Butterflies and Hot Tea

It’s Ash Wednesday.  Which means that yesterday was Mardi Gras, which I had actually forgotten until I complimented someone last night on the fleur-de-lis earrings she was wearing, and she replied that they were her Mardi Gras earrings.

Mardi Gras is Mardi Gras because Ash Wednesday is Ash Wednesday.  Ash Wednesday begins the season of Lent, a season of forty days leading up to Easter, during which we recall Jesus’ forty days of temptation in the wilderness, and reflect on Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem and to the cross.  It is a season to remember Jesus’ sacrifices, which often entails making sacrifices of our own in solidarity.

In some traditions, Lent used to mean (perhaps still does in some places) giving up meat and dairy products.  So all of these things had to be used up before Ash Wednesday, so that they wouldn’t be wasted.  Thus the pancake supper you will find some places on Mardi Gras.  All of that milk, all of that bacon and sausage, all of those eggs – they have to be used up somehow.  Whatever you may be giving up or fasting during Lent, Mardi Gras became a day to “live it up” before forty days of self-deprivation began.  Thus the name, Mardi Gras, which is French for “Fat Tuesday”.  Fatten up good and plenty on Tuesday, because on Wednesday the fasting begins.

During Lent, whether in addition to or instead of actual fasts, many will follow certain disciplines of prayer or study or other spiritual disciplines, in order to draw their minds completely back to Jesus and attempt to shut out distractions.  As far as fasting, or giving things up, I like to think in terms of giving up anger, gossip, slander, vanity, selfishness, and other attitudes which make us less loving of God and neighbor.  As far as disciplines, I always want to add a few things which will help me slow down, help me be more mindful of what I am doing and why I am doing it.

One discipline I commit myself to for 2012: I will write in this blog every day during Lent.  Not a book, maybe not even a particularly long post.  But I will write something.  A prayer, a scripture that is on my mind, a thought, a hymn lyric.  In order to remember to pray, to read scripture, to think, to sing.  In order to remember what I am doing and why I am doing it.

Happy Lenting.

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This article first appeared in the February 2012 issue of HHPC’s The Connecting Link.

Finally, it is snowing! I know that many of us have been enjoying the milder winter weather that we’ve been having. But I have actually wanted to see some snow. And the sooner the better, if you ask me. If winter weather is delayed, I’m always afraid that just means spring will be delayed.

Someone said something very interesting the other day about snow, and about the minimal amounts we have seen this winter so far. Did you know that farmers actually like snow? They need it, in fact. On the ground, it provides excellent insulation and protection for the topsoil, so that it will be ready for growing things in the spring. And as the snow melts in the spring, it provides valuable water for the coming crops. Between the farmers and others who depend on the snow, people like me who just like the pretty white landscape, and kids who jump at the chance to stay home from school and make snowmen and have snowball fights, I wonder if there are people who even pray for snow. I bet there are.

What do you pray for? And I mean that question in two ways. First, what requests make up the contents of your prayers? Do you pray for health? Good weather? Fortunate circumstances? A change in your current circumstances? What do you pray for?

But also, what do you pray for? In other words, why do you pray? Is it a way to simply “keep in touch” with God? Is it a way to convey our hopes and dreams, our wants and needs? Do we think that if we pray enough, God will hear and answer our prayers? On the flip side, do we think that if we don’t pray enough, God will not pay attention to us, to our hopes and dreams, our needs and wants?

As Christians and as churchgoers, we are taught how to pray, and we are taught when to pray. We pray before meals, we pray before going to bed, we pray before momentous events, or before embarking on travels or adventures. At HHPC, we pray at least four times during each worship service. In addition, we pray to open and close meetings. When I visit with someone, whether in my office, in the hospital, or in their home, prayer is always part of the visit.

And we pray for a lot of things. We pray for health and for healing; we pray for situations to go the way we want or need them to; we pray for the welfare of our loved ones, friends and family; we pray for situations of need that affect the larger community and people we don’t know – we pray for an end to war, to poverty, to hunger; we pray for safety and security.

Given all of this, it is so important to know what we are praying for – to know why we pray, and to examine our own motives and expectations when we pray. For the next few months, I will be exploring some of these reasons and motives. I will be talking about the ways in which we understand – and sometimes mis-understand, prayer.

As we talk about prayer in the following months, I want to invite and challenge you to take an additional step. In addition to reading articles in the newsletter, as we explore prayer together, I would invite you to read the book of Psalms. This is a book of prayers. And in it you will find all sorts of prayer – and all sorts of motives for prayer. Reading the Psalms is a good way to remind us of our need for God in all situations, and of the myriad of reasons why we can and should pray. It is a wonderful way to remind ourselves what we pray for. See you in church on Sunday!

