It's Spirit Week

At all three school districts which this family is affiliated with it is Spirit Week!  Spirit Week is the week leading up to homecoming and the big football game with the crowning of the Homecoming Queen.  The week is designed to get the students involved and excited about athletic rivalries, the kids are given themes for each day such as pajama day, neon day, school color day, mismatch day and yes, as this picture reflects. . . Senior Citizen Day.

The church has a Spirit day, a Spirit season in fact. . . that is Pentecost of course.  A day and a season where we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit after Jesus' resurrection and ascension.  But wouldn't it be wonderful if every Sunday was a Spirit-day, kicking off every week as a Spirit-week in the lives of Christians?

How much does the average Christian think about the Holy Spirit?  God, the Father, the Creator-- yes; Jesus of Nazareth, of course. . . but the Holy Spirit?  The HS gets less press I think than the other two persons of the Trinity.  I have no scientific way of knowing the answer to the question that I pose but what I do know is that it takes a little while on the faith journey to recognize the moving of the Spirit in the believer's life.

Not long ago a woman in my congregation, who has been a lifelong Lutheran, shared with me a story of her experience with the Holy Spirit.  We have spoken about it multiple times since because she is developing a deeper awareness of the Spirit's presence in her life.  She recounted a moment in the midst of worship where a profound sense of peace simply washed over her, from head to toe she felt the Spirit's love wrap her up in a cocoon of joy.  It had never happened to her before she said.  It was something new, something that caught her attention, something she wanted to feel again.

This happens to me from time to time usually when I am walking my dog on the bike trail, praying, thinking, being.  I cannot will it to happen. . . the Spirit blows where and when it chooses.  But for me it is like a deep sense of tranquility that sweeps over me letting me know that no matter what is going on, I'm going to be alright and that I don't have to be in control.

It's different for everyone I think, the way the Spirit comes to us.  There are some significant similarities though- peace, joy, love, comfort, a feeling of wholeness.  It's the identification process that is the first step toward recognizing the Spirit's presence in our lives.  We might mistake it for the endorphins of exercise, or a joyful moment brought on by some happy event.  It really becomes clear, however, when these "feelings" occur in the midst of trial, temptation, or anxiety.  When things aren't going well for us and we have this feeling is when we might first discern the Spirit's activity because there is no logical, rational, explainable reason for us to feel this way.

So, it's Spirit week ya'll- because I said so. . . veni sancte spiritus!  Come Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Where is Wisdom?

Where can I find wisdom when I need it?  

I've been told that I put myself in some precarious positions once in a while, places where I might be in danger (like when I went to the Dominican Republic for a wedding that I was to officiate my husband forbid me from going to the other side- to Haiti- on my own because he could see it in my eyes that I would want to do something about the earthquake that had just struck there) . . . I can't help myself, I gravitate toward the lost and dejected and sometimes it gets me into strange situations. . .nothing wise about that I guess.  In college I used to walk back to my dorm from the library at midnight all by myself.  I'd say "no" to volunteer security people.  What do I need them for?  One day in the Kroger parking lot there was a couple arguing and the man kept threatening the woman so I stayed right there, about 50 feet away and watched, thinking to myself, "If he goes after her he is going to have me to deal with."  Stupid, huh?


I rarely fear for my own safety, perhaps I think I'm invincible.  I know I'm not, but I trust that when it's my time then it's my time.  So I wonder in all of my foolishness. . .
Is it even possible to search for wisdom?  Or is it something that we just happen upon?  Is there a way to acquire it for ourselves?  Or do life's lessons do the work for us in this department?  


There are those in my life that I look at and admire for their great wisdom.  They have been through much and have processed it and used it to their advantage when another situation presents itself.  They seem to know the answers or at least are willing to let things go as they will, let life unfold without grasping at it too hard or too fast.  Maybe I will never be considered wise, if wisdom means being careful and safe. . . but maybe, just maybe, it's my trust in God that gets me into these situations where people close to me might call me "foolish."  I don't mean walking home alone late at night, I mean being with people who are in need of something I have to offer.  Encouragement, hope, direction, prayer, peace, comfort.  


So then, as I look for wisdom, here's what God says about it in the book of Job:


^{Job 20:28} Where then does wisdom come from? Where does understanding dwell? 
²¹ It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing, concealed even from the birds in the sky. ²² Destruction and Death say, “Only a rumor of it has reached our ears.” ²³ God understands the way to it and he alone knows where it dwells,²⁴ for he views the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens. ²⁵ When he established the force of the wind and measured out the waters, ²⁶ when he made a decree for the rain and a path for the thunderstorm,²⁷ then he looked at wisdom and appraised it; he confirmed it and tested it. ²⁸ And he said to the human race, “The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.”


