July 29th, 2007 - Ninth Sunday after Pentecost

It was a special service today; with three baptisms, three pastors baptizing and the new Bishop of the Oregon Synod in worship with us.

Pastor Mark’s son Brandon was one of the three babies being baptized. The others were Taylor and Samantha.

Due to the visitors for three baptisms there was more than the usual number of people who came early to the service. One of the grandmothers requested You Are Mine, so we performed it as an instrumental before Creator Praise. They later performed Make This Child Yours with David’s accompaniment and it was a musical moment that felt right after the baptisms.

This was the second Sunday of Baptisms and once again the liturgy was inspiring. It reflected our thanks and joyousness.

It is not just joyousness, however. There are moments of teaching, of understanding; the Old Testament God, for example. Janice was the reader of the Old Testament lesson Genesis 18; where Abraham pleads with God not to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, if God finds enough righteous men. Abraham bargains God down from fifty men to ten. Janice delivers readings that always draw attention to the text and the comple meanings within it.

Janice also gave a reading from Colossians 2 that Pastor Mark quoted in his remarks during the Children’s Time,

…when you were with him buried in baptism, you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.

Pastor Mark talked about the power of water that can drown, but also that Jesus was baptized by water. He had the children all dip their fingers in the water and make a sign of the cross on their foreheads.

Pastor Dayle’s sermon was joyous. Her topic was the promises we give God and God gives us in baptism. She talked about our life in the church and questioned us about our prayer. She asked if we were tellers or askers in prayer. The teller wants to tell God how things should be, the asker wants to listen to God and feel the love that sustains us. The asker is on a search for the wisdom of the Lord.

Pr. Dayle then talked about her reading the new Harry Potter book this week, shopping at the new IKEA store that opened last Wednesday and the worship at Creator. She wondered what it would take to get everyone she saw shopping at IKEA to go to a church on Sunday. She wanted them to feel the blessing of connection that the church feels in worship. She wanted us to understand our promise to show Brandon, Taylor and Samantha the closeness of Christian connection at Creator.

The baptisms were performed as a beautiful series of inter-connections. Visiting Pastor Rev. Dr Richard Albert, Brandon’s maternal grandfather, baptized Brandon. Pastor Mark baptized Taylor and Pastor Dayle baptized Samantha. Pastor Mark also spoke from his dual role as Brandon’s dad and the as Associate Pastor to strengthen Pastor Dayle’s request to demonstrate Christian community and help nurture these babies in the days, weeks, months and years ahead.

Joe ended each baptism with the hopeful:

Let your light shine before others that they might see your good works and glorify your father in heaven.

He then proceeded, (after the three baptisms) with the earnestness and sincerity of everyone present, the Prayers of the People.

After the baptisms, and the Gospel reading (which contained the words of the Lord's Prayer) the Lord’s Prayer felt new on my lips and in my heart.

The last song Go, My Children, with My Blessing emphasized that feeling of connection and community as did most of the music selected for the service.

Another service that drew the ties that bind a little closer.

July 26th, 2007 - Meeting with Happy Valley Holy Family Episcopal Community

In the August newsletter Pastor Dayle talked about the fire of the Holy Spirit being in our midst, moving us to celebrate a joint worship service with Holy Family Episcopal Community.

This was basically another planning session for that worship.

Reverend Julie Smith brought a draft of the Sunday Evening Family worship and Meghan brought two prints each of two striking posters she designed for the event.

The group worked easily together at the meeting. There were suggestions for the right music and word. The sources for the worship were varied, Episcopal, Lutheran, United Methodist and the New Zealand Book of Common Prayer.

I appreciated the excited energy of the meeting. I was fascinated by the fresh perspectives. When we examined the sanctuary we found the placement of the altar, how the cross might be used, and where the sermon would be given (to cite a few examples), were all new decisions.

There was a graciousness too that impressed me, a deference to what our different denominational beliefs would consider important. Good sign pointing to what should be a special worship service.

