Earth Day is EVERYDAY.

Today is Earth Day, and I hope you have had an opportunity to reflect on that, at least a bit.  For us, it has been a snowy one, which most people aren't too happy about.  But, this too shall pass.  I wonder if you have kept on eye on the things that are happening to the Earth, now that the humans have been put on restriction.  The Earth is healing, and it is pretty fascinating to read about.  (One article from earlier is here: Climate Crisis in Coronavirus, but you can find all sorts of interesting things about this online.) 

I have been so blessed in my life to experience the beauty of creation in all sorts of ways.  I love to be outside, and have experienced God in such profound ways just by being present with creation.  When I was trying to figure out if God could possibly be calling me into a life of ministry I spent an entire summer sneaking moments before work on the beach in Saugatuck with my Bible, just praying that God would help me figure out what I needed to do. God moved big for me that summer.  

I was so blessed when working with Hearth to Hearth Ministries to be in Africa multiple times. (Check them out here and adopt a child who needs you: https://hearthtohearth.org/). It is one of the most beautiful places I will ever go in my lifetime, with the most beautiful young people.  I met God in new and life-changing ways there.  
  

                               

A few summers ago, after my first year in campus ministry I was again reminded of the healing power of nature on a retreat at the Holy Island of Lindisfarne.  This was a life changer for me, and offered my soul the rest it needed.  This tidal island is a place of pilgrimage, and walking from the mainland to the Island, with the seals barking and the North Sea wind whipping reminded me of God's persistent presence and care for me. 

When I think about the beauty of our earth and the amazing creatures therein, I recognize the depth of our responsibility as its stewards.  We have failed so often and are now seeing the consequences of our abuse of the earth, our constant over-use, and disregard of that which truly does keep us alive.  So much of our activity as humans is about getting what we want, when we want it.  It is good to be reminded that we have responsibility to care for the other creatures too.  

Thanks for letting me share these pics with you, I wonder where you have met God in the wild world?  Have you taken some time lately to just listen to the sounds outside? Did you wake up early enough to see the sunrise this morning? 

We can't take all of this for granted, because it speaks boldly of the creativity of our Creator.  God is still creating, redeeming, and sustaining...let's do our part to help.  

Be Blessed,

Pastor Devon

Masks

I have spoken to many people recently who find themselves struggling with really understanding their reactions, emotions, frustrations and fears. I wonder if this bewildered state of being has been caused by the fact that we are having to spend a lot of time with ourselves.  We have been forced to hang with all the "stuff" that we tend to carry around.  And, when we can't be as busy as normal, and we are in the midst of a great loss of control, it is like God is holding up a mirror to the person we can usually hide or cover up with the busy-ness and productivity of our lives.  

Ironically we are wearing very visible masks in public these days, but long before this I think most of us wore the invisible kind really well.  I have thought a lot recently about these masks, and just why so many of us are walking around living less than authentically, maybe even a bit afraid to live into the person that we have been created to be.  We learn in our youngest days some really false teachings about success, beauty, popularity, and strength.  Girls recognize early on what they "should" look like, and boys are often taught that being emotional is a no go, for a strong man.  And as we age these masks are layered as we learn to cope by keeping our true selves hidden and safe.  

This past fall right in the midst of the loss of one of the saints of our church, a bunch of us got really sick.  I was visiting at the hospital when it hit me, but one by one like dominoes it seemed to take us all down.  We all lost a lot of weight that week, and it really made me think about how fundamentally we humans are really all the same.  That's one of the lessons this virus has taught us too, that no matter who we are, how much money we make, or what we think we must accomplish...we all have these bodies that humble us and connect us, because we aren't as invincible as we might think we are.  I suppose aging and illness are truly the great levelers. So I wonder why we spend so much of our lives trying to fit into molds that someone else has designed. 

My forever favorite Psalm 139 speaks to the truth that God has created us intentionally, for a purpose, and that beyond our ability to comprehend we are known, loved and understood by our Creator.  

O Lord, you have searched me and known me.

You know when I sit down and when I rise up;

    you discern my thoughts from far away.

You search out my path and my lying down,

    and are acquainted with all my ways.

