Our Home

 

Inspired by Psalm 90:1-6, 13-17

Oh, Lord, our God, for all of our generations,

You have been our home.

Before the mountains rose,

Before the earth was formed,

You have been our home.

From everlasting to everlasting.

You are timeless, forever.

We are bound by mortality.

Ashes to ashes.

Dust to dust.

And still,

you are our home.

Time is nothing to you.

A thousand years is the blink of an eye.

A day.

Yesterday.

The days spin past,

the years spin into nothing.

The grass is renewed every morning.

It withers every evening.

And you are God.

Everlasting to everlasting

Our home.

May every morning be filled

with your steadfast love,

so that joy fills our days.

May our children see you

and know that you are their home.

May they understand your power,

and rest in your love.

May the work we do

bring you glory.

May the work we do

be pleasing to you.

Spread your love among us,

and bless us with your presence.

God, our God.

Everlasting to everlasting.

Our home.

Perspectives: Stuffed

 Sometimes there is just too much stuff to take to an event, even if it will all fit into the car.

In the Footsteps of Bezalel, Part 2

This and yesterday's post are from a sermon I preached last Sunday.

Stephanie invited me to come and share thoughts with you today about your theme for the next few weeks: Cultivating a generous heart and lifestyle.  Specifically, my part of the series is “the gifts of knowledge and skill.” 

We talk a lot in the church about spiritual gifts – Spiritual gifts are given by God to the church to be used in service.  Examples include faith, mercy, prophecy, discernment, and teaching – that’s just a small sample.  But spiritual gifts are little bit different than knowledge and skills.  Bezalel’s skills include metal work and design.  His knew how to build – what tools to use, and what would work and wouldn’t work.  I don’t want to get too hung up on the differences, except to say that we can work to increase our knowledge, and we can enhance our skills through practice. Spiritual gifts are a little bit different – they are a gift – not earned, not inherited, not gained through study, not passed down from our grandparents.  But I hope we can all agree that we are called not only to use our spiritual gifts, but also our knowledge and skills, in the work of God’s kingdom, and when we can, we are expected to build and enhance that knowledge and skills so that we can share them generously with each other.

So, what happens when we do?

Hear these words from Romans 12:1-8:

I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, on the basis of God’s mercy, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable act of worship. Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the encourager, in encouragement; the giver, in sincerity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.

The book of Romans was most likely written by Paul in Corinth in 57 CE, as he prepared to return to Jerusalem.  I think the history of what was happening in Rome and the Christian church there is interesting.  The Christian Church in Rome was probably started by Jewish converts from Pentecost.  They weren’t a passive group, and in eventually, Claudius (the roman emperor) expelled the Jews from Rome.  When Claudius died, the edict the expelled the Jews died with him, the Jews returned.  They found the Christian church the had left in Rome was now very gentile in nature.  You can imagine the conflicts in this divided church.  Paul wrote the book of Romans to this church in the height of the tension.  He wrote to declare the reconciling nature of the gospel and of the power of salvation for both the Jews and the Gentiles.  

A church in conflict.  Hmmm.  Maybe we can find some parallels.

Paul calls on the members of the Roman church to offer themselves as living sacrifices.  Back when Bezalel was building the tabernacle, God was commanding his people to offer sacrifices – burnt offerings, grain offerings, peace offerings, offerings made with animals – the list is long.  But now, as Paul is writing, atonement has already been made by Jesus.  Paul is calling Christians to offer themselves as living sacrifices. Rochelle Stackhouse, in a commentary I read, said a living sacrifice means that we’re not just offering our emotional or intellectual assent to God – we’re offering everything – “This may mean we need actually to do things that will put us outside the norms of behavior for our society” she wrote.  

I think we hear the definition of living sacrifice most clearly in the Jewish Shema as told by Jesus in Mark: ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”  In other words – you are to give all that you are – including your mind - to God and to each other.

And here is the kicker – in the Romans passage, we learn that it requires the whole church.  Paul says, “For as in one body we have many members and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another.”

