You can plainly hear someone screaming in the background. Someone is screaming, begging for help. The voice is terrified, the cries urgent. The dispatcher says "911, do you need police, the fire department or an ambulance" and the caller responds "someone outside needs help." In the background you can hear him screaming, shouting "help me, help me!"
Is it Trayvon Martin screaming or George Zimmerman? We don't know for sure, although several experts have said the voice is not that of Zimmerman, who shot and killed Martin in what he claims was self-defense. Questions about that claim remain.
I listened to the you-tube tape of the 911 call. The first time I didn't even notice the sounds in the background; I was hearing what the operator and the caller were saying. But the second time I heard it - a voice screaming, then crying "help me! help me!" It was chilling. We know that senseless killings happen every day throughout America. What is it about this case that has so captured the attention and roused the sympathies of our people? I think it's the details that get to us - the iced tea and skittles, that he was 17, the hoodie, that an African-American youth was regarded as suspicious in a gated community. All those things trouble our minds and hurt our hearts, but especially the screaming, the calls for help.
It is Holy Week in the Church, a week when we focus on the death and resurrection of Jesus. Already on Sunday many of us read the passion account from Mark and sang the somber hymns: "Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?" "O Sacred Head Now Wounded." Each year we remember and mourn the tragic death of Jesus, the Son of God. We confront, again, our own complicity in Jesus' death. Though it happened long ago, his dying continues wherever there is hatred, careless suspicion of others, killing, cruelty, blaming and scape-goating, prejudice, unconcern for those in need. During Holy Week we confess our guilt because we participate in those things.
I keep thinking about the screams, and yes, I assume they came from Trayvon Martin. Did Jesus scream in pain as he hung on the cross; did the Creator scream while watching the Son die? I haven't ever screamed aloud when someone I love dies or is near death; but those screams live within me. As the church moves toward Good Friday where Jesus will be nailed to a cross and left to die, the screams from the 911 tape sound in my head. Thinking of the crowd shouting for Jesus' death "crucify, crucify him," the soldiers whipping Jesus, the guards taunting and spitting on him, I hear in the background those screams.
I know Easter is coming - the resurrection, the bright promise, new life. I know that my Redeemer lives, that the Redeemer of the whole world lives. This Sunday will be filled with beautiful flowers, smiling faces, great good news, joyous singing, the sense that all is well. But I can't move too quickly from the dying, from the loss, the pointlessness of killing one another. Even when Easter is on the horizon, the crucifixion lasts a long, long time - minutes like hours, hours like days. Today there is sorrow. Today there is questioning, hurting, listening to the screaming. While we ultimately rejoice in life-everlasting, there is a time to wrestle with death, a time to ask 'why?,' a time to seek answers and resolution. For me, now is that time.
I pray God hears the screaming. I pray we hear and respond to the screaming and to this culture of death.
Remembering the Crucified One,
Pastor Kris Franke Hill, STM
Monday, April 2, 2012
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Hoodies and Race.
The reports say that Trayvon Martin looked suspicious because he was wearing a hoodie with the hood up. Wow. If that's all it takes for a young man to look suspicious then most of the church kids I've known the last 10 or 15 years fit the bill. In North Carolina the kids at Mt. Zion wore hoodies - Billy, Taylor, Corey, Jarrett, Logan, Eddie, Brandon... Here at Shepherd King, in Texas, the kids wear them, too - Lane, Catie, Cameron, Saidee, Rane... In fact, if you're an American between the ages of 7 and 27 you probably own and wear a hoodie, sometimes with the hood up. It's standard dress these days.
I doubt that people would think Billy or Taylor, Cameron or Saidee or any of the others I listed above would look "suspicious" when they're wearing hoodies. That's because each of them is white. A crucial element left out of the official reports is that Trayvon Martin looked "suspicious" because he was wearing a hoodie and he was black. He was, in fact, a young African-American male -- just the image that would come to mind for most of us if we heard that a "suspicious person" was in our neighborhood.
Racism is an important component in this case. I'm not, in particular, talking about George Zimmerman - the man who shot and killed Trayvon; I'm talking about us - you and me and the society we live in. We are all infected with racism, whether we want to be or not. I certainly do NOT intend to think of young black men as likely criminals. I know such labels and stereotypes are untrue, unfair, and harmful to all of us. You're probably like me. You do not intend to be racist; you do not harbor illwill or hatred of African American people in your heart. You try to be open and accepting of all people. That is how I think of myself, and yet still, we are infected with racism.
