Friday, October 30, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Them's Fightin' Words
Many years ago - about 500 actually - a young priest was tortured by his own sinfulness, and even more tortured by the righteousness of God that terrified and condemned him. For years this priest wrestled with this image of God who expected more than what humanity could do. Then one day this man - named Martin Luther - had an epiphany while reading Romans 1:17. Luther realized that God did not expect us to be righteous, but knew that in the salvific event of Jesus' death we were made righteous with God. That epiphany led Luther to question the practice of selling indulgences which the church was doing. Luther knew that if we were made right in Jesus' death, then it wasn't right to sell forgiveness, even if the Pope said it was.
On October 31, 1517, Luther nailed a letter which came to be known as the 95 Theses on a church door in Wittenberg, Germany. He did this so that people coming in to worship on All Saints Day (November 1) would see the letter and it would engender discussion on the topic. With the letter Luther hoped to invite people to debate about it. But it became much more than a community debate. Word of the letter spread throughout the region, and within a few years Luther had been excommunicated, and the movement gave birth to a movement and a church. The Protestant Church.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Celebrating Calvin
If you haven't been at the Presbyterian Church (USA) website lately, why don't you go by for a visit!
Here's the LINK: http://www.pcusa.org/
As this is the 500th anniversary of Jean Calvin's birth, the site has been posting daily meditations of Calvin's writings. Here is today's reading:
Indeed, because they think no church exists where there are not perfect purity and integrity of life, they depart out of hatred of wickedness from the lawful church, while they fancy themselves turning aside from the faction of the wicked. (4.1.13.)
You can find the daily meditations on the pcusa's site after you scroll down to the bottom of the home page. And this is an interesting article about how one church is celebrating Calvin. I bet you'll learn something interesting!
October 20, 2009
Bowled over
Miami Valley Presbytery’s Calvin celebration goes down a different alley
by Jerry L. Van Marter
Presbyterian News Service
DAYTON, Ohio — Legend has it that when the Scottish reformer John Knox traveled to Geneva to meet his mentor, John Calvin, he was appalled to find the Presbyterian patriarch bowling on the Sabbath.
So offensive a Sabbath activity was (lawn) bowling among many Puritan reformers that the Church of Scotland — which Knox founded — has at times banned the practice.
But John Calvin was an avid bowler ... and any day of the week was good for him.
And so it is for the Presbytery of Miami Valley. So much so, that the presbytery is hosting a bowling-and-birthday-cake party on Reformation Sunday (Oct. 25) to mark the 500th anniversary of Calvin’s birth.
“We tend to ‘over-churchify’ things,” Miami Valley Executive Presbyter Dennis Piermont told the Presbyterian News Service in an Oct. 20 interview. “We know there’s lots of good scholarship and theological events going on around the ‘Calvin 500,’ so we started thinking, ‘What else can we do?’”
The Rev. Julia Wharff, pastor of Dayton’s Sugar Creek Presbyterian Church, had known of the Calvin-Knox bowling-on-Sunday conflict since hearing about it in seminary. Then last winter she went bowling with friends for the first time in many years and the idea stuck like a thumb in a too-tight Ebonite.
“I had been looking around and everything about the Calvin 500th looked so serious, and some of the opportunities, like going to Geneva, were way too expensive,” Wharff said, “so I thought, ‘Why not just celebrated his birthday the way we usually celebrate birthdays — with a party.’”
“We know Calvin was a lawn bowler but we’re in Ohio so that’s a little impractical at this time of year,” Pierpont said of the decision to stage the event at a conventional indoor alley.
“It’s perfect for us Presbyterians,” says presbytery moderator the Rev. Bill Reisenweaver. “We’re used to splits!”
Miami Valleyites apparently like the idea, too. Piermont said upwards of 100 bowlers are expected to attend. “This is a whole new way of walking in Calvin’s shoes,” he said, “in this case for only a small rental fee.”
The wording on the Calvin birthday cake is even going to have a bowling-related theme, but Piermont assured, it won’t be a foul line.
Here's the LINK: http://www.pcusa.org/
As this is the 500th anniversary of Jean Calvin's birth, the site has been posting daily meditations of Calvin's writings. Here is today's reading:
Indeed, because they think no church exists where there are not perfect purity and integrity of life, they depart out of hatred of wickedness from the lawful church, while they fancy themselves turning aside from the faction of the wicked. (4.1.13.)
You can find the daily meditations on the pcusa's site after you scroll down to the bottom of the home page. And this is an interesting article about how one church is celebrating Calvin. I bet you'll learn something interesting!
October 20, 2009
Bowled over
Miami Valley Presbytery’s Calvin celebration goes down a different alley
by Jerry L. Van Marter
Presbyterian News Service
DAYTON, Ohio — Legend has it that when the Scottish reformer John Knox traveled to Geneva to meet his mentor, John Calvin, he was appalled to find the Presbyterian patriarch bowling on the Sabbath.
