Niagara Vacation photos

In June, my husband and I spent 2 days and nights at Niagara Falls Ontario. It was our first time in Canada, and we had a wonderful time. Niagara Falls is awe-inspiring. It is SO big...I took hundreds of photos while we were there, and the best photo or video does not truly do justice to the immense size and power of the falls. 

Our hotel overlooked the falls-a dream come true! and we could open a small screened window, so I could hear the sound of the falls as we fell asleep. 
The first evening there we watched intense lightning over the river above the falls. During the afternoon, there was a rainbow over the falls moving as the sun moves across the sky. I got up early to see and take pics of sunrise, and we saw the colored lights shining on the falls at night. There was a constant show of beauty and nature's power. 

Psalm 42 verses 7-8 

 Deep calls to deep
    in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
    have swept over me.

 By day the Lord directs his love,
    at night his song is with me—
    a prayer to the God of my life.

Kindling Kindness

Sermon given at United Church of Beloit July 31, 2016

July 31, 2016               Kindling Kindness           Pastor Carol P. Taylor

Ephesians 4:28-32

29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another,forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Sermon series on Love...as depicted in 1 Corinthians chapter 13.

this week's focus is Love is Kind.

I've been blessed this summer to officiate at 2 weddings. Both couples chose this passage as their scripture.

Specifically vss 4-8. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. Amen.

This describes the love of God, a perfect love. This is what we hope for, yearn for. CS Lewis wrote there's a “God Shaped Hole' within our hearts...it's where we yearn for that perfect love. We humans, while created in the image of God, are not perfect, so often times we love imperfectly. But we can aspire to love well, to love more perfectly. We can focus on what we love about each other, in marriage, in our families and at work and in the world! We can focus on the positive and set aside the rest. That's not always easy, but it is always worth while!

At the end of the wedding service I say.... Go forth from this place with the blessing of Christ's church. Be loving, patient and kind. And above all, forgive one another as Christ has forgiven you. This is based on the Ephesians passage.

this week's focus is Love is Kind. What does it mean to be kind?

Kindness is Paying attention to other people,

Their feelings, and what they need.

The Ephesians verses are part of a section wherein the readers..listeners are being reminded to live in the Word of God. The city of Ephesus in Bible times was a center for travel and commerce. It was a large city, on a harbor, with many temples to the various Greco-Roman gods and goddesses, especially Diana, Goddess of the hunt and moon. This chapter of the Epistle is a reminder to live NOT as those do who worship the pagan gods and goddesses! That those who follow the One true God, and God's son, can live in better ways, to honor God and each other!

Do not let Unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but what is helpful to build up! That's a strong message right there, isn't it!? Not griping and complaining but building up, helping, not tearing down. Get rid of bitterness, rage, anger...slander and malice. (and this was written 2000 years ago!)

Be kind and compassionate...forgiving one another.

These are things to strive towards. We aspire to be all these things, in order to live out that Divine Love that we know! It isn't always easy. It comes more naturally to many of us to gripe, or to put down someone else. But having compassion and care and kindness, goes so much further! (honey, not vinegar!)

In our passage, when it says Do not grieve the Holy Spirit, it means to not act out in ways that are NOT of God, in ways that are like the pagans. The Holy Spirit is one of the Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost. We are given the Spirit by Jesus when we have accepted him as Lord and Savior. The Spirit guides and empowers us! But acting in ways that are not Christ like cause grief. I find it interesting that the bible calls it grief. Not anger...

When I was a kid and did something wrong, and got caught...I remember my Mom would yell, rant and rave. My Dad though, never yelled. He was sad when I acted out, he was pained.... and that, so much more than my moms anger, made me straighten up and fly right, I would do anything to keep from seeing that grief in my Dad's eyes... So it is with the Holy Spirit, when we are unkind and impatient and unforgiving.

So how do we Kindle Kindness in ourselves and others. Because when we are kind to one another, it can spread! There are lots of ways we can be kind. It doesn't have to be some huge thing, little kindnesses count here! Sometimes a gesture that seems small can have a big effect!
And kindness has benefits to us as well as those to whom we are kind. Psychologists have found that there are emotional and even physical benefits, when we exercise kindness. Physical effects of kindness:
(Allan Luks and Peggy Payne have identified some of the physical effects of kindness in their publication "The Healing Power of Doing Good". }

These effects can include a greater sense of calmness and relaxation, which may also ease pain (from headaches to back pain) and may even help lower high blood pressure. They also suggest that other effects of kindness may increase your energy level and can even reduce excessive stomach acid. Meditating on a compassionate approach to others shifts resting brain activation to the left hemisphere, a region associated with happiness, and boosts immune functions.

