Relay for Life and Other Fundraisers

Today our little town comes together on the High School Football field for Relay-For-Life, a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. Before moving here, I wasn't that familiar with the national fundraiser, but now a carnival breaks forth every spring to remember people who lost their lives to cancer and celebrate the lives of those who survived the horrid disease. I lost two grandparents to cancer so I remember them. And I know the probabilities that I will one day have a face off with the dreaded disease are also high, given the current state of environmental pollutants which we assume are harmless. The girls' cheerleading team is performing for this event and the big church in town is going to have things for kids to play on. They'll light the luminaries tonight and everyone will remember someone. I think of my friend who just lost his brother to cancer and of a church member who just had her cancer removed for a second time. I remember the breast cancer survivors who celebrate their cancer-free bodies every year after they get a good update from the doctor. I celebrate my pastor friend who is retiring after fighting and surviving cancer, but who was told by her doctor that she will never be cancer free due to the hormonal nature of her particular cancer. And I hope the funds will be enough to pay all of the researchers well enough and that their research will in fact find a cure.

And more on fundraising . . . lately I've really started thinking a lot about fundraising. I know part of this is because I just got the figures that need to be raised to pay for next year's cheerleading, but also I want to help other people with their funds. I have a creative bent and with that comes a desire to raise money with what I create. But I also know that not everyone has the same kind of gift that i do and so I wonder how I can help others with their fundraising. I've talked with the coach about heading up a summer of fundraisers that can be fun for the kids and beneficial to adults and I think she's got a few other adults who are willing to share responsibility with me. I know that God has provided and continues to provide for my needs and while cheerleading doesn't sound like anyone's "need" it has provided friendships for my kids as well as health and wellness and a sense of pride. Self-esteem has grown along with learning what it means to be a part of the community. One of the fundraisers I'd like to see would be a "Serve-A-Thon" which works like other "a-thon's" except that people pledge a quarter or a dollar for every hour the kids serve their community. I'm wanting to urge the kids to serve their community for up to 20 hours over the summer and hopefully we can get a bunch of people to participate in the fundraiser while the kids also learn what it means to be part of something bigger than their own thing. If you have any fundraiser ideas that don't involve door to door selling of pizzas, cookie dough, magazines, or anything else in a really "fun" catalog, let me know.

And this is the news from Arbuckle Creek, where the community comes together to find a cure for cancer, where the cheerleading team is more about self-esteem than a popularity image, and where the kids are looking forward to FUNdraising over the summer.

Who Are the People in Your Neighborhood?

Last night around 10PM the doorbell rang. It was a highway patrol man looking for anyone who knew anything about one of our neighbors. We couldn't help. The man next door never spoke to anyone. He waved if he was out picking up his trashcans the same time we were, but he never tried to connect. The state trooper stated he was searching for anyone who might know this man's next-of-kin because the man was in a motorcycle accident. The cop couldn't tell us if the man was alive or dead, but we assume that he must have been killed or at least listed in serious condition or the trooper wouldn't be looking for a friend or relative. But what got me was that none of us knew him. He had been to the neighbors on the other side before us and was going to the next neighbors after us and I can tell you all about any of them, but I didn't know the man next door. I knew that he was immaculate. We had made up stories about his life by the glistening of his interior garage. Within was a tribute to car racing -- the racing suit mounted spectacularly, the framed photographs of cars on the walls, black and white squares lined the floor and as when he drove into the garage, he drove in a really nice sports car with a loud engine and he covered it before he put the garage door down and disappeared into obscurity. Once we caught a peep into his house as we drove by and it too was impeccable. But the man lived alone. And so this blog is a tribute to him -- the man with a "rock garden" so he wouldn't have to worry with growing things, the man who was at one time probably a very up and coming race car driver, the man who disappeared at night and spoke only with the contractors who were upgrading his garage or tiling his driveway. Wherever you are, I pray peace and love follow you.

