As he walks away, he doesn’t quite believe her. He questions will she hold it this time? Charlie Brown decides to try and kick the football anyway. He begins running full speed at Lucy, who is holding the football, and just as he swings his leg to kick, Lucy pulls the football away. Thus, Charlie Brown flips into the air, and lands flat on his back.
Good grief, not again.
And there is Lucy standing over Charlie Brown shaking her head saying, you shouldn’t have trusted me Charlie Brown. This is the standard football gag seen in the comic strip, Peanuts by Charles Shultz.
I think we have all felt like Charlie Brown once or twice, at least I have. It’s a classic conundrum, we go out on a limb anxious for what the future could hold, and end up disappointed and hurting ourselves. And lying on our backs we ask ourselves, why did I just do that, why did I take the chance? GOOD GRIEF! And then we say, it would have been easier to just stay the status quo, and go about my business as usual. As long as I stick to the rules, I will get by.
I imagine those same thoughts going through Joseph’s mind in the gospel. Joseph was considered a righteous man, which meant he led a life of morality and followed all the rules. He didn’t like interrupt the status quo.
But, now his is confronted with a dilemma. Mary, his wife, was pregnant. But he knew the baby wasn’t his, which meant one thing she had committed adultery, and adultery was not tolerated by anyone.
To better understand this part of the gospel, I did a little research on marriage in the Jewish culture. In those days, marriage, was a little more complex compared to today. It was actually a two-stage process.
Stage one, began when the kids came of age for marriage. For girls that was like 12 – 14, and for boys it was around 16 -18. But the children really didn’t have much say in who they married. It was more of an arranged marriage, where one household offer would offer a deal to the other household. If the offerings pleased both families, then the kids entered into the second stage of marriage.
This was the legally binding part of the arrangement between the couple, and it would be about a year before a marriage ceremony was actually performed. And during that time, the couple called each other husband and wife to signify their legal relationship. Since marriage was a legal arrangement, the only legal way out of it was to get a divorce. And in those times there were two types of divorce, public or private.
If the divorce was public, the girl was shamed in front of the entire village, which ensured no real chance of marriage ever again. If the divorce was private, only two or three people were witnesses to the divorce, and the couple would split and go about their lives separately, still having the potential for marriage again.
Knowing this information, when I read the gospel again, it shed a completely different light on Joseph. So let’s start again with the line, “she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit”, and here I picture Joseph shouting, just like Charlie Brown, “GOOD GRIEF”. He believed Mary was going to stay true to him, they were legally bound to each other. How could she have done this to him?
Then read the next line, “Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to divorce her quietly”. Joseph knew he had to divorce Mary, it was the law if someone committed adultery. But he choose to show compassion for her by wanting to have private divorce.
That way, Mary would still have a chance for life after the divorce. By showing mercy to Mary, Joseph reflected his trust in God’s word to love one another no matter what. Joseph being a righteous man, could have easily thrown her to the wolves. But he believed in God’s word, and trusted that showing mercy was what God was calling him to do. Then while Joseph was sleeping on his decision, an angel appeared to him in a dream, and said, “Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins". Joseph wakes up and probably proclaims, “GOOD GRIEF!” He can’t divorce Mary now, she hasn’t committed adultery at all, but what would other people think. They will whisper behind his back, “Joseph, he used to be a righteous man, but he married that Mary girl. And that baby she had, it wasn’t even his!” Where will he find the strength to endure the public ridicule? By putting his trust in God’s word, Joseph finds his strength in God! Joseph risked his reputation, but through his faith he had the strength to endure.
He knew that God was asking him to be a part of something amazing. He helped bring Jesus Christ into this world, all by putting his trust in God. What if Joseph didn’t trust God? I think we can say, he would have missed quite the opportunity. Like Joseph, what if we made decisions by putting our trust in God? What risks would we be more willing to take? What amazing feats could we accomplish? Picture what this would look like for you. I think it’s different for everyone.
Maybe, it’s getting involved in a new ministry, or becoming the leader of a ministry we are already a part of. Perhaps, it’s simply striking up a conversation with someone else about God. Listening and trusting in God, what are the opportunities we have outside these walls?
GOOD GRIEF, everyone one of us has the ability to accomplish something amazing. By keeping our trust in God, it allows us to take that risk we weren’t so willing to take before. And the good news is God is holding the football, as we prepare to kick. Unlike Lucy, God isn’t going to pull the ball away. God will hold it, until we are ready to kick.
Sunday, December 22, 2013
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Virtual Advent Calendar: Day 11
"For nothing will be impossible with God. 'Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.' Then the angel departed from her." -Luke 1: 37 - 38
Virtual Advent Calendar: Day 10
“It is not life that’s complicated, it’s the struggle to guide and control life.” - C.S. Lewis
Monday, December 9, 2013
Virtual Advent Calendar: Day 9
Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins, that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer.
Virtual Advent Calendar: Day 8
The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
Virtual Advent Calendar: Day 7
Though we call it "hugs and kisses," it should really be "kisses and hugs," since the X represents the kiss and the O represents the hug. The letter X once carried great religious importance in the Christian faith. Beyond representing the cross, X was the first letter of Christ in Greek.
Virtual Advent Calendar: Day 6
"The giver of every good and perfect gift has called upon us to mimic God's giving, by grace, through faith, and this is not of ourselves." - St. Nicholas
Virtual Advent Calendar: Day 4
Man's real work is to look at the things of the world and to love them for what they are. That is, after all, what God does, and man was not made in God's image for nothing.
Virtual Advent Calendar: Day 3
Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light.
Virtual Advent Calendar: Day 2
He makes me lie down in green pastures and leads me beside still waters.
Virtual Advent Calendar
For the season of Advent, I will be posting a little inspiration to cut through the clutter of the holiday shenanigans. Some of the posts will be directly related to Church of the Holy Spirit in Bellevue because I am posting for them also. I apologize that these first few are off to a late start, but it will be once a day here after. Cheers!
Day 1 of Advent:
You are sealed by the Holy Spirit in Baptism and marked as Christ's own forever. We celebrate the newly baptized.
Day 1 of Advent:
You are sealed by the Holy Spirit in Baptism and marked as Christ's own forever. We celebrate the newly baptized.
Below is a picture of a little girl and her family who was baptized on the first day of Advent.
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Pumpkin Tassies in the Sky
It’s about 11 o’clock pm Thanksgiving Eve, and finally, all the side dishes are done for dinner tomorrow, but we still have to make the most celebrated items at my family’s Thanksgiving table, pumpkin tassies. In order to spend more time with family rather than in the kitchen, my mum, siblings, and I stay up late the night before and cook practically everything. So what are these coveted pumpkin tassies? They are these miniature pumpkin pies that right before you pop the whole thing into your mouth, you must stop, top it with a huge dollop of whipped cream, and then proceed to eat the entire thing in one bite.
I have been making these tiny pies since I could put on an apron, the recipe is ingrained in me. First, get all the ingredients for the crust: flour, cream cheese, and salt. And mix them together in a bowl, and chill for at least an hour. Oh, and don’t forget to preheat the oven. Next, make the filling. Mix together pumpkin, sugar, spices, evaporated milk, and eggs, until all they are fully incorporated. Now, it’s time to start assembling the little delights. Thus far, it sounds similar to making an actual pumpkin pie, but here’s the difference, instead of a monster nine inch pie plate, we use mini muffin-tins to make little individual pies. Now, take the dough out of the fridge, and pinch off a piece of dough about the size of a walnut, roll it into a ball, place it in one of the muffin-tin cups. Spread the dough out to fill the tin cup, and then fill the little crust with the pumpkin filling.