God has enough wisdom for me. . . I'll just rely on him.  Amen.

The emotion that sounds evoke. . .

I live about 200 meters from a set of railroad tracks.  Almost every day I walk along those tracks with my dog, Martin Luther, because there is a bike trail that sits parallel to them.  I cannot see these tracks from my house but periodically throughout the day I hear the train whistle and the rush of the cars over the tracks. It has a certain cadence that is soothing. . . the thump thump as the cars pass over the flexible portions of steel rails.   For some reason, unbeknownst to me, I love the sound the trains make as they pass by.  I hear them in the night and and it makes me happy. . . I hear them in the day and it gives me peace.  Maybe it's because my maternal grandparents also lived right next to a train track when I was growing up and being at their house was a source of comfort and peace.  Maybe it's because my brother used to create elaborate model train configurations in our basement when we were growing up and I thought he was so creative and amazing.  (Still do, Rob, by the way.)  But for whatever deep seated reason, the sound of train whistles comforts me.

I also like the sound of wind chimes.  I have one on my front porch that was given to me this past year by my secret sister.  I love the tinkling of the pipes as they blow in the breeze.  It lifts my spirit, it gives me a surge of hope.  It reminds of the gentle breeze of the Holy Spirit blowing through my life.  When I sit in my teak rocking chair on the front porch with book in hand, watching the world go by, it is the wind chimes that are the soundtrack of peace for me.

Mostly though, I love the sound of my own name on the lips of those who love me.  "Mommy," "Mama," do that when my kids call for me.   I know they love me when they try to get my attention, "Mama. . . I need such and such, or did you know fill in the blank."  I think there's an emotional response for us when God says each of our names. . . he speaks them to us in tenderness and compassion, with adoration and affection;  they are like music on the divine lips.  The utterance of our name by our heavenly Father stirs us to a deeper connection with the one who created us, who loves us and sustains us with his mercy and grace.  No sweeter sound has even been heard than our name spoken by God in love.


But now, God's Message, the God who made you in the first place, Jacob, the One who got you started, Israel:"Don't be afraid, I've redeemed you. I've called your name. You're mine."-- Isaiah 43:1 (The Message)

What other sounds create a positive emotion inside of you?  Do you notice them and stop to reflect?

Hope is a prerequisite for Life

My son just finished reading "Night" by Elie Wiesel in his honors English class.  I read it a few years ago and was moved by it that I remember laying on the coach and sobbing.  A mixture of emotions coursed through my mind, heart and soul:  guilt, grief, anger, sadness, and hope.

As we drove home from our latest trip to piano lessons and weekly family dinner, an hour away, we had time to process some of Noah's thoughts about the book.  First of all I found out that he doesn't like books that have pain and struggle in them.  He is very compassionate but I think it weighs him down. . . maybe he's like his mother in that respect and FEELS very deeply for others who are in pain.  He would rather read Tolkien or Ridley Pearson instead.  He's a sunny kind of guy, no brooding for him, no dwelling in the sadness of life for this ray of sunshine!  So the subject of hope came up. . .

Just as despair can come to one only from other human beings, hope, too, can be given to one only by other human beings. --Elie Wiesel


Without hope there can be no life, at least anything that resembles life.  If we give up completely, if we lack a basic hope in today, let alone tomorrow, then we are left with the emptiness of despair.  Despair debilitates.  Despair robs us of life.  But hope gives us courage in the face of struggle, courage to do the thing that can be so difficult--- courage to LIVE.  


^{Romans 5: 1} Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. ³ Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴ perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness!  Hope in Christ is what keeps me alive!  Hope in the promises of God is what keeps this sinner from falling into the darkness of despair.  Hope walks with me like a loving companion, encouraging me to live for today, urging me to make good use of my life, reminding me that I am a child of God named "Amy" and that there is a plan for me that God is laying out before me one step at a time.  Hope calls me to help others, to comfort them in their grief so that they might have hope as well.  Hope lifts me and supports me even while my character is being refined, shaped, whittled, and sculpted by all that is "life."  


Hope is prerequisite for life.  
Without hope we cannot really live.  
Without hope we would all die of a broken heart.

The Power of Community

We were created to be in community as humans are very social beings.  We belong with one another rather than living and being in isolation.  God draws us into the church by the power of the Holy Spirit and equips us for service, worship and the growth of faith for the sake of a hurting and broken world. Sometimes that community of believers goes unnoticed, quietly doing its work week after week, helping, serving, assisting but never drawing much attention to itself.  But other times it draws people in to the process!  Either way, the community of faith is a source of great strength and encouragement for believers, especially in times of crisis or struggle when we need to band together and comfort one another or get something done.

