A Thought and A Word

The Gap Widens without Preschool

2012-01-18T21:28:00.001-05:00

One of the great strengths of High Street Church is the Angels on High Preschool. Here is a safe and structured environment where children can grow and learn under the direction of loving adults. These adults will encourage these children and raise them up to their potential. They will fill their lives with joy and will stimulate their curiosity to learn.

Not all children have this opportunity and many will struggle academically and socially in elementary school because of this inequality. "Roughly a quarter of the nation's 4-year-olds and more than half of 3-year-olds attend no preschool, either public or private. Families who earn about $40,000 to $50,000 annually face the greatest difficulties because they make too much to quality for many publicly funded programs, but can't afford private ones, said Steven Barnett, director of the National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University. Kids from low-income families who start kindergarten without first attending a quality education program enter school an estimated 18 months behind their peers. Many never catch up, and research shows they are more likely to need special education services and to drop out."

We know that educational struggles during our adolescent years can be traced back to the learning that took place before we entered public school. Children do not begin Kindergarten on even footing. While state and federal governments focus their policy making muscle on improving elementary school outcomes by providing school choice, the Pre-kindergarten programs continue to be neglected. This negligence continues even in light of research that shows that the three and four year old years are crucial in determining elementary school success.

And so the church must continue to do preschool well and to offer opportunities to students that may not otherwise have open doors to this early learning. The church must also have the voice to advocate and speak up about the necessity of prekindergarten programs for all children and to insist that this financial cost is not near the cost of continuing to fail our children and ensure failure in our education system. I encourage you to read this news article for more information about the lack of students participating in preschool programs, the reasons behind this inequality, and suggestions for improvement.

Reaching the World from Your Desk.

2012-01-18T00:10:00.001-05:00

I am a firm believer that our Christian impact is not measured only by the number of mission trips we go on, but how we incorporate hospitality, mercy, forgiveness, and hope into the everyday places like the shops and cubicles of our lives. I appreciate this article from Relevant Magazine which asks us to consider care for the marginalized in whatever vocation we find ourselves,

Continuing the Immigration Conversation

2012-01-09T12:12:00.000-05:00

Thanks you to everyone who joined me yesterday to listen to stories of my trip to Arizona. My intention was to give you at least one small piece of information or one image that would spur your own learning about the issues along the Mexico border. I hope we will continue to wrestle together over question surround our border policy as we consider maintaining safe borders and treating all our neighbors with respect and dignity. A policy that dehumanizes or considers any death in the desert as collateral damage is not acceptable to our Christian commitment to the wholeness of life of all God’s children. Even in Indiana, so far removed from the Mexico border, we are called to think about how we show hospitality and take care for those who are in need and who are ostracized by society. As you continue to ask your own questions about the church’s relationship to the illegal immigrant, consider the latest statement of the United Methodist Church approved as a resolution in 2008 to the United Methodist Church General Conference.

“A Call for a Comprehensive Immigration Reform”:

Be it resolved that the 2008 General Conference of the United Methodist Church

· Assert that immigrants are children of God made in God’s image,

· Affirm the labor and struggle of the undocumented worker,

· Assert that immigrant children deserve to be educated and provided with basic social services

· Stand against all forms of oppression and prejudices and will work through its general agencies, to resist racism, intolerance, and prejudice in the context of the immigration debate.

· Urge all the local congregations to oppose unjust local and state ordinances that seek to deprive undocumented persons of basic social services including the access to adequate housing and protection under the law

· Urge the United States Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform that makes family unity, students being able to get an education at an affordable rate, fair and just treatment of laborers, and a reasonable path towards citizenship a priority

· Request the Council of Bishops to urgently establish a Plan of Action of Advocacy and Welcoming the Sojourner to enable their annual conferences to immediately respond to the needs and challenges of the Hispanic/Latino immigrant population, and all immigrant populations in the community, by creating opportunities of service and equipping local churches to effectively respond in their ministry.

“When an alien resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the alien. The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 19:33-34).

Why Young Adults are leaving the Church

2012-01-04T23:22:00.001-05:00

This compelling article from Relevant Magazine asks important questions about why young adults are leaving the church.

Surprising and encouraging was this quote, "The participation variable most highly related to mature faith both in high school and college was intergenerational worship; helping them connect with adults of all ages is a vital part of building adult faith."

This suggests that the faith community doesn't have to invent separate spaces for young adult worship. What we must discern is how to create authentic and meaningful relationships across the generations.

Christmas Prequel

2011-12-29T00:27:00.002-05:00

I thoroughly enjoyed this video produced by a church and its children in New Zealand helping to share the Biblical story leading up to Christmas. Children have a powerful way of telling a story with such simplicity and such profound insight and emotion!

Celebrating Even in Loss

2011-12-20T09:57:00.000-05:00

I am a sore loser. In fact, I don't even have to be the loser to get sore about it. I notice that when my favorite sports teams come up short, my demeanor changes. I am more lethargic, more irritable, and more impatient. When something disappointing happens it seeps right into my attitude, and I spend my day being grumpy. How are we supposed to celebrate on a losing day?

Mike Slaughter writes in Christmas is Not your Birthday, "When Christmas comes around during an imperfect season of life, and you don't feel like celebrating, remember: it's not your bithday; it's Jesus' birthday, and by celebrating Christmas, we are celebrating someone else who suffered, too."

Even in the middle of a painful and messy life we are rewarded by God's arrival. God show's up no matter how thick our struggles become. In the midst of poverty, war, disaster, hate, divorce, cancer, and even death -- God comes.

May you experience the coming of Christ today on this longest and darkest day of the year. May you find the strength to follow Jesus to give your life to him and to join God's mission in healing the souls of the world.

Christmas cleaning

2011-12-13T15:57:00.000-05:00

I've heard of spring cleaning, but I also know of winter dusting. No, I'm not talking about a light snow on your front yard. I'm thinking of the cleaning and vacuuming that takes place in preparation for Christmas. Isn't it important to get the home ready for guests to come over? Don't we want to make our place just right to receive the Christ child in a steak and spam environment? Because that's what Christmas is all about, getting things right and orderly so that we can appreciate the silent night of Christ's arrival? It's funny that we are so intent on sanitizing Christmas when Christmas was not really all that clean.

Mike Slaughter writes more about "perfecting of Christmas" in his book Christmas is not Your Birthday. "Imagine the emotional state of a teenager who just found out she's pregnant and has yet to tell her parents. She's not quite sure mom and dad buy the 'God did it' excuse immediately if ever. And from that point on, God's blessing would only continue to bring pain into Mary's life all the way to the foot of her son's cross. We read the Bible through sanitize lenses because we know the ending. But Mary was living in the beginning without the benefit of knowing the Easter morning outcome" (26)" There were no clean and easy answers for Mary and Joseph. Together they are Facing pain and struggle and the question "How can this be?"

I've been struggling with "How can this be" question every time we drive down to Riley Children's Hospitalmto hear another report about our daughter Anna. Why does someone so young and fragile have to face so many medical questions?if only she could be healthy and we could have all the answers, at least for Christmas. But then I remember that Christmas was a God moment that displayed the messiness of human life, of the difficulty and the uncertainty. Mary and Joseph had their doubts and so can we. Christmas also proclaims the message that God is born into the mess with us. God came as a little baby, busting into the experience of pain and poverty in the town of Bethlehem. And God continues to show up in the dusty and unvacuumed spaces today.

Advent Reading Part 2

2011-12-03T23:24:00.001-05:00

"Christmas is about a miracle. Miracles don't just happen; they are born through the pains of labor. Pain is not comfortable, and the labor proceeding birth is intense, but if we are willing to go through with it, God will conceive miracles in us. Immanuel has come to move us out of our comfort zones" (Slaughter 14).

Earlier this week, I was thinking about how God creates miracles through us. But creating a miracle isn't only about being available. It's also about being willing to sacrifice. There was nothing easy about the first Christmas: Joseph and the community's scorn, Mary and the birthing pain, a treacherous journey to Bethlehem and the lack of any room. Sure Mary and Joseph said they were available to God's calling, but could they have ever imagined all that would be involved. I think they could imagine, and that is why their faithfulness is so profound.