And this is the part where I doubt myself the most, knowing when to take them out of the oven. The recipe says bake them for 20 minutes, but they aren’t always fully baked. So how do I know when the tiny pies are done? My mum taught me the trick that if the tassies have a golden brown crust, and the center looks set, it’s time to pull them out of the oven. But it’s not always clear, I am always unsure and questioning whether or not they need an extra minute, or two? I wish there were a sure sign to show me that those little pumpkin tassies are done.
Those feelings unsureness and questioning I see in the crowd before Jesus in the gospel this evening. Their uneasiness is clear when they ask him, “What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe in you?” Prior to this passage, anyone following Jesus just witnessed him feeding five thousand people, as well as walking on water. What more do they need to believe Jesus is the son of God?!
In order to understand why they asked question this question, let’s look through the lens of the crowd. At that time, most of the crowd was Jewish, and in the Jewish community there was a belief that in heaven there was a storehouse of bread. And from this storehouse, Moses feed the people of Israel. This is why they say in the reading, “Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, and ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat’”. No wonder they wanted more concrete evidence. They wanted to be 100% sure that Jesus was truly the son of God, and not just reenacting the same miracle Moses had performed.
So how will Jesus prove that he is the son of God? I imagine Jesus struggling to relate to the crowd at this moment, then suddenly he gets this brilliant idea to turn around the Jewish belief. Jesus makes himself the bread. First, he clears up the idea that the bread was from Moses, and clarifies that it is God who gives them bread. He says, “It is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven.” And then he refers to himself by saying, “For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world” Finally, to ensure the crowd does not miss the point, Jesus says, “I am the bread of life”
Jesus challenges his followers to think beyond the literal terminology, to understand the meaning of spiritual food. Because we tend to focus on the nitty gritty, we lose sight of the bigger picture. Jesus was sent from God, and we are to feed on his words, and through his teachings we live out the works of God. When we focus on the food that is perishable in this life, we lose sight of what it means to eat the spiritual food that endures forever.
How and when do we feed on this concept of spiritual food? I think we can find the answer to that question in the very first Thanksgiving. Andrew Smith, a food historian, explains there is a difference between the classic Thanksgiving we learn about in school, and the actual first Thanksgiving of 1621. In a letter written by Edward Winslow, a colonist at Plymouth, wrote that the Governor William Bradford declared a holiday to celebrate the treaty between the Native Americans and the colonists after the harvest. It was a celebration of community not food.
This was unheard of at the time! Two groups of people, known to be at odds with each other, were sitting down at a table together and eating together. Yes, they were thankful for the great harvest, and yes they made a grand dinner for themselves to share with the Native Americans. But the dinner was simply a side dish. The more important celebration was bringing two communities together to form one. Where can we see this happen on a regular basis, how about at that altar? When we share communion together.
Although we come from different communities, when we come to this altar, we try to act as one body of Christ. It is reflected in the last line of Deuteronomy, “Then you, together with the Levites and the aliens who reside among you, shall celebrate with all the bounty that the LORD your God has given to you and to your house.” We attempt to set aside our differences, try to understand the teachings of Jesus, and live out the mission of God; to love one another as God loves us.
Tonight, we celebrate this community not only with spiritual food, but with literal food, pie. We give thanks for the many blessings we have received in this life, especially for this community coming together to act as the body of Christ. This isn’t always easy, it takes practice.
Like looking for the golden edges on the crust or the filling to be set in those pumpkin tassies. By striving to live out the teachings of Christ, we can live out God’s mission to love one another. And eventually, we will all share in that slice of pie in the sky.
I have been making these tiny pies since I could put on an apron, the recipe is ingrained in me. First, get all the ingredients for the crust: flour, cream cheese, and salt. And mix them together in a bowl, and chill for at least an hour. Oh, and don’t forget to preheat the oven. Next, make the filling. Mix together pumpkin, sugar, spices, evaporated milk, and eggs, until all they are fully incorporated. Now, it’s time to start assembling the little delights. Thus far, it sounds similar to making an actual pumpkin pie, but here’s the difference, instead of a monster nine inch pie plate, we use mini muffin-tins to make little individual pies. Now, take the dough out of the fridge, and pinch off a piece of dough about the size of a walnut, roll it into a ball, place it in one of the muffin-tin cups. Spread the dough out to fill the tin cup, and then fill the little crust with the pumpkin filling.
And this is the part where I doubt myself the most, knowing when to take them out of the oven. The recipe says bake them for 20 minutes, but they aren’t always fully baked. So how do I know when the tiny pies are done? My mum taught me the trick that if the tassies have a golden brown crust, and the center looks set, it’s time to pull them out of the oven. But it’s not always clear, I am always unsure and questioning whether or not they need an extra minute, or two? I wish there were a sure sign to show me that those little pumpkin tassies are done.
Those feelings unsureness and questioning I see in the crowd before Jesus in the gospel this evening. Their uneasiness is clear when they ask him, “What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe in you?” Prior to this passage, anyone following Jesus just witnessed him feeding five thousand people, as well as walking on water. What more do they need to believe Jesus is the son of God?!
In order to understand why they asked question this question, let’s look through the lens of the crowd. At that time, most of the crowd was Jewish, and in the Jewish community there was a belief that in heaven there was a storehouse of bread. And from this storehouse, Moses feed the people of Israel. This is why they say in the reading, “Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, and ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat’”. No wonder they wanted more concrete evidence. They wanted to be 100% sure that Jesus was truly the son of God, and not just reenacting the same miracle Moses had performed.
So how will Jesus prove that he is the son of God? I imagine Jesus struggling to relate to the crowd at this moment, then suddenly he gets this brilliant idea to turn around the Jewish belief. Jesus makes himself the bread. First, he clears up the idea that the bread was from Moses, and clarifies that it is God who gives them bread. He says, “It is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven.” And then he refers to himself by saying, “For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world” Finally, to ensure the crowd does not miss the point, Jesus says, “I am the bread of life”
Jesus challenges his followers to think beyond the literal terminology, to understand the meaning of spiritual food. Because we tend to focus on the nitty gritty, we lose sight of the bigger picture. Jesus was sent from God, and we are to feed on his words, and through his teachings we live out the works of God. When we focus on the food that is perishable in this life, we lose sight of what it means to eat the spiritual food that endures forever.
How and when do we feed on this concept of spiritual food? I think we can find the answer to that question in the very first Thanksgiving. Andrew Smith, a food historian, explains there is a difference between the classic Thanksgiving we learn about in school, and the actual first Thanksgiving of 1621. In a letter written by Edward Winslow, a colonist at Plymouth, wrote that the Governor William Bradford declared a holiday to celebrate the treaty between the Native Americans and the colonists after the harvest. It was a celebration of community not food.
This was unheard of at the time! Two groups of people, known to be at odds with each other, were sitting down at a table together and eating together. Yes, they were thankful for the great harvest, and yes they made a grand dinner for themselves to share with the Native Americans. But the dinner was simply a side dish. The more important celebration was bringing two communities together to form one. Where can we see this happen on a regular basis, how about at that altar? When we share communion together.
Although we come from different communities, when we come to this altar, we try to act as one body of Christ. It is reflected in the last line of Deuteronomy, “Then you, together with the Levites and the aliens who reside among you, shall celebrate with all the bounty that the LORD your God has given to you and to your house.” We attempt to set aside our differences, try to understand the teachings of Jesus, and live out the mission of God; to love one another as God loves us.
Tonight, we celebrate this community not only with spiritual food, but with literal food, pie. We give thanks for the many blessings we have received in this life, especially for this community coming together to act as the body of Christ. This isn’t always easy, it takes practice.
Like looking for the golden edges on the crust or the filling to be set in those pumpkin tassies. By striving to live out the teachings of Christ, we can live out God’s mission to love one another. And eventually, we will all share in that slice of pie in the sky.
