What Gets in the Way

Last week during a devotional, a group of us were asked to write down things we love.  There was time to consider on how much we loved these 'things' and then were asked about our love for God.  Was there anything on our lists that we loved more than God?  Did anything on that list get in the way of loving God?

I have been thinking about how this could be done in a lesson form to discuss idolatry.
So let's do a little trial run with this idea....
  List 10 of your favorite things. 

 To make it easier fill in the 10 slots: 
     my favorite
            food    __________     place to go  __________    
           hobby   __________    clothing      __________     accessory    __________
           object   __________     feeling        __________     experience __________
           other    __________     anything     __________
 
So what did you put down? 

Coffee or pizza?     Grandma's house or the beach?     Biking or crafts?

  A blue dress or a silk tie?     A gold watch or pearl earrings?     Your laptop or comfy recliner?

  Joy when a puppy wags its tail or the good tired feeling after a hard day's work?


  The first time you tried something new or the fun of riding on a roller coaster?

  Or anything else that may go into a favorite category.....how much do you love these things?


Now consider the question.....do any of these things get in the way of your relationship with God?


Our electronic 24/7 world does not easily give us time to pause.  Our worship times may be rushed as to get on to the next event.  We schedule in the important events of life, yet can be unwilling to schedule in time for fellowship with others of faith and with God. 


Life is hard and busy and that time for pausing, praying, and worshiping gets swept aside.


We are at the beginning of Holy Week, the final week of Lent, as we prepare for the resurrection morning at Easter.  There should be time taken to wander through this week, on our journey of faith.


It is not a time to rush through a Maundy Thursday service to get back in time for the next life event.


It is a time to pray, to praise, to remember what God has done for us, the sacrifice Jesus has made for us, the glory that shines through the Holy Spirit which reaches into each of our lives.


Pause this week, put things aside this week, pray this week, and travel on the journey to a hope filled Easter morning!

Beauty in the Journey through Lent

Sermon given March 8, 2015 at Forest Hills Presbyterian Church, Richmond Va.
     Psalm 19     3rd Sunday of Lent


Beauty in the Journey Through Lent
We have so many names for God: 
            I Am, Yahweh, Lord, Redeemer, Rock, Protector, Father,  
                  and my favorite Creator.
 For me, I have always found God in creation, in nature;  
I am amazed by the world around me!
Think of the wonders you and I see around us each day: 
            -an amazing sunrise or beautiful sunset
            -the first flowers of spring (usually the daffodils) peeking up through snow
            -the bluest of blue skies or the brilliant colors of fall leaves
            -a thunderstorm which bring rain to wash the earth.
I love the Psalms;  
I love how they can speak to us about the world around us, the beauty of creation.

Creation manifests the glory of its creator.  
Psalm 19 is one of those psalms.
However, it is not only about the beauty that can be found in creation (those first 6 verses),
 but also the beauty found in God’s law (verses 7 through 10).
This psalm has a balance between creation
     The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
   and law.
      The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul.
That 'refreshing the soul' is why we heard part of the Ten Commandments today;
 the verses that talk about Sabbath, about rest.
One of my professors at seminary when talking about the Sabbath, explains that God’s hope was not for the Sabbath to be only a once a week occurrence, but that it could be a way of living our lives.
That original day of rest was supposed to be the way of our lives,
     in communion with God,
     and living in a meaningful relationship with God.
But with human disobedience, it was not to be.
So the psalmist is seeking God’s pardon and restoration.
The psalmist sees a connection in taking time to be in God’s creation, to rest and finding delight in God’s law, the torah.
Through the torah the Lord revives, enhances, and guides human life.
Life depends on the torah as much as it depends on the daily rising of the sun.
God’s sovereignty is proclaimed by cosmic voices and the words of God are given to humankind in God's law.
God gives us a world to live in and laws that guide us in our life. 

