You Were Formed for Change
Two weeks ago I preached a sermon from Isaiah 43. It was a particularly impassioned sermon – even if I do say so myself! We had just come from a Sunday school class where members and friends of the church had turned in their theological (and not so theological!) questions – and Luke and I had endeavored to answer them. One of those questions was: “Do you believe God gives everyone everything they need to do what God wants them to do? If so, how do you know what role you play in this?”
This is a good question to ask regardless of the time of year – but a particularly good question as we enter Holy Week. A time for us to reconsider the stewardship God has placed in our hands as we seek to make life better for in our world. This brings me back to Isaiah 43: “This is what God says, the God who builds a road right through the ocean, who carves a path through pounding waves, The God who summons horses and chariots and armies— they lie down and then can't get up; they're snuffed out like so many candles: "Forget about what's happened; don't keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I'm about to do something brand-new. It's bursting out! Don't you see it? There it is! I'm making a road through the desert, rivers in the badlands. Wild animals will say 'Thank you!' —the coyotes and the buzzards— Because I provided water in the desert, rivers through the sun-baked earth,Drinking water for the people I chose, the people I made especially for myself, a people custom-made to praise me.” The Message Isaiah 43:16-21
After Isaiah encourages the people of Israel to“Forget the former things…Do not dwell on the past, he invites them to be alert and be present to experience and participate in something brand new that God was about to do.
Do you believe that God can do a “ brand new thing” through you? Can you believe that you were “chosen for a task”, made for an assignment, called forth for intentional purposes? I can hear your arguments now!
We are in the midst of a lousy economy – can God give me something meaningful to do in this? (…the God who builds a road right through the ocean, who carves a path through pounding waves.)
Our country is in the midst of two wars… not to mention the terrorist threat that hangs over our heads. Can God give us an assignment when the risk of annihilation is ever-present and even the most trusted of our financial institutions turn out to be corrupt and our politicians seem helpless! (The God who summons horses and chariots and armies—they lie down and then can’t get up; they’re snuffed out like so many candles.)
But we’ve all been through SO much!! Illnesses that have debilitated us and left us weak – even bald! Relationships that we counted on and thought would last forever turned out to be false and fleeting. Friends and family that we counted on, a future we banked on, an identity we believed, a circumstance we trusted – all of these can turn to nothing but fluff and bubbles!! (Forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand new!)
The challenge we all have is matching ourselves to the assignment! What is it that best positions you to declare praise to God through your vocation or your avocation – your relationships, values or interests? Our goal is to match the passion, mission, vision, and strengths within us to a particular assignment. Imagine doing something that connects with your passion; one that is in line with your personal mission; one that helps you realize your vision for serving others. My experience is that when these things line up in our lives - great things happen!
So, now is the time to be conversant with your passions. What angers you the most and what brings you great joy? Answer this and you have a hint about your calling. What do you think about when you envision a preferable future? Think on this and you will have a hint about your vision. What results are worth your life? Think on this and you will arrive at your mission. Now add your gifts, abilities, competencies, and experiences and you will begin to clearly see what God formed you to do.
You were formed for change! Trust that God will provide “water in the desert, rivers through the sun-baked earth, drinking water for the people I chose, the people I made especially for myself, a people custom-made to praise me.”
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
PURPLE – A SPECIAL SUNDAY – A SPECIAL COLOR.
” I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it.” Alice Walker “The Color Purple”
In the April edition of our church newsletter, I’ve suggested that we celebrate PURPLE SUNDAY on the Sunday following Easter – April 19. The Sunday following Easter in the Christian calendar is referred to by lay people and clergy alike as “low Sunday”... low meaning lower attendance and certainly, lower expectations than Easter week – but I’m suggesting that we do something different (even radical?) on that Sunday. Let’s rename it and reclaim it! We’ll drape the pulpit and lectern in purple, hang a royal purple drape over the overhead cross and we’ll all wear purple – and all its varied shades – as diverse as we are: Violet, plum, lavender, lilac, puce, thistle, orchid, mauve, magenta, royal, amethyst, wine, pomegranate, eggplant and mulberry!
Why purple?? Purple has always been linked to royalty and spirituality. A mysterious color, purple is associated with both nobility and spirituality. The opposites of hot red and cool blue combine to create this intriguing color and it has a special, almost sacred place in nature: lavender, orchid, lilac, and violet flowers are often delicate and considered precious. Because purple is derived from the mixing of a strong warm and strong cool color it has both warm and cool properties – making it a blending of opposites – mysterious in its make up!
