A Little Less Talk...

Saturday’s sermon was great. It was something both Garrett and I wanted and needed to hear. Yesterday a coworker sent me this link and I read through the slideshow cracking up… As Americans, we are such a huge sense of entitlement that the theft of a sandwich would bring about some seriously anger… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/26/the-funniest-notes-left-f_n_659338.html?ref=fb&src=sp (FYI, there is some bad language!)

I feel like most of us SNC-ers agree that we need to do some work within ourselves and to our ways of living..we all seem to have dug deep down and have identified where we are lacking. We’ve established that we really don’t have any “rights” and that WE do not really own our possessions. But we really haven’t gotten down to the nitty gritty and actually said what we are going to do to fix it. WHERE IS ALL THE ACTION?! Where do we go from here?

I’m in the business of risk management. I don’t do risk. I work to prevent and insure against anything risky (not to be confused with risqué). So how does someone like me show God that I trust him, and that everything I have is HIS?

Does it come in the form of selling our houses, and all living together communally a la Shane Claiborne? Forgoing medical insurance, taking the insurance off of our houses and possessions and creating a “Saturday Night Healthcare Fund”? Or is it as simple as leaving our doors unlocked and keeping gift cards on hand to give to a homeless person for a warm meal?

Help me come up with some real ideas that we can incorporate into our lives!

I am Meagan, and I want to be where all the action is.

Jesus, Our Slave Master

Here are some of my thoughts that I had last night on us having our own rights verses being slaves to Christ. These thoughts are in conjunction with Romans 1:1 and how Paul opens his letter to the church in Rome.

Romans 1:1 - This letter is from Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News.

Slave masters make their own rules. They tell their slaves when to work and when to stop. They tell them when to sleep and when to wake. They tell them when to talk and when to listen, but they don’t like listening very much. They tell them when to breathe and when to hold their breath.

Slave masters do what they want, when they want, and how they want. They are in control of everything that their slaves do. They don’t give their slaves a choice. Slaves don’t get rewarded for the good that they do or receive any kind of payment. When a slave messes up in doing their work, the slave master punishes them.

As a slave of Christ Jesus, Jesus is the slave master. He makes his own rules (10 Commandments, all of the Gospel teachings, the Bible in a generality). He tells us when to work and when to stop (Sabbath). He tells us when to sleep and when to wake (Day and night, sun and moon). He tells us when to talk and when to listen, and he never minds listening (Prayer/discernment). He tells us when to breathe and when to hold our breath (He breathed his life into us when he created us, giving us life, life so complex from relationships to DNA, and life so simple from watching a beautiful sunset to inhaling and exhaling).

Our Master does what he wants, when he wants, and how he wants (Isaiah 48:9-11 - Yet for my own sake and for the honor of my name, I will hold back my anger and not wipe you out. I have refined you, but not as silver is refined. Rather, I have refined you in the furnace of suffering. I will rescue you for my sake-yes, for my own sake! I will not let my reputation be tarnished, and I will not share my glory with idols!). He is also in control of his slaves, however, he gives us a choice (All the way back to Adam and Eve). It is up to us to follow these rules (Romans 10:9 - If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved). We are rewarded with treasurers in heaven when we follow our Master’s will (Matthew 19:16-30, Jesus Speaks to the Rich Young Man). And even when we mess up, our Master sacrifices his own life so that we may be blameless (John 3:16, Romans 8:3 (NLT) - The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins.

(The Message) - God went for the jugular when he sent his own Son. He didn't deal with the problem as something remote and unimportant. In his Son, Jesus, he personally took on the human condition, entered the disordered mess of struggling humanity in order to set it right once and for all. The law code, weakened as it always was by fractured human nature, could never have done that).

So I am definitely in line with what everyone else seems to be saying, it's hard following Christ and completely submitting to him, but I think we can all agree that we have a Master worth serving!

"America's god is dying"

In light of the last several posts, this article by theologian Stanley Hauerwas is insightfully provocative. http://www.abc.net.au/religion/articles/2010/07/20/2947368.htm

Matt and I just finished reading Hauerwas's memoir (see below).  I'm not much of a reader of biographies (okay, I've never read one), but I really enjoyed this book.




Anyway, this article provides a challenging reflection on the unholy union between all things America and Christian found in our country...

Here are a few quotes to whet your whistle:

"American Protestants do not have to believe in God because they believe in belief. That is why we have never been able to produce an interesting atheist in America. The god most Americans say they believe in is just not interesting enough to deny."

