From Amy Manning:
Psalm 67 – The Nations Called to Praise God
To the leader: with stringed instruments. A Psalm. A Song.
May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face to shine upon us,
Selah
that your way may be known upon earth,
your saving power among all nations.
Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you.
Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you judge the peoples with equity
and guide the nations upon earth.
Selah
Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you.
The earth has yielded its increase;
God, our God, has blessed us.
May God continue to bless us;
let all the ends of the earth revere him.
When I read psalm 67 this week, I smiled deeply, closed my eyes and listened. I could see and hear Pastor Laurie sending us out into our busy lives with this closing blessing each week. I paused and let the blessing wash over me, feeling it in my body, how blessed, how very blessed and grateful I did feel upon hearing those words at the close of each service. And a quiet prayer would spring forth from that each week. 'Stay present to that grace and peace and be peace and blessing to all you meet, and in all that you do, and think and speak.' I am sure I am not alone in leaving with that sense of being blessed and called to be blessing, feeling refreshed and wanting to hold on to that.
Our family has had a year, really longer than that, full of losses and challenges, one right after another. I joked to Rich once that I was thinking about changing my name to Job. I didn't know if I could take anymore. And yet, that sense of abiding love and blessing in the midst of such raw grief, was like a deep well sustaining me. Thank you Holy Spirit! And thank you, my MOTA family, for the prayers and support that have been so nourishing.
May we continue to be that for one another. May we stay present to that grace and peace, so that we become peace and blessing to all we meet, and in all we do, and think, and speak.
We are assured that God’s love is boundless and boundary-less. With joy and gratitude we are called to be bridges of peace and compassion, within and between, our nations, neighbors, families and our own heart. How has God’s blessing sustained you in dark times? How does it manifest in you to be God’s light for others?
From Lois Delcambre:Please view the 5 minute video, then read the reflection below.Summary of the Emerging Church – Father Richard Rohr (Center for Action and Contemplation)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WVLFapHqP8&feature=related
To emerge … is to become apparent … become important … become prominent.
What a time to celebrate!
Imagine a church where everyone is welcome, where no questions are off limits, where we challenge each other to be guided by the love of Christ in all aspect of our lives … broadly and richly. How can that be wrong?
It has always seemed to me that Christianity is more important than denomination. (Perhaps that’s because I was raised Lutheran and then Baptist and then Lutheran; then I married a Catholic and attended Catholic mass for fifteen years. It also helps to explain why being part of Mission of the Atonement is so important to me.) On the other hand, tradition offers us such comfort. When I took (Lutheran) communion for the first time at Mission of the Atonement – while kneeling at the altar rail – I worked hard to hold back the tears. It was so powerful to be welcomed to Christ’s table after fifteen years using the traditions of my childhood. Richard Rohr suggests that the emerging church is a movement that gratefully embraces tradition, on the one hand, while searching and striving for a new consensus to ground, deepen, and personalize our faith.
Richard Rohr also says that, historically, the church has provided us with doctrine (a belief or set of beliefs held and taught by a church, political party, or other group ) and dogma (a principle or set of principles laid down by an authority as incontrovertibly true). It seems to me that it’s part of human nature to want things to be clear and definitive, especially when things are important. It would be so comforting if living our lives as Christians were as easy as following a checklist (don’t dance or don’t eat certain foods on certain days or don’t drink caffeine or …). We have such a longing for living our lives as a Christian and we have such a longing to know the truth. It’s easy to see why more rigid, perhaps more traditional faith practices have such appeal.
But, as our pastors and priests and Mission of the Atonement tell us: life is messy; being a Christian is messy. It seems to me that the emerging church is asking us to engage more fully, question more deeply, and live more richly as Christians.
From Brad Newman:
1 Kings 3:5-14 Solomon’s Prayer for Wisdom
At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, ‘Ask what I should give you.’ And Solomon said, ‘You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant my father David, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart towards you; and you have kept for him this great and steadfast love, and have given him a son to sit on his throne today.
