Cooking for the Last Bite

“Americans, more than any other culture on earth, are cookbook cooks; we learn to make our meals not from any oral tradition, but from a text. The just-wed cook brings to the new household no carefully copied collection of the family's cherished recipes, but a spanking new edition of The Joy of Cooking.”
John Thorne, American food writer.

Fifteen people gathered in a large kitchen this evening to make a four-course meal. There were printed recipes for us to take home, but during the preparation the instructor rarely consulted the paper, and certainly not for measurements. "Please don't measure" the instructor encouraged those of us tied to step-by-step process thinking. Anyone who has tried to follow a family recipe knows how frustrating it is to translate "some," "for a little while," and "until it looks right" into a technically correct recipe. But tonight, with the help of an experienced guide giving oral instructions and thoughtful hints, the garlic was freed, the ingredients meshed, and the chocolate oozed in decadence resulting in closed eyes as if lost in a dream, hums of appreciation, and not an ounce of food refused. Many hands prepared the meal using ingredients never bought before and using methods in direct opposition to long held beliefs (don't add oil to pasta when boiling?? It keeps the sauce from sticking to the pasta.). The process was deliciously liberating. We can make something that tastes this good? Improvisation is encouraged? I can share my kitchen space?

"Anybody can make you enjoy the first bite of a dish, but only a real chef can make you enjoy the last." Francois Minot

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, We are thankful for meals shared in community. We are amazed at the way simple herbs and oils can join to bring out the best flavors of each and create a meal to feed thousands. Let us be joined in spirit, in direction, and in community; improving each other's gifts and creating a congregation that can touch countless lives. We reserve the final touches for your grace, your involvement, your blessing. Let us be moved to explore and create a unique blend of worship, mission and study that defies standard operations and whose qualities cannot be metered out in textbook effectiveness. We ask for your guidance, for you are the master artist that creates a consistent, palatable, enduring meal of sustenance. Let us generously share our abundance and blessings. Amen

What Did I Miss?

In the book "God Was in This Place and I, i Did Not Know," Lawrence Kushner devotes the entire book to reading the story of Jacob climbing the ladder, through the study of different emphasis and interpretations of a single verse, Genesis 28:16. One such view sees the ladder as awareness: "If I had known God was here, I wouldn't have gone to sleep in such a holy place." Kushner shares the fact that classical Hebrew has no word for spirituality. "Judaism sees only one world, which is material and spiritual at the same time." The material world is always potentially spiritual." He recounts a Jewish midrash that tells the story of two Israelites, Reuven and Shimon, who cross the Red Sea in the greatest Jewish miracle and complain and grumble all the while about the mud. But they concentrate so much on the slime that they never look up to see the walls of water being held aside while they cross. For Reuven and Shimon the miracle never happened. When Jacob wakes up to realize he had been wrestling with God and did not recognize the fact, he wonders "If God was here, and I didn't know, then perhaps God has been other places also."

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, We are thankful for rich, imaginative dreams of encounters with your presence and possibilites of growing under your watch. Let us not be so entertained by dreams, however, that we fail to wake up to all that is happening around us - daily occurrences of divine interaction. While we wrestle to understand your will, let us not look only for rainbows and burning bushes, but also for gentle nods of encouragement, quiet looks of agreement, and subtle undercurrents of discord. All speak of your vision if we stay vigilant and awake to all possibilities. Let us be a church of dreams and a church fully awake, where everything has the potential of being spiritual. Amen.

Compass of Hope

"Sometimes we love with nothing more than hope.
Sometimes we cry with everything but tears."
-Gregory David Roberts

There's a wonderful part of the movie, "Elizabeth, The Golden Age," in which Sir Walter Raleigh describes being at sea with only the fragile hope of finding land. I don't know whether it is our tenaciousness, resiliency, or stubbornness that keeps hope alive, or if it is an inner compass of faith that keeps our eyes searching for our horizon, our relief from being adrift. How is hope born? How is hope cultivated? How is hope kept aflame? We are a nation whose history is tied to hope, to the belief in a new land, better opportunities, and freedom. In the movie, "Elizabeth, The Golden Age," the description of hope extends for several minutes beyond the clip (if you visited the link) in which you are taken to sea through the descriptive words of Raleigh. You first allow yourself to believe with certainty that land exists, and then experience the passionate correlation with resurrection.

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, We are thankful for hope that keeps us alive, keeps us striving, and keeps us loving. We owe our stubborn, passionate belief in hope to your majesty and love. We know that you are able to use all circumstances for good. We may not see the immediate results of the changed course, but we search on the horizon for the glimpse of rebirth, of new lands. Cultivate our hope for a growing congregation, for the outreach into the world, and for the continued nurturing of our church community. Let us believe that we do not have to choose one course over another, but that the journeys may parallel, crisscross, or marry. We may establish new settlements, create new cultures, but our single allegiance is to the One who first loved us. We believe in resurrection. We believe in love beyond our hopes. We love in hope and more. Amen

Always

It was another gathering of friends and family in far too short a time. Yes, it was a celebration, but I'd rather be commemorating his round of golf where he scored his age of 79 just last month rather than celebrating and remembering the life of Bill Hall. He was the neighborhood's second dad, someone that you just naturally wanted to spend time sitting beside, or make sure you were on his team for ping pong. At a time when teenagers usually want to avoid adults, Bill Hall was an adult the teenagers willingly sought out. One of the life lessons that I learned from him was to learn people's names, greet them by their name whenever you meet them, and look each person in their eyes. In a campus where there are over 2,000 employees, it's hard to know every name, but I try to remember as many as possible. I can make sure that as I meet someone that I look into their eyes, even if I don't know their name, and recognize them as another child of God. With a ready laugh and a gentle hand of guidance Bill Hall was a natural teacher and encourager. He could also sing! I asked him to sing at our wedding, and I really didn't care what he sang, as long as he agreed to sing. He chose "Always" which was an older song that I knew, but on my own might not have chosen. But tonight, as I revisit the lyrics, what a wonderful choice he made! I can also see that this song doesn't have to remain earthbound, but speaks also to the greatest love of all.

"Always"
I'll be loving you, always
With a love that's true, always
When the things you plan
Need a helping hand
I will understand, always, always
Days may not be fair, always
That's when I'll be there, always
Not for just an hour
Not for just a day
And not for just a year, but, always.

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, We are thankful for the lives of those who reach and teach others how to live beyond their own limited expectations. Let us never underestimate the power of meeting another, if not through touch or speech, through the eyes of the soul. We can connect and find our extended family; each one another child of God. O God, you know each of us and call us by name, and we are blessed. You welcome all with a parent's attention to individual needs, recognition of gifts, and a solace for times when days are hard. Your love is everlasting. Let us be better parents to the children in our homes, in our church, in our community, and in the world. Let us show our resolve to love them not for just a day, but always. Amen.

