Kendrickgc Online Journal

Sermon Study Notes - Communion, Receiving and Giving

2011-07-19T17:22:00.000-05:00

1 Corinthians 11 vs 20-34 - Sunday 07242011

Season Theme Scripture – Acts 2 38 Peter said to them, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him." 40 And he testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." 41 So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added. 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. 44 All who believed were together and had all things in common; 45 they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

Opening Sentence

1 O come, let us sing to the Lord;
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!

Call to Worship - Psalm 25

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
O my God, in you I trust;
do not let me be put to shame;
do not let my enemies exult over me. Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame;
let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous. Make me to know your ways,
O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth, and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all day long.
BACKGROUND SCRIPTURES -
Isaiah 7:10-14

10 Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, saying, 11 Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven. 12 But Ahaz said, I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test. 13 Then Isaiah said: "Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.

Luke 1

35 The angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. … 46 And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; 49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. 50 His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. 51 He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. 52 He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; 53 he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. 54 He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, 55 according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever."

Sermon Scripture: 1 Corinthians 11

20 When you come together, it is not really to eat the Lord's supper. 21 For when the time comes to eat, each of you goes ahead with your own supper, and one goes hungry and another becomes drunk. 22 What! Do you not have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you show contempt for the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What should I say to you? Should I commend you? In this matter I do not commend you! 23 For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." 25 In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. 27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be answerable for the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Examine yourselves, and only then eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For all who eat and drink without discerning the body, eat and drink judgment against themselves. 30 For this reason many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. 31 But if we judged ourselves, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world. 33 So then, my brothers and sisters, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. 34 If you are hungry, eat at home, so that when you come together, it will not be for your condemnation. About the other things I will give instructions when I come.

Reflection Questions for Sunday 07242011:

What does Paul mean when he tells the Corinthians (and us) to ‘discern the body’?

For some insights on this, see the following by Sharon Watkins, our General Minister and President.

http://www.disciples.org/Portals/0/PDF/ogmp/Sermon-TableEtiquette.pdf , and
Discerning the Body” in Just Women: A magazine for by and for Disciples Women (copies available at FGCC on the bulletin board by the Pastor’s Office)

Isaiah speaks of “Emmanuel – God with us”. Mary sings of how this God has expressed loving relationship toward her, and through her toward the world. How do you experience the incarnation of God – “God with you”?
How is the giving and receiving of Gifts at Christmas related to the giving and receiving that we experience at communion?
How do you, as a ‘little christ’ (the literal meaning of Christian) fully realize our call as the presence of God in the world?
How do we, as the Body of Christ, fully realize our call as the presence of God in the world?
What do you receive at Communion?
What do you give at Communion?
In what ways are each of these important to you? How might you grow in this area?

2011-07-15T12:19:00.001-05:00

40404

2011-07-15T12:07:00.001-05:00

Now I can post to my blog from my phone. Yes, I know I am behind the times.

When God asks too much...

2011-06-25T14:19:00.000-05:00

SERMON SCRIPTURE – A reading from Genesis 22:

1 After these things God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." 2 He said, "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you." 3 So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac; he cut the wood for the burnt offering, and set out and went to the place in the distance that God had shown him. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place far away. 5 Then Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey; the boy and I will go over there; we will worship, and then we will come back to you." 6 Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together. 7 Isaac said to his father Abraham, "Father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." He said, "The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" 8 Abraham said, "God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son." So the two of them walked on together. 9 When they came to the place that God had shown him, Abraham built an altar there and laid the wood in order. He bound his son Isaac, and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to kill his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." 12 He said, "Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me." 13 And Abraham looked up and saw a ram, caught in a thicket by its horns. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called that place "The Lord will provide"; as it is said to this day, "On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided."

So what do you do when you are headed toward the life you dreamed, and circumstances intervene, putting you on a different path?

What if you look around and realize that the life you are living is not the one of your dreams? How do you understand where God is in all of that?
Just because something happens in your life, does it automatically follow that “this is all part of God’s plan somehow.” I hear people say that, and I wonder. Was it God’s plan that Abraham and Sarah would suffer the grief of barrenness for 80 decades just so God could bless them with Isaac? Was it God’s plan that Moses would kill the Egyptian and have to flee to Midian for 40 years? Was it God’s plan that the Hebrews would refuse to enter the promised land with Joshua and Caleb, necessitating that generation to die in the wilderness?
Well, you get the idea.
We need to acknowledge the story of Joseph, who does finally say in Genesis 50:20 –
Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today.What we know from that is Israel’s understanding of how God used what happened to Joseph. It does not follow automatically that everything which happens has been orchestrated by God to accomplish some greater plan, regardless of how much pain and sorrow it may bring to one or to many. We must leave such a theology behind.
That said, sometimes scripture presents a faith understanding in which, like for Joseph, God does seem to ask a lot. Let’s start with other Hebrew Old Testament stories. In Genesis 12 we hear God ask Abraham and Sarah to leave their home, and family, and country, all that they know and love, to head out for an unrevealed period of time, over an unrevealed distance, to end up in an unrevealed place. We look in Exodus 3 and find God sending Moses back to Egypt in his old age to rescue the Hebrew slaves and spend the next 40 years leading them through the wilderness.
There are clearly circumstances, our faith suggests, when God does ask a great deal. Do we dare say that God asks too much? It certainly feels that way to us some times.
Look again at the story of the near sacrifice of Isaac. First we must recognize that this story comes from a very different place and time. The things about it that trouble us would not have troubled the people of Abraham’s day. We react violently and with revulsion to the idea killing one of our children, or even any child. Just think about the Casey Anthony trial, a young mother on trial, accused of killing her child. We are so offended by that on principle, “How could anyone do such a thing,” which is at least part of what makes the story so compelling to us. And there have even been times when, for some reason it seems to be mothers, have believed that God was calling them to kill their children as a way of protecting or saving them from some worse fate.
That’s not what is so troubling about this story – if we focus on a father almost killing his child, we completely miss the point. Sacrificing children to the gods was common practice in Abraham’s day in the land of Canaan. That’s why generations later God must give to Moses laws prohibiting such practices, and why during the days of the prophets the people were judged for returning to the practices of their neighbors, which included ‘sending their sons through fire.’ (Deuteronomy 18:10-13; Ezekiel 20:31) No doubt, it would be painful to offer one’s offspring in such a way, but not morally reprehensible. That is not part of the story, even though it is central to our response to it. The morality of the bible stories, even that seemingly promoted by God and practiced by God’s people, can not always be ours.
This is a story about faith in the God who makes covenant with us. God had by this time thrice stated and reaffirmed divine commitment to the covenant with Abraham. And it has been made clear that Isaac is the means through which the covenant will be fulfilled. What God has asked Abraham to do is to release the means though which Abraham will receive fulfillment of God’s promise.
What promises do you think God has made to you? What promise of blessing, of grace, of forgiveness, of hope and healing and prosperity? What promise of salvation has God made to you, and how do you accept, receive and live it? What if God said, “I want you to sacrifice everything about how you practice and live out your faith. Give up all the things that make your spiritual life meaningful – the ways you experience my grace.”
Where else in scripture do we hear God asking much of us?
·        “Sell all that you have, give to the poor, take up the cross and follow me.” (Mk 10:21)
·        “Whoever loves family or friends or home or career more than me is not fit to follow me, is not fit for the kingdom of heaven.” (Mt 10:36)
·        “Feed my sheep.” (Jn 21:16)
·        Follow me. (Mt 4:19)
·        Get up and walk (Mt 9:6)
·        Be healed of your disease (Mk 5:34)
·        Love your enemies (Mt 5:43)
·        Go the second mile. (Mt 5:41)
·        Turn the other cheek (Mt 5:39)
·        Consider others as better than yourselves. (Phil 2:3)
·        Love God with everything – all your heart, mind, soul and strength. (Mt 22:37)
·        Leave your family and your home and your country and go to the place I will show you. (Gn 12:1)
·        Sacrifice your son on this mountain. (Gn 22:2)
·        Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. (Rm 12:2)
·        Submit yourselves to one another as unto Christ. (Ep 5:21)

· 5 Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, 7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, 8 he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death— even death on a cross. – Philippians 2

· 9 The cry of the Israelites has now come to me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them. 10 So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt. -- Exodus 3
What do you do when God asks too much?
What do you do when the direction you thought God was sending you brings you to a dead end?
What do you do when the means of blessing and source of hope is threatened, or even taken away?
Praise – Remember that even Psalm 22 which begins, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” continues, “you are the source of my praise before all believers and before them I will fulfill my promises to you.” (vs25)
Trust – Remember the counsel of Proverbs 3:5 – Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
Hope – Remember the promise from Paul in Romas 8:28 – God works for good in the midst of every circumstance for those who love God and are called according to God’s purposes.
Wait – Remember the prayer of Psalm 130:5 I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his words I put my hope.
Thank – Remember Paul’s counsel in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Pray – Remember Paul’s counsel in Philippians 4: 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Think – Remember that your thoughts matter. In Philippians 4 Paul continues: 8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Flags in the sanctuary of Christian worship

2011-06-25T13:00:00.000-05:00

     If you realize that this is an issue at all – in any way a topic for conversation, then you are likely aware of the heated discussions it prompts. Some view the absence of the US flag in a sanctuary of Christian worship as tantamount to treason, and very certainly prove an utter lack of patriotism and love for the country which gives them the freedom to worship as they choose, a freedom bought with the blood of generations of soldiers – “freedom fighters”. In response to this argument flushed faces will proclaim the idolatry of any symbol in the sanctuary that calls our attention away from God and promotes allegiance to any other being or institution. They will sound like the High Priest and the Council of the Sanhedrin who called out “Blasphemy!” when Jesus at his trial presumed to place himself equal with God. It would be like Caesar erecting a statue of himself in the Jerusalem Temple in 70AD.      In the same community are many who lack the passion of either side with their stake firmly driven into the ground and their heels deeply dug in. And of course, the leaders – clergy and laity – who are seeking to follow God’s voice and will as they lead the congregation toward faithfulness in this and every other matter of dispute.
     I am an Eagle Scout, and have participated in innumerable flag ceremonies over the years, both in civic, public, private and religious settings. I love our country, her history, her present reality, and her potential future which outshines both. I firmly believe that our best days are ahead, even while I wish to honor the labor and sacrifice of all, soldiers and civilians, leaders and followers, rich and poor, slave and free, who have given themselves to build this nation. Paul encourages Christians to honor their political and civic leaders – to be good citizens of the state (Romans 13).
     I also understand that, as a Christian, my primary allegiances lie not with nation, or even with family, but with God. Often my allegiances will be in harmony, and I can honor my country, support my family, and worship my God in the same words and actions. There do come times, however, when my loyalties are divided. Paul cautions about this as he counsels those single to remain so (1 Corinthians 7:8). He also states that our primary place of belonging, our home, our citizenship, is in heaven (Philippians 3:20).
     So we see here, as is often the case, that scripture could be read and used to support both sides of the argument. The phrase “used to support” is telling for us in this instance, for such a utilitarian approach to scripture is inappropriate at best, and potentially deadly. Scripture, as a primary source through which we hear the Word of God speak, is not for our use, in the way a cookbook, textbook, or repair manual are. Our posture before scripture should be humble listening and receiving, whether or not what we hear appears ‘useful and helpful’. When Jesus called people to leave behind their family and their livelihood and follow him, that was not ‘useful and helpful’ in the normal sense of the word. That call ran contrary to what they would have said were their wishes and desires for their family, business, and life. Yet he called, and they followed. So must we.
     Symbols represent a greater reality. Christian worship is filled with them – candles, crosses, communion, baptism, the bible. All of these point us toward the same reality – God’s creative, self-giving, redemptive love. We gather to hear, receive, experience, affirm, celebrate and share this love. Everything we do in Christian worship points in this same direction. Anything that is done, said, or experienced to draw our attention otherwise becomes a disruption to our command to worship, and to ‘love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength.”
     The US Flag is a powerful symbol, as a discussion of flag burning or other forms of desecration clearly illustrate. The flag engenders and stirs feelings of loyalty and love for the nation, for our fellow citizens, and for the high ideals that hold us together. Much of this is good and desirable and even to be affirmed by us as Christians. Many of those who came to found this nation did so in the hopes of living out their Christian faith free from the dictates of higher authorities other than God and the religious leaders in their own traditions. It would be a stretch to say that a nation built on land stolen from the native populations and through the efforts of slave labor were “Christian”. In fact, there is really not room in the New Testament for the idea of calling an institution beyond the family and the church “Christian”. The term Christian, first used in Antioch (Acts 11) applies only to the individuals and groups thereof who are followers of Jesus – nothing more or less.
    And that’s really, to me, the root challenge of having a US flag in a sanctuary where Christians worship. Its mere presence might suggest to some support for the notion of a Christian nation, and the United States being one, and other nations not being so, even if Christians live there too. And when we begin to think this way, then we may get confused and think that all the actions of our nation are sacred and sanctified and approved by God. And further, that our love and loyalty belong equally, or very nearly so, to “God and Country.” Such an idea is problematic, I think.
    On the other hand, we do live in the United States, and our flag is a symbol of identity and unity. We certainly ought to pray for our nation and her leaders continually, that God would lead and guide, and that we Christians who live here might follow God’s will and God’s ways, honoring God in the sanctuary and in the community. So, we pray for ourselves, that as Christians in the United States we might have a godly influence on our neighbors and nation, as an expression of the second half of the great commandment – love your neighbor as yourself.
    So, how can we symbolize that our first and greatest allegiance is to God alone. Further, how can we illustrate that our US citizenship bows in humble submission to God in our faith and life through the church? The presence of the US Flag in a sanctuary of Christian Worship, or anywhere on a church’s facilities, would need to serve the purpose of representing for ourselves and others that we are Christians who happen to live in and love the United States of America, that we, with our national identity firmly in tact, bow before the one and only God who is the Lord God, maker and father and redeemer of all nations, so that people from every nation, tribe and tongue are our fellow citizens in the kingdom of God, which is far and away our primary identity.

PRAY THE PAUSE

2011-06-25T11:03:00.000-05:00

      One of the central realities in all of life is the relationship between stimulus and response. When I touch a hot skillet, my hand draws back, almost unconsciously. When I step on a tack I yell, and my foot rises rapidly from the floor. When I am driving, and someone swerves into my lane or an animal darts out in front of me, I immediately react. These things are true of the animal kingdom, and seem to be true also of plants, which react to changes of light, air pressure, temperature or moisture.       When we as humans lack the ability to experience the stimulus, then physicians tell us we have neuropathy of some kind. When we overreact to the incoming stimulus, then people say we are immature. When we lack the ability to respond to stimuli when we do experience them then we are depressed, withdrawn, catatonic or comatose.
      So, our goal should be to develop our capacity to respond appropriately to the stimulus that we do experience in our lives. Some have drawn a distinction between reacting and responding – reaction is involuntary and spontaneous, response is controlled and thoughtful. OK, fine, you say, but what can I do to move toward mature response from immature reaction?
      One of the keys is to recognize that between every stimulus and response there is a space. If we are startled, or we are a toddler, then the space is infinitesimally small – a nanosecond at most. But when we grow up and put away childish things, we are to move toward a way of living and relating where that space grows. You may remember a cartoon where the child or husband does or says something, to which the mother/wife responds by counting to ten. That is entirely about placing a space between stimulus and response. We also know people who have developed a habit of leaving a situation temporarily while they ‘take time to cool off.’ This is certainly helpful, and to be preferred over reacting in the moment.
     If we do nothing more than count to ten or take a walk, then we often stay in the same upset state. What we want to do is find transformation of our thoughts and feelings so that our response can be mature, reasoned, appropriate, faithful.

PRAY THE PAUSE

What I suggest is that, once we become able to stop, even for a moment, after the stimulus, then we pray the pause. Fill that space not with numbers or footsteps only, but with prayer, prayer for self, for the others involved, for God’s will, glory and kingdom. Jesus calls us to pray for our enemies. It may be harsh to consider everyone who upsets or offends or startles us as an enemy, but for our purposes here it works, because we are feeling adversarial, and the overall situation is certainly an enemy to our ability to be mature.
So, if anxiety and adrenaline stir in us when someone says or does something, then we can pray that God would bless that person and help them to grow in faith, hope and love. We do not pray, “God help them to see that I am right.” Such a prayer continues to keep us in a place of feeling superior – such arrogance will only undermine our efforts to reason and respond maturely.

Pray the pause -

Pray the Lord’s Prayer – Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Pray the Jesus Prayer – Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior, have mercy on me, a sinner. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior, fill me with your love. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior, use me for your glory, help me build your kingdom, etc.
Pray the Kyrie – Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy.
Pray the 23^rd Psalm – The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside still waters, he restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.
Pray what’s on your mind… What is your frustration – name it. With whom are you upset – name them. What are your fears, worries, anxieties – name them. In several of the healing miracles, Jesus asks the name of the demons. Recovery work in AA, NA and other programs have demonstrated the power of naming our demons – saying it out loud gives us power and deflates the secret which can take hold of us. The Psalms show us that, if we are humble and open, we can say anything to God in prayer. Sometimes we need to pray… “Lord, give me the desire to forgive. I want to want that,” because we really want to lash out, and we need God’s help to do otherwise.

As you work on this, keep in mind that between every stimulus and response, there is a space. Maturing includes developing the capacity to increase and use that space appropriately – enabling us to choose how we will respond.
For instance, many time have I heard someone say, “She made me so mad.” If the speaker is someone I know I often stop them right there and say, “Why did you give her that kind of power?”

For further study…
This idea of a space between stimulus and response is found many places, but my understanding is drawn largely from Family Systems Theory - Rabbi Edwin Friedman, derived from Bowen Theory developed by Dr Murray Bowen, and the work of Dr. Roberta Gilbert who has popularized and clarified Bowen Theory. For more information about their work, see:
http://kendrickgcoj.blogspot.com/2011/06/why-study-ourselves-and-others-from.html
http://kendrickgcoj.blogspot.com/2011/06/family-systems-theory-nuclear-family.html
http://www.thebowencenter.org/pages/theory.html
http://www.hsystems.org/
We have a good collection of Family Systems books at church if you want to go deeper.
And as always, please let me know if you want to discuss any of this.

Family Systems Theory – Nuclear Family Emotional System

2011-06-25T11:00:00.000-05:00

Family Systems Theory (FST) gives us a means to deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us. Through it we acknowledge that, like each individual, each group of people is a living organism or system that behaves in very predictable ways. We learn to “think systems – watch process”. Consider for a moment the last tense moment of conflict or misunderstanding you had with a family member, friend, or coworker. How much of that was about the actual content at issue, and how much was misunderstanding and reaction in place of appreciation, wonder, understanding, and response? In this instance we say, “It’s not about content – it’s about process.”

Family Systems theory is constructed with 8 core concepts: Nuclear Family Emotional System; Differentiation of Self; Triangles; Cutoff; Family Projection Process; Multigenerational Transmission Process; Sibling Position; and Emotional Process in Society. Central to our ability to make use of these concepts is our willingness to see, feel, and name the anxiety present in ourselves, others, and the larger system. Once we do, then we begin to gain some power to change, and the 8 concepts become the tools by which we can learn to construct a better self, and a better world.

The starting place for understanding self and others through Family Systems Theory (FST) is our starting point, i.e. our Nuclear Family, and specifically what we call the Emotional System in our Nuclear Family. In other words, how in your formative years, did you experience and learn to manage anxiety? Did people overcompensate for the weak, frail and ambiguous, who then felt free or even forced to under-compensate and become ir-responsible, i.e. not-response-able, unable to cope. You have likely seen this pattern, and seen how it feeds and grows on its own energy.

In humans, as in all of nature, anxiety is important. Anxiety has emotional, mental, spiritual, social and physical components. You can see in most groups of animals, fish and birds anxious energy spread from one to another quickly, whether or not the initial anxiety was warranted. When a heard is threatened, it makes sense to respond with the ‘fight or flight’ impulse. But what if one in the group over-reacts to a perceived threat? The anxiety still spreads rapidly through the group, without consideration for its validity.
The emotional system is defined by where the anxiety spreads. The core of this, for us, is the nuclear family. That is where our first and most life-important relationships are formed (or not). Thus, how anxiety functions within this unit is a key to understanding everything else about how we and others behave.
There are two types of anxiety – Acute and Chronic. Acute anxiety occurs in the human on a daily basis. Examples are the reactions we get to stressors such as fenderbenders, stock market swings, or threats to the workplace. Chronic Anxiety is more of a background level of anxiety that we carry with us. Much of this type of anxiety is programmed into us during our years in our family of origin, a level of anxiety that was/is usual for that family. We carry it around like a bad habit – it is more or less automatic. (Gilbert, 7)
In our family of origin, people had/have the choice of dealing with their own anxiety, or sharing it with others. An example of this is when a wife/mother becomes concerned that her job is threatened. She can choose to share this information in ways that bring people hope and strength, or instill fear and anxiety. She may habitually displace her anxiety onto one of her children, who is immature and unable to resist. This child will then likely act out in particular ways that seem unrelated to the initial stimulus – Mom’s anxiety. The child may act out with violence, engage in addictive behaviors or sexual promiscuity, or begin failing in school and other responsibilities. Alternately, the child may become hyper-responsible, which appears from the outside, early on, as a positive thing that gets rewarded and thus reinforced. Unfortunately this kind of hyper-responsibility creates a pressure internally that will eventually cause a rupture – a nervous breakdown, or a turning toward the clearly destructive behaviors just mentioned.
Individuals in this family may also form a togetherness fusion that prevents them from developing as unique, whole individuals who are able to be in interdependent (not dependent or independent) relationships. This fusion results in us “absorbing part of each self, demanding that we be there for the group.” (Gilbert, 9) In this environment, an individual launching off to pursue something other than the ‘approved’ family plan for career, lifestyle, location of home, or family choices, becomes a threat to the stability of the system that will react with extreme prejudice.
In addition to the overfunctioning/underfunctioning pattern, there are three other typical postures that exist in families and all systems in response to anxiety: Traingling, Conflict, and Distancing. Triangling is seen in the above example of the mother transferring her anxiety about work onto her child, who then develops symptoms of one form or another. Conflict comes when one party simply chooses to lash out or attack as a means to release anxious tension. Distancing is seen in the absence of one party, either physically or emotionally, from the system. Refusal to engage; running away to work, a hobby, another relationship; leaving the home town, state or country and refusal to visit, call or write; these are all examples of distancing. These will often exist within the same system, and even within the same relationship as people cycle back and forth from one to the other. The classic example of overfunctioning/underfunctioning is the addicted/codependent relationship.

