Forgive me, please. I’m about to regale y’all with another summer camp story (that makes three in one week- 1 sermon, 2 letters). But I think you’ll find this interesting, and besides, those who’ve been to summer camp know that it sticks with you after you leave; if you had a good time at camp, at least, it’s hard to get off the mind. Which is another reason we do camp.
Anyway, on Wednesday of last week, the camp I was directing explored the question, “How do I see God in nature?” We did this throughout the day in many ways, but my favorite was that evening’s nature walk. Our instructions were simple- Walk together through the woods and fields surrounding camp, and search for things that help you see God in Nature. We, then, collected those items, and thanks to the artistic talents of a few campers, created a quite beautiful collage.
To be honest, I’m not sure the campers had nearly as much fun on this as I did! Not that they didn’t enjoy themselves, but nature walks combined with theological thinking plays quite naturally to my strengths and interests (fyi, I didn’t plan the event...no really, I promise). So while it was neat and relaxing to these young women and man, to me it was beyond wonderful. And since my counselor led most of this event, I just floated in back of the group, looking at rocks and trees, dreaming up as much about God-in-nature as possible. Serene.
At one point, we wandered near some rocks. I bent over, looking more closely, and noticed a small, fragile green bud of some sort. It struck me as something God would endorse- Vulnerability in the midst of power. Remember 2 Corinthians 12:10? St. Paul claims of Christ’s presence in his life, “When I am weak, then I am strong.” Another discovery was a yellow flower, also tiny and delicate, seemingly destined for immediate destruction. But the subtlety of its stem and elegance of its minute petals helped me remember God. It reminded me that God locates beauty not only in the grandness and grace of rolling thunderclouds, the dynamic brilliance of lightning flashes, or the majestic strength of mountain ranges. God also pays close attention to the details of life, the simplest places- a glance of support when you see another struggling with packages at the store, the simple kindness of holding open a door, the unseen love of picking up a piece of trash left behind by someone else. Notice that Jesus didn’t say, “Whatsoever you did this to the greatest among you…” Jesus said, “Whatsoever you did unto my children, even the least, you did so unto me.”
My favorite insight on this nature walk, though, happened near the beginning. Nearly ten minutes in, and I hadn’t yet collected anything for our collage. I wasn’t yet willing, you see, to choose one leaf or flower over another, because I wanted to find the perfect leaf. Not any-ol’ leaf, with caterpillar bites leaving strange-shaped holes, or stunted growth due to high winds. Most of the leaves were that way, so I walked on, waiting. “After all,” I told myself, “I’m looking for God in nature, so I can’t choose any of these imperfect options.”
Until it struck me- Since when is God in nature, or anywhere else, about perfection?! Yes, in Matthew 5:48, Jesus says, “Be perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect.” But no one, not even Jesus, thought that was more than an ideal- worth striving for, but impossible to achieve. Otherwise, why would forgiveness matter? Instead, God has always excelled at putting imperfect people in the perfect situation (Moses, Esther, Abraham, Deborah, Paul, Mary Magdalene, Peter); helping God’s children turn their limitations into limitless magnificence and love. Why look for God in nature by searching for the perfect leaf, when that’s not how God searches for us? So I picked a broken leaf, with caterpillar holes and a stunted stem. And I thanked God for always being present in my imperfect life. God’s design in nature, indeed!
What about you? Where do you see God in nature?
Grace and Peace,
Shane
Read more!
Friday, June 25, 2010
Friday, June 18, 2010
God is bigger…
I’m writing this at summer camp, which is both exhilarating and exhausting. As you may know, our church’s Regional Camp Ministry asked me to direct this week’s Equestrian Camp- my first ‘directing’ experience (I’ve counseled and camped before, but never been the head honcho). Before you ask, no, I know next to nothing about horses. But I’m learning…
In fact, that’s what I want to write about this week- learning; more particularly, learning about God. It is, after all, the theme of our Camp- God! We began on Monday by talking about who we already imagine God to be, and for the remaining days will explore what more we can learn about God through certain unique, important area of life: ourselves, nature, those different then us, and our neighbors. It promises to be a broad, deep and hopefully life-impacting experience. And these young women and man have some incredible, profound things to say. As expected.
And it’s got me remembering how I’ve learned about God in my life. For example, like many, I think my first tutorials in “who God is” came from my parents. Because God is often (too often?) called Father, in both Scripture and church teaching, I learned a LOT about God’s character and love by watching my dad. He was a remarkable tutor in this subject. Pops was patient in loving me, always wanting what was best for me. He went out of his way, repeatedly, to show up for events I found important, simply showing me that he wanted to be involved in my life. I think that describes some important things about who God is.
And while we don’t often call God Mother (we could do that more- it’s in the Bible, after all), I learned LOTS about God from her too. Mom has this incredible ability to love people, all people, and I do mean all. When we hung out with millionaires, Mom loved earnestly. When people we knew were in trouble- kicked out of their home, dealing with an unplanned pregnancy, recovering from addiction- Mom opened our home to help them out. My mother was always my strongest defender, and challenged me constantly to be better than I thought I was, because she believed in me that much. I think that, too, describes some of who God is. Long story short, I have parents who exquisitely modeled God’s character to me. Thanks Mom and Pops!