Church Council Snapping Beans

Yesterday, the faithful of Trinity Lutheran Church in Monroeville, Ohio pulled off another community benefit.  This small church is so amazing!  Please don't ever suggest that there is something we cannot do because we will not listen!  We have relied on our faith and tenacity to do some pretty unbelievable things.  It's not just us though, the larger community is incredibly supportive as well!  The Firemen cooked the chickens and what an amazing job they did!  People came from miles away to eat the chicken dinners that were prepared, to sit and talk with Kim (for whom the benefit was held) and to linger for hours to make sure that enough money was raised for her upcoming eye surgery.  But before the actual event there were the behind the scenes series of steps that were taken to get the job done!  From the dream of "Can we do this?" to the shopping, prepping and cooking.  We had almost everyone single person in the church family working at something yesterday!  They baked pies, they cut pies and plated them up, they turned chicken on the fire pits, they snapped green beans (and lots of them thanks to my miscalculation of how many we would need!), they diced potatoes and shredded cabbage, they made crafts to sell and signs to put up all over town.  Local businesses and individuals who cared sent gifts for the auction and we exceeded our goal of $5000 by $2000 (thanks to Thrivent!).

Kim with her carry out sign.

The power of community is amazing, overwhelming, incredible, and Spirit filled.  These are the times when I feel the Spirit the most tangibly. . . like what I am doing, what we are doing, is making a difference in the world!  Kim will now be able to see clearly again soon. . . but I think something even more than eyesight may have happened for her and us as well!  Now, we are all in this together- every single one of us has a vested interest in her eyesight.  We can't wait until she can see us clearly again, and see the bulletin so she can sing her little heart out in worship!  And believe me, she will!  When she can see again, we will sing our hearts out as well- actually we do that every week- but it will be community joy when her eyesight is restored!

You could say that we are now bonded together for life: Kim, her husband Josh, and the TLC family.  Even if folks come and go, we will have this moment in our communal life to remember.  Isn't this a little glimpse of what Jesus was talking about when he urged his disciples to love their neighbor?  This kind of love bonds people together forever.  It cannot be forgotten very easily.  It pulls people together for a common purpose and strengthens their faith and resolve to get something important done-- and in a BIG way!

Huron River Joint FD and TLC folks cooking chicken.

I want to say thanks to everyone who helped to pull this off!  You are amazing and wonderful!  And keep the prayers ascending for Kim so that her surgery will be a success and that Christ's light will shine through her life continually as she witnesses to his loving, saving grace and mercy!

Joy comes in the morning. . .

Psalm 30

¹ I will exalt you, LORD, for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me. ² LORD my God, I called to you for help, and you healed me. ³ You, LORD, brought me up from the realm of the dead; you spared me from going down to the pit. ⁴ Sing the praises of the LORD, you his faithful people; praise his holy name. ⁵ For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.⁶ When I felt secure, I said, “I will never be shaken.” ⁷ LORD, when you favored me, you made my royal mountain stand firm; but when you hid your face, I was dismayed. ⁸ To you, LORD, I called; to the Lord I cried for mercy: ⁹ “What is gained if I am silenced, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your faithfulness? ¹⁰ Hear, LORD, and be merciful to me; LORD, be my help.” ¹¹ You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, ¹² that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. LORD my God, I will praise you forever.

How often I've sat with families who have lost a loved one to some wretched disease and they cannot do anything but weep, the tears flow, they gasp for breath, that evil b*^%$ death seems to have won.  It's as if God has walked away from them, never to be seen again, all that is left is emptiness and weeping.  There is no comfort anywhere; nothing I say can help, as if I were smart enough to know what to say in the first place.  But I keep pointing them to the cross of Christ. It's all I can do, point to the reality of Jesus' own suffering and death.  They feel forsaken. . . so did he.  They feel lost in their grief. . . so did he.  They cannot imagine there will ever be a new beginning worth experiencing. . . and yet on Sunday, that very first Easter Sunday, what Mary Magdalene found was an empty tomb- and a man she supposed was the gardener but who really was the Lord risen and freed from the captivity of death and the grave.  

When does it change?  From being weeping and the heaving of chest, gasping for air, eyes swollen and matted shut from the tears to being a joyful morning?  When does it become rejoicing?  2 o'clock am?  5 o'clock?  When?  There is just so much we cannot understand, but the promise is that rejoicing comes in the morning.  We cannot let go of that promise or else all we have is complete and utter despair!  Broken hearts and broken lives.  

