Tuesday, March 25, 2008

The Best of the Week Is...

It is difficult to determine what was the most exciting and amazing moment of the past week... my alma mater winning their first State Boys Basketball Championship in a last second Hail Mary bucket, or the satisfyingly meaninful worship experiences of Holy Week, or watching our 11 month old lab try to catch bubbles in the air, or my body's dramatic and remarkable recovery from the 24 hour flu... hmm hard to decide.

I know my least favorite moment of this past week... my Blue Devils losing in the second round of the NCAA...by the way, thanks everyone for the sympathy cards. At least, in the words of our youth director, the Dukies didn't lose to a bunch of clarinet players from Belmount.

Wow, but still...there is next year...

Lenten Sacrifice- final word

You may be wondering what my first bite of chocolate was like on Easter after the l-o-n-g suffering of lent's sacrifice.

It was a piece of Dove dark chocolate. I hid in the laundry room for a moment alone. Lovely.

Then, unexpectedly 5 hours later I vomited so severely I thought my contact lenses would pop out... then stuff came out the other end... great way to end Easter day... with the flu.

Maybe I wasn't meant to ever eat chocolate again. sigh.

Easter Worship

Wow- we had terrific worship at 9 and 11:11 on Sunday! Lots of friends and family of Calvary! Fabulous music; thank you to the brass, organ, handbell and Praise choirs and the Youth Choir (at 11 especially)!

Yummy breakfast too- thanks to the ladies who organized and prepared!

It was a joy to celebrate Resurrection Day with everyone! What a terrific spirit and presence of love and light and peace throughout our worship on Sunday!

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Sun Rise

The few, the proud and the early made it to Sunrise this morning! And it was gorgeous! Thank you to the Scholar choir for excellent music and meaningful worship as a few of gathered at the tomb early this morning...

Eggs Evaporate

Hordes of children scurried through our sanctuary on Saturday morning to gather and hunt eggs! I have never seen so many eggs get snatched up so quick by such little hands!

Meaningful Good Friday

Our worship on Good Friday was perfectly haunting, beautiful and emotionally riveting. The choir, organ, oboe, flute and cello were magnificant! Watching the sun set as the sky darkened and as candles were extinguished to the reading of scripture was awe-ing.

Were you there... when they laid him in the tomb?

Friday, March 21, 2008

Moving through Holy Week

Last night we had a marvelous Seder Meal for our church members! Kudos to the preparation and clean up crews! It was so meaningful to go through an ancient religious ritual that was dear to Jesus' heart and practice and consider the deep roots of the Passover in understanding Jesus as our sacrifice of atonement and salvation.

Wow- just wow. My three year old really liked the Sabbath candles the best. The candles AND the four glasses/cups of wine/juice. She was all over that!

Now, in a few moments we are going to reflect in scripture, mediatation and beautiful music on the death of Jesus... such a somber and serious service of worship... but such a rich and meaningful one too...

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Sun/Son-rise

Because of the time change we shifted the start time for our Sunrise Easter Service...from 6:30am to 7:00am start. Then our Director of Outreach Ministries sent me an email that sunrise here in the 'burg is set to rise at 7:42am.

I guess that means we will watch the Sun or Son rise while we partake in Communion because that is about the time in the service (7:42ish) that we will be breaking the bread.

Maybe He will make Himself known...

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Raindrops keep falling on my head...

Who ever heard of a rainy Easter egg hunt?
Or
a foggy Easter Sunrise service?

From the behavior of the weather patterns this will be our Easter joy this year!

yuck.

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Holy Week

Well, the brackets are in (even though our teams lost in their tournaments this past weekend)! Our local high school and my alma mater, Brownsburg, is in the State Tournament this Saturday night. It will be a basketball and Holy Week-Easter weekend afterall. Yippee.

Holy Week this year has all of it usual stuff: worship services to plan, bulletins to proof and print, sermons to write, Easter Celebrations for our kids to participate, and you know- the usual. We're excited about the Seder Meal on Thursday night- that will be so neat! And the music at Friday night's Tenebrae service is going to be awe-inspiring!

At our house we are finishing up Calvary's Lent Devotional this week. What a joy that has been to read stories of faith and inspiration from folks here at our church. Wow- God is truly at work among us. I will kinda miss that devotional as we switch back to our usual Upper Room reading next Monday.

Sicne I blog'd our way through the Christmas Eve services last year, I thought I'd keep ya'll up-to-date on Holy Week... so be looking for more Holy Week blogs...

Only 5 more days until chocolate...yum!

Friday, March 14, 2008

Easter Brackets

The ACC is in the midst of their tournament as are other NCAA Men's Basketball conferences. Tonight I know my husband will be watching one TV in the bedroom with the Big Ten on (Purdue plays). I will have the ACC (Duke plays) on in the living room. Maybe we will pass each other on the way to kitchen for more snacks. I am not sure who the dog will choose to be with... probably me... the pup can beg more popcorn from me than my hubby.

