Just for Fun -- 12 Days of Christmas (Straight No Chaser)

I heard this on the radio yesterday and just had to listen to it again today.  Thanks to youtube I found it within seconds.  I'm not sure if I heard the 1998 or the 2008 version ... I think it was the 1998 version.  But here are both.  Silly yes, but hey, if it makes you smile on an otherwise gloomy day, why not?

1998 Version:

2008 Version:

Advent in the Midst

At Rockland Community Church there is a longstanding tradition of having an Advent Wreath, lighting the Advent Candles, and having Advent Readings each Sunday during Advent.  This tradition was completely new to me when I first arrived in 2007.  Since then I have come to appreciate it and have done my best to tie my sermons in to the Advent themes of Hope, Love, Joy, and Peace.

I am now preparing to celebrate my last Advent Season with the people of Rockland Community Church.  All week I've been trying to come up with an Advent sermon series title.  I realize most preachers probably had their Advent or Christmas sermon series all figured out long ago ... but here I am, 48 hours from preaching on Sunday and I've only just decided upon a title.  I wish I could say this isn't par for the course!

In any case, I've decided to call the sermon series, "Advent in the Midst."  This Sunday's sermon will be titled, "Hope in the Midst."  Next week's, "Love in the Midst." And so on.  I may not end up preaching on the third Sunday, so "Joy in the Midst" might get skipped or maybe I'll combine it with "Peace in the Midst" on the last Sunday of Advent.

On a whim, I googled "Advent in the Midst."  The results were instructive.

Advent in the midst "of crisis and upheaval."
Advent in the midst "of the pain."
Advent in the midst "of the commotion."
Advent in the midst "of the secular excesses."
Advent in the midst "of a world where God is seldom felt."
Advent in the midst "of the distractions and busyness."
Advent in the midst "of all that is going on around us."
Advent in the midst "of all the hectic holiday preparations."
Advent in the midst "of difficulty in the world."
Advent in the midst "of these shallow and uncertain times."

Wow, can you identify with any of these?  I sure can.

We live in the midst of two Advents.  During the Advent Season we look back to the First Advent, to Jesus' birth -- the coming of the promised Messiah.  And we also, or at least we should, look forward to the Second Advent, to his promised return.  And during this in between time, we would also do well to remember that we are not alone -- in the midst -- because the Holy Spirit abides in us and Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father interceding for us.

I'm thinking about blogging through Advent this year, but I'm not sure I will have the time or discipline to do so.  But whether I do or not, I will be trying to focus on the Hope, Love, Joy, and Peace I/we can have right here, right now despite crisis and upheaval, pain, commotion, distractions, difficulties ...  But I know it won't be easy to do this.

In the Gospel Reading for this Sunday, Saint Luke records that Jesus said, while speaking of his second coming, “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap.  For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:34-36) 

Fortunately, my heart won't be weighed down with carousing or drunkenness.  But it certainly risks being weighed down by the "anxieties of life."  I pray that I, that you, will experience the hope, love, joy, and peace that we can have in and through Christ Jesus in the midst of whatever threatens to weigh down our hearts this Advent Season.

Don't Worry, Give Thanks (11/29/12)

This article will be published today in the Warren Sentinel.  It will be my last for a while ... maybe forever. A lot of this article came from my earlier post(s) on the topic and also worked its way into my sermon on 11/25/12.

Warren Sentinel Weekly Pulpit

Don't Worry, Give ThanksReverend Christof A. Weber

Rockland Community Church

November 29, 2012

I have so much to be thankful for that it is a wonder that I'm not always as thankful as I should be. Despite the countless ways in which I've been blessed, I still find myself worrying about far too much. I worry about the future … I worry about the present … and I even worry about the past. Pastor John MacArthur, is quoted as having said, “Worry is the sin of distrusting the promise and providence of God, and yet it is a sin that Christians commit perhaps more frequently than any other.” I confess that I too commit that sin. I too have a hard time trusting God.

