Away from the manger

Our Sunday School classes gifted us with a performance of the Christmas pageant "Away from the Manger"; a telling of the story that included union shepherds, ivory-tower wisemen, shy stars & a multi-tasking inn-keepers wife. The story showed us how easily we can get distracted from the important things in life because we're taking care of what we perceive to be the important things in life.

We do that all the time--not just at Christmas and not just about our faith journeys--we get side-tracked in so many ways over so many things. If I had just one wish for the Christmas Season it would be for time and space to discern what truly is important in our lives and then the permission to follow those dreams.

I hope in the midst of the hustle and bustle of this time of year--you will rediscover what centers your life and that you will follow that dream!

Quiet moments

The holiday rush is in full swing. Stores are full of shoppers looking for that special gift for the ones they love. Salvation army ringers are outside the doors reminding us that there are many among us who don't have the resources they need to even make ends meet much less provide an abundance of gifts under the Christmas tree. Parties are happening--family and friends are making plans to get together--it's rush--rush--rush.

But in the midst of all this activity--there is one who wants us to stop and spend some quiet moments preparing our hearts and settling our lives so that we might be faithful followers of the Christ. God has a hard time getting through to us even in the less-busy seasons of our lives--it gets even harder when there is so much to do and we get caught up in the frenzied consumption-driven holiday that Christmas has become.

I encourage you to really comtemplate this year getting your Christmas back into balance. Buy less gifts--spend more time with your kids making gifts for special people. Give gifts of your time. Spend some quiet moments giving thanks for all that your already have--and vow to live more simply if you can. Let your Christmas be a blessing to you and all those you love.

Hometowns

We will be lighting the Bethelem candle this coming Sunday for the second Sunday of Advent. While Bethlehem was his birthplace, Nazareth was his hometown and like all of us--we are shaped by the ethos of our hometowns. No matter where I live--I will always be "Harvey's little girl who grew up in New Richland, Minnesota."

I spent two weeks in Nazareth six years ago when I led a group of college students on a five-week mission experience throughout Israel & Egypt. We spent those two weeks in Nazareth teaching ESL classes to Palestinian youth--the theme of the camp was "English-your passport to the world." That says a great deal about the hopes (and the reality) of those persons who put together that camp--gathering not only the Palestinian students but also hosting 15 U.S. students who partnered with local teachers. My teaching partner was a man who taught high school in a Palestinian Arab school. He shared with me that there is a two-tier public education system in Israel--as well as a two-tier municipal funding system. If your hometown is Jewish (as is Nazareth Elit)--you get more state funding both for public works and public education. The streets of Nazareth are mostly unkept--the streets of Nazareth Elit are paved and flower/tree lined. The stores of Nazareth are small and family-run--the mall is in Nazareth Elit. My teaching partner also shared with me that he often teaches without textbooks--without supplies of any kind--and gets paid far less than his counterparts teaching in the first-tier schools. His life--as well as the lives of the young people he teaches--is shaped by where he lives and who he is.

I'm grateful for the small town experience of my hometown--and for knowing that whenever I go back there--I'm still welcomed and known. But I also pray and work for the day when all hometowns--and the people who live within them--are equal.

I'm back!

I took a break from our blog for a few months as other tasks and needs called for my attention but now as we enter into another church year as we near the First Sunday of Advent this coming Sunday, I've decided to get back on track!

The candle we will be lighting this Sunday is called the prophet's candle. It's a reminder that whenever the need arose for a prophetic word, God called forth someone to deliver that message. We read about some of those prophets--Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and yes even Haggai--in our sacred scriptures. We read about other prophets--Martin Luther King, Jr., Gandhi, Archbishop Oscar Romero--in our history books. We hear of still more in the daily newspapers and on-line news media. The need for prophetic words that speak of justice, mercy and peace still exists--and even if what we say will never make it on the daily news--we, too, are called to be prophets.

As you immerse yourself in the wonder of this season--be thinking about ways you could proclaim peace and justice this year. Here's a sight I found worth exploring: http://www.buynothingchristmas.org/alternatives/index.html

Balance

We've been putting the September newsletter together today--and it has reminded me all the wonderful programs we have here at the church. It has also reminded me that we need to find the right balance between the busyness of all that life has to offer and time spent in quiet comtemplation. I love to be on the go--but if I don't devote a good amount of time in Sabbath rest and meditation--I find myself stressed out--burnt out--bummed out. My guess is that happens to you as well.

