Seedlings

Reflections Post Ash Wednesday

2012-02-24T18:09:00.000-05:00

On Wednesday evening at Seneca Presbyterian Church, we gathered in silencefor a traditional Ash Wednesday service of worship. As I prepared for theservice and the season it begins, I was taken by the delicate balance found inthis thing we call sin. Lent is intended to be the season of self-examination.We ponder the darkness of our lives - our failures, our sorrows, ourshort-comings - anything that keeps us apart from God. Such a discipline is agood thing. We need to take an honest look at ourselves every now and then! Wekeep the discipline of Lent in anticipation of the glorious Good News of Easterwhen we shall experience once again the grace of God's amazing love that ismore powerful than all our sins, our failures, our sorrows, and ourshort-comings. Thanks be to God!

But I wonder if there is more to the balancing act? When we are honestwith ourselves and see the wrong of our lives, we cry out for grace and trustthat God will bypass judgment. But when we are the ones who have beenwronged, we cry for accountability. Heading too quickly to forgivedenies the justice of judgment that we feel we deserve. It is a delicatebalancing act, isn't it? For grace to be real, should we not also beaccountable for the wrong we have done?

It would seem that we do need this season called Lent. For we need to bemore than sorry for the wrong we have done. We need to repent - to turn around,to change, and to be made new. For when we are willing to be both judged andforgiven, the shortcomings of our lives can be redeemed – which is more than simple forgiveness. In the end, even the sin of our lives can become morepowerfully good. For sin is whatever keeps us from knowing – in our head,our heart, our gut, and our spirit – that God is truly Lord of all.

Reflections on Children

2012-02-18T16:17:00.000-05:00

I'm a bit pressed for preaching time tomorrow because we will be introducing 15 of our 18 new members at Seneca Presbyterian. What a delightful problem to have! I've chosen to focus on the spiritual and theological aspects of our challenge to become a multi-generational congregation again, and not necessarily strategies to achieve the dream. I think that's the best place for me to begin.

So many of you have offered your thoughts, concerns, and dreams. You've spoken of past attempts that did not hold the "magic bullet" and bring in "mass quantities" of children and youth. You've been honest with me about what you think our future prospects are. And all of you who shared have endorsed the dream to welcome children and youth again - someday, somehow.

As our Session, committees, and leaders work toward planning our future - trusting the guidance of the Spirit - we will always keep a watchful eye on this concern, challenge, and dream. I hope we will undertake an intentional study of our community - its needs for services of compassion and care as well as its needs for spiritual care. Perhaps instead of focusing on what will bring us children, our focus should be on what will touch the lives of the unchurched and how our unique gifts and unique witness can minister to and welcome them.

If you want to understand the challenge more completely, I highly recommend a book that was published just this week. It is Christianity after Religion: The End of Church and the Birth of a New Spiritual Awakening by Diana Butler Bass. I hope we can find a way to study it together, mining its resources and letting it be a springboard for us as we seek to be faithful to our calling, our gifts, and our God.

Thank you - saints of SPC!

Like a Child

2012-02-14T22:02:00.000-05:00

My current series of sermons ends this Sunday as we contemplate together one of the most important questions facing Seneca Presbyterian Church: Are we called to become an inter-generational congregation again - a congregation with a vital mix of babies and children, teens and parents - and grandparents? This question is a candid acknowledgement that we are a retiree congregation and initiates a conversation about what that means for our future and what that means for our faithfulness to God's call among us. It is not an easy question to answer and therefore should not be answered quickly. But it is still an important question to be contemplated intentionally and with care. If the answer is yes, the question of how becomes an even more profound challenge, with no guaranteed results. But I think this initial question is the place to start. So I invite you to share in the dialogue and the discernment - and thank you for doing so.

If we turn to Jesus for his example, two traditional texts come to mind. One is the well loved story of Jesus blessing the children (Matthew 19:13-15). The other comes as Jesus presents a child as an example of humility when his disciples are arguing about greatness (Matthew 18:1-5). So what did Jesus mean when he said: "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me."