Family Fusion:

Four Patterns:

Traingling,

Conflict,

Distancing,

Overfunctioning/Underfunctioning

Why study ourselves and others from a ‘systems’ point of view?

2011-06-25T10:47:00.000-05:00

Almost daily we encounter situations that frustrate us – individuals, groups, and even we ourselves, behave in ways that are clearly unproductive – we respond with fear and anxiety where none is needed. People begin to “spin” rather than simply remain still and listen. We talk about reacting rather than responding – the first an automatic response, the second a thoughtful response. We may see others acting out their anxiety and not know why, or how to help. And then we feel our own anxiety rise, leading us to thoughts, words and actions that betray our better selves. Family Systems Theory gives us a way to understand ourselves and others, to ‘see’ what is happening, and empowers us to choose differently.
What is Bowen Family Systems Theory?
* Borrowed from www.hsystems.org – Center for the Study of Human Systems, Roberta M Gilbert, MD
Bowen family systems theory, developed by Dr. Murray Bowen begining in the 1950's, and developed throughout his life, is a new way of thinking about the human phenomenon. In it, the nuclear family, rather than the individual, is seen as the emotional unit. Several concepts grow out of that basic understanding, from the scale of differentiation of self to the importance of the generations to functioning of people in the present.
The tremendous usefulness of the theory in the lives of individuals and families gave rise to a new and more effective psychotherapy. Organizations such as businesses and congregations have used the ideas with great benefit. Leadership training based on Bowen theory is proving to have effectiveness for those in religious, business, educational and other types of organizations.
His major papers are found in his book, "Family Therapy in Clinical Practice," Jason Aronson, New York, 1978.

Some Quotations from Dr. Bowen's Family Therapy in Clinical Practice, Aronson, New York, 1978
"If society functioned on a higher level, we would have a higher percentage
of people oriented to responsibility for self and others.. . ." p. 449
". . . what man thinks about himself , and what he says about himself, is different in many important ways from what he is." p.158
"As families move from the compartmentalized, less mature world of secrets and foibles which they assume they are keeping under cover, and into the world of permitting their private selves to be more open and a possible example for others to follow, they grow up a little each day." p. 520
"The goal is to be as much of a 'self' as is possible. . .and to permit the others as much latitude as possible toward developing their selfs." p. 463
"Any time one key member of an organization can be responsibly responsible for self, the problem in the organization will resolve." p.463
"There is a fine line between accepting the responsibility for the part self plays in a situation and accepting the 'blame' for it." p.464

Bowen theory is constructed with 8 core concepts: Nuclear Family Emotional System; Differentiation of Self; Triangles; Cutoff; Family Projection Process; Multigenerational Transmission Process; Sibling Position; and Emotional Process in Society. Central to our ability to make use of these concepts is our willingness to see, feel, and name the anxiety present in ourselves, others, and the larger system. Once we do, then we begin to gain some power to change, and the 8 concepts become the tools by which we can learn to construct a better self, and a better world.

2011-06-24T16:57:00.000-05:00

Forest Grove
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

We are:
The Body of Christ
gathered together
growing disciples
from curious onlookers
toward spiritually mature ministers

To the Glory of God
For the sake of Jesus Christ
And God’s Kingdom
Through the power of the Holy Spirit

On Sunday mornings we gather:
For Prayer                               @ 9:00am
For Bible Study                      @ 9:30am – all ages
For Fellowship                        @ 10:20am
For Worship                            @10:45am

During the week we have:

Men’s Bible Study                 @ 6:00am Tuesdays – Allen Café
Meet & Eat Bible Study         @ 6:30pm Wednesdays – FGCC
Choir Rehearsal                      @ 7:30pm Wednesday – FGCC

Monthly we gather for fellowship, and service in the community
If you are seeking to live a God-centered life,
     with less anxiety and fear
     with more peace, hope, and joy
     with healthier relationships
     with greater meaning and purpose
Come join us on the journey, Jesus is the way.

Our Community Involvement Programs include:

Family Promise of Collin County host congregation
Allen Community Outreach
The Samaritan Inn
Allen Food Pantry
Allen Ministerial Alliance
Disciples Crossing Camp and Retreat Center
Supporting new congregations – Planting in Prosper
Twin Creeks Hospital – Chaplain

Visit us @ - 2542 Country Club Rd (FM1378), Lucas (1/2 mile south of Stacy Rd)
Contacts:
Email – Office: office@fgcctx.org ~ Pastor Ken: pastor@fgcctx.org
Phone - 972-562-9025

Other Links

Pastor Ken’s Blog kendrickgcoj.blogspot.com

North Texas Area                    www.ntaccsw.org
Southwest Region                   www.ccsw.org
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)            www.disciples.org

The Resurrection Work of God in the World

2011-05-01T07:22:00.000-05:00

Speak to the bones – speak to the breath

Ezekiel and the valley of dry bones – chapter 37
Ezekiel was commanded to speak to the bones and call them together – they were to return to their created design and order. And they did as they were told. This mirrors the creation story which tells us of Creator God forming the human from the humus, but it was not yet a living being because the breath of life was not in it.
Then Ezekiel was commanded to speak again – this time to the wind/breath/spirit (ruach) of life. The breath blew in from the four winds (representing the wholeness of creation?) and entered the inanimate bodies (the meaning of the Latin anima is the same as the Hebrew ruach – Latin also has a separate term animus, meaning mind). At this point, the bodies became living beings, again mirroring the creation story.
God then gave the interpretation of the vision (much the same as Jesus giving the interpretation of the parables in the Gospels). The vision represents the future of Israel, on and for which God will act to redeem and restore and renew/rebirth. God will bring Israel back together, and into God’s people God will place the spirit/wind/breath (Ezekiel 39:29; Joel 2:28). And the fortunes of Israel were indeed restored – they were returned to their homeland and experienced a time of revival, though incomplete. They continue to struggle to this day.
And this is mirrored in the Acts of the Apostles, particularly chapters 1-2. We see:

A prophecy that the people will receive the breath/ wind/ spirit of power from on high (in Greek – pneuma)
A reorganizing principle in that the angels ‘speak to the bones’ to come back together
The disciples return to the upper room in Jerusalem where Peter calls for a council to restore a 12th Apostle as a replacement for Judas
There in the upper room they are all together
There they ‘speak to the spirit’ by ‘all with one mind continually devoting themselves to prayer’.

Finally, the process moves to its final phase, wherein all these steps happen repeatedly in each community, among all peoples, extending out like concentric circles from “Jerusalem, to all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth…”

The promise that was made, perhaps first in Proverbs 1:23

Repent at my rebuke;

Surely I will pour out my spirit on you;

I will make my words known to you.

And how this prefigures what we hear from Peter in Acts 3:19-21: Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Messiah appointed for you, that is, Jesus, who must remain in heaven until the time of universal restoration that God announced long ago through his holy prophets.

Repent, i.e. turn back to God, who is source of your life
Experience refreshing, renewal and restoration of Spirit
Experience the Word / Logos, which is Jesus

In what ways is your life in need of this process today?

How do you need to be reordered or reorganized? In your thinking, behaving, relating? Is it your relationships, your habits, your finances, your work, your physical health? Where is there just a valley of dry bones in and around you? Speak that which you desire, that which God desires for you, into the situation. Then take the actions necessary.

Where do you need a renewal of spirit? Where is there organization, but no life, no breath, no animation? Speak to the Spirit and pray, “Come Holy Spirit, come.”

Where do you need the Word to be real in you?

Surely, this commandment that I am commanding you today is not too hard for you, nor is it too far away….No, the word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart for you to observe. (Deuteronomy 30:11,14)

* cf (see also) Romans 10:8; Hebrews 4:12

Light shining into darkness – the Word is already there.

Hope undergirding the despairing – the Word is already there.

Love overcoming hate and indifference – the Word is already there.

This is the resurrection work of God in the world.

Thanks be to God!

Stations of the Cross

2011-04-18T15:42:00.000-05:00

Preparations – you may want to gather some of the following in preparation for your time of prayer:
* Hammer and wood     * Thorn or sharp nail
* Cross you can hold     * Note paper and pen/pencil
* Small rocks                * Bowl of Water
* Mirror and tissue       * Vinegar and cotton swab

Pray: Dear Jesus, I love you and thank you for loving me. I am often so busy with work and play that I ignore you. Today I want to follow you up the hill to the cross so that I may know a little better at each station what you gave for me, God’s child. If I had been the only person in the world, you would have been willing to suffer in just the same way. I come now to rest and listen to you, O God of my salvation. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner. Amen.

1st Station: Jesus is Condemned
As soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. They bound Jesus and led him away and delivered him to Pilate and condemned him, saying, "He deserves to be crucified." When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and handed him over to be crucified.

**Take the mallet and strike the wood, saying “Behold the man. Do with Him as you wish.” **

Pray: Dear Jesus, there you stand a prisoner, having done no wrong. You spent your whole life doing good. Help me to remember that you gave yourself so that we might have peace, through the way of the cross. Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner. Amen.

2nd Station: Jesus receives a Crown of Thorns
It was a cruel thing to do, to make a crown out of sharp thorns and then pound it onto Jesus' head. That must have hurt a lot. But what hurt even more was knowing that he deserved a different crown the finest one of all. For Jesus is the King of everything, And He promises to give everyone who trusts in Him a crown of everlasting life. To make that possible, He wore that awful crown for me.

** Touch the crown of thorns. Imagine the pain it would have caused Jesus.

Pray: Most holy Lord, our lives are filled with things that seem so unholy: television, automobiles, business and busy ness, worries and fears; money: making it, spending it, not having it. Sometimes we become overwhelmed, and there's not much left for you: church when we have no other plans, prayer when we have no other hope, offering when me have no other bills. To walk the straight path, we must walk step by step, but still our feet often trip. You are always with us, even when we fail. Lord Jesus Christ - Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner Amen.

3rd Station: Jesus Takes Up His Cross
Jesus went out ~ carrying His own cross, to the place called "The Place of the Skull," Golgotha. Although He was the Son of God, He learned to be strong through what He suffered. The cross they lay upon His shoulders was so heavy. How it must have hurt. He was already tired and wounded, how could He carry it up that steep hill? The Scriptures tell us: "The Lord laid on Him the burdens of us all. For the sins of the world He was wounded. "

**Touch the cross. Lift and hold it and silently pray for God’s help.””

Pray: Dear Jesus, help me to recognize that the crosses in my life lead to You. I begin to understand that I too must be changed into your image. May all the people I encounter this week find You in me. May I hear Your voice in their needs, their pain, their hopes. And may I respond with Your loving compassion. Be with me on my journey, loving God. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner. Amen.

4th Station: Jesus Meets His Afflicted Mother
Along the way, close to where Jesus must pass, stands His mother, watching Him following Him. What does He read in her soul? Her heart is breaking as His body is being broken. And she can do nothing but try to stay near Him, to be with Him in this desperate hour as the soldiers and the crowd push and shove Him up the hill. She is there, with Him, looking upon the Holy of Holies. The Scriptures tell us: "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. The Lord will be your everlasting Light and your days of sorrow shall end"

** Take a moment and pray for all mothers, yours in particular. Write their names.

Pray: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. Amen.

5th Station: Jesus Falls

It is not the stone underfoot, nor the ropes which tie Him to the cross... it is the spirit which suddenly fails. O center of my life! O unresisted fall…stretching forth His arms, He falls not on His knees, but on His face ... the body falls as the spirit consents...

** As you are able, kneel on the floor. **

Pray: Dear Jesus, in the quiet of my heart, I hear Your call to follow. I see You bearing the cross, and I am both afraid and encouraged: afraid of the call to service and self denial; encouraged by Your promises to eternal love and life and the compassion that calms our fears. Jesus, help me always to hear Your call, and to respond with a loving and ready heart. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner Amen.

6th Station: Simon Helps Jesus Carry the Cross
So comes the moment when Jesus stops. He can go no further alone. This is the moment when we become involved. The moment when He allows us to be used, to help carry His cross. And so Simon of Cyrene was harnessed to His cross. The cross must not be dragged. The cross must not be lost. Jesus had said, "Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple." Faith searches for Him. Only the world blocks out the call. Listen to Jesus, Love and service direct the way. Only the listening ones hear the call ... Will you follow? Must I respond? Or else who will?

** With whom will you share God's love. Write their name and pray for that person**

Pray: Lord, Jesus Christ ~ Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. Amen.

7th Station: Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem
As Jesus ascended the dreadful hill, He turns and sees the women who have followed Him. They are weeping, crying to see Him so hurt and abused. He turns to them and says, "Don’t cry for me, but for yourselves and for your children." What is the salvation of man that to accomplish it, the Son must tear Himself from the heart of the Father?

** Dip your hand in the bowl of water, signifying tears. Draw the sign of the cross on your cheek.

Pray: Dear Jesus, help us to be truly sorry for how we hurt you and other people, and to turn to you for the grace to live our lives with the same love that you had for us. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner. Amen.

8th Station: A Woman Wipes the Face of Jesus
All the disciples but one have left Him. Peter himself denied he knew Him. And Jesus’ face was all covered with dust and blood from the crown of thorns. People kicked Him, hated Him, spat upon Him. Into the rain of insults came a woman, taking His sore, wounded head into her hands, and gently, oh so gently, wiping the stains from His face. He looked into her eyes, thankful that she had been so brave, and was not afraid to show that she loved Him.

** Take a tissue, and wipe your face as if it had been Jesus ~ Think of how very much He loves you.

Pray: Turn us to you again, O God, Show us the light of Your face, and we shall be made whole. Help us to remember, Jesus, that we are all made in Your image, and that every person we meet bears the reflection of the awesome, loving face of God within his or her heart. Help us to show our love for You openly, and not be afraid to say we belong to You and that we are Your children. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner. Amen.

9th Station: Jesus Falls a Second Time
For the last time, Jesus stumbles and falls to the ground. Shall He ever be able to get up again? Is there a way? The cross crushes Him with its weight. The people around wonder if He is not dead already. Maybe it would be easier to lie down than to stand; harder to live and finish this journey than to give up harder to die on the cross than beneath it. The Scriptures tell us: "He was led like a sheep to be killed, and like a lamb silent before his sheerer, he opened not His mouth in protest."

Pray: Dear Jesus, help us not be discouraged, even when we feel despair and keep falling into the same hurtful sins. Give us the strength to begin again, knowing that you love us and are with us. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner. Amen.

10th Station: Jesus Is Stripped of His Garments
Now, at the top of the hill, the soldiers lay their hands upon Jesus. They take His tunic and seamless robe ... they dare to look upon His nakedness. They have left Him nothing; they have taken everything from Him. There is no hiding place. He has no defense. Where now is the mighty God? All we see is a man of sorrows, weeping and beaten. They gave Him bitterness to eat, and when He was thirsty, they gave Him vinegar to drink.

** Dip a swab in the bowl of vinegar and taste it.

Pray: Lord Jesus, in Your humiliation, in Your shame, have pity on those who are beaten by the strong. Have mercy on those who have broken and torn relationships. Have mercy on those who are alone. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner. Amen.

11th Station: Jesus is Nailed to the Cross
Now the time has come. Now the deed is done. His feet and hands are stretched out against the hard, splintered wood. He can no longer escape. He is nailed to the cross by His hands and feet. The Scriptures say. "They pierced His hands and feet; they stare at Him and mock Him"

** Take a nail; hold it in your hand and squeeze, feeling the sharpness against your palm.

Pray: Dearest Jesus, who did stretch out Your arms of Love on the hard wood of the Cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace: so clothe us in Your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in Love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and Love of You, for the honor of Your name. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner. Amen.

12th Station: Jesus Dies on the Cross
Pray: Dear Jesus, You are hanging on the cross and dying, You are dying for me, so that I can be God’s child. You are not angry with the men who killed you ... You have forgiven them, and asked Your Father to forgive them. Everyone has left you, except your mother and a few friends ... I will stay too, and wait with you, for these very... few… minutes… The Scriptures say: "Christ became obedient unto death for our sake, even death on a cross."

** In the silence, pray for someone you need to forgive. Write a prayer to express your experience. **

Pray: Dearest Lord, mercifully grant that I, walking in the way of the cross, may daily turn away from my sins and learn to walk with You in the life, Love, and Joy of Your resurrection. Savior of the World, by Your cross and precious blood, you have redeemed me. Thank You that You have delivered me from the power of sin and death and brought me into the kingdom of Your Son; I pray that, as by His death He has called me to Life, so by His Love may I be raised with Him to eternal Joy. To Christ Jesus, our Lord be glory, honor, and blessing forever and ever. Amen.

Easter Prayer Vigil - Good Friday evening through Easter Sunday morning

2011-04-18T15:34:00.000-05:00

“that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and the
fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death.” Phil 3:10

We gather to pray. We pray to hear God.
We pray for our friends and family in need.
We pray for those who need to know God.
We pray to be conformed to the image of his Son.

We pray because He prayed.

Jesus asked his disciples in his darkest moment,
“Could you not watch with me one hour?’ (Mt 26.40)

Let your answer be, “YES!”

Our congregation joins with Christians around the world who gather to pray especially during this time. The Easter Prayer Vigil tradition goes back at least to the second century AD, during which time new believers made their final preparation for baptism. Please include others – friends, neighbors, family, co-workers – in this powerful time of prayer as we seek to draw closer to God.

* You may register for more than one 30 minute time slot.
* You will be provided with a printed prayer guide beginning Palm Sunday.
* You can call the church to have your name written in on a time slot.
* You are welcome to come to the church to pray, or pray wherever you are at your chosen time.

You will also find several prayer guides:
• covering the scripture passages for Lent and Easter
• Giving general guidance for prayer
• Outlining how to pray the stations of the cross
• Outlining how to pray the seven last words of Christ from the Cross
In addition, you may find it useful to pray through lists of folks you know, such as address books and phone directories from church, school, work, etc.

Take this time to quiet your heart and mind and allow God the opportunity to speak into you.

Repent and turn to God

So that times of

Refreshing

may come

It is no longer

my life,

but Christ lives in me

and I live my life

for God.

Sermon Study for Sunday 04102011 – Ezekiel 37 vs1-14 Repent and Turn back to God: Can these dry bones live?

2011-04-01T10:38:00.000-05:00

Season Theme Scripture – Acts 3:19 Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out, 20 so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Messiah appointed for you, that is, Jesus, 21 who must remain in heaven until the time of universal restoration that God announced long ago through his holy prophets.

Call to Worship - Psalm 130 –
1 Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord.
2 Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive
     to the voice of my supplications!
3 If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
     Lord, who could stand?
4 But there is forgiveness with you,
     so that you may be revered.

5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,

and in his word I hope;

6 my soul waits for the Lord
     more than those who watch for the morning,
     more than those who watch for the morning.
7 O Israel, hope in the Lord!
     For with the Lord there is steadfast love,
     and with him is great power to redeem.
8 It is he who will redeem Israel from all its iniquities.
BACKGROUND SCRIPTURES -
John 11: 1 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill. 3 So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, "Lord, he whom you love is ill." 4 But when Jesus heard it, he said, "This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God's glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it." …
11 After saying this, he told them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him." …
32 When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. 34 He said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to him, "Lord, come and see." 35 Jesus began to weep. 36 So the Jews said, "See how he loved him!" 37 But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?" 38 Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. 39 Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, "Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days." 40 Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, "Father, I thank you for having heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me." 43 When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go."

Romans 8: 6 To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law—indeed it cannot, 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.
SERMON SCRIPTURE –
Ezekiel 37: 1 The hand of the Lord came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me all around them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. 3 He said to me, "Mortal, can these bones live?" I answered, "O Lord God, you know." 4 Then he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. 5 Thus says the Lord God to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. 6 I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord." 7 So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. 8 I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them. 9 Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live." 10 I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude. 11 Then he said to me, "Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, "Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.' 12 Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. 14 I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act, says the Lord."
Repent and Turn back to God: Can these dry bones live?
Notes for reflection: Sometimes things look dead, but they are not. Other times thing are dead, and look hopeless, but again, they are not. As we heard in 1 Samuel 16, man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart. And Jesus said, “Unless a seed fall to the ground and die, it can not bear fruit.” (John 12:24)
1. When have you experienced something restored to new life? Have you ever restored a car, a house, a piece of antique furniture?
2. Do you recognize ‘a diamond in the rough’ – that thing which is truly valuable, but just needs to have the life breathed back into it?
3. What in your life looks like a lost cause? A relationship? A job? Health? A project? An organization?
4. When things look and feel hopeless, where are we looking as our source of hope? In what do we hope?

5. Read the story of Elijah, the widow of Zarephath and her son - http://www.biblestudytools.com/nrs/1-kings/17.html. What does it say to you? How can you serve another in your time of need?

Reflections on Henri J.M. Nouwen's The Wounded Healer

2011-02-17T15:11:00.001-06:00

Henri J.M. Nouwen – The Wounded Healer
A story that forms the basis of The Wounded Healer:
A well known story among the Hebrew people concerns a Rabbi who came across the prophet Elijah and said to him:
“Tell me—when will the Messiah come?”
Elijah replied, “Go and ask him yourself.”
“Where is he?” said the Rabbi.
“He’s sitting at the gates of the city,” said Elijah.
“But how will I know which one is he?”
The Prophet said, “He is sitting among the poor, covered with wounds. The others unbind all their wounds at the same time and bind them up again, but he unbinds only one at a time and binds them up again, saying to himself, “Perhaps I shall be needed; if so, I must always be ready so as not to delay for a moment.”

Henri Nouwen adds, “What I find impressive in this story are these two things: first, the faithful tending of one’s own woundedness and second, the willingness to move to the aid of other people and to make the fruits of our own woundedness available to others.”

The Wounded Healer: Ministry in Contemporary Society:
In our own woundedness, we can become a source of life for others.

