Thursday, September 29, 2011
Friday, August 26, 2011
Metropolitan Community Church of Greater Saint Louis has been invited to join the national HOW SWEET THE SOUND for 3rd year
Metropolitan Community Church of Greater Saint Louis has been invited to join the national gospel choir competition for 3rd year in a row! VOTE FOR MCCGSL Church once a day until 8-31---> whats at stake? If selected as the "peoples choice", 5K
We are very close in the votes so enter your email and tell a friend to vote each day! First MCC (First Metropolitan Community Church of Atlanta)
Verizon Presents How Sweet the Sound: The Search for the Best Church Choir in America www.howsweetthesound.com
Official website for How Sweet the Sound, The Search for the Best Church Choir in America.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
ARCHIVED BLOG
You have reached an Archived blog of MCC of Greater St. Louis
please visit www.MCCGSL.org for the latest updates~
Thanks
SmartChoice Center www.SmartChoiceSTL.com
please visit www.MCCGSL.org for the latest updates~
Thanks
SmartChoice Center www.SmartChoiceSTL.com
Friday, March 12, 2010
Daily Lenten Meditation - Saturday March 13th
www.HopeandHelpCenter.org
Daily Lenten Meditation
By Ronald White
1 Corinthians 10:1-13
I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ. Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them, and they were struck down in the wilderness.
Now these things occurred as examples for us, so that we might not desire evil as they did. Do not become idolaters as some of them did; as it is written, 'The people sat down to eat and drink, and they rose up to play.' We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did, and were destroyed by serpents. And do not complain as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. These things happened to them to serve as an example, and they were written down to instruct us, on whom the ends of the ages have come. So if you think you are standing, watch out that you do not fall. No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and s/he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing s/he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it. NRSV
We who have journeyed through the Catholic, Lutheran, Southern Baptist, Missionary Baptist, A.M.E. or another conserving theological institution on our journey to Metropolitan Community Church will recognize and perhaps even resemble some of these admonitions. "Do not become idolaters!" Do not "indulge in sexual immorality!" Do not "put Christ to the test!" "If you think you are standing, watch out that you do not fall!" Else, we may be "struck down in the wilderness" just like some of those Israelites who didn't make it to the Promised Land. Buck up, Christian! After all, "no testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone." Are you feeling a little "less than" you had hoped for when you decided to read your daily meditation for encouragement for your day?
Eeeyow. OK, eeeyow isn't a word; it's an exclamation of dismay that I felt when I read this passage and considered writing about it. If you are anything like me, you have spent one day too many in your lifetime feeling caught up short by what your previous church life and your judgmental Christian associates (note that I carefully did not call them "friends") have taught you about yourself and expected from you. If you don't remember the rhetoric, turn on just about any Christian radio or TV channel and spend a day listening. When I did that years ago, I asked myself "Where's the love?"
If you find yourself feeling a little troubled, perhaps even discouraged by myriad others passages like this one in the Bible, take heart. The problem isn't with you. The first problem is with the language in translation, with those who insist on taking the Bible as the literal word of God even though it has been rewritten first by hand for thousands of years and then with translators who have written and rewritten the Bible into dozens of English versions, each with their own politico-theological "spin." The second problem is the human beings who have over the centuries thrust themselves into church leadership positions, running their religious institutions based upon their own and their followers' strong need for concrete answers to questions which can at best be answered only ambiguously but which they dogmatically insist they have final answers to. If they would only begin with the most fundamental and profound question- who or what is God? - the impossibility of answering that question in any truly satisfying way would become their guidepost for accepting the relative ambiguity of the answers to many other of their profound questions. Instead, they cling to outdated and irrelevant historical thought, putting guilt, shame, and punishment on those who pose the questions and reject their neatly packaged answers. Like I said: the problem isn't you; it's them. Sad but true. But, Christianity is changing, awakening from a centuries long slumber. If you have trouble seeing it, look at our rapid growth at MCC. People like us are overjoyed to find a religious center that doesn't and leaders who don't judge us.
When I read the Bible or study Biblical literature, I cling to the unconditional love of God as Jesus pronounced it and as our pastors teach it: "Love thy neighbor as thyself." It is, Christ said, the highest commandment. My hope is bound up in the final, loving sentence of this passage: "God is faithful, and s/he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing' s/he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it."
communications@mccgsl.org
Daily Lenten Meditation
By Ronald White
1 Corinthians 10:1-13
I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ. Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them, and they were struck down in the wilderness.
