Tonight we’ll be celebrating Bobunk. What is Bobunk you ask? It’s the holiday that disappeared.
In an episode of Sabrina the Teenage Witch she has no Christmas spirit and she inadvertently does away with Christmas. People wonder why anyone would cut down a perfectly good tree to stand it up indoors. It seems nobody has any recollection of Christmas at all. Her cat, Salem, tells her that the same thing happened to Bobunk. "What’s Bobunk?" she asks. "See!"
I won’t ruin the ending by telling you whether she manages to save Christmas or not. I’m sure you’re in suspense now.
Anyway, our family designated November 12 as Bobunk. We’ll have a Bobunk cake and watch that episode of Sabrina tonight. The boys have a day off school tomorrow so they can stay up late and everything. The girls still have school so they’ll have to get up at the usual 6:30 a.m. to catch the bus at 7:09.
So again, Happy Bobunk!
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Monday, November 09, 2009
...about faith and fear
It seems we can’t look at a newspaper or turn on a TV or radio without hearing about the H1N1 flu. For the most part the media has presented a fairly consistent message. Beyond simply reporting the facts and statistics of the number of people becoming ill and some even dying from this flu, they are doing a good job of pointing out the risks and providing information about how to protect yourself and your loved ones.
But then you start talking with friends and neighbours and colleagues and you get a whole different picture. Some people are concerned about the safety and long term effects of vaccines. Some figure this will be no worse than a regular seasonal flu. Some see a conspiracy between drug manufacturers and governments. Some think the whole saturation of the media is just hype or that we’re not getting the whole story.
It can all be very confusing. And then when you hear about people dying including children, some who were otherwise normal and healthy, it can all be very frightening. So what do you do? Do you give in to the fear? Do you cower behind closed doors, never to venture out into public again? Or on the other end of the spectrum, do you ignore or disbelieve the risks and go on as if nothing is wrong and nothing harmful is out there?
I would suggest living our lives with common sense and faith. The medical community have told us what the best practices are to reduce the risk. Wash your hands frequently. Don’t touch your face more than necessary. Cough or sneeze into your sleeve. If you are sick, stay home so that you don’t spread germs to others.
Even in church we’re encouraging people to stay away if they are sick. When we share the peace we are telling people that it’s perfectly acceptable to speak the words of blessing with a nod or another gesture and they may refrain from shaking hands. For those concerned with drinking wine at communion from the same cup as others people we offer the option of individual glasses that are filled from a pouring chalice, or people are free to receive just the bread. We also have hand sanitizer pumps in a few locations in the church.
That’s the common sense part, but what about the faith part? We believe and teach and trust in the grace and love of God. In baptism we are sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked forever with the cross of Christ, who is health and salvation for the whole world. That doesn’t mean we’re magically or mystically protected from all illness or even death. It does mean that God is present with strength and comfort in time of suffering.
Does this mean that Christians are never afraid? No way! What it means is that in the midst of confusion, doubt, and fear we can live in faith, trusting in God’s promise to always be with us. It means we can depend on God to bring us through times of difficulty. It means that we are part of a community of faith that walks with us in good times and bad. It means that even when illness leads to death, God accompanies us and our loved ones, holding us in his loving embrace no matter what.
So, my prayer is that we can live and walk and perhaps even struggle through this flu pandemic with faith and common sense. God be with all of you.
But then you start talking with friends and neighbours and colleagues and you get a whole different picture. Some people are concerned about the safety and long term effects of vaccines. Some figure this will be no worse than a regular seasonal flu. Some see a conspiracy between drug manufacturers and governments. Some think the whole saturation of the media is just hype or that we’re not getting the whole story.
It can all be very confusing. And then when you hear about people dying including children, some who were otherwise normal and healthy, it can all be very frightening. So what do you do? Do you give in to the fear? Do you cower behind closed doors, never to venture out into public again? Or on the other end of the spectrum, do you ignore or disbelieve the risks and go on as if nothing is wrong and nothing harmful is out there?
I would suggest living our lives with common sense and faith. The medical community have told us what the best practices are to reduce the risk. Wash your hands frequently. Don’t touch your face more than necessary. Cough or sneeze into your sleeve. If you are sick, stay home so that you don’t spread germs to others.
