Planning for the Holidays

Target and other big stores have been in the news lately because of outrage from some over these stores decisions to open on Thanksgiving night. Holidays are getting crowded out for the sake of revenue. Christmas decorations were in many stores before Halloween was over. I've seen people post a picture on facebook of a sign from Macy's stating that they won't put up Christmas decorations until after Thanksgiving, saying they believe in the importance of focusing on one holiday at a time.

We all know how stressful the holidays can be. Activities abound--not to mention all the money to be spent. If you've been around this blog before, you know that as a family we try and make space for holidays--and to keep them focused. I confess that Advent often sneaks up on me...so I'm trying to think ahead now (it helps that others at church are doing the same).

So, I'm hoping to get away in the next day or two to look for some family devotions for Advent. We try and do most of our shopping ahead of time (like in July when the toy sales happen). We also don't do many presents. The kids get one on St. Nicholas Day and one on Christmas morning. We try and make the season about giving (we try and do a couple boxes for Operation Christmas Child). We try to keep Advent in its place and not rush Christmas, but keep its twelve days.

It doesn't make sense to rush from a season of thanksgiving into a season of making lists of gifts we must have. Real gratitude should be seasoned with an outpouring of charity. And in the midst of it all is a season of waiting...waiting for the Christ Child to return as King (which we celebrate this week on Christ the King Sunday).

I encourage you to not let the holiday run you ragged, but to enter into the holidays with purpose. May the be a blessing as they were intended to be.

Expressing the Heart vs. a Pursuit

"When money becomes a means of the heart, it is good. But when money becomes the pursuit of the heart, life gets warped."
     - Gary Walter, President of the Evangelical Covenant Church

Circles

This past Sunday at church I was in a discussion on sacred places. Some one mentioned the sacredness of the circles we gather in: at church, around the meal table, in our living rooms at small groups. When we gather, we gather in circles. Tonight, we had people in our home to talk about world missions with someone from denominational missions office. We started in a circle around the table. We finished in a circle in our living room. Tomorrow night we will do the same with our small group from church.

Our church ancestors (alongside some other religions) were known as "The People of the Book" because of their devotion to God's Word. I decided that our local church should be known as "The People of the Circle." There is something sacred about circles. They have been a symbol of the eternalness of God. When we stand in circles we are connected. Our church rhythms are cyclical. Every year we begin anew on the first Sunday of Advent. We go through the seasons of Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, Pentecost and the Ordinary times. And we find ourselves back in a new year. In many ways life is more cyclical than linear.

In the west, we tend to think of life and time as being linear. The east tends to be much more circular in their thinking. Literary scholars are quite familiar with circular narrative as many stories throughout history--from Beowulf to To Kill A Mockingbird--end in much the same manner as they began.

In our sanctuary at church we sit in a circle. Three rows of church surround the central altar. As we worship we are aware of the community we worship with--not just by the back of someone's head, but by their faces. When we sing The Lord's Prayer together we often hold hands in three concentric circles, the middle circle moving in the opposite rotation from the other two circles around the table. We get to see each person present as we move and worship.

Because of entrance points at each end of the room, the circle of chairs are really two semi-circles. They look like parenthesis in retrospect. And in many respects, our gathering for worship or in other circles is largely parenthetical. It brackets our daily routines as a beginning and end. Our circles frame who we are during the week--not workers but servants and followers.

And so we come back each Sunday and sit in our chairs for worship--not in rows. We are, after all, the people of the circle.

Benediction of Being

"May all that is unforgiven in you be released; may your fears yield their deep tranquilities; may all that is unlived in you blossom into a future graced with love."
     - John O'Donahue

Living in the Here and Now

"Just to be is a blessing...just to live is holy"
     - Rabbi Abraham Heschel

A Visit to St. Ben's

Today I went with four other people from our church (and a friend of one of them) to St. Benedict's Monastery for a Spiritual R&R Day retreat they offered to our church (as well as others). Three of us are in our mid-to-late thirties. The other two were almost twice our age. It was nice to have a mix and be able to talk with each other.

