From the UCC Network: 03/07/2012 "Queen for the Day"

Queen for the Day

Hebrews 4:1-2

"Every high priest chosen from among mortals is put in charge of things pertaining to God on their behalf, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is subject to weakness"

Reflection by Donna Schaper

It will come as no surprise that pastors and priests are sinners.  You might want to think something else, as it is so spiritually convenient to have a spiritual surrogate.  But your house will be built on sand.

I need not mention the Roman Catholic scandal regarding errant priests. Or that sermon I preached last week, which was simply inadequate to the hunger of my people.  I don't need to bring up the old heresy that assures us, after much mistaken hyperbole, that the bread is good even if the giver is not.  Better put, the bread does not depend on the giver being good.  That is the sacramental heresy, changed by the ancient revision that assures us that the bread of life is still good even if the giver is not.  You can just hear the sighs of relief underneath the collars.

It is amazing how often people project their hopes in the divine on their minister.  To be a decent minister, it is crucial to avoid those projections.  I only take them on one day a month.  I call it Queen for the Day. On that day, I imagine I can help people manage their loneliness, their debt, and their boredom. I consent to their projections and brag about how many appointments I have.  I act like I know more about God than they do.  Sometimes I even offer advice, which is a sure sign that I have granted permission to the projections, sustained spiritual surrogacy,  risked ridiculousness.  On that day I complain especially about how busy I am, how in demand I am, how irreplaceable I am.

When the day is over, I have to go back to the truth.  Even the highest priest had to face her maker, his God, their inadequacy to carry the spiritual weight that is only managed by shoulders that share it.  I prefer the normal day to the special day, as do most Queens.  It has more truth in it.

Prayer

O God, who made not one of us perfect, grant us the reach towards grace anyway.  Give us that perfect humility that allows us to wake up each day and come towards you with strong shoulders.  Give us shoulders that know the limits of what they can bear and wisely seek partners to make the load easy and the burden light.  Teach us spiritual physics, not spiritual surrogacy.   Amen.

About the Author Donna Schaper is the Senior Minister of Judson Memorial Church in New York City. Her latest work is 20 Ways to Keep Sabbath, from The Pilgrim Press. Check out her work at www.judson.org.

From the UCC Network: 03/06/2012 "Multiply"

Multiply
Excerpt from Genesis 22:1-19 

"The angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven, and said, 'By myself I have sworn, says the Lord: Because you have done this, and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will indeed bless you, and I will make your offspring as numerous as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore.'"

Reflection by Quinn G. Caldwell

I feel a little weird about it, but here is a true thing: I give my money away because I want to be richer.

I wish the only reason I gave money to the church were because I want to build the realm of God.  But the truth is that part of the reason I do it is because I want more money.

It is my experience that the more generous I manage to be, the wealthier I find I am.  And let me be clear: by "wealthier" I do not mean just "wealthier in spirit"; I mean I really do seem to have more money.  I cannot explain this phenomenon.  It might be luck.  It might have something to do with unearned privilege.  It might just be that the more I give away, the less I realize I need, and so I justfeel richer.

And it might just be the work of the God who, when Abraham was ready to give his son's life, multiplied his sons a millionfold.  The God who, when the crowds gave the few loaves and fishes they had, multiplied them and fed the world.  The God who, when Jesus gave his life, multiplied that life so powerfully that we're still living it today.

I give my money away because when I do, I find that I have more of it than I did.  I honestly do not know how this works.  I'm just telling you that with our God, it does.

Prayer

Praise God from whom all blessings flow.  Amen.

About the Author Quinn G. Caldwell is an ordained minister of the United Church of Christ, and co-editor, with Curtis J. Preston, of the Unofficial Handbook of the United Church of Christ.

From the UCC Network: 03/05/2012 "Changing Faith"

Changing Faith

Excerpt from Hebrews 1:8-12

"You, Lord, are always the same, and your life never ends." (Good News Bible)

Reflection by William C. Green

When my son turned fourteen he was puzzled by his inability to enjoy the amusement park where we'd passed many summer days. He kept going on the same roller coasters that had thrilled him. He kept riding the bumper cars he once loved. He again threw balls at moving targets to win the toys he'd been drawn to collecting. But the harder he tried to enjoy himself the more disappointed he felt. Something was wrong. Something had changed. It was time to move on.

One writer said, "All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another."

