Wednesday, December 5, 2012

I Don't Get It ...


A few weeks ago in our Monday Night Bible Study we discussed how dense the disciples of Jesus were.  We readily admitted we are their kin.  At one point in his Gospel, the evangelist Matthew has Jesus asking his disciples, "Have you understood all this?"  They confidently answer, "Yes" (13:51).  We all noted, however, that subsequent events reveal how little they truly understand (16:21-23; 20:20-28).

I asked my son Luke last night to keep the laughter in our house healthy by showing me a funny YouTube clip every day.  Today he came up with this one:


Out of the mouths of babes, indeed.

What is remarkable to me about the Christian journey is that Jesus does not give up on us.  In fact, the Gospels all reveal that he continues to invest in, instruct, and cajole us into understanding.  Even after our catastrophic failings. Even after our betrayals.  Even after our wide-eyed confusion and re-counting of our fingers have made it ever so clear his teaching is beyond us.  Even after he says "Now do you get it?" and we lie through our teeth and say, "Yes."

Still, he meets us on the other side of resurrection and promises us, "I will be with you until the end of the age."  Still, he entrusts us with the mission of continuing his work to heal the nations and wage peace on earth (Matthew 28:16-20).

I don't get it.  But I am grateful.




Tuesday, November 20, 2012

20 Days of Nothing New

Sitting down to a feast of Thanksgiving goodness at church Sunday, I had opportunity to talk with my friend Mary about my Nothing New adventure.  She was shocked to hear that I had actually included food in the "no shopping" ban.  "Yeah, use up everything in the pantry," she said.  "I should do that," she said.

I didn't tell Mary that I was certainly not going to use up everything in the pantry this November.  As the photo here shows, I still have enough jello and tuna fish to see me through the Zombie apocalypse.  And that 24-roll shrink wrap package of toilet paper I bought Halloween night?  Haven't opened it yet.  My pantry is a little overstocked ...

I was raised in a family with four kids and I raised four kids myself, so my understanding of "normal" when it comes to filling pantry shelves is a little skewed.  It may take more than one month of exploring the word "ENOUGH" before I really start to understand the concept ....

Monday, November 19, 2012

Church Chicks Are Hot

Today at Edison Middle School the Central High School band came to perform in an all church assembly.  Luke nabbed a front row seat where he was waved at repeatedly by a couple very attractive high school girls.  One of the drum majors, who took her turn conducting the high school band, seemed particularly attentive to the 8th grader.  After the performance she gave him long and enthusiastic hugs.

Edison Middle Schoolers:  "Luke, is that your sister?"
Luke:  "No, just a friend."
Edison Middle Schoolers:  "Right.  Just a friend."
Luke:  "Seriously, we're just friends."
Edison Middle Schoolers:  "Right.  You just have a friend who happens to be super hot."
Luke:  "She goes to my church."
Edison Middle Schoolers:  "Lucky."

Church Youth Group.  Where the hot chicks are.

Monday, November 12, 2012

Nothing New

Yes it's true, there's been nothing new.  Actually I feel a little bit guilty about how easy this has been.  When I decided the night of Halloween that I would commit to buying absolutely nothing for the whole month of November (except gas for my car and paying my bills) I thought it would be harder than this.  Luke and I have a tradition of going to Sonic at the end of every school day before I drop him off at home and return to work.  That was swapped out for hot chocolate at home .... which truthfully, has been better.  We had a habit of eating drive-thru some nights when I had evening meetings and felt lazy, or running to Dos Reales after a meeting for a cheap date.  With a well-stocked pantry and fridge, fixing something at home has not been a hardship.  When Luke is with his dad, they eat out, and I have had at least 2 work meetings each week which included a meal.  So .... this is really TOO EASY so far!

I will give myself a big pat on the back for the ONE place it feels like I am sacrificing. With a pop machine steps away from my office door, I usually buy 2-5 cans of Diet Coke per day. I know, I know, it's TERRIBLE for me.  This November I am drinking water and making tea in the church parlor and doing just fine.  So far so good.  I am just really, really glad that the church machine has never carried Diet Dr. Pepper.  That might have been a game changer ....

Nothing New November, day 12.  Bring it on.

Monday, November 5, 2012

Begone, Green Alien Menace!

About those green tomatoes. . .

I came home late Sunday afternoon to pinched alien faces still glaring at me like a mob of recriminating ne'er do wells -- judging ME for lack of action.  All they had done for the last week was sit on the counter letting their skin start to sag, while I was BUSY! True, I plucked them from a comfortable life in the garden with no real plan in mind, but put-out by their obvious disdain of me I remembered a cartoon Luke showed me in the midst of Matthew's juicing craze and in idea started to dawn.