If we are to be agents of God's miracle, then there are parts of life we must give away. Those parts might even be long enjoyed traditions of Christmas. This is hard for me to write and probably difficult for you to read. Yet, it is the truth that miracles are made of. Can we trade in the focus on our own comfort and pleasure for new traditions that focus on the coming presence of Christ? That may be the kind of sacrifice that brings to life the world' next miracle.

2011 Advent Reading: Part 1

2011-12-01T11:01:00.001-05:00

This Advent, I selected as my seasonal reading selection, "Christmas Is Not your Birthday" by Mike Slaughter. For the next few weeks I will be sharing my thoughts and reflections and lifting up questions from my reading.
So here we go...

How are we preparing for this year's Christmas miracle? Is this jar over here the only type of miracle we are expecting to see? The dictionary tells us a miracle is a "visible interruption of the laws of nature, understood only by divine intervention and often accompanied by a miracle worker." Slaughter suggests that miracles are God's unique events that God does through you and me. I believe that the issue is not whether miracles exist but whether we are looking in the right place for miracle workers.

To often we are looking for the miracle worker in the extraordinary, glamorous, or powerful. God's portrait of a miracle worker is what you see in the mirror every morning. Miracles come to life through our availability and our commitment to act.

Consider the Christ child born on Christmas morning. This child was ordinary, he had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him. Jesus was raised in a poor family and a socioeconomically deprived community. The hardships of his ministry led many to believe by looking at him that he was much older than his bodily age of 30. And Isaiah's prophetic description of Jesus reads this way, "He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not (Isaiah 53:2-3). This doesn't sound like the description of a world leader or Hollywood star. Jesus appeared as an ordinary human being, someone that many of us would often ignore. But also someone each of us can identify with and someone that each of us can emulate.

We know we can follow a God who looks like Jesus! We know that a God who looks like Jesus can use us. God has a very unique idea about what makes a beautiful and influential person. And that idea and that vision looks like you. God invites the ordinary, unqualified people to work miracles. God uses us. By God's Spirit, what miracle will occur through you this Advent season?

The Dangers of Weather

2011-02-04T21:43:00.002-05:00

I posted earlier about the awesome power of today's weather. Who knew that the greatest danger may come in the cleanup after the storm is passed. This video reminds us all to keep our eyes open and our minds aware.

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Wow, Weather!

2011-02-04T11:04:00.003-05:00

Cantore Surprised by Thundersnow

Even three days later, I still can not get over the Weather Channel's Jim Cantore and his enthusiasm for snow wind, lightning, and thunder. He is right, weather is miraculous, powerful, devastating, and beautiful. It is an unmistakable force that we can not control and which alters our decisions and actions. And so in appreciation of its magnitude, Cantore lives in awe, fear, and wonder of the weather. What if we were to approach the divine in the same way?

Ponder this Today: What is the relationship of the weather to the power and will of God?

Incredible Victory!

2011-02-02T17:06:00.001-05:00

The headlines read "Koivuniemi defeats Daughterty in professional bowling 299-100". It was one of the most lopsided blow-out victories in all of professional sports. It was also also an incredible bizarre series of events that left Tom Daugherty looking victorious and Mika Koivuniemi looking defeated.

Daugherty struggled with horrible splits on many of his first throws and he was starring at a match where his score didn't even crack 100. Mia Koivuniemi however was poised and ready to bowl the perfect game. Check out this clip to see what happened next.

I love it. Eying his final shot, Daugherty was energized and bowling like it was the shot to win a million dollars. “Here we go, baby. I need two, two!” After releasing the ball he shouted, “Yeah! Yeah! Whoo!” Two pins fell down, the crowd roared, and Daughterty ran to the stands giving high fives and and cheering with the fans. All for a score of 100. He had won.

Then there is Koivuniemi, who who needs three strikes to bowl the perfect game. First roll, perfect. Second roll, not his best but all the pins fell. The third and final throw looked like every other throw. But in the blink of an eye, Koivuniemi was watching the 10 pin wiggle and wobble then steady itself, standing strong amidst the crashing ball and other pins. There would be no perfect game, only 299. Koivuniemi crumpled to the floor in defeat.

What does victory look like? Can you always see it clearly, is it obvious to every eye? Or does victory sometimes surprise us coming in ways that are contrary to what we expected, foolish to the common point of view? There is more than one way to define victory in life. It can be measured by salary, by accumulation of property and assets, by level of influence and power. Or it can be named in the sharing of wisdom, in the doing of justice, in the courage of faithful thought and action. Victory can be thought of as what we have done or it can be known in whose we have become. As much as we may try to create victory, true winning comes with solidarity to the victor, trust in the one who knows no defeat. I have discovered that in life's most defeating moments it is the strength of Christ that empowers perseverance and ensures confidence to succeed. Walking in the way of Jesus may not always look like or feel like victory. You may ask, "Where is the victory in this humble sacrifice or where is the win in this grace-filled forgiveness?" But may God show each of us a new and more extraordinary way to be victorious in life.

"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinithians 15:55, 57)

Don't be a Settler - Looking for Pioneers

2011-01-24T13:18:00.001-05:00

I am currently reading and enjoying Michael Slaughter's book "Momentum for Life." In it he tells this story:

"A lot of people start out as pioneers until life becomes a little dangerous. That is how Pittsburgh was founded. Many people in those posh, big, civilized eastern cities like Boston and Philadelphia proclaimed, 'We're going west!' They got as far as Pittsburgh only to discover that people who were not excited about sharing the land already occupied Ohio. The going would be dangerous from there on out, and the pioneers quickly became settlers as they realized the cost involved. I am not attracted to settlers. I am looking for pioneers, older people who are ahead of me making honorable, excellent offerings to God."

There is a quick temptation to become a settler and rest in the comfort of the predictable. But God is encouraging us to stretch, learn, and move towards the future with innovation and eyes for the new possibility.

What motivates you to continue wearing your pioneering boots?
Who are you watching to help get you there?
Are there great leaders and exemplary models that you are looking to and learning from?

Come and See

2011-01-19T11:54:00.004-05:00

"Come," he replied, "and you will see."
So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him (John 1:39).

Today is the day to spend with Christ. What might Christ reveal to you today if you were to come and see?

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What is the Objective of Worship?

2011-01-18T11:50:00.001-05:00

In "Breaking out of the Worship Formula" Cole NeSmith a pastor at Status Church in Orlando writes, "But the most important thing about worship is that it allows us to engage with God. It matters a lot less if everyone hits the right note, or if the band hits the right solo at exactly the right time, or even if the particular song is the one you want to sing. What matters is if worship is providing you a space to connect with God—it’s not a formula or a series of easy answers. It’s letting God work through each of us to connect with Him both as individuals and as the church."

Have you ever approached worship as performance, that the effectiveness of the morning depends on how smoothly the musicians or pastors "perform" leadership. Do we gather in hopes that the leaders will "make" good worship. Certainly an experience of God can be heightened by a powerful song or a poignant word spoken. But we are still called to you give thanks, seek forgiveness, receive healing, hear the story and respond to the divine invitation from a moment of worship even when our formula of worship is out of sync. Authentic worship, while facilitated by leadership, comes alive in the lives of the congregation, believing, questioning, praising, and praying. God engages us in the community gathered as we witness to God's astounding love and take hold of the divine call. That is my take on the worship experience.

But how do you answer the question, "What is worship for?"

Innovation key to church growth | Faith & Leadership

2011-01-07T12:20:00.001-05:00

Innovation key to church growth | Faith & Leadership

"Whatever It Takes"

2010-04-13T11:16:00.003-04:00

I recently finished reading "Whatever It Takes" by Paul Tough, a nonfiction account of Geoffrey Canada's work with the Harlem Children's Zone. The HCZ is a system of resources that supports and empowers neighbor children from the time they are infants until they graduate from High School. It is a seamless process of assistance and education that is giving kids all the helps they need in order to attend and graduate from college.

"Whatever It Takes" was beautiful in its hopeful outlook, suggesting that children from the most impoverished and volatile backgrounds can emerge from their circumstances to become bright and successful leaders. Before detailing Canada's strategies, the book does casts an understanding of why poverty exists for many families detailed in the book. Canada concludes that the poverty of Harlem is not a case of poor work ethic, government regulations or systems of aid that discourage upward mobility, or inherited inability. Poverty exists in many situations because the adults and child are missing certain resources, knowledge, and skills. Often these resources and skills are developed implicitly in middle class homes. But Geoffrey Canada believes that children in Harlem are exactly like children anywhere else. These children just encounter additional obstacles and weakened resources. So Canada asked the question, "Which of those obstacle could the children cope with, and which did Canada need to try to remove? What knowledge and skills needed to be added?"

