This weekend's sermon...sort of.

Here's the manuscript for the sermon I preached this past weekend.  The sermon was a little different at each serice.  So if some of it is ungamiliar, it may be because there was a different illustration or example in its place.  The Spirit was on the move. 

June 15, 2014

Holy Trinity Sunday

Genesis 1:1-2:4a

Psalm 8

2 Corinthians 13:11-13

Matthew 28:16-20

Please pray with me,

May the words of my mouth and the mediations of all of our hearts be acceptable in your sight O God, our rock our strength and our redeemer.  Amen.

Where have you seen God at work in your life? 

That was the question of the night my first night at Bear Creek Camp.  I spent this past week leading some Bible studies, playing games, spending time outside, and getting to know some amazing young people who are spending their summer at Bear Creek Camp.  Within a circle of 30 young people, each person took time to share a moment or experience where they had seen God at work in their lives.  The stories ranged far and wide, from life changing experiences in the Super Dome at the National Youth Gathering in New Orleans, to a missionary trip experience in Tanzania, to sharing experiences of being raised in a single parent home, to struggling with faith and relationships with God through early college years.  We heard stories of struggling with parents being diagnosed with cancer, with sharing homes with foster children, to seeing God at work in loving supportive family, friends. 

It was an amazing experience.  Not just because it was my first night at camp, but because it was the second night this entire group had been together.  People from across the country and around the world sat in a circle and shared some extremely personal and real stories with one another.  Here in this circle was a place where people were sharing the places they saw God at work in their lives. 

It. Was. Amazing. 

It was amazing because they were all theologians.  They put the words together to tell others about God at work in their world and in their lives. 

So often, we think that sharing our faith is too hard. 

It’s not something that we feel comfortable doing. 

It’s something we don’t think we are able to do. 

It’s something that we’d rather leave in the hands of the professionals.  We’d rather let our pastors and vicars pray, lead studies and talk about their faith because that’s their job…that’s what their trained to do.  But if you listen carefully to the great commission, it’s not limited to those who are professionally trained.  It’s for all of us.  

It is something we’re ALL called to do.  That’s what we hear in our gospel lesson this day…it’s the Great Commission. 

As the 11 gather with Jesus there is some belief and also some doubt.  One might expect something clearer. They are in the presence of the living Christ, after all. But this mixture of faith and doubt also characterizes discipleship.  

You have to wonder if this is a good idea…to have this group of disciples who do not at all have their act together going out to make other disciples.

Jesus might have been more selective in whom he called and sent. But apparently Jesus sees things differently. These disciples whom he tells to "go" are in no position to make themselves the object of faith. That is part of the good news. The invitation to follow Jesus.

Go!  Go and make disciples of all nations! 

So what does this text say to us today? 

As soon as we hear this command, we think…time to get going!  Time to move!  There’s no time to sit still.  You see in most translations, the main verb in the Great Commission is GO!  But in the original Greek text, the verb is translated in the participle, which means going…The main active verb in the Greek is “make disciples” or literally translated “discipline.”  Yet that doesn’t make as much sense in the English to us. 

Perhaps the most literal translation of this text comes from a contemporary translation of the New Testament called God’s Word: Today’s Bible Translation that Says What it Means It reads, “So, wherever you go, make disciples of all nations: Baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Teach them to do everything I have commanded you.” 

The action here isn’t go or going….it’s baptizing and teaching. 

It’s fair to say that we are in the same boat as the eleven who heard this command directly from Jesus.  We, too, gather.  We, too, come some with belief and some with doubt.  And, whether we think we are prepared, knowledgeable, equipped and prepared….we are still sent. 

That’s the call.  That’s the great commission.  To be one of Jesus’ disciples and to continue to baptize, teach, invite, love and serve. 

Is this the best plan of action for the church?  Makes you wonder, doesn’t it.  Yet after 2,000 years the church is still going, in spite of us. 

So here’s the call….the commission…the challenge….to share this belief…this faith…this seeing God at work in our own lives and seeing God at work in the world.

We understand this from our own experience. We too are called to "go" to where Jesus will meet us. We too are called to worship. We are directed to the place where we will meet the living Christ, yet one wonders why anyone would listen.

