Christmas Eve Meditation Luke 2: 1-20

“And Mary pondered all these things in her heart.” I can imagine all that Mary had to ponder. Up until now, it has been Mary’s cousin Elizabeth, and Joseph that have shared her experience of encountering God in dreams and voices. I’m sure the world around her was rather condemning of this young women and smiled sarcastically at her stories of God’s favor. Now these shepherds appear telling stories of angels, and angel choirs and they are repeating the promise she heard those many months before. “Savior, messiah, king.”

Those of us who know parenthood, know that when we were brand new at it, we listened closely to all that those who knew more than we did had to say. I remember listening and pondering when the older members of the congregation looked at my newborn and said things like – that’s the face of a doctor, or those are the hands of a piano player, I can only imagine hearing words that your child was born to be king, or savior.

Pondering is one of my favorite past-times. I confess that I probably spend way too much time pondering. I ponder things like the pictures we saw on the video at the beginning of the service. Those pictures from the Hubble telescope that show borders of distant universes, or the birth of stars and mysterious gases – I ponder how creation continues to create. I ponder this crazy, amazing world we live in. The incredible complexity of it and the realities of life in other lands.

Now I don’t listen to much AM radio but I found myself pondering something I heard there just a couple of weeks ago. I don’t know what station it was or even whose show it was, but the host was discussing the latest atheist view. Atheist have said that Christmas has nothing to do with Jesus or Christianity but that it is a non-religious holiday about present giving and simply “being good for goodness sake.” Now that view alone is not one that I ponder, but it was what happened after that. The host did not agree and felt that Christmas was a religious holiday and he asked for other callers to call in and share their thoughts. 5 calls in a row – and all of them agreed that Christmas was not religious but it was about winter, it was about the joy of giving, it was about family, but had nothing to do with Christianity or religion.

Now I ponder that the world has changed that much that it would take so much to find agreement that Christmas is a religious holiday. I ponder that Christianity is seen so negatively in the world that there is resistance to seeing one of the central celebrations of our faith as anything other than the celebration of the birth of Jesus. I ponder the future and where this debate will be in 10 years.

We have undertaken a sermon series these last four weeks of Advent called the Advent Conspiracy – with the underlying question: Can Christmas still change the world? We were challenged to change how we celebrated Christmas – we were challenged to spend less, give more and worship fully and love all…we were challenged to step away from the part of the world that knows Christmas as something other than a religious holiday and to make our celebrations centered on the good news of God with us!

The first Christmas night, no matter the historical realities of dates and seasons, that first Christmas night and the birth of Jesus – set in motion changes that the world continues to experience. Grace and justice, sacrifice and generosity, life after death, and things like hope and peace and love and joy. The gospel of John speaks of Jesus’ birth as a great light that came into the world to overcome the darkness that existed.

By our gathering together this night, here in this service, we are in agreement – this night is about Christ. Savior of the world, born into this world, so that we might know God is among us, God cares about us and God cares for us. And it is in your presence here this night, that we are able to look and see God at work in each of our lives in the stories we have to share and that God is at work through each one of us in the gifts that we bring to serve.

As was apparent in that radio broadcast, the world is not yet convinced of what we know in our hearts. Yes, Christmas can still change the world! All that is left to ponder is what part we will each play in the living out of that change.

May you find the hope you need to share your story,

may you find the courage you need to take the steps that will turn heads and change hearts,

may you find the peace that as a child of God you have been given all that you need to live the life God is calling you to,

may you know, that in the mysteries of this night, there is more than meets the eye, there is God coming to us again – as a gift that was meant to forever reconcile the world and bring peace upon the earth. Amen

Showing up in the Rain

I was looking through a book catalog recently, and there was a title "What Pastors Want Congregations to Know." I did not order the book but the title intrigued me and I began to wonder what chapter I might write. Let's see, there is the one on "putting it back where you found it" or the "quiet during the prelude would be good" but then it started raining. And it was still raining on Sunday morning and then it hit me! That would be my chapter: "Showing Up in the Rain." What many may not know, is that in the wee hours of a Sunday morning, I begin thinking and praying about who might be at church that day. About the service and whatever elements I am responsible for, and that God would be glorified at the end of the day. And when it rains, (or snows) those prayers change a little, because I know there are some that won't be there that day because of the weather.

I would never want anyone to be in danger, and I know well that it is a long walk to our front door - so I understand not coming - but I do wish for those who could make it - to come and be part of the gathered body inspite of the weather.

When I teach Confirmation, I always tell the students that when they come to church, it affirms my faith as well as theirs. It says that we all thought it was more important to come to church than to stay at home and that God was worth the effort that day.

So on this particular weekend of rain - I was very blessed by the dear people who showed up. The Octogenarians who braved the rain drops to come and worship - if affirmed my faith - and God was indeed glorified as a result!

When It All Gets Upsidedown

I have had a bit of writer's block these last few weeks. I have tried repeadtedly to write about some of the feelings around the Elizabeth Olten events that I have encountered in different people. And I have just been unable to put it all together. So many emotions and so many things that were unknown. While there isn't anymore known in an official, legal capacity...there are things that different people who are close to both families know and are saying.

We know that one little girl was brutally murdered at the hands of a 15 year old girl. They knew each other and there was one fateful day that events too stunning to think about ended her life. Such innocence lost, not just Elizabeth's or this 15 year old, but our community, and our own children. Some of our children were in class with Elizabeth, and have had to try to understand their own mortality as a result of her death. 9 years old is way too young to grapple with something alot of 40 years olds haven't yet. My own son was in class with the un-named suspect. I know we don't know her name-officially-but her absence in school, her friends, and her extended family members have unofficially confirmed her identity. Zach has wrestled some with knowing that he was in classes with this girl and talked with her, and didn't recognize the pain she was in or the depth of the darkness that resided in her. He wonders if there might have been something he could have said or done that might have lightened the load somewhere along the way. And haven't we all tried on the scenario - "if it were my daughter."

And then came the lock down of the Govenor's Office building, and the not "knowing what was going on" feeling and suspecting the worst but hoping for the best. As it turned out, it was "the best."

Now the reflex we all exercised on Tuesday morning was to pray, and we did just before the staff meeting began-we prayed that when all the world is falling apart, God is there.

I have heard one person say that they believe the world has sunk so low that it can't come back, that what we have left our children is a pile of rubbish too tall to overcome. Now that is a hopeless place to be, and I can't say that I live in that place. What am I saying about my own children if I believe that...that they are not strong enough to overcome the pull of this world. I do believe, that with the community of believers behind them, they absolutely CAN overcome the darkness that is in the world. But it will take the generations of this person that believes the world is lost, my own generation and everyone that follows to believe in the future generation in order for it to happen.

