I was struck by a line in the cantata yesterday. The line came out of Peter's monologue. Peter's (Andrew McKnight) line was in response to "Who do you say that I am?" After naming him "the Christ, the Son of the Living God," he continued with the "Aha" line for me. He said, "This wasn't something I needed time to think about. I had a front row seat to this Man's life and ministry. I knew His Heart."
I have followed Jesus for as long as I can remember. I have had "a front row seat" to Jesus' ministry in many different settings. When I see the various ministry teams in action at the church, I see Jesus. When I watch a family getting food at the pantry, I see Jesus. When another prayer shawl goes out the door, there goes Jesus. I know who He is. I have experienced Jesus within my life and subsequent experiences. I also know who Jesus is because of seeing Him in You. I have had a front row seat for ten years.
On the journey,
Alecia
Monday, April 18, 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Rites of Spring
It was an amazing Sunday witnessing 12 confirmands making vows to confirm their faith. Having spent several months with this group, I knew how much went into their thought process. Each young person wrote a Statement of Faith which explained his/her beliefs. They wrote on topics, such as redemption, grace, the God-head. Nothing like trying to wrestle with the differences between prevenient, justifying and sanctifying grace when you are 12-14 years old.
The students turn in a rough draft of their Statement of Faith. Invariably, my last comment on the paper is always, "And why does any of this matter to you? Why do you want to follow Jesus?"
Perhaps each of us should undertake writing what we believe during this Lenten journey. And oh yes... why does any of it matter to you?
On the journey,
Alecia
BTW -- If you would like to read this class' Statements of Faith, one is available in the library and at the Information Booth.
The students turn in a rough draft of their Statement of Faith. Invariably, my last comment on the paper is always, "And why does any of this matter to you? Why do you want to follow Jesus?"
Perhaps each of us should undertake writing what we believe during this Lenten journey. And oh yes... why does any of it matter to you?
On the journey,
Alecia
BTW -- If you would like to read this class' Statements of Faith, one is available in the library and at the Information Booth.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Vacation
My week-long southern tour visiting family drew to a close last night. It was relaxing, fun and restful. I can't remember the last time I was able to sleep in after 8 AM so many days. Doug and I spent time in the homes of my adult nieces and nephews. I want to be the type of aunt who continues to track with them throughout their growing up years. Doug worked on home repair projects with spouses, while I connected in deeper conversations than are possible at Christmas. It felt good to be with family.
I realize that God give's us our church family in much the same way. I have the privilege of being in intimate conversations where tears and laughter are common. I forget what a privilege it is to be in community, one with another. It is powerful. While it was great to take a step back and refresh my soul this past week, it felt good to come home.
I hope you find time in this day to stop, breathe deeply and take in the moment.
On the journey,
Alecia
I realize that God give's us our church family in much the same way. I have the privilege of being in intimate conversations where tears and laughter are common. I forget what a privilege it is to be in community, one with another. It is powerful. While it was great to take a step back and refresh my soul this past week, it felt good to come home.
I hope you find time in this day to stop, breathe deeply and take in the moment.
On the journey,
Alecia
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Ash Wednesday or Thereabouts
It is hard to believe we have already travelled from Christmas to the beginning of Lent. A season of reflection in the midst of our lives is an important annual journey. If you want to read a great, simple reflection on Lent, return to the homepage and scrolldown to the lower right hand corner and click on "Want to know more about Lent?". It's a fast read but offers good insight.
The smudge of the cross mingled with the woody scent of the burnt palm leaves brings home how quickly journeys move from "Gloria in excelsis Deo" to "Hosanna" to "Crucify." I feel exposed with the dark stain of the cross marking me on my forehead. I have given voice to all three expressions at various points along the way. The Lenten pathway helps guide me home, back to the dust of the earth and the breathe of the Spirit.
I hope you find a place of quiet regularly during this next six weeks. It is not as much about doing, but rather in being with the One. Quiet, still, thoughtful.
On the journey,
Alecia
The smudge of the cross mingled with the woody scent of the burnt palm leaves brings home how quickly journeys move from "Gloria in excelsis Deo" to "Hosanna" to "Crucify." I feel exposed with the dark stain of the cross marking me on my forehead. I have given voice to all three expressions at various points along the way. The Lenten pathway helps guide me home, back to the dust of the earth and the breathe of the Spirit.
I hope you find a place of quiet regularly during this next six weeks. It is not as much about doing, but rather in being with the One. Quiet, still, thoughtful.
On the journey,
Alecia
Monday, February 28, 2011
Sailboats on a River
I am always amazed at the depth of the questions coming from our confirmands. After a discussion about the Holy Spirit, Becca H. wrote the following questions:
*Is the Holy Spirit love or when we feel love is it from the Holy Spirit?
*Does everything happen for for a reason?
*Can sailboats on a river represent our path in life?
These are good, serious, thoughtful questions. Connecting God's Spirit to love-- pure love is an insightful observation. I believe that while we experience God's love, the Spirit opens us up even more to when love is expressed.
A sailboat offers a good metaphor of the Spirit. If we look at our life as a sailboat, then we have to decide whether we are sailing or simply watching other sailboats from shore. I believe God placed within each of us that desire to sail-- to respond to the Lord. As we created our own versions of origami sailboats in confirmation, it was quickly apparent the boats with more sail available caught the most wind. Nicholas M.'s boat shot across the water because of the clever design to capture the wind. When we open up our hearts, souls and minds to the Spirit, we can go places we never dreamed of with our lives.
On the journey,
Alecia
*Is the Holy Spirit love or when we feel love is it from the Holy Spirit?
*Does everything happen for for a reason?
*Can sailboats on a river represent our path in life?
These are good, serious, thoughtful questions. Connecting God's Spirit to love-- pure love is an insightful observation. I believe that while we experience God's love, the Spirit opens us up even more to when love is expressed.
A sailboat offers a good metaphor of the Spirit. If we look at our life as a sailboat, then we have to decide whether we are sailing or simply watching other sailboats from shore. I believe God placed within each of us that desire to sail-- to respond to the Lord. As we created our own versions of origami sailboats in confirmation, it was quickly apparent the boats with more sail available caught the most wind. Nicholas M.'s boat shot across the water because of the clever design to capture the wind. When we open up our hearts, souls and minds to the Spirit, we can go places we never dreamed of with our lives.
On the journey,
Alecia
Monday, February 21, 2011
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
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
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
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
*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
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