"What you were called to do," part 2

Continuing from my last post - about the blog post I read the other day that said... "You won't be judged on what you did - you will be judged on what you were called to do."

The second point that caught me was, about thinking too small - or not stepping into me fully enough to allow God to use all of me. He says, "I won't be judged on my results, but on my capacity, and my faithfulness to fulfill the divine assignment God has purposed just for me."

How often am I too afraid to step out into the light - to fully embrace what God is calling me to do (no God, surely you aren't asking me to do that!)? Marianne Williamson once said (although it may not have originated from her) that what we are most afraid of is the light within. We are most afraid that we will be wonderful and great. We are more afraid of the light than of the dark.

I won't be judged on my results, but on my capacity... How often am I not open to fully embracing what God has called me to do? More often than I'd like to admit! So what do I do about it... prayer and continuing to seek a deeper relationship with God, for starters.

What about you? Do you agree with this? And if so, do you find it difficult to live to your fullest capacity and live faithful to God's calling? What do you do about it?

Not 'what you did', but 'what you were called to do'

Another great post I read the other day said... "You won't be judged on what you did - you will be judged on what you were called to do."

He makes two points that I'd like to look at closer... The first is - not being judged on comparison. How often I find myself comparing myself with some else - and coming up on the short end of the stick! It's all too easy to fall into this trap. I remember the Jewish story of Rabbi Zeusa (sorry for mispelling!) where the Rabbi says, "When I stand before God, God won't ask me why I wasn't a better Moses. God will ask me why I wasn't a better Zeusa." God has created each of us to be distinct. Why is that so difficult for me (perhaps all of us?) to celebrate? Why do I find myself checking myself against others, even for sme of the craziest, simplest things?

Is this true for you? What do you find works for you when this happens? What snaps you out of it?

Off to General Assembly

I'm off to General Assembly Saturday. I'm looking forward to going. I haven't been to Assembly since Cincinnati, at least 6 years ago. The worship was the most power part of the experience for me. Taking communion every evening with 6,000 to 8,000 people was an awesome experience!

The Song of Myself

I read a great blog the other day at Real Live Preacher about singing the song of yourself. (It is definitely worth a read.) And it got me thinking...

What would it take to sing the song of myself? and What would it cost me? he asks... This post resonated with me, in part, because I believe that we each have truth to share - but we need to do the necessary work of knowing ourselves in order to understand what that truth is. I believe we come to know ourselves better as we come to know God better, as we deepen our relationship with God. And it is through the confidence of that knowledge and the depth of that relationship that I might find the courage to actually sing the song of myself. For it does take courage, because in sharing the truth as I have come to understand it lies great vulnerability. Whether others understand or not that this is what I am doing, I know that I am making public my truest self - and that calls for risk in so many ways, not least of which is the possibility of finding myself alone. Ah, but to risk it - to dare to sing the song of myself, to share my truth is to feel, even for a fraction of a second, that I am walking the path I have been called to walk. It is to know with certainty that the vibrations of the world sing and pulse in a harmony beyond anything humanity could dream of creating alone.

Perhaps one day I will hear the song clearly enough to sing it for you. Perhaps one day you will sing it for me. ...Until then, maybe we can walk together listening for the soft humming that we may find in the silent spaces.

Happy 50th!

My husband turned 50 today! I find it hard to believe. We went to dinner tonight with some family and friends. It was a great time.

A friend and I went shopping today and saw a card that said, "if you didn't know when you were born, how old do you think you are?" I love that question. Not how old am I, but how old do I think, feel, act? I'd have to say somewhere in my late 20's or early 30's - which I left behind a long time ago! What about you?

Making the Message Relevant

I have been thinking and praying a lot about how to make the gospel message relevant for this world we find ourselves in – you may have noticed that from my last sermons… The message of God’s love for and intimate involvement with humanity is vast and unchanging. But I am aware that the language we use to tell others about it, and the way that it is expressed in our lives does change. So how do we see today’s happenings, the events of our lives in the ancient stories? What language do we use to connect God’s truth of life with our lives?

Last year in one of the classes I took in seminary, I helped plan a worship service that aimed to connect to people who were new to the church. A service that had to assume that most of the people attending did not understand the jargon used in most churches. My task was to prepare the communion meditation. It was difficult to explain the significance of the Last Supper, disciples, bread, cup, salvation… without using words that we’ve “always” used. I found that I had to re-write the meditation several times. That exercise has helped me be a little more aware of what I say and how I say it. Liturgy is wonderful, but only when it holds meaning for the people participating.

