Here it is - New Year's Day 2013!! I remember when I thought the year 2000 was so far away and here it is 13 years past that day. Time does seem to speed up as we get older.
Do you have any resolutions? We spoke in worship last Sunday about making the great resolution of shoring up the foundation of faith and we participated in part of the Wesleyan Covenant service. It was meaningful to honor the past, take part in the present and have hope for the future! To renew my covenant with God reminded me of what is truly important in life - my faith, my family, my friends and my neighbors. So, I am hoping 2013 brings me closer to God and to all who I meet on my journey.
This Sunday is Epiphany and on that day we celebrate the magi's visit to see Jesus. And we see that their lives were transformed by their experience of the Christ child. So, as we begin 2013 let's resolve to make things different, to live our lives transformed by Jesus - by reorienting our priorities not to focus on ourselves, but on the radical love Jesus gives from us and asks in return. Won't that be an adventure?
I invite you to look back at the last year and see the road(s) you have taken. Then look ahead and make a plan - how can my road lead me to spend more time with the people I love? How can I demonstrate my faith through community and service? How can I make my relationship with God even stronger? Will it be the same road as last year or a different one?
Happy New Year!
Laurie
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Friday, December 28, 2012
Christmas Blessings
So, the big day has come and gone. Parties, family, presents, church, celebration over. How was Christmas for you? Did you stop to truly take in the day and thank God for all of your blessings? I hope your celebration was full of God's love, joy and peace.
Christmas Eve at Hope UMC was wondrous. At the 5p worship service we came together in a large congregation to remember the wonder of Jesus' birth through music, the story of the Christmas angel, and the prayer the reminds us all that we, like the innkeeper in Bethlehem, need to make room in our lives for Jesus. As we sang "Silent Night" in candlelight and then ended worship with "Joy to the World" I certainly could feel a true sense of hope for the future. I also felt blessed to share this experience with so many people!
Our 11p service was one of candles and carols as multiple voices recounted the story of Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus from a different perspective. This service was peaceful and filled with the wonder and beauty of so many candles piercing the darkness. And so Christmas morning came - and again it was shared by many.
I know some people have already torn down the decorations, put out the Christmas lights and packed away the holiday for another year. But I hope you don't pack away the blessings, the wonder and the reminder to make room for Jesus in your life. As we head into 2013 may we all find a way to stop more often and look at the people and the world around us, understand the blessing of diversity and be ready to grow in our relationship with God and with one another.
Happy New Year!!
Laurie
Christmas Eve at Hope UMC was wondrous. At the 5p worship service we came together in a large congregation to remember the wonder of Jesus' birth through music, the story of the Christmas angel, and the prayer the reminds us all that we, like the innkeeper in Bethlehem, need to make room in our lives for Jesus. As we sang "Silent Night" in candlelight and then ended worship with "Joy to the World" I certainly could feel a true sense of hope for the future. I also felt blessed to share this experience with so many people!
Our 11p service was one of candles and carols as multiple voices recounted the story of Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus from a different perspective. This service was peaceful and filled with the wonder and beauty of so many candles piercing the darkness. And so Christmas morning came - and again it was shared by many.
I know some people have already torn down the decorations, put out the Christmas lights and packed away the holiday for another year. But I hope you don't pack away the blessings, the wonder and the reminder to make room for Jesus in your life. As we head into 2013 may we all find a way to stop more often and look at the people and the world around us, understand the blessing of diversity and be ready to grow in our relationship with God and with one another.
Happy New Year!!
Laurie
Friday, December 21, 2012
Scandalous Love
How is your Christmas preparation going? Do you have plans for the holiday? Presents? Tree? Finishing up your Advent devotions? Planning which worship service to attend? Well, it's almost time once again to experience God's love for us - a love that was and is actually quite scandalous!
We often fail to understand just how scandalous God’s love for us is, and how radical it is that God would show that love by lowering himself to be born in human form. Using the story of Hosea, this week’s message emphasizes how doggedly God pursues us, in spite of our unfaithfulness. Christmas is the heralding of God who comes to be with us. God is the one who pursues. The Incarnation is the revelation of God’s scandalous love affair with humanity.
The story in Hosea is often hard to hear and understand in our modern times but it shows God's love through the image of Hosea and his wife. Hosea 2:2-3 says "When the LORD first spoke through Hosea, the LORD said to him, “Go, marry a prostitute and have children of prostitution, for the people of the land commit great prostitution by deserting the LORD . ” So Hosea went and took Gomer, Diblaim’s daughter, and she became pregnant and bore him a son.”
