A Fearless Life

I wonder how often we are motivated by fear of one kind or another and don’t even realize it.  We don’t speak up because we fear rejection of our idea.  Last week on the Amazing Race, one team got knocked out because of a member’s fear of heights. 

We have no trouble believing in God’s power and faithfulness for someone else, but we fear going out on the limb ourselves because what if it breaks.  Of course, proven over and over again, it’s out on the limb that we find out just how powerful and faithful God is.  If Peter had never said “get up and walk” out loud, they never would have seen that miracle.

So why aren’t we more faithfully fearless?

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Powerful Remembrance

Many of my NH church family gathered together with one of my dearest friends to memorialize his dad today.  I have seldom been to such a powerful and moving funeral.

Don Boardman, who I called “Dad Boardman,” was one of the finest Christian people I’ve ever met.  Now, I didn’t know him as well as others, but I knew he was kind, loving, compassionate, and the kind of guy who’d give you the shirt off his back.

I know this partially because I have had many occasions to see and talk with him.  But I also know it because I have gotten to know his son, Glen, over the last 20 years.  Anyone as gracious and compassionate as Glen, who has such obvious love for his own family, had to have been raised in a place where that was modeled consistently.

I think the coolest part today was when the attendees of the service created the “Don Boardman Memorial Choir” to help Glen perform the song he had written in honor of his dad.  Awesome moments, and a testimony to the character of the man we were there to remember and honor.

May God continue to bless the Boardman family in their grieving.

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Reading culture into things

I met a dear friend for a bite to eat and some good conversation yesterday.  She had told me previously about her dad being laid off, and that she and her husband were considering moving in with her parents in order to help get them through until her dad could find another job.  She had spoken to a few friends about this, including me, to seek out counsel on whether they should go through with it.  At the time, I told her that it would be great for them to honor her parents in this way, and besides, our parents take care of us our whole lives, so it made sense to turn it around and help them out for a change.  I figured this is how families live all over the world, and have for centuries.

Yesterday she mentioned to me that I was the only one who said that.  She said that most people were telling her it was not “natural,” that it wasn’t what we did in our culture.  Some even used scripture to say that parents are supposed to “store up an inheritance” for their children, not the other way around.

Of course, that does not take into consideration what the culture was like when that scripture was written.  Families generally lived together – or at least very close to one another - at that time, and so everyone sort of contributed to the household in general.  People weren’t out pursuing the American dream, and planning to spend their inheritance, because that culture was not our current culture.  Not to mention the much more communal nature of the economy of that time.

Which is why we must use caution when we read the Bible and try to determine answers to questions and what advice to give people.  Because we read our culture into it so naturally and so automatically that we don’t even realize we are doing it.

At any rate, the rest of the story is that my friend and her husband decided to go through with moving in with her parents, and put their home on the market.  And then, as they were taking steps of faithfulness to honor their parents, circumstances miraculously worked together for her dad, and the need for the whole thing was removed.

Very cool.

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Wondering

I sat in two meetings today with my fellow education professionals.  These are some really great people, who care about seeing to the success of every single student they teach.  They never want anyone to fall through the cracks, and have great ideas about making sure nobody does. 

Here we are, barely a month into the school year, and we are in a budget freeze.  And people are walking on eggshells because they don’t know what’s coming from the state regarding how much they will renege on what they promised the towns in aid. 

And I find myself wondering.  What if we really had enough resources to carry out our ideas to fruition?  People always assume schools are wasting money, or that the people who work in them don’t really care.  It just isn’t true.  Give these people the resources they need – in supplies, in texts, in technology, in personnel – and you would see wondrous things happen.

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The Be-attitudes

I listened to a sermon by Rob Bell today on my commute about one of the Beatitudes – “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.”

Now, all my Christian life, every time I ever heard anyone preach on this, it was about making sure our lives were all about going after Jesus, becoming more Christ-like, etc – all about working toward being more holy or sinless or whatever. 

Rob’s contention, and I agree, was that this was not a prescription for your life’s work, but an announcement about something that already IS.  And, we have to watch how we define righteousness.

This is about righteousness in the sense of putting the world back to rights, seeing justice done, seeing mercy win, and seeing everything in its right place again.  And the ones who are disturbed by the fact that it isn’t, who are hungering and thirsting to see God’s shalom brought about on the earth, are the ones with whom God hangs out - right there in the middle of the longing.

In other words, the blessing isn’t for the ones who have it all together – it’s for those of us who haven’t worked it all out, who are looking toward the day when everything is once again made whole – including us.

Good news, huh?

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In which God blessed the work...

So we opened our church's new campus today. And people actually showed up, and the service and all the setting up and stuff went really well.

It is so great to join in what God is doing, and just go with His flow.

And wow that all sounded more "jargony" than I meant it to. Suffice it to say, we of Grace Community Church - One Church, Two Locations - are pretty pumped.

Three months later...

Three months since this blog has been updated. Maybe because Twitter offers more interaction more quickly. Or maybe because I cannot imagine what I've needed to say.

I am preaching tomorrow morning, and have been working on a sermon entitled "The Testimony of God." It's on 1 John 5:6-12, and it has been quite enjoyable.

Looking back at the last three times I have preached, there's a definite theme going on. Like through my having opportunities to preach, God has been speaking to me. Hmm.. Funny how that works.

At any rate, I kicked off the 1 John series with 1:1-4, Jesus the Word of Life. Then I have the first 6 verses of chapter 4, about testing the Spirits, and knowing who comes from God. And now here I am dealing with the testimony of God - and He testifies to Christ, and we must receive or reject the truth of that testimony.

Pretty cool series within a series.

It's a Wonderful Life

Rough life we have today. This is the view of Hampe's camp as seen on the approach in the party barge.

I am loving this time at the lake with friends. It's very renewing to be in such a setting!

Retreat time!

I took this out the top of my convertibe today as I headed out for dinner with friends before the official beginning of this year's women's retreat from my church.

What a gorgeous day!

I am expecting some good things to happen this weekend with our women, not the least of which is a chance to get out of the normal routine for a while. A normal routine is great, but a break in it once in a while gives us a chance to rest and reflect. I, for one, could use it, and I know I'm not alone.

Peace.

I'm being followed...

First trip of the season in the convertible took me to Conway and across to Portland via route 302.

My friend and I stopped at Blacksmith's Winery in time for the Saturday wine tasting. It was a successful stop. For the winery.

At any rate, we made our way to 202 to head home and these six bikers were behind us for quite a while until the opportunity arose to let them pass. It was less noisy when they were behind us, but they disappeared soon enough.

Now we are at Martins awaiting our clams and scallops. It's been a great day!

A painter by any other name

My home group and my friend's home group joined forces to clean this lady's yard. Two groups, two hours and 100 bags later, she showed us her beautiful paintings. They're marvelous!

She lives on the small amount of money she makes selling afew of her paintings, and is actually in need of more paint.

It was good to be able to flex from normal meeting and serve someone who needed help.

Endings

I already miss Battlestar Galactica. I liked the original, and was nervous about this new one when it started a few years ago. But it was great television, and a series of which I would consider the purchase of a boxed set. It was well written, well acted, and had enough twists and turns to keep me guessing all the way through.

On the Bus

This is where I spend several hours of my life each school year - in the front seat of a school bus with my gang hanging out "behind me all the way."

It is not always pleasant to ride on a school bus. They are meant for shorter trips - significantly less than the 45 minutes we rode today. But being with these fine people, and seeing them perform and excel is always worth the sore back and swollen knees in the end.

Today's jaunt was to a jazz festival, and as usual the Triton Jazz Band outplayed itself. Those pesky jazz people always torture me with bad playing, forgotten music and clothing, and a general "hanging on by the skin of our teeth" attitude for at least a week before each gig. I don't know why, because it just means I push them harder in rehearsal, and they leave my class often with those "pouty faces" that so irritate the observer.

At any rate, today was a good day. Now we rush back to the school to rehearse for the musical.

Ash Wednesday

"Remember, O man, that from dust you came, and to dust you shall return."

God created our bodies from dirt - from the stuff of earth. Then He breathed into us the breath of life - the spirit of life. We are all made of the same stuff, and are equal in His sight.

Lent asks of us a recommitment to living as His child. Our pastor identified three themes - almsgiving, prayer, and fasting - through which we can express that recommitment. At home group, a friend pointed out that the gospel says "WHEN you pray...", "WHEN you fast...", and "WHEN you give..." None of these is an if.