In Joyful Anticipation,

Pastor Lara

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This article first appeared in the 2011 Annual Report.

As I write my year-end report, three days before Christmas, I am looking out the window of my office at a Hickory Hills completely devoid of snow. Who would have thought that those of us living in Chicagoland would be able to sing “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas” with any sense of seriousness? Even more amazing, who would have thought that this summer-loving, Texas-bred pastor would grow to love the snow, and to wait impatiently for it?

The year 2011 has carried with it many “who would have thought” moments. Some have brought joy, others sorrow – but all have contained the wonder of knowing the comfort, hope, strength, and amazing grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Hickory Hills welcomed four active members in 2011, one through the sacrament of Baptism, and three through reaffirmation of faith. In addition to our four new adult members, Hickory Hills has received two new infant members through the sacrament of Baptism. The different methods and times at which people join the church is a testament to the joyous fact that God works in all stages of our lives, longs for relationship with us, and challenges and commands us to always strive after greater knowledge, greater trust, and greater faithfulness as followers of Christ.

The participation in the life and ministries of HHPC by adult members, whether they have joined recently or been a part of the fellowship for many years, reminds us that a life given over to God necessitates connection to the community of brothers and sisters in Christ given to us by God. The reception through baptism of infant members, who by definition cannot fully participate in the life and ministries of the church, reminds us of the completeness of God’s love for us, even before we can consciously choose to love God; as well as reminding us of our responsibility as the body of Christ to teach one another, to work and worship and learn side by side, and to live up to the wording on our bulletins that states that the ministers of HHPC are all of its members and friends.

The reception of new members, whether through baptism, reaffirmation of faith, confirmation, or letter of transfer; whether as infants, youths, or adults; includes a promise by the congregation to support, nurture, and teach new members as they travel on their walks of faith, and this promise never expires!

That support and nurture includes standing with each other in joy and in sorrow. First Corinthians reminds us as the body of Christ that, if one part of the body suffers, all suffer with it. If one part of the body rejoices, all rejoice with it. I have had the joy of officiating two weddings this year. One was at HHPC, where the bride is a member. I was also honored to officiate the wedding of my sister in Austin, Texas. It was a joy to witness the birth of three new babies in our congregation, and to participate in the celebration of three new Eagle Scouts. I had a wonderful time experiencing my first Lenten series and my first Vacation Bible School at HHPC.

I have also officiated or co-officiated seven funerals or memorial services this past year – for members, for the family of church members, and for the family member of former church members who was also a dear personal friend. In addition, I have attended several memorial services or funerals to support those in our congregation who lost loved ones this year. The congregation was shocked and grieved by the sudden death of our music director, G.R. Snow, who was also a beloved member of the congregation. Although these are times of sorrow, comfort is found in the assurance that loved ones are out of pain, and in the promise of the resurrection and of Christ’s coming again – the assurance that a day of peace will come when tears will be wiped from every eye. And we are comforted by each other. We cry and mourn and grieve together, we are warmed by each others’ embrace, and we are reassured of God’s love and presence with us.

As part of my ministry at HHPC, in recognition that we are a connectional church, I continue in my work with Chicago Presbytery. This year, I have accepted a three-year-appointment on the Worship, Music, and the Arts Workgroup of Presbytery. Together, this group plans worship services at Presbytery meetings and other Presbytery events, including the L.E.A.D. leadership training event in March 2012 that is a joint effort of Chicago Presbytery and McCormick Theological Seminary. I have also been active this year with Mission Council 8, teaching a workshop at their leadership training event in January, and attending several events and leadership meetings.

I have had several chances this year to fulfill my goal of doing more teaching at HHPC. In addition to the yearly new officer training that takes place in January, I led a leadership training mini-retreat in August. I had the pleasure of leading a Lenten series for the Women’s Bible Study in March and April. And I have had the opportunity to lead, co-lead, or teach our young people at various times during the year, at Kid’s Club, Junior High Youth Group, and Senior High Youth Group.

There has been lots of new-ness at HHPC this year. We have added a new staff member in our worship and music ministries. We have added to our Christian Education ministry with two new weeknight adult classes. We have added a new outreach and mission to the community through our food pantry ministry. We have a new addition to our web-based ministry with the pastoral blog. We have new carpet, paint, and floors downstairs. We have new outside doors at three of the church’s entrances, and new handrails on the stairs off the parking lot leading to the office entrance. And we had our Rally Day picnic this year using a new grill and new picnic tables. Just about every day brings a new experience, or a new opportunity to minister in a new way. And there is plenty of new-ness to anticipate this year, as we begin a search for a new director of music, and look forward to the installation of a new sound system. Each year – each day, even – brings new goals and opportunities.