So please consider with me:

Are we diminished without children and youth?
Would our congregational life and ministries be enhanced with children and youth?
If you believe that to be true, to what extend should we devote our time, attention, and resources to seek and invite families with children and youth to Seneca Presbyterian Church?
What do we have to offer to the children and youth of this community - and their parents?
What would it be like to have a congregation where no one remembers being a child in that place?

This post is humbly submitted in grateful acknowledgement of our healthy, vital, and gracious congregation and with deep gratitude to God for Roxi, Reagan, Cokeleigh, Sarah, Lilli, Parker, Jonathan, Emily, Madison, Eric, Tristan, and Sam.

Duke Divinity Call & Response Blog | Faith & Leadership | L. Gregory Jones & Benjamin McNutt: Encountering Christ in the stranger

2012-02-13T07:27:00.000-05:00

Here's a blog post that I should have used in yesterday's sermon! It comes from a Methodist institution but highlights the vision of John Calvin. Very ecumenical! Our ministries of care and compassion are a means of sharing Christ - because we see in the face of the stranger the image of God.

Duke Divinity Call & Response Blog | Faith & Leadership | L. Gregory Jones & Benjamin McNutt: Encountering Christ in the stranger

Working the Neighborhood

2012-02-08T19:45:00.001-05:00

This Sunday at Seneca Presbyterian Church, we are turning to one of the most challenging texts in all scripture. It comes to us from the wisdom of the great prophet Isaiah. Scholars believe that what we know as the book of Isaiah contains teachings from several generation of prophets who were schooled by Isaiah himself - the great prophet of the 8th century BC.

Our text for Sunday comes from chapter 58 (verses 1-12). This last section of the book probably dates from the time after the exile, when those who had been deported from Jerusalem to Babylon had returned home. They faced the challenge of rebuilding the city and the Temple. They also faced the challenge of discerning what it meant to be faithful to God. God's people had failed to be faithful. As a consequence, they had lost everything that was sacred to them: a king, the land, and the Temple. Now they had a second chance - and they did not want to fail again. But what was the key to faithfulness? Was it showing their devotion to God through pious and humble worship? Or was it something more?

As we read these words from the prophet, we sense a difference of opinion on the matter. But the prophet spoke clearly. Faithfulness to God meant faithfulness to the neighbor. If they were to fast - to deprive themselves in order to show devotion to God - what had to go was self - indulgence. Look to the need of your neighbor first - the need for food, for shelter, and for clothing - then you will know what it means to be faithful to God.

I invite you to read these powerful words and then to reflect with me:

God's favor seems conditional here - IF you do this, THEN that will happen. Is that what you hear? If so, how do you respond?
What echoes of the teachings of Jesus do you hear in these words?
What are the marks of faithfulness and what are its rewards?
Is this a requirement or an invitation?
When have you felt like a "watered garden" or a living spring of water? When have you known a rich and deep inner joy that comes from being faithful to God?

On Sunday, we will celebrate the faithfulness of the saints of Seneca Presbyterian - your devotion to ministries of care and compassion for others. And we will seek to discern what more God is calling us to do. So pray for wisdom and join the dialogue!

FYI: the "yoke" spoken of here probably refers to the burden of paralyzing debt. And this was written when??

Rich Toward God

2012-02-03T17:17:00.001-05:00

The text for this Sunday's sermon at Seneca Presbyterian Church is the parable of the rich fool found in Luke 12:13-21. Many of the parables of Jesus are difficult for us to understand - for a variety of reasons. For one, they reflect a time and culture that is not ours. Hence we don't "get it" that a bush growing from a mustard seed was considered not a blessing but a curse - a nuisance; kind of like kudzu in the south. Knowing that makes the parable so much more powerful. Other parables reflect the wisdom and passion of Jesus and may have been difficult even for the disciples to comprehend. I'm thinking here of the parable of the dishonest manager - another gift to us from Luke (chapter 16). Just try figuring that one out!