It was my first visit to a monastery. I've been wanting to go for a long time, but this was one of my first opportunities. The day was largely just an open day for spiritual renewal. We could sign up for a 10 minute healing touch neck massage (which was full) and a half hour of spiritual direction (which I did). Sister Josue gave an opening presentation on celebrating All Saints Day. Sister Eunice gave a closing prayer that was a nice end to the day. But what I looked forward to most was getting to attend prayer times with the community. The mid-day prayer was the only one we were there for, but it was a blessing. It was wonderful to hear the psalms sung and get to be part of the choir singing back to each other. My one desire for the day would have been to have had time to talk with the sisters more. There is much I would love to learn about monasticism (especially Benedictine) and to draw on their wealth of faith.

But the day did what it was designed to do--providing spiritual R&R. I hope to be able to spend more time down the road with that or other communities.

Sister Eunice shared from Matthew 11:29 in the closing prayer: "...learn from Me for I am meek and humble of heart, and you will find rest..." Amen

Somewhere Beyond the Sea...

Our good friends are heading to China tomorrow. They're going to meet their daughter and bring her home with them. The word excitement would be and understatement. They've been waiting for this to happen for a while (though not as long as some in the adpotion process, I know). Their process really has gone quite quickly--but I know it can feel like eons at the same time.

They have boys the same age as ours (which is very convenient). Actually we got to know each other because our oldest and their oldest became best friends in Kindergarten. And then we moved--just as we were getting to know each other well. Granted, we're in adjoining cities, but it's not as convenient as when we lived in the same school. Or the same neighborhood for that matter. 

I don't say this to be judgmental of anyone else, but I laud them for adopting. They could have poured a lot of money into IVF or other means of having a baby themselves. They chose to seek out a child who didn't have parents to take care of her and make her their own. This is valuing life.

We've been praying for them (they requested it, but we would have prayed anyway). It'll be a big transition for their family. When the boys come home (they're spending time with their grandparents while their parents fly to China) they will have a new sister. Not a baby, but an 18-month old. An 18-month old who won't understand the words they say (except for the few Chinese words they know). She will have trips to the hospital to take care of deformities in her feet. There will now be three kids in the house--not two (and one of them is a girl!). And of course it will be a huge transition for her to leave the orphanage and meet her new mom and dad, to fly in an airplane for the first time across the ocean to a country with strange customs and language. 

But for as long as our friends have known about the sweet little girl, halfway around the world, who would one day join their household, they have called her their daughter and sister. And she is. She may have been born in a different country to a different woman and man, but she is still a part of their family (even though they haven't met her yet).  It's a beautiful image of love and family.

It's also a beautiful image of God. Throughout the Bible God uses the language of adoption for how He loves us. He invites us into His family. He longs to call us His child. He desires to make us His heirs and give us our inheritence. He loves us deeply and perfectly.

And while I hope that little Gracie Yuan Yuan may one day know that love, I am grateful that for now she will know the love of an earthly family--especially in a wonderful househould like our dear friends have. Blessings to you, dear friends. Many, many blessings.

Spiritual Multitasking (or How to Be A Contemplative)

God has wired us to multitask. At least that's what I decided during our informal teaching time Sunday night at church. He has wired us to be able to two tasks at once (which I admittedly struggle with).

1. Our first task is to be aware of God's presence and voice. At all times. This presumes that we are following God. It presumes that God is ever present (not just omnipresent--in all places--but at all times as well) and that He speaks and His voice can be heard. It also presumes that we want to hear God's voice and know that He is with us. I believe that this is at the root of following Jesus, however.

2. Our second task is doing whatever job we have before us. This may be our paid vocation, doing household chores, visiting a sick friend, studying for a class or a number of other regular routines or work.

This is how we're meant to multitask. We're meant to be able to focus on God while doing whatever it is we do throughout our day. Jesus had many analogies for this like a branch being connected to its vine or sheep hearing their shepherd's voice. The Apostle Paul referred to it as "praying continuously." The ancient monk Brother Lawrence called it The Practice of the Presence of God. 

