Acting In Faith

There is a small note taped to the bottom shelf of the bookshelves in my office, directly to the right of my chair, at about eye level when working at the desk, which simply states two things:

"I would rather act in faith and have to apologize, than to live a lifetime filled with regret for not having acted at all."

and
"No more apologizing for trying something new, different, or unusual in worship."

The first statement is a quote from someone, either Augustine, Bonhoeffer or Hammarskjold (I have a terrible memory that way!), and the second is a paraphrase of the first which was written when first I was introducing the concept of using technology in worship. That was a couple of years ago, but the sayings remain where first they were taped. They remain, not for prosperities sake but, for the sake of relevancy. It is still the way I feel in my call to ministry.

God did not create us to be timid in faithfulness. Christ did not save us to be irrelevant in the struggle. The Holy Spirit is not with us that faith be lived out in security.

In the midst of the hunger and thirst, in the presence of strangers among us, for those who are ill and imprisoned, where the naked huddle in the cold and the poor have little hope, God's people are called to be boldly at work . . . not making everyone Christian, but living Christ among all God's people. That is the call of Matthew 25.31ff. It is the bold premise of the kingdom of heaven breaking in among us. It is the character and integrity of faith's birth-waters gushing over the seaminess and political correctness of 'first being so sure you are right, that you do nothing at all'. It is the impassioned Judge separating the institutional church from the Body of Christ. It is the heart of our nature in response to God's life within us.

May our every attempt in service to the kingdom be found worthy in the sight of the Shepherd whose flocks we are called to tend, for it is in tending the flocks that His love is made manifest. It is in meeting their need for God that our deepest desires for God are fulfilled.

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Don

Preparation for the Weather

The St. Louis region of the United States is an interesting place to live, especially when if you choose to listen to our weather forecasters. The professional weather forecasters on the radio and television stations are fairly accurate, if you guage accuracy on a 24 hour window. Outside of 24 hours, they are a lot like some of our better baseball players: able to get a hit often enough to bear your full attention every time they are at the plate, but missing often enough that very few will bet the farm on them. I've thought about weather forecasting for some radio station . . . Lord knows I could be nearly as accurate and I certainly have the face for radio . . . but then, some smart aleck pastor on a blog page would make fun of me and I would have to quit and reclaim my amatuer status forecasting the week ahead with my trick knees.

All that aside, one of the things I love most about this region - and its love/hate relationship with the weather forecasters is our penchant for running out for 'necessities' every time the forecast is for ice, snow, freezing rain, or heavy thunderstorms. Given the regularity of any of these happening on any given day and, sometimes, a couple of them on the same day, the local grocery stores, hardware stores, and convenience stores must make a mint on people 'battening down the hatches' every time the forecast includes something potentially perilous. Sometimes one has to wonder if there isn't a collaborative plot with kickbacks involved in forecasting . . . but that would involve a level of working together most Midwesterners, with their 'three foot of personal space' requirement, would find totally unacceptable, so, though it might happen on the coasts of our country, it would probably never happen here. Ah, but everyone enjoys a conspiracy theory now and again.

We Southern Midwestern folk are really amatuers at dealing with the messiness of winter, unlike our more professional Northern cousins: a few inches of snow or ice and we are hoarding bread and milk, while stocking up fuel for the generator. Just the thought of heavy weather and being stuck at home more than a few hours makes us shiver in our boots and do completely irrational things, like purchase hundreds of pounds of ice melt and sand and kitty litter, or stock up on dry goods and drinking water, or run to the gas station and fill every gas tank and container with extra gas to be sure we have enough to see our family through the apocolypse. It is in our genes. Not that being prepared isn't a good thing, but folks in our area tend to so 'prepare' that our relatives up north shake their heads in embarrassment even to be associated with us at this time of year.

Ironically, mention in church on a Sunday morning that the kingdom of heaven is coming and all you will illicit is a yawn and feigned interest. After the arrest of John the Baptist, Jesus begins his ministry with the words, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." (Mt. 4:17 NRSV) The chances of the Weather Station having a large audience intently watching as the next winter storm moves in, than will be in attendance in church as this text is preached, is pretty good. There is nothing like an impending natural disaster to capture our attention and move us to the stores. Mention the kingdom of heaven . . . and few will move to the churches.

It is an irony which was not lost on Jesus, as he looks over Jerusalem in His final days and says, "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you, desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.'" (Mt. 23:37-39 NRSV) How often Jesus would gather God's children together under the protective shelter of God's healing love in the face of the pending storm - and rather than gather in preparation and shelter, the very audience being addressed kills the forecasters and stones the local emergency shelter operators. There seems to be a disconnect between our need to save our lives and our unwillingness to admit we need help saving our souls. Prepared to the hilt for one - and angry the other has to be considered. Such irony.

Maybe it would be easier, even safer, to be a weather forecaster. Impending weather fronts are interesting and sell advertising. Proclaiming the nearness of the kingdom of heaven just isn't the sort of news people are ready to hear. Weather forecasters are informative and prophets are inflamatory. Besides that, weather forecasters are paid better.

Hmmmmmm, now there is irony.

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Don

Reaching Out in Faith

I was in a meeting of rural Pastor's today and one of my colleagues offered an opening meditation on the Matthew 14 account of Jesus walking on the water. This colleague has a wonderful sense of humor and infectious laughter and, with wit and wisdom, invited us to consider two things: What kind of boat are we currently in? And, to walk on the water with Jesus, you have to what? Get out of the boat. Get out of your comfort zone. Be willing to go beyond the walls and barriers we create to keep ourselves safe. It was a great meditation and one that I will ponder on for quite some time because, in so many ways, I am Peter in the story, willing to try walking out to Jesus. Yet, sometimes, maybe more often than I like, I am with the others in the boat, unwilling or unable to move out of my seat of security to do anything 'risky'. I miss the opportunities to walk with Jesus for lack of heart to step over the safety-rails of my living.

Hmmmmmmm. Another thought for another day.

But, for today . . . Have you ever heard someone speaking and, though they thoroughly engaged you, your mind began to go different directions with the same material? As my colleague was speaking, my mind began to wrap itself around the notion that Peter stepped out of the boat, looked around, saw the earthly reality of what he was doing, became afraid, and began to sink. It was then that he cried out to Jesus. As the text records it, "Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?"" (Mt. 14.31 NRSV) Peter cries out as he is sinking and Jesus reaches out and catches him, keeping Peter from sinking. We are not told if Jesus took hold of Peter's hand or if Jesus grabbed the collar of his garment or if Jesus caught Peter by the belt. We are only told Jesus caught him.

Isn't that the very prayer most of us are found uttering every day? "Lord, save me!" Whether still in the boat or having mustered up the courage to walk on the water, we look around and see the harshness of our world, of our context, of our difficulties, and cry out, "Lord, save me!", praying in that moment Jesus will catch our life in His hands?

As with Peter, Jesus does not admonish us for looking around and seeing the world for what it is, but where Jesus shakes His head is when we look around, develop a severe case of quaking knees, and begin to sink beneath the waves of our world because we forget to live the faith God places inside each of us. Jesus is more than willing to be our Savior, more than loving in the way He reaches out to us and catches us by the hem of our living, yet yearns for us to live that salvation in power, trusting the God of our salvation to make firm our steps in faith, even as God makes firm the steps of Jesus wherever He goes. It isn't something God is only offering to Jesus, it is the capacity to live life on a radically different level as life is lived in faith - and it is offered to everyone. Everyone. It is part and parcel of being 'created in the image of God', 'Imago Dei'.

As Jesus models a life of faith lived in the presence of God, so Jesus leads us in faithful living as well. It is a life of walking on the water, not being submerged by the wind and waves. It is a life of meeting the needs of God's people where they are, not being submerged by the immensity of the problems. It is a life of living in relationship with God and each other as a gift of the God who creates us, not being submerged in the mass of 'otherness' and 'differentness' which surrounds us. But, be forewarned: The powers and principalities of this world greatly fear the freedom God's faith releases in God's people, and often acts to corrupt it, overcome it, and overwhelm it. Sometimes, even crucify it. Such faith is viewed as dangerous for it leads people to do all sorts of kindnesses for each other, reducing their dependence on the state for daily existence.

