Psalm 85, Hold on to that image!

Psalm 85, v. 10 & 11
Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, and righteousness will look down from the sky. Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other.

As I meditated on the images of these verses – faithfulness springing up from the ground, righteousness & peace kissing – I tried to imagine what that would look like. Where do we see steadfast love & faithfulness meeting? Or righteousness and peace kissing?
As I was thinking, I received a phone call from my friend Beth, who is dedicated to the rights of all people, especially children. We can’t have lunch today she said because I’m headed to Charleston, WV for a conference with Partners in Prevention – one of my favorite conferences. Preventing child abuse is way easier than fixing it, she said. Of course it is. You can’t just wash off the emotional residue of sexual abuse or put stitches over the emotional scars of verbal abuse or put a cast on the emotional pain of physical abuse. Our best option is to keep it from ever happening. I decided to check out several of the web-sites she named, including Prevent Child Abuse West Virginia. Straight from the web-site I read about faithfulness springing up & righteousness looking down. When the well-being of children and families becomes the priority of everyone in a community, the number of child abuse and neglect incidences will decrease. Other good things will also happen, including better health outcomes, improved school performance and family economic self sufficiency.
Psalm 85 is a psalm of hope, fitting for the advent season and also fitting for an agency like ChildLaw Services, where Beth works. It is a poetic promise of salvation to the people of the covenant, the Jewish people as well as for the body of Christ, the church. According to JJ Mays (Interpretation Psalms) salvation is portrayed in traits characteristic of the way of the Lord: loyalty (hesed), faithfulness (‘emet), righteousness (sedeq) and peace (shalom). Salvation is happening when the hesed and ‘emet and sedeq and shalom of God are active in and through the community of the faithful. We prepare the soil, plant the seed, water and fertilize it yet it takes something beyond our limited understanding or ability to make it grow. So it is with salvation. Salvation, also known as the reign of God & the coming of Jesus again, transcends our reach. And so as, John E. Alsup puts it righteousness and peace kiss when the Spirit given by the One who was love and faithfulness itself, bears fruit in our lives for the blessing of the world. Whenever we go out and bring comfort to the sorrowing, food to the hungry, and peace to those who know no peace righteousness rains down from heaven. God’s faithfulness and love gave us a small baby in a manger. In that baby, righteousness and peace kissed. And at the end, God's Righteousness became our peace, going to the cross, dying for us, and rising again for us.
We are somewhere in the middle of the already and the not-yetness of Jesus' Reign.
And so we work faithfully,
We seek out new possibilities,
We strive in steadfast love,
We await the time Jesus will come again.
Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, and righteousness will look down from the sky. Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other.
Hold on to that image! Amen.

Psalm 85, NRSV
1Lord, you were favorable to your land; you restored the fortunes of Jacob.
2You forgave the iniquity of your people; you pardoned all their sin. Selah
3You withdrew all your wrath; you turned from your hot anger.
4Restore us again, O God of our salvation, and put away your indignation toward us.
5Will you be angry with us forever? Will you prolong your anger to all generations?
6Will you not revive us again, so that your people may rejoice in you?
7Show us your steadfast love, O Lord, and grant us your salvation.
8Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts.
9Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land.
10Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other.
11Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, and righteousness will look down from the sky.
12The Lord will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase.
13Righteousness will go before him, and will make a path for his steps.

Psalm 26

Pentecost 16A, August 31, 2008

From the Lutheran lectionary calendar, the psalm for this week is Psalm 26. After reading it in the King James Version, the Contemporary English Version, the New International Reader's Version, The Revised Standard & New Revised Standard Versions, I picked the Message and the NIRV - because the language & images in these translations spoke to me.

Psalm 26
The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson
A David Psalm

1 Clear my name, God; I've kept an honest shop. I've thrown in my lot with you, God, and I'm not budging. 2 Examine me, God, from head to foot, order your battery of tests. Make sure I'm fit inside and out 3 So I never lose sight of your love, But keep in step with you, never missing a beat. 4-5 I don't hang out with tricksters, I don't pal around with thugs; I hate that pack of gangsters, I don't deal with double-dealers. 6-7 I scrub my hands with purest soap, then join hands with the others in the great circle, dancing around your altar, God, Singing God-songs at the top of my lungs, telling God-stories. 8-10 God, I love living with you; your house glows with your glory. When it's time for spring cleaning, don't sweep me out with the quacks and crooks, Men with bags of dirty tricks, women with purses stuffed with bribe-money. 11-12 You know I've been aboveboard with you; now be aboveboard with me. I'm on the level with you, God; I bless you every chance I get.