These thoughts came up on a discussion about living a contemplative life. It's one of the values of our church. Contemplative living isn't a very easy thing to take hold of, though. Our first thought is probably of ancient monastics living by themselves, speaking to no one and spending all day in prayer and fasting. That kind of life isn't obtainable (nor desirable) for most of us.

Contemplation is more than that, though. At it's basic meaning, to contemplate means to think about something thoroughly or to look at something thoughtfully. At it's foundation in the same root word as "temple," the Latin templum: ground set aside for worship. Contemplation is worship simply through awareness of God.

There is also an intentionallity about contemplation. It rarely just happens. This is often why I fail. I neglect being intentional about focusing on God. Yet in order to multitask in this way--to be contemplative throughout my day, no matter what I'm doing, I must be intentional. You can't be contemplative without fostering a intentional focusedness on God. It's something you must choose to do each day--each minute.

Fostering this intentionality doesn't require that you become a monastic recluse. God intends that we do it in our daily lives. That is where we need God most, and that is where He shows up.

One of my friends at church doesn't like the word contemplation--mainly because of all the high and lofty images that come with it. It seems that a contemplative life is unobtainable because of that. Instead, though, he offered up the phrase, "Immersed life." That works: being immersed in God's presence...in His love, in our place before Him. It's a good place to start each day (and continue on throughout every minute of it).

Forget Wall Street: Occupy Small Towns

I believe in hard work and doing your best. I also believe some people need our help in order for them to do their best (or even just survive). I don't fault the super-rich for having a lot of money. Just as Jesus said that the poor will always be with us, so will the rich. There are corrupt systems out there; only the naive would think otherwise.

This past week the boys and I spent a couple days on my family's farm. I grew up nestled between Laurens and Albert City, Iowa. Haven't heard of them? It's not surprising. Laurens--where we would go to the library, dentist and grocery store--boasts a population of right around 1500 people. The only reason you might have heard of it is if you happened to have watched David Lynch's 1999 movie, The Straight Story. Albert City--where we went to church and school--has around 700 residents. It is best known for its Threshermen and Collectors Show during which the population of the town explodes exponentially as people from all over come to show off antique farm equipment and farm the way they did over a century ago. I have lived in places like Chicago, Vancouver and Minneapolis, but I still love getting back to small towns. I hope to return to the country someday when it becomes feasible for our family (my wife is pursuing a doctorate right now which is hard to do in a small town).

I feel that our nation would be better off if we occupied small towns instead of Wall Street. Less than a century ago part of the American dream was to have a home in a small town where you could sit on your porch and chat with your neighbors. This is the subject of almost every Norman Rockwell painting.

Then during the middle part of the 20th century, population demographics began to switch. Before then, the majority of Americans lived in rural areas. But then large cities began to grow. Farming became a corporate business and not a place where farmers could sustain their families. Larger stores with more inventory, wider selections and cheaper prices opened in the cities making it difficult for small town stores to turn a profit. And so went the jobs to the larger cities as well. Ever since, many small towns have been fatally in decline--population wise at least. Most small towns are kept up beautifully. There is a spirit of hope there that exudes a determination to rise above circumstances.

Small towns are where community happens. While helping my father on the farm, he took us into town for lunch. The little restaurant was full. Tables were intermingled with people who came in together and others who just showed up. They all knew each other. Conversations weren't just contained at one table, but they occurred amongst everyone. Some complain about this notion--feeling that there is no privacy in a small town. But it's not that you don't have privacy, it's just that you have community. Others do know about you. And you know about them. Simply because you share life together.

Friday night, everyone is at the football field cheering on the high school team. On a Tuesday winter night, everyone is in the school gymnasium cheering on the basketball players. On Wednesday morning the cafe is full of farmers grabbing a cup of coffee while taking a break from their morning chores. If a farmer is injured or hospitalized, neighbors bring their equipment over to do the work that needs to be done. People's lives are intertwined. They depend on one another for their livelihood. And they simply care about one another.

