And I shall clothe myself in your eternal will,
And by this light I shall come to know that you, eternal Trinity,
Are table, and food, and waiter for us.
You, eternal Father, are the table that offers us as food
The Lamb, your only-begotten Son.
He is the most exquisite of foods for us,
Both in his teaching, which nourishes us in your will
And in the sacrament that we receive in Holy Communion,
Which feeds and strengthens us while we are pilgrim travelers in this life.
And the Holy Spirit is indeed a waiter for us,
For the Spirit serves us this teaching by enlightening our mind’s eye with it
And inspiring us to follow it.
And the Spirit serves us charity for our neighbors and hunger to have as our food.
Catherine of Siena (14th c)
Dear Fellow Followers of the Way:
Tuesday Chapel at Austin Presbyterian Seminary is when the community gathers to celebrate Communion. The professor who preaches usually presides at Table. One Tuesday during my senior year, I was sitting in the balcony of the chapel for worship. I had many things that needed to be done, but I wanted to hear that particular professor preach. I was going to leave after the sermon, but for some reason I stayed.
As I fell into the back of one of the lines, my mind was filled with thoughts of how much further behind I was getting with what needed to be done that day. I stepped forward to receive the elements and as I did I lifted my gaze from the floor to meet the eyes of my professor. As our eyes met, I felt the bread being pressed into my hand and the weight of her hand as well, but the eyes that I was gazing into were actually the eyes of Christ looking into my very soul.
As she spoke the words I have heard and have spoken hundreds of times before “The body of Christ broken for you” I had the sense that it was no longer my friend serving me, but Christ. I felt the impact of those words more profoundly than ever before. I encountered the risen Christ that day while being fed at the Table. It was an encounter that would not have happened had I not stayed.
I was reminded of this encounter on Sunday as we celebrated World Communion Sunday and we shared in the Lord’s Supper with Christians around the world and were re-membered into the Body of Christ. Being a part of the Body of Christ, we are called into relationship with one another to bring about the Kingdom here on earth. We are called to remember our relationship to God, others and the world as we have been talking about this fall.
As I read the words of Catherine of Sienna and as I listened to Dr. Cynthia Rigby lecture on the Trinity recently, I was reminded that we worship and serve a relational God. The Triune God is intimately related one to another. Theologian Elizabeth Johnson describes the relationship as a triple helix, three separate strands that are woven together. And just as intimately as the Godhead is related to each other, the Triune God is also intimately relational to us.
This is the God who created both male and female in God’s image, the God who became human and walked among the people, the God who gifted the apostles with the ability to speak in other languages and spread the Good News to all the world. This is the God who still acts in the world today and interacts with us. God has reached out to us,, it is our time, by the grace of God, to respond.
Everyone leads busy lives, but we make time for that which is important to us. I challenge you to look at your relationships. How are you connected to God? How are you connected to others in the Body of Christ? How are you connected to the world? Relationships only happen when we are present. How can you be present and grow in your relationships this fall? We are pilgrim travelers in this life, may we meet at the Table to be nourished and walk the road together as we seek to deepen our relationship with God, others and the world.
Grace, mercy, and peace,
Karen
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
Friday, October 02, 2009
Weekly Word from August 27th
Forgot to post this...
Dear Fellow Followers of the Way:
As we seek to grow Christ’s church deep and wide, we are starting the fall by talking about connection. How are we connected to God, to others and to the world? In claiming the name Christian, we worship and serve a God who lives in community. We can connect to the Triune God as God has reached out to us first and through Jesus Christ has invited us into the life of the Trinity. We do this through worship, through study, whether in groups or personal, and through our relationships with others.
Our connection to others brings us closer to God as we are greeting by the God in them. As we connect with others we also become more the body of Christ. We come together bringing our gifts to serve together. As we have opportunities to gather together over meals, during fellowship events, and even in meetings which can deepen our ties one to another. As we get to know one another, we find that we have people to turn to in times of need and in times of great joy.
The deeper we are connected to both God and others our faith naturally draws us to serve the world around us. We are met in our need and we respond by meeting others in theirs. We sense God calling us to take care of the widow, the orphan, the homeless, and the hungry. We bring a piece of the Kingdom of God into our midst.
How are you working to deepen connections with God, others and the world? Do you come to worship regularly? Are you coming to Sunday school or other study weekly and spending time with God everyday? Have you been to a fellowship or small group lately? Have you gotten to know the people you go to church with on a deeper level than their names? Are you looking for ways to serve the world and letting your faith reach out to the world?
There are opportunities to do all this things at Westminster. Worship, Sunday school, Theology on Tap, P3 playdates, youth fellowship, IHN, contributing to Manos de Christo, and the list could go on. As we start the fall, I urge everyone to seek deeper connections to God, to others and to the world.
Grace, Mercy and Peace,
Karen
Dear Fellow Followers of the Way:
As we seek to grow Christ’s church deep and wide, we are starting the fall by talking about connection. How are we connected to God, to others and to the world? In claiming the name Christian, we worship and serve a God who lives in community. We can connect to the Triune God as God has reached out to us first and through Jesus Christ has invited us into the life of the Trinity. We do this through worship, through study, whether in groups or personal, and through our relationships with others.
Our connection to others brings us closer to God as we are greeting by the God in them. As we connect with others we also become more the body of Christ. We come together bringing our gifts to serve together. As we have opportunities to gather together over meals, during fellowship events, and even in meetings which can deepen our ties one to another. As we get to know one another, we find that we have people to turn to in times of need and in times of great joy.
The deeper we are connected to both God and others our faith naturally draws us to serve the world around us. We are met in our need and we respond by meeting others in theirs. We sense God calling us to take care of the widow, the orphan, the homeless, and the hungry. We bring a piece of the Kingdom of God into our midst.
