Occupying Advent

I've been thinking a lot over the last week or so, as I am sure my other collegues have, about Advent.  Advent is the season in which we prepare for, and joyfully anticipate Christ's birth within us.   Each year as we think about Advent at church we try to remind ourselves and the masses not to become sucked into the trappings of shopping and wrapping and decking the halls, but to slow down and center our hearts and minds on the coming of Christ. 

I have read several articles, blogs, and tweets about the downfall of America's economy and the disgust regarding Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales.  I agree that the hype of the shopping season is overwhelming, especially since we practically skip over giving thanks these days and move straight from Halloween costumes to Santa costumes.  I could stand in the pulpit and focus on these things.  Yes, it is true that there are starving children all across the world that could use the money we spend on gifts and that is horrific.  Yes, it is true that consumerism runs rampant and that is not the point of Christmas at all!  However, as the pastor of a small congregation who is providing for my household (thanks in part to the terrible economy and job market) I confess that I absolutely DID go out shopping on Black Friday because I could not afford to pay full price for Christmas gifts this year!  And while gifts are not the point of Christmas, showing love to my family and friends in tangible ways is a special moment and tradition for me. And I am not ashamed of that! 

Then of course there is the arguement that comes up each year regarding saying "Happy Holidays" vs. "Merry Christmas."  I worked in retail for four years and I grew quite accustomed to saying "Happy Holidays."  I have no qualms with this because in saying this phrase, Christmas is included! Why shouldn't we be sensitive to other faith traditions that celebrate holidays at this time?  Isn't that the point of living in a country that 'welcomes' religious freedom?  I don't find it insensitive to my own faith tradition to say this.  I would argue that this phrase does not take the Christ out of Christmas because in fact, Jesus would probably be more than tolerant of, dare I say accepting of the celebration of various religious traditions this time of year.  After all, he was Jewish! 

I guess my question is, where is the balance?  How can we keep our selves from swinging the pendulum from one extreme to the other, all out consumerism vs. total Christian piety? How do we somehow fight the consumerism economy, yet maintain our cultural traditions... and still keep Jesus at the center of our holiday festivities?  Here are just a few ideas that have been brewing in my mind.  One, shop local as much as you can this year for Christmas gifts.  Or, consider giving money in honor of someone to the organization of your choice, buy fair trade items or join with your friends and family and shop for an angel tree.  For some of us, being faithful stewards of the gracious gifts God has given to us simply means that we cut back on the lavishness of our gift giving to those we care for and demonstrate our love in other ways.

As for keeping Christmas Christ centered, this takes more intentionality.  In order to occupy Advent, we need to slow down during this season not speed up. This is easier said than done, is it not?  I'm not saying you should boycott all Christmas parties or vow not to travel this year, but rather spend some intentional time reflecting on the hope that the birth of Christ brings into our world!  Maybe this means you start an advent wreath tradition in your own home or dedicate time each day to prayer.  Maybe this means that as you put up your Christmas tree you thank God for something with each ornament you hang.  As you wrap those gifts consider why the shepherds came to Jesus' side, and why the wisemen brought gifts to him.  The answer I think you will find is two-fold.  Love, love for the child there in the manger and love for the God who loved us so much that he sent his only son.  And second, Hope, in Jesus we catch a glimpse of hope that the world can and will be changed.

Thin Places

Since the beginning of time people from all walks of life have been fascinated by places where the veil between our world and the world beyond is thin.  There are many places in Europe where legends and descriptions of thin places exist, such as Glastonbury, England and The Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland.  Places such as this make me think of Stonehenge and other places shrouded in mystery.  Images of these sites make me want to re-read Marion Zimmer Bradley’s The Mists of Avalon.  I believe that people are hardwired to long for the presence of God, to seek places in their lives where God’s presence is palpable; holy ground, thin places.  We learned this from Moses, who needed assurance from God that his presence would go with him; he wanted to meet God face to face. 

Montreat, NC is one of these thin places for me.  I was able to spend just a few short days there a few weeks ago while attending a Wee Kirk Conference as part of my continuing education.  For me, the five hour drive to get there is nothing but a blip in time and the higher into the mountains of North Carolina I climb, the more my spirit elevates as well.  As I drove through the beautiful stone gate of Montreat, I thought to myself, “I hope I always feel this way when I come up here.”  There really are no words to describe my feelings, I’m giddy like a child and yet overwhelmed with a sense of peace at the same time. 

On my second day there, we had a free afternoon.  The weather was a perfect 70 degrees, a gentle breeze and a clear blue sky.  The trees were bursting with every hue of goldenrod, flame, and crimson imaginable.  I have never seen it so beautiful; I spent the entire day outside thanking God for the beauty of creation and bringing me to the place that my soul calls home.  Indeed, when sitting around Lake Susan I feel as though I am resting in the curve of God’s smile. 

I was not ready to come down from the mountain after just two days.  I could have lingered there, in that thin space between heaven and earth where the Holy Spirit seems to dance so freely.  I heard God’s voice lifted in song; I learned of God’s wisdom in the words of my peers, I smelled the aroma of Christ on the wind. 

And as I made my way home, down from the mountain, back to reality, I began to wonder, what your thin places are?  Do you have a place in God’s good creation where you feel the mighty presence of God?  How is your soul nurtured there, how is your spirit fed?  Some would argue that since God is everywhere, the entire world is a thin place.  That it is not the physical place itself but the people that are there.  It is true that God is everywhere, but I know for a fact that there are times and places where God creates just the right combination of elements to make his glory known to each of his children.  Each time I have made the pilgrimage to Montreat, I have found myself on holy ground, where that perfect, mysterious, veil was lifted; where I my faith was renewed and my spirit rested with my Creator.

