Service Format for A Service of Jubilee

A couple of notes:  first service is considered to be our "Contemporary" service.  Second service is considered to be our "Traditional" service.  We did switch out a song for first service-instead of using Victory Chant, we used Trading My Sorrows.  At second service, our fantastic Pianist played an instrumental version of Simple Gifts.  A couple of things that were very different for both services, were the congregational affirmations and prayers, something that they do not normally do.  Normally, the only collective prayer that is said together is the Lord's Prayer.  Also, different, the blessing of the children.  Usually the children are asked to say a prayer at the end of Children's moment.  I asked the congregation instead to pray over our children and to offer a blessing for them.


So, without further ado, the service formats:


First Service Format-June 10, 2012  A Celebration of Jubilee

Gathering
Announcements
(Based on old Taize greeting)
Leader:  Be reconciled all you who enter here!  Parents and children.  Husbands and wives.  Believers and those who cannot believe.  Christians and their fellow Christians.  O Lord open our lips.

On screen together: ( based on UMH Morning Prayer and Praise Service pg. 876)

We shall declare your praise.  New every morning is your love, great God of light, and all day long you are working for good in the world.  Stir up in us desire to serve you, to live peacefully with our neighbors, and to devote each day to your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ the Lord.

Opening Songs of Celebration:
Forever
Victory Chant

Pass the Peace
Children’s moment (after the brief sermonette I will send them back to their families so they can lay hands on them as we pray together:
Prayer of Blessing over the Children On Screen: (based on UMH Baptismal Covenant pg. 41)

Heavenly Father, with your  help we will proclaim the good news and live according to the example of Christ.  We will surround these children with a community of love and forgiveness, that they may grow in their service to others.  We will pray for them, that they may be true disciples who walk in the way that leads to life. Amen

Joys and Concerns
Prayer, Lord’s Prayer
Offering:  Give Thanks

Scripture:  Psalm 139:1-14a
Message:  The Importance of Jubilee
Service of Jubilee:
Opening Prayer:  (based on UMH 489)
Leader:  O Holy God, open unto us light for our darkness, courage for our fear, hope for our despair.  O Loving God open unto us wisdom for our confusion, forgiveness for our sins, love for our hate.  O God of peace open unto us peace for our turmoil, joy for our sorrow, strength for our weakness.  O generous God, open our hearts to receive all your gifts.  Amen

While people are writing down the things that they intend to let go of and the things that they hope for  Praise Band will sing:  Draw Me Close
Towards the end of the song, I will ask the ushers to gather up the papers to be brought forward for prayer.

Prayer of Release (based on UMH 412 and UMH 335)
Leader:  Almighty God, with one accord we make our common supplication to you.  Where two or three are gathered together in your name you will be in their midst.  Be with us and among us.  Come as wind and cleanse us.  Come as fire and burn away the old sin and sorrow and sadness.  Come as dew and refresh us.  Convict, convert and consecrate our hearts and lives.  Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us.  As we join together as one body Lord, hear our prayer:  (on screen UMH 481 Prayer of St.
 Francis)

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace;
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console;
To be understood, as to understand;
To be loved, as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive,
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.  Amen

(While prayer papers are being carried out to be burned Praise Team leads congregation in singing )
Take My Life (congregation can be seated for this)

I Walk by Faith
Sending Forth:  May the Lord Direct you in all your doings.  May he continually offer you help.  May he guide you in all your work, so that all may glorify his name.  Go forth in Jesus’ name!

Chorus from Shine Jesus Shine


Second service format June 10, 2012 A Service of Jubilee

Gathering, Welcome and announcements
(Based on old Taize greeting)
Leader:  Be reconciled all you who enter here!  Parents and children.  Husbands and wives.  Believers and those who cannot believe.  Christians and their fellow Christians.  O Lord open our lips.

On screen together: (based on UMH Morning Prayer and Praise Service pg. 876)

We shall declare your praise.  New every morning is your love, great God of light, and all day long you are working for good in the world.  Stir up in us desire to serve you,  longing to live peacefully with our neighbors, and to devote each day to your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ the Lord.

Hymn:  92 For the Beauty of the Earth

Pass the Peace

Children’s Moment (after the brief sermonette, I will send the children back to their families so they can lay hands on them as we pray this together:
Prayer of Blessing over the Children On Screen: (based on UMH Baptismal Covenant pg. 41)

Heavenly Father, with your help we will proclaim the good news and live according to the example of Christ.  We will surround these children with a community of love and forgiveness, that they may grow in their service to others.  We will pray for them, that they may be true disciples who walk in the way that leads to life. Amen

Joys and Concerns
Morning Prayer, Lord’s Prayer
Response:  UMH 70 Glory Be to the Father

Offering
Offertory
Doxology UMH 95

Hymn: 89 Joyful Joyful We Adore Thee

Scripture: Psalm 139:1-14a
Message:  The Importance of Jubilee
Service of Jubilee
Opening Prayer:  (based on UMH 489)
Leader:  O Holy God, open unto us light for our darkness, courage for our fear, hope for our despair.  O Loving God open unto us wisdom for our confusion, forgiveness for our sins, love for our hate.  O God of peace open unto us peace for our turmoil, joy for our sorrow, strength for our weakness.  O generous God, open our hearts to receive all your gifts.  Amen

While people are writing down the things that they intend to let go of and the things that they hope for Special Music played (Lord of the Dance, Simple Gifts, Appalachian Spring) Towards the end of the song, I will ask the ushers to gather up the papers to be brought forward for prayer.

