Thursday, January 24, 2008

Winter Winds

I don't know about where you are, but here in Maryland the winds have been blowing rather fiercely the past several days. Wind is one of those paradoxal elements of nature. Sometimes it's a warm gentle breeze that is comforting and refreshing. Other times it's a cold, gusting wind that seems to chill to the bone. Sometimes winds are creative, smoothing rocks or carving canyons. Other times, hurricane force winds show us the destructive power of the wind.

The last few days I have had many chances to be reminded that the same word in Hebrew is used for wind, breath, and spirit. With each breath we breath, we are breathing in the spirit of God. And every time the wind blows I am reminded that God's spirit is active in the world. Just like the wind, God's spirit is often experienced in paradoxal ways. Sometimes God's spirit comforts and soothes us. Other times God's spirit can be uncomfortable as it pushes us to grow or to remove things in our lives that are destructive.

Lent begins a week from tonight on Ash Wednesday. During this week, I encourage you to think about what things in your life you might need to remove to allow God's spirit to be more active in your life.

You won't believe what I heard...

It's amazing how many of our conversations start out that way, only to be followed by some juicy piece of gossip with questionable reliability. It is even more amazing to think about how much gossip we are exposed to through the media. Many radio stations have a special time each morning that goes over celebrity gossip. We have entire magazines that consists of nothing but gossip, Countless tabloids sport pictures of celebs in compromising situations. Even the reliable newspapers and stations occasionally run pointless celebrity gossip.

We don't just gossip about celebrities, we gossip about co-workers, bosses, family, friends, people we don't like, people we are jealous of, and just about anyone else we have some connection with. Countless conversations around lunch tables and water-coolers consist entirely of gossip. Not to mention all the phone, text, and IM conversations that revolve around gossip.

Gossip is so much a part of our culture that it's hard to tell if our culture's fascination with gossip is what drives the media to focus so much on gossip, or if it's the media's fixation on gossip that desensitizes us to it and integrates it into our culture. But one thing is certain, we are inundated with gossip everyday to such an extent that most people have trouble differentiating gossip from normal conversation. So how do you know when you are just sharing news or information about someone and when you are gossiping?

If you have difficulty determining if something is gossip or not, here are some basic questions to ask yourself:

1. Is it true? Often we gather information and pass it on, without ever considering the source from which we got the information. If your source is not reliable or you have serious doubts as to the accuracy of the information, then it's probably gossip. This question also applies to things that are true but taken out of context and construed in a false way.

2. Is it kind? This goes back to the age-old wisdom of generations of parents "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all." If it's not nice, if it's not something you would want someone to say to you, then it's probably gossip. If you are saying it to tear someone down rather than build them up, then it's gossip.

3. Is it timely? Is this an appropriate time and place to share this information?

4. Is it necessary? Do other people have a need to know this information? Is it helpful to them in some way or are you sharing this information just because you want to be known as the person who's always in the know?

5. Does sharing this information help you or someone else become a better disciple? As Christians, we need to be concerned about growing as disciples and helping others to grow as disciples. If we share information that creates an obstacle to someone becoming a disciple or living out their faith then it's probably gossip, but at the very least it is destructive. But if that information can be used to help others grow in faith and in their love of God and neighbor then it's worth sharing, and probably not gossip.

The season of Lent is approaching. Lent is a season of self-reflection and trying to be better Christians. It is a season during which many people give something up as a reminder that God has given so much for us. As you consider what you might give up, this year rather than giving up chocolate or sweets, try giving up something that might actually make a difference in your life or someone else's. If you're at a loss for ideas, try giving up gossip for lent. It may surprise you what a difference it can make in your life and the lives of those around you.

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Good Enough?

Hard to believe it's midway through January already. January is a weird month. For some it represents new beginnings, starting over, making new years resolutions. Many people in January think "This will be the year that I ..." get in shape, stop smoking, stop drinking, find a job, or whatever else you want to fill in the blank with. New years resolutions can certainly be wonderful things. They show our desire to grow and mature. They help us recognize that we are not perfect, that we could stand to improve on a few things.

Yet by this point in January, many New Years resolutions have been broke, discarded and/or forgotten. People once again feel like a failure, like they're not good enough because they still aren't in shape, still smoke, still drink, still don't have a job, or whatever their own particular struggle may be. They were more determined than ever a few weeks ago. And yet now, it seems like they have lost all hope of ever changing.

One of the most common New Years resolutions is to start going to church again. But most people who resolve to go back to church, resolve to go to church only after getting other things in their life squared away. Many people feel like they cant go to church or have a relationship with God until all their ducks are in a row, that they have to be good enough to go to church or for God to accept them.

But lucky for us, God loves all of us, and accepts us just as we are. No one at church or outside of church has everything figured out. We all have a past, we have all made mistakes, we've all done things we wish we hadn't, and we've all not done things we wish we had. But God knows who we are and God loves us.

God doesn't require of us that we get our life together before God is willing to welcome us with open loving arms. God doesn't expect us to change and be perfect before we can enter into a relationship with God. Instead God wants to help us become the people we were created to be. God wants you to know that you are loved and accepted. God wants to be a part of your life, right now, even in the messyness. So when you start to think you're not good enough, know this: God loves you just as you are. In God's opinion, you are good enough to be a part of a relationship with God. As far as getting things right in your life, God wants to help you with that too. God wants to be a part of the transformation.

Regardless of what is going on in your life, God wants to be a part of it. And so do we. You are always welcome to be a part of Calvary United Methodist Church.