Top Gifts this Year

So it's Black Friday and I'm trying NOT to buy anything right now. Because it's true, it's not about stuff. It's about togetherness. It's not about debt, it's about sharing what we HAVE. So today I did spend money, but it was on haircuts for the whole family. And it was together time -- all four of us together with nice, pretty (handsome for Bill) haircuts. I am, however, browsing online. And we've made some lists about "stuff" that we want. Ultimately, I think I'd like a retreat center, already laid out and ready to go -- horses grazing, chickens laying eggs, and nice, quiet and reflective cabins under God's beautiful trees. Hey, if we're dreaming about "stuff" we might as well dream big, right? I'd like to help people simplify their lives and I'd like to simplify mine. I'd like to prepare meals from scratch and sew my family's clothes. I'd like for all of my "stuff" to be something I've created with these hands God has given to me. But in the meantime, I'm going to show you what my family wants. And if you, by chance, have any of this just laying around, I'm happy to purchase hand-me-downs. ;o)

For my dear husband:


For my oldest: the trilogy beginning with She's already read all of them -- but she wants the first and last one that we've had to get from the library. She also wants anything horsey and I'm browsing the internet for horsey things that won't clutter our home.

For my youngest:
Although she hasn't asked for this (American Girl is top of her list), she would enjoy this "game". She's a HUGE dolphin fan.

I hope you've had a wonderful Black Friday and that you are still in the black by the end of the day. I hope you've enjoyed your family and/or friends. And I hope you'll take the time to post a response to my blog here and there. Happy Day.

An Interesting Project

I just happened upon "One Lapbook Per Child" while I was facebooking and I have to say, I'm not quite sure what I think of it. I love the rugged exterior. It appears to be a wonderful machine -- low energy, lightweight, etc. And I love that it can help in schools around the world. But I was troubled by a part of the ad where it asks why we are giving lapbooks in places where there is no water. And they nicely answer, "education." As if education will help them get water. Are they serving water in schools? Probably. Maybe that's where they're getting their water. Or maybe they are teaching kids how to leave their cultures and go to places where water is abundant. I suppose they want us to think they are teaching new farming techniques or new skills that will help them get paying jobs. But what good will all of that do if they can't get water? Maybe you know more about the project than I do. I'll attach a link to it. And maybe I'm missing the whole point. But for some reason, I'm getting the feeling that they are touting technology over an agrarian lifestyle. And as one who desperately longs to return to a simpler life, I don't know that a free laptop is the answer.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I think it is absolutely marvelous that Advent starts next Sunday -- right after Thanksgiving. It fits what American culture is doing, making the shift from thankfulness to Christmas preparation. I have the Hanging of the Greens service this Sunday (the Dennis Bratcher version from textweek.com) which means that my preaching needs to be really short, more of a homily or meditation. I haven't even begun to look at the lectionary texts because I've been thinking for awhile that during Advent my congregation needs to hear that we must make room for Christ to be born among us. We have some preparations to attend to. My daughter's riding coach gave birth 2 months early last week. The baby is fine! But there is no room prepared yet. (there's a shower this Sunday for her! the baby is still in the NICU). We've been talking in our church about growing for some time now, but when new people come, we often pretend they aren't there. We haven't prepared ourselves to receive Christ in them. So I'm working with that idea this week.

I wish I could post the power point I did last week for our stewardship finale, but I don't know how to save it as a video so I can upload it. If anyone can help me, let me know!

Also, please remember to order from Amazon through this site during the Christmas season! (and to google through this site!) It's an easy way for you to help ME! I've been able to make about $10/month (sometimes more) that I can use toward the girls' school books. So please, continue to help! And invite your friends to visit as well.

What are your plans for this Sunday?

I Forgot to Say Thank You

I'm preaching from Mark this week -- the story of the 10 lepers. It's a great Thanksgiving text and will tie in well to our last week with a stewardship emphasis. I was struck, as I read the passage, by how much I forget to say thank you or, in a larger understanding of thanks, how often I forget to PRACTICE thanksgiving. I drove through Zolfo Springs, FL on Monday, a small town with 2 gas stations that catch all of us driving from one place to another. The price at the pump said $1.99! I hadn't seen it below $2 in a few years now and immediately stopped to fill up the car. I did it for under $20!!!! Now, my first thoughts were on the realization that gas won't stay here for long. But my second thought immediately went to the understanding that I would have money "left over" in my budget this month. I allot $240/month for gas -- that's been the equivalent of 6 fill-ups (we have two cars). Now, suddenly on this beautiful fill-up, I realize I may in fact have half of that . . . for me! What can I do with $120 "extra" dollars?! Well, I could pay down some debt! I could buy some Christmas presents I wasn't sure I'd be able to buy. I could save it for a day when gas isn't as "cheap." But as I read the lesson for this coming Sunday, I was struck by the fact that I never once asked how I could say "thank you" to God for providing this "extra" money in my budget. I was one of the 9 running off in excitement to continue on with my life. But I fit into the early part of the story because I have not yet "spent" my extra money. I still have time to say thank you. I still have time to PRACTICE thanksgiving. I know I will tithe from that special blessing. But I'm also wondering if I should just return it to God. I wonder if I should not use the rest to give someone else an "extra" bonus.

It all goes back to the sermons of the last 6 weeks -- when we give, we always have more than enough. When we live our thanks, we become generous of heart and it changes us. I'm finding I'm being changed by these sermons. (!) I went home last week and told my husband that I want to start giving more -- not just in my church offering, but in my life. I supposed that would be practicing thanksgiving. What better way to spend a life!

Duh, It's About Fear!!!