"because the churches had done so much to make America, they could not escape living with what they had made."

"I believe we may be living at a time when we are watching Protestantism, at least the kind of Protestantism we have in America, come to an end. It is dying of its own success."

"This is what I mean when I say, in a rather convoluted way, that most Americans tell themselves the that you should have no story except the story you chose when you had no story."

"That we are, in other words, people of our own making, constituted by free choice. And that free choice is the only thing we are responsible for.  But the problem with such an account of responsibility is that it makes marriage, among other things, completely unintelligible."

"America's god is dying."

Check out the article.  Share some thoughts...

How Do We Break Free?

First, before I attempt to initiate a little discussion I thought I would throw a shout out to our newest blog follower, TYLER! Hey man, welcome! We'd love to hear your thoughts each week following service, if you'd like to share them. :)

So... here's the question I have been struggling with as we have worked our way through the last several commandments.  How in the world are we supposed to break free from our dependence/reliance on the U.S. Constitution and American ideals that simply aren't rooted in the Good News of Jesus Christ?

With regard to this week's commandment, we have it so ingrained in us, that we have a certain inalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness (which was changed by Jefferson for the Declaration of Independence--it was originally the right to own property).  How did the church allow these ideas to subvert the gospel over the years

But more importantly, how might we re-invert the gospel to its rightful and central place in our lives?  Practically speaking... what are we to do?  Any creative ideas for breaking free?  That is, other than putting on a wicked awesome musical?!

Completely Generous?

I tried to get this up yesterday morning, but had formatting issues...

God has this funny way of messing with me lately.  I’m not quite sure if I have discerned a pattern to his funny business, but there’s no doubt that semi-regularly I am being confronted with the very text and words that I’ve given up to Him as an offering on Saturday Night. 

Maybe it is God’s way of reminding me that His words need to do their work in me if I am to authentically pass them along to anyone. 

Maybe it is the self-deceit that so quickly creeps in once I am done preaching; that says I’ve completed my work for the LORD.

Maybe it is the presence and power of God’s word preached into my own life that has left my heart soft and open to recognize opportunities to live into the new Jesus Way.

This morning I sat outside Starbucks.  I had been there 20 minutes when a homeless man walked up and asked for money.  No question, I gave it to him.  God has transformed me and my grip on the possessions of this life….

BUT, then this same homeless man started asking me questions.  I gave short and quick answers.  I wanted to be done with him.  I wanted to get back to reading and being spiritual… He walked away and the conviction of God’s Spirit was overwhelmingly palpable.  I have much to learn and much to let go of still.  Though I am becoming more free with “stuff,” I have yet to give my life and presence quite so generously.

This is my prayer (actually it’s Paul’s) for me and us: Father, may our love abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that we may be pure and blameless on for the day of Christ—filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Shot gun shells, guard dogs, and...Jesus?

Curtis started off SNC with a question regarding the best method for keeping our stuff safe from thieves. The question elicited a variety of answers (as listed in the title), but I believe Curtis crowned Pastor Rick as the winner with the answer "don't have nice things and don't have things worth stealing." Curtis' solution to his question was along these lines...you can't rob the willing. Curtis’ has been skirting around the theme regarding rights and entitlements the last couple weeks. I believe that the reason Curtis has needed to continually work through the topic of rights is because we are trained as Americans to have this engrained sense of unalienable rights (something to do with living in the top 5% of the world). Curtis has been combating the engrained teaching but sharing how we serve a different kingdom and are called to be slaves to Christ.

Personally, I have been grappling with the implications of serving the true kingdom, as a citizen in Christ. It has been really hard! It has been difficult because, as Curtis’ detailed, the Christian faith is one of downward mobility. The downward mobility that calls us to the deepest, darkest places to serve others. Being part of the top 5% in the world (I believe Curtis used 3% or 1%...I have heard different percentages) it is hard to leave our plush lifestyle and serve. “To be honest” as Curtis would say, I often feel the tug of entitlement where I think I deserve things more than others (or in general). It is assumed that if we work hard then we get what we deserve, and it is ours because we have worked for it. I look through a distorted lens that which I think that for some reason I have received the blessings I have from my doings; instead of seeing that everything is from God. I am working on a practical way to implement the reminder that everything we have is from God (still working out what I would like to do…I will probably post my plans when I decide).