Do we believe the light of Christ can overcome the darkness that exists? And isn't it the same darkness that God sent Jesus into the world to overcome in the first place? When everything gets upside down...we hold on all the tighter to that which we know about God. Steadfastness, abundant love, faithfulness, and God that seeks each of us to know that message. My prayers continue for the Olten family in their grief, but my prayers also continue to for the 15 year old that waits for her hearing this week. I pray that in the time ahead, months and years, that there will be a time that the light of Christ will indeed overcome the darkness within her and the pain that she must know would be healed with some of that amazing grace.

As the details are shared and become known, let us not forget that Christ has come to overcome the darkness...from his birth until now...and we can be part of the light or we can give in to the darkness...let us choose the light. Amen

Changing Seasons

I picked up my first leaf this week. It has sat on my desk and is beginning to curl up from being dry, but the colors are still just as beautiful as the day it fell from the tree. It is a maple leaf that has tinges of green around the edges but is bright red in the center with very clear yellow veins running through it. It is these days of early fall when the leaves are just beginning to turn, that I enjoy picking them up and looking at them. As I understand it, the process of leaves turning colors comes from the chloroform in the leaves turning to a sugar and the coolness of temperatures turning it to red. When they are in these early stages of turning, each of the veins in the leaf are visible, like a map of a river showing all of it tributaries.

I get drawn into the details of this one leaf. The outline of each little cell, the spots on it, the little nibble here and there...and this is one leaf out of a million on this one tree out of a million. Laying there on the sidewalk in front of me like a gift. In the life of this leaf, it has breathed oxygen into our atmosphere and it has converted solar energy into power to sustain the life of a tree, and provided shelter and shade for many creatures.

So as I lovingly look at this leaf, and hold it in my hand and marvel at the intricacies and praise it for its hard work, I am feeling the love of a creator who holds me, and marvels at me, and praises me, and blesses me. Would you just pause for a moment at the wonder of creation around you and how it is all assembled to support you, AND to reflect the love of God. Consider that in our worship - personally or as a congregation - we are returning that reflection. That like the leaves, we are offering ourselves, "in praise and thanksgiving" as we say in our communion liturgy, to the glory of God.

SO pause, listen to creation around you and hear or see their song of praise!

"But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish of the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind." Job 12

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Psalm 19

Ordinary Ressurections

I love the stories I hear about resurrections in peoples lives. Those stories that speak of God at work in lives to bring about new life. I suppose there are stories of other kinds of resurrections too. My computer's hard drive died a week or so ago....I had the blue screen of death when I walked in my office one morning and it was all gone! As I began to recount what I wish I would have backed up...I learned our server backs up the hard drive...so a new hard drive and 10 days later, I'm back up and running.

A friend of mine is in the midst of celebrating a new life. She had suffered from depression and basic inertia (forces that are at work to prevent movement, sometimes called laziness) for many years. Really she just kind of existed in life for about 10 years, all the while claiming to be "fine." Her health deteriorated as she was morbidly overweight and had high blood pressure and was a heavy smoker. She had a mild stroke about two years ago and life began to change. She quit smoking, she lost 100 lbs and is moving into a new house soon. Underneath all of these changes is the witness of God at work in her life. A relationship that has gone from asking questions to seeking answers, from inertia to dancing. She truly has an entirely new life!

I have found that when profound events come into our life, be that health issues, or relationship issues, divorce, employment, death...we have a choice. To run away from them - remaining confused and in pain about them, or we can run into them - asking questions, seeking answers, changing our lives in ways that are lasting and meaningful. Thankfully my friend ran into her life.

Each of us suffers from our own kind of inertia. Those things we know we need to do, those things we suspect we need to do, and the things that others are gently trying to tell us we need to do. That is the how the voice of God comes to us, in the still small voice of our mind, in the loving words of someone else. Each leading us into a relationship that is greater than what our human minds can imagine. Leading us into an ordinary resurrection....

So where have you had an ordinary resurrection this year, this month, this week? Or where do you need to begin on the road to a new life? taken one step at a time it leads to that resurrection I speak of. Sharing your story might start someone else on the road...and really isn't that what sharing our faith is about?

Hopeless?

We have experienced the loss of two young men in the last week. Both of them dying at their own hands in one way or another. Either an accidental overdose or alcohol poisoning. Both gentlemen had a history of depression and struggles in this life. And in the midst of these last two weeks, at some point they lost their hope. Somewhere, somehow, there was no reason for them to continue to strive in life, but to quit or at least to anesthetize themselves so that their pain was not so acute.

It makes me think of those who are struggling to find their hope and are not going to do anything to take their life. What if we could reach them before it got to complete hopelessness?

As I did one of these funerals, I tried very hard to offer words of hope, but there was such pain and such grief that I really am not sure they were heard or could be heard. So I would ask you, gentle reader, to take a moment and look around you, they aren't hard to spot. A tight or absent smile, their head in their hands, heavy sighs, or a lack of energy. Their hope is waning and you can offer them a sign of hope. A flower? A poem? A scritpure? A pat on the shoulder? A hand on their back that says, "yes you can?" I don't know what it is for you, but you can take a moment and share some hope. There have been enough funerals for a week.

I am fascinated by rail yards. I have no idea when this happened or how, I didn't grow up around trains and don't have a reason for the affinity. But it is pictures like the one to the right that I think are wonderful metaphors for our life. When I am traveling through large cities I look for the rail yards to see how many people are crossing paths that day and wonder about their destinations.

As school has begun and we are turning from summer to fall programming I am somwhere in the midst of these swimming tracks. Think for a moment about what it takes to change tracks for a train. These "switches" only move a few inches and they are able to direct a multi ton vehicle onto a whole new path...or keep it from harm. Small movements can make big differences.

If trains take these changes too quickly they are prone to derailing. The train's wheels are taken from a wide place to a narrower place to change tracks. Going from the outside of the wheels to the inside to find the path. Too quickly and the wheels miss the change and derail. Thankfully we have wide places in the road that give a place to gather ourselves before heading to the narrow way...but rushing ahead without our senses can send us reeling.

I am switching tracks as kids get back school and focus changes. I am praying for patience and for sure footing and looking for the little things that will make a big difference. I don't see my life as complicated as the picture, but I know some lives that are that complicated. And I hope you will know peace this day or this moment. And this could be a wide place in the road for you before heading on down the line.

Peace

The Times They are a Changin..