What else? 

In verse 3, Paul cautions the Roman Christians (and us also, I think), not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think.  He is leading us to humility.  

I remember speaking with a pastor once.  He had a small church in a small community; he was loved by his church and he loved them.  All of that was obvious.  That said, pastors are required to do continuing education, and he would not.  He couldn’t see the need for it.  He knew all he needed to know; classes wouldn’t help him.  I don’t mean to judge him, but in this one area, a very humble man thought too highly of himself.

Think of the ways we describe God – omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent.  All powerful, all knowing, and everywhere.  I think when we think we know everything – when we close our minds to being taught – we step a little bit into the role of God.  We are not omni-anything.  Not thinking too highly of ourselves will open us up to not only learn more and practice more, but also to be open to what others can offer us when we share our skills.  When we, in humility, generously offer to the church what we know and what we can do, we open ourselves up to not only do God’s work in the world, but to find God in the world.

Next, verse 2 says, “Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

I think this means that we have to approach learning, sharing what we know and what we can do with an open mind.  We can’t always assume that we know best – that we are right.  Even the concept of learning and teaching assumes that we do not know everything – especially, most certainly – we do not know everything about God.  It is beyond us – and it is another reason for humility.  

I think a closed mind cannot be renewed.  A closed mind cannot be transformed.  Do we love being right so much that we would lose the chance to discern the will of God – what is good and acceptable and perfect?

Years ago, when I was in high school, my youth group traveled to Texas to teach a vacation Bible school in El Paso to the children of immigrant workers.  Of course, adults came with us.  Each pair of youth was matched with an adult from our church.  Chris, my partner, and I, were paired with Coe Marsh.  I thought she was very old – she probably wasn’t, but it felt that way to a 17 year old.  She was definitely a grandmother at the time.  I look back now, and I am so in awe of her.  She and her husband left their homes for 2 weeks to travel with us and to be a part of what we were doing.  She offered what she had with grace and humility.  I watched her, from memory, restate the 23rd Psalm in words a young child could understand so that we could teach it.  She was a living sacrifice.

How can you follow in the footsteps of Bezalel and Coe Marsh?

• If you know how to use a hammer, find a Habitat for Humanity project or a neighbor who needs a ramp built.
• If you know how to teach, find some students.
• If you can bake bread, do it, and feed the hungry.
• If you can pray, start lifting your neighbors up to God.
• If you can create a spreadsheet, there’s a finance committee that needs you.
• If you can encourage, start spreading the good news that everyone is loved by God.
• If you can see the gifts and skills in another person, invite them into ministry.

We are the church, and God is calling all of us – each and every one of us – with open, transformed minds, to share what we have – to build the tabernacle with a generous, humble heart so that the thin places abound – and God is known to all of us.

In the Footsteps of Bezalel, Part 1

This post and the ones following are from a sermon I preached last Sunday.

I want to start today by telling you about an experience I have had over the last three years, but in order for it to make sense, I have to share a few things about myself.  I love to teach – I hope it is a skill I have, or maybe even a spiritual gift. When I take a Spiritual Gift Inventory, it always rises high to the top of the list.  I remember as a kid I always loved to pretend I was teaching school. I had a big chalk board at home, and I would teach dolls how to do math.  But – best of all – was when I could go to school with Mom.  She was a school teacher, and I would go with her to her school the week before my school started and the week after I finished – she had those two weeks when she had to be at her school to prepare for or finish the year.  My favorite thing to do was to write on her chalk board.  Teaching – I love it.  Or maybe I just love writing on chalk boards, but I think its teaching.  

I also love to study. I love to take classes; I enjoyed school.  I love learning new things.  I love teaching new things, and watching people understand them.

