Sermon: "Squeaky Wheels"

Many of us are familiar with the idiom “The squeaky wheel gets the grease.” For those of you who are not familiar with the phrase, today’s gospel lesson provides the perfect definition. A problem arises, and someone makes enough noise about it that the problem is resolved. A squeaky wheel gets greased, once it has grated on someone’s nerves enough for them to take the time to grease it. Once greased, the squeak, and annoyance, goes away. A woman who has been wronged raises a ruckus in the courtroom. The judge gives in to her demands in order to have some peace and quiet. Problems are resolved, but not always for the right reasons.

                Today’s parable is interesting in that it is preceded by an explanation of its purpose. If we were to simply hear the parable, we would probably come away with the understanding that “the squeaky wheel gets the grease.” However, the author of this gospel completely befuddles us, or at least me, by beginning this section by saying that the purpose of this parable is to teach the disciples about the need to pray always, and to not lose heart. I completely agree that we should pray always, and not lose heart, or rather faith. However, I also think this can be dangerous advice, and seems out of place with this parable. In the story, there is no evidence that the widow is prayerful. It never mentions that she prays for justice. Rather, she is physically and verbally asserting her right to justice in the face of a corrupt judge who could care less about the people where he has been placed to serve.  It does not appear that it is God who grants this widow justice, but eventually the judge, who grants justice only because it will benefit him. Where is prayer in this parable? Where is God?

                You could very easily provide a solution: well Amanda, you could say, clearly this is allegorical. The judge represents God, and the widow represents God’s people. We are to pray to God persistently for our needs and wants, and God will eventually answer our prayers. This could be a solution, except that it would cause me, and should cause you, to re-examine our theology, our understanding of who and what God is. For me, God cannot be the judge, because the judge is unjust. The judge is everything that God is not. The judge is narcissistic, does not care for his people, and is not interested in enacting justice for his people. He admits that he has no fear of God, and no respect for anyone. He gives in to the widow, not because he has heard her case, not because he sees an injustice has occurred, but because she annoys him and he wants her to stop. Friends, this is not God. Jesus tells us; won’t God grant justice to the chosen ones who cry day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? God does not make us suffer needlessly. God does not dangle the promise of justice in front of our eyes and make us beg for it. God loves us! God wants justice to flow like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream! God wants us to have life and to live abundantly! God has written the law upon our hearts and claimed as God’s! God cannot be the unjust judge.

                If God is not the unjust judge, then are we still the widow? I firmly believe that yes, we are. So, if we are the widow, are we supposed to pray without ceasing so that there is justice in the world? Yes. And no. We must pray; as children of God we must commune with our Creator; we must confess our sins, unburden our hearts, give thanks for God’s goodness and even scream to God because of the injustices we face in this world. But it is not enough to sit at home, or on a mountain, or even in the midst of the worshipping body of Christ, and just pray. Jesus prayed. He also did things.

                Praying for those who are hungry, that they may be fed, will not fill bellies. Praying for those who have no shelter will not put a roof over their head. Praying for those who are dying of AIDS will not end the spread of this disease. Praying for the victims of rape won’t bring justice when there are close to 200,000 rape kits sitting untested in police storage in this country. Praying for victims of bullying will not put an end to their suffering. Prayer alone cannot help any of these injustices, but prayer-filled action can.

                As shared in the parable, justice can come from unjust systems. The widow was a witness or victim of an injustice, and she raised awareness. She persisted in demanding justice until it was granted to her. How can we promote justice in an unjust world? As Christians, how can we bring God’s justice to a world that has tried to push God out? First, we pray. We pray by ourselves, and we pray as the church. Then, we raise awareness. What are the causes of this injustice? We must ask not only how can we feed the hungry, but also why are they hungry to begin with? Why can’t the homeless afford housing? We must ask how do we minister to those who have AIDS while also asking the question how can we prevent this disease from spreading? We have to stop wondering how many gay and lesbian teens will commit suicide because of being bullied and ostracized before the country notices, and instead ask how we can provide them with a safe, loving, affirming community so that they can live through their current nightmares. We have to get our hands dirty. We have to go to where the people are, to commune with those who are hungry, to swing hammers for those who are homeless, to wrap our arms around those who are suffering and dying. But we also have to pound on doors, and wave posters, and raise our voices about the injustices in this world so that the government and the people know that we are not ok with what is happening in the world. We have to give the church back her voice. We have to be the persistent widow. We have to be the squeaky wheel.

                Jesus was a squeaky wheel. Jesus was a very squeaky wheel. He squeaked so much about the injustices of his world, and proclaimed so loudly the promises of God, that the government silenced him. And we are called to be like him. We are to be the voice for the voiceless among us, speaking to those in power on behalf of the powerless. And we are also called to be the hands and feet of Christ, to be the loving face of God, to those same people. We must pray, and we must do, and we must pray, and we must do…and we must never lose heart. After the parable of the widow and the unjust judge, Jesus asked, “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” It is my prayer that when Christ comes again, he will find not only faith here in this world, but God’s kin-dom as well.

