Making Space for God

I spent Advent this year making space for God. I threw out things I don't need. I set aside a few minutes each day for prayer and gratitude. I didn't buy as many gifts as usual, and spent more time writing cards to loved ones.

Instead of being full of myself, I'm trying to be full of God.

I was inspired by this Lao Tzu poem, called "The Uses of Not."

Thirty spokes meet in the hub.
Where the wheel isn't is where it's useful.
Hollowed out, clay makes a pot.
Where the pot's not is where it's useful.
Cut doors and windows to make a room.
Where the room isn't, there's room for you.

When we empty ourselves, we make space for God. We leave room to listen to the better angels of our nature.

May the angels sing to you, bringing good news of great joy to all people! Christmas blessings.

Not So Little Town of Bethlehem

This is the first Christmas when I will sing "O Little Town of Bethlehem" and actually know what Bethlehem looks like, who lives there, and what life is like for them.

Bethlehem is not a little town. It is not still. And very few Christians live there today. It is in the West Bank of Palestine, and the guide who led us through the city last June described it as an "open air prison." The sign on the Bethlehem tourism bureau asks visitors to "Pray for Palestine." Arabs who live there are under constant control by Israeli troops, who have built separation walls that inhibit travel by the majority Muslim population.

I just received an email from Nazareth, the site of the angel's annunciation to Mary two thousand years ago. The mayor of Nazareth Illit, which is an Israeli twon with a 7 percent Arab Christian minority, has decided to ban the public display of Christmas trees. He said that Nazareth is a "Jewish city" and wants to maintain the ban as long as he is in office.

There is work to do, friends. The work of love and justice.

This is a prayer written by a man named Raj Patta from Bangalore. He recently visited Bethlehem in a group that included our own member Pauline Coffman.

I thought young Joseph would be there welcoming
but it was young men with guns at checkpoints incoming.
I thought young Mary would be there welcoming
But it was young women with guns at checkpoints incoming.
I thought then it would be the manger that's welcoming
but shockingly, it was the huge concrete wall of separation.
A wall of division
A wall of segregation
A wall of occupation
A wall of humiliation
A wall of discrimination
Making the birht of Jesus' place invisible.

O Jesus, come now to be born again here
to break these walls of domination
to tear down thse walls of demonization
to break open the cruel hearts of oppressions
to restore liberation and peace on this earth
and to bring glad tidings of joy to all these people.
Come Jesus, and come now!

Gelassenheit

No, that's not Gesundheit (God bless you). The word for Advent is Gelassenheit -- which means "shedding" or "letting go."

Meister Eckhart was a theologian and mystic in 14th century Germany, who developed the term Gelassenheit. In this season of the year, when many people are focused on acquiring more -- gifts, cookies, egg nog and ugly holiday sweaters -- Christians are instead invited to shed.

Shedding in the spiritual sense refers to more than just giving up stuff. It also means letting go of anxieties, ceasing to cling to what we want, and ceasing to insist on our own way. Gelassenheit means letting go of our focus on results. It means relaxing into what is already true. We work, but it is actually God who makes things happen.

Holly Whitcomb is a spiritual director in Wisconsin. When one of her directees is doubting God's involvement in their life, Holly asks them to go home and find a container. It could be a Mason jar or a bowl or a box. That container then becomes God's In-Box. When a person feels concerned or worried, she asks them to write down their concern and drop it in God's In Box.

This becomes a visual symbol of God's care and keeping. We remember that we are not alone, that God is in control. God is at work and will be at work in our lives, and God takes our worries seriously.

You can read more about Holly Whitcomb in her book "The Seven Spiritual Gifts of Waiting." There is a copy in the church library.

In the meantime, I'll close with another quotation from Meister Eckhart: "If the only prayer you ever say is THANK YOU, that will be enough."

Gelassenheit!

Advent - Who Wants to Wait?

So yesterday (Sunday, Nov. 27) was the first Sunday of Advent. I taught a class on Spiritual Practices for Advent. I preached a sermon about Advent. And in the afternoon I went shopping for gifts for a family who cannot afford Christmas presents. This meant I waited in line at Kohl's. And I was impatient.