July 25th, 2007 - Hunger Awareness Film Night Film - The Grapes of Wrath

It was another great evening of film. The group discussion was engaging. There were a number of people who had family stories that revolved around experiences like those depicted in Steinbeck's story of the Joads.

Many expressed dissatisfaction at the ending of the film. Mary pointed out it was not the director John Ford’s original meeting. Aaron had recently read the book so we were able to talk about Steinbeck’s original and more controversial ending.

Nita’s favorite part of the film was the Joad’s encounter with a waitress in the New Mexico filling station. At first, the waiteress thinks only about the normal way of doing business when the Pa Joad ask to buy a loaf of bread.

She points out the filling station is not a grocery store and they use the bread for making sandwiches. The counter man tells her to sell them the loaf. When they can pay only 10 cents for the 15 cent loaf, the counter man has her sell it to them as day old bread. Then the waitress is moved to generosity. It proceeds from there with the following dialogue:

Pa: It may sound funny bein' so tight, but we got a thousand miles to go and we don't know if we'll make it. (As he goes to pay for the loaf) Is them penny candies, m'am?

Waitress: Which ones?

Pa: There, them stripey ones.

Waitress: Oh, them, well, uh, no. Them's two for a penny.

Pa: Give us two then, m'am. (To the children) Go on, take 'em, take 'em. Thank ya, m'am.

Truck driver: (After the Joads have left) Them ain't two for a cent candy.

Waitress: What's it to you?

Truck driver: Them's a nickel a piece candy...(Both truck drivers leave hefty tips when they pay for their meals)

Waitress: Hey wait a minute, you got change comin'!

Truck driver: What's it to ya?

Waitress: (While holding the coins in her hand) Bert, look! (musing) Truck drivers.

We talked about other aspects of the film, hardships in life and how our congregation would respond to a crisis where water and food was not available. Some parts of the conversation were lighter as well, trying to remember the actor's names who played Bert and Ernie in It's A Wonderful Life (Frank Faylen and Ward Bond). Both played parts in The Grapes of Wrath.

Next week we'll see the silent movie Sparrows starring Mary Pickford .

July 22nd, 2007 - Eighth Sunday After Pentecost

In Creator Praise today we sang David’s One Day. Lyric and melody intertwine simply and create a powerful wish:

One day we’ll see a world that feeds all it’s hungry
One day we’ll comfort all who need our help
One day we’ll see a world where peace is the answer…

Pastor Mark’s sermon was also on peace. He preached on the Gospel story of Mary and Martha by focusing on how Jesus responded to Martha, saying she should not be worried or distracted. Pastor Mark commented that the word we find in Luke could be translated as "being pulled and tugged in all directions".

He noted we live in a Martha society. We live in an anxiety that is not in keeping with the blessing that propels us to ministry at the end of the service - Go in peace and serve the Lord.

In this morning’s service the baptism for Jackson Jeffrey Phillips-March was performed. Every baptism I have attended feels somewhat special in its own way. Today, just as Jackson was being baptized, a sunbeam broke through on the proceedings.

Pastor Mark remarked, after the service, how powerful it was to move from the relatively quiet Benediction he gave to the energetic This Little Light of Mine and his observation captured something essential about living worship. It is complex, it can move from bowed reverence to unrestrained dancing with the spirit at a moment’s notice.

July 18th, 2007 - Hunger Awareness Film Night
Film - Sullivan's Travels

Last night was the Hunger Awareness Team’s first summer film night. The smell of popcorn was in the Fellowship Hall. There was a variety of sodas, lemonade, coffee and candy. An artifacts was table set up with books and memorabilia as an invitation to explore and learn about the film Sullivan’s Travels. We passed out programs as well.

Those who came appreciated the film. The main character was someone who tried helping the poor in ways he thought were right. In the end he came to understand by being who he was, he was helping more than he imagined. Our discussion after the film was around this and that simply giving money to the less fortunate was not a complete answer.

Something Mary and I (perhaps others) needed to work out within ourselves were the number of people who came. It was just before the Creator cruise, it was just after a week of 100 degree weather. Perhaps many people don't get excited watching a movie that is not the summer blockbuster. It may be other reasons completely but the work invested and the attendance was a disappointment on one level.

