The Shorter Sunday Sermon "Elijah and the Widow"

Bible Story: 1 Kings 17: 8-25 Elijah and the Widow

Elijah has a difficult job as a prophet. Think about it, he moves around a lot, he has a hard time making friends, he doesn't make a steady income, he is not always a popular guy, since most often he is telling Kings and Queens that they are wrong. In this text, we meet Elijah fleeing from King Ahab, who he has basically told off. 

 "At first, God sends Elijah into the wildnerness, to recoup, to hide, and to have some quality silent time with God. But, a prophet’s job is never done, and so God calls him out of the wilderness, and sends him back to dwell with people. God sends him to Zarapeth to find a widow..

  Now Zarapeth is not the safest spot for Elijah, it is the hometown of Jezebel, the queen who hates, Elijah, and Zarepeth is in Sidon, which is enemy territory, the citizens of this area follow Baal not the God of Israel. But Elijah goes,

we hear no protests

we see no wavering

Elijah is obedient to God’s command, even when those commands are taking him to difficult places, to places of discomfort, to places of fear, Elijah is obedient and he goes, to Zarapeth, to meet a widow."

 Has God been calling you to a new place? Or is God calling you to new people? Are you protesting? Or are you obedient? 

  What do you think it would look like if you were obedient?Spend a few moments imagining that story line. 

   "And here, the story unfolds, she is indeed a widow with a son. Her son would be considered an orphan since there are no adult males to protect and provide for him. It seems God’s message to feed Elijah has not arrived yet, or maybe it arrived and she missed it, because she is not a believer, maybe she dismissed God’s message, made an excuse...we’ve all been there. Anyway, her story unfolds...she does not have enough food and water to share with Elijah, but she will share what she has..and Elijah utters to her words we hear throughout the Bible,

 Do Not Be Afraid!

   What are you afraid of right now? Is there a list? Pick one thing. Ask God to take away the fear. How would your life be different if you were released from that one fear?

Elijah says, to the widow your cabinets are bare, but your oil and flour, they will not run out, they will not be empty, this is what the word of the Lord says, you and your household will be provided for, no more worries.

  Elijah enters this woman’s household, and he dwells there for some time, some scholars believer he was there for years. In the center of enemy territory and his enemies did not find him. Elijah trusted God, in this time of personal strain and stress, he trusted God and stays in the bullseye and shares the presence of God with these people, the least, the last and the lost.

  Do you feel like you are in enemy territory? Do you feel trapped? Are you just in an uncertain place? Where in your life is God calling you to trust him?

  Elijah dwells in this uncertain place and speaks the words of the Lord. Elijah preaches, and teaches to these people who are in the land of Baal. Elijah, the manifestation of the Word of God, dwells with the people and the bread and oil never run out.  Elijah sleeps as these people sleep, on the floor, with ears perked for intruders and enemies that lurk in the shadow. But he is not alone.

Is night time a hard time for you? Do your worries fill your mind in the quiet stillness of the night? What if this were instead a time of listening for God, being still and trusting in God's presence?

  In the darkness, in the fear, this community of people who are at life’s lowest points, to people who know hunger, and death, who have no income, whose bills can’t be paid, who have no jobs, and no health insurance, Elijah’s speaks the Word of God...Do not be Afraid, I am here.

  This message is for you, today too...

Do not be afraid, I am here. There are many worries on your mind. You have many things to do, to finish, to start. You feel like you are not enough. With me, you are enough. I dwell in you and you dwell in me. I am with you in the darkness. I sent Elijah to be my voice. I sent Elijah to tell the poor and the needy that they matter, that I hear them. I will send my voice to you too. Maybe, you are hearing me right now. I hear you and your matter. I am with you in the bread. I am with you in the bills. I am with you in all of your lists. Trust me. 

  Christmas can be a hard time of year for some people who are experiencing grief. Many people tell me they don't know what to say. The answer is you don't have to say anything, just be present, send a card, let them know you care. If you do want to say something just simply say, "I am sorry for your loss, I am holding you in prayer." Be natural. Don't force them to come to your Christmas party, but do invite them. Don't avoid talking about those who have died, share a warm memory you have. Don't assume someone needs to "move on with their life" It doesn't matter if the loss occurred last month or twenty years ago, this season brings back memories and reminds people of their loss. And for some, the losses have added up over the years. So, if the person needs time and space alone, give it to them.  You don't have to hide your Christmas cheer when they are around, but also don't insist that they have it too.   