In late 2020, in the middle of the pandemic, the laity team and the district directors of lay servant ministry in the conference were trying to solve an problem.  There were people in our Conference who wanted to become Certified Lay Ministers, but there wasn’t an organized way to do that in our conference.  It’s a long process that involves general church curriculum, classes, books to read – it’s not a simple thing to offer.  Some districts had had classes – it takes almost a year to go through all of the classes – but most districts didn’t have enough people to form a class, or the staff to teach them.   So, I said that I would organize a Conference CLM Class.

God must have been very annoyed at me when, after agreeing to organize this program, I procrastinated for months.  Months.  Months in which I argued with myself about how much I didn’t want to do it.  I would find someone else to do it. Yes, I love teaching. Yes, I love studying, but I didn’t want to do this.  It would take too much time; it would be too much trouble. How could I do it when people couldn’t meet together?  I lost sleep.  I argued with God.  And God kept nagging.

And then, I had procrastinated long enough that I had to do it myself – it was too late to ask anyone else to do it.  And I wasn’t wrong – it did take a lot of time.  I had to read a bunch of books just to build the curriculum, and then two or three books a month to stay ahead of the class. It meant monthly Zoom meetings, and multiple recordings to post on Portico.  Especially that first year, it was a ton of work.  

Hear these words about a man named Bezalel in Exodus 31: 1-11.  

The LORD spoke to Moses,  “See, I have called by name Bezalel son of Uri son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with a divine spirit,[a] with ability, intelligence, and knowledge, and every kind of skill, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every kind of craft. Moreover, I have appointed with him Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, and I have given skill to all the skillful, so that they may make all that I have commanded you:  the tent of meeting, and the ark of the covenant, and the cover that is on it, and all the furnishings of the tent, the table and its utensils, and the pure lampstand with all its utensils, and the altar of incense, and the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the basin with its stand, and the finely worked vestments, the holy vestments for the priest Aaron and the vestments of his sons, for their service as priests,  and the anointing oil and the fragrant incense for the holy place. They shall do just as I have commanded you.”

Think about what Bezalel and those who worked with him did.  They built the tabernacle – or the tent of the congregation – a portable construction that was the place where Yahweh met with the Israelites.  This is where the people were closest to God.  The builders created the ark that housed the tablets on which were carved what we call the 10 Commandments and the altar upon which sacrifices were made.  The passage tells us that God said, “I have filled him with a divine spirit, with ability, intelligence, and knowledge, and every kind of skill, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every kind of craft.”

God prepared Bezalel with knowledge and skills, and then called him to do this work.  The result is that God and God’s people were brought closer together – as close as could be managed. Bezalel built one of those thin spaces we talk about, where we experience God’s presence in a way that the distance between us is made small and the walls between us are carved away.  Bezalel and his co-workers used their gifts to do God’s work, and the people knew God better. I wonder how that made Bezalel feel?  How his faith was strengthened by it.

I know what happened to me.  I taught the Conference CLM Class, and I continue to teach it. We’re on our third cohort of students.  It has been a lot of work, but my faith has been strengthened by the devotion and faith of my students.  I have learned so much from them.  I am so blessed to know them and to see them do the work they are called to do – in churches, in senior centers, in prisons, with children and the elderly. God has called them, equipped them, and they have gone forth and done God’s work - with a lot less procrastination than me.  I’m so grateful that God nagged me into doing this, because it has been, and continues to be a blessing.

Perspectives: Our Sleeping Cat

 

Why Worry About Mission? Part 2

This is the second post of a devotional I shared at our Generosity event.

I want to tell you stories of three men. 

 

In 2010, I was the chairperson of the strategic planning committee of my church.  I asked them (after some other work we did) to share what they thought a five year goal should be for the church.  One man’s answer: to still exist.

I think very highly of this man.  He is a good person, a loyal member of the church who contributes greatly to its ministry – in many ways.  I think his view of church is shaped by not only the outside culture and his way of doing business, but also by the culture of our churches. I think we sometimes operate out of fear and scarcity, and I truly believe we will not be a successful church – in God’s eyes – when we do that.  “Please come to our church and bring your checkbook.”  “Please come to our church so that we won’t die.” 

