I wondered what it was in the early morning light,
Because I was looking, seeing, but something had escaped my sight.

So I rose from my rest and wandered out the sliding door to see what I could not see,
There on the ground, on the cold hard concrete was a creature still and no longer free.

I stretched the temporary security holding the gate,
Stepping close I looked at the broken one lying in a motionless state.

With the edge of my shoe I nudged this little one with feather colored in art.
I was surprised to have the life return as it sprung to its feet giving me quite a start.

We stood toe to toe for what seemed a very long time,
Gazing at one another, me with my smile and the little one with feather fine.

I suspected my new found friend was not smiling at all,
After what appeared to be clear sailing ending with a fall.

It cocked its head back and forth in question and with a chastising chirp,
Took to wing and fluttered away out of stone, leaf, and dirt.

I stood and watched as it flew, darting here and there, and then out of sight.
I went back to my perch in my office warm and light,

I wondered upon wonder as I peered again through the glass,
How long we inside the church will continue to say we see and …alas,

All the while willingly unaware of those yearning for a warm and welcome place,
Lying cold and broken just outside that clear but present barrier to grace,

On our front step, left outside, behind, turned away this One, the Christ,
How long will it take to see what we refuse to see, the Light Free and Bright.

What is prayer? Is it an expression of hope, of focus, of request, petition, meditation, a posture of being in the Presence of the Divine? I suppose it is all of the above and more. I have come to think of prayer less in terms of vocalized wishes, requests, or petitions and more of a state of being. Understanding the Divine as that all embracing and encompassing Presence in which we live and move and have our being. In that sense prayer becomes not just words but rather connection, presence, in and with us in the midst of the Presence that connects us literally to and with the Divine and to and with one another.

I liked that image I shared a couple weeks ago when speaking of God as a fish in water. The Presence like water surrounds, imbues, fills us outside and in and connects us to one another and literally the whole of the universe. In terms of personal prayer as I was doing research and reading for this coming Sunday’s theme and message I ran across an image that I resonate with coming from the Quaker tradition. Rather than telling someone they will “have you in my prayers,” they say “I will hold you in the light.” For our purposes in this current “Rethinking” series I like that image and as we continue on know that I hold each of us, our church, our community and world “in the light,” I will “hold you in the Presence,” “in my heart.”

Maybe on some simplistic level that is what I see in the eyes of Simeon, surrounds, imbues, fills us outside and in and connects us to one another and literally the whole of the universe. In terms of personal prayer as I was doing research and reading for this coming Sunday’s theme and message I ran across an image that I resonate with coming from the Quaker tradition. Rather than telling someone they will “have you in my prayers,” they say “I will hold you in the light.” For our purposes in this current “Rethinking” series I like that image and as we continue on know that I hold each of us, our church, our community and world “in the light,” I will “hold you in the Presence,” “in my heart.”

Maybe on some simplistic level that is what I see in the eyes of Simeon, yes his wish for an ear scratch, a dropped morsel, or a friend at the door, but maybe somewhere deep down that only the Presence can connect with he and all creation “holds us in the light” of love and peace. I hope you will join us this Sunday as we continue on the Way and consider and “Rethink Prayer.”

It is one of the many ways we seek to be faithful to the Spirit and one another here at the Hill, where you are one of the family. Here where there is always an open door, a safe space, a warm welcome, and a place at the table.
Until next week, God bless, and know you are never alone.

She was a rather unassuming presence, seemingly trying to decide what it was she wanted to put in the plastic tray she held in her hand. She had a stocking cap pulled tight on her head, at least two or three layers under the well-weathered over coat she wore, shoes that were untied, and a blue scarf draped around her neck. I stood patiently beside her as she worked her way down the side as well.

Suddenly she looked at me and said, “I’m sorry I will get out of your way, I won’t touch you, I know I look a mess.” She caught me off guard, I found myself a bit at a loss for words, if you can imagine that. Not thinking I reached out my hand as if to touch her on the shoulder to reassure her I was in no hurry and said, “You’re fine, take your time.” She recoiled at the gesture and simply said, “I’ll move.”