It's not just the death of loved ones that can bring us to these places of "night." Loss of dreams, loss of opportunities, loss of being comfortable and thriving.  But God will not leave us, no matter what!  The psalmist says, "What is gained if I am silenced?"  Who will speak the good news for God if all the faithful are silenced by grief and pain and anguish?  The psalmist understands what it's like to cry for mercy and feel like you aren't being heard!  The psalmist knows how it feels to be in the depths of despair and grief, to be in a place so dark that no light seems to be able to enter in!  To have God hide his face from us is to be completely rejected and forlorn.  But who will be left to praise God if all the faithful are crippled and wracked with pain and grief?  Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.  Lord, have mercy.

But. . .  joy comes in the morning.  We have to believe it!  We have to have hope!  Without hope we will surely die sometime in the dark night.  

Sometime over night the Psalmist received relief. . . you turned my mourning into dancing. . . you took away my grieving clothes, my funeral attire and replaced it with joy so my heart can sing your praises, so no one can shut me up I'm so amazed at your love!  Lord God, I will praise you forever.  . . and I will not forget the many times you brought me out of wailing into joy sometime over night into the morning.  Amen.

Image credit: wnrn.org

Hanging by a thread. . .

Matthew 5 (The Message)
 ^1-2 When Jesus saw his ministry drawing huge crowds, he climbed a hillside. Those who were apprenticed to him, the committed, climbed with him. Arriving at a quiet place, he sat down and taught his climbing companions. This is what he said: ³"You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.
 ⁴"You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.
 ⁵"You're blessed when you're content with just who you are—no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought.
 ⁶"You're blessed when you've worked up a good appetite for God. He's food and drink in the best meal you'll ever eat.
 ⁷"You're blessed when you care. At the moment of being 'care-full,' you find yourselves cared for.
 ⁸"You're blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.
 ⁹"You're blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That's when you discover who you really are, and your place in God's family.
 ¹⁰"You're blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God's kingdom.
 ^11-12"Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don't like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble.

You are blessed.  You really are.  .  . it may not always feel like it but it's true!

How can I be blessed in these situations, Lord, we often wonder?  

When I'm overwhelmed, lost and wandering, dissatisfied with myself and my life, hungry for something that actually fills, in the middle of conflict, being attacked from all sides and dishonored. . . how can I be blessed in the midst of all of that?  

Hanging by a Thread

I took this picture last week while walking Martin Luther on the bike trail.  At first I walked right past this leaf that was hanging by a thread right in front of my face, so about 6 feet off the ground, suspended by a spider's silken strand.  I got three steps away from it and did a double take. . . then I headed back, got my phone out and took this picture.  It looks like it's just above the ground, but that's just the perspective of the shot.  If you look very closely you can see the tiniest thread holding that leaf up in the air, keeping it from falling to the ground below.  

Ever feel like this some days? Like you are just hanging by the tiniest thread?  Rushed, anxious, worried, overwhelmed, sad, distraught, lacking hope?  Like at any moment a whipping wind will come along and blow you down, beat you up and swirl you around?  Jesus' words to the gathered crowd give us comfort in these kind of moments/days/weeks/months!  Even years!  

You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.

Sometimes I have to remember this. . . in those difficult times when I want to hang on for dear life, to rely on my brute strength (which isn't always that strong), when I want to chastise myself for being weak or inept or lost or sinful. . . I try to let God take over, to let God be the one who is hanging on to me rather than me doing the work; in those moments I feel my hands burn against the proverbial rope, arms getting fatigued and shaking, sweat pouring down my back in that kind of hanging on!  I have to remember and repeat to myself, saying a prayer to Christ:

"Your grace is sufficient for me."  

"You are enough for me."  

"You are everything, Lord, fill me up in those places where no one and nothing can make a difference!"  

May your day be filled with hope and mercy and may you remember that God is always hanging on to you, especially when you feel like you can no longer hang on!  This is when God will fulfill your deepest needs! Amen.

Some Practical Advice from a Former College Athlete

This post has to do with my frustration over the rising costs of competitive high school sports.  I know, I know. . . this is not a blog devoted to athletics, but since it's my blog and it's what I'm thinking about today (and have thought a lot about a lot in the past 21 years since I graduated college) I'm going to write about it!

If you are parent of a middle school or high school athlete then you know the PRESSURE to participate in that sport of choice outside the regular season.  If your daughter plays volleyball she is told that in order to make the Varsity team in high school she will have to play JO (Junior Olympics) volleyball in the off season.  This runs clear through the spring (when I want her to be on my track team!) and the summer too!  Plus the coach is holding "training" sessions to boot at the high school!  Also, it runs on Sundays when worship is happening without you!  Now, the time commitment may not phase you, perhaps you don't have a life or a job so you can run her around all tar-nation to practices and weekend matches out of town. . . but what about the financial burden?  Just to walk in the door of the program it costs $500!  (At least!) Then you have to have a hotel for the weekend match, gas and food money for the whole family!  Say you have 5 matches in an off season, you probably have about $1500 wrapped up this whole gig and it isn't even the High School season.  But if she wants to play in high school it is the price you have to pay! It's the same for expensive swim clubs (checked the one out our son participated in during the spring offseason and it went from about $285 to just under $500-- forget it!), basketball programs, soccer programs etc.  Now if you are loaded and don't know what else to do with your money, then great, you can ignore this- we are on a different page entirely!  But bear this in mind. . . one critical injury in high school will dash your child's hopes of playing college athletics!  There are no guarantees about anything!

