This past Sunday is nicknamed “Good Shepherd Sunday”. We hear a favorite psalm and encounter the well know phrase the Lord is my shepherd. We hear the gospel and listen to how Christ is a shepherd who protects the flock at all costs
Yet I wonder, how many of us here in suburbia truly know the challenges and hardships in the life of a shepherd??
Did you know that shepherds found the water for the flock? That they would build make shift corrals at night out of brush and sticks and then go around stomping the ground to ensure there were no snakes on the ground before bringing in the herd?
Most of us picture a serene life; sort of a little bo peep cleanliness cliché. There are days, that I think the image doesn't work, because we don't understand.
Seriously, if you were to describe God to a co-worker or friend who has no clue about the Almighty; would you say...the Lord is my shepherd. Or do we need an upgrade to an image we all know and can relate to?
I choose to speak about crossing guards the recognizable florescent vest or coat standing out in all sorts of weather knowing the names of the children
Psalm 23
the Lord is my crossing Guard
I shall not want
She leads me across busy intersections
He guides me to a place of learning and understanding
and restores my trust after a scary day
She leads me in right pathways all the way home
even though I walk where there are bullies
and scary things
I fear no evil
for you, the crossing guard, are near me and watching me
your stop sign and bright vest comfort me
The whole reason for Good Shepherd Sunday is to highlight our active God who is involved in day to day activities, not sitting on the divine duff on some mountain top.
Our God shows up daily with the tools of the trade to get the job done. In days of old the image of a shepherds crook was seen as an offensive and defensive weapon for dealing with predators but it was also a herd management tool which could whack, yank or pull a sheep that was straying from the fold.
What tools do you put in Christ's hand? How does he use these tools? To steer you, protect you, and bring you safely home?
I picture our Messiah in a bright vest that makes us pay attention, holding a stop sign, and making sure we don't let ourselves get run over by the highway of life.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Friday, April 24, 2009
digging back in my blog
Last Easter I shared my thoughts on Christ's Ressurection. Here is a short cut
http://pk-mannainthewilderness.blogspot.com/2008/03/what-easter-means-to-me.html
http://pk-mannainthewilderness.blogspot.com/2008/03/what-easter-means-to-me.html
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Surprise
I rarely watch the reality television shows; it seems like people are either making fools of themselves or just getting their 15 minutes of fame. However, this video shows the positive side of such shows. How some people who never get a break, finally get a chance to chase their dreams:
It brought to mind for me this Easter season, what the folks from Nazareth might have felt in Christ's day. "Wow, I didn't know he was the Son of God and would be risen from the dead"
May all your days have pleasant surprises until all the walls are broken down and we are truly one in Christ.
It brought to mind for me this Easter season, what the folks from Nazareth might have felt in Christ's day. "Wow, I didn't know he was the Son of God and would be risen from the dead"
May all your days have pleasant surprises until all the walls are broken down and we are truly one in Christ.
Friday, April 10, 2009
The Three Holy Days in three words
Confusion, Discomfort, Joy
Confusion: did the first disciples really understand at that moment the powerful changes Jesus made to the script for the passover meal? The radical freedom from death by the simple meal of bread and wine. As well as how the richness of Christ serving by cleaning you (baptism) and providing nourishment for your spirit (holy communion).
Discomfort: what's so good about Good Friday? Remembering how much Christ loved us...that he was willing to die for us. We do squirm during the service, it is uncomfortable to ponder his last seven words of love.
Joy: he is not in the tomb, He is Risen
Confusion: did the first disciples really understand at that moment the powerful changes Jesus made to the script for the passover meal? The radical freedom from death by the simple meal of bread and wine. As well as how the richness of Christ serving by cleaning you (baptism) and providing nourishment for your spirit (holy communion).
Discomfort: what's so good about Good Friday? Remembering how much Christ loved us...that he was willing to die for us. We do squirm during the service, it is uncomfortable to ponder his last seven words of love.
Joy: he is not in the tomb, He is Risen
Thursday, April 2, 2009
A Local Hero of the Faith
Last night I shared a tiny bit about the powerful woman, Sojourner Truth. She was born in nearby Ulster County, NY
Here is my favorite story from her life:
Throughout her life,
Truth sought social change through peaceful methods.
