Rejoice over everything.

Exult. Exhilarate.

Be glad. Be delighted, elated,

and bowled over with joy!

Frolic freely, hop, hope,
dance on the dare, cheer,

champion the little ones,

revel in the riotous light.

Invoke God without ceasing.

Pray with passion.

Whatever you do,

do not quench the Spirit.

Take care not to douse

or dampen the bold blaze

in your depths.

Jump into life.

Hold fast to it.

Give thanks for everything.

For everything,

even the most misshapen

and misunderstood,

is the disguise of the divine.

Susan Virginia Hull

May the rejoicing begin, continue, and last forever. For, today He is Born. For You. And Me.

Thank you for reading along with my musings this Advent. For the discipline it took to write each day, I found more joy in the work than I ever would have imagined. A microcosm of sorts, I suppose, for this life we are called to lead as Christ's followers. Disciplined. Yes. Full of joy? Absolutely.

Merry Christmas.

With love and prayers of rejoicing from your pastor.

Scoot over to make more room in the pew!

Let's go sit in the balcony.

Not things we have to do every Sunday morning, but Christmas Eve is the time when everyone comes home to church. Christmas Eve is also a time when someone will take a chance and come in for the first time to see what it's all about.

The church will be looking and sounding its best for such a special occasion as this -- welcoming the Baby Jesus once more, singing Silent Night hoping our tears of joy and remembrance don't extinguish the candles we are holding. But beyond this night?

My hope for you this night is that you find cause to really celebrate. That when you leave this place on this night, you will be able to say, this is where I belong. This is where I’m grounded. I hope that Jesus will be, for you, something more than just this cute little eight pound six ounce newborn you visit once a year.

For the celebration to be complete and lasting, Jesus has to also be the one who can transform your life, to guide you when you are lost, to heal you when you are broken, to lift you when you are down. He can be the one to come find you when you are lost. To give meaning when life is easy. To motivate you when you are stuck. To give you peace when you are troubled.

For Jesus to do any and all of these things, you have to celebrate this more than once a year!

Christmas Eve blessings. Such a privilege it is to preach on this night.

Pastor Kris

If this particular Nativity looks familiar, it's because it resides outside the sanctuary doors at Disciples Christian.

Nativities are priceless whether they cost much or little. My personal favorite is the wooden set that entertained my children for hours when they were small. It was a gift from my mom, Grandma Tomescu, and her condition when she gave the gift was that it was to be 'hands-on.' I still put it out every year, even though it's been a long time since my children were small. It is battered and bruised some, but none of its blemishes lessen the wonderful memories of watching those small hands making sure every figure was in the right place. It was how they came to learn the story of the Christ-Child.

Perhaps one day my grandchildren will get to know Baby Jesus through these well-worn figures. I pray so.

Blessings -

Pastor Kris

A suggestion to guide your prayers this day -- the gift of grandparents.

The service department called late on a Friday afternoon with the news that my 2001 Cabrio needed $2500 worth of repairs and had two oil leaks, one of which was serious enough that my engine could blow at any minute. OK, it was just a car -- but I'll confess that I shed some tears. That car got me through 133,995 miles.

It got me to Cleveland and Disciples Christian Church. For that trip -- and many others through the years -- I am grateful.

So, I'm driving a black VW Jetta now -- having said good-bye to that cute little green convertible -- and bracing myself for making car payments again after several years without them. With only 500 miles on it so far, I am already thoroughly enjoying the radio. Car radios have changed since 2001! I now have more stations than I can ever listen to on satellite, and a bright LED screen on the dash that tells me exactly what's playing.

My favorite stations right now are the three I've found that play Christmas music. One is all sacred music all the time. Another is pop -- and for all the Dogs barking Jingle Bells and Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer selections, there are some lovely pieces too. And the third? It's a station that is playing French Christmas music. Some of the melodies are familiar no matter the language. Others are brand new to me and a challenge to see if I can translate at least the titles if not the lyrics from my very rusty French.

And then there are those that bring back elementary school French class memories: Il est ne le divin Enfant. Un flambeau, Jeanette, Isabella. I remember Mmes Ketterman and Rababa -- my French teachers -- teaching us, singing with us. And, I'm remembering a very cute, tall, shy red-headed boy learning them with me.

Who knew he'd ever walk back into my life to sit next to me in that little black Jetta. I am blessed.