Nostalgia

It's been a good day for nostalgia. While grilling tonight I found a radio station that played 70's pop music and I was surprised how I could slip back into time and sing along almost verbatim. Our worship was done as a Hymn Sing which meant that almost every component was interpreted through the words and tune of a hymn; most were hymns that I knew at least one verse by heart. One of the hymns was "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" and it immediately took our Associate Pastor back to visiting church with his grandparents where the hymn was regularly a part of worship. If you didn't get enough old-time hymn singing in today then you need to buy a CD for those Sunday's when it's totally contemporary. Of course today's contemporary is part of tomorrow's nostalgia. If you find a hymn book from the 1920's you might know 1/3 of the songs. Go back to the 1800's and you might be lucky to know 1/8 of the songs. Most of the songs from my grandparent's era would not encourage me to join in song today; I would be glassy-eyed and tuning out. Nostalgia means "a bittersweet longing for things, persons, or situations of the past." I guess the question is, how far back is the past? And how much do we hold those earlier times as idealistic and without fault? Movies such as "Pleasantville" and "Back to the Future" give examples of yearning for the past but realizing the times were not without flaws.

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, We are thankful for hymns of old that come to us as naturally as lullabies bringing comfort and peace. We welcome old hymns as a reunion with childhood friends. Let us be mindful of the ever-changing world and the passage of time that stops for no one. Even if we manage to suspend our activities, time goes on. Even if we cease to be, time goes on. O God, transplant us from a people filled with bittersweet longings to a people filled with a hunger for the lovely, delectable, anticipatory new day. Let us grow towards your eternal kingdom, knowing that we cannot pack all of our accumulations if we expect to keep pace. We can sing familiar songs along the journey, but let us rejoice that a new voice finds a different expression of faith and praise, and that we are asked to participate and share in worshipful adoration. Amen

Patience

There is an African proverb that says "Munyal deefan hayre," or translated into English, "Patience can cook a stone." Sometimes my brisket tastes like a stone, does that count?? In a world where seconds are viewed as delays, patience is not easily practiced. The Fulfulde people use this proverb to encourage someone to slow down whom they feel is acting rashly or when a trial or hardship seems to last forever and revenge is an option for consideration. Our demands for patience range from slow-perking coffeepots to microwave cook times, from fingernail polish drying time to air travel delays, from time-honored friendships to instant messaging mishaps. Margaret Thatcher is quoted as saying "I am extraordinarily patient, provided I get my way in the end." I'm sure she said it with a smile on her face, but most people do hope that tolerance will be extended to them, while withholding the mercy of patience to others. If patience is honored, and practiced, then like a slowly smoked brisket, the rewards are tangible.

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, we are grateful for the patience you bestow on your people who find reasons to delay in responding to your call. Like a child at play being called home, we find reasons to postpone your invitation until we are hungry and cold, seeking reassurance of light and warmth. You welcome us with waiting arms. Let us grow in patience, seeking right relationships instead of quick retorts, seeking the good of the people instead of self-gratification, and seeking sagely wisdom instead of rushed judgment. As Jesus answered on the practice of forgiveness (Matt 18:22), likewise let us share our gift of patience seventy times seven, with our neighbors, our nation, our enemies, and ourselves. Let us also be patient in our church home where love is our greatest common bond, and apprehension is shoved away as an uncommon fracture. Through faith and patience let us become better Christians. Amen.

Bookends

Last week Rev. Craig Barnes surprised me by telling the story of Jacob and Esau as the same person. This week Barnes continues the story of Jacob, but this time looking at Leah and Rachel - as the same person. Why am I surprised again? He compares Jacob's life with Leah and Rachel to our own relationships.

Whoever it is that you love, that person is both Leah and Rachel. You may love one more than the other, but they are wrapped into the same person. Rachel is the one you love, and you're sure that she will be the blessing to your life. But you can't have Rachel without taking Leah, who you don't love and you didn't think you were getting. Not long after you are together, you discover you didn't get just Rachel.

I'm not a rigid person. I like to deviate from Standard Operating Procedures. I like the idea of Midrash, reading between the lines of the text. When I've been reading stories word for word (for years) instead of grasping the unsaid, and someone shares a glimpse of that text turned inside out, it's like a light bulb being turned on. Eureka! Sometimes the stories we think we know can be turned by a single word, read from another point of view, or another translation.

There is a strange problem in the Hebrew text when it comes to describing Leah's eyes. Our scholars are not real sure how to translate the word. Sometimes it is translated as weak, as to say, "Leah had weak eyes." Some translations such as the New International Version say this. Other times the word is translated as lovely, as to say, "Leah had lovely eyes," which is what the New Revised Standard Version states. The difference between weak and lovely is significant, but clearly it can be interpreted either way from the text. The Bible translators have to make a choice when they come to this strange word. Will they translate as weak or lovely? It could be translated either way. Leah's eyes could also be translated either way by Jacob when he looked at her. He chose to see them as weak, but he could have chosen to see them as lovely. When you look into the eyes of your loved one, long after you have discovered who this really is, what do you see? The weakness or the love. Well, that is your choice.

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, We are blessed because you love all of us: our beauty and strengths, our imperfections and weaknesses. You choose to see the ideal of who we can become; our possibility to become Christ-filled. Likewise, let us be generous in choosing to recognize the best of each person, and to provide support and encouragement that they have the opportunity to live their ideal role in the kingdom. Let us choose to love others more, to love the whole person, and to love you with our entire soul. Let us consider your Word with fresh eyes and with attentiveness to that which is unsaid, as well as what is said, and choose to be open to suggestions that might awaken a foretaste of your unending message. Amen

Wesley Covenant

We've been finishing each chapter of Richard Foster's Prayer, Finding the Heart's True Home by using the printed prayer at the end of each chapter. (hmmm... note to self, if studying prayer why not practice what ye have learned? Sounds a little George Carlin-ish.). The chapter on covenant prayer examined some of the reasons people do not make a commitment to regular prayer. A commitment to God carries some high anxiety because we may feel that we cannot fulfill our promise, or perhaps that prayer will seem compulsory and no longer feel like we are drawn into prayer and cannot be spontaneous. We just don't want to be tied down with one more responsibility. We feel like the prayers are an outcome of work that come from us, but A.W. Tozer writes that at first it will seem that "...we are the initiators, but in time we will see that it is God who inflames our heart." The closing prayer seemed to be one that implied one was ready to make a covenant for regular prayer then and there, so instead of forcing a commitment at that moment we borrowed another written prayer by John Wesley. It's a prayer that many Methodists use in January, making a fresh covenant for the new year. (Reply to self: They are pretty good prayers, and touch on what the author hopes one will carry forward in one's growth in prayer. Good concern, but chill.)