It almost sounds like a commercial for a magic pill doesn't it?! Wow how can I get some of this stuff!

So let's think about how to cultivate this within ourselves!

Author Richard Rohr shared a short meditation recently on his website.

Kindness..Loving Kindness as the Bible calls it....The quality is already within you, but if you don't choose daily and deliberately to practice loving kindness, it is unlikely that a year from now you will be any more loving.

Begin by finding the place of loving kindness inside your heart (Christians might call this the indwelling Spirit).

Drawing upon this source of love, bring to mind someone you deeply care about, and send loving kindness toward them.

Now direct this love toward a casual friend or colleague, someone just beyond your inner circle.

Continue drawing from your inner source of loving kindness and let it flow toward someone about whom you feel neutral or indifferent, a stranger.

Remember someone who has hurt you or someone you struggle to like. Bless them. Send them your love.

Gather all these people and yourself into the stream of love and hold them here for a few moments.

Finally, let the flow of loving kindness widen to encompass all beings in the universe.

This practice can help you know--in your mind, heart, and body--that love is not determined by the worthiness of the object. Love is determined by the giver of the love. You are simply a conduit for the inflow and outflow of love.

Now that we've practiced this inwardly, it's time to share it outwardly.

“Every human interaction offers you the chance to make things better or to make things worse.” ― Barbara Brown Taylor

Many things we can do to show kindness. Hold a door, give a ride, Take out the trash without being asked! Smile and say hello to the other people taking a walk near the river...write a note or call someone you haven't talked to in a while.

at Aldi's leave your quarter in the cart for the next person, Letting the person with 3 items check out ahead of you. And be kind to the clerk while you are at it! (trust me, I worked retail, being kind to retail workers and wait staff is one of the biggest kindnesses you can practice!}

again... Barbara Brown Taylor calls this acknowledging the humanity of someone in these everyday interactions the ‘practice of encountering others’. Here’s her encouragement of this as a spiritual practice: ‘the next time you go to the grocery store, try engaging the cashier. You don’t have to invite her home for lunch or anything, but take a look at her face while she is trying to find arugula on her laminated list of produce.’ When the cashier looks at you while handing you your change, ‘all that if required of you is to look back’, she says. ‘Just meet her eyes for a second when you say thanks. Sometimes that is all another person needs to know she has been seen.’

And ask 'how are you?” then just sit and listen. People today are hungry for companionship. Our society now moves so fast, we so rarely make time to just sit and chat, to really listen to one another. Listening -really listening, means to hear what the other is saying, not just thinking about what my own response is going to be as soon as they stop to take a breath...to listen. And affirm what the other is saying, saying something like “it sounds like you are frustrated.” without launching into our own tale of woe. That can wait.

To be kind to others, especially someone we don't know, is living out our faith, living out the Love of God.

We love, because God first loved us. Love is a gift from God. When we act in loving kindness and show our love & compassion for others, we are living as God wants us to. We are giving thanks for the gifts of life and love and sharing those gifts with others. Because to love means to want to give. Just as God so loved the world, God gave his only Son, Jesus. Love and giving just naturally go together.

And Jesus, gave His live, for each of us. For even the ones we don't know ...yet.

So we can give a smile, a few minutes of our time, to bring loving kindness into someone's day. If we practice kindness every day, we may kindle kindness in others as well. Kindness could spread! May it be so!

Let us pray...

Loving God, guide us, through your Spirit to cultivate and practice kindness every day, sharing your Love, compassion, and forgiveness as we do. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Friday Five: Sounds

From RevGalBlogPals.org
Friday Five: Sounds

1. What sound is soothing to you? 
The sound of ocean waves ( I live in Wisconsin USA, so that sound is hard to come by naturally...I have CD and MP3 files to play) A brook running is a good sound too. There are a couple parks in town where I can go sit by water and just listen to it and to the birds. 

2. What sound do you find irritating?  
I can not stand the sounds of heavy machinery, jackhammers and chain saws and such. And that "beep beep beep" of a truck backing up...UGH 

3. What sound makes you happy? 
A baby laughing and cooing. 

4. What sound immediately gets your attention?  Sirens. 

5. What is your favorite sound to make? 
 I guess I would say to laugh. My late mother always criticized my boisterous laugh. But I can't help it, and so much of life is humorous! 

Photo I took last autumn of a little brook in a local park 

An Oxymoron. Sermon given at United Church of Beloit, July 3, 2016

Oxymoron	Oxymoron	Oxymoron
Found Missing	Act Naturally	Alone Together
Living Dead	Deafening Silence	Seriously Funny
Jumbo Shrimp	Microsoft Works	Unbiased Opinion

Quotes that are oxymorons..

    I am a deeply superficial person. - Andy Warhol

• I distinctly remember forgetting that. - Clara Barton
• Always be sincere, even when you don’t mean it. - Irene Peter
• I can resist everything but temptation. - Mark Twain

as I was beginning to prep for this sermon, before we left town, I was thinking about some oxymorons. Good Samaritan is itself an oxymoron. And I was preparing for a working vacation.... Martin & I went to our NACCC annual meeting and had a few days vaca on either side of the meeting.

Our travel was wonderful—I was reminded again of the lavishness of God's creation! For example, There could have been just a few kinds of trees, but no, God created thousands! We saw a lot of the beauty of creation, especially 4 of the Great Lakes and Niagara Falls.

Thank you for allowing us to represent you. Martin was your delegate and I was alternate and serve on the Growth Ministry Council and am a rep. To the Leadership Council.

The theme of the Annual Meeting was "Who is my Neighbor?"   All the speakers, and the Sunday worship were around this theme.  Detroit has an incredibly diverse population, in large part due to the influx of folks to work at all the Auto manufacturing plants, and of course the economic issues have profoundly affected the area. We here in Beloit can certainly relate! There is a lot of good happening, in particular, a large company is putting a lot of resources back into the city.

Love your neighbor as yourself....

Gospel of Luke...Luke himself was not Jewish, as were the other writers of the Bible. Luke was Paul's 'beloved physician” who clearly believed that Jesus was indeed the long -awaited Messiah for the Jews, and for Gentiles as well. Luke's gospel shows Jesus' compassion for the poor and the 'outsiders' of this society.

Neighbor in bible...

literally one who lives near by.

OT times -it was understood to mean those of the Hebrew community, those who follow the traditions and worship in the same ways. In fact this section of Lev. has a lot about worship! The prohibitions in Leviticus and elsewhere in the OT were there to remind the Hebrew people to not act like the pagan worshipers around them.

This was the understanding of the Jewish leaders of Jesus' time. Love your neighbor, meant to love your Jewish neighbor, not the Romans or the other peoples living nearby. Love your neighbor meant love and care for the one who looks like you, talks like you, worships like you, acts like you!

So this lawyer...this was someone who worked in the temple, studying the Torah, the Jewish law!...a leader of the Hebrew people! He was a learned man who was going to show up this Jesus fellow...This preacher from Galillee -Nazareth-of all places...can anything good come from Nazareth!? ...was going around preaching and teaching and conducting healings and now he had even sent out his followers to do the same and they were preaching, teaching and conducting healings! The followers were Jewish, but many of them were not elite...they were working class, rough around the edges, not like the educated elite in Jerusalem! So this man was going to give Jesus his comeuppance.

And Jesus' response was to tell a story. Stories get our attention, stories appeal to our senses and emotions in ways that little else does. So Jesus told a story, this was a story, not a news report! But it certainly COULD have happened.

Although Jericho is northeast of Jerusalem, travelers go “down” to Jericho. The Jewish historian Josephus (A.D. 37–93) explained that the first-century road was approximately one hundred and fifty Roman stadioi, or about eighteen miles long. A traveler descended from Jerusalem’s height, approximately twenty-five hundred feet above sea level, to Jericho’s depth, some eight hundred twenty-five feet below sea level. In that short geographical space, the descent was approximately six-tenths of a mile. Travelers, merchants, pilgrims, and soldiers have for centuries gone down to go up (traveling north to Jericho) and gone up to go down (traveling south to Jerusalem).

This road was very well known. Jesus setting his story here would have brought a lot of emotion to his listeners. They all had traveled it and knew it was steep and precarious. There were lots of places for bad guys to hide in anticipation of robbing the solo traveler.

