Be the Light

So, there is no doubt that this past weekend was not an easy one to watch the news.  School shooting in Sandy Hook, shooting in Memphis, school stabbings in China, shooting of women making polio-vaccinations in Pakistan, it is just depressing to read the news these days.  These events are not contained to the United States, they are worldwide. 

When tragic, terrible events like this happen, it always opens the door to questions.  What can we do about gun control to prevent this?  What about healthcare to help the mentally disabled, how can fix that?  How do we fight bullying in school?  Does the media cover these events the right way?  How? Why? What?

Always so many questions get asked.  Now, there is no way I am going to pretend that I could answer any of these questions.  Not even going to try. Instead I want to look at things in a different light.

When events like this happen, we think a lot about evil and all the darkness in the world.  We struggle to understand why and how so much darkness persists in the world.  Where is God?  Where is the light?

This past Sunday, these events were discussed in our 10^th-12^th grade Formation class.  And one question that came from our discussion was, “What can we do?” 

Below is a post from a mother who had a conversation like this with her daughter.  How can one person change the world? 

My daughter asked this the other day, as we walked along the bike path, the sea murmuring at our side, low bushes thick to the east and west. A small wren darted near our feet, its tail erect and bright blue. A new housing development sat squat on the headland, looking over a dense history of waves, of spirit, of sun and moon rise, and the endless calls of birds.

Here is where deep spirit lies, the local Aboriginals say. There is an indigenous tent embassy set up by the beach, by the water. People are still listening to the living, breathing land, here and elsewhere.

"How can one person change the world?" my daughter asked. "I'm just one person. Humans have done so much damage—it makes me sad. I can't change it."

"You already are changing it," I said. Her hand lay small and soft in mine. Her feet walked in time with mine, her eyes watching everything, noticing, listening. "You are changing it by living your truth," I said. Which sounded so very ambiguous and new agey but that's how we talk. We talk like hippies in our house, and idealists and impossible adventurers.

"But," she said, "I can't make a difference. One person can't."

"One person can, and does, all the time. Their voice speaks out, then it adds to another person's voice and another person's voice, and all of a sudden…"

People start to listen. It can begin with a single voice. Think of Gandhi, and Buddha, and Jesus, and Nelson Mandela, and Rosa Parks. Think of people camped in treetops trying to save old growth rain forests. Think of a girl baking cookies to raise money for the RSPCA. Think of an Israeli man posting a message of love to Iranian people on his Facebook page, and then it spreading, Iranians posting messages in return, a great sweep of peace rising. Think of a President speaking out for marriage equality.

Think of the small acts people do every day— smiling at others, including others, listening to others, sharing with others. Think of passionate people, creative people, questioning people, people who care so much about this planet and the living things on it that they can't help but speak out. They make a difference by living their truth, by spreading compassion, by loving others. It's a beautiful, beautiful thing.

http://respectlovelearning.blogspot.com/2012/05/how-can-one-person-change-world.html

Remember this the next time you feel surrounded by darkness.  All it takes it’s a single glimmer of light.  Be that light.

“Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened.”

-The Buddha

What a mess!

So the other day, I ran across an interesting post online.  17 Captivating Fractals Found in Nature.   You may look at this and just think it looks cool but have no idea what a fractal is.  When I saw this post, it made me think of a book a read a few years back.  The Shack by Wm. Paul Young.  This article stood out to me for many reasons.  One, the pictures were just beautiful. The second, it reminded of this book.  It was the first time I had seen or heard that word since reading that book.  It is stood out to me so much that I was able to find notes I took about fractals.   

 

What is a fractal?    

 

They are defined as a geometric pattern that is repeated at ever smaller scales to produce irregular shapes and surfaces that cannot be represented by classical geometry. Fractals are used especially in computer modeling of irregular patterns and structures in nature.   

 

 In The Shack they are described as something considered simple and orderly that is actually composed of repeated patterns no matter how magnified.  Almost infinitely complex.  Young did his homework, because that description seems to be a pretty good definition, similar to what good ole Webster had to say about them.  

 

So in the book, The Shack, there is a man who gets the chance to meet with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.  This man had been through a great loss in his life and had given up all hope.  Even to the point where he yells at Jesus, "I am NOT a Christian!"  

 

So much anger and hate, all built up inside that it comes pouring out and directed at the only person we can think of to blame.  Christ.  