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, We are thankful for the covenant you have made with your people. Where would we be without your commitment to us? Let us have the boldness to offer our commitment to you. Amen

Covenant Prayer - John Wesley
I am no longer my own but yours.
Your will, not mine, be done in all things,
wherever you may place me, in all that I do
and in all that I endure;
when there is work for me and when there is none;
when I am troubled and when I am at peace.
Your will be done when I am valued and when I am disregarded;
when I find fulfillment and when it is lacking;
when I have all things, and when I have nothing.
I willingly offer all I have and am to serve you, as and where you
choose.

Glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
you are mine and I am yours.
May it be so for ever.
Let this covenant now made on earth be fulfilled in heaven. Amen.

Security Gates

A few weeks ago I had to pick up a package from a Fed Ex distribution center. It's a large complex with very few entrances, and limited options once you arrive. To pick up your own package you visit a small building, located along the fenced boundary, and set apart from the huge warehouses. All of the employees also enter and exit through this single port of entry. What fascinated me was the reverse role of metal detectors. Instead of scanning employees as they were coming into the complex, all employees had to empty their pockets and allow the security staff to use their detection wand to ensure that no one was leaving with items that weren't legally theirs. It was such a reverse use of security gates that I did not tire of watching the process. One odd question came to my mind: what if we were scanned as we left the church to ensure our spiritual treasures were kept inside?

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, You have entrusted many gifts in our custody; let us be good stewards of the trust and belief you have bestowed on us. When we consider our gifts, we know in our hearts that these are gifts to share, not to ensnare. Our congregation also has a bazaar of gifts brought together in an array of music, teaching, encouragement, sharing, welcoming, caring, feeding, leadership, and those with a heart for mission. These gifts make our church rich indeed but left within the walls of our church, stunts the opportunity for discovery and collaboration of gifts. What if the person in the apartment across the street is a carpenter? What if the person driving down the road is an interpreter? What if the person who moved into the neighborhood can help with finances? What if the person driving through the parking lot needed a friendly wave? What if, as we left our Sanctuary, we ensured that no one left sharing the Good News? What if the doors had been closed to us? O God, let us be mindful of our resources and let us become excellent distributors of your love. Amen

Hound of Heaven

I'm learning some unexpected literary terms in studying Richard Foster's Prayer, Finding the Hearts True Home. Last week I had to research Caspar Milquetoast, which refers to a comic strip character in "Timid Soul," who was known for his meek, bland, "milk toast" personality. This week there was a 180 degree turn in personality traits. I thought Richard Foster had penned a new concept for understanding God as a "hound of heaven baying relentlessly on our track." Those words and that imagery left a strong impression during the reading. I was surprised to find a classic poem "The Hound of Heaven" by Francis Thompson which must have been the background for his comments.

I fled Him down the nights and down the days.
I fled Him down the arches of the years,
I fled Him down the labyrinthine ways of my own mind:
And in the mist of tears I hid from Him,
...Down titanic glooms of chasmed fears
From those strong feet that followed, that followed after.

I guess I'll have to wait for Eugene Peterson to re-work the lengthy verse before I can gain a better understanding of the entire poem, but this image of a persistent, determined, faithful God is powerful indeed. Who can't hear the baying of a hound in pursuit and know that it is a matter of time before the focused hound finds its intention.

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, We are thankful that you seek us, find us, and claim us as your own. In our floundering attempts to stay hidden, you find us where we are. May we, just as doggedly, pursue your vision for our congregation. You have set before us a trail of familiarity, overlapping with traces of unfamiliar and unexplored ideas. Let us use our best sense of discernment to follow the path closest to your footsteps, closest to your will. We ask that if we stray or become delayed that you will search for us and deliver us towards the path of redemption. Let us rejoice in the bay of your call, knowing we are closer to communion with you. Amen

Circled in Love

My next audio book adventure, Shantaram, contains 39 CDs! It's an epic-style story roughly based on a true story of a New Zealand prison escapee who finds India a source of new life and belonging. I probably wouldn't recommend the book for a reading club at church, but there are moments of cultural revelations, insights into other worlds, and passages worthy of underlining for repeat reading. He leaves the city of Bombay to travel with his guide to his hometown far into the countryside. In this remote village the people had never seen a tourist from another country. They could not understand how he could travel all alone, without any family at all. That night, the townspeople gathered around him in a circle to watch over him as he slept. At first he didn't think he could sleep with so many people watching and talking in quiet undertones, but soon he drifted into an unparallel sleep of comfort and rest.

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, you encircle us in your loving care. In a world in which so many people live solitary and independent lives, let us welcome them to our village, our church, and treat them as honored guests. Let us invite those who have no church home into our community, and watch over them and support them as they discover rest in your arms that matches no peace they have ever known. Amen.

Being a Twin

Like Jacob, we all have a twin. From the day we are born we are measuring ourselves against some Esau, some standard of what we think we should be. Esau isn't just Jacob's older brother. He is also the person you and almost everyone else think you have to become before you are going to get any blessings. Esau is the person who is like you, but better. He is your preferred twin, the better projection of your potential. - Craig Barnes

I think many people are fascinated by twins. There is the challenge of identifying identical twins and the mystery of their almost supernatural connectivity. With any multiple birth there seems to be a certainty in always having a partner, a confidant. I have never heard the Esau and Jacob story told through this lens before, giving each of us the identity of being a twin. But instead of complimenting each other, we guard this relationship with our other self, warily observing each other like two boxers in a ring.

...He had done everything he could to resemble his preferred twin, who had overcome his own identity. So when he said, "I am Esau," he was almost telling the truth. The problem was that God had promised to bless Jacob. How pathetic this scene must have looked from heaven. Jacob, the man God had chosen to bless, was standing in front of his blind father with goat's wool taped to his neck and hands. God is not blind! God knows who you are and sees through the disguise. And God wants to bless you. - C. Barnes

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, You are a loving parent, bestowing blessings on all your children, knowing us and loving us still. While we aim to live the life of your creation, we are also hampered by our own manufacture of a giant ego, unable to let go, and unable to match. Believing we cannot meet expectations, or that we may fail to live up to our commitments, we choose to make no promises, trying to save future failures. Or we try to hide our intentions like Jacob. Dear God, you know our hearts, our strengths, and our weaknesses, and you bless us as we are. Allow us to embrace the person we are, the congregation we are, and give us eyes to see what we can accomplish with your blessings, using us as we are. Let us grow into your vision, grow into our faith, and grow out of the church walls into the world. Amen.

Blue Skies All Over

Last Sunday we had a multi-cultural gathering during worship, and not necessarily intentionally. We had one set of visitors from Denmark and another family visiting from Germany. Our intern was raised in England and we sang tunes from Ireland and Latin America. My kind of gathering! It would have been perfect timing to include the hymn "This Is My Song" to the tune of Finlandia. But it's the words that make it another favorite of mine (plus it's in a minor chord...); it speaks of peace, of respect, and recognition of a world bigger than my own.