Even in church we’re encouraging people to stay away if they are sick. When we share the peace we are telling people that it’s perfectly acceptable to speak the words of blessing with a nod or another gesture and they may refrain from shaking hands. For those concerned with drinking wine at communion from the same cup as others people we offer the option of individual glasses that are filled from a pouring chalice, or people are free to receive just the bread. We also have hand sanitizer pumps in a few locations in the church.
That’s the common sense part, but what about the faith part? We believe and teach and trust in the grace and love of God. In baptism we are sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked forever with the cross of Christ, who is health and salvation for the whole world. That doesn’t mean we’re magically or mystically protected from all illness or even death. It does mean that God is present with strength and comfort in time of suffering.
Does this mean that Christians are never afraid? No way! What it means is that in the midst of confusion, doubt, and fear we can live in faith, trusting in God’s promise to always be with us. It means we can depend on God to bring us through times of difficulty. It means that we are part of a community of faith that walks with us in good times and bad. It means that even when illness leads to death, God accompanies us and our loved ones, holding us in his loving embrace no matter what.
So, my prayer is that we can live and walk and perhaps even struggle through this flu pandemic with faith and common sense. God be with all of you.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
...about bread
I wrote this and it appeared in our local paper last week.
Our church, and some other denominations as well, follow the Revised Common Lectionary. It's a schedule of scripture readings suggested for use in worship each week. This summer, from July 26 through August 23, the gospel readings on those Sundays came from the sixth chapter of the Gospel according to John. They all dealt, in one way or another, with bread.
The series of readings began with the story of Jesus miraculously feeding thousands of people with five barley loaves and two fish. The readings continued with Jesus speaking of himself as "the bread of life," speaking of eating his flesh and drinking his blood, with his hearers being confused and upset by his words, and ended with his core group of followers making a renewed commitment to him.
As a preacher it can be tricky to come up with fresh ideas about bread for five weeks in a row and here I am writing a newspaper column about bread. But it has been on my mind.
When my family sits down to eat, we give thanks for the food we eat by saying grace. We have a few prayers to choose from. We even sing some of them. Probably our most common table grace goes like this:
Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest,
and let these gifts to us be blessed.
Blessed be God who is our bread.
May all the world be clothed and fed.
In our world bread is a staple. Obviously we use it to make sandwiches of all kinds. And when we eat the ever popular but not always healthy burger, it comes on a bun. A hotdog or sausage is laid in a bun. Some restaurants will give you a roll with your meal, or place a basket of rolls on the table before your meal arrives. If you have a taste for certain ethnic foods they might come on, or wrapped in, other kinds of bread like pitas or tortillas.
Except for some with dietary issues, for most of us bread is the stuff of life. We would hardly go a day without it. The same goes for our relationship with God. As the readings from John, chapter six discussed and as our table grace says, God in Jesus Christ is our bread.
You could debate whether Jesus was speaking metaphorically or literally. I think rather than either/or, in this case it's both/and. In my church's tradition we share in the weekly celebration of the Lord's Supper where we receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ under the bread and wine. Different Christian traditions differ on what happens in that meal and how it happens but I think we all agree that when we gather, Jesus is there.
Being a Christian, having faith in Jesus Christ, is about living with him in your life. It's also about the last line in our table grace. Living a life of faith isn't just about "me and Jesus." A life of faith is also about serving all people, following the example of Jesus, and striving for justice and peace in all the earth. "May all the world be clothed and fed" is our prayer and also our duty.
As long as there are hungry people in our community and in our world, people without the bread that gives them physical life, we ought to be doing all we can to provide that bread. Another of Jesus' stories says that when we refuse to provide for the hungry we are refusing him.
We need Jesus, the bread of life, in our lives. And our Lord uses us in his mission to bless and save and feed the world. Blessed be God who is our bread. May all the world be clothed and fed.
Our church, and some other denominations as well, follow the Revised Common Lectionary. It's a schedule of scripture readings suggested for use in worship each week. This summer, from July 26 through August 23, the gospel readings on those Sundays came from the sixth chapter of the Gospel according to John. They all dealt, in one way or another, with bread.
