Last Cup of Winter Spice

Last Cup of Winter Spice
A cold, rainy day and one more Winter Spice teabag seemed like the perfect combination. It was! As you might remember I love drinking Winter Spice on a cold winter’s day. When I hold a cup of this tea in my hands and inhale the scent of warm, winter spices, I am no longer bothered by the cold outside. Even though it is Spring, I’m enjoying one last cup of Winter Spice and hoping for warmer temperatures soon so I can switch to my Spring and Summer teas.

A Prayer for The Distracted

A Prayer for The Distracted
On a recent rainy Saturday afternoon, I sat down with my computer planning to be productive. Not too long later, I was enjoying this video. When I done singing along with the video, I attempted to get back to my original plan. In the midst of working on my project, I did the dishes and laundry as almost anything seemed more enjoyable than what I needed to do.
How do you handle distractions? How can we remain attentive to what we need to be doing? How can we pay attention to what distracts us? Where might the Holy Spirit be working in distractions and calling us to that which is more important? How do we discern what is an interruption that can be ignored and an interruption which requires our immediate attention?
God of All Our Days,
We are busy people with much to do. Disrupt our busyness, so we see you working in our lives. Surprise us! Awaken us to new possibilities. And when we are need to focus, calm the noises and worries before they overtake us. Help us to be present with those who need us when they need us. Guide us, Holy One, for there is much to be done and much we can leave undone. With you, we know the difference. Amen.

Book Review-On Living by Kerry Egan

On Living Kerry Egan
If you’ve ever wondered what the work of a hospice chaplain looks like, read this book. In fact, I almost didn’t read this book because I feared it would feel too much like a day of work. While her stories resonated with me, I didn’t feel like I was working. I felt like I met someone who understands what I do and why I do it. I’m so glad I read this book.
In my time with hospice, I’ve heard stories from people in their 20s, and those who have passed the century mark and every age in between. I’ve met people who have never lived far from where they’ll die and people who arrived here shortly before their deaths. I’ve met people who have spent their whole lives worrying about money and people who have never worried about money. I’ve congratulated couples who have been married 40, 50, 60, even 70 years, and I’ve sat with people who saw the hospice team as their family because they had no one else. I tell you this because what is written in these pages is not unique. All hospice chaplains hear stories. As one of my favorite social workers says often, “We love to hear your stories.” And that is what I do, I listen to stories and help those entrusted to my care make meaning for themselves.
This wonderful book gives you an insiders view into life as a hospice chaplain. You’ll read about joy and heartbreak. You’ll see that it isn’t easy to be present as another’s life nears the end, and you’ll see that it is so worth it. I highly recommend this book to you!
It was difficult to pick only one quote to share with you because this book is filled with so many beautiful words. I’ll leave you with the words used to end the book.
“If life were like a novel, and I could tie things up nicely with a bow, I would claim it was Gloria [the patient we meet on page 1] who gave me my parting advice. But it wasn’t. It was a little old Jewish lady who gave me a blessing every time we met. She’d fled Poland with her parents and brother in the 1930s arrived in the United States ten years later alone. A woman whose story I haven’t told here, and will instead keep bundled in my heart with hundreds of other stories. I’ll leave you with it, as she left it with me: “Promise yourself,” she said that last time we met, “promise that you’ll have a great life, no matter what happens'” (206).

Theology of Stuff

On a recent Sunday afternoon, I did what everyone does on Sunday afternoons. I typed my name into google to see what popped up. Imagine my surprise at seeing something I’d written that was published on New Sacred in December 2015. A lot was happening in late 2015 in my life, and somehow I missed that this piece was published.

Better late than never, we can celebrate the publication of this piece and hope it inspires me to write for them again. Enjoy the Theology of Stuff.

JeannieBird Blend

When a friend visits and brings you a new tea, all seems right with the world. This new tea is described as “an aromatic breakfast blend of Assam, Darjeeling, and Oolong teas”. It is a smooth drinking tea. I’ve enjoyed it twice this week as my to go tea on my drive to work. It was so delicious and inspired me to work hard. This tea is blended in my friend’s hometown of Westminster, Maryland at JeanieBird Baking Company. I made a cup for my friend too and she enjoyed it. So this tea gets two thumbs up.

