Casting Stones

Rejection is one of the most profound human experiences. Rejection is the power behind bullying in schools and social circles. We know the hurt of being bullied. We are supportive when school officials take steps to eliminate this behavior. Rejection is the impetus for the “Ban Bossy” campaign. Young girls that demonstrate leadership tendencies are rejected as leaders early in life if we label their leadership abilities with negative language like, “she sure is bossy.” Rejection is what we stand up to when we declare that LGBT people are created and loved by God just as they are. Rejection is what non dominant cultures face when people from other places migrate into the landscape of humanity in the U.S. A.. Yet we really can’t eliminated rejection; can we. 

In some sense rejection seems to be a part of each one of us. Even if the world seems to be spread out on a silver platter before us, we carry the weight of rejection. This is because, we are our harshest critics. We know this about ourselves and we have found ourselves lacking. We have regrets from the past. We have unfulfilled hopes and dreams. We have been abused and mistreated. We have abused and mistreated others. We have been given labels by others that set us apart like – bastard, promiscuous, cripple, old, foreigner, alien, sexual deviant, unhealthy, poor, homeless, addict, socially awkward, psychologically disordered. If you were being introduced to a new community, would you tell them who you really are? Or, do you think that you are more likely to allow your assets to be the first things discovered and revealed about you?

Each of us has a builder within – some part of us that decides how we will present ourselves to the public. There are parts of our identities that feed our pride. It is truly a joy to be recognized as outstanding – stunning in appearance, athletic, charming, kind, giving, intelligent, artistic. Many of us have decided that to know me is to know my giftedness. Many of us would prefer that these gifts were the only way we were known. We are building. We are building a public persona. We are building a façade – this is what you can see from the street. When we build like this, we pick and choose the stones we use. The stones that represent our gifts are perfect for the task. The stones that fail to boost our pride are rejected – we cast these stones away. What we often fail to realize is that the responsibility for building was never really given to us. We have co-opted this task out of fear and insecurity. When we were built, were we not built with both assets and liabilities?

Scripture frequently speaks about the stone that are being cast aside.  In Acts 4:11 Peter is testifying that miracles happen because of Christ. He declares that Jesus is the stone, rejected by the builders (Temple authorities) and is now the capstone of God’s saving plan. In the gospel of Matthew (21:41), Jesus describes the stone that was rejected as god’s people and correcting the builders (temple authorities) for failing God’s people. 1 Peter2 is the claim that Jesus is the first rejected stone laid down as a cornerstone and that the church becomes living stones called to proclaim the mighty acts of God. Paul writes to the church in Ephesus (2:20) that gentiles are now united with God’s people in Israel. Just as Jesus was a stone casted aside, gentiles are also stones casted aside and God has a special purpose for both. It seems like God has a lot of interest in the stones we cast.

Psalm 118 is a worship service created for the temple in Zion. The leader starts with call and response. He is encouraging all of those who are about to enter the temple to cry out the good news. The good news is “God’s steadfast love endures forever.” God’s people, the Israelites, must claim the good news.  The priests, the house of Aaron, must cry out. The outsiders who believe, the God fearers, must cry out. Because by shouting the truth of God’s love the gates of righteousness are swung wide open. In this act of praise, the psalmist recognizes the power of God’s love. 

Many stones have been cast away. The nation of Israel was captive as slaves in Egypt but the enduring love of God makes a glorious nation that has a key role in history. The Shepherd David was without standing in the world and God makes him king. Then David does his own stone casting damage committing murder and adultery. God calls him a man after his own heart and makes great use of David’s life and testimony. The psalmist himself recognizes that though he suffers and falls short, the truth of God, the fact that God’s love endures forever, is his great joy. He realizes that the stones we cast away do not need to cause our death because in God these are great building materials.

 

That is an image of God that I want us to sit with and appreciate. We so often sit in judgment – judged by the status quo, judged by our communities and cultural norms, judged by ourselves. Our reaction to this judgment breaks us into pieces. We feel the need to cast stones away and take charge of how the world knows us and uses us; but we are incompetent builders. In God’s hands, every stone is precious. God looks at the stone we cast away, holds it with care, and declares to all of creation that this stone is the perfect piece. This will be a capstone. This has value. This will be redeemed and used for good. God’s ability to love and redeem every stone allows us to be whole, allows us to be holy.