I have been reminded this week that I need to trust God more ... with all the things that worry me. The Greek word translated "worry" in Matthew 6:25-34 and "anxious" in Philippians 4:4-9 is actually a combination of two words, "divided" and "mind." And the Old English word from which we get the word "worry" meant "strangle" or "choke." I know what it feels like to have a divided mind ... to have a divided heart. It feels a lot like being choked or strangled, like you can't breathe deeply enough.

I have found that taking a very deep breath can, for at least a moment, provide some relief. But doing so especially helps when I remember that God gives me each and every breath. When I do this it reminds me that God not only has my future, not only my present, but also my past in his hands. There is nothing that I can do and nothing that I have done that can separate me from God's love. But I don't always remember that.

Corrie Ten Boom wrote that, "Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength." When I worry, my mind and my heart are divided. When I worry I declare that I am unwilling to trust God fully. When I worry I imagine that I am somehow more capable than God. Worrying gets me nowhere and accomplishes nothing. There is much wisdom in the saying that, “Worry is like a rocking chair – it gives you something to do but it does not get you anywhere.”

Instead of worrying ... instead of being anxious ... I need to pray and to focus my mind on God's kingdom ... on righteous things ... I need to believe that God is in control of my present, future, and even my past. I need to pray and bring my petitions before God ... all those worries, all those cares, I need to lay before his throne ... and I need to do so with thanksgiving in my heart, acknowledging God's goodness and love and God's capacity to handle anything and everything that worries me.

When I find myself worrying, I need to pray. I need to entrust all of my worries to God. So much of what I worry about I have no power to change and have absolutely no control over. So much of what I worry about may never even happen. I need to be thankful that God is in control and that I am not. Only then will I experience shalom – wholeness, healing, and peace. Only then will my divided mind and my divided heart, be bound up and made whole. When I worry I need to remember the promise found in Philippians 4 that the God of peace will be with me. So easy to write. So easy to preach. So hard to live!

One of the things I am thankful for is the time I have had to serve as the pastor of the wonderful people of Rockland Community Church. I have learned so much over the last five years and have had wonderful opportunities to serve God and others. I pray that even as I have been blessed that I have been a blessing to others. As I turn to the next chapter in my life, with all the uncertainties this entails, I pray that I will worry less and trust God more. May you, dear reader, be blessed with the shalom that comes from entrusting your present, future, and even your past to God.

More Thoughts on Worry

So I preached on "worry" yesterday ... not because I don't worry, but because I do ... way too much.

It was comforting to learn that I wasn't the only one in the room who worries.  In fact, no one admitted to "not worrying."

I defined worry as: "a failure to trust God for a future beyond our control and/or a past we can not change."

I wish I had said it slightly differently, "a failure in the present to trust God for a future beyond our control and/or a past we can not change.

As I preached I had to admit, not just to myself but to everyone I preached to, that when I worry about anything (present, future, or past) I am distrusting God.  When I worry I'm basically declaring that God either isn't able, doesn't care, or that God doesn't even exist.  This wasn't the first time I've admitted to my ongoing struggle with trusting God and I'm sure it won't be the last.  But I pray that as each day goes by I will somehow worry less and trust more.

I ended my sermon with the story of Mary and Martha.  Martha, it seems was a worry wart.  Instead of sitting at Jesus' feet like Mary, she was busy with her worries.  And when Martha asked Jesus to chastise Mary, Jesus responded,  “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one.  Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

That I could learn to just sit at Jesus' feet ... to lay all my worries down before him ... and to rest in his presence ... to trust that he is able ... to truly trust that he is in control ... to acknowledge that he knows my present, future, and even my past and that he loves me nonetheless ... and to be confident that Jesus will meet my every need.  Few things are needed.  And my worries aren't one of them.  Indeed, there is only one thing that is needed:  to trust in God.