Several of us are joining our pastor in his journey of recommitment. Perhaps you, dear reader, might as well.

Just like us?

This is the CEO of Sprint in a commercial implying that the web is for anyone, and we can all use it. That he, like us, can have a wireless "way of living."

At this point in the ad, he calls in that he would be working from the road because he is stuck in traffic.

Funny. When I am stuck in traffic, I'm usually driving my own car.

Policing thought and opinion?

I have now seen two brief news items today that disturb me. Fred Phelps (and a trvel companion whose identity I no longer remember) is being barred from entering a country. And another country is attempting to kick out a holocaust denying Catholic bishop.

Ok, now look. I do not agree with either of these men. I don't hold their opinions. Indeed, I don't even like their opinions. And I think the behavior of Phelps and his ilk is totally despicable. And I know the holocaust happened, and to deny it is foolish, blind, and even hateful.

BUT.

And this is a pretty big but...

Is it really right to decide what opinions one must hold in order to reside in or visit a country? Doesn't my freedom to hold my opinion, and even express it, dictate the freedom of everyone else to hold and express theirs?

Don't get me wrong. I hate the vitriol spewed by Fred Phelps. And I saw the pictures of the atrocities perpetrated on the Jews, and lots of other people, by Hitler.

But we CANNOT start using someone's opinions to decide where they can live or visit or work or shop or eat or anything else. That goes against the most basic of democratic principles, and diminishes us in the process.

And for those of you who think I am wrong, well, wait until "they" decide that your opinion on something is wrong and decide to take your house away. That is the slippery slope we are on.

You Make Everything Glorious

This week, I have chosen a David Crowder tune called "You Make Everything Glorious" as one of the songs we will use for worship on Sunday morning. God can take anything and make it glorious.

Need an example? How about the snow that is now falling here in southeastern NH? Every time I see it, I remember that God has said to me that though my sins be as scarlet, I shall be washed whiter than snow. Glorious!

Look for the glorious in the things you encounter around you each day. God makes everything glorious.

What does that make you?!

At Rehearsal

My friend Nancy was correct of course. I was not sure I wanted to work all day today, but it has been a great rehearsal, and the show is pretty funny. Lots of laughs to be had, and the cast is singing well.

On another note, I hope the folks going to NOLA will set up for mobile blogging so we who could not go along can be part of the experience.

Check out Stimator - Real Website Value Estimator

Hi,

I want you to take a look at : Stimator - Real Website Value Estimator.

Apparently, my blog is worth $5,280,313.  Haha!! 

Got Grace?

In considering the idea of what it is to live by the Spirit, I have been thinking about grace. It is by grace that the Spirit is available to us, and that we can access His power to live in a way that pleases God.

I wonder if we just make it all more complicated than it should be. Paul says in Galatians, "Live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature." Like it's a done deal. Like it isn't really possible to mess it up.

I find that the conversation about living by the Spirit often turns to a discussion of getting rid of sin. And no wonder that's the case, with teaching like the aforementioned Galatians passage all over the place in the Bible for us to beat ourselves with. But that very passage seems like the whole grace thing is supposed to be simple. Just don't gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

I find that when I do gratify whatever the desire/temptation of the day is, I find the need to punish myself. I can't imagine that God would actually forgive me that freely and quickly. And so, I find it difficult to accept the forgiveness He gives.

But when I don't just accept that forgiveness, I am saying to God that His grace isn't actually good enough, or strong enough, or big enough. So, aren't I really engaging in unbelief when I don't simply accept His forgiveness and move on like it never happened?

Some people say that's "cheap grace." But I don't think so. Cheap grace is when you are confronted by temptation - by your own desires, and instead of calling on the Holy Spirit to help you resist, you figure you'll just go ahead and sin and get forgiveness later.

That's cheap. That is treading mud all over the gift of God.

Real grace is believing that God actually has forgiven you, and just going on. It's not rehashing the issue, and beating yourself up enough, or anything like that.

Real grace forgives, and gives freedom as a result. Because if I am all tied up in trying to punish myself for my sins, I am saying that the punishment Jesus took on the cross wasn't enough, and I am putting myself into a debtors prison from which I could never earn my way out.

I think I'll take the real thing.

The intellectual side of faith

A realization I came to recently is that I have quite an intellectual faith. Not that I have “head knowledge” without “heart knowledge,” but that the way I am most often amazed by God is when I make an intellectual or academic connection between two things I once thought too diverse, or find out something new about a passage I thought I knew, or get a deeper understanding of the implications of a theological concept. Does that make sense?

So I love the gospel, the good news that it is, and that it is being taught through preaching and music all over the place in so many ways. And I love the more basic worship tunes, and think it is incredibly important to continue doing those songs, and preaching that basic message.

But sometimes I just want something to blow away my brain. The seminar I went to in November with NT Wright at the seminary reminded me of the amazing scope of God and the intellectual side to my faith. I felt like my brain got switched back on. In fact, one of the things I would love to do is to quit working and go back to school – preferably seminary. (So much of the learning I have to do is stupid hoop-jumping so I can keep my teaching license. I'd love to study what really fascinates me instead - currently that would mean theology.)

Sometimes I feel like there are those who would hold the opinion that this is somehow a lesser kind of faith. I don't know if that is just an impression I get from how people talk about faith in general. But it is an impression I have.

Anyway, that's just what I was thinking today.

Church

I am in an interesting conversation over here about church, and whether it is necessary.

I post this link trusting that people will read carefully before making any assumptions about the post and the comments, and that people will know I am not advocating quitting church.

It was just an interesting topic, and I inserted myself into the conversation. That's all.

All About Love

The topic of love has come up several times in reading and conversation of late.

Yesterday, I had a great conversation with a dear friend about love, and how often we mistake it for an emotion. That is to say, the movies teach us that love is when you meet someone and there are fireworks, or your stomach flips over, or something electric like that. But that isn't love - that's infatuation and sentiment. And a silly thing on which to base a life with someone.

Then today I checked out another friend's new blog, where he was talking about much the same thing.

And then today's sermon was about how God is love, and that His love is real and complete and unconditional and he showed it by taking residence in human flesh and dying for us. And that the sentence stops there - God loves us. No "but..." at the end of that.

Love is an action. Or maybe it's better said that it's a series of actions and choices. When I am angry with a friend, I choose to love anyhow. I don't break off the friendship. When a person is angry with his or her spouse, he or she chooses to love that person - through forgiveness, through discussion, or even just by staying.

Sometimes I wonder about how we make things rocket science that aren't. You choose love or you don't. Seems simple, right?

But it isn't. Because sometimes it costs us something - some time, some money, the right to be right, our pride. For Jesus it cost his life. That's the example we are supposed to follow.

I hope people see in me that kind of love.

Hello, 2009

I started 2009 with good friends in a comfy place, watching Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve, playing a game, with great food and lots of laughs. The kind of laughs it is very difficult to explain, because whether a thing is funny or not can have a lot to do with circumstances. In short, it was location humor.

At any rate, we're off to a resounding start.

I can't remember a time when Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve was not on TV. I was born in '66, so it is actually possible that within my lifetime there was never a New Year's Eve without it.

Today I shall attend a movie with friends. I don't think I have seen a movie in a theater since last New Year's Day.

As far as 2009, I think we are all in for some challenges. Economically, we are in trouble - more trouble than we have had since World War 2, which, oddly, helped get us out of the Depression. And I don't always know that we can trust those who are high up in business and government to always tell us everything, and I have noticed that those people will take care of themselves first. If that were not the case, we would not see them getting their exorbitant bonuses.

And, according to my aunt, the oil companies, who have been posting record profits through this whole thing, should be the ones bailing out the car companies, who helped them post those profits by purposely building inefficient vehicles when the technology has existed for YEARS to give us 50 or more miles to the gallon.

The oil company/car company marriage is one that should take care of itself.

Yet, I cannot help but feel some optimism that we will come out the other side of this better than what we are now. Our president-elect has called on us to be our brothers' and sisters' keeper. Shouldn't the followers of Jesus lead the way in that?

Goodbye to 2008

I read an editorial earlier this morning about how it is so easy to look back on a year and wonder where it went. I am relating to that premise, as I wonder where 2008 went and try to remember some of the stuff I did during it.