But most importantly, this psalm affirms God's love.  
Love motivated God to create humankind and bear the burden of human disobedience.
God’s love is manifested in the story of Israel, in the life of the psalmist, and
        in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.  

And of course, Easter morning is where our journey through Lent is leading us.
Leading us to that sunrise, that empty tomb, that renewal, that salvation. 

On this journey through Lent, beauty can be embraced.
As part of God’s creation, we are full of possibilities. 
How do you and I see God's creation? 
In her writings, the 12th century abbess and prophetess Hildegard of Bingen says we observe creation through our senses:

In seeing, we recognize the world, 

In hearing, we understand, 

In smelling, we discern. 

When you and I stop to take in the world around us,  

the beauty of our surroundings, 

we are given the gift of time: 

to take a breath, to pause, to thank our Creator. 

In this is the season of Lent, a season of preparation,  
we are on a journey to Easter morning.
To take a journey is to make a trip toward a place.
Although the final destination is not always clear to us, we know when we finally do arrive. 
Life is full of possibilities of the path we choose to get there. 
So how do you and I journey through this season of preparation?
Are we seeking God’s pardon and restoration?
Some give something up for Lent, some take on something new. 
Lent can be a time for meditation, study, and prayer; a learning experience,
  when you and I may learn a new way 
            to connect with God, 
            to listen to God, 
            to discern our path, our ongoing journey of faith. 
There may be the discovery of hidden beauty,
 where God shines light into the dark spaces and 
thus brings out the hidden beauty found in everyday life and circumstances.
And there are dark spaces on the road to Easter morning;
  to get to that morning, we must go through the betrayal by Judas, the horror of the cross, and the sadness of death.
How can we prepare ourselves for the glory of Easter morning?
One may suggest by embracing the world around us and by 
  examining how God’s laws influence and guide our daily lives. 

The bigger question may be
  how might you and I prepare for the coming day when all will be resurrected?
Our ultimate journey, 
          to be in communion with God, 
          to have that meaningful and deep relationship,
          to finally have Sabbath.
I ask the question, but I do not have an answer.
Each individual discovers their own path,
  we do it with help from others and as we help others,
   it is done within a community of faith and fellowship,
    and with guidance from the Lord above, 
          through the love of God, 
          the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and 
         the power of the Holy Spirit.
There is beauty on our journey through Lent.
You and I will arrive at Easter morning because we are being guided by the brightly shining, coming light of God's love and glory from that resurrection morning.

 

Our Own Diverse Community

Our Own Diverse Community

There have been a lot of events lately that seem to separate people from one another.  Labels are being used, usually to categorize people and claim differences among us.  Even phrases that are used to call attention to social injustice can be taken as words of division.

 I am hoping there is a phrase that will connect us all, despite our differences in race, gender, nationality, age, denomination, background, or life’s circumstances.

 Let us do a quick roll call of who we are, making sure to respond with the words “Child of God”.

African American        “Child of God”

White                           “Child of God”

Korean                         “Child of God”

African                        “Child of God”

Man                             “Child of God”

Woman                        “Child of God”

Gay                              “Child of God”

Straight                        “Child of God”

Married                        “Child of God”

Divorced                      “Child of God”

Single                           “Child of God”

Engaged                       “Child of God”

20-something               “Child of God”

30-something               “Child of God”

40-something                “Child of God”

50 plus                         “Child of God”

Presbyterian                 “Child of God”

Baptist                          “Child of God”

Lutheran                       “Child of God”

Methodist                     “Child of God”

Episcopalian                 “Child of God”

Just out of college        “Child of God”

2^nd career                      “Child of God”

Retired                         “Child of God”

Path to ordination         “Child of God”

Discerning a call           “Child of God”

These are a few of the diverse images I see on my seminary campus, my little corner of the world.  There is diversity here as there is in any community.  May we not separate ourselves with labels and words that divide, but come together in the grace of God’s light to see each other as brothers and sisters.

