Whose Birthday is it Anyway?

My birthday is December 23rd - Christmas Eve Eve (or as I've heard lately, Christmas Adam!) This had two major effects on my life - a great love of all things Christmas, and a selfish desire to have a birthday at any time but Christmas.
Growing up, Christmas meant spending every evening, from November 1 on, crafting something wonderful with my mom. My sister was too young at first to help (she's 5 years younger than I), so from suppertime until bedtime I had my mom all to myself. We made Chrismons by the dozens, and even had a Chrismon tree in our home for many years. [Chrismons are specific symbols of the Christian faith woven or carved in white and gold. The name stands for Christ's monogram - Chrismon.] We made a whole tree of yarn dolls one year, and hand-painted bread dough ornaments another.
THEN, as we grew closer to the blessed day, we would commence cookie baking !!!! Now, I know I'm biased, but my mom really DID make the best cookies ever! We would listen to Christmas albums from Firestone and Goodyear as we rolled, punched, cut and decorated. The house looked, felt and smelled fantastic.
Through the years, I've tried to duplicate this atmosphere in my own home. At times, I've come close. Yet, I was a single mom, a pastor (we don't get Christmas vacation!) and a poor excuse for both because I stressed so much to attempt to recreate a memory. I never stopped to remember that my mom had a maid. My dad helped out. My mom was a teacher, and therefore didn't have to go to work every day during Christmas.
Thank God for a wonderful little book entitled Christmas is Not Your Birthday by Mike Slaughter. The second chapter was written for me: "Giving Up on Perfection." Much of the holiday stress we undergo is because of our own unrealistic expectations! We are not our moms or our dads; we don't live in their world; we can't be them! We must form our own, realistic expectations for Jesus' birthday.
Which brings me to my second issue with Christmas. More often than not, I received "Merry Birthday" or "Happy Christmas" combo presents. I don't know if it was because everybody was too poor at Christmastime to buy an additional gift or what, all I know is I felt cheated! No one honored me. Birthday parties were impossible because everyone left town to go to grandma's, and no one was around for my birthday.
I think maybe Jesus feels a little like I did - cheated. We put everyone and every thing before Him at this time of year. IT'S JESUS' BIRTHDAY! Shouldn't we give him the first and best gifts we can? All too often, He gets our left-overs. We come dragging the kids to Christmas Services - angry, unsettled, and working our last surviving nerve, and not thinking very Christian thoughts, but at least we're in the building, right?
I'm thinking that might not be the gift Jesus wants for his birthday! Unlike everyone else on our Christmas list, Jesus doesn't want any material things. He wants our time spent in prayer and meditation. He wants us to tend to "the least of these." He wants us to give our hearts, minds, souls, and strengths; and to love our neighbor as we do ourselves. We can't do that if all of our time is spent, and our energy is gone, and our spirits are starving to death for lack of tending.
My church has a special tradition. They take up a Christ-child offering, and challenge everyone to give at least as much as they will spend on their most expensive gift. I challenge all of my readers to do the same. Remember - Christmas is not your birthday, it's His.

Mary's Song

"My soul glorifies the Lord
          and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
  for He has been mindful
          of the humble state of his servant.
  From now on all generations will call me blessed,
          for the Mighty One has done great things for me -
  holy is his name."

Luke 1:46-49

 

In many churches who follow the Revised Common Lectionary, next Sunday's scripture is Luke 1:47-55. Often called The Magnificat, based on the first word of the first verse in Latin (Magníficat ánima mea Dóminum), this song of Mary is truly some of the most beautiful and telling words in scripture.  It is Mary's joyous prayer in response to her cousin Elizabeth's greeting (Luke 1: 41-45). It is also a microcosm of the results of God's grace for the world.

 

Mary's first words express praise and thanks to God. Isn't that the way we should all approach the Almighty, the Creator of all that is? She also claims her own humility, her smallness in the shadow of God's power and might. 
Next, she claims the miracles foretold by the old testament prophets. The Messiah, her child, will be the one who brings justice to the world at last.

He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
          and exalted those of low degree.
He has filled the hungry with good things;
          and the rich He has sent empty away.

Luke 1:51-53

Later, when Jesus teaches in the synagogue, He used similar language from the prophet Isaiah to describe his ministry: 

 

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
           for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released,
           that the blind will see,
           that the oppressed will be set free,

and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.

Luke 4:18-19

The gifts Jesus wants from us are peace and justice, not flashy gifts. What if all the money spent on gifts for each other this Christmas were instead used to obliterate hunger? What if our gluttonous feasts were delivered to the local jails and prisons? This is the response Jesus desires from His disciples.

 

Mary's Song is both personal and universal. A poor unwed teenage mother-to-be expresses her faith in the God of all humankind and holds on to that God during her most difficult times: while fearing the legal ramifications of her pregnancy (being stoned to death), as a refugee in Egypt, all the way to the foot of the cross. This simple young girl, in the face of poverty, homelessness, and even death, chooses to have faith. She relies on God and God alone. When the wealthy kings arrived and presented the poor child with gifts of great material value, Mary didn't glory in the wealth. No, she "kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often." (Luke 2:19)

 

The heart has always been the place where the Christ-child makes his home. We are asked to submit our bodies and our minds to God's will, but it is in our hearts that the Holy Spirit dwells. As we prepare our houses for the holiday season, let us prepare a home for Christ in our hearts. And may Mary's Song remind us to be a part of the solution for the poor, the oppressed and the ones who most need the love of God in their hearts.

Holidays or Holy Days?

My daughter and I started a tradition as soon as she was old enough to understand it. Every night we'd gather at the Advent wreath and light the candle. I would read the scripture, and then I would sing to her (eventually she sang too!) a little song that I had found in an illustrated book of hers: The Friendly Beasts. It was simple, repetitive, and profound. As we grew older, we added this and that to our little tradition. But we NEVER missed lighting the candles and praying together.
How do you pause to see the miracle? How do you make this holiday a holy day?What is your most memorable Christmas ever? Tonight I attended our Women's Group's Christmas Party. We each shared our most memorable Christmas.
The Christmas that is etched in my memory forever happened when I was in 6th or 7th grade. My father was an IRS agent in the collections division. He was the one that padlocked businesses when they couldn't pay. He dealt with many different types of people in his work. A few weeks before Christmas he happened to call on a poor family in rural NC. The oldest daughter was washing dishes in some of the dirtiest water he'd ever seen. He asked her why she didn't poor it out and get some clean water. She replied, "The only soap we have is in that water." My dad came home that night and tearfully recounted the story of his day. He talked to my sister and me about how blessed we were to have a nice house, clothes and food to eat. He told us what the Bible said about giving, and how Jesus called us to do as he did. He gave his life away, just because he loved us. He gave us a choice, but he told us he was taking all of his gifts and our Christmas dinner out to those poor people. We all agreed to give up our Christmas for that family. My dad didn't stop there. He visited local businesses and they donated toys, food, clothing, and, of course, dish detergent! The local Belk store manager opened the store early one day so the family could all come in undisturbed and find coats, shoes and socks, undergarments and one outfit of their choosing. My dad's men's group at church and Belks shared the cost.
But what I remember most is picking out a doll for one of the girls. It was in the local drugstore. I had been looking at that doll for weeks, but I was too old for that sort of thing. When they told me to pick out the perfect dolly, I knew right where to go and I asked the pharmacist myself if we could have for our Christmas family. He gave the doll to me, and a stroller for it!
Then came Christmas Day. We got up, loaded everything in the car, and took our Christmas to complete strangers, just because they needed it. To this day, I believe God sent my dad to that house, not because of their taxes, but because he wanted to work a miracle in our lives.
You see, giving away Christmas changed me. It showed me one of the deepest truths of my faith: love of God and love of neighbor. Ever since, my holiday has been a holy day. I give through my church - my time, my money, my family. Yet, even though it's my busiest season, and there's so much to coordinate, it's also my happiest time. Because I expect to see a miracle, and God always come through. It may be in a Christmas card from friends, or a visit from a loved one, or sitting in a living room with our Women's Group sharing about which Christmas memory means the most to us. And the greatest miracle of all - Christ comes into my heart! He interrupts my everyday and calls me to share in his ministry and blesses me in a way only the King of Kings and Lord of Lords can do!
Expect a miracle, live your call, share in the birth, and count the blessings! Happy Holydays!

Thanks is a Big Little Word

Thanks. It's a word we throw around alot.  We nonchalantly call "thanks" over our shoulders. It's a pretty handy word. Short, sweet and to the point. Yet, if we take seriously its true meaning, we might pause and take more care in this expression of gratitude we take so lightly.

