SERMON TEXT WORKING WITH EXODUS 17:1-7 AND ROMANS 5:1-11
I just finished reading a wonderful book written by Barbara Kingsolver. She is one of those enviable writers who researches to endth degree what she is talking about, so while I listen, I truly learn and am enlightened about things I wouldn’t have thought to explore on my own. I have read three of her books and this one is my favorite so far. It’s one of those books that you done't want to end. The book is called Prodigal Summer. The author connects us with, and moves in and out of, the lives and stories of three people in their particular habitat, intertwining their lives with some coyotes, chestnut trees and goats. One of the characters whose life intertwines with chestnut trees, she refers to as a frustrating “old chestnut” named Garnett Walker. Garnett doesn’t relate to humanity too well and complains a lot about his neighbor.
As I read, tasted and savored this book Ms. Kingsolver made clear to me that the human spirit is much like tofu – that is, it takes on the flavors of the life experiences poured into it and mixed up with it. Tofu mixed with beef tastes beefy, tofu mixed with chicken tastes chickeny and so on. Our spirits, like tofu when mixed with nothing but sour experiences, can have a sour flavor unless we can partake of experiences of a different flavor.
When you eat extra hot chili’s you may be one of those people who sweats from the crown of your head, or you may be someone who -- surprised by the burn -- find yourself fanning the flames inside your mouth, breathing fire -- so to speak -- until you can drink enough, water, tequila or beer to put out the fire. When 90% of humans – there are some exceptions to the rule -- bite into a fresh lemon their face curls up into an involuntary grimace often accompanied by a shoulder shudder. We log and catalogue these taste experiences into our memory banks and are then forewarned, forearmed and ready the next time we are confronted by chili peppers or lemon slices.
I think the human spirit is similarly flavored by its life experiences. What and who we experience in this life can sweeten or sour the spirit, burn or soothe the spirit, chill or melt the spirit; embitter poison and kill the spirit or enlighten, quicken and excite the spirit. If a human being has known only sadness in life with no mixture of joy, then the flavor of their spirit may well be predominantly sad. It may have come to pass that their spirit is incapable of recognizing anything but sadness.
I also think it is true that sometimes we human beings make a decision to wallow in a kind of toxic brine flavored by self-determinism. In Ms. Kingsolver’s book the character of Garnet Walker, although he is unaware of it, is just such a man. He claims to be a God fearing Christian, but at the age of 80 he is wallowing in bitterness. Garnett has decided to devote the days of his retirement to re-creating the chestnut trees that were destroyed by a blight when he was just a boy. His family farmland had chestnut trees everywhere and when it was evident that the blight was going to destroy them all, they chopped them down -- every last chestnut that had not yet succumbed to the disease in order to save them from it. They used the wood to build their barns and houses. Garnett, a retired teacher, was remembered for terrorizing his students. After his beloved wife died, he became estranged from his only son and spent his days working on his trees, grousing about and finding fault with his next door neighbor, Nanny who is a “Unitarian earth mother type." Kingsolver moves her reader through the intricacies of these character’s lives. I love a writer who stimulates my mind’s eye to actually see the person she is writing about. I am a participant, not just an observer accompanying the characters as they experience days, moments and people, the flavor of whose spirits will be modified, by the overpowering flavor of the experience of LOVE that will mix with their spirits during this Prodigal Summer.
The passage we read today from Exodus is a story of spirits whose life experience has been one of oppression and trauma. They were offered the flavor of hope to mix with their spirits in the person of Moses who told them that God would rescue them from their slavery in Egypt and set them free, bringing them to a land of milk and honey. Now that’s a promise that would sweeten the spirit of anyone. But in the story we read today we find the Israelites at their frustrated, embittered and regretful worst. They are barking at Moses and shaking their fists at God regretting the day they listened to Moses; regretting the very moment they thought their lives could be any different or better. They are hitting their heads with their fists, saying “What was I thinking?” As I read this story I have to ask if the experience of receiving the gift of the miraculous water from the rock changed the flavor of their spirits for just a moment or for the long haul? Were they newly grateful to God the giver of life and relief or did they say in their hearts: “Well, it’s about time.”
