We will be remembering those church members who have died in the past year on All Saints Sunday on November 5th. I love this service as it gives us an opportunity to reflect upon all the people in our lives who have loved us--who have nurtured us--who taught us the lessons of life. It is a special moment in the ebb and flow of life.
When I think about some of the lessons I learned from those who have gone before me I realize that some of those lessons didn't bear fruit until long after the seeds had been planted. Perhaps it is a function of my own aging process but I find myself pondering past experiences and past relationships and I am finding new insights and understandings. Some of those insights are painful and I finding myself asking forgivness for not understanding them sooner. Some of those insights are simply delightful and I give thanks for the joy they continue to bring.
As you remember those who have loved who are no longer with us in this physical realm--I hope you will allow yourself the time and the space you need to cherish and learn.
Monday, October 30, 2006
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Faith to Change
I attended a seminar yesterday titled "Strenghtening Your Prophetic Ministry" where Jim Wallis, founder of the Sojourners Community in Washington D.C. and author of "God's Politics:Why the Right Gets it Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It.", was the keynote speaker. For those of you who don't know about Jim or the work of Sojourner's you can learn more about them at www.sojo.net. The short version is that they are a group of folks dedicated to both spiritual renewal and social justice.
Jim had lots of things to say yesterday that I will remember for a long time (and some stories that I'm sure will make it into a sermon or two) and when he was talking about that much needed integration of faith (or spirituality) and social justice he said "faith leads to hope which leads to action which leads to change."
As I understand this connection between faith & change is that one of things missing when you only concentrate on spritiual renewal is you can become narrow-minded and narrow hearted--focusing on a few passages that help you condemn the actions of others while ignoring the immense corpus of scripture that deals with care of the poor. If you only concentrate on social justice without a faith (or spiritual) component you can't find the hope that is inherent in a faith perspective and you, too, can become narrow-minded and narrow-hearted--eventually collapsing into cynicism and despair. Both are needed.
Where are the places in your life where you can see faith making a difference? Where are the places where you see a need for a faith perspective that could fuel a much-needed change?
Jim had lots of things to say yesterday that I will remember for a long time (and some stories that I'm sure will make it into a sermon or two) and when he was talking about that much needed integration of faith (or spirituality) and social justice he said "faith leads to hope which leads to action which leads to change."
As I understand this connection between faith & change is that one of things missing when you only concentrate on spritiual renewal is you can become narrow-minded and narrow hearted--focusing on a few passages that help you condemn the actions of others while ignoring the immense corpus of scripture that deals with care of the poor. If you only concentrate on social justice without a faith (or spiritual) component you can't find the hope that is inherent in a faith perspective and you, too, can become narrow-minded and narrow-hearted--eventually collapsing into cynicism and despair. Both are needed.
Where are the places in your life where you can see faith making a difference? Where are the places where you see a need for a faith perspective that could fuel a much-needed change?
Thursday, October 19, 2006
A Place Called Home
We're trying something new this year during the Pumpkin Festival weekend; instead of our regular worship on Sunday morning we will be worshipping on Saturday night with a "coming home" theme.
I heard once that home is that place where they have to let you in when you knock on the door. I know it's supposed to be a cynical comment--but when I think about it--I realize that church is exactly supposed to be that way. There is no one who should ever be turned away--no matter what. A home should be a sanctuary--a place of safety where can you ask all the questions you need to ask--a place where you can share all the doubts you have--a place where you can be completely who you are and know that you will be loved.
That doesn't mean you won't be challenged to rethink some things or change some of your ways. If you go out just the same way you came in--you were never really present or connected. The question should never be "what did I get out of worship today"--rather it should be "how much did I put into worship today and was it enough to connect with the Divine Presence."
What are you searching for in your faith journey and where is home for you?
I heard once that home is that place where they have to let you in when you knock on the door. I know it's supposed to be a cynical comment--but when I think about it--I realize that church is exactly supposed to be that way. There is no one who should ever be turned away--no matter what. A home should be a sanctuary--a place of safety where can you ask all the questions you need to ask--a place where you can share all the doubts you have--a place where you can be completely who you are and know that you will be loved.
That doesn't mean you won't be challenged to rethink some things or change some of your ways. If you go out just the same way you came in--you were never really present or connected. The question should never be "what did I get out of worship today"--rather it should be "how much did I put into worship today and was it enough to connect with the Divine Presence."
What are you searching for in your faith journey and where is home for you?
Monday, October 09, 2006
Uniting to Build a World of Peace and Justice
I'm finishing up the last of the sermon series based in our vision statement--this Sunday I'll be talking about what it means that we are uniting to create a world of peace and justice.
I like the verb form "uniting" because it means that we are still on the journey and we know that there are still lots of folks out there who share our vision and hopes for the world--even if they don't yet know that is what we're all about. I also like it because it suggests that we are open-minded enough to take in new information and wise enough to follow the paths that unfold before us.
