A dangerous thing.

25 Apr posted by

Dangerous
As I’ve told you, it looks like my time of regular supply is coming to an end and I was doing well with this information until I realized how much time I am going to have on my hands when it happens. The thing is I love crafting services for Sunday. Digging into the word and finding interesting, compelling ways of sharing stories we’ve all heard time and again is challenging. Finding the heart of the message and engaging it is a thrill. I’m going to have way too much time on my hands when that work stops.

The future’s not looking too good from where I sit right now. I like to be busy. I feel productive and happy when I’ve got something on the go.  Over the past week I’ve been found sitting at my desk listening to music without writing, watching countless episodes of Community and opening many books without actually reading a line in them. I have too much time on my hands and that’s a dangerous thing for me.

I’m not ungrateful for all I’ve been given. I recognize that these three years have been a marvellous blessing for my family.  When my son was sick we were lucky to have the resources available to allow me to stay home and be there for him. I’ve worked whenever I was able to.  It’s just that it’s now sinking in that that’s going to stop.  All the plans I’ve been making and ideas I’ve been working on will probably come to nothing. The book I picked up the other day on Ephesians to help with a sermon series idea probably wasn’t necessary as I likely won’t do the sermon series unless I start leading a random weeknight service somewhere because I won’t have anywhere to preach.

It’s going to be a fairly tricky transition for me. My schedule will change and my life will look different. I know it’s coming fast and I also know that God has his hand in it. It’s the right thing for everyone involved even if it’s difficult in some ways for me. Sometimes what God wants isn’t easy and transition towards the new way can be rough. Even so it always seems to works it’s way out.

I’m not alone in this I know. It is a time of transition for many of us in the church.  We see buildings closing, worship styles shifting and people moving in and out of our midst.  Things won’t look the same when all is said and done but that’s ok.  What is coming next will be worth it if we hang on through the rough stuff.

It’s a time of transition. To what I don’t know but wherever I wind up will be where God leads. The key thing here is surrendering my desires and following God’s direction.  I’m working on that.  Some days it’s harder than others but I know in the end that God knows best and what happens will be a good thing.
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Do you have any great transition stories?  How do you handle periods of change?  Where do you think God is leading you?

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Filed Under: Faith, Musings, Reflections

My Keurig and I have an understand…

19 Apr posted by

photo (52)

My Keurig and I have an understanding. It will work for me provided I put a little effort in. I need to buy the coffee and fill the reservoir. The last part is what gets me every time. More mornings than I might care to admit have involved me waiting for my coffee to brew only to find that it will not come until I put some water in. The flashing blue light is a glaring indicator of my failure at maintaining my end of the bargain. It’s easy to overlook the part where you fill it at the end of a day. When I have my last cup I simply turn the machine off and think I’ll fill it later. The trouble is I almost never do this. I forget and then the next morning you can find me clumsily trying to fill the machine so it will give me the coffee I desire. The process is unnecessary. If I just put a little work in when I didn’t immediately need coffee the machine would be ready to go when I do need it.

This morning as I was fumbling once again in my attempt to get coffee I realized that this struggle is kind of like the one many of us have in our relationship with God. It’s easy to neglect God and spiritual discipline when things are going well. We don’t roll out of bed early to get the day started with God because we think we can do it later. When we do this and it becomes a habit, those days God is needed are tough. We struggle to connect with God and reach for him clumsily because we didn’t maintain the connection, we didn’t do the work when things were going well. We need to remember that our spiritual reservoir must be filled like the one found on the coffee machine. We need to continue to fill that reservoir daily so when strength is needed, it’s easier to access.

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Filed Under: Musings, Random Blog Stuff, Reflections

The surprises of spring

5 Apr posted by

Chives
It’s spring time. The chives have returned and life is springing forth into the world. I think because Easter was so early this year I am noticing it more. There are signs of resurrection all around me and I am reminded daily that we are a resurrection people.  We’ve survived the winter and are now looking to spring and it’s offerings to see what comes next. It’s good to see sunshine. It’s wonderful to feel warmth upon one’s face.

Spring is here and we should rejoice. We should rejoice at signs of new growth. It’s hard though sometimes, isn’t it? To see the little sprouts in our lives that are just beginning to push through into the world. We feel as thought things are bleak, as though they aren’t moving when in fact they are, it’s just a little slower than we might like. Sometimes it’s painful and bleak and cold like winter but spring does come and if we’re patient we will see it.

