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Nov 17
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Matthew 25 Sermon Series Part 1: Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids

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Part 1: Matthew 25 Sermon Series, Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids
Preached at Magnolia UMC on 8/1/10

Audio Clip: Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids

Transcription of the audio (note that it is not a manuscript, so listening to the audio is recommended if possible):

Our scripture for this morning is from Matthew chapter 25, verses 1-13:

The Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids

‘Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a shout, “Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.” Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the wise, “Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.” But the wise replied, “No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.” And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. Later the other bridesmaids* came also, saying, “Lord, lord, open to us.” But he replied, “Truly I tell you, I do not know you.” Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

When I was a freshman in college, I used to have really vivid dreams.  I’ve always had vivid dreams, but this year in particular… I think I had a lot of anxiety because it was a new thing going off to college, being away from my family for the first time.  I loved the independence, it was great.  But I had a lot of losses.  I missed my family, I missed my high school friends.  I missed my dog.  So it was kind of a hard time as well.

One of the common themes of these really vivid dreams I was having was some kind of natural disaster that was impending, that I knew was coming.  So, I had warning that an earthqake was about to come, or a big tsunami was going to overcome the place where I was.  I knew it was coming, but I didn’t know when, it could be any minute.

So, I’d be in my house, and I’d be scrambling for those items that are so beloved, that we’d want to take with us into the next life.  But my room was always a complete mess, so I couldn’t find anything.  I was scrambling through my messy room, looking for cherished items, with knowledge that at any moment an earthquake would come and destroy my house, or a tsunami would come and crash over my house with me in it.  In these dreams I always woke up before anything terrible happened.

I think what these dreams were about was that I was feeling anxiety about not being prepared for the changes that were taking place in my life.  I wasn’t ready; my house wasn’t clean.  I didn’t have those sacred objects ready to go, at a moment’s notice.  I was scrambling to find those things I needed to have with me while I was going through this major change in my life, symbolized in the dreams by an earthquake or tsunami.

I think this kind of anxiety about feeling ready for the things that life brings us is not just experienced by college freshman.  I think a lot of us have dreams like this or feelings in our waking lives.  I know one of the most common dreams, for example, is to show up somewhere like work or school without our clothes on.  We aren’t prepared, we have put on the clothing that we need to be ready to be where we’re supposed to be.  Another common dream that especially folks in school have is being in a class, taking a test that they forgot to take a test for—again, a dream about not being prepared.

These kind of dreams are so common, and it is so common for us to have anxieties in our waking life about being prepared for changes that may come or things that may happen, and I think that this parable we read this morning really speaks to this anxiety we have about being ready.  That’s what this parable is about—people who are ready, and people who aren’t.

We have ten bridesmaids.  Now, I think a lot of times people think of this story as being about how the groom is coming and the groom is going to choose one of these gathered women to marry.  But actually what’s happening is these are truly bridesmaids, not potential brides.  The groom is coming with his bride.

If you think we make a big party out of weddings these days, you haven’t seen the parties that happen back in those days when it was time for weddings.   It would be a week-long party at both households—the groom’s household and the bride’s household.   The main moment, the big climax of the wedding, was when the groom would take his groomsmen, and they would go to the bride’s house, where the party with her family is going on, and pick her up to take her back to his house.

In these days, weddings and marriages were about the patriarchal family structure, where the oldest male of the household is the head.   So the women, when they got married, rather than creating a new household the way we in American culture do it—creating a new household with in-laws on both sides—back then the woman was leaving her own family and joining the family and household of her husband’s family.

So the moment that he would go pick her up and bring her back to his house symbolized and literally was the moment she left her family and came to become a member of his.

The bridesmaids were women in his family welcoming her as a new sister, cousin, aunt, mother.  We know that the bridesmaids were told to wait.  The groomsmen’s role was to go with the groom to pick up the bride.  The bridesmaids’ role was to wait and be the “welcome wagon” when they returned.  To be there with light (in the darkness), open arms, and celebration to welcome the new bride, the new member of the family, and of course to welcome the groom back.

