Sermon Reflection | December 1, 2013

Read: Psalm 122; Listen: A Secular Psalm Response to Psalm 12, by Maic D'Agostino, and read by Erin Ter Beest

Listen: Finding Peace, Sharing Peace

Dig a Little Deeper:

Last week I ranted about shopping on Thanksgiving.  I said that I think it's ridiculous, and even quite sad, that we've begun shopping on the one day of the year dedicated to giving thanks for what we already have.  In response, one of our worship committee members came up with a pun on Psalm 122: "I was glad when they said to me 'Let us go up to the house of the Lord & Taylor."  My husband, who is a poet by calling, took the pun a step further and wrote this Secular Psalm: 

A Secular Psalm Response to Psalm 122, by Maic D’AgostinoI was glad when they advertised to me,    ‘Come shop in the house of the Lord & Taylor!’  Our feet are stampeding    to your gates, O Macy’s,
And Wal-Mart, too—built like cities    that are full of deals upon deals upon deals.  To the department stores the shoppers go up,    the shoppers of Saving & Buying, as was decreed for First World nations,    to give thanks to the name of the Sale.  For there the thrones for CEOs are set up,    the thrones of the house of Revenue. 
Pray for the stocks of Wall Street:    ‘May they prosper who are shopped by you.  Opulence be within their walls,    and low prices within your towers.’  For the sake of my relatives and friends    I will say, ‘You won’t believe how much junk I bought.’  For the sake of the house of the Large Retailer,    I will seek your doorbusters.

Advent is my favorite season of the year, both as a preacher and as a Christian.  The image of Little Baby Jesus speaks to me like no other image of Jesus.  I'll tell you why.  I've seen the vulnerability of my own babies.  I've seen them floppy and completely dependent.  I've seen them sick and unable to understand why they are in pain.  When I imagine that God chose a baby-- floppy and vulnerable-- to redeem the whole wide world, it completely changes the way I see God.  It completely changes the way I see myself.  It shows that God trusts and believes that we, tiny and flawed and vulnerable as we are, are capable of bringing about the Kingdom. God doesn't need the strong and powerful to do the work; God just needs us to come as we are. 

I'll get into that more this season.  I hope you'll be around to share in the conversation with me. 

--Pastor Joanna 

Sermon Reflection | November 17, 2013

Hi Friends!
I don't know how long it takes a normal person to get back into the swing of work after maternity leave, but I feel like I might be finally getting there.  This week is my fourth week back.  I am usually about 15 minutes late every morning, but I do make it to the office, and I am always dressed.  This morning I fit back into some pants I haven't fit in for a while and my 2-year-old exclaimed, "Oh Mommy, congratulations!" followed by, "You're soft; I want to hold you."  I always wonder how those little minds work.  She is certainly back into the swing of toddlerhood and has taken to life as a big sister quite well.  She only likes the baby when he does something, which is very rare at this stage in babyhood.  At least it gives me confidence that she will love him more the older he gets!

I'm also feeling as if we're getting back into the swing of things because the church seems to be revving up again.  First of all, yesterday was our largest attendance in two months.*  Second, our little one-room Sunday School is building in consistency and excitement.  We don't have a lot of kids in our church, but the ones we have are so fun and unique and I want them to have a great place to learn here.  Our new CE director, Olivia, is doing such a great job serving kids ages 2 years to 7th grade - a very, very difficult task.  And the best part-- they're coming!  Consistently!  And they're enjoying it. Third, we have many great programs and ideas in place and ready to get started.  I'm afraid several things fell by the wayside when summer came along.  People were out of town, I was tired and pregnant . . . but now we're ready to start book study again, along with a monthly film viewing called "Popcorn in the Pews."  We'll be joining Madison's Prison Ministry by attending worship services at Fox Lake Correctional Facility.  Confirmation class is up and running . . . Well, let's just say it feels like the church is a fun place to be right now!

*Don't get me wrong-- I fully believe that numerical attendance isn't a sign of success in itself but it is still great when people show up!