How are you working to deepen connections with God, others and the world? Do you come to worship regularly? Are you coming to Sunday school or other study weekly and spending time with God everyday? Have you been to a fellowship or small group lately? Have you gotten to know the people you go to church with on a deeper level than their names? Are you looking for ways to serve the world and letting your faith reach out to the world?
There are opportunities to do all this things at Westminster. Worship, Sunday school, Theology on Tap, P3 playdates, youth fellowship, IHN, contributing to Manos de Christo, and the list could go on. As we start the fall, I urge everyone to seek deeper connections to God, to others and to the world.
Grace, Mercy and Peace,
Karen
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Sermon July 19th - The Promises of God
This is the manuscript version of my July 19th sermon at Westminster Presbyterian Church, Austin, TX. I know for a fact that I did not stick to the manuscript the whole time.
Scripture: 2 Samuel 7:1-16 - God's Covenant with David
In the 2009 movie “Up” we follow Carl Fredrickson in his adventure. If you have seen the movie or even the movie poster or trailer, you have see the house floating underneath thousands of balloons. His adventure is about following a dream his wife had a young child, to live at Paradise Falls. So after her death, he takes the house with him and floats off on his adventure. When he arrives in South America, he doesn’t land where he wanted, so he carries his house, which is still supported by balloons, attached to him by a garden hose, in an effort to place the house in just the right spot. He is tied to his house not only by the garden hose, but by the memories in the house of his wife.
Buildings signify presence and give a sense of stability. Building a house sends the message that people intend to occupy that land for a length of time, the builders intend to stay put. Since 1948, there has been a building at this site bearing the name Westminster Presbyterian Church. In the 1950’s fellowship hall and the education building were added to the campus. Later the parking lot and the Annex became part of what we call Westminster. Over the past year, we have watched as the old fellowship hall was torn down and another was built in its place. We have a new addition to our house. We are planted in this place.
In our text this morning we find the Israelites planted along with their king. David, given the gift of a new luxurious palace, is settled in and as he looks around his house, he decides that God needs a house as well. David says this to the prophet Nathan. Nathan tells him to go ahead with his plan. David doesn’t ask for God’s help, but makes plans on his own. At one level, David’s decision to build a house, in this case a temple, for God can be seen as a gesture to provide for God as God has provided for him, but underneath it all, David’s decision to build the temple is political and theological.
David has brought the people from tribal associations to a united kingdom, a people governed by judges who are now ruled by a monarch. There have been many battles along the way as the kingdom has been established. This has been a time of upheaval as the people enter a new way of understanding themselves and of understanding God. God has been with David as he battled many enemies and David is looking to legitimize his rule. One of the ways to do this in the ancient near east was to construct a temple, a house that represented the divine presence with the king. A temple would give David the authority of God.
The temple would also ensure that God would stay with David and with the people. As Moses brought the Israelites out of Egypt, the ark was carried in front of the people. God tented with the people and moved with them as they moved. The ark was carried into battle as God went with them. David moved the ark into Jerusalem, signifying that God was in Jerusalem. David’s decision to build a temple meant he would have God in a box, contained, controlled. But God has other ideas.
Speaking through the prophet Nathan, God sends a message to his servant David reminding David that God has always moved among God’s people and in the past has never asked for a house of cedar and that David will not be the one to build it either. God reminds David that God called him from the pasture to be the king; that God has been with him; and that God has cut off all his enemies. God has been faithful to David in the past and to show God’s continuing faithfulness God agrees to make David’s kingship legitimate but in God’s way. David will not build God a house, a temple, instead, God with build David a house. Not a house of brick or wood, but a dynasty.
God will not be contained nor controlled, but God promises that God will ever be with David and David’s descendants. David’s throne will be established forever. With this promise a new covenant has been formed. While in the wilderness God established a covenant with Moses on Mount Sinai. Written as a treaty , God promised to be with the people if they were obedient. The people were to follow the commandments given to Moses if they wanted God to remain with them. This covenant is what had defined the Israelites; it is why it was important for David to have the ark in Jerusalem, why it was important for David to find a way to ensure God’s presence.
The “if” of the Mosaic covenant has defined how the people understood God. They saw with Saul losing God’s favor what happened if one was disobedient. However, as the people were shifting from tribal to centralized government, from judges to a monarchy, God provides a new promise and a new relationship. God still wants obedience, but the if is no longer part of the equation.
In the new promise made in our text this morning God says “I will be a father to him and he shall be a son to me.: There is relationship. “when he commits iniquity, I will punish him with a rod such as mortals use, with blows inflicted by human beings.” Obedience is required and if not there are consequences. “but I will not take my steadfast love from him as I took it from Saul.” Steadfast love is how the word hesed has been translated. A Hebrew word with no true English equivalent. Steadfast love, mercy, kindness, goodness, everlasting love, unconditional love. God declares that God will always love and will always be present with David’s house. This promise brings hope. Hope in God’s faithfulness. Hope in God’s righting of the world. Hope for the future, hope for a messiah.
Today, Christians recognize this hope in Jesus Christ. This text, often used during Advent reminds us that Jesus is born of the house and lineage of David. Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament covenants with Abraham, Moses and David and we have been made heirs to these promises. We have been brought into the kingdom. There are no longer to be insiders and outsiders. We are all equal and have the same access to God. As we heard read in Ephesians, God is building a home. It’s foundations are the prophets and the apostles and Christ is the cornerstone. We are being fashioned into the bricks to build a temple in which God is at home.