Even before a word is on my tongue,

    O Lord, you know it completely.

You hem me in, behind and before,

    and lay your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;

    it is so high that I cannot attain it.

Where can I go from your spirit?

    Or where can I flee from your presence?

If I ascend to heaven, you are there;

    if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.

If I take the wings of the morning

    and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,

even there your hand shall lead me,

    and your right hand shall hold me fast.

If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,

    and the light around me become night,”

even the darkness is not dark to you;

    the night is as bright as the day,

    for darkness is as light to you.

For it was you who formed my inward parts;

    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

    Wonderful are your works;

that I know very well.

My frame was not hidden from you,

when I was being made in secret,

    intricately woven in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes beheld my unformed substance.

In your book were written

    all the days that were formed for me,

    when none of them as yet existed.

What would the world look like if we took off our own masks, and truly offered people the grace to live authentically?  What if our expectations of one another were rooted in the understanding that we are all doing the best we can, with what we have?  I wonder how different our world might become.  Before we can even take those steps, though, I think we must realize that throughout all of our days we have a God that knows us, inside and out.  God already knows who we are, and loves us the most.  

One of my favorite Christian folk artists is JJ Heller, and a few weeks ago just as this was beginning she recorded a new song that sums all of this up pretty well.
It is called You Already Know, and you can listen to it by clicking here: You Already Know.

God does know, and I hope that brings comfort to you.  It sure does to me.  That even when I'm not sure which end is up, God is already there helping me figure it out.  I am so hopeful that as this all slowly moves into a new phase we won't just go back to putting on the masks we've worn for way too long, but that we will embrace this time as a transition into a new way of being the Body of Christ, authentic and strongest together.  

Have a good night everyone.
Pastor Devon

The Tough Days

I wonder how you are all doing today?  It was a beautiful day here, and I am so grateful for time spent outside in the sun.  Sunny days seem to make this a bit easier. 

Tonight I thought I would share with you a bit about my yesterday.  
Each week we record our worship service on Saturday, so that it can be ready to be viewed on Facebook and Youtube on Sunday morning, at our normal worship time.  It is always a relief to get it all set up, but then there is this half hour period between our Sunday school zoom gathering, and the beginning of worship.  I find myself full of nerves as I sit in front of the computer hoping it will all go as it is supposed to, and ready to "fix" it if something goes wrong.  

And as it starts I see the names of people pop up and say hello, checking in.  Some of these names are people I normally see on Sunday, others are persons I have loved for years, but don't get to see because they live so far away.  Once in a while I will see someone join that I haven't talked to since high school, or a family member of one of our parishioners joining in from another state.  There is this rush of joy to know that we can gather, even though we are not physically together.  And yet, yesterday I found myself so filled with sadness.  I just longed for normal, for the energy of the gathered people of God that fills my spirit on Sunday mornings.  I miss the joy of seeing new faces, and the comfort of hugging those people who have attended for years.  I miss the sound of laughter and the fist bumps I receive during children's time.  And the list could go on...and on.  

Figuring out ministry in this context has been a challenge, but I have found such joy in the fact that people are hanging in there and trying their best to stay connected.  I can generally find something hope-filled and positive about most situations.  But yesterday I just tanked.  I'm not telling you this to ask for encouragement, or for your affirmations, because I think it was just my turn.  I'm just telling you this because I imagine that many of you have gone through, or are going through days a bit like this one was for me.  And, it doesn't look like the end is in sight anytime soon.  

It made me think of the beloved Scripture from Matthew 11 that says: 

28 “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

I have often heard people say things like, "Just give it to Jesus.  He will take care of it."  But when I read these verses I realize that what Jesus is saying isn't, hand over all your tough stuff and I'll deal with it.  What Jesus is saying is, share with me your burdens, and together we will journey through this.  Together the burdens of life are lessened, and when we stay connected we can find rest.

The Message Version of this same Scripture says:

28-30 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

This morning dawned and it was a new day, though they do seem to be running together a bit.  I realized that today needed to be soul-filling in a different way.  So, for me, today was a day of putting away my phone, setting aside the computer and spending a bit of time with some people I love, outside just being.  I have reflected today on what it means to "learn the unforced rhythms of grace."  I am not very good at making space for real rest, and yet this is such an important aspect of the life of faith.  