From the old German, dank(gratitude) and the Latin, tongere(to know), thanks literally means "to know gratitude." The first definition given on the internet dictionary is the one we all know and assume when we hear the word "thanks."  It is:
             1.  an expression of gratitude, as in "a letter of thanks"
But the second meaning I think is closer to the true definition - to know gratitude - and the way we need to view it in terms of the day of thanks we call Thanksgiving.
             2.  a feeling of gratitude, an expression of a state of gratitude
What would it be like to live in a state of gratitude? We would be giving thanks constantly because we have so many things for which to be thankful. Most of what we have came from the hands of someone else. For example - you may have bought that sweet potato for the yams at the grocery store or market, but were it not for the person who transported it to the store, the person who harvested it, the person who cared for it, and the person who planted it, you couldn't buy it! That's at least five others to thank for their service to you!
WOW! Living in a state of gratitude isn't easy! Yet, we cannot afford spiritually to give thanks only once a year for all that we have.
I've kept a journal for as long as I remember, and in the back of it I have a "gratitude list." I try to add to it daily, even if only to say thank God I'm alive, I woke up today, and I am able to walk and talk and freely move about with two legs and two arms and eyes and ears that work.
If we all truly lived in a state of thanks, it would destroy the epidemic of entitlement devouring our culture. Living in a state of thanks would slow us down and help us make more careful, considerate choices based on a mindset of thanksgiving. To live in a state of gratitude is to focus on others, not self. It is to acknowledge that we are neither dependent nor codependent, but rather interdependent as a people. We all need each other, and we all need to know we have something to contribute that is of worth. It is learning to give AND receive thanks that set in motion that first Thanksgiving that we tell the children about. It is a way to live in peace with one another - for you cannot hate someone for whom you are grateful.
In our Methodist doctrine, as well as in many others, we call Holy Communion "The Great Thanksgiving." As we become mindful of all the blessings that come our way, as we unravel the complexities of how we receive all good things, when we come to the end of the chain of thanks, we find a Creator. That God, our creator, is the source of ALL THINGS. God gives us land and water and fish and fowl and vegetation and companionship and sunshine and rain and soooooooooooo many things, we couldn't possibly name them all. God, above all others, is the one whom we thank and praise and adore because of all he has given to us and each and every thing we have received from His hand.
So when you sit down to eat that turkey, be mindful of how you came to have a turkey to eat. When you pass the potatoes, yams and cranberry sauce, think of those who worked at hard labor to bring them to you. Pause to thank God for making it all possible. Thank God for the family you have with you. Make it a goal to start this Thanksgiving keeping a gratitude list, and adding to it every day. Who knows, this state of thanks may be contagious? We might start a trend. God is good - all the time. Have a happy and blessed Thanksgiving.

Post-election Fallout

Someone sent me an email this week entitled "A Christian Response to the Elections". There are some people threatening to secede in response to the election that claim to be Christian. Some people labeled liberals, some of whom claim to Christian as well, seem thrilled, but demand more, more, more from this president. I don't know definitive “Christian” the answer. So I fall back on the things that I value most, seek to maintain my integrity as a Christian, and get on with life.

Basically, all we Christians can do is vote our conscience, accept the results, and pray for all of our public servants. We need to be Christ-like in all our dealings, no matter what! We need to respect authority. We need to work for compromise, not draw battle lines. We need to model the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth.

Jesus submitted to crucifixion. Even though he was wrongly accused and the government was corrupt, even though he could have called down all the powers of heaven to wage war against them, yet he submitted to the authorities humbly and without protest. How can we not submit to the authority of our government, even if it's unjust or corrupt? We are citizens of Heaven and just resident aliens here. Part of being Christian is living peaceably with our neighbors. Our government – for better or worse – is our government. Like Jesus said, “Give to Caesar the things that are of  Caesar, and give to God the things that are of God.”(Matthew 22:21)

Jesus said, “But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike..” (Matthew 5: 43-48)  We've got to stop fighting. The bible says, "Any kingdom divided by civil war is doomed. A family splintered by feuding will fall apart." (Luke 11:17) Someone's got to start talking about peace and consensus, and I think we as Christians are bound by the wounds of Christ to be a part of the solution, not add to the problem. We can best work for change from a position of reconciliation, cooperation, and charity than from a point of view that is negative and hateful. Like my granddaddy used to say, "You attract more flies with honey than vinegar." It seems to me that our time would be much better spent sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ than arguing about who’s right and who’s wrong.

I recently read a statistic that made me sad. One in three young adults in America have no religion at all. One seventh of all Americans are “nones”, the nomenclature for people who have no religious affiliation. Look around you. If you see seven people, one of them is a non-believer. If we spend as much energy sharing the good news of Jesus Christ and what he means in our lives as we do sharing the political junk, then maybe we’ll be blessed enough to see the fruits of our labor when some “nones” show up at our church, or give their lives to Christ.

All I know is that my Lord died for ALL humankind. Democrats and Republicans, liberals and conservatives, rich and poor, Christian and non-Christian. If we follow the lead of Christ, we, too, will love everyone. We don't have to condone things we don't believe in, but we also don't have to condemn. Judging is God's job, not ours.

A Christian response to the election? Continue being the best Christians we can be. Seek God's will in all we do. Live a life that mirrors Christ as best we can. Avoid sin. Spread the good news. And, "Go make of all disciples!" And, for the love of God, be nice to each other - even if we disagree. And maybe, just maybe, when we stand before God, he will say, as he did in Matthew 25:23 “Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you much more. Let’s celebrate together!” Then we all have a praise party and go back to work, because Luke 10:2 says, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.” See you in the fields!

 

Fa La or not Fa La - that is the question

Someone recently posted on facebook a question about whether or not it is acceptable to listen to Christmas music the day after Halloween. They wanted my advice as a spiritual advisor. I probably didn't give them such a spiritual answer. I said ABSOLUTELY you can listen to Christmas music as soon as Halloween is over. In fact, you don't even have to wait for Halloween to be over! Anything that shares love and cheer and positivity should be shared a often as possible!
Being born on Christmas Eve Eve myself, I have always felt a special kinship with Christmas. Unlike Lent, where we are charged to be penitent and reflective for the 40 days (excluding Sundays) before Easter, Advent can be joyous all the way through. We can read and heed the prophets as they proclaim the Messiah is coming - and then celebrate! God made us a wonderful promise that he would send a Savior!
Therefore The Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14
WOOHOO! YEEHAW! HALLELUJAH! PRAISE THE LORD! The Lord is sending "Immanuel" - God with us. God is going to live with us on the earth! How awesome is that! I'm singing the Hallelujah Chorus in my head, even as I write this!
But there is a responsibility that goes along with the jubilation...

Sandy was NO Lady!

I've been watching the TV, and I've been deeply affected by the devastataion in the wake of super storm Sandy. I want to help. I think everyone wants to help. Many will and have in many ways. Yet, I just gave out of my extra change. It's easy to click the donate button and give that automatic $10.
Then I see the reality. People without food, and the food they have going to waste without refridgeration. I see water everywhere. I see people cold and tired, huddling together in public places with power and heat, but having to leave and face a cold night when that place closes for the day. I think of children and families that depend on their kids eating at least one and sometimes two meals at school, suddenly having to provide three meals a day on the same budget, if they're lucky enough to have a paycheck coming in when their place of business is closed due to the devastation.
I pray to God, "What is my response? What is Your will for me in helping my neighbors? What is the best use of my resources for Your ministry of healing and hope for the victims of Sandy." I'll certainly encourage my church members and all my readers to give. Money is the best gift the experts tell us. Then disaster response people can buy supplies locally in the affected area and so help the faltering economy in that region. Certanly volunteerism is the next best gift. First responders are still needed, along with anyone with disaster response training. Truck drivers are needed, as well as emergency relief and Red Cross volunteers. I am none of those, and I have already given what I think I can afford.
Still, God keeps giving me that little nudge. What if I sent a gift of money that was equal to one week's power, food, water and other necessities of life? I'm told relief agencies can feed a family of four for a week with $126. I can divide my power bill by 4, and send a quarter of my costs to relief work. I can go to the grocery or discount store and price a week's worth of water at 8 eight ounce servings a day times seven days, then send that money to the Red Cross or UMCOR (my church's relief agency). That would be a slight hardship on me. I'd have to juggle things, cut back on others. Yet, it's nothing like the hardship my friends in the wake of Sandy are facing. It's time for some sacrificial giving on my part.
1 John 3:16-17 (The Message)

"This is how we’ve come to understand and experience love: Christ sacrificed his life for us. This is why we ought to live sacrificially for our fellow believers, and not just be out for ourselves. If you see some brother or sister in need and have the means to do something about it but turn a cold shoulder and do nothing, what happens to God’s love? It disappears. And you made it disappear."
Pray for your response, and I'll pray for mine. May we all be faithful in our sacrificial love in the name of Jesus.