But, of course, we can’t learn everything we might about God from just one or two sources. For instance, Mom and Dad weren’t always perfect, which they readily admit, and I learned from that too. Likewise, I had friends, mentors, pastors, and teachers who did things differently, but they were important things that reflected what the Bible’s best stories communicate about God’s character.
I remember a classmate in Middle School- Mike- who, for two years, was my enemy. Real jerk, so I thought. He thought the same of me. We’d go out of our way to insult one another, or just be pests to each other. Then, one summer, we attended the same summer camp. And while, at first, we continued our rivalry, after a few days of singing, playing, and learning about God, a thawing of tensions seemed possible.
He reached out first. I don’t recall the exact situation, but I remember walking with a group of guys, Mike included, when he reached his arm out, and put it around my shoulders. I took a double-take, but I saw in his eyes that he meant it. It wasn’t a fake gesture, meant to please the counselors. He was offering to be my friend. Suddenly, I realized that Mike thought I was a good guy, and it changed how I saw him too. I think God works that way for some people, and would love to do so for many, many more.
And that’s just a small sampling. I’ve learned about God in more ways that I could write. Probably more than I could ever know. And hopefully, after this week, I’ll have a few more stories to tell. But what about you? How have you learned about God?
Grace and Peace,
Shane Read more!
In fact, that’s what I want to write about this week- learning; more particularly, learning about God. It is, after all, the theme of our Camp- God! We began on Monday by talking about who we already imagine God to be, and for the remaining days will explore what more we can learn about God through certain unique, important area of life: ourselves, nature, those different then us, and our neighbors. It promises to be a broad, deep and hopefully life-impacting experience. And these young women and man have some incredible, profound things to say. As expected.
And it’s got me remembering how I’ve learned about God in my life. For example, like many, I think my first tutorials in “who God is” came from my parents. Because God is often (too often?) called Father, in both Scripture and church teaching, I learned a LOT about God’s character and love by watching my dad. He was a remarkable tutor in this subject. Pops was patient in loving me, always wanting what was best for me. He went out of his way, repeatedly, to show up for events I found important, simply showing me that he wanted to be involved in my life. I think that describes some important things about who God is.
And while we don’t often call God Mother (we could do that more- it’s in the Bible, after all), I learned LOTS about God from her too. Mom has this incredible ability to love people, all people, and I do mean all. When we hung out with millionaires, Mom loved earnestly. When people we knew were in trouble- kicked out of their home, dealing with an unplanned pregnancy, recovering from addiction- Mom opened our home to help them out. My mother was always my strongest defender, and challenged me constantly to be better than I thought I was, because she believed in me that much. I think that, too, describes some of who God is. Long story short, I have parents who exquisitely modeled God’s character to me. Thanks Mom and Pops!
But, of course, we can’t learn everything we might about God from just one or two sources. For instance, Mom and Dad weren’t always perfect, which they readily admit, and I learned from that too. Likewise, I had friends, mentors, pastors, and teachers who did things differently, but they were important things that reflected what the Bible’s best stories communicate about God’s character.
I remember a classmate in Middle School- Mike- who, for two years, was my enemy. Real jerk, so I thought. He thought the same of me. We’d go out of our way to insult one another, or just be pests to each other. Then, one summer, we attended the same summer camp. And while, at first, we continued our rivalry, after a few days of singing, playing, and learning about God, a thawing of tensions seemed possible.
He reached out first. I don’t recall the exact situation, but I remember walking with a group of guys, Mike included, when he reached his arm out, and put it around my shoulders. I took a double-take, but I saw in his eyes that he meant it. It wasn’t a fake gesture, meant to please the counselors. He was offering to be my friend. Suddenly, I realized that Mike thought I was a good guy, and it changed how I saw him too. I think God works that way for some people, and would love to do so for many, many more.
And that’s just a small sampling. I’ve learned about God in more ways that I could write. Probably more than I could ever know. And hopefully, after this week, I’ll have a few more stories to tell. But what about you? How have you learned about God?
Grace and Peace,
Shane Read more!
Friday, June 11, 2010
The olden days…
Last Sunday, a sizable group of Plymouth Creekers saw an exhibit on the Dead Sea Scrolls. First impression: Wow, the term ‘scrolls’ is rather generous. I’d have gone with “Dead Sea Puzzle Pieces”…
But before I go further, some context. In the 1940’s, some Bedouin teenagers were goofing around cliffs along the Dead Sea’s coast, in what’s currently known as the West Bank (or Judea, Israel, or the Occupied Territories- depending on your political/ethnic heritage; life is less than simple in that geographic locale nowadays…as ever). Soon, they found caves in these cliffs, and as you might expect when goofing-around-teenagers discover caves, someone fell in, landing on ancient clay pots.
Things got very interesting. It took awhile for folk to grasp fully the impact of the boys’ discovery, but we soon learned many of these ancient pots held scrolls of Jewish Scripture, written in Hebrew. There were other artifacts, testifying to a once-significant community on that Dead Sea Shore. But the scrolls are what stood out. Because once analyzed and dated- 150 BCE-70 CE- it turns out these scrolls were the oldest written (Hebrew) copies of the Hebrew Bible in existence. By over 1000 years.