Barbara Brown Taylor puts it beautifully in her statement above.  We learn things from the darkness, from the hardest days and the longest nights, that we might not learn any other way. I wonder what things you have learned about yourself in the last six weeks?  How have you been learning about the rhythms of grace?  These rhythms are comfortable, free, and light.  

So, my prayer for all of us tonight is that we might engage this time less focused on output or getting things done, and come to a new understanding of what it means to be yoked with Christ, the author of these unforced rhythms of grace.  

Blessings, my friends.
Pastor Devon

Grateful

This might be one of my all-time favorite pictures of ministry, just sent to me this week.  I have been trying to connect with the children in our congregation each week over Zoom.  I never feel prepared for this, and I'm never really sure it is working.  But we meet, and we tell jokes, and play Pictionary, and I try hard to ask them questions about life and faith, and  affirm Jesus' love for each of them.  It might be most important that each of these young people remember that they have friends at church, which someday may become the kind of friends they can always rely on, even in the middle of the night.  

These children have no idea the gift they give me each week when we meet, allowing me into their lives for just a moment.  They laugh, and talk about butts, and we are reminded that even social distancing can't stop our laughter and connection.  They remind me to slow down and just give thanks for the gift of relationship and the joy of being welcomed into another persons life, even if it just for a moment.  

I am used to doing ministry, being present, offering help and prayer whenever I can, and these children remind of the gift of receiving and being.  Perhaps like me, you have trouble receiving, and are much more comfortable being the giver.  This is something that has been a real challenge for me, to just say thank you, and receive the gifts and care of other people.   

Children get this.  They anticipate with excitement the gifts they will receive and they aren't afraid to ask for the love they need, when they need it.  Jesus seemed to recognize this truth and challenged the disciples to embody it in Matthew 18:1-4:

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a child, whom he put among them, and said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. 

Perhaps it is in the excitement and eager joy of children that we come to understand what it means to truly embody the joy of the Kingdom.  This is a lesson I have been learning for the last year, as in the midst of great challenge people surrounded me with such great love and support.  My immediate reaction was surprise....why would people take time out of their busy lives to embrace, encourage, and care for me?  

In the last few weeks I have been the recipient of some wonderful gifts.  I am certain that some have come straight from God, as answers to prayers long-lifted.  Others have come in the form of banana bread, cookies, and casseroles, cards, messages, and phone calls of encouragement and concern. God continues to teach me the humble spirit of a child that receives with great thanks, and celebrates these gifts as glimpses of God's overwhelming love for each of us.  But receiving is hard, and I continue to face that tempting voice that assumes I am not worth all this effort.  

Are you aware of the gifts in your midst?  Have you, too, been the recipient of God's kindness and grace lately through the hands or words of another person? Gratitude is a spirit that I always hope to embody, and I have come to realize that sometimes I actually deny that by being so stubborn about being the giver, at the expense of receiving. 

So friends, for what are you most thankful tonight?  And how is your spirit of gratitude these days?  I am certainly a work in progress.

Thank you to all of you who have been a source of encouragement and love for me!
Pastor Devon 

  

 

Things I Wonder

Quarantine has made things super weird in all sorts of ways.  Not only is it like Twilight Zone when you do have to go out to the grocery store, seeing everyone in masks, and wondering why there are still people NOT in masks.  But, there's also this pervasive feeling of "I should be doing...."

I recognize that not working is creating all sorts of chaos and fear for both people who've had to file for unemployment, and for those who have been deemed "essential" and are often quarantined from their own families.  I have little room to complain, and am so grateful in many ways for the safety of home and the kindness of the people for whom I work.  

