I will be leading a workshop, "Family Devotions in the Home: How and Why" this Friday (5:15 - 6:16 pm) and Saturday (11 am - noon) at the NW Ohio Synod Assembly in the Student Union at Bowling Green State University. You are welcome to come and join the conversation.
And, if you'd like, we have a wonderful keynote presenter: Dr. Mark Powell from Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus.
If there is enough interest I may adapt and repeat this workshop for an evening during our Vacation Bible School week (June 15-19) at Bethlehem.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Monday, May 11, 2009
Technology and Faith Formation
New Technology
I celebrated a small milestone last week: I figured out how to podcast and am listed on iTunes.
[For those of you wondering what the heck "podcasting" is, think of it as having your own "on demand" radio station through the internet. Another way I describe it is "radio on demand." Through a service such as iTunes you can subscribe to broadcasts (called podcasts) and download them to your home computer and/or portable audio device (such as an iPod) to play at your own convenience.]
The thing is, I'm not sure if all of this new technology is a necessarily good thing... or a bad thing.
First, let me back up a minute. Sometimes technology itself is bashed, when in fact it is usually new technology we are cautious of, perhaps even afraid of. I mean, the telephone--heck, even the newspaper--is a form of technology. The flood of technology that has come with the internet is not altogether different from the flood of technology that came on the heels of the printing press in the time of the Christian Reformers of the 16th Century.
Digital Divide
The first thought that comes to mind when we embrace (or consider) a new technology is: "Who is left out?" The obvious answer in most current discussions is "anyone who does not have a computer or internet access." The so-called "digital divide" has been thoroughly discussed in many circles, but it does raise a special problem for Christians who worship the God who is deeply concerned about the poor, the orphan and the widow. That is, what does it mean to embrace a new technology that is inaccessible to the very ones we are called to care for? I don't have any easy answers to this dilemma, but I think the question needs to remain front and center for us as Christians.
Radio Renaissance
What is also interesting to me is how much the spoken word has remained central, even as new technologies emerge. The pre-television medium of radio seems to be on the rise again: witness satellite radio, podcasting and the latest invention: Pandora, personalized internet radio.
However, there is a huge difference between the radio programs of the first half of the 20th Century and the first few years of the 21st. While radio used to be a communal medium that brought people together with common "texts" (programs), it is now highly individualized and choice oriented, driving the deep formation of a consumer/transactional culture. Said another way: Radio is no longer about "what we listen to together" but "what I want to hear."
Still, there is a great gift in this radio renaissance. It underlines the power of the spoken word. From ancient times, stories were told to convey meaning, to give life. The Bible was a spoken word before it was a written text. Writing will never fully replace preaching... in fact, the opposite movement seems to be occurring. In a technologically-rich world over saturated with images and text, the spoken word, the "heard word" is the word we crave.
New Technology and Faith Formation
Finally, what concerns me most about the embrace (or shunning) of new technology is what it means for our formation as people who desire to walk in the Way of Christ. Many Christian writers, including Stanley Hauerwas (if I am remembering correctly), have argued that when we are not intentionally being formed as Christians, we are still being formed--but it is by a story other than the Christian story. In other words, there is always formation going on, but it may not be the kind we need or that God intends for us.
I don't think this means that we should all shut off the electricity, get cabins in the woods and buy typewriters. But it does involve a considerable amount of prayer and discernment, perhaps much more so than we are used to. It involves asking questions deeper than, "How many cell phone does our family need?" and instead asking things like, "Should I have a cell phone at all? And how will it change me and form me if I get one? What will that mean for me, my family, my brothers and sisters in Christ?" (Shane Hipps contributes to this conversation in his book Flickering Pixels. I have not read it yet but hope to soon.).
So even as I look forward to and embrace many of the new forms of technology I wonder and pray about how these technologies will form me and all of us who bear the name of Christ in this world.
I celebrated a small milestone last week: I figured out how to podcast and am listed on iTunes.
[For those of you wondering what the heck "podcasting" is, think of it as having your own "on demand" radio station through the internet. Another way I describe it is "radio on demand." Through a service such as iTunes you can subscribe to broadcasts (called podcasts) and download them to your home computer and/or portable audio device (such as an iPod) to play at your own convenience.]