Her actions could speak louder than words.
But when she combined her actions with words,
spoken or sung, the effects verged on extraordinary.
It was during the time that Sojourner Truth
lived among members
of the Northampton Association in Massachusetts,
from 1844 to 1846, that her words and actions
allowed her to perform a feat of near miraculous proportions.
When a rowdy mob of "wild young men"
threatened to disrupt a tent revival meeting she was attending,
Sojourner followed the example of others and hid, "quaking in fear."
Hid, that is, until she remembered who she was
-- not Isabella Hardenbergh the former slave,
not Isabella Hardenbergh an illiterate and powerless black woman
-- but Sojourner Truth, called to preach,
called to testify, called to greatness. She said to herself:
Shall I run away and hide from the devil?
Me, a servant of the living God?
Have I not faith enough to go out and quell that mob,
when I know it is written, "One shall chase a thousand,
and two put ten thousand to flight?"
I know there are not a thousand here;
and I know I am a servant of the living God.
I'll go to the rescue,
and the Lord shall go with and protect me.
Oh, I felt as if I had three hearts!
and that they were so large,
my body could hardly contain them!
(did you catch that? Remember what the Grinch did when his heart Grew 3 sizes?)
Sojourner left the tent alone and unaided,
and walking some thirty rods
to the top of a small rise of ground,
commenced to sing in her most fervid manner,
with all the strength of her most powerful voice,
the hymn on the resurrection of Christ.
With an emphasis on the lyrics,
and little mind to the occasional flat note
and lack of harmony,
Sojourner continued to sing
as the mob of young men surrounded her
with sticks and clubs.
But, instead of beating her,
they entreated Truth to continue singing
and tell them her story.
According to the account in her autobiography:
She did speak; they silently heard,
and civilly asked her many questions.
It seemed to her to be given her
at the time
to answer them with truth and wisdom beyond herself.
Her speech had operated
on the roused passions of the mob like oil on agitated waters;
they were, as a whole entirely subdued,
and only clamored when she ceased to speak or sing. 3
Gradually the din of angry voices subsided
and the only voice which could be heard was Sojourner's.
Climbing into the back of a nearby wagon,
Truth proceeded to preach and sing
to her increasingly respectful congregation.
Finally she struck a unique bargain with the young men.
They promised to leave the site after one last spiritual
and to allow the revival meeting to continue in peace.
Then Sojourner rejoined
her fellow worshippers under the tent.
Sojourner Truth had attitude.
And she had faith.
It took great courage for her to step outside
that tent and put herself in the center
of a mob of disrespectful, and potentially dangerous, men.
Truth could have chosen the easy path
and stayed inside the tent with the others.
Instead, she chose to back up her words with her actions.
She refused to "keep her place,"
to be intimidated or ignored.
She was a force to be reckoned with,
a force with an invisible and mighty right arm
to aid her in her campaign against inequality.
Sojourner knew her fight was not hers alone.
It was her faith in God
that sustained her through her endless series
of trials and tribulations.
During our life, we too face trials,
remember God is with you
just as the Almighty was with Sojourner Truth
Here is my favorite story from her life:
Throughout her life,
Truth sought social change through peaceful methods.
Her actions could speak louder than words.
But when she combined her actions with words,
spoken or sung, the effects verged on extraordinary.
It was during the time that Sojourner Truth
lived among members
of the Northampton Association in Massachusetts,
from 1844 to 1846, that her words and actions
allowed her to perform a feat of near miraculous proportions.
When a rowdy mob of "wild young men"
threatened to disrupt a tent revival meeting she was attending,
Sojourner followed the example of others and hid, "quaking in fear."
Hid, that is, until she remembered who she was
-- not Isabella Hardenbergh the former slave,
not Isabella Hardenbergh an illiterate and powerless black woman
-- but Sojourner Truth, called to preach,
called to testify, called to greatness. She said to herself:
Shall I run away and hide from the devil?
Me, a servant of the living God?
Have I not faith enough to go out and quell that mob,
when I know it is written, "One shall chase a thousand,
and two put ten thousand to flight?"
