I take visiting house to house quite literally. In Rye, I had a special name for it. I would go on “Shadow days” with my congregation. I would visit where they worked. After the visit, I would often incorporate my findings about life into sermons. The admonition to visit from house to house is important. There are ways to adapt the charge for today. Offering people “Shadow days” gave them the opportunity for me to join them in whatever part of life they wanted me to see.
One couple invited me to go with them to their family reunion. The reunion itself happened only once a month over the mountain. It was the first time I had been in the community I would serve three years later. We had a great meal, the family welcomed me and talked with me about their own churches. It was a great visit, even if a long day. The memories of times like that stick with people.
Sometimes people allowed me to shadow them at work. A few times I went to job sites I wouldn’t be able to have seen without tagging along with my parishioners. I remember one time going with a trucker to pave a road. When I see the dump trucks all lined up to “belly dump” their loads, it gives me great joy. I think of how much more I am connected to the actual life of people than I may have been without these experiences. Welding a bead, seeing the waste management treatment plant, these are a few of the ways I have met with people one on one in their own worlds.
Visiting from house to house has been one of my delights. Over all, there is a sense of God’s spirit, and the conversation comes naturally. It is pastoral care for the people we serve, but it is healing too for the people who visit. I have started in my new ministry setting, going with someone to visit. Somehow these visits seem better, more like the body of Christ. Sharing communion with lots of people instead of just one. Yet, there are times, when people can speak more openly during one on one visits.
Over all, visitation is important. The new rules of call before you come, or maybe the old rules we forget to use, help everyone not to waste time. The call at the beginning of the week helps people expect something good later in the week. There is benefit to everyone.
My ministry is shifting now. The church has come to a financial point where sustaining two full time pastors is too much for the budget. Together with the church, the senior pastor, and lots of prayer, I have chosen to decrease my time to ¾ time. This shift means for me that I will no longer, at this time, visit from house to house in the same way. Visitation will shift to a responsibility for the mission team. It is a challenge to know that visiting from house to house is a gift of mine, a charge of ordination, and yet, a ministry that can be shared. Maybe, people will miss my visits, but it wouldn’t be people outside the church. All in perspective.
God, as we visit from house to house, warm our hearts. Touch our lives. Give us the memories that keep us smiling. Teach us how to love one another. Let us be the body of Christ, Amen.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Happenings
Lately church critics have looked at the activities in church as something excessive. Too much going on in church means people are working too hard to create when all Christian's need is relationship. So, as I look at the activities which have fewer and fewer participants who are willing to stop doing other "outside church activities" to be involved in church I wonder. What do we need to keep happening and what really just needs to stop happening?
When we work around our houses, no one in the household says, too much activity. Stop the laundry, no more cleaning, no more fixing or meal preparations. Too much activity in daily life just means that there is little time to accomplish all that needs to be done. Some books that talk about simplifying help you by narrowing down what you keep, creating better filing systems and encouraging use of keeping information in places where you can retrieve it easily. However, no one advises, stop getting the mail and only a rare few suggest pairing down to one set of clothing.
What do we need to get rid of in the church? Meetings? Well we have cut down on meetings, but people still don't make time for classes. Worship, no, that doesn't interfere with any one's regular life time, and if it does they skip church, so we don't need to get rid of that activity. Fundraising activities? Apparently most churches these days need to have supplemental fundraising efforts due to lack of regular giving and tithing as a practice of Christian churches and Christian people.
Maybe we need to do what we usually do in different ways. Walking together to get things done. Preparing meals together, cleaning together, fundraising together, but most of all living in worship together. Activities do wear us out if we are just active without direction. However, with a purpose, 16-20 Jr. High Boys are willing to get up at 8:00am on the last days of summer to practice football. The boys, and girls, are willing to take the torture of two-a-day practices to increase their chances for playing in High School, which leads to scholarships for college, and some even make it to the minor leagues or the pros!
Activity isn't sinful. Living a life that prepares us for circumstances that may put us in places of solid Godly work in the future is exactly the types of activities we need. Bible Studies, small groups, intentional times of getting together for prayer, meals, cleaning, life. Ministry is all the little activities we do in ways that are more like Christ would do them. The patterns we create change and shape us. If we stop offering activities in the church, it will become a useless building, a place where people come when they can fit it into the rest of their activities.
God, help us to do the right things. Let us not tire of doing good. Keep our eyes open for activities that lead to life. Teach us to walk in your ways. Lead us in paths of righteousness for your name's sake. Let us learn and grow together as people who live in this world. May activity be a blessing for our churches, people who love you, and people who don't even know you yet. Amen.
