Wade in the Water

Today the Bishop lead us to the waters that God has been troubling since time began. We imagine that Jesus was on a sort of pilgrimage to be baptized now. The place where Jesus was Baptized is more than an hour from Jerusalem by bus (60miles). To get there we must leave the mountain range and find the lowest place on Earth. Isn't it amazing that Jesus would begin his ministry at the lowest place on Earth instead of from a mountain top? Before we hit water, we were more than 1200 feet below sea level.

The trouble at this water is obvious, today the Jordan River is a border between Egypt and Israel; armed soldiers on both sides. We had to cross an active mine field to get there. It was surreal to journey to the site of Jesus baptism and see signs that say warning! stay out! Mines!

This water had a pull that reaches around the world. As we arrive priests from all over were leading congregations. The languages were too many to count. We found a place on the platform that reached into the river and Bishop Brown allowed each person who desired to feel a sprinkle from the Jordan (#MethodistAllDayLong) as he said the words remember your baptism and give thanks to God. After Jesus was baptized and felt the blessing of God; (this is my child with whom I am well pleased) the wilderness beckoned, and off he went. We too were on our way again.

The Dead Sea is an Israeli National Park too. Many of us had heard of experience of wading in the Dead Sea. Atta, our guide wanted us to fully understand; "this water is 30 times saltier than the sea. don't open you eyes!" This was anything but a "normal" day at the beach. We enter passing a visible military presence, we pass a few pools that remind me of a Wild Waters amusement park, we walk on side walks and plastic grass for a few hundred yards, and then we see the entrance. Dare I say it? The potential for hair on the human body was fully demonstrated on this day (wow)! Other things stood out too; the bull horn blasted commands in Arabic to the outskirts of the wading area, the belief of healing powers in the sea had attracted people with a huge variety of maladies, but strangest of all was the site best described by Emily, "people were covering themselves in mud and splashing in the water like baby elephants."

You might think it's trouble enough n the water just to see these sites, but we were headed in. The sea floor was uncertain - some steps would sink into mud an extra 20 inches. The water was warmer than a bath and we were so buoyant that it was hard to keep our feet under us when we wanted to be upright. finally Emily had thought about it and wanted a "Dead Sea Facial." So she convinced me to join her. I held the grey slimy mud in my fingers (almost certain that this was 100% goose poop) and we went for it. Sometime after the new face crust was applied I realized that there were no birds anywhere near us and no fish in the sea. Whatever this was, it was not goose poop (sheeeew). With no friction remaining on our skin and a burning sensation beginning to encompass our bodies we decided it was a good time for a shower and an ice cream. I'm happy to report that the Bishop got even muddier than we did and Emi and Gerome from our group "went ham". ( teenager for "no holds barred") finally we sat eating our frozen treat and watch a troop of boys young enough to be spanked over a knee carry their machine guns in formation across the fact grass play area.

As we travel back to Bethlehem, we pass many of the realities in this land. Several small communities of Palestinian people that use temporary shelters to live their lives and graze their animals. These humble fields are overlooked by gigantic settlement communities of 50-70 thousand migrated residents who are supported by exceptional infrastructure. The 25 foot wall wrapping the Israeli claim to land like a giant ribbon. Surrounded by an infinite number of unfinished or partially demolished homes (Palestinians can't build or repair buildings without permits that are extremely difficult to get). The irony and inequalities are not subtle.

 These waters are troubled and wading in the water will certainly make your skin tingle.

Living Stones

Living Stones

Elias Chacour made an impact on my trip to Palestine and Israel by what he wrote in his book "Blood Brothers". It was he who reminded me of the importance of living stones. He suggested that the World comes to his homeland to see the ancient stones and fails to see the beauty of the living stones. This could be so true. We want to know where Jesus sat and what King Herod's home looked like. We want to stand at the wailing wall and offer a prayer. We want to walk on the path of passion past and ignore the passions, trials, and betrayals that are being heard in the streets right now. Does God not move powerfully in both?