Politics and religion

Thou shalt not talk about politics and religion. No, it's not a commandment you'll find in the Bible. Yet, many people act like it is. And in this current climate of dualism and judgmentalism, it's the safest way to go.
As Christians, we do not always take the safest way. Matthew 7:13-14 (NLT)
tells us:
13 “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way.14 But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it."
As Christians, we do not join the crowd moving through the wide gate, cursing others or committing verbal abuse against anyone they don't agree with.
At the same time, we who enter through the narrow gate must not hide, avoiding any discussions on religion and politics. We MUST add our voices to the discussion. They must be voices of calm acceptance for the opposition, and love for all God's children no matter what they believe. It's not for us to try to "convert" others' political views to ours, only to add our point of view to the discussion.
ALL OF THIS MUST BE DONE IN LOVE. We must model the kingdom of God on earth by our strength of character. Ephesians 4:29-32 says:
Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
With Election Day just around the corner, let's make the discussions kind and tenderhearted. Above all, be sure to vote.

Some Thoughts on Prayer

When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them…But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. (Matthew 6:5-6)

Once Jesus was in a certain place, praying.  As he finished, one of his disciples came to him and said, “Lord, teach us to pray…”  (Luke 11:1)

A working definition of prayer:  interactive conversation with God about what we and God are thinking and doing together. (Taken from the Life with God Bible.)

 

I Samuel 1:9-20  Hannah’s story is a familiar one. Remember Abraham and Sarah? They prayed for a child just like Hannah. Hannah seems to take it a bit further, though. “She was deeply distressed and prayed.” Elkanah's other wife, Peninnah, has already given him sons and daughters. Hannah’s humility is shown by her refusal to turn against Peninnah, even though she constantly gloats. Hannah, instead of fighting with Peninnah, cries out to the Lord. The bible says she wept bitterly.

"O Lord of hosts, if only you will look on the misery of your servant, and remember me, and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a male child, then I will set him before you as a nazirite until the day of his death."  I Samuel 1:11
Even when Eli accuses her of being drunk instead of praying, she insists that God hear her cries and never ceases her prayer. She promises God (and Eli) that when she has a son, she will dedicate it to the work of the Lord. It's only after Eli blesses her that she finally gets up and goes home.
And, when the time is God's time, she has a son. And as promised, she brings him to the priest, Eli, to serve in the house of the Lord.
Even thought Hannah has to give up her son, she thanks God. Read Hannah’s Prayer and notice the similarities with Mary’s prayer in Luke 1:46-56. She's giving to God her most precious possession, the one desire of her heart, and she's GRATEFUL!
When we pray, do we willingly sacrifice the very thing we've prayed for? It seems so foreign to our modern-day "gimme" mentality. Hannah wasn't selfish in her prayer, she prayed for a son for her husband and her God. Can we honestly say we pray for things unselfishly like Hannah?
Jesus not only wants us not to be selfish, but also wants us to be humble. We're to pray in secret, not to be seen. The Lord's Prayer that he gave us is mostly about God's ways, not ours. Jesus himself prayed in the garden of Gethsemane, "Lord, not my will but yours." How unselfish he was! Facing death on a cross for us, he humbled himself before God and submitted to His perfect will. It's a great lesson in prayer for us to emulate.

Prayer: God of love and grace, teach me to pray. Help me to “pray without ceasing.” Help me to praise you in all circumstances. Teach me to pray even when answers seem not to come. Teach me about your will for my life and how to pray in your will. Amen.

A Summer Prayer

Recently, a good friend of mine, Rev. Dr. Ken Carter, added another title to his name - Bishop. So now I guess it's Bp. Dr. Ken Carter. He's still Ken to me. Some of you may have heard him preach at last summer's Pleasant Grove Camp Meeting. Ken has a blog. I read it often, and last week one entry caught my interest. I found in his simple "a summer prayer" a profound and touching closure to summer and entrance into a new season. As we fill the schools with children and return to the routine of fall, I share it with you here.

a summer prayer

O God of every time and season
we give thanks for rhythms of work and rest
for places apart that mark our years
for the eternal return of ocean waves
for the defiant posture of mountains
for the hiddenness of favorite coves
for pilgrimages made and then homecomings.

O God, in this season we are grateful
for sanity regained
for blessings discovered
for those who return to us
and for those who leave.

Teach us, God of wonder and creation
that your presence is woven into
the comings and goings of our lives
and having fled to our own lonely places
let us return, with Jesus
to live and work
to heal and pray
to worship and love.

Amen.

(published in Alive Now, July/August, 2000)

Succotash

There's nothing better in the summertime than succotash made from fresh garden tomatoes, okra, and corn. Now, some people will try to tell you succotash has beans in it. They are mistaken. The perfect bowl of piping hot succotash has home-grown tomatoes harvested at their peak, home-grown okra sliced and ready to go, and corn hand sliced off the cob, preferably silver queen, but any corn will do. It is manna from heaven!
I also have some strong feelings about barbeque. I was born in Lexington, NC, and therefore prefer my barbeque Lexington-style, with a vinegar-tomato based sauce.  There are other forms of barbeque, I will acknowledge that, but they are the lesser forms of the species. They taste alright, and will do if there is nothing else available, but it's hard to settle when you've had the best.
All kidding aside, we all have our opinions. Some of them are more firmly entrenched than others. This is especially so, it seems, when it comes to our faith. The Moravian church has a motto that I really like when it comes to disagreements in the church:
      "In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity."
Not only is that good church policy, it's good life policy! You may put beans in your succotash, but ultimately I still love you as a child of God no matter what. You may make Kansas-style barbeque, but I'll still have you over for dinner. Those differences are non-essential; so is what color we paint the walls in the church library or nursery - as is whether we have four ushers or six and whether they are women or youth or men. These are the things we should compromise on for the good of the body of Christ. It's not a power struggle. It's not about who's right or wrong. It's just beans or okra!
The essentials - those we don't compromise on. They are the tenets of our faith. Things like the doctrine of the Trinity, forgiveness for all who believe, and grace, mercy and pardon in the name of Christ. Those things we cling to for dear life! The "Top Ten" - the Ten Commandments - and the "Golden Rule"; the Great Commision; the greatest commandment; all of these are not open for compromise. In these things, we seek and work diligently for unity of understanding and practice.
In all things, charity. Love. The greatest force in the universe. From the time we are children, we hear the stories of how all kinds of evil can be dispersed with "true love's kiss." Even the secular world will acknowledge the power of love. Jesus, when asked what the greatest commandment was answered, "You must love the Lord your God with all you heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself."  (Matthew 22:37-39 NLT) Love covers it all. Love conquers death. Love trumps disputes, conflicts and disagreements. Love is the most important thing we can do. Love is essential to our health and well-being. It is also essential to our families, communities, indeed, to our world. The old song says it all, "It's love that makes the world go 'round."
So, maybe I'll try your succotash with beans. You try my vinegar based barbeque. And we'll call it a covered dish and invite everyone we know and share it - in love.

Preacher C and the Great 50 Days

Easter lasts more than one day. Lots of people don't know that. In fact, there is a whole season of Easter in the church celebrated from Easter Sunday to the Day of Pentecost. It's sometimes called the Great Fifty Days. The word Pentecost actually comes from the old English Pentecosten which means "Christian festival on seventh Sunday after Easter" (taken from http://www.etymonline.com). So, it's all about Easter! Everything starts at Easter for the Christian, for without it's significance, Christmas would not have much importance,

Easter is the oldest festival of the church. The Great Fifty Days has been celebrated much longer than some other festivals and liturgical seasons, such as Advent and Lent. Easter is a most joyful season! The color is white (and/or gold) and the symbols associated with it are truly gorgeous! Flowers in every color imaginable! Butterflies! Brightly colored eggs! Beautifully woven baskets - that's right, they're not just for collecting eggs, but have a symbolism all their own. Young chicks, duckling, and bunnies. The dogwood tree. Stained glass. Hot cross buns. Spring cleaning. Handel's Messiah. Faberge eggs. Ukranian eggs. All these are symbols connected with the celebration of Easter. Why must we use them only on one day?

Readings through the season of Easter are from the book of Acts, emphasizing the importance of our continued presence as a church. We must carry on Jesus' Great Commission, His last instructions to us after the resurrection. "I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20) Yes, we must carry the message of the Gospel. But I say we do it with joy; with flowers, eggs, baskets, hot cross buns, songs, and the promise that Jesus is a living, breathing savior that walks with us and cares for us and celebrates with us and forgives us and wants us to know true peace and great joy!

Easter reaches its peak at Pentecost, when we celebrate the bursting into our world of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit gives the power and gifts to the church to do God's will and carry Jesus' message even more powerfully into the world. But that's a story for another day...for now, let's continue to enjoy Easter!!!!!

