"Sharing Jesus' Peace" - John 14:27, John 16:33 and John 20:19-21

“Sharing Jesus’ Peace” – Andrews Chapel Campus of Jackson FUMC – 8/24/2014
Peace – what comes to mind when you hear this word?- Is it a river, a mountain, or the desert; somewhere away from all of the noise and clutter of our modern world; is it time alone in your home without your family making demands on or is it a day without screaming, fighting, or shooting?
Peace as defined by Merriam-Webster has many meanings – including “freedom from oppressive thoughts or emotions, freedom from civil disturbance or harmony in personal relationships.” The opposite of peace is “war, anguish, anxiety or worry, according to the dictionary.
In 1938, Neville Chamberlain entered the UK into a non-aggression pact with Hitler stating that Germany would never go to war again with them. Chamberlain infamously described this accord as, “Peace in Our Time”. He firmly believed that there would be peace and another World War had been avoided. However, as we know in hindsight; it was not long before Hitler violated this agreement and bombs were being dropped on the UK. (For further info visit http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/september/30/newsid_3115000/3115476.stm)
As illustrated by this story; we as human beings more often than not experience external peace temporarily. We come to an agreement or settlement or we go off by ourselves for a while. However, in our own strength, it is nearly impossible to maintain our agreements and most of us cannot permanently leave our jobs and families. Yet even for those who are called to a contemplative life; the external trouble cannot be escaped. Thomas Merton was in the monastery throughout much of the Civil Rights Movement and the upheaval of the 1960s. However, no matter hard he tried; Merton could not ignore these events and God’s call to speak out through praying and writing about them.
Our scriptures this morning remind us that there is another kind of peace; a lasting peace that is freely given to us by Jesus Christ. A peace that exists not just in the quiet but also in the swirl of our modern world. For Jesus himself acknowledges that we will have trouble in the world. In our verses; from chapters 14 and 16; Jesus speaks peace to his disciples during their final hours together. Yet it is a different kind of peace than they expected; it is not freedom from Roman captivity
or violence. It is an inner peace; a peace that comes from knowing God and acknowledging his ongoing presence in all aspects of our life.
After his Resurrection, Jesus appears to his disciples and add offers them his peace and just as his father has sent him; sends them out to share this peace with the world.
However, before we can share Jesus with the world and offer peace; we must know Jesus ourselves. Once we dedicate our lives to Him, them we must continue to spend time in His presence. In Henri Nouwen’s book; Discernment: Reading the Signs of Life written with Michael J. Christensen and Rebecca J. Laird; he describes 4 ways of spending time with God; in my own words they are:  
1. Reading, reflecting and interpreting scripture
2. Abiding in prayer
3. Worship and sharing in the Lord’s Supper

4. Remembering Jesus and our ‘burning heart’ experience of experiencing God’s presence or as John Wesley described it; “my heart was strangely warmed”(found on pp. 118 Discernment: Reading the Signs of Life, Harper One, ©2013)