In closing I wanted to throw something out there. As Curtis was working through Ephesians 4:28 I started to think of this book by Max Weber called The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. The book deals with the ethics that must be dealt with in capitalism, and how Calvinists played a role (through the idea of hard work) building up capitalism. The book does not directly deal with the second part of verse 28 which has to deal with giving and generosity, but it deals with how capitalism seeks the end goal of profit, which can be seen, and is seen by Christians as a virtue. All this said to point out that it is easy to read the first part of the verse which directs thieves to stop stealing and work hard. The second half of the verse is just as important, if not more, to give generously because it has been given by God (all of it is God’s anyway…wish I could really understand this complex statement). I am curious what it would look like if Christians did give more than 3% (statistically) for a tithe? How could we change the world?

The Christian's Declaration of Independence

Here is an interesting article, especially in light of sermon on the 6th Commandment.  It offers a bit more on the question of our "rights."

http://www.jesusradicals.com/wp-content/uploads/christian-declaration-of-independence.pdf

Umm... I can't believe I just said the words "anal sex" out loud in church. I'm surely going to heck for that one.

But then I got to wondering... maybe that kind of thinking is what is wrong with churches in general today? Most people can't broach subjects like oral sex, or pornography with our pastors or church family without feeling shamed or embarrassed. The fact is, that most teens are NOT chatting up their pastors on whether it is okay or not to try out third base with their girlfriend. They are going to their friends or the Internet for guidelines and information on what is allowed or what is "okay" to do sexually.

Unless we open the lines of communication and make sex a household/church wide topic, our kids will never feel comfortable asking us questions about it.

A very big part of the draw for kids and teens is that sex is so sensationalized, its so taboo and off limits. Its Bad, and dangerous, and your parents don't want you to know about it. When things are said, parents and adults use hushed tones and reply with "Oh, nothing dear!" when you ask them what they are talking about. That's what makes sex pretty sexy. It gives it an edge, drama, sophistication, mystery. If you take all of that away, it can become a dinner conversation in which you can be open with your kids and friends about the realities, myth and rumors about S.E.X.

You can tell them why God wants them to stay pure, that their purity is a gift for their future husband/wife. You can talk to them about the pressures that they are feeling and the fact that their bodies are probably telling them the opposite of what their conscience is. You can share experiences of people that have waited verses people who didn't and how that turned out for them. Granted, you can only lead a horse to water.. but it is a start. If all churches and families had these kinds of open communication, do you think more teens would wait until marriage?

Sex in Church

I've already had some fun and interesting conversations since Saturday Night's peek into the 7th Commandment, "You must not commit adultery."

Clearly, by Matt's post, Saturday Night inspired is inspiring some to speak more boldly about the subject.

A few of the conversations I've had since Saturday Night have really had me thinking a ton... I am wondering more and more the Church's ambiguity and confusion about marriage is compounding the sexuality issue for us?

Here's a (really) rough analogy: what if we told our kids they could only eat cookies out of a cookie jar, because that was the only way we could guarantee the cookies would be clean?  This seems a reasonable edict as a parent.  Don't eat cookies out of the garbage, off the floor, that have been sitting out, that are under your bed, in the couch cushions, or behind the toilet.  But... what if our cookie jar breaks, is lost, or is no longer usable for a variety of reasons?  According to our rules, our children now have no way to enjoy sweet, yummy cookies.  So, what to do?  Some will have the self-control not to eat cookies.  Some really aren't that interested in cookies.  But the rest, are fairly excited about the possibility of enjoying cookies in the future. 

God has told us that the appropriate container for enjoying and participating in sex is marriage.  Our problem is that the container has gone missing and what is standing in as the replacement is nothing like a cookie jar and is less appealing that cookies off the floor.  The "marriage" that our world encourages and promotes looks nothing like the safe, clean cookie jar that promises cookies that won't kill us.

Like I said...rough analogy.  Still haven't thought through it all the way...

Young people think marriage is for people who are "in love." 
HOWEVER, the wedding liturgy of the Church has never asked a bride and groom "Do you love each other." 
Why?  Because it doesn't really matter. (that much)
The question that is asked is: "Will you commit your life to growing in love for as long as you live?" 
This is a very different view of marriage than its popular versions.  I think this might be a good starting place for talking about healthy sexuality within the healthy context of marriage.

ANALytically speaking...

