On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit, promised by Jesus, came to the disciples. Since then, the church has argued about the Spirit’s presence, power, and gifts. Who has the Spirit? How does one get it or receive it? And in our own time, the question is even more ambiguous. Is there a spiritual realm and, if so, how are people spiritual in nature? People will try to connect to a deeper sense of self-identity in many ways. Some Christians consider themselves the exclusive recipients of the Holy Spirit, to the exclusion of the rest of us. This causes divisive strife and, likely, is the source of much disenchantment with religion and church. In a related expression, I’ve heard people say, “I’m spiritual, but not religious.” Or “You don’t have to go to church to be a spiritual person.” I wonder why there is such a disconnect between the church and the spirit-filled life?
Marva Dawn, in her book “Talking the Walk: Letting Christian Language live again” writes about the ways that we reject the Spirit dwelling within and among us. “Consequently, we renounce the Spirit when we do not let the Inspirer through the Word in biblical texts form our language and lives, when we are not attuned enough to the Spirit to let the Holy Guide direct our attitudes, speech, and deeds. We admire certain people who seem to be Spirit-filled, but do not comprehend that the Spirit’s indwelling is a gift fully available to us all. We also repudiate the Spirit when we do not submit to the Empowerer’s gifting so that we might work out of God’s strength rather than our own. How often we rely on our own skills, experience, understanding, or talent rather than letting the Spirit have full sway in our lives and deeds. Sometimes we hide the Spirit’s gifts and don’t let them work through us for the well-being of the community or even ourselves.”
The Holy Spirit is not a feeling or emotion, not a tickle in the gut or a chill up the spine. We often expect some feeling to accompany the Spirit’s presence. But what if God’s Spirit is at work in your daily life devoid of any strong feeling? The Spirit gives us many things: a sense of peace or conviction or courage or endurance or guidance or quiet or hope or willful submission. Would you like to discover how Jesus’ Spirit, gifted to you for LIFE at Holy Baptism, is at work in you? Wouldn’t you like to be inspired, to experience a connection with Jesus, and to embrace a new way of life that is full of purpose and meaning? Wouldn’t you like to identify yourself as a spirit-filled person with spiritual gifts, assets, and abilities to share for the betterment of others? Wouldn’t you like this congregation to be known as a people full of the Spirit and life of Jesus, a place to which the Spirit draws people into fellowship?
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Thursday, May 18, 2006
DaVinci Code
Easter 6 2006
“The DaVinci Code” opened in theatres this weekend. Yes, the book dares to suggest that there are misdeeds in church history. Yes, it does suggest that the existence of certain sacred orders within the Catholic church are covering up “the truth” about Jesus. Yes, it does build an elaborate conspiracy theory with “evidence” from actual historical artifacts like DaVinci’s “Mona Lisa”, “the Last Supper” and the temple church in London. All of these things can be explained away or, with the stretch of the imagination, considered possible or even valid. Have you looked at the painting of the last Supper? The person seated beside Jesus is strikingly feminine. That the person is Mary Magdalene, the wife of Jesus, is the book’s claim. Could it be? If so, is it possible that Jesus wed Mary and had children? Is it possible that the church has kept this secret for 2,000 years as a means of accruing wealth and social control? Is it possible that the church is corrupt and the truth lost? Let me weigh in on this matter before someone asks me about it. I read the book when it came out, cover-to-cover in a couple of days. It was one of the most engaging, fast-paced mystery rides I’d ever taken in a fictional novel. Oh, right. It is fiction, isn’t it? Dan Brown is no scholar refuting biblical tradition and theology. He is a writer and a half decent one at that. He got 40 million copies of his book sold and read. He got a movie deal and a lot of buzz from a good mystery. So, why all the fuss?
