Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Oh, really?

Letter to the Editor in today's paper: Remember God is watching how you vote on moral issues

It's the usual diatribe on how "you ain't a-gonna get to heaven ifn you don't walk in lockstep with the fundies". I try not to bite on these things, but ......... "Some of the issues God is against are homosexuality and murdering His children by abortion." Here's the kicker - "If you vote against these, God will take care of the other issues."

HUH?!?!?!

Excuse me, but God thought so much about these two issues that less than one mini-micro-percentage of the scriptures we use to learn about who and what God is about even mention such issues, or topics related to them. There are much more significant issues that I figure God's a bit pissed at us about, like the waging of war (whatever the supposed reasons), the huge gap between the haves and have nots and the continuing desire to widen that gap, the injustices we inflict on each other, violence in all its forms, the abuse of our planet, usury, the creation of outsiders/insiders, all those things that humans do to each other to NOT "do unto others as you would have them do unto you", all the ways we refuse to "love your neighbor" (we seem to have gotten the "as you love yourself" part down pretty pat), all the ways we fail to "love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you". And I'm as guilty of my fair share of these things as the next person. I'm reasonably sure, however, that these will be the issues God rakes us over the coals for, not who we voted for.

I'm also reasonably sure that my vote (or anyone's vote, for that matter) on these two issues will not determine how God responds in all of the other much more urgent and pressing issues that face us. God walks alongside us in the midst of all the good, bad, and indifferent situations in which we find ourselves, with the Holy Spirit urging us along to listen to what God wills in any particular situation. We have Jesus' example and teachings to help guide us, as well.

OK - I'll acknowledge that I'm not a perfect listener, and I all too often don't follow through on what I do hear. Here's where grace comes in! I also believe that Jesus Christ is mediator between humanity and God and, because he has walked among us in human flesh, will speak on our behalf when that day we meet face to face comes. Christ died for our sins, long before we even came into existence. I couldn't ask for a better Advocate than that! So I muddle along, doing the best I can in discerning God's will and acting upon it.

Oh! I love this last quote. "Jesus says, 'The only way to Heaven is to believe in Him as your lord and savior and acknowledge that you are a sinner and then repent of your sins, and then you will be saved." I've looked. Can't find that anywhere in the bible. Here's what I found: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life." (John 3:16, NRSV) I choose not to put God or Jesus in a box. I refuse to believe that either only works in ways that this puny mind can understand and accept. So, I'll let Christ do the figuring out of how and when one believes and just stick to trusting where I cannot see and believing in the One who loves so much he was willing to die for us.

btw - Our local paper is good about printing the letters which come in, regardless of perspective, just so you know that this letter isn't an indication of bias on the paper's part.

Saturday, January 27, 2007

New Officers

Long before I was even considering (running away from) the possibility of becoming a minister, I was asked to serve as an Elder for my church. Presbyterians ordain lay leadership, so the decision is one that should take some time and consideration. The Nominating Committee representatives who asked me to serve didn't want a response right away and told me they'd get back with me in a week for my answer. That next week, I opened my mouth to say "No!" and "Yes!" popped out! I was quite surprised, but couldn't figure out how to take it back.

Besides believing there was not a leadership bone in my body, I knew there was no way I was anywhere close to being ready for such responsibility. And, at some level, I was right.

My first meeting, before being ordained and installed in the office, I was asked if I would serve. I recall feeling like a deer in the headlights and, along with two others, automatically answered in the affirmative. The next Sunday, without any training beforehand, we were asked to make some some truly huge promises before God and the witnesses present, officially ordained and installed, and tossed overboard to swim as best we could. It took most of the three years of my term in office before I began to figure out what was going on.

Several years down the road, I ended up as a minister and I vowed that never again would I be involved in putting someone in office who hadn't had at least some training beforehand.

So I love new officer training!

This week we spent two evenings preparing our newly elected officers for their duties. We looked at an overview of the responsibilites of the office, did some spiritual discernment, took some "tests", and, most importantly, examined those nine potential brain-and-soul-buster questions that one commits to when ordained. My goal is what hospitals call "informed consent".