Okay folks, part of getting back into the swing of things is that I'm ready to get back to my sermon reflections on here.  So here goes!

Read: 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17*, Luke 14:28-35
It's important to read The Message Version of this passage, which goes: "May Jesus himself and God our Father, who reached out in love and surprised you with gifts of unending help and confidence, put a fresh heart in you, invigorate your work, enliven your speech."
Listen: "Look What We've Built!"
Dig a little deeper: This week was Stewardship Sunday.  I am always asking the church, "what gifts do you have?" in a rhetorical way, and therefore no one ever responds to me!  This Sunday I asked about surprising gifts, but in an even broader sense.  I asked the question, "What are three things about you that might surprise us?"  Here were some of the many interesting responses we had:

Several people responded about what they want to be when they grow up.

• Maria, who is a musician, said, "As a child I loved to draw house plans and wanted to be an architect."
• Laura, a senior in high school, said, "I tell people that I'm interested in psychology and journalism, (and I am,) but when it comes down to it I truly have no idea what I want to be when I grow up."
• Holly, one of our college students, said, "I want to be a high school guidance counselor when I grow up."
• Casey wants to raise bison and meat chickens and his wife Erin has no idea what she wants to be when she grows up!
• My husband used to want to be a priest but now he wants to be a stay-at-home dad.
• Maggie, a freshman in high school, said, "I want to be a pilot."
• When Robyn, a mother of two, grows up she wants to still be a kid.

Several people talked about fears and things they hate

• Barb is afraid of coffee.
• Kara is afraid of heights.
• Maggie is afraid to become an adult.
• Maria hates coconut.
• Tim hates "labels, and people who hold fast to dogma, ideology, and political parties." (I wasn't surprised)
• Maic "doesn't care for" the Beatles, Harry Potter, Star Trek, and Vodka

And I couldn't believe the things some people said about their eating habits: 

• Stephanie has eaten raw fish eggs out of Green Lake.
• Tim loves M&Ms and bacon, together I assume.
• Andy has eaten raccoon
• Kurt, one of our tall, lean members likes to eat fast food once a week
• Bob loves meatloaf and mashed potatoes (at least some people around here are normal...)

So, what does this all have to do with our faith?  What do you think?  How do you think silly questions like this help us to grow together as a faith community?  Answer in the comments!

P.S.  I didn't have the time to write a sermon reflection on this sermon from last week (From One Generation to Another), but I do think you should listen to it, and if you do you might want to see the following articles, which I referenced in the sermon.
1. NPR "To Stave Off Decline, Churches Attract New Members With Beer"
2. This article on Nadia Bolz-Weber is where I first learned about her, but you're probably better off looking at her personal website.
3. National Geographic show, "Church Rescue"

Sermon Reflection Times TWO! | August 18, 2013; August 25, 2013

Hi Church and Church Followers!
I skipped last week's blog post, and I regret it because I liked the message I preached.  You see, the truth is (thou shalt not lie) occasionally I skip a blog post because I am not particularly pleased with the way the message comes across and I feel like it's one that I'll just let slip through the cracks.  They're all on the website, so if you REALLY want to listen you'll almost never miss one.  But last week, the post slipped through the cracks simply as a matter of prioritizing my work week, and the blog post fell to the bottom of the list.

So here!  I still won't do a full reflection, but I will post the MP3 and the scripture references.
August 18, 2013
Read: Psalm 80:1-2, 8-19; Hebrews 11:29-12:2
Listen: Patience


August 25, 2013
Read: Psalm 71:1-6, Jeremiah 1:4-10
Listen: God Is Still Creating
Dig a Little Deeper: 
Here are Meister Eckhart's words.  Originally written in German, this is a translation done by Matthew Fox.