The fuss is not about DaVinci or the priory of Scion or Opus Dei or Mary Magdalene or “Jesus’ blood line” or Dan Brown. The fuss is, at its heart, a crisis of faith of the highest proportion. The fuss is not that the book may cause a faith crisis, but that a faith crisis already exists which the book potentially fuels. It reveals that 21st century western people are incapable of discerning the truth from fiction, God from an idol, Jesus from DaVinci. The fuss is over authority. Who can say what scripture really means? Who can tell us the truth? Who can tell us what is faithful and heretical? Who can define Christianity? Is it the church? The Pope? Anybody with a pen and a penchant for storytelling? The crisis is that people are longing for mystery and revelation of the divine kind, but don’t know where to find it. People are longing for a touch of Jesus’ life, a sign of God’s presence and truth. People are hoping for a new vision of the world, in which institutions governed by corruption are exposed and brought down. People seek a vision of a world in which faith and hope and love abide. A world where Jesus is known fully and we are fully known. And loved. If that is not the compassionate mission of Jesus carried out by his faithful followers, I don’t know what is. So, see the movie. The book will be better, though. They always are.
with love, PM
“The DaVinci Code” opened in theatres this weekend. Yes, the book dares to suggest that there are misdeeds in church history. Yes, it does suggest that the existence of certain sacred orders within the Catholic church are covering up “the truth” about Jesus. Yes, it does build an elaborate conspiracy theory with “evidence” from actual historical artifacts like DaVinci’s “Mona Lisa”, “the Last Supper” and the temple church in London. All of these things can be explained away or, with the stretch of the imagination, considered possible or even valid. Have you looked at the painting of the last Supper? The person seated beside Jesus is strikingly feminine. That the person is Mary Magdalene, the wife of Jesus, is the book’s claim. Could it be? If so, is it possible that Jesus wed Mary and had children? Is it possible that the church has kept this secret for 2,000 years as a means of accruing wealth and social control? Is it possible that the church is corrupt and the truth lost? Let me weigh in on this matter before someone asks me about it. I read the book when it came out, cover-to-cover in a couple of days. It was one of the most engaging, fast-paced mystery rides I’d ever taken in a fictional novel. Oh, right. It is fiction, isn’t it? Dan Brown is no scholar refuting biblical tradition and theology. He is a writer and a half decent one at that. He got 40 million copies of his book sold and read. He got a movie deal and a lot of buzz from a good mystery. So, why all the fuss?
The fuss is not about DaVinci or the priory of Scion or Opus Dei or Mary Magdalene or “Jesus’ blood line” or Dan Brown. The fuss is, at its heart, a crisis of faith of the highest proportion. The fuss is not that the book may cause a faith crisis, but that a faith crisis already exists which the book potentially fuels. It reveals that 21st century western people are incapable of discerning the truth from fiction, God from an idol, Jesus from DaVinci. The fuss is over authority. Who can say what scripture really means? Who can tell us the truth? Who can tell us what is faithful and heretical? Who can define Christianity? Is it the church? The Pope? Anybody with a pen and a penchant for storytelling? The crisis is that people are longing for mystery and revelation of the divine kind, but don’t know where to find it. People are longing for a touch of Jesus’ life, a sign of God’s presence and truth. People are hoping for a new vision of the world, in which institutions governed by corruption are exposed and brought down. People seek a vision of a world in which faith and hope and love abide. A world where Jesus is known fully and we are fully known. And loved. If that is not the compassionate mission of Jesus carried out by his faithful followers, I don’t know what is. So, see the movie. The book will be better, though. They always are.
with love, PM
No telling what you might hear
Frederick Buechner writes:" When a minister reads out of the bible, I am sure that at least nine out of the ten people who happen to be listening at all hear not what is really being read but only what they expect to hear read. And I think what most people expect to hear read from the bible is an edifying story, an uplifting thought, a moral lesson---something elevating, obvious, and boring. So that is exactly what very often they do hear. Only that is too bad because if you really listen---and maybe you have to forget that it is the bible being read and a minister who is reading it--there is no telling what you might hear!
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Empty Tombs are awe full places
“And they fled the tomb and said nothing to no one for they were terrified.” Mark 16:8.
Mark intends to take his readers back to that sunlit Sunday morning in the tombs and to leave us awe struck, gazing into the dimly lit rock hewn resting place, where no body was at rest. He intends for us to see and hear a mystery man declare an amazing truth---“You look for Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified one, He is not here, He was raised!” He intends to shock us. He wants to send our emotions reeling. After all, the previous days and hours had been emotionally devastating. He told of His triumphal entry, subsequent arrest, trial, torture, execution, and death in a matter of a few pages of text. And now, even more briefly told, is this story of resurrection.
