A Flood of Biblical Proportions

The city  unblocked and flushed a large drain... in the wrong direction.

That's the explanation we received for why our lovely, contemporary church building was unexpectedly and thoroughly flooded. Eyewitnesses reported squishy carpet and an unpleasant odor. Plumbers, the city, and recovery experts were called and trustees were on hand. But on Saturday, one thing was clear. There would be no service on Sunday in the sanctuary.

It was one more straw on the camel's back. The congregation of Resurrection United Methodist Church, the church I call home, has been struggling with the weight of many straws. Network problems, after plumbing problems from tree roots, all in a  congregation that  has been dropping members like my pugs shed fur. For weeks, months, we have been looking at each other on Sunday mornings  with  certain pained pleasure, locking eyes and speaking in silent communication other - "Thank God you are still here."

Because the business of maintaining the church isn't the same business I grew up with. There was A Methodist church and if you were Methodist - you went there. But in a city the size of Durham, there are many to choose from, if you aren't dedicated to being a Methodist, there are even more. We've got megachurches with rock bands, churches with thriving youth programs, churches affiliated with other protestant traditions and churches affiliated with none. And if you believe in God, and resist organized religion, why you can just stay home and tune in.

So despite having an amazing, spirit filled pastor ,who inspires us to grow and embrace our uncertain future,  we struggle. We struggle. Our spread sheets show that we can't afford a full time pastor. And as much as we wish we could, we can't. And with dwindling membership, we won't be able to. We must change.  We have met and talked with leadership, talked among ourselves, emailed each other, texted each other, had meetings, had studies, prayed, worried, and fretted. Not necessarily in that order. But despite all of that, we are no further in the decisions that must come to define our future.

So the straw that landed on our camel's back yesterday made him sway a bit under the weight.

But then something happened. Our inboxes were filled with an email from the Pastor that we would meet on Sunday. It would be an abbreviated service and we would gather in the prayer labyrinth in front of our church.

And gather we did. We dressed in jeans, we dressed in our Sunday best. We came on foot and in wheelchairs. We drug plastic chairs outside and a portable mic for the pastor. We picked fresh daffodils and secured them at the foot of the cross.We offered our seats to those who were standing. We gathered in a large, and in places a broken, circle.  We listened to the community announcements. We heard the Word of God and invited the Holy Spirit to join us amidst the pine trees, the gravel stones marking the labyrinth, the cars whizzing by on one side and the huge green SERVICEPRO truck  on the other.We listened to our Pastor's message. And God met us in that unexpected place.

And by the time we passed the plate, and prayed, and sang Jesus Loves the Little Children and Amazing Grace and I am the Church You are the Church!  we remembered that WE are the church, not the building behind us. Tall, short, thin, fat, black, white, gray, bald, braids and bobs, stylish and less, bespectacled and eagle-eyed, strong and weak, young and old. We all have a place together at God's table, whether that table is crafted in mahogany or manifest only in our hearts and minds . He is our God and we are his people.

Do I believe the church flooded so that we would worship outside on a warm Sunday in February which happened to rekindle our commitment to God and to each other? No. I don't. Do I think God took that circumstance and used it to the greater glory, to move among us and touch us individually and collectively, to help us shed our attachment to a building and return to him with arms wide open, yes, I do. I definitely do.

So instead of saying to each other "Thank God you are still here" we can look to the heavens and say "Thank YOU God, YOU are still here!"

My Sister Wanted a Dog

My sister wanted a dog.

She and her husband live out in the country. A mile off the road down a dirt path. Their home can’t even be seen from the road. So she doesn’t have neighbors. Which anyone with neighbors knows can be both good and bad. If can be bad if you’re feeling in need of company.

Her husband works a half an hour away as a pharmacist so she is often home alone. Add to that the pain she suffers from severe scoliosis and her occasional migraines and you can understand why she’d want a pooch by her side.

She lost a dog she loved last year. And she missed “Baby” something fierce. She started searching for a dog and had little success. Rescue organizations have wait lists. Pounds don’t like to adopt to folks without a fenced-in-yard, but in the country, why would she have one? She searched the internet and called pounds and became more and more dejected. Wasn’t there a dog out there for her somewhere?

So she called me and asked me to find her a dog. I said I’d keep an eye out, but I thought it unlikely that I’d find one with fenced-in-yard requirements and such. I just couldn’t imagine having the perfect dog land in my lap.

But then one day, several months later, on Facebook I saw a post a church friend shared about a miniature poodle that needed a home. I thought “hmm,” convinced myself that that pup had found a home long ago, and went for a walk. But it was like having an itch you really wanted to scratch. I kept thinking about it.

After my walk I found that post again, which referenced a nearby vet. I called the vet and they called the person searching for a home for the poodle. Turns out the poodle belonged to her grown child. Life had happened, kids, jobs. And not much time was left for that little pup…who still needed a home!