Prayer of Release (based on UMH 412 and UMH 335)
Leader:  Almighty God, with one accord we make our common supplication to you.  Where two or three are gathered together in your name you will be in their midst.  Be with us and among us.  Come as wind and cleanse us.  Come as fire and burn away the old sin and sorrow and sadness.  Come as dew and refresh us.  Convict, convert and consecrate our hearts and lives.  Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us.  As we join together as one body, Lord, hear our prayer:  (on screen UMH 481 Prayer of St. Francis)

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace;
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console;
To be understood, as to understand;
To be loved, as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive,
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.  Amen

While papers are being carried out to be burned, Congregation will be led in singing
Hymn:  399 Take My Life and Let it Be (People can be sitting for this)
Then people will stand for closing hymn
Hymn (not in Hymnal):  In My Heart There Rings a Melody

Benediction:
May the Lord Direct you in all your doings.  May he continually offer you help.  May he guide you in all your work, so that all may glorify his name.  Go forth in Jesus’ name!

389 Freely Freely (verse 1 and chorus)

Background on The Creation of A Service of Jubilee

Hello blog world!  Yes, it’s been awhile since I have posted anything, I know.  Life has been busy!  Between home and church I have kept hopping!  Needless to say the stress-o-meter went full tilt at one point and I ended up in bed for a few days.  If I made it through the day just getting the basics done and taken care of, it was a victory!  The past few months have been, in a word, exhausting.

One of the many items on my list over the past month or so, happened on Sunday.  Here in Missouri, Annual Conference was this past weekend, and those of us who are lay speakers usually cover the services at home.  So I preached this past Sunday-both services.  Actually, I did a little more than that, I created a service from scratch.  I called it a Service of Jubilee or, a Celebration of Jubilee.  I will post the format and my sermon notes in separate blog posts, but for now, let me explain the idea behind this service.

My home church is in a period of transition.  Our current minister is retiring.  Our new minister will be arriving soon.  It’s an interesting time for the congregation because it’s mixed with sadness and joy, fear and excitement and a whole lot of other things that run the gamut.  And sometimes we forget that God is in charge.  So, I thought it might be helpful to give people a safe way to express their fears and their hopes individually and as a congregation.  Long story short, I gave the congregation a chance to write down those fears and hopes on paper, with the understanding that no one else would see them.  We then gathered up the papers, prayed over them and released them to God by burning them.  I asked them to decide what they were willing to let go of, what were they willing to turn over to God?  It could be in their personal life, their professional life and even, their church life.  I used Paul’s exhortation of “forgetting those things that are behind and pressing forward.”  And thus, the Service of Jubilee was born as a way of letting go of things, in order to move on to the future with a “clean slate.”

I will tell you that I used some very traditional things in this service and I make no apologies for doing so!  Traditional things used wisely can have a powerful impact!  The prayers that the congregation said together are variations or actual word for word prayers that are found in the United Methodist Hymnal.  I also picked songs and hymns that went along with the theme, some quiet, but some really joyous because Jubilee is meant to be a time of celebration.  And, I believe in the importance of symbolism.  The papers were taken outside to be burned  so we didn’t set off the smoke alarms in church, but I lit a candle off of one of the altar candles to be carried outside….symbolic of the light of Christ, being carried out and used to cleanse and to lift the prayers skyward…Holy Smoke.  Symbols can be very powerful, as well.

One thing that, I think, would have made the service even better, is if we could have had Communion as well.  Something to think about if you decide to use this at your church.

The scriptures that I refer to, for the most part, come from the NIV Bible translation.  There was one exception, I used the Amplified Bible for one verse in particular because I thought that it more clearly emphasized the point I was trying to make.

If you are looking to do something different at your church, and you like the idea, feel free to use it.  At the very least, this idea may inspire you to create your own unique service that fills a need in your congregation.
Leading this service was a joy for me personally and I hope, that by sharing it with you, it will lead you to your own divine inspiration!  Be blessed!

Seeds of Kindness

I like birds!  I like watching the birds in my yard and to bring them in closer I put out bird feeders.  Without fail, every spring, some stray bird seed ends up on the ground, missed by the birds, but happy to sprout!  These tiny seeds do this all on their own without any help from me and they pop up in the strangest places!  All I did was place the seed out!

