to make sure that he said everything he needed to say. I can only imagine that his nerves were out of control which lends to forgetfulness, at times. Like a preacher who uses a manuscript, this written word was still his own thoughts, feelings, and words. Lighten up!
In the 13 minutes in which he spoke, he eluded to the dangers of being prideful, of thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought and then, I suspect without even knowing it, he began to teach us a lesson in humility. This man, who led his family, friends, and the public worldwide to believe falsely that he was a man of integrity, a good guy who we wished we knew, took the giant step to begin to put things right.
In front of the camera, he humbled himself. He owned that he had fallen away from his faith and that he was seeking to reestablish that faith. He owned that he had miles to go in his relationship with his family and that the concrete measure of how he was doing would be made evident in his behavior. In front of the camera, he humbled himself as a means of beginning the process of healing his relationships. In the world of recovery, it was an important step!
Tiger's press conference, which seemed to irritate those members of the press who thought it was too controlled, was an experience of grace for me. In an earlier blog, I expressed my hope that he would be the guy I believed he was and would do the difficult work that is involved in the healing and recovery process. Today, as a man who we know as extremely private, humbled himself in the sight of family, friends, and people worldwide, I caught a glimpse of the Tiger of the future. Here is a man who has the potential to teach us all a thing or two about grace; a grace that has been modeled for him, in his own words, by Elin who, I suspect knows a thing or two about humility.
Just as I have done in the past with the lessons I have learned from Tiger on the golf course, it is my hope that I can take this experience of grace, this lesson in humility, and live it for myself. In the meantime, I'll be offering thanks for Tiger's and Elin's witness. Who would have suspected that the world's number one golfer would teach us off the golf course?
Sunday, February 7, 2010
It's Sunday Morning and No Place to Go
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.
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.
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.
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