Having Easter on the calendar soooooooo early this year is impacting my NCAA Men's Basketball March Madness and Easter experiences. Usually I can separate the two, but not this year. Mixing up Easter and Holy Week preparations with bracketology has got me all wound up! I mean wow- on Palm Sunday the brackets will be announced. How often does that happen?

I will be hard pressed to focus on writing my Easter Sunrise sermon and not fill out my NCAA bracket! Maybe I can do both...

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Bumps...goose or otherwise

Our youth director and I had the challenge of teaching on one of the mysterious persons of the Trinity on Sunday (to a group of 6th graders!) Actually the entire Trinity is mysterious anyway, but talking and teaching about the Holy Spirit is a fun challenge!

We discussed the wind metaphor to describe the work and presence of the Holy Spirit. You cannot see the wind, but you experience it's impact and effects. Same is true of the Holy Spirit.

Then, I asked the bump question. Everyone knows what goose bumps are. Your skin gets cold and in an attempt to warm up your skin gets prickly.

Well, it has been my experience that when the Holy Spirit is present the hairs on my skin stand up for attention and respect causing what I affectionately refer to as "glory bumps". We asked all the mentors in the classroom if any of them had ever had a 'glory bump' moment. Almost all said yes.

Then, we challenged the students to notice when glory bumps appear... because Someone to counsel, guide, advocate, and/or comfort them has appeared. And they need to pay attention to the Presence in their midst.

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Lenten Sacrifice II

Saturday morning I woke up in a sweat realizing that "Oh my gosh, Easter is 2 weeks away!" Our daughter doesn't have her dress & new spring dress shoes nor a haircut. The Easter Bunny has not organized and prepared for the arrival of his goodie basket. And there is so much to prepare at church for Holy Week services that it is silly.

But the great thing about this Eastery panic-moment is that I didn't crave my chocolate fix... I must have gone through all my withdrawal symtoms now. Yeah! What a victory of prayer! In fact in this moment of panic I simply had a chat with the Easter Maker; made a list; and got busy!

Friday, March 7, 2008

The Surprise of the Week

My learning on life this week is :"There isn't much you can accomplish with a sick preschooler attached to your hip." Between temperature readings, naps, medication doses, and changing the TV channel- there is little time for in depth sermon research, long pastoral visits, or conference calls at meetings.

Truly, I am looking forward to the return of healthiness and vitality.

Yet, the good part about this week has been the different openings for prayer that have occurred in my day and night schedule. Sure, my prayers have included petitions for health, hope and courage, but these different prayer moments have also been a unique time to be quiet. To listen. To be present to the moment... rather than hurry up to the next thing and rush to the next place...was a surprise gift this week.

It still means I need to conquer my mountainous TO DO List but, I hope my attitude of attack on it will be more prayerful than before this week's events.

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Book & Coffee

Since my colleague down the hall is frequently chatting about the books he is reading, I thought I would make an attempt.

Friday I started The Gospel According to Starbucks by Leonard Sweet. It is currently required reading by our Indiana Bishop. The Bish' has a bundle-o-books that we United Methodist pastors in Indiana are reading this year.

I must confess that I am having a very difficult time 'getting' what the authors intends. I don't think it is his writing style (he has a great style) or the difficulty level of the text (it doesn't have many $5 words in it).

Here is the truth: I don't like coffee. I tried it once in seminary and that's been it. My visits to Starbucks are simply ride-alongs when my husband honors his addiction. Hot tea, Earl Grey, is my hot drink of choice.

I'm only on page 35 and I am not sure that the author will deviate from his tryaid about coffee and church... to discuss tea metaphors and church. Is there any gospel out there for me and my tea? Gospel According to Chai, perhaps?

My Blog Process

I thought I would blog today about the role of flexibility in ministry. I planned on sharing my gratitude for the terrific staff I work with and congregation I minister with who were flexible with me this weekend when my family needed me. Flexibility is what makes ministry a movement of the Spirit. (Thanks everyone for moving with the Spirit!)

Then, I realized it was Super Tuesday. It is a voting day for some states in the U.S., but it is more importantly a Tuesday.

And that made me think about one of our kindergarten students who made a statement in chapel this morning after our discussion of Gadarene demoniacs story (see the Gospel of Matthew 9:28-34). We have chapel every Tuesday. He asked, "Are demons smart?"

Wow. Knock me over with a feather. What a terrifically insightful and provactive question. His question made me stop and pause a moment.

My answer on the spot was something like this, "Yes, because they are smart enough to get all of us in trouble and they are smart enough to recognize who Jesus is (and what that means for them), but demons are not smarter than God (who will win ultimately anyway)." He seemed satisfied with that answer.

Don't you marvel at how kindergarten students think theologically?!