Ashes to Ashes

I have to be honest. . .I'm not so sure about this Ash Wednesday thing. Not even that sure about the whole Lenten season.

Imagine you really really really really love somebody. So you buy them a really costly gift. More costly than anything you've ever purchased. But you love them, so it's worth it.

Imagine they open the gift, and they love it. They're overwhelmed by it. They can't say "thanks" enough. You can see their joy, and it makes you happy. And over the coming weeks, as they tell the story to their friends, as they show off the gift and gush about your generosity, it makes you happy. To see their joy and feel their appreciation.

But then. . .imagine they start focusing on that generosity piece. In fact, they stop really thinking about the gift, and instead spend all their time talking about your generosity. Wouldn't that bother you just a bit? You didn't give them the gift just so they could perpetually tell you how wonderful you are (well, if you did, your motives would be suspect).

And then. . .imagine it's not just your generosity they keep mentioning. They start harping on how they didn't deserve it, that you were too generous, that somebody like them isn't worthy of this gift. Wouldn't that start to grate on your nerves? You gave them the gift out of love, and your love proves they are, in fact, worth the price of the gift. I'm sure a momentary "Oh, you shouldn't have!" is appropriate. Even a couple "no, really, it's just to expensive"s wouldn't be out of the question.

But suppose, a year later, around the anniversary of the gift, your beloved starting acting morose. A little too serious. Somewhat sad. And when you asked why, they told you, "I'm just remembering how expensive that gift was, and how I'm not really worthy of such a gift from such a wonderful person." And then. . .they did it year after year after year. Always going on and on about the cost, the price, and how a dirty, unworthy, shameful person such as they didn't deserve that kind of gift. How amazing you were, that you would give a little wretch like them such a precious gift.

I know, I know. Maybe this isn't the overall purpose of Lent. But isn't it what it often becomes in our little corner of the world, our little Christian campout? Doesn't it often become a reflection on the heavy price paid by God, and our unworthiness of that gift?

Too much of our theology and practice came of age in a medieval age of kings and emperors and serfs and vassals. In that world, should the king bestow you with a gift, the only proper response was deference, reflection of the amazing generosity of the king to stoop in such a way as to offer such a blessing to an unworthy little worm. For ages stories would be told and songs sung of the generosity of the king, that one of such a high station would give gifts to lowly peasants.

But that's not the biblical story. The biblical story is "How great is the love the Father has lavished upon us, that we should be called sons and daughters of God." When I give my daughters a gift, I do appreciate a little gratitude on their part. But that's not why I give it. I give it because I love them and want to see the joy on their faces when they open it. And if my daughter would spend the next 6 months after Christmas repeating the mantra, "thank you, daddy - I am such a horrible daughter, so lousy, such a miserable wretch, and you are so amazing, so wonderful, so much higher than I. . .I don't deserve you or your gift" at some point I would say "stop it!" Or I'd sign her up for counseling.

There's a time and a place to remember this great gift of God to us in Jesus, and certainly each generation needs to hear the story again, but I'm just not a fan of the way it often slides into low self-esteem Christianity. The puritan heritage that speaks of us as worms and lower than dirt and wretches, that sees us as lowly vassals lucky even to mop the floor in God's great Kingdom. Instead, we're the prodigal child welcomed home with a party, with a celebration.

Regardless of how we tell the story, we still stand on this side of Easter. I'm not sure it's healthy to try to go back pre-Easter. I'm not sure we ought to spend so much time lamenting the sins of which we're already forgiven. God wants to throw a party, and we're still fixated on the dirt that's already been washed away.

Communal Response to a sermon on Matthew 4:12-23

He Qi, The Calling of the First Disciples

The world is too tempting, and our desires for comfort and fame too powerful.
We turn from God and choose glory, we hoard our wealth and doubt God’s provision.
In fear we use others to our end;
in pride we insult and gossip and bicker.
Instead of building God’s Kingdom, all too often we are builders of our own little kingdoms, protecting the walls of our hearts and lives while ignoring the lost and lonely outside.