It is early August and that is the time that we are usually getting final preparations in place for our Fall programming. Especially plans for our Weds night programming. However, the participants and volunteers and leaders have waned and we are now faced with making changes...like not having a Weds meal, or a children's program. I have wrestled with this for the past three months, and have been suspecting this is the path we will be taking for about 5 months. It just seemed like Weds nights ran out of gas. Families were running to and from practices, and trying to squeeze all the errands in to the hour that they were at church.

So we began evaluating and asking questions...what if we didn't do this anymore,what do you want your kids to get from church, what is important to you about your children...and interestingly enough...the answers were alot of ambivalence. Meaning - there were feelings on both sides of the spectrum but nothing strong enough to make a clear decision...just kind of muddy.

So, now I try to look into the crystal ball and see what this means in the near future. Are we experiencing the shrinkage that we've been hearing about, has the culture caught up with us? But even bigger, what will we do about it?..I am praying, and listening for the answers as they come. ANd I know this...our kids must know the church values them and cares for them, and they must hear the story of our faith so that they will carry it forward into the future. The question is simply how and who will come forward to help?

Please join me in prayer for our chlidren.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...

One of the things that life has taught me is that we are not promised tomorrow, and that life can change in a moment. So we have frequently said to Zach and Sarah that what is important is the journey and not so much the destination. Live this day...


Our vacation to Yellowstone took us a very long time to get there. And as we encountered road construction delays after delays...the fatigue was rising as well as the frustration until we just had to laugh. The road construction in Yellowstone itself was the most ridiculous - one lane road on the edge of a mountain with no guard rails....and 30 minute delays...so as Mark started to fume, we reminded him that it was about the journey...and to enjoy these moments...little did I know that would become an important theme for our trip.


"This part of the journey is called amazing." As we traveled through the Tetons and on to Yelllowstone we crossed the Continental Divide 7 times! We were at the snow line and we saw so many really amazing sights. We started at Old Faithful and made the round of the geyser pools...such beautiful colors and we even had an elk dining within 20 feet of us. Whew, we made it!

"This part of the journey is called scared to death!" We made it to the campground and found it a little rustic, but there was a fire pit and a picnic table and so we thought we could make it do. Mark and Sarah and I went to the amphitheatre to hear the ranger talk about how Yellowstone was formed (by a gigantic volcano 640 million years ago) and Zach and my mom stayed at the campsite to mind the fire. Upon our return there was a truck parked shining its lights into the campsite and a stranger coming around the corner saying "they've had some troubles." My heart stopped and I rushed to see what was going on. Mom had tripped on a root and fallen flat on her face - more acurately her mouth, bit through her lip and dislocated a tooth. The paramedic was called and after an assessment in the light, it seemed appropriate to go to the hospital for stitches...two hours away in Cody, Wyoming. We left as soon as we could and arrived at the ER at about 1:30 a.m. It took mom 72 years to need stitches, but she got 6 of them in her lip, no other signs of any injuries. We found a parking lot to sleep off the rest of the night (or morning as it was) and then headed back to Yellowstone. Mom was in pain but OK, Zach had done all the right things in getting her help and we were just thankful it wasn't any worse. We went back to the park and asked at the desk if we could upgrade our sight to an electrical hook up with a level pad...they had mercy on us and moved us to a different campsite and things got a little more civilized.

"This part of the journey is called memorable" We saw the Yellowstone Canyon and falls, so beautiful that words cannot describe it. Pictures can't quite do it justice either. Your eyes can hardly take in the whole scene...and we saw Bison, and more elk. We also took a boat ride on the lake and had dinner at one of the lodges that was built in 1937. It was our last night in Yellowstone and we had made the best of difficult days and saw once in a lifetime things.

"This part of the journey is called sad." On our way out of the park we crossed the highest peak and all of a sudden my phone came alive and I had two voice messages and a text message...I had a signal just long enough to hear that our dog Maddie was undergoing emergency surgery and the prognosis was not good. Her stomach had twisted...the next few hours would be critical. By the time we made it down the mountain, Maddie was out of surgery and looking as well as could be expected. The next 24 hours would tell the story, she had been outside and was walking and talking to everyone. We hoped and prayed and made our way to civilization...the next morning we got a call from Dr. Groner that when they left Maddie the night before she was doing well, but sometime around 7:00 she had died. Our beloved Basset Hound, that everyone loved and laughed at had died in her sleep. We had lots of miles to cry and remember and prepare ourselves for the loss.

and now we are home, we buried Maddie thanks to good friends, and we are resting from an exhausting whirlwind of a trip. Mom will see a dentist on Monday and her bruises are already fading and the journey taught us each something.

So if you read this, please don't ask how our vacation was, because it is too difficult to explain and I will probably just say "it was the best of times, it was the worst of times..."

What I Admired About Gary Durk

This world has lost one of its best heroes...but the next world has gained one. God bless you Gary and rest, rest, rest in the peace of God...
When we first arrived in Jefferson City, Gary had just left for Iraq...that was 6 years ago and the war was much younger then than it is now...and I was so very touched to hear that his son Chris was also going to be deployed. I had not known anyone who was in Iraq at that time and I was so concerned...the war was and still is so dangerous!...Gary was the first soldier I prayed for. Not too long into that time, a member of the church wanted to mail out a devotion every week or two including a prayer. I helped her get it in the mail, and within a month or so, I got a note from Gary, thanking "whoever it was" that was sending these devotions. he said they helped him make it through. Gary was never short on "thank yous"

After his return, Gary was one of my greates fans. When times were tough and I was wondering if I was in the right place doing the right thing, it ws Gary who said: "I appreciate every word you say...EVERY word. Thank you" Well, Gary was the voice of God that said, keep going.

As I came to know and love Gary, I mostly came to love his passion of this life. I never had a conversation with Gary that I wasnt' sure he was telling me what was on his heart and mind. No balonie...no hype, no kidding...
That included his love for Marylin. I was scheduled to pick her and Lanie and the rest of the Africa crew up from the airport. Gary called me the night before we were leaving and asked if he could come with me...I said of course. Well Gary met me at the church and followed me in his car, while I drove the bus. The trip to KC airport is long and I didn't stop, and Gary gave me such grief becuase I didn't stop at all on the way up...but all was forgiven when he saw Marylin.
He loved his wife more than anything else I know of.

Truly a hero, truly an unfair loss, and truly one of God's children that has gone home to be with his creator.
Thank you Gary for all you have meant to me and all those who knew you!

Another busy week!

