UK #5: Adelaides in Glasgow

Monday marked a transition in my trip.  I left Poole and people I knew or got to know and set out on solo travel across the UK.  I started by traveling north, to Glasgow, Scotland.  I wasn't in Glasgow for very long, sadly.  But I enjoyed the time I had.

When I was preparing for my trip, one of the accommodations listed in Rick Steves' Great Britain 2013 is Adelaides Guesthouse.  It is in "a multitasking church building."  A tiny bit of internet research showed me that they are in the same building as Adelaide Place Baptist Church.  The guesthouse had an opening for the night (I turned out to be their first guest of 2013, as they'd been on a holiday break) so I made a reservation.  Then I sent an e-mail to the pastor of the church, telling him about my trip and asking if he would be available to meet with me the afternoon or evening I would be there.  To my surprise, he quickly wrote back and said yes.

So Monday afternoon, I spent some time with him, hearing how it came to be that their church building also houses a guesthouse and nursery (day care center).  The congregation has been worshipping in this building since 1877, and it is in the city center.  Like many such churches, members started into move to the suburbs, and membership started declining.  

About 18 years ago, they discovered dry rot in their building, which would cost a significant amount to repair.  They had to grapple with what to do about their building.  At about the same time they did a survey of areas of ministry need.  They found that there were six areas of need, and they couldn't address them all.  They decided to focus on the business community, partly since it is less common than ministering to the urban poor or students.  They thought creatively, and decided to start  business, Adelaides.  They mission would be to extend the kingdom of God through profitable enterprise.  They raised the money to renovate the building.  Now it houses an eight room guesthouse and a day care center to 6 week-olds-5-year-olds.  They also rent out their auditorium and other meeting space for a variety of events.  When they started they also had a cafe because there weren't many lunch places in the area, but that didn't seem to take off, so they have since closed it.

The businesses are formally seperate from the church, but the board of directors is made up almost entirely of church members, so they work hand-in-hand.  It isn't an easy mission.  Just managing the businesses takes an incredible amount of time and energy.  The pastor has been a key piece in getting this started and keeping it together.  They have sown lots of seeds and come into contact with lots of people who wouldn't otherwise have contact with a church.  But they haven't had many conversions (at least that they know of) because of this venture.

The pastor was honest that this is unique and it is a hard road.  They have had to sacrifice as a congregation--time, space, being able to use their space spontaneously, and probably other things.  Personally, I would not want to do what he has done with managing a business and being a pastor, because I'm pretty sure in would be bad at it and it just wouldn't be a good fit for me. But I am thankful for the congregation at Adelaide Place Baptist.  For their creativity to try something new.  For their commitment to keep working at it and making it better.  And for their passion to serve the people in their community.  I pray that God will bless them, and that they will see the fruits of their labors.

And the guesthouse was a fun place to stay, complete with a manager who lived up to Rick Steves' description of a "quirky sense of humor." He called me the "American vicar" and was shocked to learn I didn't realize that Kim Kardashian is now pregnant by Kanye and she's still married to the other guy (basketball player?).


Map image in public domain, from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Scotland_map.png

UK #4: The Wedding

Wedding Flowers

While I was in Poole, I was privileged to attend J's wedding.  J and I were teammates when we were both English teachers in China.  We left China the same year, and she moved to England shortly after while I started seminary.  A bit over two years ago, she met a British man and they decided to get married.  It was an pleasure to see her so filled with joy on her wedding day, and I am thankful that I was able to observe a British wedding.  This post is a collection of reflections on the experience.

A wedding is an example of both the great similarities between British and American customs, but also the great differences.  We hold many core customs in common (as opposed to say, China, where customs are drastically different).  But there are also differences.  For example, in a British wedding, the bridesmaids walk down the aisle ahead of the bride, but then sit in the first row of seats, along with the bride's parents.

With other China friends at the reception

Overall, it seems like a British wedding may be slightly less of a production, and less commercial than an American one.  It is possible that isn't a fair statement, since I only observed one wedding and it wasn't completely typical, but that was my overall impression.  Things like napkins printed for the reception aren't done.  There is less emphasis on the bridesmaids and groomsmen.  There are fewer parties before the wedding.  One of the parents often makes the wedding cake (a fruitcake is traditional), in this case the groom's mother--and it was really good.  

