Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Relationships Are Most Important

When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home. – John 19: 26-27 (NRSV)

What does it mean to you that even upon the cross Jesus was taking care of the people with him? Does this say anything about the importance of relationships? If so what does it say?

The following story was sent to me:
I sat next to the bed of old man, a friend for over twenty years, and held his hand. Hal was dying. We both knew these next few days would be his last.
We spent time reminiscing about his long and fruitful career as a church pastor. We talked about old friends. We chatted about his family. And I listened as he offered sage wisdom and advice to a member of a "younger generation."
At a lull in the conversation, Hal seemed to carefully consider what he was about to say next. Then he squeezed my hand, gazed intently into my eyes and whispered, just loud enough for me to hear, "Nothing is more important than relationships."
I knew that this was somehow near the pinnacle of his life's learnings. As he considered all of his experiences -- personal, professional, spiritual and family, this one ultimate observation surfaced above the rest: "Nothing is more important than relationships."
"Don't get overly caught up in your career," he seemed to be saying to me. "Likewise, don't use people in order to achieve your goals, then throw them away. No project, no program, no task should be pursued at the expense of friends and family. Remember," I heard him saying, as clearly as if he were speaking the words, "that in the end, only your relationships will truly matter. Tend them well."
Writer Og Mandino puts it this way: "Beginning today," he said, "treat everyone you meet as if he or she were going to be dead by midnight. Extend to them all the care, kindness, and understanding you can muster, and do so with no thought of any reward. Your life will never be the same again."
At the end of a long life, my friend Hal would have agreed.

Even on the cross Jesus recognized the relationships right in front of him. Sure there was a great goal he was achieving, but not at the expense of the people who would live on without him physically present. If Jesus could take time out of saving the world to make sure people he loved were taken care of, I hope we can take time out of our days to remember that nothing is more important than relationships. That might have been Jesus’ whole point!

With hope and joy,
Garrett

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Minister's Minute from February Issue of the Journal of Hope and Joy

My son danced with me the other day. I was trying to get ready for work and he went up to a toy that plays music and started a song. Then he ran over to me and grabbed my hand. “Come on, daddy, dance!” he said while trying to pull me up. I got up and we danced. We danced while he laughed and I smiled. When the song was over he went to it again, played another song, and we danced again. For a second I wondered if that is what heaven is like… and maybe it is or maybe it isn’t, but I pray to my God the memory of that moment never leaves me. It has already been my fuel for joy in moments of need.
A couple of weeks ago we had some crazy weather. It was cold and stormy during the night and when I woke up there was ice everywhere. The lawn was white and shiny, the puddles were frozen over, and the trees looked like huge snowflakes. I went outside to get into my car and go somewhere but I couldn’t. The scenery grabbed me, and even though I don’t like the cold I walked around my neighborhood just to see everything. Some of the trees looked like they were out of dreams, they were unreal, and yet there they were and I was looking at them, and they were beautiful. At one point I noticed my breath, each exhale billowing out of my lungs and hanging in the air. All together I was overcome and just stopped in the street and prayed because it was all I knew to do. I prayed and I’m not even sure what I prayed. I wondered if God would show up and if I’d see God’s breath too… I never did, but I pray to my God the memory of that moment never leaves me. It has already been my fuel for joy in moments of need.
I went to a “country” church for the Presbytery’s pulpit exchange this year. I say “country” because that is what it was. After 3 years in this place I am still a bit shocked that God has called me here. We showed up early and parked in the lawn because there was nowhere else to park. The church was very small, and the only things around it were fields and singlewide trailers. I had no idea what to expect. The service started and that little church was packed with people and the Spirit. Children ran around without any regard for anything but joy. My son sat behind the pulpit with me with a little bag of candy he ended up spilling all over during the sermon. Afterwards the church had prepared a massive meal. There were at most maybe 50 of us there, and there was a enough food for 150. And as I sat there eating plate after plate I realized something. I may be a kid from California and there I was in Blakely, Georgia, but we all have the same God and God was there… and somehow I knew I was home, but I pray to my God the memory of that moment never leaves me. It has already been my fuel for joy in moments of need.
A couple of weeks ago the session and deacon board got together and went on a retreat. It’s been 3 years since I first had the session on a retreat where there were only 6 people there. Now we have 18 elected officers working together to figure out what our church will do for the next 5 years. We ate together, worshipped together, and worked together, and I saw it. Life where some thought there was only death, life and life abundant. I understand the resurrection and it’s power better because of our church. I love my God and what my God can do more because of our little church. And as I watched all these different people work together for the greater good I saw God… maybe not in person but working among us, and I pray to my God the memory of that moment never leaves me. It has already been my fuel for joy in moments of need.
What is your fuel for joy in moments of need? All around us there is reason for joy. The cynic would point out that there is also reason for despair, but I would counter there are only reasons to have people who offer fuel for joy so that joy abounds. To those who are hurting and in need, we must become their fuel for joy! God offers a world so full of beauty, a life filled with surprise, and moments of inspiration to each of us with the express intent that we in turn offer the world what God has given us, joy!
Riding the Wave of the Holy Spirit,
Garrett

God Dealt With It

For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and to deal with sin, he condemned sin in the flesh. – Romans 8:3 (NRSV)

Does this make you celebrate? What does it mean to you that God has dealt with all sin? What does it mean to you that God has dealt with your sin? Do you live your life in the freedom of this Gospel?

My first year of seminary was bad for me. I was struggling with my sense of call in a place where I did not know and with people I was not sure I liked. I did not know what to do. Each day got a little worse as I felt more and more alone in my struggle.
One day my mother called me and asked me how I was doing. I told her I was not doing very well, and that I thought I was going to have to leave. My physical and mental health were taking a beating, and to save myself I was convinced I was going to have to quit.
Being a proper mother bear type my mother said, “I’ll deal with it.” I had no idea what she meant, but she hung up the phone saying, “I love you, tomorrow it will be better.”
The next day I received a call from the clerk of session at my home church who said, “I’ve talked to your mother, we are going to make things better.” I then got a call from the pastor who said, “I’ve talked to your mother, we’re going to support you better.” Next the executive presbyter called who said, “I’ve talked to your mother.” Then the head of the Committee on Preparation for Ministry, “Your mother called me.” Next a liaison I didn’t know I had, “I just talked to your mother.”
You know what? Things got better.

I know I am not alone in having a mother who was able to deal with things I could not. When we found ourselves mired in sin God became a mother bear unwilling to let her cubs suffer alone. So what did God do? He dealt with it once and for all! God came down as a person like you and like me. Christ took it all and died, and when he died our sin died. Jesus came back from the dead and sin did not. Rejoice and never stop rejoicing because God dealt with the sin that we could not!

With hope and joy,
Garrett