This Is My Song
This is my song, O God of all the nations,
A Song of peace for lands afar and mine.
This is my home, the country where my heart is;
here are my hopes, my dreams, my holy shrine;
but other hearts in other lands are beating
with hopes and dreams as true and high as mine.

My country's skies are bluer than the ocean,
and sunlight beams on cloverleaf and pine;
but other lands have sunlight too, and clover,
and skies are everywhere as blue as mine.
O hear my song, thou God of all the nations,
a song of peace for their land and for mine.

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, the hymn's third verse is my prayer for each person and for our church. Let us be ambassadors of your kingdom promoting peace and good will, and building relationship with all nations, their inhabitants, and their cultures.

This is my prayer, O Lord of all earth's kingdoms:
Thy kingdom come; on earth thy will be done.
Let Christ be lifted up till all shall serve him,
and hearts united learn to live as one.
O hear my prayer, thou God of all the nations;
myself I give thee; let thy will be done.

Momentum

I went to hear #2 son play again tonight. It was a good show and they are steadily picking up momentum with regular gigs and loyal fans. I had my own momentum swings at work today. I was struggling to get the kind of images I needed to capture, but once the setting was right and some progress was seen, the participants were eager to continue and they started making suggestions and recognized their role in the process. We were working in synchronization. I think I’ll have some good images, not because of my skills, but because of the energy and eagerness that was evident in their faces and in their body language. Momentum produces a ripple effect that first causes people to take notice and then draws them into the eddy of energy and connection. Management by God shares the inspiration of Ehud who took a nation at standstill under foreign rule, and not only got them moving in the right direction, but maintained independence for the next 80 years. From Ehud we are able to learn four key principles that can help build momentum.

• Build trust
• Get creative
• Do the unexpected
• Build on your success

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, We are thrilled to be caught up in the momentum of your vision. Let our leadership discern the vision that captures your will for our congregation. Let us work together to build trust that we are not seeking to impose our own ideas, but are willing to be the hands and voices of a greater good. Encourage us to be creative and suggest ideas that will help utilize our gifts to help complete the image of our church’s role in the world. Let us experience unexpected glimpses of grace as we work in synchronization, recognizing our common goal to share and live the Good News. By your power and dominion, let us build stepping stones of success, leading us towards the path of your righteousness. May a sense of urgency envelope our church; building momentum that moves us in the right direction for the next 80 years. May our ripple effect reach out through the community, connecting with other circles of grace, drawing those who need to know of your love and peace in their lives. Amen.

Hard Hearted Hannah

Sometimes I get billed as "Hard Hearted Hannah" because I'm not moved by classics like "An Affair to Remember" or "Gone With the Wind" and I never understood the hype surrounding "Titanic." I don't even particularly like its theme song. What insolence! Now you understand why some people wonder if I even have a heart. Tonight on a whim I decided to look up the origin of HHH. Since Hannah is a biblical name, my first thought was that the moniker could reference a forgotten Bible story. But no! It's almost as shameful - it's an old song I never knew! I like to think I have a pretty good knowledge of older songs, but this one does not even sound familiar. In the song I compared my roughness with Hannah: "She's got a heart like a stone" and "Leather is tough, but Hannah's heart is tougher." Okay, maybe we're pretty close so far... "I saw her at the seashore with a great big can, There was Hannah pouring water on a drownding man!"

Wait!! She's a really is a hard hearted gal!!! I can hear Bonnie Rait pleading "Have a heart!"

What if I confess that "Brian's Song" makes me weep, "The Other Side of the Mountain" makes me blubber, and I had to burrow my head because "The Red Balloon" was so tragic and touching without a word being spoken during the entire film. Kodak commercials are a given. Can I step down from my honorary title? Poor Hannah, she was sentenced because her name rhymed with Savannah.

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, We are thankful that your heart is always open to receive your people. You encourage heart-to-heart talks and are willing to listen to our sorrows, our concerns, and our joys. You welcome our confessions and love us still. Let us share a similar open and accepting heart-to-heart connection with our family and neighbors, strangers and newcomers, enemies and even ourselves. Let us see that within every person is a child of God who you love without limit, as you love us. Let us exercise our heart muscle to maintain its suppleness and compliance avoiding rigidity and hardening. Let them know we are Christians by our love, by your love. Amen.

Pilgrim's Progress

I was a little overwhelmed with the amount of information shared in Foster's chapter on Formation Prayer. Entire books are written about the different models of Formation Prayer he summarized in ten pages. The one idea that stood out in my reading was the importance placed in progress. Steady progress is genuine and praiseworthy, and a worthy honor of unknown risks, diligent study, and endured lessons.

When I speak of formation prayer, I am talking not about perfectionism but about progress in the spiritual life.... I want to stress on the importance of progress, of growth, of change, of formation.
- Richard Foster “Prayer, Finding the Heart’s True Home.”

In John Bunyan’s "The Pilgrim's Progress," knowledge can be gained by learning from mistakes on the journey. But simply moving in itself does not make a traveler a pilgrim. The pilgrim must advance spiritually as forward momentum is gained towards a sacred place. In Part II, the pilgrimage is a communal activity. At each stop more pilgrims join and the group grows substantially, their strengths as a pilgrim involve reaching out to others. One of the truths learned on the journey is that spiritual existence should involve togetherness.

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, You have given each of us a pilgrimage that leads us on a sacred journey. At times our travels take us on solitary paths of reflection; other byways find us shoulder-to-shoulder with a band of adventurers. At each crossroad and meal shared, let us find a truth to receive and integrate into our understanding of your world. Let us never be satisfied to rest too long or become too comfortable in one station. Give us eyes to appreciate the beauty we pass along the way, and the wisdom to avoid dangerous hazards and costly detours. We are pilgrims seeking to follow our courses faithfully and diligently. We strive to progress a little further, day by day, growing towards reformation from our will to yours. Amen.

Mission of Value

While my normal radio crew is on vacation I’ve been listening to a healthy share of audio books. When I find a good book I always wonder why I bother with the radio at all. Paulo Coelho wrote “The Devil and Miss Prym” in which an entire town is forced to question the lengths it will go to preserve its town. Sometimes the town struggles with having the courage to make the changes necessary and sometimes they struggle with the fact that fear can redirect compliance rather than simple obedience. I will find out tomorrow what the town chose to do.

It seems like sometimes we struggle with the same choices in our community of faith. For the first time in 50 years the General Assembly voted to increase the number of mission personnel living around the world. What a bold statement of values and courage!

At the same time conversations are replete with the potential demise of PCUSA, along with other mainline denominations, and the disparity between what the church offers against what the newest generation needs. We live in the shadow of the mega-churches who seem to be the rare exceptions and find growth among all ages. We question their means of success and our own shortcomings; we quietly doubt the fairness. It feels as if our backs are against the wall and panic is just a breath away. Should we focus our breathing to control what we have within and keep our distress at bay? Or should we dive into the middle with the assurance that a life preserver is just a throw away?

