Food for Thought:

Doing church. What is your take?

2010-04-19T13:15:00.000-04:00

I would like to begin with the latest ad, which went across the world on the internet Friday. If you haven’t seen it yet, go to http://www.ucc.org/ and watch …

The concept of sharing ideas has changed form over the past year with a new website and a pastor’s blog and this week we became "tech-savvy evangelists" for a progressive, liberating, daring, bold, witness of God's extravagant welcome in everyday life.

I want to talk this morning about ‘doing church’ and what that means. ‘Doing church’ implies an action orientation. We are doing something. The quality and benefit of that activity lies in the doing part- whether it is in being (the quiet attitude of absorbing the gift of the moment) or acting (speaking, working, sharing, learning). The quality of the benefit gained lies in the degree of self-investment.

Doing church becomes part of our life in two ways- spiritually and emotionally. The connection we have by way of doing church is much like the participation we have in getting in the car for a long trip. When we are in the driver’s seat we plan the route, we put our hands on the wheel and control where the vehicle will take us. In a similar way, the invitation stands to lay your hands on the wheel and steer where this vehicle, the church, will take us. There is almost no benefit to be had by being a passive observer. Remember being a kid in the back seat of your parent’s car, not knowing where you were, how long it would take or where you were going? All we could do was repeatedly ask, “How long till we get there?” As adults, I don’t think we would want to return to that back-seat position in the vehicle.

There is a wide rift between religion (the back seat position) and spirituality (definitely front seat all the way). Religion concentrates on laws and punishment, with the hope of eventual redemption (arrival)someday. Spirituality begins with our moment of redemption (arrival) and moves on to discovery. Religion creates division of beliefs, people and choices -as good and evil. Spirituality unifies self by acceptance of the past, present and future and it unifies us to one another through truth.

I have practiced religion in a wide range of denominational faiths, and have ultimately found comfort here- it fits my soul and my beliefs. It should fit your soul and your beliefs, even if we differ, because there is plenty of room for diversity and discussion here. That is where growth happens. I have said it before and I will say it now and in the future, my food for thought is what comes from my soul. It will change and take on other nuances with time, and is not the definitive word on anything. As such, you are encouraged to take it if you agree, or leave it if you disagree. That being said, I welcome discussion and hope to dialogue about your life experience. The variance and diversity of our experiences bring richness and flavor to our shared doing church together.

On any given day, I hope what comes across is food for thought that stirs something within you, and you then consider what you believe. In that moment of conscious consideration, we can then view it alongside truth, and discard the beliefs which are not longer valid or no longer fit who we are today. I am not so much interested in convincing you that I am right and you are wrong (which is such a waste of energy) as I am interested in you growing and deepening what you believe because something you heard got you thinking.

I visualize truth as fluid and capable of supporting us as we dive deeper. That is how I have responded to differences of thought over the years. Differences should invite us to reconsider our position, our beliefs, our truth; and after we have reconsidered, perhaps we will modify our beliefs or position so that we come to a truth that we share! We grow as a result.

How does the UCC help us in that process of uncovering the truth within? It is a place where we are free to be who we are- and to allow others to be who they are. No legalities to meet for membership. There are no expectations to live up to before a person is deemed good enough to warrant membership. ‘Come as you are and be welcomed’ is the standard. There are always challenges in living out the ideal, just as there is a challenge or two that comes along with the ‘till death do us part’ promise for any couple.

What then is the mortar which connects us to one another through difficulties, conflict and the ordinary work of everyday living? It is the excitement we all feel in listening for God to speak, as he speaks still. Like a breath of air that comes gently to us as a summer morning dawns, something within us sturs and is awakened.

The voice of God is found in a language so compelling and moving that we get to hear God's undeniable welcome and discover for ourselves the reason to celebrate life. Through each person, we hear the language of God spoken.

"God is still speaking" invites a deeper reflection and dialogue across the full spectrum and diversity of the voices found in our community. Without reaching out to invite others in, we are missing some of the words which speak to the fullness of our experience.

Think of it this way---until today, we have heard the first part of the sentence. This is your experience of God, the world, the people around you, and of yourself to date. It says certain things to you- and certain things to me. Both are valid. But the sentence is not complete. Now there is a coma- a grammatical indication of a pause with something to follow. And what is to follow? Ah, that is what we are here to discover- to listen for ,if you will.