Monday, November 11, 2013
Wooden Airplanes
While working last week, I ventured out of the office and on to the Habitat for Humanity ReStore floor. As I wondered the aisles, there was an older gentleman in the home improvement section looking through some storm drains. I noticed a slight look of concern on his face. His name is Mr. Mitchell and the following is the conversation we had,
Me: Do you need any help or have any questions?
Mr. Mitchell: How much is this piece of piping?
Me: I'm not sure, but I can check with the register and tell you how much it is.
Mr. Mitchell: Great, I LOVE THIS STORE!
Me: Well, BRILLIANT! When did you first come here?
Mr. Mitchell: Today, it's my first time I have ever been here.
Me: Wow, love at first sight.
Mr. Mitchell: Let me explain, let me show you something.
He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a photo-book. Before he opened the book, I assumed he was going to show me pictures of his grandchildren. Nope, he opened the photo-book to show me pictures of wooden rocking airplanes, like the ones little kids can ride. They were identical to the ones someone could purchase out of a catalog.
He flipped the pages and showed me the differences between each plane. Each one was individualized with different paint combinations for the strips and body of the plane, along with a finishing coat of shellac to make it shine. He explained that his doctor told him to get a hobby when he retired, so he started making these planes for children. By the looks of the planes, it was as if he had been making them for years, but in reality he had only been making them for ten months. We chatted a little longer, and then I took him to the register to find out the price of the storm drains.
Mr. Mitchell's passion for those wooden rocking planes was a glimpse into his love and attention to detail for others. Like the photo-book, I hope that all individuals somehow carry around what they love in their back pocket. Whether it be a tattoo or a necklace, these things invite people to have conversations. It gives us the opportunity to share what we love with them, which is a vulnerable position to be in. Is that such a bad thing? Perhaps the more willing we are to share with others, the more others will be able to share with us. Whatever it is we share, whether it be wooden airplanes or pictures of the baked goods we just made, it can positively impact others. If we are willing to share in the first place, think of how many conversations will begin to take off.
Me: Do you need any help or have any questions?
Mr. Mitchell: How much is this piece of piping?
Me: I'm not sure, but I can check with the register and tell you how much it is.
Mr. Mitchell: Great, I LOVE THIS STORE!
Me: Well, BRILLIANT! When did you first come here?
Mr. Mitchell: Today, it's my first time I have ever been here.
Me: Wow, love at first sight.
Mr. Mitchell: Let me explain, let me show you something.
He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a photo-book. Before he opened the book, I assumed he was going to show me pictures of his grandchildren. Nope, he opened the photo-book to show me pictures of wooden rocking airplanes, like the ones little kids can ride. They were identical to the ones someone could purchase out of a catalog.
He flipped the pages and showed me the differences between each plane. Each one was individualized with different paint combinations for the strips and body of the plane, along with a finishing coat of shellac to make it shine. He explained that his doctor told him to get a hobby when he retired, so he started making these planes for children. By the looks of the planes, it was as if he had been making them for years, but in reality he had only been making them for ten months. We chatted a little longer, and then I took him to the register to find out the price of the storm drains.
Mr. Mitchell's passion for those wooden rocking planes was a glimpse into his love and attention to detail for others. Like the photo-book, I hope that all individuals somehow carry around what they love in their back pocket. Whether it be a tattoo or a necklace, these things invite people to have conversations. It gives us the opportunity to share what we love with them, which is a vulnerable position to be in. Is that such a bad thing? Perhaps the more willing we are to share with others, the more others will be able to share with us. Whatever it is we share, whether it be wooden airplanes or pictures of the baked goods we just made, it can positively impact others. If we are willing to share in the first place, think of how many conversations will begin to take off.
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Love, It's What We Should Do!
This was my sermon for All Saints Day. We remember and celebrate the love of those who have gone before us.
“You’re good” were the words always whispered into my ear when I saw Father John Thomas. Sometimes he would pull me aside real close, and utter them in a really loud fake whisper, “you’re good” and then simply walk away. Sometimes he walked up to me with an angry look across his face, and as I tried to figure out what I had done wrong, he would whisper those same words “you’re good”, and then walk away. You could saying this was sort of his trade mark, but more importantly it was one of his many expressions of God’s love for all people.
Father John was ordained a priest in 1961. During his 50 years as a priest, he was also involved with a Christian camp for kids in Conneaut, Ohio called Sheldon Calvary Camp. The camp is operated by Calvary Episcopal Church in Pittsburgh, but is a camp for all children. For 18 years he was the director and executive director of the camp, but for over five decades he was involved with the camp in one way or another. He lived and breathed Calvary Camp, and Calvary Camp was another way Father John expressed God’s love for all people.
I knew Father John when he was a retired priest at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Pittsburgh, I was merely a middle-schooler starting confirmation class. As a part of the class, every student had to sit with the different members of the clergy, and ask them questions about confirmation. Looking back on it know, I have no idea why I was so nervous to talk to Father John, but after that little chat everything was different. When I ran into him, he was sure to walk up to me and whisper in my ear, “You’re good”. Father John passed away in January of 2012, but to truly give you an idea of how many lives Father John touched, I have to explain his funeral.
St. Paul’s in Pittsburgh is about 5 times the size of Church of the Holy Spirit. At Father John’s viewing, I have never seen the church more packed. A line down the center aisle and out the door of the church was formed by people from past congregations, camp counselors, kids from camp, friends of friends, and of course family.
And there is no doubt in my mind that every single one of those individuals was somehow, someway told by Father John that they were GOOD. Father John didn’t really ever have to SAY those words out loud to make his point. His love for others simply reflected in how he treated everyone, and he never had to say a word to show that you were loved.
Father John is a saint. In the gospel reading today the word saint is written with a lower case s, not a capital S. I can see the question that could possibly be popping into your mind, at least it popped into mine, what is the difference between a saint, with a lower case s, and a Saint with a capital S? Nothing, really. Okay, that’s not totally true, but there is some degree of truth in that statement. In the Episcopal Church, the capital S means that the person has been recognized with a Holy Day that we can celebrate during the year. And the second question that popped into my mind was how does someone become recognized as a saint in the first place?
The process starts at the local level by individuals venerating or recognizing a particular person and that recognition spreads across the country all the way up to the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church. But we can find exactly what to do in the gospel this morning. The gospel reading is referred to as the Sermon on the Plain, which is the equivalent to the Sermon on the Mount from the gospel of Matthew, only from Luke’s perspective.
Here is the setting, a large crowd has gathered to listen to Jesus speak and to be healed. And of course, any time Jesus was giving a sermon it was instructing people on how to live out God’s love for all. To understand his sermon, let’s break down into three parts; the blessings, the woes, and then a call to love.
The first part is where Jesus is begins his sermon with the blessings, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled.” Jesus is essentially connecting to the people who have come to listen to him speak. These individuals were poor and they were hungry, but that’s only surface level, let’s go a little deeper.
In order to do so, we have to look at the next part of the sermon the woes. He says, “But woe to you who rich, for you have received your consolation. Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry.” When I first read this, I said to myself, wow, isn’t that a little harsh? Woe to people who are rich and who are able to eat? But this is where we have to go beneath the surface.
I interpreted these passages of blessings and woes as Jesus putting things into perspective for the people. What was currently the center of their lives? Was it money, food, or other idols? And if that was so was that what the followers of Jesus should be centering their lives around? Jesus was saying that everyone should be centering our lives on God’s love for all.
This leads us into the final part of the sermon, the call to love, even in the midst of difficulties. These are the instructions on how to be a saint. The final line of the sermon sums it up perfectly, “Do to others as you would have them do to you.”
“Do to others as you would have them do to you.” We know this, it’s the golden rule.
Easier said than done right, and Jesus recognizes this difficulty. The words prior to that line were, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.” And he continues, “and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt.” Does this remind anyone of anything? My mind immediately flashed to a scene in a little play called Les Miserables. Quick synopsis, the play is about an ex-convict, Jean Valjean, trying to turn his life around.
