Jesus Changes Everything

        Do you know the joke about Lutherans and light bulbs?  It goes like this:  How many Lutherans does it take to change a light bulb?  The answer is "Change?!" spoken with anxiety with the implication being that they get no further.  When I told this joke to my sister, she responded 'that's why Lutherans are always in the dark.'
        Christmas is about change and darkness.  God comes to earth and nothing is the same again.  The darkness of the broken world is parted with the light of God's love and the promise of new life.  The salvation of the world is come.  The angels sing!  Our hearts are filled with light.
        And yet Christmas is also about dramatic change; not just for Mary and Joseph but for us all.  Lutheran or not, change is not always easy.  The more significant the change, the harder it tends to be for us to accept even when the change is good.  We know how to react, what is expected of us, and what will happen when things go the way they always have.  Change, even for good, takes that certainty away from us and so we get anxious.  Change can bring out the worst in us; almost especially in the Church because we want the church (and God) to stay the same.
        When I was in seminary, women students were sent out to do pulpit supply as often as possible, filling in for pastors who were gone for one reason or the other.  One Sunday, I showed up to an assignment with not much time to spare.  (I am directionally impaired - I have witnesses!)  I got out of the car and grabbed my robe and books.  I was met by a man who started to reach for the robe saying, "Here, let me get that for your husband".  I replied that it was mine but didn't stop to pay much attention.  I was more concerned about getting inside and talking to the organist and making sure I knew about the service.
        While talking to the organist, a woman came up.  Her husband was supposed to read the lessons but was sick, what should she do?  I asked her if she would feel comfortable reading the lessons and so she did.  Another woman came and was concerned that the information in the bulletin was wrong about the women's meeting that week.  I asked her to make that correction during the announcements since I wasn't familiar with the details.  I then went on to do the service as discussed, even (with permission as a senior student) presiding at Holy Communion.
        As soon as the service ended, the councilmen met me at the back of the church talking about what to do next.  The pastor, who had been there many years, insisted that no women were allowed to speak in the church.  He didn't believe in the changes being made and said they weren't scriptural.  So in this congregation, women didn't read lessons, usher, or even make their own announcements from the pew.  And now the seminary had sent them me (I was known as Chris at the time) and their own women had read and spoken too.
       Just then, the oldest woman of the congregation came up through the men and grabbed both my hands in hers.  With tears running down her cheeks, she spoke.  "I am so blessed God sent you here.  Now I can die in peace.  I have been waiting 98 years for this."  Her blessing has kept me strong through the years many times, in places and circumstances where I have been doubted, challenged, and tested.  She helped me see that this change I was part of really was from God and had been waited for and prayed for long before I was born.  She has been my "Anna".
        When the newborn Jesus is brought to the temple, two elderly prophets, Simeon and Anna give thanks to God for letting them see Jesus and the  fulfillment of the salvation story.  They help Mary and Joseph and us, see this new thing as wonderful and powerful good news.  Christ is born!  Celebrate the good news of God's love as the holy season of Christmas continues!  Read Luke 2:25-38.

Dear Readers,

The Creator of the Stars at night,
Christ the Light of the World,
and the fire of the Holy Spirit be with you all
and give you God's peace.
May you have a blessed Christmas!

                Pastor Christine Iverson

Jesus Comes in From the Barn

       We are almost there.  As I told the children Sunday morning, "Look! We are lighting four candles! It's almost Christmas!" It is almost time.

        I was out doing some shopping yesterday evening and brought up my purchases to the counter. 'Did I find everything I needed?' I was asked.  Remembering how many times I had been bumped into, I said that I hoped so because shopping is a madhouse at this point.  We both remarked how people get grumpy and pushy and everybody is rushing around without any joy.  "If only people would remember what Christmas is really about", the clerk added, it would be different, better.

        Later in the car, I remembered one other late Christmas trip.  I was seven months pregnant and on crutches because I had torn stuff up in one of my knees.  I was trying hard to get presents for my young sons without their knowledge so they were at home with their dad while I shopped.  I couldn't negotiate pushing a cart and walking on crutches (without putting weight on the one leg) so I was trying to carry things under my arm and get to the counter.

       Along came someone barging down the aisle, catching one of my crutches with their foot and knocking it out from under me.  My things went flying.  As they rushed past me, they said, "They shouldn't allow those kind of people in here this time of year."

       What kind of people were they talking about?  Pregnant? Injured? On crutches? Unable to leap buildings in a single bound?

       Whatever kind of people they were talking about, I wasn't on their good list.  I was slow, in their way, not like them, what ever the reason, I didn't belong.   But as the clerk said yesterday,  "If only people would remember what Christmas is really about".

        The true message of Christmas is one that does indeed turn the world upside down.  God loves the world so much that Jesus is born of Mary, God is here on the earth and nothing is ever the same again.  As Mary says in the hymn known as the Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55), "The mighty one... has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty."

       The king that comes rides a donkey into Jerusalem.  He is born in a tiny, rural hamlet instead of someplace important.  Not only that, but he is born in a barn, a stable with a feed trough for a bed and hay to keep him warm.  His parents are common everyday people without power and importance.   Later on, the Magi show up with costly gifts, but his beginnings are as humble as they can get.   The first people that come to visit are nomadic shepherds living with their herds.  Jesus comes to and for people often thought of as "those people".

       The true message of Christmas is of God's love for the world just the way it is and for all people.  Jesus comes to free the prisoners, heal the sick, comfort the grieving, give sight to the blind, bring love to the forgotten, and to forgive the sinful.  Jesus was born in a barn not a palace, for people who were humble and for just plain folk in need to saving.  Neither our lives, our hearts, nor our homes need to be tidy, in good order, and beautiful.  Jesus doesn't need our gifts, Jesus IS our gift.

       When the sun sets on Christmas Eve, set aside all tasks, light the candles, and welcome Jesus the light of the world.  If you find some bits of dirt or hay tracked across the floor, it's probably just Jesus - coming in from the barn.  Read Luke 2:1-20.

