Heart Matters

Over the course of the last 10 years, several books have had a tremendous impact on my throughts and feelings about the ideals that surround (at least, for me) discipleship and the Gospel and Church life. (See related blog posting, October 18.) Two of these books will be the bases of what I consider to be among the most important discussions of our life together… and our entering into a new chapter in our personal and corporate lives at Strawbridge.

The first of these books, The Sacred Romance (by Brent Curtis and John Eldredge), will be the basis of a sermon series by the same name (to be presented between January 4 and February 22). While there’s a need to be critical of aspects of its discussion (as I believe there is with any and all books and discussions and teachings), "Sacred Romance" has done more than any other book I have read to assist the Gospel in making that “longest journey” which is the “18 inches from head to heart.” I’ll share this coming Sunday, for example, about how the book was part of a bigger move of the Holy Spirit to convert my relationship with the Gospel and Jesus Christ from a mostly academic/intellectual one to a more holistic (and balanced, I believe) engagement of mind and heart and soul and being. Breathtaking it is (or should be) for us to consider that we – you, I – are His cherished beloved… at the heart of Jesus’ Passion!

The second of these books (which will inform our focus during Lent, from Ash Wednesday to Palm Sunday) is Peter Scazzero’s Emotionally Healthy Church. (A companion, follow-up, well worth reading, has a more personal, less corporate focus and is entitled Emotionally Healthy Spirituality.) I first heard Scazzero at a Beeson event in Nashville. I found his testimony compelling and his work more than refreshing. (A video of this testimony as well as a pdf version of this testimony are available by clicking either word, underlined above.) Here was a life experience and a perspective on ministry which brought together so many of the scattered (and seemingly disparate) threads of my own experience and ponderings about ministry: contemplative spirituality, family systems theory, the importance of a “rule” for spiritual formation,… And at the heart of it all? Something I believe to be crucial, not just to Strawbridge at this time in our history, but to every disciple and community of disciples who would seek to get "below the surface" of real and full and "deep" discipleship.

[I’m already anticipating the ways this Lenten series will synergize with a 40-Day prayer vigil focused on the principles of being emotionally healthy disciples and an emotionally healthy congregation – a vigil which will lead us to some kind of “sacred assembly” whereat we’ll all have a chance to leave baggage behind and begin a new and fuller chapter in our lives. Don’t worry: more details coming!]

Enough for now... It’s sufficient, though:

1. to give you some sense of the “lay of the land” immediately before us (in our ongoing “journey of clarification”),


2. to give you some recommendations for reading (to compliment your Sunday morning experience through the course of the months ahead), and


3. to declare my intentions and hopes that we can be about a conversation on these series/messages/topics (through this and other forums) over the course of these coming month!

Yes, "heart matters" in discipleship: it matters that our hearts are engaged by the Gospel... and it matters that our hearts are on the way to becoming pure and whole. Yes, the "clarification of our hearts" is very much a focus of the first third of the coming year!

I pray that you are looking forward to it all as much as I am!

Coffee Break: A Mini Christmas "Concert"

Enjoyed posting some holiday music favorites (via youtube) on my Facebook last night. Enjoyed it enough that I'd like to share a few with you, here -- each with a little commentary.

[Maybe it's time to get a cup of coffee, or hot chocolate, or tea... and to close the door... and sit back, be still, and relax...]

Okay, call me a sap and a sucker for this first one... Still, it's a favorite since I first heard it years ago. And little Avery White (Lord, I pray, she doesn't lose soul and spirit amidst all her success at an early age!): her expressions make this particular youtube find most special. (If you can, slide the play position forward to the 40 second mark and get past some of the empty verbage.)



The next two pieces are from one whom I believe to be the most powerful Christian songwriter and composer of our time, Michael Card. His is the real gift of profound theology, artistry, and wordsmithing. Unconventional as they are (that is, they are not in the mainstream of holiday music), these selections work so well to present the gift of Christmas... and to remind me/us of our choice now... and throughout the year.



