I pray you are all well and feeling equally loved by God. For you have been, are now, and will always be – loved equally by God. Equal to everyone else and all of Creation. This Truth is the core of Jesus’ ministry of the kin-dom of God, or Heaven, a place or time when we will not just be, but also feel – equally loved. It is a time when our pride, ego, sense of entitlement is over. It will be the place where no one is worse or better than anyone else; for, we are all created equally.
I have long since seen this message of equal love in the kin-dom as the core of God’s mission and ministry through us in the UCC. It is what we strive for as did our Congregational predecessors. In fact, this truth of our faith even made it into the Declaration of Independence when our forefathers wrote, “All men are created equal.” Today, we can look back and say: Thomas Jefferson meant only the landowners were equal. And although our forefathers actions showed this truth, his words were a dramatic change from the English monarchy. In other words, the words were a step towards the kin-dom of God, a revelation, if you will, of how we, as a faith, are called to become: a people who both are and feel we are created equal.
Of course, we were not there yet in Jefferson’s time nor are we there, today. The world in which we live is not living into the kin-dom, yet. There are still injustices being done to each other every day in all manner of ways. Therefore, many people still feel the unequal, unwelcome, and oppressive tendrils of this earthly world. So, how do we help the world – our community – our fellowship feel that we are all equally loved? Through the loving steps of action, Beloved, through action in everything we do. Through the action and example of God’s equal Love to all people. For, we cannot change society over night, just like Jefferson could not shift the entire world through those few words; but, we can be an example of God’s equal Love in everything we do from our conversations to our conflicts. We can live into the vision of the kin-dom and one day, I pray that we will all feel that equal Love from God and one another which Jesus shares with us throughout his ministry.
May you feel the blessing of God’s equal Love poured out for ALL – always.
your pastor, Brian
As always please call (207-350-9561) if you need anything. Next week, my pastoral care hours are Tuesday and Wednesday 10:30 – 6:30; Thursday and Friday 8- 4. I may be writing from home on Mondays but may be at church. If I am in the office, please feel free to stop in to talk. This Wednesday is our last service for the summer and we are, God willing, reopening fully on September 12 for Rally Sunday. Many blessings and Love to you all, always.
Presented to the First Congregational Church of Salem August 25,2021
Who is your beast? Who is the person which you feel is so different from you that they have become an Other in your mind? Who is the thing who has become subhuman – an animal – a beast which does not have the same rights under God as you? I expect many of us would answer no one – everyone is equal and loved under God if we were asked face to face, right now. But I am asking you now and pray that you will be honest to yourself. Is there anyone in your life who you have ever considered a beast?
Even for us Christians, I have witnessed this demonizing, time and time again. I have seen racial prejudice and oppression, heard and experienced the Othering of people in Afghanistan following 9/11. I have seen this dehumanizing coping skill used by otherwise loving people many times over the last few years. Every time someone uses the phrase: those Trumpers – those Social Justice Warriors – those anti-vaxers – those fear mongers – those republicans – those democrats – those things on the other side. Still, growing up I thought it was only me – thought I was only one who thought there was a beast; and I did not realize that many of us believe there is one trying to destroy us – harm us – abuse us. Beasts which work against God and the love God grants to all people -equally. So, I ask this question again, who is the beast in your life?
While we share with God who our beast is, would you pray with me:
Holy Creator who loves all people and created us all in this love please fill our hearts with your love once more so we may be free of the pain – anger – and hate. Bless us o God so we may endure in Your loving faith now and forever. May the words from my lips and the meditations on all our hearts be pleasing to You God
Now beloved, I admit that I have used this coping skill in my life. It was a way for me to justify my anger and hatred of someone who I felt wanted to destroy me emotionally, control me physically, manipulate me intellectually. In my younger days, I no longer believed the beast’s life mattered as they were simply out to destroy me, and I no longer had a moral obligation to care about them. And, I am not alone in using this coping skill, beloved. Many people who have been abused start to witness their abuser as a beast. It is part of the healing process when we take control of our life once more and stand up for ourselves.