Yet another Summer program element has passed. Vacation Bible School was last week. Rome - Paul and the Underground Church. We had a smaller than usual crowd, probably because it was a good vacation week with the holiday on the other end. BUT we had a great week. This VBS was a little different than others in the past, the kids had more time than usual to spend at their stations and things didn't feel rushed as they sometimes do. And the hightlight for everyone was going to see Paul in his prison room with his Roman guard Brutus. Corey and Gary played their parts to the nth degree and did a great job telling the story about what it was to be a Christian in the days of the Roman Empire. The kids were hooked from day one when Paul was arrested at the pool while sharing the good news that God's love is a gift.

God was there as the kids shared what they learned and Jordyn said that God's love is always there..."kind of like your mom...you do the wrong thing and she still loves you...I don't know why, but she does" Couldn't have said it better....we don't know why, but God still loves us even when we do the wrong thing. If that's all they ever remember - it will be enough.

At the same time, I had many people at my door this week or on my computer. One woman said she recently left the "cult of Mormonism" after 25 years. She had left her compound to escape an abusive relationship and was raped. When she tried to return to her home, the "church elders" met and decided if she hadn't of left in the first place, she wouldn't have been raped, therefore it was her fault and she has been excommunicated. I tried to assure her that God was not the author of her troubles and neither was she, but 25 years of doctrine will be hard to break through.

Another woman is at her wits end in dealing with an ex-landlord who is driving by her new residence and taunting her. He claims she owes him money, she doesn't...she was so very upset by it all that it occured to me that perhaps he had hurt her. I asked and she said he had tried to rape her but she had neighbors watching her door and when he came they knocked on the door after 5 minutes to keep him off balance and run him off. Again, her turmoil is not at the hand of God but of humankind and she is feeling powerless to take on the power structures that bind her.

SO much pain and so much confusion about where God is in their life. I can only hope I helped to point the way to the light of God. Please keep them in your prayers.

Off to vacation! Yellowstone here we come!

Mission and 7th Grade Humor

Last week was filled busy with Middle School Mission Camp. There were about 30 Middle Schoolers from First Presbyterian, Grace Episcopal and First UMC. We were together each day from 8 - 5 out at Covenant Point Camp in Holts Summit. We spent the night on Thursday and everyone was home by about 1:00. Each day the kids did a different mission, fixing lunch for Salvation Army Shelter, painting two rooms at the Agape House, walking the dogs at the Animal Shelter and doing whatever was needed at the Samaritan Center. It really was a good, busy, tiring week...
The story of the week was the Good Samaritan. We spent a fair amount of time learning the details of the story, what were the laws around the priests and levites, why would they walk by, what about the Samaritan, and the innkeeper. To end the week, I gave them the assignment of retelling the parable as if Jesus were telling it today. Who would be the unexpected hero, who would we expect to stop and be disappointed when they didn't....etc.
I drove the van all week and it is fun to just listen to the conversations that go on in the back of the bus. And I was blessed to have the 7th grade boys in my van...they really are a goofy bunch of kids that have an odd sense of humor.
So when I told everyone they would have a chance to act out their parable around the campfire Thursday night, there was alot of energy in the back of the van. And I got a little worried. I heard something about being beaten with bananas, rat poison, and some questionable one liners that I was afraid I understood. So note to self...we need to talk in the morning.
Thursday rolls around and I gathered everyone together and reminded them that they were proclaiming the Word of God and that as they worked through the details they needed to remember to honor God. My 7th grade friends faces fell and a dark cloud hung over them.
It turns out one of them had spent the better part of the previous evening writing a script and he had included every detail they talked about in the van and added a few more. They brought the script to me and asked me to read and tell them whether they could do it or not. I didn't want to do that...so I told them that if it honored God they were fine and that they needed to decide that.
Well pretty much the rest of the morning I had various people coming up to me, telling me it was really funny and couldn't they please do it...I again said...does it honor God? After about the 5th question...I said Does it honor God? and the answer was "no, not really" and there was my opening...I said then if I tell you it's OK, then I'm not honoring God am I? And their sweet little faces suddenly registered...they Got it...I tried to say we are to honor God at all times in our lives and not just certain hours of the day...and it matters how we tell God's stories. I encouraged them humor was fine and to take the raunchy parts out and it would be fine...
That night I held my breath when it was their turn...and they did their parable, and it had bananas in it...and a man by the road...but I'm really not sure what else...it just didn't make much sense. but at any rate they felt they had honored God and I didn't see anything that dishonored God...and I will not forget the face of the one young man, when he understood that he had a choice to honor God or not and that he could still be funny and honor God. I pray for a life transformed by the love of God.

That was my moment of light last week, thank you God!

Whew!

Annual Conference is over and I believe my head is just about above water again! While at Conference it is my honor to be the AV person that gets everyone's Power Point up on the screen for their presentation. I enjoy creating the slides but presenations are getting more and more sophisticated so there is more time. I don't get much sleep on these long weekends and so I'm pretty tired once I get back, and not at all ready to jump back in to things at home!

I am excited about the week ahead. It is our first Middle School Mission camp with First Presbyterian and Grace Episcopal churches. Each day we will head into Jefferson City and participate in a mission...lunch at the Salvation army shelter, work at the Samaritan Center, paint a room at the Agape house, and walk the dogs at the Humane Society. We will study the story of the Good Samaritan and on THursday evening we will stay at the camp and experience a hunger meal, campfire, and then work a little at the camp on Friday morning. SHould be busy but good to be with 30 kids as they serve in the world. Please keep us in your prayers!

The Power of Forgiveness started with 11 folks, Invitatin to the New Testament with 8 folks, Longing to Belong with 3. There is much happening at the church for the summer season...I do believe the Spirit is moving and shaking us loose a bit.

So what are you excited about as this season gets underway? Where is God shaking you loose? I am reading a couple of books, "Thoughts Matter" by Mary Margaret Funk; about our inner spiritual life. It has been enlightening. What are you reading?

Pencost movement!

Who let school out? Who said these kids could be home BORED and HUNGRY every hour of the day and it isn't even June yet! This has been a week of simply trying to get everyone where the need to go, on time, fed and relatively happy to be there. Glad we are appraoching the end of it and praying that next week we'll get settled into a routine.

Pentecost is just around the corner. One of the best days of worship in the church in my opinion. Especially when we can get folks that speak in other languages to read the story. It is my turn to preach and I will be sharing about a "movement" that has begun in Texas called "I Am Second" and you can find it at http://www.iamsecond.com/ I Am Second exists to lift the name of Jesus Christ up before the world and to encourage us to put Christ first and ourselves second in the priority list of our life. You will find videos from people all across the spectrum...some celebrities, some heavy metal musicians, athletes and regular people who share their story and put Christ first.
I just encourage you to spend a little time on the website and watch a few stories...they will inspire you and speak to the Christ in your own heart.

