Bigger God Blog

2011-12-05T08:53:00.001-08:00

Expecting the Holy

Advent and Christmas, 2011

This graphic by Jan Richardson makes me think about the anticipation of this season of Advent. I remember, as a child, being filled with wonder and expectation. I look at this graphic and I can already imagine the kinds of things I might see coming through the door, as well as the kinds of things I might see if I stand in that pointed doorway and look out.

When we think of the word "expecting" there are a lot of connotations. When I was pregnant, it was common to hear my state described as "expecting". So, as we anticipate the birth of the Christ child, we see how that word makes sense. But even if you haven't had the experience of giving birth, you, no doubt, have found yourself "expecting." When you expect something, you look for signs of it's coming. When you expect something, you interpret what you see and experience through the lens of your expectation. When you expect something, you lean forward and watch, your heart beats a bit faster and you feel a bit more alive and engaged in the world around you.

So what if this Advent season, we seriously expected the Holy? What if we anticipated the birth of the divine in our time and in our place? What if we allowed that expectancy to influence how we experienced the world and how we saw the signs that just seem to be everywhere when we are expecting? We just might find the Holy in all kinds of places and people and situations! We just might find room for God to live among us in ways we hadn't quite imagined before.

Holy Adventure - Day 41

2011-04-22T08:17:00.000-07:00

Today is Day 41 in our Holy Adventure: 41 Days of Audacious Living. When I first began, I thought tomorrow would be Day 41 (I miscalculated), and that the next day would be Easter. How grand! But instead, Day 41 falls on Good Friday, the day we remember Jesus’ death on a cross. And there will be one more day before we can greet the dawn of Easter morning. So with our 41 day adventure completed today, with the completion of Jesus’ earthly life, tomorrow will be just what it is and should be… a day of silence and waiting. Tomorrow, Holy Saturday, will be a day for being in prayer, keeping vigil and contemplating what it is like to live in hope of things yet unseen.

Because of Easter, we do know “the end” of the story. We do know that life is stronger than death and love is strong than hate. But because of our lives and experiences, we know that it is sometimes hard to keep the Easter promise before us in our day to day living, especially when times get tough.

Because of Easter, we know that the adventure continues with ever new characters (like us) and ever knew situations drawing our attention and needing our response. In today’s reading Epperly writes, “Psalm 118:24 proclaims, ‘This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!’ Think of that – this is the day! Salvation and wholeness are available right now. We live eternal life one moment at a time every day. Each moment is holy and provides an opportunity to be God’s partner in healing our lives and the entire universe.” (p.203)

Today is another day in the eternity of your life. Today, in that regard, is just another day. Today is also Good Friday when we remember one who was willing to give his earthly life in order to truly live abundantly in love and in tune with God’s dreams and visions. How are you being called to lay your life down for the sake of God’s dreams and visions? It may not mean crucifixion, but it may mean times of uncertainty. It may take you out of your comfort zone and ask you to risk and dare for the sake of God’s hopes and calling.

In this time when we go with Jesus to the cross, and wait in hope and wonder for signs of the resurrection, let us reflect upon our experience of this 41 Days of Audacious Living and allow God to speak to us and call us forth into a new day – a day made for joy and hope and risk-taking adventure.

Holy Adventure - Day 39

2011-04-20T07:07:00.001-07:00

The scripture at the opening of today’s reading is one that has always captivated my imagination. It is from I Corinthians 13 – Paul’s great “love” chapter. But usually the reader stops before they get to this particular verse, and yet, it is within the context of this discourse about real, lasting love that comes to this point of mystery and grace.

“For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully know.” I Corinthians 13:12

This verse, in the context of talking about love, reminds us of our need to be humble, because, let’s face it, none of us “knows it all.” We always need to leave room for the fact that what we think we know isn’t the whole picture, and that we may actually not have it “right.” There is always more.

This is a week of keeping it real and humble as we recount Jesus’ last week and the events leading to his execution. We know the disciples, those closest to Jesus, betrayed, denied, and abandoned Jesus. We know others spun the situation and incited the crowd. We know that in the “end” the power of love and life prevail. But, we don’t really know how it works. There is much mystery surrounding faith and life and Jesus and God and our own lives and the purpose and meaning of life. There is always more.

There is a song that was sung in worship on a couple of occasions. I close with a link to the song “More” by Tyrone Wells. I hope it inspires you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98YyCqPVYHE

Holy Adventure - Day 38

2011-04-19T07:31:00.000-07:00

Grief and loss are a significant part of the human experience. When we are young, we lose a grandparent or beloved pet. We move and have to say good bye to people we’ve come to know. When we experienced those kind of losses, how we handled it was certainly influenced by those around us, particularly our parents. Did they allow us to feel the pain of the loss, or did they tell us to pick our chin up? Did they listen to our questions or did they say “it must have been God’s plan” and cut off conversation?

The older we get, the more loss and grief we face in our lives. Sometimes it can be overwhelming and we try to block out the uncomfortable feelings. Sometimes we allow ourselves to feel the pain and loss. Sometimes we try to figure out why the loss? Who is to blame? How could it have been prevented? Sometimes we shut ourselves off from others so we don’t have to feel the pain of more loss.

Grief is a process, and it is ongoing. When we grieve, we remember the person or the place or situation and what it meant to us. We remember the gifts we received from the person or situation. But there can also be hard memories. Few relationships or life circumstances are all joy and delight. Usually there are difficult times and challenges, and that can be even harder to allow ourselves to remember and feel. Maybe it seems as though we should only remember the good. But life is full of ups and downs and it is okay to remember the whole range and to thank God for the challenging times as well as the joys.

Epperly quoted Dietrich Bonhoeffer, “Only a suffering God can save.” (p.188). Those words do provide comfort. They assert that not only are we surrounded by a whole race of people who suffer, grieve and experience loss (the human race), but we live in the presence of a God who knows our suffering and suffers with us. As we get closer to Good Friday, the day Jesus died on the cross, we realize that surely God suffered as Jesus suffered. Surely God is not removed from our weakness and pain, but transforms it into new life and promise.