  I have written this prayer that you can share with those you know who are missing someone this year. Feel free to cut and paste and e-mail the prayer to them. In the midst of your business, take a moment to remember those who are grieving, send a prayer up to heaven, and then reach out and let them know you care.

Gracious God, 

  I give thanks for your amazing love that carries me through the darkness and silence. This is a hard time of the year, because my heart misses so much. On the outside, everything shouts, this is the time of joy and merriment, but inside, I hear silence, loneliness and grief. I miss ........... (name) the voice, the laughter, the warm hand, the soft hug, just being together. Hold me gently Lord, carry the light of Christmas for me, walk by my side and remind me that I am not alone. Whisper into my silence; fear not, the Savior is born. Help my heart find peace on earth until you hold me in your arms dear Emmanuel. Amen

Unplug so you can Plug in

"Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes...including you." Anne Lamott

  All of us can be guilty of our feet moving faster than the rest of our bodies. We are trying to do too much too fast. Recently I tried to make an appointment with a colleague, when she opened her calendar, my jaw dropped. Instead of making an appointment to meet with her, I suggested she make an appointment to unplug.

  The other day, I was guilty of doing too much too fast. My feet had barely hit the floor and I was already doing everything. By mid-morning, I had done a lot of things, but my mind was swimming. I walked right by my prayer chair a dozen times. The chair in the corner that I set up to meet with God each day. Somewhere, back in the annuals of my mind, I remembered setting up that prayer spot so I could give my agenda and calendar to God each day. The intention was heartfelt at the time, but the my practices had fallen way short.  So, without a lot of fanfare, I plopped down in the chair. I unplugged for a moment and invited God into my day. To the outside world, I didn't look very productive in that moment. I was sitting in a comfy chair, with my eyes closed, and taking deep, slow breaths. But, inside, there was a great shift occurring, the Spirit's grace pouring into me, God's peace touching me, and a calm came to my mind. Within those moments, I saw my calendar before me, but instead of feeling overwhelmed, I felt gratitude, as God highlighted "his" priorities on my calendar.  To the outside world, when I got up from that chair, I didn't look much different, but I had grown an inch closer to God. 

   Jesus prayed often. Jesus went away alone to pray, he went off in the wilderness to pray, he got up early and climbed a mountain to pray alone. Read this verse from Luke 11:1 "One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” As soon as Jesus was done praying, his colleagues (the disciples) asked him to do something. It's like our phone ringing, or our e-mail dinging, or the toddler tugging on our shirt. What did Jesus do? He taught them the greatest prayer the world has ever known, the Lord's prayer. Jesus unplugged himself for a minute to pray so when he plugged back in he was ready to face the demands of the world.

  All of us can hit the "restart" button. We may only have a minute in an hour, or a quick lunch break, but we can choose to give some of our time to God. Giving some of our time to be with God is an offering that we make, and God blesses and multiplies. 

  Right now, go ahead, pull out your calendar, take a look, find a spot where you can write "unplug"? 

To Catch your breath, you need to stop running

To catch your breath, you need to stop running!

  Yesterday, I sat outside and breathed. So many of us take breathing for granted. We do it without thinking, thank God! A few years ago, whenever I was asked to pray, I would say, "Let's pray" and then take a long slow breath. After one of these prayers, a woman said to me, "I was afraid you had forgotten what you were going to say!" This led to a discussion on breathing. So many of us have a hurried pace to our days. Taking long, slow, deep breaths is not just a way to calm down, it's a way to center ourselves and take a moment tho thank God for that breath. No matter where you are, paying attention to your breathing for a few minutes, can connect you straight to God. 

  So often I hear people who want to have a more intimate connection with God, our breath is that intimate connection. 

Meditate on this verse for a moment 

"...the Lord God formed the human from the topsoil of the fertile land and blew life's breath into his nostrils." 

             Genesis 2:8 Contemporary English Bible.

We can't get much closer to God, than God's own breath in our lungs.  This world changes very fast. It seems as soon as we upgrade one system, another one is ready to come out. As soon as we get our handle on one fire, another one pops up somewhere else. As soon as we think we've got it all together, the gas light comes on.  This is a fast paced, technological world, but God designed some simple reminders of his presence, our breath is one of those gifts. 