So offensive a Sabbath activity was (lawn) bowling among many Puritan reformers that the Church of Scotland — which Knox founded — has at times banned the practice.
But John Calvin was an avid bowler ... and any day of the week was good for him.
And so it is for the Presbytery of Miami Valley. So much so, that the presbytery is hosting a bowling-and-birthday-cake party on Reformation Sunday (Oct. 25) to mark the 500th anniversary of Calvin’s birth.
“We tend to ‘over-churchify’ things,” Miami Valley Executive Presbyter Dennis Piermont told the Presbyterian News Service in an Oct. 20 interview. “We know there’s lots of good scholarship and theological events going on around the ‘Calvin 500,’ so we started thinking, ‘What else can we do?’”
The Rev. Julia Wharff, pastor of Dayton’s Sugar Creek Presbyterian Church, had known of the Calvin-Knox bowling-on-Sunday conflict since hearing about it in seminary. Then last winter she went bowling with friends for the first time in many years and the idea stuck like a thumb in a too-tight Ebonite.
“I had been looking around and everything about the Calvin 500th looked so serious, and some of the opportunities, like going to Geneva, were way too expensive,” Wharff said, “so I thought, ‘Why not just celebrated his birthday the way we usually celebrate birthdays — with a party.’”
“We know Calvin was a lawn bowler but we’re in Ohio so that’s a little impractical at this time of year,” Pierpont said of the decision to stage the event at a conventional indoor alley.
“It’s perfect for us Presbyterians,” says presbytery moderator the Rev. Bill Reisenweaver. “We’re used to splits!”
Miami Valleyites apparently like the idea, too. Piermont said upwards of 100 bowlers are expected to attend. “This is a whole new way of walking in Calvin’s shoes,” he said, “in this case for only a small rental fee.”
The wording on the Calvin birthday cake is even going to have a bowling-related theme, but Piermont assured, it won’t be a foul line.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
The Light of Christ
In our community, we begin worship with the acolyte bringing forth a flame and lighting the candles at the front of the sanctuary. The flame symbolizes the light of Christ present within our midst. As we gather to worship, the light comes into the room, is present throughout our time together so that we know Christ is also there with us, and then just before we leave to go out into the world, the light of Christ goes out before us.
Here are Harrison and Katie, our newest acolytes with Sue and Heather who trained them. Acoylyting is more than just lighting the candle. The term "acolyte" means "companion" or "one who helps" so these young people are the companion to others of us who lead the service. Their important duty is to bring the light of Christ into our midst. In this job they provide important leadership for worship.
Here is Katie in her robe with the candle lighter.
Here are Katie and Heather both robed for worship. Katie wears a white robe. Traditionally white signified new life in baptism. When our acolytes wear the white robes it lends a unity to the office of acolyte now matter what that particular person may choose to wear on Sunday morning. This also is true for the blue robes that the bell choir members wear. Blue is starting to show up in more churches as the color of Advent through we still use purple for Advent and Lent in our congregation. I am not sure why the church decided on blue for the bell choir, except, perhaps to distinguish them from the Chancel Choir. I'm sure it has little to do with the University of Kentucky, and much more to do with the traditional meaning of the color in woship which is "expectation" and "hope" - the "blue" of a new day.
Here are Harrison and Katie, our newest acolytes with Sue and Heather who trained them. Acoylyting is more than just lighting the candle. The term "acolyte" means "companion" or "one who helps" so these young people are the companion to others of us who lead the service. Their important duty is to bring the light of Christ into our midst. In this job they provide important leadership for worship.
Here is Katie in her robe with the candle lighter.
Here are Katie and Heather both robed for worship. Katie wears a white robe. Traditionally white signified new life in baptism. When our acolytes wear the white robes it lends a unity to the office of acolyte now matter what that particular person may choose to wear on Sunday morning. This also is true for the blue robes that the bell choir members wear. Blue is starting to show up in more churches as the color of Advent through we still use purple for Advent and Lent in our congregation. I am not sure why the church decided on blue for the bell choir, except, perhaps to distinguish them from the Chancel Choir. I'm sure it has little to do with the University of Kentucky, and much more to do with the traditional meaning of the color in woship which is "expectation" and "hope" - the "blue" of a new day.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Little Prayers
There's a tiny book I own called My Little Prayers. It contains one of my favorite prayers which is known as the Breton Fisherman's prayer. See how you like it.
Dear God, be good to me.
The sea is so wide,
and my boat is so small.
May you recognize God in your day,
Jennifer
Dear God, be good to me.
The sea is so wide,
and my boat is so small.
May you recognize God in your day,
Jennifer
Friday, October 2, 2009
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Thursday musings
I'm not quite sure how many of you will see this, as I tend to only use this blog to post pictures we didn't have room for in the newsletter, but I had something on my heart, and this seemed as good a place as any to open it up to the world - even if it is the Cyber World.
