First Things First

March 28, 2019

As we near the end of the season of Lent, a simple but often-forgotten point today: 

We are reminded each Sunday in Lent that Jesus summarized the law -- not only all the commandments, but all the Law and the Prophetic sayings -- by saying 

"The first commandment is this: 

Hear, O Israel, 

the Lord your God is the only Lord. 

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, 

with all your soul, 

with all your mind, 

and with all your strength. 

The second is this: 

love your neighbor as yourself. 

There is no commandment greater than these." (From Mark: 12:29-31). 

This whole season of Lent, we've been emphasizing the customary "disciplines" of Lent, and pointing out that the root of the word "discipline" is the same as "disciple."  Some common synonyms for "disciple" are "follower," "adherent," or "devotee."  I think the best synonym for "disciple," however, is "apprentice" -- someone who attaches him- or herself to someone for a time as a trainee or mentee in order to learn new things and pick up new skills.  The purpose of Lent -- like the purpose of Sunday morning worship, daily Bible reading, prayer, and any other spiritual practice -- is to provide us opportunities to apprentice ourselves to the God-love life that Jesus pioneered and perfected. 

In other words, Lent, Sunday morning worship, daily Bible reading, and prayer should be turning us into people who love God and love our neighbor as ourselves. 

If our Lenten disciplines, Sunday morning worship, daily Bible reading, and other spiritual practices are doing that, then they're working as intended! 

If they're not, they're not working as intended -- and addressing (and fixing) that should itself be our highest spiritual priority for the rest of Lent (and throughout Easter and forward). Because 

"The first commandment is this:  Hear, O Israel,  the Lord your God is the only Lord.  Love the Lord your God with all your heart,  with all your soul,  with all your mind,  and with all your strength.  The second is this:  love your neighbor as yourself.  There is no commandment greater than these."  See you Sunday, 

John 

What is a "successful" Lent?

March 21, 2019

Several years ago, the marvelous prayer resource site run by Irish Jesuits called"Sacred Space" asked one of the best questions about the season of Lent that I've ever seen. Today, I want to share it with you and invite you to take a few minutes to ponder it:  "When the 46 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday are over, how will I know if I have had a 'good' Lent?  "What would make it a 'success'?  "If I keep the resolution to pray faithfully every day, that would be good.  If I choose to give up something that I like as a sacrifice and don't slip up even once, that would be very good.  "But would it necessarily be a 'successful' Lent? Lent will be a success if, by the end of it, I recognize a little more deeply that I am utterly dependent on God. That realization can be born out of my 'failures' just as much as my 'successes'. [Lent] invites me daily to depend entirely on the care of a loving God." Put another way, season of Lent invites us to consider what true humility is. True humility is NOT "thinking less of yourself." True humility is "thinking of yourself, less" -- moving from being you-centric to being God-centric and other-centric.  Are your Lenten disciplines (see Adult Forum*** topic below) helping you do that?  See you Sunday, 

John

p.s. If for whatever reason this Sunday is going to be your first Sunday in church since the season of Lent began, or if you just want a refresher on what changes to expect for Lent, read this e-news message: "The season of Lent brings changes."

ICYMI

March 15, 2019

This week, a few quick "In Case You Missed Its" on several topics: 

If you missed church last week and want to know what changes to expect for Lent, you can read last week's e-news message: "The season of Lent brings changes." (Did you know that whenever you miss one of these e-news messages, you can find them on our website? Just go to www.thefallschurch.org  and scroll down to "Weekly Clergy Message." There's also an archive.)

If you missed Rev. Kelly's especially powerful* sermon last Sunday, do yourself a favor and click here to listen to it (or click here to read it).  

(*I hesitate to say any one of Kelly's sermons are "especially powerful," because Kelly is a consistently great preacher: her sermons are Biblically-based, thereby both interesting and relevant; they are intellectually challenging, yet also speak to the heart. I hope you realize how fortunate we are to have her here. So when I say that one of her sermons is "especially powerful," I don't mean to imply that others of hers are not -- if, after dinner one night, you tell your spouse, "wow, that was an especially delicious dinner," that does not mean their other dinners were not delicious! It just means that that dinner, for whatever reason, cleared another yet-higher bar in your mind and struck you as particularly good.)    (Speaking of our website: did you know that audio versions of  "latest sermons" are posted and archived on our website in the same area? You can listen, download (or even share!) sermons from there.)

A couple weeks ago, I posted a special e-news about the good work that parishioner Amanda Doyle through her organization Together Rising is doing to fight back against the taxpayer-funded cruel practice of separating asylum-seeking moms and dads from their asylum-seeking babies and children, and to reunite those asylum-seeking families. Take a look at this encouraging and touching video which shares a story of progress being made (Kleenex Alert -- I can't watch that video without tearing up!). And I was also made aware that NPR did this story yesterday. However, at least 17 families whom Amanda and others helped re-cross the border on March 2nd to seek asylum and find their children are still being detained and separated from their children. Lent is a time to repent of wrongdoing, not only individually but collectively, and America is better than the "zero-tolerance" and other policies like it that are rooted in anti-immigration demagoguery.  We are the ones who need to insist on keeping Judeo-Christian values in regard to immigrants and refugees in place whenever and from whomever they are under attack.   If you, like me, are looking for ways to "transform your heartache into action" on this non-partisan but pressing moral (and patriotic) issue, I encourage you to follow Amanda's progress through Together Rising.  See you Sunday,

John