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Words, labels and understanding Sabbath rest…

16 Sunday Mar 2014

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UnknownWords matter. Really – they do. The words we choose tell a story far beyond the simple sentences we put them in. For example, the word ‘storm’ seems pretty straightforward. Who doesn’t know what a storm is? The general definition is a disturbance in the atmosphere. We typically think of wind and rain, maybe some lightening and thunder. It could include some hail, but basically, a storm is a storm…right? So, what if that storm is a winter storm? Yes, precipitation is still a factor, but scratch the hail, lightening and thunder. Okay, sometimes we have thunder snow, which means lightening and thunder happen with the snow. Then there are sand storms – if you live in a desert. You get the point. The understanding of the word ‘storm’ can be relative, depending on the general conditions and time of year in the given area.

“Bible” is the same way. We have the canon, which is one thing if you are Protestant and another thing if you are Catholic. We have numerous translations of the original text and only pieces of those initial manuscripts. Then, there is the whole discussion about who wrote it and how it was written. Like, did God guide the hand of the writers or did the writers attempt to write about the place where their lives rubbed up against influence from the Divine? Is it history or is it a compilation of stories to tell us something about who God is and who we are in God’s world?

Then, there is the whole God-thing. Who is God? Is he a judgmental ruler who watches and waits until we mess up so he can pounce on us with consequences? Or is God the essence of all goodness that longs for us to move in rhythm with him (or her…) throughout time?

I attended a study last week where several questions came up about the Sabbath and what it should mean to us in our 21st-century lives. I maintain that how one answers, “What is the Bible?” and “Who is God” will determine how one recognizes the Sabbath…as well as how one responds to most of the issues encountered in this crazy thing called “life”. Let’s look at this more fully.

In Mark 23, Jesus is found talking to the Pharisees. The discussion focuses on the Sabbath and what a person can do to please God – like, what does it mean to ‘keep the Sabbath’. Understand they had lists of rules that were designed to help people do what they perceived was right. Jesus used an example where King David broke not only Sabbath law, but also Levitical law when he and his soldiers were “hungry and in need of food”. They went into the temple on the Sabbath and ate bread that was reserved for the priests. Verse 27 states, “Then he said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the Sabbath.'”

Aside from the obvious discussion of Christ’s statement about the Sabbath, the questions arose, “Why was the bread only for the priests?” and “It sounds like they were starving (in need of food), so what were they supposed to do?” In reality, was the bread only for the priests because it was so holy that only seemingly holy men could eat it? Or was it only for the priests because it assured their daily sustenance? If we fast-forward to today, would we deny a starving person bread that had been blessed for the Eucharist if that was the only food available? Or would we feed them out of compassion and worry about replacing the ‘holy’ food later?

You see, how we define the Bible and God will affect how one responds to this dilemma.

I believe the Bible is holy and a set of writings by humanity throughout time attempting to let others know what a relationship with God looks like. However, what made perfect sense to the writer(s) of Torah becomes muddy as we read their script today. We can recite the words, but the essence of those words become complicated as we attempt to understand the culture and tradition within which they were written. Yet, we say the Bible is timeless and written for all generations, including now and those to come. Maybe there is something we are missing in the interpretation. I for one have certainly broken several laws that were important to the ancients. There are things in scripture about gold earrings and braids that our religious culture doesn’t deem important anymore. However, don’t even get me started on passages about slavery and the right way to treat a slave! To condone human ownership, let alone attempt to claim it is Biblical is cause for me to break a few more of the ancient rules…the silence of women being a trivial start.

The point is, to embrace scripture and what it says to us today must be something other than literal interpretation. If the intent is to let others throughout time know what a relationship with God looks like, then the importance has to be in understanding who God is.

That’s where Jesus comes in. If we believe, as the ancient writers told us, that Jesus is God in human form, then to understand the words and actions of Jesus is to get an idea of what our relationship with God should look like. Jesus loved people…all kinds of people. His list of friends included crazy people, tax collectors, fishermen, shepherds, women, wealthy, poor, widows, children, prostitutes, Romans, gentiles…have I missed anyone? The point is, Jesus found beauty and acceptance in everyone.

In her book, “The Friendship of Women”, Joan Chittister, a Benedictine nun, stated, “…once we are loved we have an obligation to live as best we can.” (p. XIII)

To put this in perspective, think of the woman who was to be stoned for adultery. (John 8:1-11) Jesus told her to go and sin no more. My guess is, she was so grateful for his compassion that she did exactly what he said. I suppose this is where we could go on another tangent about what exactly we mean when we use the word “sin”. Suffice it to say, I have to believe she went back to her life and lived out the tenderness that had been offered to her. She was loved by Him and responded to that love by sharing compassion with others.

That brings us back to the Sabbath. What does it mean to keep the Sabbath and how do we respond to the part where scripture informs us we will loose our friends and die if we don’t. (Exodus 31:1-15) We tend to ignore that part when Sunday rolls around. No, we don’t have to worry about our community stoning us if we prepare a meal on Sunday or walk more than 500 steps. But, we have also moved pretty far away from understanding why God insisted we recognize the Sabbath.

You see, we are created in God’s image. (Genesis 1:27) God wildly created for six periods of time, referred to as ‘days’ in the ancient writings. I have visions of a sculptor that chisels and taps in a frenzy of creative activity allowing little time for rest, food or friends until he stands back to say, “It is good” and sits down to enjoy his work, maybe with a cup of tea and a biscuit. Maybe he calls out to a friend or two to come and see what he’s done, pours tea into their cups and pulls out the canister of biscuits along with some cheese to augment their time together. They talk and laugh, sharing the moment. Then, after they all go home, the artist decides to lie in his hammock with a comfy quilt and rest. The next day, when he is feeling restored, he walks amongst his friends and enjoys their company; he nurtures them when they are enduring troubles, he laughs with them when they are amused and even pops out a miracle or several like turning water into wine.