She did move on down the side of the island from me and continued selecting the items she wanted. I finished filling my container, snapped it shut, and started to the cashier to pay for my lunch. I stepped around to the other side of the island where the lady had retreated to; others surrounded her now on both sides. I caught her eye and she looked at me again with suspicion and distrust. I said, “You have a good day.” One eye squeezed down in a squint but the other eye looked right into my soul it seemed. She closed the lid on her container, stepped away from the island, all the while looking at me, and in a gravelly voice she said, “I will you know, I will. Thank you.” and she disappeared around the end of the aisle.

I pondered, as I walked back to the church …the face of the Divine that day at the salad bar in Dillons…I wonder.

It is one of the many ways we seek to be faithful to the Spirit and one another here at the Hill, where you are one of the family. Here where there is always an open door, a safe space, a warm welcome, and a place at the table.

I have witnessed the Shar Pei in Simeon with his cleanliness and his sometimes aversion to water, as well as his Labrador when he goes on point, eats something he shouldn’t have like a book, or decides on occasion a deep water swim may not be as bad as he thinks and dives right in. Identity is often important in the world of show dogs and other venues, but mostly for us Simeon is just Simeon whichever personality or breed he happens to be drawing on in the moment.

Identity for we in the human world can be extremely important in knowing who we are, why we do what we do, and for we in the church what and why we believe the way we do. College Hill has had a long history of being identified in a particular way, with a particular cause, and a particular vision. I am humbled to be a part of the journey of College Hill now for this year and a half and look forward with anticipation and hope for what is to come in the next months and years.

I was so pleased to see our identity placed clearly on our Sunday Morning Order of Celebration as well as our Newsletter, “A Progressive United Methodist Community; Wise, Bold, and Graceful.” I believe our vision of being Wise, Bold and Graceful speaks deeply to our commitment about who we have been, who we are, and who we will continue to be. It has been for some time now I have considered the other portion of the statement on the front cover of our Sunday Morning Celebration Folder this identity of A Progressive United Methodist Community. I know what I think that means but I wondered as we have journeyed together if that is as clear for others as it is for me, or at least as clear as I think it is for me.

There is a group that is perhaps little known in some church circles regarding Progressive Christianity I have found helpful in my own understanding, The Center for Progressive Christianity at http://www.tcpc.org/template/index.cfm this site have a wealth of resource and information regarding the Progressive movement. Let me share with you the Eight Points they use to speak of what it means to be a Progressive Christian,
This from The Center for Progressive Christianity website,

By calling ourselves progressive, we mean we are Christians who…
1. Believe that following the path and teachings of Jesus can lead to an awareness and experience of the sacred and the Oneness and Unity of all life.
2. Affirm that the teachings of Jesus provide but one of many ways to experience the Sacredness and Oneness of life, and that we can draw from diverse sources of wisdom in our spiritual journey.
3. Seek community that is inclusive of ALL people, including but not limited to: Conventional Christians, questioning skeptics, believers and agnostics, women and men, those of all sexual orientations and gender identities, of all classes and abilities.
4. Know that the way we behave towards one another is the fllest expression of what we believe.
5. Find grace in the search for understanding and believe there is more value in questioning than in absolutes.
6. Strive for peace and justice among all people.
7. Strive to protect and restore the integrity of our Earth.
8. Commit to a path of life-long learning compassion, and selfless love.

Many, if not all of these guidelines are contained in our own documents of vision and mission, and these are certainly not considered to be the all in all of a Progressive Christian Community but a template and place to begin discussion.

As part of my own pondering about what it means to be College Hill and a Progressive United Methodist Community we will be venturing into a new Sermon Series beginning this Sunday, January 8, 2012. The Series is actually a two part series as we journey through these initial days of the New Year and then into Lent and will finally wrap up the two part series on Easter Sunday.

