Saturday, March 28, 2015

Devotional 3-28-14

Isabella Stewart Gardner (1840-1924) was an extremely wealthy, eccentric, world traveler as well as
an art collector, philanthropist, and patron of the arts. (Sadly, no relation to me). She actually built a museum in Boston to house her extensive collection, with strict instructions that nothing would ever be altered or changed.* I am fortunate to have visited this museum twice. The first time I must have walked right by the painting below, but the second time I was mesmerized by it.

The painting is "Christ Carrying the Cross" by Giovanni Bellini (1430-1516). It is a small piece which sits on a desk, so the viewer can be eye to eye with the depicted Jesus.

Alan Chong wrote in The Eye of the Beholder, "The subject has been excerpted from the narrative representations of Christ carrying the cross to Mount Calvary. However, lacking distracting details or any indication of setting, this image focuses instead on the tear-streaked face of Christ, who stares out at us melancholically, as well as the knotty wood cross over which he casts a shadow. It is an intimate and intensely personal depiction of a suffering more emotional than physical."

The artist isn't focusing on the violence of Good Friday. Notice there's no blood dripping down Christ's face or on his white robe. But look at the eyes! I spent several minutes starring at those eyes and came away with Jesus saying to me, "Yes, I'm going through with it."

I invite you to spend a few minutes with this painting and draw your own conclusions. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Anita Gardner Farrell
* If you would like to know more about the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum: http://www.gardnermuseum.org/home

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Devotional 3-26-15

I know we are a week behind with Lent due to weather and church issues. I do not think it makes that much difference, really. I was thinking of how I would do Lent this year and decided I should share my idea. Here goes. Do not give up anything you really do not want to. Instead do a positive thing. Well, of course I have ideas for this. Say only positive things about our church and refuse to converse with those that have negative views. Sit in a different pew preferably beside someone that may be a visitor. Sing all the verses to all songs even though they may be long. Offer to take the altar flowers to someone (even though Scott Ramsey does this every Sunday). Come to Young at Heart in March. Offer to be a greeter  and usher (Jim Daniels would be delighted to have you help). Join the choir even if you cannot sing; your voice will be heard and appreciated by Bruce Rous.  Ask somebody to come with you to church one Sunday and throw in a free lunch if they come. Say hey to your neighbor if you do not already. Since the weather is bad take your neighbors' newspaper closer to their houses so they do not have to trudge in the snow to get it. Call a member of our church and do what I call a body check just to see if they are ok.  Pray for those that are hurting and rejoice with those are healing. I am sure if you put your mind to it you can come up with even more good things to do during our season of Lent. I do not think that our Lord will be unhappy. He probably liked bread and wine too.
 
Now here is the rest of the challenge. Write down on strips of paper what you chose to do for a positive Lent or  even what you choose to give up for Lent and put them in the offering plate on Easter Sunday.

Jean Ramsey

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Devotional 3-24-15

Holy Cow!

What is holy? A synonym for “sacred,” holy means worthy of worship. As the third stanza of that great Trinitarian hymn reminds us, only God is holy. But we often use “holy” and “sacred” to describe things that are capable of bringing about an experience of the presence of God. For instance, we might refer to sacred space, a sacred text, or sacred music when they are designed to lead people to experience the divine. But it is important to remember that it is not the space, text, or music that is sacred.

Or is it?

Consider, for example, our sacred space. Your and my idea of sacred space may look more like a courthouse to someone not familiar with church. Think about it…in addition to the high ceiling and balcony, there is a gallery (nave), a separated, raised platform (chancel), a bench (pulpit), a witness stand (lectern), and a jury box (choir loft). There’s even a judge in a robe! Would we ever consider changing the architecture to be more inviting to those who find it to be a barrier?

Next, consider sacred music. A friend’s recent Facebook post referred to the connection between the wonderful Passion hymn O Sacred Head Now Wounded and Paul Simon’s American Tune, which you can listen to it here. Even though I had heard American Tune many times, I never made the link, which is so obvious to me now, to the hymn. “Wow,” I wrote in a message to another Facebook friend, “wouldn’t it be great to hear someone sing O Sacred Head Now Wounded to Paul Simon’s setting of the tune?”

“NNOOOOOOOOOOoooooo!!!!!!!” was the initial response. Then he got negative. How many synonyms for “no” can you think of? I learned some new ones from his response. He concluded, “Holy cow. Do I need to call for medics?”

 “O never mind,” I replied, and let it drop. But “Holy cow?” Ha! The irony was not lost on me.

We use the expression “sacred cow” derogatorily to describe those things that have become so accepted that no one would dare even suggest changing them. Although I know my friend had used “holy cow” as an exclamation of surprise, a “minced oath” the crossword puzzle writers would call it, he had unwittingly made my point. The familiar, traditional tune and style of O Sacred Head Now Wounded has become so venerated and accepted that I should not have even suggested doing something different with it. It is a sacred cow.