Sadly, not everyone gets to this point. Not everyone of the “34.7% of New Hampshire women and 35.4% of New Hampshire men (who) experience intimate partner physical violence, intimate partner sexual violence and/or intimate partner stalking in their lifetimes” according to the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control get to the point of a survivor where they can see their abuser as a beast. Not everyone of the “1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men (who) are physically abused in New Hampshire ever get beyond being abused by a person who sees them as a thing to be abused. The reality of these numbers is this, beloved, that approximately 460,000 people in New Hampshire are the victims or survivors of physical abuse right now. That number is a little over four time the amount of people who have ever been infected with Covid-19 in New Hampshire. Four times. Granted Covid has taken more lives; but, the numbers I have provided were only for physical abuse. We cannot even register the amount of people who are mentally, emotionally, or spiritually abused every day, let alone overall.
We cannot fully determine these numbers as being a victim of abuse in this country is still considered taboo. Who would believe a 6’4” cis gender male could be abused by anyone? But, if it is not already clear, I am a survivor of domestic violence, and my beast was my brother. I got to the point where he was no longer human. I got to the point where I witnessed him hit my mother. I got to the point where his life no longer mattered, and I had him by the neck – squeezing. I became a survivor willing and able to stand up for myself. However, I often wonder what would have happened if my sister had not helped me see that my beast was also a person. What would have been the damage to me, if I had taken his life that day and used my beast’s weapons of violence against him? Thank God, I will never know because my faith endured and helped me step away. Not everyone is that blessed to see clearly again – see clearly enough that there is a person before them and not a beast.
Yet, I imagine that the prophet John witnessed this same conflict in the Christian people who were being persecuted by the Emperor Domitian. I imagine this truth for the beast in our scripture is symbolic not of the devil or some non-physical adversary from last week, no, the beast in this reading is symbolic of the Roman Empire. The physical entity who is persecuting the Christians. More specifically, each head represents the seven major Emperors of Rome according to the theologian William Barclay. The ten horns go on to represent all ten Roman emperors who had existed up to the point of this writing. Finally, each head blasphemes the name of God which again is directly relating to the practice of Caesar Worship and the various ways each of these emperors claimed divine rulership. And throughout this exposition, the prophet John depicts the Roman Empire in a way which the people would understand – as a way they could connect – as the beast.
In the end of this scripture though, the author shares the Good News. The Good News of how the people can survive against this beast. The Good News of how we all can survive the beasts we face throughout our lives. The prophet says, “If you are to be taken captive, into captivity you go; if you kill with the sword, with the sword you must be killed. Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.” In other words, there will be beasts who try to destroy us – enslave us – even abuse us in this life and this horror we must endure. Why, we do not know, and it is horrendous that anyone must endure these tragedies in life. I do not even come close to an understanding of why, speaking as one who has survived. But, in this endurance – in dealing with these tragedies – in dealing with these beasts; we must endure by refusing to use their weapons to defeat them. We cannot use violence to kill the beast for they are human and a Creation of God. We cannot use the sword because the sword will come back to kill us in guilt and regret – in sorrow and sadness – in hate and prejudice. Therefore, beloved, please know this call is one of endurance in faith. Endurance to our faith as we heal and confront the people who have abused us or our loved ones – the beasts of this life.
That said, there is an additional Good News this week for all of us, The Good News from the Gospel according to John where Jesus says, “This voice has come for your sake, not for mine.” The voice of scripture – your voice – all of our voices are here for the sake of one another – the persecuted – and the abused, not for us. We have or will survive – see our beast – and endure in faith. For, this truth I have no doubt as we are all here to lovingly support one another – every day. Yet, many people who are abused in our community cannot even reach the point of witnessing their beast, let alone sharing their truth. They remain silenced, isolated, and controlled by not only an abuser but a society which does not even believe abuse is a problem.
