Here at FCC we have a crew of thinking folks; those who ponder and wonder and seek to scratch the surface.  Last evening I received an email from one of our newer members, a young man who constantly causes me to think and grow and learn. "I keep wondering about the cultural obsession with zombies", he wrote.  "Is it fun or is it an underlying indication of no belief in God?"  

I responded with this: "I don't think much about zombies.  However, I HAVE noticed a tendency for trends to occur without any thought behind them. So, perhaps brainless people who can only exist by feeding off the thoughts (or brains) of others is pretty appropriate...
It is my belief that few people act or think; they re-act or follow.  I see the fads of vampirism and zombies to speak to the supernatural - but a supernatural that requires no real commitment, or involvement.  As opposed to a Supernatural that commands love, mercy and justice.
I fall back on one of my truisms: Whatever the fad, it seems to beat feeding poor people.........."

Over the last 8-10 years, there has been a movement within the popular culture surrounding vampires, ghouls, and zombies.  (The Four Little Ponies of the Apocalypse is an underground image many of us in ministry use - all in good fun - when we are strapped for a VBS curriculum.  We're really not serious.  Really.) And, for the most part, I think such movements are market driven. They sell books, and movies, and PS3 games, and - evidently - cell phone contracts.  But on a more serious note, of course, the larger symbolic images of people who such the life out of others or wander aimless trying to feed off others cannot be ignored.  

Save us from a culture of such ghouls.  Not the sparkly vampires, or the (mostly) well behaved zombies who 'just want to fit in'.  I mean the real ghouls:  thoughtless soulless humans who meander through life without a brain in their head; people who are so unreal as to not cast an image in a mirror and who suck the life out of others.  You probably know such people.  I know I do.

The church is called to be the body of Christ.  May we journey with intention, with brains and hearts and blood flowing through us, to serve and further the cause of justice and mercy and to spread the good news. 

Someone (don't know who) designated October as Pastor Appreciation Month - on my more curmudgeonly days, I think it was the Hallmark Company, but on most days I view it as a nice thought.
     I've received several very sweet cards from church members; it is nice to be remembered.  So, in that vein, I would like to offer a Pastor Appreciates column:
~I appreciate a choir that brings a beautiful message each week.  Musically we're all over the place at FCC, and I'm glad.  There is a variety of style and genre.  We have wonderful musicians, leaders, and accompanists.
~I appreciate our young people.  We have a group of youth who are wicked smart.  They are invested and involved in the whole life of the church and not just on the periphery in a youth group.
~ I appreciate our new family members.  We have been blessed beyond word in the last few years with a strong group of people who are on board for the whole ride.  They bring gifts and energy and a willing to grow in their relationship with God. What strength and what growth!  And we see the fruits each day.
~I appreciate the core family.  We have an interesting mix of life-long Disciples and those coming from another denomination ( or none at all); we have intergenerational groups; we have folks who have been here 30, 40 even 50 years.  Their devotion and walk and institutional memory enrich us all.
~I appreciate those who are no longer here.  There were many before us who  - through time and tide and change - do not worship with us now.  But their stories are still a part of the larger story of this place.
~I appreciate our elders, deacons, Board officers, and teachers.  There are so many folks who spend much time and energy working with our mission, outreach, education, and spiritual growth groups and do so without a lot of fanfare.
~I appreciate those who reach out to make sure I am doing okay, who tell me they pray for me.  It is always a special blessing.  
~I especially appreciate my husband, who - as do most folks who are partnered with those in ordained ministry - has had to shoulder responsibilities far beyond those of church membership.  He shows up on Saturdays to make sure the baptistery isn't leaking, he has been awakened at 2.30 am when there is a call from the ICU and made coffee so I can drive in safely (and on occasion, has driven me in), he spends a few evenings alone when the meetings run too long.  He has had more than a few vacations cut short, start late, and even cancelled completely - and without a word of complaint. What a treasure.

I love our church family.  I am alway grateful to God (well, MOST days...) for the call to ministry.  I am still excited by possibility, still stunned by mercy, still knocked to my knees by the sound of grace.