   So yesterday, I got home and I sat outside for a bit, I let the dog romp and play and I did nothing, but breathe. Breathe and thank God for that breath. Achoo! And then I sneezed, and I thanked God for that topsoil and the pollen too. 

 

Prayer: (Take a long, slow, deep breath). Lord, you breathe life into me, may I breathe your Word into your creation. Amen

Wild Geese

“Shout triumphantly to the Lord, all the earth!

 Be happy! Rejoice out loud!

 Sing your praises! With trumpets and a horn blast,

 shout triumphantly before the Lord, the king! Psalm 98:4,6 (CEB version)

We gathered in the graveyard for Sunrise Easter service. We gathered in the graveyard, because that is where Mary and Peter were when they discovered the tomb was empty. They were not at the cross, they were at the cemetery. The story of the Church begins in the graveyard, at an empty tomb, early in the morning. So, this past Sunday, the faithful Shiloh community gathered in the graveyard and we looked to the East. We saw the pink, yellow, and blue start to paint across the horizon. I planned for us to stand in silence for a minute to appreciate the sunrise.  The silence was broken by trumpets. Two wild geese sounded their trumpets and then splashed down on the pond. Then our worship began, with trumpets and great fanfare. I knew it was a special moment.  Later that evening, I was conversing with a friend, who told me how touched she was at her church’s sunrise service, by the sound of wild geese. Then she said to me, “Did you know the Celtic Christians thought wild geese represented the Holy Spirit?” I did not know this. But, now that I do, I am totally awed by God’s grace that welcomed us to worship, early on Easter morning, with the sound of heavenly trumpets. Sometimes the best worship is in the cathedral of God’s creation.

I have been researching these Holy Spirit geese and came across this quote that has given me great pause for prayer this week:  

“Jesus said that those Christians who were led by the Spirit were like the wind—you don’t know where it comes from and you don’t know where it’s going. A Christian who follows the wild goose is wild and free themselves. They have lives that are less than predictable. They live life to the full (John 10:10). They are wild and free, untamable either by society that would bind them with lies or by religion that would chain them with duty and obligation. 

A life following in the tailwind of the wild goose. That’s the kind of life that calls to our innermost being and awakens the lethargic longings within. The problem is, we know few—if any—Christians who have discovered the flight path.” from Flight of the Wild Goose 

by Bill Tenny-Brittian (http://www.hcna.us/articles/flight-of-the-wild-goose.htm)

Pray: God of resurrection and new life, I stand in awe of your amazing creation. Forgive me when I rush past your spring glory and complain about the rain. Today, may I follow the Holy Spirit’s tailwind. Awaken my innermost being and open my ears to the sounds of worship and praise all around me. Amen

The rain pounded down on the roof this morning. I love the rain. I heard some thunder, too. We haven’t had warm enough weather in a while to cause a storm like this, so I just listened. As I sat there, in the silence of life, but in the midst of the storm, I was very glad I did not have to go outside. I was safe, warm, and dry inside. Later in the day, I ventured out. The ground was soggy, but I didn’t need an umbrella. As I was walking over to our church, I saw the daffodils by the cross. They seemed to be bowing. “Hmm, I thought, bowing at the foot of the cross!” So this set my mind spinning. There are many storms in life. Some are pop up rain showers, some may be grand thunderstorms. If you asked the daffodil, it probably did not want the hard pounding it had received, the downpour that made it bend over a bit. But, if the daffodil stopped to consider the whole scene, the very rain that pounded also gave it much needed water that seeped into to help it grow. So, what do we do when the storm seems to be raging, harder and stronger than we can handle? Take a lesson from the daffodil, sometimes, in the midst of the storm, all you can do is bow down at the cross, but know that while you are bowing, your roots are being watered.