At times I admit I find this concept hard. I have a restless spirit and want answers right away. There are days and weeks when I feel impatient as I sit in a state of molecular frenzy within, as my body says go but my heart is hearing wait. It can be hard to know that things are changing yet not know what they are changing to. But spring reminds me there is beauty in this, beauty in the unknown and right now I’m enjoying the wait. Each year spring brings with it surprises. The bulbs the squirrels moved in the fall pop up in unexpected places, plants poke out of the ground brighter and fuller than ever before and the rabbits (in our yard at least) never cease to surprise me with their resilience and determination to live in our yard where all the neighbor cats sun themselves in the summer.

Spring is here and these chives are just a glimpse of what is yet to come, of the things that are happening in this world and around us.  The chives are a reminder of the possibilities that lay ahead, of things that may be happening in this world and what could happen if we just let it. Winter is ending. There is hope in sight, surprises in store and signs of resurrection if we stop for a moment and look around us.  The question is will we stop? Will we see?

 

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Filed Under: Faith, Hope, Musings, Reflections

The Prodigal returns…

16 Mar posted by

I read a story on the Huffington Post this morning about a Dad writing a note to his gay son about how he had over heard his son talking on the phone with his friend about how he was going to come out to him. There was section of the note that really struck me as beautiful and that section really brought me back again to the story of the prodigal son.

“I’ve known you were gay since you were six.  I’ve loved you since you were born.”

This acceptance, this love is beautiful. The son was scared and uncertain but his Dad made it alright with his note. As the son prepared to come forward the Dad ran to him with open arms and loved him. We should all love like this. Loving unconditionally. Loving people for who they are as that is who God created them to be. Imagine if the Church let go of judgement and just loved. Imagine how the world would see us if we followed Jesus decree and just loved one another.

Let us be known for our love.
Let us be known for how well we love one another.

“Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other.” John 13:34-35 – The Message

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Filed Under: Bible, Lent, Musings, Reflections

Weathering the storm.

23 Feb posted by

A little over three years ago my son entered the world in a rather dramatic way having not grown half of his diaphragm in the womb.  The condition is called Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia and his case was of course, one the rarest as my son doesn’t do anything halfway. He’s healthy now and amazing.  My husband and I feel so blessed to have him with us. Because of his this, last night caught me completely off guard.

As we drove home from a dinner out with family, X. moaned in the backseat, unable to get comfortable. When we arrived home he immediately crawled into bed and could not settle. He was flailing about, moaning and groaning. He kept pointing to his side and the pain seemed to get worse and worse. Anxiety hit, terror filled my heart and I began to wonder, with no fever or other obvious symptom could it be re-herniation or a bowel obstruction? Then I realized it was food poisoning as my husband got hit too. A little overreaction on my part

It’s quite fitting that the topic we are dealing with in our Lent Project reading is anxiety.  After all what is anxiety but worry over what could be, or what is going to happen. Today we are reminded that we need not be afraid, that wherever we go there is one who has been there before us.  Jesus knows our worries and we are carried by him.

Moments like last night are a good reminder that nothing is within our control. My poor husband and son got food poisoning. Regardless of the end result we did have fun at dinner and we weathered the storm that followed. Even if we’d been anxious about the potential for food poisoning or other restaurant catastrophes it wouldn’t have changed the fact that it actually happened. Worry holds us back and prevents us from truly living in the moment. Our life is a gift from God and we should live it fully.

This was a good reminder for me. Worry often amounts to nothing and even if I’m right it won’t change what happens. I need to place my trust in the one who is, who was and who will be. He’s carried me through many storms so far, I have no reason to believe he won’t continue to do so.

Let’s not forget another important lesson from last night.  Kitchen hygiene is absolutely essential.

 

 

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Filed Under: Lent, Musings, Reflections, The 2013 Lent Project

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

Spiritual Muscles.

3 Jan posted by

Morning

Every pen in my house appears to be empty. It’s my own fault really, I keep putting empty pens back in the drawer. This morning I pulled pen after pen out of the drawer in my attempts to find one that worked. The thing is they all look perfectly fine. From the outside they are lovely looking pens but when you try to get them to write, there’s nothing they can do for you. It’s all looks and no substance with my pens.

