Luke 18:1-8
Immanuel Lutheran
Tower, MN
Oct. 20th, 2013
Grace and peace to you from God our Father, Christ our Savior and the Spirit that sustains us. Grace and peace to you. Amen
Our Gospel text this morning brings us quite the cast of characters. Before we look at what the text might be saying to us today, let’s just take a minute to put some context into the parable. In the verses before Jesus had just told his disciples that they will long to see the day of the Son of Man and that in this waiting, life will be difficult and there will be suffering and while awaiting vindication the only way to remain faithful is to remain in prayer consistently and persistently on the promise of the coming order. (Justo L. Gonzalez, Luke – Belief A Theological Commentary on the Bible, (Westminster John Knox Press, 2010) pg. 210)
Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. If we stopped right there and had a conversation about what any of us might think the parable will be about without reading ahead, I am not sure that I would actually cast a widow, an unjust judge and God to teach this lesson. It seems to me like there would be much better stories to tell to bring home the point that the disciples and us for that matter, need to pray always and not lose heart as we too wait for the coming of the Lord. You see the kingdom of God in here and now while at the same time not yet and so we like the disciples are living in a time in which we long for the Lord to be revealed. We forget that our Triune God is here among us, moving, leading, guiding and shaking things up. We get lost in a traditional interpretation of this parable.
A childish version of this parable of the persistent widow plays out in my head like this... and maybe this conversation will be familiar with you as well…
Mom, I really want the new Furby. Please can I have it.
No Hannah I am not paying $60 for a robot Furby that never shuts off and makes all kinds of noise.
MOM, Please please please. You never let me get anything that I want.
Hannah I am not paying $60 for another toy that you don’t need.
Why do you always say no? You always say no to me. Please mom please. How about this small Furby it is only $15.
No Hannah – not this time.
Please Please Please – I love you mom…
OK Fine, but don’t think this is going to work for you everytime you want something. I am in a hurry we need to get going, so just pick out a $15 furby and let’s get going.
Have your children every finally just wore you down until your finally gave in and said yes? I usually don’t give in this easily, but I certainly have. My sneaky answer is usually well, your birthday, or Christmas, is coming soon so put it on your list and we will see. This usually holds my 8 year old off pretty well.
So when I picture this persistent widow going to the unjust judge who really could care less of people and God, I can see how the judge may have gotten worn down and finally not because he wanted justice to be served but only for selfish reasons he finally gives the widow what she wants.
Most people compare the unjust judge to God by saying things like, well if even the unbelieving, unjust judge will give in and do justice, imagine what our God would do and provide those that remain persistent in asking and praying to God. Imagine what more God would do.
This interpretation just doesn’t work for me. There is something about comparing God to and unjust judge that makes me shutter a little. In a blog I was reading this week in preparing for today, I ran across a comment that someone had left on the blog post that said, “What if God was the persistent widow and we were the unjust judge”
For me that small 13 word question set a light bulb off in my head and I found myself saying, “Yes, that’s it, that’s exactly the world we live in today.”
So this is the way I want to think about this parable with you today. What happens when we turn the parable inside out and see it in a new way, with a lens that mirrors where we are at in today’s world. Two things from this text remain the same though:
First: this is a parable about our need to pray always and not lose heart and Second the last sentence remains important here as well: And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
We are living in a time when the world feels so broken the world is broken and sometimes literally broken. We wonder about our government and the decisions they are making on behalf of you and I but more important on behalf of the people in our country our world that have no voice – the ones that continue to silently suffer and we all stand by with our eyes closed to it all. Worried only about what it means for ourselves, what it means to have our beliefs and values turned upside down by people we don’t agree with.
You might be thinking, well I respect God, I care about people I do my part to help those that need help. I know you do and quite frankly I am not talking about you or anyone in particular here, I just think if we step back for a moment and look from the outside into the world we live, we would fall on our knees and start praying and probably never stop.
Maybe it isnt us, the people of the world that plays the unjust judge here, maybe it is actually the world in which we live. The messages on the TV, billboards, radio, magazines, internet, Facebook and Twitter all tell us that this life is ours and we should do what feels good for us.
We are bombared with I messages and messages that tell us we are not enough, that we aren’t skinny enough or pretty enough that if only we bought this product or that one, we could have a life of luxury, we would be prettier or skinner we would even have more friends.
There are pieces of our world that are exactly the unjust judge not caring about who we are, not caring about whose we are and doing everything in its power to tear us away from our God. From our identity as Children of God, from whom we belong.
Bet the hope in all of this is that we have a persistent God who never leaves us or forsakes us. We have a persistent God who reminds us over and over that in our baptisms we were claimed and named a beloved Child of God and when we were marked by the cross of Christ and sealed with the Holy Spirit that was forever and ever!
So in a world that constantly tries to strip us of our identity. In a world that promotes selfishness, self-centeredness. In a world that wants to separate us and divide us that wants to drive a wedge between this group that believes this and the other group that believes that, we begin to act in very unjust ways.
When it is my way or the highway, when we have blinders on and aren’t wiling to take them off just for a moment to hear the other side. When we think that God is only on our side of the fence because we are right. Our beliefs are right and yours are wrong, we need the persistent widow, we need desperately our persistent God to remind us that he sent his only Son so that whoever believes may not perish but have eternal life.
We need our persistent God to remind us that we all belong to him, that we have all been created in God’s image – God doesn’t make mistakes.
We need our persistent God to remind us that we have all been given the Holy Spirit in our baptism and therefore we become the body of Christ. And at the Table we come together each one of us regardless of what side of the fence we are on, and we break bread together as one body in Christ called to pray always and to never lose heart.
What will the Son of Man see when he comes to earth? Will he find faith here? Or will people continue to be divided, families, churches, government. We have a lot work to do brothers and sisters and I believe that we are all up to this challenge. We have it in us to come together, to end divisions to see together hope for a future that is united in Christ and not what I think or you think, but in Christ alone.
Each time we come together to have those difficult conversations, to discuss the future, when we find ourselves frustrated with the process or when things just don’t seem to be going right we must pause and remember whose we are and remember that Christ is our persistent widow and he won’t give up on us until we get it. God has faith in us and we have all been called to work together united for Christ. So pray always and don’t lose heart and believe in the promises that God has given each of and know that when you pray God hears you. May you pray not that your will be done, but only God’s will.
Amen
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Friday, June 28, 2013
What is your name?
June 23, 2013
Luke 8:26-39
What is your name? How did you get your name?
I have friends who when expecting their first child they each picked out a name for the baby. If the baby was a boy, the dad would reveal the child’s name which had been placed in a sealed envelope and he was the only one who knew what it was. And if the baby was born a girl the mom’s name for her was sealed in a separate envelope that only she knew. This tactic for naming your child takes some trust in one another doesn’t it. Their first born was a boy, and therefore named by his dad.
My husband had no choice in the naming of our children. Ever since I was old enough to imagine being a mom and having children, I had picked out the names Hannah Elizabeth and Zachary. My poor husband had no say in the matter. We were blessed to have a boy and a girl. Hannah is 7 and Zachary is 10.
What does your name mean? Was it passed down to you? Does your name describe you? Does it define you? Does is belong to your family or passed down from one generation to another? Sometimes even our nicknames are more defining than our birth names. There is a lot that goes into one’s name.
Names have a lot of meaning in our gospel text for this morning as well.
Last week we heard the disciples wondering who Jesus was after he calmed the storm. This is contrasted today with the man possessed with demons, cast out by his family and community but yet knows who Jesus is – The Son of man most high.
This man who runs around his town doing wild things, out of control, possessed by demons, living on the margins, naked with only broken chains hanging from his wrists and legs – His name is Legion. Legion carries a definition meaning a very large number especially in terms of people. This is an accurate description of this man who in the only one to greet Jesus.
Of course Jesus is in a land in which it is very unlikely he as a Jewish Rabbi along with his 12 disciples would go to let alone be welcomed in. This is not a surprising stop for Jesus though is it. We have heard of Jesus doing things like healing on the Sabbath , talking to the woman at the well, Jesus is constantly going to places, being with people that are on the margins, that cause him to “break the rules”. Today proves to be no different.
The man Legion appears to be exactly why Jesus has come. The man knows Jesus and the demons knowing that they have no authority over Jesus begin to negotiate with him. They request to be sent into the swine in order to avoid the abyss.
What are the demons in our world today. All one needs to do is turn on the local, the national, or the world news and you will begin to see the darkness people live in today. A child needs a lung transplant and is held up because of rules. Bombs are planted at the finish lines of marathons, people enter schools with guns intending to hurt our children, senseless acts of murders, death, pain and suffering of all kinds litter our news and our lives.
Our world is broken and sometimes feels like everywhere we look it breaks more and more. We all have places in our lives that keep us from deepening our relationship with God. That’s what demons do. That’s what the darkness is. The things that keep us from knowing and seeing God. The things that take our energy away, keep us from sharing the Good News. What are the chains that bind you, the church, the community?
It is at these times, that we need to be reminded of who we are and whose we are. It is in this kind of darkness that we need to cling to our name which is Child of God. You are a child of God, created in the image of God, baptized into the family God. In our baptism we died to our self and became alive again in Christ. Christ lives in us and we in him. This is a big deal! This is good news in a world full of hurt and suffering. In a world where craziness is all around us.
Jesus breaks into my darkness, your darkness, our darkness and brings hope, healing and spirit and new life. He sets us the captive free. He drives out the darkness.
We think that at times we can hide from God. That we can take a break from following Jesus, but Jesus is always seeking us. God always has our backs. We can’t hide, but most of all we don’t need to hide.
Once Jesus drove the demons out of Legion, the man was completely healed and clothed and made new. He wanted to go with Jesus, but what does Jesus tell him he needs to do instead? Jesus tells him, “return to your home and declare how much God has done for you.” You see the people of the land were terrified after they say what had happened to the man. That Jesus had come and transformed the man. They were scared and ran away after telling Jesus he had to leave their land.
Sometimes people are afraid of the authority Jesus has over the evil in the world and they run away from him. Sometimes we get stuck in our own ways and forget that Jesus’ way is better. And sometimes we are just too afraid to face the changes that come with the radical transformation that Jesus’ offers our lives.
We are no different than the man who has been renamed and claimed by Jesus and so the request to go home, and declare how much God has done for you, is a request of us too. We praise the one who breaks the darkness indeed, but let’s not forget to tell others. Let’s be proud of who we are. Let’s remember whose we are and not be afraid to tell others too about all that God has done for us. As we sang this morning God of grace and God of glory From the fears that long have bound us free our hearts to faith and praise. Grant us wisdom, grant us courage.
Be courageous in your faith. Be proud of your name for you are a child of God that has a story to tell and world waiting to hear it.
Let us pray,
God we give thanks for sending your Son Jesus to live among us. To break into our darkness and show us the way out. We praise Him for showing us that to be named a child of God is not only worthy of praise, but is Good News that is intended to be shared. Open our hearts and minds so that we might tell others about all that you have done for us. Thank you God!
Amen.
Luke 8:26-39
What is your name? How did you get your name?
I have friends who when expecting their first child they each picked out a name for the baby. If the baby was a boy, the dad would reveal the child’s name which had been placed in a sealed envelope and he was the only one who knew what it was. And if the baby was born a girl the mom’s name for her was sealed in a separate envelope that only she knew. This tactic for naming your child takes some trust in one another doesn’t it. Their first born was a boy, and therefore named by his dad.
My husband had no choice in the naming of our children. Ever since I was old enough to imagine being a mom and having children, I had picked out the names Hannah Elizabeth and Zachary. My poor husband had no say in the matter. We were blessed to have a boy and a girl. Hannah is 7 and Zachary is 10.
What does your name mean? Was it passed down to you? Does your name describe you? Does it define you? Does is belong to your family or passed down from one generation to another? Sometimes even our nicknames are more defining than our birth names. There is a lot that goes into one’s name.
Names have a lot of meaning in our gospel text for this morning as well.
Last week we heard the disciples wondering who Jesus was after he calmed the storm. This is contrasted today with the man possessed with demons, cast out by his family and community but yet knows who Jesus is – The Son of man most high.
This man who runs around his town doing wild things, out of control, possessed by demons, living on the margins, naked with only broken chains hanging from his wrists and legs – His name is Legion. Legion carries a definition meaning a very large number especially in terms of people. This is an accurate description of this man who in the only one to greet Jesus.
Of course Jesus is in a land in which it is very unlikely he as a Jewish Rabbi along with his 12 disciples would go to let alone be welcomed in. This is not a surprising stop for Jesus though is it. We have heard of Jesus doing things like healing on the Sabbath , talking to the woman at the well, Jesus is constantly going to places, being with people that are on the margins, that cause him to “break the rules”. Today proves to be no different.
The man Legion appears to be exactly why Jesus has come. The man knows Jesus and the demons knowing that they have no authority over Jesus begin to negotiate with him. They request to be sent into the swine in order to avoid the abyss.
What are the demons in our world today. All one needs to do is turn on the local, the national, or the world news and you will begin to see the darkness people live in today. A child needs a lung transplant and is held up because of rules. Bombs are planted at the finish lines of marathons, people enter schools with guns intending to hurt our children, senseless acts of murders, death, pain and suffering of all kinds litter our news and our lives.
Our world is broken and sometimes feels like everywhere we look it breaks more and more. We all have places in our lives that keep us from deepening our relationship with God. That’s what demons do. That’s what the darkness is. The things that keep us from knowing and seeing God. The things that take our energy away, keep us from sharing the Good News. What are the chains that bind you, the church, the community?
It is at these times, that we need to be reminded of who we are and whose we are. It is in this kind of darkness that we need to cling to our name which is Child of God. You are a child of God, created in the image of God, baptized into the family God. In our baptism we died to our self and became alive again in Christ. Christ lives in us and we in him. This is a big deal! This is good news in a world full of hurt and suffering. In a world where craziness is all around us.