In the scene Jean Valjean has been given shelter from the cold, fed, and clothed by the local priest in town. But in the middle of the night, Jean Valjean decides that he must flee and start his new life elsewhere. But before he flees, he steals some silver plates and cups to sell for money. Unfortunately for him, he is caught by the police. But before they take him to jail, the police take him back to the church and present him before the priest. The police try to convict him of the crime by asking the priest if the silver was stolen from the church.
At this point, it isn’t looking good for Jean Valjean, but then priest hands Jean Valjean two more silver candle sticks saying that the silver was a gift and he had forgotten to take these candle sticks. The priest essentially turns the other cheek, and shows God’s love by giving Jean Valjean the candle sticks, even though he stole from the priest. Jean Valjean goes on to turn his life around entirely, and the rest of the play he lives out God’s love in his own way. The priest and Jean Valjean are also saints with a lower case s.
Unlike the priest and Jean Valjean, our actions do not have to be acted out in a play or be super outlandish. All we have to do is live out the words, “do to others as you would have them do to you”, and we are living out God’s instructions on how to be saints.
Any act of love reflects God’s love for all. It’s easy to see in acts like making a batch of cookies, a smile, saying thank you, or perhaps a simple conversation, yes this shows love for others. But what’s more important is to show love in even the difficult situations. Like when we have been hurt, or something has been taken from us. We are challenged to show God’s love anyway.
Today, we celebrate All Saints’ Day in order to remember individuals who lived out God’s love for others, and have gone before us. But let’s not forget the saints that are still living amongst us, each and every one of you. You’re a saint, and in memory of a favorite saint of mine YOU’RE GOOD. Amen.
“You’re good” were the words always whispered into my ear when I saw Father John Thomas. Sometimes he would pull me aside real close, and utter them in a really loud fake whisper, “you’re good” and then simply walk away. Sometimes he walked up to me with an angry look across his face, and as I tried to figure out what I had done wrong, he would whisper those same words “you’re good”, and then walk away. You could saying this was sort of his trade mark, but more importantly it was one of his many expressions of God’s love for all people.
Father John was ordained a priest in 1961. During his 50 years as a priest, he was also involved with a Christian camp for kids in Conneaut, Ohio called Sheldon Calvary Camp. The camp is operated by Calvary Episcopal Church in Pittsburgh, but is a camp for all children. For 18 years he was the director and executive director of the camp, but for over five decades he was involved with the camp in one way or another. He lived and breathed Calvary Camp, and Calvary Camp was another way Father John expressed God’s love for all people.
I knew Father John when he was a retired priest at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Pittsburgh, I was merely a middle-schooler starting confirmation class. As a part of the class, every student had to sit with the different members of the clergy, and ask them questions about confirmation. Looking back on it know, I have no idea why I was so nervous to talk to Father John, but after that little chat everything was different. When I ran into him, he was sure to walk up to me and whisper in my ear, “You’re good”. Father John passed away in January of 2012, but to truly give you an idea of how many lives Father John touched, I have to explain his funeral.
St. Paul’s in Pittsburgh is about 5 times the size of Church of the Holy Spirit. At Father John’s viewing, I have never seen the church more packed. A line down the center aisle and out the door of the church was formed by people from past congregations, camp counselors, kids from camp, friends of friends, and of course family.
And there is no doubt in my mind that every single one of those individuals was somehow, someway told by Father John that they were GOOD. Father John didn’t really ever have to SAY those words out loud to make his point. His love for others simply reflected in how he treated everyone, and he never had to say a word to show that you were loved.
Father John is a saint. In the gospel reading today the word saint is written with a lower case s, not a capital S. I can see the question that could possibly be popping into your mind, at least it popped into mine, what is the difference between a saint, with a lower case s, and a Saint with a capital S? Nothing, really. Okay, that’s not totally true, but there is some degree of truth in that statement. In the Episcopal Church, the capital S means that the person has been recognized with a Holy Day that we can celebrate during the year. And the second question that popped into my mind was how does someone become recognized as a saint in the first place?
The process starts at the local level by individuals venerating or recognizing a particular person and that recognition spreads across the country all the way up to the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church. But we can find exactly what to do in the gospel this morning. The gospel reading is referred to as the Sermon on the Plain, which is the equivalent to the Sermon on the Mount from the gospel of Matthew, only from Luke’s perspective.
Here is the setting, a large crowd has gathered to listen to Jesus speak and to be healed. And of course, any time Jesus was giving a sermon it was instructing people on how to live out God’s love for all. To understand his sermon, let’s break down into three parts; the blessings, the woes, and then a call to love.
The first part is where Jesus is begins his sermon with the blessings, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled.” Jesus is essentially connecting to the people who have come to listen to him speak. These individuals were poor and they were hungry, but that’s only surface level, let’s go a little deeper.
In order to do so, we have to look at the next part of the sermon the woes. He says, “But woe to you who rich, for you have received your consolation. Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry.” When I first read this, I said to myself, wow, isn’t that a little harsh? Woe to people who are rich and who are able to eat? But this is where we have to go beneath the surface.
I interpreted these passages of blessings and woes as Jesus putting things into perspective for the people. What was currently the center of their lives? Was it money, food, or other idols? And if that was so was that what the followers of Jesus should be centering their lives around? Jesus was saying that everyone should be centering our lives on God’s love for all.
This leads us into the final part of the sermon, the call to love, even in the midst of difficulties. These are the instructions on how to be a saint. The final line of the sermon sums it up perfectly, “Do to others as you would have them do to you.”
“Do to others as you would have them do to you.” We know this, it’s the golden rule.
Easier said than done right, and Jesus recognizes this difficulty. The words prior to that line were, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.” And he continues, “and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt.” Does this remind anyone of anything? My mind immediately flashed to a scene in a little play called Les Miserables. Quick synopsis, the play is about an ex-convict, Jean Valjean, trying to turn his life around.
In the scene Jean Valjean has been given shelter from the cold, fed, and clothed by the local priest in town. But in the middle of the night, Jean Valjean decides that he must flee and start his new life elsewhere. But before he flees, he steals some silver plates and cups to sell for money. Unfortunately for him, he is caught by the police. But before they take him to jail, the police take him back to the church and present him before the priest. The police try to convict him of the crime by asking the priest if the silver was stolen from the church.
At this point, it isn’t looking good for Jean Valjean, but then priest hands Jean Valjean two more silver candle sticks saying that the silver was a gift and he had forgotten to take these candle sticks. The priest essentially turns the other cheek, and shows God’s love by giving Jean Valjean the candle sticks, even though he stole from the priest. Jean Valjean goes on to turn his life around entirely, and the rest of the play he lives out God’s love in his own way. The priest and Jean Valjean are also saints with a lower case s.
Unlike the priest and Jean Valjean, our actions do not have to be acted out in a play or be super outlandish. All we have to do is live out the words, “do to others as you would have them do to you”, and we are living out God’s instructions on how to be saints.
Any act of love reflects God’s love for all. It’s easy to see in acts like making a batch of cookies, a smile, saying thank you, or perhaps a simple conversation, yes this shows love for others. But what’s more important is to show love in even the difficult situations. Like when we have been hurt, or something has been taken from us. We are challenged to show God’s love anyway.
Today, we celebrate All Saints’ Day in order to remember individuals who lived out God’s love for others, and have gone before us. But let’s not forget the saints that are still living amongst us, each and every one of you. You’re a saint, and in memory of a favorite saint of mine YOU’RE GOOD. Amen.
Monday, October 21, 2013
The Chocolate Chip Cookie
You are one smart cookie. If you haven’t heard that before, I am telling you now, you are one smart cookie. To the untrained eye, a chocolate chip cookie is a chocolate chip cookie, but that is completely false.