And on Pentecost let us remember that :
Christ Has No Body
Christ has no body but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looksCompassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are his body.
Christ has no body now but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he lookscompassion on this world.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.
Teresa of Avila (1515–1582)

What a Great Weekend and the "C" word

This was one of those weekends where it all just comes together. The weather was as good as it gets in May in Missouri. Green everywhere, flowers blooming, highs of 70, low humidity, skies bluer than you usually perceive, and the sun shining. After 13 weeks of study and a weekend retreat, 15 confirmands shared their faith with the congregation on Sunday and became members of the church. 6 of them were baptized...what fun, what joy! God is alive and at work in these young people. One of them was my daughter, who shed tears of joy, much to my surprise. We had record crowds in all the church services, graduating seniors and returning college students filled out the pews. So I could/should sit still and be happy....

But I have to share these thoughts...in a smaller church about 8 years ago, the pastor asked the members of the church council to select one committee in the church to be a part of and go to their meetings and help to lead them into ministry in the community. There was feet dragging and procrastination until the pastor finally asked the chairperson what was taking people so long to respond to his request. The chairperson said, "Well, you're asking us for a comittment!"

WHo knew the "c" word would be met with such opposition in the church? I recently sent out a survey asking about summer study possibilities because I had heard from some folks that they were interested in pursuing their spiritual life and the summer was a good time for them. It has been a long time since there were summer studies in the church and I wasn't real optimistic actually. But to my surprise there were 22 people who responded that they were interested!

So the next step was to finalize dates and times and leaders...and now I have only 8 that are willing to commit to a study. (That is about 3 people to a study) And I hear that exasperated voice that is saying, "well you're asking us for a committment!" God is asking for the committment - I'm somewhere in the middle trying to get the details worked out - but our faith life doesn't grow without some attention to it. And God is more than willing, more than ready to meet you wherever you are if you will take the step toward him.

The same expectation is in place for those confirmands - this past Sunday can't be the last time we see them...God is also asking them to grow in their faithfulness and in their service to God in the world.
So c'mon y'all - lets get to it!

The Rush of Spring

I do love the Springtime. I love the world coming alive from its winter slumber. And watching the trees in our yard go from completely bare, to redbuds, to tiny leaves to "a tree." At first it can't happen fast enough and then suddenly there is a rush of growth as the world warms up - and poof...there are 50 shades of green and life abounds.

It is similar with our Spring schedules...we get in a routine through the winter and then some programs begin to wind down - like Logos and some Bible studies, but another schedule takes over...planning for summer, getting volunteers in place for VBS, and camps, hiring interns and poof...it will be summer.

And in my family, we manage the schedule of weight training, piano lessons, Confirmation, and youth group and then Track season comes, along with band concerts, and awards ceremonies, end of the year trips, and poof...there are only 10 more days of school left!

Let us not forget, in all these busy days of Spring to give God our thanks and praise for the gift of life on this amazing creation. And to savor the moments between the busy-ness and hectic-ness for the gift that they are...evidence of life renewed and that God is steadfast in his love for us.

Trust God

I hear you, you are busy and tired and stretched and running around frantic just to get the schedule accomplished. I'm in there with you. I'm always seeking those moments that catch me up in rest or in peace to be able to turn and do all over again. I recently found this translation of Psalm 62 from the Contemporary English Version...it has a way of putting things in perspective.
Peace and a little light for the journey!

Psalm 62: 5-12
I find rest in God. Only God gives inward peace, and I depend on him.
God alone is the mighty rock that keeps me safe, and he is the fortress where I feel secure. God saves me and honors me. He is that mighty rock where I find safety.
Trust God, my friends, and always tell him each one of your concerns. God is our place of safety. We humans are only a breath; none of us are truly great. All of us together weigh less than a puff of air. Don’t trust in violence or depend on dishonesty or rely on great wealth. I heard God say two things: “I am powerful and I am very kind.” The Lord rewards each of us according to what we do.

Worth the smile!

Got this at the end of an email newsletter from a missionary in Mozambique...

Live your life in such a way that when your feet hit the floor in the morning, Satan shudders & says... “Oh no...she's awake!!”

What Is Your Witness?

Below you will find an article I wrote for the newsletter, I wanted to share it here and add a little more to some information about First UMC. Catch you on the other side...

We will be welcoming some new members to our congregation this month! A blessing to the body of Christ gathered at First UMC to be sure. Anytime a new member is introduced to the congregation they are asked the question: Will you support First UMC with your prayers, your presence, your gifts and service? And in their answer we are also reminded of our pledge of membership recommitting ourselves to those same promises. Since General Conference in 2008, a new committment has been added to the list, it is "witness." Reminding us that sharing our faith in mission and evangelism are part of our Wesleyan heritage and especially important in these days as Christianity seeks its relevancy in the world.

One of the definitions of witness is "to serve as evidence of." I think that probably best provokes our thoughts in this context. How do you "serve as evidence of" being a follower of Christ? How can you share the evidence of God in your life with the world? I have shared with the Confirmands that coming to church on Sunday morning is a witness to their neighbors that that is what they choose to do instead of staying home. We have also shared that it is a witness to each of us that have also made that decision. There is nothing like coming to church and finding your friends here!

So might I suggest that our witness begins with coming to worship - regularly - and from there our witness is further shaped as to how we will go forth to live it in the world. How will you "serve as evidence of" being a Christian in the world today?

I recently changed the bulletin board downstairs and it is entitled "What Is Your Witness?" We took some time to do some good research into the data base to get a good picture of the spiritual health of the congregation, at least what we could learn from those numbers. We were not able to discern some things, but others we were.
There are 1131 members of First UMC
516 people attend more than 1/month (not all of these are members)
543 members have not attended worship at all in the past year
(the difference in numbers are those who attended less than 12 times in a year)
414 people attend worship and give to the church in someway (could include one time gifts)
137 people attend worship, give and are part of a small group whether that be Sunday School, choir, a study or volunteer group.
So if our discipleship is about prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness...where do you fall in these numbers? As I say above...part of our witness is choosing to go to church and attend a class and give to the church and pray for each other....

I also assure you that First UMC is no different than any other church...these numbers would compare to many a church; so don't shake your head and sigh about how "bad" we are, but look into your own life and ask where you can go a little deeper and then by all means: GO!

What does the future hold????

Below you will find an article from the Winston-Salem Journal from Winston-Salem NC sent to me by my brother...an interesing article about this man's perspective on the decline of Sunday Morning church goers...join you on the other end....


