No deep thoughts this week, just a moment to take time and reflect why we celebrate Christmas. It may be hard to remember as you deal with horrid weather, bad parking, overexhausted store clerks, fussy people, overstimulated children, and trying to get everything done at home.
Last night, my wife and I watched two of the Peanuts Christmas specials. The first one, older than us, was a favorite must-see when we were children every Christmas. The other, "It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown," came out in 1992, so perhaps its one of your must-see Christmas shows. The latter one has a great scene that I thinks reflects perfectly the way life truly is for many of us.
Sally and Linus are sitting in an armchair. Linus is the theologian in the Peanuts universe. He is the one that believes in the mytery of life, though he sometimes gets things a bit confused when it comes to make-believe (hence the confusion over The Great Pumpkin and Santa Clause). Sally wants Linus to tell her what the Christmas season is all about. She has kind of had it with the season and all its pressures to perform and do so much. So Linus begins launching into the birth story of Jesus as it is presented in the Gospel of Luke. But while Linus is telling the story, Sally begins to complain, talking about shopping and all the troubles of trying to keep up with the commericialism of the season.
I love that scene because here in a nutshell, Charles Schulze has illustrated our culture perfectly. The birth story of Jesus is an amazing story. Perhaps it is as familiar as a holiday special. And we can kind of hear it in the background, but we are unwilling to really listen to it unless there might be something new to hear. We hear the story. We perhaps even desire to hear and believe the possibility of hope. That gets hard to do as we worry about our own life, friendships, family, things lost, missed opportunities, etc. Or perhaps it is just stress that is added because let's face it, the noise of the commercial season has been going loud and strong since what, September?
So the lesson we learn from Peanuts is that if we take a deep breath it will let us hear that old story. Let us really pause to listen.
Let us choose carols of hope instead of commercialized Christmas songs selling a Christmas that can never exist. Let us instead celebrate the birth of Christ as a reminder that there is another way.
One last image to think about....another favorite comic strip, B.C., had a simple Christmas message one year. We see B.C. walking in the desert. Above him is this bright, outstanding star which has captured his imagination. But he is not paying attention and stumbles on a rock causing him to fall and bump his head. When he lifts his head up to look again, the star has been blurred in his vision into 3 stars that bear a striking resemblance to 3 crosses. In three little panels the cartoonist has shown us the whole point of the Christmas story. Jesus is coming to call us into a new life that is going to lead to a horrible sacrifice, but one that will change the world. It is a symbol that you are never alone and that there is a deeper, more meaningful way of living.
The message of Christmas is that in a scandalous unmarried mother's teen pregnancy, comes an intervention in human history of God's amazing grace and love, who is Jesus.
May the love of Christ bless you this Christmas season with love and grace.
Monday, December 24, 2007
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Longest Night Event Postponed
Steve just went over to Rivier College to check out whether we could still hold our prayer service tonight, and he found too-slippery hills and no safe places to park. So we're going to postpone the event. Thanks to Crystal for all the work she put into planning this and inviting people. And thanks to Steve for being out on the roads to make a final decision!
Kari
Kari
Monday, December 17, 2007
"Now the Birth of Jesus...."
Most of us receive the good news about the birth of Jesus from the Gospel of Luke. That is to say that all the TV specials often find the wealth of information about this event in Luke's telling of the birth and life of Jesus. But what about Matthew's Gospel? This often intriguing view of Jesus' public ministry and life is often quite challenging as we discover the crux of Matthew's own perspective for the community that received this good news.
And so, this week, I thought it pertinent to look at how Matthew's telling of Jesus' birth happens. Matthew wants to place Jesus more historically in the genealogy of the Jewish people and so he launches off his Gospel with a listing of the family tree. It is an interesting way of trying to combine the ancient life of a community with its present and future living. But then Matthew begins his story: "Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah began this way..."
For Matthew there is no beautiful Mary singing about her overwhelming joy of being chosen by God. Matthew begins his story with scandal at its heart. Matthew lulls us into a sense of comfort as he begins his phrasing with this opening statement. Here is a familiar story. It is a story we have heard before. But Matthew wants to point out something deeper that requires us to begin suspending our past.
For Matthew begins by pointing out that Joseph is a recently engaged man. He is going to prepare the way, for his wedding. He has arranged to marry this young woman, Mary. One day he goes to visit her and discovers that she is pregnant! How can this be? Joseph has every right to take Mary out into the square, condemn her and stone her. This was his right.
Joseph though shows an interesting, and scandalous character to the community hearing this story. We might think it fairly normal in our day and age. Joseph decides that the best thing to do is to backstep. He decides that he will just quietly say to Mary that he just cannot honor his contract with her for marriage and assume she will agree given the situation.
This is all normal don't you think? But before Joseph goes to tell her, one night he has a dream. Dreams and visions are important and can help the listener understand, or accept what happens next. It is in dreams where the holy and sacred enter into our world sometimes. In dreams we can tap into a spiritual awareness that we might not be able to see. It is in his dream that Joseph experiences his own angelic announcement. It is here where Joseph is given a glimpse of the future of this baby that is growing in Mary's womb. He is given an awareness of the connection of the present with a prophetic thread in the history of his people. God is about to do something amazing. "God has done something amazing and you are a part of it, Joseph."
The angel's words recall the sense of what Jesus' ministry will be. The angel tells Joseph that the baby's name will be "Emmanuel," meaning "God with us." It is a hint of the ministry that Jesus will be about. Jesus will come to turn the world upside down; a world that has a chance to rethink how it lives, breathes, and acts. It will be a world that discovers God's very presence everywhere in it.
This is something that By the Way experiences in the people we meet and the community we are forming. As we gather this week for the Service of the Longest Night, it will be a sign for us all that God is with us. That this place where we live, Nashua, is part of God's kingdom, and we together are signs of God's grace to one another in our deepest pain, and in our overwhelming joy in living.
God is doing something amazing and you are a part of it.
And so, this week, I thought it pertinent to look at how Matthew's telling of Jesus' birth happens. Matthew wants to place Jesus more historically in the genealogy of the Jewish people and so he launches off his Gospel with a listing of the family tree. It is an interesting way of trying to combine the ancient life of a community with its present and future living. But then Matthew begins his story: "Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah began this way..."
For Matthew there is no beautiful Mary singing about her overwhelming joy of being chosen by God. Matthew begins his story with scandal at its heart. Matthew lulls us into a sense of comfort as he begins his phrasing with this opening statement. Here is a familiar story. It is a story we have heard before. But Matthew wants to point out something deeper that requires us to begin suspending our past.
For Matthew begins by pointing out that Joseph is a recently engaged man. He is going to prepare the way, for his wedding. He has arranged to marry this young woman, Mary. One day he goes to visit her and discovers that she is pregnant! How can this be? Joseph has every right to take Mary out into the square, condemn her and stone her. This was his right.
Joseph though shows an interesting, and scandalous character to the community hearing this story. We might think it fairly normal in our day and age. Joseph decides that the best thing to do is to backstep. He decides that he will just quietly say to Mary that he just cannot honor his contract with her for marriage and assume she will agree given the situation.
This is all normal don't you think? But before Joseph goes to tell her, one night he has a dream. Dreams and visions are important and can help the listener understand, or accept what happens next. It is in dreams where the holy and sacred enter into our world sometimes. In dreams we can tap into a spiritual awareness that we might not be able to see. It is in his dream that Joseph experiences his own angelic announcement. It is here where Joseph is given a glimpse of the future of this baby that is growing in Mary's womb. He is given an awareness of the connection of the present with a prophetic thread in the history of his people. God is about to do something amazing. "God has done something amazing and you are a part of it, Joseph."
The angel's words recall the sense of what Jesus' ministry will be. The angel tells Joseph that the baby's name will be "Emmanuel," meaning "God with us." It is a hint of the ministry that Jesus will be about. Jesus will come to turn the world upside down; a world that has a chance to rethink how it lives, breathes, and acts. It will be a world that discovers God's very presence everywhere in it.
This is something that By the Way experiences in the people we meet and the community we are forming. As we gather this week for the Service of the Longest Night, it will be a sign for us all that God is with us. That this place where we live, Nashua, is part of God's kingdom, and we together are signs of God's grace to one another in our deepest pain, and in our overwhelming joy in living.
God is doing something amazing and you are a part of it.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
But I'm Supposed to be Happy...
This time of year is supposed to be happy… We wait for the advent or coming arrival of something extremely important and yet it can often be dark, depressing and filled with despair. Advent is defined as a coming into place, view, or being; arrival: the advent of the holiday season by Dictionary.com. And it is a time of preperation for the coming of Jesus into the world for Christians.
We often feel isolated and lonely in the midst of crowded malls and glittering decorations that seem to be disconnected from our experience. Holiday demands abound and if we’ve experienced a loss, whether a broken relationship, job layoff, family dysfunction, or death of a loved one, this year may be darker than previous ones. Often we are afraid to share our pain for fear it will somehow disturb the cheer of those around us. And in our darkness, we may walk around trying to protect ourselves and hide our hurts.
Advent for me is darker this year as I mourn the death of my Grandmother whom we buried Thanksgiving week. As December began as a dark and lonely time, it is easier waiting for Christmas because I’m not ready for it without Gram. It is not as hope filled and I wait for something to come along and rescue me from the darkness. As I wait in mourning trying to make sense of the grief and loss, I wait longing for something new to happen that will revive my soul and bring hope and peace.
In Isaiah 35, the prophet says our wilderness or dark places will flower and the voiceless will be filled with joyous song, the creator’s hand will be on display in awesome majestic music and color. He assures that week knees and hand wringing will stop. There is encouragement to share with others who live in fear or are uncertain that God is coming. God is on the way to bring you and me comfort and put all of the brokenness and chaos that are our lives fully in order.
Eyes filled with tears, red from lack of sleep, grief or stress will open. Our deafly “going through the motions” will end and we will be able to hear clearly again. Shuffling around in a lost stupor will stop and our thirst for good things and ability to taste will be restored. The cold sweats of loneliness will end and we will notice again the small little pleasant things in life that are all around us.
Isaiah speaks of the advent of a road trip on a Holy Highway. There is no road rage or rude drivers. The pavement is smooth and the luxurious lanes are abundantly provided for us. It is impossible to get lost on this road because all lanes along the way lead to the one we await. The road is safe and pristine with no carjackers, menacing deer or moose waiting to leap into traffic, or drunk drivers to worry about.
As we make our way home, joy fills our heavy hearts and when we arrive, we are given gifts of gladness that last forever as all sorrow, pain and sighs too deep for words fade away. Advent is a time of waiting and hoping in the darkness for Jesus. These weeks before Christmas offer an opportunity to remember what is important, to lift up the pain of darkness, and remember that there is hope in light. Individual advent’s may be longer than just the four weeks before Christmas, but Isaiah reminds that light will grow and that there is hope in Jesus.