"The Word of God is always 'in the beginning'. And this means that it is always
in the process of being born and is always already born.
     Now it is the nature of a word to reveal what is hidden. The Word that is
hidden still sparkles in the darkness and whispers in the silence. It entices us to
pursue it, to yearn and sigh after it.
     For it wishes to reveal something about God.
What is my name? What is your name? What is God's name?
Our name is:
          that we must be born.
And the Creator's name is:
          to bear.
The soul alone among all creatures is generative
like God is.
               We all are meant to be mothers of God.
In this birth you will discover all blessing.
    But neglect this birth and you neglect all blessing.
          Tend only to this birth in you and you will find there
all goodness and consolation,
     all delight, all being, and all truth.
 [...]
Every day a person bears fruit a hundred times
     or a thousand times or countless times giving birth and becoming fruitful out
of the noblest foundation of all."

Here's a Wikipedia article about who Meister Eckhart is.  I think I've said this before... I'm a shameless Wikipedia fan.  I know it's not for important citations, but it's awesome for quick info!

I'm interested in what you think about the idea that God is STILL creating and forming.  This is a big theological discussion.  First of all, it is an ancient and ongoing discussion about Theism vs. Deism.  Did God create the world and then step away from it (Deism), or did God create the world and continue to be involved in it (Theism)?  Second of all, the question is how much of a role does God play in your life today?  Do you think your life is predetermined by God (predestination) or that you have free will, and God is continuing to play a role in your decisions about your own future?

I'd love to have a sit-down and chat discussion about these things, but for now you can feel free to leave a comment.  Where are you on the Deism vs. Theism spectrum?  Where are you on the Predestination vs. Free Will spectrum?  And with those in mind, what do you think of the sermon I preached this week?  Is God Still Creating you?  

Sermon Reflection | August 11, 2013

Read: Psalm 50:1-8, 22-23; Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16
Listen: By Faith
Dig a Little Deeper: 

•      The Author refers to the Book of Hebrews as a "word of exhortation" in Hebrews 13:22, which is the same phrase used in Acts 13:15 to describe a synagogue sermon of Paul.  So while it's often called a letter, it's really, in the author's own words, a sermon.  Interesting fact to share at your next cocktail party. 
•      A note about authorship.  I like the way it's described in my New Oxford Annotated Bible:
• "When the New Testament was being formed, this anonymous sermon was attributed to Paul, presumably because of the growing authority of Paul's reputation as a letter writer.  The early church leaders Clement, Tertullian, and Origen, however, acknowledged differences in style and theology between Hebrews and Paul's own letters.  Clement argued that Luke translated Pual's Hebrew original into Greek, while Origen suggested that a disciple of Paul wrote the letter based on Paul's notes.  Modern interpreters have suggested other authors, including Apollos and Priscilla (see Acts 18.24-26).  There is no sufficient historical evidence, however, to identify any person named in the New Testament as the author" (New Oxford Annotated Bible intro to Hebrews, New Testament pg 369).
• Many if not all churches struggle with finding the commitment necessary to get dreams and ideas off the ground.  We see so much potential, so much hope, and have so much faith in our community but each thing we want to do takes action, organization, planning, brainstorming, conversation, etc. etc etc...  I've been thinking a lot about this lately, and that's why in this sermon I hoped to really prod people to consider bringing their ideas to the surface and not just handing them off but helping to execute them and make them happen.  
• I wonder, what ideas might you have for our church?  When was the last time you said, "We should..." about our church, whether it was "we should change that lightbulb" or "we should bring about the Kingdom of God," and what can you do to make it happen?  I'd love to hear your ideas.  I'd love to cheer you on and help you where I can.  

Sermon Reflection | August 4, 2013

Read: Psalm 49 and Luke 12:13-21
Listen: The Good Life
Dig a Little Deeper: 

     It is perhaps no coincidence that I talked about letting go of material goods just after receiving an accepted offer on a house.  If I remember correctly, I preached on a similar thing shortly after moving here ( Click Here: Do I Own Too Much?). 

     Kate Huey wrote a beautiful reflection this week (she always does, and I always send you to her.  I just love her words.)  In it she includes this great, simple little side note: 

"My brother John was telling me about his recent efforts at "simplifying" - that is, getting rid of too much stuff. He said that he and his wife decided to ask themselves two questions to help them decide whether to keep something: 1. "Do we really need this?" and 2. "Really?"Good questions for the man in Jesus' story, and for us as well."