Remember--in the midst of all the stuff there is to do--there is need to simply be present to God--to yourself--to those who love you.

Who is this Jesus?

What's your favorite picture of Jesus? Is it Sallman's Head of Jesus that can be found in most Christian churches? Perhaps it's one of Jesus being depicted as the Good Shepherd or the one of Jesus knocking on the door. My favorite is called "Jesus Laughing" by Ralph Kozak. It reminds me that one of the things God wants for us is to find joy in living. However we view Jesus at any particular moment--we tend to think of him as gentle, kind, laughing and reconciling.

BUT THEN we read scripture such as the one we will be reading this coming Sunday (Luke 12:49-56) that has Jesus telling the crowds "I came to bring fire to earth and how I wish it was already kindled! Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division!" This is no sweet baby Jesus come to set all things right in the world...or is it? What was it about the way they believed--the way they acted--the way they lived out our faith--that has this Jesus so worked up he actually calls the religious folk of his time "hypocrites"?

Is there anything about the way we believe--the way we act--the way we live out our faith--that could get him to the point of calling us the very same thing? How do we measure our faithfulness? Does this scripture still have something to say to us?

In the quiet moments

Over the summer we have been introducing different styles of music & times for worship by offering a Wedesday night rather than Sunday morning once a month. Reception to the time has been good--some folks are even advocating for every Wednesday night for next summer. The musical styles have been appreciated and this coming week we will be offering a very different style of worship based on the Taize community worship in France.

This service is very contemplative in nature and includes moments of silence throughout the service. Silence is hard for us in our culture. We like our audio space to be filled with sounds--even if it is just soft background music or (heaven help us) elevator music. But in the quiet moments--when we have settled in to the rythym of our breathing--we can often hear the still small voice of God calling us into deeper relationship.

Whether you are able to join us for this worship or not, I invite you to spend some time this coming week in silence contemplation--listening for the still small voice of God calling you beloved.

bigger & better barns

Long before George Carlin did his "bit" on the accumulation of stuff, Jesus had a word or two to say about that very subject. Carlin made fun of the way that we keep getting more and more "stuff" and then needing bigger and biggers houses to store the stuff--not to mention needing to drag our stuff with us wherever we go.

While Jesus did have a wonderful sense of humor--he didn't find our human propensity to collect more and more stuff-and particularly putting our trust in those material possesions--all that amusing. He urged his disciples of old--and urges his disciples of today--to get their priorties straight and stop thinking that the one who dies with the most stuff wins.

Do you place your trust in the stuff that can't last and doesn't really matter? I know I struggle with this one all the time. How do we find the balance between having nice things--but not being owned by them. If you had to--could you walk away from all your stuff?

summertime and the living is easy

Summer is supposed to be slower time in the church year and it is for many people. As people take family vacations and sunny days beckon us to outside activities, we find that Sunday morning church attendance goes down. Some pastors bemoan that fact but I'm not one of them. I celebrate the time families spend together. I celebrate the time we are given in summer months in the midwest to enjoy the gifts of God's nature.

I wonder from time to time if we ought not consider the possibility of "doing church" differently in the summer than we do during the school year. A colleague of mine once served a church in Chicago where the majority of her congregation had summer homes in Wisconsin. During the summer, they gathered on Sunday morning for mini-concerts in the space outside their building where passer-bys could sit and drink their lattes (it was Lincoln Park after all). Members got together on Wednesday night for their weekly worship service.

What's your summer practice when it comes to attending worship? I'd be really interested in hearing what you think.

better to be or better to do

I'll be preaching on the story of the visit from Jesus to Martha and Mary of Bethany when Martha was doing all the work--and Mary was sitting at the feet of Jesus listening with the rest of his disciples to his teachings. Martha is hopping mad at Mary and Jesus; not only is she doing all the work to get a meal on the table that Mary should have been helping with--but Jesus doesn't seem to care.

What makes you hopping mad? Are you like Martha--doing the work that needs to be done so others have the opportunity to pursue other options? Or are you like Mary--choosing to let the daily tasks go as you attend to what you have determined to be the "better" part of life? Do you find yourself more than just a little bit irritated when others around you don't make the same choices you do?