 

Where does our mission fit into that?

 

The second man is Henri Nouwen.  If you haven’t read something written by Henri Nouwen, go find anything, and read it.  I think you won’t be sorry.  You might want to start with Henri Nouwen's book, "The Spirituality of Fundraising.” In that book, he writes:

 

Fund-raising is precisely the opposite of begging. When we seek to raise funds, we are not saying, "Please, could you help us out because lately it's been hard." Rather, we are declaring, "We have a vision that is amazing and exciting.  We are inviting you to invest yourself through the resources that God has given you - your energy, your prayers, and your money - in this work to which God has called us."

 

He also wrote, “Fundraising is proclaiming what we believe in such a way that we offer other people an opportunity to participate with us in our vision and mission.”  Maybe that’s why Jesus told the Disciples to “Take nothing for the journey—no walking stick, no bag, no bread, no money, not even an extra shirt.” Maybe this gave them the opportunity to invite others into Christ’s mission.

 

The story of the third man is from a devotional that one of our Trustees provided at a committee meeting. She had been visiting family in another state and went to church there.  She met a man at the church who had become involved in mission work.  He said, “I don’t have time to play at being church.” 

 

I think that’s true of all of us – we don’t have time to play at being a church.  It’s time to be church.

 

Getting back to Luke 9.  What happened next?  The next bit of scripture in the 9^th chapter of Luke is where Jesus asks this question: “And what about you? Who do you say that I am?”

 

We have resources we haven’t even noticed yet. We have been equipped with the power of the Holy Spirit. We have been given a mission by Christ to proclaim God’s kingdom and to heal the sick.”  Will we tell others who Christ is? Will our churches reach out and heal people, proclaim peace and justice, and love a hurting world? Will we use the gifts we have been given wisely as competent stewards? Will we invite other people into God’s ministry?

 

Or will we just hope to exist in five years?

 

Please pray with me…

 

God of abounding love and grace, we offer thanksgiving for each other and for the church you created.  Forgive us when we fail, and free us for joyful obedience.  Shape us into faithful stewards of your gifts so that when you send us out into your world, we can use the power you have provided to fulfill your mission.  In your son’s name, Amen.

Why Worry About Mission, Part 1

 The following two posts are a devotion I wrote for our Foundation's Academy of Faith and Generosity.

I think, when we read a passage of scripture, it’s important to expand our viewpoint, at least a little bit, and see what is happening around what we are reading. 

 

You may know that the Feeding of the 5000 (plus) story is in all four Gospels.  On Monday, Jeff read the passage from Matthew.  Today, I want to look at it from Luke – it’s in Chapter 9.  But let’s move back in the chapter a little bit – hear these words from Luke 9:1-6.

 

Jesus called the Twelve together and he gave them power and authority over all demons and to heal sicknesses. ² He sent them out to proclaim God’s kingdom and to heal the sick. 3 He told them, “Take nothing for the journey—no walking stick, no bag, no bread, no money, not even an extra shirt. ⁴ Whatever house you enter, remain there until you leave that place. ⁵ Wherever they don’t welcome you, as you leave that city, shake the dust off your feet as a witness against them.” ⁶ They departed and went through the villages proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.

 

In this passage, Jesus sends the 12 out to do ministry.  He doesn’t just randomly send them away – he equips them, and he gives them a mission: “proclaim God’s kingdom and heal the sick.” They were successful – so successful that Herod hears about it, and wonders if John the Baptist has come back to life.  Listen to verses 10-14:

¹⁰ When the apostles returned, they described for Jesus what they had done. Taking them with him, Jesus withdrew privately to a city called Bethsaida. ¹¹ When the crowds figured it out, they followed him. He welcomed them, spoke to them about God’s kingdom, and healed those who were sick.  ¹² When the day was almost over, the Twelve came to him and said, “Send the crowd away so that they can go to the nearby villages and countryside and find lodging and food, because we are in a deserted place.”¹³ He replied, “You give them something to eat.” But they said, “We have no more than five loaves of bread and two fish—unless we go and buy food for all these people.”