Let’s examine the humble chocolate chip cookie. In every basic chocolate chip cookie recipe there is flour, baking soda, white sugar, brown sugar, salt, vanilla, eggs, butter, and of course chocolate chips. Each ingredient has its own unique properties. Flour; it provides structure, sugar; it adds sweetness, baking soda; leavens, etc. These single ingredients are mixed together in one bowl and come together to form a dough. The dough is portioned out and baked, sometimes. I say sometimes only because sometimes a batch of dough never reaches the oven, its eaten straight from the bowl, no judgment there.
Regardless, the ingredients have been thrown into a single bowl and transformed from single ingredients into delicious chocolate chip cookies. The ingredients alone are nothing spectacular, but when they come together they turn into something quite delicious. The whole cookie tastes better than its individual parts.
The sum is greater than the whole. Last week during Morning Prayer, the reading for the day reflected this simple idea. The reading was a letter from Paul to the Corinthians, and stated, “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses. For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body so it is with Christ.” Each individual has their own gift. It may be something as simple, like drawing a funny cartoon or calling a friend, but it is a gift to embrace and share. That gift is important to everyone. These different gifts, support all individuals in their daily life and work whether we recognize it or not. We are connected by these gifts through the Holy Spirit, God.
Come back to the simple chocolate chip cookie. Yes, the ingredients are different, and perhaps they can stand alone, but it is when they come together that spectacular things happen. Remember we are all smart cookies, we all come from one bowl, and through faith in God; we will never crumble.
Let’s examine the humble chocolate chip cookie. In every basic chocolate chip cookie recipe there is flour, baking soda, white sugar, brown sugar, salt, vanilla, eggs, butter, and of course chocolate chips. Each ingredient has its own unique properties. Flour; it provides structure, sugar; it adds sweetness, baking soda; leavens, etc. These single ingredients are mixed together in one bowl and come together to form a dough. The dough is portioned out and baked, sometimes. I say sometimes only because sometimes a batch of dough never reaches the oven, its eaten straight from the bowl, no judgment there.
Regardless, the ingredients have been thrown into a single bowl and transformed from single ingredients into delicious chocolate chip cookies. The ingredients alone are nothing spectacular, but when they come together they turn into something quite delicious. The whole cookie tastes better than its individual parts.
The sum is greater than the whole. Last week during Morning Prayer, the reading for the day reflected this simple idea. The reading was a letter from Paul to the Corinthians, and stated, “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses. For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body so it is with Christ.” Each individual has their own gift. It may be something as simple, like drawing a funny cartoon or calling a friend, but it is a gift to embrace and share. That gift is important to everyone. These different gifts, support all individuals in their daily life and work whether we recognize it or not. We are connected by these gifts through the Holy Spirit, God.
Come back to the simple chocolate chip cookie. Yes, the ingredients are different, and perhaps they can stand alone, but it is when they come together that spectacular things happen. Remember we are all smart cookies, we all come from one bowl, and through faith in God; we will never crumble.
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Potty Training and M&M's
The reason for not posting lately was because I was working my sermon for this week. The readings for today were Lamentations 1 : 1-6, 2 Timothy 1 : 1-14, and Luke 17 : 5-10. It is not really necessary to read the readings, but it will help to see some of the references. Here it goes my first sermon in Omaha:
“If you go to the bathroom on the potty, I’ll give you an M&M”. These were the words my Mum said to me when I first began potty training. Let me give you a little background to the whole situation. For those of you who don’t know, I am a triplet, which means I have a sister and a brother my age. And since we are the same age, we crossed many of the same hurdles at the same time, getting three toddlers to using a fork and knife, having three little ones learning to walk, and training three little individuals to use the potty all at the same time. To say the least, my parents had their hands full.
As you can imagine situations were somewhat complicated. Here is a little more background information, both of my parents are teachers, which means they had a few tricks up their sleeves in order to guide us in the direction they wanted us to go. So parents get your pencils and pads ready, what was their trick for potty training all three of us, positive reinforcement.
If you don’t have children, training a pet is a similar situation. When a good behavior is performed, give the pet a treat, and repeat, over and over again. In my case, the treat was an M&M. “Alyse go on the potty, and I’ll give you an M&M.” Done! After a few M&M’s, I got the hang of the whole going on the potty thing, and training was over. My siblings, on the other hand, were a completely different story, but you get the picture.
I was rewarded for doing what was right enough times that eventually I no longer needed to be rewarded for it. For pets and their owners, it’s when your pet stops making a mess in the house and learns to go outside, without giving them a treat. The trainee is now obedient, and there is an expectation that certain actions will be performed.
Obedience is what lies beneath the surface of this mornings’ gospel. Upon first glance, reading through the entire passage, there seems to be a disjointed message between the two paragraphs. But there is one unified message after looking beyond the surface. Let’s start with the second paragraph. Jesus teaches the apostles about obedience through the example of a slave and its master. It was the slave’s duty to serve the master’s needs, and that is what the master expects. We can relate to this same idea in today’s society with house chores. In my family, there was an expectation that the children wash and dry the dishes after dinner. It was our duty to perform this task for the family. It was also expected that we keep our rooms clean. And when we did these things, it was good. But if when we didn’t, we were reminded to do them over and over again. And performing these chores was not as if we were going out of our way to do something. It was our obligation to the household, which is why a thank you after each time we did our chores it was not truly deserving. These chores were what OUGHT to be done.
Knowing this, makes the first part of the reading more unified with the second part. The apostles asked Jesus to increase their faith. And Jesus replied, “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.” I can imagine the apostles looking at each other very confused hearing these words. But keep listening, there are two points that Jesus made with this statement.
The first is that it isn’t the amount of faith that matters, as long as you have faith at all. A wee bit of faith accomplishes unbelievable tasks. The second part is more subtle and not really written in words, but is more of the tone I picture Jesus saying this phrase. Because the apostles were missing his point about faith, which is why he used the example of the slave and the master. The subtlety here is that faith is not always a rewarding task. Faith is not always a rewarding task.
In the Epistle, Paul writes, “join me in my suffering for the gospel”, obviously Paul was not a marketing major, and I can say that because I was one. This idea of suffering for the gospel doesn’t make me immediately want to risk my life. But continue reading the statement, it says, “Join me in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God.” Paul knows that preaching the word of the Lord is not going to be easy. He understands that he must forgive when he has been trespassed and love in the midst of hatred, but he can suffer through with faith.
Faith is having a belief in something against all odds, but trusting in it anyway. That’s why we have the phrase taking a leap of faith. We jump, and don’t really know where our feet will land, but as long as we have faith, God will catch us. And Paul understands this concept. He knows that spreading these ideas were unusual at the time, but he spreads God’s word anyway. Because Paul lives his life by trying to see the face of Christ in everyone he meets. Why, because it is what he ought to do and has faith in God.
Even a wee bit of faith, no larger than a mustard seed, will achieve greatness. And keeping faith in the midst of difficulties is hard, especially if we expect a reward after every time we forgive one another or love unconditionally. But fear not because God will eventually give us an M&M.
“If you go to the bathroom on the potty, I’ll give you an M&M”. These were the words my Mum said to me when I first began potty training. Let me give you a little background to the whole situation. For those of you who don’t know, I am a triplet, which means I have a sister and a brother my age. And since we are the same age, we crossed many of the same hurdles at the same time, getting three toddlers to using a fork and knife, having three little ones learning to walk, and training three little individuals to use the potty all at the same time. To say the least, my parents had their hands full.
As you can imagine situations were somewhat complicated. Here is a little more background information, both of my parents are teachers, which means they had a few tricks up their sleeves in order to guide us in the direction they wanted us to go. So parents get your pencils and pads ready, what was their trick for potty training all three of us, positive reinforcement.
