Reminder to Myself: Pray!

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Prayer is defined by the dictionary as “a devotion, a plea, an appeal, a petition, an invocation”. A prayer is each of those words and so much more, for prayer links us to God. It is in prayer that we lift up to God what is on our minds and in our hearts: our joy, our fear, our gratitude, our sorrow, our confusion, our anger, our trust, our hope.

It is easy, too easy, to turn prayer into a wish list, to ask God for this or that. It is also easy, too easy, to bargain with God. Jacob’s first prayer was not a prayer of trust, it was an offer to bargain: “If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God.”

Listening is as important as what we say when we pray. Kierkegaard wrote, “the true relation in prayer is not when God hears what is prayed for, but when the person praying continues to pray until he or she is the one who hears, who hears what God wills.” When we listen, we align our wills with God’s will, following Jesus’ lead when he prayed, “not my will, but your will be done.”

I have many prayer books in my library and I find they help me focus, center, and shape what I might be struggling with as I try to stitch together words in prayer. The Reverend Peter Marshall was known not only for the power of his sermons, but also for the simple eloquence of his prayers: “In the name of Jesus Christ, who was never in a hurry, we pray, O God, that you will slow us down, for we know that we live too fast. With all eternity before us, make us take time to live - time to get acquainted with you, time to enjoy your blessings, and time to know each other.”

Here’s another from Marshall: “Father, forgive us all that we talk too much and think too little. Forgive us all that we worry so often and pray so seldom. Most of all, O Lord, forgive us that, so helpless without you, we are yet so unwilling to seek your help. Give us grace to seek you with our whole heart, that seeking you, we may find you, and finding you may love you, and loving you, may keep your commandments and do your will.”

William Barclay is another favorite, with this Sunday prayer: “O God, tomorrow we go back to the world and to all its work and its activities. We remember that Jesus prayed, not that his friends should be taken out of the world, but that they should be kept from the evil of the world. Help us to live in this world as we ought to live.  Help us: To do the world’s work faithfully and well; To enjoy the world’s pleasures wisely and temperately; To value the world’s goods without becoming enslaved by them and without despising them; To resist the world’s temptations bravely and resolutely; Help us to live in the world, not as those whose interests never look beyond the horizons of the world, but as those who always remember that in you we live and move and have our being, and that we are pledged to follow in the footsteps of our Lord, Jesus Christ.”

The slower pace of summer is the ideal time to work on your prayer life. Make time each day to lift up your words to God. Make time to listen. Make time for prayer. 

Grace & peace,

Pastor Skip

I'm Proud of You!

“I love you”, “I’m sorry”, “I forgive you”, and “Thank-you”. The author of a book I read a while back argued that those are the four most important phrases we should use in our lives. I agree: we should say them regularly and frequently.

But after reading the book, I wanted to add one more phrase: “I’m proud of you”. Growing up, as I did, in the 1950s and 60s, it was a phrase I rarely heard spoken, not only within my own family, but in most of my friends’ families, even in school and in church.

There always seemed to be a Protestant hesitancy to using those words, as though speaking them might lead to conceit and arrogance. It was as though the Proverb hung over our heads like the sword of Damocles: “Pride goeth before the fall”, or, as Eugene Peterson puts it in The Message, “First pride, then the crash – the bigger the ego, the harder the fall.” (Proverbs 16:18)

But we all hunger to hear those words. We should not hesitate to say we are proud of family members and friends. We should joyfully say, “I am proud of you”, especially this month as we celebrate all of our graduates: high school, college, graduate school; this year we even celebrate a Ph.D.

We are proud of all our graduates: of all their hard work, all their accomplishments, all their determination and dedication. Congratulations and well-done! And we will continue to be proud of you as you move on to the next chapter in your lives, following the call of the Spirit wherever the Spirit leads you.