As I was going over my notes for this week's blog, I was reminded that "anal sex" was discussed openly in the house of God (it brought a mischievous smirk to my face). Did anyone care that there were minors in God's house for the discussion? No (although a couple heads popped up and attention, if lost, was immediately back). Did anyone run to grab gasoline and matches to prepare to have a burning at the stake? No! The only other time I can remember anal sex being talked about openly (in a church or religious setting) was by Dr/Prof. Reed at Pr. Loma. Dr/Prof Reed spoke about a little differently about the act, but attentions were focused 100% on every word. As an intro (maybe a decoy to keep your attention) to touch back on Curtis' opening questions of how is the church doing with sexuality, sex, and marriage as witnesses to the world/or in comparison to the world (for those not in attendance the consensus was that the Church is not doing very well).

Sex is one of those things that we (the church, world, humanity) are confused about (Evidence in the fact that we had our biggest service in weeks when we talk about sex). In trying to think of something to blog about I feel like there is so much to say, but so much not to say(a taboo ingrained from the church). What is sex's proper role in the church? How should conversations be handled (in the open) to show that it is honored and respected? How do we find God's "baby words" in the Ten Commandments and transfer them to relevant in our present culture? How can the Church, God's supposed vessel, set a standard/example for society, when statistics show that the church is just as (I believe more due to the lack of discussion) confused as the world about sex? I really believe that the world forms the church, and that the church is failing to form the world (in regards to sexuality).

So where do we go from here? Should we have Taylor write a song about proper oral sex so that we can remove the ingrained negative connotations that come with discussing sex in church? Since we have Song of Songs I won't go that far… yet. The two books that have been shaping my ideas/thoughts this summer have been "Desiring the Kingdom" which discusses taking our faith from our thoughts and putting them into our practices and how those practices will shape/form us (holistically) more than any school (lecture style). The second book is "Almost Christian: What the faith of our teenagers says about the church.” In the book the argument is made that teens take on the beliefs and practices of their parents. These two books combined to form "Captain Plan" (I left off "et" because I think they provide a plan for the discussion questions at the end of service). The plan involves practices and actions that mirror our thoughts and beliefs regarding God and Commands/expectations. Actions that yield a result of actually loving our neighbor, not coveting, giving self sacrificing love, viewing everyone as God’s child…and the list can goes on. These particularly speak to the new definition of not committing adultery in our culture today.

What happens when the Church starts loving their neighbors as themselves? What happens when Christians don't covet? What happens when Christians act as Christ's slaves (losing rights, individual freedom, etc)? How could Christians enter into a sexual relationship when they put away their desires and seek to serve their brothers and sisters in Christ? A revolution? A recapturing of the faith? Of course, but then my worst enemy attacks me…myself. My mind says, "ya but…” and then enter the excuse. “This is too hard” “This is unrealistic" “No one can actually live this” Then I look at Jesus, the apostles, Paul, the stories of the early church…and I still say “ya but.” I seem to put them on a pedestal, making them out to be larger than life…but I think James says it best. James 5:17 “Elijah was a human being just like us…” Jane’s testimony that Curtis shared is evidence that we can impact the world through living his commands. I keep asking myself though…do I really want it?

Wow…I just realized that I am all over the place. I guess what I am trying to say is that God has really been working with me on taking what I hear in service or read in the Bible and putting it into action. In regards to “Thou Shall Not Commit Adultery” I liked the fact that we got a chance to discuss what that means for us today. What I was trying to say through the rest of it is that I can get really discouraged and feel alone when I try to do it all alone. The good news that I remind myself of is that we are all humans, can do all things through his strength and that we are not alone (we have Christ and each other).

In closing…Megan I appreciate your openness and frankness. It says a lot when you can fully stand up in church and not feel judged to openly discuss anal and oral sex…especially when there are jr higher in the room (thank goodness my daughter wasn’t in the room…she repeats everything) You are fully received in our community.

An old lady walked into a church...

Just kidding.

Nana went to mass this morning and the priest told this joke:

A lady called the church asking to speak with the head priest. She was frantic. The secretary told her that the priest was on vacation. By the time she finally got a hold of the priest a week or so later, she told him: "I can't believe you are taking vacations! I needed you! You know, the devil never takes a vacation!."

To that, the priest replied, "Yeah, and if I didn't take a vacation, I'd be joining him!"

Hopefully you are all resting up on your Sabbath day!

Fight for your Right!