Preacher C Wonders What it Would Be Like to Be There

I have an annual Holy Week ritual. Actually, it usually begins about the Saturday before Palm Sunday. I begin to listen to Andrew Lloyd Webber's Jesus Christ Superstar. Each year I choose a character from the drama to become - to live into, if you will. Through the years, I've been Mary Magdalene, Pilot, Herod, a person in the crowd, Caiaphas, Peter, John, Simon the Zealot, a leper, etc.
I've been doing this long enough that I ran out of characters! This year there was no one left to be - no one, that is, except Jesus. I was rather put off by the prospect of living into that particular character. In fact, I felt unworthy, ashamed, even a little afraid. As a director, I've coached actors to portray Jesus in productions of Godspell, Cotton Patch Gospel and Superstar. Yet when faced with the reality of trying to BE Him, to have the heart, the mind, the soul of Christ as I move through the events of Holy Week, I found it completely daunting.
Jesus and 12 men were together day and night for 3 years. They experienced life together. Miracles. Healings. Feedings. The blind can see. The lame can walk. The word Messiah keeps coming up. The teachings. Some believe He will lead a revolution against the Roman occupation. Some believe He is a prophet. Some believe He is a rabbi. Some believe they just feel good being around him.
I've served in churches for 26 years. We've been through life together. Miracles. Healings. And I can tell you as a Methodist, there've been TONS of feedings. I've seen the blind healed; the lame, too - not by me, mind you, but by the Jesus I serve. We talk about the Messiah and his teachings. There's always some contingency in the church that wants to overthrow some other group in the church and wants me on "their side". I can relate to all that.
Jesus keeps trying to lay it out for them. Love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. And love your neighbor as yourself. They keep trying to complicate things.
I can relate to that too. We just have to love God and each other. Yet, we get mad and hate each other over petty things like the color of the carpet or the people who wear shorts to the contemporary service.
And then when things get rough for Jesus, his friends all desert him. One even betrays him to the enemy.
Hey, come to think of it, I've been there too. Haven't we all at one time or another?
No, I'm nowhere near being Jesus. But I'm finding myself really moved, even changed by finding how much he had to face exactly the things I've had to face in my life. He knows EXACTLY how I feel when I cry out to him.
And when he was on that cross and cried, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?", he knew God hadn't forsaken him, just like I know God never forsakes me. But he FELT forsaken, the pain of loss, the heartbreak of loneliness, the human emotion of being alone and, like us, he cried out in frustration for the One who never forsakes us.
Then, three days later, He sees his friends again. Slowly they return to Him. Now they are with Him forever, as we will one day be as well. I haven't experienced that yet. But I'm looking forward to it...

The Blood of Christ Shed for All

I don't get it. All this fascination with blood. The popularity of vampires, werewolves and the like. Young people choosing blood as an accessory, a condiment (supposedly fake blood, but even so euw!), and a form of entertainment. I find it quite disturbing.

I've often found it quite disturbing that we talk so much about blood in the church. Saved by the blood. Power in the blood. I'm too squimish about such things. I prefer to go straight from Palm Sunday to Easter, frankly, and skip over all that messiness of Good Friday. I'm probably the only Christian I know who hasn't seen The Passion of the Christ, not because I doubt that it's a good movie, but because I don't do well with the gore. I can accept that Christ suffered for me without having to see it, can't I?
Sometimes I even get a little perturbed with my colleagues for dwelling a little too much on all this blood talk. Have you been washed in the blood? Are you cleansed by the blood? Only by his blood are you saved. Enough already!

Michelle was 14. She was a normal kid - a cheerleader, secretary of the youth group, etc. We built haunted houses together, went on beach and ski trips together, planned Sunday school and youth group lessons together, typed youth newsletters together, and did all the normal pastor-youth things in a small rural church. But on this particular day, Michelle wasn't her normal self. She lay in a hospital bed in the pediatic hospital. Her normally well tanned freckled face was as white as the sheet beneath it. Her freckles stood black against her porcelin face, and her black hair made her seem even more pale. She had a very potent, aggresive form of leukemia. She wasn't expected to survive. Her blood was dying from what I understood.

After visiting with her, I went by the chapel. I prayed. I prayed for the blood. I prayed for all that power, that saving, that cleansing, all those things blood was supposed to do. I prayed for Christ's blood to be Michelle's blood - to replace her sick blood with his powerful blood. I begged forgiveness for the flip way I had treated the gift of blood - for now I could see that blood was life itself. I prayed and prayed and prayed for precious Michelle. When I couldn't pray anymore, I went back to see her again before I left to go home.

She wanted to tell me something. But first, in order to understand what she had to tell me, you need to know that I was 7 months pregnant with my first child at the time. She told me, "Pastor Caren, I HAVE to get well. If I don't, who's going to baby sit for your baby?" She had a point. She was the only teenage girl in the church.

Well, she did get well. She did babysit Anna. And she taught me all about the meaning of the power of the blood of Jesus Christ to bring life - new life - to those who will seek him. I remember her often, but especially when we come to this time of year when we talk more about the blood, the life-giving, wonderful blood of Jesus Christ.

Preacher C and the Little armstrong

At the approach of Christmas, you see lights on every store, tree, lamp post and home. You see red and green ad nauseum. You hear Christmas carols beginning November 1. There are Christmas cookies, Christmas parties, Christmas parades and Christmas cards. Yet, Easter, arguably the more important Christian event, doesn't have the same celebratory flair. Why?

Well, with the whole lights thing, it's not as dark, so there's a whole different kind of ambiance. God seems to be providing the lighting for this season. Bright sunlight has returned. Patio lights have replaced twinkle lights, as people have moved outside into the warmer air to celebrate the return of spring. The glow of hearth and candlelight are replaced by breathtaking sunrises and sunsets, as well as longer daylight hours.

And why limit ourselves to red and green when God paints the world in brilliant colors of pink, purple, yellow, orange, red, gold, green, and white? There are flowers, trees, butterflies, and birds forming an unlimited pallette of variegation for God to dip His paintbrush into. And though I have never heard of Easter carols, there are certain songs associated with this time of the church year that I look forward to: Must Jesus Bear the Cross Alone?, What Wondrous Love is This? and others that we sing only at this time of the year.

There used to be Easter parades. At least, in the movies there were! In one of my favorites, Holiday Inn, starring Bing Crosby (my children are going "Who?"), there's the song about the Easter parade. Many of us do still wear new clothes on Easter Sunday and "parade" to church to show our best! There may not be Easter cookies, but I love hot cross buns and moravian sugar cookies. And why not send Easter cards?

Okay, so I'm grasping at straws. Yet, there are some very rich Easter traditions so ingrained in our culture that we don't even know they are associated with Easter. Oh, we know about the bunnies and eggs, signs of fertility adapted from the pagan cultures by the church and assigned new "chrisitanized" interpretations. But did you know that pretzels were developed by monks as unleavened bread to be used during Lent? Their original shape of the twist was supposed to resemble arms folded in prayer. Think about that next time you munch a pretzel. And I know you can find marshmallow hearts, rabbits, santas and shamrocks, but they were origanally developed in the 1950s in America (I think in Boston, but don't quote me on that) as little peeps for Easter treats.

Easter is the oldest of all the Christian traditions and holidays. It is the holiest of days. It is the day that gives us a reason to be Christians - the day Jesus conquered death, rose from the grave, and called us to live as His disciples. We are, in fact, Easter people, when we have died to self, and risen with Him to a new life lived according to His purpose.

I, for one, plan to celebrate like crazy. Party at Pastor Caren's house! I'm making the Hot Cross Buns, someone else bring the ham, chocolate bunnies anyone? Up from the grave He arose (He arose), Hallelujah, Christ arose!

Preacher C and the Endless Wilderness

This year for Lent, I chose to give up television. The first two weeks were NO PROBLEM. I thought, "This is gonna be a breeze!" Then I had surgery and was bed-ridden for a week. I couldn't quilt. I couldn't scrapbook. I couldn't cook. I couldn't get outside in all the nice weather. I couldn't even read because the meds made my eyes all blurry. The anesthesia made me sick. I was basically hating life. AND THEY STARTED A NEW SEASON OF DANCING WITH THE STARS! ARGH!

I remembered why I had chosen to give up TV. It was so that I'd have more time to do the things I enjoyed, and more time to spend with God. So God and I had a good looooong chat. And another. And several more. I did all the talking, I'm afraid. I'm prone to do that, being that I talk for a living. Last Sunday, I had given in to a bit of a pity party. I cried out to God that I just didn't have any fight left in me. I wondered if Jesus felt that way after 40 days of fasting in the wilderness. Not long after that the phone rang. It was my Sunday night Bible study group. They were calling to see if I would mind if they visited me.