Day 4

So, it's day 4 of the plan, the first day of "detoxing". Basically for four days it's a mainly liquid diet with lunch being a solid meal (but no eggs, dairy, red meat, wheat products, etc.) It's 9:20pm, and I am hungry. I have headache from no caffeine today, and I'm seriously tempted to walk out to the kitchen and get some food. I've been drinking lots of lemon water, had some juice for breakfast, leftover veggie chow mein for lunch, and vegetable broth with pureed veggies for supper. Evan says I should eat a pear, so I will.
I don't know if I can do all four days : (

28 Day Whole Body Action Plan

I forgot to mention earlier...
I've been wanting to try this plan for a while now, and decided that Reading Week was the perfect time to get started. Part of it involves journaling, so I'll be sharing how I feel and all up here.
Today is technically Day 2, and so far I haven't done very well. I had eggs and cheese for breakfast, a tuna melt for lunch, and I've had lots and lots of coffee! Days 1-3 are supposed to prepare your body for a 4 day detox, and I basically ate a ton of stuff I should be avoiding.
Oops.
So I'm sitting here now, drinking my water like I should. I also just did a fitness test, to see where I am right now.
Friends, I am embarrassed to share this.
It's bad.
I mean really, really bad.

Want to see how bad?
Cardio endurance: After 3 minutes of stepping up and down off of a 12in bench, my heart rate was 130. This equals "poor" on the scale of great, average, and poor.
Arm strength: I managed to do 12 modified push ups before my arms said "no more." Result? Average.
Core strength: I couldn't even hold the plank pose for 20 seconds. VERY poor.
Flexibility: poor
So, I have a lot to work on during these 28 days. Tonight for supper? Leftover falafel, and herbal tea.
YUM! (and relatively good for you too!)

Peace!

Reading Week!

It's Reading Week! Hooray!

For those of who are not Drew-ids, Reading Week is the equivalent of Fall Break. Except this is when teacher's assign mid-terms, so it's more like this:

• catch up on reading assignments
• write mid-terms
• do research
• maaaaaaaaybe catch up on sleep : )

So, that's Reading Week.
I made a pretty long to-do list, and thankfully I got a good number of things crossed off already!

Time to hit the books!
Peace!

Ableism...and a Great Story

 *Note: I first wrote this several weeks ago. Unfortunately, I've been having computer problems and have just been able to insert the picture, which is integral to this post.


Tonight in my Religion and the Social Process class we discussed Ableism. What, you may ask, is ableism? This is not really a term we are familiar with. Let me try to sum it up for you by describing, in a nutshell, that ableism is the oppression, suppression, and dehumanization directed at those who are differently abled. It is what keeps classrooms segregated, what excludes those who are differently abled from the work force and churches. It is every time a "temporarily abled" person stares at, or through someone who is "different."

A week ago, in a different class, my liturgy professor led us on pilgrimage. Professor Elkins can find the holy in anything, from a trip to Wal-Mart to a cockroach, so you never know what new insights you might find in her presence. When she said we were going on pilgrimage I excitedly rose from my seat and followed the class expectantly, waiting to see where she would take us and what secrets would be divulged to us. We didn't travel far; out the classroom door, down the hallway, making a right down another hallway, and finally ending outside the elevator. She pointed to this picture, and then told us a story.

Back in 1990, she began, we had a student here who was in the Master of Theological Studies program. His name was David, and he wanted to teach. David had severe cerebral palsy; before coming to Drew he had surgery done on his vocal folds in hopes it would help him to speak. The surgery left him unable to use any part of his body except his right hand. This is how David communicated with us; he would type what he wanted to say on a keyboard and we would respond, he would type and we would respond...
David was Episcopalian, and he was a good Episcopalian. He came to every communion service that was held, and often others. Back then, we didn't have this elevator. We didn't have this beautiful new building. How many flights of stairs, she asked, do you have to climb to get up to this chapel? We counted in our heads. You come in the front door and go up about eight stairs. Then you go up about fifteen, then another fifteen... I have counted the stairs, but the numbers are escaping me. Three flights of stairs, Professor Elkins prompts us. David was a very tall man. It took three people to carry him up the stairs every time he wanted to attend a chapel service. We gave David the evangelism award, because every time he was in chapel, there were at least three other people there! It didn't matter if they had intended on coming in the first place- after carrying him up all those stairs, they stayed! We laughed, softly. I try to imagine how much trust one would need to be carried up the hard, stone stairs to Craig Chapel. David asked me if he could preach a senior sermon during his last year, and I of course said yes. I said yes not knowing what this would look like. His sermon was the best I had ever heard. It is the sermon that I now use to judge all other sermons. I look at Professor Elkins. Her eyes are red, and it looks like there are tears just below the surface. David asked me to make him a promise. When the school puts in an elevator, that he would be the first to ride it. And I promised.
Unfortunately, Drew was not quick enough to fulfill that promise. David died before the elevator was installed. But I know that every time one of you rides this elevator, David is riding with you.
She turns and points to the painting on the wall. After he graduated David gave us this painting; he had done it himself. And he told me that, this is everything anyone in seminary needed to know. It was contained in this one picture.
Do you see the cross? The cross is central.
This up here? What does this look like? It's a fish- the early symbol of the Christian faith.
Below that is a vine with grapes on it. Jesus is the vine.
Beside the vine are the Old and New Covenants.
And the top right hand corner...I'm ashamed to say, I didn't catch what Professor Elkins said. My heart felt so heavy, thinking of all this young man had been through, of all he had given to the Drew community, and the un-kept promise of the first ride in the elevator.
When the elevator was installed, it was decided that David's painting be hung next to it in his memory. Now that you have heard the story, you will notice the painting, and when you ride, you will remember David.

This story touched me deeply. I did my best to record it in writing, but it does not do Professor Elkins' storytelling justice. I want to thank Professor Elkins for giving me permission to share this story in memory of David deLuw.