Then the bridesmaids would join the rest of the wedding party in entering the groom’s house and continuing the party.  The bride and groom would go off and do what bride and grooms do, and then when they came back out the marriage would be officially consummated.  The party then would continue for days.

So, in this particular story, the groom has left with his groomsmen to pick up the bride and he’s delayed.  We don’t know why he’s delayed.  Maybe the party at the bride’s house was particularly fun and they didn’t want to leave.  Maybe she had a hard time saying goodbye to her family.  We’re not sure why, but he’s delayed.

So the bridesmaids are waiting and waiting, thinking, “okay, he hasn’t shown off, and we’re kind of tired.”  So they all start to doze off, until they hear someone announcing, “here he comes!  Wake up!  Get ready!”  Five of the bridesmaids brought plenty of oil, so they’re ready to go.  They’re ready to light their lamps and welcome the new member of the family with joy.  The other five are not ready—they don’t have enough oil.  They ask the others, “hey, give me some of your oil, I don’t have enough!” but the response they get is, “sorry, we don’t have enough to give you.”

So five go off to find oil somewhere, which is a little strange.  The idea of there being a store of some kind open this late where they could buy oil seems a little strange—I couldn’t find anything in the study guides that I have that talked about this.  So I don’t really know what’s going on there, but the point is they had to go away to get ready and then come back.  But as we know, they weren’t ready on time, so when they get back they knock on the door and say, “okay, we’re ready now, let us into the party!”  and the groom responds, “no, you weren’t here when I arrived, you’re not welcome in my house.  You didn’t welcome me and my bride.  You weren’t there.”

The parable ends with Jesus saying, “keep awake,” because we don’t know the hour or the dya.  We don’t know when the groom will come and we will be asked to be ready.

There are a couple ways we can interpret this story to have meaning for our lives today.  One of the ways is to put ourselves into the shoes of the hearers of this message—the people Jesus was literally talking to that day.  These folks—the disciples and other folks who might have been listening to this—were under the impression that the apocalypse, the end of days, the return of Christ, would happen in their lifetime.  They didn’t think this was some far-off possibility.  This could literally happen any minute, and will probably come “before I die.”  That was their understanding.  So, they heard this story as a literal admonition to be prepared because truly, at any moment in your life, Christ will return, and you will face the trials that come with this apocalypse, or Armageddon.

Now we’re hearing this story 2,000 years later, so we know that that didn’t actually happen.  However, we could still think of it in those terms—that there could still be an apocalypse in our lifetime, an end of days, return of Jesus, Armageddon.  So we could hear this still today as they did, as an exhortation to be ready for that.

Another way to look at this is that all of us die at some point.  All of us cross over from life on earth to whatever comes next, that great mystery.  We’re not really sure what we’re going to encounter, but we may have some sense that there will be an accounting for our lives.  A moment when we come face to face with God and discuss with God what we lived our life like.  We may think of this as an exhortation to be ready for that—be ready for the moment you pass on and are held accountable for the way you lived your life.

A third way I can think of how we might think of this is a more general preparedness for what could come at any moment, in terms of movement of the Holy Spirit in our lives.  Most of us have a sense that God is with us, the Holy Spirit is here in our midst, whether we feel it or not, but we don’t necessarily feel like God is literally telling us every little thing to do.  I didn’t necessarily feel like God was telling me what I should eat for breakfast this morning or what type of shampoo I should buy at the grocery store yesterday.

So we don’t really feel like every aspect of our lives is controlled or led by God.  But, there are times where the Holy Spirit moves into our lives and calls us to something.  Sometimes when we use the word “call” we are thinking only of a call to ordained ministry.  And I do know there are people in this room who are sitting with that potential call.  But, there are tons of other ways that God calls us.  We may be called to a particular vocation, called to a particular career.  We may be called to reconcile a relationship. We may be called to go to a certain place or do a certain thing.  There are many ways that God’s call may come in our lives.