I really appreciated the Church of England wedding liturgy.  One of the things that struck me about it is how thoroughly Trinitarian it is.  There was no mistaking what this marriage is founded on and what it is about.  I also really appreciated that in the very beginning of the service, the congregation was asked "Will you, the families and friends of G and J, support and uphold them in their marriage now and in the years to come?"  I think it is an important reminder that no couple should enter a marriage alone, but they must remain rooted in a community that will encourage and support them.  I will be borrowing this or something similar when I do a wedding.

First dance

I was also impressed with the way the wedding was planned and led when they knew that a significant portion of the guests are not practicing Christians.  It was a profoundly Christian in liturgy, songs, and readings.  Nothing was watered down.  Some of it might not have made complete sense without some knowledge of Christianity.  But the officiants didn't use it as an occasion to evangelize explicitly.  They let people enter, in a way, the life of faith.  To observe what it looks like to start a marriage as "a cord of three strands." I hope and pray that everyone sensed the love and joy of the bride and groom, but also their church and faith community.

UK #3: Outreach at Saint Mary's Longfleet

 SML is a traditional parish church surrounded by a cemetery

As you may remember from my previous post, I spent time with my friend J's church in Poole.  I would say a central part of this church's current DNA is reaching out to people without a church background or a very minimal church background (maybe their parents had them baptized, but they didn't attend church).  As you probably know, there are many people in n Great Britain that fall into those categories, and there is a negative pressure on Christianity and the church.  But SML has developed ways to make connections with people in a number of ways.  

One thing I noticed was that on Sunday, they talked about sharing faith in a number of ways.  They prayed for the seeds that were planted over Christmas, and the vicar shared a conversation he had last week with a bank teller after she had come to a Christmas service with a friend.  There was a real sense that this is just part of who we are. 

They also have a number of outreach programs.  They run an Alpha course, a course that introduces Christianity and builds relationships over a meal, one semester a year.  It has been steadily growing over the past four years and last year they had about 100 people.  They are starting again in a couple of weeks and are excited to see what God does this year.  They use Alpha as a way to follow-up with people that attend their Christmas services, and they follow Alpha with more traditional small groups that basically go through the Alpha material again. 

Another thing they do is called Healing on the Streets.  They work in teams of three and go out to a public place.  They put an empty chair on the sidewalk with sign that says "healing" on it and they have similar cards to pass out to those walking by.  Then they wait to see what happens.  If people sit down in they chair, they pray for them.  They have prayed for over 400 people in the last three years. I actually saw another church doing this when I was visiting the city of Winchester on Saturday.  This program reminded me of the prayer walking I did with the team at Madison Ave. CRC in Paterson, NJ when I did an internship there.

The neighborhood around SML

There are some other things they do, but these seemed the most interesting to me.  I wonder if that's because they tend to be more overtly Christian than many of the things we do at COS.  I wouldn't give those up, but I wonder how we could build some more explicitly Christian pieces in?  Or have them available?  And how could we be more intentional about talking about what we do in the congregation, so it is something that is the part of all of our discipleship, not just the core outreach volunteers? 

I am especially wondering about some kind of prayer ministry.  I wonder what would happen if we took some chairs out into the neighborhood and offered to pray for people?  Or even if we just started prayer walking in the neighborhoods around us(including Calvin's campus), praying for the people whether we interacted with them or not?  

UK #2: Worship at Saint Mary's Longfleet

I am sorry I haven't posted much.  I have not had a lot of internet access, particularly on my tablet.  I expect to have more for the rest of the trip.  I have lots of ideas of things to write!

Outside of SML

In this first week, I spent a lot of time in one place and with one church community, St. Mary's Longfleet Church of England in Poole.  This is my friend J's church.  The wedding was here, with lots of people from their church.  I stayed with a friend of J's who also goes to this church.  I also met with a couple of their staff members.

As is typical in the Church of England, there has been a church on the site for hundreds of years.  In the last 20 years or so, this church has been revitalized.  It is part of the charismatic/new wine stream of the Church of England.  They have three services a Sunday, with vibrant activities and fellowship.  It is probably not as well-known as some of the other churches I will visit on this trip, but it was a blessing to get to know a more ordinary church.  I worshipped at all three services Sunday in order to get the flavor of each.  The next couple of Sundays I will probably go to a couple churches each day, so this was my opportunity to just stick with one church.

