is it really spring?

 i happened to go outside my front door yesterday, during the day...usual, in that often i drive out of the house, or i return when the sun has gone down.

but yesterday, after finishing some work, i went for a walk during the daylight hours (as opposed to 5 in the morning), and, for a moment, i thought someone had planted flowers in my yard!  i did remember planting these last fall, but who knew 'spring had sprung' in merced?!

and, of course, purple, to match the season.  we are moving toward easter (and i do not plan to dig them up once the season is over); but, for now, this beautiful plant is a reminder that life comes after winter...in spite of being neglected all winter, with hardly any water or not even a passing glace as i went for my walks in the morning, which is how i missed the fact that change had happened.  in spite of my lack of attentiveness, this plant not only survived, but has thrived!

now, how do i relate this to my own life?  i've been rather focused on myself and the church--really a tie in the 'paying attention' department.  so, how is it that i've overlooked these flowers?

my only response, after pondering this question myself today, is that i've stayed focused, but perhaps missed, while not perhaps the bigger picture, certainly some of the details.  and, not only that, the details change very quickly...a reminder to pay closer attention.  and yet, as i think about it, those flowers were not there two weeks ago, when i noticed my backyard tree starting to 'leaf-out'.  maybe, in all honesty, these flowers just suddenly "appeared", like the time change creeping up on us!

whatever happened, and however these flowers appeared, i am aware now.  and isn't this a great picture?!  not because i took it (which is more miraculous than to be 'awed' over), but because this is a picture of renewed life!  in spite of everything, the seasons change, flowers bloom; easter comes despite our never being quite ready.  easter isn't like christmas when we may not have our house trimmed completely or the cards sent out or the gifts completely wrapped.  no, easter is about the fact that we're not always spiritually ready.

and that makes me chuckle a little because the reality is, GOD is always ready; more than ready, actually, to send forth grace and beauty and love -- reminders that life is all around us, and in us, and shared through us.  what a wonderful message!  just like receiving a bouquet of flowers at your doorstep; flowers you weren't expecting, but you're glad their there!

so take some time this week, to remember that easter is on its way. . .thanks be to god!

                                           

midway through the journey

we have completed three sundays during lent, so we are midway through the journey.  one never knows what one will experience on this journey; paying attention helps.

on sunday, most of the pg&e power in merced was off, for the morning.  this made for an interesting worship time.  but just as we were praying, particularly for those whom power is a necessity and for those working to resolve the issue, the lights came back on.  really!  god truly works in mysterious ways.

i won't bore you with the fact that my pedometer needed a new battery AGAIN, but i did get in an extra walk yesterday!

the journey of life takes us through experiences we do not always fore-see, as well as invites us to pay attention to things that we do see in new and exciting ways.

for instance, i've been walking the same route for about half-a-year, and i've noticed people who move in and out; i get to know the dogs and cats in the neighborhood, and anticipate which houses will "bark" at me....i've tried walking VERY quietly on thursday and sunday mornings when i leave my house by 5:15....but, alas, dogs know.  but i don't seem to scare the cats as much these days!

but midway through the journey, i've become accustomed to an owl, small like the one found in the movie 'out of africa' that is a companion to meryl streep's character,  karen blixen.  this owl does not seem to nest high on a light-post, but in a hole on the ground, where i've seen rabbits, ground squirrels, and a fox find their homes.  i don't know a whole lot about owls, but they always seemed nocturnal to me, and somewhat vulnerable during daylight hours...to live on the ground seems like an invitation to trouble.

but then i remember jesus' life, and how, for the most part, he didn't run for cover every time someone disagreed with him, or even tried eliminate him from their community.  so i'm thinking, this must be a very brave owl.  it is beautiful as it takes flight, soaring seemingly effortlessly.  'free as a bird'.  i don't know what that is like.  but i wonder; it gives me something to think about while i walk.