You see, God knows how important it is for us to rest, to take time to restore our souls and to nurture our relationships…for without these things we will surely die. Because we are human and cannot understand all of God’s ways, we have made the Sabbath into a day complete with laws that define what rest should look like. Jesus reminded us that life happens, even on the Sabbath. Someone gets hungry…someone needs healing…someone needs our love and compassion.

You see, to believe that God needs us to focus on adoration for God and nothing else for an entire day every week is to ignore God’s love for all of creation. On the flip side, to ignore our need for rest is to forget who created us. It can get pretty tricky if we try to put Sabbath in a box of legalisms.

What if we took to heart that God longs for us to be whole and looked at Sabbath rest as our opportunity to restore the things that make us whole – things like loving God with all of our hearts, souls, strength and minds and loving our neighbors as ourselves? (Matthew, Mark and Luke as well as numerous other references) What if we spent time in daily conversations with God – whether we call that worship, prayer or meditation – and what if we did the things that nurtured God’s creation out of the love we experience  as a result of the love God lavishes on us? What if that’s what Sabbath rest is supposed to look like?

Maybe it’s just easier to call it a day…

Lessons from a failed internet connection…

29 Wednesday Jan 2014

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ImageMy internet connection failed me today. It’s funny, but I felt lost and isolated. I went about a normal routine, but a corner of my mind remained focused on cyberspace. Was I missing something? The television news was exasperatingly slow compared to my usual computerized perusal of headlines and articles complete with links to items of interest and searches to answer the most trivial questions. Don’t even get me started on how many commercials invade my local channel or how many times the weather and traffic are repeated! I bake bread several times a week. While waiting for the dough to rise I tend to search email and social media sites to see what is going on with friends and family. This, too, was not to be part of my morning. Instead, my rise-time was spent cleaning and organizing a much-used kitchen cabinet, all the while being focused on how I was going to deal with the internet issue. A call to my provider would most likely be necessary, but I absolutely HATE how that scenario typically plays out. My subsequent procrastination led to a variety of activities subconsciously selected to avoid the inevitable conversation that would begin with “have you tried to restart your computer…” Good grief! Yes, and yes I checked the modem and yes I have power to my house…

The morning was actually quite productive, yet I carried my internet longings through all of it. 

When I did sit down to try my computer again, it was as if nothing had ever happened. Apparently the problem was with the provider, who rectified the situation without the need to hear from me. We can both be thankful for that! Past the computer restart, modem check and knowledge of power to the house I am a complete computer illiterate making trouble shooting challenging for all involved parties. 

However, as I ponder the morning there is a deeper message to dwell on. I mean, I was TOTALLY focused on something. No matter what I did, I couldn’t get it out of my mind. It had become part of me, motivating my thoughts, conversations and actions. Wait…what? It was as if on cue the words of the Apostle Paul put a proper perspective on my irritation. 

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ

Jesus for you.” Thessalonians 5: 16-17 (NRSV)

No, I did not interpret it to say it was God’s will that I stay off of the computer for the morning. To put this kind of inappropriate emphasis   on Paul’s statement causes us to think that everything that happens to us is “God’s will”, even if it is something ugly, rotten or horrible making God into something to hide from or avoid at all costs least some unimaginable consequence befall us. No one will ever convince me that is the action of the same God who created us, loves us and continually beacons us to turn towards him/her.

The strength of Paul’s statement is in the part about rejoicing, praying and giving thanks in all circumstances, for to do so is the will of God. You see, God doesn’t create our stuff. God’s will is that we allow God to walk with us as we navigate whatever life throws at us and that we deal with others out of love and compassion. In many ways it’s like my computer experience. Everything I did this morning was affected by my failing internet. As I said earlier, it affected my thoughts, conversation and actions. It became a part of me. What if I allowed God a similar position in my life? I mean, what if I was so focused on God that he/she affected all of my thoughts, conversations and actions? No, I am not advocating that we all memorize 23 significant scriptures so we can pull them out as needed in random conversations. Nor do I think we should throw around obvious quips about being blessed whenever a red light turns green as we approach it or a dreaded medical test comes back assuring us that we are healthy so we can blissfully go about life as we have always done confident that God is walking ahead of us to make sure the path is neat and straight.  There is nothing wrong with memorizing scripture or giving thanks, but the significance of walking with God throughout all the stuff of life is much deeper than that. It’s letting God become the core of our thoughts, conversations and actions. It’s the assurance Paul gives us that God is and no matter what happens in life, whether I cause it or I am a victim to it, I belong to God. 

“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39

It is with that knowledge that I can navigate this crazy thing called “life” rejoicing and giving thanks that something far more wonderful that I can ever imagine not only created me, but loves me simply for who I am. I don’t have to prove anything or look a certain way. I am loved. Even when I make a mess of things, I am loved. When I act like a spoiled toddler, I am loved. When I feel the weight of pain or sorrow or fatigue or despair, I am loved. Period.

That leaves us with the ‘pray without ceasing’ part of Paul’s message to the Thessalonians. Prayer is an interesting thing. We know how we teach children to pray. To get them to be still for any reason is difficult so we ask them to sit or kneel, fold their hands and close their eyes. Think about it, this positioning keeps them in one spot, limits their ability to poke the child next to them and removes visual stimulation so they can focus on their conversation with God. Unfortunately, carrying this narrow concept can limit our understanding of prayer by making it the official moment when one sits or kneels, folds their hands and closes their eyes. Do not misunderstand; there is a tremendous meditative quality to this type of prayer, however to utilize this as the only format for prayer would thwart anyone’s ability to accomplish the task of praying without ceasing. Prayer then becomes a spiritual burden that must be fit into life. Even monks must take time to eat, sleep and take on the necessary routines of the day. Prayer must fall into a broader category.

