I recently read the story of Anne Kennedy Rickover, an average 55 yo Midwestern woman who was waiting in anticipation. She writes: “I hadn’t been pregnant in 20 years, but this was planned, just as my previous pregnancies had been. For no logical reason, I woke up one day and knew that it was time, my body knew it was precisely the right time.” No, Anne was not a 55 year old woman about to deliver a baby, but instead, she was in preparation for another “birth” of sorts. She continues: “I knew it was time to ask my parents to move closer to me, from suburban Philadelphia to Lincoln NE. The last time I lived less than 100 miles from my parents, I was 18. But, reports kept telling me they were not able to stay in their home, the home they bought when I was 3 months old. As with my first “pregnancies” I read…but I looked in vain for books that explained how to move your parents across the country to a new life.” Anne outlines the struggles she endured as she went through the labor pains and delivery of this new life. She ends by saying “Perhaps I would feel the pain of their eventual leaving less if they still lived 1,300 miles away, but I believe life has an infinitely greater sweetness and richness now, at the poignant beginning and ending of yet another cycle of life.”
Anne’s experience is probably a familiar story to some of you…you too may have stood in her shoes as you “delivered” this new life…others may have the knowledge, as I do, that Anne’s story will become your own someday. The pains and joys of truly being a family, of saying goodbye to the old radiate off the pages of Anne’s story. But that’s what being family is about, isn’t it? Both the joys and the sorrows of being united with other people is exactly what makes us family…it is also what makes being in a family so difficult, isn’t it? We don’t get to fast forward through the pains of aging parents, we don’t get to skip over difficult times with children, or with our spouse. Instead, being family means we experience the pains with the joys.
In our reading from Romans today, we are reminded that we are also a part of a larger family, God’s family. We read “with our spirit, we are children of God and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with Him.” The passage tells us that we are fully God’s children, living as heirs of His kingdom. This community, along with the Christian community throughout the world, are a part of that family. Anne is an heir of her parents, thus, she suffers with them, so that she may also experience life with them. We, as heirs of God, will suffer with God, so that we may also be glorified with Him.
And we do experience the suffering that goes along with being in God’s family, don’t we? We suffer illness, brokenness, and separation in spite of the fact we are in the family. We are not spared the pain of life in the family of Christ. I would like to share with you the writings of a friend who experienced just such a pain. She writes about the sadness experienced when life is not “how it ought to be” for her child. Even as members of the body of Christ, suffering and pain are still utterly present, because the world is not how it should be:
“In countless ways sin disrupts shalom in our lives, leaving chaos as a consequence of both our sin and the original sin. In addition to these "culpable disturbance(s)" of shalom, we experience daily disruptions of peace that are not directly linked to willful acts- but rather are byproducts of the inherited, willful disobedience. Applied to our situation, for example, I acknowledge that Sandra is a sinner, but since she has not willfully subverted God's shalom, she suffers disruption in many ways in her young life as an indirect byproduct of the Curse. She bears on her body and in her brain the marks of a fallen world. It is painful to try to imagine the way it is supposed to be for Sandra, because it feels so far from our grasp, and indeed it is. But we trust that one day Sandra will know the Shalom that was intended for her from the creation of the world, and in that hope I press on to dream.
In the world that is "supposed to be" I see Sandra shouting her name from a cliff, and while she's up there she continues on to exclaim to the world what she is passionate about, what gives her joy and makes her cry and what things she finds most beautiful on this earth. I see Sandra with opinions and the ability to articulate them, even fiercely at times. I see Sandra performing impromptu puppet shows in the driveway on warm summer nights. I see Sandra growing in her knowledge of God's love for her. I see Sandra going to homecoming dances and finding someone who loves her almost as much as her Daddy and I do and one day committing her life to walk beside him as her partner. I see her in whatever ways she wants to see herself, freely embracing life in the way it ought to be. And when it's all said and done, when it is finished and when it is just beginning, I see Jesus wipe the tears from my eyes and from James. I see Him wipe the tears from Sandra's eyes and invite her, invite us all into his new heavens and new earth to live exactly as He intended- exactly as it is supposed to be, in the world that is "supposed to be.”