i try not to think of the things i need to accomplish before this journey of lent is completed.  one cannot very easily say during this season, 'oh well; there's always tomorrow' because the days are ticking down.  the journey moves forward, with or without us.  so that old saying, 'never put off tomorrow what you can/need to do today' fits very well.

if you haven't started (whatever) yet, it isn't too late, although time is moving on and does not wait.  so, midway through this journey might be the time to reflect where you have been and where you are going in this time of your journey.  are you sticking with your goals?  have you made an impact on someone else's life?  what difference has someone made in you, and have you been able to share that appreciation with them or 'paid it forward'?!

midway through the journey . . . .  are you finding the depth in your spiritual life that you are seeking; if you are, awesome!  continue on your way!  if you are not, what changes in your life need to happen for your to find that deeper sacred place . . . . and when that answer comes to you, journey in that way.....

lent . . . . just the way it is!

this season of lent is just the way it is . . . time spent waiting and preparing for easter.  so is it any wonder that we pay more attention to things, and mark them as more significant?!

this picture to the left is from last tuesday's storm taken outside my office ... someone asked me if i rushed into the wesley hall (our social hall) to see if there was a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.  no such luck, but it did get me to wondering about what one does during this season on waiting and preparing.

so i began to compile a list of things that i begin to pay attention to; perhaps they will entice you to pay particular attention to what is happening in your life and the world around you during this time.

lent is, after all, a time of inner-reflection; seeing how we ready ourselves for the gift of grace that rises in us at easter.

one of the things to pay attention to is movement.  lent happens 'in-between times'; towards the end of winter and towards the beginning of spring.  while we've been, perhaps, in doors far too much, this is the time to 'get out'.  that's why i love these pictures of rainbows.  besides a reminder of god's covenant with us about the promise of life, i would have missed this experience had i not simply walked outside.

be aware of your surroundings.  pay particular attending ... to everything and everyone!  who might god be placing at your feet, in your way, beside--before--behind you, and for what purpose?  what might you be called to learn during this time?  and for those who are wondering, yes, i am still walking!  in fact, i have met my walking goal this quarter already, and i am walking toward a goal of matching funds for the 'no more malaria' (formally referred to as 'nothing but nets project') campaign.

this is a season about getting your affairs in order; prioritize!  what do you need to be taking care of in your life?  does a relationship need attending to; is your 'house' (literally and figuratively) need attention; how are you caring for your current and future finances?  i've met a goal in the financial part of my life just this last week, and have been able to set another goal that will make a real difference in the way i am able to meet my obligations in the future.  all these things in our lives take focus and dedication; thoughtful prayer and willpower -- the positive aspects this season and the life jesus shared and demonstrated for us.  this is the season in which we learn to love, ourselves and others, more deeply.

one other aspect this season has called to to focus on is reading.  while i love movies and become so involved in them that sometimes i wonder where the time went, i become even more involved in reading.  i've been told that reading is much healthier as well; becoming engaged in reading keeps your mind active for longer periods of time, enriches one's vocabulary -- deep that google word-search handly! -- and you can learn something that may cause you to get out of yourself and make a difference in someone else's life.

for pleasure reading, i've just completed 'the count of monte christo'; i had never read it!  for centering prayer, we are reading 'the untethered soul - the journey beyond yourself' by michael a. singer; for our small group study i am diving into adam hamilton's 'the way - waling in the footsteps of jesus' which will also serve as part of my worship preparation; and for expanding my humanity, i am reading one of the books on the united methodist women's book-list,  'half the sky - turning oppression into opportunity for women worldwide' by nicholas d. kristof and sheryl wudunn -- a look at the plight of human trafficking that plagues our world today.

busy and enriching times . . . what is engaging you in these days of reflection?  

not just any tuesday!

i just returned from a gathering of clergy.  so, what else does a group like this talk about on the day before lent begins, but...well, 'church stuff'.