And this is the news from Arbuckle Creek, where the neighbors are neighborly, but only if you want them to be; where the children are not nearly as obnoxious as their senior counterparts, and where the gators will soon be entering mating season.

Delight

This is one of those weekends when I feel so lucky to live in Florida. Friday I drove to the beach -- Daytona Beach actually. I sat up in the hotel room while my friend took the kids down to the pool and I handwrote my sermon to the beautiful sound of the Atlantic Ocean right outside my window. The next morning I woke up early to take my kids to their cheerleading competition just down the street. Teams had come from other states to compete on the beach but I just drove three hours for the luxury. The kids had fun, though it wasn't their best. They placed 7th out of 10 but they took it better than I did, reminding me that it's only cheerleading, not a life or death situation. Besides, they wanted to finish so they could go to the beach! My youngest and I spent about an hour out there on the surf and she giggled every time a wave came. I had forgotten what sheer delight comes from just enjoying a day at the beach. My oldest waded in a bit deeper and jumped waves with her friend for hours, washing off the sunscreen and turning a nice shade of pink. My oldest spent another night with her friend and mom, but my youngest and I traveled back home, this time up the coast, stopping for an exciting meal at IHOP (she couldn't imagine a better restaurant!) When we finally got home, my friend had cleaned my house and it smelled so good and clean. I took some time to bake a birthday cake for my youngest's birthday party. The party was today. So after church, we set up a fun water party in the backyard -- a slip n slide, water balloons, and other basic fun games. But it was cooler today. By the time the kids came, they'd slip and slide, throw some water balloons, then bundle up to get warm and get back at it. It was awesome -- 10 kids between the ages of 4 and 9 laughing and playing togther and sharing and singing and creating and just being kids. Despite the mess (which wasn't too bad except for the water balloons all over my backyard), I couldn't help but just enjoy the fact that they were filled with delight this weekend -- all of them -- and it filled me with the same emotion. Sometimes it's good to take lessons from kids. (Aside: I got all Martha Stewart today too -- I made sugar cookies in the shape of fish from scratch and then decorated them with homemade icing. They turned out beautiful. That was the take home gift and they were all so impressed!)

So that's the news from Arbuckle Creek, where the sun shines bright while the kids squeal with delight, where the kids have no idea what rush hour is, and where the gators avoid the backyard parties when there are too many kids.

Hearing God's Voice

I read a short story this week about a pastor who literally heard the voice of God. What was said were simple words like "Son" but each word inhabited his every cell in such a way that he was beyond normal experience. But he struggled with whether or not he could share with his congregation that he had heard God's voice. He was afraid of losing his job and of being considered crazy. His wife believed him, but understood his dilemma. After all, not many mainline pastors admit to having heard the voice of God. When he finally told his congregation, many supported him while others suggested counseling was in order. I was truly amazed by this story. It brought up issues I'd not considered. When we hear the voice of God, who do we tell? I'm called into ministry and distinctly remember hearing the voice of God as a 16 year old, but I heard it in my spirit, not audibly. Still, I wanted to tell no one. It was holy. It was special. And I wondered if I were making things up. To this day, I still believe I heard the voice of God. But why is it that even those who seek God question those who hear God? Sure, there are crazies out there -- David Karesh would be one that comes to mine -- but what about those who authentically hear God and want no harm to come to anyone. Then what? I'd love your responses.

My Sermon Rough Draft

It's still rough draft as of 8:22 AM Sunday morning. I preach rough drafts a lot, praying that God will change what needs to be changed. But I like where this one is going. Peace.

Acts 2:14a, 36-41
14But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, . . . 36Therefore let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
37Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” 38Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.” 40And he testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added.

The Promise is for You

What is the message we must hear that will save our lives?

We live in a world of words clamoring for our attention. Pick me! Eat me! Buy me! We have a hard time sleeping without background noise and so the TV drowns out our dreams. We drive from here to there with the radio turned up singing words, words, and more words. And always we’re listening to the words, hoping that one or more of them will cut to our hearts and send them pounding with a depth of spiritual clarity and human understanding, hoping that one or more of them will save our lives.

