Shelter from the Storm . . . by Dustin Wright

Today's post features Dustin Wright: blogger, worshiping member, and leader in the by the way community.  This being the last month that by the way will be blogging (see the post from Feb. 2), we're hearing stories from those who have been central in btw's organically-growing life.  Thanks, Dustin, for your insightful words here, and for all you have given to this community!    ~ Kari Henkelmann Keyl

As by the way continues its journey, entering into a season of change and evolution, I'd like to reflect on how this community's ministry has been important to me, in light of the Bible reading that many Christians around the world will be focusing on this Sunday, Matthew 5:21-37.

At first glance, Jesus seems to be speaking here in very plain language. He tells us to reconcile with others, or we will "pay the last penny".  He tells us not to look at others lustfully, or we will be “thrown into hell.” He tells us that all oaths come “from the evil one.” Once some of his prescribed actions are considered however, it becomes quite clear that Jesus is doing more than simply giving commands. Instead of commanding us to gouge out our eyes or cut off our limbs, Jesus is instead teaching us how important our thoughts are instead of simply our actions.

When we lust over wealth, prestige, or indeed another person, we’re already loosing focus on what God is trying to tell us. When we give into anger and dismiss the concerns of a spouse, a parent or even a close friend, we end up violating God’s intention for us to be in community with others. Whenever we lust or don’t work to release anger from our hearts, whether we act on such emotions or not, we’re already distracted from our relationship with God, and life can indeed become a living hell.

Of course, it’s so easy to get distracted! In world that is constantly trying to pull us in different directions, we all need a place that is a “shelter from the storm” so to speak, a community where we know there are loving people that care for us and want to walk with us as we get back on track. The by the way community provided that shelter for me, in a time when I needed it the most.

When I first came to by the way I was in the midst of a great period of loss in my life, and I was grasping at almost anything that I thought might keep me afloat… having recently graduated college into a well paying but life-consuming job, I was living a pretty hedonistic lifestyle in the little spare time I had, longing for wealth and relationships in a vain attempt to fill all that was missing. Every time I took that long drive to Nashua, NH however and participated in by the way’s "Bread for Your Journey" gathering, I briefly had a chance to refocus on my relationship with God. As I got increasingly involved with the by the way community, I was empowered to listen to God’s call, and now only a couple years later, I am beginning my second semester at seminary, on my way to -- with God’s help -- becoming an ordained pastor.

At the beginning of this post I mentioned how by the way is entering into a season of change… and that’s exactly what it’s doing! As much as it might seem like it, by the way is not ending, not at all! Instead, through the ministries of all whom it has touched over the years, by the way is evolving into what it was always meant to be. Through all of us, by the way will continue to have a lasting positive influence on others, be a ministry centered on learning and growth, and most importantly, be a way for individuals to feel part of the body of Christ who wouldn’t otherwise.

God’s peace,
Dustin

Note:  For some insight into Jesus' challenging words on divorce, see this translation: Matthew 5:21-37 - The Message    ~ Kari

Lights on in Egypt, lights on in us...

by Kari Henkelmann Keyl

The eyes of the world are on Egypt. Hopeful eyes: Will the protests bring about positive change for the Egyptian people (and others hungry for justice)? Fearful eyes: Will the protests get really ugly, and if they do, who will get hurt, and how will it affect us?

It’s almost as if there is a spotlight shining on Cairo. We hear a drum-roll. We know this is huge. How will this play out? I don’t know about you, but I’m praying, praying, praying. God, be with those thousands of people putting their lives on the line for justice. Hold them close. Move through them that they might be a light to all surrounding nations...

…And a light to us. To us? Yes, God, let the light of those who work for justice open our eyes, too… so we’ll see where justice is needed and act boldly.

How can we be beacons of hope, too? How are we already doing that? How do you see God at work in the world, moving those who are oppressed to speak up, moving those who have lots to take risks for those who have too little?

The whole “beacon of hope” idea is big in the Bible. The prophet Isaiah gets his people pumped up plenty of times by calling them “lights”. He wants them to strive for justice.  Do it because justice it's good for us as a people, and good for our relationships with God.  But more than that: Do it so God can shine a light to the world through us. This big-picture thinking breaks the molds. This is huge.