Because here’s the thing….if we don't believe what we believe strong enough to invite others into it, then I wonder how strongly we really believe it. While certainly belief in Christ is part of that, but also belief in our congregations and in our congregational ministries and activities.  Pastor Bill talked about this a few weeks back, that the most important aspect to a guest in our worship space (or any worship space) is the genuineness of those who are gathered here.  Do we really believe all that we say and do? 

Sitting in the circle on Monday night, I believed it.

I believed that God was at work in the world and busy in the lives of young people who have been gathered together to spend the summer at camp. 

There was a sense of belief of support and understanding in the many and varied ways that God is at work in the world. 

I’ll say it again…if we don’t believe what we believe strong enough to invite others into it, then I wonder how strongly we really believe it. 

Three weeks ago in the Poconos as youth shared struggles and joys relating to life and faith in a safe place with loving and supporting adults, as our youth explored boulder field, played games outside and worshipped, laughed and ate together, I believed it.  That God is at work in the world. 

Seeing the group gathered in this place week after week, I believe it.  Here we are a group of people who under other circumstances wouldn’t probably be spending time together each week.  Yet, through the power of the Spirit, we are drawn together into one family of God.  

We gather in this to be fed, nourished, encouraged, loved, hugged, supported…..all for the sole purpose of going back into the world to tell others about how amazing this is. 

We leave this place to live lives that show and tell others about God at work in the world.  We leave this place to see the amazing things that God is up to in the world right now.  And we leave this place to tell others that while God is at work in the world, this is a place we can gather to talk about these experiences and support one another. 

We have been gathered in this place solely to be sent.  Back into the world to see God at work, to point out to others that God IS busy at work in the world and to tell others about it. 

As you go about your life this week… look for the answer to this question:

Where have you seen God at work in your life? 

Take time to answer this question…and to share your answer with someone…maybe with family around the dinner table, maybe with friends as you meet to grab a cup of coffee or go for a walk…maybe it’s shared with your neighbor across the street. 

See God at work.  Tell others about it. 

And now may the peace, which passes all understanding keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus and let all God’s people say amen. 

Did i survive? Nope, I thrived.

So, the number one question after last week's annual youth retreat to the Poconos was.... "Did you survive?!?"

At first my answer was...of course!  Here I am.  It was amazing and fun and life giving and filled with all sorts of great adventures and moments.  But as I've had the week to regroup and settle back in to life in Robesonia, my answer has changed.

Part of what changed my answer as a guided devotion at a meeting I attended on Tuesday evening.  The two questions that opened our time together were as follows.
1) What is life giving for you right now?
2) What is life draining for you right now?

As I reflected upon those two questions the big life giver for me in that moment was the Pocono Retreat.  It was a weekend filled with laughter until our sides ached, food until our bellies expanded and relationships deepening with God and with one another.  Talk about a mountaintop experience.
As we freaked out as a mouse ran through the dining hall during our Saturday evening communion service, we also reflected on how we had been FED that day.

After a harsh, snow filled winter, we were fed by God through the gift of a beautiful sunny day where we explored boulder field, and back at camp we played Frisbee, wiffle ball and giant jenga.  We were fed around the table as we ate and talked about our favorite super heroes, how we eat cupcake and whether we'd rather be able to use the force or have light saber fingernails.
We were fed as we learned yoga poses we could incorporate into our prayer lives.
We were fed when we talked about issues and concerns at school and what we could take back to the hallways from this retreat.
We were fed as we played games that encouraged teamwork and helps us get to know each other just a little bit better.
We were fed as the boys met and talked about life and so did the girls and we realized that no matter what we are going through there are others around us going through the same thing...and that there is a core group of youth and adults at church that are here for us no matter what.
We were fed by the amazing beauty of a starry night, only lit by a campfire.
We were fed as a giant luna moth swooped in on our gathering.
We were fed each time someone said the word 'uranus' and we all giggled.

I guess you could say that we survived another retreat.
But I'd rather say that we thrived another retreat.

We thrived in God's beautiful creation, surrounded by the sounds of laughter and conversation.
We thrived being fed by the body of Christ as we gathered together as a worshipping community.
We thrived getting away from the daily grind of school or work to take a weekend to reconnect with God and one another.

We thrived.
We were fed.

We thrived.

Sunday's Sermon

May 11, 2014

Fourth Sunday of Easter

 

Acts 2:42-47

Psalm 23

1Peter 2:19-25

John 10:1-10

 

Please pray with me,

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O God, our rock, our strength and our redeemer.  Amen.  

