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Works in Progress…
One of the themes in Paul’s letters to the faith communities in Corinth, Philippi, Ephesus and Colossae is that of “maturity.” The letter to the Colossians was written to deal with controversy that had developed in a “gentile” congregation. The Church in Colossae was started by Epaphras (one of Paul’s associates); but, even so, Paul was interested in the congregation’s health and wanted to “shore up” that which was being taught so that “we may present everyone mature in Christ.” The letter to the Ephesians, on the other hand, was not meant to address any “wrong headedness”; rather, it was a general letter to show how diversity and unity were (and are) to work in the Church. “The gifts God gave were that some would be…to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith…to maturity…” (Ephesians 4:11ff).
All living things are either growing or dying; one might accurately say that we are works in progress (or digress) depending on the choices we make. Indeed, there are those times when we take two steps forward and one step back. And, unfortunately, every now and again, we will take one step forward and twosteps back. We may eat well on a regular basis, but go through a period when all we choose to eat is junk food. So the weight loss, health benefits and all the rest are lost. Or, we may think clearly for a good long while, but then go through a time when we are ruled either by irrational thoughts and/or emotions thereby wrecking relationships and our own self-understanding. Perhaps there are seasons when we will practice the spiritual disciplines of prayer, worship, service, stewardship, fasting, and journaling and find ourselves growing in faithful understanding. Then, things come our way, we discard the disciplines, and we are seemingly “back where we started.”
Thank goodness for that wonderful part of God we call “grace.” It is something we all need.
I was most recently set to thinking about this matter when I heard the remarks a rather prominent person in our country made about a particular race of people. His insensitive, and thoughtless, words suggested that race (not poverty or a sense of despair, or anything else) was responsible for the crime rate being what it is in this nation. I was saddened that such a sentiment was expressed. Surely those words hurt a great number of people; and one, of course, is too many.
But, because we are works in progress, all of us need to know the grace of God that was made real in Jesus Christ…even those who we think don’t deserve it or should receive it. As difficult as it can be, if the Church isn’t a place of grace, then it is no place to be.
I hope to see you Sunday…
In the mean while, be blessed!
Phil
A Table That Stretches Around the World…
A Sunday known as “World (wide) Communion Sunday” was initiated by the Presbyterian Church (USA) in 1936. Since 1940, however, and under the leadership of Jesse Bader, this Sunday has been celebrated by many ecumenically minded Christians. It is a Sunday that offers us the opportunity to be reminded of a unity that is made possible through the body and blood of Christ.
In all aspects and phases of life, there seems to be more than enough “special interest” groups. Some of them do significant and important work; others seemingly exist to be about stirring up controversy and causing division. The world is divided in so many ways, for so many reasons, and there are times when we feel isolated from others, and others from us. Separation tragically occurs in all areas of life: between nations, races and classes of people, and even in some families. Division and separation has even found their way into the Church. Indeed, in the Church’s two thousand year history, it has split apart more times than it has come together. And that is why such a Sunday as World Communion Sunday is important for us to celebrate.
This Sunday our communion bread will be Chinese Almond Bread, Challah, and Ksra representing China, the Middle East and Morocco. It will be served in usual fashion, but please do not understand this celebration as common or routine. In a world that is so terribly divided, our only hope is symbolized by the elements we will pass to and hold for each other: The body and blood of Christ.
Let us break bread together… Phil
September 23, 2005
Church: A Place to Be; A Place to Become…
As I stood in the little grocery store in Falmouth, Kentucky last Saturday night, (listening to a former parishioner recall the “Flood of 97”) a whole host of memories came flooding back to me. I first met the good people of Mt. Moriah in May of ‘89 when Dr. John Paver, the Field Placement Supervisor at LTS, sent me there for an “interview.” On the drive back to the seminary, I was sure they would not want me to be their “Student Pastor” if, for no other reason, than for the way I danced around the question, “Do you believe in the virgin birth?” But when I got back to the seminary that night, there was a message from Edwin (the Board Chair) on the answering machine: “Brother Phil, when can you start?” I began June 15, 1989.