The color of mourning for widows in Thailand, purple was the favorite color of Egypt's Cleopatra. It has been traditionally associated with royalty in many cultures. Purple robes were worn by royalty and people of authority or high rank. The Purple Heart is a U.S. Military decoration given to soldiers wounded in battle.
The earliest archaeological evidence for the origins of purple dyes points to the Minoan civilization in Crete, about 1900 B.C. The ancient land of Canaan (its corresponding Greek name was Phoenicia, which means “land of the purple”) was the center of the ancient purple dye industry. “Tyrian Purple,” the purple dye of the ancients mentioned in texts dating back to about 1600 B.C., was produced from the mucus of the hypobranchial gland of various species of marine mollusks, notably Murex. It took some 12,000 shellfish to extract 1.5 grams of the pure dye. Legend credits its discovery to Herakles, or rather to his dog, whose mouth was stained purple from chewing on snails along the Levantine coast.
Rome, Egypt, and Persia all used purple as the imperial standard. Purple dyes were rare and expensive; only the rich had access to them. The purple colorants used came from different sources, most from the dye extraction from fish or insects. The imperial purple of Rome was based on mollusk from which purpura comes. Emperor Aurelian refused to let his wife buy a purpura-dyed silk garment, as it cost its weight in gold!
Insect and animal-based purple colors were mentioned in the Bible for use in textile furnishings of the Tabernacle and for the sacred vestments for the High Priest Aaron, and they also were used in King Solomon's and King Herod's temples in Jerusalem.
Pope Paul II in 1464 introduced the so-called “Cardinal's Purple,” which was really scarlet extracted from the Kermes insect. This became the first luxury dye of the Middle Ages until William H. Perkin discovered an aniline-based purple dye called “mauveine” in 1856 while searching for a cure for malaria. Perkin was an English chemist who changed the world of his time by making this purple color available to the masses. It became quite fashionable to wear clothing dyed with “mauve,” and Mr. Perkin became a very wealthy man.
The New Testament makes reference to one of Jesus’ female followers and financial supporters being a “seller of purple.”
During the Easter season we generally place a “robe” of purple on the cross hanging from the center of the sanctuary of our church to symbolize the authority of Christ in our lives. That is what the Easter season is all about – and the color purple can be an outward sign of our inward desire to be more like Christ – to live like Christ – to be known as Christ’s disciples! Let’s take our outwardly imperfect selves and clothe ourselves in the color of royalty and spirituality! Christ leads us through death of the old self, motives, attitudes and behavior -- to new life, and empowers, energizes, enables us to face life today and tomorrow as winners, not losers, lovers, not haters, victors, not victims. Amen!
” I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it.” Alice Walker “The Color Purple”
In the April edition of our church newsletter, I’ve suggested that we celebrate PURPLE SUNDAY on the Sunday following Easter – April 19. The Sunday following Easter in the Christian calendar is referred to by lay people and clergy alike as “low Sunday”... low meaning lower attendance and certainly, lower expectations than Easter week – but I’m suggesting that we do something different (even radical?) on that Sunday. Let’s rename it and reclaim it! We’ll drape the pulpit and lectern in purple, hang a royal purple drape over the overhead cross and we’ll all wear purple – and all its varied shades – as diverse as we are: Violet, plum, lavender, lilac, puce, thistle, orchid, mauve, magenta, royal, amethyst, wine, pomegranate, eggplant and mulberry!
Why purple?? Purple has always been linked to royalty and spirituality. A mysterious color, purple is associated with both nobility and spirituality. The opposites of hot red and cool blue combine to create this intriguing color and it has a special, almost sacred place in nature: lavender, orchid, lilac, and violet flowers are often delicate and considered precious. Because purple is derived from the mixing of a strong warm and strong cool color it has both warm and cool properties – making it a blending of opposites – mysterious in its make up!
The color of mourning for widows in Thailand, purple was the favorite color of Egypt's Cleopatra. It has been traditionally associated with royalty in many cultures. Purple robes were worn by royalty and people of authority or high rank. The Purple Heart is a U.S. Military decoration given to soldiers wounded in battle.
The earliest archaeological evidence for the origins of purple dyes points to the Minoan civilization in Crete, about 1900 B.C. The ancient land of Canaan (its corresponding Greek name was Phoenicia, which means “land of the purple”) was the center of the ancient purple dye industry. “Tyrian Purple,” the purple dye of the ancients mentioned in texts dating back to about 1600 B.C., was produced from the mucus of the hypobranchial gland of various species of marine mollusks, notably Murex. It took some 12,000 shellfish to extract 1.5 grams of the pure dye. Legend credits its discovery to Herakles, or rather to his dog, whose mouth was stained purple from chewing on snails along the Levantine coast.