I golfed twice a week all summer, and even golfed into the fall during marching season. And I finally broke 50 - twice in a row. Of course, ending the season with my worst score - 65 - was a bummer, but I choose to remember those two 47s, and the time I parred two holes in a row.

The Worship Team's annual Prayer Summit was probably the best it's ever been.

I became president of my teacher's association, and it has been a great experience so far.

I traveled to Florida with my music students, and marched down Main Street USA at the Magic Kingdom. And discovered that other than doing that, I really don't care if I ever go to the Magic Kingdom again.

I not only played golf, I watched a bunch. I watched Annika eagle the 72nd of her last US Women's Open. And was there anyone who could not see how compelling golf could be when Tiger pulled a ... well, Tiger ... and won the 2008 US Open Championship?

I got a new convertible. Well, new to me, and my second one. And I found a bluetooth device that works in my car with the top down!

I got a BlackBerry, to which I have fast become addicted. Who knew? I will be forever grateful to my brother for selling me on the idea. My phone bill will not.

I discovered Viigo and Twitter, and am thinking about the best ways to use them, one as an information goldmine, and one as a method of connection with people.

I lost a dear friend, and gained a few.

And I got to 270 Facebook friends. Oy.

So, 2008 was pretty good. And more happened than I thought, as I sit and think about it.

May 2009 be as good, or better.

bertie the alien dog

Ok, this is such a crazy shot, I had to post it to my blog. Bertie here is such a good dog - the green lasers just aren't really him.

Gone Quiet

Gone quiet.

A term used for when a submarine suddenly cannot be contacted and is not heard from. They say it's "gone quiet."

But as I drove to Mom and Dad's house for the Christmas festivities, I heard that phrase echo in my mind as I passed the malls.

Gone quiet.

This day, this one day, Christmas Day, is the one day in the year when everything pretty much stops. The majority of people have a day to spend with family. The commercial machine that sometimes seems like it IS our life, our country, comes to a nearly complete halt, and for one day it isn't about making money.

Oh, sure, I found an open Dunkin' Donuts at which to get my iced coffee. But they were running a short day. I was very grateful they were there, though I could have lived without it.

Oh wait, and there is LL Bean, open 24/7/365. And the Richdale downtown.

But mostly, we've gone quiet.

In the quiet, I hope we hear the voice of peace.

Wiffiti - yet another new thing...

On my blog now, at the top, there is a screen. This screen will receive text messages and display them - live. This is via a new program, developed by some folks local to me, called Wiffiti. (Like wireless graffiti.)

All you have to do is send a text to 25622. The first thing in the message should be @spiralife, which is the name of my screen. (This applies when you discover other screens to use, as well.) Follow that with whatever message you want to display. If you want to have your name, or a user name, displayed, send "name xxxxx" to the same number. The Wiffiti system will remember your name for all future messages.

Just another fun thing to try out. Technology is so cool!

me and cece

This is rehearsal night at church with one of my best buds. Didn't start off well. Hit something at Dunks on the way, then proceeded to dump my coffee all over my "station" on the platform. How annoying.

Took a drive and got a new one, started over, and all is well.

Sometimes snow is beautiful!

This is the courtyard outside the main lobby of my school. I love when the snow sticks to things all day.

New thing

Now I am learning to mobile blog. Let's see if this works.

Peace

My sermon from this morning...

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Peace
Sue Densmore

Maybe you’ve noticed that we live in a pretty loud, fast-paced, and sometimes violent world. And it isn’t just in business, or in schools, or in any particular profession. Everyone seems to be running in high gear almost constantly.

I have heard moms remark that their favorite room in the house is the bathroom because it’s the only place they can find some … peace.

I almost came to violence with my computer a few weeks ago. I got so annoyed I was ready to throw it out a window and start again. I even took a ride to Best Buy to see what I could see.

A very nice young woman spent 20 or 30 minutes with me, talking through my issues and my needs, and we worked out what I would need for a new computer and how much it would cost. And when I said, OK, let’s do it, she dutifully went off to gather the component parts of my order.

She came back after a couple of minutes, indicating she was having difficulty finding one of the programs I needed. And I said, “That’s OK – it’s a sign that I am not supposed to do this today.”

How did I know? Well, as soon as I pulled the proverbial trigger on the deal, I started to feel sick to my stomach, and the niggling doubts it had taken so long to talk myself around came rushing back as soon as I had a moment to myself to think about it.

It was by no means her fault, and when I explained to her what had been happening to me internally, she completely understood and we parted ways amicably.

I could talk myself around to the fact that a new computer was not an unreasonable purchase – after all, how could I be a music teacher without any sound on my computer? But I knew it wasn’t the right thing to do, and that God’s still small voice was arguing against it.

I knew because I just didn’t have peace about it.

Today’s Advent Candle is often called the “Candle of Peace.” Luke tells the story of the angels’ announcement, and they say they are bringing “good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people” and “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace to all people on whom God’s favor rests.”

Peace on earth good will to men, the song says.

Peace.

Today’s reading was about the angel’s announcement to Mary that she would conceive and bear a son – a very special son, who would be given the throne to reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom would never end. She reacted to this news with what appears to be perfect peace!

I hear echoes of Isaiah in the announcement, and so might you. One echo in particular stands out.

Isaiah 9:6-7: For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given. And the government shall be upon his shoulders, and his name shall be called wonderful counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.”

What’s peace?

The word for peace is one of the Hebrew words most often known by non-Hebrew speakers – shalom. It is used 237 times in the Old Testament, and is still used as a greeting by those who speak Hebrew. The corresponding Greek word is used extensively throughout the New Testament.

Where shall we start when we are talking about what peace is? When most people think of the word peace, it seems to me they would define it as the absence of conflict. Let’s start there.

If we are talking about the absence of conflict, then, certainly, one meaning of peace is the absence of conflict between nations – an absence of war.

I find myself praying recently for an end to war. I don’t think it was God’s intent for us to be taking up arms against one another in his world. He made the world and called it good, and before the entry of sin onto the scene there was no bloodshed at all, and I can’t imagine that God intended us to be shedding one another’s blood. I think war is one of the by-products of our desire to determine right and wrong for ourselves - of that choice the first people made to disobey God’s command in order to play out that desire.

At any rate, however they start, wars are largely out of our direct control, and we can pray, but it isn’t like we’re going to be the ones that get to sit down with the parties and talk about it. That’s for governments and their representatives to work out.

Another meaning might be absence of conflict between people. Romans 12:18 says, “If it’s possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” Now, here we get to something for which we all bear responsibility and can actually do something to help. As far as it depends on us, we are to live at peace with everyone.

Everyone.

You mean all those people trying to get the last hot toy off the shelf at Wal-Mart?

Yep.

You mean the guy who cut into the line in front of you at the Starbucks order window?

Yep.

You mean the woman who almost wiped me out at the toll booth the other morning doing her makeup while driving? I am NOT supposed to overtake her so I can pull up next to her and give her a look which is at once intimidating and disgusted?

Yep.

You mean the boss who might not make decisions I would agree with? I am supposed to live at peace with him?

Yep.

Live at peace with everyone as far as it depends on you.

This concept could also apply to groups of people. People will sometimes separate into camps, and conflict can happen among several people at once. This kind of fire is frequently fed by unwise speech, something James addresses in his letter.

There is also, however, the concept of conflict within ourselves, like my internal conflict at Best Buy.

The thing is, simply defining the word as “the absence of conflict” doesn’t fully capture the biblical concept of the word peace.

“Shalom” is certainly the absence of conflict, but it isn’t simply meant in the sense of countries, or groups, or people fighting, or internal conflict over a purchasing decision.

It means peace in all areas. Peace within one’s heart, wholeness, peace with God.

Peace with God.

It can’t just be defined by its “negative” – the absence of conflict. It’s also a positive – an addition – of wholeness, completeness, and well-being.

It’s a huge word, a central concept of what it means to be in a relationship with God.

It is one of the oldest blessings – in Numbers 6, we find the blessing, “May the Lord lift His countenance on you and give you peace.”

It refers to the kind of well-being and wholeness that brings calm in the midst of a storm. We are told that God keep in perfect peace those whose hearts are stayed on Him. Does this mean a life without any kind of drama or conflict? Of course not!

It means we are supposed to keep our eyes and hearts set on God.