In addition to Card's music in this next piece, I also appreciate the rich synchronization between music and film (mostly clips from "The Nativity")... My compliments to the creator of this clip (whoever he/she is):



Finally, there's my favorite sacred song of the Season, "O Holy Night." The words get richer with every hearing. Had to scour the internet for a long time to find a version out there with all the verses. Yes, there are lot of awesome renditions out there (check out Mariah Carey, e.g., or Charlotte Church with Placido Domingo), but each of these comes at the expense of some precious words. Neglected in most versions, you see, are verses 3 and/or 4 (or parts thereof). As you listen to this "full version," consider the words [printed below the video] very prayerfully:



O holy night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of our dear Saviour's birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
'Til He appear'd and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! O, hear the angels' voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born;
O night divine, O night, O night Divine.

Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming,
Here come the wise men from Orient land.
The King of Kings lay thus in lowly manger;
In all our trials born to be our friend.
He knows our need, to our weakness is no stranger,
Behold your King! Before Him lowly bend!
Behold your King, Behold your King.

Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother;
And in His name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! O praise His Name forever,
His power and glory evermore proclaim.

Blessed are the Poor in Spirit...

I'm preparing for the “Blue Christmas” service tomorrow night. (I’m on an internal campaign to change the name next year to “A Service for the Longest Nights,” as others are calling it… or something akin. Frankly, “Blue Christmas” has too much Elvis in it for me… and “Longest Night” is so much more creative: speaking of Winter's solstice and hurting folks going through long, sleepless nights – made even longer by the pomp of the Season and our culture’s emphasis on “fa la la la la…”)

If it’s not clear already, the function of the service is to reach out to those going through any number of griefs and mournings in life… and to help them to find the deep meaning of the Season in their times of feeling “blue”—in their long and lonely nights. And here, while the death of loved ones is clearly our most immediate thought, let us not forget those who are grieving the loss of jobs, the loss of a marriage, the loss of what never was,…

Realist that I am (and here, I guess I need to apologize to those eternal optimists who don’t want any “downers” in their Christmas… or Christianity… or life)… Realist that I am, I have to say that I believe the majority of folks live with at least some part of their being in some kind of “long night”—some kind of “dark night of the soul,” as St. Teresa put it. It’s a notion akin to my belief that each of us is broken. How did Thoreau put it – about our all living “lives of quiet desperation"? Yes, while some may be in denial and some may think the best way to get better is to put a positive face on things, I believe that “Blue Christmas” and “Longest Nights” are realities for us all!

In fact, there’s the way they [i.e., mourning and grieving] need to be realities for us – if we are to experience the full joy and meaning of the gift of God… at Christmas and beyond. The Scriptures abound with direct and indirect declarations that it is the lost and the least and the lonely that find the real life and living of God’s Kingdom:

• “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of God.” (Or as I translate it: “Blessed are they who declare Spiritual bankruptcy, for they are finally in a position to let God have His way!”)
  
  
• “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.”
  

• “If I must boast, I will boast in the things that show my weakness… For in my weakness he is glorified.”

I’m strongly believing, then, that the most appropriate and meaningful Service of Worship for Advent is, in fact, this “Service for a Longest Night… or ‘Blue Christmas’”… and that those who are in the best position to receive God’s gifts in Christmas are those who humbly admit that it’s the service they need. From the beginning, Advent has been a Season of yearning, hungering, thirsting… -- with a strong pinch of hope for and anticipation of deliverance from the Outside. From the beginning, Advent has been a Season best experienced by the outcast and downcast.

(And here my Soul wants to ask forgiveness of God: that, in just one more way, we’ve let the World around us dictate and drive the spirit of our spiritual exercises and Church year!)

Even if you do not attend this year’s “Blue Christmas,” can I encourage you to:

• pray for all around who are broken… and who mourn and grieve… and whose mourning and grieving is that much harder because of the secular foci of the season; and
  
  
• prayerfully consider your own brokenness
  

The Light is brightest at night…

And Heaven’s riches are most valued when we see our poverty!

