Wednesday, April 29, 2009

A call for Prayer - Our friend, Matthew Doleak

Brothers and Sisters of Boulevard and Beyond,
As some of you might remember during the Fall of 2007 we were blessed by the presence of Rev. Matthew Doleak, a pastor and administrator from the extreme western edge of Ethiopia. During Matthew's time with us he attended meetings, preached, visited the sick, taught a very well attended class and spent a great deal of time in fellowship with members of this church. Since his departure I have been fortunate enough to stay in contact with Matthew via email and have helped Boulevard honor the commitment of partnership that was made between the Deacons and Matthew's synod.

I wanted to take this opportunity to share with you an email I received from Matthew today concerning the arrival of wired funds as well as his desire for prayer. As a note, I believe that Matthew is speaking about his daughter's neck when he uses the word "next."

To being with we would be glad to appreciate you for your good thinking to us here in Ethiopia. Thanks you very much for that. The money you have sent to us we received them. God will bless all of you in your work place. As a information now I come to Addis Ababa for the medication of my family. One of my daughter she has Gioter in her next. I took her to hospital the Doctor want to operate it, but we have got shortage of fund in our hand please I want you to share this concern with church people you wall pray for us.

Thanks years in Christ, Matthew Doleak

I would like to invite all of you to join me in praying for the saftey of Matthew and his family while in Addis Ababa and for the health of his daughter.

Peace,
Brett Swanson

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

A Gift to Blog Readers


I honestly do not know how many people check out this blog. I am not foolish enough to think that it is very many but for those of you who actually do take the time to read over what is said here I want to thank you with something that a friend of mine passed on to me.

If you click on the link below you will be taken to a site where you can watch a video that not only guarantees you will smile but just might turn your day around. I found it a powerful testament to the power of music to bring people together.

Click here for the video

Monday, April 27, 2009

Sermon: Broiled Fish - A Reflection on Luke 24:36-48

Click here to read Luke 24:36-48

Last week we heard the story of Doubting Thomas from John’s Gospel. Luke for whatever reason does not include the story of Thomas. I am not sure why Luke omits it but based off of that story I have to wonder about today’s reading. The disciples were gathered together in once place and there they were discussing and trying to make sense out of the Resurrection…good luck. Yet I have to wonder, where the doors still locked? Were they still afraid that they too would be caught up in the persecution that began with Jesus? Luke gives no answer but as I read the text I am unable to get the locked doors out of my mind. My own understanding of the days after Easter were filled with news of the Jesus’ death traveling fast and the Disciples either trying to lay low - as John’s Gospel tells us - or getting out of Dodge - as Luke tells us with the story commonly called the Road to Emmaus that happens right before this scripture. Whatever the response to the death of Jesus, the Disciples were not ready to be public. They were certainly not going to gather up all those who were shouting Hosannas and picket the Governors estate. They were not going to do anything that would land them in front of the very same people who tried to silence Jesus with Crucifixion. The Disciples were fleeing, be it on foot or just from the public eye, Luke gives us the impression that they were very much “behind locked doors” mentally and spiritually if not also physically.

This concept of being behind locked doors mentally and spiritually would make for a good sermon I think. I could give that sermon… we could spend 10 to 12 minutes talking about how we ourselves are afraid and hiding from the new life that comes in Jesus. How our fear has led us lock ourselves off from the miracle that is the World Made New. I think that might be a good one sermon…but for today’s reading it would not be the right sermon. For as much as we might like to see Jesus and the New Life that comes through him in mental/spiritual terms the reality is that Jesus is very much real today, very much in the flesh as it were, and very much hungry. Jesus has physically returned, Jesus is standing there before the men and women gathered in that house and he speaks with the Disciples, he invites others to touch him, and in what would have been a mind-boggling experience he asks for, is served and eats Broiled Fish in their presence. For the last two weeks we have been hearing how acknowledging that the dead have risen would have caused those around you to wonder if you do not need therapy and now here you sit or stand or whatever but Jesus is hungry and so he is eating. As it turns out you might want to look into getting your money back from that shrink.

I get the sense that the Disciples who were said to have been frightened and afraid have not been comforted just yet. Our scripture tells us that they were afraid, they were wondering, they were joyous, they were disbelieving, they didn’t know what to feel, they didn’t know what to think about a Jesus who came back let alone a Jesus who would be hungry. The reality is that Jesus spoke about his return and he taught them about the fact that the Messiah would return but like much of life we can nod our heads at something that just seems theoretical or something that we don’t totally understand believing that it would remain theory, but when it all happens, when it really happens we join the Disciples standing there watching Jesus eat with blank expressions on our faces, saying nothing but our minds reeling, all the time thinking about going up and poking him.

