The yeast…

5 Feb posted by

I’ve been experimenting with bread making this week.  It’s not as exciting as you think.  My husband went into our back room and dug out my bread machine so I only have to layer everything in a precise way and press a button.  It’s pretty easy, or so you would think.  Here is my first attempt.

failed bread
It looks awful, right?  It was even worse inside.  Uncooked and mushy, we couldn’t even make croutons out of this loaf.  What went wrong?  Lots of things I believe.  The first of which was the temperature of the liquid when it connected with the yeast.  You don’t want boiling hot and you definitely don’t want cold.  I think my liquid was too cold.  I also think the recipe I used didn’t call for enough liquid so the bread didn’t mix in the machine correctly.  Nevertheless I persevered and look what happened.

Bread again

This loaf worked.  I made sure that the water was exactly the right temperature.  I watched it like a hawk to ensure that the moisture level was correct and then I ate it smothered in jam.  It was definitely worth the effort and I realized something very important. Yeast is a little picky but when added at the right time, to the right mix amazing things can happen.

Because of my failures and final success with yeast, I started to think about Jesus and what he says about yeast.  Having a better understanding of how yeast works and the multitude of ways it can fail, I realized something important. Jesus says that the kingdom of heaven is like yeast that is worked into flour. When yeast is worked in and the right setting is there, amazing things can happen.  If however the setting is wrong, there’s nothing the yeast can do and ultimately the bread will fail.  It would seem to me that as God’s people we should be trying to keep ourselves open and ready for the spirit to move within us, to be the yeast in our lives and help us expand and grow.

I think ultimately we would say we want this but it’s scary to contemplate. When you look at bread, when you look at what yeast can do, how it changes and shapes the dough, that kind of change is frightening. Do we really want to double in love, in service, in devotion and commitment?  Do we want our churches to double in love, in service, in devotion, and commitment?  I think if they did amazing things could happen but our lives and church and worship would look very different from how they do today.

Are we ready to open ourselves up and prepare ourselves to do God’s work in the world or are we frightened of what that means?  Do you think you’re ready for yeast to be added to the mix?

 He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.”  Matthew 13:33 NIV 

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Filed Under: Christianity, Church, Faith, Musings, Reflections, reforming

An Open Letter to Rod Stewart.

11 Dec posted by

Bethlehem Nativity
Dear Mr. Stewart,

I just have to open this letter by saying I am a huge fan of your work. In particular I’ve adored ‘the Great American Songbook’ series. As a result I found myself delighted when I discovered you had released a Christmas Album this year. I immediately downloaded it from iTunes and added it to my Christmas playlist. I was however a little surprised by the song ‘Red Suited Superman’. It seemed very out of the ordinary for a Christmas song. Catchy but definitely not a usual Christmas number.

I think what really struck me about this particular song was the sentiment it carried regarding Santa. It seems to me that the song lifts Santa from a fun part of Christmas to a superhero savior figure. Throughout the song there seems to be a belief that Santa can bring joy, peace, love and miracles. Now I love Santa as much as the next person but this seems to me to be a bit of a stretch. Since I’ve known of Santa he’s been the bringer of stuff at Christmas not the Savior. Year after year kids write their lists and send them to Santa for the things that they desire at Christmas. Santa works very hard all year with his elves making tons of toys and then brings them around the world to kids. Santa brings joy that is temporary and wonderful, I won’t deny that but it is temporary. Santa’s joy is not everlasting. He does not impact people in permanent or life changing ways. If the things Santa brought were truly fulfilling would the malls be full on Boxing Day with bargain hunters?  Things don’t satisfy, as people we need something more.

I’m certain you’re aware of this but the origins of Christmas lay in Jesus. It was a feast day to celebrate Christ’s entrance in the world. Christmas is about the moment God entered the world to be with us and offer us hope. It was a day of miracles, joy and overflowing love. Jesus brought us the gift of God’s presence and new possibilities. I think this is where the true miracle of Christmas lies.  It lies in the knowledge that God lived with us, loved us and showed us what it meant to bring peace into the world. Jesus’ life shows us the radiant joy one can find when they live for others and not things. He showed us what it is to spill love into the world and how great an impact one can have on a community by simple caring enough to pay attention. In Jesus we see what it is to truly live a wonderful life and at Christmas we celebrate his entrance into our world.

On Christmas Day in my home we will hear once more the story of Jesus and Santa will have undoubtedly paid a visit. We enjoy the day and all it’s parts but we know the true meaning behind it. Christmas music will be playing and your album will be part of my playlist as I do enjoy it. I would just like to ask one favor. Would you think, really think about who the superman of the story really is? A real superman is someone who changes lives. It seems to me there’s only one person at Christmas who does that.

