Roll Down Like Water

Daniel Fast - Day 10

2011-04-12T23:07:00.000-04:00

We're almost halfway through! Praise God for all that God has done. Even if you haven't felt anything but crabby from lack of caffeine or annoyed by missing your favorite treats, God is working in you and God will honor your gift of love.

I looked out my bedroom window today and was so excited to see small green leaves and tiny white flowers on the tree outside. It seems like overnight the trees went from barren to buds to beginning flowers. All day, when I drove by flowering trees or bushes I was struck by the sudden beauty that is breaking out all around.

The flowering trees reminded me of how often I live in the future, my mind always running one or two steps ahead (or one or two thousand steps ahead!) of where I am and what I'm doing. At a meeting yesterday, several of the people who shared parts of their journey mentioned their desire to live in the present and concentrate of what God has for them right here, right now.

And isn't this the gift of fasting - the gift of being fully present and in the moment? When our stomach growl, when we intentionally choose or decline a specific food, when we shop with care at the grocery store, we are being fully present. Fasting takes us out of autopilot, when it's so easy to run ahead of ourselves, and back into what is happening in the moment.

1 Samuel 14:24-30 contains a little known story about fasting that highlights the challenge and the gift of living in the moment. When the army of Israel, who is tired and hungry, enters the forest and finds the honey all over the ground, they must have been famished. They wanted to eat. But they were preparing for a large battle, and the admonition to fast was to prepare them for what lay ahead. But I also think that the admonition to fast was a way to ensure that the army lived in the moment. When they were fasting, they were thinking about how to avoid the lure of food. Their minds were occupied by what they faced right there and right then. If they weren't fasting, the soldiers minds would have raced to what they might face - anxiety, fear, unearned bravado or doubt may have taken hold of their mind.

When the army fasted, they didn't worry about what was to come. They focused on what was already here. Jesus said, "Do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry about itself" (Matthew 6:34). Live here, live now. Focus on what I am calling you to at this present time. May we claim these words of instruction and blessing right here and right now, in the moment.

Daniel Fast - Day 9

2011-04-12T22:43:00.000-04:00

Dear friends,

How is the fast going after the first week? I’ve heard from some of you who had to modify or break the fast for health concerns – that’s okay! This type of fasting is not for everyone or every body type. God honors the effort and attention that we all give to focusing on God during this season of fasting, whether it’s one or three weeks.

Yesterday it was so good to catch up with many of you and hear how the week was going. You are becoming creative cooks! The first week is usually the worst. The second week, we have found that we fall into a rhythm of eating and praying. We are more attentive to what God is doing in our lives and how we are drawn closer to the Divine. This is often the best week. I pray that it is for each of you.

May God continue to bless us as we travel together on this journey of fasting, prayer, focus and connection to Christ.

Daniel Fast - Day 6

2011-04-11T21:50:00.001-04:00

Tonight, I have my first chance to play the “hospitality card” on the fast. I’m going to a friend’s 40^th birthday party, and I know that there will be many fast un-friendly foods there. I’ll plan ahead of course: I’ll eat a good dinner, I’ll take a snack for the long ride, I’ll drink lots of water. But once I’m there and the birthday cake comes out, my resolve is likely to melt.

The temptation to go off of the fast and use the justified “hospitality” card is very strong. That temptation led me to another example of fasting in the Bible – Jesus’ temptation in the desert in Luke 4. Immediately after his baptism, Jesus is driven into the desert where he fasts and prays for 40 days. This fast was a total abstinence from food. When the Temptor came to him at the end of those seven weeks without food, Jesus had to be beyond hungry. He must have been famished, weakened, gaunt. Turning a stone into a loaf of bread would have been an easy miracle and one that was totally justifiable.

In the face of such temptation, Jesus remains firm. “One does not live by bread alone,” he responds. His response to the temptation to meet his physical hunger is to point to the nourishment and sustenance that we receive when we fill ourselves with God’s Spirit – a Spirit that sometimes can only be accessed when we clear the clutter from our lives and make room for the Holy to dwell.

This Daniel Fast, what are you tempted by? How are you tempted to meet your deep spiritual hunger with food, TV, internet, or something else? This weekend, what temptation will you ask Jesus to strengthen you toward as you make a place for the Holy not only to live but to move in your heart and into our world?

Daniel Fast - Day 5

2011-04-07T22:22:00.000-04:00

The difference between our needs and our wants as related to fasting seemed to hit a nerve! That constant struggle to identify and balance the two - not just with food but with our material goods, our time, our relationships and so much more - is a universal to the human condition.

Reflecting further on that theme led me to Jonah 3. Jonah is spit out of the big fish, goes to Ninevah and does what God told him to do the first time around: he proclaims that God will destroy the city because of their wickedness. Instead of falling prey to the human instinct for self-preservation and destroying Jonah, the messenger, they listened to the message. They immediately repented of their evil and wicked ways, from the king to the lowest peasant, and started a fast of penance, of purification, and of repentance.

This short chapter is filled with very powerful and swift imagery and words. When the Ninevites were confronted with their sin, they gave up all food as a first sign of sorrow and seeking forgiveness. They abstained from eating as a visible sign of their regret and their desire to leave behind their old ways and take up new ways. Because once you've been sitting in an ash heap, wearing scratchy, rough sackcloth and fasting from all food, you don't slip back into your old ways easily. The physical acts of contrition and repentance can enact a spiritual change. The cleansing that takes place goes beyond the physical and moves into the heart. We join with the Psalmist who says, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me" (Psalm 51).

This Daniel Fast, how are you letting the physical changes you're undertaking also create a spiritual change? What of your "old" way of life will you leave behind when the fast is over? What areas of your life is God calling you to repent of and receive the blessing of forgiveness?

Daniel Fast - Day 4

2011-04-06T18:40:00.000-04:00

I want coffee.

Really, really bad.

Today I attended two breakfast meetings - both served coffee. I had lunch in my favorite restaurant - they serve great coffee. I drove past Starbucks not once, or twice but four times today - no lattes. I could pass up the pastries at breakfast, the homemade sandwich rolls at lunch, and the mini-donuts at Starbucks with no problem. But oh, how I've struggled with coffee today!

Today's struggle led me to thinking about needs and wants. I certainly didn't need coffee today, just as most days none of us need caffeinated drinks, sugary desserts, fried foods and processed, prepackaged meals. But we do want them for a variety of reasons, most of them related to convenience, weak resolve, stress, or bad habits we keep.

This reflection led me to Daniel 1. This first chapter of the book of Daniel describes how Daniel and his friends arrived in Babylonia and how they secured their place of honor in the king's court. They did it by fasting. Daniel and his friends were ordered to be served the royal rations - heavy food, particularly meat and wine - during their three-year apprenticeship. Daniel and his friends did not want to defile themselves with this food - most likely it contained food forbidden by God's law, such as pork. So they asked if they could only eat vegetables and drink water.

This passage very clearly points to the difference between our wants and our desires, particularly when they are rooted in God's desire for us and our wants for ourselves. Daniel and his friends were leaders in Israel; they were used to being offered the highest quality and quantity of food and wine. It would have been easy, convenient and in many cases enjoyable to eat the royal rations that were offered in abundance.

However, they chose to avoid what they wanted, what was easy for them, and instead to take on what God needed them to do - remain pure and undefiled, following God's commands. That meant eating a diet that was simple and pure. They initially did it for 10 days to prove to the king's overseers that God would protect and nourish them. After 10 days, they were the healthiest of the bunch and allowed to continue this diet not fro 21 days - but for three years! God blessed them and gave them favor and they were allowed into the king's inner sanctum and given positions of power and authority from which they could protect their people and serve and honor God.

During this Daniel Fast, how is God asking you to choose between the wants and needs in your own life, not with food, but with other aspects that lead to obeying and honoring God? May this time of fasting be a time for you to discern your wants and God's needs in a way that brings you blessing and favor.

Daniel Fast - Day 3

2011-04-05T21:17:00.000-04:00

For this Daniel Fast, I felt God calling me to explore scriptural teachings and examples of fasting. I hope to offer a different passage each day. I'd love your reflections on or experiences with the passage as we journey together.

Today, I started with the passage about fasting I'm most familiar with and has come up most often when explaining the Daniel Fast. It's Matthew 6:16-18, Jesus' teaching on fasting during the Sermon on the Mount. We read this scripture each year during Ash Wednesday, along with the passages before it relating to almsgiving ("whenever you give alms, do not sound the trumpet before you ... so that your alms may be done in secret") and prayer (whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret"). The teaching on fasting is in the same vein - when you fast, don't look down and dismal but dress normally and act with joy so others do not know you are doing without.

Some folks have asked, "Does this mean that I shouldn't tell anyone I'm fasting?" I don't think Jesus' admonition is to keep your fasting completely in secret. I do think, however, that this teaching is an invitation to explore our motivations for fasting, and giving and prayer. Are we doing these things to bring attention to ourselves? Do we want others to think highly of us? Are we fasting and giving and praying to draw praise for our acts? If that's our motivation, Jesus says, then don't bother. But if our motivation is to seek God, to draw closer to the heart of God and to honor and praise him, then blessed are you.

This Daniel Fast, what's your motivation? Most of us will have more than one: obligation, interest, curiosity, a shedding of our material focus, a desire for improved health, a longing to be closer to God. Today, offer your motivation before God and ask God to cleanse and purify it so your "Father who sees in secret will reward you."

Daniel Fast - Day 2

2011-04-04T20:53:00.000-04:00

Whew - I've hardly been able to keep my eyes open all day.

Welcome to the second full day of the Daniel Fast, perhaps the first full day for some of the folks doing it this time around. Two days of no caffeine is catching up with me. But having completed the fast four previous times, I know that this, too, shall pass and soon, my energy level will be sky high.

As I shopped today for the week's foods and purchased items for both my family who is not fasting and myself, I was struck by the luxury and the bounty we are surrounded by. We are fasting, limiting our food intake so we can become unlimited for God. Yet the Daniel Fast allows so much variety, so much quantity, so many choices that it doesn't feel limiting; quite the opposite, it feels indulgent.

The Daniel Fast times are the ones where I am most keenly aware of the abundance of food in my life and the utter lack of it in so many others. During this fasting time, especially for those of you who are doing it for the first time, I invite you to dwell a bit with that dichotomy. For those of us who are privileged, it's a sobering and painful spot to realize our material largess and others material lack. Stay with that pain and that uncomfortable feeling. How is God using it to speak to you? To reveal something new to you? To teach you?

Peter sent over this link - the Gospel of John in 20 segments. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3wWSMB8xIE&feature=related. I've watched segment one - it's beautiful.

Blessings on your journey!
Wendy

Advent Daniel Fast - Day 16

2010-12-14T22:09:00.000-05:00

Hello friends,

As we lead up to the end of our fast, I invite you to consider sharing a brief reflection of your fasting journey with the congregation on Sunday. If you'd like to offer a written reflection or share out loud, please let me know. We're talking about Love, and I'd love to let others hear your experience of it these past three weeks!

"Why is it that Christmas is the time of year when it's hardest to notice what Jesus is doing now? We may see reminders of his birth amid the ornaments and giftwrap, but almost no indication of his ongoing presence. Isn't it odd that the season celebrating his coming almost completely masks what he's actually doing in us and through us right now?" - Marshall Shelley
Leadership Magazine editor in chief

I loved this quote today when I read it. And it fits so perfectly with what we are doing during the Advent season. Especially as the last weekend before Christmas comes and more parties and festivities are starting, keeping to the fast is very challenging. Yet, fasting is also one of the practices that keeps us very attentive to the presence of God in Jesus Christ. When we make conscious choices about what and how we eat, when we intentionally add in an extra time of prayer, when we read a new book of Scripture, we are paying attention to the work of God in our midst.