Blessings,

Pastor Kris



A suggestion to guide your prayers today: pray for teachers -- for their abilities and their dedication, for rest and relaxation over Christmas break, and for their spirits.

[Today's journal entry also appeared as a meditation for the Christian Church in Ohio's Advent Devotional. This was my contribution to these daily devotions written by clergywomen serving in the Disciples of Christ in Ohio. As we approach Christmas Eve, it is a special memory for me]

Once in Royal David’s City, stood a lowly cattle shed…

. . . words sung as a soprano solo by the child selected in the Christ Church Episcopal Cathedral’s Men’s and Boys’ Choir to begin the annual Service of Lessons and Carols on Christmas Eve afternoon. It was my family church in Indianapolis. I remember you had to arrive at least an hour early in order to find a seat in the pews. When the service began, people were standing in the aisles. I was there every year until I answered a call to ministry in the Disciples’ tradition. Christmas Eve traditions in my family of origin changed – I no longer had the evening free to spend with parents and siblings.

Even more changed than that. Christmas Eve in the churches I’ve pastored has looked very different. I’ve been called from the pew and into the pulpit. There were not boy sopranos in choirs that traveled Europe. As for people coming an hour early and standing because there were no more places to sit? I can only imagine!

This Christmas Eve at the close of worship when the lights in the sanctuary dim and the Light of Christ is passed from the Table through me and throughout the congregation, we’ll sing Silent Night. There will be tears. There are always tears. Mine will be for the joy and privilege it is to be called to ministry on such a night.

God of tradition, and God of change, come to us again this Christmas. Amen.

Rev. Kristine Eggert
Senior Pastor
Disciples Christian Church

love and other foolishness

love
in a young girl's song;
fearful,
determined,
hopeful,
bursting.
love
in a mother's song;
tender,
embracing,
challenging,
stern.
love
is god's song;
curious yet timid,
playful and wondering
coming among us again.
we light a candle for love.
Katherine Hawker
www.liturgyoutside.net

Today we lit the final candle on the Advent wreath -- leaving only the tall white Christ candle that will be in the center of the wreath on Christmas Eve burning brightly. This week we light the Candle of Love as we read the great love story of Mary's acceptance of the angel's message that she would give birth to God's son, Jesus.

I began this posting with poetry. It is appropriate because according to the gospel of Luke, Mary not only accepted, she replied in beautiful poetry.

My soul magnifies the Lord,

and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior

Luke 1:46

We find that surprising. She had so much to be worried about. She was so young. Poetry? That's a stretch. But then, we are so accustomed to life in a sound-bite 24-hour news cycle reality show world, we've forgotten the indulgent nourishment of poetry.

I'm grateful for the beauty, poetry, song, spirit, and indulgence of worship. An hour during which our phones don't ring, e-mail goes un-read, and we bask in the beauty of Mary's words. And we are saved by the gift she offered to the world.

Blessings -
Pastor Kris

Something happened at church on Wednesday evening. Candles were lit. Prayers were offered. Tears were shed. Communion was taken. Fragrant oil was touched on each person's forehead. Community was built. Lives were touched. It was a Service of Memories -- A Service of Healing. For all who were there, and now for any of you who are reading, I offer once more these closing words.

Hope means to keep living

amid desperation

and to keep humming

in the darkness.

Hoping is knowing that there is love,

it is trust in tomorrow

it is falling asleep

and waking again

when the sun rises.

In the midst of a gale at sea,

it is to discover land.

In the eyes of another

it is to see that you are understood ...

As long as there is still hope

There will also be prayer ...

And you will be held

in God's hands.

Henri Nouwen in With Open Hands

Blessings -

Pastor Kris

For anyone who thinks that making a casserole for last night's Meet the Neighbors meal was just making a casserole. For anyone who thinks that serving up a plate of food was no big deal. For anyone who waited on tables thinking anyone could have done it. For anyone, like me, who sat and chatted with our guests and thought I could be anywhere -- I'm just talking. This story is for you:

There is a documentary about the Hindu celebration of Kumbh Mela,which is a holy pilgrimage from the mouth of the Ganges River to its source in the Himalayas. The legend is that four drops of immortal nectar were dropped when the gods fought with the demons in the sky, and that nectar landed in four places on earth. The pilgrimage is a journey to those places: to bathe in the river waters, to wash away sins, and to seek health and salvation.

