Why Pray?

If you look around at bookstores in the spirituality section, you'll notice that there are many books on prayer. For many of us, prayer is a part of our daily lives, prayer before meals, bedtime prayers, the Lord's Prayer. But why do we pray? Sometimes, we pray for people we love, sometimes we pray in desparation, other times we pray for guidance, other times we pray in gratitude. Prayer has been talked about in many ways, as sharing our hearts with God, as talking to God, as resting in God's presence. Today, I saw another description of prayer that makes sense to me. It comes from Pastor Ted Loder:
"The prayers we say shape the lives we live, just as the lives we live shape the prayers we pray." May our prayers shape us today and each day of our lives.

Friends

One night this week at bedtime, Sophia was crying heartbroken sobs. When we asked her what was wrong, she said, "I have no friends." We went through her list of friends, other 3 year olds that she loves to play with, but she kept crying soul wrenching sobs... "BUT THEY'RE NOT HERE NOW!" She finally said. We all need our friendships to keep us going. Friends support us. Friends encourage us. Friends listen to our stories again and again and again. Friends know when we need to laugh, when we need peace and quiet, or when a trip for ice cream is most needed. Spiritual friends are important too, friends who pray with us and for us, friends who know how to help guide us through times of doubt and frustration. Faithful, faith-filled friends help point us to Christ who calls us friends, as he said in the Gospel of John. Remember the words of a traditional hymn: What a Friend we have in Jesus. We all need friends and we all need Christ.

Melanchthon, WHO?

Most of us as Lutherans have heard about Martin Luther, obviously a critical person in our Lutheran history. But very few people have heard about a man named Philipp Melanchthon who also played a crucial role in the foundation of the Lutheran church and belief. Melanchthon was a colleague of Martin Luther, working with him to reform the church. He was a brillant scholar, known as the "teacher of Germany". He was a professor of Greek at the University of Wittenberg, which is where be became a friend of Martin Luther. Legends recall that even his classes that were offered at 6am, early in the morning, often had as many as 600 students in them. He was crucial in writing the Augsburg Confession, one of the cornerstone works for Lutherans throughout the world. One of the gifts, I believe, of our Lutheran heritage is our well thought out foundation. We have a well articulated belief system and theology. We are clear on our identity and heritage as well as appreciating the value of educating others in the faith. I am grateful to be a Lutheran, following in the path of Luther, his wife Katie, and many others like Phillip Melanchthon.

Increase and Decrease

Today is the day that the church has often commemorated John the Baptist. The cousin of Jesus who announced the coming of the Messiah, the Lamb of God, is often most prominent for us during December and the season of Advent when we hear many lessons that include his witness about Jesus. John is the radical wilderness preacher who baptized many in the Jordan River. He wore camel's hair clothes and ate locosts and wild honey. He later lost his head for irritating and criticizing those in power. When he compared himself to Jesus, he said this: "He must increase, but I must decrease." (John 3:30) John knew that his ministry was to point to Jesus, who was the Lamb of God. He knew that his ministry had a greater purpose. For John, his preaching was not about himself, but it pointed to Jesus who was eagerly awaited by his people. May we live as John did, with ourselves decreasing so that Christ can be increased in us and in our lives.

Oatmeal, anyone?

Oatmeal is not my favorite breakfast food. In fact, I prefer just about anything with chocolate in it. Chocolate chip muffins, chocolate chip pancakes, hot chocolate to drink... That would be my ideal kind of breakfast. But this weekend, at a wonderful wedding, I heard a touching and true description of human love that likens it to oatmeal... Or rather stirring the oatmeal.
The image comes from the book We: Understanding the Psychology of Romantic Love by Robert A. Johnson.
"Stirring the oatmeal is a humble act—not exciting or thrilling. But it symbolizes a relatedness that brings love down to earth. It represents a willingness to share ordinary human life, to find meaning in the simple, unromantic tasks: earning a living, living within a budget, putting out the garbage, feeding the baby in the middle of the night. To 'stir the oatmeal' means to find the relatedness, the value, even the beauty, in simple and ordinary things, not to eternally demand a cosmic drama, an entertainment, or an extraordinary intensity to everything. Like the rice hulling of the Zen Monks, the spinning wheel of Gandhi, the tent making of Saint Paul, it represents the discovery of the sacred in the midst of the humble and ordinary."
May we all have our own moments of stirring the oatmeal love, even if it happens while we're making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or mowing the lawn. God is there in those ordinary moments; it's up to us to see him there.