The daily tasks of life have to be completed. The other tasks of life--the ones that feed our souls and our imagination--also have to be completed. Where do we find the balance?

I find that, for me, the teachings of Buddhism are useful in this pursuit. The theory of "nothingness" (or as my teacher pronounced it "no-thingness") teaches us that since no thing ever remains the same--we ought to live in the present--attending to those things that are presenting themselves at the moment--and not worrying about the things that are not. When work presents itself--do that and do that with gratitude. When lesiure presents itself--do that and do that with gratitude. Life is simply too short to fixate on the past or worry about the moment. Live in the now--and live with grace and humbleness.

things in general

I'm headed off tomorrow for my first ever General Synod. I'm told there will be long days--great worship--lots of meetings--and because this year the UCC is celebrating its 50th birthday--a day to celebrate that milestone. I'm really looking forward to this week and I'm also thinking about what it means to be the church in a national setting.

The United Church of Christ's governing structure is congregational--so this means that each church has its own constitution--develops its own governing structure (though there are a few "patterns" that most churches follow). What this also means is that the "wider church" cannot make decisions or proclamations that are binding on a local church. Those members can agree--and say to others "see the wider church holds the same opinion I do." They can also say "I disagree--and they don't speak for me." So as I ponder the resolutions that will come before us as a synod gathering, I will remember that we are making "a" witness but not "the" witness for the entire UCC.

What's your notion of congregational polity? Should there be a wider church body that can speak the official "UCC" denominational line? Do you like the autonomy of the local church? Could there be something in-between the two?

Pondering relationships

I've just started my year-long term as the President of the Illinois Conference of the United Church of Christ. I'm excited about all that could mean for me--but I'm also a bit apprehensive because I'm coming into this term knowing that there are lots of presenting problems that will need to be addressed. Like many--probably most--institutions made up of human beings that talk about being "family"--our conference has the whole array of family issues--family opinions--family dysfunctions. Sounds a whole lot like all the local congregations I have had the privilege of serving in my 15 years of ministry.

All of this has gotten me thinking about what makes family work--and those things that make it not work so well. I've heard it said that home (and the family inside) is that place where they have to let you in when you knock on the door. I'm not so crazy about that saying--I think home should be that place where you get to come in with all your stuff and they make room for you. What makes family work--as well as it can--is that family listens to you even when you might not be making much sense at the time--and will love you enough to tell you the truth.

What's your definition of family and home? I'd love to have a conversation with you about that.

extravagant welcome

Don’t you just love walking into someone’s home and feeling like the welcome mat has been laid out just for you. It’s one of the feelings I keep in mind as I decorate my own home or prepare to receive guests—will the people who come through my front door know that I am happy to see them and that there will always be a place in my home and in my heart for them. Now I don’t fret--too much--about waiting hand and foot on my guests—nor do I worry—a whole lot--about whether or not my home would pass a white-glove test. What I want most of all is to practice extravagant hospitality in my life. For me, that means giving my guests my full attention and making them feel like family.

When I think about practicing extravagant hospitality in all that I do, I am mindful that each encounter we have—either with our closest friends or family—or persons we see only on occasion—gives us an opportunity to make that person feel special—make them feel like they matter to us. Mindful listening—without trying to formulate our response to them as they are talking—goes a long way in making someone feel important. The simple gift of our silence—along with a heart and a mind that is open to what they are saying to us—is often the greatest gift we bring to our conversations. Mindful speech—speaking the truth in love—being aware that our words are powerful and truth is not situational—is another way we can perfect the art of hospitality in our encounters with others. Mindful living—creating a safe enough—a large enough--space for others to be who they are—sets the needed stage for both. Extravagant hospitality also means allowing ourselves to be vulnerable enough so that others might get to know who we are as well. Jesus didn’t say “love your neighbor more than yourself”—he said “love your neighbor as yourself.”

In our lives, both in our personal lives and in our corporate life as a church family, let us practice extravagant hospitality to all of God’s children.

Usual things

Our internet service was knocked out last week and it took several days before our service provider and the phone company could figure out who had the problem! We're back on-line now and I'm quite glad about that.

