Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Sermon: 02-21-2010
First Sunday of Lent
Sermon - Pathways to Prayer: The Invitation
By Pastor Cindy Watson
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Some thoughts on Saint Patrick
Tomorrow, many will be "celebrating" Saint Patrick's Day with corned beef and cabbage, wearing green and drinking copious amounts of green brew. Not any thing wrong with that, I like corned beef and cabbage, green is one of my favorite colors, but I do draw the line on consuming anything that is artificially made green.
I celebrate Saint Patrick's Day being grateful for Celtic Spirituality and for the wholistic approach that they bring to faith. While it is difficult to separate the man from the myth, Patrick was at the very least a diamond in the rough. His education was lacking and haunted his ministry as evidenced in his Confessions. He was a slave and ran away only to be called back by God to his place of enslavement.
Celtic Spirituality has a blessing for everything: for the fire that provides warmth and energy for cooking, for the home, for the hearth, for the field, for the plow, for all aspects of life: sickness and health, life and death, seasons as they come and go. From the moment one awakens, to the moment one falls asleep there are blessings and prayers to be said and shared.
In the book Celtic Blessings and Prayers, Making All Things Sacred, Brendan O'Malley writes, "The purpose and effect of a blessing over any object or activity, person or circumstance is not so much to alter the symbol or inner life of its reality: it is to thank God for the gift of its existence and use, and to offer that use back to him."
In our current culture, there appears to be far more curses shared, than blessings. Hateful words are hurled in order to try and create a reality that may or may benefit all. Sound bites are offered in order to provoke a reaction as opposed to creating dialogue and deepening understanding. Shouts, angry faced mobs drive any debate on any issue. Cursing seems to to be the order of the day and I long to hear a word of blessing, of hope, of faith.
I wonder what might happen if in the midst of the Saint Patrick's Day festivities people "blessed" one another. What kind of celebration might bring more light and hope and faith when people are blessed for their struggle to understand, blessed in their journey, blessed in their differing life situations and blessed as beloved children of God.
So I offer a portion of Saint Patrick's Breastplate as a blessing. Attribute to Patrick, but used throughout the ages may it's words be a blessing:
I arise today
Through God's strength to pilot me:
God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me,
God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me,
God's hand to guard me,
God's way to life before me,
God's shield to protect me.
With that blessing, I am grace to serve.
I celebrate Saint Patrick's Day being grateful for Celtic Spirituality and for the wholistic approach that they bring to faith. While it is difficult to separate the man from the myth, Patrick was at the very least a diamond in the rough. His education was lacking and haunted his ministry as evidenced in his Confessions. He was a slave and ran away only to be called back by God to his place of enslavement.
Celtic Spirituality has a blessing for everything: for the fire that provides warmth and energy for cooking, for the home, for the hearth, for the field, for the plow, for all aspects of life: sickness and health, life and death, seasons as they come and go. From the moment one awakens, to the moment one falls asleep there are blessings and prayers to be said and shared.
In the book Celtic Blessings and Prayers, Making All Things Sacred, Brendan O'Malley writes, "The purpose and effect of a blessing over any object or activity, person or circumstance is not so much to alter the symbol or inner life of its reality: it is to thank God for the gift of its existence and use, and to offer that use back to him."
In our current culture, there appears to be far more curses shared, than blessings. Hateful words are hurled in order to try and create a reality that may or may benefit all. Sound bites are offered in order to provoke a reaction as opposed to creating dialogue and deepening understanding. Shouts, angry faced mobs drive any debate on any issue. Cursing seems to to be the order of the day and I long to hear a word of blessing, of hope, of faith.
I wonder what might happen if in the midst of the Saint Patrick's Day festivities people "blessed" one another. What kind of celebration might bring more light and hope and faith when people are blessed for their struggle to understand, blessed in their journey, blessed in their differing life situations and blessed as beloved children of God.
So I offer a portion of Saint Patrick's Breastplate as a blessing. Attribute to Patrick, but used throughout the ages may it's words be a blessing:
I arise today
Through God's strength to pilot me:
God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me,
God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me,
God's hand to guard me,
God's way to life before me,
God's shield to protect me.
With that blessing, I am grace to serve.
Monday, March 1, 2010
In the midst of life....death
Part of a pastor's life is to be part of the most intimate moments of life; birth, transitions, graduations, marriages, baptisms, and death. There were two deaths in the congregation I serve this day. One, while having been ill, was sudden and unexpected. The other had been in hospice just two weeks.
There is an ancient Native American saying that goes "death always comes out of season." My twenty eight years of ministry has proved that statement to be true. Whether one is waiting and walking that "valley of the shadow of death" or whether something unexpected occurs, death is always "out of season."
Now I will be the first to say there are worse things in life than death. Death is often a blessing after a long drawn out illness. Death can be just a semi-colon in terms of a life well lived and now a person transitions into a new life.
