Some Thoughts

I just returned from a week in New Orleans with 26 high school youth from our church.  We were there to help with the rebuilding process that continues following Hurricane Katrina.  The last significant time I spent in New Orleans was in the summer of 2006 – less than a year after Katrina.  I was curious to see what had been done in the city in the last three years.

As it turns out, I was both uplifted and saddened by what I saw.  Uplifted because progress has definitely been made.  There are no more huge piles of debris littering the streets.  There are people living in neighborhoods that were ghost towns three years ago.  Even in the Lower Ninth Ward, one of the most devastated areas, signs of life are present.

Sadly, there is still MUCH work to be done.  The house I worked on, for example, belonged to a man who has been living in temporary housing since Katrina (almost 4 years now).  He desperately wants to get back into his house, but does not have enough money to pay for a professional contractor.  Because he is relying on volunteer labor, the process is slow.  It will still be many more weeks, perhaps months, before he can return to his house.  And when he does return, it will be to a neighborhood forever changed.  Abandoned houses still abound.  Neighbors have left who will never return.

And yet, hope is abundant in New Orleans.  One of my good friends, who is a pastor in the city, was able to speak of life finally feeling like it is returning to normal.  Though she was quick to admit that it is a new, post-Katrina normal.  The French Quarter is full of life and energy, and tourists are starting to return to the city.  I could sense that the spirit of New Orleans, which is such a central part of the city, has refused to be dampened by Katrina.

Throughout the week, the chorus of the Bluetree song, “God of this City,” kept running through my mind – “Greater things have yet to come and greater things are still to be done in this city.”  May we continue to keep the city, and its residents, in our prayers.

Well, darn, I haven’t posted since before Easter.  It’s been a while!  Easter was a joyous celebration at Westminster.  I offered the Time of Discovery (children’s message) at both of our worship services, and also taught Sunday school twice.  On all four occasions, when I asked the kids what came to mind when they thought about Easter, their first responses were candy, bunnies, chocolate, and egg hunts.  Only after I observed that these were all secular observances did the kids respond, “Oh, yeah.  Easter is about Jesus and an empty tomb!”  My own two-year-old son now knows all about the Easter bunny and eggs filled with candy, but doesn’t yet know the story of Jesus’ empty tomb.

I write all of this not to bash the secular celebrations of Easter.  I love Easter egg hunts!  I am just sharing the observation about what seems to be most important in the minds of kids on Easter . . . and it isn’t Jesus! 

This isn’t just about Easter, either.  Recognizing the sacred in our often very secular lives is a practice that most all of us probably overlook from time to time.  Yes, we know (or at least I hope we know) that God is always present in our lives.  But are we regularly, frequently, consciously aware of God’s presence?  I hope you will take some time to appreciate, and give thanks for, the many ways God is present in your life.

Last week, my spouse, Camie, got an unexpected call from her dad.  Apparently, he needed a favor from her that involved her going to Houston for a couple of days at the beginning of this week.  After she got off the phone with him, she called me to tell me the news.  He rarely asks anything of her, she said, so she felt it was important that she go and be helpful. 

My reaction to this news was less than understanding.  First, it was horrible timing for my own schedule.  I was going to be in charge of 25 teenagers and a church barbeque on Sunday, I had a mid-term to prepare for on Tuesday, not to mention the fact that it’s Holy Week and I had a Good Friday service and special Easter lessons to prepare.  Having to be a single parent for a couple of days was NOT going to fit in nicely.  This was the worst possible timing for me.

Second, I was upset that her dad’s needs were superseding my own.  It was his fault that he waited until the last minute to call.  It was the result of his own not-so-great choices that he needed Camie in Houston anyway.  Why, I wondered, should we reward silly behavior?

After much loud ranting and quieter seething I – finally and thankfully – got a grip.  And then I realized – shamefully and guiltily – how horrible my reaction had been.  Why were my needs suddenly so much more important than everyone else’s?  Why was I judging a situation I actually knew very little about?  Why was I being so unsupportive of a loving attempt to help a family member in need?  Ugh – I was not very happy with myself, to put it mildly.

It was, however, a great reminder about how difficult it is sometimes to live and act in the loving manner that God calls us to live.  I know in my mind and in my heart that God calls me to have a generous and caring spirit.  In fact, I teach that lesson at church each and every Sunday!  But then a situation like this arises, and all of the angry, spiteful, self-centered parts of me rise up and let out a giant roar . . . just in case I have forgotten that they are there!

As it turns out, Camie ended up not even having to go to Houston.  And she received my apology for how I had behaved with love and forgiveness.  But my lesson has been learned.  I can certainly talk the talk, but I still need work on walking the walk.  Especially this weekend, as we put special focus on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, may we also focus on how we can continue to follow more closely Jesus’ example of living with love and grace.