Psalm 26
New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
Copyright © 1996, 1998 by International Bible Society

A psalm of David. 1 Lord, when you hand down your sentence, let it be in my favor. I have lived without blame. I have trusted in the Lord. I have never doubted him. 2 Lord, test me. Try me out. Look deep down into my heart and mind. 3 Your love is always with me. I have always lived by your truth. 4 I don't spend time with people who tell lies. I don't keep company with pretenders. 5 I hate to be with a group of sinful people. I refuse to spend time with those who are evil. 6 I wash my hands to show that I'm not guilty. Lord, I come near your altar. 7 I shout my praise to you. I tell about all the wonderful things you have done. 8 Lord, I love the house where you live. I love the place where your glory is. 9 Don't destroy me together with sinners. Don't take my life away along with murderers. 10 Their hands are always planning to do evil. Their right hands are full of money that bought them off. 11 But I live without blame. Set me free and show me your favor. 12 My feet stand on level ground. In the whole community I will praise the Lord.

According to Matthew Henry's commentary, David wrote this when he was being persecuted by Saul, who represented David as a very bad man, falsely accusing him of all kinds of crimes. So, David appeals to God, to judge him correctly. Rather than arguing & battling with Saul, rather than venting with someone on his "side", rather than fanning the flames or triangulating someone not involved, rather than taking out an ad to attack & falsely accuse Saul (after all, turn about is fair play) David turns to God. He goes to God with his hurt, with his frustration and with his fear that God might believe Saul instead of him.

David reminds God that he is innocent of the lies others have told about him. He does love the Lord. He does seek his truth. He does live in a way that is pleasing to GOD.

David asks for God's judgement because he knows that God alone knows his
heart. God alone knows that David has loved the Lord and tried to live accordingly. God alone can give David the peace in the midst of the chaos.

We live in a different age than Saul & David, but the Kingdom of Me, is still alive and well. We believe that it is really and ultimately, all about me.
David's Psalm is a reminder that it is indeed, all about God. I might have someone falsely accuse me, try to take advantage of me, misunderstand me, incorrectly judge me - but ultimately, it's not about them or me. It's about God.

I trust that God will judge me correctly, that God will give me strength and wisdom, that God will guide me and keep me safe.

Thank you God, for keeping my feet on level ground. Amen.

headed home

Today is our last day on the beach. It is such a different visual experience being on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean versus being in the mountains of West Virginia. There is no "lifting up my eyes unto the hills" here.

As I began preparing for this Sunday's homily, however, a verse from the Romans text jumped out at me “How deep is the wealth of God’s wisdom and knowledge? How unfathomable are the divine purposes and ways of working!"

The deep mystery of the sea as it greets me in the morning is as humbling as it is empowering, for it reminds me of the depth & power of God. The empowering part, is that the greatest asset I have is God's Love for me. It's not about me - it's about God.

On Wednesday evening, after a day of steady pounding rain, the sky cleared & we headed out onto the beach. The waves were double their size as we had known them this week. Of course, the boys loved it but it scared them a little as well. Nathaniel held onto Benjamin in his fear that Benjamin might get washed out to sea. They were giddy, battered & sand filled when we left. Michael's comment was "Those waves pick you up & slam you down!"

If ever you begin to think too much of yourself, all you have to do is visit the shore. It's like going outside on a clear night in the mountains of West Virginia & trying to count the stars.

Such is the power of God's Love - we don't have anything to do with it but to acknowledge it & humbly accept it in our lives.

Remember Your Baptism

Why are particular shells washed up on the beach in abundance one day & the next day can’t be found? Are there shell-specific gardens on the bottom of the sea that produce a wealth of olives or augers or conches or scallops that then get disturbed by an underwater storm & washed to shore? During my walk yesterday, I found the most beautiful black scalloped shells – I picked up at least 50 of them – from the size of my pinkie fingernail to the size of my palm. I’ve always loved the delicacy & simple elegance of the scallop. An effortless down-to-earth beauty like the beloved daisy. Unpretentious & uncomplicated perfection. As I stooped to gather more of God’s amazing handiwork, I thought of my baptism and the baptism of my faith tradition.