on the drive home, a conversation about the following link (below) left me with a questioning look.  so someone got on his phone, and found this link.  it is well worth taking a few moments to view.  as i now say, 'church shares it all'. 

since this is not just any tuesday, please take a moment to view why it isn't just another tuesday in your life.

feel free to share this with others...and before the sun sets on this day, be sure and enjoy a pancake!  jelly beans are optional, but don't skip the chocolate chips!

blessings and honor in the days ahead before easter.  each day, please make a difference in someone else's life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0O_7_XCtJs

i highly recommend spending time in san francisco during the winter.  many people unfamiliar with the city think that going there in the summer makes sense.  well, it does, if you like fog; and of course the summer is great for a visit out of the valley heat!

but, who could ask for a better time then this in winter?

this is a picture from deloris park and the city in the background.  i had to actually stand in line, as many people were trying to get a picture; people out with their children and their dogs; visiting with loved ones, neighbors and strangers.

what a wonderful experience.  it was during this time away that i achieved my 5 millionth (is that really a word (?) step!  so, it got me to thinking about what one has to do to get results....

one of the things you have to do is be willing to risk.

 and i discovered, particularly in san francisco, and then when i was in berkeley, that climbing the hills gets you where you want to be . . . even thought when you first look up the hill, you're thinking, "i'm not going up there!"  but, imagine!  if you didn't climb the hill, even though it looks way too steep, you wouldn't see this picture . . . and, alas, you wouldn't get to count all those steps!

and, believe it or not, some hills actually have steps to climb.

i didn't really leave my heart in san francisco, but i think i did leave some tread!






and the other thing about walking in the city is that once you get up one hill . . . .there is always another!

 but if i hadn't climbed that hill, i wouldn't have gotten this view . . . . or so many more steps!

and then i wouldn't have appreciated the view of the oakland/berkeley hills, and the bay, and . . . .

with all this walking, one would think i'd be healthy as a horse . . . . i thought i was gonna' die!  merced is flat....we don't have hills in the central valley!  oh my goodness....i believe the bay area people ought to put up a ballot measure that could really do some good . . . . like, perhaps, investing in escalators for the really tough hills!

ok, i'm only half kidding.







the point i am making, really, is that what we invest in can be SO worth it!  this thought got me to thinking about how we live our lives, and what we believe in.  without the effort, our results can be rather frail.  we have to decide what is worth the risk.  what is worth risking for in your life?

this picture (above) is of the bell tower on the u c berkeley campus.  i love to walk around at night, and explore what can be seen in a different light.  in the daylight, we can miss so much, even though we can generally see a great deal more.  so, i invite you to do something this week that you don't usually do . . . .something that will be rewarding to your spirit, and that will feed your soul.  maybe you could invite someone to share the experience with you, and have a meaningful conversation afterwards.

 after a little r and r in the city, i headed to berkeley for a time of continuing education, the emphasis was on family.  this was a powerful reminder that we continue to think of family in a more narrow definition.  but family, biblical families as well as those through the ages on up to today, are vast and complex.

i was able to visit with my mom; well, at least i got to see that she seems content, even happy; and well cared for.

and i got to go to dinner and spend time with kristen and ben; in fact the picture to the right is the view at sunset from pacific school of religion, as i walked to downtown berkeley to meet them.  i hardly ever took my car out once i parked during my time away.  i didn't even take public transportation.....i just walked!  what would i have missed if i hadn't 'pounded the pavement'?  do you ever wonder that? 

and, of course, i did find a flat surface in berkeley; it was difficult, but, alas, i walked up to the stadium, and discovered an adjacent field that was open and available to the public; 12 walks around that puppy, and i made three additional miles!

but if i hadn't gone, i would have missed 'the bear'!  cal is so known for its bear. 

so, there you have it.  a life in the times of a pastor on foot.  and now i am back home, doing my usual routine of walking in the morning.  i had the luxury of walking any time i wished while i was away.  but now i am back into another routine that permits me to move in different ways.

