Resurrection Care

The complexity of our lives is so very clear as our church has been studying the life of Jacob, Leah and Rachael.   As a community we find ourselves in a complex web of relationships, especially at this time of year when everything is getting back into high gear: vacations are mostly over for all who were able to take some time off,  people of all ages are going back to school and the rhythm of life just generally picks up!

The complexity of our lives is made clear in a poem that was read recently in worship entitled: A Weaving.

On a loom are we created 
And have our breadth of days
Our web fashioned by unseen weaver’s hands
Deftly spun we become  the woof
Now the warp
Slowly turned into tapestry.

The filaments of our lives entwine
Each strand touching others
Soft wool, hard jute, supple linen
A spectrum of color and feel
Amid the rough fiber fined gold thread
Blended with those of common mettle.

Each sees their texture but dimly
For we busy ourselves in being the yarn
Yet, in heaven’s time is revealed an artful plan
A fabric woven from laughing hearts
From joyful love’s embrace
And, too, of sorrow’s tears
On the humble trail we trod.

Shall we now lift our hearts
In sweet appreciation
In hopes for lives well lived,
In hopes for lives well spent;
Fashioned from recovered cloth
Into a weaving made divine

                                                                    - Ron Eklof , 2008

The beauty of this poem, exemplifies for me the gift of the complex tapestry of our lives all coming together.  We need each other and surely the golden thread would be God’s love holding us all together.  Hope you might find beauty, complex as it might be,  in the goodness of your life with others.   

Upon self-examination this morning, it dawned on me that my choices for today were evident.  When I woke up on this Monday morning, it was a little overcast and the day held many opportunities.  As I  prayed and read scripture during my devotional time, a sense of overwhelming gratitude came to me as I pondered the sunny upbeat attitudes of my fellow staff members in Congregational Care.  The positive energy in our department helps all of us everyday.  We kind of run with trouble, but somehow it does not seem to overwhelm us and at the end of the day everyone is fulfilled. 

But today particularly, I realized that I just don’t like being grouchy or short sighted in my attitudes.  I’m sure you must know people that despite what comes their way they are making the intentional choice to spread joy and sunshine.  Do you think this is born into people?  Or do you think that sometimes it the season of a person’s life that defines their attitude?  Or maybe it is just their natural inclination to see good everywhere.  Whatever it is, I would invite you to step into that space with me for a complaint free Monday.

Prayer for today: Gracious God, my prayer today would be that You would grant me the serenity to look past things that might be frustrating or worrisome.  Help me concentrate and see the positve everywhere I go.  Allow me to be your agent of good as well as your physical presence of justice that your kingdom would flow out of what I am able to do in your name.  All this in your Son’s holy name, Amen.

S. Kierkegaard said, “We live our lives forward but we understand them backward.”   This little saying was the inspiration for our team as we devised ways to walk alongside our congregation.  Out of that quote we created a purpose statement: ”Congregational Care… guiding the Resurrection community toward healing and wholeness.” 

The staff and pastors work diligently to provide different ways that healing and wholeness can happen.  This past week in worship we provided everyone with a bulletin insert that lists and describes all of the different classes that Congregational Care is offering this fall in this effort. 

Our “Living Forward” classes include a class entitled “Men in Grief” led by Pastor Russell Brown.  It starts this Tuesday, September 16th at 6:30 pm in Room 213.  Pastor Jeff Clinger and I will be leading a discussion on “The Last Lecture” on October 9th at 6:30 pm in Room 220.  Other offerings include a class on suicide, Women in Transition and marriage enrichment courses. 

More about these classes and others…plus our support groups…can be found online. 

As you look at this list, we are trying to address the current needs of our congregation and community.  Please, let me know if you know of other needs that we might address in upcoming sessions. 

Blessings,
Karen

One of my favorite fall activities is the Sacred Steps 5K run.  This walk/run was started by a group of us that returned from Africa ready to put legs to our own efforts for Africa.  It has been so exciting to see Pastor Adam return from his own trip to Africa – seeing for himself all of the projects that have been funded through this great fun event.   Community centers have been built, meals provided, crops planted, fish ponds developed and a multitude of other endeavors.  All because people have heard the cries from the children of Africa and want to help. 

