Learning the Steps

Learning the Steps
Seventh Sunday of Pentecost
July 12, 2015
2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19
Ephesians 1:3-14

When I was in elementary school we had an annual dance festival a few weeks before the end of the school year. For weeks prior we would practice the steps the teachers made up and on the day of the festival inevitably students would forget steps or go the opposite direction despite the practice. Still the biggest part of this festival wasn’t the intense choreographed dancing but the joy that radiated from the students performing and the families watching! Years later I cannot remember any of the steps, but I do remember the fun we had practicing to Will Smiths “Getting’ Jiggy With It” and singing Cher’s “Believe” with friends on the school bus.
Now I must admit I’m not much of a dancer although if the Wobble, Electric Slide, Cupid Shuffle or Cotton Eye Joe come on you better watch out! You won’t see me on “So You Think You Can Dance” or “Dancing with the Stars” but anytime there’s a get together you can guarantee that I will jump on the dance floor; I’m pretty sure I spent 95% of my wedding reception dancing. There is such joy from letting loose, a freedom- foolish as I may look. It’s a feeling that is magical, and honest, and beautiful.
And I guess this is why I relate to this story of David found in 2 Samuel. While Michal (Mee-Cal) looked at him with disdain, many looked at their king and SAW his joy of bringing the ark of God to Gods people. His actions brought a wind of change to uplift a nation in need of spiritual renewal.
100 Years earlier the nation of Israel went to war with the Philistines. They brought the ark into battle with them but God did not help his people win that day. The Philistines destroyed Israel’s army and took the ark as a trophy. When they got home they decided to show off the ark in one of their temples. God was not pleased by this and showed it. Plague followed destruction and these events happened every place the ark was taken to.
So the Philistines decided to return the ark to the people, to a city named Beth Shemesh. The people of this city rejoiced at having the ark returned and offered up many sacrifices. Then they decided to look inside the ark and immediately the hand of God struck down 70 men. No one was to glance inside and these people had forgotten this. The city was racked with fear and grief that they had the ark moved to a neighboring town.
Fast forward 100 years and we find David decreeing that the ark come to Jerusalem. He wanted it there as a symbol and testament to the peoples faith in God. Verses 1-5 show us that David gathered 30,000 men to move the ark. They placed it on a cart to move it the ten miles to Jerusalem and led it celebrating with numerous instruments.
Our reading for today then skips to verse 12. Yet in verses 6-12a we find a man who dies after accidentally touching the ark when the cart it was on lost balance, a fearful and angry David who leaves the ark in the home of a believer for a month because he doesn’t want to take it any farther after this death, and a God patiently waiting. We meet David ready to move the ark, but this time the right way. See even though David gathered advisors and questioned how to move the ark they all seemed to forget to look back at scripture to read the instructions God had given from the beginning. “On the gold altar they are to spread a blue cloth, cover it with a covering of fine leather and insert its carrying-poles. They are to take all the utensils they use when serving in the sanctuary and put them in a blue cloth, cover them with fine leather and place them on a carrying-frame.”
Not only did David read the manual this time but he realized the issue from his first attempt- he listened to advisors and teachers but not to God. They were so concerned with earthly things like comfort on the journey. I cannot believe they didn’t remember these instructions, rather I think they thought they weren’t necessary. It was 10 miles, and they were supposed to carry this heavy golden box on poles?!?! What harm could it be to place it on a cart and let an oxen do the work for them? Well they found out that God was not joking and didn’t take the ignoring of instruction lightly.
