Where everybody knows your name,
And they’re always glad you came!
You wanna go where people know
People are all the same.
You wanna go where everybody knows your name. ♫
This has been one day when I definitely would have appreciated having my own friendly neighborhood bar to step into. I don’t, so I didn’t. But I did make a stop at one of my neighborhood places, out of necessity, to have my new glasses adjusted so they’d stop tormenting my ears. I walked in with all the grumpiness of my day clouding my spirit. And I walked out with a genuine smile, absent-mindedly humming the theme song to Cheers.
I had been greeted by name, treated with kindness, and even had the pleasure of a meaningful conversation. “My” Pearle Vision is a place where they know my name and are always glad I came. And I am truly grateful for it.
Do you have places like this? And do you value them as much as I do? Do you hunger for more of this sense of belonging? This sense of being known? I know I do. And when I get it, I treasure it. I feel like God is at work (or play?) in that place, or in that person, or in that group… whether they know it or not.
One of the most-loved pieces of poetry of all time, the song/poem that’s come to be known as Psalm 23, has this theme of being known. (Here are a couple of versions to check out: Psalm 23 NIV and Psalm 23 The Message.)
Through sunny-smooth times and shadowy-frightening times, God is like a shepherd who lovingly/firmly leads the way. This is one of those Bible passages that some people have tucked away in their memories. When they really need it, they can pull it out… to take them to that place of belonging, where they are known by name, like a sheep that’s valued by its shepherd.
Near the end of the psalm comes a line that sounds just plain gooey-comforting: “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life”. I’ll never forget when one of my college professors, Walter Rast, pointed out that the Hebrew word we usually translate as “follow” really has more of the connotation of “pursue” or “chase after”. At the time I learned this, I was having serious doubts about everything I’d ever learned about anything, including God. This image of God chasing after me, trying to gift me with undeserved love, even when I was running away, was deeply powerful for me.
At those times when I have no “Cheers” in my life, no place I sense belonging, there God my Shepherd is, chasing after me, pursuing me when my head’s turned the other way. When my day is full of anxiousness and empty of Godness, there is my Shepherd calling out my name, hoping I’ll recognize that familiar voice.
For there are times we don’t recognize the calling, when we miss out on the Life being offered. We need other “sheep” around us to help us to listen and discern where God’s voice is coming from and where it is not. Check out this episode in Jesus’ life, where he talks about himself as a shepherd whose guidance is not always received or recognized as a gift (John 10:22-30).
For some thought-provoking fun, I’ll end with one of my favorite movie images of a “good shepherd”, one who knows the sheep by name and pursues the sheep with love: Babe the Sheep Pig. This link (trailer) tells the story of this unconventional shepherding, and this one (tribute) shows the power of the story to effect even the tiniest of sheep!
Please know that by the way is a place that you can find welcome, just as you are. If you’d like to join in an audio Skype conversation on the issues I’ve raised here, call in and look for “bythewaycommunity” on skype.com this Thursday, April 22, at 7pm EST. Consider as well the option to offer your thoughts to others here by commenting below.
Showing posts with label Psalm 23. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Psalm 23. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Friday, April 3, 2009
Linking into "Bread for your journey"
If you weren't able to get to last night's bread for your journey gathering at the Crowne, you can experience it this way instead, if you like...
There’s conversation going on as you walk into this Crowne Plaza room set aside for by the way. You take a seat from a semi-circle row of chairs, noticing the colorful words of welcome on the screen in front of you. Others are still arriving as the group begins to get centered… a candle is lit, and you’re invited into God’s presence with some words of prayer.