 

The ancient romans started it when they coined the phrase ‘carpe diem’….sieze the day!  

 

The phrase made a comeback in 1989 when Robin Williams re-introduced it to his students in the film Dead Poet’s Society.  As the Dead Poets Society gathered at their meetings, they began with a reading from Henry David Thoreau,

 

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately.  To live deep and to suck all the marrow out of life.  to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”  

 

Maybe you’re a part of the boomer generation…and have your own ‘bucket list.’  You know, things you want to do before you kick the bucket.  

 

When the musical Rent appeared on the scene in the 2005, we shifted to say, “No day but today.”  And now, if you think about seizing the day….the four letter word of YOLO is the one that is most commonly used.  You only live once.  

 

And this phrase is commonly used with …. FOMO.  Anyone?  Anyone?  Fear of Missing Out.  

 

I heard the comedian Aziz Ansari a week ago in Boston, and he talked about how things today are different than they were back in the day.  

 

Back in the day, you’d pick up the phone, call your friend and say, hey, let’s hang out tonight at 8.  I’ll meet you at the park.  You’d say great.  See you there.  

 

And if your friend didn’t show up….it’s because they died.  There was no other reason.  

 

Today…you get a text about meeting up and going to the zoo with a friend…and you are hesitant.  You don’t want to miss out on what could be the next best opportunity….you want to keep all avenues open.  You hesitate to make plans, because something better might come up.  

 

Picture this, you decide to go the zoo when you get a text from a another friend who says… I’ve been trying to call!  I have free passes to ride on the next space shuttle launch and I want you to come.  We leave in 5 minutes…where are you?  You respondsadly….I’m at the sloth exhibit.  

 

It seems there is so much out there that we want to do everything that is the most awesome and amazing experience, but that means missing out on some other opportunities….we want to seize the day.  

 

Have you ever seized the day?  

Have you ever lived like there was not tomorrow?  

Have you ever done something, simply because you only live once?  

 

You probably have, because no matter what our age, we are trying to add meaning to or wring the most out of every day.  When you’re young, it’s pub-crawls and taking selfies, when you’re older it’s skydiving in Hawaii, writing a book and finding ways to incorporate more fiber into your diet!  You only love once!

 

Here’s the thing.  In our gospel lesson today, Jesus affirms our desire to lead a full life.  

“I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

 

In contrast to all that would rob us of life -- the thieves and bandits he mentions -- Jesus comes to give, not just life, but life in abundance. Not just survival, that is, but flourishing; not just getting by, but thriving; not just existence, but joy. Jesus offersmore life than most of us imagine possible.

 

It’s a promise that we are longing to hear…in a life and world where we crave excitement, freedom and fullness….Jesus promises it to us.  

 

This is the abundant life we hear about in 1 Peter.  “He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.”

 

We are not to be afraid of this freedom given to us through Jesus Christ.  It’s a holy gift.  Free from sin and death, we are able to live lives of service and love for others.  That’s seizing the day!  That’s something worth putting on your bucket list.  

 

It’s living a life to its fullest…NOT worrying about missing out on something better, but seizing each day to be the unique, amazing person that God created you and continues to call you to be.  

 

Bill Copeland wrote, “How strange to use “You only live once” as an excuse to throw it all away.”  In this freedom in Christ we are giving an AMAZING opportunity:  to see God at work in our world every day and to be a living breathing part of God’s work in the world here and now.  

 

In my former parish in Indiana, there was a man who truly struggled with God’s grace being a free gift.  He kept saying, okay, so if it really is free….we don’t have to do anything.  

 

I struggled to come up with analogies or ways to say, I guess that’s one response to God’s grace….but it’s not a very life giving one.  How can we, just sit on this amazing gift.  One that gives us hope in the midst of hopelessness, one that gives us strength when we feel weak.  One that reveals joy in times of sorrow.  How is this a message that we can just keep to ourselves?  

 

Think about living out this abundant life….and what it looks like in our world today.  For someone struggling with their job, it may be support and understanding from friends.  For someone questioning their faith, it could be friends and family sharing stories of God at work in their own lives.  For the hungry and homeless it’s the opportunity to be fed through the food pantry and community meals.  For those lost and alone, it is our voiceswho speak to their recovery and spirit.  