Jesus breaks into my darkness, your darkness, our darkness and brings hope, healing and spirit and new life. He sets us the captive free. He drives out the darkness.
We think that at times we can hide from God. That we can take a break from following Jesus, but Jesus is always seeking us. God always has our backs. We can’t hide, but most of all we don’t need to hide.
Once Jesus drove the demons out of Legion, the man was completely healed and clothed and made new. He wanted to go with Jesus, but what does Jesus tell him he needs to do instead? Jesus tells him, “return to your home and declare how much God has done for you.” You see the people of the land were terrified after they say what had happened to the man. That Jesus had come and transformed the man. They were scared and ran away after telling Jesus he had to leave their land.
Sometimes people are afraid of the authority Jesus has over the evil in the world and they run away from him. Sometimes we get stuck in our own ways and forget that Jesus’ way is better. And sometimes we are just too afraid to face the changes that come with the radical transformation that Jesus’ offers our lives.
We are no different than the man who has been renamed and claimed by Jesus and so the request to go home, and declare how much God has done for you, is a request of us too. We praise the one who breaks the darkness indeed, but let’s not forget to tell others. Let’s be proud of who we are. Let’s remember whose we are and not be afraid to tell others too about all that God has done for us. As we sang this morning God of grace and God of glory From the fears that long have bound us free our hearts to faith and praise. Grant us wisdom, grant us courage.
Be courageous in your faith. Be proud of your name for you are a child of God that has a story to tell and world waiting to hear it.
Let us pray,
God we give thanks for sending your Son Jesus to live among us. To break into our darkness and show us the way out. We praise Him for showing us that to be named a child of God is not only worthy of praise, but is Good News that is intended to be shared. Open our hearts and minds so that we might tell others about all that you have done for us. Thank you God!
Amen.
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Transition time...
Well since the Spring semester ended a couple weeks ago I have not posted too much here on my blog. It has actually been nice to have a little break.
Today marks the last day of teaching for me. I will always be a teacher; that will never change, but as far as a classroom teacher is concerned, it seems as though my days in the classroom are quickly coming to an end. I have been teaching at the North Woods School home of the Grizzlies since January 28th. I started in the high school wing teaching 7th, 8th & 11th grade Language Arts and also advisor for 1/3 of the graduating seniors. I was done in the high school on April 12th and started in the elementary wing (5th Grade) on April 15th.
On June 1 (well technically June 2nd because the 1st is a Saturday) I officially begin my seminary internship. I have been waiting a while for the right opportunity to arrive and here it is. This internship means that I leave the classroom and finish up my seminary education. I could have taught another 12 weeks this fall in 2nd grade, but it really is time to finish up what I started three years ago.
I am looking forward to internship. You know that most of the time it is advised that people don't return to their "home" congregation and often that is in relation to Jesus' experience when he returned to his home town and it didn't go so smoothly. Although I certainly feel like I am "going home" when God calls, we can only trust that call. I am not worried or anxious about this placement, actually just the opposite. I feel much at ease and very ready to get to work.
I have been cleaning the classroom with the kids. Packing up my belongings. Saying goodbye to fellow teachers and looking forward to having tomorrow off!
This marks a time of transition for me. I love change so this is very welcomed in my life! My blogging has been focused on social media and school mostly, and now it will transition as well, into the life of a intern. Maybe you will join me on this adventure, maybe you will read from afar and maybe this will just be a journal of my own, whatever it is I am ready!
This ad which was placed in the local newspaper by my internship church makes it real. They have welcomed me, they respect me, they appreciate me and their hospitality is very encouraging!
Today marks the last day of teaching for me. I will always be a teacher; that will never change, but as far as a classroom teacher is concerned, it seems as though my days in the classroom are quickly coming to an end. I have been teaching at the North Woods School home of the Grizzlies since January 28th. I started in the high school wing teaching 7th, 8th & 11th grade Language Arts and also advisor for 1/3 of the graduating seniors. I was done in the high school on April 12th and started in the elementary wing (5th Grade) on April 15th.
On June 1 (well technically June 2nd because the 1st is a Saturday) I officially begin my seminary internship. I have been waiting a while for the right opportunity to arrive and here it is. This internship means that I leave the classroom and finish up my seminary education. I could have taught another 12 weeks this fall in 2nd grade, but it really is time to finish up what I started three years ago.
I am looking forward to internship. You know that most of the time it is advised that people don't return to their "home" congregation and often that is in relation to Jesus' experience when he returned to his home town and it didn't go so smoothly. Although I certainly feel like I am "going home" when God calls, we can only trust that call. I am not worried or anxious about this placement, actually just the opposite. I feel much at ease and very ready to get to work.
I have been cleaning the classroom with the kids. Packing up my belongings. Saying goodbye to fellow teachers and looking forward to having tomorrow off!
This marks a time of transition for me. I love change so this is very welcomed in my life! My blogging has been focused on social media and school mostly, and now it will transition as well, into the life of a intern. Maybe you will join me on this adventure, maybe you will read from afar and maybe this will just be a journal of my own, whatever it is I am ready!
This ad which was placed in the local newspaper by my internship church makes it real. They have welcomed me, they respect me, they appreciate me and their hospitality is very encouraging!
Monday, May 20, 2013
Does our theology keep us from seeing others?
The picture of the day from Naked Pastor and the following question:
Does theology prevent us from understanding others? From seeing that we are all deeply connected?
Check out the blog post here.
Does theology prevent us from understanding others? From seeing that we are all deeply connected?
Check out the blog post here.
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Pentecost! My favorite... red & the Holy Spirit!
I have always wanted to have a flame come out of the baptismal font and this year it happened! There was a lot of positive comments and people felt the power of the image and symbolism!
5/19/13
Pentecost Sunday
Acts 2:1-21
John 14:8-17, 25-27
There is a prophet among us…..
Look do you see them?
Look to your right…
Look to your left….
There is a prophet among us…
Yes it is you. Each of you a prophet!
Now don’t get up and run away … let’s explore
“What does this mean?”
Today we celebrate the Festival of Pentecost. Before the first Pentecost, this day was set aside as a Jewish festival called the Festival of Weeks that took place 50 days after the Passover.
Christians today celebrate Pentecost as the day God breathed the Holy Spirit into His disciples and this marks the beginning of the organized church, as we know it today. This is why some churches celebrate with birthday cake at fellowship time, as you saw the children celebrate a moment ago. The color red, candles, balloons, baptisms, fire and wind are common elements as we retell the story of the first Pentecost, but also take time to remember and tell of our own Pentecost’s and wondering together what the Spirit is currently calling us to right here and now.
Listen again to the first part of our reading from Acts. This time from Eugene Peterson’s The Message Bible:
When the Feast of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Without warning there was a sound like a strong wind, gale force—no one could tell where it came from. It filled the whole building. Then, like a wildfire, the Holy Spirit spread through their ranks, and they started speaking in a number of different languages as the Spirit prompted them.
People in the streets are confused and bewildered having no idea what is happening. They are suddenly hearing of God’s great works in their own language. Something they have never heard or been able to understand before. This is crazy, they must be drunk, what does this mean people are asking each other…
Then Peter to the rescue. Of all disciples to stand up and speak to the crowd – Peter. Peter the one who just denied knowing Jesus three times 50 days ago…
Something major has just happened… gale forced winds, flames of fire dancing on the heads of all spreading from one to another like a wildfire.. God’s voice being understood by all! This is something to celebrate!
Although we love to remember stories from our past, this is one story that hasn’t ended yet. This Pentecost story lives on today and tomorrow, This Pentecost story is stilling taking place here and now.
We have a story to tell. The moment we were baptized – we died to our old life and were born into a life with Christ – We were sealed by the Holy Spirit. In our baptisms we were gifted the Holy Spirit, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the sprit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord, the spirit of joy in your presence, both now and forever.
This is something to celebrate! But what does this mean? What does this all have to do with me and you being a prophet?
Prophesy – it is necessary to be clear that I am not talking about fortune telling or future telling, but simply proclamation and truth telling. When we received the Holy Spirit we were set into the middle of a story. We became a main character in God’s story. A story that began way before we came into the picture but a story that has always had a place for us. A specific place for each of us. God’s story without you and without me is incomplete. And on the first day of Pentecost for the first time, but not the last, God’s story was being heard and understood by all of God’s children and this story hasn’t stopped being told or created and continues to be written and proclaimed.
The truth telling that we are called to is what it means for you and I to be a prophet. One who goes out and tells the Good News. Shares God’s story.
What does this mean you might be wondering… I am too shy to tell my neighbor, I can’t … I’m afraid.. I don’t know what to say…
Did you know that sharing God’s story can be done without words? You’ve heard the saying, “Share the gospel and if necessary use words.” That’s right, we can proclaim the glory of God, share God’s story spread the flame of the Spirit in what we do, how we act, how we spend our money, spend our time and how we are as a community of believers.
Sharing God’s story isn’t about inviting your neighbor or friend to worship (although it is nice for you to invite others!) what I mean is that as a community of believers from Our Savior’s Lutheran Church we have an entire community and surrounding communities that are waiting to hear God’s story. That are waiting to be touched by the Spirit’s flame – the flame that you carry. That flame that you can hide and tuck away of you can share and spread.
Who are our neighbors? Who needs a friendly smile? Who needs a home cooked meal? A friend? A phone call?
You see Pentecost isn’t about what happens here in this building. This worship space that we are very comfortable in. Pentecost is about calling us out of this building into a world, a community a neighborhood that is waiting to hear God’s story.
We are called out of our comfort zone into a community that belongs to Christ that we have been called to be prophets in. The Spirit leads us, guides us, and gives us the words. We just have to be open and trust that God is good!
We experience Pentecost’s all the time. Change, growth, new opportunities in our church community and in our own lives. Pentecost is not an ending but a beginning to something great and extraordinary! Our Savior’s has experienced many Pentecost’s over the years and I believe that the Spirit is at work once again here and now on yet another Pentecost.
What do you think it means when you hear, “Very truly I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than me, because I am going to the Father.”
Greater works than Jesus? The guy who healed the sick, gave sight to the blind and raised people from the dead… what could be greater than that? And if he is going to the Father than this is impossible!
The great and powerful Holy Spirit is given to us so that together as a community of believers we can engage each other, our community and the world in the telling of God’s story which is the ultimate gift we could give anyone. We tell the story; the Holy Spirit takes it from there.
Each smile, kind word, helpful gesture, visit to the lonely, gift to the poor is the telling God’s story. We don’t have to be afraid because all the time, God is good!
We have been equipped with a divine guide. This divine guide is in us, it is in our words, our actions, our breathe. The divine guide has been washed over us in our baptism and breathed into us, as it was the disciples. With each natural breath in and out…. We can offer this world, peace, justice, mercy, grace and love. We can be a calm wind. A kindling flame. A rolling wave through the breath we take in and let out. Let the diving guide lead you to great works. Let the spirit in you, out so to fill in the cracks, so to bring together all the pieces that are scattered in this world.
How does the spirit lead you? Is the spirit in your locked up or is it like fire burning in the pit of your belly ready to get out and spread like a wild fire – consuming everyone and everything in its path with the love and grace of God. Is your spirit blowing in the wind trying to find its way? Or maybe your spirit is floating on top of those rolling waves just wanting to find rest while wondering where you might find that flame that once was.
How will the breathe you breath in and let out fill the cracks of this world? Who will you share God’s story with? Are you ready for a Pentecost journey? I know I am and although the Spirit is visible here today in many ways shapes and forms, the Spirit is up to something great and extraordinary right here at Our Saviors! Are you ready?
We can be ready together because we know that God is good ! All the time! All the time God is good!
Let’s try this together ….
P: God is good!
C: All the time!
P: All the time!
C: God is good!
Amen.
Friday, May 17, 2013
welcoming schools
I came across this website as I have been thinking about how schools (in Northern MN) can be more welcoming and sensitive to gender identity. I am talking elementary grades. MN just took a huge step forward and in August anyone who chooses to get married will have the right! Yeah Minnesota!
So how about our schools. What are we doing to support, encourage, love and welcome children that are struggling (or is it we that struggle and not them??) with sexual orientation, gender identity and all the emotions that go with it.
Here is the article and a link to a website called Welcoming Schools.
So how about our schools. What are we doing to support, encourage, love and welcome children that are struggling (or is it we that struggle and not them??) with sexual orientation, gender identity and all the emotions that go with it.
Here is the article and a link to a website called Welcoming Schools.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Final Project - Guatemala - a broken hallelujah
Here is my final project for Gospel and Global Media class. I welcome your comments or questions.
What is Gospel? Again...
So last week we were supposed to post our third and final draft of "what is gospel?" and talk about it in the context of digital technology and the whole of this Gospel and Global Media class. I spent the weekend at the NE MN Synod Assembly. I love Synod Assembly! The Spirit is so at work. I love seeing people that I only see once a year at the assembly. The speakers are always top notch and motivating! The inspiration and richness of what takes place is to uplifting! The ideas are endless and energizing!
The theme this year was "Always being Made New" as is the tag line for the ELCA as we celebrating 25 years as the ELCA! We studies and heard all weekend how we are "always being made new" in Jesus Christ! We were encouraged to thing about our congregations "mission plan" NOT mission statement, but mission plan! We had an hour and a half committee of the whole meeting where we were one big "think tank" sharing with one another! We watched the video I shared on my last post called "Did you know?" to start us off thinking about all the advancements in technology and then we talked about so what does this mean? Well I had a slight advantage in my group as I have been taking this particular class in which we have been engaging this topic all semester. It was very interesting to listen to the group I was conversing with though. They simply didn't know what to do with this information. They were afraid it would take over and church was so far behind it was hopeless.
