Rosewood Lane Church of the Nazarene

Advent: Hope

2011-12-04T20:40:00.000-07:00

I remember being a child and waiting, waiting, waiting for Christmas Day to arrive. I tried really hard to wait patiently. Along the way, Mom got a bunch of those small-sized candy canes and we put them on the tree -- just enough for each of us to have one candy cane from the tree each day until Christmas. That candy cane tradition was a lesson in hope, in finding joy each day of the waiting while still focused with anticipation of what was yet to come.

Advent is a time of remembering, experiencing, and cultivating hope. We remember the many years of waiting for the promised Messiah, and God's faithful fulfillment of His promises. We experience the hope of knowing God in the here and now while also anticipating Christ's eventual return. And as we cultivate hope as we respond to God's promises and character.

Hope is a transformative thing, and I am excited to see what God does as we wait with expectation.

Peace in the Midst - Audio

2011-08-12T20:39:00.000-06:00

Dr. Diehl is devoted to Jesus Christ, an experienced preacher/pastor/minister, and a grandfatherly storyteller. He has served in full-time ministry for much of his adult life, including some very challenging roles. I was glad to hear some of his story as he spoke a few weeks back in Nampa, Idaho. I wrote just briefly then about his Wednesday talk, and the audio of Dr. Diehl is available now here.

Sanctuary

2011-08-04T12:34:00.000-06:00

"I can't talk with other people about this. They wouldn't understand."

I've heard words like these many times -- and have expressed them some myself, too -- about addiction, abuse, fear, doubt, family trouble, and all sorts of other troubling issues. Though I don't always say it, my internal response is usually "You'd be surprised."

Working in a residential treatment center, serving in hospital chaplaincy, ministering in churches, and talking with friends, I've found the sentiment to be a common one, and it is based on the lie that everyone else has it all together. In hiding from each other, we hide from ourselves and from God, too. We can create barriers that keep us from reaching out even when we're so close. It's an awfully lonely way to live.

Anne Jackson describes the historical right of sanctuary in the Christian church, which defended criminals from execution or other unfair judgment and provided a place for criminals to find refuge until they received pardon or fair punishment. Churches still call their meeting places "sanctuaries," and I love how Jackson describes it:

"Church is a place for us to claim

the right of a modern-day sanctuary

where we can name our sins or ask our questions

and be protected and sheltered while we search

for grace, forgiveness, and answers."

The Church is not a building; it is people who follow God. And Jackson's word describe pretty well the kind of people I want to be.

Generations

2011-08-03T17:37:00.001-06:00

I stood on the church lawn recently and watched a group playing games together. The youngest was four years old, I think, and the oldest in his forties. Others representing an even broader range of ages sat and stood nearby, talking and laughing as they watched the fun.

What captured my heart on that afternoon was the interactions within the group. Leaders of all ages made modifications as needed to include the littlest ones. Young children looked up to teens and adults, and found friendly faces smiling back at them. Interactions in all directions reflected genuine respect and affection.

The demographics of Rosewood Lane have shifted during the past year or two. It's exciting to have such a variety of ages coming together now for worship on Sunday mornings, from preschoolers all the way to folks in their eighties, with people from every decade in between. All of them are important at Rosewood Lane.

I love the generational variety, especially as it is lived out in congregational community. Some of the teens have led the way by making space for children within their circles of friends. Seniors play an important part as grandparents and grandparent-like figures in the lives of children, teens, and even adults. Children of all ages figure out ways to play together, not just with others in the same class. In all of it, older ones usually watch out for younger ones.

We're learning together about biblical community. I think what I see here is both part of that process and a reflection of it.

Considering Together

2011-07-31T20:36:00.000-06:00

The Sunday School class I facilitate is rather predictable, in a way. After prayer each week, we read a passage from the Bible, usually in a few different translations, and talk about it. The conversation starts with four questions:

What captured your heart?

What captured your mind?

What did you notice?

What questions do you have?

And then we go from there. We talk about the passage, compare translations, consider how the message intersects with our lives.

That's where it becomes much less predictable, because the discussion is significantly shaped by each person's contributions.

A few things I can pretty much count on, though... We'll have a great group of people. Most or all will participate at some point. Each will bring a unique perspective. A sense of community will be developed, with new arrivals being welcomed and existing relationships being strengthened. And we'll be changed in the process.

I love this class!

At the Border, Part 2

2011-07-29T08:19:00.000-06:00

The biblical book of Numbers has a reputation for being boring, and that reputation is largely undeserved. Yes, there are lists of names which are often difficult to read and follow, but there is a lot of meaty story, too.

Within the broader story, the Israelites have escaped from their slavery in Egypt and are heading -- slowly, as it turns out -- toward Canaan. At God's command, Moses sends a handful of leaders to scout out the land. The group spends some time discovering what is ahead -- the towns, the soil, the trees, the fruit, the people -- and returns with its report: "We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey!" They brought back some apparently impressive fruit, too. The men who had done the exploring were clearly quite impressed with Canaan.

The report continues: "But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large." They all agreed that they would likely encounter significant opposition. While they admired the land, most didn't believe they could have it. Only two of them -- Caleb and Joshua -- believed they could move forward at God's direction with God's help.

The group's admiration of the land makes sense. The land promised to them by God was indeed wonderful, and could provide very well for their massive group. The fear of the majority in the group is also normal and natural. They saw powerful people and large, fortified cities. They worried that they might be defeated. The differences in perspective within the group is not unusual, and it is appropriate to consider the various perspectives among them, to respect each other enough to allow the truth of their fear to be spoken as they figure out what to do next. So far, that's probably all okay.