Keeping the entry short this week.  Come worship with us this coming Sunday!  Or any Sunday!  Have a blessed week this week, everybody.

Sermon Reflection | July 28, 2013

Hello Church! 

Let me tell you some things that are exciting me:

• Our youth had a brat fry fundraiser on Saturday and they raised $637.35!!  Along with a Matching Grant from the Webster Foundation, which matches up to $500, we were able to just barely break our goal of $1100!  How cool is that?  I'm really proud of them.  
• With this money, they will be going to Chicago to participate in a weekend of mission experiences including serving at soup kitchens and food distribution centers, witnessing the wealth disparity in the city of Chicago as they drive through both wealthy neighborhoods and neighborhoods in poverty, and on Sunday morning attending worship at Lawndale Community Church, a church much different in worship style and size from our own.  The program that is leading this trip is called Center for Student Missions.  You can learn more about it here.
• The community-wide VBS is coming up! I'm anxious to see how this goes, as it will be my first year seeing it in action.  The goal is to host 200 of the communities children in this way, and so far there are already 133 registered!  If you're interested, go here to register: http://www.riponvbs.org/
• We have officially hired our new, permanent Christian Education director, Olivia Wetzel!  Her job at the church is to work with the Sunday School kids and help develop opportunities for fellowship for everyone, but especially for young families, in the church (ie: ice skating, trivia nights, movie nights, retreats, etc.).  Olivia is a recent graduate of Ripon College and is going on to get her Master's Degree at the University of Oshkosh in professional school counseling.  She'll be posting here on the blog once a month, so look out for her posts!

Okay, what's really cool is that this is a lot of stuff about youth and children!  I like that kinda stuff because it's an area where I see our church evolving in the next few years, and I'm feeling confident that we have the right people-- from volunteers to paid staff like Olivia-- to lead the way.  

Now, sermon reflection. 

Read: Psalm 85 and Luke 11:1-13

Listen: Help me and Thank you

Dig a Little Deeper:  

     The book that I referred to during my sermon, "Help Thanks Wow" by Anne Lamott can be found here on Amazon.  I might suggest checking your local bookstore first (I see nothing wrong with Amazon, but I always try local first!) but if you don't find it there or don't have a chance to get out anytime soon, now you have the link.  Also, Amazon has a Kindle Edition. 

     There are about 10 million ways to talk about this passage from Luke.  I do have an appreciation for the preachers who dissect the Lord's prayer and help us remember why we say it every single Sunday.  I even appreciate the preachers who do a sermon series on it, using one line from the Lord's prayer each Sunday for several weeks.  But it didn't seem like quite the right time for that here, this week.  Instead I wanted to talk about asking God to help us in times when we feel completely overwhelmed.  I've met a lot of overwhelmed people since coming to Ripon.  This is a town full of people who DO THINGS.  Lots and lots of things.  And while I know they are often fulfilled and glad to serve, I also see people get overwhelmed more often than not. 

     So I wanted to share my image of God the Organizer.  My new favorite image, at least for this point in my life.  This is the God who sorts and stacks and arranges and helps to make our lives make more sense.  I hope you like this image of God too.  

A Response to General Synod 29 | Sunday July 7, 2013

Read: Psalm 30 and Luke 10:1-11, 16-20

Listen: Why I Love Church (There was a sound glitch in the beginning, but it picks up after a few seconds)

Watch: Here is a slightly longer version of the video I was planning on showing instead of summarizing it myself.  You can see the meditation in its entirety, along with Rita Nakashima Brock, here at 1:09:00.  

Sermon Reflection | Sunday June 9, 2013

Read: 1 Kings 17:8-24
Listen: God Will Provide
Dig a Little Deeper: 

     As I mentioned in my message, I'm reading the Psalms every morning as a Spiritual Discipline and as a form of prayer.  I put together a simple check list with a space to write when you read each Psalm and some brief thoughts about it, if you're interested in joining me and setting a goal.  My personal goal is to read one Psalm every day.  I'd love it if you'd join me in this!  Let me know if you do, just so I can have an idea of who is participating.  If you'd like a copy of the Psalms list, e-mail me at pastor@firstcongo.net and I'll send it to you! 