The mystery of Jesus is that he is has come, he is here, and he will come again. During this Christmas season, as we spend our time focused on his coming, let's also spend time together as we pray and fast focused on his presence - with us every moment, whether we acknowledge it or not. Praise be to God!

Advent Daniel Fast - Day 15

2010-12-14T00:06:00.000-05:00

Thank you, fellow fasters, for your amazing, thoughtful and spirit-filled reflections to the question I posted Friday. Your responses were wonderful meditations for us as we moved through an undoubtedly busy weekend, where your resolve toward the fast may have been tested!

We have such a variety in our fast group this year - several first timers all the way to several who are making their fourth fast journey. No matter how many times you have done the fast, each one will be different. Each time we fast, we are different people with different stressors and needs. God works differently during each experience.

This is my fourth time and it's completely different from the ones before. My first fast was such a spiritual high - I felt connected to God each and every day in deep ways. The second time, I was more relaxed through the process and was able to see God moving beyond me and through the group. The third time, honestly, I was going through the motions. Nothing seemed to connect or click, until the fast ended. I faced a challenge at the end of the fast that I believe the previous three weeks had prepared me for emotionally and spiritually. This time, I have a great sense of joy as we fast together. I'm excited to see how and where the Spirit has been at work and have not seen the deprivations as a burden but as a shared challenge. I don't feel alone in this fast.

As we enter this final week, I invite you to increase your time spent in prayer and reading scripture, even if it's just by five minutes a day. God is blessing us in our journey, and for that we can be thankful!

Advent Daniel Fast - Day 11

2010-12-09T22:52:00.000-05:00

Congratulations, friends! We've made it past the halfway point!

Today, I'd like to offer you the chance to do some of the talking and reflecting - our sharing and reflecting is a two-way street. So I invite you to pray through these questions and answer any of them that you are led to. If you'd like, send me your responses and I will share them (anonymously, unless you give permission to include your name).
1. What has been the most challenging part of the fast?
2. What has been the easiest?
3. What has God shown you or is teaching you so far in the shared experience?

Many blessings!
Wendy

Advent Daniel Fast - Day 10

2010-12-09T09:31:00.001-05:00

A friend of mine has started a blog about her family experiment to eat for less than $100 each week. That's a pretty tall order! We were reading each other's blogs, and she replied that her new focus on healthy, inexpensive, locally-sourced eating had her thinking many of the same things we have been talking about: how when we are more attentive to our food choices for whatever reason and curb the excess we are accustomed to, we suddenly notice how full of "stuff" our lives are in other areas. Our homes, our cars, our extracurricular activities, our work - they all seem chock full of, on a deeper look, needless items.

During Advent, God gives us the opportunity to dig deeper, to use the small bits of light that shine in the darkness of the night to search our souls for ways we can economize, we can reduce, we can clear away all that keeps us from living fully centered on Jesus Christ. As you fast this week, work into your time of prayer the petition that God will cleanse your heart and mind of the clutter that blocks a full commitment to the life of Christ. It's not a quick and easy prayer or a simple fix. This type of intentional, focused prayer takes a lifetime to realize because each day, something new will come and try to take up residence in your soul - and it may be junk that needs to be purged.

My prayer for each of us today is that we can look around and see what needs to be shed from our lives so we can make more room for Christ this Advent season.

Advent Daniel Fast - Day 9

2010-12-07T22:56:00.000-05:00

I've had to bake - a lot - the past 24 hours. I've made four batches of muffins and one chocolate-coconut-walnut cake. And so far, haven't taken a bite. It's been very difficult!

I surely was tempted. At one point, while making the second batch of muffins, I almost reached out and took part of one of the first ones that were cooling. "Who would know," I thought. "Even more, who would really care?"

Very few would. And while God would certainly know, I'm not sure that God would care in the being-disappointed-in-me-because-I-ate-a-bite-of-muffin way. I do think, however, that God would grieve in God's own way because if I gave in to temptation, I would have been one step farther away from "moving on to perfection", as we Methodists say.

Humankind was created in God's image - perfect, whole, compassionate, loving, self-giving. Because God loves us, God gave us free will - the ability to move freely in the world God created. Human beings chose instant gratification over trusting faithfulness that fateful day in the Garden of Eden, and we've never been the same again. Sin, being estranged from God, entered our spirits. The history of humanity has been a repeating cycle of drawing close to God - falling away from God - being called to repentance. It was a vicious cycle that seemed to have no end - until God, in infinite love and mercy, sent us Jesus Christ, Emmanuel, God with Us.

When we commit our lives to Christ, we begin our journey to perfection - to being made perfect in love and in the image of Jesus. Being faced with temptation is a part of that journey. God doesn't give us temptations to test us, but we can grow deeper in love with God and take small steps toward being remade into Christ's image of perfect love when we can turn our backs on temptation, no matter how small or how large.

So if you are feeling tempted this Fast, remember that each temptation is a call to prayer. It's a chance to take a baby step closer to Perfect Love. It's an opportunity to recommit and rededicate your life to Christ. May God bless you with strength, with joy in the journey, and with the resolve to say no to temptation and yes to Jesus.

Advent Daniel Fast - Day 8

2010-12-07T07:50:00.002-05:00

A ROUGH AND WILD John the Baptist seems to interrupt Advent’s gentler story. But the way of the Lord, the path for Jesus, had to be prepared so that people did not miss what God was doing right before their eyes. John’s life was full of sacrifice. He lived and died so that Jesus could bring hope into the world. John lived and died so that God’s Word could be fulfilled.

- Pamela C. Hawkins
Simply Wait

The second and third weeks of Advent are the two weeks when John the Baptizer gets to shine. Really, it's the only two weeks of the year when we pay any attention to this strange figure. He is a marginalized figure in Scripture - he lives in the wilderness, eats bugs, wears dead animal skin, and tells people that they need to turn their backs on the life they've been living and turn around to face God and God's coming Messiah, Christ, Savior. He was unsettling to those in religious power in is day, and he's unsettling to us know, who, by virtue of our participation in the church, are religious insiders.

In many ways, John the Baptizer embodies sacrifice, prayer, and fasting (at least the Daniel Fast doesn't include a daily dose of crickets and stinkbugs!). Even though his message was uncomfortable, it was enticing. People were drawn to hear him and be baptized in spite of themselves. Perhaps your fast journey has been the same - it's been uncomfortable but you continue to be be drawn in to explore this path that God has laid before you for this time and for this place.

As you enter into the second week of the journey, I pray that God is giving you more spiritual clairty. Perhaps you're facing uncomfortable truths about your life and your relationship with God. If so, here John's words - "I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." (Matthew 3:11). This time of fasting and prayer is a form of preparing us to experience Jesus in a powerful way. May God continue to lead and bless us as we seek him, even in the wild and woolly days of Advent.

Advent Daniel Fast - Day 6

2010-12-04T20:37:00.000-05:00

Well friends, our first week of our Daniel Fast journey is almost complete! I'm excited to hear how the experience has been for you when we gather at church tomorrow.

Another Daniel Fast blogger found my posts and sent me a message about her site, http://thosewhohunger.blogspot.com/. She just published The Ultimate Daniel Fast book, and some of her recipes are on her site. I think the recipe for date honey may just save my batch of apple-raisin oatmeal! And I hope to try out the banana cream pie as well.

May you continue to be blessed!

Advent Daniel Fast - Day 5

2010-12-03T22:00:00.000-05:00

As we get near the end of our first week of the fast, I invite you to reflect on how it has gone so far. How has the actual experience matched your expectations? Is there an area in which you're struggling? Have you found strength in God or a peace that is greater than what you expected?

Several of you have mentioned that over the next few days, you have dinner invitations or special parties to attend. As we talked about before the beginning of the fast, hospitality trumps the "rules" of the fast. As you go people's homes, parties or restaurants, it's perfectly fine to accept - and enjoy! - the hospitality that is offered. If you are able to stick close to the fast at a buffet, wonderful. If you are with someone who has made a very special dessert for you, then by all means, eat it! Perhaps you can eat less that you normally would or have smaller portions of items not proposed during the fast.

But receiving and offering hospitality is an important part of the fast and of our Advent journey. In many ways, Advent is all about hospitality - God offered Jesus to the world graciously, freely, expecting nothing in return. Mary offered her body as a sacred vessel to nurture the Divine and bring Jesus to fullness of life. The shepherds and the magi traveled to the greatest housewarming party ever known, and even came bearing gifts.

This Advent, how can you create a warm and welcoming atmosphere in your soul for Christ to reside? Where can you clear out space for the holy to be nurtured within? How can you anticipate Jesus the guest to arrive in your home, your life, your very being? Many blessings to you throughout the weekend as you receive and offer hospitality!

Advent Daniel Fast - Day 4

2010-12-02T22:06:00.000-05:00

UNBIDDEN AND BEYOND HUMAN CONTROL, the Spirit of God moves through history, giving visions to the prophets of old, drawing attention to injustice, and warning believers to return to the covenant with God. We cannot predict the coming of the Spirit or its mode or method of arrival. But we can learn to pay attention, to seek and listen for the gentle whisper or booming voice of the Holy Spirit’s presence.

- Kara Lassen Oliver
Meeting the Messiah

I love this quote, especially in light of the experience of the Daniel Fast. Oliver's line "We cannot predict the coming of the Spirit or its mode or method of arrival" is so apt for this journey. When we begin the Fast, we may have specific expectations of what we will experience or what we will "get out of" the Fast. The first time I did the Fast, I wanted to see amazing, instant, spiritual transformation. That's not what happened. The first week was pretty miserable. But soon, day after day of being attentive to God and attentive to my food, I started to feel a gentle, subtle shift. My spirit was making a little more room for God to enter and God did, with great grace and love.

If you are feeling worn down or bored or challenged right now, keep at it! You are making a space for the Spirit to come, wildly, unpredictably, in a whisper or booming voice. Wait with expectation, like we do all Advent, for what God will do.

Blessings,

Wendy

Advent Daniel Fast - Day 3

2010-12-01T22:57:00.000-05:00

Last night, I made a huge double batch of apple-raisin oatmeal in the crockpot. When I woke up, it smelled wonderful. I was so excited to dip a small bowl and take a bite. It was ...terrible. The apples were too tart, which made the oatmeal taste bitter. If I could have doused the entire thing in brown sugar, it would have been pretty good. But on the fast, I'm stuck with it, bitter, tart and all.

Have you had any recipes that just didn't turn out on the fast? Made something that you weren't thrilled with? As I was bemoaning the fact that I had to spend the rest of the week eating something I really didn't like, I was almost immediately convicted by the privileged and pampered attitude I embodied. How can I possibly complain about eating something healthy and nutritious when people around the world, around our country, even in our own neighborhood, are malnourished, undernourished and starving.

As we fast together, we pay an inordinate amount of time and attention to what we eat - all of which is a gift and blessing of living in the country we do, at the time we do, and in the economic circumstances we do. How can God be calling us to use this time of lack and paucity of specific foods to connect us to the very real hunger our neigbhors near and far experience every day?

During the next two-and-a-half weeks, we may be stuck with some dish we don't really like. If you are, praise God! Embrace your dislike and ask God to transform it into thanksgiving. Use the time to pray for all those who hunger and connect yourself even more deeply to those who suffer.