Last summer we watched as the old fellowship hall was demolished. The squeals, squeaks and clunks of the machine that would tear it apart. The cracking of the timbers. We had said good bye to the old space. Messages on the wall including “I hope there will always be mac and cheese for the kids.” The messages adorning the walls, spoke of a home. A place were memories had been made, a place where friends gathered and where God moved. The land was cleared and it was time to begin to build.
The space was prepared and the foundation poured. Careful watch was kept to ensure that it cured would provide the foundation needed for our new building. Over the months steel beams went up, the walls went up, the roof went on. As the building began to take shape, I think many of us wondered what it would be like. I remember the first time I went into the nearly completed space. It felt large and empty, hollow. It was the new part of our house. But now, as we have celebrated together and we have begun to make it our own, it feels more and more like home. The space will be filled with new memories and more importantly, the space will be filled with love.
Love makes the difference between a house and a home. God did not want a house. God did not want to be contained in a physical structure. If God did not want to be contained then, should we contain God in our physical structure now? God has promised God’s steadfast love, God will be faithful, so may we find ways to transcend the physical space of 3208 Exposition Blvd and take the love of God and the hope we find in the promise made to David out into the world around us.
Israel had a new page, a new way to understand God as they are given a new covenant. We have been given a new page here as well. Will we choose to be a fort and hunker down inside the walls of the physical space, or will we choose for this to be a home. A place where God’s unconditional love transcends the brick, stone and wood, a place were we welcome the world in and where we are refreshed to go out into the world.
Scripture: 2 Samuel 7:1-16 - God's Covenant with David
In the 2009 movie “Up” we follow Carl Fredrickson in his adventure. If you have seen the movie or even the movie poster or trailer, you have see the house floating underneath thousands of balloons. His adventure is about following a dream his wife had a young child, to live at Paradise Falls. So after her death, he takes the house with him and floats off on his adventure. When he arrives in South America, he doesn’t land where he wanted, so he carries his house, which is still supported by balloons, attached to him by a garden hose, in an effort to place the house in just the right spot. He is tied to his house not only by the garden hose, but by the memories in the house of his wife.
Buildings signify presence and give a sense of stability. Building a house sends the message that people intend to occupy that land for a length of time, the builders intend to stay put. Since 1948, there has been a building at this site bearing the name Westminster Presbyterian Church. In the 1950’s fellowship hall and the education building were added to the campus. Later the parking lot and the Annex became part of what we call Westminster. Over the past year, we have watched as the old fellowship hall was torn down and another was built in its place. We have a new addition to our house. We are planted in this place.
In our text this morning we find the Israelites planted along with their king. David, given the gift of a new luxurious palace, is settled in and as he looks around his house, he decides that God needs a house as well. David says this to the prophet Nathan. Nathan tells him to go ahead with his plan. David doesn’t ask for God’s help, but makes plans on his own. At one level, David’s decision to build a house, in this case a temple, for God can be seen as a gesture to provide for God as God has provided for him, but underneath it all, David’s decision to build the temple is political and theological.
David has brought the people from tribal associations to a united kingdom, a people governed by judges who are now ruled by a monarch. There have been many battles along the way as the kingdom has been established. This has been a time of upheaval as the people enter a new way of understanding themselves and of understanding God. God has been with David as he battled many enemies and David is looking to legitimize his rule. One of the ways to do this in the ancient near east was to construct a temple, a house that represented the divine presence with the king. A temple would give David the authority of God.
The temple would also ensure that God would stay with David and with the people. As Moses brought the Israelites out of Egypt, the ark was carried in front of the people. God tented with the people and moved with them as they moved. The ark was carried into battle as God went with them. David moved the ark into Jerusalem, signifying that God was in Jerusalem. David’s decision to build a temple meant he would have God in a box, contained, controlled. But God has other ideas.
Speaking through the prophet Nathan, God sends a message to his servant David reminding David that God has always moved among God’s people and in the past has never asked for a house of cedar and that David will not be the one to build it either. God reminds David that God called him from the pasture to be the king; that God has been with him; and that God has cut off all his enemies. God has been faithful to David in the past and to show God’s continuing faithfulness God agrees to make David’s kingship legitimate but in God’s way. David will not build God a house, a temple, instead, God with build David a house. Not a house of brick or wood, but a dynasty.
God will not be contained nor controlled, but God promises that God will ever be with David and David’s descendants. David’s throne will be established forever. With this promise a new covenant has been formed. While in the wilderness God established a covenant with Moses on Mount Sinai. Written as a treaty , God promised to be with the people if they were obedient. The people were to follow the commandments given to Moses if they wanted God to remain with them. This covenant is what had defined the Israelites; it is why it was important for David to have the ark in Jerusalem, why it was important for David to find a way to ensure God’s presence.
The “if” of the Mosaic covenant has defined how the people understood God. They saw with Saul losing God’s favor what happened if one was disobedient. However, as the people were shifting from tribal to centralized government, from judges to a monarchy, God provides a new promise and a new relationship. God still wants obedience, but the if is no longer part of the equation.
In the new promise made in our text this morning God says “I will be a father to him and he shall be a son to me.: There is relationship. “when he commits iniquity, I will punish him with a rod such as mortals use, with blows inflicted by human beings.” Obedience is required and if not there are consequences. “but I will not take my steadfast love from him as I took it from Saul.” Steadfast love is how the word hesed has been translated. A Hebrew word with no true English equivalent. Steadfast love, mercy, kindness, goodness, everlasting love, unconditional love. God declares that God will always love and will always be present with David’s house. This promise brings hope. Hope in God’s faithfulness. Hope in God’s righting of the world. Hope for the future, hope for a messiah.