When we regularly spend time in these spiritual practices

We can offer hospitality to those who cannot return our invitation and are in need of a friend. Consider inviting those who due to unemployment, grief, violence, mental illness, physical disabilities and addiction are in need of Jesus’ peace and love. Consider offering food, shelter and clothing to those in need by volunteering for Habitat for Humanity, at your local soup kitchen or the Salvation Army. Volunteer at the school in your community. Participate in crime marches; attend local events and get to know your neighbors. Smile at strangers in the grocery store. Be counter-cultural by letting cars out in front of you; giving up your place in
line to someone who appears frustrated or pay for a strangers’ meal in a restaurant. These are all ways we can share Jesus’ Peace in our day-to-day lives.
However, I would contend that we sometimes jump into these works of justice too quickly and try to do them in our own strength. We neglect to pray for others and place them in God’s hands. It becomes difficult to offer peace and love to others without spending time in Intercessory Prayer. Jesus changes hearts and minds; we simply point the way with our words and actions. In his booklet, "Beginning to Pray" Anthony Bloom relays this story of a monk who worked beside many peasants in his monastery workshop. The story illustrates how interceding on the peasants’ behalf made a difference. One day, one of the other monks asked Father Stravinsky (not his real name I could not pronounce his Russian name), “how is it that the people who work in your workshops work so well even though you never supervise them, while we spend our time looking after them and they try continuously to cheat us in their work?” Father Stravinsky replied, “I don’t know; I can only tell you what I do about it. When I come to work in the morning, I never come without having prayed for these people, and I come with my heart filled with my heart and compassion for them. I give them their tasks and then I pray for each of them individually all day long saying, “O Lord, remember Nicholas” and go down the line praying for each one. Consider praying for those whom you see daily in your work and for strangers whom you see without the day. Jesus often uses prayer in unexpected ways and often like Father Stravinsky we do not see it until someone asks us about how are we able to be so patient and compassionate.(Retold in my own words from its retelling on pp. 115 Discernment: Reading the Signs of Life, Harper One, ©2013)
As we remember those in our families, our work and those strangers whom we pass, we need to remember to pray for the overwhelming situations in the world that bombard us in our 24-hour news society. I would invite you this week to consider praying for one situation in your community – learn the names of some of those involved and pray for them. Then choose a situation in a place that you are unfamiliar with, perhaps Ferguson, MO, Luhansk, Ukraine, or Beersheba, one of the communities in the Gaza Strip. Praying for those in other places; unites us with those who pray for peace in their communities around the world.
As I mentioned earlier one of the practices that needs to be a regular part of our life is worship. It is difficult for us to pray for unity in the world if we are not regularly gathering with our community of believers and praying for them
throughout the week. Pray for your congregation; its leaders and its ministries throughout the week.
Together through prayer and works of justice, we can permeate our life, our family, our church, our community, our country and our world with Jesus’ peace.
Will you join me in praying for peace?

The Rev. Elizabeth Tapia, director of Mission Theology for Global Ministries, wrote these  prayers for peace in observance of World Week for Peace in Palestine Israel 2013 World Week for Peace , which calls for justice and peace for all people. United Methodists are encouraged to use these prayers in both personal and corporate prayer times.

Gentle Spirit,

Breathe in us the wind

of truth, wisdom and righteousness.

May your Presence inspire us

 to create labyrinths of peace.

Compassionate One,

Make our hearts burn with love,

honoring all peoples  and creation.

Bless all nations, every family and community

 while we seek to work for justice and unity.

Prince of Peace,

 Lead us to ways of healing and reconciliation

  we pray with those who suffer and struggle. 

 Bless us with your reconciling love that knows no boundaries as we seek to live in community, justice and peace.

So be it.

 The Beatitudes and Prayers for the Christians in Palestine

A humble encouragement to the Christians living in Palestine...

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” (Mathew 5:6)

God of Peace, as our sisters and brothers in Palestine hunger and thirst for righteousness, freedom, land, unity and safety, fill them with your transforming grace, that they keep on trusting You as they keep on being peacemakers.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (Mathew 5:9)

God of Love, help us to love and respect all your children on earth, to care for those who struggle and persecuted in many ways.

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (v. 10).

God of Justice and Grace, grant us courageous and pure hearts, so we may see you more clearly and dwell in your land with harmony.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” (v. 8)

We pray in the name of the Triune God, Amen.

 —Rev. Dr. Elizabeth S. Tapia (from the Philippines),

 Office of Mission Theology

General Board of Global Ministries of the

United Methodist Church, New York City

etapia@umcmission.org

Other websites to visit: 

General Board of Global Ministries, United Methodist Church

http://www.henrinouwen.org/ - Henri Nouwen Society

http://merton.org/ITMS/ - International Thomas Merton Society 

World Week for Peace in Palestine and Israel 2014

Sacred Rhythms of Life: Entering a New Season

In my seasons calendar  of Celtic and Christian  Spirituality; it is the season of perplexity and spiritual survival known as Lugasadh and Lammas.  This coming Sunday will be the 11th Sunday after Pentecost or ordinary time on the Liturgical Calendar of the Church.  For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere while it might be hot and humid; the days are getting shorter and Autumn is on its way.  The seasons of nature and of spirituality remind us that there are sacred rhythms to life - times when our work and creativity will flourish and times when we are to listen and rest.  

Over the past months I have been in a season of perplexity and spiritual survival; wondering where God is? and why is my daughter gone?  In many ways I feel robbed and cheated of a season I long anticipated; a time of celebrating her graduating from high school and a time of anticipation as we took her to college and a new life emerged for all of us.  