This is where our hope lives, friends. We hold to the promise of Romans 8, that someday “creation itself will be set free from its bondage and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.” But TODAY, in the midst of the suffering of our world, we are strengthened, knowing God is not only present in our suffering, God experiences our suffering with us. Because we, (right here) are the FAMILY OF GOD we DO NOT bear these burdens alone. We are family, and in the midst of praises, and in the midst of pain, we hold to the hope that life has an infinitely greater sweetness and richness now, as we wait for a new heaven, and a new earth.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Sermon July 6
“Come to me, all who are weary, and carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” While every chapter of the Bible has words that bring comfort and peace for daily living, I believe our Gospel for today is one that hits home for many of us. Who isn’t feeling weary by a heavy burden in their lives? We’re all in need of rest, and a place to lay our burdens, aren’t we? I recently read that most adults have experienced insomnia or sleeplessness at one time or another in their lives. An estimated 30-50% of the general population are affected by insomnia, and 10% have chronic insomnia. Our inability to find rest in our lives takes a toll on our health too. Lack of sleep can aggravate health conditions, such as high blood pressure, and obesity and can be downright dangerous—going without sleep for more than 24 hours is as dangerous as driving drunk. Sleep-related accidents were linked to over 23,000 fatalities and as many as 2.5 million disabling injuries a year, along with annual costs of $43 billion to $56 billion. We spend millions on sleep aids, which bring temporary relief, and are certainly needed by many. But, our weariness is often deeply rooted and due to anxiety, tension, and fears, that keep us on edge, day and night, with or without medications. When Jesus said, “come to me, all who are weary, and I will give you rest” I believe He was talking to us. But, sadly, our Biblical counterparts did not listen to Jesus anymore than we do, they too were missing the message.
Our gospel reading begins as Jesus reminds the people of John the Baptist, an eccentric leader who lived in the desert and ate wild honey and locusts. He was sent from God and had a message to tell people—“Prepare the way of the Lord!” Jesus is coming (the one who is to bring us rest). The people thought He had a demon and turned away from him. In fact, if we look in Chapter 11, we read that John the Baptist is in jail, and the people have turned from him. No rest for the people, and no rest for the messenger. Then in verse 19, Jesus reminds the people of the words they spoke against him during His ministry. “A friend of tax collectors and sinners.” They don’t listen to the message of rest offered by Jesus either. How could their rest come from a poor Jewish carpenter, living in Nazareth?
Like us, people in Biblical times had plenty that would keep them from finding comfort and peace. Will I have enough to get by? Will my loved one survive this illness? What should I do about a rift with a family member or friend? Will I always feel this alone? Perhaps we have more in common with those in the Bible than we think. Because, aren’t WE facing these same burdens, and fears? Fear of stability, conflict in our family, addictions, depression….sleepless nights? And, don’t WE, like those in our Gospel reading miss the messages being sent to us from God? It’s easy to think “these people couldn’t find rest? They had Jesus WITH them. If I had Jesus WITH me, I’d find rest too!” But, would we? Right here, today, we have the promise that Jesus is present, through our community of believers, through this bread and wine, yet we still doubt. Those in biblical times wrote John the Baptist off as demon possessed, and Jesus as a friend of sinners. And their weariness lingered. What messages from God do we discredit? In what ways do we contribute to our exhaustion, as we try to do things “our way?” We won’t find rest on our own, and “our way” contributes to all the problems I listed at the beginning: poor health, broken relationships, feelings of abandonment.
But, Jesus CAN NOT and WILL NOT leave us in this place. Even after he tells his followers the ways in which they discredited His message, He stays with Him, and gives them the promise: “come to me, all you that are weary, and carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” It doesn’t mean we will be free from problems in our lives, but it does mean that we can find rest. This is a love story. A story of a savior, who will FORGIVE the burdens or sin and of this world. A savior, who promises to be PRESENT in our lives, through community and communion, through doubt, weariness and sin. “Come to me.” He says. “You WILL find rest for your souls.”
Our gospel reading begins as Jesus reminds the people of John the Baptist, an eccentric leader who lived in the desert and ate wild honey and locusts. He was sent from God and had a message to tell people—“Prepare the way of the Lord!” Jesus is coming (the one who is to bring us rest). The people thought He had a demon and turned away from him. In fact, if we look in Chapter 11, we read that John the Baptist is in jail, and the people have turned from him. No rest for the people, and no rest for the messenger. Then in verse 19, Jesus reminds the people of the words they spoke against him during His ministry. “A friend of tax collectors and sinners.” They don’t listen to the message of rest offered by Jesus either. How could their rest come from a poor Jewish carpenter, living in Nazareth?