The first Series is a seven week journey into some of the theological considerations as we find those identifiers that mark us as a Progressive Community. We will look at the topics of God, Jesus, Prayer, Baptism, Communion, Sin, and the Cross. I believe it is important as we think about these in terms of what they mean for us and how we experience and live out our faith and wrestle with why we believe what we believe about these.

The second Series is also a seven week journey through Lent to Easter into ways we live out our faith based on what we might believe about God, Jesus, Prayer, etc., how then do we encounter the world around us and embrace those around us and speak and serve in a posture of love, grace, and welcome, perhaps in other words, how then we to BE Wise, Bold, and Graceful in our church, in our city, in our world. I hope you will join us as we continue to be College Hill UMC, and continue to visit and revisit who we say we are and why it is important for our community and world.

It is one of the many ways we seek to be faithful to the Spirit and one another here at the Hill, where you are one of the family. Here where there is always an open door, a safe space, a warm welcome, and a place at the table.

I have developed a bad habit though here in the last several weeks. Rather than waiting for the pot to finish brewing I take my cup to the kitchen, carefully lean the coffee carafe back and slip my cup in under the stream of freshly brewed coffee. It is not generally a good practice because one always loses just a bit in the transfer, but a quick swipe with a towel cleans it up.

As I was sneaking my first cup this morning the Buddhist classes I had taken a month or so ago came to mine. The Teacher at the center spoke often about all the opportunities a day provides to practice patience. In the moment there I was unwilling to wait just a few minutes for my morning coffee. To make matters worse just as I removed the carafe and sat my cup so the stream of coffee could fill it, it was done. In this case I found myself impatient to the point of not waiting even a few seconds. I confess, patience does not seem to be my long suit in many situations.

Sitting here at my desk with my fresh coffee I am pondering patience, the Christmas Season, and our gracious Community of Faith here at College Hill. Let me first say what a blessing it is to be here in your midst as Pastor as well as one whom you read in this blog. TruDee and I have felt so welcomed and the community at College Hill fast became Home for us. Whether you are part of our Community of Faith or a follower of the blog and/or a follower on Facebook, thank you to each and every one of you for your care and your support over this last year and a half.

I also want to say that I believe things are very much moving in the right direction. There is so much positive energy around us and I believe the Spirit of grace, that Divine Presence is palpable among all of you as we move into the future. There are many challenges that still face us as a Progressive Christian voice, but we are facing each one as they arise and have persevered with grace and determination. I believe, with every ounce of who I am, we are on the verge of great things, just on the threshold of newness that will continue to carry us into a bright and wondrous future. It is not going to happen overnight, but I believe it is on the way, and I have to keep reminding myself to practice patience.

It is a good part of what this season in the church is all about, Advent, preparation for the coming of Christmas, Love born again among us, a light that dwells within each and draws us together into a brilliant light in our community and world. We are College Hill United Methodist Church, we are a Progressive Theological voice in our community and online, and we are Not Your Ordinary Church, and thanks be! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for who you are, for who we are and may each and every one of you have a Happy of Holiday and a Merry Christmas! Love to you!

It is one of the many ways we seek to be faithful to the Spirit and one another here at the Hill, where you are one of the family. Here where there is always an open door, a safe space, a warm welcome, and a place at the table.

I do understand that there are and have been incidents where someone has somehow taken offense at the greeting Merry Christmas, especially if they are not Christian. I also recognize the celebration of Christmas is about the celebration of Jesus and his birth and would not want to detract from that at all. I agree that in a large sense society in general has moved the celebration into way too much commercialism and materialism and that causes my heart to hurt, especially in these difficult economic times.

However, as I journey in my corner of the world I just do not see Christmas under attack. As TruDee and I shop here in the city I hear Christmas songs both secular and traditional Christmas hymns being played on stores, Merry Christmas shared by store staff and on signs in the windows. Listening to the local radio stations playing songs of the season such as O Holy Night, Little Drummer Boy, Silent Night, and Hark the Mary Did You Know, seems more than common in my world. We drove through a public park the other evening to see Christmas Light display and one of the first displays was a beautiful lighted Nativity Scene and I have yet to meet anyone who has said to me they find Merry Christmas offensive.

