I know I've written on the subject of stewardship before, but as my congregation looks towards Christmas and the end of 2010, I've been reflecting on how we are going to greet the new year. I've also been thinking a lot about the subject matter of my previous post (see "Our New Reality"). It's been heavy on my heart this week, so much so that I even wrote to one of my state senators about it. I've never written a letter (well, it was an email) to a politician before, and so it was a new experience. I asked the senator if he could convince me that there was more going on in Washington than petty bickering between Republicans and Democrats. The Ameircan people, I said, need more evidence that our elected leaders can behave like adults and get along with respect and dignity. From down here on the ground, it looks like we've elected spoiled children who are moving closer and closer towards having separate water fountains for Republicans and Democrats.
Any other party gets to drink the leftovers that spill onto the ground. Maybe what this country needs is some good old fashion political segregation in order to make sure that these two major parties don't have to interact any more than they need to.
I say that in the spirit of "A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift (a great satirical essay that suggests the problem to the wealthy's complaint about overpopulation can be easily solved by instituting a healthy diet of small children).
I digress.
I've been thinking a lot about this lately, and I've been practically glued to the Presbyterian Church (USA) website (http://www.pcusa.org/). They have a lot of resources on the subject of justice and peacekeeping. There are times when I think we as a people have become numb to the issues around us. We're so used to hearing about war and death that many of us don't even flinch when we hear there was another roadside bombing. I must admit I am guilty of this as well.
It's time we woke up and pay attention to the world that's going on around us. It's time that we as a church took a step forward and made our voices known in the world that there is more going on than meets the eye. It's time we moved from asking the question "Well, what can we do about it?" to actually doing something about it. The possibilities for mission are endless. We can make a difference if we start looking past the end of our noses.
Of course, the tricky business is always putting theory into practice. This is one reason I've been glued to the church's website because I want to know what more I can do and how I can do it from where I am in Illinois.
So here is a list of five ideas to get you started. If you have a chance, please check out the denomination's website re: peacekeeping issues. There is a great blog called Swords Into Plowshares that provides all kinds of resources and raises awareness on a variety of issues. In the meantime, here is this list. Maybe one or two things will make it onto your list of possible New Year's Resolutions.
1) Spend five minutes a day praying for different areas of the world that need peace. Right now, there are a lot of prayer vigil efforts for our brothers and sisters in Sudan. They are voting on a referendum on Jan. 9, 2011 that if passed would make the South separate from the Arab north. The Genocide going on in Sudan has to come to an end. The referendum does not guarentee peace. There will always be dangers and the day of the vote itself is subject to sabatoge and violence. There are so many places like Sudan and Congo that are facing genocide and violence. Take a few minutes every day to pray for God to be a beacon in the lives of those who are in such desperate need of peace.
2) Write a letter or send an e-mail to a state representative. Find out what kind of peacemaking efforts he or she is involved in. Challenge your representative to step up and be a leader for peace in our nation and in our world. If you really feel called into this, maybe find a piece of legislation that is working towards peace and find a way to advocate for it by letter writing or wearing a button or t-shirt. The big one that is going on in debates in the senate right now that the PC (USA) peacekeeping committee is talking about is START, which is a treaty between the USA and Russia that works towards downsizing the nuclear warheads department (you can read more about START online if you want to read its pros and cons, because like all things, it has both).
3) Donate your time. Find an organization in your community that helps those in need. Whether it's a homeless shelter, a food pantry, or a children's hospital, there are so many ways to volunteer your time. Mission work is more than just writing a check; it's getting involved. Here in my town, we have a clothing giveaway in which people donate clothes of all shapes, sizes, and genders. Right now the giveaway happens in local churches, but they will soon have their own storefront. Volunteers go and help sort clothes by size and gender, and then once a month, the doors are open for people to come and get clothes. There is no payment involved, no money changes hand. It's simply a way for people who are in need of clothes to come and get clothes. Last month, the giveaway serviced 117 adults over the age of 12 (so that number isn't counting the children that came through too). I expect now at Christmas time, when they are giving away toys as well, that number will be much higher.
4) Resolve to engage in an end to "needless spending." How often to we buy things on a whim? We buy food we're never going to eat (or shouldn't eating) and clothes we're never going to wear. Think hard and carefully about each item before you buy it.
5) Clean your house. I know we're not even into Winter yet and I'm already talking about Spring Cleaning. But seriously. Go through your house. What clothes aren't you wearing? What toys aren't your kids (or you) playing with? What food is in your pantry that you know you're never going to use? Find a place to donate it. Talk to your pastor at church about organizations that take different donations or take it upon yourself to find those places.
Together we can make a difference in our world. We can no longer sit by and ask "Well, what can we do about it?" There's a LOT we can do about it. It's time to stop asking what we can do and actually DO. As Christians, we are called by God to take care of each other and God's world. We have been made the keepers of the garden. Let us truly mean what we say when we sing "Peace on Earth, Good Will to all God's creatures."
May the Peace of Christ bless you this Christmas season,
Pastor Becki
Friday, December 17, 2010
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Our New Reality
When I first graduated college, I was a reporter. I worked for a small weekly newspaper making an incredibly low amount of money, but I was getting paid to write and that was exciting. It didn't take long, though, for me to realize that writing for a newspaper was not where God was calling me to be. I was a reporter for seven months before I quit and entered the seminary in Princeton. It took a long time after quitting for me to be able to read the news again because I had such a bad taste in my mouth.
I do read the news now, and there are times when I read an article and my heart just feels sad. Tonight I read an article and saw a video clip about it and my heart was sad. My heart was sad and sick all at the same time. It was a news article about a man who, following the termination of his wife's job, went to the school board meeting, told everyone but the six male school board members to get out of the room, and he opened fire. By what can only be described as the grace of God, the man missed every single school board member, even though he was standing at close range. After being wounded by a security officer, he took his own life.
Now, as a reporter I had to cover school board meetings so I know emotions can run high. I've seen some very ugly arguments between school board members and fitful parents. I would not like to be the reporter covering the man in Florida with the gun because I wouldn't know where to even begin reporting on it. What has happened to our society that people are pushed so far over the brink of chaos that something like this even happens? I've been reading less and less of the news lately because I'm sick to death of hearing politicians fight about how to fix the economy. I realize that it's a big job and I can respect that. But at what point can we down here on the ground expect our country's leaders to stop their petty partisan bickering and start acting on their promises and their pledges? At what point can we on the ground expect that our country's finances will fund important things like job programs? How exactly did America get to the point where we are so far in debt that we have people all over the country on the brink of starvation because they can't pay their bills or buy food due to unemployment?
This edge-living -- and I don't mean living on the edge to the glory of spontaneity, but rather living on the edge between sanity and insanity -- is this our new reality? I love this country and all the freedom it gives me, but I have to admit that sometimes I'm not sure I really know what we stand for anymore. We're doing some great things, and we have some awesome programs in place that really help people, and I get that. But I think there are some areas in which we have lost our muchness.
I'm praying tonight. I'm praying for the man that was so angry and pushed so far off the edge that he had to take his own life after attempting to take the lives of others. I'm praying for the school board members who have to live with the reality of their own mortality in a way that I'm sure none of them have ever faced before. I'm praying for the family of the deceased gunman who now have to hear their loved one referred to as "the gunman." How quickly roles and titles can change in the face of emotional chaos. I'm praying for the families of the school board members, that they may find ways to be supportive and loving to people that have experienced something horrible. I'm praying for all those around the country who are finding themselves teetering on that same edge between sanity and doing something irrational.
I don't know how economics work, but I know they are very complicated and I can appreciate that. But if we're learning anything, it's that we're learning to be aware of how fragile the human makeup really is. We're learning to be aware that if all we ever do is talk about change, nothing is actually going to change. It's not enough to say things have to get better. We have to find ways to start making them better.
I don't usually write politically-charged blogs, but this article really bothered me tonight. It makes me wonder what's happened to us as a nation. What can we do to gain back our muchness (quoting from Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland")? And more importantly I guess is how we face the reality that this problem of people who do things like the man who brought a gun to the school board meeting is not a new problem. It's a problem that's been in our country and in our world since the fall in Genesis 3.
In this advent season, we talk about peace on earth and goodwill towards human beings. Let's find ways to make this not just a nice sentiment, but a reality. God is watching over all of us, and praise God that the school board walked out of there with their lives. Praise God that there are so many people in this country working on ways to bring peace on earth and goodwill towards all human beings with energy and creativity. My Christmas wish this year is that we move closer towards a point where we stop needing natural disasters, personal tragedies, and outright chaos to remind us how connected we are as people.
Peace to you,
Pastor Becki
I do read the news now, and there are times when I read an article and my heart just feels sad. Tonight I read an article and saw a video clip about it and my heart was sad. My heart was sad and sick all at the same time. It was a news article about a man who, following the termination of his wife's job, went to the school board meeting, told everyone but the six male school board members to get out of the room, and he opened fire. By what can only be described as the grace of God, the man missed every single school board member, even though he was standing at close range. After being wounded by a security officer, he took his own life.
Now, as a reporter I had to cover school board meetings so I know emotions can run high. I've seen some very ugly arguments between school board members and fitful parents. I would not like to be the reporter covering the man in Florida with the gun because I wouldn't know where to even begin reporting on it. What has happened to our society that people are pushed so far over the brink of chaos that something like this even happens? I've been reading less and less of the news lately because I'm sick to death of hearing politicians fight about how to fix the economy. I realize that it's a big job and I can respect that. But at what point can we down here on the ground expect our country's leaders to stop their petty partisan bickering and start acting on their promises and their pledges? At what point can we on the ground expect that our country's finances will fund important things like job programs? How exactly did America get to the point where we are so far in debt that we have people all over the country on the brink of starvation because they can't pay their bills or buy food due to unemployment?
This edge-living -- and I don't mean living on the edge to the glory of spontaneity, but rather living on the edge between sanity and insanity -- is this our new reality? I love this country and all the freedom it gives me, but I have to admit that sometimes I'm not sure I really know what we stand for anymore. We're doing some great things, and we have some awesome programs in place that really help people, and I get that. But I think there are some areas in which we have lost our muchness.