It’s too bad, really, for anyone my friend might have an opportunity to influence. While I have absolutely no doubt that many people over the centuries have been stirred by O Sacred Head Now Wounded in its familiar, traditional style, the moving words will not be heard and experienced by some who cannot appreciate a Bach chorale. It may be shocking, even blasphemy, to some reading this, but there really are people who cannot appreciate a Bach chorale. But, that’s ok, we think. Maybe because they are not in church.

A further irony is that the tune and harmonization that are so familiar to the in-church crowd are based on a secular love song written by German composer Hans L. Hasler in 1601, more than eighty years before Bach’s birth. With lyrics such as the following, it’s little wonder it has been referred to as a 16th Century version of “All Shook Up.”

My mind’s confused within me, made thus by a tender maiden.
I am utterly astray. My heart hurts badly.
I have no rest day and night. I ever lament.
I keep sighing and crying, in sorrow almost despairing.

So I wasn’t the first person to blur the secular/sacred line. If any of Bach’s contemporaries had exclaimed, “Holy cow, J.S.! Have your lost your bleeping mind?” you can be thankful he continued undeterred.

In many churches we have sacred cows. We seem to hang on to traditions that go back, not necessarily to the original Christian church, but to particular times in Christian history. Maybe it is the heyday of the 1950’s or the Classical Period or even the Dark Ages. We, the insiders, seem to find some zone of comfort, and in the midst of churches that are steadily declining, we blissfully maintain that our traditions stand the test of time. But do they really? I fully believe the words often repeated in the baptismal covenant that “the church is of God, and will be preserved until the end of time,” yet I further believe that God’s church will not be confined to a particular building or a particular style. Will we die trying to so confine it?

What are our sacred cows? The building? The time for worship? The space for worship? The style of worship? The music? The instruments? The way we do something the way we’ve always done it because we’ve always done it that way? When someone suggests something new, do we squelch their enthusiasm? “Holy cow! Are you crazy?” When our own tradition becomes a sacred cow, who are we excluding from the life of the church?

Only God is holy. Do we aim to share the good news of Jesus with others? Or to teach them to appreciate Bach chorales?


Jeff Taylor

Friday, March 20, 2015

Devotional 3-20-15

 “Clean-Up”

Lectionary Readings:  Jeremiah 31: 31-34; Psalm 51: 1-12; Hebrews 5:5-10 and John 12: 20-33.
“Soak me in your laundry and I’ll come out clean, scrub me and I’ll have a snow-white life.  Tune me in to foot-tapping songs, set these once-broken bones to dancing.  Don’t look too close for blemishes, give me a clean bill of health.  God, make a fresh start in me, shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life.” Psalm 51:  7-9  (The Message).

My grandparents did not have indoor plumbing until I was in college.  Washing dishes, clothes and bodies was always an interesting adventure.  A “day in the life” at Grandma’s seemed so carefree to all of the grandchildren.  We raced and chased outside all day long.  There were creeks to ford and trees to climb.  Chickens to chase and buttercups to pick.  When the sun lowered we would be called in and reluctantly report for “bath time”. The tub, which consisted of a round galvanized tub about 3 feet in diameter, was set up close to the stove. No privacy was really needed when we were younger, but we usually did take turns in the tub. Since all the water had to be pumped and then heated, the water was never very deep, but we pretended we were sailing the seas in our fantastic ship and we imagined the water pouring over our head was really a water fall to hide behind during a wonderful mystery.

When I read the version of Psalm 51 from The Message, I was reminded of the wash tub we bathed in at Grandma’s house.  For most of my childhood, the tub always signified an adventure.  Later as I grew, the tub began to pose a challenge as I no longer really fit in the tub in a seated position.  So it was with a giggle that I pictured God’s BIG laundry tub where I would be soaked and scrubbed as laundry to become clean.

The focus on the laundry tub was short-lived as God immediately drew my attention to the purpose of a tub:  a thorough “soul cleaning”.  Psalm 51, written by David after he was confronted by Nathan about David’s affair with Bathsheba, is a plea for forgiveness.  David pled guilty to his sin and asked to be forgiven and cleansed from its grasp.  Although I am not guilty of adultery, “sin is sin,” as my father would remind me, and the daily act of asking for forgiveness is a necessity.

Lent 2015 for me has been a challenge to improve my prayer life.  God has been calling me to develop a pattern of prayer throughout the day that can be repeated daily.  This process has increased an awareness of my shortcomings and a sad lack of diligence.  I had settled into a habit of quick, short prayers regarding the challenge of the moment and not the deep soul-searching prayers meant to improve my relationship with God.

Today, God has used this psalm to remind me of an important needed addition to my prayers—a method of asking for forgiveness. I had not studied Psalm 51 for some time.  Using The Message translation was a chance to explore the words from a different perspective.  The climactic message David conveys is that God has the power to forgive, and what God demands of us is a “broken and contrite heart.”  We can go through the motions of worship and offerings on the altar, but what God requires is the surrender of our hearts and our will to God’s direction.  Forgiveness is readily available—we just have to ask for it on a daily basis.

God is in the cleaning business—cleaning up sin and offering forgiveness. Jesus’ life was sacrificed for our sins.  We cannot “fix” our sins on our own.  Why not spend some time studying this psalm and try some of God’s version of spring cleaning—a fresh start with a healthy dose of forgiveness.  “Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow”.

