A Call to Mindfulness

I love my new phone app! It is called- "Mindfulness Bell". I can set it to ring at various intervals. When I hear the tone I am reminded to stop and remember, for just a moment, the presence  of the living Christ with me.
 This is exactly what I need during my busy days. I want to remember that Jesus is always with me but oftentimes I get so caught up with the busyness of the day that I forget who I am and whose I am . And because it makes a noise - my co-workers hear it or my husband hears it - and we all take a moment to pause and remember.
In the Oregon Idaho stewardship newsletter – Grace and Gratitude – Tanya Barnett  and Tom Wilson write about the new church year, Advent.  Since Advent means to "draw near", they ask; " What is drawing your attention, time, money, prayers the most these days?  Perhaps it's work, holiday preparations, health, family, keeping your house warm, concern for others, or something else. Whether it's a warm fireplace or a busy shopping mall, to what do you "draw near" in these days? "  This quote is also included in their article:

Reformer Martin Luther once wrote, "Do you think God is sleeping on a pillow in heaven? God is wholly present in all creation, in every corner, behind you and before you."

So what reminds you to draw near to God these days? Do you need a Mindfulness Bell ?

May you be more fully aware of God's presence not only during Advent but in all your days.

To receive the Oregon Ida stewardship newsletter  Grace and Gratitude, contact Bill Mullette-Bauer ;  bill@umoi.org

Who Will Hear and Heed?

Who Will Hear and Heed?

Recently I have been reading the book of Jeremiah from The Message - Conversations which has comments by Eugene Peterson on some of the scripture passages. As I read chapters 7-9 I wondered; Who will hear and heed this message? Are we like the faithless Israelites? Is this a message for our time or only for the ancient Israelites? If it applied only for that age why has it stood the test of time and available for our reading today?
Would God preserve this word only for historical reasons, or does it ring true for us today? If so, how are we called to respond? Read the following passages (in The Message, if possible); Jer. 7:3-12, 28; 8:4-7, 8-9, 10-12 ; 9:7-9,13-15.
What do you hear God saying to us in these verses?
Jeremiah's message in chapters 11 and 12 also made me think of our present day. For instance, chapter 11 verses 4-5 "Obey what I tell you. Do exactly what I command you. Your obedience will close the deal. You'll be mine and I'll be yours." And then verses 6-8 say "Preach all this in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem. Say, 'Listen to the terms of this covenant and carry them out!'"
 Peterson goes on with his translation to talk about Promises and Pious Programs in verses 15-16.
Does this ring true for us today?
Eugene Peterson suggests that we look at Jer.12:5-6 and insert your name in place of Jeremiah's.
"So (Your Name), if you're worn out in this footrace with men, what makes you think you can race against horses? And if you can't keep your wits during times of calm, what's going to happen when troubles break loose like the Jordan in the flood?"
We live in hectic and stressful times. Where is our anchor in this storm of life? How do we keep our covenant with God when all about us is chaos? If we are not prepared spiritually we will be overcome by the flood of bad news, outbreaks of war and revolution, economic crisis, ever increasing gasoline prices, decreasing membership in the UMC, etc. By focusing on maintaining our relationship with Jesus through prayer, worship and scripture, and striving to keep the commandments to love God, neighbor and self we can remain firmly rooted in our faith and celebrate God's presence with us in spite of world events.
In his note on Jeremiah 12:5-6 Peterson writes: "What God told the prophet is essentially this "Life is difficult _(Sandy)_. Are you going to quit at the first wave of opposition? Are you going to live cautiously or courageously?"
Good questions! The choice is mine - and yours. Will we quit, or remain where we are - not moving, not growing, or will we continue to run the race to which God has called us? Will we live cautiously or courageously?
Who will hear and heed?

Preparing for Lent

March 9, 2011 is Ash Wednesday and the season of Lent will begin.  Lent is often a time for personal introspection and confession. And people often talk about the personal sacrifices that they are planning for that time period. What strikes me about the "giving up for Lent" idea is that is  very self oriented. While I believe that self-denial is good for the soul, I also believe that to give something up just for the sake of denying yourself a simple pleasure is not what God would aks us to do. Read Is. 58,  the words there call us not to fast for  the wrong reasons or with the wrong attitude, but rather to consider the fast that God would choose - to loose the bonds of injustice,  to let the oppressed go free, to share your bread with the hungry, bring the homeless into your house, cover the naked,  and not ignore your own family.
 As I consider this, I wonder what I will do during lent that will be outwardly focused. It will probably include self denial - but not just for denials sake but for the sake of others. What can I let go of that will enable me to loose the bonds of injustice? How can I focus my confessions not only on sins of commission but the sins of omission? "We confess that we have failed to be an obedint church"  In what ways can I be more obedient to the call of Christ on my life? The call to feed the hungry, visit the sick and imprisoned, clothe the naked, welcome the stranger..... should be real in my life - not just words in scripture (Mt. 25).
Will you join me? Will you find a way to fast during Lent that would be a fast that God would choose? Will you give up your cup of coffee at Starbucks to provide a meal for a hungry person? Will you fast from time in front of the TV or internet to visit someone who is sick or imprisoned? Will you abstain from practices that harm the earth to decrease your carbon footprint? All the while deepening your realtionship with Jesus. "The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your needs in parched places, and make your bones strong; and ;you shall be like a waterd garden, like a spring of water whose waters never fail." (Is.58:11)
for more ideas to consecrate this season of Lent visit;  www.gbod.org/worship
Stewardship Helps from Oregon Idaho United Methodist Annual Conference lists ways that we can observe a fast from carbon;