But if you aren't independently wealthy let me offer a viable alternative to the wish-dream of sending your child to get an education on an athletic scholarship. . . if you took that $1500 that you would have spent on each and every off season and put it in a 529 plan for college, plus a monthly amount that you knew you could afford, just imagine what you would have in the bank when it came time to send your child to college?  If your child is smart, why not focus on their academics?  With AP courses they can collect a couple of quarters of college while still in high school and it won't cost you a thing (or very little). After all that is the reason we go to college in the first place, right?  Academics?  This may seem obvious but let me share with you a little of my story. . . maybe someone can benefit from it in the long run. . .

I went to Ohio University on a Track and Field scholarship.  I was fifth in my class of 360+ and could have probably made it on my brain power if it had ever occurred to us as a family to think in that direction.  But I loved track (still do!) and so when the recruiters came a-knockin' I had to pick where to go. . . so off I go to Athens (beautiful place) and the first day of class is the first day of practice.  I was surprised to find out that it wasn't like high school, show up after school and run for 2 hours and hit the showers!  It was a FULL TIME JOB!  (Up at 6am run to the weight room to lift for 60-90 minutes, race to the showers and dining hall, then head to class, after class is over in the afternoon head the training room to ice my shins and get taped up, patched up, etc., head to the track for 2.5 hours of practice, then race to the dining hall again and then off to study tables where you are so exhausted you can barely keep your eyes open.)

Oh, I loved it, don't get me wrong, but it was eat, sleep and drink track and field!  And so I did, for four years!  (Still have four records in the top five of all time too, that's how serious I was about it!)  But, here's the thing. . . when it's over. . . IT IS OVER!  (Unless you think that coaching middle and high schoolers is a continuation of the legacy!)  Here's my concern, because I got the job done- got the BS in Science you know -- mission accomplished, right?  Well, somewhere along the way track became my GOD.  I cared more about the next triple jump record than I did about organic chemistry!  I was more concerned with healing an injury in my foot so I could compete in all the meets than I was about my genetics class!  I lost focus on why I was there in the first place-- to get an education, to get the best grades I could get so that one day I would realize my dream of being a physician.  That dream died along the way as I ran lap after lap on that green track.

Now of course it is true that others have done this and done it very well- maintained a proper balance between academics, athletics, family and faith.  But for me, not so.  I enjoyed my time on the track, I absolutely loved my coach who was like a second father to me, I loved my teammates, and I loved the success I enjoyed. . . however, I see now (actually I saw it a long time ago) that there was some major idolatry going on in my life.  My message is simple parents . . . weigh the pros and cons of your dream to have your child go to school on an athletic scholarship.  Is it their dream to compete at the next level?  Is it worth the time and great effort and financial burden to get them there?  How will you help them balance family life, friends, and their faith in God?

As for me. . . I'm putting my money in the 529 plan!

Reflections on Nine Years of Ministry

Nine years may not seem like a lot to many of you, but to me, at least today, it seems like some sort of accomplishment.  Many of my friends who are pastors have been at this much longer than I have, but at one point they were also thinking about what it meant to be in ministry for nine years.  Not only has it been nine years, but nine years in one congregation.  Mind you, this congregation is not the same congregation that I was called to nine years ago- it has changed, adapted, transformed, grown, stretched, re-invented itself. . . at least three times.  When I came to Monroeville nine years ago my now friend and UCC colleague Wayne Chasney, told me, "If you want to make a difference here you have to set your mind on staying for awhile."  I wasn't sure I wanted to hear that but I pondered it over and over for a long time and decided he was absolutely right.  (By the way, he is still serving in Monroeville after 18 years so he meant what he said!)  I am the second longest serving pastor in the history of the congregation, 91 years and still going strong.