It was harder working on the program for The Grapes of Wrath until I refocused on what this work was all about and what it was doing irregardless of how many people in the congregation decided to attend. These films have taught me as I invested time with them.

Struggling with the programs to make connections is an exercise that may be, more or less, under the radar screen this time but this does link to what the Hunger Awareness Team has been working on since we started. David said "It has been a long journey we have taken as a congregation".

We talked about that journey, where it has lead us and how we might refresh our efforts and improve.

I am looking forward to next Wednesday and The Grapes of Wrath.

July 15th, 2007

Today was definitely a special Sunday. Pastor Mark and I picked up the refugee family for the service today (two vehicles since they have 6 total in their family) and returned then after the service. The family was welcomed and helped by the generosity of the congregation with appliances, food and furniture. Scott and Diane and others drove the furniture out for them.

Certainly during the service Pastor Dayle's two year old granddaughter Makenna made things memorable as well. As Pastor Dayle put it, she was multitasking; trying to lead worship and babysit while Jill and Chad were away. Makenna simply knew what she wanted this morning will all the people and cried unless Pastor Dayle was holding her. During the sermon Pastor Dayle looked like she could use a rest. Larry tried giving her a chair but Makenna cried when they sat down.

As usual, David performed beautifully on the music in the service and Kim did a great job on the vocals. It was David's liturgy and it was nice to hear how comfortable the congregation is with that liturgy, even the newest piece, the Gospel Acclaimation.

There were many children at the service and it made things lively. There was a short lunch for the refugee family that went off well. Several families did a great set up job. There were so many kids having fun the energy level was inspiring.

July 11th, 2007 Summer Bible Study - Blue Like Jazz

Hot like Jazz was more descriptive of the day. Matt and Nancy's hospitality for our potluck and book discussion on Blue Like Jazz: Non-Religious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality was appreciated by all while we tried to stay cool in the downstairs area of their house.

The potluck definitely became an antidote to the heat with salads, melons and lemon squares. The pleasant discussion over the meal was about summer activities and plans.

We started our talk on the book with stories of our childhood experiences with church and God. It ran from those for whom church was a central activity, those who were pastor's kids to people who had no church in their childhood.

We read a chapter from the book about Don Miller's struggle to accept God's grace and answered a question about sympathy versus compassion. It became obvious we were not that much more comfortable with the sympathy/compassion difference. Pastor Mark talked about sympathy coming from a place where a person who might be helped and the person who might provide the help were not on an equal footing and that with compassion helpers and helped were coming from a place of equal footing.

After that the talk felt very self-conscious. When we talked about our work ethic getting in the way of wanting to be helped, there was a shadow judgment that seemed implicit for those whom that is not the case. Pastor Dayle brought up how, for many in the congregation, financial difficulties came with life events like illness, divorce, and unexpected loss of job or death. We talked about how hard it was to accept potentially not being in control of our future due to such circumstances.

As we moved from concern to concern the God given spiritual gifts Pastor Mark talked about the Sunday before last entered my mind. There was intensity, a desire to walk the walk God intends for us that animated everyone present. I wasn't precisely sure which gifts this intensity falls under from the list but I was grateful to be talking to these people.

Everybody appreciated the book that inspired this conversation and the planning that went into making the evening possible.

July 11th, 2007

The week after Bethany's death was hard with deep grief for many in the congregation. I found myself working through my reactions in part by finishing a song that I shared with Kelly and Liz last week.

I didn't need to explain what it was about. Liz was supportive and with Kelly's reaction I knew the song captured and communicated what was meant to be passed along. It rides on an edge between dance and despair Kelly remarked. He was right and the edge is there more often than I care to admit to myself.

God's Gonna Get Us There

Well, better hope for better times, and measure rung by rung
The ladder climb to something good, maybe to stay forever young
If we're needing to be young.

