Mary Changed Me

Mary wanted my counsel. Her name is not Mary, really, and she is not a member of my church. She had a problem and she wanted to know how a Christian should respond to the problem. She is a Christian, a heartfelt sort. With much intent, she sought my counsel.

Her intent, preparation, was what struck me first. Well that and her soft spoken nature that compelled the listener to pay attention to her words. Words she shared carefully. In advance of our meeting, she had spent time in prayer asking God to give her the right words to say in our meeting so as not to waste my time. Not only did she explain this to me, she started our meeting with prayer.

She was seeking my counsel. She did not ask me to pray for her. She prayed for us.

She had written out her worry. In a matter of minutes she had shared with clarity her worry and aptly named the question. I will not delve into the details of her situation or her problem. Suffice to say that her question was: “How was she as a Christian suppose to respond to this problem?” She shared this question and the problem with as much passion as clarity.

I tried to be as clear and concise as she. I told her that she was already doing exactly what a Christian would do in her situation. I encouraged her prayer life and her witness of God’s love to those in the situation. Affirming her previous actions to be safe, I reminded her to remain safe.

As if to make certain she had heard me correctly, she repeated my advice back to me. Then she added, in a way that was both question and wonderment, that God wanted her to be in that situation for a purpose. Her addition to my “counsel” sounded like a forgone conclusion she shared with me having known it before arriving in my office.

True to her word, she was in my office less than half and hour. She was as prepared for her departure as she had been for her arrival in my office. She changed me.

I say that she changed me because she did. My encounter with her impacted me. And the funny thing is that I knew it would before it did.

I knew what was about to happen was what should happen. I did not necessarily want it to happen because I had other things I wanted to happen. The other things were more “productive” according to my list of daily goals. Those things were definitely more easy to engage. Those things were in my control, supposedly. Yet I knew I had to do this thing. And in my soul I knew that it was exactly the right thing at exactly the right time and I also knew that I was going to benefit more than the Mary who was seeking my help.

I’m not certain how I knew. When my Administrative Assistant announced who was waiting to see me and that my counsel was requested, I knew it in my soul as certainly as I knew my face in a mirror. This was not the typical story of life interrupted with the “thing” you needed rather than the thing you “wanted.”

I knew the typical story was about to happen before it happened. The benefit of knowing such was being filled with a peace to do well what was needed. As carefully Mary shared her problem and question, I listened. As clearly she shared, I responded. When she began to pray for us, it felt most natural to me. When I might have felt bound to control, I let loose. When I might have felt necessary to use many words to justify or add weight to the counsel she sought, I spoke sparingly. She left with what she seemed to need.

I take no credit for this. It was completely God’s Spirit on the move. I am ashamed to conjecture what my decision may have been without God’s Spirit rushing in to my soul as it did. I might have asked Mary to make an appointment. I might have presented body language that repelled rather than received.

I take no credit for this. I share this because God showed up in my life this week. God used Mary to impact my life.

Mary came back to my office the next day. She wanted me to know that she had followed my counsel. She wanted me to know that her question was answered and the problem resolving. She wanted me to know the God was good.

I already knew. I knew because she showed up the day before. I knew because God told me.

I hope similar for you, child of God.

Mother's Day and Love Relationships

Reflection: on 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

by Dr. James R. Brooks May 10, 2010

“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

So often our relationships are impacted greatly by our emotions. You may have heard the term, “Kick the cat” to sum up the effect of a boss who is angry yelling at an employee who comes home to yell at their spouse who yells at their child who yells at their dog who yells at the cat. Having an emotion usually is not a choice. That we have an emotional response to something or to someone often may not be our choice. How we act upon that emotional response can be our choice. If we encourage that emotional response within ourself can be our choice.

Mother’s Day is a celebration of a relationship sometimes fraught with emotional experience. In our best vision, the parent / child relationship is not dominated by emotional response. In our great desire, within the love relationship we share something more than emotional reactions.

In last Sunday’s sermon, I focused upon the last four phrases of this piece of scripture. The main point I wanted to make in the sermon was that love relationships (typified by the stereotype of Mother’s Day) are relationships wherein we are more fulfilled by witnessing joy in the other (our children, spouse, etc) than in the other making us happy. It is a type of relationship modeled by Jesus.

That being said, Love bears all things daily. In the daily grind of life, love bears all that occurs. Regardless of our mood, the weather, the stock market, all the outside and inside forces; we love the other. Our love for the thou is not dependent upon our waking on the right side of the bed or the perfection of thy outfit when leaving for school. Imagine the trust we endear in thy life when our love bears all things - the foibles and failures, success and satisfactions - daily.

Love believes all things is the powerful indwelling of confidence in thee. Not that we would by necessity believe every word spoken or deed performed. Rather love believes in the person as a child of God. Regardless of what thou hast done, those who love believe in thee. Ever found yourself saying, “I can’t believe you just _______?” In spite of that comment, love believes in the person as a creation of God. Imagine the confidence instilled in the recipient of that love.

My extended family hoped my generation would go to college. A very loving hope based upon a desire that my generation would have a better life. This hope was expressed in each celebration of a high school graduation and the addition of the graduates picture to a collection of other graduates in the family. Even more, this hope was expressed in the sacrifice of resources to pay tuition, housing, etc. Love hopes all things with a willingness to sacrifice so that thy will realize the hope, experience that which is hoped, achieve the goal. Love hopes all things with a willingness to set aside our hope for the hope thou hast claimed.