A Sampling of This Week

Following the advice of professional...I guess I can say professional, blogger Ree Drummond, aka The Pioneer Woman, I am attempting to blog more regularly. I may not always have much to say, but at least it lets whoever reads this know I'm alive. So here we go, a really brief recap of this past week:

It is Friday of the second, yes, ONLY the second, week of school here at Drew Theological School. My. brain. is. fried. We didn't even have classes on Monday because of Labor Day! I got home last night and the front of my head felt SOOOO heavy...I thought my head would plop down into my soup bowl. But that didn't happen, and I really enjoyed the blue cheese celery soup that Evan made for supper. It was delicious, along with homemade bread I had made last week.

We had some good food this. Portabello burgers on Monday, risotto on Wednesday...I don't remember what Tuesday was, even though I cooked it. Oh! Yes I do! I made the eggplant ricotta pizza we love so much. With an eggplant from our own garden. It was delicious- how could I have forgotten? Oh well, just shows you where my brain is today.

I had to cancel the kick-off event for the youth that was supposed to be tonight into tomorrow. That was a huge source of stress, emotional fatigue, and disappointment. But, I'm feeling better now.

I have a bunch of homework to do this weekend, and two programs to plan and lead on Sunday, but it will all get done somehow. I'm really excited about one of my homework assignments this weekend. More about that later.

Alrighty, time to work more on campus visits, then have lunch with some lovely people. : )

Peace!

Today's Sermon: Blessed are...Who?

For the past several weeks Robb (Pastor Shoaf) has been speaking on the Beatitudes, also called the Sermon on the Mount, that we find in the gospel of Matthew. Containing some of Jesus’ best known teachings, the short passage contained in Matthew speaks of the blessings that await for Christ’s disciples. Since it’s been several weeks since we last heard them, let’s refresh our memories. In Matthew, chapter 5 verses 1 through 12, Jesus offers this message:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be fulfilled.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

This passage provides promises for those who live in a right way here on earth, and also provides instruction on how one should conduct themselves. We are to be meek, pure of heart, and show mercy to others. Also, we should expect to be misunderstood and even mistreated as a result of our lifestyles and faith. Almost every one of these blessings are of a spiritual nature, although some of them are realized through physical acts, such as showing mercy through acts of charity, or acting to bring about peace. This passage is often seen as instructions on how one should act and live their life as a follower of Christ.

A much shorter version of what we call the Beatitudes also occurs in Luke’s gospel, in chapter 6 verses 20 through 23, but these are dramatically different from those in Matthew. See if you can pick up on the difference.

“Then he, Jesus, looked up at his disciples and said:
Blessed are you who are poor, for yours if the kingdom of God.
Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled.

Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.

Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.” (NRSV)

Did you hear the difference? Does that difference make you a little uncomfortable? It should. Jesus says, blessed are the poor. And I wonder how many of us in this room, in this county, can honestly admit that we are poor. Not poor in spirit…poor. Morris county is the seventh richest county in the United States (Forbes.com). The seventh. According to the U.S. Census, the median income from 2008, just two years ago, was $99,268. That is almost six figures. Compare that to the fact that around the world, about 1.4billion people live on less than one dollar and 25 cents a day*. That’s only $456.25 a year. Blessed are the poor; blessed are those who are barely making minimum wage and are working two or three jobs to keep a roof over their head. Blessings upon them, the kindom of God belongs to them.

Blessed are those who hunger. Every 10 seconds a child somewhere in the world dies because of hunger*.That’s about 8,000 children a day. Over one billion people go hungry each day*. Not hungry as in, they didn’t have a snack after school, hungry as in, there was no food today. Or maybe yesterday too. And probably tomorrow. Our society is so wrapped up in food; it is everywhere around us. On television, in ads, magazines, books, blogs, the list goes on. It is no secret that obesity, especially childhood obesity, is climbing at alarming rates, and that average Americans throw away 25% of their food. We have more food than we know what to do with, while children in Africa might get one meal a day, a meal that probably consists of gruel. They are hungry. We are full to overflowing. Who does Jesus bless?

Blessed are you who weep now; are we weeping, friends? Are we weeping for our brothers and sisters who have no food, no clothes, no shelter? Did we weep when oil was leaking into the Gulf Coast, threatening not only our own water and ecosystem, but in actuality the world’s? Are we weeping as war takes the lives of not only our own soldiers, but in every country where violence occurs? Are we weeping as people’s civil rights and liberties are denied and governments do nothing about it? Blessed are you who weep, for God will wipe away your tears and your tears shall turn to laughter and your mourning into dancing.

Where do we fit into Luke’s Beatitudes? We can relate with Matthew’s, they are more…inclusive. Anyone can be poor in spirit, anyone can hunger and thirst for righteousness. We are all searching for something in our lives; love, beauty, tolerance, forgiveness. There is hope for us in Matthew’s Beatitudes. In Luke’s, however, as privileged middle and upper class Americans, there seems to be no place for us.

Or is there?

Before you get too disheartened, let me remind you of another passage that is found in Matthew. Twenty chapters after the Beatitudes, after the famous Sermon on the Mount, Jesus speaks another powerful message.

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angel with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me…truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are member of my family, you did it to me.” (Matt. 25:31-36, 40b, NRSV).