This weekend was the kick off to a church wide project that we are calling the mustard seed project.  Jesus in his sermons talked a lot about sowing seed and the theme behind this project is "each one, reach one".  Each person who attended services received a card with mustard seeds glued on with the theme title and this scripture verse from Matthew 17:20:

"If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move.  Nothing will be impossible for you."

The idea is simple-take every opportunity you can to plant small seeds of kindness at home and out in the community.  Can you hold the door open for someone who has their arms full of toddlers and groceries?  Could you buy a cup of coffee for a stranger at a convenience store?  Can you wave to your neighbors as you drive by their house?  Can you say please and thank you to your waiter or waitress?  How many acts of kindness can you do as you go about your day to day activities?  How creative can you get with planting seeds of kindness? 

Now I know what you're thinking-this is just common courtesy and common sense!  You're right!  It is common courtesy and it is common sense but what happens when our lives get busy?  We tend to forget, don't we?  And sometimes we tend to slip.  It's no big deal if you cut off that driver, because it's not like you'll see them again, right?  But do you know for sure?  Are you certain that you won't see that individual again and that they will not remember you if you do happen to meet again?    Why do you think Jesus told us to love our neighbors as ourselves?  Because what you sow, you eventually reap!

Loving our families seems like a simple task but sometimes we take them for granted.  What simple special things can you do for those you love the most?  It could be as simple as a phone call, an encouraging word, or those special cookies that they love!  Kindness starts at home.

Think of this as purposefully planting seeds.  You don't know which ones will sprout but it's worth the effort to try!  You can be as creative as you want, but remember the point is to plant these seeds of kindness as you go about your everyday routine.  After awhile, it'll become second nature, but for right now, the idea is to purposefully choose to plant some seeds!  You may be shocked and surprised which of those seeds sprouts and takes off!  If you connect with just one person isn't that worth the effort?

So my darling readers, let me extend an invitation.  No matter where you are in the country or around the world, feel free to join in on this project!  And if you would like to share what you have done, leave a comment here or, you can find the First Untied Methodist Church, Washington MO Face Book page and leave a comment there as well. 

Happy planting!

The Land of Milk, Maple Syrup and Mentors

The first thing you notice when you cross the border between New York and Vermont is the lack of billboards.  Many years ago, the state decided to ban billboards because they were considered a blight on the landscape.  It's an immediate shock to the senses for me because billboards are everywhere here in Missouri!  Don't let the lack of billboards fool ya though, there's a lot going on in the state!  All one has to do is get off the interstate and travel the back roads and you see small farms and businesses thriving!  Small signs posted at the bottom of a driveway tell you that you can buy maple syrup or that a roadside farm stand is just ahead.  Or, you can stop by the Cabot Creamery Annex and browse and buy locally made products to your hearts content!  Add to that the local chambers of commerce who promote everything in their small towns and you have a winning combination!  Compared to other places, there is a stunning level of cooperation between small businesses throughout the state!  Cabot Creamery makes the best cheddar cheese as far as I'm concerned but when you walk in the annex, you find far more than just cheese!  Homemade mixes for biscuits, scones and pancakes.  I counted four different hot chocolate/hot cocoa mixes.  Let's not forget the maple syrup, maple sugar and maple creme!  Plus, micro-brews, hard cider, jams and jellies, salsa, crackers, sodas and soap, the variety is amazing!  Each and every one of the items in the store is locally made by small businesses within the state of Vermont!

Restaurants are no exception.  They go out of their way to use local products from fruits and vegetables to locally raised meat and poultry.  And of course, they use local syrup and cheese and butter.  Believe me, you can taste the difference!  They're proud of the diversity and they're willing to support each other!  They are also willing to talk to complete strangers and answer questions.  Some places like Cabot Creamery and Cold Hollow Cider Mill offer either tours or demonstrations of how their products are made.  They are proud of what they do and they want people to see exactly how it is done.

I tell you all of this because I vividly remember a time when Vermont was not such a hopeful place to live!  Jobs for the average Vermonter just were not there!  Farms were being bought by out of staters for high end developments because milk prices tanked and property taxes went sky high.  There were some farmers who couldn't afford to hold on any longer!  It looked like the Vermont way of life was going to be ripped up and paved over to make room for yet another condominium complex!    Open fields were being replaced by cookie cutter housing.

There were individuals, however, who decided that they were not going to give up so easily!  The traditional way of life was important, it mattered and somehow a piece of it needed to be saved.  Farmers got creative and started creating events that brought people to their farm-the birth of agri-tourism.  Small businesses started creating "value added" products.  Instead of just selling strawberries, how about making some really cool jams?!  They chose to work together and when they started to see success they didn't keep it to themselves.  Instead they created workshops and gatherings where they could teach others to do the same thing!  The cottage industry movement flourished!

