Pastor's Blog
- The Image of a Loving Life
As we enjoy Valentine’s Day, and healthy heart month, as we begin new journeys, and as we think anew about what it means to have a life that is beautiful and full of grace and responsible to God’s purpose, perhaps this little story from Peter Gomes, pastor and professor, may inspire us to imagine a life better than the one we had yesterday.
At a special dinner, Gomes found himself sitting next to “a very large football player.” Trying to make light conversation, Gomes asked him what he did. The young man answered that he worked in sports theory. Intrigued, Gomes asked him what sports theory was all about, and Gomes said that he explained it in simple enough terms that even he understood. Gomes learned “that is was the process of imaging, of getting the brain to play through all the right plays over and over and over again, to anticipate and to respond in the brain so that the plays and the actions are patterned, and that by the time you actually do a play, on that one time the brain doesn’t know that you haven’t done it dozens and dozens of times before, and so has perfected your ability to perform. It isn’t practice, this kid said to me, it’s imaging.”
Football players do this. Musicians do this. Public speakers do this. Why can’t Christians do this? What would it be like for you and me to image a life that is Christ-like, to invite our brains to play through a day that is courageous, a spirit that is repentant, a compassionate heart, and loving words. Over and over again we can imagine such a life and as the pattern settles itself not only in our brains but in our hearts, then perfection of love becomes something to be grasped, if even for a moment.
Imaging a life of love is more than practicing in our minds what it might look like. It is making real in our hearts a life that God calls us to perfect now. May God engender in us the desire to do so, not only so that may experience a quality of life that is beautiful, but so that others may feel our love and believe and know a quality of life they have not known before. Peace, Tracy
- A “Can Do” Spirit for the New Year
I often ask people in the church to do something outside their comfort zone. I ask them to consider a new idea, study scripture in a challenging way, serve on a board or committee, create change within the congregation. Sometimes this meets with an excitement to do something new and different. However, most of the time, it is met with “I can’t do that” or “I don’t know how” or “Are you kidding?” or “We’ve never done it that way” or sometimes people just get angry.
Bishop William B. Oden, who was the Bishop in the North Texas, wrote an article which I want to share with you which addresses stepping outside our comfort zones and doing what God calls us to do.
“Leonard Sweet, the Dean of Drew Theological Seminary (at the time), is one of my favorite preachers. Part of a sermon I heard him preach still rings in my ears. In fact, I asked him for a copy of this sermon. I want to share a portion of his preached word:
One of our students received an appointment from a bishop, and the student did not feel the placement exactly suited his abilities. I overheard him complaining about it to another student, and then the other student said, ‘You know, the world’s a better place because Michelangelo did not say, ‘I don’t do ceilings.’
Her comment stopped me dead in my tracks. I had to admit she was right. If you and I are going to be faithful to the ministry God is calling us to, then we better understand that. I reflected on the attitudes of key people throughout the scriptures and the history of the church.
The world’s a better place because Moses didn’t say, ‘I don’t do Pharaohs or mass migrations.’
The world’s a better place because Noah didn’t say, ‘I don’t do arks and animals.’
The world’s a better place because Rahab didn’t say, ‘I don’t do enemy spies.’
The world’s a better place because David didn’t say, ‘I don’t do giants.’
The world’s a better place because Peter didn’t say, ‘I don’t do Gentiles.’
The world’s a better place because Mary didn’t say, ‘I don’t do virgin births.’
The world’s a better place because Jesus didn’t say ‘I don’t do crosses.’
The world’s a better place only if you and I don’t say, ‘I don’t do…..’”
May we minister to those in our church, community and world with a CAN DO spirit in the name of Christ.
Peace, Tracy
- Halloween: celebrate or condemn?
Every year someone asks me whether it is appropriate for Christians to participate in what appears to be a satanic celebration of evil, Halloween. And my response when hearing this concern is the same each time: “You know, the origin of Halloween somehow involves the participation of the Christian church…I just can’t remember the details.”