Every time you do this to the least, you do this for Christ. Did you hear what Jesus said about those on the right? You that are blessed, he said. You shall inherit the kindom, and I might take the liberty of adding, along with those who are poor, hungry, and weeping. Rejoice and be glad! Yours is the kindom…

As people who have been blessed in this life, here on this earth in this community, we have a duty to be Jesus’ hands and feet to others, and to see the face of Christ in their faces. In today’s gospel lesson from Luke, Jesus tells the Pharisee who had invited him to dinner a parable, and then some advice. Don’t invite those who are your equals, or your betters, he says, because they are capable of repaying you by inviting you to a feast. Rather, you should invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind; by opening your table to them, you will be blessed, “because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” Who can we invite to our tables? Who can we feed, and clothe, and offer shelter and support to? Who can we bless, and be blessed ourselves in our giving? We too have been invited to a table we are unworthy of, and that is the table Christ himself prepared for us and we celebrate every time we take part in holy communion. We are blessed to be a blessing to others; we are called to be Christ to the world, and to bring the kindom of God here and now (!) so that those who are hungry now, will be full. Those who are poor, will be no more. That those who are weeping, shall laugh and dance. We are called- let it be so. Amen.

*statistics from World Vision

Summer's almost over...

and I am actually saddened by this. I am one of those weird people that normally doesn't like summer. I am so routine driven, that when it gets disrupted by winter break, vacations, and especially summertime, I tend to be/become miserable. However, this summer has been SO busy, I am finding that I didn't accomplish nearly as much as I would have liked to. Here is a quick recap of my summer (prepare yourself, this is pretty crazy):

May:
end of classes and finals
trip to Maine
begin working summer hours in the admissions office

June:
Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference
trip to Maryland for Lauren's graduation
back to MD for my certification interview
up to Massachusetts for the New England Annual Conference

July:
cross-cultural trip to Taize, France
Vacation Bible
my first funeral (all by myself!)
filling in as pastor, secretary, organist at the church

August:
quick jaunt down to MD
trip up to Maine (where Evan got certified- yay!)
BACK down to MD....

...and now it is less than a week before classes start, and I am at my desk in the admissions office, thinking of all the planning I need to do for fall programs that start in less than a month. Gah!

On a brighter note, today is mine and Evan's 11th "month-iversary". Yay! After work we are going to the gym (we're on a health kick right now) and then we will get gussied up and go to our favorite restaurant in Madison. We go there every month to celebrate; it's the first place we met, and we've made it ''our'' place. It's called David's Rumba Cafe, but we just call it Dave's. I always get the same thing- a Cadillac Burrito. But, now we are vegetarian, so I'll have to try something new!

Time to go back to work- why are there only 24 hours in the day?

Peace!

Eggplant!

A few things y'all may not know include:

1. Evan and I are now vegetarians
2. we planted a vegetable garden earlier in the summer
3. we have a lot of eggplant!

Ok, now that that's been covered, on to the main part of this entry which is.....

A DELICIOUS EGGPLANT LASAGNA RECIPE!!!!

We had a lot of veggies lying around the kitchen, refrigerator, garden, etc. that needed to be used up, so we decided to throw together a lasagna. And it was FABULOUS! Evan says he thinks in the future we should blanch the eggplant a little bit before, and I think we should cook the broccoli a little bit before, but we both agree the crunch is nice, so maybe that isn't necessary. Anyway...

First we thinly sliced the eggplant (just 1) and put it on a cookie sheet. You have to sprinkle salt on the slices and let it sit- this will draw the bitter water out of the eggplant and make it nicer.
While that was happening, we made 3 bowls of stuff that we later used to layer.

Bowl 1: sauce
We just used a jar of tomato & basil spaghetti sauce that was in the pantry. To that we added:
- a whole ton of withered spinach (and I mean a ton, like, 2 of the bags of spinach you get at a store!)
- cubed tomato
Mix together and set aside.

Bowl 2: veggies!
I chopped and mixed together:
- onion
- green onions/scallions
- a head of boccoli

Bowl 3: this is what Evan threw together
- ricotta cheese
- mozzarella cheese
- 1 egg
- fresh basil
- thyme
- oregano
- parmesan cheese
- salt
- pepper
This smelled amazing. I wanted to eat some, but didn't because of the raw egg. It was hard not to though.

Then, after rinsing and drying the eggplant, we started to layer! I thought my Pampered Chef rectangular baker would be too big, but we filled it to the top!

Layer:
- sauce
- lasagna noodles
- cheese mixture
- eggplant
- veggie mix
-REPEAT

 On the last layer we just did the noodles, sauce, and then put shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheese.

We baked it on 350 F for about 30 minutes.

Give it a try sometime! I'm actually glad that we will have leftovers for several meals, it was that good!

Travellings back and forth

Hey y'all! I've been traveling a good bit lately; down to MD a few weeks ago for the Baltimore Washington Annual Conference where I was part of the music team with Mark Miller and DeLyn Celec. I had a great time helping to lead the music throughout conference, but had a very different experience at conference this year. It was probably due to the fact that I was working and unable to re-connect with people at conference. OR maybe it was because of some of the conversations we are still having. Or maybe it was because it was held in the Marriot at the Inner Harbor, where dinner cost $42 a person, and the ordinands were ordained under crystal chandeliers while people were starving just blocks away...Anyway, BW conference was OK. I drove back up to Jersey Friday night so I would be at worship on Sunday, then turned right back around and drove BACK to MD for Lauren's graduation party and graduation!

The graduation party was, of course, a great party (all my mom's parties are great, even though she worries about them). I got to see a lot of people I haven't seen in a while, ate some yummy food, chatted with my pastor for a while, and played some kickball (!). The party "officially" ended at 8, but some of Lauren's friends stayed much longer, first helping us clean up and then staying to watch her open her gifts. It was really nice to see her interact with her friends from church and school. She has blossomed so much, and seems to be in touch with who she is. I know she's going to excel at Centenary in the fall. : )

Graduation was a bit chaotic because Megan experienced her first migraine- except we didn't know it was just a migraine- and ended up in the ER with my father. Lauren was a really great sport about the whole thing, and after being kept over night and having a bunch of tests run, Megan is fine. Thank goodness.