Merry Christmas,

Becky

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Filed Under: Christianity, Christmas, Faith, Hope, Random Blog Stuff, Reflections

Are we ready for God-with-us?

4 Dec posted by

 

When I look at the nativity scenes scattered around my house and throughout the stores I wonder at the tidiness of it all. It seems too serene, too perfect. Something is not quite right. The nativity that speaks to me isn’t the glass set I brought home from Mexico or even the one I made years ago with my grandmother. The one I resonate with most this year is the Little People nativity set my son has.  I bought it two years ago so he could grow with it and learn hands on who each person was in the Christmas story. I wanted him to see Jesus, to touch him. I wanted him to learn who the wise men were without me telling him to keep his hands off.

As you can imagine a three year old playing with his very own nativity is quite a sight. After a session of play it looks as though a nuclear bomb has exploded in the quiet town of Bethlehem. Animals lay strewn across the floor. Mary and Joseph get mixed up in a pile with wise men and the innkeeper. I’ve even seen the Angel sleeping off the effects of a long night of celebration in the inn on a bed. It’s a mess, a beautiful wonderful mess. My son is learning and discovering what this story is and what Christmas is really about.

It seems so fitting to me. Jesus enters the world and chaos ensues. God-with-us appears to turn everything on it’s head. And it does, doesn’t it? God-with-us pushes and tests, pokes and prods. God-with-us forces us outside of that which is comfortable. It means that God is with us. The God of great expectation is with us expecting things, accepting no mailed in answers. Always wanting more and pushing us to become who we were created to be.

In truth I prefer the messy version of events. The version that’s never talked about where the carpenter becomes a midwife and he panics because the baby is coming and once a baby starts to come, there’s no stopping it. The one where the baby comes out crying and his teenage mother isn’t quite sure what to do so she begins a never ending stream of attempting to feed, checking his diaper and holding him tight to her chest. The story where the young couple with a new baby are greeted by shepherds covered in dirt who want a glimpse of their new, finally sleeping child. Imagine the panic this young couple might’ve faced. Entering a town with no room only to end up delivering in a stable. It’s beautiful and messy.

As a people we often speak about wanting a revival or wanting God’s spirit to stir us in some fashion but I have to ask the question, do we really mean it? Because meaning it invites chaos and confusion into the mix.  Meaning it means God might enter in his way, not ours. Meaning it requires surrendering control to his plan, not ours. From the surface the nativity scene looks fresh and clean but in reality the situation was anything but.

In reality we find Jesus entering the world in a spectacularly messy way. In a stable, with no attendants and people with no real idea of what to do. There were no midwives or doctors. There was nothing sanitary or orderly about it. In the end this entrance helped to set up who he was to become. A man of the people who loved and served even the least of them. A man who challenged and changed the status quo. Who loved so fully that he gave up his life for the sake of all.

To invoke the spirit of God is to invite in that which is messy and say yes to chaos. To invite God in sets us up for a great change and unexpected outcomes. Do we really want God-with-us?

I know I do. What about you?

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Filed Under: Advent, Christianity, Christmas, Faith, Musings, Reflections, The Advent Project

Like a piano sometimes faith needs tuning.

30 Nov posted by

My piano was recently tuned and I find myself playing it more.  I always find this.  After each tuning I am drawn to it, ready to sink my fingers into the keys and hear the melody as it pours forth.  As time passes and the strings loosen I find myself playing it less and less.  When the pitch is not perfect and the note not as sharp I find it more irritating than enjoyable.

As I sat today at the piano I realized how much my faith is like this.  I find myself more drawn to God when I constantly stay in contact through prayers and reading.  When I let that aspect of my life lapse it is difficult to get back into it because my faith is not as sharp and I become easily distracted.  I need a constant connection, a dedicated time set aside to maintain my faith.  My faith needs tuning regularly.

It can be hard to find the time to do this especially now with the mornings so dark and evenings darker. How do you settle in to time with God when it’s hard to drag yourself out of a nice warm bed on frosty mornings?  I manage most days with the promise of hot tea or coffee and a warm blanket to wrap myself in while I do my reading.  I’ve begun baking oatmeal in the morning so that I can enjoy the aroma while I do my reading.  Any little thing to convince myself of it’s value I’ve taken advantage of.