However, this Good News reminds us that our voices are here – here to tell the Truth so this epidemic of abuse and the silencing of people will end. For you see, we do not tell our story for us; we share so the victims know they are not alone. We do not guide people away from violence for us; we lead so the survivor will not be emotionally scarred from guilt. We do not hear the horrors of abuse for us; we listen so the beasts of abuse will be brought into the light of God’s judgement and all people may one day be free of having to endure anymore domestic violence. Therefore, I pray you will share your beast with one another, be brave in this vulnerability, and trusting that we all love you. For this gift that you give one another may reveal the places we can become the voice and ears for all people who are being abused – right now. Thereby, we may work towards the end of abuse which is happening to roughly 1 out of every 3 people or the equivalent of approximately 37 people in this fellowship. May your love and enduring faith guide you today and always as we heal the world together. In the name of Christ who shows us the Way, Amen.
My prayers and love go out to all of you on this blessed day. And it is a blessed day for it is a brand-new day before each and every one of us. It is a day where we each will discern, choose, and live as we are called to live. What a blessing this gift truly is for all of humanity. Therefore, let me say thank you, thank you God, for this gift that all people have been granted.
As I was considering this gift, I remembered that there are times when it does not feel like a gift. Times when free will is also a burden. Times when the people we love use their free will to make what we consider “bad” choices. And, I am sure we have all seen these instances, while raising our children, guiding our parents, or even living in the world today. “Everything seems so obvious,” we think, “why can’t these people I love just do what I know is right.” Truth be told, this reaction, beloved, is normal. We love people, love our fellowship, love our families and because of that love we do not want our loved ones harmed. So, many blessings on all of you each who love one another, especially those of you willing to go one step further and carry the burden of another person’s free will.
I thought of this idea today as my heart goes out to the unknown number of people who are abused in the world, every day. Abused physically, mentally, socially, emotionally, and spiritually by people and all the harm which could be done if we took away the victims’ free will. For you see, one of the biggest commonalities amongst abuse is that the abuser does take away the victims / survivors free will – their gift – their choice. And sometimes when we go to help a victim / survivor (that person we care about) we have to watch them make the choice to return to an abusive relationship. We have to watch them because we cannot use the weapons of abuse and control to force our will on these souls already hurting. We cannot use these weapons as it will just cause more harm than good. Therefore, free will becomes a heavy burden that we must carry – the burden of supporting someone we care about even though their choice seems dangerous or deadly to us.
So, I offer each of you who have carried this burden – or carry it today when you disagree with the choices of our loved ones – yet still love them and support their choices – many blessings and gratitude. Many blessings for your support of the one you love as they use their gift from God to return to an abuser, become vaccinated, remain unvaccinated, go mask-less, wear masks, or the thousands of other discernments and choices we must each do, daily. Many blessings as you carry this burden of love.
May today be a blessing to you as you feel supported by the ones you love
Your pastor, Brian
As always please call (207-350-9561) if you need anything. Next week, my pastoral care hours are Tuesday and Wednesday 10:30 – 6:30; Thursday and Friday 8- 4. I may be writing from home on Mondays but may be at church. If I am in the office, please feel free to stop in to talk. Many blessings and Love to you all, always.
Presented to the First Congregational Church of Salem August 18, 2021
I used to love reading old mysteries like Sherlock Holms by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. You know the old “Who-Done-It” stories or ones like it. The ones which reveal some crime before the hero is called in to discover the criminal. Personally, I enjoyed figuring out who that adversary was before the hero stood up and confronted them; and, I was quite good at figuring who they were well before the hero stood up. That is until I realized it was all a trick. For you see, writers have to show you the adversary many times – give reasons – point out clues to make the eventual confrontation believable.
But in life, not every adversary has a face. Sometimes our adversary is nature – is the world – is a destructive force like War – Strife – Famine – Pestilence and Death. How do we stand against these destructive forces let alone confront these adversaries when they are not people? How do we stand when each day brings another issue? When each moment becomes harder and harder to get out of bed – deal with depression – or manage a mental illness? How do we, as a people, stand against the destructive forces in life?