Now they’re in Minnesota, at the Science Museum. Well, some are. They didn’t bring any actual ‘scrolls,’ simply 6-7 pieces of ancient parchment/papyrus (with tiny text) that had once been part of larger scrolls (other artifacts found in the caves- pots, utensils, fabrics- made the journey). The Dead Sea caves did contain full scrolls, of course, but those don’t travel. Such ancient, important, delicate documents must be handled carefully in sensitive environments. Still, I’d hoped they’d bring at least one section of scroll bigger than pieces of paper you get at the DMV when asked to ‘take a number’.
Enough whining, though, because I enjoyed the trip. In fact, it was an honor to see such an important discovery up close. Sure, they’re not as captivating as, say, if a professor discovered a living descendant of Jesus’ love affair with Mary Magdalene. Nevertheless, these scrolls and many artifacts have given us crucial, unexpected insights into Jesus’ cultural milieu, and the varieties of religious conviction he dealt with. The basic lesson- Jesus’ world was very different than ours.
For instance, one scroll fragment was from Deuteronomy. Now, most texts from the Dead Sea Scrolls match word-for-word with other ancient sources (indeed, that’s one of the remarkable parts of this discovery- textual consistency in Scripture across time), but sometimes they differ. In significant ways. Like in this Deuteronomy passage, the author refers to the gods. Plural. In our Bible, the same passage, based on writings from the 900s, talks about God. Singular. Seems there were editorial changes made to the Bible over the years, and that this scripture’s original writer didn’t believe in only One God.
That might seem shocking to some, but Bible teachers have long claimed that Biblical and non-Biblical sources show that monotheism- the awareness of One God- developed slowly, over centuries. In Jesus’ day, this idea wasn’t fully accepted, among Romans, of course, and as we now know, among some Jewish leaders. But doesn’t that mean the Bible’s untrustworthy? No! Rather, I believe it shows that God knows us well enough to reveal Godself slowly, according the limitations of our time and culture. That some Biblical authors didn’t know God as One God, but rather one god among many, doesn’t prove their religious impotence. It proves God’s patience- i.e. they did their faithful best. Hopefully, after millennia, we’ve come to know God better, but that process hasn’t ended. We’ll never know God fully, this side of paradise, even though “we’re fully known (1 Cor. 13).” As our sisters and brothers in the United Church of Christ put it, “God is still speaking.”
Amen! God didn’t stop revealing Godself before Jesus came. God didn’t stop with Jesus. And hopefully, when our faith descendants look back on our time and the artifacts they find (Dead Sea iPod?), they’ll- a) know God better than we do, but b) believe we did our faithful best when we had the chance. I think that’s a Dead Sea Scrolls Legacy worth promoting.
Grace and Peace,
Shane Read more!
But before I go further, some context. In the 1940’s, some Bedouin teenagers were goofing around cliffs along the Dead Sea’s coast, in what’s currently known as the West Bank (or Judea, Israel, or the Occupied Territories- depending on your political/ethnic heritage; life is less than simple in that geographic locale nowadays…as ever). Soon, they found caves in these cliffs, and as you might expect when goofing-around-teenagers discover caves, someone fell in, landing on ancient clay pots.
Things got very interesting. It took awhile for folk to grasp fully the impact of the boys’ discovery, but we soon learned many of these ancient pots held scrolls of Jewish Scripture, written in Hebrew. There were other artifacts, testifying to a once-significant community on that Dead Sea Shore. But the scrolls are what stood out. Because once analyzed and dated- 150 BCE-70 CE- it turns out these scrolls were the oldest written (Hebrew) copies of the Hebrew Bible in existence. By over 1000 years.
Now they’re in Minnesota, at the Science Museum. Well, some are. They didn’t bring any actual ‘scrolls,’ simply 6-7 pieces of ancient parchment/papyrus (with tiny text) that had once been part of larger scrolls (other artifacts found in the caves- pots, utensils, fabrics- made the journey). The Dead Sea caves did contain full scrolls, of course, but those don’t travel. Such ancient, important, delicate documents must be handled carefully in sensitive environments. Still, I’d hoped they’d bring at least one section of scroll bigger than pieces of paper you get at the DMV when asked to ‘take a number’.
Enough whining, though, because I enjoyed the trip. In fact, it was an honor to see such an important discovery up close. Sure, they’re not as captivating as, say, if a professor discovered a living descendant of Jesus’ love affair with Mary Magdalene. Nevertheless, these scrolls and many artifacts have given us crucial, unexpected insights into Jesus’ cultural milieu, and the varieties of religious conviction he dealt with. The basic lesson- Jesus’ world was very different than ours.
For instance, one scroll fragment was from Deuteronomy. Now, most texts from the Dead Sea Scrolls match word-for-word with other ancient sources (indeed, that’s one of the remarkable parts of this discovery- textual consistency in Scripture across time), but sometimes they differ. In significant ways. Like in this Deuteronomy passage, the author refers to the gods. Plural. In our Bible, the same passage, based on writings from the 900s, talks about God. Singular. Seems there were editorial changes made to the Bible over the years, and that this scripture’s original writer didn’t believe in only One God.