Jesus sowed his seed in our hearts, then off he went…. He knew things would not be ideal. There were the birds and the droughts, the weeds and the insects, the parasites and the blights. But there was also the power of the seed itself. -
Joseph G. Dondersteacher and chaplain at the University of Nairobi, Kenya

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, It is because of our response to your grace in our lives that we wish to grow the church. We hope to offer a sanctuary for our members, providing a place for renewal and replenishment. We hope to offer a refuge for the community, providing a place for revival and rebirth. You provide a distinct home and mission for those you call together; we are thankful for our gathering for such a time as this. Let us be obedient to your will, not because we fear, but because we desire to act justly and live in unwavering devotion. Let joy override worry and confidence supersede apprehension. We believe we have a message and a church home that is worth sharing! Let us believe in the power of the seed itself. Amen

Old Dog, New Tricks

Many churches are struggling with the best way to grow the church. I had started to rationalize the idea that our church was growing because we are staying even. It seemed like a milestone to maintain our numbers while so many other churches were losing members and perhaps the definition of "growth" needed to be reconsidered. I think I took the coward's way out. Our Presbytery is using one tool to measure growth and that is by the number of adult baptisms; not content to receive new members by transfer of letter, but from outreach, discovery and transformation. The following blog asks many questions that I would not have been brave enough to ask.

I,GeekRev - "Old Dog, New Tricks"

Last week I was at General Assembly. There we had the election of a new moderator with feet firmly planted in the PC(USA) and the postmodern world.... In some small ways it feels like our denomination might be at the beginning of a turning point. It feels like there are enough people with voice and power who are beginning to have conversations about the fact that church as we do it is not working. Sure, it’s working for a good portion of the people sitting in the pews to some degree (arguably), but the church does not exist for its members.

I have a million and five thoughts swimming in my head about what the church should be. And I am brought back to a question I have had before. Can the typical PC(USA) church change enough to be church for the younger generations? Let me rephrase that. Can the typical PC(USA) church change enough to be church for the younger generations while they are still young? Or is the primary way to reach people who aren’t in church today with New Church Developments?

What do you think? If our churches today can change enough to reach people not in church then why haven’t we done it already and why do you think we can do it now? If we can’t do it with existing churches then how are we going to do it? - Shawn Coon, July 2008

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, We are blessed with a caring and vibrant congregation. We thank you for the leadership who investigate the hard questions, who seek to follow your will, and who are willing to struggle with finances and dreams. At a time when it's easier to stay in the comfort of our own homes, these leaders are committed to providing the best care of the congregation and our neighbors, at the expense of many hours of work, study and prayer. At a time when it's easier to maintain the familiar surroundings of our church and worship styles, leaders are committed to perserving and nourishing its members and also committed to include outreach and evangelism. We long to share the joy of a Christ-filled life. O God, how are we going to do it? Amen

Anonymous Josephs

The Man Who Followed His Dreams
Copyright @ 2004 by Paulo Coelho
Warrior of Light Online #122

I was born in the Saint Joseph maternity in Rio de Janeiro. As it was a quite complicated childbirth, my mother consecrated me to the saint, praying to him to help me live. José became a reference in my life, and every year since 1987 - the year following my pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela - I throw a party in his honor on March 19. I invite friends and hard-working, honest people, and before dinner we pray for all those who try to maintain their dignity in their actions. We also pray for those who are jobless and have no prospects for the future.

In the short introduction I give before the prayer, I usually recall that four of the five times that the word “dream” appears in the New Testament refer to Joseph the carpenter. In all the cases, an angel is always trying to convince him to do exactly the opposite of what he was planning to do.

The angel asks him not to abandon his wife, although she is pregnant. He could say things like “what are the neighbors to think?” But he returns home and believes in the revealed word.

The angel sends him to Egypt. And his answer could have been: “but I’m already established here as a carpenter, I have my clientele, I can’t just leave everything now.” Nevertheless he packs his things and sets out for the unknown.

The angel asks him to return from Egypt. And again Joseph could have thought: “now that I have managed to establish a new life for myself and have a family to support?”

Contrary to what common sense dictates, Joseph follows his dreams. He knows that he has a destiny to fulfill, the destiny of almost all men on this planet: to protect and support his family. Like millions of anonymous Josephs, he tries to see to the task, even having to do things that are far beyond his comprehension.

Later on, both his wife and one of his sons become the great references of Christianity. The third pillar of the family, the workman, is only remembered in the Nativity scenes at the end of the year….

For me, every man can change the task he is given by life into something sacred, and Jesus learned while the just man Joseph taught him to make tables, chairs and beds. In my imagination I like to think that the table where Christ consecrated the bread and wine was made by Joseph – because there was the hand of an anonymous carpenter who earned his living with the sweat of his brow, and precisely because of that allowed miracles to take place.
http://www.warriorofthelight.com/engl/index.html

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, We offer our praise for the miracles that you create from anonymous lives, hidden acts of love, and ordinary events. We ask that we learn to follow the revealed word that we may find in your text, in our dreams, and in interactions with others. Everyone has the opportunity to be a conduit for change and for workings of miracles, through our common lives made holy by your grace. Be with us this week allowing our eyes to see the miracles of the common works of our fellow workers; allowing our ears to hear the miracles of conversation and laughter; allowing our hands to feel the miracle of touch of a hand in ours, the silk cloth of majesty, the splinters of the cross; allowing our noses to smell the miracle of roses in bloom; and allowing our mouths to taste the miracle of communion. Amen

Sands of Time

What do you do with the sands of time
When they carve out lines around your eyes?
I can close my fist up good and tight
But I can't hold back the sands of time

Night and day
Night and day
You remain
You remain
- You Remain sung by Willie Nelson

My grandfather lived on about 10 acres in a small town 100 miles west of Ft. Worth. I could spend hours in his barn with so many smaller rooms to explore, and the simple act of finding which of the hundreds of small inverted cones in the sandy dirt still had the little bug at the bottom. It was like playing bingo with multiple cards; you could stand where there were many holes close to each other and barely tap on the sides creating a few drops of sand to tumble to the center. If the antlion was still lying just below the surface, it would pop out, unblocking the sand away from the center, pushing it back up the cone, and then fall back into the center in one quick flowing motion. I was too young to remember living in El Paso, but my family can still recall memories of reclaiming the house after sandstorms blew through as if they were still sweeping at that moment. In a world where things are changing faster than we can categorize them, we long to have a place that we can rely on remaining stable and unchanged, but like sand it's hard to hold and harder to control. If we look in the mirror, we know that the person looking back is not the one to ask about holding back time.