"The way Canada sees it, the middle-class children he wants Harlem's kids to compete with are surrounded by a cocoon of support -- emotional support, educational support, medical support -- that starts at birth and never stops. The only way for his kids to catch up and keep up, he believes, is for his organization to emulate that cocoon as closely as possible, to recreate an alternative ongoing safety net to the one that invisibly supports middle-class kids all the way through childhood. If he can accomplish that, Canada says, children in his program can do as well as kids anywhere."

Canada discovered that intervention needed to begin at birth, in the training of parents to care for their kids in new ways, speaking positive words to them often and giving them multiple opportunities to think and explore. It was fascinating to see his emphasis on language, the sharing of words with children, and what an impact that can make in one's future success. It was also remarkable to follow him as he tried to create a new culture of inspiration and care. Canada shared that "Poor parents in Harlem generally don't see life as a constant series of educational opportunities, and middle-class and upper-middle class parents in the rest of the city do." If he could recreate this culture of learning for parents and their children when they were born and then maintain that support and nurture for children as they moved into preschool, pre-kindergarten, elementary school and middle school. he would help children transition out of poverty. Not just one child, but a neighborhood and a generation of children.

As a leader in the church, I came away with a few questions that urge a call to action?

In what ways is the church addressing the systemic poverty of children that clear skews God's vision of the whole life for all people?
How do we move from the outlook of helping one child to an intentional effort to reach out to a neighborhood or a community?
When it comes to Christian formation do we recognize the importance of starting early with the youngest lives?
Can we see everyday moments as teachable moments to witness to God's love, direction, and care in our lives?

Fear

2010-03-07T15:20:00.001-05:00

What are you afraid of?

This is the question that contines to pop into my mind after reading again the story of Jesus praying in the garden of Gethsemane. There is currently a strong tide of fear riding over our landscape as the economy, healthcare, and war on terror remain question marks and the nation's future steps appear unclear. It is often the unseen that scares me most. I can still feel my hear racing from many years ago, my feet on the edge of a neighborhood pool, the swimming instructor preparing me to dive into the deep end to recover a ring on the bottom. I had great fear that once under the water I would not be able to see the ring, not be able to get to the bottom fast enough, that I would run out of air before I found the prize. Is it uncertainty that drives our fear?

While in the garden, Jesus prayed in distress and anguish because of the future that was clear. He knew God's plan and for several dark moments he was afraid to continue because he could see the denial of friends, the injustice in his religion, and the physical suffering he would endure. I remember our son's first set of vacinations how he braved those shots because he didn't know any pain was coming. After the needle poked his arm, oh did he scream! Now when we goes to the doctor for his annual shots, Addison sees the shot coming and he tries to distract the nurse or sit close to mom because he is afraid the pain he is certain will be part of the upcoming poke. Are you afraid because of something difficult you know is coming?

Whether it is the known or the unknown Jesus shows us through his prayer in the garden that the remedy to fear is trust. Jesus prays three times, "Not mine but your will be done." What bold confidence in God's plans and in God's pressence. I believe that even as Jesus left the garden to face his captors, his heart still pounded with resounding fear. But, his prayer empowered him to step forward and not cower back. Does your faith in God help to provide comfort in those times you are afraid? How? What would a faith look like that overpowers our fear?

Cake Walk Faith

2010-03-05T15:15:00.000-05:00

Greetings everyone! Glad to be writing and chatting with you once again.

Last Saturday our church hosted a Winter Carnival for families and children. One of the highlights for my son was the Cake Walk. He loves music, he is fascinated by numbers, and devours a snack of cookies, so this Cake Walk had all the ingredients for success. We took the walk twice and won a delicious dessert each time. My son was discouraged that we couldn't keep walking and jumping on the numbers but the sugar cookies he won quickly shifted his focus.

The Cake Walk is an exciting game but unfortunately for so many of us it mirrors our understanding of how God works. We take our daily walk of life, running into our own set of problems, and sometimes, God calls our number and we receive blessings and we feel his presence. But for others it seems their number never gets called and they are left alone. God must be calling on someone else and doesn't have time for us. God's attention is limited and the divine must favor those living more faithfully or who need the spirit more. We just keep hoping that God will choose us.

Well for my son, the idea of the cake walk was such a joy that the next day he wanted to create a cake walk at home. No, I didn't begin any major cookie baking projects, but I did help my son did lay out puzzle numbers on the floor and crank up the CD player with his favorite preschool tunes. I would stop the song and he would race over to his dry erase board and write down a number. Then he would run back to the cake walk course, find the winning number, jump with jubilation, and shout, "We have a winner!" Again and again we played and remarkably, my son won every time. I decided to walk too and when the music stopped he would write my number down as well. Later some of his toy action figures landed on numbers and there spots were included. It was not an option for anyone's number not to be called out.

I think this is the type of cake walk God loves. We don't have to be lucky to receive his love and grace at the expense of someone else. God doesn't work like human beings who must balance their time between different priorities and people. God is calling out your number and mine at all times. He is reaching for us, striving to care for us during every step. We still face our difficulties. Not every moment is made up of double fudge brownies. But God assures of his presence on every turn and every step. No matter how long we keep walking, no matter how long the music keeps playing, we hear God's voice shouting out your number. "You are a winner, you are my child!"

Words that Light the way

2010-01-12T15:47:00.000-05:00

Welcome to 2010. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and is enjoying a fresh start in this new year. Our three-year old insured that we had a beautiful Christmas with his curiosity and excitement. His joyful inspiration began on Christmas Eve.

Our family had the opportunity to light the Advent Candles at a Noon Christmas Eve service at the church. Addison joined us at the front of the chapel and waited patiently during the reading for nearly thirty seconds . Then he became rather anxious. He wiggled and squirmed and even remarked that we needed to sit back down. Despite his readiness to cut the liturgy short, we made it to the big moment when he was going to read one line we had been practicing. While Dad was fiddling with the candle lighter and mom was maneuvering the microphone, Addison shouted out his line. We weren't quite ready for his speedy proclamation so we had him repeat the words one more time so everyone could hear them. The candles were lit, the moment was cherished, and we returned to our seats. At home now even several weeks after Christmas, you can still hear Addison recalling his line and saying it aloud, "God shines his light into every darkness."

Addison knows that the power of this statement is not reserved for one special moment during the lighting of a candle. It needs to be spoken sooner than later and more often that just an occasional seasonal reading. These words remind me that despite unrelenting and overwhelmingly difficult circumstances, God's intention for hope and healing still reigns.

Sometimes it feels as if God is present in some instances of pain but decides to stand aloof during other times of trial. One family prays for healing at the bedside of a relative and their loved one makes a miracle recovery. In another instance the same prayers are issued but the loved one passes away. This is one of those holy mysteries that causes me to struggle. Then I hear the words again. "God shines his light into every darkness." God does not disappear from some difficult situations; God is present in every occasion of illness and grief, in every uncertainty and hardship. And not only is God present but his grace-filled spirit brings light into the middle of that pain. Light does not always imply that miracles occur, that sprits are cheerful, that all worry and doubt is gone. Light might simply mean that it is bright enough to see that we are not alone, that Christ moves with us into a new dawn.

"God shines his light into every darkness." I believe these words and they offer me hope as I start this new year. Even though the calendar flips over another page, problems are not erased away. But in the middle of all that dark trouble, God remains present, speaks hope, and lights the way.

Looking again at our Christmas Culture

2009-12-14T21:54:00.001-05:00

The story of Jesus' visit with Martha and Mary in Luke 10 is not your traditional Advent story. Yet there are hidden gems in the story about our own Advent preparations. Martha is working diligently to prepare the meal for her guest while Mary rests at Jesus' feet, taking in his every word. We often read this story as a sign that slowing down to receive Christ's gift of presence and guidance is more important than trying to work our way into his attention. There is a healthy message here of watching our pace and taking time to rest and breathe in the mercy of God that is always near. Yet, there is something more going on here.