My husband said a smile came to my face. I just know my prayer was answered. I said, "Mind? I'd love it if they'd come!" My loving husband set to cleaning the house; I put on some clean pajamas; and soon they arrived. Even though my beloved Tar Heels had just lost, it seemed so trivial, because what really mattered was that I was loved by an awesome God and his awesome angels who had come to minister to their minister in her time of need. I told them that at the end of that story about Jesus in the wilderness, when he had faced his last temptation, angels came and ministered to him. So maybe, just maybe, I've met my last temptation...at least for this trip through the wilderness. All I know is, my angels showed up just in time!

Often people from all walks of life come to me for help in their circumstances. I always encourage them, no matter who they are, to get involved in a faith community. I don't know how anyone goes through life without one. Yes, any local church will help you all they can. But YOUR church will go that second mile, and stand by you, walk with you, and share your burdens and your joys. We all have our wilderness times. We all need God and we all need each other. If you are reading this and are a church member, reach out to someone in need - just a card or a call. If you are in need and no one is reaching out - does your pastor know? Sometimes we're the last to know! Have someome let us know if you are sick or in need. Who knows, you just might find angels on your doorstep!

Preacher C and the Community gardens

Spring is in the air. Everyone is out walking. Flowers are blooming. Trees are budding. Birds are tweeting (the ones in the trees, I mean). The freshness of rain, the smell of soil. It stirs something deep in the soul. It's no accident that many of the parables of Jesus used earthy metaphors to explain spiritual truths. We connect on a deep level to the earth.

I was recently approached by some church members and townspeople about starting a community garden, with my church as the sponsoring organization. So, as the city girl I am, I immediately began to do research. I read many articles on the web, made a trip to the library, met with local experts, and began to talk to church members. There are several master gardeners in my church - who knew? Of course, I now must confess that I don't know what a master gardener is, but it sure sounds impressive! You see, I love to benefit from gardening, especially those home-grown tomatoes. But, I'm not particularly good at it. I have had a modicum of success with herbs because, frankly, I don't think you can kill herbs. Tomatoes, not so much. But my heart is in it!

I do COMPLETELY believe in the concept of the community garden. I believe we need to come together and create an atmosphere of mutual cooperation and trust for the benefit of ourselves and those less fortunate. I believe in the old concept of God's acre, setting aside a portion of all we plant for the poor. I believe in teaching a new generation that is far removed from the land that once we understood our complete and utter dependence upon it and it's time we did again. Concepts like composting, rain water harvesting, crop rotation, and complemetary planting should touch our everyday lives on a regular basis, not just on a field trip at school.

Perhaps the most important aspect of the community garden is the sense of community. We are so isolated by our lifestyles today. We build ever larger homes for ever smaller families. We use iPods and kendles to close out the world, rather than smile and say, "Hello." Even with friends and family, we tune out with TV and PCs and cell phones. Wouldn't it be refreshing to have a "no-tech" zone! To just talk, share gardening tips, go through life together, laugh, cry, sweat, dig, plant, harvest, and rejoice.

So, Gentle Readers, if you share my passion for this project, please contact me at pastorcaren@waxhawumc.com, or call 704/843-3931. We're trying to build a team of committed, dedicated people to make this pilot project a success. Our dream is that this would be one of many to spring up all around Waxhaw. Is this your gift? Are you called to this ministry? Do you have talents in this direction? Do you have expertise to share? Do you need something to do with your time? Are you feeling a Holy Spirit nudge? Join us. I believe you will find it a blessing.

Matthew 5:5 say "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." That makes them also rich, those meek ones, for they shall inherit all they need.

Preacher C and the Vanity tags

Recently, my husband decided, for reasons known only to him and God, that I needed a vanity tag for my car. He did not consult me on the matter. If he had, he would have discovered that I don't care for the things. After all, isn't vanity one of the seven deadly sins? I detest those cutesy little tags proclaiming the owner to be a "NSCRGRL" or announcing the car is "BECASBUG." I don't care, frankly, if you are a "SK8TR" or the "NXTIDOL." Yet, now my car proudly proclaims for all the world to see that I am "REVCAREN."

Now, at first glance, this might not seem so bad. But, you see, I drive like a little old lady. I drive exactly the speed limit. If it says 35, I set my cruise control on 35. This apparently irritates the people who get trapped behind me on Providence Road. And now, they know exactly who to blame!!!!!

And it gets worse! My husband actually does most of the driving. He drives like a maniac. He weaves in and out of traffic, cuttting people off, running red lights, and generally driving like he's Dale Earnhardt reincarnated. And whose name is on the back of his car? Rev. Caren, of course!

This all gets me thinking. What if all of our deeds were known by everyone? They say that character is what you do when no one is looking. What if your car, clothes, home, friends, family announced to the world what kind of person you are? Maybe they do. What do the vanity tags in your life say about you? Would you be proud to have you name associated with all that you do?

It's How You Play the Game

"Do you not know that in a race the runners all compete, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win it. Athletes exercise self-control in all things; they do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable one. So I do not run aimlessly, nor do I box as though beating the air; but I punish my body and enslave it, so that after proclaiming to others I myself should not be disqualified." I Corinthians 9:24-27 NRSV

I've been glued to the Olympics. I love to watch them. My favorite is the opening ceremony. I watch each and every country as it marches into the arena. I love the gymnastics, the swimming, the track and field, the water polo, and the basketball. I watch as much as I can. I'm proud of our American athletes, but I have some international favorites, too.

When Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, he used the language of the Olympics. Actually, they were more familiar with similar games held in Corinth called the Isthmian Games. The language and the imagery were something they could very easily relate to, and Paul drew on that to teach an important lesson about our walk with Christ. We have to train just as vigorously, diligently and purposefully as any athlete to be spiritually fit. The Olympians vie only for a laurel wreath that will die eventually; or a gold medal that will tarnish. We fight for our life - the abundant one promised here and the everlasting one promised after we die. Paul emphasized self-control, discipline, and the drive to win the prize.

As summer winds down to a close, and we look to building the routine of life around the schedule of school, work, or seasons, it is imperative that we include intentional spiritual formation as a part of that routine. As we sign up the kids for cheerleading and basketball, we must also sign them up for mid-week Bible studies, and commit to Sunday school every week. We have to remember that Sunday is a time for family, yes, but also Sunday is the time when most youth fellowships meet. So homework must be done BEFORE Sunday night. The spiritual lives of our youth depend on it!

Just as much as our bodies depend on exercise and our brains depend on education, our spirits depend on spiritual formation through the intentional study of God's word, attention to a life of prayer, and regular attendance at a service of worship where we join others on the same journey we have chosen to take in life. It's always easier to train with a buddy! So set your eyes on the prize - a life lived in glory - and GO FOR THE WIN!

Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?

Why do bad things happen to good people? There are so many sides to this complex question. Entire books have been devoted to the topic. In the wake of recent events in Colorado and around the world, someone always raises the question, "How could God let this happen?"
One theory says it's to show God's glory as he strengthens us in our time of need. Really? God allowed millions to die in the holocaust, in the tsunamis, and others just so he could comfort the bereaved? What kind of God is that?
Another explanation goes something along the lines of, "We can't understand ways, so we must just find acceptance." This camp tends to turn to the book of Job for proof texting their cause. Yet, one of the glorious lessons of Job is that he doesn't accept what's happened! He objects rather profusely! It's his well meaning, but misinformed friends who harp on the need to just put up and shut up. Or worse, they tell him it's his fault! He had to have sinned in order to deserve this, right?
Still another school of thought says there's no such thing as a good person. The Bible clearly states that we all live in the natural state of sin. Since we are all sinners, we cannot be good people. Though this is true, we ALSO believe God is good. And he forgives and restores us by grace. Would this God who sent his only son to die for us even though we didn't love him suddenly decide just to capriciously obliterate us because we are sinners? I don't think so.
Then there's the one I dislike the most. This one goes something like this: It's God's will. Really? God willed all those people to die just for attending a movie premiere? Really? Not the God I know and love and trust my life and my living to. "God's punishing those people." For what? "God's teaching them a lesson." Seriously? I thought "all scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching...so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17, NRSV). What else do we need to be taught?
So, why do bad things happen to good people? Here's my belief. It has three parts.
1. We all have free will, and we are all sinners. God doesn't swoop down and zap us each time we are about to sin. We have a choice. Each day we choose between sin and no sin many times. And many of us choose sin.
2. Evil is real. It exists. Satan, the devil, whatever you call it, evil is real. To ignore or deny it is to set yourself up for failure and a whole lot of pain. Some people choose evil. They may be damaged, insane, hurt, abused, whatever the reason, they choose evil. God does not stop them. They, too, have free will. And until the moment they draw their last breath, God in Christ will continue to reach out to them in love.
3. There are natural consequences to our actions when we choose to sin. God doesn't put up a shield of protection around everyone to keep our sin from affecting them. If you drive recklessly and you kill someone, God didn't cause them to die. But he didn't stop it from happening. It was the natural consequence of your sin of reckless driving.
Bad things happen. Period. Sometimes good people are there. Sometimes bad people are there. Sometimes no one is there. Always God is there. And I believe, he weeps.

