Go ahead, I dare ya…

From the Community of Christ Doctrine & Covenants 163..
1. “Community of Christ,” your name, given as a divine blessing, is your identity and calling. If you will discern and embrace its full meaning, you will not only discover your future, you will become a blessing to the whole creation. Do not be afraid to go where it beckons you to go.

You ever get that sense that in this journeying with The Christ..that as you are being shepherded along that “Old Old Path” with the Nazarene..that He is practically saying “Go ahead, I dare ya…go for it..” I get that sense at varying points in my life. I’m sure many others have sensed this as well. What I mean is..we can sit around and discuss theology and “what we are about” til the cows come home or the seas calm. I think at times it ultimately comes down to “what are you doing to build God’s Kingdom?”

I’m not sitting here talking about that nice comfy “kingdom feeling” on the inside. You know the feeling..that spiritual “high” you get after a sacramental service. You sit back and think “wow, that was amazing.” and then you go out that afternoon out to lunch, the gym, go take a nap..and never really stopping to visit or share with anyone.

I’m talking about …did you listen to someone who needed to talk? did you keep your patience in check while someone talked about something that just BUGGED your very last nerve? Did you do nothing when you should have done something? Did you say “thank you” to the person who helped you?

I’m as guilty of not being a kingdom builder just as much as anyone else, yet I sense God’s call..the dare..to go ahead..do it..step out in faith…share God’s blessings..and don’t fear where The Nazarene yearns to lead you.

It’s been eleven years…can I have a do over?

Where were you on April 1st 1997? I was rushing to try to catch a plane out of Tegucigalpa Honduras. I was completing two years of Peace Corps service and my deep down feelings were saying that I couldn’t get out of the country fast enough. That day a US military plane crashed at the airport. The first word was “all flights cancelled.” I remember being frustrated, but my frustration came from the fact that I had cashed in a majority of my Honduran currency..and if I was going to have to wait a day I’d have to stumble around to get some more Honduran money. Then at the last minute I heard “yep…Continental flights are departing”. So my next struggle was convincing a Honduran taxi driver that “yes..flights are going out”.

I did get to the airport..and a kid insisted on helping me..and when I tipped him, he glared at me and said I didn’t tip him enough. I remember saying something to the effect of “too bad, this is all I got.” I got checked in..and then went up and waited for my flight. I remember arriving in San Diego tired and so so glad I was HOME.

Adjusting to jobs, the United States, Americans, the internet blossomed while gone. One thing that really bothered me when I got home was when I made a phone call I had to go through all these phone menus to get what I wanted. I remember getting really irritated at one point and saying “I JUST WANT TO TALK TO A PERSON!!!!” I was adjusting back to a congregation that was grieving the sudden loss of one of our members due to injuries from a small plane accident. 

As time went by…jobs came and went..I wasn’t always “at my best”. I wasn’t always “at my worse” either. I look back and think “gosh I wish I could have done all this differently..I wasted so much time chasing that opportunity” or “i handled that stupidly” or “i should have just said forget it and went back home”.

Eleven years have come and gone…do I really want a “do over”? Am I sure that if I did have a chance at a “do over” I wouldn’t make similar mistakes? Am I able to laugh now and look back with solemn respect for the Lord that made me without having made those mistakes? I don’t know. Sometimes I think “wasted opportunity” but I think “well, look at where you are at now…maybe not in the best of positions in life..but definitely not the worse!” 

As an example, several years ago a coworker had to go to court over her bills. She didn’t elaborate and I didn’t ask. I know how difficult it is having a financial situation you feel embarrassed about..and I didn’t want her to feel embarrassed. We all make stupid money decisions thinking at the time we are doing the right thing. She said something to me that kind of made me laugh..she said “Patti you are real good with money.” I did laugh a bit but then thought of the mistakes I had made along the way to be where I’m at now..and where I was at then.

 So, no…I don’t want a do over. I want all the “ugghs” of life and to be able to stare them in the face..and to also somehow look back at myself with full honesty and confront myself and my mistakes and to take note of those lessons learned.

“My tattoos seemed to not be welcome”

I don’t know how much men talk to their barbers or stylists when they go get their hair cut. I do know when women go and get their hair cut, it’s a social event. We talk, we get to know each other, we even come close to finding answers for World Peace sometimes. I went last week and got an impromptu “hairstyling” at JC Penny’s salon in my corner of the world. My hairstylist was Rachel and we set about getting to know each other during the hour or so we “styled” together.

