So did you make a New Year’s resolution? How are you doing on keeping it? I have to admit that I have given up making New Year resolutions. It seems that I always have lofty goals; lose weight, start exercising, spend more time reading, do more of this or more of that, and on and on. But somehow in just a couple days into the new year and somehow my best of intentions would be blown away. So I am going to work on longer term goals rather than the traditional New Year’s resolutions with the hope that maybe one day I will be successful in my personal transformation hopes.
As I think about long term goals I am reminded of a poem and a song. The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T. S. Elliott is about a man who evaluates his life using images of his life being measured by coffee spoons and wondering if they dare disturb the universe. He looks at the end of his life with regret that there were moments that he could have made a significant difference in the world, but possibly didn’t have the courage to stand up or speak out in that moment, and thus his life is measured by coffee spoons. The song that I hold in contrast is called “Everything Possible” by Fred Small and sung by The Flirtations. It ends with this phrase, “But the only measure of your words and your deeds will be the love you’ve left behind when you’re gone.” Where the poem and the song come together for me is that each day we are presented with many opportunities to heroically love in this world. Each moment of our life we are given the opportunity to make a decision to transform the world around us with love. We can demonstrate love through speaking out, standing in protest, humbly serving others, or just listening to someone. The question is, will we make the effort to love and risk disturbing the universe, or will we sit back and not engage. Will our words and deeds create love or will they perpetuate the status quo?
Perhaps if I am focused on my words and deeds, sharing the love of God with those around me, my life might be measured in something more important than coffee spoons. Perhaps my life resolution should be to be intentional that each day my words and deeds communicate God’s love for the world. I would hazard to guess that living out God’s love might just change the universe, and hopefully, my personal transformation might also help God transform a little corner of the world.
My hope for you this New Year and for the years to come is that we all might live our lives filled with words and deeds that communicate the love of God.
Happy Loving!
Pastor Kathleen
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Time with Sharon: A New Adventure!
February 2009
* This is a day of new beginnings,
time to remember and move on,
time to believe what love is bringing,
laying to rest the pain that’s gone.
Most people consider January 1st the beginning of the new year, where all things are fresh and new. Time to forgive and forget, time to start over, to zero the counters and see where we can go from here.For a lot of businesses, the fiscal year is July 1. After having closed out their books, and counted their inventory, they give each other a bonus and go to Florida for a little R and R.
But in the church, the Liturgical year begins right after Thanksgiving with Advent. All through the four Sundays before Christmas, we prepare to receive Emmanuel, God with Us, in the form of a baby-child. By the time January 1st rolls around, we have celebrated the birth of the Christ Child, and heard the scriptural story of Baby Jesus being consecrated at the Temple, ending with verse 40 in the second chapter of Luke: “The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.” Jesus was getting ready for ministry. He was preparing for the adventure of his life.
Now is not the time to get started…because our adventure with Jesus has already begun. But it is a time to evaluate, get fresh perspective, and seek new possibilities…and then to begin again. To risk, to pray, to stretch, to grow. Now is a time to be readying ourselves to carry on Christ’s ministry on earth.
Then let us, with the spirit’s daring,
Step from the past and leave behind
Our disappointment, guilt, and grieving,
Seeking new paths, and sure to find.
Look behind you…what have you been doing this past year that uses your gifts and talents to help Christ love people? Now look ahead…what can you do that you have never done before (with that ministry or a new one) that will reach someone new, or in a new way? What do you need to know? Who do you need to talk to? What extra resources will you need? Who might join you in your adventure? Now is a good time to assess what we’re doing, and figure out how we can do it better, smarter, with greater love, and to invite others to join us.
Christ is alive, and goes before us
To show and share what love can do.
This is a day of new beginnings,
Our God is making all things new!