The best part of assembly for me this year was listening to Dr. Winston Persaud (Professor of Systematic Theology; The Kent S. Knutson and UELC Professor in Theology and Mission; Director of the Center for Global Theologies). He brought us through the Apostles Creed in Luther's Small Catechism. It was here that I started thinking about the gospel, being made new and technology and "what does this all mean?" Dr. Persaud pointed to God's word being made new in Jesus Christ and how we are called to share that. We as leaders are also called to see others gifts and make sure they are empowered to share those gifts as we glorify God and are made new through Jesus ourselves. God's word being made new through Jesus takes place in so many different ways, places and times that we can't single it out to one time and place (Sunday morning worship). We must be willing and open to this new creation that happens when we share the gospel, when we act out the gospel, when we are affected by the gospel, when we invite others to experience, witness and share the gospel. We are always being made new through the gospel. The gospel is written on trees, and lakes, people and animals, songs and poems, here and there, near and far! Here is a quote I found on Persaud's website:
That's it right? The gospel - the oneness of the Church throughout the world! This isn't about leaving our own heritage behind, but it is about accepting where we come from so that we can carry out the mission of the Church in a way that is contextual, appropriate and confessional!
I will be starting internship in a few weeks and can't wait to implement some of what we have learned, explored and experienced in this particular class! The church is at a place where the use of technology, social media and a mission plan will take them to the next level! It is really an exciting time! I can't wait to get to work connection people through social media. Introducing the church to Facebook, a blog perhaps, and maybe even some online Bible study options! As I work with this congregation and we both experience being made new together and explore the use of technology to further relationships, met new people, reach people that we have reached yet and live out the gospel, I only pray that in this all we will love like Jesus so that the gospel is proclaimed, heard and accepted!
The theme this year was "Always being Made New" as is the tag line for the ELCA as we celebrating 25 years as the ELCA! We studies and heard all weekend how we are "always being made new" in Jesus Christ! We were encouraged to thing about our congregations "mission plan" NOT mission statement, but mission plan! We had an hour and a half committee of the whole meeting where we were one big "think tank" sharing with one another! We watched the video I shared on my last post called "Did you know?" to start us off thinking about all the advancements in technology and then we talked about so what does this mean? Well I had a slight advantage in my group as I have been taking this particular class in which we have been engaging this topic all semester. It was very interesting to listen to the group I was conversing with though. They simply didn't know what to do with this information. They were afraid it would take over and church was so far behind it was hopeless.
The best part of assembly for me this year was listening to Dr. Winston Persaud (Professor of Systematic Theology; The Kent S. Knutson and UELC Professor in Theology and Mission; Director of the Center for Global Theologies). He brought us through the Apostles Creed in Luther's Small Catechism. It was here that I started thinking about the gospel, being made new and technology and "what does this all mean?" Dr. Persaud pointed to God's word being made new in Jesus Christ and how we are called to share that. We as leaders are also called to see others gifts and make sure they are empowered to share those gifts as we glorify God and are made new through Jesus ourselves. God's word being made new through Jesus takes place in so many different ways, places and times that we can't single it out to one time and place (Sunday morning worship). We must be willing and open to this new creation that happens when we share the gospel, when we act out the gospel, when we are affected by the gospel, when we invite others to experience, witness and share the gospel. We are always being made new through the gospel. The gospel is written on trees, and lakes, people and animals, songs and poems, here and there, near and far! Here is a quote I found on Persaud's website:
It is important that Christians gain a sense of the oneness of the Church throughout the world, and at the same time understand our theological/cultural roots and their shaping influence on the present. This will help us to put our particular traditions in perspective in relation to the plural contexts in which the gospel of Jesus Christ is formulated and confessed and in which the mission of the Church is carried out.
That's it right? The gospel - the oneness of the Church throughout the world! This isn't about leaving our own heritage behind, but it is about accepting where we come from so that we can carry out the mission of the Church in a way that is contextual, appropriate and confessional!
I will be starting internship in a few weeks and can't wait to implement some of what we have learned, explored and experienced in this particular class! The church is at a place where the use of technology, social media and a mission plan will take them to the next level! It is really an exciting time! I can't wait to get to work connection people through social media. Introducing the church to Facebook, a blog perhaps, and maybe even some online Bible study options! As I work with this congregation and we both experience being made new together and explore the use of technology to further relationships, met new people, reach people that we have reached yet and live out the gospel, I only pray that in this all we will love like Jesus so that the gospel is proclaimed, heard and accepted!
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Social media, video loops and Christian faith...
Is Adapt social media creations for worship an item on our Time & Talent Survey? If not, why not? This is an interesting blog post about new social media, what the millenials and high schoolers are gravitating to and what it has to do with Christian faith. Check it out.
Friday, April 26, 2013
Fair Use or Common Sense?
This week in class we have been reading and discussing the many layers of fair use in the the complicated world of digital technology in which we live. We have, at our fingertips, a plethora of music, video, images, sounds, written works, etc... and so how do we make sure what we "find" on the internet and then incorporate into our own works, we are doing in a manner that is respectful, lawful, moral and fair. This is the basis for which we have done our readings and blogging this week. I am not going to summarize any further as you would be welcome to read any number of my classmates blogs for wonderful summaries of the readings. The blog list can be found here. I am going to think out loud here for a few minutes about the gaps that I am left with within this conversation.
First, there are two very long documents that you could read through about Fair Use if you are interested: Love to Share (a document produced by the World Council of Churches) and The Code of Best Practices in Fair Use in Media Education
The documents are interesting to say the least and FULL of information. Information that to be honest and frank is hard for me to sift through. I am not really interested (although there is great need to have awareness concerning this very important topic) in sifting through all the grey areas. Why does it have to be so complicated? This topic makes some people very anxious to the point that they don't use any images, musci, video, etc.... they don't even share their own. I am a sharer! This does not make me anxious, but it does make me take pause... now.
So the gap I have, is what is it that I do in my ministry that will require me to abide by these fair use rules and regulations and when, how, and where will I access the information. This weeks class topic is a great place to start. What this week has done more than anything for me is
1) given me some basic resources and places to begin thinking about this
2) shined a light on a very important topic
3) allowed me to step into the work of other's and think about it from a new lens (how would I feel if my music was taken and someone profited from it)
4) opened a door to be more conscientious about images, music and videos that I currently use and in the future will use, to be sure I am playing and sharing nicely!
For my final project I took a song by Rachel Kurtz and made a video of scripture text and photos set to her song Hallelujah from her album Broken and Lowdown. The photographs I used were all taken by three people (me, and two friends and I asked permission to use them). The Biblical text came from my NRSV Bible. I am pretty sure everything I did was on the up and up. At the end of the video I have a "credits" page in which I name the photographers. I totally forgot to list Rachel as the artist of the song (I will change that for my final). I did not credit my NRSV Bible and I wonder if I need to do that. I will consult my small group and Professor Hess to see about that. When I took a look at Rachel's website I found this written next to the description of her latest album Broken and Lowdown
So here we are in the midst of this fair use conversation and the song I chose for my final is claiming "Fair Use" rights to her rendition of Leonard Cohen's original piece. I wondered about this and just assumed she was on the "up and up" in doing what she did because she is making money off this piece as well. Her version of Hallelujah was used in front of 40,000 ELCA Lutheran youth and adults in July 2012 in New Orleans at the National Youth Gathering. A great way to get "your music" out there.
This discover doesn't clear things up for me, it just leads me to more questions and wonderings about how I know and when I should and what if I don't.... It seems to boil down to common sense, but then if we lived in a time and place where common sense was a reliable state, we wouldn't need 73 page documents telling us what we can share, how we can share it and all the other information in between and side ways.
First, there are two very long documents that you could read through about Fair Use if you are interested: Love to Share (a document produced by the World Council of Churches) and The Code of Best Practices in Fair Use in Media Education
The documents are interesting to say the least and FULL of information. Information that to be honest and frank is hard for me to sift through. I am not really interested (although there is great need to have awareness concerning this very important topic) in sifting through all the grey areas. Why does it have to be so complicated? This topic makes some people very anxious to the point that they don't use any images, musci, video, etc.... they don't even share their own. I am a sharer! This does not make me anxious, but it does make me take pause... now.
So the gap I have, is what is it that I do in my ministry that will require me to abide by these fair use rules and regulations and when, how, and where will I access the information. This weeks class topic is a great place to start. What this week has done more than anything for me is
1) given me some basic resources and places to begin thinking about this
2) shined a light on a very important topic
3) allowed me to step into the work of other's and think about it from a new lens (how would I feel if my music was taken and someone profited from it)
4) opened a door to be more conscientious about images, music and videos that I currently use and in the future will use, to be sure I am playing and sharing nicely!
For my final project I took a song by Rachel Kurtz and made a video of scripture text and photos set to her song Hallelujah from her album Broken and Lowdown. The photographs I used were all taken by three people (me, and two friends and I asked permission to use them). The Biblical text came from my NRSV Bible. I am pretty sure everything I did was on the up and up. At the end of the video I have a "credits" page in which I name the photographers. I totally forgot to list Rachel as the artist of the song (I will change that for my final). I did not credit my NRSV Bible and I wonder if I need to do that. I will consult my small group and Professor Hess to see about that. When I took a look at Rachel's website I found this written next to the description of her latest album Broken and Lowdown
All words and music by Rachel Kurtz, except the music to “Hallelujah,” which borrows the music and chorus to the song Hallellujah by Leonard Cohen and used here in the spirit of fair use [Supreme Court Appeal (No. 92-1292)]
So here we are in the midst of this fair use conversation and the song I chose for my final is claiming "Fair Use" rights to her rendition of Leonard Cohen's original piece. I wondered about this and just assumed she was on the "up and up" in doing what she did because she is making money off this piece as well. Her version of Hallelujah was used in front of 40,000 ELCA Lutheran youth and adults in July 2012 in New Orleans at the National Youth Gathering. A great way to get "your music" out there.
This discover doesn't clear things up for me, it just leads me to more questions and wonderings about how I know and when I should and what if I don't.... It seems to boil down to common sense, but then if we lived in a time and place where common sense was a reliable state, we wouldn't need 73 page documents telling us what we can share, how we can share it and all the other information in between and side ways.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
A Time for prayer...
I was sucked into the television last Friday as we received over a foot of snow over night and school was canceled for Friday. This gave me the time to literally sit in front of the tv and watch the manhunt ensue as reporters and news stations did whatever they could to get those of us watching "breaking news". It wasn't too long that they same information was just being regurgitated and although I should have, I didn't turn the channel or turn the tv off, I found myself in prayer for the suspect. I could not seem to shake some internal sense for the need to pray for him. Every time his picture came across the television there was something, something that just didn't make sense. Well, some of you will say, of course it didn't make sense, he intentionally killed innocent people. Yes, I know; that isn't it though. I can't explain the overwhelming urge to pray and want to love like Jesus would love this person I don't even know. I really hesitate blogging about this, but the reality is that there aren't a whole lot of people that will read this and if they do, well I think that what I was being called to that Friday was / is something we as Christians and followers of Jesus are all called to. It isn't easy to pray for the enemy.... but we are called to do just that.
As I have been searching blogs and other internet postings on this side of the issue, I have found two posts that have made me feel OK about praying for Dzhokar. The first came Saturday night on the Facebook clergy page. Rich Melheim posted what he was going to be doing for his children's sermon on Sunday. When I read it, I wished I was doing the children's sermon at my church...
The next came today, which prompted me to go ahead and blog this off my chest and out of head and heart. Professor Mary Hess from Luther Seminary and the professor for one of the classes I am taking this semester (Gospel and Global Media) posted on her blog something she read on another blog. I am going to link you to the blog of James Martin, SJ. His blog post is entitled, "Praying for the Dead, for Peace and for our Persecutors." I hope you take the time to read the entire blog, but here is the same excerpt that Professor Hess reposted:
Here is a link to a Facebook conversation on the flip side saying that
It is indeed hard to pray for the enemy and for our persecutors, but we have too don't we? This isn't about saving the enemy from the justice system or punishment, but it is about being called to Love Like Jesus.
As I have been searching blogs and other internet postings on this side of the issue, I have found two posts that have made me feel OK about praying for Dzhokar. The first came Saturday night on the Facebook clergy page. Rich Melheim posted what he was going to be doing for his children's sermon on Sunday. When I read it, I wished I was doing the children's sermon at my church...
Rich Melheim A CHILDREN'S SERMON THAT CAN GET YOU IN TROUBLE TODAY (A Jesus kind of trouble, that is...)To read the whole thread if you are a member of the ELCA clergy Facebook page click here.
Here's what I'm preaching for the children's sermon at Trinity in Lansdale this morning, after handing out paper and crayons:
I follow a Jesus who said, "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."
Any kind of kind kid can write a kind letter to the families of the victims of the Boston bombing, and every kind kid should.
It takes a Jesus kind of kind kid to write a kind letter to the boy who did this terrible thing.
Please take this back to the pew with you, and if God puts it on your heart to act the way Jesus would act toward people who hurt him, draw a picture of yourself, your house, your family or something beautiful that you love.
If you dare, explain that you are a Christian, and since you follow a Jesus who teaches you to love and forgive, you love and forgive him.
Close your letter saying Jesus loves him, and that you are praying one day he will know love and forgiveness. Tell him you hope and pray that one day love will crowd out the hate in his heart, and that he will be known as the kindest, most loving person in prison.