I know there are not a thousand here;
and I know I am a servant of the living God.
I'll go to the rescue,
and the Lord shall go with and protect me.
Oh, I felt as if I had three hearts!
and that they were so large,
my body could hardly contain them!
(did you catch that? Remember what the Grinch did when his heart Grew 3 sizes?)
Sojourner left the tent alone and unaided,
and walking some thirty rods
to the top of a small rise of ground,
commenced to sing in her most fervid manner,
with all the strength of her most powerful voice,
the hymn on the resurrection of Christ.
With an emphasis on the lyrics,
and little mind to the occasional flat note
and lack of harmony,
Sojourner continued to sing
as the mob of young men surrounded her
with sticks and clubs.
But, instead of beating her,
they entreated Truth to continue singing
and tell them her story.
According to the account in her autobiography:
She did speak; they silently heard,
and civilly asked her many questions.
It seemed to her to be given her
at the time
to answer them with truth and wisdom beyond herself.
Her speech had operated
on the roused passions of the mob like oil on agitated waters;
they were, as a whole entirely subdued,
and only clamored when she ceased to speak or sing. 3
Gradually the din of angry voices subsided
and the only voice which could be heard was Sojourner's.
Climbing into the back of a nearby wagon,
Truth proceeded to preach and sing
to her increasingly respectful congregation.
Finally she struck a unique bargain with the young men.
They promised to leave the site after one last spiritual
and to allow the revival meeting to continue in peace.
Then Sojourner rejoined
her fellow worshippers under the tent.
Sojourner Truth had attitude.
And she had faith.
It took great courage for her to step outside
that tent and put herself in the center
of a mob of disrespectful, and potentially dangerous, men.
Truth could have chosen the easy path
and stayed inside the tent with the others.
Instead, she chose to back up her words with her actions.
She refused to "keep her place,"
to be intimidated or ignored.
She was a force to be reckoned with,
a force with an invisible and mighty right arm
to aid her in her campaign against inequality.
Sojourner knew her fight was not hers alone.
It was her faith in God
that sustained her through her endless series
of trials and tribulations.
During our life, we too face trials,
remember God is with you
just as the Almighty was with Sojourner Truth
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
ah, Bach
Bach, a great hero of the Christian faith; often over looked because of his centuries old music used for haunted houses and Fantasia. Here's a fun take on his Toccata and Fugue in D Minor that gives you an appreciation for how Bach ran the pedals and keys in order to invoke a physical response from the hearer.
Bach firmly believed that EVERYTHING in music was to glorify God. There was no divide between church music and secular music other than who paid him. He wanted to glorify God. I find this attitude refreshing and different from some of today's artists, who seem to believe it is about being famous and making money.
We too are called to glorify God in our lives. How will you do that today?
Bach firmly believed that EVERYTHING in music was to glorify God. There was no divide between church music and secular music other than who paid him. He wanted to glorify God. I find this attitude refreshing and different from some of today's artists, who seem to believe it is about being famous and making money.
We too are called to glorify God in our lives. How will you do that today?
Sunday, March 15, 2009
What are you willing to give to get
We all have expectations in life; things we would love to see happen or believe it should just be "this way." Many times, we expect others to meet our expectations. If we rely solely on others to met our expectations, we will almost always feel disappointed. Expect top notch athlete's to never make a foolish choice? Unless, you know one and are involved in their life, it probably won't happen.
The best method of achieving our expectations is to recognize we must give something of ourselves to see our expectations met.
If I expect people to pay attention to my sermons, then I need to do the hard work during the week to prepare and craft something that is engaging not simply entertaining or a lecture. If I expect to go on vacation without going into debt, I need to save money now.
What are your expectations in life? for your job? for your worship of God?
What are you willing to do to make the expectations come true? What are you will to give to get your expectations met?
The best method of achieving our expectations is to recognize we must give something of ourselves to see our expectations met.
If I expect people to pay attention to my sermons, then I need to do the hard work during the week to prepare and craft something that is engaging not simply entertaining or a lecture. If I expect to go on vacation without going into debt, I need to save money now.
What are your expectations in life? for your job? for your worship of God?
What are you willing to do to make the expectations come true? What are you will to give to get your expectations met?
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