 

This abundant life that Jesus gives will look different for each and everyone of us.  To live life to it’s fullest, we don’t all have to jump out of an airplane shouting YOLO!  But we may have the opportunity to do things that do stretch us out of our comfort zones to see God at work in new in different places.  

 

It may be volunteering to spend a Friday night with several hundred youth at a 5th quarter.  

It may be preparing and sharing a shelter meal.

It may be volunteering to teach Sunday school.  

 

Living this live to its fullest…seizing it each and  every day is an opportunity to see God at work in our midst and allow ourselves to be a part of what God is up to in this world.  “No one says on his or her deathbed, ‘You know, I probably should have been more boring.’”

 

Following Jesus satisfies our sense of, and thirst for adventure.  We have the opportunity to listen for the call of God and to lay it out there for this cause.  God invites us to get up, gear up and get out into the world….to make a difference, to make God’s world known in this world.  

 

It’s something we have the opportunity to do every day.  And God has given each of us the gifts and skills to do this.  So go….

 

Sieze the day!  Live out this gift of abundant life!  

 

And may the peace, which passes all understanding, keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus and let all God’s people say amen.  

Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday

April 13, 2014

Matthew 21:1-11

Isaiah 50:4-9a

Psalm 31:9-16

Philippians 2:5-11
 
Please pray with me,
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O God, our rock, our strength and our redeemer.  Amen. 


Palm Sunday is a rather odd feast day in the life of the church. We come to church ready to celebrate. We get to wave palms and celebrate with Jesus as he enters the city of Jerusalem in triumph. We get to join with the people who gathered that day for the festal parade and hail Jesus as king of kings and son of David.


We sing hymns like “All Glory, Laud and Honor” and “Ride on, Ride on in Majesty.” And true to Berks County…The Palms!  We wave palm branches as the choir and clergy process into the sanctuary.  We join the crowds of old in shouting Hosanna to the King of Kings.  It’s a grand and glorious parade, it’s just missing a giant pumpkin balloon and some fire trucks, nope wrong parade….and yet this grand and glorious hour quickly fades into something else much less triumphant.  


Is it little wonder that the city folk of Jerusalem are confused? There is nothing about Jesus -- his entry into the city, his confrontation with authority, his brutal and lonely death -- that would inspire anyone to devotion.  Think even about his mode of transportation, he’s not riding a stallion…or a camel for that matter…but a donkey.  He comes not in power but in weakness, not in might but vulnerability, not in judgment but in mercy, not in vengeance but in love. Nothing about him conforms to the expectations of a world that has come to believe above all things that might makes right or, at the very least, that might wins. (Lose)


Yet he rides in…like a king…just not the kind of king they were expecting.

Those of us who shout hosanna today know the end of the story.  We know Jesus is not the king the people were expecting.  We know the passion story that unfolds from this day, one that had been hinted about throughout Jesus’ life and ministry.  We know about the last supper, the death on the cross and being placed in the tomb and how that is not the end of the story. 

It’s interesting, isn’t it, that we, too, lift our palms and shout as they did for Jesus’ entry?

Perhaps one of the reasons we do, is because we, too, still seek a king.  As sinful beings, we still cry out for help, healing, wholeness, for justice and peace in our community, nation and world today.  We want someone here and now to flip this world upside down and change it for us….to meet our needs and desires here and now. 

We want our lives to be all resurrection and no cross.  (Jung)

We want that superhero savior…to swoop in and take away the hurting, the pain, the suffering, the unjust and scary violence in our communities, the struggles we have in our relationships, life threatening illnesses….take it all away.  Please, save us! 

And we have a God who does save us…but in a way that we least expect it. 

During my second year at seminary, tragedy hit. 

On a sunny afternoon, the cries of a wailing mother echoed through the campus as her 3 year old son, Bjorn, fell from a tree and died.  He was the son of one of my professors and he had always been seen around campus tramping behind his two older brothers. 

The community united in tears and prayers and hugs and sighs of grief that day and in the weeks that followed. 

As we gathered together for the funeral service, the sobbing and grieving continued. 

And even though Bjorn was not there….God was.

At the end of the service we all exited the sanctuary by the baptismal font. 

