Singing a New Song

As I write tonight I'm listening to one of my favorite musicians sing her heart out on Instagram.  Though there's probably a million people watching, I feel like she's singing right into my heart.  There's something about music for me that truly grounds and draws me into the presence of the Sacred.  This connection might have begun before I was born, as my mom has been a church organist/pianist my whole life.  Music often speaks to me in a way that nothing else seems to, giving words to things that I may not be able to express well myself.  

One of the best gifts so far of this time has been the willingness of artists to share their art, whether it be music, drawing, children's stories, teaching yoga, or just allowing their talent to shine without reservation.  I hope you have been able to join in on some living room concerts, or drawing lessons for a bit of a break from the solitude.  

On Sunday I read Psalm 40 and I thought I'd share a small portion of that tonight. Psalm 40:1-3 says,

I waited patiently for the Lord;

    he inclined to me and heard my cry.

2 

He drew me up from the desolate pit,

    out of the miry bog,

and set my feet upon a rock,

    making my steps secure.

3 

He put a new song in my mouth,

    a song of praise to our God.

Many will see and fear,

    and put their trust in the Lord. 

U2 actually did a cover of this Psalm back in the 80's when they ran out of studio time.  Facing the time crunch, Bono flipped open his Bible and found this Scripture.  They wrote and recorded it right then and there and it became a closer for many of their concerts.  Singing a new song is a beautiful way to think about what we are in the process of doing right now.  Without hesitation I can tell you that all around me, in conversation and reconnection with folks from the past, in new friendships and deep spiritual connections, God is doing a new thing, placing songs into our souls that have never been written before.  

So my question tonight is pretty simple.....what's the new song being written in you?  And, are you brave enough to sing it?

I hope so.  The world needs you right now.

Rest well, friends.

Pastor Devon

Perspective

Waking up with a bit more anxiety than normal is helpful for my desire to exercise. When my insides are wound up the best medicine for me is to get out and work through it.  Since I am not supposed to be at the church I decided that today was the day to hop on my mountain bike and get moving.  I've ridden this same 8 miles many times because I can just go from home. It's about mile 5 that this hill shows up.  This hill kills me every-single-time. From this picture it doesn't look like all that much, but it's a long hill, starts out climbing slowly and then right at the top, when your legs are screaming, is a steeper climb. The trade-off is that once you're over it, the rest of the way is pretty easy.  

Romans 12:12 says, "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."  If you've known me very long, you probably know that this comes at the end of one of my favorite passages of Scripture.  It's an easy one to remember, which might be helpful these days.  It came to mind today as I sat at the bottom of this hill trying to convince myself to just dig in and pedal.  What does it mean to be joyful in hope?  Patient in affliction?  Faithful in prayer?  

Living in what sort of feels like the twilight zone has given me a new perspective on what it means to live with hope - and how when we realize that there's always hope we can truly find joy.  I cannot imagine living right now without faith, without the foundation that no matter what comes....joy comes in the morning.  What is giving you joy today?

How about patience, something that matters most when we are thrown into new and unexpected circumstances.  In Scripture, James tells us that affliction is what grows us and matures us, but that always sounds like something at which we might roll our eyes. It is hard to have patience when we are uncomfortable, and yet it is in times like this when God often moves in mighty ways.  How's your patience these days?

Faithful in prayer is the easy one for me, because I have learned that in every moment is the presence of God.  So often we think that being prayerful means sitting silently with some sort of well-planned out thoughts, when in reality it's just sharing yourself with the One who created you and knit you together.  Are you sharing your life with God, the highs and lows and in-betweens?

I have a feeling that we are all climbing some sort of hill, sometimes they're small and other times they feel never-ending.  In the midst of this physical separation from one another it can feel like we are climbing slowly....but once we reach the top the view will be different and we'll realize how far we've come.  Let's run this race with joyful hope, patience and faithfulness.

Sending you all the love,
Pastor Devon

Ain't No Grave

Well, friends in Michigan...we find ourselves again in an even more interesting time as we are being asked to really buckle down and quarantine in our homes for at least the next three weeks.  Yesterday was a day that this all really hit me.  As I walked down the lonely dark hallway to our sanctuary I was filled with such sadness at the emptiness.  It's funny how this can trigger all sorts of things in us.  I was emotional going in, and then when our livestream really failed I just cried after worship. 