It the words of the Beastie Boys…we need to fight for our right to¬¬¬________(the song says party but in today's culture it could be anything so I’ll let you fill in the blank of what rights you want to fight for). I know it is almost a week later (from the sermon), but I am still wrestling with the thoughts about our rights as Christians. It didn’t take long to see how easy my rights/toes can be stepped on. I was literally driving home from service and Theresa and I got into a discussion about the service and all of a sudden I started to get mad…I wasn’t going to kill T or anything, but I started to see what Curtis was talking about in his message about how quick the domino affect can happen when I feel violated (rights, ego, entitlements, etc).
So what rights do I have? It seems that for some reason this has been a reoccurring conversation around me this week. I get an email called the daily bread and two of the little daily devotions were regarding our rights as we are now slaves to Christ…our new master. It is amazing how bad I want to fight the idea that I don’t have rights and that God is in control…I think I even try to negotiate the power he has in my life. If he was a worldly slave master I defiantly would have been beat this week (if God hands out good old fashion @$$ whooping). As the idea of Christ being my new master I started to wrestle with why am I so lame in turning my rights over to him? The conclusion I came to is…when the boss is away…the children will play. I find it amazing how when my boss doesn’t come into work or goes on vacation how much the tension drops at work. The schedules start to slip slightly…lunches become a little longer…people head home a little earlier…come in later the next day..And the list goes on. Christ left the earth a couple thousand years ago so you can imagine how bad/lackadaisical the church (our office) full of Christ’s slave (His employees) can become. (Especially if we are not constantly reading His business plan…aka the Bible)
My understanding is that I have adopted other practices not conducent to my work environment…therefore I am fighting when God has commanded to turn the other cheek…OUCH!

What is "Church" and "Worship"?

Some know that a few weeks ago we had a family visiting with us from San Raman.  David is a pastor in SR and he was on a two week vacation.  As my ordination mentor, he came to worship with us as a friend and someone curious about what we are doing.  He and I grabbed lunch yesterday and he shared with me a couple encouraging words about our Saturday Night experiment. 

The main thing he told me was that it was incredibly refreshing that we weren't trying to be something we weren't.  It was obvious that we are a community that cares about one another and those who want to participate with us in worship.  But, we aren't trying to wow anyone into staying or trying to make things "perfect."  He made clear that our actions say, "This is who we are, we welcome you to join with us"

I really appreciated this feedback.  This suggests that to us, worship isn't an event to attract people to in order to build up an institution.  Rather, it is part (though central and important part) of our life, lived together.  Worship is an extension of the relationships being developed through the rest of week.  So, when we invite people to worship with us, we don't expect people to be wow'd with hype, but to see the reason why are lives look the way they do.

I offer this reflection today, because I came across an interesting cartoon that you could call an indictment of "Contemporary worship."  Does this cartoon miss the mark?  (Cartoon from James K. A. Smith's blog)

To Become that Godley Parent

For those of you who have read Gary Smalley he gives 84 ways to offend our children...(to become godley parents and to not lead our children into breaking next week's commandment...a look ahead if you will)