Are we prepared for that?  Are we ready?  Do we have clean rooms, metaphorically and literally, where we would be ready at the drop of a hat to follow a call that God places on our lives?  Have we let go of physical things, relationships, idols that we have created that may come between us and our ability to follow God?

That can be a challenge, to think about, what things in my life am I holding onto so tightly, that if God were to call me to move, to go, to do something, and I had to let something go to do that, would I be able to?  Could I let go of my home?  Could I let go of Facebook?  Could I let go of… you name it.  You know what’s on your heart that you’re holding onto really tightly.

So, these are three different ways we could potentially interpret this scripture.  And I think all three are valid.  All three of them are ways we may really truly be being called to be prepared.  And maybe there’s others, maybe there’s a fourth way to interpret this that I haven’t thought of.  I’m not here to tell you what to think of this scripture, I’m only here to relay what it says.

This scripture is a parable that comes in a long line of parables that Matthew writes, that Jesus shared with his disciples.  The parables are put together in an order.  In the next two weeks we’re going to be looking at the two parables that come after this, and talk about how they inform each other.  But this morning, I just want to focus on the crux of this parable, which is how are we prepared, how are we getting prepared, and how are we being prepared?

Finally, at the end of this story it says, “keep awake.”  I find this kind of an interesting thing to say, since all 10 of the bridesmaids fell asleep.  Even the five that were prepared, they dozed off too, and when the call came, “here comes the groom, get ready!” they were fine.  So, the problem is not literally that the bridesmaids fell asleep, the problem was not that they rested.

If we go back to the original Greek here, what’s been translated as “keep awake” can also be translated as “keep watch.”  This, again, means to be prepared, be ready.  So, the cool thing there is that we don’t have to spend our lives anxious, wondering, “am I ready?  Is this shampoo that I’m buying going to make me ready for the Holy Spirit to come into my life?”  No!  There are certain sort of large-scale things that we might need to do to get ready—buying oil was what those bridesmaids needed to do—but beyond that, when you are ready, when you get things sorted out, you can rest.  It’s okay.   You can go to sleep.  You don’t have to sit there anxious, all the time, “am I ready?  Am I going to be let in?”  Yeah, you’re going to be let in!  And you know, sometimes you might get ready and then six months go by and you start to slip on some things and may need to get ready again.  So, it’s a process, but the point is you don’t have to be anxious about this all the time.  You don’t have to say awake all the time.  You can sleep; you can rest.  We can trust that if we have opened ourselves up to be ready to hear the call of God, that if we’re engaging in some kind of discipline to keep ourselves prepared, that we can rest in that knowledge that when the groom comes, we will get to enjoy that party.  We don’t know what the party will look like, but it’s going to be a good time.  Amen.

Nov 03
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A medicine redesign to address missed doses

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If you’ve ever had to take medication on an on-going basis, whether for a week or a month or for years, you probably have experienced forgetting to take your meds. We often have the best of intentions, but then something happens to upset our schedule or it simply slips our mind and before we know it, we miss a pill—or more.

Sometimes it’s not even forgetfulness but rather lack of motivation. Sometimes the pill may have side effects we want to avoid, even though deep down we know the medication is ultimately good for us.

It is not unusual for clients who are seeing me for depression/anxiety to say they are “feeling worse” this week and after a bit of investigation, we find out that they haven’t been taking their meds or the full dose they have been prescribed.

Well, NPR has a fascinating story up today about an artist in France, Mathieu Lehanneur, who has some conceptual redesigns of medicine to make us more likely to take them.

From an inhaler in the shape of a coffee cup to a pill dispenser for children that becomes sick itself if the medication is not taken, these ideas are really interesting.