Rich Melheim
To: Dzhokhar Tsarnaev
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
330 Brookline Avenue
Boston, MA 02215
The next came today, which prompted me to go ahead and blog this off my chest and out of head and heart. Professor Mary Hess from Luther Seminary and the professor for one of the classes I am taking this semester (Gospel and Global Media) posted on her blog something she read on another blog. I am going to link you to the blog of James Martin, SJ. His blog post is entitled, "Praying for the Dead, for Peace and for our Persecutors." I hope you take the time to read the entire blog, but here is the same excerpt that Professor Hess reposted:
But at some point in this process Christians are called, by Jesus, to pray for those who persecute us, to love our enemies–and even to forgive them. This doesn’t mean that we in any way condone what they did, or that we don’t hope that they receive a just punishment, or that we don’t do everything we can to capture criminals and bring them to swift justice. But we are called to do something more by Jesus: pray for them, love them, forgive them. As he said, if we pray only for those who do good to us, “what are you doing more than others”? Yes, it is hard. For me, it’s almost impossible. But this is what we are asked to do.
When they read this part of the Gospel, some people say that Jesus didn’t know what he was talking about. Jesus didn’t know our world, people say. Or maybe he was just naive. So, therefore, they say, we can ignore this statement. And so some Christians dismiss this part of the Gospel. But if as a Christian you say this, then you must admit that you are saying, in essence, that the Son of God, the Second Person of the Trinity, God Incarnate, didn’t know what he was talking about. Or that Jesus of Nazareth, who himself lived in an extremely violent time, when life was held cheap, didn’t understand violence. Or that Jesus, who was himself the victim of a violent and unjust death, and who nonetheless forgave his executioners from the cross, didn’t have the moral stature to ask us to do this hard thing. And if you refuse even to try to love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you, and forgive those who sin against, then you are also saying that you are taking the first step in walking away from Jesus, just like some of the disciples did all those years ago. And where, I’ve always wondered, did they end up?
Here is a link to a Facebook conversation on the flip side saying that
It is disrespectful to those murdered and those maimed, and their families, to quickly jump to the Christian "we love and forgive the bomber" attitude. Michael CofeyHere is a link to the conversation (if you belong to the ELCA Facebook clergy page)
It is indeed hard to pray for the enemy and for our persecutors, but we have too don't we? This isn't about saving the enemy from the justice system or punishment, but it is about being called to Love Like Jesus.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
"Larsen Bay Paranoia" my crap detector
So as soon as I started reading from Rheingold's Net Smart this week on crap detection, I couldn't help but think about what I call my, "Larsen Bay Paranoia". You see I lived with my husband for four and a half years on Kodiak Island in Alaska. We lived in a primarily Native village called Larsen Bay. In the winter there were about 70 -100 (kids included) that lived there. However, this little village thrived and grew by leaps and bounds during the summer months. The village had about 5-7 different lodges (resorts) that brought clients out fishing and hunting. As you can imagine you get really good at knowing your neighbor in such a small community and this might not be exactly how or what Rheingold would define as "crap detection" but my Larsen Bay paranoia, alerts me when the trust doesn't seem to be told, or something doesn't just add up. There was a huge need for crap detecting in a small village and small school (30 kids, 2 teachers), it was necessary to know the truth about what was going on so kids would be safe, we would be safe. So that we could stay healthy, so I could do a good job of teaching, so many reasons. This paranoia built because there always seemed to be drama and it was hard to keep up with what was truth telling and what was gossip making. My Larsen Bay paranoia lives on today (June will be 9 years that we have been back in the States). I guess through this weeks readings, I realized it has another name "crap detector".
So all that just to continue to say that the last two weeks of Gospel and Global Media class have been tough in that I have been enlighten or found sight so to speak on two issues I have been naive about. Last week was the digital divide and this week mass incarceration, the "War on Drugs", and social statements.
In an interview with Charlie Rose I learned so much in 25 minutes.
* The War on Drugs isn't about people it is about politics
* Prisons are highly profitable business venture today.
* The public is blind to the mass incarceration issue our country faces.
* Mass incarceration isn't about crime prevention and control, it is about racial and social control.
We have been asked to think about how the issue of mass incarceration ties into our churches social statements. In the Charlie Rose interview, Michelle Alexander said this, "Real change has to be a movement from the bottom up." This is exactly what the tie is between these social justice issues and our church. We can right all the social statements we want to, BUT the question for me is, "so now what?" What are we going to do about it?
Another student blogged about churches finding the one or two issues they can be passionate about and doing a good job ministering, caring for and making change. If every church was charged with "doing something" about every social justice issue, little would get done. What are the needs of our communities? Are their prisons near by? How about the homeless? Poverty? Housing? AA, NA? Sex Trafficking? There are so many....
This can be an overwhelming topic for churches and there are churches that don't reach out in these social justice issues. Or their reaching out is more about themselves than about others. Or maybe their reaching out is quiet and less publicized and I wouldn't want to take that work away from them. Maybe their reaching out is for the neighbor they can't see and not about the neighbor next door. I think that the church in the writing and adopting of the social statements is good place to start, but we really can't stop there. We must ask, "what's next?"
So all that just to continue to say that the last two weeks of Gospel and Global Media class have been tough in that I have been enlighten or found sight so to speak on two issues I have been naive about. Last week was the digital divide and this week mass incarceration, the "War on Drugs", and social statements.
In an interview with Charlie Rose I learned so much in 25 minutes.
* The War on Drugs isn't about people it is about politics
* Prisons are highly profitable business venture today.
* The public is blind to the mass incarceration issue our country faces.
* Mass incarceration isn't about crime prevention and control, it is about racial and social control.
We have been asked to think about how the issue of mass incarceration ties into our churches social statements. In the Charlie Rose interview, Michelle Alexander said this, "Real change has to be a movement from the bottom up." This is exactly what the tie is between these social justice issues and our church. We can right all the social statements we want to, BUT the question for me is, "so now what?" What are we going to do about it?
Another student blogged about churches finding the one or two issues they can be passionate about and doing a good job ministering, caring for and making change. If every church was charged with "doing something" about every social justice issue, little would get done. What are the needs of our communities? Are their prisons near by? How about the homeless? Poverty? Housing? AA, NA? Sex Trafficking? There are so many....
This can be an overwhelming topic for churches and there are churches that don't reach out in these social justice issues. Or their reaching out is more about themselves than about others. Or maybe their reaching out is quiet and less publicized and I wouldn't want to take that work away from them. Maybe their reaching out is for the neighbor they can't see and not about the neighbor next door. I think that the church in the writing and adopting of the social statements is good place to start, but we really can't stop there. We must ask, "what's next?"
Friday, April 12, 2013
Digital Divide
This week for Gospel and Global Media class we have focused on "digital divide." According to Susan Crawford, author of Captive Audience,she defines the digital divide as "1/3 of American’s don’t have Internet access. The rich are getting gouged and the poor are very often left out and we are creating two Americas and deepening inequality through the communications inequality."
Before watching the interview, I did not realize there was a digital divide and if I did think there was one, I would not have imagined as an American we would be on the "bad" side of the divide. I just assumed that the US was leading the way for technology and had state of the art internet access. Well, according to Susan Crawford, we are being gouged. We are paying a lot of money for mediocre service and there is nothing we can do about it. I guess that is where the questions of the week comes in. How can we as church bodies advocate to close the gap of the digital divide or erase it completely.
Internet access is becoming a necessity or "utility" as Susan calls it. Kids are going to McDonald's to get internet access so they can do their homework, because their families can not afford access at home. This isn't about wanting or not wanting to admit that internet is a universal utility that has been necessary (not so everyone can us Facebook or Twitter or keep a blog) but applying for jobs, getting your kids report cards, paying bills is the "new norm." Internet access is no longer just for business people or the rich, but it is a basic utility that should be accessible by all people for cheap no matter what their economic status is.
There is a huge push for churches to be on Facebook, Twitter, to have a social media presence and yet this week, we learn that 1/3 of American's don't have access. This makes me wonder where this puts the churches social media usage. I don't suggest that we stop, because there is a large percentage of young people that are connected and we need to stay connected, rather I think about how can we as a church make it so people can get internet access.
On the class blog Professor Hess noted that some churches, both rural and urban, have offering their internet access in a sort of "internet cafe" kind of way. I think this is a marvelous idea! What a way to engage the community, break down barriers, and be a place of welcome and hospitality to the people in your neighborhood. The coffee is always on, there can be a designated space for this and even "open" and "closed" times. Why not??? I know of churches that password and lock their internet access so people cannot "steal" internet access from the church. I have always wondered about this. What is the harm? Why can't this be looked at as "sharing" or "serving" with/for our neighbors? I look forward to the day I have the opportunity to explore my future church's space as a possible "internet cafe"!!
This is a big topic and there are so many questions and options to explore further. It looks like we will continue thinking about this into next week. For now.... that's it and good night!
Before watching the interview, I did not realize there was a digital divide and if I did think there was one, I would not have imagined as an American we would be on the "bad" side of the divide. I just assumed that the US was leading the way for technology and had state of the art internet access. Well, according to Susan Crawford, we are being gouged. We are paying a lot of money for mediocre service and there is nothing we can do about it. I guess that is where the questions of the week comes in. How can we as church bodies advocate to close the gap of the digital divide or erase it completely.
Internet access is becoming a necessity or "utility" as Susan calls it. Kids are going to McDonald's to get internet access so they can do their homework, because their families can not afford access at home. This isn't about wanting or not wanting to admit that internet is a universal utility that has been necessary (not so everyone can us Facebook or Twitter or keep a blog) but applying for jobs, getting your kids report cards, paying bills is the "new norm." Internet access is no longer just for business people or the rich, but it is a basic utility that should be accessible by all people for cheap no matter what their economic status is.
There is a huge push for churches to be on Facebook, Twitter, to have a social media presence and yet this week, we learn that 1/3 of American's don't have access. This makes me wonder where this puts the churches social media usage. I don't suggest that we stop, because there is a large percentage of young people that are connected and we need to stay connected, rather I think about how can we as a church make it so people can get internet access.
On the class blog Professor Hess noted that some churches, both rural and urban, have offering their internet access in a sort of "internet cafe" kind of way. I think this is a marvelous idea! What a way to engage the community, break down barriers, and be a place of welcome and hospitality to the people in your neighborhood. The coffee is always on, there can be a designated space for this and even "open" and "closed" times. Why not??? I know of churches that password and lock their internet access so people cannot "steal" internet access from the church. I have always wondered about this. What is the harm? Why can't this be looked at as "sharing" or "serving" with/for our neighbors? I look forward to the day I have the opportunity to explore my future church's space as a possible "internet cafe"!!
This is a big topic and there are so many questions and options to explore further. It looks like we will continue thinking about this into next week. For now.... that's it and good night!
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Wednesdays wandering and wonderings of the web...
It has been such a busy week while I prepare to leave my high school long term subbing assignment and head down to the elementary wing where I will teach 5th grade for the remainder of the year. A lot going on in the classroom, my son turned 10 today so we have been celebrating with him since Sunday, my husband returned to work (this is normal!) and will be on 12 hour shifts for the next 20 or so days in a row. Life is a little crazy right now. But, better late than never, here is my wanderings on the web this past week...
1) Sex trafficking is a huge issue that we know little about. We think it happens somewhere else. MN needs to wake up. We are ten on the list of states where trafficking is an issue. Our Indian reservations, Duluth and the Twin Cities are targets and ports for trafficking our women and children. There is a serious need for awareness to be raised on this issue. Here is an article to get you started.
2) "Can you hear me now?" You have to check this out... Cell phones turn 40!
3)This article was recommended by a pastor friend of mine. "The problem When Sexism Just Sounds So Darn Friendly"
4) Latino Reformation Read the TIME Magazine article here.
5) "Obituary for the Residential Seminary" A blog post by Tony Jones. If you haven't already read this, check it out here.
6) Living Lutheran explores "Why kids act differently in church and that's OK" Read the article about kids, electronic use and worship here.
7)I saw this cartoon on Facebook the other and had to share it here and check out the blog post.
1) Sex trafficking is a huge issue that we know little about. We think it happens somewhere else. MN needs to wake up. We are ten on the list of states where trafficking is an issue. Our Indian reservations, Duluth and the Twin Cities are targets and ports for trafficking our women and children. There is a serious need for awareness to be raised on this issue. Here is an article to get you started.
2) "Can you hear me now?" You have to check this out... Cell phones turn 40!
3)This article was recommended by a pastor friend of mine. "The problem When Sexism Just Sounds So Darn Friendly"
4) Latino Reformation Read the TIME Magazine article here.
5) "Obituary for the Residential Seminary" A blog post by Tony Jones. If you haven't already read this, check it out here.
6) Living Lutheran explores "Why kids act differently in church and that's OK" Read the article about kids, electronic use and worship here.
7)I saw this cartoon on Facebook the other and had to share it here and check out the blog post.
“When people become something to convert, assimilate, or modify, they’ve become targets.”
Thursday, April 4, 2013
The Gospel... it's the little things
We are back this week for Gospel and Global Media class thinking about what the gospel is/means in light of our conversations and blogs and class readings, etc... over the last several weeks. To be honest I wasn't too thrilled to have to write again what I think the gospel is. My definition hasn't changed much in the last few weeks.
However, while I was thinking this morning after reading a classmates blog who shared a story of an Easter vigil baptism that she was a part of - actually the godmother to a 60 year old (Cool hey!) I got to thinking - YES! That is it the gospel comes to us, changes us, encourages us, invites us in through the little things in/of life.
My first post about the gospel a few weeks ago was pretty theological (I suppose that I what I thought the professors wanted right?) and so this time around I just want to reflect briefly on how the "little things" in life is really where the gospel is revealed.
Before social media and internet and YouTube and Facebook we experienced the "little things" in life through handshakes, hugs and smiles. A note delivered by snail mail. A phone call from a long lost friend. Dinner with others. All of these "little things" are still around, but social media has brought into our lives a whole new realm of how the "little things" can come to us. A poke on Facebook. A private message from a long lost friend. A chat with someone in another country. A text message containing a prayer that I can access again and again. A voicemail from a loved one who has died that I can listen to over and over. These are the "little things" in which the gospel also roots itself. God reveals himself to us everyday in our comings and goings whether person to person or through our social media connections.