-M

It is a technological world in which we live.  Though I am by no means as connected as some, I am pretty well wired up for an old woman.  My calendar is on my iCloud, and my iPad is a daily companion which holds 3 translations of Scripture in addition to pictures of our granddaughters.  My phone has an alarm set on it to remind me - twice a day - to slow down, breathe, and listen.
     And yet............
     That which I need the most, and seek the hardest, and find elusive are qualities and gifts for which there are no easy fixes, no apps (free or otherwise) which will give me what I need.  The Scripture is on the iPad, but I still have to read it and absorb it.  The timer on my phone reminds me to be still and know God, but if I turn it off without responding or sit for a requisite time without letting go - nothing.  Though I am not on Facebook, I know many who are; "liking" Jesus is not the same as having a heart open to love.
     The essentials in life still (and always) will require us to be hunters and gatherers; will still want our hearts and minds and souls; will still be the only way to change our lives.
     Several of you tell me, often, that you read and appreciate this little blog.  I am glad.  But it's not enough.  We say around here "All means all".  That means all are welcomed and loved; but it also serves as a reminder that to acknowledge being a child of God and to follow in the way of Love and Mercy and Justice requires nothing less than All as well.
     There is no app for that..........

     Do you have a 'go-to' song?  Is there a singer whose voice can soothe you? A lot of people talk about the soundtrack of their life; what is on yours?
     Music is an integral part of worship, of life, and of our emotional landscape.  Even folks who are not particularly interested in music have preferences.  What I have found is that there are no absolutes (much like with the rest of life...).  Some are jazz people, some are Beach Boys people, some like instrumentals far above vocals, some like the Gaither Band while others like St Martin in the Fields.
      In times like these, when much of our world and our country seem to be teetering on the brink of civility, it's good to dig out our 'comfort music' and keep it around us like a cocoon.  My musical blanket is fairly eclectic: on my iPod one can find plenty of masses (I know, right?), Beatles, "The Art of the Fugue", Nickleback, Broadway musicals, James Taylor, Christopher Parkening, and Van Halen.  I can sort of dial up what mood I need.  I even have some spoken word selections - hearing the actual voice of Thomas Merton, Thich Naht Hahn, and Henri Nouwen is remarkably relaxing for me. I have Charles Kuralt reading Winnie the Pooh; trust me, it works.
     For you, it might be something completely different.  Even though we might tend to fall back on old standards, listen to new musicians from time to time, because you never know when someone may sing or play a Word to you.
     The other day, I was in my office working away with music blaring.  A member walked in, and stopped in my doorway. "How can you listen to that?!?"  Remember, that one person's solace may not be yours.  In times like these, gently spoken words are also comforting. 
     According to folks who know these sorts of things, the very earth itself has a pitch and a tone.  Align yourself with the earth and the Heavens, and keep the music going.  Which prompts me to restart "October Road".

Peace. (and Happy Birthday, John Lennon.......)

 One of the most often mentioned sermons from the last few months was one in which we talked  about the work of Heinz Kohut ( a psychologist who worked and wrote in the 1950’s and 1960’s) and his belief that the ‘blessing’ of a child was an essential component of a healthy identity.
            
Kohut named three parts of a blessing, which we then transposed to God’s blessing on Jesus.

1)   Kohut says that from very early on, a child needs their facial expressions and their babbling mirrored by someone else; it is a way they know they are being seen and heard. In other words: I SEE YOU.

2)   Kohut says that a child needs several people in their life who will acknowledge and honour the possibilities and potential within them. In other words: I SEE THE POTENTIAL AND POWER OF GOD WITHIN YOU.

3)   And most importantly, Kohut says, each child needs to feel that there is a place in this world where they are accepted and where they belong. In other words: YOU BELONG TO ME.

Even today – especially today – the church needs to be a place where people can hear and believe that blessing on their own life and then be able to pass it along to others. Right now, there are so very many people around you that need to hear that blessing.  Well, at First Christian we know we are to both speak and do love towards ourselves and others each day of our lives, in gratitude to God’s amazing mercy and grace and in obedience to our calling as disciples of Jesus. Today, and every day, know this:

YOU ARE SEEN. YOU HAVE THE POWER OF GOD WITHIN YOU TO DO GREAT THINGS. YOU BELONG TO GOD, AND YOU ARE LOVED.