So what have I learned in nine years?  A whole lot I can tell you that!  Stuff they never teach you in seminary. . . stuff they cannot teach you in seminary.  Here's an incomplete list in no particular order:

* Don't take yourself too seriously. . . life is serious enough without the pastor getting all serious all the time! (Have fun, laugh a lot! and don't be afraid to act silly.)
* Preach the gospel. . . people need to hear it desperately, they get the LAW perfectly well, it's the gospel that doesn't make any sense to them.
* Learn everything you can about underground water retention systems, you never know when you will have to build a parking lot. Also learn about capital campaigns, stewardship and architect's drawings.
* Don't DO EVERYTHING. . . if you do then no one else will use their gifts for the ministry and mission of the kingdom and you will rob them of that life-giving experience.
* I can't save anyone, and neither can you-- Jesus is the only one who saves!
* Failure can be a gift. . . it helps us move forward, learn and grow.
* Make sure your kids and spouse don't always come second to the church. . . you have a responsibility to them too and they need you!
* Keep in touch with your friends from home, they are the ones who knew you before you were a pastor and so they have a different take on things when it comes to your life.
* Love your people! Love your people! Love your people!
* Grow disciples. . . that's why you are there, to accompany the saints on this faith journey-- it's not about big programs or gimmicks but about developing people into who God made them to be.
* Don't get stuck being married to the building.  Someone else can have a key you know.
* Focus on the motivated-- you cannot motivate the unmotivated (Edwin Friedman).
* Take your vacation.  If you aren't healthy then the church will be much less healthy.
* Get involved in the community . . . it will expand the reach of your ministry. (I am will be starting my 7th season this Spring as a Track and Field coach.  Plus it uses a gift that I have and feeds my soul at the same time.)
* Know that conflict happens (wherever two or three are gathered there you will find two or three opinions) and don't take it too personally.
* Do good worship.
* Pray.  Pray again.  And pray some more.  And remember that Jesus is always, always, always with you, fully present to you all the time, wherever you are and that he loves you.

Well that's enough for today. . . maybe next year I'll have more but for now I think this is a good start.  Feel free to comment!

Where were you on 9/11/2001?

As we come nearer to the tenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on American soil it is a time when communities are gearing up for memorial services, community worship events, and remembering our own human vulnerability.  I was at home folding laundry when I got a call to turn on the television and see what was happening.  I was supposed to be at a meeting at seminary that evening to debrief my internship. . . instead I sat for hours upon hours looking at the horror that the television transmitted into my living room. Those images are forever burned into all of our brains. . . they will never go away.  As a country we were all shocked and horrified in a way that in some respects brought us together, at least for the time being.

That Sunday in the parish I was serving there were a handful of visitors.  The attacks had such an impact on these people that they got out of bed on a Sunday morning and sought out the nearest church.  That was certainly the right instinct; when wracked with grief, seek the communion of saints for comfort.  As church leaders reflected on that following Sunday after 9/11 we marveled at how a change seemed to occur in our country.  People actually flocked to worship!  Churches were full that day!  It gave us hope for a revival!  People were in touch with their own mortality and need for God.  They vowed that their lives would change because of this, that life was so precious they wouldn't take another day for granted.

However, the very next Sunday it was back to normal in worship.  Where were the visitors who had committed themselves to a new beginning, pledging that their lives would be refocused on the holy?  Apparently their alarm clocks failed to sound off in time.

For many who deal with crisis and tragedy on a day to day basis, firefighters, police, military, chaplains, therapists, this coming Sunday will be a brutal reminder of death, the fragility of life, even the horrors that they have seen and experienced in their vocation.  With all the preparations leading up to this memorial event there might be some anxiety building already.  They need our care, our prayers and comfort.  It only takes one image to bring it all back. . . as raw as the first time. . . the smell of smoke, the sounds of suffering, the loneliness of feeling completely and utterly helpless.  For them Monday can't come quick enough.

So then, two things I ask of you today and the days to come . . First of all: pray for those who serve and risk their lives- their very psyches- to serve others.  They need the cloud of witnesses surrounding them, bathing them in prayer.   Second: pray that our country would turn toward the God of the universe, not just for one Sunday, but forever.  We are in desperate need of God who loves us and wants us to be whole and healthy and content.  Pray that the Holy Spirit would grab those who are unsure, who might be lukewarm in their faith, who think they don't need Christ. . . and move them to walk into their closest church, and run to the table of grace to eat and drink the One who is the Resurrection and the Life.  Amen.

Image credit: http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/06/state-reveals-official-sept-11-memorial-flag/

I'm not happy, I'm not sad. . . I am in a time of Advent

Luke 1: 78-79 By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Ever feel like you are wandering through life just waiting for something to happen? Or like you are on the verge of something really big?  That's where I'm at right now. . . I made it through multiple transitions in my recent life and am now waiting for the new day to dawn.  What will it be?  There are endless possibilities. . . and yet I wait and watch to see if this will be the day that it all materializes.