Ancient catacombs and ruins associated with early Christians contain artwork of John the Baptist pouring water over Jesus in baptism. In other artwork, John is depicted baptizing Christ with water poured from a scallop shell. So, the shell has come to represent the visible act of God’s love, found in baptism. In our baptism, God freely offers his grace & lovingly establishes a new community. It is in Baptism that people become members of Christ’s Body on earth, the Church.

Later that evening at an unlikely place, I was reminded of this precious gift that my children have been given. While playing mini-golf at Mt. Atlanticus, an elaborately crafted mini-golf extravaganza, my son Zachary excitedly called me over while we waited our turn. The sign said: Fountain of Youth – dip in your fingers & touch your forehead. Then a look of concern crossed his countenance. “What is it?” I asked. “Isn’t that kinda like mocking God?” he wondered. He was referring to the practice of dipping your fingers into the baptismal font & tracing the sign of the cross on your forehead as you remember that you are God’s child, baptized into Christ’s Body on earth, the Church.

We had a such a good day – thank you God for your precious gift of faith.

thoughts on the beach

Sunday at Surfside Beach, we got up and checked the 3 inch thick telephone book for churches. After a couple of calls to get directions & times, we settled on King of Glory Lutheran Church. Unfortunately, David & I failed to communicate the fact that King of Glory was in North Myrtle Beach – so to make a long story short, we ended up instead at St. Phillips Lutheran at 11 am instead of King of Glory Lutheran at 10 am.

The cool connection element was – our boys recognized one of their acquaintances from Camp Luther, WV. We connected with the family after church, only to learn that they were from St. Paul’s Lutheran in Huntington, WV. Of course, we all enjoyed that! St. Phillips' new pastor said he had just come from another St. Luke Lutheran Church – so we appreciated that small connection to our St. Luke Lutheran in Beckley. Yes, the proverbial “it’s a small world” spiced up our morning.

We spent the rest of the day on the beach. I enjoyed my walk – until my feet began to blister.
As my oldest son Nathaniel put it – there were a kabillion people there. Miles & miles of wall to wall people. Row after row after row after row of blue, yellow, orange, & green umbrellas. For all the comfort we find in the concrete, cars & commercialization of our lives, we are drawn not to the synthetic but to the organic of creation. The perfectly formed conch shell that Michael found elicited an awe & joyfulness unlike anything he could have bought at the store. The simple pleasures of running into the waves, riding the surf, dragging your chair to sit in the edge of the sea itself, digging your toes into the sand, and watching the sea gulls bring a sense of delight & wonder beyond definition.

The beach is such an equalizer of people. The waves don’t answer to anyone but God. The sun beats down on the rich & the poor, the old & the young, the Christian & the Muslim, the sick & the well, the black & the red & the white. The wind blows sand into the faces of the beautiful & the popular as quickly as the unattractive & the socially isolated. Whether you’ve slept in a penthouse, a condo or a camper, you may equally savor the sun & the sand of the shore.

There is a timelessness & carefreeness that occurs at the ocean. Children, young people & adults alike build sandcastles & holes & sculptures & moats knowing that in several hours, all their work at play will be washed to sea. The professional businesswoman uninhibitedly piles wet sand on her legs, as she sits in a puddle of water. The businessman in his flowered swimsuit knocked down by an unexpectedly large wave can’t be differentiated from the sanitation worker throwing a beachball to his toddler. Beachtowels are haphazardly placed with no zoning laws to segregate in any way whatsoever. And for all intents & purposes, nobody cares. We are here to play, to imagine, to pray, to relax & to bask in the gift of God’s creation. I wonder if this is anything close to the wonder of heaven.

rested, relaxed, inspired, connected, excited & scared...