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, No where do we realize how little control we actually have than when we try to tame time. We try by wearing watches, creating schedules, and marking anniversaries, but we can't push back the seconds when they come tumbling downward into our carefully crafted schedule, and we can't push back the years from changing our carefully crafted lives. We can try to hold on good and tight, but time still escapes and our hand cramps. Let us open our hands to release our grip, freeing our hands to hold another hand, to hammer a nail, to deliver a meal, to open a door, to write a letter, to read a book, to plant a garden, to offer our gifts of thanksgiving. O God, in this world that changes faster than we can blink, you remain steadfast and constant. Amen.

Puzzling Power

"Remember only that you are not always going where you are going for the reasons you think you are." - Lawrence Kushner.

This can be my new mantra for anytime I take a wrong turn, take an impromptu diversion, or forget why I even went into a room! Maybe I just need to make seven t-shirts and wear one for each day of the week. I have a need to say it that often! :-)

In Eyes Remade for Wonder, Kushner makes an analogy that each lifetime is like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Some lives have more pieces, some are easier to put together, some come with pieces already partially assembled, and some are quite difficult to complete. But know this, you do not have within you all of the pieces to your puzzle. Everyone carries with them at least one, if not many pieces to someone else's puzzle, and someone else is carrying pieces to your puzzle. Sometimes they know it, sometimes they don't. But when you present your piece to another, which is worthless to you, you are a messenger of the Most High. Have you ever entered a room and met someone and after a while you understood there was a reason you had met? You had changed the other or he or she had changed you. The Hebrew word for angel is Malach, which also means messenger: one who is sent.

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, Make us messengers of your will so that your vision may be known. Entrust us with intimate pieces of knowledge and gifts of love, not to empower ourselves, but to share with others, so that together we can make a more complete picture of each one's calling and a clearer reflection of your majesty. Make us agents of change, not for the sake of experimentation, but for full transformation of spirit in ourselves and others. Send us out, seeking connection with those who may add another dimension to our understanding of you. Let us remain open and to always show kindness towards strangers; for without knowing it, angels may be our guests, eager to impart their gifts from the Most High. Amen

You go nowhere by accident. Wherever you go, God is sending you. Wherever you are, God has put you there. He has a purpose in you're being there. Christ who dwells within you has something He wants to do through you, where you are. Believe this and go in God's grace and love and power. Rev. Richard Halverson

Selective Telling

A lot of wives accuse their husbands of having "selective hearing." The husbands pick and choose what they want to hear, usually fine tuning their audio range to the TV and filtering out household noise. On the other side, is "selective telling." We pick and choose what we want people to know about us, what we think, and where we are going; many teenagers refine this skill to a fine art. We all have some proficiency in both.

I've started a new book, Same Kind of Different As Me. One of the co-authors, Denver Moore, tells of his childhood living as a share cropper in Louisiana. He was raised without electricity and without being taught to read, never owning anything, not even the clothes he wore. When he left in 1960, by hitching a ride on a train, he had never heard of World War II, the Korean War, nor the start of the Vietnam conflict. No one had told him he could better himself by going to school, or joining the army, or leaving the farm. He had been told that the rod was the best way to correct youthful wanderings, that he owed more money than he earned picking cotton, and that the Klan could make things worse for you and your family. I keep realigning and adjusting my perspective of time to realize that his story takes place in my lifetime! He's younger than my parents, a little over 20 years older than me. This is not ancient history! It's all the more difficult to comprehend in this age of 24 hour news, instant internet connection, and cell phones, yet it's still current history. Without access to electricity, freedom of the press, and the ability to read, many people around the world are dependent on what they are selectively told. How did the stories of the Bible grow under some of the same restrictions? How do the stories grow under our new restrictions?

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, May we select to tell of justice, truth and peace with our lives and with our actions because not everyone may be able to hear our words or read our prayers. May we not pick and select which commandments we choose to hear, filtering the ones that may interfere with our routine or livelihood. O God, we marvel at how quickly our world changes and how quickly we forget our past. May we constantly be reminded of how we can improve the lives of others, through our simple acts and bold deeds, through our silent prayers and declaration of the Gospel. Your Word has survived wars, tyranny, banishment, omission, ignorance, and apathy. Your Power and Might keep the Word alive, may we share in upholding the message. I haven't heard the end of Denver's story, and we haven't come close to completion, telling the beginning of your majesty and grace. May we never grow tired of sharing the entire Good News, to the entire world. Amen.

Small Revelations

Passion is feeling in motion
Compassion is standing still
This isn't just a vocation
Hearing is letting it happen
But to listen's a work of will
Beware of cheap imitations
Thankful for small revelations.
- Small Revelations, Chris Smither

I keep reading the lines to this song, finding new ways to read it, new things to appreciate, and new meanings to interpret. These beautiful words are sung with the blues and unexpected chords. I don't know if anyone likes songs in minor keys any more than I do, which seems a little surprising since I'm a sunny Pollyanna, finding the glass 3/4-full and offering to top it off. I've never seen an article that has attributed personality traits to one's musical chord preference as they do with colors and shapes. There probably has been some doctorate study; I'm just not on that reading program. If the Bible were sung as a musical, which stories of the bible would be sung in the minors? The journey of Exodus? The road to Egypt? The walk of the Good Samaritan? God searching for Adam and Eve in the Garden? Solomon's songs of love? My response would most likely be "compassion is standing still" but these minor chords allow me to touch passion, a "feeling in motion." But there are small, and large, revelations in each.

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, You fill our days with revelations! You divulge your passion as you sweep through as a mighty wind, yielding the Spirit's course as it encircles those with willing hearts and ears. You impart your compassion as the still small voice yielding a listening ear for those who call your name. Let us follow Jesus, the genuine model of passion and compassion, who offers energetic, unrestrained actions of love and passion yet also, provides calming acts of inclusion and compassion. There is so much revealed about boundless love in each. May we find new ways to listen to your call in our lives and in the life of our congregation. We are truly thankful for each revelation of your majesty, small and large. Amen.

Pray On!

Prayer seems to be happening. We are making deliberate covenants with each other. We are following children of the church with daily prayers. The PCUSA Moderator is using all means digital to access as many alternative modes of communication as possible, to reach as many people as possible. The tenure of Bruce Reyes-Chow is going to be fascinating as we learn more about the immediate process, thoughts, angst, and blessings than by any previous moderator. And what does this techno-savvy pastor value dearly? The internet? Blackberry? Pod-Casting? Prayer! Wait... Prayer??? The following is an abridged version of a post he wrote Monday, July 7th in response to his first weeks as moderator.

…While I understand the cathartic need to vent and react, I do think that at some point we must begin moving from where we were to where we are going…I have been in prayer more in the past few weeks than would have ever thought needed or possible. I have prayed for strangers, new friends, my family, my wife, my daughters, my church and my own personal mental and spiritual health…I have found great comfort from prayer, not only in mine lifted to God, but those lifted up to God on my behalf. I have found that, of all the gracious words or actions that people have directed my way, the most meaningful have been the prayers from those with whom there is some level of tension…Sure we say we will be in prayer for all of our brothers and sisters, but when I receive sincere offerings of prayer, I am given hope. It is not hope in the survival of a denominational institution or contractual relationship, but hope in the fellowship of Christ….If you believe some of the commentary out there, you would think that there is absolutely nothing that we can come together around. I just do not think this is true and prayer lifted up for one another is a good place to begin proving it.
Pray on my friends, pray on.