You have some time to reflect on some readings chosen to go with the theme: Fan or Follower – Considering our Commitments. You can see the brief readings up on the screen, each in turn, followed by the lighting of a candle and some words of prayer:
1st reading: exerpts from “So Tough” by Freddie Foxx
How can I find who's the real divine
when everytime I take a book and take a look
my strong mind sees a new sign…
Who do I follow and who do I lead
do they really wanna help me or is it just greed
is everybody all for self to get wealth
the street wanna dust me off and throw me on the shelves…
prayer: God, the words of this song remind us that the world is asking the questions of who to follow and how to find you. Let us see a peek of you in this time together, or at least a look into who you are… and who we are… in relationship to you. In your name we pray… amen.
2nd reading: Luke 5:27-32
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%205:27-32;&version=65
prayer: Loving God, in Jesus you went seeking for so many who didn’t fit the mold. Thank you that these stories of Jesus’ reaching out were preserved for us, so we have a chance to be found as well. Help us to hear your call to follow you… and to figure out what that might mean. In your name we pray… amen.
3rd reading: “All I Do” by St. John of the Cross
Forever at his door
I gave my heart and soul. My fortune too.
I've no flock any more, no other work in view.
My occupation: Love. It's all I do.
prayer: God, as you speak powerfully through poets like John, speak to us through the silence, through words of prayer, through the words of each other, through the bread we share. Occupy us with your kind of love, that we might be your loving servants and poets in your world. In your name we pray… amen
You are then invited to join in a discussion of the theme and the readings. Here are a few highlights…
Who do I follow is a pretty fascinating question, especially because of how Twitter and Facebook and My Space have connected us with old friends, new friends, famous people, groups, causes galore… which on one level is really great. But it can be hard to keep up with all we’re interested in.
~ Google “who do I follow” and you get a whole lineup of Twitter philosophies of how to decide who to follow.
~ Even rapper Freddie Foxx is asking the question, wondering if his followers/fans really care about him or just his wealth.
Who do I follow and what difference does it make?
Who follows me and what’s good about that?
Can I really be committed to all these people and causes?
Is it all just a blur of interests, or is there some kind of organizing principle, some way of focusing it all or sifting through what’s important and what’s not?
Not everyone is scattered and overextended and unfocused. Some are really intentional and focused, and have their acts together. Some are even hyper-focused in their fandom, knowing exactly what they center their lives on.
To go with that thought is a film clip from the movie Fever Pitch, with Ben (the obsessed Red Sox fan) introducing Lindsey (upwardly mobile workaholic) to his “summer family”, those who have season tickets in the same spot.
~ Being an intense fan can get you into something bigger than yourself, give you that exhilaration of being connected, even give you a “family” that won’t let you down (like Ben)
~ Having the Sox as his “organizing principle” only worked for Ben up to a point… then he and Lindsey had to figure out how their love could be at the center instead.
Next, we take a closer look at the story of Jesus and Levi, someone who seems to be a bit like Lindsey (wrapped up in his own successful career) and in another way like Ben (Levi’s “family” is made up of fellow tax collectors, because they’re all outsiders together and can’t get beyond that)
It’s important to know what leads into this story of Levi and Jesus (link above, 2nd rdg). See this poignant story of friends who care, and Jesus' response:
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%205:17-26;&version=65
~ After this awesome healing, Jesus is poised to have tons of fans… so now all he has to do is schmooze with the right people and he’ll have more fans and followers than he ever dreamed of.
~ But what does he do now to capitalize on his big success? He goes out and sees the least popular person he could find: a tax-collector (aka traitor to his own people and therefore an outsider freak, with absolutely no fans… except for one…)
Yep, it’s Jesus, who shocks Levi and everyone else by telling Levi to follow him. This has got to be a stunning moment for Levi. This Jesus must have incredible charisma, don’t you think? How else would it be possible for the next line of the story to read: “And he did – walked away from everything and went with Jesus.”
Take a look at this Bernardo Strozzi (1581-1644) painting “The Calling of St Matthew” (Levi’s story under another name)
http://www.worcesterart.org/Collection/European/1941.1.html
~ What do you think the painter communicates about the state of mind of the one called by Jesus…. to completely re-orient himself, away from his money, his shameful but profitable career…
The story doesn’t say how he felt about this incredible turn but it does tell us what he did next: He threw a party! a huge feast for all the tax men and all the other shady characters he could gather… feeling pretty ecstatic about his new focus.