I stayed longer on Wednesday than I had originally planned, and headed back for Jersey once Megan was discharged from the hospital. She had so many pastoral visits- Mark went Tuesday night, then George came on Wednesday afternoon, and Mark came again right as she was being discharged. That is good pastoral care Hiss pastors! Two thumbs up!

I was only in Jersey for a few days- well, a week really- and then I had to go BACK down to MD (that 3 trips now!) for my DCOM meeting. It was pretty intense at times, but they certified me (thank you God!), and I was able to drive back up to Jersey tear-free. When I got home Evan and Lauren G. had dinner ready, and we celebrated a bit before Evan and I had to pack for the New England Annual Conference, which we were going to the next day.

We left early Thursday morning and got up to Gordon College, MA around 1pm. We registered (there was no line!) and got to our room in minutes. Everyone stays in the dorms; each dorm had two twin beds, and two rooms shared a bathroom. The lay representative from Jacksonville UMC (Evan's church in ME) and his wife had the room next to us, and helped pay our way to conference. They are a hoot! and made conference a lot of fun. NEAC was very different from BWAC, in many ways. One of the initial and most obvious differences was the size of the conference. Whereas BW has thousands of clergy alone, there were 1,300 registered TOTAL at NE- that included clergy, laity, and guests! Because it's so small, NE can have their conference at Gordon College, with the sessions being held in the chapel. THE CHAPEL! We walked in, and at the base of the stage was a fountain that a clergy member had made; it had the Methodist cross and flame on it, and water ran down the wall. The theme was "rivers" and it carried throughout the entire conference. Bishop Weaver is very pastoral- he preaches and prays in a gentle manner, and presided over the conference fairly and judiciously. The worship was all great (although the music wasn't as good as Mark Miller's), and it involved youth, children, retirees, and district superintendents (at one service, they came into worship dressed up with different flotation devices and running under bead curtains- it was so much fun!). They used water, beads, strips of fabric, and blocks of ice to enhance the worship and voting sessions. Oh, AND they have "prayer-liamentary" motions; at any point in the debates over legislation someone can make a prayer-liamentary request and the bishop will stop the conversation to offer up a prayer. I can't describe how this helped ease the tension during debates. It was so different from BW; it was more like church, more like community. Oh, oh! did I mention that there were mission opportunities right there during conference? Mission as in, not only giving money, but a station where ramps were being built to be distributed throughout Northern Maine to people in need of them.

The first night we were there Evan's DS Pat MacHugh had dinner with us. I was amazed a DS would take the time, especially during conference!- to have dinner with one of her candidates and his partner. She was so nice and pastoral, wanting to know about how we liked school, how we met each other, what my call to ministry was...and thanking US for eating with her! She prayed for our continuing discernment as we go through the candidacy process and decide where we will serve. She also told us about the new opportunities that are opening up in the Northern Maine District; from a new cluster, to a church plant within the next few years, to looking to find new ways of doing parish and extension ministry. It was all very exciting to listen to, and is something that I need to continue to pray about as Evan and I begin planning our future together.

We made it back to Jersey Saturday night, just in time for me to finish prepping for the service on Sunday that I led and preached at. This past week has been the first in weeks that I haven't had to travel anywhere farther than the Target on Route 10, and for that I am extremely grateful!

So, that's what I've been up to lately! Hope you've enjoyed -and thanks for- reading! Peace.

Ch. 1

I was talking to Evan earlier today, and we both mentioned that I had written anything for a while. "What should I write about?" I asked him. "Write about...write about us!" he said. "I like to hear your version of it." So here we go. I'm going to write it in several installments, so that those who want to read don't have to tackle a huge narrative in one sitting. (It will also give me a longer project to keep my occupied- teehee). Hope you enjoy!

It was the fourth day of orientation, and my brain was pretty fried. Perhaps it was from all the information it was trying to retain about this place called Drew, or maybe it was just because it was late August and as a result quite hot and humid outside. I had dressed comfortably for the long day, pulled my unruly bangs back, and had put on some make-up, still trying to create a good first impression to the people I would spend the next three years of my life with. For the first time that week dinner was not provided, and our orientation leaders thought it would be fun to introduce us to some of the restaurants in town. The group was larger than they had planned, so half went to a typical bar and grill along the main road, while the rest of us went to the adventurous sounding David’s Rumba Café. Tables had been squeezed together in this small, quaint family-run restaurant, and the owner and waitstaff were ready for us with smiles and pads of paper for drink requests. I sat between one of the orientation leaders (DBY) and a new friend. Leena was a classical violinist, so we would have plenty to talk about if conversation lulled. Across from me sat Shannon and a young man who did not return after the first semester. Conversations abounded, new people were introduced to us as they joined our ranks at the tables, and suggestions and decisions were made in regards to food. “This is my room-mate,” DBY said, and I glanced to see a cheerful enough man on his other side. His hair was wild and shaggy, beard unkempt, and he sported an old tie-died T-shirt. I couldn’t figure out how old he was, and it was too hard to hear, so I turned my attention back to the conversation at hand: Shannon was debating marriage with the young man in front of me.