 

If my prayers had been answered, this would have never happened.  Jesus, why did you let it get to this point!?  Imagine this scene in Bruce Almighty, where Jim Carrey let's out all of his anger at God.  Watch it for yourself here.

 

Watch video here

I am going to go out on a limb, and say that this feeling is a lot more common than we think.  But it is one of those things we don't talk about.  We are supposed to be strong!  We are supposed to be independent!  We can do anything if we just put our mind to it!   

 

Those are the standards we as a society place on ourselves.  Never mind what we talk about on Sunday about living for Christ.  Because that requires us to be dependent when we are taught to be independent.  Never mind, I can do anything through Christ who strengthens me.  Cause I got all I need inside me.  I just have to focus.  I can do it on my own.  

 

But when things don't work out.  Who do we blame?  I may be alone in this, but I have been called independent to a fault.  It is not a good thing.  And when I felt that my back was against the wall.  Whenever had gone wrong.  When there was no light at the end of the tunnel.  I had my "Send me a signal, send me a sign" moment.  I felt truly and utterly broken.  I was a mess.  

 

Similar to this clip from Bruce Almighty.  Only my hair was more curly, and fro-y.  And I was not as well dressed.  

 

But if I had to guess, I would assume that I am not alone in this feeling.  At one point or another, you may have felt the same way.  Maybe it is now.  Maybe it hasn't happened yet.  Hopefully it never happens.  But I am so sure in my thoughts that I am not alone in this, that I am willing to share it here.  

 

Ok, that makes sense, but why on earth were you talking about fractals?  Just look at some of these examples of fractals.  How can something so beautiful, so perfect, be just an accident?  Is that possible?   

 

We have these fractals.  That look like utter chaos.  Random.  Unorganized.  Just a total mess...  

 

It was at this point that Sarayu, the character of the Holy Spirit speaks up...  

 

"This mess is you! Together you and I, we have been working with purpose in your heart.  And it is wild and beautiful and perfectly in process.  To you it seems like a mess, but I see a perfect pattern emerging and growing and alive - a living fractal."                                                                                    

 -The Shack, Wm. Paul Young 

Thanks!

This past Sunday, I was joined by nearly 30 children, youth, and adults to go caroling at Trezevant to some of our parishioners.  Boy Oh Boy, was it fun.

Looking back, I remember that caroling was always the dreaded last EYC event of the year.  Few showed up.  Even fewer who could sing.  I feel sorry for those who had to suffer through those times trying to listen to us make it all the way through a song...yes even those versus that you never knew existed.  No beat, no rhythm, no one was in tune...just to name a few.  We were always lucky if we made it into the double digits when we went caroling.

So this past Sunday, 30 was huge! And it was beautiful!  Such wonderful singing filled the halls as we spread the glorious Christmas spirit!  For many, it may have just been a time to hang out with their friends and awkwardly stand in a hallway and sing.  For others, they just enjoy being able to be that loud inside.  But seeing the faces of the ones we sang to was a true joy.

Down the road, when these youth look back, these will be the events they remember.  I know I will.  Thank you for everyone who came!  I was very proud to see everyone doing such great works for others!

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying our New Year!  Happy Advent everybody!  As many of you know, Advent is a very important time in the Episcopal Church.  

One, it marks the first day of the Church New Year! Second, it is a time where we celebrate and prepare for the coming of Christ.

Very excited time!

So I have an exercise that I want everyone to try out.  Get out a piece of paper and something to write with...got it? Ok, here we go.

Think about a typical week in the life of you, what do you do, how often do you do it, how much time do you do that?  For many parents, work will probably a pretty time consuming one, either around (or well over) 40 hours a week.  For the youth, school.  About 35 hours a week you are at school.  Sports, homework, TV....really think about your normal schedule and write it down.  And next to that, put down about how many hours you spend on that one thing during an average week.

When you are done making your list, just look it over. Find the one thing that you spend the most time on and place a 1 next to it.  Then a 2 next the one with the second most amount of time next to it, and so on down the list.

Where does church fall on that list?  Is it even there?

School, work, homework....I agree, these are all very important things.   They should be.  But when push comes to shove, more often than not, what gets cut out?  Church.

When I was younger, I remember seeing a skit that was done at a youth retreat I was at.

There was a group of friends hanging out who all go off to meet up with other friends or go run errands, or to a sporting event.  Among them is Jesus.  Each time someone left, Jesus tried to follow.  Each time Jesus tried to follow, they told him to stay.  It ended with the last person pushing Jesus' arms to the side and then hitting him in the feet while yelling, "No, Jesus! You stay here!" as they walk off and leave the character of Jesus standing in the middle of the arm with arms spread wide.

