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Did you read this during Lent? Would you be interested in reading something I wrote on a blog say weekly? Email me and let me know! Blessings, Rev. Erika

Stay in Love with God...

Have you ever fallen in love? Head over heels? To the point you could not see straight?

Falling in love is not only one of the most wonderful things about being human, it is also one of the most challenging things about being human. Whether it is falling in love with chocolate, a piece of music, a special place, a child, a lover....it is a journey that leaves you vulnerable and open to experiencing not only the blessings of love, but the possibility of hurt and/or rejection.

As we begin to think about and pray about the third rule, stay in love with God, it invites the question-- when did you fall in love with God? What was that like? What are you doing to keep the flame of love alive?

Do Good?

I'm sure you all have heard about the octo-mom on the news. She's the woman who recently gave birth to 8 babies. This morning as I was taking care of my one child (taking care of one is enough work--I cannot imagine 6, let alone 14!), I heard that the hospital will be releasing the children to Suleman in pairs-- the first pair coming home this week.

This story has fascinated people on many levels-- how can one person raise 14 children? What about the moral and ethical responsibility of doctors, family, and the community?

I've been trying to pay attention to where and how people are doing good by these children regardless of the mom. A good friend of mine suggested that the best thing would be for a local church to adopt the family and literally become the extended family for these children. (Think of all the honorary grandparents and aunts and uncles!) Of course, she also added that it would not hurt the church's number of children-- think about adding 14 more kids to your Sunday school. But it made me pause and think for a minute--there are possibilities for doing good out there-- some within our grasp-- that God is calling us to seek. It might not be the octo-mom and her 14 children, but maybe it is a family in our neighborhood. Could be a widow or an elderly couple in need of some company. It might be raising money to help dig wells in Africa. It might be taking the time each day to be kind to the cashiers and workers that serve you coffee, bag your groceries, and so on.

In what ways are you being called to do good?

Remembering Clint

It seems appropriate to talk about "doing good," and Clint Beedon in the same sentence. Clint died last night. He was a founding member of our congregation and literally built the church with his hands (and hammers and nails). Clint was one of those guys that embodied what it meant to be a gentleman-- you saw it in how wonderfully he treated his wife, Janice and family, and anyone he encountered. For Clint, doing good was a part of his DNA-- it was something he seemed to do instinctively, naturally....

As we think and pray about what it means to "do good," it is important for us to stop, remember, and celebrate those persons in our lives who have helped us along the way make good and right choices and encouraged a desire within us to look out for and care for others in need.

Who are those people in your life? I would certainly count Clint as a shining example and faithful disciple who witnessed to the power of doing good his 90+ years on earth. God rest his soul.

Do No Harm... and the Economy

Anyone with connection to a news source these days hears grim news about the state of the U.S. economy and its impact on the global economy. I heard a statistic last night that right now every American owes China $6,000 due to the amount of money we (the United States) has had to borrow to pay our bills. With the mortgage crisis, unemployment on the rise, and continuous news about banks and other business institutions on the verge of collapse... there are reasons we are not sleeping as well at night.

I also heard another provocative statement yesterday related to this that caught my attention-- U.S. Banking executives have done more damage to the Western World with their greed and poor management tactics than terrorists have done. Whoa!?! That's a bold statement to make! But one that causes us to pause and think and pray about how this connects to our rule for the week, "do no harm." Decisions we make often times impact more than just us. For persons in positions of leadership, power and influence, those decisions can impact A LOT of people. Whether conscious of it or not, the heads of banks have done a lot of harm to many. They got richer, enjoyed the best and most luxurious, and took risks they knew might fail. The result? People are losing their dreams and homes, their jobs and retirement savings, and the national debt keeps on rising.

Is there hope? That's the blessing of faith and the power of resurrection-- there is hope. Out of brokenness, wholeness emerges. Out of death comes new life. Out of the ashes, the phoenix rises. So too will our economy. We will have to live with the hurt of the decisions of others until the proper healing can come about. To do no harm is a challenge to think and pray about how our words and actions might impact others-- and be prepared to live with the consequences. To do no harm is to also seek ways to heal, transform and help those who have been harmed to find wholeness.

DO NO HARM.

Ash Wednesday

Today we begin the season of Lent. To do this, we observe the holy rituals of Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday used to not mean much to Protestants--  it was something Catholics did. But in recent years, Protestants, including Methodists, have re-claimed the ritual of imposing ashes upon the forehead and remembering, "from the dust we have come, to the dust we shall return." This reminder of our mortality is not meant to bring us down but rather inspire us to make the best of the precious time we have-- to work at our relationship with God, to care for ourselves and our neighbors, to sense the urgency of our mission as disciples of Jesus.

Often times during Lent people give things up in order to help them grow closer to God. This act of sacrifice is meant to take the focus off of whatever one gives up and allow more time to focus on God. In this day and age, it is more like a New Year's resolution or a diet fad-- something to say you've given something up, without the foundational reasoning in place.

As we begin our journey this Lenten season and focus upon the three simple rules-- perhaps we will sense the urgency of our mission-- to follow the rules and love. Blessed Ash Wednesday to all!

Our Journey Begins

This blog has been set up for us to journey together this Lenten Season with the book, Three Simple Rules for Christian Living. For some of us, we'll meet in groups and share the experience in a small, intentional community. For others, we'll read the book and hear the messages each week. I'll blog at least once a week on the weekly topic. I invite you to join the conversation here! Blessed Lenten season to all!