If we delve into what was pure and innocent in us- as an individual and as a church, we will discover God all over again. The lens through which we bring God into a clearer focus is the life and identity of the United Church of Christ. When we talk about the experience of church, the difference between the UCC and another denomination, I would compare them as objects through which we are permitted to see the world around us. In some places, there are many requirements and laws meant to limit a person’s life experience; it is as if the person is looking through a pinhole. Some find comfort in looking through a key hole- there is more to see but much is still missed- and squinting with one eye closed for years can create dreadful wrinkles! For others, the ability to see may be limited only by a type of side blinder, like the race horses wear, limiting only peripheral vision; it is better but not complete.

And then there is the UCC. We are invited to translate what we see in and through our wide and welcoming experience. For sure, ours is not an exhaustive translation; yet, it is an in-depth, thoughtful, creative, studious, inspiring translation.
We are open for business. And what is really exciting about that is what we get to do with being open. Our vision is as expansive as we dare to make it. Our ears will hear God speaking as long as we are listening. What feels unimaginable right now is the idea that we are helping to change the very character and theological discourse of the Christian church, to fully include and embrace the most excluded people, cultures, and ideas. That is dramatic and life affirming!

What would it feel like to include people in our community who have been excluded by other denominations? Certainly we would need to adjust to the wounds and baggage and fears of others. But that shouldn't feel so unfamiliar- don’t you remember what we were like 4 years ago? We were the wounded with baggage and fears. Now, perhaps we can help someone release what has injured them if we offer them something else- a hand extended in friendship, a cup of coffee, a shoulder to lean on. There is more to do- our sentence is not complete yet. We must keep watching for opportunity to find the next words.

If it seems like a lot to ask of us, it is. This concept of inclusion was unimaginable for those first Disciples of Christ. Some even resisted opening wide the doors of their beliefs and temples and synagogues; but there were those who not only flung them open, they took them down.

There is no consensus about what God is saying. It is for each individual to discover that voice within.

But the UCC has begun the sentence- No matter who you are, or where you are on life's journey, you are welcome in the United Church of Christ,....

See it as an invitation to participate in something greater than our individual selves or history of the institutional church. And what do we get in return? Diversity, which brings with it greater possibility, and breaking down walls that limit our vision just may reveal a wonderful world with breathtaking views.

You are in the driver’s seat, there is room on the steering wheel for your hands to join mine and there is plenty more room at the wheel for others to join us. The fascinating thing about doing church is that the more people there are, the more room there is for additional people.

Where is your line drawn in the sand?

2010-04-16T08:06:00.001-04:00

Albert Schweitzer said, "Sometimes our light goes out but is blown again into flame by an encounter with another human being. Each of us owes the deepest thanks to those who have rekindled this inner light."
Don't you love those stories of people who rekindle your faith in mankind? I consider myself blessed to have such people in my life! I hope to inspire you and show you how you can build this quality into your life to a greater measure.

I confess to you that for many years, I looked at giving all backwards. I thought that my weekly paycheck was mine to do with as I wished, and if there was anything left over after I paid bills and bought whatever I wanted, then I would give to my church. But there never seemed to be enough money to make it through to the next pay day, and there was certainly not enough to give to my church. Every Sunday, for some reason, I felt guilty when the basket was passed around, and I had a sinking feeling in my gut that somehow I was doing something wrong but I didn’t understand what that was. I felt a bit perturbed that God didn’t seem to be meeting my needs very well, so he certainly shouldn’t be mad at me for not having very much to give.

I invite you to think about how and why you give. Not because this is a desparate plea to get money for the church, because we are doing well. This goes back to what we believe about God and how much we really trust him to do what He promises He will do. If this is an area of your life that is dormant or not at a high octane level yet you are missing out on a source of real joy.

In Malachi 3:10 God invites people to, “test Him” in the matter of giving. I hope that you will try a 30-day test and see what your results are at the end of that time. Record what you are giving each week to your church in one column; and in the second column record any savings or gifts that come your way (an unexpected dinner with friends and they pick up the tab, what you saved at the grocery store, a pair of shoes on clearance, an amount higher in your tax return than what you expected). In most cases, the amount in the second column is going to be more than in the first column.

Step one in giving is this- for four weeks, begin giving 10% of your income to your church or this church. Give off the top before you spend a dime of your income, then watch to see if God does not begin working in your life in ways you haven’t previously experienced. If you are already giving that,amount increase it. If after 30 days you regret that decision OR if you feel you didn’t experience God’s divine help in your finances during this time period- we will give back the extra that you have given here, then you can discontinue giving above what you had been giving. How many times do you hear of a church willing to give your donation back to you if you aren't satisfied? However, if you experience God’s help in a variety of ways then joyfully continue giving 10% or more back to God with gratitude. I guarantee you - you cannot out give God!