i appreciated the time away, and i'm glad to be back.  but this experience does remind me that i still need to stretch myself and risk, not knowing the results.  but worth the risk, me thinks . . . .

a technical glitch . . . and so much more!

i guess i didn't get the memo, and therefore, i have a technical glitch happening in my (blog) life.  some of you got wind of this last week, but, somehow, i figured out a way to handle it then; this week, i cannot.

my glitch is adding pictures to my blog.  previously, i just added them before i began my message, and then i worked around them; moved them to the right or to the left or to the center -- much easier than trying to move people from the right or to the left. . . .  but, now i haven't a clue; i can't even cut and paste them in, which is what i did last week....at least i think that's how i did it last week!  now i'm so confused, i'm lucky if i can remember my password!  by blog instructions say that i need google plus, and i can't even get google minus today!

so, this week's post will be picture-less.  let me describe what this past week has taught.

our leadership council met on retreat -- beginning the year on retreat allows one to set the tone and get some perspective for the time ahead.  that, by the way, is suppose to be what new year's does for us, but honestly, who would pass up champagne at midnight?

with pot-luck goodies in tow (how very united methodist), we gathered to do in-depth planning.  we listened, contemplated, shared ideas, snacked, indulged, laughed, offered ideas and prayed!  we prayed first -- always the best thing to do!  and from our time together, we set in motion a vision for the year:  an opportunity to have our community of faith be in covenant with god and one another, around the areas of prayer, bible reading, worship attendance, witnessing, financial giving, and service.  i'll share more about these areas throughout the year, beginning in april.

my point today is, making a covenant is about making a commitment; that is so difficult for our society.  we can hardly even bring our cell phones to be in the 'vibration only' setting for too long!  being faithful is not an easy decision, but something that is enriching and can lead to a very powerful change in one's life.

and so an unrelated, but actually more related than we think, action happened on sunday.  our united methodist women led us in worship, reminding us of what it means to serve in mission and keep our faith and the world accountable. women have not always been admired for taking a stance.  in the middle ages, women were told that in order to enter the church, they had to keep their heads covered; in a sense, women were kept in their place, under-valued and un-appreciated.

and so women began to gather their numbers together, advocating not for themselves, but for those who also had no voice; the widows, the children, and those for whom the church denied.  today, women continue to be under appreciated but their visibility and strength makes their advocacy even more powerful!  we truly must take off our hats to those who are the drivers of our compassion and care in this day and age (a picture would have been really good here, so you'll have to imagine women adorned with very unique hats standing to lead us in this year ahead, when we need more than ever, to take action to address issues of care and justice).

this is a year of great change, or it has the potential for great change, if we are willing to prayerfully consider what it means to be the hands and feet of jesus in the twenty-first century!  imagine . . . take a moment and truly see a world where we can focus on living without hunger; a world in which we cooperate with our neighbors; a time in which we share our needs and our resources.  if any body can lead us, it will be the united methodist women and their sister organizations throughout the world!

finally, i offer you a recommendation that has been offered to me.  sometimes we discover connections by sharing just the slightest piece of information.  joyce shared with me that she had just finished reading a book entitled god's hotel by (doctor) victoria sweet.  it shares the (true) story of her experience working on the wards of laguna honda hospital in san francisco; an almshouse style facility where people have come for many years to live out their lives or where lives were changed when the county hospital had given up all hope.  i commend the book to you, even though i am only about a quarter of the way through my reading.

the point i make, however, is about connections and relationships.  we never know how those spiritual experiences will come about, or where they will lead us.  as it turned out, joyce was working her nursing rotation in san francisco when she came upon laguna honda; a very florence nightingale style hospital, with wards and nurses and doctors doing somewhat 'pre-modern' medical treatments; before hmo and limited care that left you anticipating returning home before you had even been seen by a doctor!

