Kaleidoscope Faith

Itsy Bitsy Spider

2011-12-14T17:08:00.001-05:00

Behind the Alter as I removed the cover of the flagon to pour the wine into the chalice I noticed a little spider chilling on the spout. I looked at it briefly debating:
1. How to pour the wine without getting the spider in the chalice.
2. How not get the spider on me.

I realize the logical conclusion would be to smash the spider and again two thoughts:
1. I really don’t like spiders and am a little freaked out to kill them… if I had gathered the courage it would have included a little shriek that I’m pretty sure would have distracted the worshiping community.
2. There just seemed to be something wrong with killing a little spider at the Lord’s Table. I like to preach that all are welcome…

I did manage to not kill the spider and serve communion to the gathered congregation. However, in the midst of this the spider moved its way to my worship book. This is the book I carry with me during the service. I watched the spider closely as I held the book. I didn’t want to miss any move otherwise it might have ended up on me and a shriek – followed by some jumping and hitting myself would likely follow.

The spider and I made it through the rest of the service together sharing my book and trust me I knew where that spider was at all times.

In truth, I wish I spent that much focus and time paying attention to how God is at work in my life and in the world around me. So for this new church and calendar year, I give thanks for that spider who has inspired me to watch more attentively to the Spirits movement.

Baby Steps

2011-12-14T16:09:00.001-05:00

November has long gone and December is nearing its end for the 2011 year. I guess that means my blogging starts anew with the new church year and soon the new calendar year. The transition in calls has been blessed and bumpy. Thank you, loyal readers, for your patience during this transition. I will most likely not start weekly blogging again until March which will hopefully be the launch of our new website at Immanuel!

As for now… I’ll blog as the inspiration hits… instead of forcing it to hit by Wednesday at 9 am. ;)

Dear Friends

2011-09-21T15:40:00.003-04:00

I write briefly today to inform my loyal readers that I am still alive despite not posting last week and posting later than normal today. However, I am in transition between saying goodbye to my current congregation at Christus Victor Lutheran Church and saying hello to a new call at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Michigan. I am not planning to post during this transition time unless the Spirit moves me otherwise. I hope to be back writing weekly devotionals starting in November. Thank you for being a loyal reader!! Please pray for me during this transition.

Blessings!
Pastor Dana

Ten Years Ago

2011-09-07T09:00:00.001-04:00

Breath

2011-08-31T09:00:00.002-04:00

Today I’d like to share with you something I read recently that transformed my idea of God. Again.

Meaning… every time I think I can grasp a bit of who God is I learn something that changes my understanding. I realize that most say God is never-changing… but I can tell you that my understanding of God is ever-changing.

An excerpt from Father Richard Rohr, The Naked Now: Learning to See as the Mystics See (pp. 25 & 26)

I cannot emphasize enough the momentous importance of the Jewish revelation of the name of God. It puts the entire nature of our spirituality in correct context and, if it had been followed, could have freed us from much idolatry and arrogance… formally the word [Yahweh, YHVH, God] was not spoken at all, but breathed! Many are convinced that its correct pronunciation is an attempt to replicate and imitate the very sound of inhalation and exhalation. The one thing we do every moment of our lives is therefore to speak the name of God. This makes it our first and our last word as we enter and leave the world.

For some years now, I have taught this to contemplative groups in many countries, and it changes peoples’ faith and prayer lives in substantial ways. I remind people that there is no Islamic, Christian, or Jewish way of breathing. There is no rich or poor way of breathing. The playing field is utterly leveled. The air of the earth is one and the same air, and this divine wind “blows where it will” (John 3:8) – which appears to be everywhere. No one and no religion can control this spirit.

Busyness

2011-08-24T09:00:00.001-04:00

I was at a celebration this past weekend. We were housed in a multi-million dollar (more than 4 mil) home on Sanibel Island with a beautiful view of the Gulf of Mexico. Some people have never stepped foot in a home quite this size and beauty. Let’s just say on the top floor alone had five bathrooms. There were only seven of us and between both floors we could all have our own restroom. There was a beautiful spiral staircase and of course a view that is breathtaking (or as I would say breath-giving).

I am sure you’re asking what one does in a multi-million dollar home for the evening. Play sardines of course. If you have never experienced sardines it’s a version of hide-and-go-seek where one player hides – everyone seeks – as you find the hider you hide with them until everyone is hiding together.

When it was time to move onto other games, it was drop a Kleenex from the top of the spiral staircase and see if you can get to the bottom and catch it before it lands on the floor. Next, use the cool doors that have a glaze, turn the music up, and dance oddly or move bodies as such to create cool shadows for the amusement of those on the other side of the door. Each room had its own unique way to become play. It was a group of 30-somethings turned into childlike-imaginative-play.

I have a friend who owns a nerf dartboard that uses it regularly and another who will gladly walk on his hands when asked. There is something in us that when we connect with our childlike-imaginative-play we feel free and a little more whole. The world is easier to deal with and a smile develops easily. Being connected with our Creator can have a similar and even more powerful effect.

When we attend a moving worship service, look at the beautiful creation of God, sit in prayerful meditation, or experience a “God moment” we feel free and a little more whole. The world is easier to deal with and a smile develops easily. It took a multi-million dollar home to remind me to play. Imagine what it takes for us to remember to connect with God.

Just as I don’t naturally say during my day, “Hey can we take a break for a game of Hide-and-go-Seek?” We don’t naturally say during our day, “I’m going to sit under a tree in prayer.” We’re busy. Sadly, busyness is something we make up. I met with a pastor this week who said, “I wish we could get together more often. I guess we’re too busy pretending to be busy.”

God didn’t create me to be busy. He created me to love. So I choose love. You?

Grace

2011-08-17T09:00:00.000-04:00

An Anxious Heart

2011-08-10T09:00:00.004-04:00

By Jessica Maske

I remember walking into the church two weeks ago with an excited yet anxious heart. Being my first Sunday at Christus Victor my head was racing with all the possibilities and responsibilities that would come with being an intern.

Anxiety seems to be a problem for many in today’s fast paced world and it seems to become all consuming in many cases with the tasks and responsibilities that we find ourselves in. But the thing with anxiety is that it is always pointed to the future and what might happen. We seem to get ourselves worked up about the future and what might occur that we never take the time to stare at what is right in front of our face in the present.

Jesus begins in Matthew 6:25-34 stating “Therefore I tell you do not worry about your life.” He goes on to describe how God provides for all that we need just like God provides for the lilies of the field and birds of the air. He ends this section giving such great wisdom and yet stating it so simply, “so do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”

Jesus is saying something very profound to us here. I had a mentor who explained it to me very well once when I was full of hopelessness about the future. She said, "sometimes we are just called to leave our worry, our anxiety at the foot of the cross and walk away from it. We have to leave our load and give the anxiety over to Jesus and just live for today."

I will admit that this sounds a lot easier than it is. I have struggled with the over-consuming power of anxiety and worry to the point of great despair, but what has always kept me going was the fact that God is present now. God is right there walking along side you and me, ready to bear those thoughts because we can’t do it alone and thanks be to God that we don’t have to!

The Little Things

2011-08-03T09:00:00.002-04:00

A man without a home walked through our church doors. We greeted Jim (which is not his real name) and he said, “I am not looking for money or a handout I just need to talk with someone.” I guided Jim into my office and for the next hour listened to a story. His life story was full of hurt and instability. He explained that as someone without a home has to stay on the move. Shelters only welcome you for so many days or weeks then you have to move onto another shelter. He talked about nights in the woods on the ground being covered with red ants and how a shower was a blessing when the circumstances gifted him with facilities.

As we continued to talk he shared that he has many broken relationships because of addiction, and he was proud to share that he is now 2 years sober. Yet, many of the relationships are so broken his apology goes unanswered. He was getting to a point where he wanted to drink again and that is why he walked in the doors of the church. He walked in wanting to continue on the path of sobriety and in the midst of this he wanted to know where God was.

I was blessed to recap his story. Remember when you stole the chicken from the grocery store and the manger said, “We can’t put a man in jail for needing to eat?” Remember when you were in the woods covered with ants and something in your head said go to the Homeless Veterans Home? They greeted you with kindness and you found out that there is actually a pension in your name and they guided you on how to start receiving it. Remember when the bank said you couldn’t open an account to receive the pension payments and suddenly someone stepped in on your behalf and they waived the rule? You didn’t have the $10 to open the account, but there was a grocery store across the street and you were able to pan handle the $10 you needed to open your account. Remember when you walked in the doors of the church instead of picking up another drink?

He responded, “Yes, but why do I have to suffer?”

I responded, “I think Jesus would look at you and me and say to me, ‘Pastor Dana, Jim gets it. He knows why I had to suffer on the cross. Listen to his story.’”

Power of Poems

2011-07-27T09:00:00.000-04:00

Connecting with our Creator

2011-07-20T09:00:00.000-04:00

I happen to be back from a two week vacation. It was a perfect mix of friends, family, celebrations, transitions, and food. I had days floating on the river laughing with friends. We did not watch the clock. We did not stress about the health of the next meal. Our bath was in the river and most of us did not stare at the screens that usually take up a majority of our day. And instead of the internet entertaining us it was creation.

I was entertained by God’s creation the water, bugs, dirt, wood, fire, fish… I can actually say that I walked on the earth everyday during vacation. In my normal routine I can’t say the same. I usually go from the garage to the car to the parking lot to the church via a sidewalk. Even if I run errands I don’t tend to walk on the actual earth.

I suppose I don’t really have to wonder why I always feel so much better after a vacation with my friends at the dirty outdoor log cabin. There is a quote by John Burroughs that comes to mind, "I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in tune once more." I have renewed a connection with my Creator. My senses exude with extravagance. Yet, after two weeks I was overjoyed to rinse off in good old city water. And even though I am clean today I look back and say, “I may have been dirty, but I was whole.”

Leaving your garbage at the Cross

2011-07-06T10:11:00.002-04:00

By: Joseph Murdy
This past Sunday our scripture reading was from Matthew, “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” What a wonderful and liberating opportunity Jesus offers us, to give him all our burdens. Our burdens, sins, and guilt can build up like garbage. Sometimes it can get so overwhelming; we get lost and can’t find our way through the clutter. We hold on to our garbage, and become like “spiritual hoarders of sin and shame.” I sense a new TV series.

There is a story about a pastor who was counseling a couple. For weeks, they came into his office, an office which also had a door leading to the furnace room. For weeks, they pointed fingers; they blamed each other and brought up decade’s worth of accusations. Until one day, the pastor had enough, and had them write all of their complaints on long sheets of paper. After writing and writing he then brought in a trash can. “Now, put your garbage in here,” he said, “I’m going to put it in the furnace room, if you ever want your garbage back again, you know where to find it. But today, youre walking out of here and leaving your garbage behind.”

When Jesus carried his cross to Calvary and took upon himself the sins of the world what he essentially did was take all our garbage with him. Jesus tells us that if we are tired of carrying our heavy burdens, if we are tired of carrying the shame and guilt of always messing up, then he will take it ALL from us. Why carry your sins around with you today. Ask God for forgiveness, and it will be yours. If it helps, write down what’s been weighing on your heart. Write down all of the garbage you have been holding on to and carrying all by yourself. Crinkle it up, and put it where it belongs…in the trash. With God, forgiveness is not only possible…it’s a promise we have every day when we turn to God. If you are tired, turn to Jesus, and find “rest for your souls.”

Is Your God Too Small?

2011-06-22T09:00:00.001-04:00

The Hubble Space Telescope snaps pictures of beautiful images of other places. The picture I have included with this blog entry is a picture of a spiral galaxy. It is an amazing gift to be able to look into space and see the beauty of God’s creation. But what really gets me is that the picture was taken in 2010. That means that in 2010 we took a picture of something 72 million years old. We actually snapped a shot of history.

If you’re saying, “What?” let me explain: The spiral galaxy is 72 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo. A light-year is the distance a particle of light (photon) will travel in one year. The distance light travels in one year is about 9.461 × 1015 meters (9.461 petrametres), or about 5.879 × 1012 (nearly six trillion) miles. This means that a picture of something 72 million light-years away shows the way things were 72 million years ago.

That means that in 2010 we took a picture of something 72 million years old?

Now when we think about time as humans something like that almost seems impossible. I mean, how often do we say, “There isn’t enough time in the day?” How often do we rely on calendars, clocks, daylight, and death to determine the amount of time we have. Yet God doesn’t work on the same time schedule. God is actually beyond time.

We occasionally experience time differently too. We have those days that fly by so quickly it’s as if it never even began. Then we have moments when 5 minutes seems like 5 hours. Time is a funny thing and changes with our prospective on life. God never changes. God is beyond time, beyond daily pressures, beyond our understanding of life and death. God is Awesome!

I AM

2011-06-15T09:00:00.002-04:00

A plaque I recently read said:

I was regretting the past
and fearing the future.
Suddenly God was speaking:
“MY NAME IS ‘I AM.’”
I waited. God continued:
“When you live in the past,
with its mistakes and regrets,
It is hard. I am not there.
MY NAME IS NOT ‘I WAS.’
When you live in the future,
with its problems and fears,
It is hard. I am not there.
MY NAME IS NOT ‘I WILL BE.’
When you live in this moment,
it is not hard. I am here.
MY NAME IS ‘I AM.’”

I don’t know how many sleepless nights you have had. You know those nights when your mind is racing. It could be about something that happened in the past – it could be about what is to be. So, in that rare moment you actually have to sleep your mind simply does not shut down. It takes you back or it takes you forward. It simply does not let you live in the moment.

When I read the plaque above I thought: On those sleepless nights I can change my thoughts from

I am Dana
I am unable to sleep
I am worried about what the future will bring

to

I AM has named and claimed me
Isaiah 43: 1 “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.”

I AM gives comfort to those who need rest
Matthew 11: 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, for I will give you rest.”

I AM calls us to seek first the kingdom
Matthew 6: 34 “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Maybe my meaning of “I am” needs some tweaking!

Need a hand?

2011-06-08T08:12:00.001-04:00

By: Joseph Murdy

Have you ever tried to do everything yourself? When you do everything on your own how does it work out in the end? Are you satisfied with the results? How do you feel when you do something all on your own? When I try to do things on my own the results are usually the same, I get tired, cranky, overwhelmed and in the end eventually lose interest. When you work with someone, talk it out, or even take advice the results are always so much better. This kind of thinking is vital in relationships. I use the word “vital,” because without partnership the relationship suffers; it lacks life. This is just as true for all human relationships, as it is in our relationship with God.

Just the other day I was talking with someone who is about to get married. Just weeks away from the big day, you can imagine the stress and small details that still need done. My advice was not to forget that she is not alone in all of this. Planning a wedding takes team work. I told her, “Remember to ask for help.” Has anyone ever said that to you? Maybe in school when you were struggling with a difficult math problem or facing a challenging obstacle? How about when it comes to your faith?

If you find yourself struggling with prayer, struggling with self-worth, faith, discipleship, relationships with others, and even your relationship with God…Ask for help. YOU ARE NOT ALONE! No one ever said that faith and prayer were things we had to do all by ourselves. Prayer and faith require partnership. Remember you are not alone. If you are struggling, look to your fellow disciples, ask for help. Don’t forget, we have a God who has promised to always be with us. Look to God when you need help, and remember…you are not alone.

God's Chisel

2011-06-01T09:00:00.000-04:00

We made it to May 22!

2011-05-25T09:00:00.000-04:00

What were you doing May 21, 2011 – the supposed day of the rapture?

Isaiah 65 leaves us with the warm fuzzes ready to experience this reality of the New Jerusalem (The wolf and the lamb shall feed together). Then we read Luke 21 (Earthquakes, war, famines, plagues, persecution…). That doesn’t leave us with quite the warm fuzzes. As a matter of fact it leaves us with quite the opposite feeling. The people love their Temple – admire its beauty. They don’t want it to be rubble. Thrown down to pieces? This strikes fear into the people they need to know the outcome… they need to know when will this come to pass? As people long for the glory of their beautiful temple Jesus points out the reality of the broken world.

Earthquakes, war, famines, plagues, persecution, prison… all the things that as Christians we want to end - yet we can’t. These calamities happen every day and make us long for Isaiah chapter 65 to truly come to fruition.

I don’t believe that Jesus is trying to instill fear in the people, but I do believe that Jesus it trying to wake the people up to the reality of the world around. It’s not about the temple – it’s about God’s kingdom. Jesus sends the people with hope. Though the darkness of this world has not been overcome we can let our light shine through it – these calamities give us the opportunity to testify. Testify to the glory of God.

Out of the rubble comes new life. The same can be said of most disasters – in the wake of recovery, those who survive are often stronger and more appreciative than ever of the simple gifts of life.

Isaiah leaves us longing for the future the New Jerusalem – Luke leaves us fearful of the future. Isaiah say’s we’ll forget the past the pain – Luke says we’ll gain our souls.

Jesus came to declare the kingdom of God is at hand! Let’s stop setting dates for the “end” and start working for the kingdom today.

Holy Living Made Simple

2011-05-18T09:00:00.000-04:00

Joseph Murdy, Intern

“As he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct; for it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’” 1 Peter 1:16
What does it mean to live a Holy Life? I would think that for every person you ask, you are most likely to get a different answer. We cannot ignore the fact that the Bible does put forth guidelines for living holy lives. There are always some kind of boundaries, lines drawn, or demands made. The truth is the guidelines for holy living are gifts, ways in which God can keep us spiritually safe and in his constant care. The first of such guidelines are the Ten Commandments. These commandments are not meant to be a burden, but an opportunity to live according to God’s word. If you think about all the commandments, are they for God or for us? If you cheat on your spouse, who gets in trouble? If you lie, steal, covet, murder, who suffers the consequences? Consider the commandments to be God’s way of keeping His children safe. I give thanks that even though there are boundaries, when we step over them God always comes to get us.