That might seem shocking to some, but Bible teachers have long claimed that Biblical and non-Biblical sources show that monotheism- the awareness of One God- developed slowly, over centuries. In Jesus’ day, this idea wasn’t fully accepted, among Romans, of course, and as we now know, among some Jewish leaders. But doesn’t that mean the Bible’s untrustworthy? No! Rather, I believe it shows that God knows us well enough to reveal Godself slowly, according the limitations of our time and culture. That some Biblical authors didn’t know God as One God, but rather one god among many, doesn’t prove their religious impotence. It proves God’s patience- i.e. they did their faithful best. Hopefully, after millennia, we’ve come to know God better, but that process hasn’t ended. We’ll never know God fully, this side of paradise, even though “we’re fully known (1 Cor. 13).” As our sisters and brothers in the United Church of Christ put it, “God is still speaking.”
Amen! God didn’t stop revealing Godself before Jesus came. God didn’t stop with Jesus. And hopefully, when our faith descendants look back on our time and the artifacts they find (Dead Sea iPod?), they’ll- a) know God better than we do, but b) believe we did our faithful best when we had the chance. I think that’s a Dead Sea Scrolls Legacy worth promoting.
Grace and Peace,
Shane Read more!
Friday, June 4, 2010
Slippery when wet…
Those who know me know about my strong attachment to our environment. I’ve talked with y’all about this some before. But I try not to talk about it too much. Perhaps I’m somewhat turned off with some fellow “Greenies” who wear their love for the earth like a badge of moral superiority. Not every out-spoken environmentalist does so, of course, but the last thing I want is to be judgmental with my values. Still, it’s an important part of my life, and my relationship with God. I know few things more awe-inspiring than the interconnectivity of all living things through God’s creative love.
I mention it now, however, as prelude to a confession: I’ve spent the last month managing an internal inferno, attempting not to explode with anger and frustration. I suspect I’m not alone. You needn’t be a card-carrying eco-nut to find the Oil Spill in the Gulf devastating. I’ve followed this story like some watch horror movies- Anxiety-ridden, eyes occasionally closed for fear of seeing too much carnage, and yet all the while, riveted with concern about what comes next. One of you once asked me, “Shane, you don’t seem to get angry very often. What makes you angry?” This.
One of my great privileges this past year has been leading Youth Sunday School. If you don’t spend much time with our youth, you should change that. They’re insightful, witty, and full of promise. For curriculum, most weeks we’ve watched this series of 15-minute video sermonettes that explore a spiritual topic and its impact in daily life. A couple weeks back, the video was about anger. It made a great point. Jesus got angry. In fact, sometimes Jesus got downright livid, like when he overturned tables in the temple. But the video’s point that was that while anger is a natural emotion that needn’t be feared, it can also all too easily distract us from faithful living. After all, anger is powerful, and power can be enjoyable. In fact, the power of anger is sometimes so enticing, we can dwell in it, become defined by it. At which point, anger is dangerous.
But Jesus modeled something different. His anger motivated him to seek first God’s Reign. And from his experience, and what I’ve noticed in some people passionately motivated to better our world, it seems that when anger leads a person to pursue a greater good beyond her/himself, amazing things can happen. Indeed, eventually, the anger dissipates.
Which returns me to the Oil Spill. Something that’s furthered my frustration about this event is how so many are allowing anger to define, rather than motivate them. Business executives, politicians of all stripes, commentators, everyday Americans, all treating anger, and its less-worthy companion Blame, like the best and final response. Perhaps for those living on the Gulf Coast, watching dreams for the future get tarnished, maybe for them this hits too close to home to expect anything more. For those poor communities, I have nothing but sympathy.
But for the rest of us, we might remember that anger, properly understood, is a motivator, not an end-in-itself. From Jesus’ perspective, anger at injustice and tragedy is a vehicle to actions more holy than the Blame Game. Have you heard anything, since this began, about forgiveness? I haven’t. What about compassion? There’s been some talk of that, but too little for my tastes. Perhaps we’re still too focused on screaming, “When will this end!,” to attain such perspective. But if we aren’t treating others with respect before the Spill is contained, can we expect to flip a switch and start acting well when that blessed day finally comes?
I wish I had room to develop this more fully. It’s very complicated, and I don’t mean to diminish anyone’s raw emotions, or belittle our collective frustrations at something so beyond our control. But I do believe, with all my heart, that Jesus’ message is that the power of love is the most powerful force in Creation. Greater than gushing oil. More powerful still than anger, however closely related at times. And certainly more holy than blame and derision. We should expect more of ourselves. God does.
Grace and Peace,
Shane Read more!
I mention it now, however, as prelude to a confession: I’ve spent the last month managing an internal inferno, attempting not to explode with anger and frustration. I suspect I’m not alone. You needn’t be a card-carrying eco-nut to find the Oil Spill in the Gulf devastating. I’ve followed this story like some watch horror movies- Anxiety-ridden, eyes occasionally closed for fear of seeing too much carnage, and yet all the while, riveted with concern about what comes next. One of you once asked me, “Shane, you don’t seem to get angry very often. What makes you angry?” This.
One of my great privileges this past year has been leading Youth Sunday School. If you don’t spend much time with our youth, you should change that. They’re insightful, witty, and full of promise. For curriculum, most weeks we’ve watched this series of 15-minute video sermonettes that explore a spiritual topic and its impact in daily life. A couple weeks back, the video was about anger. It made a great point. Jesus got angry. In fact, sometimes Jesus got downright livid, like when he overturned tables in the temple. But the video’s point that was that while anger is a natural emotion that needn’t be feared, it can also all too easily distract us from faithful living. After all, anger is powerful, and power can be enjoyable. In fact, the power of anger is sometimes so enticing, we can dwell in it, become defined by it. At which point, anger is dangerous.
