I have been moved to include something really interesting in my personal prayer time. About 2 months ago I introduced a sentence to the beginning of my prayers:

I wish to seek your counsel.

This little addition threw me for a loop. When I prayed those words I imagined entering a huge throne room where my question would be met with a yes or no answer. I had been spending the past few years trying to understand prayer as a communication. I don't say 'Lord' every third word. I don't sell a theology when I lead group prayer. If God is real, then communicating with God must also be real. It was a very humbling experience taking down my defenses and just allowing my real words to come out. 

When the sentence entered the picture, it reminded me, I am going to God, and God is coming to me. Yes, it is a real conversation. At the same time, it is me initiating a conversation with the creator of heaven and earth. While stripping away the trappings of prayer taught me humility. This sentence, "I wish to seek your counsel," taught me respect. 

It reminds me of Exodus 24. In the scripture, Moses is called to spend some one on one time with God. Alone, Moses and God stayed on the mountain for 40 days and 40 nights. The mountain was surrounded by a cloud that was so glorious it looked like it was on fire. The whole scripture is filled with reverence and awe.

I think American culture has become so much about me-me-me, we forget that prayer is a two way conversation. Yes, I believe God wants us to come as we are, but sometimes that means coming to admit we have not respected the conversation we are having, or hiding behind words instead of just being real. We must remember prayer is a glorious experience. It's in humility and respect we accept that as we simply ask: May I seek your counsel. 

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There are a few different kinds of prophets. First, there are the prophets that bring warning to the people.
Turn away from your path or you shall see destruction.

There are the prophets who console the people who didn't listen to the first prophet.
Yeah, you messed up, but God still loves you.

Then there were the prophets who were both. They tell the people to turn from their ways or face the consequences. When they ultimately fail, the same prophets are there to tell them God still loves them.

Jeremiah was, pretty much, the prophet in exile, who consoled the Israelites after they messed up. Isaiah was the prophet who was both warning the people and then giving them hope after they failed to listen. Micah was the first kind of prophet. He warned the people to turn from their ways or face the consequences.

There's a lot of overlap on prophets. It's not like one prophet exists and then another one takes his place. (Well, there was Elijah and Elisha, but normally the word of God isn't limited to one voice.) I remember, as a child, I couldn't wrap my head around the time frame. I just assumed each prophet came, one after another, The Israelites were warned, they didn't listen; they were patted on the back and told God still loved them. Then the cycle began again. I misunderstood. I didn't realize four existed at the same time! Four were giving out the same warning! Four were trying to get Israel to understand. During the time of Micah there were three other prophets attempting to change the hearts and minds of Israel. With Micah, there were Isaiah, Amos, and Hosea. That's a lot of voice speaking for God. For the most part, they were mature voices, older voices... except Micah. He was younger, and therefore, what he had to say was more raw and passionate regarding the message God was sending him to make. Our scripture for today, is as raw as it gets.

When I think about the legal dialog in the bible, my mind immediately turns to Job. When Job was sitting on a pile of ash, in total ruin, he decides he wants to bring God to trial. He already knew it was futile. He already knew there is no way he could possibly bring a winning case before God, but he wanted the opportunity to try. After all, he was blameless before God. Even the bible says so. He did nothing wrong, and didn't deserve all the bad things that had happened to him.

This scripture, in Micah, turns the table. The people are not bringing a case before God, God is bringing a case against the people. So there are a few comparisons I want to make between Job and Micah:

Comparison one: Both Micah and Job talk about a trial. Job wants to bring God to trail. God wants to bring the people to trail.

Comparison two: In Job, God uses Creation to show Job how small he is in comparison to, well, everything. God loves it all, even the monsters of the sea, where the chaos lives. It was in seeing the vastness of God's love that caused Job to redact his claim in court. In Micah, God calls creation as witnesses to the trial. So all that vastness is asked to sit and put their eyes on the people. Immediately, Micah sets a tremendous stage. While it is all very poetic, it is meant to terrify the Israelites and cause them to listen.

Comparison three: As the proceedings begin God asks the big question, “What did I do to you?” When one gets in a good argument, you want the person you are arguing with to come forward with a list of your wrong doings. The perfect scenario for the Israelites would have been God listing their wrong doings like a parent catching their child in the act: “You worshiped false idols! You hurt your neighbor! You did not feed the poor!” If God had come to the Israelites in that way, the Israelites would have been able to come up with counter arguments. “Well, we didn't realize what we were worshiping. I hurt my neighbor because they hurt me first. I didn't have enough to feed myself.” While, all of those might be excuses instead of reasons, it would have given the Israelites a chance to toss the hot potato back to God and avoid the issue instead of deal with it. Instead God comes from another angle: “What did I do to you?” Can't avoid that.

