Tuesday, December 17, 2013

We Need a Little Christmas

In the Children's time last Sunday I asked them to tell me what were their favorite Christmas specials.  Going over all of the movies and cartoons shown at Christmas, it is no wonder that people are overlooking Christ in Christmas.  Don't get me wrong, I love all of the Christmas movies and specials.  Every year I watch "Holiday Inn", "Miracle on 34th Street", "White Christmas", and  "It's a Wonderful Life".  They are all wonderful movies with good moral lessons, but none of them talk about Jesus at all.  The children's programs aren't much better.  I love "Frosty", "Rudolph", and all the rest.  Now admittedly Jesus gets a couple of significant nods in my two favorites.

In "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" they choose Christmas Eve to get married, "because it is the holiest night of the year."  So Santa at least knows about Christmas being about Jesus in that one.  But my favorite is how Charles M. Schultz comments on this very problem in the Charlie Brown Christmas Special.  Charlie Brown is sick of all of the commercial Christmas stuff and the way people are acting and he asks if anyone can tell him what Christmas is really about.  Linus steps up and recites Luke 2:8-16 from memory.  Kudos to Linus' Sunday School teacher!  That scripture telling about Jesus being born totally changes Charlie Brown's attitude toward Christmas, and in the end it makes all the other kids more giving and forgiving, too.

The reason for Christmas is that "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son."  The Christmas story tells of how God loves us enough to want to come and be one of us.  That is life changing.  With all of the stories of people shooting, stabbing, or trampling each other to get the last whatever from the store, I think that the world really needs to be reminded the true meaning of Christmas.  Jesus came to bring peace on earth and good will to all.  Christmas is Jesus' birthday.  Those presents are reminding us of the gift we were given in Jesus.  I don't think that the Prince of Peace would be all that thrilled with the strife we are causing in the name of Christmas.

Have a blessed and peaceful Christmas!

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Congressional Time Out

Back several years ago there was a book called "Everything I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten." I think we may need a refresher on some of them.  How about sharing and compromise.  If there is only one toy truck in the room and two kids want to play with it, they either have to share it and play together or take turns.  If a child started to throw a tantrum saying I want everything my way, then the teacher would put them in time out to cool down and learn that you HAVE to share and compromise.  No one gets everything their way...

Ergo, I believe that congress must function below the level of Kindergarteners.  No one can have everything they want all the time.  You have to share and compromise.  And the garbage I have seen floating around the internet  where one side says "It's not our fault.  What we want is best.  Only the other side is guilty."  Bull!  BOTH parties are trying to get people to believe that.  Both parties need a serious time out and need to grow up.  They are not hurting themselves, they are hurting the country.  They are hurting the very people that they have sworn to serve.

The only good piece of advice I have heard was a radio commercial encouraging everyone to not vote by party next time, but vote out ALL the incumbents.  That way letting them know that we have had enough of their stupid partisan fighting. 

We all have to live together.  Everyone needs to learn to play nice and compromise, or our country is doomed...  or maybe I should say our world.

Another way to look at it is that we need a remedial course on "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" and how about "turn the other cheek."

The only question is where do we find enough little chairs and corners to put the whole Federal Government in a time out?

I seriously wish and pray for us to all have Grace and Peace!

The best I can do is pray "Lord Help us!"

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Learning to Laugh

A friend and I were joking around about getting Benny Hinn and Benny Hill confused...  I joked that if they really had a Church conference based on Benny Hill, sign me up!  It would be my kind of conference.

The more I think about it the more I think it would be a good idea.  Most of the church takes itself way too seriously.  I mean we are condemning and even suing each other.  That looks really great to the outside world!

We could really use some classes on:

"How to laugh at yourself 101"
"How to deal with hecklers"  (That is at least a 200 level course!)
and "Enjoying God's sense of humor"  (If you don't think God has a sense of humor you need to 1. read Jesus' parables and 2. go to the zoo and really look at a platypus.)

Most of the problems in the church come about when Christians take themselves too seriously.  We are all sinners bumbling through this life.  (Cue the Benny Hill Soundtrack...)  We need to stop, take a deep breath, and understand that we can't be right all the time, and we will NEVER be perfect.  Why not try to relax and enjoy your brothers and sisters, rather than judging and condemning?  You might find life a lot more fun that way!

Grace and Peace!