Don't just look for God and the gospel at church on Sunday morning, take a moment to hear, see, experience, and share the good news, the gospel through the "little things."
However, while I was thinking this morning after reading a classmates blog who shared a story of an Easter vigil baptism that she was a part of - actually the godmother to a 60 year old (Cool hey!) I got to thinking - YES! That is it the gospel comes to us, changes us, encourages us, invites us in through the little things in/of life.
My first post about the gospel a few weeks ago was pretty theological (I suppose that I what I thought the professors wanted right?) and so this time around I just want to reflect briefly on how the "little things" in life is really where the gospel is revealed.
Before social media and internet and YouTube and Facebook we experienced the "little things" in life through handshakes, hugs and smiles. A note delivered by snail mail. A phone call from a long lost friend. Dinner with others. All of these "little things" are still around, but social media has brought into our lives a whole new realm of how the "little things" can come to us. A poke on Facebook. A private message from a long lost friend. A chat with someone in another country. A text message containing a prayer that I can access again and again. A voicemail from a loved one who has died that I can listen to over and over. These are the "little things" in which the gospel also roots itself. God reveals himself to us everyday in our comings and goings whether person to person or through our social media connections.
Don't just look for God and the gospel at church on Sunday morning, take a moment to hear, see, experience, and share the good news, the gospel through the "little things."
Praying in Color
This week for Gospel and Global Media Class we were encouraged to create a Praying in Color piece. I enjoyed the exercise, but prefer my mandalas. I guess in one way a mandala and praying in color hold the same basic concept. I thought I would share it here. If you are interested in learning more about Praying in Color check out this website.
Surprise!
Easter Sunday Sermon
3/31/13
Luke 24:1-12
Amazed at what had happened! Have you ever been amazed at what happened? Maybe something that has happened to you, or perhaps amazed at something that you witnessed. I wonder what makes these moments amazing? For me amazement isn’t usually an expected emotion, it just seems to happen or transpire.
The women, the one’s first to discover the empty tomb and the first preachers of the good news – He is risen! The women did not expect to come to this good news message and amazing moment, they came expecting to find Jesus in the tomb. Surprise! Why do you look for the living among the dead?
Here we are gathered together this morning not to discover the empty tomb as the women did that morning, we know Jesus isn’t in there. We know how this story ends but we, like the women and Peter all too often are in need of remembering because we too tend to look for the living among the dead.
The women run right to the eleven to tell them that Jesus was no longer in the tomb, but had been raised. Surprise! No one believed them.
Have you ever had an experience that when you retold it no one believed you? You almost had to be there to believe it.
Come with me back about 12 years. It is a beautiful July morning on Kodiak Island on the beach of Larsen Bay. You have just completed your morning duties at the lodge, which included making breakfast for the clients, packing lunches for the boats, and cleaning the guest rooms and cabins. The pilot has returned from the last trip to the river and surprise! We get to jump on the plane and head to the river for a few hours of fishing ourselves!
Splash, the yellow lab is also anxious to get on the plane and head to the river, but not today. Splash gets shooed back to shore, we get in the plane, the pilot pushes us off and we taxi out of the bay into the big water so we can take flight. The weather is perfect, the wind is almost non-existent and we sit back and enjoy the pleasant 13 minutes flight over to the river.
The pilot lands us in the river we taxi to shore and Surprise! We open the plane door and there she is – Splash shaking while sitting on the float of the plane.
Amazing! The dog rode the float on the plane and didn’t fall off. How did this happen? We thought we left her on the shore? How could this be? No one is going to believe this…
The women’s expectation of that morning had been turned upside down. They became scared and perplexed – How could this be? How could have this happened? We saw them lay Jesus’ body here in this tomb.
Then the angels appeared and the women heard “he is not here, but has risen.” And in that moment something amazing happened.
They remembered!
They remembered what was said while Jesus was still in Galilee
They remembered that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners and be crucified and on the third day rise again.
They remembered…
And now with amazing joy they returned from the tomb and told the eleven! Christ is risen!
I am not sure, but I think that the women left the tomb with yet another expectation. I think that they expected the apostles to be overjoyed with this great news. To jump around and celebrate! Christ Is Risen!
Surprise!
We prepared for a few hours of fishing expecting to leave Splash behind.
In our disbelief we hugged and loved the dog for quite a while. Happy she was alive and not dead. It was in these amazing moments of joy and celebration that our pilot remembered.
He remembered a good friend whom he took fishing similar to our earlier take off shooing back his buddies dog from the plane. When the guys got back from their day of fishing there was no sign of his friend’s dog. Though they expected the dog to be waiting for them on shore – it wasn’t. Their expectation that day was turned upside down. What happened? How could this be? .
The apostles did not respond with joy or celebration – no big Surprise right! Why would the disciples start getting it now? Why would the disciples believe such an unbelievable story? A story whose ending had been predicted many times over by Jesus himself.
They had not remembered.
Expect Peter, Peter must have wanted to believe; perhaps he had some small memory of Jesus’ words to them. Whatever it was inside Peter, he was moved to go to see for himself. And when he had the experience of the empty tomb for himself
Surprise!
He was amazed and set out wandering.
It is in the amazing moments of our expectations and experiences being turned upside down that something happens. That life inside us is transformed is made different, new life emerges.
Our expectations are not always turned upside down with good news and we don’t always respond with joy and celebration. Life is tough, we face all kinds of sorrow, brokenness, loss and pain. These experiences sometimes trump any kind of joy filled expectations. We plan for the worse think of the worst possible outcome. We live our lives in those Good Friday moments. We forget.
What just happened? I thought Jesus was dead! Doesn’t dead mean dead?
Surprise!
It was God’s amazing Divine power that transformed Jesus the Man they knew, the man they followed, ate with, cried with, shared a relationship with,
God’s amazing Divine power transformed the humanness of Jesus into a resurrected Divine Jesus that would depart this land and be one with God.
A Risen Christ that we now have the opportunity to know, follow, eat, laugh, cry and be in a relationship with. We have the opportunity to find new life in Christ. We have been given the chance like the women and Peter to remember.
We can have eternal life if we choose. We don’t have to live in the Good Friday moments anymore. Christ is risen! Christ is here!
Surprise!
We have been called into Eternal life with a God that shows NO partiality!
A God that invites us into relationship with him no matter what our expectations are, no matter where we are in our lives, no matter what we think we need or should be or whether or not we’re good enough.
How and when does the Risen Christ reveal himself to you? Where is it in your daily life that you see the Risen Christ?
Who do you share this good news with? Who has shared this good news with you? You do tell others don’t you?
Have you got the Risen Christ tucked away in a little box that you take a peek in from time to time? Say hello just to make sure he is still there? Do you have her on your night stand only to be talked to if you aren’t too sleepy? Maybe the Risen Christ is being held captive in a tomb somewhere. The tomb of money, the tomb of selfishness, of old habits, of self-centered ness, the tomb of gossip, the tomb of greed. It is kind of hard to share the good news of the Risen Christ if you have him confined.
Maybe you haven’t heard the Risen Christ call your name for a while or at all or maybe you’ve just been too busy to listen?
Did you hear that?
There it was…
Listen now because he is calling you by name.
Empty those tombs in which you have the Risen Christ. A full tomb is hard to fill, but an empty tomb is ready to receive new life where you don’t have to search for the living among the dead.
Allow yourself to be transformed from a disciple to an apostle. It is a lot easier to stay in discipleship mode – just following along. God will call you.
Surprise! God calls all of us and sends us out to share this marvelous news. Jesus is alive!
Listen and hear your name… Release Christ from the little box in which you keep him and allow yourself to be surprised and amazed at what He has for you. Let yourself look to the parts in your life that are dead, that feel dead and know that God is at work redeeming them because he is longer dead, but very much alive, here and now.
Today is a new day. Today is the day we get to remember that He is risen! He is risen indeed for you and for me!
But today isn’t the only day to remember. We need to give ourselves the opportunity to remember every day.
Jesus paid the price for each one of us. We do not have to pay for Christ’s love in our lives. We do not have to pay for eternal life
We do not have to do good deeds to earn salvation
Surprise!
All we have to do is remember so we can accept it.
Let yourself be surprised and re amazed at all the ways God chooses to work in your life, in this church, this community, in this world! And then let go so Christ can be free to continue to transform you and then you can be freed in Christ to go and share the good news – He is risen! With others.
Easter Blessings to each of you this morning and throughout the year! May you remember God has called you by name and is working on the transformation of your life. May you continue to be surprised and amazed at how awesome our God is each and every day!
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
Amen!
3/31/13
Luke 24:1-12
Amazed at what had happened! Have you ever been amazed at what happened? Maybe something that has happened to you, or perhaps amazed at something that you witnessed. I wonder what makes these moments amazing? For me amazement isn’t usually an expected emotion, it just seems to happen or transpire.
The women, the one’s first to discover the empty tomb and the first preachers of the good news – He is risen! The women did not expect to come to this good news message and amazing moment, they came expecting to find Jesus in the tomb. Surprise! Why do you look for the living among the dead?
Here we are gathered together this morning not to discover the empty tomb as the women did that morning, we know Jesus isn’t in there. We know how this story ends but we, like the women and Peter all too often are in need of remembering because we too tend to look for the living among the dead.
The women run right to the eleven to tell them that Jesus was no longer in the tomb, but had been raised. Surprise! No one believed them.
Have you ever had an experience that when you retold it no one believed you? You almost had to be there to believe it.
Come with me back about 12 years. It is a beautiful July morning on Kodiak Island on the beach of Larsen Bay. You have just completed your morning duties at the lodge, which included making breakfast for the clients, packing lunches for the boats, and cleaning the guest rooms and cabins. The pilot has returned from the last trip to the river and surprise! We get to jump on the plane and head to the river for a few hours of fishing ourselves!
Splash, the yellow lab is also anxious to get on the plane and head to the river, but not today. Splash gets shooed back to shore, we get in the plane, the pilot pushes us off and we taxi out of the bay into the big water so we can take flight. The weather is perfect, the wind is almost non-existent and we sit back and enjoy the pleasant 13 minutes flight over to the river.
The pilot lands us in the river we taxi to shore and Surprise! We open the plane door and there she is – Splash shaking while sitting on the float of the plane.
Amazing! The dog rode the float on the plane and didn’t fall off. How did this happen? We thought we left her on the shore? How could this be? No one is going to believe this…
The women’s expectation of that morning had been turned upside down. They became scared and perplexed – How could this be? How could have this happened? We saw them lay Jesus’ body here in this tomb.
Then the angels appeared and the women heard “he is not here, but has risen.” And in that moment something amazing happened.
They remembered!
They remembered what was said while Jesus was still in Galilee
They remembered that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners and be crucified and on the third day rise again.
They remembered…
And now with amazing joy they returned from the tomb and told the eleven! Christ is risen!
I am not sure, but I think that the women left the tomb with yet another expectation. I think that they expected the apostles to be overjoyed with this great news. To jump around and celebrate! Christ Is Risen!
Surprise!
We prepared for a few hours of fishing expecting to leave Splash behind.
In our disbelief we hugged and loved the dog for quite a while. Happy she was alive and not dead. It was in these amazing moments of joy and celebration that our pilot remembered.
He remembered a good friend whom he took fishing similar to our earlier take off shooing back his buddies dog from the plane. When the guys got back from their day of fishing there was no sign of his friend’s dog. Though they expected the dog to be waiting for them on shore – it wasn’t. Their expectation that day was turned upside down. What happened? How could this be? .
The apostles did not respond with joy or celebration – no big Surprise right! Why would the disciples start getting it now? Why would the disciples believe such an unbelievable story? A story whose ending had been predicted many times over by Jesus himself.
They had not remembered.
Expect Peter, Peter must have wanted to believe; perhaps he had some small memory of Jesus’ words to them. Whatever it was inside Peter, he was moved to go to see for himself. And when he had the experience of the empty tomb for himself
Surprise!
He was amazed and set out wandering.
It is in the amazing moments of our expectations and experiences being turned upside down that something happens. That life inside us is transformed is made different, new life emerges.
Our expectations are not always turned upside down with good news and we don’t always respond with joy and celebration. Life is tough, we face all kinds of sorrow, brokenness, loss and pain. These experiences sometimes trump any kind of joy filled expectations. We plan for the worse think of the worst possible outcome. We live our lives in those Good Friday moments. We forget.
What just happened? I thought Jesus was dead! Doesn’t dead mean dead?
Surprise!
It was God’s amazing Divine power that transformed Jesus the Man they knew, the man they followed, ate with, cried with, shared a relationship with,
God’s amazing Divine power transformed the humanness of Jesus into a resurrected Divine Jesus that would depart this land and be one with God.
A Risen Christ that we now have the opportunity to know, follow, eat, laugh, cry and be in a relationship with. We have the opportunity to find new life in Christ. We have been given the chance like the women and Peter to remember.
We can have eternal life if we choose. We don’t have to live in the Good Friday moments anymore. Christ is risen! Christ is here!
Surprise!
We have been called into Eternal life with a God that shows NO partiality!
A God that invites us into relationship with him no matter what our expectations are, no matter where we are in our lives, no matter what we think we need or should be or whether or not we’re good enough.
How and when does the Risen Christ reveal himself to you? Where is it in your daily life that you see the Risen Christ?
Who do you share this good news with? Who has shared this good news with you? You do tell others don’t you?
Have you got the Risen Christ tucked away in a little box that you take a peek in from time to time? Say hello just to make sure he is still there? Do you have her on your night stand only to be talked to if you aren’t too sleepy? Maybe the Risen Christ is being held captive in a tomb somewhere. The tomb of money, the tomb of selfishness, of old habits, of self-centered ness, the tomb of gossip, the tomb of greed. It is kind of hard to share the good news of the Risen Christ if you have him confined.
