Glendale Church of the Brethren

There is an old Carpenter’s song that goes “rainy days and Monday’s always get me down.”  Well here in Southern California we do not face many rainy days in the summer (actually we could use a few more) but it does get cloudy once in a while.  Well clouds got in my way when I recently traveled to Santa Monica.  Clouds and cool temperatures it not my prescription for a wonderful day at the beach.  I go to the beach for bright sun shine, really warm temperatures and a nice breeze. 

Now, if you look carefully you will there is some sunshine reflecting off the water way in the distance, but it is too late to save the day for evening is coming on fast.  So, on a day like this in Santa Montica  I decided to stick around and enjoy the attractions on the pier, hoping for a better day next time.

Later that evening I was pleasantly surprised!  The clouds cleared out (perhaps that little sunny clearing grew bigger) and the night sky became crystal clear and the moon shone beautifully over the ocean.  Wow, sometimes you just have to hang around and you will be pleasantly rewarded.  Perhaps it wasn’t what you were hoping for, but it turns out even better!

The psalmist knew this all along and wrote about cloudy days:

“Sing to God, sing praise to his name, extol him who rides on the clouds — his name is the LORD— and rejoice before him. A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.”- Psalm 68:4-5″

 Singing  to God even in the midst of a cloudy day can seem foolish.  We all experience cloudy days because of life’s vicissitudes.  “Cloudy Days” can leave us feeling abandoned, helpless, grieving, and unloved.  We are without hope.  However, if we answer the psalmists call to lift up our heads and sing songs of praise we will see our Savior riding the clouds to rescue us.  Whenever we feel abandoned, or are in the midst of grief, it is our ability to offer up praise that can part the clouds and give us hope.

I remember reading a story about a woman facing radiation therapy.  She was left alone in a very cold sterile room, while a huge machine was pointed at her to shoot radiation into her body.  In the midst of that place of abandonment and fear the hospital staff remarked that they could hear her singing as her voice penetrated the walls.  They were lines from a old hymn.   She sang “..come thou fount of every blessing…” as the radiation attacked the turmor.

Well, we have looked at clouds from ‘both sides now’ and have been reminded that while ‘rainy days and Mondays’ can get us down, we ‘won’t last a day’ without our Savior.  We summon our Savior every time we answer the call to lift up songs of praise on cloudy days. 

Peace,

Doctor “J”

The lyrics go like this:

“I have my ship and all her flags are a flyin’

She is all that I have left - And music is her name.”

 I did an earlier blog on the song Southern Cross showing a similar scene.  Therefor I am indulging myself with writing again about the song, showing another beautiful picture of a ship at sail.   (By The Way - almost all the pictures in the blog were taken by me - I was a photography major my first two years of college.)

There is something so very freeing and peaceful being at sail at sea - I love it.

One of the earliest symbols of the early church was a ship sailing through a storm and one of the earliest Christian symbols (even much earlier then the crucifix) was of an anchor!

[The above anchor is from the Christian Catacomb of Priscilla in Rome - First Century!]

The analogy is pretty clear if you think about it, when a ship is about be driven into the rocky shore and dashed to pieces, the sailors throw out the anchor to save the ship.  The anchor holds the ship in place against the storm.  Thus when the early Christians faced persecution (a storm) from the Roman Empire, their church (ship) hung onto to their faith in Jesus (the anchor) to keep them from being destroyed.

So how are you sailing today?  How is the weather?  Do you know where your anchor is?

 Peace!

Doctor “J”

Millennium Park Chicago - The Silver Bean

It is huge, it is reflective, it is post modern, and it looks like a giant bean!  I found it fascinating.  Obviously someone had a great imagination to come up with this giant interactive sculpture.  Even more importantly, the leaders of the project had the fortitude to give the artist the “okay” to make it happen.

I believe Jesus calls us the church to the same kind of “visionary” thinking about ministry.  While we always are called to stay grounded in the New Testament teachings about Jesus - we also need to open ourselves to new ways of spreading the Gospel.

Monday Movie Ministry has been such a ground breaking ministry for Glendale Church of the Brethren.  We screen a meaningful contemporary secular movie, take a pizza break halfway through the movie, and then we close with a discusssion drawing out the biblical themes from the movie.  Finally, we close with prayer and spend a little time in fellowship.

Secular movies were once seen as an “enemy” of Christianity.  However, today there are many meaningful movies being produced today that give us a wonderful illustration of biblical themes.  I love doing this ministry.

 Peace!

Doctor “J”

I took this picture of one of the gardens which  surround the “The Getty” art Museum here in Southern California.  It was a wonderful day and I realized that I have been so busy that I have forgotten to take time for beauty.  I need beauty in my life to restore my soul, to make me peaceful, and to keep me hopeful. 