So this second time they did it right. David was so glad to be making God glad that he danced ahead of the ark, not in his royal robes but in a simple cloth robe-a robe that basically meant he was naked in polite company. And this wasn’t some simple two-step! No, David is believed to dance the hora. He kicked out both legs, whirled in a circle and looked utterly foolish. He became caught up in celebrating Gods presence. He danced through the streets with abandon. He praised God with his whole self, let his body say what words could not. He took off his king identity and became David... When is the last time we did the same? Have we lost touch with the grandness of what we are called to do in this place? Have we forgotten about the work we are tasked to do in this world?
Our passage from Ephesians seems a little out of place until we look at in more closely. Like many other books of the New Testament Ephesians is a letter from Paul to the community in Ephesus. Unlike some of the other letters this one was general because it was circulated to 7 churches. And like today each church had their own set of issues and problems. Paul wrote to the heart, the root of the issues, and reminded them that they were blessed and beloved. In these few verses Shavon read today I am reminded of the importance of dancing every once in a while. This letter reminds us of the blessings God has bestowed on us. Before we were born into this world we belonged to God. God loves us so much that he sent his son so we could be forgiven. God plans on making a united world, a family where Jesus is head. God has destined each of us to carry out this plan-it will happen. We are free, free of penalties and punishments, free of shame and fear, abundantly free through Christ.
Friends all of these things show us, remind us, encourage us that our God is awesome, powerful and standing with arms to embrace us, all of us! While our passages are from two different time periods there is a thread that runs through, a thread that calls us to act out of humility, servanthood and love with all those we encounter, a thread that binds us all together. And so like God we are called to open our arms and welcome in those around us, to open our doors and be hospitable, to let go of the societal expectations that weigh us down.
David was not always so free in his worship as he was in these verses. There are many times where he wears his kingly crown and regal robes to make decisions, there are many times he is called to be a leader and ruler. But in his heart of hearts he will always be a shepherd boy. A simple man who wrote psalms of longing and love to God, the God he knew intimately. A man who’s faith and trust led him to do miraculous things. A man who let God speak and guide him through the day to day. And just like David no matter our degrees, our jobs, the authority we may be bestowed with, we are Gods beloved who God knows, has known and will care for throughout eternity. We are a family, believers bound together by the love of an all knowing parent.
David learned the steps of faith as a shepherd boy, continuing through life, learning about leadership and relationship. And the David we see leading the ark is one who has internalized these steps. David calls each of us and challenges us to spiritual renewal. To throw off the old ways and stuffy traditions, to embrace God wholeheartedly, to worship unashamed because we are Gods and the ways of man are not the ways of God. We must know God in our hearts!
The steps haven’t come easy for many of us and for each of them we have learned them differently. We have struggled and forgotten a few here and there but God continues to offer lessons so that we can move in rhythm together and with God from now until the end of days. This dance of faith, dance of life is so much more than physical expressions. It is our call and challenge to create a world of harmony and unity and joy. When we lean in and trust the Almighty we can see our potential in Gods promises. We unlock the beauty and complexity of living in a world where God reigns and Gods will is evident when we trust in the teacher.
We dance beloved! We let our anxieties, fears, frustrations, hesitations and preconceived notions go and allow God to move in us and through us so this world becomes a better place where justice and love reign. Let us learn the steps together and make a beautiful offering to our heavenly parent!

