Sharing their song

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by Pam Tinsley

In the stillness of a lovely summer Saturday evening, an Episcopal church in the heart of the “none zone” was suddenly transformed when 42 high-school age singers lifted their voices in song. These Tacoma Youth Chorus choirs were sharing their gift of song with the local community before embarking on a two-week tour. They will soon share their song internationally in cathedrals in France and Germany and then at Canterbury Cathedral in the UK.

As the exquisite voices of these young women and men filled the church, the hearts of the audience were profoundly moved. My husband and I sat enchanted for over an hour as we listened to arrangements of sacred and secular music. For some arrangements the singers surrounded us, their voices blending sweetly behind and above us. At times our experience was almost transcendent, and by the concert’s end we felt renewed, even transformed.

We had been ministered to by these singers standing before the altar, beneath a large cross that was suspended from the ceiling.  I’d imagine, however, that the choirs would be shocked to hear me refer to their singing as a ministry. Many of these young people have never attended church, and most probably don’t now. And although the music program directors and tour chaperones are churched (though not all are active church-goers), their embrace of Christian values – caring, encouragement, compassion, selflessness, serving and seeking the best in others – has transformed the lives of these young people in countless ways. Not only have the singers developed a lifelong passion for music and learned the value of respect and hard work while having fun, they have developed deep friendships and have also inspired those around them by sharing their song – their singing and themselves.

And these young musicians will continue to share their song by passing this gift along to future generations. Five of the six chaperones are millennials, four of whom are TYC – and European tour – alums. Sharing the song that transformed their lives will in this way touch the lives of future children and grandchildren. This beauty will certainly live on!

Yes, this is ministry in daily life!

Practicing everyday justice

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by Wayne Schwab

Let’s define justice – in a way that is both fresh and biblical. That means equal access – everyone gets equal access to the good things in life. For many, that can mean a home with good parenting, good schools, a job, and good health care. Equal access to the good things in life – that’s justice.

Here’s the story.  It’s about a mother and her nine-year-old daughter.  Where is justice in it?

Four friends have come to play with Sally. Sally has disappeared. She is under her bed crying. ”They don’t want to play with me.”

Sally has acted this way before. Sally imagines bad things – that they have come just to play on the new trampoline and might leave her out. “Sally, your friends have been looking all over the house for you.  They really want to play with you.”

She said it several times. Finally Sally came out. In time, Sally learned to see real friends liked her, not just her toys.  They had come to see her.

A happy ending. Sally, now a ninth-grader, has lots of friends; she’s a first-rate swimmer on the school’s team; and raises money for the team.

A loving parent, sure.  Did you catch her justice?

Justice for Sally was access to the good parenting every child is entitled to. Her mother did not say, “Sally doesn’t feel well – come back tomorrow.” For Sally, justice meant being taught to see things as they really are, not how she imagines them to be. Her friends really liked her, not just her toys.  Her mother made sure she could see the truth.

That’s some of the justice of good parenting – being taught how to tell the difference between what’s real and what’s only imagined.

Seeing God at work

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by Demi Prentiss

A large part of living our ministries in daily life is cultivating the ability to perceive where God is acting, and then aligning ourselves with what God is up to. Understanding ourselves as co-creators with God – partners in a whole-life commitment to increasing love and justice in the world – is a life-giving, purposeful way of living God’s dream for our lives.

So how do you see where God is acting? How can you tell?

Look at events. In those events in our world that are clearly life-giving, it’s pretty easy to say, “Yes, God’s at work here.” But what about the terrible events? The heart-wrenching, “it-can’t-be” events? Take a page out of Fred Rogers’ book – look for the helpers. In the “Cajun navy” that jumped into john-boats to rescue neighbors and strangers when the floods came. In the three strangers who defended Muslim teenagers on a commuter train. In the teacher who spots the middle-schooler who’s being abused at home, or trafficked. In the midst of the brokenness around us, God is working in and through the helpers.

A young survivor is gently extracted from the wreckage of Korean Airlines flight 801 by U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, and Guam civilian rescuers.