I just spent a week without words. – well, not exactly. But with Bill and the kids gone this past week, we’ll just say that things were much quieter than usual. In my spirit, I heard the voice of God calling me everyday to receive the silence as a gift, but I kept filling it up with words. I hopped on the bike on Monday and immediately put music in my ear to keep me from hearing the sound of my own heart pounding. On Tuesday I drove into town with the music, (albeit MY music) turned way up. On Wednesday when the house got too quiet I began reading a novel full of words, words, and more words. On Thursday I went to another church to talk with the pastor about how I felt myself resisting the quiet I desperately needed. And so, finally on Friday morning I sat down and received the silence and the peace of Christ and it was beautiful. I hopped on my bike again that day, leaving the music in the house and wouldn’t you know it I heard the glorious music of the birds. I continued reading my book, but I did so outside, where the sun was shining and the energy of life whirred and buzzed around me. And the unscripted silence saved my life this week, for therein I discovered myself as one of many beautiful and loved creations of God and it was a message I needed to hear. It was a message that saved my life this week.

In today’s scripture reading, Peter speaks the words that will define Christianity for centuries to come. He speaks, “36Therefore let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified.” These are not Peter’s words, but the words of the Holy Spirit, for they are spoken on the day of Pentecost, when the Spirit of God drops down upon the believers and they can’t help but share what they believe is truth. Peter speaks to the house of Israel, to those who like Jesus were Jewish, and he proclaims that God made Jesus Lord and Messiah. He speaks from the context of his own life, sharing the messianic texts from the Hebrew scriptures with which he was raised, but his words were simple. God has made Jesus Lord and Messiah – teacher and savior. Do those words alone move you to belief? When they were first spoken, the hearers were “cut to the heart” and asked Peter what to do. And Peter told them to repent and be baptized. And they were.

But these words do not always cut us to the heart anymore. After all, these are the words we were taught as children, as youth, as young adults, and middle aged adults, as senior adults. They are all too familiar and as such have become rote. And so I repeat: what is the message we must hear that will save our lives? That will cut us to the heart? That will end our excuses and stop us from filling up our lives with words and sounds and consumer goods? What is the message we are dying to hear that will save our lives?

A woman tells of a deep depression after her mother has died. She moves through her days hollow and dark and she secretly stores up the leftover pain pills from her mother’s house. Friends know she is not herself, but don’t attempt to rescue her from her own grief . . . after all, what can they do? What can they say?. At 3 AM, not able to sleep, not able to handle the pain of life anymore, she counts out enough pills to guarantee she will never again wake up when someone knocks on her door. The woman she had only met briefly that afternoon recognized the signs of suicide and sought her out for a middle-of-the-night ride, stopping death in its tracks. The message this suicidal woman needed to hear did not contain words at all, but simply the caring presence of another human being. For after that, the pills were confiscated and the woman, little by little, was made whole.

What is the message that will save our lives?

The words they needed to hear in their spirits on the day of Pentecost were the very words put forth by Peter, by the Holy Spirit, “God has made Jesus Lord and Messiah! Teacher and savior!”“Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.” 40And he testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added.

Of course there were those who did not believe, who were not cut to the heart, but three thousand persons were cut to the heart. For three thousand people, the message that their lives would never be the same again if they repented and were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, if they received the Holy Spirit who remained to comfort them and walk with them on life’s journey – this message and in turn their belief saved their lives! And, Peter proclaimed, the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him. This promise is for you. It’s not the promise of heaven – some out-there promise, but rather the promise of peace right now, a reminder that the Spirit of God is still with you, still speaking to you, in words deeper than the drone of the TV. The Spirit of God speaks to you in a way that cuts to the heart and changes your very soul. It is a promise for you and for everyone the Lord our God calls to him.