As many of us dipped our fingers in the water, clinging to the symbol of the cross we traced on our foreheads, a toddler saw this happening.  So as he reached for the water, my friend made the sign of the cross on his forehead.  Then he dipped his hand in and made the sign of the cross on her.…and from that point forward, no one passed the font without receiving the sign of the cross from this child.  

That, my friends, is where God was present that day. 

That, my friends, is the God who saves us. 

And that is the God we remember as we shout hosanna this day. 

God doesn’t swoop in and pull us out of the trials and tribulations of this life, but joins right alongside of us for the journey.  Sitting next to us as we mourn, sitting with us as we cry, being present for the hugs of joy and the laughter that we share.

Let’s not miss God’s presence in these unexpected places….

As we shout Hosanna, wave our palm branches in the air and join with the crowd as they gathered around Jesus as he entered Jerusalem, let us see God in all of this.

Let us see that this is just the beginning, that by joining in today, we are a part of a larger passion play. 

We know that next comes remembering the last supper that Jesus celebrated with his disciples.

We know that that night will be followed by Jesus’ death on a cross…

And we know, ultimately, that this week…this Holy Week, will end in the joy and wonder at an empty tomb.  And while it’s so tempting to jump from the  hosannas of today to the alleluias next week, today is an invitation to journey through this week together: to remember the events of Jesus’ last week. 

 

It may sound like I’m trying to get you to come to church more this week, or should I say inviting you to come to church more this week. 

No matter how you say it, that is what I’m doing, inviting you to come back to church this week again, and again. 

Because within this community of faith, we are all facing struggles and hardships, joys and celebrations….and how the heck could we get through all of that without God’s love and grace in our lives seen in this place and embodied through the people of this faith community?    

Are you with me?  We live in a world where we fear the diagnosis of cancer, where violence in our schools seems to be in the news every week, where we are more and more busy every day that face to face communication is less and less….the list could (and does) go on and on. 

So, I’m dead serious….how could we get through all of that *stuff* without God’s love and grace in our lives that we see in this place and embodied through the people of this faith community?

What happens in this place, week after week is an expression of hope for change….just like Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem: an expression of hope for change. 

It’s what we celebrate here week after week. 

That’s the baptismal call we live out in our day to day lives as we love and serve our neighbors. 

That’s what being the church is really all about.  Living out lives that express our hope for change…

Knowing that life is more than what we face every day…that life in Christ is everlasting, eternal…and goes beyond what we know here and now. 

So join us, as the journey continues…Eat at this table, kneel at the foot of the cross, splash in that font, and just be here…be an expression of hope for change…because of what God has done for you in Christ Jesus. 

And now may the peace, which passes all understanding, keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus and let all God’s people say, amen.  

This weekend's sermon.

March 23, 2014

3^rd Sunday in Lent

Exodus 17:1-7

Psalm 95

Romans 5:1-11

John 4:5-42

 

Please pray with me,

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O God, our rock, our strength and our redeemer.  Amen. 

Two old men, life long friends are sitting across from each other playing checkers.  One breaks the silence of the game to say, gosh…we’ve been friends for a long time, but for the life of me, I just cannot remember your name.  The other friend looks up, stares at his friend and sits in silence for a while.  Eventually he takes a breath and speaks and says, “How soon do you need to know?” 

How’s that for a moment of relief and grace? 

I heard this on the radio a few weeks back, when I was trying to get to my tried and true station, but all that would come in was a Christian radio station.  Truth be told, I don’t often listen to Christian Radio.it’s just not a go to station for me.  So here I was, listening and I caught this joke…which spoke to me instantly. 

I was drawn in, thinking that the friend whose name had been forgotten was going to lay into his friend for forgetting in the first place.  Yet, he himself, could not remember his name either.  I heard (in a place least likely for me) a word of forgiveness and grace. 

Isn’t that how God almost always breaks into our world and our lives?  In the places least likely? 

It’s definitely the case with our gospel lesson this week. 

We are in a much different place then we were last week.  Last week we heard about Nicodemus (a leader of the Jews) coming to Jesus in the dark of night, to ask questions to learn more about who Jesus was and what his mission was. 

This week, it is broad daylight…the middle of the day, actually, at the public well, when a Samaritan woman comes to draw water and meets Jesus. 

Two meetings….one in the dark, one in the light. 

One a respected leader….one an outcast in society. 

Both asking questions of Jesus…and allowing Jesus reveal who he was…who he is…to them and to us. 

