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Showing posts from December, 2013

We've arrived!

We've arrived! One of the commentaries I regularly consult when preparing sermons contains a sage piece of advice from an experienced preacher: don't get in the way of the Christmas story.  Good advice for the one in the pulpit - and good advice for all Christians:  don't get in the way of the Christmas story - let the Christ child take center stage, not only this evening, but every evening, every day, everywhere. Luke 2:8-15 In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.  Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for see--I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.  This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger."  And suddenly

There's Still Time

Surely you've encountered these words over the past few days? On TV, the internet, in the paper or your email box, helpful merchants have been letting you know there's still time to give that special someone ... something.  Something that says, "I care." Like an e-gift card delivered directly to your loved one's mobile phone.  Or an audio book download that will be treasured for, well if not generations, at least a few hours. Well, not one to pass up on the opportunity to climb on the seasonal bandwagon, let me also tell you that there's still time.  There's still time to make ready for the great gift that is coming; there's still a chance to slow down, watch, and wait for the One who brings peace; there's still time to make room in your heart for the Christ child.  Thank God! There's still time!

Triage

Face facts: time is running out.  Less than 72 hours remain until Christmas Eve.  Odds are, there's something you'd like to do, think you have to do, but won't get to do.  There's only so much time.  And you have to eat.  And sleep (a little bit, at least).  Walk the dog.  Go to work.  So you'll have to set priorities, make choices, perform triage on that "to do" list.  That's okay.  Don't fret.  Don't worry.  You're only human.  Just one piece of advice: remember to make time to keep on watching and waiting for Jesus.  Lose sight of him and all of that frantic activity is ultimately pointless.  But keep your eye on him and everything will come into focus, perspective will be gained, love will be encountered, new life gained.  Time is running out 'till the Christ child arrives.  Hooray!

Solstice

On this rainy winter solstice evening we will gather on the front lawn of the church at 5 to remember those NH residents who were homeless who died during the past year.  At our gathering, we will read a prayer by the Rev. Ted Loder, which can be found below. We do well to remember these people, our brothers and neighbors, especially as Christmas celebrations draw near; not all can make merry, not all have the ability to focus on the blessings of the season.  As we give and as we receive, let us remember those in need, and then let us do more than remember.  Let us act. The Longest Night Prayer The Rev. Ted Loder O God of all seasons and senses, grant us the sense of your timing to submit gracefully and rejoice quietly in the turn of the seasons. In this season of short days and long nights, of grey and white and cold, teach us the lessons of endings; children growing, friends le aving, loved ones dying, grieving over, grudges over, blaming over, excuse

Feeling Blue

Tonight we'll join with our friends for our annual Blue Christmas service.  This time offers an opportunity to acknowledge pain, sorrow, loss, and dislocation, things our culture seems hellbent on denying during the "holiday season."  While the secular zeitgeist might be focused on parties and celebration, we are preparing for the arrival of the Christ child.  And while the birth of Jesus is indeed a reason for joy, it is meant to be a moment of renewed faith in, deep healing by, and honest relationship with God.  In short, this is a time when God opens himself to us - and we are called to do likewise with him.  So, whether you come to church tonight at 6 or you're somewhere else, if you're feeling blue, don't feel guilty - offer up a prayer to the One who loves you, is listening to you, and is coming to you with love.

Honey Boo Boo Advent No No

I'd heard about Honey Boo Boo, but had never actually seen her until last week.  Suffice it to say,  this TV phenom is many, many flavors of wrong.  On what this show says about our society scale of one to ten, with one being excellent and ten being bad, this program featuring a precocious tyke is at the Edward Gibbon Fall-of-the-Roman-Empire spectrum.  It's exploitative, mindless, pointless.  Do I sound like a grump?  Perhaps, but critical adjectives keep on coming to mind, especially when I consider another child, one who was unknown at this birth and is ignored by so many today: Jesus. During Advent we have an opportunity to set aside the distractions of our wayward times in favor of the One who is coming to show us a new way, one that leads us to a place of holy, whole living, one that calls us to engage with the joy, challenges, issues, and opportunities of life in the Kingdom instead of losing ourselves in the temptations, silliness, hurtfulness and aimlessn

Playing the Lottery

Somehow I missed hearing that there was a $636 million lottery jackpot up for grabs last night.  Apparently, two lucky folks are now richer than they ever imagined.  They have the opportunity to do whatever they want: help others, blow it all, change everything, change nothing.  They might be wise, they might be foolish.  I hope that they don't suffer the fate of many other lottery winners who over the years have found themselves mired in sadness and strife in the wake of what was imagined to be a stroke of immense good fortune. I hope, too, the same for all of us as we approach Christmas.  It's easy to get caught up in expectations about the holiday, to think that a special present given or received, a family gathering perfectly executed, a memorable service attended and experienced will make everything right.  These things can be blessings but the only thing that will ultimately make everything right is God, who is coming to us in the Jesus.  Remember that, and

Too Darned Cold

It was fifteen below when I woke up this morning.  Thankfully, the air was still and there was no wind chill to worry about as I took out the dog.  Both canine and human were focused, wanting to beat as hasty a retreat as possible to the warmth of the parsonage.  Henley's business done, we went inside to warm up.  We, of course, were fortunate.  We had a warm place of refuge.  But somewhere in the Upper Valley, there are people who endured the cold. As we approach Christmas, and see images of the Holy Family huddling in the manger, we would do well to think of those families, those people among us, equally God's beloved, who are without shelter.  And after we are done thinking, we should do something to help - for if God can come to us in Jesus to offer us new life, we can go to our neighbors and offer them warmth and food and possibility.