Monday, August 26, 2013

I Feel Like an Ogre Mom

I was raised according to Proverbs 22:6, "Train Children in the right way, and when old, they will not stray."  My parents set rules and we were expected to obey them.  When they were broken, we knew that there were consequences.  So when Jon-Paul and I decided to start a family we talked about  how we wanted to raise our children and set down some rules.

Before our kids were even old enough to say, "But mom, everybody else can do it" we noticed that not all parents were as strict as we were.  Sometimes I felt like an ogre.  But when the pediatrician said that they needed a certain number of hours sleep a night, I made sure they would get it.  They had a bed time and had to abide by it.

We would not let them buy a new computer game or go to a strange web site without checking it out first.  And if any of the language that they heard on TV, at school, or in video games crept into their speech, they were warned, and if it didn't stop, punished.  We even called them on language when their friends were over!  They were mortified.  We got many an eye roll when we would insist, "We are not their parents, so we can't make the rules for them.  But we ARE your parents and you WILL abide by our rules."  Often I asked Jon-Paul if he thought we were too strict.  No one else seemed to have as many rules as we did.  I felt like an ogre.

I went to the presentation for parents at Alexander's new High School and was flabbergasted at what they kept stressing.  You need to make sure they come to school.  You need to make sure they do their work.  And since our school district gives each High School student an IPad, they wanted us to know that if they caught any child with porn or other inappropriate content on their IPad, it could take up to two weeks for them to get it back while the tech department cleaned off the inappropriate content.  Let me tell you, if I find porn or inappropriate content on my kids' computer or I device, it will be more than two weeks that they are without it!  We paid for it, we have the right to enforce our rules on it.  So, I must be an ogre.

But what really got me was an open letter of apology to her children's teachers that some mom started circulating around the net.  The gist was she was sorry her kids were unprepared and didn't want to go back to school....  Her first point was that she didn't make them pick up a book or pencil all summer...  My kids have had summer reading assigned every year since about second grade.  We get the book and make sure it is completely read before class starts in the fall because we know it will be tested that first week of school.  This year it was "The Princess Bride" and all summer I would ask where he was and what was going on in the story.  I wish I had fun summer reading like that when I was in school.  But, needless to say, as an ogre mom, my kids were never worried about their first big test grade of the year.  They had it down cold.

During the school year homework came before play.  If they had trouble, we would sit with our boys as long as it took to get it done right...  Funny thing, the mom writing the letter talked about how much her kids dreaded school and cried when they had to go back.  Our kids always had a backpack full of new pens, pencils, paper, and everything they needed.  They were sent off with an "I love you!  You will have a great year."  They always looked forward to the start of school.  They felt confident and ready.

Another point in the apology letter was that they would be tired, because they let their kids stay up as late as they wanted all summer long.  We let our kids stay up later in the summer, but they still had a bedtime.  We did tell Martin when he turned 18 that he could set his own bed time, but he was expected to get up when he was supposed to, and no falling asleep in class or in church.  I don't really want my kids online after midnight.  I know who is online that late at night.  I know what kind of language they use.  I do not think it is an appropriate place for my kids to be...  I must be an ogre.

But then again...  We dropped Martin off at college last week.  If we were such strict ogres of parents he will surely run amuck, right?  So what did Martin do his first says on campus?  He went bowling with a Christian group on campus, walked around campus to find all his class rooms so he would know where to go, went to a Bible study and posted his thoughts on the feeding of the 5000, and on Sunday, even though it was not listed on Google Maps, he managed to find the church he wanted to try and attended worship.  I am a very proud mama ogre!

And last night, Alexander's last night before High School we called up to ask him what he wanted for dinner.  What was he doing?  He had spent two hours going over his Algebra notes from last year, "Because they would be using some of the formulas in Geometry."  We didn't suggest it, he decided to do it on his own.  Then, he brought down his fully loaded and organized back pack.  Again, I am a proud ogre mom!

My boys are almost all grown up.  They are to the point where they make their own choices.  Many parents dread this time.  Now that I am seeing the choices that they are making on their own as young adults, I am very glad that I was an ogre!  After all Shrek and Fiona didn't have it all that bad, now did they.  So if you are worried that discipline may harm your child's creativity or their potential to be happy kids, don't!  Some day they may thank you for being an ogre when they are successful, well adjusted adults!

Peace!

Friday, August 9, 2013

Isn't There Enough Wrath Already?