For the full juicer humor piece, click here.

To avoid the gaze of all those green faces I went upstairs to my bedroom with laptop in hand to create a cooking plan. For good measure I took a corkscrew and the best bottle of chianti classico in the kitchen.  After pulling out the cork from the bottle I remembered that I had not factored in wine consumption as I filled my grocery cart on All Hallows Eve.  Crap.  Sinking to the bed with full glass in hand I contemplated a Thanksgiving Day with no wine.  I should definitely invite Jesus over that day.

Having recently piled 5 blankets on my bed to compensate for the decision to keep the thermostat at 54 degrees throughout Nothing New November, a change out of church clothes led quickly to my laptop settled on a pile of blankets, wine glass on bedside table, and Kris dreaming of green tomato soup, green tomato au gratin, green tomato bread, green tomato jam ...

After waking up a few hours later (I don't adjust well to time change Sundays), I snapped the laptop shut and pulled up the 3 recipes I wanted on my phone.  Back in the kitchen fortified with a second glass of chianti and the determination to rid my kitchen of the alien menace I pulled out the Magic Bullet contraption Luke convinced me to buy for $15 at a garage sale this summer.  Within minutes I had this:
Then this:


and finally this:
Emboldened by the knowledge of how quickly a green tomato becomes something else entirely, I created for dinner a Green Tomato Au Gratin with Italian seasonings, breadcrumbs and Italian cheeses.  It turns out tomatoes in Italian cooking don't have to be red at all!  It was delicious, evidences by the fact that I ate a quarter of the pan ...


The Apple Cinnamon Cake (anyone trying to get a 13 year old to eat more vegetables knows you don't use the name of the secret ingredient), Apple and Raisin Bread, and AuGratin were all a hit.  And stored away in my freezer the rest of the tomato puree awaits another baking day this winter!!


Saturday, November 3, 2012

Harvest

In my part of the world early November is a time of harvest.  Everywhere I drive the evidence remains of farmers completing the chore of bringing in the sheaves.  No, it's not the quaint nostalgic picture of twine-bound stalks of corn or woven baskets filled with seed heads.  Harvest time here is a matter of massive machinery on the roads and lights on well after dark both at the machine shed and out in the fields.  Grain is being brought to grain elevators in small communities all around Champaign County this week.  At the same time many crops are simply tilled under due to drought and hail damage which did them in.  There is an uncertainty inherent in the lives of those who measure time against an anticipated day of harvest.

My growing season was much more modest by comparison.  Two 4' x 8' raised beds housed a small assortment of herbs and vegetables this year.  It was fun to eat fresh lettuce, cut broccoli, pluck peppers and to pull leaves of parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme from the garden to spice up what I came to call "Scarborough Fair Chicken."  Thank you Simon and Garfunkel.  By far, though, my most plentiful crop was tomatoes.  Through the summer they were red and vine-ripened in abundance.  With the threat of frost it was finally time last week to harvest the remaining green tomatoes and pull up the plants.  So I did.

Now what?

The point of Nothing New November is to live in contentment with the abundance at my fingertips.  As this counter overflowing with green tomatoes begins to look to me like a sea of pinched alien faces glaring in judgment over my indecisiveness, it has become clear I must soon take action.  I have read articles about Eastern Europeans' enthrallment with green tomatoes and now have an assortment of recipes at my fingertips.  But what to do?  Sweet breads?  Savory butters?  What to do?

Stay tuned ...

No, No, No November

That's ENOUGH!!  

As mother to four children, if I had a nickel for every time I have sternly reprimanded one of mine with the above phrase, well ..... I would have a lot of nickels.

That's enough ...

bickering
sugar 
roughhousing
mac-n-cheese 
lotion
ramen
complaining
salt
handfuls of candy
bathwater 
syrup
toilet paper sheets
Lucky Charms
backtalk

                                                                               ... the list goes on.   

Of course, I have a not infrequent need myself to be told when enough is enough.  And my mother is far away and much too busy with her own life to hover around monitoring mine.  That leaves it up to me. So this month I'm telling myself firmly that enough is enough. Enter Nothing New November.

Three years ago my son Matthew joined others in the fun of No-Shave November. For an entire month he did not shave, not even to trim a little here and there.  For a young twenty something year old, the boy can grow a gnarly beard in 30 days. Shaving it off bit by bit and sporting silly styles December 1 just added to the fun.  