That original feeling of sadness led me from that realization that I wouldn't be in worship with all of you any time soon, to a feeling of despair about what else I can do to help us stay connected, to serious frustration at things not going as I'd hoped, and then on into the afternoon I found myself really in the throws of grief.  It's a bit of a familiar feeling to me since my Dad passed and then my amazing Aunt, but it does come up at the weirdest times.  I'm thankful that a long walk in the woods helped me get my head and heart back on the same page.

Feeling this drastic loss of control can trigger all sorts of things in us, and I guess I am writing about it today just to tell you that if you're having trouble, you're not alone.  If you are feeling all sorts of feelings that don't make sense, you're not alone.  And if you're able to stay in the rational facts and figures of the Coronavirus maze, all of us feelers really need you in our lives right now.  

In the 11th chapter of John, Jesus is confronted with the news that his good friend Lazarus is sick.  He waited two days before making the journey to Bethany to connect with Lazarus's sisters Mary and Martha.  When he finally arrived he was four days too late, Lazarus had died.  He was first confronted by Martha, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died." He reassures her that Lazarus will rise again.  A few verses later it is through her tears that Mary confronts Jesus with the same reality..."If you had been here, my brother would not have died."  It's at this point that Jesus' spirit is moved and he asks her to take him to the tomb of Lazarus.  And, as he stands there he weeps.  

Today as the news of this three week stay-at-home Executive Order I felt like I was standing outside of the tomb weeping as I realized that this year we would not be diving deep into the power of Holy Week as we would normally do, nor will we gather in the joy of an early Easter morning to celebrate Christ's victory over death.  I'm not sure how we will do this from my living room, but I promise you we will...and when we can gather again we will have the most amazing Easter celebration that you've ever experienced.  

Jesus understood the depth of Mary's grief.  He felt the loss that comes with the death of a loved one and friend.  He knew he would raise Lazarus from the dead, but in that moment he just felt what they were feeling.  Sometimes it is easy for me to just push down feelings of sadness or grief and latch on to joy and thanksgiving as fast and boldly as possible. Perhaps now is the time we are being asked to slow down, and stand outside the tomb with Jesus.  Just allowing and embracing the fear and feelings that come with all of this unknown, yet resting in the knowledge that the power of Christ is real and can raise us from death into new life.  That's the good news that'll never fail.  

So, if you are like me and feeling these things pretty deeply these days make sure you reach out and connect with people that will encourage and love you.  Let's not be afraid to embrace each other right where we are, and stick together until we can physically be together.  

If you need a great song to cheer you up that is all about resurrection, check this song out:
Ain't No Grave (This is Cageless Birds feat. Molly Skaggs, but Johnny Cash sang the original and it is here: https://youtu.be/o0MIFHLIzZY) 

I'm with you!
Pastor Devon

Love is

We have made it to Friday.  On a normal week this is the day I try to "take off" though, to be honest I'm pretty terrible at it.  Today I find myself actually sitting at home with two attack-cats that aren't sure why I'm here.  It has been a wild week, wouldn't you say?  For many of you it has meant spending more time with your people at home.  I hope the walls are not closing in on those of you who are not only parenting, but also teaching your children.  I hope those of you that live alone, like me, are not feeling alone in this.  I have heard from many of you who are playing games, taking walks, and truly enjoying a bit of a sabbath from the responsibilities of our normal lives.  

It is tempting as we are told more information about this virus to kind of look at other people as dangerous, or to be afraid that somebody might get too close, or that we will touch something someplace that will harm us.  If we let this get into our heads it can almost make us feel paranoid.  While we must follow the guidelines and safety measures being put into place, we cannot start to fear one another.  We really need each other right now.

In his letter to the church in Corinth, Paul talks about love.  This Scripture is often read at weddings, when thinking about the romantic love embodied by two people as they say yes to a lifelong covenant with one another.  But Paul wasn't writing about this type of romantic love.  He was writing to a young Christian community that was starting to face division as they began to live out their newfound faith in Christ. They were trying to do it right - meaning to follow any of the "rules" they felt were necessary and to make sure everyone else was following suit.  Wouldn't you know, that it didn't take long for them to begin having some tension in what that meant, disagreements about what was most important and how to define their community. 