Church. What a place to be! And what a place to become! When the church operates from a sense of health and wholeness, and when it is spiritually grounded in the One whose kingdom has no end, there is no better place to be, and there is no other place that helps us become the persons God intends for us to become. It is in community that we can experience the love of God most fully, and it is by being in community that we can be gently guided and taught. Church is a place where our gifts can be affirmed even as our growing edges are named.
There were many wonderful moments from Mt. Moriah’s homecoming, but the one that stands out for me involved a quilt. On it were all the names and dollar amounts each person or family gave for building that little white clapboard structure in 1911. The family that was primarily instrumental for making the quilt was asked to hold on to it. Last Sunday, however, they passed it on to the family who had a newborn son. In a tender moment, the family was called forward, and little Lyle (just weeks old) was wrapped in the quilt.
Church: A Place to Be; A Place to Become!
I hope to see you Sunday! Phil
September 9, 2005
...and not a drop to drink…
Short note this week… Too many pressing needs that deserve attention, awareness, and publicity. But as the water begins to get pumped out of New Orleans and recede in many other places affected by Katrina, we need to prepare ourselves for the devastation and death count that lie in the storm’s wake. And we will surely ask ourselves, and certainly God, “Why?” And, “What now?”
Some have said, “There’s a reason for this, we just can’t understand it.” I’m not there, and do not try to go there: Too simple for me. But such tragedy gives me an appreciation for the words Paul penned in his letter to the Church in Rome: “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.”
Shall our sighs be our prayer? Will we give?
Phil
September 2, 2005
Synergistic and Collaborative Pieces of a Paradigm Shift…
It is always interesting to me to listen for the “in” word of a given time or place. The professors and instructors I had in college were either (a) outdated and unaware of the “lingo”; or (b) sensitive to our various lots in life and spoke to us in ways we could understand. It seemed, for the most part, I understood what they meant to say. Not until seminary did I hear the term “paradigm shift.” It basically means, “a new way of doing something.”. Synergistic is the word a Lutheran pastor repeatedly used at a continuing education seminar I attended several years ago. As she used it frequently, other participants also began to say it quite a bit. The interaction of things or agents is what that word means. Collaborative is the word I am hearing these days. Venue was rather hip for a while; if you eavesdrop on the group gathered around a table in a Starbucks, there’s a pretty good chance you will still hear it. Anyway, though words are important, so is spirit. That is why we speak of the “letter” or “spirit” of the law.
As for me, I am a spirit person. There was a season or two when I was a letter or word person, but those were the driest days of life. And though I am grateful for the seminary education I received, those three years were the years God seemed most distant. Indeed, in the process of learning how to think about God, and speak about God, rare were the times when I experiencedGod. And that, in large measure, was why Sundays were so important for me during seminary. On Sundays, I would drive some seventy five miles to my student church. But I would have gladly driven much farther. Because there, in that small, clapboard church was the Spirit of God for which my soul longed. And though few who gathered on Sunday mornings inside of those church walls had the opportunity to attend college, they taught me more about God than any textbook I was required to read.
I hope to see you Sunday...Phil
August 19, 2005
A God Who is Always at Work…
The psalmist writes, “I lift up my eyes to the hills—from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.”(Ps. 121:1-4)
Gary Mayes, a colleague and friend, with whom I counseled camp in Mid-America, and who was the camp’s “uncle”, closed the evening devotions and sent the children to their cabins at night with these words from Psalm 121: “God does not slumber nor sleep.” To a bunch of five and six year olds, hearing those words brought a sense of tranquility to their anxious thoughts of sleeping in “the woods” with “lions, and tigers, and bears; oh my!” But, as I reflect on it, perhaps we adults would do well to abide in such truth. In a world that has lions, tigers, and bears of all shapes and sizes and veracity, perhaps that is where we can find a hopeful word: God is always at work, in all places; even in the most vile, rude, and hard-hearted beings that draw breath.
To affirm such a notion, of course, does not take care of the pain that is often inflicted by those who have no faith, or an immature one, but it does allow us to hold out hope that a conversion is yet possible for those who choose to reject the love of God made known in Christ Jesus.
One day a teacher asked her students, “Upon what do hibernating animals subsist during the winter?” A little girl, named Emma, thought for a few minutes and said, “All winter long, hibernating animals subsist on the hope of a coming spring!” Likewise, as we continue to move through a dry and warm weather pattern and nature dries out and turns brown, we wait with hopeful anticipation for the roll of thunder and the sound of rain dancing on the rooftops of our homes.