I look forward to hearing about your adventures,
Pastor Sharon
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
From the Wilder View - December 2008
As I write this article Thanksgiving is still a few days away. Yet, it has already begun in my home. Has it started in yours? If you have children, you know what I am talking about. “Mom, I know what I want for Christmas.” “Could I have a (insert fantasy gift here) for Christmas?” “Mom, I just have to have a … for Christmas.” And on and on it goes. It isn’t even Thanksgiving yet and the Christmas wish list is already growing very long!
In a matter of days, the rush of our materialistic world will come crashing in on us and we will start the quest to find the perfect Christmas gift for everyone we care about. The stress of the current economic situation in our world will become magnified. We just have to find the perfect gift!!! I’d like to suggest an idea for this year. Take a moment and give your heart to those you care about. Write them a letter, or sing them a song, or make a special dish. Do we really need one more thing that eventually will end up in the church’s boutique? (Of course the UMW ladies will gladly receive all unwanted gifts for their rummage sale scheduled for January 31st.)
I am reminded of a Christmas Carol, “In the bleak midwinter.” It is one of my favorite carols, but it isn’t sung very often.
When I was a younger woman at Centenary it seemed that whenever this hymn was scheduled to be sung in worship we would have a horrible snow storm and only a very few people would make it to church that day. It isn’t that I am superstitious but, I have to admit that I am somewhat reluctant to schedule it for us sing, just in case it really does cause blizzards. The third verse in the carol is my favorite. “What shall I give him, poor as l am? If I were a shepherd I would bring a lamb. If I were a wise man, I would do my part. What I can, I give him; give him my heart.”
And that is exactly what I think is on God’s wish list for this Christmas…not the fancy new games, or toys, or jewelry, or gift cards. Just something simple that each of us can give no matter the status of our bank account. God would just like our heart.
May this Advent season be full of the giving of your heart to God and to those you love. I bet that you will find it to be one of your best Advent seasons ever.
Blessings on your journey.
Pastor Kathleen
In a matter of days, the rush of our materialistic world will come crashing in on us and we will start the quest to find the perfect Christmas gift for everyone we care about. The stress of the current economic situation in our world will become magnified. We just have to find the perfect gift!!! I’d like to suggest an idea for this year. Take a moment and give your heart to those you care about. Write them a letter, or sing them a song, or make a special dish. Do we really need one more thing that eventually will end up in the church’s boutique? (Of course the UMW ladies will gladly receive all unwanted gifts for their rummage sale scheduled for January 31st.)
I am reminded of a Christmas Carol, “In the bleak midwinter.” It is one of my favorite carols, but it isn’t sung very often.
When I was a younger woman at Centenary it seemed that whenever this hymn was scheduled to be sung in worship we would have a horrible snow storm and only a very few people would make it to church that day. It isn’t that I am superstitious but, I have to admit that I am somewhat reluctant to schedule it for us sing, just in case it really does cause blizzards. The third verse in the carol is my favorite. “What shall I give him, poor as l am? If I were a shepherd I would bring a lamb. If I were a wise man, I would do my part. What I can, I give him; give him my heart.”
And that is exactly what I think is on God’s wish list for this Christmas…not the fancy new games, or toys, or jewelry, or gift cards. Just something simple that each of us can give no matter the status of our bank account. God would just like our heart.
May this Advent season be full of the giving of your heart to God and to those you love. I bet that you will find it to be one of your best Advent seasons ever.
Blessings on your journey.
Pastor Kathleen
Time with Sharon: The Drama of Advent
The Drama of Advent, What are we waiting for?
December 2008
This year, the Season of Advent begins November 30th. Similar to how businesses start their fiscal years on January 1st, Advent is the theological start of the Church Year for most churches in the Western tradition. It runs for four Sundays before Christmas Day, and ends at midnight on Christmas Eve.
Advent is marked by a spirit of expectation, of preparation…and of longing, not unlike getting ready for the arrival of a cherished, long-awaited visitor to your home. Spiritually, there is a yearning for deliverance from the evils of the world, first expressed by Israelite slaves in Egypt over 3000 years ago as they cried out from their bitter oppression. It is grounded in the hope that was once anticipated by our Hebrew ancestors, and now experienced anew in our day, of the reign of an Anointed One, a Messiah, who will bring peace and justice to the world. Today, we still long for God’s Kingdom to come, when God’s will shall be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Through the four Sundays of Advent, the excitement builds as our anticipation grows for the coming of the Christ Child. We traditionally begin the First Sunday with the Hanging of the Green, decorating the Sanctuary with evergreen wreaths, boughs, and a tree twinkling with lights that help to symbolize the new and everlasting life brought through Jesus the Christ. Each Sunday, a candle of the Advent Wreath is lit, and the emphasis moves from hope, to peace, joy, and then love. On Christmas Eve, the Christ Candle is lit, and the light of Christ breaks through the darkness to bring new light to the world!
Just as we prepare the Sanctuary, the experience of each week in worship is important in our soul’s preparation. Together, we will study the ancient scriptures, share the music of the season, and eat lots of Christmas cookies. All are invited to give the Christ Child gifts of warm hats and mittens shared with our neighbors, gifts of clothes and toys for the families of the south city through Kingdom House, and a delicious meal for the ladies of Shalom House. If you miss even one week, you will miss out on the joy of learning, decorating, sharing, munching, and giving that are the hallmarks of this special season of the year. I challenge you to make it your Advent gift to yourself and others to be present in worship every Sunday during Advent and to participate in the sharing the light of the world during our Christmas Eve Worship Service.
What are we waiting for? We’re waiting for God. Be there.
Peace be with you,
Pastor Sharon
December 2008
This year, the Season of Advent begins November 30th. Similar to how businesses start their fiscal years on January 1st, Advent is the theological start of the Church Year for most churches in the Western tradition. It runs for four Sundays before Christmas Day, and ends at midnight on Christmas Eve.
Advent is marked by a spirit of expectation, of preparation…and of longing, not unlike getting ready for the arrival of a cherished, long-awaited visitor to your home. Spiritually, there is a yearning for deliverance from the evils of the world, first expressed by Israelite slaves in Egypt over 3000 years ago as they cried out from their bitter oppression. It is grounded in the hope that was once anticipated by our Hebrew ancestors, and now experienced anew in our day, of the reign of an Anointed One, a Messiah, who will bring peace and justice to the world. Today, we still long for God’s Kingdom to come, when God’s will shall be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Through the four Sundays of Advent, the excitement builds as our anticipation grows for the coming of the Christ Child. We traditionally begin the First Sunday with the Hanging of the Green, decorating the Sanctuary with evergreen wreaths, boughs, and a tree twinkling with lights that help to symbolize the new and everlasting life brought through Jesus the Christ. Each Sunday, a candle of the Advent Wreath is lit, and the emphasis moves from hope, to peace, joy, and then love. On Christmas Eve, the Christ Candle is lit, and the light of Christ breaks through the darkness to bring new light to the world!
Just as we prepare the Sanctuary, the experience of each week in worship is important in our soul’s preparation. Together, we will study the ancient scriptures, share the music of the season, and eat lots of Christmas cookies. All are invited to give the Christ Child gifts of warm hats and mittens shared with our neighbors, gifts of clothes and toys for the families of the south city through Kingdom House, and a delicious meal for the ladies of Shalom House. If you miss even one week, you will miss out on the joy of learning, decorating, sharing, munching, and giving that are the hallmarks of this special season of the year. I challenge you to make it your Advent gift to yourself and others to be present in worship every Sunday during Advent and to participate in the sharing the light of the world during our Christmas Eve Worship Service.
What are we waiting for? We’re waiting for God. Be there.