The series of readings began with the story of Jesus miraculously feeding thousands of people with five barley loaves and two fish. The readings continued with Jesus speaking of himself as "the bread of life," speaking of eating his flesh and drinking his blood, with his hearers being confused and upset by his words, and ended with his core group of followers making a renewed commitment to him.
As a preacher it can be tricky to come up with fresh ideas about bread for five weeks in a row and here I am writing a newspaper column about bread. But it has been on my mind.
When my family sits down to eat, we give thanks for the food we eat by saying grace. We have a few prayers to choose from. We even sing some of them. Probably our most common table grace goes like this:
Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest,
and let these gifts to us be blessed.
Blessed be God who is our bread.
May all the world be clothed and fed.
In our world bread is a staple. Obviously we use it to make sandwiches of all kinds. And when we eat the ever popular but not always healthy burger, it comes on a bun. A hotdog or sausage is laid in a bun. Some restaurants will give you a roll with your meal, or place a basket of rolls on the table before your meal arrives. If you have a taste for certain ethnic foods they might come on, or wrapped in, other kinds of bread like pitas or tortillas.
Except for some with dietary issues, for most of us bread is the stuff of life. We would hardly go a day without it. The same goes for our relationship with God. As the readings from John, chapter six discussed and as our table grace says, God in Jesus Christ is our bread.
You could debate whether Jesus was speaking metaphorically or literally. I think rather than either/or, in this case it's both/and. In my church's tradition we share in the weekly celebration of the Lord's Supper where we receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ under the bread and wine. Different Christian traditions differ on what happens in that meal and how it happens but I think we all agree that when we gather, Jesus is there.
Being a Christian, having faith in Jesus Christ, is about living with him in your life. It's also about the last line in our table grace. Living a life of faith isn't just about "me and Jesus." A life of faith is also about serving all people, following the example of Jesus, and striving for justice and peace in all the earth. "May all the world be clothed and fed" is our prayer and also our duty.
As long as there are hungry people in our community and in our world, people without the bread that gives them physical life, we ought to be doing all we can to provide that bread. Another of Jesus' stories says that when we refuse to provide for the hungry we are refusing him.
We need Jesus, the bread of life, in our lives. And our Lord uses us in his mission to bless and save and feed the world. Blessed be God who is our bread. May all the world be clothed and fed.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Church Sign
I changed the message on our sign last week. The kids laughed when they saw it. It's not something I came up with myself. I'd read it somewhere before. This is what it says:
SIGN BROKEN
COME IN ON SUNDAY
FOR MESSAGE
Thursday, August 06, 2009
R and R
So, I'm in the middle of my first week back at work after two weeks of vacation. We went back for the seventh year in a row to our favourite campground in the Finger Lakes region of New York. We did all the stuff we usually do, went on the day trips around the area that we like to make, spent time with friends and family who came to stay for a while.
But it wasn't the same as other years. It wasn't as good as other years. We were there for two weeks and I think there were a whole two days when it didn't rain. Not that it rained and rained for hours and days on end. Sometimes the morning would be rainy and the afternoon would turn out fairly decent. Sometimes the day would seem okay but cloud over in the afternoon and then rain in the evening or overnight.
And the temperatures were cool. There have been years when I haven't had to break out the jeans at all during our stay. This time around there were only a few days when I was comfortable in shorts. I'm usually not one for hot and humid weather, something we normally get a whole lot of during the summer. But when we're at the campground and can sit under the shade of an umbrella by the poolside, reading a book, working on some Sudoku puzzles, and then just jumping into the water to cool down when the need or the mood strikes me, then I can take the heat. But we didn't have that this year. There were a few days when it was nice enough to spend some time at the pool. The kids swam a lot. I swam a few times.
It was time away from the ordinary. It was time for some relaxation. It just didn't seem as enjoyable for me as other years. The fact that my oldest daughter and I caught colds during the second week of the trip didn't help either.
We've got a Florida trip planned for the fall. The kids are counting down the days already. I hope it's more of a vacation, some real enjoyable rest and relaxation, than this summer holiday was.
But it wasn't the same as other years. It wasn't as good as other years. We were there for two weeks and I think there were a whole two days when it didn't rain. Not that it rained and rained for hours and days on end. Sometimes the morning would be rainy and the afternoon would turn out fairly decent. Sometimes the day would seem okay but cloud over in the afternoon and then rain in the evening or overnight.