Sometimes I wonder if people just need things to protest about.  The PC(USA) is coming out with a new Hymnal in September.  I have seen the hymn list and think it is awesome!  It has more gospel songs, more songs from around the world, more folk songs, and more contemporary choruses without losing any of the old favorites.  They have almost twice the songs as the current blue hymnal by giving the congregation just the vocal part and harmony and having the accompaniment in a separate spiral bound book.

This should be exciting!  This should be bringing Presbyterians together.  It should be something to rejoice about.  So what articles are being published about this wonderful step forward?

Conservative Presbyterians are screaming that it is liberal propaganda.  Why?  Because the committee choosing the hymns asked a contemporary song writer if they could change the line "The wrath of God was satisfied" to "the love of God was magnified."  The writers said, "NO!" and so after much debate they decided not to use that praise song and put in another instead.

One song...  There are still plenty of hymns talking about God's wrath and Jesus' saving act.  They have even put in a blood hymn or two.  There is more variety in this hymnal than every before.  So, because they decided to skip one song (Which any church that has a CCLI license can still use every Sunday if they want to...) the committee is now "pushing a liberal agenda". 

Give me a break!  This is why the world outside the church thinks that we are petty and crazy. 

Why on earth would you label a person or a group of people just because they don't like a song that you like?  Seriously people!

Jesus came to bring the love and forgiveness of God and we are dumping wrath all over each other in public over one line in one song.  Get over yourselves! 

I think that the Presbyterian church is wonderful because it doesn't tell you that you have to be liberal or conservative.  They leave that between you and God.  Yes that does make it harder to pick hymns for the new hymnal without offending someone.  Oh well!  In the grand eternal scheme of things what does one line matter.  It is not like they tried to have a line changed in the Bible.

Regardless of whether or not you like the song I think the committee had one thing right.  The PC(USA) needs love to be magnified much more than it needs wrath to be satisfied.

Grace and Peace!

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

My Best Friend Is...

Today I had a revelation thanks to a comment by a teenage girl.  My son, after hearing the Supreme Court decisions this morning, was commenting how he as a white, male, heterosexual, Republican agreed with and stood behind the court's decision, and was taking some flack for it.  In his defense, one of his friends said, "One of his best friends is.." (referring to herself.)

I thought, "You know, everyone needs to have best friends who are different, even opposite to what they are."  That would solve a lot of the world's problems.  It would stop almost all prejudice, because "that group over there" would no longer be a stereotype.

A couple of childish examples from my own childhood.  One of my best friends in my kindergarten ballet class was Jewish.  She was very devout and even touched the Mezuzah on her door on the way in and out of her house.  (Thanks to my good Presbyterian Sunday School teachers, my five year old self even knew what that was!)  But we lived in an area where some nasty jokes and slurs about Jews were common.  Even at 5 years old I became offended when someone referred to "St. Jewish Park" instead of St. Louis Park.  They were not insulting some unknown group.  They were insulting one of my best friends.  I could not go along with it, even though our faith was different.  She was my friend (or to put it in Jesus' terms, she was my neighbor) and I loved her.

In Junior High I lived in an area of Pittsburg that was split between Polish and Italian immigrants.  My best friend was Polish, and you had better not make any Polock jokes in front of me.  It didn't matter that she wasn't from the same ethnic background as me.  She was my friend (neighbor) and she did not fit their stereotypes.

While I was an Associate Pastor I served with some pastors who were very conservative and some who were very liberal, and even a few who were somewhere in the middle like me.  I learned that you didn't always have to agree with their theology to love them and be their friend.  But having friends all over the religious spectrum did help me to learn to LISTEN and to love people where they were.

The same is true with politics.  I think that every Right Wing Tea Party member needs at least one best friend who is a flaming liberal, and vice versa!  I have friends all over the spectrum in politics, too.  That is one reason that I do not post many political comments because no matter what side I take I would be offending half my friends.  But again it teaches me to listen and try to understand their perspective.

You don't stereotype your best friend.  They are not some religious fanatic or some political freak; they are your friend with whom you may not always agree.  It really does change your perspective.  Think about it.  Think back to when you were young and naïve.  Was it easier to think badly about someone with different color skin before you had a friend of a different race?  Was it easier to think of someone as a Muslim extremist if you didn't know anyone of the Muslim faith?  Was it easier to look down on homosexuals when you didn't know any?  The problem is that a lot of people won't make friends with someone who is different, and it goes both ways.  I am sure that many homosexuals would be reluctant to go up to that Rightwing Fundamentalist and ask them to coffee.

