Through Stained Glass: A Mid-Week Reflection-On Time

My baseball coach in college had a saying that I'm certain you've heard me use before.

It goes something like this:

If you're on time, you're late. 

As we talked about at Kirk Night this past week, context matters in regards to 'teachings.'

Coach said this usually at the start of every season. Of course the season started in August when practices were held late in the afternoon after classes and lasted late into the evening.

However, this adage took on new meaning, was recited louder and more often by coach when practiced returned in January. 

At 5:30 in the morning. 

But these practices weren't fun. They were the conditioning practices. The running until you felt nauseous and sitting on the wall until you were certain your legs would explode off your body. 

Oh, did I mention this was at 5:30 in the morning?

That is A.M. Not P.M. 

In January. 

When it is cold out. 

Before the sun even thinks about waking up. 

Before breakfast is served. 

"If you're on time, you're late."

College kids having practice at 5:30 in the morning expected to arrive more than 1 minute till in the coldest part of winter?

It is no wonder why "If you're on time, you're late" has been a mantra ever since. 

Which is what I love about worship at First Presbyterian Church. We have this line in our bulletin just above the beginning of the liturgy that expresses this same sentiment. Many of you know it by heart. It says,

As you enter the Sanctuary, we invite you to make the transition from "getting here" to "being here". Take these moments of quite time to come fully into the presence of God and the faith community. May you come to know the love of God, be transformed by Christ proclaimed, and leave with the promised Spirit to proclaim Love to the world. Thank you for making sure your cell phone is off during the worship hour."

Unlike Coach Carlson, if you show up on time to worship, we won't make you run sprints. 

This post isn't about that.

Instead, it is celebrating how important it is to find those times to dwell in God's presence without the distractions we carry around. I love how those lines invite us to take a breath and move away from the demands of life and move toward the refreshing and life giving breath of God.

You aren't there anymore.

You are here now. 

With me.

With us.

With God.  

After all, God isn't up there, She is right here--God with us. 

As I mentioned, "If you're on time, your'e late" has become a part of my life's philosophy. 

Often I show up way too early to appointments and meetings, leaving me playing on my cell phone and burning through data (that's a post and sermon for another time). But sometimes, when the phone is on silent and not attached to my hip, beauty surprises me. And because I left early, I can take my time to enter into this gift. 

Like the other night when I was heading to a meeting and the sunset was beautiful. The dust from the tractors in the fields brought out a color in the sky that left me speechless. I had time. So I took the nearest exit, pulled safely off the road, and snapped the photo of something I've seen multiple times in my life time...and yet it never gets old:

Friends, we all have our own patterns and habits. Some of them are so ingrained in us not even an encounter with a burning bush can change them. However, sometimes taking just a few moments to get from 'there' to 'here', is just enough time to see the world ablaze with God's love!

Sometimes, honestly, in that moment of settling, we set ourselves up for an encounter with the Divine. And that will be enough to get us from here to there, and then back here again.

Happy Friday.

See you at the Kirk House!

Adam 

Through Stained Glass: A Mid-Week Reflection-Cheese Ball

Being a new person is difficult.

I recall many times in my life walking into a room where I knew no one and everyone else knew everybody.

Usually, in such situations, my face flushes, my breathing picks up, and I force smiles.

If there is a snack table, I’ll head there so I don’t have to make uncomfortable eye contact with folks I don’t know and see them whisper to their neighbor, “Who is that person?”

Most of the time this intensely introverted individual can be vulnerable enough to engage, albeit awkwardly, someone else; usually commenting on the flavors of the cheese ball.

On the flip side, being a group of people and welcoming new folks can be difficult too.

Collectively, we as a community wrestle with how we will be perceived and can become nervous. We want to make good first impressions and we want them to like us.

Thus, a storm of nervous energy is created because both parties want the same thing:  to be known.