You could use a lot of terms to describe these individuals.  Creative, visionary, diligent, hard working, risk taker.  A couple of verses in Proverbs really reminded me of just how important their vision and risk taking were to the community and the state.  In Proverbs 14 (The Message Paraphrase) it says:

"Cynics look high and low for wisdom and never find it; the open minded find it right on their doorstep."

This verse in Proverbs 15 (The Message Paraphrase) also jumped out at me:

"The empty-headed treat life as a plaything; the perceptive grasp its meaning and make a go of it."

The easy out would have been to take the cynics route instead of looking at what they had right on their doorstep.  The easy out would have been walking away instead of trying to make a go of things.  When I say some of these folks took a big risk, I mean they put it all on the line for their vision and goals!  Believe me, they went in to the venture with a lot of fear and trembling!  But life is like that, isn't it?  There's a lot of fear out there in the world today and a lot of hopelessness being purveyed.  Sometimes though, you just have to use that fear to propel you forward to take a risk that you know is worth taking.  Sometimes you just gotta lay it all on the line and trust God that you have been given the skills and strength to fulfill your dream and vision!

The second part of all of this, is the mentoring (which I can not emphasize enough!)  Sharing with others what you did and how you did it and helping them avoid your mistakes and sharing lessons learned is incredibly important!  Even just offering encouragement can be the best gift that you can give someone.  I saw that lesson first hand on the last day that we were in Vermont. 

My 17 year old son Robert starts his Senior year this fall.  I don't know what he will end up doing but I can tell you that he is incredibly gifted and amazingly smart!  One of the things that he is really passionate about is blacksmithing.  He has his own little mini forge set up in our front yard under the trees down the hill.  He had shown an interest a few years ago and after doing a little research I found a local workshop here in Missouri.  I signed him up for so he could check it out.  I signed my husband and Lonnie up as well so the three of them set off on a weekend adventure!  Rob was hooked!  He loved it!  But, there were a lot of people telling him that he couldn't make a business out of it. They thought that he needed to think about doing something else and just keep blacksmithing as his hobby.  I, on the other hand, think that he should follow his heart and use his gifts to the best of his ability!  Long story short, we had passed by a local blacksmithing shop in Marshfield, Vermont and on our last day there we decided to stop so Rob could have a look.  Blackthorne Forge is owned by the wonderful and amazing Steven Bronstein who creates the most incredible pieces of work out of metal!  Steven not only took time out of his busy schedule to talk to Rob, he also helped Rob troubleshoot a couple of things that he had been having problems with at home!  He answered Rob's questions, but more importantly he encouraged him to keep at it and also gave him the name of someone to get in touch with who might be able to help him down the road!  His passion and dedication and his success hopefully gave Rob the encouragement he needed to pursue his dream! 

My hope and prayer is that you are inspired and encouraged to follow your heart and take a risk and use your God given gifts and talents to make a difference.    Life is meant to be lived not feared!  It's time to step forward and do what you were called to do!  And someday, you will be the one mentoring others and sharing your story!  I am looking forward to hearing your story!

Sometimes You Gotta Fix the Foundation

When we got to Vermont last Monday our first stop was mom and dad's house.  My brother, Randy (my son's namesake) was already there and had already started working on the old Blacksmith shop in the back yard.  We all knew back in November when dad got sick that the building needed some work to stabilize the structure.  The back wall was sinking and it needed to be jacked up and repaired.  Now you might say, "why bother, why not just tear it down?"  The building is part of the local history of the town, and it has stood for a long long time.  It has a story to tell about where we came from and how we got to the here and now.  So, in our minds, there was never a question about fixing it, simply put, it needed to be done!

On closer inspection, Randy discovered something that we were not expecting.  The front wall was actually in far worse shape then the back wall.  The bottom base boards were supporting nothing at all!  The wood was literally crumbling into sawdust!  The only thing holding the building up was the center support beam that dad had installed years ago.  That's why it had shifted, that's why the back wall was sinking.  So the jacks came out and the front wall weight was placed on them and then the cutting began to remove the dry rotted wood.  New lumber was cut up and new support beams were placed under the wall to give it a stable foundation.  The back wall foundation will be replaced later on once the building settles on to it's new foundation on the front wall.  It's a process that will take some time but in the end, the building will be just as sturdy as it used to be!

Here comes the parallel to life, my little "ah ha" moment!  Sometimes the foundation which was sound in the first place, ends up crushing under the weight of the building put upon it and there comes a point when you have to rebuild in order to stabilize the entire building. 

Dad had told us, we had full warning.  I was reminded of this when I was reading about Jonah this morning.  Now Jonah is an interesting story.  He was, to put it mildly, a reluctant prophet.  Being asked to go to pagan Nineveh to warn them of their impending doom was not high on his priority list!  Let em burn!  Let em fall!  What's the harm?  So he took a boat heading in the opposite direction and well, you know the story, storm comes up, sailors have to throw him overboard in order to save their ship, he's swallowed by a whale and then a few days later he is spit up on the shore just outside of Nineveh!  It's not optional, he's going to deliver the message! 

