2012 April

Here it is…

30 Apr posted by Becky

When I announced the I was going through Leviticus I knew that someone would want to know my stance on Homosexuality and Jesus. I didn’t expect it to come quite so fast but thanks Robert for prompting me to share.

Here’s it is:

God doesn’t make mistakes. God makes people. Some people are gay, some are straight and I think God loves everyone. Some of you might wonder why I would say this. You might think I’m a horrible Christian for believing this but here me out. I don’t think God ever intended for us to hate gay people and I’m fairly certain as a church we’ve got it wrong.

The first thing I thought when I got to Leviticus 18:22 was “well I guess it’s ok to be a Lesbian”. There’s no mention of women/women relationships and I guess that’s probably due to the fact that women were not really citizens. I’m not sure why we got hung up on this line really. It’s one line in a bunch of lines that we don’t really follow anymore. Think about it for a moment

How many of us are wearing jeans right now that are made from more than one type of material?
How many of us are against the death penalty?
Do we give back our land to the original owner after 50 years during a jubilee year?
How many of us will eat bacon and eggs for breakfast this weekend or have steak and lobster for dinner?
Do we throw someone with ezcema or psoriasis out of the house because they have a skin erruption?
Do we condemn those who have tatoos?

Truthfully there’s a lot more said about menstruation, semen emissions and sleeping with other animals then there is about homosexuality.

I do not know why one rule is held up over these others. I do not understand why Christians who follow Jesus think it’s okay to hate others. Jesus spoke love into the world. Jesus lived love in the world. Jesus showed us how much God loved us and tried to demonstrate how we should live.

When asked which were the most important parts of the law Jesus said “‘…Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” {Matthew 22:37-40 NIV}

We need to love our neighbor. We need to love them. This is what Jesus taught us to do. We are called to love, serve and speak God into the world. We need to love.

I love gay people.
I love you too.
I try to love everyone.
That’s what Jesus taught me to do.

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

God doesn’t quit.

30 Apr posted by Becky

I’m wading through Leviticus right now and am awfully thankful I was not a priest back in the day. I don’t think I could have done it. I really would have had a hard time killing a cow/sheep/insert animal here. I’d make friends with it and then when the time came to say good bye I don’t think I’d be able to do it. It’s really not something I would have to worry about though as I’m a women and therefor unclean a lot of the time and also unworthy of the task.

Have I mentioned how thankful I am not to have been a priest back then?

A few days ago I decided to read the Bible from front to back as I was jumping all over the place. I started to wonder if I was missing key things because I wasn’t following a plan. This forces me to hit areas of the Bible that I forget about. Leviticus is one of those areas.

As I’ve been reading through from Genesis to Leviticus 16 and what I’m really appreciating about God this run through is that God lays everything out neatly in great detail {in fact some might argue too much detail} so that the people of God ‘get it’. God’s people make mistakes and he stays with them. Explaining things over and over again. He doesn’t quit.

We worship a God who doesn’t quit.
This is great news!

God doesn’t quit. God is there. Persevering through the ages. Trying to catch our attention and draw us back into right relationship with him. God loves us so much he even joins us on earth for a bit to see if that helps. God is pretty great that way. We’re pretty lucky people.

I think this is something we need to remember. We think if we’ve made a mistake it’s over. We think we can’t turn back but the truth is we can. We can always go back. Even when we build a golden calf, we can always go back.

We worship a God who doesn’t quit.
Even when we as individuals don’t ‘get it’.
Even when we as a church don’t ‘get it’.

God doesn’t quit.
We shouldn’t quit either…

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

Things I love.

29 Apr posted by Becky

My farmer’s market. The asparagus is here and sweet cherry tomatoes are available. Local, delicious food is a favorite in our house.
Homemade cookies. MMM.
Sleep. I don’t get enough of it and every moment is sheer bliss.
Warm blankets. It feels like fall here. I’m not joking. I’m freezing here. Heavy warm blankets are keeping me cozy.
Reading books on quiet afternoons alone or with a partner. We love books here and find they pair well with warm blankets.

What do you love?

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Filed Under: Musings, Random Blog Stuff, Reflections, Things I love

Celebrity Lullaby

28 Apr posted by Becky

Just in case you’re having a little trouble sleeping…

My son adores this clip. A friend of mine posted it on facebook and it happened to be on a random Sesame Street we taped this week. When we stumbled upon it while watching the show X.’s eyes lit up and he was in hysterics on the floor. I have to admit it is pretty funny.

