June 18th, 2006 - Sunday Service & Pastor Dayle's 10th Ordination Anniversary

When we returned from Dignity Village Saturday evening Pastor Dayle was writing her sermon. She was also excited about attending a seminar on the emerging church. The crux what she related is that the emerging church is moving from being centered in “conventional” worship to an emphasis on “intentional” worship and integrating the church into life through social justice issues. Also there was an acknowledgement of boundaries breaking down between the different denominations.

There is much more to be said and understood about this for me but it lines up with church as I experienced it in the early part of my life and church for me now. Pastor Dayle talked about the hypocrisy many people see in a church that, in essence, talks the talk but does not walk the walk. When I was young I felt that hypocrisy in me and around me. I felt then church was not inspiring me to do God’s work here but was leading me to subjugate myself to conventional good as society saw it.

I am embarrassed to admit it but I spent many years “shopping” for a church. I sought a church that would ignite or deepen my passion for the next step in my spiritual journey. Being led to Creator became a humbling experience for me and now that “shopping” seems tied up in a bit of spiritual arrogance. In essence, I looked to others to establish a church that would meet my needs rather than working to establish it.

Pastor Dayle had spent Saturday at the beach with Peter and his brother. It was the day of the annual Sandcastle competition and they were in time to see the entries and the wave that leveled them. In her sermon on Sunday she tied to this to the death of her brother and the ephemeral nature of everyone’s time here on earth.

It has been said and sung “There is a river of love that flows through all times.” Churches, with faith stories and an emphasis on love for God and fellow man, have been primary institutional conduits of love for thousands of years. Certainly they have also been conduits of human weakness. I doubt few would argue otherwise.

Communities are tied in different ways, geographically, politically, economically and ideologically. There is a common history. I don’t claim to completely understand the body of Christ but I know it binds in a completely different way. It binds here and now to the far away places on earth and to our past.

The other notable piece of the service was Kelly and his sons performing “Peace I Give To You”. Once again I was struck by the intimacy of the piece and the simple strength of the arrangement of the parts. The lyrics "Peace I give to you, not as the world gives, I give to you, I give you peace." point us back to God for our understanding and peace.

I was watching Colin McGinn's interview with Bill Moyer on the series "On Faith & Reason". McGinn is a British philosopher whose work focuses on philosophy of mind, ethics, and philosophical logic. He is an atheist and talked eloquently and rationally why he did not believe in God. He reported he did not miss anything and there was no deep unfulfilled need in his soul for God.

Kelly's lyrics went through my mind. There is a peace beyond this world. McGinn claimed morality came before God, that basically man invented the concept of God to explain this morality. Kelly points in his lyrics to what I see in Christianity that is critical to me. There is a peace that will be outside of this world. It is so easy to try to control more than you can, it is easy to be cynical when problems in you life and the world's problems persist. This is when it is possible to gain the peace that Kelly sings about. Another verse:

Let not your heart be troubled,
Don't be afraid
You're never alone,
My spirit has come,
To tell you again all these things you have heard.

This peace seems so necessary and yet reason alone denies us comfort. That can be good at times as well but Kelly's song describes where I think I will truly find my soul's refreshment.

After the service there was the celebration of Pastor Dayle's 10th Oridination Anniversary. Bishop Paul Swanson led the gathering and memories of Pastor Dayle's ministry and observation of her talents were shared. I believe everyone left feeling very closely tied to Pastor Dayle, to each other and the church.