Then there are some parables that reflect kingdom values so clearly that we have no difficulty understanding what they mean - only living what they teach. The parable of the rich fool is one such parable. Reflect with me on its truths:

What strikes you about the rich fool's interpretation of his predicament? What is wrong with protecting the just fruits of the investment of his own labor?
What do you think of God in this parable, especially when God calls the rich man a fool? Is God judging the man, scolding the man, or merely sorrowful for such a loss and such a waste?
What actions do you think qualify the man to be labeled a fool?
Do you interpret his sudden death as a sign of divine judgment?
What does it mean to be "rich toward God"?
Can we be rich in things AND rich toward God, or are they mutually exclusive? Be honest here!

On Sunday we will not only reflect on this parable, but also remember the rich bounty we enjoy at Seneca Pres reflected in our endowment funds, celebrate the good they have done, and dream about what might be. But most of all, we will give thanks to God for the abundance of His blessings and seek His wisdom to be faithful stewards of His great mercy.

All of Me

2012-01-26T11:49:00.001-05:00

Our Thursday lunch-time Bible study group at Seneca Presbyterian Church - affectionately known as "Brown Bag and Bible" - has been studying the Gospel of Matthew for over a year. Just last week, we looked carefully at the story of the rich, young ruler as it is told by Matthew. (You do realize that you have to put Matthew, Mark, and Luke together before you get all three attributes: rich, young, and ruler, right?) The man comes to Jesus asking what he must do to "have eternal life" - which is another way of asking what must I do to "be saved?" We struggled with what Jesus asked this young man to do: sell all his possessions and then come and follow him. Once again, it highlighted an issue that keeps coming up - over and over again: does salvation (life, eternal life, wholeness, peace, entering the kingdom of God) come to us by grace or by works? As Protestants we immediately reply - instinctively - by grace, of course. BUT why then does Jesus first tell the young man to "keep the commandments" and then proceed to tell him he must go even beyond the commandments and sell all he has in order to "enter the kingdom of God"?

That, my friends, is a question that takes a lifetime of faithful discipleship to consider and probably never answer - completely. Moreover, the entire idea of "selling everything" raises issues of our relationship with wealth. You cannot read any of the Gospels - not to mention the entire Bible - to know that how we deal with our possessions is mightily important to God. It is a difficult subject, especially in the current political climate, which makes it all the more important to address. I hope we can - but I don't think the pulpit is the place to do so. The issue touches us so deeply that meaningful conversation must happen in a context where trust is present and dialogue (not monologue) can take place.

But we don't have to talk specifically about money in order to explore the story of the rich, young ruler. Consider with me:

What was this young man truly seeking?
Why to you think he came to Jesus to find an answer?
What to you think he was expecting that answer to be?
Why did he turn away?
What do you think happened to him after encountering Jesus?
What does it really mean to follow Jesus with all our lives?

I want to reflect with you on Sunday about what it means to transform lives. Faithful discipleship should change us. By grace, God receives us as we are. Then God proceeds to change us into what God wants us to be, for the sake of ourselves and for the sake of the world. Do you agree? How has your life changed since you began to follow Jesus?

Please enter the dialogue!

A Church for All People ... Serving God through Serving Others

2012-01-17T22:12:00.000-05:00

Sunday I shared with you - my church family - my desire to reflect with you on the unique identity and giftedness that we enjoy as the brothers and sisters in Christ known as Seneca Presbyterian Church. It is based on my theory that congregations just like individuals can be uniquely gifted and called for service in God's kingdom while sharing a unity of spirit with all Christians. Just like individuals the challenge is identifying our unique gifts and callings - what they truly are, not just what we want them to be. Of course, that's a bit more challenging with a congregation of 330 souls - each of them uniquely gifted and called. But in this community that we call SPC, there are some obvious and remarkable strengths that just about anyone who knows us would affirm.

I want to spend the next five Sundays reflecting with you on those gifts. I don't do it just to "pat our collective backs" - though this will give me a chance to thank and praise you for what you do so well. I also believe that those whom God gifts, God calls. And those whom God gifts well are called to extraordinary service. So in these sermons I will also try to offer some ideas about how we can do better what we already do well - all with the grace and power of the Spirit.