In his letter to the Romans, Paul makes a very profound statement about God and I believe he speaks from personal experience precisely because he was a man whose spirit was flavored with hatred for the followers of Jesus of Nazareth. His hatred, his rage, his anger, was so well known that he was described as a man who breathed threats of fire against the followers of Jesus. For the Christians his spirit was flavored with diablo sauce! But Paul saw himself, in those early days, as a defender of God, as being on the right side of God, taking God’s part to insure the stability of God’s plan for humankind. In short, much like Garnett Walker, Paul wallowed in a kind of toxic brine flavored by his own self-determinism.
It was God, however who intervened in Paul’s life and flavored his spirit with a LOVE he had never known or imagined before. The love that flows from the sacrificial love of Jesus Christ was poured into the fire breathing angry spirit of Paul and he became a whole new being. The old toxic brine of hate that he wallowed in was neutralized, shocked into purification by conversion then flavored by the touch of healing hands, words of compassion, patience and mercy. The flavor of his whole spirit was changed and kept on changing. He taught us, then, from his experience, that God, even when we were weak, ungrateful, and ungodly – even when we have had no remarkable relationship with God, calling upon the name of the holy one only when we had a need, or resented not getting what we thought we deserved or needed –even then, Paul tells us, at the right time, Christ died for us the ungodly and the ungrateful. While we were wallowing in the brine of our own self-determinism, Christ died for us. The flavor of his sacrifice poured into our spirits mixing with the flavors of our life experiences is God’s way of helping us become new beings.
Because God is a God of LOVE, God is always at work pouring grace, love, mercy, compassion, and assurance, like chocolate syrup all over us seeking every day and in every way to help neutralize flavors left by the experiences of pain, defeat, disappointment and fear. The flavor of LOVE is more powerful than bitterness, more powerful that anger, more powerful than hatred. LOVE IS THE FLAVOR OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD. Let us remember that when we get caught up in our self-determinism, deciding, as God chuckles, that we are the masters of our own destinies. Amen.
Rev. Dr. Amanda Burr
March 23, 2014
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Friday, March 21, 2014
March 16, 2014 "WESLEY'S THEOLOGICAL NECESSITY"
*A LENTEN AFFIRMATION OF FAITH **
We believe in God the creator of heaven and earth, granter of grace and life.
We believe that nothing in all the world, can separate us from the love of God
who always forgives a repentant heart.
We believe in Jesus Christ, God in human vesture, who came to love us into new life.
We believe that Jesus took our sins upon himself and carried them to the cross where he
relinquished his own spirit for our sakes. This was his ultimate gift to us.
We believe that his death was not the end, for he was raised and will come again one day.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, who speaks a fiery, passionate truth to all people, in every
language. Our hearts are warmed when we embrace that Spirit and we become
living proof of God’s transforming presence.
As the body of Christ in the world we believe we are called
to make a difference in this world.
CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Gracious and Everliving God, we give you thanks for this new day all dressed up with a blue sky and sunshine. Remind us, Lord, that each day brings us a new occasion and a new opportunity to wrap ourselves in the knowledge and wonder of your grace, mercy and love. We confess that sometimes we seem to move through life so fast, that we can take the day for granted. Help us, during this season of Lent, to cultivate a habit of gratefulness whether we give thanks over our morning cup of coffee or tea, during our lunch break, or when we sit down to dinner. We pray to be mindful of your presence with us, even when we aren’t sure of our future, or what lies ahead along the path of discipleship. Make our spirits strong and our hearts faithful that we may not give in to doubt or despair. As the Children of Light you give us the opportunity to be born a new every morning. In the name of the Christ we say thank you. Amen.
