Preparing to Climb

Eighteen years ago, a group of young teenage boys and a handful of adults decided they wanted to climb a mountain.  They’d never climbed a 2+ miles high mountain before. In fact, they’d never seen the mountain they had decided to climb, but it was an outdoor challenge that each one of them were compelled to accomplish.  In a brief article it is impossible to fully articulate all the good that happened because of their decision.

Preparation began over a year in advance.  Trip planning to and from New Mexico had to be done.  Money had to be saved.  Doctor visits for physicals had to be completed.  Maps and trails had to be studied and a route plan had to be decided.  Hikes through the wilderness had to be practiced each month to get the team physically and mentally prepared.  To be honest much of the preparation took sacrifice, and each person in the group had to do many things he didn’t really want to do to prepare for the climb.

But what started as individual sacrifice ended with team accomplishment.  The people on that climb, to this very day, carry with them a sense of gratitude and wisdom for what we accomplished as a team, through planning and preparing for the climb.  Going through the entire process together made all the difference.

I was reminded of this group this past Sunday when Pastor Darian focused on our stewardship campaign theme of “planning to climb together.”  What are we preparing for anyway?

What mountain are we planning to climb?  I think the mountain top is eternal life with our Father, don’t you?

How do we prepare?  I think Jesus showed us how.  We believe in him, and we serve others as he served us.  In church we like to call that stewardship.  We take what God has given us and we share it with others.  And as a church, when we do it together, it makes all the difference.

Prepare to climb?  Absolutely!

Twenty – Nine Hymns, One Prayer

This upcoming Sunday we will share in the Sacrament of Holy Communion, as is our monthly tradition at First UMC. In last year’s Confirmation class, when we talked about worship, one of the students said, “I wish we had Communion more than once a month.”

I wholeheartedly agree, as did John Wesley. He even preached a well-known sermon titled, “The Duty of Constant Communion,” four years before his death – at the age of 84. We should take note that in the last years of his life, this father of Methodism was so focused on articulating for the Church what Holy Communion means for us.

This Sunday we will observe World Communion Sunday, a time to remember that the body and blood of our Lord is not only for us as individuals bur for the redemption of the whole world. My hope and prayer for all of us is that we never lose our holy and reverent fear of the Sacrament and what it means for us.

One of the best ways to dig deeper into our faith is in our hands every Sunday morning. The United Methodist Hymnal is more than a book of songs. If we look through it carefully, we’ll see how well-ordered it is with songs familiar and new. Beginning on page 612, there are twenty-nine hymns and one prayer in the category, “Holy Communion.” I would encourage you to take a moment in the near future to flip through these 30 pages and pause with a hymn you don’t know. Take a moment to read that hymn slowly. If you can read music, sing along (and join the choir!). If you don’t read music, invent your own tune. These songs both old and new are sure to express something about Holy Communion we haven’t experienced yet.

I look forward to seeing you at the Lord’s table on Sunday – a table set for the whole world, whom he loved deeply enough to give his life.

all good things to each of you,
Pastor Darian

Lectionary Texts for Sunday, October 6, 2019
Lamentations 1:1-6
Psalm 137
2 Timothy 1:1-14
Luke 17:5-10

The Gospel According to Downton Abbey

The new Downton Abbey film, which I look forward to seeing this week, has me reflecting on some favorite moments from the PBS series.

During the second season, set during World War I, the Crawley family transforms Downton into a hospital. Beds and injured soldiers fill rooms once resplendent with gold. The Crawley family changes their century-old traditions to accommodate the healing of those injured in war. After the war ends and the family returns to their traditions, newfound peace seems present. However, war still dominates the conversation. The house may look like it did before the war, but the people are not the same – except for the Dowager Countess, played by Dame Maggie Smith.

Lady Sybil, her justice-loving granddaughter, notices that the Countess talks lovingly of life before the war and calls her out on it.

“Granny, do you really want for things to be the way they were before the war?”

Without hesitation or exclamation, the Countess answers, “Of course I do.”

The family exchanges quick glances that convey the same message: the Countess wishes for something that cannot be. Downton’s rooms may look like they always did, but they are not the same because of the wounded who have lived in them.