Living a Holy life is about making the right choices and responding to God’s love. Jesus once summarized the entire meaning of the law, the Old Testament and pretty much everything else. If you want to live Holy lives, “love one another as I have loved you.” If you think about it, it’s really that simple. Consider all the areas of your life with wrapped with yellow caution tape reading “unholy.” What might you do to tear down those unholy walls, clean the unholy mess, and start living holy lives? If you are reading this and you want to begin living a holy life, start with Christ. 1 Peter says, “as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves.” Holiness starts at the cross. It starts by admitting we need Christ. The second step has to do with conformity. When we conform ourselves to the desires of this world, we begin to look like this world. When we decide to conform ourselves to Christ, we begin to look like Christ. It is in Christ that we are all made holy before God. Christ has done most of the work; all it takes now is a little response. The meaning of the commandments: “Love one another as I have loved you.” Just love, it’s that simple!

Decisions!

2011-05-12T13:32:00.000-04:00

Synod Assembly was last week. One of the best moments at Synod Assembly was when it ended and Cheryl and I stayed a little later so that we could spend quality time in the lazy river. We were staying at the Omni Resort which had a pretty large lazy river by the pool. Cheryl and I forgot swimsuits, but the river was simply too tempting. We went to a JC Penny to get suits our first night at the hotel but hadn’t had a chance to use them yet. We had already checked out of the hotel, but went back to the car to pull our suits from the JC Penny bag and used the public restroom to change. Then we grabbed our tube and floated around and around, under the waterfalls, through the bubbles, and eventually went to enjoy a wonderful lunch together.

It was a peaceful moment in the midst of a chaotic life. The truth we are busy people and have daily decisions to make. It could be things as simple as what food to eat to how can our lives reflect Christ and do Kingdom Work to our family life at home. Decisions, decisions, decisions! These are not just for us to make but the church has some decisions to make too.

At the final session one of the resolutions on the table was to declare a moratorium on social statements. The fear was that we spend too much money trying to put together social statements. One clergy rose to the microphone first with a passionate speech. What he shared with the assembly is that if we no longer have social statements then all the world will hear is what comes out of Rome. Rome doesn’t offer for all congregations to send representatives to have discussion and vote on what they believe. Rome simply has a process in-house and declares a statement. We as the ELCA create a statement and invite the whole church to include voices in the decisions and statements we make. It may be tough for us to make statements, but the gift is that we get to be a part of the process. The resolution was defeated.

It would be easier, like floating down a lazy river, if we stopped making social statements. However, Jesus calls us to speak out in the world and this is one way that we do Kingdom Work. If you are unfamiliar with ELCA statements I hope you take time to check them out online: http://www.elca.org/What-We-Believe/Social-Issues.aspx

And as we work to bring God’s Kingdom here, we give praise for those peaceful moments in the midst of a chaotic life!

What’s there to stop him?

2011-05-03T13:43:00.000-04:00

By: Joseph Murdy

When I started college every freshman was given an obnoxious key chain to hang from around our necks. We were told over and over not to lose our key, and to take it everywhere…even to the shower. Year after year, and speech after speech it made no difference. Dozens of us still found a way to lock ourselves out of our dorms. I was there no more than a week, and found myself stunningly surprised that I had forgotten my key as I was trying to get back into the dorm after a shower. There I was in my towel, holding my shower caddy, flip-flops and wet hair…with no key!

When I read John 20, this is the first thing that came into my mind. Instead of being locked out and unable to get in, the disciples locked everyone else out and secured themselves inside. Twice in this story about Jesus’ first appearance the doors were said to be locked and yet Jesus stood among them saying, “peace be with you.” When we are afraid, embarrassed, vulnerable, guilty, lonely, or terrified we tend to lock the door of our heart. We expect that no one will be able to hurt us there, in our safe place, or should I say…in our hiding place. When we feel ashamed for our sins, afraid of what the world will say, or afraid of what’s on the other side of the door we can rest in the comfort of knowing that Christ is always with us. In our pain, doubt, and disappointments, Christ is there. Sometimes we try to hide ourselves away from the world and even God, but the truth is God will never abandon us…no matter what. Even if we’ve been locked up for longer than we can remember, no door can stop God’s love. If Christ can conquer death and the grave, what’s there to stop him?

Grace

2011-04-27T09:00:00.002-04:00

Who is this?

2011-04-20T12:26:00.002-04:00

By: Joseph Murdy

“When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, ‘who is this?’ The crowds were saying, ‘this is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.’”
“Who is this?” Is a question we still face today? We might get wrapped up in impossible questions over scripture, or we might get overwhelmed with theological debates. When the people of Jerusalem asked, “who is this.” They knew Jesus was from Nazareth, and they knew he was a prophet. What they wanted to know was “Who is this, and what are we to do about it.” Do we follow him? Or crucify him? The question of Jesus’ identity does not demand an answer, it calls for a response.

What do your actions say about who Jesus is? What does your life style, attitude, and relationship with friends, family and strangers…say about who you believe Jesus is? This week is considered the most sacred time of remembrance for the Christian church. In Holy week we encounter the answer to this age old question, “who is this?” As we journey through Holy week, be mindful of the question, “who is this?” Don’t take the story of Christ’s life, death, and promised resurrection for granted. Not only will you discover who Christ is, you will discover who you are because of who Christ is. Let us be mindful of the question, “who is this?” Because as the story of Christ’s passion unfolds we shall see how deep the love of God really goes. When you discover who Jesus is, how will you respond?

Braille on elevators...

2011-04-13T09:00:00.000-04:00

“Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him.” John 9: 3

My only encounter with Braille is on elevators. I always notice the dots below the numbers that we press to choose which floor. Because I haven’t grown up around someone born blind there are a lot of things I’ve never thought about. I was out to eat with Tyler (who was born blind) and Bethani the other day and realized I have never wondered until today if menus come in Braille.

Often we are “blind” to things until we have a reason or insight to see.

Braille is a worldwide system is used by the blind and visually impaired to for reading and writing. It was created by a man named Louis Braille. Louis was not born blind. He was blinded by an accident that happened while he was young. According to Wikipedia, “At age three, he scratched his right eye while making holes in a piece of leather with a pruning knife that was too heavy for him. There was nothing anyone could do except patch and bind the affected eye. The wound became severely infected and spread to his left eye causing his blindness.”

One of the powering forces behind Louis creating a system of raised dots (made by the same tool that blinded him) was that he wanted to read the Bible. As a matter of fact most the contracted words in Braille are the most common words found in the Bible.

Here is a man who was blinded after birth and he brought the Word of God to all the visually impaired who followed. Talk about a man who God worked miracles through…

“Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him.”

Sometimes the things we claim hold us back are the very things that guide us to follow God’s call.

Set Free

2011-04-07T09:42:00.001-04:00

By: Joseph Murdy

There in the guilty seat, I sat facing my accusers. All of my sins, doubts, and failures pointing at me with their long crooked finger of guilt and shame. I had done so much wrong. All the evidence was there, one picture after another came flashing through my mind. There was no need for questions, interrogation, or investigation I was guilty as sin…pardon the pun. As I sat deep into the chair I was terrified and trembling waiting for the verdict which would decide my fate. I was guilty and I knew it! I deserved the worst punishment! I should be locked up and forgotten. My mind racing with possibilities, what’s going to happen to me? Just when I could stand it no longer, the judge returned to give his decision. “I find you innocent, blameless and irreproachable. You are free to go.” (Col. 1:22)

Do you ever feel so guilty, so utterly ashamed, and all alone? This is how we find ourselves most days, especially when we forget what Jesus has done for us. Paul’s letter to the people of Colossae is full of reminders, “He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Col. 1:13-14) The feelings of guilt, shame and loneliness are the greatest obstacles in our relationship with God. They make us hid from God, our loved ones, and in some ways from ourselves. Today, remember that you are a child of God and God forgives you, abides with you, and loves you! “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” (Col. 2:6-7)

The Cross

2011-04-06T09:00:00.000-04:00

By Robert Hereth

Is the sole purpose of the golden cross my wife wears every moment to remind her of God's love and forgiveness? She would modestly say it's at least the primary purpose. But Jesus wouldn't talk that way. He hopes, correctly, it also reminds her of the crosses she must be willing to carry to be a Christian.

He made it clear: "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their crosses daily and follow me." Luke 9: 23

In that way a cross is the perfect symbol for the spot we are on. The vertical trunk stands for our relationship with God, while the horizontal branch represents our relationship with everyone and everything in the world about us. And we live on the spot where the two intersect!

On that spot we best express our love of God - by our sacrificial love for his children and his world. Also on that spot we sacrifice to love and forgive others - in the strength God provides and in trust that God's Spirit can use our little efforts to further his Gracious Plan.

On the spot where we Christians live, always the vertical and the horizontal are working at the same time.

Healing

2011-03-30T09:00:00.001-04:00

Did you know a brain freeze is actually caused by warmth? The cold touches the roof of your mouth then your nerves respond with a rapid constriction of blood vessels to prevent the loss of body heat. When the roof of your mouth warms the blood vessels relax which quickly increases the blood flow to the brain and pain strikes.

Did you ever notice that the brain freeze happens after the cold substance is swallowed? We blame it on the cold but it’s actually the rush of warmth that causes the pain. Well, admittedly it takes both cold and warm.

Often where there is pain in our life we look for the cause. Yet, the cause or root of the problem can be masked. It is likely more than just one thing. Getting to the root of our pain is difficult.

So, we do stuff to make ourselves feel better. Maybe:

Order a pizza and watch an old comforting film? Get a drink with a good friend (or more than one drink)? Go for a run? Sit down with a big bowl of ice cream? Call a good friend? Take a few deep breaths?

All of these immediate reactions feel good, but are not long lasting. There is one surefire way to heal pain… and that is through time well-spent with your Creator. The Creator who formed you from the dust of the earth and breathed life into you. The potter who molded you from clay into the beautiful piece of art you are to the world.

Connecting to the Creator is where true healing begins and ends.

Holding on to God's love

2011-03-23T10:20:00.001-04:00

By: Joseph Murdy

Lent is without a doubt, one of the darkest and most penitential seasons in the church. We switch our colors to purple and black. We hear stories of Christ’s suffering. We come face to face with the reality of our sinfulness. Needless to say, Lent is a depressing time of year. With Lent also comes the opportunity to reconcile for the wrong we’ve done, turn our lives around, choose life with God, and embrace the forgiveness of Christ that comes ultimately with his resurrection. At some point during Lent, maybe before or even after lent, you may come to realize that God really does forgive us…and God really does love you. The problem is that as quickly as we see how much God loves us, we eventually lose sight of God’s grace. Then it’s back to feeling sorry, guilty, and full of shame…unable to bring ourselves to approach God for forgiveness once again. How do we hold on to the love of God? How do we live our daily lives immersed in God’s love and mercy? The answer is as easy as it is challenging, keep your eyes on Jesus. When we look to Christ, we will see the love of God given to us immeasurably and unconditionally. Henri Nouwen once said, “God’s love for us is everlasting. That means that God’s love for us existed before we were born and will exist after we have died.” This is how we hold on, we look to Christ. When you fix your eyes on Jesus, you will never lose sight of God’s love.

Oz Syndrome

2011-03-16T10:20:00.002-04:00

By: Joseph Murdy
Have you ever felt like a tornado came spinning through your life, picked you up and dropped you somewhere? There can be times in our lives, spiritual or otherwise, when we feel as though our lives have changed so dramatically we find ourselves wondering through what seems like Oz. This is what I like to call, Oz Syndrome. Oz Syndrome is the progressive or instantaneous feeling of utter loss, confusion, and bewilderment. The inspiration for this diagnosis, is of course inspired by Dorothy and Todo’s experience in Oz. Although fictional, if we are honest with ourselves we can all relate to Dorothy and her time in Oz.

Have you ever felt like you were in Oz? Maybe you are now, or maybe you know someone who is. Oz can be a scary, especially if you feel alone. When we find ourselves in situations where we seem to be following a path leading to an unknown place those are the times we can no longer rely on our own sense of direction. The only way out of Oz is by trusting in God to guide you. We can click our heels; walk to the emerald city, and back to the beginning. The truth is, when we are lost, the only one who knows the way is God. We are not all lucky to have ruby slippers, but fortunately we have a God who we can pray to at all times. We have a God who is always with us, even when we find ourselves in Oz. As I was thinking about Oz, I was reminded of the parable of the lost sheep. How incredible is it, that we have a God comes to us and rescues us when we find ourselves lost and afraid. “Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices.” Luke 15:1-7

Dance in the Rain

2011-03-09T09:00:00.002-05:00

This past Christmas, I was given a gift of a small picture frame with a little child walking in bright yellow rain boots. All you can see are the feet walking in the rain. The caption says, “Anyone who says only sunshine brings happiness has never danced in the rain.” Then it quotes scripture, “You fill me with joy in Your presence. Psalm 16:11”

Many would say the gloomy season of the church has arrived today. It is Ash Wednesday when we are reminded, “You are dust and to dust you shall return.” The looming rainy clouds of the 40 days of wandering in the wilderness are here. What are you going to give up? What new spiritual discipline are you going to take on? As you wander through the wilderness of this Lent are you going to let struggle and the gloom of life overtake you?

Or are you going to let the season of Lent restore the wilderness of your heart?

The looming rainy clouds can replenish and water the soul. The wandering in the wilderness can provide new and clear direction. This season is not gloomy. It is actually a victorious season because we are Easter people. Jesus did not give into temptation in the wilderness, but said, “Away with you, Satan!” He didn’t do that for himself. He did that for God’s children, for Easter people. It is with that joy in our heart we welcome the looming rainy clouds of Lent so we can find joy in the darkest of places. Yes, we can find joy even in death. You are dust and to dust you shall return. We dance in the rain; we dance in the face of death knowing that Jesus went before us to prepare a place.

Stewards of God’s Mysteries

2011-03-02T10:50:00.002-05:00

By Joseph Murdy

“Think of us in this way, as servants of Christ and stewards of God’s mysteries.” 1 Corinthians 4:1

“Where is heaven?” A young child asks you as they are leaving the church. “Why did my husband die in that horrible accident?” A grieving wife asks you as you comfort the family. “When is Jesus coming back?” Asks the curious confirmation student. “How does that bread and that wine become the body and blood of Jesus?” Questions without answers is part of the package when you become a child of God.

We live in a society that demands answers, we sit in pews waiting for all to be revealed, and we lose sleep at night thinking about the grand mysteries of the universe. At least I do. We can sometimes allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by the lack of answers, rather than finding comfort in the questions themselves. What if you knew exactly where heaven was? What if you knew exactly when Jesus was coming back? What if you knew how the cosmos ran, or what God looks like?

This past Sunday we read 1 Corinthians 4:1-5, which says that we are “Servants of Christ and stewards of God’s mysteries.” The words, “Stewards of God’s mysteries” continues to comfort me as I seek to embrace the mystery that is God. Being a steward of God’s mysteries means trusting in God unconditionally. As servants of Christ and children of God we are given the mysteries of God not to be answered but to be comforted in knowing that God’s ways our not our own. Jesus tells us, “Nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known.” We can rest with assurance in God’s abundant grace knowing that, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him.”

Creative Streak

2011-02-23T09:00:00.003-05:00

As I was trying to finish a sermon last week, I had the worst writers block! It was Saturday night and I had about ¾ of the sermon done. I finally gave in and did something I have never done before which was read the sermon to my boyfriend. Now this may seem like a given, to share a sermon with someone that close to you, but he falls in the category of “un-churched.” So I don’t automatically think, “I should ask Dave.” However, I was at the end of my creative streak and knew he would give me his full attention. I finished what I had written and he said, “It makes me think of that song by Katy Perry, Firework.”

That was it… he said one sentence and the last ¼ of my sermon was done. Something I have been struggling with for a week he inspired me with in one sentence. It is a strong reminder that the community in which we worship is vital and sometimes the people we least expect, help us the most.

I always assumed the people with whom I worshipped were those who joined me every Sunday morning in the pews. What a limited understanding! The community expands outside of the walls of the church and into our living rooms, work places, grocery stores, local parks…. God’s Spirit is not limited to worship service at 11 a.m. – God’s Spirit flows into every aspect of our life. As we see the Spirits movement we give praise and thanks at 11 a.m. together, that is what happens in the church service setting!

Katy Perry’s lyrics are powerful! I would like to widen an understanding of the lyrics to include: The light of Christ within us is what shines and as the brightness radiates to others the Spirit bursts forth into all aspects of our life! Watch for that movement,that light this week!

In God’s Hands

2011-02-16T09:04:00.002-05:00

“Yet, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.” (Isaiah 64:8)

By: Joseph Murdy
From the time I was a small child I can remember my grandmothers reaction to a sudden surprise. Whether sitting at the table, or walking through the room if something was about to spill or break gram would unleash her famous and heart pulsing “Gasp!” As grandkids it never failed to scare us more than the break or spill. It was almost as if gram was able to gasp while the glass was in midair before it hit the ground, suspending the crash in slow motion, making the final explosion the less frightening part of the fall. I learned from a young age that sometimes, things break.

The other day my wife and I were standing in the kitchen getting water. As she pulled a glass from the cupboard it slipped from her hand and fell to the ground. Sometimes, things break. What is your first response when something breaks? Is it “Oh, crap…now we only have ten glasses!” Or is it, “Are you ok?” When something immaterial breaks (the stuff we can do without) we show deep concern and do what we can to assure ourselves that everyone is ok. My grandmother’s heart pulsing gasp was not because she would have one less glass. It was because a falling glass meant her grandchildren would be in danger of broken glass.