I believe that Paul called us to live as if God matters when he gave the instruction to pray without ceasing. Yes, prayer comes through rejoicing and thanking God. It comes through the humility we feel when we fully believe that God loves us through all of our complicated, messed up lives. It comes when we question what path we should take or why our most horrible fears came true. It comes when we stand in awe at the majesty of a mountain or a spectacular sunset as well as when we simply take the time to inhale the beauty of a rose. Prayer is recognizing God’s unfailing presence in all things and it’s allowing that knowledge to influence all of our thoughts, conversations and actions. 

When my computer problems took over my thought processes, I acted out of a disjointed, impatient, complaining frustration. How different my responses would be if I totally focused on God, or to phrase it another way, when I pray without ceasing. That prayer comes through study, conversations with friends, worship, meditation, devotions and simply carrying the knowledge of God’s presence with me throughout the day and through it I find I am slowly growing to depend on God and his/her ways rather than my own. 

“By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness,  gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.” Galatians 5:22-23

 

 

Success, yokes and stress…

24 Thursday Oct 2013

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“Success means we go to sleep at night knowing that our talents and abilties were used in a way that served others.”

Marianne Williamson

Success is an interesting thing. It might be a particular rung on the corporate ladder, completion of a major athletic even, or gaining admission to a prestigious organization. Some might find success in the accomplishments of their children or reaching that next milestone-wedding anniversary. For others it might be moving into their dream home, driving the ‘it’ car, or sporting the latest and greatest clothing label. Do you find your place on this list? Is your success measured by any of these markers? Or, do you see it another way? How we define stress says a lot about what we value. 

We live in a culture that is deeply affected by the desire for success. Stress and anxiety are so prevalent that we have entire industries based on helping people find the calm through herbs, pharmaceuticals, physical activity, diets and a myriad of other remedies. Companies that specialize in clothing, furniture, books, and DVD’s have branched out from those industries hoping to build revenue when we realize their product is available to augment whatever it is that is supposed to bring serenity to our lives. In spite of all that is available to us to bring us peace, we see that health in America is increasingly affected by the human physiological response to unresolved stress and anxiety. On the individual level this can be seen in the national obesity level, heart disease, cancers, strokes and a litany of chronic illnesses. As a community we see uncontrolled anger, frustration and hopelessness that presents itself in a variety of crimes ranging from a neighborhood spat to road rage to hostile shootings.

The problem is, with all of the resources available to us today, we don’t seem to be able to find peace. In actuality, our national obsession with stress and its ugly outcomes seems to be getting worse. Most of us long for that elusive feeling of peace, yet we just can’t seem to find it in the midst of our goal-oriented culture.

Years ago I heard a national talk show hostess encourage an overweight, lonely and depressed woman to find a place to volunteer 3-4 times a week. There was one important caveat to her advice – the place had to be more than a mile from her home. She was to walk there, share herself in service to others and walk home at the end of her scheduled shift. After she had done this for a month, she was to call into the show again to let the hostess know what transpired. She speculated that the woman would loose some of her excess weight from regular exercise and, more importantly, she would recognize she had something to offer to others, which would ease her feelings of loneliness and despair. I didn’t hear the second call. My guess is the talk show hostess was right.

In her quote, Marianne Williamson equates success with the use of our talents and abilities. How many times have we heard that we will be successful in life if we find our passion and make it our work? The problem is, success measured in those terms tends to be about financial achievement. Williamson gives us another measure – peace, the kind that feeds into sound and restorative sleep, as a result of success. That peace comes from serving others.

In Matthew 11 Jesus tells us something about who we are in God’s world. It ends with an invitation to “come to me” and it speaks to “all who are weary and carrying heavy burdens.” Even though the burdens we carry in our current era are very different from the ancient people, there are still big, ugly things that cause us to live in constant stress. Jesus paints a different picture of what life could and should look like. There’s just this one little thing we need to do and it involves a yoke.

The ancients would have understood the function of a yoke. It is a large, wooden crosspiece that harnesses two animals together so they can pull a cart. The yoke binds them so they share the load and complete the work. In our industrialized world, we have little need for yokes and oxen, so it is hard to picture what this analogy looks like. The point is, Jesus calls to us in our stressed and crazy lives. He offers us rest. Then, he instructs us to take his yoke. No, not to carry it alone. The nature of a yoke is that it is shared. Jesus is going to walk with us and guide us in his ways. There will be times when we try to veer left when he is moving right, or vice versa, and the yoke will keep us moving along together.

This brings up another point to ponder, namely Jesus’ ways. I never really thought about Jesus’ ways as being based on his talents and abilities. I mean, he’s Jesus, for crying out loud! Wouldn’t a list of things that weren’t his talents and abilities be shorter, if anything at all? But, what if we tried to make a list of the good things…acceptance, nurture, serving others…

Jesus’ way was and is to serve others. In our humanity we have limitations. Some of us are good at some things while others excel at others. We read in Romans and 1 Corinthians that we are given different gifts and talents, yet all of them are to be used in service to God. What does that look like? If we follow the example that Jesus modeled for us through his life, service to God is service to those around us.

Which brings us back to Ms Williamson’s quote. When we recognize who we are and whose we are, we will use our talents and abilities in a way that serves others. Maybe then we can let go of societies measures of success and find rest in living as God created us to live.