Now these things occurred as examples for us, so that we might not desire evil as they did. Do not become idolaters as some of them did; as it is written, 'The people sat down to eat and drink, and they rose up to play.' We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did, and were destroyed by serpents. And do not complain as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. These things happened to them to serve as an example, and they were written down to instruct us, on whom the ends of the ages have come. So if you think you are standing, watch out that you do not fall. No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and s/he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing s/he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it. NRSV
We who have journeyed through the Catholic, Lutheran, Southern Baptist, Missionary Baptist, A.M.E. or another conserving theological institution on our journey to Metropolitan Community Church will recognize and perhaps even resemble some of these admonitions. "Do not become idolaters!" Do not "indulge in sexual immorality!" Do not "put Christ to the test!" "If you think you are standing, watch out that you do not fall!" Else, we may be "struck down in the wilderness" just like some of those Israelites who didn't make it to the Promised Land. Buck up, Christian! After all, "no testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone." Are you feeling a little "less than" you had hoped for when you decided to read your daily meditation for encouragement for your day?
Eeeyow. OK, eeeyow isn't a word; it's an exclamation of dismay that I felt when I read this passage and considered writing about it. If you are anything like me, you have spent one day too many in your lifetime feeling caught up short by what your previous church life and your judgmental Christian associates (note that I carefully did not call them "friends") have taught you about yourself and expected from you. If you don't remember the rhetoric, turn on just about any Christian radio or TV channel and spend a day listening. When I did that years ago, I asked myself "Where's the love?"
If you find yourself feeling a little troubled, perhaps even discouraged by myriad others passages like this one in the Bible, take heart. The problem isn't with you. The first problem is with the language in translation, with those who insist on taking the Bible as the literal word of God even though it has been rewritten first by hand for thousands of years and then with translators who have written and rewritten the Bible into dozens of English versions, each with their own politico-theological "spin." The second problem is the human beings who have over the centuries thrust themselves into church leadership positions, running their religious institutions based upon their own and their followers' strong need for concrete answers to questions which can at best be answered only ambiguously but which they dogmatically insist they have final answers to. If they would only begin with the most fundamental and profound question- who or what is God? - the impossibility of answering that question in any truly satisfying way would become their guidepost for accepting the relative ambiguity of the answers to many other of their profound questions. Instead, they cling to outdated and irrelevant historical thought, putting guilt, shame, and punishment on those who pose the questions and reject their neatly packaged answers. Like I said: the problem isn't you; it's them. Sad but true. But, Christianity is changing, awakening from a centuries long slumber. If you have trouble seeing it, look at our rapid growth at MCC. People like us are overjoyed to find a religious center that doesn't and leaders who don't judge us.
When I read the Bible or study Biblical literature, I cling to the unconditional love of God as Jesus pronounced it and as our pastors teach it: "Love thy neighbor as thyself." It is, Christ said, the highest commandment. My hope is bound up in the final, loving sentence of this passage: "God is faithful, and s/he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing' s/he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it."
communications@mccgsl.org
ily Lenten Meditation Friday March 12,2010
www.HopeandHelpCenter.org
Daily Lenten Meditation
By Ronald White
1 Corinthians 9:16-27
If I proclaim the gospel, this gives me no ground for boasting, for an obligation is laid on me, and woe betide me if I do not proclaim the gospel! For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward; but if not of my own will, I am entrusted with a commission. What then is my reward? Just this: that in my proclamation I may make the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my rights in the gospel.
For though I am free with respect to all, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though I myself am not under the law) so that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law) so that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, so that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that I might by any means save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.
Do you not know that in a race the runners all compete, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win it. Athletes exercise self-control in all things; they do it to receive a perishable garland, but we an imperishable one. So I do not run aimlessly, nor do I box as though beating the air; but I punish my body and enslave it, so that after proclaiming to others I myself should not be disqualified. NRSV
If you are reading this meditation, you - like me - are on a spiritual journey. Else, you and I wouldn't have made the choice to invest ourselves in this spiritual exercise. Spiritual journeys are by their very nature intensely private experiences. The spiritual path we follow is uniquely our own: no one else can know our journey and no one else can travel it. Our spiritual journey is all about our interior life; it is a journey to places only we can go. Our external self is a reflection of the spiritual journey we are making. Our external religious practices are carefully crafted from the substance our internal spiritual path.