There is no compassion between strangers. It is powerful that in Christ God became known and we began to understand God's willingness to know us. The intimacy that builds between those who become vulnerable to one another brings to life the power of love. It is this intimacy that makes the lives of disciples so rich. It is this intimacy that makes meaningful partnerships in life. Don't we already know that in this intimacy lies the power to change the world? But where does it start?

After a long day of traveling, Emily and I begin to unpack and find our bearings in a new place. The hotel is charming but not much like home. There are no key cards to unlock the doors. It was surprising to feel a sense of wonder when the welcoming employees hand us a key. There are no big screen T.V.'s in the lobby waiting for sports teams to stain the carpet with waffle batter every morning, no room full of human hamster wheels labeled "gym" , and no waft of Chlorine that helps us find the pool. So, clearly it is time to find out what this country calls a hotel. We need to explore.

Patios are places for the public to meet and engage. The roof top is the main patio. This is where all of the meals are served. We will eat at long tables, eat from the buffet, and learn new parts of people's lives at each meal. Three floors down is the lobby with enough couches to connect to the people around us and enough internet access to connect with the people we love a world away.  The lounge patio is two floors above the street and open to the air. It's a great place to hear the sounds of the city and add the sounds of celebration to the community surrounding. As Emily and I peak through the doors, we notice that even at 3:00am there are people out here laughing and talking. Curious, we ask permission to gaze out over the patio ledge at the city that welcomes us.

A combination of English, Arabic, and laughter quickly becomes the soup of welcoming gestures that would fill our next moments. Rameel is talking but we don't know his name yet. We feel awkward but we were glad we asked to come out instead of assuming company was not welcome. The invitation starts with pleasantries, "come on out, you are welcome." But quickly Rameel feels the need to make us even more welcome. Looking at the table, we can see that this is a party, and Rameel doesn't hesitate to invite us to join; offering beer and other beverages. Neither of us drink and it feels awkward to decline hospitality but we explain that alcohol is not okay for us. But by now our struggle to understand each other has become funny. Rameel's family and friends obviously wonder with amusement where he is going to go from here. Without missing a beat, Rameel begin's slicing a giant piece of birthday cake. We ask who's birthday is being celebrated and twenty figures point at our host. This is when we share names. As the cake becomes our gift, everyone suddenly realizes that this party has long outlived its ration of clean silverware and laughter begins again. It's time for more quick thinking so Emily and I quickly dive in with our fingers. Chocolate icing, a layer of caramel, some sort of custard; what are you going to do but lick your fingers and laugh. These living stones sure laugh easily.

After a short power nap, the sun was up and it was time for exploring to go beyond the walls of the hotel. I couldn't convince Emily that three and a half hours was enough sleep so I started the trip alone. It was Saturday, the third seat of Eid. On the first day, the people of Islam fast and remember the obedience of Abraham to God. On days 2&3 people stay with family me feast (the description reminds me of thanksgiving at home). So,am told that shops may open slow or not at all, but I walk anyway. (Who would have guessed that? Have we met?) the first open door is FuFu, a bakery, the smells draw me in but the products don't look at all familiar. I wait while family men come in and make choices to bring home to house guests that have been making a weekend at their homes, and when you he crowd clears, I start asking questions. George owns FuFu and explains some of the ingredients. He hands me what looks like a honey glazed croissant covers in black tar. "Try it" he says, "these are poppy seeds". He asks where I'm from and why I am here while I pick out a few more greets for me and Emily. When I'm done, he insists that I take the bag with his compliments. He tells me that his other bakery is in Chile ( South America,really?) I found out later that many Palestinian people have found refuge in South America after the land occupation began to greatly diminish the quality of life at home. clearly living stones are going to be fattening f this keeps up.

