God's Work, Our Hands

Last Sunday, we had one service and the Congregational Meeting was held after it. It was good to see all of us together at once and even better to share the good news with one another. At the congregational meeting held once a year, we find out how our hands have been serving God and how God has been at work among us. I always find out something new and encouraging at this meeting of the family. There are so many projects and outreach things that I wasn't aware of, that my heart swells with the joy of our commitment.

This year, I was elected to be on Church Council. It was a feeling akin to Sally Fields accepting the Academy Award for her role in Places in The Heart, "you like me, you really like me!" she said (except I found out later, she didn't really say that, she said something similar--so much for quoting famous people). I felt grateful and humble at the same time. Now lest you think I am making too much of this, I would add that it has been more years than I can count that I have been on council. When I had kids at home, I was on council and once a month I made my way to the room upstairs to be a part of the "governing" body of our church. But this church is not the same as it was then. Oh, the building is basically the same, but the people who are involved (for the most part) are not. There are new things to be considered and new ways to consider them. Those of us who have been here for a while remember the things the way they were, those who are newer see things that could change and be different. And to be perfectly honest, I'm a little nervous. I'm nervous because its been so long since I was a part of this, it may be really different than I remember. I may be asked to do some things that I don't want to do because now I'm not just looking out for myself. I'm looking out for the interests of others who aren't there in the room. I'm thinking of someone other than me. I've been really comfortable for a long time looking out for me, myself and I. Now I have to readjust. I have to think of others. It will be a change and I'm not always comfortable with change (in any form). BUT, I have friends on council with me. And I have the body of Christ as my back-up. And for once in a very long time I feel called to do something. Something for someone other than myself. And really, that's kind of what that whole,  "God's work, our hands" thing is all about, right?

A Meeting of Congregants

If you read that title and wondered what it meant, I will translate. A meeting of those gathered together. Isn't that redundant? You ask. Possibly. This Sunday at St. Marks we are having such a meeting. A getting together of those who are members of the family of St. Marks. A congregational meeting happens once a year for most congregations. The talk centers around what has happened during the year, they go over the budget for next year, but most important of all--they meet together! We come together around the Lord's Supper and then we sit around and talk about how we are all the body of the one we just shared! If you are a member of St. Marks in Oaklyn, NJ, I hope you will find the time to come to the table AND the discussion following that to be part of our family. Don't forget, one service this Sunday at 9:00.

The Life we Share

One of the greatest joys of being a member of our community of faith is the coming together of the people within the community. We get together Sunday mornings of course. But we get together for other things too! Opera performances in the sanctuary, Christmas programs put together by the Nursery School children who use our facility. We meet for so many different reasons. We become closer through these meetings and get togethers. We find out things about each other and our families. We learn about each other's histories, our fears, our conquests and sometimes even our hopes and dreams are shared during this together time. It really is like having a whole "other" family as opposed to the one into which you were born.

One of our members passed away a few days ago. He was woven into the fabric of St. Marks as much as the covering on the pew cushions. He was there with a handshake and a smile every time I saw him. And even though towards the end of his life he was really, really sick, he still had a smile for you. He was a matter of fact kind of guy. A man who helped you to believe the good in people, even as a Superintendent of schools! To say he will be missed is probably an understatement, but true nonetheless. We don't have assigned pews in our church. Oh, sure, some people sit in the same place most Sundays, but our names aren't engraved in the wood or anything. But his heart is engraved in the in the hearts of those who knew him and loved him. And as much as I love being a part of this community of faith, I wish I didn't have to know what it was to lose someone like him.

It was great knowing you Tommie, thanks for being you.

Have You Heard The One About...?

I was thinking today about how we "hear" things about people or world events and then adopt that as set in stone. We hear that so-and-so is having marital problems, so we assume it to be true. Someone says that Mr. Whatsis did some jail time and we avoid him like the plague without even verifying the facts. I guess it's human nature or something.

The story about John The Baptist strikes me the same way. I can see the people of his time whispering behind his back about his clothes, his diet and his smell when he passed by. Some of those people came to hear him speak out of curiosity, after hearing about him. Did they stay for the message, I wonder? Did they hear the words of encouragement to "hang in there, the Savior's coming"? Or did they just see this weird guy and then go on about their business? And then of course, Jesus came along. He was different, too. But we know people talked about him, what he did, who he hung around with, the off-beat messages. We know people talked about him even after he died. They are still talking about him.

Are you?

The Guest at The Table

America celebrates Thanksgiving this Thursday. If you're reading this, you most likely know this is so. You are probably one of thousands who are thinking of preparing food, thinking of cleaning the house, thinking of the little last minute ironing of the tablecloth, thinking that if you don't stop thinking you'll never get any sleep. It's a busy time, even if you are not hosting a dinner for far flung relatives.

I like thinking of dinners past. The times we gathered in the living room of my grandmother and grandfather's house, with all the leaves of the table inserted and the table groaning with food. The first time my brother-in-law fried a turkey and again the countertop laden with more food choices than one single human could possibly eat! Thanksgiving seems to be the time when our endless bounty overflowed in the delectable dishes spread out before us. But a tradition that has been kept from one year to the next, before we load our plates with all the temptations gustatorial, is when we either stand or sit around the table holding hands and thank The Lord for our blessings. It's never a very long prayer, or very eloquent by some standards. But I have always felt that the presence of The Lord around our table, laughing with delight at our foibles and antics is central to the celebration.

I hope you will invite The Lord to your table this year, as we invite him to ours. I know he would rejoice at the invitation, even if you didn't iron the tablecloth.

Time After Time

I heard a song the other day that I have heard lots of times before. I know it so well, that I've memorized the lyrics. The version I heard was sung by Carly Simon. The melody was sort of dreamy.  The name of the song is, "Time After Time," and no it's not the rock song. It's just a short little song with wistful words. 

Along with the fact that I heard this song, the evening before I had watched that movie with Whoppie Goldberg as a nun leading a choir. Remember that one? They took some 60's girl band songs and tweaked the words to reflect the nun's devotion to God. Remember, "I Will Follow Him," and how it took on new meaning when the nuns sang it? So here I am listening to Carly Simon sing, "time after time, I tell myself that I'm so lucky loving you," and I think that I'm so lucky that God feels this way about me! We've been told how much He loves us and how He gave us Jesus and I mean how much more loved, blessed, LUCKY, can we be?

And the last stanza seems appropriate as well, "and time after time, you'll hear me say that I'm so lucky to be loving you!" Because it's certainly reciprocal on my part as well as His! Can you think of other songs that would work this way? Not just hymns (although there are some wonderful ones), but songs that could be translated differently? I'll have to think of some!

The Light inThe Morning

I am not and never, probably, will be an early riser. I do not wake up in good cheer first thing in the morning. Even when I know the day will be full of exciting or wonderful experiences, my waking mood is less than enthusiastic. This morning was no different, I woke up earlier than I needed to for some reason. I lay in bed wondering what got into me. And I rolled over and looked out the window. The sun was beginning it's slow but sure ascent and the sky was such a stunning shade of blues and pinks and mauve, that my mood seemed somehow an affront! How could anyone look at the sky this morning and not want to greet the day? And then I thought, I am alive to see this! Another dark night has passed and the morning has come through to deliver me from its hold!

Did Easter look like this morning? Did someone marvel at God's blessing of a new day which showed itself in such glorious splendor? I can only imagine it was so. For today, I will rise from bed and instead of making my way bleary-eyed to the breakfast table, I think I will ponder the wonder of the fact that I did wake up to be greeted this way, while I sip my morning tea.