June also marks the end of our program year and we’ll celebrate and thank all those many wonderful folks who sang in the choir, played an instrument, or helped our Music Ministry in others ways. To all of you, we say “Thank You” and we also say, “We are proud of you” for having served and shared your talents, your gifts, your time and your faith enhancing our worship and our lives. 

We will also thank all of our teachers this month as we conclude a year of Sunday School. To all those who helped out in Sunday School classrooms, including the ETC and Nursery; all those who helped with Youth Group activities; and all those who led Adult Education classes, including Circles and Bible Study groups:  We thank you and we are proud of you!

Make those five phrases a regular part of your lexicon. Say, “I love you”, “I am sorry”, “I forgive you”, “Thank you”, and “I am proud of you” regularly and frequently. Do that, and I’m sure our Lord would say, “I am proud of you!” 

Grace & peace,

Pastor Skip

It's Time

It’s time. Our officers and our ministry teams have spent more than a year identifying needs, discussing priorities, planning, discerning, and, of course praying. What things must we do, what things should we do, and what things would we like to do as we look to the future, our bright future, leading to the celebration of our 150th anniversary in 2017?

Those things we must do are so readily apparent, starting with the roof, where the leaks probably exceed the years since MPC was established back in 1867. Once we replace the roof, we’ll need to replace all of the ceiling tiles throughout the building. That’s where we start. Estimated cost: $200,000.

From there, we move on. We then must replace the air-conditioning units in our Sunday School/Pre-school wing. They are old and very inefficient. Estimated cost: $30,000.

We should replace all the chairs in the Sanctuary. The fabric dates from the Sanctuary renovation 15 years ago, but the chair frames are almost 40 years old. Estimated cost: $20,000. The new plastic chairs we’ve added to the Fellowship Hall have proven popular, so we’d like to replace all the old metal folding chairs as well. Estimated cost: $4,000.

The sound system and electronics in the Sanctuary must be replaced. What we have dates from the days of cassette tapes. Speakers, microphones, wiring, DVD burners, video camera, computer controllers – they all need replacing. Estimated cost: $40,000.

Other needs we’ve identified include building out a vestibule for the office wing, with double doors to keep out the cold winter winds and the blasts of summer’s heat. Automatic door openers for the Narthex entry will make the building so much easier to enter for those who use walkers, wheelchairs, and even for parents pushing strollers. It will bring our building into compliance, as well.

We’ve talked about building a Columbarium – a burial site for ashes. While that is not a “must-have”, it has proven to be a compelling idea, leading to other wonderfully creative ideas, such as a prayer garden and outdoor labyrinth.

We are ready to launch a Capital Campaign to raise the funds we’ll need to do all the projects we’ve identified. Tom Norwood, a consultant with Horizons Stewardship, will advise us and guide us through the process.

And yes, everyone will be invited to participate in the discussion and planning – we’ll be arranging those opportunities later this month and next. We want everyone involved and everyone excited as we plan for our future, building on our strengths.

The next few months promise to be very exciting as together we make our plans to strengthen our foundation and build on all the faithful work of those saints who’ve gone before us. It’s time – for our future!

Grace & Peace,

Pastor Skip

“The Earth Is The Lord’s and All That Is In It”

I’ve had quite a few dogs over the years, all special and much-loved, but none as special to me as Cole, the Scottish Terrier I adopted as a rescue in December 2007.

 

He’d been badly abused the first six years of his life and was very defensive and protective when I brought him home. But over time he learned that his new home was a safe place, a place of love, patience and acceptance. It was almost a year before he let me pet him. In time, his true nature blossomed as a curious, intelligent, energetic, squirrel-obsessed (of course!) and very loving dog.

When Cole died in early February after a brief illness, I was filled with grief – and I still am. But I am so grateful that he and I found each other. The bumper sticker that asks, “Who rescued who?” is so true – he took care of me as much as I took care of him.