Advent is like that. . . it's a little early in the calendar year to talk about Advent but the Church liturgical cycle points to the reality that life ebbs and flows through various seasons.  There are times of great joy, those Easter moments when the we get the good news that the tomb is actually empty and that Jesus has risen from the grave. No more death, no more pain, no more heartache . . . just grace and joy and resurrection life!  There are seasons of darkness and grief, those Good Fridays of Holy Week, where we lament lost dreams, lost loved ones, lost opportunities.  There are those Lenten times when it's a mixture of sorrow and hope for the future.  There are seasons of light, those Epiphany moments where all we can see is light streaming in the windows of our spirit, illuminating all those places in us that need to be renewed and refreshed.  There is ordinary time when steady occurs, like blades of grass that seem to grow overnight but you can't catch it with the naked eye.  Or when your child seems to have sprouted an inch from the time you tucked him into bed and when he awoke in the morning.  There are times when the Holy Spirit is up to something new within us. . . where a Pentecost fire is lit in our gut and we are sent out into the world with fervor and excitement.  There are the Christmases of life where everything seems to be pure gift, where every little aspect of life is cherished and held as sacred.

But this is Advent for me.  A time of waiting and watching. . . what will come next?  I feel like I'm on pins and needles. . . you know the feeling.  I'm not anxious in a negative way; I'm anxious in a way that is like being on high alert, a sentinel watching, scanning the horizon for the sun to peek its head out and bring light and life and opportunity.  What I am actually waiting for, I do not know.  I don't have to know.  God who is faithful will reveal it to me when the time is right, God's kairos time is perfect- never too early and never too late.  I have a feeling, though, that it's going to be big!  Until then I sit quietly in prayer, waiting, listening, watching so that I'll be ready when the time comes.

Be Still and Know that I am God

Be still and know that I am God.
Be still and know that I am. . .
Be still and know. . .
Be still. . .
Be. . .

When was the last time you truly took a Sabbath day?  A day of true rest?  Not just laying around on the couch watching football (though that might be refreshing for some) but a day when you intentionally thought about God, offered a prayer each time you thought of Jesus and what he has done for you, sat in silence waiting to hear the whisper of the Holy Spirit?

Labor Day is a good day to shabbat- to rest in the Lord.  Should be called "rest" day though.  Instead of filling every waking moment with something to do. . . take some time today to relax, have a little fun with your friends or family. . . and remember the One who rested on the seventh day!  To encourage you I have added a picture of Martin Luther who is soooo good at just "being," much better at it than I am!

This is not a cheerful post. . .

Warning: This is not a cheerful post 

so if you want to be cheered up. . . don't read it!  

I am mad!  Pissed off, angry, upset, sick. . . SICK to death of EVIL!
My husband told me this morning while we were on our daily walk with our yellow labrador retriever, Martin Luther, that a 2 year old yellow lab was beaten to death by some kids.  Immediately, I felt like I would throw up right there on the bike trail.  A wave of nausea swept over me like it usually does in the presence (or even suggestion) of evil.

From the Norwalk Reflector:
Yellow Lab Beaten to Death

I never really understood all of you dog owners, how you would baby your pups, snuggle with them, act like they were another son or daughter until Noah was in fourth grade and he kept begging for a black lab. His piano teacher has a black lab, sweetest dog ever named Sadie and that dog took a liking to Noah during weekly piano lessons.  So one day when my dad was visiting me we went to the dog pound, just to "see."  As we walked back into the kennel the cacophony of barking began and there was a black lab behind bars going wild trying to get my attention.  But then on the other side of the kennel was a sweet yellow lab, about six months old, who did not make a peep, he looked up at me with his big brown eyes and it was instant attraction.  It was like he picked me!  

Needless to say that pup came home with me that day and he's been mine ever since.  (By the way when Noah saw him he said, "I wanted a black lab!)  I love this dog!  He sits at my feet when I write and puts his head on my lap when he wants me for something.  He is Mr. Faithful to me, Jeff, and the kids.  That's how labs are. . . they are loyal and sweet and lovable.  So why the hell (Excusez ma Francaise s'il vous plait!) would anyone beat a beautiful dog to death?  I simply don't understand this kind of evil- not that I understand any kind of evil- but this is absolutely sickening!

This is one of the great questions of human existence: Why is there evil?  And further, What is God going to do about it?  I don't have that answer for you, many have asked me and I always come up short.  I simply don't know. . . has something to do with sin though.  All I know is that even in the midst of such horror, God was with that dog. I believe this with all my heart because I believe that God cares for all living creatures!  Labs included!  And I also believe that God grieves this kind of violence, pain and suffering.