During our current worship series I’ve occasionally referred to an old order of worship that a friend of mine found recently. It was saved by someone who visited our church in February of 1963. It has been fun to learn from this piece of history. Some things are the same in our church, but so much has changed because of the time passed and the people who have passed through our pews.

It’s human nature for us to long for feelings of times past, but we set ourselves up for disappointment if we try to live in the past. While Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever, the ways the church shares his good news may change so as to reach more people. Let us give thanks for what has been, and let us walk into the future unafraid of how we change for the better!

all good things to each of you,
Pastor Darian

Lectionary Texts for Sunday, September 29, 2019
Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15
Psalm 91:1-6, 14-16
1 Timothy 6:6-19
Luke 16:19-31

Needing a Break From Ourselves

Last weekend I was visiting with my parents and telling them about my favorite new album, The Highwomen. I’ve talked about this country, all-female “supergroup” in a sermon and on my blog, but now the whole album is available, and I can’t quit listening to it. I told my mom that one particular song made me think of her. The title is “ My Name Can’t Be Mama Today.” I wish that song had been around when my sister and I were growing up – because there were likely days when my mom needed a break from being mama. Then I realized she may STILL need a break from being mama to two adults!

I’m not a perfect woman, Lord, I don’t wish it all away
But my name can’t be mama today.

No matter how much we love our roles as parents, siblings, children, in our various vocations, etc., none of us are perfect. We likely all have moments where we want a break from ourselves and need space for a deep breath. One of the problems we face as human beings is that we all have a breaking point where all the pressures and obligations collide. It’s hard for us to admit when we need help, and help can be hard to find.

Jesus, being fully human, frequently took breaks from his care-giving, table-turning ministry. I especially love Mark 6:45 where Jesus “makes the disciples get into a boat” before he retreats to a mountain to pray. He has to be Jesus everyday, but he knew he needed time with his Father to be Jesus.

We may not be able to take “breaks” from who we are all the time. If Jesus needed breaks and found space to receive from his Father, so do we. Let us help one another set aside that time so that we can be all God has called us to be!

all good things to each of you,
Pastor Darian

Lectionary Texts for Sunday, September 22, 2019
Jeremiah 8:18-9:1
Psalm 79:1-9
1 Timothy 2:1-7
Luke 16: 1-13

Insight From Isaac (And the Acorn)

A few years ago, when Isaac the dog and I were out for a walk, he began to limp in an odd way. I knelt down to look at his paws. I couldn’t see anything wrong, so I told him to shake it off and come along. He tried. But then he stopped again and lifted his front left paw off of the ground. He looked up at me with a face that said, “The problem is this paw. Look again.”

I removed my earbuds and knelt again next to the lifted paw. I carefully looked between each toe. I spread the pads of his paws and scraped away the dirt. And there it was. Tucked into the crevices of his paw was a small sphere with a torn edge: an acorn.

I carefully removed the acorn and placed his paw back on the ground. He hesitantly put his weight back on it. Realizing all four were back in working order, he took off with tail wagging, dragging his surgeon behind him. I know that was his bow-wow way of saying, “Thanks.”

We all have acorns in our soul. They’re not all necessarily dangerous, but they slow us down. If we ignore them for too long, the jagged edges dig into our hearts and can cause long-term damage. Anger. Jealousy. Resentment. Buried dreams. We human beings are not as quick as Isaac was to admit our need for help. We would rather limp with the acorn than leap with the aid.

In his beloved book, The Ragamuffin Gospel, the late author Brennan Manning wrote, “The New Testament depicts another picture of the victorious life … Jesus on Calvary. The biblical image of the victorious life reads more like the victorious limp.”

I love that phrase, “the victorious limp,” because it reminds us of our deep need for grace. An undeserved gift. The help we receive when we can no longer help ourselves. An admission that we need help extracting the acorns that dig at our heels. The church should be a place where we help one another do exactly that. The question is will be humble enough to receive the help when we need it? Sometimes we limp, and sometimes we walk, but together we can make progress on the journey of discipleship.

all good things to each of you,
Pastor Darian

Lectionary Texts for September 15, 2019
Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28
Psalm 14
1 Timothy 1:12-17
Luke 15:1-10