The food was delicious, and I ate a ton of it! Chips and home-made salsa, maduros and some other form of fried plantain, black bean soup, and the most amazing burrito I have ever had in my life. The Cadillac. All too soon, but still hours later, we were dividing up the tab, figuring out who owed what, how much should we leave for tip…it was suggested that some of us go back to DBY’s apartment for drinks, and I accepted the invitation. I went up to Shannon’s room and together the three of us (her roommate Lauren joined us) went down to the boy’s room. Let me start by saying I have never been much of a party-er, that I have an insanely low alcohol-tolerance, and that new people (especially men) make me nervous. So I was very proud of myself for attending this last minute gathering, and for slowly sipping the glass of Argentinian wine Lauren gave me, listening to my new school mates talk. On the couch, reclined against a pillow, was DBY’s roommate. He seemed like a combination of a hippie, and a serene buddha; he immedietely struck me as the type of person people wanted to be around. He was like honey that bees flocked to, honey that is sometimes benevolent, but sometimes dangerous. I really wasn’t sure that I wanted to get close enough to figure out what kind of honey he was. I didn’t stay long, just long enough to have my glass of wine, before asking to be escorted home. DBY led me through the woods and showed me my house from the parking lot. I walked the rest of the way by myself, thinking about the new people I had met, and wondering what types of friendships would develop –or not –between us.

Vacation Bible School!

I can't help it, I have to do a plug for Madison's Vacation Bible School. : )

I am SOOOO excited to have the opportunity to plan and lead VBS this summer. We are doing Jerusalem Marketplace, a fun, hands on, multi-generational program that takes participants back to ancient Jerusalem when Jesus was there. The participants are divided into the different tribes of Israel, and each tribe will be led by a junior leader (I already have my first volunteer!!!). Each day participants will gather in the marketplace, hear about what Jesus is doing in Jerusalem, attend Synagogue School, have recreation and craft time, and come together for snack and a closing time.

We are accepting registration for kids ages 3-5th grade. Anyone older than 5th grade who would like to participate can volunteer to be a junior tribe leader. I also need adults to help with and be part of the marketplace, snacks, crafts, recreation, etc.

VBS will be the last week of July (26-30) from 9:30am-12:00pm

Come be a part of this adventure!

Poll!

Should Evan and I live in.....

1. Maryland
2. Maine
3. Quebec

Starboard Cove

On Thursday, after my last classroom commitment to Drew for the semester, Evan and I headed up north to Down-East Maine to see his family. After hitting several accidents and much construction along the way, we finally made it to his cousin Ralph's house (in southern Maine) a bit after midnight.

In the morning we headed up north, stopping to have lunch with Evan's old pastor in Waterville. It was nice to meet her and visit for awhile, but eventually we had to hit the road. About four hours later we were finally in Starboard! Yay! We gathered with the family for a dinner of pasta salad and garden salad made by Evan's dad, Bill, and pizza, which Jeff brought for the boys. After dinner we went for a walk with Nana and Evan's mother, Debbie, down the road, but it was too chilly to stay out for long.

This morning I slept until 10:30! Can you believe it!? 10:30! It was amazing. As I sit here writing and eating the breakfast Evan just made me of eggs and toast (from the bread we made!) this is my view:

Isn't that beautiful? It's a bit foggy today, and chilly, but we'll make the most of it.

Tonight we travel up to Eastport so Evan can play a gig at the Rose Garden. More pictures and posts to follow. :)

(Not so) Great Expectations

Luke 24: 1But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared. 2They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3but when they went in, they did not find the body. 4While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. 5The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. 6Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.” 8Then they remembered his words, 9and returning from the tomb, they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. 10Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles. 11But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. 12But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had happened.

Life is full of expectations. These expectations are formed through years of human experience, and carry with them . While some of these expectations come from tradition, others carry with them universal truths. Let’s take Easter, for instance. I think it is pretty safe to say that if you are a Christian celebrating Easter in North America, you expect certain things. You expect to sing Christ the Lord is Risen Today, you probably expect to flower a cross, and you are probably looking ahead to the ham lunch you will share with family and friends later that afternoon. Most children expect to receive an Easter basket of sorts, expect to dye eggs, and expect, if not demand, an Easter egg hunt. Expectations such as these can be fun, but also very important. They give structure and order to the season; they are a prescription, if you will, for how to celebrate this holiday. They bring joy, for the most part, and if they are neglected (especially the Easter egg hunt) the result is disappointment. How often have you heard, or you yourself have said, after a holiday that has been missing something, that it “just didn’t feel like ‘blank’.” It didn’t feel like Thanksgiving because there was apple pie instead of pumpkin pie. It didn’t feel like Christmas because we didn’t sing Joy to the World. It didn’t feel like Easter because…well, you get the point. Expectations are important to be aware of; when they are exceeded, we have cause for celebration or surprise. When they are met, we are satisfied. When they are not met; well, all sorts of things can happen.
Jesus had a very habitual way of meeting people’s expectations. In many ways, he exceeded his current and would be followers’expectations. No one would have dreamed he could cast out demons with such authority. When there were thousands that needed to be fed, the disciples did not expect Jesus to be able to feed them; but he did, with plenty left-over. No one expected he could walk on water, or calm the storm, but he did. Through his miracles he exceeded everyone’s expectations, and those expectations were raised. They did not expect Jesus to enter into Jerusalem on a donkey, but rather as a militant king! No one expected he would be betrayed by one of his closest followers. No one expected the Messiah to suffer, or to die. And no one expected him to rise.
The women who had followed Jesus from Galilee watched as his body was placed in a tomb; they saw how his body was laid, and saw the stone rolled in front of the entrance. Because of the Sabbath, they had to wait to annoint the body. They prepared the spices and ointment, and waited until the Sabbath was over before going to the tomb to annoint the body. They were surely preparing themselves for what they would find; a corpse, already deteriorating. It was, after all, to be expected. What they find, instead, is a surprise. There is no stench, there is no rotting corpse; there is no body at all! And the women are perplexed, because when you see a body be laid to rest with your own eyes, you most certainly expect it to be there when you return!
Even in death, Jesus surpassed their expectations.
If the disappearance of Jesus’body was not disturbing enough, suddenly the women find themselves in the company of two angels. After reminding the women of what Jesus had said, several times in his ministry in fact, the women remember. What I find interesting is Luke’s lack of description when it comes to the women’s reaction to this news; that the Son of Man has risen. He describes their puzzlement at finding the tomb empty, their fear at seeing the angels, but here, he says nothing. It makes me wonder if, rather than excitement, their response was a rather sheepish, “oh yeah, I remember that….” When they tell the apostles, those closest to Jesus, their words are brushed off. These men, Jesus’inner circle of followers, do not remember what Jesus had said. For them, he is still dead; they do not even seem concerned that his body may have been stolen. All but Peter. Peter, who has not only disappointed but also denied Jesus while he was living, must see for himself. And he runs. His expectations are not disclosed to the reader; whether he believed the women or not, upon seeing the empty tomb he is amazed. And he goes, not back to the apostles, but to his own home, no doubt to ponder what he had just seen, and to figure out what it meant.
What does it mean? The empty tomb means that Jesus has risen. It is a fulfillment of the prophecy of death and resurrection, leading the audience to believe also in the prophecy that Christ will come again. The empty tomb is a symbol of Christ’s victory over sin and death; it can give us courage to face darkness and death, realizing that the light of dawn is close at hand. It means that there is hope for salvation, that through Christ’s offering of himself our sins are forgiven, and we can be in a right relationship with God. The empty tomb means all these things, and more. It means that Christ is alive, and at work in the world, even today. Amen!