Advent Daniel Fast - Day 2

2010-11-30T23:02:00.000-05:00

How was the second full day of the Daniel Fast? Have you come across any particular challenges so far? I've heard from a couple of fasters who have made modifications to fit their dietary needs or life situations. Remember, it's the intent of the fast that is the most important.

As we continue our Advent journey, we move through the week of Hope. Today, I had the blessing to witness two amazing, sacred acts of hope in the midst of life. One was a time of sharing memories, laughter and tears for a family who had lost a loved one The second act was a quiet time of prayer with two members. Each encounter was holy and sacred in its own way - one very quiet and filled with a gentle current of emotion, the second at times alternately joyful and tear-filled.

These two events reminded me of the Incarnation, the coming of divine love into the world in the form of Jesus Christ. Jesus came to us in the midst of our everyday life to bring us great hope. In small ways and large, in laughter and tears, Jesus emerges into our lives to bring us the assurance that love is eternal, forgiveness is endless, and reconciliation is always possible.

As you continue your journey, may you spot glimmers of hope in your everyday life. May the simple act of choosing what to eat be a hopeful sign as you make room in your life for Christ to enter.

Advent Daniel Fast - Day 1

2010-11-29T20:36:00.000-05:00

I've been in a fog most of today.

I don't know about the rest of you who have started the fast (we have 15 from our church who are participating this Advent season - praise God!) but today, I've felt like I was swimming through the day in cloudy water. I had a lingering headache, I was hungry because I hadn't properly planned my menu for the day, and I wasn't as focused as usual on the tasks at hand. This also was the first day without any coffee or sugar - there is probably a correlation!

Even though I haven't been at my top mental or physical game today, I'm still very excited to start this fourth Daniel Fast journey. Each time, even though I may not see it while the fast is happening, God has used these 21 days in very powerful ways. My body is cleansed by the fast, while at the same time my heart is emptied of all the junk that accumulates over time and more space is made for God.

So often, we journey through our spiritual lives in a fog as well. We are distracted by the mundaneness of everyday life or we become overwhelmed with the intensity of all of our responsibilities. Advent is a time for us to pause and begin searching for the light that shines in the fog of our life. Pairing Advent and the fast is a way for us to look intently and begin to see the faintest glimmers of light that, over time, will come together to create the Light of the World.

If you were in a fog today, too, welcome to the crowd! It will get better. Use your additional spiritual practice of prayer, scripture reading, Christian conversation, walking, whatever you have chosen to connect with the glimmers of light that will burn away the fog of our hearts by the Spirit's leading.

WEIRD?

2010-08-25T14:57:00.000-04:00

This article from the National Post summarizes new finding from psychologists who have studied cultures and subcultures around the world. The scientists' basic hypothosis is that, contrary to popular belief and understanding, Westerners (people living in industrialized, wealthy economies) actually see the world differently from the rest of humanity. The researchers called this subgroup WEIRD - Westerners, Educated, Industrialized, Rich and Democratic. They make up about 12 percent of the world's population but account for 96 percent of behavioral sceince experiments. The generalizations that researchers make about "humanity" and "homeosapiens" are actually based on a small segment of human beings who view the world and their place in it very differently from everyone else.

This may come as no surprise to many people. Having lived in a non-WEIRD country for a significant time, and traveled to other non-WEIRD countries, this was a "duh" moment for me. People who are WEIRD are individualist and define themselves by their characteristics and not their place in the broader society.

But this article did crystalize for me the way that we as Westerners, particularly as residents of the United States, read the Bible and practice our faith as followers of Jesus so differently from the rest of the world. We have a hard time understanding the hidden and subtle messages of the gospel that Jesus gives. We especially have a hard time with parables. Of course, there are many barriers to being immersed in the world of Jesus - 2,000 years, different languages, industrialization. But there's also the fact that we, more than any other society or people, live so differently and think so differently from the rest of the world.

Jesus' message is not individualistic. It's personal, but not individualistic. It speaks to the community more than to a single person. It calls for transformation not of one mind but of every mind. It offers healing not just to the one who has a manifest illness but to all who suffer from the sickness of sin. When we start to recognize and be changed by his message - and by his very present and real Spirit - we can't keep to ourselves. We start to spread that message far and wide with every avenue available to us: our spending, our vote, our reading, our friends, our prayer, our worship. The message makes us uncomfortable. It challenges us. It can make those of us who are WEIRD into a radical.

This excites me. We're focusing on being a radial for the kingdom of God this fall in worship and in small group studies. Join me in prayer, in Bible study, and in action as we seek God to overcome our WEIRDness with God's love and mercy.

What's your favorite thing there?

2010-08-23T21:34:00.002-04:00

That's the question that inevitably comes up when ever Trader Joe's is mentioned. I've had some of the most animated conversations with strangers over the specialty grocery store. I make special trips out of my way to stop by there, and have certain items that I will only buy there.

So of course I was interested when I saw this article today about the success of Trader Joe’s grocery stores.

They do have something special that sets them apart. Here’s a paragraph from the article, “Employees dress in goofy trademark Hawaiian shirts, hand stickers out to your squirming kids, and cheerfully refund your money if you're unhappy with a purchase — no questions asked. At the Chelsea store opening, workers greeted customers with high-fives and free cookies. Try getting that kind of love at the Piggly Wiggly.”

What a great inspiration for us as we continue to innovate and be inspired on the Hospitality and Outreach team!! It asks great questions for us to consider: how can we stand out when people walk into our space? What about our culture as a people of faith sets us apart? How can our words, our actions, our example, our witness, our funky shirts :), spark lively conversations about faith and about God?

The possibilities are endless. How could our congregation and visitors in our church experience joy, the unexpected, and the delight of our service to God at its most creative and its best?

Still, small voice

2010-08-21T12:02:00.000-04:00

Thursday, Mike and I rode through the Pisgah National Forest and along the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina. It is a stunning ride, filled with amazing vistas, miles and miles of rolling ridge lines and amazing drops from mountain tops into deep valleys.

Along our way, we passed by this mountaintop. It is one of the only bare mountain outcrops along our way; the rest of the mountains are covered in trees.

Immediately upon seeing it, I was struck by the story of God and Elijah, as Elijah has fled from Jezebel's army, who is trying to kill him after he has shown up her prophets in a face off. He wanders around feeling pretty sorry for himself. After the Lord has fed him, sheltered him, and cared for him, he's still feeling down in the dumps. So God tells him to go and stand on the mountain and wait for God to pass by. We know what happens next: a great wind came; God not in the wind. A great earthquake; God not in the earthquake. A great fire; God not in the fire. A small, quiet whisper. There, there is God.

Where is the whisper of God now? I worry that I, and our society as a whole, spends too much time either seeking out God in the loud noises and big actions and misses God in the quiet. Or we fill our ears and our minds with too much: constant music, constant television, constant websites. And in between the "too much" we miss the "just enough" of God's small voice.

Where - and how - is God speaking to you today?

sabbath time

2010-08-21T11:01:00.000-04:00

The month of August, I've been on sabbatical, a four-week long renewal leave. Every year, United Methodist clergy receive one week leave for continuing education and spiritual renewal. Every four years, we receive four weeks of leave for study or renewal. I've been blessed to be in my wonderful congregation for four years, and under full-time appointment for six years, so when I asked our Staff-Parish Relations Team to take the month of leave, they responded graciously and lovingly.

Interestingly, during the first week of leave, at least four articles came out highlighting the danger of clergy burnout. (Two examples are here and here.) God has richly blessed me with the opposite of what is described as hazards and pitfalls of burnout. I have a wonderful, motivated, loving congregation; a large support network of peers and mentors; a sustaining circle of non-church friends; an incredibly understanding family; and a long-standing commitment to a healthy nutrition.

But these articles and studies highlighted for me the most important aspect of good self-care (for everyone, not just for pastors!) - the need for Sabbath. Sabbath is not just "time off". It's time away for a purpose - to rest, to restore, and to reconnect with God. It's an intentional moving out of the stream of "ordinary" life and into the stream of God's restorative life. The Jewish Sabbath as an entire evening and day set apart for family, worship, prayer, and rest still provides an example of the power of time away. It reorients us to what really matters, what really is important and who really gives us life.

Part of my discernment during the coming weeks is see where God is offering me and my family Sabbath rest and time,and where God is calling us as a congregation to embrace Sabbath. I'm excited about the new season of spiritual, emotional, and relational growth that fully living into Sabbath will give to us!

Holy Week - Friday

2010-04-03T17:20:00.000-04:00

Tonight we hosted our community Good Friday service. The sermons, music and messages were all wonderful and focused so closely on the cross.

We honed in on five parts of Jesus' passion: The Gardens, The Trials, The Way, The Cross and It Is Finished. Below is my reflection on The Way.

There seemed to be only one way.

The walk from Pilate’s headquarters to the Place of the Skull, or Golgotha, the site of crucifixion was well established. The streets were narrow and cramped, hemmed in with high stone walls on each side. The way from the Praetorium to Golgotha was full of twists and turns; stumbling and falling was a threat in each step.

The walk was known as the Via Dolorosa, or the Way of Sorrows. Thousands of prisoners and criminals had walked that way before, shedding their blood, their tears, and raising up shouts for mercy. On this Friday that we call Good, our Lord made his own way from the vitality of life to the certainty of death down this Way.

There seemed to be only one way for the soldiers to go with Jesus.

They were hardened by battle and made tough by endless training. Brutality was second nature and humiliation was just part of breaking down prisoners sentenced to death on the cross. In order to survive as a protector of Rome, they learned to deny their own humanity, to inflict punishment instead of offering compassion, to strike instead of embrace, to push instead of pull. And so they took him down the Via Dolorosa, the only way they knew how – with violence, with pain, with vengeance.

There seemed to be only one way for Simon to go with Jesus.

He was caught up in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was just coming back in from a trip to the country. He didn’t know his way around Jerusalem – he was visiting from his homeland of Cyrene, a pilgrim for Passover. The jostling of the crowd sucked him in and before he realized it, he was yanked from the crowd and a heavy, rough, crossbeam was thrown on his back and he was forced down the Way of Sorrows, an unwitting participant in the darkest parade known. He went the only way he knew – reluctantly yet in awe.

There seemed to be only one way for the women to go with Jesus.

They were the backbone of his traveling companions – cooking, making camps, seeking shelter, caring for the physical needs of Jesus and his disciples. Some of them, like Mary Magdalene, had been healed by Jesus. Others were convinced by their sons, whom Jesus called as disciples. Others were won over to his way by his gentleness with children and the power of his teaching. And now, after seeing him through the years of miracles, sermons, stories, and laughter, they went on this final journey with Jesus the only way they knew how – weeping, wailing, beating their breasts, and yet staying close in honor, in love and in service.

There is only one way for us to go with Jesus to the joy of the resurrection, to the miracle of Easter Day. And that way is down the Via Dolorosa, the Way of Sorrows, keeping pace with Jesus as he stumbles, as he falls, as he limps his way to his sure and certain death. Where will you be on The Way of Sorrows? Will you turn your back on Jesus like the soldiers, your heart hardened by the pain and struggles of life? Will you go reluctantly like Simon of Cyrene, pulled along by the crowd, yet open to the power of what you see and experience? Or will you go willingly like the women, staying close through the horror, through the grief, through the desolation of what lies ahead?

There is only one way to the cross, and that is the Via Dolorosa, the way of sorrows. Where will you find yourself tonight?