In general humans usually seek out people like them to be their friends, and I think that is sad.  I don't know how I managed to collect such an eclectic group of friends, but I thank God for them.  When ever I hear a stereotype in the news or even at coffee hour I stop and say, "wait a minute... that isn't true."  It gives me a more accepting perspective.

Now, this is supposed to be a religious blog, so where does God come into this.  I think that there are two obvious connections.  As I mentioned earlier, when asked "Who is my neighbor?" Jesus answered with the good Samaritan story.  A person who was ethnically, religiously, and nationally hated by the Jews.  Jesus might answer the question today with the story of the Good Taliban.  For Jesus' answer to who we must love as ourselves, he threw every prejudice and stereotype in their faces.  That is who you must love, the ones your culture says you should hate.

Then we come to the argument many religious groups have.  "Yes, but they are sinners.  I can't be friends with sinners.  I can't love sinners..."  Well watch out with that one!  You had better be ready to hate yourself.  Paul reminds us that we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.  You know what?  Not every church and not every Christian interprets the Bible the same or agrees on what is sin.  I am proud to be a Presbyterian where they uphold each person's right to interpret the scripture for themselves.  It is between you and God!  So, yes there are many dear Christian friends that I strongly disagree with and that I think are wrong!  The catch is that they think I am wrong, too, but we are still friends.  (Occasionally frustrated with each other, but still friends.)  So, since we are all sinners, I assume that all of us are right sometimes and wrong sometimes, and that is OK.  Only God is right all of the time.  We are NOT God.

So, I encourage you the next time you are looking at a group that is different from you, whether political, religious, or nationally ask yourself if you have any best friends in that group?  Before you go believing a stereotype get to know someone.  Make a friend!  You don't always have to agree with your friend, but you usually give them the respect to listen to them.  It is easier to love them as we are called to.  It is easier to see them as your brother and sister, because after all they are God's children, too.

In my opinion the only one who is allowed to make a tasteless joke about a group is a member of that group.  Hence I can make jokes about my blond roots showing (because it actually is blond under the red dye somewhere), but you can't unless you too are blond.  If you need someone to make fun of, try yourself because as sinful humans we all do some rather funny things.

Grace and Peace!

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Throwing Stones

I had a conversation with a friend yesterday where he had been upset by a comment by a coworker.  His coworker insisted that one of his friends was committing an unforgivable sin and was going straight to hell for it.  I will not mention what the "sin" is because I don't want this blog going off in the wrong direction...

I do not believe that there are any "unforgivable sins."  Mass murderers can be converted and repent and be forgiven.  You are not going to go to hell because of what movies you decide to see, or if you go out for a beer after work, or if you decide to go dancing on a Sunday.  (Gasp!)  There are some churches that would condemn me for saying that, but then again they would condemn me for being a woman and daring to speak in church, too.

So, my thoughts on pointing fingers and calling others sinners...  In John 8 Jesus had a prostitute dragged in front of him by a lot of self righteous people.  They wanted to stone her.  That is the punishment for adultery, after all.  (Personally, I want to know where the person was that she was caught with...  It takes two to tango, so to speak.  Why wasn't he there in danger of stoning... but I digress...) 

Jesus told them. "You who are without sin, throw the first stone."  At least they were all smart enough to realize that none of them were perfect.  They all put their stones down and left.  Jesus then forgave the woman and let her go!  All through the Gospels the people Jesus got the angriest at were those pointing out another person's sin.  The Pharisees were so proud of how they "followed all the laws" and Jesus wouldn't stand for it.  We are all sinners.  Jesus died for all of our sins.  If Jesus died so that my sins would be forgiven and washed away, who are you to say that Jesus can't forgive me?

Every time someone tried to point out someone else's sins to Jesus, the person he condemned was the one pointing their finger.  The people who put down their stones, realized their mistakes were lucky.  Jesus didn't have to chastise them.

Why do we always want to point out the sins of others?  What is so attractive about being Pharisaical?  Maybe putting others down makes us feel bigger or better about our sinful selves.  So the next time you want to point out someone else's sins, remember what Paul said.  "We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God."  Yes, Jesus died for your sins, but he died for the person you are pointing a finger at, too...