1. Lacking interest in things that are special to me
2. Breaking promises
3. Criticizing unjustly
4. Allowing my brother or sister to put me down
5. Misunderstanding my motives
6. Speaking carelessly
7. Punishing me for something for which I already had been punished
8. Telling me that my opinion doesn't really matter
9. Giving me the feeling that they never make mistakes
10. Not being gentle when pointing out my weaknesses or blind spots
11. Lecturing me and not understanding when all I need is some support
12. Never telling me "I love you;" never showing me physical affection
13. Not spending time alone with me
14. Being insensitive, rough, and breaking promises
15. Being thoughtless
16. Never telling me "thank you"
17. Not spending time together
18. Being insensitive to my trials
19. Speaking harsh words
20. Being inconsistent
21. Being taken for granted
22. Being told how to do something that I was doing on my own
23. Nagging me
24. Bossing me
25. Feeling unnoticed and unappreciated
26. Being ignored
27. Not being considered a thinking and feeling person
28. Being too busy to care for me and listen to me
29. Dismissing my needs as unimportant, especially when their work or hobby is more important
30. Bringing up old mistakes from the past to deal with present problems
31. Teasing excessively
32. Not noticing my accomplishments
33. Making tactless comments
34. Liking me only for my physical looks or abilities, instead of what's inside me
35. Not being praised and appreciated
36. Being built up and then let down
37. Getting my hopes up to do something as a family and then not following through
38. Being corrected without being reminded that they love me
39. Being disciplined in harshness and anger
40. Not reasoning with me, and never giving me an explanation of why I'm being disciplined
41. Misusing brute force
42. Reacting to me in the opposite way I think a Christian should treat me
43. Raising their voices to each other
44. Not being interested in who I am
45. Cutting down something I am doing or someone I am with as being dumb or stupid
46. Using foul language when they are upset with me
47. Being impatient, which often comes across as rudeness
48. Saying "no" without giving a reason
49. Not praising me
50. Sensing a difference between what is said with the mouth and what is said through facial expressions
51. Making sarcastic remarks about me
52. Making fun of my hopes, dreams, and accomplishments
53. Punishing me severely for something I didn't do
54. Being distracted when I really have something to say
55. Insulting me in front of others
56. Speaking before thinking through how it will affect me
57. Pressuring me when I already feel low or offended
58. Comparing me with other kids at school and telling me how wonderful they are and that they wish I could do better
59. Forcing me to argue with them when I'm really hurt inside
60. Being treated like a child
61. Not approving of what I do or how I do it; I keep trying to get their approval but they just won't give it
62. Seeing them do the very thing they tell me not to do
63. Ignoring me when I ask for advice because they are too busy
64. Ignoring me or not introducing me to people who come to the house or we see in public
65. Showing favoritism toward my brother or sister
66. Acting as if something I want is of little importance
67. Not feeling like I am special to them; It's so important to me to have my parents let me know, even in small ways, that I'm special to them
68. Seeing my father put my mother down, especially in front of company
69. Seldom touching me or holding me
70. Hearing Mom and Dad bickering at each other to the point where one of them is really hurt
71. Not trusting me
72. Making fun of something physically different about me
73. Seeing my mom and dad trying to get revenge against each other
74. Sensing that me dad never approves of what I do or how I do it
75. Not being able to control their anger
76. Getting mad at me because I can't keep up with their schedule or abilities
77. Making me feel like they wish they never had me in the first place
78. Not having enough time for me
79. Needing my parents but they are glued to the television
80. Seeing my parents spend a lot of money on their pleasures, but when I want something, they don't seem to have enough money
81. Making me feel childish
82. Not spending the time to understand what I am trying to say
83. Yelling at me when I already know I'm wrong
84. Making me feel like I hadn't tried to improve at something when I really had.

hmmmmmmmm........?

It had never occurred to me that I had "spiritual parents" as opposed to biological ones. I kind of like it.

God used so many different people at different points in my life to teach me about his love, so I don't have one specific person to thank. However, one that stands out is my Nana.

Nana has always been faithful about teaching me about the gospel, even in times when I didn't want to hear it. So many times I told her that I didn't think God existed, that he couldn't exist and if he did that I hated him for what my life was like. I know that broke her heart, she cried. As an adult and a parent, I regret saying those things to the deepest part of my being. But I also know that it was necessary for me to be in that place, to feel those things and to have God prove me wrong again and again.

She continued to be faithful and talk about Jesus, pray for me, pray with me, send me books, pamphlets, take me to services and encourage me to donate my time to the homeless, battered and abused. Even the little things impacted me, like the fact that her answering machine says "God Bless" at the end and every time she would send me a card it would say "God Bless, xoxo" at the bottom. Those tiny little things seeped into my brain. She would always explain how God took care of her financially and how he always provided for her even when she didn't have two nickels to rub together. She showed it in the way that she forgave her brothers and sisters for mistreating her. There were times when I wanted to literally kill them for what they did to her, but she never showed anger or resentment, only sadness and forgiveness. Her actions taught me to never mistake kindness and forgiveness for weakness, because she is the strongest woman that I know.

Through her words, actions and intentions, Nana has been my spiritual parent all along. Who knew? She never forced me or pushed me, she guided me. That is what I want to be for Rowan. I also hope that I can honor her with my words and actions. I hope that I can be half as good to Rowan that she is to me. I hope that God gives me the strength and the courage to follow in her foot steps so that I can somehow bring glory to him in my very ordinary, every day life.

Whose your Daddy?

Two weeks in a row and I am behind on posting a blog. I don't feel that bad this week because I am guessing that everyone enjoyed their day off yesterday...celebrating America's Forefather's triumphal accomplishment. I briefly addressed part of what I wanted to say in response to Curtis' post regarding the spiritualization of the text. However, since Curtis' pastored the text up and made it about the spiritual side I will post to the spiritual side.