The women who were at the cross when Jesus died, they endured all things. Love endures all things because of the promise to never abandon thee. Thou are loved so deeply as to never experience the absence or rejection once experience by our Lord, Jesus. Imagine the confidence to reach for that which is hoped when knowing thou will never be abandoned! To endure is not to accept. Love never accepts injustice done to thee. However, love endures all things done to or by thee. Nothing can separate those who love this way.

These loving relationships are not about sparing the rod and spoiling thee. Rather they are based upon the love given by God to all God’s children. All who draw breath are loved so by God through Jesus Christ and sustained by the Holy Spirit.

I am blessed to have learned much of human behavior through my studies in psychology, anthropology, sociology, history, etc. Humanity has such a wealth of knowledge that if applied would foster more meaningful and healthful relationships. Yet the love relationship described by 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 and reflected upon by me is only made possible when built upon the foundation of God’s love. I know of no other way to approach such a loving relationship. Thankfully, the foundation of God’s love is available to us all each day in a diversity of ways.

PurposePoints: Minister Musing on Ministry & Misc.

by Dr. James R. Brooks (jrbrooks@fccedwardsville.org)

Christmas is nearly upon us. The store shelves are teaming with holiday decorations. The television overwhelms us with the items we “need” to give to those we love.

This year, I think that our best approach to Christmas is not to “give.” Please understand me. I encourage “end of the year” giving to the church. It benefits your tax situation and the congregation’s financial health. Financial giving is spiritually healthy. Giving to the church and the needy is a highly valued behavior for all of us. When we consider our relationship with the risen Lord, born this Christmas season, let me suggest something more profound, adoration.

When was the last time you adored?

I think that adoration is one of the most difficult activities for us to engage.

Adoration is selfless. When we adore God, we focus entirely upon God. How hard is that? When we approach the source of our life, the fount of our being, the healer of our wounds and the miracle for our loved ones; how tempted are we to bring our worries to God? In contrast, to adore God is to look upon our Lord and refuse all distraction, even the distraction of our most dear concern.

Adoration is primary. We adore God first and foremost. When the three travelers brought gifts to Jesus, they adored Jesus without reservation. The first thing those three men did was to adore Jesus. They knelt and worshipped the baby Jesus.

Adoration is priceless / worthless. Our adoration of God is inadequate to what we have already received from God. Our worship of Jesus is not equal to the love that Jesus extends to each of us. If we adore God with our entire being we would not be able to save our own lives. We adore Jesus because our life is already deemed worthy, valued, and saved. Our adoration is cherished by God.

Adoration is fulfilling / overwhelming. Unknown to many of us, we fail to adore God fully because it would overwhelm us. If we worship God without our worries and pleas, we then sufficiently focus upon God so as to experience the overwhelming love of God. Sometimes, our worries and concerns serve as a buffer between us and the unconditional love that God offers each of us.

Adoring God is so difficult and so rewarding. What does God require? To love the lord your God and to love your neighbor as yourself.

How awesome a call is that? When we adore God, we are shaped to love our neighbor in a wholly spectacular fashion. A fashion that can change a relationship, community, creation.

May the Lord bless us this Christmas season. May we adore the the Son of God born among us.

Unifying Experiences

Unifying Experiences

What provides unity among us as members and participants in this gathering of God’s church?

In some ways, we find our unity in similar fashion as the country where our denomination grew up. Like the United States of America, we claim our experience of freedom to be unifying. Each of our members and participants are both free and responsible to interpret the faith, read the Bible and serve God and neighbor. From our experience of an open communion table to our acceptance of members regardless of their form of baptism, we claim freedom to be a unifying principal and experience.

The more important unifying experience is our relationship with God, through Jesus, nurtured by the Holy Spirit. Jesus prayed, “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; 21that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.” (John 17:20-21 - NASB) Jesus prays that we might be one so that the world may believe in God!

It is my understanding that the Christian idea of unity is that we become more like Jesus rather than more like each other.

This has profound implications for our experience of unity.

Let me begin with worship. The unifying experience hoped for in Christian worship is that we experience God who creates us, saves us and nurtures us. When I experience God in worship, I am more closely unified with my brothers and sisters of faith whether they are speaking a different language across the globe or singing a different song at a different hour in the same room.

God blesses us with more opportunities than worship. Our church picnic in September afforded us an opportunity for a unifying experience as we shared a meal and recreation on the church yard. In some ways, this experience of unity allows us conversation with our neighbor that we do not enjoy to the same degree in worship. In October, our Trunk or Treat gave us an opportunity to experience unity as we reached out to our community. Approximately 100 children and adults visited our church for the first time. Between one third and one half of those stayed to eat in our fellowship hall. Both these events were made possible because of the efforts of members & participants from both worship services.

We are truly blessed. I am blessed to be your pastor. I look forward to giving thanks in November with you all.

~ Dr. James Brooks

podblog

The clouds are in the sky and I'm trying to figure out podcasting.
Hopefully I'll see podcasting more clearly than the sky today.

Introduction

Thank you so much for showing up.
I'm at the Edge of Eternity only because God called me to show up.
I'm at the Edge of Eternity only because a community of faithful ones throughout my life have walked (with) me there.
Thank you all.

Standing at the edge - see out there
That's a big point of this blog