Death

There's a catchy title for a blog!

I was called in to be with a person who was dying yesterday. I stood with friends and family around her bedside and prayed.
It is very possible that as I prayed she died.
Afterward, people were feeling for a pulse and looking for breathing and there was none. So, she passed right then and there.

I have been with two other women at that moment when they passed from death to life. One was a parishioner in Bowling Green and I was talking to one of her friends and we looked back and realized that she had died. It was very anticlimactic.

The other was my mother. I stood with my brothers at her bedside and we had been told that the end was near. As we stood there, it was very clear because she started to bleed from her mouth. It wss meaningful to me as I thought about the blood that comes with birth and now that which comes with death. My brother didn't see it that way.

I remember hearing one woman tell me a story about sitting with her 30 + year old daughter as she died and this woman said that she saw the soul leave her body. It is all very mysterious.

we had another death in the church yesterday and in this case the man died in a nursing home while his wife was surrounded by family at a baby shower. While she regrets not being with him, she was certainly supported by love. And so many times, we know about the family members who keep up a vigil and the person passes on after they leave the room. Some people think, that they are waiting for us to leave so they can leave.

All I know is that it is certainly holy and mysterious and I feel blessed to have a life where I get to be with people during these sacred times and help them to experience God's presence and love.

Who Shall I Send?

I just come home from Bible study and we spent some time with Isaiah 6: 1-8 which ends with this

8Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?”
And I said, “Here am I; send me!”

and our conversation was good - about and thought provoking.

Who will go for me - and it made me realize how hard it is to go to some of the places that God wants us to go - and these are some of the places where we mention:

to a relative who is alcoholic

to a young woman with cancer

to a young man who is recovering painfully from back surgery

to a man lying alone in a nursing home

to a different city on a snowy day.

One of the questions I asked is this: are there some things that God wants us to do that no one else can do? That won't happen if we don't respond to them?

There was also contained in the other scripture the understanding that the Holy spirit will empower us when we go where God is sending us.

I know from experience that is true - but I also know that when I go to these places of pain and risk - I often don't want to go and feel that I have nothing to offer.
Usually God shows up in a way that I actually know it. Or afterward, I trust it.

And after tonight - I guess that is Biblical. But it is still hard.

Post Easter

I have a few minutes as I am waiting to guide one of my directees in spiritual direction. This is quite an adventure as I am learning how to listen to the spirit as I sit with another person. It is humbling, that is for sure.

Easter was pretty wonderful in that the church was packed as much as it has ever been. There were some issues that keep coming up - like how to do worship with people from 1 to almost 100 and have it be meaningful for everyone. But that is the challenge of being church.

Meanwhile I am looking ahead to three things

1. We are starting a new series on Sunday mornings: "Ignited by God to Deliver Miracles." It is based on a book by Bruce Wilkinson Your Were Born for This and I am really excited about the ideas in it and the whole concept. He presents 7 keys to delivering miracles - which sounds hokey to write about - but they really are right on the money. Every week we will hand out a magnet with a Bible verse and a mention of that week's keys. I like it!

2. I am preparing for the "Memory Weekend" with the girls. It is May 15th and we are going to go to every place we lived in Ohio - Lebanon, Columbus, Zanesville and BG and remember together. It should be interesting and I have lots of surprises for them. I know this will be a weekend we will never forget!!

3. And I am getting ready for the Sabbatical - it begins June 14th. I am planning what I am doing - keeping with the "memory theme" I will write more aobut it later.
Also, preparing to leave my responsibilities here at Karl Road for 11 weeks. I met with Bertie Dell today - she is the minister who will be in charge in my absence. It is really challenging to think about all of it.

So, I gotta go - but this is what is happening right now.
Pretty cool - all of it.

Easter Sermon

I got a lot of good comments about this sermon - so I thought I would post it.
Happy Easter - Hope you spend some time in the "Resurrection Garden"

11But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb.
As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; 12and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet.
13They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?”
She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus.
15Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.”
16Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher).
17Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
18Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her.


In a presentation on leadership, the Itay Talgam a renowned Israeli conductor showed a series of video clips demonstrating different conductors and their styles and their effectiveness.. His last and best example was of Leonard Bernstein
The video showed him welcoming an orchestra of high school student from around the world who had been granted one week under his direction to perform Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring The first day of practice, the makeshift orchestra was discordant.
But Bernstein did not wield a baton as a symbol of his authority.
Instead, he stopped the music and spoke of the feelings Stravinsky sought to evoke, of the smell of spring grass, of waking animals.
Talgram said this: “He empowers people by telling them their world is larger than they think.”
Cut to a week later, and the high school orchestra sat attentively before Bernstein, who looked on with obvious satisfaction as an assembly of young strangers achieved musical harmony