What is the message we must hear that will save our lives?
“As a young man, Mahatma Gandhi studied in London. After. learning about Christianity, and after reading the Sermon on the Mount, he decided that Christianity was the most complete religion in the world. It was only later, when he lived with a Christian family in East India, that he changed his mind. In that household he discovered that the word rarely became flesh -- that the teaching of Jesus rarely became the reality of Jesus.”[1] If we have been cut to the heart, then we must silence our words and begin allowing the Word to live through us. We must put hurt feelings aside and forgive. We must acknowledge our needs and ask our brothers and sisters in Christ for help. We must essentially make ourselves vulnerable so that others can live. The message that Mahatma Gandhi needed to hear was not verbal but action. He needed only to see the word made flesh, but he didn’t.
The message that our world needs to hear that will save so many lives is not always verbal. In a world that continues to scream, “Pick me! Eat me! Buy me!” we realize that what cuts to our heart is the Holy Spirit, living and acting and silencing the screams of the outside world. Sometimes our world needs to see the message that will save its lives.

We come to the table of Christ today, wanting to be filled with the Holy Spirit who continues to live and dwell with us. The bread and wine are reminders that God has made Jesus Lord and Messiah, teacher and savior. So repent and be baptized, every one of you, for the forgiveness of sins, and be made whole. This promise is for you and for your children, and for your children’s children, and for those who will come far into the future. Let us receive this message and may it cut to our hearts, may it save our lives. Amen.
[1] From Susan R.Andrews sermon, “Holy Heartburn” in The Christian Century, April 7, 1999, p. 385.

Here Comes the Sun

Part of my relaxation yesterday and today has been a half hour of reading outside. there's something so absolutely relaxing about being outside. So while I have a bit of pink skin today, I am thankful to have been able to enjoy what God created rather than what we humans put over our own heads. Somehow, I think we humans were never intended to hide from the creation that surrounds us. We need it as much as it needs us. Just a thought for today.

Caring for Myself

This has been a week to concentrate on what I desire and to fill myself up. It has worked. On Monday I met with the executive of the Boys & Girls Clubs in this region and I realized a desire I had to make a difference beyond the local church. Without over-doing it, though, we spent time talking about partnering in God's service and it was quite life-giving to image God's people beyond the local church. For a long time I've been wondering how we can share God's love to the community and this might be a way that we can -- even with our age. I'm asking if God wants us to share our facility with the community, run by community liaisons. And I'm seeing that when church members want to help out, they can read to a child or play a game or just be a stable presence to an at-risk child. What a huge ministry opportunity! So the week began with possibility. It also began with a reminder that what I do is important. I was treated as an executive myself, which was a wonderful feeling. I was treated as if I knew what was needed and as if I played a vital role in the community. I needed that affirmation.

Tuesday I met a friend for breakfast and we both talked about how much we enjoy work and family. -- how when one part was missing, we felt a bit off-center. She's not working this week because of spring break and so her daughter was wrapped around her with tons of love. They had spent a day at the beach and then were heading to the coast again to go to the zoo. Family time is wonderful. I, of course, have the opposite experience -- working this week but without family and I've been a bit off-center, but it's been refreshing, hearing the struggles of the kids on the phone makes me just want to scoop them up again and hug them tight. And spending a little extra time at work has helped me see clearer what needs to happen here.

Wednesday I met a friend for lunch and we spent a couple of hours talking about what God is calling us to be. I suppose that's an oversimplification since it took two hours, but I began to see and spell out my fears -- always of failure -- and made some adjustments to see myself differently and to again allow my needs to be cared for. I enjoyed switching roles for a few moments with my friend and encouraging him to look at his life and to see what God might be saying to him. To be with each other in a common question was extremely life-giving to me. That evening another friend asked me how she could help in what had been a difficult day and within a few hours, she had filled in the gap by giving generously of herself and pastoring me.