None of this new-ness would be possible without the new-ness of life that we are given through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. And all that we do as Hickory Hills Presbyterian Church – whether it is something new or some treasured tradition – must point to this new-ness of life that we have. As we begin 2012, let us not forget our mission and purpose – to SEEK God’s Word, to SHARE and CELEBRATE God’s love, and to SERVE Jesus Christ in the world. Let us not forget our chief end and purpose as stated in the Westminster Shorter Chatechism – “to glorify God and enjoy God forever.” Let us not forget the first and greatest commandment, and the second which is like it: To love the Lord our God with all our heart and mind and soul and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. And let us not forget the new commandment given to us by Jesus Christ, to love one another as Christ has loved us. In this new year and always, let us not forget who – and whose – we are. Happy 2012! I am, as always, working, playing, and praying…

In Joyful Anticipation,

Pastor Lara

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This article first appeared in the January 2011 issue of HHPC’s The Connecting Link.

It’s time to flip the calendar page over once again. Actually, every time you receive this newsletter in the mail, or in your email inbox, it is about time to flip a calendar page over – from month to month. But this time is a little bit different, as it is just about every twelve months. This time, more is changing than just the day or the month. This time, the year is changing. Do you remember when the year 2000 seemed a long way in the future? And here it is, twelve years after “a long way in the future”.

What is it about a new calendar year that makes everything feel – well, new? What is it about getting used to writing 2012 instead of 2011 that makes everything feel so different? Are we really that much different on January 1 than we were on December 31?

Perhaps it is the letdown after Christmas – the sigh of relief knowing that everything that needed to get done actually got done; the sigh of contentment as we savor memories of parties, gift-exchanges, meals, time spent with family and friends; the sigh of resignation as things get “back to normal”; the sigh of determination as we begin to stare New Years’ resolutions in the face. Perhaps that is what makes us feel a little bit different, a little bit changed, a little bit more “2012”, and perhaps even a little bit older.

As a new year begins, however, the sense of “new-ness” that we feel is often, ironically, combined with a sense of “same-ness”. After all, January always follows December, and February follows January, etc., etc. It was this way last year, it is this way this year, and it will be this way next year. In many ways, we have been here before. The challenge of a new year is sometimes the challenge of somehow making it new, making ourselves new. Thus, January 1 is a great time to set goals, to order or re-order our lives (or at least try to!), to think about priorities, and to make resolutions. What will we do better this year than last year? What will we do differently? What will we do that we didn’t do last year? What will we leave out this year?

As followers of Christ, however, the turn of the calendar page can have some added meaning. We have just finished celebrating the birth of Christ. In addition, a full understanding of Advent has left us not only anticipating the birth of Christ, but looking with renewed longing and hope for the promise of Christ’s coming again, and a new heavens and new earth. We have welcomed the Prince of Peace.

And we realize, surely with a sigh of relief, that though we always strive to better ourselves – to be better people, better friends, better followers of Christ – it is not we who make ourselves new. It is Christ who makes us new. It is God’s forgiveness, the Holy Spirit’s work in us, which makes us grow. This is what gives us the hope, the fortitude, and the ability to strive in the first place. This is what makes it possible for the new year to truly be new, because the hope in Christ that we have makes us new, on January 1 and every other day. Happy New Year! See you in church Sunday.

In Joyful Anticipation,

Pastor Lara

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I was still riding high from Amy’s wedding when I got the news that Randy had died.  Remember my post a while back about Rehoboth?  About wide open, harmonious spaces?  About eleven colleagues who had become friends – family, even – since fall 2007?  Randy was one of those friends, one of that family.  I wasn’t ready for this.  I miss him.  I miss Rehoboth.  I miss Virginia.

And I’m still riding high from Amy’s wedding.  And glowing whenever someone asks me about it, as if I were the blushing bride instead of just the proud sister.  And I’m showing off pictures.  I already have one as the wallpaper on my computer at work.