We have a different reaction when things more important break doesn’t we? When we fight with our siblings, hang up after fighting with our best friend, get divorced, break up, slam the car door, or any other form of brokenness. When we experience the brokenness of relationships we often respond first with anger, followed by blame, and then a long silent period of stubborn regret. Relationships are not always easy, and sometimes fixing them seems impossible. Especially our relationship with God.

This past Sunday I preached a sermon on the brokenness of our world and our inability to fix what is broken in our lives. Being a part of a broken relationship can feel like where trapped behind impenetrable prison walls. When we are angry with God, disappointed in the result of a desperate prayer, or ashamed and too vulnerable to seek the face of God it can seem impossible to raise ourselves back up. Have you ever found yourself feeling trapped, feeling all alone, feeling the weight of heart break, feeling the burden of failure, feeling the pain of separation and loss, feeling the hurt of a broken relationship? Maybe you feel that way today?

If you remember from the book of Genesis (2:7) God molded clay from the earth and breathed life into it, the result is you and me. We are fragile beings and are not unbreakable. The good news is that no matter what the condition of the break, no matter the pieces, or whose fault it may be…every piece of us rests in the hands of God. If God is able to shape us in his mighty hands and breathe life into dust. Then God is certainly able to pick up the pieces and make us whole again.

Happy Valentines Day!

2011-02-14T09:00:00.000-05:00

Dream again?

2011-02-09T09:00:00.000-05:00

“Shine like stars in the world”

2011-02-02T09:46:00.004-05:00

Joseph Murdy, Intern
Philippians 2:15b

Many years ago I did a children’s sermon at my home church which helped the young kids to visually see what it means to be the light of the world. I had each child take a candle while I lit it and immediately they place them all together. What they saw was how all the lights shined brighter when they were together. Visuals are great for kids, because they help create a picture when the concept might be difficult to remember. When was the last time you thought of yourself as a light in the world?

As I was reading scripture this morning this verse from Philippians blinded me for a moment. We often think of Jesus’ phrase, “you are the light of the world.” Essentially this is saying the same thing. But as I read it a different visual came to mind. That of Abraham standing on a desert plan baffled and humbled by the promise of God which said the stars which were before him symbolized all of his descendents. The problem was however Abraham had no children. If you don’t know the story unfolds, see Genesis 15-22. If you do know the story then you know that you are one of those stars which Abraham stood memorized by.

The truth is that if you light a candle it lights up a room. One tiny flicker can give relief to darkness; can you imagine what millions would do? As Christians called by Christ to be disciples in our world we are lights whose purpose is to bring light where there is darkness. We are called to shine like stars in the world. It’s incredible to think how brightly the stars shine considering how far away they are. My friends, today you are called to be like stars in the world. There are so many dark corners desperately in need of light. We can bring them hope, comfort and loving warmth. You might be struggling with faith, you might be wrestling with God, or you might think you can’t shine very bright. The good news is, we reflect the light of Christ. Child of Abraham, be a light for the world and shine like the stars!

Not Normal

2011-01-26T09:00:00.000-05:00

Playing in the snow is so much fun! The snow covers the ground with a soft blanket of goodness. It makes for good sledding, skiing and snow angels.

Recently, I went sledding with my aunt and cousin. None of us are under 25 years of age and no kids with us. I joked that the neighbors were looking out their windows thinking we’re crazy. I imagined them laughing at a group of adults sledding down a hill as if we’re kids. It didn’t stop us though we continued to push one another down the hill. We tried sledding in different positions and occasionally took a break to make a snow angel or a few snow balls. My cousin pointed out her favorite thing about snow is that it conforms to your butt when you sit down in a large pile which makes it perfect for resting.

Here we were playing in the snow. It was a joyful scene of adults finding that childlike joy inside. Yet, I had to make a joke about what others were thinking of us. Isn’t that the truth? We are constantly wondering what other people think of us. Are they admiring us because we’re having so much fun? Are we wasting time? Making the right decisions? Dressing right? Standing straight? Walking funny?

What do others think?

What a dangerous thought because it calls us to become normal. It suddenly stops us from being our self and encourages us to be what others think we should be. What others consider normal. Often when we are “not normal” the world takes notice and begins to comment. That is why the question, “What do others think?” is ingrained in us.

So, I argue that we stop trying to be normal Christians. Instead, be abnormal. So that we are different from the standards of this world and people take notice. They notice the abnormal forgiving love. They notice the abnormal joy in death. They notice the abnormal seat we take with the poor.

It is time for us to be abnormal so that we can show the world that God’s Kingdom covers this world with a blanket of goodness!

Need a break? Rest in God

2011-01-19T09:22:00.002-05:00

By: Joseph Murdy

When my wife and I traveled to Assisi to visit the Basilica of Saint Francis our tour guide taught us a local song. The words are associated with Saint Francis and his way of life. “If you want to live life free, take your time go slowly, do few things but do them well, little joys are holy.” Sometimes when I get so overwhelmed with the business of life I think of this song and it slows me down.

If you could but a stopwatch to your life, how long would you say you have been going? At a rate of one to ten, how fast would you say you are going? Need a break? A breather? Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” This morning when I woke up, I was thinking about the song above. Lately I have been going a sonic speed. What do I gain from going so fast every day? What do I accomplish? Do I add any joy to my life if I am always stressed about what needs done and attempting to get it all done in one day? At the end of the day, there is always more to do.

Today as you read this, I want you to take a deep breath, SLOW down, and rest in God. I am not saying that working is bad, but if we find no joy in our daily work then what’s the point. God gave us life to find joy, not to wake up out of obligation for our “to do lists.” Take some deep breaths and think of things which bring you joy. Often when our lives are going at supersonic speed there are things which get left behind. One of them is our spiritual wellbeing. God is always with us, no matter how fast our lives are going. But, wouldn’t it be great if we could slow down, just for a moment, and dwell in the presence of the Holy?

“If you want to live life free, take your time go slowly, do few things but do them well, little joys are holy.” The Peace of God be with you always!

Baptism

2011-01-12T09:09:00.001-05:00

By Joseph Murdy
This past Sunday was the Baptism of our Lord (Matthew 3:13-17). We heard the story of how Jesus was baptized by John. Jesus came to John (his cousin) to be baptized. John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance, and even though Jesus was without sin, he asked John to baptize him in order to fulfill all righteousness. This righteousness which Jesus talks about refers to the prophecy made in Isaiah. “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations (Isaiah 42:1-19).” Jesus’ baptism was not to cleanse him from sin, rather, it was to affirm to John and to the world (i.e. us), “This is my Son, whom I love, and with whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17)

As Christians we follow the instruction of Jesus who tells us “to baptize all nations in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” What is Baptism? In baptism we are sprinkled/dunked/splashed with water. The water is a symbol of cleansing. However, we believe that in baptism, we are given to the Kingdom of God. In baptism we become children of God. Martin Luther thought his was so powerful that he once said, “When we wash our face, we should remember our baptism.” Many of us cannot remember our actual baptism (unless it was recorded); instead we remember the meaning of baptism and what it means for our everyday lives.

Baptism washes away our sins and makes us acceptable to God. In baptism we believe that we die with Christ and are born again to his resurrection. Because if we share in his death than we also share in his resurrection. One of my favorite images for baptism is that when God sees us, he sees the face of his Son. In baptism there is reconciliation and forgiveness. The incredible thing about baptism is that this opportunity for reconciliation and forgiveness and the chance to change our lives and renew our relationship with God is not limited to a one time deal at our baptism. Our baptism which makes us children of God, allows us an unlimited supply of God’s grace and forgiveness.

Deep down within each of us, we want to be accepted by God for who we are. Today, splash your face with water, dance in the rain, jump in the pool, and melt snow in your hands because you have been forgiven. You are a child of God, and you are loved. Don’t believe me, just ask Jesus.

Happily Ever After...

2011-01-05T14:30:00.002-05:00

Once upon a time…

Any story that starts out with those words is going to be a good one! I mean if it starts with “once upon a time” it is going to end with “happily ever after.” That’s our dream right?!? We want to live happily ever after. We make most of our decisions, both good and bad, based on living happy.

We hear the stories of Cinderella or The Frog Prince and long to be those characters. We want to be the slave girl who turns out to be a princess. We dream of being that slimy frog who turns out to be a prince. We know that we’re made for more. We are hard-wired to live for something more. The truth is the longing in our heart is not a dream it is a reality. We are made for intimacy with the Creator of the Universe! The world tells us to live small, but our hearts long to live big.

The Word made Flesh, Jesus, came to show us that we live big the kingdom of God. The first thing out of Jesus’ mouth when he started his ministry—Matthew, Mark, Luke, check it out—the first thing he says is, “I have come to declare the kingdom of God is at hand” We are slaves to sin and set free to live in the kingdom of God. In Jesus we live happily ever after.

That is Amazing Grace!

New Year Resolutions

2010-12-30T09:41:00.002-05:00

By: Joseph Murdy

Wow! Is it that time again already? It’s time for, you guessed it, New Year Resolutions! If you are anything like most people, deciding what to do for your New Year Resolution will be easy. You just simply do what you said you were going to do last year around this time. We do that every year: “I’m going to do this, or that.” “I’m going to lose x# of pounds.” Or, one of my favorites… “I’m going to pray more often.” I don’t want to discourage you. I want to encourage you. We make those resolutions every year because they are the things we see as important. We all want to improve our lives. This is a great thing!

This year I want you to try three things which I think might help each of us stick to our resolutions. 1.) Instead of planning the entire year, start with a short-term goal of just January. Call it, “My January Resolution.” 2.) Tell someone you can really trust what you are doing. Tell them to ask you how you are doing with your goal every so often. We could all use a little encouragement. 3.) Most importantly make God part of your Resolution. Pray about what it is that you want to improve or make different. Let God guide you and help you in your journey for change. Remember, “With God all things are possible.” If you want to succeed, God can get you there!

I wish you many blessings at the start of this New Year. Remember Phil. 4:13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me. This year is going to be great! 2011! Let’s make God apart of it!

P.s. By the way, if you’ve never seen the adorable face above, it’s Baby New Year. If you haven’t seen “Baby New Year” make it one of your resolutions.

Lunar Eclipse

2010-12-22T09:00:00.003-05:00

On Tuesday morning there was a total lunar eclipse on the winter solstice! Did you see it? I mean if you did then you must be crazy. It started in the wee hours of the morning, 1:33am EST. I admit I am one of the crazies and was actually outside at 3:37am checking it out. I noticed the neighbors were out too. Later I went to work and sure enough talked with numerous people old and young who were outside looking high in the sky for a unique experience. It was unique. According to NASA the last total lunar eclipse that happened on the winter solstice was Dec. 21, 1638. The next one will be Dec. 21, 2094. It really was a once in a life time experience.

Once in a lifetime experiences don’t always happen at our convenience. Yet, sometimes those experiences are the transforming, life-changing ones. I believe we are so used to hearing the Christmas Story that it has become a norm. We don’t question how odd and unique this reality must have been for Joseph and Mary.

I can’t even imagine being Mary – “Umm, Joseph you know how we’re getting married? You know that I am a virgin. But I have to tell you I’m pregnant. I swear it’s from the Holy Spirit not another man. I promise honey.”

I am so glad that scripture doesn’t leave out the part about logical feeling – Joseph has his head on straight he planned to dismiss Mary quietly (Matthew 1:19). She is clearly either cheating on him or completely Looney. Then the angel appears and sure enough… Joseph stayed with her and took her as his wife.

This really is a once in a life-time experience. We marvel at God’s creation and gather in the wee hours of the morning to watch a shadow cast on the moon. That is glorious – but what happens when a drop of the Creator hits creation?

Now that is something that doesn’t just gather us in the wee hours of the morning. That is a glorious event that drops us to our knees everyday of our life.

I am on my knees wishing you a Merry Christmas!!

Suprise!

2010-12-15T09:00:00.000-05:00

By: Joseph Murdy
“God became a man. While the creatures of earth walked unaware, Divinity arrived. Heaven opened herself and placed her most precious one in a human womb.” Max Lucado

I can still remember the most magical Christmas I ever had. I was around five years old. We were driving home from visiting old family friends. I couldn’t wait to get home and go to bed. Do you remember trying to fall asleep on Christmas Eve? Tough huh? On the way home I remember seeing a bright red light in the sky (now, I know it was an air plane tower). Driving in the car gave it the illusion that it was moving. It was Rudolph! Santa was on his way and I had to be in bed. I was afraid my parents had kept me out to long and we missed Santa. I raced to my room, put on my Steelers footie pajamas. I fell asleep as fast as I could. I don’t remember what I got for Christmas that year (sorry mom and dad) but I do remember the thrill of being surprised by Rudolph’s bright red nose.

Christmas is about being surprised. We’re surprised that we got the tree up on time. We’re surprised by what we got for Christmas. We’re surprised that uncle so-n-so showed up for the party. We’re surprised that we were able to cook that much and feed that many people. Are we surprised that God came into the world in the form of a baby? God was born through a teenage girl, placed in a feeding trough and held by human hands. “The omnipotent, in one instant, made himself breakable. He who had been spirit became pierceable. He who was larger than the universe became an embryo. And he who sustains the world with a word chose to be dependent upon the nourishment of a young girl.” Does it still surprise you?

I am still mystified by God’s love and willingness to break into our world and save us. God came into our midst in human form, to laugh with us, cry with us, eat with us and to die for us. Keep Christ in Christmas; after all he’s still the biggest surprise the world’s ever seen.

Light

2010-12-08T09:00:00.000-05:00

The famous painter Thomas Kinkade is known for painting light. He is able to capture the light in the sky or light radiating from a house. Kinkade captures how it reflects on everything that surrounds. Light doesn’t stay trapped. Light travels and even if we try to keep it confined if there is a crack in the wall the light won’t miss it.

Unlike light I am sure we’ve been in many rooms with cracks in the wall that we didn’t notice. Actually, there are lots of things that we miss. It may be opportunities, a little nuance from a friend or family member, the joy in a busy day, or something to give thanks for in the midst of a personal crisis.

During this holiday season we tend to become more aware of our emotions. We become more aware of the joy or sorrow in our heart. We reflect on the year and what we did or didn’t accomplish. As this is going on every Sunday a new light shines from the Advent wreath. As the light becomes more abundant and more radiant we tend to notice and reflect more on our own life and the people we love for whom we buy gifts.

Most people who notice a crack in the wall would likely think that it needed to be patched up and fixed. I am sure the light that shines through the crack doesn’t see it the same way. So it is with our life. The cracks that we have we may want to fix but God still shines. We each have a crack in us called Sin. That is why we celebrate this Christmas season with joy even if we are in the midst of pain. The light of the world, Jesus, takes our Sin and shines through it so we may be made whole.

Feeling stressed? Read this…

2010-12-01T09:36:00.004-05:00

By: Joseph Murdy

Did you know:

• Forty-three percent of all adults suffer adverse health effects from stress.
• Seventy-five percent to 90% of all doctor's office visits are for stress-related ailments and complaints.
• Stress can play a part in problems such as headaches, high blood pressure, heart problems, diabetes, skin conditions, asthma, arthritis, depression, and anxiety.
• The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) declared stress a hazard of the workplace. Stress costs American industry more than $300 billion annually.
• The lifetime prevalence of an emotional disorder is more than 50%, often due to chronic, untreated stress reactions.

Stress and worry when unchecked and out of control can consume our lives, our families, our relationships and even our very own health. The Bible gives a great deal of attention to worrying. Basically, to sum it up in a few words, “God’s got it under control!” Now, this is not to say that there are moments in our life where worry and stress are a normal and healthy response. In fact, “The human body is designed to experience stress and react to it. Stress can be positive, keeping us alert and ready to avoid danger.” Stress and worry is a normal part of life. The truth still remains, God has it under control!

The feelings of stress and worry are healthy reminders for us to pray and hand it over to God. God is in the moments of stress and anxiety, despite our reluctance to give up our right to worry. When we surrender our anxiety, God is able to free us and release us.

Jesus said, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly father feeds them. Are you not more valuable then they?” (Matt. 6:25-26)
Some of the things we worry about can distract us from our daily lives. The point, which the Bible makes throughout, is that God will take care of us. We don’t have to worry about everything. If you were to make a list of things you worry about, put it away for a few weeks and come back to it later you would discover that most of the items on your lsit would no longer seem important. We waist precious time worrying about the things which God already has under control. Worrying can turn into a bad habit. We hold on to our worry thinking that we can fix it all. Give it to God, who already has it under control!

Here is an open invitation (no r.s.v.p. required) from Jesus, “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Longing for the good old days...

2010-11-24T09:00:00.000-05:00

How much of our time do we spend living in the past? Remember when our relationship was fun and full of life? Remember when the church was packed with people and our mission was moving forward? Remember when gas was only 86 cents. Remember when I knew my neighbors and could ask for a cup of sugar? Remember when we used to play in the dirt of the earth – use our imaginations to play instead of being plugged in a computer or video game? Remember before the twin towers were hit? Or Hurricane Katrina? Or the earthquake in Haiti?

Remember those days?

I mean what’s the future going to bring? This new generation doesn’t seem to honor God. They spend more time online than in real relationship. They don’t seem to walk through the doors of the church to worship. Violence seems to be on the rise and our morals seem to be changing…

When we speak this way, are we forgetting something?

I AM. No , not me – not you. God. I AM. Emmanuel is still working today, in this time, for the kingdom of God. As life changes do we testify with the words given to us through God? Do we make the world what it has always been? Was the past – the Kingdom of God? Are we testifying to where God isn’t or to where God is? Do we see the rubble of the Temple and continue to try to pick up the pieces and put it back the way it used to be?

Believe it or not the past wasn’t perfect either. The rubble of the Temple is a reminder that we need to rebuild. We don’t need to rebuild the Temple as we knew it. We need to build the Kingdom of God as reveled through Jesus Christ.

