Dear family,
This Sunday we have an incredible opportunity. The young people of our church family will lead us in worship. They are creating it. They are leading it. They are choosing the music. And they will bring the message. It is, even for those trained in areas of worship and message development, a stressful time, but for four persons who have no experience, it can be down right frightening.
And yet, they cant wait to do it. They can't wait to lead us. They cant wait to share their experiences of NYC and how God moved and touched them during their two week excursion into the west. And they are anxious for all of us to get on board and join them in this exciting journey we called faith. They have a passion and a deep desire to follow God, and my hope is that we join them, no more than that, my hope is that we follow their lead and let them become the stars of this congregation.
But all too often my experiences, in previous congregations and previous NYCs, is that the energy and power of National Youth Conference gets swept under the rug or dismissed as emotional fervor with no real reason to pay attention to it. We cannot and must not do this to our young people this time. We must throw our inhibitions away and listen to what God has to offer, even if it means turning our world upside down. Folks, i know i have said it before, and i cant say it enough, but we should feel the desperation of this moment.
We are desperate. We have little resources. We have fewer numbers. And daily it seems bad news comes through the papers or television warning us that life, in the "Rust Belt" is only going to get tougher. The economy, in our communities, continues to struggle, and that truth creates a culture of anxiety in our church. No money coming in means what? Fewer persons attending equals what? So we are desperate. Right?
And if we are desperate, which i sense we are, why not listen to new ideas, from our young people, letting them inspire and lead us? What do we have to lose? Come to church, this Sunday and every Sunday, with an open mind and willingness to hear, to see, to experience God in new ways. If we come to worship, letting our lives be our offering, our act of worship, we can and will experience God in powerful ways. But more than that, we can overcome the western tendecy to make worship be about us. It isn't. It is about the Creator.
So. This Sunday, listen, worship, and give yourselves to God and let our youth lead you. If all goes as planned, they will illumine a similiar path to the ones each of them walked a week ago, and what an amazing journey it was. Amen.
Shalom,
jerry
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
The Dichotomy of Life
Dear family,
I write to you from the "Red Carpet Room" on the campus of Colorado State University, while working hard at National Youth Conference. It has been a chaotic first four days, and my sense is that it is going to get even crazier. We have two more days, and each day is going to push the young people of the Church of the Brethren further along their faith journeys. They have learned to embrace who they are, what it means to acknowledge their own brokenness, and today they/we wrestle with the audacity of grace. Sitting here, trying to wrap my mind around all that is happening, i feel a need to name a strange dichotomy.
In the midst of this amazing life-giving experience, our church family, once again, is dealing with loss.
But that's life, right? We cannot escape the inevitable: life ends at some time.
Which, for me, at least, raises the obvious question: what will we do with the life we are given? How will we spend our days? What relationships will we nurture? What relationships will we let fade away like a bad dream? When faced with death, whether a loved one or an acquaintance, we often, once again, return to our own mortality, and that usually illumines questions we have carried for a long time. And it is good, very good, that viewing our own mortality causes us to ask questions of our life. It is healthy. It is necessary. And it is Godly.
So what will we do? Will we weep with Connie, YES! Will we miss Nelson and his wit? OF COURSE! But if we are to honor his story, and if we want to support Connie in the healthiest way possible, we must not only struggle with our mortality, but we must also live. LIVE! Truly LIVE! And for us, as a people of faith, that begins with our common story as followers of Jesus.
What will we do? If our faith is real, then we will embrace the teachings and challenges of Jesus, so that, along with the saints of yesteryear, we can add our names to the amazing family tree that finds Jesus as it root, trunk, and support. We will add our names to the likes of St. Augustine. St. Paul. Mother Teresa. Martin Luther. Teresa of Avila. Anna Mow. Alexander Mack. Sarah Righter Major. Ted Studebaker. Dan West. And so many more. When we anchor our narrative, our own personal narratives into the greater narrative of God, in Jesus, we become part of an amazing family tree with sisters and brothers that stretch beyond the confines of human history. It is time, folks, to anchor etch our names into Jesus' family tree. He awaits to add your name, my name, and so many more names to the extensive lists of his brothers and sisters.
And here's a beautiful truth when we write our names into Jesus' family tree, Jesus transforms us. We go from lost to being found. We go from being blind to having sight. And we go from not being able to hear to having ears that listen to the Master's song. More than that, we change. We evolve from narcissistic beings into selfless servants, chasing after more and more persons lost in this broken world. Included in this transformation is a new way of looking at life.
We embrace the reality of our mortality, and when loss hits us like a cold snowball that makes us shiver, we do not deny death. We take this chance to grieve. We take this chance to tell stories. And we take this chance to remember. But more than that, we also take this chance to know that life has a greater purpose, and if we, those left behind, want to honor our loved ones, we will do what Jesus commanded. Let love guide us and let our love define us. When we let love guide and define us, not even death can stop us.