It’s that time of year again when looks really matter. When people join gyms and start to run because they want this year to be the year that things change. They want to look good and feel good. I’m all about feeling good and have been drinking my green smoothies almost daily to help with that. Taking care of the body is important after all as it is a gift from God, but while we are taking care of our bodies we cannot forget that our spirit needs care as well. It’s kind of like my pens. Your body can look great from the outside but if you haven’t taken care of your spiritual and emotional needs it can be all looks and no substance with you. We don’t want that, do we?

The thing no one ever tells you {even though they should} is that you have to work your spiritual body out just as much {okay maybe even a little more} than your physical one. Everyday we need to set time aside to be with God so we can be full and strong for the day ahead. This time spent in prayer and reflection is where we grow our spiritual ‘muscles’ and find new ways of looking at things.  This time is what so many of us need but don’t get because we’ve packed our lives to the brim with so many things. This being the season of resolution, I say let’s change that. Let this be the year that we prioritize our spiritual health. Let’s resolve to meet God in the morning and see what changes might come from starting our day in God’s midst.

Some tips to get started:

- Set your alarm for 45 minutes before you usually wake up.  This gives you 15 minutes to drag yourself out of bed, grab a coffee and settle in where you are comfortable.

- Grab your Bible and some means of taking notes {either a pen and paper, your iPad or whatever you’re comfortable with}.  You don’t have to journal or write out every thought you’ve had but writing out piece of scripture that really resonates or jotting down a quick thought can be a great way to really solidify an idea.

- If you don’t just want to jump from section to section find a Bible reading plan. Personally I love reading plans because they keep me on track and focused.  You Version is a great free online service that has Bible Reading Plans available for the iPad and for Computers.  You can also print out a Bible in 90 Days guide or go with the Canadian Bible Society and their Bible Reading Plans if you’d like.

- If you sleep in, don’t feel bad. Just try again the next day and don’t give up. It can be hard to get into a routine but if you persevere you’ll get there.

- If you’re really absolutely not able to get up in the morning you can of course do this at night but can I suggest you at least try getting up a little earlier for a period of time. I used to sleep until the last possible minute too but now that I have a routine in place I love the solitude and peace I find in the early morning hours. It’s not for everyone of course but you might find it’s not as bad as you thought if you give it a chance and it can really set up your day in a positive way.

Remember there is no such thing as failure, only more chances to succeed.  If building a routine doesn’t come easily cut yourself some slack and know that it will come in time.  ”Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” – Philippians 3:12 NIV

P.S. – For any ministers reading this, sermon writing and service prep doesn’t count.  You still need time for you and God to connect individually.  It will help recharge and replenish you.  Seriously, you need to take care of yourself.

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Filed Under: Bible, Reflections

And so the new year begins…

31 Dec posted by

Around here, however, we don’t look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening new doors and doing new things because we’re curious…and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.     – Walt Disney

A new year. A fresh start. I’ve decided not to look backwards for too long. I contemplated doing a top ten blog posts or a top ten list for the best moments of 2012 but instead I’ve decided to move forward. To instead look towards the future and think of the possibilities. I am interested to see what lies ahead and where I will end up at the end of it all.

This past week I heard of a project called My One Word and another much like it called One Word 365, both encourage people to pick one word to help define what you want the year 2013 to be. I’ve decided to pick the word ‘Bold’ because I tend towards the ‘not bold’ side of the spectrum. My choice was inspired by my readings through Acts and the Epistles. The early Christians knew what it was to live boldly and I would like to live a little like that myself.

Happy New Year to you all! May your year be richly blessed and filled with peace.

 

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Filed Under: Musings, Reflections

Are we ready for Christmas?

18 Dec posted by

Joy

Today day was simple and quiet.  I am still in recovery from a nasty virus but I figure by the weekend I’ll be 100%.  I’ve pleaded and begged with my husband not to bring anything home with him from work and am drinking my greens every day so I feel good and ready to celebrate Christmas.  It’s kind of funny when you think about it.  How ‘ready’ we get.  My dress is ready and waiting, I just need to pick out a scarf to go with it. I’m in decision making mode about whether I should wear a gown or just keep doing my ‘naked preaching’ thing.  I’m getting a hair cut tomorrow and have new makeup for the holiday parties I’m going to attend.  Overall my preparations far exceed those of the original participants.  I wonder if I’m missing the point somehow.