A number of years ago, I discovered I Corinthians 16:2, “Every Sunday each of you make an offering and put it in safekeeping. Be as generous as you can. In doing this you are storing up so you may prosper.”

God had drawn a line in the sand for me to cross over- setting aside something for him on Sunday beyond my normal giving.

At first, I didn’t understand how the verse could apply to my life. At the time I thought it was simply a method for building prosperity for the church. I began a practice of looking back and keeping a list of how God had provided for me. Each week, I discovered many ways that God provided outside of my normal income. I started to see so many blessings that God creatively brought into my life as the weeks passed. This may not have been in cash- but it was like finding unexpected surprises and gifts.

Slowly a light bulb went on in my understanding and I realized how I had had it all backwards. I couldn’t receive from God, use it solely for my own purposes, and then say, God I need more if you want me to give anything back to you. If I was going to live a joyous and generous life and have what I needed, I had to be willing to release my possessiveness over a small portion of what I had as the first step.

Here are some of the lessons I learned in practicing joyful giving that helped me move from what I used to believe about giving to the present day:

1. Step one will be to give 10% to church. Plan a time each week where you will begin to write down God’s provisions from the previous week in a “Blessings Notebook.” It is critically important to do this if you want to begin to see the pattern and level to which God sends abundance into your life and it will help you release your previous view of giving. Record any surprise, increase or savings you saw to your finances. Cigarettes on sale, gas for the car dropped 2 cents- don't miss anything!
Write down the amount you WOULD HAVE BEEN WILLING TO SPEND for an item that came to you unexpectedly. For example: When my parents moved, I was able to keep things that I could use that would no longer be useable in their new home. One item I kept was a $250 marble top table. I would have never spent that, but I might have “been willing to spend” $50 on a used table at a garage sale. So, in this example, I put down the value of the blessing at $50 (not $250).

Step 2-WHAT TO DO WITH THIS INFORMATION: Add up the value of the items you have been blessed with for the week (let’s say $100 in savings) and take 10% of the total ($10) and set that aside in a special place and consider this your “BLESSING FUND”. God will then give you ample opportunity to pull that out and give generously to another person.

This is the 4-Week Challenge: Give to the church, and then set aside an amount to begin your generosity to others in your life.

I am confident that the LORD has been blessing most people’s lives week by week but most people don’t “see” these blessings because they don’t take time to look for them.” Because of this, I encourage you to try this for at least four weeks to see what God is quietly doing for you! I believe seeing will truly lead you to a more joyful and generous life!

Psalm 24:1 says, “The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.”

If we belong to God, it’s logical to think that everything attached to us also belongs to Him. When we give to God, we are just taking our hands off what already belongs to Him. And the benefits and answers we will receive are often truly astounding. Pray and ask God to lead you to His provisions to meet your needs, whatever they are. I have often found insight into a problem I was having after I gave. I have seen that He often “transfers the ownership” of specifically needed items without cost or at significant savings to faithful givers.
Many people think that their needs are met through their paycheck, and not directly through God. While God may use our wages to provide for many of our needs, God is so much bigger than a paycheck! A company may be your employer, but God is your true provider. And as we shift our focus away from anyone other than God providing for us, it removes our dependence on our employer and puts it squarely on the One who can provide for our every need.

I have discovered that the Lord will draw a new line in the sand for us to cross over in order to live more generously and to experience Him more fully. My giving here at the church is at a higher level than I have ever given before. Every step of the way, we are being asked to consider the resources placed in our hands and to use them for the highest good. God invites us to release our ownership of just some of what we have for His work and to trust Him to be our provider. You may think that living this way would cause you to be fearful but I can tell you just the opposite is true.

We have envied people who seem to live extravagant lifestyles- spending lavish amounts on their entertainment and having every luxury available. Let me give you another version of an extravagant lifestyle:

When you are making more than you need, this may be a time of crossing over God’s new line in the sand. One couple limited their lifestyle spending so they could increase their giving. They decided that they would limit lifestyle spending to a specific annual amount and that ALL funds received over this amount, after essential bills were paid, would be given 100% to the Lord. To do this, they opened up two different checking accounts. The first check book was for their living expenses (a set amount each month) and the other check book was for their increased giving. That is living extravagantly!