Still, we are called to such living by the One who lived faithfully, even unto a cross. For in so living, even the nails of the cross and the roar of the waves of death have no power, because Christ's hand reaches out and catches our life at the door of an empty tomb. Have no fear, no doubt . . . only faith. In faith we walk with Jesus always.

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Don

The Unexpected Sermons

Yesterday I preached a sermon for which I was unprepared. No, it was not a matter of not 'wrapping up the details' the night before, nor was it a matter of not being fully immersed in the scripture text. Rather, it was a matter of the Spirit. Simply put, God's Spirit had something else in mind to be preached than what I was prepared to present . . . and God's Spirit will not be denied. Ever.

I have been asked before to explain that sort of statement (God's Spirit will not be denied), but it is a hard thing to get my own head around. It is something between a deep gut feeling which moves you towards speaking or doing something you instinctively know is incredibly right and true in God's eyes . . . and completely surrendering your own will and control in the service of the One who, at that moment, fills and guides your every action. Talk about humbling and excruciating!

On the one hand, you are filled with complete confidence and 'blessed assurance' about that which is happening, allowing a freedom of action and delivery beyond explanation, while at the same time, I find myself as much, or more, convicted by what the Spirit has to say in such moments than I really care to admit to anyone. The problem of preaching in the Spirit is that, in the Spirit, everyone, including the preacher, becomes the target audience - and, in my case, the target becomes very large and the Spirit is very accurate.

But, in the midst of such moments (which happen more often than I can count) I find myself wrestling with very practical and human emotions and needs: What happens when the feelings of those closest to you are hurt? What happens when the prophetic voice of the Spirit makes others feel uncomfortable to listen? When those you love become angry with what they hear? What happens when the Spirit chooses to speak to the Pharaohs of the church and the only ones who hear are the common ordinary people on whose backs the institutional church is built, those who have least chance to change the nature of their enslavement?

In a culture of 'me-first', 'self-care', and 'creature-comfort', the preaching moment which challenges more than comforts, transforms more than transfers, and restructures more than renews, is cause for more than a few 'pleasure-seekers' to go somewhere else 'to be filled'. How does a servant of God really serve God without loosing friends and family? Without becoming the pariah of the pulpit? Without offending the very ones with whom you share the journey? Without emptying the very pews put in place to welcome folks coming to Christ?

Maybe the core question for me in such wrestling is, "Do I really mean it when I say, 'Have thine own way, Lord'?" Do I have the faith to live in the Spirit of God in every moment?

Jesus sets the tone for the answers I am seeking in my life: Be true to the faith God has in you. "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near" are the words with which Jesus begins His ministry. It is good news for the oppressed and oppressive news to the powers and principalities. It afflicts the comfortable and comforts the afflicted. Yet, Jesus did not keep His peace, He proclaimed it. People will choose where they will be, how they will receive the Spirit, and how they will behave around the messengers. Sometimes they crucify them.

Those called to particularized ministries are not called to popularity contests, but to serve the Lord our God with all their heart, all their soul, and with all their might. More than how people receive the messages of the sermons I preach, I pray God receives with joy the heart of my love for all Christ's people in the sermons I live. In so reflecting, the words of the old hymn, "Spirit of the Living God" have a fresh meaning in me today, "Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me". I pray for the Spirit to give me the conviction of heart to live their meaning and to celebrate in the Spirit this vocation to which I am called and the unexpected sermons the Spirit speaks.

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Don

A Little Fishing

The Gospel text from the lectionary for this day is from the Gospel according to Matthew 4:12-23 and relates, among other things, the call story of Simon, Andrew, James and John. Jesus says to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fish for people."

I doubt that Jesus, on the day in which He spoke these words, could have ever imagined the commercial fishing industry as we experience it today. Today, great fleets of ships go out and bring in tuna, salmon, sword fish, codfish, shark, and even whales. Today, commercial fisheries raise catfish, trout, bass, and red ear. Today, if it can't be done in bulk, it isn't worth doing.

Somehow, I doubt that is what Jesus had in mind as He called His disciples.

Christianity is about relationships . . . and, most importantly, about following Jesus. He is the One who makes us fishers of people. He is the Captain of the ship. He is the One who sets the tone. He is the One who touches, welcomes, receives, forgives, blesses, listens, sends forth, gives power, is humble, is servant, is Lord of all. Jesus is a Fisherman.

We would do well, in this age of 'mass everything', to remember the One who calls us all: He wants to lead us, hand in hand, in the lives we lead. He has no need to be 'branded', with His picture on some flag over the bridge of the ship or his Name embossed over the stern.

"Follow me, and I will make you fish for people" means exactly that: be humble enough to give your life over to Jesus, and the rest will be in His hands as well. He is the ship of our salvation. Join Him for the ride . . . and work . . . of your life!

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Don

Getting Ready for Worship

Two different times this week I have been asked how long it takes to prepare for the preaching moment. Two different people, two different times, with two different agendas waiting in the wings while I tried to answer their initial question: "How long does it take you to prepare for Sunday morning worship?"

One thing I have discovered about myself over the years is that the 'really insightful come-back' I should have delivered on the spot when certain questions are asked or certain statements are made, always seem to come to me quite a while after the moment is passed. This was one of those times.

Here in the office, it occurs to me that the question asked of me is one that might be asked of all people who exercise their faith with any sort of regularity: "How long does it take you to prepare for Sunday morning (or Saturday night, or Wednesday night, or Sunday evening - your choice)?" How long does it take you to get yourself ready to worship God?

Regardless of how long it takes the Pastor to prepare for worship, how long does it take you to prepare your heart? To prepare your soul? Or is that something you choose to leave up to the Pastor, as though they might be able to do it for you? How much time do you spend in prayer? How much time to you spend reading scripture? How much time do you spend in quiet meditation? How much time do you spend on your knees with your hands folded, as opposed to standing on your feet with your index finger pointed? How much time do you spend sharing the journey with the God of your faith? How often is God allowed to be in the intimate details of your daily living? How often is God given a witness in the words of your living? How ready is your life to receive Christ again, and again, and again, when the faith family gathers in celebration of all that is God's Joy?

How long does it take you to get ready for worship?

My suspicion is, for most folks, such preparation is left up to the Pastor, which means that most folks cheat themselves of what God intends for them to receive as the community gathers in praise. Just as standing in a garage does not make you a car, taking a seat in a sanctuary does not make you a Christian. 'Christian' is a verb of faith and requires that the one claiming the name, exercise the faith before God and with others.

If you are letting the preparation for worship up to your Pastor, then the one most ready to worship God will be your Pastor. You will be little more than a spectator on the sidelines, either cheering on the team or complaining about the show.

God knows how long you take to get ready for worship, really, God knows. The clothes you wear do not make you ready to worship God. The openness of your heart, the praise in your soul, the hunger of your faith, and the fullness of God's Spirit within you, all contribute to make a person really ready. Are you ready? Are you preparing? The Sabbath is almost upon us, don't allow your Pastor to be the only one ready to praise God's Name! Be ready to give God the best of your heart, mind and soul as the celebration begins!

How long does it take you to get ready for worship? A lifetime, my friends, a lifetime.

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Don

Time Away

"Well, are we a little fussy tonight?" It was the question asked of me by one of my most trusted parishioners after choir. "Well, are we a little fussy tonight?" I had to think on it for just a moment, wondering if it was a general question or whether it was really specifically being asked of me. It was being asked of me and, of course, I said "No." If ever there was a person on the face of the earth who could ask just such a question of me and, by their demeanor, have me to know that it was meant in the most supportive of ways, this is that one person. Yet, supportive as they might be, I couldn't let my guard down. "No, I'm not fussy. I am recovering from the remnants of a cold, but I'm not fussy. Maybe a little run down, but I'm feeling better. Thanks." Fussiness duly noted. Hmmmmmmmmm.

Just the day before, another person had stopped by the office and asked, "When was the last time you took an entire day off?" Of course my answer was something to the effect, "Well, it was at New Year, but I have been taking hours off here and there, trying to get everything done and still finding time for myself and my family, hoping to have a little mental health time when I can, and looking to take more time soon . . ." My answer was so rambling, it startled even me and the fact that I kept rattling on, even as I was grabbing my jacket and heading off for the hospitals to make calls, only seared the whole exchange more deeply in my mind.