Holy Adventure - Day 37

2011-04-18T06:56:00.001-07:00

Have you ever had a “near death” experience? When I was in my early 20s I had a couple of them. Both involved car accidents when I thought I had no chance of surviving, but somehow, I did. I was not panicked in those moments, I was completely at peace. It was surprising, really, to be that young and feel at peace with the thought of dying. But that was my experience. Since that time, I think I have taken a different view of my own death. I don’t seem to fear it. Now don’t get me wrong, I do not want to die anytime soon. And I feel responsible to do my part to life and long and healthy of a life as I can.

My “fear” around the idea of death and dying comes more around those I love. I probably do have some fears related to Tim dying or my children dying or even my siblings dying. I want those I love to have long and good lives and I wouldn’t want anything to cut that short. That’s probably a very obvious thing to say. I suspect all of us feel that way, even though we know Paul’s words to be true: “Nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:39)

As we go through this week and contemplate the death and dying of Jesus, those words take on a deeper and fuller meaning. As we move toward the cross this week, we know that God was there and is there even when we falter and fail as the disciples did. We know that love is stronger than any earthly thing, even stronger than death itself.

Holy Adventure - Day 35

2011-04-16T09:12:00.000-07:00

I found today’s reading especially inspiring. Most of us probably know or are related to someone with Alzheimer’s and have had thoughts, questions, observations and many prayers for those who have it as well as their caregivers. I found these words of Epperly’s very comforting, “God’s enduring love and unfailing memory remind us that we can believe on behalf of others, and others can believe on behalf of us. We can heal them by our healing words and touch and by singing hymns of faith, and vice versa.” I have seen that happen time and time again and know it is God at work in and through all of us. It is that assurance that can really give a peace and a joy that is soul-deep.

Today marks the end of week 5 of our Holy Adventure! One week left to go. But this is not any ordinary week. Tomorrow begins Holy Week. And Holy Week is a very important time in the spiritual and faith life of those who follow Jesus. Holy Week begins with recalling how Jesus entered Jerusalem on a young animal to the shouts of “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!” It ends with his own beloved betraying him, denying him, the shouts of “Crucify him!”, death on a cross and burial in a tomb. Holy Week begins in hope and celebration and ends in darkness, death, and despair.

I would encourage each of you not to take the short-cut to Easter. Rather, allow yourself to go through the struggle and pain and darkness with Jesus so that the power and glory of Easter may be all the more amazing. Read, reflect, journal, do the spiritual exercises. Come to worship tomorrow for Palm Sunday, and again on Maundy Thursday (at First United Methodist Church, 7pm). Join the Good Friday procession at noon (starting at Bandshell park) as we, like Jesus carry the cross and hear the story of Jesus death. Sign up to be part of the Easter Prayer Vigil that begins at 1pm Friday and goes until 6am Sunday. Live fully in this Holy Adventure leading to Easter!

Holy Adventure - Day 34

2011-04-15T05:41:00.001-07:00

The Serenity Prayer is the common name for an originally untitled prayer by the theologian Reinhold Niebuhr. The prayer has been adopted by Alcoholics Anonymous and other twelve-step programs.

The best-known form is:

“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.”

This prayer reminds us that we cannot control everything, and that striving for control can be destructive. We want to be strong and to be independent and to have the right answers. But the truth is, we are human, which means for as wonderful and gifted and wise as we are, we are also weak and vulnerable and, at times, lacking in knowledge or perspective.

It makes sense that people struggling with addictions would find this prayer so helpful. In acknowledging our weakness, we can actually gain in strength and wisdom and peace. In acknowledging our weakness, we can be aware that we have need of God and others to make us whole and holy.

Are there people in your life who help you grow in faith and wisdom? Think about how they treated you and others. Were they full of themselves? Were they prideful? Or were they humble and loving? What can we learn from these people? How can our weakness help us live more abundantly?

Holy Adventure - Day 33

2011-04-14T06:30:00.001-07:00

Day 33

The story Epperly tells from Howard Thurman’s childhood is a great illustration of a very basic principle. When we get in unfamiliar situations or territory, so often the “reptile” or lower instinct level of our brain takes over – the fight or flight mode – and we end up anxious and behaving in ways that do not actually help the situation, and often make it worse.

Thurman’s grandmother was a wise woman. It is advise that would serve all of us well. “If you don’t know what to do, just stop a while and look around.” Last summer David Digby and I did a summer of sermons on Survival (body, mind and spirit). That was one of the survival tactics. So often when we are afraid, or when darkness sets in we, like Thurman, want to run. But that can “get you dead.” That can make a situation that “seems” bad really turn bad. Instead, what if we just stopped and looked around? Maybe we’d be able to see our way home through the small flashes of light we see when we are calm and still.

How might this wisdom help you on your Holy Adventure?

(From Wikipedia)

Howard Thurman (1899 – April 10, 1981) was an influential American author, philosopher, theologian, educator and civil rights leader. He was Dean of Theology and the chapels at Howard University and Boston University for more than two decades, wrote 20 books, and in 1944 helped found a multicultural church. Thurman was born in 1899 in Daytona Beach, Florida and grew up in the segregated South. In 1923, Howard Thurman graduated from Morehouse College as valedictorian . He was ordained a Baptist minister in 1925, after completing his study at the Colgate Rochester Theological Seminary now Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School. He then pursued further study as a special student of philosophy at Haverford College with Rufus Jones, a noted Quaker philosopher and mystic. Thurman earned his doctorate at Haverford.

Holy Adventure - Day 32

2011-04-13T06:08:00.000-07:00

There is a song in our hymnal that begins: “When the storms of life are raging, stand by me. When the world is tossing me, like a ship upon the sea, thou who rulest wind and water, stand by me.” (Chalice Hymnal 629)

How do we remain calm and able to respond in faith instead of fear “when the storms of life are raging”? It is easy to say Christ is with us. And that is true. But how can we be aware of that presence and tap into its power at all times, but especially when we feel threatened?

Throughout Christianity there have been certain practices of the faith that are meant to build our spiritual muscles. It’s not that we “get” something from them each time we do them. Maybe we do, maybe we don’t. But just like exercise, we do it anyway because it helps build stamina and muscle and health.

