An extra day!

29 Feb posted by

I’ve done a lot in the last week.  I’ve read.  I’ve worked.  I’ve played.  I’ve slept {not enough}.  I have been busy and could really use a day to relax, unwind and recover.  Sadly it’s not to be.  For some reason the world hasn’t recognized this 29th day in February as a bonus day.  They still expect me to participate in the regular business of things.

After working on ‘regular business’ this week I find myself slightly crazed.  I needed a break so here I am.  As I deliberate on the next book to pick up in my Lent project, I thought I’d write down a few thoughts that I’ve been mulling over regarding the first few things I’ve read.

Here we go: 

C.S. Lewis says “Aim at Heaven and you will get earth ‘thrown in’: aim at earth and you will get neither.”  How many of us work to keep our daily lives comfortable and forget the bigger picture?  Jesus was always reminding us of the bigger picture.

Francis Chan reminded me of the bigger picture this week as well.  When he was the pastor of Cornerstone Community Church in California they gave away 55% of their budget to the community.  He said it was because Jesus says in Matthew 22 -“…’Love others as well as you love yourself.’”.  They believe they should spend as much on others as they do on themselves.  It is phenomenal.  I wonder what would happen in a Presbyterian Congregation if this was proposed?  We’ve got a tendency to hoard our resources for a rainy day.  We’re always afraid we won’t have enough.  When will we start to trust in God?

Speaking of saving for a rainy day the book of Malachi is a fascinating read.  God wants the doors of the temple shut on the priests who are worshipping incorrectly and bringing him the things they don’t want as a sacrifice.   The priests are hoarding their resources, keeping them for themselves.  In verse 10 God asks the people to test him.  He says “Test me in this and see if I don’t open up heaven itself to you and pour out blessings beyond your wildest dreams. For my part, I will defend you against marauders, protect your wheat fields and vegetable gardens against plunderers.”.  What if we really believed that God would provide if we gave our best away?  What would happen if we shared our resources the way we are called to?  Do we really believed that we were called to do ministry in the world and not just maintain buildings?

To sum up my ramblings:

C.S. Lewis tells us to aim at heaven.  To strive for something we believe unattainable or impossible.  Something we require God’s help to get.

Francis Chan reminds us that it is possible and such a blessing to give, for when you give you invite God in and must be fully dependent on his grace and movement among you to survive.

The prophet Malachi reminds us that no one is immune from incorrect worship.  The priests had tried to deceive God and had lost faith in him.  Such an important reminder at a time when it feels like we’ve all lost our way.  Trust in God is the only thing that will sustain us.  We must be willing to let go of what we perceive to be our needs and instead look at the needs of those around us.  God always provides.  We’ve got to stop looking out for ourselves and start looking out for others.

This project has been crazy so far.  I’m only two books and a book from the Old Testament into it and already I’m starting to think that a home church/rental facility is not a bad idea.  No overhead and all the money except for bare expenses can go into the community.  This is why I avoid exercises like this!   People are going to think I’m crazy…

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Filed Under: Bible, Christianity, Faith, Lent, Musings, Random Blog Stuff, Reflections

A person’s a person…

28 Feb posted by

“A person’s a person, no matter how small.” – Dr. Seuss, Horton Hears a Who

I’ve been thinking a lot about little people lately.  How they learn and grow.  How they discover the world around them. What exactly makes them tick. This shouldn’t surprise anyone as I have a little person around me constantly. He loves texture and sensation. He wants to feel everything. He pulls things apart, puts them back together and then starts all over again. He wants to feel the world. He wants to be part of things.

This type of existing that is so common in toddlers and even young children is not really reflective of our worship style or faith experience {in my denomination anyways}. We expect kids to sit and listen. To be quiet. To behave. There isn’t a lot of room to move around. There’s isn’t a lot they can dig into. They’re expected to be tiny adults.