The thing is, I'm not sure if all of this new technology is a necessarily good thing... or a bad thing.
First, let me back up a minute. Sometimes technology itself is bashed, when in fact it is usually new technology we are cautious of, perhaps even afraid of. I mean, the telephone--heck, even the newspaper--is a form of technology. The flood of technology that has come with the internet is not altogether different from the flood of technology that came on the heels of the printing press in the time of the Christian Reformers of the 16th Century.
Digital Divide
The first thought that comes to mind when we embrace (or consider) a new technology is: "Who is left out?" The obvious answer in most current discussions is "anyone who does not have a computer or internet access." The so-called "digital divide" has been thoroughly discussed in many circles, but it does raise a special problem for Christians who worship the God who is deeply concerned about the poor, the orphan and the widow. That is, what does it mean to embrace a new technology that is inaccessible to the very ones we are called to care for? I don't have any easy answers to this dilemma, but I think the question needs to remain front and center for us as Christians.
Radio Renaissance
What is also interesting to me is how much the spoken word has remained central, even as new technologies emerge. The pre-television medium of radio seems to be on the rise again: witness satellite radio, podcasting and the latest invention: Pandora, personalized internet radio.
However, there is a huge difference between the radio programs of the first half of the 20th Century and the first few years of the 21st. While radio used to be a communal medium that brought people together with common "texts" (programs), it is now highly individualized and choice oriented, driving the deep formation of a consumer/transactional culture. Said another way: Radio is no longer about "what we listen to together" but "what I want to hear."
Still, there is a great gift in this radio renaissance. It underlines the power of the spoken word. From ancient times, stories were told to convey meaning, to give life. The Bible was a spoken word before it was a written text. Writing will never fully replace preaching... in fact, the opposite movement seems to be occurring. In a technologically-rich world over saturated with images and text, the spoken word, the "heard word" is the word we crave.
New Technology and Faith Formation
Finally, what concerns me most about the embrace (or shunning) of new technology is what it means for our formation as people who desire to walk in the Way of Christ. Many Christian writers, including Stanley Hauerwas (if I am remembering correctly), have argued that when we are not intentionally being formed as Christians, we are still being formed--but it is by a story other than the Christian story. In other words, there is always formation going on, but it may not be the kind we need or that God intends for us.
I don't think this means that we should all shut off the electricity, get cabins in the woods and buy typewriters. But it does involve a considerable amount of prayer and discernment, perhaps much more so than we are used to. It involves asking questions deeper than, "How many cell phone does our family need?" and instead asking things like, "Should I have a cell phone at all? And how will it change me and form me if I get one? What will that mean for me, my family, my brothers and sisters in Christ?" (Shane Hipps contributes to this conversation in his book Flickering Pixels. I have not read it yet but hope to soon.).
So even as I look forward to and embrace many of the new forms of technology I wonder and pray about how these technologies will form me and all of us who bear the name of Christ in this world.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Summer and Fall Bible Studies
I'm putting together some ideas for summer and fall Bible studies. For this summer it is a three-way tie between Ephesians, the book of Acts and a study of what the Bible says about poverty and the poor using this booklet from the American Bible Society.
For the fall I'm considering a study of the Chronicler but need to come up with a catchy title. My thought is that we would preview the books of 1-2 Samuel and 1-2 Kings for 2-4 weeks and then dive into 1-2 Chronicles for several weeks, finishing in the late fall/early winter with Ezra and Nehemiah.
If you have any more suggestions, please let me know.
For the fall I'm considering a study of the Chronicler but need to come up with a catchy title. My thought is that we would preview the books of 1-2 Samuel and 1-2 Kings for 2-4 weeks and then dive into 1-2 Chronicles for several weeks, finishing in the late fall/early winter with Ezra and Nehemiah.
If you have any more suggestions, please let me know.
Faith Incubation and Other Sundry Items
Faith Inkubators
This afternoon I had a chance to preview some of the new material the Faith Inkubators crowd has produced at their 75-city road tour. They have made some nice revisions to their confirmation resources and are doing some good things with family ministry, but I was most intrigued by their Bible Song Sunday school curriculum, which integrates song, Bible stories and American sign language.
