A Revelation

One of the big perennial questions or concerns of new leaders in the church is prayer. Not feeling comfortable praying out loud or more likely, not really knowing what to say is a fear very common in church leaders who are asked to pray. I'm not really sure where this fear comes from. It could be that pastors who are expected to develop a prayer-life over many years of preparation for ministry and throughout our various calls simply look way more comfortable than we really are. Or it could be that those who are less than comfortable praying aloud have seen one too many professional pray-ers and believe that they, themselves, come up short.

But when we turn to the Bible and see snippets of prayer or worship in the Scriptures themselves what is often astonishing to me is how simple and God centered prayer is. Gone are the long-winded prayers that last an eternity, the poetically articulate prayers of note are somewhat missing and in their place what is it that we see?

Well, for instance, take verse eight of chapter four in John of Patmos' Revelation. After John describes the heavenly thrown room of God and the various creatures that inhabit the eternal presence of God almighty we are given a hearing of what the eternal song of praise is when John writes:

"Day and night without ceasing they sing, 'Holy, holy, holy, the Lord God the Almighty, who was and is and is to come.'"

It really is beautiful in it's simplicity isn't it? It may not be what many people have in mind when they think about prayer, especially if prayer is about asking. But if prayer is about forming our relationship with, to, and for God, then what better prayer than one praising God?

As you continue to move along the path of Advent that culminates in our celebrations of the birth of the One "who was and is and is to come" may your prayer life be just as filled with prayers of praise to God for being God as much as you prayer by asking. For when you do so, I believe you will begin to see how many of your prayers God is already answering.

Struggling with the Daily Lectionary in Advent

Even though reading the daily lectionary has been a good discipline for me to engage in this Advent, it sure has been challenging with the last chapters of Amos and Matthew in particular has been very straining with their words of condemnation and warning. But maybe that's just the sort of thing we need to hear. I mean, even though many of us have felt the effects of the financial downturn over the last year we all still have quite a lot of stuff and if we are not planning an extravagant Christmas it will most likely not be one of nothing and just another day for most of us. In other words, we're mostly all still pretty well off.

So then, reading today's passage from the Gospel of Matthew where Jesus speaks out against the scribes and Pharisees may be a word to us, even if we are tempted to think Jesus' words apply only to those people he was berating 2000 years ago. In chapter 23 of Matthew we read the following:

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. It is these you ought to have practiced without neglecting the others.

When I read those words a little while ago it got me thinking about how much actual time do we spend thinking and praying about the weightier matters of the law; of justice, mercy and faith. You know what I mean don't you? How often are our conversations, church study groups and sermons for that matter focused on treating others in our society with the justice and mercy of God? How often do we spend talking about what it would mean to live in relation with others in our world based solely on faith and not be influence by politics, status, economics or credential? How often are our concerns and arguments tied up in things as seemingly insignificant as mint, dill, and cummin?

Maybe especially in these weeks leading up to the Advent of the Christ we need to think about how the birth of Jesus changes everything; how Jesus in our lives effects every relationship we have whether the most intimate bonds of family or the most hard to imagine bonds we have with those who are profoundly other, but none the less Children of God endowed with the capacity to love and be loved. What if we really took our preparations and celebrations of Jesus into account in such a way?

Things I Didn't Learn in Seminary #......

There are, of course, a multitude of things I didn't learn in seminary but the most pressing one this week is whether or not to accept the gift of a cut spruce tree for decoration in our sanctuary for Advent & Christmas. On the surface this sounds like a no-brainer, doesn't it? I mean how can you turn down a generous gift, in this case someone in the church who has for the past 20 years been growing a spruce in her yard for the express purpose of donating it to the church.

But the more people talk about it the more difficulties arise: people who are allergic to evergreen trees, the size of the tree and getting it up into our second floor sanctuary, the daily watering and monitoring a cut live tree requires, and then there are the clean up issues just to name a few. On the up side there is honoring the generous gift of a caring member of the church, coupled with the "traditional" feel of a real tree along with the beauty it would add to our worship space for a few weeks in December.