 

 

Celebrating Earth Day with Faithful Families by Traci Smith

In my work with children, youth, and families, I was always searching for great ideas and resources to share with others. One of the resources that I highly recommend is Traci’s Smith, Faithful Families. In this new book, you’ll find all the information you need to create a variety of spiritual practices for your family or for yourself. My review of the book will be shared soon, and in the meantime, I’d like to highlight one of the practices from the book.

Earth Day is coming up soon and Traci does a wonderful job of helping us combine celebrating Earth Day with God’s love of creation. (In fact, all of the practices are ways of acknowledging God’s presence and our connectedness to God and each other in our regular, daily lives).

Earth Day-Feeding the Birds begins with a brief reflection and introduction. “This practice is designed to help children honor creation every year on Earth day by reading the creation story and making a bird feeder” (56). This practice is recommended for ages 4 and up and can be completed with only pipe cleaners and O-shaped cereal. You can make this bird feeder in about 10 to 15 minutes. You’ll want to gather your family outside on Earth Day with a Bible and bird feeder making supplies. Read Genesis 1 together. Next you’ll talk about creation as a family. You can use the question provided like “What is your favorite part of creation?” (56) or use your own questions. To create the bird feeder you simply string the cereal on the pipe cleaner and bend it into the shape of a ring. Place your bird feeder on a tree and say a prayer together.

Each practice includes notes and variations to help you. The practices are written as a script so you can easily follow along or pass the book to older children or other family members to share the reading responsibility. The script includes options for everything you need to say including prayers, introductions, and questions. As you can see from the Earth Day practice, the intention of the practices in this book is to make it easy for your family to find ways to “create sacred moments at home.”

I hope you’ll spend some time out in creation on Earth Day creating sacred moments. And I hope you’ll add the book, Faithful Families,  to your family library and your church library. For more information about this book and many other resources, please visit http://www.traci-smith.com.

 

 

I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review of this book.

Remember! – A Sermon

Luke 24:13-35

“Remember!”

Originally preached at St. Giles Presbyterian Church on August 1, 2010.

 

No matter what our age, it can be difficult to remember everything that needs to be remembered.  What are some things you must remember?  Phone numbers, birthday and anniversaries, enough information to pass a test, the items on the grocery or to do list, what day it is, where we parked the car, what time our next appointment is.  How do you remember all these things?  To do lists, post-its, calendars, reminder emails, notes, tying a string around your finger, writing on your hand, telling someone else to remind you.  Even with all these helps, how are we supposed to remember everything?  And as if we didn’t have enough to remember, in today’s Scripture Jesus is asking us to remember one more thing.  The one thing Jesus asks us to remember is Jesus.  That is why we gather at this table regularly-to remember Jesus.  

 

We need to remember Jesus not because we forget him.  It’s more like we put other things and people in front of him.  It isn’t intentional that this or that comes before Jesus. Soon, this or that have piled up and more and more things have taken precedence and Jesus, well, he was first, right up front, and now…well he is here somewhere under the clutter.  Coming to worship when we have communion, when we come to Christ’s table is a time to remember to push all that other stuff out of the way and move Jesus back up to the front of our minds and hearts.  

 

And scriptures are like that too.  You may know this scripture well.  It is a favorite passage for many people including me…sometimes it gets pulled out once a year to be read at Eastertime.  If we only hear it once a year, how can we remember? Do you remember all the things on your to do list from the beginning of the summer? Probably not.   And just like our to do lists, we need to remember so we can act on what we know to be true.  

 

Our story from Luke’s gospel takes place on Easter evening. It has been a difficult week for those who loved Jesus.  A week ago, there was a triumphant entry in Jerusalem.  During the week, there was a last meal together and then came Friday.   The disciples and followers of Jesus believed he was the One to change things, the one to make things right.  And then he dies.  And they are lost. Their king, their leader, their hero is gone. Now this morning people are seeing and saying things thought to be impossible.  The tomb is empty and no one knows exactly what is happening.  Things aren’t making sense.  