Holy Week - Thursday

2010-04-02T17:16:00.000-04:00

On Holy Thursday, we spent the night "remembering" what Jesus has done for us, the Last Supper he called us to share, and the call, from Rev. Richie Nazario of Cristo Rey UMC, to lay down our lives for Jesus. We worshiped, our primarily Caucasian congregation, with Cristo Rey, a primarily Spanish-speaking congregation. It was wonderful! The service was almost entirely bilingual, the music integrated and powerful, and the preaching dynamic.

In many ways, we also "re-membered" the body of Christ. For too long we as Christians have separated ourselves by language spoken, incomes earned, places we live or work, cultures experienced. Holy Week in particular calls us to "remember" Jesus and his last days but also to "re-member" or put back together the people of Christ who have separated themselves in so many ways. Last night as we were singing in Spanish and English, I could feel the Spirit of Christ weaving in and among us, uniting us in powerful ways. It was just a beginning - the first stitch in a complex and beautiful tapestry that has yet to be woven - but what a beginning it was!

Holy Week - Wednesday

2010-04-01T23:06:00.000-04:00

The days leading up to the cross continue to be filled with the deep, forboding warnings that Jesus is giving out. He knows his end is near - raising Lazarus from the dead all but assured his own death - and in the 21st chapter of Luke, the pace quickens, the news becomes more dire, the predictions, honestly, more terrifying.

Those who follow Jesus will be arrested and persecuted. Our own family will betray us and send us to death. Great distress will be on the earth, and people will faint from the fear and foreboding of what is coming. This all must take place before the Son of Man returns to bring in a kingdom of peace and wholeness. Things aren't looking so good for those who have given up everything to follow him. But in the midst of these "signs of the time to come" there is, of course, Good News. "You will be hated by all because of my name. But not a hair of your head will perish." (21:17-18). "The Son of Man (will come) in a cloud with power and great glory." "My words will not pass away."

Looking at the news or even listening to the events in our own lives and in the lives of our loved ones can make us feel like we are under attack, like all of these signs of the end of the age are coming near. But even in the midst of our fear, our struggle, our pain and our heartbreak, Jesus is here. God is present. Nothing can overpower God. No darkness can survive the smallest spark of light.

Do you have a dark, dangerous or frightening place in your life? A place where you feel death is closer than life? Offer that to God. Ask Jesus return to you in glory and power to strengthen you for the time ahead.

Holy Week - Tuesday

2010-03-30T16:13:00.000-04:00

In the Gospel of Luke, we don't have precise days for the events between Palm Sunday and Holy, or Maundy, Thursday. What we do have is two chapters of Jesus challenging the religous authorities, exhorting and teaching the people, and in general engaging in verbal debate with folks. If this were happening in current times, Jesus would be the key guest on all the television news talk shows.

The first encounter on the "one day" that Luke cites is titled "The Authority of Jesus Questioned" in my Bible's section heading. Jesus was in the Temple, most likely on the large platform and gathering area around the actual sanctuary, teaching the people, when the religious leaders came and questioned Jesus as to who gave him the authority to heal, forgive, and tell the Good News. Notice the power differential in this story; it's one that's repeated in most encounters Jesus has with others. Those in power are challenged by his charisma, his actions, his sway he has over people. He threatens the status quo; he threatens to disrupt the life they have so carefully crafted and to which they will go to any extreme to maintain, even the extreme act of murder.

There's no denying that Jesus threatens to disrupt our lives when we take him seriously, when we follow him and when we give our lives over to him. What about following Jesus wholly and completely this week is threatening for you? Where do you need to acknowledge the authority of Jesus in your own life to be set free in God's love?

Holy Week - Monday

2010-03-29T14:58:00.000-04:00

Luke 19:41-48

Even though this passage in Luke and Matthew occurs the same day as Jesus' entry into Jerusalem, it happens the following day in Mark, and the historical church has assigned this as the main scripture for the day. Commonly known as the "Cleansing of the Temple", this passage is full of both grief and anger, violence and supplication, dire prophetic predictions and murderous plotting.

We are forced to confront our culture's portrayal of "Holy Jesus, Meek and Mild" in the short space of these seven verses. We like our Jesus as the Good Shepherd, holding small children on his lap, kindly touching lepers and raising little girls from the dead. We don't like the hard Jesus we get in the Gospels - the grieving over Jerusalem and its coming destruction, the difficult sayings on family relationships he instructs us in, the violence of turning over tables and swinging a whip around.

As we being this Holy Week, one that is filled with violence, hard sayings, and grief, how does this passage work in your heart? What is your wish and desire out of this week's journey? Where do you need to be confronted by the whole Jesus, not the sanitized, selected Jesus we usually offer ourselves?

Blessings,
Wendy

Worship at Home - February 7

2010-02-06T20:10:00.000-05:00

The Lord's Day is here - snow covered roads and parking lots not withstanding!

We are unable to have worship services together because of the record snow, but we still can worship God in our own homes. After the big snow on Dec. 20, our Bishop Peggy Johnson sent out a reflection encouraging all of us to go back to the roots of the Christian movement - house churches - and worship with our friends and family who live nearby. God deserves our praise, no matter where we may be!

Enjoy this Sunday as a Sabbath (in between shoveling!), a day to rest in God's grace, reflect on the awesome power of our God who creates, who saves, who redeems, and who loves, and be in prayer for our community and world.

Below is a sample of how you can worship in your home tomorrow.

Call to Worship

Holy is the Lord! God’s love pours down upon us. Let the name of the Lord be praised! With our hearts and our spirits, we raise our voices joyfully in praise of God’s mighty presence in our lives.
Let our voices praise God continually. Let all that we do and say and think reflect our love of God. Alleluia! Amen. (worshipconnection.org)

Opening Prayer

We come before you this day, O Lord, feeling unworthy to be called disciples. We could recite the wonderful things we have done, but in our hearts we know that there have been many times when we have chosen not to hear the cries of those in need; not to respond in loving kindness when we have been treated roughly. Forgive us, compassionate God. Fill us again with your healing balm and your love. Set us again on the path to peace and service to others in your holy name. In Christ, Amen. (worshipconnection.org)

Gospel Lesson - Luke 5:1-11
Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, ²he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. ³He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. ⁴When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” ⁵Simon answered, “Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.” ⁶When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. ⁷So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. ⁸But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” ⁹For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; ¹⁰and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.” ¹¹When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him. (bible.oremus.org)

Reflection
Today, we were going to explore our call to be disciples of Jesus Christ. Simon was minding his own business when Jesus took notice of him and asked for the simple favor of using his boat as a pulpit. When Jesus was finished, he gave Simon the best thank you gift of all, a wonderful favor for his host - a catch of fish so bountiful that his nets started to break. When Simon Peter realized who he had helped, he declared his unworthiness before Jesus. But Jesus called him to a new purpose in life, away from whatever places of sin, of sorrow, of disappointment or pain that Peter had. For Peter to say yes, he had to be willing to leave behind all that held him back from being the full and complete person God had created him to be. It was a scary time to be sure, but one that was irresistable.

In our own lives, Jesus uses different people to call us away from from binds us and into a new life following a savior who demands us to leave all we know but promises to show us the path to becoming all God knows us to be.

Today, spend time reflecting on a time when you felt pulled deeper into a relationship with God through Christ. Who was with you, encouraging your or prompting you? What did you have to give up in order to become a disciple? Write a letter to the person who has helped you on your journey as a disciple. Send it to them this week as an act of worship.

Daniel Fast Take 2 - Day 3

2010-01-13T22:26:00.000-05:00

Our first prayer focus is for those who do not yet know the love, forgiveness, and grace of Jesus Christ. Read Matthew 28:16-21. During this time of fasting, lift up in prayer a person in your life whom you desire to know the Good News of Jesus.

Jesus gives a very tall order to his followers in Matthew 28, or this passage that is commonly known as the Great Commission. With the advent of technology, especially the Internet, "the ends of the earth" feel a lot closer than it was when Jesus first said it. The saying goes, "the journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step". That same senitment holds for sharing the love of God in Christ. If those who are closest to us do not see a change in our life because of our commitment to Jesus, then it doesn't matter how far we travel to share the Good News.

So this week, as you fast and pray, especially praying for someone you know who needs to know the Good news of Jesus, ask God to give you insight into the ways that your life can more closely reflect his. What places of sin do you need to root out? How can your words and actions draw others to Jesus? Who do you want to experience the grace of God that is with them from the beginning of time?

DFT2 - Day 2

2010-01-13T15:04:00.000-05:00

This is one of the hardest days on the fast. We may be feeling deprived from your favorite foods. As you take this journey into voluntary deprivation, spend time in prayer for those who go without food because of poverty, illness, war, or violence. Lift up in prayer those who are living in hunger.

As I read this reflection question, written last week, it feels so trivial to be focused on missing my favorite food in the wake of such horrific devastation in Haiti. My father, who has visited several countries in Central and South America said his time in Haiti was life changing. The poverty there was among the worst that he had ever seen, and he's traveled to four continents in desperately poor conditions. Haiti is among the most devastated of countries already. I read a post from from Joel Dreyfuss, a Haitian-American, that encouraged us in the United States to remember that even among the devastation, the people of Haiti are strong, full of perseverance, and rich in culture and heritage. Our Bishop Peggy Johnson today prayed that this will be a time when God will lift up Haiti to new heights, that as attention is paid and resources poured in, the country will be restored to greater levels than ever before.

Today, may our hunger pains be calls to prayer for the people of Haiti.

Daniel Fast Take 2 - Day 1

2010-01-13T07:52:00.000-05:00

I'm a little late getting these out because I've been at a conference this week - a particular Daniel Fast challenge in itself! I'm looking forward to journeying with this new community of fasters and seeing how God is working through this time of focused prayer, reflection, and sacrifice for God's sake.

So here is Day 1's reflection question:

Reflect on your motivation for beginning the Daniel Fast. Read Daniel 10:2-3. Is there anything in Daniel’s story that resonates with you? Is there a situation in your life that you are feeling oppressed by? How can you offer that situation to God during the fast?

I was motivated to do the Daniel Fast again because of the wonderful experience I had and the group had back in the fall. I spoke with another person who was doing the fast for the second time, and he said that he was waiting to hit "the zone" near the end of the first week, where everything seems to come in focus. I'm also excited about getting to that place again. When we focus on God through our food choices, we start focusing on God for everything in new and insightful ways.

Sometimes, living in a culture and society that has such an overabundance of everything and where voluntarily going without something goes against the grain, the choice to fast can feel like choosing to live in a different kingdom under different rulers, like Daniel was forced to do. Of course, we have the freedom to choose unlike Daniel. But in particular coming off the Christmas holidays, I feel oppressed by my own gluttony and the sense of entitlement that comes with the privilege of having so many material resources. I offer up to God that place of sin in my life during the fast.

2009-11-17T21:40:00.000-05:00

Develop a breath prayer for yourself. A breath prayer combines your name for God with your deepest longing. It is a simple sentence that can be prayed over and over, at all time and in all places. Use your breath prayer today and the rest of the week.

I love the breath prayer. In my counseling, it is the single-most offered spiritual practice that I give to folks. This simple, four or five word prayer, can be used in every situation - washing dishes, driving, falling asleep, working, caring for children. I find my breath prayer to be particularly useful when I am anxious, when negative thoughts or fears are overtaking me or when I am angry.

I have used the "Jesus Prayer" as my breath prayer for years: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner." I find that I emphasize different words of that prayer on different occassions. But it never fails to bring me to a centering, quiet, peaceful place, particularly when that is the last thing I feel or am seeking. How has your breath prayer helped you?