I truly want this series to be a dialogue - but since that's hard to do standing in the pulpit, we need to find some other venues. This blog is key for creating the dialogue, so please comment, and not just to me but to each other. Email is also an option - and phone calls - and even face to face conversation. I'm anxious to see how the experiment plays out!

So here is my outline of sermon topics for the coming weeks. Watch for postings each week - hopefully by Wednesday. Read and respond! And I extend my thanks to those who already have.

The Church for All People…Serving God through Serving Others

We believe that we are called to be disciplesof Jesus Christ.

As a Church of Jesus Christ…

We are called towelcome and care for all God’s children.(January 22)

We are called to thework of transforming lives, beginning with our own.(January 29)

We are called to befaithful stewards of God’s abundance.(February 5)

We are called to bepartners with God in the re-creation of the world.(February 12)

We are called to be acongregation for all ages.(February 19)

Claiming Our Identity in Christ

2012-01-11T22:02:00.000-05:00

I have a theory - or maybe more of an observation - that just as people are gifted in different ways, so are congregations. We all know people who are highly gifted - musically, athletically, intellectually, artistically - and some are simply gifted at being with and among people - bringing out their best. In the Church we believe that everyone is gifted - by God - for service in God's world. We all have skills, interests, passions, and experiences that make us unique people. When we find, claim, and use our gifts, we thrive. It's like an steam locomotive running perfectly at full throttle. The energy and joy we experience when we are operating out of our gifts allow us to keep giving, over and over again, seemingly forever.

What if it is the same for congregations? What if we are not meant to be all the same? What if we are uniquely gifted for specific ministries? Of course, gifts don't excuse us from doing the basics well. Even the most talented pianist must still learn how to balance a check book! But if the theory holds, every congregation is gifted and called to do some things extraordinarily well. Finding out what those gifts are can mean functioning at full throttle under the energy of the Holy Spirit. Denying those gifts or using them meekly could mean struggling to survive and failing to live up to all God means for us to be.

If you understand what I'm trying to say, and you think it has some merit, let me ask you:

Can you name and describe congregations you have experienced who were living out of their gifts?
How did they discover and claim them?
Do they involve everyone in the congregation?
What difference does it make for their life and vitality?
What are the gifts of Seneca Presbyterian Church that we should claim and nurture?

I'm working on a sermon series that articulates the gifts I see at SPC. Help me shape it with your reflections and stories!

Chipping Some New Stones off the Old Rock

2012-01-03T22:14:00.000-05:00

It's a new year and time to get back to old routines - like posting some ideas to help me ponder preaching this week. I'm looking forward to a new year tradition - the ordination and installation of new Ruling Elders, Deacons, and Trustee. As their Teaching Elder (notice my careful use of the "new" language for officers in the PC-USA), it has been an honor and privilege to work with them as they prepare for their term of service. As Presbyterians, we do have a remarkable tradition. Our elders and deacons serve alongside clergy with equal authority and responsibility for governing, supporting, praying, dreaming, and seeking God's will and direction for each congregation. Our services of ordination and installation exemplify how seriously we take that tradition - and they are holy moments.

"And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rockI will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it."

Those are remarkable words spoken by Jesus to Peter - and they are the text for Sunday. As I ponder them, I am drawn to the amazing work of those first disciples who built the Church - and all those churches - in a world that had no idea what they were doing or building. I'm also pondering how similar is the challenge we face today in building the Church.

The Church has been the center of my life basically all my life. It's a part of me. When I hear bigoted remarks spoken in the name of faith or learn of yet another scandal that chips away at the world's perception of the Church, I can easily say, "That's not the Church I know." But what of those who do not know? When those who stand outside the Church and outside faith hear of yet another misguided prediction of the "end of the world," they can't or won't distinguish between us and them. We are all part of that body of belief called "Christian."

So ponder with me:

How do we proclaim a Gospel of inclusion and justice when too many portray our faith as exclusion and judgment?
What perceptions of the Church do you encounter in your lives from people who live outside our faith?
How does the work and witness of the Church move forward into a world that is more and more "not-Christian," and not afraid to say it?