This love that Paul speaks of is one that leads to unity and care of community.  If you want to read the whole passage in your Bibles it is 1 Corinthians 13, the verses below come from The Message translation:

Love never gives up.

Love cares more for others than for self.

Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.

Love doesn’t strut,

Doesn’t have a swelled head,

Doesn’t force itself on others,

Isn’t always “me first,”

Doesn’t fly off the handle,

Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,

Doesn’t revel when others grovel,

Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,

Puts up with anything,

Trusts God always,

Always looks for the best,

Never looks back,

But keeps going to the end.

I chose The Message today because it made me really think this morning.  When we are living in closer quarters than normal, when we are dealing with high levels of anxiety and fear, when we do not have as much control over ourselves and our environment as we normally do, it is tempting to lose our ability to love like this.  This kind of love can be expressed outwardly, but can also focus right in on ourselves - have you been loving yourself well?  If we don't start there, it is hard for us to express it to others. 

Maybe today as you look this over you can give yourself a bit of a check in.  How well are you loving?  How well are you being loved?  

Prayer:  Loving God the struggle to love can be very real sometimes.  Calm our fears this day and help us to recognize the gift of the people in our lives. Your love is sustaining, help us to breathe it in fully that we might share it with others.  Amen.

Have a good weekend everyone - hope to see you online on Sunday morning for worship!

Pastor Devon

Beautiful Things

 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.  

Ecclesiastes 3:11

Did you see the beautiful sunrise this morning?  It was AMAZING.  It made me get up early and outside for a long walk, which is pretty much the way I am going to stay sane for the next few weeks.  How are you taking care of yourself?  

I was also so blessed this morning by Parker Palmer's daily post on FB, (if you click this link you can read it too: Parker Palmer's Spring is Mud and Miracle) which reminded me that TODAY is the first day of spring!  This new pace has really made me stop and listen to many things, but one of the things I have been enjoying the most is the sound of the birds singing.  It is a gift that while the situation we are in seems really chaotic and scary, we can ground ourselves in the new life that is blossoming all around us.  

The other HUGE gift I received last night was a chance to gather for Bible study with some of the church.  While I can definitely make some improvements on how to do online study, the real joy was just spending time with people, seeing them and hearing them and knowing that regardless of physical distance there is something that continues to connect us.  Maybe you can join us next week, Wednesday at 6:30pm.  I don't know about you, but doing anything remotely normal is really comforting right now.  

The 3rd chapter of Ecclesiastes is one you probably know.  I read it often at funerals, but you'd probably know it best from the Byrds, "Turn, Turn, Turn."  I won't post it all here, because you can look it up and read it, but it basically says that "there is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven." Time is a funny thing.  Usually each week I am wishing I had more of it, sometimes I'm not sure where it goes, but if it's the middle of the night and I'm looking at the clock it seems that each minute lasts a lifetime.  Our understanding of time is rooted in spacial metaphors, past-present-future, yesterday-today-tomorrow.  If you're really bored you can read about St. Augustine's understanding of time in The Confessions: Book XI, but the gist of what he had to say is that God is outside of the confines of our understanding of time, that God in creating all things also created time.  

The verse above rings true in times of uncertainty.  We cannot completely fathom what God is doing, has done, or will do.  But, we can trust that God is making all things beautiful in time.  As Christians, we can be clear that the worst thing is never the last thing, because the best is yet to come.  So rather than being anxious and fearful, let's look around and notice the beautiful things God has set in our paths.  Where are you seeing beauty today?

Prayer:  Thanks God, for the promise of spring.  For the dirt and the mud that will lead to the beauty of green pastures and colorful flowers.  Keep us grounded in the knowledge that this season will pass, and help us to be present each day, witnessing to the beauty and gifts around us.  Amen.

Air-hugs,

Pastor Devon

Snacks and Mags.

Well friends, I wonder, how are you holding up today?  What are you reading?  And, how's your snack supply? In the last 24-hours  I've had all sorts of thoughts running through my head:

• Do I really have enough toilet paper?
• Is now the time to adopt a doggy, or ALL the doggies?
• Maybe a road-trip with a full backpack and a long hike is the way to go?
• I should clean my house and match all the socks that don't match. But I don't want to.
• Why am I so sad and grumpy?  I have tons of books to read!
• Why is this day lasting so long, when usually I never have enough time?
• I wonder how to use this time to grow our church...is that possible?