The tough thing for me is I don't simply think its a matter of making a "pro" and "con" list. Is that really how we should be making decisions in the church? Sure we've done it that way for a long time or at least for as long as people can remember. But is there any where in the Bible or in the early history of the church where leaders made a pro/con list or allowed a simple majority to win? No, it seems like prayerful appeals to God and God's Son relying on the guidance of the Holy Spirit are the foundations of decision making in the Old and New Testament communities of faith.

So where does that leave us in twenty-first century Southern Idaho? Can we get past a simple issue of whether or not to put a spruce tree in our sanctuary in a way that honors Christ? Should such considerations even matter? Or do we simply let people's opinions or a majority of pros versus cons rule the day?

Urban Renewal & Church Renewal

While I really should be working on my sermon this morning another idea popped into my head as I was thinking about an outline for this Sunday's sermon. It popped into my head because last night the Price family was invited to an election wake. One of the men in our church ran for city council and lost by a scant 120 votes out of about 2500 votes cast and one of the issues he was running on was how to go about redeveloping and renewing the downtown area of our small city of Twin Falls. It was a nice affair with he and his wife's neighbors and supporters from around town sharing our condolences over the loss and speculating on what might have been.

Remembering that this morning as I woke up got me thinking about how Twin Falls has (from what I've heard) over the years tried various strategies, hired different consultants, and gone with different approaches to get people back to downtown shopping and living. Of course the reason that business and community leaders have been working on this issue in towns and cities like Twin Falls all over the country is that years ago shopping downtown was the thing to do and these leaders would like to recapture something of those glory days if not at least bring some of that energy back.

This made me think about how downtown churches have gone to similar approaches in renewing their ministries in historic buildings in downtown Twin Falls as well as across the country. Just as downtown businesses have had to struggle with the big boys like Target, Wal-Mart and Best Buy, so too have historic downtown churches had to deal with comparisons to large big-box churches in the suburbs or outskirts of towns and cities.

This really hit home for me yesterday afternoon while sitting down with a couple who are preparing to have their infant daughter baptized this Sunday. After a very cordial and friendly conversation the young mother asked, "When does your young mother's group meet?"

Earlier in the conversation they said that they had attended one of the big-box churches on the edge of town for a few months but that they want to be a part of our church for how welcoming and hospitable it is. But the thing about our warm and hospitable church is that while we have young families we also have many middle-aged families and quite a few much older couples and widows/widowers; not that there's anything wrong with that. It's just that after their big-box church experience they were looking for something similar in our historic downtown church that simply can't offer the same amenities as the big boys.

What we do offer however is that we do several things well, much like some of the downtown businesses in Twin Falls. For instance, if you want to buy new kitchenware in Twin Falls you can always go to Wal-Mart or Target and find a really good price but then again you could also go to Rudy's on Main Street who specializes in and knows all about a whole range of kitchen needs. Or say its time for a new grill, there are three dozen different models available at Lowes, but downtown on 2nd Avenue Brizees specializes in some really amazing grills that will last a generation.

So too, if someone is looking for many niches under one roof there are several big-box churches that offer every conceivable niche ministry under the sun. But here at First Presbyterian there is high quality music, hospitality that can't be beat and people who want to know your name and who you are.

I don't if I have any answers, it just seems that the urban renewal movement and church renewal movement might have something to learn from one another.

An Interesting Week

This sure has been an interesting week. It started off with a day off reading Mary Doria Russell's classic "The Sparrow". My morning reading took me from earth to Rakhat and first contact. Russell's book is so moving in its grasp of faith questions as well as what it would mean to contact other species (another way for sci-fi writer's to address race and culture issues). That Monday afternoon was spent doing stained glass, a small project for my nephew in Seattle for Christmas. Then the Price family was off to dinner at Jakkers' and then home to watch both the Denver Broncos & Philadelphia Phillies win on the same night. So it was a great day off and thank goodness because it has turned into a good but trying week of pokes and prods.

