madavison

The Children’s Defense Fund created the idea of a National Observance of Children’s Sabbath back in 1992.  During October of each year many places of worship, non-Christian and Christian alike,  will participate in Children’s Sabbath by following a devotional, holding a special worship service, participating in service projects benefiting children, holding an educational event, or adding something to worship through October 22.

This year’s theme is, Moving Forward with Hope: Love and Justice for Every Child.

That is an ambitious vision here in 2017.   I say that because the past 60 days have been full of events to which we can only react.  And, react is something we’ve become good at doing.  Social media is often the tool of choice for many as we post messages of thoughts and prayers, we donate dollars (Week of Compassion has one of the lowest overhead costs of all non-profits receiving money for natural and human made disasters), create Clean Up Buckets and Hygiene Kits for Church World Service to distribute, and prepare for the mission trips to help neighbors recover and rebuild.  All good reactions.

Individuals cannot stop hurricanes, flooding, tornadoes, earthquakes, or other creation events that damage lives.  Systems, public and private, cannot stop hurricanes, flooding, tornadoes, earthquakes, or other creation events that damage lives.  Individuals and systems cannot stop all bad things from happening that are human made events that damage lives.

But, individuals and systems, public and private, can mitigate the potential that children will want for or dream about having basic necessities: food, shelter, healthcare, safety, education, equality, an opportunity to make their dreams of life real.  Individuals and systems can mitigate the potential that children or adults will be shot or injured with weapons created by the industrial military complex.  All this starts with individual and systemic, public and private, proaction that is based in universal desires for justice, love, and hope.  These are ideas and feelings that transcend race, nationality, religion or political ideology; or at least they should be.  Maybe that is the first step to reconcile and be proactive. Reclaiming justice, love, and hope as universal needs.

Exalted and hallowed be God’s great name
in the world which God created, according to plan.
May God’s majesty be revealed in the days of our lifetime
and the life of all Israel, and all who dwell on earth — speedily, imminently.

Blessed be God’s great name to all eternity.
Blessed, praised, honored, exalted, extolled, glorified, adored, and lauded
be the name of the Holy Blessed One, beyond all earthly words and songs of blessing, praise, and comfort.

May there be abundant peace from heaven, and life, for us and all Israel,
and all who dwell on earth.

May the One who creates harmony on high, bring peace to us
and to all Israel and all who dwell on earth.

To which we all say, Amen.(1)

______
Note
1. An adaption of the Kaddish Prayer from Reformed Judaism [http://www.reformjudaism.org/practice/prayers-blessings/mourners-kaddish] with the edition of “all who dwell on earth.”

“Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” Romans 12: 17-18

Noble or nobility are not words we use much in our context.  When we do it is associated with board games, the latest HBO or Netflix period piece, or with European history of a hereditary class of persons.

Noble (def): of an exalted moral or mental character or excellence; admirable in dignity of conception,  manner of expression, execution, or composition.(1)

Watching the drama of Hurricane Harvey on TV and social media we saw the nobility of humanity on display. Neighborhood flotillas, strangers rescuing persons from cars and homes, it was hard to watch and inspiring as we see the best of what the human family can be and do.  There are, no doubt, hucksters out there that will demonstrate our need to profit at another persons pain, loss, and despair.  And, it is not only the scam artist taking advantage of tragedy because our system of supply and demand effects all of us flooded our not.  Have you filled up a car this week?  It is a scarcity/abundance cycle we’ve yet to tame as a system of government and as the Church universal.

A guy named Paul, that many Christians revere, suggests another way people who claim Christian faith might behave and interact with one another and our neighbors (Romans 12).  If it is true that one’s character or true self is on display in times of tragedy or high stress, then we have another example of the good that is in each one of us.  It is more than a compassionate melody of ‘heart strings” when we think of loading up our own boat, giving to the Week of Compassion or the Red Cross, creating clean up buckets or hygiene kits for Church World Service, giving blood, clearing our calendar to be ready to go and lend a hand, or other ways we might help our neighbors in south Texas, Louisiana, India, or in our own home town.  Somehow, we need to learn how to harness that “goodness” to address everyday tragedy to break the cycles of hunger, poverty, injustice, and violence.  It starts with us and trickles up, maybe becoming a wave racing toward those in government that are tasked with problem solving and governing for the common good.

Children and youth know how to do this “common good” thing.  Goodness is instinctive, I think, that is buried as a learned response to negative experience.  We cannot mitigate all negative experience, because those are learning opportunities, but we can “transform ourselves by the renewal of our minds.”  It is why, I think, images of selflessness become moving human interest stories of unbelievable courage.  In times of tragedy people can embody the nobility of, “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”  How do we do that in ordinary time?  Reconcile?

———
Note
1. noble. Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. http://www.dictionary.com/browse/noble (accessed: September 1, 2017).

How would you tell it?

Has your discipline during lent done for you, or to you, what you hoped it would?  Have there been surprises?

We’ve wandered in lent seeing Jesus through the eyes of the writer of John.  This gospel is more a theological handbook than a story of the life and times of Jesus of Nazareth.  From it’s opening word, John has gone about providing a theology of Jesus as the Christ of faith more than telling a story about Jesus the traveling prophet, turned preacher from Nazareth.

One of the best practices of lent, I think, is writing the gospel according to . . . [fill in your name].  You have had parable experiences, and have a story to tell about your circle of disciples following Jesus.  You have a personal story to tell.  Writing that story is not an easy assignment.  What part of the story do you leave in or take out?  And here is the somewhat harder choice.  What is important about Jesus’ last visit to Jerusalem.  What disciple do you identify with most as the events in Jerusalem unfold and Jesus washes your feet?

At the beginning of March I was the keynoter at the Kansas CYF retreat.  Those keynotes focused on knowing your own disciple story and being able to tell it, or at least a spark notes version, if asked.  Writing your story about being a disciple, a follower of Jesus, is an important thing to do now and again.  It helps you make sense of your experiences and gives you a voice when asked to talk about your experiences, your faith and belief.

You’ve followed Jesus to Jerusalem.  You’ve heard the Palm Sunday story and the Easter story many times. Now, you show up to the tomb with Mary Magdalene.  What happens next?  How will you speak of the good news you have experienced?  How are you living it?

I pray the events of Holy week and Easter will be surprising for you.  I look forward to hearing the story of the good news of God that you have to tell.  Take a risk and be a blessing.