The wolf and the lamb shall feed together (Isaiah 65: 25).

Now that is what the Church with a capital C is testifying. Let’s not get caught up in the rubble of the church. Let’s work for the kingdom today and God will not let a hair on our head parish – even if it doesn’t quite happen in the way we all imagine it will.

So together we pray, “Thy Kingdom Come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

Luke 21:5-19

When some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, he said, 6 "As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down." 7 They asked him, "Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?" 8 And he said, "Beware that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name and say, 'I am he!' and, 'The time is near!' Do not go after them. 9 "When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately." 10 Then he said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; 11 there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and plagues; and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven. 12 "But before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name. 13 This will give you an opportunity to testify. 14 So make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance; 15 for I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict. 16 You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, by relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. 17 You will be hated by all because of my name. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish. 19 By your endurance you will gain your souls.

Children of God

2010-11-17T09:00:00.001-05:00

By: Joseph Murdy
This past weekend my wife and I watched a movie called, The Last Mimzy. The movie was great, but what struck me the most came at the end. A teacher was telling her students the story of what happened (throughout the movie) and how the human race had been saved. The students were from every corner of the world. It was not an all white cast, or Latino, or so on. It made me think about the world we live in and how segregated we still are. Not just in our society, but in our thinking. We live in a society where just about everything can be categorized or described by race. How we dress, what we eat, what we watch, where we spend Saturday night, even where we live. We look at people in terms of what group they belong to, not who they belong to. We are all children of God, made in God’s image and likeness.

Henri Nouwen once said, “To become neighbors is to bridge people. As long as there is distance between us and we cannot look into one another’s eyes, all sorts of false ideas and images arise. We give them names, make jokes about them, cover them with our prejudices, and avoid direct contact…we forget that they love as we love, care for their children as we care for ours, become sick and die as we do.”

As Christians, stereotypes are unacceptable. If we are made in the image and likeness of God, then there can be in reality no divisions among us. For in God there is no division. We are all the same in God’s eyes, and at the same time God made each of us unique.

Other than the guy down the street from you, have you given much thought to who you consider your neighbor to be? Henri Nouwen concludes his writing by saying, “Only when we have the courage to cross the road and look in one another’s eyes can we see there that we are children of the same God and members of the same human family.”
In the movie we watched I was not blown away by the plot or story line, it was a simple image of the global community at peace with one another. It seems to me that the ideal Kingdom is not based on social status or racial distinction, but rather by what we all share in common together. All people have this one thing in common; we are all children of God.

Expectations

2010-11-10T09:00:00.000-05:00

Have you ever had a day that unexpectedly turned out to be one of the best days of your life?

OR

Have you ever had a day when you expected it to be the best and it only turned out so, so?

Expectations rule our experience of the world and our relationships. Often when we get angry at someone or something it is because we have a broken expectation. The day that surprised you with joy most likely happened because you hadn’t expected it. The day you had high expectations they were most likely not met.

Throughout scripture the word expectation is only found 6 times, but the word hope occurs just shy of two hundred times. Hope is the belief in a positive outcome not an expectation of it. Expectation can lead to greed. Hope can lead to recognizing we are not the ones in control. Maybe it’s time to put down our expectations and rely on hope.

A Walking Bible

2010-11-03T09:39:00.003-04:00

By: Joseph Murdy
Saint Francis of Assisi once said, “Preach the Gospel always, use words when necessary.” I hope that it goes without saying, words are important. What we say can really raise people up, or bring people down. Throughout history words have been described as sharp, much like a sword. Words can be weapons or they can influence they way we preserve the world and those around us and bring about peace.

More important than words, is our actions. Our actions; pardon the pun, speak louder than words. For blessed Francis the Gospel was being preached in words only. The majority of leaders in his day (11th Century) were preaching one thing and doing another. Their message of the Gospel was falling on deaf ears. For Saint Francis preaching the Gospel was essential. However, he encourages us to act it out more often.

Do your words reflect your actions? Think about it. Does what you say mirror how you act around other people? We have a great BIG problem in the church today. Often people speak and act one way in church and act completely different in their lives at home, the grocery store, or at wal-mart. We are all guilty of bad tempers, prejudices, and materialistic. Thankfully, that is all behind us. My friends, we are CHRISTIANS. Baptized Disciples of Christ, whose very name we call our own. We must begin to speak AND act like Christians.

There are those who say, “We are often the only Bible some people will ever read.” If this is true, let us begin to show them what our pages really say.

one strength

2010-10-27T09:00:00.001-04:00

I was blessed to worship in an older sanctuary this week. As I was listening to the first song my eyes wandered around the new space. I noticed the colors, stained glass, banners, and paraments. My mind went back to some sanctuaries in Chicago with the old wooden pews and the railings around the Alter. The high vaulted ceilings and creaky floors. Most times when I worship in a new space I will notice the flaws and things that need to be fixed. Instead, of having those realities fill my head I thought, “I wonder how many people have sat in this very seat and worshipped?”

I started to imagine the numerous emotions that have flooded the people who have sat where I was sitting. The stories that they had to share about God and the ways that the Spirit was at work in their life. I imagined the amount of struggles, joys, and moments of peace people who sat in this very pew experienced while worshipping. I wondered what parts of Scripture confused them and what parts gave them strength and comfort.

I experienced a moment of oneness with past and present worshippers. I remembered that we really are not alone. The generations who have worshipped before us have shared the greatest gift of all, the gift of themselves, of story. It is a personal story which leads to the story that gave them life as the discovered the interaction of one God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We have different stories but share one faith, one strength, and one creator. It is in the space we worship were we can look around at a community who shares our story. It is in the space we worship where the story continues as God’s interaction is revealed in our lives.

Ephesians 4:4-7 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ's gift.

Romans 12:5 So we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another.

Instruments of Peace

2010-10-20T09:00:00.001-04:00

By Joseph Murdy, Intern
“Lord, make us instruments of your peace.” –Prayer attributed to Saint Francis of Assisi

Have you ever heard a trumpet sound? Nothing can rattle our attention better than the surprising sound of a trumpet. Instruments have played a role in human society for thousands of years. They have been used to entertain us, comfort and inspire us, startle us and for some even wake us up in the morning. Violins have melted hearts, drums have been used to sound warnings and celebrate, pianos, organs and guitars sound praise to God on Sunday mornings, and trumpets have been known to bring down walls (Joshua 6:20).

This past Sunday my heart was especially touched by a little girl who came to church. When I was introduced to her she extended her arms to hug me. She hugged me and kissed my check and asked to touch my bald head. In the moment she reached out to hug me, I almost cried. Not only did she touch my bald head, she touched the inner part of my soul. In her small arms I felt the love of God envelop me. Later that night my experience of God’s love in this child was still pulsing in my heart. I realized then that she was an instrument of God’s love and peace.

As Christians, we are called to be instruments of God’s love and peace. We are called to echo the love of God which we experience most fully in Jesus Christ. Our reflection of God’s love can change people’s lives. Instruments no matter how they sound always grab people’s attention. By ourselves we carry a melody of God’s love and grace to people who may have never heard a sound so sweet. Their first instinct may be to ask, where does that sound come from? Together we can make a sound that will awaken the world and shake the foundations. Don’t be ashamed to open your lives, become vulnerable, and share the love of God. Let others know about the love of God by simply being around you. Reach out, extend your arms and embrace others. Don’t worry about how you will sound; all they will hear is the love of God echo in their soul.

I am worth more than you!

2010-10-13T09:00:00.002-04:00

We’ve been having some alliteration fun lately…

Pennies and prayers for Publix – Farmworkers in the fields are family too. I feel like I’ve been living it these words because we’re working on a new campaign with the CIW (Coalition of Immokalee Workers).

I recognize not everyone agrees with the work of the CIW. Some are still unsure what the CIW does. Others are fired up and ready to work along side of the CIW.

No matter your stance there is something we can all agree upon. On a social ladder farmworkers are at the bottom.

Sadly a social ladder leads us to say, “I am worth more than you.”

I am sure our Christian ears hear those words and it’s like a dagger in the heart. We know that no one is worth more than another. Yet this social ladder teaches us different. Each one of us subconsciously or consciously thinks we are worth more than others.

We put worth on a lot of things and it’s a way that we justify ourselves.

I am worth more than the farmworker – as a matter of fact most of them don’t even belong in this country. They are illegal. Their inhumane treatment is not my issue.

I am worth more than the person working on the side of the road who is in prison –they should be cleaning up our roadways. It gives them something productive to do for society. It’s not my fault they broke the law.

I am worth more than the homeless man who asked me for a couple of dollars – After all he really should just buck it up and get a job! I work hard for my money it’s not my fault he doesn’t have a job!

I am worth more than my neighbor who just foreclosed on their home. After all it’s not my fault they got themselves over their head in debt to the point they can’t handle it!

We need to stop finding our worth in the things of this world! It only leads us to destructive thoughts. Our worth doesn't come from the world it comes from the gift of life that God breathed into us. It comes from the movement of the Spirit in our lives. It comes from the saving grace given through Jesus triumph over death.

Living this reality gives us the challenge to see the world not as society would have us experience it but instead through the light of Christ. AMEN!!

If you would like to learn more about the current CIW campaign please check out this video or the website:

http://www.ciw-online.org/supermarket_video_2011action.html

Forgiven

2010-10-05T09:00:00.002-04:00

By Joseph Murdy

Forgiveness in our day and age is not a daily conversation piece. We don’t typically say to the guy who cut us off at the light, “I know your probably in a hurry, I forgive you.” We don’t often use the words, “I forgive you.” We also don’t often say to ourselves, “you are forgiven.” I have been thinking about forgiveness a lot lately. Namely how I don’t deserve it, and I don’t extend it to others often enough either. Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever felt that no matter how much you plea, pray or beg, you will never be forgiven? Have you ever said to yourself, “God could never forgive me for that thing I did?” If you have ever found yourself thinking or feeling this way, do I have a GOD for you!!!!

I recently explained to someone that I was struggling with feeling forgiven and accepting God’s forgiveness. I even went as far as to say, “I don’t believe in it…forgiveness that is.” What a sad moment that was, to admit openly that I didn’t believe in forgiveness. As quickly as it came out of my mouth I realized why I felt that way. I didn’t feel I deserved to be forgiven. This is the truth, and it is true for all of us. We have a God who loves us unconditionally no matter what…no matter what…no matter what! Nothing can separate us from God’s love, not sin, not death, nothing. We don’t deserve to be forgiven, true. But because of Jesus, we are forgiven unconditionally through the Grace of God.

I read a story not too long ago from a great book called, The Ragamuffin Gospel it went something like this:

Four years ago in a large city in the far West, rumors spread that a certain Catholic woman was having visions of Jesus. The reports reached the archbishop. He decided to check her out. There is always a fine line between the authentic mystic and the lunatic fringe.

“Is it true, m’am, that you have visions of Jesus?” asked the archbishop. “Yes,” the women replied simply. “Well, the next time you have a vision, I want you to ask Jesus to tell you the sins that I confessed in my last confession.” The woman was stunned. “Did I hear you right, Bishop? You actually want me to ask Jesus to tell me the sins of your past?” “Exactly, please call me if anything happens.” Ten days later the woman notified her spiritual leader of a recent apparition. “Please come,” she said. Within the hour the archbishop arrived. He trusted eye-to-eye contact. “You just told me on the telephone that you actually had a vision of Jesus. Did you do what I asked?”

“Yes, Bishop, I asked Jesus to tell me the sins you confessed in your last confession.” The Bishop leaned forward with anticipation. His eyes narrowed. “What did Jesus say?” She took his hand and gazed deep into his eyes. “Bishop,” she said, “these are his exact words: ‘I CAN’T REMEMBER.’”

If you are anything like me, you probably read those last words and had to remind yourself to breath. You might also be thinking, “Really?!?” I am here to tell you that God does forgive you. Freely and entirely! The power of forgiveness is incredible alone, but the knowledge of realizing that you yourself are truly forgiven...that is liberating. Thanks be to God, who forgives and forgets!

Powerful Grace

2010-09-29T09:00:00.001-04:00

We have been given grace through Christ not because of what we do, but because we are loved children of God. Grace is a hug given without intent. It is not a hi, goodbye or thanks it is simply an unexpected, undeserved warm embrace. Grace is a foot hold that appears when we have lost our grip. Grace is a flower that is able to bloom through the snow. If we are too busy sometimes we miss it, but it doesn’t mean it’s not there.

I was recently remembering a powerful experience I had that was full of grace. I was at a praise service where the children gather in the isle during the songs to dance. The congregation gathers at the font for confession and at the altar for communion. I was walking up to communion looking at the children so full of life and I was feeling spiritually weak. I was tired and distraught. The words of institution started and all I could think was, “God I don’t think I’m cut out to be a pastor. I am weak and don’t think I have it in me to be a shepherd for your people.” As my eyes close to say the Lord’s Prayer I couldn’t even speak the words. Then I noticed a little child’s fingers weaving into mine. I was caught by surprise that this child who didn’t know me suddenly grabbed a stranger’s hand. I looked around the room and no one else was holding hands. At that moment I thought, "Thanks for holding my hand God; I really need it right now." A simple thing that the child didn't realize changed my world. Now that is the power and grace of God.

Stillness

2010-09-23T08:04:00.000-04:00

By: Joseph Murdy, Intern
Have you ever had the power go out and all at once everything turns off? The television, washer and dryer, the refrigerator, and any other noises which we may have grown numb to even noticing. Silence has become something which shocks us and even makes us nervous. We are constantly surrounded by noises, cars, TV’s neighbors, even air planes flying over our homes. Noise is a constant reality; it has become linked with our every day experience so much that we hardly ever notice. I know people who cannot sleep at night unless they have the TV on. People from the city claim they cannot sleep well in secluded areas without the noise of their city in the background. Try an experiment, right now as you are reading this, close your eyes and count all the noises you hear. I bet there will be some you might not even recognize.
Years ago I experienced silence for the first time. I traveled to Saint Augustine’s House in Oxford Michigan, which was a small Lutheran Monastery. I needed to get away from it all. My first morning there I sat in the chapel praying, praying, and praying. Thinking, thinking, and thinking. I prayed and talked so much (***this is not discouragement to pray) that eventually I ran out of things to say. It was at that moment I heard it, it was strange at first, but clear as sunshine….quiet. I was overwhelmed by complete and utter stillness. It is difficult to describe the peace I experienced in that quiet moment, which is why I invite you to experience the peace of quietness and stillness with me.
As I sat in the chapel surrounded in quiet one scripture verse dropped over me like summer rain on a hot day. Psalm 46: 10, “Be still and know that I am God.” I have no doubt that God listened and heard everyone of my prayers that day, I even have no doubt that God answered and responded to my prayers. God waited patiently until I got everything off my chest then comforted me with His presence. God had been with me the entire time, but it was not until I was free of distractions and noises that I became aware of the fact that He was truly there.
Today I want you to think about a place, could be your kitchen, living room, back yard, even your bedroom closet, any place where you can be free of noises and distractions. Pray until you’re breathless and slowly allow yourself to fall into stillness and quietness. It will be tough at first, maybe even hard. God invites us into his presence always. He is there in the midst of our noise and chaos, but it’s sometimes challenging to recognize God’s presence when we are surrounded by noise. God invites us to be wrapped in His presence. Today let go of the chaos in your life, your worries, your stress and everything else that is keeping you from Joy. Give them all over to God and you will begin find true peace. “Be still, and know that I am God.”

Jesus Paraphernalia

2010-09-15T09:00:00.005-04:00

Jesus paraphernalia is everywhere! You can buy Jesus Band-Aids (I will be honest and say I have them in my cupboard at home). You can buy a Jesus bobble head, t-shirt, ashtray, underwear, coat hanger (you hang your coat on Jesus head), pencil topper, and some serious Jesus bling to wear around your neck. The list goes on and on…

I could argue for some of these things theologically: When I put on my Jesus Band-Aid it is a reminder to me that Jesus heals the wounds of the soul. If I were to use the Jesus pencil topper it would be a symbol for how Jesus erases my sins away.

However, the more Buddy Jesus stuff I come across the more disgusted I become. Our culture is turning Jesus into a joke. The truth is, if a good friend and I were in a serious situation where we were close to death and she took the bullet to save my life. I would never create a bobble head in her memory to share with the world – what an insult to the gift of life she restored to me.

Jesus did more for us than any human could do. Jesus renewed our relationship to God to the point that sin no longer has power over us. I can’t help but picture Jesus walking into the temple and turning over the tables. “Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the merchants and their customers. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the stalls of those selling doves.” (Matthew 21:12). He is in an uproar at the people for selling doves to make a sacrifice to God. It was an important ritual in the church to offer sacrifice; so why is Jesus so upset? People need to buy a dove before entering the church to be able to “do church correctly.”

Looks like the way we imagine “doing church” isn’t always for God’s glory. It turns into the very thing that distracts us from worshipping God. It is becomes a diversion from the true meaning of salvation given through Christ.