I say that because on Tuesday I went to see Dr. Dan about my hand tremors which turned out to be something called "Essential Tremor" and nothing more serious. We are going to look at treatment options in the weeks to come. But what was most trying about the visit was that he wanted some of my blood! And I had to get two vaccinations. So before I left his office I got poked in the left arm first with seasonal flu and then in the right arm with tetanus along with encouragement to fast on Tuesday night in order to show up first thing on Wednesday to have blood drawn for lab work, which I did reluctantly.

I know I sound like a baby, but I really don't need all that attention. Though on the up side it did give me the opportunity to bring out and practice in my head the "Jesus Prayer", that is, "Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner." It may not sound like much, but said over and over and over again in my head it helps calm me. And while I was at the dentist on Thursday--that's right--two vaccinations, blood work, and the dentist all in the same week! Anyway, while I was at the dentist having my teeth cleaned (no cavities!) the Jesus Prayer came in handy once again and while my gums were being probbed I felt for a little while as if Jesus was by my side comforting me through the ordeal.

Thanks to prayer and the fact that I've been flossing and brushing my gums along with my teeth and thanks to some really great nurses I've survived "an interesting week". Now it's Friday and I have Church Officer Training packets to put together and a graveside for an out of town family I do not know along with cleaning my office before I head home later today. All in all, it has been a good week, I can't wait to see what God has in store for the coming week!

The Mystery of Faith

Its Sunday morning about 9:30 a.m. and I am doing what I can to wrap my brain and heart around what it is that God has called me to be as a pastor and Minister of Word and Sacrament. For the most part, when I think about it, I feel like most of my gifts for ministry are wrapped up in being a pastor, that is; listening to others, being present in others lives, being available to others and those kinds of things. But on Sunday morning the expectation of being the Minister of Word and Sacrament, that is proclaiming God's Word through preaching and administering the sacrament of communion is really a mystery.

Granted, I know that people are showing up for worship for a multitude of other reasons than that Phil Price is pastor. Its just that it is such an amazingly frightening and humble thing to stand up and address and lead this congregation in worship. There are so many talented people who sit in the pews and the memories of some truly great pastors from the past reside in the souls who sit in our sanctuary and that I might follow in there footsteps is a lot to bear in my soul. But I have to do it, don't I? I mean I can't just sit here and pretend that someone else will stand up for me today, can I?

And so my prayer is that the words I have prepared will be enough for the Holy Spirit to use so that those who have gathered for worship today may catch a glimpse of God's grace and glory. And when they are so touched by God's Spirit they too might work to bring about a pieced of God's glory and grace in their own lives and in those whom they encounter throughout this Lord's Day and the week to come.

Facebook

That one word describes why I haven't updated my blog yet. After resisting the idea for some time, I finally added myself to the social-networking phenomenon. I must say that I was skeptical, after all how much real contact can you have with people when you can't hear their voice or see their face? But what I've found out is that Facebook can be just one more way for me as a Pastor to stay in touch with and find out how the people in my charge are doing. Of course that still means following up with people which takes time and effort. But then again I am able to see who is where and what they're up to and what's on their mind, which in part is part of my responsibility as pastor.

Another thing that Facebook has done is allowed me to be in contact with colleagues around the country who are working hard to discern what it means to be pastor in our rapidly changing world. Throughout the day when I dip into Facebook for a few minutes between tasks I see that other pastors are engaged in the same activities that I am and are also experiencing similar frustrations. And so, in that way it can be a powerful (and cost effective way) to be supported in my own ongoing efforts to more fully serve God in my own particular call.