How, then, are we to understand these words that describe Paul's externalization of his interior spiritual life? Paul calls us to proclaim the gospel with no other reward than the act of proclaiming, no matter the cost. In order to do it effectively, he says that he had to become the servant of everyone he met. Ultimately, he claims, we will win the prize - "eternal life" - if we "run the race" well as he did.
The historical broader church has taught for now twenty centuries that the writer of these verses is Paul. These words reveal much about Paul's spiritual character and the quality of his interior life. He was a totally self-effacing man who denied himself for the service of proclaiming the gospel, the life example and teachings of Jesus Christ. Can we understand a human being who would deny themselves and become, as the writer says elsewhere, "all things to all people?" Can we imitate Paul who so completely emptied himself, including his acceptance of eventual imprisonment and death, that his interior spiritual self can be difficult to comprehend? Paul's example is powerful; but there have been others. We know that Mother Teresa lived her entire life in abject poverty for others who were also poor. So did Mahatma Ghandi. John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King and Malcolm X all died for what they believed during the lifetimes of many of us. How are we to respond to the lives of these and others who have gone before us? Were they more perfect than we are? If we don't follow them down their spiritual path, how do we overcome the guilt and shame which we may feel for not living up to their example? We go about our exterior lives, working for a paycheck, investing in a place to live, food and clothing, entertainment, and a car or other transportation. We appear to focus on our own needs first. I know I have said and have heard others express that only if our needs are met can we adequately serve others - our immediate family, our extended family, the lay ministries of the church, or myriad other causes.
The contrast between our interior spiritual journey and the life Paul calls us to is stark. No one else can know how weak or powerful our faith is, how much time and attention we devote to prayer - however we frame that experience - or to study or planning or service to others. No one else can know how much our spiritual life is "all about us" or is largely about "the others." Nor can we know about anyone else's. Our exterior life can give clues but cannot adequately reveal our truest spiritual self so that another person can know it with certainty. As revered as Mother Teresa is, she freely admitted that she suffered internal demons for most of her life.
The spiritual power implicit in the experience of Paul and the others that allowed them to freely give of themselves is something that we can obtain in our lives. We are called to a higher externalization of our private interior spiritual life. How, then, shall we live?
communications@mccgsl.org
Daily Lenten Meditation
By Ronald White
1 Corinthians 9:16-27
If I proclaim the gospel, this gives me no ground for boasting, for an obligation is laid on me, and woe betide me if I do not proclaim the gospel! For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward; but if not of my own will, I am entrusted with a commission. What then is my reward? Just this: that in my proclamation I may make the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my rights in the gospel.
For though I am free with respect to all, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though I myself am not under the law) so that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law) so that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, so that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that I might by any means save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.
Do you not know that in a race the runners all compete, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win it. Athletes exercise self-control in all things; they do it to receive a perishable garland, but we an imperishable one. So I do not run aimlessly, nor do I box as though beating the air; but I punish my body and enslave it, so that after proclaiming to others I myself should not be disqualified. NRSV
If you are reading this meditation, you - like me - are on a spiritual journey. Else, you and I wouldn't have made the choice to invest ourselves in this spiritual exercise. Spiritual journeys are by their very nature intensely private experiences. The spiritual path we follow is uniquely our own: no one else can know our journey and no one else can travel it. Our spiritual journey is all about our interior life; it is a journey to places only we can go. Our external self is a reflection of the spiritual journey we are making. Our external religious practices are carefully crafted from the substance our internal spiritual path.
How, then, are we to understand these words that describe Paul's externalization of his interior spiritual life? Paul calls us to proclaim the gospel with no other reward than the act of proclaiming, no matter the cost. In order to do it effectively, he says that he had to become the servant of everyone he met. Ultimately, he claims, we will win the prize - "eternal life" - if we "run the race" well as he did.