What holds meaning for you in worship? How do the ancient stories, the history of God’s involvement in the lives of people – how do these things connect to you today? How do you share with other people your understanding of the truth of God’s love? I’d love to hear about it.

The Little Blue Cards or Experiences to Nurture Faith

A few Sunday's ago during our worship service, I asked folks to reflect on where God is calling you to grow and learn in faith - and then to share with me what types of 'educational' experiences will help you nurture and deepen your faith. These are 'educational' experiences in the sense that when we are aware of what helps us grow and we seek out those things in order to help that happen, then they are intentional 'educational' experiences. I wasn't seeking simply specific types of study or books - although that can be what helps us grow at certain points in our journey. I was seeking any reflections you wished to share. I was pleased that most folks did this, because we are each created differently and it helps me to understand and connect better. So - Thank you! for sharing. If you weren't able to be in worship or simply didn't have enough time to reflect and write, please feel free to reply to this post, or send me an email letting me know your thoughts.

I thought you might like a summary of what I heard: Some comments were pointed and helpful - things that we are not offering that can easily be 'fixed' - like making sure we have fully staffed kids' classes beginning with pre-K, or offering kids' options and not just childcare in conjunction with adult events. There seems to be some interest in a 'self-paced' or on-line option for study and community forming. There were many comments related to creating experiences where we would have the opportunity to learn from one another's experiences - sharing our faith walks. There is interest in learning how to be better parents, partners and spouses, financial stewards, and friends. There is interest in deepening faith through serving others - both through our current ministries and through other ministry in our local community. There is interest in learning how to better share our faith with others, and learning about other faith traditions and how we are different and how we are the same.

In some ways the responses are as varied as we are. In other ways, the responses all say 'I'd like to learn about making sense of the happenings of life' - there are simply different ways that work better for us at different times of our lives. Yes, I knew that - but it was helpful to be reminded of both the variety and the commonality.

I had lunch with a friend yesterday and she shared that one way she is seeking to deepen her relationship with God is through deepening her relationship with others. Jesus taught that our relationship with God was reflected in how we relate to others. Trying, as much as possible, to see the image of God in other people is something that we can all do (in all situations, and at all times) to deepen and nurture our faith. It can help us come to understand God better, and understand other people better.

Thanks, again, for sharing your thoughts. They will be helpful to me over the next few weeks as we prepare for our 'fall start up' at the end of August. ...And please feel free to keep the ideas coming!

Freedom to Follow

I've been thinking about posting some of my sermons on my blog. I've had a few folks inquire about my last one, so I thought I'd post it here. Please let me know what you think - and if you find it helpful to read. Note, though, that writing-to-speak and writing-to-read are somewhat different. In this sermon, I shared that I was wrestling with how we as a church are being called to make the message of Christ and the church relevant for today's world. I shared some of my thoughts, and then stopped to listen to the thoughts of those who wished to share. I actually sat down and asked everyone to take a few moments to write down their thoughts on what I was saying and to share them with me by turning them in (that's the part in italics). I was excited to see that more than half did. I'll share some of that in other posts. For now, I hope sharing this sermon helps. (My thanks to RevGals and Theolog for some of the thoughts within the message.) ==========================================================

Freedom to Follow

Luke 9:51-62, Galatians 5:1, 13-25

In today’s gospel text we find ourselves walking with Jesus as he begins his journey toward Jerusalem. As we hear the story this week and the ones in the weeks ahead of us, we know, because we have heard the end of the story, that the shadow of Jesus’ crucifixion is just around the bend. …Today’s story unfolds as they journey together.

Verses 57-62 of today’s text are ones that raise some questions about what Jesus is teaching. In these verses we find three different people wanting to follow Jesus, but it seems Jesus tells them “no“… almost saying, ‘you’re not good enough’ or ‘you don’t get it so don’t bother.’… Let’s take a closer look at what is happening…

Our call to follow Jesus - or to follow any path for that matter - brings us into conflict with other things. Someone once said, “following means being willing for change to be the only constant.” Sometimes the changes that following God brings to our lives are significant - like going to seminary and being ordained at the age of 45. Sometimes the changes that following God brings to our lives are more subtle, not as obvious - like seeking to treat others with courtesy and respect at all times, regardless of how we feel or how they act, simply because we believe everyone carries within them the image of God.