Are we too far removed from it to be awe struck? Are we too distanced from the event to feel the power of fear overcome us? What are the implications for you and me if this story is true? Easter is joyful. But it is also devastatingly amazing. It is awe-full, as Lutheran theologian Marva Dawn would say. Why? Because Easter changes everything. Resurrection means that there is a God who actually cares. God is no passive observer of human life and death. God actively participates in human suffering and death, in order to give holy meaning and life to it. Suffering and death are not meaningless ends to an irrelevant existence. Jesus’ resurrection is God’s promise to us. Sin and death do not hold power over our lives anymore. God is ultimate. Christ is Lord of life. We are recipients of God’s love when we trust that death is not the end. Resurrection is. The implications are staggering. The ways of war and injustice are fruitless. Our focus on survival and longevity is pointless. Selfish gains for a “better life now” are petty. Resurrection means that life is God’s. Your life, your health, your future are in the hands of the God who raised Jesus from the dead. So, surrender. Let God use you for love and love alone. Sew peace, bring hope, offer grace, provide mercy, do what is right and true. Believe with awe and amazement.
Happy Easter.
+ Love, Pastor Matt +
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
A New Book
Marva Dawn, Lutheran theologian and author, has written many books devoted to Christian theology and practice. She is rooted in a Lutheran biblical hermeneutic that guides are provocative handling of the Christian life. Her books "Truly the Community" and "Reaching out without Dumbing Down" are must-reads for practicioners struggling to interpret and practice Christian faith in 21st century North America. She takes her context seriously (and also comedically) when she engages a particular subject. Shre has written on the worship wars, sexual ethics, Sabbath Keeping, and Christian language.
The latter is a topic of her most recent book, "Talking the Walk: Letting Christian language live again." In the introduction she writes, "This book arose as does all my work: when something keeps striking me a a problem in the interrelationships of Christians, churches, and the society around us, I finally feel compelled to do soemthing about it." That is the nature of her writing and the gift it provides. She believes in the power of words, of language, of the message. in this recent book, she writes short vignettes, almost personal reflections, on Christian vocabulary. Everything God and Christ to grave and hell and salvation. One of her chapters is entitled "X". This material is poetic, thoughtful, and theologically astute. She intends to recapture language that has been "corrupted" (her words) by sin, misuse, overuse, underuse,etc...
On p. 44, the entry on Word (located in the section on language about God) says, "Isn;t it funny that a religion centered in One who is named "Word" has become so loppy with its words? I don't mean just with rejections of docrinal terms, but also with careless or overly sentimmentalized song or liturgy writing, with illiteracy concerning the words of the Scriptures which give testimony to the Word, with increasing dependence upon the visual to convey our faith in the Word to the world around us, and with diminished ability to hear God speak in a voice that contradicts our society's words about values and ideologies. You'd think that if we really believed that Jesus is God's Word, who is both God and with-God for us, we'd spend more time listening to the Word, more attention to living it, and more concern for what we say and how we say it."
How true.
The latter is a topic of her most recent book, "Talking the Walk: Letting Christian language live again." In the introduction she writes, "This book arose as does all my work: when something keeps striking me a a problem in the interrelationships of Christians, churches, and the society around us, I finally feel compelled to do soemthing about it." That is the nature of her writing and the gift it provides. She believes in the power of words, of language, of the message. in this recent book, she writes short vignettes, almost personal reflections, on Christian vocabulary. Everything God and Christ to grave and hell and salvation. One of her chapters is entitled "X". This material is poetic, thoughtful, and theologically astute. She intends to recapture language that has been "corrupted" (her words) by sin, misuse, overuse, underuse,etc...
On p. 44, the entry on Word (located in the section on language about God) says, "Isn;t it funny that a religion centered in One who is named "Word" has become so loppy with its words? I don't mean just with rejections of docrinal terms, but also with careless or overly sentimmentalized song or liturgy writing, with illiteracy concerning the words of the Scriptures which give testimony to the Word, with increasing dependence upon the visual to convey our faith in the Word to the world around us, and with diminished ability to hear God speak in a voice that contradicts our society's words about values and ideologies. You'd think that if we really believed that Jesus is God's Word, who is both God and with-God for us, we'd spend more time listening to the Word, more attention to living it, and more concern for what we say and how we say it."
How true.