And yet, death is always unexpected and brings grief even in the midst of a thankfulness for a life well lived and love shared. Today, I was privileged to be at bedside when that final breath and small sigh was taken. For that person, there is no more terrible pain, but for those who remain, the path to life without someone they love dearly has begun.
In the days to come, plans will be made to celebrate the lives of those who have loved and made a difference. Memories will be shared, tears shed, prayers said. My "job" if you will, is not to make things better, but to give voice to unique and unrepeatable spirits, to be the presence of the Divine in this valley of the shadow of death.
I am honored to be and do those things. But mostly, I am grateful to be called to this ministry. And I am privileged to be
Graced to serve,
There is an ancient Native American saying that goes "death always comes out of season." My twenty eight years of ministry has proved that statement to be true. Whether one is waiting and walking that "valley of the shadow of death" or whether something unexpected occurs, death is always "out of season."
Now I will be the first to say there are worse things in life than death. Death is often a blessing after a long drawn out illness. Death can be just a semi-colon in terms of a life well lived and now a person transitions into a new life.
And yet, death is always unexpected and brings grief even in the midst of a thankfulness for a life well lived and love shared. Today, I was privileged to be at bedside when that final breath and small sigh was taken. For that person, there is no more terrible pain, but for those who remain, the path to life without someone they love dearly has begun.
In the days to come, plans will be made to celebrate the lives of those who have loved and made a difference. Memories will be shared, tears shed, prayers said. My "job" if you will, is not to make things better, but to give voice to unique and unrepeatable spirits, to be the presence of the Divine in this valley of the shadow of death.
I am honored to be and do those things. But mostly, I am grateful to be called to this ministry. And I am privileged to be
Graced to serve,
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Ready for Spring
The last two days have been a welcome relief from this long winter we have been having. Stan Finger in the Wichita Eagle, blogged last week that this is a historical winter. Since recording temperatures in Wichita it the last 1880's, there are never been a winter where we have not hit sixty degrees. As of today, we still have not gotten there yet.
Part of what has made this winter so long for me has been the unrelenting fog and grayness. I do not really mind the cold, but I need, I crave sunlight. While I enjoy the fog for its mystery, the day in and day out fogginess and remaining grayness truly began to wear on my soul.
Today, however, I had an opportunity to work with my husband on the outside of the house. There were a few spots that need some scraping and some touch up paint. While waiting for the primer to dry, I made a cup of tea and sat on the deck with my face toward the sun. I have not sat outside in the sun since last November. I walked out to the garden and noted that the chives are beginning to poke up through the brown grass. In the front, the tulips are beginning to send up some leaves. The days are getting longer. While it is still chilly, the warmth is beginning to creep back.
In the Christian tradition we are in the season of Lent. For western Christians it is a forty day period (not including Sundays) that leads up to Easter. Often words are used to describe this season as "long, dark, penitential, sober, somber" a time of penance and fasting. The final days of Lent are focused on Jesus' last hours before his crucifixion.
What is interesting about this convergence of weather change and liturgical season is the meaning of the word Lent. Lent means "spring". That's it. No huge deep philosophical or theological meaning. Spring, lent means spring.
In some ways the season of lent has been difficult for me. I have not problem focusing on the "evil" in the world. It takes very little time to find examples of our inhumanity to one another, or injustice at work. However, as the days get longer and warmer and the green erupts from the ground, it becomes harder for me to be somber. I want to be outside, enjoying the sun and the energy and the new life. Focusing on grayness, on penance and on fasting when the bounty of spring is erupting is almost beyond what I am capable of.
Perhaps, Lent is a preparation for the joy that spring brings. Maybe, if I was willing to really do the hard work of penance, of weeding and cleaning out the weeds and the clutter in the garden of my soul, it would be ready for the sunlight, the love and the life offered through the Easter experience.
So I will try and hold my heart and soul in patience as I walk these lean days of Lent. I will focus on ridding myself of whatever is not helpful or hopeful. Then, when Easter comes, my heart and my spirit will be ready to burst forth in new life and energy.
I remain Graced to Serve.
Part of what has made this winter so long for me has been the unrelenting fog and grayness. I do not really mind the cold, but I need, I crave sunlight. While I enjoy the fog for its mystery, the day in and day out fogginess and remaining grayness truly began to wear on my soul.
Today, however, I had an opportunity to work with my husband on the outside of the house. There were a few spots that need some scraping and some touch up paint. While waiting for the primer to dry, I made a cup of tea and sat on the deck with my face toward the sun. I have not sat outside in the sun since last November. I walked out to the garden and noted that the chives are beginning to poke up through the brown grass. In the front, the tulips are beginning to send up some leaves. The days are getting longer. While it is still chilly, the warmth is beginning to creep back.
In the Christian tradition we are in the season of Lent. For western Christians it is a forty day period (not including Sundays) that leads up to Easter. Often words are used to describe this season as "long, dark, penitential, sober, somber" a time of penance and fasting. The final days of Lent are focused on Jesus' last hours before his crucifixion.