The 9am service is their traditional service.  It was the smallest of the three--maybe 100-150 people.  Most of them were in the 50+ category, although there were a few kids and other young people.  They used a traditional prayerbook service, although they had a self-contained service printed so you didn't have to flip from place to place in the prayerbook, and it was all projected as well.  The components and order of service were very similar to COS, including communion.  The music was contemporary and led by a band.  It was the least expressive service of the three, but it was heartfelt.  People clearly enjoyed being other to worship and fellowship together.

Worshiping at the Evening Service

The second service is at 10:45am and it is the family service.  There is a nursery and children's and youth activities at this service, so most families attend it, but there was a nice mix of people and generations.  The kids worship with the adults for the first part of the service, and then after a "children's song" that everyone sings, they go to the church center across the street for their classes.  The sermon is the same at these two services, although it was called a "talk" at the second service.  The liturgy was less formal, but it still moved through most of the components, except for communion.

Coffee, tea, and fellowship after the evening service

The third service is in the evening.  It is the most contemporary and least formal.  It is focused towards 20 and 30 something's, but there were also a few families and middle aged folks.  For most people, this is the only service they attend, not a second service.  It was refreshing to be at an evening service with lots of other young people!  I really appreciated contemporary worship in a historic space.  Even though the songs were new, the space reminded us that our faith is not new, but an ancient faith.  It is a very different feel than contemporary worship in a generic auditorium style space.  This service bordered into slightly more charismatic worship.  There was no speaking in tongues, but when the pastor led a time of prayer after the sermon, he was more prophetic.  Personally, this was my least favorite worship style, but the service where I heard God speak to me the clearest.  That is a good reminder that it isn't all about what we like or think is best--our God is a God of surprises!

SML is also doing cool things in the community that I will write about another time.  I am really thankful to have been able to meet them and worship with them, and I pray God blesses their ministry.

For some other pictures Of things I've been doing, see my Facebook album.

UK #1: Unity in Christ

I have not had a lot of internet access this week, so I haven't been able to post yet.  But I hope there will be more to come (with pictures) in the next few days!  

I arrived safely, and early (!) in England on the morning of January 1, local time.  Immigration, customs, and getting a coach (long distance bus) were all easy.

I took the coach to Poole, which is in southern England, about a two and a half hour coach ride from London   My friend, J, lives in Poole.  J is an American, and we were teammates in China.  She is getting married on Friday to a British man, so I will be able to attend her wedding.  But it is also great because this time gives me an opportunity to get to know some ordinary British Christians.  I am staying with one of J's friends, who is very hospitable, and I am able to experience a British home.

Tuesday evening (the day I arrived), she and J's sister hosted a wedding shower for J.  Wedding showers are an American custom so there was lots of explaining and 'interpreting' going on between the two cultures.  Even the rather ridiculous toilet-paper-wedding-dress-game (where you divide into teams and each team creates a wedding dress for a member of their team out of toilet paper, and then the bride judges which is best), somehow seemed less ridiculous as a cultural exchange.

As easy as it is to travel around, Great Britain is still very different.  The architecture has a very different look.  Driving on the other side of the road means all of my innate traffic sense is gone.  And those are just some obvious things I noticed in my first few hours here.

The shower was a good example of the differences between the two cultures.  But it was also a good example of how what holds us together, especially as Christians, is much greater than what separates us.  As we gave J her gifts, each person was also asked to hare a verse, quote, or other word of wisdom.  Most people shared Bible verses or other Christian wisdom.  At the end, we made a circle around J and had a time of prayer.  In prayer for our sister, we were one--British accent or American.  God is so much bigger than the cultural differences that divide us.

'In that renewal there is no longer Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all' (Col. 3:11)!

Christ is all and in all.  I expect that will be a theme of this trip.  Despite all the differences n language and culture and ways we do church, Christ is bigger than all of it and brings us together as brothers and sisters in Christ.  

