River's Bend

River's Bend

At a bend in the Tygart river are two trees
Leaning, straining out over the water
Roots exposed, reaching deep into the soil
Like the fingers of a great hand grasping the earth.

It is this soil, this land, from these people that I spring-
Leaning, straining like the tree over life's river,
With roots going deep, holding fast.
Firmly rooted in these mountains.

Before the days of political correctness my siblings and I would tell people that we were spick-hicks. It was a short, pithy way of explaining our heritage, and in some ways our family culture. I wrote the poem above after a visit to the WVA mountains for a reunion with my mother's people. I thought about the verses a day or so ago. Maybe I'll work on the Latina side too...

Living or Leaving the Life of an Invalid

As I was walking my dog yesterday I pondered the life of Elizabeth Barrett Browning. She was a woman who grew up similarly to me - as a tom-boy. She was active and fun loving as a child, but developed a mysterious ailment as she grew into adolescence. Eventually she became an invalid. A brilliant invalid, but an invalid nevertheless.

Her home life wasn't the greatest. Her father was the epitome of controlling. In fact, he forbade all of his children to marry - male and female alike. They all lived at home - even as adults - unless sent to Jamaica to tend the family plantation. Mr. Barrett felt it his right and responsibility to administer discipline to his children (even when adults) who disobeyed him... Maybe these circumstances caused or contributed to Elizabeth's disabilities. Certainly the drugs they gave her to 'help' ended up hurting her instead.

She lived in her room for years - either in bed or reclined on her couch. Though she was close to her siblings, her main companionship came from her lap dog. While in her room she wrote poetry. I can't think of another word to describe it than brilliant. She was gifted, and everyone recognized it. Elizabeth enjoyed critical and popular acclaim.

Everything stayed the same for her until love came knocking on her door in the person of Robert Browning. A poet himself - but not of Elizabeth's caliber (yet), Browning sought Elizabeth out. He came for her. It took her weeks to admit him to her room (they corresponded by mail for some time). When she finally let him in, she began a journey toward health that would eventually lead her toward a fairly normal life. She would leave her father's house, defy his wishes and marry. She slowly built up strength until she could walk across her room, then down the stairs, and finally out the door. Elizabeth left the life of an invalid.

It occurs to me that all of us have some area of our lives in which we live the life of an invalid. We settle for less than the robust health we were meant to enjoy. There may be good reasons that we're in the shape we're in. But that doesn't mean that there are good reasons to stay there. We all need for love to come for us. We need to be sought out by the One who delights in us, who calls us to life.

May 2008 be a year when we leave behind something that holds us back from life as it was meant to be lived. May God grant us the desire and strength to reach for love and freedom.

Highly Favored of the Lord

Today's Lectionary continues the Christmas story with the flight of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus into Egypt to escape Herod's murderous intentions. My mind is drawn back to how this adventure began for Mary, "Greetings, you who are highly favored. The Lord is with you!" While these are words most of us think we'd like to hear coming from an archangel's mouth, the truth is, they heralded a future most of us would shrink from.

Mary and Joseph said 'yes' to God and embarked upon a grand adventure. But it wasn't easy on any level. If it wasn't enough for them both to endure the speculation and rumors that had to surround Mary's pregnancy, they had an arduous trek to Bethlehem. Then there was no room in the inn, so Mary was forced to deliver her child in an animal's stall.

The wonder of the shepherds' and Magis' visits had to make them feel better. These visitors confirmed that something special - something big was happening. Maybe that's why God sent them. If I was Mary, I would probably have been wondering if I'd imagined the archangel's visit... Shouldn't things go more smoothly when you're following God's will?

Well... as the saying goes, "There's no rest for the wicked, and the righteous don't need one." No sooner do the Magi leave, than Joseph is told in a dream to flee into Egypt. It's hard enough traveling when your really pregnant, but traveling with a baby or toddler is much more challenging. Saying 'yes' to God is a dangerous thing to do if you're looking for easy street...