Millions attend. Tens of millions. It is an incredible sight. Bearded men dance. Holy men with pierced lips and powdered skin. Elderly women who have traveled for weeks to seek the majesty of God in the snow capped mountains.

It is said to be the largest gathering of humanity on earth and has been called the world's largest single act of faith. Yet for most of us it is totally alien. The documentary refers to Kumbh Mela as 'being part of something big while doing something small.'

Do you think that last line might apply to a ham and macaroni dinner served up in our Fellowship Hall on a Thursday night?

I do.

Blessings -
Pastor Kris

with credit and appreciation to Mitch Albom in have a little faith, for the Kumbh Mela story.

I was proud this past week when I introduced the speaker for our District 2 Disciples' Clergy monthly gathering. She was none other than our own, Cathy Hakala-Ausperk. Cathy was there to share her experience with our "Meet the Neighbors" monthly meals. She was prepared with statistics of numbers of meals served, dollars spent and donated, volunteers, etc. But her presentation was less about numbers and more about the spirit of the meal, the feel of the room, the people who have been served, and the people who serve. We showed the new DVD "Disciples Christian Changes Lives" that includes testimonials from those who have been touched by this effort.


We certainly are not alone among Cleveland area Disciples who serve free community meals. One pastor from Lorain said that people begin lining up for their evening meal at 8:00 in the morning! And those who are not currently serving meals were interested in how to begin their own feeding ministries. There is so much hunger. For food. For community. For God.


This evening at 5:00 Fellowship Hall will begin to fill, and Cathy and her staff of volunteers will serve a bountiful meal. The delicious aroma of the food will waft its way down the hall to my office, and I'll realize my own hunger. For food? Sure. But more than that, I'll be hungry to be part of the community that will stay long past the time it takes to clean their plates. I know it's where I will find God today.


Who is the guest? Who is the host? I think we are all guests, and the host is Jesus Christ himself.

Blessings -
Pastor Kris



A suggestion to guide your prayers today -- for our meal this evening, for the various feeding ministries in Cleveland Heights and greater Cleveland. For the miracle of loaves and fishes -- that all will be fed.

Amy Gopp, the Director of the Week of Compassion said she found the perfect Christmas card. The message reads:

Her wish was simple: Peace in every nation, Joy in every heart and a Mitten on every hand.

It is a grown-up Christmas wish indeed. If only. This year.

We do what we can. At Christmas sometimes we do even more. At Disciples Christian, we are outfitting our Bhutanese teen-agers and children with boots for Cleveland's winter. With extra donations, we'll provide mittens too.

It's just one of the many reasons I am part of a church community. Yes, I'm well aware that non-church goers give toys for tots and drop coins in Salvation Army buckets. You don't have to be part of a church to give. Everyone becomes a little more generous at Christmas. I'm just not sure I'd pay as much attention if I didn't have the daily and Sunday reminders that we are to do for the least of these what we do for ourselves and for our Lord. To serve in this church that houses the Hunger Center, to be present at a free community meal each month, to know that persons this evening will gather to write notes of encouragement to those who are struggling -- I need these reminders that there is need every day and not just at Christmas.

We do what we can. Perhaps. We can always do more.

Blessings -

Pastor Kris

A suggestion to guide your prayer this day: We pray for sweet little hands in warm mittens, and we pray for cold little hands that are just as sweet and in need of our love and attention.

Christmas just won't be the same this year without Mom.
I lost my job this year, and I just don't feel like celebrating.
The cancer is back.
My depression always seems worse around the holidays.
I've moved away from family and things just aren't the same.


We are mistaken when we think everyone is waiting with eager anticipation during Advent. Advent comes at the darkest time of the year, and I'm not just talking about the weather. Several years ago now, on the night before Christmas Eve, I was supposed to be at a rehearsal at church and instead I was in the emergency room with my mom. The nursing home called for the ambulance, and their next call was to me. I got there as quickly as I could. Mother's dementia was so advanced that she knew me only as the person who was always there. She'd not recognized me as her daughter for some time. She was in such pain either in her body or mind, or both, and she was crying out for her daddy. Where's my daddy, she pleaded with me. The emergency room was so crowded that I was frustrated with the speed of care. I've never felt so powerless. I prayed by her bedside for God to take her pain away. She didn't die that night as I might have expected; her death came less than a month later.

