Christmas Blessing

I feel blessed that our Evangelical Lutheran Church of America is lead by our Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson. He certainly loves Jesus.
The first time I met Bishop Hanson was in the elevator. We were both working at the Churchwide Offices in Park Ridge, and we were both headed downstairs for midweek morning worship when he realized he wasn't wearing his nametag. In his cleric and huge Bishop's cross around his neck, I told him not to worry, that people would know he's the Bishop. Frustrated, he responded more to himself then me, when he said almost under his breath, "But if I expect others to wear it, I need to wear it too." I have a feeling Bishop Hanson takes wearing his nametag so seriously, not because people won't recognize him otherwise, but because he sees the value in those with power being aligned with those who have less power. In fact, I've seen Bishop Hanson's servant heart on a variety of occasions and he is concerned about the working poor, about women's issues, about children, education, healthcare, and rights for gays and lesbians. This is why I highly recommend either reading or watching his short Christmas Blessing. If you have never seen him before I think you'll sense in his voice, his eyes and his demeanor, the servant of God who is leading our church.

http://www.elca.org/Who-We-Are/Our-Three-Expressions/Churchwide-Organization/Office-of-the-Presiding-Bishop/Messages-and-Statements/091206christmas.aspx

What We Need

What we need always seems in competition with what we want. I'm starting to think that much of our life's journey is about either balancing the two, or if it is possible, trying to merge our needs into our wants or wants into needs? Does that make sense?

I'm teaching this class on the Magi from Matthew 2. I've been working on it for awhile now, and everytime I work on it, it puts a smile on my face. A smile because I can't seem to get over what Matthew meant for it to say and what it has become in our culture. It just brings to light for me the power of perception and power.

Frankly I want everyone to hear the message the Gospel writer is trying to get across-- I can't get over how powerful it has been for me. At it's most basic level it reminds me that what we want isn't always what we need and that God remains faithful continually showing us our needs.

If you can make it, the classes are at the main campus of Our Saviour's in the Nelson Fellowship Center, Sunday December 13th at 9 and 10:10 am and Tuesday Dec. 15th at 9:30pm. Hope to see you there!

Advent

Here might be a new way to think about Advent this year...the fact that "its coming depends on us."

From my heroine, Sister Joan Chittister in her book "The Liturgical Year"

"It is while waiting for the coming of the reign of God, Advent after Advent, that we come to realize that its coming depends on us. What we do will either hasten or slow, sharpen or dim our own commitment to do our part to bring it.

Waiting — that cold, dry period of life when nothing seems to be enough and something else beckons within us — is the grace that Advent comes to bring. It stands before us, within us, pointing to the star for which the wise ones from the East are only icons of ourselves.

We all want something more. Advent asks the question, what is it for which you are spending your life? What is the star you are following now? And where is that star in its present radiance in your life leading you? Is it a place that is really comprehensive enough to equal the breadth of the human soul?"

Practice

After years and years of practice I think I'm finally becoming a grateful person. It took me almost a whole year of remembering/forgetting to bring cloth grocery bags with me to the store before I remembered them every time I went...so why not 33 years before I can say thanks for the small stuff?!

Every day since my daughter's birth I have been grateful to be able to provide for her needs. Since returning to work I have made the most of my time "bottling milk" by catching up on my reading. I just finished a short but powerful book by Henri Nouwen called "With Open Hands." It is profound and inspiring and I plan to read it over and over again. It has me praying and thanking God more often, in simple, regular ways. I find myself being more conversational with God-- which isn't completely new to me, but something I needed to get back in the habit of doing. I recommend ANYTHING Henri Nouwen to folks-- and here's just a brief snipit of the book, it's actually the closing prayer...

"Dear God, I do not know where you are leading me. I do not even know what my next day, my next week, or my next year will look like. As I try to keep my hands open, I trust that you will put your hand in mine and bring me home. Thank you, God for your love. Thank you. Amen."

What did you say?

Is it true children have the ear of God? I was teaching a Children’s Chapel at our Children’s Center recently and was proud of what I heard come from the lips of one of our preschoolers. I brought my 10 week old daughter, Sophia, to meet the other kids. Ms. Sharon the director of the Center was holding Sophia and showing her off to the kids while I stood off to the side along the gym wall, waiting to teach chapel. Ms. Sharon asked the kids, “Do you know who Sophia belongs to?” And a young girl spoke up, saying, “God!” “Yes,” Ms. Sharon said, “Sophia belongs to God. She is also the daughter of Pastor Janelle and Brad Hooper.” What a gift—to be reminded that our children belong to God and us. That we are entrusted with these gifts, this miracle of life; and that we too, as adults are children of God.! Thanks be to God for the Good News our children teach us—we belong to God!
And thanks be to God for the valuable teaching opportunities provided by Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church and the Children’s Center. In “Baptized We Live” Daniel Erlander says that we are all shaped by some story, and that baptism provides “storied waters” for our lives. Also, that we are not alone as parents in shaping the faith lives of our children but that it is the church community, responding “yes” at the baptismal ceremony that also promises to help our children grow in faith. What a gift that at both of our campuses, through church school and preschool, our kids are growing in faith and teaching us something about belonging to God!

Can't let go

I love Texas, but after 18 years I needed to get out. Next thing I know I am standing in an Eddie Bauer store in Syracuse, New York with my dad and brother looking for a coat to help me through my first Northern winter. With little thought to fashion, my brother helped me pick out a mens down coat. I lovingly refer to it as my Marshmellowman coat. It's dark red on the outside and navy on the inside with lots of helpful pockets. In fact, while at Syracuse University, I often saw several guys wearing my jacket.
It was a good jacket, and in fact still is...11 years later. But for awhile now, actually from the beginning, I haven't been fond of how the jacket looks. There's nothing about it that cries "funky" or "feminine" just "warmth"-- which "hey" in a bad New York or Chicago winter isn't a bad thing.
But now that I'm 33, I'd like something that fits my station in life. And since the coat is still in good condition, even after literally traveling the world with me when I studied abroad, I thought I would donate it to the Celebration Clinic that is looking for good winter coats every year. However for three years running, I have taken out that winter coat, looked at it, decided I still can't stand the way it looks, but thought to myself "it still works" and couldn't justify getting rid of it. I know when you donate something it needs to be in good condition so I didn't want to hold onto the jacket until it became a rag-- but I couldn't do it. Last year I even got so far as bringing the coat to work and keeping it in my office for several weeks, meaning to take it down to Celebration. But all I ended up doing was taking it home. Maybe it's because now I'm a mamma, and I feel like I have entered a new phase in my life. I decided I could give up the coat in good condition-- and let go of those college memories and European travel memories and step into something new-- and even spend money doing it! I tell you though, as I laid that coat gently in the bin outside the back door at Celebration, without hesitation I had a sending ceremony for it. And I said a blessing that it might be a good warm coat for someone who needs it.
Silly how hard it was to let it go, even when I never really liked it. And surprising I couldn't do it without a blessing. And that was just a coat!

2 for 1

I'm trying to grow in my preaching. As a preacher I'm still trying to be more creative and to find my voice. So I'm reading a sermon a day by renowned author and preacher Barbara Brown Taylor--who is an amazing word-illustrator of scripture. I hope you notice a change in my sermons... for the better!