 In the journey of Lent 2014 we have traveled together and we have carried our stones with us. On Ash Wednesday you picked a stone to carry. Many of us knew what this stone represented and we prayed over our stone. We got to know it. We have even become use to carrying it around. You have heard by now that we are going to give our stones to God. Already many of you have suggested that your stone may not be something that you really want to give up. (that speaks volumes) Yet, what we are doing on Sunday is not casting our stones away. Instead let us choose to put our stones in God’s hands. Let us trust the one whose love endures forever to make us whole and make us holy. What else would we do with these stones?

Enjoy God,

pg

Stay Alert

Stay Alert

As I write this, I am working from home so that my low energy and discomfort aren't shared with the people that I would meet on an ordinary day. It I s ironic to be writing about alertness while alternating between veging out to the drone of daytime television and being convinced by the dogs to just give in to the persistent temptation to nap.

Buen Camino, pelegrinos.

 As pilgrims on the road, I am reminded of our adventure together by the Price Is Right's mountain climber (Yodel a he, yodel a he, yodel he who). The Lenten journey that we started last month has been a little surprising but I hope you are enjoying the adventure. Each week we have climbed a little further up the mountain of transformation. We decided our path by asking "what happens in church that would freak people out if it happened in Walmart?" It turns out that each of these odd traditions have transformation at their core. With each step we take, we climb a little higher (Yodel a he, yodel a he, yodel a he who).

Let us recall the Camino in mid trek. We started with the Peace of Christ. We learned that this is a peace of complete integration and wholeness. Tasting this peace is life changing. Giving this peace away changes us again. We explored fasting and learned that intentionally making space in our lives is spiritual exercise. We wrestled with confession and found that dealing with guilt and shame can lighten our load in life. We exposed the practice of intercessory  prayer and learned that we can transform our relationships from comparison into compassion. If we look back, we have the opportunity to notice that we have come pretty far up the mountain.

Now it is time for alertness. On a journey like this, the view is constantly changing. In the movie "The Way" Martin Sheen's friends groused, " what is his problem?" sheen continued to press on with the mentality of completing a forced march. "Doesn't he ever stop to smell the flowers?" Staying alert is about smelling the flowers. God has been hard at work all this time. Each day is filled with the fragrance of God's love; the beauty of renewed creation, the healing power of supportive relationships. Have you taken time to notice these? Are you staying alert?

This Sunday we will be alert. We will awaken to moments that usually pass us by. We won't just see the gifts that are in our path, we will unwrap them as well. Until then, Buen Camino.

Enjoy God,

pg

Hannah Rose

1 Samuel 1:4-9a

⁴On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters; ⁵but to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the Lord had closed her womb. ⁶Her rival used to provoke her severely, to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb. ⁷So it went on year by year; as often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat. ⁸Her husband Elkanah said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? Why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?”

⁹After they had eaten and drunk at Shiloh, Hannah rose and presented herself before the Lord.

Circumstances can certainly be tragic but they are not everything. In fact, it is important to God and it is important to Diane that people are able to realize that we are so much more than the circumstances that affect us.

Our scripture today tells the story of a woman that was pushed to the 

margins. The women of her community judged her and mocked her because she was childless. She was brought to tears with self-pity and self-loathing. She was brought to her knees; crying for mercy from God or anyone that would listen. Her name was Hannah. But I think the story shows us that she went through a name change. She went from Hannah; the name given to her by the family that raised her, to Hannah Rose; the name she lived into after she was raised up by the power of love.

It is no accident that Elkinah saw the sorrow in Hannah’s circumstances. It is not coincidence that Hannah would get a double portion from the person that loved her. Hannah needed to know that she was loved. Hannah needed to know that she was lovable. She needed to feel the joy of being the object of someone’s affection and the center of someone’s attention. And when the proper nurturing was experienced, Hannah Rose.

