"I Need Help!"

There are a number of things I take great pride in, one being that for the most part I am independant.  I like to be able to do all things, and all things well, with little to no assistance.  I do not like appearing weak, unable, or lazy.
Since Jan.19th I have had to not, as my massage therapist says, "be the hero".
I was in a significant car accident, and as I have said over and over, "yes I am fine."  I have sore shoulders and my neck needs some reconditioning, but I am fine.
...but not "fine" like I was before...
Before:
*  I could put tables up in the church hall by myself
*  I could sit through a meeting that lasted a couple of hours
*  I could type for hours at a time
*  My head didn't feel heavier as the day went on
*  I could get in the car and drive wherever
*  I could lift a big box of paper out of the car and take it to the church
*  I could sweep the church stairs
*  I could go from meeting to meeting, here or in ON, or Lunenburg Co.

And now...and I suppose a GRACE I should have learned years ago (as I bite off more than I probably should, move things heavier than I should, do more than is expected)...
I have had to learn to say, "I can't" and "I need help"

It is rather humbling to have a congregation and community of friends who have offered to help me in any way possible: laundry, cooking, being on call, taking a service, carrying things from the house to the church or the other way around, allowing me to cancel out on engagements, a husband who stayed home from work the first day -just incase.

I think by saying "I can't" or "I need help" I have let go of a part of me, and allowed space for more gratitude.  This is grace!

1/2 a Sermon and the ending wrapped in a car accident

Some of the sermon was written when I left for a gathering with friends on Saturday afternoon.  The rest was in my head and just needed to be put on paper.  But the events of the afternoon changed that.  I was in a car accident around 5pm and did not get home until after 10pm.  The sermon writing was done for the day.  On Sunday I began with what was written, and finished with emotional words...

We have all seen them...

the cute animal videos or programs where mother animals nudge their babies.

The mother horse who nudges her colt to stand on its feet, to keep trying until the colt is able to stand; The mother elephant who nudges her little one with a nod of the head on the backside, to carry on, to follow the other elephants; the nudge of a mother bear to push her cubs out of the warm cave for the first time; the nudge of a mother bird to force the baby birds from the nest, to try their wings.  Without the motherly nudge, the little animals wouldn’t know to try, they could give up, and for them life would end.

This week at Bible Study I heard the Gospel reading in a new way, with Mary the mother of Jesus being central to the story.  Mary, Jesus, and the disciples are all invited to a wedding.  During the festivities the wine runs out.  So Mary nudges Jesus; John says, “the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’ And Jesus said to her, ’Mother, what concern is that to you and to me?  My hour has not yet come.’ Mary said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’”

Then I can picture Mary, with a knowing smile, turning around and going back to the party, leaving Jesus standing there in the midst of his newly gathered group of disciples, with stewards looking on, waiting instruction.  “Thanks mom!”   Jesus has been nudged into having to make a decision: to act, to not act, to laugh it off with a joke, to walk away, to save face, or to test the waters and see if he really could change water to wine.  “Thanks mom!”

Have you ever said those words:  an exasperated, “Mother!” or a sarcastic, “Thanks mom!”?

Jesus was correct that it was not his hour, meaning not yet the time when he would choose to give his life for the salvation of the world; this was not the end where he would stand before Pilate and be condemned to death.  But that was not the whole of Jesus’ call and ministry while here on earth.  Mary knew this.  She had been treasuring in heart the words of the Simeon and Anna the prophets from when they took Jesus to the Temple at 8 days old. She had been treasuring in her heart the words of the Magi.  She knew there was more for Jesus to do than die.  So she nudged her son, to be all that God created him to be.  The time was right, the time was now.  Jesus get going, time is short, live, love, be loved...trust me you are ready, you have the gifts, the skills, have faith. Go. Be.

The secular world understands the nudging principle.   Thaler and Sunstein, “choice architects”, have written a book entitled, “Nudge: Improving Decisions about Health, Wealth, and Happiness”; with an on-line companion, “the Nudge Blog”.  The Nudge, talks about behavioural economics –for instance marketers and advertisers who use the principal of behaviour to sell their product.  So take the highly competitive industry of video game creation, a video game “Dead Space II” used behavioural science –a nudge- by advertising to young males with the slogan, “Your mom hates dead space II.”  And the video game sold like crazy.

Behavioural economics happens when one sits down to watch television in prime time.  If you reflect on the advertising you see, as prime time moves along, more and more fast food advertizes play; nudges...and guess what, you get hungry.  Weight loss councillors council against watching prime time advertisements; suggesting DVRing them and fast forwarding through commercials, or do something else during the advertisements –turn off the sound, don’t look.

...and then I finished with words from the heart about how the world understands "nudging" and uses it to their own purposes.  I briefly, because I started to cry, talked about how I was thankful to still be alive and able to nudge those who had I not nudged.  Yes, sermons nudge people as a group, but I mean nudging individuals to use the gifts I see in them to the glory of God and for the healing of the world.  I wouldn't want to leave this world without my children having been nudged to be all God created them to be.  I feel the same way about people in the congregation.  This week we were reminded that live is short and that we need to act and nudge now, because tomorrow might not come for us.  Go and be all God created you to be, and nudge others to do the same.

Whatever Happened to the "Snow" Day?