I tend to find that building medicine and vitamins into my routine, taking them at meal times every day, generally works pretty well for me not to forget them.  But that’s not nearly as fun as an “onion-like” medication where you peel off one layer a day!

What do you think?  Would something like this make you more likely to take your meds?  Or at least more fun?

Oct 31
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The Moral of Our Story

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The following is the full text of the November edition of my monthly column, Tea & Empathy, in the Redmond UMC Newsletter.  Click here to go to the RUMC website to download the newsletter.

I was recently asked to guest preach at Rainier Beach UMC, and the topic the pastor had chosen for the morning was “the importance of story.”  I was delighted to be given the opportunity to reflect on the importance of story in my own life, the lives of others, and of our communities.

This gave me a chance to reflect on my own story.  My story is full of joy as well as heartache, privileges as well as trials.  My story shapes who I am and who I will become.  But I’m not just a passive vessel in that process; I also have the opportunity to shape the story itself.  I have the opportunity to find out what the “moral of my story” is.

My undergraduate education was in Elementary Ed/General Science.  I wanted to be a junior high science teacher.  But after several years of subbing—and several unsuccessful interviews—I chose to return to school rather than focus my energies on getting a teaching job.  It is up to me to define the moral of this story.  I could interpret it as a failure or a lack of initiative.  But instead I choose to interpret it as part of my growing up process; part of the discernment that all young adults go through as they figure out “what they want to be.”  The gifts I gathered in my undergrad education and my days as a substitute teacher stay with me, helping me to be a better counselor, preacher, and teacher today.  The moral of my story is one of success, not failure, because that is what I have decided it will be.

What is the moral of your story?  How will you interpret the story of your past, and the story that is unfolding now?  It is my hope that you will see the ways you have been strong, the ways you have succeeded, and be gentle with the ways you have failed.  It is my hope that the moral of your story will include love, joy, and gratitude.

What is the moral of our story?  Our story as a faith community, a manifestation of the Body of Christ?  How will we interpret the story of our past, and the story that is unfolding now?  It is my hope that, as with our personal stories, our shared story will include joy and gratitude.  It is my hope that our story will include radical hospitality and welcome to our neighbors.  It is my hope that our story will include justice for the oppressed, liberation for the shackled.  It is my hope that the moral of our story will be centered in and encompassed by love.

Oct 20
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The Pastor’s 24 Hour Twitter Project

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Pastor Jeremy over at Hacking Christianity has a very interesting proposal: Next Wednesday, October 27th, pastors will tweet their days for 24 hours.  Why?

You know the jokes: pastors only work on Sundays and only care for spiritual concerns.

But I wonder what great diversity there might be in a pastor’s daily life? Could outlining what a typical pastor’s day looks like be interesting to people?

To follow the pastors’ tweets that day, follow the hashtag #pastors24.  Look for me on there, because I’ll be joining in to let folks know what 24 hours in the day of a pastoral counselor is like!

If you’re not already following me on Twitter, click here to add me.

Oct 15
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A word of encouragement for the guilty

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It is important to make amends when we have done something that has damaged our relationship with self, God, or others. But sometimes we may be overcome by a general sense of guilt or unworthiness, even after having taken steps to make things right. In these times, we can remember that forgiveness and love are ours in God. As you read this psalm, pay special attention to the final stanza:

From Psalm 103

My soul, give thanks to the Lord,
all my being, bless God’s holy name.
My soul, give thanks to the Lord
and never forget all God’s blessings.

It is God who forgives all your guilt,
who heals every one of your ills,
who redeems your life from the grave,
who crowns you with love and compassion,
who fills your life with good things,
renewing your youth like an eagle’s.

The Lord does deeds of justice,
gives judgment to all who are oppressed.
The Lord’s ways were made known to Moses;
the Lord’s deeds to Israel’s children.
The Lord is compassion and love,
slow to anger and rich in mercy.
God does not treat us according to our sins
nor repay us according to our faults.