Now, don’t get me wrong I know there have been lawsuits and controversies about placing religious symbols on government property. I agree with the constitutional mandate of seperation of church and state and the non-establishment clause. So, in general I think we should keep religious icons, images, symbols out of our government. And at the same time I really have no problem placing religious symbols on government property as long as we are willing to be inclusive and include other religions other than just Christianity, we are a country grounded in freedom of religion and should not be exclusive in the practice. It is when we narrow that foundation to “freedom of Christianity” or any other religion at the exclusion of another that should cause alarm.

I guess it seems to me those who find such offense at Happy Holidays are not really concerned about taking Christ out of Christmas but rather an inability to share the season. Christmas and celebrating the birth of the Christ Child is not the only celebration going on in the months from November through January. There are Christian, Baha’i, Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, Jewish, African American, Sikh, Holy Days and Celebrations happening throughout our country and the world. I guess for me, I think as a country as diverse as ours, founded on freedom of religion, we would celebrate the gifts and joys all of these celebrations bring to each one of us. Sharing Happy Holidays with my Hindu, Muslim, and Buddhist friends is one of the freedoms this great country of ours provides me and I am more than willing to share the Holiday Season with them, after all the roots of the word Holiday simply mean Holy Day, and their Holy Days are just as important to them as my Holy Days are to me.

And so I will close out my ponderings and wish all of us the Happiest of Holidays, whether you find that in Merry Christmas, Ashura, Bodhi Day, Diwali, or the Birthday of Baha’u’llah, isn’t it wonderful to live in a place we are all free to celebrate. I find challenge in Martin Luther King Jr.’s words as I finish this pondering, “We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.” I pray we find such brotherhood/sisterhood/human-hood soon, may it be so. Until next week, God bless, and know you are never alone.

I do not mind this so much he is a very social dog and just enjoys playing with other animals. Really the only time I get frustrated is once we have passed them he spends considerable time spinning around checking behind us because surely his new found friend is following close, we spend a good number of feet with him spinning and me saying “Leave it!” “Heel!” “Come!” “Sim, stop it!” And then, seemingly as quickly as it started it ends and he is once again focused on where we are going rather on where we have been.

It is important to remember and acknowledge our past and where we have been. Our traditions, history, and past can set the trajectory to where we want to continue. Hindsight gives us perspective and often times a more true picture and vision of who we are and who we wish to continue to be, or who we long to become.

With that though, there are times and there is a time when we let that past inform us and we must move on. We must refocus ourselves on where we are going. If we spend all our time spinning around to see where we have been at best we just get confused and dizzy or worse we run into a wall and get stuck.

This coming week at our Celebration Services we will continue our journey through the weeks of Advent as we move toward Christmas and we will spend some time looking back. We will look back to see how the past informed the birth narratives of Jesus, and perhaps look back at how our own history informs who we are and who we hope to be.

Join us this Sunday for a little Hindsight knowing from where we have come, and trusting the Spirit to guide us to who we might be.

It is one of the many ways we seek to be faithful to the Spirit and one another here at the Hill, where you are one of the family. Here where there is always an open door, a safe space, a warm welcome, and a place at the table.
Until next week, God bless, and know you are never alone.

When they brought him out he did his normal happy dance and we headed for the vehicle, to the church, then home, but the joy seemed a bit short lived. At the house Tuesday evening he seemed a little down in the dumps, wouldn’t eat, just kind of moping around when he wasn’t curled up in his chair ignoring us. If I tried to get inside his head I would say that he was acting a little depressed, or maybe miffed at us for deserting him for ten days.

Wednesday he was back to his old self though, greeting us at the door, eating his food, singing his song when we came home from work. I wonder what had been going through his mind, separation anxiety, or maybe just getting even. Whatever it was I am glad it didn’t last too long.