And maybe that is a good story to start an Easter message with.
Easter is about seeing more – not just that our world is larger than we think, but that God is bigger than we can imagine Easter is God’s final way to show us God’s empowering presence.
Join me this morning as we go with Mary to the resurrection garden -And I am going to give you several definitions of what that is:
- One definition of the resurrection garden - a place where we are surprised –
Let us remember how Mary was when she went into the garden
First she was grief stricken
Second was confused
Third expecting death. She came to the tomb and expected to find a dead body - because she had watched him die. And while Jesus had certainly stretched boundaries – healings, miracles, exorcisms – dead is dead
Because how often is that our condition.
All Lent we have been preparing for the passion as we face the times of alienation, dislocation, waiting, and suffering that are part of life. And today we face death.
We are constantly experiencing loss, and confusion and walk around saying things like “it is what it is” - or “whatever”
With the underlying question - “is this all there is?”
And never imagining that it could be different

Until we come to the resurrection garden
Definition - it is the place where you go expecting death and finding life
Definition - It is a place of encounter with the living Christ
Definition - It is a place that disorients our assumption about who is powerful in the world and reorients our perspective on what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ

This is what Mary found and we find when we go to the resurrection garden

1. all things are possible - death will not have the last word, our God has power that is more than we can see on this earth - and it extends to the next.
When we experience that - we live in a place of radical amazement. God has shown us what God can do. We are amazed by that. The material will not have the last word - there is more at work and God’s love and power extends beyond life on earth
Someone said: “Awareness of the divine begins with wonder”

The life of Jesus on earth began with the angel saying - all things are possible with God
And then here we see - finally with God overcoming death.
And this is more than daffodils blooming in the spring, Easter lilies and blaring trumpets

The message here is that death will not have the last word – that life will go on after the life that we can see here on earth
As Jesus told the disciples that he would prepare a place for them – that same promise is given to us.
And because of Easter – we believe it. Death is swallowed up in victory

All things are possible from birth- to death – to beyond.
The resurrection garden is one more place where we see the inbreaking of God into our world. There is more here than we know
This is a power that comes when we least expect it and transforms our lives.

- 2. Jesus wants to be in relationship with us - calling us by name - and it is more than God is creative and working in the world. The resurrection garden is a place of experience. And that experience we see in all the post resurrection stories are different with different people. -
- It is that God is using us - calling us - penetrating our lives with God’s word and God’s way and God’s spirit
Story - about the atheist who said - “Give me one good reason why you believe that Jesus rose again? - and the Christian friend answered - “Because I spoke to him today.”
Most favorite hymn of many people - which we will sing today - in the garden - and he walks with me and he talks with me

- 3. we have something to share – “I have seen the Lord “- cannot be kept to ourselves - that is our response
- We see the Lord at work in our lives - and I have heard stories
- Like when you were at the end of your rope and the Lord spoke your name and you knew he was there and found hope to keep going
- Or when you were near death and God touched you and you were given more years to live– (Shirley lincicome’s story)
- Or you felt I was worthless and had no purpose and God touched you and gave you a place where I could serve others and make a difference in the world
- We have a church full of people who have stories to share of times that God intervened in your life and changed your condition and your direction.
- The resurrection garden is the place where we experienced the inbreaking of God into our lives and into our world

Now there are reasons we don’t share that story much – because it is always open to alternative interpretations
- like this resurrection story – maybe Jesus never really died, maybe Mary made it up
- with our stories – we can say – well, you were lucky, or
- Or the doctors healed you, or you were stronger than you knew

We also are reticent because we may be afraid that sharing the story sounds like we are bragging or something – I Saw the Lord

But the resurrection garden is a place of grace and transformation
And that something to share is not about what we did - but about what God did

And let me be clear about the grace - it is not that I kept the faith, it is not that I lived in expectation, it is not that I did anything
Grace! It is for people who fall away, get confused, have very low expectations.
Grace! God shows up when you least expect to see God
Life in the places where you expect death

And it is transformation - how can we not be changed - changed in that moment of course - as despair turns to joy
But changed in a way that happens because we start to expect more - knowing that that resurrection garden comes anytime and anywhere
(A recent Pew Center Report states that 50% of mainline Christians have experienced moments of spiritual transcendence. There are mystics in every pew; but we seldom share our stories).
Easter! calls us to claim and to share the moments of new life and holy presence. Resurrection challenges us to listen for Jesus calling our name in the garden.
Easter faith - not you believe it because the Bible tells you so (or because your Mother told you!)- but you believe it because you have been to the resurrection garden yourself
End with two questions
1. When have you been in the resurrection garden ? when have you had an experience where you knew that God was at work in your life Suggestions - it isn’t usually a garden
It can be a kitchen when you meet a defiant adolescent or a distant spouse and through God’s supernatural power are able to experience reconciliation
It may be a hospital room - where you face a grim future and through God’s supernatural power find more hope and more time to live
It may be in a classroom - where you think that there is nothing there for you - and through God’s supernatural power you experience a spark of light and love between students and teacher
And it may be in your heart - a heart that has been hardened by hurt and closed off by pain - and through God’s supernatural power we experience the stirring of love and care from another and for another. And something is changing within you.
It is grace and it is change and it is the resurrection garden.
It is the place where you encounter the mystery of God’s presence and the love of our Lord Jesus
And as Mary recognized the Lord in the garden, you two see God’s fingerprints on the events of your life and find comfort and trust and excitement. And then Like Mary - you share that news
I have seen the Lord – and that is the final question – who have you shared your story with? Who have you told your experiences to? I have seen the Lord.
I can say it to you - I see the Lord in your faces, I see the Lord in the life of this church, I see the lord at work in my own life - bringing healing and reconciliation and peace.
I see the Lord. I talk about it in some form or fashion every week.
But now after Easter –After you have been to the Resurrection Garden - it is your turn!