UNISON OFFERTORY PRAYER
Wondrous and Loving God, when we count our blessings we recognize our good fortune and remember that we live in the world as members of the whole human family. We pray that you will multiply and bless the gifts we offer to minister to our brothers and sisters who don’t have food to eat, clean water to drink or a safe place to sleep. May these gifts reach out to hearts and spirits that are broken and bring them to your Grace. In the name of the Christ we pray. Amen.
We believe in God the creator of heaven and earth, granter of grace and life.
We believe that nothing in all the world, can separate us from the love of God
who always forgives a repentant heart.
We believe in Jesus Christ, God in human vesture, who came to love us into new life.
We believe that Jesus took our sins upon himself and carried them to the cross where he
relinquished his own spirit for our sakes. This was his ultimate gift to us.
We believe that his death was not the end, for he was raised and will come again one day.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, who speaks a fiery, passionate truth to all people, in every
language. Our hearts are warmed when we embrace that Spirit and we become
living proof of God’s transforming presence.
As the body of Christ in the world we believe we are called
to make a difference in this world.
CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Gracious and Everliving God, we give you thanks for this new day all dressed up with a blue sky and sunshine. Remind us, Lord, that each day brings us a new occasion and a new opportunity to wrap ourselves in the knowledge and wonder of your grace, mercy and love. We confess that sometimes we seem to move through life so fast, that we can take the day for granted. Help us, during this season of Lent, to cultivate a habit of gratefulness whether we give thanks over our morning cup of coffee or tea, during our lunch break, or when we sit down to dinner. We pray to be mindful of your presence with us, even when we aren’t sure of our future, or what lies ahead along the path of discipleship. Make our spirits strong and our hearts faithful that we may not give in to doubt or despair. As the Children of Light you give us the opportunity to be born a new every morning. In the name of the Christ we say thank you. Amen.
UNISON OFFERTORY PRAYER
Wondrous and Loving God, when we count our blessings we recognize our good fortune and remember that we live in the world as members of the whole human family. We pray that you will multiply and bless the gifts we offer to minister to our brothers and sisters who don’t have food to eat, clean water to drink or a safe place to sleep. May these gifts reach out to hearts and spirits that are broken and bring them to your Grace. In the name of the Christ we pray. Amen.
March 9, 2014 "WHO'S GOT YOUR EAR?"
*A LENTEN AFFIRMATION OF FAITH **
We believe in God the creator of heaven and earth, granter of grace and life.
We believe that nothing in all the world, can separate us from the love of God
who always forgives a repentant heart.
We believe in Jesus Christ, God in human vesture, who came to love us into new life.
We believe that Jesus took our sins upon himself and carried them to the cross where he
relinquished his own spirit for our sakes. This was his ultimate gift to us.
We believe that his death was not the end, for he was raised and will come again one day.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, who speaks a fiery, passionate truth to all people, in every
language. Our hearts are warmed when we embrace that Spirit and we become
living proof of God’s transforming presence.
As the body of Christ in the world we believe we are called
to make a difference in this world.
CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Gracious God, we praise your name and give you thanks always. As we work to practice our piety during this season of Lent, we need your help as we endeavor to make our spiritual muscles stronger. Please give us patience and let us not struggle to be kind. May we never feel incensed over minor insults. Heal the ragged scars left by super-sensitivity and nagging feelings of inadequacy. When our egos feel bullied, or roughed up because someone took their stress or fatigue out on us, rescue us from stewing over our injuries and lead us in more worthwhile pursuits. Let prayer replace criticism and silence replace advice. Give us the courage to be vocal with our apologies, and to move on in order to keep pace with the demands of discipleship, in the name of the Christ, we pray. Amen.