Now I'm being asked if I'm fussy.

The next day in the office, in a conversation with another person, that person asked if I was doing alright. I asked what they meant by that, and they said, "Well, I've just been noticing that you're not smiling and laughing as much lately." I thanked them for their concern, noting that I need to smile more frequently and laugh even if it hurts, and decided to move on to get all of the work done I had piling up on my desk.

Later that same day, wrapping up the planning for the Ash Wednesday Service, putting together the technology which will be used, and sorting out the details with a colleague for the upcoming Easter Vigil which our congregation will be hosting for a ten church region, it occurred to me that I needed to heed God's voice in the love and support my friends were extending to me. It was time to get away for a day.

In ministry, rarely does one ever have the luxury of taking an 'entire' day away, unless a number of things happen: The cell phone is turned off; the answering machine is turned on; your congregation respects your time away; your family protects such time; and, most of all, the pastor respects their own need for time away. Jesus took time to go to a place away from everyone, including His disciples. He took time to breath, to pray, to laugh, to watch, to think, to appreciate, to refocus, and to rest. He took time to lay down in the back of the boat. He took time to go hiking up the mountain. He checked out the scenery in the wilderness and He didn't feel compelled to tell anyone. He took Sabbath. Actually, Sabbath, God's gift of spiritual restoration and renewal, gathered Jesus in Sabbath's arms. He took time away.

His disciples were nerve-narfed. The crowds became agitated. The ones in need of healing sought him frantically. Never had people seen anyone like Jesus and they didn't want another day to pass without having had their request heard by Him, without having listened to Him, without having been touched by Him. Still, Jesus took time away. He needed it . . . and so do I. My workaholic behaviors are catching up with me.

So, I took today off. Went down to the farm, gave my oldest brother a hug, talked with my nephew, visited with Dad, had homemade chicken noodle soup for lunch, drank some coffee, drove a tractor (one of my favorite things on earth), moved brush from a creek bank to a burn pile, picked up roots, drank some more coffee, enjoyed the drive back and forth, stopped at the store and purchased some bird seed (see previous articles on this little ongoing project), took a leisurely shower, made supper, enjoyed conversation with my wife and youngest son, and am now relaxing at the computer (by the way, the very act of writing a blog is relaxing to me). A nearly perfect day . . . away.

Sometimes I have to remind myself that not everything will get done and not everyone's needs will be met every day . . . and that is okay. Sometimes I have to be reminded that Jesus took time away and if it is good enough for Jesus, it should be good enough for me. Sometimes I have to remember that I am one servant in field, one harvester called into the labors of God's work: I am not the only servant. Sometimes Sabbath has to embrace me through the kindness of others before I am ready to relinquish control and receive God's gift of refreshment. Sometimes I just have to be reminded to take time away.

For those individuals who made those 'gentle' little comments regarding my state of being: Thank you. Thank you for caring for your Pastor. I only pray my love and gratitude shows through to each of you for who you are as God's gift in my life.

And, for those of you who read this article and are not a part of the faith family which I serve, but are a member of another faith family: take care of your Pastor by honoring their need for time away. Require it, if you must. Regular renewal on their part does not take away from their ministry with your congregation but, rather, enhances it. Require time away for them as you require time away for yourself. Like the saying for milk, "It does a body good!" And, if it is good enough for Jesus, it should be good enough for those who serve Him.

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Don

Being Known By Your Voice

For fun in the local high school basketball season, I announce the home games. I have the pleasure of introducing the starting line-ups, naming the coaches and officials, and doing a play-by-play throughout the game of who is in, who scored, who fouled, etc . . . and I have a blast doing this. The members of the teams (and their parents) like hearing their names announced in the gymnasium and it provides a certain 'home court' advantage to our players whose 'made shots' are given a little extra emphasis.

The other evening, following a game with a Conference rival, one of the fans from that rival school (who was a high school classmate of mine) came over to the scorer's table and said, "Man, I didn't realize that was you until the last minute or so of the game! I saw you in the gym earlier, but didn't realize where you were until I happened to glance over at the table just before the end of the game. You do a great job! Thanks for giving all the kids a boost! That was fun!"

It was nice to receive a pat-on-the-back from an old friend and classmate, and I am glad that they appreciated the effort which was made for both of the teams but, what caught my attention and made me stop and think were his words, "I didn't realize that was you until the last minute or so of the game!"

Now, I will grant you it has been a while since last the two of us had spoken and, really, he had no reason to even be thinking that the announcer might have been me, yet, that he didn't know it was me by the sound of my voice reminded me that this is a relationship I with which I need to spend some time. When friends don't remember the sound of your voice, you haven't been in conversation with them lately.

My congregation knows the sound of my voice. My Confirmation Class knows the sound of my voice. My wife knows the sound of my voice. My children and granddaughter know the sound of my voice. Many in this small community know the sound of my voice. Most of the kids on the teams here in town know the sound of my voice . . . but an old friend did not know the sound of my voice, and that made me think.

In the 10th Chapter of John, Jesus says, "Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers." (New Revised Standard Version. Italics added for emphasis)

Of all the voices sounding in our busy world, of all the politicians, church leaders, announcers, television and radio personalities, musicians, vocalists, and the like, how are we to specifically recognize the voice of the Shepherd and follow him exclusively, running from strangers who would do us harm? I suspect, we are most likely to recognize the voice of the Shepherd . . . if we have been listening to it, for it, all the while.

My old friend didn't know my voice precisely because he hadn't heard it in a long time. I'm not sure if that is my fault or his . . . or if such things just happen, but the fact remains, he didn't know my voice and had no reason to come to it had I called him. I pray, though, that more than knowing my voice, folks in the gymnasium, in the community, in the church, and in my home, will hear in my voice the voice of the One who is the Shepherd . . . and will recognize the Shepherd because they are in regular conversation with Him every day. I know I am not the Shepherd, but I pray that in the faithfulness, inclusion, love, and caring present in my voice, others will hear the voice of the Shepherd and heed His call to follow Him on the way. People might hear my voice and not recognize that it is Pastor Don, but I pray when they hear my voice, the words and actions which become the tonality of my being allow their ears to hear the Shepherd calling them by name - and that they follow Him because He is the friend with Whom they meet and share the journey every day.

I am humbled and excited be the announcer for basketball games here in our fair and lovely town, celebrating the accomplishments of young men and women who are growing into what God is birthing them to be. Yet, more than hearing my voice over the sound system, I pray that these same young women and men (and all of the parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, and fans at large) hear the voice of the Shepherd calling their name, calling them into faith, calling them into service, calling them into life . . . and I pray that they know His voice because they are walking and talking with Him every day.

I am going to spend some time with an old Friend today, to be sure I know His voice in all I hear every day. I pray you do, too. How embarrassing will it be for any of us to reach the end of the game and not know the One whose Voice leads us home.

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Don

Jesus Died to Take Away Your Sins, Not Your Mind

Saint Louis University's Men's Basketball Coach, Rick Majerus, made a mistake (at least a mistake for the vocational position he currently occupies . . .), he spoke his mind. He expressed his own studied opinion. He articulated a personal belief . . . and Archbishop Raymond Burke dissented.

Dissenting with another person's opinion, in and of itself, is not a bad thing. In fact, it is upon such freedoms that our nation is built. But when dissent with another's opinion is expressed with the implied expectation that the other be 'corrected' or 'brought into the party line' for what they personally choose to believe, well, that is quite another story. Don't tell that to Archbishop Burke, though, he is still waiting to see what Saint Louis University is going to do to bring Majerus into something of a 'true and right spirit' (which is implied to be the full line of Catholic beliefs as interpreted by Burke).

At a gathering for Hillary Clinton, Majerus is quoted as being in support of Clinton and a supporter for 'choice' and stem-cell research (according to this morning's St. Louis Post-Dispatch). Burke has taken exception with Majerus' stands because they do not reflect the spirit or fullness of Catholic teaching and should not be verbalized by a person with standing at a Catholic institution like Saint Louis University.