Maybe you haven’t heard the Risen Christ call your name for a while or at all or maybe you’ve just been too busy to listen?
Did you hear that?
There it was…
Listen now because he is calling you by name.
Empty those tombs in which you have the Risen Christ. A full tomb is hard to fill, but an empty tomb is ready to receive new life where you don’t have to search for the living among the dead.
Allow yourself to be transformed from a disciple to an apostle. It is a lot easier to stay in discipleship mode – just following along. God will call you.
Surprise! God calls all of us and sends us out to share this marvelous news. Jesus is alive!
Listen and hear your name… Release Christ from the little box in which you keep him and allow yourself to be surprised and amazed at what He has for you. Let yourself look to the parts in your life that are dead, that feel dead and know that God is at work redeeming them because he is longer dead, but very much alive, here and now.
Today is a new day. Today is the day we get to remember that He is risen! He is risen indeed for you and for me!
But today isn’t the only day to remember. We need to give ourselves the opportunity to remember every day.
Jesus paid the price for each one of us. We do not have to pay for Christ’s love in our lives. We do not have to pay for eternal life
We do not have to do good deeds to earn salvation
Surprise!
All we have to do is remember so we can accept it.
Let yourself be surprised and re amazed at all the ways God chooses to work in your life, in this church, this community, in this world! And then let go so Christ can be free to continue to transform you and then you can be freed in Christ to go and share the good news – He is risen! With others.
Easter Blessings to each of you this morning and throughout the year! May you remember God has called you by name and is working on the transformation of your life. May you continue to be surprised and amazed at how awesome our God is each and every day!
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
Amen!
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Wednesdays Wanderings and Wonderings of the Web...
Here is a short list of where I have been around the web this last week:
1) TED Talks for kids. Last week I had about 20 minutes of class time to fill with 7th graders so I typed in TED Talks for kids and found 10 amazing videos. Here is the link to the ten videos or below you can find them all in one video.
2) The musical group One Republic has partnered with A Campaign By Save the Children called Every Beat Matters. The website is here. Here is the music video that was taken as they traveled around the world and recorded the heart beats of children. Guatemala was one of the places they visited and that is why this caught my eye. Here is their song and video.
3) Ely, MN calls for Social Media ban on April 1, 2013. If you didn't hear about this or read about it on Facebook, check on the article done by The Huffington Post here. It was a great April Fool's joke and a creative way to raise awareness.
4)Because it is Easter, I want to share this wonderful video created by a few professors at Luther Seminary.
That's it for the week! Easter blessings!
1) TED Talks for kids. Last week I had about 20 minutes of class time to fill with 7th graders so I typed in TED Talks for kids and found 10 amazing videos. Here is the link to the ten videos or below you can find them all in one video.
2) The musical group One Republic has partnered with A Campaign By Save the Children called Every Beat Matters. The website is here. Here is the music video that was taken as they traveled around the world and recorded the heart beats of children. Guatemala was one of the places they visited and that is why this caught my eye. Here is their song and video.
3) Ely, MN calls for Social Media ban on April 1, 2013. If you didn't hear about this or read about it on Facebook, check on the article done by The Huffington Post here. It was a great April Fool's joke and a creative way to raise awareness.
4)Because it is Easter, I want to share this wonderful video created by a few professors at Luther Seminary.
That's it for the week! Easter blessings!
Monday, April 1, 2013
Public Prayer...
I find myself perplexed and wondering about the five W questions after this weeks assigned "prayers" to watch and reading through classmates comments and blogs.
I heard a lot of "Who am I praying to/for/on behalf of..." or "what is the purpose of this time of prayer?" "Why am I praying?"
In light of all these questions regarding prayer it is important to note that we are talking about public prayer. Prayer said in the public arena, in a digital media context. For ALL people listening.
Most of the week, I hesitated posting because I just wasn't coming up with anything to say about prayer because I happen to think of prayer as a conversation between me and God. It is sort of a private affair. It has taken me a while to shift myself to the public arena. Still I struggle to think of prayer as anything other than a conversation with God. How does this then inform my sense of prayer in the public arena. Another blogger posed the question of whether or not public and private prayer are different.
The public prayers we listened to for class (Gene Robinson’s prayer; Rick Warren’s prayer; Bradlee Dean’s prayer; Joe Nelms’s prayer)
What I had the most difficult time with and Rich expressed this on his blog as well, was how much social media can and does take pieces of public prayer out of context and uses it against the prayer for better but mostly worse. People are so judgmental and critical, but I guess anytime "things" are made public they are up for grabs on criticism and judgment. This is where I have a hard time telling someone that their prayer was wrong or they way they prayed was not right or that they didn't engage God or prayed for the wrong reasons. Is this really my place?
One last side thought... just like all other arenas in life, there are people who get up because they like to hear themselves talk. They want to be in the lime light. They seem to get it wrong. However, is God not bigger than all of that? All of us? Does God not use even our worst motives, our most egocentric moves for His good? We somehow have come to live in a place where we have decided that we (Americans - perhaps) know what is right and wrong. We know what it means to pray and live as Christians and we go about criticizing everybody around us all the time.
This post has been on my mind all week and I still don't know if what I said is what I wanted to and I am left with more questions... I guess this is a place where I need to continue to explore and be stretched!
I heard a lot of "Who am I praying to/for/on behalf of..." or "what is the purpose of this time of prayer?" "Why am I praying?"
In light of all these questions regarding prayer it is important to note that we are talking about public prayer. Prayer said in the public arena, in a digital media context. For ALL people listening.
Most of the week, I hesitated posting because I just wasn't coming up with anything to say about prayer because I happen to think of prayer as a conversation between me and God. It is sort of a private affair. It has taken me a while to shift myself to the public arena. Still I struggle to think of prayer as anything other than a conversation with God. How does this then inform my sense of prayer in the public arena. Another blogger posed the question of whether or not public and private prayer are different.
The public prayers we listened to for class (Gene Robinson’s prayer; Rick Warren’s prayer; Bradlee Dean’s prayer; Joe Nelms’s prayer)
What I had the most difficult time with and Rich expressed this on his blog as well, was how much social media can and does take pieces of public prayer out of context and uses it against the prayer for better but mostly worse. People are so judgmental and critical, but I guess anytime "things" are made public they are up for grabs on criticism and judgment. This is where I have a hard time telling someone that their prayer was wrong or they way they prayed was not right or that they didn't engage God or prayed for the wrong reasons. Is this really my place?
One last side thought... just like all other arenas in life, there are people who get up because they like to hear themselves talk. They want to be in the lime light. They seem to get it wrong. However, is God not bigger than all of that? All of us? Does God not use even our worst motives, our most egocentric moves for His good? We somehow have come to live in a place where we have decided that we (Americans - perhaps) know what is right and wrong. We know what it means to pray and live as Christians and we go about criticizing everybody around us all the time.
This post has been on my mind all week and I still don't know if what I said is what I wanted to and I am left with more questions... I guess this is a place where I need to continue to explore and be stretched!
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Wednesday's Wanderings and Wonderings of the Web
I am already exhausted and the craziness of Holy Week is just beginning. I have had little to no time to be posting on my blog or even keeping up with my Facebook. So a day late, here is...
This weeks I wonder as I wander the web:
1) Check out this blog post about "What if the kids don't want our church?" found on the Huffington Post Religion blog.
2)Pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber testifies at the Colorado Senate Judiciary Hearing on civil unions and here is what she said.
3) Pastor's Songs Salute Biblical Women
4)TED Talk
This weeks I wonder as I wander the web:
1) Check out this blog post about "What if the kids don't want our church?" found on the Huffington Post Religion blog.
2)Pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber testifies at the Colorado Senate Judiciary Hearing on civil unions and here is what she said.
3) Pastor's Songs Salute Biblical Women
4)TED Talk
Thursday, March 21, 2013
engaging in community care via digital media
Engaging in community care via digital media is what the Gospel and Global Media class has been reflecting on and blogging about this week. Caring Bridge is a site that was highlighted this week as well. I have followed several people through their journey's on Caring Bridge over the last several years. I want to address this particular topic in terms of rural ministry.
I don't think that our social media or technology will ever replace our human need to be "in touch" with one another. I certainly don't advocate either for anyone to replace virtual with person to person, however, I strongly believe there is a place for the virtual side of things particularly pastoral care. In the community in which I live there is a small hospital and great care is available, however, it is a small community hospital and does not care for needs of those that need heart surgery, cancer treatments, etc... The next closest hospital is 30 minutes away and another 45 minutes. Most people in our community when they find themselves in need of hospitalization or major surgery are cared for at a hospital that is 90 miles away or even in the Twin Cities (4 hours away) and even in Rochester (6 hours away). It is not realistic that I jump in my car to make a person-to-person hospital visit when the parishioner is 6 hours away. This is where social media comes in handy! Whether it is a Caring Bridge page, a Facebook page or a simple text, I can now be "present" for the parishioner that is many hours away. I may not be able to get to the hospital that is 6 hours away and a pastoral face to face visit may have to wait until 6, 8, 12 weeks when the patient finally returns home. Without social media the only other access to these parishioners would be the telephone.
I really think that each context finds a different place for the use of social media when it comes to pastoral care and I don't think that is a one size fits all or even one size fits most kind of rule we can apply here. Not only each pastor, but each community and each situation will call for a different application of social media care. So for me this week what I take away most is to not assume that each parishioner is in a place (physically and geographically) to be visited in the hospital and that maybe it isn't fair to assume that just because I am posting on Caring Bridge or Facebook that there will be no person to person follow up. We need to be careful not to only see this particular kind of pastoral care from our own box. Open up the box and take a peek outside, you never know what you might see.
I don't think that our social media or technology will ever replace our human need to be "in touch" with one another. I certainly don't advocate either for anyone to replace virtual with person to person, however, I strongly believe there is a place for the virtual side of things particularly pastoral care. In the community in which I live there is a small hospital and great care is available, however, it is a small community hospital and does not care for needs of those that need heart surgery, cancer treatments, etc... The next closest hospital is 30 minutes away and another 45 minutes. Most people in our community when they find themselves in need of hospitalization or major surgery are cared for at a hospital that is 90 miles away or even in the Twin Cities (4 hours away) and even in Rochester (6 hours away). It is not realistic that I jump in my car to make a person-to-person hospital visit when the parishioner is 6 hours away. This is where social media comes in handy! Whether it is a Caring Bridge page, a Facebook page or a simple text, I can now be "present" for the parishioner that is many hours away. I may not be able to get to the hospital that is 6 hours away and a pastoral face to face visit may have to wait until 6, 8, 12 weeks when the patient finally returns home. Without social media the only other access to these parishioners would be the telephone.
I really think that each context finds a different place for the use of social media when it comes to pastoral care and I don't think that is a one size fits all or even one size fits most kind of rule we can apply here. Not only each pastor, but each community and each situation will call for a different application of social media care. So for me this week what I take away most is to not assume that each parishioner is in a place (physically and geographically) to be visited in the hospital and that maybe it isn't fair to assume that just because I am posting on Caring Bridge or Facebook that there will be no person to person follow up. We need to be careful not to only see this particular kind of pastoral care from our own box. Open up the box and take a peek outside, you never know what you might see.
Lenten Photo Day #37 "alone"
You will surely wear yourself out, both you and these people with you. For the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone.
Exodus 18:18
Exodus 18:18
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Wednesday's Web Wanderings and Wonderings
Here are a few articles, blogs, videos and ideas I came across on the web over the last week. Check them out:
1) Who are the upcoming Catholic Priests? NBC posted this article "'I'm not going to see Pearl Jam anymore'; seminarians prepare for life as priests." Found here.
2) The Deer's Cry for St. Patrick's Day recommended by a pastor friend that had seen it used in a Synod conference meeting.
3) My husband has watched this video this week many times over. It is just hilarious!
4) The folks from GMM class pointed us this last week to this great "Easter is Coming" video
5) Have you heard of or watched any part of the new TV series The Bible on the History Channel? It started on March 3 and had over 13 million viewers tune in. Here is an article about the series.
6) Are you a runner or walker? Here is a link to information on a 5K that will take place in Cambridge on May 5th and benefits a great cause! Ministry at the Escuintla Garbage Dump in Guatemala. Find more info here.
7) The Spiritual but not religious conversation lives on. Check out this blog.
8) Facebook Thumbs Up
From The Huffington Post
9) SAVE THE HISTORIC COMET THEATER!! Check out the Comet's Kickstarter campaign. Maybe theater is close to your heart and you would want to be a part of saving our local theater. As of the posting of this they are up to $12,976 out of the $80,000 they need. It hasn't even been a week!
10) A good friend of mine is hosting a 5K fundraiser that will support a ministry project that is near and dear to both her and my heart - The Escuintla Garbage Dump in Guatemala. You can sign up to be a part of this family fun event if you live near the Cambridge, MN area. Otherwise you can spread the word to your family and friends who are! Click here for more information.
1) Who are the upcoming Catholic Priests? NBC posted this article "'I'm not going to see Pearl Jam anymore'; seminarians prepare for life as priests." Found here.
2) The Deer's Cry for St. Patrick's Day recommended by a pastor friend that had seen it used in a Synod conference meeting.
3) My husband has watched this video this week many times over. It is just hilarious!
4) The folks from GMM class pointed us this last week to this great "Easter is Coming" video
5) Have you heard of or watched any part of the new TV series The Bible on the History Channel? It started on March 3 and had over 13 million viewers tune in. Here is an article about the series.
6) Are you a runner or walker? Here is a link to information on a 5K that will take place in Cambridge on May 5th and benefits a great cause! Ministry at the Escuintla Garbage Dump in Guatemala. Find more info here.
7) The Spiritual but not religious conversation lives on. Check out this blog.
