The Curious Ministry of an Unlikely Leader

One chilly morning, the power went out before I was awake. I was sleeping with an air purifier and the ceiling fan going, plus the heat. It seems counter intuitive, but I enjoy the airflow from the fan; I digress. The sudden silence from none of those things, which have become seemingly unimportant noises in my room, is what woke me up. It's amazing how loud silence can be sometimes. It reminds me of Elijah's story in 1 Kings. In chapter 19, Elijah has fled the town where he had been prophesying because he was afraid he would be killed. He went into the wilderness and fell asleep under a tree, he had a vision, and when he woke up he wandered a bit further and found a cave. He fell asleep there, as well. The word of the Lord came to Elijah and asked him why he was so far from the town. Elijah explained that he felt he had done everything he could and now was afraid for his life. Then, in verses 11-13a: [God] said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord , for ...

A pastor friend from seminary contacted me to lead her congregation while she was out of town in July last year. I was honored to be entrusted with them. The following is based on the transcript of the sermon I preached that morning. It is based on Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30, which can be found here . Today’s Gospel is all about perceptions. First, it speaks of people’s perceptions of others, then moves to our own perception of discipleship. In the first verses, it speaks of John being rejected because he was different. It then speaks of Jesus being rejected because of the people he spent time with. Jesus had a habit of spending time with people who were undesirable. He spent time with people who had been rejected from society, those we sometimes call the outcast or marginalized. The religious leaders of the day would not spend time with people who were deemed sinners. We recognize now that everyone sins, which is why we speak the order of Confession and Forgiveness every ...

Symbols of Holy Week Holy Week is an interesting time for me. I feel multiple emotions, sometimes all at once. I always find it strange to say I love this week, so usually I don't. Saying I love this week isn't quite the sentiment I'm trying to convey. I find deep meaning in this week. It starts with Palm Sunday, we have a couple of days with no church services, and then things hit the ground running. In the congregation I'm a member of, we have a Christian-ized Seder meal on the Wednesday of Holy Week. I call it Christian-ized because the end of the Seder speaks of the Last Supper and goes through what Jesus did and said as part of the meal. For me, this helps to bring things into perspective. Knowing the meaning and symbolic foods that were used at Jesus' last supper, his last celebration of the Passover, gives me a better understanding of the celebration of Communion, or Eucharist. I'm still rather unfamiliar with the deep and rich symbolism in the Sede...

Ash Wednesday always gets me thinking. The part that sticks with me the most, every year, is watching the pastor put ashes on the foreheads of everyone.  I know most of the people in the line.  This one has struggled with illness.  This one is in prime health.  This one has recently lost a loved one.  These are teenagers.  This one had a brush with death.  This one is a baby.  Everyone gets ashes.  There is no discrimination. Death does not discriminate. As a chaplain, I've seen that far more often than I'd like. Watching the imposition of ashes every year is a reminder of not just my mortality, but also of just how real death is for anyone, at any time. Ash Wednesday does not promote happy feelings. It's not supposed to. Instead, it is the opening to 40 days of reflection, meditation, self-sacrifice. Last night was a reminder of how finite our lives are. It was a reminder that nothing in this world - not even us - is p...

I was just praying now. Praying about everything going on in the US, about the hatred I'm seeing, about the anger, the fear, the hurt.  As I continued to pray, I realized that right now I'm feeling much like the disciples did in the boat at sea.  Mark 4:35-40 New International Version (NIV) Jesus Calms the Storm 35  That day when evening came, he said to his disciples,  “Let us go over to the other side.”   36  Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat.  There were also other boats with him.   37  A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.   38  Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” 39  He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves,  “Quiet! Be still!”  Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. 40  He said to his disciples,...

I was talking to someone recently who voted opposite of me. She gave me her reasoning. Then told me "I've had enough experience to know." I was so stunned, I didn't know what to say. I felt like I'd been told that my own experiences weren't enough to understand "grown up" politics. She's only 3 years older than me! She also has no idea of what I've experienced.  Everyone's experiences in life shape who they are and how they see the world. Here are some of mine. I've sat with a teenaged mother as her not-even-a-week-old baby lay dying in his hospital bed. I've comforted a Buddhist woman whose Christian husband was in ICU. I've sat with a Hindu mother as she tried desperately to understand God's role in her baby's diagnosis with special needs. I've read Psalms with a Jewish man who was, rightfully, angry. I've moved 5 times in 5 years - 3 of those times was in one year. I've walked the beginning stag...

I wanted to quickly check in with you - my readers - since I haven't posted for a while. I am currently not in a ministry leadership role. I am also not currently looking for one. This is not permanent. There are simply a few things that need to be situated before I can faithfully pursue ministry.  I am working on beginning a young adult ministry at my congregation. That is very, very part time. Right now, we are focusing more inwardly. The current plan is to minister to the college-aged young adults in our congregation- through encouraging notes, midterms & finals care packages, and birthday surprises. There will also be activities for breaks, especially the longer ones. As for this blog, I want to start posting original stories, reflections, devotions, and thoughts about selected scripture. I may also post personal reflections of my life/experiences through the lens of theology. I'm not going to commit to a definite posting schedule, but I intend to post at least once...