Don't Believe Everything You Think

I saw another thought-provoking bumper sticker this week:  Don’t Believe Everything You Think.

It speaks on several levels, doesn’t it?  Don’t Believe Everything You Think. 

It could mean Don’t Close Your Mind, Stay Open to Truth. The things we think we know for sure always need to be tempered with humility.

It could mean Give the Benefit of the Doubt.  You may think you understand the whole situation, but the odds are very good you don’t.

And it could mean Watch What You Let Into Your Mind.  Modern culture barrages us with advertising, celebrities, bad news, and trivia. We need to control what comes into our inner world.  It’s incredibly hard to keep your view of the world from growing cynical in 60 minutes once a week (at best). Worship alone isn’t enough.

I’m not striking the stereotypical anti-commerce “Feel guilty for buying Christmas presents” note here. Just a reminder that if you’re not intentionally devoting time to Jesus, you’re more susceptible to the junk all around you. You may find yourself believing everything you think.

Take time for quiet.  Find times and places of solitude.  Read the Gospel of Luke, or the Psalms, or devotional books, or anything reflective and uplifting.  Make time for music (such as Handel’s Messiah here Sunday morning) and for worship. Pray, no matter “how bad” you think you are at it.   Hold on to all that is good and holy and true this season. Believe the good news of God.

 

               Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds,

so that you may discern what is will of God – good, acceptable and perfect.

                                                                 (Romans 12:2)

 

Pastor Larry

I’ve always sort of been a sucker for reunions.  I’m the rare bird that enjoys high school reunions. If I’m invited back to a former church, I like seeing and hearing how peoples’ lives have unfolded in my absence. I dream about former homes and past communities.

This week a group of my former classmates is attending a Yale Divinity School 35^th Cluster Reunion.  I went 5 years ago and hope to go in another five, so I decided to sit this one out.  But I’ve enjoyed reading Facebook updates from old friends and classmates and remembering how my faith was shaped by those years in New Haven.

My “conversion experience” happened through the teaching of Robert Johnson in systematic theology, where sin was first explained in a way that I said, “Oh, that’s me.” And once I saw that, I knew that Jesus came for me as well, and that the Christian story was my story too, and … well, all sorts of things began to click into place after that. Thank you, God, for Robert Johnson.

My spiritual life grew under the guidance and friendship of Henri Nouwen. While I was first visiting the school, this unknown man with the heavy Dutch accent welcomed me to his apartment for tea and conversation. I had the privilege of getting to know him in worship, in the classroom, and even at the movie theater.  (He loved “Star Wars.”) Thank you, God, for Henri Nouwen.

Joan Forsberg taught me that being interrupted by people wasn’t a distraction from my ministry, it was my ministry. Abraham Malherbe and Marvin Pope opened the Scriptures to me in a vivid and life-changing way.  Bill Muehl’s wisdom in preaching has helped me prepare to preach almost every single week since.  Thank you, God, for them all.

Each of these people has passed away in the intervening 35 years.  And one aspect of heaven that captivates me powerfully is the notion of an eternal reunion.  I want to see my Dad and his parents and Cousin Ellen and so many others – but I know I’d be blessed by seeing these wonderful teachers again too.  I’d say Thank You – and I’d ask what they’ve learned since they came to heaven that they could pass on!

Celebrate the people – and don’t lose contact with those – who’ve shaped your life.

This Sunday we get to be reunited with a living teacher and friend to Burke UMC.  The Rev. Dr. Justin Allen, son of Randy and Gail, influenced numerous youth when he worked here as a youth pastor years ago.  Justin is now the Dean of Spiritual Life and Director of the Institute for Church Professions at Shenandoah University in Winchester. 

I hope you’ll come to welcome and hear this dynamic young church leader, one who himself will be remembered by hundreds of students in the years to come.