Take a look at these beautiful words:  Isaiah 58:6-10.  Isaiah is speaking to people who think that if only they “fast” (hold back on eating, in the way their religion prescribes) then God will smile on then. If only they worship impressively, God will help them re-build their destroyed country and jump-start their economy.  But no, Isaiah says!  Live the light that you are, boldly sharing, enacting God's justice, and getting closer to God in the process!

Can you just feel those warm rays shining out of you? They probably are. I bet you can think of one or more ways that your choices help to make this world a better place, ways that God shines a light through you. David Lose, in his  weekly message to preachers, suggests that we could each keep a Salt and Light Log, a list of ways God works through us to be the “light of the world” and “salt of the earth” It can get you thinking about how those justice-filled actions affect your faith in God. It could get you asking yourself what God is prodding you to do next.

Jesus is the one who gets us thinking about being salt and light, in this quite famous passage. Take a look at this version (Matthew 5:13-16 NRSV), and then at another (Matthew 5:13-16 The Message), just for fun (and additional illumination!) and to see how two different translators view the words of the Bible.

This whole business of shining your light, and of noticing lights shining in the world, has been so important in all that by the way has been and done these past 4-plus years. The by the way community has morphed a number of times, taken on different shapes to fit how the Spirit is calling us, in order to be effectively shining God’s light to those who might not ordinarily see it. It’s been quite a ride, and I thank all of you for your part in this journey (whether you are reading for the first time or if you’ve been here for the duration!)

Please stay tuned-in this next month, while by the way goes through it’s next morphing phase. We’re going to be celebrating how God has led us and we’ll be drawing our ministry to a close. It has been a difficult decision. We’ve prayed lots and will continue to do so. And it feels right to be moving on.

We’ll be asking you to consider sharing your thoughts on how by the way has been a light for you or has somehow connected you to God and to others in new ways. As always, you are invited to comment below to connect to others in the by the way community. Let us know what’s on your “Salt and Light Log” or what concerns you have for people who are in crisis around the world, and how we can support them and advocate for them.

I’ll leave you with the words of Jesus as I am hearing them today: You ARE my light. Absorb my warming love. Let it move around in you, and then out through you: in bold acts of justice and love.

What’s in your wallet?... or... What do you carry? by Anne Roser

"What's in your wallet?" Capitol One has made that question a pretty common one withtheir their memorable commercials.

This commercial always makes me think about what I carry with me. Too often the little daypack I carry gets stuffed with too many writing implements, too many tea bags, various forms of ID (hey, I have to keep that Red Sox Nation card!), cell phone, keys, appointment cards, and whatever I use for money these days. Oh, it’s winter, so add the meds and the tissues! And lists, to remember what to do and where to go…it’s exhausting just thinking about it all! Exhausting because as much as I try, there is no way to prepare for every contingency the world throws my way.

Beyond the tangible things we carry, there are intangible ones as well. These can wear us down even more. We might call them burdens, or worries, or doubts, or just plain fears. The school bus is late…has something happened? There are 7 messages on voice mail….that can’t be good! A family member is hospitalized. A national tragedy heightens our anxiety and grieves our spirits. The bills are piling up, and we are being stretched so lean that we feel we will break. These are burdens many of us carry.

Yet, life also includes blessings. Here are some definitions… Burden: something that is carried, something oppressive or worrisome. Blessing: something conducive to happiness or welfare.

Have you ever noticed how some people can endure and even surpass the most incredibly difficult times in their lives? How is it that some thrive despite all that impedes the way of light and hope and love? And how is it that others are easily crushed, broken, or cast aside by the simplest of events?

Jesus has something to say to us about that. Read this passage from the Gospel of Matthew, from the translation, The Message: Matthew 5:1-11

We are told that no matter what situation claims us, we are blessed (we can be content, we can rest easy). We are blessed even when we fear we are at a dead end, or a time of deep despair. We are blessed in the midst of frustrations, calamity, and heartbreak.

Why is this? Because God, the holy One, the One who created you and fills you with all that is good and life-giving, is present. God promises to carry you through the storms and struggles and celebrations and triumphs. You are blessed with a love so fierce, so faithful, that even in the darkest of times, light will make itself known, light that clarifies, reveals, and supports you. You will recognize it because the tables will be turned. YOU will be carried – beyond what you have known -- to a new future, a hopeful future, a future that is touched by the holy.

It may happen in the company of a friend or a stranger. It may be words offered at just the right time. Or you may wake up one day and realize that something you have deeply longed for has indeed come true. And other times, there will be those surprising, amazing coincidences that occur which are all about mystery, a holy mystery, because through these events you will receive what you most need.