Yikes! Hosea's wife Gomer represents Israel and its unfaithfulness to God. In Hosea 3:1 The LORD said to me, "Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another and is an adulteress. Love her as the LORD loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes."
And then there is the birth of Jesus - want to talk about scandalous? Mary pregnant before she and Joseph were married, Joseph being father to a baby clearly not his and standing by Mary! Not something that happened all that often in Nazareth. But out of that scandalous love came Jesus to show how God loves each and every one of us whether or not we are faithful followers, or questioners of all things religious, or believe in other things. God continues to love us and call us into God's presence.
So, do you trust God’s promise to redeem your life? To love you and want your love in return, no matter what kind of mess your life has been? To whom or in what way can you show “scandalous” love this holiday season because of God’s great love shown to you?
I challenge you to think about what it means for us to love others “scandalously”, especially in the wake of the horror of Sandy Hook Elementary shootings? How would that be different from the safe, cautious ways we often show Christ’s love in the world? How would it make our world better?
I hope that you will all take the time to worship on Christmas Eve/Day and that you continue to spread God's scandalous love to all you meet!
We often fail to understand just how scandalous God’s love for us is, and how radical it is that God would show that love by lowering himself to be born in human form. Using the story of Hosea, this week’s message emphasizes how doggedly God pursues us, in spite of our unfaithfulness. Christmas is the heralding of God who comes to be with us. God is the one who pursues. The Incarnation is the revelation of God’s scandalous love affair with humanity.
The story in Hosea is often hard to hear and understand in our modern times but it shows God's love through the image of Hosea and his wife. Hosea 2:2-3 says "When the LORD first spoke through Hosea, the LORD said to him, “Go, marry a prostitute and have children of prostitution, for the people of the land commit great prostitution by deserting the LORD . ” So Hosea went and took Gomer, Diblaim’s daughter, and she became pregnant and bore him a son.”
Yikes! Hosea's wife Gomer represents Israel and its unfaithfulness to God. In Hosea 3:1 The LORD said to me, "Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another and is an adulteress. Love her as the LORD loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes."
And then there is the birth of Jesus - want to talk about scandalous? Mary pregnant before she and Joseph were married, Joseph being father to a baby clearly not his and standing by Mary! Not something that happened all that often in Nazareth. But out of that scandalous love came Jesus to show how God loves each and every one of us whether or not we are faithful followers, or questioners of all things religious, or believe in other things. God continues to love us and call us into God's presence.
So, do you trust God’s promise to redeem your life? To love you and want your love in return, no matter what kind of mess your life has been? To whom or in what way can you show “scandalous” love this holiday season because of God’s great love shown to you?
I challenge you to think about what it means for us to love others “scandalously”, especially in the wake of the horror of Sandy Hook Elementary shootings? How would that be different from the safe, cautious ways we often show Christ’s love in the world? How would it make our world better?
I hope that you will all take the time to worship on Christmas Eve/Day and that you continue to spread God's scandalous love to all you meet!
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Giving Up On Perfect
Last week we talked about being miracle workers ourselves - God using us ordinary people to bring miracles into the lives of others. During this week I challenge you to make your own list - what miracles will God accomplish through you this Christmas?
At Hope we made a list during worship of the top 2-3 miracles our world needs this Christmas and then picked one we would work on through this holiday season. I will be posting all of the list in church and on the Hope website at www.hopeumcmn.org.
This week we turn from miracles to giving up on the need for perfection, especially during the holidays.
How much money, time, and energy go into chasing this unattainable ideal set for us by Norman Rockwell? The first Christmas was pretty messy, and life today is pretty messy—but God shows up in the middle of the mess to bring us a message of hope.
What are our own unrealistic expectations for the “perfect” Christmas? Do the presents under the tree need to be perfectly wrapped with ribbons and bows? Does your house need to be decorated just so or it's not really Christmas? Do you send out cards expecting that everyone will send you one in return? These kinds of expectations do not enhance anything about our experience of Christ's birth but instead leave us feeling let down.
Life is not about staying safe and living comfortable. The call to follow Jesus is a call to give your life to him and to join God’s mission in healing the souls of the world. We know things just don't happen "perfectly" no matter how hard we try. Our Christmas celebration is a person short this year as a loved one has died or cannot make it home, or our church no longer does the candlelight service the way they did in our youth, or we feel depressed because of a job loss or relationship loss and we just cannot find our way out to be cheery for others.