Craziness

There are days, when things seem to all go on the fritz. You know those days, when nothing seems to work right, when everything you try seems to backfire. We can respond with frustration, we can respond with resignation, we can respond with humor. We try everything we know how to do and when it doesn't work, we call the experts. Maybe, we hope, they know how to solve the problem better than we do. Sometimes, the problems are fixable, sometimes we have to start over from scratch. Othertimes, we just have to live with the problem for a time that seems far too long. Yet, those are the times that God is in the crazy details, still by our side, still reminding us that he is with us no matter what we face. Listen to this passage from Isaiah Chapter 43 from the Message translation:
But now, God's Message, the God who made you in the first place, Jacob, the One who got you started, Israel: "Don't be afraid, I've redeemed you. I've called your name. You're mine. When you're in over your head, I'll be there with you. When you're in rough waters, you will not go down. When you're between a rock and a hard place, it won't be a dead end. Because I am God, your personal God, The Holy of Israel, your Savior. I paid a huge price for you: all of Egypt, with rich Cush and Seba thrown in! That's how much you mean to me! That's how much I love you! I'd sell off the whole world to get you back, trade the creation just for you.
In this crazy day, I'm so glad God feels that way!

On Eagles' Wings

Today on the way to church, Boobear and I saw 4 majestic eagles. One was sitting in a field watching us drive by, another soared overhead a mile or so down the down. Considering that our opening hymn was "Eagles Wings" by Michael Joncas, it was a wonderful reminder of the strength that eagles have in their wings.
Psalm 91 also talks about God sheltering us under his wings. What stong, powerful wings eagles have. They are a mighty bird created by a mighty creator. The book of Exodus has God speaking to his people reminding them that he brought them to himself, bearing them up on eagles wings. May God continue to bear us up and shelter us just as he has born and sheltered his people since time began.

BOOM!

The noises of Camp Ripley have been a constant companion these last few days. At the park, as we sleep, as we talk on the phone, as I write my sermon, I hear distant rumbles at times. Then I hear a boom that shakes the floor and startles me out of my chair. Now, these noises are really only a bit annoying. I know they are the noise of military practice that prepares our troops for the work they must do. I know they do not affect our safety or even really the relative peace of our home. But they have given me a new awareness and sympathy for those who live with the reality of war and violence each day. I take forgranted the safety and peace that comes with living in America, in Minnesota, here in the north country. But what would it be like to live with the noise of blasts and explosions each day, to worry about the safety of one's loved ones each time they left your side? To wake each night worried that your house might become a target of someone's violence? Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers"... Blessed are the men and women who work to make our world a more stable, peaceful place. Blessed are those who shelter the refugees of war and violence. Blessed are those who soothe away the nightmares of children who have seen too much. Blessed are those who work for God's peace in a world that is comfortable with violence.

Scared of the dark

Lately, Boobear has become worried about the darkness at bedtime and falls asleep tightly clutching her tiny flashlight in her hand. (Then we sneak in after she falls asleep to gently turn it off to save on batteries and to keep her safe.) She seems to firmly believe that her flashlight helps keep her safe in the darkness and clearly it gives her the peace of mind she needs to fall asleep almost immediately.
Being afraid of the dark is a typical childhood fear, but does it ever really leave us? The dark clouds of a severe storm cause many of us to worry. We become anxious and worried walking into a dark house at night, quickly turning on the lights around us. We dread the darkness in our lives caused by sickness or gief or depression.
That's why there's so much power in Jesus' words that he is the light of the world. And the book Ephesians reminds us that we are all children of the light. Children who live in Jesus' light, people who walk safely where Jesus' light guides us, people who bask in the warmth of Christ's light all our lives.

