Author: lakewooducc

Maintenance or innovation? This choice was evident in a recent decision at church. One option involved maintenance. Doing what we are doing and know we can do and are good at. Another option involved innovation. The opportunity to branch out and try some new ways of doing things. Boy, does maintenance feel comfortable and familiar! Why not just stay with tried and true? It’s less risky.

Innovation involves trying something new. It can be risky. Innovation can entail experimentation. It can have a learning curve and aren’t we all overwhelmed already?

And innovation can involve failure. But so can maintenance when you’re left in the dust doing the “same old same old.” Many companies have gone under because they did not innovate.

How do we decide? In the case of the decision at church, we asked ourselves what is in the best interests of the church overall going forward? What is best for the church – not any one person or project – but the church as a whole? What will help the church to be effective and faithful in fulfilling its ministry?

Again and again we face the same choice in many ways in our lives. Maintenance or innovation? The tried and true or the potential of something new? Something new can be just a fad or a trend without much substantive improvement. The old ways can be the best ways. They can also be obsolete and outmoded and prevent important progress. A spirit of discernment is needed to navigate the waters. This kind of assessment involves looking at a bigger picture. What are the implications over time well into the future? What are the consequences to the organization? The institution? The world? Discernment involves intentionally considering a larger reality and not just me here and now.

Lent is a time for such reflection and discernment.

Lectionary readings for today:

Psalm 19

Exodus 19:9b-15
Acts 7:30-40

Prayer: May we not be afraid to change. May we not be afraid to resist change. And may Divine Love be our guide. Amen.

I had to face an unpleasant task this week. I had to find the receipt for something that I bought in 2013. Yes, almost 2 years ago. What a hassle! First, there was finding the receipts. That turned out to be surprisingly easy. Then there was finding the one. The stack of receipts was over 8 inches high. And I needed one receipt. There is only one way to look. One by one. Tedious. Boring. Annoying. One by one by one.

As I was looking through the receipts, I started to notice what they were for. It was the year of our daughter’s wedding. There was the receipt for the wedding dress. And there were many receipts from the grocery store. And receipts for clothes. And receipts for home maintenance and repair supplies. And as I looked for the one, I was filled with a feeling of gratitude for all that we could buy. For the abundance. For the amazing wealth that we have. I am a pastor and my husband is a teacher. We are hardly highly paid by US standards. Yet going through those receipts, I felt rich. Richer than I have any right to be. And the gratitude just swelled within me.

I hope that in the course of your Lenten days, you find reason to be awash in gratitude.

Lectionary readings for today:

Psalm 19
Exodus 19:1-9a
1 Peter 2:4-10

Prayer: Regardless of the events of the day and the wider circumstances of our times, may we always look for reasons to be grateful. Amen.

What are you afraid of? Things that go bump in the night?

Maybe there is fear of illness or the diminishing of abilities that comes with the aging process. Maybe we have financial fears. Maybe we have fears for others. But for the most part, I must say, that I don’t feel I live in fear from day to day. I am not afraid of getting shot, or contracting a fatal disease, or loosing my home, or the many other material fears that could plague my day to day life and are very real for others.

But Lent is a season to look deeper. What about other kinds of fears. Emotional fears. Subliminal fears. We may not feel those fears on a daily basis, but they are there. And, when we are honest, the list may be long.

It may be fear that keeps us from doing what is good – for us, for others, for the world.
It may be fear that keeps us from changing course in our lives.
It may be fear that prevents us from trying something new or making some change.
It may be fear that keeps us from getting involved in something that we may find meaningful.

It may be fear of failure, or fear of not being accepted, or even fear of succeeding that holds us back.

Fear may very well be keeping us from the full life and abundant joy that God intends for us. Fear may be stopping us from making a contribution to the greater good.

Fear has great power. It is controlling much of how people function in our society. The church has historically used fear to control people and to try to elicit “good” behavior from people: The fear of hell, of punishment, of God’s wrath.

There are many verses in scripture that encourage fear of God. Some scholars say that the word translated “fear” would be better expressed by the word “trust.” Trust in God instead of fear God.

The invitation from Jesus to live as part of God’s realm here and now has no fear attached to it. What fears are holding us back from saying “yes” to Jesus’ welcoming invitation to new life?