Bible Nerd

I am a Bible nerd. As I drive, I like to listen to pray-as-you go (can be found as prayasyougo.org). This is a 10 minute prayer time, with music, scripture, silence, and reflection questions. Yesterday, I had to hit pause, after I heard this from Daniel 9:4

"As I prayed to the Lord my God, I made this confession: Please, my Lord—you are the great and awesome God, the one who keeps the covenant, and truly faithful to all who love him and keep his commands"  

I paused and reflected on this amazingly faithful statement by Daniel. I tend to forget rather often how awesome God was, and is.  I get lost in the mundaneness of everyday and I forget that God makes covenants and keeps them. A covenant is more than a promise, it is initiated by God, like the rainbow covenant with Noah and the many descendants covenant with Abraham and Sarah. God begins the conversation, offers the promise, and then keeps the covenant, no matter what I do, how far I stray, or how often I forget, God KEEPS the covenant. God is faithful to me, always.  So, I hit pause, I thought about this verse, I thanked God, and then I spent some time thinking about all the times God has kept covenant with me. This pause gave a little nudge to my heart and I was reminded, I truly do love God, even if I forget to say it, a lot, I forget a lot. 

   "I love you, takes a second to say, an hour to explain, and I lifetime to prove."

Prayer: Lord, my God, you are great and awesome, you keep the covenant and are truly faithful to me. Thank you, I love you. Amen

Swiss chard and kale, oh joy!

Tonight, I am thinking inside the box. We order our groceries from Relay food. I love it. Saves me time. I buy more local and more fresh. We have also tried new things. We order a tasting box once a month and they send us the most amazing and sometimes strange foods to taste. I just pulled out of the oven pesto beer bread. They sent the mix, I provided the beer, and WaLA!

Also, we have ordered the harvest basket in an attempt to be healthier. Beautiful, colorful, in season produce is delivered to us and it is delightful. Tonight I realized, I know what this stuff is now! The first time we received swiss chard in our bounty basket, I had no idea what it was. Now I jump for joy. Tonight we are using the flat leaf kale, and we are excited.

So why am I telling you this?

Because I have always been told it takes at least three months to change a habit. The problem is I don't normally stick with anything for three months. Now I have, I am healthier in mind and body and excited about kale. Three months ago I had never eaten a bite of kale.

There are so many things we think we want to do or we know we ought to do. But we just don't let it out of our brain. We never put it into practice. And many of us beat ourselves up and worry about it. The to do list that never gets checked off. I have learned it is far better to do it, get it out of you mind, off your head, if you fail you are more likely to succeed the second or third time you tried and you will learn other, unexpected lessons along the way.  I have made a change and here is what I know....
1. Let it out of your brain, tell your friends what you want to do.
2. Make simple easy steps. For us it was making a middle man, someone to deliver our groceries.
3. Stick to it. You may not do it as much as you want, don't set you goal to high or too far.
4. Celebrate. The first time I threw away the swiss chard. The second time we got it I found out what it was, then it spoiled. The third time I got it I googled a recipe and now I am excited over swiss chard.

                                          Just a thought from inside the tasting box tonight!

Perfect Practice

The olympics have inspired me so much it is fun and exciting to watch our favorites “go for the gold.” But I imagine it’s not so exciting to watch the daily practices. The hours and hours of falling off the beam, hitting the wall, missing the goal. I imagine it’s no fun as one athlete said, “I haven’t ordered dessert in two years.” To be an Olympic champion you must put in the work, every day, you must push through the pain, the disappointment, make no excuses this is how you become strong. 

Training for the olympics is a metaphor for training for life. We are all working toward perfection. To be more like Jesus. We must put in the time to reach this goal. We must study, pray, worship and grow. But we are a grumbling people. That word is used a lot in the Bible. We grumble, we complain, we make excuses.

The Good News is that we are never alone. God is with us, our coach, our cheerleader. God is with us when we fail, God is with us when we succeed. 

As awesome as winning an Olympic Gold Medal is, it will be put in a sock drawer where dust, and time will eat it away. 

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21

But when we put in the work each day of drawing closer to Jesus we will never be disappointed. And if we falter and fall, it’s ok, God’s grace will pull us through this race. So today, I am going to put some work into reading God’s word. I am not going for the gold, I am going for God.

Over Thinking

I am an over thinker. It's crazy because I am also an impulse thinker. There are things I don't ponder for long. Things that are rather significant, like getting married. Then there are things that I think and think and think about. I ponder for days. I change my mind over and over. I feel the first step is often the biggest step. I fear the first step so often. I fear because I do not know what lies beyond the first step. On the other hand, I can see what was behind me and it feels safe.
  Some people learn to swim by being pushed into the pool. Not me. For those who pushed me into the pool in my younger years, I still hold a bit of animosity. I prefer you to tell me what swimming is like, how to do it, maybe even show me. Then encourage me to take the first step, support me, reassure me, don't pull the rug out from under me.
  As I mature I am understanding mor the phrase, "It is hard to teach an old dog new tricks." My problem isn't the tricks, it's the fear. The fear of that first step into something new. I know it could be better than my wildest dreams but then I start over thinking again.
 So, I am loving the person that I am but working on the person that I want to be. The person that I want to be is going to stop writing what I want to do on the bucket list and start putting some check marks on things that I have done.

