It's Not My Fault

I really did write a prayer on Tuesday, but the system wouldn't cooperate. Clearly, not my fault!I spent a good thirty minutes looking on the web for the audio from a Mac computer saying, "It's not my fault." It's rather amusing to hear a computer beating you to the punch when you've just lost an hour's worth of work. Then I hoped I would find some Top Ten Excuses for use when it's clearly not my fault. Instead I found excuses for not saving (can anyone say recession?), excuses for not exercising (only 10?), excuses for not turning in Math homework (but that involved knowing enough math for the excuses to be funny), excuses for not blogging (too close to home). Just when I was about to give up on excuses I found The Heart of Innovation . They posted 100 excuses for not innovating, but then they offered these solutions to quell excuses:

1. Make a list of your three most bothersome excuses.
2. Turn each excuse into a powerful question, starting with the words "How can I?" or "How can we?" (For example, if your excuse is "That's R&D's job," you might ask "How can I make innovation my job?" or "How can I help my team take more responsibility for innovating?"
3. Brainstorm each question -- alone and with your team.

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, How can I make my life more faithful and how can I take more responsibility in making our congregation more vibrant and more serving? How can WE offer outreach, share the gospel, connect with the community, mentor our youth, serve the suffering, and find ways to unite the disengaged? How can we prioritize our actions to bring about your vision and mission? Help us to find a way over, around or through whatever obstacle is in our way. Let excuses fall aside for innovation and remedying actions. Amen.

No One Said It Would Be Easy

On our last day in Canada last year, hubby and I found an ideal spot on the Kananaskis River to watch rafters and kayakers manage a small waterfall. It proved to be one of the best, and cheapest, entertainment packages of the trip! The seasoned kayakers could row back into the surf and after they paddled like crazy they found the sweet spot where they could sit on top of the water and ride it out like a surfer. Then with one small error in paddle placement they would be spit out like a watermelon seed back into the turbulent swell. Not all of the kayakers were experienced however, and they struggled to make it out of the eddy.

After posting "The Well" it reminded me of the years I participated in a small group for Spiritual Formation. It was quite a challenge for me. There were hard questions asked, feelings explored, and participation was expected. I couldn't stay quiet as my natural defenses dictate. I often felt out of my league, like the kayaker being held under the pounding surf and trying to find which direction is up to grab at seconds of pockets of air. It was a challenge, but I think those hours out of my comfort zone, the kind but firm insistence to participate, and the self-imposed anxiety also proved to be a gift. Creativity became my outlet, others found their own voice.

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, Following the model of Christ can be challenging. When we get tossed around by circumstances and distractions, help us to find the way back to you. We welcome those first, fresh, saving gasps of air when we realize that we are back in your presence. Like any kind of growth, there are no promises that it will be easy, in fact it rarely will be. Let us be aware and appreciate our growing pains and find our own voice in the process. Amen.

The Want To

This could have been me.... maybe a few years younger, and definitely a few pounds lighter, but other than that... it could have been me. I had the "want to." In college I took a class in back packing and we got to take a field trip to the Wichita Mountains in Oklahoma to go rock climbing. It was great! You reach a point where you aren't sure you can go further, but that really isn't an option. Going back down is not any easier than going up, so you might as well go up. You can't exactly quit either. I've never been particularly successful at athletics, so to make it to the top rated as a day of remembrance. At our church picnic we had a bounce house, a dunk tank and a rock wall. There was still that 19 year-old voice saying "Rock Climbing! Way cool! Do it! Do it! Do it!!!" But then there was the 40+ voice of rationality saying "You weigh too much. You'll bring down the tower. You can barely lift your feet to put on socks much less raise your leg higher than your waist!" The good news? Our kids (and our Parish Associate) had neither trepidation nor doubts. If they didn't make it up one side, they tried another side. They climbed higher than anyone could reach, and were lifted by words of encouragement rather than words of protest. I didn't hear one person complain that it was their turn.

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, We have the "want to." We want to do better, we want to reach higher, we want to dream bigger but sometimes we listen to our doubts and we question the practicality of the situation. We reach a point where we have to decide which direction to go, and quitting is not an option. Let us follow the lead of the youth who boldly proceed, trusting that they are secure with a church family that will offer guidance, soften the landing, and remind them of their goal to move upwards. We have remarkable youth who exhibit the confidence of being loved unconditionally. We want to be what you want us to be. Amen

The Well

Today's lectionary had a common theme of water. I tried to find a poem I wrote several years ago that starts:

"From the source the river flows,
and all around it beauty grows"

I can remember those opening lines clearly, but the remaining lines may be lost. Maybe that's all it's meant to be now. But in my notebook I found another poem, still with water as its theme.

The Well

I put in my bucket
and raised it up -
But the bucket was empty,
There was no water inside.

The people beside me
held their cups to their lips,
They walked away nourished
and smiled as they left

Again I put in my bucket -
Lowered it further than before
I tested its weight as I raised it,
There was no water to be seen!

Quickly, I put my bucket back into the well -
Now it was an issue of pride!
Others were able to fill their cup
I wanted mine filled too!