~ Notice there’s no family there; just a bunch of work cronies
~ These tax guys had to watch each other’s backs; no one else would claim them… again, no one except Jesus.
Jesus notices the snooty people who are peeking into Levi’s house, saying, “What in God’s name is he doing?"
~ Jesus compared himself to a doctor: I’m hanging with the sick folks, the ones who need me because they had their priorities screwed up. and I’m offering an amazing kind of healing
~ You were amazed that I could make a paralytic walk! Why can’t you get into the healing of these outsider losers!
So now… if Jesus were to butt into your life like he did Levi’s, what could he possibly do (or be like) that would so thrill you, that he could ask you to walk away from your main focus, and to walk with him and have a new focus?
~ This gets you thinking about your own experiences of how someone reached out to you with a life-changing word or action... while others share their stories of this happening to them, .
~ Maybe if we’re really open to it, we could imagine many ways this has happened to us, that God reaches out to us to shift our priorities throughout our lifetimes (little or big ways)
Jesus calls us to put God in the center of all that our lives are made of… all our following, our major commitments and our shallow ones.
~ And through this story of Levi, Jesus calls us to consider that having God at our center is not a burden or a “should”, but an incredible gift, a release of tension and insecurity, a way of feeling like it all fits together somehow
~ That’s one reason people come together to experience God’s presence and power… to feel once again that things might make sense if God is the center, and to explore with others how that might happen in real ways.
Next you see just one more reading up on the screen. This time it’s not about us following God but about God following us.
~ Take a look at this poetry, especially at the final verse:
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm%2023;&version=76
~ The word, “following” in the original language of Hebrew, literally means “pursuing” or “chasing after” which leaves us with quite an image: of God running after us, following us in hot pursuit, to give us the good stuff we need…
With the discussion drawing to a close, the group is now invited to a time of “open space” where we can experience God’s presence in a variety of ways: lighting candles, sharing bread, talking to one another or having time to ourselves.
We gather together for a few more minutes to share announcements of what’s coming up… and then we are sent out into the world once again.
There’s conversation going on as you walk into this Crowne Plaza room set aside for by the way. You take a seat from a semi-circle row of chairs, noticing the colorful words of welcome on the screen in front of you. Others are still arriving as the group begins to get centered… a candle is lit, and you’re invited into God’s presence with some words of prayer.
You have some time to reflect on some readings chosen to go with the theme: Fan or Follower – Considering our Commitments. You can see the brief readings up on the screen, each in turn, followed by the lighting of a candle and some words of prayer:
1st reading: exerpts from “So Tough” by Freddie Foxx
How can I find who's the real divine
when everytime I take a book and take a look
my strong mind sees a new sign…
Who do I follow and who do I lead
do they really wanna help me or is it just greed
is everybody all for self to get wealth
the street wanna dust me off and throw me on the shelves…
prayer: God, the words of this song remind us that the world is asking the questions of who to follow and how to find you. Let us see a peek of you in this time together, or at least a look into who you are… and who we are… in relationship to you. In your name we pray… amen.
2nd reading: Luke 5:27-32
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%205:27-32;&version=65
prayer: Loving God, in Jesus you went seeking for so many who didn’t fit the mold. Thank you that these stories of Jesus’ reaching out were preserved for us, so we have a chance to be found as well. Help us to hear your call to follow you… and to figure out what that might mean. In your name we pray… amen.
3rd reading: “All I Do” by St. John of the Cross
Forever at his door
I gave my heart and soul. My fortune too.
I've no flock any more, no other work in view.