This November Matt is taking an equally joyful but much more ambitious approach to the month with Nutritious November, exploiting the benefits of his newly acquired juicer to rev up his vitamin intake.   Feeling really inspired, he went on to devise a whole year full of fun monthly commitments which you can read about here on his sister's blog. (She's really impressed.)

My first attempt to do something special in the month of November was last year when I participated in No Dr. Pepper November --  30 days of abstaining from carbonated beverages. Talk about needing to hear "That's ENOUGH!!" I have a serious problem with consuming WAY too much Diet Dr. Pepper.

Inspired by Matt's excitement in challenging himself this year I am taking my No Dr. Pepper November experiment from last year several steps further in 2012.  Nothing New November.  On All Hallow's Eve I made sure the house was well stocked with canned goods, toilet paper, lotion, Lucky Charms and maple syrup as I made my last shopping run until December 1.  For a full month I am committed to buying nothing except gasoline for the van and paying my monthly bills. For the record, I didn't buy a single can of pop and came home to no Diet Dr. Pepper in the house, so this is already day 3 of No Dr. Pepper November.

I will admit my shopping cart on October 31 was a little ridiculous and may have raised some eyebrows, not to mention more than one woman the age of my mother who looked at me as I stood in line, clearly wanting to say, "Now that's ENOUGH!!!"

Enough Already?

Saturday, June 9, 2012

A Look of Holiness


What does holiness look like? Many writers on the general topic of spirituality talk about "thin spaces" where eternal realities and temporal limitations almost touch one another. Those places where silence and attentiveness bring us face to face with what is sacred in our existence tease us into contemplation about what else may be there "on the other side."


My friend Carl posted this week on Facebook these photos of the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers, Georgia. In May of this year he made life promises there as a lay Cistercian.  (read about it here) With him were Father Luke (100 years old!) and Father Anthony, whose promises long ago have led them into a life of simplicity, prayer and community.  The photo of the MOHS sanctuary strikes me as a place that is "thin" for many, not only the monks who reside there but the thousands of other seekers who come to be welcomed by a community of hospitality that ushers them lovingly into such thin spaces.

 
Many also find thin spaces in the world, outside of the walls of sanctuaries and temples. Talk to my friends who have spent time on Crystal Lake in Michigan and you will hear sacred stories of community, connection and Christ.  In both places, the sacred experience is tied to more than just physical beauty or the way the world is hushed by chanting or the lapping of waves on the shore.  Holiness may look like the loving eyes of Father Luke who has prayed with countless pilgrims or it may look like the genuine grin of a young camp counselor who finally makes a 3rd grader laugh out loud on the last day of his first experience of sleep-away camp.  What does holiness look like for you today?

For the beauty of the earth, for the wonder of each hour ... we approach this summer in search of thin spaces and rejoicing in the love we find there.

Children's Choir Singing For the Beauty of the Earth


Thursday, June 7, 2012

I Pray Shalom for You


Six months ago when I was just starting as the new pastor here at UniPlace Christian Church in Champaign one of our elders read a beautiful prayer to me from this book.  I asked for a copy of the prayer, and not long after received the book itself as a gift from her.  Today as I was reading through I came across the prayer again.  It remains my favorite in this book:

I Pray Shalom for You

I pray shalom for you --
That you wake each day eager to meet whatever comes,
That you look in the mirror and are pleased with what you see,
That you accept with courage any limitations on your abilities,
That you accept with humility, but develop creatively, your special talents,
That you know which things take priority,
That you are not stressed by having to set some things aside,
That what you do illuminates who you are,
      and that you find joy in all you do.
I pray shalom for you --
That your face is turned towards God,
That you are secure in the forgiveness of Christ,
That your life is infused with the presence of the Holy Spirit,
That your whole being is daily transformed and integrated into oneness with Christ,
     and hence wholeness and wellness,
That in having died to self you are alive to your true self,
That love is your prime motivation.
I pray shalom for you --
That you have a soul-friend to walk life's journey with you,
That you are surrounded by a community of support,
That you are a builder of community,
That you are able to transform difficult or destructive relationships through love,
That you may live in a society of justice, peace and harmony,
But if not, that you may be able to absorb whatever suffering comes your way
     And transform it, for yourself and for society.
I pray shalom for you --
That the beauty of God's creation entrhalls you,
That your love and way of life enhance that beauty and do not deplete
     the resources of the earth,
That the rhythm of your life may be in harmony
     with the rhythm of others' lives and of all creation,
     to be part of God's plan of restoration and renewal
I pray shalom for you --
That your faith may grow,
That you be filled with love,
And that hope never dies.