Hospitality and preparing the meal for a guest were included tasks in the designated role for women in Jesus' day. Sitting at a rabbi's feet and listening to his instruction was the place for male students. Martha is critical of Mary's behavior because she is not acting lady-like, bucking against the culture and society's prescribe roles of how people should behave. She needs to get in line or risk dishonoring the family. She needs to act in the way that is accepatable to the community. Mary in affect says, "No, I'm not going to listen to all of culture's noise and clutter but I'm going to follow Jesus."

I'd say there is an excess of cultural clutter and noise during these times of Christmas preparation. We are overwhelmed with the messages that connect Christmas to consumerism. There are habits we have established that have nothing to do with receiving the gift of God's presence in the birth of a baby boy. God reaches out to creation in mercy and love by becoming a vulnerable human being with the desire to uplift the broken and bring hope to the hurting and we recognize this gift of grace by buying our uncle a sweater? It seems to me the appropriate response would include worship to the one who is turning our life around and dedication to the words and actions of justice and transformation that Jesus deemed so important. Yet living this way is certainly facing culture with guts and courage as we say that Christmas will be celebrated and lived differently this year.

What would it mean for you to reorient Christmas more towards a response to Christ than fulfilling the cultural flow to purchase and entertain? These questions are raised by a group of churches working collaboratively to encourage others to worship more, to buy less, and to serve radically. They are participants in the Advent Conspiracy and you can watch their vision here. I hope you will join!

"The Justice Project" Book Discussion

2009-11-13T14:05:00.001-05:00

During the month of November, the High Street Church Mission Team will be focusing on the topic of justice. Not only will the team be highlighting ministries of justice that the church supports financially, but we will also offering opportunities for learning and discussion around the topic of justice and how each of us can become agents for change by living for God’s kingdom intentions.

Beginning November 18^th, I will be offering a book discussion group at the church centered on the topic of church doing justice. We will be using the 2009 title, “The Justice Project” edited by Brian McLaren, Elisa, Padilla, and Ashley Buntin Seeber as our discussion centerpiece. “The Justice Project” is a collection of essays on the meaning of Christian justice and what justice looks like for a range of national and global concerns. I am excited to read, discuss, and be challenged by this book with others from the congregation.

You can have you voice heard and your questions raised by joining us in the discussion. Simply visit the High Street Church Outreach Discussion Board to make your own comments and to share your ideas. Even if you are not able to read the book with us, we would love to hear your perspectives on the church doing justice for today's world.

How to Worship

2009-11-13T11:22:00.001-05:00

I was wondering how to inspire folks to have a deeper and richer experience in worship. Perhaps this video will do the trick.

or maybe not !

A Colorful Canyon beyond a Darkened Lens

2009-11-11T15:50:00.020-05:00

During our recent hiking trip to Cloudland Canyon state park, I attempted to capture some images of the fall leaves. As I raised my camera to capture the awesome beauty, I had to maneuver between and around branches and leaves that pushed against my jacket and reached to block my view. I could never quite clear the view of these dark branches and so inside the picture they remained.

It occurred to me that this picture aptly portrays my life in faith and thanksgiving. This past Sunday I shared my thoughts on Paul's letter to the Thessalonian church about giving thanks in all things. Sometimes it is difficult to be thankful when our perspective of the world is darkened by the grizzly features of death and decay, of hardship and hopelessness. We each suffer plenty of challenges and we constantly encounter the reality of pain and frustration. The dark stuff is too close to ignore and to plentiful to erase completely. We want Jesus to clear out our darkened lens.

Beyond the obstructions of sin and injustice, is a life of creative color and majestic beauty. In Jesus Christ, God has already entered our world saved the day. We can discover signs of his redeeming acts already present in his world if we focus our eyes beyond that which is closest and clearest, darkest and dreariest. Even in our moments now, there are powerful reflections of God's miraculous creative design, Christ's redemptive grace, and the Spirit's sustaining power.

We can see both the beauty and the blah and that is by God's design. We can never ignore areas that need transformation and healing just as we are should never miss out in beholding God's spectacular and endless entrance into our midst. So let's not be afraid to open our eyes and see the colorful canyon that is beyond the darkened lens.

Fall Colors and our Lives

2009-10-30T14:42:00.005-04:00

Last week, Addison, Cindy, and I enjoyed a weekend in the North Georgia mountains hiking and soaking in the fantastic and vibrant fall colors. We spent two nights at Cloudland Canyon State Park which boasts a beautiful gorge lined with trees that were changing with the seasons. We took a Saturday stroll down into the george, nearly 1200 steps until we reached the small yet ferocious creek that had carved out the canyon walls. the hike was incredible, the waterfalls within were spectacular and the overall experience was life giving. But the view of the changing leaves was nothing to impressive. Deep within the forest all you could see were dead leaves on the path and green leaves still perched to their limbs. It was from the top of the canyon, way above the forest floor, that we could witness the changing colors and the variety of beautiful shades and hues.

Sometimes when we take a look at our lives up close we don't witness anything spectacular. Maybe we see the same shade of green found on every other tree. Maybe we see spots that are just dried up and when want those habits and those pieces of us to just fall off and blow away in the wind. But when God sees us, he see the image of us that spans a lifetime, created for a divine purpose, born to reflect God's holy image to the world. We too are always changing, always growing and always moving, displaying a radiant image of color that can only be seen if we open our eyes to the bigger picture and dim our eyes to those up-close faults that grab our attention.

What a miraculous God who can look upon us and his beloved creation and see a incredible portrait of color and life. What a transforming and powerful God, who can move us to see ourselves, our family, our community in this light.

Stitching up the Enemy: Thoughts and Remarks

2009-09-22T15:53:00.010-04:00

I often visit World Press to check out global news headlines and stories. The site recently featured the article "Stitching up the Enemy, " a piece about Dr. Ben Lulu an Israeli doctor who regularly treats Palestinian patients.

Here is a segment of that article:

"Once I had to operate on a terrorist who attempted a suicide attack on a regiment of Israeli soldiers. One of the soldiers wounded in this attack was a friend of mine. A technical mishap resulted in this terrorist getting wounded and not killed. When he arrived at the hospital I already knew about my friend being wounded but still I worked hard to save his fingers.

When Palestinian prisoners or wounded terrorists arrive at the hospital for medical care they are well behaved, since even they know when 'the game is over,'" explains Dr. Lulu. "Even though these people are fierce enemies of my country, I have never had second thoughts about treating them. I would probably even do my best to ensure they get the best medical care, as for some this would be their first encounter with an Israeli civilian. In my heart I hope that receiving such good care in an Israeli hospital will reduce the hatred they feel towards us. Giving these terrorists the best medical care is also some kind of protest on my part. In spite of their relentless efforts to hurt us we still have the decency to treat them humanely," he said. (Click here to read the article in it's entirety.)

Wherever you look, you find signs of heated antagonism between groups that disagree with one another. Whether this is between political parties and the healthcare debate, or nations and foreign policy, discussion appears to have no room for open concern for the other. We we may not retaliate against those we disagree with but we often close ourselves off to interacting with them. When it comes to cultural, political, or religious differences we can convince ourselves that a lack of hostility is actually peace making. I wonder how I tend to close myself from those I disagree with?

What I admire about Dr. Lulu is that he extends himself in ministry to those who are considered the enemy. He displays not just an absence of heat but an outreach of compassion. He vows to give his very best in care for the opposition. In moments of conflict and disagreement, how can we give ourselves fully to care for the wounds of our adversary? Perhaps the question for you is, "Should we?"

Monday Morning Devotion (That arrived on Tuesday)

2009-09-21T14:10:00.005-04:00

Sunday in worship, I spoke on the powerful prayer and words of assurance found in Ephesians 3. Within this prayer we witness the author's profound faith as he boldly lifts up the listeners with grand expectations. He calls us to remember that God can "do immeasurable more than all we ask or imagine!"

What is the widest longest, highest, deepest thing you can think of or imagine? In 2004, I took a trip to the Grand Canyon and was overwhelmed by the immense size of this natural miracle. My wife and I also hiked to the bottom of the canyon which gave us a real appreciation of its towering heights and sweltering depths. It is hard to imagine anything larger, more remarkable, more overwhelming and enormous.

Well, God's love for us is bigger!