In Your Mercy, Lord... Hear Our Prayer...

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On this Sunday afternoon (post-Council meeting and a decision to adjust the Sunday morning schedule), my heart is very heavy.

There are some who left the Council meeting feeling like they lost, feeling left out – hardly the feelings that any part of Church should inspire.

“If you so hurt, then why would you have advocated any adjustment in the first place?,” I hear the question.

In large part, because I believe there were more who were feeling left out without an adjustment – but leaving with no voice (at least, that we were hearing). Some were visiting 11 o’clock worship [with the Sanctuary 85% empty], for example… and, feeling no real energy in worship or from the worshipping congregation, were leaving with the decision that Strawbridge did not feel right for them. Still, again, there was the young mother who told me of various times they were tempted to leave (because Sunday morning wasn’t really working for them). “I told my husband [with this new proposal]: look, it finally is going to really work for us!” Truly, I believe (yes, my opinion), the negative consequences -- not just for Strawbridge but for the greater Kingdom (which is what really matters to me!) -- of doing nothing would have been greater than any potential [adverse] fallout from what's been decided... or any other option for that matter.

It goes back to my previous blog: you’ll never make everyone happy.

Still, even when you move (with reason and just cause), there’s pain when everyone is not happy. Particularly sharp is the pain when there’s a sense of hurt and injury – even though none was ever intended.

To be sure, part of my reaction was/is to be mad at those so hurting: “If they’d had their eyes on God and His Kingdom… and the needs of young families, they’d surely be able to compromise,” I think. Humility… and staying with the course in community and covenant -- even when you don’t get things your way: that's the proper way to behave.

But, IT'S NOT THAT EASY!!!!! These people are Christian! They do have real feelings and concerns and needs! God is in it all… and in each one of us!

And so, I ache: my head aches, my heart aches, my stomach is knotted… Yes, I believe we’ve done something necessary for the Church to move forward. But, it doesn’t take away one bit from the real nausea I’m feeling…

Yes, I ache… and I pray… and my only consolation is that God is not finished with any of us yet…

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

To Thine Own Self Be True!

Among the comments emanating from our recent survey about the Sunday morning schedule was this one:

"Please ask Pastor Reiter to stop calling women “dear” when we come to communion. It’s condescending and rude. Why doesn’t the pastor shake hands with people after 8:30 service?"

Admittedly, there was some hurt and defensiveness on my part. “I’ve never meant that ‘dear’ (or ‘brother,’ for men) as anything but a term endearment for those coming to receive the most intimate of gifts from a loving Heavenly Father,” “this person is calling me rude and condescending without even giving me a chance!,” “and what does this have to do with the price of tea in China… or the timing of worship services?,” "they want a handshake but rail against a term of endearment!": these were among my initial feelings and thoughts (and maybe some lingering feelings and thoughts… hey, I’m human!).

Truly, I don’t want to argue about or for any of these feelings or thoughts. They are quite simply feelings. (To be sure, there’s that part of me that wishes the Soul behind the comment would realize that her own emotions to the word “dear” [and what was behind that reaction… where are those strong words and the feelings attached coming from?] are as much the issue as my using the word.)

Still, all this said, there are a few basic lessons as I move forward… (Really, in spite of all the space and time I’ve taken, I am moving forward!) Clearly, for example, there’s my watching my tongue – being a little more careful with words like “dear” and “sweetie”… words I used to throw out without much caution… I can see how they could be construed by some as “old timey” and chauvinistic.

Strongest, though, is the lesson—actually, the reminder—that you can and will never make everyone happy. (Yes, I know it’s truth in my head… It’s one of those things, though, my heart is still learning.) Face it: if the well-intended and rather unconscious use of a word has the ability to ruffle feathers and incur judgment, what else is it that I am doing that is turning folks off? I recall, in fact, the transference that can take place when a person, any person, reminds someone – by looks or sound or whatever – of a bad memory or personage from the past.

Yes, you’re just not going to make everyone happy, Jim!