We become more worried about the details of how we worship than true authentic worship. We turn Jesus into an everyday figure on ridiculous gear to possibility make Jesus more known in popular culture. Instead it results in taking away the authenticity of Jesus.

http://jesusgetsaround.com

Treasure in Clay Jars

2010-09-08T09:33:00.001-04:00

By: Joseph Murdy, Intern
Every time I think about clay jars, the first thought I usually have is how easily they break. If you have ever handled clay jars you understand that a single slip can result in a thousand pieces. No one really tends to keep anything of tremendous value in them, mostly plants. Clay jars are natural pottery, in the sense that most are made from natural elements found in the earth, such as clay for example. They can take many shapes and sizes, some can be painted, and some are kept inside and others outside. But, no matter how you look at them, they all have one thing in common. They are fragile.
Paul in his second letter to the Corinthians (4:1-15) talks about the fragility of human life. We are faced with so many obstacles, challenges, and fears. Take heart, this is part of being human. Have you ever found yourself saying, “I’m being pushed to the breaking point.” We bear witness to our human fragility every day, from scraped knees, terminal illness, to broken hearts and misplaced hope. Paul assures us by saying, “we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies.”(8-10)
We my friends are clay jars. Molded out of the earth from the creators hands. We are fragile, and yet our pieces of clay have been strengthened by Christ who holds us together. In ancient times when a clay pot broke they were often to expense for people to afford new ones. They would make a strong mixture of wax to piece the pieces together. The pieces would hold so well, they could continue to carry water.
“But, we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.”(7) We are blessed to carry the incredible news of Jesus Christ, the Gospel. The life changing good news of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection is carried in clay jars, you and me. That is truly an awesome treasure! God’s love for us is so extraordinary that He places this most precious message in the hands of His clay jars. We are called to carry this extraordinary message of love and grace throughout the world. Remember no matter how many times we break, crack or leak, God’s hand is putting us back together.

Reflection

2010-09-01T09:00:00.004-04:00

Imagine sitting down to eat dinner. You are sitting across from a good friend and having an interesting and fun conversation. Behind your friends head is a mirror. You can easily see your own reflection in the mirror. As you are talking with your friend how much effort will it take for you to look your friend in the eyes instead of your own reflection in the mirror?

I imagine for a majority of us. We would rather look at our friend and not in the mirror. Yet, when that mirror is there something draws our attention to it. We begin to look at ourselves instead of the other. It’s so easy to do and it’s not what we want to do. We wish the mirror wasn’t even there. If it were me I might even have to move seats because it would be so distracting.

We are not trying to be drawn to our reflection, but it is a natural reaction. So, why is it that we are we often drawn to do the “bad” things over the “righteous”? I know if given a choice between a celery stick and a nutty bar. I’m going with the nutty bar. If given a choice between sleeping in on Sunday morning and getting up extra early for devotions before worship. I’m getting some extra ZZZ’s. It often takes discipline to do the righteous thing. It takes discipline to be healthy, eat right, and exercise. It also takes discipline to live a life of faith. It’s not a natural reaction to think of the other before you.

It’s not a natural reaction to truly reflect Christ. Yet, through the gift of the Spirit reflecting Christ will change your life and the life of whom you encounter. Being disciplined reaps reward. If eating and living healthy your body will have more energy. Your self-esteem with be renewed. If connecting with God deeply your faith will give joyously. Your connection to the earth and the people, animals, and plants of the earth will be united. The way you view this universe will be made whole. Your purpose may not be clear – but your life will have new meaning.

P.S. If only I could count the number of times in this blog I have typed disciple instead of discipline!

Alone in a storm?

2010-08-25T09:00:00.000-04:00

By: Joseph Murdy, Intern

Today I anxiously arrived home while dark clouds loomed over me. Hopeful that I might be able to cut the grass before it rained yet again causing the grass to grow even longer. As I cut the grass I could hear thunder through the loud roar of the lawn mowers blades. I fought harder against my better judgment which told me to get inside the house before the storm got worse. Somewhere between the first and second lightning strike I but the mower away and came inside. While standing by the window I starting thinking about storms.

Storms can be unpredictable, no matter how hard the weather person tries to predict. As hurricane Danielle forms off in the Atlantic the weather channel repeats over and over that the path could always change. Storms have a way of suprising us when we least expect them. They can lift of trees and sometimes homes. They can flood whole cities and even sometimes take innocent lives. Storms are messy and scary. I can only image what the disciples must have been thinking when the storm hit them suddenly on the lake. They must have been terrified!

Although this story is about a real storm with real waves, the storms we often face in our lives can be just as dangerous and just as frightening. The storms we encounter in our lives can leave us worn down, depressed, and with a feeling of utter helplessness. How will we begin to repair what has been lost, broken, devastated? Storms come in many forms and in many ways. It might be the experience of losing a loved one, a faith crisis, or even feeling lost and alone. Whatever your storm might be you can be sure that one thing is certain, God is right there beside you.

When the disciples suddenly found themselves faced with a storm, in fact one of their first real challenges as disciples in the Gospel of Luke, they turned to Jesus. Immediately after the disciples woke Jesus from his nap Jesus rebuked the storm. What Jesus puts forth next is key, he says, “Where is your faith?” This is not a demanding question, but rather a reminder and a reassurance that he is with them. In Matthews telling of the story Jesus asks, “Why are you afraid?” Jesus’ comments might be puzzling, but they are gentle and loving reminders of Gods faithful presence with us especially in the midst of storms.

The next time you find yourself in a storm be that internal or while you’re cutting the grass give thanks to God for God’s enduring faithfulness and presence in your life. Remember what the disciples asked among themselves after Jesus calmed the storm, “What sort of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?” He is Jesus Christ, Son of God, and he promises to always be with you.

Today: Think of someone who is in the midst of a storm, call them, email them, write them, and tell them that you care and assure them that God is there.

Happy Terror

2010-08-18T09:00:00.000-04:00

Children love to play hide-and-go-seek!

Some children love it even more when you add a new dimension to the game. That’s when the parent hides and the children seek. The child knows that before the parent is found that they are going to jump out, scream, make crazy noises, wave their arms around and scare them. Let’s go on the journey of what this would look like.

The dad looks for a hiding spot as the children, Sally and Ann, start counting. Dad hides behind a door in the bedroom. Sally and Ann start out on their mission to find their father. As they search for their father they step carefully knowing that at any time he could jump out and scare them.

First, they search in the kitchen. Maybe he’s hiding in the pantry? They carefully walk together to the door. Open it slowly, hearts beating, and jump back to find that no one is there. Next they say, “Maybe he’s in the bathroom.” They walk to the bathroom and it’s dark. They don’t both to turn on the light. It’s part of the thrill of the find. They walk over to the bath curtain, move it ever so slightly to peak in the bathtub area… nothing. Next they walk to the bedroom closet and just as they opened the pantry door they open the closet door. As they jump back, and begin to catch their breath realizing that their father is not there, dad jumps out from behind the bedroom door.

The girls scream for their life as dad is waving his arms around… they run and hide behind the bed, as Sally puts her arms around Ann to comfort her, you hear.

“Hey, it’s not a monster, it’s our dad, let’s get him.”

Then they both leap from behind the bed and run to tackle their dad. This child game is something theologian, Mike Yaconelli, calls “Happy Terror.”

Yaconelli points out that there is not much terror among Christians today. The terror he’s talking about is the bone-chilling, earth-shattering, gut-wrenching, knee-knocking, life-altering fear that leaves one speechless, paralyzed, helpless and glad. It’s a terror that’s a mix of wonder, awe, fear and worship, all happening at the same time.

That life-altering God is who we worship.

This is no ordinary God.

It is a God who shows up in the darkness… just as the children playing hide-n-go-seek with their father didn’t bother to turn on the lights. We too don’t need to turn on the lights. God is igniting a life-altering fire in the darkness.

An experience of God is happy terror.

No further than our fingertips

2010-08-11T09:00:00.003-04:00

By: Joseph Murdy, Intern

Read Exodus: Chapters 3-4

“Then Moses answered, ‘But suppose they do not believe me or listen to me, but say, the Lord did not appear to you.’ The Lord said to him, ‘What is that in your hand?’ He said, ‘A Staff’.” (Ex.4:1-2)

If you have ever thought to yourself, “I just can’t do it! I’m not qualified!” or fill in the ____ with any number of excuses. This message is for you. Once upon a time in a land far away lived a man named Moses. Maybe you’ve heard of him. A seemingly ordinary man, called by God to do something life altering. What God was asking him to do was difficult and extremely dangerous. In fact, when reading this story one could understand if Moses laughed and said, “yeah, right!”Moses learned a great deal on that mountain that day. He encountered not only God, but himself.

When God spoke to Moses God explained that He had observed the suffering of His people and heard their cry. God said to Moses, “So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.” (Ex. 3:7-12) If this is new to you, what comes next is sure to be familiar, “Who am I that I should go…?” We have all heard God’s call in our lives, it might be a call to liberate God’s people from their suffering, teach Sunday school, help someone in need, or even forgive what seems unforgiveable. The challenges and obstacles we face in our lives often remain just that, an obstacle yet to be overcome. A fear yet untamed, a worry yet relieved a doubt yet, or maybe a wound yet healed. Whatever the call of God may be, it is often echoed with our own excuses. “Who am I to speak against injustice? Who am I to teach? Who am I to ask for God’s love and help? Who am I…Who am I….Who am I??????

My friends, the questions and the excuses are ok to be asked and spoken. In fact, through Moses’ relentless excuses he learned about who God was, but who he was to God. Later in this story Moses’ fears of his own inadequacy are relieved when God said, “I will be with you; and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt (God already knows the task will be completed), you shall worship God on this mountain.” (Ex. 3:12) What we often fear is not the call of God; it is our own sense of inadequacy. This is what holds us back. Our fears confirmed when we attempt to do things on our own. We are inadequate and helpless, unable to do anything on our own. It is only through the grace and wonder of God that God’s plans can be fulfilled through us. The E.L.C.A. has a saying, “God’s work, our hands.” We are called by God to carry out God’s mission and will in the world. God calls us, always with the promise that He will be with us every step of the way. Don’t believe me? Keep reading Exodus. When you get to the end of that, keep reading and tell me if you don’t see God every step of the way.

My favorite part about this story is 4:1-2, “Then Moses answered, ‘But suppose they do not believe me or listen to me, but say, the Lord did not appear to you.’ The Lord said to him, ‘What is that in your hand?’ He said, ‘A Staff’.” Moses was still afraid that he was not the right guy for the job. God asks Moses what he already has in his hand, it just so happens to be a staff. It is through this staff, as we will find out, that God will show signs and wonders. God calls us with the knowledge that He has already given us everything we need. We are all called to different things, and each have different gifts for the glory of God. God takes the gifts and what we already have and uses us to spread the Gospel. In Mark 6:8 we read, “Jesus ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff.” God provides everything we need; in fact, we already have all we need.

When God calls us it can be a scary thing. Certainly not because who has called us, but rather what it is that we are called to. The call of God often and most assuredly takes us out of our comfort zone and brings us to new territory we are not familiar with. The call of God comes unexpected. After reading this short reflection on this passage, read the story again, and finally take time to reflect on your gifts. God asked Moses, “what is in your hand?” Moses said, “A staff.” In searching for the possibility of answering God’s call to service in the world we need look no further than our fingertips.

Pray with me: God of all wonder and grace, there are times in my life when I hear your voice calling me to serve. I am afraid, and wonder if I can do it. Be with me in those moments of fear and doubt. Comfort me always with the assurance that you are with me always and there is nothing I can’t do without you. Amen+

I have enough money!

2010-08-04T09:00:00.008-04:00

I would love to hear the words – “I have enough money” seep from someone’s tongue. Yes, I’m not sure I’ve ever heard that… it’s not a common sentence no matter how much money you have in the bank.

It is chilling if you think about the amount of time you spend with money. The amount of time it consumes your thoughts.

When traveling we think about the best way to keep our money safe and yet available. Weekly we think about the food on our table. Weekly and monthly we think about how we’re going to pay our bills. All of this doesn’t include any amount of time you think about your debt.

The amount of worry you carry and time you spend strategizing how to rid of the debt. I can honestly say there is not one day – much less an hour that goes by not thinking about money in some form.

The amount of worry that goes into money is unspeakable – so it is not surprising that in the verses following the parable of the rich fool Jesus continues with words of hope:

Luke 12:22-23
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes… Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your span of life?

We may be able to hear those words and find comfort in them, but worry still creeps into our lives no matter how much we pray or fight it. The world throws the heavy burden of worry to carry around.

In God’s kingdom there is no worry. In God’s kingdom there is enough for all…

God is the great Giver. God never buys or sells, but he gives unceasingly. It is of the very essence of God’s nature to give, and the more he gives the richer he is - David McCanaughy

In God’s kingdom there is enough for all!

Childlike Curiosity

2010-07-28T09:00:00.006-04:00

A joy for me this summer was when an 80 year old volunteer at Vacation Bible School asked me, “How many brothers did Joseph have?”

I responded, “I am unsure and haven’t really thought about that question.”

The next day he informed me that there were twelve brothers. Even as a pastor I continue to learn more details. I grow in a deeper understanding of God’s people in scripture and what they reveal to us about God in our life today. Our conversations around scripture continued throughout the week. Each conversation was full of childlike curiosity and mature revelation.

These conversations brought me joy because often after a lifetime of studying scripture and hearing it week after week in worship most think we’ve heard it all. We feel there is no need to read again a story we assume we already know. Yet, as this 80 year old was reminded when he was teaching children. When we continue to read scripture there is always something more the Spirit reveals and new questions, new insights that emerge and in this our relationship with God grows.

My prayer is that we will (no matter our age), through scripture, continue to immerse ourselves in childlike curiosity and find mature revelation. As the Spirit reveals new questions and insights so we can emerge, into the world, living God’s Word in a new and vibrant way!

possibilites

2010-07-21T09:00:00.000-04:00

O LORD our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Adonai, Savior, Abba, Immanuel, Redeemer, Deliverer, Yahweh, God our Rock, Logos, Counselor, Comforter, Advocate, Sanctifier, Shepherd, King of Kings, Creator, Prince of Peace, Everlasting God, Healer, Bread of Life, Refuge, Holy One, Alpha and Omega, I AM!

O LORD our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet: all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Psalm 8 emphasizes the power of the name of God.

We don’t have one name for God – we have many names to describe a God of awe. The different names we speak help us to describe our God – the power of our God – the love of God – the omnipotence of God.

We may not have a perfect way to describe God, but we can recognize the gifts given to us when we consider God’s heavens, the work of God’s fingers, the moon and the stars, which God has set in place. This is a God who has put everything under our feet!

God is so much more than a name! When I look at a star-filled sky or a vast body of water I feel so small. Then in the midst of that smallness there will suddenly emerge a realization of the vast number of possibilities. We are a part of something larger. We are a part of each other. We are a part of the earth. We are a part of the universe. All of these parts lead to an infinite number of possibilities.

My prayer is that God leads us and guides as us we embrace our possibilities!

Cleaning up Leaf's

2010-07-07T09:00:00.000-04:00

Every summer since I graduated from college in 99 my college friends and I get together at my parent’s cabin in Michigan.

A few summer's ago when we got together my friend’s child, Alex was with her. He was 3 years old (and now is 7) and has been at the cabin every year since he was in the womb.

And the year he began walking and talking he enjoyed hanging out with my father. Since I haven’t provided grandchildren yet, my father was especially enjoying it. My father, Dale, was spending most of his time fixing the boat. The boat had not been used for over a year because it needed a new gas tank. It was finally fixed and needed to be cleaned. It was full of leafs and dirt. And my father decided to ask Alex to be a big helper and clean out the leaf’s.

I was standing on the sidelines and began to watch this 3 year old begin to pick up the leafs and throw them over the side of the boat into the water. Alex did not do it as I would have done it. I would have complained and then grabbed as many of them in my arms as I could and throw them into the water.

Instead, Alex would get under dash of the boat grab one leaf, climb back up on the seat and took a moment to look at the leaf because each one had a different shape and different color. He would let go of it slowly and then watch it float down to the water and stair at the ripple it would leave on the water.

He would then climb down off the seat, go under the dash, climb back on the chair, look at the leaf, let go, and watch it drop down to the water and look at the ripple it left. At first I was annoyed and wanted to jump on the boat and do the work in half the time. Jodi stopped me and said don’t you think you could use something like this in a sermon someday. So, I kept watching Alex take care with each leaf… I noticed he was smiling and joyful about the task he was asked to do. He was not complaining as I would have instead he was attentive to each leaf and paid close attention to each.

Thanks Jodi… I too needed a reminder.

The reminder of how God cares for us. God does not complain when we make mistakes or don’t take time to listen or talk with God. God cares for each one of us individually. God is watching the unique path that we take and God admires the unique ripple that we leave on the world though our love and actions!

Be Quiet!

2010-06-30T09:00:00.005-04:00

Last week I was at junior high camp at Luther Springs. At the very first worship service the kids were over excited and a bit loud. The counselors were trying to get control of the rowdy group so one of them yelled above the noise, “We’re about to start worship and what does that mean.”

A child raises their hand, “It means be quiet.”

“That’s right it’s time to be quiet.”

In the background I lean towards another pastor and sarcastically say, “I thought worship was when we lift praise to God, but I guess we can forget that… worship means be quiet.”

There is truth to the importance of being quiet during worship and taking time to listen to God. However, it is also a time when we open ourselves to the joy of life given to us in God and that is when we dance, sing, and make a joyful noise to the Lord.

As I’m sure most can imagine we sing a lot of songs at camp. We sing when we wake in the morning. We sing before meals. We sing as we are walking down the path in the woods. We sing around a blazing campfire in the evening. One thing I enjoy about all this singing is that it becomes a part of the norm. The kids will begin to make a joyful noise to the Lord during an everyday task without even noticing.

Giving praise to our God can manifest in many different forms. When we give praise to God in all we say and do – when we find ourselves lifting a joyful noise to the Lord even outside of the formatted worship service. The Spirit weaves into our lives in new and abundant ways. As a result in that quiet time with God, we are able to hear God more clearly.