Rambling Thoughts: Holy Imagination

As I read my daily dose of facebook posts, various articles and other random things a phrase stuck with me, "Holy Imagination". And as I reflected on this phrase I wondered what can it mean to have Holy Imagination in every setting, not just ministerial. One thing that came to me is that we need to have big dreams, create inclusive moments, and live life with openness and willingness to try new things.

In ministry and life this means that days will not be perfect, that things will go off center, there may be frustration BUT there is joy in the experience, excitement in the creation, and knowledge gained. To have Holy Imagination means that we want the best things to happen but we are ready for God to move!

It wasn't until I was in high school that I learned about being led or moved by the spirit. Yes I had heard about this phenomenon but I had never seen or experienced it. In experiencing it as spectator I began to covet and couldn't understand why God didn't move that way for me! Recently (10+ years after this frustration) I realized that I have found God to reveal self to everyone in different ways. I realized that God had moved in my life in amazing and incredible ways FOR ME.

As I've gotten older I have also seen how scary this prayer can be; "God move in my life, have your way". Honestly even though Ive prayed that prayer and thought those words I am rarely (if ever) ready for what it actually means. For God to have Gods way? For God to move? What do I do if I dont like what Gods doing? What if Im scared? But to pray this is to have Holy Imagination- that God will do whats supposed to be done, that God will move and shift and change things whether I want it that way or not. It reveals my desire for control, it reveals my desire for order, yet God is not in a box and its silly to try to put God in one.

"Till all the jails are empty, and all the bellies filled; till no one hurts or steals or lies and no more blood is spilled. God has work for us to do" Mark Miller

The God Who is Here

The God Who is Here

Day of Pentecost

May 24, 2015

Romans 8:22-27

Acts 2:1-21

When I was a junior in college I went to Spokane, Washington for the summer to work as a minister of Shalom through the United Methodist Communities of Shalom. One of the people who stuck with me is Joe. He was an older gentleman and as the summer went on I found out he used to be a rancher, his wife had died a few years earlier, his children didn’t live nearby and he liked a strong cup of coffee. Though our program was geared towards feeding the homeless in the area Joe was not homeless, just lonely. His need for community caused him to come through our doors 5 days a week for a cup of coffee, a filling breakfast and some good conversation. Joe related to many of our guys; fellow ranch workers, farmers, construction guys. Around the table they were equal, just guys with similar experiences, sharing stories they had all experiences first hand in some way. Around that table it didn’t matter that they might be homeless, or jobless, that they just got out of jail or this was the first meal in a long time. These guys were able to gather and joke, share stories and tips in a safe space, a welcome space. They were a united body.

As I reflect back on this time I realize how perfectly Joe embodies the church and its purpose in this world. Friends, we are called to be a place of community for all, an open table for anyone to join, a place where Gods welcome is extended through us. That regardless of where you come from in life you find welcome, you hear a common tongue here, you see God in the actions and words of those around you. When the church doesn't fulfill this seemingly basic purpose we reject God's mission in this world. When the church does not open its doors and its arms we have missed the opportunity to welcome stranger and allow God to move. When the church shuts its doors and its heart it is no longer the church. Some of us in this place have sat in these pews for years, and for some this may be the first time here but in this place, this house of God, we should each see God in the people next to us.

On this Pentecost Sunday we once again see the awesome and transformative power of God through the Holy Spirit. Pentecost was a celebration of the end of the harvest for the Jewish people. Everyone was gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate but this year a new thing happened as we see in our passage from Acts.  Those who gathered came from all over and had different native languages. A mighty wind arose and tongues of fire fell on the Galilean disciples. As this fire touched them they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different languages although they only spoke Aramaic. With this power they spoke of Jesus, the things they experienced, the God they had come to see as father. Many were able to hear this firsthand witness in native tongue; the disciples testimony became a transformative witness. Today we hear so many stories of God and who God is from believers, from people right in this place, because God reveals God's-self in different ways for each of us, ways that are memorable.

God comes in big ways to get our attention amidst the chaos of this world. Most of the work you do in seminary is geared towards turning down the voices of the world to hear what God is saying and calling you to do. Let’s be real, many of us know what God has ordained in our lives, we have felt tugs on our heartstrings showing us what we should do and where we should go BUT our humanness trips us up. Our humanness causes us to doubt and question when we should be praising God for God’s promises to us. Our humanness can hinder or halt God working in us and through us but God is patient.  Our humanness allows us to let fear reign in our hearts. Yet God is patient.

Friends God finishes what has been started. God remains, regardless of whether people hear our witness as truth or think we’re drunk on new wine.  God doesn't give up on us so he comes like fire, water, wind, a dove, a shout, a whisper, a child in a stable, in an empty tomb. God comes to make a memorable statement, a moment that sticks with us, a moment we experience so in this our witness is a sharing of what we know to be true. God comes in a memorable way so we are excited to share it with others!