The next night I had to officiate and preach Christmas Eve worship at my church. It was tough. And the next year without Mother was no easier. That memory has not faded much over the years. I woke up this morning remembering.

I find enormous comfort within a church community, and worship centers me in a way that nothing else can. But I know that coming to worship is hard when you are grieving or sick or depressed or longing for Christmas as it was once and is no longer. One has the sense that everyone else is happy -- as a pastor, I can assure you they are not.

Tomorrow evening we will worship together as a small community in a quiet, reflective service. Click on this link for more information: http://discipleschristian.org/content/home/a_service_of_memories

It will be an opportunity to recognize our pain as well as our joy, to light a candle in memory of someone or something, to receive communion and a touch of oil that is a symbol of God's healing power and grace. It seems on Sunday morning that we are asking for prayers for others -- this evening is about asking for prayers for ourselves. That's OK with God; in truth, God wants this for us. The Great Commandment tells us to love God, to love our neighbor, and to love ourselves.

Blessings for this day and whatever emotions it brings -

Pastor Kris

The morning after the Big Day at Disciples Christian Church -- namely, the Journey to Bethlehem -- there is much to write about. Which direction to take? To say a huge thank-you to Lauren Wicks, Gail and Mark Ritchey who led the effort -- and a thank you to the cast, crew, greeters, musicians, etc. To recognize how well people can work together when there is a common goal? That it doesn't matter whether you are a veteran or a first-timer, senior or child -- all gifts are needed?

The Journey veterans say with pride that this is our church's gift to the community. Indeed it is that to over 900 persons each year. Standing at my post at the exit door, when people realize that I'm the pastor, I receive (on your behalf!) many thank-yous. People recognize the effort and the experience as a gift to their families.

I hope we realize also that Journey is a witness to the community. We are often hesitant witnesses to our faith in Jesus Christ -- we don't know what to say to someone, we don't want to offend anyone, ..... the list of reasons why we do not witness is long. But on this one particular Sunday each year, we are bold in our witness -- to children hearing the story of the Christ Child for the first time and adults who need to hear it again.

The witness is not just to our the larger community. It is effective witness to us all. Who among us -- those who sit in the pews on a Sunday morning -- does not need to hear the story again? Who among us does not benefit from an afternoon away from our regular lives to be taken back in time to the time in Bethlehem when our savior was born?

My prayer is that as we return to our regular lives this week the witness is still in our minds, our hearts, and our actions.

A savior is born -- now go and tell the world!

Blessings,
Pastor Kris



A suggestion to guide your prayers today: At the exit door yesterday, people were wanting to talk about several of our other ministries -- our monthly community meal, No Strings Attached Puppet ministry, our new Connections worship, etc. Offer your prayers for the effective witness of our ministries every day of the year.

joy as transformation

joy
is found in the moment
when the tables turn
and the veil of denial is lifted
displaying vulnerability and fear,
colliding with hope and promise,
mingling together.
a tingle
growing warm,
lurching forward
is joy.
we light a candle for joy.
Katherine Hawker
www.liturgyoutside.net

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything (Philippians 4:4-7)

The Apostle Paul wrote these words from a prison cell, facing execution. He was ill and getting more feeble every day, knowing his days were numbered. Rejoice? How could he possibly talk of rejoicing. Compounding the irony, Paul is writing to a small band of Christians, who were in the minority and very counter-cultural to what was going on in Philippi. They sorely needed each other, but within the walls of their church, they were arguing among themselves.

It was from Paul they received this encouragement. Were they wondering, what did Paul have to be joyful about? Or, did they look at each other and think, well, I guess if he can find joy, we can too.

How about you? Feeling joy-ful today?

I pray so.

Blessings,

Pastor Kris

A suggestion to guide your prayer today: for the safety of all the persons involved in and visiting Journey to Bethlehem at Disciples Christian this afternoon. May it be a joy-ful time for all!

The camera in Mother Mary's hand is the only giveaway that this is not really Bethlehem! It is a wonderful facsimile. It will be exciting to see tomorrow how many people will make their way through the streets of Bethlehem to arrive at their destination -- to witness the birth of Baby Jesus.


At Disciples Christian Church, this has been our tradition for the last 26 years. It feels good to revisit every single year.