Life, for many of us, doesn’t always turn out the way we hoped: We experience disappointment, pain, and all the rest. But, even then, God is at work and will not slumber nor sleep until the world is exactly as God desires. And knowing that somehow makes the winters and the dry spells bearable.
Phil
August 5, 2005
The Name of One Who Keeps No Record of Wrongs…
I have, for several reasons, not been able to attend the last two General Assemblies of our denomination. But I hope the calendar, and my personal schedule, allow me to be present for the next gathering in 2007. I’ve heard from others that it was a time for revitalization, hopeful anticipation, and reunion.
Even though I was not in Portland, I took some time to visit the website for DisciplesWorld (a news publication associated with our tradition), www.disciplesworld.com in an effort to stay current with the assembly’s news. DisciplesWorld asked several folks to be “bloggers” for the event which had as its theme, “Jesus Calls Us…” A blogger, as I understand it, is one who uses the internet to electronically communicate with potential readers. One “blogger” was clearly upset by the approach the president of one of our general units used for his report (allowing time for “one question” at the end of his report and not “naming” volunteers who have picked up the slack due to cuts in staff as a result of decreasing mission dollars). The blog’s entry had as its title words indicating that some sort of record of wrongs was being kept. And that sentiment, quite honestly, was one of the “small” reasons my schedule did not allow me to make it to Portland.
I have been disappointed, through the years, that various parts of the Church have not been reflective of the “grace place” I think God desires. But there is the name of One who chooses not to keep records of wrongs or mistakes. It is the name who called the Church to Portland, and it is the name that is above all other names, and it is the only name any of us should care whether is mentioned in a report.
In his article “Revitalization Comes Through Mission” , Michael Kinnamon states in the current issue of DisciplesWorld, “And excessive focus on ourselves is the surest way not to focus on God.”
Seeking to take the name of Jesus…
Phil
July 22, 2005
Getting (it) Right With God…
When I walked in the house from a church meeting one evening, not too long ago, I was met by an eerie and unusual silence. It was 7:00 or so, and the sun was still brightly shining. “Maybe John and Steph went for a walk,” I thought. But as I walked past the living room, I noticed John on the couch with Stephanie sitting beside him. “Hi, Dad,” John said flatly. “What’s wrong,” I asked. “I’m fat,” he said. “What are you talking about?” “Dad, the kids across the street told me to read the note they put in the front door. They said I was fat, and because I am, they can’t play with me anymore.” Unfortunately, two months later, we are still dealing with the element of doubt that was planted by the kids across the street. And I’ve found John, on more than one occasion, pinching his belly to see how “fat” he is.
There are many who are created in the image of others, and who are defined by what others think or say about them. Still others allow their histories to define their present realities. And some so badly need the affirmation of others that they will go to any length to acquire it. Perhaps you know such a person.
The reality, however, is that each of us is a unique creation, lovingly fashioned by a Creator who has laid claim to our lives. We have been given an identity that transcends the identities others would seek to place on us, and it is the most important one we could ever claim for ourselves. It is, as you already know, “Child of God.”
I’ll look forward to seeing you in church…
Phil
July 8, 2005
In Seasons of Distress and Grief…
In the note below, Niki shares with you, the congregation, some news that will, undoubtedly, create a whole host of feelings within you. We will know sadness, distress, and grief at the thought of her departure. Even so, hopefully we will be able to arrive at the place where we can celebrate with she and Canaan. Their impending move brings with it an exciting prospect for ministry and service to the Church. We wish them only the best, and pray for them in the coming days.
July 31st is the last Sunday for Matthew Vanover as the pianist for the 8:30 service. He, too, will be sorely missed. But we celebrate with him as he prepares to pursue his education at the University of Evansville, and as he looks forward to employment at a United Church of Christ Congregation in the Booneville, Indiana area.
It is in such seasons of anticipated loss that we can feel an overwhelming sense of anxiety and perplexity. But such seasons also help us to re-examine where we ultimately place our trust and hope.