We all love to tell stories of our family trees, and most of us are rather proud of where we came from. So why not tell the greatest story of our common family tree: Jesus. And while we do, let's make sure we continue to nurture this tree so that others, those who follow behind us, can add their names to this tree. It is more than big enough, and there are plenty of spaces waiting for our sisters and brothers.
Mourn for Nelson, we lost a good friend. Support Connie, she needs it. But then make room for the next great comic to emerge in our midst, reminding us that laughter is greater than our deepest sorrow and most painful hurt. Amen.
Shalom, Salaam, Peace,
Jerry
PS I know this is long. But i have so many thoughts stirring around in my head right now, and i feel moved and inspired, which is always a great thing. Remember Matthew 1 is our text for this Sunday. PLEASE READ! Read more than once. Read daily. Make it so familiar to you, that you can recite it by memory. See ya Sunday.
I write to you from the "Red Carpet Room" on the campus of Colorado State University, while working hard at National Youth Conference. It has been a chaotic first four days, and my sense is that it is going to get even crazier. We have two more days, and each day is going to push the young people of the Church of the Brethren further along their faith journeys. They have learned to embrace who they are, what it means to acknowledge their own brokenness, and today they/we wrestle with the audacity of grace. Sitting here, trying to wrap my mind around all that is happening, i feel a need to name a strange dichotomy.
In the midst of this amazing life-giving experience, our church family, once again, is dealing with loss.
But that's life, right? We cannot escape the inevitable: life ends at some time.
Which, for me, at least, raises the obvious question: what will we do with the life we are given? How will we spend our days? What relationships will we nurture? What relationships will we let fade away like a bad dream? When faced with death, whether a loved one or an acquaintance, we often, once again, return to our own mortality, and that usually illumines questions we have carried for a long time. And it is good, very good, that viewing our own mortality causes us to ask questions of our life. It is healthy. It is necessary. And it is Godly.
So what will we do? Will we weep with Connie, YES! Will we miss Nelson and his wit? OF COURSE! But if we are to honor his story, and if we want to support Connie in the healthiest way possible, we must not only struggle with our mortality, but we must also live. LIVE! Truly LIVE! And for us, as a people of faith, that begins with our common story as followers of Jesus.
What will we do? If our faith is real, then we will embrace the teachings and challenges of Jesus, so that, along with the saints of yesteryear, we can add our names to the amazing family tree that finds Jesus as it root, trunk, and support. We will add our names to the likes of St. Augustine. St. Paul. Mother Teresa. Martin Luther. Teresa of Avila. Anna Mow. Alexander Mack. Sarah Righter Major. Ted Studebaker. Dan West. And so many more. When we anchor our narrative, our own personal narratives into the greater narrative of God, in Jesus, we become part of an amazing family tree with sisters and brothers that stretch beyond the confines of human history. It is time, folks, to anchor etch our names into Jesus' family tree. He awaits to add your name, my name, and so many more names to the extensive lists of his brothers and sisters.
And here's a beautiful truth when we write our names into Jesus' family tree, Jesus transforms us. We go from lost to being found. We go from being blind to having sight. And we go from not being able to hear to having ears that listen to the Master's song. More than that, we change. We evolve from narcissistic beings into selfless servants, chasing after more and more persons lost in this broken world. Included in this transformation is a new way of looking at life.
We embrace the reality of our mortality, and when loss hits us like a cold snowball that makes us shiver, we do not deny death. We take this chance to grieve. We take this chance to tell stories. And we take this chance to remember. But more than that, we also take this chance to know that life has a greater purpose, and if we, those left behind, want to honor our loved ones, we will do what Jesus commanded. Let love guide us and let our love define us. When we let love guide and define us, not even death can stop us.
We all love to tell stories of our family trees, and most of us are rather proud of where we came from. So why not tell the greatest story of our common family tree: Jesus. And while we do, let's make sure we continue to nurture this tree so that others, those who follow behind us, can add their names to this tree. It is more than big enough, and there are plenty of spaces waiting for our sisters and brothers.
Mourn for Nelson, we lost a good friend. Support Connie, she needs it. But then make room for the next great comic to emerge in our midst, reminding us that laughter is greater than our deepest sorrow and most painful hurt. Amen.
Shalom, Salaam, Peace,
Jerry
PS I know this is long. But i have so many thoughts stirring around in my head right now, and i feel moved and inspired, which is always a great thing. Remember Matthew 1 is our text for this Sunday. PLEASE READ! Read more than once. Read daily. Make it so familiar to you, that you can recite it by memory. See ya Sunday.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Adventure...