One person who will be missing from Journey this year is our longtime member, Don Ehrlich who is on assignment in Mexico this Christmas Don keeps in touch with us at church via e-mail and Facebook. His Christmas will be very different this year as he'll experience Mexican traditions previously unfamiliar to him. Don sent me information the other day about Pastorelas -- religious theatre brought by Spanish missionaries in the 16th century that continues today in various forms. From large professional productions to school children's efforts, these plays take place in the countryside revolving around the pilgrimage of the shepherds to Bethlehem to see the newborn Christ Child. Mixed in with that story is other Mexican folklore telling the tales of the eternal struggle between good and evil.

For an example click on: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1QimcN4DnA&feature=related Watch at least 1:30 minutes into it to see the Holy Family.

There is a universal love that children have for the Christmas story!





Blessings,

Pastor Kris

A suggestion for your prayers today: for the Disciples who will participate in tomorrow's Journey, and for the hundreds who will be witness to this story that changed the world.

Still, we are at war, and I"m responsible for the deployment of thousands of young Americans to battle in a distant land. Some will kill, and some will be killed. And I come here with an acute sense of the costs of armed conflict -- filled with difficult questions about the relationship between war and peace, and our effort to replace one with the other.

-- President Barack Obama, in Oslo, accepting the Nobel Peace Prize.

When Hillary Clinton was in Pakistan she heard complaints about the use of drones [unmanned aerial vehicles being used in great numbers over Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, controlled from an Air Force base in Nevada by skilled members of the military.] --not from those being targeted but from the population in general. In the view of the complainers the use of drones amounts to execution without a trial.
--"Attack of the Drones! The Ethics of Remote-Controlled Warfare"

I'm not writing to make a political statement. I am not being either laudatory or critical of our President's acceptance of the Peace Prize. Political pundits have plenty to say about it. And, I don't know what to make of this new technology in military weaponry. The layers of complexity are beyond my understanding.

My head hurts! I'd rather just think about Christmas, wouldn't you? As I write, it's dark and extremely cold outside. The wind would surely blow out the already flickering Peace Candle on the Advent Wreath. The cold shocks me into awareness that we wait during Advent, struggling to stay awake, praying in earnest for God's kingdom to be realized here and now -- and alert to the irony of welcoming the Prince of Peace into a war-torn world.

Perhaps we are about to develop a social reality in which technological advances have sterilized life of any attention to moral concerns. If that happens, we will have lost something of our lives even while managing to protect them.

--The Thoughtful Christian: faithful living in a complex world

Come, Lord Jesus, Come. Teach us how to live.

Blessings,

Pastor Kris

SIN BOLDLY!

OK, now that I have your attention, ...

It's the title of a book by Cathleen Falsani who is an award winning religion columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times. Sub-titled A Field Guide for Grace, it is a collection of essays about God's amazing grace. I keep the book on my desk and read portions on occasion.

The expression Sin boldly comes from a letter written by Martin Luther to his best friend in 1521 shortly after he was brought to trial for heresy. Falsani says to put Luther's sexy quote in context what he actually said was this:

If you are a preacher of Grace, then preach a true, not a fictitious grace; if grace is true, you must bear a true and not a fictitious sin. God does not save fictitious sinners. Be a sinner and sin boldly, but believe and rejoice in Christ even more boldly.

In other words, if you're going to mess up, at least do it with feeling? Not exactly. Religious historian Martin Marty says Luther's purpose was to highlight what comes after the messing up: Fervency of belief and enjoyment of God's grace.

Sin boldly. But believe in grace even more boldly. Then love more boldly. Then live life more boldly. The book is filled with stories about people who have done just that.

I'm likely to pick Falsani's book up again.

Blessings,

Pastor Kris

A suggestion to guide your prayer today: thanking God for the many times you've been forgiven and for the gift of God's grace.

People have widely differing opinions about social networking sites such as Facebook. I will confess that I'm someone who looks at Facebook more than once every day, so you'll know my bias amidst the criticisms. I'll admit it can be a great time-waster -- I stand accused! People share such trivial things. Yes, they do. And, no, having hundreds of Facebook Friends does not replace the importance of even a few special face-to-face relationships. But those criticisms aside, I am blessed daily with reading what people have to say. Friends I have moved away from. Colleagues in ministry. Our 5 young adult children. Today I read this from a mom in a church I once served:

17 years ago today was born a boy with witty humor, a deep thinker, and a kind heart. One of my greatest teachers. Happy birthday, Lucas! I am proud to be your mom.