Thank you God for the birds that sing of your joy when we moan and groan,
Thank you God for your plans and taking it out of my hands,
Thank you God for sleeping dogs and melodic tones.
I am so sorry that I forget to say thank you,
I am so glad that you love me anyway.

God is working when I am piddling

This week has been a cleaning up bits and pieces, odds and ends, do something here and there, constantly moving but not really finishing anything big. My mother calls this piddling. She loves to piddle. In fact one of her favorite things about being retired is the free time to piddle. When I piddle I feel a guilt, like there is something bigger I should be completing.

Today, I was reminded that God is always working even when I think I am piddling.

This woman was looking for the bathroom in the church. After I showed her where that was I started a conversation with her. It turns out she is the daughter of a homebound member of my congregation. She shared some information with me and I with her...God's grace was working in that encounter, in that relationship, and in my piddling.

A wise clergywoman told me once, "Sarah there is an ebb and flow to ministry, just go with it, rest when you need to rest, go with the flow when it's flowing, but most of all don't worry, God is always working." Thank you God, for giving me a season to piddle and rest.

Today I wear a deep blue for Valentine's Day

Why is red the "official" color of Valentine's Day? Is it because we draw red hearts? Our actual hearts, the one's that pump blood, are not just red, there are veins of blue, muscles etc. Is that why we, as a society, collectively chose red as the "official" color for love? Valentine's day we celebrate love, not the heart as in the organ, but the metaphorical heart, the place of love. So today, to celebrate love I am wearing a deep blue. The reason is simple, the deep blue reminds me of my husband's eyes, and that is a better symbol for me of love than a red heart.

My husband's deep blue eyes that have been sad with me, the eyes that have held a tear for me, the eyes that have smiled with me, the eyes that dance with joy for me, that is where I see love.

Today, I do celebrate the love between me and my dear husband. I celebrate, appreciate, and remember by wearing deep blue. Now, can I please get a dozen blue roses? What, they don't exist? That's ok, roses aren't a great symbol of love either.

It is finished

Dear Blog Readers,

I am sorry it has been so long since I have blogged. I have finished an intensive writing process for full ordination. In other words, my brain has been filled with words for the last three months and I had plenty of white paper I had to put them on. Now, it is time to get back to my creative side.

The ads on tv tell me it's Christmas. The radio is playing Christmas carols. I have even bought the presents. But it doesn't feel like Christmas. So, what is Christmas supposed to feel like? I am a visual person, so the image that keeps coming to my mind is a bright light in the darkness. I mean a really bright light that penetrates the deep black darkness. But, the darkness is still there. The darkness does not go away. But the light makes the darkness more bearable. That is what Christmas looks like to me, but what does it feel like?

The signs at the mall say Christmas is supposed to feel like joy. But, to me Christmas feels more like fulfillment. A woman came into my life recently, she needed pastoral care through a crisis, death is a constant and ever present reality for her. She is not concerned about Christmas gifts, those useless objects you unwrap, don't bring the feeling of Christmas to someone dealing with death. To her, Christmas is the peace she gets from studying God's Word, hearing the Christmas story. When she reads the Christmas story, she sees the light in the darkness. So what does Christmas feel like to me? It is sitting with her. It is being present for her. It is listening to her. At Christmas we don't want to deal with death, we like to focus on the birth of Christ, but the shadow of the cross is always present. Christmas feels like loving someone, and that can be done every day.

Where do dragonflies go?