For as the heavens are high above the earth
so strong is God’s love for the God-fearing;
As far as the east is from the west
so far does he remove our sins.

Oct 01
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Tea & Empathy October 2010 — Self-Care

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On September 17th and 18th, 37 women joined together for the annual Redmond UMC’s women’s retreat. Our topic for the weekend was self-care, and I was teaching about it in a series of workshops focused on Mind/Heart, Body, Soul, and Community. It became clear to me by the end of the retreat that I wasn’t practicing what I had been preaching, as I was exhausted and came down with a cold the next day. I had spent the weekend teaching the women of RUMC much of the wisdom I have gathered about self-care, but I had managed, in so doing, to neglect my own self-care that weekend. I had allowed myself to stress out about staying on schedule, to worry about how some of my teaching would be received, and to obsess over details that others could have handled.

Some might say, “such is the life of a minister.” In fact, I have heard the sentiment many times that of people in the caring professions, such as counseling, teaching, nursing, and ministry, it’s considered normal and even expected that we extend ourselves, stretch ourselves, set our own needs aside for the good of others. But the problem with this is that ultimately, these behaviors lead to burnout. I spent several days recovering from having expended too much effort over the weekend; how much recovery would be required if I continually did that, week after week, year after year?

On Friday evening I opened up the weekend with the question, “why bother with self-care?” My first answer was that we must care for ourselves before we can care for others. There is a reason that flight attendants say, in the event of an emergency, to secure our own air masks before putting an air mask on children traveling with us! But there is a second reason, perhaps even more important. That second reason is that we are worth it. We are sacred children of God, created with love and precious in God’s sight. Why engage in self-care? Because we are worth it.

As I reflect on all of this, I keep coming back to Psalm 46:10, which says, “be still and know that I am God.” Be still. And know. That I am God.

So now, it is time for me to really put my own words into practice. I’m not going to berate myself for having failed to care for myself that weekend. Instead, I’m going to trust that some of what I shared was useful to the women gathered; that the knowledge and wisdom I’ve gained and shared with them will help them as they care for themselves. I’m going to do what I exhorted the women to do: release control, listen to my body and my soul, and trust in God. And I’m going to be gentle and patient with myself when I don’t quite manage to do these things.

Sep 04
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Tea & Empathy September 2010 – Accountability

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I was not in church on August 21st, because I was in Nashville with my husband Scott. The United Methodist Church had flown us down to Nashville for my Endorsement interview with the United Methodist Endorsing Agency (UMEA). Endorsement is for clergy who are serving in extension ministries, i.e. ministries outside of serving as pastor of a local church. The 2008 Book of Discipline describes Endorsement in ¶1421.5:

Endorsement is the credential which certifies that a clergyperson performs a valid ministry of The United Methodist Church and has presented evidence of required specialized education, training, skills, and, when required, professional certification necessary to perform that ministry.

The church—through apportionment funds as paid by local churches, including Redmond UMC—pays for travel and lodging of endorsement candidates and their spouses for the one-time interview. The fact that the church uses its resources in this way shows the commitment the UMC has made to supporting clergy in extension ministries. They truly take seriously their charge not just to certify us in the particular extension ministry in which we are working, but also to encourage, challenge us, hold us accountable, and support us and our spouses.

Because it doesn’t end at the endorsement interviews. Once you are endorsed, you are part of a community of extension ministers. The UMEA provides several retreats each year and other communications to support, encourage, and provide pastoral care for those of us in extension ministry. They truly take seriously the exhortation in 1 Thessalonians 5:11 to “encourage one another and build each other up.”

It may be tempting at times to write off processes like this as just one more “hoop” to jump through. But I find great value in the process of discerning, with the help of the committee, my readiness and maturity in the field to which I have been called. Endorsement is one of several other processes—ordination, certification in professional organizations such as the American Association of Pastoral Counselors, and WA State Licensure—that challenges me to build my skills, maintain my competency, and care for my own mental, physical, and spiritual needs.