To Jonah's shock and dismay, people actually listen!  They repent!  God changes his mind and doesn't destroy them!  How is that fair???  They had it coming!  Seriously, God, seriously???  Jonah, the reluctant prophet was rather a sore winner.  God's vision and victory was far different from Jonah's victory and vision.  Nineveh was able to start rebuilding the foundation before it was too late!  God works in wonderful and mysterious ways!

I can relate to Jonah and his reluctance.  I was very hesitant about starting this blog because quite frankly I knew there were times when I would have to say something that wasn't going to be popular!  I was going to have to say things that were hard and uncomfortable but needed to be said whether I liked it or not!  I'm not a minister or a minister in training or someone in leadership, I'm just plain ole me!  But I knew that it was important for someone like me to not only sound a warning but to make sure that a message of hope was being conveyed.  My confirmation that I am doing what God asks of me is confirmed when I read other blog posts and news reports and see that they are hitting on the same topics that I am, unbeknownst to me!  I post my blog then I go and read other bloggers and I go "oh my gosh, they're talking about the same exact thing!"  God is trying to get a message out and he will use whomever and whatever means necessary to get the point across!  That is awesome!  For my part, it's a big responsibility to make sure I get it right!

So what is the point being made today?  Our country had a good foundation.  The United Methodist Church had a good foundation.  Sometimes though the weight of the system presses down so hard that the foundation starts to crumble.  The goodness still exists, we just have to stabilize and reclaim the soundness! It's time to start rebuilding the foundation.

In regards to our country, the foundation that needs to be rebuilt rests on jobs.  If people are working they can pay their bills.  Working people pay taxes.  Working people save money and invest.  Working people buy things.  The little legislation that is coming out of Washington is crushing the foundation.  Add to that the bickering and inertia and the weight just keeps getting heavier.  We need to be praying for our leaders, more so now than ever!  They are an important part of stabilizing the country's foundation!  Pray for your local community leaders as well because they are invested in your community just as much as you are!  They don't want to see it die off, they want to live in a community that thrives!  We need to pray that they have the wisdom to act in the best interests of everyone, the inspiration to help create new and exciting ideas and the perseverance to stick it out and see it through!  I truly believe that change will come from the bottom up and my darling friends it starts with you and me and a willingness to help and to hold our leaders accountable!

As to the United Methodist Church, there is a real need to get back to basics.  People come to church looking for grace, guidance, hope, inspiration-they have questions and they are looking for answers.  We need to encourage people to read their Bible and teach them how to read it and why it matters!  We need to teach them how it can apply to their everyday lives beyond Sunday morning service!  We need to pray for them and with them and we need to teach them how to pray on their own, no matter the circumstance.  We need to teach them how to listen for that still small voice-the Holy Spirit who will guide and support them no matter where they are, no matter what they are doing.  We need to teach them how to praise God and count their blessings and to be thankful for each day, hour, minute and second.  We need to teach them why being a part of a community of believers matters in their lives and how sharing the sacraments is more than going through the motions, it's a spiritual bond to God, their family, their church family and their community.  We need to pray for our Spiritual leaders as well to guide us and hold them accountable to preach the gospel and teach others in our church how to lead, not just follow.  From personal experience, I would say that the greatest leaders are the most willing servants.  They inspire others because their actions truly line up with their words!  We need more servant leaders!

It's not too late!  We've been given a warning.  The foundation can be fixed.  We just have to decide if we are willing to do the work to fix it!  I believe that many people are willing, they just need the encouragement to follow through!  My darling friends, let's get to work on fixing the foundation today!

Do We Encourage Big Dreams?

In the early hours of yesterday morning I watched the shuttle land for the very last time.  It is indeed the end of the era that I grew up in, believing that we would touch the stars!  My earliest memory of the space program?  Grainy images of astronauts driving around on the moon in their little lunar dune buggy!  As a child, I remember hearing that by the time I was an adult there would be people living in space and on the moon. 

Big dreamers, even bigger dreams!  They may not have accomplished everything they hoped but they did accomplish a lot!  I think that's why movies like "The Right Stuff" and "Apollo 13" are still popular today because they remind us that we stand on the shoulders of big dreamers.   

As I look at my children and their friends I wonder if we are encouraging them to be big dreamers?  With our obsession with structured schedules and test score outcomes are we taking away the free time needed to be able to dream big dreams?  Big dreams are the stuff of innovation!  Some of the biggest innovations have come from someone tinkering in the garage in the back yard!  I have to wonder if our obsession with standardizing everything is sucking the life right out of creativity and robbing us of the next big dreamer?  I'm not sure.

Big dreamers take risks.  They explore, they tinker, they plan and then they risk trying it out.  There are dozens of examples in the Bible from Abraham to Paul.  Each one had a dream and had to make the choice to step out in faith.  In modern times you could mention people like Henry Ford, Chuck Yeager or Bill Gates.  And here's the kicker-each one of them did this without structured play time or scoring high on a standardized test!  Yet no one would accuse them of being ignorant-on the contrary, they are considered a hero or a genius! 

