Lenten resources, Lenten Reflection

Lent is a season of reflection and preparation. It seems a fitting time to look at what our Annual Conference membership offers and recommends as well as looking at our own personal practices.

The 2007 Annual Conference adopted a Strategic Direction for the Annual Conference. The Strategic Direction includes a commitment to 4 key points commitments. The First Point is a commitment to Practicing Personal and Social Holiness. At the 2008 Annual Conference, Bishop Hoshibata declared the year of 2008-2009 to be the “Year of Personal Holiness”. As we enter the Lenten season now is a good time for each of us reflect on what it means to live a life of personal and social holiness.

Does it feel that this is a radical expectation? If these words grouped together leave you scratching your head wondering how to live that out in your life, I suspect you are not traveling alone in your confusion. After all, our emphasis of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ sounds like a sure fire excuse to dispel any consideration of actions.

The Apostle Paul encountered similar opposition both to the message of grace available to all through Jesus, and to his calls for purity and holiness of heart among the believers. Christian life is a continual paradox. We are expected to live pure and holy lives. And yet we know that we cannot be perfect, so we trust in the merit obtained through Jesus as a salve for our troubled consciences. As Methodists we also have a heritage derived from the Oxford Movement, John & Charles Wesley, and the practice of belonging to accountability circles. Each of these urge everyone not to take our lives in Christ for granted, instead urging us to seek personal holiness, that which we commonly call “perfection.”

The practice of belonging to a study circle, or accountability group was integral to the growth of the Methodist movement in Britain. Long in remission in the United States, the Accountability Group is once again being revived in churches throughout the United States. Our General Board of Discipleship, supported by our apportionment dollars, provides excellent resources to assist local churches in starting and maintaining these covenant/accountability groups. In the groups, a commitment to confidentiality, care and concern for one another is established. From time to time members need to ask each other tough questions about where they are falling down in their Christian Life.

What are the hallmarks of being an Accountable Disciple? I have been referring to the "three simple rules," do no harm, do good, stay in love with God for daily guidance in Christian life as a summary of Wesley's preaching. This can be applied throughout each day.

In addition, whether you belong to a small group or not, Wesley’s model of faithful living as a member in the body of Christ stressed a practice of participation in four areas of life:

Acts of Worship
Acts of Devotion
Acts of Compassion
Acts of Justice

Through these four arenas of life each person can examine one’s own progress in moving on toward perfection in Christian love. Wesley found in his ministry that belonging to a small covenant circle provided strength and encouragement on the journey of faith called life in Christ. It seems quite proven to be a timeless truth for faithful discipleship.

Living in these open spaces of the west, leads to very independent thinking, in spite of our interdependence upon one another. Belonging to a small group with the specific intent of lifting one another up on the Christian Journey may also seem very contrary to your nature. It’s certainly scary to become vulnerable to a group when we prefer to pretend we have no faults needing correction. Nevertheless, I would urge members to prayerfully seek guidance about forming a small circle of 6-8 Christian friends with a commitment to lifting up one another in a weekly meeting as an avenue to live out our call to Personal Holiness. The personal benefit you can expect is a deeper relationship with God and several brothers and sisters in the Lord.

Grace and Peace,


Pastor Barbara

Beginning the Journey

Lenten Journey

A Service of Self Guided Reflection

What would you have God change in you?

What would God want to see you change?

When we enter the season of Lent with these twin questions positioned as the main emphasis of Lent we are better able to find a renewed spirit to carry us along on the journey called life in Christ.

May this be a starting place in your journey.. The readings are those used on Ash Wednesday but can be referred to throughout the season of Lent.

Opening prayer

O God, maker of every thing and judge of all that you have made,
from the dust of the earth you formed Adam,
and from the dust of death you would raise us up.
By the redemptive power of the cross,
create in us clean hearts and put within us a new spirit,
that we may turn from our sins and lead lives worthy of your calling;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Scripture Lesson Joel 2:1, 12-17

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”

Psalm 51

“O Lord hear my prayer, O Lord, hear my prayer, come and listen to me”

The Psalmist writes “For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only have I sinned, and done that which is evil in your sight, so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless in your judgment.” Human standards cannot come anywhere near the standards of Holiness that God holds. Knowing God to be perfect in all actions of first creating order out of the Chaos of the universe, we can fall into despair at our inability to achieve perfection. Should we then give up in such pursuit?

No.

Let us never give up in our pursuit of the perfection of Christian Love. Instead of despair, let us draw ever more closely to God through personal and social holiness. Because God has demonstrated love for all creation, we can take heart in the message of the gospel, and follow the advice that comes to us through the Gospel of Matthew.

