"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?