 

Now we meet two people who loved Jesus who are on a journey to Emmaus.  They have a 7 mile journey to talk about all that has been going on.  On their journey they are joined by a man they do not know.  This stranger comes and joins their journey.  The narrator tells us-the readers and the listeners-that this is Jesus and yet these 2 who loved, followed, and trusted him do not know who he is.  We are told “their eyes were kept from recognizing him.”  This statement leads us to ask who or what kept their eyes from recognizing Jesus?  Without this sentence, we might think they didn’t recognize Jesus because they didn’t expect to see him walking on the road.  He died.  They know this.  There are stories about an empty tomb.  Who would imagine Jesus would walk to Emmaus on the day of his resurrection?  But it doesn’t say they didn’t recognize Jesus.  It says they were kept from recognizing him.  Maybe they were not ready to see him yet.  To fully understand, they needed to hear him explain and watch him break the bread.  Only then would they be prepared to see who this stranger was.  Instead of seeing this as these two men being manipulated, look at their inability to see as God’s compassion.  God gave them time to prepare for this experience that leaves their hearts burning within their bodies.  

 

So we have three men walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus on a Sunday evening.  And this stranger, who we know is Jesus, says to the other two, “What are these words that you have been pitching back and forth to each other?”’   This question stops them.  They stop walking and look sad.  The Message says, “They just stood there, long-faced, like they had lost their best friend.”  And they had lost their best friend and their hope only three days ago.  

 

Cleopas speaks to this stranger and his question is funny to those of us who know he is talking to Jesus.  Cleopas asks, “Are you sojourning alone in Jerusalem and have not learned all that has happened recently?”  Cleopas asks this question to the only one who knows everything that has happened.  Jesus knows because he experienced it!

 

Jesus acts as though he does not know the answer when he says, “What things?”  Their answer not only describes the one they are walking with, it is also their faith statement.  ‘The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.’

 

By this point, it seems Jesus can’t believe they are still in the dark.  How can they be so foolish and slow to understand?  The preacher, Barbara Brown Taylor describes the next scene this way, “Starting with Moses and working his way through the prophets, the stranger opens the scriptures to them and they hang on his words.  He is a gifted preacher, but it is more than that.  They are wounded, and what he is telling them is good, good news.  Maybe they aren’t losers after all.  Maybe the rumors are true.  Maybe there is reason to resurrect their crucified hope” (Barbara Brown Taylor, Gospel Medicine, A Cowley Publications Book, 1995, p. 24).

 

Even though he is still a stranger to them, the men extend hospitality-a meal and a place to stay-to this man.  He accepts.  And this is the moment that will change their lives.  As they sit down to eat, the guest becomes the host.  “When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him.”  The same gestures and words make them and us remember the feeding of the multitude and the Last Supper.  They know those words and they know who this is.  They recognize Jesus!   The story does not end there!  Even though it is late, they have to share this good news.  They have seen Jesus.  They must tell.  They must share this good news!

 

Who are Cleopas and his friend?  This is the only time we meet these regular folks.  God uses them to tell this miraculous story?  Couldn’t God use us too?  In order for God to use Cleopas and his friend, first their eyes had to be opened so they could see Jesus was with them.  We need to have our eyes opened so we can see Jesus.  Where will we see Jesus?

 

This meal at the communion table is a meal of remembrance.  When we come to this table, we are reminded to look for Jesus.  Look for Jesus in the person who serves you communion.  Look for Jesus in the person next to you in line to receive communion.  This meal and this story call us to remember that we can’t just look for Jesus inside these walls.  We must be looking for Jesus in the people we meet everywhere.  Our mission team is going to West Virgina this week.  They are going not only to sweat and fix things.  They go to see Jesus in the people they meet, to build relationships, and to see Jesus in each other.  

 

It isn’t easy.  These faithful followers of Jesus didn’t recognize him only days after his death.  How can we see Jesus in others today 2000 years later?  When we see people serving one another, breaking bread together, breaking down barriers that separate us, when we see those in need we must look for Jesus and we will find him in the people he loves.  

 

What does it mean for us to see Jesus in others? If I see Jesus in you, will I treat you differently?  Will you suddenly sit up straighter and behave better as if the teacher or pastor has entered the room?  If we look for Jesus in others, will it remind us to love God with all our heart and our neighbor-all of our neighbors-as ourselves?  Looking for Jesus in others might lead us to eat a meal with a tax collector, a prostitute, an outcast, or a sinner.  We come to this table because we are invited and because we need to come and be refreshed and renewed so we can look for Jesus in those we love and those we wish we could love.  