Rome, Egypt, and Persia all used purple as the imperial standard. Purple dyes were rare and expensive; only the rich had access to them. The purple colorants used came from different sources, most from the dye extraction from fish or insects. The imperial purple of Rome was based on mollusk from which purpura comes. Emperor Aurelian refused to let his wife buy a purpura-dyed silk garment, as it cost its weight in gold!
Insect and animal-based purple colors were mentioned in the Bible for use in textile furnishings of the Tabernacle and for the sacred vestments for the High Priest Aaron, and they also were used in King Solomon's and King Herod's temples in Jerusalem.
Pope Paul II in 1464 introduced the so-called “Cardinal's Purple,” which was really scarlet extracted from the Kermes insect. This became the first luxury dye of the Middle Ages until William H. Perkin discovered an aniline-based purple dye called “mauveine” in 1856 while searching for a cure for malaria. Perkin was an English chemist who changed the world of his time by making this purple color available to the masses. It became quite fashionable to wear clothing dyed with “mauve,” and Mr. Perkin became a very wealthy man.
The New Testament makes reference to one of Jesus’ female followers and financial supporters being a “seller of purple.”
During the Easter season we generally place a “robe” of purple on the cross hanging from the center of the sanctuary of our church to symbolize the authority of Christ in our lives. That is what the Easter season is all about – and the color purple can be an outward sign of our inward desire to be more like Christ – to live like Christ – to be known as Christ’s disciples! Let’s take our outwardly imperfect selves and clothe ourselves in the color of royalty and spirituality! Christ leads us through death of the old self, motives, attitudes and behavior -- to new life, and empowers, energizes, enables us to face life today and tomorrow as winners, not losers, lovers, not haters, victors, not victims. Amen!
Monday, March 16, 2009
On "Honoring the Hardened Heart" - A Lenten Sermon
The following is my sermon from March 8. I think it's a valuable subject -- and maybe worth repeating here. Enjoy -- and I'd be interested in your comments.
Our last two sermons of the Lenten season have been about the wilderness – and now that we know about the wilderness, this week becomes a time to choose a particular part of it and select a practice to clear space in that wilderness…. Or to put it another way “how to create a small oasis of peace amid the chaos of our lives.”
Hear another voice from scripture that talks about our hearts – “Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; rend your hearts and not your clothing” Joel 2:12-13
What does it mean to “rend your heart – and not your clothing?” Well, it’s not pretty! To rend a piece of fabric is to tear it… or break it. So what we are being asked to do is break our hearts or tear our hearts – rather than anything else – in order that we might be prepared for God?
O Great, you say – the one Sunday I come to church and the pastor tells me to break my own heart – like I need help with that!! Well, here’s what I mean:
If you’ve ever been in psychotherapy – you know that you can expect things to get worse before they get better. Therapy, rehab from a torn muscle or broken bone or any kind of recuperative healing, means that we have to work hard – and hurt – in order to bring about healing. Any significant experience of introspection and change, rends our hearts just in the way the book of Joel describes. In healing, a person begins to clear away defenses, old habits, and destructive patterns – whether they are physical, mental or emotional.
From an emotional or spiritual point of view we need to see that underneath those patterns is the heart – the tender, vulnerable and wounded core self. When feelings, long held at bay, begin to emerge, a person initially feels more pain than before the therapy or spiritual awakening began! – It feels like the effort to heal is making life worse!
However, when we move through long unfelt emotions and continue with courageous change – a richer, fuller life emerges – and produces a deeper connection with ones self and others.
What I’m suggesting today is that we “rend out hearts to God” – or break our hearts open to God for the sake of greater love – larger truth – and a more open communication with ourselves, one another and with our God. The Lenten invitation to “rend your hearts” is not a breaking for the sake of destruction – but a rending for the sake of greater tenderness, and openness.
The first step in rending one’s heart for God is learning to respect and appreciate the hardened heart! We all have hardened or closed our hearts in various ways for various reasons – and we will do it again. The hardened heart is essentially a collection of defenses that protect us from harm – some of these defenses have been in place for years – others may be new. When they are first used, these defenses serve a wonderful purpose – to deflect pain! But sometimes, those defenses – so closely guarded – become more of a problem than the pain itself.