I remember when I was learning how to drive. I remember trying so hard to keep the car between the yellow line in the middle of the road and the white line on the right. And, if you know me, you know I wanted the car to be exactly centered, and travel in an exactly straight line.

Nobody ever actually does that. It was harder than it looked. I was looking at that road, and trying to measure the distance between the lines right in front of the car.

Of course, things got way easier when I took my eyes off the few feet right in front of the car, and kept them further along the horizon. Suddenly, I could drive a straight line!

If we trust God’s sovereignty, if we keep our hearts on Him, we will find it easier to navigate. And the peace that passes understanding will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, as Philippians tells us.

Perfect Picture of Peace

Long ago a man sought the perfect picture of peace. Not finding one that satisfied, he announced a contest to produce this masterpiece. The challenge stirred the imagination of artists everywhere, and paintings arrived from far and wide.

Finally the great day of revelation arrived. The judges uncovered one peaceful scene after another, while the viewers clapped and cheered. The tensions grew. Only two pictures remained veiled.

As a judge pulled the cover from one, a hush fell over the crowd. A mirror-smooth lake reflected lacy, green birches under the soft blush of the evening sky. Along the grassy shore, a flock of sheep grazed undisturbed. Surely this was the winner.

The man with the vision (for the contest) uncovered the second painting himself, and the crowd gasped in surprise. Could this be peace?

A tumultuous waterfall cascaded down a rocky precipice; the crowd could almost feel its cold, penetrating spray. Stormy-gray clouds threatened to explode with lightning, wind and rain. In the midst of the thundering noises and bitter chill, a spindly tree clung to the rocks at the edge of the falls. One of its branches reached out in front of the torrential waters as if foolishly seeking to experience its full power.

A little bird had built a nest in the elbow of that branch. Content and undisturbed in her stormy surroundings, she rested on her eggs. With her eyes closed and her wings ready to cover her little ones, she manifested peace that transcends all earthly turmoil.

A Wardrobe from the King, Berit Kjos, pp. 45-46

We are looking to the horizon, waiting with eager anticipation for the return of Jesus. This season of advent reminds us to refocus our attention each year. When Jesus was walking on the water, and bid Peter to come to him, and Peter got out of the boat, he was just fine as long as his eyes – and his trust – were on Jesus. It was when he lost that perspective that he started to sink.

Peace comes from releasing the worry and trusting Jesus with everything – our lives, each day, knowing the end from the beginning. When we stop fighting God for control, we have peace in the midst of anything. Because, really, we have no control anyhow.

We will never gain that kind of peace – the peace that transcends understanding - if we are running as fast as we can from one thing to the next, keeping ourselves busy so we don’t have to hear God’s voice. As I look around me, and notice people going at warp speed, guzzling coffee to stave off the inevitable crash, I wonder if it’s the fear of stopping that makes us keep running. We worry that if we actually stop to listen to what God has to say to our hearts, to deal with those things that are the most deeply entrenched in us, we won’t like it. We think God might not have anything nice to say.

Well, if that’s you – and even if it’s not – I want to remind you of what God says. I’ll even use the words to a song, written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow –

I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along th’ unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

Till ringing, singing on its way
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And in despair I bowed my head:
“There is no peace on earth,” I said,
“For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.”

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor does He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth, good will to men.”

Our God does not slumber or sleep, and He so loved the world that He gave His Son, because God desires that nobody should perish, but that all should gain eternal life.

Jesus is Himself our peace, who has broken down every wall.

And for all that we are instructed to be holy as He is holy, even more often we are told we are loved, and that we are to love one another.

To be at peace is to know the love of God in Christ, to experience that completeness, that shalom, that God wants to give us. Because the walls between ourselves and God have been broken down by the love of Christ.

I hope this season finds you knowing in your own life the words of the unbroken song - Peace on earth, good will to men.

So much time.

So much time has passed since my last update that it is really hard to call me an actual blogger. I think there are lots of folks who are better at this!

Since my last update, I broke 50 in my golf score - twice, did a marching season, started another school year, preached one more sermon, did a church Christmas Benefit Concert, and lost almost all track of the revgals, with whom I was so regular in the summer.

And, I have discovered Twitter. Which is what prompted me to get back over here for this short update. I added a Twitter section to my left sidebar.

OK. There it is.

The Wheat and the Weeds

For the first time, I am posting here a sermon. I preached yesterday morning, and wanted to share. Comment or not, but be gentle!

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Today we are looking at another of Jesus parables. You’ll remember from last week, Bernie taught us that parables are stories about everyday things used by Jesus to make the people ponder spiritual concepts. He rarely explained them – and when he did, it was only to his disciples.

Today, as you know from the reading we just heard, we are in Matthew, Chapter 13, and are using two sections – the parable of the wheat and weeds, and its explanation. You could turn there now to follow along as we unpack this parable a bit.

We are told that a man sowed good seed in his field. Then we find that while everyone was sleeping, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat. Both spring up and form heads, and the servants realize that weeds are growing among the wheat.

The servants come to the man about the issue. It’s interesting to me that they almost start off in an accusatory way. “Didn’t you use good seed?” Like it was somehow the man’s own fault that weeds had appeared!

The owner knows that and enemy planted the weeds. This was something with which one farmer would threaten another if they were enemies at that time. People would thus have understood this as a normal type of threatened action.

Then they ask if he wants them to take care of it. Like some bunch of tough guys, takin’ care of business. They thought they knew exactly what the owner wanted them to do, and were eager to get on with it.

They are told no, because while they are pulling weeds they may hurt the wheat.

Why? Were the servants incompetent? No. The weed referred to here is sometimes called “darnel,” and it when it starts out it looks just like wheat. By the time one can tell the difference – by the time the servants could have realized the problem - the roots would have become intertwined, and so pulling up one would also ruin the other.

The wheat was not going to be destroyed by the weeds. It might slightly diminish the amount of fruit the wheat would bear, but the owner would still reap a good harvest. What the servants proposed could easily have obliterated the entire harvest! Hence, the harvesters would wait until it was time, and take care of separating everything then.

This was one of the parables that Jesus decided to explain to His disciples. We find out that the “Son of Man” is the owner of the field, which is “the world.” Jesus owns the world, and sows good seed into it. The good seed stands for the children of the kingdom. That’s us – we are the good seed, if we are living as citizens of the kingdom of God.

But the evil one – the enemy – came and sowed weeds among the wheat. That seed stands for the children of the evil one. And all of us are to grow together until the end, at which time the harvesters will come and bring the good wheat into the barn and throw the weeds out where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

There are implications to this passage for us to consider this morning.

Apparently, there will, in fact, be a separation and sorting at some point when God deems the time is right. Harvest time will come, and those that are with God will be with Him forever, and those that are not won’t. It seems fairly clear. And it is right in line with other parables about things being sorted out – the sheep and the goats, the good fish and the bad fish.

Also, we see that the harvest and separation will not be done until it is time. Until then, wheat and weeds are to be allowed to grow together. And, yes, their roots will become intertwined. In a way, they will become dependent upon each other.

There are many people who go through life wishing they never had to interact or work with people that are “outside” the kingdom. One hears people lament about not being able to work in a “Christian environment.” They would rather insulate themselves, become part of some closed off community of only believers, people who “believe like me.”

But the field, you see, is the world. We are sown into the world – all over it, generously, God’s people placed in all the areas where God’s people should be. That’s all areas. That’s all over the world.

We are the seed in this parable. And we are sown where the master intends. There is nothing random about it, as we see form another of today’s lectionary readings, Psalm 139. You are knit together, fearfully and wonderfully, on purpose, by God Himself, who knows all of your days in their entirety before one if them even starts. You are placed where you are placed on purpose, and are simply supposed to be God’s person there.

Last week, we talked about looking to ourselves, and deciding what kind of soil we are for the seed of the word, generously sown by God, to grow in. This time we see we ARE the seed, and our responsibility is to become the best wheat we can be – bear the best fruit we can bear. Haven’t we read somewhere that we are to bear fruit, that we will be known by our fruit, even that God will help us to bear good fruit by the power of His Spirit?

So, good soil, good fruit. All connected.

However, as we live our lives, we should avoid the temptation to pull up the weeds.

And herein is the main point of the parable.