The important point is this- when we live with a positive attitude toward giving, we not only find joy in helping someone else, but we ourselves are open to receive the abundance that God plans to send our way. He is our loving, generous Father and He wants to shower us with surprises and gifts. Once our hands are opened to receive, it will be given!

Ephesians 1:3-4 says “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” What kinds of things fit into the ‘every spiritual blessing’? The scriptures speak of God affirming that “wisdom and knowledge will be given you, unending riches, honor, justice, and righteousness are mine to distribute”.

Certainly the joy of giving far outweighs the momentary cost to us. I ask, “What ‘line in the sand’ is God calling you to cross in order for you to live a more joyful life and excel in the grace of giving?”

The meaning of resurrection

2010-04-07T14:55:00.000-04:00

Margaret Wheatley, author and teacher writes, "There is no power greater than a community discovering what it cares about."

We are not so very different today from the people in that first small community, who were huddled together for comfort and courage when it looked like all was lost. When we commit to something, we were not so different from the people in Mark 16 . After all, they were just a handful of ordinary people who were a bit shy about trusting in their own understanding of who Jesus was- true even after they had spent three years following their Teacher, learning truth from him, watching him do the unimaginable, and wondering how they could ever fill his sandals and articulate his message to the world when he was gone. We have had moments of doubting in our ability. They struggled with feelings of hopelessness as their leader lay on the wrong side of a very large bolder. Whatever fears you may be struggling with today, even if you question the validity of the story, we are called, not by chance, but by destiny, to fulfill the work of God even as that small group had been called.

Every strong community, every individual, has to go through their time of testing, to walk as it were through the deep waters of doubt and uncertainty, in order to get to what they believe. We have tested the waters of our own fears and doubts and I, no less than you, have wondered from time to time about what we were being asked to do and how we could manage to do it. We are built on the unquenchable hope that we will prevail against all odds--- for to lose what we love here is to somehow miss our calling, to fail to change our world, to miss becoming the resurrection people that God is calling us to be. We are waiting for that moment when the power of Christ within each of us transforms our reality.

The story of the Resurrection is really a story about removing the boundaries which we face every day in our life. Don’t you find it interesting that, as the women all came to the same puzzlement, how they would get past the tombstone, the obstacle was suddenly removed. Why? Could it be that they simply stepped into the plan of God without realizing it? Isn’t that is how God operates- suddenly. When we live by faith, life is far more effortless. When we live in the truth that everything we need is already available within us (this is the God/suddenly part), we can let go of our fears of not having. Listen to God's voice; seek his direction; trust that he will guide you. Life may not take you where you want to go but it will take you to exactly where you are meant to be. Mine did and I am truly grateful for the most difficult times when I put my trust in God. [Janet Pfeiffer, The Secret Side of Anger]

"If doubt is challenging you and you don’t act, doubts will only grow. Challenge the doubts with action and you will grow. Doubt and action are incompatible." [John Kanary]

To reap the greatest benefits from what we sense to be true, we need to take ACTION. Be in motion- keep moving in the direction you wish to go. Act as if your highest expectations have already happened. Prepare for them with all you have. Build the space for them to become reality. Pray and ask for more opportunities and people who can assist you or teach you. Let go of your attachment the present reality so that a new reality may come. Create mental space and physical space. One of my teachers told me---plan your work and work your plan. Miracles rarely happen by doing nothing. Most miracles happen through other people. If we are unwilling to be God’s provision to another, we have locked up our own storehouse, and God cannot increase his provision to us.

How do we move into this space of trusting God? What things still tie you up in our unbelief? We have a lifetime of messages that diminish our capacity to believe- to trust God to do what He said he will do. These are some of the messages I got growing up: Don’t stand out; the spotlight will reveal your inadequacies. Stop trying so hard, it isn’t worth it. No one will believe you, and you will fail. Don’t trust anyone, they will abandon you. How can your life be important, you’re nobody special? Perhaps you have heard similar messages growing up.

But if these messages were the truth, there would be no church and we would have no resurrection. It is time to let go of the barriers that have blocked you from all the fullness life has for you and step on the accelerator!

Do the people in your life need you to be fearless? Yes! As much now as it needed those in the infant church to be courageous and bold with the truth. Certainly the complex problems and the lack of spiritual direction we face today cry out for people of courage and conviction to step up and counteract these forces with compassionate truth.

If you feel you are inadequate to the task, let me state for the record that God is the same today as he was on that first Resurrection morning. The miraculous waits to be unleashed by our words and actions. Michelangelo once said, “I saw the angel in the marble and carved to set him free.” Rarely can we take great strides toward our life’s masterpiece, but in the day to day, moment to moment shaping of our life, we find the Master carving out the angel in us.