I've had a heavy heart lately knowing that life is temporary. I know that in Jesus' resurrection, we are to be people of hope, but it still hurts to know some people I love won't always be around for me on this earth to pal around with or glean wisdom from or eat peanut butter pie with.
When one of my beloved professors Shirley Guthrie was dying, different people would visit him. And I think they were hoping to get some final words of wisdom from this most humble and intelligent man of God. And, if my memory serves and the story told me correct, I think that word - or those words- were "Forgiveness. It's all about forgiveness."
There's a story told of Carl Barth who was a mentor for Dr. Guthrie and was also a well known theologian that close to his death, the wisdom he imparted to the Kingdom here on earth was, "Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so."
I've read some of Barth's work, and I have to tell you I sure am glad I understand a lot more clearly the worlds he spoke near the end of his life because I sweated through some of his books something terrible.
Yesterday as I drove along Hwy 23 with a heavy heart for the unfairness of life and how most of the time it is so hard to say goodbye, I was listening to a song by Emmy Lou Harris called "Every Grain of Sand." The message touched me so that I noted the writer who is Bob Dylan. I don't know much about Bob Dylan, but if this song is example of his theology, well, maybe I'd like to have a conversation with him some time.
Every Grain of Sand
In the time of my confession, in the hour of my deepest need
when the pool of tears beneath my feet flood every newborn seed.
There's a dying voice within me reaching out somewhere
Toiling in the danger and in the morals of despair.
Don't have the inclination to look back on any mistake
Like Cain, I now behold this chain of events that I must break
in the fury of the moment I can see the Master's hand
In every leaf that trembles and in every grain of sand.
Oh, the flowers of indulgence and the weeds of yesteryear
Like criminals, they have choked the breath
Of conscience and good cheer
The sun beat down upon the steps of time to light the way
to east the pain of idleness and the memory of decay
I gaze into the doorway of temptation's angry flame
And everytime I pass that way I always hear my name
Then onward in my journey I come to understand
That every hair is numbered like every grain of sand
I have gone from rags to riches in the sorrow of the night
In the violence of a summer's dream, in the chill of a wintry night
in the bitter dance of loneliness fading into space
In the broken mirror of innocence on each forgotten face
I hear the ancient footsteps like the motion of the sea
Sometimes I turn, There's someone there, other times it's only me.
I am hanging on the balance of a perfect finished plan
Like every sparrow falling, Like every grain of sand.
Here's the Biblical reference: Matthew 10: 29-31
I've had a heavy heart lately knowing that life is temporary. I know that in Jesus' resurrection, we are to be people of hope, but it still hurts to know some people I love won't always be around for me on this earth to pal around with or glean wisdom from or eat peanut butter pie with.
When one of my beloved professors Shirley Guthrie was dying, different people would visit him. And I think they were hoping to get some final words of wisdom from this most humble and intelligent man of God. And, if my memory serves and the story told me correct, I think that word - or those words- were "Forgiveness. It's all about forgiveness."
There's a story told of Carl Barth who was a mentor for Dr. Guthrie and was also a well known theologian that close to his death, the wisdom he imparted to the Kingdom here on earth was, "Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so."
I've read some of Barth's work, and I have to tell you I sure am glad I understand a lot more clearly the worlds he spoke near the end of his life because I sweated through some of his books something terrible.
Yesterday as I drove along Hwy 23 with a heavy heart for the unfairness of life and how most of the time it is so hard to say goodbye, I was listening to a song by Emmy Lou Harris called "Every Grain of Sand." The message touched me so that I noted the writer who is Bob Dylan. I don't know much about Bob Dylan, but if this song is example of his theology, well, maybe I'd like to have a conversation with him some time.
Every Grain of Sand
In the time of my confession, in the hour of my deepest need
when the pool of tears beneath my feet flood every newborn seed.
There's a dying voice within me reaching out somewhere
Toiling in the danger and in the morals of despair.
Don't have the inclination to look back on any mistake
Like Cain, I now behold this chain of events that I must break
in the fury of the moment I can see the Master's hand
In every leaf that trembles and in every grain of sand.
Oh, the flowers of indulgence and the weeds of yesteryear
Like criminals, they have choked the breath
Of conscience and good cheer
The sun beat down upon the steps of time to light the way
to east the pain of idleness and the memory of decay
I gaze into the doorway of temptation's angry flame
And everytime I pass that way I always hear my name
Then onward in my journey I come to understand
That every hair is numbered like every grain of sand
I have gone from rags to riches in the sorrow of the night
In the violence of a summer's dream, in the chill of a wintry night
in the bitter dance of loneliness fading into space
In the broken mirror of innocence on each forgotten face
I hear the ancient footsteps like the motion of the sea
Sometimes I turn, There's someone there, other times it's only me.
I am hanging on the balance of a perfect finished plan
Like every sparrow falling, Like every grain of sand.
Here's the Biblical reference: Matthew 10: 29-31
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)