Look at people. Especially, look at the people we tend to overlook – the bank teller, the cab driver, the grocery checker or bagger, the janitor, the bag lady. Look at those around you who are acquainted with grief (Is. 53:3). As you can, take a pause, take up your courage, and speak a word of hope or encouragement or simple acknowledgment of their humanity. Looking into their eyes, look for the light of God. You won’t always find it, particularly the first time. But practice makes it lots easier. The Celts claimed that the lark said, “Often, often, often goes the Christ in the stranger’s guise.”

Look at the world – both the natural and the created one.  All around us, God is showing up and showing off, as Reggie McNeal likes to say. In a leaf or a feather. In the music of the rain and the crash of a water fall. In the heart-grabbing poetry of inspiring architecture.  In the shadow of Earth pushing the twilight across the landscape until night falls. In the joy of an unexpected reunion.

Look inside your heart.  Take the time to notice what ignites your passion. Or what makes your pulse race.  Or unleashes tears. God’s invitation to partnership is showing up in those moments.

My friend Mary Earle often reminded me, “The Holy Spirit is a crass opportunist.” Pay attention to what you observe, and what you discern as God opens your eyes. As William Blake’s “Pentecost” reminds us, “Unless the eye catch fire, the God will not be seen.”

Noisy Church

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by Pam Tinsley

The church I attend is a “noisy church.” When worshipping in the church, we can easily hear voices from the narthex. Sunday school classes meet in the parish hall directly beneath the church, and we often hear our children’s “joyful noise”. Our church is also located on a busy street corner, not far from a fire station, so that during a service, if you don’t hear a group of motorcycles roaring by, you’ll hear the siren of an ambulance responding to someone in need!

This all used to bother me until I realized that this noise – and seeming distraction – is actually a good reminder of where we are called to be – that we find Jesus out in the noisy, messy world, not simply in the peaceful tranquility of a sacred worship space.

And isn’t that really where church should be? Jesus calls us to be his followers. He calls us to learn from him and then to act, to be like him: to heal, to serve, to feed his sheep. Instead of remaining entirely separate, we – the church – are called to respond to people, to reach out to others, to be in the world. As much as we might like to remain inside the walls of the church, Jesus sends us out to serve as his body in the world.

Our “noisy church” is a good reminder, then, that our ministry as baptized Christians takes place whenever and wherever we intentionally listen to God and ask, “What is God doing here, right now, that I can join?”  Jesus sends us to live into our baptism in our daily lives. We transform our ordinary occupations into Christian vocation by becoming Christ-centered in our actions and words – even if we are not speaking direct words of evangelism.

Now, the challenge is to live that out every day, intentionally, in the midst of our noisy lives, on the noisy street corner – which may be your own home, the grocery store, or in your workplace! That’s where Jesus is!

A Healing Journey — and Helping Others

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by Pam Tinsley

“Alleluia! Christ is risen! The Lord is risen indeed!” is our Easter acclamation. We are Easter people, people of the resurrection, living in the assurance that those who die, live forever in God’s eternal kingdom.

Yet, what about those who are grieving the death of a loved one, especially in times of celebration such as birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, and holidays? What about those who see others joyfully celebrating Easter, yet feel an aching hole in their own souls even though they believe fervently in the Resurrection? Can they, as they continue to mourn, even feel this joy?

Sarah, a dear friend of mine, was widowed a few years ago. Both Sarah and her husband were in their mid-fifties. Both of them expected him to recover from his illness, and when he didn’t, she and their young adult children were devastated. The grief she felt was numbing, even paralyzing at times. Her faith in Jesus and knowing how Jesus had suffered and despaired gave her glimmers of hope. Yet, in spite of being part of a strong church community and participating in a grief support group, she continued to struggle with her grief because, for the most part, the other participants were much older than she.

Sarah also happens to be a gifted writer. As she struggled with her grief, she wondered whether there might be a way she could find healing for herself and, at the same time, help others who were widowed at a younger age. Seeking God’s guidance, she prayed and, with God’s help, she began her “healing journey.” She took a leave of absence from work and went on several meditation retreats. And now she is blogging in the hope that she might be able to offer insights and encouragement to others. As she reaches out to others in their grief, her writing brings her healing moments in her own grief.