Bethlehem is about as hilly as San Francisco and I travel the hills back to find Emily with my treats. She too has a desire to explore so I suggest that we head even more uphill toward the temples and steeples on the horizon. It was a great choice because we found that temples are usually bathe older buildings and they are in the more historic parts of town. We found ourselves in old town Beit Jalla. After checking out a few buildings, we see a street cart billowing steam. Good things happen at street carts 😋. It was a Coffee cart run by Mufeel. He puts his cart across the street from the police station and it is also the parking lot where the taxi drivers gather. (A perfect spot for a thriving coffee cart. Luckily, taxi drivers like to hang out and drink coffee all day because Mufeel doesn't speak much English but taxi drivers do. Before long Emily is drinking the "best cup of tea she has ever had" and I am drinking coffee from a large pot that reminds me of Bedouin camp fire equipment. It doesn't taste like coffee that I've had before but what a flavor. It was everything local, everything that I was looking for. These living stones knew how to keep the city moving. (Plenty of caffeine here). Finally we figured out how to use our shekels.

There's more to tell...stay tuned

Travel Day

Today as we leave for Jerusalem is a strange combination of world and religious events. The Islamic congregation that meets at UMC Merced is celebrating a holy day called Eid. Eid is the day of sacrifice. The people of Islam use this day to mark the end of Haj (a season for pilgrimage to Mecca). This day is significant because it is the day to celebrate the sacrifice of Abraham. Abraham was trying to be obedient to God and was willing to sacrifice that which was most precious to him, his son Isaac.

Yesterday, the Jewish community spent all day at UMC Merced. A season of celebrating the new year (Rosh Hashanah)  ends on the day of atonement (yom kippur). Atonement is righteousness restored. Every year, a day is set aside to celebrate that God makes a way back when our sins carve a chasm of separation between us and the Holy One.

At the same time Pope Francis is everywhere in the news. A papal visit to the United States is rare. Today marks the first time that a pope ever spoke to a joint session of  congress. how would a shepherd of more than a billion speak well of God and stand up for justice in the heart of our broken and polarized National Representatives? Will it matter? With a gentle voice, "il Papa" boldly speaks the truth. Immigrants and refugees need to feel the dignity with which God created humanity. We were reminded that our nation is a tapestry of immigrants woven together over hundreds of years. If any country can relate to and reach out to a world of refugees and immigrants, we have everything needed to stand out with compassion and connection. Poverty is a plague that unsettles our world. Prosperous countries are not immune. And the bottom line was a challenge; isn't it possible to share the wealth, to comfort the poor?

This is also the day that 28 people from the California Nevada Annual Conference set our sites on the land of our biblical heritage, a place where ancient stones inspire us to remember the story of God, a story of people seeking refuge, people risking much for a better station in life, and people needing mercy from the wealthy all find God actively working to make a path of hope and wholeness in their lives. Let us not believe that congress faces challenge alone. We too are challenged on this day. the authors and activists in place have declared that far too often people of the world come to the Holy Land to see ancient stones and overlook the living stones that are God's beloved children living in refuge, living as outsiders, and living with the struggle of policies creating unbearable apartheid conditions. how will we be a witness for the gospel? How will we speak well of God and stand up for justice?

Will we be able to celebrate righteousness restored? Will we be called to re-member a call for sacrifice that declares obedience to God?

Maybe the voices of the Holy One are meant to be heard a little louder today. Maybe the voices of the Holy One are reaching a broader audience today.

Skuuuuurt (the sound of skidding tires) ---- I just noticed that more than one reality exists at the same time

All of us made the plane without a hitch (by all of us I mean, me and 400 of my closest friends) Turkish Airlines had a fine offering of service and accommodations. They managed to deal with at least a dozen languages at a time. This leg of the trip would be at least 13 hours. You would think that 13 hours is enough time to do most things unless you were a single mother traveling to Pakistan with twin boys under the age of two.

Before long we had a living example f the idea that "it takes a village" to raise a child. Several members of our delegation and some of the planes service staff were recruited to be the extra arms, legs, and bouncing laps of a very resourceful mom. It was a sight to see....yet the noise level was not all that conducive to sober people getting a nap.