Prophets, Poets, Preachers
In other news, Rob Bell, Shane Hipps, et al. are putting on what will likely be the best preaching workshop of 2009.
New Songs for Worship
One of my favorite bands, Lost and Found, has produced some great worship tunes and made them publicly available. My favorite is "Give Us Ears," which could easily be used as a gathering song or Gospel acclamation.
This afternoon I had a chance to preview some of the new material the Faith Inkubators crowd has produced at their 75-city road tour. They have made some nice revisions to their confirmation resources and are doing some good things with family ministry, but I was most intrigued by their Bible Song Sunday school curriculum, which integrates song, Bible stories and American sign language.
Prophets, Poets, Preachers
In other news, Rob Bell, Shane Hipps, et al. are putting on what will likely be the best preaching workshop of 2009.
New Songs for Worship
One of my favorite bands, Lost and Found, has produced some great worship tunes and made them publicly available. My favorite is "Give Us Ears," which could easily be used as a gathering song or Gospel acclamation.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Travel, Song, Faith Formation
Mars Hill to Valparaiso and Back
It has been several weeks since I have sent out these weekly devotions. Two weeks ago I was on continuing education road trip of sorts: first to hear Pastor Rob Bell at Mars Hill Church near Grand Rapids, Michigan. His "Drops Like Stars" speaking tour looks to be promising, as he tackles the relationship of suffering and creativity. If you are interested in his December 10 show in Columbus, please let me know.
After Mars Hill, we went to Valparaiso University in NW Indiana for the Institute of Liturgical Studies. The theme this year was the Three Days, focusing on the three-part, three-day Holy Week service of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and the Great Vigil of Easter.
While both venues were very different in scope and content, it was good to be around insightful and faithful people deeply concerned about the church and about walking the way of Jesus.
Daily Dose of Luther
A colleague of mine in Defiance often opens his Facebook day with a daily dose of Luther. I will follow suit (sort of) this morning.
I'm reading his volume on hymns. Luther's editors write: "The hymns of the nineteenth century that form the bulk of today's hymnals were written according to the artistic canons of Romanticism. They use beautifully polished phrases and dance or march rhythms to creation a certain mood or to give an ornate expression to personal religious feelings. But Luther's hymns were not meantot create a mood, but create a message. They were a confession of faith, not personal feelings" (p. 197). That is, Luther's hymns were by and large raw and real, less concerned with the beauty of language and more concerned with the heart of the message. In this spirit, I think John Bell of the Iona Community follows Luther's intentions.
Faith: One Step at a Time
I have just begun reading David Allen's Getting Things Done. It is more in the genre of business productivity, but I am intrigued by his premise and how it might relate to faith formation. He suggests, as I understand it, breaking down projects into goals and doing "the next step" to move forward to completing (hence the title).
Here's the faith connection for me: What if we began with this approach to our faith formation? I think so often we have these nebulous goals (I want to learn to pray for fully. I want to be more familiar with Scripture. I want to learn the virtue of patience.) but they remain simply that: goals. Allen, as I understand it, suggests breaking these down into simple tasks that move us forward: What can I do today to move toward this goal?
Perhaps if your goal is praying more fully, one first step might be learning the great prayers of Scripture. Or visiting a monastery and learning what it means to pray from the monks. Or finding a person who prays well and learning from them. Or simply setting aside specific times during the day to practice different prayer forms.
As I think is the case with faith formation most of the time: baby steps, baby steps... but steps nonetheless.
Book Recommendation
Speaking of prayer, I picked up David Adam's The Rhythm of Life: Celtic Daily Prayer over a year ago and have recently rediscovered it. If you are looking for a daily prayer book, I would highly recommend it. It contains prayers services for morning, noon, evening and night for each of the seven days of the week. It would be ideal for home devotions, personal prayer or in a group setting.
Online
You may want to check out our website if you have not for a while. You can now listen to sermons, download adult Sunday school teachings, print sermon reflection sheets, and see which readings are coming up on Sundays. We even have a link to our stained glass windows (an ongoing project) that coincides with our children's sermon series.