One of the difficulties in interpreting the scriptures, especially passages that share Jesus’ words, is that we only have the written words to go by. Just like email and letters, we don’t have any body language, facial cues, or tone of voice to weigh the words against to help us better understand the person’s meaning. Sometimes people hear Jesus words to his hopeful followers in today’s passage and say that the lesson is - “if you want to be a follower of Christ you must do so wholeheartedly, anything less and you are not really committed to following.” Well, if that’s true, then I wonder how the message of the good news of God’s love is ever communicated. If the gospel message depends upon us becoming “good” or being flawless in our following, then it doesn’t seem like it’s very good news... …Maybe these encounters have more to say about the gospel message than they do about what we must do to be considered disciples.

The text tells us that while they were on their journey a person approached Jesus and said, “I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”…I think Jesus is reminding us - that the message he shares is not just for one place or one time, but for all places and for all times. If we choose to follow Christ, truly follow wherever it may lead, then we must be prepared to go places we never dreamed of - spiritually and emotionally and, perhaps, even physically. Jesus is not seeking simply to make our homes better, he is seeking to make the world better, to heal its brokenness. When we follow Jesus, we travel with Christ…pilgrims on a journey… Faith is not a destination; it is path that takes us on our journey through this life and beyond….

The text then tells us Jesus said to another person, “Follow me.” But the person replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” …Now that doesn’t seem like a bad request - the scriptures tell us to honor our father and mother… But Jesus replied, “Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”… The point is not “if you won’t come now then you’re not good enough, go away”; the point is that God’s message of love shared through Jesus is radically different from what had been understood until then. Through Jesus we are not tied to the laws of the Old Testament in order to be in relationship with God. Christ came to fulfill the law, to free us from the law, to show us a new way to be in relationship with God and with one another. The message is not ‘don’t bury your parents.’ Instead, the message is “do it out of love not out of duty and prescription.”

Don’t allow yourselves to be tied to lifeless systems, rigid rules and dogmas that tell you what “ought” to be. The gospel message cannot be fully understood through rigid systems, through rules and laws. Rules and laws have their place as we grow and learn (any parent or teacher would tell you that), but eventually we are called to grow in our faith to the point that our faith, our living out of the way of Christ, moves us beyond merely obeying laws. The gospel message is a message of freedom and responsibility. It is a call to live fully alive with God in each moment, aware of God’s presence - aware of our connectedness to God and to one another so that our actions, our responses move from a place of centeredness in Christ, from centeredness in love and connected to one another, so that rules and laws are not only unnecessary, but they actually hinder us in living in loving ways with each other. In book of Galatians Paul talks about freedom. And in chapter 5 verse 1, he tells us it was for freedom that Christ came to set us free. Freedom is not simply the gift Christ gives. To live fully as freed people is the goal of discipleship… Freedom to follow…

As their journey continues, another person approaches Jesus and says, “I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” This too doesn’t seem unreasonable, but Jesus says, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”… Not say goodbye?…Where’s the love in that?… …I think that misses Jesus’ point. He is not saying don’t honor the past. Instead, he is saying “don’t be so tied to the ways of the past that they blind you to the ways of a future with God.”

Have you ever used a mower or rototiller or plow? They are all things that are meant to be used while you are looking forward - while you are looking ahead to where your journey is taking you. If you try to use a mower, pushing forward while looking behind you, you will quickly find that the mower goes on a different path than the one you wanted to take. …I once heard a story of a pastor who decided to plant a garden. She rented a rototiller to prepare the soil for planting. As she was carefully tilling along the fence-line at the edge of her property one of her neighbors called to her over the fence. She looked away to respond and the tiller climbed up her chain link fence and hung there, 4 feet off the ground. …certainly gives a whole new image to “putting your hand to the plow and not looking back.”…

A man once told me the worst thing to have is a glorious past - a past that you allow to overshadow any future. When I live my life seeing only a glorious past, then I end up trying to relive the past now and in the future. But the past cannot be again. When I ignore that the context has changed, then I continue to try to do the old things that worked and lament that others won’t get on board…

One area that I have been struggling with lately is living out the knowledge that we must find new ways of being church. What worked in the 1950’s and 60’s or even in the 90’s is not what makes church relevant today. So what do we do as a community of faith to make the message of God’s love relevant in today’s world? The message has not changed, but the way we communicate it needs to - it needs to speak in the language people speak today. It needs to follow the example of Jesus’ ministry and meet people where they are today to help them grow more fully into the knowledge of the love of God found in Jesus Christ.