And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David, although I am only a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. And your servant is in the midst of the people whom you have chosen, a great people, so numerous they cannot be numbered or counted. Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil; for who can govern this your great people?’
It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. God said to him, ‘Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches, or for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, I now do according to your word. Indeed I give you a wise and discerning mind; no one like you has been before you and no one like you shall arise after you. I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor all your life; no other king shall compare with you.
I consider myself to be raised heathen. Church was something that happened occasionally when I visited my grandparents, and it involved waking up early, candles, funny clothes, singing, being trapped in a room full of kids I didn't know, graham crackers, and waiting. Waiting until we could leave and go have pancakes at grandma and grandad's house. So I have little foundation in the stories of the bible. They have not been the rich source of tradition that they have for others. I knew the hits: Moses and the plagues, Jesus and the empty tomb, Noah's ark, Samson and Delilah, David and Goliath, Jesus walking on water, Adam and Eve. Beyond that it was a weird jumble of riddles, murder ballads, lists of names, poems that didn't rhyme, and scolding.
This turns out to be both beneficial and detrimental as I have approached the Bible as an adult. I am free of preconceived interpretations and am able to bring all my critical faculties to bear when experiencing these words. But I am also free of the larger context that they live in, and have limited capacity for turning those critical faculties off. I think this is why I find myself drawn to the line "I am only a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in," in Solomon's prayer. It is a reminder that my experience at MOTA has been one of initiation and surrender. The more time I spend with these stories the more deeply I feel my inexperience, the more I feel I must rely on an open-hearted surrender to the divine.
I am also impressed by the notion of Solomon humbling himself as he's about to assume the role of king. What a refreshing idea. What a contrast this is to the stereotype of a person in power in my head. Yet, if I bring this notion closer to home, I realize that we are all called to some position of power in one way or the other. Even if we're not the boss at work and don't have children we are responsible for, we still have to manage ourselves. We have to direct our course through all manner of decisions that have implications from the cellular level to the communal.
I take Solomon's prayer to be a reminder that our initiation is never complete, and that even when we are familiar with the terms we still have much to learn. I wonder how many in our community feel themselves to be on the outside looking in. Have you ever been put in a position of leadership and felt yourself humbled by the choices in front of you? Perhaps we can all recall Solomon and his ability to look at his new role as a child would.
From Jon Erickson:
Last fall we began doing "email reflections". Since it was very well received, we are starting again from February through May. Many of the scriptures are from the Lectionary and some are, well . . . not. And some may not even be scriptures.
We are the authors. The intent is not for a formal theological response or dissertation. They are meant to be our reflections, our stories, our thoughts and our feelings. So that we may be washed by the Spirit. It is a way for us to be united and connected. Look for them on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Below is from the "Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals"
May the peace of the Lord Jesus Christ go with you: wherever he may send you;may he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm;may he bring you home rejoicing: at the wonders he has shown you;may he bring you home rejoicing: once again into our doors.
There are times when I look at the weather map and plan to go around the storm. I think it will keep me safe. But that is when I want to be the pilot in command.
It goes against my grain when I hear the words "wherever he may send you". It is hard to head for the dark clouds or a place that is new and unknown.
I need to take a deep breath and remember "the wonders he has shown . . ."
And yet I know, but need reminding, that Jesus wants to be present at our "home rejoicing".
When did you last ask for guidance in the wilderness?
Luke 2:4-7
“So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available or them.”
In the above 4 verses, we get an account of one of the major events around which our Christian faith revolves at this time of the year: Christmas , the birth of Jesus. It is a short passage, but each sentence is bursting with information that in itself is extremely significant in its implications if you read it carefully and place it in the context of about 2000 years ago: Joseph and his pregnant wife had to travel from the northern Israeli town of Nazareth to Bethlehem, just south of Jerusalem, which according to Google Maps, is about 160 km or 100 miles! Assuming they traveled on foot, this must have been quite a journey for a pregnant woman and her fiancée. I wonder what they encountered along the way and where they slept at night: surely this trip must have taken quite a few days.
In the second sentence, we learn of the significant fact that she was not yet married but with child, also representing a major act of faith on both the part of both Mary and Joseph.