We know what happens next, right – Jesus feeds them with the five loaves and two fish. But what really interests me today in this passage is that the Disciples had been sent out on a mission – a mission they understood. They were untrusted with power – power that they used so successfully that even Herod heard about it – and they come back – I imagine – brimming with the excitement of what had happened so that they have to tell Jesus about it.

 

And then they can’t imagine that they could feed people.

Perspectives: Are you going to come see me?

 

Academy Opening Prayer

God of generous love, God of amazing forgiveness, God of abundant grace,  Here we are, Lord. We are gathered in this place for the next 48 hours.

We gather as the community you have created us to be.

We gather as your sheep, with your as our shepherd.

We gather as imperfect beings, seeking to grow into your image.

Bless our time together with your presence. Open our eyes so that we may see how you are working among us. Open our hearts to have patience with each other, and with ourselves.

We pray for those among us who will be leading the presentations – thank you for the time they have invested for us, and for the gifts you have given to them. Bring them joy in the work they do.

We pray for the concerns on our hearts, that you will receive them and exchange them for peace.

We pray for the churches that are our families, may they work for your kingdom.

We ask, dear Lord, that this time will bring us closer to you and that through us, the world may be changed.

All this we boldly ask in your son’s name, Amen.

Susannah Wesley

In what ways was Susanna a woman ahead of her time, and what characteristics do you particularly admire? Why?

Susanna knew how to build connections with people through kindness and gracious responses. She was able to build community in their parish when Samuel was not.  She believed in the education and spiritual upbringing of her children, and she devoted herself to this goal.  She did not exclude her daughters from this endeavor, believing their intellectual development was more important and a higher priority than their domestic development.  She was organized: Rev. Alfred T. Day, III, General  Commission on Archives and History, said, “She had a spreadsheet before there were spreadsheets.”

 

Earlier this year, I participated in the Women Speak of Faith class in this series (great course).  One week we read and wrote about Susanna Wesley, particularly her written commentary of the Apostles Creed.  I admire the theology she outlines in that commentary.

 

There is a story told of Susanna Wesley. When her husband was absent for a long period of time, out of dissatisfaction with the substitute priest in the parish, she began teaching and preaching to a group of people in her home. Eventually, over 200 gathered. There were complaints to Samuel, her husband. She wrote to him, “If you do, after all, think fit to dissolve this assembly, do not tell me that you desire me to do it, for that will not satisfy my conscience: but send me your positive command, in such full and express terms as may absolve me from all guilt and punishment for neglecting this opportunity of doing good when you and I shall appear before the great and awful tribunal of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

 

She was a woman of grace, faith, and intellect.  She was devoted to her family but also to the community in which she lived.  I find much to admire about her. 

 

Perspective: Saw and hearts

 It just makes me giggle.

Manna and God, part 2

Continued from yesterday

For the Israelites, God made his presence obvious. Hear verses 16-18

16 This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Collect as much of it as each of you can eat, one omer (o-mer – about 2 quarts) per person. You may collect for the number of people in your household.’” 17 The Israelites did as Moses said, some collecting more, some less. 18 But when they measured it out by the omer, the ones who had collected more had nothing left over, and the ones who had collected less had no shortage. Everyone collected just as much as they could eat.

They were told to only collect what they could eat in that one day.  When they tried to keep the leftovers until the next day, the manna would be spoiled by worms.  On the day before the Sabbath, they were told to collect enough for two days so that they could rest on the seventh day.

My study Bible says that manna is a pun.  When the Israelites say it, they said, "What is it?" -- Man (What) hu (is it)?  Man hu  You can hear the name of the food.

How often do we look at God's providence - God's manna -- and say, "What is it?"  I think there are times we don't even recognize it.  I would propose another level to the pun -- Man says huh?