Last Part 3

For over two years Rockland Community Church has had a very unique worship service.  Instead of having two separate services as many churches do (one "traditional" and one "contemporary) and instead of having a "blended" service, we have had a three-part worship service.  Worshipers are encouraged to attend the part or parts that they prefer or feel led to attend.  The first part of our service is fairly liturgical and we sing traditional hymns.  The second part includes the sermon and weekly communion.  And the third part is very informal and includes contemporary worship songs, a discussion time, and an open prayer time.  Some people stay for all three, some for just the first two, some for the last two, and there's even someone who comes just for part 2.  While having a three-part service didn't lead to a boom in attendance, it worked very well for our small church.  I'm sad to see the 3-part service come to an end, but as my pastorate at RCC comes to an end, it is time to wrap it up.  A huge thank you to Bobby, James, and Paul (and those who helped them) who each took their turn leading us during Part 3 over the last few years.  And an even bigger thank you to the people of RCC who had the courage to try something different!

Here are the songs that our worship leader for Part 3 has picked for tomorrow.  Such an appropriate set of songs in response to tomorrow's sermon on worry.  Such appropriate songs to sing as we seek to trust God for our future as a church.  I pray that I will sing these songs tomorrow with the conviction that God's grace is enough, that our God is indeed greater, that God is on our side, and that Jesus is our Savior!  Instead of worrying, I will sing and pray and do my best to trust in God's provision!

Thanksgiving

I have so much to be thankful for. I have been reminded this week that I need to trust God with my future ... with all the things that worry me. The Greek word translated "worry" in Matthew 6 and "anxious" in Philippians 4 is actually a combination of two words, "divided" and "mind." The Old English word from which we get the word "worry" meant "strangle" or "choke." I know what it feels like to have a divided mind ... to have a divided heart. It feels a lot like being choked or strangled. It feels like you can't breathe deeply enough.

I have found that taking a deep breath can, for at least a moment, provide some relief. And it especially helps when I remember that God gives me each and every breath. Doing so reminds me that God not only has my future, not only my present, but also my past in his hands.

Corrie Ten Boom wrote that, "Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength." When I worry my mind and my heart are divided. When I worry I declare that I am unwilling to trust God fully. When I worry I imagine that I am more capable than God. Worrying gets me nowhere and accomplishes nothing.

Instead of worrying ... instead of being anxious ... I need to pray and to focus my mind on kingdom things ... on righteous things ... I need to believe that God is in control of my present, future, and even my past. I need to pray and bring my petitions before God ... all those worries, all those cares, I need to lay before his throne ... and I need to do so with Thanksgiving, acknowledging God's goodness and love and capacity to handle anything that worries me.

Only then will I experience Shalom. Only then will my divided mind, only then will my divided heart, be bound up and made whole.

Easy to write. Easy to preach. So hard to live.

Heavenly Father,

I thank you for my past, present, and future for they are all in your hands. Help me to trust you fully with my worries. Help me to see glimpses of your kingdom all around me that my mind might be focused on your righteousness. Bind my divided mind. Bind my divided heart. Grant me, and all who worry, your Shalom. God of Shalom, be with me, be with us.

Amen.

Sowing tears, reaping joy

The lectionary readings for Thanksgiving Day include Psalm 126.  We will read this psalm responsively in our worship service on Sunday.  I've been doing my share of crying recently.  And so it is that I must take comfort from the words of promise found in this Psalm, especially the promise that "Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy.  Those who go out weeping, carrying seeds to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them."  Right now it is so hard for me to see how the tears that I am sowing will germinate into songs of joy.  But I must trust that God is able to transform my tears, my weaknesses, my failings, and my doubts into something worthy of joy ... something worth singing about.  May the tears I am sowing by watered by God's love, mercy, and grace and be nurtured into a bountiful, joyful harvest.

Psalm 126

When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,

we were like those who dreamed.

Our mouths were filled with laughter,

our tongues with songs of joy.

Then it was said among the nations,

“The Lord has done great things for them.”