Contents
Introduction The Four Open Doors
Chapter 1 Ministry in a Dislocated World – The Human Search
   1. The predicament of humanity in the modern age
     a. Historical dislocation
     b. Fragmented
Chapter 2 Ministry for the Rootless Generations - Looking into the Fugitive’s Eyes
Chapter 3 Ministry to a Hopeless Man - Waiting for tomorrow

Chapter 4 Ministry by a Lonely Minister – The Wounded Healer
Since it is their task to make visible the first vestiges of liberation for others, they must bind their own wounds carefully, in anticipation of the moment when they will be needed.(p88)
1. The Wounded Minister
“What are our wounds?... Alienation, separation, isolation, loneliness…”
a. Personal Loneliness
“We keep hoping that one day we will find the one who really understands our experiences…and the place where we can feel at home.”(p91)
b. Professional Loneliness
“[Ministers] have an urgent desire to give meaning to people’s lives. But they find themselves standing on the edge of events and only reluctantly admitted to the spot where the decisions are made.” (p92)
“Once the pain is accepted and understood, denial is no longer necessary, and ministry can become a healing service.” (p94)
2. The Healing Minister
“Hospitality is the virtue that allows us to break through the narrowness of our own fears and to open our houses to the stranger, with the intuition that salvation comes to us in the form of a tired traveler. Hospitality makes anxious disciples into powerful witnesses, makes suspicious owners into generous givers, and makes closed-minded sectarians into interested recipients of new ideas and insights….What does hospitality as a healing power require?...
1st that hosts feel at home in their own house,
2nd that they creat a free and fearless place for the unexpected visitor.
Therefore, hospitality embraces two concepts: Concentration and Community

a. Hospitality and concentration
“Hospitality is the ability to pay attention to the guest.”
“I guess I am busy in order to avoid a painful self-concentration.”
We find it extremely hard to pay attention because of our intentions (because of our brokenness/loneliness). As soon as our intentions take over, the question no longer is, “Who is he?” but “What can I get from him?” – and then we no longer listen to what he is saying but to what we can do with what he is saying.
When our souls are restless…how can we possibly create the room and space where others can enter freely without feeling themselves unlawful intruders?
When we have finally found the anchor for our lives…we can be free to let others enter into the space created for them.…Then our presence is no longer threatening and demanding, but inviting and liberating.

b. Hospitality and community
The paradox is that hospitality asks for the creation of an empty space, where the guests can find their own souls…Then they discover) that their own wounds must be understood, not as sources of despair and bitterness, but as signs that they have to travel on in obedience to the calling sounds of those wounds.
(This is what people experience when they describe their illness or other trial as a gift, from which they learned great lessons, and that they would not trade it for an easier way.)
No minister can save anyone. We can only offer ourselves as guides to fearful people.
…A shared pain is no longer paralyzing, but mobilizing.
Hospitality becomes community as it creates a unity based upon the shared confession of our basic brokenness and upon a shared hope.
Concentration prevents ministers from burdening others with their pain and allows them to accept their wounds as helpful teachers of their own and their neighbor’s condition. Community arises where the sharing of pain takes place, not as a stifling form of self-complaint, but as a recognition of God’s saving promises.
This is the announcement of the wounded healer: “The master is coming – not tomorrow, but today, not next year, but this year, not after all our misery is passed, but in the middle of it, not in another place but right here, where we are standing.”
   And with a challenging confrontation he says:
      O that today you would listen to his voice!
      Harden not your hearts as at Meribah
      As on that day at Massa in the desert
      When they tried me, though they saw my work

Conclusion A Forward Thrust

Questions for reflection:

1. Where in your life have you experienced “Alienation, separation, isolation, loneliness (brokenness)”?

2. What lessons have you learned from your own “valley of the shadow of death”?

3. In what ways do you still ‘get hooked’ by others’ experiences touching your not-yet-healed wounds?

4. What will be required in your life to allow “painful self-concentration” so that you can learn and heal?

5. Who in your life can help you on this journey?

6. What commitment will you make today?

Biblical Scriptures related to The Wounded Healer
4 Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
~ Isaiah 53 (NIV)

21 Since my people are crushed, I am crushed;
I mourn, and horror grips me.
22 Is there no balm in Gilead?
Is there no physician there?
Why then is there no healing
for the wound of my people?
~ Jeremiah 8 (NIV)

23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. 24 “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” 25 For “you were like sheep going astray,”[f] but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
~ 1 Peter 2 (NIV)

16 When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:
“He took up our infirmities
and bore our diseases.”
~ Matthew 8 (NIV)

1 Praise the LORD.
How good it is to sing praises to our God,
how pleasant and fitting to praise him!
2 The LORD builds up Jerusalem;
he gathers the exiles of Israel.
3 He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.
~ Psalm 147 (NIV)

The Idea of “Wounded Healer”

Wounded healer is an archetypal dynamic that psychologist Carl Jung used to describe a phenomenon that may take place in the relationship between analyst and analysand.
The following is an example of the "wounded healer phenomena" between a psychiatrist and his/her patient:
• The psychiatrist, through the nature of his profession is consciously aware of his own personal wounds. However, these wounds may be activated in certain situations, especially if his patient's wounds are similar to his own. (This can be the basis of countertransference).
• In the meantime, the wounded patient's "inner healer" is unconscious to him, but potentially available.
• The patient's wounds activate those of the doctor. The doctor realizes what is taking place, and either consciously or unconsciously passes this awareness back to his patient.
• In this way, an unconscious relationship takes place between analyst and patient.
Jung felt that this type of depth psychology can be potentially dangerous, because the analyst is vulnerable to being infected by his patient's wounds, or having his or her wounds reopened. Also, the analyst must have an ongoing relationship with the unconscious, otherwise he or she could identify with the "healer archetype", and create an inflated ego.
Jung derives the term "wounded healer" from the ancient Greek legend of Asclepius, a physician who in identification of his own wounds creates a sanctuary at Epidaurus in order to treat others. Spiritual writer Henri Nouwen also wrote a book with the same title.

The Greek Myth of Chiron is also used to illustrate the archetype of the Wounded Healer.

The character "House", from the television series of the same name, can be considered as an example of this archetype in modern pop culture; his physical and emotional scars are both a burden and a driving force in his need to fix the problems of others while destroying himself.
FROM: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wounded_healer)

Quotes from Henri Nouwen’s other writings
"All the agony that threatened to destroy my life now seems like the fertile ground for greater trust, stronger hope, and deeper love."
Jesus does not give a political interpretation of the event but a spiritual one. “What happened invites you to conversion”. This is the deepest meaning of history: a constant invitation calling us to turn our hearts to God and so discover the full meaning of our lives. ( Here And Now page 73)
"I can choose to dwell in the darkness in which I stand, point to those who are seemingly better off than I, lament about the many misfortunes that have plagued me in the past (and in the present), and thereby wrap myself in my resentment. But I don't have to do this." - Henri Nouwen, The Return of the Prodigal Son
"I use to think my life was constantly full of interruptions, then one day I realized the interruptions were my life"

A BRIEF READING LIST
Holy Bible: New International Version
The Wounded Healer. Henri J.M. Nouwen. Image. 1979. ISB – 100385148038
Creative Ministry. Henri J.M. Nouwen. Image. 1971. ISBN – 0-385-12616-6
The Way of The Heart. Henri J.M. Nouwen. HarperOne. 1981. ISBN – 978-0-06-066330-8
The Inner Voice of Love: A Journey through Anguish to Freedom. Henri J. M. Nouwen. Image/Doubleday 1999. ISBN – 0385483481

A RELATED RESOURCE
Mariah Fenton Gladis, MSS, QCSW – author of Tales of a Wounded Healer
Mariah Fenton Gladis, MSS, QCSW, is the Founder and Clinical Director of the Pennsylvania Gestalt Center for Psychotherapy and Training. An internationally renowned workshop leader and trainer, Mariah has more than 35 years experience as a psychotherapist and Gestalt Trainer, having trained hundreds of professionals and conducted workshops throughout the United States, Europe, the West Indies and South America. She is also a long-term survivor of Lou Gehrig’s Disease having been diagnosed in 1981 and given a 10% chance to survive two years.
From her own story, she offers: As a Gestalt therapist, I have been working with Exact Moments of Healing all my professional career. I've experienced them for myself, and I've helped create them for thousands of people around the world who have been my private clients, workshop participants or trainees at the Pennsylvania Gestalt Center. But I must admit that a certain condition in my life has heightened my empathy and healing insight beyond my role as a therapist. Let me explain.
I'm a long-time survivor of ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease), a disease that erodes the central nervous system. As a result, my speech is slurred, I walk slowly, and need assistance getting in and out of chairs. When I was diagnosed in 1981, my doctor told me that I had a 10 percent chance of surviving more than six months to two years — which is the normal life expectancy of a person diagnosed with ALS.
I'm not going to be cavalier about ALS; it's a tough script for anyone. Ironically, though, I've come to regard it as a grace. After my diagnosis, I embarked on an intense healing quest that continues today and includes a strict nutritional regimen supported by various natural and alternative healing modalities that work in tandem with the drug therapy. This literal fight for my life has pushed me to the very depths of my mind, body and spirit. I've journeyed to places within myself where I may never have gone had it not been for deadline pressure.
SEE: (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mariah-Fenton-Gladis/20863549135)

CHEIRON, The Wounded Healer
Traditional Views:
Cheiron was instructed by Apollo and Diana, and was renowned for his skill in hunting, medicine, music, and the art of prophecy. The most distinguished heroes of Grecian story were his pupils. Among the rest the infant AEsculapius was intrusted to his charge by Apollo, his father. When the sage returned to his home bearing the infant, his daughter Ocyrhoe came forth to meet him, and at sight of the child burst forth into a prophetic strain (for she was a prophetess), foretelling the glory that he was to achieve. AEsculapius when grown up became a renowned physician, and even in one instance succeeded in restoring the dead to life. Pluto resented this, and Jupiter, at his request, struck the bold physician with lightning, and killed him, but after his death received him into the number of the gods. Chiron was the wisest and justest of all the Centaurs, and at his death Jupiter placed him among the stars as the constellation Sagittarius. (Thomas Bullfinch, 1855. Bullfinch's Mythology Chapter XVI. MONSTERS.) and see the Perseus Project page on Chiron. more.

Among the heroes, Cheiron's most distinguished student was Aesculapius, founder of the great Greek Healing cult:

But some affirm that Aesculapius was not a son of Arsinoe, daughter of Leucippus, but that he was a son of Coronis, daughter of Phlegyas in Thessaly. 8 [p. 2.15] And they say that Apollo loved her and at once consorted with her, but that she, against her father's judgment, preferred and cohabited with Ischys, brother of Caeneus. Apollo cursed the raven that brought the tidings and made him black instead of white, as he had been before; but he killed Coronis. As she was burning, he snatched the babe from the pyre and brought it to Chiron, the centaur, 9 by [p. 2.17] whom he was brought up and taught the arts of healing and hunting. And having become a surgeon, and carried the art to a great pitch, he not only prevented some from dying, but even raised up the dead; for he had received from Athena the blood that flowed from the veins of the Gorgon, and while he used the blood that flowed from the veins on the left side for the bane of mankind, he used the blood that flowed from the right side for salvation, and by that means he raised the dead. 10 Commentary from the Pseudo-Apollodorus Library 3.10.3-4 and see the Perseus Project's page on Aesculapius.

THE WOUNDED HEALER:
Cheiron was wounded in two senses:
(1) he was abandoned as an infant -- and thereby provides the organizing theme for therapeutic regimens that emphasize dealing with childhood stress, trauma, or abuse. [See, for example, The Wounded Healer Journal]
(2) he was accidentally wounded by a poisoned arrow loosed by Herakles during a melee -- having been made immortal, he would have suffered forever except for the efforts of his friends. Read Pseudo-Apollodorus (above)
CG Jung helped promote the archetype of the Wounded Healer:
"The patient's treatment begins with the doctor, so to speak. Only if the doctor knows how to cope with himself and his own problems will he be able to teach the patient to do the same. The doctor is effective only when he himself is affected. "Only the wounded physician heals." But when the doctor wears his personality like a coat of armor, he has no effect. (Jung 1989:132, 134)

Henri Nouwen helped promote the view of the minister or other community leaders as a Wounded Healer:

Henri Nouwen, a Catholic proiest, wrote The Wounded Healer to explained how one’s ministry is enhanced after one acknowledges the way in which we have been wounded. At the heart is unresolved wounds -- anger, grief, friustration -- and the need to acknowledge and work to heal them. Don’t merely touch me, Doubting Thomas, said Jesus, but touch my wounds! [Gospel according to John: ]. . . to be healed. Nouwen's book speaks (according to the publishere) "directly to those men and women who want to be of service in their church or community, but have found the traditional ways often threatening and ineffective. In this book, Henri Nouwen combines creative case studies of ministry with stories from diverse cultures and religious traditions in preparing a new model for ministry. Weaving keen cultural analysis with his psychological and religious insights, Nouwen has come up with a balanced and creative theology of service that begins with the realization of fundamental woundedness in human nature. Emphasizing that which is in humanity common to both minister and believer, this woundedness can serve as a source of strength and healing when counseling others. Nouwen proceeds to develop his approach to ministry with an analysis of sufferings -- a suffering world, a suffering generation, a suffering person, and a suffering minister. It is his contention that ministers are called to recognize the sufferings of their time in their own hearts and make that recognition the starting point of their service. For Nouwen, ministers must be willing to go beyond their professional role and leave themselves open as fellow human beings with the same wounds and suffering -- in the image of Christ. In other words, we heal from our own wounds. Filled with examples from everyday experience, The Wounded Healer is a thoughtful and insightful guide that will be welcomed by anyone engaged in the service of others. " (The Wounded Healer by Henri J. M. Nouwen Paperback Reissue edition (March 1, 1979) Image Books; ISBN: 0385148038)

Astrological views:
Cheiron, "the Wounded Healer" is a prominent element in astrological thinking: His wound can be our gift, and astrological thinking can help us locate our wound so that we may tend it: visit one such http://www.sonic.net/~snelli/
another version: http://www.thezodiac.com/chiron.htm#chiron answers questions about Chiron in one's birth chart

Choose Life: Blessing or Curse?

2011-02-07T15:33:00.000-06:00

Sermon Study Notes for Sunday 02132011 – Deuteronomy 30 vs15-20

Thoughts for reflection:

Again we are faced with an if-then proposition from scripture, this time situated not in the writings of the prophet Isaiah set some time in the 7th-5th centuries BCE, but toward the end of Deuteronomy, presented as ‘the last sermon’ of Moses to the people before they cross over into the promised land. Throughout this book, Moses has reminded the people of all that God has done for them as a statement of the promise and challenge of covenant relationship with YHWH. They have had 40 years to root out from their lives the mindsets from generations of slavery in Egypt. Over this same time YHWH has been attempting to shape and form them as this new covenant community which will pass into the land promised centuries earlier to Abraham through his descendants.

In this series of sermons beginning Sunday, 2/13, we will explore the idea: Choose Life:
Blessing or Curse
Love your neighbor as yourself.
God will not forget ~ God will restore!

Take care, or you will be seduced into turning away from God.

Inherent in the ‘if-then’ premise is a choice, and with choice comes both power and responsibility. The presumption is that I have the power to choose, and thus have the power to effect change in my life and potentially in the world around me. If this is true, then (I would argue) it is also true that I have the responsibility to choose well, as my choices affect not only myself, but by extension the world around me. ‘Freedom of choice’ in whichever context this phrase is used must also consider the impact that choosing has on others.

The doctrine of ‘free will’ arose out of necessity most notably in the work of Augustine of Hippo. The phrase is not found in scripture – and arguably the idea is not found there in any developed form. The necessity was prompted by a desire to hold together the idea that we are presented with choices, such as those found in Deut 30, God’s ultimate power (omnipotence) and that God is just in judging humanity for the choices thus made. If we do not truly have freedom of choice, then God is not just in judging. If we do have this freedom, then how can we say that God is all powerful. The developments of this article are too much to unpack here, but a good starting place would be:

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06259a.htm or

Here’s also an interesting brief essay arguing against the doctrine of ‘free will’ known as ‘libertarian freedom’ in favor of a doctrine named ‘compatibilist freedom (the freedom of inclination).’ http://withchrist.org/veracity.htm It is worth noting that this argument rests on and is pointed toward a doctrine of scripture that itself rests upon reason. Again, to quote from the article:

Both the authority and veracity of the Word of God rest upon its inerrancy. Without a God capable of insuring inerrancy, without a God capable of overriding men's fallibility, nothing--absolutely nothing--is certain…. If men have free will, then that free will allows for errors to be introduced at any point in the Divine chain of communication mentioned above. And if errors can be shown at any point, then the entire process falls to the ground, and its value and worth are rendered void.

The essence of this quote is based not in scripture, but in a rational argument of what ‘must be true’ if there is any reliability or truth in scripture. So, for the author quoted, though he is unaware, his own human reason is still the essential factor in determining ‘what is truth’.

All three texts – Psalm 119, Matthew 5, and Deuteronomy 30, raise a call to attend to righteousness via a dialogue with the “commandments, decrees, and ordinances”. The psalmist begins this acrostic poem – an ode of praise to the TORAH (“direction, instruction, law”) by assuring us:

1 Happy are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the torah of the Lord.
2 Happy are those who keep his decrees, who seek him with their whole heart,

This writer of course knows Deuteronomy 30:15-20 and the charge that before us are placed life and death, blessing and curse, and that we should choose life, which of course is found in following torah. Jesus, then, in Matthew’s gospel, knowing both of these passages by heart, speaks to a community that is conflicted in its relationship with torah. There are some, like the Pharisees and Sadducees, who believe that right relationship with God is to be found in obeying the letter of the law. There are many others who experience this teaching in the way Jesus describes:
"The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat; therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them.” (Matthew 23:2-4)

So, in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus opens dialogue regarding torah and our relationship to it, inviting people to re-imagine their relationship with it, or with God through it. “You have heard it said,… but I say to you…” And in each instance Jesus effectually raises the stakes, making discipleship more difficult, not less, and yet also freeing the hearer from objective obedience to the particular written code, as not really being the point at all. The law is an outward expression of an inner spirit, motivation, intention, heart.

As Christians approaching the choice given by Deuteronomy 30, we can not simplistically take up the written law, either in the Hebrew Scriptures or in the New Testament, and say, “See, here are the rules. If we follow these rules, then we are choosing blessings and life. If we break any of these rules, then we are choosing curses and death.” We must, as Jesus does in Matthew 5, be continually in dialogue, through study, prayer, and conversation in community, with the Holy Spirit, Scripture, church teaching, reason, and our own experience and understandings. A deep and thorough reading of Psalm 119 makes clear that the poet’s heart is drawn toward God, and that the poet finds meditation on Torah (i.e. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy and possibly Joshua) to be a way to draw near to God. Living out the human-divine relationship described in the narratives of these books gives the poet spiritual strength, assurance, comfort and joy.

Unfortunately for the contemporary church, the New Testament is loath to specify which rules from Hebrew Law (“direction, instruction, law”) still apply, and which don’t, and why. The closest, I think that the church ever came is found in Acts 15. When faced with the question of which Jewish laws the Gentile Christians should be taught to keep, James, the presumed head apostle in the Jerusalem Church at the time, says this:
19 Therefore I have reached the decision that we should not trouble those Gentiles who are turning to God, 20 but we should write to them to abstain only from things polluted by idols and from fornication and from whatever has been strangled and from blood.
Hardly satisfactory, I think, as a comprehensive moral teaching. And so we have Paul, Peter, John, and in his own way James, working out this question by listing various virtues and vices or fruits/works of the flesh and fruits/works of the spirit. Some of what they teach is quite obviously drawn from earlier Jewish teaching in the Torah and elsewhere. Some seems to grow more from the teachings of Jesus. Others are primarily an expression of social and cultural norms at the time, either within the Jewish community, within Hellenistic or Roman society, or some combination.

Determining what we are to hear, understand, and do in light of all this is anything but simple, and must be approached with the utmost humility regarding our own understandings, and grace toward others.

If you do justice – then your blessing will come

2011-02-04T14:48:00.000-06:00

Sermon Notes for Sunday 02062011 – Isaiah 58 vs1-12

The Challenge: If you do justice – then your blessing will come
The power and risk of an “If => Then” statement.

The power comes in understanding that we do have some role to play – some things naturally follow others, given the right circumstances.
The risk is in misunderstanding the required circumstances, and thus seeing the if-then as causal, rather than corollary.

“If you do justice, then your blessings will come.”

This is clearly and unquestioningly the message of Isaiah 58.

Blessings naturally flow from doing justice.

I believe that this is possibly true regardless of the other external circumstances, though results vary, as the legal disclaimer always says. Some have wanted to limit this maxim to those who were otherwise godly (in Isaiah’s case devout Jews, or in my own contemporary context devout Christians). While I do believe this line of thinking is consistent with Isaiah’s argument, I do not believe it is limiting or exclusive. Much of biblical truth is true-in-fact without the necessitating falsity for every other understanding.

So, in this case, I do believe it is true that devout Jews, and later Christians, who are the primary audiences for this text, will experience blessings as they pursue justice in their lives and communities. I would also say, however, that this is a universal truth applicable to Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Agnostics, the Spiritual-but-not-religious, and even atheists.

If you do justice, then blessings will flow. That is the divine law at work, against which there is no force to prevail. Notice the nature and timing of blessing is not specified. For Jesus, to do justice brought social ostracization and physical death. Yet the hope of resurrection brought him encouragement and peace in the midst of these difficulties, and ultimately we affirm that life was victorious. Blessings came to Jesus, and through him to others, because of his insistence on pursuing that which is just. It is worth noting here that he did not pursue justice for himself – an innocent man unjustly condemned. Neither does he, or biblical writers like Paul, advocate seeking justice on one’s own behalf. At issue is seeking and doing just for/toward others, not for oneself. (I think there is an argument for individuals and groups to resist injustice on their own behalf, but that’s a separate conversation.)

Within the Isaiah 58 text we see a community who is understood, both internally and externally, as devout and pious. They pray, pursue purity, obey the liturgical commands. And yet they are at risk of falling again into captivity, occupation and slavery. Why? Because of injustice.

The ‘requisite conditions’ for the Isaiah text to apply fully are a community of faithful devout worshippers who have failed to understand and act on the second half of the great commandment ‘to love your neighbor as yourself’ (Matthew 22:39; Leviticus 19:18). But, they don’t realize their guilt. They think that they are fully faithful, and thus don’t understand why they are in such a precarious position. Why is the economy in such turmoil? Why are our leaders so at odds? Why are other nations appearing to surpass our greatness? "Why do we fast, but you do not see? Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?"

And so the prophet is sent by God to “announce to my people their rebellion, to the house of Jacob their sins.”

What will the prophet of our day say to us, who already seek to be devout and faithful? Where is our blindness to injustice? Where is our rebellion and sin?