 

And just as we need to see Jesus in others, we need others to see Jesus in us.  Sometimes we are the wounded, the needy, the physically or spiritually hungry.  We need others to recognize that Jesus lives in us too.  We, too, need to be remembered.

 

As hearers of the word and those who we remember the word, we can be “slow of heart to believe” or “know the joy of those whose hearts burn within them.”  Which way do we choose to remember?

 

Let us pray-”Lord Jesus, stay with us, for the Sabbath has now begun and we have many miles to journey before we rest; be our companion on the way, kindle our hearts and awaken hope, that we may know you as you are revealed in scripture and the breaking of bread.  Grant this for the sake of your love.  Amen.”

 

Look for Jesus This Holy Week

Look for Jesus This Holy Week
This week can be difficult for people of faith. We know what is coming next Sunday, and we look with joy to Easter. And yet, we can get so busy looking ahead to what comes next that we aren’t present in what is happening now. The stories of this week are familiar to those who have spent their whole lives in the church and less familiar to those who haven’t.
This week I encourage you to look for Jesus. Look for him in celebrations and parades and times of joy. Look for him eating with his friends and laughing. Look for him among those whose friends have abandoned them. Look for him among the dying. Look for him among the lonely. And finally, look for him among the living, in surprising places, and in familiar places. If you keep your eyes open this week, you just might see Jesus in many, many people.
Loving God, We are looking for Jesus this week. Guide our steps, so we may see him in the people we meet, in the people we ignore and overlook, and hopefully in ourselves. Change our paths and routines, Holy One, so we follow where Jesus leads. Be with us this week as it is so hard to understand and comprehend the events of this holy week. Open our eyes to see the beauty and tragedy of this time. In the name of Jesus who first walked this journey, we pray. Amen.

Book Review-There’s a Clergywoman in the Pulpit

There’s a Woman in the Pulpit

Christian Clergywoman Share Their Hard Days, Holy Moments & the Healing Power of Humor
edited by Rev. Martha Spong
An excellent collaborative work by clergywoman of all ages from the United States and a few other countries. The essays are divided into Calling, Sacraments, Death, Experiences, Being a Pastor And ______, and Life Outside the Church. In these pages you read real stories by pastors who are just like you and very different too. You’ll laugh and cry as see yourself in some of the stories and wonder how this happened as you read others.
I hope this book give non-clergy a little insight into the life of a clergy person. And I hope this book will inspire you to support the future clergy people in your life. It isn’t an easy calling, and it is our responsibility to support the next generation so they can lead us.
On a particularly hard day, I read Rev. Robin Craig’s, “Preaching Ahead of Yourself.” She said, “Preach ahead of yourself. Preach what you hope to know again one day. Preach the confidence for which you long. Preach the promises awaiting fulfillment. Preach the peace that seems utterly elusive. Preach the practices you follow, despite the bone-dry life on which they leave no imprint” (147).
I encourage you to read this book at your own pace, and then to pass this book along to someone you know who needs to read it too.

Thank God for Volunteers!

Thank God for Volunteers! 

For years of my life, a good portion of my job relied on the kindness of volunteers. I asked people to stuff hundreds of eggs at Easter, stay up way too late for a lock-in, go on a mission trip, teach children about God through many different means and methods, lead worship, make lots of food, and so many other things! Ministry requires volunteers. Thank you all for volunteering!

Now I find myself in a different place. I was the only person in church on Sunday who volunteered to help with the Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday. Now I am the person who can say yes when asked. When I shared this story with my husband, he said how many times have you had to beg for volunteers?

So as I am thinking about volunteers and those who work to recruit them, I am thankful! I am holding all volunteers and those who recruit them in my prayers because it is hard!

 

Loving God, Thank you for those who say yes! Thank you for those who say yes, show up, and help! Thank you for all those who volunteer however they are able.

God, For all those who must recruit volunteers, we lift those hard workers up to you. Give them the words to say and the strength to keep on asking.

O Holy One, Help us to use our gifts to share your love with all we meet! Amen.