Maybe it would be best for us all to try to see to our own faults and failings and leave the judging to God.  Now, I am not saying that it is wrong to give gentle and loving advice, if you see someone going the wrong direction, but have you ever seen anyone improve their life or attitude because they were told they were horrible and evil?

Remember that Jesus suggested that before we take the speck out of our brother or sister's eye, we need to take care of the log in our own.  (Mt. 7:3-5)

Grace and Peace!

Thursday, April 25, 2013

How Quickly We Hate

I am somewhat disturbed by how quickly people move from disappointment, to hate, then on to wishing bad things on others.  I have seen several examples this week, and I just have to say something.  I am going to start with the smallest, and least important incident.

We have a neighborhood social media site where people can post things including reviews of local businesses.  Today a neighbor posted that she was disappointed in the service and quality of food at a local mom and pop Asian Fusion place.  Fine, good, I was disappointed the last time I went, too.  It happens.  If it is a one time fluke, fine.  If it happens too much, I may decide not to go there anymore.  The responses to her post got more and more hateful.  First people said they hated it.  Then, they started using nasty names.  Then, two different people said "I hope they go out of business soon."  How did we get from I am disappointed in the service to I hate them and hope something bad happens?  Perhaps it is just the fallen nature of humanity.

But what really disturbs me is that they may really mean it.  This is literally a mom and pop place.  The husband works in the kitchen ALONE while the wife waits tables.  They try to hire local high school students for their extra help, which not many businesses will do now a days.  They even opened their dining room to the East Broad Outreach Center so they could have their worship there for several months.  Are these "evil" people who deserve to be driven out of business?  OK, so if their food isn't good, maybe they need to think about another job opportunity, but do they deserve to be hated?

Now I will move on to two much more emotionally charged subjects, the bombing of the Boston Marathon and the explosion in West, Texas.  My friend Brendon, who is from Boston, asked if it was OK to be angry at a woman who made a tasteless joke about the bombing when he mentioned where he was from.  I told him "yes" it is OK to have righteous anger, but that doesn't give us the right to act on it.  Anger, even righteous anger often turns into hate.  That is why God tells us to leave vengeance to the Lord.

It was completely right and justified to be angry about what happened in Boston.  It was clearly a crime of prejudice and hate!  But when the FBI released pictures of the suspects the whole nation seemed to seethe with hate for these two people.  Like I said righteous anger is fine.  Be angry at what these people did.  Hope that they get justice!  But if you let it turn to hate it often turns horribly wrong...  Early on some well meaning citizen said, gee that looks like someone I go to school with, and for a few hours the Internet reported that the suspect was an innocent college student who wasn't even there.  The FBI soon corrected it and the web site apologized, but it was too late.  They found the innocent student dead, floating in a river near his apartment.  We don't know exactly what happened, but I think it is safe to say that he was a victim of the nation's hate.

It was similar to an incident the week after 9/11.  A Muslim woman went to shop at a Walmart two blocks from the church where I worked.  Because she was wearing traditional Muslim dress, the other shoppers nearly beat her to death, an innocent victim of hate that got out of control.

The last incident I want to mention is about the Westboro Baptist Church group that takes hate to a whole new level.  They protested both the funerals of those who died in Boston and were threatening to do the same in West.  Their protest?  We hate homosexuals so we are going to protest victims of disasters.  This group is very easy to hate, in my opinion.  Still I remind myself, "hate the sin, not the sinner."  But I was deliriously happy when the sheriff of West declared if even one protester showed up, he would arrest them and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.  Yes, finally someone willing to stand up to those hate mongers.  And it is the proper authority, so we can be righteous in our anger.

But I worry a bit...  It took a whole 10 minutes for a complaint about a restaurant to turn into hate and wishing them ill.  We are human.  We are sinful.  How far or how long does it take for my (or your) very justified righteous anger to turn into hate.  God loves everyone, that doesn't mean that they will not face judgement for what they do.  But we should not be so quick to hate what God loves.  God would rather that a sinner be redeemed, that the lost be found.  God would love for the Westboro Baptist Church to have a change of heart and start preaching love instead of hate.

So, the next time I have the knee jerk reaction to say I hate someone or something, I am going to try to stop and think about all the pain and suffering hate has caused over the past week.  It is OK to be angry, but hate is a very dangerous and evil thing.

Love and Peace!

