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.