The third sentence reports the birth of their baby: for anybody who has ever given birth or witnessed a birth, this is not for the faint of heart but involves very hard work on the part of the woman and is appropriately referred to as labor. There is no mention of a birth attendant/ midwife, no hospital or medical support, no drugs to ease the pain , or help for the new parents with all the needs and questions that arise with a new baby. In fact, Mary and Joseph and their newborn end up in a stable and use a manger as the baby’s crib, wrapping Jesus in a cloth.
In light of this perspective, one can only marvel at the faith that both Mary and Joseph display by going on this journey: they must have utterly and completely trusted each other as well as God to even think about undertaking this trip.
When I think of my personal challenges and compare them to the above scenario, they appear much more trivial by comparison. In this passage and many others in the Bible, we have great examples of how to trust God to help us to fulfill our potential if we just allow ourselves to be guided. How can we face our own obstacles without losing faith in our God, with whose guidance everything becomes possible? How are we being challenged to take that journey, literally or figuratively, to grow in faith? How can we become a little bit of God to others and by supporting them, further the Kindom? What is keeping us from putting our trust in the One who watches over us every bit as much as God watched over Mary and Joseph as they traveled to Bethlehem 2011 years ago?
Jabke Buesseler
Luke 1: 46-55
And Mary said: My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my savior, for God has been mindful of the humble state of this servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the mighty one has done great things for me -- holy is God's name. God's mercy extends to those who fear God, from generation to generation. God has performed mighty deeds with an arm; has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts, has brought down rulers from from their thrones, but has lifted up the humble, has filled the hungry with good things, but has sent the rich away empty, has helped God's servant Israel , remembering to be merciful to Abraham and Sarah and their descendants forever, just as was promised our ancestors.
and from "Response to New Trends in Religious Life:a Franciscan Experience by Ilia Delio, OSF
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Reflections
Without Mary's "yes" to God' s invitation to carry Jesus we would not be celebrating Advent. It is also helpful to remember that we too are called to give birth to Christ. In the Gospel message, Mary writes about herself: "God has been mindful of the humble state of this servant. In a section of the Delio article, she recognizes our call to name the good that exists, to identify with the good as sister or brother and to help bring Christ to birth. Our goal is to share the human condition because in solidarity of personhood we see the goodness of God shining through fragile humanity. They both see our fragility and yet call us to make Christ alive, to birth Christ from within.
We cannot see God in ordinary flesh, without seeing God first in our own human hearts. Therefore it is necessary to hold solitude, prayer and silence as important dimensions to our every day life. The pattern of Jesus' life is fundamental to life, especially the values of compassionate forgiveness, reconciliation, love and peace. In striving for these precious qualities, we are whole makers. To be saved is to attain a healthy life for a healthy compass. While I believe that Jesus is the Christ, I also believe that Christ is more than Jesus because as Word Incarnate, Christ includes every person every creature and the whole universe. Therefore what God has done to Mary, we see that what God wishes to do to each and every one of us.
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1. Are there situations where you sense a call to be a "whole-maker"?
2. How do you see the world as rich in God's blessings?
3. How do you see that the universe is incomplete, in which Christ is still coming to be?
4. What are the implications of the following belief: Our goal is to share the human condition because in solidarity of personhood we see the goodness of God shining through fragile humanity?
5. What does Advent teach you about living as a person in relationships?
6. Is there a reflection which you would like to add to questions? If so, please do.
Luke 2
15-18 As the angel choir withdrew into heaven, the sheepherders talked it over. "Let's get over to Bethlehem as fast as we can and see for ourselves what God has revealed to us." They left, running, and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. Seeing was believing. They told everyone they met what the angels had said about this child. All who heard the sheepherders were impressed.
19-20 Mary kept all these things to herself, holding them dear, deep within herself. The sheepherders returned and let loose, glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen. It turned out exactly the way they'd been told!
Images, emotions and memories surround these familiar words: “ Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger.” Seeing was believing.” Mary, the mother of God.