When we work around our houses, no one in the household says, too much activity. Stop the laundry, no more cleaning, no more fixing or meal preparations. Too much activity in daily life just means that there is little time to accomplish all that needs to be done. Some books that talk about simplifying help you by narrowing down what you keep, creating better filing systems and encouraging use of keeping information in places where you can retrieve it easily. However, no one advises, stop getting the mail and only a rare few suggest pairing down to one set of clothing.
What do we need to get rid of in the church? Meetings? Well we have cut down on meetings, but people still don't make time for classes. Worship, no, that doesn't interfere with any one's regular life time, and if it does they skip church, so we don't need to get rid of that activity. Fundraising activities? Apparently most churches these days need to have supplemental fundraising efforts due to lack of regular giving and tithing as a practice of Christian churches and Christian people.
Maybe we need to do what we usually do in different ways. Walking together to get things done. Preparing meals together, cleaning together, fundraising together, but most of all living in worship together. Activities do wear us out if we are just active without direction. However, with a purpose, 16-20 Jr. High Boys are willing to get up at 8:00am on the last days of summer to practice football. The boys, and girls, are willing to take the torture of two-a-day practices to increase their chances for playing in High School, which leads to scholarships for college, and some even make it to the minor leagues or the pros!
Activity isn't sinful. Living a life that prepares us for circumstances that may put us in places of solid Godly work in the future is exactly the types of activities we need. Bible Studies, small groups, intentional times of getting together for prayer, meals, cleaning, life. Ministry is all the little activities we do in ways that are more like Christ would do them. The patterns we create change and shape us. If we stop offering activities in the church, it will become a useless building, a place where people come when they can fit it into the rest of their activities.
God, help us to do the right things. Let us not tire of doing good. Keep our eyes open for activities that lead to life. Teach us to walk in your ways. Lead us in paths of righteousness for your name's sake. Let us learn and grow together as people who live in this world. May activity be a blessing for our churches, people who love you, and people who don't even know you yet. Amen.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Focus?
One of the things I have always thought might accompany discipleship was a state of focus. Clarity, calm, sense of purpsose, what ever you like to name the deep peace that somehow finds its way into the corners of life. In my office is a poster from a great friend of mine, it lists the qualities of an intentional life in Christ. I don't look at it very often, but I sit quite close to it everyday. I know that there are important characteristics listed there. Qualities of life like: "Think clearly in order to live in truth." and "Seek God's direction in order to be wise."
When I went home for lunch today my table was piles of diseray with chocolate mixed in. How out of order I usually am, and God has called me to a profession of order. The ideal of focus and clarity that I thought would come from being a disciple has not emerged from my life with Christ, so far. Perhaps it is about discipline or more about practice. Either way, here are the two truths on my poster that stand out most, today.
Solve problems in order to de-cluter my life.
Focus on a dream that will capture my heart.
My hope is that these and other practical steps like them will help me get to the bottom of the piles. Find again the source of order in my life. Trusting, all the while, the One who draws me into faith.
God of truth, lead me along strait paths. You are awesome and wise. I seek you. I long for your council and joy. I delight in your ways. Let clarity lead me to order and faith keep me. My eyes have grown weary of the clutter and I am ready to solve the problems I see. Capture my heart again, Oh Lord. Amen.
When I went home for lunch today my table was piles of diseray with chocolate mixed in. How out of order I usually am, and God has called me to a profession of order. The ideal of focus and clarity that I thought would come from being a disciple has not emerged from my life with Christ, so far. Perhaps it is about discipline or more about practice. Either way, here are the two truths on my poster that stand out most, today.
Solve problems in order to de-cluter my life.
Focus on a dream that will capture my heart.
My hope is that these and other practical steps like them will help me get to the bottom of the piles. Find again the source of order in my life. Trusting, all the while, the One who draws me into faith.
God of truth, lead me along strait paths. You are awesome and wise. I seek you. I long for your council and joy. I delight in your ways. Let clarity lead me to order and faith keep me. My eyes have grown weary of the clutter and I am ready to solve the problems I see. Capture my heart again, Oh Lord. Amen.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Thoughts for today
It has been such a long time since I have written anything. You all will be surpised to see anything from me. I am recomitting to blogging as I see the importance of the internet rise among many younger people. Did you know that people 44 years old and younger are more likely to forfeit their Televisions than loose the internet?
The connections we have with people are meaningful to us. Facebook and other social media avenues are taking off! One friend of mine shared with me that while her real life was not going so well she participated in Facebook games and had about 1000 friends who were also involved in the games of the net. When she started moving out of the slump she was in and started being active in life again she deleted 500 friends and became more focused on God.
What is consuming your life in a way that keeps you from the reality of what God has for you? I often think I am a writer, but I don't write. A chapter of a book on Spiritual Life lately brought home to me again the point that writers write. If you are a writer and you are not writing you are not really a writer. I think this is true in our faith life too.