Thursday I drove over to visit a local pastor friend and was blessed by his presence as he guided me through the process of letting go of many of the ego-centric voices that clamor to distract me from what's really real. He also helped me see that my worth is invaluable and I should not judge my worth from a paycheck. Then last night I watched 2 movies -- Death at a Funeral, a British comedy that had me rolling, and The Women, a movie from 1939 that spoke volumes about the kinds of relationships women have and create for themselves. Both were just fun, and the types of movies I wouldn't have watched with kids in the house.

This morning I got myself back on my daughter's bicycle (it's nicer than mine) and whereas I made it halfway up the street on Monday, I made it all the way up and back today. Sure, it wasn't far -- a block -- but I did it. Next time I'll go a bit further. The thing was, my seat didn't hurt as badly today. And further, the day is so absolutely beautiful I just soaked it all in on this physical push.

I've got normal stuff to do today -- cleaning, making bows, writing a sermon, watching another movie, sitting in silence, etc. -- but I'm caring for myself and it's an absolutely wonderful, renewing experience. I think I now can be a better mother and wife and teacher and pastor and anything else I choose to be.

And this is the news from Arbuckle Creek, where the frogs have stayed to themselves lately, the mosquito spray truck comes by to unpollute the air of critters every night at 8 (they swear it's not harmful to breathe . . . we'll see) and the Presbyterian pastor is exceedingly blessed (aren't those good religious words?!)

Believing that God Can Do Anything

I preached a few weeks ago about the fact that if we believe that God lives in us, this same God who raised Jesus from the dead, then we have to believe that there is a storehouse of possibility living within us, bringing the dead that have become our constant companions back to life. But I think, deep down, I'm still working on that issue. I don't quite know what to believe for myself. I don't know how to ask to be raised to new life. When the vomit of life sticks to me, trying to infect my insides, I forget to ask to be healed. I assume that someone else needs to be healed first. I deny myself the healing because I don't ask. Yet Jesus would turn to the paralyzed man and ask him, Do you want to be healed? To the blind man he would ask, Do you want to see? To the demon possessed man's parents he would ask, Do you want your son to be whole? And they wouldn't assume Jesus wanted to heal someone else first! They would quickly shout out YES! And so I believe it is possible for the dark cloud that has been following me around to disappear. I believe it's possible for the life of God to conquer the failures that surround me. I believe God is able to provide for me enough (money, time, love, health, will power, creativity, etc.) to care for my family, peace for my husband so he can finish school, growing my daughters into young ladies who believe and live their faith. I believe God can do these things, because I believe in resurrection and . . . as I've also said in my sermons a lot lately . . . I need resurrection.

The 3 AM Hopper

I woke up this morning at 3 AM to a rustling in my house. This isn't so uncommon as I'm not exactly a neat freak and the blowing of the A/C (yes, it's A/C in April in FL) can easily stir a paper or a bag or any number of things. But, having had my frog experience at church the last 2 days, all I could imagine was "hopping reptile in the house." This is also not uncommon. Just last week as I reached over to turn the lamp off before going to sleep I saw two eyes staring back at me. Not cool. And these aren't little tree frogs, these are big 1-2" hoppers. I caught last week's creation of God with a glass and quickly released it to the mysterious beauty of the outdoors. But at 3 AM, I couldn't find anything. I'd just hear periodic rustling -- not enough for a large creature, but enough for a little thing. I tried to comfort myself with the idea that it was probably a lizard, but it didn't scurry. No, this thing was hopping. I could HEAR the hopping. After all, what else was going on in my house at 3 AM?????? So I read a book for an hour, trying to get my mind off of the creature who, I'm sure, wanted only to escape the hidden hollows of a cold floor without bugs to eat (we have thorough pest control). And finally I returned to sleep, only to awaken with a real fear of what might be lurking in my toilet. Fortunately, nothing, but I'm still going to be paranoid for a few days.

If this is God's April Fools joke for me, I hope it gets a good laugh, but I'm having a hard time thinking this is funny.

This is the news from Arbuckle Creek where I'm enjoying time with friends this week, neighborhood gossip is not uncommon, and 35 is still considered a very EXTREMELY young adult! (Thanks be to God!)