Hannah rose! She didn’t stumble to her feet. She didn’t get up as if it were just an alternative to being down. Hannah Rose! She lived. She thrived. She became a whole new person – a resurrection person. From this point on Hannah’s life would never be the same, because love put new life into her. Love would redefine her. Love would call her from the tomb of despair. Love would rename her. It is a beautiful image Hannah Rose; it is a beautiful name Hannah Rose.

Circumstances were difficult when I met Diane and her family. Diane was in the loving care of nurses from Hinds Hospice. She would begin the process of completing the journey of life among us. She had been assisted by the caring people at Mission Gardens for more than thirteen months. She had suffered with dementia brought on by Alzheimer’s disease for more than ten years. Yet, even under these circumstances there was beauty in the room. The family recalled Diane’s passion for humor and laughed at memories of Monty Python movies shared. They supported one another; a daughter would recall her memory of mom’s love for her husband Jim, A sister would remind her brother of the deep affection his mother had for him. A parent would relive the adoration that Diane poured out upon her grandchildren even as a grandchild stroked her hair. There was beauty in this room. There was love in this room. And from this nurturing bed of love Diane Rose. Diane rose a new person. Diane rose into the eternal embrace of God’s undying love –  a love that she had shared and expressed upon the people in her life for all of the years that she lived.

I watched the news yesterday; heartbroken by the tragedy of Ebony Wilkerson. Ebony is a young pregnant mother in Daytona Beach, Florida. She has three children 10, 9, and 3 years of age. And she is terrified. She is haunted by the specter of demons, the memory of abuse, the threat of danger from people that should have been her shelter in the storm. She was the woman that had a psychological break and drove her car and her family into the ocean. Thankfully, all were rescued. Even as this story was being told on the evening news; I thought out loud, this world needs more people like Diane Glidden. This world needs more resurrection people.

A resurrection person has the ability to believe in resurrection because they have lived through one. Diane had been through the depths of depression and she had seen the other side – Diane rose. And when she did, it changed her life and the lives of countless others.

When Diane rose she would go back to school, she would graduate with honors, she would get a master’s degree in social work, she would study the causes of depression in women, and she would become a licensed counselor. When Diane rose she would broaden her understanding of a loving God. When Diane rose she would not rise alone.

She would give her husband the space to follow his joys and his dreams. She would impress upon her children Joshua, Rochelle, and Laurie the importance of loving people without judgment. Diane would model the value of accepting the things that they cannot change. the power of changing the things they can, and the wisdom of knowing the difference. Diane would make sure that her children and grandchildren knew that they were loved and lovable, she would spend hours playing, gardening, singing, and dancing. She would focus deeply on the objects of her love sketching the beauty that she saw in each and every one of them.

When Diane Rose she knew that she could not rise alone. In complete, confidence she counseled the women in our community that lived anxiety filled lives in secret and in sadness. Women like Hannah in the bible, Women like Ebony Wilkerson in the news, women that would not be named if not for the power of love. The power of love that was expressed through Diane would name these women beloved and change their lives forever.

Thanks to Diane and the loving God that inspired her, we have new people in this world; resurrection people in this world. Maybe they have new names as well; names like Hannah Rose, Ebony Rose, Sally Rose, Katie Rose, Maria Rose, Ayesha Rose, Natasha Rose, Mary Rose. Do you have a new name today by the power of this amazing love?

Just like I said before, we need more people in this world like Diane. We need resurrection people that will love the desperate into a new life. If you were touched by Diane, the seed of resurrection was planted in you. 

Rise to the calling of love. Rise.

May the Peace of Christ Be With You

Some things that we do in church are more than a little bit unique. Have you ever spotted a friend in Walmart and then ran up to them saying, "the peace of Christ be with you"? (Probably not)Yet, when the community comes together on Sunday, we stop the whole service to acknowledge the people around us. We shake a hand or give a hug. We say the special words that we never say anywhere else, "the peace of Christ be with you." Sometimes we feel like only reaching out once. Sometimes the person we touch first wants to engage us in a conversation. Sometimes we try to achieve the goal and be a high performer touching a large group of people. Sometimes we only touch people we know. Sometimes we intentionally find a new person to be welcoming. Sometimes we wish this part would just end quickly. There is a clear variety of ways to be present in this moment of worship.