Hope

In his book, The Optimism Bias, Tali Sharot cites several scientific studies that seem to indicate that the human brain is hard-wired for hope. Without it, we might all still be living in caves without heat or light from the discovery of fire! It's hope that allows us to take chances, risks and challenges. And i'ts hope that restores us after catastrophes.
Many people interviewed immediately after the 9/11 tragedy told of events one way, and years later told them very differently. Many had found a "silver lining" coming out of the horrors of that day. All of them had re-written history in softer language because our optimistic hopeful minds will not hold onto the raw carnage of that day.
There have been many reactions to the events of last week in Aurora, Colorado. Some have asked, "Why?" Some question how a good God could let this horror happen. That's another whole article for next week. I would suggest that one reaction we as Christians could offer is hope. Hope that we can work to build a better future. Hope that we can learn from these mistakes and poor choices and help these disturbed individuals before they pick up a gun. Hope that we can build a world without the need of guns. Hope that we can teach the way of Christ to all humankind - the way of faith, HOPE, and love.
One strain seems to run through all of the individuals perpetrating these crimes - hopelessness. Terrorists claim to be fighting hopeless poverty and inequality among their people. The shooters at Columbine, Virginia Tech and Aurora all shared a sense of hopelessness.
Jesus Christ came to earth to give us hope - hope of life, both an abundant life here and eternal life in the heavens. He was all about LIFE, and he conquered death.
In 1 Corinthians 13:7 Paul tells us, "Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance." One of the most important components in offering hope to others is to love them. We cannot preach the gospel with words to someone who is suffering. Their ears cannot hear. We need to preach with kindness, with empathy, with help and with hope. As their suffering eases, we begin to preach with our presence. Then, when God's time is right, we can share His word. It's like preparing the soil before planting.
Right now, we offer prayers. We offer encouragement. We offer sympathy. We may be angry, but that is not what needs to be shared. They have enough of that already. We may be outraged, confused, scared, and any number of other emotions. We share those with family and friends and spiritual advisors. But with our brothers and sisters who are suffering...we our share hope, until theirs returns again.

Living God's Way: The least of these

Living God's Way: The least of these: Matthew 25:37-40 37 “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you som...

The least of these

Matthew 25:37-40
37 “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? 39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
40 “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’"
It was SO hot! I was working hard to finish up early so I could steal away to the Pleasant Grove Camp Meeting in progress this week. In fact, I was gathering up my things to leave when she knocked on the back door. My secretary offered to "deal with her" but I waved her in.
She was soaked in sweat. She was shaking and fidgety. She only asked for food. I didn't get the usual sob story. She didn't tell me about her sad circumstances, her children going hungry, nothing. Just politely asked for some food for herself and her children for that night. I had to pull the story out of her.
And what a story it was! Three weeks earlier her mother had died, leaving her literally homeless. She and her two children had wandered from place to place, from Lancaster to Waxhaw, depending on the kindness (or not so kindness) of anyone who would let them stay for a short time. The last so-called friend had "borrowed" her EBT card and used it to throw a party! Her children were at a church camp and were finally safe and cared for. We made calls. She made calls. The shelter doesn't take people with children. Finally, she spoke with an agency that would take her in. With all her belongings in two laundry baskets, we set off to her new life. Nervous and shaking from the effects of a week without her insulin, she cried on and off all the way there. We prayed together many times that day. When it came time for me to go, the agency assured me that she would be well cared for.
Finally on my way to camp meeting, I put her out of my mind. The preacher was awesome, and gave a time to lift up any prayer concerns, and again she came to mind. Though, I didn't go down front, I felt a tug to do so. I just prayed for her where I was. When I got home, I had a message from our daycare director that she was trying to reach me and it was URGENT. I called the agency she was housed with and they couldn't put me in touch with her. They assured me that she would be in touch with me.
The next morning I was late getting into the office, but she was there within minutes after I arrived. She was a different person! She smiled from ear to ear! She had been approved for special housing, but had not received the mailings because she had no address. Crisis Assistance stood ready to help her get the power on. If we hadn't taken her to see the social worker at the agency, they never would have found her!
Now she is settling into her new apartment with her children. She still needs a job and child care, etc, but at least she is not on the street anymore. I have many times thought that my ministry is unfruitful; that I plant seeds that others will harvest; that I leave work every day never seeing the glory of the Lord revealed in what I do. I now know it's because I was doing all the doing. When I went off-schedule and just went wherever the Lord led, I got to watch a miracle. I was just the transportation and telecommunications - HE was the source. God IS still in the miracle business - if only we will yield to His will and follow where He leads.

Happy Birthday

Today is my little sister's birthday. She was born on Friday the thirteenth, and spent most of her life terrorizing her big sister just to prove it. anyone else have the type of little sister that had to do everything you did, go everywhere you went, etc, ? And the type of parents that would constantly remind you, "Well, she IS your only sister."
Most of my life I saw her as an annoyance at best, a brat most of the time, and spawn of Satan at worst. As we grew older, we went our separate ways. I was the professional woman, married with kids, juggling it all and busy all the time. She was a homemaker and unable to have children. We had so little in common. We drifted apart.
Then she got sick. Really sick. And I saw her so vulnerable lying there in the hospital, with her pastor praying over her as she went into surgery, and suddenly that obnoxious little brat became precious to me. Instead of focusing on all the bratty things she'd done all these years, I remembered all the things we'd been through together, and the good memories flooded over me.
Many church members do that to each other. They only see the bad things that have happened in each others' lives through the years. They hold grudges. And they grow apart in the body of Christ. They're great at coming together around a crisis, but otherwise they don't have time for each other. The people in Jesus' hometown of Nazareth wouldn't listen to him because they knew his parents and siblings (Mark 6:1-6.) They Threatened to throw him off a cliff rather than listen to what he had to say! Sometimes we ignore the treasures right before us!
Today, I thank God I'm celebrating my sister's 49th birthday! It's a miracle she's still with me. And I pray for many more years to get to know her better and love her more. I also pray for the Body of Christ to grow in its love for all its members that the love might overflow onto a hungry and hurting world.

What is the 4th For?

Through the magic of Facebook and Blogger and the gift of a day off, I was able to read a friend's blog yesterday entitled "Jesus and July 4." It was really interesting, convicting and downright disturbing! You can read it here: http://revjameshowell.blogspot.com/2010/07/jesus-and-july-4.html. Rev. Dr. Howell raises some issues that I hadn't paid much attention to. He obviously reads more than I do, or at least read different things. For example, I didn't realize it was wrong to wear the flag. I studied how to handle it appropriately when I was a scout leader, but I never knew I was being disrespectful if I wore it! Personally, I always thought it was a little much for me so I never did, but I always thought "to each his own" and didn't give it a second thought. WOW! I wonder how many other ways we are ignorant of our own patriotism?
So I started reading. I found some great stuff. None of it called for a change in behavior as much as James' article, but many things I read both inspired and challenged me.
My favorite ex-president, Jimmy Carter, wrote a book that I highly recommend, called Our Endangered Values. I did some fishing about his views on patriotism, and found a quote from 1980 that was both wise and prophetic: "It is good to know that our nation's defenses against a conventional attack are impregnable, and an imperative that America remain vigilant against threats from terrorists. But as is the case with a human being, admirable characteristics of a nation are not defined by size and physical prowess. What are some of the other attributes of a superpower? Once again, they might very well mirror those of a person. These would include a demonstrable commitment to truth, justice, peace, freedom, humility, human rights, generosity, and the upholding of other moral values.
We live in a time of transition, ... During the period we may be tempted to abandon some of the time-honored principles and commitments which have been proven during the difficult times of past generations. We must never yield to this temptation. Our American values are not luxuries, but necessities— not the salt in our bread, but the bread itself."
39th President James Earl Carter, Jr., Farewell Address 1980
Do our actions on July 4th show forth our American values? Or do they show the world an American orgy of drunkenness and immorality, me-first and selfishness, one-up-manship in our parades and competition in our displays? As our neighbors to the north of us suffered in the heat without power and air conditioning, did we pause to pray, or offer a cold drink, or give up a holiday to go and give aid? When and where do we display our American values to the world? Do our children even know what July 4 is all about?