While caught up in our pastimes,
or conquered by some small crimes,
Like cruising through the stop signs,
God's gonna get us

God's gonna get us there
Oh, and move us from despair
We may not know the hour but God's gonna get us there.
God's gonna get us

Jesus loves us, how do we know,
What can shine within us so?
As we're called to give ourselves away
We can almost see the glow
Of what we were graced with long ago

While reeling from temptation,
or lost in inspiration,
or strolling to salvation
God's gonna get us

God's gonna get us there
Oh, and move us from despair
We may not know the hour but God's gonna get us there.
God's gonna get us there

In power through our prayer
While we are in God's care
Our spirits may declare

We can feel the shadow of God's love who turns our bodies into the sun
And that dawn will come for everyone where we'll laugh and play and run,
As we rejoice in what's been done

While repaying what we've borrowed
God will lift us through our sorrow
To celebrate tomorrow
God's gonna get us

God's gonna get us there
Oh, and move us from despair
We may not know the hour but God's gonna get us there.
God's gonna get us there

July 9th, 2007 – Hunger Awareness Team Meeting

In my mind during the meeting is Pr. Mark’s invitation regarding the search for signs of the fruit of the Spirit in our family, friends, or someone in the congregation.

In this meeting there was generosity being demonstrated as we talk about what the volunteers during the OFB work day. This is not only about the time and volunteering, and donations to OFB but also a generosity of spirit. The part of the core Hunger Awareness team that met last night; Pastor Dayle, David, Vera, Diane and Mary; humbles and inspires me. They recognize and excited about the energy and spirit that is coming out in the congregation.

This was not limited to what the congregation is doing on social justice issues. The team was particularly impressed with the work of Greg and his family on the new website.

In the team there is a strong sense of action, the desire to want to want to be part of making a difference in the world. Vera reported the tallies she had on monthly donations to OFB and we were pleased the difference the Day Camp collections added to the June total.

We talked about the Summer film nights made plans for the activities. We are all looking forward to how the congregation will experience these films together.

July 8th, 2007

Our worship is now deep in the church’s Ordinary Time. I found that rather than meaning "common" or "mundane," this term comes from the word "ordinal," which simply means counted time (First Sunday after Pentecost, etc.).

This is a time in the worship year that I haven’t always appreciated fully. I think I am overly-conditioned, at times, to look forward and pay attention to particular times, particular events.

Pastor Mark gave the sermon today on the Gospel reading on Luke 10 The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. The stress was placed on the fact it was God’s harvest and that the seventy were, dangerously, more focused on the power and accomplishments the seventy had been given over demons rather than following the commands that Jesus had given.

Pr. Mark then gave several examples from new member recruitment to undue concern over paychecks and stressing over careers where we miss God’s true harvest, which Pastor Mark considered as a possibility ‘a harvest of relationship’.

Once again, this struck me as the proper compass to remain true to God’s direction and will.

Pastor Mark then concentrated on Jesus commands to us and how they were all about building relationship. Jesus’ first task is to say “Peace to this house!” Peace as blessing meant to be shared as the sharing of the peace.

The second call is to cure the sick. Pastor Mark suggested Jesus may mean the healing is a restoring of relationship to community. It made me think how easy it is to not be in community with those we feel are not living in healthy way.

The final call of the 70 that Pr Mark cited is to say “The kingdom of God has come near to you.” He condensed this to these words of relationship: “God has come near to you.”

Truly beautiful, blessing words that, for me, were echoed again in the closing hymn Sent Forth By God’s Blessing. The other musical moment that struck me was during communion when we sang My Life Flows On In Endless Song. David’s performance on the piano and Kelly on guitar and harmony vocal moved this song into a quiet, soul-lifting/offering moment.

July 1st, 2007

Today Pr. Mark delivered a strong sermon on the today’s reading in Galatians 5:1 13-25. He began with the first part of the reading, emphasizing that freedom is an incredible gift. It certainly tied in to the upcoming Independence Day celebrations we were looking forward to.

He continued noting there are few times the Bible lays out lists of what to do, like we may often long for.

Pr Mark then quoted Paul that the fruit of the Spirit is Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Generosity, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control; that there is no law against such things.