And the temperatures were cool. There have been years when I haven't had to break out the jeans at all during our stay. This time around there were only a few days when I was comfortable in shorts. I'm usually not one for hot and humid weather, something we normally get a whole lot of during the summer. But when we're at the campground and can sit under the shade of an umbrella by the poolside, reading a book, working on some Sudoku puzzles, and then just jumping into the water to cool down when the need or the mood strikes me, then I can take the heat. But we didn't have that this year. There were a few days when it was nice enough to spend some time at the pool. The kids swam a lot. I swam a few times.
It was time away from the ordinary. It was time for some relaxation. It just didn't seem as enjoyable for me as other years. The fact that my oldest daughter and I caught colds during the second week of the trip didn't help either.
We've got a Florida trip planned for the fall. The kids are counting down the days already. I hope it's more of a vacation, some real enjoyable rest and relaxation, than this summer holiday was.
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Best Practices
I’m part of a liturgy discussion group and a recent thread has begun talking about vestments. Our seminary education regarding the mechanics of worship and liturgy were somewhat lacking since our instructor was in the process of being fired when I was in my first year there. We also only had half a term of required instruction in liturgics.
Someone asked what others do and know as far as how we vest ourselves. One question was whether the stole is worn over or under the chasuble. Apparently there’s a rule for this and I almost always break the rule. My chasubles are almost all plain, that is they have no decoration on them. But the stoles are almost all decorated. So I wear the stole over the chasuble. One chasuble, the white one which the church owns (I don’t have my own white chasuble yet), is decorated and the stole is plain so I wear it the other way around. So only during Christmas and Easter and on Baptism of Our Lord, Transfiguration, Christ the King and other white festivals am I vested properly.
I also used to wear a pectoral cross over my chasuble (except the white one because it would hang over the decoration). The "vestment police" once informed me that it was only a bishop’s prerogative to wear a pectoral cross. I continued to wear it anyway. I haven’t worn it for some time because the chain broke and I haven’t replaced it but I do intend to wear it again.
I wrote about this on the discussion site and one pastor responded rather vehemently decrying my lackadaisical practice. He intimated that anything less than BEST PRACTICE was akin to irreverence in worship. As if someone seeing me with a pectoral cross showing would mistake me for a bishop and that would confuse them to such a degree as to distract them from their worship. As if wearing my stole over my chasuble would be so off-putting that it would hinder the proclamation of the gospel.
I responded to his criticism. Regarding the pectoral cross, most people are unaware that it might be a symbol of a bishop’s office and that’s not high on my list of things that need to be taught to my congregation. But in baptism we are marked with the cross of Christ forever and rather than an invisible mark on our foreheads Christians might choose to wear a visible cross on the chest.
And talking about symbols of office then an argument can be made for wearing the stole over the chasuble rather than hiding a symbol of the pastoral office. I don’t find anything irreverent about wearing alb, chasuble, stole, and pectoral cross when presiding at worship. At the beginning of worship I begin with announcements (another no-no according to the liturgy police) and when I conclude them I say, "Let’s have a brief time of silence to prepare our hearts to worship God" and I sit down and pray. Part of my prayer is "May our words become your Word and may the things we say and do proclaim your love and grace." That’s what I believe worship is about. It’s about joyful worship and praise and proclaiming the gospel. I don’t think following some legalistic rules about the order of my vestments does anything to further that. Failing to follow them to some contrived letter doesn’t detract from that either.
Thursday, July 02, 2009
...School's Out!
This is scheduled to appear in our local newspaper tomorrow.
I’ve always loved summer holidays. I was always a pretty good student but I still preferred being out of school to being in school. There may be some who prefer it the other way around but I’m pretty sure they’re in the minority.
Now that my kids don’t have to get up for school I don’t have to set my alarm. I don’t have to get up and make them breakfast. I don’t have to hurry them through their morning routine (sometimes by yelling at them) so that they get to school on time. In the evening when I come home and want to play Rock Band or Guitar Hero with them or watch a movie together I don’t have to think about whether they’ve done their homework.
For ten weeks life will be much more relaxed in our household. We’ll go away camping for a couple of weeks, something we’ve been looking forward to since the winter. We might go for a picnic in the park, maybe a day at the beach, swimming in a friend’s pool, an evening at the drive in.