As long as I can remember the first Christmas decoration that came out in my childhood and for over forty years in our own home is the nativity set. I inherited ours from a great aunt. It is not fancy, it is depression era, and several pieces have been mended, some are missing. Four generations have moved these ceramic pieces around. The hand made stable has the remnants of a label –it was built from a box of oranges imported from Japan. I walk by each day, say a little prayer, and often rearrange a piece or two.
So how 2000 years later do I see and believe. I see through experiences of grace in my life, the unexpected glimpses of God’s work within and among us.
Moments from today:
• In my files I found a message sent by Pastor Laurie from the Sunday we were snowed out a few years ago.
“We are all meant to be mothers of God. What good is it to me if this eternal birth of the divine Son takes place unceasingly but does not take place within myself? And, what good is it to me if Mary is full of grace if I am not also full of grace? What good is it to me for Creator to give birth to his Son If I do not also give birth to him in my time and my culture? This, then, is the fullness of time: When the Son of God is begotten in us” Meister Eckhart (14th Century)
• An e-mail newsletter “On Being with Krista Tippet” included a review of “The Book of Customs: A complete Handbook for the Jewish Year”. The phrase “navigating life while marking sacred time” stood out. I am reminded of my desire to understand more of our Jewish heritage.
• The MoTA e-news lead me to Bruce Flath’s review of “The Great Emergence How Christianity is Changing and Why” by Phyllis Tickle. I was struck by the “observers think it will, rewrite Christian theology — and thereby North American culture — into something far more Jewish, more paradoxical, more narrative, and more mystical than anything the Church has had for the last seventeen or eighteen hundred years.” I want to read this book.
• Kathy Truman’s Facebook post with Amy Grant singing “Breath of Heaven” (Mary’s song) the refrain “Hold me together, be forever near me” resonated with me.
• Reflecting on Mary, the mother of God, the feminine God I think of our trip to Mexico City in October Ed and I were both unexpectedly moved by the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe in the Cathedral. For me miracle of the shroud is the blending of cultures, symbols beliefs and faith. It was powerful reminder of the power and presence of God, the Mother.
For the shepherds “Seeing was believing” For me experiencing God’s presence is belief. I am blessed on a daily basis to be part of our amazing church family. God’s presence can be seen and felt in interactions, compassion, sharing, worshiping, discernment, studying and preparing ---Together we are navigating life while marking sacred time.
Do you ever feel the eager spiritual anticipation of the shepherds in Bethlehem?
How and when do you “see” God in your life?
Think of a time when you heard God's Word where you least expected it.
Have you shared those deep experiences with "everyone you've met?” With anyone?
Hosea 11
When Israel was a child, I loved him, and I called my son out of Egypt. But, as the saying goes, "The more they were called, the more they rebelled." They never stopped offering incense and sacrifices to idols and other gods. I took Israel by the arm and taught them to walk. But they would not admit that I was the one who had healed them. I led them with kindness and with love, not with ropes. I held them close to me, as one holds an infant; I bent down to feed them.
I believe that we are still learning about God’s goodness and love for all. Though at times we rebel and do not appear to listen and follow the message of love and kindness. Today, we have many false gods and idols: money, power, celebrity and material possessions that grasp our attention. It is easy to lose sight of God in our culture.
As I stand in the mist of the forest of life, I sometimes do not see things clearly. Then, a Spirit transcends my weakness and I am reminded to be kind and loving. The Teacher is and always has been by my side. He does not force me to enter his house of love and kindness but rather leads me to the threshold within my own mind. I don’t always listen. Sometime my faith waivers. However, I know that the loving Spirit is always with me in spite of my doubts. And, I know that God is always with each of you by your side with love and gentle kindness.
Has a Teacher ever transcended through the mist of your doubt and shown you the loving way?
Do you always listen to that voice?
When were you held in God's embrace? When did you first experience God as a gentle God? How is God leading you now?