I left Chautauqua on Thursday - just after the morning lecture by Eboo Patel, which was a definite high in the week's series of lectures on Faith in Public Life. I can't leave Chautauqua without mentioning his inspiration. Patel, founder & director of the Interfaith Youth Core, an organization that promotes mutual respect and pluralism among people of differing religious traditions by empowering them to work together to serve others. (http://www.ifyc.org/)

He started his speech with these observations - We live in the most devout developed country in the world, in a country with the most diverse religious traditions in the world, in a time of global religious wars and conflicts. We are an America of Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists - people of all faiths and no faiths. We are a country of equal dignity & mutual loyalty. Not just in the present - but in our history. In 1739, Benjamin Franklin erected a meeting hall in Philadelphia and the pulpit was first given to a muslim clergyman. We are a country of diversity & pluralism -upon this we were founded. This is our crowning jewel - we must never lose this - it is the beauty & power of America - the gift of freedom that is an essential component in any faith.

Patel says, because of the increased intensity & interaction with others who differ from us, it is essential that we learn and teach the skills of interfaith cooperation. If we don't teach interfaith cooperation, some other curriculum of hate from religious extremists will be taught.

We are the torchbearers of building this spirit of equal dignity & mutual loyalty - we must do this or leave a vacuum for religious extremists teaching hate. Religious pluralism is more than mere tolerance. In today's world, it means we must respect the other's religious identities, build positive relationships and work with one another to make this world a better place.

How can we do that in southern West Virginia? We have diversity in southern wv. We have a mosque in Princeton, WV, a synogogue in Beckley, WV, a UU meetinghouse in Beckley & many varieties of Christians. We have the potential to build positive relationships with each other, find places to work together & make a difference from and in our corner of the world. I'm excited & a little scared.

And so I ended my time at Chautauqua. I took guitar lessons, I listened to good preaching, I heard all kinds of music and met all kinds of people. On Wednesday of my first week, in the Hall of Philosophy, I met Pastor Tom Kidd of St. Luke's Lutheran Church, Bellevue, Washington. He was also an inspiration (check out the ministries & new building at St. Luke's, www.slukes.org) but mostly he was someone fun with whom to laugh & learn. What a great connection!

Rested, relaxed, inspired, connected, excited and scared. That's what a sabbatical is all about! Thank you St. Luke of Beckley, for being a forward thinking, compassionate & caring congregation to share this gift with their pastor.

The Family of Abraham Gathers at the Well

I almost slept through the sacred song service held every Sunday evening at 8 pm. I arrived at 8:30, in fact and was blindsided by what may turn out to be my most powerful experience at Chautauqua. The service was an observance of the three faiths that stem from the family of Abraham. The moving and beautifully created service was accentuated by 3 young people, representing Judaism, Christianity and Judaism who led in the readings, storytelling and song service.

Symbols were in abundance, creating a visual treasure trove. Overhead were 5 incredibly beautiful light blue cut-paper panels, done in the style of retablo by Nancy Chinn (http://www.nancychinn.com/) depicting Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Ishmael and Hagar. On the stage were 3 huge candles sitting in a large well of water. Smaller candles were scattered all over the stage and large arrangements of grasses were in the background. These symbolized some of the commonalities in our faith traditions - the significance of water in a desert culture, the holiness and sacredness of light & the garden scenes found in each of the sacred scriptures.

The emotion came for me, when we were invited to participate in the blending of the water. As the young people cut pieces of the grasses, hundreds came forward to take the grass and dip it in the well which was holding the 3 candles. By the time I was back in my seat, the tears were beginning to form in my eyes and the huge lump in my throat preventing me from singing. I was so tremendously touched by the hope that was present in this amphitheater filled with maybe 1000 people that the tears finally began to flow down my face.

I can't put words to all the feelings. Perhaps, they were tears of hope. Perhaps, they were tears of shame. For sure, they were tears of wonder. All I can say, is they went deep and seemed to come out of nowhere. I can see as I write, my snippet of grass on the dresser, where it reminds me that while we are not a unified people, we are are able to work towards a family reunion.

A Water Prayer by Kok-Heong McNaughton
I am but a drop of water.
Alone, I would disappear,
Dried up by the scorching sun
Or sucked up by the dry, thirsty earth.

But together we can wear out stones,
Carve out the Grand Canyon,
Make streams and rivers,
And find our way to the sea.