What is interesting about this convergence of weather change and liturgical season is the meaning of the word Lent. Lent means "spring". That's it. No huge deep philosophical or theological meaning. Spring, lent means spring.
In some ways the season of lent has been difficult for me. I have not problem focusing on the "evil" in the world. It takes very little time to find examples of our inhumanity to one another, or injustice at work. However, as the days get longer and warmer and the green erupts from the ground, it becomes harder for me to be somber. I want to be outside, enjoying the sun and the energy and the new life. Focusing on grayness, on penance and on fasting when the bounty of spring is erupting is almost beyond what I am capable of.
Perhaps, Lent is a preparation for the joy that spring brings. Maybe, if I was willing to really do the hard work of penance, of weeding and cleaning out the weeds and the clutter in the garden of my soul, it would be ready for the sunlight, the love and the life offered through the Easter experience.
So I will try and hold my heart and soul in patience as I walk these lean days of Lent. I will focus on ridding myself of whatever is not helpful or hopeful. Then, when Easter comes, my heart and my spirit will be ready to burst forth in new life and energy.
I remain Graced to Serve.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Sermon: 01-17-2010
Sermon - Does Faith Matter: The Question of Violence and Hatred
By Pastor Cindy Watson
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Response to Haiti Earthquake
The devastating earthquake this week in Haiti has stunned everyone who has seen the pictures of the tragedy that continues to unfold there. The desperation of the survivors, the thousands of victims, the rubble and the need for food, water, shelter and medical care. Already millions of dollars have been donated to the Red Cross, United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), Doctors without Borders and countless other relief organizations.
Last night as I watched the news, I found myself strangely offended by the news coverage. I know that the best way to get information out is through pictures and stories so that the world will respond to the need. However, I found myself wondering if the news was crossing the line showing a child screaming in pain while the reporter held his hand. Then they had person after person asking where the help was, asking "Why is no one responding?"
The world is responding, but of course it can never be fast enough for the hurting, the hungry and the thirsty of Haiti. The sheer logistics of getting aid where it is needed is overwhelming. Aid is arriving, as I type, as people read what I write. However, it doesn't stop the pain of those without medical care, the fear of those whose children are thirsty and hungry and the unbelievable grief of a nation mourning the loss of thousands.
I am choosing not to "watch" any more. I do not want to be voyeur into other's pain. What I will do is pray, that the relief efforts continue to pour in. I will pray for order and peace in the chaos as the aid is being delivered to those who desperately need it. I will give generously and often in the next few weeks.
Here is the link for the United Methodist Response to the earthquake. It includes a way to give to UMCOR. One hundred percent goes to Haiti.
http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umcor/work/emergencies/ongoing/haitiearthquake/
Charity watch is an organization that keeps tabs on charities. UMCOR has received one of the few A + ratings. The link invites you to go to their website.
www.charitywatch.org
Finally, our children will be putting together Health Kits....they are simple really, but needed in tragedies like Haiti. The supplies for them are listed in the link above or on the church website www.westheightsumc.org
If you would like to help by bringing supplies, or by making health kits, I would invite you to drop them off at the church, 745 N. Westlink, Wichita, Ks.
In prayer, and in hope, I continue to be
Graced to serve
Last night as I watched the news, I found myself strangely offended by the news coverage. I know that the best way to get information out is through pictures and stories so that the world will respond to the need. However, I found myself wondering if the news was crossing the line showing a child screaming in pain while the reporter held his hand. Then they had person after person asking where the help was, asking "Why is no one responding?"
The world is responding, but of course it can never be fast enough for the hurting, the hungry and the thirsty of Haiti. The sheer logistics of getting aid where it is needed is overwhelming. Aid is arriving, as I type, as people read what I write. However, it doesn't stop the pain of those without medical care, the fear of those whose children are thirsty and hungry and the unbelievable grief of a nation mourning the loss of thousands.
I am choosing not to "watch" any more. I do not want to be voyeur into other's pain. What I will do is pray, that the relief efforts continue to pour in. I will pray for order and peace in the chaos as the aid is being delivered to those who desperately need it. I will give generously and often in the next few weeks.
Here is the link for the United Methodist Response to the earthquake. It includes a way to give to UMCOR. One hundred percent goes to Haiti.
http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umcor/work/emergencies/ongoing/haitiearthquake/
Charity watch is an organization that keeps tabs on charities. UMCOR has received one of the few A + ratings. The link invites you to go to their website.
www.charitywatch.org
Finally, our children will be putting together Health Kits....they are simple really, but needed in tragedies like Haiti. The supplies for them are listed in the link above or on the church website www.westheightsumc.org
If you would like to help by bringing supplies, or by making health kits, I would invite you to drop them off at the church, 745 N. Westlink, Wichita, Ks.
In prayer, and in hope, I continue to be
Graced to serve
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