I remember Lucas. He was a first-born special needs child diagnosed with Asperger's Disorder Autism. I remember his mom and dad adjusting not only to parenthood, but to a life of activism and advocacy for Lucas and other children like him. I would not have known or remembered that today was his birthday or that he'd grown to be 17. Facebook blessed me today with knowing.

I responded to Lucas' mom that I remembered when he was born. She wrote back that I was the first person to hold him other than his parents -- reminding me once more of the absolute privilege of ministry.

I am grateful for God's call to serve. For anything I have been able to do, I have been blessed a thousandfold in return.

Blessings,

Pastor Kris

A suggestion to guide your prayer this day: for the special needs children and their parents in our congregation, our extended church family, and everywhere.

I have a problem with that scripture, he said. He is a longtime member of my church who probably knows the bible better than most. The scripture was, of all things, the Great Commandment.

You shall love the Lord your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself. (Luke 10:25-27)

You have a problem with the Great Commandment? I said rather incredulously. Yes, I do, he said. It's that word neighbor. People don't understand who their neighbor is. Their neighbor is Anyone. And Everyone.

His problem was not with the scripture. His problem was with how poorly we live it. Two days after we lit a Candle for Peace in worship, it's good to think about the word neighbor in its largest sense.

Mitch Albom writes in "have a little faith": I'm in my religious high school, and the subject is the parting of the Red Sea. I yawn. Heard it before a million times. But as the story unfolds, I begin to pay attention.

After the Israelites safely crossed the Red Sea, the Egyptians chased after them and were drowned. God's angels wanted to celebrate the enemy's demise... God saw this and grew angry. He said, in essence: Stop celebrating. For those were my children, too.

Those were my children too.

Who is your neighbor? Anyone. Everyone. Who among your neighbors is the most difficult for you to love?

He. She. They. God's children all.

Blessings,

Pastor Kris

There are persons who stand outside the doorways of our churches, who drive by without ever coming in, or never even give us a thought. It's not that they don't want God. It's not that they don't need the light of Christ. Perhaps they're not sure how to reconcile what they think they know about the people inside --people like you and me -- with who they think this Jesus might be.

Are you aware that people are looking for the light of Christ in you?

Do you know,

do you understand

that you represent

Jesus to me?

Do you know,

do you understand

that when you

treat me with gentleness,

it raises the question in my mind

that maybe he is gentle, too?

Maybe he isn't someone who laughs when I am hurt.

Do you know,

do you understand

that when you listen to my questions

and you don't laugh,

I think,

"What if Jesus is interested in me, too?"

Do you know, do you understand

that when I hear you talk about arguments

and conflict and scars from your past

that I think, "Maybe I am just a regular person

instead of a bad, no-good, little girl who deserves abuse?"

If you care

I think maybe he cares --

and then there's this flame of hope

that burns inside of me,

and for a while,

I am afraid to breathe

because it might go out.

Do you know,

do you understand

that your words are his words?

Your face,

his face

to someone like me?

Please be who you say you are.

Please God, don't let this be another trick.

Please let this be real.

Please.

Do you know,

do you understand

that you represent

Jesus to me?

from "Inside the Soul of a New Generation" by Tim Celek and Dieter Zander.

The world needed his birth thousands of years ago. The world needs him again. What can one person do? Let that be your question to God in prayer today. What can you do? Who can you be?

Blessings,

Pastor Kris

praying for peace at Christmas

peace
is the absence of conflict;
or
peace
is a spiritual connection;
or better still
peace
is a way of living.
a commitment to something important;
but
peace
as a wild eyed radical
screaming its way
to revolution
isn't quite the peace
we had in mind...
is it?
we light a candle for peace.
Katherine Hawker
www.liturgyoutside.net

This week came the announcement that 30,000 men and women of our armed forces will be deployed to Afghanistan, and the debate continues in earnest in the halls of Congress, in op-ed columns, internet blogs, and cable news.

This morning in worship we did not debate. We lit two candles on the Advent Wreath symbolizing Hope and Peace. And we prayed.

Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God.

(Matthew 5:9)

Can you be such a person? Can I? With God's help, we can, and we must. Let the good news of Jesus Christ's coming be heard from your voice; let it be lived through your actions, and let it be shown through the love you have received and are called to give away.