But it doesn't stay that way, because rather than recognizing and dealing appropriately with their fear, those who hesitated "spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, 'The land we explored devours those living in it.... We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.'" Rather than acknowledging their fears and pondering the possibilities together, the foothold of their fears became a stronghold as they stirred up dissension to the point that the whole community started into some pretty serious grumbling. Through that process, they started to believe that their fears were representative of reality, and allowed those fears to dominate their thoughts. They started talking foolishly: "Wouldn't it be better for us to go back to Egypt? We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt."

Back to Egypt? Seriously? The land of slavery and oppression? The place they had miraculously escaped? The land God had miraculously brought them out of? And this same God promised the great land they'd just explored? What were they thinking??

In the end, they didn't turn around and go back to Egypt, but they also weren't able to really move forward, either. Their willingness to give in to their fears rather than seek God's direction, exacerbated by banding together with like-minded people, had serious consequences (Numbers 14:20-24).

Human beings are created for relationship and community. We are designed to work together, to share our ideas, fears, hopes, experiences and perspectives with each other. Partnering with others is to be a very good thing, a healthy and natural part of who we are. At the same time, there is also a risk of allowing distortion and distraction to develop when we trust ourselves and others more than God.

Anticipating Together Time

2011-07-25T22:18:00.000-06:00

We have been talking about getting folks together from the various Nazarene churches in Utah on a Sunday evening as a united congregation to worship God and enjoy relationships also with each other. Details are still unknown, but I imagine it will include great music, some time in scripture, a few introductions, food, and conversation. I am looking forward to this time together.

"There is one body and one Spirit -- just as you were called to one hope when you were called -- one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." (Ephesians 4:4-6)

At the Border

2011-07-22T10:55:00.001-06:00

I drove to Idaho again this week, and was struck yet again by the contrast in a section of land along the way:

Looking north from I-84

It reminds me of when my family moved during one summer twenty-some years ago from the very rainy Washington coast to the desert on its eastern side. With 84 inches of rain per year, the coastal town was consistently and thoroughly forested. With only 8 inches of precipitation per year, the eastern side is naturally marked more by sagebrush. As we drove east across the state, our surroundings shifted from a lush green to more of a pale brown.

There was a place in the journey where the colors shifted back, though. Where the Columbia Basin Project brings water to irrigate the fertile ground, an otherwise barren land produces well, and the impact is clear, even visible from far above, from the distinct line created. There was a particular place on the trip that I looked forward to each time we drove it -- cresting a hill and seeing the green line ahead where farmland began.

Satellite picture, with new hometown near center

The soil in that area contains many nutrients and the climate provides plenty of sun during the growing season. For so many years, this region had much farming potential, but something was missing. Only when it was watered could that potential be realized.

Dr. Diehl talked last night (Numbers 13-14) about the Israelites on the border of the land God had promised to give to them. He had gotten them out of slavery and sustained them as they moved together toward the place that was to be their new home. Now all they had to do was go, trusting God to carry through what He had promised.

They had everything they needed, but had left God out of their calculations. The potential was there, but they failed to realize it because they left out the "water" needed to make it grow.

As we take time in these days to intentionally focus on God, and to seek and pursue where He calls, Dr. Diehl invited us to take the next step forward in faith, wherever that next step may be in each of our lives.

Peace in the Midst

2011-07-21T22:19:00.000-06:00

Camp Meetings have been significant in Nazarene history and this tradition still continues in a variety of forms. From what I understand, people would travel to a particular place and camp out there for a week or two with the intent and expectation of focusing on God through worship, preaching, community, rest, etc. Some of the details have changed over time, but this purpose has remained. This is a good thing.

Curious, seeking space to focus on God, and having a few flexible days available this year, I decided to attend and experience this event which has clearly been influential in the lives of many over the years.

Dr. Diehl is speaking this year. He talked last night about peace that comes from God and told some of his own story. He talked about being saved, and he talked about being sanctified. Then, in that context, he talked about grieving the death of his son. He told us that no matter how "spiritual" we are, it hurts to be hurt. That's just part of being human.

Dr. Jim Diehl

I think we need to hear that, and to acknowledge it. Life sometimes throws awfully difficult stuff, and everyone experiences this to some degree. To try to sweep the hurt under the rug, or to pretend that it doesn't matter, is to lie about reality.

Dr. Diehl spoke truth about hurt. He also spoke truth about peace. He loves his son and grieves Dave's death. Dr. Diehl's God-given peace is not an absence of struggle, but in the midst of it. It's also not just nice-sounding-but-distant theology; he is living it. He knows what he is talking about.

There is much more I could say, but... not now, not here. The service (at least the preaching part) was recorded last night and will be available soon. Let me know if you're interested.

Rightly Troubled

2011-07-14T13:33:00.000-06:00

God chose a man named Saul to lead the Israelites as their first king, and Saul led. He did some good things in leadership, but then drifted away from full obedience to God and toward reliance on himself (1 Samuel 13). It would take awhile, but Saul's rule would eventually come to an end.

"Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel: 'I am grieved that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions.' Samuel was troubled, and he cried out to the Lord all that night. Early in the morning Samuel got up and went to meet Saul..." (1 Samuel 15:10-12a).

Saul messed up. It was not just an error in judgment; it was sin. His behavior was wrong, and so was his heart.

What scripture tells next matters deeply:

The Lord was grieved.

Samuel was troubled by what grieved God.

Samuel cried out to the Lord, and did so all night long.

In the midst of his grief, and after prayer, Samuel took action.

With Pastor Joel's series on "Indispensable People," I think this phrase might describe Samuel here. When Saul went astray, Samuel neither ignored the behavior nor despised the man. He recognized the magnitude of what had happened and was appropriately troubled by it. He prayed, intensely. And, when it was right, he approached Saul. He anchored himself to truth when it was difficult, maintaining boundaries while genuinely mourning a very real loss.