EHRICH COLUMN: Many are saying no to church on Sunday
RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
Published: March 28, 2009
For 50 years and in growing numbers, American Christians have been saying no to Sunday church. I think that it is time we listened.
We have labeled them "unchurched," "nonbelievers," "former Christians," "happy pagans," "lost," and a "mission field" that's "ripe for harvest." These negative terms imply that the absent have a flaw that needs to be addressed.
New congregations have harvested some of these former mainline Protestant and Roman Catholic churchgoers. But even their numbers rise and fall -- especially when the founding pastor slips up or retires, and the overall trend in church participation remains down. In some Western states, Sunday churchgoing has fallen below 10 percent of the population.
Losses were ignored
When this slide started in 1964 as baby boomers began graduating from high school, many church leaders didn't even acknowledge it. For years, they kept counting the absent as present. Then, when the losses couldn't be ignored, they blamed them on whatever hot-button issues were roiling the religious establishment, as if new liturgies, women in leadership, and liberals (or conservatives, take your pick) had driven people away.
We need to see that these "formers" aren't saying no to God or to their Christian identity. Many are simply saying no to Sunday church.
They are expressing a preference for something other than getting up early on Sunday, driving across town, sitting in a pew for an hour or more, making small talk with people they don't really know, and driving home again.
They are saying no to Sunday, the only day that they can get a slow start in this everyone-works-hard era.
They are saying no to being an audience in an age of participation and self-determination.
They are saying no to institutional preaching, repetitive liturgies, and assemblies controlled by small cadres usually older than themselves.
They are saying no to being told what to believe.
They are saying no to having their questions ignored.
Instead, they find spiritual enrichment on the Internet and on television. They read faith-related books. They pray on their own. They find their own networks of faithful friends.
Poor delivery system
The problem is Christianity's delivery system. We are stuck in trying to lure people to physical locations at a time of our choosing, to do what we think they ought to do, and to be loyal in paying for it. It is time that we looked beyond the paradigm of Sunday church.
I think the future lies in "multichanneling" -- a combination of on-site, online, workplace and at-home offerings that create networks of self-determining constituents, many of whom might never attend Sunday church.
The first challenge, however, is to recognize how deeply wedded we are to Sunday on-site participation as the only true expression and measure of faithfulness. Almost everything about our institutions aims to draw people to a central location on Sunday.
We need to see that what works for some doesn't work for others. Not because the others are flawed, nor because our culture has collapsed and turned against God, but because things change. Just as Jesus took his ministry out of the synagogue and radically rethought the meaning of Sabbath, so God is drawing us away from "former things," even ones we treasure and consider our duty.
■ Tom Ehrich is a writer, church consultant and Episcopal priest. His Web site is http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/.


OK...I can't disagree with all that Rev Ehrich has to say...this decline has been a long time in coming and we weren't all paying attention to what was going on until it was getting late. And believers are not saying no to God or their faith, but rather to the practice of it. They are saying no to irrelevant worship, to worship just for worship's sake...But there is no mention of discipleship and community. Christianity is always counter-cultural - we currently live in a very isolated, self serving, individualistic culture...Christianity's counter to that, is that it is centered in sharing in community - we are meant to be in relationship with others. Rev Ehrich's vision doesn't speak much to that...and I believe that is our hope...that even though Sundays are the one day we have to rest - it can also be the one day we can reconnect with each other and encourage one another for the week ahead.

I do believe God is at work to bring about a new reality... We are called to remain faithful, even in the midst of change and even when it seems we are a minority. While it is tempting to get discouraged, I find that I am more and more intrigued by the ways of the world and where God IS at work. Our hope is in relationship and in sharing our faith with those around us.

Thanks, Steve!

Too Long

I do apologize for how long it has been since I last posted. I know some of you look for updates and I have been tardy! But then again it's Easter! I give Easter here in Mid-Mo two thumbs up. Great worship, great crowds, and a great message to proclaim. He lives! not just in our hearts, but HE LIVES...it wasn't until some part of seminary education that I realized there is a difference. I am completely comfortable and able to say that Jesus lives in my heart and in yours. But it is a different animal to proclaim - Jesus lives! It is part of our proclamation of our faith. In the Apostles Creed was say "I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting." Not just a spiritual resurrection, which is what we proclaim when we say he lives in my heart...but the bodily resurrection...Jesus' body was alive again.

That body must have been different because no one recognizes him when they first see him, but none the less it must have been a human body because scripture doesn't describe it as a ghostly presence...so how does that tickle your faith? Did you know that is what we proclaim at Easter? And when we proclaim He lives - what a powerful God we proclaim...death was overcome not in some spiritual "I'll be OK" sense - but death was overcome with life. It is that proclamation that changes the world because it offers hope...that even in the darkest of days, God's love overcame the darkness to restore the light of love in the world.

God continues to be at work...not in perscribed and expected ways, but in the very unexpected and unexplained ways that make life complicated as well as wonderous.
Happy Easter and I'll try to get back on track!

Bumper Stickers and Messages

As I was coming out of Gerbes, our local grocery store, I noticed a van that had handwritten messages on all the windows. This was the kind of ink that you get at Hobby Lobby to write
"Just Married" across the back window or "Go Jays!" on each of the side windows. On this vehicle though, was the message: "Michael Roarke Master Roofer, died on March 17." On the back window was a list of names - I can only presume his family, and on another side window the message "We miss you." Driving this car was a young woman - she had just gotten her groceries and was heading home.

I guess it made me wonder how you decide to get the ink and write that message and then how long does it stay on. As I headed to the church, I was behind a truck that had a personalized sticker in the window that said - "In memory of Pvt James Anderson". Small and inconspicuous. And again I wondered about the decision to get such a sticker and put in on your truck.

And then it occurred to me, that like bumber stickers that proclaim political messages or funny messages and sometimes inappropriate messages, these were messages that simply said, "I'm in pain." "I have lost." Messages that were being tossed out into the world - no expectation of response, but simply put out there for those who take the time to read them.

Do these people not have a community that they can share this with? Or are we fellow travelers their community? Do they not have a community that can tell them, "you remain in our prayers even after your husbands death." And offer those signs of recognition and care that are our trademarks - (casseroles and cakes.) I would hope so, but I'm not sure if the need exists to drive around with the message on your window.

And so take the time to look at the windows and bumpers of cars around you, there very well could be someone crying out for a little recognition in a world that is filled with pain and loss. We can't fix it, but we can give a wave or offer a prayer that the grief will be comforted.
Peace to you!

