“You can safely assume you’ve created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do.”
― Anne Lamott

 

 

Christ our brother, as we journey into the weekend, grant us rest for our bodies and food for our souls.  Warm the hearths of our homes with the love of family and the laughter of friends, and grant us moments of worship, that You may know our gratitude for all of Your blessings. Amen.

“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.”   – C.S. Lewis

Lord of all Love, help me make this day Yours, and not mine.  No matter what may come in the moments of this day, let me glorify You and You alone, that my diminished self may be enfolded into Your divine and perfect purpose. Help me to find joy in the miracle of each breath, and peace in the knowledge that my life is shaped by Your hand. Amen.

In leaving the current congregation that I have been serving for the past six months as a First Responder, I wrote the following message for the December newsletter:

    This being my last message in the newsletter, I just wanted to express my thanks to God and my heartfelt appreciation for the opportunity to serve this wonderful congregation. I realized upon my arrival that my role and my purpose in coming here was misunderstood by many. “First Responder” ministry is relatively new in the church, although it is growing rapidly as more congregations discover themselves in the midst of conflict.

     If there is one thing I have learned about the Presbyterian Church in my years of service, it is that we are a mirror of our culture and our times.  We live in an era of great upheaval and change, although I must admit that from my earliest memories I cannot remember a time without change. However, our changing culture today is also characterized by deep animosity and mistrust, as people factionalize themselves. As a culture, we have almost become tribal as opposed to diverse, and these strong social influences are tearing at the fabric of all groups, both secular and spiritual.

     Yet, as the church of Jesus Christ we are commanded to be united by the Holy Spirit, even as the Spirit expresses the presence of God in a multitude of settings, languages, and practices. In these turbulent times, I keep remembering one phrase from the beatitudes that would help us to navigate these troubled waters: “Blessed are the peacemakers…” –  I think if there are any words that Christians should currently adopt as the heart of the gospel, it is this idea and practice.

      So this is the thought with which I will leave you as I head to the desert – “Blessed are the peacemakers.”  This congregation needs to embrace peacemaking among each other, and practice peacemaking for this community.  I have rarely been in a region where the needs are so great, especially as our communities enter a time where border issues are about to become prominent and possibly more divisive.  I think you are blessed to live in a wonderful community, and I think that opportunities for the ministry of this congregation are abundant, but we cannot heal others until we first heal ourselves.  Brokenness is not a curse, but a call to reclaim that which is essential and authentic. So it is that this congregation, in its brokenness and healing, has the obligation to find unity in purpose.

     That purpose is nothing more or less than the work of bringing the love of Jesus to those in pain, those in turmoil, and those who dwell on the boundaries and in the shadows of this community.   I have always believed that churches simply need to be too busy to fight with each other and, instead, fight for those who need the merciful love of God. As the church, we need to be mission-centered and spirit-driven, because the world needs us now more than ever.  This is my prayer for you.

     In return, I would covet your prayers for a wonderful start to my work in Tucson, and safe-keeping for myself, Amy, and Patti.  I look forward to visiting you in the future, but whatever may come, there is a brighter future ahead for all of us, and place of reunion beyond anything we can every imagine.  Until that endless day, may Christ keep you in his love always.

Mack

Astronaut, Senator, great Presbyterian    Obituary

“Christians should put survival of the planet ahead of national security…Here is the mystery of our global responsibility: that we are in communion with Christ- and we are in communion with all people…The fact that the people of Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, Russia, Afghanistan, and Ethiopia are our brothers and sisters is not obvious. People kill each other by the thousands and do not see themselves as brothers and sisters. If we want to be real peace-makers, national security cannot be our primary concern. Our primary concern should be survival of humanity, the survival of the planet, and the health of all people. Whether we are Russians, Iraqis, Ethiopians, or North Americans, we belong to the same human family that God loves. And we have to start taking some risks- not just individually, but risks of a more global quality, risks to let other people develop their own independence, risks to share our wealth with others and invite refugees to our country, risks to offer sanctuary- because we are people of God…”
― Henri J.M. Nouwen (click for bio)

Nouwen died in 1996, but the relevancy of this quote for today is astonishing. The Dutch have always been some of the most courageous people on the planet. Look at their history to see this.

For Amy and I this is a very exciting time as I begin my call as Pastor of Trinity Presbyterian Church in Tucson, Arizona.  One of my favorite authors, Frank Herbert, opens his science fiction masterpiece “Dune” through the narrative voice of one of his characters using these simple words: “A beginning is a very delicate time.”  Beginnings are also very powerful times, when possibilities abound for new ideas and unexplored territories, and I look forward to partnering with Trinity as we discover the new places where Christ will lead us.

Having never lived in the desert southwest, I have at times felt like the proverbial “stranger in a strange land,” but the warm welcome of the Trinity congregation and the creative energy that abounds in a university community like Tucson have already created for Amy and I a home where we want to be and where we want to stay.  It is with great thanksgiving to God that we come as fellow pilgrims on a journey of faith and service, offering this prayer from the heart.

Lord, thank you for timely endings and new beginnings.  May your Spirit direct us through the wilderness to freshening waters and promised lands.  Amen.