I'm praying tonight. I'm praying for the man that was so angry and pushed so far off the edge that he had to take his own life after attempting to take the lives of others. I'm praying for the school board members who have to live with the reality of their own mortality in a way that I'm sure none of them have ever faced before. I'm praying for the family of the deceased gunman who now have to hear their loved one referred to as "the gunman." How quickly roles and titles can change in the face of emotional chaos. I'm praying for the families of the school board members, that they may find ways to be supportive and loving to people that have experienced something horrible. I'm praying for all those around the country who are finding themselves teetering on that same edge between sanity and doing something irrational.
I don't know how economics work, but I know they are very complicated and I can appreciate that. But if we're learning anything, it's that we're learning to be aware of how fragile the human makeup really is. We're learning to be aware that if all we ever do is talk about change, nothing is actually going to change. It's not enough to say things have to get better. We have to find ways to start making them better.
I don't usually write politically-charged blogs, but this article really bothered me tonight. It makes me wonder what's happened to us as a nation. What can we do to gain back our muchness (quoting from Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland")? And more importantly I guess is how we face the reality that this problem of people who do things like the man who brought a gun to the school board meeting is not a new problem. It's a problem that's been in our country and in our world since the fall in Genesis 3.
In this advent season, we talk about peace on earth and goodwill towards human beings. Let's find ways to make this not just a nice sentiment, but a reality. God is watching over all of us, and praise God that the school board walked out of there with their lives. Praise God that there are so many people in this country working on ways to bring peace on earth and goodwill towards all human beings with energy and creativity. My Christmas wish this year is that we move closer towards a point where we stop needing natural disasters, personal tragedies, and outright chaos to remind us how connected we are as people.
Peace to you,
Pastor Becki
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
With Apologies
I'm not in the business of retraction, but I am in the business of being able to apologize when I think I'm in the wrong. In this case, I think I'm in the wrong.
I was reading a post on facebook from a friend of mine and it made me take a second look at my blog entry from last week. While I don't disagree with everything I said, there is a paragraph that I think was out of line and for that I owe my readers an apology. I'm also stating up front that I'm not removing the blog entry because like I said, I'm not in the business of retraction, but I will admit when I think I said something stupid so I can remedy it. Also, if I remove the blog entry, you won't get to scroll down and see what I'm talking about, and I want you to see it so you can see why I'm embarassed by what I wrote.
Re: Paragraph that reads: If I wish you a Merry Christmas and you're offended, you're too sensitive.
That was an uncalled for comment. What I wish I had written instead is this: "If I wish you a Merry Christmas and you're offended, please tell me."
The gist of what my friend said was that it's not always okay to go around assuming that someone is a Christian unless they prove otherwise. What she said really bothers her is the notion that "Merry Christmas" is the norm as a way of being passive about it without taking the time to care about what our neighbor celebrates or doesn't celebrate. It was that comment from her that really made me take a second look at what I wrote.
That being said, I stand by my comment that the holiday season should open us up to conversation. Having read what my friend wrote and thinking about what I myself wrote, it makes me feel a little more like instead of just wishing someone a Merry Christmas, asking first, "Do you celebrate Christmas?" It gives the person permission to tell me no instead of being afraid to tell me no if I just say "Merry Christmas" on my way out the door. My point is not that a person needs permission in order to tell us what holiday they celebrate, if any. My point is that it would be helpful if we as Christians strike a balance between owning our faith and saying "Merry Christmas" instead of "Happy Holidays" but it would also be helpful if we open the door for conversation to learn something new about the people we encounter on a daily basis, even if we never see that person again. Chances are, the people we encounter will feel a sense of autonomy and identity to which every human being is entitled.
I therefore apologize for my pervious blog post because what I was trying to say and what I think I actually said were not the same thing. I do think Christians need to do a better job of owning our faith because I think it is a remarkable and disturbing sign of the times when non-Christians do a better job talking about who Jesus was than Christians do. That being said, however, I also think we as Christians need to do a better job encountering our neighbors in a way that encourages conversation, not superiority.
Wishing you a merry winter season of whatever holiday you do or do not celebrate. Because I'm Christian, I wish you a Merry Christian, and if that is not your holiday of choice, I invite you to tell me and I hope I haven't offended you.
Peace be with you,
Pastor Becki
I was reading a post on facebook from a friend of mine and it made me take a second look at my blog entry from last week. While I don't disagree with everything I said, there is a paragraph that I think was out of line and for that I owe my readers an apology. I'm also stating up front that I'm not removing the blog entry because like I said, I'm not in the business of retraction, but I will admit when I think I said something stupid so I can remedy it. Also, if I remove the blog entry, you won't get to scroll down and see what I'm talking about, and I want you to see it so you can see why I'm embarassed by what I wrote.
Re: Paragraph that reads: If I wish you a Merry Christmas and you're offended, you're too sensitive.
That was an uncalled for comment. What I wish I had written instead is this: "If I wish you a Merry Christmas and you're offended, please tell me."
The gist of what my friend said was that it's not always okay to go around assuming that someone is a Christian unless they prove otherwise. What she said really bothers her is the notion that "Merry Christmas" is the norm as a way of being passive about it without taking the time to care about what our neighbor celebrates or doesn't celebrate. It was that comment from her that really made me take a second look at what I wrote.
That being said, I stand by my comment that the holiday season should open us up to conversation. Having read what my friend wrote and thinking about what I myself wrote, it makes me feel a little more like instead of just wishing someone a Merry Christmas, asking first, "Do you celebrate Christmas?" It gives the person permission to tell me no instead of being afraid to tell me no if I just say "Merry Christmas" on my way out the door. My point is not that a person needs permission in order to tell us what holiday they celebrate, if any. My point is that it would be helpful if we as Christians strike a balance between owning our faith and saying "Merry Christmas" instead of "Happy Holidays" but it would also be helpful if we open the door for conversation to learn something new about the people we encounter on a daily basis, even if we never see that person again. Chances are, the people we encounter will feel a sense of autonomy and identity to which every human being is entitled.
I therefore apologize for my pervious blog post because what I was trying to say and what I think I actually said were not the same thing. I do think Christians need to do a better job of owning our faith because I think it is a remarkable and disturbing sign of the times when non-Christians do a better job talking about who Jesus was than Christians do. That being said, however, I also think we as Christians need to do a better job encountering our neighbors in a way that encourages conversation, not superiority.
Wishing you a merry winter season of whatever holiday you do or do not celebrate. Because I'm Christian, I wish you a Merry Christian, and if that is not your holiday of choice, I invite you to tell me and I hope I haven't offended you.
Peace be with you,
Pastor Becki
Friday, December 3, 2010
"War on Christmas"
I was watching a documentary last night called "Lord Save Us From Your Followers" (2008) with Dan Merchant and a segment in the documentary talked about this war on Christmas. I've also heard commedian Stephen Colbert talk at some length about the war on Christmas and as a Christian, when you hear a phrase like that, your ears perk up. In the film, Merchant went into a restaurant clearly decorated for Christmas: elves, greenery, a tree, lights, etc. In the segment, he had editors insert a "bleep" to censor anytime he or the receptionist said the word Christmas, Christ, or Jesus. You could say holiday, but that was it. Anything else, Merchant bleeped it out.
It's interesting to think about how saying Merry Christmas is offensive in some circles. I've never said Merry Christmas to someone and had them turn on me with smoke coming out of their ears. I'm sensitive to the fact that not everyone is a Christian, but whenever someone answers me with a calm, "I'm Jewish" I can answer back with a smile, "Happy Hanukkah" and they appreciate that. It's very calm, very festive, and not a big deal.
In the retail place I was working in before going into ministry, we sold all kinds of holiday decorations (we were a party retail store) and in the last couple of years, I've noticed more and more Santa decorations and fewer and fewer Christian-themed decorations. In fact the only religious-themed Christmas deco we carried last year were clearance items left over for the year before; nothing new came in at all if it was a religious theme. It all seems really strange to me because we had four whole aisles dedicated to Christmas and only an eight-foot section set aside for Hanukkah. We had nothing for Kwanza. If you go into the mall, you see Christmas trees in the large hallways and in most of the department stores. There are Christmas balls hanging from the ceiling and Christmas music playing over the intercom system. I never hear Hanukkah music playing over the intercom. If I say Merry Christmas to someone and it offends them, it's only because most places have taught us that the only holiday that really counts this time of the year is Christmas. And you can't say you're not decorating for Christmas when clearly -- and big surprise here, the Jewish folks know what 'Santa Baby" is really all about -- you are decorating for Christmas. Own what you're doing.
In a religiously pluralistic society, it's hard to think about how we go about celebrating the holidays without offending our neighbors. I think we've gotten to a point where we've taken things a step further than the need to go. Where do you draw the line between what religious imagery is acceptable and what isn't? Christmas is a holiday that celebrates the anniversary of the birth of our Savior. Santa Claus is just extra, but we've gotten to a place where more people associate Christmas with Santa than they do with Christ. Isn't it interesting?
And here I have to get on my soap box for a sentence or two: If my Merry Christmas offends you, you're too sensitive. I respect your right to believe in what you want or to not believe in what you want, but it's about give and take: you have to respect me, too, for what I believe in.
In the small town where I live, down on the square there is a large nativity scene and Christmas decorations. The signs on the lampposts say "Merry Christmas." The store fronts are all decorated for Christmas. I have yet to see anything decorated for Hanukkah and I'm sure I won't see anything decorated for Kwanza. Isn't it interesting? Is it wrong to put a nativity scene in a public square if it's sponsored by the chamber of commerce? Maybe. I have to admit, I'm not really sure. I think it's an interesting question. I haven't heard anyone speaking up in favor of taking it apart in the interest of religious sensitivity, and I suspect in this small town, I won't.
I don't necessarily think "War on Christmas" is the right term. I think what we have is a changing society that has moved towards a place where we are sensitive to our religious differences. I don't think that's inherently a bad thing. What I do think is dangerous is for Christians to get so wrapped up in the consumerism of the holiday that they forget the reason for the season. As a Christian, I'm going to continue to wish people a Merry Christmas because I claim my faith. And like I said, if someone tells me they don't celebrate Christmas, I look at that as opening up a line for conversation.