So what do we do to nurture and enliven and encourage our own faith journeys so that we are empowered to live out and share God’s message of love, to share God’s grace? How do we, for example, take the tradition of the church as educator for faith understanding and make that relevant for today?… At one time, the church was the sole provider of any educational teaching - so stained glass windows and other art forms were developed to teach about God and life and love in the language of the people. Later, when art was valued less and empirical knowledge was valued more and educating the masses became widespread, the church’s role in education grew into Sunday morning programs that mirrored education systems offered in the larger community - a church system that developed to teach about God and life and love in a new context, one that spoke the language of the people…

So what is the church’s role in education today? What does learning about God and faith, love and forgiveness, grace and hope - what will that look like in today’s context?… I am still searching for understanding - but perhaps it looks like sharing our faith journey through blogging on the web; sharing glimpses into our lives of faith in hopes that each of us can help strengthen one another’s journeys. …Maybe it looks like creating opportunity for study groups that meet on-line so that participants can join the conversation at the times of day that better meet their schedules. Perhaps it is a Tuesday morning breakfast study that meets before the work-day begins, or a weekday lunch group who meet to share a time of prayer and fellowship and connection to remember the One for whom they truly work, or a weekly group who meet to meditate together on passages of Scripture that are pertinent to what is happening in the world right now and then spend time together praying for God’s will, God’s love, and God’s blessing to be poured out… …Maybe one of these ideas calls you to participate or even to lead - or perhaps you have another idea that you’d like to share… I’d like to listen - where is God calling you to grow and learn in faith?

(pass out blue cards; ask everyone to: take a moment to reflect on how the language of faith speaks to you - and share your thoughts on what type of education experiences will help nurture and deepen your faith… you are welcome to put name on it if you’d like to talk with me further… place in offering plate later in service… I will give you time now - where is God calling you to grow and learn in faith? And what types of education experiences will help nurture and deepen that?…)

Spiritual growth, spiritual renewal, and growing in the fullness of Jesus Christ is not just the responsibility of the Church. It is the personal responsibility of each person who seeks to be a follower of Christ. The freedom that Jesus gives comes with responsibility, the responsibility of discipleship. In some ways we are more free today than we have ever been - and the responsibilities are greater than ever. Our society no longer “expects” us to go to church; most people think nothing of it if we do not go. So simply attending church might seem to satisfy our responsibility in following Christ. But we are also responsible to learn all we can and to grow in faith as deeply as we can, for ourselves and for the sake of others. We each have a responsibility to seek not just what God is calling me to do, but to seek what God is calling us to do. And we have the responsibility to speak the truth God has given us to others, in a way that they are able to hear…and we have the responsibility to listen to the truth God has given to others… so that we can learn and grow together toward wholeness in Christ….

As we walk together on this journey with Christ, Jesus calls us to be prepared to go places we never dreamed of - spiritually and perhaps physically, too. Jesus calls us to live not from duty and obligation to laws and rules, but to live out the freedom of the love of God found in Jesus Christ. And, Jesus calls us to live not from the past, but instead to live toward a creative new future with God. Christ has come so that we might be free to follow - freed to follow with Jesus on the journey to wholeness in God. …Amen.

Sorry for not posting...

For those of you reading my blog - sorry for not posting in the past few days... With our senior pastor out of town, I have taken on a few extra responsibilities - not many, but enough to throw off my (precarious) balance. I think I'm getting back to it now - just in time for him to leave again, and then for me to go to General Assembly! Ah well... Thanks for sharing this journey.

I Heard God's Voice Calling

I was going through a file and came across this poem I wrote several years ago... I used to write poetry a lot when I was younger. I can't remember the last time I wrote any... (hmm, I think that needs some reflection...) Anyway, I hope you enjoy it.

I heard God’s voice calling…

I heard God’s voice calling

in the whispering of the trees

and the birds’ songs.