Before we continue, would you pray with me:
Holy God, help us to stand against those forces in life which tear at our minds, hearts, and bodies. Help us, God, and teach us how to be your hands helping others to stand as well. May all that is spoken and meditated upon this day be pleasing to You.
The reality is Beloved – you alone – cannot. Cannot stand or confront these forces – alone. I say this with all humility and please know that it is not just you – it is me as well – and everyone in the world, I imagine. None of us can stand or confront the personified adversaries of destruction – alone. We are speaking about things like the destructive war in Afghanistan, the divisive politics in the US, the fires in California, or even the pandemic which is affecting everyone.
But these destructive forces can be smaller as well. They can also be something as tragic and personal as mental illness. Even this personified adversary cannot be confronted alone. It is an adversary who is recorded to be affecting 20.56% of New Hampshire’s population, that is about 221,000 people, in 2021. Those, Beloved, are only the recorded cases, let alone the people who have not sought help. Furthermore, mental illness has been growing in this state well before Covid 19 began with major increases between 2017and 2019. Of course, the pandemic has exacerbated the problem. As of yesterday, The Washington Post reported that there were four times more children admitted for mental illness from June 2020 to this past spring. These facts, beloved, means, we really do not know how many people are dealing with mental illness right now in our community. But it is at least one in every five people you meet every day.
Moreover, most people cannot stand up and confront this adversary alone. We need help from time to time. We need help to witness how we have changed emotionally, physically, and spiritually. For, we do not always see the loneliness in our eyes as we make jokes – the cuts on our thighs when we dance through the kitchen – the anxiety on our face when someone asks us to go out into the world. We do not see, because sometimes we cannot see beyond our own anxiety, stress, or depression. Others may not see, because people may be dealing with their own personified adversary.
And there have always been personified adversaries and destructive forces working in our world as revealed in our continued reading from the book of Revelation. In this scripture, we witness the lamb open four seals and call forth the four most destructive forces the world knew at that time. Each one is personified as a rider on a horse which the theologian William Barclay explains is reminiscent of the book of Zechariah. Which makes sense; because we know the prophet John is writing through symbols to avoid persecution. So of course, the destructive forces – the personified adversaries – the horsemen would be a symbol which the Jewish Christians understood from the Old Testament. This goes along with the descriptions of War on the white horse with a bow which is symbolic of military strength, Strife on the red horse destroying peace and turning neighbor against neighbor, Famine on the Black horse which the living creatures refute as one who takes food from the poor yet does not touch the wealthy person’s “oil” and “wine.” Finally, the last force is Pestilence and Death on the pale horse. For the prophet John, these are the most destructive forces which assault humankind. Historical evidence supports this as each one of these destructive forces were assaulting the people of Asia Minor during the time when Revelation was written. Therefore, I imagine the people must have felt like these forces were heralding the end times – the apocalypse – the final judgement by God.
The same way I imagine it feels for someone who is suffering with mental illness. They can feel a war rage mentally as internal strife tears apart their emotional abilities to cope. Famine, or a lessened appetite, can weaken a person’s health forcing them to be more susceptible to the pestilence and the plagues of today. Yet, it can also work slowly – ripping at our mental, emotional, and physical lives. So slowly in fact that we cannot always see what is happening. For, the clues – reasons – adversary may not be obvious as we go from day to day. Therefore, we may not even realize there is a crime happening before the adversary of mental illness has destroyed us entirely.
However, these destructive forces – big and small – are what we are called to stand up and confront in ourselves and within all of Creation. The book of Revelation goes on to share this truth in that we, the Beloved, are the only ones who can stand as we are the only ones who will be free of the destruction coming from these adversaries.