PREPARING FOR THE OFFERING
I once worked with a nurse who was a coupon aficionado. While her patients were asleep she sorted by expiration date, double value and which stores honored them, all of the coupons she had cut from papers and magazines. I was fascinated by her obsession, listening intently as she told me how to get the better and best bargains on everything from Cocoa Puffs and Captain Crunch to Charmin. Certain days were better coupon days at Ralph’s and other days were better at Von’s. I always wondered how much she spent on gas driving the distance between the stores to save 27 cents on a package of napkins. Today I am sure she shops at Costco or Sam’s Club and buys in bulk. The problem with shopping at Costco is the temptation to buy more because you get more for your money. The question, then, is always: “Do I need More?”
We believe in God the creator of heaven and earth, granter of grace and life.
We believe that nothing in all the world, can separate us from the love of God
who always forgives a repentant heart.
We believe in Jesus Christ, God in human vesture, who came to love us into new life.
We believe that Jesus took our sins upon himself and carried them to the cross where he
relinquished his own spirit for our sakes. This was his ultimate gift to us.
We believe that his death was not the end, for he was raised and will come again one day.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, who speaks a fiery, passionate truth to all people, in every
language. Our hearts are warmed when we embrace that Spirit and we become
living proof of God’s transforming presence.
As the body of Christ in the world we believe we are called
to make a difference in this world.
CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Gracious God, we praise your name and give you thanks always. As we work to practice our piety during this season of Lent, we need your help as we endeavor to make our spiritual muscles stronger. Please give us patience and let us not struggle to be kind. May we never feel incensed over minor insults. Heal the ragged scars left by super-sensitivity and nagging feelings of inadequacy. When our egos feel bullied, or roughed up because someone took their stress or fatigue out on us, rescue us from stewing over our injuries and lead us in more worthwhile pursuits. Let prayer replace criticism and silence replace advice. Give us the courage to be vocal with our apologies, and to move on in order to keep pace with the demands of discipleship, in the name of the Christ, we pray. Amen.
PREPARING FOR THE OFFERING
I once worked with a nurse who was a coupon aficionado. While her patients were asleep she sorted by expiration date, double value and which stores honored them, all of the coupons she had cut from papers and magazines. I was fascinated by her obsession, listening intently as she told me how to get the better and best bargains on everything from Cocoa Puffs and Captain Crunch to Charmin. Certain days were better coupon days at Ralph’s and other days were better at Von’s. I always wondered how much she spent on gas driving the distance between the stores to save 27 cents on a package of napkins. Today I am sure she shops at Costco or Sam’s Club and buys in bulk. The problem with shopping at Costco is the temptation to buy more because you get more for your money. The question, then, is always: “Do I need More?”
March 5th ASH WEDNESDAY "LED UP TO BE TEMPTED"
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH FOR ASH WEDNESDAY **
We believe in God who, from dust and nothingness, brought forth this earth, and all that dwell hereon. Light and dark, are the special effects God has chosen to reveal the awesome colors of creation as each day begins and ends.
We believe in Jesus the beloved Son of God, begotten to love, teach, free, heal and save humankind. He sought to show all people how best to love God and one another.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, God’s companion-gift sent to warm our hearts, walk by our side, and give us the language of glory to honor God all the days of our life. This Spirit invites us to dance the dance of transformation and sing songs of thanks and praise to the One who loves us without reservation.
We believe in the Church that gathers our hearts as one prodding us, by the truth of Christ’s resurrection, to serve God and work for good. Thanks be to God.
CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Almighty God, Creator of Heaven and Earth, we come before you on this Ash Wednesday as those seeking transformation. As we journey through the next 40 days help us understand what it means to be intentional disciples of Jesus. Try us and challenge us to find time to attend to one spiritual discipline. May these 40 days be for us a time to discover a deeper faith. Help us, gracious Lord, to stay the course, knowing that our spiritual muscles will be stronger for participating in a pious exercise. If we fast, keep us alert. If we wait upon another, let us find in our service the true meaning of discipleship. Our investment of time and spiritual energy in the days ahead will determine the richness of the fruit of our labors. Let us not be distracted by doubt or thrown off course, by the demands of the world. Let not our best efforts be thwarted by weakness or frustration. Oh patient one, empower us to love with a heart like Jesus, to wait upon you with the same trust as Jesus and to accept the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Our dearest Abba Father, in heaven; your name we hallow above all. May your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. We ask no more than our daily bread and that you forgive our trespasses, empowering us to forgive those who trespass against us. Let us not be overcome by the temptations of this world, but deliver us from evil; for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
PREPARING OUR OFFERING
The season of Lent is a time for turning to God and taking a look at ourselves in the mirror God holds before us. Lent is a good time to reflect on how much of ourselves we have invested in our relationship with God. Lent is not meant to be a time of listing our sins, mistakes and regrets. Neither is it a time for us to obsess over failures or beat ourselves up. Lent is an opportunity to become better followers of Jesus; a time for honing our spirituality. It is always a season of decision; so I invite you to decide. Choose a spiritual discipline to practice for the next 6 weeks. Take 30 minutes apart from your regular day, at least three times a week to pray, or fast, read the scriptures, or wait upon someone else. Write down what you will do on the card in your bulletin and, carry it with you to remind you of your decision on this journey through the 40 days of Lent.
We believe in God who, from dust and nothingness, brought forth this earth, and all that dwell hereon. Light and dark, are the special effects God has chosen to reveal the awesome colors of creation as each day begins and ends.
We believe in Jesus the beloved Son of God, begotten to love, teach, free, heal and save humankind. He sought to show all people how best to love God and one another.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, God’s companion-gift sent to warm our hearts, walk by our side, and give us the language of glory to honor God all the days of our life. This Spirit invites us to dance the dance of transformation and sing songs of thanks and praise to the One who loves us without reservation.
We believe in the Church that gathers our hearts as one prodding us, by the truth of Christ’s resurrection, to serve God and work for good. Thanks be to God.
CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Almighty God, Creator of Heaven and Earth, we come before you on this Ash Wednesday as those seeking transformation. As we journey through the next 40 days help us understand what it means to be intentional disciples of Jesus. Try us and challenge us to find time to attend to one spiritual discipline. May these 40 days be for us a time to discover a deeper faith. Help us, gracious Lord, to stay the course, knowing that our spiritual muscles will be stronger for participating in a pious exercise. If we fast, keep us alert. If we wait upon another, let us find in our service the true meaning of discipleship. Our investment of time and spiritual energy in the days ahead will determine the richness of the fruit of our labors. Let us not be distracted by doubt or thrown off course, by the demands of the world. Let not our best efforts be thwarted by weakness or frustration. Oh patient one, empower us to love with a heart like Jesus, to wait upon you with the same trust as Jesus and to accept the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Our dearest Abba Father, in heaven; your name we hallow above all. May your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. We ask no more than our daily bread and that you forgive our trespasses, empowering us to forgive those who trespass against us. Let us not be overcome by the temptations of this world, but deliver us from evil; for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
PREPARING OUR OFFERING
The season of Lent is a time for turning to God and taking a look at ourselves in the mirror God holds before us. Lent is a good time to reflect on how much of ourselves we have invested in our relationship with God. Lent is not meant to be a time of listing our sins, mistakes and regrets. Neither is it a time for us to obsess over failures or beat ourselves up. Lent is an opportunity to become better followers of Jesus; a time for honing our spirituality. It is always a season of decision; so I invite you to decide. Choose a spiritual discipline to practice for the next 6 weeks. Take 30 minutes apart from your regular day, at least three times a week to pray, or fast, read the scriptures, or wait upon someone else. Write down what you will do on the card in your bulletin and, carry it with you to remind you of your decision on this journey through the 40 days of Lent.
March 2, 2014 "PIETY TAKES PRACTICE"
*THE APOSTLES’ CREED REVISITED**
I believe in God, the all-powerful Sovereign of the Universe, the loving Abba Father, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, our Lord, God’s only Son, who was conceived by The Spirit of God and born of Mary.
