Jan 4 column

As all are breathlessly aware, January 6^th marks the end of the church’s Christmas season. The 12 days of Christmas end on Epiphany, and it is a Sunday this year. When our girls were little, they loved the name, as they pronounced it as epee-fanny, and the thought of a church word being connected to something rude set them to giggling.

It is an ancient Greek word, literally to shine around. Our word, fantasy is linked to  it. Its religious sense is that the light of the child Jesus extended to visitors from Israel itself. it presaged the opening of a globe to the gospel message.

In ordinary parlance, we speak of an epiphany as a light bulb moment. We have a light suddenly shine on an issue, and we see it more clearly. It feels as if a flash of insight has occurred, or a moment when the pieces suddenly click into place and a solution is discovered.

An epiphany can be unsettling. In a relationship, you catch sight of just a look from your partner and you know, deep inside, that dissolution is approaching, no matter what you do. We enter therapy in the hope that the therapist can catch sight of some crucial incident that explains much of our personal travails. You sit in church and realize that you do not belong there anymore.

We crave an epiphany for something good and momentous. “Could it be? she does love me.” Some folks have the thrilling sense of a vocation, a calling, in their work life. the great paleontologist Stephen Gould knew that he would study dinosaurs when he first walked into the Museum of Natural History near Central Park when he was five years old.

Sometimes, an epiphany is seeing the world in a new way and realizing that you will not ever look at things the same way again. Listen to Mary Swan: “you realized that the crucial thing was really something else. Something buried in a conversation, a description - you realized that all along it had been a different answer, another person glimpsed but passed over, who was the key to everything…And if you went back, as Jenny sometimes did, they were there, the clues you'd missed while you were reading, caught up in the need to move forward. All quietly there.” 

A Christian may call her sense of things coming together, discernment, or perhaps the prompting of the Holy Spirit. The spirit is a force that is not coerced or manipulated. the spirit alights on it s own timetable. I do think that we can be open to the gentle whispers of the spirit. Far too often, we are so busy, so harried, so resentful that we close off its promptings in the midst of our quest to further our agenda.

A seemingly small thing can be the occasion for epiphany. “Bloom where you are planted” on an old  homemade banner caught my eye once, and it has never left me. I find moments of epiphany in movies, where it is rarely a crucial plot point but an insight that surprises me from the side. At this point, I would like my epitaph to be a piece of Jewish wisdom: “we rarely solve problems, so we hope to help make a better set of problems.” Thomas Merton had a moment of perfect clarity on the corner of 4^th and Walnut in Louisville, where he felt the connections of love to those in his field of vision. So many times, we look out into the world, but get caught up in our own reflection. At tis best, an epiphany shines a clear light on our inner life, on our view of others. We no longer feel out of place, but for a moment or a lifetime, we are at home, at peace.

Jan 12 Column on careful speech

Recently, i was at a dreadful meeting, where I could feel my life draining away by the second. At one point, we were introduced to a document that spoke of ways of speaking in civil ways to each other. This is of vital interest to all of us, but maybe especially in churches. I am constantly astonished at how rudely people in churches speak to each other, especially in meetings. it is as if they feel as if they have an exemption from being polite due to being in church, or we revert to childish ways of speaking when we are in church meetings. In part, I think we secretly hope that conflict will not raise its head in church meetings, and our resentments show when they do.

Speaking clearly and calmly in conflict does not come easily to most of us. We all can use some training and help in learning this important social skill. I think of 12 step programs where in working the steps, people gather and learn how to share their story without jumping on someone else. In so doing, people become free to tell out loud, their inmost struggles and outward failures.David Marshall reminds me of using the principles of fair fighting in marital or other arenas. Just as boxing sets rules, we can decide what is out of bounds, what is below the belt. We can express ourselves without being hurtful. We can come to understand that different points of view are not assaults but merely expressions of one point of view.

While AA groups may reside in church halls, church meetings need much help here. My group, the Presbyterian Church (USA) has issued some helpful pointers to move church meetings in conflict from snake pits to  respectful place of Christian community. they urge us to treat each other respectfully so as to build trust;  we are urged l not ask questions or make statements in a way which will intimidate or judge others. Few things will shut someone down more than the sense that they are being judged harshly for a viewpoint.Like the World Cafe approach, we seek to learn about different points of view and data on the topic of discussion. Misunderstanding plagues us all, so we try to state what we think we heard and ask for clarification before responding, in an effort to be sure we understand each other. Instead  of questioning people’s motives,intelligence or integrity; we attempt not engage in name-calling or labelling of others prior to, during, or following the discussion. Just as in AA, we share our personal experiences about the subject of disagreement so that others may more fully understand our concerns.