Pastor Larry

Families

Murphy's Laws for Parents   1. The tennis shoes you must replace today will go on sale next week. 2. Leakproof thermoses -- will.   Family life – it’s rich and fulfilling; it’s exasperating and challenging; it’s funny and frightening; it’s sometimes ugly, frequently upsetting, and nearly always unpredictable.  It’s also a reflection of God’s glory in all of its facets.   The Bible says, It is not good for one to be alone.  And elsewhere we are assured, God settest the solitary in families.   3. The chances of a piece of bread falling with the grape jelly side down is directly proportional to the cost of the carpet. 4. The garbage truck will be two doors past your house when the argument over whose day it is to take out the trash ends.   Our ability as human beings to live together well is determined in large part by our experience in families. And while the earliest years may be the most crucial, our identity is also heavily shaped by our own adolescence – and living with adolescent children.  My sons are now in their mid-20’s, and Bev and I are learning new ways to parent and to be together as a family.   5. The shirt your child must wear today will be the only one that needs to be washed or mended. 6. Gym clothes left at school in lockers mildew at a faster rate than other clothing.   That’s why I’m so glad to be beginning our Third Thursday program, which starts tonight.  It’s a time for families to come together for a simple meal, then to choose among a number of opportunities for conversation and growth. We’ll do this every Third Thursday (except December 20) through the year.   I especially want to encourage you to attend the monthly sessions on Family Life, led by Francine Ronis.   7. The item your child lost, and must have for school within the next ten seconds, will be found in the last place you look.   Francine is a Licensed Professional Counselor with the Center for Pastoral Counseling (CPC) of Northern Virginia.  She holds Masters degrees in both Counseling and Development, and Early Childhood Education, and has been working with families and individuals in the Northern Virginia area for more than ten years. She specializes in working with children and families experiencing relational problems, behavior difficulties and attachment issues, and with new parents (birth and adoptive) around issues of bonding, positive discipline, and changing family dynamics.   Tonight’s Theme is “Relating to the People I’m Related To.” We’ll discuss the concepts of emotional intelligence with Francine.  You’ll learn more about how you can improve relationships in your family with some simple skills, knowledge, and understanding.   8. Sick children recover miraculously when the pediatrician enters the treatment room. 9. Refrigerated items, used daily, will gravitate toward the back of the refrigerator.   Join us this evening – October 18, beginning with dinner at 6:00 and programs at 7:00 – and every Third Thursday this year for the opportunity to strengthen our lives as members of a family.    10. Your chances of being seen by someone you know dramatically increase if you drive your child to school in your robe and curlers.

 

                Pastor Larry

New faces here ...

News about New Faces here at Burke UMC: 

Last Saturday evening we gave thanks and blessings to Kishore Carey, our LifeSign Music Director.  Kishore has served in this capacity for the last year or so, but in recent months he’s found his plate filling up rapidly with work, other ministries, family obligations, and some personal dreams as well.  Kishore felt it was time for him to step away to pursue these other callings, plus carve out some Sabbath for himself in his very full schedule. We thanked him with a gift, prayers, and a potluck supper, and we continue to pray God’s blessings upon him in the days ahead. Thank you, Kishore!

Stepping into this role as Interim Music Director will be Tommy Webster.  Tommy is a gifted keyboardist and contemporary worship leader currently employed as the Director of Music at St. George’s UMC on Ox Road. (He also happens to be the husband of Katie Webster, our Director of Christian Education.) Tommy’s influences will undoubtedly bring a new approach to the LifeSign service, so whether or not you’ve attended a LifeSign service before, come check it out soon.  We worship at 5:00 pm Saturdays.

If you have children in our nursery, you’ll soon see some new faces to replace long-time assistants Shelly Neely and Harriett Dershewitz.  We thank them and bless them for their years of faithful service, and we likewise pray God’s blessings upon Shelly and Harriett in their new ventures.  We have already welcomed the delightful Lisa Poppalardo into the nursery staff rotation, and undoubtedly you’ll meet others. We’ve been emphasizing excellence in hospitality, love and safety for our littlest ones, and that emphasis will continue!

A soon-to-be-familiar face will be Francine Ronis. Francine is a Licensed Professional Counselor with the Center for Pastoral Counseling (CP) in Northern Virginia.  She will be a monthly presenter at every Third Thursday Dinner & Program that begins this month. Francine will focus each month on some aspect of family life that will be applicable for families of every sort and age.  On October 18 she’ll explore how the concept of Emotional Intelligence can improve love and communication within your family. You’ll enjoy Francine’s spirit and approach a great deal.