 “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Matthew 11: 28-30

“How you get there is where you’ll arrive…”

03 Thursday Oct 2013

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Years ago I was confronted with three questions: “Who are you?”, “Where are you going?” and “How are you going to get there?” It took some real thought to formulate answers. Who am I? Well, I could repeat my name, complete with nicknames, titles and surnames; tell you what I did for a living; and that I like my red wine at room temperature and my white wine chilled. I had plans for the future…some of which have been fulfilled and some that sound pretty crazy to my current self. I was going to travel; open my own business or enjoy a successful career; write a book; and be part of a perfect family. I would never have to diet, exercise or worry about health. Nor would I worry about taxes, politics, sexual predators, or wrinkles. Life would happen the way it was supposed to because…well, because…because… The truth was, I didn’t know how I was going to get there, I only knew where I wanted to be.

Some days I find myself asking God similar questions, like “Who are you”? The second one is more difficult, “Where are you in my life?” I don’t always have answers for these complex questions, but I do know how one resolves them will determine how a person lives.

There are times when the notion of “God” seems odd. Oh, I know what Christian tradition has told me. And, I know that perceptions of who God is adjusts with the exploration of other traditions or as common beliefs meander through time. An understanding of God’s nature seems to change when confronted with other brands for the divine: Jehovah, Allah, Lord, Jesus and the list goes on. If one calls The Divine essence by a particular name, it seems to ascribe particular traits or understandings. Some define love, acceptance, mercy, and nurture. Others depict a perfect being which is obsessed with our ability to match that impeccability. Still others conjure up hate and the inability to accept anything that doesn’t match a sanctioned stereotype. We read in scripture that Jesus asked the disciples over and over, “Who do you say that I am?” It is interesting to juxtapose that thought with a question posed by Brian McLaren, a Protestant pastor and lecturer when he stated, “…What you focus on determines what you miss.” “Who do you say that I am?” (Matt 16:15 and Mark 8:29) Even the act of wrapping words around that statement means something will become hidden. Peter responded, “You are the Messiah.” Even that word carried human understanding and expectations. No wonder so many parables have to do with sight being given to the blind. What are we missing as we stumble through life? Who is God? Are we ‘made in the image’ of one who loves or one who hates?  One who shows mercy and nurture or judges? Our perception of the divine is as important in our relationship with ourselves as in our interactions with others. Do I love and nurture myself? Or do I bully myself with taunts and jabs about decisions I have made or perceived personal failures?

Dovetailed into this cloudy definition is the concept of where the divine exists in our lives. Jesus responded to the Pharisees question regarding the coming of the kingdom of God by saying, ‘the kingdom of God is among (within – NIV) us’. (Luke 17:21) Like most of scripture, this is a pretty muddy statement. What does it mean that the kingdom is among us? Within us? Is this a reference to heaven? Or is it a broader statement about creation? Is God somewhere out there, beyond the clouds? I haven’t seen any angels, harps or pearly gates when flying above the clouds. Trust me, I have been known to be glued to the airplane window.  Physics and aerodynamics explain how something weighing in somewhere around 800,000 pounds can defy gravity. I never studied either subject. I suppose if I had, I would understand that gravity is only part of the picture.

The thing is, when I am looking beyond my reality for God and this nebulous kingdom, I miss it. If I look around the plane, I might notice the flight attendant who helps an elderly woman to the restroom because her aging balance makes it difficult to navigate the aisle or the young man who jumps up to pull that overly heavy bag out of the overhead compartment for the young mother traveling with an infant. I might also miss the businessman who gives up his 1st class seat for the soldier who is traveling with orders that take her into unknown geographical, emotional and physical territory. It’s the recognition of people serving others simply because they can. This is God among us, within us, reaching out to love and nurture all that is around us.

A recent post said, “How you get there is where you’ll arrive”. Various sources attribute the quote to Lewis Carroll in Alice in Wonderland. I couldn’t verify this. The point is, whoever it was completely tapped into our spiritual journey. How we do life – no matter who we think we are, where we think we are going or how we think we are going to get there – will depend on who we say that God is and where we see the divine in our lives. It isn’t simply noticing the good in the world, it’s recognizing that there is good in everything that God created and trusting that God is present always and everywhere – even in people we think are crazy, stupid, arrogant or just plain irritating. Aristotle said, “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” That statement can send a mathematician into apoplexy. Although, it’s magic to a behaviorist and theologian! It’s remembering that each one of us is a mixture of God’s goodness and human brokenness. It’s recognizing that our blindness will make us miss something that someone else might see. If we can put all of this together, we know that we are limited when we can only see our perspective. When we open ourselves to others and filter all that we come up against through the lens of our understanding of who God is and where we find God in our lives, we will become open to conversation and discernment regarding the opinions of others. It is then, and only then that we move forward together.

“How you get there is where you will arrive.” In the whole scheme of things, it seems that how one gets there is the important part. When it’s done with God at the center, it will lead to arriving exactly where we need to be.

Baking bread and contemplation…

25 Wednesday Sep 2013

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ImageThe bread took 8 days to make. Some initial decisions had to be made, but nothing greater than whether to use white or whole-wheat flour. The most important factor for success was the need for a time commitment of daily attention. It started in a small bowl with flour and water set on the kitchen counter. You see, the bacteria in the pasty mixture produced lactic and acetic acids, which in turn attracted wild yeast for cultivation. With daily feedings of additional flour and water evidence of the yeast-farm’s prosperity is seen as the concoction bubbles and grows. Each day it needed to be stirred down. More flour and water were added and it continued to react, proving yeast from the air found the seed starter and liked it. The mixture had to be stirred daily, forcing the gas escape. More flour and water were added, then you waited some more. It grew. It is stirred down.  Every day involves a step. Nothing takes very long or is difficult. It simply needs a little something every day…a little here, a little there. The regular rhythm of mindful attention turns the flour and water paste into something that will add flavor and leavening to bread dough. There is no rushing the process, no addition of instant yeast or other agents to cause the bread to rise. It is simply flour, water and deliberate time and attention that allows the dough to slowly find its life.