Christmas Ornament Stories: My Ordination

Welcome to any new COS readers!  I am travelling today, so I am sharing the last post in a series about my Christmas tree ornaments.  My next post will be an update on my trip!

Every ornament tells a story.  That’s the basic philosophy of my Christmas tree.  During this Christmas season (and I’m including the church calendar Christmas season, which goes to January 6), I am introducing you to some of my favorites and sharing the story behind them.  So far, I have shared ornaments from my parents, grandparents, and aunt and uncle.

Today’s ornament is one of my newest ornaments.  I made this one myself at the end of last year’s Christmas season.  Sometime in the fall, I saw this idea on Pinterest made with a wedding invitation or program as a wedding gift.  As soon as I saw it, I knew I wanted to make one for myself with my ordination bulletin/liturgy.  My ordination was on January 1, 2012—one year ago today.  The next week I made myself this ornament.  It was probably my favorite to pull out of the box this year, because it reminded me of that joyous day.  The day the church said: “Yes! We publicly affirm God’s call in your life to serve in ordained ministry.”  The day that I vowed to love, serve, and lead the church.  It was one of the most important days of my life, and this ornament reminds me of it.

As I look back at one year of ordination, it has been a hard year and a joyful year.  I have seen human brokenness in new ways.  I have been stretched and wondered if I could do this for the rest of my life.  I have mined God’s Word for his word to us in this time and place.  I have been honored to be with people as they spend their first few months in this country.  I have been blessed by the love and support of the church council.  I have watched young leaders grow.  So even though it isn’t an easy calling, today I reaffirm my vows. 

With God helping me, I believe that in the call of this congregation God himself calls me to this holy ministry.

With God helping me, I believe that the Old and New Testaments are the Word of God, the only infallible rule of faith and life.

With God helping me, I subscribe to the doctrinal standards of this church, rejecting all teaching which contradicts them.

With God helping me, I promise to be a faithful minister, to conduct myself in a manner worthy of my calling, and to submit to the government and discipline of the church. (CRCNA Form for Ordination of Ministers)

Thanks be to God!

Sunday Afternoon Prayer: For Life's Journey

This is my sermon text for our Old Year's service this evening.  We will think about how God, the maker of all things--not the gods of the hills--kept us through all the situations we have faced in the past year, and how we can trust that he will do the same in the year to come.  Tomorrow, it will be my traveling prayer as I set out on a pilgrimage of my own.

Psalm 121

A song of ascents. 

Mt. Tai in Tai an, China, where I lived for a year.  This is a holy mountain in China, where people go to pray, like the culture surrounding the psalmist.

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,

the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord watches over you—
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.

Merry Christmas!

"While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.  An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.  This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger" (Luke 2:6-12).

Photo is of a nativity scene made in Nepal.  I purchased it at Global Gifts last year.

Sunday Afternoon Prayer: We Are Waiting

This afternoon’s prayer is inspired by a song that we are using as our prayer of illumination during Advent, “We Are Waiting” (Contemporary Songs for Worship 18, text and tune Greg Scheer).

We are waiting, waiting, waiting to hear God’s word.

We are waiting, waiting, speak we are listening Lord.

It’s Advent, and we’re waiting, God.

I am waiting, God.  Waiting to see what will happen in my life.  Waiting to see where you will lead me.  Waiting.

My parishioners are waiting, God.  Waiting for their families to be able to join them in the U.S.  Waiting to see what you have for their lives.  Waiting.

My friends are waiting, God.  Waiting for graduations, babies, and proposals.  Waiting to see how you will guide them.  Waiting.

We are waiting, God.  Waiting for you to return and make all things new.  Waiting to hear the trumpets of your arrival.  Waiting.

Maranatha.  Come quickly, Lord Jesus.

Photo by Li'l Wolf, http://www.flickr.com/photos/schneelocke/2201266557/, 22 December 2012.  Used under a Creative Commons License.

A Preview of Coming Attractions

During January, I have a wonderful opportunity to travel to Great Britain and visit churches and Christian communities there.  Part of the pastoral residency (funded by the Lilly Endowment) is to take a trip overseas to experience the church in a different cultural context. 