Just a three hour layover in Istanbul. The mixing of cultures was impressive. We saw our first Islamic prayer rooms in an airport. We could see how other countries sell duty free cigarettes but clearly mark each box with bold letters that informs each buyer of an ugly and early death coming their soon. And great news......Starbucks still has free WiFi and delicious regional desserts.

2 hours later, we were on the ground in Tel Aviv....the line for passport inspection was nothing if not thorough. This two hours helped us get to know our delegation better.finally a bus ride for the next hour and a half would land us in the Angel Hotel, Bethlehem district. 23 hours of travel is quite a thing.

Stay tuned....the days ahead should blow our minds..

Our Pilgrimage to Palestine & Israel Begins

We are headed to Palestine and Jerusalem today! it has been a busy week of prep. I have discovered how to use my phone overseas without high fees (essentially, we just use our phones as computers. All text, data, and calls are blocked.) we are reachable by email and by Facebook messenger. We will be 10 hours ahead of California, so expect long delays in communication most of the time. Our computers should work everywhere with the exception of one day 9/29. I am hoping to keep this blog going throughout the trip as a sort of journal.

Emily and I have done some reading in advance of the trip. I am shocked to begin to see the conflict in the Holy land as a current event of oppressive apartheid instead of as an ageless struggle between tribes pitted against each other by God. Maybe others would like to read too.

Here is a short list of publications authored by Palestinian Christian leaders. These should be available through Amazon.  If you would like to borrow a copy for the trip, just let me know.  Each would be good reading for the flight!

Note that we will be visiting Mar Elias Educational Institutions in Ibillin (September 30) which was founded by Archbishop Elias Chacour; the Sabeel Institute in Jerusalem (October 2) which was founded by Rev. Naim Ateek; Bethlehem Bible College (September 28) which is run by Rev. Alex Awad's brother Bishara.

Blood Brothers by Archbibhop Elias Chacour (1984 Baker Book House Company)
We Belong to the Land by Archbishop Elias Chacour (1990 Harper Collins)
Palestinian Memories: The Story of a Palestinian Mother and Her People  by Rev. Alex Awad (2008 Bethlehem Bible College)
Justice and Only Justice by Rev. Naim Ateek (1989 Orbis Books)
A Palestinian Cry for Reconciliation by Rev. Naim Ateek (2008 Orbis Books)
Bethlehem Besieged by Rev. Mitri Raheb (2004 Augsberg Fortress)
Faith in the Face of Empire: The Bible Through Palestinian Eyes by Rev. Mitri Raheb (2014 Orbis Books)

Other good reading for general background:

Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid:  by Jimmy Carter (2006 Simon & Schuster)
The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine:  by Ilan Pappe (2006 One World Publications)
Sharing the Land of Canaan: Human Rights and the Israeli-Palestinian Struggle: by Mazin Qumsiyeh (2004 Pluto Press)

Today Emily and I will pack marshmallows, nuts, fruit, and candy away like squirrels in a travel bag. I'm sure we will find something in between yoga pants and pajamas to be appropriate travel wear for 15 hours on a plane. We have already made a list of homework, done loaded games and movies, purchased books and taken our nasal decongestant. Do you think that will be enough to keep us from going stir crazy? Sonja (amazing girlfriend) is taking us to the airport. We should leave Merced around 1:00pm

Jenni Durbin has offered to pray us through our itinerary each day. If you would like to do this too, I am attaching a picture of it. You can also follow us on Facebook.

9/25 arrive in Tel Aviv, go to hotel in Bethlehem 11:30pm

9/26 church of the Nativity, shepherd's field, Herodion, Wadi Foquin

9/27 worship with local Palestinian Christians, Jericho, Qumran, Dead Sea, Baptismal site, dinner with Palestinian families.