Donkey King

        There is a donkey up in front at the Augustana church these days.  It  appeared in church when the greens and the tree were put up for Advent.   It is a very fine stuffed donkey with a proud head held high.  Built using a sawhorse as a skeleton, the donkey is big enough and strong enough to carry a young person on its brown back.  When I asked about the donkey, I learned that was its' job for many years during Christmas programs.  I have to admit, I was a bit uncomfortable at first with having the donkey in the church but I have come to terms with the donkey.
        It is the one animal that appears in the Jesus story in all four gospels.  But you might be surprise to find out that you won't find it in the birth narratives.  Despite the fact that it appears in nativity scenes, plays and Christmas carols, it's not there in the Bible.  I went looking for the donkey, trying to be careful just to make sure I wasn't missing things.  But there is no mention of the donkey on the way to Bethlehem in Matthew or Luke.  The gospel of Mark begins with the baptism of the adult Jesus and the gospel of John begins with the beginning - of creation!
        So where do we find the donkey?
        It is not Mary that rides the donkey in the Bible but Jesus himself, as he enters Jerusalem just days before his death.  Matthew, Mark, and Luke record Jesus as telling the disciples to bring the young donkey to him just so that he may ride it.  It is important because it signifies Jesus as the king sent by God as told by the prophets. (Zephaniah 9:9)  By riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, Jesus proclaims that God's promise of redemption and freedom is fulfilled.  No wonder the people greet him with hosannas and praise!  
        So the reasoning goes like this: the donkey is a sign of the kingship of Jesus.  Mary and Joseph go to Bethlehem because he was a descendent of the family of King David.  Plus, donkeys were a normal beast of burden for common folk and it would be kinder to have a very pregnant Mary ride than to make her walk all that way, wouldn't it?  (Although I'm not too sure it really would be more comfortable.)   There probably would have been donkeys at the stable even if Mary didn't ride one.   I can see the line of reasoning that leads to having the donkey at the manger.
        But the donkey at the manger is also a reminder of what happens to the baby being born. Jesus rides triumphantly into Jerusalem only to die on the cross and then to rise again from the tomb.
        I guess that's why I've grown comfortable with the donkey this Advent season.  That  donkey carries us through what can be the overwhelming sweetness of Christmas and takes us to the strength and promise of Easter.  Jesus is so far beyond just being about presents and carols.  Jesus brings us life that lasts forever, forgiveness for all our brokenness, and God's love that is stronger than anything or anyone.  The donkey didn't carry Santa's sack of presents; the donkey carried the salvation of the world.  Read Matthew 21:1-11

Light a second candle

        The church season of Advent comes as winter enters into its darkest period.  One of the traditional ways of observing Advent is lighting a candle for each of the weeks as we count down the days until Christmas.  This week, we light two candles marking the half-way point.
        It is about this point that I start to get anxious about my preparations for Christmas and start looking at my list of things done and undone.  And yet, it is reassuring to light another candle in the darkness.  Jesus is coming.
        How do we prepare for Jesus?  What must we do to get ready?
       Does lighting candles matter?  Candles have a way of lightening the darkness with warmth in a way that cannot be matched by turning on a light bulb.  But candles are also used to signify important events.Certainly, we all notice the number of candles increasing on our birthday cakes until it gets to the point where the fire is big enough to melt the frosting!  The candle given at baptism is given with the words, "Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:16)  These candle lightings signify changes and growth in our lives.
        One Sunday, the lighting of the candles for worship seemed for me a sign of great changes in our Church.  I was preaching for a pastor who was gone, filling in as I often did in Seminary.  But this Sunday struck me very differently.   I had spoken to the woman who was playing organ as we checked with each other about whether or not I chanted the liturgy and how they were used to doing things.  At the same time, I was introduced to the woman who was reading the lessons for the day.  I then went to the  small room near the altar and put on my robe for worship, along with the giggly young confirmation student who was lighting candles.
        "I bet you used to light candles all the time when you were younger," she said.  "No."  I told her that when I was her age, girls were not allowed to light candles.
        "What kind of weird church did you belong to?", she asked.
        I tried to explain that 'back then' most lutheran (and other) churches did not allow girls to light candles, or women to read, or certainly for women to preach or be pastors.  Her remark was that I didn't look that old!
        We entered the sanctuary together and as she touched her flame to the candles on the altar, I marveled with thanksgiving to be able to be there that Sunday.  She gave me the gift of her sureness that of course, we were serving the church in the way that God wanted.
        It is a reminder that the Christ that is coming is still alive and active in the world.   We light our candles not to remember the birth two thousand years ago of an infant now long dead but we light our candles to mark the coming of the Savior of the World - the Light that shatters the darkness and shows us the Way.  We go to the manger to remember that Jesus was real, human like you and me.  When we remember that, we realize the immensity of God's gift --  the life and death of God's own child.
        But on Christmas, we light a white candle, perhaps taller than the others, that signifies Christ.  This candle reminds us that Jesus is God, whose death overcomes death, whose love is so strong that it holds on to us and nothing can separate us.   This light is life; the light and life of all people.  When the stresses, griefs, and worries of our lives threaten to become too much to bear, we can light a candle and pray.  And when the darkness still seems to be too dark, too cold, too forbidding, we can light two.  God's love is stronger than any darkness.  Read John 1:1-9
  

Light One Candle

Advent is a season of waiting and watching – a season that gets lost in these days of the high pressure to buy, buy, buy as we try to buy our way out of a recession. Some people have been saying that we should just give up on Advent. After all, we went from Halloween almost directly to Christmas (at least in the stores and in the media) almost skipping over Thanksgiving. There is a feeling that Advent has old fashioned and meaningless.


I want to make a case for Advent and not only because we need time to hear the background story to Christ’s birth and the prophecies of Christ’s coming again. I think we need Advent now more than ever.


We live in a world now where people are expected to be available 24/7 – all day long, every day. It used to be that only mothers, pastors and family physicians lived that kind of life – and only mothers never got private quiet time in the bathroom. Now with all our technological advances, we can do anything anywhere. It came in handy and I could see the reason behind it when working in disaster response. I was at the high point of the main road of Rocky Mountain National Park when I got called back from vacation to respond to a disaster. To me, that call at least was urgent, and the person that called didn’t know where I was but we’ve gone beyond that.


A couple of years ago, I was out to a nice lunch with one of my children and excused myself to the restroom. While there, I got a call on my cell-phone. “This is not a good time”, I tried to explain. “I’m at a restaurant with other people and right now I’m in the public restroom.” “That’s okay,” they replied and were going to continue with what would be a long, complicated conversation. I had to interrupt and insist that it was not okay with me. What part of ‘in the bathroom’ didn’t they get?


Advent is a time of waiting that invites us to stillness and taking time apart from the craziness of getting ready for Christmas to get our hearts ready for Christ. It is a good time to set aside daily time for quiet that can include devotions and prayer. It doesn’t have to be long or complicated. Even taking time for a quiet cup of your favorite coffee, cocoa or tea is a beginning. Some people find their quiet time early in the morning before the day’s bustle begin. Other people take time at the close of the day, when everyone is tucked in for the night.


Think of Advent as spa-time for the stressed in the Christmas rush with a focus on faith and your spiritual wellbeing. Light one candle this week and take time to pray. Read Luke 3:4-6

Thanksgiving

  "O give thanks to the Lord, for God is good and God's steadfast love endures forever" 1Chronicles 16:34