What I believe about what Majerus said is of little consequence, but what Burke believes of what Majerus said is monumental: If you don't buy into all of the Catholic law (as Burke interprets it) then you obviously aren't Catholic and should not be involved in Catholic education.

Have I missed something here? Is there a new reality television show in town by the name of, "How Parochial Can We Be?" Isn't Saint Louis University self-described as an institution of 'higher education'? Is not Saint Louis University an environment which is multi-racial, multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, and international in scope and teachings? Is Burke now prescribing the scope and offerings of this wonderful setting for advanced learnings? Are the faculty members of Saint Louis University now having to undergo vocational and personal litmus tests for religious acceptability before being allowed to exercise their God-given gifts?

I fully understand that Saint Louis University is a Catholic institution and I have absolutely no problem with that identity. What I see at stake here, though, is the very freedom of expression that our Constitution guarantees being subjugated by Church Law. The Christ of our faith died that in God's grace our sins would be forgiven. Christ is risen from the dead that our lives need not be lived in fear of those who would oppress the body, but cannot kill the soul. In all due respect, Archbishop Burke may well be within the bounds of his office to voice an objection, but his expectation of disciplinary action regarding the voicing of personal beliefs goes beyond the pale of both his office and the basic tenents of Christian faith as modeled by Jesus Christ Himself.

If Saint Louis University, in any way, silences the voice of Majerus, or any of its faculty, from expressing personal belief and studied experience in whatever personal setting they choose, then the death knell of all that is holy in the Church is being sounded at the very expense of personal human dignity and liberty as articulated in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Saint Louis University administrators, faculty, staff, and students must give this latest expression of repression their fullest attention, for once the voice is silenced, once the mind is harnessed, once the spirit is broken, then all which is produced are pack animals of the party line, and that is not the heart of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in any tradition.

Knowing How To Drive On Snow and Ice

We received barely a covering of sleet and snow last night and, after arriving at work, Nancy called to let me know that the roads were fine, though there were a few cars off of the road . . . and one car had rolled over. She saw no-one around them, so the accidents must have happened much earlier, but the cars remained as a stark reminder to those who came after: Be Careful! Later in the day, while in a doctor's office, the nurse who was doing my preliminary work made the comment, "People in Southern Illinois just don't know how to drive in the sleet and snow. They are always in such a hurry and, to make it worse, insist on making cell phone calls while driving . . . no matter what the weather." Her words struck a cord with what Nancy had relayed to me earlier, but I had to wonder, 'Is it that we don't know how to drive in varying weather conditions? Or is it that we expect everyone else, including the weather, to accommodate for us and whatever it is we are doing while we are driving, no matter what the conditions?' Hmmmm.

Okay, God, what is it that You are trying to say here? Yes, I think I have a pretty good handle on how to be faithful. I believe that, at least most of the time, I am attentive to what You are calling me to do and, try always to go where You would have me to go, when You want me there. But, do I give the changing conditions of the surrounding environment the attention I should, especially when it would save my life? Or is my expectation that everyone else should make accommodations for me, that oncoming traffic in a snow storm should give right-of-way to my vehicle no-matter-what, so that I can go as fast as I want, whenever I want, wherever I want? Have we gotten so engrossed in the immediate gratification culture that it has now spilled over into our attitudes regarding driving? 'The road should be dry for my tires.' 'The curve should straighten out for my speed.' 'The ice shouldn't form anywhere I might be driving.' 'The snow should pile up in the ditches and let the roads clear for me.' Hmmmmmmm.

And how does this translate into living the faith? Lord God, how we must test You! The snow is no more designed to upset our lives than prayer time is meant to stop life from being lived, yet both serve to slow us down and give us an opportunity to reflect on the goodness of all that is a part of God's creation. The question is not of the snow or of spiritual disciplines, the question is of whether or not we are willing to paid heed to either, even when our soul is on the line.

Unfortunately, our spiritual time with You, O God, more often than not, finds itself on its' roof, like the car which has rolled over on the side of the road. We were too busy with getting somewhere 'right now', too occupied with making sure the radio was on the right station, too busy multi-tasking while driving, or too tired to pay attention to what we are doing because we stayed up late the night before trying to get everything done that will make our living 'successful'. In gaining the miles, we lose our lives. In getting everything done, nothing is finished. In trying to complete everything at once, we become more incomplete by the second.

God, would You do us a favor? Please continue not getting out of our way. Please continue in your creative work of raining, sleeting, snowing, sunshining, praying for us, coming to us, being with us, and inviting us to be with You in all that is Yours. Make us careful drivers in our journey with and for You. And, one more thing: when our lives are out of control, sending us skidding into the ditches or into each other, preserve our lives and the lives of those around us from the callousness of our actions. For, though we may sometimes act like it isn't so, our lives are forever rooted in You and now is the time to remember and savor that precious gift. Sleet and snow on the well-laid highways of our plans remind us we are not always in control, and we are grateful You are. Keep us in your grace and on the road, a feat accomplishable only in You.

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Don

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 2008

It makes me wonder what the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. would say if he had any idea how his passions for justice, equity and peace were being appropriated in the 21st Century by current political pundits. Today, in local area newspapers, civic leaders were asked to comment on how they perceive MLK's life continuing to impact current social and political arenas. Suffice it to say, nearly all of them expressed belief that MLK's life and vision powerfully continues to transform our culture's understanding of how the world is to be ordered, how equity is to be achieved and how peace might possibly be experienced. But, what was amusing - and disturbing - was how many of the people also confidently asserted that MLK's life and vision included whatever part of the world they, personally, happen to occupy, as though begging the blessing of a saint for the work they do. Much of it was political pandering at best, personal harlotry at worst. It makes me sad for the Rev. Dr. King, for he who dared to stand at the forefront of injustice and cry out in the wilderness for redemption now, in the words and claims of publicity hounds and ladder-climbers, becomes little more than another step on the way up, another name to be dropped, another legacy to be usurped for personal gain . . . and maybe that is the worst sort of injustice.

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. accepted God's call in his life, he followed the Spirit's leading in his ministry, and he carried the mantle of prophetic orator in his soul. He looked into the bowels of the hell that racial, ethnic, social and economic injustice inflicts upon every every man, woman and child on the face of the earth, and he called forth the good which God plants in every human soul to act in solidarity for change. Where others imposed oppression, he saw the makings for liberty. Where others inflicted fear, he saw the windows of hope. Where others worked to institute segregation, he saw the doors of the heavens opened for inclusion and welcome. The Rev. Dr. King dared to go to the mountain and share the vision - while the rest remained in the valley and questioned what it was he was seeing. The Rev. Dr. King stood before the Pharaoh's of the world and said, 'No more bricks!', while the very mass of humanity he sought to free continued to say, 'How many? And, for how long?' Not unlike the very Lord and Savior he worshipped, Rev. Dr. King saw the good in others, even in the oppressors who most violently challenged him, and he did not relent his faithfulness in serving for the good of all humankind . . . even unto death.

We would do well, today, to remember his simple and profound example. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is not our Savior, but he lived that we would know Him. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is not our Lord, but he served that we might be touched by Him. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is not the Messiah, but he gave his life that we might be transformed by Him. To appropriate his legacy for anything less than introducing the Kingdom of God here on earth is to disgrace the very Spirit of God alive in those who continue his work in so many places around the world. As the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. did not live for himself, but for others, so we, too, would be well served to remember the very commandment his life embodied: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might. And you shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two are based all the law and the prophets." In our so living, his legacy is honored and remembered in the righteousness for which he lived, respect is given for his accomplishments, and his dignity stands upon the faith he claimed: in the One Lord of all.

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. died giving you and me 'a hand up' from that which would pull us down. How could anyone ever consider using his memory as a step on their own personal ladder of success? Thank you, Rev. Dr. King, for your witness, for your service, and for your passions. For, in who you continue to be, we find the strength to live into what God has created all people to become.

The Opportunity to Comment

Driving home last night from a basketball game, I had some time to ponder the discipline of writing this blog. Remembering the articles written and the time it had taken was easy. Knowing whether or not those articles are making a difference to others is not so clear. There have been only a couple of comments in nearly a month of articles, which got me to thinking about today: Sunday.

