One of the gifts I’ve received
over the years is to realize the priceless importance of participating in those
rituals and remembrances which nurture and enhance our spirits, our faith and
our relationships.
As we celebrate this
Christmas Season in the midst of joyful blessings and sorrowful news, the Hope which
inspires and sustains us lives on in the midst of these rituals and our relationships:
………in our quiet moments
spent with God, our prayers and worship shared in community, our relations with
others, a lit candle, a favorite piece of music, a thought provoking read, a
walk outdoors, reaching out to someone less fortunate, and being grateful for
the people in your life, past and present.
That little baby born
over 2000 years ago, Jesus ‘Yeshuah’, Emmanuel, El Shaddai, the Messiah, the
Holy One, the Star of Jacob, who has been and is with you through all the
rituals of your life: lives on and loves you perfectly, now, and forever and
a day.
God’s Gift to Us
The world was blessed long ago
with God’s gift to us of Love...
a guiding star, an angel choir
rejoicing from above.
All pointed to a tiny babe
born in a shepherd’s stall
a Saviour bringing peace on earth….
God With Us…Emmanuel.
For unto us a Child is
born, unto us a Son is given...and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor,
The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6
May your 12 Days of Christmas be filled with the Love and Wonder of 'the babe born in a manger', the One who came for us so long ago!
With the tragic shootings last Friday in Connecticut, where
so many lives were cut mercilessly short, I wondered whether to proceed with my
originally intended blog. I decided
since my focus would not change either way, to begin with my plan.
A number of years ago while studying at Concordia University;
our program had this one professor who seemed to model a rare and treasured gift. Treasured in that aside from his ability to
see and seek out the true possibilities in others, he seemed to possess the
gift of seeing Christ in others. Regardless of his own views, he understood and
respectfully treated each person he encountered as a child of God. He was
‘present’ to who we were and to whom we were becoming. The manner in which he regarded
his students and colleagues modeled the spirit of encouragement. His presence
in our lives as well as his teachings left a lasting impact in the lives of
many students.
Merriam Webster Dictionary
defines the verb ‘to encourage” as this: to inspire with courage, with spirit, and/or with
hope.To encourage or to be encouraged can translate
into many areas. Here’s a few:
To offer a smile, a handshake
To welcome a stranger or someone new
To offer a pat on the back or message of
congratulations.
To affirm your faith in someone through word or
deed
To express gratitude for a person, a deed, a
gift, this day, healing or
good health, and so much more
To accomplish a task or challenge, or to learn
something new
To feel or sense God’s presence in your life.
To know you are loved and/or cared about by
others and by God.
To encourage or be encouraged means
cultivating and offering one another our presence, our compassion, a listening
heart, prayers, forgiveness, mercy, respect and understanding. These traits of
encouragement show up in different ways through our relationships at home, at
work, in school, in public and in private, in our thoughts, our emotions, and
our prayers.
Several years ago during my ministry as hospital Chaplain, I
was periodically called to lead a weekend Worship Service. These Services, while offered in the hospital
Chapel, were also broadcast and made available in patient and waiting rooms, and
in nursing stations. Most services usually included live organ music, yet sometimes
I needed to improvise with a prerecorded hymn or song. The focus was always to offer
some measure of healing and comfort to people spiritually, emotionally and
physically: to offer some measure of encouragement. The challenge was in
finding ways to share God’s presence and hope personally while delivering
institutionally from one corner of a building.
One of the prerecorded songs I frequently played was ‘You Raise Me
Up’ (link is above) Just as this song speaks to the
powerful impact of God’s presence in our daily lives; we, who were created by
the same God, are also called to be messengers of hope and encouragement to one
another.
Spiritual and emotional encouragement can be expressed so
many ways: in personal communications, through an ongoing relationship with
God, an active faith, and a sense of gratitude (even in the midst of
challenges). ‘You Raise Me Up’ speaks not
only to one’s connection with God; it also speaks to how we receive one
another. Referring back to the professor I wrote of earlier, and to many others
who have impacted my life both briefly and long term: I remain grateful for
their honest encouragement. and hope in some way I have been able to offer the
same to others.
To be encouraging, it’s important to be encouraged. Each person, every soul needs to find that
which encourages them. Relationships, community, music, nature, the arts, offering
pastoral care, and my relationship with God are tools which inspire and encourage
me. What inspires you?
And, how does ‘encouragement’ show up in the face of tragedies
such as last Friday’s shootings in Connecticut, or any sudden or unwanted loss
or challenge? I believe it shows up by how we live out our lives, by how we are
present for one another, how we share our hopes, and how we live our faith in the
midst of our humanness and in God’s Grace.