Then a man came and asked me for water!
"Perhaps, sir, you should ask someone else
My bucket is empty, I have no water to give
You'll be disappointed - I have nothing to share."

But the man urged that I draw water again.
"Close your eyes and take your need," he offered
"Down into the well of my soul."
And there, I found, my cup was filled.

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, let us thirst for your righteousness and be filled by your spirit. When we think we having nothing to offer, remind us of your power to transform. O God, you are our source, and all around you, beauty grows. Amen.

Fresh Fruit

#1 son and I took advantage of the beautiful Saturday weather and spent the morning with no particular plan and ended up at the Dallas Farmer's Market. He looked at me cross-ways when I asked if we should get some strawberries. The last batch I bought got moldy before I could even use them. I really don't know that much about picking fresh vegetables and fruit. I know avocados should give in slightly when pressed; I know you're supposed to thump on watermelon, but I don't know what sound equals good; I know I like thin asparagus, whether or not that's the best kind; I know I don't like stringy oranges, but have no idea how to pick against that factor; I know it's hard to go wrong with bananas - but it's even safer to go with Oreos! No guess work, no variation. You know what you're getting when you open a bag of Oreos! Sugar, flour, hydrogenated soybean oil, cocoa, high fructose corn syrup, whey, corn starch, baking soda, salt, soy lecithin, vanillin, chocolate...

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, like fruit that goes unused or stays on the vine too long, so our gifts can become addled and useless. It may not always be obvious what gifts we have, but through study, prayer and the willingness to push, dig, and listen we can discover the fruits of our spirit. We pray for a genuine life that does not fall into a cookie-cutter package of what we are told Christian lives are like. We do have variety, different tastes, different strengths, and different weaknesses. We long to savor in the harvest of the fruits of the spirit; an ambrosia of congregational vitality. Amen.

Sharing semicolons

My work has taken me to two banquets this week honoring the volunteers at our campuses. Some have been volunteering for over 25 years! The dollar amount that is realized by the amount of volunteer hours working in our system alone is over $4 million this year! Shane Hipps is a Mennonite pastor who describes (Jan 15, 2006 "Generous Spirit") how he views the differences between gifts and talents. Talents are skills that are innate, and they may or may not be used. Spiritual gifts are abilities that you have and they are used with the purpose to promote the common good of the kingdom of God. Gifts are never burdensome; they give us life. Gifts are dynamic; they change as the Spirit matches God's mission with the needs of the community. So how do we nourish our gifts? Shane's recipe is: 1) use them; 2) enjoy them; and 3) hold them with open hands, being receptive to new gifts or gifts changing. It seems I have become receptive to the use of my newest gift - the semicolon! What's your newest gift?

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, our church is vibrant because of the volunteers that work with our youth, buildings and grounds, mission trips, office help, visitation, and the music program. What a lifeless building it would be if only we were served instead of becoming the hands of Christ. We are given life as we offer a portion of ourselves. Help us to recognize gifts in others and encourage their growth and participation. Drive us to share our own gifts issuing a spirit of joy and gratitude. Like shifting sand dunes that create new landscapes, so let our gifts change and adapt as the needs around us create a new portrait of what it means to be living a Christ-filled life. Amen

Caro Mio

I really don't need to know the lyrics of songs, but I assumed that "O, Mio Babbino Caro" must be a song about a mother's love of her baby. Mio = my, Caro = heart, Babbino = baby??? So when I did review the lyrics to both songs ("O, Mio Caro Babbino" and "Nessun Dorma") I was surprised to find that both songs speak of a deep, passionate longing for a romantic lover that may not be fulfilled. In both Puccini songs the lovers contemplate death as the only alternative if they cannot be with their beloved. What hopeless romantics! We shake our heads and mock them in sing-song tones, "I'll die if I can't be near him!" We roll our eyes. We've heard it before. My father would say we're forgetting what it's like to be young. We have a hard time relating to our teens when they seem all consumed with some boy/girl. We tell them: "It's a phase, it will pass. Go do homework for your career path; that's what will really pay off in the end. Feelings change, work remains. Someday you'll thank me."

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, We are familiar and comfortable to consider your love for us as: the love of a parent; the love of a brother; the love of a friend; the love of a savior; but as a passionate lover?? How surprising! How disconcerting! ...How lovely!

O God, caro mio, you seek us with a zeal of a love-struck youth.
You delight in time spent together; you anxiously endure time apart.
You rush to bridge any distance; you cling tightly once united.
You fawn over gifts offered; you bestow a dowry of riches.
You cherish every word prayed; you supply our unspoken needs.
You revisit memories shared; you visualize our future.
You marvel at our successes; you extend our potential.
You laugh at our stories; you cry at our distress.
You defend our honor; you believe in our goodness.

You, O God, are a passionate God! We are left swooning in your presence.

We are awestruck and humbled by your deep devotion.

Help us to be worthy of your abiding love in us.

Dearest God, we thank you for passion, for reckless love, for romantic hearts in place of moderation, safety and cynical hearts. We are blessed. Amen.