Saturday, September 24, 2011

They Were Not "Quitters"

I used to chuckle at my spellchecker.  It did not know the word, "quilter," but would always suggest "quitter" as an alternative.  We had a small, but active quilters circle in one local church where I served as pastor and teacher.  Every week, when the announcements for the worship bulletin were prepared, "quilter" became "quitter."   One thing is sure, those quilters were not quitters.

The quilters met around their quilt every Wednesday at 9:00 o'clock in the morning.  They would break for lunch, and return to quilt more until about 3:00 o'clock in the afternoon.  They created beautiful quilts.  They conversed with each other, sharing the news from their families, their neighbors, their joys and their sorrows together.  They welcomed me into their circle, even though I did not quilt.  I frequently joined them for lunch.  The conversations were rich; the counsel was wise; the laughter lifted many spirits.

Certainly those quilters were not the whole church.  They had their own perspectives and some problems too.  They told great stories and jokes that were sometimes right at the edge of respectable.  They were fun to be around.  When I said good-bye to them, it was hard.  They created a magnificent memory quilt at my leaving, stiching together blocks created by members of the parish who blessed me on my way.

Recently, I read that the quilters circle has decided to disband.  Life changes us and the circles in which we share.  Life changes our communities of faith.  The needs are different now.  But, this I know:  Those quilters were never quitters, and they never will be.  They served with faithfulness.  I do hope there are other small circle groups that are emerging in that congregation and in all our congregations in the New Hampshire Conference.  The quality of the conversation and the care, in addition to the beautiful gifts, one tiny stitch after another, not only draws a quilt together, it unites and strengthens a community of faith.

In those times when I am tempted to withdraw from the circle, to disengage, and to quit--I remember the quilters.  Their example continues to inspire and hold me. 

For this, and so much more . . . I am grateful.

Saturday, September 17, 2011

"To Hold in Highest Regard"

I am thankful to be a member of a Christian denomination that values covenant relationships.  We are called to live in covenant with others.  Maintaining relationships requires a willingness to stay in contact, to continue to communicate, to treat others with respect even though we might disagree deeply with one another.  In covenant, we agree to stay in the conversation, to talk things through, to not let our differences divide.  In the end, we may still disagree, but we will respect one another, in the words of the baptismal blessing, as children of God, disciples of Christ, and members of the Church.

There is an expression in the foundational documents of the United Church of Christ [Constitution, Article X, 58(i)] that I have come to appreciate:  We agree "to hold in highest regard actions by, or decisions or advice emanating from, the General Synod, another Covenanted Ministry, a Conference, an Association, or a Local Church."  I would broaden this to include other members of this denomination.  We do not presume to speak for one another; but we do promise to listen long to one another and "to hold in highest regard" the actions, decisions, and advice that others bring to us. 

Being in covenant is not always comfortable nor convenient, but it is our way of being the church.  Covenant is a gift from God for us.  It is how God also relates to us, "binding in covenant faithful people of all ages, tongues, and races."  It is about grace and mercy.  It is about love that unites and endures.

O God, may my attitudes and actions, my words and my ways, be pleasing in your sight.  May my conversation and caring reveal the love that holds in highest regard those who share faith and life with me.  Keep me faithful to the covenants.  Continue to bless, preserve, and keep your United Church of Christ that it may be a blessing in your world.  May it be so!

Sunday, September 11, 2011

9/11 - A Decade Later

September 11, 2001.  We remember the moment we got the news.   American Airlines Flight 11 had crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center.  It was 7:55 AM (CDT) in Central Missouri.  I had stopped at a convenience store near Whiteman AFB, en route to a Church & Ministry Committee meeting in Higginsville, MO.  In the store, off duty Air Force personnel were talking about getting back to the base--a plane had crashed in New York City.   Back on the road, I turned on the radio to listen to news. Another plane, United Airlines Flight 175, had crashed into the South Tower.  Soon, there were more reports of hijacked planes and crashes at the Pentagon and in Somerset County, Pennsylvania.  I phoned my wife at her work.  I got to the meeting where we watched the events unfold on the television.  There was shock.  We wept.  We prayed.