Isaiah 58

1 Shout out, do not hold back! Lift up your voice like a trumpet!
Announce to my people their rebellion, to the house of Jacob their sins.
2 Yet day after day they seek me and delight to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that practiced righteousness and
did not forsake the ordinance of their God;
they ask of me righteous judgments,
they delight to draw near to God.
3 "Why do we fast, but you do not see?
Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?"
Look, you serve your own interest on your fast day, and
oppress all your workers.
4 Look, you fast only to quarrel and
to fight and to strike with a wicked fist.
Such fasting as you do today will not make your voice heard on high.
5 Is such the fast that I choose, a day to humble oneself?
Is it to bow down the head like a bulrush, and to lie in sackcloth and ashes?
Will you call this a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord?
6 Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of injustice,
to undo the thongs of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and
bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover them, and
not to hide yourself from your own kin?
8 Then: your light shall break forth like the dawn, and
your healing shall spring up quickly;
your vindicator shall go before you,
the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am.
If you remove the yoke from among you,
[remove] the pointing of the finger,
[remove] the speaking of evil,
10 if you offer your food to the hungry and
satisfy the needs of the afflicted,
then your light shall rise in the darkness and
your gloom be like the noonday.
11 The Lord will: (a) guide you continually, and
(b) satisfy your needs in parched places, and
(c) make your bones strong; and you shall
(d) be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters never fail. 12
(e) Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;
(f) you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
(g) you shall be called the repairer of the breach,
(h) the restorer of streets to live in.

The Promise: The Servant is not just for insiders anymore

2011-01-15T21:47:00.001-06:00

Sermon Notes for 01162011 - Isaiah 49:1-7
What follows are some reflections on how the Servant discovers God's concern is bigger than him and his agenda. OUCH!
Call to Worship - Psalm 40

1 I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry.
2 He drew me up from the desolate pit, out of the miry bog,
   and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.
3 He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God.
   Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord.
4 Happy are those who make the Lord their trust,
   who do not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after false gods.
5 You have multiplied, O Lord my God,
   your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you.
   Were I to proclaim and tell of them, they would be more than can be counted.
6 Sacrifice and offering you do not desire, but you have given me an open ear.
   Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required.
7 Then I said, "Here I am; in the scroll of the book it is written of me.
8 I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart."
9 I have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation;
   see, I have not restrained my lips, as you know, O Lord.
10 I have not hidden your saving help within my heart, I have spoken of your
   faithfulness and your salvation;
   I have not concealed your steadfast love
   and your faithfulness from the great congregation.
11 Do not, O Lord, withhold your mercy from me;
   let your steadfast love and your faithfulness keep me safe forever.

SERMON SCRIPTURES

John 1:29-42
29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, "Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is he of whom I said, "After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.' 31 I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel." 32 And John testified, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, "He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' 34 And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God." 35 The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, "Look, here is the Lamb of God!" 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, "What are you looking for?" They said to him, "Rabbi" (which translated means Teacher), "where are you staying?" 39 He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon. 40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 41 He first found his brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated Anointed ). 42 He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas" (which is translated Peter ).

Isaiah 49
1 Listen to me, O coastlands, pay attention, you peoples from far away!
   The Lord called me before I was born,
   while I was in my mother's womb he named me.
2 He made my mouth like a sharp sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me;
   he made me a polished arrow, in his quiver he hid me away.
3 And he said to me, "You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified."
4 But I said, "I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity;
   yet surely my cause is with the Lord, and my reward with my God."
5 And now the Lord says, who formed me in the womb to be his servant,
   to bring Jacob back to him, and that Israel might be gathered to him,
   for I am honored in the sight of the Lord, and my God has become my strength—
6 he says, "It is too light a thing that you should be my servant
   to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the survivors of Israel;
   I will give you as a light to the nations,
   that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth."
7 Thus says the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One,
   to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nations, the slave of rulers,
   "Kings shall see and stand up, princes, and they shall prostrate themselves,
   because of the Lord, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you."

The Promise: The Servant Is Not Just for Insiders Anymore
When an oppressed group seeks justice, the call is often voiced, and even more often heard, as a self-focused plea:
What about justice for us?
When is it our time?
We demand equality now!
Freedom now!

In the world of zero sum economics, this requires someone to loose in order for others to gain. If you are to gain some benefit you do not have now, that must be at some cost to me.

Often this is truly the way things work.
Corporations cut laborers, extend hours, and suppress wages to increase the profits and elevate their stock value – stockholders win (including the executives with large stock options) and employees loose.
If the Republicans are to gain power and influence in Washington, our current system requires that the Democrats loose it.
If I want to be king of the hill, center of attention, the apple of everyone’s eye, then I must displace others.

What if the world didn’t have to work that way?
What if there were a limitless supply of whatever it is we most needed?
Could we, would we find a way to function differently?

What if the God who desires to bless us wishes to do something far grander than we might ask, think or imagine?
What if the blessing that we think is for us is not just for us?
And what if the blessing really only comes to us as we share it with others?

Our servant in Isaiah 49 is an interesting character. He knows that God has called him at the deepest levels of his being. This might suggest some sort of privilege, as is often supposed. He also expresses great frustration, exasperation even, that his work has been in vein. No one seems to care. No one pays any attention to what he is doing. It doesn’t seem to make any difference.

God’s response is to completely look past this childish fit.
Instead, God, acting as though the servant had not just been whining, and that in fact nothing was wrong with the plan, says, “You know what, we’re going to take this thing global! Never mind you enjoying these blessings of mine. That’s too insignificant. It doesn’t amount to anything compared to what I can and will do.”

Now, if you think about this conversation in greater detail, or at least as I do, I imagine the Servant at this point saying, “Are you even listening to me? I’m upset over here and you don’t even seem to care. HELLO!” And waving hands in front of God’s eyes, which have taken on a glassy expression as a grand distant vision comes into clearer focus.

Have you ever tried to talk to someone about some injury or insult and realized they weren’t really paying any attention? You’ve just gone on with your story for five or ten minutes, and when they finally speak its not really a response, but some non sequitur about their plans. Frustrating indeed!

Anyway, the servant receives an expanded call. It may be that the call has changed – God has changed the divine mind. Or, perhaps the servant just wasn’t listening before and only heard what he wanted to – the part that benefited him. OR, it could be that God’s revelation is progressive, unfolding over time, so that it only appears to us to change and develop, but God actually had the whole thing mapped out and gives us as much as we need when we need it. Or all three.

If we stop for a moment, and look at the situation from God’s perspective, or that of anyone other than the Servant, we realize how great it is that the blessing is expanding. Of course God desires the blessing to extend to all people. And for those who were the outside groups, in Isaiah’s time the non-Jews, what Good News to hear that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, of Sarah, Rebecca, Leah and Rachel, was for them as sisters and brothers, enemies becoming family!

Israel had always thought of itself as the social outsider, the victim at the hands of these evil nations who worship other gods. This, all the while that they understood themselves to be the religious insiders, “God’s chosen people!” What an irony.

And now, the Word of God comes to flesh to proclaim that everyone gets to be an insider – religious and social. The Word of God comes to say that the victims will minister to their oppressors – that the lion and the lamb will dwell together in peace.

Tomorrow our nation honors the life and ministry of Rev. King. He wrote and said many great things that are worthy of study and reflection by all people in this nation and around the world. His greatest words are not those of the famous dream speech, but rather those of his other sermons, letters and essays. The dream speech is the one I want to call to our attention now, though. Because in it, King makes this great leap to believe that God’s vision is far more than what he might ask. He could, as many did, dream simply of peace and justice for his people. That would have been a good dream indeed. But it was not his dream. Let me remind you of the Word –

And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."²

This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.

With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

And this will be the day -- this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning:

My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.

Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride,

From every mountainside, let freedom ring!

And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.

And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.

Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.

Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.

Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.

But not only that:

Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.

From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:

Free at last! Free at last!

Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!³

At times Christians have wished to divorce faith from social issues. Certainly for the Jews of Isaiah’s time, there was no possibility of separation between their faith in their God and their hopes for social, economic, and political stability, freedom, peace and prosperity. Certainly then the hope that the Servant promises is not only for “God’s Chosen People” but for all God’s people. Indeed, “God’s chosen people” is not some award like the Golden Globes or Oscars, no trophy like that of the Super Bowl where the best or the favorite are chosen, as though God loves the Jews more. RATHER, God’s chosen people are such specifically as God’s way of blessing the world.

Certainly, in the ministry of Jesus, people’s social needs are addressed by Him through the means he had at his disposal. Certainly, in the ministry of the early church Paul repeatedly explains how the Gospel tears down dividing walls of preference and favoritism, bigotry and hatred and from the rubble builds bridges of blessing and sanctuaries of safety.

Paul wrote “When one suffers, all suffer and when one rejoices, all rejoice.” We have thought he was speaking only or primarily of the church, and perhaps he thought so to. But in the reality of continuing revelation we can certainly see that, in the light of the Word of God proclaimed in Isaiah 49, this truth is a reality of the whole human family. This is why we ache to see the news from Tuscon, Arizona of a week ago, and why we smile to hear the good news of recovery for complete strangers. This is why we are incensed at the ongoing suffering in Haiti a year after the devastating earth quake. This is why we are ambivalent about what is best in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and in Iraq and Afganistan.

This is why we tithe to outreach, and why we visit people in the hospital. This is why we helped start Family Promise of Collin County and will open ourselves to the transforming power of radical hospitality. Because their suffering is our suffering, and their blessing is our blessing. So long as others suffer, our blessing is incomplete.

Indeed the dream is that all of God’s children, throughout the world, might live in the Kingdom of God on earth for which we pray, the kingdom initiated by Jesus Christ and continued by faith through the powerful presence of the Holy Spirit.

The Promise: The Spirit and the Servant - New Things I Declare

2011-01-05T10:24:00.000-06:00

Sermon Study Notes for Sunday 01092011 - Isaiah 42 vs1-9

Call to Worship - Psalm 29

Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings,
     ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name;
     worship the Lord in holy splendor.
The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
     the God of glory thunders, the Lord, over mighty waters.
The voice of the Lord is powerful;
     the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.
The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
     the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild ox.
     The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.
The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
     the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
The voice of the Lord causes the oaks to whirl, and strips the forest bare;
     and in his temple all say, "Glory!"
The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
     the Lord sits enthroned as king forever.
May the Lord give strength to his people!
     May the Lord bless his people with peace!

SERMON SCRIPTURES
Matthew 3:13-17
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him.
14 John would have prevented him, saying,
     "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?"
15 But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now;
     for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness." Then he consented.
16 And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water,
     suddenly the heavens were opened to him and
     he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.
17 And a voice from heaven said,
     "This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased."

Isaiah 42
1 Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
     I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.
2 He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street;
3 a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;
     he will faithfully bring forth justice.
4 He will not grow faint or be crushed until he has established justice in the earth;
     and the coastlands wait for his teaching.
5 Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out,
     who spread out the earth and what comes from it,
     who gives breath to the people upon it and spirit to those who walk in it:
6 I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness,
     I have taken you by the hand and kept you;
     I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations,
7 to open the eyes that are blind,
     to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
     from the prison those who sit in darkness.
8 I am the Lord, that is my name;
     my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to idols.
9 See, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare;
     before they spring forth, I tell you of them.

The Promise: The Spirit and the Servant - New Things I Declare
Some thoughts for reflection during the week:

This Sunday we celebrate “Baptism of the Lord” in the church year.

As the church calendar is laid out, Jesus grows up really quickly – From December 25 when we celebrate the birth of Jesus, January 6 we remember the visit of the Magi, and suddenly, he’s “all growed up and makin’ a preacher” as they say in East Texas. This of course is so that we have time leading up to Easter to remember his ministry as he makes the journey to the Cross and Resurrection – as we make that journey together.

The Baptism of Jesus is a critical moment in his life and ministry. It marks the time, and may in some manner even effect the change, from secular career and focus on his family, to focus on the kingdom of God. We see in Matthew’s text a dove descend and light on Jesus, a visible sign of the Spirit resting upon him, as we read in Isaiah 42 (and again in Is 61 – see Luke 4). The voice in Matthew’s account echo’s that of Isaiah 42 – it is an announcement to others. In Mark 1 and Luke 3, the voice is spoken to Jesus – “You are my beloved Son…”

In order to understand how Jesus makes such a dramatic change, how power for healing, exorcisms and miracles didn’t just ooze out of him prior to his baptism, we might see that the touch of the spirit, and the announcement, actually causes a change in Jesus. A switch if flipped, a gate opened, something is now different. Perhaps all that power was already there, but had not yet been activated. Jesus public commitment to The Way of God marked in his baptism unleashed the Holy Spirit already within him.

Isaiah proclaims, still in the midst of a captive nation, that a servant will come to set people free. Listen to the description again:

   Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
      I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.
   He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street;
      a bruised reed he will not break,
      and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;
      I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness,
      I have taken you by the hand and kept you;

And listen to the responsibility, the assignment, the job, the mission of the servant:
   [the servant] will faithfully bring forth justice.
   I have given [the servant] as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations,
      to open the eyes that are blind,
      to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
      from the prison those who sit in darkness.

This text from Isaiah has multiple layers, even in its original setting.
“Israel” is both a person – the new name given to Jacob – as well as the nation.
“Israel” means “one who strives with God” –
isra, meaning to wrestle or strive, and - el, meaning god, as in ‘beth-el’ – ‘house of god’
Likewise, the servant is both the nation as a whole – ‘blessed to be a blessing, a light to the nations’ (cf Genesis 12 & 18) – and an individual called to lead in a representative ministry – representing God’s claims on the nation. As the Servant-individual is called to lead the people-Israel, likewise the Servant-nation is called to lead the nations.

God calls => Hebrew people, Israel, descendants of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob to be set apart for the express purpose of representing God to the other peoples of the world, so that their hearts, minds, and lives can be enlightened with righteousness, justice, and peace.

Israel fails to live out this calling – both as a light to others, and even more importantly, they fail in their own lives to ‘be enlightened with righteousness, justice, and peace’.

Israel repeatedly ends up at war and in captivity – the consequence of their actions, which is understood also as the means of God’s punishment on them for lack of faithfulness.

The Work of a Prophet: God sends a servant, over and over again, to call the people back to faithfulness

So, the individual servant, whether the prophet of old, or Jesus, is particularly called out to accomplish the work of bringing the people back into relationship with God so that they can fulfill their original purpose – ‘representing God to the other peoples of the world, so that their hearts, minds, and lives can be enlightened with righteousness, justice, and peace.’

Notice in the description of the character of the servant the series of ‘he will not’ statements:
He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street;
a bruised reed he will not break,
and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;

What does this say about The Servant’s way of living in the world and relating to others?

What does it mean to accomplish the mission of the servant:
   [the servant] will faithfully bring forth justice.
   I have given [the servant] as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations,
      to open the eyes that are blind,
      to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
      from the prison those who sit in darkness.

in that way described?

God is doing a new thing, in and through the Servant, according to Isaiah 42:9. The Spirit is upon the Servant, enabling, empowering, and inspiring this work to be done in the way it is to be done. We see in Jesus a fulfillment of this passage.

And as in the original context, so in out time the servant is both a Person and a People. The Servant-Person is Jesus. The Servant-People are his disciples, whom Paul calls the true descendants of Abraham (see Galatians 3) because they are children by faith, not by law.

What does it mean that baptized follower of Jesus is under the same anointing of spirit that came on Jesus at his baptism? What does it mean for your life of faith this year?

When is it too late?

2010-10-29T15:03:00.000-05:00

When is it too late?

When does the door close?

When does the bridge fall?

When does the gate shut?

When have I missed the opportunity to be or to become what I might have been in an earlier time. Even if it is or was what God had wanted, what God had said. When does the time pass. What is the expiration date on my dream, on God’s dream for me?

Could it be that God wanted something to become in my life, but I refused to hear and heed and now there’s too much water under the bridge, I’m too long in the tooth, I’ve walked to far to turn back now. What does it mean for God to grieve my failure to receive the calling laid out for me. Surely each time Israel turned its stubborn back on God, refusing the gift, the calling, the blessing, the challenge, surely then God wept, as Jesus wept standing outside Jerusalem’s gate, wishing things could have been different.

“If only.”

If only they had not killed the prophets, the very ones God sent with second chances, third chances, fourth chances, trying, hoping, longing, loving to see Israel turn.

If only they had not filled their eyes and imaginations and hands and mouths with every idol to distract them from the one true calling, the one true being God had destined for them.

If only you and I had chosen differently, had seen AND perceived, heard AND understood. Then perhaps we might have yielded, paused, reflected, relented. Then perhaps we might have given our lives fully to the dream God had, the first dream, the pure dream, not the redemption dream, the rescue dream, the broken and torn patchwork of love which became a Gospel, a message of good news to those who were used to the 24-7 talking heads conveying nothing but our own self deceptions with beautiful faces.

If only you and I would stop now.

But what happens if I stop, if I listen, if I yield

But you refuse.

Or vise versa?

What if our full calling is communal

But only some of us commune?

What if two are called, but only one answers? What then? Does the shape of the calling, or our response, change? If you and I are called to go together, and one of us refuses, out of fear or anger or confusion or doubt, then can the other still say yes? If we don’t all say yes, can any of us say yes? And what pain ensues for the YES in the face of the NO? What heartache and sorrow and loneliness comes to the faithful heart because the calling can not be fulfilled in light of the unfaithful heart. And to free oneself of the unfaithful heart would be unfaithfulness itself.

Jesus never broke free from those who opposed his fulfilling the call of God on his life – except in his death. The suffering of Christ was to walk crippled through this world, handicapped by the fear and doubt of others – “He could do nothing among them…”

Lot’s wife did not refuse to go. In the biblical narrative (Genesis 17) she left, nameless and uncertain. God called, and she went together with her husband and their two daughters. But she hesitated, wanting to hold on to what they were called to leave behind. In the process, she was destroyed, and her family forever altered. Her daughters were driven to panicked insanity, thinking themselves the only women left on earth and thus responsible for the survival of the whole human race! What sorrow ensued. Because they were not able to go together, God’s dream for Lot’s family could not be lived out as God had likely intended. What if she had simply refused to go at the beginning, rather than leaving and then hesitating? Would Lot, could he, have left her? Would it have been the ‘godly’ thing to do? Would righteousness have dictated to leave her behind, take the girls and go? Or would it have been more right to stay behind and console her in her fear, seeking to continue a righteous life as things came apart around them? (Remember, Lot’s the same guy who, because of the high value he placed on hospitality offered up his two virgin daughters to the riotous mob in exchange for the visitors. What a great dad!)

There is an interesting exchange in Luke 18:

28 Then Peter said, "Look, we have left (our own) [OR] (our all) and followed you."

29 And [Jesus] said to them, "Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, 30 who will not get back very much more in this age, and in the age to come eternal life."

What kind of leaving was this? Some translations interpret vs28 and decide that ‘our all’ means ‘homes, families, etc’ probably because of what Jesus says in vs29. Perhaps not. Did the disciples abandon their wives and children, all who relied upon them, in order to follow Christ? Would it make any sense to think so? Now of course, they were living in a culture where women and children had little if any say over the course of their lives. Even so, what did the disciples do in ‘leaving our own/all’ to follow Jesus? If we compare the story of Peter visiting Cornelius (Acts 10) we see that there ‘Cornelius’ whole household’ came to faith, so that none were ‘left’.

What if Peter’s thought in Luke 18:28 is rather: “We have left our own agendas, our own plans, our own course for our lives and have chosen instead to follow yours for us.” And if that is the case, what then does that say to a modern disciple of Jesus who experiences the call to follow Christ as an interruption to an otherwise pleasant, productive, and even godly quiet life of family and work and leisure. Is the modern called to leave behind, abandon, all attachments and more importantly all covenant commitments? OR, is the response to Christ’s call rather to be understood as shaped, colored and informed by those very covenant commitments?

So then, we are left in the midst of our complicated, committed lives asking Jesus, “OK, now what? What does it mean for me to serve you without neglecting them? If my spouse rejects the impact on our family of certain ways of living out my call, then what am I to do? Does that deny my call, your call on me? Are certain ways of living out my journey prohibited because of the entanglements of my life? IF so, what then? Is there a way for me to honor and grieve those losses, and move on to what is possible?”

Paul said, “All things are permissible, but not all things are beneficial.” (1 Cor 6:12) Could that apply to this notion of how I am to live out my calling?

God has called me to serve, and I’d love to be a missionary in Africa, but I know my wife would not go with me. So, would it honor Christ to leave my wife behind in order to serve the church in Africa? I think not. Is it unfortunate that I may not get to live out that dream? I think so. Is it an exchange I am willing to accept. Yes.

One of the reasons it is so important for us to place before children and youth the prospect of a life spent in Christian services is so that all future choices are made in light of that first commitment. Then, if at the age of 14 my daughter understands that Jesus wants her to go to Africa, she will either choose a mate who also wants to go, or go before settling down and making a home together. Paul’s instruction to remain single (1 Cor 7) is based in this simplifying premise – the fewer commitments and entanglements, the freer you are to follow your heart in following Christ, and the fewer times you will be confronted by opportunities cut off by the circumstances of your covenant commitments.

Might be nice if it were otherwise, but alas…

Broken Women

2010-10-29T14:03:00.002-05:00

Broken women

Can’t stand up

Don’t know how

Won’t take the chance

“Too much to lose”

All my life

I’ve done

What others needed

What they asked

“Too much to lose”

Who am I

If receiving

Replaces serving

Taking more than giving

“Too much to lose”

Compensation

Meet labor

Otherwise slavery

Becomes identity

“Too much to lose”

What calling

Being, becoming

Vocation as living

My only contribution

“Too much to lose”

Will you stand

Beside me

Or before me

Beckoning or blocking

“Too much to lose”

Are you now

My advocate

Or my adversary

Proclaiming or prohibiting

“Too much to lose”

I can not stand

To live this way

What choice existed

Has been decided

“Too much to lose”

Who to become

How to become

I am pro choice

Each one chooses

“Too much to lose”

Who made you

Arbiter of my life

Decider of me

Potter of my clay

“Too much to lose”

When you touch

Be gentle

I’m so fragile

Beginning and ending

“Too much to lose”

Broken body

Ripped and torn

Dogs and vultures

Shred my bloody carcass

“Too much to lose”

Here I lie

Waiting, longing

No help or hope

Completely alone

“Too much to lose”

You tell me

How to live

How to survive

To not go insane

“Too much to lose”

Time is passing

Can’t stand still

New voice calling

Be not afraid

“Too much to lose”

Loved ones cling

Gripping clawing

Kicking screaming

Heals dragging

“Too much to lose”

What they see

Don’t perceive

What they hear

Don’t understand

“Too much to lose”

Can’t stand

Can’t walk

Can’t reach

Can’t talk

“Too much to lose”

Will you help

Standing Walking

Reaching Talking

Loan me your strength

“Too much to lose”

Confusion now

Settling in

Becoming a fixture

Shade and texture

“Too much to lose”

What if

Everything

Became New

In Me, In You

“Much to lose”

Losing myself

Losing you

Losing them

To gain life

“Nothing left to lose”

Becoming

2010-10-29T13:58:00.002-05:00

Becoming

What if god is not a being

But rather a becoming

What is salvation is not a state

But rather a solvent

What if the kingdom of God

What if heaven

Were not a place at all

What if eternity is not forever

But now

One. Great. Immediate. Intimacy

Think of

The greatest joy

The greatest pleasure

You have ever known

I suspect you also

Know it in a moment

In an instant

In the twinkling of an eye

“Time flies when you’re having fun.”

