Foto Friday - 2014 Rousseau Family Winter Retreat

My family and I returned last night from a week's vacation in the mountains of North Carolina, where we enjoyed the hospitality of our dear friends' cabin. Rather than upload another photo album to Facebook, I thought I would again use my blog to record my Sabbath activity of photography, which I thoroughly enjoyed on this trip and learned more about my camera than all previous outings combined. I may upload more photos here than necessary but I hope you'll enjoy it anyway! 

A couple of shots from our scenic drives together (I logged over 24 hours behind the wheel, including the drive there and back):

Where we stayed:

Some shots from our hikes near the cabin:

Obligatory shots of my beautiful children:

Here are some shots where I was attempting to capture less obvious perspectives (so much natural beauty around, I gather most wouldn't have thought of these):

I also spent some time experimenting with long exposures. Here are some "first-trys" at star trail photography (I was all set to make a second effort on our last night but it was cloudy...boo) and light-painting (I used the flashlight on my iPhone...the kids had a lot of fun with this):

Finally, I learned some valuable lessons in the importance of persistence and composition. There is a rather large creek that runs behind the cabin (hence the name for the area "Land of Living Water") and I had been trying to capture the movement of the water using long exposure. I took dozens of photos before finally getting one that I like. First, here is the location as captured by my iPhone from the adjacent path...it doesn't look like much.

Here is the final product from my Nikon. It required several attempts at finding the "just right" composition (which included me stepping into the creek to move an uncooperative branch from the frame), waiting for the right light, the right exposure, patience, and most importantly, a tripod. I indeed learned a lot from this one.

So, there you have it...the Sabbath activity of photography (what I call "searching for God through the lens of my camera") is so good for my soul. Friends, I pray you all find something like it for those times when you are resting in who God is and all God does.

Shabbat shalom.

#LukeActs2014 - Luke chapter 3

Writing this morning from a beautiful cabin in an area called the "Land of Living Water" in the mountains of North Carolina. Snow on the ground outside, fire burning inside. I could get used to this...

John the Baptist, Jesus, and baptism are on display in Luke chapter 3 and it's quite a passage. Coincidentally, a couple weeks ago I preached a sermon on Luke 3:1-22 in the 6:35 service titled "Baptisms of Life Change" as part of our January series "New Beginnings" and to mark the Baptism of The Lord. Here are some of my reflections.

John's purpose:

John went throughout the region of the Jordan River, calling for people to be baptized to show that they were changing their hearts and lives and wanted God to forgive their sins. (Luke 3:3 CEB, emphasis mine)

And so, John's baptism ministry was wildly successful. So much so that people began to show up for baptism because it was the "popular" thing to do. For those in the crowd seeking a free baptism (meaning baptism without their repentance), John had strong words.

“Brood of snakes! What do you think you’re doing slithering down here to the river? Do you think a little water on your snakeskins is going to deflect God’s judgment? It’s your life that must change, not your skin. And don’t think you can pull rank by claiming Abraham as ‘father.’ Being a child of Abraham is neither here nor there—children of Abraham are a dime a dozen. God can make children from stones if he wants. What counts is your life. Is it green and blossoming? Because if it’s deadwood, it goes on the fire.” (Luke 3:7-9 MSG, again...emphasis mine)

For some, these words had their desired effect, leading them to remorsefully ask, "Then what are we supposed to do?" Their answer, of course, began with what had been missing in the first place...repentance. For our lives to change, we need to turn away from all that separates us from becoming who God wants us to be. Only then can remorseful repentance lead to the realignment of our lives to God's kingdom life. 

It is this alignment with God's kingdom life that demonstrates the significance of Jesus' baptism. Jesus, whose life was blameless and knew no sin, did not need baptism in order to be cleansed. Rather, Jesus was showing us what it looks like to say, "Not my will, but Yours be done." By receiving baptism, Jesus was claiming God's kingdom life is far better than any other. And, in response, God made a claim of His own.