Offering variations of encouragement and staying encouraged is
an ongoing life process. We learn as we journey on and as we meet different
people and find ourselves in varying circumstances. In this Advent Season of Waiting, and as we celebrate
the Birth of Jesus Christ, I encourage you to spend time with the God of Hope
and Grace whose Spirit is the source of all encouragement….and then make time
to encourage and share this Season with others.
I've included two songs which speak of encouragement, personally and spiritually. If you can bypass the ads, the words are worth the listening. Testify to Love and Breath of Heaven
When I was part of
Lutheran Campus Ministry, we developed a lot of traditions. They ranged from
the sacredness of the sending Eucharist to the treasured fellowship of midweek
meals to the downright inexplicable ceremonial smashing of the Easter pumpkin
(please don't ask).
But a tradition that fell somewhere amongst these extremes was the showing of
Clambake for Elvis' birthday. He is a King after all! And it doesn't fall THAT
far after Christ the King Sunday. I treasure this tradition partly because of
the people who shared it with me and memories of the delicious food. I
appreciate that we could watch a movie purely for its ridiculousness and laugh
at it and each other as we sang and danced along. Clambake is a classic,
somewhat cheesy story, of a rich man who trades places with a poor man and they
both learn stuff.
Yet oddly enough, there's also some gospel hidden beneath the pirouettes and
unabashed cheesiness. It comes through (drumroll...):
Catchy, right? But in context, it's an example of encouragement. Elvis sings
this to a little girl who is afraid to go down a slide when the other kids on
the playground are making fun of her. Before long, all the adults are singing
along with Elvis and the girl is happily sliding again and again.
We all know that life isn't the ideal of an Elvis movie with flashy cars on a
sunny beach where people break into carefully choreographed song and dance
every few minutes. But, just like the little girl, we all need encouragement
every now and again; like Elvis we all have the power to give it. Not only do
we have the power, but Jesus commands us to do so: "Love your neighbor as
yourself."
How often have you been in a situation where a kind word would have made a
difference? How often are you confident enough yourself to hear and trust
Spirit nudgings to encourage others?
My prayer and challenge for you is to be open to seeing where those around you
may need some encouragement. Is it the overwhelmed cashier who has heard too
many complaints that day? Is it a child or a parent or a spouse who looks
particularly exhausted? A colleague who is struggling with a project? Our
college students at ELC who are stressed about final exams? Our church staff
who have extra work during this already hectic season? There is much need for
encouragement in our world, and so many ways to give it. It could be a smile, a
friendly "hang in there" a card or quick email.
And if Spirit so moves, there is always Elvis too.
In Medieval France the
heart was the primary organ of the body and it was seen as one that was open
and “porous”. The heart was not just a metaphor for love and spirit, but it was
physiologically and theologically the center of the body and the location of
the soul. Its purpose was to “exhale heat and spirit to the rest of the body”.
We see this reflected in the words that have come down to us from that time - courage and, our word for this week - encourage.
When we encourage, we
“hearten” – we make strong or give strength to another heart that may be in a
weakened situation. What a wonderful image and what a fitting finale to our
blogging series on faith practices.
Encouragement is easy.
Tell someone they are doing well, that they will make it through a difficult
place, that they are a blessing to your life. It’s easy -- on the face of it. BUT it can be very difficult as well. It
means the focus is on the other person, it means you set aside whatever
“advice” you think they need to hear, you resist the temptation to turn it into
a story about you. You listen without judgment, you walk with them, share in their
story. You set aside the pre-conceived notions you may have about their race,
ethnicity, gender, age, economic status, sexual orientation, education and
politics. Yes, especially that last one.
Encouragement does not
mean we don’t hold each other accountable though. When you walk with someone
it’s easier to ask the “ What would a follower of Christ do in this situation” question. Paul
talks about this in his letter to the Philippians. He urges two women, who have
apparently had some disagreement to have a difficult conversation. And he asks
another person to help them. Paul is direct,
but he also takes care to note [in a letter likely to be read in public] the
value of each person and their contributions to the community.
That’s how a strong
community is built. One relationship at a time. One story at a time. One act of
discipleship at a time. One prayer at a time. Each person valued for the heart
they bring, each person “heartened” on their journey by others so that when we
go out into the world for mission and ministry we take hands and stick
together.
Dear God, let our
relationships reflect the love, respect, and compassion we have experienced in
you.