I guess, in the end....and thankfully in much better head/heart space this afternoon, I am finding myself really open to what it is that God can teach me throughout this time.  Obviously, I still have so much to learn. Much like you, I am sure, my pace of life is pretty jam-packed with great stuff.  I get to spend time with wonderful people who remind me every single day that God is moving and working.  I get to love the cutest kiddos, and learn from the wisest elders.  And we laugh....often.

Into the middle of full-speed ministry comes the ultimate slow-down, coupled with high anxiety and all-consuming fear.  These are three things that are contrary to my entire wiring - and they are so easy to get swept up in.  I don't want to get swept up - how about you?  So, let's think about what we can learn about God, ourselves, and each other through whatever may come.  

One of the hardest parts of this has been the realization that there is so much we, as humans, cannot control.  But, isn't that at the very root of our understanding of faith?  Trusting God feels much more difficult when I can't control all the normal things.  There's a great lesson here.  

So far today I have been reminded of the value of the people around me.  They are gifted and generous, loving and kind, intelligent and skilled in ways I am not.  What is God teaching you today?  

Trust God from the bottom of your heart;

    don’t try to figure out everything on your own.

Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;

God’s the one who will keep you on track. Proverbs 3:5-6

Prayer:  God, who keeps us on track, help us be open to You in the midst of the unknown.  Calm our fears, connect us in new ways and grant us an awareness of those people who are feeling the most isolated and alone.  Help us to hear your voice of calm this day.  Amen.  

Lots of love to you - Pastor Devon

What IS That?

A sticky spot, some dirt and Christmas candy.  There was also a mysterious puddle in the fridge that I didn't think you'd want to see.  These are the remnants of a semester of campus ministry at the Wesley House.  I know it is the end of the semester when I can finally put up tables and really clean things, in anticipation for the coming flurry of activity that the next semester will bring.  I'm not sure what that sticky spot was, but as I discovered it I gave thanks.  
Sticky spots on the floor may not be what you give thanks for, but for me it was a reminder of the many students that had been in our building these last few months.  This semester has been challenging in many ways - (for me personally it started with a broken rib, foot surgery, and the process of writing my initial draft of my D.Min project). For my students the semester began with faculty on strike, power outages, and a lot of confusion!  But we made it.  The exams are done.  The papers have been turned in.  In the process we celebrated new connections with local churches, a huge youth overnight, and moments of deep spiritual conversation both in worship and around tables of tacos and 1/2 off apps at Applebee's.  
As I discovered the sticky spot and the mysterious refrigerator goop I realized that the building was quieter than it has been in weeks.  This last few weeks reminded me that ministry is never boring.  Even when a long to-do list awaits God reminds me often that what's most important is listening, encouraging, and just plain being present.  Campus ministry is so fast paced, we start full-speed in August and we don't slow down until December.  In the midst of regular worship and Bible studies we spend energy reaching out to new students, and cultivating relationships with local churches.  At the same time I see God working in the lives of the students as they find strength in being in a safe and welcoming community.  Twice this semester I had a student pull me aside to tell me that they loved being a part of Wesley House and appreciate what we do....but they wanted to be clear that they aren't religious.  Both times this happened my heart sang a little bit in recognition of what God does through this ministry.  Isn't that the kind of community that we are called to be as people who want to be like Jesus?  
The thing is, we don't have to develop religious people.  What we do at Wesley House is love people the way God does...and often just by doing that they begin to realize that they are loved by God.  Then we get to have conversations about faith and service and things like spiritual gifts.  I imagine our campus ministries touch more non-religious young people than any of our churches ever will.  It is not because church isn't friendly or welcoming, it is because we can meet students on their terms in their territory.  Sitting in the library giving a student a pack of Ramen noodles and snacks, wishing them luck on exams is what Jesus would do.  Putting gingerbread houses together and Christmas trivia contests can lead to praying for students' deepest hurts and concerns. 
As we enter into our final week of Advent I am reminded again to make space for the Holy One.  Emmanuel - God with us.  The God who continues to breathe life into our chaos.  The God who holds all things together, even when I wonder if we are falling apart.  The God of sticky spots and open hearts who calls us into the best version of humanity that we can be.  Thanks be to God.