Being without access for a couple of days pointed out just how dependent I've gotten to using the internet in my ministry. The last time I got so frustrated was another Holy Week when my computer died with all the worship bulletins on it. I must have sounded like a crazy woman when I called the computer repair shop--they went right to work on it.

We get used to doing things a certain way and when we don't have access to those ways--we have two choices--get stopped in our tracks--or look for new possibilities. This is true in all areas of life--including our faith journeys. Many of us stopped going to church school either when we were confirmed or when we graduated from high school. For some of us--that's a long time! Does what you learned then about God--about your faith--about your church--still make sense to you? Would you like to "update" your information? Is there a particular area that needs addressing sooner rather than later? If so--let me know how I can help you in your quest.

Holy steps

I visited Jerusalem the summer of 2001 as part of a five-week trip to Israel and Egypt with college students. With those students off doing other activities, I spent one day walking the Via Del Rosa (the Road of Blood) following (sort of) the path that Jesus walked on the day of his execution. I say "sort of" because the path has been changed over time to accomodate commerical enterprises and since there are two different accounts of that event in the Scriptures--we had to visit sites from both those accounts. Despite the fact that it was not "historically accurate"--it was a time of profound holiness for me.

I feel much the same way whenever I read the scripture passages about this moment of holiness in our tradition. Are the stories we have accurate historial accounts of that day? Probably not. Does it matter? Probably not. What is important is that this death--and the resurrection that followed--were the seeds that sprouted into a faith that has sustained, challenged, comforted and shaped a people for over 2000 years. Bishop Joel Martinez, of the United Methodist Church, has said "Jesus is the incarnation of the radical availability of God." That's what matters--not just what happened that day but that because of that event--we are assured of God's radical availability in our lives.

I hope you will find time this upcoming week to take holy steps through the story of Jesus' final week on earth and in doing so will feel God ever so close to you.

The problem with sin

--Sin is not hurtful because it is forbidden, but forbidden because it is hurtful.

Benjamin Franklin

Liberals hate to talk about sin. It just feels so judgmental to us--or reminds some of us too much of the religious homes of our youth from which we ran screaming--or just because we prefer to focus on the positive side of being human. I tend to fall in the last category. And--as much as I like to focus on our original blessing (outlined so beautifully in Matthew Fox's book "Original Blessing")--I also believe there are times when we need to acknowledge the presence of sinful/hurtful behavior in ourselves and in our communities so that we can address it head on.

What better time than during the Season of Lent--and particularly during Holy Week--to deeply and honestly examine our lives. Perhaps there are things we do need to change. Perhaps there are ways that we could engage with others in ways that are more life-giving. Perhaps we need a total reformation of our circumstances and our relationships.

May the Cleansing Power of God's Holy Spirit wash over you this day and always

The Journey of Forgiveness

I'm doing a sermon series on forgiveness during this Season of Lent (you can read the latest entry on our website www:sycamorefederatedchurch.org). It's been good for me to focus on the notion of what, who, how and when we should forgive since there are ample opportunities each and every day to take what I have learned into practice!

Andrew Sung Park, in his book "The Wounded Heart of God", states that forgiveness is a process that will wind through the pain in its own time. He also says that the sinned-against should be involved in the process. We often forget those we have harmed--preferring instead to turn only to God whose forgiveness is assured if and when we resolve to change our ways (no cheap grace in this process!)

What a precious, holy world this will be when we engage in forgivness and mercy.

Musings

One of the many things I learned to "give up" when I became a pastor was the sense of order that comes when the appointments in your date book will match the way you spend your day. I schedule appointments and meetings well in advance--but I know that any given moment--I may be called into a new direction. My first career was as an accountant--things like this don't generally happen in a ledgered world like that!

At first, I was less than comfortable with this challenge. Over time, however, I can to understand what a gift it truly can be. I have stood at the bedside of someone I loved and held their hand while they passed into the next life. I have cradled a sobbing widow in my arms. I have been welcomed into the life of a battered woman who found the strength to make a new life for herself. I have sat in silence with youth who are struggling to make sense out of their lives. None of these things can be scheduled but they sure are holy.

I thank God for all these moments and wish for you the chaotic grace of God.

A chance for peace

This statement was released by the National Council of Churches following a trip by a delegation of religious leaders to Iran. There is another answer to military might.