Like us, people in Biblical times had plenty that would keep them from finding comfort and peace. Will I have enough to get by? Will my loved one survive this illness? What should I do about a rift with a family member or friend? Will I always feel this alone? Perhaps we have more in common with those in the Bible than we think. Because, aren’t WE facing these same burdens, and fears? Fear of stability, conflict in our family, addictions, depression….sleepless nights? And, don’t WE, like those in our Gospel reading miss the messages being sent to us from God? It’s easy to think “these people couldn’t find rest? They had Jesus WITH them. If I had Jesus WITH me, I’d find rest too!” But, would we? Right here, today, we have the promise that Jesus is present, through our community of believers, through this bread and wine, yet we still doubt. Those in biblical times wrote John the Baptist off as demon possessed, and Jesus as a friend of sinners. And their weariness lingered. What messages from God do we discredit? In what ways do we contribute to our exhaustion, as we try to do things “our way?” We won’t find rest on our own, and “our way” contributes to all the problems I listed at the beginning: poor health, broken relationships, feelings of abandonment.
But, Jesus CAN NOT and WILL NOT leave us in this place. Even after he tells his followers the ways in which they discredited His message, He stays with Him, and gives them the promise: “come to me, all you that are weary, and carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” It doesn’t mean we will be free from problems in our lives, but it does mean that we can find rest. This is a love story. A story of a savior, who will FORGIVE the burdens or sin and of this world. A savior, who promises to be PRESENT in our lives, through community and communion, through doubt, weariness and sin. “Come to me.” He says. “You WILL find rest for your souls.”
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Sermon June 29
In Fiddler on the Roof, Tevye asks his wife, Golde, in the midst of political strife, family stresses and ongoing poverty “do you love me?” Do you love me? Exasperated, Golde lists the things she has done for him over the years “For 25 years I’ve washed your clothes, cooked your meals, cleaned your house, given you children, milked the cow, and you ask me, do I love you?” Golde is just trying to get through the day, with little money, a daughter getting married and a forced exile on her mind, she doesn’t have time for questions like these.
In today’s Gospel, Simon Peter and Jesus are having a similar exchange. Jesus has just revealed himself to his disciples 3 times after the resurrection and Peter has just completed a night of hard fishing, which ended with Jesus telling the men to cast the net on the other side of the boat. Do you love me? (Set scene of Peter’s betrayal) Peter’s guilt filled, hungry heart probably doesn’t have the strength for such questions. But to be asked 3 times? Does Jesus doubt the love of Peter? Was this betrayal the beginning of the end for the friends?
“Before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.” “If you love me, than feed my sheep.” “You are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church.” These are all words from Christ to his disciple Peter, a disciple who betrays, but whom Christ loves. Peter is the broken rock upon which Christ builds His church. A disciple who denied Christ is now being told to “feed my sheep.” Our friend Peter is broken, and needs to be fed himself…how is he to feed God’s sheep when he is so hungry? Jesus uses the strength of the broken to build his church while at the same time, God strengthens the broken using the church. Peter both betrays and loves, and God both forgives and builds. God isn’t choosing Peter as the rock of His church because he is the most qualified, most loyal of disciples, he chooses Peter, the broken rock, out of grace and love.
Peter is asking Jesus “I haven’t even been feed yet, how am I supposed to feed others?” The answer for Peter, as it is for us is this: We are can only be feed when we feed others. By being the rock in our broken world, and showing Jesus’ redeeming, saving love, our rock, our faith is strengthened.
I ask you, when have you been called by God to feed His sheep? When have you been God’s sheep being fed? Because, in our modern world, just as in the time of Peter, God will use the brokenness of this world to create community. Perhaps the following is a bit unconventional for a sermon, but as I read, I ask you to reflect on ways that you have seen God at work in your broken world. How, you, like Peter, have seen God using the strength of the broken to build his church while at the same time strengthening the broken using his church.
The care center driver, Tesfeye, directed us to a large white van in the deserted, dimly lit parking lot at Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa. “you’re Betty’s parents! Welcome! If there is anything you need, please ask. You’re family” Shocked to be called “family” and confused because our baby’s birthmother had given her the name, “Bethlehem” we quickly learned that “Betty” is a nickname and warm hospitality is one of Ethiopia’s defining characteristics. Though it was only 3:30 in the morning, the quiety whispers of life surrounded us as we drove the dimly lit, unpaved roads of Addis toward the care center. A mass of women passed by, carrying giant water basins on their heads. Embers glowed under pots of oatmeal, as families prepared their morning meals and redied themselves to walk unimaginable distances to find work, water and wood. Inside the van, I felt the whispers of life about to burst. After thrity hours in a plane, we knew we were in the final stages of labor. In seven ours, our daughter would be placed in our arms and the birth pangs would cease.