Nobody likes to be called a "racist" - we bristle and insist that we do not hold a person's skin color against them. Most likely, that is true - we do not intentionally reject people or dislike people because of their color. That is true of me. Even so, we have racism in our minds and our hearts. We may hate that (I do), we may try to eliminate that (I do), but to be truthful, to be fair, it is there. Ridding ourselves of racism is hard work; it requires consistent, sustained effort. We shouldn't expect it to be easy or that we'll accomplish it quickly.
Slavery in the United States was abolished in 1863 when President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. Of course, the on-going civil war meant that this law did not take effect in many places until several years later. The first African slaves were brought to the United States (territory at that time) around 1565 (Wikipedia). 300 hundred years of slavery in America has been followed, thus far, by almost 150 years of freedom for African Americans. Now, we know that good things take longer to establish than do harmful things. Making peace is a long process; starting a war happens in an instant. So it should not surprise us that we - our society - still has a ways to go in terms of overcoming racism.
I do not mean that last statement to be an excuse. My hope is that we might, all of us, realize that racism lingers within us like toxic waste saturates the soil after a spillage has been cleaned up. To say certain actions or attitudes are 'racist' is not to say we are all a bunch of awful, irredeemable people who clearly hate anyone who is different from ourselves. Acknowledging racism among us is simply a confession of truth. If racism were not prevalent among us - not just in some individuals, but in our collective lives - Trayvon Martin would not have seemed 'suspicious' because he was wearing a hoodie with the hood pulled up. He looked suspicious because he was a young, African-American male wearing a hoodie with the hood pulled up. And that is racism.
We can tackle this problem. It is not insurmountable. We can move beyond the racism we have grown up with (as a society - I don't mean in your or my individual families). But the first step, as I see it, is to admit the fact that there is still racism in our minds, in our attitudes, in our reactions to others. We cannot talk about racism as if it only applies to someone else. I must strive to erase racism in myself and you, in yourself. We can do this, together. We can confess the wrong within us and ask God to help us change, help us grow, help us be the people we want to be. Please join me in doing that today and into the future.
No more Trayvon Martins. No more senseless killings because we distrust one another, in large part, on the basis of skin color. Let's work harder to be cured of our racism. And may God help us and bring us to that goal.
Pastor Kris Franke Hill, STM
I doubt that people would think Billy or Taylor, Cameron or Saidee or any of the others I listed above would look "suspicious" when they're wearing hoodies. That's because each of them is white. A crucial element left out of the official reports is that Trayvon Martin looked "suspicious" because he was wearing a hoodie and he was black. He was, in fact, a young African-American male -- just the image that would come to mind for most of us if we heard that a "suspicious person" was in our neighborhood.
Racism is an important component in this case. I'm not, in particular, talking about George Zimmerman - the man who shot and killed Trayvon; I'm talking about us - you and me and the society we live in. We are all infected with racism, whether we want to be or not. I certainly do NOT intend to think of young black men as likely criminals. I know such labels and stereotypes are untrue, unfair, and harmful to all of us. You're probably like me. You do not intend to be racist; you do not harbor illwill or hatred of African American people in your heart. You try to be open and accepting of all people. That is how I think of myself, and yet still, we are infected with racism.
Nobody likes to be called a "racist" - we bristle and insist that we do not hold a person's skin color against them. Most likely, that is true - we do not intentionally reject people or dislike people because of their color. That is true of me. Even so, we have racism in our minds and our hearts. We may hate that (I do), we may try to eliminate that (I do), but to be truthful, to be fair, it is there. Ridding ourselves of racism is hard work; it requires consistent, sustained effort. We shouldn't expect it to be easy or that we'll accomplish it quickly.
Slavery in the United States was abolished in 1863 when President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. Of course, the on-going civil war meant that this law did not take effect in many places until several years later. The first African slaves were brought to the United States (territory at that time) around 1565 (Wikipedia). 300 hundred years of slavery in America has been followed, thus far, by almost 150 years of freedom for African Americans. Now, we know that good things take longer to establish than do harmful things. Making peace is a long process; starting a war happens in an instant. So it should not surprise us that we - our society - still has a ways to go in terms of overcoming racism.
I do not mean that last statement to be an excuse. My hope is that we might, all of us, realize that racism lingers within us like toxic waste saturates the soil after a spillage has been cleaned up. To say certain actions or attitudes are 'racist' is not to say we are all a bunch of awful, irredeemable people who clearly hate anyone who is different from ourselves. Acknowledging racism among us is simply a confession of truth. If racism were not prevalent among us - not just in some individuals, but in our collective lives - Trayvon Martin would not have seemed 'suspicious' because he was wearing a hoodie with the hood pulled up. He looked suspicious because he was a young, African-American male wearing a hoodie with the hood pulled up. And that is racism.