Instead what has emerged is a season of self-care, of discernment and extra time with Allan. Allan and I have seen two waterfalls on the Natchez Trace Parkway and completed a Crazy Digital of Downtown Memphis.  I am eating more whole foods, taking more Yoga classes and trying new classes such Tabata. My discernment time has included discussions with friends; spiritual reading, prayer along with more silence and solitude. As I wrestle with my spiritual practices; living with the Divine Mystery and beginning again; I find myself in a new and unknown place.  A time of preparation has emerged as an opportunity for me to take a pilgrimage has occurred coinciding with my finishing my spiritual direction training program and preparing for a new ministry.  

Less than the month from now; I will spend a little over two weeks making a journey to friends and family; to familiar and unfamiliar places and to new experiences with God.  Part of the time I will spend in Cape May, NJ at the Sacred Rhythms Writing Retreat: Bringing Yoga, Dance, and Monastic Wisdom to Your Writing Practice. 

I will also be spending two nights in a hermitage on the property of the Franciscan Spirituality Center in Aston, PA.  

This will be a season of discernment as I will finish my spiritual direction certificate program through Perkins School of Theology the end of October and then begin my Master's in Spirituality through Oblate School of Theology as an online program in January. 

 What season are you in?  Where are you being called to journey?  

Here are a few websites on pilgrimage and seasons: 

http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=3526

http://www.umc.org/who-we-are/seven-sites-every-united-methodist-should-see

http://www.thechristiancalendar.com/

http://abbeyofthearts.com/classes/

http://www.contemplativemind.org/practices/tree

http://www.mysticchrist.co.uk/blog/post/wheel_of_the_year_calendar

Ecclesiastes 3 New Century Version (NCV)

There Is a Time for Everything

 There is a time for everything,
    and everything on earth has its special season.
2 There is a time to be born
    and a time to die.
There is a time to plant
    and a time to pull up plants.
3 There is a time to kill
    and a time to heal.
There is a time to destroy
    and a time to build.
4 There is a time to cry
    and a time to laugh.
There is a time to be sad
    and a time to dance.
5 There is a time to throw away stones
    and a time to gather them.
There is a time to hug
    and a time not to hug.
6 There is a time to look for something
    and a time to stop looking for it.
There is a time to keep things
    and a time to throw things away.
7 There is a time to tear apart
    and a time to sew together.
There is a time to be silent
    and a time to speak.
8 There is a time to love
    and a time to hate.
There is a time for war
    and a time for peace.

Jesus’ Final Priestly Prayer: Mission and Unity Andrew’s Chapel Campus, Jackson FUMC – June 1, 2014

In our technological word; we like data; we like to be able to google something and find all there is to know on the subject. We find it odd if a person or business does not have a web presence of some kind whether it be a web page or a social media account and heaven forbid if they do not have an e-mail address.  Just as an aside; I cannot imagine doing a sermon without the Internet and its wealth of resources and I share my sermons on the Internet; just check out my blog.  However, our Gospel passage from John this morning  existed orally long before it was written down on papyrus.  It is more like the person or business who is operating below the technological radar.  This passage of scripture requires faith and a willingness to be a Christ-follower.  For the writer of John 17; the facts about a historical Jesus or the actual events do not matter.  The writer is referring us back to the Prologue John where it is written, “In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God and the Word was God.”  Christ is the Word or as expressed by Dr. Alexander Shaia; “the Way of Love”, has existed since the beginning and will continue to be forever. The Word or as expressed by Dr. Alexander Shaia;  author of This text points us to eternal life through Christ and being one in Christ; the path of love.  While it is the path of love, it is also a path of suffering.  As the commentary for Preaching God’s Justice says, “These tensions show that the Christian life is neither absent of pain nor comfortable.”

Jesus has eaten his last meal and washed his disciples’ feet in the Upper Room.  This prayer is a part of his final discourse before he is arrested and crucified.  It is not only part of the final discourse but it is his final priestly prayer before being nailed to the cross.   Jesus begins by acknowledging that the time has come and prays for himself.  However, Jesus is not asking for circumstances to be changed but for God; the Father, to be honored and be known to all of Jesus’ followers.  In the second part of the prayer, Jesus is praying for his followers.  He demonstrates his love by asking the Father to protect them and to unite them as one. 

