Tuesday, March 19, 2013

It’s Real.


Around this time of year a little confusion swirls in the heads of my 7 year old daughter and 4 year old son. For them it’s a bit difficult to distinguish between the legend of the Easter Bunny and stories from the Bible.  Now I know there are parents out there that struggle with the question of whether or not to share the Easter Bunny or Santa Claus with their kids, but my perspective is that legends like these build our children’s sense of wonder and imagination.  The difficulty is when they ask really challenging questions like, “does Jesus talk to the Easter Bunny?”  And, “why does Santa get all the attention at Christmas?”  And this quick witted theologian answers with a profound, “well honey....”  The truth is kids are not the only ones asking these questions.  Many people want to know, “is it real?” And “it” meaning all of it: Jesus’ birth, his riding on a donkey into the city of Jerusalem, the Last Supper, the cross, and certainly the Resurrection.  But unlike the legends of Santa and the Easter Bunny, more than our childhood is at stake.  This is about our faith, our story, what claims us as the church.  And people are asking us the question, “is it real?”  Our answer: YES!!!  But people need more than a yes, they need to experience it for themselves.  That’s why we do some of the things that we do during Holy Week.  On Maundy Thursday, March 28 we will be experiencing the Living Last Supper at 7pm.  This is not a meal, it’s an opportunity to see what the disciples were like and to hear their story.  It’s the Bible come to life!  And then on Good Friday, March 29, 10am to 7pm I want to encourage you to come to the sanctuary to experience the Stations of the Cross.  This prayer exercise prepares us to be ready for Easter.  And let tell you, it’s one of my 7 year olds favorite things that we do here at Shiloh.  It’s intense, but once again it’s the Bible made real.  Is it real?  Yes, but don’t just take my word for it, come and see yourself.


Blessings, 
Pastor Rachel  

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Smoking or Non-Smoking: The Gift of Discernment



On Tuesday, March 12, 115 Roman Catholic cardinals from throughout the world gathered at the Sistine Chapel of St. Peter’s Church in Rome for the conclave.  This gathering marked the beginning of the discernment process for the next Pope. The conclave is a spirit filled process bathed in prayer not only by the cardinals themselves but also by Christians throughout the world.  People are eagerly anticipating the sign of election: smoke.  Black smoke indicates no Pope has been elected and white smoke is the sign that the 266th Pope has been elected.  And it’s not just Catholics who are watching and wondering in anticipation, churched and unchurched alike are watching wonder who God’s going to pick.  

But on Tuesday as the world was checking CNN, FOX news, and the latest twitter feed,  The Board of Ordained Ministry for The West Ohio Conference of The United Methodist Church was also gathered together for a process of discernment.  But this one was non-smoking.  We were gathered to interview candidates making requests in the process for ordination.   I didn’t miss the spiritual significance of having people: clergy people, pastor people, and lay people gathered together to seek God for guidance and direction on the same day that the cardinals were gather for their process of discernment. In Ephesian 1:17-18  the Jesus follower Paul writes, “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people” (NIV). Discernment is a spiritual gift, given to us by God.  It’s when God opens our minds and our hearts to God’s will, God’s plan, God’s wish for the world.  Discernment isn’t easy and it doesn’t just happen in a moment; discernment takes time.  

Maybe you don’t have to choose the next Pope, perhaps you have zero plans to help determine whether or not a pastor is called to ordination, but all of us have decisions to make.  Decisions that affect our lives and the lives of others, and so I want to encourage you to go to God to pray and to ask God to open your eyes and your heart to God’s will, God’s plan, God’s wish.  

Our prayer is that God is with the cardinals, God is with the Board of Ordained Ministry, and that God is with us as we make choices everyday of our lives. 

We may not be looking for smoke from our chimneys but we are certainly looking for God’s help.   

Blessings 
Pastor Rachel 

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Now That’s Team Work


Yesterday marked a second day’s work on Mrs. Campbell's house.  And although 11 adults from Shiloh have come to New Orleans help Mrs. Campbell and her family move into her home, hundreds of other volunteers will come and be a part of the incredible process it is to rehab a house from ruin.  It’s really does take a lot of team work, not only team work among the group from Shiloh, but also team work among the many volunteer and servant groups who come to work in partnership with St. Bernard Parish.  

For the most part we will have worked on filling the house with insulation and putting up dry wall, but many groups will come after us and mud, paint, and do many of the things that have to happen to ready Mrs. Campbell for the day she and her family will walk in the front door and call this house home.  

 But church isn’t that just true about the kingdom of God?  We are always working together to do our part, our piece that adds to God’s kingdom work.  So often we can get caught up in “my” thing- “my” passion, “my” ministry, even “my” church- that we fail to see what God sees!  God sees it all!  Every project, every mission, every church and leads us to work together on God’s team.  We are all on God’s team!  Now we are not only on God’s team to get the job done, but we are also on God’s team because we need each other: helping each other, encouraging each other, and certainly praying for one another.  

Let me say I praise God because we are on the same team, and we are working together to claim the community, the city, the nation and the world for Jesus Christ.

Your teammate 

Pastor Rachel