Well, today's the day. It's time to enter into my Lenten Discipline. As always, I approach the day with much trepidation. Will I be able to fulfill the fast which I have chosen? Will I be able to narrow my focus so that God can enlarge my soul? All of these questions remain to be answered and so I take my first step into a new day.
Preparing for Ash Wednesday is my first ecclesiastical duty of the day. Co-mingled on the altar are the elements of communion; bread and cup, sign and symbol of life and a bowl of ashes; sign and symbol of death. It is almost as if these three simple elements are echoing the feelings in my conflicted Lenten soul. Life and death co-mingled. I welcome the anticipation that I am feeling, knowing that a great adventure awaits.
Travelling with The Seven Deadly Sins will also be a part of my Lenten Discipline. This week, I have been wrestling with PRIDE which has been considered to be the root of all evil. How often it has raised its ugly head as I have contemplated its grip on my soul. I find myself tossed to and fro as I consider the life-giving qualities of Pride -- a healthy esteem, a sense of "self-worth. How I glow with pride as I see my daughters maturing into young ladies. How I burst with pride as I watch my church family living out the Gospel. But pride becomes a problem when we think of ourselves as the Creator rather than the creature. When we worship our children or church rather than God.
In "Sinning Like a Christian" Will Willimon writes, "Perhaps the Fathers of the Church called Pride the chief sin, the very first sin, in an admirable honest attempt to address that particular sin of "good" people first, the sin one most likely would find hanging out at the church, the sin most likely to breed among the faithful, good people...." pg. 45
My mind returns to my morning duties: the bread, the cup, the ashes...life and death co-mingled.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Why-Not-Sayers
In her book, “Reclaiming the “C” Word, Daring to be Church Again” Kelly Fryer references an IKEA advertising campaign for new employees. She writes:
"Here’s what they said they were looking for: We’re hiring WHY-SAYERS…people who want to make things better. Make things more fun. More clever. People who aren’t afraid of the boss. People who aren’t restricted by convention but challenged by it. People who fit perfectly at IKEA. Because it’s the why that makes us successful."
Kelly then goes shares her thoughts on how different our churches would be if people began to ask the “why” questions. “Why, when it is our job as the church to pray with and care for one another, do we hire somebody to do this job for us?” “Why are so many of our pastor leaving the ministry long before retirement age?”
Kelly then proposes that the church is in need of some WHY-NOT-SAYERS:
“People who hear a new idea and say, “Why not?” Why couldn’t this great new thing happen? Why shouldn’t we listen to these new voices? Why not try a new way of worshiping, mentoring, leading, learning, singing, sharing our faith, organizing our life, and training our leaders together? Why not expect that God will bring new life and growth to our congregation? Why not trust that the Spirit is at work in us and through us giving us power beyond our imagination? Why can’t things be different? What’s stopping us?"
As I approach my first anniversary at Linden Heights I can say with confidence that this is a church that is welcome to and seeking people who are WHY-NOT-SAYERS --people who are ready to embrace the possibility of transformational ministry and have the courage and willingness to make it happen. Some of our WHY-NOT-SAYERS have already launched new initiatives while others are praying that God will help them discern how to implement the vision that they have been given.
I have no doubt that we have many more WHY-NOT-SAYERS sitting in our pews and still others who are living outside of our church walls who need to be invited to act on the mission and call that God has given them. If you are a WHY-NOT-SAYER, I encourage you to share your ideas with me or your small group. Let’s dare to share, dare to risk and dare to change so that we may bring hope to the world.
"Here’s what they said they were looking for: We’re hiring WHY-SAYERS…people who want to make things better. Make things more fun. More clever. People who aren’t afraid of the boss. People who aren’t restricted by convention but challenged by it. People who fit perfectly at IKEA. Because it’s the why that makes us successful."
Kelly then goes shares her thoughts on how different our churches would be if people began to ask the “why” questions. “Why, when it is our job as the church to pray with and care for one another, do we hire somebody to do this job for us?” “Why are so many of our pastor leaving the ministry long before retirement age?”
Kelly then proposes that the church is in need of some WHY-NOT-SAYERS:
“People who hear a new idea and say, “Why not?” Why couldn’t this great new thing happen? Why shouldn’t we listen to these new voices? Why not try a new way of worshiping, mentoring, leading, learning, singing, sharing our faith, organizing our life, and training our leaders together? Why not expect that God will bring new life and growth to our congregation? Why not trust that the Spirit is at work in us and through us giving us power beyond our imagination? Why can’t things be different? What’s stopping us?"