And the person with the poodle – had the same name as my sister. Elaine. And the poodle? In good health, fully vetted and in the process of being groomed. I couldn’t believe it.

And when did this happen? On the very day my sister had to drive 100 miles into the Triangle for an appointment at her migraine specialist.

The first ELAINE gave her go ahead. “I WANT HIM!”

The second ELAINE recognized the miracle it was meant to be.

And so the second Elaine and I made a plan. When my sister was called back to her appointment, I would text her and she would bring the pup to the doctor’s office for my sister. And also she would bring his crate, his bed, his vet records, his food, his heartworm pills, everything. She works in a vet’s office and loves dogs too, has her own, but immediately recognized that this small, seven pound, bundle of brown fur was a very small emissary of God.

And so it came to pass, that I was outside a doctor’s office waiting for the second ELAINE and her bundle of joy. And soon I was accompanied by my sister’s physician and one of his staff members. And soon the second ELAINE pulled up, right as the first ELAINE and her husband made it outside the office to stand with us as we all waited with bated breath.

And it was love at first sight.

The tiny poodle went right to my brother-in-law and pranced right over to my sister. Once he was placed in her arms he wreathed her face in poochie smooches.

So my sister, her husband, and their new family member climbed back in the Jeep and turned it towards the country, where that little pup has filled so many empty spaces and is now the heart of the home.

He’s been on outings and errands, vacations, and doctor’s appointments. And mostly, he’s been right in my sister’s lap, as he was truly intended to be. Because God knows the desires of our hearts, even if we guard them closely and only tell a soul or two. Or a sister, who just happened to see a post on Facebook.

 Trust in the Lord and do good;

    dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
4 Take delight in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

                             Psalms 37:4-5 

Hidden Things

Children’s Sermon 7.6.14 Resurrection UMC, Durham

At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.

One of my mom's most important possessions fits in the palm of my hand and it cost a lot of money.

It’s a hearing aid, a tiny amplifier that fits snugly into her ear.

She lost it last year at her home in Seaboard. It was a summer afternoon and she had been all over her house and all over her yard. It could be anywhere! And worst of all - there was a big afternoon thunder storm on it’s way! So if she lost it outside, it would be ruined in the rain - IF no-one drove over it in the meantime.

When she told me it was lost, I took about 15 minutes and looked for it myself with no success. So then I called my family members and they came rushing over to help.

We looked everywhere - in the yard, in the driveway, in the den, in the bathroom and couldn’t find it anywhere! My mom was so upset! And the storm clouds got closer and closer!

But then, guess who found it? Not any of the adults! My 10 year old niece Molly found it! It had fallen between my mom's easy chair and the couch and was sitting atop the pages of a book!

So no matter how hard the adults looked WE couldn’t find it! But a 10 year old did!

That is what I thought of when I read the scripture from Matthew today.

At the time that Jesus lived there were many priests and scholars who felt they knew the most about Scripture and about God. But in this verse, Jesus is thanking God for bringing his message to the little children. The “little children” means everyone - not just the priests and the scholars. Because we are all new in faith. And because little children have a different way of looking at the world, a way that is important.

So your roles are important in the church! God sent his message for everyone! Including you!

Dear Father,

Please help us be more like little children. Help us to seek and find your hidden things! Amen

Distracted? Sorry, what did you say?

Matthew 4:1-11

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.  After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.  The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple.  “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands,  so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”

Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

Distraction means divided attention and in today’s world we live a distracted life. We are inundated by the world news, national news, and who won the UNC-DUKE basketball game. Our jobs, our bills, our mortgage, our neighbors, our clothes, our families, even our dogs distract us from walking a closer walk to our God and risen Savior. The devil was hard at work in today’s passage, he distracted Jesus from his greater purpose.

In Disciples class this week we laughed about Flip Wilson and how he would dress up as Gereldine and say “THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT!” Today’s Devil is hard at work and pretty successful at making us do everything on our daily to do list but take that closer walk.

What then is the opposite of being distracted? It is being focused. Being Obedient.

I have the great pleasure of participating in a little reading club. and we are currently reading a book called BLIND COURAGE. It is the story of Bill Irwin, from Burlington, NC. Bill passed away just last Saturday, but Bill knew all about distraction. Bill was a chemist and a teacher and clinical researcher, but he was distracted by alcohol and lost it all. In addition he lost his eyesight to a rare disease - the vision in one eye at 28 and the vision in the other at 36.