I have to say the Psalms challenge has started a lot of discussion in the D'Agostino household.  You may know that my husband is a poet.  That makes it easy for him to love the Psalms, of course.  They are poems.   Well, they are songs, but we read them usually without music.  He has been recognizing the way that a lot of religious poetry reflects the essential ideas/concepts of the Psalms-- rhythmically, conceptually, etc., and has even found some that he wants to put alongside one another as past and present compliments of each other.  This is a baby-idea for him, but I've asked him to find an example and share it on the blog sometime.  It may be a few weeks, but you might encourage him if you see him (or in the comments)! 

Okay, anyway, so on the topic of 1 Kings... I hope you'll just listen to the sermon.  I don't have a lot of follow-up on it.  You might read this commentary.  

Or you might just sit and think about these questions I asked in my sermon:

"Ask yourself, what fills you?  What rules your thoughts?  What takes up your time?  If you’re empty, how can God fill you?  If you’re full, how much of your fullness is God’s goodness and how much is junk food and negativity and unhelpful noise and hoarding.  Is your coffee can full of things that make it hard to open yourself up to God’s love and grace?  How can God come into us when we are already filled by earthly things? 

 And then, think-- how can God work through us when we remove those distractions and really concentrate and listen to what God is calling us to?  I’m not saying we should get rid of all of the activities we do, or that we should turn our church into a silent monastery and just listen; what I’m saying is that it’s time to clean out the spiritual junk food—the worry, the negativity, the bad stuff…and make room for God.  Make room for what is good and right.  Because the woman’s coffee can was empty, there was so much room for kindness and compassion and faith and mercy."

Another question:
When have you been served by the people you thought you were serving?  Or learned from the people you were teaching?

Well folks, the next three weeks I will be out of town.  I'm in North Carolina and my brother's home in Rockville, MD for about 10 days, and then off to the General Synod of the UCC for one week.  I am glad to go, and I will be glad to come home!  Come listen to Rev. Gary Miller and Dr. Brian Smith preach the next three weeks!

Peace!

Sermon Reflection | Easter Sunday

Hi Friends!

We had a beautiful Holy Week at the First Congregational Church of Ripon!  Of course, in all the hubbub, I took zero photos.  No photos of the Last Supper table set at the front of worship with candles for a Tenebrae service.  No photos of the altar completely stripped at the end of the service.  No photos of the Ripon Area Ministerial Association leading the community through the seven words from the cross on Good Friday.  No photos of the Easter Lilies and bright flowers arranged by our talented florist and decorator, Sallie, on Easter morning.  No photos of the Easter breakfast put on by our CE committee and Sunday school class.  

Oh, actually, I took this photo of the Maundy Thursday bulletin, the content of which is adapted from a liturgy by the Rev. David Bahr.  Is that a weird thing to take a photo of?  Oh well, here it is

But afterall, even if this is the only photo I have, the proof is in the pudding.  What does that even mean?  Okay, well I'll say this instead: the proof is in the members of the First Congregational Church.  In the events of the last week, we've been transformed!  I hope that's good enough! 

Oh, also, I'll share this photo that I saw on Facebook that made me laugh out loud.  I don't know if you have the same sense of humor as me.  So if you don't think it's funny, just think about how it's true.  Jesus was killed, but then he rose again.  Great news!  Hallelujah!  

Which leads us, with no further ado, to my Easter Sermon.  

Read: Luke 24:1-12

Listen: Jesus Way of Life Works!

Dig a Little Deeper: 
I must say, it is very difficult to write a sermon about the events of Sunday while going through the events of Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.  Maybe it will get easier the more times I have to do it?

I want to dig deeper with this, but I must admit I'm on my way out the door to attend Eden Seminary's Convocation and Herbster lectures.  All three of us will be making the 6.5 hour drive down to St. Louis to see friends and attend the lectures.  I am delighted!  But that means my blog-writing time is coming to an end.