Today, Christians recognize this hope in Jesus Christ. This text, often used during Advent reminds us that Jesus is born of the house and lineage of David. Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament covenants with Abraham, Moses and David and we have been made heirs to these promises. We have been brought into the kingdom. There are no longer to be insiders and outsiders. We are all equal and have the same access to God. As we heard read in Ephesians, God is building a home. It’s foundations are the prophets and the apostles and Christ is the cornerstone. We are being fashioned into the bricks to build a temple in which God is at home.
Last summer we watched as the old fellowship hall was demolished. The squeals, squeaks and clunks of the machine that would tear it apart. The cracking of the timbers. We had said good bye to the old space. Messages on the wall including “I hope there will always be mac and cheese for the kids.” The messages adorning the walls, spoke of a home. A place were memories had been made, a place where friends gathered and where God moved. The land was cleared and it was time to begin to build.
The space was prepared and the foundation poured. Careful watch was kept to ensure that it cured would provide the foundation needed for our new building. Over the months steel beams went up, the walls went up, the roof went on. As the building began to take shape, I think many of us wondered what it would be like. I remember the first time I went into the nearly completed space. It felt large and empty, hollow. It was the new part of our house. But now, as we have celebrated together and we have begun to make it our own, it feels more and more like home. The space will be filled with new memories and more importantly, the space will be filled with love.
Love makes the difference between a house and a home. God did not want a house. God did not want to be contained in a physical structure. If God did not want to be contained then, should we contain God in our physical structure now? God has promised God’s steadfast love, God will be faithful, so may we find ways to transcend the physical space of 3208 Exposition Blvd and take the love of God and the hope we find in the promise made to David out into the world around us.
Israel had a new page, a new way to understand God as they are given a new covenant. We have been given a new page here as well. Will we choose to be a fort and hunker down inside the walls of the physical space, or will we choose for this to be a home. A place where God’s unconditional love transcends the brick, stone and wood, a place were we welcome the world in and where we are refreshed to go out into the world.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Calvin's Definition of Faith
Dear Fellow Followers of the Way:
This past Sunday we, along with reformed Christians around the world, celebrated the 500th birthday of John Calvin. In the weeks leading up to the celebration, I found myself pulling out books and notes on Calvin, most from my days in seminary. One of my memories of learning about Calvin is the first seminary quiz I took, writing Calvin’s definition of faith from memory for Systematic Theology I with Dr. Cynthia Rigby.
Found in Book 3 of the Institutes of the Christian Religion (3.2.7 to be exact), Calvin’s definition of faith is this: “Faith is a firm and certain knowledge of God’s benevolence towards us, founded upon the truth of the freely-given promise in Christ, both revealed to our minds and sealed upon our hearts through the Holy Spirit.” So what does it mean?
It means that faith is a gift of God and it is nothing we can achieve by our own work or study. Faith is beyond simple comprehension, it is our assurance of God’s steadfast love for us as we experience the mercy and compassion of God in the depths of pain and the heights of joy. It is our growing confidence that although we have never been promised great riches or all that we could want, as the prosperity preachers would lead us to believe, God is always with us.
Through Scripture as illumined by the Holy Spirit, we come to know Christ Jesus. We are assured of salvation because of God’s overflowing love that meets us in the manger every Christmas and on the cross every Easter. We know this both in our mind, for our intellect is a gift from God, and in our hearts, the very core of who we have been created to be. Just as the Spirit gives us the gift of faith, it also leads us to increase our faith as we desire to learn more of God, more will be revealed.
I encourage everyone to spend time thinking about faith and your own journey. How did you come to faith? Have you known it all your life or was it an epiphany? When did you first truly know that you were loved by God? How has your faith shaped your life? What in your life is shaping your faith? Spend time in prayer, spend time in study. Pray for illumination and spend time with God that your faith may be firm and certain.
Grace, mercy and peace,
Karen
This past Sunday we, along with reformed Christians around the world, celebrated the 500th birthday of John Calvin. In the weeks leading up to the celebration, I found myself pulling out books and notes on Calvin, most from my days in seminary. One of my memories of learning about Calvin is the first seminary quiz I took, writing Calvin’s definition of faith from memory for Systematic Theology I with Dr. Cynthia Rigby.
Found in Book 3 of the Institutes of the Christian Religion (3.2.7 to be exact), Calvin’s definition of faith is this: “Faith is a firm and certain knowledge of God’s benevolence towards us, founded upon the truth of the freely-given promise in Christ, both revealed to our minds and sealed upon our hearts through the Holy Spirit.” So what does it mean?
It means that faith is a gift of God and it is nothing we can achieve by our own work or study. Faith is beyond simple comprehension, it is our assurance of God’s steadfast love for us as we experience the mercy and compassion of God in the depths of pain and the heights of joy. It is our growing confidence that although we have never been promised great riches or all that we could want, as the prosperity preachers would lead us to believe, God is always with us.
Through Scripture as illumined by the Holy Spirit, we come to know Christ Jesus. We are assured of salvation because of God’s overflowing love that meets us in the manger every Christmas and on the cross every Easter. We know this both in our mind, for our intellect is a gift from God, and in our hearts, the very core of who we have been created to be. Just as the Spirit gives us the gift of faith, it also leads us to increase our faith as we desire to learn more of God, more will be revealed.
I encourage everyone to spend time thinking about faith and your own journey. How did you come to faith? Have you known it all your life or was it an epiphany? When did you first truly know that you were loved by God? How has your faith shaped your life? What in your life is shaping your faith? Spend time in prayer, spend time in study. Pray for illumination and spend time with God that your faith may be firm and certain.