"Why should you consider a fast from carbon? There are at least five reasons:  

1. The carbon dioxide we are putting into the environment, in the form of greenhouse gases, is changing the climate of God's creation, our planet Earth. ...The sources of these greenhouse gases are largely produced by human beings and the society we have created.
2. The largest component of greenhouse gases is carbon dioxide, which comes from the burning of fossil fuels during the generation of electricity and from the modes of transportation that we use.
3. Unless we reduce our emissions of greenhouse gases, the impact of these increases will be devastating for our planet, for its people -- especially the poor and vulnerable -- and for the plants and animals that have lived here for millions of years. Time is critical.
4. God created this Earth, declared it to be good, and expects us to care for creation and to maintain its goodness for future generations."

Action

As you think about how you would like to observe this coming Lent,please consider using one these practical tools:

• WAIPL's "2011 Carbon Fast for Lent" Calendar: suggests a practical, carbon-dioxide-reducing action for each day of Lent (e.g., "find the most environmentally friendly way to get to church today" and "run your dishwasher only with a full load").
• Alternatives for Simple Living's "Lenten Carbon Reduction Fast": also a Lenten calendar -- this one with daily Scripture readings and actions (e.g., "put a coin in [a designated Lenten jar] for every time you turned on the faucet and received clean, safe water today") that raise consciousness and money (for a chosen environmental organization/charity).
• Earth Ministry/WAIPL's "Caring for Creation: A Prayer and Action Guide for a Lenten Fast from Carbon,": seven prayerful reflections (for Ash Wednesday and the six Sundays of Lent) that include insights on regional impacts of climate change, Scripture readings and prayers, and actions of individuals wanting to reduce carbon dioxide waste.  An excellent resource for weekly bulletin inserts, adult forums, and even personal devotions.
• "God, Earth, and Us: Lenten Meditations on Our Relationship with Creation": Produced by Rev. Jenny Phillips (of the PNW UMC Annual Conference) for the 2009 Lenten season, this devotional series continues to offer rich insights on living in greater communion with God's creation.
• Earth Ministry's rich collection of Lenten Devotions & Resources.
• "Living Earth: A Lenten Journey": Produced by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, this is a "reflection series on our relationship with God's creation" -- with reflections for each day during Lent.
• "Powering Down:... Suggestions for Caring for Creation during the Season of Lent": from the Tennessee and Oregon Interfaith Power and Light, this resource contains a lesson plan for youth, sample sermons, tips for saving energy, and more.
• "Stations of the Cross with All Creation": Produced by the Intercommunity Peace & Justice Center ($2) -- "The 15 Stations consider the suffering of Jesus, our planet, and its people and envision resurrection and new life." 

 May God richly bless your Lenten season!!

The Way We've Always Done Things

I just read this quote from a newsletter called Leading Ideas; B.J. Stone

"Our efforts are often wasted on behaviors that make us feel good but do not produce the results we are seeking."  

Hmmmm... how many things do we do because they make us feel good but don't produce the results that we are seeking? How many "sacred cows" do we have that do not produce fruit but we still have the event or fund-raiser or whatever it is becuase we've always done it?
The scripture that came to my mind is one of my favorites; Isaiah 43:18-19, "Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?" So I wonder how many times we stifle God's Spirit by clinging to the familiar and refusing to try something new. The annual Fish Fry may make us feel good but are the results what we are truly seeking?
The United Methodist Chruch claims the the priority of making disciples of Jesus Christ. Perhaps we should look at all of our behaviors and efforts in the light of that goal. How will what we are doing or about to do help to make disciples of Jesus Christ? What might happen in our congregations and our lives if we allowed God to do "a new thing"?

A Clean Slate

Each new year makes me feel like I am starting with a clean slate! It's a good feeling but doesn't usually last long. :) What can we do to remember that each day, in fact each moment, we have a clean slate - a chance to begin again?
Each January we clebrate Dr.Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday and are reminded of the struggles of African Americans and efforts to eliminate racism. If we are convicted during this time how long does that conviction last? How do we keep before us the constant issues of racism and white privilege? I read a blog written by a friend and I invite you to read it too and pray about how you can begin with a new slate - a renewed sense of justice and conviction to dismantle racism. Here is the blog address:

Perceptions from a Pew Boy   -    http://www.ericpark.org/?p=314

e blog: