Day Two
Keeping it simple is a good way to enter the
advent season. So much of advent needs explanation. What does the word
advent actually mean? It gets explained every year by the preacher and
at least one children's time in worship. You read the appointed texts
and they are often apocalyptic. More explaining. The pastor down the
street is preaching a Christmas series and I'm trying to get folks to
wrap their heads around a strange apocalyptic text. More explaining.
Last Sunday I decided to keep it simple. What are we about in the next
few weeks? Simply put, we are proclaiming the following.
The universe is in God's hands, therefore, we do not need to worry or be anxious.
We are called to live as disciples of Jesus, who lived as a human being at full stretch before God.
To live like this means living with courage (faith),resilience (hope) and with compassion (love).
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Advent 2011 Reflections
Day 1
Introductions and Intentions
We usually think of the season of Advent as a time to wait for the coming of Christ, but waiting can also be understood as a time to let the scales fall from our eyes and see that Christ is with us here and now. In that regard, I recommend meditating on the reflection below as a way to begin the Advent season. This was posted on the web site http://www.sundaypapers.org.uk/?p=2822. The author is James Hawes.
The False Economy of Waiting
Children naturally live in the now
They are generally impatient and find it hard to wait
They want it now – they live in the present moment
But, parents like to teach them the importance of waiting
To practice delayed gratification
Not to be so emotional
And to calm down
Parents however, often live in the future
Trying to be mature, sensible and responsible
We must insure ourselves and save
Build your pension funds
Make sure you have security in the future
The materialistic parent encourages us to:
Consume now and put off the waiting –
Debt is good for you
Buy stuff you don’t need to occupy your mind and to entertain yourself
Buy products that will make you happier, make you cool or more loveable
Retail therapy will help you deal with your present difficult situation!
And Jesus, well he tells us to become like children!
Many of us either live in the past or the future and few of us risk being in the present.
Are you living in the past? Still longing for the good ole days,
Are you living for the future? And hoping ‘Things can only get better’
Or, are you able to be like the child and be right here, right now…
And risk the joy, sadness, anger, gladness, anxiety, love, pain, contentment, discontentment, happiness, embarrassment, frustration, or some other feeling that arises in each moment.
Dare you risk being fully present in this moment….
and this moment…
this moment…
this moment…!
The best present you can give others this Christmas is to be fully present.
Introductions and Intentions
We usually think of the season of Advent as a time to wait for the coming of Christ, but waiting can also be understood as a time to let the scales fall from our eyes and see that Christ is with us here and now. In that regard, I recommend meditating on the reflection below as a way to begin the Advent season. This was posted on the web site http://www.sundaypapers.org.uk/?p=2822. The author is James Hawes.
The False Economy of Waiting
Children naturally live in the now
They are generally impatient and find it hard to wait
They want it now – they live in the present moment
But, parents like to teach them the importance of waiting
To practice delayed gratification
Not to be so emotional
And to calm down
Parents however, often live in the future
Trying to be mature, sensible and responsible
We must insure ourselves and save
Build your pension funds
Make sure you have security in the future
The materialistic parent encourages us to:
Consume now and put off the waiting –
Debt is good for you
Buy stuff you don’t need to occupy your mind and to entertain yourself
Buy products that will make you happier, make you cool or more loveable
Retail therapy will help you deal with your present difficult situation!
And Jesus, well he tells us to become like children!
Many of us either live in the past or the future and few of us risk being in the present.
Are you living in the past? Still longing for the good ole days,
Are you living for the future? And hoping ‘Things can only get better’
Or, are you able to be like the child and be right here, right now…
And risk the joy, sadness, anger, gladness, anxiety, love, pain, contentment, discontentment, happiness, embarrassment, frustration, or some other feeling that arises in each moment.
Dare you risk being fully present in this moment….
and this moment…
this moment…
this moment…!
The best present you can give others this Christmas is to be fully present.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Day Twenty Nine
"The other person is a burden to the Christian, in fact for the Christian most of all. The other person never becomes a burden at all for the pagans. They simply stay clear of every burden the other person creates for them."
"Only as a burden is the other really a brother or sister and not just an object to be controlled."
These two statements taken together are very revealing. "Staying clear" is another way of saying "cut off." That's mostly what most humans do with those they do not like. So the Christian is known as someone who will stay connected to the other when the going is tough. A lot of Christians will hang with those in their community but they have in essence learned to stay clear of them. According to D.B. that is what the pagans do but the reality is that we have a lot of people acting like pagans in the church. Someone once said that Christians are so often way too nice. Nice means being in the same community and cutting someone off rather than confronting them with whatever is bothering you about them. Nice is letting things go to preserve the peace but the end result is that you stand clear of them. Being nice is one way to kill off the faith under the pretense of being Christian.
"Only as a burden is the other really a brother or sister and not just an object to be controlled."