Oh and just in case you were wondering, the committee that interviewed me did unanimously vote to recommend me for Endorsement. But as usual in the United Methodist Church structure, it won’t be official until the endorsing board approves it at their meeting in October. And so it goes—the blessings and drawbacks of a connectional church!

Aug 15
0

A word of encouragement for those who need to forgive

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A Fresh Act
Douglas V. Steere

Forgiveness is a condition in which the sin of the past is not altered or its inevitable consequences changed.  Rather, in forgiveness a fresh act is added to those of the past, which restores the broken relationship and opens the way for th eone who forgives and the one who is forgiven to meet and communicate deeply with each other in the present and future.  Thus, forgiveness heals the past, though the scars remain and the consequences go on.  These keep the sinner humble.  But now the past can no longer throttle.  It is taken into the fresh act of outgoing renewal and there it is healed.

from Forgiveness: Perspectives On Making Peace With Your Past

Aug 09
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Tea & Empathy August 2010 – Authenticity

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I am writing this from Spokane, WA, where I am attending Jubilate, a yearly music and arts in worship festival.  The keynote speaker, Presbyterian pastor Ron Davids, is working with us on the concept of worship that transforms… or to put it another way, transforming worship so that it can become transformational.  On the first day, he hammered home the point of authenticity being absolutely crucial to passionate, thriving, transformational worship.

Authenticity.  Not always an easy goal, in any area of life.  Authenticity requires us to be radically honest about who we are.  It requires us to take risks to speak what is true for us even when it is hard.  It requires us to be vulnerable and candid about our rough edges, the areas where we are hurting or in need of maturation.  Being authentic is challenging.  It can be difficult and sometimes even painful, but the rewards are great.

For too long, American culture—that culture in which our church is undoubtedly saturated—has thrived on folks not being authentic with one another.  “How are you doing?”  we ask, and if the answer is anything but “I’m doing well, thanks!  You?” we become nervous.  We avert our eyes when we pass someone who has a disability or looks visibly poor or homeless.  When confronted with someone in deep emotional pain, our first instinct is often to run.

We don’t seem to know how to be authentic, and we really don’t know how to handle it when other people are authentic with us, showing us their pain and struggle.  We have not been given social instruction in how to be present with someone in pain; actually this is probably the reason I have a job.  If we could be truly honest and authentic with ourselves, the need for counseling would drop dramatically.

But hiding behind fake niceties, hiding our rough edges, pretending that all is well when it is not do not lead to communities that thrive.  Our denomination is facing the reality that right now we are at a crossroads, and we must “change or die.”  This change doesn’t have to have anything to do with whether our music comes from the Hymnal or from the projection screen.  It doesn’t have to have anything to do with whether we have communion weekly or monthly.  The change is that we must learn to be authentic with one another.

This is what young people—the Facebook generation, sharing our lives online with friends, family, and acquaintances—crave.  We want authenticity; real community.  We don’t want to show up on Sunday morning and hear a nice message that makes us feel good but doesn’t challenge us, shake a few hands and eat a few cookies and then go on our way.  We, the young and the old, the cradle Methodists and those new to the faith, all of us, need a community that is saturated in trust, compassion, safety, respect, and authenticity.

This is only the beginning of what needs to be an ongoing conversation, but we can start with today.  What are you going to do today to live your life more authentically?  What small change will you make the next time you are at church, whether Sunday morning worship, committee meeting, or music practice, to be more authentic with your church family?

Jul 12
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Tea & Empathy July 2010 – Patience

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Allow me to share a rather personal story with you this month.  I experienced a lesson in patience this year at my denomination’s Annual Conference.  Many of you know that I was commissioned as a provisional deacon on Saturday, June 19th at the Ordination Service at Annual Conference.  It was a beautiful service (even though it ended quite late!) and the Redmond UMC (my home church) handbell choir performing made it even more meaningful for me.