Can you bear witness to what has been given to you to say? Can you connect to God so that you can live in the fullness of who he created you to be? What does the world lose if you don’t? When we allow God to work in our lives, when we dare to believe him to be true to his word, something happens inside us. That something is called Transformation- the process of developing one’s character and becoming more like the original. Here is another definition of transformation: the process by which what lies deeply underneath is brought to the surface- the process of uncovering what is at the core of who you are. Who do you choose to be for yourself- for the world? By what name or identity do you limit or liberate yourself? Are you a person in transformation so that you may be the one through whom God brings his solutions?

In the three days following Jesus’ death and burial, the people in Jesus’ life were buried under a mountain of fear and grief. It is at such a time in our own life that we may think God has abandoned us. But God is at work- as surely as he was in the story of the Resurrection. When you don’t feel or see Him working in the situation, remember that what you don’t see is more important than what you do see. That is how God works- making the ordinary extraordinary. Taking our end of the road moments and breathing the miraculous into them.

What do we do in the meantime? How do we discern what the next step should be? In reality, the work we do in the meantime space may be quite ordinary. A few weeks ago I was touched when I watched the women at a friend's church do something as ordinary as dust in their sanctuary. A small group of people sharing the work to keep a church open was transformed into a statement of courage and hope. As we continue to seek God, and believe in the resurrection power of his promise to us, we wait and work- that’s what we do in the meantime.

The message for us today is that God is extending to each of us a generous welcome to become part of the miraculous--- to be part of the resurrection story. The question for us to answer is this: Are we willing and are we ready? Are you ready to say yes to the transformation that will enable you and empower you to move forward and take the next step?

No matter where you are in your life, Philippians 4:13 reminds us, “Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength”

What do you believe?

2010-03-24T15:46:00.001-04:00

Today’s thoughts come from a series of verses. They repeat, not as a “Groundhog Day” kind of replay, but to emphasize the weight of the promise!

Matthew 18:19 "Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven.
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Matthew 21:22 "And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."
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Mark 11:24 "Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.
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Luke 11:9 "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
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John 14:13 "Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
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John 15:7 "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
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John 15:16 "You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.

What is it that you believe? How you live your life will give you an answer to that question. Itis possible that when you get to heaven God is not going to ask you why you weren’t more like Mother Teresa, Billy Graham or Bono. Perhaps He will more likely ask us, “Why you weren’t more like you?” Your source of real freedom and success is in discovering who you are underneath all the superficial stuff and living from that place. Every problem teaches us who we are. Every success teaches us who we are.

Remember the movie, Forrest Gump? At one part, Tom Hanks character is asked, “What are you gonna be when you grow up?” and Forrest says, “Why can’t I be me?”

Lead with your own unique talents and personality. Be authentically you and you will discover how much you have to give to the world. Great thought, isn’t it?

I believe that the more authentic we are, the more awareness we have of our true self, the more we reflect the character and quality of God. After all, He is truly authentic, infinitely creative and powerfully able. Imagine if every person in the world combined our part of the mind-power, creative thinking and shared personal expression, wouldn’t that make for a nearly flawless world.

What if the energy that millions of people expend inward in self-recrimination, fearful judgments of others, and setting up the selfish hoarding of world resources could be transformed outward, that would send out a wave of ample supply and light across the globe that would change humanity’s reality forever. Would this not be closer to God’s vision of reality for us?

There was a piece on the web about the Chilean magnitude 8.8 earthquake changing the earth’s rotation a few weeks ago. Imagine if one pinpoint spot can change the rotation of the earth with a few seconds of shaking, what could be accomplished by everyone’s good will. Why is it that people are unwilling to let go of the hurtful stuff in order to find something better? I think it is because to do so we have to be willing to let go of what we believe.

A college instructor once told a graduating class: “The voice we should listen to most as we choose a vocation is the voice that we might think we should listen to the least, and that is the voice of our own gladness. What can we do that makes us the gladdest, what can we do that leaves us with the strongest sense of sailing true north…? Is it making things with our hands out of wood or stone or paint or canvas?” Or is it making something we hope is truth out of words” Or is it making people laugh or weep in a way that cleanses their spirit? I believe that if what we do is a thing that makes us truly glad, then it is a good thing and it is our thing and it is the calling voice that we were made to answer with our lives.”

Can you trust what makes you “glad?” Could that really be the voice of your “calling?” Can we dare to let lose our imagination enough to listen to that voice within?