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

A Shepherd for the Darkest Valley


In light of the bombings at the Boston Marathon I think it is appropriate that this coming Sunday is what is known as Shepherd Sunday, where we remember that even through the valley of the shadow of death that God leads us.  Our Good Shepherd stands by us through all the hardships that the world can throw at us.
There is really nothing that we can say in the face of such hatred and evil where innocent lives are taken or destroyed.  But we can find comfort from our Good Shepherd.  So I would like to let the scripture speak for itself this morning starting with Psalm 23 (NRSV)
"1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters;
3 he restores my soul.
He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I fear no evil; for you are with me;
your rod and your staff-- they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD my whole life long."


Revelation 7 is the New Testament Lesson for Sunday.  It addresses those who suffered and died unjustly:

13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, robed in white, and

where have they come from?” 14 I said to him, “Sir, you are the one that knows.” Then he

said to me, “These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed

their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

15 For this reason they are before the throne of God,

and worship him day and night within his temple,

and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them.

16 They will hunger no more, and thirst no more;

the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat;

17 for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd,

and he will guide them to springs of the water of life,

and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
When a tragedy like this happens, people want to make sense of it.  But you can't always make sense out of the actions of a twisted mind.  We may not be able to do much about the suffering of April 15, but we can still give hope that God will eventually have the final say.

To end, there has been a quote from fellow Presbyterian Minister, Mr. Rogers that has floated around the Internet for some time.  It resurfaced a lot yesterday.  When tragedy strikes and terrible things happen, look for the helpers.  All our thanks to those who provided aid and comfort during yesterday's tragedy!

Love and Peace.

Monday, March 25, 2013

The Need to Be First

I think one thing that our society has wrong is the uncontrollable need to be first.  Just look at Texas drivers; they may actually want to drive 10 mph slower than you, but they will pass you first so that they can be in front.  It is a "me first" society.  People don't seem to care who they inconvenience or even endanger as long as they get what they want.  I saw two completely unrelated things today that exhibited this.

First, a father pulled through a cross walk where a teacher had traffic stopped because children were crossing.  He didn't care that he almost hit the teacher or the children.  He just wanted to drop his own kid off in front of the cross walk so he wouldn't have to wait the ten seconds it would take for the kids to finish crossing after his kid got out of his car.

Second, and definitely more bizarre, a Kroger shopper cut off the tops of two pineapples  before she put them in her car, leaving the tops just lying on the ground by her car as she pulled away.  I guess it was too much to ask for her to throw them in her trash at home, in the trash can by where she returned her cart, or hey even planting them.  I guess she is not as bad as the guy I saw last week, because at least pineapple tops are biodegradable.  There was a guy who bought half a dozen bags of ice and several 24 packs of beer.  He immediately fills the cooler in the back of his pickup truck, leaving the trash and his basket in the space next to him.  The basket return with its trash can was two spaces away.  It would have been way too hard to walk the 12 feet to get to them...

Both of these instances show the mind set that "whatever I want takes precedence over anyone or anything else."  We were NOT created with the right to be first.  In fact this goes against our creation.

Even celebrities have noticed this trend.  They have founded a site called "I Am Second" helping people try to stop thinking of themselves first.  That is all well and good, but the saying actually goes I am THIRD, not second.  It is based on the Biblical passage where the Pharisees ask Jesus what are the two greatest commandments.  His answer is Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself.  So, saying "I am third" means that you put God first, the needs of your neighbor (everyone else) second, and then think about what you want.  I don't know whether the "I Am Second" people are putting themselves above God or their neighbors.  Either way they are missing something.

I have always tried to live by the two greatest commandments to love God and neighbor.  If you truly try to love someone you will treat them properly.  (Or to quote the Golden Rule, treat them as you would like to be treated.) 

I know this is hard.  There are going to be people that make you late.  There are going to be phone calls you don't want to miss while you are driving.  There are going to be times when doing the right thing is inconvienient.  But as Christians we were not promised that being a disciple would be easy.  I think it will make the world a better place, though...

Thursday, February 21, 2013

(Anti)Social Media

I was on our neighborhood's "Next Door" Social media site and noticed a conversation about people being mean to others on the site.  It made me think of how social media has changed the way we interact with people.

Don't misunderstand me.  I am on social media sites multiple times a day.  They have helped me reconnect with friends from High school, college, and past churches.  I know more about my friends and family's lives than I ever have before.  But I have noticed that people interact very differently.