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, Let us become strong in prayer, committed to one another, and mindful of your will. At a time when anxiety, confusion and doubt keeps us in a state of unrest; let us find peace in prayer. At a time when comfort, satisfaction, and assuredness keeps us in a state of idleness; let us find a revolution through prayer. At a time when disbelief, anger and rejection keeps us in a state of confinement; let us find community by way of prayer. At a time when love, joy and blessings keeps us in a state of thanksgiving; let us find empathy as we pray. O God, there is no circumstance where prayer does not change us, and does not draw us closer to a new understanding of you. As we seek your will for your people, we may not think our prayers are answered. Let us keep your will as our prayer. Pray on my friends, pray on. Amen.

And the Winner Is...

There are so many different lessons coming together right now. There are the CDs I've been listening to, the chapter in our Prayer book, together with practical lessons from life. We have such a desire to rate things: who is on top, which is better, who is right, and who is the winner? It's built into our competitive culture of sports and ratings, and without even thinking we create our own hierarchy and choose sides. On Sunday our class studied the Prayer of Relinquishment and many of us had a hard time endearing the idea. It comes diametrically opposed to our American bravado and the qualities which make us unique and strong. We are raised to appreciate the self-starters, the self-made man, and those with self-control. In the chapter, similar words are called "hyphenated sins." The image that came to my mind was a rock climber belaying down at a right angle to the mountain. It's the only way to make it down assuredly and safely, otherwise you hit the rock again and again, but first you have to lean back and negate your inclination that it is certain disaster. Or another image is the rafter who may fall out amid the turbulence of a white water rapid; you are told to put your feet ahead of you, lean back, and ride with the current instead of fighting it. I have a personal experience that proves that is sound advice! We win, no, we survive by letting go. When asked which is most important at the center for Contemplation and Action, Richard Rohr replies "and."

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, Relinquishment sounds like defeat to our selfish ears. Help us to find that relinquishment brings us closer to your will and further from our desires to retain power and familiarity. We admit we treat this prayer or relinquishment like a battle of competition, one side winning and another losing, and we are not accustomed to setting aside our defense and leaving ourselves vulnerable for submission. O God, let us grow more comfortable with this open stance of exposure to you and your direction. Let us set aside the ideas of "either, or" and replace it with "and." Oh the places we can go when we fall back into the stream of your living waters. Amen

The Lever and the Stand

At the 2005 John Main lecture series, Richard Rohr borrowed the title of his keynote presentation from the Archimedes quote: "Give me a place to stand and I will move the earth." I am listening to the set of CDs a second time because there are so many different ideas that he shares about ego, power and transformation. One simple truth that I had never really heard concretely before was the fact that Jesus never said, "Worship me." but instead he called out "Follow me!" It's something we've heard over and over, Jesus calling "Follow me!" I know that part, but I guess inadvertently, I transposed our desire to worship him as an implied command. It's the same old snare, failure to truly listen instead of interjecting our own viewpoints.

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, We want to be transformed! We want to be used as a lever in your hands to move the earth by standing in the footsteps of Jesus. We must maintain our stamina and practice our apprenticeship if we are to keep pace with The Christ. If we lag behind we may become disoriented and confused. If we try to follow on a whim, we will become breathless and unable to speak the good news. O God, following Jesus is a physical, active, coordinated exercise; we must daily prepare our minds, souls and body to meet the challenge. We do desire to worship out of thanksgiving and adoration, but perhaps we can invoke a walking prayer for those times when the journey is long reaching and the world is to be moved. Let us truly hear the words spoken to us, "Follow me!" Amen

Walking on the Edge

I am 11 months away from the mid-Century mark and I still find great delight in walking as a gymnast on a high bar, except that mine is the curb on the street. It's a compulsion that overcomes me at times walking in from a parking lot and I find myself taking the extra few minutes to balance heel to toe, heel to toe on the daring 6-inch wide, 4-inch high balance beam. It has to be a curb where there is dirt on one side and the road on the other - a sidewalk next to the curb, and on the same level is just not worth the effort. There has to be the risk of stepping in the grass or the dangerous drop to the street! Yep, that's me; I'm a risk taker, a high adventurer!! This compulsion is even odder because you can fit my athletic ability into a thimble. I don't know when I'll stop. Maybe when my hair turns completely white, or maybe when I act my age, or maybe when I fall, or maybe when everything is all concrete. But for today, I still have some brown at the ends of my hair, I seriously doubt I'm going to act my age, and thank God everything is not cemented from door to door. My only limitation is to fall, and I could do that walking flat-footed. Yes, I think I'll be edgy today.

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, Let us find time to play, to make use of every opportunity to become child-like and experience joy and live with imagination that anything is possible. A curb can be a balance beam, a tea party can be a dinner with the queen, a single person can start a reform, a group of people praying can call for a healing, a church can grow out of its walls and live in the world, a denomination can find accord with troubling issues, and a baby born in a manger can change the world. Let us take walks on the edge, trusting an inner gyroscope that will guide us along to the next adventure. There is no age limit, and all levels of talent and abilities are welcome on the walk. If indeed we fall, we ask to learn from our mis-steps and return to complete our journey, scrapes and all. Amen.

Free to Serve

"A hungry person is not free, but enslaved by the need to end the growling in his stomach…." Jay Litvin

I wanted to find a quote about freedom with obligations for July 4th. This wasn't the information I expected to find, but one that rings true today after serving breakfast at The Bridge, the homeless shelter in Dallas, Texas. It opened May 20, 2008 after many challenges and discussions with neighborhood advocates. The first challenge was convincing the city that there was a homeless problem. Once the commitment was made to build the comprehensive center, The Stewpot, an outreach mission of First Presbyterian of Dallas, moved its noon meal to the center, and agreed to be in charge of finding volunteers and managing the service for three meals each day. This morning we served over 750 guests. The numbers can change depending on the time of the month. Many may receive some type of assistance, and they have observed a decrease of meals served at the beginning of each month. They have served over 900. I'm not trying to depreciate the real hunger for food that the homeless experience each day, but there are other types of hunger that cannot be satisfied by a balanced meal.

The quote from Litvin was from an article he wrote for Passover. He moved his family to Mexico where he could live on $150 a year. True, there was no electricity, roads, or phone services, but neither did he have the bills that accompany these services. He found he was still hungry though, not from food but from meaning in life. He and his family did move back to the states and followed a more traditional life of bills and obligations, but now also with purpose.