Oddly enough, those feelings – grief and joy – don’t seem to be competing with one another.  It doesn’t seem like a choice between one or the other.  I don’t feel guilty about grieving for Randy when I “should” be happy about Amy, or guilty about feeling giddy about Amy when I “should” be somber, remembering Randy.  Maybe because both people – both relationships – have brought such deep, abiding joy to my life.  It is that deep, abiding joy that is the more powerful, underlying emotion that fills me whenever I think about either event – whether it’s Amy’s wedding or Randy’s memorial service.  And my relaionship with Amy is so much more and broader and deeper than simply her wedding – it’s what made her wedding the experience that it was.  And my friendship with Randy and my memories of Randy encompass so many experiences and so much laughter – lots and lots of laughter – and so much depth.  It’s what made his death hurt so much – and it is what comforts me.

And so the joy and the grief co-exist, perhaps even deepening and enriching each other, as each person has deepend and enriched my life.  I love you, Amy.  I love you, Randy.  Thank you for who you have been in my life.

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So I married my sister last weekend.  And oddly enough, though my heart is full to bursting, it’s hard to think of words to say about it.  I made a toast at the reception and forgot most of what I had planned to say.  I guess it’s hard because words don’t do justice to what it felt like to be a part of Amy’s wedding day in that particular way.  Words don’t do justice to the incredible relationship I have with my sister.  Words don’t do justice to how proud I am of her, how amazed I am by who she is, and how deeply joyful I am that she has found the one she loves.  This was the tenth wedding I have officiated – a nice round number.  And the hardest.  And that, perhaps is the most difficult thing to explain – the most difficult thing to find words for.  Why was it hard?  I love my sister.  I love my new brother-in-law.  There was no weepy feeling of, “Aw, she’s all grown up now.”  She’s been grown up for quite some time.  I wasn’t losing anything or anyone.  She didn’t move, so she’s no farther away from me now than she was.  It was a bit difficult during parts of the ceremony to keep my composure.  But even that doesn’t seem like what made it hard.  Maybe hard isn’t quite the right word.  It felt weighty.  Not in a pressure-filled, “I must get this right” kind of way.  Just weighty.  It was the most important wedding I have ever officiated.  And one of the proudest moments of my entire life.  It left me tired – and very, very, very happy.

I love you, Amy.  I’m so thankful that you are my sister.

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This article first appeared in the December 2011 issue of HHPC’s The Connecting Link.

How do you get ready for Christmas?  Shopping for gifts?  Shopping for groceries?  Making travel plans?  Getting the guest beds in your house ready?  Decorating the house?  Putting up the tree?

But how do you get yourself ready for Christmas?  How do you prepare yourself for the birth of Christ?  Reading scripture?  Hearing again the story of the angel appearing to Zechariah, and then to Mary; of Joseph’s dreams; of the journey to Bethlehem and the inn with no room; of the stable and the manger; of the shepherds and the wise men?  Singing Christmas carols?  How do you prepare yourself to receive the birth of Christ?  With acceptance and pondering, like Mary?  Glorifying and praising God, like the shepherds?  Seeking out the child and bearing gifts, like the wise men?

This year, Christmas itself is on a Sunday, and we will worship together that morning.  But what about before that?  Advent is the season leading up to Christmas, the four Sundays before Christmas and the weeks in between.  The word “advent” has Latin roots, and means “coming”.  And whether it is through church activities like Advent Family Night or Hanging of the Greens or the bringing of White Gifts; through decorating the house and preparing for guests and Christmas dinner; or through personal reflection, prayer, and Scripture reading; Advent is the time when we prepare ourselves for the coming of the Christ child.

But wait.  Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea – more than two thousand years ago.  Are we really preparing ourselves for something that is coming?  How can you prepare yourself for the coming of something that already came?  During Advent, are we simply preparing to commemorate something that happened a long time ago, something that changed all of our lives forever the moment it happened?

Yes and no.  Yes, we are preparing our hearts – as if for the first time – to receive the Christ.  We are preparing for Christ’s first coming, hearing the stories again and again as if we were ready to receive Jesus for the first time.  And there is something special in reminding ourselves of what it must be like to anticipate the coming of something we have never experienced before.  And yet there is another coming that we are also preparing for.  Scripture tells us – Jesus promises us – that He will come again to us.  We are given the promise that Jesus will be with us always, even to the end of the age, and that he will come again at the coming of the Kingdom, when all will be made right and the scales will be balanced.  As we remember the birth of Jesus, it is important also to remember the promise that Christ will come again.

So how do we prepare for that?  By remembering how it started – with a baby born to a humble couple in a small town.  By remembering that Jesus taught that the first shall be last and the last shall be first.  By living out all that we learn from Scripture and from the teachings of Jesus.  By loving God with all that we are and all that we have – our hearts, our souls, our minds, our strength.  By loving our neighbor as ourselves, and remembering that our neighbors are everyone we encounter.  By remembering that the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve.  And that is our task as well.  To love and love and love, because we were first – and still are! – loved by God.  That is our Advent preparation.  Not only in December, but every day of our lives.  See you in church Sunday!