Jesus was born in a stable a long way from home. His mother was a very young woman who was frightened of all she was going through as was Joseph. Jesus' birth came at a time when the world was ruled by the Romans and there was only an uneasy peace kept by their soldiers. There was nothing perfect about it -except that the person born was our Savior!
So shed the expectations of perfection and celebrate Jesus' birth by passing along his love and giving thanks for his life. And know that even in the midst of the messiest situation God ALWAYS SHOWS UP!
Thought for the week - what does the perfect Christmas look like to you?
At Hope we made a list during worship of the top 2-3 miracles our world needs this Christmas and then picked one we would work on through this holiday season. I will be posting all of the list in church and on the Hope website at www.hopeumcmn.org.
This week we turn from miracles to giving up on the need for perfection, especially during the holidays.
How much money, time, and energy go into chasing this unattainable ideal set for us by Norman Rockwell? The first Christmas was pretty messy, and life today is pretty messy—but God shows up in the middle of the mess to bring us a message of hope.
What are our own unrealistic expectations for the “perfect” Christmas? Do the presents under the tree need to be perfectly wrapped with ribbons and bows? Does your house need to be decorated just so or it's not really Christmas? Do you send out cards expecting that everyone will send you one in return? These kinds of expectations do not enhance anything about our experience of Christ's birth but instead leave us feeling let down.
Life is not about staying safe and living comfortable. The call to follow Jesus is a call to give your life to him and to join God’s mission in healing the souls of the world. We know things just don't happen "perfectly" no matter how hard we try. Our Christmas celebration is a person short this year as a loved one has died or cannot make it home, or our church no longer does the candlelight service the way they did in our youth, or we feel depressed because of a job loss or relationship loss and we just cannot find our way out to be cheery for others.
Jesus was born in a stable a long way from home. His mother was a very young woman who was frightened of all she was going through as was Joseph. Jesus' birth came at a time when the world was ruled by the Romans and there was only an uneasy peace kept by their soldiers. There was nothing perfect about it -except that the person born was our Savior!
So shed the expectations of perfection and celebrate Jesus' birth by passing along his love and giving thanks for his life. And know that even in the midst of the messiest situation God ALWAYS SHOWS UP!
Thought for the week - what does the perfect Christmas look like to you?
Monday, December 3, 2012
Considering A Different Kind of Christmas
Who gets top billing in our Christmas celebrations - Jesus or Santa? Too often they are mushed together into a magical deity who comes just to grant our wishes.
But this is not the God we see through the life of Jesus - Jesus was not the messiah most people were expecting and hoping for. They were looking for a soldier who would lead them against the Roman empire to victory. Instead, Jesus resisted the world's obsession with wealth, power, pleasure. Instead of a tall soldier leading his people into battle Jesus ate with sinners, defended the weak and powerless and showed us just what God's values and priories are.
Of course thinking about Santa is a lot easier and nicer for us personally because Santa is all about those worldly things - pleasure, ease, gifts for US - instead of gifts from us to the baby Jesus!
The birth of Christ was a miracle and still is over 2000 years later. But miracles don't just happen - they are born through labors of pain and sacrifice. A miracle is a unique event that God makes happen through ordinary people like you and me so we too are the change for our world!
Isaiah 9:2-7 says: The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.
For those who lived in a land of deep shadows—light! sunbursts of light!
You repopulated the nation, you expanded its joy. Oh, they’re so glad in your presence! Festival joy! The joy of a great celebration, sharing rich gifts and warm greetings. The abuse of oppressors and cruelty of tyrants—all their whips and cudgels and curses—Is gone, done away with, a deliverance as surprising and sudden as Gideon’s old victory over Midian. The boots of all those invading troops, along with their shirts soaked with innocent blood,
Will be piled in a heap and burned, a fire that will burn for days!
But this is not the God we see through the life of Jesus - Jesus was not the messiah most people were expecting and hoping for. They were looking for a soldier who would lead them against the Roman empire to victory. Instead, Jesus resisted the world's obsession with wealth, power, pleasure. Instead of a tall soldier leading his people into battle Jesus ate with sinners, defended the weak and powerless and showed us just what God's values and priories are.
Of course thinking about Santa is a lot easier and nicer for us personally because Santa is all about those worldly things - pleasure, ease, gifts for US - instead of gifts from us to the baby Jesus!