I will take my trip to England and Scotland.  I have experienced the church in a number of non-western, developing countries—China/Taiwan/Hong Kong, Mexico, and Nicaragua.  But I have never been to Europe.  So I am going to explore what it looks like to be the church in a global and post-Christian culture.  As I explore, I am sure I will also learn much about the history of the church in Great Britain and how that has affected the United States. 

I am excited to talk to pastors and church leaders about where they see God at work in their communities, and to hear what the challenges they face.  I am excited to hear their stories.  I am excited to worship with brothers and sisters in Christ in many different churches.  I am excited to have a time to “get away” from my daily life and hopefully be able to see things more clearly with a bit of distance.  I am excited to see what I will learn as I explore, and what I can bring back to enrich my ministry.

I will be visiting a number of places, and I am looking forward to each of them.

I will start in Poole, England (on the southern coast).  I am looking forward to seeing a friend who was a teammate of mine in China who has been living in Poole for several years.  I will be there for her wedding to a British man, so I am looking forward to being there for this special event, but also getting to experience this piece of English church life and the opportunities I will have to meet British Christians.

Then I will head north to Scotland where I will first spend a night at a guesthouse owned by a church in Glasgow.  The next day I will continue on to the island of Iona, which has been called a “a thin

place – only a tissue paper separating the material from the spiritual” (George Macleod).  Then I will spend a few days exploring Edinburgh and a bit of Reformation history, such as John Knox’s church.

I will head back to England, with a first stop in the northern city of York.  I will finish the trip in London.  I am looking forward to visiting a number of churches, including All Souls Langham and Wesley Chapel.  Of course, I am also looking forward to some historic and cultural sites.    

I will be blogging along the way, hopefully even a bit more than usual.  I am looking forward to sharing my journey, pictures, and stories with you.

Westminster Abbey photo by jpundt79, http://www.flickr.com/photos/jpundt79/3392606563/, 22 December 2012.  Used under a Creative Commons License. 

Iona photo by Duncan McNeil, http://www.flickr.com/photos/duncan_mcneil/1636030785/, 22 December, 2012.  Used under a Creative Commons License.

Christmas Ornament Stories: My Aunt and Uncle

Every ornament tells a story.  That’s the basic philosophy of my Christmas tree.  During this Christmas season, I am introducing you to some of my favorites and sharing the story behind them.  So far, I have shared ornaments from my parents and grandparents.

Today’s ornament is from my uncle and aunt, who also gave a Christmas ornament every year.  It’s really no wonder I love my ornaments--they were a huge part of extended family Christmas traditions.  My uncle was a pastor at a local church for over 30 years.  Every year, their family would host an open house in their home for anyone in the church the first weekend in December.  For several hours Saturday afternoon and Sunday afternoon, their house was filled with a steady stream of people from their congregation, celebrating Christmas together.  And every year, my aunt and uncle gave a Christmas ornament to each family who came to the open house.  Sometimes, especially in the early years, they were handmade.  I remember many a Thanksgiving where the after dinner entertainment was helping to finish up the ornaments for the open house.  Sometimes they bought small items they made into ornaments at some significant place for the year.  This is one of my favorites because it smells like cinnamon.    

The open house and ornaments are just one way that my aunt and uncle showed hospitality.  Family holidays at their house often included more than just biological family, but others who needed a place to celebrate too.  Throughout the year, they often had people knock at the door, whether church members dropping something off or friends of their kids.  They graciously welcomed them in and offered something to eat and drink.  My sister, brother-in-law, and at least one of my cousins lived in their basement for a while when they needed a place to live.  And they welcomed children with Downs Syndrome to their family through adoption.  They, probably more than anyone else I know, have lived out scripture’s command to “show hospitality to strangers” (Hebrews 13:2). 

Sunday Afternoon Prayer: I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

I have written about this song in the past, but it seems right to me again this weekend, when I don't really have words to say.

I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along the unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

Till ringing, singing on its way
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And in despair I bowed my head
“There is no peace on earth,” I said,
“For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.”

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth, good will to men."

Christmas Ornament Stories: My Grandparents’ Faith

Every ornament tells a story.  That’s the basic philosophy of my Christmas tree.  During this Christmas season, I am introducing you to some of my favorites and sharing the story behind them.  First were some creative ornaments from my parents.