What a wonderful gift God has given us in gracing us with all creatures great and small. Dogs, cats, birds, horses – the many animals we have as pets – as well as the many animals that fill God’s creation, from the eagles soaring through the sky, to the whales that ply the oceans, to the elephants that roam the savannas of Africa: they are all God’s creatures and, as the Bible teaches us, they are all good. As the psalmist wrote so long ago, “O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.” (Psalm 104:24)

The cherry trees will soon blossom, heralding the arrival of spring and drawing our every sense to marvel at the beauty of God’s creation. Spring is the season of renewal and rebirth, and it is the ideal time for us to recommit ourselves anew to our calling to care not only for all God’s creatures, but for all God’s creation. Spring is the ideal time for us to remember that when God created the Garden of Eden, God “took the man and put him in the garden to till it and keep it.” Our first calling was to be the caretaker of God’s creation, stewards of all that had come came from the hand of God.

And it is our calling still. I agree with Pope Francis, who said recently, “nurturing and cherishing creation is a command God gave us at the beginning of history”, for “the earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it.” (Psalm  24:1)

So as you welcome spring, rejoice in all God’s creatures and sing with the psalmist of the glory of God’s creation: “Let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it. Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy.” (Psalm 96)

Grace & peace,

Pastor Skip

A Holy Lent

Our March calendar is a full one as we walk through the 40 days of Lent, with special worship services, the Thursday Night Lenten Series, performances of the Living Last Supper, and opportunities for service, all to help each of us observe a Holy Lent as a time of reflection, introspection, and spiritual renewal.

On Sunday the 8^th we’ll gather as community to pack meals for Stop Hunger Now. If you were part of the effort last year, you’ll remember how amazingly quickly we packed 10,000 meals. We’re hoping to do more this year.

On Sunday the 15^th, we’ll gather in worship to reaffirm the covenant made in our baptisms. Even if we were too young to remember, through the waters of baptism we were born anew in Christ, washed clean, and graced with the Holy Spirit to lead us, guide us, and energize us.

On Sunday the 22^nd, we’ll arrange our Sanctuary in circles of 12 again to celebrate communion. Within each circle, each of us will be served, and each of us will serve, each circle a reflection of the group of disciples gathered in the Upper Room for their final meal together with our Lord. 

Holy Week will be particularly busy, starting, of course, with our Palm Sunday worship services. On Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, the men of our church will perform “The Living Last Supper”. It’s been four years since we last had this wonderful, moving portrayal of our Lord’s final moments with his disciples. Don’t miss this special presentation offered at 7:30 pm each evening in our Sanctuary.

Then we’ll gather on Thursday evening, April 2, for our Maundy Thursday Tenebrae service. We will walk with our Lord to the cross, and remember how the world walked in darkness for three days following Jesus’ crucifixion.

And then we’ll gather joyfully on Easter Sunday to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord, our voices raised in shouts, “He is risen,” as we wave our alleluia wands.

  

Make Lent a time of learning, a time of reflection, and a time of renewal. In a self-indulgent, “selfie” age, Lent is not about giving up chocolate or ice cream or pizza; it is about “spiritual housekeeping”, as we sweep away the things that clutter our spiritual lives so we can draw closer to God. I agree with the writer who said that the purpose of Lent is to arouse within us a sense of gratitude for all God’s blessings, including the mercy offered us in the forgiveness of our sins. And then from that gratitude, Lent arouses us to act in works of love and justice.

If you remove the yoke from among you,

the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil,

 if you offer your food to the hungry
    and satisfy the needs of the afflicted,
then your light shall rise in the darkness
    and your gloom be like the noonday.

The Lord will guide you continually,
    and satisfy your needs in parched places,
    and make your bones strong;
and you shall be like a watered garden,
    like a spring of water,
    whose waters never fail.

    Isaiah 58:9

Grace & peace,

Pastor Skip

Streets of Gold?