If you don’t have children, training a pet is a similar situation. When a good behavior is performed, give the pet a treat, and repeat, over and over again. In my case, the treat was an M&M. “Alyse go on the potty, and I’ll give you an M&M.” Done! After a few M&M’s, I got the hang of the whole going on the potty thing, and training was over. My siblings, on the other hand, were a completely different story, but you get the picture.
I was rewarded for doing what was right enough times that eventually I no longer needed to be rewarded for it. For pets and their owners, it’s when your pet stops making a mess in the house and learns to go outside, without giving them a treat. The trainee is now obedient, and there is an expectation that certain actions will be performed.
Obedience is what lies beneath the surface of this mornings’ gospel. Upon first glance, reading through the entire passage, there seems to be a disjointed message between the two paragraphs. But there is one unified message after looking beyond the surface. Let’s start with the second paragraph. Jesus teaches the apostles about obedience through the example of a slave and its master. It was the slave’s duty to serve the master’s needs, and that is what the master expects. We can relate to this same idea in today’s society with house chores. In my family, there was an expectation that the children wash and dry the dishes after dinner. It was our duty to perform this task for the family. It was also expected that we keep our rooms clean. And when we did these things, it was good. But if when we didn’t, we were reminded to do them over and over again. And performing these chores was not as if we were going out of our way to do something. It was our obligation to the household, which is why a thank you after each time we did our chores it was not truly deserving. These chores were what OUGHT to be done.
Knowing this, makes the first part of the reading more unified with the second part. The apostles asked Jesus to increase their faith. And Jesus replied, “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.” I can imagine the apostles looking at each other very confused hearing these words. But keep listening, there are two points that Jesus made with this statement.
The first is that it isn’t the amount of faith that matters, as long as you have faith at all. A wee bit of faith accomplishes unbelievable tasks. The second part is more subtle and not really written in words, but is more of the tone I picture Jesus saying this phrase. Because the apostles were missing his point about faith, which is why he used the example of the slave and the master. The subtlety here is that faith is not always a rewarding task. Faith is not always a rewarding task.
In the Epistle, Paul writes, “join me in my suffering for the gospel”, obviously Paul was not a marketing major, and I can say that because I was one. This idea of suffering for the gospel doesn’t make me immediately want to risk my life. But continue reading the statement, it says, “Join me in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God.” Paul knows that preaching the word of the Lord is not going to be easy. He understands that he must forgive when he has been trespassed and love in the midst of hatred, but he can suffer through with faith.
Faith is having a belief in something against all odds, but trusting in it anyway. That’s why we have the phrase taking a leap of faith. We jump, and don’t really know where our feet will land, but as long as we have faith, God will catch us. And Paul understands this concept. He knows that spreading these ideas were unusual at the time, but he spreads God’s word anyway. Because Paul lives his life by trying to see the face of Christ in everyone he meets. Why, because it is what he ought to do and has faith in God.
Even a wee bit of faith, no larger than a mustard seed, will achieve greatness. And keeping faith in the midst of difficulties is hard, especially if we expect a reward after every time we forgive one another or love unconditionally. But fear not because God will eventually give us an M&M.
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
The Haunting
Riding a bike, plunging a toilet, and knowing how to make ricotta cheese are all skills that a person wants to keep handy for future situations. Other pieces of knowledge come back when put into certain situations, and then others I wish to never recount or think about ever again, and yet they keep haunting me.
Starting this week I have found begun to find my feet in each of my placements. Thursdays and Fridays I will be working at a Habitat for Humanity ReStore. It is essentially a recycled hardware store where individuals can donate used home items like toilets and fans. I will be acting as the marketing intern for the store and implementing the ideas of the larger Habitat for Humanity mission into the store. My first assignment is to work on World Habitat for Humanity Day, which is on Oct. 7th mark your calendar! Headquarters wants all the stores to decorate doors and put them on display to promote the mission of Habitat for Humanity. Those skills I mentioned earlier manifested in this project. Suddenly I had to make a boring wooden door something to look at, but how to do it? AH HA, high school stage crew come back to me please. For one set my job was to make a bunch of ply wood look as if it were a true hard wood floor. Thank you Mr. Kuhar for teaching me your brilliant technique of making nothing into something by simply using a paint brush and paint. Before, the door looked like an unfinished door with no panels or wood detail. After, the looks wood paneled with exquisite details, okay not exactly, but it looks better than before. This was one of those skills I was glad to recall. The next situation, not as happy to put these skills to the test, but I am still thankful to have them.
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays I will be working in my parish placement. The church is a small church with a congregation with about 100 people for all three services offered. It is located south of Omaha. And because it is a small parish my position there will essentially be to act as the shadow of the rector. I will be going on pastoral visits, preaching, teaching adult christian education classes, sitting in on financial meetings and vestry meetings, and working with the youth group, and attending some Sunday school classes. I am looking forward to all of it, except for one teeny tiny item on the odds and ends list. The list is what I should try to get around to if I have a rainy day, and on it I could use one of those haunting skills that is trying to creep up on me. The objective on the list is to make a database! Thank you Dr. Lynn, I would have been lost without your wisdom or without my friend Julia's brilliance in Access. I thought by simply avoiding the corporate office I would avoid the dreaded database forever. Alas, to no avail. I am going to try and create a database for the parish which will enable them to keep track and look up baptisms, confirmations, funerals, and more. It is much needed for their parish, and I do have this little database creating skill.
I am ashamed to admit that I take for granite these little skills. I am blessed to have any sort of knowledge or education at all. Individuals all over the world are deprived of this opportunity simply because of where they live or because they can not afford a uniform for school. I am lucky for all that I have and the for everyone who has ever taught me anything in or outside of a classroom. I will use what I can, to serve as many as I can, even if that means I may have to create a database or two.
Sunday, September 15, 2013
The Sorting Hat
There I sat, with a GIANT talking sorting hat atop of my head, waiting to hear which house I belonged to for my few years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In the depths of my stomach, there was a knot forming. No, not an actual knot, a nervous knot, and no, I am not going to Hogwarts Wizarding School. Although, what was true was the anxiousness, much like Harry Potter's, in finding out where I would be placed during my time in Omaha. In the book Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, or watch it in the movie, there is a scene where Harry has a large talking hat on his head. This hat, the sorting hat, ultimately decides which House each Hogwart student will spend their time at school. Running through Harry's mind were questions like "Which placements are right for me? Will they like me? Do they want me there? What am I doing here?" Young Harry sits in front of the entire dinning hall, and the sorting hat begins to speak to him about his qualities and which house ( Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin.) he will exceed and benefit from most. After major contemplation, the sorting hat shouts, "Gryffindor!" And the crowd goes wild, and Harry rushes off to meet his friends.
Okay, I know it's a stretch, but that's pretty close to how it happened. All week the interns were on a retreat contemplating our qualities, spirituality,and futures, so when it came time to learn which placements were ours, I felt very much like a young wizard waiting to be sorted. The only true major difference between these two placement situations, was that our program director wasn't simply a sorting hat. Our director spent a lot praying and discerning where each of us should be placed. Plus the parishes, the non-profits, and the interns all gave a lot of input as to where we would fit best.
So where was I sorted? Church of the Holy Spirit and Habit for Humanity! HOT DOG, this is going to be a brilliant nine months! These were the placements I thought would truly challenge and expose me to what my future could look like. In Church of the Holy Spirit, I will act as the shadow of the rector, literally. And at Habitat for Humanity, I will act as a marketing intern of sorts. Following the decision, hands were placed on my head for a final blessing and the commissioning was over. Now it is in full force my new adventure of discernment, prayer, and community. The outcome is unknown, but the sorting hat wasn't wrong about Harry's placement.