“Be very quiet” requested Tesfeye. “The babies sleep on the second floor.” We entered the 3 story stucco building where our baby resided the past 2 months. Dim lights flickered as a couple of months danced around. “Over there is Betty’s room.” After 6 hours of hazy sleep, the sun and the sounds of the city woke us. “Betty! Yes, here!” Several nannies began to speak quickly, smiling and giggling. Three month old Bethlehem lay on a changing table, giggling as the nanny readied her.
Though we were not in Addis when Bethlehem’s birth mother surrendered her, we watched as mothers and grandmothers brought in children of all ages. We generally tried making ourselves scarce, though one time, as I sat with my baby and another new mother, we watched two women knock on the center’s outside gate. When they entered, three children held hands and walked up the granite stairs past us. After several minutes, the women returned, alone. They looked us in the eyes, and then glanced down at our babies. Babies of their homeland. They smiled solemnly. No one spoke; the words would not have been understood. But the whispers of life spoke for us. All in the same instant, grief ensues and hope abounds. Their greatest sorrow resulted in our greatest joy. Peter’s greatest sorrow, the rejection and crucifixion of our Lord, results in his greatest joy—forgiveness and redemption. “Do you love me?” Asks Jesus. And Peter feeds his sheep.
Months after returning home, I baptized our daughter Shahra Bethlehem. Baptism the is adoption of a child into the Christian family and the waters of baptism evoke spiritually the waters of holy birth. As I thrice poured the water onto my baby’s head, I knew we were forever connected to Sharha’s birthmother through the holy words “you have been sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked by the cross of Christ forever.”
It is through us, in our broken, yet redeemed world, that God builds His church. As Jesus asked Peter “do you love me” He to asks our world “do you love me.” Our world needs this love, and we can be assured that we, in the midst of broken rocks, Christ will build His church, build you up and show His love daily.
In today’s Gospel, Simon Peter and Jesus are having a similar exchange. Jesus has just revealed himself to his disciples 3 times after the resurrection and Peter has just completed a night of hard fishing, which ended with Jesus telling the men to cast the net on the other side of the boat. Do you love me? (Set scene of Peter’s betrayal) Peter’s guilt filled, hungry heart probably doesn’t have the strength for such questions. But to be asked 3 times? Does Jesus doubt the love of Peter? Was this betrayal the beginning of the end for the friends?
“Before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.” “If you love me, than feed my sheep.” “You are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church.” These are all words from Christ to his disciple Peter, a disciple who betrays, but whom Christ loves. Peter is the broken rock upon which Christ builds His church. A disciple who denied Christ is now being told to “feed my sheep.” Our friend Peter is broken, and needs to be fed himself…how is he to feed God’s sheep when he is so hungry? Jesus uses the strength of the broken to build his church while at the same time, God strengthens the broken using the church. Peter both betrays and loves, and God both forgives and builds. God isn’t choosing Peter as the rock of His church because he is the most qualified, most loyal of disciples, he chooses Peter, the broken rock, out of grace and love.
Peter is asking Jesus “I haven’t even been feed yet, how am I supposed to feed others?” The answer for Peter, as it is for us is this: We are can only be feed when we feed others. By being the rock in our broken world, and showing Jesus’ redeeming, saving love, our rock, our faith is strengthened.
I ask you, when have you been called by God to feed His sheep? When have you been God’s sheep being fed? Because, in our modern world, just as in the time of Peter, God will use the brokenness of this world to create community. Perhaps the following is a bit unconventional for a sermon, but as I read, I ask you to reflect on ways that you have seen God at work in your broken world. How, you, like Peter, have seen God using the strength of the broken to build his church while at the same time strengthening the broken using his church.
The care center driver, Tesfeye, directed us to a large white van in the deserted, dimly lit parking lot at Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa. “you’re Betty’s parents! Welcome! If there is anything you need, please ask. You’re family” Shocked to be called “family” and confused because our baby’s birthmother had given her the name, “Bethlehem” we quickly learned that “Betty” is a nickname and warm hospitality is one of Ethiopia’s defining characteristics. Though it was only 3:30 in the morning, the quiety whispers of life surrounded us as we drove the dimly lit, unpaved roads of Addis toward the care center. A mass of women passed by, carrying giant water basins on their heads. Embers glowed under pots of oatmeal, as families prepared their morning meals and redied themselves to walk unimaginable distances to find work, water and wood. Inside the van, I felt the whispers of life about to burst. After thrity hours in a plane, we knew we were in the final stages of labor. In seven ours, our daughter would be placed in our arms and the birth pangs would cease.