There is no corporate greed. Some may be well off, but very seldom is there exploitation of the labor class. Small town people are hard workers. They are skilled and knowledgeable in many areas. This starts in school. I was involved in basketball, cross country, speech, drama, band (trumpet and baritone), choir, FFA (Future Farmers of America), student council and yearbook among other things. I had farm chores to do before and after school. I was involved in youth group and church choir. This is small town life. People are involved in many capacities in their church. They may be a volunteer fire fighter. They may be on city council or involved with the chamber of commerce. They probably have a few ways they are involved at the local school. If there is a community even, they will be at it.

Main Street is a destination. It is where business occurs and it is where lives are shaved. Your cashier isn't just there to take your money or simply help you make a purchase. They may know what you need before you walk in the store. They ask how your family is doing because they know your family. They care about how your job is going because your well-being will impact theirs. Small towns are where life happens.

Small towns may not have art museums filled with Monets and Van Goghs. They may not attract Broadway plays. They won't have a professional sports team. They probably won't draw a big name concert venue.

But they have local artists whose love of their hometown inspires them to create a beautiful mural. Your next door neighbor surprises everyone by bringing the crowd to their feet in the community theater's latest production. High school athletes play their hearts out, not for the sake of millions of dollars, but for school pride. And the community band's summer performance in the band shell is a wonderful way to end a summer evening while enjoying ice cream a lemonade with your neighbors.

Here's my plea for those on Wall Street and corporate America: stop merging your corporations and outsourcing your jobs overseas for the sake of making more money whilst hurting those who are your source of income in the first place. Give small town America a chance. Revitalize a small town. Bring some business and jobs back to one. These are people with character and morals that won't let you down. They are loyal and committed to their work as well as their community.

Occupying For A Cause

The "Kitchen" area--free food for those who needed.
With compost buckets. There was a public safety section,
a library, a family play area, and a medical area among other things.

Trying to stay dry and sleep

I biked downtown today to get out of the house (taking a break from frustrations of job applications) and get some exercise. I happened to go by the plaza where the local protesters were staging Occupy MN. I thought I'd check it out.

For those of you who know me, you know I'm not much into politics. I haven't been following much with the Occupy Wall-Street movement or its local spin-offs. I haven't read other's blogs on it. So I acknowledge right off that I'm not well-educated. What I know mainly comes from facebook and listening to talk on the radio when I'm in the car.

Today was a wet, cold day, so the plaza wasn't full by any means. Maybe two-dozen people at most (including those sleeping). No body was yelling chants or even doing much interaction with those passing by (including all the "suits"). It was a very peaceful protest.

This older man from "Vets for Peace" wasn't allowed
to have a tent-like shelter over him to stay dry under.
Yet, he was undeterred.

There were a large number of "hippie types" and twenty-somethings whom you would expect, but there were people from almost every generation--including the retired man at the Vets for Peace booth.

Everything I've heard has been peaceful

There is a lot that Occupy MN is protesting...everything from the war to health care to subsidizing big corporations to Monsanto (noting far out of hand we've gotten that its illegal to plant a seed from an apple grown by the company). I guess it mainly comes down to people who believe things have gotten too out of hand with our government and their interaction with corporate America--pushing for a separation of government and Wall Street, almost as if Wall Street has become a religion.

Even the port-a-potties got in on the action.

While I don't agree with everything about Occupy Wall Street, I do have some level of admiration for those who are there. It takes a deep passion to sit out in the wet and cold autumn weather of Minnesota. They may not change much in the immediate future, but they're doing something to try and bring change to places where they feel change is needed need. This is American. We should applaud people without apathy. This is what freedom is about, especially in seeking the rights of the majority to be upheld (whether or not you feel they are appropriate "rights").

Much of what they're protesting is stuff that people who follow Christ can get behind: ending war and seeking peace, taking care of the health needs of the sick, helping the poor. These are things Jesus talked about and taught His followers about.

This one has been going
around on facebook

Politics aside, I wonder what the church would look like if we had the same sort of passion for what we believe in--for what we believe is right? I think that sometimes we forget that being a Christian means that we follow Christ...we follow His teachings, we follow His actions, we love like He did. What if we started occupying our faith?