My occupation: Love. It's all I do.
prayer: God, as you speak powerfully through poets like John, speak to us through the silence, through words of prayer, through the words of each other, through the bread we share. Occupy us with your kind of love, that we might be your loving servants and poets in your world. In your name we pray… amen
You are then invited to join in a discussion of the theme and the readings. Here are a few highlights…
Who do I follow is a pretty fascinating question, especially because of how Twitter and Facebook and My Space have connected us with old friends, new friends, famous people, groups, causes galore… which on one level is really great. But it can be hard to keep up with all we’re interested in.
~ Google “who do I follow” and you get a whole lineup of Twitter philosophies of how to decide who to follow.
~ Even rapper Freddie Foxx is asking the question, wondering if his followers/fans really care about him or just his wealth.
Who do I follow and what difference does it make?
Who follows me and what’s good about that?
Can I really be committed to all these people and causes?
Is it all just a blur of interests, or is there some kind of organizing principle, some way of focusing it all or sifting through what’s important and what’s not?
Not everyone is scattered and overextended and unfocused. Some are really intentional and focused, and have their acts together. Some are even hyper-focused in their fandom, knowing exactly what they center their lives on.
To go with that thought is a film clip from the movie Fever Pitch, with Ben (the obsessed Red Sox fan) introducing Lindsey (upwardly mobile workaholic) to his “summer family”, those who have season tickets in the same spot.
~ Being an intense fan can get you into something bigger than yourself, give you that exhilaration of being connected, even give you a “family” that won’t let you down (like Ben)
~ Having the Sox as his “organizing principle” only worked for Ben up to a point… then he and Lindsey had to figure out how their love could be at the center instead.
Next, we take a closer look at the story of Jesus and Levi, someone who seems to be a bit like Lindsey (wrapped up in his own successful career) and in another way like Ben (Levi’s “family” is made up of fellow tax collectors, because they’re all outsiders together and can’t get beyond that)
It’s important to know what leads into this story of Levi and Jesus (link above, 2nd rdg). See this poignant story of friends who care, and Jesus' response:
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%205:17-26;&version=65
~ After this awesome healing, Jesus is poised to have tons of fans… so now all he has to do is schmooze with the right people and he’ll have more fans and followers than he ever dreamed of.
~ But what does he do now to capitalize on his big success? He goes out and sees the least popular person he could find: a tax-collector (aka traitor to his own people and therefore an outsider freak, with absolutely no fans… except for one…)
Yep, it’s Jesus, who shocks Levi and everyone else by telling Levi to follow him. This has got to be a stunning moment for Levi. This Jesus must have incredible charisma, don’t you think? How else would it be possible for the next line of the story to read: “And he did – walked away from everything and went with Jesus.”
Take a look at this Bernardo Strozzi (1581-1644) painting “The Calling of St Matthew” (Levi’s story under another name)
http://www.worcesterart.org/Collection/European/1941.1.html
~ What do you think the painter communicates about the state of mind of the one called by Jesus…. to completely re-orient himself, away from his money, his shameful but profitable career…
The story doesn’t say how he felt about this incredible turn but it does tell us what he did next: He threw a party! a huge feast for all the tax men and all the other shady characters he could gather… feeling pretty ecstatic about his new focus.
~ Notice there’s no family there; just a bunch of work cronies
~ These tax guys had to watch each other’s backs; no one else would claim them… again, no one except Jesus.
Jesus notices the snooty people who are peeking into Levi’s house, saying, “What in God’s name is he doing?"
~ Jesus compared himself to a doctor: I’m hanging with the sick folks, the ones who need me because they had their priorities screwed up. and I’m offering an amazing kind of healing
~ You were amazed that I could make a paralytic walk! Why can’t you get into the healing of these outsider losers!
So now… if Jesus were to butt into your life like he did Levi’s, what could he possibly do (or be like) that would so thrill you, that he could ask you to walk away from your main focus, and to walk with him and have a new focus?
~ This gets you thinking about your own experiences of how someone reached out to you with a life-changing word or action... while others share their stories of this happening to them, .