“We identify the flag with almost everything we hold dear on earth, peace, security, liberty, our family, our friends, our home. . .But when we look at our flag and behold it emblazoned with all our rights we must remember that it is equally a symbol of our duties. Every glory that we associate with it is the result of duty done.”
Calvin Coolidge

What do we hold dear? Is there anything dear enough to say with Nathan Hale "I regret that I have only one life to give" or with Patrick Henry "Give me liberty or give me death!" Do we love enough, as Christ did, to lay our life down for another? What do we hold dear? Our country? Our children? Our family? Our faith? Our Fourth of July?

Fixing it for Christ

Currently in our sixth year, my church's mission project took a bold move this year and partnered with 5 other churches to teach our model and encourage others to carry out the mission and ministry with the poor that has impacted us so much. We have churches and civic groups coming to work side-by-side with us. What work do we do? ALMOST ANYTHING! We go to people whose homes are in need of repair who could not otherwise get them fixed, and we do whatever they need. Sometimes we do complete home makeovers, replacing furniture, windows, roofs, and flooring. Sometimes we replace plumbing and electrical systems. This year it seems the biggest need is for air conditioning units and stoves, as well as furniture and other household items. We never know what God will send us as projects and we never know what miracles God will work through the people we meet and the resources provided. Normally we tackle 5 to 6 houses. This year we have 14 on the docket. We’ve seen lives changed, both those of the homeowners and the volunteers. We’ve seen miracles daily. We’ve laughed, cried, and worked – HARD. We’ve eaten our weight in good home-cooked meals. And we can’t wait until the next year to do it all again.
It always leaves me remembering why I went into the ministry. I wanted to make the world a better place. One of my early mentors told me to close my eyes in prayer each day and ask God how my world looked through the eyes of the Creator, and then to ask what part I was to play in making the Kingdom of God come on earth. Somewhere along life's journey, I stopped doing that. I think I felt over whelmed. There's just too much. What can one person do?
Watching over 280 volunteers from every walk of life come together for 4 days to work in the heat and humidity for and with people they just met and may never see again just because they wanted to make a difference in someone's life restored my hope in the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. Young people, old people, professionals and novices, religious and skeptical, all united in their passion to see their fellow humanity have the basics - clean, safe housing, electricity and running water and, perhaps the most important gift of all, hope.
My hope is in Christ Jesus. But my faith in his army of servants here on earth is restored through the sweat, laughter, and love shared across all earthly boundaries over 4 ordinary days in June.

Song of My Soul

I recently discovered the joys of Pandora on my iPod (eye-roll from all my teenage friends who can't imagine it took me this long to figure this out!) It has put me back in touch with the power of music to stir the soul.
My tastes are very eclectic - everything from Bon Iver to Three Dog Night, Bobby Sherman to Ravel, Frank Sinatra to Chris Tomlin - but they all have one thing in common: they evoke emotions. Bon Iver is the power of music to call forth creativity. Three Dog Night was my first live concert. Bobby Sherman was my teen heartthrob; Ravel, my favorite composer; Sinatra reminds me of my dad; and Chris Tomlin is one of my favorite contemporary Christian artists. Music speaks to us on a deep level that often cannot be described in words.
The church has long known this powerful association. For a long time, the church was the greatest patron of the arts. Bach, Handel, and their contemporaries wrote predominately for the church and would have starved without their patronage. Charles Wesley, brother of John Wesley the founder of Methodism, knew the power of song. He penned deep theological concepts, then set them to the tunes of English drinking songs, making them easy to learn and to remember.
There's even a songbook in the Bible - the book of Psalms. Many of the Psalms contain directions for singing. Some contain pneumonic devices to help the mostly illiterate Hebrew people to memorize parts of the Torah or theological concepts. Some were used in worship. Some were used for personal devotion.
There are many songs that hold a special place in my spiritual walk. Held, by Natalie Grant, gets me through the hard times. You Raise Me Up, by Selah, inspires me. Sometimes God speaks to me through secular songs, like Bette Midler's Wind Beneath My Wings, or Creed's Higher.
So this week, pull out an old hymnal, tune in a new radio station, and praise God for the power of music to bring you closer to Him. (I recommend 91.9 His radio or 94.1 K-Love.) Turn it up and sing along. Or better still, express yourself in song by writing your own! I guarantee you'll feel something - even if it's just embarrassment when the guy in the car next to you looks at you funny for having a praise party all by yourself!

You Gotta Have Faith

Hebrews 11:1 (NLT)
Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.

There are myriad definitions for the word faith. Merriam-Webster defines it as "allegiance to duty or a person." God isn't necessarily a part of the equation. The definition involving God is number three or four.

This passage from Hebrews is one description the Bible has for faith. The author goes on to go through Hebrew history describing acts of faith, declaring that faith in God alone made them possible.

Still, I find myself dissatisfied with these answers. They seem inadequate for the heartfelt experience marrying belief and lifestyle that I have personally come to know as faith. Yes, faith is confidence in the promises of God, in the Mysteries, in miracles, in what we hope for. Yes, it is blessed assurance in the things we cannot see or even imagine in our human limitations. But it is so much more.

Faith is continuing to believe even in the face of apparent evidence to the contrary. Faith in God is experiential, not intellectual, though reason is not abandoned in its pursuit. Faith in God is an inner compass, guiding my steps in accordance with His will if I seek Him.

What is faith to you? Shoot me an email and share your thoughts!

White is alright

I have lived in parsonages all my adult life. Parsonages are houses provided by the church for the pastor to live in. As much as we Methodists move around, they are essential for us. Imagine trying to sell a house every three to five years. And parsonage committees, out of courtesy to ministry families always paint all the walls in the parsonage - WHITE. They do this so that no matter what the style and color scheme of the next pastoral occupants, it will match. So, for the past 27 years I have lived a bland, WHITE existence.

I watch DIY and HGTV dreaming of an orange foyer, a royal blue master bedroom, and a sea foam master bath. But, no, these are not to be for me. Do you know the very worst thing about WHITE walls, WHITE carpet, and WHITE tile floors? They show dirt like you wouldn't believe!! Any little speck looks like 6 months of neglect in a WHITE house. And I have a red-haired dog and a yellow tabby! My husband works out in the yard in the red NC clay-mud. I wear tennis shoes that just love to collect "stuff" in all their nooks and crannies. Ergo, my house is rarely ever WHITE.

When we are born, God creates us like my parsonage - PURE WHITE. People are always talking about original sin, but originally, God created us blessed. But then, like my parsonage, life happens. And bit by bit, the dirt and dinginess of sin gets tracked all over out souls. Before we even know what happened, we look around one day and think "Wow! This place is a disaster area! When did it get this messed up?" Praise God we don't have to do the heavy lifting! All we have to do is give it to God! Honest! That's really all we need to do. Either piece by piece or all at once, we turn the crud of our life over to Jesus Christ, our only Savior, and He knows just what to do. We panic and get overwhelmed when we try to handle it ourselves (yet for some reason we still try!). For Jesus, it isn't even a challenge. I mean, the man conquered death, for Pete's sake!

Yesterday, as I walked up the sidewalk to my front door, I saw a magnolia in bloom. A beautiful WHITE flower against a dark green leaf. And I realized the power and beauty of WHITE-it shows us there is such a thing as perfection to strive for, it reminds us of our original blessing, and it brings us face-to-face with a perfect Savior waiting to free us from sin and nurture us into a beautiful WHITE blossom for God.

"He made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin." I Corinthians 1:30b

Change

In my lifetime, I've seen so much change. I've seen the price of gasoline go from 65 cents to $3.65, and gone from buying that gas at a service station where I never got out of the car to a "convenience" store where I do all the work and pay for the privilege of doing it! I've seen the microwave go from a new phenomenon that my grandmother swore would kill us all to a household staple we all take for granted. I've watched phones go from party lines to private lines to bag phones to cell phones. I've owned 78's, 33 1/3's, and 45's in vinyl; 8 tracks and cassette tapes; CDs and now mp3s. I've gone from 8 mm films to VHS to DVD to Blu-ray to 3D. And when I was in college, this article would have been done on a typewriter or punch cards, not a PC. There are probably others I've forgotten! The point is - there's been a great deal that has changed over my lifetime. In fact, the only constant has been change!

Therefore, it has always stymied my that church people resist change so much. Someone who has the latest fashion and the newest appliances for themselves thinks that the church should "make do" with the ancient 19th century technology it's used forever. I could never understand that. The people with the newest luxury cars never wanted to spend the money to upgrade the computer system or buy the new hymnals. I couldn't understand it. Until today.