The disciples were ministers of truth, growing the kingdom of God through their witness. Like the disciples we are called to be ministers of this truth; sharing wisdom, welcome and love to those who enter this space but also to those we interact with every day. To be ministers means that like Joe we connect to others by our commonality in Jesus despite the things that could divide us. It doesn’t mean we quote scripture or exegete passages. It means that we share our stories, our witnesses.    The Pentecost promise is that God WILL find a way to speak, that God is still speaking. We must continually find a way to speak to the world and its multitude of voices with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Church what does this mean for us? It means we tell our story through our action and word. It means that we have hope in hopeless situations. It means that despite our weakness, fear and failures we trust, we reach, and we hold tightly on the promises of God. We dream dreams and see visions. We pray for Gods will to be done. And through all this we have uncomfortable moments, where God pushes us past the boundaries and limitations we have set for ourselves. We pray that God fills our hearts so we can welcome all,that we can see Gods vision for this world, and our hands carry out the work of God. Love needs to reign because God dwells in us and through us.

Our prayer on this Pentecost Sunday needs to be “Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me. Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me.” We need to remember that God is speaking, moving, and shifting today. We need to remember that as Gods people we have been impacted by those tongues of fire. The Holy Spirit dwells in us and we must share it with those around us.

The Easter season is over today, yet it means everything we have learned and grew into during this time as individuals and community we must now live in our daily lives as the Easter people. The Holy Spirit came in a radical way to bring comfort, encouragement and passion, to remind us to be living witnesses because God doesn't sit on a throne lording over us, God is here. The Holy Spirit came, and will come again but God is here.

Lord, Hear Our Cry- A Sermon for National Day of Prayer

National Day of Prayer Service

1 Kings 8:28

Lord, Hear Our Cry

In the summer of 2010 Brandon Stanton decided to photograph 10,000 New Yorkers and plot their photos on a map as a catalogue of sorts. This aspiring photographer blogged these photos and they began to gain attention. Several months into this goal Brandon began to collect quotes and short stories from the people he photographed and used them as captions. Almost 5 years later, Brandon Stanton has over ten million followers on social media, has a #1 New York Times bestselling book and has a worldwide audience. His blog, Humans of New York, shows an intimate glance into the daily lives of normal New Yorkers. While his pictures are beautiful it is usually the story and the intimacy of it that grabs the reader.

Through this platform Brandon has raised awareness of certain issues, shared stories that are relevant to others, and created an online community through social media that inspires numerous people all over the world. He has given those in the crowd a face and told their story. He has helped facilitate conversations about relevant issues and challenged us to look at strangers differently.

As we gather today on this 64^th Annual National Day of Prayer this is what we are also doing, telling a story of sorts. The theme for this year is “Lord, hear our cry”, and with everything going on in the world this cannot be more relevant. During this day we are charged to cry out to God in prayer, to emphasize the need to put our trust in God, and to see the Lord’s healing and renewing power made manifest in this world.

Though this day is rooted in Christian heritage it is more than one denomination or religion. It is meant to be a time when people of different religions and many faiths dedicate time to pray for our nation and its well being. Since 1952 dozens of United States presidents have supported this date and called upon Americans of all religions to pray for this nation we call home. And that is why we celebrate this day, because this nation is part of who we each are, individually and communally. It is our right and job to care for this land, and one of those ways is through prayer.

In our scripture reading King Solomon is dedicating the temple he had built. Though gathered with the whole assembly of Israel this prayer we read seems intimate, as if hes speaking only to God. Eugene Peterson interprets the prayer this way; “Even so, I’m bold to ask: Pay attention to these my prayers, both intercessory and personal, O God, my God. Listen to my prayers, energetic and devout, that I’m setting before you right now. Keep your eyes open to this Temple night and day, this place of which you said, “My Name will be honored there,” and listen to the prayers that I pray at this place. Listen from your home in heaven and when you hear, forgive.”