Two major  principles for us in this passage:

(1) Following Jesus’ example of  praying for our mission as Christ-followers both individually and corporately to be fulfilled – not for things to be made simple or less painful but for God to be glorified  and all to  be led to experience  eternal life not in the future but now meaning  that

“And this is the really real life across all time – that The Source of All is the deepest truth of the cosmos, and Jesus the Christ (the full teaching of The Way of Love) teaches us that matter and spirit, death and life, light and dark, time and eternity, earth and heaven and all people are One as The Source of All and The Way are One.” –  © Dr. Alexander Shaia, Heart and Mind: The Four Gospel Journey for Transformation

(2) Unity – we are to be One not a group of individuals but One – but what does unity look like, it  does not mean agreeing on every single doctrinal point or every single interpretation of scripture;  but it does mean loving each other as Christ followers.  We often are very good at building houses together or feeding the hungry or handing out clothing but what about how we treat people outside of those service opportunities?  I remember one Sunday as teenager when our family had to leave church immediately following the last hymn so we sat in the very last row; while some people arrived after us and said it was their pew and then proceeded sit down in front of us and act miffed during the entire service.  Alternatively, perhaps we are nice to be people when we see them at church and then act as if we do not know then outside of the church. This is not unity either.  Compassion is to be practiced both inside and outside of the Christian community.

Practicing compassion is refraining from judgment or advice giving  or trying to figure why this happening to that person before you decide to help but rather being present and letting them know Christ is with them and that suffering is a part of living.  Sometimes it is the direct result of sin or consequences of sin, however; it is not our job to point out other people’s sin but to care for them. Compassion is also not criticizing or making fun of other Christians with whom we disagree.   We hurt Christ’s mission more by our own infighting within the local church and within the universal church. Because we as Christians are composed of so many different groups; most of the time the world sees conflict and not love. 

Believing that we are under the Father’s protection means we have no need to fear or to understand all of life. Christ is asking us to accept whatever comes our way and to work with all those who follow Christ as well as those who do not. This is a tall order, which is why we cannot be Christians by ourselves because in our sufferings, our doubts, our joys and our celebrations we need community.  So where do we begin?  Jesus’ prayer this morning offers for us an example of humility and obedience second to none.  It also emphasizes how trust is key in all relationships.  Jesus trusted the Father; the Father protects us and as we will hear next Sunday; the Father gave us the Holy Spirit as our advocate.  Regardless of our knowledge or lack of knowledge of why God has done or not done certain things in the world; the Bible provides us with a picture of God who since the beginning of time has desired relationship with us.  Now have we always thought that God got it right or did we always respond to God appropriately probably not but again the past is not important.  What is important is us trusting in God.  We show God our trust by being honest with Him.  We cannot experience the redemption and love of Christ unless we tell God that we are scared; angry, fearful, excited or remorseful etc.  Trust is the first step in identifying with the Way of Love.; from there we can seek to glorify God and to become united with other Christ Followers as one.

So does trusting Jesus ensure that I will be happy probably not because even our modern psychologists have stated that  If anything, pure happiness is linked to not helping others in need. “ which is contrary to Jesus’ teaching.

After surviving the Holocaust; the famed Austrian psychiatrist and neurologist, Victor Frankl wrote a book entitled; Man’s Search for Meaning that was published in 1959; and in it he writes ,

“This uniqueness and singleness which distinguishes each individual and gives a meaning to his existence has a bearing on creative work as much as it does on human love. When the impossibility of replacing a person is realized, it allows the responsibility, which a man has for his existence and its continuance to appear in all its magnitude. A man who becomes conscious of the responsibility he bears toward a human being who affectionately waits for him, or to an unfinished work, will never be able to throw away his life. He knows the "why" for his existence, and will be able to bear almost any "how."