At our first Lenten Learning event, Sam Gill talked about dependency and addiction as a defense. For instance, the child of an alcoholic might become a super achiever because achieving gives a much needed sense of control. Perfect grades and a perfectly tidy room can give a sense of safety. This child tells herself that a perfectly ordered life magically protects her from her alcoholic parent’s unpredictability. The super achiever role safeguards her from a terrifying sense of powerlessness. For this child, a good set of defenses means survival – and we owe our defenses a dept of gratitude – they keep us sane and in some cases, even alive. Recognizing and honoring our hardened hearts is the first step to a new way of being. Giving thanks for the precious gift of the protection that our hardened heart has offered helps us to break open the shell and reveal the precious vulnerability that we have guarded for so long.
Since it is daylight savings time – I’m reminded of a Sundaymany yea rs ago when we had turned the clocks forward as we did this morning – and after worship I recessed as I always do after the benediction and run head first into one of my parishioners – a man who was active in the church – smart and likeable – but also very controlled and fastidious – a perfectionist in many ways.
As our eyes met I saw that he was FURIOUS!! It was obvious that he had forgotten to set his clock forward – and here he was wandering into the lobby at the sound of the benediction – an hour late for worship. Before I could say anything he VERBALLY lunged at me. HOW COULD YOU?? HOW COULD YOU? He said. “Pardon me” I asked. HOW COULD YOU CHANGE THE TIME OF THE SERVICE AND TELL EVERYONE EXCEPT ME!!
Now, if it wasn’t so sad, it would have been laughable! He thought I had INTENTIONALLY moved the time of the service and INTENTIONALLY not let him know! That I had picked him out of 200 other members of the church – and kept it a secret from him.
Was his heart hardened? Oh yes it was – in a very sad and counterproductive way. Can you imagine how much hurt must have been in his life – how much rejection and abandonment – that he would actually BELIEVE that a church and a pastor would single him out to deny him something the rest of us had!
This defense of the hardened heart – the one who needs to be in control – or who lives in a faulty delusion. happens to far more than just the child of the alcoholic – it happens to ANY of us who experience our life as out of control.
The capacity to express vulnerability is a great human strength. We sometimes wish our vulnerabilities would disappear so we wouldn’t have to worry about hiding them. But without hose pesky vulnerabilities we could convince the world that we have it all together, that we have no unsatisfied needs, that we can care constantly for others and never need care ourselves, that we are who we appear to be on the outside – and that we are not afraid, or sad or insecure or ashamed or lonely.
But it is only in showing our weakness that we become strong – only in giving in to a broken heart that we can achieve real power – the power to truly be who we are.
Human beings need care, especially during childhood when our lives depend on it. But we also need it as adults. No one, not even the most rugged individual is entirely self-sufficient. Christ’s good shepherd image speaks directly to our need for care – here is one who knows that we need care and seeks us out and provides for us.
By admitting our weakness, we take the first step toward embracing true power, no matter how shameful we consider our weakness. Accepting our vulnerability is yet another way in which our hearts break for God. We break away the mask of false self-sufficiency and admit that we depend upon one another, that we depend on God and that we are limited and human – weak by nature and strong by our ability to connect with others and to ask for what we need.
So take a moment – What are your favorite defenses? How have they protected you over the course of your life? How have your defenses created a hardened heart – or barriers between you and God or you and others? When you feel that you are “rending you heart”
Our last two sermons of the Lenten season have been about the wilderness – and now that we know about the wilderness, this week becomes a time to choose a particular part of it and select a practice to clear space in that wilderness…. Or to put it another way “how to create a small oasis of peace amid the chaos of our lives.”
Hear another voice from scripture that talks about our hearts – “Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; rend your hearts and not your clothing” Joel 2:12-13
What does it mean to “rend your heart – and not your clothing?” Well, it’s not pretty! To rend a piece of fabric is to tear it… or break it. So what we are being asked to do is break our hearts or tear our hearts – rather than anything else – in order that we might be prepared for God?
O Great, you say – the one Sunday I come to church and the pastor tells me to break my own heart – like I need help with that!! Well, here’s what I mean:
If you’ve ever been in psychotherapy – you know that you can expect things to get worse before they get better. Therapy, rehab from a torn muscle or broken bone or any kind of recuperative healing, means that we have to work hard – and hurt – in order to bring about healing. Any significant experience of introspection and change, rends our hearts just in the way the book of Joel describes. In healing, a person begins to clear away defenses, old habits, and destructive patterns – whether they are physical, mental or emotional.