His story would also provoke emotion, when the priest and Levite avoided the beaten man... These were the very leaders of the Jewish community! Yet they were indifferent to the suffering of the beaten man.

But along came the “Good Samaritan” --that phrase would have been a complete oxymoron to Jesus' listeners. Samaritans were hated by jews, and the feeling was mutual. Their fighting went back hundreds of years, to the Babylonian exile.

So Jesus telling a story that involved a Samaritan taking care of an injured Jew, would certainly have shaken up his listeners! The Lawyer couldn't even bring himself to say “The Samaritan.” he merely said, the one who showed compassion.

So who is my neighbor? Jesus is clearly stating that his neighbor may well not be the one who looks and acts like him, but the one who cares for someone without regard to religion/race. The one who has compassion, who puts the OTHER person ahead of his or her own needs.

Compassion is a hallmark of Jesus' stories, the ones he told and the ones we read about him in the bible. The word in the Bible in the original Greek literally means to feel a clenching in the gut...

to FEEL the pain of the other person. To put oneself in the position of the other person!

at NA meeting, among our speakers were about a dozen missionaries who serve in various parts of the world. Geoffrey Lipale who was just here, serves in Kenya, his native land. Indian Trails, which helps Native peoples of Arizona and Mexico. Rev. Jim Owens, from United states serves in Haiti, ministering to the poorest of the poor...of Haiti--the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Other speakers told us about helping families here in the US. Another was from India, his native land–he spoke about religious traditions in India, including worship of many gods and idols. He reminded us that the Cow is sacred in India. But he then said, confidentially, “but when I am here in United States, I eat a LOT of beef!” He also spoke of the economic conditions of the caste system which keeps people in poverty generation after generation. These missions all work hard to not just help people, but help with education, and empowerment. Helping people to do more than survive, but also to be able to help others.

The first speakers we heard are very dear to my heart. A group of women from the Detroit area, who 10 years ago began to meet to form an interfaith group to address some of the issues in the Detroit area. They have formed an organization, Womens Interfaith Solutions for Dialogue and Outreach in MetroDetroit.

WISDOM  Mission Statement

To Provide  concrete modeling of women from different faith traditions working together in harmony for the common good.
To Empower  women to take a more active role in furthering social justice and world peace.
To Dispel  myths, stereotypes, prejudices and fear about faith traditions different from our own.
To Nurture  the growth of empathy and spiritual energy that result from our projects and interfaith dialogue

Every speaker talked about sharing our stories, about spending time together, really listening to each other. The interfaith women's meetings and discussions were not to 'evangelize' one another, and no one was tempted to leave her own faith tradition. Rather, the deep discussions helped each woman learn what they all had in common and helped deepen their own faith.

We were reminded that God created a wide variety of people too! And all have needs and they have the same desire for their children and grand children to live in peace as we do!

Every speaker talked about sharing our stories, about spending time together, really listening to each other. The interfaith women's meetings and discussions were not to 'evangelize' one another, and no one was tempted to leave her own faith tradition. Rather, the deep discussions helped each woman learn what they all had in common and helped deepen their own faith.

From their talks...Scripture assures us we are the people of God even when we believe we are not. It sends us into the world to tell the story of God.... The story of the Bible...God's love....runs deeper than the world’s stories. It invites others to see this story as their story. Allows God to work through us and the church.

{Quotes from the speakers, I only used the last one}

“How deep is your heart and how wide is your embrace?” – Patricia Harris (Roman Catholic)

“It is only when the uncomfortable becomes the comfortable that we can make a difference!… The women of WISDOM have found that their own faith is strengthen and deepened in interfaith conversation” – Gigi Salka (Muslim)

“Maybe I’m dreaming, that the friendship between a Hindu and a Muslim, that our friendship has the power to reshape perceptions.” – Padma Kuppa (Hindu)

We in USA celebrate Freedom of speech. Freedom of speech means that one can -for example- criticize some policy of a government without fear of being imprisoned for saying so! As a pastor, as wife, mother, I do not believe that freedom of speech means that is it OK to say any old thing that pops into your head! We need to be kind to one another! It may not always be easy, but it always pays off.

Golden rule -common to many if not all faiths...most state as do not do that to another which you would not want done ..Jesus stated in positive terms. It's not always easy to do, especially living in times when bad behavior is rampant.