Bread bakers call the results of this process the ‘barm’. I think it must be short for bread-farm. This is the stuff you can keep for decades in the refrigerator and portion out at any time you want to make bread. It must be fed on a regular basis and added to if a portion is used. To make bread, barm is kneaded with salt, more flour and more water. Variety, at this point, can lead to amazing results. Olive oil, butter or eggs can increase the richness of the loaf. Some medleys of herbs and spices can reflect ethnic foods. Olive and rosemary bread becomes a Mediterranean taste sensation while the addition of sugar, cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg represents a Scandinavian heritage. Shaping the bread into a sandwich loaf, a baguette or a braid can indicate whether the bread is for everyday eating or for a holiday. Whatever it becomes, it is a gift at the table – evidence of time and diligence for the sole purpose of sharing bread at the meal.

It only took 8 days to become a routine in my life – one that will remain forever as long as I continue to nurture it.

The thing is, this daily bread is very much like the spiritual walk.

  1. It takes regularity and diligence for optimal results.
  2. What you did a day or two ago can become stale, so daily attention remains necessary.
  3. Try changes. Some might not work as well as others. Some will be amazing.
  4. There is plenty for sharing.
  5. It cannot be hurried.

The problem is, we live in a culture focused on ‘faster is better’ and we want our results immediately. It’s difficult to embrace a contemplative lifestyle when so much of what we do is focused on production and immediate reward. Contemplation can look like daydreaming and wasted time. How do we respond when answers aren’t immediate? How do we respond to the beat of God’s heart? How do we slow down long enough to hear God’s gentle whisper beaconing to us to come closer, to simply breathe and listen?

Like the bread, it’s with daily attention – just a little at a time; just enough to focus; just enough to be still and know who God is. Like bread, there will be times when keeping contemplation simple will be enough. One might choose to share conversation with God in that thing we call prayer while sitting in a pleasant spot or while noticing nature on a walk or during a daily run. Maybe it comes with a favorite passage of scripture, a daily devotion or a conversation with friends. It might not be the same every time. There might be moments when you add to the practice for variety, much like oils, herbs and spices add flavor to bread. It might come in the form of a retreat, a conference or joining a discussion group. The thing is, God is always and everywhere. We only need to look to find God’s presence wherever we are. That ‘looking’ takes a little practice. Not a lot…just a bit of diligent attention each day. In time, it will grow into something amazing. Kind of like that warm, freshly baked bread…

Weight loss, butterflies and resurrection…

19 Thursday Sep 2013

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I belong to a national organization that focuses on weight loss. In all reality, weight loss can only come with a change in lifestyle and behavior. The program acts as a guide towards developing new, healthier, life giving habits. Weekly meetings offer inspiration and group support. The leader raised the following question at a recent meeting: “What are some of the positives about belonging to […name of program…]” A group member excitedly answered, “You get to start fresh every week.” She was right. Each week begins as if nothing before it mattered. Nothing. Not the extra glass of wine on Saturday night, not the restaurant’s complimentary basket of chips and salsa, not the birthday cake or the ice cream or the missed work out. Nothing before it mattered. The point is to move on, engaging in just one new habit until it becomes part of your routine. As time goes on, you choose another habit, then another, until one day you look back and realize you have been transformed.  Not only do you look different, you feel different. It’s like life has taken on a whole new perspective. Something happened along the way…something that gave you a fresh, new start.

As most of us have, I experienced a particularly difficult situation several years ago. I received a card from a friend that assured me I would be fine when I came out on the other side of my metamorphosis. Yup, the same thing cocoons and butterflies do as they pass through the stages of life and, finally, something beautiful emerges. Mind you, that change doesn’t come without significant struggle! If you have ever watched a butterfly wrestle it’s way out of a cocoon, you know it takes a lot of persistence and groaning. But, the struggle leads to a fresh, new start.

I tried to find a definition for the word “resurrection”. Most online sources try to put “the” before it, making it an event. Which, in all reality, is how we typically view the word. It has to do with Jesus dying and coming back to life – a difficult concept to wrap one’s brain around, but one that is central to the mystery of the Christian faith. After his persecution and death, the disciples found themselves lost and afraid. Think about Mary Magdalene as she wakes the morning after the Sabbath and goes to the tomb to mourn. Maybe she wanted to feel his presence close to her; to meditate at the resting spot of her dear, dear friend; or to simply have a quiet moment of personal anguish. Many of us have visited the grave of a loved one and can relate to Mary’s desires to spend time in the place where she thought she might find a fragment of solace in the midst of an unimaginable situation. Scripture tells us she wept when she saw the tomb was empty. Talk about being kicked when you’re already down! First, she saw him murdered in a heinous, despicable way. And now this! Grave robbers took this last morsel of comfort away from her.

But, something utterly confounding happened! He was there and he was alive. She didn’t recognize him until he spoke. Then, she saw past his new form…his new life…and knew that this was him. She, too, was changed.

Resurrection comes from the Latin word resurgere which means to rise again. It’s to bring back, to revive, or to renew; a transformation. It’s like the butterfly that let go of the cocoon holding it down so it could fly. It’s new life…a fresh, new start.

The thing is, resurrection is kind of like the weekly experience in the weigh loss program I mentioned – a fresh start without guilt. It can also be described as a renewal or revitalization following a personal metamorphosis.  And, we are given opportunity to experience resurrection every time we trust the one who loves us unconditionally enough to let go of whatever is holding us back and turn toward that love.  In religious circles, we call that grace.  Sometimes we need to practice and form new habits and sometimes we just need to let go of old ‘stuff’. Either way, we are offered resurrection – new life – opportunity through grace every minute of every day.  Resurrection…to rise again…to be revitalized…to be renewed…to be transformed…to be given a fresh, new start.