I was equally blessed last Saturday to go to the Alex Theatre and hear Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony - it was so beautiful! When was the last time you restored our soul?  Psalm 23:2-3 puts it this way (Contemporary English Version)

“You lead me to streams

   of peaceful water,

    and you refresh my life. ”

When was the last time you spent some time around the beautiful, peaceful waters?

Peace,

 Doctor “J”

Hanging out on the beach all day and making a living - life could be worse for the Sandpiper.  It leaves on the edge of two worlds and yet is totally comfortable with both!  As a pastor I live in two worlds, the one world known as the church and then what is commonly known as the secular world. 

It is tempting to retreat into the world of the church exclusively, and pretend that there isn’t an ocean of trouble just a few feet away.  However, plunging into the world totally can get one swamped - recent example of “political” pastors come to mind.  It is insane to me how much coverage Rev. Wright is receiving, of course it was equally insane to me how coverage Jerry Falwell received.

Perhaps a good metaphor for Pastors is the common Sandpiper.  It finds a fruit filled living by striding in that dynamic margin of Sea and Land.  Watch a Sandpiper and you will see it isn’t easy, but somehow it knows when to venture out and when to retreat.  

It might be fair to say that Pastors are called to live life on the edge, or on the boundaries.  The problem is that those boundaries are constantly shifting and we always need to be aware of which way the tide is turning.  Perhaps this is how all Christians are called to live.

 Peace,

 Doctor “J”

Psalm 144:1a & 15

“Blessed be the Lord, my rock”

“Happy are the people to whom such blessings fall; happy are the people whose God is the Lord.”

Music Wars!  It has split churches and Christianity is asunder.   Wonderful Hymns of the past (that are hard to sing, and has sentiments that are out of tune to modern ears) versus Praise Hymns (that are easy to sing and ((at times)) vacuous. ) The “Hymnal People” accuse the  “Praise People” of dumbing down Christianity while the the “Praise People” counter that the mainline churches have become stuck in the past are not “spiritual.”  The war, at its worse, pits organists (who may not play well) against comical praise bands (who cannot harmonize or inspire anyone).  

My first love is classical music, however, I have learned to appreciate all kinds of GOOD MUSIC.  In my life as a pastor I have heard well meaning praise bands, soloists, and organist who were awful.  Sometimes it was because they had no talent and at other times it was because they didn’t practice.  Personally I have been moved by Hymns and Praise songs when they have been done RIGHT.   To me, good music is good music.

What I don’t understand is why it has to be one or the other?  Are we not broad enough in our tastes to enjoy good music of all stripes.  I have even come to appreciate contemporary country music - the production values on many of these songs are wonderful.

Perhaps we think we have to choose because we want to fit into a kind of theme or style.  Perhaps, we think we are “too refined” or “too hip” to appreciate something different.  I do not see why this is necessary - unless we are stuck on false pride.  One of my favorite shows is a “Prairie Home Companion” which is on broadcast on many public radio stations on Saturday nights.  This show features a wide collection of musical styles that are performed well.

So why stick with one style?  I don’t know, I get bored when I listen to any one style or genre of music for too long.  

Praise Music - which has be widely reviled - most often correlates to the back of the book of Psalms.  Many of these later Psalms are “nothing” but words of Praise to God.  Thus I see a place for them.  They are a great way to express emotional praise in worship.  However, I could not make a steady diet of praise hymns - they would leave me feeling empty.   The Hymns usually reflect a deeper theology, but they can be too heavy or outdated at times.

So let’s be people who are not afraid of the new, but who also hold on to the best of the past.  One of my favorite worship songs are when a modern artist takes an old hymn and presents it in a new way.  I love that, it helps to bring everyone together.

 Peace,

 Doctor “J”

Feeling anxious because you did not accomplish all you wanted to today?  Feeling dread at the prospect of tomorrow’s schedule?  Looking at the price of gas and groceries and feeling a little pinched?

Each of us is given 24 hours in a day.  Everyday is different.  Sometimes it can seem like we have no control over our lives and time just keeps on marching on. 

Some people see time as the enemy.  Women (and men) will not disclose their age so that others will not know how much they have “aged.”  Some look to the future and only see dread, while others look longingly towards the past. 

 I believe that time (paraphrasing an old Star Trek movie) is our companion that travels with us on this journey and reminding us to make the most of this day because we will never pass this way again.

If we believe in God, then we are called to trust that the events of each day have special meaning and purpose, our job, is to find that purpose and take our place in God’s plan for the world.

