Chardon .  Newtown.  Boston.    Fertilizer Plants blowing up.  Chemicals sent in the mail.  Maybe when we hear these words and the horrific events attached to them we want to yell out with the Jews: "'How long will you keep us in suspense?’'' If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.  We do not want the suspense any longer.  We want God now.  In the midst of the calamities, in the midst of senseless we want the full resurrection peace, now, today. These inconsolable events and the families attached to them, leave us with our mouths often dropped in our own disbelief of humanity's in humanity to one another.  Jesus does give us, I guess, a partial response in his answer:  “I have told you and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name testify to me...   My sheep hear my voice.  I know them and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand.'"  

From Pastor Randy's Sermon on 4/21/2013 

From Pamela:  
How true.  When despicable and senseless tragedy hits us, the voice of fear and doubt says, so where was God in any of this?  If God is all powerful then why didn't God prevent this from happening?

Then we remember that we (as CS Lewis said) live in enemy occupied territory.  True, most Americans do not live with the daily background sounds of gunfire, explosions and keening voices.  However, the possibility of tragedy is with us every single day. And in recent days, tragedy has erupted and traveled in shockwaves, and we are reminded of our vulnerability.

In our most vulnerable moments we are called to look and listen for the sights and sounds of hope.  They are there -- they beckon to us and gather us into heart of God.

It is not easy.  It never has and never will be.  But our faith assures us that it is possible -- Nothing and no one can ultimately snatch us from the hand of God.

What is your comfort zone?

.  I don’t know of anyone who doesn’t want to be comfortable.  Whether it is financially, whether it sitting behind a new car during a test drive, whether it is the mattress on your bed, the people you hang around, the couch or the recliner that is positioned just right in front of the television, we seek comfort.  But sometimes due to unforeseen circumstances, and things out of our control, good and bad life changes, among some of the first group of feelings we find ourselves dealing with, is this sense of being uncomfortable.  And the human reaction to being uncomfortable is to seek comfort.  Again, it doesn’t matter if these changes are good or bad, expected or unexpected; we still seek out a new comfort level.  It may be leaving for college, it may be getting married, changing jobs, or moving into a new house.  And it might even be a new worship service, or a new church program, or doing things in a different way. 

 What about the disciples’ comfort zone?  How much of their world had been turned upside down?  Just about everything.  Each week since our Easter celebration we have heard these accounts of their encounters with the risen Lord.  How was their comfort level?  For now no matter what they experienced they knew that the tomb was empty, the Lord had risen; death had been conquered through their Teacher, Savior, and Messiah.  For them the world would now be forever changing, but the one level, the one thing that would remain the same, was their comfort in knowing completely that the tomb was empty.

(From Pastor Randy's Sermon)

From Pamela:  It seems to me that we have an abundance of comfort objects (or activities or substances) that actually decrease our need for understanding NEED for comfort zones.  To be sure, we have developed many patterns for increasing comfort -- think of the ice breakers or team builders at fellowship gatherings -- or the cocktail hour at business conferences.  They are all aimed at softening the raw, uncomfortable edges of unfamiliarity.  

I think about our worship services and the moments when I begin to feel on edge or uncomfortable.  (Chuckle... in another place, I will tell you about mine if you tell me about yours!!)  

Then I remember to remember the Empty Tomb.  I remember to remember that Jesus is with us, wandering around, saying "when you begin to feel uncomfortable, focus on me.  Together, we will see how this all works to help us praise God!"  

So... think about YOUR uncomfort zone.  Be honest about it.  Let Jesus walk with you into the comfort zone.  

Perhaps an unlikely model for us can be, of all people, the disciple Thomas. Thomas doubted, but yet he came back and stayed in the room with the disciples.  As Christians, we too are free to doubt.  God has created us with a mind to think and act freely.  God can handle our tough questions.  God can handle our moments of desperation, and certainly God can survive our doubt.  God, despite often our own acknowledgment, is there in our times of questioning, as well as our moments of great faith.  There is a saying that reads: "I respect faith, but doubt will get you an education."  As Christians we do not have to feel guilty that we sometimes question the things of God. God is there. God understands. But faith too, has an important role. We need to hold on to the example of Thomas when we doubt ourselves and our faith. Thomas was open and honest about it, and most importantly he stayed with the group of believers, despite the despair of this own thinking. We too, in times of frustration, in times of working things out, need to hold on to our community of faith, our church.  

 (From Pastor Randy's Sermon 4/7/2013)

From Pamela:  I think doubt is a universally shared human experience.  Everybody has moments when what we believe to be true is not validated by information or perceptions that moment.  Our beliefs and opinions benefit from regular affirmation, even if proof is not possible.  

You probably have heard that "the opposite of faith is not doubt, but, rather, indifference".  Indifference terminates the conversation (or the relationship).  The doubter still has a partially open mind that leans toward the matter at hand, waiting to learn more.  In many ways, doubt invites civil presence, and sometimes even civil conversation.  

So, when we "doubt" matters of God, in many ways it is an invitation to see what more (or what else) God is revealing to us.  

We know the final outcome, we know the final word. The tomb is empty!