This place is sacred because God resides here. We are able to gather here to offer up the worries and joys in our lives. But friends, God is beyond this place and it is our job as people of faith to continue Gods work in this world. We are called to cry out to God with our words, in our prayers, from the deepest part of our hearts. So during this day we do just that.

We pray to God for our nation, our leaders, and our communities. We pray for individual names; those we know those we love. We pray for ourselves; our insecurities and fears. We pray because it is necessary. Time in this place is sacred because God is listening and waiting for us to speak from the depths of our souls.

So what are our cries today? What are the stories we need to tell, to God and others? How can we create spaces so Gods healing and renewing hand can work? How do we live out our belief in our day to day interactions?

Friends there are many answers but the first step is to pray. We pray because it is expected of us, even though we may not do it as often as we should. We pray because it allows us to prepare our hearts, souls and minds for God to have Gods way. We pray because it shifts our relationships with God and others. We pray because sometimes that is all we can do.

At this time we will take a moment of silence. In your bulletins you will find a scrap of paper. I encourage you to write a prayer, a name, or even just hold it in your hand as you pray silently to our all hearing God. And as you are so moved, you are invited to place that paper on our altar. You are invited, you are welcome. “Regard your servant’s prayer and his plea, O Lord my God, heeding the cry and the prayer that your servant prays to you today;” Lord, hear our cry.

Won't You Join In?

Preaching and Worship Course
April 21st, 2015
Psalm 30:1-5

Let us pray: Open our ears, O Lord, to hear your word and know your voice. Speak to our hearts and strengthen our wills that we may serve you now and always. Amen.

I will extol thee, O Lord; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me. O Lord my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me. O Lord, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit. Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. (Psalm 30:1-5, KJV)

When I was in high school I was part of the Christian Fellowship. I was the only non-Baptist or Pentecostal, I brought in a New International Version of the bible instead of the “proper” King James Version. I didn’t know many of the praise songs that were sung. I felt like an outcast and like my faith wasn’t as strong. My ideas were turned down and I feared my United Methodist upbringing was “too liberal”. Yet in my junior year of high school we got a new faculty advisor and I began to realize that some of the members of the fellowship only quoted certain books, many of them never touched the Old Testament and despite their front many of them were just as uncertain as I. I left this group that year, still maintaining friendships but believing I needed a break. 
I entered college and decided that if student led Christian fellowships were anything like my high school fellowship I was good without it. Yet God had other plans. During the second week of classes I was walking by the student run café and an older student I had met during orientation invited me in. I hesitantly entered and found it was a meeting for the Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, a non-denominational group on campus. I was ready to bolt but was introduced to people who have become lifelong friends. During this event the focus was on fellowship, creating relationships and connecting individuals with small groups. 
I was able to see the potential of Christian community. Fast forward and I ended up leading worship at our group meetings my four years of college, joined the executive board, sang in the Christian A Capella, cemented my faith and discovered my call to ministry. At that first meeting I also made friends with the person who introduced me to my husband four years after that meeting.
“…weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning”
As I look back on this time I see where God was moving, I see the places where I had uncertainty and doubt yet God showed hope, I see the places that God continued to provide answers despite my constant questioning without listening. Today I still have moments of doubt but I am encouraged and I am reminded to give God the glory and praise despite my hesitation. I am inspired that joy is coming in every situation.
In our reading from the book of Psalms we meet a psalmist who is living in relationship with God, who is surprised by God’s grace, who has circumstances and attitudes transformed, who cannot comprehend the things God does but trusts anyway. In Eugene Peterson’s Message translation we find a contemporary version of this text; “I give you all the credit, God—you got me out of that mess, you didn’t let my foes gloat. God, my God, I yelled for help and you put me together. God, you pulled me out of the grave, gave me another chance at life when I was down-and-out. All you saints! Sing your hearts out to God! Thank him to his face! He gets angry once in a while, but across a lifetime there is only love. The nights of crying your eyes out give way to days of laughter.”
This should be our testimony to ourselves and others, as we live out each imperfect day on this earth-it gets better. I was told a story of a man who would smile and wave at strangers. When asked why he did this he replied that if I can give someone hope to keep going, encouragement to be deal with any situation why wouldn’t I?
“…weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning”
As we near the end of this semester our worlds seem off kilter, we feel stressed and discouraged, we can’t see the light at the end but God is still working, still moving, still guiding each and every step. Wherever we are in our educational journey it can be hard to understand why God has put us in this place. Friends it’s not until we look back that we clearly see God upholding, encouraging and loving us through those around us. It’s not until we look back that we recognize the blessings and grace that have abounded. 
So even though it seems near impossible it’s time to praise God, offering our thanks for all being done. You cried all night, your life may be in the pits, you’re sorry for something you’ve done; but dawn has broken, and joy comes in the morning. If you can’t feel the dawn, take heart. It’s coming. If joy still feels a long way off, you’re not alone. Some days this joy may be loud and boisterous, some days it may be quiet but beloved let us continue to lift up the name of God, despite our situation and despite our selves. Won’t you join in?