The historical broader church has taught for now twenty centuries that the writer of these verses is Paul. These words reveal much about Paul's spiritual character and the quality of his interior life. He was a totally self-effacing man who denied himself for the service of proclaiming the gospel, the life example and teachings of Jesus Christ. Can we understand a human being who would deny themselves and become, as the writer says elsewhere, "all things to all people?" Can we imitate Paul who so completely emptied himself, including his acceptance of eventual imprisonment and death, that his interior spiritual self can be difficult to comprehend? Paul's example is powerful; but there have been others. We know that Mother Teresa lived her entire life in abject poverty for others who were also poor. So did Mahatma Ghandi. John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King and Malcolm X all died for what they believed during the lifetimes of many of us. How are we to respond to the lives of these and others who have gone before us? Were they more perfect than we are? If we don't follow them down their spiritual path, how do we overcome the guilt and shame which we may feel for not living up to their example? We go about our exterior lives, working for a paycheck, investing in a place to live, food and clothing, entertainment, and a car or other transportation. We appear to focus on our own needs first. I know I have said and have heard others express that only if our needs are met can we adequately serve others - our immediate family, our extended family, the lay ministries of the church, or myriad other causes.
The contrast between our interior spiritual journey and the life Paul calls us to is stark. No one else can know how weak or powerful our faith is, how much time and attention we devote to prayer - however we frame that experience - or to study or planning or service to others. No one else can know how much our spiritual life is "all about us" or is largely about "the others." Nor can we know about anyone else's. Our exterior life can give clues but cannot adequately reveal our truest spiritual self so that another person can know it with certainty. As revered as Mother Teresa is, she freely admitted that she suffered internal demons for most of her life.
The spiritual power implicit in the experience of Paul and the others that allowed them to freely give of themselves is something that we can obtain in our lives. We are called to a higher externalization of our private interior spiritual life. How, then, shall we live?
communications@mccgsl.org
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Daily Lenten Meditation Thursday, March 11th
www.HopeandHelpCenter.org
Daily Lenten Meditation
By Christine White
Mark 6:30-46
The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. He said to them, 'Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.' For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. When it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, 'This is a deserted place, and the hour is now very late; send them away so that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy something for themselves to eat.' But he answered them, 'You give them something to eat.' They said to him, 'Are we to go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread, and give it to them to eat?' And he said to them, 'How many loaves have you? Go and see.' When they had found out, they said, 'Five, and two fish.' Then he ordered them to get all the people to sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds and of fifties. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and he divided the two fish among them all. And all ate and were filled; and they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. Those who had eaten the loaves numbered five thousand men.
Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. After saying farewell to them, he went up on the mountain to pray. NRSV
The crowd in this story in Mark is so eager to hear Jesus' words that they drop everything and go to a deserted place to greet him when he arrives. Jesus, it seems, was going to the deserted place for a well-deserved rest for his disciples and himself. When he saw the crowd, his initial reaction may have been how you or I might respond - with a big sigh because there would be no rest for him. Immediately, he had compassion on the crowd and began to teach them.
A consistent dual purpose is evident in the ministry of Jesus: both to care for and to preach the gospel to people. Is the Church called to the responsibility of living up to Christ's example by balancing those two tasks? Can the church effectively do social ministry, feeding and caring for those who can't care themselves, and preach the gospel while also providing public worship?
The example of Jesus certainly calls to do both. Christianity cannot exist without proclaiming of the gospel; teaching and learning the Word of God are just as essential to our faith and our life in community as praying and belonging. But, we are also called to have compassion for the suffering of those in our presence, as Jesus demonstrated in this story. Our responsibility is to be the physical body and spiritual presence of God to those in need, meeting their social and material needs, whether or not those who receive our care ever join MCCGSL. Those in need are our brothers and sisters - they are our church - whether or not they understand the spiritual principle.
At MCCGSL, we are blessed to have a wide variety of opportunities to learn and grow in our knowledge of what it means to be in relationship with God and to serve the social justice needs of the community in which we live, the community both within and beyond our church walls. For example, classes are available that help us grow in our spiritual life.
"Creating a Life That Matters" is an eighteen-week long exploration of our relationships with the sacred, ourselves and with our passion. Jackie McNeil, Vicky Stricklin, Bonnie Long, and Michael Desmond co-lead this class. The comments made by people who have taken this class is that it is utterly remarkable in the contribution it can make to one's process of self-discovery.
Reverend Sue offers a class entitled "Recovering from Homophobic Religion" which examines the fundamental misunderstanding of scripture which hundreds of years of church - not Biblical - doctrine has created. She addresses ways of healing the damage done to all of us by this theological malpractice.
Another class, "Living the Questions," led by Reverend Dave, helps us find a comfort zone where we can live with the ambiguity we face while seeking answers which may not be readily available to us. The scholarship in this video-based study is of stellar quality.
