Pastor Jackie

    How many problems are too many problems for a family to have in order for a faith community to help?  Where does one draw the line, or does one?  Is there a time when you throw up your hands and say, “Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps.”  
    Recently, this has come up several times.   Families that need far more than a bag of groceries and a few clothes.  What shall we do?  What are we asked to do by God?  Are we asked to do anything?  I wonder……”Whatever you do to the least of these, you do to me…..”

    Did you ever wonder how McDonalds makes sure that their hamburgers taste the same everywhere you go?  I know that part of it is about the material of the product.  The meat, or whatever that stuff is that their sandwiches are made of.  Yet, another part is the way it is prepared.  The temperature of the griddle, the oil that is used on the grill, the brand of condiments that go on the sandwich, the way the sandwich is assembled.  All of the elements about the sandwich must remain as constant as is possible.  If each restaurant were allowed to create the sandwich any way they wanted to, there would be no consistency of product.  The same sandwich by name, would potentially taste very different from place to place.
    There is no room for creativity, self expression, or “doing it my way”, if we want to get consistently the same product.  I used to wonder why in the world, business people wanted everything done exactly the same way, especially when I had a better idea.  It matters, especially when we want more than one person to be able to do the same job.  Perhaps that’s really what Jesus meant when he consistently repeated the same thing.  Love God, and love one another.  May it be so. 

     I find my mind wondering again and again to the fundraiser we had last night for Positive Directions.  I remember 26, 27 years ago when we would do fundraisers almost every weekend.  I remember fighting with funeral directors to bury people who had died with AIDS.  I remember begging families to embrace their children before they died instead of after. I remember spending hours trying to convince men to use condoms.  I remember wishing for an organization like Positive Directions during that time.  I’m glad I have a newer memory to hold onto.

   I was reading in a blog on the sojourners web site today about a place called friendship park between the Mexico/America border.  One of the things that happens at this park is that every Sunday afternoon, people from San Diego and Tijuana celebrate communion together.  Each staying on their own side of the fence, yet bridging that divide with the love of God.
    Earlier this year, someone in the U.S. Govt decided that we needed another fence around that park so that no one could get to it.  My heart hurts for those folks who have found a way to bring God into a miserable situation.  And yet, my mind is set into motion, anxious for the news of the ways they will create to still celebrate the love of God with each other in some way.  May we all be so determined to share the love of God in every way that we can.  You can read more about these amazing people at the following web site.
 http://blog.sojo.net/2009/02/11/friendship-across-fences-communion-and-civil-disobedience-on-the-us-mexico-border/?continue

    I have been thinking today alot about how people choose the words they use.  Do most people really think about what they say before they say it?  Is it possible to really be responsible with our words?  When would we learn that what we say can, and often does hurt other people, and what are we supposed to do about that?  
    I found myself on the listening end of a very angry person today.  As I listened to the anger turn toward me, I began to let it become personal.  I found myself beginning to get angry.  No, that’s not really true, I was angry.  I was angry that this person felt the need to hurt me because they had been hurt.  I find myself writing about this again, because we don’t seem to get it.  I read articles in the paper, I listen to new reports, I talk to lots of people every day, and I continue to hear people who give voice to revenge.  “I don’t care what I say, they hurt me.” or “Well, if they would think about what they say, then so would I”.  
    Now, I don’t want to sound elementary here, but what age of people have you heard these comments from in the past?  Those really don’t sound like “Adult” comments.  Yet, they are.  I guess my concern is, when do we grow up?  When do we stop the insanity and act and react like thinking adults?  I really believe that once we understand that overwhelming, all inclusive love of God, that we are mandated to act differently.  May it be so.

    For the first time that I am aware of for many years, we had a choir presentation that drew a standing ovation.  The eleven people who sang in the choir along with our bass guitarist, keyboardist, and drummer, created an atmosphere of worship that was amazing.  People were excited to be in worship, open to an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and listening for the word of God.  
    Music, for whatever reason, moves people to a new level.  Music is able to create an emotional opening that hears differently than ears, feels differently than hands, and understands differently than the congnitive brain.  Perhaps that is part of the secret that the Psalmist knew and was trying to share with us at a time, that notes on a piece of paper were not comprehended.  I encourage you to wonder into that place that only music can crack open, and experience the embrace of God in a new way this week.

     I’ve been reading a new book, Kindling Desire for God by Kay Northcutt.  It approaches preaching as spiritual direction for congregations.  Wherein the pastor becomes the spiritual director for the congregation.  I think this book is giving voice to my thoughts around preaching.  Asking the hard questions.  Wondering with rather than for the congregation about those things that often don’t make sense.
    The role of a personal spiritual director is to call into question the thinking and rational of the people involved.  Perhaps without consciousness, that is what I thought preaching has always been supposed to do.  I remember sitting in one of my classes in seminary and hearing many of my friends say something like; ” This is really interesting, but there is no way I can preach about this, I would loose my job.”  We had many discussions about this in seminary.  I have to tell you, I have the greatest peace when I bring the words of God to the congregation that I am being asked to deliver.  I wish that were true for all of those who labor around the task of preaching.

    Been thinking alot about integrity.  You know that ethical value, moral action, conscious choice to do what is right especially when no one is looking.  Integrity….you do what you say you will do, you don’t do the things that you know you are not supposed to do.  How do you teach people to act with integrity?  How do you teach people that their word is still the most prized possession that they have?  
    I wonder if it is not the cool thing to do anymore?  Is it possible that because so many adults do not live in integrity anymore, that they are incapable of teaching that value to their children.  I have been struck the past couple of weeks with an abundance of people who can always find someone else to blame for the issues in their lives.  How easy that would be for so many people.  Oh my, I wish sometimes that I were able to let go of my responsible nature and not take credit for some of the foibles that I have caused.
    I was speaking with a faith leader a few days ago, who said “People don’t police themselves anymore, they believe it is their right to do whatever they wish to whomever they wish.”  I hope that she was not correct.  I pray that folks in my chosen family will step up to the plate and explore and find the peace and self assurance that develops when one lives in integrity.  I think that integrity was one of those unspoken ways that Jesus demonstrated “THE” way.  I wonder how long it will take before the world figures out what we are all called to do?

    Creating Change.  I used to believe that things just changed.  That given time and necessity, things would change.  Of course, I never thought about who or what got to decide “necessity”.  One of the things that I have discovered this week at this conference, is that intentional change is what the problem is.  Change that just happens, is an easy step.  Rarely though, is this sort of change what moves society or people to a new understanding and a new way of being.
    If, however, people make a choice to change, if they get new information which informs their decisions, then  change can be permanent and effective.  My thoughts are about this today because the name of this conference that I am attending is “Creating Change”.  It is about changing the climate, changing the culture of this country.  It’s about changing hearts and minds, to change the culture.  It’s about creating change in our culture so that all people are treated with respect and dignity.  Lots of ideas, lots of networking, lots of strategy, lots of love.  
    As we all move to embrace change in our society, let us find ways that enable us to embrace the changes that will bring respect and dignity to all people.

    I’m sitting in the Grand Hyatt in Denver, Colorado talking with a room full of mostly white people about privalege and power.  Who has it, who doesn’t, what is static and what is fluid.  What could be changed and what can’t be changed.  I think about my good friends who moved to Louisiana.  Who repeatedly gave up their power and position of being straight, white, married, and very educated, to live and work amongst those who often had no power.  What an example.
    I also think about the churches filled with people of power who don’t get any idea about giving up their place of position or power, who would not be willing to even think about what I am talking about.  It must be intentional.  It is not a happenchance idea.  The world will stay exactly the way it is, if we don’t make some intentional changes.  That means we must make intentional efforts to bring and empower people who have no privalege with us as we move.  It means that we can not passivly sit by and wait for people to be empowered.  
    Shall we be agents of change, or shall be remain part of the problem with empowering people of typically no privalege to move themselves to positions of power?  Isn’t that what Jesus was all about?  Could it be that people who are the marginalized are really those who are without privalege as well?  What if there were a way to change that?  Would you be willing to step outside of your privalege even if only for a moment in time?