I imagine that this being Matthew, a Jewish-oriented book, written by a Jew, that the “servants” might have been taken by that crowd to be the religious leaders. They were very into making sure everyone knew what they had to do to be “in.” And, they were likely good at naming who was “in” and who was “out.”

I imagine that they had good intentions; they were trying to follow God’s law perfectly, and the traditions and interpretations they had developed over the years helped them decide how exactly to follow God’s law. Trouble is, they made their traditions of equal authority to the original words. And there were different schools of thought. So everybody’s going around trying to decide who is in and who is out, but nobody comes to the same conclusion.

Add to that the simple fact that people cannot see the heart, and God can, and we understand why it is far more preferable to let God handle the decision making.

Which is why the harvesters are NOT the servants. Did you ever notice that? The explanation of the parable does not say that the God will send the servants into the field to harvest and separate the wheat and the weeds. He says he will send harvesters – angels.

With good intentions, there are those of us who get very concerned with knowing where everyone is at spiritually. Which is a nice way of saying we would like to be the judges sometimes of who is in the kingdom and who is out.

The problem is, like the servants in the passage, we don’t really know weeds from wheat.

This past year I completed my 20th year teaching music. I have taught in two districts. I remember when I was back at my first job, and the music department was not as big and busy as the one where I am now, I served as the JV volleyball coach for a year. A freshman girl came in and tried out, and she wasn’t very good. I was going to cut her, but the head coach wouldn’t let me. She reminded me this girl was only a freshman, and we had no idea how she would do as she grew. So we kept her. By her senior year she was our best server, leading the team in aces.

Last year, I saw a trumpet player become a lead trumpet player in my band. Now, you have to know that band directors, with consideration of several factors, try to steer students to instruments where their odds of success are high. We look at facial and mouth structure, mainly. In fact, if you ever go to a college music department, you might notice that all the professors look like their instruments. The guy with the thin lips and the little round glasses? Always the clarinet guy. The guy who has longish hair and maybe a moustache or goatee? The guitar guy. At my college, in fact, the guitar instructor looked like Tom Selleck, so we called him “Magnum G.I.”

At any rate, I never would have thought this young man would be able to succeed on trumpet like he has. I had reasons for thinking that – facial and lip structure mostly. I really tried to convince him to change to a low brass instrument. But he wanted to play trumpet, and so he has worked hard, and become the lead. I must say I am impressed.

When you are in a field like mine, working on the development of people, you quickly see the proof of this parable.

Especially since, as anything under over-analysis would, the parable breaks down – even Jesus parables, if we read too much into them, aren’t perfect.

For this one, the one factor that isn’t mentioned, but that is very real, is that God can turn weeds into wheat.

How many of us, looking back, can see that we were headed for being weeds had God not changed our hearts and made us wheat – children of the kingdom? I look back at my life and say, “Total weed, man.”

Not that kind of weed – get your mind back on track… 

I had another student several years back who, as a sophomore, was arrested for possession of drugs and taken out of school by the police in the middle of the day. He had been scheduled to join us on the music trip that year, and his parents (to their credit as they lost money) and I quickly agreed that this was a serious enough offense that this would no longer be possible.

This could have gone either way. There were those who were ready to write him off – and I have seen it happen where the people who would write someone off were proven right in the end.

But this young man stayed in the fight. He came back to school, stayed in the band, celebrated with us when we had a successful trip, and felt the love and forgiveness of his fellow band students, and me. He worked hard, ended up the leader of his section, succeeded in his other classes, and went to college. He still visits when he can. And he has turned into a fine man. And there is a level of faith there.

Some might have said upon his arrest that here, clearly, was a weed. Not so! He’s wheat all the way.

I say a level of belief, but I don’t know where or if he goes to church faithfully, what his doctrine is, or anything like all that.

But that isn’t my job. I am just supposed to be wheat, cultivate the garden, and try to live like a child of the kingdom. I am supposed to do that wherever God has placed me. I am not supposed to disentangle my roots from the rest. I am supposed to interact, love, work, and live with people who are not people of the kingdom. Does this mean that sometimes people might mistake me for a weed?

Probably. There are those who would think I was a weed just because of the worship music I like. Or how I dress. Or that I am perfectly content being single. Or that I sometimes get “passionate” in debate, or drive a little fast, or listen to – gasp – non-Christian music. There are plenty of people trying to decide who is in and who is out – building walls of doctrine and defending them brick by brick.

The problem is that when we are busy trying to keep out “the riff-raff,” we are seldom modeling the lives of love, grace, and mercy that God would want us to live.

We are sown into the world to bear God’s image to the world. It is a part of God’s plan of redemption for the whole earth. I mean, who else but the Great Redeemer would worry about turning weeds into wheat? Why not just take the wheat and run?

God loves the world. All of it. And He has planted us all over the world to show His image. Will everyone decide to follow God? No, some will reject Him. But that is for Him to deal with, not us.

Finally, I want to note one other thing. This phrase, “weeping and gnashing of teeth,” seems to be used almost exclusively by Matthew. And it seems to be related to the harshest of punishments, and these punishments are reserved for the people that had been inside the kingdom the whole time.

In other words, it is possible that what this means is that people who are outside the kingdom will receive less severe punishment than the people that are inside the kingdom but not bearing fruit. Because, maybe, they are so busy trying to decide about everybody else, they forget to look to their own soil, their own fruit bearing.

In the end, we are not responsible for the harvest. We do not need to weed God’s garden. An editorial by Bill McNabb in a magazine called The Door put it this way:

“I had an old seminary professor who began and ended his apologetics lecture with one sentence: "You defend God like you defend a lion -- you get out of his way." God, it seems, has never had much trouble with his enemies -- it's his friends who give him fits. . . . The theologian Karl Rahner put it this way: "The number one cause of atheism is Christians. Those who proclaim God with their mouths and deny Him with their lifestyles is what an unbelieving world finds simply unbelievable." Perhaps the best defense of God would be to just keep our mouths shut and live like He told us to. The gospel would then have such power and attraction that we wouldn't have to worry about defending it.”

So in all our rush to do God a favor by weeding the garden, maybe we should pause and just be glad we aren’t the ones responsible for doing that, and just live like He tells us to live. Let’s remember that Jesus Himself didn’t weed out Judas who would betray Him, nor did He weed out Peter who would deny Him.

Nor did He weed out……me.

I, for one, am glad that decision isn’t mine to make. Or yours. Let’s rejoice in the fact that it’s God who decides in the end.

Let’s pray.

Friday Five - What's In A Name?

So the Friday Five goes like this today:

If you are a regular reader of Songbird's blog, you know that "The Princess" has requested a new name. Her older brother changed his "secret identity" a while back and now this lovely young lady is searching for a new name on her mother's blog. This got me to thinking. How do we come up with all of these names? There must be at least a few good stories out there.

In honor of the Princess I have posted a picture of one of my favorite members of fictional royalty, Robert Munch's "Paperback Princess." She is a brave young woman who doesn't need anyone else to fight her battles. And she knows that what is most important isn't tiaras and finery but what's on the inside. If you haven't read this little fairy tale, I highly recommend it. But I digress.

And so, my play is as follows:

1. So how did you come up with your blogging name? And/or the name of your blog?

My title represents the idea that the human learning curve is not a straight line, but a spiral, where we learn similar things from different perspectives. We should cut ourselves some slack, therefore, when we are dealing with similar topics that we think we already should have learned or known.

2. Are there any code names or secret identities in your blog? Any stories there?

Not really. Maybe in a couple of posts I am referring to specific people or situations, but there are no "regulars" with code names.

3. What are some blog titles that you just love? For their cleverness, drama, or sheer, crazy fun?

Love the title of "Jesus Was Not A Republican." It grabbed my attention right away. And who doesn't love "Clever Title Goes Here." Genius!

4. What three blogs are you devoted to? Other than the RevGalBlogPals of course!

Jesus Was Not A Republican" is a story of the progress of an international adoption. Our own "Dancing With God" has been entertaining to read, following Emily's progress through school. I also check in on several of the revgals with some regularity.

5. Who introduced you to the world of blogging and why?

I no longer remember, actually. But I enjoy it!

Bonus question: Have you ever met any of your blogging friends? Where are some of the places you've met these fun folks?

Nope, but maybe someday.

Personality Test

So, it is so easy to spend time surfing...

Summer Camp Friday Five

Mother Laura wrote, over at RevGals...