There are people who will tell you that favorable circumstances are a sign of God's favor toward you. The biblical witness doesn't really support that notion, however. More often than not, those whom God favors live God-sized adventures. So... if things aren't going your way, don't assume it's because you're not favored by God. Your troubles may be evidence that you are.

What I Love About Bob

I have a friend named Bob who continually inspires me to be a better person, a better Christian. I received his Christmas letter today. It made me think of him - appreciate him. Bob's in his early eighties, a retired UCC pastor. He worshipped at our Presbyterian church (he said hoping to convert us all) for many years.

Bob moved to a retirement community in a city about an hour away from Danvegas a couple of years ago. Before he left, Bob lead the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity. He played on the church's golf team (yes, that's right, golf team). When on the golf course, however Bob was really more interested in finding balls that folks had lost on the course. He collected them, bagged them, and sold them - with the proceeds going to Habitat. That's the kind of person he is. Any good work that presents itself, Bob embraces.

He recounts his 2007 travels in his letter. Bob was on the road 7 out of 12 months last year. He began the year leading a team to Orlando to receive training as Stephen ministers, spent a week as a camp counsellor this summer, and managed this fall to make it to New Orleans to see what he could do to help. The rest of the time Bob was visiting family and friends. This guy is active!

In 2006 Bob joined my kids and me in a short mission trip to Colombia, South America. We built a road. Heavy work for a guy in his eighties, but Bob joined right in. Because of his age, experience, and obvious wisdom, he finds himself asked to take on leadership roles - praying, preaching, offering fatherly advice.

Bob ends his letter with: "Once again I wish for you all the hope and joy that are part of our celebration of the birth of the Prince of Peace and pray that the coming year will be filled with opportunities to reach out to others in His name and to find ways to help make this battered world a more livable and lovable habitation."

I'm certain that Bob's prayer will be answered in the affirmative: we all will be given a year filled with opportunities to serve and love others. My prayer is that we will jump on those opportunities with the same gusto and faithfulness that Bob does.

Clarity vs Luminosity Revisited

My meeting with the Committee for the Preparation for Ministry last week offered a chance to experience luminosity. Not clarity, but luminosity. I meet with this committee once per year to review my status as (for now) an 'inquirer'. I went into the meeting feeling that I really had nothing to report. I am sure of God's call on my life (for something). Though I'm leaning toward pastoral ministry, I couldn't articulate why.... I'm just becoming more certain...

Seminary is going slowly because of my life circumstances. We actually spent most of the time talking about my work/life/family situation. That's when I had a moment of luminosity. 2007 was difficult in a number of ways:
- I've found myself dealing with the health and end-of-life issues of family members.
- I've been in the place of mediator with my siblings - something as the oldest, that has not been my function within the family historically.
- I have suffered some of the worst loneliness of my life.

I thought these issues were distracting my focus from seminary and my call. But in talking with the committee I realized that all of these circumstances are helping me to love people better - preparing me for ministry to hurting people.

At 45 I am keenly aware that I can't fix things or people. I know that I don't have a lot of answers, and I'm okay with it. I've resisted the idea of pastoral ministry for a really long time. I don't want people to look to me for answers. As usual Eugene Peterson has something to say about that too, "The vocation of pastor does not permit trafficking in either miracles or answers. Pastors are in the awkward position of refusing to give what a great many people assume is our assigned job to give...We are asked to pray for an appropriate miracle, we are called upon to declare and authoritative answer. But our calling equips us for neither. In fact, it forbids us to engage in either the miracle business or the answer business."

So... out of my own mouth, came some enlightenment for myself... The meeting benefited me. I'd been praying for answers, and God shed some light for me. Do I totally get it - i.e. clarity? No. But the Lord has given me a glimpse of some of what He's up to in my life. That's enough for now...

Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches

I was driving home this evening craving a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. That sparked a chain reaction of thinking about stuff I just love. I guess tonight a PBJ would be at the top of the list. It could be on any bread, but I really like them on 7+ grain bread with some Fritos and a nice glass of tea. Yum!! There was a time in my life when I couldn't go to bed at night until I'd had at least one PBJ (we used to call them 'choke' sandwiches). Now that I'm almost grown up, I can manage up to a couple of days without one...

Other things that really ring my bell*:
- My kids are at the top of the list. They are both really interesting, funny, sweet people.
- The rest of my family. I have to give special mention to my sis Jeanette. She's like my other half. We can complete each other's sentences. Our minds tend to make some leaps that other people can't follow, but we track right along together. Jeanette knows precisely who I am and what makes me tick - and she loves me better than anyone. I'm crazy about the rest of my family too, but she holds a special place in my life and my heart. She is an indescribable gift.
- The serendipitous.
- Adventure of all shapes and sizes
- Music - most genres. The exceptions would be Country Music and Metal. I heard a commercial on TV where parents were describing some of their kids' music as a paper cut on their ears... yeah... I don't like that music.
- Mysteries - both the kind in books and the kind in life.
- Love stories. I kind of hate to admit this one. I don't read Romances, but I do like movies about love.
-Long walks - strenuous or leisurely. I like a nice hike too (as long as I don't have to sleep on the ground).
- The mountains
- The ocean - my territory for work is Eastern NC and SC. The lines for me have fallen in pleasant places.
- FOOTBALL! I like to play and watch. This year I've even watched college ball. Maybe this is the yin to my love story yang...
- I really dig doing the liturgy at church. I believe this is where I feel most alive in ministry.
- Charleston, SC - I don't have a lot of favorites, but this is hands down my favorite city.
- Crossword puzzles, Word Mojo, Cubis 2, Hearts, Spider Solitaire.

There's a lot more stuff I love. But it's 10:41 at night and the shades are lowering on my brain. I'll add more later. Maybe.

*God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (it goes without saying) is numero uno.

Christmas Bells Are Ringing

From an early age we hear bells ringing. Alarms tell us it’s time to wake up. We know it’s time for school to begin or end when a bell rings. Morning announcements at school used to be signaled by the tones of bells. We know someone’s at our door when we hear the doorbell ring, or that someone wants to talk to us when we hear the telephone ring.

At one time it was common for churches to ring bells on the hour, allowing folks to keep up with the passing of the day. Some churches today still ring bells on the hour. Bells were rung to call the faithful to gather at church for worship. Before the days of mass media, bells also signaled that something important was happening. This might be a marriage, the birth or death of some important person or another event that affected the lives of many people. Bells alert us to pay attention.

Bells are rung during Christmas to announce the arrival of the season, to proclaim the birth of Christ. The ringing of bells at Christmas is actually a holdover from pagan midwinter celebrations. Long ago people believed that they could use bells to frighten away evil spirits. Bells were a simple form of noisemaking. They could be easily obtained or made and everyone knew how to use them.

The tradition of using noisemakers like bells during these times carried over into the celebration of Christmas. But instead of making noise to keep away evil things, folks made noise to celebrate something happy. Kids then, like kids today, believed that making noise was just a part of Christmas. Bells were an easy way to make that noise. They were inexpensive and could be taken caroling or wassailing and almost every family had one or more. Bells also provided a bright and cheery sound and were acceptable to parents as proper tools to celebrate and make noise at Christmas.

The ringing Christmas bells serve all of the functions that I listed earlier. They are rung to wake us up. They tell us that we need to pay attention – that something significant is happening. Christmas bells announce the arrival of the One who came to save us. They signal an important hour –the appointed time of our visitation. God Himself has come among us. This is reason for joy – for the ringing of bells and celebration.

Do you hear the Christmas story with the wonder that is proper to it? Have you heard the story so many times, that it fails to thrill you? Has your attention been diverted by crowds and noise, and the purchase of gifts? Have you decorated your home, but failed to prepare your heart? Christmas bells are ringing! It’s time to wake up, be alert, and make ourselves ready for the coming of our Savior.