As far as the website goes, I am hoping to move in the direction of broader content management. (In plain English: each group within the the church would be able to update its own part of the website: women, puppets, youth, etc.)
While the plastic and steel sign that graces our Front Street entrance is an important tool, I am increasingly convinced that a congregation's web site is its "public face" and and "virtual sign" for many people.
Help Wanted
If you have experience with mixing digital audio and would like to help create some brief introductions for some of our audio files (sermons, adult Sunday school, perhaps even our weekly radio broadcast), let me know.
Also, if you have graphic design expertise, I have a project idea for a logo that incorporates our congregation's name.
It has been several weeks since I have sent out these weekly devotions. Two weeks ago I was on continuing education road trip of sorts: first to hear Pastor Rob Bell at Mars Hill Church near Grand Rapids, Michigan. His "Drops Like Stars" speaking tour looks to be promising, as he tackles the relationship of suffering and creativity. If you are interested in his December 10 show in Columbus, please let me know.
After Mars Hill, we went to Valparaiso University in NW Indiana for the Institute of Liturgical Studies. The theme this year was the Three Days, focusing on the three-part, three-day Holy Week service of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and the Great Vigil of Easter.
While both venues were very different in scope and content, it was good to be around insightful and faithful people deeply concerned about the church and about walking the way of Jesus.
Daily Dose of Luther
A colleague of mine in Defiance often opens his Facebook day with a daily dose of Luther. I will follow suit (sort of) this morning.
I'm reading his volume on hymns. Luther's editors write: "The hymns of the nineteenth century that form the bulk of today's hymnals were written according to the artistic canons of Romanticism. They use beautifully polished phrases and dance or march rhythms to creation a certain mood or to give an ornate expression to personal religious feelings. But Luther's hymns were not meantot create a mood, but create a message. They were a confession of faith, not personal feelings" (p. 197). That is, Luther's hymns were by and large raw and real, less concerned with the beauty of language and more concerned with the heart of the message. In this spirit, I think John Bell of the Iona Community follows Luther's intentions.
Faith: One Step at a Time
I have just begun reading David Allen's Getting Things Done. It is more in the genre of business productivity, but I am intrigued by his premise and how it might relate to faith formation. He suggests, as I understand it, breaking down projects into goals and doing "the next step" to move forward to completing (hence the title).
Here's the faith connection for me: What if we began with this approach to our faith formation? I think so often we have these nebulous goals (I want to learn to pray for fully. I want to be more familiar with Scripture. I want to learn the virtue of patience.) but they remain simply that: goals. Allen, as I understand it, suggests breaking these down into simple tasks that move us forward: What can I do today to move toward this goal?
Perhaps if your goal is praying more fully, one first step might be learning the great prayers of Scripture. Or visiting a monastery and learning what it means to pray from the monks. Or finding a person who prays well and learning from them. Or simply setting aside specific times during the day to practice different prayer forms.
As I think is the case with faith formation most of the time: baby steps, baby steps... but steps nonetheless.
Book Recommendation
Speaking of prayer, I picked up David Adam's The Rhythm of Life: Celtic Daily Prayer over a year ago and have recently rediscovered it. If you are looking for a daily prayer book, I would highly recommend it. It contains prayers services for morning, noon, evening and night for each of the seven days of the week. It would be ideal for home devotions, personal prayer or in a group setting.
Online
You may want to check out our website if you have not for a while. You can now listen to sermons, download adult Sunday school teachings, print sermon reflection sheets, and see which readings are coming up on Sundays. We even have a link to our stained glass windows (an ongoing project) that coincides with our children's sermon series.
As far as the website goes, I am hoping to move in the direction of broader content management. (In plain English: each group within the the church would be able to update its own part of the website: women, puppets, youth, etc.)
While the plastic and steel sign that graces our Front Street entrance is an important tool, I am increasingly convinced that a congregation's web site is its "public face" and and "virtual sign" for many people.