Saturday, March 11, 2006
New web site
Check out our new web page at www.zionakron.com, or click on the link on the right sidebar. Its in its infancy, bu we hope to have more content, including pictures of life at Zion, coming soon.
Also, the VIGIL is next Sunday, March 19, at 6:04 pm. Come and worship with us.
Peace,
PM
Also, the VIGIL is next Sunday, March 19, at 6:04 pm. Come and worship with us.
Peace,
PM
Thursday, March 09, 2006
Lent 2 March 12, 2006
“Get behind me, Satan”
What have you done in your life to get ahead? Did you invest in a solid education? Did you marry someone with a better pedigree or financial security? Did you invest in the stock market or buy real estate? Did you work hard, really hard, extra hard—to get ahead? Did you get the feeling at a young age, as I did, that the deal in life was to lead, follow, or get out of the way? And that the followers didn’t amount to much. Leadership, being on top, excelling, succeeding, striving for greatness. That is what it is all about. And it is possible in America, yes? Some lower middle class schmuck makes a smart choice and the next thing you know he owns a fortune 500 company. Some computer geek strikes it rich with a search tool called GOOGLE. Anyone can play this game, right? Anyone can be the next American Idol, the next big thing. Just keep your eye on the prize. Get ahead of the next guy; no step on him. Put her in her place. That’ll get you ahead. “Everybody just get out of my way!!” Ever thought that?
“Get behind me, Satan.” You see, Peter had other plans for Jesus and himself. He thought that with Jesus, unlike John the Baptist, they had a guy who could rule the nation. A common man with mass appeal. JBAP was way too fringe to make it all the way. Peter had his man and was willing to sacrifice his own stuff to get him there. Like the campaign chief, Peter knew what it would take to get Jesus to the top—to Jerusalem, the temple, maybe even Rome itself! And any defeatist talk would not suffice. Suffering and death? At the hands of chief priests and scribes? No way. That’s not a get ahead attitude. That’s giving up. That’s giving in. That’s not fighting the good fight. Jesus was not the guy to take one for the team. Peter thought he would be that guy. No, Jesus was the leader of the team. Jesus was the one worth suffering for, so long as it gets him ahead where he belongs.
In how many ways, do we operate from a human motivation to get ahead or to succeed in our own terms? How do we encounter this Jesus, who is willing to surrender without a fight? Suffering is unacceptable. Self-sacrifice without tangible gains, is futility. Jesus is absurd. Peter won’t let him give up and give in. Not without a stern talk first.
“Get behind me, Satan.” Thing is, Jesus doesn’t have to get ahead. He is the head of all things. He is the Son of God. Everyone and everything else is less and must either follow or get out of the way. Satan throws up human intentions and human misunderstanding as roadblocks to God’s mission. But Satan fails. You can’t tell God what to do, no matter who you think you are. God knows we try. As if we know best.
Are you following the way or are you just in the way?
with love, PM
“Get behind me, Satan”
What have you done in your life to get ahead? Did you invest in a solid education? Did you marry someone with a better pedigree or financial security? Did you invest in the stock market or buy real estate? Did you work hard, really hard, extra hard—to get ahead? Did you get the feeling at a young age, as I did, that the deal in life was to lead, follow, or get out of the way? And that the followers didn’t amount to much. Leadership, being on top, excelling, succeeding, striving for greatness. That is what it is all about. And it is possible in America, yes? Some lower middle class schmuck makes a smart choice and the next thing you know he owns a fortune 500 company. Some computer geek strikes it rich with a search tool called GOOGLE. Anyone can play this game, right? Anyone can be the next American Idol, the next big thing. Just keep your eye on the prize. Get ahead of the next guy; no step on him. Put her in her place. That’ll get you ahead. “Everybody just get out of my way!!” Ever thought that?
“Get behind me, Satan.” You see, Peter had other plans for Jesus and himself. He thought that with Jesus, unlike John the Baptist, they had a guy who could rule the nation. A common man with mass appeal. JBAP was way too fringe to make it all the way. Peter had his man and was willing to sacrifice his own stuff to get him there. Like the campaign chief, Peter knew what it would take to get Jesus to the top—to Jerusalem, the temple, maybe even Rome itself! And any defeatist talk would not suffice. Suffering and death? At the hands of chief priests and scribes? No way. That’s not a get ahead attitude. That’s giving up. That’s giving in. That’s not fighting the good fight. Jesus was not the guy to take one for the team. Peter thought he would be that guy. No, Jesus was the leader of the team. Jesus was the one worth suffering for, so long as it gets him ahead where he belongs.