Today’s ornament is from my Grandpa and Grandma.  Pretty much every year, they gave all the grandkids an ornament.  I have some they bought while volunteering in Salt Lake City, some they bought in Mexico while they wintered in Tucson, and several that they made (the creative part runs in the family).

This one is my favorite.  It is also the last one, because it is from my grandma’s last Christmas with us.  They worked together on this one.  They developed the idea and found the pattern together.  My grandpa did the cutting and sanding.  This angel reminds me of their deep faith that they passed on to us. 

In the last few years, I have become increasingly thankful that the faith they passed on is a well-rounded faith.  They were (and are) people of great piety.  They kept a drawer of Bible story books to use when the grandkids came to visit.  They wanted to help us learn the stories of faith and the practice of family devotions.  For their 50^th wedding anniversary, the family gave them a Bible that each of the kids and grandkids had marked some of their favorite verses in.  In the years since, both Grandma and Grandpa have added notes of passages that are significant to them.  It is a wonderful physical heirloom of faith.

But their faith is more than knowing the Bible well and having right theology.  Their faith has legs.  It showed itself us in the care they show—the gifts, showing up on all sorts of occasions, being good friends and faithful church members.  And it showed itself in the way they spent their time.  Instead of going to Florida for the winter to go golfing and shopping, they went to Tucson to volunteer at a fledgling Christian high school.  My grandpa is a Christian school teacher by trade, and so every winter he helped this school as it grew.  He did everything for them from substitute teaching to digging ditches and building things.  Grandma helped to work in the library.  Their selfless care for others was a living model for us and shaped our family.  I would not be the same person without them.  I thank God for them, and for this ornament that reminds me of my heritage.

Purple Fabric and Metallic Thread--My Advent Stole

“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;

on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned” (Isaiah 9:2).

This verse, plus a number of pictures of other stoles, inspired the design for my new Advent stole.  Stoles help me and my congregation to mark the passage of time through the Christian calendar.  Like people wear snowman earrings during December or red, white, and blue on 4^th of July, pastors in robe-wearing-churches wear stoles to remind us of the season.

 

My mom and I created this stole.  It is purple, the traditional color of fasting and penitence and the color of the royalty of the coming king.  It also has some blue, a newer Advent color of hope and anticipation.

It features a road for the people walking in darkness.  And it is the journey that we are all on, the journey of waiting and expectation, living in the already-but-not-yet.  

And at the end of the road is the star.  I chose this star, a natal star cross, because it is a 4 pointed star Bethlehem star plus a cross.  It reminds us that the light came as a baby in Bethlehem, but he brought light to the whole world through his death and resurrection.

As we walk the journey of Advent this year, I pray that we would be reminded that God is faithful to his promises.  The people walking in darkness have seen a great light.  And God will remain faithful and come again to make everything new.

Christmas Ornament Stories: My Parents’ Creativity

Every ornament tells a story.  That’s the concept of my Christmas tree.  Over the next few weeks, I am going to introduce you to some of my favorites and tell you the story behind them.

When I was growing up, my parents bought my sisters and me an ornament every year.  They were always special.  Sometimes they had our name on it. Sometimes they found it in a gift shop on a family vacation.  Sometimes they represented one of our hobbies.  Mom and Dad gave them to us the evening we decorated the Christmas tree.  It was always one of my favorite nights of the year.

My mom made this ornament for Christmas 1986 (that’s helpfully stitched into the back).  I love the simplicity and the slight sheen of the floss she used.  And I love that she made it, because she made a lot of things in the first years of my life.  In most of the pictures of me as a young child I am wearing a very cute dress my mom made me.  Once we were school-aged, she turned her sewing attention to costumes.  Betsy Ross, a Seminole Native American, and a medieval royal were some of the costumes she created for me.  She passed on her resourcefulness and some of her crafting and sewing abilities to me.

This is the ornament they gave me when I was in first grade.  That year, we were studying the middle ages at Christmas time, so this is the closest my mom could come to a medieval ornament.  A week or so before Christmas we had a reenactment of a medieval feast with a few other families.  We all had costumes.  The dining room was arranged to look like the great hall of a European castle.  Each family created a banner to represent the tapestries found in castles (I think my parents still have the one we made).  We were the entertainment between courses.  One of my friends juggled.  Another told jokes.  I recited the poem “Four and twenty blackbirds baked into a pie.”