To be sure, it could paralyze one from doing or saying anything. A vow of silence and a paper bag over the head might be the answer.

Quite the contrary, though: my soul finds a certain freedom in the realization that I can’t and will never please everybody. “Hey, if the well-intended and rather unconscious word can offend and turn off, then there’s reason for living a life of integrity and speaking the truth as one sees it. Hey, if you’re going to turn some folks off anyway... If you will never be in a place where everyone likes what you do, then, the offense might as well be over the things that really matter!”

More than enough for now, huh?

Oh, yeah, one last thing. I still can’t believe that the author of that comment would have the nerve to sign it! Thanks, Kathy Reiter!

Welcome to "Winter's Lent"

"Our ancestors, in an all out effort to save the holy celebration of Christmas, very wisely included a time of preparation, an Advent season, to properly prepare for our Lord’s birthday. They did not feel spiritually ready for Christmas until they had prayed, fasted, and examined their hearts in a season of winter Lent—i.e., Advent."

—Pastor Bill Hinson

I’m struggling with a Faith that calls for penitence. It’s not the penitence per se. No, my real struggle is more precisely that of elevating a Faith that calls for introspection and sacrifice and thinking of the other in a culture that puts a premium on comfort, convenience, and feeling good. Especially when that culture has made its inroads into the Church and a popular understanding (or misunderstanding, as it may be) of Christ and the Gospel, it’s especially hard to argue for “deny yourself and take up your cross” without feeling like a real wet blanket.

Had an organist at one of my early churches who totally railed against “Prayers of Confession” in worship. Her words serve to epitomize, for me, the sentiments of a feel good culture: “All they [prayers of confession] serve to do is make people feel guilty in worship… such negative energy… such prayers are totally passé and out of touch with the times!”

And, along comes Advent…

Popular sentiment – not just from the culture, but within the Church – is that it’s Christmas. So much so that “God Bless the typical middle-of-the-road Protestant Pastor if there’s much talk of saving the Hymns of Christmas until December 25th (and thereafter).” Gone is any notion that Advent, which means “to come,” might call for some consideration, not just of his first coming, but of His coming here, now… and His coming again in His fulness at the end of Time! And gone, in a world that values comfort and ease, is any notion that these “Second Comings” might demand our adjusting our lives and living – any notion that God may not be happy with the ways we’re doing things. Yes, gone is any sense of Advent as a season of penitence and soulful preparation.

It can almost make one feel like the Grinch to advocate silence and solitude (for introspection)… and confession… and a real, substantial divestment of self for the sake of the poor and downcast.

Still, at the potential cost of being such a “Scrooge” and of potentially promoting “bad feelings,” I’d like to suggest a few things we might be about on the way to observing a “Holy Advent”—a holy season of preparing for his Comings in our lives. This list is by no means exhaustive. Still, it’s enough to suggest real channels of meaning and joy in the days ahead:

• observe a regular [daily] quiet time… give yourself to a prayerful reading of the Gospels (especially the first few chapters of Matthew and Luke) and/or some other seasonal devotional guide… but, as much as you read, be still and listen…
  
  
• take on one of any number of mission/outreach projects to those less fortunate
  
  
• consider the needs of the homebound, the grieving, the recuperating—and do something about it: a note, a call, a visit!
  
  
• extend or receive a word of forgiveness—especially the one so long overdue!
  
  
• attend worship services and programs slated for the coming weeks in your area… and prayerfully consider who it is (among your neighbors, family, co-workers,...) that you can and will invite (even bring) to upcoming events
  
  

Whatever we do (or don’t do), my prayer for us all is that we’ll not settle for the lesser preparations for Christmas: the shopping, the parties, the decorating,… Of course, none of these are bad. But, succumbing to them at the price of a “Holy Advent” can be just one more way the really Great can be lost in a sea of good.

Perhaps Pastor Hinson summed it up best: “Please do not let the world rearrange our ancient calendar. First comes Advent and then Christmas. I guarantee Christmas will be much better when preceded by a prayerful Advent.”