+ Bill Petersen
We often feel isolated and lonely in the midst of crowded malls and glittering decorations that seem to be disconnected from our experience. Holiday demands abound and if we’ve experienced a loss, whether a broken relationship, job layoff, family dysfunction, or death of a loved one, this year may be darker than previous ones. Often we are afraid to share our pain for fear it will somehow disturb the cheer of those around us. And in our darkness, we may walk around trying to protect ourselves and hide our hurts.
Advent for me is darker this year as I mourn the death of my Grandmother whom we buried Thanksgiving week. As December began as a dark and lonely time, it is easier waiting for Christmas because I’m not ready for it without Gram. It is not as hope filled and I wait for something to come along and rescue me from the darkness. As I wait in mourning trying to make sense of the grief and loss, I wait longing for something new to happen that will revive my soul and bring hope and peace.
In Isaiah 35, the prophet says our wilderness or dark places will flower and the voiceless will be filled with joyous song, the creator’s hand will be on display in awesome majestic music and color. He assures that week knees and hand wringing will stop. There is encouragement to share with others who live in fear or are uncertain that God is coming. God is on the way to bring you and me comfort and put all of the brokenness and chaos that are our lives fully in order.
Eyes filled with tears, red from lack of sleep, grief or stress will open. Our deafly “going through the motions” will end and we will be able to hear clearly again. Shuffling around in a lost stupor will stop and our thirst for good things and ability to taste will be restored. The cold sweats of loneliness will end and we will notice again the small little pleasant things in life that are all around us.
Isaiah speaks of the advent of a road trip on a Holy Highway. There is no road rage or rude drivers. The pavement is smooth and the luxurious lanes are abundantly provided for us. It is impossible to get lost on this road because all lanes along the way lead to the one we await. The road is safe and pristine with no carjackers, menacing deer or moose waiting to leap into traffic, or drunk drivers to worry about.
As we make our way home, joy fills our heavy hearts and when we arrive, we are given gifts of gladness that last forever as all sorrow, pain and sighs too deep for words fade away. Advent is a time of waiting and hoping in the darkness for Jesus. These weeks before Christmas offer an opportunity to remember what is important, to lift up the pain of darkness, and remember that there is hope in light. Individual advent’s may be longer than just the four weeks before Christmas, but Isaiah reminds that light will grow and that there is hope in Jesus.
+ Bill Petersen
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Ready for a Jughandle?
When was your last birthday? Did you get any presents? How did you prepare for your birthday? How did others prepare for it?
These questions are kind of crucial because in just a few weeks we will be celebrating someone's birthday. How we prepare ourselves for this day is important.
Let me tell you about a guy named Jo. Now Jo was a little unusual. He dressed funny lived high on ultra-organic foods, dressed fairly casual, and spent a lot of time out by a river. He had a way with people that really got their attention. Jo was the kind of guy that did not pull any punches. He just said what was on his mind, and at the time he was a pretty focused individual, not likely to lose his head, if you know what I mean.
But Jo's message required people to pay close attention for a couple of reasons. First he was not necessarily trying to convert people to his way of life, but he did recognize that a lot of people, many of them "faithful religious folk" often said one thing but lived a totally different way. Sure they went to church, sat holding their heads up, dropping money in the plate and feeling good about themselves. These are the kind of people who tend to believe the message of a pastor or religious leader is always about anyone but them. In other words, just ordinary people like you and me.
See a lot of them spent more time either completely ignoring some of the directions for living that had been passed down for generations, or they spent so much time making sure that every thing was followed exactly at the expense of their relationships and community. They were on one of the great adventures in missing the point.
So Jo started talking to the growing crowds at the river about the need to turn around their lives. He recognized that there was something about to happen that would turn the world on its ear. Jo understood that things would not be the same once this happened and that all he could do was point in what he sensed was the right direction. He also understood the need for symbols that could connect people for the very thing he was preparing them.
Jo decided that the best way to help people experience this change in their behavior was to wash it away. He asked people if they were willing to turn around and if they said "Yes" he took them to the river and poured water over them...well, some he dunked clean under! The water was a symbol to help wash away the dirt and gunk of the physical world that was causing people to ignore God altogether. In some ways, Jo was trying to help people startover with a clean slate.
But Jo also understood something else. The kingdom of God was not some far away fantasy land. He was not quite sure what it was, how it might look, or even where it was, but he knew that something was up in the world. Some people can really feel those kind of spirit movements in the world better than others, you see, and Jo was one of those intuitive types.
Jo may not have known just exactly what was up, but he did know one thing, someone was coming to help clarify and lead the people he was preparing. Jo knew he was just one voice crying out in the wilderness, but he also knew that the kingdom of God was very near and he was not afraid to announce that to people.
This is one of the primary messages By The Way reminds folks of as well, sort of anyway. For the person Jo was waiting for was Jesus. Jesus came to help us realize that the kingdom of God is HERE! In all of our conversations at By the Way, this realization underlines what we do. It is not that any of us know just exactly what that kingdom looks like here in Nashua specifically. But, when we come together, listen to one another and share in community we glimpse a piece of the sacredness of our community that we might have missed.
So while here in Nashua, U-turns are not common, perhaps it is best to consider how we might just enter the next jughandle and take a turn to revisit how we experience sacred and holy things in our daily living and where we have felt the presence of God in the most unlikely of places. You might be surprised the next time you sit down for a cup of coffee, or a beer, how sacred that moment really is...but to do so, you may have to take a little mental jughandle to reorient your thoughts and begin to start with a clean slate.
These questions are kind of crucial because in just a few weeks we will be celebrating someone's birthday. How we prepare ourselves for this day is important.
Let me tell you about a guy named Jo. Now Jo was a little unusual. He dressed funny lived high on ultra-organic foods, dressed fairly casual, and spent a lot of time out by a river. He had a way with people that really got their attention. Jo was the kind of guy that did not pull any punches. He just said what was on his mind, and at the time he was a pretty focused individual, not likely to lose his head, if you know what I mean.
But Jo's message required people to pay close attention for a couple of reasons. First he was not necessarily trying to convert people to his way of life, but he did recognize that a lot of people, many of them "faithful religious folk" often said one thing but lived a totally different way. Sure they went to church, sat holding their heads up, dropping money in the plate and feeling good about themselves. These are the kind of people who tend to believe the message of a pastor or religious leader is always about anyone but them. In other words, just ordinary people like you and me.
See a lot of them spent more time either completely ignoring some of the directions for living that had been passed down for generations, or they spent so much time making sure that every thing was followed exactly at the expense of their relationships and community. They were on one of the great adventures in missing the point.
So Jo started talking to the growing crowds at the river about the need to turn around their lives. He recognized that there was something about to happen that would turn the world on its ear. Jo understood that things would not be the same once this happened and that all he could do was point in what he sensed was the right direction. He also understood the need for symbols that could connect people for the very thing he was preparing them.
Jo decided that the best way to help people experience this change in their behavior was to wash it away. He asked people if they were willing to turn around and if they said "Yes" he took them to the river and poured water over them...well, some he dunked clean under! The water was a symbol to help wash away the dirt and gunk of the physical world that was causing people to ignore God altogether. In some ways, Jo was trying to help people startover with a clean slate.
But Jo also understood something else. The kingdom of God was not some far away fantasy land. He was not quite sure what it was, how it might look, or even where it was, but he knew that something was up in the world. Some people can really feel those kind of spirit movements in the world better than others, you see, and Jo was one of those intuitive types.
Jo may not have known just exactly what was up, but he did know one thing, someone was coming to help clarify and lead the people he was preparing. Jo knew he was just one voice crying out in the wilderness, but he also knew that the kingdom of God was very near and he was not afraid to announce that to people.
This is one of the primary messages By The Way reminds folks of as well, sort of anyway. For the person Jo was waiting for was Jesus. Jesus came to help us realize that the kingdom of God is HERE! In all of our conversations at By the Way, this realization underlines what we do. It is not that any of us know just exactly what that kingdom looks like here in Nashua specifically. But, when we come together, listen to one another and share in community we glimpse a piece of the sacredness of our community that we might have missed.
So while here in Nashua, U-turns are not common, perhaps it is best to consider how we might just enter the next jughandle and take a turn to revisit how we experience sacred and holy things in our daily living and where we have felt the presence of God in the most unlikely of places. You might be surprised the next time you sit down for a cup of coffee, or a beer, how sacred that moment really is...but to do so, you may have to take a little mental jughandle to reorient your thoughts and begin to start with a clean slate.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
"by the way" in the spotlight
Check out the article about "by the way" in the Nashua Telegraph online. Nice job, Andrea! Good quotes, Crystal!
http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071127/STYLE/311270012
http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071127/STYLE/311270012
Monday, November 26, 2007
You are not alone
“Having trouble adjusting to the ‘real world’ after twentysomething years in school? You are not alone.”
That’s a quote from http://www.quarterlifecrisis.com/, a website that connects people in their twenties and thirties to one another in a supportive community. Webmaster Abby Wilner does a terrific job of helping people realize they’re not supposed to have it all together. There are so many others who are facing similar frustrations and fears, so there’s no use beating yourself up when you can instead use that energy to reach out to others who can understand.
You are not alone.
This time of year, I suspect, we need to hear those words more than ever.
All around us are signs of holiday cheer, encouraging us to hope for that idealized December of our dreams. Searching for that perfect gift can be such a lonely business, especially when you don’t have the finances to cover it or the time to go out and find it. And I don’t know about you, but I can get weepy at moment’s notice… when I yearn for a past I can’t go home to… when I desperately miss dear ones who have died… when the stresses are just too much to handle.
Anyone out there know what I’m talking about? I need to know I’m not alone. What keeps you going when you’re drowning in inadequacies and running from sorrows?
Earlier today I was looking through The Message, Eugene Peterson’s “everyday language” version of the bible, hoping for a pick-me-up. It didn’t take long before I found myself in the lush meadows of Psalm 23 with my shepherd close beside me. These words especially grabbed me:
True to your word, you let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction…
Even when the way goes through Death Valley, I’m not afraid when you walk at my side. Your trusty shepherd’s crook makes me feel secure…
(and this is my favorite…)
Your beauty and love chase after me every day of my life.
God’s beauty and love are chasing after me? I love that. God’s out there pursuing me, eager to place in my hands the gift I’m groping for, if only I’ll give up on trying to earn it with my own wonderfulness.
God’s beauty and love are tapping me on the shoulder, waiting for notice.
I am… truly… not alone.
It’s images like that that keep me going, keep me energized, keep me tapping on the shoulders of others who might need some of that God-beauty and God-love to be chasing after them. I may not have the perfect gift to hand them… but I can offer myself, unadorned, the way I am, the me that hungers to reach out to others and have others reach back…
So can I really stop beating myself up for not having it all together… and begin to see and feel the beauty that is all around and inside me? I hope I can… and I hope will not be alone.