Ask what they do celebrate. If they don't celebrate anything, tell them you wish them a merry winter. We have to stop getting offended so easily by little things. We have to learn to be accepting and loving of each other without shoving our values down someone else's throat. But we also have to be willing to claim our faith as our own and live like we believe it.
One of the conclusions Merchant came to in his film is that if people are sketchy about Christians, it's because Christians have maimed their ability -- maimed, not lost -- to engage in effective conversation about their faith. Merchant discovered that non-Christians have an easier time talking about the Christian faith than Christians have talking about the Christian faith. What's wrong with this picture?
If we're going to reflect the light of Christ in this season, we need to do it with grace. Proceed with grace in everything you do, as God showed his grace to us. That's what this season is about: recognizing the brilliance of God's plan and the beauty of the grace that God gave to us freely in His Son Jesus Christ. It's about meeting the season with anticipation and a heart that is waiting and listening for Christ. We are all to be innkeepers, preparing room in our hearts and thoughts for the Lord. As you go through the advent season, may you feel yourself bathed in the warmth and light of Christ. May He make you bold to own your faith and wish people a Merry Christmas because that's what you celebrate. Don't censor Jesus Christ. Own it.
Merry Christmas,
Pastor Becki
It's interesting to think about how saying Merry Christmas is offensive in some circles. I've never said Merry Christmas to someone and had them turn on me with smoke coming out of their ears. I'm sensitive to the fact that not everyone is a Christian, but whenever someone answers me with a calm, "I'm Jewish" I can answer back with a smile, "Happy Hanukkah" and they appreciate that. It's very calm, very festive, and not a big deal.
In the retail place I was working in before going into ministry, we sold all kinds of holiday decorations (we were a party retail store) and in the last couple of years, I've noticed more and more Santa decorations and fewer and fewer Christian-themed decorations. In fact the only religious-themed Christmas deco we carried last year were clearance items left over for the year before; nothing new came in at all if it was a religious theme. It all seems really strange to me because we had four whole aisles dedicated to Christmas and only an eight-foot section set aside for Hanukkah. We had nothing for Kwanza. If you go into the mall, you see Christmas trees in the large hallways and in most of the department stores. There are Christmas balls hanging from the ceiling and Christmas music playing over the intercom system. I never hear Hanukkah music playing over the intercom. If I say Merry Christmas to someone and it offends them, it's only because most places have taught us that the only holiday that really counts this time of the year is Christmas. And you can't say you're not decorating for Christmas when clearly -- and big surprise here, the Jewish folks know what 'Santa Baby" is really all about -- you are decorating for Christmas. Own what you're doing.
In a religiously pluralistic society, it's hard to think about how we go about celebrating the holidays without offending our neighbors. I think we've gotten to a point where we've taken things a step further than the need to go. Where do you draw the line between what religious imagery is acceptable and what isn't? Christmas is a holiday that celebrates the anniversary of the birth of our Savior. Santa Claus is just extra, but we've gotten to a place where more people associate Christmas with Santa than they do with Christ. Isn't it interesting?
And here I have to get on my soap box for a sentence or two: If my Merry Christmas offends you, you're too sensitive. I respect your right to believe in what you want or to not believe in what you want, but it's about give and take: you have to respect me, too, for what I believe in.
In the small town where I live, down on the square there is a large nativity scene and Christmas decorations. The signs on the lampposts say "Merry Christmas." The store fronts are all decorated for Christmas. I have yet to see anything decorated for Hanukkah and I'm sure I won't see anything decorated for Kwanza. Isn't it interesting? Is it wrong to put a nativity scene in a public square if it's sponsored by the chamber of commerce? Maybe. I have to admit, I'm not really sure. I think it's an interesting question. I haven't heard anyone speaking up in favor of taking it apart in the interest of religious sensitivity, and I suspect in this small town, I won't.
I don't necessarily think "War on Christmas" is the right term. I think what we have is a changing society that has moved towards a place where we are sensitive to our religious differences. I don't think that's inherently a bad thing. What I do think is dangerous is for Christians to get so wrapped up in the consumerism of the holiday that they forget the reason for the season. As a Christian, I'm going to continue to wish people a Merry Christmas because I claim my faith. And like I said, if someone tells me they don't celebrate Christmas, I look at that as opening up a line for conversation.
Ask what they do celebrate. If they don't celebrate anything, tell them you wish them a merry winter. We have to stop getting offended so easily by little things. We have to learn to be accepting and loving of each other without shoving our values down someone else's throat. But we also have to be willing to claim our faith as our own and live like we believe it.
One of the conclusions Merchant came to in his film is that if people are sketchy about Christians, it's because Christians have maimed their ability -- maimed, not lost -- to engage in effective conversation about their faith. Merchant discovered that non-Christians have an easier time talking about the Christian faith than Christians have talking about the Christian faith. What's wrong with this picture?
If we're going to reflect the light of Christ in this season, we need to do it with grace. Proceed with grace in everything you do, as God showed his grace to us. That's what this season is about: recognizing the brilliance of God's plan and the beauty of the grace that God gave to us freely in His Son Jesus Christ. It's about meeting the season with anticipation and a heart that is waiting and listening for Christ. We are all to be innkeepers, preparing room in our hearts and thoughts for the Lord. As you go through the advent season, may you feel yourself bathed in the warmth and light of Christ. May He make you bold to own your faith and wish people a Merry Christmas because that's what you celebrate. Don't censor Jesus Christ. Own it.
Merry Christmas,
Pastor Becki
Monday, November 22, 2010
You're a Sheep Dog!
I'm writing a little early this week because I'm leaving for home on Wednesday and will be spending Friday in the car driving back to Illinois. I am so excited to be Jersey-bound, even if it's only for a couple of days. It will be the first time my whole family is together since last Christmas, so that's really, really making me pretty stoked. With me living in Illinois and my younger brother living in North Carolina, it's hard to find time to get all five of us together (my sister still lives at home with my parents). So I am VERY thankful for Thanksgiving this year :)
My post this week comes from a combination of the sermon I preached yesterday and something a fellow pastor said to me when I was installed here a couple of weeks ago. The night before my installation* service, she called me to ask me to send her an email about my long term and short term visions for my ministry at this church. In the course of my correspondence to her, I mentioned that I didn't like the image of pastor as shepherd, since Christ is our shepherd. She delivered my charge** during the service and called out this image, which I used in my sermon yesterday and wanted to mention in my blog today because it really spoke to my heart.
Christ is the shepherd. Think of the pastor as the Shepherd's staff. The shepherd uses the staff to steer the sheep when they're veering off the path. Sometimes the shepherd has to pull the staff back and let the sheep roam. Sometimes the sheep will bounce off guardrails and sometimes they'll even fall off the path completely. This is where the sheep dogs come in.
Leaders and caregivers in the church are the sheep dogs. They are the ones who help search for the sheep and who help make sure the sheep are going where they're supposed to go. The sheep dogs are important because they are another set of eyes for the shepherd. The shepherd knows each sheep by name, but the sheep dogs function as extra eyes and hands (well, paws) for the shepherd.
I love this image. I love it because it makes everyone in the flock accountable for something. The theme in my ministry right now is that we are all walking together to grow in Christ. As the body of Christ here on Earth, we're called to take care of each other and lift one another up. My message yesterday was to encourage the members of the church to use the body for what it was intended, and to contribute to the body. The beauty of my fellow pastor's image was her remark that sometimes the rolls change. Sometimes a person is a sheep dog doing the leading, and sometimes a person needs to be the sheep and seek help being kept on the path.
Christ is the good shepherd. God chose us because God created us in love, and Christ rules over us. Christ the King Sunday (which was yesterday) is about realizing that as we walk on this path of life, we're not doing it alone or in control of where the path leads. We can decide which paths we want to take, at some level, but at the end of the journey, we all end up where we are supposed to be.
I wish you the very happiest Thanksgiving and pray for traveling mercies for those who are traveling. May you find rest and comfort with your loved ones. :)
Yours in the Peace of Christ,
Pastor Becki
*In the Presbyterian church, new pastors who have been previously ordained are installed into the church to which they have been called. The service is essentially a wedding service between pastor and new congregation, each taking vows to support each other and trust each other.
**In the installation service, someone gives a charge to the new pastor and then a charge to the congregation that encourages. My charge was to see myself as the staff, but also to not be afraid to make mistakes.
My post this week comes from a combination of the sermon I preached yesterday and something a fellow pastor said to me when I was installed here a couple of weeks ago. The night before my installation* service, she called me to ask me to send her an email about my long term and short term visions for my ministry at this church. In the course of my correspondence to her, I mentioned that I didn't like the image of pastor as shepherd, since Christ is our shepherd. She delivered my charge** during the service and called out this image, which I used in my sermon yesterday and wanted to mention in my blog today because it really spoke to my heart.
Christ is the shepherd. Think of the pastor as the Shepherd's staff. The shepherd uses the staff to steer the sheep when they're veering off the path. Sometimes the shepherd has to pull the staff back and let the sheep roam. Sometimes the sheep will bounce off guardrails and sometimes they'll even fall off the path completely. This is where the sheep dogs come in.
Leaders and caregivers in the church are the sheep dogs. They are the ones who help search for the sheep and who help make sure the sheep are going where they're supposed to go. The sheep dogs are important because they are another set of eyes for the shepherd. The shepherd knows each sheep by name, but the sheep dogs function as extra eyes and hands (well, paws) for the shepherd.
I love this image. I love it because it makes everyone in the flock accountable for something. The theme in my ministry right now is that we are all walking together to grow in Christ. As the body of Christ here on Earth, we're called to take care of each other and lift one another up. My message yesterday was to encourage the members of the church to use the body for what it was intended, and to contribute to the body. The beauty of my fellow pastor's image was her remark that sometimes the rolls change. Sometimes a person is a sheep dog doing the leading, and sometimes a person needs to be the sheep and seek help being kept on the path.