Rather than a focus on the negative or points of contention, we try to indicate where we agree with those of other viewpoints as well as where we disagree. Conflict does not have ot mean cutting someone off, or de-friending them as in the echo chamber we call Facebook, but we are asked to seek to stay in community with each other though the discussion may be
vigorous and full of tension; Not only do we admit our own fallibility, we will be ready to forgive and be forgiven. Further, we try to seek each person as made in the image and likeness of God, as a vessel of Christ, so we take their concerns seriously. We try to see that no one person possesses all wisdom, but that a group can move even beyond its individual actors toward collective wisdom.

Our politics have grown poisonous. We have gotten to a point where we can rarely agree on facts, let alone interpreting them. We label opponents and lose sight of each other as patriots and citizens. Free speech is valuable, not as it seeks the lowest common denominator, but that it offers a forum for us to speak, to be heard, and to listen to others with civility and respect.

Jan. 6 Devotions

Epiphany January 6-Ps. 72 is often read as an adjunct to the story of the Magi. Indeed, it is one of our sources for the transmutation of the Magi into kings.Afte rthe sorry spectacle of the fiscal cliff, look at how it judges a proper political regime.this is by no means infrequent in Scripture, and the same themes echo through the years. When have you had an epiphany, when the light bulb went off? How often has that happened?

Monday-Amahl and the Night visitors was an emblem of great TV in the fifties. I love the story of a poor family offering hospitality and the temptation of the riches of the three kings. In the end, as the mother struggles to think of a gift for the child whom the kings seek, Amahl offers his crutch, and in so doing, his leg is healed.I love that healing emerges from his desire to give, even as he has so little. From the outside what small gift could you offer god that from the inside is crucial for your life?

Tuesday-I had a dispute over art, of all things recently.Someone was praising what I thought was over the top emoting in a part. I was accused of having no feelings. That may well be, but I stood my ground. I maintain that art invites us into experience, and lesser art tells us what to feel. It;s the difference between evoking some response and demanding it.

Wednesday-We have our big statistical package to send into the national office  at the end of the month. I find those sorts of chores annoying and time consuming. It is diffiuclt for me, but i do try at times to consider that god is in the details and to try to make a more spirutal offering of tasks that I do not find especially riveting or rewarding.

Thursday-Working on some material in Hosea, I was stunned to see how many serious translation concerns touch the book. Often the different alternatives all make sense.For instance 13:5 gives us that God fed us (Gk)  in the wilderness or that God  knew us (Heb.) in the wilderness. Of course,the meaning is changed, but either one can speak to us fuly in our time,  

Friday -We have a church service this weekend at 3PM at College Ave. Pres. to consider the abomination of human trafficking.I can think of few things more despicable. What are sins that you would come close to considering unforgivable? This is a great of example of soical sin as opposed ot merely individual transgressions, as it depends on a whole structure of activities to allow it to occur and expand routinely.  We often feel helpless in the face of such evil, and my prayer is that we find virtues within and among us to help combat this moral stain.

Saturday-Hospitality in churches has been in discussion  of late. Lately, I am wondering if the issue is misplaced. It is less that we wish to include people but that we desire being part of community at all. Our american individualism militates against a sense of belonging to a group. We want both a sense of belonging and a respect for our privacy.What changes do you have to go through to allow yourself to     part of a group? what are the obstacles you encounter? what is easy and difficult for you in opening up to a group?

Epiphany Notes 2013

Epiphany Jan. 6 Mt. 2:1-11, Is. 60:1-6
I don’t recall when I spoke on an actual. Epiphany Sunday .In the calendar, this concludes the 12 days of Christmas. Epiphany's root sense is a shining out, and it means that a truth is made manifest, it has a spotlight on it.I have been unable ot lay my hands on a Wendy farley quote, but she says something to the effect that the Incarnation reveals the hidden truth that lies beneath the surface of a life.
As some of you are aware, I get a kick out of different parts of the Bible in conversation. The readings today are examples of taking the gospel story and noticing some similar material and making a new more detailed story.So the magi get linked with kings due to their gifts. They are given identities through the place names in the psalms. Camels get imported from the other biblical pieces, all linked by two of the gifts. Maybe one of the reasons many of us make New Year’s resolutions is the hope for an epiphany that will change our lives. I wonder if the Magi had an epiphany when they presented the gifts to the child they saw as a newborn king.