Gospel Lesson Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

Recalling again the twin focus for the season:
What would you have God change in you?
What would God want to see you change?
May you be renewed in spirit, finding peace and joy in the ever changing journey of devotion to Jesus, bringing glory to the One True God.

Purple Linen, people pleasing & proper responses

It seems that I’ve been quite busy of late, occupied with responding to needs in the parish and connections for my Annual Conference. With that blogging fell a bit to the wayside. I’ve been using Facebook to keep up with my friends and a couple of family members. I’ll write about the experiment using Facebook to form community in another post. I have other thoughts on my mind to share for today.

Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent which is the 40 day period (not counting any Sundays which are always considered mini-Easter feast days) that leads up to the celebration of Easter. In the sanctuary, we’ve changed out the colors to purple which is used among us liturgically focused worship planners and leaders to remind us that this is a season of penitence. Purple is also considered a color of royalty (King Jesus purple) and recalls the passion (from a Latin root, which mean suffering) of Jesus.

The banners were a team design by our worship committee in 2007. Seven panels using the seven last words of Jesus on the cross. The words are really statements, found in the Gospels. Of course some confusion is stirred because not all seven are contained in any one of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The finest theological minds of former years nevertheless have seen fit to refer to them as the “seven last words” and have used them for meditations and sermons during Holy week. The first year we installed this set of banners I too preached each week on one of the Words.

Because today is Ash Wednesday it would have been appropriate, according to our Book of Worship* to use less (or no) purple, to choose to focus on gray or burlap for color and texture. I didn’t, by personal preference. This year, quite honestly, this small community is already very well focused on the mortality theme which Ash Wednesday is supposed to reflect upon. I didn’t feel it healthy to over emphasize our communal condition. It was also a blessing that we had our Dog Derby festivities last weekend to serve as our own form of carnival, maybe not so unlike the New Orleans Mardi Gras, even if around a culturally unique experience.

All of this attention to the appearance of the sanctuary may seem silly. If you aren’t a visually oriented learner, or have an appreciation for symbol and symbolism, these are details which I know are simply missed. Funny, if you went to a Stage Play and it lacked stage props, most people would immediately comment about the absence. Yet, enter a church sanctuary, and people are quite likely enter as if they were blind, paying no attention to the details. I think this is the result of a failure to interpret the meaning for observers, thus the reason for my extended commentary here.

“Ashes, Ashes, we all fall down!” Do you remember the old children’s game, “ring around the rosy”? The most commonly accepted interpretation of this nursery rhyme is a reference to the bubonic plague which ravaged Europe. The Black plague symptoms included a red rosy ring on the skin, and the bodies of the dead where cremated to prevent more spreading of the contagion. I always think of this rhyme on Ash Wednesday and then wonder, how it came about that children would begin singing this rhyme in such great playfulness. Ah, those British had a rather macabre sense of humor (“London Bridge is Falling Down”) didn’t they.

In Ashton this month, we’ve seen life end early due to the worst form of cancer. Heart disease and stroke took others. Several members in the community continue to courageously battle for life as long as possible. Last week I felt as if we were already in lent. In that one week I attended or officiated at three services of death, resurrection and remembrance. The first funeral we estimated had 800 in attendance. In a town with a population of 1198, not only was there an immense turnout of extended family, there were people whose lives had been touched by the deceased from his involvement in community and business. Many friends came to demonstrate their love and loss.

Last week it was not possible to deny that death is a possibility at any time. We could not deny that the impact of one person can be felt across not just a family but an entire community. We could not deny that death may suddenly pluck a loved one, despite the best care available. We could not deny that any day may be the very last time we see someone we love. With that message delivered to so many through the very personal experiences of death in our community, I just didn’t think I needed to add any more somber notes to the tune we’ve heard in town already.

In past years I have held an evening Service of Ashes. Last year myself and several of our members joined our Lutheran brethren at their service. The turnout was small, and the service was meaningful.

This year, I chose to set aside 3 hours this evening to have the sanctuary open, a self guided reflection available. I will be present to offer the imposition of ashes or anointing and prayers with individuals as they choose. I expect there will be only one or two that come tonight. I’m not deluding myself. People simply prefer to feel good all the time, rather than risk entering into a time of reflection which might lead to making any changes in personal actions. But one or two people may be feel the need to come and I will be present. Otherwise, I expect to have plenty of quite time for my own prayers, reflections and reading.

Last Sunday I gave one specific suggestion for a Lenten practice. Rather than expecting any sacrifice of denial I am asking each person to develop the habit of daily naming at least two things for which they are grateful. I believe that the Micah 6:8 commandment calls for us to develop a deeper appreciation of how very blessed we are. This is a holy sacrifice, a sacrifice of praise. With deepened appreciation and gratitude comes greater compassion for others. In counting one’s own blessings we develop the ability to reach out to our neighbor in need.