The Lord has done great things for us,

and we are filled with joy.

Restore our fortunes, Lord,

like streams in the Negev.

Those who sow with tears

will reap with songs of joy.

Those who go out weeping,

carrying seed to sow,

will return with songs of joy,

carrying sheaves with them.

Thanksgiving vs. Worry

²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? ³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

-- Matthew 6:25-33

It can be really tough to NOT worry about one's life -- especially when one's future seems so uncertain.  Right now it feels impossible for me NOT to worry. The lectionary calls for the gospel passage above to be read on Thanksgiving Day.  I am going to preach from it this Sunday.  I can and must preach from it, not because I am free from worry, but because I am wrestling with it and because the people I am pastoring (for just six more weeks) are wrestling with it too.

Will we pause from our worries on Thanksgiving Day to give thanks for all that we have been given?  Can we sustain that pause? Are we willing to trust God even -- maybe even especially -- when we can't trust ourselves?  Are we willing to depend on God rather than pretend that we can depend on ourselves?  Will we put kingdom things first and let God "worry" about meeting our needs, perceived and real?

This passage will be far easier to preach than to live out ...

Just saying.

A prayer

Take my hands, Lord, and lead me.

Assure me that you know where we are going.

Take my heart, Lord, and heal it.

Do whatever you must to bind it back together.

Take my mind, Lord, and clear it.

Eradicate all false hopes, dreams, and fears.

Take my soul, Lord, and preserve it.

Nestle it in the safety of your loving hands.

Take my all, Lord, and restore me.

Quiet my questions, doubts, and longings.

A hard goodbye

Yesterday I told the people I pastor that I will no longer be their pastor after December 31.  It was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do.  I've known for several years that this day was coming.  But suddenly it has come and now gone.  It was a mutually agreed upon decision that I reached with the Ministerial Review Team on Friday night based on our declining attendance and finances.  Though it was a difficult decision for us to make, especially since I was given my best review to date, we agreed that it was a decision that needed to be made and that now was a good time to make it.

Many were shocked and saddened by the announcement.  There were tears and hugs and words of encouragement.  Over the coming weeks I will begin cleaning out my office and looking for new employment.  I am now, more than ever, having to trust in God's provision and to cling to God's love.  I keep praying that God will show me the path he has for me, but so far God has remained silent (or I have remained unable to hear or see).

Last night at the annual Community Thanksgiving Service (an ecumenical service hosted by the Ministerial Association of which I am part and held this year at the Catholic Church in town), we responsively sang the following words along with the choir as they sang a song, Shepherd Me, O God, based on Psalm 23:

Shepherd me, O God, beyond my wants, beyond my fears, from death into life.

That is my prayer today and likely for many more days to come.

May the Lord Give Me Strength

As I speak this morning with my back to this window,

may I be reminded that it is you that is carrying me.

You alone are the shepherd/pastor of your people.

Carry me.  Carry us.

As I share my heart this morning with your people,

looking at them and at the beautiful windows before me,

may I be reminded that the Holy Spirit that descended upon you

is the same Spirit that I have been given.

Give me strength, Lord, to get through this day.
Bless me, bless us, with the tangible sense of your presence.

May we feel the warmth and love of your embrace.

Under the Shadow of Your Wings

Keep me as the apple of your eye;

hide me in the shadow of your wings

– Psalm 17:8

How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!

People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.

– Psalm 36:7

Have mercy on me, my God,

have mercy on me,

for in you I take refuge.

I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings

until the disaster has passed.

– Psalm 57:1

I long to dwell in your tent forever

– and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.

Psalm 61:4

Because you are my help,

I sing in the shadow of your wings.

– Psalm 63:7

He will cover you with his feathers,

and under his wings you will find refuge;

his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

– Psalm 91:4

And Jesus, as he lamented over Jerusalem said,

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, …

how often I have longed

to gather your children together,

as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings ...”