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Well, I researched the subject and now I can remember the details. I want to share with you what I have relearned because it is critical to rehearse again and again the reasons why it is mightily important for all who are Christian to participate in Halloween.
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The word “hallow” means “holy” and of course the word “een” means “eve” or “evening.” “Halloween” or “All Hallow’s Eve” or “Holy Evening” signifies the evening before All Saint’s Day when we who are Christians remember the faithful who lived bold and righteous lives, no matter how difficult it was to do so.
Rev. Mary Nelson Keithahn, a pastor in the United Church of Christ, has written an article in which she explains the origins of the controversial holiday..
She states that “in the Middle Ages people were keenly aware of their vulnerability in the vast universe and were terrified of demons, especially on October 31st the last day of the year on the pagan calendar. In order to protect themselves and scare off the demons, they lit huge bonfires around the villages and fields, and carried candles in hallowed out turnips, squash or rutabagas. The Celts believing that the dead came back to be with the living on All Hallow’s Eve, offered prayers for them and donned masks and costumes to lead the ghosts in a parade out of town.”.
“Christians of that time believed in the resurrection and no longer feared death or any kind of evil. They would don costumes on All Hallow’s Eve, making fun of death and the things that personified it, because they knew God was with them, giving them the power to overcome all evil. Christian children went door to door unafraid, offering prayers for the dead in exchange for “Soul Cakes” (flat oval shortbread cookies). The next day they would all go to Church to celebrate All Saints Day.”.
She concludes by stating that, “forbidding Christians to celebrate Halloween denies us a chance to practice our faith that the goodness and power of God’s love will always triumph over evil in the end.”.
I tend to agree with Rev. Keithahn and I am painfully aware of the uncomfortable reality that the occasion of Halloween causes us to come face to face with the evil that surrounds us..
It is good news to hear that God’s love will triumph over evil in the end. It is good news to be reminded in Holy Scriptures that nothing can separate us from God’s love in Christ Jesus that nothing can keep God from loving us and taking care of us..
Halloween indeed provides us the opportunity to mock evil and death and to celebrate our confidence in God whose power is greater than any other!.
Peace, Tracy
- Pastor Jeff Writes--Ch-ch-ch Changes...
Have you taken a look outside lately? The redbuds are beautiful, the grass is beginning to return to that beautiful green carpet, and songbirds welcome the morning. The weather is beginning to warm up (though lately there’s been a bit more of a chill in the air), the storms are starting to roll in, and the clocks have moved forward until fall. Changes are all around us.
These days my life is full of changes too. In the past month, I found out that I will have a new job soon, Adriane interviewed and was hired for a job, and we searched, found, and put a contract on a new home. On the list of events that cause stress, those are up there on the list! In many ways we are excited about these new changes, but there is so much to do to prepare. We had to find a day care for Benjamin, figure out new routines in the morning and evening, and start preparing for even more changes in the months to come.
Changes aren’t easy, for anybody. Think of the plants that are popping up out of the ground this time of year. They have to force their way through the darkness for the hope of sunlight. They go from the tight space of a seed or bulb to the wide open space above ground. There is great potential as a result of the change, but they have to go through difficulty and turmoil to get there.
That makes it even more fitting for the season of Lent to come this time of year. This season is intended to prepare us for the hope of the resurrection, the promise of new life, and the joy of life with Christ. But to get there we begin by remembering our own mortality on Ash Wednesday (“ashes to ashes”), go through the pain of the wilderness each Sunday in the Scriptures, and eventually witness the pain and suffering of Christ on the cross. We deal with original sin, our pride, and our seeming unwillingness to fully trust in God’s dream for our lives. To paraphrase the psalm, we spend 40 days walking “through the valley of the shadow of death,” to get to the green pastures of Easter. For now we are in the dirt, but the sunrise is coming.
If it is true for us, it is more so for Jesus. He who was immortal became mortal for us and for our salvation. He gave up the joy of heaven to experience the pain of human life—not just his own pain but the pain of a suffering world. While we mourn our own sinfulness, Christ bears the sin of all who have ever lived (and those who will ever live). While we go through a valley, we remember that Christ descended beyond death to conquer the grave.