as joyce was sharing with me about this book, inviting me to read it, she had no way of knowing that i had been to laguna honda in the early 1970's; my 'home church' in daly city had a member of the congregation who resided at laguna honda.  each month the women organized a birthday celebration for the members of her ward; they'd drive into the city with homemade cakes; we'd sing and visit and share the gift of time -- even 40 years ago, the gift of time was a commodity that was in short supply.  but each month this caring act continued!

had joyce not read that book, connecting with her experience there and sharing it with me, neither of us might have ever had this particular shared experience -- and, i suspect, this shared experience might never have reached 'blog status'.  do you have such shared experiences with people whom you meet? 

funny how a technical glitch empowered me to write this particular blog, when, as i arrived, i had something entirely different on my mind to share.  a spirit thing, i suspect, although i'm not sure the spirit had anything to do with my ineptness....  i was just fortunate enough to take a moment to contemplate a "plan b" (using anne lamott's image of how "plan a" wasn't want needed to be shared in the first place!)  a technical glitch?  no!  this was so much more!  have you ever had such an experience as this worth your time to share?

{an aside . . . . i will be away for the next two weeks; a week's vacation, and a week of continuing education.  i can't promise i'll be able to get my technical skills going....but none-the-less, i'll be back pondering very soon!  thank you for your continued interest and your kind feed-back!}

old, new, and i can't figure it out!

this is kristen celebrating christmas; some of us have to work, but i'm not bitter!

somehow, my blog settings have changed over the new year, and i can't seem to figure out how to change them.
so, here you are, getting to experience this new setting with me.
kristen and ben went to the islands for christmas, and i stayed home.  and i got this great picture, so i'm sharing it with you!  what a way to end 2012; with a splash!
and after all the financial cliff hoop-la, i can honestly say, i don't feel any differently in the new year.
the light still dawns on us, and hopefully, we will be able to share the good news, even if our politicians in washington d.c. can't figure it out!

and the picture below is new year's day; my home; i stayed home on that day too!  you can't really see, but our snow in merced looks a little like what people might call 'frost'.  and it was indeed, cold, and has continued to remain cold.  so walking is a challenge in the early, wee hours of the dawn.  but, alas, somebody has to do it!

i suggested to our communion group at the hampshire that they take their morning walk in the afternoon!

and so the new year has begun.  i started sorting out my taxes, and then this morning, in preparation for 'epiphancy', i began to prepare for our high school/college sunday school class.

we will have an epiphany party, based on the beginning text of matthew, chapter 2.  we'll hear about and explore together what epiphany is and was, and what it means to us today -- seeing the light; exploring the possibilities; sharing the gift of life.

we'll have gifts to share, and cake to eat.

now about the cake....a healthy cake to begin the new year...ok, carrot cake -- from scratch -- well, at least it sounds healthy; carrots and raisins; but then you add things like sugar and oil.  well, none the less, it will be a memorable way to explore why it is that one baby made a ruler (herod) so uncomfortable, and why, 2,000 years later, we still seek to follow in 'the way'.

what does it mean to share 'the light of the world', to you?

how will you share your faith in the coming year?

when will you be willing to serve in mission in the days to come?

who, if not jesus, will compel you to advocate on behalf of those whose voice and lives are being silenced?

where will you find your strength to make a difference -- meditation, community support, bible study, a small group; or will it be a sound bite, a headline in the newspaper, a facebook post or a website?

have you started your new year's resolution yet? 

reading?

lifestyle change?

setting out to make a difference?

are you finding peace and making a difference yet in the new year -- and if not, how are you setting out to find your spiritual place in 2013....

for me, the old continues to keep getting older;

the new continues to cause me to remember that i am old and need to continue to learn something new.

and, there is some comfort in knowing that i can't figure everything out...

leaving me to remember how important it is to ask for help, and offer help to others when asked.

all in all, it's not a bad beginning for a new year!