A Simple Palm Sunday

Science meets Church via Emergent

liturgy of uncertainty

In 'this time of economic crisis,' a phrase I hear so much today, how do we do liturgy? How do we write liturgy for the people in a place of uncertainty -both employed and unemployed. There isn't a community of faith anywhere that is not feeling the effects in someway. Either member(s) of the community have been laid off, others in their companies or families have, donations are down, spirits are down, etc. For the few that are fiscally unaffected, spirits hurt for those around. For wanting to uplift and assist and not knowing how. I don't have the answers yet, though I've begun thinking/creating liturgy for these times. In the meantime, friend and mentor Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow posted the following: Pray with me . . . God of the very breath we breathe let your peace be known amidst the economic chaos of the day be with those bound by worry and anxiety be with those facing loss of food and shelter be with those who are desperate and panic-filled be with those who turn away from the stranger be with those who cling to apathy and comfort be with those leaning more on self than on You be with us all as we strive to live lives worthy of Your grace be with all your children, Lord be with all your children And let your peace be known, Lord let your peace be known.. Amen Lord here our prayers. Please feel free to leave prayers here. Please, feel free to leave prayers here as well. Let the liturgy begin as we all live faithfully through these times.

Mardi Gras

As I sit on my quiet couch watching highlights of New Orleans' Mardi Gras celebration and reel a little in my own Fat Tuesday over-indulgence in chocolate, I begin my transformation to Lent with a face lift on the blog. For some reason I love Lent. (I don't actually know if there is a liturgical season I don't love, hmmm) I will again enter my ritual time of giving up chocolate for 40 days tomorrow. But I struggle with what to take on. (Yes, this blog will get back around to liturgy) In Jesus' time in the desert he not only sacrificed but he took on a period of total seclusion and devotion to my understanding. In a life that is jam packed and no matter how many times I say, just till August, then I'll have more time. I won't. My life, like so many others will always be jam packed. I thrive this way. So how do we 'take on' something else? How do we better serve our God, especially in this time of Lent as we prepare ourselves for the emotional, spiritual climax of the Christian year in 40 days? I send you to my dear friend's blog on sabbath for one idea.

to be or not to be perfect

that is the question for me most often of late. When I prepare a theatre production I prepare it for perfection. No two shows are ever the same, but people are rehearsed, transitions are practiced and tweaked, sound, lights and set are designed specifically for the production at hand. The director has the final say and responsibility for perfection. Church is not like this. Sunday morning worship led and designed by the people is not like this. My instinct wants it to be. I want people to be rehearsed, transitions to be practices, sets, lights and sound to be designed specifically for each Sunday. But its not. Is this why there is more grace in church then in the theatre? Should worship be perfect or should worship be the constant reminder that it tends to be that we are all still human. And all the glory we bring to God in our spotlight hour each week is beautiful and perfect in God's knowing even if its not up to my aesthetic standards. What exactly are we offering on Sunday morning? 1 hour of flawless entertainment with a message that hopefully moves you? 1 hour of imperfect praise for a perfect God who loves us in our imperfection? 1 hour of already over rehearsed, over analyzed, over scheduled sabbath time that could happen even more powerfully where 2 or more are gathered in God's name with no agenda?

green

We're back to green. It is once again ordinary time as the cycle of the church calendar gears up for the next high holy series. The church calendar follows a pattern that cycles twice. preparation, celebration, enlightenment, pause. Advent prepares for Christmas reflected by Epiphany. Lent prepares for Easter reflected by Pentecost. Ordinary time fills the 'in betweens'. Winter ordinary time is significantly shorter then the summer round. Though to many it seems odd that we seem to jump so quickly from Jesus is gunna be born, Jesus is born, Jesus is gunna die, Jesus' is alive. Ordinary time is the seasons in which we can really focus on the daily life and ministry of Jesus. Particularly those 3 years that felt like 30. Those years between when Mary rode in on a donkey and when Jesus rode in on a donkey. I attempted to capture ordinary time in a human sculpture and dear friend one time. From the exhibit "Altared Bodies":

advent