Peace!

Doctor “J”

It was a “hot landing” (to see an example of a hot landing go to:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0viWC5jhQI) as we arrived at the Burbank Airport.  We were all kind of shook up about it, and a passenger in the back said:  “We call that an arrival, not a landing.”

As I watched the birds glide gently out of the sky and land on the Zuma Beach with such skill and ease I was reminded that we do not always make the smoothest transitions in our lives.  Sometimes we “Arrive” at a transition and sometimes we have a smooth “Landing.”

All of us would prefer to go through life’s transitions smoothly, but that is not always the case.  Often, our arrival comes in a little fast or bumpy.  The important thing to remember is not always how perfect our landing was, but whether it is a landing we can walk away from.

Perhaps you have recently gone through a transition in your life - was it a little bumpy?  Are you OK now?  If so, perhaps it is a good idea to give thanks to God that you have arrived safe and sound and ready for the next phase of your life.

Peace!

 Doctor “J”

Lonely, sad, and feeling sorry for myself is how I felt when Katie (my niece) and her three friends flew back to Michigan after spending their spring break with “Uncle John.”  Contemporary pop psychology (preached in mega-churches everywhere) views feelings of sadness, loneliness, and self pity as negative emotions that come from having the wrong beliefs, ideas, and/or thought patterns.   Thus, the solution to “negative emotions” is to change your thinking and thus you can greatly reduce sadness in your life.  So, they would say,  it wasn’t Katie and her friends going back to Michigan that made me sad, it was my wrong thought processes.  As you can guess by now, I am always very suspicious of that idea.

A couple of Mondays ago we watched “Atonement’ for the Monday Movie Ministry (I adore alliteration.) and it had a sad but profound ending.  One of the participants asked if this was a “sad movie.”  I replied by asking him how he felt now that he had seen the movie.  He answered that he felt “good.”  So, sometimes it is good to feel sad. I am so glad that the makers of this movie did not try to make it more marketable by putting a glib happy ending to it.

As a Christian, I believe it is good to feel sad once in a while.  A lot of sad things happen in life, and if you don’t face them directly then you are living in denial, and you are missing out on life.  The key is to not let yourself “get stuck” in your sadness.  Limit your sadness!  Say to yourself, I am going to be sad today because….then give your reason (You are remembering someone who had died, or a loved one has moved away, or someone really hurt your feelings or ended a relationship with you.).  Then go put on some sad music (like the blues or Barry Manilow or blue grass, or some reflective classical music) then find a comfortable chair, and drink some water, coffee, tea, or hot chocolate then let yourself feel those sad feelings.  You may cry or not,  you may pray or not, or maybe you just close your eyes and remember.

After you have spent some time feeling sad (ranging from a few hours or a day) you may wish to call up a trusted family member or friend (one who doesn’t try to “fix” your sadness) and tell them of your sadness, why you are sad, and just pour your heart out.  Chances are you will soon be feeling better and tomorrow will be a new day.

A couple of warnings, do not try to drown your sadness in either junk food or alcohol or drugs.  They just mask the sadness.

How do I know all this?  Well, I read my bible, it is of great help in dealing with life - especially the Psalms.  In Psalm 77 verses 1 & 2 we read:

I cry loud to God, aloud to God, that he may hear me. In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord; in the nigh my hand is stretched out without wearying; my soul refuses to be comforted. I think of God, and I moan; I meditate, and my spirit faints.

I invite you to read the rest of the Psalm in your bible so you can discern yourself how the Psalmist moves through her/his sadness.  Just one final warning, if you find your sadness lasting for days, and you cannot sleep, work, or eat properly then it is time to seek out a trusted friend, therapist, family member, or pastor.  You don’t want to become stuck in life, there is so much beauty, so much to do, so many reasons to live.  

I “enjoy” my sad days, they help me become wise, compassionate to others when they are sad, reliant on God, and make my life so much richer and fuller. 

Peace!

Doctor “J”

The Sun has sunk in the ocean, it has been a beautiful day, all the vendors in the Santa Monica to Venice Beach strip are going home and we (myself, my niece, and her three friends) are walking to the Santa Monica Pier to enjoy a wonderful dinner.   So what are we called to do at this very moment? Give Thanks!

A life of gratitude is a rich, full, and spiritual way to live.  Learning to give thanks to God for the blessings in our life is the number one practice of spirituality. May you, by the time the sun next sinks below the horizon, gives thanks to God for every good thing in this day. 

Hey, you might even look for opportunities to make your neighbors’ life a little better, then they can give thanks to God for sending you into their life!

Peace

Doctor “J”