I heard God’s voice calling

in the raging of the storm

and the stillness of the night.

I heard God’s voice calling

come to me, follow me,

walk in my way.

I heard God’s voice calling

in the fullness of my soul

and I listened.

Suzanne Stout

10-23-93

...how do you hear God's voice calling you?

Congregational Conversation - a concern...

One concern I had after our Congregational Conversation, and which I still have, is that many people may have left the discussion feeling that they did not get a chance to share or respond. Because it was evening and we didn't want to keep folks late (especially the kids), it seemed to me that we ended before everyone had a chance to share. Perhaps some people weren't wanting to share, but I left feeling some people may have felt cut off ...and sometimes that can leave you with the feeling that your thoughts aren't valued - which I believe is not true in this case. I know there really was not time at the meeting to dialogue about concerns - and I don't think it would have been very helpful to do it then since many people were hearing the information for the first time and, perhaps, need time to digest before finding more dialogue valuable. But the team certainly was seeking to gain insight into first impressions. Perhaps my concern is unfounded, but if not - I hope if you did not get a chance to share, that you wrote your comments down. And I pray that you know your thoughts are valued.

I believe that none of us knows God's Truth. (No matter how much I want to believe that I'm always right, I'm painfully aware it isn't true!) Our humanity hinders any one of us from knowing fully as God can be fully known. However, I believe that God imparts to each of us some portion of God's truth. And it is through our coming together and sharing the understanding that God has given each of us, even when it may seem to contradict - through this open and loving dialogue we grow together as a community of faith to understand a larger portion of God's will for us. We are each distinct parts making up the unique whole that our community of faith is. And we are each needed, our gifts and graces as well as our weaknesses - each of us is needed and cannot be replaced by another (just as the hand is not an eye, nor the eye an ear, etc.). I pray that you hear and respond to God's call to be part of the dialogue as we journey together to do God's will.

Our community of faith...

...I have spent a good portion of today processing yesterday's Congregational Conversation. As I reflect more, I will share my thoughts here... but let me start by saying:

I am so proud to be able to say I am a member of our church. The people I worship and serve with are so intentional about living out the biblical understanding of a faith community. You folks are great!

Last night about 45 of us gathered together to learn about a proposed building project that a team of folks has been working on. We fellowshipped together (read "had food"!), listened to the team's information, asked insightful questions, and spent some time sharing our initial reactions with the team and with one another. We didn't all agree, but we were able to disagree and raise questions and concerns while still communicating appreciation for the work that has been done. We were able to sit at tables together and treat each other as valued children of God. With a project the size of the one being proposed, it's typical to find groups who agree, who disagree, and who want to modify it in significant ways... These divisions of thought could easily fracture our community - and yet I believe discussions like we had last night will help instead to strengthen our trust in God, strengthen our care for one another, and help us to more easily glimpse the Spirit at work in our midst.

As a Christian, it saddens me to admit that oftentimes Christians can be found treating one another worse than folks who don't claim any connection to Christ. So it fills my heart with joy to be part of a community who understands and lives out what Christ teaches. A community who can disagree and still communicate love and acceptance. A community of people who care enough about God's call on their own lives and God's call on the life of our family of faith to not only give thoughtful consideration to what others say, but to also speak honestly when they are concerned. It takes courage and faith, not only in God but also faith in the Spirit of God at work in our midst.

My prayer is that, as we all have time to reflect, think, and question, that we will be able to continue to trust one another and God as we continue to seek God's will for us in this situation. Thank you for calling me to be a part of God's work in this place with you.

Journeying, part 2...

In my previous post I said about teenagers:

During this most difficult time in their lives what I believe they need most from adults is for us to be honest - to be able to be real, authentic. ... But, at the same time, I believe what they also need most is to know that the most valuable thing I can offer is to be available to walk with them on their journey, no matter what that is or where it takes them. To offer them my faith to lean on when theirs is weak, so that they can trust that all will be well, that God will be with them no matter what, and that they are each persons of infinite worth and value right now just the way they are.

For me, this also describes what our relationships with one another are all about - regardless of our age... or at least what they should be all about. That's what Jesus offered - honesty, authenticity, support, faith to share. Simply put, unconditional love.