We will carry burdens. But blessings are different. They are given. They come from beyond us, and they are gifts. Blessings come to us and bring contentment, joy, and well-being. The most profound blessings take away the sting of burdens and encourage us to live in hope, to seek wholeness, and rest in the promises of God that all will be well.

Julian of Norwich, an English person of faith who lived during the years of 1342-1416, is known for this quote: “All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.” She realized in her life that if “God made it, God loves it, and God keeps it.” She understood each day as a blessing from God. Here is a beautiful example of  her words put to music.

So I think maybe Capital One is missing the point. Maybe it’s not at all about what we carry, or what we feel the need to carry. But this I believe: it is all about the One who carries us, beyond what is, to what will be.

May the God of new life, shown to the world in Jesus, continue to carry you and embrace you through all that is before you. “All shall be well” is the promise God invites you to rest upon. May it indeed be so!

Losers unite, and step into the light! . . . by Kari Henkelmann Keyl

Getting un-stuck can be such a pain. Sometimes you just can’t find the right words to express yourself. Or you can’t get your feet out of bed to get the day started. Sometimes it seems like your whole life is frozen. Like you wish you had a giant “Refresh” icon to click, to get a brand new try at making connections.

Being refreshed… sounds so good. Just give me a bit of sunshine, an energy boost, a new sense of urgency for living. New Year’s resolutions can sometimes function that way. Sometimes companies or families or individuals write mission statements, to articulate a vision that will inspire and get things moving again.

I’ve been impressed by the “Six word Memoir” movement started by the online magazine, Smith, encouraging you to tell your story in 6 words. (See Smith's 6 word challenge  Smith's Six Word Challenge ). Now that’s not necessarily like finding your reason for being, but it does get you thinking about what’s going on at your very core. Here's one that was recently posted on Smith’s site:

“Born weak. Reborn strong. Thank God”. Sounds refreshing alright!

I keep playing with my six word memoir, but it usually comes out something like this: “God's bridge-building, to me, through me”. Those six words tell the story of how I'm living fully when I'm attempting to build bridges: between different people or different ways of thinking, for example. And in the middle of that bridge-building is where I find God, or probably, where God finds me.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day seems like a great day to get unstuck, to come up with a driving principle, a reason for being… since we’re celebrating the life of one who had such passion for changing his world and knew the words to say to refresh those who were oppressed.

I’ve been musing on what might be Dr. King’s six words. “Fighting non-violently for God’s freedom dream” is one that I’ve come up with.

The Savior that Dr. King believed in had a freedom dream, too. Jesus saw God’s people stuck in the darkness, and he longed to bring them into the light. When Matthew wrote down Jesus’ story, he wanted to make sure his audience knew that Jesus wanted ALL people in that light, especially those who’d previously been squashed down by the powers that be. Take a look at this piece of Jesus’ story: Matthew 4:13-17,23.

There’s no way Jesus will be stuck in one place; he is on the move! He starts out by leaving his hometown to go to “the land of Zebulun and Naphtili”. If you’ve never heard those obscure places, you are not alone. That region was known to be the place of losers, since they were constantly being oppressed by one nasty force or another.

But they weren’t losers to Jesus. He tells them: Repent! (which means: Completely turn around!) because God’s kingdom is within your reach! Right here, right now!  Turn away from your loser status and step into God’s freeing power...

What might Jesus’ six word memoir be? How about: “God’s freedom for those squashed down”. That’s what I’m hearing when I read that passage. In this very moment, when I’m trying to write a blog that might somehow bridge someone closer to God, I have God’s freeing power. Though I started off this post totally stuck (could you tell?) and at a loss for words, God’s energy began to flow when I admitted my stuckness and accepted God’s freeing lead.

Like Jesus, Dr. King preached that the freedom his people sought was theirs already. God in Jesus had already given them all the dignity they needed. They need not earn it or grab it or borrow it from those in power. They would wear their full God-given freedom for all to see, and fight for the rights that should come to all free people.

God’s freedom is ours. As we live into it, and share it with others, we can find refreshing energy and God’s own power. 

Please feel free to leave your own thoughts or 6 word memoirs or hopes for refreshment, by clicking on "post a comment" below.   And for a bit more reflection on Dr. King's Day (and how Martin walked in the way of Jesus), check out this U2 tribute.


Portions of this blog post appeared on btw's blog January 18, 2010.