The Community’s Proclamation

The Community’s Proclamation
Second Sunday of Easter
April 12, 2015
Acts 4:32-35
1 John 1:1-2:2

Let us pray: Holy God we come before you a changed people. A people who are clinging to you and each other. A people who want to learn more about following Jesus. Be with us at this time as we listen for your voice O Lord, our strength, and our redeemer. Amen

 What would you change if you were in charge of the world? Would you institute world peace? Free healthcare? Create sustainable food  sources? Free hugs? Affordable housing? Erase student debt? The possibilities are varied and endless but all have the hope that with change we will make the world better in some way.

Friends as we gather together the week after Easter Sunday we are called to be the change, to be people that live out the resurrection promise, serving a risen Savior. We are called to be in community with Christ and one another. We are called to share Gods love and bring light into the darkness of the world. We are called to be hope despite hopelessness. If you've read the headlines of the newspaper or turned on the television you’ve see a world in pain, a world searching for hope, a world hungry for love. As the Church, capital C, we are called to be the balm, the safe haven, the fountain of love for the world.

“The whole congregation of believers was united as one—one heart, one mind! They didn’t even claim ownership of their own possessions. No one said, “That’s mine; you can’t have it.” They shared everything. The apostles gave powerful witness to the resurrection of the Master Jesus, and grace was on all of them. And so it turned out that not a person among them was needy. Those who owned fields or houses sold them and brought the price of the sale to the apostles and made an offering of it. The apostles then distributed it according to each person’s need.”

In the Message version of our passage from the book of Acts we are shown an early christian community, a community willing to give up all their earthly possessions and die to self that they might live out the example given by Jesus.This community was instructed by the disciples, they heard first hand accounts of the miracles performed. They had eyewitness stories shared with them. The community brought all their possessions together and shared these things where it was needed because they believed in the message of hope and love being told as we also see in 1John.
Earlier in Acts we are told that over 3000 people became followers because of the disciples witness. These first followers felt something; a connection, a pull to change their lives and refocus their energies from the norm. And with this pull came fellowship which is so important still today. One of my favorite moments in church life is when everyone is interacting with one another and catching up, like at coffee hour. This time to be in the presence of one another and God is powerful.

Yet unlike the disciples we don't have firsthand accounts; we have our actions, we have our words, we have faith, we have this community to serve as living example to others. Like the disciples we are supposed to testify to Christs resurrection, share our stories, so we can create and maintain community in this place and beyond these walls. I grew up going to Watchnight Service on New Years Eve. During this service we would have a time of testimony where anyone could come up and share what God had done for them, revelations they had received during the year, or stories about ways they felt God in the every day. It was a beautiful witness of faith that I grew up to cherish. It helped me to see the humanity of leaders I looked up to. I was able to see the possibility in my own life by sharing with others. There is something powerful about hearing someone share their journey in community. There is something important about sharing the ups and downs with others who can understand and support the journey you are on. Without the ups and downs of Holy Week we can miss the true celebration of Easter Sunday; the acknowledgement of Gods sacrifice, the amazingness of conquering death.