Dear Family,
I am writing this blog from a wonderful home in Centenniel, Colorado. We are getting ready to pack up and enjoy a nice relaxing day of site seeing and shopping, before i get dropped off at Colorado State University for NYC. We have been together for five days, already, and it has been an amazing journey, so far. We still have another week, before we return with stories of laughter, faith building, new friendships, and life.
So where do i begin? Do i talk about the mosquitoes in McPherson that was of Biblical plague proportions. I am not joking. They are so thick that we had to run to buildings to avoid being attacked by a swarm of vicious, man-eating insects. I think we got a sense of what Moses and the Eqyptians went through, only i dont think locusts eat human flesh, but those critters in Mac sure do enjoy biting us.
Maybe i could talk about the barbecue with my family in Buhler, where again the plague of mosquitoes attacked with incredible fervor, but we also had a chance to eat great food, share stories, and walk through my Uncle Ronnie's wilderness house. Ask the guys for details about my uncle, the hunter, and how his house resembled more of a hut with dead animals everywhere than a typical Kansas home.
I could even talk about the drive from Ohio to Mac or Mac to Denver, which included listening to great music, seeing amazing things, and standing under a 30 foot prarie dog. I might talk about arriving in Denver, only to realize that our hosts had to leave earlier than planned, so our barbecue was replaced by Golden Coral and an all you can eat extravaganza. And then there was yesterday.
Yesterday we journeyed up to Idaho Springs, where we jumped into a raft and navigated the rushing waters of Clear Creek. It was exhilarating. It was refreshing. And it took us through some of the most beautiful, God created landscape in the world. All of us loved every minute of that experience, even when our guide dumped us into the 37 degree creek, just because he could. Well Jonathon stayed in the raft because of a fat pastor that was a great buffer between the water and the dryness of the raft.
I could talk about all of these things, and i have. But in truth they are all part of a greater picture. Sure they are great stories, individually, but pieced together they help create a tapestry of what God can and will do when we work together to do something amazing. I believe life is meant to live, and we should and must jump at every opportunity to suck the marrow out of every inch of life. This trip, i hope, plants the same passion for life, in our young people, that i share, so that after this trip, they live life.
But more than that, i hope they realize that this adventure and life as a whole, is best lived and shared, together. Alone i could have had a great time. But sharing these stories with four other amazing men makes this a godly, unforgetable experience. And those kind of adventures always make for the best stories anyway.
We miss you all, and we look forward to sharing more of our experiences around the table... Amen.
Shalom, Salaam, Peace,
jerry
I am writing this blog from a wonderful home in Centenniel, Colorado. We are getting ready to pack up and enjoy a nice relaxing day of site seeing and shopping, before i get dropped off at Colorado State University for NYC. We have been together for five days, already, and it has been an amazing journey, so far. We still have another week, before we return with stories of laughter, faith building, new friendships, and life.
So where do i begin? Do i talk about the mosquitoes in McPherson that was of Biblical plague proportions. I am not joking. They are so thick that we had to run to buildings to avoid being attacked by a swarm of vicious, man-eating insects. I think we got a sense of what Moses and the Eqyptians went through, only i dont think locusts eat human flesh, but those critters in Mac sure do enjoy biting us.
Maybe i could talk about the barbecue with my family in Buhler, where again the plague of mosquitoes attacked with incredible fervor, but we also had a chance to eat great food, share stories, and walk through my Uncle Ronnie's wilderness house. Ask the guys for details about my uncle, the hunter, and how his house resembled more of a hut with dead animals everywhere than a typical Kansas home.
I could even talk about the drive from Ohio to Mac or Mac to Denver, which included listening to great music, seeing amazing things, and standing under a 30 foot prarie dog. I might talk about arriving in Denver, only to realize that our hosts had to leave earlier than planned, so our barbecue was replaced by Golden Coral and an all you can eat extravaganza. And then there was yesterday.
Yesterday we journeyed up to Idaho Springs, where we jumped into a raft and navigated the rushing waters of Clear Creek. It was exhilarating. It was refreshing. And it took us through some of the most beautiful, God created landscape in the world. All of us loved every minute of that experience, even when our guide dumped us into the 37 degree creek, just because he could. Well Jonathon stayed in the raft because of a fat pastor that was a great buffer between the water and the dryness of the raft.
I could talk about all of these things, and i have. But in truth they are all part of a greater picture. Sure they are great stories, individually, but pieced together they help create a tapestry of what God can and will do when we work together to do something amazing. I believe life is meant to live, and we should and must jump at every opportunity to suck the marrow out of every inch of life. This trip, i hope, plants the same passion for life, in our young people, that i share, so that after this trip, they live life.
But more than that, i hope they realize that this adventure and life as a whole, is best lived and shared, together. Alone i could have had a great time. But sharing these stories with four other amazing men makes this a godly, unforgetable experience. And those kind of adventures always make for the best stories anyway.