Turbo Group - November 15 reflection

2009-11-16T18:43:00.000-05:00

Spend time in prayer for our congregation. During worship services today, invest your full attention and devotion to God in the times of silent and corporate prayer. Pray for the worship leaders: Rev. Sharon Vandegrift, our guest preacher; the lay readers and liturgists; the Children’s Worship leaders and nursery volunteers; the musicians. Ask God to work through them to glorify and praise God’s holy name.

When I woke up today, I was so excited for worship. I'm always excited to gather with God's people but for the past few Sundays, my level of thrill has been rising. I can feel God's presence from the moment I begin to awake. We celebrated Consecration Sunday today, the time of the year when we offer to God our financial gifts. I said special prayers for our guest preacher, the Rev. Sharon Vandegrift, and for all who would attend. These Sunday morning prayer times are so meaningful because it reminds and humbles me to consider the number of people who freely and joyfully offer their gifts and talents to serve God and God's people. Thank you, Holy One, for being a Creator who is worthy of our praise.

Turbo Group - November 14 reflection

2009-11-14T22:45:00.003-05:00

The Lord’s Prayer is the most common prayer in all of Christianity. Read it in Matthew 6:9-13 and in Luke 11:2-4. In this prayer, Jesus teaches us how to pray and for what to pray. Spend 15 minutes with the Lord’s Prayer today. What is God revealing to you as you pray this ancient prayer?

I love the Lord's Prayer, because no matter where you go, in whatever language it is prayed, it just feels right. In nursing homes, where many residents suffer memory loss or seem unresponsive, when we start to pray the Lord's Prayer, people perk up and start following along, even offering the prayer in their own way.

Tonight, our United Methodist Women hosted two Native American women who live in Delaware. For an hour, they instructed us on the ancient and modern ways of their culture, heritage and traditions. Two parts of their testimony resonated with me as I spent time with the Lord's Prayer. First, the phrase "give us this day our daily bread." The women, Bo and Reggee, shared that in Native American tradition, when hunting, the men ask for the life of the animals they see, only kill those necessary for the group to eat and use, and offer thanks for the gift. What a powerful testimony to the interconnectedness of life - we recognize the gift of daily bread, only take what is offered, and offer thanks for it.

The phrase, "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us" also brought me to a place of repentance. Native Americans has suffered so terribly for hundreds of years at the hands of those of us who call ourselves American citizens. Our government and our people have visited unspeakable acts of atrocity upon individuals and entire tribes and nations of native people. But as the women spoke, even though they were honest and forthright about the experiences, they were not bitter or condemning. Their attitude was one of forgiveness. Some of what they shared was painful to hear, but it was spoken and shared in love. It made this phrase of the Lord's Prayer very real to me.

Turbo Group - November 13 reflection

2009-11-14T22:24:00.004-05:00

Spend today reflecting on the pattern of prayer in your own life. Read 1 Thessalonians 5:16-22. When do you find yourself praying? What are the circumstances or encounters that lead you to prayer? Review your day and note the times and occasions that you spent in prayer.

I resonate with the admonition to "pray without ceasing" because of the frequency of my brief prayer requests, petitions, moments of listening and supplication. I am blessed to experience prayer in so many forms throughout the day. At least once a day, I pray aloud with someone, either in person or on the phone. I share grace with my family at meals. We pray spontaneously when emergency vehicles go by. I pray as I read scripture or prepare for a Bible study or sermon. I pray with a notebook, with a journal, with colored pencils, in nature. How have you experienced prayer this day?

The challenge comes, however, in rooting and grounding ourselves in a prayerful lifestyle. If prayer is communication with God, then for us to pray without stopping is to be in a constant, attentive, intentional conversation with God. And I certainly fall short there. When I'm short with my husband, impatient with my children, panicked about a forgotten responsibility or chugging along relying on my own steam, my conversation with God has been interrupted. Where in your life is your conversation strong? Where does it falter?

Turbo Group - November 11 reflection

2009-11-11T21:39:00.001-05:00

Read James 1:19-27. James instructs his readers in balancing devotion and personal piety with acts of justice and service. How can Christian community balance these two calls? What is the danger in giving priority to one over the other?

The book of James is so clear and forthright. He pulls no punches. In this passage, right at the beginning of the book, he lays out one of his key points about Christian community - we must be doers not only hearers of the word. In verses 23-25, James makes the point that we learn the word of God, it is written on our hearts, when we go out and do what it says. For those of us who are experiential learners, this is truly good news!

One of the dangers of a privatized faith is that our relationship with God becomes an end in itself, not an relationship that blesses others with signs of God's love through Jesus. Christian community, fellowship with other followers of Jesus, can help us balance the being and the doing. When our lives get out of sync, our group members can help us align our spirits. If we live too far in doing and we are not connecting with the source of life through prayer and Bible study, we lose our perspective. When we devote all of our time to the inward practices and do not move outward to serve, we close our spiritual lives to the revelation that God offers us in one another.

Turbo Group - November 10 reflection

2009-11-11T15:37:00.000-05:00

Read John 13:31-35, where Jesus gives the New Commandment to love. What is stirred within you when reading and reflecting on this passage? What does it mean to love in the way Jesus shares? Spend time meditating on the love of Jesus.

This passage is the Gospel lesson for Maundy, or Holy, Thursday, the night when we remember Jesus' last supper with his disciples. We call it "Maundy" from the Latin word mandatum, which means commandment. In this lesson, Jesus gives a new commandment to his small group, his closest friends: to love one another just as Jesus loves us.

I am filled with awe and joy when I read this passage. I also am touched with repentance and seek forgiveness because of all the ways I do not love others as much as Jesus loves me: selflessly, unfailingly, fully, eternally. I think of how our lives would be completely transformed if we spent just one day loving every person we meet like Jesus loves us. Imagine if we loved our children and family members with endless compassion and grace. How would our places of work or our schools be changed if we spoke with every person in gentle, loving tones?

A small group is so important because in that relationship of trust and understanding, we can model Jesus' love for each other and we can try out what it means to love and to be loved like Jesus. What does it mean for you to follow this new commandment?

Turbo Group - November 9 reflection

2009-11-09T21:43:00.000-05:00

Read Matthew 18:15-20. In this passage, Jesus addresses how to handle conflict in the community, ending with the reminder that when two or three are gathered, Jesus is there. How does this affirmation by Jesus affect how Christian small groups operate? What does it mean for you that Jesus is present?

There is something very powerful about being a part of something bigger than ourselves, whether it's participating in a sports team, attending a concert or voting in an election. It's even more powerful to participate in something where Jesus is present. When we gather with fellow followers, we are not gathering as mere men and women; we are gathering with the Divine. Remembering that Jesus is the "third guest" at our conversation can change the way we speak to one another, our tone, and even the flow of our discussion. Remembering and recalling Jesus' presence also opens our heart to the movement of the Spirit, giving us revelation, comfort and sustenance.

Reaffirming Jesus' presence provides us with a powerful connection to the reality of God. Have you ever experienced his presence in a way that was real or memorable?

Turbo Group - November 8 reflection

2009-11-08T22:47:00.000-05:00

Spend time in prayer for our congregation. Lift up all of the small groups that enable our weekly worship: Sunday School classes, music ministry, fellowship groups, the prayer chain. Pray for those members who are not connected with other Christians.

Loving, giving God, thank you for West Grove United Methodist Church. I praise you for your body that you have knit together and the bonds that are made by the power of your Spirit. Lord, I raise up to your light and love each person connected to our family of faith, whether they have visited one time or been a member their entire lives. Meet each one's needs, physical, mental, emotional, financial. Protect them from all harm. Awaken our hearts and spirits that we may grow in grace and love.

Thank you for the men and women, boys and girls, who give of their gifts and talents to serve you, praise you, and lead your people in worship. For all who use their voices to sing, their fingers to play, their arms to care for children, their eyes to read, their ears to hear, anoint them with the power of your Holy Spirit that their offerings will be used to share your love.

Thank you for loving relationships you give to us with one another. For members of our faith family who are isolated or alone, show us how to reach out in love. Help us form places of connection, safety and trust. Guide us as we develop this new ministry of small groups, that those who are most in need of connection and those called to offer will be brought together in relationships of joy and peace. We ask all of this in your son's name, Amen.

Turbo Group - November 7 reflection

2009-11-07T22:30:00.001-05:00

"John Wesley preached: . . . Christianity is essentially a social religion, and . . . to turn it into a solitary religion is indeed to destroy it. By Christianity I mean that method of worshipping God which is here revealed to man by Jesus Christ. When I say this is essentially a social religion, I mean not only that it cannot subsist so well, but that it cannot subsist at all without society, without living and conversing with other men. (Source: Albert Outler, ed., Sermons I, vol. 1, The Works of John Wesley,"Upon our Lord's Sermon on the Mount, Discourse the Fourth." Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1984; 533:26-534:1.) Do you agree or disagree with Wesley’s assessment of the “social” nature of Christianity? Where do you see your spiritual journey at this point – as a social venture or as a more isolated one? Spend time in prayer over where God is calling you – to share more of your journey with others or to draw closer in quiet prayer, or both."

I love this quote from John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement in the 1700s. Wesley had a very healthy understanding of both the private and the public nature of Christianity. The Christian journey is both inward and outward. We must meet God in the silence of prayer, scripture reading and reflection. It is where our souls are fed. But we can't leave our experience with God in our heads and hearts. It is in community where we have our leadings from God affirmed, our miscues noted, our minds and hearts opened.

John Wesley had a very structured system of small groups to introduce people to the Christian walk, to grow their faith, deepen their connection with Christ, and move toward spiritual perfection. Even in meeting in a small group with other pilgrims on a weekly journey, the average length of time between exploring the Christian life and claiming a saving, justifying relationship with Christ was two years! Two years of intense, intentional, focused journey with a committed group of folks. Many Christians do not experience that type of small group ever, much less for two years.

In the small group, the private and the public face of the Christian faith find a safe meeting place. In a group of trust, accountability, openness and welcome, the soul finds a safe place to show up, to borrow a phrase from author Parker Palmer in Hidden Wholeness. We can experience the voice of God speaking through others, through prayer, and through the Scriptures. Where do you see the place of the small group in the social and private practices of faith?

Turbo Group - November 6 reflection

2009-11-06T15:54:00.000-05:00

Last night, 12 people (a perfect God-number!) gathered to begin a five-week "Turbo Group" small group experience. We have another five or six who are interested in the journey. I praise God for these pilgrims that are willing to journey with us as we discern God's desire for us for small group ministry at West Grove UMC.

Each day we will reflect and pray about small group ministry, and I will blog my reflections and prayers here. Here is today's question:

Read Acts 2:43-47. If you have time, read Acts 1 and 2 to understand the context of this first extended community of Christians. The disciples went from a fearful group hiding out in the upper room after Jesus’ crucifixion to a bold and fearless group that lived in the open and attracted new believers. What made the change? How does this passage speak to you as you learn more about the need for Christian friendship and companionship?

As I said last night, this is one of my all-time favorite Bible passages. I love the depiction of the early followers of Jesus living in such harmony, equality and joy. As many commentators have pointed out, that harmony did not last long - look at all of the division and dissension that Paul and the other Epistle writers address in their letters to early church communities!

I believe the coming of the Holy Spirit in such a powerful way was the beginning of the change in the disciples. But I also believe that in addition to the boldness and power they drew from the Spirit, they also had the witness and companionship of one another. The disciples and the women with them had shared a great deal together. They had eaten meals, sat at the feet of Jesus, slept under the stars together and witnessed the execution of their leader. They had huddled together in fear and then in awe as the risen Jesus came to them. They had been through a lot with one another!