This week I had the pleasure of visiting  some of our homebound members. Getting to sit and fellowship with these older members and getting to share in communion with each of them made me heart swell. I was grateful to be able to extend our community beyond these walls and share fellowship and love with each of them. I was reminded how important these intentional interactions are. To be in community is to do more than wave good morning to someone, or show up every sunday. It is an active witness to God's love and power.

In many churches we have now entered an Easter season, a period of 50 days before pentecost where we explore what it means to be Easter people, people who proclaim the goodness of God and share the story of Jesus. So friends what is our community witness one week after Easter Sunday? For some of us this may be one easter season of many, for some this may be the first easter ever. But for all of us this should be a time of change, a radical point where communal life is redefined, a season where we are challenged to create the kingdom of God on this earth.

Now  friends, I am not saying we need to sell all our possessions, or move into compounds together. I’m saying that we need to rethink the purpose  and drive of the things we do. Shift the goals and work towards our dreams. Be a radical community, a transformative people, an imperfect group who aim every day to make the world better.

We have not seen the risen Christ, But we see him in the lives of those transformed by grace. We have not seen Jesus face-to-face, But we have seen him in the faces of everyone whose love encourages us. We have not touched the wounds from the cross, But we have been called to bring healing to the scarred of the world.We have heard the story and we believe.

This is our proclamation. We have been CALLED, each of us by name to transform the world because we are transformed people, Easter people!

So friends if we as a community of faith ask ourselves what we should do to change the world what would that change be? I think it would be to promote unity with one another,to model Christ. This means finding ways to feed the hungry, provide for the needy, heal the sick. To create real solutions to real problems. To address the true nature of an issue instead of glossing over it. To understand hurt, pain, fear, struggle, joy and happiness of those sitting next to us. To be a people of empathy, joining together in community with one heart and soul. 

“In Christ there is no darkness at all. The night and the day are both alike. The lamb is the light of the city of God. Shine in my heart, Lord Jesus.” The resurrection promise shines in each of us preparing us to offer hope to a hopeless world. The resurrection promise shows us the possibility and potential of this world and our part in it.

This is our proclamation in this world: Behold how good, and pleasant it is for all  of us to dwell in unity! Amen.

Hit Refresh

Recently I have been using this space to post sermons I've preached but I realize this space can be so much more and honestly I need it to be. The last two weeks have been super stressful emotionally and the last seven months or so have really been spiritually lacking. This isn't to say that I don't know God anymore or I've cut off ties. Rather I've realized that my priorities when it comes to God need to be shifted.

As a 20 something newlywed, who works in a church and is beginning the formal journey of ordination I am at a place where many roads have become intersected and its crowded! In July I shifted to ministry full time, my income got cut, I was figuring out the classes I need to wind up this masters degree, we were planning the details of our wedding and my drive became "do it now" centered. Yet six months after our wedding though are in a different season, I still have these blinders on that tell me to "do it now".

In class last night a classmate told me in conversation "remember self care is not selfish". My God.

How am I supposed to be my best self as a leader, a minister, a co-worker a wife, a partner, a daughter, a friend if I don't take time for me? Anyone who knows me knows I am a giver, I would rather help someone then get my own house in order. Yet by doing that I am doing a disservice to myself and disrespecting the call that has been placed on my life.

I won't promise that I will read my bible more thoroughly, that I will journal daily or that I will take up some sort of exercise like yoga. I won't compromise my word to make a point. But I will say that I need to make space for a quite moment with God daily. I will say that I have poured out and not taken time to be poured into. I will say that I don't take intentional time to recharge.

This is my humanness, this is my imperfection. Yet I am still beloved. So friends, its time to hit refresh.

-CJL