She started off asking me about what kinds of things I do. Guys may not think this sort of thing is important but when a stylist gets to know you it helps them become a better stylist for you. Anyway I told her about working two jobs and being involved with church activities. Her next question out of her mouth was “What church do you go to?” I didn’t shirk back, I told her “Community of Christ, south end of Magnolia in El Cajon”. I told her we were a small group and I would really feel lost in a church with alot of people.

She proceeded to tell me that she grew up Catholic, but after getting married she started going to a church for a while..but when they saw her tattoos she said “my tattoos seemed to not be welcome”. They did or said something to her that caused her to feel uncomfortable with her tattoos. Without naming names I told her about Sean and his tattoo. I told her about a seventy I saw at Congregational Leadership Workshop who was wearing a tank top and I could see her tattoos on her back and arm.

No, I didn’t invite her to church, I know I should have and yet…I tried letting her know in a backwards sort of way that she would be welcome in our congregation and World Church WITH her tattoos. I thought at the time “of all the silly reasons to exclude a person from church” or to cause them to not feel welcome. I guess if the tattoos made the person seem scary maybe, but Rachel seemed relatively harmless.

Jesus went around healing people not just because he was a nice guy. He healed people with leprosy. Why? well people with leprosy couldn’t worship in the Temple or be around The Body of believers. The woman with an issue of blood, the prostitute, the list is endless of the lives he touched. By him healing them, he restored them to community and back into what they understood to be the presence of God.

There’s something about that feeling of being in God’s presence. Have you felt God’s love come over you so strong that you couldn’t help but think “this is how it feels to be in God’s presence”. How can we deny that sacred moment for others?

“What are you getting your children for Easter?”

I work part time at Target as a cashier. Many people Friday night were buying baskets, “basket stuffing” stuff, candy and clothes. Somehow this one lady and I got to talking. She told me about how someone asked her “so what are you getting your children for Easter?” She told me she was a bit surprised by the question. She expressed “when did people start giving gifts for Easter?” I told her the one explanation I knew of, and that was a friend who didn’t want to get her grand daughter more candy, but she was willing to get her a gift instead of candy. I’m not sure if that’s a step towards the slippery slope in which we start associating “receiving gifts” with Easter.

As a child growing up in a home that didn’t go to church on Easter, getting an Easter basket was about it for my Easter celebration. I knew about the religious meaning behind it, but the “what does it mean to me” didn’t really sink in til I started going to the Community of Christ for church.

I noticed during this past Holy Week those who bought some of the few religiously oriented dvds and books that Target sold. I thought “well at least they are trying to educate on what the real meaning of Easter is to their children or the children in their lives.”

How does one do this without going into the whole “blood, whips, and bruises” of the crucifixion? Resurrection to me is about transformation. Yes, it’s conquering the biggest enemy we all face, our physical death. Resurrection shows that not even death can conquer God’s eternal hope for His creation. Daily, Resurrection and it’s symbolism shows us that God is in control .. not in some puppet/master sort of way..but His desires for his creation will be victorious. Setbacks like an unfortunate death cannot conquer what God wishes for each of us.

What are you getting your children for Easter? please take time and teach them about how Resurrection can transform a life shattered by unfortunate life “missteps”. Whether you believe in a symbolic resurrection or the historical event…resurrection or a chance at a new life with God and knowing we aren’t alone is…..even better than a chocolate easter egg.

How will I be different this Easter?

Here we are. It’s Saturday, the day before Easter. For many of us we are “busying” ourselves with Easter preparations. Getting bulletins ready, preparing church sanctuaries, practicing music; maybe even doing a little bit of shopping for those last minute details.

A friend commented that her husband was giving the morning message for Easter. What crossed my mind was “how do you make an Easter sermon special, unique and challenging?” Theoretically, the actual event of Christ’s resurrection was a one time thing. The details of what we know from the gospels haven’t changed, unless something is emphasized in a way that brings to light for us a new detail.

I find myself pondering how this Easter something will be “refreshened” in me, or even “rebirthed”. I don’t think so much as a “transformation” or to become a whole new person. I guess for me is a rebirth of Excitement for living my life in Christ. 

How will I be different this Easter? What will be awakened in me that will transform my life? Will I have a new sense of hope in the future? A new energy and excitement about life? Will I see the Messiah in a new way? All these thoughts are in my mind as I prepare for Easter.  

Welcome!