But Jesus modeled something different. His anger motivated him to seek first God’s Reign. And from his experience, and what I’ve noticed in some people passionately motivated to better our world, it seems that when anger leads a person to pursue a greater good beyond her/himself, amazing things can happen. Indeed, eventually, the anger dissipates.
Which returns me to the Oil Spill. Something that’s furthered my frustration about this event is how so many are allowing anger to define, rather than motivate them. Business executives, politicians of all stripes, commentators, everyday Americans, all treating anger, and its less-worthy companion Blame, like the best and final response. Perhaps for those living on the Gulf Coast, watching dreams for the future get tarnished, maybe for them this hits too close to home to expect anything more. For those poor communities, I have nothing but sympathy.
But for the rest of us, we might remember that anger, properly understood, is a motivator, not an end-in-itself. From Jesus’ perspective, anger at injustice and tragedy is a vehicle to actions more holy than the Blame Game. Have you heard anything, since this began, about forgiveness? I haven’t. What about compassion? There’s been some talk of that, but too little for my tastes. Perhaps we’re still too focused on screaming, “When will this end!,” to attain such perspective. But if we aren’t treating others with respect before the Spill is contained, can we expect to flip a switch and start acting well when that blessed day finally comes?
I wish I had room to develop this more fully. It’s very complicated, and I don’t mean to diminish anyone’s raw emotions, or belittle our collective frustrations at something so beyond our control. But I do believe, with all my heart, that Jesus’ message is that the power of love is the most powerful force in Creation. Greater than gushing oil. More powerful still than anger, however closely related at times. And certainly more holy than blame and derision. We should expect more of ourselves. God does.
Grace and Peace,
Shane Read more!
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
New ways to love…
Maybe you’ve heard by now…The Isners have a new puppy! Her name is Fawkes (pronounced Fox- a Harry Potter reference, not the Gunpowder Plot), and she’s a certified mutt. The Humane Society suggested one mix of breeds; the vet debated another; i.e. no one knows! But who cares? She’s beautiful, and we’ve grown attached quickly!
Thus, our sadness when May 22, our vet said she’d contracted Parvo Virus, and had a 50/50 shot at living. So we took her to the hospital, and spent that afternoon/evening very anxious. But the next morning, while at church alone preparing for Sunday’s service, the vet called me. She said Fawkes made it through the night remarkably well, was on the road to recovery and we could take her home! Needless to say, the Isners were ecstatic, though just five days earlier, Fawkes wasn’t part of our family.
In fact, that’s been something surprising about my first week as a Pet Owner. We really love our puppy. It’s not a child, but... Personally, I’m not one for anthropomorphizing animals, but I’ve fallen for this dog, and so has my wife. And what’s more is how much I’ve enjoyed watching my wife’s response to this new source of love in our lives. I knew Tabitha loved dogs, and was really looking forward to adopting one. But her ‘puppy glow’ is stronger than I’d anticipated, and that stirs my heart as much as the new puppy (vice versa, she says). But we’re relative newlyweds, right?! We shouldn’t be susceptible to intensified feelings of love so soon! Does the human heart have a saturation point, when it can’t love any more?
No, it seems. And that’s part of the design. Genesis 1 claims humans were created in God’s image. From a Christian perspective, that means we were created to love- just like the Creator, Son and Spirit love into eternity and beyond. Indeed, that what’s so profound about the idea of the Trinity, that the essence of ‘who God is’ boils down to intimate relationship, or as 1 John puts it, “God is love.” And notice that relationship is larger than two. Apparently, in the divine sense, ‘love’ is strongest and best when a ‘third party’ enters the picture.
I’m learning something unique about that from my new dog. I presume parents can tell me more besides. Love between two people is wonderful and real. But when that love incorporates another- a child, dog, aging parent, some injustice you want to help rectify- something…more…happens. And presuming you don’t lose your individuality in that third party, your love for each other even grows.
Obviously, that’s but a rough sketch of something still new to me, but it reminds me of how church works when church works best. People have asked me, “Shane, what does a church need to do to be a strong, growing church?” Simple- Love. Which seems cliché and easy, but think of it as I just described. No church is attractive if the people don’t love each other, right? Especially an intimate community like ours. But how does a church deepen its intimacy and love for each another? Spend time together…Have fun together…all things we do well! But how about this? Love others. Indeed, every strong church I’ve ever seen- regardless of size, location, ideology- does one thing well: They’ve found others outside of themselves to actively love, and engage in ministry.
And that’s different for every church, right?! For some, it’s families with small children. Others engage older adults in retirement communities. Some minister to people wounded by the Church, or homeless veterans, or… The possibilities are endless! But the common factor is this Trinity Factor- Church works best when God, self and neighbor are loved. It’s never just about us.
I’ve said that before, of course. I’ll say it again! But my new dog is bringing it home to my home in a whole new way. And so I’m excited to see how our church, throughout 2010, will find new people to love and engage in ministry. As that continues to happen, I’m betting our intimacy as a community will only increase as well.