As some of you are well aware, I like movies. As I was working on this,  I realized they feature an epiphany fairly often.that’s one of the pleasures of guessing the villain in a mystery. (Yearling life is fine, mighty fine, but it ain;t easy,or the Kid when the blind girl realizes the Tramp had gotten her to operation to gain her sight-You, or Bernstein recalling the girl with the yellow parasol in citizen Kane), or Meathead understanding Archie after he speaks of being abused by his father in a drunken speech )(I read the Gift of the Magi story at Methodist Village and the look of stunned amazement when the young husband realizes what thye have both done to amke a nice christmas for each other). We go to therapy hoping that a brilliant therapist will be able to unlock the key to our unhappiness and offer a clear, easy way out.

Forgive me if I have mentioned this last year, but one of my epiphanies in this story was looking at the three gifts of the Magi. We read of some of the gifts this morning but the only place where all three are in close proximity is in the building of the tabernacle in Exodus. In other words without realizing, the Magi were honoring a new type of king. More importantly, without realizing it, they were in the very presence of God Incarnate, in the child in front of them. Let me put it another way. The magi were known to be wise, but their wisdom failed them in going to the wrong place to look for the newborn king. Without realizing it, they were face to face with someone who deserved more homage than all of the royalty of history laid end toend. Yet, these outsiders stumbled into the very revelation of God.

The Magi were sages, counsellors for the powerful and the rich. Here they visit a poor family. They represent all of the outsiders who are drawn by the star of Bethlehem, including us. they also represent the importance of wisdom but also its fragility. they misunderstood the message of the star and almost sealed the early death of Jesus,perhaps before he could talk. I am sick of Christians being a laughingstock at the court of secular wisdom. Being fools for christ does not mean that we act and think foolishly. At its best, the church honors the wisdom we possess and then deepens it with the reflection and history of years of religious reflection and revelation.Dim bulbs shine little light.

OT Notes for Jan. 6 Is. 60:1-6, Ps. 72:1-7,10-14

Both readings have bled into Mt. 2 to add more depth to our images of Epiphany. (As the name suggests it is all about the light of revelation)

1) In Is. 60 we start with an image of light, not necessarily that of a star. Indeed it may be the Lady Zion is called to shine. Yes, I do think that this passage is the origin of that awful sound of rise and shine to get up after a hard night.

2) God's glory is connected to light, as in the light of the presence of god.

3) I hear apocalyptic elements in v. 2. Of course, one can turn it to a psychological or social state with ease.

4) Like moths to a flame, power will be drawn to restored Zion (see kings in v. 3 turned to Magi?)

5) v. 5 is moving to me. The word for rejoice is a heart enlarged, just like the Grinch.

6) Yes Adam Smith drew his name for his classic of capitalism from v. 5 After all, the Magi of old did counsel the rich.

7) gold and frankincense link us to Mt. 2 in older biblical readings. we then start to develop ethnicity. from the region mentioned here. (Arabian regions) Here is where the camels emerge as well.

Ps. 72-
1) Look at v. 1-4, 10-12 If applied ot our political leaders now, look at the hallmarks of political concerns here.
2) v5-7 move into a different ancient realm of thought. while power may seduce us into thinking of ourselves as quasi-divine, here it is meant. Look at how fertility is bound up with the life of the ruler. The ruler really is a quasi divine representative of divine favor for the nation. Still one could do well to be careful with sahdes of meaning of peace and  righteousness

3) v. 10 gives us 3 kings with ethnic identity.the verbs match nicely with the homage paid in Mt. 2.

4) Note Sheba can be in a number of areas of the south.Note the link to one of the gifts in v. 15.

5)

End of year column

Another new year approaches. Many of us make resolutions. the interesting bet is how quickly so many of them can be broken. Judging by the commercials, I would venture the guess that physical conditioning and weight loss once again top concerns.Not surprisingly, I would like to be a note for spiritual development. I do realize that we aim at integration of body, mind. heart, and spirit. The spiritual seems to me to be neglected in our year end work.

First, it can be a salutary experience to go through the past year with an eye to matters spiritual. Consider making a chart of spiritual highs and lows. Were they based on circumstance or did they emerge as bolts from the blue?  did you have any significant insights into the human condition this year, especially within your own perspectives? Did your horizon expand in a some new way?

Perhaps more importantly, consider using this time to create a personal ritual of burying or disposing of the pain or regrets of the past year. Some things deserve to be dead and buried. The faith offers pardon, release, reconciliation. We crave a sense of peace, and that may be aided by letting go of the pain of the past.