It's easier to look the other way, it's easier to cross the road to avoid someone in need. It's easier to stay home than to get involved in your community.

Elie Wiesel (Ellie VeezEL)

"The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference. The opposite of beauty is not ugliness, it's indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, but indifference between life and death." (Interview with U.S. media, 1986)

“Mankind must remember that peace is not God's gift to his creatures; peace is our gift to each other.”

God's peace can only come through our working together to bring it! God's peace happens when a Samaritan takes care of a Jew...when a church helps out a mission to the poorest of the poor in a poor country. God's peace will come about when we volunteer in many ways, at the Hospital or at Caritas-our food pantry, or delivering meals on wheels. When we fill backpacks for needy school kids. We may have to get out of our comfort zones a bit! We may have to work with people we don't know from other churches, and people from no church! But if we do not, if we don't allow ourselves to feel the other's pain, we are the poorest of the poor!

Let us pray... holy God, help us to be Good Samaritans in this church, in our city and in the world. Help us to serve you well, looking at our common needs, not at our differences. Help us to bring the Light and Love of Jesus into all we say and do. In Jesus Name and Spirit we pray, amen!

Sermon at United Church of Beloit April 10, 2016 Go Therefore and...

Go Therefore and...  

Ecclesiastes 4:12 

12  Though one may be overpowered,
        two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Matthew 28:16-20

16  Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them.  17When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted.  18And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  19Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  20and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’*

Ecclesiastes –note from Reformation Study Bible...

4:9–12  Cooperation, rather than strife rooted in envy, produces success and provides protection …

Two are better than one....I've said it before...we are created to be in community. We are created to be together with God and with each other! The cord of 3 strands is us and God! Two are better than one, when we have God in the equation as well :)

Gospel lesson...after Jesus' death...disciples maybe saying 'where do we go from here?” Jesus had told them 'go to Galilee” but they were shaken by his arrest and death! Maybe they forgot or thought that it all the plans had been disrupted, it was all over!

Then Jesus, the Risen Jesus!--reminded the women at the empty tomb..   “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

So they went to Galilee...back to where it all began. And then encountered Jesus, risen from the dead! They worshiped him! But 'some doubted!” they still had trouble believing even after all they had been through!

In another bible, called the Message..which is a modern language paraphrase, Author Eugene Peterson tells it this way.

Matthew 28:16-20The Message (MSG)

16-17  Meanwhile, the eleven disciples were on their way to Galilee, headed for the mountain Jesus had set for their reunion. The moment they saw him they worshiped him. Some, though, held back, not sure about  worship, about risking themselves totally.

18-20  Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: “God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.”

Peterson's phrasing here is powerful...'they held back, not sure about worship, about risking themselves totally...” The Disciples needed to be ALL IN! In the book of the Revelation, the letter to one church says that God will spit them out because they are lukewarm! Jesus was never lukewarm. He had times of frustration, and anger, but that was because of his passion and commitment!

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations!.”

People prefer to be with folks who are like themselves. But Jesus tells us to reach out to all 'nations'..to all countries, but also to all different kinds of people. The word translated here “Nations” in the original Greek is the word Ethnos. From which we get the word 'ethnic' –it means races and peoples. In this context it also means peoples other than the Jews...the people to whom Jesus was speaking. He said go therefore to the people who aren't like you! Step out of your comfort zone.

Front of bulletin...'building a community in Christ...to reach the community for Christ.” what does that mean to you? When you read this statement, or hear it, what part speaks to you, what part do you focus on? Building? Community? To reach? For Christ? Each component of this is important. And each of us has a role to play. Perhaps the part you focus on is the part you are to do! Do you build up? Are you an encourager? Everyone needs an encourager and everyone can be one! We need to pray for each other, we need to know someone is praying for us, we need to hear and to say, I am here for you!!

In black churches, saying “amen”, and “preach it” during the sermon, serves purpose...It encourages the pastor! It also keeps the parishioners listening and engaged!

Worship means to be engaged, to participate. Worship is how we braid that cord of 3 strands together! It means being engaged with God and with each other! If we are thinking too much about self..what I like, what I think about this, what I need to do later on...then we are not engaged. If we are not engaged, we are not worshiping God. We may be AT a worship service but we are not part of it, we are not IN it. We are not worshiping.