We can tackle this problem. It is not insurmountable. We can move beyond the racism we have grown up with (as a society - I don't mean in your or my individual families). But the first step, as I see it, is to admit the fact that there is still racism in our minds, in our attitudes, in our reactions to others. We cannot talk about racism as if it only applies to someone else. I must strive to erase racism in myself and you, in yourself. We can do this, together. We can confess the wrong within us and ask God to help us change, help us grow, help us be the people we want to be. Please join me in doing that today and into the future.
No more Trayvon Martins. No more senseless killings because we distrust one another, in large part, on the basis of skin color. Let's work harder to be cured of our racism. And may God help us and bring us to that goal.
Pastor Kris Franke Hill, STM
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Mitt, Tim, and Jesus
This morning the radio played a clip from a recent press conference held by a presidential candidate. The candidate's wife explained how her husband had nearly decided not to run for office. Together they had discussed how draining a campaign would be, how they would encounter negative publicity, how their personal lives would be under scrutiny and they might get dragged through the mud. At that point her husband thought perhaps he should not run for president. But, said his wife, she looked him in the eye and asked him: "Mitt, can you save America?" When I heard that remark I gasped aloud and said "oh my God!" "Oh my God!" I said again and again, shocked that anyone would suggest such a thing.
What hubris! [Hubris - extreme haughtiness, excessive pride or arrogance.] What incredible, inexcusable hubris - especially for someone who worships God. God saves, and God alone. Human beings work, serve, lead, support, critique, inquire, respond, listen, advise, and work some more. But no human being, no candidate for office, no president has the ability to "save America." Is this what we think now? If so, we will always be disappointed because that expectation is simply wrong.
On Sunday Tim Tebow threw for 316 yards in the Bronco's playoff win over Pittsburg. Tebow-mania, already rampant, has intensified as fans say his passing yards are a sign from God. They interpret 316 [passing yards] as a message from God, linking it to John 3:16 (a wonderful passage from the Bible about our salvation in Jesus Christ). Is this a miracle? Sports commentators did not expect Denver to win much, have not expected Tebow to succeed as a quarterback, yet he's done well and now has even won a playoff game. Is God speaking through Tim Tebow? God might speak through Tebow - in the same way that God speaks through other human beings - but not because the quarterback registered 316 yards in passing. God speaks to us in scripture, in sacred music, in prayer and meditation - not in football statistics.
I am increasingly puzzled by my fellow Americans, many of whom claim that ours is a "Christian nation." [My Dad taught me long ago that this is neither true nor possible. One becomes a Christian through baptism and you cannot baptize a nation.] How can people who worship one God ("Hear O Israel, the LORD is God, the LORD alone." Deuteronomy 6:4) not take offense at anyone who asserts (or whose wife asserts) that he can save America? How can serious Christians think God is speaking to them through the exploits or the statistics of a football player? God does speak to us, all the time, in scripture, in issues and events that challenge us, in our neighbor who needs us or the one who annoys us.
Maybe this is what we get when nearly every aspect of our lives is defined as a commodity, when our most holy days (holidays) are celebrated by gluttonous spending, when we measure our worth in terms of our wealth, our self-esteem in terms of our appearance. Maybe this is what happens. We begin to believe that a president can "save" us from our problems; we expect television shows to bring us messages from heaven; we worship Tim Tebow instead of worshipping Jesus. Maybe we've lost our minds - or just our common sense.
If you want to be saved, turn to God. God is waiting to receive you with joy. If you want to hear a message from God, pray, attend weekly worship, read scripture. Watching football is great - but it's just football. Let presidents be presidents (the job is hard enough without anyone expecting them to be the Messiah). Let Jesus be Jesus and let Tim Tebow be a guy who loves Jesus and plays quarterback.
Pastor Kris Franke Hill
What hubris! [Hubris - extreme haughtiness, excessive pride or arrogance.] What incredible, inexcusable hubris - especially for someone who worships God. God saves, and God alone. Human beings work, serve, lead, support, critique, inquire, respond, listen, advise, and work some more. But no human being, no candidate for office, no president has the ability to "save America." Is this what we think now? If so, we will always be disappointed because that expectation is simply wrong.
On Sunday Tim Tebow threw for 316 yards in the Bronco's playoff win over Pittsburg. Tebow-mania, already rampant, has intensified as fans say his passing yards are a sign from God. They interpret 316 [passing yards] as a message from God, linking it to John 3:16 (a wonderful passage from the Bible about our salvation in Jesus Christ). Is this a miracle? Sports commentators did not expect Denver to win much, have not expected Tebow to succeed as a quarterback, yet he's done well and now has even won a playoff game. Is God speaking through Tim Tebow? God might speak through Tebow - in the same way that God speaks through other human beings - but not because the quarterback registered 316 yards in passing. God speaks to us in scripture, in sacred music, in prayer and meditation - not in football statistics.
