Epiphany Resolution: BE Christ's Peace, Hope, and Love in Action

On this 5^th day after Christmas I have said, “Goodbye, I love you!” to many family members who visited us in our new home. Our home was blessed by the sound of laughter, the scent of the Christmas tree, and the joyful Spirit of Christmas-time thanks to our faithful visitors.

The tangible yet quiet message of love in these visits reminded me of Epiphany. All of our visitors traveled long distances to see us because of the love in their hearts. The magi who visited our Lord communicated the same message with words, gifts and other adorations of the Christ child after making the long journey to meet him. And in some way, I am sure the Christ child responded back to them, "I love you, too!"

Where do we journey to meet Jesus and enthusiastically show him our love? When we attend worship? When we go on a mission trip? While standing in line at the grocery store? All these places are important. God calls us to demonstrate our love for Jesus Christ in every moment of our lives, not just at the end of a long, intentional journey. The ordinary moments, when others least expect it, may be the most poignant times to exhibit Christ’s love.

As an Epiphany gift to Jesus, let us become even closer to God by connecting with love to all we meet. See each other through the eyes of Jesus. Forgive, reach out, be brave, and listen to the Spirit who guides you to do what you are able to help one another.

Psalm 72 guides us to do our part to "save the lives" of those in need: "For He delivers the needy when they call, the poor and those who have no helper. He saves the lives of the needy from oppression and violence. He redeems their life; and precious are they in his sight." (adapted from Psalm 72:12-14)

What will you do differently in 2014? In this New Year, a wonderful resolution might be: "To show my love for Jesus by loving those in my life a little more each day." Celebrate Epiphany by giving the gift of YOU to someone who needs a helper, an advocate, a friend. YOU can BE peace, hope, and God’s love in action. Happy New Year!

Pastor Cindy

(image credit: http://cyberbrethren.com/2013/01/06/the-epiphany-of-our-lord-january-6/)

Reflections on Many Years as a Pastor in Morristown

"I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you." (Philippians 1:3-4)

My time at The Presbyterian Church in Morristown has been extremely blessed! In the past 7 1/2 years I have gained valuable experience about how to be a pastor, not only for our particular church, but for the wider Morristown community. I completed Princeton Theological Seminary in 2003 and did not want to disrupt the family with a move. So I applied and was hired by the Morris County Prosecutor's office as the coordinator of the Sexual Assault Response Team (SART). This was my first "ministry" post-seminary. Since I had been a psychiatric nurse therapist since 1985 and worked in crisis intervention for assault victims in the past, I was comfortable applying for the SART coordinator. The Prosecutors office also referred to me as their "unofficial" County Chaplin. I enjoyed working with the police departments, hospitals, and advocates from the Morris County Sexual Assault Center. 

After nearly 3 years as the SART coordinator, I discerned a "call" to church ministry and became the Associate Pastor of The Presbyterian Church in Morristown (PCM) in May 2006. It has been a full and active ministry both inside the church and out in the Morristown community. Some of my favorite ministry activities involved bringing Christian Yoga, Tai Chi, Stephen Ministry, and a Disaster Response team to the church. I enjoyed developing and leading mission trips to Jamaica, Joplin, MO, the Dominican Republic, Kenya, and Point Pleasant Beach. I am grateful for the devoted and faithful PCM Deacons who were willing to become "shepherds" of neighborhoods to keep the church members in touch with the church since many of our 1000 members live beyond the Morristown area. 

As President of the Morris Area Clergy Council in 2010 I became friends with other clergy in the region, our mayor and freeholders, and had the opportunity to be a speaker at many social justice events held on the Green and in our County Administrative offices. Being an advocate for people suffering from Domestic Violence issues, Drug Addiction, Alzheimer's, Human Trafficking, and AIDS was a significant part of my role as a pastor, too. I was a member of the Atlantic Health Morristown Medical Center Advisory Board for 5 years and enjoyed reflecting upon my background in healthcare along with my role in pastoral care in my advisory position. As a member of the Minority Concerns committee for the Morris/Sussex vicinage during the past two years,  I helped the court system explore ways to be more "user friendly" to the county citizens. Since I had worked at the Prosecutor's office, I often had the honor of being invited by the Morris County Administration to give invocations at memorial services and commemorations hosted by the county. 