In how many ways, do we operate from a human motivation to get ahead or to succeed in our own terms? How do we encounter this Jesus, who is willing to surrender without a fight? Suffering is unacceptable. Self-sacrifice without tangible gains, is futility. Jesus is absurd. Peter won’t let him give up and give in. Not without a stern talk first.
“Get behind me, Satan.” Thing is, Jesus doesn’t have to get ahead. He is the head of all things. He is the Son of God. Everyone and everything else is less and must either follow or get out of the way. Satan throws up human intentions and human misunderstanding as roadblocks to God’s mission. But Satan fails. You can’t tell God what to do, no matter who you think you are. God knows we try. As if we know best.
Are you following the way or are you just in the way?
with love, PM
By CS Lewis
"I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Jesus: "I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept his claim to be God'. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said [referring to Jesus' forgiving the sins of those who had not directly offended him, like the paralytic, etc...] would not be a great moral teacher. He would be either a lunatic---on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg---or else he would be the devil of hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon; or you can fall at his feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to."--From Mere Christianity
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
Saint Patrick
God's might to direct me
God's power to protect me
God's wisdom for learning
God's eye for discerning
God's ear for my hearing
God's Word for my clearing
God's power to protect me
God's wisdom for learning
God's eye for discerning
God's ear for my hearing
God's Word for my clearing
God's Word in Worship Lent 2
These are the Scripture texts for Sunday, March 12th.
Monday: Genesis 17:1-7;15-16
Tuesday: Psalm 22:23-31
Wednesday: Romans 4:13-25
Thursday: Mark 8:31-38
Friday: for courage to follow Jesus in the wilderness of sin.
Monday: Genesis 17:1-7;15-16
Tuesday: Psalm 22:23-31
Wednesday: Romans 4:13-25
Thursday: Mark 8:31-38
Friday: for courage to follow Jesus in the wilderness of sin.
LENT 1
“Immediately the Spirit drove him out into the wilderness.”
In the Season of Lent the Gospel of Mark will take us on an exploration of Jesus’ life, as he does battle with the forces of evil and darkness. Koinonia will follow and comment on the Gospel, so that I can preach on the Old Testament Scriptures. Today, Jesus is tested in the wilderness by Satan. It is his identity as the incarnate Son of God that Satan will test. Who does he think he is, the high and mighty one showing up in rags and poverty? Satan will test Jesus’ ability to persevere in the face of sin. In the weeks ahead, Satan will take the form of friends, like Peter, religious peddlers, “the world”, and death itself. How will Jesus, divine and human, respond to the satanic forces that surround him, plot against him, tempt him, attempt to control him, and work to kill him?
In Mark’s gospel the temptation in the wilderness is an ongoing experience of Jesus’ life on earth. Unlike the other Gospels, in which Jesus clearly outwits the devil and avoids temptation, Mark’s testing is open-ended. There is no clear conclusion to the test. Does Jesus defeat Satan in the wilderness or not? It is unclear at the conclusion of today’s gospel. Why?
Jesus’ life in the wilderness of sin only begins post-baptism and continues until He is raised from the dead. His entire adult ministry is wilderness ministry. Only in His death are sin, death, and the devil ultimately defeated.
Are you baptized? Welcome to the wilderness. If you ever feel like you’re in the wilderness---lost, without God’s clear and visible help or guidance---then you are with Jesus. If you ever feel like you’re unsure how the end will turn out, you are with Jesus. If you’re enduring suffering because of love for someone, you are with Jesus. If you are struggling to cope with the broad and deep realities of injustice that surround us, i.e., poverty, war, hunger, greed, lust for power; then you are with Jesus. If you are questioning the purpose of a religious institution that is more concerned about survival than Gospel mission, you are with Jesus. If you are concerned for people who are nameless, voiceless, weak, imprisoned, and/or cast out of healthy society, then you are with Jesus. If you have discovered that the only one in whom you can put your trust is God, you are with Jesus.