The congregation was then divided and each section would repeat three of the gifts as they came up again in the sermon. The congregational repetition almost gave this part of the sermon a lectio divina quality.

Pastor Mark then invited us to search for signs of the fruit of the Spirit in our family, a friend, someone in the congregation, in ourselves, a neighbor, or anyone in whom we saw the gifts of Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Generosity, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control.

A big piece of something I was trying to puzzle out regarding evangelism clicked into place with that invitation.

The service ended with This Is My Song. There was a special meaning behind it’s words of national pride with a simultaneous recognition that this national pride was true with people in other nations.

A moving, end to a service about recognizing the gifts of others.

June 30th, 2007 – Bethany’s Memorial Service

Community, family and friends of Bethany came together for this service beginning early in the morning to set up chairs in the sanctuary that was cleared for Day Camp the day before. It ended with the effort to change to the morning worship configuration for Sunday's service.

Between those tasks there were so many volunteers, lending hands and hearts to help with so many jobs. Setting up and cleaning the worship space for a large attendance. Bringing together the audio visual components together with the final pieces of planning and preparation for the service itself were all tasks to be completed.

This was not to mention the gardening, preparing the Fellowship Hall, bringing desserts and myriads of tasks that were done throughout the day. The family brought tokens and personal effects and displayed them on tables to help us focus and remember Bethany. What first caught my attention was a Winnie The Pooh book

I was close to what was going on with the musicians and I marveled at how David and Kelly resolved immediate needs that presented themselves while pulling together time to rehearse during all the activity. The purposefulness of everyone doing what needed to be done overwhelmed me.

The choir arrived for rehearsal at 5:30. The unexpected happened. Lisa, an oboist who played with Bethany, volunteered to perform on Stay With Us. Later she alternated with Geoff, who was playing viola, on the prelude music. Her gifts, together with Geoff’s and Kelly’s as accompanist, set the mood for the service to the packed church.

The choir all seated together up front, were gathered to give leadership to others in singing. The sound of so many in the congregation with that leadership singing towards the musicians was a powerful experience. Performing the music with David and Kelly, I felt the holiness around us. The lyrics to Kelly’s Kyrie, changed for the occasion, only heightened that feeling.

I have tried before in this blog, to capture in words how unique the Holden Evening setting is for so many people. Bethany chose two beautiful and evocative pieces from this service for her memorial. They took on new meanings, given why we gathered and I am sure many people left with a changed experience of those pieces.

The words in the service gave all of us pause, to think about what we would miss. Susan touched us with her Eulogy, and the memories and the messages of Bethany she shared. Bethany’s friend Ashley gave us a glimpse of Bethany in her college years and the impression and appreciation of her life from a peer.

Toni’s letter was filled with pride and love, a mother’s mediation for that close community of family and friends that captured the spirit and voice of her daughter well.

Bethany's Life In Photos was a photo montage that Mary edited; shown with music that Bethany had picked out herself, namely Joni Mitchell's orchestral performance of Both Sides Now. The lyrics and the contemplative complexity of this songs meditation brought tears to my eyes. This woman's connection with the life she led and those who were important to her was so evident and overwhelming.

Denise gave the reading from Revelation. The choir sang Stay With Us and emotion caught up with me again during the piece. The way the Choir Anthem came together for this service carried me to a different place than past performances, an aspect of a request 'Stay with us' that will may not befulfilled in the way it is asked.

Pastor Dayle gave the homily. Her remarks were personal, poignant and profound. She pulled up memories of Bethany overcoming fear of a roller coaster, Bethany’s love of Winnie The Pooh and Bethany’s love of the swam as a totem of beauty, wisdom and transformation.

The commendation by the pastor who baptized Bethany was moving. His quiet words filled our hearts as he said simply that all of us did what we could for Bethany both personally and as a church to acknowledge her baptism keep her in the knowledge she was a child of God. Those earthly efforts were at an end and we commended her to God’s care.

The Nunc Dimmitis ended the service. The musicians and the choir blended in the raised prayer / knowledge that is at the heart of these words.

Tonight's goodbye to someone close to our hearts.