        One of the things I remember from growing up was that Dad beeped the horn a lot. It always seemed to take a lot to get the family ready and out the door. With seven kids, the older ones had to help or at least motivate the younger ones to get a move on and hurry and get out the door. Dad was waiting and it was getting late – we could tell because we could hear the car honking. Dad did not like to be kept waiting.
        It didn’t matter if we were at home, getting ready for church or if Mom was shopping, there would come a point where you just knew where Dad would be – unhappy, sitting in the car and honking the horn. I don’t know if it was because he was an only child and never had to wait for other people or if it was because as an officer in the Air Force, you just weren’t late. Either way, one sure way to get in trouble was to dawdle or take your time when we were trying to leave.
        That’s why it was such a surprise later on in years when he offered to give up his spot and wait for other people to go first.
        My sister and I had taken him to his appointment at the VA in Minneapolis. It was for a check-up after his heart surgery. After driving more than an hour to get there, and sitting in the waiting room for hours, we were afraid he was going to get angry. Instead, he told the nurse to let the other guys go next, he could wait. I’m sure my jaw dropped open. Was this my Dad?
        Later on, I asked him about it.
        “I’m fine. I’ve got time to wait. Some of the guys in wheelchairs -you have no idea what those guys went through in the war. I have nothing to complain about. I’ve been blessed. They should go first. I’m thankful I can wait.”
        All the years of waiting for my Mom and the “discussions” they had; all of the time spent waiting while raising seven kids – none of that had taught my dad patience. But he had discovered something that had made him thankful. The dual experience of surviving his heart surgery combined with being around people who were dealing with circumstances worse than his own had made him thankful. And his gratitude enabled him to be both patient and gracious.
        It is often in contrast that we learn to be thankful.
         In the Gospel of Mark (5:1-20) Jesus healed a man who was possessed by demons. The man had been so ill for so long that he lived among the tombs, most often naked and often in chains and shackles that he would break apart. Jesus calls the demons out of him and into a herd of pigs, leaving the man healed and in his right mind. (The pigs throw themselves over a cliff and die, however).
        The man, now clothed and healed wants to get into the boat with Jesus, leave with him and follow him.
        Jesus tells him no. “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you and what mercy he has shown you.”
        Why does Jesus tell this man no when he calls others to follow him? Jesus is sad over the rich young man who refuses to leave everything behind and follow him. But this man, Jesus sends back home. Why would Jesus do that?
         First of all, this man has more healing to do. He has been living in terrible conditions, in a way that made it unsafe and impossible for him to be with his family and friends. This had to have been hard and painful to both him and his family. Part of his healing is to be with them – to learn again how to be with them and to have those relationships restored. He may have done things when he was sick that hurt people and there needs to be forgiving, and restoration if possible.
         And there is something else as well. If he followed Jesus, his story of thanksgiving would fall flat. It would sound like a tale of make-believe. His tale of living among the tombs, breaking shackles and chains, and the demons that were driven out would sound unbelievable. The now sane, clean young man would just look like another follower of this itinerant teacher, this Jesus.
         But at home, where people had seen him and had perhaps been afraid of him, for them to see him healed and to hear his story of God’s grace and mercy --- this would be a story of great power and witness to the gospel.
         What about us? Are we willing to share with others all that God has done for us? Are we ready to give thanks? Read Mark 5:18-20

Signs of Hope

       I was asked by a young person this week if the world is really going to end in 2012.  There is a new movie out based on the supposed predictions of the Mayan calendar.  The movie is very graphic with earthquakes, erupting volcanoes, tornadoes, cities brought to utter destruction, and thousands and millions of people dying.  Of course, quite improbably, the major figures of the movie get to drive, fly, and boat away from the destruction, always escaping death by mere seconds.  If they didn't, there wouldn't be a plot line.

       Now, we both understood that we were talking about a movie not reality but the question was real.  It's a question that people have been asking since before the birth of Christ, even in those cultures without knowledge of Jesus.  Will the world really end in disaster and what happens to us?  And ultimately the question is about God.  Does God really care for us?

       After a devastating flood where the levee between a town and a river was breached, I was allowed in (with other response people) with residents just after the National Guard had pumped the water back behind the levee.  Residents had spray painted on their houses things such as, 'don't tear down', 'we'll be back', 'under renovation', etc...  Where the water had been the deepest, into the second story of houses and everything had been lost, residents had painted in big letters on their house, "God is here".

        Everything was not all right and the way between the chaos and moving back home was long, hard, and full of pain.  That truth was clear.  It wasn't a sign that it was okay but it was a sign of hope for the future but even more so of comfort for the right now.  Even in the midst of the destruction, the houses full of mud and ruined clothes, furniture, and possessions, in the freezing drizzle, God was present.

       As the homeowners and other residents told me that day and in the months that followed, God was there.  They experienced God's love and hope in the hands and feet of the National Guard who worked to pump the water back behind the levee and restore it.  In the hands and feet of those that had come out in boats to rescue them in the dead of night, and who greeted them with blankets, food and dry clothes in the shelters.  God was there as volunteers helped to salvage what they could from above the water line, washing clothes, shoveling out the smelly mud, and cleaning putrid food from refrigerators.  God was with them.

        To me this is the clearest sign of hope in the midst of apocalyptic destruction and the gospel we can proclaim even in the face of death. God does not abandon us.  Ever.  As Paul writes, there is nothing that is big, bad, or strong enough to separate us from God's love; not even the end of the world.  (Romans 8:38-39)  For God brings life not death.

       That's the truth that faith gives us.  God is with us always.  Nothing can happen that take us away from God's love and promise of eternal life.  Anyone can find joy in the glory of sunshine and pleasure; it's finding God and trusting God in the midst of the ruin that we need.   And that is the hope that only faith can give us.  It is what the psalmist writes about in Psalm 23.  Even in the valley of death, God is with us.  People of faith live not in fear of what terrible things might happen but live in the joyous hope of what God has promised: light, life, and love.  Read Psalm 23.

Its been a very busy week.  I've been at a ministry conference for the last three days from early to late.  Thank you for your patience.  Please enjoy an earlier post while you wait!

Grow Up in Love

          I once preached at a church that had split over the decision of whether to paint or panel the church basement walls.  I hadn't experienced yet the depth of emotions and consequences  that can arise over such decisions.  It was hard for me to take it seriously.  I  didn't really understand the pain and anger that could still be present so when they asked me how I would have handled it, I answered very easy and glibly. 'Why not put paneling on the bottom half of the walls and paint the top half?'  I thought I was being wise when in reality, all I had accomplished was to show my ignorance.  I couldn't conceive of breaking up relationships and a congregation that had existed for so many years over such a thing.  However, the division was all too real.

         We experience how easy it is  for people to disagree, to become hurt and angry from the time we are children.  All one has to do is watch toddlers at play and observe the fights over toys and space which only get worse as children get hungry or tired.  The same things happen at school, at work, in our families.  It just gets harder to take our toys and go home.

        We would like the church to be different from other gatherings and institutions around us - a place of unity and peace.  But the Church is made up of people - imperfect as we all are.  We are a gathering of people in need of God's love and forgiveness made possible only by God's grace.  The pews (like our homes, work, school, and towns) contain people who will by turns exasperate and infuriate us and bring us to tears of joy and warm our hearts.  No where does Christ promise that we will always live in harmony.

         But Christ does promise to hold us in God's grace  and that is more than enough to strengthen us and root and ground us in God's love (1 John 3:17).   Like a tree whose roots hold it fast through storms and tempest, drawing up water from a deep and bottomless source and being nourished even in the hardest times, we stand and grow in God's love.  Our strength and unity comes from Christ who calls us "with all humility and gentleness, with patience" to bear one another in love and "make every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace".

        Gentleness, humility, patience, love, and peace; these are the words of how we can "bear" to be with each other.  They are the mercy given to us as a gift through Christ's grace.  We are to put aside childish ways and "grow up in love".  Read 1 John 4:1-7.