Help Wanted
If you have experience with mixing digital audio and would like to help create some brief introductions for some of our audio files (sermons, adult Sunday school, perhaps even our weekly radio broadcast), let me know.
Also, if you have graphic design expertise, I have a project idea for a logo that incorporates our congregation's name.
Friday, April 10, 2009
i love my wife
Inspired by the book, The Love Dare, and the movie Fireproof, I bought a shirt that reads: "i love my wife" (yes, lower-case "i").
It is telling that when my sister saw it she said, "What's the back say?" We are in our culture so steeped in sarcasm and innuendo, that of course there had to be a catch, right?
As I got dressed for Good Friday, I chose this t-shirt as my undershirt for it captures for me what is at the heart of Good Friday. Jesus willingly goes to the Cross: suffering, bleeding, dying. And why? For what? Many of us have heard the standard answers: John 3:16... or: for our sins... or: for our salvation. But, it seems to me, one powerful and potent answers is that He loves his dear Wife, His bride, His forever Love: the Church.
May we together contemplate the richness and depth of Christ's love for his Holy Bride, the Church, for you and for me.
i love my wife.
"What's the back say?" you ask?
The. Same. Thing.
It is telling that when my sister saw it she said, "What's the back say?" We are in our culture so steeped in sarcasm and innuendo, that of course there had to be a catch, right?
As I got dressed for Good Friday, I chose this t-shirt as my undershirt for it captures for me what is at the heart of Good Friday. Jesus willingly goes to the Cross: suffering, bleeding, dying. And why? For what? Many of us have heard the standard answers: John 3:16... or: for our sins... or: for our salvation. But, it seems to me, one powerful and potent answers is that He loves his dear Wife, His bride, His forever Love: the Church.
May we together contemplate the richness and depth of Christ's love for his Holy Bride, the Church, for you and for me.
i love my wife.
"What's the back say?" you ask?
The. Same. Thing.
Monday, April 6, 2009
+ Holy Week +
Welcome to Holy Week. I plan to keep this message brief this week for one reason: It is not my words that you want to be immersed in, but the words of Holy Scripture, the words of worship and the Word who is Jesus Christ our Lord.
How does one celebrate Holy Week? With worship! See our web page for service times and plan to join us for Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Saturday's Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday.
*If you have never attended an Easter Vigil service before, join us Saturday at 7 pm. It is a bit longer service (90 minutes or so): a delightful and full celebration of the Resurrection. We still could use someone to kindle the Easter fire in an outside grill before worship and a few assistants to decorate the chancel during the service. Let me know if you are interested.
How does one celebrate Holy Week? With devotion! See a list of suggested readings for Holy Week. Set aside extra time for prayer and mediation on the Scriptures.
How does one celebrate Holy Week? With all of who we are! For some further reflections on Holy Week, see this pamphlet.
How does one celebrate Holy Week? By standing in awe. After the telling of St. Mark's Passion yesterday I was reminded of how feeble and inadequate our words are.
Make time this week for worship, devotion, work and silence as you take in the sounds, sights, smells, tastes and touches of Holy Week.
How does one celebrate Holy Week? With worship! See our web page for service times and plan to join us for Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Saturday's Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday.
*If you have never attended an Easter Vigil service before, join us Saturday at 7 pm. It is a bit longer service (90 minutes or so): a delightful and full celebration of the Resurrection. We still could use someone to kindle the Easter fire in an outside grill before worship and a few assistants to decorate the chancel during the service. Let me know if you are interested.
How does one celebrate Holy Week? With devotion! See a list of suggested readings for Holy Week. Set aside extra time for prayer and mediation on the Scriptures.
How does one celebrate Holy Week? With all of who we are! For some further reflections on Holy Week, see this pamphlet.
How does one celebrate Holy Week? By standing in awe. After the telling of St. Mark's Passion yesterday I was reminded of how feeble and inadequate our words are.
Make time this week for worship, devotion, work and silence as you take in the sounds, sights, smells, tastes and touches of Holy Week.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Shoveling Anxiety
Perhaps you're reading this at work and your boss (or co-worker, or friend) has already chewed you out. Perhaps you're reading this at home, discouraged by the prospect of finding a job anytime soon. Perhaps your anxiety level is pretty high.