Christ is the good shepherd. God chose us because God created us in love, and Christ rules over us. Christ the King Sunday (which was yesterday) is about realizing that as we walk on this path of life, we're not doing it alone or in control of where the path leads. We can decide which paths we want to take, at some level, but at the end of the journey, we all end up where we are supposed to be.
I wish you the very happiest Thanksgiving and pray for traveling mercies for those who are traveling. May you find rest and comfort with your loved ones. :)
Yours in the Peace of Christ,
Pastor Becki
*In the Presbyterian church, new pastors who have been previously ordained are installed into the church to which they have been called. The service is essentially a wedding service between pastor and new congregation, each taking vows to support each other and trust each other.
**In the installation service, someone gives a charge to the new pastor and then a charge to the congregation that encourages. My charge was to see myself as the staff, but also to not be afraid to make mistakes.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
On the subject of my post about facebook...
Wow, guys, so sorry. Just saw the post published and it's SUPER LONG. If you're following my blog, get a sandwich first, and then read it, lol.
But please do read it. It's regarding a subject that I'm passionate about: Christ and culture.
But please do read it. It's regarding a subject that I'm passionate about: Christ and culture.
For lack of a better title: "Facebook"
Note: This blog is written in response to an article on cnn: http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2010/11/18/pastor-facebook-is-encouraging-adultery/?hpt=C2
I read this and had to respond, because I've been thinking a lot lately about the relationship between church and social network sites. I'm thinking this is an area I'd like to explore more deeply because we're in a digital age and as part of the generation that is addicted to social networks, I know the reality that if the church doesn't find a way to be relevant, it will die.
I've heard pastors say that it's not up for the church to be relevant. A pastor I know talked about this in a sermon one time, and he said that the message of the Gospel is always relevant and the church cannot just change itself because people decide it has to change. Personally, I think this pastor is missing the point of church. I agree with him insofar as the message of the Gospel is always relevant.
BUT, and this is a huge BUT, the church as an institution must find ways to connect to Christ's followers or it will die. I considered using the term "cease to exist as we know it" but I think "die" better captures what I'm trying to communicate. In a digital age, and in order to reach a generation that knows nothing but technology, the church has to find a way to be a part of the digital age. The reality that churches today must face is that if the church doesn't speak up and bring itself into this conversation, other voices will rise up ahead of her and drown her out.
In his book "Gospel According to Peanuts," Robert Short explains why the church must be in conversation with the arts. He states, "Whenever the Church becomes too dull or narrow in using the gift of its spiritual perception, it is guilty of the same charge Christ laid to the Pharisees and Sadducees: 'You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.' (Matt. 16.3)" (Short 14).
He also states, "If the Church fails to use the divine imagination gives to it, to see the unseen, to see "sermons in stones and good in everything' to see 'that all that passes to corruption is a parable,' as Karl Barth has put it, will constantly be embarrassed by a world capable of far more imagination than the Church itself" (Short 28).
I like that statement, a gentle reminder that if the church doesn't step it up in the digital age, it will be "embarassed by a world capable of far more imagination than the Church itself." There's gospel truth in that statement. As a pastor, my task is to find a balance between upholding traditions of the faith and leading the church as it discovers new traditions. The message of God's love and Christ's grace is timeless. How we tell that story is not so timeless. The Church must discover ways to tell the story in a language God's people can understand.
Does my church need to jump on the Facebook bandwagon? Should I even have a Facebook page if I'm a pastor? I would encourage my church to have a Facebook page. It's great for announcements and to show this generation and the next that as a church, we know we have to find ways to reach people in the digital age. As a pastor, I am responsible with my Facebook profile. I don't post anything up there that I wouldn't want my congregation to see. There are no pictures, notes, or comments from friends that put my values in question.
I do not agree with the NJ pastor's ultamatim for his congregation (that church leaders delete their facebook account or be removed from their positions). With great technology comes great responsibility. A more positive form of action could be to offer interactive seminars with your congregation. Sit down with them and talk about it. If you make something a forbidden fruit, it makes it much more attractive. If you give someone the tools they need to make smart decisions about the technology available, it allows them to make informed decisions about what they do. What happens from there are the choices a person makes and we live with those choices. We deal the consequences of our actions. That's part of what being an adult is about.
I will say, on record, that I can appreciate what the pastor is trying to do. He is trying to protect his flock. I've heard it said the best way to prevent pregnancy and STD's is to just not have sex. The best way to make sure your facebook page doesn't lead to adultery is to not have a facebook page. I can support that. But I also support a person's right to decide to have Facebook (and have sex, but that's a blog entry for another day...this one is getting long enough). People are going to get on Facebook and they're going to do stupid things (like the cheerleader who got suspended for putting up a picture of herself with a beer bottle). Eventually, people will learn their lessons, even if they have to learn them the hardway.
In the meantime, I'm keeping my Facebook profile and I'm updating my blog once a week. So, fellow pastor in NJ, I understand where you're coming from, but I disagree with your course of action as being the only solution to the problem. I still think the relationship between the Church and social web networking is an area I want to dig deeper into. We live in a digital age. The Church exists in a digital age. There is no escaping that, and personally, I don't think we should try.
Wishing you peace of Christ,
Pastor Becki
ps: As a side note, I think the comments on the article that say the pastor is insane are uncalled for. He is a pastor trying to find ways to protect his flock. I may not agree with his methods, but as pastors, it's what we do. It is not "things like this" that give religion a bad name. It is people that are ignorant enough to let Facebook destory their marriages that give people the fuel they need to make such ridiculous claims.
pps: As an extra side note, I've gotten into "Glee" recently and this past week's episode had a comment from a character that I thought was interesting. The character, a gay kid, was at dinner with his gay friend and another character from the show and he said that if people want to outlaw gay marriage because it "ruins marriage," we ought to outlaw divorce as well. In the spirit of Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal," maybe we ought to outlaw Facebook as well.
**Short, Robert. "The Gospel According to Peanuts" (Westminster John Knox Press/Louisville, KY), 1999 ed.
I read this and had to respond, because I've been thinking a lot lately about the relationship between church and social network sites. I'm thinking this is an area I'd like to explore more deeply because we're in a digital age and as part of the generation that is addicted to social networks, I know the reality that if the church doesn't find a way to be relevant, it will die.
I've heard pastors say that it's not up for the church to be relevant. A pastor I know talked about this in a sermon one time, and he said that the message of the Gospel is always relevant and the church cannot just change itself because people decide it has to change. Personally, I think this pastor is missing the point of church. I agree with him insofar as the message of the Gospel is always relevant.
BUT, and this is a huge BUT, the church as an institution must find ways to connect to Christ's followers or it will die. I considered using the term "cease to exist as we know it" but I think "die" better captures what I'm trying to communicate. In a digital age, and in order to reach a generation that knows nothing but technology, the church has to find a way to be a part of the digital age. The reality that churches today must face is that if the church doesn't speak up and bring itself into this conversation, other voices will rise up ahead of her and drown her out.
In his book "Gospel According to Peanuts," Robert Short explains why the church must be in conversation with the arts. He states, "Whenever the Church becomes too dull or narrow in using the gift of its spiritual perception, it is guilty of the same charge Christ laid to the Pharisees and Sadducees: 'You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.' (Matt. 16.3)" (Short 14).
He also states, "If the Church fails to use the divine imagination gives to it, to see the unseen, to see "sermons in stones and good in everything' to see 'that all that passes to corruption is a parable,' as Karl Barth has put it, will constantly be embarrassed by a world capable of far more imagination than the Church itself" (Short 28).
I like that statement, a gentle reminder that if the church doesn't step it up in the digital age, it will be "embarassed by a world capable of far more imagination than the Church itself." There's gospel truth in that statement. As a pastor, my task is to find a balance between upholding traditions of the faith and leading the church as it discovers new traditions. The message of God's love and Christ's grace is timeless. How we tell that story is not so timeless. The Church must discover ways to tell the story in a language God's people can understand.
Does my church need to jump on the Facebook bandwagon? Should I even have a Facebook page if I'm a pastor? I would encourage my church to have a Facebook page. It's great for announcements and to show this generation and the next that as a church, we know we have to find ways to reach people in the digital age. As a pastor, I am responsible with my Facebook profile. I don't post anything up there that I wouldn't want my congregation to see. There are no pictures, notes, or comments from friends that put my values in question.
I do not agree with the NJ pastor's ultamatim for his congregation (that church leaders delete their facebook account or be removed from their positions). With great technology comes great responsibility. A more positive form of action could be to offer interactive seminars with your congregation. Sit down with them and talk about it. If you make something a forbidden fruit, it makes it much more attractive. If you give someone the tools they need to make smart decisions about the technology available, it allows them to make informed decisions about what they do. What happens from there are the choices a person makes and we live with those choices. We deal the consequences of our actions. That's part of what being an adult is about.
I will say, on record, that I can appreciate what the pastor is trying to do. He is trying to protect his flock. I've heard it said the best way to prevent pregnancy and STD's is to just not have sex. The best way to make sure your facebook page doesn't lead to adultery is to not have a facebook page. I can support that. But I also support a person's right to decide to have Facebook (and have sex, but that's a blog entry for another day...this one is getting long enough). People are going to get on Facebook and they're going to do stupid things (like the cheerleader who got suspended for putting up a picture of herself with a beer bottle). Eventually, people will learn their lessons, even if they have to learn them the hardway.
In the meantime, I'm keeping my Facebook profile and I'm updating my blog once a week. So, fellow pastor in NJ, I understand where you're coming from, but I disagree with your course of action as being the only solution to the problem. I still think the relationship between the Church and social web networking is an area I want to dig deeper into. We live in a digital age. The Church exists in a digital age. There is no escaping that, and personally, I don't think we should try.
Wishing you peace of Christ,
Pastor Becki
ps: As a side note, I think the comments on the article that say the pastor is insane are uncalled for. He is a pastor trying to find ways to protect his flock. I may not agree with his methods, but as pastors, it's what we do. It is not "things like this" that give religion a bad name. It is people that are ignorant enough to let Facebook destory their marriages that give people the fuel they need to make such ridiculous claims.
pps: As an extra side note, I've gotten into "Glee" recently and this past week's episode had a comment from a character that I thought was interesting. The character, a gay kid, was at dinner with his gay friend and another character from the show and he said that if people want to outlaw gay marriage because it "ruins marriage," we ought to outlaw divorce as well. In the spirit of Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal," maybe we ought to outlaw Facebook as well.
