March 2006

                                                               From the Pastor

It is hard to believe, but by the time you receive this, we will have passed our one year anniversary of ministry together in Jesus’ name.  Anniversaries can be both celebratory and painful.  While I find so much in this past year to celebrate with you, I also want to acknowledge the loss that comes whenever transition is present.  A new mother discovers the sleepless nights that come with the joy of having a baby.  A newly retired spouse discovers both new freedom and independence, but may deeply miss the daily schedule that his work afforded.  A recent widow or divorced individual finds new opportunities to grow, yet is simultaneously is surrounded by memories that are both bittersweet and poignant. 

So much has happened in this past year!  Sometimes it feels as if we are “just arriving,” and other times it is as if we have been together all along.  Sometimes it feels as if we are old friends sharing our stories over a well-used kitchen table, and sometimes it feels as though we are strangers meeting for the very first time.

            On the file cabinet in my office, there is a magnet with a quote from Michelangelo that says, “I am still learning.”  I keep it there to remind me that we are all still learning, both the older and the younger, the experienced and the inexperienced.  No matter how much we think that we have learned, no matter how many “life experiences” we’ve had, or “life storms” we have weathered, there is still so much more to discover and learn anew.  Being newly married also personally reminds me that I am still learning.  I am still learning who my spouse is and how I “am” in relationship with him.  I am still learning what it is like to “share” space with another human being and how to compromise--gracefully.  I am still learning and looking forward to who we are yet to become together. 

            And so it is, I believe, with our relationship with God.  We have so much to discover yet about who we are in relationship to who God is and who Jesus is for us.  We are still learning what discipleship means and how we live out that discipleship in our daily lives—and in the arguments and disagreements that sometimes fly across that above- mentioned kitchen table.  We are still learning how to love and be loved—both those whom God loves and our very own selves.  We are still learning what justice, mercy, forgiveness, and self-sacrifice mean in the context of our lives and in the larger story of Jesus Christ and the world.  So much to learn!

            Because there is so much to learn and because none of us can truly say that we have yet mastered life, we might strive to keep a “beginner’s mind.”  Having the mind of a beginner means being open to learning, open to both exploration and discovery, open to possibility and complexity, and open to risk.  True, there is a down side to being a beginner.  Beginners make mistakes and risk embarrassment.  Beginners often need to ask for assistance and advice.  Beginners often don’t know what the answers are, and sometimes they don’t even know what the questions are.  Beginners tend to step on peoples’ toes, particularly the toes of those whom they love.

            Despite all of this, and maybe because of it, being a beginner in our minds, hearts, and spirits can actually be positive.  We can learn that we don’t have to go it alone.  We can learn that others have wondered about the same things that we have.  We can learn about what it means to live in community—that there are other toes besides our own and that everyone dances in this thing called “life” uniquely, and at a different pace.  We eventually learn that we won’t die of embarrassment and that if we fall flat on our face, God will raise us up.

            Lent is traditionally a time of self-reflection and repentance.  Many people choose to fast or “give something up” for Lent.  In our time, many people choose instead to “take something on” for Lent— whether a new spiritual discipline such as daily devotional prayer or a daily walk around the neighborhood.  Whatever you choose to do (or choose not to do), let this be a time to grow closer to God and each other.  Allow yourself the luxury of time alone with God.  You might have an epiphany or you might discover something new about who you are and who God is.   Perhaps you might want to approach the complexity in your life with a beginner’s mind—asking God to be with you as you approach your difficulties and puzzlements with renewed heart, courage, discernment, and grace. 

Let our Lenten prayer be that we shall keep our eyes focused on Jesus as he nears Jerusalem—to heal and to raise, to release the captive and oppressed, to sup with his disciples and friends, and to die for those whom he cherished.  Let us approach his story and our own story with beginner’s eyes and see what new thing God is doing for us, through us, and with us.

Happy Anniversary, my friends,

and may your spiritual lives be deepened and enriched this Lenten season,

Rev. Dee