Living Room

When I was a ”tween” (about 12 years old) I had two good friends whose houses were very different. In some ways, I was really envious of the one house. It was so beautiful and decorated with embroidered towels that matched in the downstairs bathroom and rooms that were color-coordinated. It was quite a difference from our house with furniture that was partway through raising seven children and cats. My best friend’s house was very different – more like my own with a kind of casualness about it. It was nice but comfortable.


There was no contest as to whose house I would rather spend time at. We were never allowed to play downstairs in the beautiful house. We never did get to be in the living room with its white carpet, white furniture, and crystal bowls and lamps setting on the tables. We would come in and take our shoes off and quietly go upstairs and remain quiet.


At the other house, there were usually cookies available for snacks and her mom was ready to join in anything we had going. Once, we decided to put on our own neighborhood ballet of Cinderella and she joined us in helping to make costumes, taking the time to teach us how to sew tutus out of bias tape and crepe paper. I still remember the saying she had hanging in the entryway: “my house is clean enough to be healthy and dirty enough to be happy”. It fit my own mother’s philosophy of home-making and became my own.


Mom taught me (very wisely) that the time to sit and read a book to a child was now because too soon they would be “too big” for such cuddles. From her (and now proved by my children) I learned that children will remember playing games, baking cookies, and singing songs. They remember how the Christmas tree shone at night and hanging their favorite childhood decorations and taking time to share the Christmas Carol.


A current magazine has yet another article on how to take the minutes we spend waiting in line, or for an appointment or between tasks and use them to their fullest. We should take this time and instead of “wasting it”, the article shows how to use this time to write lists, organize our days, write cards, doing exercises, or clean and organize in tiny steps. I got exhausted just reading the article. Whatever happened to taking time to smell the roses or see a sunset?


Our lives have gotten so full and busy and instead of giving us more time to spare, technology seems to be taking all of our free time away. Not only are many of us tied to our cell phones everywhere we go, talking isn’t enough; people do email, text messages and the internet. Our society seems to be developing so that people are to be instantly and always available whether we are at work, at home, in the car, and even in a public restroom. Not only our weekdays but our evenings and nights and weekends are also organized and often frantically busy.


So I was wary when I read in Ephesians “Be carefull then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time…”(Ephesians 5:15-16). It sounds like it could have come right from the magazine article. But what Paul goes on to describe as the will of the Lord is to “be filled with the Spirit” singing psalms and hymns… making melody in our hearts and giving thanks to God. These are activities that require us to be apart from the hustle and bustle of business, breathe deeply to sing and take time for faith. Jesus models a relaxed lifestyle for us and the disciples when in Mark he invites, “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest awhile.” (Mark 6:31) It seems that our spiritual health as well as our physical health need refreshment. Not only our homes but our hearts need to have the time and space to be “lived-in”. Read Ephesians 5:15-20.

Washed and Named

One of the joys of being a pastor for me is taking part in baptism; it is often a time when the mom and pastor in me get to intersect. I realized that close bond when my daughter was born during my first call. The next morning, the nurse brought in warm bath water, soft clean towels, and stood by as I bathed my child for the first time. I took her in my arms and began by washing her face, and then taking the water in my hand and gently pouring it on her head. I said her name as I held her and washed her clean. The connection between birth and the rebirth of baptism had never been clearer.

The difference is that later during baptism, the Word was added to the water as the water was poured and the pastor spoke, "Phoebe, I baptized you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." With those words, she was named and claimed as God's child. Those words are also the words we use to name God when we begin worship and in prayer.

In confirmation, we have been talking about God's name and how we use it as we study the first two of the ten commandments. The second commandment "You shall not take the name of the Lord in vain" in the modern translation reads "You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God." What does that mean? After all, aside from Jesus (Christ is a title - not his name), God is not named Bob or Jenny. For people of the Old Testament, God's name is not something mere humans should even attempt to say, YHWH (what is written in Hebrew) is unpronounceable and when encountered in reading is replaced by "the Lord". What do we call God?

What is God's name and how do we use it?

All throughout the Bible, God is called different things but they are titles of relationship: "the God of Abraham, Jacob, and Isaac", Immanuel (God with us), our Father, creator, savior, Holy Spirit, and more. The multitude of names and images of God emphasize two things: God is beyond our ability to fully understand and what we know of God, we know because of God's loving relationship withus.

Because of that, we are to treat God's name with care and respect despite what we hear all around us. As I read recently, we need to remember that "dammit is not God's last name". We are not to curse or use God's name for magic or to lie or deceive. When we use God's name for every little emphasis from swearing to writing OMG (O my God), we lessen the power God's name holds not only for the people around us but for ourselves as well. When "god" becomes a repeated comment without meaning ('oh god' this and 'oh god' that), it becomes less likely that we will hear hope and promise when we cry to God in help.

That is why how we are to use God's name is just as important as what we should not do. In the Small Catechism, Luther writes, we are to "use that very name in every time of need to call on, pray to, praise, and give thanks to God". In baptism, God claims us by name so that we can call upon God always and for everything. Because God has come to you just as you are and claims you in love and grace, you can call upon God with hope and confidence knowing that God is with you. Read Romans 10:8-13

Jesus is with us!

There is a great deal of concern this season with containing the spread of 'flu, so when the newspaper reported on suggestions for how churches might safely share Holy Communion and the Passing of the Peace, I decided we needed to address it at worship. Since we already use individual cups at communion, the concern was passing the peace.

During the announcements, I talked about the newspaper article and that some members had asked about what we should do to share a sign of Christ's peace. I said that we should respect other peoples' concerns and to simply say "Peace be with you" and not shake hands if the other person didn't offer their hand. I relayed some other suggestions such as bowing when saying the words, elbow bumping, and the "Obama knuckle bump". The other suggestion given was to wave a peace sign to one another. Later during worship, there were chuckles and giggles as people tried various ways of sharing the peace.

After worship, several people remarked that we had never had so much fun sharing the peace. A couple of guys suggested that waving one finger was all that was needed. It is the simplest sign and follows the rural tradition of waving a finger from the steering wheel when meeting someone on the road.

When Jesus appears to the disciples after the resurrection, his first words are "Peace be with you" (John 20:19 and others). The "you" in the original greek of the New Testament is clearly plural. It is not a greeting from one person to one person but is from Christ to the all disciples. The words are words of welcome and good news: Jesus is risen from the dead. The disciples can put away their fear and grief. They are not alone, Jesus is with them. Jesus has conquered death and the promise of forgiveness and salvation is real.

In the same way, when we share a sign of Christ's peace with everyone who is gathered we are participating in the reassurance and spreading of the good news. We are not left to struggle alone; the power of the Holy Spirit has been given to us. Nothing, not even pain, sin and death are enough to separate us from God's love. Whether we wave a finger, embrace, or simply speak the words, this is the Good News we share with each other when we share a sign of Christ's peace. Christ is among us with all the promise that entails!