As I approach my first anniversary at Linden Heights I can say with confidence that this is a church that is welcome to and seeking people who are WHY-NOT-SAYERS --people who are ready to embrace the possibility of transformational ministry and have the courage and willingness to make it happen. Some of our WHY-NOT-SAYERS have already launched new initiatives while others are praying that God will help them discern how to implement the vision that they have been given.
I have no doubt that we have many more WHY-NOT-SAYERS sitting in our pews and still others who are living outside of our church walls who need to be invited to act on the mission and call that God has given them. If you are a WHY-NOT-SAYER, I encourage you to share your ideas with me or your small group. Let’s dare to share, dare to risk and dare to change so that we may bring hope to the world.
Break More Bread
Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people--Acts 2:46-47
“With whom have you broken bread since last we met?” This is the question that is being posed to those from our church who gather monthly for a time of Leadership Development and Visioning.
The answers to this question have been varied. Some have shared stories of experiences where they, literally, broke bread with a friend, a colleague or a stranger. They have invited others to lunch, supper or coffee and their time became a holy moment as they offered a listening ear, a comforting word or just a refreshing break from a hectic day. Some shared their experiences at Manna House where bread was broken in the form of pancakes for the hungry. Still others have invited neighbors to small gatherings at their homes where they shared messages of hope and offered the bread and the cup to those who wanted to commune around the sacred table.
We often think of “Breaking Bread” in the context of the Sacrament of Holy Communion. As the elements are consecrated, the pastor “breaks the bread” as sign and symbol of Jesus’ act of breaking bread with his disciples at the Last Supper and of Jesus’ shattered body on the cross. But the torn bread is also symbolic of our individual and corporate brokenness. Sharing the “bread of life” both literally and figuratively, gives us the opportunity to bring healing to our fractured world.
As Pastor of Linden Heights, one of my primary goals is to develop a plan of leadership that will be supportive of those who feel called to “Break More Bread.” The Visioning Team has begun to outline ways we can achieve this goal as they work toward “Calling the equipped and equipping the called so everyone feels capable of being a minister.”
As we further define Linden Heights’ ministry goals and objectives, I hope that you will be looking for ways to “Break More Bread.” If you would like to share a bread-breaking experience with the rest of the congregation, please Email or call me. We’d love to hear about the many and varied ways that members and friends of our church are putting their discipleship into action. Jesus has given us a wonderful gift! Let us share this gift with the world!
“With whom have you broken bread since last we met?” This is the question that is being posed to those from our church who gather monthly for a time of Leadership Development and Visioning.
The answers to this question have been varied. Some have shared stories of experiences where they, literally, broke bread with a friend, a colleague or a stranger. They have invited others to lunch, supper or coffee and their time became a holy moment as they offered a listening ear, a comforting word or just a refreshing break from a hectic day. Some shared their experiences at Manna House where bread was broken in the form of pancakes for the hungry. Still others have invited neighbors to small gatherings at their homes where they shared messages of hope and offered the bread and the cup to those who wanted to commune around the sacred table.
We often think of “Breaking Bread” in the context of the Sacrament of Holy Communion. As the elements are consecrated, the pastor “breaks the bread” as sign and symbol of Jesus’ act of breaking bread with his disciples at the Last Supper and of Jesus’ shattered body on the cross. But the torn bread is also symbolic of our individual and corporate brokenness. Sharing the “bread of life” both literally and figuratively, gives us the opportunity to bring healing to our fractured world.
As Pastor of Linden Heights, one of my primary goals is to develop a plan of leadership that will be supportive of those who feel called to “Break More Bread.” The Visioning Team has begun to outline ways we can achieve this goal as they work toward “Calling the equipped and equipping the called so everyone feels capable of being a minister.”
As we further define Linden Heights’ ministry goals and objectives, I hope that you will be looking for ways to “Break More Bread.” If you would like to share a bread-breaking experience with the rest of the congregation, please Email or call me. We’d love to hear about the many and varied ways that members and friends of our church are putting their discipleship into action. Jesus has given us a wonderful gift! Let us share this gift with the world!
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