From an emotional or spiritual point of view we need to see that underneath those patterns is the heart – the tender, vulnerable and wounded core self. When feelings, long held at bay, begin to emerge, a person initially feels more pain than before the therapy or spiritual awakening began! – It feels like the effort to heal is making life worse!
However, when we move through long unfelt emotions and continue with courageous change – a richer, fuller life emerges – and produces a deeper connection with ones self and others.
What I’m suggesting today is that we “rend out hearts to God” – or break our hearts open to God for the sake of greater love – larger truth – and a more open communication with ourselves, one another and with our God. The Lenten invitation to “rend your hearts” is not a breaking for the sake of destruction – but a rending for the sake of greater tenderness, and openness.
The first step in rending one’s heart for God is learning to respect and appreciate the hardened heart! We all have hardened or closed our hearts in various ways for various reasons – and we will do it again. The hardened heart is essentially a collection of defenses that protect us from harm – some of these defenses have been in place for years – others may be new. When they are first used, these defenses serve a wonderful purpose – to deflect pain! But sometimes, those defenses – so closely guarded – become more of a problem than the pain itself.
At our first Lenten Learning event, Sam Gill talked about dependency and addiction as a defense. For instance, the child of an alcoholic might become a super achiever because achieving gives a much needed sense of control. Perfect grades and a perfectly tidy room can give a sense of safety. This child tells herself that a perfectly ordered life magically protects her from her alcoholic parent’s unpredictability. The super achiever role safeguards her from a terrifying sense of powerlessness. For this child, a good set of defenses means survival – and we owe our defenses a dept of gratitude – they keep us sane and in some cases, even alive. Recognizing and honoring our hardened hearts is the first step to a new way of being. Giving thanks for the precious gift of the protection that our hardened heart has offered helps us to break open the shell and reveal the precious vulnerability that we have guarded for so long.
Since it is daylight savings time – I’m reminded of a Sundaymany yea rs ago when we had turned the clocks forward as we did this morning – and after worship I recessed as I always do after the benediction and run head first into one of my parishioners – a man who was active in the church – smart and likeable – but also very controlled and fastidious – a perfectionist in many ways.
As our eyes met I saw that he was FURIOUS!! It was obvious that he had forgotten to set his clock forward – and here he was wandering into the lobby at the sound of the benediction – an hour late for worship. Before I could say anything he VERBALLY lunged at me. HOW COULD YOU?? HOW COULD YOU? He said. “Pardon me” I asked. HOW COULD YOU CHANGE THE TIME OF THE SERVICE AND TELL EVERYONE EXCEPT ME!!
Now, if it wasn’t so sad, it would have been laughable! He thought I had INTENTIONALLY moved the time of the service and INTENTIONALLY not let him know! That I had picked him out of 200 other members of the church – and kept it a secret from him.
Was his heart hardened? Oh yes it was – in a very sad and counterproductive way. Can you imagine how much hurt must have been in his life – how much rejection and abandonment – that he would actually BELIEVE that a church and a pastor would single him out to deny him something the rest of us had!
This defense of the hardened heart – the one who needs to be in control – or who lives in a faulty delusion. happens to far more than just the child of the alcoholic – it happens to ANY of us who experience our life as out of control.
The capacity to express vulnerability is a great human strength. We sometimes wish our vulnerabilities would disappear so we wouldn’t have to worry about hiding them. But without hose pesky vulnerabilities we could convince the world that we have it all together, that we have no unsatisfied needs, that we can care constantly for others and never need care ourselves, that we are who we appear to be on the outside – and that we are not afraid, or sad or insecure or ashamed or lonely.
But it is only in showing our weakness that we become strong – only in giving in to a broken heart that we can achieve real power – the power to truly be who we are.
Human beings need care, especially during childhood when our lives depend on it. But we also need it as adults. No one, not even the most rugged individual is entirely self-sufficient. Christ’s good shepherd image speaks directly to our need for care – here is one who knows that we need care and seeks us out and provides for us.
By admitting our weakness, we take the first step toward embracing true power, no matter how shameful we consider our weakness. Accepting our vulnerability is yet another way in which our hearts break for God. We break away the mask of false self-sufficiency and admit that we depend upon one another, that we depend on God and that we are limited and human – weak by nature and strong by our ability to connect with others and to ask for what we need.
So take a moment – What are your favorite defenses? How have they protected you over the course of your life? How have your defenses created a hardened heart – or barriers between you and God or you and others? When you feel that you are “rending you heart”
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
A Trinity Challenge (Thanks, Oprah!)