Kari Henkelmann Keyl
That’s a quote from http://www.quarterlifecrisis.com/, a website that connects people in their twenties and thirties to one another in a supportive community. Webmaster Abby Wilner does a terrific job of helping people realize they’re not supposed to have it all together. There are so many others who are facing similar frustrations and fears, so there’s no use beating yourself up when you can instead use that energy to reach out to others who can understand.
You are not alone.
This time of year, I suspect, we need to hear those words more than ever.
All around us are signs of holiday cheer, encouraging us to hope for that idealized December of our dreams. Searching for that perfect gift can be such a lonely business, especially when you don’t have the finances to cover it or the time to go out and find it. And I don’t know about you, but I can get weepy at moment’s notice… when I yearn for a past I can’t go home to… when I desperately miss dear ones who have died… when the stresses are just too much to handle.
Anyone out there know what I’m talking about? I need to know I’m not alone. What keeps you going when you’re drowning in inadequacies and running from sorrows?
Earlier today I was looking through The Message, Eugene Peterson’s “everyday language” version of the bible, hoping for a pick-me-up. It didn’t take long before I found myself in the lush meadows of Psalm 23 with my shepherd close beside me. These words especially grabbed me:
True to your word, you let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction…
Even when the way goes through Death Valley, I’m not afraid when you walk at my side. Your trusty shepherd’s crook makes me feel secure…
(and this is my favorite…)
Your beauty and love chase after me every day of my life.
God’s beauty and love are chasing after me? I love that. God’s out there pursuing me, eager to place in my hands the gift I’m groping for, if only I’ll give up on trying to earn it with my own wonderfulness.
God’s beauty and love are tapping me on the shoulder, waiting for notice.
I am… truly… not alone.
It’s images like that that keep me going, keep me energized, keep me tapping on the shoulders of others who might need some of that God-beauty and God-love to be chasing after them. I may not have the perfect gift to hand them… but I can offer myself, unadorned, the way I am, the me that hungers to reach out to others and have others reach back…
So can I really stop beating myself up for not having it all together… and begin to see and feel the beauty that is all around and inside me? I hope I can… and I hope will not be alone.
Kari Henkelmann Keyl
Saturday, November 24, 2007
No Office Hours This Week
Steve will be at a conference this week, so be sure to catch him the second week of December at Panera.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
What is Your Quest?
During a week when more Americans travel than any other, I am drawn to the concept of journey. Not necessarily a journey of planes, trains and automobiles, but one of quest, seeking answers, fulfillment or meaning. All of us are on a journey of some sort and in a week when one might be distracted by expectations of “journeys” to a picture perfect family gathering, a gourmet “Martha Stewart” meal, a winning Turkey Day football game, or bargain filled early morning shopping spree… it is a fitting time to reflect on our journeys and give thanks for all who guide us along the way.
Author Gail Ramshaw points out that the image of journey or quest is common in world religions and implies an arduous search for a distant goal of enormous significance. In the Bible there are many examples of journey quests and pilgrimages from Abraham and Sarah, the people of Israel through the sea and desert, Wise Men following a star, to Jesus walk to the cross. While Christians do not journey on pilgrimage quests, the image of journey is a metaphor for Christ, our communal life together and seeking to live out our faith daily along the way.
Journey’s can be idealized and often don’t seem to make any sense when we are in the middle of them, stuck in traffic, delayed in our quest, lost in a fog, or wishing we had a “Garmin” GPS for our lives. Our quests can seem random, even absurd at times as we seek “Holy Grails” of our own. In Monty Python’s Holy Grail movie classic, the old bridge keeper asks each of the King’s men three questions. If they get them right, they can cross. If not, they are thrown into the chasm the bridge crosses.
Bridge Keeper: What is your name? First man: Sir Lancelot
Bridge Keeper: What is your quest? First man: I seek the Holy Grail
Bridge Keeper: What is your favorite color? First man: Red
Bridge Keeper: Off you go then.
Bridge Keeper: What is your name? Second man: Sir Galahad
Bridge Keeper: What is your quest? Second man: I seek the Holy Grail
Bridge Keeper: What is your favorite color? Second man: Blue, no Green.
AHHH… (as he is thrown into the chasm)
Bridge Keeper: What is your name? King: Sir Lancelot
Bridge Keeper: What is your quest? King: I seek the Holy Grail
Bridge Keeper: What is the average airspeed velocity of an unlaiden swallow? King: African or European?
Bridge Keeper: I don't know, AHHH… (as the bridge keeper is thrown into the chasm).
Thomas Merton in his book Thoughts in Solitude admits the following about his journey: My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. . . I may seem to be lost and in the shadow but I will not fear for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone. Or as the Psalm writer states in 139:2 “You trace my journeys and my resting-places and are acquainted with all my ways.”
May your quest for finding meaning, direction, purpose, your enormous significance be filled with safe travel and the company of others. This week we at BTW give thanks for all we have met along the way and remind you that this community is about accompanying you on all the journeys and quests of your life. Feel free to e-mail us here at bytheway.nashua@gmail.com or drop in at Panera, Barnes & Noble or Uno’s to continue the conversation.
Creator God, Companion Jesus, and Sustaining Spirit,
Protect and guide us on our journey, help us as we prepare to travel, seek and find. In this time of travel, make our ways safe, homecomings joyful, and bring us closer to you. Amen.
+ Bill Petersen
Author Gail Ramshaw points out that the image of journey or quest is common in world religions and implies an arduous search for a distant goal of enormous significance. In the Bible there are many examples of journey quests and pilgrimages from Abraham and Sarah, the people of Israel through the sea and desert, Wise Men following a star, to Jesus walk to the cross. While Christians do not journey on pilgrimage quests, the image of journey is a metaphor for Christ, our communal life together and seeking to live out our faith daily along the way.
Journey’s can be idealized and often don’t seem to make any sense when we are in the middle of them, stuck in traffic, delayed in our quest, lost in a fog, or wishing we had a “Garmin” GPS for our lives. Our quests can seem random, even absurd at times as we seek “Holy Grails” of our own. In Monty Python’s Holy Grail movie classic, the old bridge keeper asks each of the King’s men three questions. If they get them right, they can cross. If not, they are thrown into the chasm the bridge crosses.
Bridge Keeper: What is your name? First man: Sir Lancelot
Bridge Keeper: What is your quest? First man: I seek the Holy Grail
Bridge Keeper: What is your favorite color? First man: Red
Bridge Keeper: Off you go then.
Bridge Keeper: What is your name? Second man: Sir Galahad
Bridge Keeper: What is your quest? Second man: I seek the Holy Grail
Bridge Keeper: What is your favorite color? Second man: Blue, no Green.
AHHH… (as he is thrown into the chasm)
Bridge Keeper: What is your name? King: Sir Lancelot
Bridge Keeper: What is your quest? King: I seek the Holy Grail
Bridge Keeper: What is the average airspeed velocity of an unlaiden swallow? King: African or European?
Bridge Keeper: I don't know, AHHH… (as the bridge keeper is thrown into the chasm).
Thomas Merton in his book Thoughts in Solitude admits the following about his journey: My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. . . I may seem to be lost and in the shadow but I will not fear for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone. Or as the Psalm writer states in 139:2 “You trace my journeys and my resting-places and are acquainted with all my ways.”
May your quest for finding meaning, direction, purpose, your enormous significance be filled with safe travel and the company of others. This week we at BTW give thanks for all we have met along the way and remind you that this community is about accompanying you on all the journeys and quests of your life. Feel free to e-mail us here at bytheway.nashua@gmail.com or drop in at Panera, Barnes & Noble or Uno’s to continue the conversation.
Creator God, Companion Jesus, and Sustaining Spirit,
Protect and guide us on our journey, help us as we prepare to travel, seek and find. In this time of travel, make our ways safe, homecomings joyful, and bring us closer to you. Amen.
+ Bill Petersen
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Tis the Season?
Ecclesiastes, one of the least upbeat prophets of the Old Testament, really had a way with words. Sometimes you don't know whether you should be comforted by what he says or depressed! But his words found their way into a popular song, "Turn, Turn, Turn." And so we all can probably sing, "For everything, turn, turn, turn..." What is it then that made me think of this as we get ready to head into the Holiday season?
Well, I think it is important to take a deep breath and enjoy these seasons in our lives and in our calendars. We are all told that we are overbusy, and so we tend to confirm this by filling out our schedules and stressing ourselves out. We barely finish eating the leftover Halloween candy and our Turkey leftovers are tossed out to make room for the Christmas ham or roast beef.
How can we find time to honor the rhythm of our own lives if we have forgotten how to mark out the rhythm of the world around us? The reason for the title of this post is to really ask you to think about what "season" is your life in right now? To consider this, let's take a brief walk through the recent film, Knocked Up.
In case you missed this late-summer comedy, Knocked Up deals with two young people, Ben and Alison. Both are dealing with new rising careers. Alison, who works at E! television, has just been promoted to an on-air position. Ben is about to launch his new website...soon....any day now...once the research is complete. And one night when Alison goes out to celebrate with her sister she kind of knocks into Ben and the two "hook up." Because this is Hollywood, and the story needs to move along, they end up going to her place. In a moment of alcohol-induced stupor, Ben tosses caution to the wind and they have unprotected sex. The nuclear fallout of this "day after" appears the next morning when they both realize what has happened. And, of course, Alison soon discovers (after taking a 100 or so home pregnancy tests) that she is pregnant.
Now, the interesting thing to me while watching this film was how the characters all are trying to figure out where they are in their lives. Alison's sister has a home, family, and little or no mystery left in her life. She has to control everything in order to maintain this stability but she is insecure about her life and feeling like she is missing something. Her husband is left trying to figure out is he a dad, a husband, just a guy looking for a hobby, etc. The manboys that live with Ben are living the high life, so to speak. We don't seem to know how they are able to afford a home with a pool in California, but somehow they are able to have this and maintain a "heady" life style. But they are stuck in the season between being a boy and being a man, and each are scared and confused about what that might mean to move to the next stage of life. (They kind of are a Greek chorus of sorts if you think about!). Each character's parents are given a brief scene to provide alternative "older" and seasoned perspectives.
With Alison's pregnancy, Ben is suddenly thrust into the ambiguity of what and who he is. Alison also has to think about this life-changing situation. Neither seem to be concerned at first about the life they have created together, though this really does change quite soon.
What fascinated me about this film was that in the midst of all this, Ben and Alison, discover the season of young adulthood that is fraught with its pitfalls and opportunities. And they must discern what gives them life and joy. The final birth of their child is filmed with this tension in mind as well. Each season of Alison's immediate life has to adapt to a new rhythm and it must also find a way to connect with that of her vocation and Ben's life. Likewise, Ben has to make some personal decisions about his life that he has ignored up until now...which his father allows to be reflected back to him in their scenes together. This film is a reminder to celebrate the season of life we are in, receive the surprises and rhythm in a way that brings us back into a more real daily living. It is perhaps no accident that both of the characters are involved in the distracting industries of entertainment (television and the internet) which often try to keep us from the very interactions we all crave.