Not to be a downer here, but I just don't see the next big dream on the horizon.  Maybe I'm not looking hard enough or maybe I've become a little jaded.  I think this all goes back to my post from yesterday about looking for the extraordinary in the ordinary.  Young children intuitively know how to do this but can the same be said of them once they get older?  Can they still look at things with wonder and see the possibilities?  Or have we indoctrinated them so far in the standards of "normalcy" that they can not see beyond what we have told them that they should see?

My hope is that the next big dreamer is out there, somewhere.  That in spite of our efforts to standardize everything, this individual still has the ability to think beyond the standard and  instead think creatively.  We need dreamers and thinkers and risk takers!  We need to encourage them to be what they were meant to be.

And maybe as a society we need to re-think our "standards".  Low test scores do not necessarily mean lack of knowledge.  What it may mean is that we have children who do not think in terms of text and coloring in the lines.  Perhaps we should stop guilting ourselves because our child is not the most popular at play group.  Perhaps, we have a child who needs to climb a tree and think deep thoughts or needs to sit with Lego's and create amazing things!  How many children are slipping through the cracks because they don't fit our notion of normal?  Don't get me wrong, sharing your toys,  and getting along with others does matter.  Being able to read and do math and know certain facts does matter.  But as a parent I would argue that each child is different and they come at things in their own unique way.  If we discourage them from using their natural gifts, talents and abilities we are selling their future short!  We are robbing them of the opportunity to not only blossom but to shine! 

We need big dreams and big dreamers!   We need to give our children the space and the tools they need to explore.  Perhaps the biggest gift we can give our children is the gift of free time.  Instead of mourning that our child is somehow "different" we should celebrate and encourage their uniqueness in a positive way.  Who knows, you could be nurturing the next Edison or Einstein, the next Ford or Gates, the next Bach or Monet. 

Proverbs 22:6 says:

"Train up a child in the way they should go and when they are old they will not depart from it."

Let your child use their natural gifts and abilities.  Let them have the time to dream big dreams.  If you do that, you'll find that your job of being a parent suddenly becomes a lot less stressful.  And I know, because I have helped raise four children to adulthood!  If I do say so myself, they're pretty cool!  Each one unique and different.  Each one with their own set of dreams. 

Dream my darlings, dream!

Is the Glass Half Full or Half Empty?

Today's Bible Study Reading coupled with the Disciple Bible Study reading for today made me go "eww!!!"  My thought was "seriously God, this is what you want me to talk about today???"  As you can tell, since I am writing about it, the answer was yes.  There is a good reason!

Right now I am reading through Second Kings and I've gotten to the section where the chapters get short because they tell the stories of one failed king after another.  It tells how the king came to power (usually by assassination) and it consistently uses phrases like:
 Or you read this:

"In God's eyes he lived an evil life...he didn't deviate from the sins of Jeroboam...he plodded along in the same tracks, step after step." 

"He lived the way God wanted and did the right thing.  But he didn't come up to the standards of his ancestor David..."

Then there is this week's reading in my Disciple Bible Study which focuses on the Book of Job.  Here's a man who we know, right from the start, is blameless in God's eyes yet he loses everything!  So then his friends show up to offer "comfort" all the while spouting off that it's obvious that he did something wrong and he should just fess up!  With friends like this, who needs enemies?

Yeah, not exactly light, heady, uplifting reading!  But there are a couple of modern day parallels in all of this.  Start with Kings.  Substitute "government official" for king and you get a picture of a person in leadership who hasn't deviated from the patterns of the past and continues to plod along.  I won't be the judge of whether or not that is a sin, because that's beside the point.  The point is, the average American thinks that our leadership is doing nothing to address the current problems our country faces. 

Then, there is Job.  He had it all by worldly standards and yet he lost it all through no fault of his own.  There are a lot of people in this country in similar situations.  They worked hard, they did the right things, they are good people, yet they lost their job, their homes and their savings.  My guess is they have a few friends who probably sit there beside them and say "well, there must have been something that you did wrong to cause this to happen?!"  Again, with friends like this who needs enemies?

Where's the uplifting part in all of this?  It has to do with how we respond.  In the question and answer part of Disciple Bible Study is this statement:

"The Christian Disciple knows that suffering causes a person to choose bitterness or creativity."   

Now add this from 2 Corinthians 5:

"Cheerfully, pleasing God is the main thing, and that's what we can aim to do, regardless of our conditions."

Ah ha!  Is the glass half full or half empty?  How do I respond to what is going on around me?  Am I able to respond with hope, faith and love or do I respond with anger, frustration and bitterness? And as a Christian, regardless of my circumstances, can I still find a way to serve?  Can I cheerfully please God regardless of my condition?  