8) Facebook Thumbs Up
From The Huffington Post9) SAVE THE HISTORIC COMET THEATER!! Check out the Comet's Kickstarter campaign. Maybe theater is close to your heart and you would want to be a part of saving our local theater. As of the posting of this they are up to $12,976 out of the $80,000 they need. It hasn't even been a week!
10) A good friend of mine is hosting a 5K fundraiser that will support a ministry project that is near and dear to both her and my heart - The Escuintla Garbage Dump in Guatemala. You can sign up to be a part of this family fun event if you live near the Cambridge, MN area. Otherwise you can spread the word to your family and friends who are! Click here for more information.
Lente Photo Day #36 "home"
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
‘Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
‘Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
‘Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
‘Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:1-12
‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
‘Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
‘Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
‘Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
‘Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:1-12
Monday, March 18, 2013
Lent Photo Day #34 "dream"
Then the angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob,’ and I said, ‘Here I am!’
Genesis 31:11
Genesis 31:11
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Brene Brown and Oprah
Brene Brown and Oprah. SuperSoul Sunday!
Click here to be able to watch the first of two SuperSoul Sundays featuring Brene.
You can read about Brene's reaction and excitement to this opportunity on her blog.
I really hope you check it out! Daring Greatly is a wonderful read too!
Here are a few great quotes from Brene in this episode:
"Owning our story and loving ourselves through the process of owning our story is the bravest thing we will ever do."
"The original definition of courage. Courage comes from cour which means heart so Share all of your self with your whole heart. Share your whole story with your whole heart. The act of courage is an act of storytelling."
This comment is in relation to all the nasty comment leavers there are out there that bring us down and are so hurtful. Brene says, "I am standing on my values, I am standing in my faith and you cannot knock me down."
Lastly, here she talks about starting her research only 6 months before 911 and has come to realize that for the last 12 years we have been living in fear. Having a post traumatic stress response. "We have a thin layer of terror wrapped around us."
Click here to be able to watch the first of two SuperSoul Sundays featuring Brene.
You can read about Brene's reaction and excitement to this opportunity on her blog.
I really hope you check it out! Daring Greatly is a wonderful read too!
Here are a few great quotes from Brene in this episode:
"Owning our story and loving ourselves through the process of owning our story is the bravest thing we will ever do."
"The original definition of courage. Courage comes from cour which means heart so Share all of your self with your whole heart. Share your whole story with your whole heart. The act of courage is an act of storytelling."
This comment is in relation to all the nasty comment leavers there are out there that bring us down and are so hurtful. Brene says, "I am standing on my values, I am standing in my faith and you cannot knock me down."
Lastly, here she talks about starting her research only 6 months before 911 and has come to realize that for the last 12 years we have been living in fear. Having a post traumatic stress response. "We have a thin layer of terror wrapped around us."
Lent Photo Day #33 "new"
I am about to do a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
Isaiah 43:19
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
Isaiah 43:19
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Videos Part 2
I have been thinking a lot about the Why I hate religion but love Jesus video this last week. There is so much that resonates with me and yet I also wonder what kind of theological conclusion I come to in the end. Maybe that doesn't matter. This is not my testimony, but his. Over 20 million people have come together as a community to hear his testimony. Some have rejected it, others have loved it and yet others have responded to it with their own video response. Here is one of those responses:
I really am left with the question of "what is religion?" I will be pondering this and come back to it in a later post. I want to ask a few people how they define religion, so if you stop by and want to share feel free. Until then, as it is quite late on a Saturday night, I leave you with the author of Why I Hate Religion but Love Jesus and his explanation of his heart behind the video.
I really am left with the question of "what is religion?" I will be pondering this and come back to it in a later post. I want to ask a few people how they define religion, so if you stop by and want to share feel free. Until then, as it is quite late on a Saturday night, I leave you with the author of Why I Hate Religion but Love Jesus and his explanation of his heart behind the video.
Friday, March 15, 2013
Videos worth watching
These two videos for anyone not a part of the Gospel and Global Media class are great. If you have some time take a look. Maybe you are already one of the 2 million people who have viewed one or both, they are worth a second viewing.
"Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus"
Here is a link to Nadia Bolz-Weber's response to this viral video.
"The Internet is My Religion"
What do you think?
"Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus"
Here is a link to Nadia Bolz-Weber's response to this viral video.
"The Internet is My Religion"
What do you think?
To testify or not to testify...
The question this week to be thinking about was witnessing to Christ, to testify, in the midst of digital cultures.
I really struggle with the notion of testimony in the very small and naive sense of its meaning. For me when I hear about someone's testimony I assume we are sitting in a cozy circle, or in the pews of a sanctuary and after a few people share their testimony an altar call will follow. I have not spent much time thinking (until this week) about a broader, richer, deeper way to think of testimony.
Testimony this week has taken on a new look for me. I loved the way Hoyt (Hoyt, Thomas, Jr., "Testimony" in Practicing our Faith by Dorothy C. Bass, ed. (San Francisco: John Wiley & Sons, 1997), 89-101) described testimony as being communal, truth telling and like a prayer of thanks. It reminded me of my families dinner prayers. When it is the kids turn to lead the prayer, it usually goes something like, "Dear God, thank you for the good day we had, thank you for the food on the table, thank you for dad working and mom teaching, be with those that are in need Amen. According to Hoyt this is a testimony. Simple, truth telling.
Testimony comes to us in way more than just words and our digital culture helps us share our stories a lot easier. I realize that there are people that use digital culture to do and say things that are not true and can be damaging. So what do we do then? Is it our job to call them out, tell them they are not telling the truth? Do we ignore them, unfriend them or do we tell the truth? At what point does this become judgment?
I think about the Biblical passage Matthew 6:1 "Beware of practising your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven." Why are we saying, posting, blogging? Are these posts and blogs a witness to Christ, a testimony of who we are as a Child of God? Do we post, say and blog in order to be seen? To blow our own trumpet?
For me the truest testimony I can give is just to do my best to be me. Throughout the day I will fall short. I will make mistakes. I will disappoint. I will miss the mark. Throughout the day, the community will help me, love me, guide me, turn me around, set me free and mostly remind me through their testimonies that God loves me and calls me by name. In this daily exchange of testimony, we reveal God to one another. God creates new life among us and our testimonies invite others to share their life too. The digital culture in which we reside makes this circle of witnesses a lot larger, a lot fuller and even deeper.
Thank You God for another day! Thank you God for this day at North Woods High School. Thank you God for the clothes that clothed me and the food that fed me. Thank you God for my family, their love and support. Thank you God for good friends in which we can share a meal together. Thank you God!
I really struggle with the notion of testimony in the very small and naive sense of its meaning. For me when I hear about someone's testimony I assume we are sitting in a cozy circle, or in the pews of a sanctuary and after a few people share their testimony an altar call will follow. I have not spent much time thinking (until this week) about a broader, richer, deeper way to think of testimony.
Testimony this week has taken on a new look for me. I loved the way Hoyt (Hoyt, Thomas, Jr., "Testimony" in Practicing our Faith by Dorothy C. Bass, ed. (San Francisco: John Wiley & Sons, 1997), 89-101) described testimony as being communal, truth telling and like a prayer of thanks. It reminded me of my families dinner prayers. When it is the kids turn to lead the prayer, it usually goes something like, "Dear God, thank you for the good day we had, thank you for the food on the table, thank you for dad working and mom teaching, be with those that are in need Amen. According to Hoyt this is a testimony. Simple, truth telling.
Testimony comes to us in way more than just words and our digital culture helps us share our stories a lot easier. I realize that there are people that use digital culture to do and say things that are not true and can be damaging. So what do we do then? Is it our job to call them out, tell them they are not telling the truth? Do we ignore them, unfriend them or do we tell the truth? At what point does this become judgment?
I think about the Biblical passage Matthew 6:1 "Beware of practising your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven." Why are we saying, posting, blogging? Are these posts and blogs a witness to Christ, a testimony of who we are as a Child of God? Do we post, say and blog in order to be seen? To blow our own trumpet?
For me the truest testimony I can give is just to do my best to be me. Throughout the day I will fall short. I will make mistakes. I will disappoint. I will miss the mark. Throughout the day, the community will help me, love me, guide me, turn me around, set me free and mostly remind me through their testimonies that God loves me and calls me by name. In this daily exchange of testimony, we reveal God to one another. God creates new life among us and our testimonies invite others to share their life too. The digital culture in which we reside makes this circle of witnesses a lot larger, a lot fuller and even deeper.
Thank You God for another day! Thank you God for this day at North Woods High School. Thank you God for the clothes that clothed me and the food that fed me. Thank you God for my family, their love and support. Thank you God for good friends in which we can share a meal together. Thank you God!
Lent Photo Day #31 "temper"
Call for help, Job, if you think anyone will answer!
To which of the holy angels will you turn?
The hot temper of a fool eventually kills him,
the jealous anger of a simpleton does her in.
I’ve seen it myself—seen fools putting down roots,
and then, suddenly, their houses are cursed.
Their children out in the cold, abused and exploited,
with no one to stick up for them.
Hungry people off the street plunder their harvests,
cleaning them out completely, taking thorns and all,
insatiable for everything they have.
Don’t blame fate when things go wrong—
trouble doesn’t come from nowhere.
It’s human! Mortals are born and bred for trouble,
as certainly as sparks fly upward.
Job 5:1-7 The Message
To which of the holy angels will you turn?
The hot temper of a fool eventually kills him,
the jealous anger of a simpleton does her in.
I’ve seen it myself—seen fools putting down roots,
and then, suddenly, their houses are cursed.
Their children out in the cold, abused and exploited,
with no one to stick up for them.
Hungry people off the street plunder their harvests,
cleaning them out completely, taking thorns and all,
insatiable for everything they have.
Don’t blame fate when things go wrong—
trouble doesn’t come from nowhere.
It’s human! Mortals are born and bred for trouble,
as certainly as sparks fly upward.
Job 5:1-7 The Message
Thursday, March 14, 2013
A Testimony to technology... and the Pope
This caught my eye with all the technology talk happening in The Gospel and Global Media class this semester.
Check out NBC's photo blog HERE for more...
Check out NBC's photo blog HERE for more...
Lent Photo Day #30 "Go"
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 28:19 NIV
Matthew 28:19 NIV
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Wednesday's Web Wanderings and Wonderings...
Here are a few stops you might be interested in making around the web:
1) Do you have this app on your phone? Ordain thyself? Check out more info here. and here.
2) This article on social media "boot camp" put on by Tony Jones and Doug Pagitt. Here is a taste from the article:
Though more and more churches are establishing Facebook and Twitter accounts, others remain skeptical of social media. They're often concerned someone will post something deemed offensive on Facebook walls, Jones said.
"Churches spend a lot of time thinking how do we manage our message," Jones said. "When you go on an open source, a reciprocal platform like Facebook, where other people get to comment on your wall, you relinquish some of that control. Our main response to them is, 'Get over it.' That's a good thing.
3) This video on Rob Bell's new book. Thanks to the blog Bats, Balls and Random Notes for pointing to this.
4) Read this on what it takes to create a viral video. Maybe you can take notes for your GMM final project??!! ;)
5) First Steps in becoming a new Pope.
1) Do you have this app on your phone? Ordain thyself? Check out more info here. and here.
2) This article on social media "boot camp" put on by Tony Jones and Doug Pagitt. Here is a taste from the article:
Though more and more churches are establishing Facebook and Twitter accounts, others remain skeptical of social media. They're often concerned someone will post something deemed offensive on Facebook walls, Jones said.
"Churches spend a lot of time thinking how do we manage our message," Jones said. "When you go on an open source, a reciprocal platform like Facebook, where other people get to comment on your wall, you relinquish some of that control. Our main response to them is, 'Get over it.' That's a good thing.
3) This video on Rob Bell's new book. Thanks to the blog Bats, Balls and Random Notes for pointing to this.
4) Read this on what it takes to create a viral video. Maybe you can take notes for your GMM final project??!! ;)
The SXSW session, Mythbusting: Engineering a Viral Video, focused on what the actual, attainable elements of a viral video were – and how they could be engineer and if it was even possible. How do you make a video that will become the next Gangnam Style?
5) First Steps in becoming a new Pope.
Sermon - "He Trusted in God"
March 13, 2013
Psalm 22
“He Trusted in God”
[note to classmates/blog readers – this introduction before I read Psalm 22 was to get the congregation all on the same page. The Lenten theme is selections from Handel’s Messiah. Six pieces were chosen and each week the Lenten service starts with chanting Psalm 51, confession, communion, offering, Prayers, and lastly the scripture reading and meditation followed by the listening of the selected piece for the evening. The service concludes in silence. Hope this helps get you in the right place to partially “get” what is happening in this service/sermon.]
Tonight we gather on the fourth Wednesday in Lent and present another piece from Handel's masterful work of music. If you think back to Comfort ye my people and For unto us a child is born – the music was a little peppy and upbeat. Toe tapping and almost head bobbing beats. Last week we meditated on the piece Behold the Lamb of God and the music is beginning to slow down. Tonight when it is time, listen for the deep dark tones of this piece. It isn’t necessarily slow in tempo but it certainly carries a low, deep, darker tone. We are in the middle of Lent and we all know that it is impossible to get to Easter and the empty tomb without first pausing on Good Friday and remembering the event on the cross. Our music selection for tonight is He Trusted in God. The chorus comes from Psalm 22 verse 8 and the tenor sings a modified variation of verse 7:
Read Psalm 22 as printed in the ELW (1-31)
I want you to think with me back to a time before cell phones and texting and even before computers and emails. For some of you teenagers and even younger than that you won’t be able to imagine a world without such technology, but just hang in there with me for a moment. Let’s think for a moment that you have just checked the mail box (snail mail as we now call it) and a letter has arrived. When you open the letter you know immediately who it is from by the way the letter is addressing you. My dearest mother, or Dear John, Dear sir or how about my dearest Rebecca. You know because you have heard it before. You know because it is a repeated pattern between you and the writer. Fast forward to today, we can probably say the same thing about our cell phones and emails. When that certain text or ring tone comes in you know who it is from and most likely what it is about based on the sound.