“Be very quiet” requested Tesfeye. “The babies sleep on the second floor.” We entered the 3 story stucco building where our baby resided the past 2 months. Dim lights flickered as a couple of months danced around. “Over there is Betty’s room.” After 6 hours of hazy sleep, the sun and the sounds of the city woke us. “Betty! Yes, here!” Several nannies began to speak quickly, smiling and giggling. Three month old Bethlehem lay on a changing table, giggling as the nanny readied her.
Though we were not in Addis when Bethlehem’s birth mother surrendered her, we watched as mothers and grandmothers brought in children of all ages. We generally tried making ourselves scarce, though one time, as I sat with my baby and another new mother, we watched two women knock on the center’s outside gate. When they entered, three children held hands and walked up the granite stairs past us. After several minutes, the women returned, alone. They looked us in the eyes, and then glanced down at our babies. Babies of their homeland. They smiled solemnly. No one spoke; the words would not have been understood. But the whispers of life spoke for us. All in the same instant, grief ensues and hope abounds. Their greatest sorrow resulted in our greatest joy. Peter’s greatest sorrow, the rejection and crucifixion of our Lord, results in his greatest joy—forgiveness and redemption. “Do you love me?” Asks Jesus. And Peter feeds his sheep.
Months after returning home, I baptized our daughter Shahra Bethlehem. Baptism the is adoption of a child into the Christian family and the waters of baptism evoke spiritually the waters of holy birth. As I thrice poured the water onto my baby’s head, I knew we were forever connected to Sharha’s birthmother through the holy words “you have been sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked by the cross of Christ forever.”
It is through us, in our broken, yet redeemed world, that God builds His church. As Jesus asked Peter “do you love me” He to asks our world “do you love me.” Our world needs this love, and we can be assured that we, in the midst of broken rocks, Christ will build His church, build you up and show His love daily.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Prayers request for another adoptive family.
I wanted to ask you for prayers for one of my ET forum friends. A woman shared with the group today that her baby girl *M* died in Ethiopia. The baby was in a hospital in Addis. She didn't share details, but between poverty, illness, and chronic malnutrition, death could be caused by one of a myriad of things. The baby was less than a year old. This isn't the first little one of Shahra (and Samuel's) ET "care center siblings" who has died...there are at least 3-4 that I KNOW of who died in the past 18 months AFTER they were matched with families. Honestly, I'm not in a state of worry for Samuel, he is healthy, has a good weight, and got into care young, so, while my mind IS on him, I'm not newly WORRIED about him.
When malnutrition sets in, a child's immune system is compromised. So, even if they get food, they risk getting sick, losing weight and having an even lower immunity....the cycle continues. Even when they get to the ET care center, some babies are just too weak and can't be saved. This leads to 1 in 5 ET children dying before their 1st birthday. What brings me to tears every time I hear of one of my children's family has died is the injustice--it's a reminder that when it comes to ET adoption, it really IS life or death. This isn't a "nice thing to do" or "a nice little way to grow a family" This is life and death. If the care center wasn't in ET, these kids would die...not all of them, but many would face death. It is a stark reminder for me that as I wait for Jeff to cook me supper, there are so many little ones who have nothing. I feel at a loss, we have so much, and so many kids have nothing. It is all so unequal...I see the NICU at St. V's, with 70 incubators, grateful they are there. But, I can't help think of the injustice of our society as it says, time and time again, that MY CHILD, and MY CHILD's fellow ET brothers and sisters do not get or deserve this kind of care. And society's reason? They were born in a beautiful, proud, yet poor land. This is the point when anger sets in. This little precious girl, a child of my daughter and son's homeland, doesn't get to come home.
Please pray for this family, and all the little ET children in need of basic food, and water. But please know, ALL these children are SO loved. Even as I write this, I know the nannies at the care center are in grief over this loss. They are with the children, round the clock and always stay with the babies at the hospital. No child dies alone. And, while they live, they enjoy the best care, songs, and attention anyone could want. Pray that the world will continue to find new ways to feed more kids, so that one day, there will be no more children dying. Pray for Samuel and *T* that they continue to remain healthy. Pray that we will realize all we have and be open to giving to those in need.