I'll be honest, my initial response when something goes wrong tends to fall on the half empty side.  (Told ya I wasn't perfect!)  After I calm down a bit, I can start seeing the half full side but it takes some time!  My husband on the other hand is the eternal optimist!  It takes an awful lot for him to flip to the half empty side!  That's why he is so good for me because he makes me look for the blessings in disguise and try to find the silver lining! 

I do think there is a lesson here for each of us personally.  Initially, anger and frustration can spur you on to make changes.  But anger long lived, leads to bitterness and bitterness shuts down creativity.  If you can't get beyond focusing on what you have lost, it's tough to look at what you have left and figure out a way to use it differently and creatively!  You plod along in the same ole way, do the same ole thing and as a result nothing changes!

Ya know, I know a lot of very smart people who got some very cool degrees in very specific fields who have never worked a day in their life in that chosen field!  Yet, they have been very successful doing other things!  Each and every one of us has untapped potential.  So maybe you didn't train in a certain field, so what?!  Are you passionate about it?  Do you have gifts and abilities that would allow you to do the job?  Then why sell yourself short?  Why not take those God given talents and find a new way to use them? 

This also applies to serving others as well!  Do you see a need in your church or community?  Sort of a big gaping hole that seems so obvious to you but yet, nothing is being done about it?  Why not take that passion and energy and creativity and come up with a plan!  Or maybe, there is a need, there is a program but you are not involved yet.  You may be exactly the person they need!  You may not feel that you have a lot to offer but take the leap anyway!  You might find that volunteering is the toughest job you'll ever love and in the process you may find a gift that you have always had but never noticed! 

Trouble comes.  Bad things happen to good people.  How you respond can make all of the difference.  It's normal to be angry and frustrated to begin with but the key is to choose the path of creativity over the path of bitterness.  Is the glass half full or half empty?  My darling friends, if you are on the half empty side I pray that today is the day that you choose to look at the half full side!  I pray that today you focus on what you have rather than what you have lost.  I pray that you choose to serve regardless of your circumstances.  I pray that you choose to tap in to your God given creativity!  Today is your day!  Rejoice and be glad!

Your Business is Life, Not Death...Life is Urgent

I enjoy The Message Paraphrase but sometimes I have to go back to my NIV or Wesleyan Study Bible to see what The Message is talking about.  The phrase that I used as the title comes from The Message paraphrase of Luke 9:60 which, in the Wesleyan Study Bible reads:

"Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God."

The comment in the Wesleyan Study Bible on this particular section is:

"The Cross is crowded out by the cares of life."

What is this business of life?  Why is it so urgent?  Every person's experience is different but, personally, I have recently had this sense that in the United States we are literally talking ourselves to death!  We're not using words of life but rather words of death.  Hopelessness, helplessness and despair.  There's plenty of doom and gloom to go around-the economy is bad, Congress seems to be doing nothing, the President seems to be unclear about a plan or direction.  Even in our own church, our leaders focus on decline and lack of resources!  I think we are all pretty clear on the challenges we face considering the fact that we hear about it in endless news reports!  There's an old saying that says you get what you expect, meaning you get what you focus on.  What has been our focus as of late?  Death.  Death of jobs, death of growth, death of the American dream, death of working together, death of hopes, ideas and possibilities. 

Our business is not death!  Our business is life and it is urgent business!  Jesus was very clear when asked what was the greatest command.  First, love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength and mind.  Second, love your neighbor as yourself.  Do for others what you would have them do for you. 

How do you do the first?  Seek God's Spirit first!  Praise, worship, prayer and Bible study put you in a position of peace, love, joy, hope and faith.  You open yourself up to the possibility of new God given ideas and insights!  It's not about what you can do, it is about what God can do in you and through you!  When you take the focus off of yourself, it's like climbing to the top of a mountain where your view suddenly expands!  Praise, worship, prayer and Bible study are tools.    They help you seek God's Spirit.

That expanded view brings us to the second part of the greatest command.  We all want to be loved, cherished and respected.  We all want to be treated kindly.  No one wants to live a life of fear, a life of lack, a life of insecurity, a life that is so unstable that we go from crisis to crisis with no end in sight!  Fear, in my opinion, is the greatest driving factor behind self obsession.  It causes us to do whatever we can to protect ourselves and to protect what little we have.  It raises the question of "what's in it for me?"  We are so afraid of losing something that we are not willing to step out and give.  We become so entrenched that we choose not to work with others for the good of all.  The second part calls us to focus outward-to treat others kindly.  It could be as simple as offering a word of encouragement.  It could be as simple as taking the extra produce from the garden and bringing it to the local food shelf.  It could be as simple as risking some of that hard earned money and helping a local entrepreneur with a good idea expand his small business.  It could be as simple as mentoring a parolee and helping them get a solid start on a new life.  The list is endless but the point is simple.  How do you want to be treated?  That is how God expects you to treat those around you.  The Spirit of God is loving and forgiving and generous.  It guides us on right paths, corrects us when we stray and gives us vision and purpose.  It is not a spirit of despair it is a SPIRIT of LIFE!