Keep the conversation going!

--Pastor Joanna

Sermon Reflection | March 10, 2013

Read: 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 and Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32
Listen: Embracing Grace
Dig a little deeper: 
     Okay, then again, don't read the scripture above.  Just watch this: the Prodigal Son, Finding Nemo style! (But really, do read it because the Finding Nemo version doesn't have the jealous brother in it).

     This song is just a tad too sappy for my taste, but you might really like it. 

     A trailer for the movie, "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner," the ultimate awkward family dinner (NOT in fact starring Audrey Hepburn)

     I didn't use Kate Huey's commentary this week too much in my own sermon, but she always writes stuff that makes me think while warming my heart.  

Sermon Follow-up, and some questions:

I truly believe this is one of the most relateable stories in the Bible.  There is no family that goes without any kind of rift, whether it's something small as not liking the way they clean and manage their time or as big as an extra-marital affair and drug addiction.  We all have them, and Jesus knows that, so he tells this story. 

This wasn't even new to the New Testament.  Even Micah, 500-700 years earlier, spoke, "For the son treats the father with contempt, the daughter rises up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; your enemies are members of your own household.  But as for me, I will look to the Lord, I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me." Micah 7:6-7.  

To make this passage even more important-- not only can we all relate to it, but it carries the subjects that nag us when we go to sleep at night.  We are all burdened by the rifts in our relationships.  Every single one of us feels a heavy weight that we wish we could forgive and be forgiven. 

What do you think?  How does this passage relate to you (if that's something you even want to share on a public forum, of course!)?  When it comes to those controversial topics of how the story fits into our culture and society, how do you feel?  When it comes to welcoming people into our faith community, how do you feel?

Painting depicting the Prodigal Son, by James Janknegt

And finally, on another note:

I want to put in a plug for a pastor-friend, Rev. Rob Leveridge, who is nearing the end of his Kickstarter campaign to raise the funds to put together a really great progressive Christian music CD.  Please take a minute to check out his video here, and consider donating as much or as little as you can to his project.  He's got a good thing going for him!  And if nothing else, you will be inspired by the video he's put together. 

 

Sermon Reflection | March 4, 2013

Read: Isaiah 55:1-9 and Psalm 63:1-8
Listen: Drink a Gallon of Water Every Day
Dig a Little Deeper: 

I have several pastor-friends who are doing Lenten blog series' of some sort or another.  You'd be blessed to check them out!

• Rev. Emily C. Heath is the pastor of West Dover Congregational Church in West Dover, Vermont. She is doing a daily Lenten reflection.  
• Rev. Rachel Hackenberg is an author/speaker/pastor doing a Lenten prayer/poetry blog.  
• The Northwest Ohio Association of the UCC put together a series of Lenten resources on their blog.  
• Several of my pastor-buddies are contributing to this UCC series called "Peek, ponder, pray" a quick daily meditation.  
• I loved, loved, loved this Lenten blog last year called "Words Matter," but apparently I was the only one who loved it because it disappeared about halfway through Lent.  Still, you can read the posts that did go up!
• I hope to add more; waiting for permissions! 

So, what kind of spiritual disciplines work for you?  What do you wish your prayer life looked like?    

Sermon Reflection | February 17, 2013

Read: Luke 4:1-13 and Luke 5:1-11 and Matthew 5:13-16
Listen: Reflection from the Turnaround Church Workshop, part one and part two
Dig a little deeper: 

The workshop that 6 of us attended this weekend was called the Turnaround Church Workshop.  The point was to talk about how we can be in the 20% of churches that are growing rather than in decline. 

Here is a song that was played at the end of the groups reflection to remember that this isn't a numbers game this is about inviting people to our community so that together we can "let the light shine."  Together, we can work to bring about a better world-- to heal the broken-hearted among us and around us.  

