Faith and Film, Friday at 7:00

A reminder that "Sergeant York," the May selection in our "Faith and Film" series, will be shown on Friday evening at 7:00.  This film, based on the true story of World War I hero Alvin York, is a great reflection on the moral quandary between Christian teachings about peace and obligations that may lead to war.

The 1941 movie stars Gary Cooper, in an Oscar-winning performance (one of two wins among nine nominations).  Directed by Howard Hawks, you can read more about the film here (WARNING: Don't read the plot synopsis if you don't want to know what happens in the film until you see it).  And you can read more about the real-life Alvin York here, on a site sponsored by the Sgt. York Patriotic Foundation.

Cabinet/Leadership Meeting on Wednesday

On Wednesday at 7:00 we will have our next Cabinet/Leadership meeting to discuss the direction of Central Christian.  The meeting will foster open discussion about any issue/topic that people feel we need to consider.  The issues I will raise at the meeting include worship -- including comments/reactions to Holy Weeks services -- and Christian Education, where we have several things to discuss.

The 2009 Scott Lectures: Thomas Campbell's Declaration and Address

Last week, I attended the annual Oreon E. Scott Lectures at Bethany College, "Celebrating the 200th Anniversary of Thomas Campbell's Declaration and Address of the Christian Association of Washington."  Three speakers, from each of the main branches of the Stone-Campbell movement, considered the historical and theological context for Campbell's publication and its modern consequences and challenges for us today.

It is ironic, though sadly understandable, that a religious movement dedicated to unifying Christians has itself split into three (or possibly even four) branches over the past two centuries.  There have been conservative and liberal splits in the movement twice (with a third developing).  The main branches are the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the Churches of Christ (often known as the a capella Churches of Christ because they do not use instrumental music in worship), and the Independent Christian Churches.

While the splits have been very real, there is a long-standing effort to maintain connections called the World Convention.  In recent years, efforts have increased, particularly in the area of cultivating knowledge of the Restoration Movement churches heritage.  There have been conferences and joint publications, including the 2004 Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement (an excellent resource).

Three scholars, from the various traditions, who have a long involvement in this effort shared lecturing duties at the Scott Lectures: Paul Blowers, Doug Foster, and Mark Toulouse.  Aside from the interesting intellectual perspectives each brought in their formal lectures, the best part of the two days for me (and for many I talked to) was the informal response of each of these scholars to the other presentations.   It was obvious that these men respect and like each other -- in fact, their camaraderie was infectious, leading to upbeat discussions.

Thomas Campbell's Declaration and Address... was a document about the need for Christian unity that Campbell wrote to justify the formation of a non-denominational Christian Association in Washington, Pennsylvania.  You can read about it here or try your hand at reading the entire document here.

Coming Up Sunday, April 26

On Sunday, we will continue our Easter celebration, focusing on Jesus' personal teaching about our need for time to reflect and pray.  In the midst of his ministry, and at the beginning of the disciples' ministry in Jesus' name, Jesus took time to go away to a private place with his disciples.

The concept of sabbath has taken a real beating in religious circles over the last 100+ years.  A day of rest used to be virtually dictated by law and by social norms -- stores were closed, few jobs required work on Sunday, and some Christians even followed the practice of doing no work (not even cooking) on Sunday.  Times have changed.  Virtually everything is open on Sunday, which requires many people to work and gives all of us the opportunity to run our errands and work on our to-do list.

The increasing hectic pace of our lives does not eliminate the need for rest -- even though it may limit our opportunities to rest.  If we cannot commit to a day each week where we do no work, can we still find times of rest, moments of sabbath, in our busy lives?   What does sabbath look like?  How can we follow Jesus' example to take time away from our responsibilities?

Worshipping with God in Church

During the sermon Sunday, I briefly suggested how difficult it would be for us to recognize God if He suddenly appeared in our midst during the middle of worship.  Perhaps I even hinted at the irony of this for faithful Christians, who speak of how God is always with us, but get scared that God might become too present for us.

Little did I know that the humor newspaper The Onion was going to explore a similar theme this week.  See today's news article, "God Makes Surprise Visit to Local Church."  Very funny, in a wry sort of way.

Good Friday Service, April 10 at 7 pm

We will remember Christ's crucifixion with a special Good Friday service focusing on Christ's seven statements spoken from the cross.  Several members of the congregation will offer brief meditations on each of these "Seven Last Words of Christ."

Regional Summer Internship Available

The Regional Office has released information on the Tad Fitzsimmons Youth Ministry Internship.  This internship, with a stipend plus room and board, is for three weeks, serving at the regional camps and a few days at the Regional Office.

Anyone who is at least two years past high school graduation is eligible for consideration, with preference given to someone considering a call to ministry.  Applications are due by May 1.

Information is available here.

Maundy Thursday Service, April 9 at 7 pm

Our Holy Week pilgrimage continues on Thursday evening with our commemoration of Christ's last night on Earth.  We will remember his celebration of the passover with his disciples, where he memorably washes their feet.  On the anniversary of the first Lord's Supper, we will share in Communion.

Then we will have a service of tenebrae, remembering Christ's actions through the evening, from the upper room to the garden of Gethsemane to the trial.  There will be several Scripture readings and special music as the darkness descends upon us.

Bible Study, Wednesday, April 8

Don't forget the special Holy Week Bible Study on Wednesday evening.  As part of our "Telling the Gospel" study, we will take a look at the Passion narratives in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.  There are interesting similarities and differences in how each of the gospel writers tells the story.  Come having read at least one of the Passion narratives.

Bonus points to the person who finds the streaker among the stories.  (No, that's not a joke.  There's a naked young man running around in one of the narratives.)