All of these programs and activities of ministry have aided my development as a community action pastor. I hope this knowledge will also bless the community of Santa Rosa along with The Presbyterian Church of the Roses congregation. There are three hospitals in Santa Rosa and many social justice advocacy organizations with which to make connections to the church. Their church already reaches out to high school students by providing a free breakfast every day of the week for anyone who wants to come to the church hall and eat. They plan to build on this community connection and reach out to the families of these students and to the families of the Rosebud Preschool that is located in the church, too. Churches are great resources for help and support. Like The Presbyterian Church in Morristown, The Presbyterian Church of the Roses is a welcoming sanctuary that promotes healing and wholeness with a history of caring for those in need in the community. 

One of the highlights of my time here in Morristown was one of the most difficult times, too. We had a period of nearly 3 years where the head of staff pastor was in transition. There were two interim pastors during this time and me. I had to pick up the reins, fill in the gaps, and make sure the church kept moving forward. As a result of God's grace and through lots of prayer we were able to keep the church stable and growing. 

The Presbyterian Church in Morristown's leadership of Elders and Deacons are incredibly gifted and talented. That is why the church has been growing and developing for more than 280 years. They don't give up and they keep their focus on trying to accomplish what God inspires them to do for the community rather than being inward focused. While working with this church family I have been able to see in action what keeps a church persevering and developing rather than perishing: God's love for neighbor. 

I am heading West because: The majority of my immediate and extended family now lives in California. The Alloways all moved out of the Midwest to warmer winters closer to the ocean over the past twenty years. After our undergraduate work at the University of Iowa, my husband and I lived in San Francisco for 7 years to attend graduate school at the University of California, San Francisco. We love the SF Bay area. We are going back home to our 49ers with season tickets for 2014. 

There have been many tears in this process of leaving. I have bonded very close to our church family and community friends and neighbors. It is painful to say "Goodbye" because I love them all very much. But I trust in the "call" of the Holy Spirit to this new church ministry and to this region of the country that I also love. The Presbyterian Church of the Roses has invited me to join them in sharing the gospel of love, faith, and hope to the world at this time in their history. They want to expand their mission outreach and connections to the community. And I begin preaching the first Sunday in Advent. 

I am grateful to God that my time here in Morristown has equipped me well for ministry in Santa Rosa which is the county seat of Sonoma County. Yet, there is always more to learn! I appreciate any and all prayers to bless this new ministry and for churches everywhere. 

God is Doing a New Thing at PCM!

We are entering a time of exciting transformation! Isaiah 42: 9 and 43: 19 state: “See, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare……..See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”

The Presbyterian Church USA has grown out of the reformed tradition founded on the principle: “Reformed and always reforming.” When we are in touch with the guidance of the Holy Spirit we are willing to engage in new things, change, and transform as God leads us. PCM is still alive and serving God well because in the past 280 years we have been willing to embrace change.

All living things evolve and transform over time.  Now it is our turn to transform parts of our church buildings to make them cleaner, energy efficient, and more adaptable for use by our many ministries and worship service needs. We are called to keep transforming into the shape God’s wants us to be to not only meet our own needs but also to meet the current needs of our community and world. Many groups in the community reach out to PCM for help hosting events and seminars because we have a reputation for being a caring church family that shares our blessings with others.

To continue to meet the growing demand for space, we need to update, renovate, and expand our ministry spaces and make them accessible to the physically challenged. The plans for the renovation of our Parish House and possibly the chancel in the COG will be attractive to those looking to: safely bring their children for Sunday School and Mid-week programs, engage in music ministry, actively and quietly fellowship together, and gather for the meaningful worship of God in a beautiful atmosphere.

 

This Fall there are new Bible studies on relevant topics such as: “Environmental Justice and the Bible,” new children’s music programs, a new Stephen Ministry training opportunity, and much more. Our Parish house will be packed to the max and our Church on the Green will be bursting with new visitors and members who want to be a part of the transformational opportunities we provide. May you feel the excitement and be a part of God’s movement inspired by the Holy Spirit. Join in on some of PCM’s new opportunities for fellowship for all ages know the love of God on a deeper level. And may you enjoy the “Our Turn” campaign. God is doing a new thing! Let us embrace it with joy!