It is also fun to slip in the different prayer practices that I engage in throughout the day and week. Perhaps by mentioning how I seek to "pray without ceasing" it will encourage others to see that a lofty Biblical goal is possible in life, even for the non-church worker.

Of course, not keeping up with the rest of you who do read this blog from time to time is no real excuse either. I'll just have to find a little more balance, which, in the end, is part of what it means to faithfully follow Christ.

Midsummer Doldrums

Yes its the middle of the summer and I'm feeling lost in the midst of a wide open stretch of windless water, a bit ironic I must admit as yesterday's winds in the Magic Valley were gusting above 30 miles per hour. It's not that I'm bored or that there is nothing to do, not with a week and a half of evenings full of meetings or social and family times coming up. No, it's more about being between the wonderful things that have happened over the past few weeks in worship and things that are unfolding over the next month or so.

In the midst of this low time I pulled out a resource about Sabbaticals, as you may know I'm eligible for one in the summer of 2011. As I've been dreaming about that I've been following Jan Edmiston's blog, www.achurchofstarvingartists.com which is chronicling her sabbatical this summer. It is fun and interesting and eye opening all at the same time. She has visited with former members of the church she serves in Alexandria in places like Texas and Istanbul. She led a workshop at the conference I attended in North Carolina. She also blogged about church members not really understanding the sabbatical once she was gone. So I've picked up some ideas and hopefully will be able to implement them in the two years leading up to sabbatical.

I've also been using this in between time to practice some new prayer forms. One that I'm really excited about is "Praying in Color" by Sybil MacBeth. The basic idea is that many of us get hung up in prayer in trying to figure out what words to use, but this new prayer form encourages us to hold a person's name or a desire of our heart or even scripture before God and doodle, yes drawing shapes and using various colors, as a way of holding that person or idea before God in order to keep our mind from wondering. It has been a great way for me to pray with and for our congregation, especially in this in between time.

I've also been reading a lot of fiction, in particular alternative history. It has been a good escape without having to leave Twin Falls.

I'm sure this season of my heart will pass and the next few weeks of meetings, Eric's birthday, Kathy's trip to Sheridan, two weddings, and Kathy and Eric's trip to Seattle will ease me through the doldrums of the summer.

Glad to be Home

It has taken me about a week to realize that I'm home after two weeks on the road. North Carolina was great, probably the best insight I picked up from the conference for "young" (under age 40) Presbyterian Clergy was to be more open to God and strive to fear God more than the congregation. Pretty much what this means is seeking God's will more than listening to the competing egos that make up the congregation. Sounds simple, right? Well, it really isn't not after a generation or two have been taught that if they kick and scream enough their wants and felt needs will be met. I'm not saying that FPC, Twin Falls is too addicted to getting their way, but I do see such behavior (mine included) in the midst of all the wonderful things that have happened in our first three years together.

After a 12 hour "lay over" in Twin Falls it was off to the Oregon Coast to spend upwards of ten days in the South Beach neighborhood of Newport. We really had a phenominal time with uncharacteristically warm (60-65 degree) weather for seven of the full days we were there and it rained on the day we left! Like a lot of people we opted for a really simple holiday, eating most of our meals at the house and doing cost-free things like beachcombing and sand castle building. We did manage to go to Rogue Brewery's resturant on our Anniversary, no better way to celebrate our first 13 years of marriage than with Imperial Stout, Porter and India Pale Ale, is there?

Since I've been home we've planted two aspens in the yard, removed a 26 foot by 4 foot section of sod in the back yard. I've been to Ketchum for an Investigating Committee meeting and have attended several church social functions along with a few meetings and worship this past Sunday. And now I'm getting ready to put together the bulletin for Sunday's worship. So I'm back in the swing of things and glad to be doing it with and among the people I've been called to serve in Twin Falls, Idaho!

A Hearty Thanks!

I just have to take some time-out to say thank you to a bunch of people from First Presbyterian Church, Twin Falls, Idaho. At the risk of leaving a name or two off the list, for which I am deeply sorry, I just have to say that there are several people in our congregation who have gone the extra mile and then some.