Now knowing the deep spiritual meaning of this sign, was it wrong for us to enjoy and even giggle as we shared the peace during worship? Not at all. What could be a better sign of our joy gathered in Christ than to relax, let go of our fears, and enjoy the peace that only comes from God. Read Philippians 4:4-7

Where's the Chocolate?

When I was studying music history in college, my imagination was caught by the early concept of the music of the spheres or musica universalis (music of the universe). It was thought that the movement of the planets and stars created their own music. It was more a spiritual and even mathematical concept than one of sound, but it has long fascinated musicians to think of what sound might be heard in space.

Now while some musicians have taken the math involved in the orbits and turned it into music, any science fiction nerd will tell you that there is no noise in space. It makes for great drama in movies to hear the big deep rumbles of a huge space ship going across the screen, but there is no atmosphere in space so there is no transmission of sound. However, before you think that knowledge destroys all imagination, scientists have now discovered the chemical (ethyl formate) in dust clouds in the Milky Way that smells like rum and tastes like raspberries! So space might taste good even though it is quiet.

So often, we are so busy making our own noise that we don't hear what is happening around us. I was reminded of that when I began serving in rural north central Kansas.

My first night in the house in Axtell was so quiet and dark. The parsonage (house for the pastor) was across the field next to the church in open country. As I turned off the television and the lights on my way up to bed, I became aware of the darkness and the quiet. That quiet seemed immense until I laid in bed and quit making my own noise. Then I became aware of the sounds of croaking frogs and rasping bugs, the wind in the trees, and the hoots of the great horned owls that nested in the yard. In the months that followed, I also heard neighboring cattle, coyotes, woodpeckers, and many other birds and forms of wild-life. The silence wasn't silent.

When Jesus enters Jerusalem (what is now observed as Palm Sunday or the procession of palms), not everyone is happy to hear the people cry out their hosannas and praises. Some of the religious leaders in the crowd ask Jesus to make the people stop. Jesus responds that if the people were quiet, "the stones would shout out". (Luke 19:40)

It is not always possible to get away from the noises that people make: traffic on even distant roads, the fan of the refrigerator or furnace, even the low hum of lights and electronics or the sound of our own breath. However, I invite you to the refreshing discipline of going to a quiet place (outside if possible), settling yourself in a position you can comfortably keep, and breathing deep and slow. At first the silence might be overwhelming but as you continue, you will begin to hear the sounds around you. The world is never silent. As you hear the sounds of God's creation around you, breathe deep and rest in the grace of God. Read Isaiah 44:21-23.

Opening the Book

In high school youth group meetings, I was introduced to two games; one we took seriously, the other was all in fun. Both games involved taking a book and flipping pages back and forth until landing on some undetermined page.

In the second game, a hymnal was passed around, each person taking turns flipping pages (without looking to influence your choice) and sticking out your finger, chose whichever hymn you had landed on. Then, you read out the name of the hymn (or the first few words which is the same thing for most hymns), adding "between the sheets". Depending on the hymn, the results ranged from boring to hilarious to slightly naughty. It all seemed like innocent fun until the night "Amazing Grace" came up and in the middle of our giggles, we realized that the new girl, Grace, was beet red and near tears. That was the end of that game.

The first game wasn't really a game but worked in much the same way, only it used a Bible instead of a hymnbook. When you had a question or needed to make a decision, you took a bible and flipped through the pages and put out your finger (without looking) and whatever verse your finger landed on, was supposed to be God's answer for you. We called it "Serendipity". Sometimes it seemed to make sense but more often than not, you read a verse and worked hard to try and bend the facts to get the answer you wanted. It was basically using the Bible as a "magic eight ball". This is not the way God intends us to use the Word.

The Bible is not a magical book with answers to our problems to be learned like the spells and charms in Harry Potter. Neither is it a book of rules, that if followed will get you closer to God. Does the Bible contain wisdom that can help us live? Absolutely. Does it give us direction on how to live in a way that benefits the people around us? Definitely. But as attractive as it might seem, it is not a book of hidden secrets that if you use or say these words in a certain way, you will get the result you asked for, the money you need, or the healing of every disease.

So why do we dig into this big, complicated and sometimes confusing book? The Bible says it best (go figure!). The writer of the Gospel of John puts it this way, "These are written so that you may come to believe... and that through believing you may have life in his name." The Bible is a book of history, stories, poetry, hymns, wisdom and more but first and most of all, it is a love story. The story of how much God loves us. Read John 20:30-31.

Eek! Can I try again?

I used to like bugs. At least I think so because I know I used to play with rollypollies (little grey doodlebugs) and once, in third grade, I took a tarantula to class. I mean, I had to walk just short of two miles to school and I had to carry it the whole way. I couldn't have been too freaked.

We were supposed to bring an "interesting" bug to class for science show and tell. I had one of my big brothers help me catch it. We put it in a quart mayo jar and poked holes in the lid. The body filled the bottom of the jar and the legs went up the sides. It was very hairy, scary and impressive looking. I thought for sure that I would get great marks for such a big bug!

Instead, I got sent to the principle's office for bringing something dangerous to school. My bug was banished (I don't know what happened to it) and I was punished. It must have been severe (at least in my eyes) because today, I can't stand bugs. And people who worked with me in disaster know that I can cope with most things (fires, tornadoes, floods, and worse) but I don't do spiders - I scream and start running!

I remember the dread I felt following the teacher and walking down the hall. I knew I was in trouble even though I wasn't sure why. I remember wishing I could do the whole day over again. In golf, it's called a mulligan, a 'do-over'. If the first time goes awry, you get to start over again; only in golf, it usually only applies to the first time off the first tee. It's a limited time offer.

How wonderful God is about such things! When the disciples ask Jesus how many times they should forgive someone, maybe seven times? Jesus responds, "Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times" (Matthew 18:22) Some translations say "seventy times seven". However the translation, the meaning is clear, we are to forgive beyond the amount of times of which we can keep count. As for God, God is always ready to forgive - to give us a chance at a clean start and a new beginning.

The ancient offertory, "Create in me" quotes from Psalm 51: "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a clean spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me". God is always ready and willing with open arms to welcome us back into God's family, greeting us with love, giving us another chance, a new beginning over and over. God doesn't say the wrong was right. God gives us a chance to start new, to live differently from now on.

With God, it is never too late to begin again. Read Psalm 51:10-12.

Time to learn

Time passes and seasons change. There are signs all around us that change is coming: the days are getting shorter, football players are practicing in the field, and teachers and students are back in school. These are the changes that are common for our society today - the changes involved in the school calendar. Of course, here in the rural parish, we are also aware of the changes brought on by the seasons of the earth and weather. It is harvest time: wheat is being cut and there are beans and corn and beets to come.

The combines signify harvest and food that is grown while the big yellow school buses also on the road are the signs that school is in session. Summer is over and the learning begins. Some people are happy to see school resume; some are not happy at all. Sometimes the thought of going back to school is cause for real trauma-drama!

The day my nephew came home from kindergarten, he was so happy to be home. "I'm all done!", he announced. "I never have to go to school again!" My sister gently explained that he was done with his first year but that he had twelve more to go before he graduated from high school (she didn't even get into the topic of college).