No, actually, time looses meaning

In the midst of deep fulfillment

“The kingdom of God is at hand.”

That was not some temporary thing

About which Jesus spoke

As though this truth were true

Only for a day, a week, three years

The Kingdom of God

Is always “at hand”

Always now

Always here

Always ‘among [us]’

Wherever

Whenever

Whatever you are

God is becoming in you

BEEP

2010-10-29T13:46:00.000-05:00

Beep

Humm
Screech
Drum

Ocean waves break, roar, drone
Gulls soar, cry, plunge
Dancing, twirling, rolling, running
Arms outstretched
Wind caressing my naked body
Breaking dawn begins to warm
Behind banks of rose-colored clouds

I wish,
To remain,
Here,
Forever

Clang, shruffle, crash
CODE BLUE! CODE BLUE!
OH GOD! I’m DEAD!
NO, I’m dying, which is worse.

If I were dead, then indeed I could stay here forever

But if I’m dying, then they will try to get me back, without asking me what I want. Mrs. Jones, you are dying. Would you like us to resuscitate you?

They did ask me weeks ago
But at that time
The question was academic

“If you were to stop breathing
And your heart were
To stop beating
What do you want us to do?

What a stupid question.
SAVE ME!

But now that I see
And feel
What comes next,
I’m not so sure

I will miss you all, of course
But that will be true eventually

Though, what does it mean to miss our loved ones when we are in a place where there is no more sorrow, no more tears, no more pain or suffering? Does not “Miss you” imply some lack, some void, some deficiency which we feel – some pain?

But as I stand here on the shore at early dawn and feel the breeze and the warmth of the rising sun and know the power of the whole of creation as one with my very heart, I’m not so sure what I want.

Pain. I feel pain.
That means I’m alive. Burning in my lungs, my nose, my eyes, my throat.
Darkness distorted by glare
Dried mucus glues my eyelids shut, and my arms are weak for lifting hand to face
Distance
There is distance perceived between the world and my world
Immediacy is not

You are not here beside me. Your voice, the squeak of your running shoes on the cold tile floor. The brush of your forearm to scratch your masked nose. Away off at some distance un-discernable. Three feet. Thirty feet. Three floors?

Breathing tube prevents speech, yet a scream finds its painful way forth confused and searching. Narrowed vision takes in ceiling, monitors, door lintel, drapes, cabinet, lights, breathing mask, tubes and wires, poles and bags.

Where is your face, your warm reassuring smile? The glint in your eye magnified by one small tear telling me you were afraid but now assured that all is well, or will be well in time. The sigh of relief that relaxes across your furrowed brow? Where are you?

Where are you,
and why are you not here?
Where is everyone?
Not Here
Why?!
Why is no one here,
where I am?
Caring for me?

I spent my whole life caring for you, feeding and cradling and nursing and tending and clothing and comforting and rocking and cheering and praying.

Where are you?
Could you not wait one hour with me?
Could you not stay awake one hour?
Pray that you do not enter into the temptation time.

Oh God!? Where is everyone?
My God, My god,
Why have all forsaken me?

Why are you so far from helping me
From the voice of my cry and my supplication?

Lord, let this cup pass from me.

What will I do now that I can not care for you?
Now that I can not help and tend and serve you?
Who am I absent these things
Which have defined me
I was strong
I was self-reliant
I had no one but myself to
Me and God, we got you through the growing and the living

Now I’m nothing

Cant walk
Cant sit
Cant stand
Cant wipe

Naked, frail, sagging and wrinkled
My flabby frail self yields to your warm wet sponge

The dignity of infancy is that we are unaware,
or at least do not remember
the indignities

There is no dignity in old age.

Is there no dignity in old age?
What if dignity comes not in what I can do.
What if indignity comes not in what you must do for me?
What if naked and frail is dignity defined, personified?

What if there is no greater dignity
than for me to lie here and
allow you to care for me
in your compassion?

What if the greatest dignity IS to stop trying, resisting, fighting?
What if the greatest dignity is to be found in the indignity of the cross?

In your suffering, in your frailty, is your fullest dignity?
As you lie there on that hospital bed, naked and soiled and unable to ask
Are you less human, or more human?

You are so frightened, so alone. How frightening to be completely vulnerable for the first time in seventy years, and think yourself totally alone and without help in the world.

There really is nothing to be done about it. Yes, we can clean you, and change you and bathe you, and feed you, and get you up out of bed and help you learn to walk again. That will not solve it.

Your sorrow is you have realized, perhaps for the first time, you will die. You always knew in theory but now the experiment has revealed a flaw in your thinking. You can not manipulate the variables to your purposes any longer. Always before you could adjust this or change that and move things along according to plan.

Now, your plan is out the window and someone else’s plan is being revealed.

The plan is not for you to suffer. It is a sad confusion of theology to think that suffering is part of God’s purpose or design for us. Suffering is the organism’s response to threat. You would have no need of pain if your body did not think itself under attack. The pain is your brain’s response to assault on your body, real or perceived.

Pain is your brain’s response to assault – real or perceived.

So, when you feel pain, the thing for you to do is to ask yourself
What threat?
From whence comes the assault on my person-hood?

Is the threat real?
Is the threat avoidable?
Should the threat be countered?

Is response possible to reduce or eliminate the threat?

How did you know?

2010-10-29T13:27:00.001-05:00

How did you know I needed you to allow me to cry?

Who told you to come and visit me
I didn’t think anyone had noticed that I was struggling.
I’m so used to being the strong one, the competent one,
The reliable provider and useful contributor.

Now I can do nothing.

I’m frightened
Not because of danger
Not because of doubt
I’m not sure who I am any more

I know God is with me
And yet somehow
That’s small comfort
In this particular moment

God can’t, or won’t
Fix what’s ailing me
I’m broken in places
Others can’t see.

Perhaps there is no fixing
Or perhaps the breaking
Is in reality the fixing
Is God a post-modern Deconstructivist?

We build a babel-tower
To reach the pinnacles of perfection
Superiority, excellence, autonomy
Once I reach God, I won’t need God.

We’d gotten so good at convincing ourselves
That our explanations made sense
That our ordering of life was living
God enabled us to be this, so God must want this.

How frightening the confused talk
Nothing I hear or say makes any sense any more
Mixed messages are the only messages
The only good news is no news

Where will we go with our brokenness
It will drive us apart in shame
What if we could stay together long enough
To realize unbroken is incomplete

Sermon Thoughts for Luke 15:1-10

2010-09-10T15:47:00.001-05:00

Sunday, Sept 12, 2010

Luke tells us that Jesus was hanging out with "tax collectors and sinners" who drew near to him to hear him. Grumbling (loudly - since Jesus heard them) the Pharisees and scribes said, "LOOK! Jesus welcomes sinners, and even eats with them!" The subtext is complex, but the explicit meaning is clear - "He shouldn't be doing this!" In their observation is their judgement of Jesus for afiliating with 'tax collectors and sinners' and thus Jesus is, for them, disqualified from being an authority on the things of God.
In response to them, Jesus tells two brief parables about loss and the joy that follows restoration. We may look forward to Luke 19:10 where Jesus will say, "I came to seek and save the lost" as he stands in the house of Zacchaeus the wee little man whose life has been turned around, and his "thinking changed" (the literal meaning of metanoia - 'to repent'). Luke uses the same word 'lost' (apollumi - literally 'to destroy') more than 20 times, and 6 times in this one chapter alone. Interestingly, it is also the word used when Jesus says, "Whoever seeks to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it." (Luke 17:33)
Jesus came to seek and save the lost. From the beginning of his ministry when he reads from Isaiah (Luke 4:18-19) he makes clear his mission is to:

... preach good news to the poor;
... heal the broken hearted
... proclaim liberty to the captives
... proclaim recovery of sight to the blind
... set at liberty those who are oppressed
... proclaim the Lord's Jubilee Year.

In the two parables we see concern to seek, find, and restore that which is lost and at risk. There is no indication of disdain or neglect for the 99 sheep or the 9 coins safe at home. The point is a deep longing that ALL should be safe at home, not a few, select, privileged, superior or elect. 2 Peter 3.9 teaches us that "...the Lord is not willing that any should perish but hat all should come to repentance."

The word translated as repentance, again, is METANOIA which literally meanst 'to change one's mind (e.g. about a thing)'. Thus repentance only secondarily about behavior or other externals. REPENTANCE is about a change of mind, of POV - point of view, of how one thinks about self, others, things, God, etc.
Therefore: SINNERS are those who need to change their mind.
Have you ever tried to change someone's opinion of something? It is terribly difficult. Have you ever tried even to change your own way of thinking? "I will like vegetables!" See how difficult it is? "I will not think about sweets (insert here your addiction)." Again, how difficult, and its obvious that our negative behaviors come from preceding thought patterns. In Matthew 15:18 we are reminded that our external actions, which 'come from the heart' (or mind/will/personality) are what cause us problems - and again we see that the problem has its source internally.
Then we see how much 'rejoicing in heaven' there is when one person changes their way of thinking from self-focused to God-centered. More than over the 99 who do not need to change their way of thinking. [Whether there actually are any among us in the 99, or that is possibly an ironic statement on Jesus' part toward those who were 'sought to prove themselves righteous to others' (Luke 16:15) is a discussion for another time.]
Finally, we return to the fact that Jesus tells these stories in response to the Pharisees' grumbling criticisms. What did they have to criticize? What was Jesus doing that they found so offensive, offputting and contrary to God's will and righteousness?

Jesus welcomed sinners and ate with them.
* Jesus welcomes and does not condemn
* Jesus receives and does not accuse
* Jesus forms community and does not reject
* Jesus saves lives, and does not destroy them (Lk 9:5)
* Jesus offers Mercy and Grace, not "Fire and Brimstone"

How does Jesus do this?
By rejecting the traditions that told him faithfulness to God meant avoiding sinners. In so doing, Jesus was perceived by the Pharisees as losing his life. They believed that by aligning himself with ‘tax collectors and sinners’, Jesus was opposing God. Everything they understood about their religious tradition told them this. The problem was that they totally misunderstood the scriptures on which the tradition was a commentary.

Jesus ‘loses his life’ by forming community with sinners.
In so doing, He offers them new life in this relationship with him.
We NEVER see Jesus call out someone for their sin, except the self-righteous who think they have no need of a savior. This is so frustrating, confusing and disturbing at times when we see someone obviously going down a wrong path and we feel compelled to do something.

What did Jesus do? He formed community with them. He remained righteous and just and true and pure and all those things by the power and strength of the Holy Spirit that dwelt in him and flowed from him into the world. But he did not call people out, except those who spent their time calling others out.
Jesus ‘gives away his life’ so that others might become recipients of a new life.
I believe in the redemptive power and witness of a community that loves people, ALL PEOPLE, just as they are. I believe that in the midst of this community, the Holy Spirit will do whatever it wants. My task is to love people, to welcome them and commune with them. The Church, as the Body of Christ, is expected to be this kind of community. When we are not, we fail God, and thus become those lost sheep... well, you know how that goes.

Throughout his ministry, Jesus continually finds himself at a liminal space between

a tradition which seeks to conserve and thus honor scripture as God’s word to humanity,
and a God who desperately wants to offer life to those who have lost it, and lost themselves in the process.

Jesus ‘gives away his life’ so that others might become recipients of a new life.
Where do you find yourself in the story? With whom do you most readily relate? With Jesus, the tax collectors and sinners, the Pharisees?

Are you among the 99 sheep, or are you one of those who have wandered off and gotten lost? Are you one of the 9 coins safely guarded, or the one that is under the sofa cushion?

Do you see Jesus going?

Do you see people being restored?

Do you hear heaven rejoicing?

Do you welcome sinners?

Praying the Scriptures: Luke 15:1-10

2010-09-10T13:24:00.001-05:00

Oh God, help me to realize that I either am now lost, or once was, and that your desire is to find me and receive me and dwell with me as with a friend.

As one of your sheep, I may be safely in your fold living a life of faithful obedience. In this case, I watch as you leave us here safe and secure under the watchful care of your Spirit while you go and rescue (to seek and to save) the lost. Help me to realize that "lost" is not about the condition of my character, which will always be broken and in need of healing until I finally rest in you. Rather, I am lost when I do not know, or live having forgotten, how precious I am to you. I am lost when I try to do things my way. I am lost when I try to follow my own path and pursue what I think is best for me, failing to remember that I am, after all, just a sheep, one among many, who is in need of guidance if I am to live abundantly.

When I find myself secure, I pray that I will be grateful, both for your gracious provision for me as well as for your urgent desire to go in pursuit of those still struggling out in the storms and dangers of the wilderness. Help me to never be smug that I am safe while others seem to struggle, but to hope and pray fervently for their safety as well.

Teach me, Lord, to value myself as fully as you do. Teach me the lesson of the lost coin worth several days wages. Help me to understand how immeasurably precious I am in your sight, how you long for me to be near you far more than I will ever long for the same. Impress upon me, Seeking God, how you rejoice at my restoration - past, present and future. I know what a mess I am, what a shambles I make of my life, and regretfully, of others' as well. And yet you rejoice when you have found me. Lord help me to never consider myself beyond the need of your finding, so that I may never be above your rejoicing.

And Searching/Rejoicing God, may I learn from Jesus, follow Jesus, seek to allow Jesus to live in and through me into my world. May Christ in me always seek, long for, welcome, befriend, encourage, heal and restore those who know themselves lost. Teach me to "receive sinners and tax collectors and eat with them" knowing that you do the same for me. In all of this, may I live humbly in you before others so that in me they may see you and find peace. This I hope and long for with my whole being. Amen

Luke 15:1-10

Money in Ancient Greece: Drachma

2010-09-10T09:45:00.000-05:00

Money in Ancient Greece: Drachma

Solitude, Struggle, Encounter

2010-09-10T08:25:00.002-05:00

A thought this morning from Nouwen...

The encounter with Christ does not take place

before, after, or beyond the struggle

with our false self and its demons.
[which happens only in solitude]

No, it is precisely in the midst

of this struggle that our Lord

comes to us and says...:

"As soon as you turned to me again,

you see I was beside you."

The Way of the Heart: Desert Spirituality and Contemporary Ministry

Henri J.M. Nouwen. Harper Collins. 1981. p29.

"Only as we are willing to confront our own sin and brokenness in the midst of our ministry will we truly encounter Christ there with us to heal us and lead us. Everything else is a self-fabricated illusion that leaves us working through our own strength against all of the evils of this world, most especially those that live inside us." - kgc

Overview of My Coaching Practice

2010-09-01T17:25:00.000-05:00

Where do you want to go? Let me help you get there.

Rationale: Coaching is about helping you achieve your goals. These may be professional, relational, physical, emotional, spiritual, or some combination of these. Perhaps you are not even sure what goals you would pursue in a coaching relationship. Great News! Coaching is an excellent process by which you can identify and clarify your goals so that they are concrete, specific, achievable, and measurable.

Structure: Coaching may be conducted in person, by phone, by email, or a combination of these. Coaching is typically conducted during a phone conversation in two one hour sessions monthly, and email support is available between sessions. Preferably these sessions are scheduled for a regular time (i.e. 1st & 3rd Thursdays from 2:30-3:30pm). The client is responsible for initiating the call to the coach.

A complementary introductory session affords the coach and client an opportunity to make an initial exploration of the client’s goals and determine together whether this coaching relationship is likely to be fruitful for the client, or whether some other process might be preferable.

Coaching is client-centered, meaning that the client sets the agenda for the conversation by responding to:

Question Number One: What do you want to work on today?

It may be that what you thought you wanted to work on two weeks ago has resolved itself or been overshadowed by something more pressing. So, starting with QN1 keeps the focus on the client’s agenda. Even so, the coach will likely say later in the conversation, “I remember that last time we spoke, you were going to work on _______, and I’m wondering where you are with that.”

Following the initial session, a three month commitment is recommended. This time honors both the desire to move forward without ‘dragging our feet’ and also the recognition that ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day’ and ‘anything worth doing is worth doing right’. Goals and outcomes are revisited at the midpoint of this period. The coach requests written feedback on the client’s experience with coaching at the end of three months.

MORE ABOUT MY COACHING PRACTICE

I have coached inside organizations, and in various external settings for 15 years. Some of my clients have worked on developing better skills in relating to family, friends and employers. Others have come to a transition period in their lives and needed a conversation partner who could help them sort through their options and have the clarity and courage to choose among them. They have been at early career, mid career, and second career or retirement/second-life stages. Some clients prefer to work in an ordered and focused office setting, while a coffee shop environment suits the needs of others. My priority is to help you find the path that will enable you to tap into your core strengths to accomplish your deepest goals.

MORE ABOUT COACHING

Coaching related to Counseling:
Coaching is not counseling. There are some similarities, and marked differences.
Counseling is traditionally problem-focused.
Coaching is strength-focused.

Counseling assumes a problem to be overcome.
Coaching assumes untapped skills and opportunities to be pursued

The Client who will benefit from coaching may also benefit from counseling, and if this is discerned, it can be discussed in the context of the coaching relationship and a referral offered if desired.

Coaching related to Mentoring:
Coaching is not mentoring. There are some similarities, and marked differences

Mentoring assumes significant knowledge and success in the shared field of interest.
Coaching assumes not such knowledge – in fact, too much such knowledge can be a hindrance to the coaching relationship on both sides. The coach runs the risk of offering ‘advice’. And the Client risks seeking wisdom from outside rather than relying on her/his own internal wisdom as nurtured and supported by the coach.

Mentoring assumes a personal relationship of familiarity and often includes working side-by-side.
Coaching assumes nothing beyond the coaching relationship, though it is not necessarily hindered, so long as the coach and client can be clear about the context and boundaries of the various relationship dynamics

Professional/Life Coaching related to Athletic Coaching
You might liken it to the person who says, “I want to achieve a challenging physical fitness goal.” In working with a trainer, that client discerns that they want to run a marathon. The trainer then serves as the coach, helping that client move toward successful achievement of that goal. The trainer does not run the race for the client, but is there each step of the way, helping the client stay focused and committed to what she or he wishes to accomplish.

Coach as a vehicle of transportation:
One other helpful comparison is to a Stage Coach or other hired transportation. In this model, the client determines the desired destination. The ‘coach’ is simply a resource for the client to get where she/he wants to go.

Call or email me so we can talk more about what you hope to accomplish.
Ken G. Crawford ~ 214-288-1663 ~ kendrickgc@yahoo.com

Temptation and Confession

2010-08-23T09:42:00.002-05:00

Luke 4:1-13

1 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, 2 where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. 3 The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread." 4 Jesus answered him, "It is written, "One does not live by bread alone.' " 5 Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And the devil said to him, "To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. 7 If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours." 8 Jesus answered him, "It is written, "Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.' " 9 Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, 10 for it is written, "He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you,' 11 and "On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.' " 12 Jesus answered him, "It is said, "Do not put the Lord your God to the test.' " 13 When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time. (NRSV)
My name is Ken, and I’m a sinner.

I try really hard not to be, but it seems beyond my control.

One of the recent insights from Leadership Psychology is that when we spend all our time working on our weaknesses, we may get to adequate, but we will never excel at the things we are really meant for.

This doesn’t mean we yield to sin, throwing our hands up in defeat, nor like the ___ do we revel in our sin “so that grace may abound”.

It does mean that we have to be honest, with ourselves, God, one another, and even the world. Like I said, my name is Ken, and I’m a sinner.

I’d been looking forward to my Sabbatical, well, since I began to think about being a pastor. “One day, I’m going to be somewhere long enough to earn a Sabbatical.” I had very high expectations in those days. When I went to Seminary @ Brite Divinity School, I envisioned a monastic-like community where people truly knew, loved and challenged one another as followers of Jesus, studied theology, and went out into the world to build the kingdom of God. Unrealistic, but true. And I think my hopes for Sabbatical were similar – that I would have an amazing spiritual experience, everything would work out just as I wanted it to and it would be nothing but blessing.

Back to reality. I realized the week before Sabbatical began that I was definitely going to need a new car. I hate buying cars. I don’t hate many things, but that’s one. Anything that requires that size financial commitment is very intimidating to me. Plus, I have a deep aversion to the car buying process. NOW, I know, in my head, that car salesmen are good people, and I believe that the vast majority of them are honest – all the ones I know personally are.

And yet, I have deep within me an aversion to the process, and when I get into it, some very base instincts take over. I get VERY defensive, the moment I walk onto a car lot. My posture changes, and its as though I am just daring a salesman to come and try to talk to me. Go ahead, I dare you.

Again, I know they are good people simply trying to make a living. I’m not saying this is rational behavior, or something of which I’m proud. Remember what I said.

My name is Ken, and I’m a sinner.

So, I had to buy a car, and I spent the first several days of my Sabbatical – where I was supposed to be resting and praying and being all spiritual, doing something utterly material, and potentially materialistic. I was not in a good place. Just ask Laura. I was grumpy, short-tempered and deeply frustrated, which was spilling over to every area of my life. Things were not off to a good start.

In fact, the worst of it – I had a car to get rid of. I maybe hate that more than buying a car. I wasn’t getting nearly what I needed for my trade. So, on a whim, late on Tuesday, I thought to call a salesman I know who owns a small lot. Now understand, this is someone I deeply respect. I don’t know him well, but everything I know I like, and his friends are people I highly respect as well. I wasn’t really expecting the call to go anywhere, and he says, “Sure, bring it on over. I was just about to close up.”

Remember, I had been walking around for days with my shoulders hunched, hands in my pockets, with a HUGE attitude, basically not trusting anyone. Completely irrational, unfair, selfish, petty, just daring someone to try to take advantage of me. “It’s a game, and there can only be one winner”. I know that’s not true, but there’s something else, deeper than what I know, that still pursues that vision.

Well, as I said, all this started because I needed to get rid of the car because it needed lots of repairs. Specifically, I’d been told it needed four struts, and the cv joints – about $2400, with parts and labor. Over the phone, when I wasn’t really expecting to do business but was asking some advice, I’d vaguely said that it needed some work, and I think I mentioned the struts. I was stunned when he told me to bring it on in, and I kept telling myself, “You need to tell him the rest of it.”