Worship is corporate, that is we do it as a group..it's conversation with God, and adoration OF God. And hearing from God, through the Scriptures, and hearing and thinking about what God's word means to us today! Yes, we can have prayer, adoration and scripture alone! And we need to do so, that is part of how we maintain our roots in our faith. and participating in worship happens when we are together! When we are together in God, we worship God and are more at One with God!

A church is a lot like a family. We have a lot in common, but not absolutely everything! And we enjoy being together because we are connected.

Now our family members may not all be exactly like us! Most of the time there are a lot of similarities but even siblings can be wildly different from each other! But we are still family, so we look at what we have in common and maybe even learn to celebrate the differences!

The point is that we come together!

According to our Gospel lesson, the point is that we come together with others too! That we reach out to the community For Christ. We reach out beyond the four walls, beyond this church, into this neighborhood and beyond. That we work with other churches, with other organizations that are working to build up the city. That we worship with other churches. I have read a lot of material about the decline of the mainline churches, about how fewer and fewer people identify themselves as 'religious' whether or not they attend church! The culture has changed rapidly and churches have struggled, some not changing enough, some too much! One thing I do know, is we...this church and other churches can not just do the same old same old. We must reach out. Make disciples! For Jesus!

Jesus was One with God and the Holy Spirit. Yet he came to live with us :D

and he said to reach out and to Baptize in the name of the father, son, holy spirit.

We are to make disciples and teach what he taught! Share our stories, tell what Jesus means to us, and share what Jesus taught...but also to listen to others' stories. Even those of very different faiths, that is how we can find common ground.

Remember what Jesus said were the 'greatest commandments”? Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength; and love each other as yourself. We love God and love others, caring for them as Jesus did! Listening to others to learn what their needs are and their hopes and dreams! And sharing ours. Inviting people who may be quite different to be a part of our lives, our churches. Working with other churches to bring the loving care of God into our city. Working with organizations like Caritas―who help our neighbors in need.

At a meeting this week, we were working on prep for the book bag bash. And one member of our team who is a school teacher shared that kids learn young who really cares for them, and who is just doing stuff for them because they are obligated to do so. When kids learn someone is doing something just because they care...they respond. They KNOW that they are cared for and cared about in that moment! Thru our work in the community, they have some of the Love and Light of Christ in that moment, and that light can shine through a lot!

We all need to know that we are cared for and cared about. That is what churches can do for a community. A healthy church really can be very effective in reaching out to the community for Christ! How so? Because a healthy church puts Jesus first. And Jesus promised, “Surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age!” through the holy spirit, we have the love and power of Jesus, if we stay rooted in his love and word, through our private time with God and through our worshiping community!

Jesus, who was One with God and with the Holy Spirit,. Jesus, was ONE with God, yet chose to be One with us too!! He chose to be part of this glorious creation and to be one with our inglorious selves!! And he went to the cross...CHOSE to go to the cross...chose not because God is mean but because God is LOVE and we are mean...chose to go to the Cross. To himself endure complete separation from God so that We would NEVER endure complete separation from God. And then told his disciples―and US-- Go therefore and...share his teachings, share this amazing story, share that LOVE! with everyone! Even and especially the ones who are not just like us. So that we can all become more like Jesus!

Dearest Lord, thank You so much for choosing to live with us and die for us, and rising again to help US live in YOUR love. Show us how to better go out into the world for you. Amen. 

We can do MORE!

This was an email I sent to the pastors participating in Community Lenten services. I sent it just before the services began on Ash Wednesday. This week, one of the pastors quoted me as she preached the message. 

At the Community Prayer Vigil a couple weeks ago, we gathered to say “No More!" We know that Beloit is a good place to live, that it is not a perfect place but a good place. And we say No More to the destructive influences here! Now we as churches are gathering on our Sundays and during the Wednesday Community Lenten services to say “We Can Do More!” We now raise our eyes to Our Lord, and look beyond our four walls to our whole city. We can meet through these Lenten services and in other groups. We will combine with churches and organizations to reach out to our city and beyond. We are stronger together than apart! A cord of three strands is not easily broken! We can take the knowledge and skills that we have individually and combine them, to make this city one that is known for compassion, commitment to improving life for all her citizens! We can do More!