The birth of Christ was a miracle and still is over 2000 years later. But miracles don't just happen - they are born through labors of pain and sacrifice. A miracle is a unique event that God makes happen through ordinary people like you and me so we too are the change for our world!
Isaiah 9:2-7 says: The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.
For those who lived in a land of deep shadows—light! sunbursts of light!
You repopulated the nation, you expanded its joy. Oh, they’re so glad in your presence! Festival joy! The joy of a great celebration, sharing rich gifts and warm greetings. The abuse of oppressors and cruelty of tyrants—all their whips and cudgels and curses—Is gone, done away with, a deliverance as surprising and sudden as Gideon’s old victory over Midian. The boots of all those invading troops, along with their shirts soaked with innocent blood,
Will be piled in a heap and burned, a fire that will burn for days!
For a child has been born—for us! the gift of a son—for us! He’ll take over the running of the world. His names will be: Amazing Counselor, Strong God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Wholeness. His ruling authority will grow, and there’ll be no limits to the wholeness he brings. He’ll rule from the historic David throne over that promised kingdom. He’ll put that kingdom on a firm footing and keep it going With fair dealing and right living, beginning now and lasting always. The zeal of God-of-the-Angel-Armies will do all this.
Eternal Father, Prince of Wholeness. His ruling authority will grow, and there’ll be no limits to the wholeness he brings. He’ll rule from the historic David throne over that promised kingdom. He’ll put that kingdom on a firm footing and keep it going With fair dealing and right living, beginning now and lasting always. The zeal of God-of-the-Angel-Armies will do all this.
Who is it that brings light to the darkness in our world? For you?
So, here's the challenge for this week - What new traditions in your own holiday planning could focus more on Jesus' presence than on presents?
Friday, November 30, 2012
Are You Ready? Waiting?
It's almost time - it's almost Advent. This is the beginning of the church year when we wait - wait for salvation in the birth of a baby, wait for the days to get longer and warmer, wait for the earth to again bring forth life.
How good are you at waiting? I know that patience is not one of my strongest attributes and waiting is not something I do all that well. Waiting means being ready to put my desires on the back burner and working in someone else's time - God's time. Christians have been waiting for God for centuries and again this Advent season we will wait and watch, hope and love.
Think of Advent this way - it's the important steps you take before you begin a race. If December 25th is the day you have decided to start again, then there's not much time for that prep work needed! While you wait you have to decide just what it is you are changing, what that means in your life, what it means in the life of those around you, what steps need to be taken before the change to make it a success, and you need to be sure the decision is the right one.
Where to start? Prayer, of course! Prayer makes the waiting easier because you have God to confide in, to listen to, and to help guide you as you continue on your life's journey. A time of discernment in prayer when you take time to listen for an answer as well as the question can provide one with not only the right path but also the opportunity to live more fully. Our culture tells us we can have what we want immediately - no waiting! But if you never have to wait you never get to experience...
The wonder. There is very little wonder in our world when we just move from one thing to the next at a frantic pace, not waiting to see if we want to be where we are or whether it benefits us or our world. Waiting allows us to open ourselves to all kinds of possibilites for our lives, for the lives of loved ones and even for our broken world.
So waiting each Advent for Jesus' birth gives us time to stop and pause in the midst of our crazy commercial world and view the wonder. The wonder of a person's face as a gift is received, the wonder of the natural world as it lays still beneath a blanket of white, the wonder of how much you can hear on a cold, crisp night, and the wonder of a child born more than 2000 years ago who is still making waves in the world.
Advent soon begins - let us take the time to wait and to wonder and have a different kind of Christmas - a Christ centered celebration of love, joy, hope, and above all peace.
How good are you at waiting? I know that patience is not one of my strongest attributes and waiting is not something I do all that well. Waiting means being ready to put my desires on the back burner and working in someone else's time - God's time. Christians have been waiting for God for centuries and again this Advent season we will wait and watch, hope and love.
Think of Advent this way - it's the important steps you take before you begin a race. If December 25th is the day you have decided to start again, then there's not much time for that prep work needed! While you wait you have to decide just what it is you are changing, what that means in your life, what it means in the life of those around you, what steps need to be taken before the change to make it a success, and you need to be sure the decision is the right one.
Where to start? Prayer, of course! Prayer makes the waiting easier because you have God to confide in, to listen to, and to help guide you as you continue on your life's journey. A time of discernment in prayer when you take time to listen for an answer as well as the question can provide one with not only the right path but also the opportunity to live more fully. Our culture tells us we can have what we want immediately - no waiting! But if you never have to wait you never get to experience...