We need people like that -- people who value God and others enough to stand for what is right, who are genuinely righteous, whose response to those who stray from God is grief rather than arrogance -- and we are called to be people like that.

Big Church

2011-07-07T12:55:00.001-06:00

Miss Allison
leading a kids' lesson

Children's ministries has its own language sometimes, and one common term is "Big Church." It usually describes the main worship service, and distinguishes it from "children's church" -- a separate space where kids sometimes go to worship together with other young people in ways designed to communicate in developmentally appropriate ways.

Big Church can feel like a foreign place to children (and adults) who have not been there before. It is a different environment with different actions and expectations than they typically experience in other parts of their lives. As a result, it's not surprising that kids' responses to Big Church are sometimes disruptive. It takes time and guidance to integrate.

Important relationships,
useful skills

Sometimes the disruptions are frustrating, but I love that we intentionally include children in Big Church. With investment from their parents and others, kids can recognize that they have a place in the congregation, too, that they belong here, that they are important to the rest of us and to God. They also can see church as something bigger than their naturally kid-centered worlds.

SLC Impact
worship team

I'm having a Big Church experience of my own this summer as I join in worship with other congregations in our area while their pastors are away. Each group has its own unique people, congregational culture, and other variations. Those environments are a little different from Rosewood Lane, and it takes a little effort to integrate. Sometimes these differences create little disruptions, I suppose. But, like with the children, it is worth the investment. I trust each Sunday that I will both find and create hospitable space in my interactions with others, and I love seeing the bigger picture of God at work in other local congregations. It is good to be in Big Church.

It reminds me, too, of our denomination as a whole, which introduces even bigger levels of "Big Church" -- not just individuals gathering together, but local churches joining to form districts, districts forming regions, and ultimately people of congregations in over 150 world areas uniting together in common purposes of worship, learning, and service. It is through such partnership that we become able to engage in ministry so much bigger than any individual or congregation, ultimately reaching around the world.

It doesn't stop there, of course, because Big Church is not limited to our global denomination. Our focus is on God Himself rather than on our organization. We join in spirit with other Christians, both locally and around the world.

Big Church is indeed really, really big.

Look at Me

2011-06-23T13:31:00.001-06:00

The Bible's story of Job is an ancient one of a righteous man struggling through some serious losses. He trusts God and yet has a hard time reconciling his experience with his understanding of God's nature. When Job's friends Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar hear about his troubles, they come to sympathize with him and comfort him. They weep and sit quietly with him, joining in his grief (Job 2:11-13). They "mourn with those who mourn" (Romans 12:15).

They weep for days. Then, eventually, Job speaks. He feels his losses deeply and cannot fathom why all those awful things have happened to him. He begins to put words to his grief and wrestle with how God could possibly allow such things in his life. Job doesn't curse God; he simply and honestly expresses being troubled by a very difficult situation. After all, he says,

"Does a wild donkey bray when it has grass,

or an ox bellow when it has fodder?" (Job 6:5)

Unfortunately, his friends, who had so patiently and sympathetically sat with him in his mourning, now feel compelled to argue, insisting that Job has somehow brought all of this trouble upon himself. They try to explain away his grief by explaining away the situation. Not surprisingly, this approach is not helpful.

So... why do Job's friends do that? Why do all of them feel compelled to chime in? Why all the extended speeches after their chatter-less compassion? Perhaps, as Job suggests, they were afraid, for the challenge Job presented was not just to his own faith, but to theirs as well:

"Now you too have proved to be of no help;

you see something dreadful and are afraid." (Job 6:21)

Perhaps, too, Job's friends have become so defensive that they lose sight of the reality of his pain. Perhaps they have begun talking abstractly, talking to themselves more than to Job, speaking to theology more than to a human being. Perhaps.

Job's words early in this conversation catch my attention:

"But now be so kind as to look at me..."
(Job 6:28)

Job does not need information in this time nearly so much as he needs consolation. He can be consoled first not by doctrine but by the empathetic presence of friends willing to acknowledge that life is sometimes horribly unfair, and Job naturally has an awfully hard time with that.

Sometimes a quiet, gentle presence is the most difficult gift to give, and the most important one we can offer.

Called Out, Called Into

2011-06-13T11:33:00.000-06:00

"Do not mistreat an alien [also translated "foreigner" or "stranger" or "sojourner"] or oppress him, for you were aliens in Egypt." (Exodus 22:21)

It is pretty natural to respond to injustice with similar injustice, hurting others as we have been hurt. Now that they were out of slavery, it would have been pretty natural for the Israelites to have mistreated or oppressed the aliens among them. But God called them to a different standard, to a new way of life. He called them out of the established order of things and into His design.

God calls us to the same -- to a life of both experiencing His grace and extending it to others.

Little By Little

2011-06-03T13:59:00.000-06:00

When I was young, perhaps five or six years old, we adopted a dog named Bear. Bear was a mix of Samoyed and Great Pyrenees breeds -- all white, quite large, and very strong. I was excited to have a dog again and, of course, wanted to be the one holding the leash as we walked to the car. Somehow I talked my way into that, promising to hold on really, really tight and not let go. And, true to my word, that is what I did. The dog hadn't committed to anything, though, and took off down the street in an unfamiliar town, with me determinedly holding tight and desperately trying to keep up. It became abundantly clear to me in those moments that I could handle a dog this size only if the dog agreed, and he clearly hadn't done that.

On a related note...

God had brought the Israelites out of Egyptian slavery after they had lived in Egypt for hundreds of years. Now they were out on their own and needed to become established in ways that would help them to live and function together as a people. There was much instruction given, and with many associated promises. Among those were God's promises to guide them and to give them the land. Unlike the escape from Egypt, though, this one would be more gradual, for "Little by little I will drive [the people living in the land] out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession of the land" (Exodus 23:30).