 

(photo credit: http://www.livingstreamscc.org/img/somethingNew.jpg)

 

 

 

Be a Drop in the Ocean of Need

Would you do something if your family was being neglected? They are! Our children of God in Kenya need our love and help. They are not asking for a hand out. They are asking for us to work alongside them "hand-in-hand." Our brothers and sisters, those who have been born into a land where the government has trouble getting their act together, are suffering.

This photo below shows a garbage dump that developed in the middle of houses where many children live. This mess had pigs, ducks, dogs, and children wading in it looking for some form of sustenance they might use. But as they searched, bacteria laden trash was contaminating them.

When I visited this Mathare Slum four years ago, this lot beside the Living Word church was clear of trash. In the years since then, a group of young people found a way to make money by taking advantage of the fact that the county government does not pick up home trash as expected. To meet that unmet basic need, the group contracted to pick up trash from local homes and businesses. However, rather than responsibly taking the trash out to the legal dumpsite, the entrepreneurs just dumped it into their little space leased to them by a local councilman, right next to the church, in the midst of homes and small businesses. This past June, the horrific trash was spilling out into the road and walking paths that all the local residents must walk to get past this space.

It doesn't take being a health professional/pastor to know that the trash was greatly impacting the health of the people in this whole community. The children looked especially lethargic, had more sores on their skin and more runny noses than I observed four years ago. It was truly shocking to witness how a whole community could be so devastated by their county government’s neglect. Despite many appeals to the local health department from the local pastors, the threat to the health and wellbeing of the people of Mathare remained.

How would we react if such neglect happened in our own neighborhoods? We wouldn’t tolerate it, would we? We would protest, take action, write letters, make phone calls, and insist that the councilman revoke his permission allowing such contamination.  So – why do we allow this to happen to our family of God in Kenya? How do we empower them to empower one another and take a strong stand against such abuses and neglect from their county government? Pray for them, lift them up with our friendship, go and speak alongside them to the authorities in charge, empower them with advocacy, give them confidence that the Holy Spirit is with them because God cares about their wellbeing, too.

The day after we returned to the US, this big shovel showed up and the garbage trucks came to haul the garbage to the city dump where it belonged. The clean up took three days. It was a heavenly sight to our Kenyan brothers and sisters. We pray this will not be just a momentary sign that the county will do its job and meet the basic needs of the people.

We will continue to pray, do what we can to strengthen our Living Word church friends and enable them to keep fighting for their rights to a clean environment. And we will go back and thank the health department staff in person along with others who did their part in cleaning up what was once a tragic mess. By God’s grace and through the power of the Holy Spirit, God taught me that each one of us can make a difference in the world. My tiny drop of loving help in an ocean of need may continue to ripple out in ways I may never know. But we trust that God knows and appreciates every drop of love. Now we all must add our drops and make an ocean of love wash over Kenya. Go, see, do, be a light of hope there or wherever you can give loving help that empowers. 

The Question all Pastors Should be Asking if We Want to Grow the Church

Our family is made up of the Silent Generation, Baby Boomers, GenXers, and Millenials (and canines).

A vital question on the mind of pastors and church leaders who care about continuing to build up the kingdom of God through the Church is this: "Why are the young adult generations leaving the church? (Or not joining at all?)"  

Of course, not all are leaving. Popular seminaries are still receiving new students, people are still getting baptized and confirmed. But are they active? Are young people feeling committed to keeping the church going in the future? Where do they get involved and why do they regularly attend? 

According to Rachel Evans on CNN's belief blog, the younger generations are looking for churches that incorporate these beliefs: compassionate outreach work that makes a difference in the world, knowledge based teachings on the complementary relationship between science and theology (no anti-evolution preaching), active inclusivity - welcoming all races, sexual orientations, and gender equality. 