Earlier this week Harry Geist and Rick Horner braved the wilds of our sanctuary attic and wondered out on top of the stained-glass dome that is suspended over or worship space and very carefully vaccumed off about a quarter of an inch of dust from the glass. According to some estimates, Rick and Harry cleaned away nearly twenty years of dust and dirt from an amazing piece of religious art suspended above our heads to reveal some astonishing colors. And while it is not as dramatic as the cleaning of the Sistien Chapel over the last few years, for many in the congregation tommorrow will be their first glimpse into the beauty that is the dome above their heads.

And while Harry and Rick have been at work on the dome, several other people have been at work adding color to our worship space. A few weeks ago Harry Geist along with Doug and Judy Pollow discreetly added flag-pole brackets to the side walls of our sanctuary. They did so because they wanted to hang banners along the sides of our worship space in order to add color and to visually narrow the width of our large sanctuary. Along with their adventures up the ladders and figuring out the measuring tape a number of women (Karen Grubb, Darlene Annen and Barb Bratt) got out their sewing machines to put hems on eight banners of various shades of red and yellow to hang on the recently affixed flag-pole brackets.

The effect of side banners and the newly cleaned stained glass dome will be, I hope, quite a statement for tommorrow's Pentecost worship. All of the hours put into creating the various visuals is a testament to the church holiday that commemorates the gift of the Holy Spirit to enliven the early group of Christians.

Throughout the last few weeks as those named above and others have come together we, at FPC Twin Falls, have seen a glimpse of what can happen when we rely on God to encourage us to share our gifts of time, talent and treasure for the good of the whole church. Thank you to all who have made this visually stimulating Pentecost possitble!

"A People's History of Christianity: The Other Side of the Story" by Diana Butler Bass

This book was, in a word, Magisterial!

Diana Butler Bass succeeds and them some with her goal of telling the story of Great Command Christianity over and above what she calls "Big-C Christianity." The latter is what she says most people know about the history of Christianity, even if they don't know much, that is; Christ, Constantine, Christendom, Calvin, and Christian America. Big-C Christianity is the version of power and triumph that does not always take into account the life and love that the man Jesus of Nazareth taught. It is not as though Diana Butler Bass thinks there is no validity to Big-C Christianity, it is more that she wants us to hear the voices and wisdom of those who are often overshadowed by the leaders of Big-C Christianity.

On the other hand, or to borrow from the subtitle, Diana Butler Bass tells the other side of the story from the perspective of both men and women who have appeared throughout church history, some names we know and other names that are less familiar. The name for this "other side of the story," that is, Great Command Christianity comes from Luke 10:25-27 where "a lawyer approached Jesus and asked him, 'Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?' Jesus responded, 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart ... and love your neighbor as yourself.'" Most of "A People's History of Christianity" focuses on those who lived up to the command of loving God and neighbor, even if it meant doing so without being "in power."

The scope of the book runs from the Early Church Fathers and Mothers into Medieval Christianity, Reformation Christianity, Modernity and on down to our contemporary situation. I was able to pick this up at the Twin Falls Library and if you take the time to read these 300 pages you will be awakened to the wonders of Christian Spiritual Practices as well as an appreciation of the length, bredth and depth of the Christian Witness throughout 2000 years of humanity. As I said before, and I'll say it again, this book is impressive and a wonder to behold. I highly recommend that you take the time to read it, especially if you are interested in Church history and more importantly if you are interested in the people who have made the church what it is.

Midway through Holy Week

Well here we are, "hump-day" of Holy Week, do you feel it? Perhaps not, you've probably got so much going on and so many different places to be and are being bombarded by so many different messages from which restaurant has the best food to which toothpaste will get your teeth the whitest to which car will make you feel more complete that pausing to consider what it means to be midway between Jesus' triumphal entry and then looking to the cross on Friday and celebrating his resurrection on Sunday might seem like distant things to ponder in the midst of so much reality.

