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.   

Please, indulge me as I share with you some of their accomplishments:

• 1400 pastoral appointments have occurred over the last year
• 600 individual or family counseling appointments
• the church has assisted over 40 families and individuals through member financial assistance
• 947 people participated in the Living Forward Classes and Healing Services including Mental Health classes, Women in Transition, Men in Grief, Discussions on The Last Lecture, Praying as a Couple, Alzheimer’s Caregiver Support, Marriage Enrichment, etc.
• Employment Transition is averaging 65-70 participants each month.
• Spouse Loss Grief Support averages 20 people per session.
• Women’s Cancer Support has 15 participants each month.
• Men’s Cancer Support has 25 participants each month.
• Divorce Care has 20 participants and Coaster Kids (children’s support meeting next door) has 12 children each week.
• Silent Angels (infertility support) has 20 participants each month for the meeting and 30 participants each month for Bible Study
• Resurrection Support Groups impact a total of 4,120 people – some didn’t attend Resurrection until after they attended their group.
• The Blood Drive had a 37% increase from last year.
• 1770 people ran/walk in this year’s Sacred Steps 5K.  Since the beginning of Sacred Steps (three years ago), we have raised over $425,000 for Africa.
• Silver Link touched 30,000 lives including 220 worship services throughout our comminutiy with over 4800 in attendance, 4 special concerts, monthly services for the frail and elderly from local senior communities held in Wesley Chapel, special classes developed for caregivers, plus a support group for those with low vision.
• Congregational Care now has 27 active Congregational Care Ministers.  Each pastorate pastor has at least five on their team.  One CCM works with Nicole Harris, Community Connections Specialist, and one works with me.  We will commission 17 new Congregational Care Ministers during the weekend of January 10-11, 2009.
• Celebrate Recovery will launch in the Student Center on Thursday, January 22!  The leadership team and volunteers are actively preparing for this new Christ-based 12-step recovery program.

Please, join me in a moment of praise and thanksgiving for the compassionate caring that has blessed so many individuals and families. 

My prayer today on this eve before the start of 2009 is that God will bind us closer together that we might run the race that is set before us.  May God grant us grace and speed to do all of this ministry with joy…unbelieveable joy!!  Love to you all…

Karen

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.

Author Randy Pausch was given that message.  At that point he set about trying to say and do what he believed was most important.  This relatively young man tried to squeeze a lifetime of important messages into his best selling book, The Last Lecture, before his death this past summer.   I found the succinct chapters to have much brilliance and poetic beauty.

He sets the reader up to ponder simple yet profound questions and ideas.  Randy asks the reader to remember their childhood dreams.   “Who enabled your dreams?  Whose dreams have you enabled?” 

He asks the person about their essential self by asking the question: “What do I, alone, truly have to offer?  What is your life’s message?”

He tackles the goodness as well as the struggle with knowing the truth. 

If you would be interested in thinking about these questions for your own life and how you want to live your life forward, I’d invite you to a great evening with Pastor Jeff Clinger and myself.  We’ll be leading a discussion with our own thoughts and ideas about the book tonight (October 9).  We’ll be meeting in Room 220 at 6:30, in the east building, east hallway. 

Jeff and I both found this book to be helpful as we consider these important questions with people on a daily basis.   We hope you’ll join us and join in the discussion.  All are welcome.  Reading the book in advance will allow you to gain more from the class, but will not be required.

Lord, don’t give me rest.
Give me tasks to do, O Lord, big ones, long ones,
time consuming ones, challenging ones.
Give me jobs that look all but impossible, give me assignments
that others don’t think I can handle.
Give me projects that I cannot finish in a day but must set aside at evening
and sleep on and anticipate for tomorrow.
Give me work I’m not quite sure how to do, Lord, and give me deadlines
and give me people standing there impatiently wanting for the result
— discriminating people who expect it to be right
and who need it very much.
Give me all this today, Lord, and then tomorrow give me more tasks
just as tough or tougher.
All this give me, Lord, instead of rest, because I want to learn, to grow, to be of value,
to accomplish, to have purpose and to anticipate all my tomorrows.
Amen. 

I would like to add a couple of thoughts for you to consider.  First, let’s talk about what is most inspiring to me and perhaps to you. Just the whole idea that the writer is saying, “God I love life today and I really want to live fully.”  That is what I hear when the author says, “Lord, don’t give me rest.” 

The next few lines give that same emphasis. My paraphrase might be, “I love to be challenged by new ideas and love learning, so bring it on, God.  Plus, I’d like to be part of something that is bigger than myself and anything I could do alone.  Help me find my place and contribute everyday.”

The last part of the prayer is the best for me because it tells the “why” of the prayer.  The person wants her/his life to be of value and to be able to look back saying “This has been so good, God.  Better than anything I would have expected.”

As I have read this prayer over and over for years, I wanted God to be guiding me in all the major decisions, leading me through doors that I might not want to see or walk through because of fear or stubbornness. 