Ember Baker offers Prayer 101, a class that explores eclectic approaches to prayer; teaches us how to pray in order to build our relationship with the divine by tuning in to the Holy Spirit's voice in our personal lives; and how to pray through guided meditations. Ember uses music as well as some methods borrowed from non-Christian spiritual traditions, resulting in a creative and prayerful experience.
The Sunday morning study group, "Dream, Think, Be, Do" led by Val Jackson, tackles tough theological issues in a safe and comfortable way. Like all of MCCGSL's classes, this video-based study helps us define and clarify our individual theology, moving from where we have traveled in the past to where we prefer to go.
Another resource is weekly and, during particular seasons, daily meditations written by a team of writers who spend a great deal of time reflecting on a passage of scripture and putting in words that which has been revealed to them in their studies.
Covenant families are small groups that gather once or twice a month in a member's home for Bible Study, fellowship and prayer.
MCCGSL also has teams which you can join in order to live your faith. First is a social justice team, led by Susan Menhard, Steven Pursley, and Jonathan Wyatt, which seeks ways for each of us to become involved in local, national and/or global social justice. A second team is the Community Support Team led by Elaine Lopez and Dusty Geiger which reaches out into our community to feed and care for the those who are in need.
May this Lenten season be a reminder to us to embrace our responsibility as followers of Christ to both learn and serve others. .
communications@mccgsl.org
Daily Lenten Meditation
By Christine White
Mark 6:30-46
The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. He said to them, 'Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.' For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. When it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, 'This is a deserted place, and the hour is now very late; send them away so that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy something for themselves to eat.' But he answered them, 'You give them something to eat.' They said to him, 'Are we to go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread, and give it to them to eat?' And he said to them, 'How many loaves have you? Go and see.' When they had found out, they said, 'Five, and two fish.' Then he ordered them to get all the people to sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds and of fifties. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and he divided the two fish among them all. And all ate and were filled; and they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. Those who had eaten the loaves numbered five thousand men.
Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. After saying farewell to them, he went up on the mountain to pray. NRSV
The crowd in this story in Mark is so eager to hear Jesus' words that they drop everything and go to a deserted place to greet him when he arrives. Jesus, it seems, was going to the deserted place for a well-deserved rest for his disciples and himself. When he saw the crowd, his initial reaction may have been how you or I might respond - with a big sigh because there would be no rest for him. Immediately, he had compassion on the crowd and began to teach them.
A consistent dual purpose is evident in the ministry of Jesus: both to care for and to preach the gospel to people. Is the Church called to the responsibility of living up to Christ's example by balancing those two tasks? Can the church effectively do social ministry, feeding and caring for those who can't care themselves, and preach the gospel while also providing public worship?
The example of Jesus certainly calls to do both. Christianity cannot exist without proclaiming of the gospel; teaching and learning the Word of God are just as essential to our faith and our life in community as praying and belonging. But, we are also called to have compassion for the suffering of those in our presence, as Jesus demonstrated in this story. Our responsibility is to be the physical body and spiritual presence of God to those in need, meeting their social and material needs, whether or not those who receive our care ever join MCCGSL. Those in need are our brothers and sisters - they are our church - whether or not they understand the spiritual principle.
At MCCGSL, we are blessed to have a wide variety of opportunities to learn and grow in our knowledge of what it means to be in relationship with God and to serve the social justice needs of the community in which we live, the community both within and beyond our church walls. For example, classes are available that help us grow in our spiritual life.
"Creating a Life That Matters" is an eighteen-week long exploration of our relationships with the sacred, ourselves and with our passion. Jackie McNeil, Vicky Stricklin, Bonnie Long, and Michael Desmond co-lead this class. The comments made by people who have taken this class is that it is utterly remarkable in the contribution it can make to one's process of self-discovery.
Reverend Sue offers a class entitled "Recovering from Homophobic Religion" which examines the fundamental misunderstanding of scripture which hundreds of years of church - not Biblical - doctrine has created. She addresses ways of healing the damage done to all of us by this theological malpractice.
Another class, "Living the Questions," led by Reverend Dave, helps us find a comfort zone where we can live with the ambiguity we face while seeking answers which may not be readily available to us. The scholarship in this video-based study is of stellar quality.
Ember Baker offers Prayer 101, a class that explores eclectic approaches to prayer; teaches us how to pray in order to build our relationship with the divine by tuning in to the Holy Spirit's voice in our personal lives; and how to pray through guided meditations. Ember uses music as well as some methods borrowed from non-Christian spiritual traditions, resulting in a creative and prayerful experience.
