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RSOLVE TO LIVE AUTHENICALLY IN 2012

“Turn around and believe the good news!”

- Jesus’ first preached words, Mark 1:15

The Christian life is a matter of becoming who we already are, and all that we truly are! Can you imagine that? Is the seed already within you – of all that God wants you to be? Do you already know at some level who you authentically are? Are you willing to pay the price?

This growing illumination is not just one “decision for Jesus”. It is a whole journey of letting go and developing an ongoing practice of letting go, and turning around one more time, until it becomes a way of life. As the old Shakers used to sing and dance, “Turn, turn wherever you may be, and the turning never stops.” To be authentically human is to be willing to turn – and to be a saint is to have turned/changed many times. Away from my smallness and toward an Unspeakable Greatness – which is itself never fully attained.

We are too tiny, too passing, too recent to imagine any eternal greatness within us, but the Biblical pattern of incarnation always has God disguised and hiding inside of littleness, particularity, ordinariness, and seeming insignificance. God seems to want us to do the desiring and all the discovering. No one finds God who is not looking for God and willing to go to the edges to find God. Unless we leave our comfort zone, we really do not meet God at all, but merely pull God inside of our own small sphere and it is no longer God that we meet at all. Just religion.

Living in the second half of life, I no longer have to prove that I or my group is the best, that my ethnicity is superior, that my religion is the only one that God loves, or that my role and place in society deserve superior treatment. I am not preoccupied with collecting more goods and services; quite simply, my desire and effort – every day – is to pay back, to give back to the world a bit of what I have received. I now realize that I have been gratuitously given to – from the universe, from society, and from God. I try now, as Elizabeth Seton said, “to live simply so that others can simply live.” Teach me to live simply in 2012.

Disciple James, the Elder

James, son of Zebedee and brother of John, the Apostle was also a fisherman that lived in Bethsaida, Capernaum and Jerusalem. Although James was one of the three apostles who comprised the inner circle of Jesus’ disciples, we know the least about him.

Prior to being called by Christ Jesus to follow Him, James, his brother John, Peter and Andrew were all partners in a fishing business. James and John were inseparable pair. Although the New Testament tell us very little about James, his name never appears apart from that of his brother, John.

Biblical researchers have found some evidence that James was the first cousin of Jesus and had been acquainted with him from infancy. It is believed that his mother Salome was the sister of Jesus’ mother Mary.

Although much is not known of James’ ministry after Jesus’ resurrection, it is believed that he lived another 14 years. During those 14 years it is believed that James visited the Jewish colonist and slaves in Spain to preach the Gospel.

James was a man of courage and forgiveness, a man without jealousy living in the shadow of John, and a man of extraordinary faith. In fact, James was the first of the twelve apostles to become a martyr. By order of Herod Agrippa I, James was beheaded in Jerusalem about the Feast of Easter, 44AD. James’ apostolic symbol is three shells, the sign of his pilgrimage by the sea.

The Deeper Meaning

Someone gave me a fascinating article on the origin of the song, “The Twelve Days of Christmas”. A Roman Catholic Priest, Father Joseph J. Walker, wrote it. According to Father Walker, from 1558 to 1829, the Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. During this time, “The Twelve Days of Christmas” was written in England as a catechism song for young Catholics.

Apparently the song was to have two meanings” one, a surface meaning, and another, a hidden meaning known only to Catholics, thus helping children to remember. See how well you do in guessing the hidden meanings. “The partridge in a pear tree.” That Is Jesus Christ. “Two turtle doves.” The Old and New Testaments. “Three French hens.” Faith, hope and love. “Four calling birds.” Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. “Five golden rings.” The Torah, the first five books of the Old Testament. “Six geese a laying.” The six days of creation. “Seven swans a swimming.” Seven gifts from the Holy Spirit. “Eight maids a milking.” The eight Beatitudes. “Nine ladies dancing.” Nine fruits of the Spirit. “Ten lords a leaping.” The Ten Commandments. “Eleven pipers piping.” The eleven faithful disciples. “Twelve drummers drumming.” The twelve points of belief in the Apostles’ Creed. How well did you do with the hidden meanings? I’d never thought of this song as a secret code.

I have no way of knowing how accurate this bit of trivia is, but it does make a point. There is usually a deeper meaning to most things, and unless we are careful and observant, we may miss the deeper meaning.

That certainly has something to say to us about the Christmas season. We get so caught up in the Christmas rush. We rush the season so fast we hardly have an opportunity to enjoy and appreciate Thanksgiving. We rush to get our homes and yards decorated. We rush to do our shopping. We rush to sing the Christmas Carols. Advent is a time to slow down. It is a time to wait and watch, which means it is a time to stay awake so that we can appreciate the deeper meaning of the season.

Rev. Judd Stinson

All Saints Day

November 1, 2011

Today is All Saints Day. You know that, because you can’t have missed that it was Halloween last night, and the word “Halloween” means the night before All Hallows – or as we call it now, All Saints Day.

How many of you know any saints personally?

When I was growing up, I was pretty sure I did. I had this idea that my grandmother was a saint. My grandmother was an extraordinarily kind woman; amazingly generous, and she always went to church. But she also lived in a wonderful house in the woods where everyone was always welcome. And she had a closet that always smelled like the apples she stored there in the winter. And she always brought an apple cake made from those apples when she visited, because she knew it was my favorite.

But she was tough too, and she stood up to bullies and told the truth even when it was hard to do.

But my grandmother would have protested greatly if I or anyone else had ever called her a saint. She would have said that she was not in the grave yet, and anyway she was just trying her best, and that she had her faults just the same as anybody.

You see, my grandmother believed, as many people do, that saints are perfect people, and that you don’t get to be a saint until after you die.