Peace Tracy
When malnutrition sets in, a child's immune system is compromised. So, even if they get food, they risk getting sick, losing weight and having an even lower immunity....the cycle continues. Even when they get to the ET care center, some babies are just too weak and can't be saved. This leads to 1 in 5 ET children dying before their 1st birthday. What brings me to tears every time I hear of one of my children's family has died is the injustice--it's a reminder that when it comes to ET adoption, it really IS life or death. This isn't a "nice thing to do" or "a nice little way to grow a family" This is life and death. If the care center wasn't in ET, these kids would die...not all of them, but many would face death. It is a stark reminder for me that as I wait for Jeff to cook me supper, there are so many little ones who have nothing. I feel at a loss, we have so much, and so many kids have nothing. It is all so unequal...I see the NICU at St. V's, with 70 incubators, grateful they are there. But, I can't help think of the injustice of our society as it says, time and time again, that MY CHILD, and MY CHILD's fellow ET brothers and sisters do not get or deserve this kind of care. And society's reason? They were born in a beautiful, proud, yet poor land. This is the point when anger sets in. This little precious girl, a child of my daughter and son's homeland, doesn't get to come home.
Please pray for this family, and all the little ET children in need of basic food, and water. But please know, ALL these children are SO loved. Even as I write this, I know the nannies at the care center are in grief over this loss. They are with the children, round the clock and always stay with the babies at the hospital. No child dies alone. And, while they live, they enjoy the best care, songs, and attention anyone could want. Pray that the world will continue to find new ways to feed more kids, so that one day, there will be no more children dying. Pray for Samuel and *T* that they continue to remain healthy. Pray that we will realize all we have and be open to giving to those in need.
Peace Tracy
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Baby Samuel Peter Sitota!!!
We are proud to announce we received a referral for baby Samuel Peter Sitota, born May 26, 2008 in Ethiopia. Samuel was 5.5 lbs and 19 inches when he came into care. We received the call over dinner and we were all together to get the news! We chose the name Samuel after it came to me (Tracy) in a dream. Sitota is Samuel's birth name, and Peter is the name of Tracy's favorite icon (Peter Jennings) and the name of my paternal grandfather.
Shahra was very excited to hear she has a baby brother, and can't wait to meet him. We hope to travel in the fall (sept-nov??) and are grateful that he is in good hands at the Children's Home Society care center. Due to ET regulations, we can't publish pictures of Samuel until we go through Court (sometime between July and Sept). Instead, I decided to post pictures of things that remind me of the beauty of our world, including sunsets after thunder storms, pictures of Ethiopia and the family. Enjoy! If you want a hard copy picture of Samuel, send me your address, and we'd be happy to share it with you.
Tracy, Jeff and Shahra
Silly Shahra!!!
Our sweet little girl has been keeping us busy this summer. Thus far, we have worked on using the potty and moving into a "big girl bed." It is an ELMO bed, which excites her to no end (in fact, I believe ELMO would be her first 'graven image' :) We also got back from a recent trip to Cancun, where we spent 5 days on the beach, playing in the water and enjoying some much needed time off. Jeffwill be writing about this trip very soon and there will be pictures.
Today, I wanted to include a couple of "Shahra mischief" pictures for you to enjoy. About a week ago, (after shahra moved to her big girl bed) I went to check on her. It was about 10:45. i opened the door and noticed the light was on. Sweet little Shahra had found a tube of balmex (diaper cream) and put it all over herself and her dolls. I tried to be upset, but it was too funny! Here are the pics!
Sermon June 8
How many of you remember Ed McMahan and Publisher’s Clearing House Sweepstakes? Every January, families across the US would wait with anticipation for a large manila package to come in the mail, with the words “You may have already won a million dollars.” To find out if you already won, all you had to do was fill out an entry form that was about 15 pages long and send it back…waiting with anticipation to find out if Ed McMahan would show up on your door step with a bouquet of balloons and a huge check…no literally a HUGE, 4 foot long check with your name on it. We saw on TV as average Americans opened the door, screamed and accepted their prize. They would say things like “it’s a miracle!” The theme song even ended the commercial “miracles can happen, they can happen to you…Publisher’s Clearing House, the house where dreams come true.” A miracle in the form of a big check. And who can blame them? I think many of us are “looking for a miracle.” And if that miracle came in the form of Ed and a million dollars, we wouldn’t balk, would we?