At first it was like this was some grand opportunity to do all the cleaning and projects I've always wanted to do.  But I have barely scratched the surface of any of that.  So tonight, I just thought I'd make a list of all the things I've been wondering about for the last few days:

1. Why does everything I used to do in one hour now take eleven hours?
2. What can I eat?
3. Why am I so tired?
4. How much hair can actually come off a cat before he's bald?
5. Why do I always have laundry to do?
6. What can I eat?
7. Why is everyone watching this Tiger movie on Netflix?
8. Why am I not quarantining someplace poolside with palm trees?
9. Is this my sixth cup of coffee?
10. Can I go to bed at 8pm so it will be tomorrow?
11. Is it time for ice cream?
12. Does anyone deliver margaritas?

But the predominant question in my spirit these days is, "I wonder how this will change things." Have you noticed how loud the birds are in the mornings?  Have you seen the different ways the earth is recovering in just the weeks that we have been inside?  Maybe, like me, you've had time to really process and ponder the pace of your life?  In lots of ways this has made us ask the hard question of what is truly most important.  

Doing church online has been a wild ride.  I have NEVER looked or listened to myself this much, EVER.  And it's not something I enjoy, which is something every pastor I know is feeling pretty deeply right now.  I have always been kind of a "what you see is what you get" person, but having sermons online into eternity makes this all a lot more vulnerable.  Maybe that's another way that things will change, because behind every pastor's credentials is just a person who feels called by God to use their gifts in this specific way.  And it sure seems like God is on the move through all of this internet evangelizing.  

I've also thought a lot about my church and denomination and how long and drawn out our tensions about inclusivity have become.  As painful as it has been, I was hoping there would be some kind of resolution this spring, and now that too has been pushed back.  I wonder if throughout this time we might come to realize that the most important thing is really doing anything and everything we can so that people encounter the living, all-loving Christ?  I have a glimmer of hope that this could be a real shift in what we are so focused on, and rather than worrying about who people love, we might just focus on making sure all people know the depth of God's love and saving grace.  I know it isn't that simple, but what if IT IS?

I don't have any profound theological insights tonight.  I'm weary and the ice cream is calling my name.  So I will just end with this.....what is it that you wonder about?  And how can we hold on to the mystery of this time, so that when it IS over we don't go right back to our old selves, and our old ways?  

Again, I suppose, this is resurrection thinking.  

May God fill us with all the wonder, and the courage to do something about it.

Love to you,

Pastor Devon

Others > self

So, today I read about a pastor in Virginia who decided that "God was bigger than this virus" and held church on March 22nd because as a preacher felt he was "essential because he talks to God."  This pastor died on Sunday from COVID-19.  His wife is also sick.  Sometimes I think Jesus must feel like this:

I have also read all sorts of nastiness directed at our governor for placing these restrictions on us, "even though the virus isn't even really here." GUYS. That's the whole point - stop movement in the state so it also stops. PREVENT people from coming into contact with one another so that in a few more weeks we can be grateful that because of these precautions PEOPLE DID NOT DIE.  

Ok. So some of our freedoms have been squelched for a while.  But if one person stays alive because we waited to go out on our boats, don't you think it is worth it?  Sorry for my rant tonight, but when Christian people claim that God won't let us get sick because we have some claim to holiness that nobody else has, I call BS.  God does not will for people to get sick, or for hurricanes and earthquakes to cause all sorts of tragedy.  Humans have free will, and often we don't use it for good.  The consequences of our actions are often due to our choices....and we can't pin that on God.  

But God does have a will in every circumstance. The idea that our freedom matters more than someone else's life is rooted in selfishness, and greed, I'd say.  That is so far from Christ-like thought. Christ challenges us to be sacrificial in love, to love our neighbors as we want to be loved. It is about submission to something larger than "me" and "what I want." God is bringing something new to life in humanity right now, and if we are so focused on what getting what we want, we are going to miss out on God's new thing.  

I've spent some time with one of my spiritual favorite's today, Father Richard Rohr.  He has a magnificent way of talking about this very thing: 

"The spiritual experience is about trusting that when you stop holding yourself, Inherent Goodness will still hold you.  When you fall into such Primal Love, you realize that everything is foundationally okay. Foundational love gives us hope and allows us to trust "what is" as the jumping-off point toward working together for "what can be."  The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus shows us what's fully possible. God will always bring yet more life and wholeness out of seeming chaos and death."