**Short, Robert. "The Gospel According to Peanuts" (Westminster John Knox Press/Louisville, KY), 1999 ed.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Musings with Grandfather
Not my grandfather. Our grandfather. As in, grandfather of the Presbyterian Church, John Calvin. I say grandfather because I think it's more accurate to call John Knox the father, but even Knox had to get his musings from some place.
I digress.
Reading Calvin in seminary was a chore. A burden, even. The problem was that when they assigned a Calvin reading, to call it "A Reading" was being generous. It was never fewer than 150 pages. I started to have a motto: "Seminary is about learning to balance what you have to read and what God will forgive you for not reading." If I didn't get to all my Calvin, I suspect Calvin was okay with that. And often I didn't get to all my Calvin because every class in seminary thinks they are you only class, so they assign you a ton of reading.
Now that I'm out of seminary, I've been seeking council with John Calvin. I wouldn't say I'm reading him for fun, but as my sermons lean towards the more theological themes, I've been spending a little bit of time reading up on what Calvin would say about things. The interesting thing I've found is that I'm more likely to finish my reading assignments now that Calvin isn't an assignment. I just finished reading Book 3 of his Institutes and I'm kind of enamoured with it. I don't agree with every detail Calvin utters, but I can get behind him theologically on most of his points. I've even located a few things he says that have a touch of humor and a pastoral flare: not something I expected from Calvin. I have a newfound respect for Calvin and my regret now is that I don't have my seminary buds to talk it out with.
People who haven't been through seminary or who aren't connected to the Presby church just don't get Calvin.
In my sermon last week, I talked about how just because we are chosen by God doesn't mean we get a free pass to do whatever we please (a fact Calvin and Luther would get behind). Our task as God's chosen ones is to praise God by doing God's work. We don't work for salvation; we work BECAUSE of salvation. Calvin made a comment his section on election of his Institutes that I thought summed up beautifully how we ought to think of election. He said:
"What did Christ wish to have us learn from this but to trust that we shall ever remain safe because we have been made His once and for all?" (III.xxiv.6).
I thought that was a beautiful sentiment. Election isn't supposed to scare us. God doesn't want us to go through life stressed about whether or not we're going to Heaven. God doesn't want us to live life in fear, but in peace of mind that whatever happens, God is in our corner with open arms. We don't have words to express the gravity of what Christ did on that cross, but God did give us hearts that can be open to receive that grace that He offers so freely.
God chose us as first fruit, Paul says in 2 Thessalonians. If the first fruits are so incredibly important -- so important that Abel's first fruits were an acceptable offering where Cain's measly seconds were rejected -- how much more incredible is it that God calls US as first fruits?! God delights in us: fallen human beings who can never seem to get it right. This all powerful God, who can have anything he wants, chooses US! That ought to create in us such joy and such comfort. That's why I love what Calvin says. What else does Christ want us to do but rejoice in the fact that God has hand picked us to be His own?
Grace is pretty amazing, isn't it?
Peace of Christ,
Pastor Becki
I digress.
Reading Calvin in seminary was a chore. A burden, even. The problem was that when they assigned a Calvin reading, to call it "A Reading" was being generous. It was never fewer than 150 pages. I started to have a motto: "Seminary is about learning to balance what you have to read and what God will forgive you for not reading." If I didn't get to all my Calvin, I suspect Calvin was okay with that. And often I didn't get to all my Calvin because every class in seminary thinks they are you only class, so they assign you a ton of reading.
Now that I'm out of seminary, I've been seeking council with John Calvin. I wouldn't say I'm reading him for fun, but as my sermons lean towards the more theological themes, I've been spending a little bit of time reading up on what Calvin would say about things. The interesting thing I've found is that I'm more likely to finish my reading assignments now that Calvin isn't an assignment. I just finished reading Book 3 of his Institutes and I'm kind of enamoured with it. I don't agree with every detail Calvin utters, but I can get behind him theologically on most of his points. I've even located a few things he says that have a touch of humor and a pastoral flare: not something I expected from Calvin. I have a newfound respect for Calvin and my regret now is that I don't have my seminary buds to talk it out with.
People who haven't been through seminary or who aren't connected to the Presby church just don't get Calvin.
In my sermon last week, I talked about how just because we are chosen by God doesn't mean we get a free pass to do whatever we please (a fact Calvin and Luther would get behind). Our task as God's chosen ones is to praise God by doing God's work. We don't work for salvation; we work BECAUSE of salvation. Calvin made a comment his section on election of his Institutes that I thought summed up beautifully how we ought to think of election. He said:
"What did Christ wish to have us learn from this but to trust that we shall ever remain safe because we have been made His once and for all?" (III.xxiv.6).
I thought that was a beautiful sentiment. Election isn't supposed to scare us. God doesn't want us to go through life stressed about whether or not we're going to Heaven. God doesn't want us to live life in fear, but in peace of mind that whatever happens, God is in our corner with open arms. We don't have words to express the gravity of what Christ did on that cross, but God did give us hearts that can be open to receive that grace that He offers so freely.
God chose us as first fruit, Paul says in 2 Thessalonians. If the first fruits are so incredibly important -- so important that Abel's first fruits were an acceptable offering where Cain's measly seconds were rejected -- how much more incredible is it that God calls US as first fruits?! God delights in us: fallen human beings who can never seem to get it right. This all powerful God, who can have anything he wants, chooses US! That ought to create in us such joy and such comfort. That's why I love what Calvin says. What else does Christ want us to do but rejoice in the fact that God has hand picked us to be His own?
Grace is pretty amazing, isn't it?
Peace of Christ,
Pastor Becki
Friday, November 5, 2010
Humanizing the Divine
I just finished reading a book called, "Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal" by Christopher Moore and as a pastor who sees the world through a theological but often secularly theological (does that make sense?) lens, I have to tell you: this is a great book.
The disclaimer that Moore himself offers up is that the work is pure fiction with some tidbits of fact sprinkled in. He did his research, but the plot itself is still a work of pure imagination. Brilliant imagination, but imagination nonetheless. You have to read this book through that lens, otherwise you find yourself wondering how God doesn't strike some people down with lightening bolts.
But the book is fantastic. It's the story of Christ's life told through a completely different set of eyes: A guy named Levi who is called Biff who grew up with Jesus (in the book he's called Joshua based on how the name is pronounced bibically). Biff is sort of like the ying to Christ's yang. Where Christ is humble, Biff is over the top. Where Christ is saddened and needs to be alone, Biff is ready to punch someone in the face and make everything right again. Biff likes wine, he likes women, and he likes fun. But he loves Joshua, so where Joshua goes, Biff goes. The story includes the two of them traveling to find each of the three wise men that came to find Christ in Bethlehem. I highly recommend the book. It's a great read. It made me laugh, and there were points it actually made me sad.
But at the end of the book, I felt something else. I felt strangely comforted by the story. Even though I know it is a work of fiction, there was something remarkable about seeing Christ through a purely human lens. The book makes no bones about the fact that Joshua (Jesus) is God's Son, but there's something innocent and wise about seeing Christ as the kid and teenager that we miss in scripture.
We often wonder why the only stories we have of Jesus before he was 30 in our scriptural canon are the story of his birth, the story of his blessing in the temple, and the story of how his parents had to go back and find him in the temple with the teachers of the law ("Didn't you know I had to be in my father's house?"). I've also been reading a lot of John Calvin lately and he would say that if it's not included in our canon, it's not important for us to know.
And I say canon specifically becauses there are non-canonical gospels out there that have other stories of Jesus' youthhood.
We place a high emphasis on Christ the Divine for good reason: He is the Son of God, come down from heaven to die in our place so that we might have eternal life. Christ is evidence of God's grace and the amazing and unfailing love He has for us. Christ is the reason we can get up in the morning and say, "Thank God I'm alive." It's so important for us to recognize Christ the Divine, but we cannot do so at the expense of recognizing Christ the Human Being.
John 1:14 states, "And the Word became flesh and lived among us." There's something powerful about that statement. It doesn't say the Word stayed lofty in Heaven and reigned over us like a king reigns over his subjects. In terms of royal theology, yes we believe that Christ died and reigns over us. But the Word became FLESH and lived AMONG us. Christ was one of us. Jesus felt what we felt. He knew human emotion. He knew what it was like to be hungry, sad, tired, thirsty, angry, joyous. The beauty of who God is as God is wrapped up in our knowledge that Jesus lived among us, as one of us, and that Jesus still lives in each of our hearts.
Did Jesus do some of the things that Moore suggests he did? Probably not. But we don't know because there is no record of Christ's youth. Scripture is a lot more giving of its information about Christ as divine. I like to think that as a youth, Jesus had some of the same problems we have as youth. Maybe Jesus had acne. He probably realized one day that he had body odor. It's an interesting thought, yes?
Being reminded that Jesus is fully human as well as fully divine was an important revelation for me this week. It made me want to spend more time getting to know this Jesus on a personal level. It made me want to learn more about what I believe and open myself up to all the possibilities that Christ has to offer. Sometimes I get into this mode where I'm so involved in the path I'm on, that I close myself off to the wonders that Jesus presents before me. I'm not saying Moore's book changed my faith for better or worse, but it made me want to pause and see Jesus for who is he and always will be in a way that I haven't done in a while.
We affirm that Jesus Christ is both fully human and fully divine. Let us remember that as we walk with Him in friendship and in love.
Peace and Blessings to you,
Pastor Becki
The disclaimer that Moore himself offers up is that the work is pure fiction with some tidbits of fact sprinkled in. He did his research, but the plot itself is still a work of pure imagination. Brilliant imagination, but imagination nonetheless. You have to read this book through that lens, otherwise you find yourself wondering how God doesn't strike some people down with lightening bolts.