In my devotional reading this morning I re-read Paul’s brief autobiography in Galatians 1-2.  He states there that God … had set me apart before I was born and called me through his grace, [and] was pleased to reveal his Son to me, so that I might proclaim him…. (Gal. 1:15-16)  Paul found an amazing sense of ‘rightness’ when he began doing what he believed God had put him on this earth to do. In the same way, when you and I are living God’s dream for our life, it’s a strengthening, joyous feeling that evokes our gratitude for life.  I had that conviction this morning in prayer about my life.  I hope you do too.   

If you don’t, Burke UMC can help you name your gifts and discern God’s guidance in your life. Please feel free to call me or Pastor Morgan – or anyone on our staff – and it will be our joy to listen with you for God’s true claim upon your life. 

 

With love,

 

Pastor Larry

 

 

This Could Be the Best $100 Ever Spent

This past Sunday in worship, we lifted up Sadie Mae Lauer in prayer.  Sadie, you may know, is the 2-year old daughter of Ethan & Erin Lauer who’s been fighting childhood cancer.  Sadie’s parents had gotten distressing news of elevated numbers in one of Sadie’s tests, and they were quite anxious.

Katie Buethe highlighted the work that Anna Lauer, age 7, has been doing to help her younger sister.  Anna staffed a lemonade stand in her neighborhood that brought in over $1400 – and she is helping to organize a CureSearch Walk on October 14. (See http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/sadiemaelauer.) The devoted love of Anna for Sadie Mae was – and is – deeply touching to all of us.

I learned after the service that someone in the congregation gave Katie an envelope to hand to Anna.  When the envelope was opened, Anna learned that an anonymous friend and co-worshiper had given her a $100 bill! Can you imagine the awe that a seven-year old girl felt holding a $100 bill? Anna kept saying, “I can’t believe it!”  She then decided to take the final $6.00 in her own piggybank and add that to all the donations.

So, Generous Giver, the remainder of this note is to you.

I’m thankful to you, Generous Giver, for several reasons. First is your immediate response to the Holy Spirit that nudged you.  Christians, as we say, don’t have good ideas, they get promptings from the Holy Spirit. You listened and you acted.  You were attentive and obedient to that inner voice of extravagant generosity. God bless you.

Another is your anonymity.  As far as I know, the $100 could have been a gift from anyone in the church.  I love knowing that everyone I see here could be you, and that this congregation is full of people who could be the doer of what you did.  I hope I don’t learn who you are, Generous Giver.  I like it better this way.

I’m thankful that you directed your $100 gift directly to Anna.  She is a remarkable girl.  I know I still feel a little bit of awe when I hold such a large bill, so I love imagining what Anna felt.  Your putting that smile on her face and that giddiness in her heart shows your love for children as much as making the donation for Sadie Mae itself. 

And I’m grateful that you have placed this witness of what the church can be in Anna’s heart – and in her parent’s hearts too.  Generous Giver, this becomes part of how these girls will think about the church of Jesus Christ for the rest of their lives. This is a wonderful legacy.  When they each hear people scoff at, or denigrate, or ignore Christianity, I feel sure they’ll say, “Not so fast.  Let me tell you what the church is about.”  And they can tell the story of what happened last Sunday.

You have strengthened our witness for Jesus Christ for years to come.  The Lauers will never forget it, and they’ll tell others.  And it all started with a whisper in your heart!

You’ll be pleased to know, by the way, that the high numbers were the result of a lab error.  Sadie is still cancer free!  But thousands of other children need the love and support you gave.  Thank you.

I’ll look forward to seeing you this Sunday, G.G.  And since anyone could be you, and you could be anyone –

I know I will!

 

Pastor Larry

Jesus is My Candidate

When the program staff and I began thinking of our September sermon series many months ago, we spent a fair amount of time discussing the phrase “Jesus is My Candidate.”  We wanted to lift up the name of Jesus in the midst of an overwhelmingly divisive political season. We also wanted something ‘edgy’ that would attract attention but that also fit the character of the Burke community. We ended up believing that “Jesus is My Candidate:  I Vote for Him Every Day” worked well.