Unfortunately, these worldly miracles don’t always turn out well. Financial analyst Robert Thompson, who works with instant millionaires says, "The rule of thumb we use is sudden wealth will ruin people in three to five years. At the end of five years, the money's going to be gone or the human being is going to be gone. They either lose their money or themselves or both." But what if we were lookin’ for another kind of miracle? Not the kind that comes in the form of Ed or a giant check. Instead, what if Jesus provided us with a personal miracle, the kind we read about in the Bible. That would be worth waiting for, wouldn’t it?
In our Gospel today, we hear that Jesus heals the daughter of a synagogue leader as well as a poor woman, who was afflicted for 12 years with a bleeding disease. These are the kind of miracles we’re lookin’ for aren’t they? The kind that heal our bodies and spirits, with just a prayer…. More than one of us is asking “why can’t we be healed like the child, or the woman?” We do live in the age of miracles, an age when doctors can perform surgery to heal a broken body. That’s a miracle. An age when antibiotics can heal diseases that only 75 years ago would have killed. That’s a miracle. An age …where our savior heals rich and poor, saint and sinner, young and old alike. That’s a miracle. An age when Christ has risen…In fact, I think, instead of “lookin’ for a miracle” we are “living IN a miracle.” Amen? We’re “living IN a miracle.”
Because Jesus’ miracle of healing a bleeding woman and a broken child extend well beyond the two main players in our Gospel. By healing a young girl, Jesus showed that culture and our culture that even the youngest, even the weakest members would be made whole through Him. Children were not seen as worthy of a rabbi’s time in Jesus’ culture. It was radical that he would take time to go to a child, and provide a healing touch. The miracle wasn’t just for the girl and her family, the miracle was for all in the community, we are ALL invited to live IN a miracle.
Let’s look at the healing of the woman as well. In biblical times, people were very clear about keeping “clean” and “unclean” separate. The synagogue was clean…nothing unclean could be near it or a part of it. Blood was considered very unclean, and a woman who was bleeding would have been seen as unclean, and all who touched her would be unclean. Because of her illness, she would not have been able to worship with the community. She was an outcast. But, Jesus, a rabbi, one who was holy, not only touched the unclean, his touch HEALED the unclean, making her whole. This was a sign to all that Jesus could make anything and anyone in the community clean, and restored. We’re no longer lookin’ for a miracle, we’re living IN a miracle.
Jesus tore down the barriers of “clean and unclean” for each of us too. Through His death, and His blood, He washed the world clean, wiping away all barriers of clean and unclean, saint and sinner. Ironic isn’t it? It was through HIS BLOOD, and HIS DEATH, two of the most “unclean” things on earth that Jesus was able to cleanse everyone of us. Certainly, this is what we find when we’re lookin’ for a miracle.
But what about us, here and now, today in Muncie IN? Maybe you don’t feel like you’re living IN a miracle. Maybe you’re thinking “We may have some miracles, but Jesus isn’t here to touch, and to make us, whole, is He? And all these miracles, penicillin won’t cure inoperable cancer, one touch won’t heal a broken relationship, and faith alone won’t rebuild a storm damaged home. You’re right. I can’t promise you the individual miracle you’re praying for, and I can’t say Jesus will restore all you have hoped for in one day.
But, I can promise you this. This community of believers, and believers all around the world DO have the power to heal and to transform. The Holy Spirit is in each and every one of us, and with one touch, one gesture, we too can break down “clean” and “unclean.” We can perform a miracle through our actions as we, like Jesus, care for the weakest, the sickest, the most outcast in our society. Through Christ, we can show the love to the hurting--and that has the power to heal, doesn’t it? God has given you the power to heal, to show the world the miracle of love. You may not be able to physically heal a fellow brother or sister, but your touch can allow emotional and spiritual healing to flow in powerful ways. Our community, and our church ARE a living, breathing miracle. People of differing backgrounds, gifts, and talents coming together to worship a God we have never seen, living in the hope that our wrongs will be righted through the death of a 1st century Jew? Members of HTLC, coming together, to worship, to seek forgiveness, to go into the world and heal?
And even though we will still continue to look FOR a miracle, even through we’ll doubt and try to do things “our way” we have hope, and can take comfort knowing that Christ’s saving blood will keep washing us clean, bringing us into community with other believers and reminding us daily of the miracle of salvation given to each of us. I can’t think of a more profound example of living IN a miracle than that.