I would invite you to register early and come out to be a part of the fun on Saturday morning, September 27th.  The race begins at 8 am. Take your own sacred steps as we help the children affected by HIV/AIDS.  Be there or be square! 

Have you a list of ways that automatically boost your spirits?  Are there people in your life that make you smile?  I love our Congregational Care team who I spend most of my waking hours with; however, I have a short list of people and ways that will boost my energy and spirits.

At the top of the list of course is my husband and grandkids. This past weekend, Les and I kept the grandkids for three days.  They help us remember how to roll around on the floor and giggle about fireflies.  They help us see fireworks as if it is a brand new event. 

Jesus said in Matthew 19:14, “Let the little children come unto me, for such is the kingdom of God.”  Somehow I get the vision that Jesus knew that the children would be laughing and finding ways to draw him into a time to play.  How good it is to remember not to take ourselves to seriously… to just go outside and run if you can, or look at the clouds, bugs and frogs.  All of this helps us be refreshed.  Can’t you just see Jesus laughing?  

My prayer for you today:  “Gracious God, thank you for this day and for the joy of the people all around us.  Allow us time to laugh with each other.  Help us to look at clouds and flower and green grass with new eyes.  Lord God, if there is someone out there who needs their spirits lifted, I would pray that you would bring to them a happy thought or situation that would allow them to forget the seriousness of whatever might be troubling them.  Forgive us when we take ourselves to seriously.  We give ourselves to you anticipating your joy to come.  In Christ’s name.  Amen”

First off, all my apologies for not getting this post done sooner.  Our whole Congregational Care team has been moving into our new suite of offices.  We invite you to come by for a tour this next Tuesday, July first.  The hours for this are 5:30 to 6:30, open house, 6:30 worship, and 7:30 pie and entertainment.  We’re planning on having a great time.

Now back to the Will of God.  Last blog I mentioned Leslie Weatherhead’s little book, The Will of God.   The study of how evil of the world collides with the understanding of a good and loving God is called theodicy.  Theodicy boils down to how people understand the will of God.  Weatherhead has three ways to look at the will of God: Intentional, Circumstantial and Ultimate.

I’ll try to explain these with the use of an example of someone’s tragic death.  Say it is a young person killed by a motorcycle accident.  God’s intentional will was that the person enjoy the ride…hundreds of them if the person was doing no harm and enjoying life.  God intends for us to have happy moments.  

God’s circumstantial will is what happens to us when the situation runs amuck.  Then in those circumstances God hopes for the best.  If there is an accident, God would hope for no one to be hurt but if they were hurt that they would be healed.  If healing is not possible then the wish would be for no suffering.  God is still hoping for the best no matter what the circumstances.  Amanda who works in our department, told me that her mother received two kidneys from people who had been in motorcycle accidents.  So from this terrible circumstances, a great life-saving blessing came to another person. 

The third way that Weatherhead explains it is known as the ultimate will of God.  This is the place where despite evil or pain that happens in the world, God’s purposes will be achieved.  So that even if the young person tragically died, somehow there would be great good that came out of the tragedy.  Perhaps a scholarship would be established to honor the young person, or perhaps a biking school for bikers. Lastly, and most importantly of course, we must remember that death does not have the last say.  This is seen throughout the scriptures, but particuarly in I Corinthians 15:50-57, where Paul says (my words) that we all will have to take off these mortal bodies at some time and put on the our new immortal body.  (I liken it to taking off an old coat that no longer fits us.)  Then we put on a new body.  And he ends the scripture triumphantly, “Death has been swallowed up in victory.  Where O death, is your sting?” 

So in a nut shell, our loving God of the scriptures intends for us to have long lives, but circumstances of the world can go badly, yet God still is hoping for the best out of whatever comes our way.  Lastly, God intends for us to end up in heaven.  So that even if the worse comes against us…an untimely tragic death…we will be with God. 

I hope that all of this makes some sense for you.  Take time to ponder it and just remember the little book.  “Stuff happens” for all of us……and we need to be able to make sense of it somehow.  

God is good, all the time.  All the time….God is good.