"Twelve years?", he cried. "Mom! You signed me up for twelve more years without even asking me? How could you?"

Aren't we ever done with learning? Can't we just go along on what we know already? According to doctors and recent medical studies, one of the best investments we can make in our own health is to keep learning new things. Using our minds by reading, solving puzzles, and even playing games, keeps our minds active and agile as we age and can prevent or lessen the affects of age-related dementia. It seems we are never to old to keep learning.

But it seems sometimes we are all to ready to call it quits at eighth or ninth grade (confirmation age) when it comes to matters of faith. I read an article on troubled congregations and the conclusion of the author was that too many churches are run by people whose faith was last challenged and nourished when they were in junior high. The author went on to make the point that adult faith requires us to continue to study the bible and theology as we grow so that our faith grows into adulthood with us.

That doesn't mean that we all have to go to college and seminary though. Faith grows through our reading, listening to, and studying scripture and contact with the Holy Spirit through study, worship and prayer. This we can do on our own, but I know for myself, that I am always blessed ten-fold when I do this with others. When we study and pray together, our faith is held up and strengthened by each other especially when we are living through times of questions and grief. And unlike academic studies, God is always ready, loving, and present as our tutor! Read Proverbs 1:1-7.

Time and Time Again

For several days in a row, every morning when I came out to my car, there would be a large spider web spun between both cars. It was actually very beautiful. Most mornings, it shimmered in the sunlight with drops of dew hanging like crystals from a chandelier. Then I would walk through, open the door and break the strands as I left for work. What was incredible was that every morning, it would all be rewoven.

Day after day, I destroyed this beautiful, fragile work. Even if I hadn't disturbed it, it was not going to stay in place. And yet every day for nearly a week, I was greeted with this beautiful sight. I don't know how long a week is in that spider's lifetime, but I am sure, the web was a lot of work. How many of us would have kept re-doing the work day after day in the face of destruction?

It is a faith story repeated time and time again in the stories of the Bible. People who persevered, wandering through the desert for forty years and survived and rebuilt after being conquered and exiled only to be conquered again. And yet the Bible is a book of faith stories; of the God who keeps faith with God's people even when they lose hope, give up, or turn away. God is always there, reaching out with forgiveness, making it possible for us to come back. "But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love". (Nehemiah 9:17).

This verse in Nehemiah comes just after verses that recount the ways the Israelites have NOT been faithful and in fact are labeled as "arrogant and stiff-necked". Stubbornness is not generally regarded as a virtue. However, the upside of being stubborn is persistence. Being willing to keep on trying, to work at it again and again; this kind of persistence is valuable and can even be life-saving for people who refuse to give up even in the face of illness and pain.

Jesus counts it as a quality that we ought to have in our prayer life as well. When the disciples ask Jesus to teach them to pray, he gives us the gift of the Lord's Prayer. Then he goes on to give an example of persistence in prayer. It is after this that we read the words, "Ask, and it will be given you, search, and you will find; knock and the door will be opened for you." It is a lesson inviting us to be persistent in our relationship with God. We do not need to carefully limit our prayers in case we are bothering God too much but instead, we are encouraged to "bother God", to be persistent in our prayers. We can do this knowing that God reaches out to us in love. Read Luke 11:1-13

Are We There Yet?

      Are we there yet?  Anyone who has traveled with children has heard this phrase more than once.  And if you have heard it once, you've heard it many times until the destination is finally reached.

      I remember traveling from west central Kansas to Denver with my daughter when she was still quite small.  As a preschooler, she had limited reading skills.  Unfortunately, they were enough to allow her to read the speed limit signs and from Kanorado (small town on the border) on, she would periodically cry out, "Look Mommy, only six five to to Denver!"  After explaining several times that we were still a long way from Denver, "only six five to Denver" turned into "Are we there yet?" She wanted to hurry up and get there; she was anxious to see her aunt, she was impatient.  But it was also a question of boredom, of being tired of being in the car, of getting hungry and stiff, and weary.

      Are we there yet?  When is Jesus coming?  When is God going to make things right?  How long do we have to struggle, argue with one another, and wait for the Church to be whole and united in Christ?  When will things be the way they should be?  When we will know the answers to all our questions and understand what God is teaching us?  When will things stop changing and just be the way they are supposed to be and just what is that supposed to look like?  When will everyone agree (with me)?

       From the beginning, there has been disagreement amongst people as to what it means to be faithful.  For some it was what Jesus did: eating with sinners and tax collectors, speaking with women in public, or healing on the Sabbath.  For other people, the dividing line became what Jesus asked of his followers, 'Sell all you have, give it to the poor and come follow me".    For still others, it was what Jesus said: "I am the living bread that comes down from heaven".  Those words in this last Sunday's Gospel were too difficult from some to listen to and accept.  It says, "Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him."  So Jesus asked the twelve, "Do you also wish to go away?" (John 6:66-67)

      They stayed, even after denying Jesus, running away from the cross, and hiding behind locked doors.  All but Judas continued in faith, witnessing and carrying on the work Jesus had given them to do because the Holy Spirit gave them the strength and faith to do it in spite of disagreement and even persecution.  They didn't see the end of sin and brokenness and the coming of God's kingdom on earth but they held on with hope by the gift of faith.  

      No, we aren't there yet.  We still have imperfect understandings, and we are all still sinners in need of forgiveness and healing.   But we are to have hope - the promise of Jesus is sure.  As James writes, "Be patient, therefore, beloved,... do not grumble against one another..." "Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed." (verse 16)   Read James 5:7-9

There's always some to give

The economy is on everyone's minds these days. Even if you don't want to think about it, you can't get away from it because it seems that the first, last, and middle stories on the newscasts all focus on whether the economy is getting better. It makes for a lot of conversation about money, spending, and debt.

I was talking with someone the other day and we were sharing memories of when we grew up and our perceptions of money. Neither of us felt poor but we did remember things our families did to save money and stretch it as far as we could. One of the experiences we shared was that getting new clothes was rare - and wearing hand-me-downs was normal for just about everyone.

I had "luck" of being the third girl in my family and quite a bit younger than my sisters, so I got a lot of hand-me-downs. I didn't always like it, but it wasn't bad until my mother decided that it would be cute to dress us all like for special occasions. We had usually gotten new dresses for things like Christmas and Easter. At first it was okay because we each still had a new dress and Mom was a terrific seamstress. They were beautiful! and then I out grew mine and wore the next size up and eventually the next one. So I wore the same dress for years! At least by the time I got done with them, they were too worn out for my little sister.

Still, with all of that, we didn't feel poor. I learned an important lesson. I knew what poor was and we weren't poor because there was always enough to share with others. As though seven kids weren't enough, there were always extra people around our house: a cousin that became a foster child, international students, and assorted others. There was always room around for more. You never feel poor if there is enough to share.

My husband experienced that at its deepest in Cuernavaca, Mexico on a World Hunger mission trip. The group went to bible study in the poorest part of town, where most of the people lived in shanties built of odds and ends of discarded wood, tin, cardboard, and anything else useable. Water was scarce, sewage was a ditch dug along side of the road. People lived on very little but they shared. Even there, the hostess had borrowed chairs and boxes for everyone to sit on and served tea and burritos to her guests. It was important for her to share and for the group to eat with her. My husband has never forgotten that meal.