Think about the possibilities and the amazing hope we can find in resurrection.

That confusing thing we call prayer…

12 Thursday Sep 2013

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I frequently have problems with prayer. I have been on the receiving end, as I suspect we all have, of prayer platitudes. “Just pray about it,” or “I’ll prayer for you.” I am not sure what either of those comments mean. What am I supposed to pray about? Tell God what I think the plan for the day should be? Or share my thoughts about whom I think God should bless, heal, soothe, or give a winning lottery ticket to? And, if someone is praying for me am I supposed to appreciate the outcome they think I should have and subsequently instructed God to grant me? What if I don’t want what they want for me? Or is their prayer simply a way for them to think they are doing something for me when they don’t feel like they have time to do anything else?

There have been studies about prayer decreasing pulse, blood pressure and respiration rates in hospitalized patients who had no idea anyone was praying for them. What causes that? And, did it also cure their cancer, reduce their pain, or make them heal faster? Maybe some would say “yes” and some would say “no” without a clear understanding of who gets to have their prayer-wish granted. Does it mean that God is ready to help some people but not others?

I sat in a class where the leader spoke of her son’s premature birth years earlier and how she “just knew that God would take care of him so he could go home with her soon.” And, God answered her prayer. I felt confused as I thought about the two babies I carried. No, not the two that are now wonderful young adults. It was the other two, the ones that didn’t make it past the first trimester of pregnancy. Am I to somehow understand that God couldn’t hear my cries above the din of other prayers – the more important ones – being offered at the same time?

As a seminary student I heard a professor say a prayer wasn’t a prayer unless it offered adoration, confession, thanksgiving and supplication. It was as if one needed to learn how to pray before a prayer was really a prayer. So…where does that leave the groaning of the heart? The place where we only have “sighs too deep for words”? (Romans 8:28) Can we only pray when we feel like thanking God for all the crappy stuff flying around us?

To make it worse, the Apostle Paul suggests we pray without ceasing. There are days when media reports about worldwide pain and suffering or troubling issues closer to home and those we love make it hard to simply breath without ceasing! Paul continues his instruction in the midst of his constant-prayer admonition by giving the instruction to  “Rejoice always…and give thanks in all circumstances”. Really? (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

All of that said, I admit that I love Paul’s advice. But, whether or not you appreciate his thoughts depends on how you think about prayer. Prayer is not our opportunity to let God know what is going on in creation. God is always and everywhere, which means God already knows everything about anything I have to say. And, God is working in and around the through the situation. God is already busy… without any need for my thoughts, wisdom, criticism, or advice.

So, why do I pray? I pray as a reminder to myself that God is. I am seriously glad that I am no longer taking English literature classes as someone would certainly let me know that I just created a sentence fragment. “God is” obviously needs to be followed by descriptors of what God is doing or who God is. No! It seems that defining God would only place limits on our understanding of God. It’s kind of like when God was talking to Moses and said, “I am.” I am what???  The “what” wasn’t important. God simply said, “I am.” God is. No conditions, no exceptions, nothing. God is. It has nothing to do with me, the country I live in, the church I attend, the political views I have, who I hang out with, whatever foibles I embrace… God is. God’s presence is with all that is. The Spirit pervades everything God created, which means God is not only present where I walk, but also present in every human, goat, chicken, dog, cockroach and frog. (I still don’t get the cockroach thing. We’ll leave that for another conversation.)  God is present in the leaves of the tree and in the wind. God is painting the colors of the sunset, the ocean and rainbows. God is present in every grain of sand and in the confusing creatures that roam the desert. God is…

Prayer is recognizing God in all things and responding to the presence of God. That response might be feeling peace as we navigate a lousy or confusing situation. It might be seeing someone else’s need and acting on that realization. It might be correcting a wrong in a personal relationship or corruption in a culture. It might be gratitude or awe in the way a seemingly hopeless situation turned out or maybe it’s recognizing snippets of silver linings when the trajectory of an outcome is heading towards sorrow. Prayer keeps us focused on the One who loves us more than we can ever imagine and guides us to share that love in all of our interactions, thoughts and desires. No, it isn’t limited to telling the story of God’s love. That’s important at certain times and in certain places. It’s about always living as if God’s love for all of creation matters. It’s ranting at God for the things that don’t seem quite right and waiting for God to guide us in our responses. It’s taking that casserole to the sick neighbor; mowing the elderly neighbor’s grass; offering to watch the young couple’s children for an evening; reading to the comatose nursing home patient; teaching English to the immigrant; visiting the inmate; praying with the lonely to remind them that God is there – whispering, beaconing, holding and walking through all that we encounter every hour of every day.

God is. To remember and act on that is to pray without ceasing.

“God” as a verb…

04 Wednesday Sep 2013

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imagesThere are days when I think my life is one big diet. You see, my name is Linda and I am a foodie. I love to cook, bake, eat, read cookbooks, eat some more, and…eat again. Unfortunately, keeping my love affair with food and my complicated relationship with exercise balanced is difficult. I am almost as familiar with diets as I am with my overfilled spice drawer. It seems there is a diet for every lifestyle and body type. Some take it off quickly, some slowly and methodically. Some focus on eliminating carbohydrates; others emphasize protein; while others say everything is “okay”, but moderation is the key. It seems the only common denominator is that with some diligence and attention, they all work.

I was bemoaning my plight with weight one day while talking to a dear friend. She sat there nibbling on a Snicker’s bar. I do mean nibbling! It was portioned into tiny squares that she insisted would satisfy her for a week – one square at a time when she had a craving for something sweet. A week! That’s right…a week. I am lucky to make one candy bar last seven minutes, let alone seven days. She paused, then told me my problem was I thought of a diet as a noun when indeed it was a verb.