Most Highly Favored Lady

2011-12-16T10:49:00.000-05:00

It's my Friday hibernation day when I try to pull together thoughts that will somehow create a sermon for the saints of Seneca Presbyterian Church - for good or ill. This week I've been pondering the Annunciation - that wonderful story when Gabriel visits Mary to tell her that she is to be - or ask her if she would be (the distinction is significant) - mother to the Christ child, to the one we know as Jesus of Nazareth, son of Mary, the very presence of God in human flesh and blood.

As Protestants we come to Mary with a very different perspective than our Roman Catholic brothers and sisters. Certainly she is a remarkable human being. Certainly it is a mystery why God chose her of all women to be the mother of the Messiah. Certainly the story and the theological truths behind the story are fascinating and rich.

But as I begin this day of pulling together my thoughts, I am fascinated by the word "favored." I'm also intrigued that when the angels announce the Good News to the shepherds, our modern translations say "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those whom he favors." Just what does it mean? Have you ever felt "favored"? Does God "play favorites"? How does God intend for us to understand what it means to be favored?

So tell me - what do you think it means to be "favored" by God?

Lessons and Carols

2011-12-06T07:55:00.001-05:00

Coming this Sunday to Seneca Presbyterian: a service of Lessons and Carols! It has been our tradition in the past several years to include this service on the third Sunday of Advent. Once again, we highlight the ministry of music in worship, and once again we owe a great thank you to all our musicians in the chancel choir and the hand bell choir. We especially thank their leaders: Emmalyn Frye, choir director, Stan Hinton, organist, and Martha Holleman, director of the hand bell choir.

So... what do you know about the tradition of Lessons and Carols? Here are some facts:

The tradition comes to us from Kings College in Cambridge, England.
It began in 1918 as a way to add new vitality to Anglican (The Church of England) worship.The tradition has continued ever since. If you have access to a NPR station around 10:00 a.m. on Christmas Eve, you should be able to listen in to a live broadcast (traditionally beginning at 3:00 p.m. England time).
The service tells the story of our faith through the reading of nine biblical lessons, beginning with the fall of humanity in Genesis, continuing through the promise of the Messiah in Isaiah, and culminating in the birth of Jesus. Each lesson is followed by an carol by the choir or a hymn sung by the congregation - or both.
The service traditionally begins with the singing of "Once in Royal David's City." The first verse is always sung as a solo by a member of the boys choir and for many has the effect of announcing the advent of that holy night. In order to avoid undue anxiety, the selected chorister isn't told until just before the service begins. Can you imagine what it must be like to get that last minute "nod"?

The Anglican worship tradition is "high on liturgy." Our Presbyterian/Reformed worship tradition is high on preaching. Too often, we think of that choice as either/or rather than both/and. Because John Calvin was such a educator, we Presbyterians have always placed great importance and emphasis on the sermon. Sometimes that leads to thinking that liturgy is just a bunch of dead words in a dusty book. Yet for me, traditions and words that have been spoken across the ages by thousands upon thousands of faithful worshipers have great power to lead us into the presence of God.

What do YOU think?

"The Grass Withers..."

2011-11-30T21:17:00.001-05:00

Sunday takes us to the second Sunday of Advent where the typical focus is on John the Baptist. But let's look instead to the magnificent words of Isaiah 40 - words that the Gospel writers echo when they refer to John as the herald who prepares the way. The Old Testament book of the prophet Isaiah has been called the "fifth Gospel." Its words especially sing throughout the Advent season. Who can read "comfort ye my people" without hearing Handel's music singing along?

As I prepare to share this text with you on Sunday, you can help me. In verse 6 a frustrated prophet declares: "All people are grass... The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the Lord blows upon it." What do you think?

When have you felt like grass?
When have you felt withered and trampled upon?
What does it feel like to be abandoned by God?
Where did you find life and hope?

I welcome your responses; they can truly help me in my preaching - and if you'd rather not share them with everyone, just let me know. My preferences are set up to review all comments before they are posted.