Some interesting statistics we learned:

• 17% of the US population is worshiping in Sunday mornings (18% in Wisconsin!)
• More than 80% of US churches are in numerical decline
• 87% of people who come to church and stay do so because they were INVITED
• 73% of people who have never gone to church say they have never been invited

Questions:

Eventually, we'd like to have a discussion outside of worship about some of what we learned, so that we can share but also get feedback instead of in the context of a sermon/message which is only one-sided.  Stay tuned for some information on when that discussion will take place. 

For now, I have a few questions-- 

1. Why do you think the church is in decline?

2. If you are a part of a church community, how did you get there?  If you aren't, what would it take to get you to come to worship?

3. Worship attendees-- is there anything else you want me to add to this blog?  I'm trying to keep it short and sweet, but please feel free to add thoughts in the comments! 

Sermon Reflection | February 3, 2013

Read: Luke 4:21-30 and Jeremiah 1:4-10
Listen: Called Since Birth
Dig a Little Deeper:

Here are some good reflections from the Center for Excellence in Preaching

Bring back the 90's by wearing some awesome WWJD gear.  But when people ask WWJD, don't just say, "he would cuddle some sweet children."  Say, "he would offer a new perspective that would probably really tick you off." 

Here is some good information about the UCC and Holy Communion.  

This is probably too nerdy for most people, but hey-- it's your choice to click or not click.  The Last Supper as told by Instagram. 

Sermon Follow-up Questions:

So, do you have any thoughts on when to stir the pot and when to be a peaceful presence?  What are some topics for you that are worth riling people up?  What's the point of riling people up instead of just living totally peaceful and happy lives?  

Looking back, I wish I would have talked a little bit more about the difference between pacifism and non-violent resistance.  This is something I'm still trying to understand myself, which is probably why I didn't preach on it.  I am a person who is deeply opposed to violence and war, but at the same time I hope for a world-made-better.  When I look at the way Jesus spoke and acted, I know that we can't just be idle and watch the world go by the way it is, but how do we do that without opening ourselves to violence.  On one hand Jesus seemed to know-- he just walked away from the cliff, right?  But on the other hand, his death is one of the most violent in all of history.  Anyone wanna help me out?  This is deep stuff, so I understand you might not have an easy response, but give it a shot.  Give me some thoughts!  

Finally, this has nothing to do with my sermon, but it has been my love-song all week.  

Sermon Reflection | January 27, 2013

Read: 1 Corinthians 12: 12-31a and Luke 4:14-21
Listen: Is It That Easy?
Dig a Little Deeper:

A Wikipedia article on Congregationalist Polity, that tells you a bit about what it means to function in an autonomous, yet covenantal way.

Another Wikipedia article, on the Body of Christ.  Okay, I'm just going to come out and say it-- I love Wikipedia. 

Some words from Kate Huey.  I seriously just cannot get enough of her beautiful writing.

Some information about the Open and Affirming process that we will be discussing for the next two years.  

   
There are a few other topics that are interesting me this week that I wanted to include in this blog:

Lillian Daniel, a preacher and theologian I look up to, just came out with a new book called, "When 'Spiritual but Not Religious' is Not Enough."  I, for one, will be reading this book!  I hope you'll join me!  But, for now, check out this video and interview. 

The President's second inauguration really hooked me this week, and in the same episode as Lillian Daniel's interview and video ^^ there was a brief conversation about religion during the inaugural address.

Sermon Reflection:

In many ways, this sermon was meant for this particular congregation about to attend an Annual Meeting, so if you're not a member of the congregation you might feel a little left out of this one.  But at the same time, these are questions we all need to be asking.  How do we, as individuals, as a church, or in our own workplaces, groups, etc. define our mission and our identity?  What are some ways that we can effectively self-analyze and vision for the future?

What part of the Body of Christ are you?  Why?  

For you, who are the captives, the blind, the oppressed, and the poor? 

Sermon Reflection | January 20, 2013

Read: 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 and John 2:1-11
Listen: The Gift of Transformation
Dig a Little Deeper:
Here is some information about The King Center.

Highlights:

I wonder if we can ever reach a point where the conversations we have in social media can have the power to transform our world?  I believe that as the world gets smaller, the small conversations we have begin to matter.  How can we take advantage of the voice we've been given through social media?