One practice I want to highlight today is Centering Prayer. Often when we think of prayer (and be clear, I want to encourage you to pray often) we think of offering our cares and concerns to God. And so we think or say those concerns and try to think of all of them that we have and invite God’s response and wisdom or healing. But with Centering Prayer, we do just the opposite, which is precisely what builds our spiritual calm in the storm. In Centering Prayer, we quiet our body and our mind and try to not pay attention to our thoughts or concerns or cares. In Centering Prayer, we try to be in that moment, completely with God and to be in tune what God might say to us without our intervention of thoughts and desires and wishes.

If you would ever like to learn more about Centering Prayer, Darla Ewalt leads a Centering Prayer group at 7:00pm on Tuesdays and 5:15pm on Thursdays each week. I know she would welcome your questions and your presence. You can try it for a period of time and just see if it might be a meaningful spiritual practice for you.

Holy Adventure - Day 31

2011-04-12T06:19:00.000-07:00

Touch can be a very powerful thing done in a loving and healthy way. Whether that be shaking hands, a hand on a shoulder or a full blown hug, we humans need to be touched in order to truly “feel” whole.

Growing up, I remember hearing the Gaither song, He Touched Me. The chorus goes like this:

He touched me, oh he touched me
And oh the joy that floods my soul
Something happened and now I know
He touched me and made me whole

Recently I was reading the reflection of a woman whose father was in hospice. One day she went to visit him and was greeted at the door by a nurse who said he had taken a turn for the worse and that it was probably not going to be long before he passed. When she got in the room her father did, indeed appear to be practically lifeless. But he opened his eyes and looked at her and smiled. She took his hand and could barely feel any sign of movement. As she sat there, she looked around the room and she thought about her father’s life and how much he had loved her. And she wanted to do something for him in what might be these last hours. So she went and got a basin of warm water and a cloth and began to carefully bathe him and put lotion on his tired and worn body. And as she did that her father, little by little began to respond to that healing touch. He opened his eyes once again and asked his daughter to sing to him. So she held him in her arms and sang “What a Friend We Have In Jesus” and “Amazing Grace” and “Great Is Thy Faithfulness”. He looked at his daughter, told her that he loved her and that he was ready to go, and slipped into a deep sleep. A few hours later he had passed. And this daughter grieved, she was amazed at the power of touch and love to free her father to move on and to heal her heartache and give her peace.

How has touch healed you?

Holy Adventure - Day 30

2011-04-11T06:26:00.001-07:00

As the Psalmist proclaims, “you …formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. ¹⁴I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works that I know very well.” (Ps.139)

The body is such a work of art; such an amazing creation that it becomes easy to take it for granted until it stops working like it should. I discovered that late last summer when I irritated a disk in my back and spent several days unable to sit down or turn over in bed without piercing pain, and then spent about 6 weeks in physical therapy as my back began to heal itself and life became more possible. If anyone ever asks me about the Physical Therapists at Mary Greeley, I’ll gladly sing their praises! What a difference that made.

Christianity has not always done a good job of honoring the bodies God has gifted us with. Throughout history, too often the body has been seen as unclean or as the “lesser” part of ourselves. There are people who deny their bodies for the sake of their spiritual life. While there may be healthy expressions of bodily denial such as the practice of fasting or giving up certain things for Lent, the body is not some crude, inferior thing that is somehow not really of God. They are containers for the very Spirit of God!

On the other hand, in our culture, the body – at least the thin, young ones – can be objects of too much focus. With God’s vision we can celebrate the bodies we have and try to treat them well and honor them as a gift with a sense of grace and wonder, but without focusing too much on looks and weight. “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”

Holy Adventure - Day 28

2011-04-09T06:42:00.000-07:00

Today marks the completion of 4 weeks on this Holy Adventure: 41 Days of Audacious Living. We have just two weeks left to go before Easter. So, I guess that means we are 2/3 the way through. How are you finding the daily readings and prayers and exercises? Are they opening your mind and your imagination? Are they inspiring your thoughts and wonderings about your life and how you might grow in faith and love and let that show more and more in your daily living? Have you made any new commitments or done any experiments?

With just two weeks until Easter, are there things you’d like to do yet during Lent? Now would be a good time to go back and look at your journal writings, or, if you have not been keeping a journal, now would be a great time to begin. Sometimes as we write down our thoughts they become more real and either seem to be very important, or maybe seem like what we felt was a “big deal” maybe isn’t after all.

This week we have been thinking about how all of creation rises in praise to God. Recently my family and I went to the Grand Canyon. That is a place that no matter how many times I go there, it still leaves me speechless in its beauty and wonder. It has such an ancient feel to it and the spirit of the place seems to call if you listen. As I look out on the great expanse and the beauty, I song and a prayer naturally wells up within me and I can easily hear the words of the Psalmist, “Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!” (Ps.150:2)

Holy Adventure - Day 26

2011-04-07T07:04:00.001-07:00

Today’s meditation helps us think about our connection to the earth and all its creatures. It inspires us to think about how we relate to all that God created. At the Church Board Meeting in February, the Board gave its okay to go ahead and form a “Green Team” to take a look at First Christian Church’s use of resources. Are there areas we could do better?

For years, Bob Fitz and others have been changing out light fixtures and bulbs to be more energy efficient. Not too long ago, insulation was added to the attic and we purchased a more efficient boiler system. In the office, we have been trying to cut down on the amount of paper we use. We have asked that people think about different modes of communication that involves fewer resources. Yesterday, Vicki sent out the first email news update (not The Call newsletter). With electronic communication, we do not use paper or ink or a copy machine. We have been purchasing and using more environmentally friendly cleaning products as well. No doubt, the Green Team will come up with other ideas to be good stewards of the resources we have.

One other thing we have tried to do is to purchase organic, fair trade coffee and tea for use at church. We are part of the Disciples’ Coffee Project and buy our supplies from Equal Exchange. The farmers who grow the coffee we drink use sustainable farming practices, grow the crops organically, and receive a fair wage for their work.

Do you have ideas for ways we can help to connect and heal our relationship with our environment? Share them!