Grace and Peace,
Shane
Read more!
Thus, our sadness when May 22, our vet said she’d contracted Parvo Virus, and had a 50/50 shot at living. So we took her to the hospital, and spent that afternoon/evening very anxious. But the next morning, while at church alone preparing for Sunday’s service, the vet called me. She said Fawkes made it through the night remarkably well, was on the road to recovery and we could take her home! Needless to say, the Isners were ecstatic, though just five days earlier, Fawkes wasn’t part of our family.
In fact, that’s been something surprising about my first week as a Pet Owner. We really love our puppy. It’s not a child, but... Personally, I’m not one for anthropomorphizing animals, but I’ve fallen for this dog, and so has my wife. And what’s more is how much I’ve enjoyed watching my wife’s response to this new source of love in our lives. I knew Tabitha loved dogs, and was really looking forward to adopting one. But her ‘puppy glow’ is stronger than I’d anticipated, and that stirs my heart as much as the new puppy (vice versa, she says). But we’re relative newlyweds, right?! We shouldn’t be susceptible to intensified feelings of love so soon! Does the human heart have a saturation point, when it can’t love any more?
No, it seems. And that’s part of the design. Genesis 1 claims humans were created in God’s image. From a Christian perspective, that means we were created to love- just like the Creator, Son and Spirit love into eternity and beyond. Indeed, that what’s so profound about the idea of the Trinity, that the essence of ‘who God is’ boils down to intimate relationship, or as 1 John puts it, “God is love.” And notice that relationship is larger than two. Apparently, in the divine sense, ‘love’ is strongest and best when a ‘third party’ enters the picture.
I’m learning something unique about that from my new dog. I presume parents can tell me more besides. Love between two people is wonderful and real. But when that love incorporates another- a child, dog, aging parent, some injustice you want to help rectify- something…more…happens. And presuming you don’t lose your individuality in that third party, your love for each other even grows.
Obviously, that’s but a rough sketch of something still new to me, but it reminds me of how church works when church works best. People have asked me, “Shane, what does a church need to do to be a strong, growing church?” Simple- Love. Which seems cliché and easy, but think of it as I just described. No church is attractive if the people don’t love each other, right? Especially an intimate community like ours. But how does a church deepen its intimacy and love for each another? Spend time together…Have fun together…all things we do well! But how about this? Love others. Indeed, every strong church I’ve ever seen- regardless of size, location, ideology- does one thing well: They’ve found others outside of themselves to actively love, and engage in ministry.
And that’s different for every church, right?! For some, it’s families with small children. Others engage older adults in retirement communities. Some minister to people wounded by the Church, or homeless veterans, or… The possibilities are endless! But the common factor is this Trinity Factor- Church works best when God, self and neighbor are loved. It’s never just about us.
I’ve said that before, of course. I’ll say it again! But my new dog is bringing it home to my home in a whole new way. And so I’m excited to see how our church, throughout 2010, will find new people to love and engage in ministry. As that continues to happen, I’m betting our intimacy as a community will only increase as well.
Grace and Peace,
Shane
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Friday, May 28, 2010
In remembrance of me…
I’m a proud veteran’s son. Dad was active duty during Vietnam, though his duty stations were stateside. All told, he served twelve years, mostly in the Navy. Military life was tough, he tells me, but he was glad to do it. There’s something profound about giving your talents, and possibly your life, for something bigger than yourself. Especially when it’s something you believe in, as Dad believed in the US Military.
I realize that last sentence elicits many responses. For some, Dad’s good feelings about the Military seem like conventional wisdom- so obviously true, it’s anger-inducing when others feel differently. Nevertheless, others feel differently, and while they may approve of the Military in the abstract, they find most military actions anger-inducing (except WWII, which most everyone seems to respect). Like many, I fall somewhere between those poles, though I do call Pops every Veteran’s Day to tell him I’m grateful for his service. And I’ll pray earnestly for fallen sailors and soldiers next Monday- Memorial Day. For regardless one’s persuasion about the role of the military in our society, that some have thought enough of our nation’s people to die for what they considered our benefit is worth honoring for that selflessness alone. I suspect others in other countries feel similarly.
Have you ever sung, “This Is My Song”? It’s #722 in our hymnal; here’s the first verse:
I love this hymn, though, for acknowledging we’re not alone in this world in feeling strongly about ‘home.’ For, as people of all persuasions recognize, there are many “other hearts in other lands…with hopes and dreams as true…as mine.” God is truly a “God of all the nations.” Hence, the sorrow many feel about war, wherever it happens. For regardless the reason for violence, in war the homes of God’s children get decimated, or destroyed. And I believe it’s saddest when that violence is perpetrated on innocent, vulnerable people.
Last Sunday, we welcomed a speaker from the MN Council of Churches to talk with us about refugees. She mentioned the ‘legal definition’ of a refugee, which is (paraphrase): A foreigner who fears s/he can’t go home because of threats of violence due to her/his religion, ethnicity, ideology, etc., and, in fact, s/he can’t. To someone like me, who loves his home, that notion is disturbing. I feel grateful for those who’ve fought (in war, and myriad other ways) to preserve “the country where my heart is,” and couldn’t imagine being kicked out. Apparently, I’m not alone. America resettles half of the world’s refugee resettlement cases. For whatever reason, it’s part of our society to welcome the “tired…poor…huddled masses, yearning to breathe free” (as it says on the Statue of Liberty). And unsurprisingly, churches often take the lead in this work. Churches like ours…
We had a great turnout last Sunday, so I’m hoping some will lead us to do more. You can tell I found the timing of that visit, in proximity to Memorial Day, meaningful, right? If this issue moves you, let me know. I have details/ideas for what we can do to assist families looking for a new home to love.