What if you had to explain this event to a new person that had never really seen it before? I am having the joy and honor of speaking to new people about faith, and worship, and all that it means to be church. The work is both exciting and challenging.

Jesus comforts his followers in the gospel of John chapter 14. "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you"..." The world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also shall live"...."peace I leave you; my peace I give you. I do not give as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

Peace means different things to different people. It could be the absence of war. Maybe it is the absence of chaos. Is it the quiet time in the house after the kids go to school? Is it the majestic silence after a blanket of snow covers the community and all activity comes to a halt? Is it surrender or is it control? One of the words used in the Hebrew language for peace is shalom which implies that peace is a wholeness - a harmony of body, mind, spirit, and emotion moving into safety, prosperity, and well-being. It even implies the existence of hope for wholeness for the individual, within societal relations, and for the whole world. The existence of shalom is the very movement toward fullness and wholeness.

When Jesus is comforting his followers and offering his peace as a gift, I imagine that the wholeness and fullness of God is being offered and that the disciples would rejoice in the movement toward the very perfection of harmony.

That said, is this what we are passing at the worship service every Sunday? Or is our activity more like a holy "hi, how are ya?" Where is this peace of Christ? Was I expected to bring the peace of Christ with me from home for distribution at church? What if I don't have the peace of Christ? Will I get it when I go to church? We only have 3 minutes to pass the peace during the service. Does that mean I need to either be lucky or strategic with the peace passers that I engage?

I believe that the scriptures are telling us that the peace of Christ is both of God and from God. More than that, I believe that the peace of Christ alone is reason enough to engage in worship. We have many states of being on Sunday morning (and on every other morning, for that matter) that are alternatives to the peace of Christ. Sadness, loneliness, dreadful, worried, ambitious, hungry, rejected, addicted, abused, successful, self-absorbed, proud, haggard, tired, and frustrated just to name a few. Are we more likely to enter the sanctuary with the peace of Christ or one of the many alternative states of being?

The fact is that the time we spend passing the peace is precious. First of all we have the opportunity to notice that we need, seek, and crave such a peace. We can reflect on the fact that there have been times (even briefly) when this peace has made itself known in our lives. If not, we might be willing to believe that such a peace could be known in our lives at any time. In some ways the passing of the peace can be experienced as a search for the holy wholeness of Christ in the community of the church. In some ways we are willing to pass and distribute the peace that we crave the most because we know that we can't just squirrel it away for a rainy day. Some of us are searching the sanctuary for the thing we need most as if it were a light flickering in a dark space. Some of us wait expectantly for the return of a welcome friend. And there is always the possibility that some of us have no idea what this strange tradition is all about.

Opening ourselves to accept and welcome the holy; this is the very meaning of worship. Shouldn't we come to our times of worship expecting to engage with God? When we pass the peace of Christ, we are acknowledging that this peace that is both of God and from God is accessible in this place. We have the intention of sharing this peace and we are willing to receive it from any source in which it dwells. We acknowledge that God is so loving that we do not need to protect ourselves from God; but rather, we open ourselves to the God that makes us whole and moves us toward fullness and harmony.

That's right says Jesus, "my peace I give you."

In the spirit of self-examination, do we have room to re-engage with the meaning of passing of the peace of Christ? Are we ready to ask ourselves if we have been practicing the churchy version of a Walmart greeting? Are we hungrier than we thought for the peace that Jesus promised us? Are we ready to give it away?

The Peace of Christ is among us. The promises of Jesus are true. May this Peace be yours today.

Enjoy God

pg

Happy Valentine's Day, Anointed

Love is in the air. Today is Valentine’s day. We have recently heard Donna Hall stand up in church and announce that she is celebrating 62 years of marriage to Lloyd. Dee Near was able to lift up her parents in prayer as they celebrated 71 years of marriage. Today is the anniversary of the day that Joel Shade, our worship leader, asked Nancy O’Bryan to be his wife, the day that my parents George & Jan Bennett celebrate 27 years and the day Jenni & Ron Durbin raise a cheer for 26. At the same time, many of us are living in the Tina Turner point of view – wondering, “What’s Love Got To Do With It?”