Holy Adventure - Day 25

2011-04-06T06:54:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I was in a gathering of clergy facilitated by a man from the Center for Renewal at Grand View University. His topic was the role of ministers in equipping the people of their congregation for ministry. He brought several books on the topic. The one I was given to “summarize” was called “Faith as a Way of Life” or something like that. In the book, the author said that one barrier to people seeing their lives as a ministry is the compartmentalization that occurs in daily life. You have work and the set of ethics and values expressed there. You have your role as a “consumer” in our economy that has certain expectations and values. You have the sports arena, with its own set of values. There is the school system, and on and on. There are all these separate arenas that we engage each day. And it can seem as though church and spirituality is just one among many.

The author of this book does not think it is a problem to have many different arenas of life. But he believes that our faith and spirituality really needs to be present in each arena rather than being separate. Our reading this morning is suggesting just that - that our sense of God’s presence and guidance and vision is all around us and unites us with all things and in all aspects of life.

What does life look like and feel like when we are united internally and externally through our sense of God in and through it all?

Holy Adventure - Day 24

2011-04-05T06:10:00.001-07:00

“…every moment is a vocational moment in which we may choose to follow or turn away from God’s vision for our lives in this place and time. Every moment’s encounter is a gift from God and an opportunity to make a difference to God and the world.” (p.130)

This quote from our reading this morning reminds me of words in a song I like: “Everything that we have, everything that we are, every moment is a blessing from above. It’s endless love that we breathe; it’s endless love that we receive. What has freely come, we now let freely go.”

Each moment is a gift from God, and today’s reading reminds us that we, like the Priest and the Levite and the Samaritan, decide what we shall do with the moments of our lives. Sometimes we are probably more like the ones who passed by the man hurt and left for dead. We are busy, or afraid, or find some very good reason why we cannot respond to the need. But then there are those times when we are like the Samaritan and we see the need and we sense God’s presence and we respond with that love that we have so freely received.

What are the moments in your life when you were the Good Samaritan?

Holy Adventure - Day 23

2011-04-04T05:53:00.000-07:00

Okay, so we are over halfway through the 41 days. We are on our way to coming to Easter in a way we have not before. How’s it going? Have you had new insights? Has your imagination been activated in some new ways? I’d love to hear your stories!

I heard a story yesterday. A story of responding to the reflections and suggestions of the Holy Adventure readings. One of our fellow adventurers, after reading yesterday’s “Living Adventurously” section decided to respond by writing a check out to the Humane Society and putting it in the offering plate at church (in one of those little brown envelopes you find in the pews). In this way, this person decided to do something to “ease the pain” of some of God’s creatures, thus participating with God in healing activity.

Have you had the inclination to do something in response to what you are reading or imagining or praying? Why not do it? I’d love to hear your stories.

Speaking of stories – I am looking for stories of times when we humans, out of our sense of calling to be faithful, have participated in other healing adventures. It can be a story of something you’ve done or something someone else did. Next Sunday, we will feature some of these stories. Let me know!

Holy Adventure - Day 21

2011-04-02T04:37:00.000-07:00

Clergy “self-care” is a big topic of conversation within my professional circles these days. Research suggests that clergy are among the least healthy populations in this country. We have a much higher rate of heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and depression. Recently I heard someone trying to make a connection about how it is important to take care of the basics in order to be strong to help others. The person said it is like in an airplane when we are instructed to first put on your own oxygen mask and then help your children and others around you. That way you won’t pass out trying to help others.

Jesus spoke of loving your neighbor as yourself. In order to do that, you do need to love yourself. For some, it is hard to love yourself. Maybe that feels too “self-centered” or selfish. And there are certainly ways we can be self-centered or selfish. But to love oneself means to accept your life as a gift from God and to be a good “steward” of that gift. In order to live our life in service of that which is greater than you – God – each of us need to do those things which enhance the life force within us. We need the basics, like healthy food, a good amount of rest, meaningful work, positive relationships, etc. We also need to take time to nourish our spirit through prayer, reflection, writing, creating, reading, and sharing ourselves. Love God. Love neighbor. Love self.

Holy Adventure - Day 20

2011-04-01T08:14:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago the theme of the day was Practicing Our Faith – Forgiveness. During that worship service I asked people to write down the burdens they were carrying… what do you need to let go of/forgive? I received those anonymous offerings and prayed over them the following day.

On those pieces of paper that were offered up to God were the need to forgive family, friends, oneself, neighbors, co-workers and others for a whole variety of things done that shouldn’t have been as well as things not done that should have been. As I read these little pieces of paper I was struck by the weight of what was on them. We humans carry around a lot of pain and grief as we struggle with the hurts and disappointments in life. It is truly a gift from God that we have the opportunity to acknowledge our pain and brokenness and yet not be bound by it.

Forgiveness takes prayer and focus and time. It takes a desire to live life abundantly rather than to be stuck. Are you in need of forgiveness? Do you need to forgive? Lent is a great time to look deep into your spirit and see if you need to be released from the weight of things past so that you can be free to live into a more joyous day.

Holy Adventure - Day 19

2011-03-31T03:46:00.000-07:00

In Jesus’ teaching, one important thing that distinguishes his followers from others is the practice of loving one’s enemies. Yet there is no more reinforcement to do this in our culture than there was in Jesus’ day. Loving enemies is counter to what we are taught by prominent attitudes around. Most books and movies deal with enemies by wiping them out. We expect enemies to “get their due.” We think of enemies as “less than human.” We have to because it is harder to hate or wish suffering or death or ill on those who may be not all that different than we are.

In his sermon on the mount, Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Mt. 5:43-48)

This is one of those difficult teachings. Yet it is filled with hope. Everyone is worthy of God’s love. Everyone can change. Each day is a new day, and you never know when an enemy may just become a friend, through the power of Christ.

Holy Adventure - Day 18

2011-03-30T03:45:00.000-07:00

“Just as you did it to the least of these…you did it to me…” Jesus’ words in Matthew 25 about caring for the most vulnerable have been read and preached about and turned into skits and litanies. They are unsettling in their clarity. Jesus does not ask us to be nice to those less fortunate. Jesus does not ask us to take pity on “those” poor people, as if they were separate from him. Jesus basically says that he is those marginalized in society and when we help those who are sick or cold or homeless or hungry or in prison, we are caring for him. In extending God’s love to those who have little, we are serving and loving Christ.