Recently, I've been listening to a radio station from somewhere in South Carolina (Richland, I think.) It's an oldies station. Their playlist is from 1954 to 1984. I LOVE it! I only get it in the car for some reason, so I only hear it when I am out and about. Today, I happened to be in the car at 1PM and heard the daily on-air obituaries. WOW! That took me back! When I was a little girl, my grandmother and all my great aunts used to gather around the radio at lunch time to listen to the obituaries. I know this because I always had to get quiet at this time out of respect (and I suspect so they could hear!) I reached to change the station, and then I paused and let myself go back there. As the dead-pan voice transported me back to my grandmother's kitchen, I felt a warmth and kinship with her and the many summers I spent with her in Lexington, NC. I wondered why she always listened to those obituaries. I still do. Maybe it was because she was a part time florist. Maybe it was because she was older, and many of her friends were beginning to pass away. All I know is, before I knew it, I was back in 1960 something, in my grandmother's kitchen, driving down highway 75, with tears rolling down my cheeks and fond memories in my heart.

I think one reason church people like their things to stay the same is so they can touch their memories. Isn't that what our Lord taught us in the Last Supper? "Do this in remembrance of me." Yes, sometimes we go overboard in refusing to change anything. Yet, there are some things that need to stay the same, or at least be practiced regularly enough to remind us of who we are and whose we are. Traditions can take us back to the place where we first gave our lives to Christ. Traditions can teach us the basic tenets of our faith. Traditions can bring us to our knees when we have fallen short or gone too far off course. It's a fine line, though. Traditions can also become a prison - keeping us stuck in a system of rules and regulations.  Or a sanctuary - a place to hide from the challenges of life. We still have to move forward. We cannot stay in the memories.

I was rudely awakened by Frankie Valley and the Four Seasons' rendition of "Cherry Baby" that thrust back into reality. I soon reached my destination. Yet, before I got out of my car, I paused to thank God for "Grannie" and all the wonderful childhood memories at her home. I prayed that my own grandchildren would one day remember me as fondly. I prayed that most of all, I would be an understanding pastor to those in my congregation who resist change.

Good Friday at My House

Growing up in the South as I did, my family is deeply rooted in Southern tradition. Being part Irish, I am also steeped in the rich Irish Catholic tradition. So when it comes to Good Friday, there are some things that are hard-wired in me to do.
First of all, you do all your planting on Good Friday. I don't care what the agricultural extension people say. My daddy, God rest his soul, had us up at the crack of dawn and out in the garden working. I think the point was for us to suffer along with Christ, I'm not sure; but as a kid I FELT like it was suffering. All had to be finished by noon.
Because at noon, we had to be inside the house, drapes drawn, shades pulled, blinds closed, and lights off. Not a sound from anyone. We were under the threat of death ourselves if we didn't observe the silence. The only thing we were allowed to do was read the Bible (by candlelight) or pray. Three hours is a long time when you're a kid. I got caught sleeping once, and by the look I got, I was immediately consigned to hell.
Then at three, all the lights came back on and it was off to the kitchen to boil the eggs and get ready to dye Easter eggs with mom. We must have done three dozen or so. It was always a competition between my sister and me to see who had the prettiest, the fanciest, the craziest, etc. Then we'd start on the Easter feast. Potato salad, ham, deviled eggs and all the other fixin's.
I remember it like it was yesterday. I continued the traditions with my daughter and, later, my stepchildren and grandchildren. I thought everyone did. Even after seminary training and my first few years in ministry, I never questioned WHY we did these things. It was never explained to me, or if it was I didn't listen or understand. It's only now, at the ripe old age of (I'll-never-tell) that I bothered to look it up!
The tradition of planting on Good Friday commemorates Christ's words in John 12:24 "I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives." (NLT) He was applying these words to himself and his ministry, but we recognize and symbolize them when we plant on the day of his death.
The Great Silence from noon until three symbolizes the time described in Mark 15:33 "At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock." Now, I would like it noted that nowhere does the Bible say it was QUIET that whole time, but I guess the silence was to give us the opportunity to meditate on the events of that afternoon. It might have been a little more tolerable if I had know why I was being quiet. But then again, I was only a child....
Last but not least the colorful eggs. They were the only things not biblically based. They were just fun! In Medieval Europe, during the strict Lenten fast of forty days, no eggs were eaten. It was traditional to use up all of the household's eggs before Lent began, which established the tradition of Pancake Day. That is also the reason why eggs laid during that time were often boiled or otherwise preserved. It was during Easter that the consumption of eggs resumed after the strict Lenten fast. Eggs were thus a mainstay of Easter meals, and a prized Easter gift for children and servants. This is probably the reason why eggs came to be associated with Easter. They are also a symbol of new life. The coloring of eggs came from many different cultures, but found its most beautiful expression in the Ukraine.
So, this year, as I plant my little herb garden, I'll think of the Lord laid in the tomb and the grain of wheat in the ground. As I darken the house and keep the silence, I'll remember his sacrifice and the way the whole earth paused to mourn that day. As I dye my eggs, I'll remember that he rose again, and the bright colors are the celebration of the new life that Jesus bought for us all on that Good Friday long ago. And this time, I'll wait until Easter to eat them!

Is Jesus Alive or Dead?

Is Jesus alive or dead? It may seem like a no-brainer question. It isn't. It is THE question of Easter.
If Jesus is dead, then we follow just a moral code. We follow the teachings of a great Jewish rabbi, who taught a radically new way of living in harmony with God and neighbor. We study the writings of his followers and learn about him. And Easter is just a nice holiday in the spring when we celebrate a theoretical resurrection that he talked about. And our only hope is in our own machinations. We can only hope in human leadership, in human power, in human solutions to our trials and problems.
BUT, if Jesus is alive, we follow a living, active Christ who still walks among us, works miracles among us, and stays active in our lives. He is not a moral code, he is the way, the truth and the life. He is not a great teacher, he is a living lesson, teaching our hearts daily through his living Word. We don't just learn about him, we come to know him. He becomes a friend, healer, teacher, counselor and Lord. He is our hope and strength. We can rely on him, not just on ourselves. We can rely on the King of the universe. We can trust in the Creator of all things to care tenderly for us in all situations. And we can have HOPE.
So, I ask you again, is your Jesus dead or alive?

A Spring in My Step

It's here! Officially and unofficially, Spring is here. Things are blooming in variegated tones. Birds are fluttering in all their glorious regalia. Insects are flourishing in the absence of a hard freeze. Blooming dogwoods announce the coming of Easter. Yes, Spring has sprung and it's WONDERFUL!
Why is it we all seem to smile a little broader, walk a little lighter, and feel a little more energetic at the first breath of Spring? Some people can't wait to get outside. There are those who can't wait to garden; those who look forward to spring sports; and those who just enjoy more hours of daylight.
Not me. I've got it inborn AND ingrained in me that there's one thing the HAS to be done before all that other foolishness - SPRING CLEANING! My mother did it. Her mother did it. And I'm pretty sure her mother's mother did it!
It starts in the closets and drawers. All the winter clothing is moved into the attic or spare closets. The spring and summer clothing is brought out and cleaned, repaired, sorted and put into its proper place. Some things are given to charity or neighbors or family. Nothing ever goes to waste as long as the fabric is still good, for it can always be sewn into something else.
Then every square inch of the house - interior and exterior - must be cleaned, polished, and sparkling. No boot camp Sargent could get any more work out of two kids and a reluctant dad than my mom!
I joke about it, but when all was done, it was something to behold. It gave us a sense of pride and togetherness like nothing else. It made us all stand a little taller and step a little livelier, knowing how much we had put into caring for our home.
Nowadays, I find myself doing a sort of internal "spring cleaning." With the coming of each spring and the rebirth it represents, I tend to search deep within myself for the wintery things to put aside. There are dark closets of the soul - pieces of unconfessed pain or fear I insist on bearing alone - to be purged. There are some ideas I've outgrown, yet still cling to that need to be left to Christians less mature in the faith. There are places I've let go, neglected, that I need to pay attention to, polish up, and find a sense of pride in for the sake of the gospel.
Most of all, spring is the time to remember that all the rebirth, all the growth, all of this wouldn't be possible without the resurrection. I would be blinded to all these possibilities if I were still living in the darkness of insanity that was my life without the forgiveness, grace and love born in Jesus Christ and won by his death and resurrection.
John 17:26 (NLT) says "I have revealed you to them, and I will continue to do so. Then your love for me will be in them, and I will be in them.”
Each spring cleaning, I grow a little closer to the person God wants me to be. Jesus keeps revealing more and more to me the more I open myself to Him and his teachings by emptying myself of my "stuff." And each time I feel a sense of pride as we grow closer. I can stand a little taller knowing I have tended my spiritual garden. I can step a little livelier knowing my burdens have been lifted and I am forgiven and free.
Spring cleaning anyone?