Worship is our opportunity to speak with the Author of our faith, face to face. Worship is our corporate opportunity to voice in community that which we have been thinking or speaking privately. Worship, as a community of faith, is our time to lift to God our, "Amen!" "So be it!" "I disagree!" "I don't understand!" "I love you!", as well as our, "Why did this happen?" "Are you with me in this?" "What did you mean when you spoke those words?" and "Do you even hear what I say?"

Worship with the gathered faith family is that one unique moment in time when we sit face to face with the cross of God's voice, when the quiet of an empty grave permeates our questions and comments, and when the resurrected love of Christ quietly fills our hearts with God's own message for our days. Worship is Comment Time. Yes, without doubt, God loves to hear our voices lifted in adoration and wonder for all that God does on our behalf, for all that God speaks into life, for all that God ponders into being. But, God is also big enough, merciful enough, and gracious enough, to hear our puzzlement and doubts, our anger and our sadness, our fear and our brokenness. For all of this, worship exists as an eternal gift of God. In some ways, worship is an unending blog, written by God and open for all of us to read and comment.

We are never forced to open the page, neither are we chastised if we do not respond, yet, I cannot fathom it being any easier for God than it is for me when so few enter into the conversation: Is there anyone even listening? Is there anyone who cares?

Take this opportunity today to worship the God of our Salvation, to respond to God's Living Word being spoken lovingly in your ears. Take this opportunity to listen to God's wisdom poured out for you - and in prayerful love and humility, take the time to speak back of where you are on the journey. God is still speaking. God is still listening.

Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Don

The Sounds of a Cold Morning

Have you ever really listened to a cold morning? Not a 20 or 30 degree morning, but a single digit or sub-zero cold morning? Have you heard the sound of the air, the rush of the wind, the beating of a bird's wings, the chatter of a squirrel, the bark of a dog, the mooing of a cow, the crunch of your footsteps, the sound of another person's voice, or even the enormity of the silence in the profound absence of heat? It is an incredible experience if for no other reason than the clarity of tonality which becomes apparent in the chill of the Winter.

I am not a fan of cold temperatures, but Winter provides our senses its own share of powerful wonder: the sound of an ice skate's blade on smooth pond ice, the slickness of a sled's runners as it courses down a hill, the quacking of a pair of ducks as they pass over their favorite haunt now frozen and inaccessible to them, the beating of mourning dove wings as they settle into a spot for feeding, the laughter of children heaving snow balls at each other, the solitude of fields laying quiet as they rest from a hard year's production, and haunting reverberations of a coyote's howl piercing a dark night's soul. All are part and parcel of this gift God's gives in the season we come to know as Winter. Each adds its music to the cacaphony of instrumentation which becomes the symphony of the 'Midwinter's Night Dream'. Each is cued into the composition at the direction of the Maestro's baton flicking gracefully from one to the other. Each bears a witness to the fullness of the Composer's imagination and joy. Each is a stark celebration of what Winter is unveiling for listening ears and open hearts to receive. Each is its own forethought of the One who breathed them into being and, here, commands their music to fill creation.

Now, I will grant you, much of this seems rather 'romanticized' in world often filled more with the sounds of guns cracking and spirits breaking, of blood flowing and war raging, of hatred spewing and discrimination oozing, of justice distorted and greed rewarded, yet, maybe the issue isn't with what our ears seem always to hear, but rather to Whom we are willing to give our attention. For this day, this cold Winter's day in January, I lean my ears towards God and listen for what God would have me to hear of God's capacity to give life. Call it what you may, I call the sounds of a cold morning the music of Peace . . . and pray from their concert I will be given the heart to become a peacemaker.

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Don

God Is In Change

Where did the idea come from that 'change' is not good? That 'different' is not desirable? When folks ask me if I know why I am loosing my hair, I tell them, "Oh yes! It's from beating my head against the walls of tradition that people in the church construct to keep them safe!"

Last night I met with an amazing group of people: Vacation Bible School representatives from churches throughout the community. First of all, God bless the dear ones who, in a moment of weakness, consent to represent their church on the Vacation Bible School Planning Committee. Secondly, God especially bless the ones who, once on the Committee, consider it a responsibility and privilege to convey the Word of God to the children of the community in ways that will excite them, not bore them to death. Lastly, God abundantly bless the ones who consider it the norm to change Vacation Bible School to meet the needs of the children today.

This small group of God's servants decided to change the time, from morning to evening; to change the dates, from the heat of July to the cooler times of June; and to birth a new schedule which favors 'blocks of time' for family group participation, rather than set classroom schedules. When the meeting was over I offered a prayer of thanksgiving to God for the Spirit's work in removing the timidity of tradition and instilling a courage of conviction. As surely as children learn in multi-media, multi-dimensional environments every day of their lives so, too, must the Church move towards fully embracing a multi-faceted presentation of the Word of God in this new age. Flannel board presentations will likely make for finely bored children. In the new paradigm, film strips should make for great craft resources, just as chalk dust should be found outside on the hands of children allowing their imaginations and faith to run wild on the sidewalks. Digital photography and videos enable new, nearly immediate viewing of young minds interpreting the scriptures in new ways, even as the 'old, old story' erupts from music more nearly geared to the children than their grandparents.

Sir Winston Churchill, in the throes of the Nazi bombardment of England is quoted as saying, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." I'm not so sure Churchill wasn't speaking to the Church when confronted by the opportunity for change,"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." Must we, through our traditional way of doing things, maintain such control and decorum as to never allow the Spirit room for 'a new thing to happen here'? (Sometimes it makes me wonder whether, if Jesus' crucifixion happened here today, the people who lobby so adamantly for tradition in the church wouldn't be the ones found holding the large stone to the door of the tomb in place so that Jesus couldn't come out, fearing that an empty tomb would signal the need for dollars having to be spent updating curriculum and methodologies!)

I am grateful to God for God's chosen servants who lead God's people to new faith, freedom, and service, people like Moses, Aaron, Joshua, Elijah, David . . . and the visionary people of the Community Vacation Bible School Committee with which I met last night. God is still speaking in ways we can understand, and God is still inspiring a new and right Spirit in the hearts of those open to God's change in our world. Thanks be to God for their witness!

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Don

Missed Appointments

What is it about this day? I initiated a Conference Call for 1:00 p.m. today with three other people, a call that had been scheduled a month ago, and only one of the three called in for the Conference. Then I stayed in the office for a 3:30 p.m. appointment an individual scheduled this morning, stating, " . . . I just have to get this done today! It won't work at any other time on my calendar!" and at 3:45 p.m. she called in to say she will have to reschedule it for sometime early next week. "Sorry if I made you wait around" was all the apology which was offered, and I thought, "No, you're not. What you are really sorry about is that you couldn't squeeze it into your calendar today and, if you had your druthers, you wouldn't do it next week either!" Oh, well, what is time on a Pastor's schedule, anyway?!

Then, at just about the time I was really ready to go off in a funk about what had transpired, God's angel of personal epiphanies made an appearance with the words, "And how many times, Mr. High and Mighty, have you done the same thing to God?" Oh, man! Talk about hitting below the belt! I thought I had every reason to feel really ticked and self-righteous about how shabbily my time and priorities had been treated by all of these other people. Then, I am put in the position to relate how many times I do the same thing to God - and suddenly I am feeling pretty sheepish and humbled.

I cannot count the number of times I have said I would do something for God in just a minute, how many times I would help the person in distress on the side of the road when I have the time without messing up my schedule, how many times I planned to pick up extra food at the store for the Food Pantry but just didn't have the time to get it there, how many times I thought about taking the clothes I have 'outgrown' to the shelter but keep forgetting to put them in the car, how many times I could have gotten someone a drink and thought that they could get it themselves, or how many times I planned to visit someone who was homebound or in an assisting living facility, but just never seemed to get around to it. I cannot count the number of times, nor do I want to begin trying to count the number of times, neither do I want witnesses (and there are way too many witnesses of my escapades) to begin naming the times. Just the mere mention of the opportunities, the promises, to do something for God, is reminder enough: It is not good to throw stones when you live in a glass house.