Perhaps, rather than looking at our situation as limiting, we can look at it as life-giving.  This is a resurrection perspective - one that eagerly awaits God to bring something new into being.  When we truly embrace the vastness of God's love and covenantal relationship with us, we realize we don't have to prove that our God is "bigger" or "stronger" because none of that matters.  What matters is the realization that everything is held in God's love, and that this embrace fundamentally changes our desire from me to we.  

We have just come through the hardest and most beautiful week of our Christian journey - from the Hallelujah's to the cross, to the empty tomb.  For Jesus, it was not about him....it was about us.  So, if you find yourself feeling really frustrated with the way things are currently, that is understandable. If you are struggling with all this social distancing, you are not alone.  My prayer for us, though, is really simple. May we do as Paul challenged in his letter to the Philippians:

"Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,who, though he was in the form of God,    did not regard equality with God    as something to be exploited, but emptied himself,    taking the form of a slave,    being born in human likeness." (Phil. 2:5-7)

Trust me, friends, I want this to be over just as much as you do.  But, in the meantime, in this Easter week, let's focus our hearts and minds on being Christlike, humble and love-centered. Let's come together as the Body of Christ, focused not on self, but others, and courageously launch into the fullness of God's possibilities.

Pastor Devon

Resurrection

"So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.

 Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way."

Colossians 3: 12-17, The Message

This Scripture in this version makes so much sense to me.  I have always liked how it tells us to put on love, our basic, all-purpose garment.  It is a reminder that sometimes we have to remind ourselves to be clothed in love, that we can choose to BE love, even when sometimes our attitudes may not naturally go that way.  

I'm not sure I should even be writing about this here, but I had the most wonderful opportunity this morning.  Early in the winter I met Brian and Tracey at church, they have been staying at Our Brother's Keeper and I really got to know them throughout our Sunday afternoon community gatherings at church.  Brian even became a regular snow-shoveler for our driveway when he noticed it needed it.  They asked me in February if I would be willing to do their wedding and they wanted to get married in April.  To be honest, with all of this social-distancing and doing church online I had completely forgotten about it.  They called me and asked if I'd be willing to marry them, and I told them I couldn't do it in the church.  So...the plan became to just have a small ceremony in the parking lot of OBK.  You know my mantra, blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape, so I said, sure!  It was set for 11am today, and if you live in Michigan, you probably know that it was really cold, windy, and even snowing at that point.  

You know we have all these rules happening, and the shelter has been very strict about not letting anyone new in since this all started.  But, grace abounds and so we ended up having this little wedding ceremony inside.  What's interesting is that these folks have been dealing with housing insecurity together, through this quarantining.  So, the spirit inside was filled with joy, support and eager expectation for these two kind hearts to be joined together in marriage.  

This was the Scripture they chose for the day, and I have thought about it all afternoon.  I have to admit that I was less than eager to do this wedding outside today, and I was concerned about all the details of this thing...and the minute I got into the midst of this family  of people, I realized that this is what truly claiming resurrection is all about. 

Proclaiming resurrection means finding hope in the midst of struggle.  It means holding fast to love when all the factors around you might seem impossible.  It means trusting when it seems like the odds are against you.  And there is this wonderful element of surprise to resurrection that....well surprised me today.  I thought of Mary, filled with grief and fear, crying and then hearing her name and realizing it was Jesus standing there with her that early resurrection morning.  God shows up in all sorts of fascinating ways when we are searching and open to His voice.  I KNOW this, and yet I am so often surprised by God's faithfulness to keep showing up. 

That's the thing about life right now.  Despite all the radical changes in how we do church, all the staying home, all the technological nightmares, all the illness and fear...God keeps showing up, and showing up big.  The wedding this morning challenged my perspective in such a way that all day long I thought of the many ways that God is blessing my life right now.   How is God blessing your life right now?  

Resurrection is an attitude.  Resurrection changes everything.  Resurrection isn't just something that happens in the future, it is something we live now, proclaiming that God's redeeming work in Jesus Christ continues in each and every one of us.  Resurrection claims the importance of love and commitment even in the midst of social distancing.  

How are you living into resurrection today?

It's a great question.

Rest well, friends.

Pastor Devon