Seasons are signposts for us. Times to acknowledge and connect to our pasts and our futures. Times to mark the gathering of the harvest, its bounty, and the inevitable gifts that follow. Seasons allow us to pause, reflect, and consider how our actions and decisions impact one another. We can mark this time coming up to Thanksgiving, with moments of reflection and gratitude, but until we know what season of our own lives we are living in it might be a bit difficult.
So this week, take a moment to reflect about where you are in your own life: high school, college, newlywed, divorced, expecting a child, heading off to Iraq, returning home, graduating, homeless, jobless, or recently hired. It is a time to fill in the blank of your life: tis the season to be....
Well, I think it is important to take a deep breath and enjoy these seasons in our lives and in our calendars. We are all told that we are overbusy, and so we tend to confirm this by filling out our schedules and stressing ourselves out. We barely finish eating the leftover Halloween candy and our Turkey leftovers are tossed out to make room for the Christmas ham or roast beef.
How can we find time to honor the rhythm of our own lives if we have forgotten how to mark out the rhythm of the world around us? The reason for the title of this post is to really ask you to think about what "season" is your life in right now? To consider this, let's take a brief walk through the recent film, Knocked Up.
In case you missed this late-summer comedy, Knocked Up deals with two young people, Ben and Alison. Both are dealing with new rising careers. Alison, who works at E! television, has just been promoted to an on-air position. Ben is about to launch his new website...soon....any day now...once the research is complete. And one night when Alison goes out to celebrate with her sister she kind of knocks into Ben and the two "hook up." Because this is Hollywood, and the story needs to move along, they end up going to her place. In a moment of alcohol-induced stupor, Ben tosses caution to the wind and they have unprotected sex. The nuclear fallout of this "day after" appears the next morning when they both realize what has happened. And, of course, Alison soon discovers (after taking a 100 or so home pregnancy tests) that she is pregnant.
Now, the interesting thing to me while watching this film was how the characters all are trying to figure out where they are in their lives. Alison's sister has a home, family, and little or no mystery left in her life. She has to control everything in order to maintain this stability but she is insecure about her life and feeling like she is missing something. Her husband is left trying to figure out is he a dad, a husband, just a guy looking for a hobby, etc. The manboys that live with Ben are living the high life, so to speak. We don't seem to know how they are able to afford a home with a pool in California, but somehow they are able to have this and maintain a "heady" life style. But they are stuck in the season between being a boy and being a man, and each are scared and confused about what that might mean to move to the next stage of life. (They kind of are a Greek chorus of sorts if you think about!). Each character's parents are given a brief scene to provide alternative "older" and seasoned perspectives.
With Alison's pregnancy, Ben is suddenly thrust into the ambiguity of what and who he is. Alison also has to think about this life-changing situation. Neither seem to be concerned at first about the life they have created together, though this really does change quite soon.
What fascinated me about this film was that in the midst of all this, Ben and Alison, discover the season of young adulthood that is fraught with its pitfalls and opportunities. And they must discern what gives them life and joy. The final birth of their child is filmed with this tension in mind as well. Each season of Alison's immediate life has to adapt to a new rhythm and it must also find a way to connect with that of her vocation and Ben's life. Likewise, Ben has to make some personal decisions about his life that he has ignored up until now...which his father allows to be reflected back to him in their scenes together. This film is a reminder to celebrate the season of life we are in, receive the surprises and rhythm in a way that brings us back into a more real daily living. It is perhaps no accident that both of the characters are involved in the distracting industries of entertainment (television and the internet) which often try to keep us from the very interactions we all crave.
Seasons are signposts for us. Times to acknowledge and connect to our pasts and our futures. Times to mark the gathering of the harvest, its bounty, and the inevitable gifts that follow. Seasons allow us to pause, reflect, and consider how our actions and decisions impact one another. We can mark this time coming up to Thanksgiving, with moments of reflection and gratitude, but until we know what season of our own lives we are living in it might be a bit difficult.
So this week, take a moment to reflect about where you are in your own life: high school, college, newlywed, divorced, expecting a child, heading off to Iraq, returning home, graduating, homeless, jobless, or recently hired. It is a time to fill in the blank of your life: tis the season to be....
Monday, November 5, 2007
The Apple of God's Eye
"Guard me as the apple of the eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings..." [Psalm 17:8]
Has anyone ever said to you, "You are the apple of my eye"? This is a relatively old expression, probably said by our older relatives. But it turns out this is an ancient phrase. Moses (the guy that led the Israelites out of Egypt on a 40 year mapless roadtrip to the Promised Land) actually said this in one of the early books of the Bible. There he was referring to Jacob and how God provided for him and helped him on his own desert wanderings. I never realized the phrase had such ancient connections.
What does it mean though to be someone's eye fruit? Maybe we should consider the phrase "eye candy" first? The latter phrase, loaded with sexual undertones, is used to describe someone's beauty, but really in a kind of sexual tension bordering on lust. To look at someone as "eye candy" might seem like harmless fun, but it does demean that person. It reduces them to an object that perhaps we discern would be bad for us, even though we might desire it all the same (at least if we take the "candy" image to its fullest extent). Perhaps being the "apple of one's eye" might at first seem like an ancient way of saying "woo-hoo" at a person as well. You know, if we follow the tradition of an apple being the forbidden fruit I guess it would make some bizarre sense.
But what if being the "apple" took that same implication back to the story of Adam and Eve as being vital, or most important of all other things growing in the garden? It is this sense of being beloved, or held dearly, that this phrase, "the apple of my eye" has grown to mean. Being the apple of one's eye is a reminder that we are loved and valued.
Our culture likes to find ways to make us feel uncomfortable with who we are and what we look like all the time. Here though we see the psalm writer ask God to keep them as the one held dearly, the one brought under the protection of a wing like a chick with its mother. What an amazing image this is after all! God holds you and me, each of us, close. God values you for who you are and how you were created to be and desires to "dote" on you. (Or as one of my Southern friends liked to say, "come over here and let me love on ya".)
When we meet others "by the way" we have an opportunity to see the beauty that God sees in us and by so doing we discover just a little glimpse of God working in the world. This is the wonder of a little fruit from the Fall (the season, not the Bible) that can give us hope for a world where all are welcome and all are loved and doted on. Together we discover how we are God's "apple" and we come together to become a living "pie"--mixing together and using our gifts as a fragrant offering to God.
Has anyone ever said to you, "You are the apple of my eye"? This is a relatively old expression, probably said by our older relatives. But it turns out this is an ancient phrase. Moses (the guy that led the Israelites out of Egypt on a 40 year mapless roadtrip to the Promised Land) actually said this in one of the early books of the Bible. There he was referring to Jacob and how God provided for him and helped him on his own desert wanderings. I never realized the phrase had such ancient connections.
What does it mean though to be someone's eye fruit? Maybe we should consider the phrase "eye candy" first? The latter phrase, loaded with sexual undertones, is used to describe someone's beauty, but really in a kind of sexual tension bordering on lust. To look at someone as "eye candy" might seem like harmless fun, but it does demean that person. It reduces them to an object that perhaps we discern would be bad for us, even though we might desire it all the same (at least if we take the "candy" image to its fullest extent). Perhaps being the "apple of one's eye" might at first seem like an ancient way of saying "woo-hoo" at a person as well. You know, if we follow the tradition of an apple being the forbidden fruit I guess it would make some bizarre sense.
But what if being the "apple" took that same implication back to the story of Adam and Eve as being vital, or most important of all other things growing in the garden? It is this sense of being beloved, or held dearly, that this phrase, "the apple of my eye" has grown to mean. Being the apple of one's eye is a reminder that we are loved and valued.
Our culture likes to find ways to make us feel uncomfortable with who we are and what we look like all the time. Here though we see the psalm writer ask God to keep them as the one held dearly, the one brought under the protection of a wing like a chick with its mother. What an amazing image this is after all! God holds you and me, each of us, close. God values you for who you are and how you were created to be and desires to "dote" on you. (Or as one of my Southern friends liked to say, "come over here and let me love on ya".)
When we meet others "by the way" we have an opportunity to see the beauty that God sees in us and by so doing we discover just a little glimpse of God working in the world. This is the wonder of a little fruit from the Fall (the season, not the Bible) that can give us hope for a world where all are welcome and all are loved and doted on. Together we discover how we are God's "apple" and we come together to become a living "pie"--mixing together and using our gifts as a fragrant offering to God.
Monday, October 29, 2007
You Can't Be Short with Jesus
Do you ever have those moments when you wander around, overtired, restless, unsatisfied...? Do you ever have times when you head out to find something, anything, that can fill your time thinking that it will be THE thing that will really turn your life around? It is kind of amazing how so many of us have grown up being told that we don't have enough, that we need something else to make our lives "complete". And so we wander aimlessly about seeking but never finding, sometimes at the cost of friendships, other people, our environment. Sometimes what we are looking for is right in front of us but we just don't see it.
I'm thinking today about the story of Zaccheus, let's just call him Zach. If you ever went to a summer Bible school, you might even recall a song that goes: Zaccheus was a wee little man, a wee little man was he..... Well, Zach does have a problem. He's so short that when a crowd forms around Jesus, Zach cannot see anything. Can you just see him, hopping about, up and down like an impatient child trying to get a glimpse of the floats at a parade. There is something more important going on here than meets the eye.
You see, Zach is pretty wealthy, but he makes his money by collecting taxes. We could probably delve into Zach's psyche to see if his zeal for tax collecting was an overcompensation for his height, but I'll leave that alone for now. Zach is also a person whom the crowd is not going to have much regard for though...I mean who likes a tax collector, right? So, he cannot find a way to get past everyone else to see a glimpse of Jesus.
I always wondered why Zach was so interested in the first place. What had he heard about this Jesus? What did he expect from Jesus? But the story that appears in Luke (19:1-10) is about something completely different. As Zach runs ahead to climb into a tree in order to see this Jesus he has heard so much about, it is Jesus who calls to him. It turns out to be an odd invitation because Jesus basically says, "Hi Zach, what are you doing up there? Didn't you know I am staying at your house?" Doesn't that seem a bit odd to you?
That is just the way it is though with this Jesus. Everytime we run to see him, we find out that he has been looking for us. It is a key realization that we at By the Way discover everytime we sit down with someone to share a cup of coffee, or a pint. When we come together to share the stories of our own lives, God's presence in shaping and calling us together becomes ever clearer. We re-discover the presence of something holy in our every day search for meaning that is revealed when we enter into community with one another.