Theologian Thomas Merton said, “A tree gives glory to God by being a tree. For in being what God means it to be it is obeying Him…. The more a tree is like itself, the more it is like Him….”

Far too often, as we move from adolescence into adulthood, who we really are seems to be hidden behind a foggy mirror. But, in fact, who we are can only be found deep within, not in outward events or the reflection we see in the mirror. Those outward reflections only serve to direct us inward. In order to get to that real person inside, we must be willing to do the work of removing the false beliefs and superficial distortions hindering us from seeing ourselves as we really are. And since we are made in the image and likeness of God, what is ultimately to be found is something, well…. glorious!

As we uncover what lies at our core, this raw stuff is what anchors us and keeps us grounded, much like the roots of a tree which often reach as far deep and wide underneath as what we can see stretching out above the ground. Without coming to an understanding about what we believe and why we believe it, we are like towering trees with a shallow root structure, when they encounter strong winds, they topple easily. Often people who encounter difficult situations then question what they believe, or worse, allow false beliefs to dictate how disempowered they feel. Beliefs topple and fall as we face our greatest challenges without conviction.

As we continue to hear depressing economic news, many people in many churches have bought into it. I have found myself telling my father to quit sending donations to every charitable organization asking for money because he is going to need his resources to take care of his and my mother’s increasing needs. This is such limited thinking.

Are you wondering where the money will come to pay your bills? Don’t set limits on the avenues through which God wishes to provide? Or do you think he has become far sighted and cannot see your need up close and personal? Let go of your limited thinking.

We have forgotten that life is magical. We think, sometimes, there’s not a dragon left. Not one brave knight, not a single princess gliding through secret forests ... What a pleasure to be wrong. Princesses, knights, enchantments and dragons, mystery and adventure ... not only are they here-and-now, they’re all that ever lived on earth! Masters of reality still meet us in dreams to tell us that we’ve never lost the shield we need against dragons, that blue-fire voltage arcs through us now to change our world as we wish. Intuition whispers true: We’re not dust, we’re magic!" -- Richard Bach

I am not suggesting that we forsake responsibility for fantasy. But too often we forget how fantastical life is when we release our grip just a little and allow bliss to enter for awhile. What do you need: strength, health, insight, peace, a better job, more money? Why can’t this be black or white- either you believe God provides or he doesn’t and you let it rest instead of rehashing the problem. Rehashing is lack of trust. Asking over and over indicates that either you think God is hard of hearing or that he hasn’t heard you because you have not gotten an immediate answer.

Our spiritual life should mirror Jesus’ teaching. It is simple. It is uncomplicated. It is non-repetitive. Matthew 7:7 teaches us: “Ask, and you will receive. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened for you.” Nothing here indicates the need to keep banging until your knuckles bleed.

I can’t tell you how easily I find things I need, and my husband is the same way. If we think about something we want, we expect that it will arrive into our lives at the assigned hour, and at a great price. The chandeliers are a case in point. I admit that I have been thinking about their need to be replaced for some time, but I also knew that when the time was right we would find an amazing deal on the perfect chandeliers for this space. And we did. I would say that $150 light fixtures for $25 each are a great deal!

I have read a lot about how the economic crisis is affecting the way people are giving to the church and consequently the way churches are allocating funds. I've heard several conversations where people are scared that their ministry would fall victim to the hard times we appear to be deep into. Something doesn't add up here!

I want us to be sure we believe what we say we believe. I want to know that we are practicing what we say we believe. This is authentic living. It is sad to see churches fold under the economic realities of the day! I don’t think it is as much a reflection of God’s failure as it is an indication that they didn’t get their spending and giving in line. I view this as an opportune time to offer an alternate model for how to live in the face of such economic realities.

This building and the people in it have survived two world wars, several good blizzards, a near closure and a fire. We have learned how to survive, and I would like to see us now reach the time when we thrive.

Let me find --God’s light in my darkness

Let me find -- God’s life in my death

Let me find -- God’s joy in my sorrow

Let me find -- God’s grace in my sin

Let me find -- God’s riches in my poverty

Let me find -- God’s glory in my valley

If God is our Source - and He is - and if God is leading us to do something, then we need to know that He will provide for it and not hold back. We need to practice what we preach!

"... no matter what our difficulties may be, we recognize that there is a deep untroubled stream flowing below all surface troubles and that we are of one substance with that stream. The soul knows no difficulties." -- James Thornton

Are you in love with..... yourself?