“You are my Son, chosen and marked by my love, pride of my life.” (Luke 3:22 MSG)

My friends, to be chosen and marked by God's love is reason to rejoice. God loves each and every one of us and, in baptism, we are all sons and daughters!

Remorseful repentance.

Realignment.

Rejoice.

And I'll add one more...

Remember. 

Remember your baptism and be thankful for what God, in the person of Jesus Christ, has done for us.

#LukeActs2014 - Luke chapter 2

Have you ever heard anyone say, "I love Jesus, but the church...not so much."? I know I have. In his invitation for us to join the Luke/Acts reading plan, Bishop Carter made reference to this sentiment, stating that there are many in our culture who wish to separate Jesus from the church. But, he also reminded us "this is not an option for those who take the Bible seriously." This is why I believe that reading Luke and Acts throughout this year is so important and why I pray it is a transformative experience for everyone participating and for our churches all over the Florida Conference.

Luke goes to great length in his gospel and Acts to show the reader that there is continuity between Judaism and the temple life, portrayed in the Old Testament, and Christianity and the church, being introduced by his "carefully ordered account." The gospel of Luke begins (1:8) and ends in the temple (24:53); and, chapter 2 contains two important accounts of Jesus in the temple.

The first account (2:21-40), Jesus' circumcision, naming, and temple presentation, shows that Mary and Joseph fully intended to raise Jesus in a family that would observe the law of Moses and nurture him in the Jewish faith. 

The second account (2:41-52), Jesus in the temple at Passover, shows the family commitment to Judaism and life in the temple continues. The story tells us that Jesus is now twelve years old, which likely means he has gone through the ceremony of "bar mitzvah." As a result, Jesus would have attended the Passover festival at the temple as required by Mosaic law.

Of these accounts, one commentator writes:

"Luke's primary interest is to establish that Jesus was a true Israelite, from birth brought up in the moral and ritual life of Judaism. Home, temple, and synagogue formed him...at every significant period of his life he was in continuity with Judaism." (Interpretation - Luke, p. 41)

This statement resonates with me. While I have absolutely no idea what it is like to be perfect like Jesus was perfect, I do know what it means to have been formed by family life in the home and the church. Also, the most significant moments of my life somehow included Jesus and the church. 

I will admit that in some ways I understand those who love Jesus but not the church. The church is, indeed, imperfect. Very imperfect. Still, to those who express their discontentment with the church, I often ask, "Why do you think Jesus uses imperfect people for his work in the church?" Obviously, it is because we are all he has to work with. And to this I often add: By all means, love Jesus. He loves you. But please, love the church because Jesus loves that, too. Love is an action verb, not a stative verb. Simply put, this means love is a work in progress, not something we possess.

Luke chapter 2 reveals to us that Jesus went through spiritual development, maturing in wisdom and years and in favor with God and with people (2:52). So too may it be with us as we grow in grace and in our love of God, Christ's holy church, and our every neighbor.

#LukeActs2014 - Luke chapter 1

I'm sure that how I use this blog as part of the Luke/Acts reading plan will continue to evolve, but for now I wanted to simply make a few observations about my impressions from Luke chapter 1.

First, it is worth noting that I read chapter 1 in the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV), Common English Bible (CEB), and The MESSAGE, and intend to do so throughout the reading plan. Bishop Carter wrote he will be doing this as well and these are typically the three versions I turn to most often during sermon preparation.

Luke begins his carefully ordered account of Jesus' life in chapter one by telling these stories: Gabriel's appearance to Zachariah foretelling his wife Elizabeth's pregnancy, Gabriel's appearance to Mary foretelling her pregnancy, Mary's visit to her cousin Elizabeth, Mary's exuberant song, Elizabeth giving birth to John the Baptist, and Zachariah's song.