I am increasingly puzzled by my fellow Americans, many of whom claim that ours is a "Christian nation." [My Dad taught me long ago that this is neither true nor possible. One becomes a Christian through baptism and you cannot baptize a nation.] How can people who worship one God ("Hear O Israel, the LORD is God, the LORD alone." Deuteronomy 6:4) not take offense at anyone who asserts (or whose wife asserts) that he can save America? How can serious Christians think God is speaking to them through the exploits or the statistics of a football player? God does speak to us, all the time, in scripture, in issues and events that challenge us, in our neighbor who needs us or the one who annoys us.
Maybe this is what we get when nearly every aspect of our lives is defined as a commodity, when our most holy days (holidays) are celebrated by gluttonous spending, when we measure our worth in terms of our wealth, our self-esteem in terms of our appearance. Maybe this is what happens. We begin to believe that a president can "save" us from our problems; we expect television shows to bring us messages from heaven; we worship Tim Tebow instead of worshipping Jesus. Maybe we've lost our minds - or just our common sense.
If you want to be saved, turn to God. God is waiting to receive you with joy. If you want to hear a message from God, pray, attend weekly worship, read scripture. Watching football is great - but it's just football. Let presidents be presidents (the job is hard enough without anyone expecting them to be the Messiah). Let Jesus be Jesus and let Tim Tebow be a guy who loves Jesus and plays quarterback.
Pastor Kris Franke Hill
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Differently Sainted
There's this man who gives away Christmas dinners every year. I get the privilege of distributing those meals because he prefers to remain anonymous. Today I brought a turkey, a bag of potatoes, dinner rolls, cans of corn, cans of green beans, a can of cranberry sauce, and a bag of stuffing mix to 4 different families - with one more yet to be delivered tomorrow. The recipients were an elderly woman on a fixed income (who plans to share her meal with a needy family in her apartment complex), a transgendered man/woman who works hard for very low pay and struggles to make ends meet, a family of four just getting back on their feet after months of unemployment, and a man who lives next door to the church and is looking for work.
The guy who purchases and gives this food says he does it in thankfulness to God who has richly blessed him. He lives in a modest home, works every day, and doesn't have much in the way of material things. In the years I’ve known him I’ve developed a deep, abiding affection and appreciation for him. That may not seem surprising considering his yearly generosity. But here's the thing... he and I are very different. We are different in precisely those ways that divide the citizens of our nation in this day and age.
Were he and I to discuss politics (which we never do) we would, no doubt, be polar opposites of one another. He listens to one well known TV news station; I listen to another. On social issues about which I am passionate, I suspect he would be equally passionate on the other side. We've probably never voted alike, and I'll bet we read and understand God's Word in vastly different ways. Even so, this man has a place deep inside my heart.
That is certainly not because I am a saintly person who speaks and acts graciously to those on the "other side" of current events and debates. Very often (too often) I do not. Like many these days, I am quick to label other people as "ignorant" or "callous,” call them "fear-mongers" because of their position on various social and political concerns. Politicians on the “other side” irritate and infuriate me; I believe they pontificate, manipulate and outright lie to the American people. My friend may well think the same about those who I support and respect.
The whole thing goes deeper than just what I say or think. A part of me despises people who do not see the world as I do on certain pressing issues - sexuality, gun control, the role of government, taxation and the economy, the essence of the Christian faith. My convictions are so fierce that I get angry at those who do not see things "plainly," as I see them. And it isn't just me. The people of this nation are polarized, divided - dare I say, divided against one another - on these matters. "We" do not like "them."
On all these matters, the man who gives the Christmas dinners would be a "them" to me, as would I to him. Despite this, I love him dearly. I honor him - and not just because he gives food away at Christmas. I admire how he works honestly and with integrity, I honor how he cared tenderly for his wife as she was dying, I respect his gentleness with animals, his concern toward those who struggle and his free admission that one day he might be numbered among them. I appreciate the way he loves his aging parents and his care of the earth.
So where does that leave me? He watches "that other news channel" for heaven's sake! Yet he is decent and compassionate and human, and I genuinely care for him. Right here is where Christ steps into the world – in body and blood, inhabiting those who move us even while we do not understand them. Not everything in life can be fully explained; not everything adds up. Surely Jesus is present and at work here, now, when "us" and "them" find mutual respect and even love for one another. Regardless of the sorry state of things, there is hope for the world – great, authentic hope - because Jesus still comes and dwells with us in human flesh.
