A Chinese proverb says that a journey of a thousand miles must begin with the first step.  Equally true is that a journey of a life

time is best traveled in good company.   

I pray that your faith journey is a lifelong adventure and that you will share it with friends of faith, especially those you love the most.

The journey of the magi to see Jesus is a wonderful model for our own spiritual journey in the new year.  The magi left the comfort of home and traveled to new places in their quest to find Jesus.  The magi sought advice from others.  They listened to a dream that warned them to make a course correction.  They walked in the light of the star rather than lurking in the shadows.  A model for us, the magi invested their time, travel and treasure in the journey.  Best yet, the magi paid homage, humbled themselves, before Jesus.  The journey of the magi is a wonderful model for our own journey.

We do not know the number of magi who visited the newborn king, Jesus, we do know they came as a group.   I want to encourage you to travel with others this year.  Let me offer two suggestions.

One opportunity is to attend the Small Group event on Sunday, January 19th at Sugo's in Edwardsville (1/19/2014).  At this event, we will be introduced to small group leaders, hear the vision and dreams of small group life, and have a chance to name the group(s) leader(s) with whom we wish to journey.  Attending the event is not a commitment to join a group, but it is a great way to meet others from church in a casual, fun atmosphere.

A second opportunity is to share Bible study with those you love most - your spouse, significant other, neighbor.  A good article by Karen Holford that addresses issues and presents ideas related to practice of Bible study with another is posted on our website.  The article is called "Spiritual Intimacy".  The article first appeared in the January 2014 issue of Ministry,® International Journal for Pastors, www.MinistryMagazine.org.  We are using it with permission.  

Holford writes, "One of the greatest hindrances to our spiritual intimacy is fear.  And one of the greatest keys to our spiritual intimacy is love, because 'perfect love casts out fear.'" (1 John 4:18 NIV)  Maybe this is the love you will celebrate on Valentine's Day in a few weeks.  Maybe this is the love of a parent and child, or neighbors.  It is a love that helps us discover more about ourselves and God.

A journey of a lifetime is best traveled in good company.  I count First Christian Church as great company for me and my son.  See you Sunday!

~ Dr. Brooks

Recommended Reading

In addition to family and food, my Thanksgiving holiday included reading “Killing Jesus” by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard.  While this might fit more with the Easter season, it is an excellent read.  I deeply appreciate how the authors have given presentation of what the world was like in Jesus’ time, as well as a concise telling of Jesus’ life.  This book stays with the style of their previous books, “Killing Lincoln” and “Killing Kennedy”, by seeking facts and motives.  Both authors are Catholic, and I felt their faith was evident in the treatment of the material.  A warning that this book contains difficult details of life at that time.  With that noted, I highly recommend this book as helpful in our faith journey.

All Saints Day

Who are the saints in your life story / journey?

The biblical tradition provides us with a multitude of images.  From the Old Testament we are given the concept of a new Israel, a community possessed by the holy spirit and representing in the here and now the community we will know in the after life.  From the New Testament have “the holy ones” such as the apostles and members of the early church.

Interestingly, the Bible does not give us strong trends toward individual saints.  Saints are the community or because of relationship to the community of believers.  The idea of a lone ranger saint does not appear in the Bible.

Another change along the way has been the function of saints in our lives.  There was a time when we prayed for the saint to be cared for by God, especially when their service was dangerous or when they were martyred.  More common today is to ask the saint, especially when they are deceased, to pray for us.

How do you relate to the saints?

Sharing faith,

Dr. Brooks

Labor Day Reflections

This morning I prayed at the ribbon cutting for a Walmart.  The stage was in front of the store and framed by two ladder trucks from the local fire departments.  The ladder trucks held a large flag, stars and stripes, over the stage.  The VFW presented the colors as an employee of the store sang the national anthem.  A large gathering of government and business leaders participated.  As I watched and participated in this grand opening, I pondered the impending holiday.

Labor Day Weekend is upon us.  An opportunity for barbecues and other outdoor festivities.  Also, an opportunity to remember the economic and social contributions of workers in America.  

At the grand opening, it was noted the hundreds of jobs provided by the store.  Also noted was the benefit to local government and schools through the increased tax revenue.  I am aware of the charitable donations by our local Walmart that positively impact our local community and the service hours provided by the employees.  My reflection, as I watched the ceremony transpire less about the discussion of big box v. mom / pop shop nor was it much about workers rights.  I marveled that a request had been made for the presence of a clergy person in the ceremony.