I worry about my son. How he will experience God as he grows and where he will learn about faith.  How will he experience the spirit?  Will he feel he has a place in all of it? Right now there aren’t many places left in my ‘church’ to do that. There are congregations that still have Sunday Schools but numbers are dwindling and programs are disappearing. Of all the programs in a church, the Children’s programs are often the first to go. We think that we’ll start them up again when we have kids but kids don’t come, families don’t appear because there isn’t anything for them.  It’s a vicious cycle.  It’s a frightening prospect.  In our efforts to save money/energy/time we’ve neglected the most important people in our church.  We’ve forgotten that they are the key to the future. We’ve forgotten how much they can teach us.

Jesus said, “…Let the children alone, don’t prevent them from coming to me. God’s kingdom is made up of people like these.” After laying hands on them, he left.” Matthew 19: 14-15

My son’s life is filled with texture and boldness.  He wants to experience and be part of everything around him. He loves music and sound. He has moments of great joy and also of sorrow. He feels everything intensely and is willing to share in your feelings as well.

If his life is so rich with colour, texture, emotion and expression and God’s kingdom is filled with people like him, should we not have more colour, texture, emotion and expression in our services and communities?  Should we not have programs that cater to young children and their families? Should we not want to learn from them how to live, worship and love?

We cannot do that the way things stand.  When we focus worship around what makes us comfortable and relegate children to the side as observers we’re missing out on a huge part of the experience God wants for us.  We cannot take ourselves too seriously.  God wants us to be fully engaged and as adults it’s natural for us to withdraw and hide a part of ourselves.  We need to learn from the children.  We must discover what it’s like to be a child again.

I worry about my son. He has needs and has a right to experience God in his own way.  There should be a place where he can go to make those discoveries and have fun while doing it. Children matter.  They are important.  They are the future.

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Filed Under: Bible, Christianity, Faith, Lent, Musings, Reflections

You know a church is comfortable with you when….

27 Feb posted by

You know a church is comfortable with you when you drive up on Sunday and find this sign:

Never before have I been on a church sign as Rev. Becky.  Seeing this was so great!  Usually it’s Rev. Rebecca {insert longest last name ever here} and very formal.  It’s funny in a way as I’m never called that.  It’s always Becky or Rev. Becky and that’s it.  I’m so glad they felt comfortable enough to just put me up as they see me.  I loved this sign!

This was my last Sunday with this congregation.  I’ve enjoyed the time I spent with them but they’ve found a new minister and I’m happy for them.  I hope they experience many blessings as they continue ministering in their community.

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Filed Under: Lent, Random Blog Stuff, Things I love

Jeremy Lin {the new Tim Tebow in our home}

27 Feb posted by

jeremy lin Pictures, Images and Photos
My husband has a love/hate relationship with Jeremy Lin.  He’s the new Tim Tebow in our home.

He loves him because he thinks it’s great that he’s in the NBA.  They both have similar backgrounds and experiences.  Because of Lin my husband believes that he could have played in the NBA if he’d just put his mind to it.

He hates Lin because he has no faith in any player.  As soon as they make any kind of mistake they are written off by my husband.  My husband is a doubting Thomas.

How many of us are doubting Thomas’?  I would hazard a guess many of us are at one time or another.  We’ve all likely hesitated and rejected new ideas or opportunities because we just didn’t believe they could work.  We doubt our employers, friends or Church when they suggested a new way of doing things. We avoid anything that we don’t believe possible.  We hear of new cures and possible health benefits to a way of life and turn away because we think that nothing will ever work.

We all doubt.  We all question.  We all think things are impossible.

Thomas thought things were impossible too.  His doubt was real.  He refused to see  until he could physically touch Jesus.  When Jesus arrived in his presence he experienced it and said “My Lord and My God!” {John 20:28}.

Jesus has told us that those who believe and have not seen are blessed.   Yet we continue to have little faith.  We have little faith in God.  We have little faith in our abilities.  We have little faith in those around us.

Doubt is raging in our world today. We believe that things can never change. We doubt that God could make a difference.  We think we don’t have the skills or talents to make things happen.  We allow this doubt to penetrate our whole being and it prevents us from accomplishing what God wants us to do.

Imagine what a difference you could make in your life if you let doubt go.  What if you were like Jeremy Lin and believed in yourself?  What if you refused to give up, regardless of not being drafted or hired or encouraged?  What if you accepted you have a role and a purpose that is ordained by God and that the things you do matter?