Beyond the Jordan, in the land of Moab, in the fortieth year, Moses said, “The Lord our God said to us in Horeb, ‘You have stayed long enough at this mountain; turn and take your journey.’”

The Little Engine That Could

 Below is the article I wrote for our church's upcoming newsletter.  My goal for the coming year is to encourage members to explore their spiritual gifts, to trust in the gifts God has given them for serving the church and also that we might deepen our relationship with the trinity.  There are many things going on around here, particularly with the demolition of the property next door to the church and the installation of a much needed parkinglot.  My intention is to create a postitive atmosphere that has this small rural church saying, "We are able to do big things!" 

Remember the heart-warming children’s book, The Little Engine That Could?  In the story a long train must be pulled over a high mountain peak.  Several large engines are asked to pull the train but they all refuse.  When the request is passed on to a small engine, she agrees to try!  The little engine successfully tows the train over the mountain, all the while repeating the motto, “I-think-I-can, I-think-I-can.” 

Of course the lesson for us is that we can do anything we set our mind to, we simply have to try.  The little engine could have said, “No I am too small, I will never make it.”  But instead she put herself out there and committed to trying to achieve what seemed impossible.

How often do we convince ourselves that we are not worthy of the task God sets before us?    The lectionary texts over the next few weeks follow the life of Moses.  When God speaks to Moses through the burning bush he has all sorts of excuses for God!  “Who am I, Moses asks, that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”  Surely God has dialed the wrong number!  Moses fears that the people will not believe him, what if they think he is crazy!  God does not allow Moses to escape from his mission but rather reminds him that Moses will not be alone, God will be with him.  Finally, Moses argues that he has never been eloquent, slow of speech and tongue.  God counters this excuse saying he will provide the words for Moses to speak.  Moses begs the Lord to choose someone else but God refuses.  Moses is the one God has chosen; an ordinary man for an extraordinary task.  It is time for Moses to become The Little Engine that will lead his people from Egypt and into the Promised Land.  Moses needs that mantra, “I-think-I-can, I-think-I-can!”  Moses needs to trust that he is able to accomplish his calling because God is working through him!

We are not so unlike Moses, finding excuses to keep us from answering God’s call in our lives.  If the Lord God can work through a man with a stutter surely he can work through you!  If God can call to the pulpit a petite blond who looks more like an adolescent than a preacher, there is no telling what God can do with you!

Paul talks about the varieties of gifts that each of us are given, that we as many members make up the one body of Christ.  In the weeks and months to come I want us to consider what those gifts are that we have and how we can use them to do God’s work in the world.  Those individual gifts that we have, fused together in the context of the congregation are what make this church strong!  My prayer is that we will begin to see ourselves as the little engine that could, pulling ourselves over whatever mountains stand before us saying, “I-think-I-can, I-think-I-can!”  Knowing full well that just as God promised Moses to be with him, God promises to be present with us too. 

A Carrie Bradshaw Moment

I am feeling very Carrie-esque as I sit down to write this first entry (minus the cigarette and relationship drama). Carrie Bradshaw, beloved journalist on Sex and the City is always asking open-ended questions to the greater masses as she tries to make meaning in her own life.

At our presbytery meeting over the weekend our General Presbyter talked about the presbytery's mission statement which includes the language of being "bold servants of transformation."And she begged the question, "how can servants be bold?" Indeed this sounds like a contradiction in terms.

I am learning in my first year of being a solo pastor and moving now into my second year, just how to be a bold servant. My college sisters would tell you that I am not bold, but rather just a little woman with a big mouth. And they would not be lying to you. But there is a balance to being bold and being a servant.

Being a servant to the Triune God is a call to humility. It reminds me of the bumper stickers I often see around here that say, "Not I, but Christ". The truth is that being in ministry means that it isn't about me and if parishioners begin to hang all of their hopes and dreams on me, then we are in trouble. I am to be a servant of God alongside of them, not in front of them. Furthermore, if I decide that I like the sound of my own voice, rather than stopping to listen to their voices, if i start to call it my church, instead of our church, I am no longer being the servant I confessed to be when I took my ordination vows.

So how do we walk the fine line of being bold in our ministry, bold with our beliefs and yet being humble servants? Because, let us be honest, we have to be careful about what we say or how we behave to protect our jobs and our families.

The boldness has to come out of our ability to think outside the box. In Sunday's sermon I used the example of HGTV's show Design Star. The competitors were given the task of transforming a completely white room into something beautiful using only the furniture provided, paint, and restaurant supplies. The best designs were the ones in which people got out of their comfort zones and began to think beyond the white box! They used bold colors and crazy items to make something beautiful that really expressed their personalitites. They let their design speak for itself. What we can take away from this is the fact that our actions, the way we live our lives can speak louder than any words we speak from the pulpit (or shout from opposing sides of any given issue)! These designers were given a blank slate to transform into something beautiful. Isn't that what God's grace does for us?

And so, it is my hope that I can be a humble servant, allowing myself to let go of the control I desire to have and letting God steer the ship. However I can be bold in the way I live my life--to set an example of living my theology, not just pontificating beliefs. It is my hope to be bold in the way I work with my congregation on new ventures for website designs, book clubs, and interactive confirmation classes! This is where the rubber meets the road folks!

In Carrie Bradshaw fashion, I will leave you, dear reader, with a question. What does being a bold servant of transformation mean to you?