Jesus was condemned to death by Pontius Pilate. He was crucified, died and was buried.
On the third day God raised Jesus from the dead.
I believe the risen Christ ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God Almighty.
From this throne Jesus shall come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the church universal and the communion of saints.
I believe in the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and eternal life.
Amen.
CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Wondrous and Loving Lord, it is a joy to be gathered here in the company of old and new friends. We relish this Sunday ritual of raising our voices in song praising your name and offering our thanks for your love and compassion. We have readied ourselves answering the call to worship, singing with gusto the opening hymn. We have testified to our faith, reciting the words of the creed, which attests to your power and presence, asserts the truth of Jesus and assures us of the Holy Spirit’s presence in the world today. We are moved and comforted by the words of familiar and much beloved hymns and confess our desire to better appreciate the prayerful content of the newer less familiar ones. Make each one of us a powerful witness to your presence, today, as we seek our own spiritual transformation in Jesus Christ. We pray in his name. Amen.
PREPARING FOR THE OFFERING
When we read about Jesus and his disciples we don’t spend a great deal of time wondering how they supported themselves. We may assume that they, like Blanche Dubois, depended on the “kindness of strangers” or thought they had their own means of support. Luke tells us how women whose lives were transformed: Mary called Magdalene, Joanna, Susanna and many others provided for Jesus out of their own resources. They, like the male disciples, accepted Jesus’ invitation to follow. These women didn’t only support the ministry financially; they became an essential part of it proving that the growth of any ministry requires, first, an invitation to be transformed and become part of something greater than oneself.
I believe in God, the all-powerful Sovereign of the Universe, the loving Abba Father, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, our Lord, God’s only Son, who was conceived by The Spirit of God and born of Mary.
Jesus was condemned to death by Pontius Pilate. He was crucified, died and was buried.
On the third day God raised Jesus from the dead.
I believe the risen Christ ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God Almighty.
From this throne Jesus shall come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the church universal and the communion of saints.
I believe in the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and eternal life.
Amen.
CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Wondrous and Loving Lord, it is a joy to be gathered here in the company of old and new friends. We relish this Sunday ritual of raising our voices in song praising your name and offering our thanks for your love and compassion. We have readied ourselves answering the call to worship, singing with gusto the opening hymn. We have testified to our faith, reciting the words of the creed, which attests to your power and presence, asserts the truth of Jesus and assures us of the Holy Spirit’s presence in the world today. We are moved and comforted by the words of familiar and much beloved hymns and confess our desire to better appreciate the prayerful content of the newer less familiar ones. Make each one of us a powerful witness to your presence, today, as we seek our own spiritual transformation in Jesus Christ. We pray in his name. Amen.
PREPARING FOR THE OFFERING
When we read about Jesus and his disciples we don’t spend a great deal of time wondering how they supported themselves. We may assume that they, like Blanche Dubois, depended on the “kindness of strangers” or thought they had their own means of support. Luke tells us how women whose lives were transformed: Mary called Magdalene, Joanna, Susanna and many others provided for Jesus out of their own resources. They, like the male disciples, accepted Jesus’ invitation to follow. These women didn’t only support the ministry financially; they became an essential part of it proving that the growth of any ministry requires, first, an invitation to be transformed and become part of something greater than oneself.
Saturday, March 1, 2014
February 23, 2014 "WALKING THE DISCIPLESHIP WALK"
CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Loving Lord, when we were toddlers learning to walk we grabbed onto the hands of loving parents, aunts, uncles, brothers and sisters — anyone who promised to help us stay upright on our feet. Instinctively our goal was to walk and run without help. Though, advised and warned, through our formative years, to make wise choices and to follow healthy paths, mistakes were inevitable and we want to say that we learned from them. We confess that only in hindsight do we recognize how you have always been close at hand, promising to help us get back on our toddling feet each time we have tripped, stumbled and fallen. With a sigh of relief we say: Thank you in the name of the one whose footsteps lead us in paths of righteousness for you name’s sake, even Jesus Christ our savior, redeemer and friend. Amen.