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
My Stick Figure Timeline
The piece of artwork above was inspired by my life and its relationship to the church. It begins when I was simply a wee tot in the pew and ends in the present time at The Resurrection House in Omaha. While you continue to fawn over my brilliantly drawn stick figures, I realized that in certain instances in my church life, others saw something in me that I did not see in myself. Which relates to exactly what the interns are contemplating this week at Resurrection House.
Why are you here? It was one of the first of many questions we are discussing at our retreat this week. There is a lot to process and contemplate with each question, as well as, questioning the meaning of our actions. But that's the name of the game, and what is ultimately guiding me to make my next major life decision.
One of the first questions asked was "What is a leader?" My response to this was an individual with a vision and the dedication to see it (the vision) through. A person who is open to change, but is able to still make the vision a reality. A person to encourage/inspire others to support the vision. An individual who trusts and believes in other people to support their vision. As I came up with that answer, I thought to myself NAILED IT, thinking what else could I possibly include? And after listening to the other responses a lot! But what I really never saw coming was the director's comment. He complemented all the interns on the definitions we came up with, but he said that none of us really answered the question. Are you kidding me? He explained that we all answered the question what is a good leader, not what is simply a leader. Alright, explain please. Our directors response was a leader is someone with authenticity of passion. Someone who is a leader does not always have a vision or need to be the one coming up with ideas. A leader guides, but sometimes shoves individuals in the right direction. A leader must be able to lead a group of people and be authentic about it.
Being authentic about my beliefs is not always easy, especially when people around me do not believe the same thing. A GOOD leader has the dedication to overcome the barriers of disbelief by staying authentic and believing in what is authentic to them. A GOOD leader will do something regardless of whether it goes against the current trend, will not make them famous, and will not make them money. Because they have an authentic belief, they will strive to stay true to their belief. There is not a magic key to how to be the best leader possible, but I know from now on I will always include in my definition of a leader authenticity.
Saturday, September 7, 2013
Omaha, A Wild Kingdom
Like Pioneers conquering the wild frontier, exploring Omaha the last few days has been quite the experience. Friday was the first day without anything on the schedule, so we took a little road trip. Our first destination was the Holy Family Shrine located in the middle of cornfields, literally! The chapel structure was made of wood and steel with walls of glass. Although these are simplistic materials, they were constructed together in a very modern design. Walking into the chapel just made me relax and smile. No matter what direction I turned, the beauty of land emanated back through the chapel walls. The chapel purposely does not have a congregation because it is meant to be used by all, especially those traveling to reflect, be inspired, and find comfort. It does on occasion host baptisms, weddings, and other special services.
Later Friday, we walked to Iowa and back! Perhaps I am not sharing the full story here, but we did walk to Iowa. There is a walking suspension bridge, that we drove to, the allows individuals to walk across the two states. It is suspended over the Missouri river, which is the actual boundary line. I was expecting border patrol or a huge sign welcoming us to Iowa, but alas, there was simply a line to jump over.
On Saturday, we were back on schedule with a rather important trip to the Henry Doorly Zoo. It is know world wide, and offers so much to do that it can't truly be done in one day. We traversed the park starting with the Desert Dome, not a favorite of mine, due to the amount of snakes, but still a great place to start. Leaving the desert, we walked into the Monkey House, where a gorilla ran full force into the window at us, simply for it's enjoyment seeing us flinch. It worked we flinched. Out of the jungle, and into an INDOOR swamp, where crocs and gators reside. On to more exhibits, we saw lions, tigers, and bears, not in that order, but I couldn't help but use that line. We rested for a bit of lunch, we headed off next to the aquarium to see the feeding of the sharks. We finally ended our Zoo trip with sea lion training. I also made friends with a goat, but the relationship didn't last very long after he began eating my shirt, how forward!
The city is pretty easy to maneuver, so each destination has been easy to get to, but the definition of close in Omaha, is a completely different story. Unfortunately, walking and public transportation are not the best in this city, therefore we have to drive everywhere. For me close used to mean five to ten minutes away, here close is more like 20 minutes away. It is simply an observation, no judgement, but unlike the pioneers, I have a car. So after a long day's trek, I can still feel my feet.
Later Friday, we walked to Iowa and back! Perhaps I am not sharing the full story here, but we did walk to Iowa. There is a walking suspension bridge, that we drove to, the allows individuals to walk across the two states. It is suspended over the Missouri river, which is the actual boundary line. I was expecting border patrol or a huge sign welcoming us to Iowa, but alas, there was simply a line to jump over.
On Saturday, we were back on schedule with a rather important trip to the Henry Doorly Zoo. It is know world wide, and offers so much to do that it can't truly be done in one day. We traversed the park starting with the Desert Dome, not a favorite of mine, due to the amount of snakes, but still a great place to start. Leaving the desert, we walked into the Monkey House, where a gorilla ran full force into the window at us, simply for it's enjoyment seeing us flinch. It worked we flinched. Out of the jungle, and into an INDOOR swamp, where crocs and gators reside. On to more exhibits, we saw lions, tigers, and bears, not in that order, but I couldn't help but use that line. We rested for a bit of lunch, we headed off next to the aquarium to see the feeding of the sharks. We finally ended our Zoo trip with sea lion training. I also made friends with a goat, but the relationship didn't last very long after he began eating my shirt, how forward!
The city is pretty easy to maneuver, so each destination has been easy to get to, but the definition of close in Omaha, is a completely different story. Unfortunately, walking and public transportation are not the best in this city, therefore we have to drive everywhere. For me close used to mean five to ten minutes away, here close is more like 20 minutes away. It is simply an observation, no judgement, but unlike the pioneers, I have a car. So after a long day's trek, I can still feel my feet.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Iron Chef and the Secret Ingredient is . . .
Welcome to Kitchen Stadium, Omaha style. With an oven,
stove, knives, and a lot of Holy Spirit anything can be done. Two
lasagnas, two salads, rosemary/garlic focaccia, COW bars (chocolate, oatmeal,
walnut cookies), and ice cream made for quite a feast. We practically made everything
from scratch except for the cheeses, ice cream, beer, and wine, but if we could
have we would have! The lasagna noodles were even made from scratch.
As a part of the program, the interns host
a dinner and a blessing of the house. We had a budget of $100, but had no
idea of the amount of people attending, so we planned for about 21 or 22. We decided on an Italian theme, which lead us to make one meat lasagna, one
zucchini lasagna, a watermelon and feta salad, a spring mix salad with home grown
garden vegetables, focaccia bread, and for dessert COW bars plus ice cream. Because it isn't a good Iron Chef episode unless someone using the ice cream machine. Plus, I will admit COW bars are not Italian, but one batch makes a lot of
cookies.
So here is the play by play: the night before, we began the focaccia
bread, allowing it the time to develop flavor and structure. The day of, we made the marinara sauce. Since one lasagna had meat and the other did
not, we separated the sauce in to two batches and added ground beef seasoned
with salt, pepper, Mrs. Dash, and Worcestershire sauce to one pot of the sauce.
Both lasagnas were layered with mozzarella, ricotta, and parmesan cheese.
While allowing the sauce to simmer, we made the noodles. Simply combining flour, egg, water, olive oil, and salt together and kneading it for 10
minutes, letting it rest for 30 minutes, and viola pasta ready for boiling water.
The focaccia bread went into the oven first, followed by the lasagnas,
then the cookies. We assembled the salads and HOT DOG! Time is up.
It was brilliant, like a puzzle coming
together from three different directions. We worked together against the
clock, and truly made dinner together. We conversed over our lives and
futures, then we laughed over making the food, then I would become super nerdy
when trying to explain certain details of making the food (I can't help it), and
they put up with me, but it was a great community building experience.
Making dinner will not be that extravagant every night, but as long as there is
conversation and food, there will never be a problem. And in the words of my
uncle, "A LA CUISINE!"
