-Rev Melissa Fain-
 
“But I say to you who are willing to hear: Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you.  Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who mistreat you.  If someone slaps you on the cheek, offer the other one as well. If someone takes your coat, don’t withhold your shirt either. Give to everyone who asks and don’t demand your things back from those who take them. Treat people in the same way that you want them to treat you.
Luke 6:27-31 CEB

There is something about being curled up into the fetal position of your bathroom floor that must be lived to be understood. From my late elementary school years, I felt called to some capacity to work in the church. It was my passion. Everything I did was towards that purpose. When I found my first full time call as a pastor of a church I was ready to get to it. I was so wide eyed and ready to take on the world, and I was going to start in this small rural church.

Then everything went wrong. To be fair, most of it was just life. Broken limbs, pregnancy; sickness. I like to joke that God purposefully made me less than 100% as part of some crazy master plan. Maybe it was that, maybe it was just the fact the church was rushing to fill the pulpit and we were a bad fit. Maybe it was political. No matter what it was, days after giving birth to my daughter the elders asked for my resignation.

Flash forward a year later and I found myself bawling on the bathroom floor, smelling like the Cajun food I served each night. I was a mess. I couldn’t even look in the direction of that church because I felt this smug satisfaction when things were going wrong, and a sort of dread when they were going right. It was a horrible place to be, and it is my hope you never have to be there. If you have been there dear brother or sister, we have a sad connection, the two of us.

In truth, there was absolutely nothing I could do to change the minds and hearts of the members of that church. I had absolutely no power over them. In the same way, they had and have no power over me. Well, they did have power if I couldn’t find the peace through forgiveness.

Yep, just a few days later, sitting in my bedroom something switched. While I mourned, I found the release of forgiveness. Not only did I say I wanted them to find healing, I actually meant it.
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Some people will live their entire lives in relative peace. Everyone else will be distressed by something or someone in life. It will tear at their natural peaceful state. That key to returning to that peaceful state always starts with forgiveness.  Bridges must be rebuilt, not burned to ashes. Connections must be rebuilt, not torn to pieces. You get the idea. Now, years later I’m grateful for that moment. I can move forward. If you are on your proverbial bathroom floor, I hope your key to peace comes too. It’s a nicer place to be. Join me.

- - -
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Holy Christ,
Help us find peace in crisis.
Help us find forgiveness for those who have hurt us.
Amen.
​

Advent is… what? This is Lent? I shouldn’t talk about Advent during Lent? Phooey! Everything is connected. Life is one big tapestry, and a thread used in one part of the image comes back again in strange ways. Getting back to my point, Advent is the four Sundays before Christmas. It is made up of four Sundays in a very specific order: Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love. This isn’t an order that just works during this pre-Christmas time of year. It’s an order that is true for the whole year.

Hope is like picking a destination. We set sail towards something. As Christians I hope your hope is set on Christ. Peace is packing your bags and starting the journey. The thing about finding peace is that it takes work. Peace is order when the world is drawn to chaos. Peace is sometimes blood sweat and tears. Hope always comes before peace because you have to set a destination in order to travel towards it. You have to set your hope before you can travel towards peace. It is when we know where we’re headed, and we are actually headed there, joy bubbles up. So, yes, happy are people who make peace. Happiness is the natural result of peace.

These three attributes often connected to Advent leads naturally into love. When one finds love, that’s where we find God. That’s something to truly be joyous about! 

- - -
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Holy Father, We praise and adore you! Thank you for the gifts you bestow upon us! Amen.

On April 3, 1974, I found myself crouching in the corner of my dorm room waiting out a direct hit by a Category 5 tornado. When the storm had passed, outside we found everything damaged or destroyed. It was like a scene out of a disaster movie. Cars tossed against buildings were rolled up like Danish rolls. Buildings were flattened or huge sections missing. The water tower had fallen on top of the student health center building. Live farm animals were stuck in trees. There was no electricity and the water was of questionable quality.

On campus, we were cut off from the closest town and trapped on campus for the night. About twenty of us took refuge in the basement of the dormitory as we sat out the unrelenting tornadic conditions. As one would expect, emotions were running high. We were afraid and fear was expressed as anger, frustration, worry, and anxiety. After what we had experienced that day, we couldn’t help but dread what was to come.

