Shoulder to Shoulder in Fellowship
Dear friends,
On Tuesday I began another round of physical therapy that will involve three sessions per week for six weeks. The best thing about it is that I am now using the services of a therapy center here in Cartersville. This is just wonderful because it means taking just a small bite out of increasingly busy days. We will be working together on upper body strengthening and the continuing development of my lower body including balance and walking. Even though I have put on nearly 25 pounds, I am still not yet up to my weight on the day I was injured, April 14, 2004. Atrophy has taken a significant toll in all parts of my body. This will be a major challenge for the next several months.
Most of my session on Tuesday involved retelling my "story" to Janice -- my new physical therapist. As always, "I love to tell the story because I know 'tis true." I use this quote from the beloved hymn because the love of my story and the love of Jesus come together at almost every turn over this long and sometimes challenging year. More importantly, my story intersects with the Church's story in a wonderful way nearly every day.
First, Carole and I have experienced an extraordinary outpouring of love and prayer from Cherokee Presbytery, and indeed from the whole Church. I have reconnected with friends from churches as I have served all the way back to 1974. Beyond this, through the miracle of sharing e-mail messages, I have heard from people all over the world. The Church has indeed become my pastor and, I might add, the presence of the Church through visits, hymns, prayers, and spiritual songs, has enriched me and healed me in a wonderful way. I am sure that my persistence and hard work would have enabled much of my physical recovery, but my joyful peace could not have happened without the Church.
Second, Carole and I never stopped believing in the power of God. Early in my hospitalization at the Shepherd Center, Carole had a visit with the hospital disability specialist who asked her, "What did your husband do for work?" This question was devastating both to Carole and to me. After all, I had undergone surgery a number of times in the past and, after a few days of pain and some rehabilitation, I always return to normal activities quickly -- actually, ahead of schedule. Now, it seems, I was beginning to think that my pastoral calling was a thing of the past.
It was at this point that my understanding of the "tenets of the Reformed Tradition" became very clear. I knew that because I was baptized into Christ, that I was called by God for a special-purpose. Up to that point in my life, it had been the formative years and academic preparation. For the last 33 years, it had been my specific call to pastoral ministry. In case you ever had any doubt, I have always understood my calling to Cherokee Presbytery as "pastoral calling."
Finally, Carole and I never stopped serving Christ. We resumed my regular presbytery e-mail tradition just a few days after my surgery. Carole brought our notebook computer to the Shepherd Center and I dictated the first communication out of the body in which my mouth was about the only thing that worked. Faithful, reliable communication is a big part of the ordination vow taken by ministers -- "to teach faith." No matter how uncomfortable or inconvenient this was, it became our regular Wednesday evening practice -- and it remains to this day!
Next, the Shepherd Center staff knew that I was a Presbyterian minister and that Carole was an Elder. This meant that hospital staff, respecting privacy of course, could ask us to visit patients who in their judgment would receive well such a visit. We did this regularly and often and have wonderful memories of the experience.
I cannot begin to tell you how the Church has served us throughout the past year. We still have a "magic laundry basket" in our bathroom closet, and I still have Jane and Judy who look in on me nearly every day. I have numerous friends who have taken me to Atlanta for physical therapy, and others who are willing to take me for therapy here in Cartersville. I cannot begin to count the number of meals that have been brought to our home. On several occasions there have been some wonderful twists in these acts of loving service. On two occasions, as people brought food for us to eat, Carole was going out the door with food that she cooked for the local homeless shelter. You see, if everybody serves -- everybody gets fed!
Enough about me, these messages are really about the Church, as if you didn't know. This week we have witnessed an amazing sequence of events surrounding the death of our brother and friend who was baptized as Karol and then known more recently as John Paul II. The crowds gathered in St. Peter's Square when it became evident that the pope was near the end of his earthly journey. They came to pray; they came to possibly get a glimpse of the Holy Father; they came to weep.
Catholic theologian Hans Kung was quite critical of the papacy back in the 1960s. At one point he complained that the idea of the "supreme pontiff" with all the princely trappings should give way to a "supreme pastor." I am happy to say that this has come true in John Paul II. To look at the pictures of this man with children, teenagers, seminarians, adults, and elderly persons, it is an inspiration to see how much he loved people and gave himself for them. It has been interesting to hear some of the ideas regarding his successor. One such comment involved the crazy idea that the next pope should be an administrator/CEO type because John Paul II lacked those skills or interests.