But I didn’t. I was so tightly wound up into the lie that life for me in that moment was a zero-sum game, one winner and one looser, that I just remained quiet. I didn’t exactly lie. But I certainly wasn’t truthful. I didn’t fully disclose.

For me, buying stuff is so very fleshly. I have a love/hate relationship with it. I love stuff – particularly cool gadgets. I’m also VERY cheap most of the time. And most importantly, there is something deep inside me that is convinced that we live in a dichotomous world – some things are spiritual and some things are material. One can read Paul that way, as he writes extensively about the battle between the Spirit and the Flesh. But what he is calling us to is not a rejection of the flesh, but an integration of Spirit and Flesh. A bringing together of the two in harmony so that the needs of both are honored and we experience God’s blessings on our lives.

But we, we separate the two all the time.

“Oh,” we say, “This doesn’t really matter. God isn’t interested in this part of my life – this is just material stuff, not spiritual. God only cares about the spiritual stuff.”

The truth is, Everything is spiritual.

What’s my point in all of this and where does the sermon title come in?

Forty Day Wilderness experiences are about transition from one way of being toward another. For example, here’s a quick list from Scripture:

• Noah – it rained for 40 days, and then he waited another 40 days before he opened the ark
• Moses – Forty years as Prince of Egypt
      Forty years as shepherd in Midian
      Forty Days on Mt Sinai
• Israel – Forty years wandering in the wilderness
      between Egypt and the Promised Land
      Between Slavery and Freedom
• Elijah – Forty days in a cave as his ministry was drawing to a close and he was to begin training Elisha to take his place.
• Jesus – Forty days of temptation in the wilderness
      Forty days between the resurrection and the ascension

Wilderness and 40 represent throughout scripture a transition from one way of begin to another – leaving behind a life that was not all bad to move toward a life into which God has called us.

Luke is clear that Jesus was tempted during those forty days. The three temptations named at the end of the story represent all of those that Jesus experienced. For jesus, the temptations grow from the things that he was loosing, giving up, in order to make this transition into a new way of being in the world.
1) Jesus had given up being a provider, not only for himself, but also for his mother and the rest of his family. So, his temptation was to provide for himself, instead of relying upon God to provide as he would need to do
2) Jesus had given up power and authority in his home and community. Jesus was tempted to take power just for power’s sake
3) Jesus had given up reputation and respect within his community Jesus was tempted to ‘become a celebrity’ by having angels rescue him.

I grew up feeling like I was on the edge or the outside most of the time. Feeling like I was at the mercy of other people’s decisions on whether and how to include me.

Guess what – two of my core temptations are to be defensive, and hold on to control. In the car selling experience, I fell into both of these.

What is temptation, anyway. A temptation is anything that pushes or pulls us toward sin. And SIN, I understand it to be anything that causes you to deny your true self as God’s child. Sin is not about rules, keeping or breaking them. The rules are there to help us understand what kinds of things will pull us away from our true self-in-God. Notice that, had Jesus yielded to any of those temptations, he would not have broken a single “Law” of God. But he clearly would have denied his true self.

Sin is also not some vague, abstract idea, some general character trait inherent in our nature. Sin is ALWAYS rooted in choice and expressed in movement - thought, word, or action. It does us little good to believe or agree that we are sinners. So what. What I need, and what you need, is to be honest with SOMEONES (God, Self, and at least one other) about the specifics of our sin. Which thoughts, words, and actions of yours have disrupted your life-in-God, the life you were born to live?

You and I have done, are doing, and will do things that disrupt our life-in-God. I’m not suggesting that we take turns standing up here bearing our souls. I am absolutely saying that you need to bear your soul to someone, and that we are to be a community that provides many safe ways and places to do that. If we can not be honest with one another about our struggles, then we will not be honest with ourselves or with God.

My name is Ken, and I am a sinner.

Heart wide open

2010-08-23T08:32:00.000-05:00

"Imagine living without the fear of loving and not being loved.... [Can you] walk in the world with your heart completely open, and not be afraid to be hurt?"
-- THE FOUR AGREEMENTS. by Don Miguel Ruiz (126)

new season, new priorities

2010-08-13T09:24:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure quite how I feel about it.

The time I have had with Laura, Camille and Russell has truly been wonderful. It reminds me of my inclination to teach when we first moved to Allen - to have a work schedule that paralleled those of Laura and the kids. I hope in this new upcoming season of my work life to better balance work and family time.

I've also been wondering about where I may be led to focus my energies in the coming years - whether to maintain things or make some changes. I've had a few different emphases over my ministry:

1) In college (88-92) I focused on Social Justice activities directly.
2) In seminary (92-96) I led others into Social Justice ministries.
3) In Midland (96-97) I wanted to set great patterns for ministry, but ended up just trying to keep from falling down.
4) In Gladewater (97-2002) I developed neighborhood outreach, learned to be a small town pastor, and taught college courses in New Testament and Ethics, both Christian and Philosophical.

5) Since we moved to Allen in 2002... I've put significant energy into the following areas in addition to the obvious and normal stuff a pastor does (preaching, teaching, pastoral care, administration):
* Training and coaching people seeking to develop their ministries
* Local ecumenical work in the Allen Ministerial Alliance
* Playing Guitar in our Contemporary worship service

* Reshaping the congregational governance under a new Constitution and By-Laws
* Teaching Bible Survey Courses @ church
* Led the youth ministry for a few years
* Dealt with an 18 month period where the church participation dropped by 50%
* Launched a second worship service (twice!)
* Writing poetry and essays

* Coaching New Church Pastor/Developers
* Community relationships through Rotary and Chamber of Commerce
* NTA Committee on the Ministry which nurtures lay pastors
* NTA Lay Ministry Training Program, which trains lay pastors
* NTA youth camps
* Coached Russell's Soccer team
* Served as a volunteer and staff chaplain at two hospitals

What I really want to do in this next season of my own personal ministry is enter into a slower pace, not take on any new projects for myself and just be available to listen. So, to that end I want to focus my ministry on:

My own spiritual life - daily prayer and study, weekly day of silence, monthly 36 hour retreat and yearly 5 day retreat
Study of scripture and theology
Sermon preparation and delivery
Training and coaching upcoming ministry leaders (this includes working with Shirley during her Supervised Ministry Year, with lay leaders at FG, and my continuing commitment to the LMTP for this next year)
Caring conversations with people, in the congregation and in the community (this includes my 5 hours/wk @ TCRH)
Writing poetry and essays to capture my reflections on these experiences

I will of course be also taking time for self care, family and friendships
Exercising daily - at least walking, pushups and situps
Weekly time for a 'date' with Laura - time to talk
An activity to share with Russell (probably around sports) and Camille (maybe around music)
Guy's night out several times per month
Sailing
Spending time in the woods (at the Heard, etc)
Talking by phone to my dad & siblings weekly

Sermon Notes 05092010 - 1 Corinthians 3 - “We are God’s servants, working together; you are God’s field, God’s building”

2010-05-09T07:52:00.001-05:00

We have spent these weeks since Easter thinking about Working on our walk with God.

We began with the readings from Exodus and Leviticus regarding Sabbath, Sabbatical, and Jubilee, where we learn that God calls us (requires us) to rest, because it is what is best for us - we need rest, and we need to be reminded that we are dependent on God, and to be still long enough to let God care for us - blessing us with Rest, Renewal, and Restoration.

Then we considered Jesus in John 21 after the resurrection, meeting his disciples by the lakeside where they had gone fishing. Again, we find Jesus serving us, caring for us, blessing us.

Next we heard Jesus calling us, in Mark 6, after a season of ministry, to come away with him and rest awhile.

Last week we took up the fourth chapter of Paul's letter to the Ephesians, where he describes how we as church are to function:

11 The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. 14 We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people's trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. 15 But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body's growth in building itself up in love.

And now we come to Paul writing to the church in Corinth. Having spent several years with them, witnessing, teaching, and developing leaders in this new church, it came time for him to leave, though he still considered them his church. He still felt responsible for and to them - they remained in a convenant relationship. In his absence, Apolos came in, and as Paul describes here, perhaps thinking about his ideas reflected in Ephesians 4, Apollos functioned differently from Paul, bringing different skills and personality and spiritual gifts to accomplish different things - the things that the church needed at the present time - Paul planted, Apollos watered, etc.

Notice where the people's focus seems to be - on the human leaders.

Notice where Paul's focus is - on God and the people.

God gives the growth, and they are being created into a field where God's harvest may come, into a building, a temple through which God's Spirit may dwell in the world in a special way.

It is not low self-esteem or self-deprecation to say, we are servants, we are rubbish, we are nothing. It is not an objective statement, but a comparative one. We are not the point! God is the point - and You are God's focus, which makes you the point. Those who are called out as leaders are always called out to serve, to submit - not to the will and whims of other people, but to God and what God desires to have happen in the midst of the people at this time.

So, I take my leave for this season of ministry, and Bob comes. I did not plant - others did that. Wally Moseley calls this his Lazarus church, because through him and others God helped bring it back from the dead. I like to think of myself as one of Lazarus' friends and family, to whom Jesus said, "Unbind him and set him free!"

I thank you for the last seven years of ministry.

I thank you for honoring the ministry enough to enter this time of Sabbatical with me.

I thank you for receiving Bob and his ministry among you.

And, I look forward to returning in August and celebrating the growth that God has given us all.

May 16 1 Corinthians 3 - "We are God's servants, working together; you are God's field, God's building"

Sustenance

2010-03-20T21:13:00.000-05:00

Receiving the nourishment we need.

What provides sustenance in your life?

Where do you go...

2010-03-20T21:11:00.000-05:00

when you need to say you are sorry? When you have messed up big in your life. Maybe you hurt some people, and you can and should appologize to them and make ammends if possible. But sometimes, our violation is against life itself - against its hope, its promise, its beauty. Sometimes we turn on ourselves - in which case just forgiving ourselves probably isn't enough, or maybe not even possible at the moment, or we would not have done what we did.

It is at times like these that we need community most - a place where people will accept us, not judge us. Where people will help us hold ourselves accountable, rather than holding us accountable themselves. Where people will be more like physicians and less like law enforcement - inviting and nurturing us to honor the laws within our own selves, rather than mandating that we abide by externally imposed laws.

It is also at times like these that we need prayer. Prayer takes many forms and has many purposes. For me, two of the most beautiful forms of prayer are prayers of gratitude and prayers of repentance. In my prayers of gratitude I thank God for all that life is and offers to all of us. In my prayers of repentance I ask forgiveness for not living in accord with that gratitude that is within me. And in both instances I have the opportunity to receive the embrace of a loving God who says, "You are my child. I love you. I always have, and I always will."

Misinterpretationality

2010-03-10T08:31:00.001-06:00

I wake up one morning to realize that the thing I thought true is not. Not only is it not mine, it never really was, never actually existed, at all. Never existed anywhere except in my imagination. In our growing up we try so hard to live in the real world, and in the process we experience our imagination being stifled, sidelined. It is such a common story, particularly for those of us at middle age, as we pass through the valley of the shadow of self-re-discovery. The busy-ness of life has disposed us to set aside the 'frivolous' pursuits in favor of those which will pay the rent. The ones who refuse this path of accomodation to societies norms are considered rebels, even irresponsible. Don't get a degree in theatre or art or music - how will you support yourself, much less a family. That may all be valid, to a point. That does not mean that we must completely pack away those impulses for imagination and creativity.

What I've concluded is that imagination will out. It is like the great line in the first Jurassic Park movie spoken by Jeff Goldbloom's character, Dr. Ian Malcolm

"If there is one thing the history of evolution has taught us it's that life will not be contained. Life breaks free, expands to new territory, and crashes through barriers, painfully, maybe even dangerously."

Imagination is a part of that life-force, God-force, Creative (and therefore HOLY) Spirit. Imagination, human imagination, will find a way. So, I think today, that my imagination creates versions of my reality that are more comfortable, appealing, interesting, safe. They are not the true external reality, but my interpretation of it - which is a creative process, or can be, I am suggesting.

This happens most often, for me, in relationships, the nature of which is ultimately mystery. My Christian Faith, and Family Systems Theory, are both helpful resources to me in making sense of all of this. Even so, I get confused. These resources help, in large measure, by providing an external yard-stick or guide (the meaning of the word 'canon', as in 'canon of scripture', btw) against which to evaluate my imaginative creations - my understandings of the world and my place in it. The world is never quite as I perceive it to be given the filters that are inborn and aquired over a lifetime. I may be pretty close at times, but never spot on. This awareness demands of me humility before all things - people, ideas, and creation itself - and particularly God. The experiences that typically jolt me back to this humility are often frustrating and painful - it usually takes some pain to rouse us from our sleepy complacency. Just look at how the economic challenges of the last several years have prompted us to reconsider our relationships to all things money - working, saving, investing, spending. "Wow, I guess it isn't good for me to consistently spend more than I earn." Duh. And yet, so many of us do that, in our financial lives, and even more in our emotional, intellectual, physical health, and spiritual lives. We make up a version of reality that suits what we want to do, and then deficit-spend, never imagining that the bottom may someday drop out of our city in the clouds. This is what happens in most failed marriages, in nearly every self-induced health crisis, in psychological nervous breakdowns, in parenting that fails to guide children toward maturity, in collapsed social institutions and structures of every kind.

And, what I think I am discovering today (at least it is a discovery for me - kind of like Christopher Columbus 'discovering' 'america') - what I think I am discovering today is that all of this is at least partly an expression of our creative imaginative spirit, what for me theologically is a part of God's image in us - and thus uncontainable even if deniable. We are made to imagine and create. So, if we do not let ourselves do that in truly constructive, life-giving, ways, then that spirit will be diverted to less helpful pursuits.

THEREFORE, one way to move ourselves, individually and communally, out of misinterpretaionality, is to return to those creative pursuits of preschool. Get out the finger paints, the clay, the crayons. Make mud pies. Dance. Sing. Tell stories. Dream. God dreams of a future for us that is bountiful, a future where there is no sorrow, where we no longer harm ourselves or one another, where no one is lonely or hungry. And God desires to share that dream with us, to tell us about it, and then to help us live toward it. This is the purpose of the Gospel, of the Incarnation, of Jesus. The story of the garden toward the East, in Eden, is the story of God's original dream. The story of the glorious city yet to come, where God dwells among humanity, is God's dream of the future. Let us be shaken from our false dreams, awake to the people around us, and the God among and with us, and live into God's glorious dream wide awake.

Finding what I never lost

2010-03-10T07:43:00.001-06:00

Confusion.
Suddenly, it's gone. Fear,
anger, frustration, sadness. Why
is this happening now, here, to me? Hope
lingers around me, a stray dog seeking solace. What
might I have done, or undone, for change to transpire. Desire
calls out, effervescent, illusive, contrary, perplexing. How
will we arrive home only to find the thing we've been seeking.
Peace.

Ashes

2010-02-17T08:36:00.000-06:00

Ken G Crawford, 2010

Ashes on my hands, in my eyes, on my tongue.
Ashes cover my clothes falling into a live volcano
Falling into death yet not dying
Burning yet not consumed
Wishing for nothingness that never comes

Ashes in my lungs, in my veins, in my dreams
Ashes cover my mind falling out from my heart-breaking past
Falling out yet not leaving behind
Broken yet not destroyed
Wishing for freedom seems impossible

Ashes on my hopes, on my prayers, on my soul
Ashes cover my spirit falling into God’s good embrace
Falling into grace yet not quite free
Believing hope will win
Willing to believe God’s amazing grace

Ashes on my hand, on my face, and in my heart
Ashes cover my flesh falling out of sin and into Spirit
Falling into God yet still flesh and blood
Becoming new creation
Trusting for mercy bigger than all my sin

Pastoral Care Training – Using Religious and Spiritual Experiences and Resources

2010-02-16T14:06:00.002-06:00

How do we help individuals think about their religious experiences and spiritual resources that can help them toward wellness and wholeness?

Each of us as care givers, and each of the individuals we serve, have a personal view of the spiritual/religious aspect of our lives. Some people exclude the possibility of a spiritual life, which is itself a perspective on the spiritual life. Others self-identify as ‘spiritual but not religious’ which has a wide range of meanings, from vaguely aware of a spiritual component to live and being ‘in-touch’ with the world, to actively believing in a personal god and relating to that deity through prayer and other private practices – but simply not subscribing to any particular set of religious doctrines or faith community participation. Still others participate to varying degrees in a formal religious life with community, institutional, scriptural, and ritual expressions.

Throughout our lives, as we grow and mature, our experience of the outside world changes, as does our reflection on it. We are exposed to differing ideas and traditions. Joyful and trying moments open new opportunities for learning or challenge long-held beliefs. We discover and embrace different habits and practices that nourish our spirits. This field encompasses the diversity of our spiritual/religious experiences and resources.

Regardless of where we or others locate on this spectrum of belief and practice, these perspectives impact the way we experience crisis, how we cope, and how we recover.

The goal in this session is two-fold:
1. Help the participant understand their own experiences and resources.
2. Help the participant lead others to access, understand and appropriate their own spiritual/religious experiences and resources.

1. Understanding our own spiritual/religious experiences and resources
a. Experiences: Think back on your life to those times when you were most aware of spiritual questions and the spiritual dimensions of life. Often these coincide with significant transitional (also called ‘nodal’) events – birth, death, baptism, graduation, marriage. A crisis in our own life or that of a close friend may prompt us to consider the deeper things of life. Or, we may choose a transforming experience intentionally – such as a retreat. List some of these nodal events, and briefly describe why they were/are spiritually important.

b. Resources: During these nodal events, during the seasons around them, or at other times in life, what spiritual/religious practices help anchor your life? Do you have particular prayer habits? Are there texts which enlighten and inspire you – or comfort and encourage you – or challenge and convict you toward greater growth and health? Is a particular community of likeminded spirits important in your life – a church, synagogue, mosque, prayer center or other group? Are there rituals, solo or communal, which strengthen you spiritually?

c. NOW, think about how a health crisis or ongoing challenge impacts your ability to access these resources, and connect with these experiences? Do you become isolated, cut off from the religious community that is so important? Does physical impairment prevent certain prayer postures or other practices? Do you draw closer to God/Spirit during such times of crisis, or pull away?

2. Help the participant lead others to access, understand and appropriate their own spiritual/religious experiences and resources.
NOTE: Your experiences do not determine or necessarily coincide with those of others. What seems completely sensible and natural to you may be absurd to others. What you pursue and embrace may be repellent to others. Only when you understand your own experiences can you reflect upon them and how they impact you, and then set them aside so that you can be open to the experiences of others. That said, the questions you used above for self-reflection are also available for you to use when you invite others to reflect on their experiences. Generally you want to avoid referring to your own experiences which risks leading your conversation partner and possibly cutting them off from their own insights.

a. Experiences: How do you experience/express the spiritual/religious aspects of your life? Do you consider yourself in tune with the spiritual side of life, or not very interested in it? What’s going on with you right now, from a spiritual perspective? When have you been through something that was similar to your current experience?

b. Resources: If your spiritual life is important to you, what particular aspects are central to you – things you do that help you most? During past times of crisis, what spiritual practices were significant then? What can you learn from those reflections and bring forward into your present experience?

Pastor’s Continuing Education Report – TCU Ministers’ Week 2010 – Feb 8-11

2010-02-15T16:18:00.002-06:00

Forest Grove will have MP3 audio recordings of all sermons and lectures available for listening at the church.

THE WELLS SERMONS: Rev. Dr. Sharon Watkins
Monday thru Wednesday evening worship

[Sharon E. Watkins serves as General Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada. She is an inspirational preacher, teacher and facilitator who shares her considerable skills in a variety of religious and ecumenical settings.]

Ken’s reflection: Dr. Watkins has just returned from a Sabbatical, during which she traveled extensively and spent time in interfaith conversation in the Middle East, an area that is of particular interest for her in her hope of seeing reconciliation among Jewish, Christian and Muslim populations and a peaceful resolution to the Israeli/Palestinian Dilema. Her preaching is passionate and inspiring, particularly for me as a preacher. I sat in the balcony and so had a unique perspective and was able to observe her use of a written manuscript during her sermon. She seemed to stay very close to her text, and yet was very free and conversational in her presentation style. She tells moving stories from her own encounters with wonderful people throughout the life of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the Ecumenical Church, and the wider world in which all are God’s children whom God seeks to reclaim, redeem, and reconcile. She is passionate about our claiming our identity in the Christian Church as ‘a movement for wholeness in a fragmented world.’

THE MCFADIN LECTURES: Dr. Warren Carter

Tuesday morning lectures

[Ambiguous and complex contexts of empire pervade contemporary communities of faith: Roman empire, God’s empire, American empire. Often our spiritualized and individualized readings of the Gospels have helped us ignore our participation in these multiple locations, and the questions of societal vision and cultural interaction that they raise. These two presentations will engage the faces of empire in the Gospels, in ecclesial communities, and in daily life. 1) What a Difference an Empire Makes: the Empires of Rome/God are Among You 2) The Empire(s) Strike(s) Back.]

Ken’s reflection: Dr. Carter is very funny, which is disarming given the depth of his perception into the biblical text in light of his analysis of his own and other’s original research into the First Century world of the Roman Empire. His two lectures focused on giving the audience a better understanding and appreciation for the realities within the Roman Empire and how they may have impacted both the authors and audiences of the New Testament texts. He walked us around the city plan of ancient Pompeii and demonstrated how all of the major public structures mixed uses – Commerce, Local Government, Empirical Influence, Local Religion and Local Elite influences. He argues that this was true of most Greco/Roman Mediterranean cities, including Corinth, Ephesus, Thessalonica, and the cities of Galatia. He then observed how the themes of empire affect our own lives and perspectives, from the residual effects of European Conquest and Empire, to the spread of Western and most specifically US cultural ideas and icons throughout the world. One example of this interplay was the reality that no first century person in the Roman Empire of any background would have argued for a separation of church and state, or the idea that religion and politics don’t mix. There was absolutely no way to separate the two, nor did it occur to anyone to try.

THE DAVIS WORKSHOP IN MINISTRY: Suzanne Stabile

Wednesday morning lectures. (The scheduled speaker, Dr. Diana Butler Bass, was absent due to weather induced travel complications. Her substitute was Suzanne Stabile)

[Suzanne Stabile is a long time teacher of spiritual growth and development. For over twenty years she has served as a teacher, Retreat Director and Enneagram Master, through Life in the Trinity Ministry. She is co-founder and animator of this ministry along with her husband Rev. Joseph Stabile.]