Grace, mercy and peace,
Karen
Monday, June 01, 2009
The importance of gathering
Dear Fellow Followers of the Way,
This past Sunday we heard the story at the beginning of Acts 2, the gift of the Holy Spirit that was given when the community of believers was gathered together. If we had continued in the story, we would have read Peter’s sermon and the baptism of 3,000 people that day. After the people had been baptized, we learn that the people “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, the breaking of bread and the prayers” (v 42).
Sunday night we had that same opportunity as we gathered to celebrate in our new fellowship hall. We gathered over a meal and enjoyed a time of fellowship and worship. Our new space will hopefully see this repeated with great frequency in the months and years to come.
God can do great things in our midst, particularly when we gather as the Body of Christ. As we gather for worship or for fellowship, we are made more complete as more people gather together. We all have unique gifts and callings and the presence of each one is important.
As we enter the summer, people will begin to travel. When your travels take you away from Austin, find a local congregation to worship with where ever you may be. When you are in town, come and gather with us at Westminster. Even when you you may not feel like coming, your presence may be the very thing that uplifts another believer. Remember that you are important and you are needed. Come and join with the Body of Christ on Sunday mornings and let the Spirit move you!
Grace, mercy and Peace,
Karen
This past Sunday we heard the story at the beginning of Acts 2, the gift of the Holy Spirit that was given when the community of believers was gathered together. If we had continued in the story, we would have read Peter’s sermon and the baptism of 3,000 people that day. After the people had been baptized, we learn that the people “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, the breaking of bread and the prayers” (v 42).
Sunday night we had that same opportunity as we gathered to celebrate in our new fellowship hall. We gathered over a meal and enjoyed a time of fellowship and worship. Our new space will hopefully see this repeated with great frequency in the months and years to come.
God can do great things in our midst, particularly when we gather as the Body of Christ. As we gather for worship or for fellowship, we are made more complete as more people gather together. We all have unique gifts and callings and the presence of each one is important.
As we enter the summer, people will begin to travel. When your travels take you away from Austin, find a local congregation to worship with where ever you may be. When you are in town, come and gather with us at Westminster. Even when you you may not feel like coming, your presence may be the very thing that uplifts another believer. Remember that you are important and you are needed. Come and join with the Body of Christ on Sunday mornings and let the Spirit move you!
Grace, mercy and Peace,
Karen
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Baptismal Promises
Dear Fellow Followers of the Way,
I love rain. I particularly love to splash in puddles. One evening while in seminary, one of my friends and I went out and played in the puddles after we were finished with class for the day. Fellow students and some professors looked at us rather quizzically as we were absorbed in splashing each other. At one point in our puddle-stomping fun my friend yelled, “Remember your baptism!” This yell was followed by a wave of water that was kicked my way.
A few weeks ago we joined together for the Easter Vigil, we celebrated a remembrance of baptism during the service. It is a time to remember that we have gone under the waters and have been buried with Christ and to remember that we have been raised to new life in Christ as well. As we celebrate and remember our own baptism let us also remember the promises that we have made as others have been baptized as well.
All of the children and youth who have been baptized have been given the promise that people would nurture them, teach them, and be the body of Christ to them. This Sunday, the youth will lead us in worship and we can celebrate with them the nurture and care they have received to this point in their journey of faith. In the coming weeks the Session will hear statements of faith from the confirmands, and we will welcome them as new members of Westminster.
Many of you have contributed to the spiritual lives of these young people. Know that as a family of faith, what we say and do impacts our children. I encourage everyone to find ways to nurture the children and youth of the church. Teach Sunday school, help with youth group, sing with the children, offer your gifts and talents in other ways with them, and even something as simple as greeting them and welcoming them when you see them. One of the great joys of being a part of a family of faith is to witness milestones and celebrate them together. How can you follow through on promises you have made at the baptism of our children and youth in the coming days and weeks as we celebrate with them?
Grace, mercy and peace,
Karen
I love rain. I particularly love to splash in puddles. One evening while in seminary, one of my friends and I went out and played in the puddles after we were finished with class for the day. Fellow students and some professors looked at us rather quizzically as we were absorbed in splashing each other. At one point in our puddle-stomping fun my friend yelled, “Remember your baptism!” This yell was followed by a wave of water that was kicked my way.
A few weeks ago we joined together for the Easter Vigil, we celebrated a remembrance of baptism during the service. It is a time to remember that we have gone under the waters and have been buried with Christ and to remember that we have been raised to new life in Christ as well. As we celebrate and remember our own baptism let us also remember the promises that we have made as others have been baptized as well.
All of the children and youth who have been baptized have been given the promise that people would nurture them, teach them, and be the body of Christ to them. This Sunday, the youth will lead us in worship and we can celebrate with them the nurture and care they have received to this point in their journey of faith. In the coming weeks the Session will hear statements of faith from the confirmands, and we will welcome them as new members of Westminster.
Many of you have contributed to the spiritual lives of these young people. Know that as a family of faith, what we say and do impacts our children. I encourage everyone to find ways to nurture the children and youth of the church. Teach Sunday school, help with youth group, sing with the children, offer your gifts and talents in other ways with them, and even something as simple as greeting them and welcoming them when you see them. One of the great joys of being a part of a family of faith is to witness milestones and celebrate them together. How can you follow through on promises you have made at the baptism of our children and youth in the coming days and weeks as we celebrate with them?
Grace, mercy and peace,
Karen
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Volunteer or Disciple
Dear Fellow Followers of the Way:
After Kathy’s sermon on Sunday, I have been pondering the difference between volunteers and disciples. As I have read the various call stories of the disciples, they were all hand picked by Jesus and they made radical shifts in life letting go of an old life to follow Jesus. They didn’t volunteer to be a follower of Jesus, they were chosen.