We all know the story: Boss chews out employee. Employee comes home and yells at spouse. Spouse yells at their child. Child kicks the dog. Dog pees on the carpet. Everyone keeps yelling.
Yes, I'm afraid we're all very good at shoveling around anxiety. None of us likes to sit with it, so we dump it on someone else's desk, on someone else's shoulders, on someone else's life.
A famous family therapist wrote in the early 1990s that most people's decisions were heavily (if not exclusively) driven by anxiety. He described the overall anxiety level in the US as very high. and that was before 9/11, before the recent economic turmoil...
So what to do? Obviously shoveling it around is not helping anyone.
I once had a teacher who had the gift of a non-anxious presence. When he would walk into a room, you just felt more calm. Even if there was a nuclear device about ready to explode in the room next door, you would feel calm because he was there. People like this are few and far between, but they are truly a gift to us.
In a similar way, Christ invites us to cast our anxiety, our burdens, on Him. In Matthew 11 our Lord Jesus invites us: "Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (verse 28-30).
And as Jesus followers, as the Baptized, as the Church we are asked to gladly bear one another's burdens. This is not co-dependency, it is the willing acceptance of one another's pain and sorrow and worry (1 Corinthians 12:26). More radically, we are even asked to bless those who persecute us (Romans 12:14)--including awful bosses--to love our enemies and pray for our persecutors (Matthew 5:44). The witness of the church is that we are called to be a people who witness to Jesus' love for us by living out his love for us, by bearing with one another and forgiving one another (Colossians 3:13).
We are quickly approaching Holy Week. We will dwell for a whole week on the One who bears not just our anxiety, not just our burdens, but all of our suffering and sin in his Body on the Tree of the Cross (1 Peter 2:24; cf. Isaiah 53:5).
By the mercy of Christ Jesus our Lord, may we bear with one another this week and always.
We all know the story: Boss chews out employee. Employee comes home and yells at spouse. Spouse yells at their child. Child kicks the dog. Dog pees on the carpet. Everyone keeps yelling.
Yes, I'm afraid we're all very good at shoveling around anxiety. None of us likes to sit with it, so we dump it on someone else's desk, on someone else's shoulders, on someone else's life.
A famous family therapist wrote in the early 1990s that most people's decisions were heavily (if not exclusively) driven by anxiety. He described the overall anxiety level in the US as very high. and that was before 9/11, before the recent economic turmoil...
So what to do? Obviously shoveling it around is not helping anyone.
I once had a teacher who had the gift of a non-anxious presence. When he would walk into a room, you just felt more calm. Even if there was a nuclear device about ready to explode in the room next door, you would feel calm because he was there. People like this are few and far between, but they are truly a gift to us.
In a similar way, Christ invites us to cast our anxiety, our burdens, on Him. In Matthew 11 our Lord Jesus invites us: "Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (verse 28-30).
And as Jesus followers, as the Baptized, as the Church we are asked to gladly bear one another's burdens. This is not co-dependency, it is the willing acceptance of one another's pain and sorrow and worry (1 Corinthians 12:26). More radically, we are even asked to bless those who persecute us (Romans 12:14)--including awful bosses--to love our enemies and pray for our persecutors (Matthew 5:44). The witness of the church is that we are called to be a people who witness to Jesus' love for us by living out his love for us, by bearing with one another and forgiving one another (Colossians 3:13).
We are quickly approaching Holy Week. We will dwell for a whole week on the One who bears not just our anxiety, not just our burdens, but all of our suffering and sin in his Body on the Tree of the Cross (1 Peter 2:24; cf. Isaiah 53:5).
By the mercy of Christ Jesus our Lord, may we bear with one another this week and always.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
The Summons
For a few weeks now in Sunday worship we have sung the song "Will You Come and Follow Me" (The Summons) by John Bell (Evangelical Lutheran Worship hymn #798). It is a wonderful song. Like "Here I Am, Lord," it is captivating because most of the lines are God singing to us. The line that has haunted me (in a good way) is this one: "Will you kiss the leper clean... and do such as this unseen?"