PREPARING FOR THE OFFERING
My office is an interesting place to visit. The desk is always cluttered, with papers, photos, pens and post-its. Every inch of wall, floor and ceiling space provides a spot for some important treasure: a antique prayer bench embroidered by my aunt and repaired by Roger Holder, the coat rack with my robes and stoles, boxes of historic church documents, pictures and souvenir posters from South America dating back to 1973, crosses from Chile, Guatemala, Russia, Mexico, Palm Desert and Desert Hot Springs; angels and stuffed animals —some that sing— others that herald a holiday, pottery chalices and patens sculpted by a friend who died in 2005. When I look at these treasures, they remind me of adventures shared and lessons learned. The treasure is the memory stirred by the object not the object itself. Let your offering to the church stir in you a memory of important lessons learned and marvelous things accomplished in the name of the Christ.
Loving Lord, when we were toddlers learning to walk we grabbed onto the hands of loving parents, aunts, uncles, brothers and sisters — anyone who promised to help us stay upright on our feet. Instinctively our goal was to walk and run without help. Though, advised and warned, through our formative years, to make wise choices and to follow healthy paths, mistakes were inevitable and we want to say that we learned from them. We confess that only in hindsight do we recognize how you have always been close at hand, promising to help us get back on our toddling feet each time we have tripped, stumbled and fallen. With a sigh of relief we say: Thank you in the name of the one whose footsteps lead us in paths of righteousness for you name’s sake, even Jesus Christ our savior, redeemer and friend. Amen.
PREPARING FOR THE OFFERING
My office is an interesting place to visit. The desk is always cluttered, with papers, photos, pens and post-its. Every inch of wall, floor and ceiling space provides a spot for some important treasure: a antique prayer bench embroidered by my aunt and repaired by Roger Holder, the coat rack with my robes and stoles, boxes of historic church documents, pictures and souvenir posters from South America dating back to 1973, crosses from Chile, Guatemala, Russia, Mexico, Palm Desert and Desert Hot Springs; angels and stuffed animals —some that sing— others that herald a holiday, pottery chalices and patens sculpted by a friend who died in 2005. When I look at these treasures, they remind me of adventures shared and lessons learned. The treasure is the memory stirred by the object not the object itself. Let your offering to the church stir in you a memory of important lessons learned and marvelous things accomplished in the name of the Christ.
Newsletter Article for March 2014
ON WAITING FOR A BUS OR SOMETHING
Have you ever waited for a bus? For those who are dependent on public transportation to get from here to there the hope is that the bus will arrive at or around the time promised. When I lived in New York City buses could be counted on to arrive about every 10 minutes during the rush hours of the morning and evening. I didn’t always take the bus the dozen or so blocks from my apartment to work, but on really cold or rainy days if the bus was there I got on it. In South America once some friends and I waited half a day for a bus that had been scheduled to take us to a city in the Southern part of Colombia. The bus drivers in that part of the world didn’t really pay attention to the time tables. They picked people up and dropped them off all along their route; so what was supposed to be an express bus with no stops turned out to be a local with lots of stops. I still have the photograph I took of my friend Rose sitting on the curb outside the bus station waiting. The earliest definitions of the word wait, from the around the year 1200 meant to “lie in wait” to watch for with a hostile intent. I’ll grant you that those obliged to wait “forever” for a bus might well be waiting with hostile intent! In those earlier centuries wait meant “to watch,” “to be awake,” “to guard.” Not until the 1400s did “wait” come to include the sense of “remaining in some place,” “to stand by in attendance on,” “to serve as an attendant at a table.” Wow! Going from the meaning of lying in wait with a hostile intent to serving as an attendant at a table is quite an evolution for one small word.