This Sunday, during both worship services, I will be preaching on the Genesis 25:19-34 text (Esau and Jacob). It will be an opportunity for us to look at what we hold on to, why we choose what we do, and how important it is to know when to let go.
Jacob was a grabber and more than just a little on the deceptive side. Esau may have given up a little too quickly and not relied enough on one greater than himself. Anyway, I hope you’re planning on being here. Phil
June 10, 2005
Fathers Matter…
I read that a man and his young son were climbing a mountain together. At one point they came to a place where the climbing was difficult and even dangerous. The father stopped to consider which way he should go. He heard the boy behind him say, “Choose the good path, Dad; I’m coming right behind you!” Indeed, fathers matter, and so do men in the church who have a healthy understanding of who they are, and what they offer.
You will remember that at the end of April, we, along with the La Plaza Immigration Center that Sister Larraine Lauter leads, celebrated “Children’s Day” here at the church. There were games and food; rock wall climbing as well as a juggling act. The weather, though a bit chilly, cooperated and most activities were able to be held outdoors. It was a great day. But one of the things I personally celebrated was the fact that the volunteers from our church was entirely made up of men. Usually, and tragically, when children are involved, it is the women who show the most interest and do the most work. How great it was to see men using most of a Saturday to be present to some of our community’s children.
Research indicates that when fathers are involved with raising their children, their children learn more, perform better in school, and exhibit healthier behavior. In 1997 the National Center for Education Statistics surveyed more than 20,000 parents. The results demonstrated that when dads are involved in their children’s education, it had a positive impact. When fathers attended school meetings and volunteered at school, his child(ren) was (were) more likely to get A’s, enjoy school, and participate in extracurricular activities.
So, if men have a positive impact in a child’s education, would it be safe to assume that it is important for dads and males to play a significant role in the life of the church? I think so. And the church, likewise, plays an extraordinarily important role in teaching men what it means to be a healthy Christian man in today’s world. So, Dads, as your children make their plans to celebrate how special you are (through cards, special words, and perhaps gifts of appreciation), plan to do something they need to see you do…bring them to church and Sunday school, choose the good path, and remind them that you love them, and so does God.
Cecil Phillips, a gentleman involved with the “Fathers Matter” program, and a “lay preacher” will be the guest preacher on Father’s Day.
Blessings,
Phil
May 27, 2005
Planting Seeds...
In a world that wants and demands instant results, the words that follow from Megan McKenna are refreshing. In her book, Parables, she writes: “There was a woman who wanted peace in the world and peace in her heart and all sorts of good things, but she was very frustrated. The world seemed to be falling apart. She would read the papers and get depressed. One day she decided to go shopping, and she went into a mall and picked a store at random. She walked in and was surprised to see Jesus behind the counter. She knew it was Jesus because he looked just like the pictures she’d seen on holy cards and devotional pictures. She looked again and again at him, and finally she got up her nerve and asked, `Excuse me, are you Jesus?’ `I am.’ `Do you work here?’ `No,’ Jesus said, ` I own the store.’ `Oh, what do you sell in here?’ `Oh, just about anything!’ `Anything?’ `Yeah, anything you want. What do you want?’ She said, `I don’t know.” `Well,’ Jesus said, `feel free, walk up and down the aisles, make a list, see what it is you want, and then come back and we’ll see what we can do for you.’
She did just that. She walked up and down the aisles. There was peace on earth, no more war, no hunger or poverty, peace in families, no more drugs, harmony, clean air, careful use of resources. She wrote furiously. By the time she got back to the counter, she had a long list. Jesus took the list, skimmed through it, looked up at her and smiled. `No problem.’ And then he bent down behind the counter and picked out all sorts of things, stood up, and laid out the packets. She asked, `What are these?’ Jesus replied, `Seed packets. This is a catalog store.’ She said, `You mean I don’t get the finished product?’
No, this is a place of dreams. You come and see what it looks like, and I give
you the seeds. You plant the seeds. You go home and nurture them and help them to grow and someone else reaps the benefits.’ `Oh,’ she said. And she left the store without buying anything.