In another words, when we know our purpose then we can endure any kind of suffering.  Jesus knew his purpose and desires us to find our purpose in Him.   Even in our great technological age; a group of psychological scientists have just finished a study that will be published later this year in the Journal of Positive Psychology concluding that “Meaning is not only about transcending the self, but also about transcending the present moment”.   They go on to say that “While happiness is an emotion felt in the here and now, it ultimately fades away, just as all emotions do; positive affect and feelings of pleasure are fleeting. The amount of time people report feeling good or bad correlates with happiness but not at all with meaning.  “

Atlantic Monthly, further quotes this study in their article, “There is more to life than happiness”, by stating that: “Meaning, on the other hand, is enduring. It connects the past to the present to the future. "Thinking beyond the present moment, into the past or future, was a sign of the relatively meaningful but unhappy life," the researchers write. "Happiness is not generally found in contemplating the past or future." That is, people who thought more about the present were happier, but people who spent more time thinking about the future or about past struggles and sufferings felt more meaning in their lives, though they were less happy. “

So how we do carry out Christ’s mission and discover meaning in our lives?

(1) Identifying with Jesus as the Way of Love -    the website Living Space says –“To know the Father and Jesus is to have as full as possible an understanding of Jesus’ message and to have assimilated it into one’s whole life. It is not just a knowledge of recognition but a mutual identification of vision and values.  Further  As the Jerusalem Bible states: “In biblical language, ‘knowledge’ is not merely the conclusion of an intellectual process but the fruit of an ‘experience’, a personal contact.  When it matures, it is love.” (Jerusalem Bible, loc. cit.)”

(2) Commit to praying – follow Jesus’ example – praying for ourselves(to glorify God in all things and that our hearts and minds may be united in one purpose) so that we can pray for and be in unity with other Christ followers. 

(3) Commit to being a part of a faith community not just in name or by occupying a pew but by  being immersed in it by praying, serving and fellowshipping with other Christ followers.   Find others in your own church and beyond to encourage and share in your spiritual growth and service-(Facebook and Twitter are great ways to connect with other people; I have friends now from around the world who pray for me and we share in each other’s lives as Christ-followers some of them I don’t even know what church they go  to or what there theology is; we simply share and support each  other as Christians).

(4) As a Christ follower take responsibility for your own personal growth through regular study of scripture and spiritual reading; be willing to share your journey and help equip others.

(5) Serve and reflect Christ’s love in the world, which is sorely needed, as at least a quarter of Americans do not have a strong sense of what makes their lives meaningful according to Atlantic Monthly.

This is where our focus needs to be.  Jesus is not concerned with what happened in the past or what might happen but what we are doing together in this moment to be united together as One in Him that the world sees his love from us.

 I close now with a prayer from Michelle Francl-Donnay’s Homily written for this Sunday and published in the book,  Naked. And you Clothed me. “May we have ears to hear the poor. May we have eyes to see the root of injustice.  May we have the courage to bear the crosses placed upon us. May we have the will and the strength to take up the crosses that are not ours.  And may we ever bear with joy and hope the weight of glory.” ©2013 Clear Faith Publishing, Homilists for the Homeless series

  In the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit Amen.

To connect further with the resources mentioned visit: 

www.quadratos.com

Homilists for the Homeless
Preaching God's Transforming Justice
http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/01/theres-more-to-life-than-being-happy/266805/
Journal of Positive Psychology
http://livingspace.sacredspace.ie/
Jerusalem Bible

Let All Creation Sing: Living in the Moment

Waterfall on Natchez Parkway

We often anticipate as I mentioned in my previous post the weekends; we cannot wait for Saturdays.  Then often we spend Saturdays waiting – waiting for our soccer game to start; waiting for Mom or Dad to finish their chores to take us to the swimming pool; waiting for the party or the concert to happen or waiting on the bus, train or plane to take us where we are going.  These things are worth waiting for and make us glad that we trained, prepared or learned what we needed in order to enjoy our special event or game.  Yesterday I had the opportunity to do some hiking with my husband; it was a two hour drive to where we were going and then we had to hike a little bit to get there.  Yet once we reached the bottom; we come to a beautiful waterfall, which made it all worth it. Allan always does a better than me of moving slowly; I have learned so much from him about stopping along the path so I do not miss a rare flower or a millipede crawling along or a tree growing in a unique direction. 