-Ed Armstrong
Deuteronomy 10:14-18
Look around you: Everything you see is God's—the heavens above and beyond, the Earth, and everything on it. But it was your ancestors who God fell in love with; God picked their children—that's you!—out of all the other peoples. That's where we are right now. So cut away the thick calluses from your heart and stop being so willfully hardheaded. God, your God, is the God of all gods, the Master of all masters, a God immense and powerful and awesome. This One doesn't play favorites, takes no bribes, makes sure orphans and widows are treated fairly, takes loving care of foreigners by seeing that they get food and clothing.
How do we know who we are? I come from a family that loves stories. I grew up hearing Bible stories, stories about what life was like for my parents and stories about their parents who were immigrants to this country. We often had missionaries as guests in our home. . . . and yes, we heard their stories as well. As I read these verses from Deuteronomy, ancient words written for the Jews but no less true for us, the connection with the stories of my childhood are unmistakable. Certainly the love God had for my parents, grandparents, and me . . . echoed in those stories, but God’s love for the “ancestors” of others in countries far away was just as evident. It enlarged my experience and gave me a perspective of my identity in God far beyond what I was capable of imagining on my own.
These past few weeks we have been hearing incredible stories of faith told by and about members of our community, young and old. We are hearing in these stories who we are as individuals and as a community. Calluses on my heart have certainly been cut thin by the generosity of spirit, the sincere show of love for God who is in the whole of the universe as well as the details. They have touched me deeply. I pray that as we open wide the doors of hospitality to the strangers around us, they too will rejoice and find their identity in God and hear the story of God’s love and passion for justice in this world.
Eugene Peterson uses the idea of God falling in love with our ancestors in this translation. What thoughts and feelings come up for you when you think of God falling in love with YOUR ancestors? What are the thick calluses around your heart right now?
Isaiah 11
1Like a branch that sprouts from a stump, someone from David's family will someday be king. 2The Spirit of the LORD will be with him to give him understanding, wisdom, and insight. He will be powerful, and he will know and honor the LORD. 3His greatest joy will be to obey the LORD. This king won't judge by appearances or listen to rumors.
4The poor and the needy will be treated with fairness and with justice. His word will be law everywhere in the land, and 5honesty and fairness will be his royal robes. 6Leopards will lie down with young goats, and wolves will rest with lambs. Calves and lions will eat together and be cared for by little children. 7Cows and bears will share the same pasture; their young will rest side by side. Lions and oxen will both eat straw.
For several years now, I’ve understood that the utterances of prophets, psalmists, and wisdom writings in the Hebrew Bible were intended for the Hebrews themselves, not for folks like us centuries into the future. In some readings God is silent or hidden. In some readings, the people are excoriated; in other times and situations, they are given promises of deliverance and hope.
In the first seven verses of Isaiah 11, the people are given a vision. And even though we weren’t part of the original intended audience, these verses are a part of the legacy given to us in our Scriptures. “Bible Study” means we try to ‘get’ the original intent, the context of time, culture and situation that made the utterances prophetic. But our major task is to “appropriate” them - to make them our own. They can be “true” for us as well.
Verses 1- 7 describe a system of justice that no Democrat or Republican, however well-intentioned and dedicated, could hope to achieve; no political or religious society however homogeneous, diverse, well-governed and inspired, could hope to implement and sustain. Verses 6 – 7 do not describe the real world as we know it; the meat-eating animals will all die of starvation; they can’t survive on grass. (And we know what happened to the others).
The first lesson I take from this vision is not to place any final or ultimate hope on human intentions, abilities and the institutions we create. No matter how much effort I may put into electing any candidate or even supporting the Oregon Ducks, I am bound to be disillusioned and dismayed.
The second lesson. By placing my trust in the person, life, and example of Jesus in his world, who reveals what God is like - maybe I can reconcile, in my own inner world – the leopard and the goat – which inhibit me from bringing peace and life to those around me.
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Where does your heart most feel the injustice of the world? What is the most painful burden you carry now? Do you trust a God who hears you, and believes in you? Can you offer some of the burden to be shared by God? The vision of the lion and the lamb lying down together has been a powerful one. When you let your mind go, and your imagination play, are your dreams or visions for humanity's future?
From Neal Stixrud
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