Who are those people in our community? Who are the ones who are poor or suffering or lonely? We know there are homeless people in Ames. We can care about them and do what we can to make sure everyone has shelter over their heads. There are certainly people who struggle to have enough food to put on the table. We can help connect people with the resources in the Ames community such as free meals at Food at First (United Methodist Church) and the food pantries. Bethesda Lutheran Church has a clothing closet for those who need clothes. We can contribute to that and make sure people who need it know about it. We can visit and send cards to people who are sick. We can visit those who are homebound and just need to know they are cared for.

As you think about the scripture and see Christ in those who are in need, what ways do you imagine responding? Are there neighbors you could check in on? Are there people you encounter in your daily life who just need a listening ear?

I like Epperly’s line “We are called to contribute beauty, creativity, goodness, and compassion to God’s evolving experience of the world.” (p.106) What will your contribution be?

Holy Adventure - Day 17

2011-03-29T06:03:00.001-07:00

In 1986, just two weeks after Tim and I were married, I went to Nicaragua as part of a delegation through Disciple’ Peace Fellowship. I spent 10 days learning to know some of the people of that country and the struggles they faced due to some insurgents who would come into the villages and kidnap their children and kill their husbands and fathers.

I went because I wanted to be part of a group of Christians who would share God’s love with those who suffer. I went in order to give some kind of hope to people in a hopeless situation. Being raised in the church, I had a deep sense in which my life, in part, was about giving to others and I saw this trip as a way to do just that.

You know the phrase, “it is in giving that we receive.” Well, that is precisely what happened. The people of Nicaragua that I encountered were so generous and faithful. Even though they were extremely poor, and even though they had every reason to doubt and despair, I have no doubt they gave more to me than I could even begin to give to them. They gave us the best, and in some cases, last of their food. They gave us their beds. They gave us their stories and songs. They gave us their infectious spirit of hope and faith from the depth of their soul. I left that place amazed and awed by how God’s love was alive and real and soaring. I came back and knew I needed to go to seminary.

Giving and receiving are funny things. It may start out with one of them and quickly turn into the other. Do you have stories of giving and receiving?

Holy Adventure - Day 16

2011-03-28T08:06:00.001-07:00

As we think of God’s abundance and how hard it is to live into that sometimes, I was reminded of an African story that is kind of the opposite of Jesus turning water into wine at the wedding at Cana. It really gives “food for thought.”

A Nigerian tribal chief sent out his messengers to invite all of the men of the tribe to a great feast. “All of the food will be provided,” they announced, “but each man must bring one jug of palm wine.”

Ezra wanted to attend the great festival very much, but he had no wine. He paced the floor trying to think of a solution for his dilemma. Finally his wife suggested, “You could buy a jug of wine. It is not too expensive for such a great occasion.”

“How foolish,” Ezra cried, “to spend money when there is a way to go free.” Once again he paced until he came upon a plan. “Rather than wine I will carry water in my jug. Several hundred men will attend the festival. What will it hurt to add one jug of water to the great pot of wine?”

On the day of the feast the tribal drums began to beat early in the morning, reminding the people of the great festival. All of the men came dressed in their finest clothes, gathering by midmorning at the home of the chief. As each man entered the tribal grounds, he poured his jug of wine into a large earthen pot. Ezra carefully poured the contents of his container into the pot, greeted the chief, and joined the dancers.

When all of the guests arrived, the chief commanded the music to cease and ordered the servants to fill everyone’s glass with wine. As the chief spoke the opening words of the festival, all of the guests raised their glasses and drank. Suddenly a cry of disbelief arose from the crowd, and they quickly drank again. What they tasted was not wine, but water. Each guest had decided that his one jug of water could not spoil the great pot of palm wine.

Holy Adventure - Day 14

2011-03-26T11:13:00.000-07:00

Check in. It is now 2 weeks since we began this Holy Adventure. How has it been going for you? Have you done the reading each day? Have you prayed the prayers and said the affirmations and reflected upon the material? Have you been keeping a journal of your thoughts and reflections?

What has stirred in the deep places within you? Do you sense/hear God calling you in a particular direction? Are you feeling affirmed, or challenged? Is there an opening to see something differently than you have before? Are there points of disagreement you have with the author? Have you had any “ah-hah” moments?

Now would be a good time to reflect on what you’d like from this adventure. If you haven’t been doing the readings, would you like to renew your commitment to do so? Today is a new day and you can start fresh! If you haven’t started a journal, it’s not too late. Will you be in worship tomorrow so you can offer your heart, soul, strength and mind to God this week and get ready for what is in store?

Think about it. Pray about it. Pray for not only yourself, but your fellow adventurers.

Blessings!

Holy Adventure - Day 13

2011-03-25T10:36:00.000-07:00

Luke 5:1-11

Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.’ Simon answered, ‘Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.’ When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. So they signalled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!’ For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.’When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.

What are the areas in your life where you may being called to “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch”?

If you read this story through a couple of times and let the words and images really take hold in your imagination, what comes to your mind?

When things don’t happen in our time, sometimes we want to give up, or we assume “it wasn’t meant to be” but what if we just need to cast deeper? What if we need to change something just a little in order to bring in the catch of a lifetime!

Holy Adventure - Day 12

2011-03-24T09:46:00.000-07:00

When I was in college, majoring in Speech Communication, I remember very early on learning the concept of the “self-fulfilling prophecy.” You may have heard of the concept. It is the notion that if you think and say something enough (especially the negative, it seems) it has a way of happening. When we walk around in fear and suspicion that people are going to disappoint us or that we can’t do a particular thing, we are looking for that to happen, and so often, it does!

Another angle on this is the glass half empty vs. half full test. When you look at the glass on the table, do you see “half empty” (what is lacking) or “half full” what is there? When we walk around seeing the world through the lens of the “half empty glass” we miss SO much because we don’t see what is right in front of our eyes.

So what happens if we “have the same mind that was in Christ Jesus”? Instead of seeing only a few loaves of bread and some tiny fish, we see a meal to feed 5,000! We see little children as a blessing instead of a nuisance. We see the wisdom of a foreign woman who asks for the same treatment as the locals. We see the nets bursting with so many fish after a night of emptiness.

With the mind of Christ, today, what will you see?