If we simply believed our lives would change forever.  We would experience great things.  We could even accomplish our wildest dreams.  Imagine what would happen if you released yourself from doubt and let God inspire you with a vision. You will never know what you can achieve until you let the doubt go and start believing in the possibilities.

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Called out of the wilderness

26 Feb posted by

“At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.” Mark 1:9-13

Isn’t this a great moment.  Jesus is chosen, marked as special and then thrown out into the wilderness.  This would have been a huge moment in Jesus’ life and after he gets the accolades, it’s ripped from him.  It’s almost like God was afraid it would go to his head, that he would forget what he was supposed to do, that he would place himself above others instead of living with them.

I wonder if God threw his son out into the wilderness to give him some perspective.  Jesus understood what was at stake, he was born for it but God wanted to make sure he was prepared and ready for everything that was to come. This moment is a stepping stone, a place to learn and a trial to pass.  It was a necessary piece of the puzzle that helped shape what his ministry was to become.

In some ways it feels to me as though the Christian church has been thrust into the wilderness.  We had our moment of glory. The time when it was easy to be Christian and everyone went to Church and now God has said get out there.  Go be alone.  Figure out who and what you are and then, then we’ll talk.

Jesus persevered.  He passed his test.  He struggled and came out on top.  We will be so persistent?  Will we recognize our gifts, our blessings and be able to stand strong in our faith?  We will realize the need to fight for people, to share the faith and be willing to move and change as God calls us to?

This is our time of preparation.  A time when we are being called face to face before God and must answer the questions that are asked of us.   We are given a choice, to surrender to the temptation of the easy road or to embrace a new path few have tried.

After Jesus’ wilderness period he came back into society and became the best teacher the world has ever known.  He lived with people.  He shared meals and stories.  He loved them.  He embraced them, faults and all.  Our challenge is to live like this.  To exit our wilderness period with the same fire and determination to make this world a better place.  To encourage people to embrace relationship with God.  To help people understand that they matter to us and to our creator.

Imagine what a difference we could make if we chose to see our struggles as a time of preparation and focus.  If we could see it as God’s way of ensuring we are ready to move forward into his vision for our faith.

The time in the wilderness changed Jesus.  No longer just the son of God, he was now the son of God in action. He became a doer. He became someone who worked for people, who loved them and served them.   This is something we need to be as well.  We must be people of action.

We are being called out of the wilderness.  We are being told we must return to the world and be part of it once more.  Are we ready to take those bold steps?

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Filed Under: Bible, Christianity, Faith, Lent, Musings, Reflections

Saturday morning.

25 Feb posted by

It’s Saturday Morning.  I’m trying to work and get ready for service tomorrow.  I’m trying to think of what to write on the blog and plan a few series.  There is a bit of trouble with this however as there is chaos around me right now.   I have a little boy who is tried to grab my attention by doing this:

He caught my attention and as you can see he unpacked my entire library.  My husband thought it was funny.  They’re busy playing right now and he’s forgotten I exist so all is right in his world.

Saturday mornings are always entertaining around here.  I’m usually pulling last minute pieces of the puzzle together.  I tend to write a little and reflect on where the blog is right now.  Usually the boys are busy playing and don’t miss me for an hour or two.

I’ve managed to get some of what I wanted to get done, done.  I’ve read every day as planned.  I’ve reflected on readings, on blog entries and life experiences in general.  It’s been a productive day.  There’s much to think about and so much I want to do.

I have this feeling {after doing all this reading and reflecting} that I’m being prepared for something, being shaped into the person God wants me to be.  Through all of my work, my life at home and my experiences I’ve grown and changed in so many ways.   As the potter shapes his creations, so too am I being shaped.  Being thrown around on the wheel might at times not be the most pleasant experience but it’s an interesting one and I’m discovering so much about who God want me to be that I’m happy to go on the ride.

“So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel.  But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.” Jeremiah 18:3-4

 

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What is the Church?

24 Feb posted by

This is a question I’ve been pondering as I continue my readings for Lent.  I came across this video yesterday and I love it.  It’s simple.  It’s understandable.  It’s true.