Yet, I would like to turn our attention to the Gospel of John so we may witness the Good News of how we are able to stand when we feel the forces destroying us or each other. The Good News which shares that we are not alone – when we believe. When we believe in God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit, we will have a place for us in the kin-dom to come. Wherever Christ goes, we will be there, as well. That truth by itself is powerful, beloved. The thought that no matter how bad things, may get. How destructive those forces, may be. How far we spin into the abyss of mental illness, we will not be alone in our suffering; for, God is always with us when we believe. And although this thought is comforting to me, I humbly submit it may not be to everyone, especially our beloved who are facing the war of depression or the strife of anxiety. But remember – remember the words of truth – the words which say, WE will be there also. We – as one beloved people – will be there also with God and you; and this truth, beloved, is the Good News of how we stand.
We stand with one another through the Holy Spirit – with God – and with Christ to confront these destructive forces – together – as one people; for, we are not alone. That truth is how we stand – as one people held together – lovingly – through God. But this message, Beloved, is also a call to action. A call to rise up and stand for one another as there are destructive forces eating away at our lives – tearing apart our mental – emotional – and physical lives. It is our call to listen – hear – love one another in their frustrations. Hold – support – care for one another in their grief. It is a call to kindly and lovingly reach out to our sisters and brothers to witness who they are – now. Witness their reality and ask, have they changed from yesterday, last month, a year ago? Are they now short fused – succumbing to hate – losing weight? I pray that each of our beloved friends are not as these can all be signs of mental illness and the destructive forces at work. And this truth, Beloved, is the Good News that we are called to reveal to one another – every day of our lives. The Good News that they are also not alone – we will confront the destructive forces together because we all believe together in God. The Good News of a higher call which we need to do as we each care and love one another through the struggles of life. May your week be a blessing of giving and receiving this care from our beloved fellowship who loves you – every part of you. In the name of Christ who showed us the Way, Amen
“Listen to me, O house of Jacob,all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been borne by me from your birth,carried from the womb;even to your old age I am he, even when you turn gray I will carry you.I have made, and I will bear;I will carry and will save.”
Isaiah 46:3-4
Good morning Beloved,
I pray you are all well and listening to God who is speaking – every day.
I would like to begin by sharing an encounter I had recently. I met a friend of a friend and as usual when you meet new people, we began talking and listening to each other’s stories. It was quite enjoyable as we connected on so many levels. We had both worked at the same place, went to similar schools, and found calls later in life. Then I heard something wonderful as she reflected on her schooling. She said, “ I have no idea how I did it.” Those words struck me deeply because it is the same feeling I have had many times. I do not know how I worked 40 plus hours, went to school full time, and still managed to write a full-length play in two weeks. I have no idea. If I add up all the hours along with sleeping and eating, it does not seem possible. But, it happened.
Have we all not had similar experiences in life? How did you manage to work, take care of children, build a home together or alone? How do any of us manage to make it through those times of sadness when illness is affecting our loved one? When depression builds up after a loss of a loved one or not being accepted by your family? When we are putting together a wedding, and working, and watching out for the feelings of the ones we love? Good and bad times – seem to reveal something people just push away as ingenuity or drive in the individual. Something powerful within the person. However, I know that when these times came along in my life – both the bad and the good times, I did not feel powerful. I felt like I was being carried.
“I will carry and I will save” as God promises us. She will do so from birth to when we are gray. He will carry us, help us, stand for us when the worst is before us or the best is needed to be done. This truth, Beloved, is the promise of God and one I pray you listen too as we struggle in the world today. For, we are not alone – God is here to carry us when all the world is against us – here to carry us when there is more good to do than humanly possible – here to carry us when we cannot stand by ourselves. Therefore, I pray you are listening to God speaking as we carried throughout this life.
In God’s Love
Your pastor, Brian
As always please call (207-350-9561) if you need anything. Next week, my pastoral care hours are Tuesday and Wednesday 10:30 – 6:30; Thursday 8- 4. I may be writing from home on Mondays and Fridays but may be at church. If I am in the office, please feel free to stop in to talk. Many blessings and Love to you all, always.