For me, this captures Lent: being enfolded into God's work, crossing all human-made boundaries and kissing the leper... and doing such things as these unseen (cf. Matthew 6). Christ has called us--yes, us!--the Gentiles, the lepers of this world, made unclean by our own sin and rebellion against God. Drawn near and kissed by this same Jesus in the waters of Baptism, we are sent as his body to do that same work. The trick is that we are told to do this humble work unseen.
May God place many lepers at your feet this week, in whatever guise modern-day "lepers" come, and may you kiss and tend to them... and do all of it unseen.
+++
If have pasted the lyrics of "The Summons" below. If you would like to see (hear?) more of John Bell's work, I highly recommend the site of the Wild Goose Resource Group and both of his books on congregational song: The Singing Thing and The Singing Thing Too. I also have a CD of a lecture he gave a few years ago... if I can find it.
Here is the song:
1. Will you come and follow me if I but call your name?
Will you go where you don't know and never be the same?
Will you let my love be shown? Will you let my name be known,
will you let my life be grown in you and you in me?
2. Will you leave yourself behind if I but call your name?
Will you care for cruel and kind and never be the same?
Will you risk the hostile stare should your life attract or scare?
Will you let me answer prayer in you and you in me?
3. Will you let the blinded see if I but call your name?
Will you set the prisoners free and never be the same?
Will you kiss the leper clean and do such as this unseen,
and admit to what I mean in you and you in me?
4. Will you love the "you" you hide if I but call your name?
Will you quell the fear inside and never be the same?
Will you use the faith you've found to reshape the world around,
through my sight and touch and sound in you and you in me?
5. Lord your summons echoes true when you but call my name.
Let me turn and follow you and never be the same.
In Your company I'll go where Your love and footsteps show.
Thus I'll move and live and grow in you and you in me.
Text: John L. Bell b.1949.
© 1987, Wild Goose Resource Group, Iona Community, GIA Publications, Inc.
Tune: Scottish traditional, Kelvingrove. Arranged by John L. Bell.
For me, this captures Lent: being enfolded into God's work, crossing all human-made boundaries and kissing the leper... and doing such things as these unseen (cf. Matthew 6). Christ has called us--yes, us!--the Gentiles, the lepers of this world, made unclean by our own sin and rebellion against God. Drawn near and kissed by this same Jesus in the waters of Baptism, we are sent as his body to do that same work. The trick is that we are told to do this humble work unseen.
May God place many lepers at your feet this week, in whatever guise modern-day "lepers" come, and may you kiss and tend to them... and do all of it unseen.
+++
If have pasted the lyrics of "The Summons" below. If you would like to see (hear?) more of John Bell's work, I highly recommend the site of the Wild Goose Resource Group and both of his books on congregational song: The Singing Thing and The Singing Thing Too. I also have a CD of a lecture he gave a few years ago... if I can find it.
Here is the song:
1. Will you come and follow me if I but call your name?
Will you go where you don't know and never be the same?
Will you let my love be shown? Will you let my name be known,
will you let my life be grown in you and you in me?
2. Will you leave yourself behind if I but call your name?
Will you care for cruel and kind and never be the same?
Will you risk the hostile stare should your life attract or scare?
Will you let me answer prayer in you and you in me?
3. Will you let the blinded see if I but call your name?
Will you set the prisoners free and never be the same?
Will you kiss the leper clean and do such as this unseen,
and admit to what I mean in you and you in me?
4. Will you love the "you" you hide if I but call your name?
Will you quell the fear inside and never be the same?
Will you use the faith you've found to reshape the world around,
through my sight and touch and sound in you and you in me?
5. Lord your summons echoes true when you but call my name.
Let me turn and follow you and never be the same.
In Your company I'll go where Your love and footsteps show.
Thus I'll move and live and grow in you and you in me.
Text: John L. Bell b.1949.
© 1987, Wild Goose Resource Group, Iona Community, GIA Publications, Inc.
Tune: Scottish traditional, Kelvingrove. Arranged by John L. Bell.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Daylight Saving Blah
I will make a prediction: Sometime this week I will yell at my children. I will get incredibly frustrated about something they are doing or not doing and I will yell. And yell again. And then only later will I realize that part of the reason for the overall grumpiness (mine and theirs) is the beast we know as Daylight Saving Time. (The yelling, of course, is my deal--and all mine.)
