easter continues ... no matter what!

easter continues, after the long season of lent,
for 50 days ... and on the 50th day, we celebrate
pentecost -- the celebration of the 50th day,
when the spirit of god enfolds us and empowers
us and we become the witnesses of the faith!
what an awesome task! we become "adults in
the faith" so to speak, and our invitation is to
share the good news.

united methodists throughout the northern
california area and north-western nevada will
be working in small groups to 'catch fire' over the
next 50 days in a study called, oddly enough, 'catch fire in 50 days'. this study is a daily devotional, and you are invited to participate! go to www.catchfirein50days.com and you too
can 'catch fire'!

the picture above is from our good friday activity; it is our labyrinth that we place in our wesley hall, and invite people to 'pray the labyrinth'. taking this spiritual walk is amazing. you simply let yourself be with god; you can't get lost, and it is very empowering to listen to what you and god have to say to one another.

who knew that during this season as lent was ending and preparations were made on saturday for the easter vigil, that there were be a tragic car accident involving students from our uc merced campus. a loss of control caused a care with four students to run into a pole. we prayed for them and their families and their friends and other students during easter services. the time when we celebrate the most is on easter, and yet, tragedy strikes our community.

if there can possibly be any good news in this event, it is that the easter message is abundant, and that easter continues ... no matter what! we believe that god's grace is bigger than we can ever know, and that in the midst of shock and death, god's holding of us continues, so that new life may unfold, and tragedy may not overcome us.

'in the midst of life, we are in death' we are reminded. it is only through grace that we have hope to live every step of the way ... and beyond what we can even perceive. there are not words to ease such tragedy of young life. and yet, we are called to continue to offer the good news that there is life that comes from death. it is through compassionate relationship that we can get through the tragedy and see beyond our tears into the hope of the days to come.

prayer can be a healing path for our grief. in the labyrinth, i am able to truly 'let go, and let god'; there is healing, and there is love, and even in the midst of death, i know there is easter. may this be your experience as well . . . .

holy week . . . and donut holes

ok, so i was so excited to share about next week's easter service during our palm sunday and passion sunday services, that i got a little mixed up.

you see, it all started this past thursday night at our church council meeting. we began to talk about what we would be doing this summer, and decided that we would have a combined service each week beginning on memorial day week-end, and that we would have a welcome coffee before the 9 am service, and fellowship time following the service.

well, you might see how in my excitement, i got a little confused about easter. we had planned to have our easter services combined at 9 am, with fellowship afterwards -- so we could watch the easter egg hunt -- bring your baskets! trouble is, i announced that we would also have a welcoming coffee at 8:30 -- when, of course, our chancel and bell choirs will be warming up. what was i thinking???

holy week makes me a little crazy.

so as not to make this too difficult on anyone, i stopped by a donut shop on my way in to the church today. i wondered if they would be open -- "o yes" came the answer. well then, could i pre-order and pre-pay for 12 dozen donut holes please, to be picked up by 6:30 am? -- "no problem!" came the answer.

why donut holes, you ask? well, i have long thought that donut holes were just the dough that got discarded until someone decided in their wisdom that "waste not, want not" also applied to donuts. and, well as they say, the rest is history. let that discarded center of donut raise and you've got donut holes!

see how that fits into easter? the stone gets rolled away, and we benefit from that action. who knew that donut holes could be the new symbol for easter instead of flowers?! the stone that got rolled away -- discarded -- and nearly forgotten.

now, how do i work that into my sermon . . . . oops, i have to get through holy week first!

not enough days in an hour . . . .

do you ever feel as if you do not have enough days in an hour...i've long given up on having enough hours in a day! case in point. today. it is my day off. i usually guard this as sacred, and honor this faithfully. sometimes, however, i anticipate knowing that i will have to 'sneak in and sneak out' of my office. laura, our administrative assistant, does all in her power to honor this as well. this is just one of those weeks, as easter approaches, in which i knew there was just too much to do. i will be out-of-the-office for a two-and-one-half day meeting this week. if you have any understanding of what it is like to take time off before easter, you'll understand my anxiety in being away too long....thus, i knew i needed to get some additional work done. now, this may sound like a whine....and if i had cheese and crackers in my office, it might well be...but, what i have been doing this past week was putting things on 'monday' -- intentionally saying, i'll do that on monday. i alerted people to use my home e-mail address while i was gone, so i could pick up messages. i came into the office today, and actually got some things done...but so much of what i am doing also entails waiting for others to respond....they didn't respond by today. so....there will be more days ahead that do not have enough hours in them...or, more likely, more hours ahead that do not have enough days in them. do you sometimes feel like that???? in anticipation, both of needing to be renewed, and needing to get some work done, i realized that it didn't have to be one or the other; it could be both. if it were not lent i would have said that i could have my cake and eat it too....but i digress! so, i did some things that were renewing before i came into the office...i slept in (ok, i didn't get up at 5 am!) i actually had someone offer to cook me breakfast...a treat for me! someone else made me coffee! i could get use to this gift -- on my day off and everything! then i took a walk, and i strolled through the not-yet-blooming rose garden in applegate park. i was able to listen to music on my walk-person (it was on sale, ok?!) in all, i had a delightfully renewing time. time with others, time with self, time with god...not necessarily in that order. and then i came into the office; accomplished some things, and spoke to fun people, and felt like i was renewed and strengthened. i complete my bolg a day early, and even feel accomplished! renewal, i have come to understand, means a lot of different things. today, i did things differently. and i am refreshed as i leave the office. how often does that happen at this time of the year for pastors???? i'll go home and do some work and have some rest, and, i anticipate, by 7 am, i will be ready to be picked up (in the nicest/kindest/most appropriate way possible) to drive to my meeting. i won't mind getting up at 5 am tomorrow (i say this now) because i've had time away to be renewed. i even watered my plants....i kept hearing these little voices in my office that said -- we know it's lent, but can't we have just a sip of water...please?! there may never be enough days in an hour to accomplish everything, but if we can accomplish something, i call that moment grace. and with grace, it matters not when it comes...only that it does come. and if we are attentive, we'll discover it comes in every moment....

update to april 5th blog

evidently, the link i listed isn't working. try this, or you may have to copy and paste into your internet. sorry.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61WkeY9Jcvw

an incredible story

i've learned to really enjoy youtube! it is to youtube that i am sending you this week for an incredible story! so often we experience life at its worst. but this is a feel-good story that came to me actually from several people. when things come to me from several unrelated sources, i generally pay more attention. such was the case with the prayer of examen that i am using for my lenten devotional each day. i had such a rewarding day off yesterday; nice conversations, relaxing times in the glorious sun; just all around renewal time. and so this youtube piece adds to the experience of how life can be -- surprising and rewarding; friendship that comes in the most unique way. i hope you enjoy, that a smile comes into your life, and peace in your heart. blessings for another week! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61WKeY9Jcvw