I pray you are each well and may the peace of Christ be with you all, especially today. For even though we share this blessing each week during our passing of the peace, I believe we all need to feel God’s Divine peace – right now. We need to feel this peace because many people in the world today are angry – frustrated – and afraid. And why wouldn’t we be? We thought the pandemic was over and now, people are getting sick and dying, once again. All “because of them,” those people who are endangering my family – “because of them” who are forcing me to endanger my life by taking an unapproved vaccine. “Because of them who…” Wait!
Who, beloved, who are “them”? Are the “them” that we are angry at not us – Humanity – and the one beloved people of God? It is true we are afraid – afraid of Covid -19 or afraid of the vaccine – fear is fear and we are afraid. Frustrated by government mandates or frustrated by vaccine hesitancy, frustration is frustration and we are frustrated. Angry that people are dying or angry that we are about to die financially, anger is anger and we – yes, WE are angry. And, these emotions. beloved, are what all people are dealing with throughout society, our community, and in our fellowship.
The problem is this type of anger, frustration and fear (if we are true and honest) has little to do with “them” and more to do with an unseen threat. Oh, “they” – “those” people are a great target as “they” are physically in front of me – endangering my life or the life of my loved one. Yes, “they” are a great target that I can vent all my frustrations and anger on. Yet, “those” people – all of us – I believe are doing the same thing as you: we are making the best discernment we each can for our life with the information we both have and believe to be true. This type of faithful discernment is not wrong, especially amongst a pandemic which no one was fully prepared to deal with over the last year. So perhaps, OUR fears, frustrations, and angers are misplaced and should really be focused on this unseen virus. The virus which we cannot convince – shame – or threaten into leaving us alone. The virus which has taken our lives – our friendships – our livelihood – our safety – our freedom in some way, shape, or form. The virus which has come back to threaten us once again. Maybe, if we let our anger be towards that virus, we can finally let go of our anger towards “them” and find peace; so, we may work together once more to find solutions for all.
May the Peace of Christ be with you all,
Your pastor, Brian
P.S.
One more thought, beloved, for I am not sure if anyone who hears these words is a virologist, politician, or reporter; but, you are a beloved child of Christ who has a voice. A voice that can bridge the gap in grocery stores and on Facebook. You can hear the fears, frustrations, and angers of people in our world. Share compassion for the concerns which our beloved people are feeling. Help these souls feel heard, accepted, and validated as another human being. So, we may all let go of judgement and focus on the solutions to not just the virus but all the problems in our world. Yes, we may not be a reporter, politician, or virologist; but, those souls who are determining vaccine safety, making laws on vaccine passports, or reporting only one viewpoint may witness your example of peace and set aside their tribal views to also find the peace of Christ. In the end, my beloved friends, love and peace must start somewhere; so let it begin with us as we have no need for the anger, frustration, and fear which blocks us from God and one another.
As always please call (207-350-9561) if you need anything. For the next two weeks, I am shifting my pastoral care hours to Tuesday and Wednesday 10:30 – 6:30; Thursday 8- 4. I may be writing from home on Mondays and Fridays but feel free to stop in to the church if the outside light is on, for I am here. Many blessings and Love, always.
Warmest greetings of Love on this Sunday morning. I pray you are all whole and well. Yet, as I offer this simple prayer I know that many people in our world today are not well. They are not well mentally, physically, and especially spiritually. People are not whole as they struggle with some part of their life. Yet, this reality, beloved, is the point: we are not partial beings. We are whole individuals which require us to care and maintain every part of our complete being, to be healthy. We need to care for our bodies and minds – our emotions and our finances – and yes we must care for our spiritual connection to God. Sadly, many people today do not care for every part of their whole selves. This unhealthy truth is apparent amongst many of our brothers and sisters in the world.
Now perhaps, this thought came to me as I witnessed the healthy choice of Simone Biles to step down in the Olympics last week due to stress. And I must say blessings and peaceful wishes to her for discerning what she needed to do in order to be healthy. Sadly though, Biles is rare. For most people cannot even see the breadcrumbs of their struggle let alone the illness which is growing in them and throughout society. Although there are a variety of examples, one bread trail is particularly relevant to today and it grows into the illness of greed.