The best part was the dessert.  It was a castle cake!  The moms planned how to bake cake in coffee cans and loaf pans and get it to stay together like a castle (in the days long before Pinterest).  I think she stayed up late and got up early to put it together, because I was totally surprised.  Standing guard at the drawbridge was this ornament (and my sister’s similar one).  I had noticed that morning that it was missing from the tree.  I was delighted and surprised that it was part of this magnificent cake.  So every year when I put this ornament on the tree, I am reminded of that cake and the many, many hours my mom invested in giving me an excellent education.        

Sunday Afternoon Prayer: Let Your Kingdom Come

This is a prayer we have been using in our evening worship services.  Each time I have prayed it, it has seemed so right, so what the church ought to be.

Reshape us, good Lord,

Until in generosity,

Faith and full expectation,

We are truly Christ-like.

Make us passionate followers of Jesus

Rather than passive supporters.

Make our churches places of

Radical discipleship

And signposts to heaven,

Then, in us, through us,

And, if need be, despite us,

Let your kingdom come.

Amen.

The prayer is from “Evening Liturgy E” in A Wee Worship Book by Wild Goose Worship Group, 1999.

Image by edgeplot, http://www.flickr.com/photos/edgeplot/208618609/, December 1, 2012.  Used under a Creative Commons License.

In the Least Expected Places

One thing I’ve discovered about being a pastor is that I start thinking about the next church calendar season well before it actually arrives.  Advent doesn’t start until Sunday, but I’ve been thinking about it for a couple of months now--planning a sermon series, doing initial research about Luke 1, working on our liturgy, making sure that someone got candles for Sunday. 

We will be preaching through Luke chapter 1 over the next four weeks.  This Sunday I'm preaching on the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth from Luke 1:5-25.  Along with the text, this poetic and musical retelling of the story has been in my heart over the last couple of weeks.  This song is by a band called So Elated on their Christmas album, The Bewildering Light (follow the link to get the album legally for free at noisetrade!). 

Jerusalem and the holy temple filled with smoke
Zechariah shuns the news from the angel of hope
Stuck behind an incense cloud of religion and disappointment

God keeps slipping out of underneath rocks 
in alleys off the beaten path
Open both your eyes.

Prophets and kings and poets can contribute their work
just like eggs in a nest are alive with the promise of birds
But the Lord of Creation will not be subjected to expectation

God keeps slipping out of underneath rocks 
in alleys off the beaten path
Open both your eyes.

Elizabeth, barren, her knees black and dirty like coal
her consistent prayers float to the sky and revive her soul
God we will wait though we don't understand your redemptive story

God keeps slipping out of underneath rocks
in alleys off the beaten path 
Open both our eyes.

I love the reminder that “the Lord of Creation will not be subjected to expectation.”  I have expectations, and hopes, and dreams, but God who created heavens and earth doesn’t fit neatly into those boxes.  But that doesn’t mean God is absent, because often we see glimpses of God where we least expect it, “in alleys off the beaten path.”  God came to Zechariah and Elizabeth in the middle of their dashed expectations, and he did something unexpected in and through them. 

And my prayer for myself and for you this Advent, especially while we are in those places where God isn’t doing what we expect, is that our response will be like Elizabeth: 

Elizabeth, barren, her knees black and dirty like coal
her consistent prayers float to the sky and revive her soul
God we will wait though we don't understand your redemptive story.

Image by Nick Thompson, http://www.flickr.com/photos/pelegrino/1356007875/, November 30, 2012.  Used under a Creative Commons License.

On the Church Calendar

When I lived in China, I went shopping with a teammate and some students for Christmas decorations.  As we went from booth to booth, sorting through the over-glittered window decorations and artificial Christmas trees, I saw an artificial wreath.  I was struck with an idea, “I can make an advent wreath!”  We always had an advent wreath at home when I was growing up, and my mom found various devotionals for us to use during the season.  Once I tracked down some purple candles, the advent wreath helped me to focus on the season.  In the morning darkness, I would like the candles and be reminded that “the people walking in darkness have seen a great light” (Isaiah 9:2).  That was a particularly dark season of the year for a variety of reasons, and the simple candles gave me hope and peace in the midst of it.