9/28 Bethlehem bible college, hope secondary school, Ayda refugee camp,

9/29 Sea of Galilee boat ride, Capernaum, mt. Of beatitudes, walk the Wadi Hamman

9/30 Nazareth, my Carmel monastery, overnight in Jerusalem

10/1 garden of gethsemane, upper room Palm Sunday path, house of caiaphas

10/2 Via Dolorosa , garden tomb, Antonia fortress, church of the holy sepulchre

I'm Not Religious

You’ve heard it said. Sometimes it’s a warning shot across the bow – you don’t want to get me into a conversation about God. Maybe it’s a shield – I’m not into that, don’t judge me. On occasion it can be a putdown – religion is beneath me and all other sentient beings. It can create distance – don’t group me with THAT lot. “I’m not religious”; at the bare minimum, these words are a caution sign in any relationship or conversation. So, how do you respond when this happens?

I’ve never been one that felt like I had all the answers. In fact the result of my religious curiosity is often discovering more ways to be wrong about God than being able to paint a clear and flawless picture of the divine. So, far be it from me to impose my understanding of God upon anyone. One thing I love about the many religious expressions contained in the bible is the truth that I think is revealed about our creator in the mix – God relentlessly loves us in spite of the many

 misunderstandings we have about God. So if it’s difficult for a pastor to navigate the dreaded “I’m not religious”, why should someone without the benefit of advanced theological education even try?

I discovered the answer to this question in small group settings that UMC Merced is using to help people intentionally “Turn Up” in a life of discipleship; we call them D-Groups. Many levels of experience with religion are invited to these groups together. We spend a lot of time learning to know and love one another while we try to learn to know and love God. Often we allow space for people to air out their discomfort with religion. It’s true, the words “I’m not religious” are even spoken in church (strong irony?). I am pleased to say that this is always happening with the expectation of a loving, kind, and generous environment.

So here is the process we came up with to gently wrestle with these words. We asked everyone in the room to offer a reflection in the following framework – I’m grateful for religion because… What happened next was beautiful.

A woman in her eighties said that she learned about patience and love (qualities that she is known for) from a young volunteer when she was a child. A widow said that she found life embracing companions in the days of grieving that followed the loss of her husband. A gay man said that we are a community seeking relationship with God and even though we are in different vehicles the goal is the same. He had found a community that didn’t force him into “a vehicle” that wasn’t authentically his. A woman recalled feeling accepted when she received her first communion. An established man in life said that religion gives him a place to grow and people that will nurture his growth. An agnostic expressed that she found a place to ask questions and doubt in an environment of love. A mother said that she is overcome by a love she can’t understand or explain. A pastor (guess who) said this is where I see God making a difference in the face of my futile efforts and glaring incapacities.

One after another, we heard people give witness to common place miracles; deep relationships; divine revelation and an ongoing sense of awe that inspires life lived more fully. Where was the derision? Did we ask the wrong people or just the wrong question? None of these testimonies referred to religion as a small box, a strict set of rules, a community of hypocrites, or a self-righteous club of delusional narcissists. I intentionally didn’t ask what IS religion. Instead I wanted us to focus on what religion DOES. The point being, that religion doesn’t attract most of us by being the logically correct choice. Rather, the attraction of religion is behind the uniquely beautiful experiences that people find in the journey toward knowing and loving the divine. Another important discovery is that religion wasn’t anyone’s goal. Religion has a purpose, which is to help us know, love, and enjoy God; and a powerful relationship by definition calls us to sacrifice who we are for who we might become. If we put all our energy and attention to “right religion”, religion is all we get. In essence we give up on the destination to put all our attention on the vehicle that was meant to get us there.

To be fair, I’m not religious can also be a response to injury – religion hurt me, made me feel worthless, judged me, called me an abomination…I felt abused. The fact is when we ask what religion DOES in a broader environment this truth comes out too. The group of people who have found religion and come away worse for the wear is not small. Is it really religion that makes these wounds or is it the religious? I find that the path toward knowing and loving God (religion) is filled with people expressing the human condition in full color (religious) – colors like needing validation, incessant competition, languishing for love, needing protection, and needing to be right. Being on the path called religion does not change the reality that we are wounded animals. Wounded animals are dangerous. My walk among the wounded gives me cause to seek reconciliation and healing relationships with many who journey with me. “I believe, forgive my unbelief”

If we focus on the fact that religion has a purpose – engaging us in a loving relationship with the divine and remaking us, we should pause before using the word religious as an identity. “I’m driving” is not an identity; it is how I am getting somewhere. The identity we have was given to us by our creator – I’m human. Native American culture has a saying. I am human and because I am human I am capable of all of the evil humanity produces; because I am human I am capable of all of the good that humanity produces. I am human. The identity we share can help us to walk humbly on this Earth and religion gives us the potential of walking humbly with our God.