And, to a certain degree, someone becoming an Elder for the first time is somewhat like that hospital patient staring at the consent forms, listening to the nurse, and vaguely nodding their head. The words are hitting the ears, but the information isn't really sinking in any further.

That's why I have those currently serving on the Session to help me with the teaching. Even people who have served as elders before learn something new about the role they've committed to undertake. I just love those moments when someone says, "I didn't realize this before." or something to that effect. There's an AHA! tone in the voice, and those who are being trained actually 'get it' better because it's being presented by a peer and not a pastor. (I personally believe we're all peers, but once you put on the pastor's hat, it's hard for others to not be influenced by some sense of you being totally 'other'.)

We've got a good group of people taking on the role of Active Elder (once ordained, always ordained) tomorrow. I'm looking forward to working with them. And, boy!, new officer training was fun!!

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Ramblings

Nope, I haven't abandoned you! It may seem that way, since I haven't posted anything in a while; however, composing while under the brain fog of sinus meds just wasn't working. I tried two or three times and the initial goading thought just fizzled. *sigh* The few remaining functioning brain cells that I had needed to be conserved for sermon writing and newsletters, so a short break was in order. Maybe this is God's way of telling me to take a break?

On the housing front, good news approaching. There's a bit of touchup work that needs to be done on the drywall and then PAINT PARTY! Since his graduation, my son's staying with me and looking for a job. He's been helping with some of the prep work for paint day. It's beginning to look like I might get back into my home for real! WOOHOO!!

oooOOOOoooooo .... odd thought just rumbled through my head - I'm going to have to think of a new goal to reach once I get moved back into my house. Do you realize that "getting home" has been my main lifegoal for the past year and a quarter? Everything else has been shoved aside for that. This may sound odd, but as much as I want to be home, I've almost gotten (dare I say it?) comfortable not being there. Maybe it's more that I've gotten used to the sense of being displaced. I never expected that to happen. hmmmmmm..... gonna have to do some thinking about that one!

In the meantime, the carpet has been chosen (obviously not yet installed). I've mostly decided on what color paint goes where. Now it's time to get down to the nitty-gritty and buy it. Even if the weather won't cooperate for the outside painting, I'm hoping to be able to get the indoor stuff done the first weekend in February. Have to be in Houston for an all day meeting, or would try for this weekend.

My son discovered a plumbing leak which I didn't have pre-Horribleness, so I've gotta get with the insurance people and then a plumber to check that part out. Certainly don't want to get things all put back together and then get sogged out again by a leak. *chuckle*

Well, I've a funeral, new officer training, and a worship service to prepare for and a trip to Houston to make today. Now that the brain's unfogged, I'll try to get back here more often. Wish me luck!

Saturday, January 06, 2007

Butts in Pews

Ok - I'm sometimes slow, but I generally end up getting there sooner or later.

Over the past week, several things have been niggling at the back of my brain just waiting for the right piece of information to put things together.

The local downtown Methodist church has been running this incessant tv ad for, oh......, 2-3 weeks now. It talks about their diversity and building community. Not bad things for a church to do. "Come join us" is the bottom-line theme.

I was interviewed by the local paper on what activities our congregation is doing or has scheduled to increase membership. The article itself is pretty good and mentions what a variety of growing churches are doing and speaks of what a religion professor suggests is important for growing church membership.

The religion prof notes, correctly in my opinion, that growing congregations create new approaches to reaching out to the community and are willing to try new things, but are flexible enough to ditch them if they don't work. He also comments that growing churches "are paying particular attention to children, and having programs in place for kids."

I opened the Houston Chronicle and on the front page is the promo for a Religion section article about a congregation with a Friday Night Live program that hopes it will "get a younger generation back in the pews".

That's when it hit me. The brain tied all of these things together and shouted, "GIMMICK!!"

Somehow church continues to be about butts in the pews. And it's not!

Growing church membership isn't wrong; however, it's not what church should be about. Church is about growing relationships and strengthening faith. It's about encouraging people to be better than their baser instincts lead them to be. It's about sharing an incredible story of grace and acceptance that all too often doesn't exist in our day to day world. It's about showing people the injustices which hit so many so hard and encouraging them to do something to eliminate them. It's about "feed my sheep" and "whatsoever you did unto the least of these".

