Rev. Liz's Reflections

A Different Kind of Journey

2012-02-21T20:54:00.000-06:00

Vince Lombardi once said,” The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.” Commitment is the key word. This past Wednesday was Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the season of Lent. Lent is a forty-day period before Easter – not counting Sundays. We skip Sundays when we count the forty days, because Sundays commemorate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Lent begins on February 22^nd and ends on April 7^th, which is the day before Easter. Lent is a season of soul-searching and repentance. It is a season for reflection, taking stock, and personal inventory. All of these actions require commitment on our part.

Consider the scripture from Luke chapter 9 verses 51-62. Luke sets the scene with a decision of Jesus. “When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.” His ministry in Galilee was finished. And he was firm in his decision to go to Jerusalem so he could fulfill his destiny. When Jesus set his face toward Jerusalem after coming down from the Mount of Transfiguration, he was beginning a journey – a journey which led to the cross, his resurrection, and the gift of eternal life.

Like any well-prepared traveler, we might want to pack our bags to make sure we are comfortable for our 6-week journey. But Ash Wednesday is about leaving baggage behind and braving the unknown carrying nothing but the mark of God’s beloved. In this vulnerable place, we might want to be surrounded by all of the things that make us feel better about ourselves; including things we think that God needs in order to love us. And yet God whispers to us that we are made in the divine image and that faithfulness to that knowledge is all we need for the journey of life. So let us ponder what it is that we may let go of this Lent, in order to help us hear more clearly the stories of Jesus’ extravagant love for all, and to follow him more bravely and confidently.

"Jesus set his face". I've seen people set their faces. You probably have too. We see their determination in their eyes, their tone of voice, and the line of their shoulders. During this season of Lent, I invite you to reflect upon: What does it mean to walk with Jesus? Luke invites us, as followers of Jesus, to make a commitment, to set our faces and accompany him. We are all on a journey - of life and learning, of growth and service. In the words of heard W.H. Auden, "He is the Way. Follow Him through the land of unlikeness, you will see rare beasts and have unique adventures."

The Rural Church as Social Entrepreneur

2012-01-12T15:23:00.001-06:00

You may have heard the old story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody. There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody's job. Everybody thought that Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn't do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done. What’s the answer to this conundrum; particularly here in rural America?

The residents of rural America have many needs. These needs are the same as those of city-dwellers, but the resources to meet these needs are different; and oftentimes lacking. That’s why I’m grateful for agencies such as the Health Care Coalition of Lafayette County and for social entrepreneurs like Betty Weddle. In his book, How to Change the World: Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas, the author David Bornstein defines social entrepreneurs as “transformative forces: people with new ideas to address major problems who are relentless in the pursuit of their visions, people who simply will not take “no” for an answer, who will not give up until they have spread their ideas as far as they possibly can.” (Bornstein 2007, 1-2) Social entrepreneurs are people who see real needs in their communities and work to implement programs to meet those needs. So, whose job is this? Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, or Nobody?

The scriptural question, “Who is my neighbor?” is directly relevant. The parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), which raises this question, is prefaced by a dialogue with Jesus and an expert in the law. The expert in the law, wanting to claim righteousness in the eyes of God on the basis of his behavior, raises the issue of "who is my neighbor?" He thinks that entry into the kingdom depends on it. But Jesus doesn’t give him a legal definition for the word "neighbor". Instead, he tells the expert in the law that he must act in a neighborly way - with mercy, kindness and love. A member of Trinity sent me the following story in an email. A teacher once asked his pupils, "How do you know when night ends and day begins?" One student answered, "You know that night ends and day begins when you can look into the distance and know which animal is your dog, and which is your sheep." "That is a good answer," the teacher said, "but it is not my answer." "You know that night ends and day begins," another student said, "when light falls on the leaves and you can see whether it is a maple or an oak." "That too is a good answer," the teacher said, "but it is not my answer." "What is you answer, teacher?" they asked. "When you look into the eyes of a human being and see a brother or sister you know that it is morning. If you cannot see a sister or brother you will know that it will always be night."

As a church, Trinity UCC has looked into the eyes of our neighbors - our fellow community members- and has seen real needs. Thanks to Betty Weddle, local insurance agent, energetic member of Trinity UCC, and social entrepreneur extraordinaire, two important needs have been met. With the help of Trinity UCC church members, Betty started two ministries; both of which have had great impact. Cancer Assistance Relief (CAR) provides transportation for cancer patients to their chemo or radiation treatments within a 60-mile radius of Lexington. Since 1987, CAR has helped more than 300 people living in the 64067 zip code and has traveled more than 650,000 miles.