Psalm 37:7a - Orthodox Jewish Bible

"Rest in Hashem[God], and wait patiently for Him;" 

Being in nature often reminds me of God’s handiwork; the waterfall is one way creation sings.  It makes me stop, look and listen, which we do not often do in the midst of all of our fun Saturday activities.  This was the gift this year of spending Holy Saturday; the day before Easter, with the Benedictine Sisters in Fort Smith, Arkansas.  We were told to think of Holy Saturday as a time of waiting; a day of anticipating the joy of Resurrection.  I had never thought about it in that way because much of my life I have spent the Saturday before Easter doing food preparation, dying Easter eggs, doing last minute shopping or traveling.  I maybe was even at a sporting event or concert.  Therefore, to have this day of silence as my own was a real gift.  The silence of Holy Saturday and the breaking of it around the dinner table and around the fire of Easter Vigil reminded me that sometimes the best blessings occur when we slow down and simply be.  As I held my candle and renewed my baptismal covenant on Saturday evening, I felt the presence of those who have gone before me spending their lives living out their Baptism.  I thought about the faithfulness of the Sisters; who do not know how their service and dedication will be carried into the future. 

Waiting is never easy and often the outcome is not what we want.  The mysteries of suffering are inescapable, however, I believe that when I slow down, pause and let creation sing that God renews my strength.  I challenge you no matter what you believe; to let the Divine permeate your soul with the song of creation. 

 "The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, nor to worry about the future, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly.” ― Gautama Buddha

In the Garden at  St. Scholastica Abbey 

"So do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself; each day has enough trouble of its own.  " - Matthew 6:34(Jerusalem Bible) 

Thank goodness it's Friday or Not: Living Hope

In the Garden at St. Scholastica Monastery 

I am not sure when I learned about TGIF – thank goodness or thank God it’s Friday but I am sure I must be around 9 or 10 around that age when school is becoming harder and you look forward to the weekends.  Weekends represented fun, friends and family.  Dinner out, dances, parties, plays, football games and staying up late all occurred on Fridays or sometime during the weekend.  TGIF has become commonplace for me now as an adult; I look forward to a break from the routines of work and school. 

Somehow, though now being thankful for Fridays is more difficult.  Eight weeks ago on a Friday; I said good-bye to my daughter and have not seen her since.  It is hard to believe and hard to wrap my brain around that I have survived.  At first Fridays only represented pain.  Last year at this time; our family was celebrating; we were thankful that Jane was alive and had been able to get the treatment she needed.  Allan took Jane to a doctor’s appointment in Memphis and on then they went on to the Beale Street Music Festival, which they enjoyed. I spent the day catching up on work, enjoying lunch and dinner with two different friends and very grateful to be on the side of healing. 

It is easy to be thankful when things are going well and yet that is not what life is all about is it.  Life is about courage, mystery and relationships.  It is seeing God through the immersion of human experience. Several weeks ago, I spent Good Friday at the St.  Scholastica Monastery in Fort Smith, Arkansas.  Good Friday is when Christians observe and remember the Crucifixion of Christ.  As a kid, I always wondered why it was called Good Friday; shouldn’t it be called bad Friday?  Yet is it good is it not for on that day because of our sins and out of His love for us; Jesus chose to be crucified and died on the cross to bring us living hope. Even we suffer on Fridays because of sickness or job loss or death of loved ones or any kind of tragedy or bad news;  we can hope because Jesus conquered death and stands as our Living Hope even we as humans have none.   However, I have discovered recently that in order to view Good Friday as good; one has to be able to weep and be honest with God.  I cannot truly experience redemption without letting God have my pain. Initially on Good Friday at the monastery; I felt great and I was patting myself on the back for keeping silent and staying away from technology well mostly.  Later after the Celebration of the Passion and dinner; I went out in the garden and wept.  I could see my own betrayal of Jesus: my focus on feeling good, on wanting to hold on to Jane; on wanting to turn the clock back and my desire to want to run away.   As the tears came and as they continue to come; I am reminded of another mother, Mary, who 2,000 years ago watched her son die on cross.  While Mary’s son, Jesus did rise again; the relationship was never the same; Jesus was not her little boy anymore.   I find comfort in knowing that she cried too and that even in knowing that what happened was good for all of humanity; I have to believe it was painful for Mary. So on this Friday; I grieve but I am also thankful because on a Friday many years ago Jesus died and became the Living Hope for all of humanity.  I am thankful for the sunshine, and I am looking forward to this evening with my husband and friends watching minor league baseball. I know in my heart that my redeemer lives and believe even when I do not feel it that my Fridays are being redeemed and healing is occurring.  I weep over what is lost but I look forward with joyful anticipation to what is to come.