I hate to admit that it is often easier for me to offer this type of love to teenagers than it is to offer it to adults. With teens, it is so much more obvious that they are seeking, searching, in need. Most of them just aren't as adept at putting on the mask as most adults are. And their honesty demands that I not put on the 'polite adult' mask that society tends to want adults to wear.

Today is my retreat day this month. I hope to spend at least part of it reflecting on where I need to be more authentic, honest and supportive in my relationships.

Journeying with teenagers...

I think one of the things I like about teenagers is their honesty. Much of the time they tell it like it is - or at least like they see it - whether or not it is the 'polite' thing to say. They are living through a time in their life when they are trying to figure out who they are and whose they are, where they belong and who will love them. They often wear masks to hide their uncertainties and to contain their fears, and they seek growth and understanding. During this most difficult time in their lives what I believe they need most from adults is for us to be honest - to be able to be real, authentic. To be angry when I am upset, to cry when I am sad, to admit when I don't know or don't understand, to not pretend that the world they live in is the same as the world of my youth, to not pretend that I understand all that they are going through... But, at the same time, I believe what they also need most is to know that the most valuable thing I can offer is to be available to walk with them on their journey, no matter what that is or where it takes them. To offer them my faith to lean on when theirs is weak, so that they can trust that all will be well, that God will be with them no matter what, and that they are each persons of infinite worth and value right now just the way they are.

God loves me that way... God loves you that way... do you know it?

A vision of hope

Here is a vision that, I hope, will up lift you and give you hope and strength.

Last week at camp I led two small group sessions on meditation and contemplation. These were sessions that the kids volunteered to attend. Eleven teens attended the first session and 15 attended the second. Picture a room full of teenagers requesting, seeking to learn more about communing with God - giving up time for other things, sitting without iPods or video games, sitting silently in shared space in communion with one another, seeking to learn more about sitting quietly in the presence of God. Some of them already practice meditation, for others it was a new experience - each of them ready to say 'enough' to the hectic life they lead, and seek instead opportunities to simply be in God's presence. It was an awesome and powerful experience for me. The Spirit of God was a tangible presence in that room. I am blessed to have been a part of it.

Where your passion lies...

I spent all of last week as a counselor at senior high camp in Silver Springs. Sunday afternoon 53 high schoolers arrived at the conference center and we left on Saturday morning. I have worked as a counselor for third grade camp for the past few years - so this was my first experience in a long time with high schoolers in that type of setting. I came away from the week tired but energized. I realized yesterday talking with one of our church's parents that the high school camp had almost three-times as many kids and was about twice as long as the third grade camp - but I came home from it less tired and more energized! It is amazing at times when I live pursuing my passion how much it energizes me - both spiritually and mentally.

Following God should not be a punishment. I should not be continually drained by pursuing what I believe God calls me to do. God calls each of us to wonderful things - things we are gifted and wired for. What energizes me is not the same as what will energize someone else - and that is a great thing. I enjoy working with people of all ages and especially kids - but my passion is found working with teenagers, and I have greater giftedness there.

What is God calling you to? What are you passionate about, what energizes you spiritually and mentally? ...and, most importantly, What are you doing about it?

If I truly believed...

I came across this statement on a church website yesterday while doing some (totally unrelated) research. (boy, I sure can go down some rabbit trails if I don't watch out!)

We are spiritual beings, created in God’s image. The spirit of God lives within each person; therefore, all people are inherently good.

My first reaction was – yes, I believe that, too. (What about you?) However, my second reaction was – do I really? I mean, do I really believe that, deep inside where it counts? Do I live as if I believed that with the core of my being? …I’m not so sure I live it – and I do believe it is a person’s actions that show the world what she believes and values…

If I believe that God lives within each person, wouldn’t I take the time to greet every person with intentional respect? Responding to the light of God within as the gift of God’s presence that it is? Not just the people I know, but each person I meet throughout the day – the clerk at the counter, the salesperson at the store, the person looking for a handout, and… It is the intention behind my actions that I’m questioning. I’m not sure that this difference would be noticed – although I suspect it would. More than simply being polite, which I do try my best to do; am I allowing the light of God within me to greet the light of God within you, acknowledging the connectedness that I believe exists between all of us?

hmm... this is going to take some more pondering. In the meantime, for the next week I’m going to try to pay better attention and see if I am really living what I believe.

How to make comments...

I've had a couple people ask me how to post responses to a post they read... I thought it might be helpful to others, too - so here are my notes.