God's acceptance of us and reach for us is far beyond our ability to comprehend or our mind to imagine. But this scripture passage prays that our lives may be filled with the fullness of this love and that we will begin to comprehend with greater awareness the transforming impact of this love. May the limitless power of God's Spirit touch you in an special way today

Never Easy as It Seems

2009-08-26T15:21:00.003-04:00

During the second week of August our family took a vacation to Lancaster county Pennsylvania. While we were there, we had the privilege to see a musical production of the creation story at the Sight and Sound Theatre. This theatre is the producer of some of the most impressive and large scale biblical musicals in the world. The special effects were outstanding with the use of huge sets and unbelievable lighting and technology. The entire Garden of Eden surrounded the audience and live animals walked through the aisles and gathered around Adam in a naming celebration. Visually, the show was extraordinary.

There were a few interpretative moves in the story telling that left me pondering. I've never quite imagined Adam naming the Brontosaurus, nor his family using a Wooly Mammoth to gather field grains. Plus I've really been willing to follow theologically this story of disgruntled angels, one in particular who becomes Satan, who want to plot against Adam because they are not getting enough attention or power from God. However, one continuous thread of the narrative did gain my attention and still has me thinking.

After the fall, Adam and Eve were wandering, trying to find a new place to call home, a place to begin a settled life. Eventually they start a family and the family grows exponentially. In their family life together, Adam and Eve attempt to teach their children about the garden, the peace and harmony of life, about God's intimacy and abiding presence. But again and again many within their family, those only separated from the garden by only one or two generations, are not willing to believe because they can not see or experience God in the way Adam and Eve describe. Their hardships and the tempting alternatives make God appear unbelievable and unnecessary.

Sometimes I lapse into this understanding that God was so much more easily discernible or understandable during the era of Old Testament history. I have fooled myself into believing that that faith came so much easier, that teaching your children or community the shared faith was an effortless task. God was simply more visible and more evident. But this show illuminated that even these ancestors of the faith struggled with same struggles we have today. "Where is God in the midst of difficult times? If God is so close why do we feel so alone? How do I get through to my family and neighbors and tell them about the impact that God has had on my life?" The struggles to pass on the faith, the willingness to remain faithful and obedient to God when so many others were turning away; Adam and Eve are really quite similar to most of us in the audience, minus the fig leave costumes of course.

For me, its always easier to struggle with the questions of faith knowing that those in Scripture, even those most intimate with God, are right there struggling with me.

Learning to Drive

2009-08-11T20:33:00.010-04:00

This article appeared in the July 22, 2009 edition of High Street "Tower Topics." I really wanted to share some images that bring the article to life.

It may not be a quick moving vehicle, but there is no mistaking the lime green Arctic Cat as it
cruises down University Avenue with power and authority. The three-year-old driver weaves the two seat jeep from curb to curb and can even hop through a front yard or two if he is in the mood. Of course there is the occasional pit stop in the middle of the ride to explore the neighborhood or to draw with chalk on the road just travelled. Addison loves his ride-on toy and we equally enjoy the walks down the street as he drives forward. I use the word “drive” very liberally here. Addison loves to push the pedal to the floor and make that car roar forward. But, he hasn’t really figured out the idea of steering yet. In fact, there are moments when he is looking and pointing around without a worry about keeping his hands on the wheel. Of course, this is the moment Mom or Dad bends low to steer the little guy and his jeep back on course. For now, it is up to us to keep him out of the puddles, ditches, and the neighbors flower beds. It also takes a couple yells of “STOP!” at the end of the street to get his mind back on the road as the jeep screeches to a halt. You wouldn’t believe how hard it is to keep that vehicle going straight as Addison bumps the wheel or turns it just slightly causing the jeep to drift off the path until his parents can return it on its way.

I can’t help but wonder if God sometimes feels like the driver of millions of little three-year-olds
who can’t quite steer the toys they are riding. So often we push our lives forward, pedal to the
floor, moving more quickly than we need to go. In those moments our eyes can leave the point of focus, which is the mind and heart of Christ, and instead we start watching the world around us. Our hands are grabbing for selfish desires and our minds lose track of where we are heading. Before we know it, we are off course and we are crashing into more than the neighbor’s lilies. Now we are riding the corrupted road and we are unwilling and incapable of maneuvering back on course. But, there is someone who gives us guidance, whose Holy Spirit continues to move us in the way that will take us forward. While we may choose to veer off course again, he is the one who attempts to correct our steering. God in Jesus Christ nudges us through his Word, through his church, and through his people, to find our way again, his Way which is the truth and the life of the kingdom. With our hands again on the wheel and God’s Spirit driving our heart, we experience the fullness of Christ as we steer together towards the dreams and identity God has set for us.

So, if you are coming through our neighborhood, watch out for weaving traffic. Keep your eyes open for an underage jeep driver and for all kinds of God’s people finding the direction of God’s leading.

How I Discovered the Poverty of my Heart and Mind

2009-07-12T14:59:00.004-04:00

On Saturday July 11th, I attended a poverty simulation led by Team Work for Quality Living and hosted at High Street church. I was excited about the event and eager to discover what I would learn. I knew that each participant was assigned a role-play part of a family member in poverty. While playing your part and using the resources you had been given, you had to try to survive for one month. I was looking forward to seeing what it was like to interact with various agencies to ask for aid and to see how difficult it might be to apply for food stamps or divide the paycheck to cover the bills. Silently in my mind I had this challenge to try and beat the system and prove that I could make it.

The event arrived and I was assigned a part. (I will use apostrophes to describe the imaginary characters and settings.) I was a "middle aged woman" living with my "daughter" and her family and struggling with health problems that would not allow me to work, take care of myself, or travel alone. As the simulation got underway, I realized that I was stuck at "home," unable to get out and interact with the community agencies because of my illness and because our family lacked any transportation. For one whole "week" (15 minute session) I just sat at home wondering what I could do. This is not how I thought the activity was going to play out. The next "week," I did decide to venture out and walk in the community but I was picked up by a "police officer" and taken to the police department for being lost and left without supervision. The simulation ended and the only money I ever handled was giving my "disability check" to my "son-in-law" so he could manage the family's bills.

At the close of the simulation I was frustrated and disappointed. This was not what I imagined the simulation to be. I had not gotten to interact with any of the help agencies or learn how to manage my limited budget. "I didn't learn anything," I thought. "This was just a waste of my time." I was completely at the mercy of my "son-in-law" and "daughter" to take care of me. I had tried to play my role as best I could, but I didn't feel like I did much of anything.

It wasn't until I was back at home (back in reality now) that this experience really got working on me. I was being selfish, close-minded, and insensitive. I might have gotten stuck with a role I didn't want, but it represents real people who are living in poverty situations with little to no means to care for themselves. I might have wished for a role where I could be out searching for resources, but real life situations have left many individuals physically and mentally unable to do this work. I might have believed that I could have handled the task better than my "daughter" and "son-in-law" and wished I could have switched roles with them, but in real life there are often individuals who must depend on family to care for them even with these family are not prepared for the challenge.

The more I reflected on the simulation, I realized just how much I did learn from the experience. I discovered that I have great difficulty depending on others to help me. I have difficulty when life and it's many factors are out of my control. I have difficultly slowly down and not being part of the action and the solution. I have difficulty when I'm not achieving something with my time, when there is not something valuable to show for it. These are discoveries I noticed from simulating a life in poverty. But these are not just poverty issues but deeply spiritual issues. As I discovered this poverty of the heart and mind and began to ask questions of my faith and my ministry?

--How can I trust enough to let myself go into the care of others and the purposes of God?
--How does God see my life as important and valuable when I'm not achieving or producing?
--How can I care for others and share the love of Christ with those who struggle with this kind of poverty, whose greatest need may not be money for utilities but a sense of worth when they are unable to care for themselves?

The struggle to escape poverty looks differently for each person as they try to take that next step. I just happened to discover how difficult it is to take that next step when you can't walk.

So my prayer is this:
Come Holy Spirit and lead me on. Set me at peace knowing that you care for me and will take care of me. Move me to trust in your guidance. Empower me to to follow your lead. And then stretch me and move me to take the next step, to be the love of Jesus that helps to carry those souls that poverty simply will not allow to move. Thanks for this challenging experience God. Amen

A Faith Investment?

2009-07-07T16:40:00.003-04:00

For the past few weeks, I have been reading "Hope Lives, " a book of daily reflections and questions that lead to engagement with those in poverty. One of the early thoughts from the author that struck me is that we (I) usually approach ministry and faith like a banker wondering if we are getting the right results for our investment. If we are willing to make a comment with our finances, our spirit, or our time, we want to check regularly to see if our work is reaping rewards. Is this prayer getting me anywhere. How is this fifteen minutes of Scripture reading really making a difference. How is this hour of tutoring at the elementary school really having an impact? I admit it; these are the questions I am asking all the time.