Here is a photo of the moment of my commissioning, with Lutheran bishop Boerger, current United Methodist bishop Grant Hagiya, and retired UM bishop Jack Tuell (who was also my UM History professor!)  Next to me are two other candidates, Shalom Agtarap (in black) and Molly Fraser, with Deacon Joy Martin assisting.

What this means is that I am now a member of the Annual Conference; no longer a member of RUMC.  This is a “provisional” membership, so it is kind of a middle step between being lay and clergy.  I am officially clergy now; officially a deacon.  I can perform weddings and have been appointed as Pastoral Counselor at RUMC.  However, I won’t have full voting rights at Annual Conference or be considered a “Reverend” until I am ordained, which will be, God willing, in two years, at the 2012 Annual Conference.

This brings me to my reflections about patience.  The ordination process is long and fraught with stressful interviews and assignments that must be completed.  It can start to feel a bit like “jumping through hoops.”  I especially felt like this when I realized, five years into this process, that I still wasn’t done.  It’s not that I had thought I was done, it’s more like the “head knowledge” became “heart knowledge.”  With a sinking feeling I realized, “I’m still not done with this.” At this thought I grew weary, and, let’s face it, slightly frustrated.

But there is also wisdom in this slow process.  This “trial by fire” allows both the candidate and the denominational body to discern the Holy Spirit’s presence and call in the life of the candidate.  Sometimes, this discernment leads to a realization that ordination is not right.  Especially in light of the recent media blitz about stories of clergy sexual abuse, we can really see the importance of everyone being sure before ordination.  Another obvious fact is that the fact that I am not ordained does not impede, in any way, my ability to carry out the ministry to which I have been called, as a counselor and minister.

So I see the wisdom in it, and I am praying to ask for God’s patience.  I am leaning on this passage from the first chapter of Paul’s first letter to the people at Colossia:

We have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God. May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light.

This is my prayer for myself, and for all of you.

Jul 08
0

Come see me at Derby Days!

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Like many Redmond residents, I am very excited for this weekend’s  Derby Days Festival.  It is hard to believe I’ve been involved in this festival for almost 20 years now.  Whether I was in the parade myself, cheering on my sisters in the kid’s parade, riding the carnival rides, handing out water bottles along the parade route from Redmond UMC, or taking my friend from England to show off Redmond’s best festival, I’ve been at Derby Days nearly every year since my family moved to Redmond in 1991.

I thought I’d dig up some old photos from Derby Days in years past.

1997—Redmond High School marching band

1999—Redmond United Methodist Church’s float–I’m trying to hand out balloons but they have gotten tangled!

2004—kid’s parade and a float (my English friend was happy to see a Big Ben in our local parade!)

a float with landmarks from around the world, including Big Ben

2006—some photos of the carnival

The Redmond Historical Society also has some good information about Derby Days in years past.

If you have a chance, I really encourage you to come down and check out this great festival, whether you’ve been living in Redmond for decades or you’ve never had a chance to come to Derby Days.

And when you’re there, look out for me at Redmond United Methodist Church’s booth, where we will have fun games for the kids and great information about upcoming events the church is hosting for the community, including Vacation Bible School and a free workshop I am teaching called “Navigating Life’s Transitions.”   If you’ve been reading and we haven’t been introduced, I would love to meet you.  So please, come find me and say hello!

Jul 06
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Pride: it’s about love

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This year I attended my first Pride parade, and it inspired in me some reflections about Pride festivities in general.  Allow me to share these reflections with you, along with pictures taken at Seattle’s Pride parade.