Ken’s reflections: Suzanne Stabile was a wonderful surprise. She spoke with passion and humor about the struggles and delights of church life, as a pastor’s wife, and as someone who works with laity and clergy to form intentional spiritual communities. She spoke at length about ‘liminal space’ and ‘liminality’ – terms which in this setting refer to the ‘in-between-ness’ that marks contemporary existence for the culture and world at large, and for the North American church in particular. We are in the process of becoming – we are not what we were, are in a culture that is not what it was. Yet what the culture will be, and what we will be, is yet to be. One author has written that the western church goes through 500 year cycles in which it remakes itself – the last one being the time of the Reformation and Counter-Reformation. We have already begun moving into the transition, but no one can know what might be. While this is an unsettling time, she observed that these are the only times that we grow – the unsettling in-between times. So, let us have faith that God will see us forward and will not forsake his people.

All the Ministers' Week Information is available here.

As I noted above, these and the remaining recordings will be available for you hear. You no doubt will learn other things from them as you bring your own attentiveness to these wonderful teachers. Similar learning opportunities happen every month through the Stalcup School of Theology for the Laity, described in our newsletter.

My Mid-Life Crisis Checklist

2010-01-19T12:44:00.005-06:00

So a friend of mine heard that I had written this, and he said, “So, its like a ‘Bucket List’.” “No,” I said, “I think a ‘bucket list’ is so called because its stuff you want to do before you ‘kick the bucket’ which is not in my plans any time soon.” “Right,” was all he said.
Well, if 40 is the middle of my life, or the beginning of the middle of my life, what do I want to be true of this year, and these next ten years, so that when I reach 50 I can feel good about the way I have lived and the person I have been? These are not in order of priority. Some are frivolous, others are very serious, and I won’t tell you which is which (I’m not sure I fully know yet). And, this is not a final list, but what I consider a good start:

ð Own a sailboat or at least have regular access to a boat
ð See Camille thrive in drama and music
ð See Russell thrive in whatever interests he develops in the coming years
ð Do more coaching to support people in their growth
ð Publish my writing
ð Spend more time at the beach
ð Have less hectic evenings – allowing for more time to cook and more relaxed time with Laura and the kids

In ten years, I will be 50, Laura will be 51, Camille will be 24 and in Graduate School, Russell will be 18 and a senior in High School. In my 50th year we will have spent 18 years here in Allen, and our initial reason for the long commitment to this community will be fulfilled – to see our kids finish school here. What then?

Other things on my list:

ð Retreat House – preferably on a wooded lot near the water. A place to be quiet with God.
ð Laura at a great place in her career, both professionally and in her education.
ð Better relationships with my siblings – more conversation, more intimacy, more understanding
ð More travel with Laura and the kids – I want them to see more of the world.
ð Our kids to be confident in themselves and committed to their faith in daily life
ð A few more Guy Friendships
ð More people in church – touching more lives for Christ, helping more people develop spiritually, and helping more leaders and staff grow and serve.

I was pleased to see, once I’d finished this first draft of my list, that the only ‘stuff’ on it is a boat and a place to rest out in nature. And frankly I don’t particularly need to own either. These two, and the rest, are about having greater peace in my life, deeper relationships, more fully using the gifts and talents that God has given me, and seeing the three most important people in my life continue to live fulfilling, meaningful, and spiritually rich lives.

What do you hope for in the coming years of your own life? And then, what will you do in pursuit of those goals, and how can the rest of us here at Forest Grove help you to reach for the Dreams that God has planted within you?

Blessings ~ Ken

Strengths Based Leadership Report

2009-12-18T15:13:00.005-06:00

(with your personalized Strengths Insights)
© 2000, 2006-2008 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

NOTE: You can take the assessment for yourself @ http://www.strengthsfinder.com/. If you buy one of the books, then your access code to take the assessment is included in the cost of the book. I don't get any money from Gallup for posting this. I have provided it here because I found it interesting and valuable.

Leader: Ken Crawford

Gallup found that it serves a team well to have a representation of strengths in each of the four domains of leadership strength: Executing, Influencing, Relationship Building, and Strategic Thinking. Instead of one dominant leader who tries to do everything or individuals who all have similar strengths, contributions from all four domains lead to a strong and cohesive team. This doesn't mean that each person on a team must have strengths exclusively in a single category. In most cases, each team member will possess some strength in multiple domains.

According to our latest research, the 34 Clifton StrengthsFinder themes naturally cluster into these four domains of leadership strength. See below for how your top five themes sort into the four domains. As you think about how you can contribute to a team and who you need to surround yourself with, this may be a good starting point.

Your Top Five Clifton StrengthsFinder Themes

Your Personalized Strengths Insights
Ideation
Driven by your talents, you are ecstatic — that is, thrilled — when you read about a novel concept or an original theory. Probably, the hope of discovering a new way of thinking motivates you to read a lot. You enjoy collecting a variety of information. You sense that one day you will find a proper use for it. It’s very likely that you feel more favorable about life when you can freely use your sophisticated vocabulary. Your pleasure is multiplied tenfold when your choice of words stimulates the thinking of others. By nature, you derive great pleasure from making discoveries designing innovations. You really enjoy doing things no one has ever considered. Because of your strengths, you have been described as someone who reads a lot. You probably carry reading material with you just in case you have to wait in line, eat alone, or sit beside a stranger. Because the printed word feeds your mind, you frequently generate original plans, programs, designs, or activities. Chances are good that you thoroughly examine the idiosyncrasies, interests, talents, successes, fears, or dreams of each person you encounter. You contend that no two people are the same. You argue that the same individual reacts quite differently depending on the circumstances and the human beings present. People simply fascinate you.

Intellection
Because of your strengths, you enjoy reflecting on what you already know and on what you want to know. Your concentration leads you to major and minor discoveries. You need ample quiet time to critically examine new information, theories, concepts, or philosophies. Wherever you go and whatever you do, your mind is seldom at rest. You consider what you have observed. You pose never-before-asked questions. Thinking deeply about things is a necessity for you. It is not a luxury. It is not an option. It’s very likely that you put yourself in the middle of mentally stimulating conversations. You want to gather new ideas, discover new approaches, hear about new theories, consider new concepts, or apply new technologies. Often you are one of the early discoverers of innovations. Others can lag behind if they wish, but you consistently acquire knowledge. You exhibit little need to know precisely where all this information ultimately will lead you. By nature, you are likely to recount — that is, tell in detail — the stories you have read in newspapers, books, magazines, research reports, correspondence, or public records. Actually, the more you satisfy your desire to read, the more tales you have to tell. Few activities delight you as much as evoking images in your listeners’ minds that bring forth laughter and tears. Instinctively, you acquire knowledge more easily when you can talk with others about ideas, concepts, or theories. Thoughts come alive for you when questions are posed and answers are proposed. You have a delightful time thinking out loud and listening to intelligent people express themselves. You naturally document or store in your mind bits and pieces of discussions. You want to refer back to these insights or facts whenever the opportunity presents itself. Chances are good that you continually seek wisdom from people with whom you have intelligent conversations. You not only listen but also share your thoughts. In the process, you are likely to move beyond concrete facts. Your curiosity draws you to speculate — that is, reflect or wonder — about theories, ideas, or concepts. To keep your mind fresh, you frequently quiz individuals who are equally fascinated with the intangible and abstract aspects of life.

Connectedness
Because of your strengths, you feel wonderful about life, especially when you become a link between individuals or groups. Many people would not have known one another if you had not stepped into their lives. It’s very likely that you feel very pleased with yourself and life in general when your words and deeds align with your fundamental values. By nature, you bring a much more optimistic perspective to life than many people do. Why? You feel closely linked to other members of the human family. Knowing you are not alone in your sufferings or joys fortifies you. Driven by your talents, you often are the one who helps people understand how they are linked across time, distance, race, ethnicity, religion, economic levels, languages, or cultures. You make it possible for individuals to work together. You aim to break down barriers that separate them. Chances are good that you demonstrate a heightened sensitivity to the challenges facing various members of the human family. The faces you see in the news often strike you as familiar, not foreign. You usually feel a strong bond between yourself and these individuals. You intentionally refrain from being surrounded only by people who remind you of yourself.

Learner
Chances are good that you channel your efforts into the task at hand. You persevere until you have gained the knowledge and skills needed to attain a goal. You can toil for many hours to secure your objective. You probably work hardest and most productively at a particular time of day. Instinctively, you sometimes enroll in difficult or demanding classes. You might aim to expand your knowledge or challenge your thinking about certain things. Driven by your talents, you thirst for new ideas and knowledge. Often you lose yourself in a book. You pore over the ideas contained on its pages for long stretches of time. Why? You want to absorb as much information as you can. By nature, you traditionally bring an upbeat perspective to instruction, training, or tutoring. You probably regard education as one of the essential elements of a well-lived life. Because of your strengths, you relish reading about topics that fascinate you. People are not surprised to find you with your nose in a book — that is, reading all the time. When a subject intrigues you, you review a wide range of printed materials. You glean — that is, collect bits and pieces — as much information as you possibly can about your areas of greatest interest.

Strategic
Instinctively, you can reconfigure factual information or data in ways that reveal trends, raise issues, identify opportunities, or offer solutions. You bring an added dimension to discussions. You make sense out of seemingly unrelated information. You are likely to generate multiple action plans before you choose the best one. Because of your strengths, you are innovative, inventive, original, and resourceful. Your mind allows you to venture beyond the commonplace, the familiar, or the obvious. You entertain ideas about the best ways to reach a goal, increase productivity, or solve a problem. First, you think of alternatives. Then you choose the best option. Driven by your talents, you may see solutions before other people know there is a problem. You might start formulating answers before your teammates, coworkers, or classmates understand the question. Sometimes you generate numerous ideas before sorting to the one that makes the most sense in a particular situation. By nature, you long to know more so you remain on the cutting edge of your field or areas of interest. Your inventive mind usually generates more possibilities than you can handle or fund. Nonetheless, you are committed to acquiring knowledge and/or skills. You study everything involved in a situation and conceive entirely new ways of seeing or doing things. What you already know prompts you to ask questions and delve even deeper into a subject or problem. It’s very likely that you periodically identify problems others fail to notice. You might create solutions and find the right answers. Perhaps you yearn to improve certain things about yourself, other people, or situations. Maybe you are drawn to specific kinds of classes, books, or activities. Why? Maybe they promise to give you the skills or knowledge you seek.

My Enneagram

2009-12-18T10:14:00.003-06:00

Main Type	Overall Self

Take Free Enneagram Personality Test

Enneagram Test Results

Type 1	Perfectionism	47%
Type 2	Helpfulness	37%
Type 3	Image Focus	21%
Type 4	Hypersensitivity	14%
Type 5	Detachment	87%
Type 6	Anxiety	31%
Type 7	Adventurousness	31%
Type 8	Aggressiveness	62%
Type 9	Calmness	82%

Your main type is 5
Your variant is self pres

Take Free Enneagram Personality Test

Click Here For more information about the 9 Enneagram types

My Myers Briggs Assessment

2009-12-18T10:13:00.002-06:00

INTP - "Architect". Greatest precision in thought and language. Can readily discern contradictions and inconsistencies. The world exists primarily to be understood. 3.3% of total population.

Take Free Jung Personality Test
personality tests by similarminds.com

More about Myers Briggs Types

Personality, Strength & Gift Assessments

2009-12-18T10:08:00.003-06:00

In doing work on my own development as a leader, along with the work I do coaching & training others in their leader development, I'm compiling a set of free and @ cost online assessments of personality, strength, spiritual gifts, etc.

They are intended for guidance and reflection only. I make no claims (nor do they) to compete accuracy. Their accuracy depends in part on how willing/able the participant is to be honest with self and the test. They are valuable as a reference for conversation.

Work and Rest: The Rhythm of a Godly Life

2009-09-02T14:10:00.002-05:00

SCRIPTURES and REFLECTION QUESTIONS for SUNDAY 090609

Genesis 1: 26 Then God said, "Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth." 27 So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth."
29 God said, "See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. 30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food." And it was so.
31 God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
2: 1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their multitude. 2 And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done. 3 So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in creation.
2: 4 These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created.
In the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, 5 when no plant of the field was yet in the earth and no herb of the field had yet sprung up—for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no one to till the ground; 6 but a stream would rise from the earth, and water the whole face of the ground— 7 then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being.
8 And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9 Out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil…. 15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it.
3: 17 And to the man he said, "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten of the tree about which I commanded you, "You shall not eat of it,' cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life; 18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; you are dust, and to dust you shall return." (NRSV)

Then Good News (Gospel) Word
Mark 6
7 He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 8 He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; 9 but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics. 10 He said to them, "Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. 11 If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them." 12 So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent. 13 They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them….
…. 30 The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. 31 He said to them, "Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while." For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32 And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. (NRSV)

Call to Worship Reading -- Psalm 55
1 Give ear to my prayer, O God; do not hide yourself from my supplication.
2 Attend to me, and answer me; I am troubled in my complaint.
I am distraught 3 by the noise of the enemy, because of the clamor of the wicked.
For they bring trouble upon me, and in anger they cherish enmity against me.
4 My heart is in anguish within me, the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
5 Fear and trembling come upon me, and horror overwhelms me.
6 And I say, "O that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest;
7 truly, I would flee far away; I would lodge in the wilderness;
8 I would hurry to find a shelter for myself from the raging wind and tempest."

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

What role does labor play in your life? Do you run from it? Toward it? Does it trouble you? Are you resentful or grateful?
What role does rest play in your life? Are you able to rest? Do you have trouble being still? Must you always be doing something, producing something, achieving or accomplishing something?
When and how have you experienced hard work as worshipful?
When and how have you experienced true rest as worshipful?
How does your own sin prevent you from living into God’s best for you?

Main Theme Sentences:

Work and Rest are the Godly Rhythm of Life, modeled by God at Creation, Disrupted at the Great Grasp, and Restored through the Great Gift of the Incarnation of God in Jesus of Nazareth.
Work is a gift of God which allows us to participate creatively in the Divine Project. God desires to and will provide both your provision as you labor for Him, and your rest, if you let Him.
When nourishing, sustaining provision can not be attained without excessive toil, sin is somewhere present.
Our embracing of this Godly life-rhythm of work and rest, and our trust of God’s gracious provision through it all, is our fullest act of worship with our lives.

God called: Seeing God’s call unfolding in our lives….

2009-09-02T12:34:00.002-05:00

God called Noah, in his old age, to build a boat – a ridiculous and difficult thing – to save the future hope (people and animals) from the coming storm – so that through them all the peoples of the world would be blessed. (Genesis 6-9)

God called Abraham and Sarah, in their old age, to be parents – a ridiculous and difficult thing – to start a peculiar people – so that through them all the peoples of the world would be blessed. (Genesis 12-22)

God called Moses, in his old age, to lead enslaved Hebrews toward freedom – a ridiculous and difficult thing – so that they might be blessed with a renewed fellowship with God, and might be a light to the nations – so that through them all the peoples of the world would be blessed. (Exodus 3-4; Exodus – Deuteronomy)

God called David, in his youth, to be king over Israel – a ridiculous and difficult thing – that the people might be led by a man after God’s own heart – so that through them all the peoples of the world would be blessed. (1 Samuel 16)

God called Esther, in her youth, to be queen of Babylon – a ridiculous and difficult thing – that in courage and faith she might save her people from destruction – so that through them all the peoples of the world would be blessed. (Esther 4)

God called Mary, in her youth, to bear the Son of God into the world – a ridiculous and difficult thing – that in utter humility God might come among us as one of us – so that through Jesus all the peoples of the world would be blessed. (Luke 1:26-56)

God called the apostles, in their youth and uneducated, to start the church as the Body of Christ on earth – a ridiculous and difficult thing – continuing the work of the ministry of Jesus into the future – so that through them all the peoples of the world would be blessed. (Luke 6-9)

God called you, in your youth or your old age or even today, to follow the Son and be born again through faith – a ridiculous and difficult thing – becoming part of His Body the Church and receiving a ministry of the Kingdom of God – so that through you the people of your world would be blessed. (John 3)

Can you hear God’s call on your life?

What is God calling you into? Do you know? Will you go?

Will you share this good news with others?

SCRIPTURES and REFLECTION QUESTIONS for SUNDAY 080909

2009-08-04T17:08:00.001-05:00

Call to Worship Reading -- Psalm 23
1 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters;
3 he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name's sake.
4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil;
for you are with me; your rod and your staff— they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.

Job 2:11-13
11 Now when Job's three friends heard of all these troubles that had come upon him, each of them set out from his home—Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They met together to go and console and comfort him. 12 When they saw him from a distance, they did not recognize him, and they raised their voices and wept aloud; they tore their robes and threw dust in the air upon their heads. 13 They sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION ON SUNDAY'S SCRIPTURES 080209
1. If you are just jumping in here, go back to 1:1 and read the story from the beginning.
2. OK, now, notice how Job’s friends respond to him in this situation. The narrator tells us several important things
a. These are ‘Job’s three friends’ (v11) – his only true friends? His very best friends?
b. They hear of all the troubles (11)
c. They leave their own homes and meet together before they go to Job (11)
d. They make a decision to go AND console AND comfort Job (v11)
e. He looks so bad that from a distance they do not recognize their dear friend (v12)
f. At the sight of him, they convulse with grief and mourning, just as Job had (v12)
g. They recognize how deep his suffering is (v 13b)
h. In silence they sat with him – seven days and seven nights(v13)

3. Think of times when you have wanted to ‘be there’ for someone who was hurting – to be supportive – to “go and console and comfort”. How difficult is that for you? What kind of challenges do you face in those experiences?
4. What kinds of things might you and others be tempted to do in this situation that Job’s friends avoid? Notice what they do not do.
5. When have you been struggling and grieving and someone attempted to support you. Were they ‘successful’ in doing so? Why or why not?
6. Where is God in all of this? How might our answer help us to be present in the right way?

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION ON SUNDAY'S SCRIPTURES 080209

2009-07-29T20:33:00.002-05:00

Psalm 23 - Lessons from the Valley
Learning to Trust God - Job 1:1 - 2:10
1. Job 1:6-12 & 2:1-6 present a challenging view on the source of suffering. This narrative almost establishes a challenge or bet between God and Satan – where Job is the object, or as one person put it, a pawn in their game. The rest of Job’s story makes clear that the point is not how Job and his family came to be under this great suffering. Rather, it points to how we remain in relationship with a God who is wholly other, completely righteous and just, when life is in fact filled with all sorts of painful and challenging experiences. Job losses family, goes broke, suffers physically, and because of this would have been scorned by his neighbors. Even his wife finally says, “Just curse God and die you fool!” (Italics mine). How does this part of the narrative fit with or challenge what you believe about God and the world?
2. How would you feel if someone suggested that part or all of the story may not be historical, but rather is told to teach a moral – much like Jesus’ parables?
3. Job says, “The Lord gives and the Lord takes away.” And then “Shall we receive the good at the hand of God, and not receive the bad?" How much to you really believe that all you have comes not from your own hard work, cleverness or luck, but from God’s provision?
4. What does that say about all those who lack even the very simplest necessities to feed and clothe their children and keep them healthy?
5. Twice (v1:22 & 2:10) we are told that Job did not sin with his lips or blame God. What might it look like to sin with the lips in this case? In what ways has Job refrained from sinning?
6. How does someone develop the kind of faith that Job demonstrates here? How close are you?

Lessons from the Valley

2009-07-29T15:29:00.008-05:00

David invites us into hope –

“Even when I am in the darkest valley that life can bring, I won’t be afraid, because God is with me.” Life is full of valleys. Some are self imposed while others are brought to us by others or simply by the unfolding of events beyond anyone’s control. David learned the lesson of Psalm 23 from his own valleys – he’d been there before, so he knew deeply that he need not be afraid. So, he wants to help us.

Jesus too wants to help us. Jesus challenges us beyond imagination:
* Love me above everything and everyone
* Don’t worry about your life, or food, clothing, shelter, or anything else
* Love your enemies –
* I mean really love them – and even pray for and bless them.
* They hate me, so they’ll hate you too – if you really follow me.
* Go, sell all that you have and give the money to the poor.
* Whoever tries to save their life will loose it.
* Whoever looses their life for my sake will find it.
* Take up your cross and follow me.

But at the end of it all, the very last thing he says to us is this:

“Do not fear, it is I.”
“Remember, I am with you always…”

You are not alone, no matter what you may think or feel at the time. When you are scared, uncertain, anxious, confused, intimidated, feeling inadequate, weak, broken, incapable and just down right bad – I am with you.
And one of your church kids reminded us Sunday, when asked if we are alone in our valleys, “No, Jesus and the other disciples are with you.” Indeed. We are supposed to be here for each other – which means speaking when we have a need. It means being available and willing to put our own stuff aside for a moment to listen. It means making some personal sacrifices as a way of sharing others’ burdens. It means going without what we want, so that others can get what they need.
In life’s valleys we learn to do these things, trusting that God will see that it all evens out in the end. It also doesn’t mean going without what we need to provide others what they want – BUT, Jesus does say to seek His kingdom and righteousness first, and our needs will be met by His provision.
Job had a series of terrible tragedies come his way. His story has been told for 3000 years because in we find our own stories. From it we learn how to live more faithfully before God.

Sermons for August 2009 – “Lessons from the Valley”
8/2 ~ Learning to trust God – Job 1:1-2:10
8/9 ~ Learning to accompany other – Job 2:11-13
8/16 ~ Learning to assess self – Job 26-31, esp. 30:15-31
8/23 ~ Learning to proclaim faith – Job 32-37, esp. 33
8/30 ~ Learning to know God – Job 38-42, esp. 42:1-6

You can also visit lessonsfromthevalley.blogspot.com

Sermon thoughts for Sunday 062809 ~ Mark 5:21-43

2009-06-25T21:00:00.002-05:00

In the strength of the Lord, bring hope and healing to others.
This Sunday concludes the series "On the Way". In Matthew 28:16-20 we have a famous directive from Jesus know popularly as "the great commission." Verse 19 is usually translated "GO therefore...." but the gramar really should read more like, "Therefore, as you go..." In otherwords, "In your going, wherever you go, throughout your life, whatever else you may be upto...." It is under this broadest of conditions then that the commission from Jesus comes, the commission to be His disciples by continuing his ministry. As such, we are to say and do the things he said and did. Our task is to continue his work, 'doing even greater works' according to John 14:12, not simply telling stories about the works that Jesus did 2000 years ago. So, "in the strength of the Lord, you are commissioned to bring hope and healing to others."