This passage, and the focused picture of a group of people seeking the joy of the Lord with their entire beings - their time, their homes, their families, their resources, their worship - speaks to me of the imperative to travel the Christian journey with others. Joy is multiplied when we are with others. Burdens are shared. Generosity is modeled and encouraged. Endurance is possible. We can go farther and deeper on our journey when we have traveling companions.

What about you? What is your reflection on this passage?

Day 17

2009-10-07T21:38:00.000-04:00

Today and last Wednesday, a small group of the fasters gathered in our prayer room at church for a group Lectio Divina. This prayerful way of reading scripture seemed a good way to ground and center our group in prayer. The spiritual director who led us was wonderful, and the participants were thoughtful, open, honest and willing to plumb the depths of their spirits.

The lesson for today was John 4:4-7, the beginning of the account of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. Jesus tells her of the living water that he has come to give all who will receive it, water that flows and gushes with life. I usually drink a lot of water, but in the past 2 1/2 weeks, it has been the only liquid to slake our thirsts. Imagine if we only went to Jesus every time we had a place of thirst in our lives. Why don't we tap into that living water that isn't just trickling within us but is available as a geyser to fill our brokenness, cover our wounds, direct our paths and refine our hearts. As our spiritual director said today, "Sometimes, all we need to do is say yes to Jesus."

Jesus, we say yes to you right now. Yes to your love, yes to our power, yes to your grace and yes to your possibilities. Take our lives and put them to use for your purposes. Reawaken your spirit within us and make us forceful, energetic, gushing fountains of your love in the world. We offer this and our gratitude in your name, Amen.

Day 16

2009-10-07T21:24:00.000-04:00

I've missed Day 14 and 15 because of a 24-hour bug. I had to break the fast slightly - I drank 1/4 of an organic ginger ale and ate three whole wheat crackers that had leaven to them. Since neither of them brought me any pleasure in my yucky stat, I believe God forgives me!

On Sunday, we were incredibly blessed to host the Hope for Africa Children's Choir at both of our worship services (look back soon for a link to their performance). The children were amazing in their song, their dance and their testimony. During both services, we passed around the microphone and the children shared briefly the story of their journey to the choir. Without fail, they were heartbreaking. One had a mother who died in childbirth and her father did not have enough to feed her. One boy tried to go to school but the teachers chased him away because he didn't have school fees. A boy and a girl both told of how they had to sleep without blankets and on the ground, even in the mud.

But all of their testimonies began with "I thank God for life and for my health". These children who had known suffering, deprivation and loss that we in this country cannot fathom, all began with smiles and thanking God for the most basic gift - life. This experience of fasting has helped focus me back to the basics - God's provision, God's love, God's grace, life now and eternal we have because of Jesus.

Amazing God, we thank you for life - for breath, for movement, for thought and feeling. Thank you for the gift of the Hope for Africa Children's Choir. Continue to pour out your blessings on the children and adults who form that ministry. Heal their broken places by the power of your great Spirit. Forgive us, oh, forgive us God, for the ways that we fail children around the world every day by our apathy, our bad decisions, our ignorance and our pride. Break open our hard hearts. Turn us toward you and your justice, compassion and mercy, and give us an uneasy heart until all of your children live in peace, safety and love. In the name of your blessed child Jesus, Amen.

Day 13

2009-10-03T21:18:00.000-04:00

As we prepare to celebrate World Communion Sunday tomorrow, I am so excited about the Hope for Africa Children's Choir that is coming to sing at both worship services. Our congregation has a special connection with a theological college and a missionary family in Tanzania, so I'm excited to see what new links we can make with this important ministry.

I've also been meditating on the absence of food in the terrible natural disasters that have occurred this week: the tsunami in the Samoas, the typhoons in the Philippines, and the earthquake in Indonesia (see Unitted Methodist Committee on Relief for information on our response to these terrible situations). Our voluntary forgoing of food is so luxurious compared to our brothers and sisters around the world, who have no choice but to ration their food, if they can even find some to eat. I confess before God that I am not nearly as passionate about their suffering as I am interested in ensuring that I have a full belly. Forgive me, God, for the ways I fail you and your people.

God of all comfort and all hope, forgive me, forgive me, for my selfish focus on my own needs, wishes and desires at the expense of your people. Use this time of fasting to focus my gratitude on you and my heart to those who suffer day in and day out across your world. Open up our eyes as a body to see the needs that you are laying plain before us. Give us the strength and courage to respond lavishly, selflessly, completely to the path you offer. May our rumbling stomachs remind us of those who have hunger pains but are not able to fill their bellies. Shake us out of our apathy and send us on a journey to wholeness. In Jesus, who knew hunger and knew wholeness both, Amen.

Day 12

2009-10-03T21:02:00.000-04:00

On Friday, I co-officiated a wedding of a lovely couple who now live in Washington, DC, but who have connections to Landenberg. It was a wonderful evening, full of the love of two families who were glowing at gaining a son and a daughter each.

At the rehearsal Thursday night, it dawned on me that I had to eat the entree I had ordered several weeks ago, when I wasn't even thinking of the fast. I wondered what I should do. Friday morning, one of the fasters asked what she should do when she was at her friend's house for the weekend. Her friend's mother cooks lovely meals - should she decline all that is offered or could she break her fast and eat what had been prepared?

Reflecting on these situations, God brought to mind the concept of hospitality. When we are offered hospitality - whether in the form of a home-cooked meal or a wedding entree - our response as followers of Jesus is to graciously accept with humility and gratitude. Hospitality is a gift, an offering of oneself to another. If the purpose of the fast is to become more Christ-like, then reveling in hospitality is on the path, because Jesus always accepted the gifts of another, whether it was expensive perfume poured out on his feet or a humble meal offered in the home of two sisters and their brother. As Christians, our calling in life is to offer, and graciously receive, hospitality. "Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it." - Hebrews 13:2

God of grace and full of love, we thank you for the many times you have offered us hospitality. Our spirits rest in the expanse of your love, our bodies are fed by the food of your hands, our gifts find rest when used for your purpose and your reign. You offer us this fast as a sign of hospitality, welcoming us into your presence in powerful and new ways. Lord, forgive us for the many times we turn away or ignore strangers, rather than welcoming with your love. Give us new eyes to see the stranger in our midst, and the heart of Christ to respond to him or her with Christ-like compassion and love. Infuse our community of faith with a passion for the least, the lonely and lost, that in the stranger, we will see the face of Christ. In his name we pray, Amen.

Day 11

2009-10-01T20:37:00.000-04:00

Today, I spent several hours with my ordination group. We met together monthly for three years because we had to as part of our ordination process. Now that we no longer have to get together, we still choose to because of the bonds of trust, affection, and love that we established together. We are diverse in age (30 years separates the oldest from the youngest), church location (rural farming villages to inner cities) and theological background. But our shared experience and love for one another unite us.

One of the members of the group shared that her latest spiritual discipline is to practice really listening to God, in small ways and in large. She said God had spoken to her through dreams, nudges and guided thoughts. I was struck by her discipline. Can't we all benefit from the practice of listening more deeply to and for God? What is it that blocks up our minds and prevents us from being able to fully and completely present to God's voice, that comes to us in a variety of ways.

The practice of fasting is an opportunity to clear the clutter of our lives that is brought on by mindless eating, poor food choices, and cravings for God that mask as cravings for chocolate, coffee or chips. During this period of fasting, have you been able to create space in your life for God to speak? Are you able to stay more spiritually present to God and hear God's voice, whether it comes through thoughts, dreams, Scripture or other people. What is God saying to you in this time of fasting?

Open God, you ask us to rely fully and completely on you. You desire nothing more than for us to conform our will to that of Christ, to let his mind be our mind. Use this time of fasting as a way to attune our hearts and our ears of faith more fully to your presence in our lives. Show us how to better listen to you. Lord, especially reveal to us the needs of our community and how we can respond. Put a fire in our hearts so we can serve our brothers and sisters as you would have us. In Christ, Amen.

Day 10

2009-09-30T21:21:00.000-04:00

Almost half-way through!

What a joyful day it has been. At noon, we had a spiritual director lead three of us through a group Lectio Divina, or sacred reading of scripture. During the course of 40 minutes, she led us through centering and prayer on four verses of scripture. Each person had a completely different way that God spoke to her through the process. It was affirming, inspiring and peaceful. We will gather again next Wednesday at noon for another session.

The fast allows us to slow down, examine our lives and reflect on what God is saying to us, just as the Lectio Divina process allows us to dive deeper into Scripture. What has God revealed to you during these past 10 days? How are you slowing your pace through the fast to experience God in a new way?

God of all time, you call us away from chronos time, time that we measure in minutes, hours and seconds, in tasks completed, and activities finished. Instead, you call us to kairos time, your holy time, that is measured in acts of service, seasons of prayer, encounters with grace and experiences of love. During these next 11 days, let us revel in this new-found time spent with you. Open wide our hearts to receive the power of your Spirit. Connect our hearts with strong cords to the hurting, the lost, the dispossessed and the poor, all those whom Jesus our brother spent his life serving. Show us, o God, how we can embody his hands and feet and serve others in powerful ways, both big and small. In his name we pray, Amen.

Day 9

2009-09-29T21:14:00.000-04:00

So many of the fasters have shared their experiences of the fast with me during the past couple of days. They all have experienced such a sense of grounding and renewal, a spiritual awakening that feels fresh and exciting. Praise God! I believe our focus as individuals and as a group is shifting from food to spirit, from our stomachs to our hearts. Sure, we still crave certain things (I can't wait for the first cup of coffee!) but even more, our primary craving seems to be for Jesus!

Tomorrow we have our Wednesday prayer group. We will be led by a spiritual director in a group Lectio Divina. These group ways to read and pray scripture are incredibly moving. I can't wait to experience it!

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Living Lord. You are so good to us. You supply our every need, you provide us space to find you, you offer us the endless fountain of your grace and love. I praise you for the way this time of fasting is turning our hearts more toward you. Keep our eyes and our ears focused on the needs of the community and the world. Show us where you are leading us to respond in great love. Give us joy as we travel as your people, bound together through Jesus, our brother, our friend and our Savior. Amen.

Day 6

2009-09-29T21:07:00.001-04:00

Throughout the week, I pray that you have noticed and felt a new sense of peace come over you. I certainly have experienced the peace of the Holy Spirit in a powerful way this week. When difficult situations have emerged, I found that I did not react to them in fear, anger or despair. My internal center of balance seems to have shifted, for the better, to a more peaceful place. I truly believe the spiritual experience of fasting has loosened me from some of the patterns of thought and behavior that bind my spirit and my connection with God. Being bound to Christ in this new way has truly set me free to live as a more loving, forgiving, and connected person to God and to others in the world.

Gracious God, you are full of mercy and forgiveness and love. Only in your Reign can becoming bound set us free. O Lord, for those in our community, including ourselves, who are bound to the wrong things: to addictions, to success in human eyes, to self, to the desire for more, to gluttony, to greed, set them free by the power of your holy Spirit. Turn their eyes upon Jesus, the one whose yoke is easy and burden is light. Continue to draw them close to your heart of love.

Day 8

2009-09-29T21:07:00.000-04:00

On Monday night, I was driving home from a meeting outside of West Chester. One road in turned one-way as I drove out, and I ended up not knowing where I was in the rolling hills of Chester County. At first, I trusted my instincts to at least be going in the right direction. When I began to doubt those (it didn't take long), I started watching the compass setting in the car. That guided me well for awhile until I had no idea where I was or if I was going in the right direction at all. In the dark, on the side of the road, I saw a sign for an orchard I had visited a couple of times and quickly started scanning road signs. I started to see some roads I recognized, and during the next 20 minutes, proceeded to feel my way back home, not in a straight path and sometimes with questionable driving practices, back home.