-- Isobel de Gruchy, South Africa


Tuesday, June 5, 2012

The Devil Made Me Buy This Dress



This week during sermon prep time I came across this YouTube clip of an old Flip Wilson sketch.  I was wrestling through a passage of Paul's letter to the Romans and reflecting on the contrast Paul makes between living "according to the flesh" and living with the indwelling of the Spirit.  I had forgotten how funny Flip Wilson was, and how accurately he could sum up our human struggles in 3 minutes.

Everyone's favorite character (from Flip's many personas), Geraldine, describes why she ends up in the predicament Paul describes, saying, "15I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate," and " 21So I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand."  [from Romans 7]

While Geraldine draws a vivid picture of a personified force of evil (the De-vil!), Paul has a more nuanced and complicated understanding of this human struggle to will and DO what we know is right.  To live according to the indwelling of God's Spirit is a life-long process of re-orienting our thinking from an individualistic concern for what is pleasing to "our own flesh"to what is driven by God's desire for us to live in community with regard for all. Materialism, greed, selfishness ... they are all symptoms of a deeper problem, what Paul called living according to the flesh. The antidote Paul prescribes is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  A week ago we filled the sanctuary with red and welcomed the Spirit's presence on Pentecost.  Now to remember that the Spirit came to dwell in our hearts, not just decorate our sanctuaries!

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Life Before Death


One of the great people I met during my time in Atlanta was the writer, my friend, Carl McColman.   Carl keeps several wonderful blogs  (find one here) in addition to keeping up with publication deadlines for books he has in the pipeline, leading spiritual retreats, caring for his family and living into a life of simple holiness as a Lay Cistercian at the Monastery of the Holy Spirit.  An attribute I appreciate deeply about Carl is his ability to maintain "a non-anxious presence" with others in times of pain and difficulty.  He has taught me much about fearlessness in the face of death.  I don't mean just death in terms of our mortal bodies, but death in all its forms -- death of a dream, a way of being in the world, a false identity we have clung to in the past.

To follow Christ means to step into each day ready to die a little.  Some days, to die a lot.

From Carl this week, a call to take a deep breath each day and appreciate life:
Life “given to the Spirit” stands as a healthy corrective to the anxiety of mortality. And I’m not talking about life after death — but rather about life before death. From now until the moment of our final breath, we are all given a limited amount of life.-- Carl McColman
 Carl McColman giving a talk on Celtic spirituality at the Hill of Tara in Ireland.

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Confession


During this season of Lent our weekly worship has been slightly different. One of those seasonal changes has been inclusion of a prayer of confession and assurance of pardon.

So guess who gets to come up with our corporate confession each week?  Yep.  Me.  Every Thursday our church secretary, Kim, prods me with statements like, "I need your confession."  These aren't words we Protestants use much, so it sounds a bit strange to me every time she says it.  But it has been a helpful devotional practice.  As I write or find a fitting prayer for us to share as a congregation, it is as much a personal prayer on my own behalf as one I hope will be meaningful and helpful for the rest of our church family.

Why does church tradition include this practice of verbalizing our sinfulness and proclaiming our fallen state?  Shouldn't we focus on happy thoughts and avoid this "negative thinking?"  In answer to this, I love the quote below from Frederick Buechner:

"What we hunger for perhaps more than anything else is to be known in our full humanness, and yet that is often just what we also fear more than anything else.  It is important to tell at least from time to time the secret of who we truly and fully are ... because otherwise we run the risk of losing track of who we truly and fully are and little by little come to accept instead the highly edited version which we put forth in hope that the world will find it more acceptable than the real thing.  It is important to tell our secrets too because it makes it easier ... for other people to tell us a secret or two of their own."

Here's to being fearless on Sundays as we tell the truth (before God and everyone) of who we truly and fully are.

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Treasure Grace - Be Nice to YOU!


This week our Lenten reflections focus on treasuring grace.  When I am told to focus on grace, I am immediately reminded of others who need for me to show grace.  I seldom think about the grace I need to show to myself.  My young friend Kristin posted this sign on her blog many weeks back, and it made me stop and think.  What is it that distinguishes self-love from self-centeredness?  I think the answer is wrapped up in a deeper understanding of God's immeasurable grace. Does God really love me?  Do I? Why are we so hard on ourselves some days?

My daughter is training for a triathlon and has followed up learning to run (the last 2 months) with learning to swim (starting today).  Yes, she knew how to run before, but not how to run.  And yes, I enrolled her in swimming lessons as a child, but she doesn't yet know how to swim.  It is so easy when we are pushing ourselves into new territory to be down on ourselves.  To wonder why we aren't better at what we are trying to do.  To criticize our own efforts, feel defeated before we've half begun.  I am so incredibly proud of her attitude displayed on her blog.  What a brave woman ... just jumping right in to the deep end and trusting her body and her will to take her further than she knew she could go.