An internet search of “verb” offered a consistent definition: the part of speech that expresses existence, action or occurrence; a state of being. Wikipedia informs us that a noun is the part of speech that denotes a person, place or thing. 

With all due respect to English and grammar majors, I would like to dig into these definitions. A noun tells us about something. When we see a name, we know something about the object the name is assigned to. For example, if I mention Scarsdale or Adkins, most diet junkies will immediately know we are talking a high protein plan. Yum! Yet, it doesn’t indicate any action, just thinking and recognition based on a word. It’s simply a noun…something that describes a person, place or thing.

Some words have a duality where they can be descriptive or show action, depending on how they are used. Diet in a general sense indicates something I know about…the noun. Then, there is the diet I immerse myself into…the verb. This is the action I take to not only know about the diet, it becomes living the diet. It is to plunge oneself into the expression of existence, to take action, to enter a state of being. Diet…the verb.

It’s kind of like God. When we say “God”, we get a sense of something we know about – depending on our tradition. Yet, knowing about something indicates a certain detachment. It’s like that something is out there without any significant connection between us. It’s the understanding of God as a noun.

But, something happens when we think of God as a verb. All of a sudden, we enter into a relationship with God – a relationship that isn’t based on dogma, doctrine, or knowing whether there are 66 or 73 books in the Bible and naming them in exact order. It’s a relationship where we see the perfect work of the Divine in and through all that is beaconing us to join in the dance of love and life. It’s when we plunge ourselves into the expression of the Holy’s existence; when we enter the state of being that we were created for; and we take action to live in harmony with all of God’s creation recognizing the creator in the created, it’s then that God becomes a verb.

Admittedly, I have days when I want God to be a noun so I can merrily go about my business unaffected by the world or world events. I don’t want to think about poverty, famine or war. They are just too big! Please, just let me get my groceries and go home so I can hide from the pain and suffering out there. Oh, I know enough about God to keep from shop lifting or being totally nasty to others. But, I’m not really concerned about what’s affecting them today. Please, please, just let me get on with my business and get home. God as a noun…

Then I see the mom with 3 kids trying to manage a grocery cart while keeping everyone safe in the parking lot. I can push her cart. God as a verb… I see the elderly woman who dropped her bag and oranges are rolling everywhere. I can pick up oranges. God as a verb… I see a handout asking for volunteers to mentor high school students. I can mentor. God as a verb… I see the check out person looking frazzled from long lines, crying children and demanding customers. I can smile, look her in the eye and tell her I appreciate how difficult some days can be. God as a verb…

Each of the Gospels tells a story of Jesus healing the blind. In other words, those who were without sight (hmmm, insight?) were brought to a place where they could see the world around them. (I guess that includes other people and all of the ‘stuff’ they are dealing with.) Those who are familiar with the stories are also familiar with Christ stating, “Your faith has made you well.” Faith – believing in something enough to live as if that something matters. It’s seeing God in and through all of creation and plunging into that crazy dance of faith with God. It’s recognizing where and when and who needs something we can offer. God as a verb… 

To know about a particular diet is a start, but it isn’t enough. You have to live it for it to be effective. And so it is with God…

Working on the dream…MLK, Jr…50 years later…

28 Wednesday Aug 2013

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UnknownAugust 28, 1963 – Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his beloved “I have a dream…” speech. Wow – 50 years ago! For many of us, it wasn’t simply a history class lesson. We were there to hear about it from television commentators, read about it in newspapers or listen to our parents talk about it around the dinner table. Some applauded Dr. King for his call to end racism. Others were less than positive. Worse yet, some reacted with total apathy.

He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it.                                                                               Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

To many, his dream that his “four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character” summarizes his message. He challenged a society to look past appearance and see others as God sees them. It contained a spiritual context and extended well beyond the ethnicity issues that continue to plagued our culture today.

Many don’t know that Dr. King was more than an American civil rights movement speaker.  He held a doctorate from Boston University in systematic theology and served as a pastor in Montgomery, Alabama. His message of love, acceptance and forgiveness was centered in his faith – a faith that he studied, lived, preached and offered to the nation.

I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality…I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word.                                                                     

We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.                                                           Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“To live together as brothers” resonates with the echo of God’s message as given to us through the living example of Jesus Christ. In all reality, to dig into Dr. King’s quotes is to dig into Christ’s message to us. It’s a message of love, hope, forgiveness and plain old getting along with others. It’s loving God enough that we instinctively love each other – even if they are different than we are. It’s taking the time to reach out to the woman at the well. (John 4:4-42) You know her. She’s, well…different. She’s a Samaritan, for crying out loud…a half-breed to the Hebrews. She’s been married 5 times and lives with a man to whom she is not married. She’s even shunned by the other  Samaritan women. She comes from the wrong city, has the wrong skin color, lives the wrong life and shouldn’t be noticed by a nice Jewish leader. What was Jesus thinking anyhow?

Have you seen her? Maybe…but maybe not. She remains with us today in many forms. Maybe it’s her skin color. It might be too light for some crowds, too dark for others. Maybe it’s her job, her family, or her nationality. Maybe it’s the way she thinks, her ability to do things or her deepest desires.  She might be liberal or conservative; bright or mentally challenged; straight or gay. Maybe she is not a woman, maybe she is a man or a child for “she” represents those who live outside of the acceptance and compassion given people who live up to the expectations of a culture. It happens when we see or hear something about and assign generalizations to an individual based on appearance or a singular event.