Dear Loving God, we ask your forgiveness for our many sins and transgressions.  We are truly sorry for the disappointments and heartaches we have caused you.  Please accept our penitent hearts and show us a way to serve you with greater commitment.  We submit our lives to your will.  Help us to follow your direction more diligently.  We thank you for the life of your son whose blood was shed for our sins.  Help us to serve you by sharing your love as Jesus has shown us.  AMEN.


Chyrl Budd

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Devotional 3-13-15

Till Death Us Do Part

Yesterday was my parents’ anniversary. If Mom were still with us, it would have been 57 years together for them. While I have to admit to not being there for the 1958 nuptials, I do feel certain that the traditional words, “till death do us part” were used in their traditional 1958 service. I witnessed those words played out over the years as a kid living at home and a grown up kid returning home. They shared many things while maintaining their own interests. Mom loved to go to the movies. Dad would have needed to be bound and gagged to get him inside a theater. Dad loved crafts and wood working. Upon their return from Gatlinburg (to see the crafts) Mom’s comment, with a grimace on her face, was that the sidewalks were uphill – both ways. My witness to the caring was never more pronounced than when the dreaded Alzheimer’s disease showed up in our family and prepared to take Mom away. In making a list of my Dad’s qualities, ‘patient’ would never make the list > not even way, way down the list. Alzheimer’s is not fast acting, and as Mom began to fade, Dad never missed a beat. He was never short with her for asking the same question over and over again or for dressing herself in only three socks on one foot and shirt and being ready to go to the mall. He cared for her at home beyond what was healthy for either of them. And once professional care in a professional place was sought, he visited EVERYDAY. He had taken a vow, and he loved my mom – period.

We take a vow when we join the church. We promise that we will serve Christ in union with the church that He has opened to people of all ages, nations and races. I looked again, and it really does say ALL; not just some or the convenient ones. We say that we will faithfully participate in the church’s ministries with our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our service and our witness. While I was in there I looked again at this too, and it doesn’t say anything about ‘when you feel like it’ or ‘only give gifts to those you think deserve it.’ It says pray, be there, give, serve and proclaim – period.

Jesus came and walked among us. He promised that he would never leave us and that he was going to prepare a place for us. He stretched his arms from one side of the cross to the other so that we would never be parted and said, “I love you this much – period.”

I pray that as we approach Eater we remember our vows; love God and love our neighbor – period.

Sunday, March 8, 2015

Devotional 3-6-15

The Theology of Desi Arnaz
John 2:13-22

In the Gospel according to John, the story of Jesus’ cleansing of the temple of those who corrupted the sacred space with profiteering and cheating comes early, partially laying groundwork for what follows as John unfolds the story of who Jesus is.  In Mark, Matthew, and Luke, the story appears near the end of Jesus’ life and is part of the emotional escalator that leads religious authorities to want to be rid of him.  In either case, Jesus is shown with the emotion of anger at what he saw instead of what should be holiness and righteousness.

Rev. Peter Wallace, a son of Johnson Memorial, has written a book titled The Passionate Jesus:  What We Can Learn from Love, Fear, Grief, Joy, and Living Authentically.  He describes the various emotions experienced and displayed by Jesus.

In the text prescribed for the third Sunday of Lent, it is Jesus’ anger that dominates the emotionally charged story.

Many will remember with smiles the “I Love Lucy” series.   While the program had old culturally traditional male-female portrayals, the episodes always ended with a loving emotion between Lucy and Desi.  In most shows, Lucy got into some predicament, and the emotions of everyone in the program ran the gamut.  Desi would often be angry and could be heard saying, “Lucy, you’ve got some ‘splainin’ to do.”

This holy season of the year offers a time of self-examination and reflection.  If Jesus were to enter our lives today, as he entered the temple centuries ago, what would he find?  What emotion would Jesus have as he observes and experiences our minds and hearts?  When Jesus says to us, “You’ve got some ‘splainin’ to do,” what is our response?  Are there parts of our lives that give us pause at the thought of needing to explain to God?  Does the thought cross your mind:  “How am I going to explain this one to God?”  Perhaps it is a way of thinking, a behavior, a bias or prejudice, a hardness of heart, a failure to forgive.

Take some time as we prepare for the great festival of Easter and the promise of resurrection to engage in some self-examination.  Be honest with yourself and God.  Offer to God those things that might rightly draw the Lord’s wrath.  Don’t make that offering with fear of God’s reprisal but, instead, make it in response to a loving God who seeks a relationship with us that is marked by wholeness and righteousness.  Desi would display anger with Lucy, but he always embraced her with love.  We might expect God to be angry with us, but God’s mercy and love always trump what we might rightly deserve.  Thanks be to God for unending love.

Holy God:  give us the will to be honest with ourselves and you.  Let us name those things that separate us from your ways.  In naming our sin, we place our wrongs before you with a desire to turn toward your desires for us.  Restore us to the paths of righteousness.  Thank you for your merciful love.  We pray in the name of Jesus, our Lord.  Amen.

Rev. Jack Lipphardt