"One cannot be truly free unless one knows who he really is, what he really wants and what he is meant to do.... Today, my soul no longer aches. It is nourished by a connection with the Almighty and a sense of His presence in my daily hours.... I am bound to the yoke of Torah. I am a servant (to the best of my limited abilities) of G-d's will. And I have never been more free. - Litvin

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, We acknowledge that we have so many blessings! We do not hunger for food, in fact we need portion control; we have more clothes, than space to keep them; and we have protection from the rain, the heat and the cold. We know we are fortunate and offer our praise and thanksgivings! O God, in our comfort we may quell other hungers that need to be tended. Let us feel the pang of desperate longing to serve using the gifts that you have given to each of us. Let us wear the assurance of love and may others recognize the signature of your handiwork in our countenance. Let us find relief and safety in the protection of your care, but with our rest, may we serve more faithfully and more productively to ensure all may know of freedom found in your daily presence. Amen

Marathon of Surprises

The holiday weekend is officially starting! One way that you can tell a holiday is in full swing is when one of the cable networks airs a "Twillight Zone" marathon. How is anyone supposed to get anything done?? There were some classics that I couldn't wait to share with our boys. You sit in silence, not wanting to give anything away, but even knowing the ending, I'm surprised again. One of my all-time favorites is "Eye of the Beholder."

• "Eye of the Beholder" A woman asks for plastic surgery so that she won't look so hideous. When the bandages are removed, the surgeon drops the scissors in dismay; the surgery was a failure. The truth? By our standards, the girl was beautiful! The medical staff who represented beauty for the episode had pig-like snouts and deeply wrinkled and deep-set eyes. She was trying to live by their standards.
• "One for the Angels" A sidewalk salesman, Lew, convinces Death to allow him to live until he can give the "Perfect Pitch." Instead of taking Lew's life, Death decides to claim the life of a little girl who lives in the same apartment at midnight. The truth? Lew begins his "Perfect Pitch" keeping Death distracted until he misses his deadline. Lew willingly leaves with Death knowing Maggie is safe.
• "The Silence" A member of an exclusive club, bets another member, a young talkative man half a million dollars that he can’t stay quiet for an entire year. The truth? At the end it is revealed that the talker could not hold his tongue so he surgically made it impossible to talk in order to win the bet, only to learn that the better had no money.

What made some episodes so memorable was the twisting of conceived reality with the unlikely truth.

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, You are the great equalizer. Sometimes we think we are a little bit smarter than the next person and at times we even delude ourselves to believe that we can outmatch you. You reshape our image of reality into truth and humble our egos into submission. Let us be willing to acquiesce to your greater vision. Let us become models of followers of Christ, and not to match the world's standard of following our own desires. When our outer layers have been stripped away, at the core is the person that you have created, and that you have called, and that you pursue through the heart of a loving parent. Let us seek the daily intersections between our lives and your boundless Grace. The truth is that we know God is love; even when we know the answer, we are surprised. Amen

Breath of Fresh Air

I recently signed up for a daily meditation sent via e-mail from Richard Rohr at the Center for Action and Contemplation. The meditations are brief in number of words, but substantial in content.

The wonder of the resurrection stories in the Gospels is that Jesus has no punitive attitude toward the authorities or his cowardly followers, and that the followers themselves never call for any kind of holy war against those who killed their leader. Something new has clearly transpired in history.

All Jesus does is breathe forgiveness.

It's interesting that Jesus identifies forgiveness with breathing, the one thing that you have done constantly since you were born and will do until you die. He says God's forgiveness is like breathing. Forgiveness is not apparently something God does, it is who God is. -Richard Rohr, CACradicalgrace.org

I have pursued additional Rohr material and audio books are a wonderful option to make the most of my commute to work. On the CD that I listened to yesterday, Rohr details a seminar that he attended which affected the way he considers the name of YHWH, or Yahweh. We know the difficulty in translating without vowels, but the speaker introduced the idea that even the consonants do not even allow this word to be spoken as most words; it's a group of letters where your lips never come together to form the word. It's a breath. Then he repeated quietly, as the Rabbi did that night, the word "YHWH" over and over; a breath in (Y_H) and a breath out (W_H). This morning's meditation reinforced this theme, "God's forgiveness is like breathing... it is who God is." Breathe in, breathe out, forgive, forgive, forgive.

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, How many breaths do we take each day, each hour, each lifetime? We are called to forgive that many times. As we breathe we can offer forgiveness to our family, our church community and ourselves. As we breathe again we can extend our breath and forgive neighbors, strangers and enemies. The list is endless of those who warrant clemency, and the list is endless of those whom we have offended; we implore their leniency. Let forgiveness come as natural to us as each life-giving breath. You are as close as our own breath and supply the same life-giving force. May we spend a few moments each day, appreciating each breath, giving a new opportunity to live in full observance of your laws; YHWY, YHWY. Amen.

Mr. Moderator @ your computer

The newly elected moderator of PCUSA is Bruce Reyes-Chow. I can partially name the last few moderators, but I think Bruce's name will stay remain more fixed in my memory vaults. He feels like someone you've known your whole life. Where does this feeling of connection come from? I've never met him in person, nor heard him speak, but I've been introduced to him and his family and church through his blogs (moderator and personal) , facebook, MySpace, web pages, and now Wikipedia! He seems very accessible, and the computer is one way of creating that relationship. On his new moderator page he posted ten of his top personal posts so that you can get to know him. I chose "Blogging as Spriritual Practice and Pastoral Practice." (Not a far reach to guess why... ) I'm not trying to support my own cause, but a confirmation that this connection between people of faith and their spirituality through the internet is a more natural evolution than I realized.

While some who may still not see, understand or acknowledge the power and effect of blogging on the wider culture may resist embracing the role of blogging in the church, I fear that we may be missing out on an opportunity to be a better church. I say this because clearly there is something spiritually life-giving about this whole blogging thing and the church can either embrace that reality or ignore it and run the danger of further missing out on an entire generation of people.

Next he lists gifts gained through blogging:

• discipline of time
• reflection about God
• community of Christ
• understanding of faith
• impact in the world
• nurturing of the community
• re-creation of the spirit
• conversations with God

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, You have the coolest toys! You are able to use our ordinary tasks and our latest creations and transform them into extraordinary means to serve your purpose and further your mission. You used a simple staff to turn water to blood and changed a Pharaoh's heart. You used a rainbow in the sky to seal your covenant with your people, and changed the seas to dry land. You used a bush, kept alive with fire, and changed a hesitant man into a prophet. You used laughter from a barren woman and changed the stars in the sky into tribes of Israel. O God, you are active in our life, creating opportunities from our ordinary day to change our perspectives and our lives, if we will but let you. You use a paintbrush to color a sunrise and change our morning of drudgery into a day of thanksgiving. You use a few strokes on a keyboard shaped into words and change a link to connection. Change who we are, to what you have called us to be. If it takes a staff, a street light, a hymn, or a computer, let us be open to transformation. Amen.