Confirmation Excursion

This past weekend found myself and another congregation member with 14 of our Confirmands in St. Louis. We first went to Shaare Emeth Synagogue for worship. A beautiful synagogue in West County that received us with such grace and very patiently explained their traditions and faith perspectives. We closed the night at the City Museum, (you gotta go sometime!) Lights out by 1:00 a.m. and wake up at 6:00 a.m.! We attended Mass at the Cathedral Basilica at 8:30 and a tour of a Greek Orthodox church at 10:00. Lunch and worship with Bishop Schnase and on the way home by 3:30!
God's presence for me was when we walked into the Cathedral Basilica and these 12 and 13 year olds were speechless. It is difficult to impress this demographic and for them to be speechless in a place of worship did my heart good. Each of our hosts did a great job in talking about their unique beliefs and practices and I think our Confirmands had a great experience in learning about the roots of our faith. Please keep them in your prayers as we have about 6 weeks left to this part of the journey.

So two weekends in a row I have been on the road hosting large groups from one place to the other, and I'm tired and in need of a break. Looking forward to family time and not working on Sunday! I will return to planning the summer and turning from "Spiritual Formation" to "Christian Education" as a focus!
Peace Out!

USA Today article referred to in other posting! Good Read!

http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2009-03-09-ARIS-faith-survey_N.htm

The Tuesday After

It is the Tuesday after the Women's Retreat and the Tuesday after "Springing forward" on our clocks. I'm just a little dazed! The retreat was very good, great weather on Saturday for doing anything you wanted to do. We had tough weather Sunday morning for about 10 minutes. Just when we thought we were going to go to the basement because of a Tornado warning, the sun came out and it was all gone. As a result we were able to go the chapel on the hillside for our Sunday worship.

The theme all weekend had been the story of the Samaritan woman at the well. We had broken the story down into three parts: first, understanding why she was at the well and her attitude toward Jesus; then we asked ourselves why we had come to the well. Second, we talked about the woman's encounter with Jesus and how his truth telling had changed her from skeptic to believer. On Sunday morning we heard how she had returned to her village and told the people there that the Messiah had come to them, and to come and see for themselves. The scriptures tell us they were so in awe of Jesus they asked him to stay with them for two days. At the end of that time, they committted their life to following him and said to the woman, "it is not because you say so anymore, but because we have seen for ourselves that we believe."

Our worship was very much touched by the Holy Spirit, as the wind blew, as we sang beautiful music and as birds sailed in the breezes. We beheld the simple resurrections we had known since last year and the ones we anticipate this year. We shared our prayers, and shared in communion. It was a blessed time.

I have to share one of the joys for me is that this group is so diverse. All generations are present, from 70's through 20's and we learn from each other all the time and in all ways. And yes, I'm a bit weary for the excursion but a weariness born out of community and joy.

There was an article in USA today that I will post about how religion continues to shrink in the US. A sobering article that says UMethodism has fallen from 8% of the population to 5% since 1990. What do you say to people who say organized religion just isn't relevant anymore? That there isn't anything worth pursuing in church that they can't find outside of church...we need to find the answer to that and talk about it. Who will carry the Good News of Jesus Christ into the world? It is time, it is time!

Stethescope Video

Enjoy this video - it has a great little message!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYI_aOyCn9Y

Dancin

It has been awhile since I have had a chance to offer my thoughts. I'm trying to decide the dance steps I've been doing. It hasn't been every step all at once, but a pretty consistent stream of tunes coming at me.

The season of Lent is here. Always a time that I look forward to and work to lean even more into God's word and God's whispers to me. I am looking forward to a dedicated time to be on my knees and quiet. Our Lenten devotion book is great! We did one two years ago and received about 15 devotions - this year we had 37! Is it that we are stronger in our faith, or is it that we are simply more comfortable in sharing our faith, or is it that we trust each other with our hearts just a bit more? Whatever the answer...Praise the Lord!

I am on call chaplain for the hospital today and had a call mid-day that a woman had had a miscarriage of a 17 week old pregnancy. She wanted someone to come and pray over the child and to talk with her. I have only done this one other time and find the images too difficult to set aside. We are truly amazing creations! This little 7 inch body was all there and amazingly formed. Mom and Dad were dealing as best they could and have the same questions that we all would. Why would God allow this to happen?

We talked awhile about how God creates life, God does not take life away. It is our humanity that created disease, viruses, and whatever mysteries it is that cause birth defects. This little one was God's good creation and its death to be mourned. So please keep them in your prayers. (And know that your afghans are being used.)

Next is the WOmen's Retreat and I'm looking forward to a great weekend. Good food, good fun, and sharing in a sisterhood that is wonderful.
Share your light in a world that is in need now more than ever.

Hear these prayer concerns:
"Please pray for peace and lack of anxiety in the midst of changing financial conditions."

"I am struggling personally and financially. Please pray for me."

"Please pray for those who will lose their job at my workplace this week."

"Please pray for me as I look for a job."

"Please pray for my kids as I have lost my job and don't know where to turn."

These have all come through our various pathways for prayer in the last two weeks. Our Habitat family has been laid off and can't move in to the house until they have employment.

So many are struggling to keep above water during these days. And to listen to the news, there is little reason to hope for a turn around anytime soon. I get frustrated with our government and their convoluted response and part of me questions the extent of their intervention at all. But I do know there are hungry, sick and naked ones out there that have never been in this position before.

I shared with the Companions in Christ group, that when we sit in silence, I have the image of holding the group. Just simply holding us - together, holding us - up, holding us - accountable...that as we pray we are somehow offering strength to one another. I shared that image before the prayer time on Sunday...there just is so little to do except hold you up, hold you close, hold you in peace in these very difficult times. We continue to ask ourselves - how can we help? I was in the midst of seminary when I first found these verses. They were sent to me at just the right moment when I was sure I was drowning. I hope they are words that will bring comfort and hope to those who are hurting and treading water.

"He says, "Don't be afraid, because I have saved you. I have called you by name, and you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. When you cross rivers, you will not drown. When you walk through fire, you will not be burned, nor will the flames hurt you. This is because I, the Lord, am your God...Because you are precious to me"...Isaiah 43:1b-2.

May you walk and not be afraid, may you wade through deep waters and not falter, may you walk through fire and not be burned. Hold on, hold on, hold on.

God at Work

I had the joy this week of encountering someone who is new to the Christian faith. Have you ever listened to someone's conversion to Christ? It is filled with goose bumps and for me tears of joy.

