the Eclectic Soul

Birthing Hope...

Over the last several months, Lisa and I have been on a journey, pursuing embryo adoption. We had been in the process for a standard adoption for almost two years, when we were made aware of the possibility that we could adopt several embryos in hopes that Lisa would be able to carry a child to term. These embryos are not our own, biologically speaking, but have been graciously offered to us by couples who had had successful invitro processes and have grown their families to their desired size. In just a little over an hour, Lisa will undergo a procedure in which two embryos will be implanted in her uterus in hopes that at least one of them will take root (yes we could have twins, pray for us!) Below is what I had written for the front page my church's newsletter for the month of December, and I thought maybe you my faithful reader(s) my appreciate it. So here it is...

I sit at a desk this morning, November 19th, some 950+ miles from my home.  In just two short hours, my wife and I will make our way to the National Embryo Donation Center in Knoxville, Tennessee, in hopes that one of the embryos that we have adopted will take root in her womb, and allow my wife the gift of birthing a child into this world.

It seems somewhat fitting to me that this is the context out of which I write this morning for this edition of the Trumpeter.  For the month of December is all about hope isn’t it?

Hope that salvation is coming.

Hope that God will truly fulfill his plan for a broken, twisted and fragmented humanity in Jesus.

Hope that what happened that cold dark evening so long ago, in the little burro of Bethlehem, just may in fact be true.

I thought about Mary and Joseph a lot over the last several days.  Now, let me be clear, I am in no way comparing myself to them; my wife is not carrying in her womb the Son of God.  But I did think about what they must have went through.

Although Lisa and I, like Mary and Joseph, have traveled a great distance, we did it largely in comfort and ease.  To be sure the car was cramped and the two days getting here were long, but at least my wife didn’t have to travel on the back of a donkey, as I slowly lead it along.

While Mary was great with child, my wife is great with the hopes of finally knowing what it is to feel a baby kick within her, perhaps much the same way Mary felt when Jesus leapt inside her when she was greeted by her cousin Elizabeth, who’s womb bore the forerunner of Jesus: John the Baptist.

Lisa and I are in Knoxville out of our own free will; no tyrannical dictator demanded that we come to be counted.  Yet there is a purpose for us, just as there was a purpose for them.

Yet much like Mary and Joseph, hope births within us this morning.  Not just the hope of having a baby, although that is a powerful pull on both of us. But, rather, the hope that we as a people might realize we are part of a magnificent story.  A story in which we, human beings, who are the grand antagonists, destined to have our on way and be our own gods, are pursued by a divine love that is strong enough to demonstrate itself in weakness; to allow love to seep in, instead of cramming it down our throats, demanding that we respond.

Whether Lisa and I are able to have a baby or not, we this day, sit, saturated in the presence of this amazing, strong, powerful, all-consuming love, that demonstrated itself most fully in the frailty of a child, a baby, an embryo infused with divinity and humanity.

So won’t you hope with us this Christmas too?  Hope that this year, we might truly allow ourselves to be embraced by the powerful weakness of this birth of divine love in Jesus.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only, flesh and bone, soul and spirit, that we might have hope.  This is our peace.  Amen.

I Promise to be a Better Blogger

Ok do I've sucked at blogging lately. I have a post on deck that I will be posting tomorrow.

So, sorry, to my probably one & only reader. I'll get better!

(well I'll try anyway) ;)

Peace,

E

Just Awesome!

Playing For Change | Song Around The World "Stand By Me" from Concord Music Group on Vimeo.

A Snapshot Religious Life in America

There's an interesting article out from the the Associated Press that says fewer Americans are willing to identify with any given religion.  

Although the article seems heavily biased towards evaluating those within the "Christian" spectrum of religious life, although they do touch on the percentages of other faith systems.  The report put out by The Program on Public Values at Trinity College in Hartford, Conn, makes some interesting findings.  

"In 2008, Christians comprised 76 percent of U.S. adults, compared to about 77 percent in 2001 and about 86 percent in 1990. Researchers said the dwindling ranks of mainline Protestants, including Methodists,Lutherans and Episcopalians, largely explains the shift. Over the last seven years, mainline Protestants dropped from just over 17 percent to 12.9 percent of the population."

"The study also found signs of a growing influence of churches that either don't belong to a denomination or play down their membership in a religious group."

"Respondents who called themselves "non-denominational Christian" grew from 0.1 percent in 1990 to 3.5 percent last year."

It's an interesting article.  You can read it here.

What are you thoughts?

Peace,

E

Why I Got My Ear Pierced...

This past Friday I did something that I should have done almost two years ago: I got my ear pierced.  Now before you gasp, let me invite you to read the story before you pass judgment.  Hopefully then you'll understand [and besides, I had my ear pierced for years in college, even when I was in the midst of the ordination process, but I digress]. 

Almost two Junes ago now, Lisa and I had what was an awesome vacation with our two best friends and favorite people in the whole world, Jon and Siri Davenport.  We had been planning the trip for months, actually 6-9 months prior.  Like many things in life, it started out with a conversation that began with, "wouldn't it be great if...." and before we knew it, we had chosen a week, late June 2007, picked a place, the Wisconsin Dells, and were busy making preparations.

One of the many things that Jon and I talked about during our many weekly phone calls was the fact that his two boys, Seth and Jared, had wanted to get their ears pierced on this summer vacation.  Jon told me that he thought that he might like to do it to; first to show support of his boys, they were a bit apprehensive, and two, he had always said he wanted one.

In a moment of exhilaration I said, that if he did it, I too would do it in solidarity with his boys.

Being that Jon and I were both pastors and leaders of local congregations, there was some talk between us as to how our churches might react.  Both of our congregations were somewhat rural and not very progressive, so as good leaders we were trying to be sensitive by at least asking the question.