In Baptism, we are joined to Jesus. The Spirit casts us out into the world with His eyes and heart. Your home, your work, your school, your neighborhood are your wilderness. You’ve been driven out with a mission, too. Perhaps this Lent you will seek it and find it---or it will find you…
with love, PM
In the Season of Lent the Gospel of Mark will take us on an exploration of Jesus’ life, as he does battle with the forces of evil and darkness. Koinonia will follow and comment on the Gospel, so that I can preach on the Old Testament Scriptures. Today, Jesus is tested in the wilderness by Satan. It is his identity as the incarnate Son of God that Satan will test. Who does he think he is, the high and mighty one showing up in rags and poverty? Satan will test Jesus’ ability to persevere in the face of sin. In the weeks ahead, Satan will take the form of friends, like Peter, religious peddlers, “the world”, and death itself. How will Jesus, divine and human, respond to the satanic forces that surround him, plot against him, tempt him, attempt to control him, and work to kill him?
In Mark’s gospel the temptation in the wilderness is an ongoing experience of Jesus’ life on earth. Unlike the other Gospels, in which Jesus clearly outwits the devil and avoids temptation, Mark’s testing is open-ended. There is no clear conclusion to the test. Does Jesus defeat Satan in the wilderness or not? It is unclear at the conclusion of today’s gospel. Why?
Jesus’ life in the wilderness of sin only begins post-baptism and continues until He is raised from the dead. His entire adult ministry is wilderness ministry. Only in His death are sin, death, and the devil ultimately defeated.
Are you baptized? Welcome to the wilderness. If you ever feel like you’re in the wilderness---lost, without God’s clear and visible help or guidance---then you are with Jesus. If you ever feel like you’re unsure how the end will turn out, you are with Jesus. If you’re enduring suffering because of love for someone, you are with Jesus. If you are struggling to cope with the broad and deep realities of injustice that surround us, i.e., poverty, war, hunger, greed, lust for power; then you are with Jesus. If you are questioning the purpose of a religious institution that is more concerned about survival than Gospel mission, you are with Jesus. If you are concerned for people who are nameless, voiceless, weak, imprisoned, and/or cast out of healthy society, then you are with Jesus. If you have discovered that the only one in whom you can put your trust is God, you are with Jesus.
In Baptism, we are joined to Jesus. The Spirit casts us out into the world with His eyes and heart. Your home, your work, your school, your neighborhood are your wilderness. You’ve been driven out with a mission, too. Perhaps this Lent you will seek it and find it---or it will find you…
with love, PM
Thursday, February 23, 2006
ashes, ashes
This week we enter Lent. So, I offer you the words of others. First, an ode to Mardis Gras:
“We shall have mead, we shall have wine, we shall have feast. We shall have sweetness and milk, honey and milk, wholesome ambrosia, abundance of that, abundance of that. We shall have harp, we shall have lute, we shall have horn. We shall have sweet psaltery of the melodious strings and the regal lyre, of the songs we shall have, of the songs we shall have. And the king of Kings, and Jesus Christ, and the Spirit of peace, and of grace be with us, of grace be with us.”—Celtic Blessing on Ash Eve.
“One will have to give account in the judgment day of every good thing which one might have enjoyed and did not.”--- the Talmud. “And let this feeble body fail, and let it faint and die; my souls shall quit this mournful vail, and soar to worlds on high. Give joy or grief, give ease or pain, take life or friends away; But let me find them all again, in that eternal day. And I’ll sing halleluiah, and you’ll sing halleluiah, and we’ll all sing halleluiah, when we arrive at home.”--- The Social Harp. And Ash Wednesday: “You thumbed grit into my furrowed brow, marking me with the sign of mortality, the dust of last year’s palms. The cross you traced seared, smudged skin, and I recalled other ashes etched in my heart by those who loved too little or not at all.” --- Elizabeth-Anne Vanek. “In some monastic communities, monks go up to receive the ashes barefoot. Going barefoot is a joyous thing. It is good to feel the floor or the earth under your feet. It is good when the whole church is silent, filled with the hush of people walking without shoes. One wonders why we wear such things as shoes anyway. Prayer is so much more meaningful without them. It would be good to take them off in church all the time. But perhaps this might appear quixotic to those who have forgotten such very elementary satisfaction. Someone might catch cold at the mere thought of it.”---Thomas Merton.
