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Lent Devotion 16

This evening we had the delight and blessing of attending another amazing concert presented by the Florida Orchestra. Peter Rosel played the Concerto No. 1 for Piano and Orchestra in g minor, Op. 25 (1830) by Felix Mendelssohn. At one point in the second movement, my spouse, Jeff, and I just turned to each other laughing. This man’s playing was so incredible that we were overcome with joy and delight. So many notes played so quickly and precisely. It was otherworldly. We just had to laugh.

I am thinking about what it would be like if I paid more attention to life around me. If I really noticed things. If I looked at the natural world that surrounds us. I think I would see more of God. At the concert, I am focused. My attention is on the music. And it brings such joy. I think if I brought this same level of attention to life, I would see the wonder. I would be aware of the amazing stories of the lives around me. And I would be filled with delight and joy. I would notice the amazing performances in the concert of life that are happening all the time. I would see and hear the incredible performance that nature is constantly presenting. And I would experience so much more JOY.

It is easy to get busy, to be distracted, to get absorbed in garbage, and miss the great performance that God is providing each and every moment. Enjoy all that life has to offer. Look for the great performances. Take joy!

Prayer: Each and every day is a gift. Amazing things go on. May we make more of an effort to appreciate what we have been given on this awesome journey! May we be wary of the messages and distractions that would prevent us from appreciating the beauty of life. May we receive the joy that God is constantly and consistently providing for us. Amen.

Lent Devotion 15

Why do atheists do more “bad” things than church goers? Apparently, from a percentage basis, more bad crimes, etc. are done by atheists. Is this because they don’t believe in God? Are they morally inferior to, say, Christians? This was the topic of an article that I read several years ago. The gist of the argument was that Christians (and people of other religions) have faith communities. The people get together, know each other, and share their lives, as well as practice their religious observances. The writer, whom I cannot remember, posits that it the being part of a community of shared values that keeps religious types from being bad. It was pointed out that atheists don’t have “faith communities.” They don’t have organized religion, or some kind of structure which promotes relationships and shared positive values. The thesis was that this is what contributes to a higher percentage of atheists doing bad things.

In today’s world, many people consider themselves “spiritual but not religious.” They have beliefs, maybe even resonating to the Christian tradition, but they don’t go to church or have anything to do with organized religion. Current data shows that the fastest growing religious population in the US is the “nones.” These are people who claim no religious affiliation. Forty percent of these nones say they believe in God, pray, and are “still hoping eventually to find the right religious home.”

As we reflect on our faith in this season of Lent, one thing that is worth our consideration is why people do not feel welcome in church. Why do people feel like they can’t find a church home? Why can’t they find a spiritual community that feeds their souls? Big things like the sex abuse scandals of the Catholic church don’t help matters. Clergy misconduct across the board doesn’t help. The loud voices of extremist churches proffering hate doesn’t help. But we should still consider how we can be more welcoming in our faith community. We should still give attention to how we can encourage people to be part of a community. Because that is one of the main benefits, joys, and blessings of following a spiritual path.

As you consider these things, think about who you can invite to church.

Prayer: We pray for the church; for all churches of Jesus Christ. We pray for the church to truly embody the unconditional, expansive love of God. We pray that we would be the people who make the church a welcoming home for all. We give thanks for the ways that the church moulds and shapes our lives and calls forth the best from us. With gratitude for the loving community we find in our church. Amen.

Avowed Love (podcast)

2/24/2013
Rev. Kim Wells
Avowed Love (podcast)
(left-click to play)
The recording begins with Liturgist, Barry Hamilton, reading the scripture, Genesis 15:1-18 and Luke 13:31-35, followed by Rev. Wells’ sermon.

If you experience problems playing the podcast from your browser, download the file and play it from your computer’s media player. To download, if you have a two-button mouse, right-click the link and select the save option. If you have a one-button mouse (on a Mac), press and hold the “Control” key and click the the link and select the save option.

Lent Devotion 14

Faith is measured by what you give not what you get. Jesus teaches that to save your life, you must loose it. And we remember the adage, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” We think about how we are giving ourselves to God by helping to fulfill God’s hopes and dreams for a peaceful, flourishing creation.

Sometimes what is needed by people going through difficult times, by people in challenging situations, is not a hand out, but a listening ear. A compassionate soul who cares. There are times when love is expressed simply by embracing the pain of another through listening to her/his story. By giving of our time and our attention, we can receive the pain, the frustration, the sorrow, the regret, the despair, of another.

In this way, we give by receiving. We offer compassion and solidarity by receiving the stories of pain and suffering and challenge of another. By receiving their experience, we give empathy and caring. A bond is formed. A connection is made. Isolation dissolves.

So, sometimes our giving takes place in the form of receiving.

Prayer: Jesus gave himself fully to others. Sometimes he offered healing. Sometimes food. Sometimes forgiveness. Sometimes simply a listening ear and solidarity. Help us to remember that we, too, can give of ourselves for the healing of the world simply by listening. By offering an attentive ear and a willing spirit, we give by receiving the pain of another sharing healing comfort and compassion. May we never be too busy to give by receiving the stories of others. Amen.

Lent Devotion 13

Caregiving can be extremely stressful. Ask any new parent or someone who takes care of an ill parent or a spouse. The demands coupled with the desire to perform then out of love can still leave a person drained and frayed. I can remember when we first moved to Florida and I was a stay at home parent for the first year. The caregiving was not even that challenging but it was one of the hardest years of my life. I remember a friend asking how things were going. I told her about the kids, their friends, their pediatrician, their schools. Then she said to me, “What about your friends? Are you making new friends?” I realized that I really hadn’t even thought about taking care of myself, only my children. No wonder I was not happy.

I recently read a book that examines the idea of using robots as caregivers for children and the elderly. Apparently this is already in the experimentation stage and heading toward wider implementation. My first reaction was that this would never work. How could a robot possibly do the caregiving needed for a child like change a diaper or hold a crying baby and comfort her? And how could a robot take care of an older person and calm him down when upset? I just can’t see it.

Even if the robots can be developed to do the tasks, I still do not think this is a good use of technology. While caregiving by humans may be difficult and stressful, that does not mean it is to be avoided or done away with. By caring for others, we express our humanity. By serving others, we find our wholeness. In caregiving, we build character and form intimate bonds with others. We learn about balance and limits. We test ourselves emotionally and physically which helps us to grow and develop as mature human beings. Caregiving can help teach us to rely on God to sustain us.

Whatever using robots as caregivers may mean to those being cared for, I think it would deprive the caregivers (all of us at some point, in some capacity) of our need to take care of others for our own spiritual, psychological, and moral maturation. Take away caregiving and that seems to me like a recipe for cultivating self-absorbed people who expect to get their way and don’t want to be bothered with consideration for others.

Oh, and if you haven’t already guessed, this developing robots as caregivers stems from a lack of people to fill those jobs. Don’t we have a high unemployment rate? Aren’t people begging for jobs? Well, if caregiving jobs were higher paying, there would probably be many more people ready to do them. So how much do we really value children and older adults and people in various situations who need to be cared for?

Prayer: It can be very difficult to deal with the challenges of caregiving. The needs can be so great. And sometimes we don’t have the support that we need. But help us to remember that we find our truest selves, our highest good, and our fullest well-being in service to others. We are created to love. May we accept the lessons and insights that caregiving brings. And may we be truly supportive and compassionate to those who are caregivers and in need of care. Amen.