Wednesday, April 8 at 7 pm

Daily Prayer

Our daily blog feature, "The Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How of Prayer," has come to an end.  To continue, you are encouraged to prayer the Daily Office in the morning and evening this week.  Holy Week is an excellent time to pray the office: it is not only the holiest of weeks, but the scriptures used this week have been used in daily prayers during Holy Week for centuries.

There are many resources to help you pray the Daily Office, including complete information in The Book of Common Prayer, if you happen to have that on your shelf.  The challenge, if you've never prayed the Daily Office, is that most books include all of the pieces that you may use in your daily prayers, which can be hard to follow.  This information can also be found on numerous websites.

I have located a website that simply publishes the Office for each specific day, complete with the included scripture readings for each date, which is a much easier way to begin.  You can find the morning and evening prayers (distinguished by a little sun or a little moon, respectively on each date) for each day at this site.  I encourage you to try these prayers this week.

2009 Easter Special Offering

This Sunday and next we will collect the Easter Special Offering, one of six special offerings collected during the year to support the General and Regional Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

Unlike the other Special Offerings, which benefit specific ministries, the Easter offering is divided among several ministries of the church, including overseas and domestic missions, communications, financial ministries (including the Pension Fund which supports both my insurance and my pension), the historical society, and many others.

Here is the promotional video produced for this offering (coincidentally, Communication Ministries produces the films used to promote the offerings, among other things):

The ministries that benefit from the Easter Special Offering are:

• Division of Overseas Ministries
• Pension Fund
• Higher Education and Leadership Ministries
• Council on Christian Unity
• Disciples of Christ Historical Society
• Hispanic Ministries
• National Convocation
• Church Extension
• North American Asian Pacific Disciples
• Communication Ministries
• Year Book and Directory Services
• Treasury Services and Development
• Disciples Benevolent Services
• Christian Church Foundation
• Disciples Home Missions
• Christian Board of Publication
• Office of the General Minister and President

The What of Prayer: Evening Prayer

Under the Jewish calendar, sunset was the beginning of the day, rather than the end of the day.  And it was quite common for ancient Jews to pray just after sunset, as the day was beginning (one of three main prayer times during the day).

Over the centuries, our conception of time has changed, but the practice of Evening Prayer, sometimes called Vespers, around the time of sunset has continued.  Evening Prayer is so common, in fact, that many churches offer formal Vespers services following the prayer model. 

Evening Prayer is similar to Morning Prayer, incorporating daily scripture readings, a confession, the Lord’s Prayer, and other prayers. 

Today's Prayer Prompt: Try Evening Prayer sometime near sunset.

• “I am the light of the world.  He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” John 8:12
• Confession of Sin
• Read Psalm 43
• Read Jeremiah 31:27-34
• The Lord’s Prayer
• Other Prayers
• “May the God of hope fill us with joy and peace through the power of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.”  Romans 15:13

The What of Prayer: Mission

Christ, through his teaching, gave us many things to do in his name.  We are to teach about him, making disciples of all nations.  We are to feed the poor, house the homeless, tend to the sick, comfort the oppressed.  We are to reach out to one another in love.

It is a tall order, and it probably overwhelms each of us.  Sometimes we get discouraged, convinced that we cannot possibly do all of these things.  And we do less and less; certainly we do less than we otherwise could.

How rarely do we pray for encouragement and the means to serve others in Christ's name?  We pray for the poor, but do we pray that we discover ways we can reach out to the poor?  We pray for the sick, but do we pray that we may become a healing presence in their lives?  We pray God's love on all people, but do we pray that we may become a visible part of God's love for others?

Today's Prayer Prompt: Ask God to use you to reach out to others in your prayer today.  Ask for encouragement and perseverance in your service.

The What of Prayer: Anxieties

We tend to be anxious about many things in our lives.  We worry about our jobs, our families, our bank accounts.  We wonder if we have offended people by saying the wrong things or not saying anything.  We worry about the weather and whether WVU will make a bowl game.

Unfortunately we don’t like to admit that we worry about anything at all.  So we tend to be defensive about our anxieties, fighting against revealing them to other people and sometimes even refusing to admit them to ourselves.  If we can’t admit them to ourselves, it is difficult to raise them with God.  Then again, once we do admit them, we sometimes obsess about them to the point that we think about little else.

So our prayers about our anxieties need to have three parts.  We need to pray that God helps us to recognize honestly our fears.  Then we need God to restrain us so that we do not place too much energy worrying them.  And, of course, we need to pray for God’s help in overcoming our fears.

Today's Prayer Prompt: Pray for God to help you name your anxieties so that you and He can work on calming them.

The What of Prayer: Discernment

Open my eyes, Lord, so that I may see more clearly and more broadly.  Help me to look beyond my own limitations – beyond my selfishness, beyond my egotism, beyond my daily cares.  Help me to see the world in which I live more clearly, so that I may better understand my place within it.

Open my eyes, Lord, so that I may see more clearly and more broadly.  Help me to see that I am you spirit-led creation, full of purpose and opportunity.  Help me to see the opportunities you provide me to serve and live more fully.  Give me the courage to ask others for their advice and grant me ears to listen to them.

Open my eyes, Lord, so that I may see more clearly and more broadly.  Help me to see your hands throughout creation.  Lead me with your spirit to live in this world with wiser compassion and spirit-filled love.  Allow me to always glimpse your many graces in my life and the lives of those around me.

Today's Prayer Prompt: Think about an opportunity to do something different that you’ve been thinking about for a while.  Ask for God’s direction about this opportunity when you pray today.