Blessings,

Pastor Kris

Dear Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Amen.

Those who sing pray twice. You've heard this expression before? Most often it's attributed to St. Augustine of Hippo. I didn't want to publish this posting without checking to make sure of its origin. Now I'm sorry I asked! First I found out that the translation from Latin is more accurately: "Those who sing well pray twice." That one word certainly puts a different spin on it. I looked further and found that it likely was not St. Augustine who said either version!

What he said was this: (translated from the Latin) For he who sings praise, does not only praise, but also praises joyously; he who sings praise, is not only singing, but also loving Him whom he is singing about/to/for. There is a praise-filled public proclamation (praedicatio) in the praise of someone who is confessing/acknowledging (God), in the song of the lover (there is) there is deep love.

I think he's saying that when the singing is in praise of God, something happens that makes it more than just any kind of song. To the song. The singer. And, the listener.

We're about to experience this in worship tomorrow when our Chancel Choir and instrumentalists under the direction of Bill and Susan Schoeffler will perform selections from Handel's Messiah. Augustine had it right. Joy. Praise. Proclamation. Love.

I will be there singing. Our choir will be there singing well.


Sounds like a whole lot of praying going on!

Blessings,
Pastor Kris

A suggestion for today's prayer: Gratitude for the voices and talents of our musicians at Disciples Christian Church.

Today is David's birthday. I won't tell you how old he is, but today he caught up with me! With age comes wisdom, it is said. And, he is looking especially wise, don't you think?

This photo was taken 3 years ago at Disciples Christian's "Journey to Bethlehem." It was our first experience of this annual event that is now 26 years old. David spent the afternoon outside in a cold rain tending to a camel. Yes. Really. A live camel.

It was so much fun that first year for us, watching the church building that was newly our home transformed into Bethlehem. We eagerly await the transformation that will come again this year on Sunday, Dec. 13.

Happy Birthday, David, my love and partner in ministry.

A suggestion for today's prayer: for all our Disciples' December birthdays. For babies about to be born this month and their mothers -- health and love and a warm, safe place to be.

I'm new to Daylight Savings Time. I lived in Indiana all my life until we moved to Cleveland 3 years ago. Indiana did not decide to change clocks until 2005. I love it in the summer, but winter is tough. It seems it's always dark. It's difficult to stay awake in the evening. These are easy days to just curl up on the couch. Hibernation sounds very attractive.

Advent comes during this dark and sleepy time of year. Interestingly, the scriptures we read during this season are about staying awake, being alert, and on guard. That's not easy to do in Cleveland when we have the shortest day of the year to look forward to, in the cold and likely the snow. We are waiting for days to lengthen and the sun to shine. And it seems the wait is just too long.

In my morning devotions today, I was led to this:

I slept, but my heart was awake.
Song of Solomon 5:6

This is what Advent calls us to do. Even when we are asleep -- or distracted by our worries or all we have to do -- some part of us is awake and waiting. That part, however small, is where God is keeping us awake by his love.

Blessings,
Pastor Kris

A suggestion for today's prayer: for those who struggle through winter with SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) or other forms of depression.

with thanks to Stephanie Paulsell writing in The Christian Century, "Kept awake by love" December 1, 2009, for leading me to this scripture.

I spend alot of time with words. Choosing the right words is critical to any communication. It remains to be seen if even I can come up with enough words to fill a blog for an entire month! There is a particular word that is bothering me today. It is the word troop.

I'm writing this before I've heard President Obama speak Tuesday evening about a troop build-up in Afghanistan. So while you are reading this posting, you have benefit of knowing what I can only speculate for now. I don't know what word our President will use to describe the thousands more men and women who soon will be deployed. Soldiers? Forces? Troops?

Perhaps it doesn't ultimately matter, but to me the word troop allows us a certain distance from the reality that these are young -- and not so young -- men and women. "Mothers do not kiss their troop goodbye as he takes off for Anbar Province. One will never encounter a troop learning to use her prosthetic leg. We do not designate the content of a body bag as a troop," quoting John McWhorter, linguist and author of The Power of Babel.

The decision has been made, and I will support our President in what must have been a decision of both strategy and anguish. I will also pray for the men and women -- soldiers and Marines -- who leave home and family for the rugged terrain of Afghanistan. It will be a prayer for their personal lives and personal safety, even while serving together as American troops in a foreign land.