I took a minute to watch a dragonfly. I never noticed before that they can almost "fly still" where their wings are moving so fast but they are not actually moving forward. In fact, it seems like they are moving backward a little bit. I asked God if I do that? Do I work so hard and fast but actually stop moving forward? This particular dragonfly was hovering over my car, and I thought, well now that you have got yourself over here, what are you going to do? Sometimes I feel like that, I keep pushing, keep moving, thinking I am moving forward, but when I actually take a moment to look around I am not where I should be. One more question came to my mind as I watched this dragonfly dart and dash through the cars, Does he know he's a dragonfly? That is a label we humans have made to classify and identify him, but he doesn't know he is a dragonfly. I have felt weighed down at times in my life by labels me or others have put on me. Humans are the only ones who allow labels to define them. So my lesson from the dragonfly today... just be natural, take time to pause, don't worry about where I am going, just have fun where I am. But most of all don't worry about labels, I don't need to be classified or identified to belong.

Hour Glass

The raising of Lazarus points us all to the understanding of what eternal life means, as revealed by Jesus, in his dialogue with the bystanders, in his words to Martha....Open your Bibles to John 11:21-27 “Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him. Jesus said to her, “your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day. Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who believes in me, will never die. Do you believe this? She said to him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah the Son of God, the one coming into the world.”

These are the words we often read at funerals, because in his dialogue with Martha ...Jesus affirms the resurrection for Lazarus and for all by the power of God, through the Savior. Martha runs to get Mary, and Jesus repeats the message.

The resurrection is through me, life is through me, I am the Messiah.

Then the message is made available to all through the dramatic, emotional event, as the stone is rolled away from Lazarus tomb, and the glory of God is proved and emphasized through Jesus words, “Father, I thank you for having heard me, I knew that you always heard me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so they may believe that you have sent me. When he said this, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” Folks it doesn’t get much more dramatic than this!

I want us to remember, Jesus brought Lazarus back to life, Jesus freed him from the bonds of death, Lazarus walked out of his tomb, but Jesus did not cure him from death. There was a day, many days later, when once again Lazarus was carried into his tomb. There was a day, many years later, when there would be another funeral, the mourners would gather, and the women would weep for Lazarus. But on this day, many years later, there was joy in the tears, Why? Because many years later, they remembered, these words, as their souls groaned, their hearts remembered....

“I am the resurrection and the life.”

So let us now talk about the second time Lazarus died. On this day, there was sadness and shock, grief and mourning, by family and friends. But, there was rejoicing too, for Lazarus went home, and on this day, Jesus was there too. That is what we believe, we believe that Jesus saves. We believe in eternal life. We believe in living in the eternal presence of our perfect and holy father.

The second time Lazarus died, I hope Martha had faith that Jesus was with her brother rejoicing in heaven at the same time he was with her and Mary mourning on earth.

We weep. We mourn. We miss their faces, their smiles. In this world, we will live with heartache, our hearts will be broken every time we have to say goodbye to someone we love.

We know their name,

but God knows the hairs on their head.

We know their laughter,

but God knows where the joy came from.

We know their love,

but God taught them to love.

So when a loved one dies, we mourn, we grieve for all that has left with them, but God welcomes with open arms, the same moment they leave ours embrace, they walk into his everlasting arms.

So when the sand in our our glass here runs out, God turns it over in heaven, and it never runs out again.

I feel often in the American culture we treat death as something to be avoided and feared. We spent enormous amounts of energy and money trying to stay young and stave off death. There is no cure for death, we will all die, so let us learn how to live, knowing that there is a purpose to our life. Let us not fear death, let us embrace life, and honor the memory of those who have died. Let us remember what they taught us, because those special people God brings to our lives teach us how to live and how to die.

There is a dead tree in my back yard...

There is a dead tree in my back yard. It is my fault, last year, we planted a dogwood tree in the corner of our yard. I had all the best intentions, but I forgot to water the tree. We don’t have a spigot back there and so I have to lug a bucket of water to the tree to be able to water it. That is one of my excuses. The rain watered the tree some, but it was a long, hot,dry summer. I have known for a while the tree was dead, I can see it from my living room, but I feel bad. I feel guilty. I feel like I failed to do such a simple thing, water this little tree. I need to go dig it up, that is the practical thing to do, but I feel bad, I feel like a failure. I know that it is just a tree, that it bears no ill feelings toward me, holds no grudges, but that dead tree reminds me of all the times I have made a promise or commitment and failed. That dead tree reminds me of so many times I have tried to do something and have fallen short, my best intentions sometimes haunt me like a graveyard of broken promises...the sewing machine I bought and never took out of the box...the birthday cards I bought but never sent...the recipe I downloaded but never made...the books I have never read...the people I have not called...the prayer time I have moved a thousand times. There is a dead tree in my back yard, all it needed was a little water, a little care, I know what I should’ve done, but I didn’t, and so this lifeless solitary branch stands in a corner of my back yard a visual reminder of how all I need sometimes is a little water, a little love, and the caring hands of my creator to give me life so I can bear fruit.