My drive home is such a metaphor for the life of faith. The journey frequently takes place in the dark, with only glimmers of light. The signposts guiding our way are often not obvious and direct. We feel our way through our relationship with God by following roads we are sure of for awhile, feeling totally lost and backtracking occassionally, and eventually ending up in a place of safety and rest. As we journey through the fast, may this be an opportunity to find some light for our path, a road sign to God, and to experience the peace and joy of home in God's heart.

Lord, even when we travel off the known paths, we are never lost to you. Nowhere in our life's journey is hidden, unknown, or obscured from your sight. Thank you for your guiding hand when we begin to stray, your gentle light when we feel lost, and the tug of your Spirit to reset our course. Traveling God, we offer up all the brothers and sisters of our congregation. Sweep the power of your Spirit upon each and every one of us, that we may be renewed and revived in our journey with you. Bring about a time of renewed fervor for your face, so that our will as a body and as individuals will conform to yours and the heart of Christ will burn brightly in each of us. Thank you for your guidance through Jesus, Amen.

Day 7

2009-09-27T21:05:00.000-04:00

Today, our focus at church was prayer. It fits so nicely with the Daniel Fast, because a deeper prayer life and more meaningful connection to God is the real focus of the fast, not suffering by giving up food or a desire to lose weight or become more healthy. Those may be by-products, but they are not the focus of the fast.

Tonight at our Healing Service and time of prayer, Lisa, one of the fasters, shared pieces of a journal she has been keeping throughout the fast. It chronicled the physical changes she's been undergoing during the fast, and it ended yesterday with a reflection on how good she was feeling. She captures the essence of the end of the first week of fasting - we move through the physical changes of cravings, caffeine withdrawal and hunger and into a state of equilibrium and peace. I pray that as we begin the second week of the fast (we're 1/3 done!) that we will be able to focus less on the food part and more on the connection part.

Lord of all life, thank you for this day set apart to worship and praise you. You freely give us the gift of prayer to connect ourselves deeply to your heart for us and for the world. Thank you for that gift and for the possibilties that come from this fast of extending that connection in new and rich ways. As we begin the next stage of our fasting journey, shift our focus away from food and totally toward you. Today, on this day of worship, we pray for all of those in our families, our neighborhoods and our community who have not experienced to love and power of your saving grace through Jesus Christ. Fan the flame of your Spirit that is in each of us and show us how to invite, explain, welcome and love others into a relationship with Jesus. We pray this through him, Amen.

Day 5

2009-09-25T21:20:00.000-04:00

Some of my dearest friends have been with me since we met at a playgroup right after Jackson was born. We are very different - some of us have lived abroad, others only in New Jersey or Pennsylvania. We were massage therapists, IT specialists and students before having children. Some of us were married only a year when we had our children, others closer to 20. But one thing we have in commom is a shared desire to live a healthy, whole and integrated life, especially regarding food. When I told one of them I was doing a fast, I got the most unique and uplifting response yet: "Good for you! How's it going?"

It was nice, even if just for a moment, to be greeted with joy and encouragement. I was able to respond that the fast is going well. And it has, even in these few days. Sure, I miss my coffee and a tasty homemade cookie, but the fellowship among the group of fasters, the deeper connection to God and the peace that has descended has made this a most incredible experience.

As we enter the weekend, my our thoughts and meditations turn away from what we're giving up and instead to what we're gaining: a closer relationship with God through Jesus, who knew sacrifice, who knew lack, who knew love and who knew grace.

Loving and lovely God, you welcome us in whatever state we are. We come before you full of anger and worry, full of laughter and joy, full of gratitude and awe, full of the awareness of you so near. Thank you for receiving us into the arms of your love and mercy. May our fast please you, not beause of the luxuries we are foregoing but because of the unfolding awareness of your deep love for us and our utter dependence on you. Journey with us into the night and next day, that we will find our safety and security in your grace. Through the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

Day 4

2009-09-24T20:22:00.000-04:00

Last week before the fast began, I found myself standing in front of my cupboard at 9 p.m. mindlessly searching for something to eat. I wasn't hungry in a physical way; I had eaten a healthy and satisfying dinner and had dessert with the kids. But here I was, eating tortilla chips, asking, "Why are you eating if you are not hungry? What other kind of hunger are you masking with food?"

Throughout these first four days, I've discovered so many times when I used to reach for food, or eat something, even though I wasn't hungry. I'd grab a mini-candy bar in Donna's office. I'd get a cookie when I walked by the cabinet. I'd eat a piece of cheese because I was bored. I'd stop for a cup of coffee as a reward for making a long drive.

Food can mask our deep hungers, and fasting gives us the opportunity to pause and look deeply at each bite we take with intention. Because most of us live in houses with others who are not fasting, our cupboards and fridges are filled with temptations. The opportunity to fill our deeper hunger with something we don't need or even want is ever present.

So tonight, ask yourself: Why do I eat? Is there a deeper hunger that is bubbling up within during this period of fasting? What does my soul long for that I try to smother with food? How is God using this time of reflection and abstinence to call my attention to a part of my spirit I usually wouldn't attend to?

Living God, you have given each human a hunger inside that can only be filled with your food. In our busyness, in our apathy, in our haste, in our fear, we try to stuff that hunger full of other things: television, food, alcohol, work, exercise. Forgive us when we try to fill the emptiness with anything other than you. Shor us through this time of fasting how to drink deeply of your spirit and eat heartily of your love and grace. We ask this through Jesus, our water and bread of life. Amen.

Day 3

2009-09-23T19:21:00.000-04:00

Today, I've gotten more comments of, "I could never do a fast like that!" or "I need my meat." or "I could never give up my caffeine!". I've welcomed these reactions because it's offered an opportunity to talk about the deeper experience and meaning of fasting. We get so caught up with the food part of fasting that we sometimes forget about the spiritual part of it.

I was with Kelly, one of the fasters, today when she responded to someone who said he couldn't make it through the temptation to eat favorite foods. She said that we don't have to have the strength because God will give us the strength to resist. I loved her response because it shows one of the fruits of fasting: a deeper reliance on God in the everyday. When we realize that we do not have the wisdom, the wherewithal, or the stamina to make it on our own, we become aware of the all-consuming power of God. For truly, it is God who creates us, who sustains us, who offers us forgiveness, love and grace - all things we cannot accomplish on our own. Fasting gives us the opportunity to rely on God a little more - and become a little closer to God's grace.

Gracious and loving Lord, all that we do, all we have, all we are is because of your amazing gift of life. We are vessels you mold, portraits you paint, notes you weave into a beautiful symphony. But sometimes we forget - we forget that you are almighty and we try to be mighty ourselves. We forget you are wise and we rely on human foolishness. We forget that you are all loving and we bear and hold grudges. Forgive us in your gracious mercy when our forgetfulness overwhelms us. Remind us through this period of fasting that you are all we need; you supply our strength; you give us breath; you give us purpose. As we empty our bodies, may our spirits be filled with your power and grace. Through Christ, who drew all strength from you and imparts it to us by his spirit, Amen.

Day 2

2009-09-22T20:10:00.000-04:00

Today is day 2 of our Daniel Fast. For me, the food change hasn't been that big of a deal, since going from vegetarian to vegan is a short hop. A few nice leftovers from our kick-off potluck has made yesterday and today easier, as well!
Today, my thoughts and prayers have centered upon abundance, which at first glance may seem ironic given that fasting is about lack. But in denying myself and enforcing a lack of food, I have been powerfully reminded of how abundant my life really is. Kendra captured the sentiment last night in her e-mail reply to the group of fasters when she shared an anecdote about reminding herself not to lick her daughter's spilled yogurt off of her fingers. The simple fact that we have so much food that we can feed our children one thing while we eat another is overwhelming. Our cabinets are overflowing while some of our neighbors can't scrape together enough rice or beans or pasta for one meal.

So today, the prayer is for those who know only absence and not abundance, for whom thinking about food means sustanance not abunadance, for whom mealtime is about scarcity not abundance.

Abundant, life-giving God: you have enriched our lives so amazingly in this country, and in this community in particular. Our physical needs are more than cared for: your provision gives us warm and dry homes, plenty of food to enjoy, clothes in excess, and ways to communicate that are overwhelming. Our abundance has led to gluttony, which has brought us down the road of apathy. Forgive us, gracious God. As we begin this season of fasting from food, stir up our hearts so they may break with your love for those who do not have enough. Crack us open where our privilege has sealed our hearts closed to the pain others experience. Lead us into a new way of life, one that shares all we have so that everyone may have enough. Open our eyes in our own community, so we will see the hurting and hunger of others. Give us the strength to respond in ways small and large. We ask this in the name of Jesus, who knew the hunger of the world, Amen.

Daniel Fast - Day 1

2009-09-21T22:18:00.000-04:00

As the day ends, I'm so grateful for the opportunity to be on this journey with others. Throughout the day, when I would be tempted to cheat just a little bite, the knowledge that nine other folks were abstaining as well gave me great courage and strength! So before sleep sets in, I offer this prayer of thanksgiving to God.

Great, great God: thank you for companions on the journey. You have given us one another as partners, as parents, as children, as neighbors, and through the body of your son Jesus, as sisters and brothers together. Through the power of your Spirit, bless the brothers and sisters who are on the Daniel Fast. Strengthen their bodies when they get weak. Renew their resolve when temptation creeps in. Focus their hearts and minds fully and completely on you, that this time of sacrifice will be blessed in abundant and unexpected ways. In the name of Jesus our brother, who has gone this way before us, Amen.

And so it begins ...

2009-09-21T09:17:00.002-04:00

While in Chicago at the School for Congregational Development, Kelly Hruz and I attended a workshop by Brad Kalajainen, pastor at Cornerstone Church in Caledonia, MI (http://cornerchurch.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=68898). The first thing he suggested to do before beginning any effort at congregational renewal, expansion or growth was to fast and pray. He told us about the Daniel Fast, based on the book of Daniel, that he and his leadership have used.

Melissa Jones, Kelly and I came away from the School with a commitment to begin a time of prayer and fasting for our congregation. Kelly and her mom did the Daniel Fast (http://danielfast.wordpress.com/), a 21-day partial food fast, in August and were richly blessed by their experience.

As of last night, we had 10 folks from our congregation committed to journeying together on a 21-day partial-food fast. We will forgo meat, dairy, sugar, caffeine, and all drinks except water. For some of us who are vegetarian, it's not a big switch in our diets. For others, it's a significant sacrifice, especially giving up coffee!

Our congregational prayer focus areas are:

That people who do not know of the saving love of Jesus will come to know of it through our congregation
That our own congregation will experience a spiritual renewal
That God will reveal to us the community need we have been given the gifts to meet and fulfill.

My own discipline for this season of fasting is to write a prayer and post it every day of the fast. I look forward to journeying together with whoever comes across this post. I pray for you!

community of grace

2008-12-24T10:21:00.001-05:00

One of my favorite websites is http://revgalblogpals.blogspot.com/. Even though I have never met any of the women who write and post there, they have become my virutual community during the week as I plan to preach. And isn't that what the capital-C Church should be - a place where we can come from a variety of backgrounds with nothing in common other than a desire for God, no matter where we are on our journey with the divine - wandering, wondering, seeking, thinking, questioning, praising, loving, rejoicing, lamenting, doubting, hoping, praying?

This is my Christmas prayer - that all who come tonight will find a word for their journey, even if they don't realize they are on one. Christmas peace and love.