An Advent Challenge

I invite you to join me today in thinking of a word that encapsulates this season of the church year, sitting with it and praying on it for five minutes.  That may not seem like a long time, but you may be surprised!  After you've done this, reflect on what surprises you may have experienced and give thanks to God. Peace!

Expect the Unexpected

Fans of Monty Python will remember the old warning that "nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition."  But this begs the question: what do we expect? On this Third Sunday of Advent I've been reminded that what we expect to happen and what actually does happen are not always one and the same.  The discrepancy may lead to inconvenience, blessing, frustration, opportunity - or all of the above.  During this season of preparing for the arrival of the Christ child, we would do well to remember that while we think we know what's going to happen on Christmas Eve, we should be prepared for a surprise or two.  After all, we're talking about God incarnate coming into the world. So remember, while nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition, we can count on the arrival of Emmanuel - but should ready to be surprised by what his arrival will mean for us and the world.

Turning the corner? Not so fast ...

Today feels like an inflection point in our Advent trajectory.  We've been focused on waiting and watching these past two weeks.  Tomorrow, with Christmas less than two weeks off, we'll shift gears to anticipating and preparing.  The pace will pick up, things will quicken -- and the temptation to lose sight of the present in favor of the future that beckons will become ever greater. Don't give in! Live Advent to the fullest.  Be present in the moment.  Don't turn the corner until it needs turning - Christmas Eve.  Until then, live fully into this season.  Yes, allow yourself to be caught up in the excitement of what is to come.  But don't deprive yourself of this time of preparation, not if you want to be truly ready for the arrival of Jesus.

Thirteen

Quick: when you hear the number "thirteen" today, what do you think of first: Friday the 13th or the thirteenth day of Advent.  Odds are the former.  Don't worry.  You're not alone.  But consider this.  The first is grounded in superstition.  There's nothing intrinsically unlucky about this day.  But the latter is built on truth: God is coming.  And, that's our good fortune.  So if you're thinking about luck today, consider how lucky, blessed really, you and I are to be beloved of God.

Dona Nobis Pacem

During Advent we anticipate the coming of the Prince of Peace.  What does it mean for us to say that we welcome his presence among us?  What does it mean for us to say that we yearn to be his followers?  What does it mean for us to sing the words dona nobis pacem , give us peace?  One this one year anniversary of  the killings at Sandy Hook Elementary School we are called to reflect on these questions, to consider how we might become instruments of God's peace.

Time Flies

How did it get to be the eleventh?  While the calendar tells me we're almost halfway through Advent, psychically I'm still at the starting line.  I should be deep into my watching and waiting yet I feel as if I've just gotten my head into the proverbial game.  What to do?  Fret?  Worry over lost time?  Or simply live into the moment? The answer, of course, is to live into the moment.  This is God's hour and he wants us to be present.  Only by setting aside debilitating distractions and fruitless concerns can we prepare ourselves for the Christ-child's arrival.  So, let the time fly - we'll be carried aloft by the Spirit, brought forth into the wondrous event that is rapidly approaching.

God in Odd Places

This morning I received an email from a clergy friend expressing the hope that I was having a good day in ministry.  I had to laugh since at the time I read his message I had just finished dealing with a balky external hard drive in the church office and was in the midst of reviewing budget spreadsheets.  Ministry? Hah!  Ministry? Yes! Crunching numbers, connecting wires, doing all the unglamorous things that keep the ecclesiastical trains running are part of building the kingdom.  God isn't just to be found in hymns and Scripture.  God is everywhere and Advent is the perfect time to be reminded of this truth, as we are given this season to watch and wait, to see that God will show up in the places we least expect him: in computers, in Excel, in a manger on a winter's night ...

Looking Back

During Advent, we talk about watching.  We stay alert for the One who is coming.  But as we do so, we should also take time to see where we have been.  As I write this, it's nighttime, snow is falling, and all is quiet -- a perfect to time to reflect on the day, on how we may have experienced God's presence, on how we may have shared God's love with another.

Turn Around

We read in today's Gospel lesson (Matt. 3.1-12) of John the Baptist's proclamation.  He called on his contemporaries, and through Scripture, on you and me to repent so that we might be prepared for the coming of the Lord. But what exactly does it mean to repent?  The answer can be found in the text, where we see that the Greek word for repentance is metenoia, literally "to turn around."  Thus, when we repent, we head in a new direction, away from sin and alienation and toward God's love, healing, and reconciliation. So, don't waste any time -- turn around.  It's Advent!