Prayer, fasting, and charitable giving. These are the outward signs of an inward truth. We are utterly and permanently dependent upon others for sustenance. In the beginning and the end, life depends on God.
“We shall have mead, we shall have wine, we shall have feast. We shall have sweetness and milk, honey and milk, wholesome ambrosia, abundance of that, abundance of that. We shall have harp, we shall have lute, we shall have horn. We shall have sweet psaltery of the melodious strings and the regal lyre, of the songs we shall have, of the songs we shall have. And the king of Kings, and Jesus Christ, and the Spirit of peace, and of grace be with us, of grace be with us.”—Celtic Blessing on Ash Eve.
“One will have to give account in the judgment day of every good thing which one might have enjoyed and did not.”--- the Talmud. “And let this feeble body fail, and let it faint and die; my souls shall quit this mournful vail, and soar to worlds on high. Give joy or grief, give ease or pain, take life or friends away; But let me find them all again, in that eternal day. And I’ll sing halleluiah, and you’ll sing halleluiah, and we’ll all sing halleluiah, when we arrive at home.”--- The Social Harp. And Ash Wednesday: “You thumbed grit into my furrowed brow, marking me with the sign of mortality, the dust of last year’s palms. The cross you traced seared, smudged skin, and I recalled other ashes etched in my heart by those who loved too little or not at all.” --- Elizabeth-Anne Vanek. “In some monastic communities, monks go up to receive the ashes barefoot. Going barefoot is a joyous thing. It is good to feel the floor or the earth under your feet. It is good when the whole church is silent, filled with the hush of people walking without shoes. One wonders why we wear such things as shoes anyway. Prayer is so much more meaningful without them. It would be good to take them off in church all the time. But perhaps this might appear quixotic to those who have forgotten such very elementary satisfaction. Someone might catch cold at the mere thought of it.”---Thomas Merton.
Prayer, fasting, and charitable giving. These are the outward signs of an inward truth. We are utterly and permanently dependent upon others for sustenance. In the beginning and the end, life depends on God.
Monday, February 13, 2006
The Vigil
Soft acoustic music, candlelight, incense, and friends. At Zion Lutheran, 435 Main St., Akron, a new worship fills the senses. Creating the right environment is important for this monthly service, called the Vigil. People encounter God through the body, with our senses, and in community. The gathering embraces ancient and modern Christian worship by employing some modern technologies and sound, with the ancient texts and familiar rites of the 2,000-year Christian tradition. Worship is interactive, encouraging high participation from those who come. Worship is the place where the relationship between God and His people is formed and built. Like a dance, we come to meet God in worship and to receive His gift of grace and love, even as we respond in thankful praise and joyful song.
A rite of remembrance of Baptism, long part of the Lutheran confessional tradition, includes an invitation to come to the font for a water blessing. Scripture reading and response is interactive between pastor and congregation. Last month, excerpts from the U2 song, “I Still haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” capped a message about the human quest for God, meaning, and faith. All are invited to pray in small group stations for healing, peace, families, and spiritual guidance. Familiar texts include the Kyrie, “Lord, have mercy”, the Apostles’ Creed, and the Lord’s Prayer. We chose to retain the ancient words that bind the Christian faithful together, transcending time and space. It’s not about us, but about Christ and His suffering love for all humanity. We celebrate the Lord’s Supper by passing the common loaf and chalice, a sign of unity with Christ shared in the sacred meal.
Music is diverse and may include an old spiritual or hymn, a new Scripture song or contemporary Christian song, and some music written for the Vigil. A more diverse music repertoire invites broader participation across generations. Zion Akron invites the community to attend the Vigil on February 19th at 6:04 p.m. Ample parking in the lot on Main Street. For more information call Pastor Matt Lenahan at 859-2100 or visit his Weblog at www.luthkoinonia.blogspot.com.