But the book is fantastic. It's the story of Christ's life told through a completely different set of eyes: A guy named Levi who is called Biff who grew up with Jesus (in the book he's called Joshua based on how the name is pronounced bibically). Biff is sort of like the ying to Christ's yang. Where Christ is humble, Biff is over the top. Where Christ is saddened and needs to be alone, Biff is ready to punch someone in the face and make everything right again. Biff likes wine, he likes women, and he likes fun. But he loves Joshua, so where Joshua goes, Biff goes. The story includes the two of them traveling to find each of the three wise men that came to find Christ in Bethlehem. I highly recommend the book. It's a great read. It made me laugh, and there were points it actually made me sad.
But at the end of the book, I felt something else. I felt strangely comforted by the story. Even though I know it is a work of fiction, there was something remarkable about seeing Christ through a purely human lens. The book makes no bones about the fact that Joshua (Jesus) is God's Son, but there's something innocent and wise about seeing Christ as the kid and teenager that we miss in scripture.
We often wonder why the only stories we have of Jesus before he was 30 in our scriptural canon are the story of his birth, the story of his blessing in the temple, and the story of how his parents had to go back and find him in the temple with the teachers of the law ("Didn't you know I had to be in my father's house?"). I've also been reading a lot of John Calvin lately and he would say that if it's not included in our canon, it's not important for us to know.
And I say canon specifically becauses there are non-canonical gospels out there that have other stories of Jesus' youthhood.
We place a high emphasis on Christ the Divine for good reason: He is the Son of God, come down from heaven to die in our place so that we might have eternal life. Christ is evidence of God's grace and the amazing and unfailing love He has for us. Christ is the reason we can get up in the morning and say, "Thank God I'm alive." It's so important for us to recognize Christ the Divine, but we cannot do so at the expense of recognizing Christ the Human Being.
John 1:14 states, "And the Word became flesh and lived among us." There's something powerful about that statement. It doesn't say the Word stayed lofty in Heaven and reigned over us like a king reigns over his subjects. In terms of royal theology, yes we believe that Christ died and reigns over us. But the Word became FLESH and lived AMONG us. Christ was one of us. Jesus felt what we felt. He knew human emotion. He knew what it was like to be hungry, sad, tired, thirsty, angry, joyous. The beauty of who God is as God is wrapped up in our knowledge that Jesus lived among us, as one of us, and that Jesus still lives in each of our hearts.
Did Jesus do some of the things that Moore suggests he did? Probably not. But we don't know because there is no record of Christ's youth. Scripture is a lot more giving of its information about Christ as divine. I like to think that as a youth, Jesus had some of the same problems we have as youth. Maybe Jesus had acne. He probably realized one day that he had body odor. It's an interesting thought, yes?
Being reminded that Jesus is fully human as well as fully divine was an important revelation for me this week. It made me want to spend more time getting to know this Jesus on a personal level. It made me want to learn more about what I believe and open myself up to all the possibilities that Christ has to offer. Sometimes I get into this mode where I'm so involved in the path I'm on, that I close myself off to the wonders that Jesus presents before me. I'm not saying Moore's book changed my faith for better or worse, but it made me want to pause and see Jesus for who is he and always will be in a way that I haven't done in a while.
We affirm that Jesus Christ is both fully human and fully divine. Let us remember that as we walk with Him in friendship and in love.
Peace and Blessings to you,
Pastor Becki
Friday, October 29, 2010
Outreach vs. Evangelism
I'm reading a book about the World Columbian Exposition, the world fair in Chicago in the 1890's, and it's been an interesting story. It started with me looking up the history of the Ferris Wheel, and it turned into me being really intrigued by the story of the Chicago world fair. We think about all the incredible technology and board walk rides we have now, but the WCE was really a class of its own time. Millions of people flocked to Chicago, a city recently rebuilt after a devastating wild fire. It's an amazing history. And it got me thinking.
So many things drew people to that world fair. It was new and exciting. It was something wild that they didn't have to get on a boat and go across the ocean to see. Here was something cool and magnificent on American soil. Sure, it had its set of problems -- deaths, robbers, even a murderer -- but there was something about the chaos and excitement that thrilled people enough to come in to see it from every walk of life.
I work in small-church ministry, so setting up a world fair isn't an option here (I think big, but I also think realistically big). But maybe if churches could learn a few lessons from the world fair, we might open our hearts and minds to discover new ways to draw people's attention.
Outreach and Evangelism are kind of like a bank account.
Okay, hear me out before you roll your eyes.
Think about your checking account. When you use your check card, you can either use it for a charge or a debit. The difference is minimal; the money is coming from the same account. The heart of outreach and evangelism is the same: it's opening people's eyes and heart's to Christ. The difference between outreach and evangelism is that the former brings people to an individual church while the latter brings people to the church universal. Small scale vs. big scale.
At the church where I'm currently serving, outreach and evangelism are the same committee. Ideally, this would not be the case, as each requires a different set of gifts. But the reality of small church work is that when you have a limited amount of people, you do the best you can with what you're given. We combine outreach and evangelism because even though they each require different gifts, they're each from the same account: it's how do we as a church welcome people to know Christ better? In outreach, we invite them to church, we invite them to social events, and we find new ways to advertise our church. In evangelism, we tell people our faith story by showing them how much God loves them.
And I'll say this even though I know some will disagree: Evangelism is NOT about growing your own church program. That's outreach. Growing your church program is a result of evagelism, not a cause. Evangelism is growing the church universal; that is, it's bringing people to Christ even if they don't find a home in your church. The hope is that they will find a church home somewhere with a church family that rises to the occassion to nurture their beliefs and help them grow in their walk with Christ. Ideally, your church is the one that does that, but it's not always the case.
So that's the difference: Outreach, small scale. Evangelism, global scale.
As a new pastor, my main concern is outreach, not evangelism. I'm looking for new and exciting ways to reach out to the community to let them know that this church is still here and waiting to serve them. I recently read a report from a previous pastor that people think this church where I'm serving is a "well-kept secret in the community." Someone recently shared with me that they didn't know our church was even still open for worship services. The task of outreach is to change that perception so that people know we're here and we're inviting them to share in the glory of God with us in worship, Sunday school, and other social activities. There are so many ways to reach out people that we would never have time to put all of them into practice. So let's start small. What can we change today, or this week, or this month that will encourage people to step through our doors and visit this church? We're not setting up a world fair, but we're setting up a church family that has a face in the community so people know this is a place that will welcome them and encourage them when they come here.
Reach out to people. Let them know they are welcome as they are. I hate the saying, "Welcome the stranger." In the church, there are no strangers, only brothers and sisters in Christ.
Wishing you peace,
Pastor Becki
So many things drew people to that world fair. It was new and exciting. It was something wild that they didn't have to get on a boat and go across the ocean to see. Here was something cool and magnificent on American soil. Sure, it had its set of problems -- deaths, robbers, even a murderer -- but there was something about the chaos and excitement that thrilled people enough to come in to see it from every walk of life.
I work in small-church ministry, so setting up a world fair isn't an option here (I think big, but I also think realistically big). But maybe if churches could learn a few lessons from the world fair, we might open our hearts and minds to discover new ways to draw people's attention.
Outreach and Evangelism are kind of like a bank account.
Okay, hear me out before you roll your eyes.
Think about your checking account. When you use your check card, you can either use it for a charge or a debit. The difference is minimal; the money is coming from the same account. The heart of outreach and evangelism is the same: it's opening people's eyes and heart's to Christ. The difference between outreach and evangelism is that the former brings people to an individual church while the latter brings people to the church universal. Small scale vs. big scale.
At the church where I'm currently serving, outreach and evangelism are the same committee. Ideally, this would not be the case, as each requires a different set of gifts. But the reality of small church work is that when you have a limited amount of people, you do the best you can with what you're given. We combine outreach and evangelism because even though they each require different gifts, they're each from the same account: it's how do we as a church welcome people to know Christ better? In outreach, we invite them to church, we invite them to social events, and we find new ways to advertise our church. In evangelism, we tell people our faith story by showing them how much God loves them.
And I'll say this even though I know some will disagree: Evangelism is NOT about growing your own church program. That's outreach. Growing your church program is a result of evagelism, not a cause. Evangelism is growing the church universal; that is, it's bringing people to Christ even if they don't find a home in your church. The hope is that they will find a church home somewhere with a church family that rises to the occassion to nurture their beliefs and help them grow in their walk with Christ. Ideally, your church is the one that does that, but it's not always the case.
So that's the difference: Outreach, small scale. Evangelism, global scale.
As a new pastor, my main concern is outreach, not evangelism. I'm looking for new and exciting ways to reach out to the community to let them know that this church is still here and waiting to serve them. I recently read a report from a previous pastor that people think this church where I'm serving is a "well-kept secret in the community." Someone recently shared with me that they didn't know our church was even still open for worship services. The task of outreach is to change that perception so that people know we're here and we're inviting them to share in the glory of God with us in worship, Sunday school, and other social activities. There are so many ways to reach out people that we would never have time to put all of them into practice. So let's start small. What can we change today, or this week, or this month that will encourage people to step through our doors and visit this church? We're not setting up a world fair, but we're setting up a church family that has a face in the community so people know this is a place that will welcome them and encourage them when they come here.
Reach out to people. Let them know they are welcome as they are. I hate the saying, "Welcome the stranger." In the church, there are no strangers, only brothers and sisters in Christ.
Wishing you peace,
Pastor Becki
Friday, October 22, 2010
A New Creation
I've been keeping an eye on the maple tree outside my sliding glass doors at home and watching as the leaves go through their autumn metamorphisis. One side of the tree changed fairly rapidly. The leaves shifted their colors and one by one, they plummeted from their branches to the grass below. Before long, one side of the ground around the tree was blanketed in leaves of various colors. One side of the tree, though, held out. It stayed green for a while and then very slowly, the leaves started to change. It started in the tips, the part of the leaf farthest away from the moisture source. The colors crept down the veins of the leaves until the whole leaf was a new color. Now, for the most part, the tree is just about bare.