US RELIGIOUS DELEGATION FINDS HOPE IN IRAN

As Christian leaders from the United States, we went to Iran at this time of increased tension believing that it is possible to build bridges of understanding between our two countries. We believe military action is not the answer, and that God calls us to just and peaceful relationships within the global community.
We were a diverse group of Christian leaders that included United Methodist, Episcopal, Catholic, Baptist, Evangelical, Quaker, and Mennonites who have 17 years of on the ground experience in Iran. We were warmly welcomed by the Iranian people, and our time in Iran convinced us that religious leaders from both countries can help pave the way for mutual respect and peaceful relations between our nations.

During our visit we met with Muslim and Christian leaders, government officials, and other Iranian people. Our final day included a meeting with former President Khatami and current President Ahmadinejad. The meeting with President Ahmadinejad was the first time an American delegation had met with a sitting Iranian President in Iran since the Islamic revolution in 1979. The meeting lasted 2.5 hours and covered a range of topics including the role of religion in transforming conflict, Iraq, nuclear proliferation, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

What the delegation found most encouraging from the meeting with President Ahmadinejad was a clear declaration from him of no intention to acquire or use nuclear weapons, as well as a statement that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can only be solved through political not military means. Finally, he said, “I have no reservation about conducting talks with American officials if we see some good will.”

We believe it is possible for further dialogue and that there can be a new day in U.S. – Iranian relations. The Iranian government has already built a bridge toward the American people by inviting our delegation to come to Iran. We ask the U.S. government to welcome a similar delegation of Iranian religious leaders to the United States.

As additional steps in building bridges between our nations, we call upon both the United States and Iranian governments to:

Immediately engage in direct face-to-face talks
Cease using language that defines the other using “enemy” images
Promote more people to people exchanges including religious leaders, members of Parliament/Congress, and civil society
As people of faith, we are committed to working towards these and other confidence building measures, which we hope will move our two nations from the precipice of war towards a more just and peaceful settlement.


For more information, contact:

Dan Webster
Director of Media Relations
National Council of Churches, USA
475 Riverside Drive Suite 880
New York, NY 10115
Phone: 212 870-2252
Fax 212 870-2030


email: dwebster@ncccusa.org

Restored to Wholeness

I was introduced to the phrase “restorative justice” when I was doing a Clinical Pastoral Education class in 1994. Two of my classmates worked within the area of prison ministries; one was a Roman Catholic nun who arranged for children to visit incarcerated parents and the other was a Missouri Synod Lutheran Deaconess who worked “behind the wall” at Statesville Prison near Joliet. I knew the concept--if you look at a situation from the angle of “what needs to be repaired and restored” rather than from the angle of “who did it and how should they punished”—but I had no idea that there was a whole movement within the criminal justice system itself hoping to apply its concepts. I was quite encouraged by that.

My interest in this area was heightened when later on in my ministry I would meet a young man who had once been a member of the church I was currently serving and during the ensuing years as I continued to visit him during his ten-year incarceration. I read books, I attended conferences, I gave workshops at local churches and once even taught a week-long class in restorative justice. It remains one of my social justice passions.

This model of justice, which I believe comes extremely close to Jesus’ model of forgiveness and restoration, avoids the cyclical model of wrong and retribution which is seen in far too many areas of our lives and in our world. Remember the Hatfields and the McCoys not to mention some of the international feuds that have been going on for centuries? It calls us to bring together victims, community and victimizers to craft a solution that seeks to restore to the victim that which has been lost, holds the victimizer accountable for their actions and brings the full resources of the community together so that justice can be truly done.