Only Jesus, Sermon given at United Church of Beloit Feb. 7, 2016

 Only Jesus 

Psalm 27 English Standard Version (ESV)

The Lord Is My Light and My Salvation

Of David.

27 The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?

2 When evildoers assail me
to eat up my flesh,
my adversaries and foes,
it is they who stumble and fall.

3 Though an army encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me,
yet I will be confident.

4 One thing have I asked of the Lord,
that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
and to inquire in his temple.

Today is the Super Bowl....or so I've heard! for me if the Packers aren't involved, there is NO football. So now it's time to wait for baseball...pitchers and catchers report Feb 19^th!

Which reminds me, someone was inspired by Steve's sermon series on “why no one attends church anymore” and sent me this:

Reasons A Local Minister Stopped Attending Sports Events

Every time I went, they asked me for money.

The people I had to sit with didn't seem very friendly.

The seats were very hard.

The coach never came to visit me.

The referee made a decision I don't agree with.

Some games went into overtime and I was late getting home.

The band played some songs I had never heard before.

The games are scheduled when I want to do other things.

I don't want to take my children because I want them to choose for themselves what sport they like best.

My parents took me to too many games when I was growing up!

{From the book _Holy Humor_ by Cal & Rose Samra.}

Psalm 27 is a Psalm of David, it may have been written when he was about to be crowned King of Israel, or it may have been composed later when he had been fighting some battles as king. As we see in so many of the psalms, the writer has had strife, but is re-focusing, reminding himself and those around him of the depth of the love and protection of God. He intentionally brings himself back to God...And David writes...sings...”one thing I desire...”to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.”

This, like so much of the Bible, pertains to the time that it was written; David was praying personally to be close to the Lord always, but it is also a foreshadowing..of eternity in heaven! It's a reminder that while things in life can bring struggle and may seem overwhelming, God's love and the promise of Eternal life, overwhelms even the hardest times we have.

Our Gospel lesson is from Mark..

Passage immediately follows Peter's declaration “You are the Christ!” and these verses are followed by Jesus predicting that he will be killed and after 3 days will rise from the dead! And the disciples just don't understand what that means.

Mark 9 NIV

The Transfiguration

2 After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. 3 His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. 4 And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus. 5 Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters―one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 6 (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)

7 Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”

8 Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.

This story, the Transfiguration, is told in the 3 synoptic gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke. It is a turning point. From this point on, Jesus is on the path to his final destiny in Jerusalem.

Jesus took his three closest disciples, Peter, James, and John. Peter, the impetuous, action first, mouth running before brain is engaged, Peter. John who would refer to himself as the disciple Jesus loved. And his brother James. James and John were the ones Jesus called, “The Sons of Thunder.” So these 3 that Jesus took up the mountain with him, were far from perfect were they? Yet these are the 3 that Jesus was the closest to.

And they were the three that witnessed this moment..this moment when Jesus' divinity was revealed. Jesus, up on a mountain, echoing Moses meeting God on Mount Sinai. Jesus is radiant, with his clothes whiter than could be achieved by anyone! And Moses and Elijah with him, talking to him! And then a cloud and a voice coming out of that cloud!

Why do Moses and Elijah appear with Jesus? Moses is a symbol of the Torah, the books of the law in the Hebrew Bible. The Hebrew Bible contains books of the Law, the Prophets and the Wisdom. God used Moses as the great deliverer of the Hebrew people. He led them out of 400 years of slavery in Egypt. He led them through 40 years in the desert wilderness. God was with them all the way, in a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.

Elijah was a prophet, who was 'taken up to heaven'- and according to the prophet Malachi, God would again send “Elijah the prophet-- before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes”.

Indeed, just a couple verses later, Jesus would remind the disciples of this, so they would understand that John the Baptist had fulfilled that role, telling that the Messiah, Jesus, was coming and pointing him out to the people!

the words, “listen to him” come from Deuteronomy, Moses' sermon to the Hebrew people, Deut 18:15 “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers―it is to him you shall listen”

Moses symbolized the Torah, Elijah the prophets. But once Jesus arrived, HE was everything. The law, the prophets, the wisdom. Each of these things is an aspect of God. God is so vast, that we, even though we are created in the image of God, we can barely fathom God. So we have these aspects of God, sort of like facets on a diamond or precious stone. Each facet shows a part of the whole and helps us to see the brilliance within the stone! But it is only one facet or one aspect, not the whole.