As we enter this story, we seem to get caught up in the line that describes this woman’s past and present.  When Jesus says to her, “You have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband”.  Yet if we read more closely we discover that neither John as narrator nor Jesus as the central character tells us her current state is a result of sinful behavior.  Jesus at no point invites repentance or, for that matter, speaks of sin at all.  She very easily could have been widowed or have been abandoned or divorced.  

Five times would be heartbreaking, but not impossible.  Further, she could now be living with someone that she was dependent on, or be in what’s called a Levirate marriage (where a childless woman is married to her deceased husband’s brother in order to produce an heir yet is not always technically considered the brother’s wife).  There are any number of ways, in fact, that one might imagine this woman’s story as tragic rather than scandalous.

So instead of getting caught up in the how and why of this woman’s situation, maybe we should focus on Jesus addressing her, engaging her in conversation and revealing to her who he is as Messiah. 

That may be the biggest challenge for us in hearing this text…seeing beyond the characteristics of the woman, to see that that does not matter to Jesus…and if it does matter to Jesus he is going to her in spite of who she is, where she is from and what she has done (or has had done to her) and reaches out to her to show her love and grace. 

And then here’s the kicker….she get’s it.  She is changed, transformed and leaves her bucket, leaves the well….and goes to tell others.  That’s the thing with grace.   When we’re changed, received into God’s arms, surrounded by love and forgiveness…how can we not continue our lives, shouting for joy and sharing that amazing good news with others?  Each week, in this place, we are greeting the same exact way. 

We come together…knowing our faults, foibles…knowing our weaknesses, our struggles our pains, hurts, sicknesses and sadness.  And God reaches out to each and every one of us…no matter what.  No matter what we’ve done this past hour or week….to say, hey, I know you….and you are forgiven and loved. 

In terms of John’s story and world, this nameless woman has pretty much everything stacked against her: she is a Samaritan in this Jewish story, a woman in a male-dominated world, has lived a challenging and probably tragic life, and is very likely dependent on others. And yet after her encounter with Jesus she leaves her water jar -- perhaps symbolic of all the chores and difficulties of her life -- behind to live a new and different life and to share with others what God has done for her.

Gosh, how can we see this with new eyes?  That God’s grace reaches farther than we can imagine?  The God reaches out to the people and places where we think God doesn’t reach or will not show up. 

It’s all too easy for us to let our own expectations and prejudices get in the way of the places where God’s grace will reach.  How can we see…as this woman saw…Jesus…in the world, in our lives and in the lives of people and places we don’t expect him to be? 

How can we see….with new eyes…that we are all God’s children that in those moments when we feel least valued, ignored, hurt, challenged, that God embraces us.  And that God does that to all others, too. 

How can we keep that grace to ourselves? 

We can’t.  It’s going to keep reaching…beyond our reach, beyond our grasp and outside of the places we think it should reach.  Because that’s grace.  Unending…ever reaching…all encompassing…grace. 

Would you join me in prayer,

Gracious, loving God. Open our eyes.  Help us to see Jesus.  In our hearts, our lives and world.  Really help us to see Jesus in people, places and situations where we don’t expect him to be…help us to always see you love and grace in all people.  And now may the peace, which passes all understanding, keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus and let all God’s people say, amen. 

pros & cons to an online community

Here are some thoughts I've been having about living in a media filled day and age.  They are in no way complete, but just a few things that I've been thinking about.

I'm probably a Facebook addict...I scope it out from time to time (daily) and have absolutely loved the opportunity to reconnect with folks from many different areas and times of my life.  From friends from elementary school, to camp and college friends, to friendships made during my junior year in England, and my family friends.  Not to mention, it's another place/space to connect with folks from my congregation.  It definitely has its perks.  You can share good news with hundreds of folks at once and share in many, many birthday greetings.

But I do have to say that maybe I'm worried that there are more cons than pros.  Or maybe there is more of a chance of cons, if we're not careful out there.

Part of living in the immediacy of this online world, we can err on the side of expecting posts or pictures from folks when we want to see them.  Does that make sense?  You know that a friend got married....and you say, when do we get to see the pictures?  Or friends just returned from a trip and you want to see all about it.  It's as if as soon as you know something has happened, you expect to see the proof.  I think it's very important for us to remember that not everyone will share information or pictures the time frame or manner we expect them to.  We need to remember that in such a public forum....the things and pictures people share will depend on exactly what they want to share and when they want to share it.  An instant world has completely challenged our patience.