I want to go on record as saying, "No way!" The Church is full of administrators top to bottom. The Church is full of Elders, Deacons, and regular baptized members who have incredible skills in planning, scheduling, finance, and administration. Most churches have only one pastor and in our Church that person is charged with being a faithful pastor, preaching the gospel and administering the Sacraments; teaching faith and caring for people. There is absolutely nothing here about anything other than being a pastor. That is what Pope John Paul II did best and did most -- he pastored his people. 2 million people would not stand in line for 12 hours to view the body of an administrator!
As always, the daily lectionary provides us with rich material for meditation and instruction. Yesterday's Epistle lesson was 1 John 2:12-17. Read this aloud -- you will love it
:I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven on account of his name. I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young people, because you have conquered the evil one. I write to you, children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young people, because you are strong and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.
Do not love the world or the things in the world. The love of the Father is not in those who love the world; for all that is in the world-the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, the pride in riches-comes not from the Father but from the world. And the world and its desire are passing away, but those who do the will of God live forever.
The Pope left a will to be read following his death. Apparently the will had two parts: first, his spiritual testament for the Church and, second, the disposition of his material assets. I can hardly wait to hear his spiritual testament -- I am sure it will be inspiring, challenging, and very missional. We will be blessed by it for many years to come. Regarding the disposition of his material assets, I believe that this will be most surprising -- because the Pope had very little. Think about this for a minute: the Pope had responsibility for 1.1 billion Catholics around the world. When you think of this in CEO terms, I suppose it would mean a salary in the billions of dollars. After all, I don't think there are even 1.1 billion Microsoft users around the world much less employees!
Many years ago I heard a sermon about the above-mentioned passage from 1 John. The preacher compared the, "desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, the pride in riches" with the three temptations of Jesus in the wilderness. I will leave further study of this passage to you, but the connection of power, riches, and sexuality with missional distortion and corruption is quite remarkable.
Also, how else would this pope have been able to sit in a prison cell, share the gospel with the man who tried to assassinate him, and then forgive him? My dear friends, how many times have you failed to forgive offenses that were of much less gravity? How many times have you failed to forgive Elders, Deacons, or even your pastor when they have failed to meet YOUR needs? I am not sure exactly what we mean these days when we talk about "a culture of life." What I really long for it is "a culture of forgiveness!"
I want to return to the image of the pastoring of the Pope. I really wish I could be in Rome this week and to be part of the incredible Pilgrim's Journey through the streets of Rome. It has really been quite an allegory of a healthy, mission-filled Church in several ways.
First, the line to view the Pope was not exactly a line: it was a "shoulder to shoulder fellowship" of from 30 to 40 people wide. Virtually every news commentator mentioned how quiet and orderly the crowd was, and how the silence was broken from time to time by sound of the Rosary, hymn singing, and prayer. Also, strangers were becoming friends during the 8-12 hours that it took to wind through the crowded Roman streets. To a person, those interviewed for television said, "It seemed like only a few minutes."
Second, the mission was the journey, and the glory was intense but momentary. I love the image of the Church as a very diverse body of Christ's disciples on a journey with God. They were there to pay their final respects to the Pope, but what they discovered was the incredible richness and joy of the journey itself. Think about it! Several million people waited in line anywhere from 8-12 hours to have just a few seconds with the Pope -- and they treasured every moment of it. One can only imagine the chaos that would erupt if 50 people here in the States were to be in line, in large vehicles, for 30 minutes and a chance to get gas at 75 cents per gallon!
Finally, I was impressed with the "diaconal" activity along the way. There were huge caches of bottled water and medical care outside the line boundaries. As people experienced thirst or needed medical care, we are told that they were allowed to leave their place in line and then return without incident. Also, there have been many reports of people helping one another up and down the line as gifts and talents were made available. If John Paul II was indeed the "supreme pastor," he taught his flock well because this huge "congregation" cared for its members with unbelievable sensitivity. As I have said many times, the purpose of the diaconal activity was to restore the Pilgrim for the journey.
In closing, I have three questions for those of us in this incredibly small part of the Christian community that is the United States of America and Cherokee Presbytery
:1. When was the last time you experienced "shoulder to shoulder fellowship" within the Christian community?