Lectionary readings for today:

Psalm 105:1-11, 37-45
Jeremiah 30:12-22

John 12:36-43

Prayer: We pray to be honest about our fears. When we identify them we begin to undermine their power. May we put our trust in hope and joy. Amen.

The church is looking for an Office Manager. We have gotten many email responses with resumes. It is clear in the position description that the job involves competence in oral and written communication.

Several of the emails that we received had numerous punctuation and spelling errors. These were beyond just the random typo. The issues were glaring.

At the same time, our son is looking for a job. It can be a really discouraging process. Our son sends out emails and resumes. He goes to the employers and fills out applications. And from most of them, he doesn’t hear a word back. It gets disheartening and defeating. He has asked himself, “What am I doing wrong? How can I improve?” He is desperate for constructive feedback so that he can be more effective in his job search.

In light of this, I decided to respond to the people who sent problematic emails mentioning the issue in what I thought was a considerate, constructive manner. It won’t get the person this job but it might help the person get another job. I have only heard back from one of those people and it was a long, scathing tirade. Who did I think I was to comment on her writing? And it went on and on and on. It was extremely condemnatory. (And it clearly demonstrated that this is not the person for Office Manager at the church!)

When we try to do the right thing, it doesn’t always go smoothly. In fact, we may even create problems for ourselves. Trying to do what is good may make our lives more complicated. It may even cause damage to relationships that we highly value. And we may have no control over the outcome.

It can be tempting to just take the easy way out. Don’t bother engaging. Don’t worry about doing the right thing when no one will know anyway. Don’t make the effort to be responsible when you don’t know if you will get a pay off.

Think of how easy it would have been for Jesus to stay home and make tables and chairs.

Lectionary readings for today:

Genesis 22:1-19
Psalm 105:1-11, 37-45
Hebrews 11:1-3, 13-19

Prayer: May we have the will to do what is right. To get involved. To invest in what is good and true. With faith and trust. Amen.

If you want to be able to chew food with your own teeth into old age, you have to take care of them. You know the dentist’s theme song, brush and floss. Then, as you get older, it’s brush with an electric toothbrush, and use a water pick, and use a mini brush between the teeth and swish with fluoride rinse, and floss. But teeth take care. If they are not cared for, significant problems can develop.

This is true for the rest of our bodies as well. There are things we need to do related to hygiene, diet, and exercise that are necessary to maintain our health.

The same is true for our souls. There are things that we need to do to tend our being, our essence, our spirit. The arts help to keep the soul healthy. Music, art, literature, and dance all help to feed the spirit. To keep the soul healthy requires silence. Time to think, to remember, to feel, without new input coming in. Just being quiet is needed for our spiritual health. Time in nature feeds the soul. Being with friends tends the spirit.

As those who have been called into the church, we also know that going to church every week is an important part of maintaining the health of the spirit. We never know what may happen at church. We don’t know who will be there. But we know that in that context, in that experience, we will have a needed opportunity to give in some way, and we will receive in some way, even if we don’t know that we are in need. That is the nature of church – of a community gathering to worship, sing, and pray. Something in the mix will stir our souls and move us. Somehow, our spirits will be lifted. In the midst of the surprise and mystery of it all, somehow we become more vital and alive and we contribute to the health of others.

Each night as we head to bed, we don’t think, “Well, should I brush my teeth tonight?” We don’t ask ourselves, “Do I have time for this today?” We don’t look at our schedule and realize that we simply are too booked to fit in a good teeth cleaning. No. We just do it. We simply pick up the brush. Every day.

That’s how is can be with church. Just do it. Don’t ask a lot of questions. Don’t analyze your schedule. Don’t assess your “to do” list weighing the pros and cons. Don’t schedule other things in that time frame. Just go to church. Every week. No deciding. Just show up. And your soul will be fed. Your spirit will be vital. In ways you may not readily recognize. But your life will be enriched.

Lectionary readings for the day:

Psalm 105:1-11, 37-45
Genesis 21:1-7
Hebrews 1: 8-12

Prayer: We pray for the strength of will to pursue the disciplines that contribute to the health of body and spirit. Amen.