When you have enough to share with someone who truly has a need, you find yourself feeling grateful instead of complaining and blessed instead of put upon. Jesus put it this way,

"Sell your possessions, and give alms (donations to the hungry and poor). Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Luke 12:33-34

Look, It's God!

I have to admit it, I love creation - it is one of the child-like virtues I work at not losing. It's that sense of being able to look at all the colors of a sunset and be amazed at the variety of hues from purples to pinks, reds and oranges, to the navy blues and bright turquoise. The immensity of the scale on which the sunset is painted makes it hard to take in with one glance. To really see it, you have to stop at least a moment and just look and the longer you look, you begin to notice the changes because even as you watch, clouds are moving and the colors are changing as the sky grows darker.

        Little children have the gift of wonder, whether it's because they are truly seeing things for the first time or also because they don't yet have explanations and reasons for things. For them the world is a place of wonder that hasn't yet been replaced by "understanding". Things are amazing just because they are. I remember looking out and seeing one of my children squatted down looking intently at the ground. Minutes later, they were in the same place in the same position. It didn't look like they were doing anything but I couldn't see anything happening either. I came out and asked what they were doing. They didn't even answer, just pointed at the ground. I still didn't see anything and asked again. They pointed again and I bent down further. All I could see were ants on the ground but what they saw watching the ants march in columns through the dirt and grass kept their attention and imagination for a long time.

        I got lost in some of that amazement sitting on my sister's deck as I watched ruby-throated hummingbirds buzz about between all the flowers and the feeders. At one point, a hummingbird had to chase away a large bumblebee that had also discovered the hummingbird feeder. It was incredible to see this tiny bird, not much larger than the bee, with its wings beating so fast that they are virtually invisible. They are so tiny that at one point, one of them perched on a twist tie fastened to a planter along the rail. As they sped between the flowers and feeders, I learned that not only do hummingbirds sound like huge buzzing bees but they also make tiny high-pitched squeaking noises as they fly.

        Later that same day in the front yard, I saw a moving shadow and looked up. Flying low over the house was a large bald eagle, close enough that I could clearly see the white of the head and tail and the large talons and beak. What a contrast from the buzz of the tiny hummingbird to the powerful and majestic flight of the eagle! As it flew away and over the edge of the bluff, it gave a loud piercing whistle.

        In the opening of the Bible, it is written that God created the heavens and the earth, "And God saw that it was good". There is a lot of discussion and argument about God and creation and science these days and whether or not or how science and the Bible intersect. I don't think it is a matter of whether or not science and faith are irreconcilable; it is a matter of wonder. Wonder reminds us of our humanity and of the immensity of God. Wonder also reminds us of our duty and need to care for all that God has made. Faith doesn't ask us to understand how God created, but to stand in awe and believe that God created.

        The problem occurs when we become so wrapped up in what we think we know that we forget to be amazed by the creation around us. We tend to lose God right long with our sense of wonder because we focus on our knowledge, our work, and what we think we control. This self-centeredness is a condition that affects both scientists and creationists. Isaiah puts us back into perspective by asking: "Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance?" (Isaiah 40:12)

        As we pause to wonder at the creation God has made, it is even more amazing to remember that this God is with us always in love. Read Psalm 8.

Watch out for stumbling blocks!

I have a t-shirt inscribed with the letters "YMBALI". The letters stand for "You Might Be A Lutheran If"... and on the back of the shirt are a variety of endings to the sentence. So you might read it as, you might be a lutheran if you... sit down to sing "Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus" or you might be a lutheran if you rush into the burning church to save the coffee pot or YMBALI if there are three jello cookbooks in the church library. We can make some laugh at yourself jokes about lutherans in general but we need to be careful and refrain from using those generalizations to judge others. We are not all the same nor should we be.

When my husband and I were first married, I remember finally being included in certain things at church as an adult, even though I had been living on my own for years and put myself through college. I was called and asked to bring fruit salad to church for a funeral. Now you need to know that even though I was a life-long lutheran, I had grown up all over the country. So I stretched our newly-wed budget and bought fresh fruit, which was an extravagance for us, and made fruit salad and brought it to the church.

I got to the kitchen and was greeted by an older woman who looked at my bowl and then turned to someone else in the kitchen. "Hey, Myrtle (I don't remember their real names). What should we do with this?"

Another woman came over and looked at my bowl (one of our nicer wedding presents) and then at me and said, "Put it in the back of the fridge, and if we run out of fruit salad, we can put it out."

I left confused between anger and tears. I didn't know that they had meant fruited jello with whipped topping. What I knew was that I had brought the best I could and it wasn't good enough. I have kept the memory on purpose; not out of spite or to nurse my anger but I have remembered and tell it now because it was a lesson. Whether those women meant it that way or not, I know that if I had not been as strongly connected to my faith and to service in the church as I was, I never would have come back after that day. I'm sure they had not thought of driving me or anyone else away from the Church. But the lesson I learned from that day is how little it can take for us to make judgments or pass comments that are enough to discourage especially young Christians (in age and/or faith) from feeling welcomed into Christ's community.

Sometimes those of us who are long-time or life-time members in the church feel as if we have a right to expect things to be done the way they have always been done. We have worked and given for years and so our wishes should matter more than new people and new ideas. So we complain, or comment, or without thinking, "correct" people who do it differently. It's probably not meant to be discouraging or to be taken badly and in fact often happens without a lot of thought. But our years of faith and service don't earn us that privilege. Instead, we are asked even more strongly to think not of ourselves but to think of how our actions and words might affect those around us.

Am I saying that Christ expects more of us who have been in the church for years? Yes. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 8:9 of those who are stronger in the faith, "take care that this... does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak."

We are asked to think always of how our words and actions may seem to those who are new to the faith and/or to the faith community and make sure that we are accepting and welcoming to them. This duty comes before any privilege that we may feel we have earned. The new and or young among us will learn more from our actions of love and charity than by any hasty words we may say.

When we live out our faith in gentle welcome, we find that our community will grow, and so will our faith because when we welcome those young in faith or years, we welcome Christ into our midst. Read Matthew 18:5-6

Smelling the Roses

      Summer as a season seems to be made for taking a break.  I remember when I was younger, that waiting for summer got harder and harder the longer the month of May lasted.  It seemed like school would never end; the closer summer got, the harder it was to sit still.  The teachers I know agree, it gets harder and harder to keep every one's attention towards the end of the school year.

      I still can't wait for summer - especially when winter throws one last cold, snowy blast in our faces.  The longer, warmer days of summer seem meant for picnics, sipping lemonade, and lazing in a hammock.  However, we have succeeded in  swapping one schedule for another and summer has become crammed with its own set of activities: sports, vacations, visiting, gardening, do-it-yourself lists, games, and so on.  They sound like leisure activities until they are added together and compounded by the work that still must be done.  We have turned summer into one huge item on the "to-do" list that must be completed.