Being disconnected from those we love can be a difficult journey at best. Those we care about and love need to hear from us now and then and we need to hear from them. It is part of what it means to be connected and in relationship. Take some time this week to give someone a call, drop by, send them an email, and let them know you are thinking of them and you love them; it may be just what they need to hear to bring a little life and love back into their journey.

It is one of the many ways we seek to be faithful to the Spirit and one another here at the Hill, where you are one of the family. Here where there is always an open door, a safe space, a warm welcome, and a place at the table.

I must confess I had the typical, rather cheesy images firmly in my mind as we snaked through the streets to downtown Salem. I had imagined witches with pointy hats, caped mysterious figures, black cats, ravens perched on windowsills, and all the things one might conjure up in preparation for such a day.

There was some of that imagery present in store fronts and on the streets, but I suspect not a great deal more than you might find in most business districts this time of year. There were a few in costume but very few. As we left that night there seemed to be a little more of what my mind’s eye had envisioned but still not a great deal more.
What did catch me a bit off guard, though I knew the history to some degree, was how I felt as I pondered this place of storied witches and mystery. As I listened to the tour guide, watched the reenactment at the museum, but mostly as I sat and reflected at the Witch Trial Memorial was the somberness I found. I walked the memorial reading each of the nineteen names who had been killed during that period in 1692 I was moved to sadness and a bit of anger as well.

It was religion gone terribly wrong, tragically wrong at the expense of the least of these at the hands of the powers that be who would not be questioned. I found myself rather speechless as I sat among the stones placed in their honor and memory and reflected not only on these nineteen but on all who have been persecuted by religion in our history and world; religion against religion, because of gender, color of skin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, nationality, and the list could go on and on.

I found myself with the ponderous question, “Why?” Why do we as humans continue to need a “scapegoat?” Why do we continue to need someone to blame, to persecute, to belittle, to attack? I hear from the Psalmist, “How long, O God?” How long will it take to realize we are all in this together? When will we finally embrace that rule that spans across almost every religion to “do to others as we would have done to us?”

Take some time this week to ponder such things. Take some time to reach out to someone who needs to know they matter. Take some time this season when you see one of those pointy hats who have come to your door for a treat and reflect on the tragedy of power gone too far, and say a little prayer, take action, speak up and make a little difference in your corner of that world that such tragedy never happen again.

It is one of the many ways we seek to be faithful to the Spirit and one another here at the Hill, where you are one of the family. Here where there is always an open door, a safe space, a warm welcome, and a place at the table.
Until next week, God bless, and know you are never alone.

I love to go fishing, I primarily fish with artificial bait casting in close to the reeds or stumps or limbs where the bass like to stay. For me there is something a bit Zen-like in the moment, getting into a rhythm, dropping the lure in just in the right spot. Recently I have said I would like to learn how to fly fish, it too looks a bit Zen-like, with the smooth motions and accurate casts. I asked once when taking Tai Chi classes if we could develop a fishing posture and move, it seems only natural to me.

We had a really good outing that day and caught quite a mess of fish, although for me fishing is the most important part and catching is just a bonus. Toward the end of our time on the water as the sun was setting on the horizon and the oranges and purples were streaming through the trees I sat my pole down in the boat and paused. I sat there and just soaked in the beauty of the evening, a cool breeze, the brilliant color, the glassy water, and the sounds of birds and other critters in the tall cattails around us. I just sat and tried to truly be in the moment.

You know, even when we are relaxing doing the things we love to do, even when what we are doing is filling our cup and renewing our spirit, it is good to stop and simply be in the moment. Jesus knew how to do that well, in our current sermon series I have come to know Buddha knew well how to simply be, it is good practice, it is good medicine. Take some time this week to set down your heavy load, or even pause in your play and relaxation and be.

It is one of the many ways we seek to be faithful to the Spirit and one another here at the Hill, where you are one of the family. Here where there is always an open door, a safe space, a warm welcome, and a place at the table.
Until next week, God bless, and know you are never alone.