Elephants are loose

Driving home from the airport last Friday, I had a heavy feeling of emotion gradually descend upon me. As I came closer to home, the snow was falling. Once in Fremont County the weather was a full blown snow storm. I began by thinking what I was feeling was the sadness of leaving behind all the sunshine of California. Then I realized, I was returning to a place with spaciousness which was allowing some unresolved grief to emerge, and now I just needed to say hello to this task for a while.

I’ve found that grief and loss are subjects people would like to avoid. Loss can come from any number of sources. The top of mind kind is the loss from the death of someone you care about. It’s topmost in my own mind regularly because I have a unique role to play in peoples lives. In time of illness, or emergency, I walk into peoples lives to offer support, and hopefully, if I minister well, a presence of comfort.

Following a death, I facilitate the immediate process of closure through funeral or memorial services. It’s a special place of ministry for me which I truly cherish. It’s more of a beginning for a journey, rather than an end. I tell the family and friends that they are allowed to cry. I on the other hand, will be the strong one for them.

There are other causes for grief. Loss of a job can create the climate of the mind we call grief. This type of grief is experienced as a form of depression which can spiral out of control. During difficult economic times (does that phrase sound too familiar) the formation of a support group such as a “job club” where people can network and encourage each other can help increase one’s attitude of hopefulness during the search for employment. Being in the same boat, removes the sense of being somehow less than others who are fully employed.

Illness can also cause grief, especially one which requires an amputation, as was experienced by a friend in California. His situation was unusual. He had a splinter in his finger which was acquired doing woodwork. The splinter became infected, and before he knew it he had septic shock. In the course of treatment, after being taken by emergency medical services to the local hospital, he had not one but two heart attacks. There were several weeks of hospitalization, many surgeries to remove the diseased tissue and ultimately the amputation of one thumb.

Needless to say, the alternative was far graver. He is very grateful to be alive. But people have a way of thoughtlessly asking about his wellbeing. One person inquires, “how’s your thumb?” to which he pointedly replies, “I don’t have it anymore.” He’s a good natured person, and he might even choose at some point to change the response. But truth be told, I’m certain he realizes every day, there some things he just isn’t able to do absent the thumb digit of his right hand. One task comes immediately to mind for me, the space bar key for typing. I just tried to type this one sentence without using my right thumb and failed at every opportunity. That’s just one example of how he must adapt to the loss which surely comes with emotions that need to be confronted. Can you imagine the loss that returning soldiers experience from being wounded in service to this country?

Grief can manifest itself in many forms. Anger, loss of sleep, or too much sleep, overeating and not eating are all possible manifestations of grief. Unexplained tearfulness or agitation at otherwise normal activities can be temporary. Any of these symptoms continuing beyond a two week period are a cause of concern. Start with a conversation with your family physician.

As a pastor, I look for and also learn of specialized resources which are available in the region. Ashton’s location is not optimal for seeking a support group for every special situation of grief. It’s also a sad fact that a local mental health clinic recently closed. But there are resources available and if you need help locating them please give me a call. If you are feeling desperate and at your wits end, please do not suffer alone.

One general grief recovery resource will become available in March through Hospice of Eastern Idaho in the form of a Grief and Loss support group.* I have recommended this resource to others in the past and have heard back that the experience was right on target to get the individual moving beyond the loss of the loved one. The ten sessions will be held on Monday evenings 5:30 to 7 pm starting March 2nd and continue through May 4th.

In our family we like to say “Denial is not just a river in Egypt.” Denial is a coping mechanism, and a phase of grief. It can be both blessing and curse. Embracing and confronting grief is a special journey of the soul which I pray you will travel well knowing that God is at your side. Leaving your grief unattended will not take away the work of the soul which you need to do. Some people will put off facing the important soul work for so many years that they honestly believe they have resolved all the loss. Denial is a form of self-deception with sorrowful consequences. I pray that you will not fall into this trap.

May you too join with the psalmist who wrote “You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O Lord, I will give you thanks forever.” Psalm 30:11-12

Shalom,

Barbara

* Call 529-0342 to register. Classes will be at the office located 1810 Moran Street Idaho Falls, ID. There is a new you waiting to be birthed out of whatever loss you have experienced and companions to walk with you, if only you will seek them out.

I believe that God calls many to special healing ministries, they are found working in the secular and public arena. Doctors, therapists, are among those specially gifted to assist you in the journey of the soul. Since you are online let me recommend a free website to read more about medical understanding of grief and depression.

If the death of the loved one occurred through suicide, please check out the national website for Suicide Prevention Action Network and through EIRMC for a special grief support group.