I’m not religious is an opportunity to care. We can care about the blessings that religion has brought to our lives. We can care about the wounded animals on the path of religion, and we can care about the injuries created by us and others as wounded animals. Walking, walking humbly, and walking humbly with our God are all possibilities in this life. The way we care makes some of these choices better than others.

A Better Way

Life is too short to live with ongoing resentment. Nowhere do we see more clearly the brokenness of our world than when we take stock of the ways in which we have been wronged or the ways in which we have wronged others. I have had people tell me that they can’t even look at or share space with the person that lives among us with the obstruction of offense between us. Emotions flare up when offending parties come together because as they approach one another, they are not really getting closer to each other. They are getting closer the offense that is between them. They both begin to relive the anger, the guilt, the pain, the shame…the wounds begin to throb. Once again we notice the wound. Once again we feel the destructive power of a broken relationship. 

What choices do we have when we face the reality of these broken relationships? Retribution is one of our go to tools. We imagine that justice is the highest ideal – an eye for an eye; that’s what the bible says. We believe that retribution makes sense. So, we punish. Then we wonder why the taste of bitterness lingers with us.  If an eye for an eye were the solution, wouldn’t I feel more whole; wouldn’t I feel more healed? Ignoring the offense, sweeping it under the rug, is popular. But is this solution real? Aren’t we settling for a life with acceptable chasms between us and those with whom we share broken relationship? How many “acceptable chasms” will we choose before we are on an island of our own making? How about taking the high road? Many times we choose to chalk the offense up to life – “oh well, he owes me one (or I owe her one).” But what happens when my accounting fails to match the accounting of others in my life? This is about to be an offense upon an offense. It is pretty clear. We have gone to great lengths to navigate the brokenness in our relationships and we have found many tactics that do nothing to lessen the brokenness in any way.

So let us state the obvious. There is a better way. It’s not the easier way. It’s not the cheaper way. It’s not even the way that we came up with on our own. This is the way that we hold up as God’s good news for the world that God loves. This is the way that we stand upon as a foundation stone of our faith. It is forgiveness. We believe that the Kin_dom of God is the future, that the Kin_dom of God is upon us, and that the Kin_dom of God is a place of shalom – wholeness, thriving, peace, & joyful life eternal. And according to Archbishop Desmond Tutu, “There is no future without forgiveness.”

So, if all this is true, then why is forgiveness not a more prolific product of the lives those of us that call ourselves followers of Christ?  During Lent we will explore the process of forgiveness. We will learn from Marjorie Thompson, the experiences of religious leaders and communities in our history, and the wisdom and truth in scripture. 

 

We have many questions about the path of forgiveness. Here are some of the questions and answers we will sample on our quest together this Lenten Season. Do you really know why forgiveness  is needed? “If we are spiritually united by virtue of our creation, however, we are sorrowfully united as well in our fall from the grace of such unity.” Have you wondered what qualifies someone for forgiveness? “So much of what we see, do, and say is rooted in unconscious wounds and unmet needs.” Have you wondered how you will know when someone deserves forgiveness? “God’s forgiveness offers us a way to move forward: to challenge the assumed supremacy of our small ego-kingdoms; to discover our common humanity with others of all backgrounds; to wake up to our deeper identity in Christ.” Have you wondered how we get passed the emotional barriers that get in the way of forgiveness? Our souls “are interconnected in God, as though the many wicks of our lamps draw their oil from the same full cruse in which they are all immersed.” (Douglas Steere) I’ll bet some of us even wonder where forgiveness comes from. “Forgiveness is the healing stream flowing out from the life of Christ over a world that does not know how desperately it needs healing”

 

I look forward to this pilgrimage in the wilderness of forgiveness. We will find wonder and mystery, healing and hope, even new life on the path. I hope I am not under promising too much.