Sweet dreams!

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Meet me at dawn.

28 Apr posted by Becky

As the sun begins it’s stretch into the sky, my alarm goes off on the nightstand beside me. I slowly drag myself out of bed and stretch my body attempting to get muscles moving once more and it’s clear to me in seconds they would rather be tucked back in my warm bed. My feet barely leave the ground as I point them in the direction of coffee. Shuffling towards the kitchen while rubbing my eyes I’m lucky not to make contact with any door frames. I can barely see. The light is dim. I need that coffee. The minute it takes to brew feels like an eternity and I’m hesitant to create any noise that might waken my 2 year old. These moments are meant for me and God.

With coffee in one hand and a notebook in the other I scramble off to find my Bible. After I have collected everything I settle into my corner, comfy and secure. I begin to pray. After prayers I read. It’s God and I. Together in the quiet of the morning.

Sounds idyllic, doesn’t it? Time with God at dawn. Moments set aside for reflection and prayer. The truth is it’s more like a duel than a sunrise symphony.

It’s not that I don’t love God, I do. It’s not that I don’t respect God, I do. It’s just that in the morning, at the crack of dawn before the world awakes I’m probably a little too me when I face God. I ramble about anything and everything in my thoughts. As I’m not reading for a purpose there’s very little to direct me and my thoughts can seem scattered and confused. While reading I’ve been known to complain to God, cheer to God, reject some rules and find myself pushed in to the reality of what it means to be a follower. Some days I struggle to stay awake and most days it’s not pretty.

It’s funny really. When I’m writing a sermon I pray with a purpose. I’m composed and directed. Things have a plan and I listen and reflect and follow as I’m supposed to. Without a plan I’m all over the map. Without a plan it’s chaos. These mornings aren’t perfect but they’re me. This time set apart from God is one on one time with no real purpose. It’s rather liberating really.

This ritual is fairly new. Adopted out of the realization that I far too often neglect time with God independent of work. I came to the conclusion after one too many days away that I needed to schedule God in as he’s too easily pushed to the side.

I’m probably not alone in this. Life is busy and in this modern age we’re always moving, thinking and saying we’ll get to reflection next week. Time set aside for quiet reflection is frowned upon as we could be using that time to do something.

I’m here to tell you it’s okay to sit. I’m actually getting more accomplished now. I waste less time on the internet. I am more invested in the day, in what is happening right now. Starting the day off with God means I actually carry God with me. It’s a nice feeling.

It’s okay to sit. It’s ok to reflect. There is nothing wrong with stopping. We all need to set time aside to sit, listen and hear what God is saying. While my time isn’t perfect, it’s my time. Time God is using to teach and direct me. It’s time for discovery and surprises.

This week I invite you to join me. Seven days is all I ask. Seven days at dawn where we meet God and surrender our time to him. It doesn’t have to be perfect time. It doesn’t have to be planned. It just has to be.

Will you join me?

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Filed Under: Christianity, Faith, Musings, Prayer, Random Blog Stuff, Reflections, reforming, Worship

Grateful for the ordinary.

25 Apr posted by Becky

I am sitting at the kitchen table contemplating the sour taste remaining in my mouth after having eaten an overripe strawberry. The light is fading but still plentiful. I see a dead patch on the grass and wonder if there are grubs to deal with. My husband and son sit together in the other room surrounded by matchbox cars and potato head pieces. It’s the end of an ordinary day and I am grateful. I am grateful for the ordinary.

There is beauty in the ordinary. A sense of blessing surrounds me. I am able to sit and know that God is near. I am grateful for this feeling. It is a feeling I am lucky to have. In many ways I feel as though I am standing in the eye of a hurricane as I watch those around me deal with crashing winds and rains.

I have been in the rain. I have felt the winds blow. I know the time may be coming where I will face them again. This sense of calm may be a temporary thing but I embrace it. I cherish it. I am grateful for it.

If my posting is irregular or my thoughts seem light it’s because I’m taking in these moments. If I’m not here I’m out running in the park or baking cookies with my boy. If I’m not here I’m in prayer and reflecting in the wee hours of the morning. If I’m not here I’m embracing that which is ordinary, that which is blessed.