Of course the good news is just that: he conquered the grave. The story of Christ does not end on a sour note. It ends with the hope of all eternity, the promise of forgiveness, and the glory of redemption. But we must remember that Easter would not carry with it the power it does without the pain of the 40 days preceding it. Spring’s beauty isn’t as striking unless it is against the backdrop of winter’s dismal landscape. Sometimes the greatest things we experience come after seasons of difficulty. But without the change, we could never experience them.
Clearly, I am not the only one experiencing the changes this time of year. Because of my change, the church is also facing change in the months ahead. There is likely to be anxiety about what is to come, and what happens next. Dealing with the unknown is just part of dealing with change. But the same anxiety you feel now was present five years ago when a young, inexperienced pastor walked into the church for the first time with big ideas. Thankfully you gave me a chance and we were able to grow together as a result.
In that time, we’ve gone through difficult times, struggles, and some shared pain. But we’ve also celebrated together some great successes, transformations, and shared joy. Change is not ever easy, but I pray that the changes this season brings us will help us grow closer to the dream God has for all of us. I hope we see past the fear, past the doubt, past our own obstacles to see what God has in store. That’s what makes this season so exciting: that despite the difficulty, eventually we will see the new life and growth that is surely coming.
Peace,
Jeff
- Pastor Jeff Writes--Path Markers
Pastor Jeff Writes
It seems I have been hiking my whole life. When I was growing up my family would travel to Colorado twice each year: once in the winter to ski and once in the summer to go hiking. I probably didn’t enjoy it as much then as I did later but I was in hiking boots from an early age. Of course, in Boy Scouts that love for hiking took on new extremes with summers in Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico, hikes in the Grand Canyon, and even a mixed hike/canoe trip in the Boundary Waters of Northern Minnesota.
All this hiking led me to a love for being out in the wilderness, hiking where vehicles can not go. Thankfully, I married someone who feels the same way about hiking, backpacking, and being outdoors. In fact, our wedding registry included backpacking stoves, dry bags (for canoeing), and other outdoor gear (we wanted to register for a canoe but they wouldn’t let us).
One of the things I have learned in all this hiking experience is how to follow a trail. There are numerous ways to mark a trail: signs, painted “blazes” on trees, even pieces of material tied to tree branches. But on more barren ground, especially that ground above the tree line, there are no trees to use to mark the path. That’s where the ingenious “cairn” comes in very handy.
Cairns seem to have begun in Scotland, where much of the landscape is treeless and rocky. They are piles of rocks, sometimes just a foot high but sometimes growing to towering structures. In snowier climates, they are intentionally built high enough to be taller than the snow. They are often spaced at regular intervals along the trail and/or to mark confusing turns or crossroads.
It is traditional for a hiker to pick up a stone (or several stones) at the beginning of their hike and then add them to the cairns as they travel. Thus each hiker who follows along the path makes it easier and easier for the hikers that follow them to find their way. I’ve seen some pretty hilarious examples of hikers trying to add even small pebbles to well-established cairns just to do their part. And, of course, if one cairn is already built up, another cairn along the path is created and raises up from the ground.
I think our Christian journey is a little like these cairns. At times, the paths we are supposed to follow are quite obvious, with little need to mark the trail. But in the rockier and more barren times in our lives, we need guides and path-markers to lead us where God is calling us to walk. Thankfully, we are not alone in this. Others have walked this path before us. Others have carried the same burden we bear. And, thankfully, they have left markers along the path.
Of course, even they had a “pioneer” to mark the path for them. Hebrews 12:2 calls Jesus the “author and perfecter of our faith.” The Greek word used for author may be better translated “pioneer.” Jesus is the trail blazer for our faith. He is the pioneer who traveled this journey of faith long before us. He walked through wilderness more barren than we could ever know and, when we walk through our own areas of wilderness, we walk with his guidance, his presence, and his grace. His pathway led to the cross, to the tomb, and ultimately, to glory.