I think that is perhaps what Jesus came to reveal to Zach as well. Zach's response initially is to say the right things, "I'm going to give to the poor now, Jesus. And if I have been sneaky with people I will repay them four times what I took." Jesus' response is a bit interesting because he pronounces that Zach has been "found". He is no longer a slave to a directionless life. Zach has received a glimpse of equity for all that changes the way he will deal with the abundance of his life. Zach goes from coming up short to growing generous.
These encounters with Jesus are opportunities we share with one another in community. They are places where we can be reminded of our own wealth and how often we short-change our neighbors, the poor in Nashua, and others who are restless like ourselves and mask their restlessness by thinking they have little, all while consuming even more.
Consider in the coming week how you can "go long." Stop by to discover how Jesus is present in your everyday life, and reveal to me, and others, how you see the same in ours.
I'm thinking today about the story of Zaccheus, let's just call him Zach. If you ever went to a summer Bible school, you might even recall a song that goes: Zaccheus was a wee little man, a wee little man was he..... Well, Zach does have a problem. He's so short that when a crowd forms around Jesus, Zach cannot see anything. Can you just see him, hopping about, up and down like an impatient child trying to get a glimpse of the floats at a parade. There is something more important going on here than meets the eye.
You see, Zach is pretty wealthy, but he makes his money by collecting taxes. We could probably delve into Zach's psyche to see if his zeal for tax collecting was an overcompensation for his height, but I'll leave that alone for now. Zach is also a person whom the crowd is not going to have much regard for though...I mean who likes a tax collector, right? So, he cannot find a way to get past everyone else to see a glimpse of Jesus.
I always wondered why Zach was so interested in the first place. What had he heard about this Jesus? What did he expect from Jesus? But the story that appears in Luke (19:1-10) is about something completely different. As Zach runs ahead to climb into a tree in order to see this Jesus he has heard so much about, it is Jesus who calls to him. It turns out to be an odd invitation because Jesus basically says, "Hi Zach, what are you doing up there? Didn't you know I am staying at your house?" Doesn't that seem a bit odd to you?
That is just the way it is though with this Jesus. Everytime we run to see him, we find out that he has been looking for us. It is a key realization that we at By the Way discover everytime we sit down with someone to share a cup of coffee, or a pint. When we come together to share the stories of our own lives, God's presence in shaping and calling us together becomes ever clearer. We re-discover the presence of something holy in our every day search for meaning that is revealed when we enter into community with one another.
I think that is perhaps what Jesus came to reveal to Zach as well. Zach's response initially is to say the right things, "I'm going to give to the poor now, Jesus. And if I have been sneaky with people I will repay them four times what I took." Jesus' response is a bit interesting because he pronounces that Zach has been "found". He is no longer a slave to a directionless life. Zach has received a glimpse of equity for all that changes the way he will deal with the abundance of his life. Zach goes from coming up short to growing generous.
These encounters with Jesus are opportunities we share with one another in community. They are places where we can be reminded of our own wealth and how often we short-change our neighbors, the poor in Nashua, and others who are restless like ourselves and mask their restlessness by thinking they have little, all while consuming even more.
Consider in the coming week how you can "go long." Stop by to discover how Jesus is present in your everyday life, and reveal to me, and others, how you see the same in ours.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
So, what's a "path guide"?
When we began "by the way" as a new ministry there were some people who wanted to know exactly what it is that we do. These were mostly friends and well-meaning colleagues. They were, without knowing it, helping us discern just exactly what it is we were doing. Some might call us "developers." But we felt that that word made some unusual assumptions. How could we develop something that was already there?
Already here? You may ask how we could assume that something seen as new could already be present. Wow that is a mind-numbing thought at first. But as I have pointed out here and on Facebook, by the way is a ministry that comes alongside others to rediscover that God is here. Sometimes we just need to be in community with others to discover, or mostly re-discover (perhaps reveal or uncover might be better?), that God is present and that signs of that presence exist all around us.
So as "path guides", Kari and I are hear to listen and explore spirituality and faith together with anyone who is curious about such an opportunity. We don't have a set of "special laws" you have to know, we don't have a 10-step program to make you a better Christian. As we continue to discover people who are interested in forming a different kind of Christian faith community we not only get to meet new friends but we also discover new things about our own walk with God. We do all this along the way...well, "by the way" to be exact.
Already here? You may ask how we could assume that something seen as new could already be present. Wow that is a mind-numbing thought at first. But as I have pointed out here and on Facebook, by the way is a ministry that comes alongside others to rediscover that God is here. Sometimes we just need to be in community with others to discover, or mostly re-discover (perhaps reveal or uncover might be better?), that God is present and that signs of that presence exist all around us.
So as "path guides", Kari and I are hear to listen and explore spirituality and faith together with anyone who is curious about such an opportunity. We don't have a set of "special laws" you have to know, we don't have a 10-step program to make you a better Christian. As we continue to discover people who are interested in forming a different kind of Christian faith community we not only get to meet new friends but we also discover new things about our own walk with God. We do all this along the way...well, "by the way" to be exact.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Seeing God Face to Face
I was looking at the story of Jacob this week. It's in the book of Genesis (that's the first book in the Bible). Jacob and Esau were brothers who had a pretty bad history...kind of traditional sibling rivalry stuff. Well, after years of estrangement from one another, Jacob finds out that Esau is heading towards his encampment. And Jacob kind of panics. He is concerned that his brother is coming to harm him and perhaps destroy everything. And so he begins to make sure that some remnant of his family and belongings will survive a possible attack.
Jacob sends his family off he hopes to safety and sends his servants ahead with what he hopes will be received as a peace offering between brothers. But that night, while he waits, he undergoes a wrestling match with a "man." This is no ordinary WWF Smackdown. This is a real struggle that Jacob undergoes that lasts the entire night. Towards the end the man manages to dislocate Jacob's hip and still in his grip asks Jacob to let him go. Jacob tells the man that he will not let him go until the man blesses him.
Now that is a pretty odd request. But the man agrees to do so, and in so doing also tells Jacob that now he will have a new name, Israel. It is after this battle that Jacob/Israel decides to call this place "Peniel" because he understood that it was God with whom he had been struggling. "Peniel" translating roughly into "seeing God face to face."
I tell you all of that story to share with you the time this scripture (Genesis 32) hit home. I'm not real fond usually of Old Testament stories, but that particular morning I was at a huge youthworker convention in San Francisco and went to the Morning Bible Study time out of a personal obligation to do something different to start my day. Well, later that afternoon, I went on an immersion experience in the city. Our group spent the day walking through places like Chinatown where we stopped at a local shelter. We were told about the large incidence of domestic violence in the community and the importance of the shelter's work with abused women and children. It made walking on the street as we left a little harder as we began to notice in the faces of many of the women we passed signs of domestic abuse (I don't recall ever seeing that many bruised faces before!).
A little later we went to another mission in the city. The mission was located downtown and served a lot of homeless people. We worshipped there with the folks that came in that day. It was amazing to be in the presence of people coming to God in the midst of their own struggles. None of these experiences though truly made much sense in my own mind until I walked back out the door and realized that we had just been in the Peniel Mission. Indeed, here we had seen God, face-to-face. We each had to struggle with the visible poverty in the midst of our wealth (yes, youthworkers are "wealthy"). We had seen God in the faces of the people who had come to worship at that mission. But we had seen God's eyes in the battered women who walked down the street in Chinatown. In the faces of the hungry children that we passed after lunch. There were visible signs of God everywhere we looked.
Such is the point of "by the way." It's a reminder that God is here in the faces of those who sit around us at the bar, who read quietly in the corner at Barnes and Noble, who are sitting here this afternoon at Panera. All of us are reminded of the nearness of God when we are among others, in community with them. We are able to discover ways to share God's grace in our own lives with those around us because we are able and willing to look at one another.
Sometimes it might seem like a struggle to be in community with others. It is so easy to just hang out in our homes, glued to our TVs, computers....afraid that if we open ourselves up to others we may be too vulnerable. It's the same emotion Jacob no doubt had as he wondered why after all these years his own brother was coming to meet him. Maybe it's the same emotion you are having as you struggle with whether or not you should stop by at Panera, Barnes & Noble, or Unos.
Regardless, know that when are paths do cross we will have the most amazing opportunity to discover the holy in one another. It will be the chance to see in each other the grace that allows us to be who we were created to be. May you also have a "Peniel" moment in the coming week.
Jacob sends his family off he hopes to safety and sends his servants ahead with what he hopes will be received as a peace offering between brothers. But that night, while he waits, he undergoes a wrestling match with a "man." This is no ordinary WWF Smackdown. This is a real struggle that Jacob undergoes that lasts the entire night. Towards the end the man manages to dislocate Jacob's hip and still in his grip asks Jacob to let him go. Jacob tells the man that he will not let him go until the man blesses him.
Now that is a pretty odd request. But the man agrees to do so, and in so doing also tells Jacob that now he will have a new name, Israel. It is after this battle that Jacob/Israel decides to call this place "Peniel" because he understood that it was God with whom he had been struggling. "Peniel" translating roughly into "seeing God face to face."
I tell you all of that story to share with you the time this scripture (Genesis 32) hit home. I'm not real fond usually of Old Testament stories, but that particular morning I was at a huge youthworker convention in San Francisco and went to the Morning Bible Study time out of a personal obligation to do something different to start my day. Well, later that afternoon, I went on an immersion experience in the city. Our group spent the day walking through places like Chinatown where we stopped at a local shelter. We were told about the large incidence of domestic violence in the community and the importance of the shelter's work with abused women and children. It made walking on the street as we left a little harder as we began to notice in the faces of many of the women we passed signs of domestic abuse (I don't recall ever seeing that many bruised faces before!).
A little later we went to another mission in the city. The mission was located downtown and served a lot of homeless people. We worshipped there with the folks that came in that day. It was amazing to be in the presence of people coming to God in the midst of their own struggles. None of these experiences though truly made much sense in my own mind until I walked back out the door and realized that we had just been in the Peniel Mission. Indeed, here we had seen God, face-to-face. We each had to struggle with the visible poverty in the midst of our wealth (yes, youthworkers are "wealthy"). We had seen God in the faces of the people who had come to worship at that mission. But we had seen God's eyes in the battered women who walked down the street in Chinatown. In the faces of the hungry children that we passed after lunch. There were visible signs of God everywhere we looked.
Such is the point of "by the way." It's a reminder that God is here in the faces of those who sit around us at the bar, who read quietly in the corner at Barnes and Noble, who are sitting here this afternoon at Panera. All of us are reminded of the nearness of God when we are among others, in community with them. We are able to discover ways to share God's grace in our own lives with those around us because we are able and willing to look at one another.
Sometimes it might seem like a struggle to be in community with others. It is so easy to just hang out in our homes, glued to our TVs, computers....afraid that if we open ourselves up to others we may be too vulnerable. It's the same emotion Jacob no doubt had as he wondered why after all these years his own brother was coming to meet him. Maybe it's the same emotion you are having as you struggle with whether or not you should stop by at Panera, Barnes & Noble, or Unos.