Be nice to yourself today.

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

God's Mercy Is Wider than Our Own


At Sunday Vespers this week Bernie Archer mentioned that while in England he had picked up a Faber Hymnal containing all the original verses of many Faber hymns which we sing today.  I was not nearly as familiar with Frederick Faber as Bernie obviously is, but his enthusiasm sent me on a journey to learn more.  
The hymn "There's a Wideness in God's Mercy" which appears in our Chalice Hymnal was originally titled "Come to Jesus."  Our hymnal has only four verses of the original 13, which is understandable given our modern tendency to sing only 2-3 verses of any hymn most Sundays. But in this case, it's too bad.  Because back in 1854 when Faber penned the lyrics he had much to say about grace, including these challenging words:
 
There is grace enough for thousands
Of new worlds as great as this;
There is room for fresh creations
In that upper home of bliss. 
 
For the love of God is broader
Than the measure of our mind;
And the heart of the Eternal
Is most wonderfully kind.
 
If our love were but more simple,
We should take Him at His word;
And our lives would be all sunshine
In the sweetness of our Lord.
 
But we make His love too narrow
By false limits of our own;
And we magnify His strictness
With a zeal He will not own.

Enjoy the performance above of the Birmingham Boy's Choir as they share a rendition of this Faber classic. I found it incredibly beautiful and the last verses are particularly touching. Truthfully, it makes me think of Bernie's sparkling, grace filled eyes passionately talking about the love of God at Elder's meetings.  In the picture to the right you can't see those eyes, because Bernie is laughing at something Jim Holiman said about the Great Trinitarian Controversy.

I love this church.


Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Astonished!

"Let me keep my mind on what matters, which is my work, which is mostly standing still and learning to be astonished." -- Mary Oliver

There is much to be said for just paying attention.  Some mornings I walk into our sanctuary to retrieve something and suddenly turn around to notice the sun coming through this window in a way that never fails to take me by surprise.  It is astonishing the beauty that surrounds us every moment.  A ray of sunlight, a pure note sung by our neighbor, an infant's smile, or light streaming through blue glass.  Allow yourself to be astonished today!

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

The Eyes Have It


Tues – Psalm 19:7-8

7The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul;
the decrees of the Lord are sure, making wise the simple;
the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eyes.

I freely admit I am a sucker for cute baby photos, especially ones that focus on the expression of wonder and interest in a young child's eyes. There is a certain kind of wisdom evident in the very young child.  The wisdom of attentiveness, curiosity, trust, and expectation.

Which commandment of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eyes??  Perhaps this one: "Unless you become like little children ..."

Pay Attention


The photo above was posted last week by the  Lakewood Daily Snap, a beautiful photoblog worth checking out.
This is the first, wildest, and wisest thing I know, that the soul exists and it is built entirely out of attention.  -- Mary Oliver
This Monday my thoughts are directed to the issue of paying attention. Some days are so full that we realize at it's end we hardly noticed where we were or who was with us. 

Psalm 19 reads "The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.  Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge."

Here's hoping we find the wisdom to stop and take notice.


Sunday, March 4, 2012

Vespers Poems

Tonight at Lenten Vespers at UniPlace we sang "Be Thou My Vision" and "My Life Flows On" (How Can I Keep from Singing?) as well as listening reflectively once more to all our daily readings from the week.  In addition we listened to readings of a couple Wendell Berry poems.  They are both posted below, along with the full text of the William Butler Yeats poem quoted in the Sunday morning sermon.

Grateful tonight for poets and songwriters ...
The Wild Geese
by Wendell Berry



Horseback on Sunday morning,
harvest over, we taste persimmon
and wild grape, sharp sweet
of summer's end. In time's maze
over the fall fields, we name names
that went west from here, names
that rest on graves. We open
a persimmon seed to find the tree
that stands in promise,
pale, in the seed's marrow.
Geese appear high over us,
pass, and the sky closes. Abandon,
as in love or sleep, holds
them to their way, clear,
in the ancient faith: what we need
is here. And we pray, not
for new earth or heaven, but to be
quiet in heart, and in eye
clear. What we need is here.

Manifesto:
The Mad Farmer Liberation Front

by Wendell Berry


Love the quick profit, the annual raise,
vacation with pay. Want more
of everything ready-made. Be afraid
to know your neighbors and to die.
And you will have a window in your head.
Not even your future will be a mystery
any more. Your mind will be punched in a card
and shut away in a little drawer.
When they want you to buy something
they will call you. When they want you
to die for profit they will let you know.