Look at it another way. What divides us? Politics and religion seem to have the corner on that market. We climb onto our pedestals assuming that our exclusive club is right and support that concept by making anything outside of our comfort zone “wrong”. We sink deeper and deeper into our perspectives until anything challenging our beliefs must be confronted, belittled, and defeated. Our boundaries become so pronounced that compromise appears as weakness, when in reality it should be the blending of the beauty in differing opinions to reach a solution which is better than either side could achieve on it’s own. It should be about compassion, about love, about looking at “the other” as part of God’s divine creation and treating them as if they matter. It’s about loving our neighbor as ourself…even if they don’t agree with us or look like us. And, it’s about navigating life in God’s creation as we embrace the good; discern what to speak out against; and generally grow in wisdom as we learn from each other.

I wonder what Dr. King would think if he were to join us for the day.

Reading scripture and mac and cheese…

22 Thursday Aug 2013

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The variety of macaroni and cheese options seems endless. For example, there is the kind that you can nuke, eat quickly and walk away wondering what just happened. It’s satisfying, but only for  the moment it takes to scrape the carton with a spoon and bring it to your mouth. It’s a momentary fix. Not a meal to fuel the body, it  exists for the moment as something to consume before getting on with life.

Then, there is the mother lode of macaroni and cheese. We’ve all had it. It’s the typical restaurant variety with 7 exotic cheeses, butter, maybe and egg or two, cream, more butter in the brioche crumbs on top and – drum roll please – bacon. It tastes amazing, but you quickly realize that it is going to stay with you in an uncomfortable way. It’s there for hours…days…and nothing seems to make it go away. Heartburn, bloat, guilt and your skinny jeans tear at your conscience. Even a hefty workout doesn’t negate it’s effects. It just hangs around as a stubborn reminder that you might not want mac and cheese ever again when in all actuality it’s not the macaroni and cheese that got to you. It’s all the stuff that was added to it.

There is basic mac and cheese, made with, well…macaroni and cheese. This variety might have a little milk in it, but it’s just as good without it. It’s the kind that makes you smile as it satisfies your craving for comfort food as well as your appetite. It’s simply enough to make a tough day better. It reminds you of home, family, belonging and feeling loved. It leaves you looking forward to having it again…and again…and again…

And so it is with reading scripture.

Sometimes we read scripture quickly. You know, just to get it done. It might be for a season during the church year, or for an event like confirmation or baptism. Most likely it’s Sunday morning in worship and it’s actually read by someone else. Occasionally we might follow along, if there is a Bible in the seat pocket and the passage is relatively easy to find. Although, if the reading is from Habakkuk, Obadiah or Haggai, we might choose to just listen least we spend the entire time of the reading looking for wherever it is that those little known prophets hang out in the Bible. It’s nice, it’s there and we got our dose for the week. It doesn’t really stay with us, but it was good to hear before we go on with the day.

Anyone who has hung out in a church for very long has heard the ramped up version of scripture and interpretation. This has to do with writing styles, commentaries, Bible translations, theological perspectives and doctrinal influence. You know, the stuff that is added to scripture so we know what it should really mean. The result can lead us to think that Biblical interpretation is confusing, like something we would never try to do at home – so we leave it to the professionals.  Alternatively, it can make scripture dangerously simple – “when Paul says…he means…”. Oh, and by the way, that means for all time. Unfortunately, the standard interpretation and meanings can be twisted and warped as we relate the stories from one generation to the next. I mean, if our original restaurant mac and cheese recipe was 2000 years old, or older, it might tell us to milk the cow – or goat – as a first step. While we are waiting for the milk to become cheese, we might think about grinding wheat into a powder fine enough to make our desired pasta, which, by the way did not exist in Paul’s time. Then there is the pig and processing the bacon. All of which would make us head to some other eatery least we spend the better part of a year waiting for our mac and cheese. We would never actually try to make it ourselves! It would be too overwhelming, as would listening to a chef explain just how it was prepared. What the ancient chef accepted as something everyone just understood, would seem like hieroglyphics  to us today. It’s too much trouble and we simply don’t have the time.

So, what good is scripture? Why should we even try to read it? What if we get it wrong? Worse yet, what if traditional interpretations seem too overwhelming or like they just don’t apply to our lives today? I mean, is there even a place for this ancient text in our 21st Century lives?

In case you don’t yet know, I absolutely love macaroni and cheese. I play with a basic recipe by changing out elbow macaroni for rotini or shells. Although american cheese is a favorite in our house, I will occasionally use cheddar if that’s what is on hand. Salt is good, as is a sprinkle of paprika or dry mustard and some pepper. But, when it comes out of the pot and is put in the bowl, it is typically just macaroni and cheese. Two major ingredients that really can’t be improved upon.

Scripture is kind of like that, too. These amazing narratives detail how humanity and the Divine rub together as those who came before us share their stories about navigating this crazy thing called life. The basic plot repeats itself we read tale after tale where God provides love and humanity responds to that love. Some things, like the 10 Commandments, tell us what that response should look like – love God; don’t lie, cheat, steal, kill or covet. Jesus gave us his living example of how we can live life as fully as God created us to live it. Our response to God’s love is to love God above all things and love our neighbor as ourselves. (Matt 22: 37-39; Mark 12:30-31; Luke 10:28; Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18) It’s the golden rule of treating someone else as we would want to be treated. (Matthew 7:12) It’s recognizing that God is the creator and all of creation is loved by God. When we begin to experience the depth of God’s love for us we cannot deny our individual responsibility and natural tendency to care for those in need.

As we continue to read the prose, poetry, and songs of scripture within the framework of God’s love for humanity and humanity’s response to that love, we find ourselves deep within stories about who we are and Whose we are. We learn what it means to live with God in this amazing world and find comfort in knowing the ancients’ struggles were like ours. We hear their voices telling us, from the perspective of their era and culture, what it looks like to trust God as if we truly believe in God’s love. It is our challenge to take that information and keep it new and fresh and alive so that we continue to live knowing that God’s plan and creation were as God saw them…good, very good.

Kind of like the simple, homemade mac and cheese…