Like a six-year-old girl with an unwieldy eighty-pound dog, the Israelites were not fully ready for the land that would be theirs. They would need to work their way up to it, beginning with just a portion and expanding from there. They needed to grow into it.

It reminds me of the biblical instruction to be faithful in the "little" things, for only those who are faithful with a little can be trusted with more. This idea is common in talking about stewardship of material goods, but is relevant to far more. I think today of relationships and of ministries, and of conversations. When I desire greater depth in relationships, greater impact in ministries, greater authenticity in conversations, it is worth considering how I choose to respond in those I have already.

I don't want to settle for superficial relationships rather than doing the work of pursuing depth. I don't want to settle for mediocre ministry rather than investing both wisely and wholeheartedly for greater impact. I don't want to settle for lame conversations rather than showing up as myself and inviting others to do the same.

God has much in store. Let's be faithful with what we have, and become ready for the rest.

But God...

2011-05-31T19:37:00.002-06:00

At the home of friends, I saw a small poster with the words "but God...!" and a scripture reference. I was interested, and made a mental note to look up the verse.

And then... I forgot it.

It came to mind again several times in the months following, so I finally did a search at Bible Gateway. Turns out the phrase comes up around sixty times in the NIV.

Sixty is a decently large number. "But" is a conjunction, connecting two thoughts with contrast and often suggesting something contrary to expectation. I've been sitting with that awhile now. It seems to describe God pretty well -- unpredictable, unexpected, unwilling to fit in the safe little boxes I sometimes foolishly create for Him in my mind.

Perhaps I'll take a little trip through the "but God" passages, and see what I find there.

Challenging Grace

2011-05-23T11:45:00.001-06:00

Saul was a devoted and disciplined man, thoroughly committed to the task he had taken on -- persecuting anyone he could find that followed Jesus. Then, while traveling one day, he suddenly hit a crisis time when he encountered God, lost his sight, and was instructed to wait.

Meanwhile, a man named Ananias didn't know these details of the story. He just knew the part about Saul coming after people like him. God spoke to Ananias, too -- not to tell him the whole story or the outcome, but to give him just enough, which was mostly some really challenging instructions.

What happened next seems pretty miraculous to me: "Then Ananias went to the house [where Saul was] and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, 'Brother Saul, the Lord... has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.'"

Seriously, amazingly miraculous! "Then Ananias went to the house [where Saul was] and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, 'Brother Saul, the Lord... has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.'"

In faith, Ananias sought out one who had been expressing "murderous threats."

In faith, Ananias drew close to Saul and reached out to touch him.

In faith, Ananias addressed Saul as "brother."

In faith, Ananias conveyed blessings that God had planned for Saul -- of sight and of the Holy Spirit.

Ananias had strong reasons to avoid Saul, to remain distant in every way, to address him as enemy, to rain down curses. But when God called, Ananias acted in faith and obedience. And "immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength."

Saul regaining his sight is pretty significant. But what captures me today is how God chose to work through the person of Ananias, and how Ananias agreed to join in. Today I am captured again by grace, and challenged again to join wholeheartedly with God in the "ministry of reconciliation."

(The story of Saul and Ananias is found in Acts 9:1-19.)

-- Debi

Good Friday

2011-04-22T10:50:00.000-06:00

Good Friday is a somber day, remembering Jesus’ death by crucifixion. I remember trying to explain it to a former co-worker several years ago, something like this: “It is a time to remember and honor the death of Jesus, so Good Friday services are usually like a funeral.” But that doesn’t seem quite right, because I haven’t been to a lot of funerals as persistently somber and dark as Good Friday. Perhaps the mood of a typical Good Friday service isn’t like a funeral so much as it’s like a funeral would have been if Jesus had stayed in the tomb. In Good Friday and the day following, we acknowledge the despair of the time between the certainty of Jesus’ death and the hope-giving miracle of his resurrection.

I am grateful for Good Friday because life still includes times when everything seems to be turned upside down, hopes dashed, outcome uncertain, salvation not yet apparent. We celebrate the joy of Christ’s birth at Christmas, and his resurrection on Easter – these are absolutely foundational to Christian hope. It is good, too, to respect the in-between times.

Editing History?

2011-01-22T17:20:00.000-07:00

Mark found a 13-digit number in our family room today and we wondered about it. I looked it up as an ISBN search -- no luck with that, but I did find an interesting link:

Screenshot

It's the "edit your history" part that caught my attention. Sometimes I wish there were an "edit my history" link for life. There are things I regret, things I've said and done that I wish I could go back and undo, things I regret having not said or done.

Life doesn't have such a button, so I want to choose my words and actions well.

There is something else here, too -- the gift of grace. Because of God's grace, I don't need to edit or block history. I have a God and some friends with whom I can be open about where I've been, acknowledging what I wish were different about it without pretending it didn't happen.

Healthy honesty helps me to move forward in the right direction and at peace.

Christmas Season: Second Sunday

2011-01-01T15:00:00.000-07:00

In our culture, we tend to build up to Christmas and then move on to the new year on December 26. Traditionally, though, the celebration has been carried on in various ways for eleven more days. January 2 is the second Sunday of the Christmas Season. Here are the lectionary readings:
Jeremiah 31:7-14
Psalm 147:12-20
Ephesians 1:3-14
John 1:1-18
You can read them here.

Becoming Youier

2010-12-31T14:18:00.000-07:00


John Ortberg

I listened to John Ortberg as I drove to Seattle. He spoke of walking in step with God, enabled to develop in the good ways that He intends. One point Ortberg made was that some things about each person will never go away, because God intentionally created particular traits in each person. Rather than being eliminated with spiritual growth, they will be redirected. God is very intentional about creation, including the creation of each person's personality.