Pride festivities are usually pretty well-known for the more outrageous, outlandish, and sometimes shocking displays.  Naked (with full body paint) bicyclists join men in leather fetish gear and 8-inch platform heels.  Women and men alike don feathers, sparkles, and wear very little else.  Here are a few examples:

Of course, many others join in the Pride festivities who don’t make quite the same impression. Take, for example, the Seattle Librarians, doing a choreographed dance with book carts:

There are also sports groups, political figures, and military representatives:

Most people know there are the religious nay-sayers who stand on the sidelines and make their disapproval known.  This man held up a sign near us; his sandwich board read, “Fear God”:

another woman across the way was holding a sign pointed at the parade marchers that said something like, “God loves you and hates your sin.”  Seems like it just wouldn’t be pride without the naysayers.

In the midst of all of this, I personally believe that the true crux of the matter is this:

Pride is about love.

It is about loving shamelessly, loving without regret, loving unconditionally.  It is about loving ourselves the way we are and loving one another in the midst of our differences.

It’s about encouraging and celebrating romantic and familial love in all its glorious incarnations:

It’s about God’s love for ALL of us, exactly the way we are:

Simply put, it’s about love.

So to all the outrageous, outlandishly-dressed Pride partiers, I say, more power to you!  And to the churches and political figures and librarians and everyone else who came to show their support, you are so very appreciated.  And especially, thank you to those who point out the heart of what Pride is really all about: love.

Jul 04
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A word of encouragement for the oppressed

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A scripture reading: Isaiah 61:1-3 (NRSV).

The spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed,
to bind up the broken-hearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and release to the prisoners;
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
to provide for those who mourn in Zion—
to give them a garland instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, to display his glory.

The King James translates that eleventh line as “beauty for ashes,” which tends to be a well-known (and oft-sung) phrase in Christendom precisely because it is so comforting. The idea that God will bring us beauty for ashes—give us a garland—brings joy and hope out of a situation that often leaves the oppressed angry or depressed.

Jul 04
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On the 4th of July, this is my song

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Today is a day we celebrate our nation’s birthday, the day of independence from Britain.  It also tends to be a time when people express their pride in being American.  While I think that there can be value in honoring our country and her traditions and history, we also must remember that America is not a favored nation in the eyes of God, nor should we allow nationalism to get in the way of loving our fellow humans from other countries.

That is why my favorite hymn for patriotic days like today (and one of my favorite hymns in general!) is “This is my Song,” a 1934 song by Lloyd Stone:

This is my song, Oh God of all the nations,
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 sacred shrine.
But other hearts in other lands are beating,
With hopes and dreams as true and high as mine.

My country’s skies are bluer than the ocean,
And sunlight beams on cloverleaf and pine.
But other lands have sunlight too and clover,
And skies are everywhere as blue as mine.
Oh hear my song, oh God of all the nations,
A song of peace for their land and for mine.

May truth and freedom come to every nation;
may peace abound where strife has raged so long;
that each may seek to love and build together,
a world united, righting every wrong;
a world united in its love for freedom,
proclaiming peace together in one song.

This post has been cross-posted to my Kataphatic blog.

Jun 07
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Now open: Green Lake UMC satellite office

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After discussions with the pastor and approval by the Church Council, this week I am “open for business” at Green Lake United Methodist Church!

This will allow me to offer my services to a broader geographical region.  It is a temporary arrangement until a more permanent arrangement may be made for an office in Seattle.

I continue to be based at Redmond United Methodist Church, where I offer counseling on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sunday afternoons.  At Green Lake UMC, I will be offering counseling on Wednesdays and Fridays.

Green Lake UMC is a great fit because they are in a relatively central location, close to bus lines, and are committed to being involved with and serving the neighborhood.  Among their many outreach projects is a Coffee Cart ministry on weekdays from 7:30-10:00.  Stop by for a free latte and good conversation; if you come by on Wednesday mornings you might even be able to say hello to me!  Pastor Lisa also keeps a wonderful blog, which often highlights neighborhood goings-on.

I am so excited about this new opportunity to minister with and to the wonderful folks at Green Lake UMC.