If you are a disciple, but you are not following Christ or leading others to follow Christ are you really a disciple? Evaluating our own life takes a special way of looking at it. We have to take a step back and see if we have really walked the path we started out to walk. When I stand at this point along the way and look back it seems I have gone towards Christ, but not covered as much ground as I thought I might have by this point in my life.
When you stand and look at the path you have walked is it what you had expected? Is it an experience of walking toward God? I am grateful for the relationships and faith that have sustained me over the last few months of silence. I am glad for the encouragement to run the Bolder Boulder. I am happy for the transition into being 33 years old. I am happy to see that God is at work in my life. I hope that you can look at your life and see a trace of the patterns of the Holy Spirit.
Blessings to you!
Dear God, thank you for the transitions you help me through. Thank you for keeping my path headed in the direction of closer to you. Make me aware of your call to discipleship in all areas of life. Allow my life to make an impact in the places I live, work, and am. Thank you for the opportunities you give me to let my light shine. May your light shine through me more and more each day. Amen.
The connections we have with people are meaningful to us. Facebook and other social media avenues are taking off! One friend of mine shared with me that while her real life was not going so well she participated in Facebook games and had about 1000 friends who were also involved in the games of the net. When she started moving out of the slump she was in and started being active in life again she deleted 500 friends and became more focused on God.
What is consuming your life in a way that keeps you from the reality of what God has for you? I often think I am a writer, but I don't write. A chapter of a book on Spiritual Life lately brought home to me again the point that writers write. If you are a writer and you are not writing you are not really a writer. I think this is true in our faith life too.
If you are a disciple, but you are not following Christ or leading others to follow Christ are you really a disciple? Evaluating our own life takes a special way of looking at it. We have to take a step back and see if we have really walked the path we started out to walk. When I stand at this point along the way and look back it seems I have gone towards Christ, but not covered as much ground as I thought I might have by this point in my life.
When you stand and look at the path you have walked is it what you had expected? Is it an experience of walking toward God? I am grateful for the relationships and faith that have sustained me over the last few months of silence. I am glad for the encouragement to run the Bolder Boulder. I am happy for the transition into being 33 years old. I am happy to see that God is at work in my life. I hope that you can look at your life and see a trace of the patterns of the Holy Spirit.
Blessings to you!
Dear God, thank you for the transitions you help me through. Thank you for keeping my path headed in the direction of closer to you. Make me aware of your call to discipleship in all areas of life. Allow my life to make an impact in the places I live, work, and am. Thank you for the opportunities you give me to let my light shine. May your light shine through me more and more each day. Amen.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Still
Lately, my biggest growth has come in learning when to be still and when to get going again. When I was on the beach in North Carolina recently, I remembered how patient God wants us to be. I was lying on the beach all bundled up and looking at the beautfiul sky. The stars were very clear, and the ocean was right there pounding constantly onto the shore. The night air was very crisp. The sky was so black, but there was mist on the beach. It was such a beautfiul place and time.
As I looked up at the sky, I saw constalations and a shooting star went by. Then, a little while later another shooting star blazed past. Me and my friends were silent, taking it all in. For a little while I just took in the sound of the ocean and the deep vastness of the sky. But, after a few minutes, I began to watch for more shooting stars. It was getting colder, and I thought-- OK God, next shooting star, I will know it is time to go.
So, I lay there looking for shooting stars. I looked and looked. I kept my eyes on the sky, listening to the ocean at my feet. No shooting stars. Then I realized what I was doing. I was in a beautiful place, a place of wonder and peace, and I was wanting a sign about what was next. We all do this from time to time. We are right where God wants us, but we are looking for a sign about what is next. When I realized I was not only 'testing God' in a way, but also missing the moment I was supposed to be in, by wondering when it would be over, I became very still.
This is the kind of stillness God wants for us all the time. God wants us to fully experience each moment that we are going through. This lesson in resting was really helpful to me. It reminds me to be where I am. A friend of mine has an eight year old daughter whose birthday in December. The girl is going around telling everyone that she will be nine this year. She is so looking forwrd to what is next, she is missing her chance to be eight. God wants us to experience the blessing of this moment. It is important to be right where you are, when you are, the age and cirumstance you are. When we stop looking forward to what is next, we will be able to experience the peace that comes with being still.
God, thank you for allowing us the moments of our past. Thank you for the beauty that surrounds us. You have been with us each and every day. You know the desires of our hearts. We trust you with our right now. Help us to be present to the mystery and awe in each moment. Bless this now, and this one, and this one. Allow us to be content in our everyday lives. Thank you for being with us.
Amen.
As I looked up at the sky, I saw constalations and a shooting star went by. Then, a little while later another shooting star blazed past. Me and my friends were silent, taking it all in. For a little while I just took in the sound of the ocean and the deep vastness of the sky. But, after a few minutes, I began to watch for more shooting stars. It was getting colder, and I thought-- OK God, next shooting star, I will know it is time to go.