The Gift of the Church Year

2011-11-17T22:06:00.001-05:00

It's Christ the King Sunday - almost. This Sunday marks the climax of the church year before we begin all over again on the first Sunday of Advent. Growing up as a Baptist, the church year was a foreign concept to me. Perhaps that's one small reason why it's so fascinating now. When incarnation becomes real, when we realize that we worship a God who is still active in our world, the church year isn't just a collection of lovely rituals. It is living history. The past is present and the future is now!

What we think of as a fixed calendar actually evolved over time - from three separate festivals - Easter, Pentecost, and Epiphany - to two complete cycles:
The Paschal/Easter Cycle - telling the story of death and resurrection with Lent as a time of preparation and the great Fifty Days as a season of celebration culminating with Pentecost.
The Incarnational Cycle - telling not just the story of the birth of the Messiah, but those amazing moments when that divinity shines through humanity - the adoration of the Magi, the baptism of Jesus, and the wedding at Cana. Ironically, in the history of evolution of the church year, the season we celebrate first was the last to be added - Advent.

If you need a reminder of the basics, here they are:
Advent: four weeks before Christmas
Christmas: 12 days of celebration between December 25 and January 5
Epiphany: January 6 and the season after leading up to Lent
Lent: 40 days of preparation for Easter - not counting the Sundays
Easter: the high holy days of Christian faith including the great Three Days - the Triduum - Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday PLUS the Great Fifty Days that follow.
Pentecost: fifty days after Easter marking the coming of the Holy Spirit of power upon those first Christians and the season after leading us back to Advent

We are going to sing through the church year on Sunday - along with celebrating the gift of music. So - let me know: which season delights you best? What traditions have you known that drew you into the mystery and wonder of any of these seasons and celebrations in the gift of the church year?

Numbers in the Joseph Story

2011-11-13T19:33:00.001-05:00

You've been patient with me during a very busy week at Seneca Presbyterian Church. My apologies for not posting this week. But - as we finished up with the Joseph story this morning, I posed the following number questions from the Joseph story. Check and see if you knew the right answers.
What is the number of:

Jacob's sons - 12
Joseph the dreamer (age) - 17
Joseph, second only to Pharaoh (age) - 30
Joseph forgotten by Pharaoh's butler (years ) - 2
Years of abundance - 7
Years of famine - 7
Number of dreams - 6
Number of sons who travel to Egypt from Canaan - 10
Number of portions for Benjamin at Joseph's feast - 5
The span of Joseph's life (years) - 110

Thank you for your gracious attention to this series. The stories of Joseph the dreamer are fascinating - and open to a variety of interpretations. Feel free to post YOUR reflections on "the end of the story."

The Kid Makes Good

2011-11-03T07:13:00.000-04:00

Happy Thursday morning! We are back in the Joseph story for this Sunday at Seneca Presbyterian Church - and dreams figure prominently once again. This time they carry an ominous meaning. If not heeded Egypt - and the world around - will experience a famine that would be a threat to life including the lives of God's family and Joseph's. But with wisdom supplied by God, Joseph is able to interpret the dreams and avert disaster. Read Genesis 41 for the details. Then ponder these questions - and share your reflections, please.

Who is responsible for averting disaster - Joseph or God? In other words, how do divine revelation and faithful human action combine?
How does God reveal God's divine will to those in seats of power and authority, in Joseph's day and in our own?
What moral responsibility do those in power have for those they rule - according to the biblical standard?
Should we be suspicious of "Pharaohs"? Who are the pharaohs of our world?
The seventeen-year-old Joseph has grown and matured. What evidence to you see of that and what experiences do you think had the greatest impact?
We have skipped over chapter 40, but you might like to read it through. It provides a scene that sets up Joseph's rise to power. Apparently ancient Israel was fascinated by life in Pharaoh's court.Chapter 40 introduces us to two men with vastly different opinions of life around the seat of power.

I wonder...

what Pharaoh thought of Joseph's God?
why Pharaoh was willing to share so much power with Joseph?
how Joseph's faith was impacted when he married the daughter of an Egyptian priest?
how God can preserve life in our world by relying on human faithfulness?

The ancients set great store on the power of dreams to communicate divine will. Have you ever experienced a dream that you believed to be a direct revelation from God?