As we re-trace his steps in the season of Lent, we will see the trailmarkers of grace Jesus left for us throughout his life. We will see the cairns that he began and others have added to over the years. You may remember in your own life how others have helped to guide you through the difficult times and lead you toward stronger and richer faith.
When I see a cairn on a hike, I know that I am not the first person to walk that trail. And I can imagine that I am not the last to walk it either. So I leave my stone on the pile, so the next hiker along the trail will see the path before them and know that they are not alone.
When have you walked pathways of grace? Where have you seen “cairns” along the way? In this season of Lent, I pray you will reflect on these pathways as we walk along with Christ.
Peace,
Jeff
- Pastor Jeff Writes--Learning
It’s probably no surprise to most of you that I absolutely love learning. I’ve loved school and education for as long as I can remember. Oh sure, there were probably days I was less excited about it than others, but overall I loved school. In fact, one of the things I love about Project Transformation in the summer and in mentoring every week is that I get to help a young person learn and come to love learning like I do. I love going over multiplication tables and practicing spelling. I even found a way to connect basketball with math by inventing “math basketball” with a mentee a couple of years ago. Surprisingly, all of my mentees have enjoyed playing that!
Because I love learning, I am always trying to find ways to learn new things. I read news websites every morning and scan the headlines for something new to learn. I watch the amazing videos at TED.com and learn about new inventions, ideas, and designs. If I see something I didn’t know before, I’ll look it up and dive in. In that process I’ve learned about a man who found a way to focus sound waves like lasers focus light. I’ve learned why Middle Eastern history is so important to the people there and how it impacts the present (and, probably, the future). I’ve learned about stocks, weather, and, of course, basketball. If there’s something new to learn, I’m there.
Which is why our series on the Seven Habits of Highly Methodist People has been so much fun for me to prepare. I’ve known a lot of the basics of United Methodist history for some time. Part of the reason I went to Duke was to learn from the best John Wesley scholars in the field. But I’ve enjoyed going back to those books, diving even deeper into what made Wesley tick, and sharing that with you. The more I learn about John Wesley, it seems, the more I want people to know what an amazing impact he brought to our faith. I hope this series makes you want to learn more too!
But, as I said in the first sermon in this series, the goal is not to just help us be better Methodists. That is all well a good but it’s ultimately not what we are called to do. I want us all to be better Christians, a better community, a better church so that we can be better at building up the kingdom of God. When people hear “Southern Hills United Methodist” I want them to think about the amazing things we do to transform our world, not just about pumpkins (though I appreciate so much what the Patch has done for us over the years!).
For that transformation to happen, though, I have to learn even more about my own faith, about the Bible, and about how to live the best Christian life I can. I too have to “aim for perfection,” if I want that of our church as well. So in 2011, one of the things I have covenanted to do is to be stronger about my quiet times with God. I’ve kept a regular quiet time since I woke up to the faith about 15 years ago, but at times that time is overrun by other “pressing” needs: phone calls, meetings, etc. And, at times, it is overrun by my own laziness and selfishness.
But I know that time is hugely important in making me a better Christian and a better pastor. So I’ve worked in 2011 to be even better about keeping a regular time with God. And what I’ve learned in that time is amazing! Lately I’ve been reading in the early chapters of Genesis. I encourage you to go back and read those first 15 chapters with new eyes. Try to forget the felt- board stories you learned as a child in Sunday School and go back and re-read these amazing stories. I guarantee you’ll learn something new as the Holy Spirit shows you new insights on these old favorites. I know I have learned many things from this reading, from other Scriptures as well as powerful Christian writers.
We are never too old to stop learning new things. We never “grow out” of education. In fact, as we grow older, there is never a more important time to keeping our minds fresh. Scriptures, like God’s mercies, are “new every morning.” I hope you find the love of learning that I have found in reading those Scriptures. And I hope that, if we all dive in to those Scriptures together, we will truly be transformed ourselves so that we can help transform our world as God has called us to do.
Peace,
Jeff