The thing is I really shouldn’t need convincing.  I can see the difference when I slack off.  My mind is less sharp and I am not as focused as I might like to be.  When I start the day with God I carry God with me through the day and that is as Martha Stewart would say ‘a good thing’.  Over the next 25 days I will continue getting up early and doing my morning readings.  In addition to those readings I’ll be doing The Advent Project, a study that I worked on to help people explore their faith as they travel through the season of Advent.  The study is free, flexible and you can do it at your own pace.  I think it’s good whether you’re in need of a tuning or would just like something to help you focus on the season of Advent.

It is my hope that as we meet God daily we’ll find ourselves more drawn to God.  Throughout the busyness of the holiday season it can be easy to let faith go as we have mountainous to-do lists and many gatherings to attend.  Through daily readings, prayers and meditations we will journey through Advent and allow ourselves to sink into the true meaning of the season.

I hope you’ll join us.

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Filed Under: Christianity, Christmas, Faith, The Advent Project

Surrender.

27 Nov posted by

When my sister was in grade school she memorized the book ‘Purple, Green and Yellow’ by Robert Munsch to give as a school presentation. I can remember her practicing her delivery and the phrase ‘super indelible never come off until your dead and maybe even later’ has stuck with me to this day.  The little girl desperately wanted markers like her friends and when she gets her hands on some ‘super indelible never come off until your dead and maybe even later’ markers she makes her mark, on herself and there’s no getting it off.

Lately in my reflections and prayers, I’ve come to understand that I have a super indelible never come off until your dead and maybe even later mark on my heart for God’s people and the ministry I am called into. Even with all of the difficulties that come with this work and the frustrations I feel with the church and it’s insanity I still believe it’s worth fighting for and something I am called to work at.  I’ve come to a place of peace with the fact that God will not let go which is a rather large step for me. I wonder now that I’ve accepted these realities, some 14 years after my first toe dip into the waters of ministry what will God do with me?

As I have come into these realizations, I’ve also noticed something deep within myself.  I’ve changed. I’ve surrendered.

In surrendering I’ve found something amazing. I have no worries. I have concerns of course for the future and for what we will be doing as a people of God but I’m not worried anymore. I realize it’s in God’s hands and we have to make choices to move with God. I’ve realized that there is a place for me, it might not be big or flashy but it is a place that God has carved out for me to do work for him and that work is work I love to do. The fact that God even wants to use me is pretty amazing so I am grateful to have the opportunity to work with God in this messy business.

I’ve surrendered and now I wait. I wait to be moved and changed and pushed where I need to go. I wait to discover the permanent place God wants me. I’ve surrendered into waiting and in that waiting I’m learning patience, trust and exercising more faith than I might’ve thought possible.
_______________________________________________________________________________________

Have you surrendered?  How has it freed you?  I’d love to hear your story…

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Filed Under: Faith, Hope, Musings, Random Blog Stuff, Reflections

Everything changed.

23 Nov posted by

When Jesus arrived, everything changed. Nothing remained as it was and the world was flipped upside down. Love entered our midst and we discovered that God would do anything necessary to be with us. Doubt remained though among the people.  Not everyone could see the gift that was offered. They weren’t looking forward, they were looking back. Back to the time when life was comfortable and they knew what to expect. No one expected a baby. No one expected that baby to grow to be a teacher who broke rules and put people first. They wanted something familiar, something they knew.

I was listening to a song by Eddie Kirkland this week and a verse really resonated with me “The future was bright and clear she planned for a wedding day.  Her daddy would hold back tears giving her hand away.  But now all her hope and fear in a cradle lay ’cause a baby came and everything changed.”   When God enters your life, everything changes.  Mary would not have expected her life to turn out as it did yet she followed.  So many people throughout the history of God’s people had to make difficult choices that forced them to leave their dreams behind.  Abraham left his life behind for a new land. Moses chose to go against the life he’d always known and led people into the desert.  David stood up to a giant and became a king.  So many others were asked to make a choice and their lives were changed.

A single choice can change the direction of your life.  Three years ago my life changed.  My plans for ministry and my family no longer mattered and I had to make a choice regarding what I would do.  My son needed some extra care so I chose to stay home and my whole life changed.  As I’ve watched him grow, I’ve grown.  I’ve had time to write, to dream, to vision for the future.  I’ve discovered that God is never finished with you and sometimes when you make a choice, everything changes.  Sometimes your plans for the future aren’t actually the future you’re meant to have.

A single choice can change the direction of your life.
A single choice can change the direction of an organization.
A single choice can change the world.