Being aware of our surroundings and ourselves is essential for community. When we take the time to step outside of our own anxieties and consider what others might be feeling, tenderness and a deep sense of compassionate acceptance rises up. Suddenly, what seemed strange or unknown becomes, well, known and a connection can develop, which more likely than not, will lead to natural actions of kindness and generosity.

Friends, as human beings created in the image of God, we have been created for relationships. Hospitality calls us to an awareness of this deep relationality.

This is why the block party means so much to me. Especially since we just had a pork bar-b-cue and we will worship together the next day. As people of faith, we are to love our neighbor and to love our neighbor means to get to know them outside of parking in front of their house from 10-11am on Sunday mornings.

Did you know the English word neighbor comes from the Old English meaning a near dweller, one who dwells nearby? Thus, our block party is an attempt to extend hospitality by coming near to those who we may not know yet. In so doing, our awareness grows and we embody that part of our liturgy at communion that says, “No matter who you are, you are welcome here!”

The block party isn’t a fundraiser.

Nor is it a recruiting tool.

Rather, it is an event for God’s people to gather and share life.

It is an opportunity to move away from the cheese ball that is our sanctuary surrounded by similar smiling faces and move towards those neighbors who call our part of the world home.

So friends, this is your formal invitation to come and party for the sake of, well, community.

Sure the Illini are playing, as well as the Cardinals and Cubs, but that is why we have DVR.

The psalmist declares “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!”

Know that you and your friends and your family are invited to this dance we call faith—this practice we call hospitality.

More importantly, know the party won’t be the same without you!

Here’s to the block party and cheese balls!

Through Stained Glass: A Mid-Week Reflection-Abba Anthony

These last two weeks have been a bit busy. 

I think…no, I KNOW I have hit every major city around us.

Not all the ‘busyness’ has been for work. There have been a few moments of leisure and play mixed in with all the miles logged between Springfield, Bloomington, Petersburg, and Peoria.

Needless to say, I have had a lot of ‘alone time’ in the truck and have done my fair share of car karaoke on I-55.

This ‘me’ time has reminded me of the importance of self-care.

I know, I know. Some of you are saying, “Hello pot. This is kettle calling.” And I appreciate your concern and the many ‘check-ins’ I get from my beloved congregation and friends asking if I am taking the time needed to rest, play, and re-create.

But it is a fine balance, isn’t it? Finding that sweet spot from the demands of life while also making the time to take care of ourselves. Like truly care for ourselves.

Like setting time aside to get that manicure, pull out the art supplies and paint, or go on that walk with the dogs.

Loving ourselves is as important as loving our neighbor. And sometimes, loving ourselves is the more difficult task.

 At least for me it is.

I guess that is why many of my midweek reflections are my attempts to encourage the three of you who read this that life is more than work. Don’t get me wrong, I love what I do. Being a pastor is one of the greatest professions out there. And most days, I look forward to coming to the kirk house and getting my hands dirty.

However, no matter what we do and how much we love it, we can’t get so involved in our work that we forget we have no light to give to others unless we have it in ourselves first.

What does this mean?

Here is a story I recently heard that I think explains this statement a little more.

“One day a hunter in the desert saw Abba Anthony enjoying himself with the brethren and he was shocked. What kind of spiritual guide was this?

            But the old monk said to him, “Put an arrow in your bow and shoot it.” So the hunter did. Then the old man said, “Now shoot another.” And the hunter did. Then the elder said, “Shoot your bow again. Keep shooting; keep shooting; keep shooting.” And the hunter finally said, “But if I bend my bow so much I will break it.”

            Then Abba Anthony said to him, “It is just the same with the work of God. If we stretch ourselves beyond measure, we will break. Sometimes it is necessary to meet other needs.” When the hunter heard these words he was struck with remorse and, greatly edified by Anthony, he went away. As for the monastics there, they went home strengthened.”

Ultimately friends, leisure and play are essential parts of our faith formation. It is not laziness and it is not selfishness. It has something to do with the depth and breadth, length and quality of life.