The Overflowing Toilet

The Overflowing Toilet

I am not someone who easily asks for help.  I admit this freely, I value my independence and do not like depending on others.  Yes, I depend on friends and I am open to making deep relationships with others.  However, I am used to being the one that is called on for help, the one that will listen and give support.

But there are circumstances when no matter how hard I try, I just cannot do something without help.  And when the time comes, and I have tried to do it on my own first, the need can be like an overflowing toilet. 

I am not just speaking metaphorically here.  This happened over the weekend –the toilet overflowed.  I know the horrific image you probably have in your mind and yes it was that bad and worse. So I will save the unpleasant details and let your imagination do its job.

Needless to say, I tried and failed to fix it on my own.  I am a resourceful woman who can do basic handywoman work; I am no stranger to a plunger.  Plunge, plunge, flush –didn’t work, repeat, oh no water rising in toilet, plunge, plunge, flush, overflow….

Paper towels came out, bath mat doomed, trying to stop the madness before it reached every corner of the bathroom.  Call the apartment maintenance, they come to the rescue –mega plunger in hand.  Not only did they fix the clog, but fixed the loose handle on the toilet as well.

All that was left was the clean-up.  A whole roll of paper towels, a favorite towel (doomed like the bathmat), a lot of disinfectant, a lot of mopping, and there is once again a sparkle in the bathroom.

My lesson has been learned. 

Ask for help before the overflow; let others help.

Do not let things get so clogged up (emotionally or spiritually) that you will be dealing with a real mess.  And always have plenty of paper towels (or Kleenex) –just in case.

 

 

Ritual for the New Year

Philippians 4:6

Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

1. Start with a 10 - 15 minute time of meditation and prayer in which you set your attention on releasing the old and opening to the new.

2. On a piece of paper, hand write a list of all the things in 2014 that you'd like to let go of. This can include old patterns that don't serve you, grudges or resentments you're hanging on to, fears that hold you back, or circumstances that you'd like to change. It can also include not-useful habits such as eating too much sugar or not exercising. Make sure your list is as complete as possible with everything that didn't work for you in 2014.

3. If it's easy for you to burn the list, then you can do that. If not, you can
tear the list up in many pieces. As you release this list, imagine letting go of the energies that are represented on your list.  Give these worries over to God.

4. Now, on to creation. Make a list of all that you wish to create for yourself in 2015. Include the habits you'd like to embrace, the external circumstances you'd like to create, and the internal experiences you'd like to have (joy, freedom, ease, love, peace, acceptance of all that is, etc.). Be as specific as possible.

5. Read the list aloud (whether you're alone or with others). Speaking it out adds more energy to it. Feel each item as though it's actually happened.  You can also read it as a form of prayer (see #6).

6.  Pray.  And remember the scripture from Philippians 4:6

‘Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.’

7. Put the list in a special place.

Notice how you feel after doing this ritual

cleansed, lighter, renewed,
 excited about what's ahead.

Merciful God,

We have a desire to let things go,

To give our worries, doubts, and fears over to you.

Let it be as if we have placed them on a stone

which sinks to the bottom of a pond.

Lead us from:    Loneliness to solitude,

  Hostility to hospitality.

  Illusion of control to prayer.

Guide us on our path

and let us embrace the joys you bring our way.

Let it be as a flowing stream,

 always bringing the new possibilities to us.

Thank you Lord.

As we rejoice and pray in Jesus’ name.  Amen.






*the 3 movements mentioned in the prayer -Loneliness to solitude, Hostility to hospitality, Illusion of control to prayer, are topics discussed in Henri Nouuwen's book: Reaching Out: The Three Movements of the Spiritual Life.

GPS -God Positioning System

Sermon preached at Lake City Presbyterian on December 28, 2014. 
Scripture is Luke 2:22-40.


GPS –God Positioning System

I am someone who is a little behind on technology:

I have no smart phone,
and it took me a little while to relent to needing a laptop,
(which I finally found was necessary in seminary.)