And it is exactly because of this empty tomb that we can know that the light that has burst into the world and has given us a hope that can rise above all things.  For the resurrection hope is what the human heart can run on. 

Hope is what prompts a man and a woman to stand before family and friends and promise “I do” even though they have no guarantees.  Hope is what fuels those same couples despite years of promises broken and hearts damaged, to give their original promise another try.  Hope is why human beings keep bringing children into this fallen world.  Hope is why we build schools and colleges.  Hope is why we build hospitals.  Hope is why there are therapists and counselors.  Hope is why parents agonize over what to do when their children are going through different issues and trials.  Hope is why the farmer plants seeds.  Hope is a composer who starts a piece of music, an artist who picks up a paintbrush, or an author who begins to put words down on a piece of paper.  Hope is why we set our alarms in the morning.  Hope is why the Cleveland Browns even bother to have training camp! 

Hope is why Abraham left his home.  Hope is why Joseph tells dreams. Hope is why Moses is willing to take on the Pharaoh.  Hope is why Samuel anoints the kid David.  Hope is why the prophets are willing to take on the society.  Hope is why John the Baptist begins to baptize people with water.  Hope is why Peter leaves his nets, why Zaccheus climbs down the tree, and why Matthew gives up tax collecting.  Hope is why these same disciples huddled together, stayed together and then were willing to risk their very lives for the hope that they had witnessed. Hope is why we gather to worship the resurrected God.

(From Pastor Randy's Easter Sunday Message) 

From Pamela: I have experienced tiny hopes that flutter with timid understanding of what might be possible.  I have also felt hopes emerging from probability that nothing, most likely, will get in the way of an expansive and joyful future.  

Yet the fulfillment of the hope is what leads me toward the unknown with confidence.  In the situations where hopes were shattered, I may be timid to set out on the same or similar path again.  But hopes fulfilled provide the inspiration and motivation to keep stepping on a path even if its way is obscured by the unknown.  

We can follow Jesus with hope.  Even when we find ourselves walking steps through suffering our major challenges, as long as we are following Jesus we can keep moving -- the fulfilled promises of the resurrection -- Death does not win! --  activate hope even in the midst of the unknowable mysteries we face.  

Good Friday

Are We Willing to Accept Our Cross?

Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.  Psalm 31:5

"Jesus does not say "make a cross" or "look for a cross."  Each one of us has a cross to carry.  There is no need to make one or look for one.  The cross we have is hard enough for us!  But are we willing to take it up, to accept it as our cross?"  Henri Nouwen 

Today is the day when it is important to set aside the plural "we".  Jesus said pick up YOUR cross and follow me.  It is the day to look into the eyes in the mirror and say "Will you pick up your cross and follow?"

Yesterday you heard the "snap" of being broken and poured out for others.  Today take time to look at the realities of your life and see the cross which is yours.  Even today you have the freedom to  choose to ignore, reject, refuse or hate whatever suffering or tribulation is yours.  You can even stay on the sideline and cheer along the other cross bearers, sending out attaboys.   And then, if you wish, you can choose to simply carry on with the life you protect as your own.  Jesus will not force you in any way.

But he said:  "Pick it up.  Follow me."  What will you say?  What will you do?  When you look at this image

do you see Jesus or do you see yourself? 

Have you had enough Lent yet?

There is an old story told about a man who was dreaming that he was witnessing the crucifixion.  In this dream he couldn’t stand the gory thing that was happening as he watched the soldiers’ pound nails through the hands of Jesus.  So finally, in his dream he runs over and grabs a hold of the soldier and turned him around only to see that the face of the soldier was his own face.

This Lent we have been, in our cross of thorn readings, looking at how we participate in that event as well. How is it that we crucify Christ today?  How do we contribute to the crowd mentality to silence the voices we don’t want to hear?  To silence the message that can cause us to question our own motives, to question our priorities, to question our decisions?  How are we sometimes guilty of trying to rid ourselves of the ugliness of the cross of Christianity?  Sometimes, in our own humanity, we only want to hold on to the dawn of Easter morning while wanting to forget the darkness of Good Friday.    (From Pastor Randy's Sermon on March 9-10)

From Pamela:  Even those of us with the best of intentions on the week or two following Ash Wednesday may have reached this point in Lent with some "devotion fatigue" setting in.  We have had conversation as a staff that the Wednesday evening participation drops down as we come to the 4th or 5th Wednesday of Lent.  Perhaps we actually do believe that we have prayed enough, or fasted enough.  I know with the change of the season and the longer daylight hours we may become less inclined to come to church on a Wednesday evening -- it seems much more spring-like to dig around in either the flower bed or our closet.  We want to prepare our property and our wardrobe for spring.  

There is nothing wrong with that.  But maybe it makes sense to pause when we begin to think that Lent is getting to be burdensome or tedious.  

In reality, these next days of Lent (before the familiar patterns of Holy Week) may be times of significant transformation for each person.  As we acknowledge our feelings about the weight of Lent, we can more fully understand the expanse of what what is lifted from us in Easter!  

On the Pastor's Mind

 2Corinthians 5:16-21

 From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Paul says we are not to regard another from a human point of view....  How in the world do we do that?  How can we see others the way God sees them?  What might we pay attention to when or if  we see them that way?