Peace be with you,
Pastor Sharon
Thursday, November 13, 2008
From the Wilder View - November 2008
I write this article in the middle of October with so many unknowns surrounding us. The stock market is continuing to ricochet up and down; reaction to the bail-out or ‘rescue plan’ is not what anyone anticipated, 6,500 homes in the St. Louis area are in some stage of foreclosure (1 in 188 homes), and gas prices are staggeringly high. Several families in our own congregation are experiencing challenging times with their financial situations, we have people who are sick in the hospital, and the uncertainty of who will sit in the Oval office in 2009 is still upon us. I should write about Thanksgiving because this is the November newsletter and ‘every pastor writes an article about being thankful in November, don’t they?’ J Yet you will receive this article in early November and some of these very transient situations will have changed several times since I have penned this note. You might say, “Pastor, what do we have to be grateful for – the world is in such a mess!” And yet, we do have so very much to be thankful for. We just have to look at all of the blessings in balance with the challenges that every day brings us.
In November we will start a sermon series entitled ‘Creating an Attitude of Gratitude.’ The first Sunday will focus on being grateful for our past, the second Sunday is for the present, and the third is for our future. My personal goal for the sermon series is for all of us to begin to look at everything with a new attitude, an attitude of gratitude. The Bible says in Habakkuk 3: 17-19 “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the field produces no food, though there are no sheep in the pens and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will rejoice in God my Savior. The Sovereign God is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, God enables me to go to the heights.” You see, our gratitude shouldn’t be dependent upon the ever changing situations of our world. Rather, we are encouraged to focus on God our creator, the God who created everything, the God who loves us with amazing, overwhelming care. When we focus on God and the wonder of God’s love for us then all of the things that we normally think of as being important become less and less important.
You see, we each choose how to look at every situation in our life. We can approach these times from an anxious, waiting for the other shoe to drop feeling, wondering how long we will be able to avoid total disaster, or we can live life expectantly, trusting God, knowing who God is and remembering how God has acted so faithfully in our lives in the past. If we look at the stock market through these eyes, it doesn’t matter if there is fruit on the vine or not because God will provide as God has provided in the past. We are just walking through another faith adventure and you just never know when God will show up with one of those uncanny miracles.
So here is the challenge to us for November (and maybe for the rest of our lives) Let us try always to look for something good to come from any situation that we are currently experiencing. Let us live life knowing that God is active in our life and in our world. Let us approach each situation expectantly with the knowledge that God is not only still active, but is still doing miracles.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Kathleen
lppastor@sbcglobal.net
In November we will start a sermon series entitled ‘Creating an Attitude of Gratitude.’ The first Sunday will focus on being grateful for our past, the second Sunday is for the present, and the third is for our future. My personal goal for the sermon series is for all of us to begin to look at everything with a new attitude, an attitude of gratitude. The Bible says in Habakkuk 3: 17-19 “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the field produces no food, though there are no sheep in the pens and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will rejoice in God my Savior. The Sovereign God is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, God enables me to go to the heights.” You see, our gratitude shouldn’t be dependent upon the ever changing situations of our world. Rather, we are encouraged to focus on God our creator, the God who created everything, the God who loves us with amazing, overwhelming care. When we focus on God and the wonder of God’s love for us then all of the things that we normally think of as being important become less and less important.
You see, we each choose how to look at every situation in our life. We can approach these times from an anxious, waiting for the other shoe to drop feeling, wondering how long we will be able to avoid total disaster, or we can live life expectantly, trusting God, knowing who God is and remembering how God has acted so faithfully in our lives in the past. If we look at the stock market through these eyes, it doesn’t matter if there is fruit on the vine or not because God will provide as God has provided in the past. We are just walking through another faith adventure and you just never know when God will show up with one of those uncanny miracles.
So here is the challenge to us for November (and maybe for the rest of our lives) Let us try always to look for something good to come from any situation that we are currently experiencing. Let us live life knowing that God is active in our life and in our world. Let us approach each situation expectantly with the knowledge that God is not only still active, but is still doing miracles.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Kathleen
lppastor@sbcglobal.net
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