We’re at the half-way point of the Sunday sermon series itself, though we hope the ‘campaign’ will continue in other ways:  social media, road signs, buttons, bumper stickers, and so on.  But the social media response has been surprising.

We purchased the domain name www.jesusismycandidate.com and linked it to our Burke UMC home page.  So far over 30 people have “Googled” the phrase “Jesus Is My Candidate” and arrived at that site; over 500 visitors have come there through other routes.  On that site you’ll find a list of creative and thoughtful ways that people around the world “vote for” Jesus every day of their lives. 

Those who go on to our church’s website visit 3-4 other pages on average, obviously interested in the life of the church in more depth.   This has given our website three times the amount of traffic than usual! People are learning about Burke UMC and its ministries.

Morgan and Katie have also led the visibility of Jesus is My Candidate on Twitter.  As of mid-day today (Thursday), over 500 “tweets” have been posted using the hashtag #jesusismycandidate.  This hashtag #jesusismycandidate has “trended” in areas all over the country – and Great Britain and Japan, among other places – and has even appeared among the Top Ten trending tweets in the US.  Today Morgan was invited to write for the Huffington Post on “Jesus is My Candidate.”

All of this is saying that people find the phrase and the idea compelling.  They want to know more. Sure, it can be misunderstood, criticized and rejected out of hand.  Christians know about that.  Christianity would not exist if Jesus had buckled under that fact.  But it also encourages us to remember.  Remember that politics will not save us. Remember that we are all one in Christ Jesus. Remember that more unites us than divides us. And remember that our deepest allegiance is never to a political party or an economic system, but always to the Kingdom of God.

We’ll conclude our campaign on Election Night, November 6.  We invite you to a Service of Holy Communion that evening at 7:00 pm.   Together we will, as one people, pray for and celebrate His victory.

Pastor Larry

This week’s events in Libya and Egypt are yet another reminder why the proper religious responses to interfaith conflict are respect and humility.  We can be devout believers and still honor sisters and brothers who belong to different faith traditions.  Saying as much is neither an apology, nor a sacrilege, nor treason.

As believers, we’re certainly entitled to a passionate commitment to the truth of our own belief system.  For example, I believe that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is a historical fact, not a subjective decision. But it’s by an act of faith that I believe it’s a fact.  Others don’t share that faith.  I also believe that the God Muslims call Allah is the same God Christians and Jews worship, but I don’t believe that the Qu’ran is revelation from our shared God, despite Islam’s claim.  But that’s also my belief by an act of faith.  And as long as faith is a matter of faith, humility before God remains faith’s necessary companion.

There is some significant misunderstanding over the timing of the Cairo Embassy’s statement condemning religious intolerance.  But there ought not to be argument over its wisdom:  The Embassy of the United States in Cairo condemns the continuing efforts by misguided individuals to hurt the religious feelings of Muslims — as we condemn efforts to offend believers of all religions.

Amen.

Many of you know some of the interfaith threads that weave through my own life:

  ·         My grandmother’s grandmother was Jewish.
  ·         My two longest and closest friends are both Jewish.  We met when we were 6 years old and have been friends for over 50 years.
  ·         In my brief college journey out of Christianity I delved into Hinduism.  My path back to Jesus Christ and the ministry was encouraged by my Hindu professor, Dr. Seshagiri Rao.
  ·         My younger brother was in a long-term relationship with a devout Muslim who joined us frequently at family gatherings.
  ·         My older brother has married a Jewish woman and since converted to Judaism.
  ·         (No deep connections with Buddhism other than reading, but my son met his wife in a college Zen Buddhism seminar.  That’s got to be worth something!)

Interfaith respect isn’t just a position I take on an issue.  It’s God’s gift to my life, borne by the lives of people I love.

That’s why I’m honored to be a speaker this Saturday afternoon, September 15, at a Celebration of Interfaith Solidarity at the Rajdhani Mandir Auditorium, 4525 Pleasant Valley Road, Chantilly.  The event is from 4:00 – 6:00.  It is sponsored by the United Hindu & Jain Temples of the Washington DC Metro area and will feature various religious and political leaders from Northern Virginia. It’s open to the public, and I would be delighted if you can come.  Please join me and many religious leaders of our community in supporting the deep faith commitments of the human spirit.

Pastor Larry