If you’ve been around me for very long you know that I am an Oprah fan. I watch her show whenever I have the chance – and on Monday, still recovering from an upset stomach and with 4 inches of snow outside my window – I had the chance!
Her program was on a relevant topic – how to scale back in these tough economic times. Two families took an “Oprah challenge” that involved reductions in spending, time spent on the computer or in front of the television and driving. As I watched, I couldn’t help but think how a challenge like this would be good for everyone – and wondered if as a church we might engage ourselves in a similar challenge for the Lenten season.
Here is what Oprah proposed:
One day without spending.
One week without using your credit card
One month without going out to eat or ordering take out.
Additionally, her families had other restrictions involving prohibitions on electronics (TV and computer) and for some, giving away “excesses” to charities.
What would it be like to take the Oprah challenge? Could we come up with out own “Trinity Challenge” for Lent or could we offer each other the choice of taking the Oprah challenge or accepting our own challenge tailored to our congregation? I’d like to propose the following:
One day when we give an equal amount to the church or a charity what we spend on ourselves.
(Choose the day ahead of time – if it’s Thursday, then you will need to keep track of all your expenditures on that day so you know what to donate.)
An “E-Sabbath” when you turn off all electronic devices for at least 24 hours – no Blackberry, no personal computer, no email, no cell phone, no television, no DVD or VCR, no Gameboys or other handheld electronics. (Exceptions can be made for those who use a computer at work… this is about your PERSONAL use of these items)
One week without going out to eat or ordering take out – and in addition, making an effort to “eat local” by avoiding all foods that have been grown in far-away places and shipped, trucked or railed to us. Eating local means shopping at a local farmers market and reading the labels about where you food comes from when you buy it at the grocery store.
Donate what you don’t need and what you can live without: Go through your closet and remove “duplicate” items. Do you have 4 cans of baked beans? 6 bottles of detergent? Are there clothes in your closet with the tags still on them that you haven’t worn? Do you have 8 pair of the same kind of shoes? Make some tough decisions! Donate those items to the rummage sale or to some other charity – or give them to a friend or family member who has less than you do.
Lastly, think of what else might belong on this list. Contact me in the next week and we can make decisions about the “Trinity Challenge”. Perhaps one week before Easter we can make some changes in our lives and the lives of others by doing some rather simple things.
I’ll wait to hear from you!
Her program was on a relevant topic – how to scale back in these tough economic times. Two families took an “Oprah challenge” that involved reductions in spending, time spent on the computer or in front of the television and driving. As I watched, I couldn’t help but think how a challenge like this would be good for everyone – and wondered if as a church we might engage ourselves in a similar challenge for the Lenten season.
Here is what Oprah proposed:
One day without spending.
One week without using your credit card
One month without going out to eat or ordering take out.
Additionally, her families had other restrictions involving prohibitions on electronics (TV and computer) and for some, giving away “excesses” to charities.
What would it be like to take the Oprah challenge? Could we come up with out own “Trinity Challenge” for Lent or could we offer each other the choice of taking the Oprah challenge or accepting our own challenge tailored to our congregation? I’d like to propose the following:
One day when we give an equal amount to the church or a charity what we spend on ourselves.
(Choose the day ahead of time – if it’s Thursday, then you will need to keep track of all your expenditures on that day so you know what to donate.)
An “E-Sabbath” when you turn off all electronic devices for at least 24 hours – no Blackberry, no personal computer, no email, no cell phone, no television, no DVD or VCR, no Gameboys or other handheld electronics. (Exceptions can be made for those who use a computer at work… this is about your PERSONAL use of these items)
One week without going out to eat or ordering take out – and in addition, making an effort to “eat local” by avoiding all foods that have been grown in far-away places and shipped, trucked or railed to us. Eating local means shopping at a local farmers market and reading the labels about where you food comes from when you buy it at the grocery store.
Donate what you don’t need and what you can live without: Go through your closet and remove “duplicate” items. Do you have 4 cans of baked beans? 6 bottles of detergent? Are there clothes in your closet with the tags still on them that you haven’t worn? Do you have 8 pair of the same kind of shoes? Make some tough decisions! Donate those items to the rummage sale or to some other charity – or give them to a friend or family member who has less than you do.
Lastly, think of what else might belong on this list. Contact me in the next week and we can make decisions about the “Trinity Challenge”. Perhaps one week before Easter we can make some changes in our lives and the lives of others by doing some rather simple things.
I’ll wait to hear from you!
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