And so we repent, admitting our failures, our pride and doubt and fear.
With David we cry out “Have mercy on me, O God, and cleanse me from my sin.”
With the disciples, we hear the call of Christ to “follow me,” and we stand, turn, and follow.
We repent of our pride and pray for humble hearts;
we repent of our greed and pray for generous hearts;
we repent of our anger and pray for loving hearts;
we repent of our comfort, and pray for hearts willing to give it all away for the sake of Christ.
We repent, turn, and follow, knowing the new life God offers is better than the life we now live.

Book Review: Common Prayer

Praying The Hours, or Set Prayers, is an ancient custom that Evangelicalism has been relearning in recent years. While The Church has incorporated communal common prayers since the time of Christ (following in the even more ancient practice of our Jewish roots), it is a practice mostly ignored in evangelical protestantism until the last decade. Thankfully, it seems to be making a comeback.

Many books are being written about the subject, like Arthur Paul Boers' The Rhythm of Grace, and Scot McKnight's Praying with the Church. In addition, many prayer books are being published to help people in their journey into this old way; books like Celtic Daily Prayer, the youth-oriented Book of Uncommon Prayer, and Phyllis Tickle's monumental Divine Hours. These join the more traditional communal prayer books published by churches and denominations, such as the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer, the Anglican Book of Common Prayer, the New Zealand Prayer Book, and the Presbyterian Book of Daily Worship.

One of the newest additions to this collection is Common Prayer, published in late 2010 by Zondervan and assembled by Shane Claiborne, Jonathon Wilson-Hartgrove, and Enuma Okoro. Common Prayer contains morning prayers for every day of the year, with an extra week added for use during Holy week. It has a shorter evening prayer for each night of the week, and a midday prayer for use throughout the year. In addition, it has a collection of Occasional Prayers for various situations; among them are a House Blessing, a Prayer for Adoption, Prayer for Healing, and a Prayer for the Death of Someone Killed in the Neighborhood. Finally, there is a short songbook at the back, a collection of music from a variety of traditions, including African spirituals, hymns, chants from the Taize tradition, and Mennonite worship gatherings.

Common Prayer is ultimately meant to be used in community, reflecting Claiborne's roots in the New Monasticism movement. It certainly can be used to guide one's personal prayer life, but most of the prayers are designed in a responsive manner. Some readers will be surprised at the political nature of the book. Claiborne is one who believes faith impacts the way we walk in the world, and is no private matter. To this end, Common Prayer is liberally sprinkled with stories of saints new and old who have impacted the world for Christ. Some are not so surprising - Brother Lawrence, Cyprian of Carthage, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer are all highlighted. Others might catch the reader off guard just a bit - Dorothy Day, Clarence Jordan, and Oskar Schindler.

Besides sharing the stories of individuals whose lives reflected Kingdom values, Common Prayer also highlights historical events both good and bad. October 10 remembers the Women in Black and their vigil against war in Serbia. October 16 remembers the Cuban Missile Crisis. August 21 remembers Nat Turner and a slave revolt in Virginia. March 21 retells the story of protest and violence in South Africa. February 25 remembers the Hebron Massacre and ongoing tensions in the Middle East. Each of these prompt us to consider Christ the peace-maker, and to continue to pray for God's Kingdom to reign on earth.

In addition, paragraphs appear throughout asking us to consider issues such as living our liturgy, practicing confession, and being thoughtful about creating sacred spaces. Also included are short teaching pieces on practices such as the Eucharist and church seasons. Each month concludes with a short list of suggestions for Becoming the Answer to our Prayers (the title of an earlier book by Claiborne and Wilson-Hartgrove).

In other words, there is a lot packed into this book. It takes prayer out of the context of 'personal religious practice' and sets in within the larger framework of the Kingdom of God on earth. It asks the user to dig deeper in prayer, but also to spread our arms wider around our fellow Christians and the world.

