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
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
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
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