There are all sorts of newsletters that come across my desk: Bread for the World, Habitat for Humanity, an occasional environmental newsletter, updates from Week of Compassion, Church World Service, etc. Even those that cite grim statistics do not depress me for the long haul, because these letters are really about hope and faith and folks who are trying to change the way things are. To be sure, there are no quick fixes for the thorny long-term difficulties we experience, but I am encouraged that there are people around the globe who do not respond the way the woman in the previous story did. I am encouraged that there are people like you!
I look forward to seeing you next Sunday. I will be out of the pulpit and out of town this Sunday.
Take Care, Phil
May 20, 2005
A Question, But No Tests…
I was upstairs and did not see what John took with him as he left the house for this last day of school, but Stephanie said his backpack had next to nothing in it; there was no homework to turn in, nor were there any special projects to be shared with the rest of the class. I heard him say, “Bye, Dad,” as he faced the last day of fourth grade. The last day of school for two and a half months! Other than Christmas, it is the day every child looks forward to every year! On this day, there will be no tests, quizzes, “open responses”, or “on demands.” Oh, there may be a casual question or two from the teacher to promote a conversation about the past year, but not much more than that.
One of the tasks of the Church is to provide folks with opportunities to mature in faith; that happens, of course, in a myriad of ways. But, in our tradition, it doesn’t happen through the recitation of a catechism or a specific creed. There are no tests of faith to be a part of the fellowship, only a question: “Do you believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, and do you accept him as Lord and Savior?”
I write about this, at this time, because I believe who we are as the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is becoming more attractive with each passing day. Indeed, I believe we are positioned, because of our position, to catch those who are falling away from the more dogmatic and lard-lined part of the Church, even as we continue to be the Good News to those who are unchurched. Though we can never entice people from a church where they find meaning, I am sensing, from those I meet, that there is a real need and desire for a church like ours.
In Waynesville, North Carolina, as you heard on the news, some members of a church were asked to repent or leave the church if they voted for a particular presidential candidate. It would never happen here; for that is a test, and it betrays our history. In another tradition, those who do not share the hierarchy’s position on deeply personal matters, are kept from the most spiritual and important sacrament instituted by Christ. That would never happen here; for that is a test, and it betrays who we are.
Some say of us that we don’t believe anything. That, of course, is not true. We ask and demand quite a bit from those who would want to unite with the church. We ask,
“Do you believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, and do you accept him as Lord and Savior?” And when the person says, “Yes”, an awful lot is being said.
Not too long ago someone who visited our church said, “It was so nice being with you all. It felt so freeing.” I was pleased; for that is what Christ longs for us: to be free from guilt, free from shame, and free from that which would keep us from maturing in faith.
I’ll look forward to seeing you Sunday where questions are asked, but no tests given!
Blessings,
Phil
May 13, 2005
Still Dreaming…
Our revised Executive Committee, Pastor’s Cabinet, and Committee Meetings time on Monday, May 2nd was awesome! It sort of felt like Pentecost a couple of weeks early! For we were all together in one place and there was a sense of the Spirit of what God might be doing with this community of faith today!
We were given permission and encouraged to name our “strengths” as well as our “growing edges” as it pertains to Christian Education, and we were asked to dream about where we would like to go with our educational ministries. It was truly an amazing and refreshing time for the leadership of the congregation. I will look forward to hearing about the same positive feedback from the two upcoming “dreaming” times related to the topic of education. Both will take place on May 22nd.
The first one for all Chi-Rho and CYF members will take place at the McKinley’s home (1523 Kent Place) at 9:30 (breakfast provided). Moms and Dads, please make sure your child(ren) attend; their voices need to be heard.
The second event that day will take place at 11:45 for the entire congregation. A light lunch will be provided in the gym after the 10:30 service, and at 12:15 we will break out into one of several groups to dream. Please call Gloria to let her know how many in your family will be attending.
Once we make it through this first round of dreaming, we will move onto one of two remaining topics (worship or mission/outreach) and we will follow a similar pattern so as to give voice to our strengths, growing edges, and dreams about where God is calling us in these days.