I ran in to "Roy" at Walmart. I first met him at the Salvation Army shelter when we served meals. He was there a long time, so we got to know him fairly well. He bounced around jobs and was up and down and in and out. Eventually he moved into his own apartment and was fairly steady at one of the hospitals. So I saw him regularly again, and he was happy. Then I didn't see him anymore. So when I saw him at Walmart, I told him I had missed seeing him and asked how he was. His first answer was - "I've found the Lord" "I gave my life to Christ" He went on to talk about the perfect peace he knew that he had never known before. He said, "I could die tonight and I'd be fine, because I know I'm in God's care." We talked a little about his journey, and he said, "I had to go through all of that for God to save me, if I hadn't gone through all that, I would not have turned to him."

"Roy" went on to share that he was now managing a halfway house here in Jeff and was finding ministry - a way to share his faith with others. I implored him to keep telling his story, that the world needed to hear that God was still at work in the world and turning lives around. Can you share your story? What difference has God made in your life? The answer is one of the most important questions to answer. It is where the next step of your faith journey begins.
SHARE IT SHARE IT SHARE IT!

What Is Communion?

http://www.gbod.org/worship/thm-bygc.pdf This is the link to get to a pdf copy of the document "This Holy Mystery", written by the Council of Bishops a few years back. It was written to raise awareness of "The United Methodist Understanding of Holy Communion." This was the source for the beginning of a new Sunday School class at 11:00 a.m. this past Fall. Only one faithful soul showed up to share in that understanding.

We have undertaken observing weekly communion at our early service. There are some that view it as a meaningful practice that offers strength and healing and centering for their lives on a weekly basis. Others have commented that it seems a too frequent practice that only diminishes its meaningfulness. Well, let's talk about it.

Communion is aptly referred to as a mystery, a Holy mystery...which means that through this sacrament God is able to convey things that are beyond our capacity to reason. One of those "things" is grace. Grace is the gift of a new beginning, the true knowledge of being forgiven, the gift of knowing that God loves and cares for you no matter where you are or what you have done. Can we come to know that too many times?

We have two sacraments - baptism and communion. And we only have two because they are the two things that Jesus told us to carry on. "As often as you do this, do this in remembrance of me" and "Go forth into all the world, teaching them and baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit." In baptism we are brought into the family of God, in communion we are sustained for the journey in that family. Can that be watered down? To make an analogy - is every time the family gathers around the dinner table less and less meaningful?

When communion is viewed as only a remembrance - simply an act like blowing out the candles on a birthday cake to mark another year of life...then I might concede that a birthday cake every week would get old. But - we believe God's presence is in the juice and bread - God is with us here and now, as he was in the first century, as he will be in the days to come...

John Wesley advocated that we should participate in the Lord's Supper as often as we are able to. Can we imagine - as we take in those elements and kneel to pray, that God's presence is all around us, a hand on our shoulder; and as we rise the places that have been broken are mended, the relationships where we have been angry or separated are now approachable, or the source of our confusion - becomes a bit clearer...can we get too much of that?

So as has been said, the move to weekly Communion is simply to provide an opportunity to grow closer to God - nothing more - open your hearts and minds to the mystery of God in your life - and be transformed by that love.

Abraham Lincoln

It seems I have been hearing many ties to Abraham Lincoln these last few days. The concert at the Lincoln Memorial, Obama using Lincoln's Bible, and of course the historic nature of an African American becoming president and what would Lincoln think of that? Today I received an email that had many resources for worship in it, and there he was again: Abraham Lincoln
At first I thought it would be somehow tied to the mood of the country and the events of the past week, but it is actually a resource for Ash Wednesday and speaks to our need to repent - I find some of the similarities to our culture 140 years later, eerily interesting. We have indeed been preserved in peace and prosperity and and that we think our blessings are produced by some wisdom of our own...

We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven. We have been preserved, the many years, in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth and power, as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to God that made us It behooves us, then to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.

April 30, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln's Proclamation for a National Day of Fasting, Humiliation and Prayer

In these days of change, whether it is in our nation's capital or in our homes, in our culture or in our families - there is always the call to remember God...remember how we got here, remember where our hope lies and to humble ourselves and pray.

God who created all,
We find many reasons to lose hope, and we search for the places and people we can put our hope in...forgive us for forgetting you are the one true hope that is present for all of creation. Our hope is in your grace - that meets us exactly where we are and carries us onward until we turn away again. Our hope is in your steadfastness, that you are unchanging in a world that changes every second.
Be with our leaders - old and new - we pray you will work in them in ways that are powerful and will turn hearts to your truth. Be at work in all of us, that we may be a part of the kingdom to come - to your glory and honor and not our own. Amen

Art Lucas has died.

I received an email yesterday from the "Shared Prayers" person at the Conference Office. It said, "It is with great regret that the district shares that Art Lucas has died." The message then gave the details of his funeral arrangements. Art was the Director of Spiritual Care at Barnes Jewish Hospital, but for me Art was the voice of God.

I traveled with Art and a group of other health care professionals to Riga, Latvia in 1997. The purpose of our travel was to bring the program/idea/institution of Hospice to this eastern European country. In those years, the USSR had not been gone all that long, and Jewish Hospital had a sister hospital there that they were mentoring into the 20th Century. We were introducing the idea of team health care, as well as dealing openly with death. The social norms of that time were to not tell the patient that they were dying and to keep it from them, the family was told and was aware and"protected" the patient from all "difficult" or "painful" information. Of course, hospice is 180 degrees the other direction. This was the first time I had traveled to Europe, I had two small children at home, but when I was invited to go, very much as a reward for a job well done, there was a stirring in my spirit that I HAD to go.

We traveled the long trip and stepped back in time. Riga is an ancient city that began in the 1400's. They have a history of fighting off the Vikings and surviving many assaults from other powers. (And they survived the USSR) Art's role was as a chaplain and he was meeting with the local seminarians. The Lutheran church has a history there. Their question to him was, "What does a chaplain do?" In our group he was sharing how the meeting went and how he answered the questions. He said, "Your pastor leads you and tells you what to believe, and a chaplain meets you where you are and walks with you in that place." The moment those words left Art's mouth and hit my ears, - the best way I can describe it, is that my heart was squeezed. It was in my chest, and there was a hand on my heart and it gently squeezed it. Well I thought, "that's odd" "You're way too excited girl, get a grip." and pretty much dismissed it as a blip.

Returning to the US, my family, Barnes-Jewish and Physical Therapy, everything had changed, I was different, and my experience of working as a PT at a skilled nursing facility was different. I became less interested in my middle management position and more interested in the patients dispositions and their souls. Not too long after that, I remembered this moment in Latvia, and I began to understand God was calling me to work in new ways for him and for his kingdom.

I shared this with Art and in his quiet way he smiled and said, sometimes you just don't know when God will use you. I visited with him a couple of other times and reminded him of the impact his ministry was to me and my life. Thank you Art, good and faithful servant. Rest in peace.