But the fact is, we are in the midst of one of the most momentous weeks in the Christian calendar. Though our culture may not realize it, this week is more Holy than any week in December, at least if you remember that only two of the four Gospels bother to mention Jesus' birth story and the rest of the New Testament doesn't seem all that concerned with it in the firstplace. Then again, as recent news stories have pointed out, our culture is more concerned with the bottom line; that is, making sure that we shop and spend and keep the economy churning and not all that concerned with our "Walk with Christ".

It should come as no surprise then, that as our culture and society have made the choice between various church holidays that Christmas is the one that has won out; when in reality it is the events of Holy Week: the Palm Sunday Parade, Thursday's Last Meal, the horrors of Friday, the silence of Saturday and the glorious return of Sunday that matter most in determining who we are as Christians.

So, if it is possible at all, even if you don't take the opportunity to worship on Maundy (from the Latin mandatum, refering to Jesus' New Commandment of loving each other from John 13:34) Thursday or Good Friday or Holy Satureday, at least take some time to pray and ponder what it means to worship and follow one whose obedience to God was so strong as to follow a path of so much pain that ultimately leads to so much joy.

The Night Before Palm Sunday

Twas the Night Before Palm Sunday and all through the house not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. Huh?

On this night before Holy Week begins what should be going through our minds, if anything? Are we as ready as those who knew Jesus was preparing on entering the Holy City so many years ago? Are we prepared for a week of repentance and prayer as we look forward to celebrating communion mid-week and then observing the crucifixion the next evening? Will we awake on Easter with anticipation and wonder as those who awoke so long ago?

As we begin this Holy Week perhaps we too are in a position to look longingly for the long promised Kingdom of God promised by Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. And while we may not find ourselves under the boot of an oppressive regime like Rome, we do find ourselves caught up in a system that can seem coersive and debilitating, namely consumerism. And while consumerism may not be as pervasive as an occupying force in our streets, it does rear its ugly head upon us all as we wonder whether or not we have enough of this or the right kind of that.

So will we be able through off the shackles of consumerism as we remember and observe the events that lead to and beyond Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection? Only you will know, but my prayers are with you as you figure out what it means to celebrate a blessed Holy Week beginning tomorrow with Palm Sunday.

Second Home

Granted, the title of this blog might speak to a dream home at the beach or one in the mountains, somewhere where an individual or a family can escape the trials of life. And those certainly are nice for those who can afford them, but I'm thinking about a second home that many families and individuals can find right in their own communities. I'm speaking about church as a second home.

Last night while I was at LOGOS, after a busy day and trying to get a lot done, a feeling came over me of contentment that some might find in a second home which is an escape from daily life and gives them the energy to go on with the rest of the week. Yes, I had seen many of the same people on Sunday morning, but as pastor, and I suspect for most church goers, the Sunday morning event does not allow for the same depth of relationship that a meal or common task affords.

But mostly, for me, the sense of a second home came after dinner when I sat down with two senior high boys for Bible study. We are watching the "Lord of the Rings" and then talking about how ideas in the film connect with the Bible and life. While we were settling into a clip about Loving Relationships, a dad and his preschool daughter joined us for some movie watching and then consideration of how the Bible and a popular film talk to us about being in relationship with God and one another.

It struck me in that space: how different, how removed from regular life, and yet how valuable it was, what an opportunity for relationship building to have two senior high boys, two thirty-something dads and a preschool daughter listen in on a conversation that God started a long time ago, about what makes for loving and lasting relationships.

Having that time apart from the crush of deadlines and expectations and goals and concerns is vital for the life of both the individual and the family. And it is a joy to be part of forming a second home for the people of First Presbyterian Church in Twin Falls, Idaho. I hope you, too, will continue to join me in building this second home, as well.