This compares to Job, because this was what Job wanted to ask of God. “What did I do to you?” The answer God would have answered was 'nothing.' Job did nothing to deserve the treatment he was getting. It is exactly the same in Micah. When God asks the same question of the Israelites, the Israelite people knew what God did, nothing. This is God, who saved these people, redeemed them from slavery. This is God, who gave manna to the people when they needed food, and water when they needed drink. When they asked; God supplied.

Job was found innocent. The Israelites were found guilty. So Micah asks the question: So now that you know you are guilty, what are you going to do about it?

These are the raw words youth brings to the table. They are not sugar coated. They are just true. Micah's answer is probably not the one Israel wants to hear. Sorry, you can't bow low enough. Sorry, you can't follow enough rites and rituals to undo it. Sorry, you can't give up your first born to make up for it. (I have to admit, that one is kinda funny. Something as outlandish as willingly sacrificing ones first born child. It sounds similar to the Passover, or Abraham almost sacrificing Isaac.) The answer isn't the easy way out. The answer requires making a life changing choice. The sentencing is thus: Seek Justice. Love Kindness. Walk Humbly with God. 

The Israelites were so off track, four prophets were trying to get them turned around. Four. The answer was going to be a little bit more difficult than sacrifice your choice lamb from this years flock. So many quote Micah 6:8 from scripture, I think the message has been lost. Micah was trying to tell the people, you are wrong, and the solution isn't going to be easy. The answer is going to require life altering choices. 

And this is where we can take something from this today. The Mainline Protestant church is dying. We can sugar coat the truth all day long, but it's happening. People have been warning it was coming since the 90's. We didn't listen. Now we need to take something deep from Micah other than a pretty song sung at Church camps. We need to look at our institution not from the ritual and rite, but from the call and action. How are we seeking justice? In what ways are we loving kindness? Is that path humbly with our God? 

About a year ago I went to a leadership conference in Indianapolis. We were supposed to be taught what new church looks like today. What I saw was taking the skeleton of worship we have had for 60+ years and changing the music or saying a few words a bit different. I'm here to say, the world out there isn't buying it. No longer can we change our welcome mat and people come to our place of worship. The easy pill not only doesn't work, but it never really existed to begin with. There is only life altering change. There always was. 

Still, it doesn't matter what a conference does. It matters what you do. You can be the change. You can be the seed that grows an orchard. It's not too late. We haven't reached the stage where we lick our wounds and say, “We tried our best.” We have come back from half time and we are in the third quarter. We have a few hail Mary's left up our sleeve. We have a second and third string quarter back to try out. This game's not over yet. It's just really begun. Justice- Kindness- Humility... hut!

I wish to add a footnote to this message. The leadership conference was great, and perfect for many who attended. Along with myself, there are a growing group who cannot fit into the New Church mold. These are innovators of faith. They meet in houses and bars instead of sanctuaries. Online instead of at 11am on Sunday. These are people putting out hypothesis' and testing if they work. Pray for these innovators. They need it. 

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    Once there were two people, one younger and one older, sitting in a kitchen. The younger was talking about some of the poor actions they were currently making. Showing up late for work. Eating the last slice of cake at home. Saying some mean things to a friend. 
    “Are you not concerned,” said the older, “how your actions will affect others?”
    “Ah,” said the younger, “I can just say sorry, and it will all be better.”
    The older, seeing a teaching lesson, picked up a plate that was going to be thrown away. “Take this plate and break on the floor.”
    “Really?” The younger looked at the plate. Normally one was punished for intentionally breaking things in the house. 
    “Really,” said the older.
    So with glee the younger threw the plate against the floor, and it cracked and split into a hundred different pieces.
    The older pointed down to the mess, “Did it break?”
    The younger gave the older a strange look. “Yeah. Do you see it?”
    The older replied, “Now tell the plate sorry for breaking it.”
    The younger looked at the older like he was mad. “Are you serious?”
    “Very,” the older said.
    “Um, I'm sorry for breaking you.”
    The older looked down at the mess, back up to the younger, and back down to the mess. “Did it go back to the way it was before you broke it?”
    “Of course not!,” said the younger. “I broke it! Saying sorry to it isn't going to fix what I did!”
    The Older nodded, “Relationships are as fragile as that plate you broke. We have to treat them with care or they will crack and break. Apologizing is important, but it is only the first step to a much deeper process. It is better to take care of the relationship to begin with, then get to point where you are picking up sharp pieces of where a relationship used to be. Do you understand?