These two statements taken together are very revealing. "Staying clear" is another way of saying "cut off." That's mostly what most humans do with those they do not like. So the Christian is known as someone who will stay connected to the other when the going is tough. A lot of Christians will hang with those in their community but they have in essence learned to stay clear of them. According to D.B. that is what the pagans do but the reality is that we have a lot of people acting like pagans in the church. Someone once said that Christians are so often way too nice. Nice means being in the same community and cutting someone off rather than confronting them with whatever is bothering you about them. Nice is letting things go to preserve the peace but the end result is that you stand clear of them. Being nice is one way to kill off the faith under the pretense of being Christian.
Day Twenty Eight
"The other service one should perform for another person in a Christian community is active helpfulness."
A listening ear and active helpfulness is both building Christian community and being a witness all rolled into one. Neither one tends to be overly puffed up since their calling card is service and the service often appears in modest dress. " I just listened while she told me her story." "Just paid a visit and talked awhile." When you are helping you take your cue from what is needed, not your agenda. The situation is presented to you rather than you trying to control the situation. You react rather than define the terms of engagement. When you are giving unsolicited advise or trying to be a "do-gooder" but you want to do it your way and on your time then that isn't really the same as what D.B. calls active helpfulness since it is really more about you than the person you are supposedly helping.
A listening ear and active helpfulness is both building Christian community and being a witness all rolled into one. Neither one tends to be overly puffed up since their calling card is service and the service often appears in modest dress. " I just listened while she told me her story." "Just paid a visit and talked awhile." When you are helping you take your cue from what is needed, not your agenda. The situation is presented to you rather than you trying to control the situation. You react rather than define the terms of engagement. When you are giving unsolicited advise or trying to be a "do-gooder" but you want to do it your way and on your time then that isn't really the same as what D.B. calls active helpfulness since it is really more about you than the person you are supposedly helping.
Day Twenty Seven/Bonhoeffer
"We do God's work for our brothers and sisters when we learn to listen to them."
"Many people seek a sympathetic ear and do not find it among Christians, because these Christians are talking even when they should be listening."
Sometimes people use talking as a cover for not acting or they say one thing but in reality the truth is just the opposite of what they confess. The church is always a very "wordy" place and I'm not just referring to preachers. Over the last generation some Christians have been very bombastic in their "dialogue" with those outside the Christian community, so much so that dialogue is not really an apt word for what is going on. We talk a lot about sharing our faith with the assumption that is is all about us "telling our story" to those outside the Christian community, but maybe the first port-of-call is to simply listen to those around us. All things considered, it might be the best truly humble beginning we could make in terms of Christian witness. The Christian witness might have more credibility if we would start by keeping our mouth shut more often and our ears more open!
"Many people seek a sympathetic ear and do not find it among Christians, because these Christians are talking even when they should be listening."
Sometimes people use talking as a cover for not acting or they say one thing but in reality the truth is just the opposite of what they confess. The church is always a very "wordy" place and I'm not just referring to preachers. Over the last generation some Christians have been very bombastic in their "dialogue" with those outside the Christian community, so much so that dialogue is not really an apt word for what is going on. We talk a lot about sharing our faith with the assumption that is is all about us "telling our story" to those outside the Christian community, but maybe the first port-of-call is to simply listen to those around us. All things considered, it might be the best truly humble beginning we could make in terms of Christian witness. The Christian witness might have more credibility if we would start by keeping our mouth shut more often and our ears more open!
Monday, March 22, 2010
Day Twenty Six/Bonhoeffer
"Whoever cannot be alone should beware of community. Whoever cannot stand being in community should beware of being alone."
Along with D. B.'s well known reflections on "costly grace" the comment above is also widely known and quoted. The guide poses an interesting question that one could take in many directions.
"Why do so many churches seem to be mere aggregates of individuals rather than true communities of faith?"
The word aggregate reminds me of how that word is commonly used in reference to stones used in construction. A bunch of separate rocks thrown together to solidify concrete, for instance, yet they remain individual rocks. Beyond living in a very individualistic society many local churches do not have an internal dynamic shaped by a common DNA in regard to mission, vision, and values. They may all be baptized but folk can be miles apart in terms of understanding a common DNA for a local church. A local church can have "cultural Christians" and committed disciples under the same roof but they exist in different universes in terms of values and vision. Two ships passing in the night. Oil and water. No wonder so many local communities of faith are floundering under the weight their demographic makeup.
Along with D. B.'s well known reflections on "costly grace" the comment above is also widely known and quoted. The guide poses an interesting question that one could take in many directions.
"Why do so many churches seem to be mere aggregates of individuals rather than true communities of faith?"
The word aggregate reminds me of how that word is commonly used in reference to stones used in construction. A bunch of separate rocks thrown together to solidify concrete, for instance, yet they remain individual rocks. Beyond living in a very individualistic society many local churches do not have an internal dynamic shaped by a common DNA in regard to mission, vision, and values. They may all be baptized but folk can be miles apart in terms of understanding a common DNA for a local church. A local church can have "cultural Christians" and committed disciples under the same roof but they exist in different universes in terms of values and vision. Two ships passing in the night. Oil and water. No wonder so many local communities of faith are floundering under the weight their demographic makeup.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
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