Jesus offers the Samaritan Woman living water, and we understand immediately, we hear Jesus say, “I will give you living water and you will never thirst again” and the very words, the idea refreshes our souls. As I was praying my way through this passage this week, God gave me a new insight to this story that I have read so many times. Worship is our living water. Worship in spirit and truth refreshes my weary soul.

There is a dead tree in my backyard.....It’s my fault, I planted this tree, but I forgot to water it.

I look at that dead tree from my living room window and sometimes I feel like that, dried up, not bearing fruit, just taking up space. It’s my fault I feel like that, sometimes I forget to go to the well for water for myself.

Sometimes I forget to worship in spirit and in truth.

Sometimes I forget to come to Jesus and ask for the Living Water. But today, I remember. Any day we can make sacred space at an appointed time, we can go to the well to meet the Messiah. Let us not forget to ask for the living the water. Let us open our hearts and offer ourselves as a living in sacrifice so we can worship in spirit and truth. Let us be trees that grow, flourish, and bear fruit.

There was this moment of possibility

There was this moment of possibility when I was daydreaming. I was daydreaming a response to a poignant question, "How will the world be different in three years because I am here?" Now, I brought this down a little smaller, "How will my community be different in three years because I am here?" This question is hard because at this time a year I think a lot about self improvement. I want to be a smaller size in three years. I want to drive a different car in three years. I want to have read more books in three years. I want to go to Ireland. It's easy to thing of how I want my world to be different in three years, but my community, that requires a bigger picture.

So, I daydreamed, and I invited the Holy Spirit to the daydream. Here is what I came up with. I want to know all of my neighbors on my street by name, and I want to know their birthday. I want to support local farmers and buy their goods and produce. I want people to know our church by its people and their good works rather than by its street address.

I daydreamed of going through my cookie cookbook and making a batch of cookies for each of my neighbors on their birthday. I daydreamed of farm families sitting around the dinner table with a little less worry that their hard work is producing enough for them to survive. I daydreamed of planting tulips and daffodils in our church neighbors yards this spring.

Daydreams are just that dreams. But dreams lead us, move us, propel us give us this moment of possibility.

I would love to hear your response, "How will your community be different in three years?"

There was this moment in the movie theater

There was this moment in the movie theater recently when I forgot I was in a movie theater. The movie took me away to another world. A world of imagination. This is when I know a movie is really good, when I become lost in the story. When I was younger, I used to get in trouble for daydreaming in class. The teacher thought I wasn't paying attention. They taught me not to daydream. As I have gotten older, I have learned to daydream again. Daydreaming is when I get my best ideas because I think of what is possible. Daydreaming is not practical, it is not cost effective, but it is productive. I have given myself permission to daydream and I feel so refreshed. Like sitting in a good movie, falling into a story, daydreaming lets you fall into possibility. So the next blog post will be called, "There was this moment of possibility..."

A Ten minute retreat

Today I got some good old-fashioned junk mail. You know, the unsolicited tangible pieces of paper that some company actually pays to send you. Most of the time, this junk mail goes straight to the recycle bin...but...this one had a phrase that spoke to my soul "Go on a retreat for 10 minutes." The line that followed said, "Escape to a spiritual retreat for just a moment each day." There is a picture of an empty adirondack chair waiting for me in a vast, lush, green meadow.

Is God waiting for me in that meadow? This junk mail caused me to dust off my devotional and my journal and give ten uninterrupted minutes to God. I did feel my soul sigh, my spirit renew, and just a moment of rejuvenation. I heard from God, thank you for keeping this appointment, please feel free to make another one. So, maybe this wasn't junk mail this time, maybe it was an appointment reminder card, you know like the one the dentist sends you. A card to remind me that I have missed too many appointments with God. A card to remind me that my chair in the meadow has been empty and I have been missed.

God is waiting for me in the meadow? in my living room? in my office? Ten minutes may not seem like a lot, but it is a gift to have, a gift to receive, and a gift I can give my Creator.