It can be tempting to look back and wonder what might’ve been had things been different.  It’s common to wish that things didn’t have to change, that pain and uncertainty wasn’t part of the equation.  It’s normal but it doesn’t change the fact that life is uncertain. The future isn’t always clear and that’s okay. We may not know where we are going but if we have faith, God will go with us and lead us to a new future. We just need to surrender our control and walk boldly into an uncertain future.  If we let go of what we know we might find a new future filled with more promise than we thought possible.  God is looking to enter our midst but we have to allow him to enter.

If we let God in everything will change.  Are we ready for that?
Are we ready for everything to change?

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Filed Under: Christmas, Church, Faith, Hope, Musings, Reflections, The Advent Project

The Advent 2012 Project

19 Nov posted by

It’s that time of year again.  That time of year when we put up the lights and string garland on the trees.   The Christmas Carols play in the background and the smell of cookies lingers in the air.  Christmas brings with it an intense stream of activity and movement.  Sometimes things get so busy and overwhelming we forget what it is that the holidays are all about.  For that reason I took the Advent Project in a different direction this year.

This year it’s not just a list of activities, it now incorporates a study/reflection component.  It is my hope that together we will journey towards the manger and make sense of what the holidays are truly meant to be.  Some days are more reflective than others and some incorporate some action. I hope we can use this as a chance to embrace the holidays and not allow them to overwhelm us.  I want this to be one way we can embrace the holidays, our faith and really sink in to what it means to have God meet us here on earth.

I’d love for you to join me as I journey towards the manger.  I’ll be blogging a bit about my progress and the study in general throughout the Advent season and I’d like to hear how you’re doing with it and what you’ve discovered while doing it.  I’ve uploaded it here in PDF form for you to download to make it easier to read and handle.  Let’s do this together.  Let’s set aside some time in our day to really sink into the Christmas message.

What does it mean to have God meet us here on earth?  Join me and we’ll find out together…

 

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Filed Under: Bible, Christianity, Christmas, Faith, Reflections, The Advent Project

As the winds blew.

31 Oct posted by

The winds were fierce around my house last night.   The windows shook and large trees were uprooted in my neighbors yard as we huddled together upstairs in the dark.  It was wicked and wild and nothing at all like what the people of New Jersey or New York went through.  I am grateful to be safe here in our house.

It’s amazing how well a few candles light up a room.  We had a flash light and crank radio on hand but I lit a few candles and found the room had a lovely soft glow.  I was able to write a bit and there was no distraction in the form of the internet or the telephone.  I was able to just sit with my thoughts and express some thoughts on the page.

As I sat in that softly lit room listening to the wind swirl around us I thought a little about what it means to be the light of the world.  It’s not something we really think about now as we’ve got switches and lamps in every room.  We have light until we don’t want it any more and can duplicate the outdoors almost perfectly.  There is almost always light around us.  Even in our bedrooms we have the neon lights of our alarm clocks flashing so we’re never truly in the dark.

What does it mean to be the light of the world? 

“You are the light of the world.  A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.  Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”  Matthew 5:14-16 NIV

What does it mean to be the light of the world when there are neon signs and florescent lights everywhere? 

I think perhaps we shouldn’t try to compete with the neon signs and florescent lights.  When we need to be like the light perhaps we should turn off the lights to get perspective.  It would seem to me that we’re trying to compete, to grab the attention of the world by being like the world but Jesus says we’re to be the light of the world, not the world itself.  If we are to be the light, to show people that there is something better out there than perhaps we should be different from what is out there in the world.

I want to be a soft glow.  Something that is noticeable and warm.  Not sharp like a florescent light but soft like a candle.  Perhaps we need to rethink our approach.  Maybe we shouldn’t look to the world for ideas but instead should look inwards and find that light, that soft glow from the message that needs to shine.  Maybe it isn’t all about production value but is instead about the message we wish to send.

What does it meant to be the light of the world?  I’d love to know what you think. 

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

The common bush afire.

26 Oct posted by

Earth’s crammed with heaven, and every common bush afire with God;
But only he who sees, takes off his shoes.
The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries.
                                                    -Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Aurora Leigh

I’ve been restless lately. My morning reflection period has become difficult and strained. I try to focus, to sit in prayer. I am drifting and impatient. I move too quickly through my morning readings. I need to get them done, to move on to the next thing. I have not seen. I am not looking. I am having a hard time seeing the bush afire with God. The trouble is I have seen the bush, rich and red and full of glory. I’ve lived with God’s spirit and moved in the grace that he offers. I’ve seen it, I just can’t see it now because I’m not looking. I’ve got too much to do.I have crammed so much into my life that there isn’t room enough for God. I need to make room once more. I need to look for the bush that’s on fire.