The last surprise for me came before the benediction - A Gift of Prayer Shawls. 3 shawls, made by Women4Women Knitting4Peace were presented to the 3 Abrahamic Youth, who model our hope for a lived community of peace, justice, and tolerance. You can find patterns for these shawls through the link on my blog - just click on the picture of the blessing of the shawls.

rejoice in the Lord, Always

Finally, I made it up in time to see the sunrise. It came up with its reflections streaming across the lake so loudly I had to stop my walk to watch. As did others, I noticed. It seemed rude to keep walking when such a magnificent event was occuring, it deserved all of our attention. Of course, there weren't nearly as many people up at 6:17 as there had been at 6:45. I imagine, they were waiting til the sun was up. They were out by the end of my walk - the 95 year old jogger, the 16 year old on her skateboard with a scowl to match her mismatched colored hair, the mom pushing a gurgling baby, the couple being walked by their shaggy black lab. They were out with the gaggle of geese, the chipmunk, the rabbit and the 65 varieties of flowers that I counted. Those were just the flowers with blooms - I did not count the peonies or the lily-of-the-valley whose blooms were already fininshed, nor did I count the numerous varieties of ground covers and decorative bushes and trees along the way.

Being the non-sequential person that I am, I decided to write this early morning day and will take my walk in the afternoon. I wouldn't want to get in a rut, you know.

So - my thoughts on yesterday's events. I am inundated with images, statistics, personal stories and pathos regarding the health and poverty challenges facing our planet. Dr. Helene Gayle, president of CARE-USA, such a powerful and well-spoken lecturer brought tears to my eyes as she shared the issues we face. The book store is filled with books and literature documenting the experiences and data of doctors and individuals and agencies dedicated to eradicating poverty & world hunger in our lifetime. Honestly, it is overwhelming. My capacity for compassion and connectedness is being stretched to new limits. An optimist by nature, I have images of impending doom creeping into my worldview.

The words of Ted Loder's Haunt of Grace were such a welcome balance to the despair I was beginning to feel:
Who can explain how the world has survived all the wars, plagues, epidemics, enmities, exploitations, pollution of resources and social processes, terrible misjudgments, pogroms, holocausts, bilkings, corruptions, andd yet generated such incredible poetry, art, music, literature, such wondrous cultures, episodes of saintliness, movements of justice, struggles for freedom, for healing, for peace, such experiences of love and sacrifice and joy? Surely mystery is an essential ingredient, if not the essential of our common life and this earth in which we are all rooted.

The Haunt of Grace, Responses to the Mystery of God's Presence by Ted Loder. This is a book worth reading - over and over again. His insights and the beauty of his words fed my soul yesterday:
...the mystery we experience is not reducible to the capriciousness of chance or the blind fortunes of coincidence. I believe the mystery is intentional: It intends our good, our redemption. I believe it is gracious: it grants us and all the creatures of the cosmos freedom because that's what love risks doing. I believe it is holy: It makes all of creation sacred and infuses it with meaning. I believe it is personal: it suffers with us and for us, sustains us, enters into a dynamic relationship with us in which our decisions and actions are taken seriously and responded to with healing, new possibilities, and a shared, responsible creativity in the ongoing shaping of life.

Thank you Ted Loder for helping my soul to sing yesterday.

One more thing. Loder quoted author E.B. White who put it this way: "If the world were merely seductive, that would be easy. If it were merely challenging, that would be no problem. But I arise inthe morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day. "

Indeed. Chautauqua personifies this dilemma to the endths degree. The finale of me day was Dance Innovations featuring the North Carolina Dance Theatre in residence with the Chautauqua Ballet company. What a way to rejoice in the Lord - through the glories of human body in dance. Absolutely glorious!

Today I think I'll go to the movies to see The Unforeseen.
Terrence Malick and Robert Redford team up to exeutive produce Director Laura Dunn's profoundly stirring, visually stunning, non-fiction poem about urban sprawl, it's creators, it's opposers and its' real danger and cost. Sounds like a challenge - I hope I'm up to it.

what i did and didn't do

I decided to walk around the lake this morning...no, I didn't see the sun rise, which happened at 6:17 am. I was close though - my walk happened around 6:45 am. It's amazing how many people are jogging, biking, walking, and kayaking at that time of day. I enjoyed my people watch, but mostly I drank in the beautiful flowers that grace the homes around the lake: the cone flowers, black-eyed susans, larkspur, joe pie weed and hydrangea to name a few.