Of course, to fit all that in meant they created a rather large book. At almost 600 pages, this isn't an easy book to lug around in your backpack, or store in your church library. On the other hand, it's a well-crafted book whose cover, binding, and weight add to the substantial nature of the content. A few basic prints of woodcut art add to the beauty found inside. People used to the idea of common prayer might find this book a refreshing wind blown into their ancient tradition; those new to the idea will find it simple enough to engage and learn this meaningful practice.

In order to expand on their ideas, a website has been created with prayers for the day, .pdf files of the songs included in the book, and information regarding the contributors and their communities.

Special Thanks to Zondervan for providing a copy of Common Prayer for the purpose of this review.

Prayer for All Saints Sunday

Prayed at Lakebay Community Church 11/7/10

Almighty and compassionate God,
in Christ you have known the sorrow of our days.
Our losses are your losses, our pains are your pains.
Our grief is your grief.
In faith we believe that you know our tears,
that you hear our crying, that you know the
darkness stalking our dreams.
You who have known death, rejection,
pain and misery watch over us day by day.
Offer your comfort, O Lord, to those living
in the land of darkness. As you guided those who
have gone before us into your blessed home, guide
us through this dark and mysterious land.
Remember in your mercy those who have left us,
lead us into your Kingdom and grant us your peace.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

I love Creative People

Lakebay's Stations of the Cross opened as a smashing success this last Sunday. Artists from our church and community have taken the individual stations and put their own creative spin on them; these are displayed inside the church sanctuary for viewing, reflection, and contemplation throughout holy week.

A few months ago this was all a vague dream in my mind; I took it to Lakebay's resident artist Roshni Robert, and she ran with it, finding the artists and putting together the overall vision. And the artists she found put a lot of time and passion into their pieces; as a generally non-creative person, I am truly impressed by the quality of work they created. We are blessed as a community to have these people and their God-given talent in our midst.

The pieces themselves range from watercolor to photography, from a real crown of thorns to bread nailed into the wall with carpenter's nails. I have been moved as I have wandered through the exhibit any number of times this week. And I have to say it was thrilling to see so many join us for our artists' reception on Sunday afternoon (although perhaps it was the cheese plate that drew them in?).

If you haven't yet come by to see the Stations, I encourage you to do so. Even more so, I simply want to thank God for people with creative, artistic gifts, who do so well at bringing this ancient story to light in our world.


p.s. If you haven't yet seen the most recent Simpsons episode, you've missed one of their all time great lines:

Flanders: Homer, that's not why we're here. We can see the stations of the cross!
Homer: After we see the stations of the omelette bar.

Prayer for the dedication of a Blue Star Memorial Highway Marker

We gather today to celebrate the freedom we enjoy in the United States of America, and to remember that those freedoms have been, and still are protected by the men and women who serve in our armed forces around the world. We gather together to honor the veterans who served in times of peace and times of war, to remember those who suffer from the wounds of war, and particularly those who paid the ultimate price, sacrificing their very lives in defense of freedom here and around the world. We come to remember servicemen and women, their parents and children and spouses, all who play a part in supporting our nation. We mourn those who have been taken away, those who were killed or wounded in battle, we honor their memory, we offer love and encouragement to their families. Mostly, we resolve never to forget them, nor their sacrifice.

And so, gracious God, Lord and Father of all humankind, you who are the Prince of Peace, the defender of the righteous and shelter for those in conflict, doubt, or pain, we thank you for your hand that has been at work guiding and directing us to this day; we thank you for giving us brothers and sisters who give of their own lives and talents to defend our country – many of whom stand here in our presence even today. For the young soldier now in Baghdad or Afghanistan, for the old soldier whose sight is fading and step faltering, for the spouse and children who wait at home, missing yet supporting their soldier, we pray for protection, health, and comfort. For civilians who find themselves in harm's way, we pray for your hand to cover over them. Wherever there is violence or anger, where troops array for battle or insurgents sneak about in darkness, we pray your Spirit of Peace to reign in those places, bringing an end to hostility. We truly long for the day when swords are beaten into plowshares, and spears into pruning hooks, when nation will no longer take up arms against nation, nor will any train for war – the day your Kingdom of peace and righteousness reigns upon this land.