If you were with us on the fourth Sunday of Advent, I preached a sermon titled The Symphony of Peace that focused on the songs of Luke gospel, two of which appear in chapter 1. Mary's song, in particular, is a beautiful passage of Scripture. But, when re-reading Luke chapter 1 in the The MESSAGE this week, something I hadn't noticed before in Eugene Peterson's paraphrase really stood out to me.  

From the story of Gabriel's appearance to Zachariah:

It so happened that as Zachariah was carrying out his priestly duties before God, working the shift assigned to his regiment, it came his one turn in life to enter the sanctuary of God and burn incense.

While the CEB and NRSV indicate only that Zachariah was chosen by lottery or lot to enter the sanctuary of God and burn incense, which indicates his assignment was random, The MESSAGE indicates it was Zachariah's "one turn in life." Either way, there are are indeed no coincidences in the kingdom of God and Zachariah's encounter was a moment he had long been waiting for...which brings me to the second thing that stood out.

From Gabriel's words to Zachariah:

"Every word I’ve spoken to you will come true on time—God’s time."

 And about the congregation outside the sanctuary waiting for Zachariah to return:

"Meanwhile, the congregation waiting for Zachariah was getting restless, wondering what was keeping him so long in the sanctuary."

God's time. The idea of it is both a curious and challenging thing for us who live in a world where we want what we want when want it. Zachariah and Elizabeth had likely been restless much of their married life as they waited to conceive a child. Waiting is hard and it is very likely that they had resigned themselves to the fact that they would never have a child...until Zachariah's one time to enter the sanctuary of God. Their dream, and God's will, fulfilled in God's time.

So...what are you waiting for? What might you learn from the waiting?

Reading Luke and Acts in 2014 - Introduction

In yesterday's sermon, I extended Bishop Carter's invitation to read Luke and Acts, one chapter per week, throughout 2014. There are 24 chapters in Luke and 28 chapters in Acts, for 52 total chapters to take us through the year ahead. We were invited to read Luke chapter 1 yesterday, then Luke chapter 2 on January 12th, Luke chapter 3 on January 19th, and so on. 

Bishop Carter's Weekly Scripture Reading 2014 can be found here. 

A downloadable reading schedule can be found here. 

And, I am not yet sure what my precise plan is for using my blog during this journey through Luke and Acts, but I will endeavor to post something weekly (as one of you suggested to me yesterday).

I'll begin today by offering some words of introduction to the gospel of Luke, found in the Wesley Study Bible (CEB), that tie well to the Bishop's intent for the reading plan.

 "When read side by side (as they were probably designed to be), Luke and Acts form our most important sources for understanding the history of earliest Christianity. The two books are held together by the theme of the plan of God. The history in these volumes relates how God acted in Jesus of Nazareth to bring peace and justice into the world and how God continued this same mission through the apostles whom Jesus chose."

Reading Luke and Acts to understand how God is even today continuing His mission to bring peace and justice into the world is indeed an important exercise for us striving to become disciples of Jesus committed to making a difference in the world. 

In Luke, we will read for ourselves the "carefully ordered account" of Jesus' life and ministry, which will hopefully lead us to ask such questions as, "Am I becoming more fully the person God made me to be? Am I following Jesus' example and becoming more like Him? How do I need to change?" 

In Acts, we will read for ourselves how, through the power of the Holy Spirit, the apostles whom Jesus chose continued His ministry, caring for each other and proclaiming the gospel to all the world. I hope their example will lead us to such questions as, "Are we, the church in the world today, becoming more fully the people of God, the unified community of believers, who God is calling us to be? Are we following the example of the first disciples in our witness to a watching world? How do we need to change?"

I am looking forward to this journey together and encourage you to make it interactive! Reply to my blogs about what speaks to you in the weekly reading. Post on Facebook. Join the conversation on Twitter using the Bishop's suggested hashtag #LukeActs 2014. 

Now on to Luke chapter 1.