As Barbara Cawthorne Crafton wrote in a recent reflection, “Love transforms service, teaching us that there’s no such thing as a menial task. Love teaches us that, if nothing is beneath us, nothing will be beyond us. Love remains with us after our unstinting efforts have all failed — it doesn’t conquer all, as the old saying goes, but it bears all things without turning away from any of them.”

Sarah is discovering how true this observation is. When she decided to use her gift of writing to reach out to others, Sarah may not have consciously realized that she was following Jesus’ commandment to “wash the feet” of others. Perhaps we, too, might experience how our love in Christ transforms us by recognizing a gift God has given us, and then by giving our gift to help salve the wounds of others.

Who Are You Meant To Be? — 2 Views

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by Fletcher Lowe

Let me offer two prayerful expressions of the ministry we all share as the Baptized.

A 16th century Spanish Carmelite nun, St. Teresa of Ávila, put it this way:

May today there be peace within.
May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.
May you use those gifts that you have received,

and pass on the love that has been given to you.
May you be content knowing you are a child of God.

Let this presence settle into your bones,

and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love.
It is there for each and every one of us .

More recently the Rev. Dr. Richard Halverson, the late Chaplain of the US Senate offered this:

You go nowhere by accident.
Wherever you go, God is sending you there.
Wherever you are, God has put you there.
He has a purpose in your being there.

Christ, who indwells in you, has something He wants to do through you,
wherever you are.

Believe this, and go in His grace, and love, and power. Amen!

Park Bench Ministry

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by Demi Prentiss

Val Hastings is a Methodist pastor and the founder of Coaching For Today’s Leaders, which developed out of his Coaching For Clergy.  Hastings advocates that every person in ministry (That would be all of us who want to partner with Jesus!) learn coaching skills, especially deep listening and the skill of asking curious, powerful questions.

This week I received an email from Val that told the following story:

It all begins with listening!  Every new coach in our training program hears me say this at the beginning of their training.  Throughout their training, we regularly remind them that while the other coaching competencies are important, listening is the most important one!

 

There is growing evidence to support this claim.

 

Consider the Friendship Bench Program, also known as the Community Grandmothers Program. Quite literally, it’s a park bench — with a higher calling.  Individuals, mostly older women, are trained to listen and offer support.  They sit on park benches and create a safe place for people to talk.

 

Consider the following results of a Zimbabwe study of the Friendship Bench Program:

  • 50 percent of patients who received standard care still had symptoms of depression compared to 14 percent who received Friendship Bench.
  • 48 percent of patients who received standard care still had symptoms of anxiety compared to 12 percent who received Friendship Bench.
  • 12 percent of patients who received standard care still had suicidal thoughts compared to 2 percent who received Friendship Bench.

 

One of the best ways to make a difference in someone’s life is to simply listen.

What about applying this practice in daily life? What if we stopped thinking about ministry as a “project,” and instead thought about ministry as a “way of being” in the world? What would your daily life ministry look like if you started listening like a “Community Grandmother”?

Election Day and Beyond

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It’s election day. Soon it will be over. And the effects of the day will extend for many years, touching the lives of those who voted as well as those who failed to vote, who wanted to vote but couldn’t, who couldn’t have cared less, and who, possibly, aren’t even alive yet.

The same can be said about our lives, and the footprints we leave behind. (See the Nov. 2 blog entry.) The effects of our lives extend beyond our limited vision.

My friend John Colon recently posted on Facebook:

I just voted. As has been stated before, it’s the one day when there are no rich or poor as one person one vote makes us all equal. Voting has always been an emotional experience for me after I have voted. Yet, this morning as I was preparing for my day, I was thinking about the people who have influenced my life and who helped me become the man I am today. I noted the diversity of people who have mentored me, my family, friends and peers, and those whom I have had the privilege to serve and lead. And I thought to myself, “Indeed, it does take a village.” Vote wisely today, friends. This is not an election about material wealth, self-centered desires or fear and hatred. It’s about community, welcoming the stranger, loving your neighbor as yourself, faith, hope and love.