Unfortunately, these worldly miracles don’t always turn out well. Financial analyst Robert Thompson, who works with instant millionaires says, "The rule of thumb we use is sudden wealth will ruin people in three to five years. At the end of five years, the money's going to be gone or the human being is going to be gone. They either lose their money or themselves or both." But what if we were lookin’ for another kind of miracle? Not the kind that comes in the form of Ed or a giant check. Instead, what if Jesus provided us with a personal miracle, the kind we read about in the Bible. That would be worth waiting for, wouldn’t it?
In our Gospel today, we hear that Jesus heals the daughter of a synagogue leader as well as a poor woman, who was afflicted for 12 years with a bleeding disease. These are the kind of miracles we’re lookin’ for aren’t they? The kind that heal our bodies and spirits, with just a prayer…. More than one of us is asking “why can’t we be healed like the child, or the woman?” We do live in the age of miracles, an age when doctors can perform surgery to heal a broken body. That’s a miracle. An age when antibiotics can heal diseases that only 75 years ago would have killed. That’s a miracle. An age …where our savior heals rich and poor, saint and sinner, young and old alike. That’s a miracle. An age when Christ has risen…In fact, I think, instead of “lookin’ for a miracle” we are “living IN a miracle.” Amen? We’re “living IN a miracle.”
Because Jesus’ miracle of healing a bleeding woman and a broken child extend well beyond the two main players in our Gospel. By healing a young girl, Jesus showed that culture and our culture that even the youngest, even the weakest members would be made whole through Him. Children were not seen as worthy of a rabbi’s time in Jesus’ culture. It was radical that he would take time to go to a child, and provide a healing touch. The miracle wasn’t just for the girl and her family, the miracle was for all in the community, we are ALL invited to live IN a miracle.
Let’s look at the healing of the woman as well. In biblical times, people were very clear about keeping “clean” and “unclean” separate. The synagogue was clean…nothing unclean could be near it or a part of it. Blood was considered very unclean, and a woman who was bleeding would have been seen as unclean, and all who touched her would be unclean. Because of her illness, she would not have been able to worship with the community. She was an outcast. But, Jesus, a rabbi, one who was holy, not only touched the unclean, his touch HEALED the unclean, making her whole. This was a sign to all that Jesus could make anything and anyone in the community clean, and restored. We’re no longer lookin’ for a miracle, we’re living IN a miracle.
Jesus tore down the barriers of “clean and unclean” for each of us too. Through His death, and His blood, He washed the world clean, wiping away all barriers of clean and unclean, saint and sinner. Ironic isn’t it? It was through HIS BLOOD, and HIS DEATH, two of the most “unclean” things on earth that Jesus was able to cleanse everyone of us. Certainly, this is what we find when we’re lookin’ for a miracle.
But what about us, here and now, today in Muncie IN? Maybe you don’t feel like you’re living IN a miracle. Maybe you’re thinking “We may have some miracles, but Jesus isn’t here to touch, and to make us, whole, is He? And all these miracles, penicillin won’t cure inoperable cancer, one touch won’t heal a broken relationship, and faith alone won’t rebuild a storm damaged home. You’re right. I can’t promise you the individual miracle you’re praying for, and I can’t say Jesus will restore all you have hoped for in one day.
But, I can promise you this. This community of believers, and believers all around the world DO have the power to heal and to transform. The Holy Spirit is in each and every one of us, and with one touch, one gesture, we too can break down “clean” and “unclean.” We can perform a miracle through our actions as we, like Jesus, care for the weakest, the sickest, the most outcast in our society. Through Christ, we can show the love to the hurting--and that has the power to heal, doesn’t it? God has given you the power to heal, to show the world the miracle of love. You may not be able to physically heal a fellow brother or sister, but your touch can allow emotional and spiritual healing to flow in powerful ways. Our community, and our church ARE a living, breathing miracle. People of differing backgrounds, gifts, and talents coming together to worship a God we have never seen, living in the hope that our wrongs will be righted through the death of a 1st century Jew? Members of HTLC, coming together, to worship, to seek forgiveness, to go into the world and heal?
And even though we will still continue to look FOR a miracle, even through we’ll doubt and try to do things “our way” we have hope, and can take comfort knowing that Christ’s saving blood will keep washing us clean, bringing us into community with other believers and reminding us daily of the miracle of salvation given to each of us. I can’t think of a more profound example of living IN a miracle than that.
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