I just cleaned off my desk.  I know that may not sound like a big deal, but it was quite a wonderful accomplishment for me.  I had been working surrounded by piles that kept getting bigger and bigger.  Not only did my desk look sloppy, but it nagged at me constantly.  What if there was something in those piles that was important . . . that I was forgetting?

As it turns out, almost everything in my piles was recyclable.  Just stuff I had been hanging on to for no reason.  It got me thinking, though, about other stuff I am hanging on to.  Old habits that don’t serve me well anymore.  Old ways of doing and being that need some revamping.  Old gripes or pains that need forgiving.  As I clear off my desk, and then look outside to see the many signs of spring, I remember that I began Lent saying that it would be a “springtime for my soul.”  In general, Lent has been just that, but with spring comes spring cleaning, and I think it’s time for that now!

What in your life could use a little spring cleaning?

Yesterday evening, my son and I spent a long time looking at a caterpillar.  It was quite small, and if I had been alone, I probably would have walked right by it without giving it a second thought.  For Ben, though, the caterpillar was the most fascinating creature he had seen all day.  He squealed every time it moved, wanted to touch it (though we had to have a lesson on being gentle), and even tried holding it.  And then, he talked about his encounter with the caterpillar the rest of the night.

I was really taken by Ben’s complete joy in such a simple thing.  The caterpillar did not have flashing lights or fun noises.  It wasn’t made by Fisher Price, nor did it come with special effects.  But watching the caterpillar brought him incredible joy.  It made me think about how often I stop to enjoy the simple things . . . probably not often enough.  Especially when living in today’s world with an uncertain economic future, what a gift it is to be able to pause and give thanks for a caterpillar!  What simple thing brought you joy today?

“‘Tis the gift to be simple, ’tis the gift to be free . . .” – Joseph Brackett

Just wanted to follow up briefly on my post about Lent a couple weeks ago.  I have been struggling with the idea of giving up something for Lent, as it just is not a meaningful spiritual practice for me.  Heck, I’ve been struggling with the whole notion of Lent as such a somber, serious, sacrificial season, as my vision of God is much more aligned with images of hope, love, and joy.

Then I read a piece by Barbara Brown Taylor where she described Lent as a “springtime for the soul.”  (Yes, this part is going to sound very familiar if you heard my sermon on Sunday!)  I love that image, and have done a lot of thinking about what a springtime for my soul might look like.  It definitely involves giving over to God some of the worries, burdens, and stress that I have been carrying around.  It also involves spending some time with God in stillness and silence each day during Lent.

What does a springtime for your soul look like?  I hope you will give your soul the gift of some springtime renewal this summer.

Want to read my entire sermon on the topic?  Check it out here: http://www.wpctiburon.org/sermons.php?file=20090301_133809_Rethinkin.html

Aren’t birthdays great?  I celebrated mine two weekends ago, and really had a wonderful time.  I managed to have three different birthday dinners, all with people who are very important in my life, and heard from many, many people on Facebook, e-mail, and over the phone that they were thinking of me on my special day.

It’s great that we have birthdays, so we can be reminded about how many people love and care for us.  It’s too bad, though, that they only come once a year!  What about the other days of the year?  What about the days that we are feeling especially stressed, grouchy, lonely, or just plain fed up with the world?  Those are the days that we really need people telling us how much they love us! 

All of the greetings I received on my birthday reminded me how important it is that we tell people regularly how important they are to us.  If one of your friends or family members are having a bad day, try to share with them all the reasons why you love them.  For that matter, even if they aren’t having a bad day – everyone likes to hear how much you care for them.

Finally, may we remember the One who loves us unconditionally – who created us to be the unique and wonderful individuals that we are.  God certainly loves and cares for us each and every day . . . not just on our birthdays!

(An interesting side note – I just reread what I wrote after my birthday last year, and it is strikingly familiar to what I wrote this year.  Geez, I sure am lacking originality.  Or maybe, just maybe, it’s an important message that we need to keep hearing!)http://bethanyn.wordpress.com/2008/02/25/our-relationships/

I am going to be preaching at Westminster on March 1, which also happens to be the first Sunday of Lent, so I’ve been thinking a bit about Lent lately.  My first thought was, “What am I going to give up for Lent this year?” which is strange, because I rarely give up anything for Lent.  (One year, I did think about giving up chocolate, but then, a few days into Lent, I went out for my birthday dinner and the waitress brought me a complimentary chocolate mousse.  I certainly didn’t want to hurt her feelings by not eating her gift to me!)