2010-03-24T09:55:00.000-04:00

I would like to take the liberty to use a well known section of the Bible regarding love and look at it from a slightly different vantage point- instead of self-recriminations, let’s use this scripture to help us locate what we long for most.

1 Corinthians 13:
If I give everything I am away, but I don't love myself, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, or what I do, I am bankrupt without love flowing like a river flows within. Love never gives up on me. Love cares for others best by first loving every nuance of self. Love doesn't inflict misery by wanting what it doesn't have. Love doesn’t act from selfish motive, Love understands the intricate balance of worth, Love doesn't force, Love knows when to take time for renewal of self, Love doesn't easily get upset with one’s own mistakes, Doesn't compare self to others, Doesn't grovel with a sense of inferiority. Love is joyful when true to thy own self, Love walks away from what is not healthy. Love knows how much God loves and can trust God always, Love is always optimistic, Never looks back but keeps replenishing itself to the end. Love never dies.

Kahlil Gibran wrote, “Love... It surrounds every being and extends slowly to embrace all that shall be.” Often we look to the outside- to some other- to find what we sense is missing- love.

One of the distortions to the Christian message is a sort of self-condemnation that has arisen, I believe, out of an over-emphasis on a sin tradition. The Apostle Paul refers to his past in Romans 7: 15 “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I don’t do, yet I do what I hate- for I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. What a wretched man I am!” This is Paul speaking before he understood fully the gospel of grace which he taught later in his ministry.

Gibran wrote, “Much of your pain is the bitter potion by which the physician within you heals the self.” Out of the worst suffering have emerged the strongest souls; for the most developed souls are seared with scars. Our great victory comes not with ease, but in overcoming the greatest difficulties and heartaches imaginable. We are a collection of souls who have made it through some pretty deep valleys and made it up some pretty steep inclines. Some are still making their way through- and with the love and support of your fellow climbers –you will continue on till you reach the pinnacle of your spiritual growth.

Our hope lies in one of the foundations of Christian theology- one which I base much of my teaching upon- belief in the universal salvation of all mankind, which was taught by St Aquinas 800 years ago. He taught, “God sent his only son so that all humans, be they believers or unbelievers, could be redeemed by Christ’s sacrifice. There is not, never has been, and never will be a single human being for whom Christ did not atone.Church Tradition preaches in alignment with Holy Scripture, "he became the source of eternal salvation for all”.

Let me take you through the rationale of this line of thinking if this is a new concept for you:
Step 1- The death of Jesus bought salvation from the power and effect of sin.
Step 2- 1 Peter 3:18 says, "Christ died once and for all". We believe that Jesus accomplished what he said he did.
Step 3- Then we must admit there is a universal nature to the grace of salvation extended by God. If this grace is not available to everyone, then Jesus'death on the cross did not accomplish what it was theologically meant to accomplish.

"Universalism" is a principle that asserts that all people are under the consideration and love of God, and that theological concepts (doctrines) which conform to this are in fact more in accord with divine concepts. With this foundation of loving acceptance into the kingdom of God set in place- let’s move on.

Dr. Paul Tournier writes, “At the heart of each person is the need to feel a sense of being lovable without having to qualify for that acceptance."

There is something within each human that cries out for love. Yet, without the message of God’s unconditional forgiveness and love, how can a person feel any morsel of hope? The message of Christianity as it is spread today is far more likely to offer a person condemnation and judgment for their sin rather than a message of salvation and forgiveness.Dr. Tournier is speaking about a love that is unconditional- a love not dependent upon being or doing something worthwhile in order to earn such goodwill.

God is still speaking, but it is not a message of judgment and wrath- he speaks to convey a different message: Love is given in generous portion simply because the Lover loves you. But we don’t hear this message! We could conclude that all of humanity’s troubles originate with an internal knee-jerk reaction to the belief that we are in some way un-loveable. This is not God speaking- but what is broken within crying out when we have refused to accept the wholeness and health that God extends to each in his beloved creation.

Still many in our community reject what we have to offer them- not because they don’t want it but because they don’t trust themselves. They don’t feel worthy of something being offered solely for the joy of giving it away. How is it that so great a message has come to us through the prophet Jesus and people have twisted it and distorted it until it is nothing more than a hammer to hit someone else over the head with? We condemn others so that we don’t have to face our own self-condemnation. I don’t think that we can free ourselves from this self-diminishing way of thinking without careful examination of what is really happening in our heads.