Blessings,
Pastor Kris

A suggeston for prayer this day: The men and women of our Armed Forces currently serving and soon to be deployed. And for their families at home.

Time goes by too quickly, it seems. Someone once told me that it's because a day or a season, or even a year, becomes a smaller portion of our lives as we grow older. So, for a child to be asked to wait a month is nearly unendurable, and for me, a month flies by. So, before I delve too deeply into Advent, I want to savor Thanksgiving weekend. I'm not ready for it to be put aside just yet.

On Sunday evening as David and I were putting the house back together after our children were on the road back to school and work, the house was so very quiet. I remember days when the children were small of unrequited craving for quiet. Now our house can be much too quiet. So, the noise of 4 grown up children taking over our house for a couple of days is most welcome.

And, if Advent is all about the wait -- now we wait for the next time we can all be together. Christmas week. For me, the time will fly by. It is a busy time for a local church pastor.

But this morning as I write, I am longing for those days when my children would impatiently, frequently, and loudly ask how many more days do we have to wait? We discovered lots of ways to love each other while we waited.

Blessings,
Pastor Kris

a suggestion for prayer today: for our Disciples' families with young children

It was a recent rainy and dark afternoon when I had all sorts of "important" reading to do. Instead, I lost myself in Mitch Albom's most recent book, have a little faith. As with Albom's other books (Tuesdays with Morrie, The Five People You Meet in Heaven, etc.), it was a tear-jerker! have a little faith is based on a series of interviews Albom had with a dying rabbi for whom he was to deliver the eulogy and a former addict turned pastor to the homeless in Detroit. I was interested in the book because I'd heard Albom say that he believes that as our country struggles with current hard times, people will increasingly turn to their faith and belief in God.

As I watched the first candle being lit on the Advent wreath yesterday -- the one that represents hope -- I was curious. Will this be true? Will this be our experience at Disciples Christian? It is my hope, and it is my prayer.

God sings, we hum along, and there are many melodies, but it's all one song --

one same, wonderful, human song. I am in love with hope.

(concluding paragraph from have a little faith, Mitch Albom)

Blessings this day -

Pastor Kris

A suggestion for prayer today: pray for the hope of our church -- our children and youth and those coming to Christ for the first time.

hope in the bleak midwinter ...

We light the candle of Hope.
hope
like a seed
buried deep within the earth;
hidden
covered by layer,
disappointment, struggle, pain;
buried yet stretching,
growing and becoming.
hope
like a seed
becoming new life.
we light a candle for hope
Katherine Hawker, www.liturgy.net

It’s been said that hope is less an act of will as it is an act of imagination, curiosity, and of courage. Hope sees clearly the difficulties of life and says, somehow we’ll get through and God will be there not only every step of the way, but on the other side of it too, promising this life to which we have been called. Hope is there for us all. Hope stands at hospice bedsides and at gravesites, if you have courage enough to see it. Hope reaches into the despair and the bleakness and injustice, if you are imaginative enough to find it. Hope will take you beyond your own experiences and to places where you have not yet been, if you are curious enough to try.

In worship this morning we will light one of four candles on the Advent Wreath. May that candle be not only a symbol but a stirring of hope in our hearts. Come, Lord Jesus, come as the LIght of the World.

Blessings this Advent Sunday -
Pastor Kris

An Advent Journal 2009

Dear Disciples:



This is a very busy time of year for any local church pastor as we begin the season of Advent on Sunday, November 29. Advent is that four week season that comes while we are waiting for Christmas to arrive. It's difficult to wait for something so wonderful as Christmas Eve and Silent Night by candlelight. I want the world to celebrate the birth of the Christ Child again!




As I wait this year, I'm also going to keep this Advent Journal that will be posted daily with some personal thoughts and prayers, perhaps sprinkled with excerpts from other writers whose words have special meaning for me. I hope you'll read along with me. Your days are busy too, so I won't be writing volumes. I will also be suggesting ways to guide your prayers for the day.




One of the advantages of sharing this blog with you is that you can interact with me. If you read something here that particularly challenges you, touches you, or triggers a memory or a thought -- I hope you'll click on "comment" and share your thoughts with all of us who are sharing this Journal time together,






Blessings for the wait -
Pastor Kris