The wonder. There is very little wonder in our world when we just move from one thing to the next at a frantic pace, not waiting to see if we want to be where we are or whether it benefits us or our world. Waiting allows us to open ourselves to all kinds of possibilites for our lives, for the lives of loved ones and even for our broken world.
So waiting each Advent for Jesus' birth gives us time to stop and pause in the midst of our crazy commercial world and view the wonder. The wonder of a person's face as a gift is received, the wonder of the natural world as it lays still beneath a blanket of white, the wonder of how much you can hear on a cold, crisp night, and the wonder of a child born more than 2000 years ago who is still making waves in the world.
Advent soon begins - let us take the time to wait and to wonder and have a different kind of Christmas - a Christ centered celebration of love, joy, hope, and above all peace.
Thursday, August 2, 2012
SORRY - And the Journey Continues!
I am sorry that my blog has not been up to date but I continued to have technical issues until recently - so here I am to start again! Life keeps going, the journey never ends and there is so much to discuss.
On July 1st I announced that I was starting a wellness campaign for myself with the first piece of that being an attempt to lose weight through December 31st. This would be accompanied by a lifestyle change that would include better eating habits, more sleep and really taking care of myself. I am down over 4 pounds since then, and I hope I continue to work on this daily.
But what makes my journey so special is that now 18 people are accompanying me! A group of people who are looking for physical wellness as we journey toward living life wholly and fully have joined me on this leg of the journey. We meet together weekly to weigh in, to share our victories and our challenges, recipes and exercises. But most of all we meet to give one another support and encouragement. To that end we have buddies each week who help remind us of our goals and what it is we want to accomplish for the week. What a blessing that is! Getting to know new people, getting to share this difficult part of life's journey and then celebrate the joy and victory!
I will admit to not doing as well as I had hoped but I keep going. As long as I keep trying and keep losing then I am still on the right path. But to what? This path to wholeness is for me a path to a better formed faith life. If I am not well in my body I cannot be fully present and working into my calling. Physical health, lifelong learning and spiritual health are all needed to be able to live out my faith abundantly. So I am starting with the physical and going from there.
But having people with whom I journey makes such a difference! I am reminded again and again that being a person of faith is not something done in a vacum or by myself, but it is grown in a community where people inspire, push, support and cry with you or celebrate with you. What a truly wonderful experience.
I will keep you posted on this part of my journey even as I invite you to begin your own next stage. Do you need to work on your physical, spiritual or mental health? If yes to any of those I encourage you to begin by finding some people who also have those goals and walk the path together! I would love to hear from you about your own journey.
Pastor Laurie
I am sorry that my blog has not been up to date but I continued to have technical issues until recently - so here I am to start again! Life keeps going, the journey never ends and there is so much to discuss.
On July 1st I announced that I was starting a wellness campaign for myself with the first piece of that being an attempt to lose weight through December 31st. This would be accompanied by a lifestyle change that would include better eating habits, more sleep and really taking care of myself. I am down over 4 pounds since then, and I hope I continue to work on this daily.
But what makes my journey so special is that now 18 people are accompanying me! A group of people who are looking for physical wellness as we journey toward living life wholly and fully have joined me on this leg of the journey. We meet together weekly to weigh in, to share our victories and our challenges, recipes and exercises. But most of all we meet to give one another support and encouragement. To that end we have buddies each week who help remind us of our goals and what it is we want to accomplish for the week. What a blessing that is! Getting to know new people, getting to share this difficult part of life's journey and then celebrate the joy and victory!
I will admit to not doing as well as I had hoped but I keep going. As long as I keep trying and keep losing then I am still on the right path. But to what? This path to wholeness is for me a path to a better formed faith life. If I am not well in my body I cannot be fully present and working into my calling. Physical health, lifelong learning and spiritual health are all needed to be able to live out my faith abundantly. So I am starting with the physical and going from there.
But having people with whom I journey makes such a difference! I am reminded again and again that being a person of faith is not something done in a vacum or by myself, but it is grown in a community where people inspire, push, support and cry with you or celebrate with you. What a truly wonderful experience.
I will keep you posted on this part of my journey even as I invite you to begin your own next stage. Do you need to work on your physical, spiritual or mental health? If yes to any of those I encourage you to begin by finding some people who also have those goals and walk the path together! I would love to hear from you about your own journey.
Pastor Laurie
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