What the Dying Teach the Living

2011-10-28T10:01:00.000-04:00

It has been a very busy week around Seneca Presbyterian Church - full of good meetings with great people who care about this church and God's kingdom. But this pastor has been distracted, so this post for Sunday is coming very late in the week. This Sunday we will be diverting just a bit from Joseph in order to celebrate All Saints Sunday. I will be reflecting on the experience of dying and what it teaches us, especially as we approach death from the perspective of our Christian faith. So even on Friday, you can help me by reflecting with me. Here are some questions to spur your thinking.

Have you ever experienced a "good dying"? If so, what made it so?
What have you learned about how to face death that supports the one who is dying and strengthens friends and family for the long journey of grief ahead of them?
What lessons for your own life do you take from the privilege of walking with another person in the journey of death?
How has experiencing death deepened your faith?

I thank you for reflecting with me.

I am the resurrection and the life, says the Lord.Those who believe in me,

even though they die, shall live, and everyone who lives and believes in me

shall never die.

The Saintly One

2011-10-19T22:37:00.000-04:00

This Sunday, October 23, when we gather for worship at Seneca Presbyterian Church, we will find Joseph facing a moral challenge. Potiphar, the captain of the guard, has made Joseph overseer of his household. It is a position of authority and responsibility. Read Genesis chapter 39 to get the entire story, then consider these questions:

Has the "self-centered brat" we met in chapter 37 changed? If so, why and how?
The rabbis call Joseph "the saintly one." Do you agree? Why or why not?
Why do you think Joseph refuses "Mrs. Potiphar"? Are you surprised that he does?
God's presence seems to imply success and blessing. We read in verse 3: "The Lord caused all that he did to prosper in his hands." How does that formula fare when applied to your life and the lives of those you know? How do you discern and even measure signs of God's presence in your life, even in the ordinary days of your life?

I am reading Richard Rohr Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life in conjunction with this sermon series. Rohr is a Franciscan priest who has written and spoken extensively on spirituality. This is his latest book and it traces the development of our spiritual lives through both the tasks of the first half of our lives, our transition to the second half - often through shadows, darkness, and stumbling - and into the fullness of the second half of life. It's interesting read! Some questions that it prompts for me:

What are the challenges that deepen faith?
Does it take a challenge so deep that it could destroy faith in order to strengthen it?

Rohr thinks so: He writes: 'There must be, and, if we are honest, there always will be at least one situation in our lives that we cannot fix, control, explain, change, or even understand." What do you think?

Let me hear from you!

Joseph: Day One

2011-10-16T17:06:00.000-04:00

Today the saints of Seneca Pres started a journey with Joseph. I was impressed with the knowledge base of my congregation - for I heard many correct answers to these basic questions about Joseph and the book of Genesis. The questions, with answers, are:

1) The history of the Hebrew people is told through the lives of the Patriarchs whose stories are found in Genesis. Name them.

Abraham
Isaac
Jacob

2) All the following happens in the book of Genesis except:
Abram leaves home. yes (Abram and Sari leave both Ur and Haran.)
The Hebrews leave Egypt: no (That happens in Exodus);
Twins are born: yes (Jacob and Esau);
A firstborn son is sent away from home: yes (Abraham's firstborn son Ishmael and along with his mother Hagar)

3) Name 12 persons from the book of Genesis, including at least four women.
The possibilities are numerous, but here are some of the most intriguing ones:
Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Noah (and his wife), Shem, Ham, and Japheth (and their wives), Abraham and Sarah (also known as Abram and Sarai), Lot, Melchizedek, Hagar and Ishmael, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Esau, Rachel and Leah, Laban, the twelve sons of Jacob (Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin), Dinah, Tamar, Potiphar (and his wife), and Pharaoh.

4) Name at least one dastardly deed done by Jacob.
For starters, he tricked his brother into selling his birthright, deceived his father, and stole his brother's blessing.

5) Joseph is the son of Jacob and Rachel. His only full brother was Benjamin.

6) Joseph is famous for two reasons. He knew how to interpret dreams, and his father gave him a coat of many colors.