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Jul 06
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Sermon: A New Thing

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I led worship at Redmond UMC on July 3rd, 2011, while our new pastor Cara took the weekend off after having spent the previous weeks at Annual Conference and moving her family of five from Seattle to Redmond. The Matthew passage from the Lectionary spoke well to transition and discernment in times of change, so it was easy to adapt to where the people of Redmond UMC are. This sermon was very much directed at the people of Redmond UMC, but I believe that if you can impose examples from your own life as you listen, there will be wisdom for any listener in how we can discern whether changes are good, and also how we address psychological roadblocks to needed change.

Click to listen

The actual sermon is from 0:22 to 31:25. The first 20 seconds is me apologizing for accidentally reading a portion of a scripture that I didn’t plan to read. The end is me describing, praying over, and inviting the congregation to join in a Love Feast. Yes, that does mean the sermon is over 30 minutes long.

Well, I may be biased, but I think it’s worth 30 minutes of your time!

If you’re still not convinced, here’s the basic outline of the main points. The sermon is so much more, however:

Three ways to discern whether the new thing is good

  1. Faith Like a Child — curiosity, openness, innocence, but also hardship and vulnerability. Trusting completely in God
  2. What criteria will we use? — Human criteria or heavenly criteria? “Wisdom is vindicated by her deeds” and “by their fruits you shall know them” (Matthew 7:16). Fruits of the Spirit (Galations).
  3. Test everything, hold onto the good (1 Thessalonians 5:21)

Obstacles to embracing the new thing, even if it is good

  1. Fear of unknown; fear of failure and Success (Marianne Williamson quote). Courage is not the absence of fear. WE do it together.
  2. Love for the “old wineskins” (Matthew 9).
  3. Being too comfortable, building up wealth, not wanting to relinquish our social power
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!

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.