But my grandmother was wrong about that.

Because, you see, a saint is anybody who loves God. In the Bible, when Paul talks about “the saints”, he is talking about the church, his friends and family who are members of the community. Before the word “Christian” was invented, we called ourselves “the saints”.

Over the years, for some reason we’ve tried to change the meaning of “the saints”, and indeed the meaning of “the reign of God” that Jesus says is so near to us, so that now we think of the saints as dead, an the reign of God as a far away place we’ll go when we die if we’ve been good.

But the truth is that the saints, the people who love God, are all around you right this very minute, and because of that, the reign of God is just as close. What I love about the story of Jesus calling Lazarus back to life is that it reminds us that it doesn’t matter whether we’re alive or dead; we’re still part of God’s family. We’re still saints. You are all saints!

Happy All Saints Day!

The Apostle Andrew

Andrew, originally a disciple of John the Baptist (Mark 1:16-18), was a fisherman on the Sea of Galilee. Before he answered the call to Follow Jesus, Andrew operated as a partner in a fishing business with two soon to be Apostles, Peter and James. Andrew was the First of the Apostles to follow Jesus and is noted for introducing others to Jesus (Fisher for Individuals). His main purpose in life was to bring others to the Master.

Interesting notes about Andrew:

• It is believed that Andrew ministered from the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains (present day Georgia in Russia) to the Scythians as far away as the Caspian Sea.
• Andrew also went to Byzantium which is present day Istanbul in Turkey and from there to Greece
• It was in Achaia, Greece in the town of Patros that Andrew died a martyr.
• After being condemned to die on the cross by Governor Algeatis, Andrew feeling unworthy to be crucified on the same-shaped cross as his Master, he was crucified on an X-shaped cross.
• An X-shaped cross is still called Saint Andrew’s cross, which is one of his Apostolic Symbols. Because he was formerly a fisherman, a symbol of two crossed fish has also been applied to Andrew.
• It is believed that Andrew died on the last day of November, 69 AD.
• Andrew was the brother of Simon Peter who was led to Jesus by Andrew.

THE LENTEN SEASON

When is Lent?

It’s the forty days before Easter. Lent excludes Sundays because every Sunday is like a little Easter. Basically, it’s about one-tenth of a year (like a tithe of time). This year it’s from March 9th - April 24th (Easter) 2011.

So what is Lent?

At Jesus’ baptism the sky split open, the Spirit of God, which looked like a dove, descended and landed on Jesus and a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, My Beloved, with whom I am pleased.” Afterward, as told in Matthew 4:1-11, Jesus was sent into the wilderness by the Spirit. Where he fasted and prayed for forty days. During his time there he was tempted by Satan and found clarity and strength to resist temptation. Afterwards, he was ready to begin his ministry.

(Speculation)

Maybe Jesus needed some time with God to sort through the major changes happening in his life. Maybe needed to get away from family, friends and the familiar routine in order to see God (and himself) more clearly. Perhaps he wanted some intentional time with God as he searched for direction and answers like you. Like Jesus, we may need to take some serious time to pray and listen for God.

Why “DO” Lent? How do I start?

Are you searching for something more? Tired of running in circles, but not really living life with direction, purpose or passion? It’s pretty easy to get caught up in the drama of classes, relationships, family and work. Our lives are filled with distractions that take us away from living a life with Christ. We try to fill the emptiness inside us with mindless TV, meaningless chatter, stimulants, alcohol, too many activities or other irrelevant stuff. We run away from life and from God.
Lent is a great time to “repent” – to return to God and refocus our lives to be more in line with Jesus. It’s a forty day trial run in changing your lifestyle and letting God change your heart. You might try one of these practices for Lent:
FASTING: Some people have been known to go without food for days but that’s not the only way to fast. You can fast by cutting out some of the things in your life that distract you from God. Some Christians use the whole forty days to fast from candy, TV, soft drinks, cigarettes or meat as a way to purify their bodies and lives. You might skip one meal a day and use that time to pray instead. Or you can give up an activity like worry or reality TV to spend time outside enjoying God’s creation. What do you need to let go of or “fast” from in order to focus on God? What clutters your calendar and life? How can you simplify your life in terms of what you eat, wear or do?
SERVICE: Some Christians take something on for Christ. You can collect food for the needy, volunteer once a week to tutor children or work for reform and justice in your community. You can commit to help a different stranger, co-worker or friend everyday of Lent. Serving others is one way we serve God.
PRAYER: Christians also use Lent as a time of intentional prayer. You can pray while you walk, create music or art as a prayer to God or savor a time of quiet listening. All can be ways of becoming more in tune with God.

TOP TEN LIST: “Things you can try for the Lenten Season”

1. Try an electronic fast. Give up TV, Guitar Hero, texting, tweeting, email and all things electronic for one day every week. (Or everyday of Lent!) Use the time to read and pray.
2. Start a prayer rhythm. Say a prayer every time you brush your teeth, hear an ambulance or check your email. Before you text someone, pray for them.
3. Read one chapter in the Bible each day. (Matthew’s a good book to start with. Psalms, too.)
4. Forgive someone who doesn’t deserve it. (Maybe even yourself.)
5. Give up soft drinks, fast food, tea or coffee. Give the money you save to help folks in Haiti or others in crisis.
6. Create daily quiet time. Spend 30 minutes a day in silence and prayer.
7. Cultivate a life of gratitude. Write someone a thank you letter each week and be aware of how many people have helped you along the way.
8. Be kind to someone each day.
9. Pray for others you see as you walk to and from classes or drive to and from work.
10. Volunteer one hour or more each week with a local shelter, tutoring program, nursing home, prison ministry or a Habitat for Humanity project.