I was a greeter for the morning worship (along with the other Lutheran House residents) which means we got to hand out the worship books.

Dr. Warnok was fabulous - he preached on Psalm 46. My favorite part was his ending story about Cedar Creek, Virginia a tiny creek which over the years created a huge chasm in the Blue Ridge mountains through the power of its persistence. But when asked how it created such a rift, it said it got its power from a bigger place - from old man river, the James River. But when the James River was asked from where came it's power, it said it got it's power from a way bigger place - from the Chesapeake Bay. And of course, when asked where it's power came from, the Chesapeake Bay said it came from a much greater power - it's power came from the Atlantic Ocean. And of course, when the Atlantic Ocean was asked, it said it got it's power from the moon, who got it's power from God. We may feel small & insignificant like little Cedar Creek - but our real power comes from an awesome source. And with that source and our persistence, we make a difference like little Cedar Creek, forging chasms through the mountains.

Amazingly enough, Jennifer Alvarez responded to my blog yesterday by saying she knew Raphael Warnok - she received an award with him last summer! So I stayed after worship to say hi from Jennifer. She thought he might not remember her - but he did. How could anyone not remember Jennifer!

To catch up from yesterday and what I did and did not do....

I went to worship. I listened to Stephen Lewis, co-director of AIDS free world and former United Nations special envoy for AIDS/HIV in Africa talk about this pandemic disease being a global crisis. I went to a lecture by Dr. William Foege, chair of the Board of Directors of the Global Health Council who talked about Global Health Initiatives. Today I heard Dr. Abdallah Daar examine the social architecture of global health. All 3 lectures were frightening - at least what I could understand of them. With so much to be done to eliminate the huge disparities and inequities between the poor and the rich all the G8 nations can do is make lots of empty promises.

On a positive note - I was amazed by the huge amounts of money that Bill and Melinda Gates are pouring into global health and the huge amount of per capita money that the little country of Norway is giving.

Oh yes, I went to a really weird concert last night. Ensemble Galilei was 6 incredible musicians who performed about 30 Celtic and Irish pieces which they had written while National Geographic pictures were projected on the screen and portions of letters from various explorers were read. I enjoyed the first hour...but left at the intermission.

what I didn't do - a big long list: I didn't go to the Audubon Quarter, or the brown bag luncheon to discuss "Three Cups of Tea", or the Chautauqua women's tea, or the investment discussion group or the piano recital with cookies from St. James Lutheran Church or the Dan Butterworth and his Marionettes or Taking the Abrahamic Program Home to your community or the labyrinth. I could go on and on, but I think you get the picture.

I had 2 lovely days - with more still to go in this one. I will go to the symphony tonight. and I'll take my knitting.

a day full of rest

Up at 7 am - unlike Sally, my refrigerator mate, I did not walk around the gorgeous chautauqua lake this morning to see the sunrise. maybe tomorrow. I did got to "church" 4 times today!

#1 at 9:30 am was worshipping at the Lutheran House (where I played the piano) & Pastor Wayne Koenig of Hudson, Ohio preached the word - a beautifully gentle message from I Kings 3 where the Lord tells Solomon during a dream "Ask for whatever you want me to give you." When Solomon asked for a wise & discerning heart, the Lord answered his prayer. Pastor Koenig recalled being a young boy & thinking if he asked for the "correct" things as did Solomon, then the Lord would then give him that bicycle he had been wanting & would make him the fastest runner in his class! So he prayed for the things he thought he was "supposed" to pray for. Pastor Koenig then made the point that we don't have to ask God for what we think we are supposed to ask, but we can take any & all of our thoughts & needs to God.