The Sounds of the Heart ministry began in 1997. Through a yearly concert, the Sounds of the Heart raises funds to purchase automated external defibrillators (AEDs) for public buildings in Lexington. This includes: schools, the police station, the Margaret Gray Senior Center, and City Hall. At the March 24, 2012 concert, an AED will be presented to Lexington United Methodist Church, the Regional Disaster Center for Lafayette County.

By keeping our eyes open to real needs in the community, may we all become more aware of new directions toward which God may be calling us! You might just be the next social entrepreneur!

The Journey, Not the Destination

2012-01-02T21:22:00.002-06:00

The distance between two points increases over time. On Sunday, November 27th, we at Trinity UCC began our Advent journey; an anticipatory journey which culminates in celebration of Christ’s birth. The past two Sundays, my sermons have focused on John the Baptist, who exhorted us to “Prepare the way of the Lord!” John was a strange character. Clothed with camel’s hair, he roamed all over the countryside eating locusts and wild honey. He preached to people about the need to be close to God and how a connection with God could help them live their lives to the fullest. And, most importantly, John the Baptist became a vehicle through which human beings could see how much Jesus loved them. John made it clear that he was not the Messiah; he was there to point people toward the Christ – to show them the way.
On Sunday, December 11th, we had a surprise visitor in church. Her name was Kai and she introduced herself as the “chuck wagon driver” for The Hiking Humanitarian. I was somewhat familiar with Kirk Sinclair (aka “The Hiking Humanitarian”) as our Conference Minister had recently published an article about meeting him in Kansas City. As you can imagine, I was excited to have Kai in our midst. I asked her to speak during the announcement time about Kirk, his wife, Cindy, and their mission to raise awareness concerning health, hunger, and housing. Kai spoke about the 5,000-mile journey that she, Kirk, and Cindy began in May at Point Reyes, California; a journey which will end in Delaware. The distance from their starting point is ever increasing. As Kai continued talking about their adventures, it became clear to me that their trek is not about reaching the end of a 5,000-mile goal; it’s about savoring the journey and all of the wonderful people they are meeting along the way. These are people Kirk and Cindy feature in photographs and stories on their “Kindness Blog” located at http://www.hikinghumanitarian.com.
My husband, Steve, and I were privileged to spend more time talking with Kai over lunch. She teared up several times reminiscing about people she has met during the past several months and how they have touched her life. I came away from this experience with a new appreciation for the Advent journey. Yes, the distance between two points increases over time. The temptation for me was to look too much forward to the end of the journey: the big celebration at our 6:00 p.m. Christmas Eve service; a service filled with pomp, music, candlelight, and the return of old friends and family members. Now I’m more intentional about focusing on the here and now; about seeing Christ in the faces of the people I meet and celebrating him every day.
During the Christmas season of 1997 my friend, Carl Fairman, told me several times that he was working on a very special present for me. Carl (ever the perfectionist) spent so much time putting it together that he didn’t finish it until after Christmas. When he gave it to me in January of 1998, I cried. It is a beautiful little Christmas tree that he had made out of white tinsel, colorful beads, pearls, and tiny candy canes adorned with a perfect red ribbon tied around its base. The handwritten tag, attached by gold tinsel, bears the message: “Should you choose, may every day be Christmas.” And so I say to you: “Should you choose, may every day be Christmas.” No matter where you are on life’s journey, see the face of Christ in those you meet, celebrate his presence with thanksgiving, and rejoice in him always!

Happy New Year

2012-01-01T00:18:00.001-06:00

A new year is dawning. The Big Book (the basic text of Alcoholics Anonymous) says, "We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it." Earlier today a friend published the following message on facebook: "Mistakes are proof that you are trying." I never learned anything by doing something right. I learn from my mistakes.

When I was learning to fish, I felt so stupid. Being a novice, I would often get my line tangled in the branches of trees while I was trying to cast. Frequently, my husband would have to stop what he was doing in order to come over and help me. In the midst of my apologizing, he would smile and say, "Don't worry about it - if you don't get hung from time to time, you're not really fishing." Those words of wisdom apply to life in general; to all of our daily activities. If you don't make mistakes, then you're not really trying to accomplish anything.

I have seen a number of facebook posts and interviewees in Times Square lamenting poor choices and mistakes they made in 2011. They expressed hope that 2012 would be different. There is no magic that will occur when the clock strikes 12:00 or when we flip the calendar page over to January of 2012. Our mistakes are not erased. Life provides neither an eraser nor a rewind button. Not regretting the past and not wishing to shut the door on it means that we remember our mistakes. We remember not in the sense of dwelling upon them, but rather, in the new light of wisdom and experience. Next time I'll look behind me and see how close that tree is before I cast. Doing things differently effects positive change.

My hope for 2012 is that I will keep trying, learning, and growing in wisdom.