Sermon-ette on the Prodigal Son

Luke 15.1-3,11b-32
This story is very familiar to us; it is one of the most well-known stories attributed to Jesus. It is often viewed and presented as a story of God's boundless grace and love. The younger son is often used as a symbol of one who has gone astray, who sees the error of their ways, and is received back by God, just as a lost sheep is welcomed back into the fold. We are probably not surprised to find that the parable of the lost sheep precedes the story of the prodigal son.While there are many similarities between the two stories, the emphasis placed on the actions of the characters are somewhat different. In the parable of the lost sheep, Jesus describes what would have been a common occurrence in the rural community Jesus spoke to; a sheep wanders off and becomes lost. The sheep does not deliberately run away, it simply becomes separated from the flock. The shepherd takes it upon himself to go and search for the sheep, celebrating when he finds it, carrying it home safely.

Now, contrast that with the story of the prodigal son. Here, Jesus tells of something that would have been reprehensible within the culture. This younger son goes to his father, who is in seemingly good health mind you, and DEMANDS to receive what will only be his once his father dies. He is not asking for a loan, or a gift; it's not like there is a separate bank account set aside, collecting interested titled "inheritance." He is, essentially, impatient, and cannot WAIT for his father to die to get his hands on the family funds. If that was not bad enough, once he receives "what is his" he deserts his family, taking with him their resources needed to survive. This son is no lost sheep; rather, he is a thief. He does not put his inheritance to good use, and eventually finds himself in as low a position he COULD find himself; tending the religiously and literally unclean pigs. He has become as far removed from his family, faith, and culture as he can get. It is at this point he decides it would be a good idea to return home. We cannot know if his confession is heartfelt or not, but it is clear he feels it will be enough to welcome him back home, even if only as a slave. And so he sets off for home.

Remember the shepherd in the previous parable?
The father is not like the shepherd.
He does not hurry off to find his wayward son. He does not try to save him. Instead, he let's him go.
I wonder what the father felt, after his son had left. Was he sad? Was he angry? Did his son become dead to him? Did he even care at all, now that he had lost a good deal of his wealth AND a pair of hands around the farm that would need to be replaced? Did he watch for the improbable return of his son? We don't know. But Jesus tells us that when the father sees his son far off, he runs to him, embracing him and welcoming him home.

The shepherd went off to seek for what was lost. The father stayed behind, but welcomed his son when he returned. Jesus begins the parable of the lost sheep with the words, "which one of you...?" And now I turn the question to you. Which one of YOU will search for those who are lost? Which one of YOU will be ready to welcome those back, regardless of what they have done? Which one of YOU will care for the least, the last, and the lost? I challenge you, to see the shepherd and the father not only as symbols of God and Christ, but also as a model for how we should be as Christians. Let's BE the shepherds. Let's BE the fathers and the mothers, rejoicing when what was once lost, is found.

Amen.

Lenten Practice

I was at a loss of what to do during Lent; to give up, or not to give up- that was the question. I usually try to "add" something instead of giving something up, so here is my plan:
each week the Revised Common Lectionary has four scripture readings, almost always in this order:
1- passage from the Hebrew Bible
1- psalm
1- epistle (letter from Paul, or, atleast attributed to Paul)
1- Gospel
What I am going to try to do is to read and reflect in some way on each of these readings during Lent. I am hoping this will lead to creative ways of reflecting on the scriptures. We'll see how it goes.

Peace be with you all!

What to do....

Hey! I'm pretty sure no-one really reads this, which is fine. BUT, if you d0 then you can help me out.

Ready?