When Bill finds himself lost in his life, a broken humbled man, he finds AA and begins a closer walk with God. In working the steps he opened himself to God’s direction, in fact he was learning to be obedient. He began to cut out the distractions in his life: alcohol, cigarettes, self-pity and slowly begins to rebuild his family relationships. When he begins to feel good about his recovery and his walk with God he goes camping on the Blue Ridge with his son.  In a moment of solitude he prays, thanking God for his recovery and his new life in Christ. In fact he says to God:

If there’s ever anything I can do as a way of saying thanks to You, I want You to know I’ll do it, whatever it is.”

Irwin, Bill (1992-04-01). Blind Courage (Kindle Locations 779-780). Bill Irwin. Kindle Edition.

So God calls this blind,  overweight 50 year old  man to walk the Appalachian Trail! At first he denies it, just like some of our favorite folks in the Bible. Who me? He continues to hear God’s direction until he obeys and accepts his call. So Bill, his guide dog and his overloaded pack set off to walk the whole trail, 2,168 miles.

In his book he tries to answer the “why?” with these words:

... hiking was only half the enterprise. If the purpose of being on the trail was to talk to people about God and His love, I was definitely the wrong person for the job. I didn’t know the first thing about what most people called ”witnessing,” and couldn’t begin to argue theology or answer the hard questions. One person estimated that along the trail I would pass 10,000 people, exchange greetings with 500 and have personal conversations with about a hundred. Was I supposed to say something to everyone I passed? How would I know who was interested in talking about God? My lack of answers seemed to disqualify me faster than any of the physical shortcomings. Finally, I decided that the talking would have to develop like the hiking. I couldn’t plan it out or control it ahead of time. I had heard people talk about living by faith, and this was going to be my chance to discover what that was all about.

Irwin, Bill (1992-04-01). Blind Courage (Kindle Locations 852-859). Bill Irwin. Kindle Edition.

Bill succeeded and his tale is nothing short of miraculous. It is full of cliff hangers in the literal sense.  And he gives us every amazing detail. At times he hikes with others, at times alone except for his faithful guide dog. Since he can’t see the trail marker he gets  lost often. He falls over and over again, usually on little rocks. Once when the path narrows on a craggy mountain he is saved only when he grasps  a strong young sapling as he falls. And just as miraculously he finds the right people God had in mind for him to meet, gingerly sharing his story and offering comfort to those in need.

In elementary school, during oral book reports if my classmate hadn’t finished their book they would say “read the book to find out the rest of the story.” I encourage all of you to learn the rest of the story! ( Blind Courage can be purchased for 4.99 on the Amazon Kindle!)

So Bill cut out the distractions in his life and  took his own journey in the wilderness. He was tempted time and again, to take the easy way out, to quit to home home. But he was in it for the long run. Jesus too contemplated the long run, the arc of his life and what was expected of him. He was tempted to take the easy way out, to  just say “no” to his call. But Jesus focused on the important things, not the distractions.  Today’s passage ends with Jesus speaking these words from bold, summative words:

WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD AND SERVE HIM ONLY.

Are we listening for our call or are we distracted? What does God plan for our lives?

We can prepare ourselves to do God’s work through time-honored means. Read our Bibles, pray, be thankful, seek wisdom, worship with our church family, and serve our neighbors.

Look at your life and look for the distractions! Be selective! My mom and I were big yard salers and we still enjoy the thrift shop, but we don’t buy everything we like, no matter how much I like the 1960s orange crocheted vest for 99 cents.  We choose the things that are best for us. Likewise we must choose what to have in our life. Is it Godly? Is it good? Will we grow?

And perhaps the hardest thing to add to our spiritual life but perhaps the most important is to be quiet and listen for God’s call. Because like BIll we must first LISTEN for our call to be able to HEAR it.

I was at a writing retreat at the beach last weekend and I met a lovely woman named Judy who lost her 23 year old son to suicide. Her journey was a difficult one and in the thick of her grief she had a dream in which she was painting a portrait of her son. She thought “how silly,” I can’t paint, I can’t even draw.  But she dreamed it again, and again and again for 8 nights. Finally Judy went to the art store and asked for paint, she didn’t even know the difference between oils and watercolors but the sales clerk was more than happy to completely outfit her with art supplies. She got home, set up an area to paint and behold, she painted a portrait of her son, exactly as she had seen it in her dream. Today she is an avid painter and she gives God the glory. She has published some essays on dealing with grief and God’s presence and she is using her newfound painting skills to complement her writing. She has won awards for her art and always uses it to tell how God has touched her.

So during this season of lent let us give up noisy distractions. We are humbled to be reminded by Ash Wednesday that we are human, fallible, made from ash, but as God was with Jesus in his temptations, Bill on his hike,  and Judy in the depth of her grief, he is with our human fallible selves every day. He picks us l over and over again so that we can work for his Kingdom on earth, to bring the light to the world on his behalf.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 5 that we are the light of the world:

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

So this lenten season, listen for your call and let your light shine!