First, they use all those Internet abbreviations, lol, etc...  I actually have caught people using ones that they do NOT know what they mean.  Many of them are substitutes for four letter words that I know the person typing them would never be caught dead saying in public.  There is even a donut shop near our house named "OMG Donuts".  Do they know what it stands for or do they just think it is a strong exclamation.  I have actually been told by multiple teenagers that using that set of letters does not break the commandment to not take the Lord's name in vain...  "I'm not cussing.  That is just an exclamation."  I even have gotten e-mail advertisements using a capitol F in their header, where it clearly stands for what you think it does...

OK, so people are using abbreviations to get around software that edits explicit words.  The thing is, if you would not say it to a person's face, should you be putting it in print.

But that is not the whole gist of the discussion on our neighborhood site.  People were upset that people were name calling and saying hateful things about peoples' posts.  If you ran into your neighbor while checking mail and they made a comment about people speeding through school zones would you call them hateful names and cuss them out if you didn't agree?  I wouldn't!  I would say something like, "I see what you mean" and if I strongly disagreed, I would then give my opinion as another option.

I think because we can talk in live time without seeing the face of the person you are chatting with, somehow people think that means they can say whatever pops into their head.  This may be one of the reasons that cyber bullying has become such a problem.  People behave differently online than they do face to face.  I want to ask, "Should we?"  If you wouldn't be caught dead saying something, why would you put it in print for the whole world to see?  That is one reason companies looking to hire now often ask for your facebook or twitter handles.  They want to see what you are like when you are on the computer.

I admit that I do occasionally vent about someone who drives crazy in a school zone or cuts me off on the way to work.  So, I am guilty of Internet venting, too.  But I am going to make a point to try to remember what my mother and grandmother taught me, "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all."  If everyone would stop and think before they type, the Internet would be a much more pleasant place, and it might even carry over into the real world.

Grace and Peace!

Thursday, January 31, 2013

In the World But Not of It

I am a little sad this morning.  We may see the end of an era in the next few weeks.  I have always been proud to be Presbyterian.  I believe we are doing our best to be faithful in difficult time.  I believe that in being a democracy our denomination makes better decisions by following the will of the majority rather than the dictates of one.  But we are sinful and don't always make the most Godly decisions.

Our Board of Pensions has always followed suit.  They had a wonderfully Christian policy.  Your retirement and health care costs were a percentage of your salary.  Everyone paid the same percentage.  Whether you made $12,000 a year or $500, 000 you paid the same percentage.  The big churches thus supported the little churches.  The big guys held up the little guys.  It may not have made sense in the world's standards, but it was a wonderful blessing on the poorer pastors and churches.  It showed the New Testament principle of all in the church sharing with each other and caring for the least of these.  In fact that same percentage covered you and your family.  There were no extra payments for those with spouses or children.  We truely took care of our own.

Now, because of rising health care costs they are having to rethink.  So, the Board of Pensions is considering doing what the rest of the secular world is doing...  And in good Presbyterian fashion, it is going up for a vote.  They will still have the percentage payment to cover the pastor, but if you want your spouse or children covered you will pay a set fee per month.  For me that fee is 36% of my salary!  For that minister making $500,000 at a mega church, it is pocket change...  Yes, that is how the rest of the world does it.  I understand that something must be done to cover the rising cost of health care...  So one option is charging a fee... That is why most of the working poor have no health insurance, or their families don't.  That is why Obama sought to have universal health care...  And oddly enough, why health care costs have gone up forcing this change.

So, if the vote goes that way in a few weeks, we Presbyterians will say goodbye to our special Christian care and love that we showed by upholding each other.  We will become just like the world, at least in terms of our health care.  Small churches and the pastors that feel called to serve them will be the ones who suffer.  I wonder what will happen to "the least of these" as the world adds more and more burdens on the poor and the small...  In Jeremiah's day they got overrun and carried into exile...  Perhaps we can mend our ways before it goes that far...  China owns most of us already...

Lord have mercy on us sinners...

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Disturbing Statistics

Today many of my friends have been remembering the Roe Vs. Wade decision by posting either positive or negative articles about abortion.  I generally try not to be political, so I skim over them or skip them all entirely.  I know the facts.  I know my position.  Why get involved in this divisive debate, right?