And regardless, may your Memorial Day weekend be fun (!), and filled with gratitude. For many gave much so we’d have much to give too.
Grace and Peace,
Shane
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I realize that last sentence elicits many responses. For some, Dad’s good feelings about the Military seem like conventional wisdom- so obviously true, it’s anger-inducing when others feel differently. Nevertheless, others feel differently, and while they may approve of the Military in the abstract, they find most military actions anger-inducing (except WWII, which most everyone seems to respect). Like many, I fall somewhere between those poles, though I do call Pops every Veteran’s Day to tell him I’m grateful for his service. And I’ll pray earnestly for fallen sailors and soldiers next Monday- Memorial Day. For regardless one’s persuasion about the role of the military in our society, that some have thought enough of our nation’s people to die for what they considered our benefit is worth honoring for that selflessness alone. I suspect others in other countries feel similarly.
Have you ever sung, “This Is My Song”? It’s #722 in our hymnal; here’s the first verse:
This is my song, O God of all the nations,I love those words (and the hymn’s pretty melody). “Home,” regardless where it is, is powerful, and often elicits strong loyalty in people. Thus, the anger mentioned above- whether directed toward our military, or toward military detractors- I believe it derives (usually!) from this love of ‘home,’ of “the country where my heart is.” People feel passionately about this topic because they want fellow Americans to honor their beloved home, what they feel are the nation’s best ideals, and they believe or desire that our war-fighting institutions support those ideals.
A song of peace for lands afar and mine.
This is my home, the country where my heart is;
Here are my hopes, my dreams, my holy shrine;
But other hearts in other lands are beating
With hopes and dreams as true as mine.
I love this hymn, though, for acknowledging we’re not alone in this world in feeling strongly about ‘home.’ For, as people of all persuasions recognize, there are many “other hearts in other lands…with hopes and dreams as true…as mine.” God is truly a “God of all the nations.” Hence, the sorrow many feel about war, wherever it happens. For regardless the reason for violence, in war the homes of God’s children get decimated, or destroyed. And I believe it’s saddest when that violence is perpetrated on innocent, vulnerable people.
Last Sunday, we welcomed a speaker from the MN Council of Churches to talk with us about refugees. She mentioned the ‘legal definition’ of a refugee, which is (paraphrase): A foreigner who fears s/he can’t go home because of threats of violence due to her/his religion, ethnicity, ideology, etc., and, in fact, s/he can’t. To someone like me, who loves his home, that notion is disturbing. I feel grateful for those who’ve fought (in war, and myriad other ways) to preserve “the country where my heart is,” and couldn’t imagine being kicked out. Apparently, I’m not alone. America resettles half of the world’s refugee resettlement cases. For whatever reason, it’s part of our society to welcome the “tired…poor…huddled masses, yearning to breathe free” (as it says on the Statue of Liberty). And unsurprisingly, churches often take the lead in this work. Churches like ours…
We had a great turnout last Sunday, so I’m hoping some will lead us to do more. You can tell I found the timing of that visit, in proximity to Memorial Day, meaningful, right? If this issue moves you, let me know. I have details/ideas for what we can do to assist families looking for a new home to love.
And regardless, may your Memorial Day weekend be fun (!), and filled with gratitude. For many gave much so we’d have much to give too.
Grace and Peace,
Shane
Read more!
Friday, May 21, 2010
Kickball Questing…
In April, I went on my biannual retreat with a group of young clergy. You might recall that every such retreat, we spend one our days not talking. Having introverted tendencies as I do, I look forward to this Day of Silence. I pray, meditate, catch up on reading. And I play an afternoon game of kickball. In silence.
Well, this past retreat, our usual Kickball Organizer was gone, and his leadership mantle (unexpectedly) fell to me. So the morning Silence began, I had to make impromptu plans to find a kickball store, purchase said kickball, advertise our game sufficiently, all while keeping my trap shut. Daunting, but doable. And after breakfast, I left the retreat center praying the fates would deliver me unto my athletic destination.
Turns out, my “Kickball Search” was tougher than I’d expected. I’d tried a pharmacy ¾ a mile away. No kickball. There was a grocery store nearby. Alas, no kickball. Still, I was on a major thoroughfare, so I kept waking. Found a Dollar Store- no kickball. Another pharmacy- no kickball. A Children’s FunWorld- you guessed it. Over an hour passed, walking in the hot TX sun, and I felt an urgent temptation to cut losses. But I knew that Silent Kickball would happen only if I made good on my search. So I kept questing, vowing to try one more store.
Target! That’s right, within three minutes, gloriously red concentric circles appeared, and I felt vindicated for sticking to my search. “Surely, Target will have a kickball. Target has everything!”