Psalm 100:1-5
Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come into his presence with singing. Know that the LORD is God. It is he that made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, bless his name. For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

How to Come and Go with God

2010-06-23T09:00:00.000-04:00

by Johanna Johnson

“The human mind plans the way, but the Lord directs the steps.” (Proverbs 16:9)

I am a planner in the first degree. I really like to be prepared, and to know what’s going on – or if things are to be left open, I like to know that we are planning to leave them open. “The human mind plans the way,” the wise author of Proverbs writes. And this is a condition my human mind knows quite well.
And yet, the sage goes on: “but the Lord directs the steps.” Ah, now there’s the trick. Looking back on my life, some wonderful experiences have come from planning. But the most fruitful and important experiences of all have come when all my logic said, “No, don’t do that,” but I let the Lord direct my steps anyway. They have come when I have leapt out in faith, telling my fear to take a hike. They have come when I simply ride the wave of God’s will, rather than reason my way out of it. God’s will took me 2000 miles from my California home to a little private college in Minnesota. God’s will took me 6000 miles from home to a village in Slovakia. God’s will took me to an Ivy League divinity school I never had any intention of attending. And God’s will took me to SW Florida for an internship that has proven an essential experience for me in my growth in ministry. God knows what God is doing, it seems.
Is it easy to ride this wave? Nope, not at all. But is it exhilarating? Absolutely! The most wonderful thing about the Lord directing our steps is that we know that with God as our navigator, we’ll end up in the right place. Maybe that place is far from home and everything familiar. Maybe it is exactly what is home and familiar. But it is always right – right where God intended.

Listening

2010-06-16T09:00:00.001-04:00

An English professor, once shared an experience of a teacher who changed her life during high school. She says the classroom in which her teacher was teaching was located on the side of the building where a main thoroughfare of the city ran. Traffic was constant, including the sound of emergency vehicles, throughout each day. At the beginning of each class, the teacher would complain to the students about the noise from the traffic. The emergency vehicles especially annoyed him with their sirens.

After one weekend, the teacher addressed the class at the beginning as he usually did. This day he said he wanted to apologize to the class. He told them that this weekend his wife had an emergency situation. The service that the ambulance provided saved his wife's life and his baby's life. He told his students, "I want to apologize because I was listening to the noise instead of thinking about the lives."

In his external world, the teacher heard noise. The experience with his wife and child caused him to inwardly see that lives were being cared for by those noisy vehicles.

We are called to listen differently to all of creation and God. There is no doubt that noise has invaded our lives. Some can’t shower without music or go to sleep without the TV in the background. All this noise is simply noise. We must go deeper we must go inward. That is where we will find truth.

NOTE: The story about the English professor was shared by, Rev. Dr. Isaiah Jones Jr.

Fear or Sanctuary?

2010-06-09T09:00:00.001-04:00

There are times when sharing the Word of God comes easily, others not so much. I’ll never forget the first time I was asked to preach about death. It wasn’t at a funeral. It was at a service of remembrance around Christmas time. Since the holidays are especially difficult for those who have lost a loved one we offered a service for them to come together to mourn, and hear some good news about God’s love in the midst of loneliness and grief. I was nervous and unsure if what I had to say could even begin to provide comfort.

Honestly, to this day I don’t remember what I preached but I do remember what happened afterwards. I finished preaching. Sat down and took a deep breath and prayed that God’s comfort was revealed. In this time of silence the organist began to play a song and I noticed a woman running to him. This woman must have just walked in because she wasn’t there for my sermon and she was frantically in need of help as she was carrying what looked like a paper towel.

As she disrupted the organist the pastor walked over to calm the situation and led this person into the narthex. After the service was over I asked the pastor what happened. She said, “It was urgent because she believed there was a demon in the paper towel.”

I responded, “How did she catch a demon in a paper towel?”

“I don’t know how and that was not the important question. It was important that she believed she had one.”

“So, what did you say?”

“I said we need to do with this demon as we need to with all of them, and that is, throw them in the trash.”

I don’t know whatever happened to this woman nor if she has been able to deal with the demons in her life. The truth is, our theology about demons may differ but the reality is when she was dealing with something that was a true threat and frightening she ran to the church. She ran to a place that was safe. She ran to place of comfort. She ran to place that represents a God who protects, comforts, and cures!

While I was busy worrying about a sermon on grief and death. God was busy opening the church doors to new life not lived in fear of demons, but in sanctuary with God.

Playful Messiness

2010-06-02T09:00:00.003-04:00

When I was a child I loved getting messy. I wasn’t the child at the roadside selling lemonade. I was the child that got down in the mud and dug for worms, put them in containers and sold them at the roadside for fishermen.

I worked at camps for five summers. It was perfect for me. I love getting messy and camp is a great place to get messy. One of my favorite nights was the overnight. We would camp out under the stars by Lake Michigan. One day we had about 70 campers and we had cooked our meal over the fire, swam in the lake and then played some games on the beach. We were getting set for the evening and just like Florida in Michigan we have sudden storms. And suddenly it was a down pour! Everything including the camper’s pillows and sleeping bags were drenched.

We quickly got the kids under the pavilion, but it was too late. Everything was WET! We were gathered together trying to figure out what to do since the camp didn’t have 70 extra sleeping bags and pillows. Hoping the bus would come… but unsure it would and these were the days before cell phones.

I was tried and frustrated so I walked to the side and watched the rain. I then noticed the HUGE puddles that were forming. My friend Matt walked over, looked at me and said “do it!” I said no, I’ll get to muddy! He smiled and took off in the rain and jumped in the puddle. I couldn’t stand back and watch so I followed. Jumped in and stood up muddy and scraped from the rocks and then 10 campers or so came to join us. We had so much fun in those mud puddles and got SO messy.

The bus finally arrived and I was the first one at the door. The bus driver looked at me and said, “Dana what did you do?” I smiled and said, “Life is messy, faith is messy, and sometimes we just need to play in it!"

irreplaceable water

2010-05-26T09:00:00.003-04:00

Water is a beautiful thing and it has a story to share. It is something irreplaceable and at the foundation of all life. It is weaved in the very fabric of our physical being and through water and The Word we are baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and given new life.

One of my first posts on this blog is entitled, "Living Water." In it I talk about a plant given to me on my first day at Christus Victor. Now two years later the plant is still living. It has slowly become a spiritual discipline to water this plant. As I water it I take a moment to think of the ways that I am fed, watered, and nourished spiritually.

The truth is there is no new source of water - every drop that exists today was in existence at the earth's creation. No wonder why my soul has been disturbed by the oil spill due to our dependence and love of oil. No wonder why most people love to be on the shore of an ocean, lake, river, or creek. Water has the power to connect us to the earth, the creatures of the earth, and one another. The story and life of Jesus is even revealed in the use of water.

The following video reminds us of the power of water and that we get to live a new life through Christ.

Church (Thrift) Shopping

2010-05-19T09:00:00.000-04:00

by Johanna Johnson

I would say that literally three quarters of my wardrobe comes from thrift shops. I’d like to think you’d never be able to tell; I frequently get compliments on what I wear.

It wasn’t always this way. In fact, I used to hate thrift shops. I hated walking in and being overwhelmed by the vast variety of articles, nothing the same as the next, no way to simply find what I wanted in a different size. I hated that I usually couldn’t walk in and immediately find something I liked, that finding anything worthwhile required effort and patience and sometimes more work than I wanted to put in. I hated that so many things seemed so old fashioned, too old for me, too worn out. Shopping should be easy, right?

How many of us have felt that way about church? That there are too many people or practices there we can’t relate to, that we can’t simply exchange one person or practice for something that fits us better. That we sometimes go to church and can’t find something we immediately like, and leave feeling like nothing really struck our fancy. That worship feels old fashioned, or worn out. Church should be easy, right?

I have certainly felt this way. But as it turns out, faith isn’t easy. Like a thrift shop, it requires a bit of effort. Like a thrift shop, if you are willing to put a bit of effort into it, and not sit back and just wait for it to come to you, you will inevitably find something wonderful. Sometimes I walk into a thrift shop and immediately see something I like; sometimes this happens in church, too. But more often than not, God isn’t speaking in ways immediately apparent to us. Hearing God’s Word requires some patience, some effort, and the willingness to be open-hearted. With this attitude, you are much more likely to find that treasure that God has in store for you.

Overwhelming Peace

2010-05-12T09:00:00.002-04:00

Currently, my heart cries for the families who have lost a love one due to the oil rig explosion. My heart cries for all the living creatures of our ocean dyeing because of our love and dependence on oil. My heart cries for the victims of the China and Haiti earthquakes. My heart cries for those dyeing of AIDS and Malaria in Africa. My heart cries for the tension in Thailand. What’s even scarier is that this list goes on and on and on...

Honestly, all of this is OVERWHELMING and Exhausting. After all there is not much we can personally do about it. I know that I’ve often wanted to crawl in a corner and ignore it.

And sometimes we do. We have the choice to turn off the TV. Build a strip mall around the run down trailer park that has poverty written all over it. We can bury things and pretend they are not there.

I imagine the 12 guys hiding in the upper room – realizing what happened when Jesus died. Not knowing the next move. So, naturally they locked the door and hid in fear.

So what does Jesus do? He meets them where they are at and says, “Peace be with you.” Then Jesus shows the disciples his wounds and again says, “Peace be with you.” Friends in Christ, this is not a greeting. It’s a gift. Jesus gave them peace. Jesus gave them the breath of the Spirit.
Even before the disciples were locked behind doors with fear. Jesus was offering peace.

Jesus knows that our hearts are easily troubled. Jesus knows that the ways of this world are overwhelming and that is why we can grasp at the words, “I do not give to you as the world gives.” Jesus even on the way to the cross was assuring us peace over and over again. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Don’t let your hearts be troubled, do not be afraid.

How many more times do we need to hear it?

It’s like a child that has been injured. Imagine a child bumps his head or scrapes her knee what do they run? They run into arms of a mother or father and just want to be embraced. A child knows that the parent cannot actually take away the pain. But there is renewed life found in the embrace of the parents comforting arms.

This world is fallen. We fall. We may not be able to physically run into the arms of God our father, our mother – but we sure can embrace our gift. A gift of peace. A gift of the Spirit.

Instead, of being overwhelmed by this world - we get to experience overwhelming peace.

Lord today we again cry for your peace.

Slithery Serpents

2010-05-05T12:53:00.001-04:00

Take away the serpents
© 2009 John A. Clausen
ref: Numbers 21:4-9, John 3:14-21

Lord, take away the serpents.
The bite is cruelly sharp.
The poison, now injected,
speeds quickly to my heart.
The venom of the reptile,
which courses through my veins,
gives pause to longer living
the poison, dark sin, stains.
Lord, take away the serpents;
I’ll take away my pride.
Lord, listen, answer truly,
lest the poison stay inside.

The serpents’ deadly pestilence
remains despite my prayer.
Yet lifted high above me
new life is fix’ed there.
You didn’t take the serpents,
but in answer to my plea,
you gave a means of living
as you died upon the tree.
You didn’t take the serpents;
you took, though, all my sin
and placed its fearful poison
in your life, mine to win.

So, when the serpents slither,
give now your gift of grace;
forgive my constant failings
my sins, by love, erase.

I want a pet dragon!

2010-04-28T09:00:00.000-04:00

Growing up, one of my favorite movies was The Neverending Story. I wanted to be Atreyu. I wanted to fly on the back of Falkor. I loved the movie because of its excitement and adventure along with its creative and unique characters. In this movie the parallel fantasy world is being destroyed by the Nothing, which represents people’s lack of imagination in the real world.

I also wanted to be Bastian the one reading The Neverending Story in the attic. Bastian is the nerd, the outcast, and is rejected by his peers. Why would I want to be him? Because he gets to be the hero! He’s the one who finally gives into his imagination and in doing so saves the parallel fantasy universe. Plus, he rides Falkor in the end!

I recently watched How to Train Your Dragon. After leaving the theater I of course wanted to get my own dragon. I mean riding on the back of a dragon – seriously just as cool as riding on Falkor… if not cooler because the dragon is a scary beast. Oh, wait… that’s the point. The scary beast doesn’t turn out to be so scary. And yet again I left the theater wanting to be Hiccup. Hiccup is the nerd, the outcast, and is rejected by his peers. Why would I want to be him? Because he gets to be the hero! He’s the one who dared to do the unthinkable. He befriended a beast and in the end saves both the dragons and his people.

In movies we tend to root for the underdog. Yet, we don’t do this in the real world.

We may not root for the underdog – but God does. After all God called Abraham in his old age, Moses even with a speech impediment, Jeremiah even though he was young, Paul who was the leading persecutor of Christians, and let’s not forget the mother of Jesus, Mary, a teenager who wasn’t even close to being a queen.

Then there were all the times that Jesus rooted for the underdog. The Samaritan woman at the well who was clearly not a Jew and I’m sorry to say a bit smutty. He transformed fishermen into fishers of people. He ate with Zacchaeus a short sinner and tax collector. He gave a second chance to a woman guilty of adultery. He even dared to touch a leper.

Maybe we have a lack of imagination as to who is worthy. Maybe we need to dare to do the unthinkable.

Onto Galilee

2010-04-21T09:00:00.000-04:00

This week I would like to share with everyone the devotion I read at our council this past week. It is one that speaks too many at this moment. I have brought it up on the phone a number of times this week. Therefore, I feel called to share it here. I did not write this nor do I know who did – but thanks be to God for their message of Christ resurrected!

Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia!

The shouts of joy echo in our churches as we celebrate this season of resurrection and new life in Christ.

It might be tempting for us to gather around the empty tomb, amazed at what has happened. We might also be tempted to focus on the signs of resurrection in our own lives or in the life of our congregation and to think that is what Easter is all about. The empty tomb, the announcement of resurrection and the signs of new life are only part of the message of Easter.

The rest of the message moves us into the future. The angel at the tomb said the risen Christ is going ahead to Galilee (Matthew 28: 7b). Following Christ does not end at the empty tomb. Following Christ always takes us on to another place, to where we are not yet, to some “Galilee” where Christ goes before us.

To live the resurrection is to be called to movement, to change, to transformation – as individuals and as congregations. Sometimes it can be frightening to leave behind the places where we have already seen signs of resurrection. It can be scary to step out into the unknown, into ventures of which we cannot see the ending, as one prayer puts it.

But this is not just change for the sake of change because we are bored or want something new. Our trip to “Galilee” is for the sake of the world, for the sake of those who still need to know Christ’s resurrected life.

How can we dare to do this? Because Christ is already there. The one who has gone ahead of us into the tomb and triumphed now goes before us into “Galilee” and promises to meet us there.

Let us then not hang around the empty tomb, but let us go on to “Galilee” where we can expect to find the risen Christ in the most unexpected places.

AMEN!!

2010-04-07T09:00:00.001-04:00

My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way rough, my companions are few, my Guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded, or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the enemy, pander at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won’t give up, shut up, let up, until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, preached up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till he comes, give till I drop, preach till all know, and work till he stops me. And when he comes for his own, he will have no problem recognizing me... my banner will be clear.

(From a note found in the office of a young pastor in Zimbabwe, Africa, after he was killed for his faith.) Quoted in The Signature of Jesus by Brennan Manning

Lent is over. Our journey through the wilderness – to the cross – led us to a place where we can roll away the stone and let light into the dark tomb. Light penetrates into a place where we assume there is death – only to find life. That is why the pastor above wrote powerful words in such a dismal time. The passion that evoked the words of this pastor is something I wish we could all feel on Easter morning.

So that our words change, our thoughts change, and our actions change. Our whole being is changed in Christ – our journey doesn’t end – instead, it begins. The light of the resurrection cannot be extinguished. God’s love for us cannot be abolished. That is a banner we can all hold high!

“Excuse me, that’s my seat, can you move over?”

2010-03-31T09:00:00.000-04:00

“Excuse me, that’s my seat, can you move over?”

Not such a welcoming way to be invited into a new worship space. Yes, those words have been spoken at my church. When I first heard it, I stood in disbelief. I mean I know we joke about how we are creatures of habit and often sit in the same area, but to ask someone to move?

This past week, as I was walking down the aisle prior to worship I was stopped by two regular worshippers as they were getting their seats. I greeted them and they said, “We had to come early this week because other people were in our seat last week.”

I questioned, “Did you ask them to move?”

“Of course not, but we did come early this week.”

Is this because we know what we like? We want the right view, close to a speaker, near a fan, far from an A/C vent. It really is about comfort – I know on my couch at home I have a certain spot I like to sit in. Comfort is great – but it seems there becomes a point when comfort becomes a hindrance.

I was talking to a friend of mine who will occasionally attend an organized church service. I encouraged her to worship this week since it is Holy Week. She responded, “Well, I fear I’ll sit in someone’s seat.”

The visitor is showing empathy for the regular worshipper’s comfort – now that – blew me away. I never thought of it that way before. Then I realized that Jesus and his disciples never really had a chance to get comfortable. They were always on the move and in a new place. Maybe a reality we face in our current culture is that the church today has become too comfortable. And if that’s the case then is this a reason why so many don’t attend organized church services? People don’t know how to get in the club? or People don’t want to be a part of a club and therefore worship on their own?

Whatever the answer’s I cannot deny there is so much more behind, “Excuse me, that’s my seat, can you move over?”

Hostess in June

2010-03-17T09:18:00.004-04:00

By Johanna Johnson

“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.” (Hebrews 13:2)

One of the first things you could see walking into my grandparents’ home was a shelf full of guestbooks. These two dozen or so volumes contain the names of people well-known and un-known from all over the world, reflecting the many places my grandparents lived in their lives: South Dakota, Germany, Mexico City, Ethiopia, New York City, Pennsylvania, Los Angeles… Were these people all their dearest friends? Perhaps not before the door was opened to them, but by the time they had left the warm home my grandma cultivated, they had become brothers and sisters, leaving their mark, as so many others had, on the lives and hearts of the entire Solberg family.