But what if ministry is not dependent on success?

Frankly, Jesus did a lot of things that we might say were "a waste of time" or "simply not efficient." God calls us to be wise with our resources, our service, and our time; however, God also calls us into compassionate service and serving acts of love that may never show us visible benefits or results. Today I want to be an example of Christ's love and I pray God will give me the patience and endurance to stay faithful even when it appears to not be paying off.

Rejected!

2009-03-24T13:53:00.004-04:00

Day 12

Read: Luke 3:16-30

Every year at this time, I get fired up for the NCAA basketball championship. Although my favorite teams are usually preparing for next season, and my bracket picks have again reminded me why I'm not a sports analyst, I still enjoy the intensity of the teams and the emotion surrounding a close game. Nothing beats a last second shot or huge block.

Although not from a college game, this huge "rejection" shows you what I mean.

In our scripture reading today, Jesus deals with a different kind of rejection, the dismissing of his ministry by his hometown. He had begun his teaching ministry in synagogues around the Sea of Galilee and decided to return to the place that he had been nurtured and raised. Upon reading the Scripture in the synagogue, he proclaimed that the words of promise were fulfilled in that moment, that he was the Savior that was promised. But rather than encouraging his ministry, they doubted him and refused to acknowledge that this one they knew so well might bring a prophetic word to them.

The above image was taken from a Synagogue that was discovered in the heart of Nazareth. It is probable that this synagogue was the place where Jesus taught of God's mercy and redemption, where the townspeople questioned, "Isn't this just Joseph's son?" No longer a Jewish sanctuary, it is a Christian place of worship that beckons pilgrims to ask themselves how they reject Christ's love and mercy, his challenge and call.

What part of Jesus' life and teachings are hard for you to accept? What is blocking you from fulling embracing his invitation? What people are convincing you that Jesus can't be all that he claimed to be? Come again to the Savior. See yourself at the foot of this altar. Receive his words, his vision, his grace. Do not turn away but say yes to the full life Jesus has for you this day! Amen.

The Valley of the Winds

2009-03-23T10:08:00.007-04:00

Day 11
Read: Matthew 4:12-17

Off the western shores of the Sea of Galilee and to the north of Tiberius, stand the Arbel cliffs. They rise steeply over the current town of Migdal that was at one time the village of Mary Magdalene. The tips of these peak are mere 1200 feet above the Sea of Galilee. As seen from aboard our boat from the sea, they are a majestic and awe inspiring piece of God's creative handiwork in the Holy Land.

The cliffs are known historically as a place of hideout for Jewish rebels in the war against King Herod and the Romans. If you look closely in the image below, you will see the rocky face dotted with natural caves that provided temporary safety for forces resisting the Roman occupation. Then ancient Jewish writer Josephus records in detail the bloody crush of this revolt in his writings on the Jewish War. To read more and to see images from the cliff tops click here.

I had an opportunity to take a brief hike through the valley between the cliffs. The low land is aptly called the Valley of the Winds, as breezes pass through the steep rocky landscape. Certainly the rich Jewish history of this region is fascinating and the beauty of the area is astounding. But my soul was overwhelmed by the Spirit of God in the wonderful and awe-inspiring gravel beneath my feet as I walked. You see, upon this valley was an ancient road that connected the west of the Galilee and the sea of Galilee, a road that ran from Nazareth to Capernaum, a road that ran from Jesus' birthplace to the sites of his Galilean ministry. Jesus undoubtedly walked this road through the Valley of the Winds on many occasions, gazing above to see the same incredible rock surfaces and tree lined hills that my eyes could see.

I wonder what anxiety or what uncertainty crossed Jesus' mind as he walked from his well-known hometown of Nazareth to the the beginning of his ministry and the world of the unknown. I wonder if he looked at the steep cliffs and questioned if his own sense of call was to daunting, to steep, or to overwhelming. Regardless, he walked forward and he kept his feet moving in faith.

Today you have the opportunity to step forward as a disciple of Christ, to keep your feet moving, to walk in the paths he would guide you. Will you follow his lead? Will you walk with him through the valley?

The Mount of Temptation

2009-03-20T16:18:00.009-04:00

Day 10

Read Matthew 4:1-11

As we journey forward in these 40 days of Lent, we often reflect upon the struggle and perseverance of Christ during his 40 days in the desert following his baptism. He dealt with the pressure to acquire material goods just as we are pressured by the influence of greed. His faith was tested as he was encouraged to call out to God for help. Sometimes we wonder where God has gone in times of trial and our faith waivers when immediate answers don't come. Lastly, Jesus was tempted with the potential for power and influence. We too like to be known, but our desire to be needed can slip into selfishness and control of others.

Although no one knows for sure where Jesus' temptations took place, some scholars believe that the desert place referred to in Scripture were the dry lands between the Jordan River and the oasis of Jericho. High above Jericho at nearly 1000 feet are rocky cliffs where it is believed the Tempter appeared to Jesus showing him the splendor and rich fertile land of Jericho amidst the barrenness of the dessert. Atop that mountain in the 6th century, a Greet Orthodox monastery was built upon the spot named by Queen Helena in 326 AD as the cave where Christ stayed during his temptation.

Today we remember Christ's perseverance in the midst of the easy solutions of greed, impatience, and power. We wait upon the true treasures that come with dependence upon God's grace, a waiting for his spirit, and a humility in the face of God's power that makes all things possible.

Atop the Sea of Galilee

2009-03-18T11:45:00.002-04:00

Day #9
Read Luke 8:22-25

No site on our tour was as beautiful and tranquil as the Sea of Galilee. On our second touring day we took a boat ride across the lake. To every direction you could see the hills rise off the shoreline into steep slopes. From the lake's center you could peer west towards Tiberias and the Jordan Rift valley and to the east the Golan Heights and borders with Syria and Jordan. The sea is more like a lake, with a circumference of only 33 miles. But for weary travelers making their journey from Egypt through the desert towards Syria and Mesopotamia, this lush fresh water body was a sea of blessing.

It was a wonderful joy to ride across the sea, singing hymns of thanksgiving and retelling stories from Scripture where Christ calmed the sea and walked on the water. The guide offered us the opportunity take a step off the boat and walk on the rippling waves to the loading dock, but I didn't think it would me a good time to show off. (Ha Ha!).

The sea does call us to think again about our faithfulness. If a storm were to blow in and those waves started to pound and crash, how calm would I be? Would I be patient to wait upon the Lord or would I rush to get God on the move? I'm not sure. But, I do know that atop that cool smooth water, in the company of Christ's Spirit, my soul was soothed and refreshed and I was as calm as I could be.

Prayer: Precious Lord. Calm the seas of my life today. Refresh my weary mind and body. Carry me into the waves of your grace. In Christ. Amen

2009-03-18T11:40:00.002-04:00

I am sorry there were not any posts last week as I was on spring break with the family.

I am excited to continue our journey to Israel with pictures and devotions to come!

Jesus Calls Us

2009-03-10T11:58:00.003-04:00

Day #8

Jesus Calls Us
Text: Cecil Frances Alexander, 1818-1895
Music: William H. Jude

Jesus calls us o'er the tumult
of our life's wild, restless sea;
day by day his sweet voice soundeth,
saying, "Christian, follow me!"

As of old the apostles heard it
by the Galilean lake,
turned from home and toil and kindred,
leaving all for Jesus' sake.

Jesus calls us! By thy mercies,
Savior, may we hear thy call,
give our hearts to thine obedience,
serve and love thee best of all.

What are You Looking For?

2009-03-06T16:10:00.012-05:00

Day #7
Read: Isaiah 40:21-31

The last couple devotions have led us to the waters of Israel. Water is such a signficant resource for survival but is hard to come by in many areas of the country. Just as modern day citizens of the land struggle, the people of Jesus' day knew the challenges of getting water where it needed to be.

King Herod is know in Scripture as the paranoid leader who went to any lengths to destroy the infant Christ. Other sources in antiquity remember Herod as a master architect who accomplished the extraordinary feat of rebuilding the temple in the Jerusalem and establishing a large port city named Caesarea Maritma or Caesarea by the Sea. Caesarea was the home of a 4000 spectator coliseum used for any number of dramatic performances. The city also boasted a 10,000 seat hippodrome where horse and chariot races were contested. People from around the ancient world and throught the Near East would arrive through the port to vacation at this Las Vegas of ancient Israel.