So I am a little behind on technology, which is fine…..

One thing I do have is a GPS
-a global positioning system,
Which has been very helpful when I travel and especially as I navigate Richmond. –it is a good thing.

A Global Positioning System tells you
-where you are,
-where you are going,
-and how to get there.
That is a wonderful thing!

But the GPS I want to talk about today is a little different…
How about the God Positioning System?

God getting you
-where you need to be,
-when you need to be there…….
That is amazing!

The traditional GPS, the one that gets you where you need to go, may occasionally lead you in the wrong direction.
I have accused mine of lying to me……
It will say turn left, when it means turn right…..
It will say destination ahead on right, when I actually passed it in the block behind me….

However, about a year ago, my GPS acted not as a Global Positioning System but as a God Positioning System.

I had a friend, a fellow seminary student, Shannel, who needed to get to the ER.
Another friend, Linda, drove and I grabbed my GPS to navigate.
We knew the large hospital downtown would be crowded and busy and so I looked up hospitals on the GPS…..
I chose one and started directing Linda where to go.

We had gone to one with an un-crowded ER,
We had gone to one where they took Shannel back immediately.
Later, we found out, we had gone to a hospital with one of the best neurosurgeons in Virginia.
We had gone to one that could help Shannel.

So that night,
I knew the GPS satellites that directed us were not in charge…..God was!    

And in our passage today from Luke,
You and I can see that again……
God putting
-the right people
-in the right place
-at the right time.

Mary and Joseph bring the baby Jesus to the temple where they meet Simeon and Anna.

Let us back up just a little, why had Mary and Joseph traveled to the temple in Jerusalem?

They had 2 purposes:
First to redeem Jesus, to present him to the Lord….
"…as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord"
It was also the proper time for Mary’s purification, 40 days after giving birth, she can be made clean again.

These tasks were what was expected of them by the law of Moses;
Mary and Joseph were faithful Jews who observed these laws.
Jesus was nurtured in his Jewish tradition.
In this way, Jesus was prepared for his later life,
knowing the laws,
he was able to oppose flawed and hollowed practices in the name of the law of Moses.

In other words, think of the many times
Jesus was able to challenge the Pharisees and scribes because of his knowledge of scripture and law.

So, Mary and Joseph are in the temple doing what is prescribed by law.  This is when the unexpected happens:
"Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple…"
Simeon came by direction of the Spirit.

He is someone described as righteous and devout,
someone who can give honorable testimony.
Simeon recognizes Jesus as and witnesses to Jesus as the long awaited Messiah.

One commentary even suggests that Simeon may have been a priest and perhaps as he took Jesus in his arms,
he took part in the presentation of Jesus to the priests of the temple.
A happy introduction of the priests into acquaintance with the Savior.  

Simeon was not the only one to be placed in a position of witness that day.
There was also the prophetess Anna.

Anna was an elderly widow.
Varying theories says either 84 was her age or 84 years was the amount of time she had been a widow, this would put here at an age above 100;
Either way, Anna was elderly.

She was also pious, she fasted, prayed, and worshiped in the temple and she was knowledgeable in the scriptures,
perhaps even instructing younger women in the things of God.
She praised God and prayed to God,
always in hope of the ‘redemption of Jerusalem’.

Anna was not directed to the temple as Simeon had been; she was always at the temple.
However, she comes to the scene precisely
where and when Jesus is being presented.

Anna’s witness, her testimony is in harmony with that of Simeon’s,
They are both representatives of Israel at its best:
-devout and obedient,
-always in prayer,
-at home in the temple,
-longing and hoping for the fulfillment of God’s promises,
-and being willing to be led by the Holy Spirit.

These two aged saints’ testimonies are for all people to know Jesus.
A testimony from a man and a woman,
so both men and women are invited to believe and that they may be saved.