A Word of Prayer - Thanksgiving

I came across this profound and beautiful prayer written by George Herbert, seventeenth century English poet and Anglican priest, and wanted to share it with you this Thanksgiving day. May his words be our words as we express our deepest gratitude to a God of abundant grace and source of all that is good in our lives.

"Thou hast given so much to me,

Give one thing more – a grateful heart;

Not thankful when it pleases me,

As if thy blessings had spare days;

But such a heart whose very pulse may be

Thy praise."

Happy Thanksgiving, dear friends. May the grace and peace of Jesus Christ be with you this day and always.

 

A Word from Wesley - Pride and Discouragement

If you're like me, then you may often receive nudges of the Spirit from the seemingly unlikeliest places, like Twitter or Facebook. This happened for me last week when Bishop Ken Carter posted on Facebook something he had heard from one of my dearest friends and mentor, Dr. Steve Harper. Steve was leading the bishop and a gathering of pastors in group spiritual direction and said that a pastor's immediate vulnerabilities are pride and discouragement. Now, this isn't the first time that Steve Harper spoke something that resonated deep within my soul, and it surely won't be the last, but this idea has stuck with me.

Pride - a becoming or dignified sense of what is due to oneself or one's position or character; self-respect; self-esteem. 

Discouragement - a state of feeling deprived of courage, hope, or confidence; disheartened; dispirited.

Each of these, I have come to realize since reading this last week, are indeed vulnerabilities I have been struggling with as a new pastor trying to find my way in ministry. And neither seminary nor the candidacy process could have fully prepared me for either of them.

Yesterday in my devotion time I received another nudge from the Spirit, this time from a source more likely than Facebook...the sermons of John Wesley. 

"I only mention one more of the properties of this love: 'Love is not puffed up.' You cannot wrong one you love: Therefore, if you love God with all your heart, you cannot so wrong him as to rob him of his glory, by taking to yourself what is due to him only. You will own that all you are, and all you have, is his; that without him you can do nothing; that he is your light and your life, your strength and your all; and that you are nothing, yea, less than nothing, before him. And if you love your neighbor as yourself, you will not be able to prefer yourself before him. Nay, you will not be able to despise any one, any more than to hate him. As the wax melteth before the fire, so doth pride melt away before love. All haughtiness, whether of heart, speech, or behaviour, vanishes away where love prevails." (Sermon 139: On Love.)

To be honest, I'm not entirely sure about where I am in the midst of all this, other than to acknowledge that pride is likely the bigger struggle of the two. I say that because if you consider the above definition for discouragement, I am not without courage, hope, or confidence as I seek to live into my calling. Though it is fair to say that I have at times felt disheartened. 

Pride, on the other hand, is a different story.

I often think about my own work and responsibilities, "If I don't do this, it won't happen." or "I'm the only one who can do this." I am also prone to thinking things like this about the work of others, "I'm not sure I would have done it that way." Such thoughts, whether I care to admit it or not, reflect a pride-filled nature.

Let me put it this way. Have you heard the expression, "Work like it depends on you, pray like it depends on God."? Well, lately I have been placing far more emphasis on the former than the latter.

Wesley is so right, and I have said this often, all that I am and all that I have is God's.

Without God, I can do nothing.

God is my light and my life, my strength and my all.

I am nothing before God.

And I will add one more...I am called to know the love of God and make God's love known, reflecting His face in all that I say and I do.

"Love is patient, love is kind, it isn't jealous, it doesn't brag, it isn't arrogant, it isn't rude, it doesn't seek its own advantage, it isn't irritable, it doesn't keep a record of complaints, it isn't happy with injustice, but it is happy with the truth. Love puts up with all things, trusts in all things, hopes for all things, endures all things. Love never fails." (1 Corinthians 13:4-8a)

May my love for God and neighbor rise up in my heart and melt my pride like wax before the fire. May God increase so I might decrease. May I trust in the Lord with all my heart and not rely on my own understanding. May I know the love of God in all my paths and allow Him to keep my ways straight. Amen.