The text is riveting, mesmerizing, what sounds like an eye-witness account of heaven: “And I kept coming into heaven until I approached a wall which was built of white marble….and drew near to a great house which was built of white marble, and the inner walls were like mosaics of white marble, the floor of crystal, the ceiling like the path of the star and lightnings between which stood fiery cherubim and their heaven of water, and flaming fire surrounded the walls, and its gates were burning with fire.”

This fascinating text isn’t from some current best-seller; it dates back more than 2000 years, written before the birth of our Lord by someone long lost to history, but who attributed it to Enoch. Do you remember who Enoch was? He was the seventh descendant of Adam and Eve, a man who, the Bible tells us, did not die. We read in Genesis, “Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him.” (Genesis 5:24). Stories have abounded for centuries that God took Enoch to let him see heaven so that he could return to tell others what he’d seen. The apocryphal book we now call 1 Enoch purports to tell the story of Enoch’s visit to heaven. 

We have always hungered to know more about heaven. The Bible itself tells us very little. Perhaps the most compelling glimpse came from Jesus when he said to the penitent thief, both of them dying on that first Good Friday, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43) Paradise – the word our Lord uses to describe Heaven – is that what truly awaits us? Is it any surprise that having been given a glimpse, we would want to know more. 

Since the publication of 1 Enoch 2100 years ago, there has been a steady stream of stories from people who have claimed to have made the trip to heaven and then returned to tell their stories. I tend to be skeptical of such accounts and I was not surprised when, a few weeks ago, the young boy who told his story in the best-selling book, “The Boy Who Came Back From Heaven”, recanted everything, saying that he had made it all up just to get attention.

Melissa Kirkpatrick and I will explore what the Bible does and does not tell us about heaven in our Lenten Series that will run on Thursday evenings starting on February 26^th. We’ll gather for a simple soup supper before the class and then explore and learn together from 7:30 till 9:00 pm. We’ll look at biblical texts, texts from outside the Bible, artwork, and even listen to music that has shaped our thinking about heaven. And we’ll also examine what the Bible does and does not teach us about hell.

Is heaven a place that sits behind “pearly gates” with streets paved with gold? Come explore with us as part of your observation of a most holy Lent.

Grace & peace,

Pastor Skip

Magnify the Lord!

I am a huge fan of the composer John Rutter. His compositions – both the music and the choral arrangements - are moving, inspirational, and lovely. “Celestial” has always seemed to me a fitting word to describe his music. I listen to almost any of his works and I find myself transported, lifted higher.

Rutter has been composing and arranging for more than 40 years. His choral works, for as beautiful as they are to hear, are difficult to sing. Just ask Deborah Panell or any of our choir members who have been working since summer preparing Rutter’s Magnificat for our Advent Festival.

The composition is based on the prayer Luke tells us Mary offered after she learned she had been chosen to be the mother of the Son of God: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.” (Luke 1:46-49)

 The music begins exuberantly, reflecting Mary’s joy, gratitude, and deep and abiding faith in her Lord, even though she was still a teenager and not yet married to Joseph. The movements that follow reflect the rest of Mary’s prayer and her faith: “His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”

And then the work ends powerfully with a Gloria Patri: “Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be world without end. Amen.”

Our choir is giving us an extraordinary gift in performing this piece. Come with family, with friends, with neighbors. Don’t miss this!

And, if you’d like to learn more about the life of Mary, the National Museum of Women in the Arts, located in downtown DC, is offering a special exhibition entitled, “Picturing Mary: Woman, Mother, Idea”. The exhibit runs from December 5 through April 12. You can learn more at http://www.nmwa.org/exhibitions/picturing-mary-woman-mother-idea. The National Gallery of Art, also in downtown DC, also has an outstanding collection of paintings, sculpture and other artwork that capture Mary at every stage of her life. 

 Mary’s simple, humble prayer leads us into a joyful season, and its timelessness makes it the perfect prayer as we enter the New Year: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” This is truly a prayer to say, but even more, to sing to the heavens!

Glory to God!

Pastor Skip