It is easy for the scribes and Pharisees among us to identify in the woman caught in adultery the reason she should be stoned (John 8:1-11). What is far harder to identify is that which is within each one of us that really demands the same sentence, for truly, none of us is without sin.

As Jesus said to the woman, "Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again", so He says to each of us when, like me, we so easily get caught up in the hypocrisy of our own self-images: "Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again."

I don't like being stood up, so I had better practice not standing up others . . . especially God. Yet, more than that, more than practicing not standing up others, I need to practice forgiving others as I pray God forgives my sinfulness. Anyone can condemn, but forgiveness and the art of living as one who is forgiven takes a lifetime to learn. And today was just another lesson at the feet of the Master. Thank you, God, for your grace which claims me. Teach me, God, to extend that grace to others with the humility and strength of Jesus.

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Don

God Is In All That You Handle

I heard it again today: "God won't give you more than you can handle." It just made my skin crawl. This popular, unthinking, 'Christian' response to everything that happens to people just does not make sense, nor does it reflect the fullness, mercy, grace and strength of both the cross and an empty tomb. It just doesn't.

'My hemorrhoids are killing me, but God won't give me more than I can handle', 'The cancer treatments are really making me sick, but God won't give me more than I can handle', 'Our child was in an awful automobile accident, but God won't give us more than we can handle', 'We don't make enough money to afford health insurance and my wife can't have the operation she needs to fix her back, but God won't give us more than we can handle', 'I have spent my whole life farming and can no longer keep up with the rising land costs, taxes, and implement expenses, so I guess it is time for me to go out of business, but God won't give me more than I can handle', 'I just found out that I have lung cancer and haven't smoked a day in my life, so God must be testing me, but I know God won't give me more than I can handle', and 'Our baby died at birth on Christmas day. I'm not sure why God would let that happen, but I was told that God doesn't ever give anyone more than they can handle.' I have heard every one of these and probably hundreds, if not thousands, more in nearly twenty years of ministry . . . and every time I hear those words spoken, mostly by well meaning 'Christians', I cringe for the faith - and for what it implies about God.

What kind of angry, vengeful, spiteful, testing (testy?) God do these people believe in? Do they believe that God is so consumed about finding out how faithful each person can be that God spends all day and all night just trying out different plagues and diseases and maladies upon them to find out 'how much they can handle'? Are the current pop-evangelicals trying to use this rationale in order that God be blamed for everything that can't easily be explained? Is this just another way to 'fear' people into the Christian faith?

Is it easier to make God the 'Cosmic-Tester' of all things human, the One who presses the boundaries of human endurance and faith, rather than spend hard time in prayer and study wrestling with the notions of human mortality and Divine Presence in the midst of the human experience? In my humble mind, this rates right up there with calling tornadoes, cyclones, hurricanes, floods, fires and avalanches, 'acts of God', while completely forgetting to credit God with the wonderful days of sunshine and rainbows that most people believe is their inalienable right to enjoy every day. How must such a statement be heard in the ears of: homeless children; parents whose sons or daughters are killed or maimed by acts of random violence; by children whose parent(s) die early in their lives as a result of an accident or illness; by the victims of the violence in Darfur; by the starving in Africa; by the typhoon survivors in Bangladesh; by the victims and survivors of 9-1-1; by the common ordinary citizen of Iraq whose life and livelihood is now rubble; by people born with physical or mental challenges; by the woman who is beaten by her spouse; or by the children (and their parents) who are kidnapped, sexually molested and killed or prostituted for profit? Listen to those words with their ears.

The God of my faith, the God revealed in Jesus Christ, the God present in the power and wonder of God's Holy Spirit, is the God who enters into the human condition precisely at the confluence point of pain, difficulty, terror, fear, and grief and is present with the ones enduring such difficulties. God, throughout the Bible, is the God of the downtrodden, the sick, the mourning, the naked, the hungry, the thirsty, the imprisoned, the marginalized, and acts on every level on their behalf, regardless of their faith tradition, ethnicity, economic level, gender, or nationality. The Israelites were established to be the 'light unto the nations' regarding this very point. Jesus, the very Presence of God (Messiah = God With Us), embodies that message faithfully, even unto death upon a cross. So little does humanity want to hear that such Presence counts servanthood on behalf of " . . . the least of these, my brethren" as a core value of the faith, that we continue, even today, to crucify Jesus all over again every time we say, "Well, you know, God won't give you more than you can handle."

From where I am, the human body is very frail and the human spirit is often very self-absorbed and, too many times, we put off as God's doing everything that we can't explain or for which we don't want to accept responsibility. It becomes a God thing and our own faith doesn't have to come into question, nor do we have to look again at the cross and empty tomb and ponder God's willingness to conquer our fear of death in order that Faith, Hope and Love have a place in our daily lives.

For the ones who dare to stand at the empty tomb and feel the winds of the Spirit move through their lives, God is the God who is present in the midst of, not the God who inflicts in spite of, all that humanity endures. This is the God of my faith, who gives me a heart and soul in Christian discipleship to handle with conviction all that life throws my way on this sacred journey. This is the God of Jesus Christ who stands in the midst of our current day tribunals of ignorance and fear. This is the God of the Holy Spirit who is still revealing God's ongoing history of redemptive love and forgiveness. This is the God who is in all that you handle, no matter what, no matter when, no matter how, no matter where. God is the Victor on our behalf. To be counted at Christ's side on the journey is the handle I need for all that this life includes. And that, is quite enough for me.

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Don

Feeding the Birds

Nancy has convinced me that we need to feed the birds.

My beautiful, loving wife, Nancy, has convinced me that we need to feed the birds. Who will be next? In over thirty years of marriage, we have had three children (and all of the friends that they have brought into our home), one granddaughter, each of our respective immediate families, many of our extended families, countless friends and acquaintances, classmates, church members, neighbors, visiting pastors and their spouses, missionaries, church choirs, softball teams, baseball teams, basketball teams, golf teams, and alumni gatherings, not to mention two dogs, and two cats, who have all shared of the food in our home . . . and now we need to feed the birds. Who will be next?

Which is exactly what I was thinking as I was filling the bird feeders this morning: thistle seed, saffron seed, songbird seed, a suet block, cracked corn (which the squirrels also seem to really like) and sunflower seed . . . all carefully placed in the appropriate feeders which hang on a specifically designed pole to accommodate the variety of sizes and needs of both the birds and the feeders . . . and all purchased quite 'economically' from a specialty bird feeding store in a nearby town. Aaauuuuggggghhhh!

Growing up on a dairy farm, the only time we ever fed the birds was when the winter snows and/or ice made ground feeding in the fields impossible for them: we took pity on the hungry things and cast cattle feed on the ground in places where the birds would be reasonably out of the weather and safe from the small of herd of cats that were very much a part of our environment . . . and that was only done until the weather abated and food was more readily available again in the fields. But now? Now we provide food for them all the time, partly for their welfare and partly for our interest: They are pretty to watch as they feed together and jockey for position to get the choicest morsels but, 'Who will be next?'

Then, my breath got caught in my lungs and my heart seemed to pound as, in watching a lowly starling feed on the newly placed suet, I considered the privilege of what we are doing as I heard Jesus' words in my ears, " . . . the poor you will always have with you." Quite simply, we can either consider those in need among us as a burden or a privilege. We can view the ones who stand at our doorsteps or are at the foot of our tables as intruders or friends. We can regard the the hungry either as 'them' or 'me' - and respond accordingly.

In God's way of thinking, as reflected throughout the Bible, there is a high value placed on tending to the strangers and the ones in need among us. Hospitality in all of its forms, including lodging, food, conversation, and care, are all signs of a household where God is radically present and worshipped. Eagerness on the part of God's people to tend to the ". . . least among us . . ." and a willingness of share of any and all resources are part and parcel of defining that alternative worldview which specifically identifies those who are God's 'light unto the nations'.

You may not see how this relates to feeding the birds, but in that moment, I did. Not unlike all of those people who are equally members of God's creation and found a place and welcome at our table, our family is privileged to have 'plenty enough' to share of God's abundance in our lives. God holds nothing back in meeting our needs, so who are we to question our capacity or responsibility to provide the same for others . . . even the birds?