As we enter the Season of Lent—this season of penitence and forgiveness—let us remember that we are called—not to a faith of retaliation but to a faith of restoration.

what a church can be

We lost a dear member of our congregation on February 1st. Roberta was a Life Deacon; she was chosen for this honor because of her unfailing love and loyalty for her church. She wrote the following prayer many years ago and for me it pretty much sums up what a church can be:

My church is composed of people like me. We make it what it is. I want it to be a church that is a lamp unto the path of the pilgrims, leading them to goodness, truth and beauty. It will be – if I am. It will be friendly, IF I am. Its pews will be filled, IF I help to fill them. It will do great work, IF I work. It will make generous gifts to many causes, IF I am a generous giver. It will bring other people into its worship and fellowship, IF I bring them. It will be a church of loyalty and love, of fearlessness and faith, and a church with a noble spirit, IF I am filled with these qualities of a true church member. Therefore, in the quietness of this morning worship and in the silence of my own soul, with the help of Almighty God, in Christ, I shall dedicate myself anew to the task of being the kind of person that I want my church to be! Amen.

by Roberta Hackett

Christian love me more

My favorite hymn is Jesus Calls Us and my favorite verse goes like this:
Jesus call us from the worship of the vain world's golden store,
from each idol that would keep us, saying "Christian, love me more."

All day today I've been listening to commentary (on NPR no less) about the Super Bowl ads which cost over 2 million dollars for a thirty second spot. I'm not a big football fan (as any of my congregants can tell you) but I could be persuaded to watch the Super Bowl if not for the gross display of materialism. Why is it that we can bemoan the fact that New Orleans has not yet been rebuilt from Hurricane Katrina, that children are going hungry all around the world, that poverty is rampant and there are people who do not have adequate health care--and yet when we are bombarded with ads that sell unneeded items and demean human sexuality we find little to be concerned about?

In my mind--I think that any advertiser that spent that $2,000,000 on humanitarain aid ought to be given a free thirty second spot during the Super Bowl that read "(Big Brand) is helping rebuild our world by donating the cost of one Super Bowl Ad to (name the project)."

I was listening to the Diane Rehm Show this morning on NPR and she was interviewing three women who had formed a group they called “the Faith Club.” Each one representing the three monotheistic faiths of Christianity, Judaism and Islam, they at first had started out to write a children’s book that could help children of these three faiths learn more about each of them. The editors to which this book was submitted were much more interested in publishing a book about the conversations these women had as they worked on this project and hence the book “The Faith Club” came into being.
The conversation was fascinating and I certainly want to read the book itself; I’ll give you a review or maybe a book study on it after I’m done. For now, I want to say what has stayed with me most clearly is the comment “It’s time for the moderates of all our faiths to begin speaking more publicly about our faiths so that misconceptions and stereotypes can be challenged.” (This is my paraphrase of what was said.) Had I not been in my car—I might have jumped up and down with joy and affirmation!
Many of the misconceptions and the stereotypes that we have about persons of other faiths could be laid to rest if we place ourselves in conversation with others. Within the framework of these three religious traditions, there are so many more similarities than there are differences. Each has a version of what we call the golden rule. Each has a call for compassion and care for those who are disenfranchised and struggling. Each has a call to place God/Allah at the center of our lives and to be faithful to the Divine Design. Each has a call to remember that all of us are Beloved Children of God. Those similarities can also be found in other faith traditions and belief systems as well.
As a community of faith, we have a deep commitment to honoring and living out our diversity of beliefs in real and tangible ways that will make a difference in the world in which we live. I encourage you to begin sharing that commitment and your faith in all the places where you find yourself. Now don’t worry—I’m never going to ask you to hand out tracts door-to-door—with such a diversity of opinions as we have here—it would take an entire book to get them all down. But I do hope that what you experience here at Federated is special enough—deep enough that you would want to share that blessing with others. It truly is time for the voice of those who value and accept diversity of beliefs to let the world know that the voice of fundamentalists of any faith tradition do not speak for us.

Revealed in Love

This coming Sunday we're going to be reading the story of the first miracle performed by Jesus in his earthly ministry--the turning of water into wine. I've heard lots of different interpretations about the meaning of this miracle from Jesus simply obeying his mother (which I think is quite important being a mom myself:}) to choosing to do this miracle so as not to let the "father of the bride" be embarrassed by a lack of hospitality revealed in not having enough wine for his guests to drink. Like all interpretations given on any of the stories we have from Scripture, how we relate to the story has a lot to do with what we bring to the story.

Where I find consistency in all the miracle stories found in the gospels is that Jesus' actions were always motivated by love. The human distinctions that we find so important and so often get in our way of revealing love to one another are of little concern to Jesus and ultimately matter very little to God. Love is revealed whenever we are able to set aside those distinctions and allow ourselves to be engaged with others simply because they, too, are beloved of God.