An Invitation

I was asked to participate in a new group called Healthy Church Initiative (HCI). Over the next year I will be reading a series a books and participate in a discussion group. At each meeting I will be asked to offer an action plan on one key learning I discovered in the reading. My initial response was to not take part simply because of time. However, I changed my mind when I discovered that the books I will be reading will aid us in becoming the missional church God has called us to be.

The book I will be reading is, "Recreating the Church" by Richard Hamm. I would love to have others read it as well and share what they learned. Here is a description of the book:

"At the center of this manifesto is Hamm's concern for preserving the core values of the Mainline churches in the face of challenges from secularism and fundamentalism. The problem, as he sees it, is that the structures that developed over the years have become obsolete and they prevent the church from adapting to the cultural context in which it lives. By embracing the "missional church" idea Hamm is less interested in quick fixes, but rather calls for long term reinvention of the church so that the Mainline values can be preserved and can influence not just the religious context but the world context."

Check it out. See what you think. I'll post my thoughts after I have read the book.

On the journey,
Alecia

Confirming Your Faith

One of my favorite aspects of my job is Confirmation which I work with 7th and 8th grade students. It is a fun age because they tend to not censor what comes out of their mouth as to whether or not its particularly religious. Because I have a policy to answer any question thrown at me in the class, I have fielded questions on a number of topics. Sometimes the questions are more serious in nature. Take for instance the thoughts of one of the students:

*When talking about sins, it depends what you consider a sin.

*Can a person ever be entirely forgiven for sins?

*Just because God died on the cross, does that mean our sins are forgiven?

*Why do sins matter if we are not perfect?

This student is doing a great job in thinking theologically. She might not think about in those terms, but it is precisely what she is doing. I wonder how our church would change if we all took time to think theologically now and again.

On the journey,
Alecia

The Gift of Water

If you would like to add the gift of water to your presents, then simply go to the website: http://www.water.cc/. If you click on "giftcards", you will be set. The organization is the Living Water International. You will be able to read more about the water crisis, Advent Conspiracy and more.

The four tenets of the Advent Conspiracy have inspired me throughout this season:
*Worship fully
*Spend less
*Give more
*Love all

I hope they resonate with you as well.

On the journey,
Alecia

The Cost of Being Me

Yesterday in service I had people add up the dollar amount of what they were wearing and of items they were carrying. The list consisted of:

Clothing
Shoes
Undergarments
Jewelry
Purse/wallet
Electronic devices-- phones, ipods, etc.
Glasses/contacts
Money

My clothing and items totaled $247 without the jewelry or $1047 with it. In Kenya the average household income is $245. It stopped me in my tracks to realize just how much it cost to be me. Apparently alot of you had similar feelings. You tried explaining how if I just hadn't included the one category your number would have been in a more "acceptable" range. I believe I am socially aware and try to make wise choices. I simply had not thought about the sheer amount of money that I have on me at any given time.

It jarred me. I'm grateful to have glimpses of clarity into my life, even when I am not sure that I always want to hear it. Thank you God for teaching me in a variety of ways.

On the journey,
Alecia

Privileges

As much as I loathed all of the political junk mail of the last two months, I always love the process of voting. I look forward to going to the polls whether it is an off-year election or not, which begs the question as to whether any year is truly an "off" year. Yes, I know it means it is not a presidential year; however as I have looked at the ballot, there are important issues to be decided.

For all of the complaining about local, state and national elections, a surprisingly small amount of people actually turn out to vote. Wouldn't it be a sad commentary on life if more people vote on "Dancing With the Stars" than on our off-year election. It's easy to get fed-up with all of the negative commercials and print ads. It's much more satisfying though to walk into the voting booth and cast your vote.

On the journey,
Alecia

Unsolicited

It feels like everytime I answer the phone at home that another pre-recorded message plays in my ear. My mailbox is under-seige with voter recommendation guides. This does not bode well for the 2012 election. Yet I am still grateful to be part of the election process.

What I don't appreciate, to put it mildly, is unsolicited, unsigned and partisan materials showing up at the church. Anonymous and sometimes graphic materials (abortion) being placed on the wooden table for all to pick up as they enter. This year seems like we are encountering more and more at the church. I don't understand the anonymity to it all. Obviously the views are strongly felt, yet they won't sign their name to it.

A new sign is up on the doors through election day.
Notice:
Unsolicited voting and religious materials will be removed and thrown away.

To the anonymous purveyors of matierials: Stop. Materials without local identification on them do not merit the time of day. Last I checked there is a separation of church and state. My home is one thing, but the church is another.

Well-informed voting is critical and vital. If you haven't already sent in your absentee ballot, then make sure you schedule in time to vote. See you at the polls.

On the journey.
Alecia

Digging Deeper

For someone who is so verbal in her communication, I always find it puzzling that I struggle with getting my thoughts down on a blog. I will endeavor to keep a weekly commitment with writing.

Two things cross my mind today. First, just a reminder that for those of you that found the Enneagram to be helpful, there is a retreat at my house the first Saturday of November from 9-3:30. You may sign up on the info-stub or by emailing me at pastor@southslope.net.

Perhaps what has caused me to pause and think more critically is the question which came out of the Sunday night small group discussing theological issues from the "Living the Questions Series". Whether or not we agree with the theologians on the screen is secondary to spending good energy on what we as individuals believe, given our background, life experience and Biblical views. This week the question centered on "Who is Jesus?" It seems like a simple enough question, yet conveying our thoughts in a few sentences was harder than it at first looks. I appreciated hearing from one of the group members via email this morning. He wrote poignantly, answering the question. I hope my response is as thoughtful and discerning.

Today on your journey, ponder the question, "Who is Jesus?"

Peace,
Alecia