I wish I could go back to that interview I did earlier this week and say something like this:

Yes, we have a growing congregation. You may not be able to tell it by the number of people in the pews; however, we have a congregation whose hearts are concerned for those in need, who feed the hungry at Some Other Place, who visit the prisoner, who help those who travel through our community at the Seafarer's Center, who care mightily for the children of our community at our Children's Center, who volunteer in our community to help make life better in so many ways for as many people as they are able, who encourage youth to try out leadership skills and stretch themselves, who care for the elderly in our midst by their friendship and compassion and regular presence, who lead by being and doing the right things, who are themselves Christians growing in their faith day by day.

That's a church that is alive and following in the footsteps of Jesus Christ. That's a congregation whose membership is secure.

Thursday, January 04, 2007

Stupid Computer

My laptop and I have been gingerly developing a working relationship ever since I brought it home last April. For the first two weeks, it stayed in the box as I walked past it each day thinking, "Someday I've got to get that thing out of the box." (No one will ever accuse me of being a 'first adopter'.)

Upon realizing that I'd be traveling with it in a few weeks, I decided I'd better find out how to use it, get used to its quirks, that kind of thing before being thrust into a 24/7 relationship with it. So I opened the box and did what any person would do with a new PC, stared at the components while trying to figure out how to connect things and get it working.

Then came that moment. You know the one. The one where you gently reach out and push what you hope is the 'start' button.

It was not love at first sight.

But then, I never did like the Windows XP startup protocol. And I absolutely hate the incessant music which plays until you get far enough into the program to hit Mute.

Moving right along, we came to the screen which asks you to set up the various users for your computer. Checking throughout the house and finding only me and the dog in residence, I went with the default. I did decide to install a password for access to the computer, since we wouldn't be staying at home and some nefarious unknown might want access to my worship formats or sermons.

Then the computer and I settled into a mostly congenial relationship. Well, I won't count the two weeks the beast sat at the shop because my equally stupid then-isp screwed up the peaceful functioning of the relationship. It wasn't the poor beast's fault, and once I dumped the evil program, it has performed admirably with my successor isp.

HOWEVER, this past weekend, my son returned home for an extended stay, and this is the only computer with internet access in the house. Of course, he also needs to surf the internet! Who wants to be without contact with friends, isolated from resources, and denied the opportunity to search for a job?

For the first couple of days, no problem. I was home and, when I was through with the computer, he used it. Then there was yesterday. My son came home from working on the house while I was at work. He wanted to get on the internet. The computer obediently refused him access. (Good computer. Nice computer.)

When I got home, I thought to myself, "Let's just set up user accounts so we both can use the computer." (Does anyone else sense the doom which is about to befall me?) Blithely following XP's instructions, there are now two (count them.... one .... two) users on the computer, and this little note which says something about the "Administrator" identity being only a default if there are no designated users. Not a word about the "Administrator" disappearing completely from the machine once you hit ENTER.

STUPID COMPUTER! The (expletive deleted) thing doesn't even recognize me! Even my isp believes I'm a Guest on my own computer! It's as though these past eight months never happened! *panic* You know that wonderful little tool XP has called "system restore"? It claims it will allow you to turn back any harmful changes made to your computer? RIGHT!! *she said sarcastically* I tried to reset the beast from just before my fateful error. *grind grind grind whirr whirr whirr* "No changes have been made to your computer." I tried deleting my son's user name and resetting two weeks from that horrendous moment. You guessed it. "No changes have been made to your computer." Two more tries and no luck. STUPID STUPID STUPID COMPUTER!!

Fortunately, I still had the disc from when I moved from desktop to laptop and had to install "My Favorites" and "My Documents" on this critter. Unfortunately, I've lost the new stuff since that date.

What makes it even more infuriating is that I know for a fact that my prior identity and everything associated with it is still on this computer SOMEWHERE! Any semi-intelligent computer guru could get at it in ten seconds flat. That particular term when used in relation to me is a complete oxymoron, and would be even if the words showed up in two entirely different places in the same paragraph. *sigh* I really need some of those lost files! Any suggestions on where to look?

STUPID COMPUTER!