I can honestly say most of us were not at peace with our circumstances and trusting God. We were struggling with our emotions when we needed the “peace of God that exceeds all understanding.” (Philippians 4:7) This is the peace Jesus gives us.

​Over the years, life has given me other opportunities to choose peace in difficult times. It’s not always easy but it’s a choice and how I respond is a measure of my spiritual growth. Jesus has given us something the world desperately needs and I believe desires. Peace is a wonderful gift from God. And when we have cultivated the fruit of peace within ourselves, we can then bring peace to any situation.

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Lord, please remind me to walk in peace as you did. Let me remember to bring peace not confusion or chaos to any circumstance you bring my way. I do not want to respond as the world but to be the light of peace to others who have lost their way. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen

Let your gentleness show in your treatment of all people. The Lord is near.  Don’t be anxious about anything; rather, bring up all of your requests to God in your prayers and petitions, along with giving thanks. Then the peace of God that exceeds all understanding will keep your hearts and minds safe in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:5-7 CEB

Peace, an absence of conflict, freedom from disturbances, the end of war. Expand that definition to include the spiritual aspect of peace, an inner sense of wholeness and well-being, Shalom, in the Hebrew language. Pondering these verses from Philippians we see both aspects of peace embracing one another—the absence of conflict in our gentle treatment of others, and the inner calm as we commune with God, grateful for reconciliation through Jesus Christ.
Today’s verses challenge us to a take a personal inventory, a self-evaluation, if you will. When the Spirit of God moves in our heart, our character begins to reflect a godly nature. Moved by God’s best purposes, strengthened by the Holy Spirit, informed by the life and teachings of Jesus, we begin to look out for the well-being of others. We rejoice when others rejoice, weep when others weep. We become aware of the community around us and, with a nudge from the Spirit, we respond with compassion, gently and faithfully, as we grow in grace.

However, our continued growth is a commitment to a multifaceted process, not an instantaneous magical occurrence when we embrace particular doctrines or exercise specific disciplines. Scripture says Jesus grew tall and wise, loved by God and others.  In other words, Jesus grew just as we grow, from child to adult. As we mature, our bodies fill out. We acquire knowledge and learn how to use it. We begin to recognize ourselves as spiritual beings, and as we interact with the Lord and with the community around us, our being is nurtured. We grow as Jesus grew, in wisdom and stature, in favor with God and with people.

Informed by the verses from Philippians, we are challenged to take a personal inventory and discover our progress in this process of growth. If you journal, respond thoughtfully to these questions in writing, then share your insights about yourself with someone, if the Lord moves you to do that.
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• How do I relate to other people, all people?
• Internal inventory: What’s going on inside of me as I greet the stranger, reach out to the estranged family member, embrace the grieving friend, confront the one who “trespasses” against me?
• What are my particular anxieties today? What are my lingering apprehensions? What are my fears?
• How do I nurture my relationship with God? How do I pray? For what am I grateful?
• Internal inventory: What am I thinking as I enumerate my concerns in prayer? What am I feeling?
  
  

How do I experience peace in my life? How is it manifest in my relationship with others?

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Lord, as I come to the end of myself, I turn to you, embracing your goodness and your righteousness.
Where I am harsh, remind me to be gentle.  Help me remember your nearness so that my faith is encouraged.
When I am anxious, reveal your love to me, yet again, so that I might be calm. Quiet my soul. Revive my spirit.
Now, with grateful heart I receive from you the peace that is beyond understanding.
And I celebrate the unmerited favor revealed to us all in Jesus Christ. Amen.

​Rev Barbara Minton, ordained April 1, 2001, now semi-retired, gladly serves a small rural congregation in Henry County KY, Berea Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). She also volunteers in local interdenominational outreach ministries. Barbara describes herself as wife of one, mother of three, and Mamaw to eight. She enjoys journaling, which she began while living in Switzerland and Germany for 16 years. Now she will occasionally write on her blog, which she fondly entitled Muesli. http://bjm-muesli.blogspot.com/ Her hobbies include bird-watching and word-botching. She claims to get her exercise by jumping to conclusions, running at the mouth, and climbing the walls. Her partner in these adventures is Thomas, her husband of 53 years, and presently pastor of Eminence Christian Church in Eminence, KY. (When she grows up she wants to become a retreat speaker!)