Simeon speaks of Jesus as not only for the Jews, but for the Gentiles as well:
     "for my eyes have seen your salvation,
       which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
       a light for revelation to the Gentiles and
       for glory to the people of Israel."
Jesus is for all people.
  
As minister Fred Cradock writes in his comentary on Luke, quote…
"Anna and Simeon are a portrait of the Israel
that accepted Jesus;
Those who rejected him misunderstood their own tradition and therefore were not capable of recognizing him
as the continuation of their own best memory and hope."   

For the Israelites hope is joined to memory and God keeping an old promise.
From Luke 24 verse 44, Jesus says
　"Then he said to them, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled."

God put Anna and Simeon where they needed to be, when they needed to be there,
to be able to be witnesses,
to be able to proclaim the good news.

Mary and Joseph were the right people at the right time as well.
They were devout Jews who raised Jesus in the tradions and following the laws of Moses.
Mary and Joseph were not wealthy
or important or powerful……
they returned to rural Nazareth and God’s plan continued:
"The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him."

God puts you and I
       where we need to be,      when we need to be there.
He knows the need:
whether it is to help, to witness, to proclaim….
God is in control.
You and I are part of God’s plan.

And that is true for this church.
Lake City Presbyterian Church is a blessed church.
In Sunday school this morning, several 'saints of the church' were mentioned.....
people who were part of this church family;
those people who God had placed into this fellowship,
to be here  -right place  -tight time,
for reasons to help,
                   to proclaim,
                   to witness.
And the joy of the journey of Lake City Presbyterian Church continues today.

As a faithful people you are going through a transition in searching for a new pastor.
There is hope and faith that God will lead the right person to this place at the right time for both them and for you.   

You are here at this place, at this time
for reasons only God knows……

We are all witnesses to the love of God.
You and I trust in the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
And we proclaim to others by sharing the joy
and spreading the good news of salvation that God brought to us in Jesus Christ.

So as Simeon and Anna were brought to the right place at the right time,
trust that the Holy Spirit is leading you,
with the remarkable God Positioning System.

Harvest of Joy

Sermon for 3rd Sunday of Advent at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Hendersonville, NC.

A Harvest of Joy

We are here on the 3^rd Sunday of Advent to celebrate joy.                     

Joy is one of my favorite words;

I believe we are all on a joyful journey,

full of surprises, celebrations, challenges, and adventures. 

The journey is filled with love, grace, mercy, and faith, All of it being guided by God.                                                        

The Psalm today is Psalm 126.                

It is referred to as a Harvest of Joy.           

What a place to start the conversation….

The Book of Psalms is a prime place to find joy and thanksgiving,   

                              rejoicing and giving thanks.

Of course, the Book of Psalms also contains psalms of

lament, sadness, and prayers asking for help.

At first glance, Psalm 126 seems to be a very straightforward psalm of praise. 

So let us see how Psalm 126 may lead us into thanksgiving.

When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion
we were like those who dream.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then it was said among the nations,
“The Lord has done great things for them.”
The Lord has done great things for us,
and we rejoiced.

The Israelites are celebrating their return from captivity in Babylon. 

It seems too good to be true...they are home!

God has ‘restored their fortunes’, they are more than happy, they are joyous!

This is right in line with the dictionary definition of joy:

Intense and especially ecstatic happiness.

Yes, that is a good definition of how the Israelites must have felt. 

Amazed –like being in a dream. 

Filled with Laughter!            Shouting with Joy!

They were ready to praise God and proclaim to all what God had done for them.

 Have you ever experienced that intense feeling? That level of joy?

Let us stop and think a moment about that overwhelming joy….

            This is more than being happy, more than having a good day….this is

            wanting to shout from rooftops, or mountaintops,

            laugh ‘til your side hurts, and

            a desire to share this feeling with everyone you meet.

What makes us joyful? 

How do you and I show joy?

How can we embrace joy?              