2. What would it take for you to give up YOUR dreams and goals, and simply enjoy the Journey?
3. When was the last time you "cared" for someone, or even forgave him/her, so as to restore him/her for the Journey?
The peace of Christ be with you, nurture you, and serve you on the Journey,
Jim
On Tuesday I began another round of physical therapy that will involve three sessions per week for six weeks. The best thing about it is that I am now using the services of a therapy center here in Cartersville. This is just wonderful because it means taking just a small bite out of increasingly busy days. We will be working together on upper body strengthening and the continuing development of my lower body including balance and walking. Even though I have put on nearly 25 pounds, I am still not yet up to my weight on the day I was injured, April 14, 2004. Atrophy has taken a significant toll in all parts of my body. This will be a major challenge for the next several months.
Most of my session on Tuesday involved retelling my "story" to Janice -- my new physical therapist. As always, "I love to tell the story because I know 'tis true." I use this quote from the beloved hymn because the love of my story and the love of Jesus come together at almost every turn over this long and sometimes challenging year. More importantly, my story intersects with the Church's story in a wonderful way nearly every day.
First, Carole and I have experienced an extraordinary outpouring of love and prayer from Cherokee Presbytery, and indeed from the whole Church. I have reconnected with friends from churches as I have served all the way back to 1974. Beyond this, through the miracle of sharing e-mail messages, I have heard from people all over the world. The Church has indeed become my pastor and, I might add, the presence of the Church through visits, hymns, prayers, and spiritual songs, has enriched me and healed me in a wonderful way. I am sure that my persistence and hard work would have enabled much of my physical recovery, but my joyful peace could not have happened without the Church.
Second, Carole and I never stopped believing in the power of God. Early in my hospitalization at the Shepherd Center, Carole had a visit with the hospital disability specialist who asked her, "What did your husband do for work?" This question was devastating both to Carole and to me. After all, I had undergone surgery a number of times in the past and, after a few days of pain and some rehabilitation, I always return to normal activities quickly -- actually, ahead of schedule. Now, it seems, I was beginning to think that my pastoral calling was a thing of the past.
It was at this point that my understanding of the "tenets of the Reformed Tradition" became very clear. I knew that because I was baptized into Christ, that I was called by God for a special-purpose. Up to that point in my life, it had been the formative years and academic preparation. For the last 33 years, it had been my specific call to pastoral ministry. In case you ever had any doubt, I have always understood my calling to Cherokee Presbytery as "pastoral calling."
Finally, Carole and I never stopped serving Christ. We resumed my regular presbytery e-mail tradition just a few days after my surgery. Carole brought our notebook computer to the Shepherd Center and I dictated the first communication out of the body in which my mouth was about the only thing that worked. Faithful, reliable communication is a big part of the ordination vow taken by ministers -- "to teach faith." No matter how uncomfortable or inconvenient this was, it became our regular Wednesday evening practice -- and it remains to this day!
Next, the Shepherd Center staff knew that I was a Presbyterian minister and that Carole was an Elder. This meant that hospital staff, respecting privacy of course, could ask us to visit patients who in their judgment would receive well such a visit. We did this regularly and often and have wonderful memories of the experience.
I cannot begin to tell you how the Church has served us throughout the past year. We still have a "magic laundry basket" in our bathroom closet, and I still have Jane and Judy who look in on me nearly every day. I have numerous friends who have taken me to Atlanta for physical therapy, and others who are willing to take me for therapy here in Cartersville. I cannot begin to count the number of meals that have been brought to our home. On several occasions there have been some wonderful twists in these acts of loving service. On two occasions, as people brought food for us to eat, Carole was going out the door with food that she cooked for the local homeless shelter. You see, if everybody serves -- everybody gets fed!
Enough about me, these messages are really about the Church, as if you didn't know. This week we have witnessed an amazing sequence of events surrounding the death of our brother and friend who was baptized as Karol and then known more recently as John Paul II. The crowds gathered in St. Peter's Square when it became evident that the pope was near the end of his earthly journey. They came to pray; they came to possibly get a glimpse of the Holy Father; they came to weep.
Catholic theologian Hans Kung was quite critical of the papacy back in the 1960s. At one point he complained that the idea of the "supreme pontiff" with all the princely trappings should give way to a "supreme pastor." I am happy to say that this has come true in John Paul II. To look at the pictures of this man with children, teenagers, seminarians, adults, and elderly persons, it is an inspiration to see how much he loved people and gave himself for them. It has been interesting to hear some of the ideas regarding his successor. One such comment involved the crazy idea that the next pope should be an administrator/CEO type because John Paul II lacked those skills or interests.