Well June finally came and before we knew it we were together for a week of hilarity, relaxation and amazing fun and fellowship.  About the middle of the week the boys decided that it was time, time to get pierced that is.  

We traveled the town, scoping out the best place to get it done and came across a tattoo parlor on the main drag, it looked clean and well kept and the personel seemed to be friendly.

If my memory serves me right, being the good father that he was, Jon went in first. After a minute or two out he came with the familiar golden bead seated in his now reddening ear.

Next was Seth, desperately trying to be as brave as his dad, he went in, “pop” and came out with the twin golden bead of his dads.  Everyone looked at Jared, who was a bit timid and wasn’t all too sure that he was really willing to go through with the ordeal, but sure enough he soldiered up and went in, and came out; same read ear, same gold bead.

Then, all three looked at me, and well, I froze.

Not because I was scared, of the pain that is.  I knew what to expect.  I was terrified of what people would think; what my congregation would think.  I serve a great church that unfortunately was going through a bit of a trying time, adjusting to someone who was probably casting more vision than they were ready to swallow at the time.  So, needless to say, I didn’t want to throw gasoline on an already smoldering fire. So...

I didn’t go through with it.

I broke my promise, and I spent the rest of the afternoon and evening, the rest of the trip actually, torturing myself; wishing I had gone through with it.

Little did I know that two months later, I’d be burying my best friend.

Even as I write this I still get a lump in my throat.

I’ll never get that moment back.  I’ll never be able to call him up and say, “hey Jon, I’m finally brave enough to do it, so lets go.”

Never.

I missed an opportunity to share an amazing and unforgettable time with my best friend and let fear and other people’s expectations and opinions get the best of me.

I’m sorry Jon. So sorry.

So, this past Friday, I spent the morning at the local Starbucks, finishing the Sunday message, packed it up, had some lunch, and went down to the local tattoo parlor and had my ear pierced.

Was I still concerned what the wonderful congregation that I lead was going to say?  Yep.  Did I do it anyway?  Yep.

So, Jon, I wear this earring proudly, in honor and memory of you.  Thanks for loving me.  Thanks for sharing who you are, were and always will be with me.  Thanks for investing in a friendship with a crazy fool like me.  And thanks for all the ways that you have and continue to inspire me.

You’re a braver man than I ever could be.

I love you, and I miss you man.

Grace & Peace, 

E

P.S. tomorrow is my first public worship service that I will lead with my new accessory.  Pray for me ;)

Brrrrrrrrrr

Yeah...that says -6

Oh Dear...

I live in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan....it is a unique and beautiful place full of rugged people like this one.

Only in the UP man!  Only in the UP!

Thanks to my friend Paul who captured this picture on his camera phone a few blocks away from his house...seriously, it's real.

Peace,

E

By the way, here's the second one he snapped.

Tis the Season...

Isaiah 2.7-8

 Their land is full of silver and gold, and there is no end to their treasures; Their land is full of horses, and there is no end to their chariots.

Their land is full of idols; they worship the works of their hands, that which their fingers have made.

Psalm 10.2;8-12

Arrogant scoundrels pursue the poor; they trap them by their cunning schemes. They wait in ambush near towns; their eyes watch for the helpless. to murder the innocent in secret. They lurk in ambush like lions in a thicket, hide there to trap the poor, snare them and close the net. The helpless are crushed, laid low; they fall into the power of the wicked, Who say in their hearts, "God pays no attention, shows no concern, never bothers to look."

Rise up, LORD God! Raise your arm! Do not forget the poor!

 

I’ve waited a few days to formulate my thoughts on Black Friday in the age of what is now being officially called a national recession.

I have used the 4 Volume Liturgy of the Hours now for about 1 ½ years as a way to mark time throughout the day in my attempt to remain connected to the Vine.  This mornings readings made me think of some of the local expressions of Black Friday that I’ve heard about over the last several days.

One instance that I’m thinking of involves a man probably in his fifties who reportedly knocked a young boy down in order to rip an Xbox 360 from his grip and then sprint down the aisle towards the check out while a young boy lay helpless on the floor surrounded by stunned onlookers.

Another instance was reported to me by a friend who works at one of the Big Box Mart stores.  On Black Friday, this particular retail change lines their main aisles with sealed crated pallets of goods.  In order to attempt to create an atmosphere of sanity, customers are allowed to place one hand on the crate and then are given a corresponding number. 

One guy came in to the game late and attempted to muscle his way to the front, knocking people out of the way who had been there for some time.

He went on to become particularly obstinate, my friend told me, and began to harass the store employee so this particular person said that this was NOT in fact how it worked and that since he had such a poor attitude, he would not be given a number and would have to go to the rear of the line.  He exploded as you can imagine.

It seems to me that the prophet and the psalmist were on to something that is hardwired into any people group who has gained enough power to somehow believe that they are entitled to walking over anyone to get what they possess; that somehow, by marveling at the sheer work of their hands and what they have been able to produce, then somehow they are entitled to the choicest places of power, no matter who it hurts, even if it’s a little kid.

My prayer is that we, as the Body of the One whose birth we are about to celebrate, will model a different alternative to the narrative of our commercial culture.  That we might take the opportunities and the gifts and resources we have been given and model what it looks like to live this new humanity that the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus has made possible.

Peace,

E

Sometimes I Really Love Where We Live...

Out With the Old...In With the New

Just retired my second Moleskine journal of the year and cracked a fresh one.  Call me pretentious if you want but I love this little notebooks for the fine paper, durability and portability.  You should really check them out.  I tend to use the small pocket plain ones for my personal and creative journal.  I use the larger size for message prep and textual exegesis.  I purchase mine here.