We live in a society that grows impatient when obliged to wait, but we have an opportunity to be waiters with the many who are waiting in the world around us. Some are waiting to hear if they landed the job they applied for; others are waiting fearfully for the results of a biopsy, or a CT scan, or an MRI; some are waiting for others to make a decision which affects our congregational life; some are waiting to hear if they have been accepted to college, some are seated at the bed side of a loved one waiting and keeping watch in case they awaken or do not ever again.
As I see it we have some choices in the manner of our waiting for the, arrival, the results, the inevitable and the decisions of others. We can stay in one place and twiddle our thumbs, looking frequently at our watches. We can stew and storm and throw up our hands in frustration as we remark on the ineptitude of the bus lines, the inefficiency of the health care system, the uncommunicative nature of corporate decision makers; the unfair politics of educational institutions, and the mysterious unpredictability of the human body. OR We can be waiters who serve, who keep on keeping on, doing ministry, witnessing to our faith, telling our story, praying for the decision makers. This gives a whole new meaning perhaps to your understanding of waiting upon the Lord. It means we serve the Lord and attend to God’s people.
In the 6th chapter of Matthew Jesus said to his disciples: “And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”
As we enter of the season of Lent let us let go of impatience and stewing and find ways to wait upon one another in the name of the Christ.
Peace,
Rev. Amanda
Have you ever waited for a bus? For those who are dependent on public transportation to get from here to there the hope is that the bus will arrive at or around the time promised. When I lived in New York City buses could be counted on to arrive about every 10 minutes during the rush hours of the morning and evening. I didn’t always take the bus the dozen or so blocks from my apartment to work, but on really cold or rainy days if the bus was there I got on it. In South America once some friends and I waited half a day for a bus that had been scheduled to take us to a city in the Southern part of Colombia. The bus drivers in that part of the world didn’t really pay attention to the time tables. They picked people up and dropped them off all along their route; so what was supposed to be an express bus with no stops turned out to be a local with lots of stops. I still have the photograph I took of my friend Rose sitting on the curb outside the bus station waiting. The earliest definitions of the word wait, from the around the year 1200 meant to “lie in wait” to watch for with a hostile intent. I’ll grant you that those obliged to wait “forever” for a bus might well be waiting with hostile intent! In those earlier centuries wait meant “to watch,” “to be awake,” “to guard.” Not until the 1400s did “wait” come to include the sense of “remaining in some place,” “to stand by in attendance on,” “to serve as an attendant at a table.” Wow! Going from the meaning of lying in wait with a hostile intent to serving as an attendant at a table is quite an evolution for one small word.
We live in a society that grows impatient when obliged to wait, but we have an opportunity to be waiters with the many who are waiting in the world around us. Some are waiting to hear if they landed the job they applied for; others are waiting fearfully for the results of a biopsy, or a CT scan, or an MRI; some are waiting for others to make a decision which affects our congregational life; some are waiting to hear if they have been accepted to college, some are seated at the bed side of a loved one waiting and keeping watch in case they awaken or do not ever again.
As I see it we have some choices in the manner of our waiting for the, arrival, the results, the inevitable and the decisions of others. We can stay in one place and twiddle our thumbs, looking frequently at our watches. We can stew and storm and throw up our hands in frustration as we remark on the ineptitude of the bus lines, the inefficiency of the health care system, the uncommunicative nature of corporate decision makers; the unfair politics of educational institutions, and the mysterious unpredictability of the human body. OR We can be waiters who serve, who keep on keeping on, doing ministry, witnessing to our faith, telling our story, praying for the decision makers. This gives a whole new meaning perhaps to your understanding of waiting upon the Lord. It means we serve the Lord and attend to God’s people.
In the 6th chapter of Matthew Jesus said to his disciples: “And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”
As we enter of the season of Lent let us let go of impatience and stewing and find ways to wait upon one another in the name of the Christ.
Peace,
Rev. Amanda
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