    “You have heard that it was said to those who lived long ago, Don’t commit murder, and all who commit murder will be in danger of judgment. But I say to you that everyone who is angry with their brother or sister will be in danger of judgment. If they say to their brother or sister, ‘You idiot,’ they will be in danger of being condemned by the governing council. And if they say, ‘You fool,’ they will be in danger of fiery hell. Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift at the altar and go. First make things right with your brother or sister and then come back and offer your gift. Be sure to make friends quickly with your opponents while you are with them on the way to court. Otherwise, they will haul you before the judge, the judge will turn you over to the officer of the court, and you will be thrown into prison. I say to you in all seriousness that you won’t get out of there until you’ve paid the very last penny.
    “You have heard that it was said, Don’t commit adultery. But I say to you that every man who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery in his heart. And if your right eye causes you to fall into sin, tear it out and throw it away. It’s better that you lose a part of your body than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to fall into sin, chop it off and throw it away. It’s better that you lose a part of your body than that your whole body go into hell.
    “It was said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife must give her a divorce certificate.’ But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife except for sexual unfaithfulness forces her to commit adultery. And whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
    “Again you have heard that it was said to those who lived long ago: Don’t make a false solemn pledge, but you should follow through on what you have pledged to the Lord. But I say to you that you must not pledge at all. You must not pledge by heaven, because it’s God’s throne. You must not pledge by the earth, because it’s God’s footstool. You must not pledge by Jerusalem, because it’s the city of the great king. And you must not pledge by your head, because you can’t turn one hair white or black. Let your yes mean yes, and your no mean no. Anything more than this comes from the evil one.

I know how this scripture has been used traditionally. Back when I was a child my family went through a very messy divorce. My mom had an affair. Both of my parents agreed to get a divorce. The custody battle was absolutely terrible. It was bad enough the judge ordered the records to be sealed for no other reason than to protect my sister and myself from the information included in it. A couple of years after my dad won custody the dust settled, Dad fell in love, and wanted to remarry. At the time, our church had an interim pastor. I have to give him credit. He stood for what he believed in, and what he believed in was a face value interpretation of what Jesus was saying. Dad never had the opportunity to share why he divorced Mom. Dad wouldn't have known there was that kind of caveat to divorce. Infidelity. This minister was more concerned with keeping the letter of the law instead of understanding the person and what he or she needed.

I also attended a church once that the only way to take communion was to be complete free of sin. Come to God like a stainless clothe or don't come at all.

While I understand the motivations of both pastors, I don't think Jesus would have approved. What would be the point of everything Jesus was doing, if nothing he was doing was new? Things were off track in Jesus' time. The Priests were ignoring the people in order to follow the law. It was too difficult to connect with God if you were not born Jewish. There was no redemption for those who messed up. I firmly believe part of the reason Jesus came was to teach this lesson: The law was created to make it easier for the people to connect with God and one another. Fulfilling the law was all about getting to the point of why the laws existed to begin with.

See, when I think about this scripture I don't get caught up in adultery and divorce. I get caught up at the end where Jesus says, “Again you have heard that it was said to those who lived long ago: Don’t make a false solemn pledge, but you should follow through on what you have pledged to the Lord. But I say to you that you must not pledge at all... Let your yes mean yes, and your no mean no. Anything more than this comes from the evil one.”

This immediately makes me think of the commandment, “Do not take the Lord's name in vain.” See, this is more than just not using God's names as curse words. Back when the commandment was written the Lord's name was used to seal contracts. Marriage was one of those contracts. When I married my husband, I was married with God as our witness. We made a contract using God's name. Now, there are many ways a marriage contract can take the use of God's name in vain. Infidelity. Putting wants above the family or spouse. This is the one no one thinks about- the contract is in vain from the beginning because the two parties didn't take it seriously to begin with. (A case of 'yes' meaning 'but' and 'no' meaning 'well, that person was really attractive.'

This is what Jesus was getting to: the fragile nature of relationship. Let your yes mean yes and your no mean no, because this is love we are talking about! If you break it, it stays broken. On some level, you might be able to apologize or super glue it back together, but it doesn't change the fact it had been broken. Let you yes mean yes and your no mean no because otherwise you are liable to create false contracts with God and take the Lord's name in vain. Don't make a pledge at all if you don't really mean it. This is true for more than marriage. Don't build friendships on false promises. Don't sign a contract with anyone: your minister, your lawn care company, the terms and conditions of your Facebook App, unless you are understanding what you are agreeing to and willing to live up to the stipulations of that agreement.