We're settling into our new new apartment, and after a lifetime at Montessori Katie is having a fantastic summer at YMCA day camp. Meanwhile, Nicholas is packing up for a week at Camp Julian, shared by the Episcopal dioceses of Los Angeles and San Diego. His lists of supplies and rules--except for the ropes course available to the teenagers and the ban on IPODs and cell phones--bring back memories of my own happy times weeks at Y camp Ta Ta Pochon, funded by selling countless cases of butter toffee peanuts. So, in celebration of summer, please share your own memories and preferences about camp.

1. Did you go to sleep away camp, or day camp, as a child? Wish you could? Or sometimes wish you hadn't?

Went to camp for a week for one or two summers. I remember the first time I was supposed to and I got the chicken pox and could not. But I remember winning the skit competition and getting a trip "off-campus," and winning an archery award. But I don't remember loving it all, and didn't make a habit of going.

2. How about camping out? Dream vacation, nightmare, or somewhere in between?

Not a dream, not a nightmare. But my idea of roughing it is going to a hotel where they don't leave a mint on the pillow...

3. Have you ever worked as a camp counselor, or been to a camp for your denomination for either work or pleasure?

Nope.

4. Most dramatic memory of camp, or camping out?

On one of those fateful trips to camp, I lost the top part of my bathing suit at swim time. That was a bummer.

5. What is your favorite camp song or songs? Bonus points if you link to a recording or video.

Green Grow the Rushes Ho, and the camp's theme song. But I not longer remember all the words to either one.

Belated Friday Five

Fourth of July, and I missed the Friday Five. So, here I am, late.

1. Barbeque's or picnics ( or are they essentially the same thing?)

Barbecues conjure images of tables and chairs, rather than eating on the ground on a blanket. I'll take a table - not much of a ground sitter.

2. The park/ the lake/ the beach or staying at home simply being?

The lake - simply being.

3. Fireworks- love 'em or hate 'em?

Love 'em. Unless it's just noise in my neighborhood. That's really not much fun.

4. Parades- have you ever taken part- share a memory...

Oy, have I done parades. But on Memorial Day, not the Fourth. School's out, so my band isn't in season. Best parade memory? Marching with my high school kids down Main Street USA in Disney.

5. Time for a musical interlude- if you could sum up holidays in a piece of music what would it be?

Well, the 1812 Overture, of course! Right now...

Keepers

Sometimes you find a true friend. Somebody who takes all your good and bad, and lets you be yourself even when you aren't perfect. Who realizes that your faults just mean you're human. And real.

And when you talk, they hear what you say. And what you don't say. And know the difference, and know how to draw out what needs to be drawn and leave alone what needs leaving alone.

And they know and respect your boundaries. So for them, the boundaries start to move closer and closer to the heart of the fortress, as it were. And when you realize that you have allowed them to breach the wall, you find yourself grateful, because you know what they see inside the wall won't make them run away. It'll make them love you - and you them - more.

I have a few of those. A very few. And I plan to keep them.

Friday Five Word Association

It's been a while, but let's give it a shot...

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Think summer......are you there? Below you will find five words or phrases. Tell us the first thing you think of on reading each one. Your response might be simply another word, or it might be a sentence, a poem, a memory, a recipe, or a story. You get the idea:

1. rooftop

Julie Andrews and Dick van Dyke.

2. gritty

John Wayne

3. hot town (yeah, I know, it's two words)

New York in July

4. night

Night and Day...you are the one...

5. dance

A Chorus Line

Summit 2008

We took a journey on this year's summit that culminated in my asking myself - and God - when I had decided to become half a Christian. I stopped calling on, leaning on, the power of the Holy Spirit, and as a result was going through the motions of living, but with no real power.

Thank God that He freely gives us the Spirit when we ask. Not that anyone who is a Chritian doesn't have the Spirit dwelling in them once they choose to follow the path of Christ. That's mysterious, but theologically true.

But there is something cool about awakening our awareness of the work of the Spirit to counsel, comfort, strenghthen, and guide, and to call on His power to help us in every circumstance. That is where deep joy and peace come from, as well as the ability to respond with grace and let mercy lead.

Which reminds me of a Rich Mullins tune off of his Brother's Keeper album.

Let mercy lead, let love be the strength in your legs,
And in every footprint that you leave
There'll be a drop of grace;
If we can reach
Beyond the wisdom of this age
Into the foolishness of God
That foolishness will save those who believe,
In that foolish grace of God they will find peace
And He'll meet them
In that place where mercy leads.

I always loved that tune - particularly the idea of leaving footprints filled with drops of grace.

May it be so, not by might, not by strength, but by the power of the Spirit of God.

Welcoming the New Year

Like we have a choice, right?

For some people this really is a welcome. For whatever reason, 2007 wasn't so great, and they are excited about the prospect of the fresh start a new year can bring.

For some people, maybe it's the "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" inevitability of the passing of time and the turn of the calendar page. Not like you can stop the thing from happening, so you jump on board and ring it in.

And for some people, I imagine it's like dragging them kicking and screaming past midnight. Either 2007 was SO good they don't want to leave, or they are so afraid of what 2008 will bring because they are used to being beat up all the time.

Either way, I am thinking about something Brian McLaren wrote in one of the books in the New Kind of Christian series. He said that God was in the past, pushing us forward, and He is in the future pulling us toward Home, and he is with us right now, walking through whatever comes our way in this life.

I take comfort in the fact that no matter where I am, God is with me, and wherever I will be, God already was. He is the God who delivered me from bondage and slavery and set me free, and He is the God who makes all living worthwhile.

And even though I will never be able to keep every resolution, nor will I ever be able to stop letting Him down in some way, and even though I will never be perfect, His love is still boundless, His forgiveness is endless, His grace is still amazing, and His mercy endures forever, new every morning.

Bring it on, 2008. I've got all the help I need.

2007

Let's see. The most recent Friday Five asked us to list five memorable moments from 2007. I am not sure I can remember 5 but I'll give it my best shot.

1) The gall bladder attack that put me in the hospital overnight last January. It was at a rural hospital, and I swear the surgeon wanted to cut me open then and there. But I made them wait.

2) The ensuing April surgery to remove the offending organ. I went back to work too early and slowed the healing process, but some changes I had been making throughout the year helped it all go smoothly.

3) Saying goodbye to yet another senior class.

4) Taking up golf again, and remembering what a great game it is and how I love it, and why I stopped in the first place.

5) As a result of the golf, renewing my friendships with some of the finest people in the world over at The Valley.

I did better than I thought.

I wonder what 2008 will bring.

Free Rice

So I was emailed a link to a really fun site - for those of us who like words. Check out Free Rice to play and donate food to the hungry.

And Just Like That...

...it's almost two weeks gone by. What is it about this season that gets people so busy? Good intentions, I think, with the shopping and the parties and the special events. And, to some extent, a "job hazard" for any kind of musician, music teacher, or clergy member.

Jesus is the Prince of Peace. Had any? I have. In spite of not having time to blog, and spending much time running, my inner peace is intact. Because busy doesn't have to mean not peaceful. There is a such thing as "good busy," in my opinion. I enjoy shopping for gifts for friends - so long as I have some idea about what I am looking for. And I like parties. Small ones, where I can talk to a few people at a time for something more than small talk. And special events are fun, even if I seem to be in charge of them a lot.

But it sure does make the time go by fast. As they say, time flies when you're having fun.

Wishing peace to all of my friends, from the Prince of Peace Himself.

Friday Five - Rejoice!

This week's Friday Five is about the third week in advent.

Can you believe that in two days we'll be halfway through Advent? Gaudete Sunday: pink candle on the advent wreath, rose vestments for those who have them, concerts and pageants in many congregations. Time to rejoice!

Rejoice in the nearness of Christ's coming, yes, but also in the many gifts of the pregnant waiting time when the world (in the northern hemisphere, at least) spins ever deeper into sweet, fertile darkness.

What makes you rejoice about:

1. Waiting?

Realizing that there is something worth waiting for.

2. Darkness?

That it isn't actually a thing - just the absence of light - and at some point, dawn breaks through.

3. Winter?

The reminder when it snows that my sins have been washed whiter than snow.

4. Advent?

That we are celebrating and preparing for Christ's coming.

5. Jesus' coming?

That He is coming back.

Swapping

The Yankee Swap. I think in the midwest it is called the White Elephant trade or swap or something.