The 'poor among us' come in many forms, not as burden or intruder or as 'them', but as opportunities for the grace and abundance of God to be shared in mutual respect and caring for all of God's creation. The humble act of welcoming a stranger at your table, in meeting the need of someone less fortunate, in tending to God's creation, is the extravagant practice of extending God's hospitality and abundance in your own life. 'Who will be next?' Indeed, it might be me! To see ourselves in the faces of the others could be the greatest gift we are given . . . even if that stranger is a starling.

Thank you, God, for the abundance entrusted to me for sharing in your Name. Teach me generosity of spirit with others, and all of creation, as I pray for generosity of Spirit from You.

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Don

Technical Support

I have just spent about 45 minutes with a 'Technical Support Person' working out some kinks in one of the many programs our technology ministry utilizes in bringing the worship and ministries of our congregation into the 21st Century. Every time I am placed in a position to speak with one of these 'Tech Support' types, I have to preface my questions and comments with the words, "I know enough about computers to be dangerous, but not enough about them to be knowledgeable. So, take your time and walk me through every step that I need to take, that the two of us don't have to do this process all over again." It is soooooooooo frustrating. I will say in defense of nearly all of the "Tech Support' folks with which I have spoken, they have been incredibly patient with me, putting into common English the tech phrases they are accustomed to throwing around with other techies. For that I am grateful but, still, it is sooooooo frustrating: To be in the position of needing the technology I am using, but not having all the training I need so as to be conversant in the ways the technology works . . . and sometimes it just fries me, having to be so dependent on the kindness of strangers to help me work my way through the problems of the day.

But, isn't that, in fact, the way God intended it from the very beginning? No one of us has all of the knowledge, all of the understanding, all of the training, all of the insider-phrases, all of the skills, or all of the desire to know all of the knowledge, which will get us through the day. No one. Only God. For those of us who are created in the image of God, it is incumbent upon us to work together for the good of the whole, that the whole might, in some small manner, reflect the fullness of the One in whose Image we are created. Frustrating as it might sometimes be, we need each other. Even with all of the training and education one person might conceivably be able to attain in a lifetime, the human race needs each other. Remarkably, each person has the capacity and understanding of the world where they are to be a 'Tech Support Person' to someone else. And, conversely, each person has the need and lack of knowledge of the world where they are to need the tech support someone else has to offer . . . frustrating as that idea might be.

I think the very nature of of such interdependence daily reminds us we are not God. We are of God's creation and each bit of creation, each visage of this universe (and all the universe's beyond us), has the capacity to point towards the One who is the fullness of all there is. We have the capacity. Whether or not we choose to have the moral fortitude and do that, in sharing life's journey with others, or allow ourselves to get caught up in the frustration of not being the end all and be all of all creation, well, that is quite another question.

Today, I am thanking God for the Tech Support Persons who remind us of the depth of God's love for all of creation as they share of themselves for the good of the world. I pray, in some small humble way, I might do the same with my life - for the sake of others, that the world, too, would see God through me.

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Don

Remember Your Baptism

Today in the Church Year is the observance of The Baptism of Christ. In the lectionary cycle, the story of the Baptism of Christ is from Matthew 3:13-17, which recalls that Jesus insisted John baptize him that all righteousness be fulfilled. What does it mean that all righteousness be fulfilled?

From where this person is in faith, it simply means, this is where the journey of discipleship begins: repenting of a past which has been lived apart from God and other people, receiving the grace and mercy of God as a gift, rising out of the waters new in life and spirit, and going back into the world in service and faith. It is all about God's choosing to be graceful, but it is also about the individual's willingness to receive of God's grace. As Jesus chose to be baptized, so he sends His disciples out to baptize, not as a way of 'rewarding' certain behaviors, nor as a mark of having achieved some level of understanding of God's grace, but rather, as a way of entering into the fullness of God's choice to be fully faithful, fully hopeful, fully loving.

Remember your baptism this day. Remember that your baptism is an intentional choice of God to be gracious to you. Remember to live God's grace in you as you live in the world, but not of it. For you are a child of God, a disciple of Christ, and a member of the Church (the Body of Christ).

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Don

One Note Birds

Today is a beautiful early January day. The temperature is in the low 40's and the sun is shining. Walking from our home to the church, I heard a bird with a distinctive song, a 'one-note song', singing for all it was worth: dee-dee, dee-dee, dee-dee. On the musical scale (and I checked it out on a keyboard that I keep in my office) the note is a B natural. Not a B flat, not a C, but a B natural. Dee-dee, dee-dee, dee-dee . . . over and over and over again. No variation in pitch, no variation in rhythm, and no variation in number of 'dee-dee's', just three times and a break, three times and a break. As pretty a song as it was, and it was a pretty song, light and lilty, I couldn't help but wonder if this particular bird just didn't learn the rest of the notes to the music! How many times can one bird sing one song consisting of one note?! The notion of it made me laugh out loud . . . and the laughter made me think of God's blessings.

What a blessed song this particular bird is singing, especially when that song is capable of making people laugh in wonder! What a majestic God of abundant imagination it is who creates such a bird whose song is capable of lifting the spirits of God's people who listen! And, what a blessing it is that the song is there, available for our ears to hear, ready for our souls to receive, eager for our hearts to lift.

I have been critical of one-note birds before, especially when they are in the church. You know, the one-note birds who keep beating the same issue over and over again, never letting up, never changing their song, never changing their pitch, always singing it in your ear whether you want to hear it or not, until you reach a point when you think you are just going to explode if you hear that song one more time! Whew! Sadly, many of the one-note birds in the church are more concerned about personal agendas and pet projects than with singing the song God has placed in their heart to share with the world. Many of those one-note birds are far less concerned with filling the world with the beauty and laughter of their God than with filling the world with the 'wisdom and insight' of their years. Those one-note birds have the unique capacity to transform God's creative imagination and abundant grace into the workings of institutional drudgery and dogmatic enslavement . . . and that is a song that need not be sung, at least in my ears.

Yet, this day's beautiful and amazing gift of the one-note bird, singing brightly on a sunny January morning, reminds me that we are all given a song to sing which reflects God's presence in our lives - and ours is the choice, whether or not we will sing God's song or transpose it into a composition of our own limited creativity. I am convinced that the world will be able to tell the difference in which song is being sung in what places, for where there is laughter, beauty and blessing, abundantly shining for all to share, there is God . . . and where you can't wait for the song to be over, well, I think you get the picture.

Here's to the song of your life being one that puts a smile, with laughter, in the hearts of God and your fellow sojourners on the path of faith!

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Don

Songs We Hear

"What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear . . . ." This is one of my favorite hymns of the Church. "What A Friend We Have In Jesus" has gotten me through many a difficult time with that lilting melody and upbeat tempo. Yet, my best memories of this hymn are not of it being sung in church on Sunday morning but, rather, of it being sung by my Dad as he tilled the fields on an 'open' tractor.

Most folks have no idea what I am talking about when I speak of an 'open' tractor, so let me put it this way: I grew up in an age when tractors on the farm did not have cabs on them. They were 'open' to the elements. Rain, hot sunshine, cold, snow, it didn't matter: you were exposed to the elements as you did your work out in the fields. Now, granted, open tractors were a big step up from being behind a horse or a mule but, still, you endured whatever nature gave you as you did your work. Today, you will rarely see an 'open' tractor: most opt for the full comfort features of heat, AC, cup holder, computer docking station, GPS, and the like. Today's tractors are nearly a world unto themselves. But, when I was a kid, I heard my Dad singing on the tractor.

Both my Mom and Dad were singers. Everywhere they went there was singing involved somehow. Love songs of the time, songs that they danced to, hymns from church, and favorites that they learned from their parents, were all part and parcel of what they sang on the tractor, in the garden, in the barn milking cows, in the pastures, in the car, or on the front porch during a quiet summer's evening. Even as I write these words I can hear their voices singing, blending, harmonizing, laughing. What a gift.

One of Dad's favorites is "What A Friend We Have In Jesus" and, I think still, it is appropriately sung to the beat of a two-cylinder John Deere 'popping away', for that is how in my heart I continue to hear him singing it today. There is nothing like the 'pop-pop-popping' of a 'Johnny popper' to give a song rhythm.