For example, before he met Christ, the Apostle Paul was a passionate, brilliant, zealous man, and he persecuted Christians. After he met Christ, he was a brilliant, passionate, zealous man, and those traits were instrumental to the spread of the gospel. In more recent times, Chuck Colson's drive, motivation and ambition led him to places of significant political influence and then to prison. After he met Christ, his drive, motivation and ambition led him to make an incredibly positive difference through prison ministries. Redemption is not replacement of the old, but its return to a better state. Ortberg concludes that God works His redemption in the life of everyone who is aligned with the Holy Spirit. "You won't just get holier, you will get you-ier," becoming more and more the excellent version of you that you were created to be.

I was listening to this sermon on the way to Seattle for a two-day workshop on Fierce Conversations. "Fierce" is not about being bloody, cruel, or threatening, but robust, intense, strong, powerful, and passionate. "Fierce" conversations are ones in which we stop pretending, when we refuse to take the easy way out, when we bypass the simplistic answers that really don't mean squat. Fierce conversations are ones in which we function respectfully and without masks, showing up boldly as ourselves. Truly fierce conversations create respectful space that encourages others to show up boldly as themselves, too.

Scott's "fierce" sounds to me like Ortberg's "you-ier," and both sound like Christ.

Christmas Season: First Sunday

2010-12-25T21:00:00.001-07:00

In the Christian liturgical calendar, Christmas is not just one day, but twelve. December 26 marks the first Sunday of the Christmas season. Lectionary readings:
Isaiah 63:7-9
Psalm 148
Hebrews 2:10-18
Matthew 2:13-23
You can read them here.

Christmas

2010-12-25T01:10:00.000-07:00

Remember that impossibly long song about the Twelve Days of Christmas? I never understood it as a kid, because we only had one day of Christmas. It seemed more like a song teachers made up to keep us busy when we were too excitable to learn. But there are indeed twelve days of Christmas, and today is the official start. Here are the Christmas readings:
Isaiah 52:7-10
Psalm 98
Hebrews 1:1-12
John 1:1-14
You can read them here.

Advent: Christmas Eve

2010-12-24T01:00:00.000-07:00

Advent is a time of preparation, getting ready to celebrate the birth of Christ. The last day of the Advent season is Christmas Eve. It's one of those special days of focus, with these as lectionary readings:
Isaiah 62:6-12
Psalm 97
Titus 3:4-7
Luke 2:1-20
You can read them here.

Identity

2010-12-22T19:36:00.000-07:00

"Who are you?"

There are many ways to answer this question, defining oneself by family relationships, friendships, work roles, culture, gender, ethnicity, preferences, skills, education, personality traits, sports teams, physical appearance, and so much more. These can be an important to a sense of identity, and are certainly part of God's unique creative work in each of us. But such descriptions cannot reach to the core.

Paul's letter to the Romans is an incredible work, articulating the foundations of grace, faith, and righteousness. How does he begin such a letter? He starts with the character of God and then his own identity in Christ. Paul knew he was a servant, an apostle, set apart for God, one who has received grace. His identity was in Christ, and only from that perspective could he begin to proclaim the gospel.

I am reminded of Jesus' words in John 13: "Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist." He took on the menial role of a servant who would customarily wash the feet -- likely they were dirty and smelly from walking along dirt paths -- of the guests before a meal. Jesus knew who he was and he did not serve in spite of recognizing his divine nature, but because of it.

When we see clearly who God is, and who He invites us to be in Him, we create space for His transforming work to bring about great fruit in our lives.

Advent: Week 4

2010-12-18T15:00:00.001-07:00

December 19 is the fourth Sunday of Advent. Lectionary readings:
Isaiah 7:10-16
Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19
Romans 1:1-7
Matthew 1:18-25
You can read them here.

Heart in the Bible

2010-12-16T18:39:00.000-07:00

I've been reading a book about emotional health in the church. Truthfully, I did not want to like this book. The first time I picked it up, it was with rolling eyes. After all, if we focus on doctrinal beliefs and how to apply those to our everyday actions, isn't that what really matters?

As it turns out, no, that is not all that really matters.

The Bible talks a lot about the heart. For example, the Sermon on the Mount is filled with "You have heard it said [behavior], but I tell you [about the underlying heart issue]." It addresses such topics as worry, grief, and anger. Paul's famous description of love in I Corinthians 13 includes many feeling words. And, of course, the Psalms give voice to a tremendous variety of human emotion.

Scazzero's writing has been challenging me quite a bit lately. My tendency, like many in the Church, is to focus on intellect and behavior while neglecting the heart. But to refuse to bring my emotional side to God for examination is to make a part of myself off-limits to God, closing myself off to His sanctifying work.

Bringing Gifts

2010-12-12T17:08:00.000-07:00

When I was a child, we used to cut the annual gift catalogs into strips and make colorful paper-chain garland out of them. Such mess-making destruction was normally frowned upon, so it felt like a fabulously fun privilege, and a little artsy, too. Looking back now, I like the symbolism of creating nearly-free tree decorations while destroying catalogs intended to entice us toward spending money.

When I was a child, I learned the story of Christmas. We heard about Mary and Joseph, the innkeeper, the shepherds, and various other characters. (Of the various parts I played in the various Christmas plays, my favorite was the camel. I don't remember whether it was a talking camel, but it was definitely a singing one.)

Among the characters of Christmas were the Magi, a.k.a. Wise Men. Christmas plays usually showed three of them, each carrying a gift to Jesus -- gold, incense, and myrrh. When I was a child, I didn't understand this. I thought about the toys in the Christmas catalogs, and the "wise men" didn't seem too smart to me. After all, who gives perfume and embalming materials to an infant?

As an adult, though, I have learned some of the symbolism and value of those gifts, and realize they were far more significant than a fun plastic toy. In addition to their practical value for a struggling family, they were appropriate gifts for the King and foreshadowed the sacrificial death of Jesus.