In Joyful Anticipation,

Pastor Lara

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I am going shopping today.

I am not alone, of course.  It is, after all, Black Friday.  In fact, in a miraculous turn of events, Friday actually started at about ten o’clock last night.  The day after Thanksgiving is the biggest shopping day of the year, kicking off Christmas season.  Sales galore.  Especially for the early risers.

I have not gone shopping on Black Friday for many years.  Sort of a protest of sorts, I guess.  I don’t like the idea of asking employees to come in to open at 5 a.m. – or 4 or 3 or 2 or midnight.  And now, they are being asked to come in on Thanksgiving Day.

I am going shopping today, though, kind of out of necessity.  I have an important trip I am trying to get ready for.  But I will not go before noon.  (Is this still righteous indignation on behalf of retail workers, or do I just want to sleep late?  You decide.)

Whether you have already been shopping for eleven hours, whether you have yet to partake in the Blackness of this Friday, or whether you have no plans at all to hit the mall, please do remember and respect all of those people who have left their family and friends and leftover turkey sandwiches to come in to work.  From the checkers to the managers.  Remember that many of the store employees you will encounter have very little say in their schedule.  That it is driven by demand and an unsure enconomy trying to achieve a jumpstart.  And be kind.

Now, there is some buzz about “Occupy Black Friday.”  I get it.  I do.  Protesting against a mad consumerism that leads to insane schedules for stores and their employees in an attempt to persuade people to spend as much and more money than they can afford is the reason I have not gone out on Black Friday for many years.  But remember what the Occupy movement has been about – sending a message to the 1% of Americans who collectively have more money than the bottom 99% that this is an unacceptable situation.  Occupy Black Friday – refusing to shop today, and even protesting – may have the goal of sending this message to the 1% in a very bold financial way.  But remember what happens when a business starts losing money.  The first thing that happens is there are cuts in hours, employees, and pay levels.  Far before any non-shopping protest hits the 1%, it will hit the 99%.  If you cannot or do not shop on Black Friday, for ideological or any other reasons, don’t do it.  But always have compassion and respect for those whom Black Friday affects.  Remember what is of ultimate importance, during the holiday season and always – family, friends, relationships.  Doing justice and having mercy.  Have a wonderful holiday season, a merry Christmas, and a blessed New Year.

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In my last post, I referenced Isaiah 65:17-25. It was too long to quote in its entirety in that post, but it certainly deserves its own space. Read it. Often. And for those who don’t have their Bibles handy at the moment, here it is:

For I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I am creating; for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy, and its people as a delight. I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and delight in my people; no more shall the sound of weeping be heard in it, or the cry of distress. No more shall there be in it an infant that lives but a few days, or an old person who does not live out a lifetime; for one who dies at a hundred years will be considered a youth, and one who falls short of a hundred will be considered accursed. They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labor in vain, or bear children for calamity; for they shall be offspring blessed by the Lord – and their descendants as well. Before they call I will answer, while they are yet speaking I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, the lion shall eat straw like the ox; but the serpent – its food shall be dust! They shall not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain, says the Lord.

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On November 11, we celebrated Veteran’s Day. We gave well-deserved thanks, honor, and respect, to those who have risked their lives and made innumerable other sacrifices in defense of this nation. Incidentally, this being 2011, we also commemorated a date that only comes around every one hundred years, and we took pictures and texted and called each other at historic moments like 11:11:11 on 11/11/11 – a.m. and p.m.

A colleague of mine said it best, I think, when she recalled Isaiah 2:4 and remembered God’s ultimate promise of ultimate peace. “[God] shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.” (Isaiah 2:4, NRSV) While we pray for those in our armed services, we also pray for the day that they are put out of work. The prophet Isaiah expresses this hope and this promise so eloquently, another of my favorite passages being Isaiah 65:17-25.

Which is why it is so important to remember that before Veteran’s Day was Veteran’s Day, it was Armistice Day. November 11, 1918, was the day when the Allies and the Germans, on the Western Front at least, ceased fire. It is the day that is remembered as the end of World War I, although hostilities continued for a time on other fronts. The ceasefire was made official at 11:00 a.m. on 11/11. It is still commemorated as Armistice Day, or Remembrance Day, in many places. It was after World War II that Armistice Day became Veteran’s Day in the United States.

Love our soldiers, veterans, and their families. Hate war. Pray for our soldiers, veterans, and their families. Pray for peace.

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