If they had volunteered, they would have always had a choice. As a volunteer you choose the organization and how deeply involved you want to be. How much money and time will you commit? What is your level of commitment? The other element of volunteering is that you always have a way out. You can choose not to help just as easily as you can choose to help.
Discipleship doesn’t give you that easy way out. You have been chosen, it was not your initiative to be involved. We have been called to a lifelong relationship with God and with our fellow disciples. It is a life that is to be shared without reservation, a life of giving ourselves up for others. We have to learn to be dependent not on ourselves but on God.
Just as Jesus served the disciples, he told them that they had to learn to be the servants of others. He commanded them to love one another just as he had loved them. He drew them in to a new way of being and we too are called to a new way of being. As Jesus calls to the crowd and to the disciples to “take up their cross and follow” and he calls to us as well.
I agree with Kathy that the church is a group of disciples and not volunteers. We have been hand picked; we don’t have a way out. And when you have no way out, you need to go in further. I leave you with part of the lyrics from Garth Brooks The River
Too many times we stand aside, and let the waters slip away
‘til what we put off ‘til tomorrow has now become today
So don’t you sit upon the shoreline and say you’re satisfied
Choose to chance the rapids and dare to dance the tide.
As we continue this journey through Lent, I invite you to look for ways to go in further and deeper. You are a disciple and not a volunteer, take up your cross and follow Jesus.
Grace, mercy and peace,
Karen
After Kathy’s sermon on Sunday, I have been pondering the difference between volunteers and disciples. As I have read the various call stories of the disciples, they were all hand picked by Jesus and they made radical shifts in life letting go of an old life to follow Jesus. They didn’t volunteer to be a follower of Jesus, they were chosen.
If they had volunteered, they would have always had a choice. As a volunteer you choose the organization and how deeply involved you want to be. How much money and time will you commit? What is your level of commitment? The other element of volunteering is that you always have a way out. You can choose not to help just as easily as you can choose to help.
Discipleship doesn’t give you that easy way out. You have been chosen, it was not your initiative to be involved. We have been called to a lifelong relationship with God and with our fellow disciples. It is a life that is to be shared without reservation, a life of giving ourselves up for others. We have to learn to be dependent not on ourselves but on God.
Just as Jesus served the disciples, he told them that they had to learn to be the servants of others. He commanded them to love one another just as he had loved them. He drew them in to a new way of being and we too are called to a new way of being. As Jesus calls to the crowd and to the disciples to “take up their cross and follow” and he calls to us as well.
I agree with Kathy that the church is a group of disciples and not volunteers. We have been hand picked; we don’t have a way out. And when you have no way out, you need to go in further. I leave you with part of the lyrics from Garth Brooks The River
Too many times we stand aside, and let the waters slip away
‘til what we put off ‘til tomorrow has now become today
So don’t you sit upon the shoreline and say you’re satisfied
Choose to chance the rapids and dare to dance the tide.
As we continue this journey through Lent, I invite you to look for ways to go in further and deeper. You are a disciple and not a volunteer, take up your cross and follow Jesus.
Grace, mercy and peace,
Karen
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Mark 10:36-52
Mark 10:46-52
They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stood still and said, “Call him here.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart; get up, he is calling you.” So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. Then Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him, “My teacher, let me see again.” Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.
This is the 2nd time Jesus has asked the question “What do you want me to do for you?” the first time is 10 verses earlier to James and John who knowing what they are asking for, ask to sit at Jesus’ right and left hand. Bartimaeus knows exactly what he wants.
What do you want me to do for you is a powerful question. I had this question asked of me by a Westminster member a couple Sundays ago. I, unlike Bartimaeus, was speechless. I was being served by the Christ in this member, but was unable or unwilling to throw off my cloak and meet Christ with a clear answer.
Bartimaeus jumps up and throws off his cloak. Most likely his only possession, and leaves it by the side of the road. The cloak would slow him down in trying to get to the Son of David, who has stopped and called him.
We all have cloaks, things that protects us, clothe us, give us our identity and possibly hinder us. Are we willing to leave them by the roadside because Jesus calls? Or does the cloak help us hide from ourselves? If we keep the cloak on we see Jesus from the roadside, but are not face-to face and we are not asked the question. We don’t have to examine ourselves for the answer to “What do you want me to do for you?”
It is often easier to let ourselves get lost in the crowd, hiding under our cloak. Seeing Jesus but not coming face-to-face. Hoping that the status quo will not change. But not Bartimaeus. He hears that Jesus is passing by and he so desires to come face to face, he will not be deterred. The crowd tells him to be silent, but he raises his plea once again.
May we have the persistence and the desire of Bartimaeus. May we so long to meet Jesus face to face that nothing will deter us, and when the chance comes, may we heed the call, spring up, throw off all that hinders us and have a clear picture of the thing we want more than anything else. That way when Jesus asks the question “What do you want me to do for you?” we know in our answer in our heart of hearts that our faith may make us well and we too will follow Jesus along the road.
They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stood still and said, “Call him here.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart; get up, he is calling you.” So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. Then Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him, “My teacher, let me see again.” Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.
This is the 2nd time Jesus has asked the question “What do you want me to do for you?” the first time is 10 verses earlier to James and John who knowing what they are asking for, ask to sit at Jesus’ right and left hand. Bartimaeus knows exactly what he wants.
What do you want me to do for you is a powerful question. I had this question asked of me by a Westminster member a couple Sundays ago. I, unlike Bartimaeus, was speechless. I was being served by the Christ in this member, but was unable or unwilling to throw off my cloak and meet Christ with a clear answer.