Obviously, the new year beckons for spiritual resolutions. As we start to get a bit more daylight, we can be assured that the darkness will not overcome the light. All of us are mangers for the light within us. Please consider paying attention to creating or firming up some basic Christian habits. For me, bible reading and reflection are critical. Note that reflection is included, for the Bible is more than a collection of wise sayings but for it to live within us, the Sprit may well require some serious and sustained reflection on what you read or hear.

Please consider reading some quality religious material. I realize that the stores and libraries are filled with religious ephemera but consider asking a pastor for some quality material that could sustain you for more than a trifling amount of time. I am constantly alarmed by the impressive material people consume in every walk of life, with the exception of religion. Facing adult issues may well require that we consume religious material suitable for adult needs and sophistication.

Perhaps one could consider deepening prayer life. Most of us are skilled and practiced at prayers of supplication for ourselves and maybe prayers for those close to us in crisis situations. Consider using the psalter to explore “every part of the soul” as Calvin said. Especially look toward psalms of lament and praise. We live in a rut of the mundane, and we can use a template to help us form prayers for the extremes in life, of both sadness and joy. I have found it helpful to rewrite psalms into my own vocabulary and circumstance. It gives a fresh dimension to the ancient form and give sthe spirit room to breathe, move and live within. Some may find meditation alluring and helpful. Some may wish to utilize their artistic gifts and pray through careful words of others, or paint, sing, dance a prayer for our various needs and moods. Enacted prayer has a long pedigree, and we may do well to avail ourselves of those ancient arts. In our new 6PM service, we are being careful to open those dimensions of prayer up to our people. To take some time with the arts invites us into the creative process, including that of our Creator God.

2013 can beckon with more than a promise of fitting back into 32 waist jeans or a size 5 dress. Colossians 3 speaks of clothing oneself with virtues. If we pay attention to the nurturing and development of those virtues, we may find that we are worth far more than a new fitness regimen. We can see ourselves anew, with a life than deserves its light to shine for all to see.

Dec. 30th Sermon Notes Lk. 2 and Col 3:12-17

Dec. 30 Lk. 2, Col.3:12-17
Less than a week after Christmas Day, and here we are reading of Jesus at 12. Those of us with children can attest that years do fly by, but this is remarkable speed. We have ancient documents that tell stories of the young Jesus, but this is the only account we have in our four gospels.We hold to the adult work of Jesus, but our imaginations crave to fill in the gaps of his youth.We get a hint of his end, notice he is lost for three days; it presages three days in the tomb.

We say Christmas is for children.The first thing that enters my mind is a squeal from a small child ripping through the wrapping paper to see what lies beneath. Part of post-Christmas sadness is realizing that they are growing up, and that this particular moment of presents will never be recaptured.

Our daughters went to a conservative Christian high school in Indianapolis, and our passage was their mission statement for their young charges. It gives alovely summary of our hopes for our children. In a christian church, we do well to be reminded that jesus was born a real baby, and that the was a child,and he grew up. He was not like what we used to say about Richard Nixon, born in a blue suit and black wing tip shoes.

Many of us received clothes or a gift certificate for clothes for christmas. i usually scour ebay for penny silk ties from Hong Kong as one of the presents to myself. Drawing on baptismal imagery of wearing a fresh new robe, Colossians speaks of clothing ourselves with virtues. we often use this passage as part of the Presbyterian wedding service. If you’d like to stick with christmas images, consider the virtues as decorations suited for this time of year and every day after. with the calendar year closing, consider, please casting off vices as if they were clothes you were getting rid of.Christmas is a time for clothing ourselves in compassion, it seems. I know of no other holiday that evokes such an outpouring of generosity as does this season.The poor become not only a visible annoyance but they are seen, for a while, as human beings.As a new year dawns, we get a series of resoulutions:to live in harmony with one another. Harmony is a watchword with all of the christmas music that we have heard. It is rarely a watchword in family gatherings.

As the calendar year draws to a close, it is a good idea to look back at where we need to be forgiven and where we need to forgive. I mean it at its basic level;to let go, to release.We need not go into 2013 carrying resentments, especially the petty ones that mar our Christmas life.Maybe instead of speaking of resolutions, we could speak of goals, if you are more business minded, or futurecasting if on the more poetic end of the spectrum.Already the commercials have started for us to make our physical health a priority for the new year. Please consider making spiritual health, vitality, wellness aas at least part of your hopes for the new year. Prayer is the soul’s true home, and we wander if we neglect it. This house of prayer is home for us.the truth is that we often leave Jesus behind at the temple. I was alerted to these words in a Bach cantata 124 by Grindal in the latest christian Century. “I shall not let my jesus go....I should cling like a burr to him/He is the light of my life/I shall not let my Jesus go.”