I’ve never been a part of a church that has stressed this aspect of Lent, so it has never been important to me.  I find it funny, though, that giving up something is still what pops into my mind first with the topic of Lent.  It just goes to show how ingrained that idea is in our religious culture.

My goal this year, however, is to refocus my thoughts about Lent.  The past couple of years, I really haven’t done anything noteworthy.  I work at a church that doesn’t even have an Ash Wednesday service, so, needless to say, Lent is not a big focus around here.  This year I am feeling a desire to do something special in my walk with God to commemorate the season of Lent.  I’m just not sure yet what it will be.  I’ve considered trying to make blogging a spiritual practice, and do it daily.  I’m just not sure I have that much interesting to say.  Then I thought about, instead of giving up chocolate, being sure to eat chocolate daily.  But I pretty much do that anyway.  I’ve also considered trying a specific type of meditation daily, such as Lectio Devina – which is currently the leading idea.

I’ve been feeling lately that life is too often getting in the way of my time spent with God.  Sure, I work at a church, but my focus tends to be on planning lessons, connecting with the kids, rehearsing music, etc., rather than my own relationship with God.  I have not been doing a very good job of practicing what I preach!

How about you?  Has life been getting in the way of your relationship with God?  If so, I invite you to give yourself a gift this Lenten season and do something to reconnect with the divine.  Perhaps you will choose to give up something.  Just because that isn’t my cup of tea doesn’t mean it’s not a great idea for you.  Or perhaps you might also try a daily meditation practice.  Or something else . . . whatever it may be, may this upcoming season of Lent be a meaningful one for you.

My maternal grandfather died last Saturday morning.  For most of my life, Grandpa Ben lived in Arizona, so I did not see him very often.  This past year, however, he has been living near my parents in Sebastopol, so I was lucky enough to see him much more frequently.

A visit with my intensely private, very quiet grandpa never lasted very long.  I would drop in, we would catch up for a little while, and then after about 5 minutes (10 if he was feeling especially chatty), he would inevitably say something like, “Well, thanks for stopping by.”  I took that to be my cue to leave.  Not being a super chatty person myself, that did not bother me at all.  It was enough time for me to update him on my life, and for him to share something sarcastic about world events – what more do you need!

There was one person, however, who would keep my grandpa’s attention for hours – his great-grandson (my son) Ben.  (Yes, they do share the same name!)  Whenever Ben was in the room, my grandpa was completely transfixed by him.  I do believe that if a herd of buffalo came stampeding through the room, grandpa wouldn’t even notice them if Ben was also there.  I’m pretty sure that nothing, other than his own children, brought grandpa as much joy as Ben.  The neat thing was that Ben did not have to be doing anything special for grandpa to find him absolutely enthralling.  Ben could read a book, play with a toy, even sit and watch tv – and it didn’t matter.  Grandpa loved simply being in Ben’s presence.  One of my lasting memories will be of the huge smile that appeared on grandpa’s face whenever Ben walked in the room.

One of the things about grandpa’s death that brings me the most sadness is that Ben, who is only 21 months old, will probably have no memories of his great-grandpa.  He will know, however, about the unconditional love he received from his great-grandpa, because we will tell him over and over again!  

Whenever I saw grandpa Ben and baby Ben together, I couldn’t help but think that they were a great human example of how God loves each of us.  It doesn’t matter what we do – read a book, play with a toy, even sit and watch tv – God loves us simply because we are God’s children, created in God’s image.  How wonderful it is to be loved so unconditionally.  May we remind each other of that love over and over again!

Great grandpa meets Ben for the first time - Jan. 2008

The Bens having fun together - Summer, 2008

I am continually amazed by how thoughts and ideas are communicated on-line.  The most recent phenomenon sweeping Facebook seems to be the “25 Things” list.  Basically, someone writes a list of “25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you,” and then shares it with their Facebook friends.  Two things strike me about this list.  First, how widespread it has become.  I have had friends from Maryland to Pennsylvania to Berkeley write a list.  Friends who do not know each other, I might add!  It certainly makes the world feel a lot smaller when so many people from so many walks of life are sharing in the same thing.

Second, I am amazed by the depth at which people are willing to share.  On these lists, I have read some very personal, very meaningful goals, desires, and dreams.  I have really appreciated the opportunity to get to know my friends in a new way.  I wonder, though, if they would share these same things face-to-face, or if the power of the keyboard helps people to open up about themselves in ways they otherwise would not.

I totally support anything that helps us to share of ourselves with each other.  I believe that is when we really see the Holy Spirit in action – when we allow ourselves to be vulnerable with each other, and when we hold each other in love.  I hope, however, that we are able to have this depth of relationship in all aspects of our lives – not just on-line!