Now, the illness and sin of greed can be for power and superiority, to force our will on others, or for the simple accumulation of wealth. It is an illness which places the “I” as the most important aspect in every situation. “I want it; so, I should have it;” “What’s in it for me;” or “you have it; so I should (even though I refuse to work)” are some of the various breadcrumbs which I have heard over the years. Breadcrumbs which reveal there is an illness of greed within our society. But, the strange thing is that this illness is in our society – not, as far as I have seen within our fellowship, Thank God.
These thoughts, beloved, are leading me to one conclusion: perhaps there is a cure for the illness of greed which we know here, in this community of faith. Perhaps the cure to society’s illness is in something we do or rather believe in differently. I wonder if that cure lies not in us but in who we believe to be the “I” of our lives. Who is your “I,” your Hero(ine), your “I AM”? Perhaps, this truth and cure given freely to other people within our society will help heal their spiritual side; so, they too may be whole and well in the loving hands of our great “I AM,” God.
With thoughts of Love,
Your pastor, Brian
As always please call (207-350-9561) if you need anything. For the remainder of the summer, I am shifting my pastoral care hours to Tuesday and Wednesday 10:30 – 6:30; Thursday and Friday 8- 4. I may be writing from home on Mondays but feel free to stop in to the church if the outside light is on, for I am here. Many blessings and Love, always.
A man came from Baal-shalishah, bringing food from the first fruits to the man of God: twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain in his sack. Elisha said, “Give it to the people and let them eat.” But his servant said, “How can I set this before a hundred people?” So he repeated, “Give it to the people and let them eat, for thus says the LORD, ‘They shall eat and have some left.'” He set it before them, they ate, and had some left, according to the word of the LORD.
2 Kings 4:42-44
Good morning Beloved,
I pray you are all well and in the loving faith of God. And I would like to begin today by saying thank you to the soul who shared their faith with our community. The blessed person who quietly came and delivered our offerings to the food pantry this month. Thank you, for this gift is a blessing of faith. Not only the gift of food, but the sharing of that gift with other people who are hungry in our world.
And there are hungry people throughout the world and in our very community of Salem. I witnessed two people this week alone with signs saying very simply, “Will work for Food.” Now of course, there are quite a few theories and questions people consider when seeing an individual without a home asking for food. Are they mentally ill; is it safe; is this a scam; are they veterans, are they just lazy? We have heard the questions by various talking heads, friends, and maybe even out of our own lips. Questions which invariably shift us from helping that person asking for food. Yet, I wonder if we are not understanding their request: “Will work for Food.”
It seems simple enough right. These beloved souls are hungry or maybe even scamming and want food – a hand out – or whatever. But what if the food they need is not just the physical food to fill the body but also the spiritual food of a kind hand. Maybe they need a loving person to offer them a gift of fellowship? Maybe, these souls do not even know that is the hunger they feel inside, just someone to share a moment of life with – in a smile and a kind word.
I thought of this today as there are many passages in the Bible which speak of the giving of food to the masses; and, afterwards there is always enough. The man – the disciples – Jesus always has some food which is left over. Our passage from Second Kings is one of those texts, as is the story when Jesus feeds the five thousand (Matt.14:13-21). Now, if the food here is only the physical food we consume, it says very plainly that “twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain” would not feed a hundred people. But, if the food – the giving of food or anything really – is also a giving of faith – then we would all have some left over – every time we give. And maybe – just maybe it is also the food we need, as well.
I pray you let these thoughts guide you with scripture as we boldly seek to find ways to share our faith with the hungry souls of our world.
In the Grace of God,
Your Pastor, Brian
As always please call (207-350-9561) if you need anything. For the remainder of the summer, I am shifting my pastoral care hours to Tuesday and Wednesday 10:30 – 6:30; Thursday and Friday 8- 4. I may be writing from home on Mondays but feel free to stop in to the church if the outside light is on, for I am here. Many blessings and Love, always.