 

I got to read Adam Hamilton’s reflection this morning; Adam is the pastor of the Church of the Resurrection, in Kansas City (one of the largest United Methodist congregations anywhere). Even as he celebrates 31 years of marriage, he has the ability to notice that love is anything but constant. If asked, many people will tell us that the secret to a marriage that last more than 50 years is perseverance. Can I get an amen? Sometimes our love for our spouse is intensely emotional; other times, not so much. So how do we ride the waves. It is helpful to carry the hope and the expectation that a life of love is filled with new surprises and exciting developments that always exist beyond the horizon. Also Adam has another suggestion. Examine the nature of love. In his experience, “love is not at first a feeling, but a way of acting or being toward one another.”

A way of acting and being toward one another is very relational and this description is perfect for describing the practice of anointing as well. 

Last week I had the joy of attending a retreat for candidates for ordination in the United Methodist Church. It was very enriching. I learned  from experts in leadership, change theory, and thought development. Even though the learning was rich, the worship was also very moving. Rev. Linda Holbrook is a pastor that transferred here recently from Texas. She wanted to close our retreat together with a service of anointing. She showed us a bottle of olive oil that she had procured during a visit to Jerusalem. Then she introduced her desire. She said, “this oil is special to me but this is not really what anointing is all about.” She continued, “I want you to experience anointing because anointing is what God does for us.” It occurs to me that anointing like love is not at first a feeling, but a way of acting or being toward one another.

When we hear the word anointing, we often flinch a little don’t we. One person with whom I reflected on the subject suggested that anointing is a buzz word that he rarely hears in a mainstream church. In fact, whenever he thinks of anointing it brings out images of people ”falling out” or “slain by the Spirit of God.”It would be a shame to let a term's current social baggage hold us back from relational opportunities that can shape our lives.

I believe that scripture is filled with references to the relationship that we are having with God. More than that, there are brilliant images of how God is acting or being toward us as well as how we might act or be towards God. If you will explore this thought with me, you will see how this is true in the biblical references to anointing.

As for you, the anointing that you received from God remains on you, and you don’t need anyone to teach you the truth. But since God’s anointing teaches you about all things (it’s true and not a lie), remain in relationship to God just as God taught you. (CEB 1 John 2:27)

What does this mean, then, that you are anointed with the Holy Spirit?

1. It means that you are anointed for meaningful & loving ministry while you live in this world.
2. It means that you have been enabled, entrusted, and empowered to accomplish God's will. In my research about this I found about 40 things you are anointed to do. Ten of them are:
1. To be able to discern truth - 1 John 2:27.
2. To testify of the truth - 1 John 5:6 "This is the one who came by water and blood __ Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth."
3. To be able to pray - Rom. 8:39 "and Ephesians 6:18 which says, "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. . . "
4. To Live a righteous life - Romans 8:4 "in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit."
5. To be strengthened with power in your inner being - Ephesians 3:16 "I pray that out of his glorious riches God may strengthen you with power through God’s Spirit in your inner being,"
6. To be led by God - Romans 8:9 "You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, that one does not belong to Christ."
7. To live in joy - Romans 14:17 "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,"
8. To live in hope - Romans 15:13 "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in God, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."
9. To receive spiritual gifts - 1 Corinthians 12:4 "There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit."
1. 1 Corinthians 12:7 "Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good."
10. To bear spiritual fruit - Galatians 5:22-23 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."
3. It is this anointing that opens your mind, teaches you, guides you, calls you to pray, empowers you, and enables you to be stronger disciples, more powerful Christ followers. Not just people who are saved, but people who are changed, indwelt, and empowered. [1]

The gift of anointing that we shared in worship at our retreat was both eye opening and soul shaping. There are so many descriptions of the ways that that God seeks to act or be toward us and it is also quite clear that God is calling us to act and be toward God.I pray that you too will celebrate this relationship with the gift of anointing. Happy Valentine’s day and may the love you find be more than a feeling.

Enjoy God,

pg

---

[1] Research portion is work done by Matt Slick