Tuesday musings January 8 2019

                Here it is the second week of January. How have your resolutions been going? I mentioned that I wanted to fast from negativity both personally and socially. I want to report that I have not been totally successful but am doing better. I have been hiding negative divisive comments on social media without even reading them. I have found about 5-10 each day on my wall. None of them from the original person who posted them but were re-posts from others. Most of them have been from people from the far right and aimed at inflaming and denigrating those who would disagree with them. I have also had some from the far left doing the same thing. Having a debate as to what one disagrees about is an expression of free speech, as long as, it represents what one thinks and believes without name-calling or blaming others. There are days I wonder if I would have to hide 90% of my Facebook page. I am concerned that some of these re-posts from both sides come from people I know. I am challenged with choosing to fast from that negativity. I am reminded of what Jesus says about loving even those who differ from you and even those who are enemies. So I continue to not engage in the rhetoric and instead focus on trying to be more like Christ.

                The church that Nancy and I are attending has begun a new sermon series, “Brand New.” You can catch Rev. Dr. Craig Finnestad sermon at weomaha.com. He used a sermon illustration that particularly spoke to me. He used the idea of two 5-gallon buckets, one filled with dirty water and one filled with clean water. He asked what would happen if you would pour the clean water into the dirty water? For me that is insightful about how many times in my life I would try to do things to find that I still felt the same as before. He went on to say, “The brand new you who has hope for the future cannot emerge until you get rid what is taking space the brand-new thing needs…Our vision of the future should shape our agenda in the present… Holding on is believing in the past. Letting go is knowing there is a future.” I have been reflecting on these statements as to how they apply to my life. How can I empty my bucket of dirty water that prevents me from accepting the clean water? Pastor Craig also used the scripture from John about abiding in Jesus as the vine that leads to improved fruit. I believe we struggle with trying to do it ourselves rather than surrendering to Jesus. For me, the process of emptying the dirty water is more of a process than just expecting to dump it all out at once. I can’t wait to see where we are heading with the sermons. A big thank you to you, Craig.

                Today also marks our life group meeting following our holidays. We are going to be spending the next 11 weeks studying a book of the Bible that the members wanted to study. It is can be one of the most frustrating and fearful books which of course is Revelation. With all its symbolism, allusions to the Hebrew scriptures, what has been fictionalized and the frightful imagery, it is challenging to see this letter to be one of hope and encouragement. Our first meeting is tonight. I believe we will first start to discuss what the members think or heard about the letter. I hope that we can begin to look at reading this through the eyes of John who wrote this in about 95 CE. Knowing some of the historical context of the writing and the audience that this was the first readers, may help us look at how some of the issues John was trying to address continue even today. We will talk about apocalyptic writings from the Hebrew scriptures and even found in parts of the Christian scriptures. It should be fun. We will see.

                Until next Tuesday, think about what needs to be let go of to let God happen.

Blessings Eldon

Tuesday musings January 1 2019

                2018 is in the books and 2019 the journey unfolds. For many, 2018 could not be done quicker. Between severe hurricanes, fires, drought, floods, loved ones who have died, endless wars and mass murders, it was a difficult year. 2018 began with a governmental shut-down and ends with a governmental shutdown. Yet, with all of that, there was times of celebrations, joys, births, marriages that caught the world’s attention, an economy that for the most part showed improvement, and for me the beginning of retirement.

                So what does 2019 hold? My answer is IDK. Will this year be a deja vue of last year? Will we continue to see endless wars, extreme climate changes, continued mass murders especially of children, more refugees seeking asylum? IDK! But even with the issues that continue to be with us, there will continue to be hope, peace, love, and joy. When we become discouraged, remember that Jesus God incarnate was born in similar times. He too was homeless, a refugee, a victim of Rome and church. But, he did so for us because he loved us so much that he was willing to lay down his life for each one of us. He said so many times, “Don’t be afraid and don’t let your hearts be troubled.” We can become part of the issues that plague our nation either through acts of omission or acts of commission. Or we can become the body of Christ, hands of doing, feet of going, words of encouraging, to speak of justice that we see and hear.

                When I am discouraged but the world events, I have a choice. I can do nothing. I can stand with those who are hurting, discouraged, the poor and hungry, the children to show them something beyond fear and abuse. This is not a matter of Republicans vs. Democrats, not a matter of conservatives vs. liberals, not a matter of orthodox vs. progressive, it is a matter of Jesus and following what we see in the gospels. To look at the covenant relationship that God has with all his creation. A covenant that we are stewards of doing, to care for creation, to care and love our creator, and to care and love our neighbor.

                Rather than me doing the common resolutions of losing weight (though that is something I need to do or to exercise more again something that I need to do), resolutions that last less than two-three weeks, maybe my resolution is to be more Christ like, to pray more often, to love more not just family and friends, to spend less time worrying and more time doing. To continue to edit social media to remove divisive comments. To fast from negativity in my life. To share with those around me in my community, my church, even in my nation. Let’s see if these might be some resolutions that I can at least work on and maybe make 2019 a better year. Maybe they would make your 2019 a better year and not just be like last year.

Tuesday Musing 12/25/2018

Merry Christmas

                I want to wish all that I know a Merry Christmas on this day. I also want to wish everyone Happy Holidays. For you see it is both. It is more than just birth of Christ it also is God so caring that he would come to this world for you and me. And it continues today through the love that was given as a free gift though communities of faith, family and friends. What began at the very creation of the world continues to happen with us today. Love, Joy, Peace or Shalom, and Hope continues to be the story of Christmas for us, no matter what we have done. So we extend our Christmas in the acts we do today emulating our savior whose birth we are celebrating today. BTW, I do not get too excited about saying happy holidays for indeed they are for many people. This is not attacking Christianity. Unfortunately, our behavior as Christians at times are the attack on the, as Pastor Craig Finnestad preached on Christmas Eve, grace and truth of Jesus. My prayer is that today while we spend time with one another wherever that may be, we continue to live out the Christmas message every day throughout the year.

                This is my first Christmas as a retired pastor. I am still trying to figure out this thing called retirement. It has been almost six months and so far, I have not driven Nancy crazy. Nancy and I have joined the Water’s Edge UMC church in Omaha. We are part of life group. We also volunteer for church and some around the community. It is different that I am not busy planning services or feeling obligated to attend church services. This is something freeing about the idea of doing things because we choose to do so.

                I had thought I would be writing about the life of a retired pastor and social worker, but I am still trying to work that out as to what it is. I was asked to preach at Water’s Edge, Nancy and I serve communion, we are leaders of our life group, and I will be doing a wedding in May of 2019. Not quite the schedule I used to have, but still interesting. I have also been doing more gaming, particularly board games and RPG with my family and with my son’s friends. What I am contemplating is doing a Tuesday musing starting today. Thoughts maybe random about what I am experiencing and sharing opinions about life. I will try to not become too political though it is impossible not to note what is happening both in our nation and around the world does not affect our lives today. The next blog entry will be January 1^st, 2019. I wonder what lies ahead in this new age of life.

Shalom

Eldon