Remember, the genesis of these dreaming times came from the last Elder’s Retreat in which Dr. Richard Hamm, former General Minister and President of our denomination, encouraged us to think about such matters. Though that passage from Proverbs (29:18) was never quoted, my hunch is that it was on the minds of quite a few as we listened to Dr. Hamm speak. It reads, “Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint;…” Throughout history, we have translated it to, “Where there is no vision, people perish;…”
I am grateful for lay leadership that is so invested in this congregation’s past and present that it wants to dream today for an even brighter and more vital tomorrow. Indeed, when I look back upon pastoral leadership and hear the names of those who have served as ministers here, I am humbled. Even more than humbled, I am keenly aware that they are (or were) the best our denomination has cultivated. And with their leadership, this congregation has come far.
But, we have a long way to go. And, through listening to the Spirit, I am confident that we will live into the reality God has in mind for us.
As we approach May 22nd, please be in prayer, turn loose of the “shoulds” and “buts” and dare to dream!
Blessings,
Phil
May 6, 2005
The Gifts of Mothers…
There was, I understand, a cartoon that appeared in the Saturday Evening Post that showed a young boy about five or six years old talking on the telephone, saying, “Mom is in the hospital, the twins and Roxie and Billie and Sally and the dog and me and Dad are all home alone.”
Mothers have a special role to play in the family, and are often the “glue” that holds things together. I know there are exceptions to that statement, but by and large, I have found it to be true. Men, of course, can be central to the family unit, but sometimes abdicate what we have to offer. Nevertheless, as we approach this Mother’s Day Sunday, I am mindful of the special gifts of women and how much better life is for having a “feminine” influence.
Nicholas Gordon has written about mothers:
Before I was myself you made me, me
With love and patience, discipline and tears,
Then bit by bit stepped back to set me free,
Allowing me to sail upon my sea,
Though well within the headlands of your fears.
Before I was myself you made me, me
With dreams enough of what I was to be
And hopes that would be sculpted by the years,
Then bit by bit stepped back to set me free,
Relinquishing your powers gradually
To let me shape myself among my peers.
Before I was myself you made me, me,
And being good and wise, you gracefully
As dancers when the last sweet cadence nears
Bit by bit stepped back to set me free.
For love inspires learning naturally:
The mind assents to what the heart reveres.
And so it was through love you made me, me
By slowly stepping back to set me free.
To all who are, or have been like, mothers, “Thanks!” and, “Happy Mother’s Day!”
Blessings, Phil
April 29, 2005
Looking at the Numbers….
On page four of the latest Disciples World is a list of interesting numbers as reported by the Barna Research Group. I know what feelings those numbers stirred in me, but I am curious how they leave you. Here they are:
Activities named by Americans as bringing the most spiritual satisfaction:
Attending church……………………………………………….…...23%
Spending time with family………………………………….…...12%
Creative and leisure activities…………………….…….…...12%
Prayer………………………………………………………………….……….9%
Bible Study……………………………………………………….……...7%
Helping other people………………………………….…………….6%
Maintaining their relationship with God………………...3%
Relationships with other believers……………..…………….1%
Worshipping God……………………………………………………...5%
Leading someone to Christ……………..……………………...5%
Americans who…
Want to be more involved in a church…………………...12%
Want to enhance their spiritual makeup……………...50%
Want to read and know more about the Bible……….5%
I hope we will take the upcoming series “A Time to Dream” even more seriously than before being presented with these facts.
What must we do, who must we become, to meet the deep need in the lives of so many?
Blessings, Phil
April 22, 2005
When You’re One Hundred…
One of Stephanie’s grandfathers (Walter Simon) lived to be 103. And, as you might presume, he saw quite a few changes in his life time. He was born in the late nineteenth century, lived most of the twentieth century, and was but four years short of seeing the twenty-first century. His mind was clear to the very end, and he could recall a long ago event with great clarity and flair. Walter was quite the “story-teller.” He lived through some rather difficult times, had a limited formal education, but did rather well for himself and his family; he attended that well known school (of hard knocks). Even so, he had an inspiring spirit, and a hearty laugh.
This Sunday we will celebrate the fact that our sanctuary is a hundred years old. Constructed in the early twentieth century it has “seen a lot” of its own. That sacred space has served as a sanctuary from life’s storms and struggles, and it has also been a place where we have often found God to be most real…as we have prayed alone on a late afternoon summer day or as we have huddled close together as a community on a cold winter morning. We rightly celebrate a structure that has served many people in so many ways.