By some people it is basically seen an excuse to regift unwanted items. Why anyone wants to hang onto unwanted items jsut to inflict them on others is beyond me.

I really don't like the Yankee Swap. In fact, I have seriously considered revising my answer on one of the Friday Five - Grumpy Edition questions from a couple of weeks back. Question: "Tradition you hate." Answer: "The Yankee Swap."

But I am a good sport so I will participate for the social aspect of it, and laugh at the stupid things people open, and play the game.

Even if I do end up with a Bugs Bunny Chia pet.

Sometimes I can't resist.

You Are Apple Pie

You're the perfect combo of comforting and traditional. You prefer things the way you've always known them. You'll admit that you're old fashioned, and you don't see anything wrong with that. Your tastes and preferences are classic. And classic never goes out of style. Those who like you crave security. People can rely on you to be true to yourself - and true to them. You're loyal, trustworthy, and comfortable in your own skin. And because of these qualities, you've definitely earned a lot of respect.

What Kind of Pie Are You?

Friday Five - Preparation, Preparation

For this week's Friday Five, Sally wrote:

This has been a difficult week for me, the death of a little six year old has overshadowed our advent preparations, and made many of us here in Downham Market look differently at Christmas. With that in mind I ask whether you are the kind of person that likes everything prepared well in advance, are you a last minute crammer, or a bit of a mixture.....

Here then is this weeks Friday 5:

1. You have a busy week, pushing out all time for preparing worship/ Sunday School lessons/ being ready for an important meeting ( or whatever equivalent your profession demands)- how do you cope?

I am great at avoidance, and my house tends to be less cluttered and my blog more up to date when there's lots to do.

But seriously, I will do whatever is next, and leave the rest until that is done. Or, whatever is going to have me in front of people will come first.

2. You have unexpected visitors, and need to provide them with a meal- what do you do?

I do not have unexpected visitors. My friends know never to come to my house unannounced. It has become a running joke. I am a ball of stress when anyone is in my house, because my perfectionism makes me worry about every detail - is it too hot, too cold; do they need something else to drink, is what I have in the house adequate to offer; yada, yada. It just is not fun.

Because my job as a music teacher requires me to be in charge and entertaining all the time, my friends are very graciously sensitive to my need for my house to be my shelter and hiding place.

Three discussion topics:

3. Thinking along the lines of this weeks advent theme; repentance is an important but often neglected aspect of advent preparations.....

And it's something we should be practicing all the time. I don't know about the rest of you, but I keep doing things I have to repent of. Pesky sin nature. The cool thing is, God's forgiveness has no limit.

4. Some of the best experiences in life occur when you simply go with the flow.....

I went with the flow with a vendor the other day and ended up getting about $800-$1000 of free equipment. Sometimes keeping your cool and going with the flow pays off in unexpected ways.

5. Details are everything, attention to the small things enables a plan to roll forward smoothly...

I try to be vigilant about details, and my department generally functions at high efficiency in this area. But it is easier to catch all the details when you are working with a good team.

Bonus if you dare- how well prepared are you for Christmas this year?

Not. 'Nuff said.

You Tube - Potential Object Lesson?

There is such ease nowadays with filming things and sharing them. Everywhere we go, we should start making the assumption that someone with a cell phone could capture us doing whatever we are doing, and post it to You Tube, and, voila, everybody sees what we did.

Makes me want to make it good, just in case.

Rebuilding Eden

In all my contemplation of needs and wants and choosing to be content, it dawned on me. Ever since we got kicked out, we have been trying to find ways of rebuilding Eden in our image. We've got all kinds of things to make our lives easier and more fulfilling. Most of it just makes us more isolated and annoyed, and doesn't bring the contentment we were meant to have.

Contentment is, at least to some extent, a choice. Hebrews 13 says, "Be content with what you have, because God has promised, 'Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.'"

The best part of Eden - intimate communion with God - is still at hand, through the greatest gift of this season. Maybe I will choose to be content with that part of Eden and wait for God to rebuild the rest of it when He's ready.

Friday Five - Grumpy Edition

Will Smama returned to the RevGals for the Friday Five, and put out a whopper of a good time. She wrote:

Parishioners pushing for carols before you digested your turkey?


Organist refusing to play Advent hymns because he/she already has them planned for Lessons & Carols?


Find yourself reading Luke and thinking of a variety of ways to tell Linus where to stick it? (Lights please.)


Then this quick and easy Friday Five is for you! And for those of you with a more positive attitude, have no fear. I am sure more sacred and reverent Friday Fives will follow.


Please tell us your least favorite/most annoying seasonal....

1) dessert/cookie/family food

Fruit Cake. Anything that has to be soaked in bourbon to be edible isn't actually edible. Besides, I prefer to do my soaking in Sapphire.

2) beverage (seasonal beer, eggnog w/ way too much egg and not enough nog, etc...)

The punch that is served at the extended family holiday party. It has pulp. There is something wrong with punch that has pulp.

3) tradition (church, family, other)

I can't think of anything. Which is kind of amazing.

4) decoration

I agree that those huge blow-up things are...uh...unfortunate.

5) gift (received or given)

A gift certificate for half a theater ticket. Nope. Not kidding.

BONUS: SONG/CD that makes you want to tell the elves where to stick it.

Do You Hear What I Hear. Oy. No, I don't.

And the MercyMe Christmas CD. It is musically disappointing.

On a more positive note, I can recommend the Point of Grace Christmas CD, as well as Diana Krall, Avalon, and Harry Connick Jr.'s "When My Heart Finds Christmas." All have some great arrangements.

Needs, Wants, and Contentment

I am speaking this week at a Saturday morning tea, and have been thinking about this topic for a while now.

I find myself saying things like, "I need a new set of golf clubs."

Now, if I am going to play golf and make any progress in my game, updating my clubs would be a good idea.

But I don't actually need a whole new set of golf clubs. I just think I do.

Much like I think I need anything else in this advertising-saturated society. I need a Rolex. I need a Mercedes.

I need another guitar.

Why? I can only play one at a time.

And when you play golf, and if you read golf magazines, or watch golf tournaments on TV, you find out you need all of the more expensive things. Because those are the advertisers for golf, because that's who they think plays golf. People that need a Rolex. Or a Buick Lucerne like Tiger's.

No wonder golf is so expensive. You need all this stuff to go with it.

Not.

See, I think we were created for relationship and community. With God first, but also with others. And not with stuff. But we were also created with the freedom of choice. So we get to choose the way in which we fulfill this need, and we often choose things rather than God.

As I enter the craziest season, I want to make sure I don't confuse my needs with my wants. Because I know I will only be truly contented when I find my rest in God.

Post Thanksgiving Friday Five

Singing Owl wrote:

Ah, the day after Thanksgiving--groan! Fortunately, I love Thanksgiving leftovers.

Thanksgiving is the American holiday when the greatest number of people travel somewhere else to celebrate. I am posting this from my son’s home in Minnesota where we are recovering from the food shopping and the preparations and the meal and the clean up. It is difficult to think of anything requiring much energy today, and I am enjoying my sweet baby granddaughter, so I will keep it simple. For those of you not in the USA, I apologize for the nationalistic tone of this Friday Five!

1. Did you go elsewhere for the day, or did you have visitors at your place instead? How was it?

I went to Mom's after the annual football game. (I'm the band director.) The brother (and family) who just moved back from overseas was there, and it was great!!

2. Main course: If it was the turkey, the whole turkey, and nothing but the turkey, was it prepared in an unusual way? Or did you throw tradition to the winds and do something different?

Traditional all the way. My mom's stuffing is my favorite, and she always does "homemade" whipped cream to go with the pies. Mmm Mmm good.

3. Other than the meal, do you have any Thanksgiving customs that you observe every year?

Can you call it a custom that I work the game every year with the band? I haven't had Thanksgiving off in 20 years...

Actually, we go out to dinner the Saturday after to celebrate the beginning of the shopping season.

4. The day after Thanksgiving is considered a major Christmas shopping day by most US retailers. Do you go out bargain hunting and shop ‘till you drop, or do you stay indoors with the blinds closed? Or something in between?

I am home with the coffee and the blogs, and, yes, the blinds are down. Love it.

5. Let the HOLIDAY SEASON commence! When will your Christmas decorations go up?

If I get to them, they will go up sometime. It's different every year, because it isn't a big priority.