In those days John the Baptist appeared in the desert of Judea announcing, 2 “Change your hearts and lives! Here comes the kingdom of heaven!” 3 He was the one of whom Isaiah the prophet spoke when he said:
The voice of one shouting in the wilderness,
        “Prepare the way for the Lord;
        make his paths straight.”
4 John wore clothes made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. He ate locusts and wild honey.
5 People from Jerusalem, throughout Judea, and all around the Jordan River came to him. 6 As they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River. 7 Many Pharisees and Sadducees came to be baptized by John. He said to them, “You children of snakes! Who warned you to escape from the angry judgment that is coming soon? 8 Produce fruit that shows you have changed your hearts and lives. 9 And don’t even think about saying to yourselves, Abraham is our father. I tell you that God is able to raise up Abraham’s children from these stones. 10 The ax is already at the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be chopped down and tossed into the fire. 11 I baptize with water those of you who have changed your hearts and lives. The one who is coming after me is stronger than I am. I’m not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 12 The shovel he uses to sift the wheat from the husks is in his hands. He will clean out his threshing area and bring the wheat into his barn. But he will burn the husks with a fire that can’t be put out.”
Matthew 3:1-12 CEB

-Rev Melissa Fain-

Where did we get this notion that every hour of every day has to be filled with something? We sit in silent stillness longer than 20 or so seconds before we are turning something on to fill the void.

There is a reason peace must come  before the birth. We must de-clutter our life first. Really. Our life is full of crap. There are tons of useless things we do; that don't need to be done. Until we clean that mess up, how are we to see the simple story of Grace God has set up for us? Until we can turn off the distractions, how can Christmas shine through with it's real meaning?

​What's keeping you from peace right now?

Holy God of all,
Help us find space to know not everything must be at all times. Help us find time to let go and be at peace.
​Amen.

We have reached the second week of Advent, and I come with previous meditations on Peace, and a new sermon delivered today:

How to Follow the Map to Peace
Christmas Peace: National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
Makers of Peace: Guest Meditation Kristy Burmeister

Last week I told you one I was particularly fond of. I'd say this week would be Kristy's Guest Meditation.

In the fifteenth year of the rule of the emperor Tiberius—when Pontius Pilate was governor over Judea and Herod was ruler over Galilee, his brother Philip was ruler over Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was ruler over Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas—God’s word came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. John went throughout the region of the Jordan River, calling for people to be baptized to show that they were changing their hearts and lives and wanted God to forgive their sins. This is just as it was written in the scroll of the words of Isaiah the prophet,
A voice crying out in the wilderness:
“Prepare the way for the Lord;
make his paths straight.
Every valley will be filled,
and every mountain and hill will be leveled.
The crooked will be made straight
and the rough places made smooth.
All humanity will see God’s salvation.”
Luke 3:1-6 NRSV
 
A meditation and scripture on peace: Peace. Peace be still and know that I am God. Peace be still and know that I am. Peace be still and know. Peace be still. Peace be. Peace. Peace. Peace.

A scripture from Isaiah and Luke: Prepare. Prepare the way of the Lord.

Prepare and peace. Two things I don’t normally put in the same sentence. For me, peace is what happens at the conclusion. The children have opened the presents. It was an explosion of paper and toys. Then, after it has been cleaned up, peace settles over the house. Preparation is what happens before, and preparations are anything but peaceful. Preparing is a stressed filled mess. Right now I’m preparing for a Lenten Devotional. I have ¾ of the writers done and taken care of. I’m stressing over the remaining ¼. Will they get their devotions in on time? Will I have to find someone else? Meanwhile, there is cover art, formatting and publication I personally have to worry about? Tons of preparation, and little peace.

Why are these two words put together?! I mean, are we supposed to look at these things like sandwich bread? Wait. The bread is all the same in a sandwich, but it takes different meaning whether it’s on top or at the bottom. Hmm. There might be something to that. Also, sometimes that peace, that letting go of an event, can come before the preparation of another event. Like if one were to stack sandwiches together there would be bread from the bottom of one sandwich touching the bread from top of another sandwich.
Ends of some things butt up against the beginnings of other things all the time. It’s simply how life works.