Holy Adventure - Day 11

2011-03-23T15:49:00.000-07:00

“Our greatest gifts can be the source of our greatest temptations.” (p.72) Have you found these words to be true? Living in a reflective way can help us see and avoid the pitfalls of such temptations. When you think about it, temptation is not bad. It can actually afford us with the opportunity for growth and clarity.

Look at the stories of Jesus in the wilderness… facing the temptation to use his gifts to bring fame and fortune to himself instead of using them for God’s purposes. In meeting those temptations head-on, Jesus clarified his mission and purpose in life and was strengthened to face more temptation in his daily living. That wilderness time was surely challenging, yet without it, would he have had the fortitude to face his own persecution and death for the sake of something greater?

What are your temptations? And what are your wilderness experiences? When do you have the opportunity to clarify who you are and what you are called to in your life? These are definitely questions for Lent.

Holy Adventure - Day 10

2011-03-22T07:40:00.000-07:00

For some reason the phrase, “Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature…” (Lk.2:52) has always drawn me in. When I was young, I think I was amazed that this young boy was so attentive to things that mattered. I wanted to be like Jesus and could easily imagine myself in his shoes, listening to the teachers, trying to understand, letting my mind play with the ideas and concepts they expressed. And that is what I did in Sunday School with my teachers. That is what I did as I listened, or just took in my surroundings in worship. That is what I did as I talked with peers about the stories we were learning and as I debated with the Baptist minister’s son on matters of theology on the bus going to field trips in middle school.

That phrase still captivates my mind, … “Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature…” I still want to grow and learn and be surprised and enlightened and proven wrong and have my thoughts confirmed and find that I can see from a different perspective that opens up new worlds of thought and faith and action.

You have embarked on this Holy Adventure with me. Do you find that you are growing in wisdom and stature as you read and pray and reflect upon the material you find in the book? Do questions arise? Do you take time to sit with those and allow yourself to be in the place of wonder, not needing to have an immediate answer? Wisdom comes in delighting in the questions as much as knowing the answers. How is God working within you for growth as you continue on this Holy Adventure?

Holy Adventure - Day 9

2011-03-21T07:35:00.000-07:00

In the quote from Marianne Williamson I shared yesterday, she closes by saying, “And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

Epperly writes, “As we continue in God’s holy adventure, we discover that letting our light shine is a matter of vocation and service, not pride. Sadly, we often forget our identity as God’s light in the world, and we let ourselves live by fear, defensiveness, guilt, and scarcity. Though we may doubt our abilities and hide our gifts, God’s light still shines, constantly illuminating and transforming our lives even when we are unaware of its power.”(65)

How have you been a channel of God’s light in your life? Do you have fears that keep you from shining in ways you think God leads you? Are you afraid of failure, or embarrassment, or are you afraid of success and the responsibility that comes with that? Make some notes in your journal as you think about those questions today. And write down some words or phrases to describe what it might look like and feel like for you to let God’s light shine in you and through you.

Holy Adventure - Day 8

2011-03-20T08:21:00.000-07:00

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?

You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

– Marianne Williamson

This quote is often attributed to South African President, Nelson Mandela, but is actually from the book, A Return to Love by Marianne Williamson. As a child of God, created in the image of God, we have a great honor and responsibility to live fully who we were created to be, and that may cause us to “shrink” at times. To live into and up to the image of God is certainly not the easy way through life. How are you being called to “make manifest the glory of God that is within” you?

Holy Adventure - Day 7

2011-03-18T22:59:00.001-07:00

Just as we can feel like we are not creative, we can also feel like we are not worthy in God’s eyes. Maybe we have done things we are not proud of. Maybe we still carry some grudges about things past (or present). Maybe we haven’t picked up our Bible in years. Maybe we have thoughts we are not proud of. Maybe we don’t think we are good as a parent or a spouse or a friend. Maybe we think others seem to be better, nicer, more together, happier, etc. that we are. These thoughts can stifle our creativity and our ability to be open to how God may be calling us.

Today, try to feel just how much God loves you and just how much God wants you to face your shortcomings in order to grow beyond them. In God’s world, amazing things can be done through our weakness. In God’s world, it is often the smallest or last or least important one who has the insight needed or who gives all they have to feed a hungry crowd or anoints Jesus feet when others ignore what is coming for him.

Make sure to read Luke 15 today. Here you’ll find the parables of the lost sheep, lost coin, and lost sons (or prodigal son). Can you relate to any of these characters? If God can work through them and help them see a life they did not before imagine, why can’t God do the same with you? How will you open your mind and heart to God’s surprising love today? How can you offer that kind of love to someone else?

Holy Adventure - Day 6

2011-03-18T07:13:00.000-07:00

I have often heard people say, “Oh, I’m not creative.” And when we look around at all the people we admire for their talent and creativity, it can seem as though we have little to offer. We see great works of art and we wonder how anyone could be so talented. We hear a great composer and we feel small by comparison. We read a beautiful poem or a well written book and we know we could never be so eloquent. And yet, created in the image of God, each of us has creative abilities whether we recognize it or not.

I am aware of that sometimes when Diane Brown puts flowers and clothes and other items together in the sanctuary. It seems to me, given the same items, I would never be able to come up with anything so beautiful. Or when I look at the Warm Hugs blankets and quilts and prayer shawls that come to the church to extend our love where it is needed, I think I could never be as creative as Lois Miller or Olene Dowell or Jeannie Fitz or Mary Israel. And there are SO MANY other examples at First Christian Church. Such creative people! Who in the church amazes you with their creativity? Where do you see the creative aspects of yourself shining? Is God calling you to create something new in your life?

Holy Adventure - Day 5

2011-03-17T06:52:00.001-07:00

In worship several weeks ago we engaged in “breath prayer”. As we breathed in we thought to ourselves something like, “Come, Holy Spirit” and as we exhaled we thought something like “Mold me, make me”. In our reading for today, we are introduced to a breath prayer - “Breathing in, I calm my body. Breathing out, I smile. Dwelling in the present moment, I know this is a wonderful moment!” Can you think of some other breath prayers that might be helpful along this Holy Adventure?