Until that day, we pray for your hand upon our leaders, our soldiers, our peacemakers. We pray that this marker would remind us of the great sacrifice made by so many, that it would remind us to encourage and support our veterans, that it would call to mind the men and women who have served this country faithfully. May all who come to this place be reminded to cherish the freedoms that you alone, O God, grant to your children. And may the prayers of peace in this garden, at this marker, be heard by you, O God, and may peace and freedom reign in this place, and around the world. Amen.

Affirmation of Faith for Amos 9

We believe and trust that, one day, God will make all things right.

That pain will wash away in peace, that anger will disappear in divine love.

That starvation will give way to abundance, and hunger to satisfaction.

We believe that God is at work, even now, to destroy death and pain and misery with life and joy and gladness.

We also believe that we are called to do our part, to feed the hungry, to welcome the outcast, to forgive those who do us wrong, to stand up for justice and mercy in this world.

Until he comes again, we will do his work, trusting that his victory is our victory, and that our hope will be rewarded with endless joy.

Congregational Response to a Sermon on Amos 5:18ff

We confess there is much pain in this world, much suffering, much sorrow and misery. We confess that we, too, are guilty of stepping over our neighbor in pursuit of glory, comfort, fame, or wealth. We confess that the ways of the world fall short of the ways of the Kingdom of God.

And yet we have been called, by Christ, to seek the better way – to replace empty religion with active hearts and hands, to cease with false pretense and show, instead pursuing justice and righteousness for all God’s children. We hear this call, and we respond:

Yes, Lord Jesus, we will serve you gladly.

Yes, Lord Jesus, we will seek justice and equity for all people.

Yes, Lord Jesus, we offer ourselves to you, to be used as your hands and feet in our land and around the world.

Yes, Lord Jesus, our love for you will be reflected in our love for those around us, and our compassion toward the poor, the lonely, those who live at the margins.

Yes, Lord Jesus, let there be a flood of justice in our land. We want to be a part of your restoring work. Let it flow through us. Let your healing for all people and our nation flow through us. Let your love and life flow through us. Amen.

Affirmation of Faith for the Sunday After Christmas

The world is taking down its decorations,

untrimming the trees and undecking the halls.

Christmas-time is fast fading into memory,

we quickly turn our eyes and thoughts to the

coming year. Carols are no longer played,

bell-ringers are silent, the presents all lay

unwrapped, and festivities have come to an end.

And yet – and yet, as the people of God, we do

not forget. We keep our eyes on the Christmas

stable, we scan the skies for signs of another

Christmas star. We still sing in joy and laughter,

for we know that Christmas lives on, because

Christ lives on. What began in Bethlehem

has exploded across the universe, breaking the

bondage of sin and mending the brokenness

of our lives. We continue on in Christmas,

for the Lord Jesus continues to come

into our lives, every single day of the year.

We remain a people who rejoice at his coming;

we remain a people who await his return.

Liturgy for Troubled Times

These were used in last Sunday's worship celebration at Lakebay Community Church:

Call to Worship
Leader: Whenever we gather together, we come to praise our God.
All: We praise our God, the one who reigns over all!
In times of joy and gladness,
We praise our God, who is good and kind!
In times of doubt and fear,
We praise our God, who is faithful and sure!
When bad news assails us, and dread stalks our homes,
We praise God, who protects and delivers us!
Whatever our lot, God has taught us to say,
"Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!" Amen.