The Sunday morning study group, "Dream, Think, Be, Do" led by Val Jackson, tackles tough theological issues in a safe and comfortable way. Like all of MCCGSL's classes, this video-based study helps us define and clarify our individual theology, moving from where we have traveled in the past to where we prefer to go.
Another resource is weekly and, during particular seasons, daily meditations written by a team of writers who spend a great deal of time reflecting on a passage of scripture and putting in words that which has been revealed to them in their studies.
Covenant families are small groups that gather once or twice a month in a member's home for Bible Study, fellowship and prayer.
MCCGSL also has teams which you can join in order to live your faith. First is a social justice team, led by Susan Menhard, Steven Pursley, and Jonathan Wyatt, which seeks ways for each of us to become involved in local, national and/or global social justice. A second team is the Community Support Team led by Elaine Lopez and Dusty Geiger which reaches out into our community to feed and care for the those who are in need.
May this Lenten season be a reminder to us to embrace our responsibility as followers of Christ to both learn and serve others. .
communications@mccgsl.org
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Daily Lenten Meditation- Wed March 10th
www.HopeandHelpCenter.org
Daily Lenten Meditation
By Christine White
Mark 6:14-29
King Herod heard of it, for Jesus' name had become known. Some were saying, 'John the baptizer has been raised from the dead; and for this reason these powers are at work in him.' But others said, 'It is Elijah.' And others said, 'It is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.' But when Herod heard of it, he said, 'John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.'
For Herod himself had sent men who arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, because Herod had married her. For John had been telling Herod, 'It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife.' And Herodias had a grudge against him, and wanted to kill him. But she could not, for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he protected him. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed; and yet he liked to listen to him. But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers and for the leaders of Galilee. When his daughter Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests; and the king said to the girl, 'Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it.' And he solemnly swore to her, 'Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom.' She went out and said to her mother, 'What should I ask for?' She replied, 'The head of John the baptizer.' Immediately she rushed back to the king and requested, 'I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.' The king was deeply grieved; yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he did not want to refuse her. Immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard with orders to bring John's head. He went and beheaded him in the prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl. Then the girl gave it to her mother. When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body, and laid it in a tomb. NRSV
In my church of origin, I was not taught to read the Bible historically or literally, but rather to read it metaphorically. One example of why I still ascribe to that way of reading scripture is The New Interpreters Bible's (NIB) explanation that the "historical" account in Mark of King Herod being trapped into beheading John the Baptist because of a drunken oath is different than the "historical" account of the incident written by Josephus, the Jewish historian. Which account is more credible? And, if Mark's account of the drunken king incident is not history, why did the writer include it in Mark?
If Mark's isn't a factual historical account, then what truth or life lesson can be found in the story of a king who goes against what he believes is right because of a drunken oath and because of what his guests might think? The NIB suggests that this depiction of Herod's actions indicates the following life lesson: "Willingness to sacrifice others to maintain honor, prestige and power remains one of the great temptations of persons in positions of authority." With the caveat that this is a temptation for all people, not only those in positions of power and authority, I agree.
Put yourself in Herod's shoes to begin to understand the lesson. If Herod was sincere in his respect for John and his desire to protect him, can you imagine how he felt when he was alone with his feelings about what he had done to John? Think how the guilt, shame, and sadness would have felt powerful, overwhelming, and all consuming. If he had ever acknowledged his feelings or allowed himself to experience them, he might have hung himself from a tree just as Judas did for betraying the Christ.
When we sacrifice what we know is right in order to look good to others by going along with the crowd, the personal cost in self-condemnation is far greater than if we stand against the crowd to do what our conscience clearly tells us we should. The biggest cost to us, however, is what happens when we do not allow ourselves to feel our painful feelings: not looking at ourselves honestly...believing that we are minimizing the pain we will experience by ignoring our feelings...stowing away those painful feelings in a stewing emotional cesspool with all the other negative feelings we've never addressed. Our low self-esteem is lowered to rock bottom by the self-destructive act of denial of what we feel and believe. And, ultimately, perhaps through injury to our physical or mental health, perhaps through their magnified and misdirected expression exploding outward on someone who doesn't deserve it, we toxically experience and express them one way or another.