We miss you all, and we look forward to sharing more of our experiences around the table... Amen.
Shalom, Salaam, Peace,
jerry
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
what now?
Dear family,
Who doesn't like to party? I dont mean like frat boys party, but i mean who doesn't enjoy spending time with other people, without any other purpose, but to enjoy each other's company? Maybe a good barbecue makes it possible? Or a birthday party? I have been to retirement parties, anniversaries, graduations, etc. We like, as a people, to have reasons to celebrate. We enjoy parties.
And as we close the book of Genesis, we need to party. The Jewish people had over five times, a year, that they would gather together and party. These special celebrations lasted days and some as long as a week, but they would come together and just enjoy not having anything else to do. No work. No chores. No bills to pay. Nothing to do but laugh, love, and dance. Perhaps the most beautiful aspect of their parties, was that they were centered around religious celebrations. For the Jewish people, then and now, these festivals were times to gather together to honor God. They partied. More than that, their partying was a form, an intimate expression of their love of God. They came together to worship, and their worship looked like a communal party.
My oh my how we have lost our way.
I dont know who is to blame: the Puritans who took the fun out of Christianity or the Calvinist, especially in America, who made life about work, moving ahead, earning a dollar, etc, or the prohibitionists who thought outlawing liquor was God's will. Really? Didn't a specific miracle include changing water into wine?
Whatever the reason, my sense is that we have lost the art of partying as a form of worship. We have lost the art of dancing as if no one cares. We have lost the art of laughing as if no one is around. And we have lost the art of gathering together, without an agenda, as if just being with one another was good enough. We have made church and worship so mechanical that we have lost the beauty, the mystery, and the awe of it. And along the way, i believe, we have lost a little bit of ourselves.
But we can reclaim it. And so we must. This Sunday, at eleven AM, in the Fellowship Hall, we are going to party. We are going to laugh. We are going to eat. Tell stories. And enjoy each other's presence. And the greatest part of this morning is that through it all, we are going to worship. Worship a creative and loving God. Worship the God of the harvest. Worship the God of wine and water. And worship the God of all creation, thanking him for just being alive. This Sunday, we are going to return to our roots and throw a party, just for us, to honor what God has done as we close the book of Genesis and open the Gospel of Matthew.
Thank you for being so patient as we journey through a difficult and long book. Now i ask that you commit and covenant with me to stay ahead and read Matthew along with us. That way we can all be on the same page and when we close Matthew, we can party and we will party, once again. Amen.
Shalom,
jerry
Who doesn't like to party? I dont mean like frat boys party, but i mean who doesn't enjoy spending time with other people, without any other purpose, but to enjoy each other's company? Maybe a good barbecue makes it possible? Or a birthday party? I have been to retirement parties, anniversaries, graduations, etc. We like, as a people, to have reasons to celebrate. We enjoy parties.
And as we close the book of Genesis, we need to party. The Jewish people had over five times, a year, that they would gather together and party. These special celebrations lasted days and some as long as a week, but they would come together and just enjoy not having anything else to do. No work. No chores. No bills to pay. Nothing to do but laugh, love, and dance. Perhaps the most beautiful aspect of their parties, was that they were centered around religious celebrations. For the Jewish people, then and now, these festivals were times to gather together to honor God. They partied. More than that, their partying was a form, an intimate expression of their love of God. They came together to worship, and their worship looked like a communal party.
My oh my how we have lost our way.
I dont know who is to blame: the Puritans who took the fun out of Christianity or the Calvinist, especially in America, who made life about work, moving ahead, earning a dollar, etc, or the prohibitionists who thought outlawing liquor was God's will. Really? Didn't a specific miracle include changing water into wine?
Whatever the reason, my sense is that we have lost the art of partying as a form of worship. We have lost the art of dancing as if no one cares. We have lost the art of laughing as if no one is around. And we have lost the art of gathering together, without an agenda, as if just being with one another was good enough. We have made church and worship so mechanical that we have lost the beauty, the mystery, and the awe of it. And along the way, i believe, we have lost a little bit of ourselves.
But we can reclaim it. And so we must. This Sunday, at eleven AM, in the Fellowship Hall, we are going to party. We are going to laugh. We are going to eat. Tell stories. And enjoy each other's presence. And the greatest part of this morning is that through it all, we are going to worship. Worship a creative and loving God. Worship the God of the harvest. Worship the God of wine and water. And worship the God of all creation, thanking him for just being alive. This Sunday, we are going to return to our roots and throw a party, just for us, to honor what God has done as we close the book of Genesis and open the Gospel of Matthew.
Thank you for being so patient as we journey through a difficult and long book. Now i ask that you commit and covenant with me to stay ahead and read Matthew along with us. That way we can all be on the same page and when we close Matthew, we can party and we will party, once again. Amen.
Shalom,
jerry
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