Affirmation of Faith (from Habakkuk 3)
As God has been good to us, he is good to us still.
Though the stock market crash and cost of living rise,
though the paycheck is small and the bills grow large,
though enemy advance and foe prevail,
though trial and uncertainty remain;
'Yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will exult in the God of my salvation.'
For God, the Lord, is my strength;
he lifts me to the high places.

Call to Worship for Communion Sunday

Leader: We come this morning to worship our God, the King of kings and Lord of lords.

All: May his presence fill this temple, and his power fill our hearts.

May his peace guard your hearts and minds as you come before his throne.

May our words, our thoughts, our offerings and our deeds be pleasing in his sight.

May you know the power of his love, overwhelming your sorrow and doubt with hope and contentment.

May we feel his presence in our worship, in the Word, and as we gather at his table.

He is our God! He is a friend to the friendless, father of the orphan, shelter for the traveler and alien among us!

He is our God! His name is more powerful than presidents, kings, rulers and authorities! He is our hope, our friend, our redeemer. His love saves us and restores us. Come, Oh God, and invade this space! Come, be with us! Open the heavens and come down; reveal your love once again! Amen.

Congregational Response to a Question & Answer Sermon

We go into the world, a world of mystery and wonder,
a world abounding in joy and majesty,
yet a world dimmed by pain and suffering. As we go,
we go sure of this: God is on the throne.
Our victory is assured through Jesus Christ.
Though now we see in part, one day we shall see in full.
Though now we see through dimmed eyes,
one day we shall see as clear as the dawn.
Until we see fully and know completely,
we will trust in what we do know,
we will trust in the One Who we know:
God the Creator,
Jesus the healer,
Spirit the comforter.
Our God – the greatest question the world has ever known,
Our God – the greatest answer we will ever find.

Congregational Response to a Sermon on Mark 14:32-15:20

beaten, bruised

mocked and accused

he did it for me.

led before Pilate

he did not open his mouth

he did it for you.

misunderstood, laughed at,

the butt of the worst of all jokes,

he remained silent

the anger of the world meets

the love of God

and God chooses restraint,

God chooses love,

God chooses forgiveness.

What shall it be for us?

Shall we, having been forgiven,

choose not to forgive?

Shall we, having been shown

the way of peacemaking,

choose violence?

Shall we, having seen Christ’s compassion,

even through murderous torture,

choose hate, gossip, and slander?

No. We choose the way of love,

we choose the way of forgiveness,

we choose the way of Christ,

even though it costs us everything.

Christ gave up everything for us.

So, to, we choose to give up everything

for the sake of Christ.

Amen. So be it.

Congregational Response to a Sermon on Mark 13

We know not the day nor the hour.
It may be tomorrow, it may be 500 years hence.
We live in the now and the not yet –
the Kingdom has come, is coming, and
is yet to come.
Troubling signs abound: wars, rumors of wars,
famine, flood, earthquake and storm,
evil is strong and destruction abounds.
Troubling signs are all around us, and yet. . .
and yet we cling to this truth:
God is still on his throne,
God is still in control,
and justice and righteousness will prevail.
Good will win in the end, for God will win in the end.
And so we wait, in faith and anticipation,
enduring hardship and calamity,
rejoicing in suffering,
working to see God’s Kingdom Come on earth
as it is in heaven;
working for peace and truth and righteousness,
so that, should Christ return tomorrow or in
ten thousand years, he will find us faithfully
at his work. And in that day we shall see the
final victory and vindication of God’s rule,
and the fulfillment of all our hopes and dreams.
Amen

Sermon Response to Mark 11:27-12:12

Jesus, you have called us to be faithful stewards
of your Kingdom. You have called us to be
diligent workers in your fields. You expect
that your business will be our business, that
our work will be your work.
We confess that all too often we have let our
pride, our selfishness, our desire for comfort
and prestige cloud our efforts, we confess
that we have hurt each other and that
we have not, in fact, been your faithful disciples.
In confession we seek forgiveness,
dedicating ourselves once again to the simple
task of seeking your heart, and serving you
in love, humility, and gentleness toward all.
May our lives reflect your love and glory in
the world. You are the Stone the Builders Rejected,
and you are marvelous in our eyes. Teach us
to serve you first, foremost, and always.
Amen.