What is the Church?  The Church is you…

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Random Thought Thursday: February 23rd Edition

23 Feb posted by
  1. I have forced myself to get active once more. My treadmill has been giving me the evil eye every time I go downstairs to watch t.v. and I have these dreams that I will become a runner.  I stink at running but a girl can dream and any kind of exercise is good for me.
  2. I may have purchased some new TOMS for spring.  They are so cute and it gives someone else a pair of shoes.   I’m quite excited for warm, non-rainy weather to wear them!
  3. This week at the Olive Garden my favorite sweater was destroyed when our lovely {and I mean that sincerely} waitress accidentally poured wine all over it.  I wasn’t angry but am so sad about it.  I know I shouldn’t be attached to things but it was just so comfy.
  4. There are buds on the tree next door, the sap is running in the trees and there are spring decorations in my home.  I might be pushing it but I’m looking forward to warmer weather and a little sunshine.  I love spring!
  5. Now that we’ve caught up on Storage Wars and are anxiously awaiting new episodes we’ve been forced to turn to Pawn Stars in replacement.  I find myself sucked in by the history behind artifacts and love seeing unique pieces.  We’ve really been enjoying it lately.
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The Branches

22 Feb posted by

I randomly found myself thinking last night of a name for the church that I always say I want to be part of.  The church that has:

  • Multiple services in different styles so that all people can be part of one community but experience God in their own way.
  • Ministry for youth and children, families, singles, seniors and anyone else who needs it.
  • Studies and small groups to help people connect and discover.
  • Comfortable seating so that people are happy.
  • Relevant messages that touch people’s hearts.
  • Mission that reaches out into the community around us.
  • A vision for the future and goals to make that happen.

I’d love for this church to be called “(we are) The Branches”.  This may sound cheesy but hear me out.  The name implies ownership.  The name is action.  It was inspired by this verse:

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”  John 15:5

Jesus says we are the branches.  On any tree there are many branches, each a slightly different expression of the whole.  Wouldn’t it be marvelous if we could all come together as one community, in one place and hold multiple services with various expressions.  If we gathered together, shared our resources and did ministry in the world what a difference we could make.  As a people we are called to be the branches.  If we claimed this name and allowed it to define us we might be encouraged to move boldly into the world, growing and reaching into the community in the hopes of making a difference.

I know these things may never happen but sometimes you just find yourself thinking…

{This is the reason I don’t do much personal reflection.  Once I start I can’t stop.  I apologize in advance for any further ramblings this project through Lent may inspire.}

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What I’m doing for Lent.

21 Feb posted by

It’s Lent.  Usually people give stuff up for lent but seeing as I’ve already given up meat, dairy and eggs {along with most rich desserts} I’m not quite sure what’s left to give up.  I could attempt to give up facebook or twitter but that would last two days and why set myself up for failure.

Thinking seriously about Lent I realized that giving stuff up is easier for me then adding it.  Adding stuff to my already busy life is hard and I constantly find excuses to not do things.  This year I’m adding God into my life.  In truth I reflect quite a lot for worship preparation but I can be lazy when it comes to me time.  I’m adding personal theological reflection to my life and it begins right here:

‘Forgiveness’ {also known as Chapter 7 of Mere Christianity} is where this project begins.   I’ve been attempting to finish this book for weeks.  After I finish this book I will begin another.   There is a stack of books that I want to read and I intend to set time aside each day to do so.   The list is quite long and I’m not sure if I’ll finish but I intend to give it my best effort.

I know you might be thinking that this is a lot for 40 days.  It is.  I really don’t expect to finish but I need a goal, something to strive for.  I want to explore faith and reflection from a personal standpoint.  I’ve left it wide open and included so much choice because I want to be able to move where the spirit leads me.  I want to read as I am inspired and contemplate the issues that leap out at me as I go.  As I opened the Bible this morning as a first attempt at personal time this passage was the one I saw first.

Found in the Wisdom of Solomon it struck a chord with me.  Lent is a daily journey to help us prepare to meet the risen Christ.  I hope this period of reflection and prayer will help me see what needs to be corrected in my life and help me find passion and purpose in the things God has planned for me.

Now you know what I’m doing for Lent.  What are you doing?

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