Today I am writing as I look out at a snow storm. School boards outside the city have cancelled school for the day. Snow is accumulating quickly.  The radio is reporting that roads are slippery, parts of the highways coming into the city have been closed and re-opened due to accidents.  There is blowing snow.  And yet...people are going on as usual; fighting to get to work  -  15 min drives taking 1:15hr (according to Twitter).

Whatever happened to the "SNOW" day?
A day where it was OK to look out the window, turn on the radio, make a cup of tea or coffee, grab a book or the newspaper, perhaps a blanket, and just relax.  Everyone would be OK with you staying home from work because they were too.  The police and emergency workers were happy because it meant people were taking responsibility for their own safety.  Snowplow operators were able to do there job better because there were no cars parked in their way on the streets.

A snow day was a the gift of a mental health day in dead of winter; a counter-balance day to ward off seasonal affective disorder.

Today I am mourning the loss of peoples' and society's inability to slow down.  For some reason people think that life, business, economics, etc., can not go on without them.  Really?  If more of us modelled taking a snow day -realizing that many do not have the luxury for a job is a job and harder to find - perhaps the world can slow down.  The last time this city shut down was during extreme weather: white Juan.  Is mother nature telling us something?  Does everything have to be BIG to get our attention and force us into action?

Well today, I am working from home; later going for a visit at a local coffee shop (to which I will plow in my snowboots, enjoying the weather).
For those who can: enjoy at least a moment of a good old-fashioned snow day.

Miniatur Wunderland *** official video 2012 *** largest model railway / ...

Sermon from Dec. 30th's "Carol and Reading Service": as it was a terrible snow day here!

Today we have continued the Christmas story begun last week through the Christmas concert and reiterated on Christmas Eve.  We follow the Holy family in the days following Jesus’ birth.

We have insight it to the rituals practiced, the dedication and blessing of a new life, the blessing of others for the baby as the baby will grow in years.

So far the reading has gone along, in a systematic way, crafting a story from the highlights.

But now there is a gap...the sermon fills the gap as the Gospel for today continues with Jesus all of sudden being 12 years old, and then followed again by a large gap where we catch up with Jesus around the age of 30 being baptized by John the Baptist.

So, where did all that time go?

Imagine, if you will, yourself as a lad growing up in Nazareth a few doors down from Mr. and Mrs. Carpenter (a.k.a Mary and Joseph).  You are the same age as their son Jesus. 

Jesus is your playmate: you play toss the loom weight, outshoot each other with slingshots, and at festivals dance the hora.  Jesus is in your Hebrew class at the synagogue.  Your mothers send you to the market, where between you, you save enough shekels to buy candied figs.  You hang out on the wall at the edge of the community watching caravans and travellers come through, gathering tidbits of gossip.

Your dad, you, along with Mr. Carpenter and Jesus sit together in the synagogue. You talk and learn together.

You and Jesus are given guidance, wisdom, and correction from the neighbours on the street, around family dinner tables.

There are times when your mother says, “Can’t you be more like Jesus?” Others when perhaps she says “no” to going and hanging with the wild neighbour boy.

This morning I suggest that we hear nothing about Jesus for 12 years because his life, his childhood, was absolutely normal.  There was nothing to distinguish him from the other boys his age in Nazareth.  In fact, it was so normal that the locals forgot the mysterious circumstances and stories around his birth.  Jesus was a regular guy, like every other human being.  His family and community taught him the rituals of being a Jew, the stories and prayers of the faith, and the psalms to sing.  Someone taught him to talk, to read Hebrew, to debate, to formulate parables.  Someone cleaned him up when he was dirty, disciplined him when necessary, looked after him when he was sick.  The community through action taught morals, ethics, and the interpretation of religion, society, and politics.  Humans demonstrated the manners and etiquette Jesus adopted.    Without the Jewish community in Nazareth and his family Jesus would not have grown up to be who he became.

This is important for us today.  If there was nothing to distinguish Jesus in childhood –with only one highlight until the age of 30 – who’s to say who is in our midst today.  Who are we bringing up and influencing?  Who is learning from us? What are we demonstrating and teaching through the way we live?

Could it be that in our midst the Christ returns again and again?

God could come in human form whenever God would choose to do so.  And think of the innocents God has placed in the world to be taught and formed by mere human beings...us.  The potential in the people around us is astounding and God put the potential there, but it needs help, direction to grow. 

Think of the patriarchs of the faith: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob...what about Noah, Moses, Hannah, Deborah, Mary.

Think about the prophets, Isaiah, Elijah, John the Baptist...what about the Apostles, Paul.  They grew up the way they did and became who they were by the human tutoring of those around them.

As we enter a New Year, I invite you to consider who is in our midst. Who becomes all God created them to be because we have taken the time to grow the incarnate, Emmanuel –God-with-us.

Facing the world and particularly other human faces with the knowledge of Emmanuel being present will change how we love, teach, and live.

Those who are on skid row, on the street, in prison, committing suicide, bullying, causing war, are abusive... the community, family, friends, human beings –have failed to grow the incarnate; have failed to see Emmanuel, God-with-us in that person.  They may never become who God created them to be and the world will be a sadder place because of it.

So go and grow the incarnate, with the same innate gifts that raised Jesus to be the man, to be the divinity, that he became.