As we were talking about getting ready for Christmas, a friend of mine described wanting to offer a gift to Jesus, like the Wise Men did. It brought up the question: What would be an appropriate and desirable gift for the King? This friend of mine talked personally about a shift in attitude that would be a very good gift for Christ this year. When I was a child, I may have suggested a gift that was flashier, more fun, because "When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child..." (I Corinthians 13:11)

When I was a child, I did not recognize the value of the gifts brought by the Magi many years ago, or by my friend more recently. As as adult, though, as I approach God in this Advent season, I want to give the gift of genuine love described in I Corinthians 13: "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails..."

Love for his people -- all people -- is a great gift for our King.

Advent: Week 3

2010-12-11T15:00:00.001-07:00

December 12 is the third Sunday of Advent. Lectionary readings:
Isaiah 35:1-10
Psalm 146:5-10 or Luke 1:47-55
James 5:7-10
Matthew 11:2-11
You can read them here.

What's Your Hurry?

2010-12-05T17:38:00.001-07:00

My dad is generally unruffled. He is deliberative and wise. He considers situations with appropriate care and chooses how to respond. He's the calm one in stressful situations.

Most of the time, anyway.

Apparently when my brother broke his leg and started yelling, my dad moved faster than any of us kids had ever seen. There was something wrong with his son, and he was going to get there. We are a priority to him, and when he heard Don's voice, he knew something was wrong, which created a sense of urgency. He hurried.

Pastor Joel preached today on the "Grunts" in the Advent story: the shepherds. Context is important, of course, so here is a really quick description of where we're at in the story...


Veronica lighting the Advent candles

Joseph and Mary went to Bethlehem for the census, and Mary gave birth to Jesus while there. Shepherds in nearby fields were working as usual when an angel appeared and told them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in clothes and lying in a manger." Then, suddenly, there were many angels present and praising God. When the angels left, the shepherds decided together to go to Bethlehem and check out for themselves what the angels had said.

"So they hurried off..." (Luke 2:16)

The shepherds had received some really good news, and Pastor Joel talked (audio available -- listen or download) about what they did with that news. For me, in this season, one thing Joel said today particularly caught my attention: The shepherds were urgent about what was important.

This time of year brings many things that feel urgent. There are trees to put up, homes to decorate, parties to attend, cards to send, gifts to prepare, plans to finalize, and so forth. Not to mention the usual (and unusual) responsibilities at home and work. Not all of them are equally important, though.

I can be flexible on most of my to-do list, really, as long as I stay focused on what is most important. The big two non-negotiables? God and the people in my life.

There isn't much reason to hurry, really. God has given me all the time I need to accomplish all that He has for me. And that is enough.

Advent: Week 2

2010-12-04T20:00:00.000-07:00

December 5 is the second Sunday of Advent. Lectionary readings:
Isaiah 11:1-10
Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19
Romans 15:4-13
Matthew 3:1-12
You can read them here.

Advent-ure

2010-11-30T09:40:00.002-07:00

Pastor Bob

Bob Luhn commented recently that "Advent" is the first part of "adventure," which so beautifully describes this season. A bit skeptical, I looked it up in an online dictionary to see if there really is a linguistic connection, or if it's more of a coincidence. I like what I found there.

As it turns out, both words do originate from forms of the Latin advenire and its French relatives. Adventure speaks of "what must happen," and its meaning has shifted some over the years to suggest risk/danger and "a novel or exciting incident." This whole progression makes sense to me. The future is always unknown, which carries with it a sense of risk. We respond to risk quite naturally with a measure of excitement.

And Advent? Advent is about the coming of Jesus. God had been saying for years that the Messiah would come. It was risky in many ways, but it was how He would save us from ourselves. During this season of Advent, we wait with intention and faith, imaginatively pondering what it was like for God's people to wait those many years without knowing when the Messiah would come, or really even how he would appear.

There is something else here, too. Though Christ did come two thousand years ago, Advent reminds us that we still wait for his return. As God's people waited and did not know the details of Jesus' coming ahead of time, so too we wait with longing and hopeful expectancy for his Second Coming.

Advent is a time of adventure, waiting for what must happen, recognizing risk involved, and sensing the excitement of what will be. Like any good adventure, I want to be sure I am fully alert and ready as the future comes.

-- Debi

One Candle, for Now

2010-11-28T22:07:00.001-07:00

It doesn't happen very often, but I occasionally have the urge to assemble a jigsaw puzzle. I like bringing order to a Big Box o' Disordered Pieces, and find that the process sometimes helps bring order to disordered thoughts, too. Puzzles often come together in sections -- the sky, perhaps, or an animal, or a section of red flowers. Finishing sections builds anticipation of the moment when the last piece is put in place.

We had a Hanging of the Greens service at church this evening. The process of decorating was mixed with explanations of symbolism and songs related to meanings. The part that most caught my attention on this particular day was about the Advent wreath:

"Something is happening, and something more is still to come."

This morning, Parker lit the first of five candles in the Advent wreath because today is the first Sunday of Advent. That one burning candle represents light of God coming into our world. It is a reminder that, in the midst of what often seems so ordinary, God is at work. He always has been. Though we may not always see it, something is happening.

As the one candle burned brightly, the other four remained dark and cool. Those are a reminder of what is yet to be. We don't usually know quite what it will look like or how it will unfold, but we can be confident that God is already in it, that He is faithful to bring about good. Whatever the future holds, we know that something more is still to come.

The season of Advent is not just the Pre-Christmas Season. It is its own time, traditionally marked by a sense of longing expectancy, of not yet experiencing fulfillment of promise but waiting for it with faith and hope. I choose in this time to celebrate what I see already happening, and to wait patiently for what is still to come.