Even as I have been encouraged by the words over the years, I want to issue a critique about the prayer, also. Actually, this is why I call it the “Dangerous Prayer.”  I think it is important to know that God does want us to rest and be renewed.  If you were at church this weekend, during the sermon you heard me talk about how important the quiet times are: the times when we slow down to hear God’s voice.  Plus, we have to have rest so we can think clearly and do our best in life.  So, I’d add a little phrasing to your own prayers.  It might be something like, “Let me have all this and good sleep at night.  Plus, let me not forget to play and rejoice with those I love because I need to be renewed, restored and in good relationship with family and friends.”

Lastly, and on a positive note, I named it the “Dangerous Prayer” because it has opened up my heart and eyes to the possibility of doing things that I might not otherwise consider.  God has plans for us that we need to consider!

FYI, I was given this prayer with no author’s name attached.

Let’s pray:

Gracious Lord, what a gift it is to know that we can come to you together to worship you in this your holy house which offers safety and grace for all your children.  Lord help us turn our focus to you that we can truly see the beauty of this fall day for it is amazing.  Help us to relax and rejoice on this Sabbath day.  God, our hearts are full to overflowing as we see your love and grace working through our Matthew’s Ministry, Silver Link Ministry, FaithWork and the SHADE ministries in Africa.  Lord God, for all the lay people, pastors and teachers who reach out to care for a hurting world, we thank you.

Yet, Lord God, we confess to you that we can so easily fail you.  We know we can be short sighted and selfish both corporately and individually.  We can turn away from those who need us both in our families and throughout the world.  For all of the ways that we fall short of your desired goal for us, we ask your forgiveness in this moment of silent prayer.

Lord, as we think of the chaos this past week in America, from Galveston and Houston to Wall Street, we know that it is quite possible that for many there may be difficult times ahead.  God of all, whether we be in Africa with our friends who need water or in America facing our own challenges, we pray that you would give us the strength and the wisdom to know how to cope as people of God.  Help us to remember, Lord, that you will see us through anything…anything.  And that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus  We pray all this together as we set our eyes on you that your kingdom will come.  In Jesus’ name, we pray.  Amen.

We Shall Overcome (African-American Spiritual)

We shall overcome, we shall overcome, we shall overcome someday!
Oh, deep in my heart I do believe we shall overcome someday!

The Lord will see us through, The Lord will see us through, The Lord will see us through someday!
Oh, deep in my heart I do believe The Lord will see us through someday!

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

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! 

For me, the most challenging of days calls for the best of God’s work from me.  In the book of John, Jesus tries to prepare us for days when the way may seem a little dark.  In John 12:35-36, Jesus encourages people to walk with the light, so that the darkness does not overtake you: “While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of light.”  These words speak to the daily discipline staying so close to Jesus that whenever the hardest of challenges come there will be no hesitation.  The love, grace and mercy of God will be so paramount within us that they are the first responses and remain fully the overriding, guiding virtues.

This is my prayer for all of us today:  “Lord God, whatever might come to our path, allow us to be so strong in your Spirit, that only goodness can come from us.  Allow no evil to overcome your goodness.  Guide us always to do what you want.  Keep before those people who might guide and enlighten us.  Let us remember the life lessons we have previously learned that we might make wise decisions.  We give you ourselves that you might use us for your purposes.  In Christ’s name.  Amen.”

Blessings,
Karen

This is a testimony from Tony Snow, former Bush press secretary, written shortly before his death:

Blessings arrive in unexpected packages, – in my case, cancer.  Those of us with potentially fatal diseases – and there are millions in America today – find ourselves in the odd position of coping with our mortality while trying to fathom God’s will.  Although it would be the height of presumption to declare with confidence ‘What It All Means”, Scripture provides powerful hints and consolations. 

The first is that we shouldn’t spend too much time trying to answer the ‘why’ questions: Why me?  Why must people suffer?  Why can’t someone else get sick?  We can’t answer such things, and the questions themselves often are designed more to express our anguish than to solicit an answer. 

I don’t know why I have cancer, and I don’t much care.  It is what it is, a plain and indisputable fact.  Yet even while staring into a mirror darkly, great and stunning truths begin to take shape.  Our maladies define a central feature of our existence: We are fallen.  We are imperfect.  Our bodies give out. 

But despite this, – or because of it, – God offers the possibility of salvation and grace.  We don’t know how the narrative of our lives will end, but we get to choose how to use the interval between now and the moment we meet our Creator face-to-face. 

Second, we need to get past the anxiety.  The mere thought of dying can send adrenaline flooding through your system…  A dizzy, unfocused panic seizes you.  Your heart thumps; your head swims.  You think of nothingness and swoon.  You fear partings; you worry about the impact on family and friends.  You fidget and get nowhere. 