Manna was to teach the Israelites to rely on God – to trust that God was with them.  To see the world with eyes of abundance instead of scarcity.  Even the command to collect double on the day before the Sabbath and to "rest" on the Sabbath, is another way to teach them to trust God.  God is in the room – open your eyes so that you can see.

I wonder if the disciples looked at the baskets of leftovers after feeding 5000 men, and more women, and more children, from 2 loaves and 5 fish, if they said Huh?  

God is with us.  Manna will come. We can feed more than we even imagined and there will be leftovers.   Let’s not say "Huh?" but instead, remember that God is in the room, and trust and obey.

I know that we come this morning with worries and problems on our minds. Let’s begin the day together in prayer.  I’m going to start a prayer, and then give you an opportunity to silently lift to God what weighs on your heart – the room in your mind that you might not have invited God into yet.  I’ll give you a full minute – I know it will feel like a day, but just pray, and remember that God is here.

Please pray with me…

O God of manna and bread, God of fish and quail, God of Moses, Peter, and us, Open our eyes to see you with us. Remind us that you are in the room, in our lives, in the very midst of our problems.

Hear our prayers today as we lift them to you from our hearts.  (wait one minute)

Loving God, forgive us when we don’t see you, don’t remember you, don’t seek you. Change our thoughts of scarcity into the reality of abundance so that we may serve you more, and become your stewards of the gifts you provide. In your son’s name we pray, Amen.

Manna and God, part 1

The following two posts are a devotion I wrote for our Foundation's Academy of Faith and Generosity  

The Walk to Emmaus is a leadership development program that begins with a three-day retreat experience. For me, that three-day retreat was in the fall of 2006.  After that, I continued to participate in the community – helping with other walks, and eventually becoming part of the leadership team.   During one of the meetings of that team, we spent a lot of time talking about mattresses.  The walks our community sponsors are held in a United Methodist Church, and because the three-day walks involve three nights at the Church, the community owns mattresses. They are stored in the church’s attic, and when a walk is about to happen, we have a mattress party, pull the mattresses out of the attic, and prepare the sleeping rooms for the walk.

We were spending a lot of time during this one particular meeting talking about mattresses, because an un-related ministry had asked our community if they could borrow our mattresses for one of their events.  I can’t tell you how long we debated this question.  I can’t tell you because I’ve blocked it out.  It seemed to go on forever.  Until one of the pastors who was providing spiritual direction for the community said, “Jesus would want you to let them use the mattresses.”

Well, if you want to bring Jesus into the discussion.

It was an uncomfortable truth that we didn’t want to hear. We hadn’t even considered the radical question of being a faithful disciples to Christ in our discussion.  Maybe we were enjoying the power of owning the mattresses too much.  Maybe we were too lazy to think about pulling all of those mattresses out of the attic in service to someone else.  Maybe we just didn’t get it at all.

Have you ever been to a church meeting like that? Where you go on and on about a question or a problem, but no one ever even imagines that God might be in the room?

Yesterday, Jeff talked about the Feeding of the 5000.  The disciples came to Jesus and suggested he send the people away so that they could eat. Did the disciples ever consider that God was in the room?

Our scripture this morning is from Exodus 16. Verses 1-3 say:   

The whole Israelite community set out from Elim (ee-luhm) and came to the Sin desert, which is located between Elim and Sinai (si-ni) . They set out on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had left the land of Egypt. ² The whole Israelite community complained against Moses and Aaron in the desert. ³ The Israelites said to them, “Oh, how we wish that the Lord had just put us to death while we were still in the land of Egypt. There we could sit by the pots cooking meat and eat our fill of bread. Instead, you’ve brought us out into this desert to starve this whole assembly to death.”

It doesn’t sound to me like the Israelite ever considered that God was in the room.  We talk about having eyes that see abundance instead of scarcity, but I want us to hear today that when we forget that God is with us, that when God calls us to a particular work, that God will be part of what we are doing – when we forget that, we are seeing our world with eyes of scarcity. 

Continued on Wednesday...