In the Bible there are many, many names of God, because there are so many aspects or facets of God. And we sometimes can relate to one aspect, or need one facet. Just as we all like different things...ok let's use coffee hour as an example...some may drink coffee, regular, or decaf, some may want it black, some with cream and sweetener. Some may have tea, or juice or a cup of water! We may have a cookie, or a big cream filled donut or piece of fruit. Maybe we're on a special food plan, so we bring an energy bar or cheese or wait till we get home. We all have our own tastes and preferences and it's all ok!!

So just as we have differences at coffee hour, we have differences in the way we think of God and worship God. Some need a lot of quiet to meditate and pray. Some may find God more in nature. Some may sense God's presence when they are busy, taking care of others! Some of us have days of needing quiet and other days of being busy! We all come to God and experience God in different ways and that's good! So we have different names of God to help us recognize God in our need, and in our worship. This is why over time worship changes, and we have different styles of worship.

That's one of the best things about our Community Lenten services. We get to go to other churches, hear other pastors preaching, other styles of music, different orders of worship. But it IS all worship, it all serves God, and can all speak to us, if we are open. And the fellowship afterwards is great too! We can renew acquaintances and make new friends. Our services coming up will have an even wider variety of churches represented than last year!

Getting back to our story, Moses and Elijah symbolized the Law and the Prophets! But when God spoke and said This is my son―some translations say “My Beloved Son” “listen to him!” then Moses and Elijah disappeared. And there was Only Jesus. Because now Jesus is all that is needed. He IS the Law and the Prophets and the Wisdom, because he Is God's own son, part of God, “the Father is in me and I in the Father” he said, present at the beginning of time and will be present at the end.

Savior, Messiah, Redeemer and Friend

Savior –the One who 'saves' us from sin. When each of us says, I want Jesus to be Lord of my life, He is our savior. He is the One who bridges the gap between each of us and God, the one who took all our OUR sin to the cross, so that when we face the judgment of God, we CAN face God. Jesus took it all. He is Savior!

Messiah- the anointed one―the Chosen one of God. The one of whom God said, “This is my beloved Son, Listen to him!” the Messiah who delivers ALL of God's people. You see, we need Jesus as individuals, but we also need him collectively. This is how we become the Body of Christ! We go from being a congregation or a nation or an ethnic group, to becoming the Body of Christ because of Jesus the Messiah.

Redeemer. --the One who said “this is my body, given for you, This is my blood, shed for you” because we are saved, (when we are saved, we belong to Jesus for all time!) but, being flawed human beings will still mess up. So we need redemption! This is why we do communion regularly.

Friend...even though Jesus is Lord, he IS God-- he is personal. He is one we can take everything to in prayer. We can share our joys, our frustrations, our grief, our thankfulness! And as we share, the Holy spirit brings us closer to God, helping us to be guided and to learn how to live our faith and to be more Christ-like. That is the ideal, the goal, to be more like Jesus. To love well, to care for all of God's people...which is all people! To acknowledge our flaws and failings, but to know that if we align ourselves with Christ, we can find the joy of having God within every day, to be in the presence of God every day, and one day we will all dwell with Our Lord forever and ever!

Let us pray... Precious Lord, we are so grateful for Your Word which teaches us, for the Law and the prophets and the wisdom books, but most of all we are grateful for Jesus, our Lord, savior, messiah, redeemer and friend.

We ask that we may dwell with You always, and gaze upon your beauty, and help bring your love and light to others, today and every day! In Jesus' Name Amen.

a serene scene

Sunset over the river. It's a scene of solitude and quiet. I love the hints of color in the sky. We've had more vivid sunsets lately, but this scene is subtle and restful. Sometimes we need a moment of peace and rest. 

“But the LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him.” 
(Habakkuk 2:20)

A couple photos

I took this photo yesterday at a park in town. I love the look of the single-file paw prints in the snow. And the blue shadows, so typical of a winter scene. The park has many plantings native to Wisconsin and the Midwest, which leave their stalks upright through the snow. Here are more native plants along the shore of the icy river. They've been planted in the past couple years to help stabilize the shore line and also to help control the geese that stay around. Geese don't like tall plants as predators can hide behind them. It's interesting that after decades of removing these weedy-looking plants, we've learned that they are good for the environment in many ways! So now native plants are considered to be desirable.