A Different Kind of Lent : Heading Towards Resurrection and Redemption

Lent is generally a season of repentance and renewal.   For me,  I try to spend more time with God and usually commit to practicing a particular spiritual discipline.  This year Lent come up quickly as February flew by completing completing college financial aid forms for my daughter and doing our taxes as well as trying to complete my reading for class the 1st weekend in March.  Allan, Jane and I went to church on Ash Wednesday sang, listened and received ashes.  It was a solemn, blessed service.  Yet rather than being a beginning of renewal; it was the calm before the storm.  On her 18th birthday, March 7th, my daughter moved out lock, stock and barrel while we were gone leaving only a note and has not contacted us since.  While we know Jane is safe and is doing what she needs to do; it is very painful.
I have spent this Lenten season barely able to pray, crying, and screaming in anger.  Where are you God? has been the question I have been sitting with and now as I go to Fort Smith, Arkansas to spend the Triduum(the 72 hours before Easter) and Easter at Scholastica Abbey; I go seeking God.
I go knowing that every day I must give Jane to God and focus on where God is calling me.
I go seeking healing so that I can carry out the ministry each day that I am called to do and that I can be present for Allan, for my friends and for others who I encounter on my path.

As I have agonized over Jane being gone and have begun the process have letting go; I have come to recognize that this is what God does for us; he gives us free will.  Yet God continues to thirst for us and wants a relationship with us.  God allows us to go our own way but longs for our return and grieves over our wrongful deeds.  As I contemplate Jesus; the one who was both fully human and fully divine; I face head on the mystery of the cross and resurrection.  It is much more complicated than my human brain can understand.  As Allan and I watched the movie, The Last Temptation of Christ, I reflected greatly on Jesus' humanity and how perhaps he wrestled with his divinity more than we know.  Jesus had to come to terms with going to Jerusalem and dying on  the cross.  In a similar way, I have to come to terms with letting of go of Jane and accept that God will bring redemption in his own timing.

For now, as I prepare for Resurrection; I allow my sins and my suffering to be crucified.  I say God, I desire your living water, fill with me and use me according to your will.  Have a blessed Easter.  

Second Mile Love: Matthew 5:43-48

Second Mile Love – Matthew 5:43-48 – Parsons UMC – February 23, 2014

Jesus in these verses is telling us that answering his call is about a different kind of love.  Jesus calls to a second mile love; a love that continues regardless of how we feel.  In our culture, we are frequently taught to love only those who are nice to us and give us something in return.  Politicians pass laws that favor those who given them the most money.  Contracts are awarded to those who do extra favors.    Every day in the news, we hear about people being assaulted or even murdered for just being in someone else’s way.  They could have been an obstacle to the other’s career or relationship or to winning an election.   So perhaps we think we do not have any enemies since we do not engage in unjust behaviors.  I mean after all we are friendly to everyone.  We are not planning to murder, assault or bribe anyone.  On the other hand, maybe we say to ourselves I already pray for my enemies; I mean I pray for the Taliban in Afghanistan and for the gang warfare in my community so I am set right?  However, what about the person at work whom you make sure you never sit next to at lunch or the person at church whom we avoid.  Are we not by our actions classifying them as enemies?  Do we pray for those who have different ideas than us about how the Sunday school should be run or are we still holding a grudge against the chairperson of the rummage sale committee because they did not take our ideas?  In God’s eyes, we are no better off than the murderer because our sins of bitterness and resentment keep us trapped too.

Perhaps we are like the 98 year old man in the story; Father James Martin tells who stands up and says I have no enemies and when the priest asks him how this is so?  The man replies,” All those bastards have died!”  Yet he still has enemies.   Why? Because his anger indicates that, he is still holding grudges against them and cannot move on.    This bondage is not what Jesus wants.  He wants us to live a life of freedom.

However, God gives us free will.  We can hold to our grudges and stay stuck in past.  Yet over time, this does not accomplish anything.  I can think of times in my life when I was so angry that I lost sleep for several days and could think of nothing but plotting revenge.  Did brooding over this situation do anything; in fact, it brought suffering on me.  I wasted a week of my life preoccupied with hate rather than living in the freedom Jesus desires for me.  Jesus is always waiting for us but we have to choose to surrender. 