Lent is a good time to ask ourselves what we're going to have to die to for faith to grow, what we're going to have to leave behind. The God who never changes is present in ways we may not have fully anticipated—as when we're lost and alone, when we're suffering, when doubt runs strong, or when the plight of others cries out for our attention.

In God, our life never ends but we're called to move on. We will find new ways of believing and seeing what's always there, seeking us out, loving us, leading us, and supporting us.

Prayer

God, help us to let go of belief we have outgrown. May we move with you into the new life you have in store for us. Amen.

About the Author William C. Green is Vice-President for Strategy and Development of theMoral Courage Project at the NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, and the author of 52 Ways to Ignite Your Congregation: Generous Giving.

We are who God says we are [cross-post]

CENTURY BLOGS

We are who God says we are

The gospel in seven words

Mar 02, 2012 by Nadia Bolz-Weber

What's the gospel in seven words? We asked theologians, pastors and others both to answer this question and to expand on this in a few sentences. To see all the responses together as they're posted, bookmark this page. Add your own version here. --Ed.

We are who God says we are.

In the incarnation, life, death and resurrection of Christ we see that God is so for us and with us that we can no longer be defined according to death, a religion-based worthiness system or even the categories of late-stage capitalism. We are who God says we are: the forgiven, broken and blessed children of God; the ones to whom God draws near. Nothing else gets to tell us who we are.

From the UCC Network: 03/04/2012 "Again and Again and Again"

Again and Again and Again
Excerpt from Mark 10:1-12

"Crowds again gathered around him; and, as was his custom, he again taught them."

Reflection by Quinn G. Caldwell

A faithful churchgoer was talking with a skeptical friend about why he bothered going to church.  The friend asked him what his favorite part of the service was.  "Oh, I love most of it: the songs, the Doxology, Communion.  The pastoral prayer can be pretty boring sometimes, but I even get something out of that.  Overall, though, I guess I would say I get the most out of the sermon."

"How many sermons do you think you've sat through in your life?" the friend asked.

The man said, "Oh, I don't know.  Couple thousand?"

"And do you remember them all?"

"Of course not!"

"Then why bother?  What's the point?"

The man thought about it for a moment, then asked, "Do you remember every meal you've ever eaten?"

"No."

"Neither do I," replied the man.  "But I sure am glad I ate them."

Prayer

God, I wish I didn't have to feed my spirit so much.  I wish I could hear about you just once and then be yours forever.  But it looks like I'm going to need to hear it again and again.  So send me the discipline to come often to the table of your Word, and send me preachers good enough to keep me fed.  Amen.

About the Author Quinn G. Caldwell is an ordained minister of the United Church of Christ, and co-editor, with Curtis J. Preston, of the Unofficial Handbook of the United Church of Christ.

From the UCC Network: 03/01/2012 "In Search of a Girlfriend ... or Maybe Just a Sixth Cat"

In Search of a Girlfriend ... or Maybe Just a Sixth Cat

1 Corinthians 13:4 

"Love is patient, love is kind."

Reflection by Lillian Daniel

Someone in the online dating world received this note from a potential suitor:

"You should be an outdoors and nature lover ... did I mention you must like cats?
Exercise habits: Never
Pets: I have Cats
I have 5 cats and they are number one in my life. They own the house and yard. My job is to protect and care for them. Anyone who does not like cats is not welcome at my house. Period." 

OK, now I love cats as much as the next person. By which I mean that I actually love cats as much as I love the next person, which means that on some days, I just straight up prefer the cats. So don't get me wrong here, I relate to this guy.

But I don't think he is demonstrating much openness to all that a new relationship might bring. Word choices like "must," "number one," "period," and "not welcome" are not particularly inviting. This guy may be looking for a girlfriend, but he might be better off with a sixth cat. Because relating to other people is hard. The apostle Paul understood that, when he reminded us that love is patient. He didn't say passionate, or fun, or easy. He said "patient."

Other people seldom agree to our rules. Other people have their own ideas about things. Other people can be needy or they can ignore you. Other people can be warm and cuddly one minute, cold and aloof the next. Come to think of it, sometimes other people are a lot like cats.

Prayer

Allow me to know myself well enough to explain myself to others, but not so well that I scare them away. Grant me patience in the realm of love, and openness to the possibilities of others who are not like me. Amen.

About the Author Lillian Daniel is the senior minister of the First Congregational Church, UCC, Glen Ellyn, Illinois. She is the author, with Martin Copenhaver, of This Odd and Wondrous Calling: the Public and Private Lives of Two Ministers.