I pray for those kids who did this because they are going down a path that is not good. . . it can only lead to worse things than this if God doesn't get ahold of them soon!  So, I pray that God would turn their hearts toward the holy so they can see that even dogs are cherished, valuable and worthy of being treated with kindness and love.  And maybe, just maybe, they would come to know that they are cherished, loved and worthy of Christ's love. . . for while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!  Amen.

Class rings, Homecoming, and Varsity Swimming

I'm having a moment of panic here.  My baby boy is now just a hair shorter than me, about to overtake me in a moment's notice and that's no small feat because I'm 6'1". . . and he just turned 14.  How did I get so old to have a child in high school?  Oh, I remember high school, that's why I'm scared!

He still puts his arms around me and hugs me, and I know that's going to come to an end soon. . . please don't let it come soon!  He's looking at class rings, "What should I put on the side?"  His friends are planning homecoming after parties, at least I know the parents, they are good friends of ours.  In a couple months high school swimming starts. . . he's been swimming since the age of seven, it's what we've been working up to all these years so what's my deal?

Perhaps I'm having a moment of ontological shock.  There was a time when I didn't exist and there will be a time when I exist no longer. . . at least in the way that I do now.  And having my first born in high school makes me think I'm getting closer to that moment. . . plus another birthday right around the corner. I'm living in the moment but the moments are going by so fast it seems.  I have no idea what's coming around the bend but I'm hopeful. . . I know God is walking with us on this journey.  At times I can't wait to see what he will do, what he will be when he grows up, where he will go to college, what adventures he will find. . . and then other times I wish I could have him back wrapped up in his baby blanket, sleeping on my chest every afternoon watching Lady and the Tramp (that's our movie!).

But, I know, I can't stop time.  It never goes the way I want it to, either too fast or too slow.  But I am doing my best to live in the moment, to be happy with what I have, not with what I don't and to enjoy every day I have with my family.  If I'm lucky, with this birthday, I will be only halfway finished with this life and have the best half to come.

Have a blessed day!  Enjoy all of your special moments too knowing that God is right there beside you all the way!

Shalom.
amy

Summer Satisfaction

I believe in God the Father almighty, creator of heaven of earth.

What is this? "I believe that God has created me together with all that exists. . . God daily and abundantly provides shoes and clothing, food and drink, house and farm, spouse and children, fields, livestock, and all property-- along with all the necessities and nourishment for this body and life. . ."

(First Article of the Apostles' Creed, BC, SC, Kolb/Wengert edition.)

With the help of my friends at church, we have managed to can about 40 jars of salsa and 15 jars of tomato sauce from our church garden (with a little extra from other people's gardens too).  There is no greater summer satisfaction for me than looking at all the beautiful jars of red tomato products on my kitchen table.  I love how the glass shines and behind the glass I can see the bits of jalapeños and green peppers, onions and cilantro.  It is a sight to behold.  There is something really satisfying about using what God has given to create a sustainable future.

There is certainly a lot of buzz these days surrounding drug testing for those who receive government aid. There are multiple problems going on in our communities, two of which happen to be the availability and use of drugs --which knows no socioeconomic boundaries by the way, and a lack of employment opportunities.  Sometimes, though, it does seem that there are jobs to be had but they aren't glamorous enough to be worth one's time and energy. . . if this is the case then there is a serious motivation issue going on.  If one is hungry, one will do what one has to do in order to feed the family, even taking a job that might not be one's dream occupation.  The way my office phone rings somedays it seems that asking for assistance from churches and other non-profits is as much a "job" as working at the golden arches.  However, the folks who don't qualify for any assistance but who are working two jobs and busting their hind ends to make ends meet are exactly the ones who will never ask for help.  So what's the solution?  Drug testing or not?  I'm not sure but I bet if they put that into place it will cost the county more money to deal with all the resulting issues that ensue from denying people foodstamps or PRC monies.  The system is broken.  The world is broken.  We are broken.  It's everyone's problem but part of the problem is that sometimes helping isn't really helping.

So back to the salsa.  . . we originally started this project as a way to teach sustainability for folks who rely on assistance to make it through each week and month without going hungry. We invited people from the nonfood bank to come and learn how to make and can applesauce.  No one came.  We planted a garden this year and are now reaping the harvest of that 10x30 foot plot.  The good news is that some younger folks in our parish have learned this lost art.  We will keep trying. . . it's about the "teach a man to fish" concept.  It will take time to change a broken system and this is our little way of contributing to sustainability and greater self sufficiency.

God gives abundantly from the land for our good use and I love that, I want others to know that and to appreciate it too!  It connects us to the earth and to the Creator of Universe!  Plus it tastes really good too! Learning some basic skills surrounding gardening and canning could potentially make a huge difference in many lives.  Plus it is incredibly satisfying! Bon Appetit!