Breathing in, I inhale God’s creative energy

Breathing out, I release all my fear

Breathing in, I inhale love

Breathing out, I exhale resentments and grudges

Breathing in, I inhale new possibilities

Breathing out, I exhale the places I am stuck

You could write your ideas in your journal, or share them in response to this. Being able to see yourself taking in the positive and releasing the negative is a wonderful way to cooperate with God who is working to transform you that you may be a blessing to yourself, your loved ones, and the world.

Holy Adventure - Day 4

2011-03-16T07:10:00.001-07:00

“Your life is your gift to God.” (p.44) Do you think about your life in that way? We often talk about how your life is a gift from God. And that is certainly true. But what if we lived as though our life was a gift to God? Your life is an offering of praise and thanksgiving! How does that change how you feel about yourself, your life, your choices? Does anything change?

“Every moment is the right moment for personal transformation. In every moment, God weaves together persons and possibilities in order to create a world of meaning and beauty.” (p.44) Epperly tells of a time when he felt compelled to go speak to someone after a speaking engagement even though he usually left immediately. He followed his “sense” and discovered what would become one of his closest spiritual friends. (p.46)

Have you ever been drawn to do something or talk to someone or take a different route to work or errands and discovered something that changed your life in a positive way? Do you think God has a part in these “synchronous” encounters?

Holy Adventure - Day 3

2011-03-15T02:11:00.001-07:00

Day 3

In our Chalice Hymnal there is a song, “Creator God, Creating Still.” That idea is what Day 3 is all about – that God didn’t just create the world and then say, “Okay, that’s it!” God continues to create new possibilities, new ways of seeing the world, new ways of doing things, new chances at life and love. We get stuck sometimes when we think that how things are is the way they will always be and that we are powerless to do anything about it.

What would happen in our lives if we really lived with the idea that God is still creating within our lives and in our world? God is still opening up possibilities for the healing of the world and the strengthening of our lives as a blessing in a world that is in need of blessing. And what would happen if we began to see ourselves more and more as partners with God in renewing creation by our actions and our attitudes and our intentions? Can you imagine we took on the vocation of tikkun ‘olam – mending the world?

When you listen to your life, what do you hear?

Holy Adventure - Day 2

2011-03-14T07:41:00.000-07:00

These words, “Nothing in all creation can separate us from God’s love for us in Christ Jesus, our Lord!” (Romans 8:39) is often read at funerals as a reminder that death is not the final word when it comes to God. God’s love is with us each moment that we have life and breath and walk upon this earth, and yet, we believe that even death, even after we have taken our last breath, God’s love still holds us beyond this life.

What would life look like if we lived each day breathing in and out the thought, “Nothing can separate me from the love of God.” Not my own fears, not my own stubbornness, not struggle or questioning or making mistakes can be such that with the power of God’s love, cannot be turned around and made whole again. Epperly writes, “This is good news! With God as our companion, transformation is possible in every situation.” (p.39) Each day is a new day in God when we have the chance to change how we live and to be more in tunes with God’s visions and dreams for us.

How might you live into that reality this Lent?

Holy Adventure - Day 1

2011-03-13T13:23:00.001-07:00

A question from today’s reading is, “How big is your God?” At First Christian Church, we have long been saying “God is bigger than_____” – you fill in the blank. You’d be hardpressed to find a word that you could not insert into that blank.

A few years ago, we had a brightly colored sign on the lawn that said, “God is bigger than______” Every few days we’d change the word(s) in the blank (it was a big slate board that we could erase and write something new). God is bigger than a breadbox. God is bigger than a giant. (That was the suggestion of one of our youth.) God is bigger than republicans and democrats. God is bigger than you and me. God is bigger than the Bible. And it was kind of fun to think about just how big God is… well actually, God is bigger than any of us can think or imagine. At First Christian Church, we celebrate that God is God and we are not. God is both known and unknown, seen in the face of a neighbor or stranger and beyond comprehension, imminent and transcendent.

What are some ways you have experienced God? How would you fill in the blank, “God is bigger than_______?”

Sunday, March 13th - Day 1

2011-03-12T13:06:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow we will begin Day 1 of our 41 Days of Audacious Living! Don't forget to move your clock forward so you can rise to greet the day with time to give thanks to God for this adventure.

Tomorrow we will worship at First Christian Church at 10:30 with the theme, Transforming God, that will help us get into our theme for the week. Feel free to respond on the Facebook group page or on the blog as you are moved. Hopefully many will be inspired to share!

There are spiritual exercises and a prayer for each day. The reflections ask questions for us to ponder. So I suggest that you find a notebook or journal or blank sheets of notebook paper and set them with your book so that you can record your thoughts as you have them. You may also want to make sure your Bible is close by so you can look up scriptures as they come up. And, you may even want some post it notes to be able to put up reminders for yourself of affirmations you want to remember throughout the day.

Please share what stirs within you on this Holy Adventure!

Do you see your life as a Holy Adventure?

2011-03-11T14:58:00.000-08:00

A major component of Holy Adventure: 41 Days of Audacious Living by Bruce Epperly is that we are all called by God to a Holy adventure in our time and place. When we see our lives as such, all kinds of possibilities open up. Have you ever felt a nudge or "heard" a calling that you think may be God? In this season of Lent, through reading the daily reflections and prayers, may each of us become more aware of and in tune with God's presence in our daily life, the richness of our own story, and how God may be calling/nudging/whispering/hinting for us to explore new possibilities as our adventure unfolds. Feel free to post what you are thinking, what are your questions, where is your restlessness or puzzling happening, etc. We can share in the adventure!

Holy Adventure (and Lent) begins Wednesday, March 9

2011-03-08T21:45:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday, March 9th, we will begin our Holy Adventure: 41 Days of Audacious Living. Read the first three chapters of the book between now and the end of Saturday. Then on Sunday we will begin the daily readings. Don't forget to move your clock ahead before you go to bed Saturday night. On Sunday, we'll anticipate the first week of our adventure. Let me know what you're thinking as you read along.

Holy Adventure: 41 Days of Audacious Living - First Christian, Ames

2011-02-22T10:18:00.000-08:00

Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, March 9th. Lent is a time when we go "deeper" into our lives and spirits, and seek to connect with the source of our lives in such a way that we are transformed, changed, and able to see ourselves and the world more in light of God's wisdom and vision.