– Luke 13:34

But even as David prayed for refuge under "God's wings,"

in his brokenness he longed to have the wings of a dove,

that he might flee from all that was afflicting him.

I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!

I would fly away and be at rest."

– Psalm 55:6

1 Corinthians 15:55

⁵⁰ I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.⁵¹ Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— ⁵² in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. ⁵³ For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. ⁵⁴ When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”

⁵⁵ “Where, O death, is your victory?
    Where, O death, is your sting?”

⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. ⁵⁷ But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁵⁸ Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

In the midst of the pain of life it is so hard to not feel the sting of death.  Maybe the pain of dying to one's own self is the most painful sting of all.  How hard it is to stand firm.  How impossibly hard it is to let nothing move you.  How hard it is to give one's self fully to the work of the Lord.

But one day, the sting of death will be gone and death will no longer feel victorious.

As we prepare to enter the season of Advent, may we pray "Come, Lord Jesus, Come!"

A Psalm of Despair?

In what seems to have been his darkest moment, the psalmist penned these words (Psalm 88).  As far as I know, it is the psalmist's only prayer that doesn't end with at least some sense of hope.  And YET! it begins with the most hopeful words of all!!!!  Are you despairing?  Cling to the first words of this Psalm even as you pray the rest of it.

Lord, you are the God who saves me;

day and night I cry out to you.

May my prayer come before you;

turn your ear to my cry.

I am overwhelmed with troubles

and my life draws near to death.

I am counted among those who go down to the pit;

I am like one without strength.

I am set apart with the dead,

like the slain who lie in the grave,

whom you remember no more,

who are cut off from your care.

You have put me in the lowest pit,

in the darkest depths.

Your wrath lies heavily on me;

you have overwhelmed me with all your waves.

You have taken from me my closest friends

and have made me repulsive to them.

I am confined and cannot escape;

my eyes are dim with grief.

I call to you, Lord, every day;

I spread out my hands to you.

Do you show your wonders to the dead?

Do their spirits rise up and praise you?

Is your love declared in the grave,

your faithfulness in Destruction?

Are your wonders known in the place of darkness,

or your righteous deeds in the land of oblivion?

But I cry to you for help, Lord;

in the morning my prayer comes before you.

Why, Lord, do you reject me

and hide your face from me?

From my youth I have suffered and been close to death;

I have borne your terrors and am in despair.

Your wrath has swept over me;

your terrors have destroyed me.

All day long they surround me like a flood;

they have completely engulfed me.

You have taken from me friend and neighbor—

darkness is my closest friend.

Now what were the first words of this Psalm?

"Lord, you are the God who saves me!!!"

Not just the God who saves,

but the God who saves ME!!!!!

An Edited Psalm

Psalm 86

Hear me, Lord, and answer me,
    for I am poor and needy.
 Guard my life, for I am [trying to be] faithful to you;
    save your servant who trusts [is trying to trust] in you.
You are my God; have mercy on me, Lord,
    for I call to you all day long.

Bring joy to your servant, Lord,
    for I [am trying to] put my trust in you.

You, Lord, are forgiving and good,
    abounding in love to all who call to you. 
Hear my prayer, Lord;
    listen to my cry for mercy.
When I am in distress, I call to you,
    because you answer me. [please answer me!]

 Among the gods there is none like you, Lord;
    no deeds can compare with yours.
 All the nations you have made
    will come and worship before you, Lord;
    they will bring glory to your name.
 For you are great and do marvelous deeds;
    you alone are God.

 Teach me your way, Lord,
    that I may rely on your faithfulness;
give me an undivided heart,
    that I may fear your name.
 I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart;
    I will glorify your name forever.
 For great is your love toward me;
    you have delivered me from the depths, [please do so now!]
    from the realm of the dead.

But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God,
    slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.
 Turn to me and have mercy on me;
    show your strength in behalf of your servant;
save me, because I [want to] serve you
    just as my mother did. [and father do.]
 Give me a sign of your goodness,
    for you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me. [please do so again!]