Meetings

My life is a life where I have meetings which I know are important, on the one hand, and not thrilling, on the other.

This week I have been to Camp Christian 3 times for meetings - a personnel committee meeting, minister's preaching workshop and dinner, and today a regional council meeting.

I have been on the regional council off and on for 22 years. And today may have been my last meeting. I declined to continue my term as we get asked if we want to continue every three years.

When I was first on the regional board - I would usually say nothing. I would listen to everyone else, vote appropriately, tick off all the issues on the agenda and then go home. I remember being impressed by some of my colleagues who questioned what was going on and really seemed to understand better than I did.

Now, I am not at silent and frequently ask questions, give reports and even will state my position on things. It is so important in any group to have people who are willing to spend time on the inner workings of the organization - we have to vote on the budget, be apprised on what is going on and help to make decisions about the future. And I have been a good and loyal respresentative at these meetings. Over the years the regional board meetings have gotten a little shorter - today's was only 5 hours. It used to be over night and all day on Saturday. I still am happy to be done with it.

As I serve a church I recognize how much people try to avoid meetings - and we try as hard as we can to keep them under an hour - although it really is impossible with our board meetings. Nobody likes meetings - but then the nedxt thing you know someone is complaining about the colore of a room, a change in worship or some new thing we are doing and they could have voted yes or no if they had just gone to the meeting.

Meetings - hate spending a beautiful Saturday at one - but I know we need em.

Gotta write something

Because it has been two weeks and I have not written anything.

Right now it is a Saturday afternoon and I am hanging out in the family room with Chuck and Tom. We are watching Basketball! And it has been pretty interesting so far and when we are not watching tv - they are reading and I am playing a computer game. This is what we call relaxing in our advanced years.

I am preaching tomorrow on Isaiah 43 - "God is going to do a new thing" And I have thought a lot about that. This was written for people in the exile who were going through "dislocation." Their country had been taken over by the Babylonians and the righteous remnant were actually living in Babylon. They were in a place of instability, loss, grief and alienation.

I ended up finding a wonderful quote from Walter Brueggemann about dislocation and how we experience that today. I have to say - especially as you get older and everything seems so different. Everything like media, the institutions we used to count on, our famjlies and our health. It is just different and I have many, many conversations with people about that. We are living in the midst of change, of dislocation, of - we hope - transformation. But it is so often unsettling.

Brueggemannn says (and of course, I will quote him tomorrow!) that our response to dislocation is often denial and despair. The denial is the denial of our feelings of loss (anger, sadness, grief) and the despair is lived out with a cynicism and a detachment. The despair is also founded on a belief that things are getting worse and worse and worse. The glory days are over.

So, this is the word - God is doing a new thing,. In the midst of it all, I trust that. I preach what I know - that God is doing a new thing

But at the same time - especially as we live in the losses of change (like the loss of my sister which I think about a lot with Tom visiting) we all want things the way they used to be. I want her back, I want my parents back. I would like my old more fit body back while we are at it.

But I do trust that here - today - and tomorrow. God is doing a new thing with me, with Tom, with Karl Road Christian Church. With everyone of us.

Diversity in the church

This is what I love about serving at Karl Road Christian Church.

- I just did a wedding for David Koomsen and Florence bassamami. David is from Ghana and Florence from Sierre Leone and they were married last summer in an African wedding and today I did an official wedding that is sanctioned by the state. It was "my wedding service" African style. We started about 45 minutes late waiting for Florence's 92 year old mother come from Pickerinton. I got to visit with her daughter and learn how the family came to America. It is really an inspiring wedding.
- the wedding itself was the one I usually do - but we had LOTS of pictures being taken throughout the wedding. It was really kind of crazy but in a good way.
- right now the reception is going on in fellowship hall. The food is African and the dancing is too - but it looks very much like the way we all dance at weddings except for the music different. The movements are the same. I sit there and just feel blessed to experience all of it.

This morning Charles Montgomery preached - he is our gospel praise service preacher, a gifted young African American man and a great preacher.. I had to encourage him to realize that 20 minutes was probably the max for this service - instead of 30 - 35 that he preaches in the evening. He was slightly more restrained - but so powerful that people clapped in the middle of the sermon. Trust me - I have never had that in my life of preaching!

Audrey was here and a friend came up to her after the worship and said she should have sat in the "gay row." I kind of liked that - we are not an officially open and affirming church - but we are a welcoming and accepting church. So, there is another form of diversity that I celebrate for our church.

This is absolutely the joy of my life - watching a white church become transformed into a place that is more and more accepting of the diversity of God's creation.

Charles Ferguson - our previous preacher for the gospel praise service - said the church is supposed to look like heaven. We are getting there.