     In doing that, we have lost something we desperately need physically, spiritually, and mentally.  We get so caught up in doing what comes next that we forget to take the time to enjoy what is happening around us and things begin to unravel.  When we don't really see and appreciate the creation around us, we lose the impetus to work at caring for the earth entrusted to us by God.  When we are so busy going from one thing to the next, concentrating on completing tasks, we can lose track of caring for our relationships with the people around us.  And when all of these things are happening at the same time, we can lose track of caring for ourselves and ignore the warning signs our own bodies are giving us.  We are human and sooner or later, we will be reminded of how frail our bodies are.

      We need sabbath time; time away from work to rest and to pray.  God modeled this truth for us even at the beginning of creation, resting on the seventh day.  We are physically and spiritually built so that rest is vital to our survival. When every Sunday becomes one more day to work at play and when summer becomes a long season of work and busyness, we endanger our well- being.  

      So how do we get that rest and still meet the demands of our lives?  It's not always possible to carve out entire days or weeks for rest; our responsibilities get in the way.  But here is a way to begin: take time to breathe.  As God breathed life into Adam and Eve, as Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit into the disciples on that first Easter(John 20:22); in our breath is life.

      It only takes a moment to sit quietly, head held up, breathe slowly in through the nose and out through the mouth.  You can do it anywhere, anytime just for a moment or longer.  Taking time to "smell the roses" in small doses helps center us into the present and can help calm the mind and heal the body.  Combined with prayer, we are reconnected with God.  Read Mark 6:30-32

Prayer that cares

      "Good luck!"

      "Hope it goes well for you. You'll be okay."

      "I'll be thinking of you."

      Someone we know is going on a job interview, to the doctor or hospital for tests or surgery, or perhaps they are moving away, or being deployed to serve overseas.  We want to let them know that we care, that somehow our care goes with them, and that we want positive outcomes for them.  We hope that they will get the job, arrive safely, that the doctors will find no cancer or can cure what ails them, and they will come home safe and sound.  We talk about it in words of wishing or hoping like children getting ready to blow out birthday candles or pulling apart a wishbone.  If only our thoughts could change things or at least tip the scale towards the positive.  

      During my years of disaster ministry, there were many sleepless nights when I struggled with overwhelming problems, trauma and stress.  One night in particular, I remember finally sitting up on the edge of the bed and struggling with tears.  I was working with a family that needed help so badly.  It was something everyone I talked to agreed upon but deadlines were past, regulations had to be followed, and the problems seemed insurmountable.  I had spoken to regional and national directors, legislators including a governor, all on behalf of this family.  In tears, mentally and physically exhausted, I sat there thinking "If only there was someone bigger I could talk to, someone with more power who could make a difference".

      That's when I had my Homer Simpson "Doh!" moment.   God.  Prayer.  Of course there was someone bigger, stronger, with more power than anyone and yes, I could talk to that person.  I could talk to God.  I stopped turning in circles and prayed, putting the family and all their problems into God's hands and asked God to take care of it.  I didn't know what else to do.  God was going to have to be creative at this point.  When I was done praying, I laid down and got more restful and deeper sleep than I had had in a long time.

      I not only slept well that night, but over the next few days, things fell into place including a proclamation from the governor.  Most importantly, the family ended up getting the help and support they needed.

      There is power in prayer.  More than having good wishes or kind thoughts for someone, prayer is an act of faith that connects the person we are concerned about with the boundless grace and love of God.  Praying for someone makes a difference.  Telling them we will or are praying for them is a witness of faith.  

      Now it doesn't work like ordering from Amazon - if we put in the order, we get what we asked for.  Treating prayer like a purchase order makes prayer a form of magic, like in Harry Potter; you say the right words in the right way and voila! it happens.  But prayer is a matter of faith and not magic.  For whatever the reasons (the world's brokenness, our intentions, some future consequence we cannot see, etc...), sometimes we do not get the answers from prayer that we seek.  But always, we have connected ourselves and the people we pray for in relationship with God.   

      "I'll keep you in my prayers."  

      Like many of the things that Jesus asks us to do in his name: feeding the hungry or caring for sick and reaching out, praying for others is a double gift.  When we pray for others, we find our own troubles and anxieties are lessened even as they are given into God's care.  "Bear one another's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." (Galatians 6:2)   A simple change in vocabulary from "I hope it's okay" to "I'll pray for you" takes our intention from a nice thought into action that also (gently) witnesses to our faith and God's power.  Read James 5:13-16.

God's Forest

      It seems like we spend most of the winter  waiting for the warmth of summer but once it gets hot, nothing feels better than the shade of a tall tree.  Sitting under the green canopy, the air is cooler and you can hear the wind rustle the leaves and the birds sing.  It's a great place for reading a book, taking a nap, or sipping iced tea while talking with a friend.  Trees clean our air, supply oxygen, keep our houses cooler in the summer, provide wind breaks in the winter, and provide shelter for many creatures.  

      Trees are a treasure; especially on the wide prairies of the Great  Plains.  Even from a long distance, you can tell where a homestead is or was by noticing the cluster of trees.  Settlers planted them to form a shelter around the house and yard from the worst of the cold winds.  That's why you find evergreens scattered in windbreaks; they give shelter from blowing snow and frigid winds when the other trees have lost their leaves.  Fruit trees were planted for preserving and canning to enrich diets even in the winter.

      You can see the curly paths of the rivers by following the tree line growing along the banks. It's often at the curve of a stream or small river where the water slows down that you will find a large willow tree hanging over the water.   In dryer areas of the plains,  you can see where water only runs during the flashes of thunder storms by looking for the trees.  It's not only dryer in the west, but the wind blows harder with nothing to get in it's way.  The power of the wind and the lack of moisture shows in the shortened and twisted trees but still, they grow where there is water.   In western Kansas, where trees and water are in shortest supply and limestone is plentiful, farmers and ranchers are inventive, cutting the limestone and using it for the mainstays of fence lines.  It's why that area is called "stone post" country.

      In Psalm 1, the writer compares faithful people to "trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither" (Psalm 1:3).  These are people who "delight ... in the law of the Lord" and who meditate day and night.  

      This night seem strange if we only consider "the law of the Lord" to be like the 10 commandments.  How do you "delight" in being told what to do and what not to do?  But the psalmist is talking about so much more than those few verses in Exodus 20.  What is being modeled in the psalm is following the will of God; shaping one's life by faith.  And like the tree planted by the water, our faith is fed by hearing, reading, studying, and praying the Word of God.  As we nurture our faith, we grow stronger and more able to withstand the storms and winds of life; even the dry times when we are not sure of our faith or when we are battered by pain or crisis.  It is at those times most of all, when the community of the church can uphold us.

      The tallest largest trees of all, the redwoods, have very shallow roots.  I have read that if they grew alone, they would not be able to grow so tall or so old because they would tear out of the ground and fall over in wind.  However, as they grow in groves, their roots intertwine and weave together, giving them a huge base much larger and stronger than any one or two could grow.   It is because they grow together that they are able to become the monuments they are.  

      It is the same for us.  When we grow our faith in community with others, we are better able to handle whatever it is that blows our way.  Read Ephesians 4: 1-6