Saturday, September 27, 2008

Coming Up Sunday, September 28

On Sunday we will finish our sermon series on the early Jewish Monarchy. This week we will see the consummation of David's dream as Solomon builds the Temple, "God's Home."

The Temple is the great legacy of the Jewish monarchs. It represents the ultimate transformation of the Israelites from a tribal people to a nation, by placing the center of their religious practice in Jerusalem, the center of politics. Interestingly, the Temple also represents the growing separation of politics and religion for the Israelites -- even though the palace and the Temple are both in Jerusalem, they have distinct leaders, the king and the high priest, respectively.

Sunday we'll consider how the Temple became the focal point of Jewish religion, even as it was destroyed, rebuilt, and destroyed again. Even today, the narrative power of God's Home is a powerful part of Jewish identity, a tangible representation (now the Western Wall) of God's presence and favor for the Jewish people.

What does it mean for God to have a home? What does it mean for God to be at home? These are the questions we will consider, both for the Israelites in the days of Solomon and today.

Reconciliation Offering, This Sunday and Next

This Sunday and next we receive the fourth special offering of the year sponsored by the General church, supporting the Reconciliation Ministry. This offering is taken each year in conjunction with World Communion Sunday, which is observed the first Sunday in October, and supports the anti-racism effort of the Christian Church.

Here is a letter from the Minister of Reconciliation, Rev. April Johnson, about the offering. And there is more information about the offering here and here.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

"Seeds of Faith" on Wednesday

Our new biweekly activity, "Seeds of Faith," starts this Wednesday. I hope that you'll come and try out this new activity, which will incorporate worship, fellowship, education, and service for all ages. This is a new way for us to develop our faith lives together.

This session will feature supper, informal worship, and Family Game Night. Supper will be provided (Pizza -- we are asking that families offer a small donation to offset the cost). There will be a few minutes of worship. Then we will gather together for a time of games and fellowship. Please feel free to bring board games and cards to share with others.

By the way, word out of the Midwest that I might have baby news soon. Please keep my sister in your prayers.

Friday, September 19, 2008

Coming Up Sunday, September 21

This Sunday we will come to the end of David's reign in Israel. Now on his deathbed (like the other great heroes of Jewish history) he gives a final speech. It is not as long as some of the speeches (one assumes that Jacob would have passed out midway through his marathon speech, for example), but it is still prescient, giving clues about the future of the Israelites.

Just before the speech, David summons his servants and tells them to anoint his son Solomon as the king. Then he speaks his final speech to the new-king Solomon. Contrast this to the previous king, Saul, who gives no final speech and has no control over who will follow him as king of Israel.

This is David's final earthly reward for his faithfulness -- he gets to choose who will next rule his kingdom. For all but the most paranoid monarchs (Herod the Great comes to mind) who can't imagine their kingdom being ruled by anyone else, this is the most important final action of a ruler.

But it is also the challenge for any leader -- how do we let go of the things that we have cherished and controlled for a certain amount of time? The reward for good service is not eternal service; it is simply having a say in the future after you. (On the other hand, the consequence for bad service is not having a say in the future.)

While we will consider the implications of David's death for Israel on Sunday, I also want us to take some time to think through our legacies, in our families, our jobs, our churches, etc. How do we let go -- sometimes while we're still alive and kicking? How do we react when some of our cherished traditions are changed by those who come after us (holiday dinners, church services, job focuses)?

Thursday, September 4, 2008

A Mile Too Far?

I am a regular watcher of a news program that you've probably never heard of -- Religion and Ethics Newsweekly on PBS. This weekly half-hour program attempts to even-handedly cover religion, and I think it does an admirable job. Given its American audience, it is heavily focused on Christianity and Judaism. But beyond this editorial bias, it covers various denominations and faiths fairly.

On the most recent program last weekend, which I came across earlier today, they ran a feature profile on a homeless preacher in California. This is an interesting story, trying to determine if this man is living out Jesus' teaching or has been led astray. This obviously smart, and well educated (he was working on a PhD), man decided that all possessions are an illusion and he decided to give them all up. So now he is homeless, and he works odd jobs so that he has money to give to people who ask him for it.

Here is a link to the story.

I'm not sure how I feel about this story. There are certain aspects (like the implicit dissolution of his marriage) that are troubling. But it certainly is an intriguing way to consider one's own faith, and it offers a radical transformation of how our lives could be as disciples of Christ.

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

New Disciples Website

I hope that you've taken the opportunity to see our new congregational website, which will continue to grow over the upcoming months.

Today, the general church has released their updated website Disciples.org. Not only does the site have a new look, it also has some new elements, including RSS feeds (which automatically will report updates to specified personal accounts) and online giving options. The new platform also will allow some future features, including integration with social networking sites.

If you've never seen Disciples.org, you should take a look.