The people John credits with influencing his beliefs were witnesses in daily life, demonstrating to John and to the world around them the values they held dear and the beliefs that shaped their lives. Each of us, in our daily lives, witness in that same way. That witness – perhaps more than any intentional acts of charity or piety or faithfulness – is our true ministry. God willing, our lives and our witness serve as our proclamation of God’s good news. Or perhaps, a proclamation of our unbelief. Or our worship of someone or something other than the Holy One.

In the weeks and months ahead, may our lives offer to those around us a transformative example, as John experienced. May we “show forth [God’s] praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives.” May we embody the presence of Christ in our daily interactions. May we practice being part of the Jesus Movement in every aspect of our daily life.

As St. Francis said, “Preach the Gospel at all times. When necessary, use words.”

Shared values answer needs — with God’s help

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by Wayne Schwab

God is on mission to make the world more loving and more.  Baptized, Phoebe’s mission is to be part of God’s mission to make the world more loving and more just. As a strong secular humanist, Liz holds love and justice to be among the values guiding her daily life.

No wonder Phoebe and Liz could work together easily.

Liz works full-time for the county branch of the food bank.  As part of her work, she addressed some church members at their Sunday coffee hour.  One of the members, Phoebe, resonated with Liz’s commitment to developing community-wide support for local and county programs to feed the hungry.

Phoebe believed Liz must have wrestled with a sense of need – Phoebe would say a “call” – to meet the needs of many for an adequate food supply; must have assessed her talents for what she could do; and then, must have made the decision to take the job at the county food bank.

Phoebe had been wrestling with the same issue in the church committee she headed.  She connected with Liz after the coffee hour and shared her concern.  Liz suggested Phoebe’s committee might like to sponsor a “fun run” to raise money for the food bank.  Phoebe welcomed Liz’ offer to mentor her in setting up a “fun run” at her church.  It was hugely successful with 225 participants and $1,567 for the food bank.

Together, Phoebe and Liz had made a part of the world more loving and more just – with God’s help, Phoebe told her committee and church.

How am I running with Jesus?

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by Fletcher Lowe

In the recently concluded 2016 Rio Olympics USA members David Boudia and Steele Johnson won the silver medal in men’s synchronized platform diving. “We both know our identity is in Christ,” Boudia, 26, told NBC. Johnson, 20, added, “Going into this event knowing that my identity is rooted in Christ and not the result of this competition just gave me peace. And it let me enjoy the contest. God’s given us a cool opportunity….”

The Bible’s Letter to the Hebrews states: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses …let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus who is the pioneer and perfecter of our faith…. “

Although their sport was diving, Boadia and Steele were both running with Jesus.  That is the continuous call for each of us as a Christian –  “How am I running with Jesus?”  To continue the analogy, every athlete has a goal. In interview after interview, Olympians expressed their various goals. Ours as followers of Christ is to look to Jesus who is the pioneer and perfecter of our faith….

We have our track, our race course – our daily lives of home, community, and work.  How am I running with Jesus in my home – as I wash or clean or garden or access the internet or the TV channels or relate to my housemates?  In the community, how am I running with Jesus as I volunteer in the school or library or nursing home or hospital?  What about my connection with my neighbors or friends?  And at work, how am I running with Jesus as I relate to my fellow workers, as I analyze a budget, or work in a team or design a program?

Now our race course of life is not the quarter-mile flat track of the Olympic stadium. It is rather like a cross country course with hills and valleys, rough and smooth places, deserts and fertile grounds.  Jesus never promised us a rose garden, but he did to say that he would be with us even to the ends of the earth.  “I am with you always….” So we never run alone.  Not only are we not running alone, but we have our cheering section – a great cloud of witnesses including the vast community of saints from Peter and Paul to Mother Teresa and Pope Francis to our fellow Christians in our congregations and community.

After her victory in the women’s 110-meter hurdles in the Olympics, Brianna Rollins said that she joined with others that morning for some prayer time – and left it with God to carry her forward.  That prayer time was focusing on her goal –  “looking to Jesus” – as she saw God shaping her life as a runner.  She knew, as she engaged her real world of the 110 meter hurdles that she was not running alone and that she had her cheering section supporting her.

So with each of us.  We have our race course – our daily lives; our cheering section – a great cloud of witnesses; our goal – looking to Jesus.  The question remains: how are we running with Jesus?