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.
John 15: 1-4
Good morning Beloved,
I hope each of you can see how truly wonderful you are in my eyes; and please allow me to offer a simple gratitude for each of you. As, I truly believe each of you are wonderful and a welcomed part of our loving, caring, beloved community of faith. Now, I will admit that I had a bit of concern sharing this truth with you today. Not because of you – who I have met, but because, I have not met you all. Therefore, I wondered if the words that called to me were honest. I was concerned as to whether this statement that burns in my heart was true. Or am I leading myself astray. I entertained this conflict for a moment, then I realized the words are true: you are all wonderful; so, thank you.
Thank you because I can witness the fruits of your love all around me. I can see the compassion in your care for our lawn and for our children. I can see the fruits of love in the lay readers and the three-hour meetings on Wednesday night. I witness the fruits of your love as you gather in joy on Monday afternoons and Thursday mornings. I feel the fruits of your love for God, for our neighbors, and for ourselves which you reveal all around me – every day. So, thank you; because this fruit of love is all we need to witness that you, beloved, are one with God.
I wonder though, can people in our community of Salem see these fruits? Can they tell if we are on the vine of Jesus simply by wandering by our beautiful blue doors? Do we share our love at the grocery stores, bowling alleys, workplaces? For that is the question, right? Are we revealing the fruit of Love in everything we do and with everyone we meet? I hope you do for that is what God calls us to do – love one another and reveal this love, not for praise; but so, we can be an example of love for the world, bring greater praise to God, and be one in the Body of Christ.
I pray this week brings you one – just one – more way to reveal God’s love with our neighbors in Salem and that our whole community can witness the fruit of your love which I witness every day.
Many blessings on this Sunday morning. As we begin our summer season, I pray you are well and able to refresh your Spirit; to reflect on what is important in your life; and discover what makes you happy, at peace, and joyful. I make this prayer as many people in our world seem to be hyper-focused on accomplishing and fixing. They seem to feel a need to do everything – today, like there is no tomorrow. And, I am sure we have all witnessed this reality in ourselves or other people throughout our life. In people who need to work a hundred hours a week for a third home; they will never see. In people who challenge every word, action, or inaction as a slight or offence. In people who are defining success in their life by the things they acquire; instead of in the way they live.
This thought came to my mind a few years ago when I was in a creative writing class. It was right after the professor made an off-hand comment that writers are “only as good as their last piece.” I thought, ‘how sad, as the journey of writing (as well as the journey of life) is the enjoyable part.’ It was then I realized that success, for me, cannot be measured by my accomplishments alone. But then, how do we gauge our success? Perhaps, we cannot.
Or rather, perhaps we should not measure OUR success in this world. For, if we focus only on our goals – our accomplishments – our success then maybe we are missing the point. I mention this idea as it seems not only egocentric and self-serving to focus on my success, it does not match our Christian teachings. Therefore maybe, humans need a new perspective, especially in “_?__” beloved community, a new “our” to focus on, a new Center.
While pondering these thoughts, I recalled a Bible verse:
“So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” (Col. 3: 1-3 NRSV)
And, I wondered if the phrase, “in God,” is where we should shift our focus too. Perhaps, perhaps, God as our center is the answer. I mean, what would happen if human beings measured success not on our individual accomplishments but on what God does through us for everyone? Would the world be a better place if we considered God as our Center? Would divisions end and peace reign if we are all “in God”? I believe it would. Mind you, I did not consider this way as a form of blaming God for any issues in our world; rather, it became a shift in perception from what was best for me to what is best for ALL through God at the Center of my world.
I wonder if this Way would alleviate anxiety and bring joy – peace – and happiness to your life. I know it has done so for me while refreshing my Spirit with new hope for our future.
May these thoughts be a blessing in your life as we walk through this journey of life together