Grandma June was the epitome of Hostess. Whether it be a stranger at the door, or a friend of a friend, or someone she had known for years, one was invited in, offered food and drink from what was sometimes a humble supply, and soon enough made to feel like the most interesting, important, and wonderful person in the world. This was the gift of June. Her warmth was undeniable and contagious, and she treated everyone she met like he or she was indeed an angel, sent from God to change June’s life. Beautiful artwork that decorated my grandparents’ home reflected the love they shared and received, as the people in their lives imparted these lovely gifts to them in gratitude for all that they had to give.

Grandma June now lives in an Alzheimer’s unit, hardly able to speak, but still bestowing her warm glow on everyone she encounters. Just to be in the presence of this amazing woman of faith is to feel the very warmth and love of God.

Orange Tree

2010-03-03T09:00:00.002-05:00

This past week I had the pleasure of walking a labyrinth. I don’t know if you’ve ever walked a labyrinth. Most people think it looks like a maze. However, it’s not a maze. It only has one path to the center and the same path out. One purpose of walking a labyrinth is to go on a journey and rid of all the noise in our head so we can listen to God. I often focus on a word such as hope, joy, or Emmanuel. Once you reach the center then you are blessed to let go, sit down, and listen to God. Ideally, after you find peace with God in the center, on the journey out of the labyrinth, you can focus on how you can take that peace into the world.

As I was on the way out of the labyrinth I had not accomplished my ultimate goal. The noise in my head was still loud. I was actually looking at an orange tree off in the distance and thinking about how I really wanted to pick an orange from the tree before I left. While thinking this I stopped on the path for a moment, looked up to the heavens, and said, “Why can’t I simply be quiet.” Looking upwards I noticed that there was an orange tree right over my head. I had already walked the whole labyrinth and hadn’t noticed. And there was a tree right over my head. I noticed it after I had that desire.

As I paused I thought, “In life how often do we tend to only see what we’re looking for?"

We try to see what God wants for our life. We try to see where God is leading us. We try to be open to God's time and not our own. Yet, we can't help but look with a very focused lens. We tend to look for what we're looking for... we can't see the whole picture?

Lent is a time for renewal. Let's take time to renew our understanding of God and how we see God at work in our lives. Sometimes there is an orange tree right over your head - and you didn't even see it!

God's Word, Our Lives

2010-02-24T09:00:00.001-05:00

by Johanna Johnson

Two years ago, the day after a very difficult break-up with my boyfriend, Psalm 73 came up in my monthly Psalm cycle. In the midst of the fear, questioning, and sadness surrounding the break-up, I experienced more profoundly than ever before the sense that God truly was speaking to me specifically through these words.

21When my soul was embittered,
when I was pricked in heart,
22I was stupid and ignorant;
I was like a brute beast towards you.
23Nevertheless I am continually with you;
you hold my right hand.
24You guide me with your counsel,
and afterwards you will receive me with honour.
25Whom have I in heaven but you?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire other than you.
26My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever.
27Indeed, those who are far from you will perish;
you put an end to those who are false to you.
28But for me it is good to be near God;
I have made the Lord God my refuge,
to tell of all your works.

This Psalm came up again in a recent Bible study. As we worked our way methodically through it, I had another profound experience where God seemed to speak to me, this time through my own mouth with God’s words; I began with the intention of saying one thing, and at the end I realized something else entirely had come out. I was explaining that my major hold up with the Psalms was this sense of “me vs. them.” The Psalms are always talking about “my enemies,” “those who hate me,” and how “they” will be punished. But what if “they” are not other people, but my own sinful nature? It’s not me against them, it’s me against me, my saint against my sinner. “For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” (Rom 7:15)

As I said this to the group gathered, I had another moment of pristine clarity, a moment that consisted primarily of, “Oh...” And my Lenten journey was laid out before me, with all its ominously dark corners and unknown curves and hills, but also the promise of joyous light at the end. It is a path on which we eagerly seek to distinguish sin from righteousness, to have our hearts cleansed, and to discover God’s will for our daily lives. Even as I look out upon that path with trepidation, I also feel my heart full of anticipation, hunger, longing, and satisfaction – all at once! As I (we!) traverse this scary road, I am comforted by the Psalmist’s words, “It is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge.”

Let us pray…. God of mercy, God of light: In our darkest moments, you are there. In our clearest moments, you are there. You are our compass, and our tent; you are our refuge. Lead us as down the path laid before us, helping us to know that wherever we are, there you are also. Amen.

Get Down!!

2010-02-17T09:00:00.000-05:00

My father and I love to go canoeing. We have been down many rivers together. We were actually a great team and decided one year to take on one of the toughest rivers in Michigan, the Pike River. I didn’t realize what I was getting myself into. The river was very fast and extremely small so there was not much maneuverability. Most surprisingly it had so many turns that I couldn’t see what we were about to encounter 50 feet in front of us.

We were on the river for three days. I’ll never forget rounding a corner and all the sudden I saw a tree that had fallen all the way across the river. It was so low that I wasn’t sure the boat could fit, the river was fast and we didn’t have much time to react. I yelled at my father… “GET DOWN!” We both hit our knees so fast that we had bruises the next day. We luckily made it under the tree! On that trip down the river I was “on my knees” more than in the seat. When canoeing the lower you are in the boat the more control you have of the boat.

This lent maybe we need to get down on our knees so we can give control to God.

Deep Water

2010-02-10T08:46:00.002-05:00

by Johanna Johnson

“Jesus said to Simon, ‘Put out into the deep water and let down your
nets for a catch.’… When they had done this, they caught so many fish
that their nets were beginning to break.” (Luke 5:4, 6)

Deep water. Actually, and metaphorically, this translates to: danger.
Deep water is scary, unknown, and dangerous. You don’t know what you
might find there. It could hold something very beautiful and exciting,
or it could be hiding something we don’t want to see or don’t
understand. With so many unknowns, why does Jesus ask Simon to move
away from the safety of the land, even the relative safety of the
shallow water, into the Great, Deep, Unknown?

The fact is, faith is not unlike that deep water. It is at once
beautiful and exciting, and scary and unknown. It sometimes sparkles
on the surface, and gets more interesting and complex the deeper you
go. When Jesus asks Simon – and us – to “put out into the deep water,”
he is asking us to take that risk, that risk that puts us beyond the
simplicity of the sparkling surface, and into those parts that are
unknown and even scary. In the deep water – that is where we will also
deepen our faith.

But Jesus says something else here, too: “let down your nets for a
catch.” This excerpt comes from Luke’s account of Jesus calling the
first disciples – where he tells them that they will be “catching
people.” In the deep water, Jesus says, is where they will be
catching people. When Simon and his companions put down their nets in
that deep water, there are so many fish their nets begin to break,
and the sheer number of fish starts to sink two boats. And this after
they had caught nothing all night! Here, that deep water becomes not
only a deeper understanding of faith personally, but also the ability
to share that faith with other people. Talking about faith is often
difficult for us. It is even more difficult with people who don’t
share our faith. Talking about our personal faith indeed puts us in
deep, scary, unknown waters. But, “when they had done this, they
caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break.” It’s
possible. It’s scary, but as Jesus talks about moving into the deep
water, so also is he calling us, just as he called his first
disciples, to take such risks in our faith. “Put out into the deep
water and let down your nets for a catch… From now on, you will be
catching people.”

Stand in the Rain

2010-02-03T09:00:00.002-05:00

Honestly, a pastor does just about everything. I bet you could say the same about your profession. So, I'm sure you understand. I have done the obvious hospital and shut-in visits, preached, and led worship but beyond that I have been to the court house for an adoption, ran after trash down the road, learned how to use Microsoft Publisher, taken care of a dead bird the parking lot, visited the local jail, led services at nursing and funeral homes, sat with people in mourning, stripped and waxed the floors, put toliet paper in the church bathroom, facilitated fund-raisers, and many other opportunities that would take to long to list.

I almost feel I can say, “You name it, a pastor does it.”

All of this can be down-right tiring and overwhelming. One day I was driving to the hospital with no energy left. I knew that I needed to visit a few people, but had expended most of my energy to others earlier in the day. Then a tropical down pour started.

I really did not want to go into the hospital. I was thinking I can skip one day, would it really hurt?I pulled into the parking lot and sat in my car with the engine off debating if I really wanted to get that wet. Then I thought, “I need to be washed clean!” I opened the door, stood up and put my face to the sky and stood there. After a few moments I looked around as everyone was rushing to shelter. The rain felt so good (and I was drenched). I walked slowly to the hospital entrance as I felt the rain wash away every ounce of pain I was carrying from myself and others. In the craziness of life we need to remember and let God wash us clean daily, and God will renew our soul.

Psalm 103
Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits-- who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the Pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good as long as you live so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Laying in the Sand

2010-01-27T09:00:00.001-05:00

As I was out to dinner with two friends one says, “I need to go lay in the sand.” The next thing we knew we were paying our bill and off to the beach. This was not in our plans for the day so we were not prepared. Luckily I was wearing my sandals – but one of my friends had his shoes and socks on. We all had long pants with dress shirts and walked onto the beach with blankets from the trunk.

The beach was full of well prepared beach goers. They had their swimsuits, aqua shoes, coolers with water, sun umbrellas, beach chairs, and towels. We looked around at all the well prepared beach goers as we walked to find a good place to lay down our blankets and rest in the sand. We may have not been well prepared that day – but our lack of preparedness didn’t take away from our soulful conversation on the sand that day.

We are always preparing for something in our personal life, work, or home. We worry, fret, and wonder if we have done everything. Yet to no avail we are caught off guard.

The disciples were caught off guard when Jesus rose from the dead. In Luke – they think Jesus a ghost; in John – Jesus has to speak Mary’s name before she recognizes him; in Matthew – there is an earthquake and angels descend from heaven; and in Mark – the disciples left the tomb so full of terror and amazement they couldn’t talk about what had happened.

The disciples were not prepared for what Jesus did on that day – even if they thought they were. The disciple’s lack of preparedness didn’t take away from the reality of what God did for us. Prepared or not, Jesus changed death into life.

Who Baptized You?

2010-01-20T09:00:00.001-05:00

Who baptized you? Is your first thought of the Pastor? No! It’s bigger than that… it was God!

It is the God of our baptism who in Genesis created the heavens and the earth, separated the light and the dark, made the waters and dry land, made night and day, gave life to the vegetation, the creatures of the water, the birds of the air, and the animals of the dry land. It is the God of our baptism who formed humankind from the dust of the earth and breathed into its nostrils the breath of life.

It is the God of our baptism who comes to Elijah in the silence. The silence of when all hope is lost and God feeds his child so he can once again be “zealous for the Lord.”

It is the God of our baptism who reveals his love even in the depths of suffering found throughout the book of Job.

It is the God of our baptism who the psalmist praised and cried out to in lament. Ps. 40, “I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the desolate pit, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.”
Ps. 23, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul.”

It is the God of our baptism who can come to us through a virgin womb.

It is the God of our baptism who gave his only Son. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send this Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

Jesus revealed to us the God of our baptism. God’s self-giving, self-humbling, unending love for humankind.

This is a God who plunged us down into the waters of baptism and brought us up out of death's grip---like God did for Jesus.

It is the God of our baptism that keeps – the Church and the people of God living today.

Flying Emotions

2010-01-13T09:00:00.001-05:00

Have you been on a car ride that is perfect? The wind blowing in your hair, the radio playing a favorite tune, you’re excited about the destination, and the company in the car brings you joy. You are making the final left hand turn and someone rear ends your car. Your experience of life can change in a flash.

Another day you’re going about your normal business with nothing too exciting ahead of you. In the mundane world in which you exist, you realize it’s time for an eye appointment. You walk into a new place to make an appointment and suddenly you are thrust into what you thought only existed in the movies. A person walks up to you and you lose your breath, all you can think is, "Oh my goodness. I've seen a lot of beautiful people in my life but you ... those eyes ... that hair... your hands... your energy.... Wow I can't think!" They say something like, "How can I help you?" After numerous stuttering attempts they finally ask, "You want to make an eye appointment?" Your experience of life can change in a flash.

There are also experiences in life that we wait for like a trip to visit friends or a far away country. It could be preparation for a wedding or a newborn child. It could be results from a resent test. Whether your experience of life changes quickly or over a long period of time, we cannot deny change is part of life. Change brings about our emotions. Our emotions bring about a physical response. Our physical response determines how others experience us.

Most of us want to be experienced as love, but we often have little to no control of the things that change in our life. So, what can we do with all of our unpredictable emotions that flow through us every day? Where do we turn? Isn’t there something we can always count on that won’t change? Oh, yes, our creator, solid rock, Emmanuel!

Psalm 46:2-3 & 10 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; 3 though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult. 10"Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth."

Among the chaos of emotions and change we can be still and know God.

Closet Full of Shoes

2010-01-06T09:00:00.008-05:00

Imagine being a young child and walking into a large closet full of shoes, clothes, and jewelry. You are small and everything you are looking at is large. Suddenly, the afternoon has lots of possibilities. You can mix and match shoes. You can put on one necklace or twelve. The closet is a costume chest of a fun new existence. The shoes make you walk differently. The clothes may drag on the floor but you can still twirl. The necklace makes you feel full-fledged, attractive, and extraordinary.

For adults the closet loses some of that magical vitality. Instead, we walk into the closet and stand there staring, feeling we don’t have anything to wear. We look through our shoes and realize these just won’t do. We look through our jewelry feeling that nothing really matches.

A poet friend, Oren Wagner, in his book Voluptuous Gloom writes:

you know that feeling
when you look inside
your full closet and think
you don't have anything to wear?
that’s how I feel
about everything
currently
in my life

The New Year is a time where we long to clean out our closets: our emotional closet, our spiritual closet, our physical closet. We want a fun new existence as we weed out the bad that has infiltrated our lives, to fill them with the new vigor. We want to walk differently, letting go of that which drags on us so we can twirl and fill our life with that which makes us full-fledged, attractive, and extraordinary.

Jesus said… "For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you." Matthew 17:20

We have been given a new existence in Jesus Christ! You are extraordinary.

______________
If you would like to read more poems by Oren Wagner visit:
http://www.nyqbooks.org/author/orenwagner

"testify to the light..."

2009-12-30T09:00:00.000-05:00

By Johanna Johnson

“There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him.” (John 1:6-7)

Like John, we are also called to testify to the light. How do you let the light of Christ within you, which comes to us at Christmas, shine in the world?

Perhaps you are like a mirror, reflecting the light of Christ in the world. You see good in the world, and you try to mimic it. You look to good examples of godly living, and are inspired to follow suit. I find myself doing this as I look to my grandparents’ amazing witness in the world as loving, hospitable, gracious, God-fearing people. I try to live up to their example.

Perhaps you are more like a window. When people look at you, they see Christ inside you. They see light pouring out of you, like light pours out of the uncovered windows of a house at night. I love driving by my church at night when there is something going on in the sanctuary. Normally, during the day, we enjoy our beautiful stained glass windows from the inside, but at night, when it’s dark outside and the light is from within, our sanctuary boasts a gorgeous stained glass cross of many colors directly toward Highway 41. And along the sides of the building, our windows project the illumined story of Jesus for all to see.

Perhaps you are like a taper candle. My family has a tradition of candle-lighting during this season. We begin in a dark room and light one candle at a time, bearing witness with each candle to an experience of Christ’s light in the world. My grandparents liked to tell a story of my uncle John. When he was a child participating in this tradition, he used to try to find the very darkest corner of the room, and carry a lit taper to light a candle there. Do you look for those dark corners into which you can bring some light? It’s often much easier, at least safer, to stay on the well-lit major thoroughfares of life, and avoid the dark corners of the world. But perhaps you are like a taper, bringing light even into the darkness.

Or maybe you are like the crystals my mom likes to hang in her kitchen window, which, when they meet the morning light, throw rainbows all over the kitchen. Maybe you refract light all over a room, bringing unexpected splashes of color and promise into the world.

How does the light of Christ work in your life? Do you put it under a bushel? (No!) How do you let it shine? How do you testify to the light?

Christmas Gifts

2009-12-23T09:00:00.001-05:00

Have you found the perfect gift for everyone?

One woman went Christmas shopping with her two children. There were many hours of looking at row after row of toys, and everything else imaginable. And after hours of hearing both her children asking for everything they saw on those many shelves, she was finally ready to leave the store.

As they headed toward the elevator, she was feeling what so many of us feel during the Christmas holiday. Overwhelming pressure to go to every party, every open house, taste all the holiday food and treats, and get that perfect gift for every single person on our shopping list, making sure we don't forget anyone on our card list, and making sure we respond to everyone who sent us a card.

Finally the elevator doors opened and there was already a crowd in the elevator. She pushed her way into the elevator and dragged her two kids in with her with all the bags of stuff.

When the doors closed she couldn't take it anymore and stated, "Whoever started this whole Christmas thing should be found, strung up and shot."

From the back of the elevator she heard a quiet calm voice respond, "Don't worry, we already crucified him."

Wow! In the midst of the craziness someone had her mind set on the reality of Christmas. The reality of baby Jesus in a manger, the Word made Flesh, the Word Incarnate. It’s not about the gifts under the tree, it’s not about the big dinner tonight! It’s about the gift of love, the gift of the Word made Flesh. The ultimate gift, a gift of forgiveness.

Anyone Thirsty?

2009-12-16T09:00:00.002-05:00

At times I miss watching the snow gently fall from the sky and the trees slowly being covered with a white frosting. It is always so peaceful and beautiful.

There are many beautiful things about winter but I also remember the things that drove me crazy. The beautiful snow that turns into a dirty mess on the side of the road. The heat dries out the air. My skin begins to crack, my lips long for moisture, the static cling drives me crazy, AND I always seem to be thirsty.

Thirst is something we humans experience in all seasons. There are different types of thirst. After a long run we need a drink of water. After a salty meal or a night’s sleep we are thirsty. Our bodies are made up of 80% water so it is no wonder that we thirst for something to drink daily. Then there is the type of thirst that means we are longing for something. We thirst to see our family at Christmas time. We thirst for a closer relationship with God.