Sabbath

We read in the Book of Genesis that on the seventh day of the week, his labors done, God rested.  We, God's people, created in his image, are commanded by Scripture to do likewise.  What constitutes Sabbath-observance has been contested down the ages (indeed, even the day became a topic of dispute, with the early church moving away from Saturday in part to distinguish itself from the traditional Jewish community).  Jesus found himself in more than one tussle over the issue, calling on his followers to focus on the spirit and intent of Sabbath. With the demands of the holiday season, we can feel caught up in a whirlwind of activity, desperate for a chance to catch our breath, let alone find time to watch and wait for the arrival of the Christ child. Sabbath, then, is an especially welcome concept during this time of year.  Let us remember who has made us and what we were made for: we are God's and we are made to rest, so that we may glory in the Lord's good crea

Watching

I've always been impressed with the patience of birders.  They'll wait, and wait, and wait, as they keep watch for their quarry.  Sometimes they'll spend a lifetime watching, hoping to catch a glimpse of some rare and exotic specimen, only to come up short in their quest.  Still, they keep watching. During Advent, we are called to watch like birders: to do so with passion, with patience, with perseverence.  Unlike birders though, we are assured that we will encounter the object of our desire.  God will come to meet us.  Indeed, God has already done so.

Grace is Like a Turkey

I left the parishioner's house, and as I walked to my car, saw a flock of wild turkeys.  While it occurred in a part of town where such fowl are to be expected, the siting was still surprising.  You see, I didn't expect to see the birds.  So when I did, I was caught off guard, even though this was their turf. Reflecting on this, it struck me that our experience of grace can be like this, too.  We all too often don't expect to see grace, even though it's present.  We get caught up in our own issues, agendas, complaints, woes, and lose sight of God's grace, which is with us all the time.  But grace is a powerful thing, and so it can break through the clutter and distraction of our lives, catch us off guard, and surprise us. This Advent, as we watch and wait, let's stay alert -- for we never know when and where we'll run into God's grace.

Waiting

How do you wait? Are you patient?  Anxious? Calm? Fidgety?  Filled with anticipation - or unease? Odds are, your answer is "all of the above." The way we wait is depends upon the context: we'll feel experience different emotions waiting for a loved one to walk down the jetway at the airport than we'll have waiting for the mechanic to call with the estimate of how much it will cost to repair the car.  But while context is important, so too is our disposition.  As Christians, we can look at waiting as an opportunity to engage in a spiritual discipline, one in which we are centered and focused on being attuned to God's will.  Advent, the season of waiting, is the perfect time to adopt this discipline.  So let us wait - with faith, reverence, and joy.

Giving Tuesday

Apparently today is “Giving Tuesday, ”a blatant attempt to leverage the concept of “Black Friday” and “Cyber Monday.” Now don’t get me wrong.   I’m all for philanthropy; I spent two decades raising money for education before I entered the ministry.   Food pantries, shelters, museums, symphonies, nature conservancies, schools, faith communities and so many other causes are worthy of our time, skills, and, yes, money.   But there’s something off-putting about this particular marketing vehicle in which charitable giving has become just another holiday season activity to be branded.   We in the church (and in many other religious traditions) are taught otherwise, though Created in the image of the one who will come to us as an infant, created by the one who gives us his all, we are meant to give likewise: with wild, extravagant generosity.   For Christians, giving should be at the center of all we do, not simply tacked onto the end of a shopping bonanza.   Giving s

Cloudy With a Chance of Perspective

It looks as if it's about to snow any minute now.  At least that's what I think when I look at the clouds this morning.  And with snow comes what?  Traffic delays? School closings? Or an opportunity to play with Chip, to go sledding, to feel as if winter and a new season have truly arrived. How I look at those clouds and what they represent is all a posture that I choose to adopt.  Now, it's easy to just say that one should always have a good attitude about life, to be ready make lemonade from the proverbial lemons one is handed.  But the truth is it's not always easy to do this.  Sometimes it takes time, sometimes it takes effort.  Getting ready for Christmas can be similar - which is why Advent is such a blessing.  These weeks of anticipation and preparation afford us a chance to develop the perspective necessary to fully live into all the arrival the Christ child means for us and for the world. So the forecast for today? Well, it all depends on how we ch

An Adjective for Sunday ...

As we begin our Advent journey today, it occurs to me that we're in need of an adjective.  We've had Black Friday.  Tomorrow is Cyber Monday.  But what about today?  Sure, it's "The First Sunday in Advent" - but I'd like to think we can come up with something snappier than that. Then again, just because we can doesn't mean we should.  "The First Sunday in Advent," while not a memorable marketing phrase, tells us exactly what we need to know: this is the beginning, their will be more.  And knowing that, we can ease into the coming days and weeks, and thus be fully open to what awaits us at the end of this season: a new beginning, one filled with wonder, love, hope, and surprises.