A rite of remembrance of Baptism, long part of the Lutheran confessional tradition, includes an invitation to come to the font for a water blessing. Scripture reading and response is interactive between pastor and congregation. Last month, excerpts from the U2 song, “I Still haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” capped a message about the human quest for God, meaning, and faith. All are invited to pray in small group stations for healing, peace, families, and spiritual guidance. Familiar texts include the Kyrie, “Lord, have mercy”, the Apostles’ Creed, and the Lord’s Prayer. We chose to retain the ancient words that bind the Christian faithful together, transcending time and space. It’s not about us, but about Christ and His suffering love for all humanity. We celebrate the Lord’s Supper by passing the common loaf and chalice, a sign of unity with Christ shared in the sacred meal.
Music is diverse and may include an old spiritual or hymn, a new Scripture song or contemporary Christian song, and some music written for the Vigil. A more diverse music repertoire invites broader participation across generations. Zion Akron invites the community to attend the Vigil on February 19th at 6:04 p.m. Ample parking in the lot on Main Street. For more information call Pastor Matt Lenahan at 859-2100 or visit his Weblog at www.luthkoinonia.blogspot.com.
a poem from Mark R.
People Who Take Care
People who take care of people
get paid less than anybody
people who take care of people
are not worth much
except to people who are
sick, old, helpless, and poor
people who take care of people
are not important to most other people
are not respected by many other people
come and go without much fuss
unless they don’t show up
when needed
people who make more money
tell them what to do
never get shit on their hands
never mop vomit or wipe tears
don’t stand in danger
of having plates thrown at them
sharing every cold
observing agonies
they cannot tell at home
people who take care of people
have a secret
that sees them through the double shift
that moves with them from room to room
that keeps them on the floor
sometimes they fill a hollow
no one else can fill
sometimes through the shit
and blood and tears
they go to a beautiful place, somewhere
those clean important people
have never been.
People who take care of people
get paid less than anybody
people who take care of people
are not worth much
except to people who are
sick, old, helpless, and poor
people who take care of people
are not important to most other people
are not respected by many other people
come and go without much fuss
unless they don’t show up
when needed
people who make more money
tell them what to do
never get shit on their hands
never mop vomit or wipe tears
don’t stand in danger
of having plates thrown at them
sharing every cold
observing agonies
they cannot tell at home
people who take care of people
have a secret
that sees them through the double shift
that moves with them from room to room
that keeps them on the floor
sometimes they fill a hollow
no one else can fill
sometimes through the shit
and blood and tears
they go to a beautiful place, somewhere
those clean important people
have never been.
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
a poem about coffee
my son pretends to serve it from his plastic kitchen. "daddy likes coffee," he says. i drink the invisible blend of aromatic flavor carefully from the tiny red, plastic cup he hands to me. i burn my damn tongue anyway, spilling some on my trousers before going off to another evening meeting. my wife laughs because i managed to avoid staining the new carpet, because there is no coffee. there is only imagination and memory to taste, burn, and stain. but that is enough. as i walk out the door jonah says, "mommy drinks tea."
Team Ministry
As I work here, I realize that a team ministry concept is good. So, I have helped establish two teams already. Worship and Music team is an ongoing and well functioning group with good leadership. That leadership may be changing since our chair resigned. We are also entering some new territory with the Vigil and with Sunday morning liturgy as we consider going to one service for the entire Easter Season!
We have developed a mutual ministry team and a stewardship team. Now we will redevelop ministry board and, finally, an outreach team. Mutual ministry, stewardship, and ministry board will look at the gaps in our mission and get us focused on some key tasks. hey will also help us discover and deploy our God-given gifts and assets. I hope that we can begin to engage every person in some part of the mission in 2006. We really need to get some resources into outreach. I would like us to expand service opportunities too. A mission trip is in order.
Also, there is the potential for cooperative ministry among Lutherans in the area; something I am very excited about, and also anxious about. Am I called to lead something bigger in Ephrata area? I don't know yet. We pray.
We have developed a mutual ministry team and a stewardship team. Now we will redevelop ministry board and, finally, an outreach team. Mutual ministry, stewardship, and ministry board will look at the gaps in our mission and get us focused on some key tasks. hey will also help us discover and deploy our God-given gifts and assets. I hope that we can begin to engage every person in some part of the mission in 2006. We really need to get some resources into outreach. I would like us to expand service opportunities too. A mission trip is in order.
Also, there is the potential for cooperative ministry among Lutherans in the area; something I am very excited about, and also anxious about. Am I called to lead something bigger in Ephrata area? I don't know yet. We pray.
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