It’s Christmas eve. It hardly seems possible; it feels like just a few weeks ago that Lisa and I moved into Bowling Green to begin our ministry with the people of Faith United Methodist Church. And yet, 6 months have passed and this calendar year is almost over.
It’s Christmas eve. We have so much written and spoken in our culture about this holy night that it is kind of confusing. Our words and actions around this time send so many mixed messages some might wonder at our mental health. Or perhaps it would be better to wonder at our spiritual health. We have elevated a plethora (for my family :D) of things and values to the level of devotion and even worship. We obsess about decorations and the purchase and giving of cards and gifts, often putting ourselves in debt that will burden us for months or even years. We do real harm to our physical and emotional health in arranging and enduring family gatherings that many times do more harm to our relationships with each other than good. We try to include worship in our schedule, if we have the time and if our friends and families don’t mind too much, but it usually takes a back seat to lots of other things.
It’s Christmas eve. A day when we commemorate a miracle. No, not the fact that a virgin supernaturally became pregnant and bore a son; although that is pretty miraculous. It has never happened before or since. And we are not all worked up over the astronomical signs that drew Magi to Jerusalem, or shepherds from their fields. The miracle we celebrate this night is that God loves us so much that he was willing to become one of us. The Son became Jeshua bar Joseph, born in Bethlehem and raised in Nazareth, so he could die for us and reconcile all people to God. That infinite, unconditional and incomprehensible love is the miracle we mark tonight.
It is Christmas eve. It is Love that causes us to fall down and worship; it is Love that we proclaim in song and light. It’s Christmas eve, a night to love and be loved, because the Word became flesh, and “what has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” And it never will!
Merry Christ-mass,
Bruce
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Friday, December 4, 2009
Just some musing
To use a line from my own Facebook posting this day, I was privileged today to be present when a dear saint graduated this life Magna cum Laude, with highest honors. She was a little lady with a huge love for the Lord and for His church. Several years ago she had become somewhat incapacitated, and yet she pushed herself hard to do whatever she could in service, and felt bad that she could not do more. I consider her life, and feel a certain amount of shame when I think of how many times I settle for less than all I could do, or worse, settle for doing nothing at all. Why is it that I so rarely push myself to give my best, or to do all I could do?
Ms. Betty is an example of a life well lived. No, she wasn't perfect; she had plenty of shortcomings. She would sometimes express her opinions in ways that could have shown more tact. She was fiercly independent, to the point of frustration for some who sought to care for her. But I have rarely met anyone who wanted to serve the Lord more passionately, in whatever way she could find. If she had been a cussing person, she would have cursed the limitations of her aging body, not so much because it inconvenienced her but because it kept her from doing tasks to help others or her church.
Now she is in perfect peace, and she leaves many to grieve her leaving this life. Her death leaves some confused & hurt. We children of all ages can't comprehend why people we love have to go away. Why do such wonderful people not stay with us as long as we need them? Why do such comparatively good people suffer the ultimate (or so it seems to us) consequence of sin in the world? Why does it so often seem like the dark wins?
Rather than answer these questions directly, our Lord responds in a different, better way. Rather than lay out logical arguments for or against the propositions of evil, God laid out his own Son on a cross as the ultimate expression of love, and of good. Rather than try to rationally convince us it is not as bad as it seems, God becomes Emmanuel, God with us, and walks through the darkness with us, even the dark valley of the shadow of death. And the best news of all is that Christ not only died for us, but rose again. The resurrection is the proof that God's plan worked, and that he has defeated the power of sin and death. Because Christ lives, we too shall live. Because Christ rose from the dead, Ms. Betty woke up this afternoon with no more pain, no more weakness, no more walker that she hated so much. Because Jesus came out of that tomb so long ago, we KNOW that he is with us, and with her, so we need not fear the dark any more, ever again.
In the meantime, we will miss having her, and so many like her, around. In the meantime, we hold each other up and walk together through the valley, where it is still dark. In the meantime we grieve, but not as those who have no hope. For us it is but a temporary parting, a bit like when we send our children off to college or Boot Camp. It hurts like crazy not having them around, but we know where they are, and we know we will see them again soon.
Goodbye, dear Betty. Until we see each other again...