But, if it were not for the Living Stone, Jesus Christ, such a building would not be needed. The land on which this building stands could have been used for housing, or a greenhouse, or a child care facility, or a nursing home, or a school, or a car lot, or a bank, or a business of any other kind. But because of God’s amazing grace made known through Christ, and because of the Holy Spirit that gave birth to the Church, we gather every week, and sometimes more often, to remember this One who “though rejected by mortals” is our Living Stone.
Please consider this your personal invitation to this special Sunday time of worship and fellowship. I’ll be looking for you! Phil
April 15, 2005
A Time to Dream…
The other day I took a slew of tennis balls, and my racket and headed out to the tennis courts not too far from our home. Prior to that day, it had been quite a while since I picked up my racket and I looked forward to practicing my serve. And as I drove to the courts, I reminisced about my tennis abilities in high school, and college. Though I did not play on a school team, I was rather good, and fairly quick. There was a group of us who used to meet on a regular basis. They were the “good old days.” But, after having been away from it for some time, I wondered what my abilities would be. Surprisingly, they weren’t too bad; but I didn’t have to run after a returned serve, either; it was only me out here.
It is easy for us to remember where we’ve been, or what we used to be like; but I have noticed whenever I ask somebody where he or she feels God is calling him or her, or when I ask another about the future, or what vision they have, the typical response is, “I don’t know.” Again, we know how to recount a day gone by, but we haven’t trained our minds and hearts how to get in touch with God so that we can chart a course, dream a dream, or envision our future. Too often, and sadly, many of us get where we are by accident or mere luck. That is true in our personal lives, and it is also true for the church. But is doesn’t have to be that way; and it isn’t that way here at First Christian.
As a result of the Elder’s retreat in January with Dick Hamm, the elders have undertaken the task of coordinating sessions that have been called “A Time to Dream.” There will be several listening/conversation times surrounding several topics that are key to any congregation’s health and vitality. The first “A Time to Dream” will revolve around our ministry of education. And each of us will be given the opportunity to be involved with the discussion.
You will notice that this is different from a “top-down” approach to visioning (or goal setting). This is more populist in nature, and it allows all of us to take our place at the table; a table, I might add, that is round, and without a “head” place or “low” place; only your place.
We are fortunate to have in our midst folks who are adept at leading such conversations, and they are being called upon to help lead us through this important process. But it will not work without each of us.. Please be watching for more information about this exciting prospect!
With God, dreams become realities, and the journey is filled with joy! Blessings, Phil
April 8, 2005
No column this week - You can write Phil at phil@fccowb.org Let him know how much you enjoy his blog .
April 1, 2005
For a Time Such as This…
I am hesitant to wade into the waters of the “Terri Schiavo” story, but I would be remiss not to address it in some way. And yet, I have few, if any, answers, and, in fact, may have more questions than anything else. I am grateful to stand in a faith tradition during times such as this one. I give thanks for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and other similar “faith places” that allow for questions to be asked out loud, and to share honest thoughts and opinions without fear of excommunication or anxiety about being “labeled” in some form or fashion. To be sure, if this story has done nothing else, it has raised quite a few moral and ethical questions, and it has added fuel to a fire that has been burning for some time. And, sadly, now more than ever, there seems to be, at least by some, a “divide and conquer” approach to matters that deserve more study, discernment, and prayer than they appear to be given.
I was impressed, but not in a positive way, with the speed at which Congress was able to write legislation regarding the Terri Schiavo matter. We have more national “crises” than we can shake a stick at (healthcare being at the top) and there has been little, or nothing, done to address such a matter. Even so, after the state court in Florida ruled in a way that some found displeasing, there was a rapid move to change the law. You can do a “Google” search on “Terri Schiavo Legislation” and read the bill that was signed into law. But the first line reads, “For the relief of the parents of Theresa Marie Schiavo.”
One of the “issues” this story raises is, “When a person’s desires are not duly recorded by way of a legal document, and the person is married, but not able to communicate, who speaks for that person?” Is it the person’s spouse, parents, doctor? Is it the Congress, the Church, or a President?