For a couple of months life will be different. The regular routine of the rest of the year takes a break. We have the flexibility to do some different things, to be more spontaneous, to experience something out-of-the-ordinary. The summer holidays are a time when we can enjoy surprises and not be thrown for a loop by the unexpected, when we can be more relaxed and take things in stride because life is less regimented and we won’t be thrown off when things are out of the ordinary.
The readings and stories that we will hear in the Bible often bring us images and ideas that are out of the ordinary, that are surprising, that are unexpected. Jesus says that when God rules in our lives we’re in a strange place. The way we usually think of things, the way the world works, our normal ideas of power and glory, are turned upside down. The regular routine is disrupted.
A poor widow’s coin is valued more than the riches of the wealthy. Children are welcomed and the important and wealthy are humbled. The greatest of all is the servant of all. The one who has power over the wind and the waves empties himself of that power and follows a path in life that will lead to his death on a cross. It seems backward. It seems upside down. It’s out-of-the-ordinary.
The biblical story can seem an odd story. But for people of faith, people for whom the biblical story becomes their story, it becomes a life giving story. I enjoy the summer holidays. I enjoy the break from the routine. I enjoy the spontaneous interruptions. I enjoy the time to experience the out-of-the-ordinary. John Lennon wrote, and sang, that "Life is what happens to you when you’re busy making other plans." It’s the unexpected and unplanned that is often the most life giving and joy filled.
The story of the Bible, like many of our summer experiences, is not necessarily what we expect, not what we’re used to. But the story of the Bible teaches us that a relationship with God is fulfilling, that Jesus came to give abundant life, that his love makes us new. May our summer experiences give us renewal and refreshment. May the stories of our faith and our life in God do the same.
I’ve always loved summer holidays. I was always a pretty good student but I still preferred being out of school to being in school. There may be some who prefer it the other way around but I’m pretty sure they’re in the minority.
Now that my kids don’t have to get up for school I don’t have to set my alarm. I don’t have to get up and make them breakfast. I don’t have to hurry them through their morning routine (sometimes by yelling at them) so that they get to school on time. In the evening when I come home and want to play Rock Band or Guitar Hero with them or watch a movie together I don’t have to think about whether they’ve done their homework.
For ten weeks life will be much more relaxed in our household. We’ll go away camping for a couple of weeks, something we’ve been looking forward to since the winter. We might go for a picnic in the park, maybe a day at the beach, swimming in a friend’s pool, an evening at the drive in.
For a couple of months life will be different. The regular routine of the rest of the year takes a break. We have the flexibility to do some different things, to be more spontaneous, to experience something out-of-the-ordinary. The summer holidays are a time when we can enjoy surprises and not be thrown for a loop by the unexpected, when we can be more relaxed and take things in stride because life is less regimented and we won’t be thrown off when things are out of the ordinary.
The readings and stories that we will hear in the Bible often bring us images and ideas that are out of the ordinary, that are surprising, that are unexpected. Jesus says that when God rules in our lives we’re in a strange place. The way we usually think of things, the way the world works, our normal ideas of power and glory, are turned upside down. The regular routine is disrupted.
A poor widow’s coin is valued more than the riches of the wealthy. Children are welcomed and the important and wealthy are humbled. The greatest of all is the servant of all. The one who has power over the wind and the waves empties himself of that power and follows a path in life that will lead to his death on a cross. It seems backward. It seems upside down. It’s out-of-the-ordinary.
The biblical story can seem an odd story. But for people of faith, people for whom the biblical story becomes their story, it becomes a life giving story. I enjoy the summer holidays. I enjoy the break from the routine. I enjoy the spontaneous interruptions. I enjoy the time to experience the out-of-the-ordinary. John Lennon wrote, and sang, that "Life is what happens to you when you’re busy making other plans." It’s the unexpected and unplanned that is often the most life giving and joy filled.
The story of the Bible, like many of our summer experiences, is not necessarily what we expect, not what we’re used to. But the story of the Bible teaches us that a relationship with God is fulfilling, that Jesus came to give abundant life, that his love makes us new. May our summer experiences give us renewal and refreshment. May the stories of our faith and our life in God do the same.
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