Ms. Betty is an example of a life well lived. No, she wasn't perfect; she had plenty of shortcomings. She would sometimes express her opinions in ways that could have shown more tact. She was fiercly independent, to the point of frustration for some who sought to care for her. But I have rarely met anyone who wanted to serve the Lord more passionately, in whatever way she could find. If she had been a cussing person, she would have cursed the limitations of her aging body, not so much because it inconvenienced her but because it kept her from doing tasks to help others or her church.
Now she is in perfect peace, and she leaves many to grieve her leaving this life. Her death leaves some confused & hurt. We children of all ages can't comprehend why people we love have to go away. Why do such wonderful people not stay with us as long as we need them? Why do such comparatively good people suffer the ultimate (or so it seems to us) consequence of sin in the world? Why does it so often seem like the dark wins?
Rather than answer these questions directly, our Lord responds in a different, better way. Rather than lay out logical arguments for or against the propositions of evil, God laid out his own Son on a cross as the ultimate expression of love, and of good. Rather than try to rationally convince us it is not as bad as it seems, God becomes Emmanuel, God with us, and walks through the darkness with us, even the dark valley of the shadow of death. And the best news of all is that Christ not only died for us, but rose again. The resurrection is the proof that God's plan worked, and that he has defeated the power of sin and death. Because Christ lives, we too shall live. Because Christ rose from the dead, Ms. Betty woke up this afternoon with no more pain, no more weakness, no more walker that she hated so much. Because Jesus came out of that tomb so long ago, we KNOW that he is with us, and with her, so we need not fear the dark any more, ever again.
In the meantime, we will miss having her, and so many like her, around. In the meantime, we hold each other up and walk together through the valley, where it is still dark. In the meantime we grieve, but not as those who have no hope. For us it is but a temporary parting, a bit like when we send our children off to college or Boot Camp. It hurts like crazy not having them around, but we know where they are, and we know we will see them again soon.
Goodbye, dear Betty. Until we see each other again...
Monday, November 30, 2009
This has been a week! We had our 2 worship services last Sunday, in which people were invited to share things for which they were grateful in specific areas of our lives. These expressions of gratitude make up a huge part of what I consider true worship, as we share with one another how good God has been.
Then on Wednesday evening we had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner provided by one of the small groups here at the church. We invited people from one of the low-income housing complexes to join us for dinner and worship. I saw several of our members go out of their way to make our guests feel welcome; a wonderful sight for your pastor’s eyes!
Lisa and I traveled Thursday and Friday to celebrate Thanksgiving with our family, and so had a full day Saturday to prepare for this Sunday (yesterday). We had our normal 2 morning services, and a Hanging of the Green’s service in the evening. All in all, a busy week of worship and fellowship that left me pretty tired, but grateful for such opportunities. I pray that I, and you, will be reminded often that all the busy-ness of this holiday season has a point beyond presents, parties and family gatherings. The weeks leading up to Christmas are called Advent in the church calendar, and that is a time of preparation. We prepare to celebrate the wondrous event of God becoming one of us in Jesus of Nazareth, born in a stable in Palestine a very long time ago. We also prepare to welcome Jesus the Christ back when he returns to this earth in glory, a return that could come tomorrow, or could delay another thousand years or so. Either way, Advent is about being prepared, so we can celebrate his return as well. And being prepared for his second coming means doing the work he put us here to do and thereby making disciples for Jesus Christ. That is our highest goal, and our greatest privilege.
Grace and peace,
Bruce
Then on Wednesday evening we had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner provided by one of the small groups here at the church. We invited people from one of the low-income housing complexes to join us for dinner and worship. I saw several of our members go out of their way to make our guests feel welcome; a wonderful sight for your pastor’s eyes!
Lisa and I traveled Thursday and Friday to celebrate Thanksgiving with our family, and so had a full day Saturday to prepare for this Sunday (yesterday). We had our normal 2 morning services, and a Hanging of the Green’s service in the evening. All in all, a busy week of worship and fellowship that left me pretty tired, but grateful for such opportunities. I pray that I, and you, will be reminded often that all the busy-ness of this holiday season has a point beyond presents, parties and family gatherings. The weeks leading up to Christmas are called Advent in the church calendar, and that is a time of preparation. We prepare to celebrate the wondrous event of God becoming one of us in Jesus of Nazareth, born in a stable in Palestine a very long time ago. We also prepare to welcome Jesus the Christ back when he returns to this earth in glory, a return that could come tomorrow, or could delay another thousand years or so. Either way, Advent is about being prepared, so we can celebrate his return as well. And being prepared for his second coming means doing the work he put us here to do and thereby making disciples for Jesus Christ. That is our highest goal, and our greatest privilege.