We preachers are always talking about the spiritual value in waiting, and I guess I need to keep preaching about it, because I'm not quite "there" yet. I know what I want, and I want it now. But maybe I've gotten a little better. I've learned . . . good things come to those who wait.

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, a French Jesuit priest, said it even better:
Above all, trust in the slow work of God. We are, quite naturally, impatient in everything to reach the end without delay.
We should like to skip the intermediate stages; we are impatient of being on the way to something unknown, something new. And yet, it is the law of all progress that it is made by pasing through some stages of instability . . . and that it may take a very long time.

What is Progressive Christianity?

We often describe First United as a progressive church. What does that mean?

1. We practice sacred activism. Justice and peace in society are core values for us, and we seek to blend spirituality and social change.
2. We believe in gender equality and openness to people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered or questioning their sexual orientation (shortened to LGBTQ). Leadership, membership, sacraments and ordination should be open to all people.
3. We have compassion for the poor and the oppressed and we seek to transform the root causes of injustice in our society. This is evident from our strong commitment to charity and advocacy.
4. We affirm that the teachings of Jesus are primary for us, and that we can draw from diverse sources of wisdom in our spiritual journey. We respect other faiths and seek to be in dialogue with other religious traditions.
5. The Earth is our home and we seek to protect and restore the integrity of Creation.
6. We take the Bible seriously, but not literally. Bible study and scholarship is a hallmark of our faith, and so we understand that a complete reading of the Bible requires understanding context, history and internal consistencies. We do not worship the Bible, but we understand it as the Word of God that points to Jesus Christ.
7. Our way of life is more important than accepting certain beliefs and doctrines of faith. Following Jesus and acting upon our convictions is much more vital than assenting to ideas about faith.
8. We embrace mystery, ambiguity and paradox. God is at the same time as close as our breathing and as distant as the farthest star. Jesus is both human and divine. The Holy Spirit comforts us and also drives us to go out in mission. Our faith tradition is not simple.
9. We are saved for abundant life in this world. We do not believe that salvation is a form of "fire insurance" that protects us from going to hell. We pray that God's realm would come to earth as it is in heaven, even while we look forward to resurrection after death.
10. We believe that God is still speaking. Jesus told his disciples that there were things he could not tell them, because they were not yet ready to be revealed. God's revelation is ongoing, and we hear and see and experience God's presence in daily life when we prayerfully pay attention.

The answer to a hard day at the office

I love being a pastor, but I have to admit that even ministers have day days.

I had one of those bad days this week. There was too much going on, everyone needed something from me, a few things happened that were really disappointing, and I felt stressed all day long.

On my way home, I thought, I need a drink! Then I realized that wasn't it. I need to eat . . . a lot, I thought to myself. I began to picture all the leftover Halloween candy on the counter at home. Then I realized that wasn't it, either.

I know, I go see the latest George Clooney movie with my daughter, I thought. It's been on my list for awhile . . . but that wasn't it either.

So I came home and watched two episodes of "The Colbert Rerpot," and I felt better. And then I realized there was something else I still needed, deep down. I wanted to pray. I needed time with God.

So I did pray. And it was exactly what I needed.

I used to think prayer was something I did to calm down. Or to ask for help. But now I think of prayer as something I do to shed by constant preoccupation with myself. When I pray in a contemplative way, it allows me to set aside my egoistic preoccupation. Prayer allows me to focus on someone else for awhile.

And that's what I really need. Even on good days.

Making Space for Listening

As a pastor, I spend a lot of time listening to people. I hear stories about fears, doubts, health concerns, frustrations, and conflicts. I work hard to be attentive to each person who confides in me, because so often holy conversations can be healing and enlightening.

But I will confess there are times when my attention gets diverted, like a puppy chasing a ball. I lose focus, and I get distracted by related thoughts or background issues. My mind is too busy to concentrate.

I find there is a great value in silence, for creating space in my listening heart. When I practice silent prayer, it allows me to clear out the accumulations of my mind. It's almost like clearing my desk before I begin to work . . . to make space for a new task.

If you would like to improve your ability to listen to other people with empathy and attentiveness, I recommend you practice at least 20 minutes of silent prayer each day. We need to make space for listening, and empty our "self" to make room for the sacred stories of others. That space allows the Spirit to move.