~ Maybe if we’re really open to it, we could imagine many ways this has happened to us, that God reaches out to us to shift our priorities throughout our lifetimes (little or big ways)
Jesus calls us to put God in the center of all that our lives are made of… all our following, our major commitments and our shallow ones.
~ And through this story of Levi, Jesus calls us to consider that having God at our center is not a burden or a “should”, but an incredible gift, a release of tension and insecurity, a way of feeling like it all fits together somehow
~ That’s one reason people come together to experience God’s presence and power… to feel once again that things might make sense if God is the center, and to explore with others how that might happen in real ways.
Next you see just one more reading up on the screen. This time it’s not about us following God but about God following us.
~ Take a look at this poetry, especially at the final verse:
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm%2023;&version=76
~ The word, “following” in the original language of Hebrew, literally means “pursuing” or “chasing after” which leaves us with quite an image: of God running after us, following us in hot pursuit, to give us the good stuff we need…
With the discussion drawing to a close, the group is now invited to a time of “open space” where we can experience God’s presence in a variety of ways: lighting candles, sharing bread, talking to one another or having time to ourselves.
We gather together for a few more minutes to share announcements of what’s coming up… and then we are sent out into the world once again.
Monday, April 7, 2008
We're All Stinking Sheep!
John chapter 10, verses 1-10 is a story about Jesus as the good shepherd. Okay so we are the sheep and Jesus the shepherd, an image that may be a little too cute for most. From my perspective thinking of people as cuddly, peaceful and obedient sheep is far from reality. The only time I’ve seen sheep up close was at a fair and they were smelly, lazy and seemed pretty dumb… maybe I can relate to those characteristics.
Life is full of moments when one is or at least feels pretty lost…
· We are lonely and spend too much time following the allure of greener pastures online, through the latest games, and television.
· We live fenced in by piles of stinking problems and stupid things we do that are selfish and sometimes self-destructive.
· We experience the pain of strained or break-ups of relationships with significant others and in our families.
· We listen to a lot of ‘bleating’ from critical teachers, parents, bosses and sometimes our friends.
· We are more like sheep than we might want to admit.
Jesus claims to be a lot of things to get us to listen and live our lives knowing we are loved and cared for. As he relates in the Bible, Jesus says he’s the light of the world; then proves it by giving sight back to a guy born blind. Say’s he’ll liberate people, just after freeing someone from demon possession. But the most important thing Jesus says when we feel sheepish about life, is that he is a shepherd and a gate. Jesus claims he’s a “gate” for us, after opening people up to new ideas and a “sheep-welfare officer” who’d die to protect his flock… something he did on a cross a few weeks back.
Our world doesn’t value sheep. We value individuality and desperately want bold individuals to lead… and yet our world is full of sheepish people like you and me who often wish we weren’t such passive followers, and at times stupid sheep. But God never promises life that is cuddly, peaceful or perfect. God’s promises and love are all about Jesus, the good shepherd God sends to us. And in the midst of all the stinking messes of life, Jesus is a sheep too. In church language, Jesus is the “Lamb of God” who in dying and rising from death saves us from all our sheepish ways and shear sinful stupidity.
A great song by Marty Haugen has the refrain that I need to hear when my world gets muddy and I feel like a stinking sheep: Shepherd me, O God, beyond my wants, beyond my fears, from death into life.
The verses which are based on Psalm 23 also bring me comfort: God is my shepherd, so nothing shall I want, I rest in the meadows of faithfulness and love, I walk by the quiet waters of peace. Gently you raise me and heal my weary soul, you lead me by pathways of righteousness and truth, my spirit shall sing the music of your Name. Though I should wander the valley of death, I fear no evil, for you are at my side, your rod and your staff, my comfort and my hope.
Jesus shepherds us in all we do everyday. We are loved, forgiven and renewed each day by the abundant love and forgiveness of a gracious God. And when our days are done, will be welcomed into to eternal embrace of the Good Shepherd.
+Bill Petersen
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
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