A little corny, yes, but still can get a point across.  

Are we called to be a part-time Christian?  Is that even possible?  Do we only put on our Jesus cloak when we go to church?

During Advent, we are supposed to be preparing for the second coming of Christ.  We celebrate his coming while we look for the next coming of Christ.  This is reflected in our service every Sunday in many ways! Can you name some ways that we do this?

So how do we prepare for the coming of Christ?

One of the best analogies for this concept is something I feel is very common in the most households.  Children, youth, husbands...we all do this, I am almost positive.

We are asked to do something simple, vacuum the rug, sweep the floor, do the dishes, and are told to have it done before Mom gets home.  So naturally we watch TV, update your facebook profile pic, text with your friends....and then, you hear a car pull into the driveway...

Immediately, you are up and flying across the room to do whatever chore you were suppose to already have done.  Of course, I was working on this for hooooouuuuuurrrrsssss! There were so many dishes!

Moms are never fooled by this, they always know.  Something that I learned young, Moms are generally always right, even when they are wrong.  Kids, remember that.  

So, I always felt disappointed after this happened.  I didn't like disappointing my mother.  She had done so much for me in my life and I couldn't even make sure that I got the dishes done?  I owed her so much and I couldn't even manage to help her out?  Come on, Matthew!

Does this sound like something that takes place in your house?

Or something EVERYONE does...someone says they are coming over...you immediately start cleaning up and throwing that pile of dirty clothes in the closet, closing doors to the messy rooms, light a candle so it doesn't smell, clean the bathroom (spit of the mirror, under the toilet seat, you know, the key spots)...

So this is Advent, a season to prepare for the coming of Christ...

We can't jump up and clean up really quickly for that.  We can't just toss our mess into another room.  

So, what is it that we are called to do?  What is right? How should we prepare?  Do we leave Jesus at church when we can drag ourselves there every now and then?  Do we talk about these things with our families?  

We don't do these things out of fear that God will ground us if we are bad.  We do them because it is right and He is worthy.

So throughout Advent, I want you all to reflect on how you are preparing.  Where is your focus in life?  

Where should it be?

How can I bring Jesus with me, instead of leaving him behind?

What is our Mission?

AFLAC, To combine aggressive strategic marketing with quality products and services at competitive prices to provide the best insurance value for consumers. 

Chevron,  At the heart of The Chevron Way is our Vision to be the global energy company most admired for its people, partnership and performance. 

CVS, We will be the easiest pharmacy retailer for customers to use. 

Dollar General Corporation, Serving Others For Customers A Better Life For Shareholders A Superior Return For Employees Respect and Opportunity 

What are these? That is probably the question you are asking yourself.  

A little while back, I spent almost a year researching and trying to start my own business.  I read every book I could get my hands on and researched every aspect I could think of (man, oh, man was that tax stuff boring!). I must have read a dozen books about how to start your own company and listened to hours of podcasts and audio books on the subject.  In everything I read and listened to from various authors and about all sorts of companies, there was one common trend - if you want to ever be successful, you have to know who you are and what you want before you start.

So to answer your question, (or the question I presumed that you would ask), those are mission statements.  A mission statement is a summary of the aims and values of a company, organization, or individual.  Yes, this is a method used by business, but it also a practice that is recommended to individuals to outline their goals in life and is a highly recommended practice for a youth group.

Here at Holy Communion, our mission statement is to be an Episcopal Church in the center of Memphis that seeks to be a sacred presence, grounded in the servant ministry of Jesus, offering spiritual growth opportunities for all.

It is no secret; we are in a time of transition here at our church.  We have had countless changes in staff, priests, and youth directors.  When it comes to youth, continuity is very important, and three youth directors in about three years is not ideal.However, I firmly believe that great things can come from where we are. So I am calling all youth, parents, and everyone out there, to help us reach the amazing potential that I know our group of youth can reach.

As we look to make a fresh start once again, let us define our mission statement by considering the following model developed by Dave Ramsey:

  

  "Before you do any serious goal setting or personal/business planning, you should  

sit down and write out a personal mission statement. This says in concrete terms  

who you are, what's important to you, and what you want to accomplish in life."

I ask you -  Who are we?  Where do you want us to go from here?  What is important to you that we need to focus on?  What should our focus be?  How do we move forward?