Yet even being situated on the Mediterranean Sea, the city had a water problem. First century people had no means to use the salt water present in the sea for irrigation or drinking water so they had to find imaginative ways to bring fresh water to them. Herod constructed a beautiful and elaborate aqueduct system where water was channeled in atop limestone arches from a fresh water source seven miles from the city. Sand erosion from the beach has protected this construction for nearly 2000 year from winds and surf and the aqueducts can been seen again by tourists today.

Its one thing to see water and know you can't use it. It another thing to have a resource and a gift, God's spirit and power with us to use, but we don't see it. As Isaiah proclaims in his words of assurance and hope, we have the Creator and Sustainer with us who can empower us if we are looking and listening. Do you not see, have you not heard, Christ lives within us connecting us to God's kingdom power as we receive him and abide in him. So what are you looking for?

Pray repeatedly today that you will discover God's riches and presence near you in a way you haven't seen before.

The Jordan River

2009-03-04T09:33:00.008-05:00

Day #5
Read: Matthew 3:13-16

"This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."

The waters were cool as ice but my body tingled with warmth as I dipped my feet into the Jordan River. The scenery surrounding the river was lush with trees and flowers. I was overwhelmed with emotions, knowing that I was resting in the river of Christ's baptism.

The Jordan river is rarely described in the Bible but it is mentioned often as a center of beautiful sacred activity. Jacob wrestled with the Lord just on the banks of the river in Genesis 32. Joshua led the Israelites across the Jordan near Jericho into the promised land (Joshua 3:15-17). During that passage, the water upstream stopped creating a dry passageway for the the ark of the covenant, its carriers and its people to cross. An altar of stones was built by the rives edge to serve as a sign to the community to remember that the waters were cut off.

Elijah and Elisha were also involved in miracles at the Jordan River. In 2 Kings 2:8, Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water and it divided allowing he and Elisha to cross on dry land. Elisha invited Naaman a man with leprosy to bathe in the Jordan's waters and Naaman was healed. (2 Kings 5:14). On another occason Elisha and members of his community were building homes on the bank of the Jordan River when one of the axes for chopping wood fell into the river. Elish cut up a stick, threw it into the river, and the missing axe began to float so it could be retrieved.

The Jordan is not only known for stories of beauty but also distruction. The river was often a boundary line between various groups and tribes and was the site of conflict and violence. Today the river suffers from contamination and sewage. The small sections near the Sea of Galilee have been kept pristine for baptisms, but most of the sothern stretch headed from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea is severely damaged. In 2007, the Jordan River was named by one group as one of the world's 100 most endangered ecological sites, due partly to the lack of cooperation between Israel and the neighboring Arab states.

Do we not also become broken, dirty, worn down, and poluted if we neglect the presence of God's life within us? Don't we participate in destructive and disgusting behaviors when we lose site of Christ's restoring message? We are invited to return again and again to the promise of our baptism, to know that our mistakes are washed away, to see oursevles as the beautiful children God created us to be, and to hear God's invitation to share the miracles of unwarranted forgiveness and mercy with the world.

I was renewed and came alive at the river's edge. The water felt great, but it was God's presence that made the difference. Seek and find his presence with you wherever you are today!

Listen carefully to God's affirmation in your life:

(NAME) you are my son/daughter, whom I love;

with you I am well pleased."

The Cool Flow

2009-03-03T15:12:00.012-05:00

Day #4
Read: Matthew 3:1-12

Wow, it's been cold lately. Folks on the east coast really experienced another blow of cold weather as they received a major snowfall that slowed traffic and canceled school. The frigid temperatures are a bitter contrast to the warm days we experienced in Israel, where highs were regularly in the lower 70s. The only reminder of winter in the Holy Land were the tranquil images of Mt Hermon to the far north, it's peaks still covered in snow.

Mount Hermon is actually a series of peaks that straddles the borders between Israel, Syria, and Lebanon. It's highest peek is 9,230 feet above sea level which is quite a height figuring the picture below is taken from the Sea of Galilee which rests at 685 feet below sea level.

The mountain is known as the setting of several significant Biblical stories. According to tradition, Har Habtarim, one of the peaks, is where God promised Abraham that He would give the land to his descendants. An ancient tomb marks the spot, and huge oaks grow next to it. The Gospels indicate that Jesus and his disciples journeyed at the base of Mount Hermon near the city of Caesarea Phillippi. It was there that Jesus asks his disciples who people said that he was and Peter replied you are the Christ (Matthew 16:13, Mark 8:27). Today, Mount Hermon is known as a skiers haven and a hiking destination. It is also a strategic military zone as it gives a clear vantage point to surrounding nations.

On our trip, we learned that Mount Hermon's most significant contribution is its melting snow cap which flows downhill and becomes the source of the Jordan River. This mountain "prepares the way" for the flow of the most significant river in Israel, which nourishes Galilee, making it lush for all kinds of fruits and vegetable crops. Much of the water is now diverted, used to bring water to the Negev and several large cities in the desert. The waters of Hermon prepare humanity for survival and offer life.

John the Baptist stood in the waters that flowed from Mount Hermon's peak, preparing the community for one who would save the world with life that does not end. He offered a baptism of repentance of sins, a turning of the people towards God to receive his new revelation. Christ comes again to us today with a message of hope and a cleansing of our broken and burdened hearts like a cool flow, a mountain stream. Today, welcome God's Spirit that prepares a way in your heart to be changed!

How can you prepare yourself to be open to Christ's invitation in your life?

What is blocking you from receiving God's new Word, drying up your sense of hope?

The Humble Side

2009-03-01T23:35:00.008-05:00

Day #3

Read: Isaiah 1:2-4 / Luke 2:15-17

In the first chapter of Isaiah, the prophet reminds his readers and the Israelite people of God's frustration because his listeners are straying from God's covenant and turning their backs on him. Isaiah remarks that even animals of the barn know where they belong, but humans beings are even more confused and less understanding than those that call the manger their bed.

Sometimes I am deeply aware of my need for God, but I only want that special part of God that can help me through my problem. I don't turn my back entirely on my Sustainer, but I shrink him down to a pocket size so I can handle. Have you ever you ever been tempted to try and push Jesus into a box of who you want him to be rather than following who he really is? Don't you find it joyful to worship Christ as King, to marvel at Christ of the multitude feedings, to want to receive the Christ who heals with miracles and raises the dead? Are you just as content becoming like the Christ who was tempted, despised, alone, and forgotten? We can't squeeze the more difficult sides of Christ out of him. That is the identity of our Savior, the one who says, "Come follow me in my way."

One of the tough portraits of Christ that we must wrestle with is his poverty and humble beginnings. The Savior of the world was born in a manger like the one pictured above. These feeding troughs were discovered as part of a set of stables at Megiddo, presumably where King Solomon had a fortress and station for his calvary. The mangers were certainly nice for the horses to gulp up water, but to become the bed of the Messiah? We can not deny that when Jesus was born he was poor, lived in dirty conditions, and was dependent on the kindness and care of others. Whatever preconceived notions, stereotypes, and labels we affix to the poor, we also place upon the face of God in Christ who knew the impoverished life. We are called to give our lives to both the splendid king and the poor and broken Christ, for in both we find God there.

Have we turned our backs? Have we lost our way? We need to know our way to the manger, to understand to whom we belong, to find our Savior there!

What does it mean for you to become more and more like the Savior you worship?

What parts of Christ's life are hard for you follow?

What can you ask God to do that might give you strength to follow the difficult sides of Christ?

No Room

2009-02-27T17:05:00.004-05:00

Day 2
Read Luke 2:1-8

In his writings in 160 AD, St. Justin Martyr mentions the discovery of a cave in Bethlehem marking the birthplace of Christ. Not until after Constantine declared Christianity the state religion in the 4th century was a church built to honor that holy site. Nearly 1700 years later, that original church still stands in magnificent splendor.

As you walk through the nave you notice the original columns still standing high. You peak through trap doors, down two feet, and see the original flooring with beautiful geometric mosaics as seen above. Past the church altar you discover a stairway that leads down into a cavern beneath the church known as the Grotto of the Nativity. This is the site that marks that cave discovered so long ago, the cave believed to be where Jesus was born. A silver star is set in the floor of the cave where Christ's birth occurred.