So, I lay there looking for shooting stars. I looked and looked. I kept my eyes on the sky, listening to the ocean at my feet. No shooting stars. Then I realized what I was doing. I was in a beautiful place, a place of wonder and peace, and I was wanting a sign about what was next. We all do this from time to time. We are right where God wants us, but we are looking for a sign about what is next. When I realized I was not only 'testing God' in a way, but also missing the moment I was supposed to be in, by wondering when it would be over, I became very still.
This is the kind of stillness God wants for us all the time. God wants us to fully experience each moment that we are going through. This lesson in resting was really helpful to me. It reminds me to be where I am. A friend of mine has an eight year old daughter whose birthday in December. The girl is going around telling everyone that she will be nine this year. She is so looking forwrd to what is next, she is missing her chance to be eight. God wants us to experience the blessing of this moment. It is important to be right where you are, when you are, the age and cirumstance you are. When we stop looking forward to what is next, we will be able to experience the peace that comes with being still.
God, thank you for allowing us the moments of our past. Thank you for the beauty that surrounds us. You have been with us each and every day. You know the desires of our hearts. We trust you with our right now. Help us to be present to the mystery and awe in each moment. Bless this now, and this one, and this one. Allow us to be content in our everyday lives. Thank you for being with us.
Amen.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Kiwi Vines
Did you know that Kiwis grow on vines? Sometimes fruit and its production is really obvious. Other times, it is not. I didn't realy think about how they grew until I was talking with my brother who lives in Portland, Or. He mentioned that a neighbor had a really big kiwi vine. A vine? Really? So, there you go. Kiwis grow on vines.
It reminds me that we all grow differently. Most of you know that I grow by reading. I love to study. If I get a chance to do anything I want to do, I will curl up with a good book for hours at a time. I also love traveling and find that the newness of a place helps opens my mind to the possibilities of what God wants to teach me.
If you grow in a unique way and you would like to share your way of growing with others at the church think about starting a LIFE group. Find out if others like you enjoy nature, or groups that meet around a bowl of chips and dip to talk over what God is doing in your life.
All Church Fellowship on Wednesday nights is for softening the soil. Opening the hearts toward discipleship and fellowship. You would be surprised what you might walk right by when you are focused on meetings and sunday school and church. Come relax into being with other Christians and see what God shows you. Wednesday nigths from 7-8pm in the chapel. Enjoy getting to know people from different services and maybe even learn soemthing new in the process.
Grace and peace, Emily ><>
It reminds me that we all grow differently. Most of you know that I grow by reading. I love to study. If I get a chance to do anything I want to do, I will curl up with a good book for hours at a time. I also love traveling and find that the newness of a place helps opens my mind to the possibilities of what God wants to teach me.
If you grow in a unique way and you would like to share your way of growing with others at the church think about starting a LIFE group. Find out if others like you enjoy nature, or groups that meet around a bowl of chips and dip to talk over what God is doing in your life.
All Church Fellowship on Wednesday nights is for softening the soil. Opening the hearts toward discipleship and fellowship. You would be surprised what you might walk right by when you are focused on meetings and sunday school and church. Come relax into being with other Christians and see what God shows you. Wednesday nigths from 7-8pm in the chapel. Enjoy getting to know people from different services and maybe even learn soemthing new in the process.
Grace and peace, Emily ><>
Monday, January 17, 2011
Monday, January 10, 2011
So, is there one true religion?
After yesterday's sermon and discussion I was so wonderfully inspired. The sermon was very thought provoking. Religion is something that we as humans have created. This way of worship or that, these doctrines and guidelines or those, here or there, it is all a limited form of offering ourselves to God. Weather you believe in absolute truth, or if you have ideas that are different than others, we can agree that each belief is exclusive by nature.
Listening to the sermon made me wonder about how God wants us to live. What are the real patterns we are supposed to follow so that religion is not just our words, but also our actions. Which set of actions will reflect Christ most?
If you would like to join us for next week's class we will be discussing the real question: Why trust the Bible? These questions are great opportunities to live into God's grace and learn as we grow together.
I am excited for this beautiful new year. Snow on the ground, hope in the air. Let us all be a witness to our beliefs. Grace and peace, Pastor Emily ><>
Listening to the sermon made me wonder about how God wants us to live. What are the real patterns we are supposed to follow so that religion is not just our words, but also our actions. Which set of actions will reflect Christ most?
If you would like to join us for next week's class we will be discussing the real question: Why trust the Bible? These questions are great opportunities to live into God's grace and learn as we grow together.
I am excited for this beautiful new year. Snow on the ground, hope in the air. Let us all be a witness to our beliefs. Grace and peace, Pastor Emily ><>
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