Sermon Response for Mark 9:30-50

Jesus, when you said “follow me,” we answered, “we will.”
When you offered salvation and hope, we gladly accepted.
When you offered bread and wine, we ate and drank.
When you gave your own life so that we would have life,
we received your gift with gladness.
But you call us to obedience, as well.
To love those unlike us, to serve those around us,
to become as children;
seeking not pride of place nor glory,
but the opportunity to lose ourselves
so that others may live.
You called us to be salt and light in the world,
to give up our own desires for pleasure
in order to truly follow you.
Again, we say, “Yes Lord,”
knowing we need your help to obey.
Give us hearts of obedience,
help us to become as children,
salt and light and servants of the world.
We will obey you, God.
Give us strength to heed your call,
courage to choose the right,
endurance to overcome our desires
of lust and pride. We will obey you, God.
We will be your disciples. Amen.

Sermon Response to Mark 8:31-9:1

Would you seek to follow Christ, the Lord?
Then be prepared –
prepared to give everything away
prepared to lose your riches
prepared to lose your reputation
prepared to lose your life.
Wash each other’s feet.
Mow one another’s lawns.
Forgive your enemy.
Treat your mother-in-law with kindness.
Give up your pride,
your grasping after wealth and fame.
Pay your taxes.
Give money to causes of righteousness.
Ignore the drive to consume,
fan the hunger for peace-making in this war-ravaged world.
Sell your television and donate the money to feed the hungry.
Would you become great?
Then take up your cross,
and follow Christ.

Tough Days to Preach

Sometimes there are just too many strands to be pulled in. Today is Palm Sunday - so preach on the triumphal entry. But the focus of the Mark 11 text is on the cleansing of the temple. So preach on that. But we're entering holy week, and I won't preach again until Easter, so we need to push on toward the cross. Can that fit in? And spring begins this Wednesday (here on the West Coast), and I usually like to preach on something related to creation and God's majesty around springtime. Finally, tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day, and many choose to preach on something related to the life and ministry of St. Patrick.

Then, there's the problem of music. Music about the Triumphal Entry? (Hosanna, Hosanna. . .) The Temple Cleansing? (Derek Webb has a song or two about that, although our hymnbook doesn't seem to include any. . .) The Last Supper? The Cross? Music about creation, in honor of spring? (For the Beauty of the Earth, This is My Father's World. . .)? Or something to do with St. Patrick's Day? (Be Thou My Vision)

We almost need to have four different services today. Otherwise it's just too broad, and I can't focus. . .

Congregational Response to a Sermon on the Importance of Fellowship

Or as Wainer likes to say, "Family-ship"

God calls us to this: To love each other. To care for each other.
To enjoy each other. To play together, to worship together,
to share food and drink together. God calls us to
a Community, a Family, a Fellowship. The sign that
we are God’s children is that we love each other. The sign that
Evil is defeated is a common meal shared by God’s children.

To a world that screams in the loneliness of shallow friendships
and angry families, we respond:

God is love! God loves us! And as God lives in us, we love one another.
We will love one another; we will share our lives as fellow travelers with
one another. We will enjoy each other. And God will dwell among us.

Congregational Response to a Sermon on the Importance of Studying God's Word

We believe that God has spoken to his people in the past;
We believe that God still speaks to us today.
We believe that the story of our God is written within his Holy Word,
The Bible, God’s gift to God’s people.
We believe life is illuminated, Truth is revealed, Hope is restored,
God is known through his Word.

We commit, therefore, to the study of this book – the stories of our
spiritual ancestors, the history of God’s work in this world –
in order that we may live lives pleasing to God, obedient to his call,
worthy of serving him in our world today. Amen