It's time to start speaking life!  It's time to get our moral compass back on track and start focusing on the greatest command!  That doesn't mean we put on rose colored glasses and bury our heads in the sand and ignore our problems hoping that things will get better.  It means we stop the finger pointing and the blaming.  It means turning our focus from ourselves and this narrative of fear and death and instead focusing on God and climbing that mountain towards the bigger view.  It means using our God given creativity and acting on God inspired ideas.  It means rolling up our sleeves and working together!

Our business is life and it is urgent!  It's time to start acting like it and it is time to start speaking words of life! 

What Do You Have In Your House?

It's always fun to get reacquainted with a favorite Bible story!  In Second Kings, chapter four Elisha is approached by a widow whose husband was in the Prophet Guild.  Her husband had just died, she was left with a mountain of debt and the individuals were coming to collect and she had nothing to give them!  Now if that isn't a story that people can relate to today!  You could substitute I've lost my job and they are coming to foreclose on the house and you have a modern day parallel! 

It was a desperate time for this woman!  The outlook was bleak.  I imagine she felt very cold, very gray, but she had a little hope-a little blue sky!  She would go and talk to the great Prophet Elisha!  Surely he would know what to do!

Now Elisha could have listened and said "wow, that's sad, I'll pray for you."  Instead he asked "what do you have in your house?"  The widow said "nothing, oh wait, I do have some oil."  Ah ha!  Here was a way that Elisha could help her help herself.  He told her to go and get all the jugs she could lay her hands on and pour the oil in to them.  The oil didn't stop running until she ran out of jugs.  When she came back to him and told him, he said "go and sell the oil, pay off the debt and live off the rest."  The widow already had what she needed but she was so overwhelmed by the problem that she needed somebody else to point out the solution! 

Modern day life!  The problems come fast and furious, the domino effect kicks in, you go from one crisis to another and you are so busy dealing that you can't stop and think!  How can it possibly get better, you wonder, even if it is only to yourself!  You want to hang on to that blue sky hope but the storm clouds are closing in around you! 

Here's a thought, stick with me-there is a method to my madness!  What do you have in your house?  I'm not talking physically (although that is a possibility).  I'm talking figuratively.  I'm talking about that creative spark of imagination that lives within you!  What idea lives inside of you, that has been right in front of you that you haven't done anything with but could get you out of the rut of living crisis to crisis and instead live in abundance and blessing? 

Pie in the sky you say?  Let me tell you about my hometown of Waterbury, Vermont.  Back in the late 70's/early 80's Waterbury was considered a bedroom community.  You slept there but you worked elsewhere, usually in manufacturing.   About that time "outsourcing" came in to vogue and suddenly those jobs disappeared as the corporations decided to move manufacturing elsewhere in order to up corporate profits.  "Down sizing" also became an oft quoted buzz word as well.  There was a figurative sucking sound as peoples livelihoods went down the corporate drain!  Main street started looking pretty empty and people started moving away to find jobs.  Gloomy would be an understatement! 

There were some individuals though who had some ideas that were just crazy enough that they might just work!  Why not try to court some small businesses and see if they would be willing to come to town?  And while they were at it, why not come up with some ways for the community to celebrate and have fun together?  Waterbury always did fireworks on the fourth but how about having a parade and including the elementary school marching band?  Why not use the newly rehabbed park during the worst time in winter and have a friendly winter croquette tournament?  And why not see if those quirky crunchy granola guys by the names of Ben and Jerry might like to come to town?  And while they were at it, why not see if there was some way to help that gourmet coffee guy and the boat captain's wife running the cider mill expand? 

Long story short, Ben and Jerry's did come to town, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters and Cold Hollow Cider Mill did expand, a lot of small businesses were started because there was community support. Waterbury became a place that you wanted to be because there was always something going on in town!  Wednesday night Farmer's market with a free concert so you could picnic in the park with your family.  Historical Society lectures at the local library.  In the winter there was Cabin Fever Follies at the elementary school and the now famous Winter Croquette tournament in the park.  Throw in the church dinners and events and you had a local calender of events section in the newspaper full to the brim!  Waterbury was not alone in this pro-active approach, there were many other towns that did very similar things! 

Did every venture succeed?  No.  However, many did thrive and grow.  The overall moral of the story here is that the community took a look at what they had and decided to celebrate the unique and the quirky-the things that made life interesting!  In doing so they brought a sense of togetherness and hope and vitality.  It wasn't easy, there was a lot of planning and hard work involved.  Good ideas require planning and hard work! 

Whether you are a church leader, community leader or an individual I think it is well worth asking the question that Elisha asked the widow.  Take a deep breath and then ask yourself, what do I have in my house?  Be creative and look at the things around you with a new set of eyes!  Then get to work, because you have a lot of jugs to fill!