Bartimaeus jumps up and throws off his cloak. Most likely his only possession, and leaves it by the side of the road. The cloak would slow him down in trying to get to the Son of David, who has stopped and called him.
We all have cloaks, things that protects us, clothe us, give us our identity and possibly hinder us. Are we willing to leave them by the roadside because Jesus calls? Or does the cloak help us hide from ourselves? If we keep the cloak on we see Jesus from the roadside, but are not face-to face and we are not asked the question. We don’t have to examine ourselves for the answer to “What do you want me to do for you?”
It is often easier to let ourselves get lost in the crowd, hiding under our cloak. Seeing Jesus but not coming face-to-face. Hoping that the status quo will not change. But not Bartimaeus. He hears that Jesus is passing by and he so desires to come face to face, he will not be deterred. The crowd tells him to be silent, but he raises his plea once again.
May we have the persistence and the desire of Bartimaeus. May we so long to meet Jesus face to face that nothing will deter us, and when the chance comes, may we heed the call, spring up, throw off all that hinders us and have a clear picture of the thing we want more than anything else. That way when Jesus asks the question “What do you want me to do for you?” we know in our answer in our heart of hearts that our faith may make us well and we too will follow Jesus along the road.
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
Dealing with Hard Times
Dear Fellow Followers of the Way,
The news has not been good. The economic situation in the country has continued to slide, businesses are continuing to need to be bailed out, and our church budget issues are all pressing issues. These are issues with no easy answers. As the news continues to be bad, more tragedies begin to surface.
Last week a father, after losing his job, killed his wife and five children before killing himself. In his faxed note, he says that he and his wife saw no reason to live. In the news reports as they spoke with neighbors, the neighbors were shocked. They knew Ervin Lupoe as a loving father and one neighbor spoke of being invited over for dinner and Lupoe recommending a builder for them. The neighbors never knew that anything was wrong.
Have we become so good at presenting a façade that all is well, that no one knows what is really going on in our lives? Have we separated ourselves from others so that we live on our own little islands? We ask how people are doing hoping that they respond with the socially appropriate answer “fine.” We are exchanging pleasantries, not really asking a question. Would this family of seven still be alive if people had stopped to really check in? Would that be enough to help them maintain hope?
So what are we the church called to do in times like this? I believe we need to remind people that we have a God who is faithful and is in the midst of our agony. When hearts break, God’s is the first one broken. This is a time to be joined in prayer and a time to be reconnected to the family of God by being in church. Check in with the people you know, really talk to them and find out how things are going. And remember, that God is faithful and will make a way where there is no way.
Grace, Mercy, and Peace,
Karen
A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;
our helper he amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing.
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;
his craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate, on earth is not his equal.
The news has not been good. The economic situation in the country has continued to slide, businesses are continuing to need to be bailed out, and our church budget issues are all pressing issues. These are issues with no easy answers. As the news continues to be bad, more tragedies begin to surface.
Last week a father, after losing his job, killed his wife and five children before killing himself. In his faxed note, he says that he and his wife saw no reason to live. In the news reports as they spoke with neighbors, the neighbors were shocked. They knew Ervin Lupoe as a loving father and one neighbor spoke of being invited over for dinner and Lupoe recommending a builder for them. The neighbors never knew that anything was wrong.
Have we become so good at presenting a façade that all is well, that no one knows what is really going on in our lives? Have we separated ourselves from others so that we live on our own little islands? We ask how people are doing hoping that they respond with the socially appropriate answer “fine.” We are exchanging pleasantries, not really asking a question. Would this family of seven still be alive if people had stopped to really check in? Would that be enough to help them maintain hope?
So what are we the church called to do in times like this? I believe we need to remind people that we have a God who is faithful and is in the midst of our agony. When hearts break, God’s is the first one broken. This is a time to be joined in prayer and a time to be reconnected to the family of God by being in church. Check in with the people you know, really talk to them and find out how things are going. And remember, that God is faithful and will make a way where there is no way.
Grace, Mercy, and Peace,
Karen
A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;
our helper he amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing.
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;
his craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate, on earth is not his equal.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Doubt
Fellow Followers of the Way:
“What do you do when you’re not sure?” This is the opening line of Father Flynn’s sermon in the play and the new movie Doubt. I know several members of Westminster have seen the play or the movie, but for those who haven’t, here is the synopsis from the Internet Movie Database.
It's 1964, St. Nicholas in the Bronx. A charismatic priest, Father Flynn, is trying to upend the schools' strict customs, which have long been fiercely guarded by Sister Aloysius Beauvier, the iron-gloved Principal who believes in the power of fear and discipline. The winds of political change are sweeping through the community, and indeed, the school has just accepted its first black student, Donald Miller. But when Sister James, a hopeful innocent, shares with Sister Aloysius her guilt-inducing suspicion that Father Flynn is paying too much personal attention to Donald, Sister Aloysius sets off on a personal crusade to unearth the truth and to expunge Flynn from the school. Now, without a shard of proof besides her moral certainty, Sister Aloysius locks into a battle of wills with Father Flynn which threatens to tear apart the community with irrevocable consequence. Written by Miramax Films
One of the things that I pondered after seeing the movie was how certainty and doubt play a role in the lives of Christians. In the movie, Sister Aloysius acts on her moral certainty. Christians like this scare me. I am reminded of a lesson learned in school that there are very few occasions when the terms always and never apply. The world is not so black and white that things can be categorized as “always this way” or “never like that” People who think this way quite honestly scare me. If we get into this certainty of thought, we are always right and we never give new ideas a chance.
However, doubt is a scary thing too. It is hard to predict what the future holds and whether we should meet the future with anxiety or excitement or both. Doubt can paralyze us into inactivity or it can cause us to turn a blind eye to those things we need to correct. How do we live in the murky middle? How do we live between certainty and doubt? How do we let our fear keep from getting the better of us?