I want to go on record as saying, "No way!" The Church is full of administrators top to bottom. The Church is full of Elders, Deacons, and regular baptized members who have incredible skills in planning, scheduling, finance, and administration. Most churches have only one pastor and in our Church that person is charged with being a faithful pastor, preaching the gospel and administering the Sacraments; teaching faith and caring for people. There is absolutely nothing here about anything other than being a pastor. That is what Pope John Paul II did best and did most -- he pastored his people. 2 million people would not stand in line for 12 hours to view the body of an administrator!
As always, the daily lectionary provides us with rich material for meditation and instruction. Yesterday's Epistle lesson was 1 John 2:12-17. Read this aloud -- you will love it
:I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven on account of his name. I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young people, because you have conquered the evil one. I write to you, children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young people, because you are strong and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.
Do not love the world or the things in the world. The love of the Father is not in those who love the world; for all that is in the world-the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, the pride in riches-comes not from the Father but from the world. And the world and its desire are passing away, but those who do the will of God live forever.
The Pope left a will to be read following his death. Apparently the will had two parts: first, his spiritual testament for the Church and, second, the disposition of his material assets. I can hardly wait to hear his spiritual testament -- I am sure it will be inspiring, challenging, and very missional. We will be blessed by it for many years to come. Regarding the disposition of his material assets, I believe that this will be most surprising -- because the Pope had very little. Think about this for a minute: the Pope had responsibility for 1.1 billion Catholics around the world. When you think of this in CEO terms, I suppose it would mean a salary in the billions of dollars. After all, I don't think there are even 1.1 billion Microsoft users around the world much less employees!
Many years ago I heard a sermon about the above-mentioned passage from 1 John. The preacher compared the, "desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, the pride in riches" with the three temptations of Jesus in the wilderness. I will leave further study of this passage to you, but the connection of power, riches, and sexuality with missional distortion and corruption is quite remarkable.
Also, how else would this pope have been able to sit in a prison cell, share the gospel with the man who tried to assassinate him, and then forgive him? My dear friends, how many times have you failed to forgive offenses that were of much less gravity? How many times have you failed to forgive Elders, Deacons, or even your pastor when they have failed to meet YOUR needs? I am not sure exactly what we mean these days when we talk about "a culture of life." What I really long for it is "a culture of forgiveness!"
I want to return to the image of the pastoring of the Pope. I really wish I could be in Rome this week and to be part of the incredible Pilgrim's Journey through the streets of Rome. It has really been quite an allegory of a healthy, mission-filled Church in several ways.
First, the line to view the Pope was not exactly a line: it was a "shoulder to shoulder fellowship" of from 30 to 40 people wide. Virtually every news commentator mentioned how quiet and orderly the crowd was, and how the silence was broken from time to time by sound of the Rosary, hymn singing, and prayer. Also, strangers were becoming friends during the 8-12 hours that it took to wind through the crowded Roman streets. To a person, those interviewed for television said, "It seemed like only a few minutes."
Second, the mission was the journey, and the glory was intense but momentary. I love the image of the Church as a very diverse body of Christ's disciples on a journey with God. They were there to pay their final respects to the Pope, but what they discovered was the incredible richness and joy of the journey itself. Think about it! Several million people waited in line anywhere from 8-12 hours to have just a few seconds with the Pope -- and they treasured every moment of it. One can only imagine the chaos that would erupt if 50 people here in the States were to be in line, in large vehicles, for 30 minutes and a chance to get gas at 75 cents per gallon!
Finally, I was impressed with the "diaconal" activity along the way. There were huge caches of bottled water and medical care outside the line boundaries. As people experienced thirst or needed medical care, we are told that they were allowed to leave their place in line and then return without incident. Also, there have been many reports of people helping one another up and down the line as gifts and talents were made available. If John Paul II was indeed the "supreme pastor," he taught his flock well because this huge "congregation" cared for its members with unbelievable sensitivity. As I have said many times, the purpose of the diaconal activity was to restore the Pilgrim for the journey.
In closing, I have three questions for those of us in this incredibly small part of the Christian community that is the United States of America and Cherokee Presbytery
:1. When was the last time you experienced "shoulder to shoulder fellowship" within the Christian community?
2. What would it take for you to give up YOUR dreams and goals, and simply enjoy the Journey?
3. When was the last time you "cared" for someone, or even forgave him/her, so as to restore him/her for the Journey?
The peace of Christ be with you, nurture you, and serve you on the Journey,
Jim
posted by Pierce | 12:00 PM
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