Grace and peace,
Bruce
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Sweet Hour...
I have been thinking about praying. No, not as in thinking about it but not actually doing it. Thanks to my friend Chhunga, and by God’s grace, several months ago I amped up my prayer life several notches. I have been consistently beginning my days in the presence of God through prayer to a degree I have never maintained before. We began opening our church at 6:00 am each weekday to allow people to come start their day in prayer. As autumn came on, we moved the time back to 7:00 am. Not many people have taken us up on this offer so far, but it has been a great experience for me.
First, it has developed into a habit. Interesting thing about habits; it is really hard to create one of something you don’t really want to do. Eating a piece of chocolate cake everyday would be an easy habit for me to develop, but getting up early enough to open the doors was not, at first. But over the 4 months I have been doing this, not only has it become easier to get going, I actually find myself looking forward to the time. I rarely hear the alarm clock, because most days I am already awake and up before it goes off. The quiet time spent with the Lord is a wonderful start to my days. I get to share my heart with One I know loves me more than I can express. And more and more, I sense God sharing his heart with me, as well. Yes, there are days now and then when I don’t want to get up, but they are becoming fewer and easier to combat the longer I do this.
But wait, there’s more! Spending time in God’s presence continues to shape me in the image of Christ. Now, that may sound a bit arrogant to some, but I don’t think it really is. It is my prayer that each one reading these words could say the same thing, that you are a bit closer to the image of God than you were 6 months ago. To acknowledge what God is doing in your life is not arrogance, it is witness. A huge part of what being made holy (that great doctrine of Sanctification!) looks like is an ever-growing awareness of how far the Lord has brought me, and how far we still have to go to reach the prize.
I am convinced that because of what the Lord is doing in me, I am a better pastor, a better husband, a better father and grandfather, and especially a better human being than I was, and would have been without making myself available to the Holy Spirit. For those of you who are thinking I am not all that great at some or all of these things, just imagine how bad I would be without the Spirit’s work in me! It could be far worse.
I am going to keep trying to understand a bit of what goes on as I spend this time in prayer each day. I hope that my doing so is not just talking (okay, writing) to hear my head rattle, as my father used to say. Instead, I hope others will give a bit more thought to your own prayer life, and the intimacy of your relationship with God. Perhaps we can even have conversations about this, to our mutual benefit. There are, apparently, ways to comment on this blog site (see, mom, I am becoming a freakin Geek Squad groupie!), so it would be pretty easy to do.
In any case, I will keep exploring this great gift of conversation God has given us through prayer. I invite you to try it out, too, and see where it takes you.
Grace and peace,
Bruce
First, it has developed into a habit. Interesting thing about habits; it is really hard to create one of something you don’t really want to do. Eating a piece of chocolate cake everyday would be an easy habit for me to develop, but getting up early enough to open the doors was not, at first. But over the 4 months I have been doing this, not only has it become easier to get going, I actually find myself looking forward to the time. I rarely hear the alarm clock, because most days I am already awake and up before it goes off. The quiet time spent with the Lord is a wonderful start to my days. I get to share my heart with One I know loves me more than I can express. And more and more, I sense God sharing his heart with me, as well. Yes, there are days now and then when I don’t want to get up, but they are becoming fewer and easier to combat the longer I do this.
But wait, there’s more! Spending time in God’s presence continues to shape me in the image of Christ. Now, that may sound a bit arrogant to some, but I don’t think it really is. It is my prayer that each one reading these words could say the same thing, that you are a bit closer to the image of God than you were 6 months ago. To acknowledge what God is doing in your life is not arrogance, it is witness. A huge part of what being made holy (that great doctrine of Sanctification!) looks like is an ever-growing awareness of how far the Lord has brought me, and how far we still have to go to reach the prize.
I am convinced that because of what the Lord is doing in me, I am a better pastor, a better husband, a better father and grandfather, and especially a better human being than I was, and would have been without making myself available to the Holy Spirit. For those of you who are thinking I am not all that great at some or all of these things, just imagine how bad I would be without the Spirit’s work in me! It could be far worse.