-- Debi

Advent: Week 1

2010-11-27T15:00:00.002-07:00

November 28 is the first Sunday of Advent. Lectionary readings:
Isaiah 2:1-5
Psalm 122
Romans 13:11-14
Matthew 24:36-44
You can read them here.

About Time

2010-11-23T18:21:00.006-07:00

I have been pondering the concept of time today. We're coming up on the season of Advent, which marks the beginning of a different kind of year...

The "liturgical calendar" began in the early centuries of the Church, marking time and story particularly through the story of Jesus Christ. The rhythms and traditions of the seasons settle the Story more deeply in our souls, reminding us throughout of who God is, of who we are, and of who we can be.

I received an interesting calendar a few years ago. Rather than printing one calendar month on each page, it divides time by the liturgical seasons. It invites us to flex a bit with how we experience time. I am not planning to give up my electronic calendar anytime soon, but I do intend to focus more on the seasons this year than on the calendar months. Lectionary readings are listed, too. I am planning to use this as a reading (and writing) guide during the upcoming year, and invite others to join me in this.

In this time of transitions, I look back over the past year and forward toward the next. I wonder what will happen, and who we will become, and especially who we will become together.

-- Debi

Thanks-Giving

2010-11-20T23:30:00.001-07:00

I was in a conversation recently with a grateful fellow. He detailed many reasons he was thankful, just from the previous day or two, and smiled, "What more could I want?" He thought about it a moment, then followed up with "Well, I need a new [major internal organ], but that'll work out okay." He pondered this a moment, then returned to expressing his gratitude.

It made me smile, and it made me think. How often am I distracted by the rather small things which sometimes inconvenience my life, and miss the many good things that come my way?

-- Debi

Altars and Monuments

2010-10-11T22:56:00.000-06:00

In that day there will be an altar to the LORD in the heart of Egypt, and a monument to the LORD at its border. Isaiah 19:19

Life has a need for both altars and monuments - places to worship and to tell stories. The problem comes when we get the two confused. We must worship at the altar and tell stories at the monuments.

I have been very intentional lately about telling my son stories from when I was his age. While I know these stories can be met with the rolled eyes that typically accompany "when I was your age" stories, He seems to be very interested in them. I credit his interest to the fact that the stories haven't focused on me or any uphill walk to school (both ways). I've made the stories focus on God and what he was doing in my life as an 8 year old. Worship is a keystone for our family, but we must not forget to tells the stories of God's faithfulness.

- Joel

Not Forever

2010-09-10T08:34:00.005-06:00

We've been having some great discussions in the Wednesday night Bible study. I find myself learning something new every week, seeing scripture and people -- including me -- from new perspectives.

One of the gold nuggets I found this week is in the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. The devil came to tempt Jesus, misusing the promises of scripture in attempt to get him to compromise into doing wrong. Jesus responded each time by standing his ground and doing what was right. "Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him" (Matthew 4:11).

It was a good reminder that difficult times do not last forever. Grief, temptation, anger -- all of these wax and wane. Standing firm just a little longer, especially when it seems too much, provides space for victory.

It reminds me, too, of what Paul wrote to the Ephesians:

"Therefore put on the full armor of God,

so that when the day of evil comes,

you may be able to stand your ground,

and after you have done everything,

to stand" (Ephesians 6:13).

-- Debi

Communion

2010-09-08T17:13:00.003-06:00

Mark and I went to church in Portland this past Sunday. Before Pastor Bill served Communion there, he talked about that word. "Communion" speaks of sharing and relationship. When we take the bread and juice together in this symbolism-rich meal, it is a powerful reminder of relationships with God and with each other, made possible through Jesus Christ. And it was not just those of us in that room of that church building at that time. On that morning, I was struck by how the act of receiving Communion connected us with our home church, others with whom we have worshiped throughout our lives, and even people we've never met. I am grateful for this gift of relationship, and want to honor it.

-- Debi

Emergencies Welcome

2010-08-26T11:03:00.000-06:00

"EMERGENCIES WELCOME"

I love this sign. It's technically from a dentist's office, I think, but there is something more significant here. Emergencies are inconvenient and painful, a disturbance to everyday life. They add an element of unpredictability. To welcome emergencies is to create hospitable space in a not very hospitable time.

Isn't that who we should be as a church? By definition, much of life is routine -- eating, sleeping, working, and so forth. Love and faithfulness should shine through such routine moments. At the same time, it is right and good to create space in our hearts and minds and schedules for the other moments, too -- bumps in the road that range from inconvenience to crisis.

Emergencies happen. There is certainly no need to manufacture them! But when they come, we can welcome them with God's grace and love.

-- Debi

Paying Attention

2010-08-24T09:54:00.000-06:00

Attributed to former baseball great Yogi Berra:

"When you come to a fork in the road, take it."
"Nobody goes there anymore, it's too crowded."
"The future ain't what it used to be."
"Never answer an anonymous letter."

Much of the charm of such Yogiisms is the mix of truth and foolishness. "You can observe a lot by watching," for example. As we said when I was a kid, "Duh," right? And yet, how much do I miss because I simply was not paying attention? How much is right in front of me, and I fail to notice?

As I move through this day, I will choose to watch, to seek beauty, to appreciate quiet blessings, to notice the people whose paths I cross.

-- Debi

Difficult Words

2010-08-20T14:27:00.001-06:00

I just read an article that discloses the game HANGMAN's most difficult word. The word is "jazz". Now before you protest, lety me tell you that a computer tested every word in the English Dictionary. The "j" and "z" are seldom guessed before the noose takes full effect.

This left me wondering about difficult words in other contexts - spelling for example. One of the most often misspelled words is "bellwether." I can see where someone would want to throw in an extra "e" or "a" or "h".