The theme for the Mid Winter Youth conference was “Need a Power Outlet? Plug into Jesus!” It was based on Romans 12:1-8. We talked about not conforming to the world, but to be transformed and to live into what we are each called to be. When we live in doubt, our tendency is to conform, we become afraid of standing out.
One of the small group activities during the weekend was a guided meditation. In that meditation you are guided into a room full of weights. The weights are of various sizes and each one is labeled with a burden or problem. Jesus is next to you and asks you to hand the weights over to him. As you hand a weight to Jesus, he takes the burden and gives you a feather light coin with the same problem on it.
One of the points to this is to realize that Jesus takes the burden of our fears and doubts, but it doesn’t mean that we are rid of them. They are still ours, but the burden has been taken away. We can go to God in prayer, we can release our doubts; the reality of our situation remains, but we can be freed from fear. We become like the father in Mark 9:24 who cries out “I believe, help me now my unbelief!” When we put our faith in Christ, it doesn’t mean all our problems go away, but we are freed from the burden of them.
Certainty and doubt, 2 states that can lead to fear and can paralyze us. It has long been a part of the Christian faith. There are many hymns that speak to doubt. This is the last verse of the Hymn of Promise by Natalie Sleeth. It is in Sing the Faith.
In our end is our beginning; in our time, infinity;
In our doubt there is believing; in our life, eternity,
In our death, a resurrection; at the last, a victory,
Unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see.
I am reminded that belief comes from doubt and that what lies ahead can only be seen by God. If we are so dogmatic in our belief, we leave no room for God to work within us. By the same token if we dwell in doubt, we are afraid to do anything. So “what do you do when you’re unsure?” The Christian response needs to be turning to God, turning to faith and letting God work in and through us to transform us. May we all put our trust in God, knowing the God alone can see what lies ahead for each of us. May we all find belief even amidst our doubt.
Grace, mercy and peace,
Karen
“What do you do when you’re not sure?” This is the opening line of Father Flynn’s sermon in the play and the new movie Doubt. I know several members of Westminster have seen the play or the movie, but for those who haven’t, here is the synopsis from the Internet Movie Database.
It's 1964, St. Nicholas in the Bronx. A charismatic priest, Father Flynn, is trying to upend the schools' strict customs, which have long been fiercely guarded by Sister Aloysius Beauvier, the iron-gloved Principal who believes in the power of fear and discipline. The winds of political change are sweeping through the community, and indeed, the school has just accepted its first black student, Donald Miller. But when Sister James, a hopeful innocent, shares with Sister Aloysius her guilt-inducing suspicion that Father Flynn is paying too much personal attention to Donald, Sister Aloysius sets off on a personal crusade to unearth the truth and to expunge Flynn from the school. Now, without a shard of proof besides her moral certainty, Sister Aloysius locks into a battle of wills with Father Flynn which threatens to tear apart the community with irrevocable consequence. Written by Miramax Films
One of the things that I pondered after seeing the movie was how certainty and doubt play a role in the lives of Christians. In the movie, Sister Aloysius acts on her moral certainty. Christians like this scare me. I am reminded of a lesson learned in school that there are very few occasions when the terms always and never apply. The world is not so black and white that things can be categorized as “always this way” or “never like that” People who think this way quite honestly scare me. If we get into this certainty of thought, we are always right and we never give new ideas a chance.
However, doubt is a scary thing too. It is hard to predict what the future holds and whether we should meet the future with anxiety or excitement or both. Doubt can paralyze us into inactivity or it can cause us to turn a blind eye to those things we need to correct. How do we live in the murky middle? How do we live between certainty and doubt? How do we let our fear keep from getting the better of us?
The theme for the Mid Winter Youth conference was “Need a Power Outlet? Plug into Jesus!” It was based on Romans 12:1-8. We talked about not conforming to the world, but to be transformed and to live into what we are each called to be. When we live in doubt, our tendency is to conform, we become afraid of standing out.
One of the small group activities during the weekend was a guided meditation. In that meditation you are guided into a room full of weights. The weights are of various sizes and each one is labeled with a burden or problem. Jesus is next to you and asks you to hand the weights over to him. As you hand a weight to Jesus, he takes the burden and gives you a feather light coin with the same problem on it.
One of the points to this is to realize that Jesus takes the burden of our fears and doubts, but it doesn’t mean that we are rid of them. They are still ours, but the burden has been taken away. We can go to God in prayer, we can release our doubts; the reality of our situation remains, but we can be freed from fear. We become like the father in Mark 9:24 who cries out “I believe, help me now my unbelief!” When we put our faith in Christ, it doesn’t mean all our problems go away, but we are freed from the burden of them.
Certainty and doubt, 2 states that can lead to fear and can paralyze us. It has long been a part of the Christian faith. There are many hymns that speak to doubt. This is the last verse of the Hymn of Promise by Natalie Sleeth. It is in Sing the Faith.
In our end is our beginning; in our time, infinity;
In our doubt there is believing; in our life, eternity,
In our death, a resurrection; at the last, a victory,
Unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see.
I am reminded that belief comes from doubt and that what lies ahead can only be seen by God. If we are so dogmatic in our belief, we leave no room for God to work within us. By the same token if we dwell in doubt, we are afraid to do anything. So “what do you do when you’re unsure?” The Christian response needs to be turning to God, turning to faith and letting God work in and through us to transform us. May we all put our trust in God, knowing the God alone can see what lies ahead for each of us. May we all find belief even amidst our doubt.
Grace, mercy and peace,
Karen
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