Yes. We are going to fall short. Yes. We are going to hurt others. This scripture isn't about making us perfect. (Hint: We cannot come to the Lord's table perfectly.) God knows, we are not perfect. None of us are. This is about mitigating the damage. This is about stopping things before they have a chance to break God's precious children. In some ways, this about realizing where we dropped the plate and realizing just saying sorry isn't going to fix the damage. What's this really about? It's about mourning how we failed and making better choices for the future.

You can't change that something was broken. You can be more careful and intentional about how you treat the relationships in the future. That's the point. That's what we need to take from this. Do you understand?

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When the site's foyer, or front page, is all about spring and summer, while most of the nation has a nice layer of snow outside their window... well, it's a difficult analogy to sell. 

Or is it? The United States has had an abnormally cold winter this year. Even the south has felt the icy sting of northern air.  And spring is only a waiting game away. If we sit on our butts long enough the perennials will break through the cold ground, and the warm breeze will be back again. Finally, we can talk about our tans instead of our chapped lips.

And that's our problem when we begin to discuss church. Many know this is a winter for the Christian institution. (Let's pray it isn't autumn. Then we are in real trouble.) There are a few things we do in a winter. 

1. We stop producing good fruit- This is both spiritual and physical ways we work towards God's kingdom here on Earth.
2. We internalize- What happens to the deciduous trees in autumn? This isn't a trick question. The tree internalizes it's energy to prepare for winter. It does that by letting go of life on the outside, or drops its leaves. The same thing has happened to church. We are so fearful of our particular institution dying we are refusing to see that we are slowly killing it.
3. We act out of scarcity instead of abundance- This last one is the kicker. Small churches cannot get people past the front doors because they come across as super-needy. No joke, I visited a church where the greeting time lasted five minutes and that was because the entire congregation was lined up in front of me to hug and ask me 20 questions. This isn't sweet, it's creepy. This is why large churches are staying strong. People are so weirded out by the small church desperation they would rather go someplace where no one talks to them at all. 

And we act like we can wait it out and it will go away. It won't. This is the real danger of Church in America: we don't have the American spirit anymore to drive us to fix it.

When the Baptist, Anabaptist, Christian Church, and other denominations took off in the late 1700's to early 1800's, it was partly because of the American can-do attitude. We were workers, growers, and entrepreneurs. We saw the need for church to change and we just changed it. I was easy because the spirit moving it was in line with the need. 

Today, it is different. We have been taught we can buy happiness, we don't have to work for what we want, change is out of our control. This has not only kept us in a Christian winter, it has deepened the cold. Everyone is just waiting for the right group or person to come forward with the right formula. (Usually involving keeping things as much the way they already are, as much as possible.) I'm surprised I haven't seen the book: How to fix the church in 20 easy steps and not break a sweat. 

What do we do? I can't say this enough. Something. Get off our butt, and try things. For Fig Tree Christian its getting a dedicated group of individuals together to begin praying and researching. Not to internalize how to recreate what exists at 20 different churches in a 10 mile radius. This is about figuring out what God wants Christians to be in this climate. God isn't calling us to jump ship after we see the next great thing coming over the horizon. This is about God calling us to help build and create the next step, the future mode of transportation for the Christian faith. 

Otherwise, and I say this with as much grace and love as possible, we need to stop this suffering and just pull the plug. This is not a winter we can just wait out. This is a winter that ends when we are ready for it to end. Are we ready?

Today is my birthday. When I was younger, I used to love the idea of my birthday falling on a Sunday. I enjoyed the attention I would get from other congregants as I celebrated being another year older. Ah, how age can change a person. My perspective changed a bit. I had heartache, seminary, love, marriage, kids. The world happened and seminary just gave it context. 

What context? Well, Matthew 5:13-20 to begin with. Jesus is teaching on the mountain, when he gives these two little illustrations: salt and light. See, so many times I went to church wanting the attention and admiration. I wanted others to make my experience richer. I wanted others to show me the light. Yet, when Jesus uses these images he isn't talking about others being those things to us. It is our place, nay, my place, to be those things to others. I am the salt of the earth. To be worth something I need to enhance the experience of others. I am the light of the world, therefore my light should always shine in order to help others see. Kinda changes the outlook a bit.

So I have a birthday wish today. I hope the light shines for you today, and you can embrace it and shine it out for others. I hope this little message can enhance your day, and make it a little better.