Fall is an interesting time of the year. It's all about change. When we think of new things, we usually think of the spring when things start to grow again. But so many new things happen in the fall that it's hard to limit the idea of "newness" to the spring. Think how exciting the first day of school is come August or September (for me, the first day of school was always in September, but I know different states follow different calendars). It's a new year. It's a new book bag, new books, new lunch box, new clothes, new everything. Fall is all about new. It's a chance to reinvent yourself.
I've been thinking a lot about the tree in the front yard of my apartment complex and how part of it held out while the rest of the tree was happy to change, as was expected of such a tree in its season. Churches follow the same pattern. It's hard to change, and when it comes to change there are sides that resist it. In our own individual lives, sometimes we recognize a need to change but there's a part of us that seems to resist it. Change can be bad, for sure, but it doesn't have to be. Change is all about perspective.
When a church considers making a change, whether it's a change in leadership or in worship style, or even in just rearranging a few items of furniture in the nartex, the church goes through a process. Change should always be accompanied by at least two questions: First, is this change going to help us further our ministry for the service of God's kingdom? and second, "Who does this change affect?"
I knew a church back home in New Jersey several years ago that wanted to change their front doors. The old doors were heavy wood. Solid. Sturdy. Old. The pastor decided that the doors looked foreboding and he had a thought that maybe changing the doors would encourage new people to visit the church. He went to his session and asked about switching out the old doors for a set of clear glass doors so people could see through into the sanctuary. At first, his idea was met with resistence. The old doors were perfectly functional. They were historical. They were gorgeous. Eventually, the pastor convinced the session to switch out the doors. An amazing thing happened when they did that. More people came into the church. Younger families started visiting more often and membership grew. When the session asked people what attracted them to the church, many of them said that they saw through the doors how inviting worship looked and they decided to check it out. It's amazing what change can do.
Change can certainly be scary. We get set in our ways and we like to hold on to what is comfortable. But sometimes change is just what we need in order to reach out to people in a new way. We don't have to change everything all at once, but steps here and there to discover new ways to do ministry is a great way to keep the Message from going stale. If we do things a certain way because that's the way we've always done them, we fall into the risk of getting too dependent on a routine. Routines can be good, but if our routine is keeping us from experiencing God in new ways, we have to ask ourselves if the routines are really worth it.
The tree outside my apartment is mostly bare, but I know in the spring it will have new beauty to offer. In this season of new and season of change, I'm excited to see the new and exciting ways we can discover God's presence and glory in this world.
Change one thing, today. It doesn't have to be a big thing. Change something small. Maybe take a different route to work. Wear different shoes than you usually wear. Try praying differently. You might be surprised how making even a minor change in your routine can help you experience God in a new way.
God Bless,
Pastor Becki
Fall is an interesting time of the year. It's all about change. When we think of new things, we usually think of the spring when things start to grow again. But so many new things happen in the fall that it's hard to limit the idea of "newness" to the spring. Think how exciting the first day of school is come August or September (for me, the first day of school was always in September, but I know different states follow different calendars). It's a new year. It's a new book bag, new books, new lunch box, new clothes, new everything. Fall is all about new. It's a chance to reinvent yourself.
I've been thinking a lot about the tree in the front yard of my apartment complex and how part of it held out while the rest of the tree was happy to change, as was expected of such a tree in its season. Churches follow the same pattern. It's hard to change, and when it comes to change there are sides that resist it. In our own individual lives, sometimes we recognize a need to change but there's a part of us that seems to resist it. Change can be bad, for sure, but it doesn't have to be. Change is all about perspective.
When a church considers making a change, whether it's a change in leadership or in worship style, or even in just rearranging a few items of furniture in the nartex, the church goes through a process. Change should always be accompanied by at least two questions: First, is this change going to help us further our ministry for the service of God's kingdom? and second, "Who does this change affect?"
I knew a church back home in New Jersey several years ago that wanted to change their front doors. The old doors were heavy wood. Solid. Sturdy. Old. The pastor decided that the doors looked foreboding and he had a thought that maybe changing the doors would encourage new people to visit the church. He went to his session and asked about switching out the old doors for a set of clear glass doors so people could see through into the sanctuary. At first, his idea was met with resistence. The old doors were perfectly functional. They were historical. They were gorgeous. Eventually, the pastor convinced the session to switch out the doors. An amazing thing happened when they did that. More people came into the church. Younger families started visiting more often and membership grew. When the session asked people what attracted them to the church, many of them said that they saw through the doors how inviting worship looked and they decided to check it out. It's amazing what change can do.
Change can certainly be scary. We get set in our ways and we like to hold on to what is comfortable. But sometimes change is just what we need in order to reach out to people in a new way. We don't have to change everything all at once, but steps here and there to discover new ways to do ministry is a great way to keep the Message from going stale. If we do things a certain way because that's the way we've always done them, we fall into the risk of getting too dependent on a routine. Routines can be good, but if our routine is keeping us from experiencing God in new ways, we have to ask ourselves if the routines are really worth it.
The tree outside my apartment is mostly bare, but I know in the spring it will have new beauty to offer. In this season of new and season of change, I'm excited to see the new and exciting ways we can discover God's presence and glory in this world.
Change one thing, today. It doesn't have to be a big thing. Change something small. Maybe take a different route to work. Wear different shoes than you usually wear. Try praying differently. You might be surprised how making even a minor change in your routine can help you experience God in a new way.
God Bless,
Pastor Becki
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Children's Sabbath
For the Presbyterian Church, this coming Sunday is Children's Sabbath. I've been wrestling with how to do my sermon this week because the text I'm preaching from is saying something different than my liturgical topic. I'm preaching from 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5, which is the non-gosepl lectionary text for this Sunday. My struggle stems from the fact that Timothy is telling me one thing while my liturgical calendar is telling me something else. I want to preach a sermon for the kids, but the text is telling me to talk to the parents about being leaders and getting involved in the church. Be an evangelist so the church doesn't die. I have been forcing the liturgical calendar to try and fit into my text more neatly than it does and I started to realize a couple of things.
First, I am guilty of doing what the text is warning me about. James Dunn, professor of theology at the University of Durham in England said, "Too much time is misspent asking scripture what it was not designed to answer. Better that scripture itself should instruct us as to what its purpose is" (New Interpreter's Bible commentary, Abigndon Press, '2 Timothy'). In my study of Timothy, I've been trying to make the text speak to kids when really the text isn't for kids at all. It's on behalf of kids, but it's really written to the adults. It charges adults with the task of fulfilling the ministry of the church even when the times are against them. "Tell the message. Be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable." Let scripture speak for itself; it has stood for thousands of years and will continue to stand on its own.
Second, of course the text connects to children's sabbath. It would be the lectionary text this week if it didn't some how connect to the theme (would it?). This thought makes me feel a little bit better about the sermon I've prepared (I'm talking about how if our voices don't rise up to tell God's story, other voices will rise up that might not be telling the story we want told the way God would have it told). I'm getting just a little bit snippy with the congregation, telling them to get involved in the ministry of the church as a way to participate in evangelism.
So how does this text connect to Children's Sabbath? Sabbath is about rest. It's about taking time out whatever kind of a schedule we're keeping to celebrate our relationship with God. As adults, sometimes we forget to be child-like because it feels child-ish. And I do believe there is an important distinction there. In doing the work of the evangelist as we're called to do in 2 Timothy, we can take time out of those schedules to participate in those baptismal vows; to raise children up in the nuture of the Christian community. In all that we say and in all that we do, we tell a story in our words and actions. It is our responsibility as Christians to be sure that our words and actions fall in line with the message of God's love and grace. Children's Sabbath is about celebrating our relationship to God in a multi-generational way. It's about recognizing that we have to keep telling the story of God's hope for our lives so that those who come after us have access to that same story. Scripture has stood the test of time in many ways (it's still here, right?), but it's our responsibility to take what we've been given and keep the story going.
Celebrate Children's Sabbath with me by taking time out of your schedule to tell someone the story of your faith. Remind a child that God loves them and that Christ is taking care of them, just as God has done from the beginning of time.
Love and peace,
Pastor Becki
First, I am guilty of doing what the text is warning me about. James Dunn, professor of theology at the University of Durham in England said, "Too much time is misspent asking scripture what it was not designed to answer. Better that scripture itself should instruct us as to what its purpose is" (New Interpreter's Bible commentary, Abigndon Press, '2 Timothy'). In my study of Timothy, I've been trying to make the text speak to kids when really the text isn't for kids at all. It's on behalf of kids, but it's really written to the adults. It charges adults with the task of fulfilling the ministry of the church even when the times are against them. "Tell the message. Be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable." Let scripture speak for itself; it has stood for thousands of years and will continue to stand on its own.
Second, of course the text connects to children's sabbath. It would be the lectionary text this week if it didn't some how connect to the theme (would it?). This thought makes me feel a little bit better about the sermon I've prepared (I'm talking about how if our voices don't rise up to tell God's story, other voices will rise up that might not be telling the story we want told the way God would have it told). I'm getting just a little bit snippy with the congregation, telling them to get involved in the ministry of the church as a way to participate in evangelism.
So how does this text connect to Children's Sabbath? Sabbath is about rest. It's about taking time out whatever kind of a schedule we're keeping to celebrate our relationship with God. As adults, sometimes we forget to be child-like because it feels child-ish. And I do believe there is an important distinction there. In doing the work of the evangelist as we're called to do in 2 Timothy, we can take time out of those schedules to participate in those baptismal vows; to raise children up in the nuture of the Christian community. In all that we say and in all that we do, we tell a story in our words and actions. It is our responsibility as Christians to be sure that our words and actions fall in line with the message of God's love and grace. Children's Sabbath is about celebrating our relationship to God in a multi-generational way. It's about recognizing that we have to keep telling the story of God's hope for our lives so that those who come after us have access to that same story. Scripture has stood the test of time in many ways (it's still here, right?), but it's our responsibility to take what we've been given and keep the story going.
Celebrate Children's Sabbath with me by taking time out of your schedule to tell someone the story of your faith. Remind a child that God loves them and that Christ is taking care of them, just as God has done from the beginning of time.
Love and peace,
Pastor Becki
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Stewardship Wows vs. Stewardship Woes
I know I said I would update weekly and Friday isn't here yet, and this isn't part two of my church outreach thoughts, but something came up in my ministry this week that I had to write about.