I don't know why it took me so long to figure out the fact that FEAR is a key element in Sunday's story. I guess I've heard the parable of the talents so much that I thought it was about good investments or something. In this article: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1058/is_n30_v110/ai_14289215 there is a wonderful reminder that the danger of fear is articulated in this story. I'm jumping up and down (not physically, but mentally) because I've recognized so much fear in my congregation over the past month -- fear about the economy, fear about the church's slow growth, fear about the church's income, fear about dying, fear about living in these uncertain times, fear about change, blah blah blah! I look at the parable now and hear -- Beloved, what good are you if you are afraid?! You do NOTHING for the kingdom of God! At least try something! I've given you so much to invest in the lives of the kingdom, why do you hold on for dear life?!

So this frames my new approach to Matthew's Parable of the Talents!

How to Earn a Better Return on Your Investment

The parable of the talents makes its face known in the lectionary readings for next Sunday. Knowing that I'm in the middle of stewardship season makes this a natural lesson for those of us who aren't sure what the market will do next. At last week's Finance and Stewardship meeting, one of our members expressed that he had lost 40% of his money in stocks which would effect what he would be able to live on in the coming 12 months . . . in other words, his pledge will reflect the stock market. And I think that is sad. While I don't have a clue about taking a loss in stocks because I've not had the opportunity to invest anything in stocks, I know that the church has lost $10,000 in their conservative investments, so I'd guess that the pain of loss is very real for some people.

Strangely, the parable of the talents seems to demonstrate how the stock market is supposed to work. Make your money work for you and you'll get a good return on your investment. And it seems even harsher realizing that so many people thought they were doing the wise thing by investing in the stock market and then the manager comes in and chastises the one who did not earn a good return on his investment. It's like the kingdom of heaven is about a ruthless rich guy who is willing to take apart his Merrill Lynch securities investor . . . is it really HIS fault? Surely the manager should take some responsibility for even suggesting that these guys do anything with his money, right?

A story comes to mind (!) about a couple of churches. One held onto every penny they had for fear that they might need it someday. They wanted to be considered wise by not spending their money on ministries in the present so that they could have ministries in the future. Little by little they stopped doing ministry altogether, and as a church they died before their money ran out. No one saw them as a community willing to give all they had for the benefit of others. No one saw them for their love. A second church was about to die. They had four women left. All of the husbands had passed away and their children went to larger, more vibrant churches. The women rotated preaching every week and began to respond to the word of God that had been planted in them. They sold their church building and began meeting in each other's houses, and then they asked -- what can we do to live out a life of faith with what we have? And they established a fund to feed the hungry and assist the poor. They gave it all away before they died. Which of these two churches was the wise church? Which understood what it meant to invest their lives in the kingdom of God? Go and do likewise.

The Parable of 10 Virgins and an Oil Shortage

I put the title "10 virgins and an oil shortage" on my church's sign 3 years ago, when last the parable from Matthew 25 made its way into our homilies. It got a good response. However, this week, I think I'm going somewhere different with my ideas. See what you think.

While we are a community of believers, we each have an individual job to do. We can't just assume that others will do the job for us. Being stewardship season, I think it is important for us to realize that we can't rely only on those who are "better off than we" (i.e. better supplied than we) to keep the church afloat or to do the work of the whole church. Excuses just don't work on the day of the Lord. We are ALL to participate. It is foolish NOT to do our job.

A couple of stories come to mind: one is the election. We've all just seen history being made because so many people did their jobs. My husband told me on the morning of the election that he didn't see the point of voting because the electoral college could easily discount his vote in the larger picture. I told him of the importance of just showing support, just caring, just participating. And he went out to vote (I'm smiling here). It was his first time. (I suppose that would make him one of the 10 virgin voters) But anyway, you should have seen him beaming afterwards. He felt that he was a part of the US community . . . And he wouldn't go to bed until he heard the final results. He stayed up glued to the computer and celebrated because he knew his vote had made a difference. (I'm still weighing whether or not to use this story in my congregation because my county was a red county).

I also think of the many stories when people who are not even involved in the church critique it. This scripture invites us instead to participate and to change it. "Be the change you want to see in others" comes to mind for me. And I'm thinking about the potential of what can happen if we each decide to do our job -- if we get 100% pledging (even at only $1!), if we get everyone to participate in a ministry or a mission, etc. And as I think about potential, I'm drawn to my friend, Dixie's, retelling of the feeding of the 5000 with sippy cups of apple juice and goldfish crackers -- how when we each do our duty instead of expecting others to do it for us, we can easily do more than we ever dreamed possible. He told the story reminding his congregation that the 5000 fed were men and that the story says that they also fed women and children that day. And he reminded his congregation of the many parents he knows who pack loads of snacks to go out to church or a restaurant or even the grocery store . . . anything to help the kids stay still. And so, he imagined the hungry being fed when each mother reached deeply into her pocket book and decided she DID have something to share -- she had a bag of dried fish left over from last week's soccer game or a box of raisins from the long trip to Jerusalem. Or perhaps she had a sippy cup of applejuice or some zwieback that she had leftover from when her toddler was teething. And then Dixie challenged everyone to consider what they had in excess of what they needed and, for this passage, I guess I ask people if they are willing to do their job so that everyone can be fed, so that, on the Day of the Lord, everyone can be wisely prepared because they planned ahead, they participated, and they are ready.

Sermon Finale

So I once again went a different direction with my sermon today. I told the story of the Little Red Hen and really talked about how the Little Red Hen deserved to be the one to feast on the bread all by herself. She had earned it. She worked hard unlike the other lazy animals. But then I talked about how in Matthew, the humbled would be exalted. That in Jesus' world, the little red hen would receive no greater love than any of the lazy animals. Grace is free -- we can't deserve it. And as much as we might want the praise for ourselves, it's just not about us. It's about grace . . . for all.