So, friends, every day do something
that won't compute. Love the Lord.
Love the world. Work for nothing.
Take all that you have and be poor.
Love someone who does not deserve it.
Denounce the government and embrace
the flag. Hope to live in that free
republic for which it stands.
Give your approval to all you cannot
understand. Praise ignorance, for what man
has not encountered he has not destroyed.


Ask the questions that have no answers.
Invest in the millenium. Plant sequoias
.
Say that your main crop is the forest
that you did not plant,
that you will not live to harvest.
Say that the leaves are harvested
when they have rotted into the mold.
Call that profit. Prophesy such returns.
Put your faith in the two inches of humus
that will build under the trees
every thousand years.
Listen to carrion - put your ear
close, and hear the faint chattering
of the songs that are to come.
Expect the end of the world. Laugh.
Laughter is immeasurable. Be joyful
though you have considered all the facts.
So long as women do not go cheap
for power, please women more than men.
Ask yourself: Will this satisfy
a woman satisfied to bear a child?
Will this disturb the sleep
of a woman near to giving birth?
Go with your love to the fields.
Lie down in the shade. Rest your head
in her lap. Swear allegiance
to what is nighest your thoughts.
As soon as the generals and the politicos
can predict the motions of your mind,
lose it. Leave it as a sign
to mark the false trail, the way
you didn't go. Be like the fox
who makes more tracks than necessary,
some in the wrong direction.
Practice resurrection
.
Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front" from The Country of Marriage,
copyright © 1973 by Wendell Berry,  Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc.

Collected Poems 1957-1982

The Second Coming
by William Butler Yeats

TURNING and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.

Surely some revelation is at hand;
Surely the Second Coming is at hand.
The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out
When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi
Troubles my sight: somewhere in sands of the desert
A shape with lion body and the head of a man,
A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,
Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it
Reel shadows of the indignant desert birds.
The darkness drops again; but now I know
That twenty centuries of stony sleep
Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,
And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,
Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?

Sunday Sermon

Romans 4, Genesis 17 Lent 2B                                         Rev. Kristine Light Branaman
UniPlace Christian Church, Champaign IL                                               March 4, 2012
Treasure Eternal Promises

Treasure Eternal Promises. That has been the theme of our devotions for this second week of Lent, a theme addressed in both the Old Testament and New Testament scripture readings we’ve heard this morning.  Both Genesis and Romans refer to father Abraham, revered in Christianity, Judaism and Islam as a model for true faith.  Abraham, says the Apostle Paul, did not “waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21 being fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.”

That is a mouthful.  To be “unwavering concerning the promise of God, growing strong in faith, giving glory to God, being fully convinced that God is able to do what God has promised.”  How many of us can make a claim like that?

We live in an age of change and uncertainty. People ask questions: about life’s purpose and meaning, about religion and values, about cultural diversity and preserving a sense of tradition. Soundbites broadcast daily on radio, TV and internet remind us of conflicting lifestyles and viewpoints, and inflammatory statements, like those of Limbaugh and Santorum which filled the news this week, are too often hurtful, inappropriate and intolerant.  It can certainly leave our faith in humankind wavering, can’t it?

Just after the First World War, when the entire western world was reeling from tremendous loss of life and enduring hardship, the English poet William Butler Yeats wrote a piece called “The Second Coming”. Not to be confused with Tim LaHaye’s “Left Behind” saga, the poem was a prophetic piece about approaching anarchy on the global stage.

In that poem Yeats uses the phrase; “things fall apart, the centre cannot hold”. Yeats writes about how all around him, certainties upon which people had built their lives were crumbling and falling to bits. He senses that the culture is disintegrating beyond repair and that it no longer has a stable center.

What he prophetically saw from within his own time we see clearly on the other side of it … this climate of confusion, anger, disappointment and grief allowed for the rise of the Third Reich.  Hitler’s madness was perfectly suited to a people desperate both for answers and somebody to blame after they had lost faith in previously stable institutions. Latching on greedily to a leader who would stoke the embers of fear and prejudice, a nation consented to unthinkable atrocities which erupted very shortly after into the flames of World War II.

But – enough of European History – what about this Abraham character, and why does a retired Pharisee like the Apostle Paul bring him up to young Christians in the imperial city of Rome at the dawn of a new era?

