All Saints Day

Yesterday in church, we celebrated Halloween. Now don’t panic and think what kind of church does she attend? Children (young and old) were asked to dress up as their favorite Biblical person. I dressed as Queen Esther. There were many people who commented to me about my outfit, and a few even asked some questions about Esther. Some were willing to admit that they were not familiar with her story in scripture.

I have to admit that some adults just were not sure about the idea of dressing up. There were a lot of puzzled faces when I first announced this as a possibility. I mean how often does Halloween fall on a Sunday. So in the children’s time, I talked about All Saints' Day. I think this calmed some worried people, but as Presbyterians we often neglect to recognize this special day. We are misguided into thinking of Halloween as being connected to the devil and pagan worship. But Halloween is the Eve of the Hallow Day.

All Saints day is celebrated on November 1st. It shouldn’t just be a day that we honor, but we should celebrate. It is a day to remember and celebrate the lives of the saints. It is a time to give thanks for those who have died and yet had a profound impact on our spiritual formation. We have all be nurtured and strengthened by people on our spiritual journey. On All Saints Day we give thanks. The hymn reminds us:
For all the saints, who from their labors rest,
who thee by faith before the world confessed,
thy name, O Jesus, be forever blest.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

I take time once a year to remember those saints who have shaped me in my faith. I remember my mother who had a strong influence on my faith journey. But I also remember the quiet member of a church who each week said "good job Pastor" and gave me the confidance to follow as the Spirit is leading (and not necessarily where the congregation wanted to go).

The PCUSA has a podcast of All Saints Day Scripture that you can listen to as you meditate on the day.

Anxious Times (or is it)

I am, O Anxious One. Don't you hear my voice
surging forth with all my earthly feelings?
They yearn so high, that they have sprouted wings
and whitely fly in circles round your face.
My soul, dressed in silence, rises up
and stands alone before you: can't you see?
don't you know that my prayer is growing ripe
upon your vision as upon a tree?

If you are the dreamer, I am what you dream.
But when you want to wake, I am your wish,
and I grow strong with all magnificence
and turn myself into a star's vast silence
above the strange and distant city, Time.
Poem by Rainer Maria Rilke

A friend shared this poem with me because they were concerned about anxious times. Anxious times about what will happen. This summer I had some anxious time wondering what I would find when we moved to New Jersey. These can be anxious times with our denomination that struggles with questions. These can be anxious times as people search. Anxious times and yet we are claimed by God.

In the midst of the anxious times, God is. God is reaching out for us to claim us in the midst of the anxious times. God rushes to claim us with the calming sunsets that we can see with our eyes and hear with our ears. God reaches to claim us with the calming presence of the Holy Spirit. God claims us in the gentle fall breezes.

I have to admit that there were some anxious moments as we prepared to move. Questions arise ‘is this the best place for my children?’ Questions percolate of ‘are you sure this is God’s leading and not your own desire?’ And then we arrived…..and it was evident that this was God’s leading. I met and began working with my ministerial colleagues. I found that our ministries here would flourish. I met the administrative staff and discovered how the ministry would be blessed by their work. As the year has begun there is a spirit of excitement and energy. There is a passion for the Lord and the ministry of the church. We have experience the movement of the Holy Spirit.

We have been warmly welcomed into the church family. Our family is grateful for the amazing outpouring of love we have received. Thank you for the wonderful gifts we received from housewarming gifts to installation gifts. We are feeling blessed to be able to minister with you.

When we allow ourselves to allow God to claim us and calm our anxious moments, then we can see the power and Spirit of God at work.

Juan Williams and our feelings

When the topic of faith comes up, some people run for the hills. They don't want to talk about a controversial topic. In our world of political correctness, we are very concerned about offending other people that sometimes we don't say anything at all. The conversations I have had the last few days about NPR terminated Juan Williams has been fascinating for me.

Reading the news and seeing the variety of people who have come out to support Williams is a whose-who of liberals and conservatives. From Sarah Palin and Karl Rove to Whoopi Goldberg and Barbara Walters, people are supporting Williams.

His comment to Bill O'Reilly "I'm not a bigot, but when I get on a plane, if I see people who are in Muslim garb and I think, you know, they are identifying themselves first and foremost as Muslims, I get worried. I get nervous."

Now he is not saying that we should hate Muslims or not allow Muslims on planes. But he is talking about his fears and we all are afraid of something. Many times fears are irrational and can't be controlled. While in this age of political correctness, it may not be the nicest thing to say.....we need to hear it from Williams. We need to hear his fear because many people have the same fear and don't know how to talk about it. We have turned out society into a place where we don't know how to sit down and have an honest conversation with someone.

Recently, Bruce Reyes-Chow had a conversation about race on his blog and twitter feed. It was a helpful conversation to listen in on as we talk about how we move beyond race labels (or do we). In the same light we need to be able to talk honestly and openly about our perception of other people and groups. I think the last few days have encouraged some healthy conversation.

Williams was not speaking as an reporter saying that Americans should be concerned when there are Muslims on planes. Williams was not demanding that Muslims should not be allowed on planes. Instead Williams was a person who spoke of his fears and for that he should not be punished. We live in a place where people can speak their opinions and fears and have an open honest conversation.