Double Rainbow

Last night, as we were finally a quiet house after putting a 2 year old to sleep, we looked out the front window of the parsonage and saw.... A double rainbow. Not a dull rainbow, but a very bright rainbow and its mirrow reflection, looking as if they were right above our house. It was amazing.
No wonder rainbows have been a sign of God's promise for centuries, back to the days of Noah when God put a rainbow in the sky to promise that he would never destroy the earth again. The words of several Irish blessings capture the hope and promise in a rainbow. Here are a few beautiful, traditional blessings to ponder.

May God give you...For every storm a rainbow, for every tear a smile, for every care a promise and a blessing in each trial. For every problem life sends, a faithful friend to share, for every sigh a sweet song and an answer for each prayer.

May you always have work for your hands to do. May your pockets hold always a coin or two. May the sun shine bright on your windowpane. May the rainbow be certain to follow each rain. May the hand of a friend always be near you. And may God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.

Dance with me?

This weekend, we went to the Nisswa Stammen music festival. Boobear loves fiddles and banjos, dancing and costumes, so the festival was a great experience for her. After watching a lady in Scandinavian dress do several folk dances, Boobear went up to her quietly and said, "Dance with me?"
I think God issues us that invitation every day. Will you dance with me, God asks, on days when your steps are light and airy? Will you dance with me, God asks, when the music is slow and peaceful? Will you dance with me, God wonders, when it's hard to be in step with one another? Will you dance with me, God hopes, even when the music seems to be full of wrong notes or feels offkey? Will you dance with me, God asks, feeling my love and joy for you?
There is a wonderful camp song that expresses these sentiments too, by Greg Evans:
"This is holy time. We're gathered together to worship you, to love one another. And as we pray, and as we sing, and as we dance, and as we dream, Oh, Lord, I beg of you just this one thing...... Won't you dance with me, throughout the heavens and below the sea, and up on the mountaintop, flow with the breeze, come carry me. Lord, won't you dance with me."

Holy Interruptions

I'm a person who likes to have a plan for my day. I like to know what's on my calendar, what needs to be finished by the end of the day, who needs to be met with, how many loads of laundry need to be finished. By breakfast, I'm thinking about what we are most likely having for dinner tonight or tomorrow even. I don't like interruptions that seem to get in my way. But Jesus' ministry shows that maybe interruptions are holy. Many of Jesus' miracles, happen while he is doing something else. Look at Matthew chapter 9 verse 18, "WHILE he was saying these things to them, suddenly a leader of the synagogue came in and knelt before him." While Jesus was eating dinner and teaching, while Jesus was doing important things, a man came to him and begged Jesus to heal his daughter, bring his daughter back to life. It was an interruption in Jesus' day, but Jesus went and on the way there, was interrupted again by a woman who needed to be healed of her bleeding. It's a good thing that Jesus allowed himself to be interrupted. What would our lives look like if instead of seeing interruptions as annoyances, we saw them as holy moments, chances to see God, moments to touch God? What interruptions could be holy in your life?

What are you doing?

Our BooBear often asks, "Momma, what you doing?" Especially when it's bedtime and she's worried that she's missing out on something she says, "Momma, what you doing now?" This is an important faith question as well. Often we ask, "Where is God in your life?" or "What is God doing in your life?" Both of these questions put our lives at the center and God's presence is pushed in as it fits, hopefully conveniently within our plans and our life direction. Yet our God is so much bigger than just our lives or our family's lives or our congregation's lives. Perhaps a better question is: "What are you doing in God's life?" God's life surrounds us and we participate in GOD'S life, God's plan, God's work in our world. So, what part do you play in God's story in our world? What are you doing in God's unfolding plan? What are you doing in God's life today?