Peace,
Pastor Kris
The guy who purchases and gives this food says he does it in thankfulness to God who has richly blessed him. He lives in a modest home, works every day, and doesn't have much in the way of material things. In the years I’ve known him I’ve developed a deep, abiding affection and appreciation for him. That may not seem surprising considering his yearly generosity. But here's the thing... he and I are very different. We are different in precisely those ways that divide the citizens of our nation in this day and age.
Were he and I to discuss politics (which we never do) we would, no doubt, be polar opposites of one another. He listens to one well known TV news station; I listen to another. On social issues about which I am passionate, I suspect he would be equally passionate on the other side. We've probably never voted alike, and I'll bet we read and understand God's Word in vastly different ways. Even so, this man has a place deep inside my heart.
That is certainly not because I am a saintly person who speaks and acts graciously to those on the "other side" of current events and debates. Very often (too often) I do not. Like many these days, I am quick to label other people as "ignorant" or "callous,” call them "fear-mongers" because of their position on various social and political concerns. Politicians on the “other side” irritate and infuriate me; I believe they pontificate, manipulate and outright lie to the American people. My friend may well think the same about those who I support and respect.
The whole thing goes deeper than just what I say or think. A part of me despises people who do not see the world as I do on certain pressing issues - sexuality, gun control, the role of government, taxation and the economy, the essence of the Christian faith. My convictions are so fierce that I get angry at those who do not see things "plainly," as I see them. And it isn't just me. The people of this nation are polarized, divided - dare I say, divided against one another - on these matters. "We" do not like "them."
On all these matters, the man who gives the Christmas dinners would be a "them" to me, as would I to him. Despite this, I love him dearly. I honor him - and not just because he gives food away at Christmas. I admire how he works honestly and with integrity, I honor how he cared tenderly for his wife as she was dying, I respect his gentleness with animals, his concern toward those who struggle and his free admission that one day he might be numbered among them. I appreciate the way he loves his aging parents and his care of the earth.
So where does that leave me? He watches "that other news channel" for heaven's sake! Yet he is decent and compassionate and human, and I genuinely care for him. Right here is where Christ steps into the world – in body and blood, inhabiting those who move us even while we do not understand them. Not everything in life can be fully explained; not everything adds up. Surely Jesus is present and at work here, now, when "us" and "them" find mutual respect and even love for one another. Regardless of the sorry state of things, there is hope for the world – great, authentic hope - because Jesus still comes and dwells with us in human flesh.
Peace,
Pastor Kris
Monday, October 24, 2011
Mentoring
I'm so excited! I have two students to mentor this year at Shepherd King's adopted school - Eisenhower Middle School. Next week I will meet with one of them, and the following week I'll meet the other.
When the school year began, the student I mentored from last year - N - was no longer enrolled at Eisenhower. I was disappointed because I'd become fond of him, but I knew he had planned to go live with his mother. The Counselor at Eisenhower found another student for me to see - Z - and just as that was set up, N returned to Eisenhower. I told her I would gladly see both of them, one on Monday mornings and the other on Tuesdays.
Before I go any further I have to confess - I have no special skills or wisdom to offer these two boys. What I have is time. I meet them at the school and we go to the library to talk for an hour. We talk about whatever is on their minds, or I might ask them a few questions about school or their particular interests. But the most important thing I offer them is an hour a week. For that one hour (40 minutes, really) I'm all theirs. I listen to them, encourage them, celebrate and lament with them, and occasionally offer words of guidance. My aim is to let them know that I care and, by meeting with them each week, to allow them to count on me.
Mentoring is not hard to do. You don't have to understand and help your student with homework; you don't have to have answers to their problems. Mostly you just have to commit some time to them and show you care. The benefits you - the mentor - receive are rich. You get to know a young person, grow to appreciate his/her abilities, see how he/she copes with challenges, and come to care about someone who is tied to you in no way other than by mentoring. It is a wonderful experience.
We've all been mentored by someone - an adult who took time for us when we were young, a colleague who helped us learn the ropes, Sunday school teachers, grandparents, friends who modeled faith for us and had confidence in us. In a few weeks the Church will celebrate its official "mentors" on All Saints Sunday. Saints are not people who are holier or more spiritual than others; they are ordinary individuals who have trusted God and followed Jesus in their own lives. They are mentors to all of us, their lives showing how we, too, can live.
One of my personal mentors or 'saints' currently is Leymah Gbowee, a Lutheran from Liberia who just won the Nobel Peace Prize. Ms. Gbowee helped organize the women of Liberia to protest the long standing civil war that had killed thousands of people and ravaged their homeland. Hundreds of women - Lutheran, Catholic, and Muslim - wore white and gathered in the center of town to call for an end to the war. Mostly they were silent, letting their presence speak for them. When official peace talks reached a stalemate, the women used their bodies to prevent the committee from leaving until an agreement had been reached. Former Liberian leader, Charles Taylor, is now in exile and a new, democratic leader has been elected. Ms. Gbowee is an inspiration to me and a model of how faith can lead people to work, peacefully and successfully, for change.