Not unlike the people of Yeats’ generation, the Romans Paul addresses were living in one of those times where stability was waning and seismic global shifts were detectable. Yes, the Roman Empire would hang on to power for several more centuries, but it would be battling to do so not only with swords and chariots, but also with the weapons of rhetoric, suspicion, and scapegoating.  People in these young churches throughout the empire, including those right under the nose of Ceasar in Rome, lived in fear of persecution, experienced prejudice and shunning, and suffered economically from their low social position.  Ostracized from previous systems like family networks and professional guilds, whether Jew or Greek, they too lived in a time where the center did not seem to be holding.

So how could they nurture faith?

The Apostle Paul offers up the example of Abraham who centered his life and his faith on a covenant God struck with him when he was 99 years old.  At a time in life when most of us assume our contributions to the world are behind us, Abraham (or as he was called before this covenant, Abram) believed he was chosen, uniquely called, to a purpose far greater than anything he had accomplished in his youth.

Abram shared an intimacy with God, in fact on multiple occasions he experienced visions or theophonies where he perceived God right there with him, directing his life.  When we get to the story relayed in Genesis 17 where the elderly couple are promised a child it isn’t a voice in Abram’s head telling him this, he experiences God in a very real and present way, and so does Sarai.  Abram knows that God isn’t calling them because no one else could possibly do the job. They are chosen for this, in spite of their age and social status, because God knows Abram is committed to this intimate relationship. 

Although they are old, although the promise of descendants and land seems impossible, they set out together in pursuit of the promise. It is this tenacity of faith in a climate of great risk that marks their story. Instead of pursuing security, sameness, and conserving what they have accumulated  , they strike out in pursuit of new promises from God.

What about us? In church circles, where we should know better, we often mark our life together by an atmosphere of caution rather than confidence, risk aversion rather than promise seeking. We look to worldly standards of success to gauge how we are doing rather than looking for that intimate presence of God to direct our path.  We ask the same questions in church that we ask at a business meeting at work: How big are our revenues? How many customers are we engaging? Which of our programs are most attractive? How can we cut costs?

In a book called “The Cynical Society”, Jeffrey Goldfarb comments that we believe “that if something is profitable it is true, real and good; if it is not, then it is without true meaning”.  The poet Wendell Berry in his poem Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front calls us to challenge that worldly thinking saying:

So, friends, every day do something
that won't compute. Love the Lord.
Love the world. Work for nothing.
Take all that you have and be poor.

       Further on in the same poem is that great line which speaks of looking toward promises that have nothing to do with benefits we reap for ourselves: Plant sequoias.

When Paul started new churches and then wrote to them in the following years with advice and counsel, he was clearly more concerned about their growth in righteousness through faith than their economic or numerical growth as a congregation. What Paul would tell us today is that even if we had the fanciest church in Champaign, the biggest membership, the greatest choir, the fastest growth in our membership roll, we could still be the least faithful church in Illinois.  None of those measures are sequoias. The measurements offered to us by the world to judge our health as God’s people are inadequate in reporting to us the state of our righteousness through faith.  And that is the planting which demands our attention.

It is significant that when Jesus set about changing the world He did so by nurturing the lives of a small group. As that small group nurtured other small groups, so the message spread. The crowds? Well the crowds were fickle, sensation-seeking and shallow. Just remember how often Jesus withdrew from them or sent them away in order to concentrate on nurturing His disciples.  And yet we are obsessed in our churches with a desire to draw a good crowd.

The story of Abraham and Sarah challenges us to consider how our faith community will nurture and promote the kind of intimacy with God that made a holy covenant possible for that ancient pair.

A meaningful life of faith requires active participation from each one of us. Real growth in our righteousness through faith will not come through trends tracked, fads followed or by throwing around the latest buzz words.  Those strategies do not hold up when the hard times come. If we build our lives on things that fall apart -- that rust and moth consume and thieves break in and steal -- it is impossible to maintain a consistent faith.

But if we can be more like Abraham and Sarah …

If we seek intimacy with and respond positively to the initiative of God.

If we believe that God still calls us for a meaningful purpose, regardless of age.

If we concentrate on the journey before us rather than the possessions of our past.

If we allow God to change us so much we even need new names …

Then, yes, our active response to God’s intrusion and disruption in our lives may ironically provide the stability to our faith --  

that gives us a center

that holds.


How Can I Keep from Singing?


Saturday's verses in the UniPlace devotional guide for Lent were not from scripture, but from a hymn found in our Chalice Hymnal.  The video above is a version of the tune/text recorded by Enya.

Verse 1 of the hymn titled "My Life Flows On" in our hymnal is as follows:

My life flows on in endless song
above earth’s lamentation;  

I hear the clear, though far off hymn 
that hails a new creation.