Glimpes of God

2008-12-10T11:39:00.003-05:00

During the past few days, God has popped up quite a few times! God has quite a knack for doing that!

A man who was beaten up, shoeless, and coatless found his way to the church on Monday morning. He had walked a couple of miles to get there, saying he knew he could use the phone and find a safe place to wait. He had been beaten up and robbed by his friends. I'm sure there was more to the story that that, but here he found safety, hospitality and welcome. I was reminded of the parable of the Good Samaritan. This nameless man certainly was like the traveler beaten and robbed. I think we were like the inn, a place where he could rest and recover for a little while before continuing his life journey. My prayers are with him.

Some of our older ladies met yesterday afternoon for their class's Christmas party. They also considered some requests for the money they make at our rummage sales and bazaars. They freely offered a gift for our Water of Life Christmas Miracle Offering to purchase a water tank for our friends in Tanzania, paid for study books purchased for a Bible study class at our local senior citizens' apartment complex and paid for a semester scholarship for our Children's Morning Out program. How blessedly generous they are to provide for groups that they themselves won't benefit from!

Wesley is in love with the baby Jesus. He carries around the little Jesuses from the nativity sets we have out, hugs them, kisses them, tries to change their diapers. I pray he's that in love with the grown-up and risen Jesus as Wesley himself grows, too!

Comfort and hope

2008-12-02T20:18:00.002-05:00

This week, I'm preaching on Isaiah 40:1-11 and John the Baptist in Mark 1:1-8. The theme is "Messengers of Hope". As I've been preparing and praying, I've been on the lookout for people or situations that bring hope to us, even hope in the most unlikely ways.

The descriptions of John the Baptist remind me so much of homeless men that I encountered almost daily when living in Philadelphia. He dressed in what he could find - animal hides. Men who are homeless wear what they can find - discarded coats and trashbags. He scavenged for food, grubbing up bugs and stealing honeycombs. These men scavenge for food as well, grubbing up discarded food in dumpsters and leftover handouts from guilt-stricken passersby.

If John the Baptist calls us to repent for the time of God's coming is near, wouldn't the homeless men and women of our nation call us to do the same? What about the starving children in lands of famine? Or evacuees from natural disasters? Or fly-covered women and men with rotting wounds in refugee camps?

What is it that I need to repent of? Where is the hope in this call to shuv, to turn around, to begin a new way of life?

It's beginning to look a lot like ...

2008-11-26T10:30:00.003-05:00

Christmas. I'm violating my own standards of not starting anything Christmas-related until Thanksgiving Day. I've been sucked in by the incessant Christmas music on three radio stations in our area. Even my children now clamor for the Christmas music. Usually they are asking for loud, obnoxious rock - Mike has ruined their musical taste. :)

The one benefit I've noticed to this onslaught of Christmas music is the number of references to Jesus in the songs. At no other time of the year do non-Christian radio stations willingly flood their airwaves with songs about the place of Jesus, the purpose of Christ's coming to earth, and the glory of God. My prayer as hundreds of thousands of people turn their dial into these stations is that people will pause and ask themselves, "Who is Jesus? Why is he important?" and that they will begin to fan the spark of the Holy Spirit that is in every person.

Will you join me in that prayer as well? Or in asking the questions if that's where you are right now?

Birthday girl

2008-11-20T20:42:00.006-05:00

Tuesday was Anya's first birthday. The time goes by so fast! It snowed Tuesday, which was appropriate because it snowed on the way home from Birthcare with her. As Thanksgiving approaches, I am so grateful for this year with her, and with Wes and Jackson.

Parenting, and for me, mothering, is such a means of grace for me, as John Wesley would say. I am constantly confronted with my limits, and it's only the grace of God that lets me persevere. Parenting shows me every day where I fail and reminds me that the world does not revolve around me, but is bigger than I can every imagine. It connects me with mothers all around the world, in ways that are painful and joyful.

I can't imagine my life without them. And so, as this Thanksgiving approaches, I am thankful for the privilege to mother.

Men and Church

2008-11-11T20:09:00.002-05:00

I'm back after a rather long hiatus - one additional baby and lots of good stories later!

The other morning, Jackson was talking about going to church. He said that when he was an adult, he wasn't going to go to church. I said, "Don't you want to take your kids to church?" He said, "No, if I have a wife, she will be the one to take them.

I almost fell over! His dad takes him to church every week, his mom is the pastor, and out of his mouth comes this statement that is so in line with traditional gender roles! Where did he absorb such a common stereotype? I couldn't believe what he was saying!

But he did bring up an interesting point - the feminization of the church. For many years, the church has been seen as the "women's domain". We are blessed - our congregation has many families where both partners attend and worship regularly and we have men in leadership roles from our children's ministries through our senior ministries. Being a female pastor, I am acutely aware of the need to have a balance of male-female leadership and to have strong men's ministries. If we miss out on me, we miss a huge amount of gifts and of lives that can be transformed.

What do you think?

Little bunny

2007-01-13T19:33:00.000-05:00

I was reading Wes The Runaway Bunny tonight. It's a story of a little bunny who threatens to run away from home. His mother doesn't get alarmed but says she will go after him, no matter where he goes. He becomes a rock on a mountain, she will become a mountain climber. He becomes a crocus in a hidden garden, she will become a gardener. And my favorite, he will become a bird so he can fly away. "If you become a bird and fly away, I will become the tree you come home to."

The illustration is beautiful - the little bunny is flying with these great Ithacus-like wings on his rabbit body and the tree is in the shape of the the mommy rabbit, so gentle and soft and inviting. It's a lovely image - our mother being the place we come to roost, to rest, to nest, to relax and be.

It's also who God is for us. The entire book is an allegory for who God is for each of us in the world, whether it's intended that way or not. No matter where we go or what we become, God is there with us, either coming after us, going to meet us, or becoming whatever it is we come home to.

Even if it's a mommy rabbit tree.

I Just Want to Buy It

2007-01-11T09:53:00.000-05:00

Over the weekend, Jackson had a four-day obsession with a Power Ranger phone that turns into what looks like a sword or a knife.

I have a pretty ambivalent relationship to superheroes, especially Power Rangers. I don't like the ones who fight (well, that's about all of them) and definitely don't like the ones that use weapons. Spiderman's web could be considered a weapon, but I feel like that's not as bad because it is an organic part of who he is. But Power Rangers, on the other hand, have knives and swords and all manner of implements - but no guns, I'm not that ambivalent.

I've never let him see a Power Ranger movie, but he still loves them. I've let him have two, neither with a weapon, and dress up as a Ranger for Christmas. I don't like the violence, the battles, the evil that the heroes fight against. I want to keep my boys sheltered from that as long as possible, but he's drawn to it like a moth to light.

So every day for four days it was "I want a Power Ranger phone with a knife, I want a Power Ranger phone with a knife." After he had said this about the 30th time in 15 minutes as we were in the car, I finally said "We'll talk about it later." He then said "I don't want to talk about it, I just want to buy it."

I was struck by the urgency in those words and how true they were for him but also for us as adults. We don't like to be thoughtful, to be patient, to wait; we want what we want right now. And for many of us, we can get it because we have the education, the resources, the ability to satisfy our every need, desire and wish. I struggle with that same urge every day, from the grocery store to the discount store. At night I have a real desire for a donut, so I stop by the store and get one. Even though Wes and Jackson have enough toys to open a store, I see something they would like and I want to go get it for them.

How do we teach our children that life is not about immediate gratification? We have to start with teaching our selves that same lesson. I have to evaluate my own desire, my own spending habits, my relationship with the material goods that are so alluring and seductive. What a challenge! God, give me strength, wisdom and your heart for others.

How old are you, how old are you ...

2007-01-06T19:22:00.000-05:00

I turned 33 on Wednesday. I generally enjoy my birthday and don't mind telling people my age or celebrating. So far, each year has gotten better and better, and I'm looking forward to what life will bring my way in the next year. I'm so grateful for the years that I've had and all the blessings I've received in them, that it feels miserly to begrudge my age.

But this year, I paused a little longer than usual. Depending on which Gospel you read, Jesus' ministry ended sometime in his early 30s - 33 at the latest. And so turning 33 myself, I had to ask, "What would I leave behind if my life were to end this year?" It's foolish and arrogant to compare my life to Jesus' life at this stage - I'm not the son of God, of course. But it does make me reflect on how I have used the time God has given me so far.

If I were to die this year, how would my boys remember me? What would Mike tell them? What would they read or hear or see that I have done? These are sobering questions. I hope they would know that they are the best things, the greatest things for the world that God and I have created together. I hope I would be remembered as being faithful, as loving my neighbor as myself, as having integrity and dignity and for loving God fully.

Wow - heavy stuff. But not a bad way to start reflecting on a new year.

Tantrum

2006-07-28T21:11:00.000-04:00

I've been reflecting on forgiveness a lot lately. Strife and violence and impatience and irrationality and injustice are a daily occurance - in my family's life, in this community, around the world. Israel is bombing parts of Lebanon to rubble. Suicide bombers are destroying buildings, cars, and innocent civilians' lives. Teen-agers are shooting each other to death around Philadelphia. And mothers are denying their children the basics of life: chocolate whoopie pies before breakfast.

Life with a pre-schooler is a daily experience in the wild mood swings that are part of the human condition. Spending the day with Jackson is like taking a ride on one of the giant rollercoasters that twist, turns, climbs high and soars down, all in 90 seconds. He can be so happy, pleasant, cooperative and polite. he also can be mean, rude, stubborn and unpredictable. And if he gets mad, watch out. He will yell, cry, kick his feet, jump and stomp. Yet he also can be so tender, so good-hearted, so loving, so thoughtful. Basically, he's just like grown-ups, except he has not learned yet to censor his thoughts and feelings.

But no matter how mad he gets, for slights perceived and real, he can get over his anger in a second. Heis quick to forgive - and does it freely, without reservation and never looks back. If only we all could have the generosity of spirit that he has. it's like the forgiveness that God offers us and the world, when we just ask. How much better the world would be if we could all forgive like that.

Grandaddy Longlegs

2006-07-24T23:15:00.000-04:00

Today as we were taking a walk, I called Jackson "Grandaddy Longlegs". Right now that's what he is - all arms and legs. I said to him, "One day, you'll be a grandaddy and you'll have long legs and you'll really be a grandaddy longlegs."

Immediately after I said it, I was filled with sadness, hope, fear, and uncertainty. My little boy, just three years old, will one day be a grandfather. And it's quite likely that I won't be around th see it. My sense of mortality was strong, which is unusual because it's not something that I struggle with a whole lot. I can hardly imagine him that old, frolicking around with someone else's baby. And so much can happen between now and then - disease, accidents, the draft, mental illness, addiction - who knows what the future will hold for him?

At that moment, all I could do was hold him, these concerns, fears, dreams and hopes, in God's light. My powerlessness was overwhelming. I have to trust him to someone, something else that's bigger than me and that I can't control. I'm not so good at that. But an almost impercepptible tug on my heart - it has to be from the holy - keeps pulling me away from myself and toward God.

Then he also said that he was never going to get married. "I have to live with you. I'm not going to get MARRI-ed," he emphasized. And then said that he was not going to be a firefighter either. He was just going to stay at home as a grown-up. Who knows - he could be telling the truth!

First time

2006-07-23T23:04:00.000-04:00

A new home, a new church, now a new venture - blogging.

When the spiritual discipline of journaling began, who ever would have thought it would have evolved to this?

How can my faith and spirituality deepen by posting my thoughts about God, the world, my own journey and my faith community?

Let's find out!