Even a cursory glance at a daily newspaper--or a brief time listening to news report--confirm that there is much to be done in the creation of a world of peace and justice. It can seem overwhelming and we could even wonder where we ought to begin. I have a saying posted on my office door that says "because I believe the change must begin with me." I may not be able to negotiate a peace treaty between countries--but I can keep in contact with my elected representatives so that they know how I feel and I can be sure to vote in all elections. I may not be able to model for the world what a person of peace acts like--but I can model it in the places where I do find myself. And I can most certainly unite with others to take on the tasks that I cannot do alone.
What are you willing to do to model peace and justice in the places where you find yourself?
I like the verb form "uniting" because it means that we are still on the journey and we know that there are still lots of folks out there who share our vision and hopes for the world--even if they don't yet know that is what we're all about. I also like it because it suggests that we are open-minded enough to take in new information and wise enough to follow the paths that unfold before us.
Even a cursory glance at a daily newspaper--or a brief time listening to news report--confirm that there is much to be done in the creation of a world of peace and justice. It can seem overwhelming and we could even wonder where we ought to begin. I have a saying posted on my office door that says "because I believe the change must begin with me." I may not be able to negotiate a peace treaty between countries--but I can keep in contact with my elected representatives so that they know how I feel and I can be sure to vote in all elections. I may not be able to model for the world what a person of peace acts like--but I can model it in the places where I do find myself. And I can most certainly unite with others to take on the tasks that I cannot do alone.
What are you willing to do to model peace and justice in the places where you find yourself?
Saturday, October 07, 2006
Rooted in Spiritual and Theological Diversity
One of the challenges for a community like ours that values that there can be and should be a wide range of beliefs and spiritual paths is finding the connectional threads that run through all of our very diverse beliefs. What are those core values that can unite a person who holds a more traditional understanding of Jesus as the only-begotten son of God with a person who accepts Jesus as moral teacher—gentle friend but not divine? How do we covenant with one another to be companions on the journey when our faith paths seem to be so diverse and would seem to lead us in opposite directions?
While there could be many ways to approach this challenge—I suggest to you that one of those ways could be intentional faith exploration with one another. I think we-- as a congregation and as individuals--do really well in honoring the diversity of beliefs but we are less comfortable when it comes to exploring our differences. We pull back from a more engaged conversation for the most part—and then something happens that forces us to examine those differences—and that can and does happen--outside our faith community as well—and our conversations can become mired in the presenting problem—rather than rooted in an exploration of our beliefs. In addition to that—the emotionality of some of the issues can cause us to lose sight of this commitment we have to diversity of beliefs and we can start to choose up sides or try to shut down the conversation before it begins. The middle path is a more excellent way—staying engaged in the conversation—realizing that others may not come to see things as we see them—being open to the possibility that we might change our minds—trusting that what unites is will be stronger than whatever it is that seems to be pulling us apart. That works well in our more personal relationships as well.
Being rooted in theological and spiritual diversity also requires that we stay true to our own beliefs—even as we acknowledge and honor the beliefs of others—and in some ways that can be more difficult than it seems. In a world that rushes to compartmentalize people into neat little stereotypes—real men don’t eat quiche—all feminists hate men—all Christians believe the same things—red states—blue states—conservative—liberal--how often have we sought to distance ourselves from those stereotypes rather than challenge them as the less-than-complete statements that they are. We don’t have to give up what we believe in order to have a conversation with someone who believes another way. We do—however—have to give up the notion that there is nothing to be gained from having the conversation unless that person comes around to our way of thinking. In order to even begin the conversation—we have to know what it is that we hold too valuable to change—and the places where can compromise and adapt without losing our integrity. A person who cannot stand for anything will ultimately stand for nothing.
While there could be many ways to approach this challenge—I suggest to you that one of those ways could be intentional faith exploration with one another. I think we-- as a congregation and as individuals--do really well in honoring the diversity of beliefs but we are less comfortable when it comes to exploring our differences. We pull back from a more engaged conversation for the most part—and then something happens that forces us to examine those differences—and that can and does happen--outside our faith community as well—and our conversations can become mired in the presenting problem—rather than rooted in an exploration of our beliefs. In addition to that—the emotionality of some of the issues can cause us to lose sight of this commitment we have to diversity of beliefs and we can start to choose up sides or try to shut down the conversation before it begins. The middle path is a more excellent way—staying engaged in the conversation—realizing that others may not come to see things as we see them—being open to the possibility that we might change our minds—trusting that what unites is will be stronger than whatever it is that seems to be pulling us apart. That works well in our more personal relationships as well.
Being rooted in theological and spiritual diversity also requires that we stay true to our own beliefs—even as we acknowledge and honor the beliefs of others—and in some ways that can be more difficult than it seems. In a world that rushes to compartmentalize people into neat little stereotypes—real men don’t eat quiche—all feminists hate men—all Christians believe the same things—red states—blue states—conservative—liberal--how often have we sought to distance ourselves from those stereotypes rather than challenge them as the less-than-complete statements that they are. We don’t have to give up what we believe in order to have a conversation with someone who believes another way. We do—however—have to give up the notion that there is nothing to be gained from having the conversation unless that person comes around to our way of thinking. In order to even begin the conversation—we have to know what it is that we hold too valuable to change—and the places where can compromise and adapt without losing our integrity. A person who cannot stand for anything will ultimately stand for nothing.
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