I haven’t been looking. I’ve been busy trying to do it all and I haven’t let God in to help. I haven’t done the necessary spirit-care that a soul needs. I’ve turned inwards. I’ve stopped looking for bushes. I want to see them once more, to feel God in my life. I want that fire and passion back. I remember the passion. In the summer when I was not working but simply living it came easy to me. It was there and vibrant and so real. Now that I’m juggling work and home and life and God I’ve forgotten what it means to balance, to say no, to ask for help.

I want to see bushes once more. To feel God working in my life and allow his peace into my midst. I want to see the little moments daily when God pops in. I want bushes once more. I’ve decided from now on that I will look for a bush daily. One moment that signifies God is there, really there. One bush that serves as a reminder to let God in, to take off my shoes and exist in his presence.

Here is my bush for today. A real living bush that’s afire with the presence of God. When I saw this bush I was reminded that there is beauty in everything even the end of things. That God makes all things possible and that with time and patience we will see what possibilities lay within our midst. This bush comes to life in the fall.  This is my bush.  This is my reminder.

 

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Filed Under: Burning Bush, Bush Afire, Faith, Reflections

Rooted in love.

12 Oct posted by

Yesterday my son, his best ‘friend’ Monkey Monkey and I made the journey to place where my siblings live. We had lunch, went to Costco and generally had fun.  Monkey Monkey went with us everywhere as my son is his caretaker.  He feeds him, kisses him and puts him to bed each day.  Sometimes if something particularly bad has happened I need to give Monkey Monkey a kiss to make it better.  My son really loves his friend.  Most kids have something they love like this.  It’s hoped I guess that the love they show for their favorite toy/blanket/insert thing here is a reflection of the love they are getting.  When a child is rooted in love, is established in love they learn to love others in that model.

I guess you could say that who we are is a reflection of where we’ve been and who we’ve grown with.  I find it curious that some of my real life blogging friends are writing about the ‘toxic sludge’ that has invaded our local churches.  They’ve spoken of the anxiety and toxic mess we find ourselves in and they want to dig us out of the mess.  As I read about their dreams and desires I find myself wondering how we got into this mess in the first place. It’s curious that an organization which claims to be keepers of the truth would have deteriorated this far.  I think it’s safe to say we are in trouble and we need help.

This morning my devotions took me to the 3rd chapter of Ephesians and I ran across this verse:

“…And I pray that you being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:17-19 NIV

The problem could be that we aren’t rooted in love, we’re rooted in sludge.  Some people would say this isn’t so.  They’d say that we’re rooted in love but the world is in sludge. They’d say that people ‘out there’ just don’t like church anymore and it’s not our fault that we’re {anxious/depressed/frustrated/angry}, it’s theirs.  It’s their fault that we’re in financial hardship.  It’s their fault that we’re struggling to attract people.  It’s their fault…

I think it’s easier to blame others than it is to see that you’re in fact part of the problem.  Look at the Pharisees.  They were good, devout people and they had a lot of rules to follow.  They weren’t technically wrong you know.  There were loads of rules and they knew them by heart.  They spoke the truth of the law a lot of the time but they never got to the heart of the message.  To know something and live something are two different things.  The Pharisees spoke truth but failed to act in love.  They were rooted in tradition and rules instead of God and God’s gift of the law.  They knew the truth but they didn’t live it.

One thing that set Jesus apart from the religious people of his day was his desire to love people and share that love with others.  He spoke God’s truth in this world.  He spoke love to all people and lived a life that was accessible to everyone.  We need to live like this, rooted in the love of God and established in his word and accessible to all people.

When I watch my son love his Monkey Monkey I feel so incredibly blessed.  This little boy knows how to love in a big way.  He’s lived in love, been surrounded by love from a large extended family and collection of friends and that has shown him what love is.  He’s taken what he’s seen and made it his own. As a family we’re not perfect by any measure but that’s okay.  We try and we love and we continuing living in that love. This is what the church should be. We should be first and foremost a collection of people who try and love and live in that love.

Who we are is what our legacy will be.  If we don’t address this toxicity and fear we will pass this to the next generation as a model for what the church should be.  We are called to be living in truth, living in love.

Paul addresses this futher on in the book of Ephesians when he says:

“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.  Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.  Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us…” Ephesians 4:31-5:1 NIV

If we live in God and are rooted in God’s love we will follow God’s example.  Who we are is reflective of where we are rooted.

I guess the question remains, are we rooted in love?
I suspect that if we root ourselves in love we’ll find ways to get out of the mess that we are in.

What do you think?

 

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