Who do you mentor? Consider volunteering at your local school as a mentor - you, too, can change a life for the better.
Peace,
Pastor Kris
When the school year began, the student I mentored from last year - N - was no longer enrolled at Eisenhower. I was disappointed because I'd become fond of him, but I knew he had planned to go live with his mother. The Counselor at Eisenhower found another student for me to see - Z - and just as that was set up, N returned to Eisenhower. I told her I would gladly see both of them, one on Monday mornings and the other on Tuesdays.
Before I go any further I have to confess - I have no special skills or wisdom to offer these two boys. What I have is time. I meet them at the school and we go to the library to talk for an hour. We talk about whatever is on their minds, or I might ask them a few questions about school or their particular interests. But the most important thing I offer them is an hour a week. For that one hour (40 minutes, really) I'm all theirs. I listen to them, encourage them, celebrate and lament with them, and occasionally offer words of guidance. My aim is to let them know that I care and, by meeting with them each week, to allow them to count on me.
Mentoring is not hard to do. You don't have to understand and help your student with homework; you don't have to have answers to their problems. Mostly you just have to commit some time to them and show you care. The benefits you - the mentor - receive are rich. You get to know a young person, grow to appreciate his/her abilities, see how he/she copes with challenges, and come to care about someone who is tied to you in no way other than by mentoring. It is a wonderful experience.
We've all been mentored by someone - an adult who took time for us when we were young, a colleague who helped us learn the ropes, Sunday school teachers, grandparents, friends who modeled faith for us and had confidence in us. In a few weeks the Church will celebrate its official "mentors" on All Saints Sunday. Saints are not people who are holier or more spiritual than others; they are ordinary individuals who have trusted God and followed Jesus in their own lives. They are mentors to all of us, their lives showing how we, too, can live.
One of my personal mentors or 'saints' currently is Leymah Gbowee, a Lutheran from Liberia who just won the Nobel Peace Prize. Ms. Gbowee helped organize the women of Liberia to protest the long standing civil war that had killed thousands of people and ravaged their homeland. Hundreds of women - Lutheran, Catholic, and Muslim - wore white and gathered in the center of town to call for an end to the war. Mostly they were silent, letting their presence speak for them. When official peace talks reached a stalemate, the women used their bodies to prevent the committee from leaving until an agreement had been reached. Former Liberian leader, Charles Taylor, is now in exile and a new, democratic leader has been elected. Ms. Gbowee is an inspiration to me and a model of how faith can lead people to work, peacefully and successfully, for change.
Who do you mentor? Consider volunteering at your local school as a mentor - you, too, can change a life for the better.
Peace,
Pastor Kris
Monday, October 17, 2011
Like Vacation
We don't go on vacation until the end of the week, and we'll only be in the hill country for three days, but in some ways vacation has already started. On Thursday Don and I will be at a small cabin near Vanderpool Texas, celebrating our 15th anniversary. We were at the same place last year for a few nights -- just a scattering of small cabins near the river, accessible to both Garner and Lost Maples, and a short, beautiful drive to Leakey. As I anticipate our upcoming trip I can almost smell the fresh hill country air, see the sun rising over the treetops, and hear the cooing of the doves.
When I've felt tired in the office this morning I've refreshed myself with thoughts of napping during vacation. I've escaped the sound of traffic rushing past my window by imagining those peaceful trails in the park. Vacation has already begun, here in my office, breaking into my daily routine with its own unique reality. It is coming. Soon there will be rest, enjoyment, long minutes and slow-moving hours of freedom. Because vacation is drawing near, its coming affects me today.
The kingdom of God is like that, too. Jesus initiated the kingdom of God on earth through his life, death, and resurrection. But it isn't fully here yet. We know that by observing the world around us. There is still pain and suffering here; there is still injustice and corruption here; we do not yet live in peace and harmony with one another. Where God rules as sovereign there is no hunger, no war, no crime, no disease, no death. When the reign of God comes everyone will have work to do (meaningful work), everyone will be healthy and well, and we will all treat each other with respect and kindness.
The world is not like that now, however. Nations are quick to go to war against one another, age old conflicts continue with newer, more modern weaponry. We work hard, buy things, invest money in the hope of retiring one day, yet others cannot find work, people are losing their homes to foreclosure, some are hungry, and many are frustrated. This is not how life is in God's realm. It is discouraging to see the disparity between the life God intends us to live and the one we do live. According to God's vision, there is enough for everyone - enough money, enough food, enough houses, enough work, enough friendship, dignity and love. Some day life will be like that, God's way, but that day has not yet arrived.