What should Evan and I do for Valentine's Day!?
We don't want to do the cliche things, but we want it to be a special day. We never go to the movies, only eat out once a month, and do all of our (really yummy!) cooking at home. I have forbidden flowers (the prices get SOOOO inflated!)and he's not a huge fan of chocolate.

Any ideas to make our first Valentine's Day special?

Adventures in Maine

I promised I would finish re-counting my holiday travels, so here I am, doing just that. If you remember from the last post, I spent several days at home in MD with my family before traveling up to Maine...
December 29:
I woke up bright and early, finished loading the car, and said good-bye to my family. It had been a really nice visit with them, albeit it quite busy, but I knew I would be seeing them again soon so I was eager to start my next journey. I drove from MD to my home in NJ (a bit over 3 hours), traded my MD luggage for my ME luggage, got some gas, and headed up to ME. I drove thru New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire before finally reaching my destination (about 7 hours later!). It was very windy, but luckily there was no snow. At one point in Massachusetts Roxy (my car) reported that it was 3 degrees outside. I called my sister to inform her I might freeze to death.
I arrived at Evan's cousin's house in Auburn, ME and finally got to see my sweet. : ) This had been the longest we'd been apart- it was soooo good to see him! I got to meet his cousin Ralph, and the three of us went to dinner at a Thai place in town. We spent the night in Auburn the drove 4 more hours to Starboard, where Evan's family lives. (If you've been counting, this adds up to about 14 hours from MD...that's A LOT of driving!)
When we reached Starboard it was dark out, so I couldn't see much scenery wise, but I finally got to meet the people I've heard so much about! We stayed at Nana's and met her, then Evan's parents came down the hill to meet us. They are all such lovely people. I felt at home right away. We were all tired, so we didn't stay up visiting terribly long.
The next morning I woke up, walked into the kitchen, and went, "Wow!" This is what I saw:


I got to meet more family that day; Evan's uncle and his family live right next door, so I got to meet Jeff, his wife Tracy, and their three children, Jeff, Andrew, and Maya. I fell in love with Maya right away, but it took her a little while to warm up to me. By the second or third time she saw me, she was asking for candy, having me carry her throughout the house, and signing to me. I was so excited to sign with her (she's deaf); she is super smart, and picks up new signs very quickly.
She loves Evan:


(in this picture I asked her what her name is, and she is signing it to me)

During the blizzard we made donuts and bread with Nana- she is a wonderful baker, and during tourist season sells her baked goods at stores in town. She gave me some recipes to make in Madison, which I am very excited about. : )

On New Year's Eve Evan had a gig in Eastport, the eastern-most town in the United States. They played at neat little place called the Rose Garden. It was a lot of fun; despite the snow, it was well attended, and everyone had a good time. I have a feeling we'll be spending next New Year's up here.




I had a wonderful time in Maine; I absolutely love Evan's family, and I think they all like me too (apparently, I'm a keeper). I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to visit his home and meet his friends and family. It was a great start to the New Year!

Holiday Recap

Peace and greetings to you all! Hahaha, enough with the church jargon.
Hello! It's been a while since I have blogged anything, so I thought a summary of the holidays was in order. I will try to be as brief as possible (we'll see how that works out).

Christmas Eve:
Wow! What a marathon! I spent the day cleaning the house and making sure I had everything I would need packed and ready to go to both Maryland and Maine. I made cinnamon rolls, from scratch!, to take to MD as a surprise for breakfast Christmas morning. I went over to the church around 4 to set up the hand-bells and to get ready for the Christmas Eve service/pageant. While it did not go off without a hitch, it was a lovely pageant, and one I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of. I got to sing several solos, play my trombone, AND direct the brand-new hand-bell choir; I was so proud of the Mustard Seeds!!! After the service was over, and hugs and Christmas greetings were passed around, I hopped in the car and booked it to MD. I made it in under 3 hours! I was so pleased with myself!
When my family got home from church (I got to the house before they did) we exchanged gifts among sisters, and then headed back to church. I was able to attend the 11 o'clock service at Hiss, where they did a traditional Lessons and Carols service followed by communion. With hot dog rolls. Hahahahaha- it totally made my night. When we got home we got to open our traditional Christmas Eve gifts- Mommy-made pajama pants!! Megan and Riley were fast asleep in the basement, so I crashed with Sarah and Sophie for the night.

Christmas Day:
Well, we woke up and exchanged more gifts. Megan had to work at the hospital, so we decided to save a few gifts to open when she got home. I made breakfast for the family with the help of Sarah and my dad: scrambled eggs, fried potatoes, sausage, and the surprise cinnamon rolls. They were a hit! We had a nice visit with my grandmother, and then I took Sarah to spend some time with her boyfriend. Jackie and Colette came over and had dinner with us! It was so nice having them spend some of Christmas day with us. We all watched the Muppet's Christmas Carol together; it is one of my favorites. They left right around the time Megan got home from work. We finished exchanging gifts, and then relaxed the rest of the evening. It was far from our normal Christmas "routine", but it was a wonderful day with family and friends.

Sunday/Monday:
On Sunday we had an Open House which kind of turned into a football party.

I don't want to even START talking about that horrible game...

But the party was nice!

Monday Lauren had sinus surgery. We went to the hospital at 5am...the surgeon was late, which is apparently normal for him, so we waited about 3 hours before they took her back. I went home around noon; by then she was finished in the OR and in was in the first level of recovery. Sarah and I went shopping for a few things, and I took her to the barn to take care of the horses. Lauren was really out of it- her pain meds kept her sleepy, which was good.

On Tuesday I started my journey up to Maine.

I think I'll save that for the next entry : )