At first glance, I was encouraged that I live in a community that values clergy as community leaders.  In my dozen years here, I have appreciated that the local business and government communities have included clergy at the table of discussion.  For me it has been an experience of the best practices of separation of church and state.  Rather than exclusion or control, the relationship is more collaborative and cooperative.

What of our individual part in this story?  Is our labor one of love?  Is our workplace a context to live our faith?  Questions for reflection around the grill this weekend, I hope.

The Larger Church

PurposePoints

Minister’s Musing on Ministry & Misc.

So good to be home!  I want to thank everyone who pitched in during my recent travels.  Special thank you to Jeff Wrigley, our Youth and Children’s Director, who preached his first sermon.  I have heard so many wonderful responses to his sharing of the Good News!

Joseph and I enjoyed the General Assembly of our denomination in Orlando, Florida.  Joseph may not have enjoyed the business sessions that I shared with him as much as he did the evening worship services.  We enjoyed some wonderful singing, preaching and prayer during worship.  My parents joined us for the assembly and succeeded in spoiling Joseph during the event.

I want to commend the larger church to each of you.  Our most frequent and powerful experience of church is typically our congregation.  Church as a gathering of God’s people who love God and serve neighbor is as powerful an experience beyond congregation.  At Area, Regional and General Assemblies, it is profound to gather with Disciples from across the land in thousands to sing the songs of our faith, share at the table of our Lord and to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ.  Through Week of Compassion ministries we serve together with sister congregations to meet the needs of those who suffer locally and globally.   Through the Pentecost special day offering we support the birth of new congregations.  So many are the ways we share ministry beyond the walls and zip codes of our daily lives.  I encourage you to seek ways to engage this experience for it will build your faith in new and exciting ways!

Thank you again for the time and support to attend this year’s General Assembly.  The next General Assembly of our denomination will be in 2015 and in Columbus, Ohio.  Let’ s go together!

New Class

New Class that I am teaching this fall at First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Edwardsville, Illinois

"Theological Imaginings"

taught by Dr. Brooks

Join Dr. Brooks in some safe space to explore some sacred questions.  

We will look a variety of viewpoints and have time for questions and reflections.

Four Thursdays in October

same course twice

10:00am and 7:00pm in the parlor

10/3 - How do we know?

(We will wrestle with issues such as authority of scripture, authentic revelation, value of experience, tradition)

10/10 - Who is God?

(A survey of various perspectives of God from Triune to Gnostic and back again)

10/17 - What is Church?

(What did Jesus intend?  What might be essential and non-essential?)

10/24 - How does salvation work?

(Who gets to be saved and where do they go?)

Creative Choices

A remark on my preaching noted that reconciliation has been a theme or thread through several recent sermons.  The power of reconciliation is an image that I have seen bubble up from the Bible passages that I have engaged in my sermons of late.  Indeed, reconciliation is a profoundly creative and constructive force at our finger tips.

Deconstruction is the easy move.  Oh a child’s laughter as we stack the blocks for them to knock down.  Over and over again we play this game.  The feeling of power to impact our surroundings is often found in deconstruction.  The neatly mowed lawn that is a field of grass stunted by the slicing blades of our mower.   Our freedom of speech more often seen as the right to criticize those who lead and those who live next to us.  How easy it would be to trod down this well worn path of lamenting our deconstructive delights.

While deconstruction has its place in our lives and relationships, construction is a more rewarding challenge.  Watching the corn sprout in neat rows, now about half a foot tall in places.  Our home gardens beginning to reveal what we hope will be a great harvest in a few months.  Graduations and weddings that call for celebration this time of year.  Vacations that create memories for a lifetime.  

Reconciliation is a powerful force of creation, far more than forgiveness alone.  To reconcile is a choice.  A choice to be in relationship by overcoming brokenness and difference.  Through this choice we demonstrate a love akin to that Jesus shows to the many he invited back into community.  

From the woman at the well, the woman about to be stoned, the prodigal son, Zaccheaus, the disciples ... the list is nearly endless.  Jesus continually initiates contact with the outcast, downtrodden, and common to bring them into more meaningful relationship with himself and the larger community.  Jesus initiates relationship not to network and climb the ladder of success.  Rather Jesus is counting success by lifting up the other into a life of abundant joy.

When we sing that they shall know us by our love, we sing of the choice to be a reconciling people.  If you want a challenge that will provide dividends today and for days to come, chose to reconcile.  In small ways or large, it is a choice to construct a better future.  Who did not show up to Thanksgiving dinner last year that you might chose to include this coming fall?  Single Dad with feisty child could be given the sport in front of you in the check-out line.  To engage in road rage or to ignore the distracted driver who just cut you off?  Kudos to you who chose well to share the love already given you.