The question I offer you is this: do you see yourself in any characteristic way as unlovable? We are all a unique set of characteristics. People around us as we grow up will put positive or negative qualities to these human characteristics. For example: my father and my son and, I daresay, I can be extremely "determined". You may say that we are very focused or blindly stubborn depending on the circumstance. Every characteristic which we were born with is there for our development, we can use them for our own good or for our harm. Do we have a choice on which way our qualities will go? Absolutely! It is within our power to choose to use our headstrong quality to make it through college without quitting when the going gets tough, or we can use it to injure our relationship with someone by always insisting that it be our way or the highway!

I encourage you to take time this week to reflect upon what you believe to be true about yourself. Do you look lovingly at the person before you when you look in the mirror or do you recoil in distaste and self-lothing? Take a few minutes to write down why you perceive yourself to be unlovable. Please note I did not say, why you are unlovable- but why you think you are unlovable. There is a fundamental difference. Look at the list and see if you can identify where those characterizations originated. Can you pinpoint old messages from parents, teachers, and friends that led you to negative conclusions about yourself? Are those messages valid today or are you willing to change them or better yet, let them go? The beliefs we adopt as children usually don't hold true when we view them objectively as adults. Can you stop believing in them? Can you begin to see yourself as a unique expression of life, as a genuine gift to the world?

How often have we acted in the hope of meriting someone’s love? If I give everything I am away, but I don't love myself, I've gotten nowhere. Love doesn’t come to us as payment for something we have done- it comes from within for one reason only- because love is all there is.
So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I am bankrupt without love flowing like a river flows within. Without finding the source within me, I will never find love from another..

Love never gives up on me. Ahhh, the good news- love is God in motion, moving throughout my reality, my universe, my thoughts, through... me.

Love cares for others best by first loving every nuance of self. Seek to love yourself in pure form, for no other reason than you are your best lifelong friend! Once you can laugh at yourself, cry for yourself, know yourself and forgive yourself you have befriended yourself. You cannot offer to others what you have not first given to yourself.

Love doesn't inflict misery by wanting what it doesn't have. It is so difficult for us to be content- blissfully content without thinking. Just being! Can you just be- without thoughts for a minute a day? That is a gift to give yourself.

Love doesn’t act from selfish motive, If we are motivated by what we get out of something, we are not acting from love. Love doesn' t expect payment or fairness or anything at all in return.

Love understands the intricate balance of worth. In love we relinquish the need to best anyone else or to gain at the expense of another. Love doesn't force- it is real and honest and true.

Love knows when to take time for renewal to self, How often do we go and go until we are ready to drop and then get up the next day, exhausted, to start it all over again. That isn't living. It is certainly not loving self.

Love doesn't easily get upset with one’s mistakes, The purpose of life is not to get it right, but to grow and gain insight when we get it wrong. Living involves risk and risk means sometimes we don't win. Love is there in those moments, to heal us and help us gain the courage to pick ourselves up again and move on.

Doesn't compare self to others, Do you compare apples to oranges? Bagels to bologna? Why do we compare ourselves to someone else. We are not and can never be them. Such comparisons only mean that we have not learned to love and appreciate ourself. When we do, there is no longer need to evaluate ourself against someone else.

Doesn't grovel with a sense of inferiority. An internal knowing of our true identity, as children of God, and that all others are likewise, means that we are not second to any and we can celebrate the gift another's life is to us. What a wonderful balance!

Love takes pleasure in being honest with self. No more lies, no more pretend and deception and fearful hiding behind some fake exterior. All that is so exhausting and grief provoking. We grieve because our soul knows it is not free, but when we let go of the secrets, they no longer hold power over us, and we can breathe again, maybe for the first time in our lives!

Walks away from what is not healthy. Loving self means that you no longer can live under anything that is not health producing. I have a dear friend whom I have been friends with for decades. I only want to see her happy, fulfilled, and healthy. I celebrate her accomplishments in life and want only the best for her. As my best friend, I have learned to do the same for myself.

Love knows God loves and can trust God always. What have I to fear with God's lovingkindness next to me? I know that I have experienced love, in it's purest form, when I have felt God nearby.

Love is always optimistic, it gives me proof that life is good. Even in my darkest valleys, when there was no glimmer of light in front of me, I knew that love would lead me out of the darkness and grief and life would one day be good again. I knew, because I loved myself, that I didn't want to stay in that dark valley any longer than I had to be there.

Never looks back, love never wishes for things that can't be, never day dreams of things that are not real. Love looks ahead, and can enjoy the wonder around me now.

But keeps replenishing itself to the end. Can we ever run out of love? No.

Love never dies.