To regain footing, remember that we were born not into death, but into life, – and that the journey continues after we have finished our days on this earth.  We accept this on faith, but that faith is nourished by a conviction that stirs even within many non-believing hearts – an intuition that the gift of life, once given, cannot be taken away.  Those who have been stricken enjoy the special privilege of being able to fight with their might, main, and faith to live fully, richly, and exuberantly – no matter how their days may be numbered. 

Third, we can open our eyes and hearts.  God relishes surprise.  We want lives of simple, predictable ease,- smooth, even trails as far as the eye can see, – but God likes to go off-road.  He provokes us with twists and turns.  He places us in predicaments that seem to defy our endurance; and comprehension – and yet don’t.  By His love and grace, we persevere.  The challenges that make our hearts leap and stomachs churn invariably strengthen our faith and grant measures of wisdom and joy we would not experience otherwise. 

‘You Have Been Called’.  Picture yourself in a hospital bed.  The fog of anesthesia has begun to wear away.  A doctor stands at your feet; a loved one holds your hand at the side.  ‘It’s cancer,’ the healer announces. 

The natural reaction is to turn to God and ask him to serve as a cosmic Santa.  ‘Dear God, make it all go away.  Make everything simpler.”  But another voice whispers: ‘You have been called.”  Your quandary has drawn you closer to God, closer to those you love, closer to the issues that matter, – and has dragged into insignificance the banal concerns that occupy our ‘normal time”. 

There’s another kind of response, although usually short-lived an inexplicable shudder of excitement, as if a clarifying moment of calamity has swept away everything trivial and tiny, and placed before us the challenge of important questions. 

The moment you enter the Valley of the Shadow of Death, things change.  You discover that Christianity is not something doughy, passive, pious, and soft.  Faith may be the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.  But it also draws you into a world shorn of fearful caution.  The life of belief teems with thrills, boldness, danger, shocks, reversals, triumphs, and epiphanies.  Think of Paul, traipsing through the known world and contemplating trips to what must have seemed the antipodes ( Spain ), shaking the dust from his sandals, worrying not about the morrow, but only about the moment. 

There’s nothing wilder than a life of humble virtue, – for it is through selflessness and service that God wrings from our bodies and spirits the most we ever could give, the most we ever could offer, and the most we ever could do.  Finally, we can let love change everything.  When Jesus was faced with the prospect of crucifixion, he grieved not for himself, but for us.  He cried for Jerusalem before entering the holy city.  From the Cross, he took on the cumulative burden of human sin and weakness, and begged for forgiveness on our behalf. 

We get repeated chances to learn that life is not about us, that we acquire purpose and satisfaction by sharing in God’s love for others.  Sickness gets us part way there.  It reminds us of our limitations and dependence.  But it also gives us a chance to serve the healthy.  A minister friend of mine observes that people suffering grave afflictions often acquire the faith of two people, while loved ones accept the burden of two peoples’ worries and fears. 

‘Learning How to Live’.  Most of us have watched friends as they drifted toward God’s arms, not with resignation, but with peace and hope.  In so doing, they have taught us not how to die, but how to live.  They have emulated Christ by transmitting the power and authority of love. 

I sat by my best friend’s bedside a few years ago as a wasting cancer took him away.  He kept at his table a worn Bible and a 1928 edition of the Book of Common Prayer.  A shattering grief disabled his family, many of his old friends, and at least one priest.  Here was a humble and very good guy, someone who apologized when he winced with pain because he thought it made his guest uncomfortable. He retained his equanimity and good humor literally until his last conscious moment.  ‘I’m going to try to beat [this cancer],’ he told me several months before he died.  ‘But if I don’t, I’ll see you on the other side.’

His gift was to remind everyone around him that even though God doesn’t promise us tomorrow, he does promise us eternity, – filled with life and love we cannot comprehend, – and that one can in the throes of sickness point the rest of us toward timeless truths that will help us weather future storms. 

Through such trials, God bids us to choose: Do we believe, or do we not?  Will we be bold enough to love, daring enough to serve, humble enough to submit, and strong enough to acknowledge our limitations?  Can we surrender our concern in things that don’t matter so that we might devote our remaining days to things that do? 

When our faith flags, he throws reminders in our way.  Think of the prayer warriors in our midst.  They change things, and those of us who have been on the receiving end of their petitions and intercessions know it.  It is hard to describe, but there are times when suddenly the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, and you feel a surge of the Spirit.  Somehow you just know: Others have chosen, when talking to the Author of all creation, to lift us up, – to speak of us! 

This is love of a very special order.  But so is the ability to sit back and appreciate the wonder of every created thing.  The mere thought of death somehow makes every blessing vivid, every happiness more luminous and intense.  We may not know how our contest with sickness will end, but we have felt the ineluctable touch of God. 

What is man that Thou art mindful of him?  We don’t know much, but we know this: No matter where we are, no matter what we do, no matter how bleak or frightening our prospects, each and every one of us who believe, each and every day, lies in the same safe and impregnable place, in the hollow of God’s hand.

  T. Snow