I worry, too, as a pastor and a friend about people posting comments or status updates that seem to passively ask for help.  Here's the thing...if you are really hurting, really need help, or just feel alone...it's time to connect with people face to face.  Log out, and pick up the phone to find a time to get together with someone who loves you and cares about you and can listen to what is going on in your life.  Try as we might with 'comments' and texts....the face to face interaction is so much better.  (That's just one of the reasons I'm part of a community of faith....but that's another post for another time.)
Because here's the other piece to this....what if you do post that things are really crappy right now....and no one comments or reaches out to you about it....you're probably going to feel worse.  And maybe, if I'm your pastor AND your friend on Facebook, I may miss that update...and it's not that I don't care....it's just that I don't check all the updates from folks in my congregation every day.  (Because that would be creepy in itself.)  I'll say it again, if you're really hurting or lonely or just sad....tell someone....face-to-face....and we'll find some help together.

And, as you read updates, or see pictures....and everyone else's life looks perfect...remember this:  we can post only positive status updates, we can photoshop pictures...we can make our pages look absolutely perfect...and under the surface things may not be that perfect...so don't compare your life to someones life on Facebook.

Here's the thing, too, think before you share...think about why you need to share that information or that picture...think about how that person feels about you sharing something about them....and I think it's most important to think about whether it will help or hurt.  Seems so simple, right?  But be nice out there.  We live in a world that already groans with death and pain...we don't need to add extra painful comments or overshares...be a place/person/online entity that promotes positive comments and care for your 'online' friends and family.

Thanks for reading....listening....and just being out there.

Now go connect with someone face-to-face.

Until the next post +peace.

140.8 (not that it matters)

I weighed in yesterday....a fraction of a pound more than last week, but it doesn't matter.  My goal is to stay under 145.  Since I'm pretty close to last week, I'm going to maintain my current calorie guide and see how this week goes.  Granted, there are car bomb pancakes, car bomb cupcakes and corned beef and cabbage in my future, but it should be just fine.

My body seems okay with a little splurge from time to time and the random day off from working out, too.
I finished reading Food for Life this week.  While several things stuck out for me as I read, I was really struck by the idea of 'time pollution.'  Yup, time pollution.  Throughout the book, Jung writes about how food and sharing it is a gift from God and it should be something that brings us joy.  Yet living in such a face paced society, we barely slow down to sit and savor food, let alone all the other things we do every day.  It's as if our time is polluted.  It's too full of activities, chores, work, school, hobbies, family, church....you name it.  As soon as you start thinking about all the things that fill your day, it's all too easy to become overwhelmed.  Our time is polluted.  And when we think about how full our time is, we begin to worry about how much of it that we have, and then we find ourselves slipping into seeing the time that surrounds us as something that is in scarcity, rather than abundance. I know, we do have a limited time here on earth.  Living through the season of Lent with both young and old facing terminal illnesses...I'm aware that we will not be here forever.  I get that.  But, the time we have with one another can be seen as something we have in abundance.  Even those facing death sooner than others...take time each day to just stop.  To just do one thing at a time.  Stop the multitasking, stop the cramming of one more thing in....and just be, either on your own (if you need the space) or with family.  Preferably around a meal table.  Take time to be engaged with one another, to see the blessing and abundance of time and food in your life and give thanks to God.  Then be together....cry, laugh, whatever is best for you....but just celebrate that time together.

On a completely different note, I received a few complements in the past week from different folks at the gym who have noticed my weight loss.  It's felt good...not just the complements, but also the support from my gym community.  The folks at LJs Fitness have been super supportive and encouraging as I've been on this weight loss journey.  While they did not know about my weight loss plan that began in December, they have continued to encourage me to try new things and keep up the good work.  (You'll get a gentle ribbing if you've been away for a while, but it's all in good fun.)
I may have treated them to some car bomb cupcakes today. :)  And we'll all work them off in the next few days.

I'll be starting Sharing Food tomorrow.  (I haven't been reading everyday...but I'm trying.)  I'm also trying to blog more about what I'm reading....we'll see how that goes with this new read.

But until then, enjoy your time, your loved ones and yourself.