#2 at 10:45 am was worshipping at the amphitheater - an overwhelming & awesome experience to say the least. Pastor Raphael Warnock of the Historical Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, the spiritual home of Martin Luther King, Jr preached from Psalm 103 on Blessing the God who blesses us. As an aside, the Hebrew word for blessing is Barak. Dr. Warnock described the process of blessing as being vertical (God blessing us), horizontal (us blessing each other) and he added a third way - us blessing God. The poem has 22 lines he said - the number of letters in the Hebrew alphabet. It's like saying God's Hesed or steadfast love covers it all. We would say from A to Z. He then proceeded to work his way through the alphabet describing God!

#3 at 5:00 pm was Vespers at another smaller more intimate outdoor setting, the Hall of Philosophy. Here Dr. Warnock shared his faith journey.

#4 at 8:00 pm was Sacred Song Service at the amphitheater, an evening of Voices, Brass and Organ. We sang, we listened to Chautauqua's 200 + member choir. We worshipped God through the power & joy of music. I'll close with the Litany of Thanksgiving, from "A Simple Evening Liturgy", Iona Abbey Worship Book:

O God, for your love for us, warm and brooding,
which has brought us to birth and opened our eyes
to the wonder and beauty of creation,
we give you thanks.

For your love for us, wild and freeing,
which has awakened us to the energy of creation:
to the sap that flows,
the blood that pulses,
the heart that sings,
we give you thanks.

For your love for us, compassionate and patient,
which has carried us through our pain,
wept beside us in our sin,
and waited with us in our confusion,
we give you thanks.

For your love for us, strong and challenging,
which has called us to risk for you,
asked for the best in us,
and shown us how to serve,
we give you thanks.

O God, we come to celebrate
that your Holy Spirit is present deep within us,
and at the heart of all life.
Forgive us when we forget your gift of love
made known to us in Jesus,
and draw us into your presence. Amen.

what does a pastor do on her mini-sabbatical

Chautauqua, NY - Saturday afternoon. Checked into the Lutheran House, my home for the next two weeks. I assumed it would be like a hotel room - a place to stay...but it's better than that - more like a dorm where you eat & hang out & spend time with people if you want. I unpacked & went downstairs (I'm on the 3rd floor!) to practice on the beautiful grand piano in the living area. I am the pianist for worship tomorrow. I wasn't as rusty as I thought I would be.

After an unexpected period of homesickness, I went to the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra Opera Pops Concert. In the outdoor seating of the amphitheater, I could feel the breeze, see the sun begin to set, work on my knitting, all the while listening to the music of Beethoven. A perfect evening.

After the concert, I settled in to finish reading David Kinnaman's book Unchristian, What a new generation really thinks about Christianity ....and why it matters. This book has gotten a lot of good press - and several people have recommended it to me. I'm glad to have read it - but it didn't really tell me anything I didn't already intuitively know (that 16 to 29 year olds don't think much of Christianity & for good reason). The author used research from the Barna Group to send a wake-up call to the Christian community. Not only are we not making a positive difference these days, we are having a negative impact on the world - an UnChristian difference. (he seemed to be speaking primarily to evangelical Christians, completely disregarding the rest of us). At any rate, I did appreciate his chapter where he asked leaders in the Christian community to share their hopes & dreams for the future of the church - especially the vision of Brian McLaren, founding member of emergentvillage.com.

These are Brian's dreams of what people could think when they hear Christian:

Christians are the ones who love people, whoever they are - gay or straight, Jew or Muslim, religious or atheist, capitalist or not, conservative or liberal.

Christians are the ones who have done more than anyone in the world to stop the HIV/AIDS crisis.

Christians are the people who gravitate toward the poor and who show compassion through generous action and seek justice so that the systemic causes of poverty are overcome. They call the rich to generosity and they call rich nations to work for the common good.

Christians are people who believe that art and creativity are important, so they consistently produce the most striking, original, and enriching art.

Christians are willing to give their lives for the cause of peace. They oppose violence in all its forms. They will lay down their lives to protect the vulnerable from the violent.

Christians care for the environment. They don't just see it as raw materials for economic gain, but they see it as the precious handiwork of their Creator.

Christians have personal integrity. They keep their marriage vows and are aware of how destructive misused sexuality can be. Yet they are compassionate toward people who make sexual mistakes, and they never consider themselves superior.

Christians build harmony among races. You always know that you'll be respected when you're around a Christian.

Now that's a vision to work towards, strive for & be passionate about - that is a real WWJD kinda list.