Notes for reflection:

As you read the text, notice that there are two stories of illness and healing. Consider how they are similar and how they are different.
Jairus is noted as a leader of the synagogue - what do we know from the gospels about how such people tended to feel about Jesus?
The woman, unnamed, is sick, tired, broke, and exiled from the worshipping community because of her condition - she is completely alone.
What does it mean that they happen together? How does one elaborate on or comment on the other?
What might it mean to have Jairus' story interrupted by the story of an anonymous woman?
With whom in the passage do you most relate? Who is most distant or confusing or 'other' to you? Why?

Mark 5:
21 When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered around him; and he was by the sea. 22 Then one of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus came and, when he saw him, fell at his feet 23 and begged him repeatedly, "My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live." 24 So he went with him.
And a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him. 25 Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years. 26 She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse. 27 She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 for she said, "If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well." 29 Immediately her hemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 30 Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, "Who touched my clothes?" 31 And his disciples said to him, "You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, "Who touched me?' " 32 He looked all around to see who had done it. 33 But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease."
35 While he was still speaking, some people came from the leader's house to say, "Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?" 36 But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the leader of the synagogue, "Do not fear, only believe." 37 He allowed no one to follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. 38 When they came to the house of the leader of the synagogue, he saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. 39 When he had entered, he said to them, "Why do you make a commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping." 40 And they laughed at him. Then he put them all outside, and took the child's father and mother and those who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41 He took her by the hand and said to her, "Talitha cum," which means, "Little girl, get up!" 42 And immediately the girl got up and began to walk about (she was twelve years of age). At this they were overcome with amazement. 43 He strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.

Sermons for July & August 2009 - Lessons from the Valley - Psalm 23

2009-06-19T16:13:00.003-05:00

Lessons from the Valley

Psalm 23
The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures
He leads me beside still waters
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…
I will fear no evil.
Your rod and your staff they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil - My cup overflows.
Surely Goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Big challenge is choosing the scripture texts around the theme. A partial list of possible topics follows.

Lessons:

The First Lesson – Learning to trust
"If you don't have your health…"
Big failures – my inability to walk through the valley
Base Jumping – when we seek to come face to face with death
Facing death with the mind – thinking our way through
Facing death with the heart – feeling our way through
Facing death with the soul – faithing our way through
From the mountain to the valley
Loosing life – finding life
Selling today for tomorrow
Miracles of Generosity
Job loss – salvation through failure
Lost & Found – are you making a good trade?
The Valley of Discipleship Suffering

Matthew 16:24-28; Matthew 10:16-42

If you have suggestions for scriptures to go with these topics, or other scriptures/topics that fit the overall theme, please let me know. This will very much need to be a community conversation, just as it was when Scott and I began the discussion.

Thanks

Ken

Scriptures for Sunday 062109 ~ 1 Samuel 17

2009-06-18T20:06:00.001-05:00

Questions for Reflection

What gave David courage to face the Giant?

Who around David was giving him their advice and opinions? What were these people saying?

What tools and skills did David use? Where did he get them?

When in your life have you face a giant like David did? What was your source of strength and courage? What were your 'weapons'? Were you successful? What 'traps' of discouragement did you have to overcome?

How does God journey with us through such times? How do we know as followers of Jesus that we have reason to hope?

1 samuel 17

1 The Philistines now mustered their army for battle and camped between Socoh in Judah and Azekah at Ephes-dammim. 2 Saul countered by gathering his troops near the valley of Elah. 3 So the Philistines and Israelites faced each other on opposite hills, with the valley between them. 4 Then Goliath, a Philistine champion from Gath, came out of the Philistine ranks to face the forces of Israel. He was a giant of a man, measuring over nine feet tall! 5 He wore a bronze helmet and a coat of mail that weighed 125 pounds. 6 He also wore bronze leggings, and he slung a bronze javelin over his back. 7 The shaft of his spear was as heavy and thick as a weaver's beam, tipped with an iron spearhead that weighed fifteen pounds. An armor bearer walked ahead of him carrying a huge shield. 8 Goliath stood and shouted across to the Israelites, "Do you need a whole army to settle this? Choose someone to fight for you, and I will represent the Philistines. We will settle this dispute in single combat! 9 If your man is able to kill me, then we will be your slaves. But if I kill him, you will be our slaves! 10 I defy the armies of Israel! Send me a man who will fight with me!" 11 When Saul and the Israelites heard this, they were terrified and deeply shaken.

12 Now David was the son of a man named Jesse, an Ephrathite from Bethlehem in the land of Judah. Jesse was an old man at that time, and he had eight sons in all. 13 Jesse's three oldest sons – Eliab, Abinadab, and Shammah – had already joined Saul's army to fight the Philistines. 14 David was the youngest of Jesse's sons. Since David's three oldest brothers were in the army, they stayed with Saul's forces all the time. 15 But David went back and forth between working for Saul and helping his father with the sheep in Bethlehem. 16 For forty days, twice a day, morning and evening, the Philistine giant strutted in front of the Israelite army. 17 One day Jesse said to David, "Take this half-bushel of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread to your brothers. 18 And give these ten cuts of cheese to their captain. See how your brothers are getting along, and bring me back a letter from them. " 19 David's brothers were with Saul and the Israelite army at the valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines. 20 So David left the sheep with another shepherd and set out early the next morning with the gifts. He arrived at the outskirts of the camp just as the Israelite army was leaving for the battlefield with shouts and battle cries. 21 Soon the Israelite and Philistine forces stood facing each other, army against army. 22 David left his things with the keeper of supplies and hurried out to the ranks to greet his brothers. 23 As he was talking with them, he saw Goliath, the champion from Gath, come out from the Philistine ranks, shouting his challenge to the army of Israel. 24 As soon as the Israelite army saw him, they began to run away in fright. 25 "Have you seen the giant?" the men were asking. "He comes out each day to challenge Israel. And have you heard about the huge reward the king has offered to anyone who kills him? The king will give him one of his daughters for a wife, and his whole family will be exempted from paying taxes!" 26 David talked to some others standing there to verify the report. "What will a man get for killing this Philistine and putting an end to his abuse of Israel?" he asked them. "Who is this pagan Philistine anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God?" 27 And David received the same reply as before: "What you have been hearing is true. That is the reward for killing the giant." 28 But when David's oldest brother, Eliab, heard David talking to the men, he was angry. "What are you doing around here anyway?" he demanded. "What about those few sheep you're supposed to be taking care of? I know about your pride and dishonesty. You just want to see the battle!" 29 "What have I done now?" David replied. "I was only asking a question!" 30 He walked over to some others and asked them the same thing and received the same answer.

31 Then David's question was reported to King Saul, and the king sent for him. 32 "Don't worry about a thing," David told Saul. "I'll go fight this Philistine!" 33 "Don't be ridiculous!" Saul replied. "There is no way you can go against this Philistine. You are only a boy, and he has been in the army since he was a boy!" 34 But David persisted. "I have been taking care of my father's sheep," he said. "When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, 35 I go after it with a club and take the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. 36 I have done this to both lions and bears, and I'll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! 37 The LORD who saved me from the claws of the lion and the bear will save me from this Philistine!"Saul finally consented. "All right, go ahead," he said. "And may the LORD be with you!" 38 Then Saul gave David his own armor – a bronze helmet and a coat of mail. 39 David put it on, strapped the sword over it, and took a step or two to see what it was like, for he had never worn such things before. "I can't go in these," he protested. "I'm not used to them." So he took them off again.

40 He picked up five smooth stones from a stream and put them in his shepherd's bag. Then, armed only with his shepherd's staff and sling, he started across to fight Goliath. 41 Goliath walked out toward David with his shield bearer ahead of him, 42 sneering in contempt at this ruddy-faced boy. 43 "Am I a dog," he roared at David, "that you come at me with a stick?" And he cursed David by the names of his gods. 44 "Come over here, and I'll give your flesh to the birds and wild animals!" Goliath yelled. 45 David shouted in reply, "You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD Almighty – the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 Today the LORD will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel! 47 And everyone will know that the LORD does not need weapons to rescue his people. It is his battle, not ours. The LORD will give you to us!"

48 As Goliath moved closer to attack, David quickly ran out to meet him. 49 Reaching into his shepherd's bag and taking out a stone, he hurled it from his sling and hit the Philistine in the forehead. The stone sank in, and Goliath stumbled and fell face downward to the ground. 50 So David triumphed over the Philistine giant with only a stone and sling. And since he had no sword, 51 he ran over and pulled Goliath's sword from its sheath. David used it to kill the giant and cut off his head. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they turned and ran. 52 Then the Israelites gave a great shout of triumph and rushed after the Philistines, chasing them as far as Gath and the gates of Ekron. The bodies of the dead and wounded Philistines were strewn all along the road from Shaaraim, as far as Gath and Ekron. 53 Then the Israelite army returned and plundered the deserted Philistine camp. 54 (David took Goliath's head to Jerusalem, but he stored the Philistine's armor in his own tent.) 55 As Saul watched David go out to fight Goliath, he asked Abner, the general of his army, "Abner, whose son is he?""I really don't know," Abner said. 56 "Well, find out!" the king told him. 57 After David had killed Goliath, Abner brought him to Saul with the Philistine's head still in his hand. 58 "Tell me about your father, my boy," Saul said. And David replied, "His name is Jesse, and we live in Bethlehem." (NLT)

Scriptures and reflection for Sunday 061409

2009-06-12T10:48:00.001-05:00

Questions for Reflection:

What does the world see in your outward appearance?

What do you see in your outward appearance?

What does God see when looking upon your heart?

What do you see when looking upon your heart?

What was it like for the brothers to be passed over? Has that ever happened to you? How did you feel? How did you respond?

What was it like for David the unlikely one to be chosen? Has that ever happened to you, that you were the surprise pick? What was that like for you?

Scriptures for Sunday 061409

1 Samuel

15: 34 Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house in Gibeah of Saul. 35 Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death, but Samuel grieved over Saul. And the Lord was sorry that he had made Saul king over Israel.

16: 1 The Lord said to Samuel, "How long will you grieve over Saul? I have rejected him from being king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and set out; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons." 2 Samuel said, "How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me." And the Lord said, "Take a heifer with you, and say, "I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.' 3 Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for me the one whom I name to you." 4 Samuel did what the Lord commanded, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, "Do you come peaceably?"

5 He said, "Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord; sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice." And he sanctified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

6 When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, "Surely the Lord's anointed is now before the Lord." 7 But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." 8 Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, "Neither has the Lord chosen this one." 9 Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, "Neither has the Lord chosen this one." 10 Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, "The Lord has not chosen any of these." 11 Samuel said to Jesse, "Are all your sons here?" And he said, "There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep." And Samuel said to Jesse, "Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here." 12 He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The Lord said, "Rise and anoint him; for this is the one." 13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. Samuel then set out and went to Ramah.

Luke 5

27 After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, "Follow me." 28 And he got up, left everything, and followed him. 29 Then Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house; and there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others sitting at the table with them. 30 The Pharisees and their scribes were complaining to his disciples, saying, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?" 31 Jesus answered, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; 32 I have come to call not the righteous but sinners to repentance."

Sermon thoughts for Sunday 060709

2009-06-05T10:27:00.003-05:00

The Structure of a Call

We experience God in a meaningful way

We respond in some significant and transforming way to that experience

God acts in and upon us with blessing

God calls/comissions for ministry

We choose to respond to the call

NOTICE: what's missing? The details! God does not flesh out the details of the mission or ministry, either in Isaiah 6 or Matthew 28, before asking for / inviting a committed response. The details come as we live out the calling, after we say, "YES!"

Along the way, we may be aware of our own inadequacy, our brokenness, our sinfulness and that of our community - we may even waver with some uncertainty and doubt. None of this need supercede our response to God's call. After all, as Jesus said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. I can say to you therefore...."

Another note: This Sunday is Trinity Sunday, when the church celebrates the mystery and majesty of the Triune God. We seek not to understand or explain God, but to experience and be in awe! Just as Isaiah was, and as the disciples were at the Ascension - We seek to worship in Spirit and in Truth.

See you Sunday

Ken

knowing and seeing

2009-06-02T16:18:00.004-05:00

#1
Tell me what you think you know
and you tell me that you're blind.
Say all you know is that you don't
I'll say I think you're doing fine.

#2
In the event that you learn something new.
Write it down and then forget it
Otherwise that knowledge will go to your head
and explode your ego, if you let it.

#3
I love to think, but not to learn
the end, the conquest holds no lustre
The journey is the think for me
The second thought on the summit
where to next?

to learn
To learn is to acquire
To acquire is to posess
To posess is to own
As you learn about me
What do you own
As I learn about you
Does your freedom wain

If you and I
can learn everything there is
to know about
one another
will we then cease to be free
And when my freedom evaporates
do I cease to be?

Learning to Lead

2009-05-01T09:01:00.004-05:00

Ever since I entered pastoral ministry I have struggled with the idea of self-as-leader. What does it mean for me to be a leader of a congregation? Who am I as a leader? What are my strengths and weaknesses for leadership? How do I lead with others whose roles are different? How do I hold my own self-understanding along side the expections others have of me?
My greatest anxieties and failures in ministry have been around these questions. The more I grow in my comfort with the questions themselves, become able to talk about them with others, and even draw some conclusions from them, the less anxious I become as a person and as a leader.
God called me, during college, to a vocation of Christian service and theological reflection. Over the years, it has seemed that God desires for me to live out that vocation in service to the church as incarnate in a local congregation, and thus far in pastoral staff positions. Unfortunately for all, for most of my adult life I have been growing into this with inadequate mentoring/ advising/ counseling/ coaching, and so have been in a default position of figuring things out as I go, which has left damage in my wake in my own life and in those around me. This was not my desire. I left seminary knowing that I needed mentoring as I had in college (but not during seminary, for the most part). In my first fulltime congregational ministry I sought out such mentoring, but received less than I hoped for or needed. Since then, I have been blessed to have colleagues and friends sow blessings of insight into my life and ministry sporadically and unsystematically.
Through CPE, PCS training, and my experience working with New Church Ministries as a Barnabas~Coach, I have grown in my skills at coaching myself, and in extending this ministry to others. While I was serving in Gladewater I received the following feedback about my PhD application to the University of Chicago, "You really come across as a resident theologian style of pastor more than a college professor." "OK, Great!" I thought. "Let me in the program so I can receive more training as a theologian." It was not to be. God, in divine wisdom, kept us in Texas, close to family and friends, and in an environment where I have been privileged to continue to minister and grow. In counseling several years later, I wrestled with the distinction I drew between a teacher and a leader - I felt called to be a teacher, or more accurately felt that to be my identity - "I am a teacher" - while I continued to think I heard congregations (and God?) calling me to be a 'leader', which seemed different.
Lately, I have been experiencing 'effectiveness' coaching and supervising ministry interns and others. I find this to be the most rewarding ministry I do, along side preaching. There are many things in congregational ministry that I can do well because of some combination of innate ability and learned skill. While I am doing them, I even find some enjoyment in them. They do not, however, make my heart sing. They are not a part of my calling as I understand it.
I think we (institutional mainline church, at the very least) fall into a trap of defining a particular staff position as a set of tasks, and then 'hire' a person to do those tasks, with little conversation about gifts and calling. The result is significant frustration among staff and laity alike. It just now occurs to me that a part of my problem in Midland (where I served 14 months as an associate minister just out of seminary) was my inability to recognize this, and my inability to see what the life and hope for my ministry could have been as a result. The personnel committee was absolutely right that G. had gifts and abilities, and right that God probably wanted him to use them in congregational life and ministry. What we all failed to then do was to say, "Therefore, Kendrick, let's reimagine your role here to create space for others' gifts to be exercised and for you to thrive in the use of your gifts!" OMG! What pain so many people have suffered because of that one simple failure! I was clear from the outset that I really didn't want to be a youth minister - though I was happy to have that as a part of my portfolio, I felt called to much more than that - to experience the breadth of congregational ministry. If we could have given ourselves space, we could have gotten there, and I would possibly still be living in Midland. God has certainly used the results of that failure to bring new growth in me and in the congregations and communities I have served. Which doesn't mean God willed that it happen that way- God would prefer, I believe, that we do things the easy way, but in our stubbornness we refuse, and so God's will is done in the redeeming of our suffering and failure to diving glory and for the furthering of God's kingdom.
So, the challenge before me is to grow in the ways God has SHAPEd me for service to Christ, Church, Community and Kingdom.
My personal, specific calling is to:

participate in a community envisioning the future for the congregation and community, drawing us to be the Kingdom of God
think, write and speak theologically for church and community,
coach and direct others toward spiritual growth in life and ministry.

My gifts, passions, abilities, personality and experiences have and are preparing me more each day for this work. When I step outside these roles, I disrupt someone else's path of doing their ministry, and fail to thrive in my own. Thus the Body, as Paul speaks, is not healthy because each part is not healthy nor is each part working fully as God intends (Ephesians 4:16).

My hope and desire is that the more clearly I can speak these things among congregational leaders and the community at large, the more clarity we will all have about our various roles in the life of the church and how God desires us to live out our faith together. A dear friend was able to say to me just recently "Teaching is my ministry" and thus she was able to say that she therefore needed to say no to various other ministry opportunities. What an empowering gift.

As I grow closer to health and maturity in my own personal faith and the living out of it in ministry, I feel more alive. I am more at peace, and thus better able, I think, to create a space around me where others can also make this journey and move toward peace. I believe, as I said above, that as I am able and willing to be open about these things with others around me, a community of knowing in common will grow toward maturity, with each person living into their own personal, specific calling from God for life and ministry.

To you, my reader, I extend a warm invitation to enter this conversation with me.

Into Your Hands I Commit My Spirit...

2009-04-09T13:15:00.005-05:00

Sermon thoughts for 041209 (Easter Sunday)

44 It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, 45 while the sun's light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit." Having said this, he breathed his last. (Luke 23)

We've spent the last 7 weeks hearing Jesus words from the cross. This is the last of them. Jesus again quotes from the Psalms. This time though, in stead of a lament (Mark 15:33-34 - "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me" from Psalm 22) we hear words of deep faith and confidence from Psalm 31. Indeed, the entirety of Psalm 31 is a testimony of faith and confidence in God's redeeming power - past, present, and future. Keep in mind that these quotes come from two different gospel writers, who have different theological concerns in their stories - which in part explains the apparent shift in mindset on Jesus' part. Mark writes around the time of the conquest of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple, when his audience no doubt wonders where God is in all of their historical circumstances. They too were probably praying the words of Psalm 22. They knew what it was to feel forsaken and wonder where God had gone. To be reminded that David knew their pain, but even more Jesus himself, must have been a great comfort. And to be reminded that our momentary experience of feeling abandoned is to be kept in the context of God's abiding love and redeeming power.

That then, brings us to Jesus statement in Luke 23:46. God's abiding love and redeeming power are the reason for our faith and confidence, the reason why we can give God everything, even from the cross. We are somewhat less confident of Luke's audience or situation for his Gospel - other than that he addresses it to "Theopholis" - which means "lover of God". Luke tells us that his gospel is an effort to set down in orderly fashion the events of Jesus' life, so that Theopholis may know the truth (Lk 1:-4).

Luke had traveled with Paul, and in that time learned first hand and through Paul's testimony that our own suffering does not negate God's goodness, power, or love. Indeed, it is in the midst of our suffering and weakness that God's power is revealed and made perfect (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). Luke witnessed what it meant to give God everything - Paul did it in his 'imitation of Christ' and called others to follow the same example - "Imitate me as I imitate Christ"(1 Cor 11:1) In other words, "I am striving to be like Jesus - you do the same." Earlier he makes clear that he is not seeking followers of himself (distinct from other apostles or teachers) but through his ministry seeking followers of Jesus who will not just believe, but imitate. Again, he says in Phillipians 2

1 If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, 2 make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. 5 Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, 7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, 8 he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death— even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
12 Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Be like Jesus. Hear John echo - whoever says, "I abide in him," ought to walk just as he walked. (1 John 2:6)

And what do we see in Jesus? "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." - which for Jesus, is everything. Jesus gave God everything. And in doing so, he have us everything as well. Go back and hear again the words of Philippians 2:6-8. He let go. It was the ultimate "trust fall". Have you ever done one of those at a retreat or group building exercise. You have to close your eyes, fall backward, and trust those with you to catch you. You say, "Friends, into your hands I commit my body." Maybe they catch you, maybe they don't.

As followers of Jesus, we learn from him what is required of us - to trust-fall into God's care and keeping - even when our physical experience is one of suffering. Indeed, we come to realize that the only way to experience resurrection is to go through death. This "giving God everything" is the ultimate death-to-self (Galatians 2:20).

How much do you trust God? Do you trust Him with your finances? Do you trust Him with your family? Do you trust Him with your career? Do you trust Him with your health? Do you trust Him with your soul? I don't mean, do you trust that you will go to heaven when you die. I mean, while you live, will you give God everything. Anybody can do it on their death bed - after all, you've got nothing left to loose and everything to gain perhaps. But what about now, today? Does God have it all. It is one thing to believe in Jesus - after all, he said, even the demons believe and tremble. What Christ desires is not believers, but followers. Those who will give God-the-Father everything, following Jesus' example and having the faith in the Father that Jesus had. This, and this alone, is the way to resurrection and eternal life. Until we yield to God, we are separated from God. As soon as we yield, we are united with God and enter immediately into God-life, which is eternal life, the kingdom of God here, now, among and within us, working itself out in the world. This is the clear witness of the church throughout the book of Acts and the writings of Paul, Peter, John and the others.

You may be asking, why a crucifixion text on resurrection day? Why indeed. Because noone experiences resurrection without passing through death, and you pass through death by yielding all you are to God. Give God everything today, so that you may know the power of the Resurrection in your life.

Community Conversation for the week before Sunday, 030809

2009-03-04T13:16:00.001-06:00

Prayer Psalm – 130

1 Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord. 2 Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications! 3 If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand? 4 But there is forgiveness with you, so that you may be revered.

5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; 6 my soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning, more than those who watch for the morning. 7 O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is great power to redeem. 8 It is he who will redeem Israel from all its iniquities.

Luke 23:

35 And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!" 36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, 37 and saying, "If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!" 38 There was also an inscription over him, "This is the King of the Jews." 39 One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, "Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!" 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, "Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong." 42 Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." 43 He replied, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise."

Thoughts for Conversation – Offering Hope

Luke 23:35-43 ~ "Surely, today you will be with me in paradise."

· Even in his own suffering, Jesus is able to hear the concerns of others. Hope comes, not because we deserve it, but because God is love.

· How are we like those who mock Jesus? What in your life makes a mockery of your Christian faith and witness?

· How will you offer hope to others?

· Where in your life do you need new hope? Where do you ask Jesus for less than He desires to give you?