To comment/respond to any blog post (that's what the individual "essays" are called) here's what you do:

1. at the end of the post you want to respond to you should see the word "comment"

2. click on that word and it will take you to another page

3. there should be a box for you to type your comments into; and a place to type your name so that it will be tagged to your response. If it asks for a Google or Yahoo account/name and you don't have one, just click on the spot for "other" and type your name (ignore the space for web-page).

Just ignore the "HTML tag..." stuff - it will print what you type.

4. so that my site doesn't get spam (hopefully) - I have it set for "word verify" so you will see some characters and a box below them to type in what you see.

5. once you are done with your response, just click on the "publish your comment" bar and you're done!

For any of the posts that you see a number next to "comments" and you want to read what others have said, just click on the word "comment" and this new page will open with the comments... (You don't have to type a comment to read the others.)

Also, if you want to respond to what someone else has said, simply type your comments in the box for that post - but address the person or mention the response when you do so others know you are responding to the comment and not the original... (clear as mud, right?!)

Once you do this a time or two, you will find it easier to do - it just seems complicated (I promise!).

By the way, this process is virtually the same on all blog sites - no matter who the "owner" is.

Blessings and happy blogging.

Morning Quiet

For the past few weeks I have spent time most mornings on our back porch – the dog and I. Our yard is surrounded by trees of several varieties (most of which I found out I’m allergic to, ugh…), and there’s usually a slight breeze. I watch the squirrels play, and listen to the frogs and the birds – I am surprised but pleased I can still hear them – and I pray as the spirit moves. It is very peaceful. Today I’m sitting with the rain, enjoying the sound of it on the metal roof, the cooling breeze the storm has brought – rocking and typing (boy do I like wireless!). …what you can’t feel as you read this are the long pauses between typing - it will take me longer than usual to finish this post, but that is fine. I used to get up in the morning and rush into my day, but I am trying to learn to move out of a place of centeredness. And I am trying to learn to simply be… Some days I sit only for a few minutes, other days I sit for a half-hour or longer. How long is not important and I resist setting any agenda (boy is that hard!), I sit until I feel it’s time to move to the next thing. I am gradually beginning to feel a change within me – a slowing of the frenetic pace within – that lasts long into the day. …unfortunately one that’s still too easy to leave behind in the demands of ministry that is never finished. …ahh, change within sometimes comes slowly.

What do you do to find your centeredness?

rain, Rain, RAIN!

I’m sitting on my back porch enjoying the rain. Yes, that’s right – RAIN in north Florida! And it’s not a 10 minute downpour, but a good long soaking – one that will hopefully do much to put out the fires. Sometimes tropical storms can be a good thing.

I cannot fathom how the firefighters do what they do. These fires have been so huge that they could not be put out – all the firefighters could do was attempt to control the blaze until it burned in on itself and ran out of fuel. I cannot imagine the work they do, the heat and intensity, and then to fight a fire such as the ones we’ve had lately that they know from the start would take WEEKS to put out. And they work 14 days before taking a break (2 days off) battling the larger fires. Wow. All I can say is – Thank You!

Love the Life You Live

I have been aware recently of the sudden (or so it seems so to me) proliferation of "life is good" type logos/branding. There are a number of products on the market now that use this mantra or some version of it. For the most part, I don't usually notice marketing slogans - at least not consciously. I think I am noticing this one because I find that I'm coming to understand on a deeper level, with a deeper sense of knowing, that life is good.

Partly, for me, this means understanding that life isn't "good" because things are going the way I want them to, or because things are easy, or because I can stay in my comfort zone and maintain the status quo... Life is "good" because I am learning to trust more deeply that loving God and being loved by her are what make the details of life have meaning. Life is "good" because I am learning that this day will roll into the next, this moment will roll into the next and things will change - but what will remain constant is being loved by God and being connected to one another.

I also realize I am connecting to this theme in part because of the experiences I lived for several years while denying God's call to live the life I am now living... I bought a pendant the other day that says "live the life you love; love the life you live". I bought it because I feel that it names what I am doing - finally embracing the gifts and graces I have, finally beginning to embrace a life of wholeness (but I do confess I am still working on the "life of balance" part!)... I am definitely living the live I love and loving the life I live!