We just heard Psalm 22 and its opening address is one that we have become quite familiar with -
My God My God Why have you forsaken me?
We all know these words and most likely we know these words because they are written in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark as they record these words as being among the last words of Christ on the cross. The question is did you know these words belong here, were first spoken here in the opening of Psalm 22? Psalm 22 found in the Old Testament before Jesus was born.
We hear these words as Christ’s words yet tonight as we are trudging along in the middle of this Lenten season – not yet to the cross not even close enough to get a glimpse of the empty tomb, we hear these words –
My God My God why have you forsaken me?
Who then speaks these words? Who then is addressing God in this bold, honest accusatory way?
There are a couple of options for us tonight. Historically it has been noted that this particular Psalm is one written by King David. It could be King David during several different times of trial. Persecution by Paul or maybe David’s flight from Absalom. Whatever the exact situation, David is in a dark time. David is feeling hopeless, alone and abandoned by God. We hear David complain for several versus –
I cry out to you but you do not answer.
I am a worm and not human.
Trouble is near and there is no one to help me.
If this round of complaints isn’t harsh enough, David starts in again with a second round of complaints.
I am poured out like water,
My strength is dried up,
my tongue is stuck to the roof of my mouth.
[WOW] – David is really in a dark dark place. He seems desperate. Can you feel his pain? Can you feel the heaviness of his words? It is as if David is right here in this room. We can feel his pain, we can see his torment. I know I want to yell out on his behalf – Save him from the lion’s mouth!
David cannot get any lower at this point. He says to God, ‘you have laid me in the dust of death.’
Can it get much worse? How will this end? Can there be new life for David?
Then the Psalm takes a turn, rather it is as if David catches a second wind or the Spirit perhaps moves over him and his complaints turn to petitions –
o my help hasten to my aid,
Deliver me from the sword,
save me from the lion’s mouth.
And then new life - David has been saved, brought back from the brink of death
From the horns of wild bulls you have rescued me.
I will declare your name to my people.
And on and on David praises God and finally ends –
“The Lord has acted!”
It is important that we hear this Psalm from David’s perspective to get a glimpse into the historical context of which these familiar words came. These words are not just familiar to us, his Psalm had to have been familiar – more than familiar – memorized and tucked into the heart of Christ for in his darkest hour this Psalm is what he draws from. This Psalm gives Christ dying on the cross the opportunity to bare his dark soul to God. For a moment Christ is bold, honest even accusatory and one more time speaks as a man.
My God My God why have you forsaken me?
This Psalm remarkably foretells of Christ’s resurrection and so it is equally important for us to hear this Psalm in Christ’s voice as well. For both King David and Jesus even in their dark time, even on the brink of death, they both return to verse 8
‘ Trust in the Lord, let the Lord deliver, let God rescue him if God so delights in him.’
And God does indeed rescue them both. You see sometimes we have to be on the brink of death and some of us actually have to die to ourselves or at least parts of our selves have to die so that new life can come.
If we trust in God, he will deliver us.
Who else could be the voice in this Psalm? Could it be you? Has it been you? Does this Psalm speak to your soul, of your soul. Where do you find yourself this evening as we continue on our way through Lent. Just another average day? Hard to focus – let’s just get to Easter – it’s way more fun and I’m ready to eat chocolate again! I sure wish winter would be on its way…
Maybe you are in a great place in your life right now, and know there is no reason to feel bad about that. But hear this, when grief and anguish do strike – because they will – give yourself permission to move from that place of darkness at what ever pace you need to move to get back into the light.
Sometimes it takes a long time to move from that darkness into light and that is ok. Just like King David in the midst of your complaining there will be a moment when the Spirit will move over you and remind you to Trust in God that suddenly the darkness will lighten and you will be made new.
Even Handle makes us wait a long time before we get the Hallelujah chorus! So this evening before we move into meditation on our musical selection, I want you to hear Psalm 22 again from a different voice than that of King David or Jesus. I am not sure whose voice this will be for you – I don’t know who might have sent this letter – but you will…
O God, why have You left me?
Why are You so far from me?
I can no longer feel You near.
I reach desperately for You,
But I cannot find You.
I know You are holy and all-righteous
and everywhere present,
The saints of past years believed in You
and trusted You.
You responded to their cries.
They sought You, and they found You.
It is no wonder that Your praises
were constantly on their lips.
But I feel as empty and insignificant
as a bag full of wind.
I don’t really expect people’s plaudits,
but I so sorely feel their criticisms.
I risk all in following
what I feel to be Your will for me;
yet even my friends fail to support me,
and they actually turn against me,
“He thinks he’s doing God’s will,” they say.
“But he’ll be sorry he made that decision.”
I believe that You have been with me
from the very beginning of my life.
I know that You have cared for me
through these many years.
But, God, I need You now.
I am in trouble,
and I can’t find You or feel You near.
At this moment, I feel as if I am falling apart.
Nothing seems to make sense anymore.
Everything I attempt ends in failure.
I feel inferior and weak.
Those I have tried to serve
are actually gloating
over my flops and failures.
I know, O God, that much of it
is a matter of my foolish feelings.
The fact is, You are not far off.
You know both my feelings and my failings.
Yet You love me and accept me.
You will save me – even from myself.
Thus I will continue to sing Your praises.
In spite of or in scorn of my feelings,
I will celebrate Your loving presence.
As despicable as I may feel at times,
you do not despise me. Neither will You leave me.
Your love is personal, and it is eternal.
Nor will You despise or ignore the afflictions
that plague Your many sons and daughters.
Your children and servants are precious to You.
Even when they fail You, You never fail them.
You hear their cries and feel their pain
and are ever ready to support them
in their conflicts.
I dedicate myself anew to You, O Lord.
I will serve You
whatever the cost of the consequence.
You are my God.
Regardless of my feelings
of insignificance and inadequacy,
I will praise Your name and proclaim Your love
to people all around me.
~ Psalm 22
Psalms Now by Leslie F. Brandt
Psalm 22
“He Trusted in God”
[note to classmates/blog readers – this introduction before I read Psalm 22 was to get the congregation all on the same page. The Lenten theme is selections from Handel’s Messiah. Six pieces were chosen and each week the Lenten service starts with chanting Psalm 51, confession, communion, offering, Prayers, and lastly the scripture reading and meditation followed by the listening of the selected piece for the evening. The service concludes in silence. Hope this helps get you in the right place to partially “get” what is happening in this service/sermon.]
Tonight we gather on the fourth Wednesday in Lent and present another piece from Handel's masterful work of music. If you think back to Comfort ye my people and For unto us a child is born – the music was a little peppy and upbeat. Toe tapping and almost head bobbing beats. Last week we meditated on the piece Behold the Lamb of God and the music is beginning to slow down. Tonight when it is time, listen for the deep dark tones of this piece. It isn’t necessarily slow in tempo but it certainly carries a low, deep, darker tone. We are in the middle of Lent and we all know that it is impossible to get to Easter and the empty tomb without first pausing on Good Friday and remembering the event on the cross. Our music selection for tonight is He Trusted in God. The chorus comes from Psalm 22 verse 8 and the tenor sings a modified variation of verse 7:
Read Psalm 22 as printed in the ELW (1-31)
I want you to think with me back to a time before cell phones and texting and even before computers and emails. For some of you teenagers and even younger than that you won’t be able to imagine a world without such technology, but just hang in there with me for a moment. Let’s think for a moment that you have just checked the mail box (snail mail as we now call it) and a letter has arrived. When you open the letter you know immediately who it is from by the way the letter is addressing you. My dearest mother, or Dear John, Dear sir or how about my dearest Rebecca. You know because you have heard it before. You know because it is a repeated pattern between you and the writer. Fast forward to today, we can probably say the same thing about our cell phones and emails. When that certain text or ring tone comes in you know who it is from and most likely what it is about based on the sound.
We just heard Psalm 22 and its opening address is one that we have become quite familiar with -
My God My God Why have you forsaken me?
We all know these words and most likely we know these words because they are written in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark as they record these words as being among the last words of Christ on the cross. The question is did you know these words belong here, were first spoken here in the opening of Psalm 22? Psalm 22 found in the Old Testament before Jesus was born.
We hear these words as Christ’s words yet tonight as we are trudging along in the middle of this Lenten season – not yet to the cross not even close enough to get a glimpse of the empty tomb, we hear these words –
My God My God why have you forsaken me?
Who then speaks these words? Who then is addressing God in this bold, honest accusatory way?
There are a couple of options for us tonight. Historically it has been noted that this particular Psalm is one written by King David. It could be King David during several different times of trial. Persecution by Paul or maybe David’s flight from Absalom. Whatever the exact situation, David is in a dark time. David is feeling hopeless, alone and abandoned by God. We hear David complain for several versus –
I cry out to you but you do not answer.
I am a worm and not human.
Trouble is near and there is no one to help me.
If this round of complaints isn’t harsh enough, David starts in again with a second round of complaints.
I am poured out like water,
My strength is dried up,
my tongue is stuck to the roof of my mouth.
[WOW] – David is really in a dark dark place. He seems desperate. Can you feel his pain? Can you feel the heaviness of his words? It is as if David is right here in this room. We can feel his pain, we can see his torment. I know I want to yell out on his behalf – Save him from the lion’s mouth!
David cannot get any lower at this point. He says to God, ‘you have laid me in the dust of death.’
Can it get much worse? How will this end? Can there be new life for David?
Then the Psalm takes a turn, rather it is as if David catches a second wind or the Spirit perhaps moves over him and his complaints turn to petitions –
o my help hasten to my aid,
Deliver me from the sword,
save me from the lion’s mouth.
And then new life - David has been saved, brought back from the brink of death
From the horns of wild bulls you have rescued me.
I will declare your name to my people.
And on and on David praises God and finally ends –
“The Lord has acted!”
It is important that we hear this Psalm from David’s perspective to get a glimpse into the historical context of which these familiar words came. These words are not just familiar to us, his Psalm had to have been familiar – more than familiar – memorized and tucked into the heart of Christ for in his darkest hour this Psalm is what he draws from. This Psalm gives Christ dying on the cross the opportunity to bare his dark soul to God. For a moment Christ is bold, honest even accusatory and one more time speaks as a man.
My God My God why have you forsaken me?
This Psalm remarkably foretells of Christ’s resurrection and so it is equally important for us to hear this Psalm in Christ’s voice as well. For both King David and Jesus even in their dark time, even on the brink of death, they both return to verse 8
‘ Trust in the Lord, let the Lord deliver, let God rescue him if God so delights in him.’
And God does indeed rescue them both. You see sometimes we have to be on the brink of death and some of us actually have to die to ourselves or at least parts of our selves have to die so that new life can come.
If we trust in God, he will deliver us.
Who else could be the voice in this Psalm? Could it be you? Has it been you? Does this Psalm speak to your soul, of your soul. Where do you find yourself this evening as we continue on our way through Lent. Just another average day? Hard to focus – let’s just get to Easter – it’s way more fun and I’m ready to eat chocolate again! I sure wish winter would be on its way…
Maybe you are in a great place in your life right now, and know there is no reason to feel bad about that. But hear this, when grief and anguish do strike – because they will – give yourself permission to move from that place of darkness at what ever pace you need to move to get back into the light.
Sometimes it takes a long time to move from that darkness into light and that is ok. Just like King David in the midst of your complaining there will be a moment when the Spirit will move over you and remind you to Trust in God that suddenly the darkness will lighten and you will be made new.
Even Handle makes us wait a long time before we get the Hallelujah chorus! So this evening before we move into meditation on our musical selection, I want you to hear Psalm 22 again from a different voice than that of King David or Jesus. I am not sure whose voice this will be for you – I don’t know who might have sent this letter – but you will…
O God, why have You left me?
Why are You so far from me?
I can no longer feel You near.
I reach desperately for You,
But I cannot find You.
I know You are holy and all-righteous
and everywhere present,
The saints of past years believed in You
and trusted You.
You responded to their cries.
They sought You, and they found You.
It is no wonder that Your praises
were constantly on their lips.
But I feel as empty and insignificant
as a bag full of wind.
I don’t really expect people’s plaudits,
but I so sorely feel their criticisms.
I risk all in following
what I feel to be Your will for me;
yet even my friends fail to support me,
and they actually turn against me,
“He thinks he’s doing God’s will,” they say.
“But he’ll be sorry he made that decision.”
I believe that You have been with me
from the very beginning of my life.
I know that You have cared for me
through these many years.
But, God, I need You now.
I am in trouble,
and I can’t find You or feel You near.
At this moment, I feel as if I am falling apart.
Nothing seems to make sense anymore.
Everything I attempt ends in failure.
I feel inferior and weak.
Those I have tried to serve
are actually gloating
over my flops and failures.
I know, O God, that much of it
is a matter of my foolish feelings.
The fact is, You are not far off.
You know both my feelings and my failings.
Yet You love me and accept me.
You will save me – even from myself.
Thus I will continue to sing Your praises.
In spite of or in scorn of my feelings,
I will celebrate Your loving presence.
As despicable as I may feel at times,
you do not despise me. Neither will You leave me.
Your love is personal, and it is eternal.
Nor will You despise or ignore the afflictions
that plague Your many sons and daughters.
Your children and servants are precious to You.
Even when they fail You, You never fail them.
You hear their cries and feel their pain
and are ever ready to support them
in their conflicts.
I dedicate myself anew to You, O Lord.
I will serve You
whatever the cost of the consequence.
You are my God.
Regardless of my feelings
of insignificance and inadequacy,
I will praise Your name and proclaim Your love
to people all around me.
~ Psalm 22
Psalms Now by Leslie F. Brandt
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