No storm can shake
my inmost calm 
while to that Rock I’m clinging, 

Since love is Lord of heav’n and earth,
How can I keep from singing?
This Sunday morning we closed our 10:00 a.m. worship service with this hymn.  I will be humming it all day.  After a week of reflecting on keeping faith in God's promises, this hymn resonates in deep places within me.  Resting in that inmost calm which no storm can shake ... happy Sunday everyone.

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Blog Love


It's Saturday afternoon and the crazy storms that ripped across the Midwest last night and this morning have kept me indoors rather than enjoying my new routine of a hiking/walking day each weekend.  Instead, I've puttered around the blogosphere through the afternoon and enjoyed some of my favorites.  I thought I'd share for any readers who are interested ...

in good resources for preachers: I really like Alyce McKenzie at Perkins School of Theology at SMU, Dallas, TX and David Lose from Luther Seminary in St Paul, MN

in beautiful photographs:  I must put in a shameless plug for my stepdad, Ralph Johnson in Omaha, NE at Omaha Lens and Ralph recommends another Pacific Northwester (who isn't landlocked in Nebraska!) at a site called The View from Right Here and Fresh Eyes on London (for a bit of Brit each day).

in delicious and beautiful food: Those of us trying to consume less processed foods and more whole grain, locally grown goodness can celebrate at the delicious Sprouted Kitchen; in honor of my German heritage I enjoy The Wednesday Chef and like everyone else, a favorite for everything scrumptious is the Smitten Kitchen.

in dreaming about digging fingernails into the dirt soon: I am impressed with the byline at Cold Climate Gardening which is "hardy plants for hardy souls."  We preachers are all about the souls.  I liked the tip she gives for figuring out where to plant spring bulbs, especially if you are new to your home like I am. Other blogs with great names as well as fun posts are Garden Rant and Gardening While Intoxicated (I'll drink to that...)

So that's what I've been doing with my copious free time this Saturday. I see now the sky is not so menacing and I've decided to take a quick stroll around Clark Park after all.  Whether you are strolling in the sharp, cold air outside or strolling through beautiful blogs from a comfy chair ... enjoy your day!

Signs of Faith


This Sunday's assigned scriptures come from Genesis 17 and Romans 4.  Both passages refer to Abraham's great faith -- faith tied directly to an unwavering belief in the promises of God.  Those promises, for the record, are pretty outlandish.  As a nomad, he is promised a land which will be inherited by his descendants.  As an aged, childless man married to an old sterile woman, he is promised countless descendants.  What about any of that makes sense? 

Many times it is that way for us, though.  In the midst of darkness we are promised light will come; from the depths of despair we are promised something beautiful awaits us when we climb out of this pit; in our poverty we are promised riches; as we are insulted, grief-stricken, and broken we are named "blessed."  It is too simplistic to read this as "pie-in-the-sky-after-you-die" faith.  For both the Apostle Paul reflecting on the life of Abraham in Romans and for Abraham himself as we meet his character in the stories told of him .... the faith which grounds him is not just wishful thinking about his future.  Abraham's faith is witnessed in his present.  Something within him made it possible to live as a possessor of fulfilled promises, joy-filled, confident and yes, blessed, even as an old, wandering childless man.

What will it take for me to be "unwavering concerning the promises of God?" 

Lord, increase my faith!

The video below is a beautiful
rendition of the anthem
our chancel choir will
sing Sunday morning.
Enjoy!

Friday, March 2, 2012

In the Arms of the Angels

Three of the four Gospels give an account of Jesus spending time in the wilderness prior to beginning his ministry. The links below will take you to the story as told by Mark, Matthew and Luke

Mark's account of Wilderness
Matthew's account of Wilderness
Luke's account of Wilderness

At my home church, First Christian Church of Omaha (where I was baptized and ordained) a Lenten event was held last week inviting various artists to create an original work interpreting the wilderness experience of Jesus. My mother, Nancy Light Johnson, painted the image above to reflect Mark's version -- where the angel "waited" on Jesus.  That same night the poet Ian Barker read two poems he wrote in response to the passages.  You will find them at the following link to OmahaPoet.com:

Ian Barker's poems "Wilderness" and "Friend"

I appreciated Ian's conclusion to the first poem, as it seems apt counsel for all of us looking for the kind ministrations of angels who will take us in their arms:

...tough it out in the present desert,
leave the sand to dust your feet
and let the branches sing Spring
from solid trees which sprang from seeds
who rooted in deeper, slower ground
which has no need for angels to catch them,
to demonstrate their faith
that they will, undeserved,
be saved from dashing on the rocks.