The quote that has stuck with me the last couple days came out of Jane's encounter with her mom. "God has not called you to raise Godley children, but to be Godley parents." As I started drawing out the implications of this I started to see how when we become Godley people there are ripple effects into other areas of our lives. Not only do we effect our spiritual parents but our bodily parents as well. A Godley parent (full of love and respect themselves) dawns out love and respect from their children as well. This is an area I need a lot of work I.

I think that honoring our father and mother (spiritual or biological) is rooted in right relationship and love. I have a feeling that whether we are in the church or at home that sometimes the tensions can be tight. I know I often lose sight of the other person's interest and start worrying just about my own. Not being a parent of teenagers, but watching and engaging with some (as well as my little children) I know that the children fail to give respect because they believe they know "everything," or at least I did. When I transfer this into the church I see new believers, youngsters, and children in the eyes of the church acting like they know everything...failing to realize that the older generation was once young like we are...eager, energetic, believing that the world is at their finger tips, ready to start a new revelation...viewing the older generation as a weight to be drug around. Therefore, I see this commandment as a reminder to be humble, honoring those who have helped shape our faith.

Does anyone have anyone that they want to honor/tell a story of someone who has helped shape their faith (I am looking for a fatherly figure because we have already done mothers ;) I am also thinking of the vast wealth of information and life experiences that we can draw from on Sunday mornings, could be a good way to connect Discovery, if we sought out spiritual guidance, advice, and knowledge from the elders in the church. Honoring them as we let them shape and influence our lives....I am currently thinking about dinner for 8 and realizing that I have not got a call.....I would text or email but I don't think anyone in my group has the following...

Sometimes it Takes a While...

I shared this with my table group on Saturday, but I feel it is a good example of reflecting on our past in order to give honor where it is due.

When I gave my life to Christ in 2001, I found myself super critical of my early years in the Lutheran Church.  Now that my faith was "real," I thought all of this must have been fake.  But what it took me a while to realize was that just because I have now embraced the meaning of something in my life, doesn't mean it didn't have meaning before I decided it did.

And so, I've come to see the years of attending worship every Sunday as having an incredible impact on the growth of my faith.  When kids accept Christ at YL camp who have never been to church, they have a really difficult time seeing the importance of weekly worship for their spiritual growth.  This habit is hard to establish.  But I immediately connected into a local congregation and began to attend worship regularly.

I have also recognized the power of song to form our spiritual lives.  There are moments when a song will unexpectedly arise from my throat.  These songs are often songs from my childhood that I don't remember learning.  Sometimes I find a song recalled that came at just the right moment for where I was at. 

Other times the words of Lord's Prayer, said every night before bed with my parents and every week in worship, comes to mind.  Knowing the prayer, I then allow it to be an outline for a time of conversation with God.

And when I was learning the "foundations" of the faith in my early years as a Christian, I discovered that most of my learning was recap.  Having memorized the Apostle's Creed for Confirmation and having said it week after week in worship, I had embedded within me the core doctrines of the Christian faith.

I am thankful that my parents diligently made it a priority for us to attend weekly worship, participate in our church's youth activities, and enfold ourselves in the life of the church.  God used my parents, years before I would ever put my trust in Christ, to plant seeds of faith and to establish a firm foundation.  When my faith became "real," I was not picked off the path by birds, or destroyed by the weather, but had deep (though unseen) roots that nurtured my new personal faith.

Did I Take it Too Far?

We haven't had too much "discussion" the last few weeks.  I am hoping yesterday's message gets it going a little bit...

Did I take the command too far?  What are the implications of "spiritualizing" the 5th Commandment, Honor your father and mother? 

Or did my message really "spiritualize" anything?  The people deserving honor are still flesh and blood people in our lives...

Thoughts?

The Fourth Word: A New Day for the New Way

Last Saturday's sermon has posted.  There are two different ways to listen...

For those who are active in the realm of social networking, you might consider using this blog, or the podcast as opportunities to connect with friends and family around issues of your faith.  The 10 Commandments are familiar enough to many (at least the idea of them) that I'm sure some of these messages and discussions could create some fun conversations.

iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/discovery-church-saturday/id362864918

Web: http://saturdaynightchurch.podomatic.com/

Grace and peace,
Curtis