Except a kickball, it turns out- not in Toys or Sports. I was heartbroken. But there were soccer balls, I noticed…so a choice loomed. I’d begun my quest expecting one thing (a kickball), and I’d kept pursuing that one thing despite opportunities along the way to settle. But now, at my journey’s presumed end, I could a) Give up, accepting that we weren’t destined for Silent Kickball this retreat, b) Grit my teeth and search for another store, convinced my original goal was what our group needed, or c) Settle for a soccer ball, which wasn’t exactly what I’d set out for, but might do just fine. I chose c).
And it was better than I’d hoped for! After all, I’ve played soccer my entire life, so I kick soccer balls MUCH better than kickballs. I was awesome that afternoon’s game. Even if I do so say so myself…
But before that, as I silently returned to the retreat center with our soccer ball, I began thinking of this ‘quest’ as a metaphor for life with God, and life together with God’s people. All Christians, in various ways, ‘quest after God’ (Matt. 7:7), right? And we want not only to find God, but to discern whatever mission God has for us. As we do this, though, I wonder how often we let our expectations or hopes for where that quest will end up guide our steps, rather than, say, God’s Spirit or hopes. I wonder if ever we expect to ‘find’ God’s mission or God’s character within too limited a set of parameters. We imagine ‘being called’ to something we’ve seen work for others. And sometimes we’re dead-on with those expectations, right?! After all, we’ve been on this quest-after-God for some time now.
But is it possible that sometimes we’ve wanted only a kickball, when God’s got this soccer ball waiting for us? Is it possible we’ve searched for God and took all the right turns, overcome difficulties, didn’t compromise for all the right reasons, but our expected destination was different than what God’s prepared for us? So we’ve been slow to recognize that? Maybe, maybe not. But it seems possible. After all, remember the Parable of the Sheep and Goats (Matt. 25:31-46)? God’s good at showing up in unexpected places.
No answers this week; only that hypothesized metaphor. Let me know if this describes something in your life, or for our church. Or if you’d change the idea in some important way. In any case, may kickballs and soccer balls litter your path this week. And may you kick them a LOOOONG way!
Grace and Peace,
Shane
Read more!
Well, this past retreat, our usual Kickball Organizer was gone, and his leadership mantle (unexpectedly) fell to me. So the morning Silence began, I had to make impromptu plans to find a kickball store, purchase said kickball, advertise our game sufficiently, all while keeping my trap shut. Daunting, but doable. And after breakfast, I left the retreat center praying the fates would deliver me unto my athletic destination.
Turns out, my “Kickball Search” was tougher than I’d expected. I’d tried a pharmacy ¾ a mile away. No kickball. There was a grocery store nearby. Alas, no kickball. Still, I was on a major thoroughfare, so I kept waking. Found a Dollar Store- no kickball. Another pharmacy- no kickball. A Children’s FunWorld- you guessed it. Over an hour passed, walking in the hot TX sun, and I felt an urgent temptation to cut losses. But I knew that Silent Kickball would happen only if I made good on my search. So I kept questing, vowing to try one more store.
Target! That’s right, within three minutes, gloriously red concentric circles appeared, and I felt vindicated for sticking to my search. “Surely, Target will have a kickball. Target has everything!”
Except a kickball, it turns out- not in Toys or Sports. I was heartbroken. But there were soccer balls, I noticed…so a choice loomed. I’d begun my quest expecting one thing (a kickball), and I’d kept pursuing that one thing despite opportunities along the way to settle. But now, at my journey’s presumed end, I could a) Give up, accepting that we weren’t destined for Silent Kickball this retreat, b) Grit my teeth and search for another store, convinced my original goal was what our group needed, or c) Settle for a soccer ball, which wasn’t exactly what I’d set out for, but might do just fine. I chose c).
And it was better than I’d hoped for! After all, I’ve played soccer my entire life, so I kick soccer balls MUCH better than kickballs. I was awesome that afternoon’s game. Even if I do so say so myself…
But before that, as I silently returned to the retreat center with our soccer ball, I began thinking of this ‘quest’ as a metaphor for life with God, and life together with God’s people. All Christians, in various ways, ‘quest after God’ (Matt. 7:7), right? And we want not only to find God, but to discern whatever mission God has for us. As we do this, though, I wonder how often we let our expectations or hopes for where that quest will end up guide our steps, rather than, say, God’s Spirit or hopes. I wonder if ever we expect to ‘find’ God’s mission or God’s character within too limited a set of parameters. We imagine ‘being called’ to something we’ve seen work for others. And sometimes we’re dead-on with those expectations, right?! After all, we’ve been on this quest-after-God for some time now.
But is it possible that sometimes we’ve wanted only a kickball, when God’s got this soccer ball waiting for us? Is it possible we’ve searched for God and took all the right turns, overcome difficulties, didn’t compromise for all the right reasons, but our expected destination was different than what God’s prepared for us? So we’ve been slow to recognize that? Maybe, maybe not. But it seems possible. After all, remember the Parable of the Sheep and Goats (Matt. 25:31-46)? God’s good at showing up in unexpected places.
No answers this week; only that hypothesized metaphor. Let me know if this describes something in your life, or for our church. Or if you’d change the idea in some important way. In any case, may kickballs and soccer balls litter your path this week. And may you kick them a LOOOONG way!
Grace and Peace,
Shane
Read more!
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