These two meanings of thirst are woven throughout the Gospel of John. The writer of John uses thirst to link both of the meanings together. Thirst referred to in the Gospel of John is much more passionate than we have been trained to imagine. It is like a fisherman standing in a river on a hot sunny day with water running everywhere but no water to drink.

We long for a close relationship with God. We thirst to see God’s presence in our lives. The Gospel of John shares with us the abundant life given to us through Christ in his life, death, and resurrection; so, that we may never be thirsty.

Jesus shares with the Samaritan woman at the well, “Everyone who drinks of this water [from the well] will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I [Jesus] give them will never be thirsty.” (Jn 4: 13-14)

Jesus describes himself as the bread from heaven, “Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty’” (Jn 6:35).

At the feast of Tabernacles, “On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink’” (John 7:37-38).

While Jesus is on the cross Jesus shares in our thirst, “After this, when Jesus knew that all was now finished, he said (in order to fulfill the Scripture), ‘I am thirsty’” (Jn 19:28).

Jesus shared in our thirst. Jesus walked with us, died for us, and rose so that we may have eternal life. Jesus overcame death. That is the news of abundant life. As the dryness of winter sets in and you continue to fill those glasses of water may you remember that God is with you. That Christ has given you new and abundant life. Let us rejoice!

2009-12-09T09:00:00.000-05:00

by Pastor Bobbie Blackburn

I love Christmas decorations – especially the outside ones! When I was growing up in Miami my Grandpa Blackburn (he was a woodworker) created some pretty neat ones for our house. Daddy put them up every year along with strings of different colored ‘big’ lights under the eves. (They didn’t yet have the beautiful icicle lights).

As I was driving to the Church the week after Thanksgiving, I was examining the houses that already had Christmas decorations up. At one house, I noticed a couple of piles of bright-colored material laying in the yard. It took a few minutes before I made the connection: These were the ‘new’ Christmas decorations – the kind that you have to pump air into for them to take shape and life! During the daytime, they just lay in the grass – lifeless and unimpressive. But come the evening, when the air pump is plugged in – WOW! A huge figure comes to life to grace the neighborhood with a vigilant reminder that Christ’s birth is coming.

There is a connection between us and these new Christmas decorations. When we are not connected to our energy source – we can spend precious time just laying around, lifeless and shapeless, not adding a thing to the Kingdom of God. When we allow Christmas cards and parties and baking and shopping to become “Holiday Preparations” instead of “Soul Preparations” for the birth of our Savior, we can resemble the deflated, uninteresting piles of material in the front yard.

BUT – fill us with the Spirit’s power and presence – sit us at the feet of God in worship and fill us with grace and forgiveness and love and peace – and WOW! We are no longer piles of lifeless material – we are gifted with eternal life and bearers of God, too, into God’s world. May it be so. Amen.

Advent Brights

2009-12-02T09:00:00.001-05:00

Over Thanksgiving I was blessed to be with my family in Michigan, where I grew up. I have lived most of my life in the small town of Cedar Springs, MI. However, for the past 7+ years I have lived in larger cities.

When I visit Michigan there is always something that catches me off guard. Usually, something that used to be common place. Life in the city makes me forget some of the realities of country living.

In the city I often use my brights to remind a fellow driver that they forgot to turn on their lights. It is actually easy to forget to turn on your headlights because there are so many streetlights you don’t need headlights to see. One night when I was driving home in the country I was having trouble seeing. Then I remembered I have the option to turn on my brights. So, I turned on the bright lights and suddenly the street was much more visible. I almost forgot that I had to option to use bright headlights to see well.

We can get so caught up in everyday living that we limit our interaction with the world. This happens even in our life of faith. Something we’ve always understood about God can change when we see a bigger picture, beyond our focused reality.

God continues to reveal himself/herself in numerous ways and at different times. Just as my bright lights were used for warning someone in the city they are also used to light a clear path in the country. Both are true. This is why we can have so many debates about how God interacts with the world. This is why we believe in one God with three names the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This Advent as we light more candles each week may God illuminate his interaction with the world just as he did on the day of Jesus birth.

The Joy of Giving Thanks

2009-11-25T09:00:00.001-05:00

The immigrants from England, Pilgrims, brought with them an ancient English custom of a harvest festival. This festival was a time of dancing, singing, sports, games, and of course, feasting. Since then Americans, an interracial mix of many nations, have adapted this festival into what we celebrate today, Thanksgiving.

The festival of harvest has turned into a festival of eating too much followed by a nap and some football. Most of us are blessed to not think about harvesting. Instead, we have the luxury of going to the nearest grocer to find a year around supply of most anything we can eat. We don’t show up at a grocer and wonder if there will be apples. We have the gift of assuming that no matter the season the store will provide apples.

This reality allows us the comfort of not thinking about how our food gets to the table. The people who harvest often don’t come to mind at the Thanksgiving table as we give thanks for our many blessings.

We have become separated from the life sustaining earth; instead there are days when our feet don’t even touch the soil. We have become separated from any injustice in the fields; instead we assume they are immigrants and are lucky to be in this country. We are separated from the slaughterhouse; instead we complain about the price tag.

Our call from God is not to get caught up in our luxurious living so we can become more separated from God’s creation. Our call is to thank God for our luxurious living by turning our hearts from our wants and needs to the needs of our neighbor.

This Thanksgiving, let us reconnect with all of creation so our hearts will be changed though the real joy of giving thanks.

Romans 8:18-21

I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

The end of the WORLD!

2009-11-18T09:00:00.000-05:00

When is the end going to be?

We thought it was:

In the 60’s – the Cuban Missile Crisis

In the 80’s fear of a nuclear war

Then we had the millennium

Now we have the box office hit 2012 – the end of the Mayan Calendar

If we happen to make it to 2013 we’ll still want to know the end of the story. I believe Newton said something about 2060?

It’s not just in the BIG picture that we want to know the end. It’s also in our personal life decisions. Let’s say you’re going to invest money. You’ll weigh all your options wanting to know the outcome before making a decision. Every day we are trying to figure out the end of the story so we can do the “right” thing. However, the truth is we don’t get to know the end of the story.

So, what can we do?

Approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith (Hebrews 10:22). I am not talking about the assurances we have in the finite but the assurance we have in Christ. We continue to approach because story is not over.

The story did not end with the people of the Old Testament. The story did not end with the people of the New Testament. We are God’s living story in the world today. God’s living Word is in you.

We may not get to know the end of the story – but how awesome that we get to be a part of the story!

Technology - does it bring us together or isolate us more?

2009-11-11T09:00:00.000-05:00

I am part of a generation that fell on the cusp of a drastic change. In high school during class we would write notes by hand, fold them in unique ways, and pass them to one another in the hall between classes. Then we would sit in the next hour class hoping our friend would have a moment to write a note back. Then we would have to plan to run into one another in the hallway again between classes for another exchange.

Now I am in the workforce five states from my hometown. I can text an old high school friend, who I connected with after all these years over facebook, and instantly get a response.

I learned to type in high school on a typewriter. By college I had a laptop computer and my very first email account. In college my friends and I didn’t even think about cell phones and a year after graduation we had them by our side.

This change is obvious and may seem simple as most of us quickly adapt to a world that can network like never before. However, this change is putting stress on the church. An older generation experiences worship differently than the younger generation – yet we are called to worship together.

Let’s say we bring a video into worship to reach the younger crowd. A man in their 60’s responds, “It was so fasted paced it left me out of breath and all I was doing was watching a video.”

On the other hand, a twenty-three year old who watched the same video said, “It is too slow.” In this electronic age we are being wired differently. Our brains process information differently and therefore, we experience worship differently.

It is no surprise that those most influenced by electronic culture participate in church at far lower levels than those of previous generations. Article after article is being written about meeting this technology generation on the web: Facebook, Blogger, MySpace, and YouTube… and I won’t deny these can be great tools that the church can embrace.

However, we can’t just get on the internet and stare at a monitor while typing on a keyboard and call it church. In Greek the word for church, ecclesia, means assembly or call out. It is a gathering of those who are called out. We must continue to gather and find a way to not be even more isolated on Sunday morning. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “The most segregated time in America is on Sunday between the hours of 10-11am.”

What is your denomination? What is your style of worship? What is your ethnicity? What is your sexuality? What is your age?

These labels are human instituted, yet, we continue to worship where our labels place us. We are called out by God to gather as one body in Christ. May the Spirit guide our hearts to see our human instituted labels less and our gracious gift of being one in Christ more!

Do you carry a bottle of Purell?

2009-11-04T09:00:00.001-05:00

I just read an article titled, “Goodbye, Hand Shake.” Yep, you guessed it… the question on the table is will H1N1 spell end of the handshake greeting? Some churches have stopped sharing the peace with one another in fear of spreading a virus. Some pastors have stopped shaking hands with parishioners after services. The common cup at Communion is switching to individual cup. It’s becoming more and more common to carry a bottle of Purell with you at all times.

Recently, I was in the airport. As I was checking out with a bottle of water the clerk asked, “Would you like a bottle of Purell with this?”

I responded, “Is it free?”

“Nope.”

“Then I’ll pass I already have a bottle in my purse.”

That’s right not only is it being pushed at a check out in the airport, but I too am guilty and carry a bottle with me. It’s almost a new addiction. So, the question I struggle with is: What does this new fear of touch mean for the Christian community?

After all we are a community already hurting in the age of technology. Now we add the element of physical-virus-spreading-contact!

As I am thinking about this and reading scripture, I had to laugh out loud when I read the story of the blind man in Mark 8. Jesus is asked to touch him so he will be healed. As I am debating this hand shake issue I was intrigued by the story because Jesus takes the blind man by his hand. However, I had to laugh out loud when the story got even better. Jesus spits on him!

Now I am not encouraging us to spit on one another, we’re not Jesus. However scripture reveals to us a healing element in touch.

In Matthew 8 Jesus stretched out his hand and touched a Leper so he may be healed.

In Mark 10 people were bringing their children to Jesus so he may touch them.

In Matthew 9 a woman who was living with a lifelong hemorrhage reached out to touch Jesus cloak so she may be healed.

Now we may not have the healing powers of Christ, but there is something special – life giving in touch. Current day research verifies this reality. Children must be held, people who hug get sick less, and even a soft nudge of a cat or dog has the power to lower blood pressure.

I don’t know… I’d rather risk physical-virus-spreading-contact than give up the physical-healing-power-of-touch.

Jesus Liberates!

2009-10-28T09:00:00.002-04:00

Out of all the Gospels St. John colors a unique picture of Jesus.

This is a Jesus that liberates!

At the wedding of Cana Jesus doesn’t just turn a few stone water pots into wine – Jesus turns six into wine – so we may know the abundance God gives.

Jesus at the well offers living water – so we may never thirst again.

Jesus was sent by God as bread from heaven – so we may never hunger.

Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead – so may know God is not limited by our mortality.

Jesus is the light of the world – so we may never walk in darkness.

All of these are unique to the Gospel of John.

Truth! Freedom!

The harsh reality is that we are slaves to sin. And what is Jesus response?

John 8: 31-36 “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free... So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed!”

As John colors a unique picture of a Jesus who liberates… I can’t help but go back to the days I used to color.

I think of a little child with their crayons and coloring book. They are given a variety of colors and are taught to color in the lines.

A little child maybe given tons of colors, but they pick one. The coloring book may have a picture on it, but they see the whole page not the lines. They put gusto into their coloring and it goes all over the page. Then the child walks up to you and say’s, "Here is my picture!" With the biggest brightest eyes, "I colored this just for you."

How do you respond? I mean you could look at the child and say, "Ummm… didn’t you notice that there are lines to help you color this horse. And didn’t you realize that you have more than just red… there is brown (which is actually the color of the horse) and blue for the sky, green for the grass…"

NO! We don’t say that because we don’t look at the details of the picture we look at the love put into the picture.

We take the picture out of their hands with a huge smile and meaningfully say, "That is beautiful!"

We are coloring a picture for God with our lives. This picture we draw is often outside of the lines. We are good at making a mess. We might have used to much red. We didn’t even realize it was a horse that we were supposed to draw. But with big bright eyes we open our hands to God and say here I am. Here is my life and I drew this for you.

And God says, "That is beautiful!" As God gives us the ultimate grace.

Sure God will occationally show us a new color of life that we may have not noticed or used before, but we pick up the new crayon and try again.

You are loved. You are God’s. And the picture you’re drawing daily maybe imperfect, but you have been made free!

Free from sin, through the divine activity centered in Christ’s death and brought into right relationship with God!

Liturgy

2009-10-21T09:00:00.000-04:00

Rituals give us a way to experience the Holy. We often think of the church as a place rich with ritual. Most Lutheran services start with confession and forgiveness, a cross is processed forward, and the candles are lit. We have communion every Sunday, the elements are uncovered during offering and we end our service saying, “Thanks be to God.” We come to worship knowing we will experience these rituals and be fed to live as disciples in the world.

If we step foot in a new church we will notice a difference in rituals. Maybe they don’t process a cross before the service or have communion every Sunday. Often it is in these small ways that we experience a disruption in our worship. We may think, “Wait we don’t do it that way.” However, no matter what Christian church you worship with there are two things that are steadfast, communion and baptism. Sure we may do those rituals differently – some immerse, some sprinkle water – but the truth is we baptize.

The Eucharist and Baptism are liturgy at the core. The creeds, theories, text and prayers were formed to help worshipers understand baptism, not baptism being created to help understand the creeds and prayers. It was the community’s regular act of Eucharist and Baptism (liturgy) that brought about a theology to help understand and reflect on these encounters with the living God.

In the Lutheran tradition it is foundational to say that we leave the ritual space transformed and renewed through liturgy. The Church does not bring about liturgy, but liturgy that brings about the Church. It is a communal act not an individual act. Christians do not worship because they believe nor do they believe because they worship at least in a sense that liturgy is a machine that will produce faith.

It is a presence that draws us to liturgy and a revelation experienced. Liturgy transforms the community into something they were not before the event began. It was a presence not faith that drew Moses to the burning bush. It was a presence not faith that drew the disciples to Jesus and revelation that they found. Since then we too have been drawn into assembly by the same presence. The assembly is transformed through liturgy becoming different from what they were before the act happened. Rituals give us a way to experience the Holy. Liturgy transforms us.

Feet

2009-10-14T09:00:00.000-04:00

Where have your feet taken you?

Look back on your life – think of all the places you’ve lived, worked, played, visited, cried, sang, danced… Where have your feet taken you?

This past week my feet took me to San Francisco, CA. It is a part of the country I had not seen, smelled, or experienced before. I got to breathe in the rich smell of the redwood forest, the creatively made wines and admittedly the stench of the sea lions. I got to see the beauty of the vineyards, redwoods, Pacific Ocean, and the hilly city.

Each of these new experiences made me realize how much I have yet to see in this world. I have traveled quite a bit in my life, but there is still so much more to experience. God created a world so rich how can we not want to experience it all?

It is easy to want to experience the world around us. Yet, it can be difficult for us to experience God. I mean how do we experience a supreme being – not of earthly laws – who loves us even when we don’t love. Who longs for our devotion when we’re busy worshiping the things God has created instead of God.

Our feet may take us many beautiful places here on earth. However, the most precious place they can take us is a little disturbing – it’s not a place we would expect. The most precious place is when our feet stand at the foot of the cross. It is in this unexpected place that we can experience God.

It is natural to expect a supreme being – not of earthly laws – to be sitting in that high glorious throne waving a judging gavel at us. Yet, at the foot of the cross we see a God who suffers so we don’t have to suffer. A God who is not high on a throne but a God who is willing to go to the most vulnerable of places so we can know how much we are loved.

Where have your feet taken you?

Selfishness and Seinfeld

2009-10-07T09:00:00.000-04:00

By Johanna Johnson

[The man said], “I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” 20But God said to him, “You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?” 21So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich towards God.’ (Luke 12:18-21)

My family and I are big Seinfeld fans. For those of you who don’t know, Seinfeld is a show starring the comedian Jerry Seinfeld, and the premise of the show is: nothing. It is a show about nothing. But what it becomes is a show about four extremely selfish people trying to lead “normal” lives in New York City. Their constant concern only for themselves and their needs is comical, and gets them into ridiculous situations, which they attempt to solve with yet more selfish antics. It’s hilarious, because it reflects some of the worst qualities we see in people from day to day, qualities we hope we don’t have, or at least, that no one will see in us.

I think of Seinfeld when I read this text from Luke, about a man who rejoices in his abundance by selfishly hoarding it away. He could have fed the hungry with that surplus, or even invited people to his home for a party. At the very least, he could have thanked God for it – nowhere in the text is any thanksgiving offered, but rather, he pats himself on the back. In one episode of Seinfeld, one of the character’s parents realize that they have a fortune in the bank that they have never spent. So they buy a condo in Florida, where the cost of living is higher than Queens, NY, so they can burn through the money as quickly as possible. This is somewhat the opposite of the man from the story, in that rather than hoarding it away for no one to see, they flaunt the money by burning through it quickly. Their approach, however, is no less selfish.

What is the best way to respond to abundance? In Thanksgiving! And what is thanksgiving? I’d like to think of the word less as “thanksgiving,” and more as “thanks, giving.” Certainly, offering joyful thanks and praise to the God who provides is warranted. But let us not forget about the second part of the word – the “giving” part. God has blessed us in so many ways. What can you give? Surely from a God whose very identity is one of abundance, any given person has more gifts than one person can use alone. Hoarding them away doesn’t help anyone. Sow the seeds of God’s gifts so that they may grow and reach more abundance in more people. In the words of a song my mom sings with her kindergarten students, “Love is like a magic penny: hold it tight, you won’t have any. Lend it, spend it, you’ll have so many!”