God's kingdom is not here in its fullness. But it has been begun in Jesus Christ and the completion of God's reign is coming. On that day when our Lord returns, things will change as dramatically as summer gives way to fall or winter to spring. Every person will live with dignity and humility - confident in his own worth and honoring the worth of others. Jealousies will vanish, grudges will disappear, wounds and scars will be healed. We will live honest, productive lives; our relationships will be truthful and loving; we will share habitually with friends and strangers alike and there will be no need to fear anyone. Creation itself will be restored - mountaintops alive with healthy trees, skies clear and radiant, waters flowing strong and clean.
As we await the fullness of God's kingdom we can already feel the effects of its presence. Throughout the world people are calling for justice and freedom; hope is stirring the air around us. Habitat for Humanity recently reached 500,000 houses built for low-income families - ordinary people working together have made that happen. More and more people are finding ways to recycle and to reduce their waste, striving to make the earth healthy and whole. And although traditional churches may not be as full as they once were, people young and old are looking for ways to encounter God, to know God, and to live in communion with God. The kingdom may not be here yet, but we can feel its presence, we can see its affect on our lives, we know it is coming soon and we are getting ready.
Jesus urges us to live how he did - as though the kingdom of God was already fully established. There may not be justice everywhere around us, but we can be just and fair to one another; we can expect justice in every situation. Where people are hurting, hungry, neglected we can respond with concern -- our hands ready to comfort and our ears to listen. We can trust that there is plenty of time, plenty of goods and money, plenty of room for everyone and so we do not have to rush or horde or oppose one another. By trusting we demonstrate that Jesus is lord of all. We can pool our resources, donate our time, and work to make a positive difference in the world. God's kingdom is near! Its nearness is rubbing off on us and on the way we live.
May the kingdom of God touch you and brighten your life. Look for signs of its presence here, now. It won't be long before God's kingdom comes and the whole world sings God's praise.
Peace,
Pastor Kris
When I've felt tired in the office this morning I've refreshed myself with thoughts of napping during vacation. I've escaped the sound of traffic rushing past my window by imagining those peaceful trails in the park. Vacation has already begun, here in my office, breaking into my daily routine with its own unique reality. It is coming. Soon there will be rest, enjoyment, long minutes and slow-moving hours of freedom. Because vacation is drawing near, its coming affects me today.
The kingdom of God is like that, too. Jesus initiated the kingdom of God on earth through his life, death, and resurrection. But it isn't fully here yet. We know that by observing the world around us. There is still pain and suffering here; there is still injustice and corruption here; we do not yet live in peace and harmony with one another. Where God rules as sovereign there is no hunger, no war, no crime, no disease, no death. When the reign of God comes everyone will have work to do (meaningful work), everyone will be healthy and well, and we will all treat each other with respect and kindness.
The world is not like that now, however. Nations are quick to go to war against one another, age old conflicts continue with newer, more modern weaponry. We work hard, buy things, invest money in the hope of retiring one day, yet others cannot find work, people are losing their homes to foreclosure, some are hungry, and many are frustrated. This is not how life is in God's realm. It is discouraging to see the disparity between the life God intends us to live and the one we do live. According to God's vision, there is enough for everyone - enough money, enough food, enough houses, enough work, enough friendship, dignity and love. Some day life will be like that, God's way, but that day has not yet arrived.
God's kingdom is not here in its fullness. But it has been begun in Jesus Christ and the completion of God's reign is coming. On that day when our Lord returns, things will change as dramatically as summer gives way to fall or winter to spring. Every person will live with dignity and humility - confident in his own worth and honoring the worth of others. Jealousies will vanish, grudges will disappear, wounds and scars will be healed. We will live honest, productive lives; our relationships will be truthful and loving; we will share habitually with friends and strangers alike and there will be no need to fear anyone. Creation itself will be restored - mountaintops alive with healthy trees, skies clear and radiant, waters flowing strong and clean.
As we await the fullness of God's kingdom we can already feel the effects of its presence. Throughout the world people are calling for justice and freedom; hope is stirring the air around us. Habitat for Humanity recently reached 500,000 houses built for low-income families - ordinary people working together have made that happen. More and more people are finding ways to recycle and to reduce their waste, striving to make the earth healthy and whole. And although traditional churches may not be as full as they once were, people young and old are looking for ways to encounter God, to know God, and to live in communion with God. The kingdom may not be here yet, but we can feel its presence, we can see its affect on our lives, we know it is coming soon and we are getting ready.