Maybe the point isn’t getting myself ready but just living in a state of readiness.  Like the shepherds who just happened to be there and Mary who said yes when asked without really thinking about the consequences.  Maybe readiness is how we are supposed to be living.  Always looking, seeking, searching for something more.  Never ceasing in the effort to be experience and see. Perhaps I need to work on being always ready instead of living to prepare.

It seems as though sometimes in the Church we live to prepare.  There are seasons and struggles and constant preparation as we wait for things to happen.  We have emergency budgets and slush funds {many of which are falling to dangerously low levels} and for the first time in memory it appears we are reaching a point for which we can no longer prepare.  We cannot possibly expect what will happen next and for that I am grateful.  We need a little chaos.  We need to be thrown off our game and ripped away from the rules and regulations that define us.    We need to exist as God created us to exist, in loving relationship with him and others.  Our obsession with preparedness is not helpful as it prevents us from living to our full potential.

Jesus himself was an inconvenience and at times if we’re honest still is.  He entered the world at the most inconvenient time for his parents coming into their lives while they were sleeping in a stable.  As he grew he continued to push people of balance taking them beyond where they were comfortable.  At one point he sent his disciples out with nothing, completely unprepared so they would be forced to rely on others and build relationships with them.  When he died he left his disciples with no plan and when he came back he was vague and they continued their wait for answers until the Holy Spirit descended. With Jesus it wasn’t never about getting ready but always living in that state of readiness to accept whatever mission one was called to.

Jesus comes unexpectedly in the night asking us to drop everything and there really isn’t any preparing for that.  Are we ready for Christmas?  I’m not sure it matters.  It’s coming like a tidal wave and there’s no stopping it.  Maybe the better question is are we ready for Jesus?  For that inconvenient intrusion that inevitably shakes us to the core and forces us to evaluate everything.   Are we ready for his entrance into our lives, our faith, our churches?  Are we ready to hear how we’ve got to drop all we know and follow him where he’ll take us?

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Filed Under: Advent, Christianity, Christmas, Church, Musings, Reflections

His peace he leaves with us.

14 Dec posted by

Candle

I remember sitting around campfires with my Dad when I was younger. Together we would sing in the darkness and the light from the fire would keep us warm and feeling safe. One of my favorite songs he taught me resonates inside me today. I remember it well. “His peace he gives to us. His peace he leaves with us. Not for us alone but that we might give it again to all men.” I have no idea who wrote this song {and Google doesn’t either for that matter} but whoever it was has my thanks.  This verse is a constant reminder to me of John 14:27 and Jesus’ assurance that he offers peace and a reminder that we should not be afraid.

It’s hard not to be afraid, isn’t it? Even with Jesus’ reminder that we don’t need to be afraid there are days when this world is a dark, lonely place. Days when all we see on the television is devastation and despair. When we discover that humanity can do horrible things. When we learn of children and adults lost in a dreadful shooting.  How can we possibly wrap our heads around it? Our hearts break for the people involved and the temptation is there for us to withdraw and hide, to sneak away from the world which hurts so many.

In this temptation I am again drawn back into John. His peace he gives to us…not for us alone but that we might give it again to all men. We are called to share his peace and bring light back into the world around us. Matthew 5: 14-16 puts it another way “Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven. (The Message).  

As followers of Christ we are called into open lives, lives which allow the light of God to shine through. We are called to live in love, for love, spilling love out to others as we go. We’re to shine so that others may see God in us and isn’t that what the world needs right now? A light, a shining light to direct them to the ultimate comfort giver. This world needs people willing to fight for things like peace and love. As we sit here in Advent, waiting for answers that might never come we must help bring peace and security into this world. As we wait in Advent hoping for a champion to save us from ourselves, we must remember Jesus came to us as a baby, as a child who would show us what it was to truly live life. As we sit together waiting, wondering we must live as he showed us, unafraid to share his peace and light, unafraid to reach out into the world with love and hope.

Beginning now let’s live the life he taught us to live, boldly sharing his light and peace with those around us.  We should pray for the the families in Connecticut and for those around the world who have experienced darkness and terror but let’s not stop there. Together we will funnel our energy into good, harnessing the love we’ve been given and then spill it out into the world.  We will reach out to those we know, to those who are hurting in our own communities.  We will discover ways to serve and make a difference in this world. In times like these we cannot hide, we must push forth and live completely in this world.  We must now find a way to be the change that is needed, to make this world safer and provide hope for those who feel hopeless.  Let’s be the light this world needs.  Let’s shine together and see how the darkness lifts.

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