What about you? If you are not loving the life you live, what one thing can you do (add, change, stop doing...) that would move you in that direction? How can we help one another along that journey?

Time-conscious or God-aware?

...more about seeking intentional awareness of living in God's presence... A few years ago I heard someone say "all our time belongs to God" - no matter what we are doing, we are with God and, hopefully, are aware that we are spending time with God. In thinking about that I realized how time-conscious I had become. In almost any situation, I could catch myself checking the time - so I'd know when it was time for the "next thing." Instead of paying attention to what I was doing, or who I was with, I would be preparing (mentally at least) for other things that were coming up. It was, and still is, humbling. To break the pattern - or at least to make me more aware of when I am doing it - I sought a ritual or habit that I could do that would help... So I began wearing my watch on my other wrist - knowing that I would find it bothersome and it would serve to remind me throughout the day...

"They" say it takes 30 days to make a new habit part of your life. I still have not adjusted to this one - even after several years! I still have to consciously think about putting it on - or it ends up back on my left wrist. And I never have adjusted to the feeling of having it on the other wrist. Perhaps it's a sign of my stubbornness? ;-)

But I did come to realize how time-conscious our culture is. Have you ever noticed the number of clocks there are? Rarely am I someplace that I don't see a clock - and if that happens, I always have my cell phone and my pda! So after several months, I took my watch off completely. I do have to dig one out when I am helping lead events where I have to begin/end on time throughout the day (like camp, retreats, etc). Instead of wearing a watch, I now wear a bracelet, mostly because I found after wearing a watch for years it was uncomfortable to not wear one. I wear them on the "wrong" wrist, and they are still bothersome to me - a reminder throughout the day of my connection with God and with all of humanity. ...another way I seek to remember and experience my connection to the Holy.

Sacred Space

It continues to amaze me how easy it is for me to buy into the success-driven, accomplishment-driven ethos that we live in. If I don't pay close attention to what I am doing - more specifically, to the intentions that I bring to what I am doing - I quickly get pulled into doing (whatever it is) and caring more about the goal or end product. In other words, I care more about getting "it" done "right" (which, of course, means my way) than about learning as I go, or helping others along the way. When I do that I am focusing mainly on the future-end instead of on the present-now. I have learned - although I guess I've not learned it well! - that to live with awareness, for me, means that I need to seek ways/practices that help me stay aware of "now".

I have started lighting a candle each day when I enter my office before I begin my tasks for the day. Throughout the day, having that candle lit where I can see it helps to call me back to awareness of what I am doing and through Whom I am doing it. Rather than "business as usual," it helps me remember that the journey is important. If I believe, and I do, that God can use all that I do for God's purposes, no matter the outcome, then from God's view perhaps it is the way I live the journey that is most important for me...

How do you create intentionality in what you do? Do you find a need to work at bringing awareness of the presence of God into the daily-ness of your life? If so, how do you do that? What works for you at home, in the office, during rush hour traffic...? I'd like to hear your thoughts.

Why...

As my first post to my blog, I want to try to explain "why"... truthfully, more for my sake than for anyone who might read this.

Why do I want to blog: I don't think "want" is the best description... Adding one more thing to an oftentimes crazy schedule is not something I really "want". I'd say, instead, that this is something I need to do, something that's calling me - at least for now...

Who is this blog for: Anyone who wants to read it ;) But it's also for my friends and members of the congregation I serve - another way that we can journey together, deepening our faith and our relationship with God and one another.

Why "sacred thresholds": For several years now I have tried to approach life, the living out of it, with intentionality. I am attempting to live in such a way that I can hear my true-self calling. And that means I am trying to allow myself to cross the threshold into the space where the old is not completely gone and the new is still becoming - trying to hold the two in tension so that the new has space to emerge. I have found that crossing the threshold (and there seem to be so many opportunities to do so!) often generates both fear and hope. Maya Angelou has said, "Hope and fear cannot occupy the same space at the same time. Invite one to stay." ...so I seek to invite hope and love to live in and through me.

I believe none of us walks this journey alone. Whether we see it or not, we are all connected. As I walk with you on this journey - whether it is for a moment or for a longer space - I pray that I will be open to all that God has to teach us. I pray this blog will encourage you to listen for your true-self, and that your presence here and your sharing will help me grow as well. May we create together sacred space that nurtures our spirits and emboldens us to cross the threshold...