Regardless, know that when are paths do cross we will have the most amazing opportunity to discover the holy in one another. It will be the chance to see in each other the grace that allows us to be who we were created to be. May you also have a "Peniel" moment in the coming week.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Donnie Darko: Discovering a Tangent to Reality?
Have you ever seen the film Donnie Darko? It is a rather strange film about a teenager who is struggling with some kind of mental health issue who slowly discerns an alternate reality. It seems as if this other reality is breaking through into his own world. In an early scene, Donnie hears a voice that draws him out of his bedroom and outside. We cut to the morning when he is awakened in the middle of a golf course and when he returns home it appears that a jet engine has crashed into his bedroom.
This strange voice continues to plague Donnie. It comes from a bizarre looking rabbit that seems to appear in and around bizarre crimes that Donnie commits. While most of them are more like really bad pranks, Donnie still is not capable of realizing what he is doing. But he does know, that something is not right.
What fascinated me about this film was this thin line between being able to discover what is real and a kind of veil that separates us from a secondary universe. It is not clear in the film whether this is imaginary or not, though Donnie's guide along the way is a book written by a former teacher at his school who is now a recluse. The book seems to provide a template for him to try and make some sense out of what is happening to him.
The one thing that struck me about this film was this sense of feeling like there is sometimes a veil over what reality could be for us. It is the sort of thing that keeps us from knowing who we are and what potential we may have. I am struck by this image because so much of our own lives these days can feel like we are living in our own entertainment film about our life. We play the roles we think we need to succeed, heck, we even have our own soundtrack in our IPods to play as we perform various acts throughout the day. Our conversation may be peppered with cute cultural phrases to make us seem "hip" or "with it" (how do you like those out-of-date phrases) even though deep inside we may feel like no one really knows who we are.
I think at the heart of Donnie's dilemma is that he is surrounded by a family that is trying to make sense out of who he is now. His father tries to use humor to brush off the fact that he doesn't really understand Donnie either. His teachers seem to walk him right up to the precipice of discovery but then back away, as his science teacher says, "I could lose my job."
At the heart of Donnie Darko is this sense that sometimes we might see through the veil in front of us into a world of different possibilities. In Donnie's case, these seem to be headed towards destruction. You'll have to watch the movie to find out how it plays out.
I bring it up here though because in talking with many of you I sense that inner desire to try to see the world that is in front of you. The veil we are trying to see through is the one that the culture we live in places in front of us. It is a sheet of sorts that can be used to separate us from where we are and lie to us about what we could be if only we had the latest gadget, or sexiest girlfriend, or a better body. This veil causes us to look at external expressions of who we are and bury deep inside the people we were created to be.
By the way is not a community forming to lead you on a tangent. We are just walking alongside the Donnie's of the world to help them discover God's reality. Together we are able to discern how life is different and how very present God is in each of our lives. It's going to seem odd, because you might think the "leaders" you meet are going to tell you how to think about God, or how you should worship God, or why you should worship God. But the truth of the matter is that time and again, when I sit at Unos or at Panera, it is you who reveal to me how God is working in and around Nashua. Together we discern how our two paths became one. We discover how we are each being called through the veil into a new reality. Together we will be able to move into the real world that allows us to be who we were created to be. It is the world we are already living in now, if we could only see it.
This strange voice continues to plague Donnie. It comes from a bizarre looking rabbit that seems to appear in and around bizarre crimes that Donnie commits. While most of them are more like really bad pranks, Donnie still is not capable of realizing what he is doing. But he does know, that something is not right.
What fascinated me about this film was this thin line between being able to discover what is real and a kind of veil that separates us from a secondary universe. It is not clear in the film whether this is imaginary or not, though Donnie's guide along the way is a book written by a former teacher at his school who is now a recluse. The book seems to provide a template for him to try and make some sense out of what is happening to him.
The one thing that struck me about this film was this sense of feeling like there is sometimes a veil over what reality could be for us. It is the sort of thing that keeps us from knowing who we are and what potential we may have. I am struck by this image because so much of our own lives these days can feel like we are living in our own entertainment film about our life. We play the roles we think we need to succeed, heck, we even have our own soundtrack in our IPods to play as we perform various acts throughout the day. Our conversation may be peppered with cute cultural phrases to make us seem "hip" or "with it" (how do you like those out-of-date phrases) even though deep inside we may feel like no one really knows who we are.
I think at the heart of Donnie's dilemma is that he is surrounded by a family that is trying to make sense out of who he is now. His father tries to use humor to brush off the fact that he doesn't really understand Donnie either. His teachers seem to walk him right up to the precipice of discovery but then back away, as his science teacher says, "I could lose my job."
At the heart of Donnie Darko is this sense that sometimes we might see through the veil in front of us into a world of different possibilities. In Donnie's case, these seem to be headed towards destruction. You'll have to watch the movie to find out how it plays out.
I bring it up here though because in talking with many of you I sense that inner desire to try to see the world that is in front of you. The veil we are trying to see through is the one that the culture we live in places in front of us. It is a sheet of sorts that can be used to separate us from where we are and lie to us about what we could be if only we had the latest gadget, or sexiest girlfriend, or a better body. This veil causes us to look at external expressions of who we are and bury deep inside the people we were created to be.
By the way is not a community forming to lead you on a tangent. We are just walking alongside the Donnie's of the world to help them discover God's reality. Together we are able to discern how life is different and how very present God is in each of our lives. It's going to seem odd, because you might think the "leaders" you meet are going to tell you how to think about God, or how you should worship God, or why you should worship God. But the truth of the matter is that time and again, when I sit at Unos or at Panera, it is you who reveal to me how God is working in and around Nashua. Together we discern how our two paths became one. We discover how we are each being called through the veil into a new reality. Together we will be able to move into the real world that allows us to be who we were created to be. It is the world we are already living in now, if we could only see it.
Monday, October 8, 2007
Leaping for Joy?
Last week, our devotion from Luke’s Gospel urged us to “pass the mustard” as the faith and gifts we’ve been given add seasoning to our lives and the lives of those we encounter. This week we are are looking at another story (also from Luke, 17: 11-19. Here Jesus heals ten people who are considered outcasts or losers by society because of their illness. In the story, only one of the ten stopped to say thank you and we are left to wonder about the other nine. They were healed as well, so were they in shock, disbelief, so shaken by their miraculous new selves that they ran away?
Jesus also wonders about them and in response to the only one who stopped to say thanks, Jesus tells him to go on his way that his faith had made him well. Faith… faith that helps make you well, now that must be some kind of mustard! Well the story got me wondering… how many people do I know who fit this category, consider themselves losers, or who don’t fit what society considers normal or successful? And given the challenges of everyday life… how can I be more like Jesus and bring healing in some way? How can I add seasoning and encourage mustard like faith in others?
In wrestling with these questions, I though about Danny who is feeling a bit like an outcast or loser by society standards this week. And while he doesn’t have a horrible illness or life threatening disease, he is feeling depressed and far removed from where his friends are at. A place so bad that he told me he just wishes he could be fixed and returned to a “normal” life. Danny lost his job two months ago and even though he qualified for unemployment, with bills and a car that crapped out last month, he had a decision to either admit “defeat” and crash with friends or “be a loser” and go back to his parents house (his terms).
Well Danny’s mom and dad have provided a place to crash, and by his own admission have not hassled him about his circumstances. But he is feeling depressed and having a hard time even hanging out with friends because of everything that’s happened. I asked about where God might be in the middle of this transition and the pain and/or embarrassment about returning to his parent’s house. Danny thought about it for a while and said he guessed it was in the home cooked meals his mom and dad were providing and access to a car while his was out of commission.
I don’t think Danny is alone in his circumstances, or how he feels. I asked him if he’s said thanks to his parents or God for the things that have been given and done for him. His response was that he wanted everything fixed, back the way it was before and that in his bitterness and feeling “like a loser” hadn’t thought there was anything to be thankful for. He paused, cracked a small smile, nodded and whispered thanks. I sensed a glimmer of faith there, perhaps as small as a mustard seed, but after my conversation with him, wondered if there were nine more Danny’s out there…
I share this because we all have burdens and pain in our lives and we’ve all been given a bit of faith, a gift we don’t fully understand or do anything to get/earn. This week I encourage you to keep on “passing the mustard” by being on the look-out for those that might like Danny, need you to add some seasoning and walk with them along the way.
+ Bill Petersen
Jesus also wonders about them and in response to the only one who stopped to say thanks, Jesus tells him to go on his way that his faith had made him well. Faith… faith that helps make you well, now that must be some kind of mustard! Well the story got me wondering… how many people do I know who fit this category, consider themselves losers, or who don’t fit what society considers normal or successful? And given the challenges of everyday life… how can I be more like Jesus and bring healing in some way? How can I add seasoning and encourage mustard like faith in others?
In wrestling with these questions, I though about Danny who is feeling a bit like an outcast or loser by society standards this week. And while he doesn’t have a horrible illness or life threatening disease, he is feeling depressed and far removed from where his friends are at. A place so bad that he told me he just wishes he could be fixed and returned to a “normal” life. Danny lost his job two months ago and even though he qualified for unemployment, with bills and a car that crapped out last month, he had a decision to either admit “defeat” and crash with friends or “be a loser” and go back to his parents house (his terms).
Well Danny’s mom and dad have provided a place to crash, and by his own admission have not hassled him about his circumstances. But he is feeling depressed and having a hard time even hanging out with friends because of everything that’s happened. I asked about where God might be in the middle of this transition and the pain and/or embarrassment about returning to his parent’s house. Danny thought about it for a while and said he guessed it was in the home cooked meals his mom and dad were providing and access to a car while his was out of commission.
I don’t think Danny is alone in his circumstances, or how he feels. I asked him if he’s said thanks to his parents or God for the things that have been given and done for him. His response was that he wanted everything fixed, back the way it was before and that in his bitterness and feeling “like a loser” hadn’t thought there was anything to be thankful for. He paused, cracked a small smile, nodded and whispered thanks. I sensed a glimmer of faith there, perhaps as small as a mustard seed, but after my conversation with him, wondered if there were nine more Danny’s out there…
I share this because we all have burdens and pain in our lives and we’ve all been given a bit of faith, a gift we don’t fully understand or do anything to get/earn. This week I encourage you to keep on “passing the mustard” by being on the look-out for those that might like Danny, need you to add some seasoning and walk with them along the way.
+ Bill Petersen
Monday, October 1, 2007
Pass the Mustard
I have to admit to being in a more reflective mood today. It has to do with the fact that this coming Sunday, many traditional congregations will celebrate "World Communion Sunday." It's a time when all the churchy posturing and denominational theologies are to be layed aside, so to speak, to remember that at the heart of all that they do, they are all one and the same when it comes to the practice of "communion."