These beliefs are reflections from my favorite verse in the book of Micah: "…. What does the Lord require of you? To do justice, show mercy, and walk humbly with our God." (Micah 6:8) And in the summary Jesus gave for all the laws and commandments: Love God and love your neighbor. (Matthew 22:36-40)

Reading this priority list from Evan’s blog makes me even more thankful for our church's compassionate inclusivity, mission outreach work, and our approach to teaching Science and Theology. She quotes the personal yearnings of a Millenial - GenXer:

"We want an end to the culture wars. We want a truce between science and faith. We want to be known for what we stand for, not what we are against.....We want churches that emphasize an allegiance to the kingdom of God over an allegiance to a single political party or a single nation......We want our LGBT friends to feel truly welcome in our faith communities.....We want to be challenged to live lives of holiness, not only when it comes to sex, but also when it comes to living simply, caring for the poor and oppressed, pursuing reconciliation, engaging in creation care and becoming peacemakers." 

To build up the kingdom of God in this new church year, let us continue to serve and care for our Baby Boomers and older generations. And let us also continue to do what we can to meet the yearnings of the younger generations who are striving to be authentic children of God with or without the church. Then our church be a place where they can have these yearnings satisfied through serving our Lord and Savior who sacrificed his life for justice, kindness, and mercy for us all.  
(For the full article see: http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2013/07/27/why-millennials-are-leaving-the-church/)

A Prayer of the People

O God of the heavenly powers, who gives more than we desire or deserve; grace us with your Holy Spirit as we pray on this blessed day. Your son Jesus prayed for his disciples then and for us now. We are so grateful to know that we are loved so dearly by you. May we rest for a moment and embrace, absorb, and bask in that love. May your Holy water flow through our lives keeping us in the flow of your Spirit always.

 

Gracious God, Beautiful Light, with the whole host of heaven we declare your goodness! We lean on your steadfast love as we plead: come and help us. We are scrambling for peace but finding chaos, searching for blessing but overwhelmed by trouble. We pray for those who are suffering today. For those who don’t know you, for those who doubt you love them, and for those who know you but do not come to worship you. Be with them in their journeys. Lead them to a closer relationship with you and your healing presence. Interrupt our worries with a vision of purpose and delight. Lead us to the waters of healing amidst the work of our days, throughout our rest, and in our dreaming. Open our hearts to be reassured of your presence among us and in each person we meet.

 

God of boundless grace, you call us to drink freely of the well of life and to share the love of your Holy being. May the glory of your love, shine forth from each one of us out into a world in need. We ask these things in the precious name of Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen.

 

Our Church's Personality is Resilient

What do I love about our church? PCM’s personality! Every church has a personality and a distinctive style of bringing glory and honor to God. Our church has a resilient, warm and welcoming personality, a heart for mission/outreach participation, an appreciation for education, a love of sacred music, and a devotion to the care and development of children. Our church members volunteer their time to help govern, repair, cook, organize, lead, teach, and care for our congregation. We are blessed with many awe inspiring Christian role models in our midst. The long term devotion to PCM, demonstrated in all the active volunteerism, keeps our church ministries thriving. This is an essential personality trait that contributes to our ministry longevity ever since 1733.

When I decided the best use of my continuing education fund was to complete a Doctorate of Ministry in Science and Theology, the PCM session was very supportive. This fits with the character/personality of the Presbyterian Church since its development out of the Church of Scotland. The Scots have always valued higher education for their pastors.

I am so grateful for the education I received in these past 3+ years going back and forth, 4 weeks each year, to Pittsburgh Theological Seminary for the coursework. It has been an honor to share the Science and Theology knowledge I learned through sermons and adult education seminars. I gained valuable information from conducting the prayer and resilience study, too. In the end, the head of the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary DMin program greatly praised my final project.  PCM deserves the praise. My project would not have been completed so well without all those who participated and supported it!

A bound copy of my final project: "The Impact of Two Forms of Prayer on Resilience," will be in the church library as my gift to our church. I am convinced (as a result of doing this research) that we should all comply with Paul's recommendation to the church (in 1st Thessalonians 5) to: "pray without ceasing." My study and many other scientific studies are showing that resilience is enhanced when prayer, (especially the contemplative centering form of prayer), is practiced daily.

 

"I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you..." (Ephesians 1: 16-18)