What about difficult words to translate? Bart Wilson writes in Atlantic Monthly, "Did you know that fair is one-to-one untranslatable into any other language–that it is distinctly Anglo in origin? And a relatively new word at that?" He concludes that it is because it has origins in sport and has been carried over into the arena of disputes and complaints.

All this thinking about difficult words brought my mind back to a childhood Sunday School lesson where a King's life turned on one difficult word. "Then Agrippa said unto Paul, 'Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.'" Acts 26:28. Almost? How difficult this must have been for Paul. How difficult it will prove for the king. How difficult "almost" can become for us.

-- Joel

Find Some of Our Sermons Online

2010-08-20T13:58:00.002-06:00

Friendship

2010-08-12T11:20:00.005-06:00

I admit it -- I like Facebook. I enjoy hearing what is going on in the lives of people I love, seeing photos of their friends and families and fun times, getting the snippets of status updates. That said, I was challenged recently by something I read through my Leadership Journal (a great publication, by the way) subscription:

"In an article for The Chronicle of Higher Education, William Deresiewicz examines the new forms of friendship that have emerged in the age of Facebook. While social media has allowed us the opportunity to be connected to everyone, it more often than not comes at the expense of deep, meaningful, shaping friendship. Deresiewicz writes:

[Concerning] the moral content of classical friendship, its commitment to virtue and mutual improvement, that … has been lost. We have ceased to believe that a friend's highest purpose is to summon us to the good by offering moral advice and correction. We practice, instead, the nonjudgmental friendship of unconditional acceptance and support—'therapeutic' friendship, [to quote] Robert N. Bellah's scornful term. We seem to be terribly fragile now. A friend fulfills her duty, we suppose, by taking our side—validating our feelings, supporting our decisions, helping us to feel good about ourselves. We tell white lies, make excuses when a friend does something wrong, do what we can to keep the boat steady. We're busy people; we want our friendships fun and friction-free ….

With the social-networking sites of the new century—Friendster and MySpace were launched in 2003, Facebook in 2004—the friendship circle has expanded to engulf the whole of the social world, and in so doing, destroyed both its own nature and that of the individual friendship itself. Facebook's very premise—and promise—is that it makes our friendship circles visible. There they are, my friends, all in the same place. Except, of course, they're not in the same place, or, rather, they're not my friends. They're a [superficial likeness or semblance] of my friends—little dehydrated packets of images and information, no more my friends than a set of baseball cards is the New York Mets ….

Deresiewicz concludes: 'Friendship is devolving, in other words, from a relationship to a feeling—from something people share to something each of us hugs privately to ourselves in the loneliness of our electronic caves.'"

-- Jerry De Luca, Montreal West, Quebec, Canada; source: William Deresiewicz,
"Faux Friendship," The Chronicle of Higher Education (12-6-09)

I'm not planning to give up Facebook anytime soon. But this reminds me to truly value and nurture genuine, soul-transforming friendship, and not settle for any superficial imitation.

My friends, please know that I am grateful for the unconditional love and support that have been shown to me. But we must not stop there. A friendship is only true when we're willing to risk sometimes-scary conversations as we lovingly challenge each other to more fully live according to what we say we believe and value.

-- Debi

Fierce Grace and Mercy

2010-08-10T17:03:00.003-06:00

In studying Jonah this week I discovered God's grace pursuing Jonah in a terrifying, life-threatening storm and his mercy in an equally scary fish. Jonah was on the run, but God pursued him with a storm and used a fish to carry him back to where he started.

This has created a shift in my thinking. Until now, I thought of mercy and grace in a sort of warm fuzzy way. I wonder if I have ever failed to see God at work in my life because he was doing it in a fierce way rather than fuzzy. I'll be more watchful...

- Joel

Learning From the Speechless

2010-08-10T09:38:00.002-06:00

I went to the dentist a few weeks back. In the waiting room was a framed little sign that read something like this:

Blessed are those who converse with the helplessly mute,

for they will be called dentists.

I smiled because I relate. I've been serving in a chaplaincy role at a VA Medical Center in Salt Lake City. In the course of my ministry there, I often meet people who have been intubated and cannot speak. Often they also cannot write, due to immobility or weakness or tremors. It creates unique challenges, calling for lots of patience and creativity on all sides.

And you know something? I am indeed blessed in the process. I am becoming more empathetic; learning to listen better, and to "listen" even when people cannot speak; realizing how many of my words are useless and focusing more on the ones that matter. I am so very grateful for the many patients who have been teaching me.

-- Debi

Abounding

2010-08-09T08:54:00.001-06:00

Pastor Joel asked me this past week to help the children learn a Bible verse: "The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in love" (Psalm 103:8). My desire is for the knowledge of God's good nature to become planted in their souls and build deep roots there, so we put motion and tone to the words to help it stick.

Of course, this is not just for children, but for youth and adults, too, so I "invited" the congregation to join us in. Not only did the congregation learn the verse, but participated with enthusiasm and had fun with it. We put aside our sometimes-serious selves as we played together, supported the kids, and learned from scripture. I was proud of the good folks at Rosewood Lane.

The choice of Psalm 103:8 was not random, of course. Pastor Joel preached a great message on the story of Jonah. If you'd like to hear it again (or hear it for the first time), let me know and I'll create an audio copy for you.

-- Debi

God Multiplies What We Give

2010-08-05T20:42:00.002-06:00

In the miracle of the feeding of the 5000, Jesus performed an incredible miracle. It was a miralce that began with a group of people offering to Jesus what they had. None of what they gave was much, but it was critical. The boy gave a possession, his lunch. Andrew, as he has a reputation for doing, brought the boy. The disciples used the food Jesus placed in their hands. The crowd exerted the effort to run around the lake to show up where Jesus would be.

Is there a possession, a relationship, a gift He's given me, or some extra effort that I can give Him in order that He might do something miraculous?

- Joel