Inheritance

We are in 1 Peter in our current sermon series, and today we talked about the inheritance that will never perish, spoil, or fade.

When we think of an inheritance, we often think in terms of things - and appropriately so, when we are talking about earthly inheritances from human relatives, I guess.

I was thinking today, though, that maybe God wants me to inherit from Him a few items that are not "things." His compassion for the suffering, His care for the widow and the orphan, His provision for the needy - His character and nature.

If I am His family, should I not inherit that? If my identity is in Christ, then his character is my inheritance.

May I show it to be so.

What goes around comes around...

I have been involved in several conversations lately which have been about the deconstruction of, redefinition of, or lament about the word "evangelical." It seems to have picked up some baggage along the way, as all words do, really, and it is not always seen as a positive label, even among Christians.

Once upon a time, declaring yourself an "evangelical Christian" was a way to say that you were about a faith that was your own, that wasn't just your family heritage, and that being a Christian was more to you than going to church on Sunday. Keith Green's thing about the fact that "going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than going to McDonald's makes you a hamburger" was part of the idea of "evangelicalism." It meant that you took the Bible seriously.

To many of us twenty-five or thirty years ago, the "evangelical movement" was the answer to the "problem" of being what one might call a "cultural" Christian, where you were considered a Christian if you went to church on Sunday.

Unfortunately, somewhere along the way, that word gained all kinds of subtext, much of which was a result, or maybe a cause, for it being usurped by a political agenda. Now, when someone uses the word "evangelical" it means "pro-life, pro-capital punishment, anti-welfare-loving, Republican." It means you are part of some weird churchy subculture, full of people that thought life was better in the 50's and wouldn't it be great if we could go back there. It means that your faith is little more than the answer to the question, "Do you know for sure you'll go to heaven when you die," a form of eternal fire insurance.

Too bad, because etymologically doesn't it actually mean something about bring a message of good news?

I think the original point of the evangelical movement was that our faith is supposed to permeate all areas of our lives. And that we are supposed to try to live like we are citizens of the kingdom, thereby doing something to bring a little of the kingdom of God to this earth. Now.

So what went around once is coming around again.

I go back and forth on this. I, too, am frustrated with the reputation which the "evangelical movement" has gained in the world. But I am equally frustrated by those that seem to want to throw the baby out with the bathwater, and sit back criticizing "the church" and taking pot shots at "the church" instead of becoming part of the solution for the church.

There is a balance to be had. I believe I am in a place that has achieved some measure of that balance.

But the best thing would be if we would all stop looking at what's wrong and just focus on moving forward into what's right, learning from what's gone before but pressing on into what's ahead, exchanging small minds for big hearts.

Life is Fragile

Keep short accounts.

Tell the people you love.

Pray. Hard.

Contextualization

We are fond of "culturally contextualizing" the tougher teachings of Jesus.

But what if He really did mean we should sell all of our possessions and give to the poor?

Post Summit Redux

Interesting is the word I would use for this year's Summit. Thursday night and Friday were normal. We started with the whole needing to unwind thing, and then Friday had some great small group time.

Then I went to the emergency room after dinner Friday night. And they admitted me and I was there all day Saturday, as well. So I was gone for this big chunk of the Summit.

God answered the prayers of the group, and me, and I was back for Saturday night. But it was weird not having been there the whole time.

I led worship Sunday, and that was good. And the great thing is that I heard from God, and it confirmed what I had been hearing all along. Simplify, live more generously, and live more communally. Thank God I have friends who will help with the latter.

The clear message I have been hearing since we started talking about planning the Summit was "Rise, take up your mat, and go." As in, how often do we know the path we are to take, and we stand there looking at it instead of walking it?

Jeremiah 6:16, "This is what the Lord says: Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient path; ask where the good way is, and walk in it; and you will find rest for your souls."

It is when we start walking, that we find rest for our souls.

Prayer Summit

This weekend I am going away with my church worship team for a prayer summit. This will be our sixth. Each one has been a unique experience, and God is so faithful to always meet us there.

I am going this year in a pretty good place, but with some things on which I have been challenged by God in the last year or so. A friend commented on one of my earlier posts and mentioned that she is discussing some of the same things I have been thinking about. Her group's discussion questions are great:

1)What if a fragile world is more attracted to God's vision of interdependence and sacrificial sharing than to the mirage of independence and materialism?

2)What does it mean to live incarnationally?

These are probing questions. Between this and the recent "Calling all Peacemakers" series by Rob Bell from Mars Hill, there is much to consider. What if America just up and gave clean water and sanitation to the entire underdeveloped world? We could do it for somewhere between 16 and 23 billion dollars. For a country as rich as ours, that isn't so much, I think, considering we spent 9 billion on Christmas gifts in one day - Black Friday.

Anyway, for me there are two questions. One is, "Am I living simply enough to give enough away?" And the other is, "How can I live more communally?"

I'll be thinking about it at Summit '07.

Belated Friday Five

How appropriate that this belated Friday Five is about birthdays. I always seem to be the one wishing belated wishes! On with it now...

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1. "It's my party and I'll [blank] if I want to..."Favorite way to celebrate your birthday (dinner with family? party with friends? a day in solitude?)

I love dinner with friends and something musical of which I am not in charge. Several years in a row the friends and I have done this very thing.

2. "You say it's your birthday... it's my birthday too, yeah..." Do you share your birthday with someone famous? (Click here to find out!)

Drew Bledsoe, Florence Henderson, and Jack Benny, among others.

3. "Lordy Lordy look who's forty..."Milestone birthdays: a) just like any other birthday--they're just numbers, people; b) a good opportunity to look back/take stock; c) enjoy the black balloons--I'll be hiding under a pile of coats until the day is over; d) some combination of the above, or something else entirely.

Definitely b, but also d - an excuse to have an entire "birthday season." If the "holidays" can be a month, why can't I have at least two weeks? And, last year when I turned 40, I did. Three parties, six cakes, flowers, dinner, a pub, and a limo. Whoo-hooo! Let's be 40 every year.

4. "Happy birthday, dear... Customer..."Have you ever been sung to in a restaurant? Fun or cringe-worthy?

Well, I am the wrong person to ask. I am not the least embarrassed, but I usually cringe at the...er....terrible singing. Especially since when my high school band sings it is beautiful four part harmony.

5. "Take my birthday--please"Tell me one advantage and one disadvantage about your particular birthday (e.g. birthday in the summer--never had to go to school; birthday near Christmas--the dreaded joint presents)EDITED TO ADD: This could also simply be something you like/dislike about your birthday (e.g. I like sharing a birthday with my best friend, etc.).

It's Valentine's Day. So people steal my thunder. Plus I am not all that fond of Valentine's Day.

Wired for Community

I am listening to the most fascinating book on my iPod right now. It's called Blink, and it is by Malcolm Gladwell. You could check it out here on Amazon. The book explores that thing that we do when we "thin slice" input and come to decisions that we would call "going with our gut."

One of the studies Gladwell mentions is about autism. Studying the brain through focused magnetic resonance imaging shows that we use a very sophisticated part of our brain when we are recognizing faces, as compared to a much less sophisticated part of the brain which engages when we are recognizing object. This is why we remember the faces of our friends many years later, but will spend half an hour searching for our luggage at the baggage claim.

Later, I was reading an article in a magazine. Did you know there is actually a special hormone that gets released when we are around people that gives us the "warm fuzzy" about being with our friends? This same hormone turns down the hunger message. It's almost like when we are hungry, part of that hunger is not for food but for family. Think about that feeling you get when you spend time around the table with your friends or your family. That feeling is hardwired to your physiology. Cool, huh?

All of this should not be the least bit surprising to a Christian. God created humans to be in fellowship - with Him and with each other. We are meant to live our lives in community - we are wired for it, specifically.

The next time you feel yourself becoming isolated, make an effort to connect with someone. It's what our Creator intended.

He wired us for community.

Happy New Year!

The beginning of a new year always feels hopeful to me. I look forward to what good things will happen, have that sense of expectation, always make a couple of private resolutions.

This year I have no resolutions, actually, because I had already started making some changes in my life. I really feel like 2007 is going to be a good year. And I know that whatever happens, God has it all in hand and "all things will work out for the good." So I guess in a sense, it is almost impossible for any year to be anything but good when you can depend on the sovereignty of God.