So, I guess this is my attempt to give you permission, if you need it, to play and to rest.

As Abba Anthony knew in the story:  play and leisure are the things that make work possible; that make work worthwhile.

Through Stained Glass: A Mid-Week Reflection-Simple Sermon

Do me a favor, please.

Read this text:

1 John 4.7-12

7 Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.

Did you read it?

Good.

Now, answer this question:

How have you been loved by God?

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My assumption is answering that question wasn’t too difficult, yea?

Okay, I have another question.

When was a time you were God’s love for someone?

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Maybe this one was a bit more difficult, but I bet you answered it with some ease.

Now, re-read the text:

1 John 4.7-12

7 Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.

You, beloved child, have a story to tell. What you did by answering those two questions was exactly what our youth did this past Sunday when they were asked to preach. They simply spoke from the heart about how they encountered the love of God on their mission trip. All of them mentioned how by entering into a relationship with the children of the reservation they were able to see the face of Christ. It wasn’t in worship or in a bible study, or even in a church. Rather, they felt the love of God when they were playing, reading, and eating with the community of Martin, South Dakota.

They offered words in a simple sermon. 

Loving one’s neighbor need not be a production or an extravagant experience like a worship service with a rock band or a large community event. Telling your story about the ways you’ve encountered God’s love need not include words like Christology or sanctification. Rather, what both need is you.

Sunday made me wonder, how have we complicated this loving our neighbor thing? How have we removed the relationship part of mission from the life of our church?

Of course, this ultimately made me wonder, in what ways are we preventing ourselves from encountering the transformational love of our Triune God?

Sunday was simple.

Loving God is simple.

Now it is up to us to keep it simple, silly!

Through Stained Glass: A Mid-Week Reflection-Choir Chairs in the Chapel

Through Stained Glass:  A Mid-Week Reflection-Choir Chairs in the Chapel

Sometimes the week gets away from us, huh?

We set out in one direction only to go about a way because of unexpected events.

Or because we misread the directions.

Or because we need to go a different route for our own sanity’s sake.

Either way, sometimes the road we set out on is not the one we end up on.

This week has been a week. As one who really enjoys crossing off things on the ‘to do’ list, I’ve done more adding than subtracting. Yesterday especially, from the moment I got to the church to a little before seven, I was on the go. I had intentions of getting a lot done yesterday, like this midweek reflection and some other administration type tasks.

That just didn’t or wasn’t going to happen.

At one point during the day I found myself getting a bit frazzled.

I was worrying about how I was not only going to get things done but also if I could keep up with all the added fun. I love meeting with people. I don’t love being distracted by my worries when I meet with them. Nothing is so important, administration-wise, to keep me from being in community with the person I’m visiting.

Yesterday, when I had a 20-minute break in my schedule, I did something I had not done since April:  sat in our chapel.

I turned off my phone (okay, I left it upstairs in my study) and I lit some candles. I sat in one of those beautiful choir chairs gifted to us by Mildred Holland and I watched the flames dance before the crucifix hanging in the chapel.

The air conditioner was blowing but the sun streaming through the beautiful stained glass windows on Ottawa street warmed me. The church was silent. So silent you could probably hear the church mouse taking care of business. Outside the humidity radiated off the empty streets, but inside, the little lights of the candle illuminated the love of God.

Friends, whatever is before you, you don’t have to get it all done now. In fact, you will always have things to do.

Only one question is helpful.

What is the next, small step?

When you figure it out, take it.

Yesterday the small step for me was to sit silently in our chapel. There were emails to write and phone calls to make, sure. However, what I needed was not on the ‘to do’ list.

Those few moments of silently sitting and prayerfully listening in the chapel gave me what I needed to get through those last few hours of the day.

Sometimes we need to call an ‘audible.’ Sometimes the tasks on our lists can wait. Sometimes we need to find our way to our favorite chair or park to just be.

Be not afraid to venture off the beaten path of things to do. It might be there you find what you’re really looking for.