What can we do to feel better about who we are? When we don't have the courage to do the right thing - or when we need the courage to act correctly - we can remember the teaching of Jesus that God's love for us is unconditional. How can we choose not to follow in Herod's footsteps? We can have the courage to do what is right because we know it is right. Nothing, neither who we are nor what we have done, can separate us from the love of God. Step out of Herod's shoes. Feel God's all-consuming love. Believe God's love. Know that as God's handiwork, as God's very own creation, you are the apple of God's eye. If you start there, it is a short step to making healthy emotional decisions based on a strong self-concept and to knowing the loving forgiveness that awaits us when we fail to. If only King Herod had known the love of God, the story might have had a different ending. But then, another story would have been needed to teach us the moral.
communications@mccgsl.org
Daily Lenten Meditation
By Christine White
Mark 6:14-29
King Herod heard of it, for Jesus' name had become known. Some were saying, 'John the baptizer has been raised from the dead; and for this reason these powers are at work in him.' But others said, 'It is Elijah.' And others said, 'It is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.' But when Herod heard of it, he said, 'John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.'
For Herod himself had sent men who arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, because Herod had married her. For John had been telling Herod, 'It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife.' And Herodias had a grudge against him, and wanted to kill him. But she could not, for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he protected him. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed; and yet he liked to listen to him. But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers and for the leaders of Galilee. When his daughter Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests; and the king said to the girl, 'Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it.' And he solemnly swore to her, 'Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom.' She went out and said to her mother, 'What should I ask for?' She replied, 'The head of John the baptizer.' Immediately she rushed back to the king and requested, 'I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.' The king was deeply grieved; yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he did not want to refuse her. Immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard with orders to bring John's head. He went and beheaded him in the prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl. Then the girl gave it to her mother. When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body, and laid it in a tomb. NRSV
In my church of origin, I was not taught to read the Bible historically or literally, but rather to read it metaphorically. One example of why I still ascribe to that way of reading scripture is The New Interpreters Bible's (NIB) explanation that the "historical" account in Mark of King Herod being trapped into beheading John the Baptist because of a drunken oath is different than the "historical" account of the incident written by Josephus, the Jewish historian. Which account is more credible? And, if Mark's account of the drunken king incident is not history, why did the writer include it in Mark?
If Mark's isn't a factual historical account, then what truth or life lesson can be found in the story of a king who goes against what he believes is right because of a drunken oath and because of what his guests might think? The NIB suggests that this depiction of Herod's actions indicates the following life lesson: "Willingness to sacrifice others to maintain honor, prestige and power remains one of the great temptations of persons in positions of authority." With the caveat that this is a temptation for all people, not only those in positions of power and authority, I agree.
Put yourself in Herod's shoes to begin to understand the lesson. If Herod was sincere in his respect for John and his desire to protect him, can you imagine how he felt when he was alone with his feelings about what he had done to John? Think how the guilt, shame, and sadness would have felt powerful, overwhelming, and all consuming. If he had ever acknowledged his feelings or allowed himself to experience them, he might have hung himself from a tree just as Judas did for betraying the Christ.
When we sacrifice what we know is right in order to look good to others by going along with the crowd, the personal cost in self-condemnation is far greater than if we stand against the crowd to do what our conscience clearly tells us we should. The biggest cost to us, however, is what happens when we do not allow ourselves to feel our painful feelings: not looking at ourselves honestly...believing that we are minimizing the pain we will experience by ignoring our feelings...stowing away those painful feelings in a stewing emotional cesspool with all the other negative feelings we've never addressed. Our low self-esteem is lowered to rock bottom by the self-destructive act of denial of what we feel and believe. And, ultimately, perhaps through injury to our physical or mental health, perhaps through their magnified and misdirected expression exploding outward on someone who doesn't deserve it, we toxically experience and express them one way or another.
What can we do to feel better about who we are? When we don't have the courage to do the right thing - or when we need the courage to act correctly - we can remember the teaching of Jesus that God's love for us is unconditional. How can we choose not to follow in Herod's footsteps? We can have the courage to do what is right because we know it is right. Nothing, neither who we are nor what we have done, can separate us from the love of God. Step out of Herod's shoes. Feel God's all-consuming love. Believe God's love. Know that as God's handiwork, as God's very own creation, you are the apple of God's eye. If you start there, it is a short step to making healthy emotional decisions based on a strong self-concept and to knowing the loving forgiveness that awaits us when we fail to. If only King Herod had known the love of God, the story might have had a different ending. But then, another story would have been needed to teach us the moral.
communications@mccgsl.org
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