I remember a hastily-prepared prayer service at First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in California, Missouri on the evening of September 11, 2001.  People shared their shock and sadness, their anger, and their fears.  I recall the voice that cautioned that we not rush to judgment and treat our own citizens as enemies.  I recall reading Psalm 46.  Life as we knew it was changed . . . forever.

It hardly seems that a decade should be past  already.  We have fought two wars, and are still fighting.  We have killed our enemies, Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden, citizens of Afghanistan and Iraq.  We mourned the deaths of our sons and daughters as they served in those distant places.  We have strengthened our homeland security.  We have built detention centers at Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib.  We have viewed our Muslim brothers and sisters with suspicion and scorn.  We have condoned the use of torture as an interrogation tactic.  We have learned about the colors of terror levels. 

But what next?  What about the next decade . . . and the next?  I wonder how 9/11 will be remembered and commemorated on September 11, 2101.  What will they say of our terrible day?  What might we do now to shape the hope that will sustain generations yet to come? 

I am thankful that this anniversary comes on Sunday, the first day of the week, amid the celebration of Christ's resurrection.  Today, I will worship and remember.  I will pray.  I will hope in God who is with us.  Psalm 46 still steadies my heart and my hope, raising my courage and my compassion.

God is our refuge and strength,
  a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,
   though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;
   though its waters roar and foam,
   though the mountains tremble with its tumult.

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
   the holy habitation of the Most High.
God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved;
   God will help it when the morning dawns.
The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter;
   he utters his voice, the earth melts.
The Lord of hosts is with us;
   the God of Jacob is our refuge.

Come, behold the works of the Lord;
   see what desolations he has brought on the earth.
He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
   he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear;
   he burns the shields with fire.
‘Be still, and know that I am God!
   I am exalted among the nations,
   I am exalted in the earth.’
The Lord of hosts is with us;
   the God of Jacob is our refuge.

Monday, September 5, 2011

Labor Day 2011

A tiny text keeps scrolling through my mind on this Labor Day. It is from Paul's letter to the church in Corinth. The words come as a conclusion to Paul's reminder about the resurrection:  "Therefore, my beloved, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your labor is not in vain"  (I Corinthians 15:58, NRSV).

There are those moments, sometimes seasons, when I begin to wonder, "Does what I am doing really matter?"  I have an aunt who has been known to ask some very piercing questions.  Several years ago she asked, "What is it you really do?"  My aunt knew about my practice of parish ministry.  She held her own pastors in high regard, having experienced their ministry.  She new about ministry.  "But what does a Conference Minister do? "

I remember my aunt's questions, in part, because I did not answer it well.  Perhaps that was because I had some role confusion myself.  Perhaps I had yet to value my own ministry in the "middle judicatory" setting.  So now, I'm going to answer the questions again: 
  • My labor is to serve the whole church by encouraging local churches and those who serve them. 
  • My labor is to speak the truth in love, even when there are those who think that is too challenging. 
  • My labor is to lead with courage and a passion for justice. 
  • My labor is to make peace--in the church as in the world. 
  • My labor is to be agent of diligent oversight and God's grace. 
This labor requires practice and hard work.  It will never come naturally.  It requires forgiveness for my own failures.  It requires perseverance especially when I am tempted to take off the stole.  It requires a daily walk with the One who was raised from the dead.  It requires that I continue to see the Christ in everyone--especially those who are in need of mercy and hope, and even in my enemies.

On this Labor Day, I also am remembering others--in the church and in our society--who worry about their jobs.  These are not carefree times.  I pray that we will join together through this difficult season, that we will help one another rather than blame one another.  I pray that everyone will be able to labor to make a livelihood.  I pray for labor that brings dignity and builds up our nation.  I pray for labor that blesses the world with peace.

There is another verse that stirs within me as I write these words.  I hear the melody of an old spiritual. 

Sometimes I feel discouraged
And think my work's in vain,
But then the Holy Spirit
Revives my soul again.

May it be so for all who labor and carry heavy burdens.  Indeed, it is!