I went out yesterday to administer communion to those who are homebound. One woman I've already met, but I met another woman and a couple for the first time. We had very good albeit short meetings, but the communion seemed meaningful for them and that was a positive.
The woman I met for the first time yesterday lives in an assisted living facility. She's been there for about a year and she's quite sharp for her age. I asked her how she was getting along and made sure to point out that the bread and juice we were using for communion were the same pieces of bread and same juice we used in worship the previous Sunday. We use the same stuff to emphasize the point that we are all part of the community of God, even when we can't physically be there. The woman (whom I shall call Helen) told me that she wished sometimes that she could just disappear.
Helen: Sometimes I wish I could just disappear.
Me: Why is that?
Helen: Well, I'm in this place now and it costs money to educate that girl (motioning to the picture of her granddaughter who is in college...Helen contributes a great deal to help support her granddaughter's education). I want to give to the church, but I just can't, so if I were to disappear they wouldn't be able to ask for money.
Me: Well, I want you to know that financial giving isn't the only reason you're a part of our church community. Even though you can't be there, you're still a part of the family.
I'm not sure if what I said helped. She kind of changed the subject after that. Having worked as a hospital chaplain, I've spent some time analyzing what people say during visitations and how I react to what they say. So when Helen told me she wished she could disappear so the church wouldn't ask her for money, it made me sad. I wanted to communicate to her that she was a part of the community for more than just financial reasons.
When we talk about stewardship as giving of time, money, and talents, how do you communicate to a woman who cannot offer her time and talent anymore that her membership is not contingent on her giving alone? I chewed on that for a while and thought about what I've been calling a "ministry of presence." While I can't claim the statement as original to me, the concept is that there is ministry is being a part of someone's journey. It can in offering a prayer with them or for them. It can even be in attending their funeral even if you didn't know them personally. Being present with them as part of their community of faith is an important ministry, and it's one that Helen can still offer without leaving her room.
Stewardship is more than just money. Helen's ministry of presence can come in the form of praying for her community of faith and offering the gift of hospitality when a member of that community visits with her. In opening up her room -- her home -- to me yesterday for home communion, Helen practiced faithful stewardship. In praying with me and sharing that meal with me, and in the way she offers a smile and her friendship to the other people living in that facility, she is practicing good stewardship. Good stewardship doesn't have to mean you come to church and teach Sunday school or even writing a pledge card. It's so much more than that, and I hope in future visits to Helen, I can communicate to her how important she is to this community of faith.
It's interesting going into a stewardship season without a stewardship committee. The committee right now consists of a chairperson and one other person who has offered to help without being on the committee. As a new pastor who comes from churches with healthy stewardship committees, this makes me uncomfortable. A campaign is going to happen, but it is going to be very interesting to see what happens with such a lack of structure. Will there be any change in giving? Will people give more if they hear about it less? Or will giving decrease? Maybe it will stay the same.
I'm trying to encourage the congegation to think of stewardship in terms of Wows instead of Woes. It's because stewardship happened last year that the church is still here today to practice effective ministry. So praise God for that! Instead of thinking about what we sacrifice in the name of stewardship, let's think about what we gain. What ministries can we offer that will help us do God's work in the church? If our attitude toward stewardship changed so that we see stewardship as a blessing, how would that change the giving structure in a church?
Just some thoughts.
In Christ,
Pastor Becki
I went out yesterday to administer communion to those who are homebound. One woman I've already met, but I met another woman and a couple for the first time. We had very good albeit short meetings, but the communion seemed meaningful for them and that was a positive.
The woman I met for the first time yesterday lives in an assisted living facility. She's been there for about a year and she's quite sharp for her age. I asked her how she was getting along and made sure to point out that the bread and juice we were using for communion were the same pieces of bread and same juice we used in worship the previous Sunday. We use the same stuff to emphasize the point that we are all part of the community of God, even when we can't physically be there. The woman (whom I shall call Helen) told me that she wished sometimes that she could just disappear.
Helen: Sometimes I wish I could just disappear.
Me: Why is that?
Helen: Well, I'm in this place now and it costs money to educate that girl (motioning to the picture of her granddaughter who is in college...Helen contributes a great deal to help support her granddaughter's education). I want to give to the church, but I just can't, so if I were to disappear they wouldn't be able to ask for money.
Me: Well, I want you to know that financial giving isn't the only reason you're a part of our church community. Even though you can't be there, you're still a part of the family.
I'm not sure if what I said helped. She kind of changed the subject after that. Having worked as a hospital chaplain, I've spent some time analyzing what people say during visitations and how I react to what they say. So when Helen told me she wished she could disappear so the church wouldn't ask her for money, it made me sad. I wanted to communicate to her that she was a part of the community for more than just financial reasons.
When we talk about stewardship as giving of time, money, and talents, how do you communicate to a woman who cannot offer her time and talent anymore that her membership is not contingent on her giving alone? I chewed on that for a while and thought about what I've been calling a "ministry of presence." While I can't claim the statement as original to me, the concept is that there is ministry is being a part of someone's journey. It can in offering a prayer with them or for them. It can even be in attending their funeral even if you didn't know them personally. Being present with them as part of their community of faith is an important ministry, and it's one that Helen can still offer without leaving her room.
Stewardship is more than just money. Helen's ministry of presence can come in the form of praying for her community of faith and offering the gift of hospitality when a member of that community visits with her. In opening up her room -- her home -- to me yesterday for home communion, Helen practiced faithful stewardship. In praying with me and sharing that meal with me, and in the way she offers a smile and her friendship to the other people living in that facility, she is practicing good stewardship. Good stewardship doesn't have to mean you come to church and teach Sunday school or even writing a pledge card. It's so much more than that, and I hope in future visits to Helen, I can communicate to her how important she is to this community of faith.
It's interesting going into a stewardship season without a stewardship committee. The committee right now consists of a chairperson and one other person who has offered to help without being on the committee. As a new pastor who comes from churches with healthy stewardship committees, this makes me uncomfortable. A campaign is going to happen, but it is going to be very interesting to see what happens with such a lack of structure. Will there be any change in giving? Will people give more if they hear about it less? Or will giving decrease? Maybe it will stay the same.
I'm trying to encourage the congegation to think of stewardship in terms of Wows instead of Woes. It's because stewardship happened last year that the church is still here today to practice effective ministry. So praise God for that! Instead of thinking about what we sacrifice in the name of stewardship, let's think about what we gain. What ministries can we offer that will help us do God's work in the church? If our attitude toward stewardship changed so that we see stewardship as a blessing, how would that change the giving structure in a church?
Just some thoughts.
In Christ,
Pastor Becki
Friday, October 1, 2010
Welcome to my blog!
As someone who falls into that amorphic spectrum of "young adult" or "Generation Me" or "Generation X" or whoever culture is telling me I am, I'm fully aware of how information gets out there. I do most of my information-harvesting on the internet. Nothing new there. As a former reporter, I also know that blogging has really changed how people are fed their information. The internet has drastically changed the newspaper business to the point where we're seeing newspapers with more advertising (to compensate for loss of subscription money) and smaller size papers (again, a cost-saving strategy). Staffs are shrunk and the news itself is based on what stories will sell more papers.
I'm not knocking newspapers. That's how I got my start in what we call "the real world."
I'm also not knocking the internet. Heaven knows how much time I spend on the internet all the time, whether it's chatting up a storm with friends back home or getting the blitzkrieg of information from CNN headlines.
I do, by the way, check the obits in my home paper online religiously every day. Morbid? Nay. Necessary. It's how I find things out that people wouldn't think to tell me.
Hi. I'm Pastor Becki. And this is my blog.
It's a ministry tool, really, where I'll be posting a new blog entry once a week. Topics will be all over the place, from things going on in the church where I'm currently serving (names omitted or changed) to Christ in Culture to...well, anything else that I think is important to document. Think of these as mini-sermons.
For my parishioners, that doesn't mean you get out of Sunday worship. :)
But my goal is to write blog entries that people can connect to. I want to start conversations. I want to find out how powerful a blog can really be for outreach. It's sort of experimental in a way. I've been asking myself a lot lately, "what draws people to church?" So that's going to be my first blog entry. Well...second blog entry. My first blog entry is what you're reading now.
Welcome to my blog :)
**Please do not solicit on my blog. I'm not looking to start a revolution or finish a debate. I'm here to put in my two cents with the rest of the part of the world that keeps a blog. Do not leave hate-messages, but do feel free to comment if you disagree. Just be prepared to tell me why :) We can always agree to disagree. I reserve the right to delete your comment if I think it violates me or my beliefs in any way.
I wish you peace and love.
--Pastor Becki
I'm not knocking newspapers. That's how I got my start in what we call "the real world."
I'm also not knocking the internet. Heaven knows how much time I spend on the internet all the time, whether it's chatting up a storm with friends back home or getting the blitzkrieg of information from CNN headlines.
I do, by the way, check the obits in my home paper online religiously every day. Morbid? Nay. Necessary. It's how I find things out that people wouldn't think to tell me.
Hi. I'm Pastor Becki. And this is my blog.
It's a ministry tool, really, where I'll be posting a new blog entry once a week. Topics will be all over the place, from things going on in the church where I'm currently serving (names omitted or changed) to Christ in Culture to...well, anything else that I think is important to document. Think of these as mini-sermons.
For my parishioners, that doesn't mean you get out of Sunday worship. :)
But my goal is to write blog entries that people can connect to. I want to start conversations. I want to find out how powerful a blog can really be for outreach. It's sort of experimental in a way. I've been asking myself a lot lately, "what draws people to church?" So that's going to be my first blog entry. Well...second blog entry. My first blog entry is what you're reading now.
Welcome to my blog :)
**Please do not solicit on my blog. I'm not looking to start a revolution or finish a debate. I'm here to put in my two cents with the rest of the part of the world that keeps a blog. Do not leave hate-messages, but do feel free to comment if you disagree. Just be prepared to tell me why :) We can always agree to disagree. I reserve the right to delete your comment if I think it violates me or my beliefs in any way.
I wish you peace and love.
--Pastor Becki
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