Friday, October 29, 2010

Conversation

Last Saturday I experienced a personal triumph: I set up an iGoogle Page. Now, most people I am sure can do it in the 30 seconds described on the iGoogle home page. It took me an hour, but, it still was a triumph because the buttons, toggles, choices, and pictures to set up the page that were far from intuitive for me are now more familiar. I was determined to improve my skill with electronic media rather than give up in frustration.

A significiant part of the conversation about faith, belief, theology, ethics, the church in the public square, and personal devotion is moving to the electronic media. In the past week The Congregational Resource Guide, one of the most comprehensive sites for spirituality, leadership, and the life of congregations, launched a newly designed website with articles that change daily. The turn around time for our reflections, conversations with ourselves and others, posts in blogs is more likely one day than one week. It is a challenge but I am one of several contributors to these posts.

Those reading the latest every day will likely experience a breadth and depth of the church that was the previously was only present in professional church and clergy conversations. Expanding this conversation will strengthen all believers and strengthen the church.

I am glad that a significant part of the conversation also remains right where it should be: in our prayers to God, in face to face conversations after worship, and with those with whom we take the adventure of faith.

Monday, October 25, 2010

Halloween Lights

The decorations have sprouted across the neighborhoods in my community. Some are ghoulish and greusome, like the open coffin sporting flowers. Some are oversized fear, like the giant spider on the front door where the seasonal wreath should be. Some are lights, shades of orange and amber mimicing Christmas lights.

Halloween is now a "Holiday." It is an annual fall festival that excites people to decorate, party, and, play. The once child like fantasy of Halloween to dress up and imagine yourself bigger, stronger, more magical and larger than all the adults you know has now recaptured its morbid roots. The ancient festival of All Hallows Eve was the ward off the destructive spirits captured by the growing darkness and colder nights.

As children, and increasingly adults, 'celebrate' Halloween the feast of the next day returns to its own significance. The feast of All Saints is when Christians remember those whose lives show us a life in Christ that is bigger, stronger, more mysterious, and more inspiring than we can find any place else. All Saints Day is the day I buy my Advent candles. Perhaps it is also the day I should begin to decorate with lights that are shades of indigo and purple for the season of Advent.

If we decorate with Halloween lights a month before October 31 and we begin to decorate with Christmas lights a month before December 25, then All Saints Day could initiate our anticipation of the more Christ like life to which we are called to prepare in Advent.

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Embarrassed

Everyone has 'my most embarrassing moment' stories to tell. There is nothing worse that being embarrassed in front of someone that you care about or want to impress.

The story of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector found in Luke 18 describes how the Pharisee avoids embarrasement and the Tax Collector brings embarrassment as his offering before God. The Pharisee has done everything right and made the correct morning sacrifice. For this he is rightlyfully grateful. The Tax Collector has done everything wrong and made no morning sacrifice. His offering at the temple that morning admits he is embarrassed before God. Assuming his motives are genuine, he leaves worship a changed person. The story also assumes not much changes for the Pharisee.

Naturally we tend to cover up that which stirs up shame and embarrassment in us. When we cover it up, we also hold onto the experience. The guidance of scripture is to place before God all that holds us back.

At this time of year, many congregations ask members to commit finances for the coming year. Many of us are embarrassed about money and embarrassed when the church talks about money. Perhaps this year we can place at the altar that which embarrasses us about money and leave worship changed.

Friday, October 15, 2010

Community

Many years ago, a devote and articulate Jesuit priest once shared with me that he didn't find God in worship, or ritual, or, knowledge. He found God in the relationships around him. At first, this was a suprise since this man was in charge of worship, ritual, and teaching for a hosptial chaplaincy. And as a Jesuit, his order was well known for their commitment to the development of a life of the intellect searching for God.

Yet, he searched beyond those places into the broken vessels of human interactions that comprise our friendships, our family, our colleagues, and the people God places in our paths. These broken vessels are known as community, that web of relationships that are never perfect but nevertheless shine with the love of God. Our lives at times will know the intensity and comfort of close relationships. At times we wonder if those times of close friendship will ever come again as our children age and the circle of our adult friends change. We wonder if we will make new friendships when we move, enter a long term care community, or, must now live without a spouse.

In the broken, imperfect web of relationships we do find God. St. Augustine said, "Our hearts are restless until we find our rest in Thee." Our restless hearts can find a place of comfort in God in community with one another.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Legacy

Our desire to worship God and to connect spiritually with others is related with our desire to leave a legacy. That legacy need not be a monument, those some confuse legacy with permance. That legacy need not be an accumulation of weath, those some confuse legacy with the ability to control future decisions. Our legacy is our values, that which we hold most important, most formative, most inspiring, and most of what be desire to share with others. A monument, a gift to heirs, a donation to an alma mater can express our values, but, our legacy does not need a physical form to be passed on. What our legacy needs is our hearts.

Monday I attended the 25th reunion of my seminary class. Worshiping in the classic chapel, much about the campus, the people, and the courses taught at the school have changed. What has not changed is the lively intellect of faculty seeking to awaken in students that the love of God can be expressed through the mind. What has not changed is the commitment of community to worship. Unchanged is commitment that the spreading of the gospel comes from pastor well prepared to preach and teach from the pulpit, from the pastor who is also an author, from the director of development who calls upon his Divinity studies in his relationships with donors, and from the physican who studied both medicine and divinity and founded a not for profit health care practice that serves beyond the confines of the current health care system.

What does your heart desire to pass on to others this week?

Monday, October 4, 2010

Witness

The meaning of the word witness is broader and deeper when we look towards our Christian witness. The word usually has a functional meaning: to describe events observed, to report those events, to attest to the truth of facts, or, to attest to the truth of belief. These connotations set the person in conflict, or at least in contest, with the other witnesses around them.

Witness is broader as Christian witness because it means words as well as action. We can witness to the goodness of Christ's life in our by choosing to share our lives with others. We can witness to the goodness of Christ's life in ours by choosing to shape our lives according to the discipline of giving of our time, talent and treasure so that others know Christ's life. We can witness to the goodness of Christ's life in our by respecting the dignity of each person we encounter. These forms of witness are part of the Baptismal Covenant that Episcopalians affirm.

Witness is deeper as Christian witness because it asks each of us to be both individually dediacted to our spiritual growth as well as beings members of a Christian community that is growing in faith. Witness is deeper when we draw upon the living Christ within us to help us navigate those places when we intentionally move outside of our comfort zone. Witness asks us to keep the larger picture in mind: my needs, the needs of my household, and the needs of the community balance one another.

The first generations of Christians held all their goods in common. Yes, they attended to their own needs and the needs of their households but they also were mindful dedicate a portion of their goods for use of the community. They shared their money, material possessions, and gifts for the goodness of sharing and not for the control of determining where those shared goods would be distributed.

Christian witness raises the goodness of Christ's life for us, in us, around us, and for others to the forefront of our words and actions.