Sunday, September 1, 2013
My Strange Love
I am officially in Omaha, Nebraska. I am living with two other individuals, who are participating in the same discernment process as me. We will be living simply as well as in an intentional community together, which means we basically share everything. We each have our own room, but the bathroom and the food stipend are shared. In regards to food, we will grocery shop and cook together, and this is truly brilliant.
Confession, I have a problem. I love grocery stores, there it is. Truly, I could spend hours perusing the aisles, particularly of Whole Foods. Weird, I know, but love makes you do strange things. What is strange about loving grocery stores? I love Whole Foods so much that I worked there this summer as a barista at the coffee bar in the specialty foods department. The department consists of coffee, cheese, wine, and beer so why wouldn't you want to work there. So where did we go grocery shopping first, WHOLE FOODS of course! It is different. This Whole Foods has a WINE AND CHEESE BAR!!! Maybe some change is good.
Buildings and ideas can be replicated, but the people and relationships you make in an establishment can never be replaced. The Whole Foods family that I had this summer, embraced my goofiness and my strange love of grocery stores, and each person I worked with is truly one of a kind. It is a different community that I am proud to be a part of. I miss them dearly and I can't thank them enough. My Whole Foods family is always in my thoughts and prayers.
The communities that accept all, support each other, and have open communication within the community that grow, achieve their goals, and change the world in their own way. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Whether it be at Whole Foods or in Omaha, it is this community that enables the individual to grow and succeed.
Saturday, August 31, 2013
The Journey
Omaha, why Omaha?
Prior to college, I was very involved in my parish in Pittsburgh, St. Paul's Episcopal Church. I was apart of the youth group, went on several mission trips to Charleston, South Carolina, and was an Acolyte (which is similar to alter serving). At that time, being apart of the worship service and serving others was something I was passionate about, and still so to this day. Two older priests, who truly embody what it means to serve people, noticed these passions within me, and asked me to consider the priesthood. During high school, I didn't consider myself prepared to take on a vocation in the church. I wasn't mature enough to handle difficult situations that would plague a congregation, preach the gospel, or give wise advice to others. Ultimately, I didn't dismiss the idea, I simply set it aside for later. In the fall of 2009, I went off to John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio.
While at college, I studied marketing, entrepreneurship, and philosophy. In the spring of 2011, I studied abroad in London, England for a semester. Before going abroad, I began working at a little unknown coffee shop on campus. While at the coffee shop, I showed an enthusiasm for making smoothies, and was asked to become student manager of the coffee shop. I took the position, although reluctantly because I had no experience with coffee (I was strictly a tea drinker). But after diving head first into the coffee world, I had a newly found thirst to learn everything about coffee, coffee shops, and the atmosphere they convey. In the fall of 2011, I implemented everything I had learned about coffee and espresso, and began making chocolate chip cookies for the coffee shop, which changed names to The Cubby. When I first started at The Cubby, it barely did $100 a week in sales, by the end of spring 2013, my senior year, we hit record sales of $723 in ONE night. The Cubby was my life, the support and community that surrounded it was growing, and I didn't want to leave it. It was hard to let go of the reins, but The Cubby wasn't truly mine, and I was graduating, which meant I had to move on. I was passionate about making cookies and other baked goods, pouring lattes and coffee, but ultimately, I was more intrigued by the development of the community that begun to surround The Cubby. So at the end of four years, I had a college degree in hand, but I had a question to answer, what do I do now?
I took a step back and asked myself the question, "If I were to die tomorrow, what would I regret now doing?". I earned a degree in marketing with minors in Philosophy and Entrepreneurship (check), I ran a coffee shop (check), I baked a ton of cookies, muffins, scones (check), I had been doing something I was passionate about. The answer that felt right was to explore that call of priesthood. But how to do it?
Through the Episcopal Service Corps. I found the program in Omaha called the Resurrection house coordinated by Jason Emerson. It is a 9 month program where 50% of my time will be in an Episcopal church, 25% will be at a non-profit, and the other 25% will be spent on spiritual development. Starting August 31st until May 19th, I will be in Omaha, Nebraska exploring this option.
I don't know what will happen by the end of May. I am letting the chips fall as the may, which is much harder than I anticipated. I am anxious and nervous for what lies ahead, but I am listening and staying open to what the future holds. At John Carroll, I worked on a project with two of my closest friends which we called Polis after the perfect community that Aristotle created. The tag line for the project was cultivating community through coffee, collaboration, and community. I use that same tag line for my own goals with a slightly different tilt. My mission is to cultivate community through food, conversation, and spirituality. How I will do this, I do not know. But after completing this year of service, prayer, and discernment, I can only hope to be closer to understanding what it means to cultivate community through food, conversation, and spirituality.
Prior to college, I was very involved in my parish in Pittsburgh, St. Paul's Episcopal Church. I was apart of the youth group, went on several mission trips to Charleston, South Carolina, and was an Acolyte (which is similar to alter serving). At that time, being apart of the worship service and serving others was something I was passionate about, and still so to this day. Two older priests, who truly embody what it means to serve people, noticed these passions within me, and asked me to consider the priesthood. During high school, I didn't consider myself prepared to take on a vocation in the church. I wasn't mature enough to handle difficult situations that would plague a congregation, preach the gospel, or give wise advice to others. Ultimately, I didn't dismiss the idea, I simply set it aside for later. In the fall of 2009, I went off to John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio.
While at college, I studied marketing, entrepreneurship, and philosophy. In the spring of 2011, I studied abroad in London, England for a semester. Before going abroad, I began working at a little unknown coffee shop on campus. While at the coffee shop, I showed an enthusiasm for making smoothies, and was asked to become student manager of the coffee shop. I took the position, although reluctantly because I had no experience with coffee (I was strictly a tea drinker). But after diving head first into the coffee world, I had a newly found thirst to learn everything about coffee, coffee shops, and the atmosphere they convey. In the fall of 2011, I implemented everything I had learned about coffee and espresso, and began making chocolate chip cookies for the coffee shop, which changed names to The Cubby. When I first started at The Cubby, it barely did $100 a week in sales, by the end of spring 2013, my senior year, we hit record sales of $723 in ONE night. The Cubby was my life, the support and community that surrounded it was growing, and I didn't want to leave it. It was hard to let go of the reins, but The Cubby wasn't truly mine, and I was graduating, which meant I had to move on. I was passionate about making cookies and other baked goods, pouring lattes and coffee, but ultimately, I was more intrigued by the development of the community that begun to surround The Cubby. So at the end of four years, I had a college degree in hand, but I had a question to answer, what do I do now?
I took a step back and asked myself the question, "If I were to die tomorrow, what would I regret now doing?". I earned a degree in marketing with minors in Philosophy and Entrepreneurship (check), I ran a coffee shop (check), I baked a ton of cookies, muffins, scones (check), I had been doing something I was passionate about. The answer that felt right was to explore that call of priesthood. But how to do it?
Through the Episcopal Service Corps. I found the program in Omaha called the Resurrection house coordinated by Jason Emerson. It is a 9 month program where 50% of my time will be in an Episcopal church, 25% will be at a non-profit, and the other 25% will be spent on spiritual development. Starting August 31st until May 19th, I will be in Omaha, Nebraska exploring this option.
I don't know what will happen by the end of May. I am letting the chips fall as the may, which is much harder than I anticipated. I am anxious and nervous for what lies ahead, but I am listening and staying open to what the future holds. At John Carroll, I worked on a project with two of my closest friends which we called Polis after the perfect community that Aristotle created. The tag line for the project was cultivating community through coffee, collaboration, and community. I use that same tag line for my own goals with a slightly different tilt. My mission is to cultivate community through food, conversation, and spirituality. How I will do this, I do not know. But after completing this year of service, prayer, and discernment, I can only hope to be closer to understanding what it means to cultivate community through food, conversation, and spirituality.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)