We each find joy in our own unique way;

what makes me joyful may be different from what brings you joy.                                     

Let us look at a few ideas:

Joy: may be found with family,

in friendships,

            In celebrating new life,

whether it is a newborn child,

a tail-wagging puppy,

or being surrounded by God’s creation,

In learning, teaching, or discovering,

            In exploring or embarking on an adventure,

In silence,

            In prayer, in solitude, in meditation,

In celebration,

In laughter, in fellowship, in worship.

Joy can be anywhere and anything!                                    ~~~

 However, what about the question of embracing joy?

Do you ever feel guilty when you are happy?

I know I have felt that way sometime…

            How can I be enjoying this gathering when my friend had to work? 

How can I be having a nice evening when a family member is dealing with an illness? 

How can I celebrate while another may be suffering?                            

Let us go back to the Psalm…

The Israelites are overjoyed to have been returned from exile.  But there is more….

Only some of them have returned,

others are still in Babylon, still in exile. 

Those who have returned cannot believe their good fortune,

but they also remember their friends and families who are not yet home.

Restore our fortunes, O Lord,
    like the watercourses in the Negeb.
May those who sow in tears
    reap with shouts of joy.
Those who go out weeping,
    bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
    carrying their sheaves. 

This is a prayer for God to again do great things; restore those who are not there, who are still suffering.

They know God can and will do this! 

They know the power of God!

They have seen how the dry river Negev overflows when the seasonal rains come,

refreshing the waters, giving life anew.                                 

They have experienced the sowing of seeds

in hope of the coming harvest,

and seen the results

in a harvest of sheaves of plenty,

an abundance of blessings.                                  

The Israelites are praying for those who are still suffering;

they know of no other way to help, so they pray.

The people of Israel have seen and experienced God’s blessings on them time after time…

            God’s promises to Jacob when he dreamed at Bethel…

            God being with Moses as he led the Israelites out of Egypt…

            God guiding them through their wanderings in the wilderness…           

They have their faith!

They know what God has done, what he will do!

What are you and I doing in our faith, with our blessings, to show our joy and to help those who are suffering?

Yes, we pray. 

As individuals

            –silently with God, as we are driving to work, when we need a moment in our busy day, 

or when we come here into this sanctuary to pray prayers from the prayer box.                    

As a congregation

            –together with each other, with the prayer of confession, in the prayers of the people, including  the list in the bulletin of those who are in need.                                        

And there is doing.

This congregation does for others. 

The church’s local and global missions aid those in need in our community and those far away. 

            Giving a ‘can when you can’ for Interfaith Assistance Ministry, helping with scholarships to students at Fuenta de Vida in Guatemala, and giving financially to countless local organizations.

As individuals, there are always volunteers.  So many of you work with local organizations –Hospice, The Free Clinics, the Rescue Mission, IAM, Council on Aging, Mainstay, and the list goes on….         

We as the church universal proclaim our joy and our faith in what God has done for us.

            With praise and worship,

            With singing and laughter,

            By praying and  by doing.

We are all blessed.

You and I know the Joy of the Harvest.                             

We are on our journey through Advent.

Psalm 126 is found in the lectionary for both Advent and Lent.  Both are seasons of preparation heading to a time of fulfillment:

            -Advent to Christmas, preparation for the celebration of Jesus’ birth.

            -Lent to Easter, preparation for the celebration of the resurrection.

The sowing/ the preparation

in the anticipation of hope of the harvest / of  God’s blessings.

And in this journey, when we celebrate Jesus’ birth, we are also looking forward to the fulfillment of Jesus’ life –the resurrection of Easter morning.                       

This is where you and I live now, on this journey,

In this harvest;

            living in the knowledge of what is to come and living in the joy of discipleship.

The joy

Of what God has done for us in the past,

Of our salvation through Christ,

Our doing for others guided by the Holy Spirit,

and we look to the future with joy of what is to come.

Christ is our Harvest of Joy!