This Lent, I invite you to come with me on a Holy Adventure of discovery and challenge and insight as we work our way through the book, Holy Adventure: 41 Days of Audacious Living by Bruce G. Epperly. Beginning Wednesday, March 9 - Saturday, March 12 we will read Chapters 1, 2, & 3. Then, on Sunday, March 13 we will step out onto Week One, Day 1 of this holy adventure.

I will blog during these 41 days and I invite your responses as we all read the same words and allow them to touch our experience, our imagination, our desires, our fears, our questions and our insights. There will also be a Facebook page to share how the daily readings are speaking to us.

Are you ready?

Holy Adventure: 41 Days of Audacious Living - First Christian, Ames Here is the Facebook group you can join to connect with others on our Holy Adventure.

Holy Adventure: 41 Days of Audacious Living

2011-02-22T09:16:00.000-08:00

Are you ready?

Man Broke into Ames Church to Watch Porn

2010-03-12T16:56:00.000-08:00

That headline made the Ames Tribune on Tuesday, March 9, 2010 (see article below). At the time I thought it odd that it was given a fair amount of space in the paper. It seemed like it wasn't really all that big of a deal. Nothing made it out of the building. No one was hurt. Nothing much was damaged except for some food items that had to be thrown away, and all the things scattered about the church that had to be picked up and put away. It was a nuisance, to be sure. But in the grand scheme of things, it didn't seem worth mentioning to people, except those in leadership to make sure they stay informed.

Since the Tribune article was published, however, this bizarre, but seemingly inconsequential event has taken on a life of it's own in the news media and on the internet. This little local news story has spread from central Iowa (Tribune, Des Moines Register, WOI TV News) to Omaha to Cedar Rapids, but it doesn't stop there. Coverage goes from New York to San Francisco, but it doesn't stop there. This little local news story found it's way to England, the Philippines and even China! It is the source of interesting and very speculative comments on blogs and news sites. Why? Well because it brings together two things that aren't supposed to go together - porn and church. And that has captivated people's imaginations.

Amid all the questions about where the man got the porn in the first place, assumptions by some that it must have been a Catholic Church with deviant priests, a few negative comments about religion in general, and many pronouncements of where this man was heading in the afterlife, I found what to me was the most informed comment. Someone had actually taken the time to find us on the web, cut and paste our logo "Come as you are... you belong", and comment - "I think this guy misunderstood."

At First Christian Church, we try to follow the way of Jesus. Jesus ate with the wrong crowd. He was seen with the wrong people. He graciously received the gifts of ones considered unworthy. We want to let people know that we do want to welcome everyone and that there is a place at the table here for all kinds of people. Here we take hospitality and making people feel welcome seriously. This man would have been welcome to worship with us or break bread with us. But unfortunately, he entered the building after it had been locked up and there was no one there to hear his story or his struggles; no one to help him understand that welcome and hospitality and belonging don't mean "anything goes." We are a community of faith on a journey together. We are here to help one another when we need it, whether that be guidance, prayers, hugs, tears, affirmation or a listening ear. We are all trying to do our best to follow Jesus who shows us a better way of living and learning and loving, and serving a God who is bigger than anything we can think or imagine.

AMES, Iowa, March 11 (UPI) -- An Iowa man allegedly broke into a church and used electronic equipment belonging to the facility to watch pornographic films in the basement, police said.

Ames, Iowa, police said Charles Bentley, 55, was arrested Friday morning after employees of the Ames Community Preschool showed up for work at the First Christian Church and called 911 to report items missing and sounds coming from the basement, the Ames (Iowa) Tribune reported Thursday.

Investigators said Bentley, who may have spent the night at the church, entered the facility and brought items from around the church into the basement and set up a camp site with church-owned items including food, kitchen utensils, clothes, electronic equipment and a 26-inch flat-screen television.

"He kind of made himself at home," said Cmdr. Mike Brennan of the Ames Police Department.

Police said they believe Bentley used the church's equipment to watch pornographic films he was carrying at the time of his arrest. He was charged with second-degree burglary and booked into the Story County Jail in lieu of $10,000 bond

Waiting....

2009-12-02T08:23:00.000-08:00

Maybe you've been waiting for a new post to the Bigger God Blog. I read recently that the average person spends 5 years of his or her life waiting in line, 2 years playing telephone tag, and six months sitting at red lights. That's over 7 1/2 years of waiting! What are you waiting for?

Advent is a time of waiting. But what are we waiting for? We know Jesus was born. That already happened, right? We know that the saving power of God's love has been revealed - born in the one from Galilee who walked among us and showed us a different way of living. The Messiah was born. So what are we waiting for in Advent?

The holy waiting of Advent is not idle waiting. Rather, it is a time when we clear away the clutter of our minds and our lives and make room for the Advent - the coming - of Emmanuel - God With Us - in our hearts and minds and spirits. The idea of "no room in the Inn" works here. When God knocks on the door of our soul and wants to be born in us, will there be room? Will we even hear the knock through all the other noise and distraction?

There are various ways we can use this time of holy waiting to open ourselves to the power of God's love to transform our lives. One way is through the discipline of silence. Have you ever tried to quiet your mind and sit in silence? Maybe you could try that this season. Sit in God's presence and listen... in silence. Don't come with your wish list asking God to deliver. Rather, use the silence as a time to empty yourself allowing God space to ask something of you.

What are your ideas about holy waiting? What do you do in this season to prepare to receive that LOVE born at Christmas?

Bigger God Blog

2009-10-01T17:41:00.000-07:00

In recent years, religion has gotten a bad name. In part, because there has been a tendency to define things too narrowly. People began to think they could not stay in the religion or church of their upbringing because they simply couldn't believe all the things they thought they had to in order to be part of the group.

At First Christian Church, we believe that God simply cannot be confined to any one way of seeing things or one set of beliefs. We understand that God is bigger than that. God is bigger than religion.

If you have left the church or know of people who have left the church because they didn't think they could question and wonder and be unsure of where they stand on certain doctrinal statements or theological premises, you/they just might find a place at First Christian Church.

Here we don't require ascent to particular statements. We are on a journey together, but we start at different points. We look to the life and teachings of Jesus who says simply, "Follow me." We don't presume to know where that will lead, only that there is life and love and grace on that path.

So, "Come as you are... you belong!"