It was here that Christ entered our world because there was no room in the inn. But, Christ was not only closed out on his way into the world but was also left out and stricken out through his life, in the midst of his ministry, and even to his death. Still today those who know him well and those that don't know him at all behave as if there is no room for Jesus. But we could not keep Jesus out of this world. God made room for Christ to enter in throught this spot where this star now shines. God's power will again make room for Christ within your heart and mind this season of Lent as you are open to him. God's starlight shines upon you inviting you to receive his presence and his peace. How can you practice the presence of Christ and make room for him in your life? What can you pick up or lay down that will welcome him in?

Prayer: Thank you Lord Jesus for making a way into the world and into my life. Open your door of grace, shine your light upon me, and empower me to receive you. Show me a way to make room for you in all that do. Amen

Nothing Is Impossible

2009-02-26T23:22:00.005-05:00

Day 1
Read Luke 1:26-38

"How can this be? Nothing is impossible with God."

It's easy to be convinced that nothing new can happen. Wars reoccur century after century. Greed and poverty constantly play their parts. Selfishness never seems to fade. People are cold to one another.

Yet, in the town of Nazareth, something new did happen; the heavenly declared he was coming to earth in an unbelievable way. Life giving hope, holy presence, eternal assurance; they were not dreams but the new reality. Possibility is real, the impossible fades away. God enters your life.

The inscription upon the altar reads "Verbum hic caro factum est" ("Here the Word was made flesh"). The impossible becomes real. We prayed at this altar in the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth. This massive modern church, built in 1969, is built around the cave believed to be the site that the angel met Mary with the message of divine possibility, the coming of the Savior into the world. The cave was discovered, marked, and preserved in the 3rd century with the building of a synagogue upon these grounds. It remains a living reminder of God's power to usher in the new, the unlikely, and the unbelievable, into our days and our faith.

Prayer: Lord of Hope. Open my yest to your possbilities this Lent, that I will be ready to receive your coming into my life again. Ament

Israel Devotion Kick Off

2009-02-25T07:41:00.006-05:00

Join me here daily for Devotional Thoughts on Israel

Each day during Lent, I will be sharing a picture from Israel and writing an accompanying devotional about that site.

Journey with Christ from his earliest moments to his weekend of betrayal, death, and resurrection.

I pray that in reading and praying these devotionals you will find yourself more connected to Christ and his story forgiveness and life!

Words of Hope - Post #2

2008-04-28T09:45:00.004-04:00

"One and Only"

This is a tough concept for our current culture. If you examine our lives, there are few things to which we are committed as the "one and only." People have multiple careers, various residences, and even split families. We gain insight and knowledge from varous sources and commit our time and resources to multiple causes. And yet when it comes to faith in God we are to connect with the "One and Only." A difficult demand that some find too daunting. Many individuals looking for meaning believe it requires tapping into several outlets of divine truth. As Christians, we claim that the essence of the divine is found in the One and Only Jesus Christ. How do you reconcile this distinction between our Christian claim and our cultural understanding? Is to follow a "One and Only" narrow minded and limiting?

I don't think so. I think that Jesus Christ, who was with God during creation, who became a living human being, who is with us still through the Holy Spirit shaping our experience and our learning, this Christ fully reveals the One and Only God that explains our identity, purpose, and future. While other religous traditions may share with us new shapes of spiritual discipline, only does Jesus bring us into knowledge of God that leads to a life-changing relationship with God. Maybe that is the power behind the "One and Only." That while our minds race and hands grasp for anything to shape our life around, we discover the one foundation that silences everything else when we meet and follow Christ's way as our own way.

Words of Hope - Post #1

2008-04-08T19:43:00.000-04:00

Welcome to this place of story and discussion. Has there ever been a better time to encounter our living God through the thoughts and shared faith of each other. I look forward to your responses and your challenge.

It only seems natural that as our the church family at High Street thinks together about Max Lucado’s words of wisdom from “3:16” that we should continue to receive and question his words here. In his first chapter he aptly points to the truth that a child has little or nothing to do with his or her own birth. An infant is a passive agent in its entry into life. Being a father, I know this to be true. So Max concludes that you and I are like infants in faith, requiring the strength of the holy parent to save us not our own super power to help us be “born again”.

It’s pretty easy to spot this human weakness that I can’t muster up my own power to make all things right with God. Yet, the more I reflect on my daily business, the more I realize that I want to be in control, to birth my own way through life. Often my life reflects this kind of statement: “God may have gotten me here, and God may take me away from here, but in the meantime, I can handle my own.” Where do I look for creativity, original ideas, solutions to problems? I seek to birth them from my own experience or draw off the story of a friend or a resource I once read. Doesn’t being born again into a new life with God mean more than saying, “Save me God”? Doesn’t it also mean we say, “Birth in my all I need to know and do and live to be on the way of life you have created.” That’s the birth I need today, to receive God as the source of strength and the grounding point for all of life’s discrepancy, and questions. I need some source to slow me from running to my own conclusions and answers and allow God to birth solutions within me. How do you find your answers?

Not Knowing what to Say, Saying What you Know

2007-10-03T15:42:00.000-04:00

I have had a recent flood of interesting questions and challenging experiences in ministry; incidents of depression, uncertainty, and pain. In many of those incidents I was left speechless for the advise that was needed, at least in the moment. Yes, brilliant insights came along when the time had passed, when the moment for sharing and concern had expired. There are times for all of us when questions and life events press on our attention but the appropriate response remains silent, while our brain and mouth struggle to come up with something coherent and timely. I can tell you as a pastor and as a human being, this cage of silence leaves you feeling inadequate, questioning your own ability, calling, and compassion.

Why can’t I find the right answers my brain once asked itself? Then the discovery was made; the answers were there all along. A different kind of answer was at my disposal, not always the specific resolution to a unique challenge but the truth and the knowledge that I have experienced and come to believe in Jesus Christ. What is more important than having the whole solution is having a holy presence. I know the answer of God’s grace and presence, the power of divine love and forgiveness, the promise Christ’s radical care and instruction. Readily available is the power of prayer, the moment of listening, the embodiment of acceptance and concern. When the specific words are beyond my reach I know to turn to the words that my heart has memorized; that Christ will not leave us alone. When I turn to that answer and offer that resource that is most certainly available, then those other answers, the right comment, the specific solution is more easily found. When I’m not sure what to say, I will say what I know.

The Reason for the Name

2007-09-28T15:50:00.000-04:00

As a lifelong percussionist, I’ve always been into the rhythm. Whether it meant banging out a new beat with my fork and spoon as a kid or playing the drum line cadence with sticks in hand, I’ve always felt in place with the movement of the song. But even if you’re not a musician, everyone experiences the power of rhythm in the flow of their routines and in the pace of everyday activities. There is a rhythm to our work, to our relationships and even to our faith journey.

Beyond the mundane there is a cosmic rhythm that has been at work since the world began to turn. I am amazed beyond measure at the song God has been playing over the centuries, this divine beat playing long before I could even get my mind and thoughts around it. God has been working an ageless rhythm, always trying to bring us closer to the divine love that recasts all understanding. It is a rhythm that has interacted with saints of the pasts and has been working Christ kingdom ways into this place for centuries. It is the power of a story arranged hundreds of years ago and told even longer before. We know we have it, this rhythm, when we feel the peace of living out of our purpose and we experience the assurance of being connected to the source of life.

Yet the rhythm of God is not a stale tune but one that is reworked and remade anew as the Holy Spirit works in this moment. God’s call to us and God’s work on us finds new form. It interacts with the current of our days and the music of our questions, fears, and heart aches. It is not heard the same for everyone, but is found in the fresh voice of the gospel spoken, the new lyric of the spiritual sung. The truth of God’s everlasting faithfulness never fades. The rhythm of grace beats just as it did through God’s first promises to communities long ago. Yet God’s ageless rhythms finds its way into new beats when new life is rediscovered again today, new possibility is experienced by the wayward soul, and as each of us finds a the courage to take the next step on the daring journey with the Christ. The tempo takes up a new pace and new style as we share its great promises to the world. Praise the source of it all that that the ageless rythmn of love beats fresh in our hearts now and forever.