As I hear Dad's voice in my ears this morning, it got me to wondering what my kids will remember of me: Will it be the songs I sing as I do the work I love? Or will it be my complaints of 'what is going on in the world'? Will it be the hymns of faith that I hold so dear? Or the litanies of the burdens that often seem overwhelming?

I cannot answer for them, but I know what it is I hope they will always remember, so I guess I had better start singing like there was no cab on my tractor. Sing with the rhythm of the tractor I'm on, singing with the faith that carries me in the fields to which I am called. Our children will remember what they want to remember, I just hope that when they think of me, they will also remember, "What A Friend We Have In Jesus", because He is the one who will see them through wherever it is they go.

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Don

In Whose Grace or At Whose Expense Do You Live?

I sat in a meeting today with a person who seemed to be more determined to make a point at my expense than to make an earnest contribution to the conversation of their own. As I drove away trying to make sense of such behavior, I thought, "God, how do You put up with all of us? I know that I'm not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but do I do that same thing to You? Am I about making my 'points' at your expense?"

The more I thought about it, the more I kept coming back to Jesus' story about the Pharisee and the tax collector in the Temple, both bringing offerings of worship and resources. The Pharisee said, "'God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.' But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' I tell you, the tax collector went down to his home justified rather than the Pharisee; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted." (Luke 18:11b-14 NRSV)

God has given each of us gifts for our time and place, each in our own measure and capacity to utilize them, but the spirit in which the gifts are offered is the measure by which God perceives the heart of the believer. To beat another over the head with your gifts makes you a smaller person.

We may not be able to control how the Pharisee's among us behave, but we can certainly control whether or not we are the Pharisee. So, to quote another text, " . . . but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." (Joshua 24:15b)

Lord, I may not always live your gifts in me well, but I pray your gifts in me well up to you in humble adoration always.

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Don

Motorcycles in January

As I drove to the hospitals yesterday, I was amazed at the number of motorcycles on the road. It is the 6th of January and there are motorcycles everywhere! One little warm spell, one little surge of Spring come early, one little iota of optimism in the midst of Winter's delight, and all the stops are pulled out.

It was as if Julie Andrews was singing, "The world is alive . . . with the sound of Harley's . . ." and it made me smile. With the background music of straight pipes, blended with the sight and smell of an inordinate amount of leather, the roads became a friendlier place to be: people weren't in such a hurry, taking time to watch the geese flying from field to field; folks were actually waving, with all their fingers, even if they didn't know you; and, having trouble on the roadside became an occasion to stop and help a neighbor. It was almost surreal.

But, isn't that the effect a strong dose of Light can have in the midst of the gloom and darkness of our present age? Winter is tranformed to Spring, the chill of daily living is tranformed to a shared journey, and dark difficulties are tranformed to unusual opportunities.

Like a Spring day in the midst of Winter, Christ changes the perspective of those who choose to bask in his Presence. There may be storms which follow, and some may be heavy, but the Light of Christ is always with us and God's Holy Spirit will strengthen our souls for what tomorrow may bring.

Here's to motorcycle days in Winter!

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Don

The Twelfth Day of Christmas - Epiphany

From where I am, the amazing part of the Biblical story for this day (see Matthew 2) is not the star, nor the Wise Men - but the very notion that God chooses to reveal the Son in such incredible ways.

First, it is the shepherds who receive a heavenly concert on the night when Jesus is born and, now, a star leads Wise Men from the East to Bethlehem, where Jesus lay with his mother, Mary. From the very beginning, God makes it clear that Jesus' life and ministry will be intimately tied to the lives of those who are often marginalized by the 'established' religious community. Vagabond shepherds and 'outsider' Wise Men are the first to be invited to witness the coming of the Savior - and they rush to accept the gracious invitation, bearing the best of gifts in hand to worship the newborn King . . . while those on the 'inside' despise him, seek to discredit him, and watch for an opportunity to kill him.

Herod slaughters the innocents in an effort to kill Jesus, making the Savior a refugee before he becomes a Nazorean.

What is it that God so values in you and me that God is poured out into our world in the presence of Jesus that we might know life in the midst of such horrific scenes of death and destruction? Bottom line, I believe God sees the 'good' in each person, the good which has been there from the very beginning of time, and God is willing to put God's own life on the line that we not despise our own birthright by living in fear of that which cannot claim us.

Herod's come and go, but the love of God goes on and on and on. Let the good God has placed in you respond to the generous gift of life God has given us all in Jesus. Live the faith.

God has it right: institutional religion has no room for a Savior, but for those who are seeking Him out in unexpected places . . . well, Jesus said it best, "Knock and it shall be opened. Seek and you shall find. Ask and it shall be given unto you." Live the faith, for God has faith in you: the birth of Jesus is our proof, and you are invited to see Him.

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Don

Sign for the Week:

Before 'On-Star'

there was 'The Star'.

Follow it to Jesus.

The Eleventh Day of Christmas

What must the three Wise Men have thought as they neared Bethlehem? A day's journey away, we pause outside the city and ponder what sort of Truth this is that God is revealing, what sort of Savior God is sending. A day's journey away, we pause with good cause, for in the city not far away is the One who will transform a people, a culture, a government, a world, a faith. Not far away is the One worthy of receiving the gold of the earthly riches, the frankincense of incredible pleasantness in the midst of our world's despair, and the myrrh reserved for the highest of royalty at their burial. Not far away is the One over which a star shines brightly . . . and now we are at the foot of His throne.

Come, worship the King, pondering all that God is yet to reveal in Him.

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Don

The Tenth Day of Christmas

It is the day after the Iowa caucuses and the news outlets are busy spinning the outcomes to match their own agendas. It is an interesting process to watch, kind of like hauling manure on the farm: if your 'material' is just loose enough and you drive just fast enough, you are bound to get a bit of 'material' on just about everything along the path, covering all the bases, as it were. It seems that is just about what the spin masters are trying to do: cover all the bases, declare victory in whatever way they can, and move on to the states that 'really matter'.

On this tenth day of Christmas, on a day when tradition holds to 'ten lords a-leaping' and the ancient Church holds to the precious place of the Ten Commandments, I am wondering what music it is that makes us dance and what belief is it that takes our breath away.

Political pundits from every camp want to be the court musicians that entertain our every need, promising to play whatever it is every individual in the crowded court desires, regardless of how much time it takes. Consequently, the more they play, the less I want to listen to them.

On this tenth day of Christmas, I am not seeking promises for my vote, I am looking for the presence of God in faith lived well. I am looking for integrity in campaign behavior as well as resilience and consistency in personal achievements. I am looking for wise people on a journey pointing towards something bigger than themselves, capable of inviting others to see with their eyes what God is doing. I do not want to dance to their music. I live to leap to the music of the Lord in justice, peace and equity.

On this tenth day of Christmas, we are reminded by the Ten Commandments that just they are not an end in and of themselves, neither are we. Those who subscribe to that notion will die because of it. Rather, the Ten Commandments point to the greater Good, the One who authors the very sound of their words, the One whose in whose imagination the very wonders of worship of God, mutual respect, love of neighbor, and integrity of self are begun. Like those Ten Commandments, we - and the politicians among us - are invited to live into the vision God has for all creation: coming home together in Joy. That is what makes me dance. That is the Star which takes my breath away. I pray it does for you, as well.

God's strength be with you on the journey - Bethlehem is not far away.

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Don

The Ninth Day of Christmas

In the ancient tradition of the Church, the ninth day of Christmas focuses on the nine fruits of the Spirit from Galatians 5:22: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. In the words of the Apostle Paul, "There is no law against such things."

On this ninth day of Christmas, let us focus on the fruits of the Spirit which build community, strengthen the foundations of peace, create opportunities for justice, and restore equity for all people. Let us be bound in the Spirit in the ways of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

In so living, the birth of the Christ Child in our lives transforms everyday living for all.

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Don

The Eighth Day of Christmas

The blind see Jesus for what He is,
The deaf hear Jesus as He is,
The mute talk with Jesus where He is,
The lame walk with Jesus like He is . . .
So, how about you?
As He is, He meets you as you are.
Welcome Him into your life today.