Jesus urges us to live how he did - as though the kingdom of God was already fully established. There may not be justice everywhere around us, but we can be just and fair to one another; we can expect justice in every situation. Where people are hurting, hungry, neglected we can respond with concern -- our hands ready to comfort and our ears to listen. We can trust that there is plenty of time, plenty of goods and money, plenty of room for everyone and so we do not have to rush or horde or oppose one another. By trusting we demonstrate that Jesus is lord of all. We can pool our resources, donate our time, and work to make a positive difference in the world. God's kingdom is near! Its nearness is rubbing off on us and on the way we live.
May the kingdom of God touch you and brighten your life. Look for signs of its presence here, now. It won't be long before God's kingdom comes and the whole world sings God's praise.
Peace,
Pastor Kris
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Bigger, Faster.
What a marvelous world we live in. Today the Nobel Prize for physics was awarded to three American scientists for their recent discovery that the pace at which the universe is expanding is accelerating. Although that sentence is easy to understand grammatically, the concept is hard to grasp: the entire universe is expanding at an ever increasing rate. The image that comes to mind for me is of taffy being pulled and stretched more and more.
"O LORD our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens." (Psalm 8:1)
Scientists, however, tend to compare this process to a mound of raisin bread dough. As the dough rises (increasing in size) the raisins are pulled farther and farther apart. Think of the raisins as galaxies and you have a simple illustration of what is happening in our universe - the whole thing is getting bigger, wider, and as a result the galaxies are moving away from each other.
Scientists say this is a good thing. If the universe were to stop expanding it would collapse upon itself (because of the pull of gravity). My mind cannot quite picture that, but surely the earth would not survive such an event. Space itself is expanding - there's more of it all the time. Greek philosophers used to wonder whether the universe was infinite or finite. If it is finite and you stuck your hand out at the edge, where would it go? What an amazing question to contemplate.
If the universe is ever expanding what does that say about us and our place in it? Out in the country, away from the lights of the city, when you gaze up at the night sky with its millions of stars, it becomes obvious how small a single human being is by comparison. When we think of the countless generations that have preceded us and all those that will follow us, our lives, our communities, the nations and their struggles also seem small and passing. Is our own significance being reduced as the universe gets bigger?
"When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established, what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals, that you care for them?" (Psalm 8:3-4)
And yet God does care for us, even though we are tiny in comparison with the universe, even though - considering the breadth of time - our days are but a sigh. There are so many wonders in the created world we'll never fully understand them all. But the knowledge that science has gained of the universe and how it operates is fascinating.
"You have given (human beings) dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under their feet." (Psalm 8:6)
Praise God for our ability to learn and understand. Praise God for this incredible world where we live. Praise God for caring about all of us regardless when or how long we live. Truly God's being and God's activity is more than our minds can fathom.
"O LORD our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!" (Psalm 8:9)
Pastor Kris
"O LORD our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens." (Psalm 8:1)
Scientists, however, tend to compare this process to a mound of raisin bread dough. As the dough rises (increasing in size) the raisins are pulled farther and farther apart. Think of the raisins as galaxies and you have a simple illustration of what is happening in our universe - the whole thing is getting bigger, wider, and as a result the galaxies are moving away from each other.
Scientists say this is a good thing. If the universe were to stop expanding it would collapse upon itself (because of the pull of gravity). My mind cannot quite picture that, but surely the earth would not survive such an event. Space itself is expanding - there's more of it all the time. Greek philosophers used to wonder whether the universe was infinite or finite. If it is finite and you stuck your hand out at the edge, where would it go? What an amazing question to contemplate.
If the universe is ever expanding what does that say about us and our place in it? Out in the country, away from the lights of the city, when you gaze up at the night sky with its millions of stars, it becomes obvious how small a single human being is by comparison. When we think of the countless generations that have preceded us and all those that will follow us, our lives, our communities, the nations and their struggles also seem small and passing. Is our own significance being reduced as the universe gets bigger?
"When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established, what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals, that you care for them?" (Psalm 8:3-4)
And yet God does care for us, even though we are tiny in comparison with the universe, even though - considering the breadth of time - our days are but a sigh. There are so many wonders in the created world we'll never fully understand them all. But the knowledge that science has gained of the universe and how it operates is fascinating.
"You have given (human beings) dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under their feet." (Psalm 8:6)
Praise God for our ability to learn and understand. Praise God for this incredible world where we live. Praise God for caring about all of us regardless when or how long we live. Truly God's being and God's activity is more than our minds can fathom.
"O LORD our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!" (Psalm 8:9)
Pastor Kris
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