2009 November « Spirit Stirrer

November 30, 2009

Advent Space in a Christmas World

This past Friday my sister in law woke up early to be at a local department store at 2:45 in the morning. She wanted to be part of so called “black Friday,” the day after thanksgiving shopping extravaganza that supposedly kicks off the holiday shopping season. She was there with hundreds of others who were hoping to find “great deals” on gifts out of their holiday list.

I personally do not understand it. Why would you get up so early to shop? What kind of deal is worth showing up at a department store at 2:45 in the morning? What does it say about us that this is the way that we kick off the holiday season?

This past Sunday many of my parishioners showed up to church still “high” from a few days of shopping. They spent all weekend listening to Christmas songs, seeing Christmas decorations, and buying Christmas gifts. Many woke up before dawn on Friday to get a great deal and will probably have trouble staying awake for the worship service (if they show up at all).

Instead of the loud crowds, bright decorations, and cheery music they will encounter a quiet atmosphere, purple paraments, and reflective music. They came from a Christmas world into an Advent space. There could not be a bigger contrast and for some a more difficult culture shock!

A sense of culture shock continues with the readings. The gospel has Jesus warning his disciples about the end of things. Creation, nations, and people are all a part of this in-braking, of this transformation, of this end. Jesus tells his disciples to recognize the “signs” and to be “alert.” Although all of this sounds scary, disciples of Jesus should not be afraid, instead we should “stand up and raise [our] heads, because [our] redemption is drawing near.” (Luke 21:28)

All of this comes together to give us a different view of what is really needed in the world and in each of us. Gifts, spending, and long lines are not needed according to the Advent message. What is needed most is a savior.

In line there are people who are looking for something. Many look forward to this time of the year to get a reprieve from their life. Others are hoping that the gift giving, the music, and the excitement of others will rub off so that they can find the peace that they are looking for. And there are still others on the margins who observe all of this happening wondering if this year will be any different.

In the everyday of life, in the mess of things, in the brokenness of things a savior comes. God knows that in the midst of the celebration there is sadness, pain, and strife. We as people of faith are called to pay attention, and to be alert so that we can be the bearers of the good news.

Are we paying attention to the signs around us that tell us what people are searching for? Are we as people of faith too busy ourselves to recognize our own need for salvation? Are we too caught up in religious things, not noticing the groaning of creation and the silent cries of humanity?

In small ways we are being called to actively rehearse the coming of God in the world. People are obviously hungry for good news, they might not even know of their deep hunger, they might not realize that what they need is not another gift, they might not know the real reason for this time of the year. I commit to look around, to see the signs everywhere, to pay attention, to tell the world that our redemption is drawing near!

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November 24, 2009

On Gratitude

In my native Puerto Rico Thanksgiving Day is an important holiday. We wear our Sunday’s best and wake up early in the morning to gather for worship. It is fitting that we begin this holy-day gathered as a community of faith to praise God and to give thanks.

Many had woken up earlier. They had gathered at the church and gone door to door serenading members and friends, marking the holiday and in its own way inviting all to gather to give thanks.

It was only after the gathering, after the time of praise and thanksgiving, that we joined family for the feast. I would argue that this was the only way that we could truly understand the feasting.

I miss those days in my native land! Now it seems that most of the time what takes precedence is not the giving of thanks but the eating of food (and lots of it!). In fact I will agree with Elyssa East who on “A Movable Feast,” an op-ed in the New York Times, writes:

“In the nearly 400 years since the first thanksgiving, the holiday has come to mirror our transformation into a nation of gross overconsumption.”

The holiday of giving thanks has become a holiday to food, possession, and overconsumption. We gather not to give thanks but to eat, not to praise God but to watch football, not to remember all that God has done but to “pat ourselves on the back” for all that we have accomplished. In other words no holy-day at all!

I wonder what it will take to turn the tide, to bring us to an attitude of true gratitude?

Gratitude is not just giving thanks. One can easily say “thank-you” and not be grateful. We do it everyday, someone gives us something or does something for us and we say “thank-you.” Quickly returning to something else, quickly forgetting.

Gratitude is a way of seeing. In its practice we acknowledge that all that we have, all that we enjoy, all that we are, everything around us, is a gift from God. We have not earned it or deserve it but have received it and for that we have no other response but gratitude. This way of seeing begins to transform us and align us more and more with God’s purposes for humanity and all of creation.

A true thanksgiving begins with the acknowledgement of God as creator and giver of all. From there it moves us to gathering. Friend and stranger alike enjoying true blessings: peace, healing, love! Enjoying a God whose table is open, who constantly gives of self for the life of the world.

Maybe if we live this way of life we would be surprised. We would find ourselves being “captured by gratitude” as Wendell Berry so aptly put it in his novel Jayber Crow. Once “captured” we would have no choice but to get up early, sing songs of praise and gather around table with love ones and strangers, friends and enemies, with all of God’s children.

November 20, 2009

On the change . . .

I had no plans to change my blog platform. Then all hell broke loose, actually we decided to move Liturgical Nerds to wordpress, and I decided it was better to move spiritstirrer here so that I could manage them together.

Josh and I have committed to writing more on LN as a way to continue a long conversation started long ago!

I am committing to this space also as a way to share with all those that have crossed my path and hopefully with many new ones that will come along the way.

Keep on reading & commenting. I look forward to the conversation!

Peace, Juan+

November 4, 2009

The Rhythms of Pastoral Life

In a previous post I spoke about those early months in ministry. Those months seemed like years! So much took place and much learning happened and little by little I settled in as pastor. It was almost as if one day I woke up and my normal movements, thinking, and inclination was that of a pastor.

I was blessed that my first pastoral experience was as an associate pastor of a mid-size congregation. They were vibrant, always on the go, and hungry for God’s movement in them. Their Sr. Pastor was wise mentor and knew me well. This mixture of dynamic congregation and Sr. Pastor as willing partner was pivotal in establishing in me good rhythms of pastoral life.

The other day one of the ladies of our church stopped by the office with her three daughters. We checked in on a few things about the church and soon her daughters had made themselves comfortable in the space. They were climbing on chairs, playing with the toys (I always have toys on the bottom shelf of one of my bookcases), and looking at all the “things” that brother Juan (that’s what they call me here) has all around his office. The conversation was coming to a close, the mother tells her daughters “let’s get out of here, brother Juan is busy!,” immediately one of the girls looks at me and asks “What is it that you do?”

How do I explain my vocation and work to an eight year old? I turned my chair around and began to tell her about preaching, teaching, about checking in on people (especially if they were sick), and about study. So far nothing seem to impress her . . . it seemed boring! Then I said that my favorite part of my job was talking to people like her who just dropped by! With a big smile on her face she went on and soon came back with a drawing of Jesus for my office.

These are the rhythms I learned from a congregation that cared enough to teach me and a mentor who loved enough to model. Some years ago Bishop Will Willimon was quoted in an article on the Christian Century by Jason Byassee called What do associate pastors want? Team Players, Willimon says “ministry is mostly learned through apprenticing.” After these important early years of ministry I could not agree more!

After three years as an associate I was appointed as pastor in charge of a small rural congregation in my home conference. The transition was enormous, going from a dynamic, fast moving, growing congregation to a small, dying one is not easy. I no longer have partners all around me to help dream dreams and see visions. There is no longer the hustle and bustle of the small city that I could hear from my office. But every morning I wake up and remember that I am a pastor and the rhythms of pastoral life that I learned help me walk into the empty church building and lead this congregation into the fullness that God is calling it to live.

The rhythms of pastoral life become the incarnation of God’s call to this life!