I am going to keep trying to understand a bit of what goes on as I spend this time in prayer each day. I hope that my doing so is not just talking (okay, writing) to hear my head rattle, as my father used to say. Instead, I hope others will give a bit more thought to your own prayer life, and the intimacy of your relationship with God. Perhaps we can even have conversations about this, to our mutual benefit. There are, apparently, ways to comment on this blog site (see, mom, I am becoming a freakin Geek Squad groupie!), so it would be pretty easy to do.
In any case, I will keep exploring this great gift of conversation God has given us through prayer. I invite you to try it out, too, and see where it takes you.
Grace and peace,
Bruce
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Autumn is one of my favorite seasons since moving to Kentucky several years ago. The colors, along with the change in climate, just make me feel good. I learned something a couple of weeks ago about why leaves fall from the trees at this time of year. The kinds of trees that drop their leaves gain a lot of fuel from their leaves during the growing season. The leaves are where the photosynthesis goes on. There is a lot of water in the leaves, and they are very porous. In climates where freezing takes place, if the leaves stayed on the trees when it got very cold, the leaves would cause the temperature of the tree to go too low, and the entire tree would be damaged or killed. So in the fall the leaves are literally pushed off the branches, so the tree will make it through the winter.
I am wondering what in my life may need to be let go of because it no longer serves it purpose. What habits or ways of seeing the world around me, that may have been useful once, will become a stumbling block if I persist in them now? I know, and even embrace for the most part, the fact that the world is constantly changing, at an ever increasing rate of speed. But are there dead leaves in my heart that need to be shed before they freeze and cause my heart to grow cold?
As a pastor, I have been trained to see "church business" in certain ways; my experiences since seminary have also shaped my perceptions. I wonder how many of those ways of thinking need to be kicked off the branch? In a new setting, a new community with new challenges, I pray God will prune this branch so I will be productive in leading the congregation of Faith UMC.
I am wondering what in my life may need to be let go of because it no longer serves it purpose. What habits or ways of seeing the world around me, that may have been useful once, will become a stumbling block if I persist in them now? I know, and even embrace for the most part, the fact that the world is constantly changing, at an ever increasing rate of speed. But are there dead leaves in my heart that need to be shed before they freeze and cause my heart to grow cold?
As a pastor, I have been trained to see "church business" in certain ways; my experiences since seminary have also shaped my perceptions. I wonder how many of those ways of thinking need to be kicked off the branch? In a new setting, a new community with new challenges, I pray God will prune this branch so I will be productive in leading the congregation of Faith UMC.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Good morning, friends,
I am sitting here on a glorious sunny morning, wondering if I can move my desk outside for the day. I am struck not only by the beauty the Lord has created, but also by the capacity God put into each of us to appreciate that beauty. How sad it would be if we were not able to be moved by the beauty of a sunrise (that is early morning for those of you who have never seen one...), or awed by a waterfall, or the infinite other ways God expresses his creativity.
We had a pretty cool weekend here at Faith. Saturday was halloween, which by itself doesn't usually do much for me. But we hosted a Trunk & Treat night here that drew over 200 people from our neighborhood. We just invited kids and adults to come have fun with some silly games and a thrill ride on hay. Quite a few of the people stopped on their way out just to say "thank you", which tells me we were successful in spreading a bit of joy among our neighbors. To Dianne, the Begin in Faith group, and all the volunteers who gave of themselves, I want to say "THANK YOU!"
Yesterday we had two great worship services, remembering saints who have died in the past year, and celebrating the God who holds them and us in the palm of his hand. I was talking with a couple who visited our second service, and the wife talked about how much she appreciated the joy that was apparent in our worship, despite the fact that yesterday it seemed like gremlins had taken control of some of the technical details of our service. That is how good God is; that even when things don't go our way, we can glorify God in our bumbling.
We have a busy season coming upon us. Advent starts in less than 4 weeks, with Christmas plays and cantatas and special services and activities galore. We are going to try to honor our great traditions and at the same time do a few new things this season to build bridges into our local community as proclaimers of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I hope you will be able to take part in some old and new ways to celebrate and worship the God who became one of us, Immanuel.
Grace and peace,
Bruce
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