Now; just to clarify for a moment; we are not going to like everybody nor does Jesus expect us to open ourselves to abuse and mistreatment.   Loving our enemies means treating everyone with respect and not reacting in anger but rather responding with love.  Sometimes this might mean being silent or other times it might mean going to someone in authority.  Most often, however; what is required is for us to allow God to change our hearts. 

Where do we start?  First, we must start with surrender and admit that since only our Heavenly Father is perfect that we need God’s help.  Then we need to admit our own shortcomings before God and admit that we are in many ways like our enemies.  Next, let us consider listing our enemies. Then perhaps we can start with one or two specific people and pray for them every day. 

The Episcopal Priest, Linda Taylor, describes it this way, “Praying for our enemies means to go with them into God’s presence. We cannot simply send them there, and we cannot just send God after them. We cannot sic God on our enemies as we sic a dog on an intruder. Praying for our enemies means going with them into the Presence—being part of the healing—seeking healing for ourselves just as we seek healing for those whom we see as evil. Above all, the decision to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us means opening our deepest selves to transformation—daring to take one step out of the familiar into the places where we have yet to go.”

Our enemy (real or perceived) may never stop their taunting, their indifference or intimidation but our perspective will change.  We will no longer worry about what our enemies will do or not to do but will simply be free to respond with love. 

As God changes our hearts and we are filled with the Holy Spirit; then we will seek to be salt and light to the world as Jesus has asked us to.  What does this look like?  It means that we will stop using the word hate and take the time to teach others not to hate.  We will not allow those who are different us to be demonized; nor allow ourselves to be influenced by the protests; signs; commercials and speeches that promote hate.  They tell us to have nothing to do with those who are Muslim or homosexual or those who are Latino or who are poor.  They tell us to not even to speak with those in the opposite political party or try to understand those who are Afghan, Iraqi, or North Korean.  All of these people are God’s children whether they believe in Jesus or not.  Loving our enemies means allowing the transformative power of God to work through all.  It means making tough choices.

A Cambodia man whom I will call John because I cannot pronounce his given name tells one incredible story of choosing love not hate.  John at the age of 14 saw 13 members of his family murdered by the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia.  While plotting his revenge, John lived in a number of refugee camps and eventually immigrated to Canada.  Yet his plan was still to find those responsible and kill them.  In Canada, John came to know Jesus Christ as his Savior and began to experience God’s healing.  However, as time moved on; he realized that his preoccupation with desiring to kill these men was destroying him.  John needed to turn his bitterness over to God and as he sought to forgive those who killed his family; he discovered a new purpose.  John began to feel called to find the men who hurt his family and tell them of Christ’s love.  Several years later, John made trip to Cambodia and found two of the men involved in committing those atrocities.  He shook their hands and said he forgave them.  John continues to serve as a missionary in Cambodia. 

The writer and activist; Shane Claiborne who speaks often on the subject of loving your enemies talks about one life-changing experience he had.  Claiborne and some others traveled to Iraq in March 2003 to get to know the Iraqis as people and meet with Iraqi Christians.  As they were leaving the country, their car broke down in the desert in the midst of bombs coming down.  Some Iraqis came along and picked them up.  Yet they did not shoot or imprison them but rather took them back to their community and nursed them to back to health.  This town of Rutba had many reasons to hate Americans; as they had been bombed numerous times; one of those times their hospital was destroyed.  However, they chose love instead of hate; Shane and his friends were restored to health and the assisted in leaving the country safely.  A bond of friendship was formed between the Iraqis and Americans that continues.

Those two stories illustrate that the transforming love of Christ knows no bounds.  As scriptures tell us, nothing is impossible with God.   We do not need to be afraid; for when we surrender all to Jesus; he goes before us and guides us.

 Let us consider these questions. What we do need to surrender to Jesus this day?  How can we extend Jesus’ love to all people?

In the Name of the One who creates, redeems and sustains. Amen. 

Further Resources on learning to love your enemies 

http://clearfaithpublishing.com/homilies/ - Father James Martin S.J. 's story comes from the book; Naked, And You Clothed Me: Homilies & Reflections for Cycle A

www.quadratos.com - quote from Rev. Linda Taylor comes from their blog

http://theforgivenessproject.com/ - the story of the Cambodian man, John comes from this website 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypfVjQynwes - Youtube Video of Shane Claiborne discussing loving your enemies