Well, one of the posts seemed so skewed and ridiculous that I decided to take the stand of my son's government class and fact check it.  I would then, quietly and privately, give him the correct information.  I mean, you shouldn't let friends post inflammatory propaganda, right?

So, I went to the www.census.gov web site to find the correct information to give him.  His statistics were right...  I am actually sick to my stomach for knowing this...

In the US every year 27% of all pregnancies end in abortion.  Sad, but not that surprising.  What I had never seen was the statistics broken down by race...  Only 21% of Caucasian pregnancies end in abortion compared to 63.9% of all African American pregnancies.  Well over 50% of African American pregnancies end in abortion???  505 out of every 1000 African American fetuses are terminated.

Now, I do not believe that the government should be allowed to dictate how a woman cares for her body or what she and her doctor thinks is medically best.  Although I myself could not ever see me getting an abortion, I do not believe in taking the right to choose away from other women.  But that being said, something in our society is really messed up here!

I don't believe, like my friend's rant states, that it is a nefarious plot of the racist head of Planned Parenthood.  I support planned parenthood for all the good they do for confused young people.  I am not going to change my political stance over this disturbing statistic, but I do wonder what should or could be done.

I don't have any answers today.  I don't know if this is somehow related to racism, or cultural differences, or a failure of our education system.  The best I can say is that we are somehow failing these women.  All I can think to do is pray, and deal compassionately with the women who come to me seeking council.  I do know that in our fallen and sinful society what we really need is the compassion and grace of our Lord, Jesus.  I know that Jesus loves these women and knows that they are hurting.

I know that this doesn't leave any of you satisfied.  My heart will hurt for quite a while over this.  But we can pray for a better tomorrow.  We can pray for all of the women, young and old, who are faced with this decision.  We can love, accept, and uphold all God's children, rather than judge them.  That is what we are called to do.

Peace...

Sunday, January 13, 2013

I Don't Want to Go Alone

I have a very neurotic rescue dog.  She has serious abandonment issues.  She doesn't like us to leave, and fusses at us when we get home.  At least now that we have had her six plus years, she has stopped destroying things in fear when we leave...  But the weirdest thing is that she will not go to the "bathroom" alone.  You have heard men joke about women being unable to go to the bathroom unless someone goes with them, well with Angel it is true.  If we let her out and Snoopy doesn't feel like going she will stand at the back door and bark insistently until he gets up and has us let him out, too.  Then, and only then, will Angel venture out into the back yard.

Today in my sermon I talked about the Holy Spirit going with us always.  Sometimes it is like a dove sometimes a blazing fire.  Sometimes we can't always feel it, but God's Spirit is always there.  In the Bible, when God's people couldn't feel God's presence, they complained and called out until they got an answer.  They were often neurotic and annoying, and there were even times when God didn't really want to be with the whiny people.  For example, Moses had to beg God to go with them after the Golden Calf incident.  "If your presence will not go, do not carry us from here.  For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, and I and your people if you do not go with us?"  (Exodus 33:15-16)  Like Angel, God's people didn't want to go anywhere unless they knew that God was going to go with them.

I think that may be part of our problem today.  Many people don't care whether God goes with them or not.  Some people feel that it's OK if God wants to come along, but they are fine either way.  Some others would rather God not go with them.  As a culture I think we have lost the deep need to know that God is with us.  We no longer beg God, like Moses.  We often don't even think about it.  We try to live our lives on our own, and it doesn't always work out that well.

I want God to go with me, even though I am sometimes embarrassed that means that God will know what I think and do.  God does promise to go with us.  In fact, there is no place where we can go where God's presence isn't already there.  So for those who hope God won't come along and see what they are doing... oops, sorry!

We sometimes feel God's presence very strongly.  Sometimes the Spirit is like a fire in our life.  Sometimes is is more subtle like a dove.  Sometimes we won't even be able to feel it.  That doesn't mean that God has left the building.  That means that we are not in tune with what God's doing.

I think that maybe we would be better people if we were a little more like the Israelites, or even Angel.  I don't mean whiny and annoying.  But if we actually prayed for God to go with us.  If we actually invited God along on our journey, then maybe we would think about our decisions more.  Maybe we would worry less.  (OK, in Angel's case I'm not sure that part works... other than, she has started to believe that I will come back when I go to work or the store...)

We don't have to go alone.  God is with us.  Perhaps the world would be a better place if we acted like it.

Peace