On a psychological level, at least for me, one of the questions this story raises is, “How can some be so passionate about this story, but be unmoved by pictures of starving children in other nations? Have we become comfortable with seeing such pictures? Is it because the skin color of starving children is often something other than white?
Indeed, these are just a couple of matters that have been raised in my mind by this latest and prevailing news story. And I am afraid that the divisiveness that already pervades our nation will only be intensified for this having been played out in such a public way.
Therefore, it becomes all the more incumbent upon faith traditions like ours to discuss matters like this one in a faithful and rational manner. For such a time as this, we have much to offer.
Blessings,
Phil
March 25, 2005
Life Made New…
Every year, I understand, thousands of people climb a mountain in the Italian Alps, passing the “stations of the cross” to stand at an outdoor crucifix. One tourist noticed a little trail that led beyond the cross. He fought through the rough thicket and, to his surprise, came upon another shrine, a shrine that symbolized the empty tomb. It was neglected. The brush had grown up around it. Almost everyone had gone as far as the cross, but few passed by it.
Just as there are some who want to by-pass Holy Week (and its pain) in order to get to the “Alleluias” of Easter, there are also those who have managed to make it to the cross (and all the despair and heartbreak), but no further. Far too few have moved beyond the cross to claim the real message of Easter: By Christ’s resurrection, we, and the entire creation, have the opportunity to know life in a new way.
Many times, we focus on the new life that is “yet-to-come”, but the new life Christ brings is for this day, also. This One who “takes away the sin of the world” frees us up to live more joyfully today. This One who meets us where we are liberates us from exacting expectations and allows us to gently deal with our humanity. And this One who loves us “as is” compels us to share a similar kind of love. And all of that can have huge ramifications for our lives and the world today.
But there is one (not-so-minor) glitch: We must travel past the cross, and stand in the empty tomb.
The trail that leads there, however, is not well worn; few are willing to take the risk of moving beyond the old rugged cross. Even fewer will suspend their sensibilities in order to meet the risen Christ. And that, in large measure, is why the world is the “same old, same old.”
I look forward to seeing you Sunday as we move beyond the cross to the empty tomb. For it is there that we are reminded life can be new!
Blessings,
Phil
March 18, 2005
A Case for the “Different Drummer”…
Whenever my dad wanted to indicate to us that someone was “different”, but be polite about it, he would say something like, “She marches to a different drum.” And I would always conclude that marching to a “different drum” was necessarily “bad,” or “wrong.” Rarely did I assign any positive thought or emotion to that phrase; rather, I just thought marching to a different drum was something I didn’t want to be accused of doing...until I realized how deadly “staying in step” can be.
My mom told me of a minister she knew who had a nervous breakdown because he wanted to be a farmer, but his mother wanted him to be a minister...something inside him died. He would have been healthier if he marched to the rhythm God placed in his soul. On the international level, history is filled with deadly acts against humanity and creation because the “different drum” was something to be feared. So we should not be surprised, should we, to hear that the Church can lose some of its vitality, life, mission, and ministry whenever it does not stay in step with God’s music, but the music that keeps it from being charged with the “different drummer” label.
Last Friday, I spent the day in Evansville with many other clergy and religious leaders for a seminar led by Rev. Dr. Peter Steinke. Dr. Steinke is a nationwide consultant to churches and businesses; he is also a therapist. In the course of the day, he stated that some people think that tension in relationships (family, work, church, etc) is necessarily bad and something to be avoided. But, he added, growth does not occur without it. The fear of tension feeds homeostasis, and homeostasis leads us nowhere rather quickly.
We in the church often find our comfort more from a routine, ritual, or prescribed schedule than we do from the One who has promised to be with us in all of our our moments. And there are times when we are afraid of engaging a new mission, different ministry, etc. because we did not do it “last year” and it requires us to march to a different drum.
As Malcolm Bryant, Chair of the Elders, reported to the General Board on March 7th, our congregation is in the process of putting together “listening conferences” for you, the members of this church, to give voice to your highest hopes and aspirations for our mission and ministry. And though you do not need “permission” from anyone to share what is on your heart or mind, I certainly want to encourage you to attend one of the conferences so that we can shape the future together. And, above all else, please do not fear the label of “different drummer.” That is one of the things they called Jesus.
Blessings, Phil
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