Advent is just one season in the church calendar, the way that the church tells time.  Growing up, although we did observe Advent, we really only paid attention to some parts of the church calendar.  But as I have lived with the church calendar longer, it has become an important way for me to order my life.  A Lutheran source says, “People order time in various ways, often based on the rhythms of nature. The church organizes time by the church year. It tells the story of God, who is beyond time, acting in history – above all through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.”  

This way that the church organizes time shapes us.  It doesn’t happen overnight, but through the years we are oriented to get the full view of God’s work in the world.  Instead of organizing our life by when we get to take vacation from our work or have to buy lots of gifts, we organize our life by Jesus life, death, and resurrection.  Instead of being forced to be happy all of the time, we have a variety of seasons with different timbres.  The church calendar is countercultural.  It continually points us towards Christ and helps us to meditate on his work.

And the church calendar is a good teaching tool.  It is simple enough for kids to learn.  The colors associated with each season give us a visual way to engage the story.  It tells God’s story.  This past Sunday was Christ the King (or Reign of Christ) Sunday.  We were reminded that Jesus reigns and that all parts of our life are under God’s authority.  What better message on a weekend of obsessive consumerism? 

This Sunday, the first Sunday of Advent, I will remember the start of the church year.  The way God sent his son to earth.  And I will remember again that the “people walking in darkness have seen a great light.”  I am thankful for the church calendar that helps me to pay attention, to remember, to focus on Christ.   

 

Calendar image copyright © 2011 Michele Quigley, http://www.family-centered.com/living/2011/11/printable-liturgical-calendar/, accessed 27 November 2012.  

Used under a Creative Commons License.

Sunday Afternoon Prayer: A Grace

I found this simple yet profound prayer this week:
O God,
To those who have hunger give bread,
To those who have bread
Give hunger for justice.

From South America, found in Around a Thin Place: An Iona Pilgrimage Guide by Jane Bentley and Neil Paynter, pg. 77

My Thanksgiving Adventure

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise;

give thanks to him and praise his name.  For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;

his faithfulness continues through all generations.” (Psalm 100:4-5)

For Thanksgiving this year, my parents and I decided to celebrate at my apartment and invite some of the refugees I work with.  I invited a family of 5 that recently arrived from Nepal, and we cooked and set the table accordingly.  As I was driving over to pick them up, I was wishing my apartment was bigger so I could have invited a Sri Lankan family that lives nearby, too.  When I got to the Nepalese family’s home, I found out the mother wasn’t feeling well and the daughters were going to stay home to care for her.  That meant only 2 of 5 were going to come. 

We got in the car and started driving home, but as we were about to pass the Sri Lankan family’s apartment I decided to stop and see if they wanted to come over.  I didn’t have their phone number in my phone to call them, so I just knocked unannounced (which I don’t usually do).  I asked if they had plans and invited them over.  They said yes and I waited while they got ready to leave. 

I arrived home with 6 people instead of 5, so we slipped another chair around the table and put the food on the table.  My mom and I cooked a pretty traditional Thanksgiving meal—turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, roasted vegetables, cranberry sauce, a spinach salad.  At times, conversation seemed strained, since I was the only person that really knew everyone.  But as the meal went on, it got easier.  Everyone helped clean up (except maybe my dad because one of my Nepalese guys told him in their culture the young people serve the older people) and participate in the day.  My parents told them stories about life in Michigan farmland.  My mom played with the 3 year old.  He had discovered my baskets of toys and games, and one of the young men asked my mom how to play Phase 10.  She explained it and then I heard him enthusiastically say “let’s play.”  He has been through an incredible amount of pain in his short life, and it made my heart glad to hear him excited about a game.  So we played a few phases of Phase 10 before it was time to go home.

As we were saying goodbye and leaving the house, several of them said they felt like they were a part of a family today. 

That is about the best thanks I could receive.  The day wasn’t quite what I was planning, but it worked out well.  I am thankful for this opportunity to share home, food, parents, games, a holiday, and love with others.  I am thankful to be able to share “hospitality with strangers” (Hebrews 13:2).