If you are a bit new to all this churchy language, communion (or "eucharist") is a practice which Jesus began in the Upper Room with his friends, the disciples, right before his crucifixion. He took some bread, gave thanks, then broke it and passed to those seated with him reminding them to do this when they gathered to remember him. Later he took some wine, gave thanks, and then gave it to them and asked that they continue this practice after he was gone. This breaking of bread and sharing of wine was a key component to life in the early Christian community and it is an important piece of what those who follow Jesus practice to this day.
So the idea of World Communion Sunday tries to call the existing Christian community back to this idea that we are all at the same table when we gather in our individual places to praise God.
Now, that's all well and good, but I think it misses something. To me this is a bigger reminder, a reminder that is core to how we think around bytheway. It's a reminder that all are welcome to the table. It's not that we have everything figured out, or that we know the "right" way to share in this meal, but it is about invitation to those seeking to be a part of a community that makes a difference in one another's lives and the lives of others.
I'm often reminded of this invitation when I sit down at the table in Unos. The various wonderful people who come to serve me with something to drink or an appetizer are pleasant because that is what they are paid to do. They are perhaps not quite the slave servant that Jesus mentions in Luke's Gospel (17: 5-10). There, Jesus asks a pretty simple question. He wants to know what you would do when your servant came in from the field after working hard all day. He wants to know if you would say to him/her "Go make my dinner" or "Come, sit and eat with me."
Is Jesus hinting at our own laziness? Or is it about something deeper? The conversation here begins with the disciples begging Jesus to "increase our faith." Jesus tells them that if they had faith the size of a mustard seed they could command a mulberry bush to be uprooted and jump in the sea and it would do that. So, what does having power over shrubbery have to do with living a new life?
Is it perhaps that here we are being reminded that we have a tendency to go and do something that is expected of us but then wish to to be congratulated on our good deed? Ever drove the family car and then just decided to fill it back up with gas before coming home? Did you make it clear to everyone in the household that you should be thanked for such a thing? Or, did you get a little irritated when the response was less than thankful? After all, isn't it just right to fill the car with gas when it nears empty? Where's the special offering in that?
So, as we gather at Barnes and Noble or Unos, or even at Panera, I am reminded that what we do is something that we just do because of our exceeding love for others. It is not something any of us do because of some hidden agenda, or because we are looking for a chance to prove something. It's done because we love Jesus.
That seems like such a small little thing...but it's just what we do. So this week, I think I'll be thinking a little bit about how the table is set for you all to come. Each of you with your own unique gifts and talents bring a wonderful flavor to the kingdom. This week, we'll rejoice at the amazing grace that brings such a fragrant and powerful seasoning to our lives. I'll head out trying to bring a little mustard to the table. How about you?
If you are a bit new to all this churchy language, communion (or "eucharist") is a practice which Jesus began in the Upper Room with his friends, the disciples, right before his crucifixion. He took some bread, gave thanks, then broke it and passed to those seated with him reminding them to do this when they gathered to remember him. Later he took some wine, gave thanks, and then gave it to them and asked that they continue this practice after he was gone. This breaking of bread and sharing of wine was a key component to life in the early Christian community and it is an important piece of what those who follow Jesus practice to this day.
So the idea of World Communion Sunday tries to call the existing Christian community back to this idea that we are all at the same table when we gather in our individual places to praise God.
Now, that's all well and good, but I think it misses something. To me this is a bigger reminder, a reminder that is core to how we think around bytheway. It's a reminder that all are welcome to the table. It's not that we have everything figured out, or that we know the "right" way to share in this meal, but it is about invitation to those seeking to be a part of a community that makes a difference in one another's lives and the lives of others.
I'm often reminded of this invitation when I sit down at the table in Unos. The various wonderful people who come to serve me with something to drink or an appetizer are pleasant because that is what they are paid to do. They are perhaps not quite the slave servant that Jesus mentions in Luke's Gospel (17: 5-10). There, Jesus asks a pretty simple question. He wants to know what you would do when your servant came in from the field after working hard all day. He wants to know if you would say to him/her "Go make my dinner" or "Come, sit and eat with me."
Is Jesus hinting at our own laziness? Or is it about something deeper? The conversation here begins with the disciples begging Jesus to "increase our faith." Jesus tells them that if they had faith the size of a mustard seed they could command a mulberry bush to be uprooted and jump in the sea and it would do that. So, what does having power over shrubbery have to do with living a new life?
Is it perhaps that here we are being reminded that we have a tendency to go and do something that is expected of us but then wish to to be congratulated on our good deed? Ever drove the family car and then just decided to fill it back up with gas before coming home? Did you make it clear to everyone in the household that you should be thanked for such a thing? Or, did you get a little irritated when the response was less than thankful? After all, isn't it just right to fill the car with gas when it nears empty? Where's the special offering in that?
So, as we gather at Barnes and Noble or Unos, or even at Panera, I am reminded that what we do is something that we just do because of our exceeding love for others. It is not something any of us do because of some hidden agenda, or because we are looking for a chance to prove something. It's done because we love Jesus.
That seems like such a small little thing...but it's just what we do. So this week, I think I'll be thinking a little bit about how the table is set for you all to come. Each of you with your own unique gifts and talents bring a wonderful flavor to the kingdom. This week, we'll rejoice at the amazing grace that brings such a fragrant and powerful seasoning to our lives. I'll head out trying to bring a little mustard to the table. How about you?
Monday, September 24, 2007
Praise The Lord--An slight update of Psalm 146
Today a sort of re-write of Psalm 146.
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
Sing praise to God all of your life.
You can trust the faces
filling up the news.
But when their time is over
their breath departs with all their views.
Set your eyes on heaven.
Trust in God above.
A God who brings us justice.
A God who fills our hearts with love.
The Lord, your God, created
the heavens and the sea.
The blind man's eyes are opened!
The prisoners are all set free!
God comes to those who hunger;
lifts up those who are down.
God gathers all the hurting.
The wicked are brought tumbling down.
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
Sing praise to God all of your life.
..............................................
I thought it would be nice to maybe just have a more poetic--and shorter (!) thought to kick off our week together. See you around this week.
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
Sing praise to God all of your life.
You can trust the faces
filling up the news.
But when their time is over
their breath departs with all their views.
Set your eyes on heaven.
Trust in God above.
A God who brings us justice.
A God who fills our hearts with love.
The Lord, your God, created
the heavens and the sea.
The blind man's eyes are opened!
The prisoners are all set free!
God comes to those who hunger;
lifts up those who are down.
God gathers all the hurting.
The wicked are brought tumbling down.
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
Sing praise to God all of your life.
..............................................
I thought it would be nice to maybe just have a more poetic--and shorter (!) thought to kick off our week together. See you around this week.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
What's up with By the Way this week
Once in a while, I'll be posting an update for our friends in prayer who are supporting this new ministry here in Nashua.
After much delay, we finally managed to get our cool flyers to post in the area. So we hopefully will be able to put these up in places where folks can see them. I have to admit I felt a little sneaky when I put one up in the laundromat today.
Plus, you should start to see our gathering times in The Hippo and The Telegraph. I have no idea yet where they will show up.
I sent out notes to the folks from our Facebook group that had joined and just asked how they were doing, and if they had any prayer concerns. I can't share those here, but it was interesting to see the responses. We pray for all the folks on our group page, and all the wait staff that work at the Unos we frequent on Thursday nights. They just might be the most prayed for people in the restaurant!
If you are interested in becoming a prayer partner for our ministry, drop us an email.
After much delay, we finally managed to get our cool flyers to post in the area. So we hopefully will be able to put these up in places where folks can see them. I have to admit I felt a little sneaky when I put one up in the laundromat today.
Plus, you should start to see our gathering times in The Hippo and The Telegraph. I have no idea yet where they will show up.
I sent out notes to the folks from our Facebook group that had joined and just asked how they were doing, and if they had any prayer concerns. I can't share those here, but it was interesting to see the responses. We pray for all the folks on our group page, and all the wait staff that work at the Unos we frequent on Thursday nights. They just might be the most prayed for people in the restaurant!
If you are interested in becoming a prayer partner for our ministry, drop us an email.
How much $ is enough?
There is this story in Luke (16: 1-13) that talks about a wealthy man and the distribution of wealth. Actually, it is more about this manager that he's hired--well, actually, it's probably about more than that too....but give me a minute.
So this manager is responsible for collecting the landowner's debts for him. But, the landowner suspects that the manager is being dishonest. One day he decides to just fire him. But the manager catches wind of this and decides to act rather shrewdly. He goes to the different debtors and tells them to change the amounts they owe. Now surprisingly this works, because instead of being fired, the manager is actually promoted, sort of, by being told that he at least was collecting the debts in some way. This is a big oversimplification, but that's the gist of this particular parable that Jesus tells.
Everytime I hear this, the "oldest child" in me yells "NOT FAIR!" I mean, the guy was caught cheating, basically, and he gets to keep his job. Another sign of incompetence rising to the top? Well, let's think about this for a minute.
The point in this parable is that Jesus is trying to point out that we need to truly know where our loyalty lies. If we follow Jesus, and want to create a new way of life, we need to decide if we are going to strive after our old ways, or focus on him. The interesting thing though is that while admonishing us that we can't "serve two masters" there is this implication that we can at least have a choice in the matter. We are given much to be entrusted with in our lives that does not belong to us and what we decide to do with this is crucial to our relationships with others, and most importantly, our relationship with God.
The bottom line kicker to this passage is Jesus' statement that you cannot serve both God AND wealth. What does that look like in your life?
When I hear that statement I begin to realize that though we are all driven to try and make money and that we all try to find ways to save, and face it, mostly just spend money, we cannot let it become the focus of our lives. If you are spending a lot more time at the bank or with your checkbook lately than you are focusing on what God is calling you to, and whom God is calling you to be, well, it would seem that money is what you are serving.
One of our folks sent me a note because they had just learned about "tithing." Tithing is an ancient Biblical custom of giving 10% of our "bounty" back to God. It is a reminder that what we have is all a gift anyway. That check may have our name on it, but it really is a sign of God's blessing in our life. So if you make $500 a week, well $50 of it "belongs" to God. I know you might wonder about what God needs with money, but it really is not about that at all. It's about your relationship with God. Do you trust God enough to release your overdependence on keeping every penny for yourself, or are you ready to release it back into the world in some way, shape, or form?
There are times when I'm like that shrewd manager. I want to keep a little bit more for myself because I have my eyes on that big screen TV, or some other object that is marketed as a source for happiness. But, I know that no matter what it is, I really don't need it, don't have room for it, can't really afford the pricetag, and will still not be "satisfied" with just this purchase. Then when I feel guilty, I want to maybe put a little more in my offering check for the ministry here or in my home congregation.