Last week Advent began with hope. I believe hope is the knowledge that things cannot continue the way they have been going, and the anticipation that the future is the way to go. Hope is the seed that is planted throughout our Advent journey.  It leads us to this week, this strange mix of peace and preparation.  Yet, these two pieces are the healthiest next move to positive change.

In my short pastoral tenure I have seen many a church cling to this bygone image of what their congregation used to look like. They tape this image over their ability to self-reflect. In conclusion, they convince themselves they don’t need to change. Because of this, they never find the peace to let go; to find an ending to their previous story. (By the way, I said AN ending, not THE ending. The story of any healthy church is full of beginnings and endings. A healthy beginning comes from a healthy ending.)

I’m not just making this up. This is biblical! When Moses went to Egypt to release the Israelites from captivity, the story wasn’t, “Hey, Joseph brought us here. We should really stick around and be slaves because that’s what we were called to.” It sounds so ludicrous hearing it spoken out loud. Yet, I’ve heard the church claim stories that have already ended, as their reason for not moving forward. The thing is, as great as it was that Joseph saved Egypt from the seven year famine, that was not where the story was when Moses entered the picture. The Israelites were no longer buddie-buddie with the Pharaoh. For their story to continue, they had to come to peace with what could no longer be, and prepare for something new.

When the Israelites were in exile in Babylon, they were bitter. They lost their home, and were forced to live with the enemy. They said some things we probably wouldn’t be comfortable hearing. Things like, “God, I just want revenge. I want to beat their baby’s heads against rocks!” (That’s my summation of the end of Psalm 137, written while they were in Babylonian exile.) Eventually, Babylon let them go back home. When it was time to go back home, they had to come to peace with what they lost, before they could prepare to reclaim their home. If they had taken their revenge on Babylon, like they wanted, the Israelites would have lost everything. Instead, they had to forgive their enemy. It sounds ludicrous to think a people wouldn’t know when to let go, but I’ve seen churches hold on to that anger. They refuse to accept the peace that comes before the preparation, because they want revenge for that wound.  They want revenge for whoever it was that took them out of their Promised Land, and put them into exile. The thing is, as terrible as the Babylonian exile was, the Israelites had to come to peace with what happened so they could move back home.

When Rome finally entered Jerusalem the Promised Land was a mess. The North and the South were not getting along. They both thought they had claims to where the Holy of Holies resided. Meanwhile the Priests had their job down to an art, at the expense of God’s people. They knew how to follow the rules found in scripture. They knew the right way to do everything. Yet, following the letter of the law created outcasts. God loved and loves everyone, yet the Priests did not accept everyone into the temple. It was simply against the rules. This is where John the Baptist comes in. He was someone born within the priestly line, but not part of it. The peace before the preparation had to come from a hard break from the system.  If following the letter of the law meant the leper, the Samaritan, the sinner was not part of temple worship, then the worship would leave the temple.

The sentence that always unhinges any positive change always goes like this: “That’s how we’ve always done it.” It’s so easy to say, but when churches use those words they are channeling the Priests from the Gospels. Of course the Priests wanted to keep everything the same. There was nothing wrong from their perspective. Everything worked well for them. The peace, in this case, is the peace of letting go of what personally works for us, to embrace what necessarily works for God and all of God’s people. I’ve seen churches destroyed by the few who can’t let go of how it’s always been done. I truly don’t believe new church start is going to happen the way it did in the late-90’s. I believe if we just want to shuffle around the same people we’ve always had going to church, that’s what we do. If we want real change, it’s gotta’ happen differently. We’ve got to come to peace with what the church was, and prepare for what the church will be.

I don’t know if you could relate personally with any of those examples. If you could, you are not alone. I’ve seen it over multiple congregations over multiple years. There is nothing you are going through that many churches all over the United States are not also going through. The question is: What do you do with it?

Jesus is coming. Jesus is coming, and we must find peace. We must accept our congregation just as it is. We are held captive by the very things we were once invited to join.  We were forced into exile and must learn to forgive those who put us there. We might need to break ourselves from the system to begin to see the Body of Christ as more full than we could possibly imagine. If you are ready to find that peace, than you got to leave. You’ve got to leave that captivity. You’ve got to leave vengeance. You’ve got to accept that wilderness.

Jesus is coming, and leaving is the only way to fully accept what Christ truly came to do. Be at peace. Leave the brokenness behind, and prepare for the fullness to come.