I know the rains may come. I feel the pressure of the wind pushing against me and I wonder where the storm will take us. For now though I sit. I sit in the stillness and embrace these gifts. I thank God for these moments.

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Filed Under: Musings, Reflections, Things I love

VBS.

21 Apr posted by Becky

VBS affects kids. You might think it’s just something for kids to do but it affects them. How do I know this? Right now in my head a song from VBS when I was around 10-11 is in my head. It’s goes like this:

Good morning Lord. It’s a beautiful day.
Good morning Lord. I’m going your way.
Open my eyes and let me see someone who needs a friend like me.
I know that I can surely be loving, caring always sharing.
Good morning Lord. It’s a beautiful day.
Good morning Lord. I’m going your way.

I can remember the gatherings we had that year and the friends I found.
I remember the fun I had helping lead the little ones to their activities.
I remember feeling important and yet still having a good time.
It was a transitional year for me. I was crossing over from participant to helper.
I remember it. It lives in me even now. It is a great memory.

I have no idea why this song is in my head today but it did make me wonder. What will our kids remember 20 years from now about church? Will their memories be as full as mine? I sincerely hope so.

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Filed Under: Christianity, Faith, Musings, Random Blog Stuff, random church things most of you probably don't care about, Reflections

Great things might happen.

20 Apr posted by Becky

This weekend I’m preaching on Luke 24:36b-48 and I didn’t intend to. I thought I would preach on 1 John but something kept calling me back to this passage of doubt and the disciples. How they were scared and unsure when Jesus arrived. How Jesus brought peace. How he was patient with them in their uncertainty. How he didn’t give up on them. It spoke to me.

Jesus offered the disciples a tactile experience. He allowed them to touch, to feel him. He showed them how alive he was by eating and just being with them. He calmed the chaos in simple ways. He just was with them and brought them peace. This was his way of connecting to them after the resurrection. It is so simple yet beautiful.

There’s so much we could learn from this. He calmed the chaos by offering peace and just being there. As the church in transition we are living in a state of anxiety. Anxious about what we should do, how we should act and what we are doing wrong, we find ourselves flailing looking for answers. What we need to do is surrender control to God and just be. We should be witnessing to the moments of grace that God has shown us. We should be sharing the power of God in our own lives as individuals.

In our anxiety is feels like we’re trying to plan our way out of this mess. We hope that with a powerpoint projector or some kind of fancy program people will see Jesus. We believe if we find the next best thing they’ll realize the importance of Church. Those things are great but they aren’t how Jesus did things. If we look at Jesus’ example, he ministered through relationship. Everything he did was about people and he didn’t have an agenda. It was never about growing a church or keep one open. He ministered and shared God’s love because he loved people and wanted them to know there was nothing God wouldn’t do to get into relationship with them.

That’s the best part of the Christian message isn’t it? There’s nothing God wouldn’t do to get into relationship with you. God loves us so much that he would die so that we could always be with him. This kind of love is so incredible. It’s so powerful. It’s our story to tell and we should tell it.

We are witnesses to this great love. We should share our individual stories of grace and the power of God in our lives. If we let go of our anxiety and started to just share the story we would find ourselves in the communities in which we live. We would meet people and discover who they are. We would find out what the needs of the community were and we could begin to meet them. There would be a sharing of lives, our stories and love would flow abundantly. With no agenda beyond living the message of grace and love in the world, great things might happen.

It could be incredible if we just let go and lived.
It could be incredible if we just let go and trusted God.
Do you think it’s possible for us to ever let go and truly trust God?

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Filed Under: Bible, Christianity, Faith, random church things most of you probably don't care about, Worship

Hello Kitty

19 Apr posted by Becky

Hello Kitty is everywhere…
She haunts my dreams and my drugstore trips. Now she sits on my desk.

You might wonder how she wound up sitting on my mug cozy, nestled in with my hand cream and prayer book. I couldn’t help but get her. Ever since I had that dream with the Hello Kitty Tee, I’ve seen Hello Kitty all over the place. She’s been on Band-Aids and water bottles but oddly enough no tees. I found this one when I went on a hunt for bubbles and found her parked in between the bubbles and sand toys.

I’m not sure what compelled me to get her but she sits on my desk keeping me company. My desk needed a little color anyways…