I can tell you that after year's of struggling with this, having grown up in a family that revelled in the scarcity of everything(!), I think I am finally turning a corner. Instead of flinching when writing out our monthly tithes, I find myself increasing the amounts. And somehow, there is always enough left to cover the bear necessities of life (food, clothing, shelter) and then some.
What's all this about, well, it has to do with what you do in the little parts of your life, the unseen areas. Places that people do not know about or see. Jesus wants us to be as alert about doing right things as crooked folks are with being alert to keep from getting caught. Basically, if you are honest in small things, you'll probably be honest in the big things. If you are a crook in small things, you will probably be a crook in big things.
One more analogy...say you have two jobs. I know many of you do. Well, if you really love the one job because you feel you are really making a contribution, I bet at some point, even though you might need the income from the other job, you will start complaining about it, or someone there will bug you, or you will find it to be a real pain. Well, it's the same way with following Jesus, you can't chose it as your "second" job. But, you can make everything you do a sign of God's kingdom here on earth.
Now that was a long devotion, to get to this, I think this story is about God's grace. God knows we will have moments of weakness when we try to be a bit sneaky in our life and faith. God knows we get distracted by small things that are often made out to be big things. But God takes a look at the little things. The things others may not always see at first, and knows that these are signs of greater ways you live your life.
It's not supposed to be a guilt trip, but it is a great reminder to celebrate everything around us as a sign of God's grace and involvement in our world. This week, see if you cannot find a couple of ways that you are celebrating God's presence in your life.
So this manager is responsible for collecting the landowner's debts for him. But, the landowner suspects that the manager is being dishonest. One day he decides to just fire him. But the manager catches wind of this and decides to act rather shrewdly. He goes to the different debtors and tells them to change the amounts they owe. Now surprisingly this works, because instead of being fired, the manager is actually promoted, sort of, by being told that he at least was collecting the debts in some way. This is a big oversimplification, but that's the gist of this particular parable that Jesus tells.
Everytime I hear this, the "oldest child" in me yells "NOT FAIR!" I mean, the guy was caught cheating, basically, and he gets to keep his job. Another sign of incompetence rising to the top? Well, let's think about this for a minute.
The point in this parable is that Jesus is trying to point out that we need to truly know where our loyalty lies. If we follow Jesus, and want to create a new way of life, we need to decide if we are going to strive after our old ways, or focus on him. The interesting thing though is that while admonishing us that we can't "serve two masters" there is this implication that we can at least have a choice in the matter. We are given much to be entrusted with in our lives that does not belong to us and what we decide to do with this is crucial to our relationships with others, and most importantly, our relationship with God.
The bottom line kicker to this passage is Jesus' statement that you cannot serve both God AND wealth. What does that look like in your life?
When I hear that statement I begin to realize that though we are all driven to try and make money and that we all try to find ways to save, and face it, mostly just spend money, we cannot let it become the focus of our lives. If you are spending a lot more time at the bank or with your checkbook lately than you are focusing on what God is calling you to, and whom God is calling you to be, well, it would seem that money is what you are serving.
One of our folks sent me a note because they had just learned about "tithing." Tithing is an ancient Biblical custom of giving 10% of our "bounty" back to God. It is a reminder that what we have is all a gift anyway. That check may have our name on it, but it really is a sign of God's blessing in our life. So if you make $500 a week, well $50 of it "belongs" to God. I know you might wonder about what God needs with money, but it really is not about that at all. It's about your relationship with God. Do you trust God enough to release your overdependence on keeping every penny for yourself, or are you ready to release it back into the world in some way, shape, or form?
There are times when I'm like that shrewd manager. I want to keep a little bit more for myself because I have my eyes on that big screen TV, or some other object that is marketed as a source for happiness. But, I know that no matter what it is, I really don't need it, don't have room for it, can't really afford the pricetag, and will still not be "satisfied" with just this purchase. Then when I feel guilty, I want to maybe put a little more in my offering check for the ministry here or in my home congregation.
I can tell you that after year's of struggling with this, having grown up in a family that revelled in the scarcity of everything(!), I think I am finally turning a corner. Instead of flinching when writing out our monthly tithes, I find myself increasing the amounts. And somehow, there is always enough left to cover the bear necessities of life (food, clothing, shelter) and then some.
What's all this about, well, it has to do with what you do in the little parts of your life, the unseen areas. Places that people do not know about or see. Jesus wants us to be as alert about doing right things as crooked folks are with being alert to keep from getting caught. Basically, if you are honest in small things, you'll probably be honest in the big things. If you are a crook in small things, you will probably be a crook in big things.
One more analogy...say you have two jobs. I know many of you do. Well, if you really love the one job because you feel you are really making a contribution, I bet at some point, even though you might need the income from the other job, you will start complaining about it, or someone there will bug you, or you will find it to be a real pain. Well, it's the same way with following Jesus, you can't chose it as your "second" job. But, you can make everything you do a sign of God's kingdom here on earth.
Now that was a long devotion, to get to this, I think this story is about God's grace. God knows we will have moments of weakness when we try to be a bit sneaky in our life and faith. God knows we get distracted by small things that are often made out to be big things. But God takes a look at the little things. The things others may not always see at first, and knows that these are signs of greater ways you live your life.
It's not supposed to be a guilt trip, but it is a great reminder to celebrate everything around us as a sign of God's grace and involvement in our world. This week, see if you cannot find a couple of ways that you are celebrating God's presence in your life.
Monday, September 10, 2007
Feeling Lost?
This is going to be an interesting week. We have a military assessement that will be revealed about our involvement in Iraq that intentionally coincides with the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. While we all wait, remember, and consider the information and spin we will receive, this week the scritpure lessons seem to open a door to a different life free of fear and open to welcoming all people.
For some reason, the Old Testament lesson comes from Exodus (32:7-14). It's smack dab in the middle of the desert wanderings. The Israelites, liberated from slavery to Pharaoh, have been in search of a place to call home and they wander about through essentially one generation of people. In the midst of this, Moses takes off to consider their course, and talk with God. But the people get restless. They demand from his brother Aaron (left behind to lead until Moses returns) some symbol that they can latch onto.
Yep, it's the story of the "golden calf". When I read this today, I thought how interesting that this false God demands them to give up their gold, a precious commodity. The money (so to speak) gets collected but goes to create this one symbol. It's not going to do anything else, but perhaps the Israelites could be moved by having this bright example of their collective wealth on display. Would this wealth make them more powerful? And I thought, what if someone attacked them and took this huge object? It would definitely cause economic problems for them. So, I thought about this idea of having wealth on display and how so many of us part with our own "gold" to show off that we are part of a larger community. (The recent IPhone cost reduction and frustration from early purchasers perhaps is a small illustration of us shelling out money for the latest thing.)
Onwards to the Gospel of Luke (chapter 15), the story of the young son who takes his inheritance and goes off to drinking, whoring, and dancing his money away until he wakes up eating pig slop with the pigs and wonders how he ever got there. He decides his best bet is to just go home and take a job as a laborer with his father's workers thinking at least they are better cared for than this.
Now the surprise is that instead of a yelling match, his father runs to meet him and welcomes him home with a big party. All this much to the irritation of the "good" older son who is focused on issues of fairness and wants to know why his brother is being celebrated for doing wrong and squandering his money. (If you are the oldest in your family, you will likely identify with this son!)
You know, in that Exodus story, Moses comes down from the mountain and gets pretty angry, which is nothing to what God considers, i.e., finding a different group of more thankful people. But Moses intercedes pleading the case of the people and we get a glimpse of God's grace. It is that same grace that the father extends to his son in Luke.
It's also the same grace that we here at By the Way extend to each person we meet. And, it's one of the reasons why we also meet in places like Unos in the bar area having conversations when they arise and being an open door for people who may have lost hope, reconnecting them to others who are striving for a different life.
In the introduction to this story, Jesus overhears the "grumbling" of the religious folks that he eats with sinners and hangs out with them. I have to tell you that there are times when we too face a similar sort of grumbling. But if we all hung out in identifiable buildings devoted to the faith, how would anyone hurting so bad be able to enter in to the door. Hence, we are here, "by the way" to walk with you remind you that you are loved and allow you to shine.
So if you're feeling lost, feel free to drop in at Panera on a Tuesday, or at one of the Thursday night gatherings. There's enough grace for all of you.
For some reason, the Old Testament lesson comes from Exodus (32:7-14). It's smack dab in the middle of the desert wanderings. The Israelites, liberated from slavery to Pharaoh, have been in search of a place to call home and they wander about through essentially one generation of people. In the midst of this, Moses takes off to consider their course, and talk with God. But the people get restless. They demand from his brother Aaron (left behind to lead until Moses returns) some symbol that they can latch onto.
Yep, it's the story of the "golden calf". When I read this today, I thought how interesting that this false God demands them to give up their gold, a precious commodity. The money (so to speak) gets collected but goes to create this one symbol. It's not going to do anything else, but perhaps the Israelites could be moved by having this bright example of their collective wealth on display. Would this wealth make them more powerful? And I thought, what if someone attacked them and took this huge object? It would definitely cause economic problems for them. So, I thought about this idea of having wealth on display and how so many of us part with our own "gold" to show off that we are part of a larger community. (The recent IPhone cost reduction and frustration from early purchasers perhaps is a small illustration of us shelling out money for the latest thing.)
Onwards to the Gospel of Luke (chapter 15), the story of the young son who takes his inheritance and goes off to drinking, whoring, and dancing his money away until he wakes up eating pig slop with the pigs and wonders how he ever got there. He decides his best bet is to just go home and take a job as a laborer with his father's workers thinking at least they are better cared for than this.
Now the surprise is that instead of a yelling match, his father runs to meet him and welcomes him home with a big party. All this much to the irritation of the "good" older son who is focused on issues of fairness and wants to know why his brother is being celebrated for doing wrong and squandering his money. (If you are the oldest in your family, you will likely identify with this son!)
You know, in that Exodus story, Moses comes down from the mountain and gets pretty angry, which is nothing to what God considers, i.e., finding a different group of more thankful people. But Moses intercedes pleading the case of the people and we get a glimpse of God's grace. It is that same grace that the father extends to his son in Luke.
It's also the same grace that we here at By the Way extend to each person we meet. And, it's one of the reasons why we also meet in places like Unos in the bar area having conversations when they arise and being an open door for people who may have lost hope, reconnecting them to others who are striving for a different life.
In the introduction to this story, Jesus overhears the "grumbling" of the religious folks that he eats with sinners and hangs out with them. I have to tell you that there are times when we too face a similar sort of grumbling. But if we all hung out in identifiable buildings devoted to the faith, how would anyone hurting so bad be able to enter in to the door. Hence, we are here, "by the way" to walk with you remind you that you are loved and allow you to shine.
So if you're feeling lost, feel free to drop in at Panera on a Tuesday, or at one of the Thursday night gatherings. There's enough grace for all of you.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