Enjoy God,

pg

Connection Matters

Yes, God is with us! The celebration of Christmas declares truth, power, and life changing relationship. The waiting period is over and here we are. “The Kin_dom of God is upon you”. These realities are not impotent, neutral declarations that line the walls of our busy lives. These realities are daring, uncomfortable invitations to go deeper in our relationship with God. To do this, we need to notice the power that is God with us. Furthermore, we need to stop gawking in paralyzed amazement at this power and find a connection point. In this faithful endeavor we find the truth – connection matters.

Last week our congregation was invited into many paths of engagement. These are spiritual practices. I want to define a spiritual practice as that which requires intent, focuses our attention on the power that is Holy/wholly not our own, and stretches us to a new way of being open to that life changing power – God. In other words, spiritual practice is connection. I’m certain that you can apprehend that amazing power as a spectacle to see is one thing, and amazing power that one is connected to is another thing all together.

You were given some tools.  These are very practical and useful; perfect for the journey that we are going to travel together. We have a clear path to goal setting, a system to sustain our effort – we partner with one another for encouragement, prayer, and accountability. We have been given testimonies about how this system has been effective for others in our community. Finally, we have been invited to take our own place at the table in this banquet of spiritual practice. I hope the invitation to connection that was made on January 4^th is still challenging you to do something new this year; something that stretches you and makes a connection. (We will keep these Goal setting cards available in the office and the sanctuary throughout this sermon series.)

I realize that it is possible for us to see this invitation as off-putting. After all, we demonstrated spiritual practice as the very thing we commit to in our baptismal vows – prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness. We demonstrated ideal examples of these spiritual practices – 10% tithing, 20 hours of service in a month, 30 minutes of study and devotion every day, 40 Sundays in worship, 50 captured opportunities to share our faith with someone new. Anyone of these ideals can feel daunting. I have not yet met the person that would not feel stretched by this list of potential practices. And worse, we asked for people to make a commitment and turn them in on the spot.  It was a challenging day in church and there are many feelings we get from being challenged; energized, overwhelmed, excited, dreading failure, empowered , & suspicious, just to name a few.

There is nothing wrong with any of these feelings. We are who we are and our feelings will be our own natural response to the challenge that is in front of us. Own them, work with them, talk to someone about them, and use them to find your path to making a connection with this amazing power. God uses all things for good in the lives of the faithful. All things.

I also realize that building trust is important in a challenge. To that end, I want you to know that the subject of you, your goals, and your dedication to spiritual practice is never a topic of conversation about you. I will never be asking leadership to account for the spiritual practice lives of the congregation. I will never ask your accountability partner for an update on your performance. I will never ask you for a report on someone else. I am open to talking about spiritual practices of course (this would be thrilling to me): but these conversations will always be in the first person – me talking to you about your spiritual practice journey, because you want to talk about it.

 

So why turn in cards and why ask for a partner to whom you would share your spiritual practice story? These are opportunities for each one of us to experience love and support from our church community. This is also a way for you to serve as a loving partner for someone else in your church family. In other words, this is a way to make connections.  Connections matter.

 As we continue through the next six weeks, I will be talking about the amazing power revealed in God with us. We are offering more than an intellectual examination of this power. We are offering connection, and we know for sure that people who take the time to make this connection will never be the same.  I myself am not really here to understand the power of God (I am not even sure this is possible). I am eager to experience the power of God. Isn’t a God who is willing to become flesh and dwell among us making this invitation plain? God has obviously sought us out so that we might experience the life changing power of God’s divine love.  I submit that this is because God believes connection matters. What are we going to do with this invitation?