Experts say it takes something like three weeks for our bodies to adjust to the new time, because our bodies are tuned into things like the rising and setting of the sun, the rhythms of the earth and sun and moon. Even though it is only an hour difference, I think for many of us (children especially?) it feels like trans-Atlantic jet lag. And this makes us grumpy. [An aside: A great children's book for first Communion uses the term "crabby people" to describe the Scribes and Pharisees that challenged Jesus.]
At the same time, Daylight Saving Time and all the grumpiness it produces (or at least encourages) are a gift. DST is a gift because it helps us slow down, even stop, and gives us the opportunity to choose to practice grace. All this DST jet lag and the attendant harumphs give us occasion to choose the way of mercy rather than revenge, the way of love rather than destruction, the way of peace rather than strife. Daylight Saving Time is an invitation to me--even if a sideways one--to enter into God's grace and to allow it to flow through my life.
So whether you are up until 1 am (or later) or hitting the snooze button a dozen times for a week or so, take some time to drink deeply of the grace of God, that it may be poured out for others in good measure (Luke 6:38).
Preparing for Sunday
I do not have a magical formula for getting ready for Sunday. I do know that how Sunday morning turns out in our family is largely dependent upon Saturday night. On our best weeks Saturday night is when we get things together for morning worship, set out our Sunday clothes and get to bed on time. On our crazier weeks... well, you know how that goes.
For Christians, everything looks forward to Sunday and flows from Sunday, for it is the Day of Resurrection. In that spirit, I would like to offer a challenge. Would you be willing to take some time during the first part of the week to reflect on this past Sunday's Scripture readings and then sometime later in the week to "read ahead" for this coming Sunday? If you would like a folder for this coming Sunday, one is available here.
Online: Sermons, Bulletin, Newsletter
You can now find current sermons, the weekly bulletin and the monthly newsletter online. These are static links, so the new bulletin, newsletter, etc. will automatically replace the old one.
An hour off, I am...
Pastor Matt
Experts say it takes something like three weeks for our bodies to adjust to the new time, because our bodies are tuned into things like the rising and setting of the sun, the rhythms of the earth and sun and moon. Even though it is only an hour difference, I think for many of us (children especially?) it feels like trans-Atlantic jet lag. And this makes us grumpy. [An aside: A great children's book for first Communion uses the term "crabby people" to describe the Scribes and Pharisees that challenged Jesus.]
At the same time, Daylight Saving Time and all the grumpiness it produces (or at least encourages) are a gift. DST is a gift because it helps us slow down, even stop, and gives us the opportunity to choose to practice grace. All this DST jet lag and the attendant harumphs give us occasion to choose the way of mercy rather than revenge, the way of love rather than destruction, the way of peace rather than strife. Daylight Saving Time is an invitation to me--even if a sideways one--to enter into God's grace and to allow it to flow through my life.
So whether you are up until 1 am (or later) or hitting the snooze button a dozen times for a week or so, take some time to drink deeply of the grace of God, that it may be poured out for others in good measure (Luke 6:38).
Preparing for Sunday
I do not have a magical formula for getting ready for Sunday. I do know that how Sunday morning turns out in our family is largely dependent upon Saturday night. On our best weeks Saturday night is when we get things together for morning worship, set out our Sunday clothes and get to bed on time. On our crazier weeks... well, you know how that goes.
For Christians, everything looks forward to Sunday and flows from Sunday, for it is the Day of Resurrection. In that spirit, I would like to offer a challenge. Would you be willing to take some time during the first part of the week to reflect on this past Sunday's Scripture readings and then sometime later in the week to "read ahead" for this coming Sunday? If you would like a folder for this coming Sunday, one is available here.
Online: Sermons, Bulletin, Newsletter
You can now find current sermons, the weekly bulletin and the monthly newsletter online. These are static links, so the new bulletin, newsletter, etc. will automatically replace the old one.
An hour off, I am...
Pastor Matt
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