I don't want to sum this one up too much, because I truly want you to listen to it.  I truly want your feedback.  This is a fairly "Unitarian" sermon here, to be honest, and I'd love for part of your feedback to be about "What makes this a Christian issue?" and/or "How does this message apply to people of all beliefs and backgrounds?"

I'll leave this one pretty open-ended.  Just listen, and respond. 

Sermon Reflection | January 13, 2013

Read: Isaiah 43:1-7; Luke 3:15-17; 21-22

Listen: "Drenched in Grace"

Dig a little deeper:

Here's some good stuff from Kate Huey that doesn't relate a lot to the sermon, but is always a gift to read. 

Here's that non-canonical story from the Gospel of Thomas about Jesus forming birds out of mud as a child, adapted into poem format, by Robert Pinsky.

Here's a poem by Jeffrey Donders that refers to Jesus receiving Grace while living in the mud and muck of life:

     The mud of human evil

          is very deep,

          it stinks forcefully,

          it is full of dangerous gases,
          and there was Jesus,
          in front of John,
          asking to be allowed
          to bend down in that mud.
          And John,
          no wonder,
          hesitated.
    But he, Jesus,
    he went down,
    and when he came up,
    the mud still streaming…
                HEAVEN OPENED,
          and a voice was heard…
          and a new Spirit
          a new life
          and a new heart
          were announced,
          glory, glory, alleluia.
    He was bathed in light…
          drowned in God’s voice…
          full of spirit;
              but what about the mud,
              was he going to forget it?
    … No
    because once he got the spirit,
    that Spirit drove him…
          to do his work
          in this world,
          to struggle with evil in us…
          in this world,
          in order to overcome it

Here are the photos that I passed around yesterday as I preached.  I think that if you listen to the sermon and scroll through the photos you will be able to see the connections.   

A probably site for the baptism of Jesus
(Source)

A stream in my hometown, where I used to play with my dog (referenced in sermon.)
This photo, thanks to a good friend from back home, Bonnie.  

This is what our feet look like while we're receiving God's Grace.
(Source) 

This is what life seems like sometimes.
But in reality, this IS life sometimes...
because this is the tsunami in Japan in 2011.
Even in the middle of this, we are still offered God's grace.
(Source)

This is us, wet and crabby.
Still offered grace...still God's beloved.
(Source)

This is us, receiving God's grace in community, with our hooves all muddy.
(Source)

Finally, here is beautiful Allison Krauss singing "Down to the River to Pray,"  which our small but mighty choir sang so beautifully yesterday morning.  

Okay, so what do you think?  How do you remember your baptism?  What does it mean to you now?  Is it hard for you to look at yourself in a mirror and say, "You are God's Beloved?"  Why is it important for us to remember that God loves us and is pleased with us?  

Sermon Reflection | January 6, 2013

Read: Matthew 2:1-12

Listen: What the Magi Did Right*

Dig a Little Deeper:

UCC Sermon Seeds from Kate Huey

A Reflection from the Center for Excellence in Preaching

A quote from St. Bernard, "For they offered to Mary, the mother of the child, gold to relieve her poverty, incense against the stench of the stable and evil air, myrrh for to comfort the tender members of the child and to put away vermin." (In other words-- Money, febreeze, and lotion.)

Highlights:
In this sermon, I talk about the way that in this passage the Magi have used four different ways of moving forward in their faith journey: 

• God's Creation; Nature

• Personal Experience

• Community

• Scripture

What do you think?  Can you think of more?  Can you think of a time that one of these "methods" brought you closer to understanding your faith?

I also said that I think the Magi are examples we should hold highly as we travel our faith journey.  Would you like to share some examples you hold highly as you walk your faith journey?  People who have showed you how to get closer to Christ? 

I'd love to hear your thoughts!


P.S. Enjoy this video below, James Taylor's "Home By Another Way," which refers to the Magi.  The video was recommended on our Facebook page.  Thanks! 

*This particular recording was done outside of the church service.