Because I am a lot like those Disciples I have to admit something – I am sitting there with my mouth agape, stunned in disbelief all the while needing Jesus break into my world without knocking. I need Jesus to appear rather than come to the door because I am not so sure that I would have answered if he had knocked. Jesus needs to show up without the door being unlocked and once inside eat and sit with you and me for in the sitting and the eating we each come face to face with the reality that is God’s amazing Grace. Despite my rejection, despite the rejection of the disciples, despite the rejection of the world Jesus returns and sits amongst us - those who have sinned and remain sinners, those who have denied him and will do so again, those who do not trust but want to - and shares a meal with us. Around that Broiled Fish the Disciples learned all they ever needed to know about Grace. For brothers and sisters the reality of God is that in Christ’s physical return we get flesh and bone grace lived out. So it is for this reason, that a physical Christ returned to sit and eat amongst those who denied him and did so without saying a word about the sins of betrayal and fear, that we must open a new eye to the world that we live in, the world that Christ came to…twice, and the world that Christ will return once again. For this is the realm where grace is experienced, this is the place where the term Miracle means something at all, it is here where we must live our lives never growing complacent with the world for it is only here that Jesus shows up behind locked doors and opens our minds to the Will of God.

Here is my point…in times like these it is very easy to slip into the sweet bye and bye. There is little that makes sense about the way in which hatred, injustice, oppression seems to run rampant and so we begin thinking about those pearly gates a little too early. Right here and right now is the time for you and me to have our mouths hang open at the sure and certain sign of grace living and breathing before our very eyes.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

A story I have to share

I am past the point in my life where famous people create in me the urge to jump up and down, scream out their name or otherwise flip. Don't misunderstand me, I have favorite movie stars or musicians or athletes but I am not going to ask them to sign my t-shirt or try to get a whiff of their perfume. People as it turns out are just people and no matter how many points Michael Jordan scored or how many records Paul McCartney sold in the end they eat Chinese food, sleep lying down, and have to match their socks just like me.

The reason that I bring this up is today I found myself on the verge of jealously during the chit-chat time that follows almost all of the meetings I take these days. Sitting in the board room of the Presbytery of Scioto Valley sat a man who back in the 60's who knew Martin Luther King, Jr. personally. Now, I do not know who your heroes are. You might waste your life idolizing Ringo Star or Troy Akiman but for my money heroes don't come any more deserving or bigger than MLK and this guy knew him. He told me of the time that while working in Syracuse, NY he contacted Martin Luther King's secretary and conveyed to her his desire to have Dr. King come to Syracuse and speak. For whatever reason Dr. King's Secretary grew sweet on my friend and kept suggesting to King, who at this point had already won the Nobel Peace Prize, to come to Syracuse. In my friend's letter he sent to King he stated that the body that was extending King this invitation would not be able to "pay you what you are worth but we are able to cover your expenses" and sure enough King traveled to Syracuse on fully covered expenses.

I am in awe of this story. I am insanely jealous of anyone who has a story up his sleeve that includes the phrase "I sat next to him like I am sitting next to you" when talking about MLK.

I don't have any sappy "one to grown on" for you as I end this post. There is no "reach for the stars" rhetoric to be found but I guess I want to say is that stories like this one need to be shared. Instances in our lives where we can locate ourselves in the moments in time where shifts take place and have been impacted or have found ourselves in the presence of those who were instrumental in making those shifts need to be shared. In the years to come I hope to know people who attended the inauguration of our 1st Black President, Barack Obama, or who knew Harvey Milk not because I need a new hero but because through the telling of their stories I too grow closer to these individuals who have shaped our world and its landscape.

Enjoy your Friday...
Peace,
Brett

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

I don't know what to say...

Click the below link to watch the video...
Record Setting Chili Rub

As I was catching up on some news I came across this video of an Indian woman setting some sort of record by rubbing 24 Ghost Chilies into her eyes. Friends, I am not sure what to do with this. The Ghost Chili has now been validated as the worlds hottest chili by the folks at Guinness World Records and according to the linked website a single seed from the chili will produce an intense burning sensation for 30 minutes if placed on the tongue so naturally this individual rubs them into her eyes.

I suppose that there might be some way to spin this back to church. Maybe there is something to be said about the desperate need some people have for attention and fame. Maybe the eyes or the chilies are analogous to something but truthfully I am at a loss by what I can only call stupidity.

If you can find an analogy for this story/video and the work of the church I would love to hear it. How about this...the best comment/post gets their very own Ghost Chili to do with it what as they will.

Peace,
Brett

Sunday, April 12, 2009

He is Risen! Happy Easter

After 40 days of waiting and preparation the Resurrection has arrived and Jesus Christ is risen!

I once attended a seminar with a world-renown preacher, a guy named Fred Craddok, who believed that the best sermon for Easter morning would be to step into the pulpit and in a clear, loud voice say simply "He has Risen!" Craddok didn't think that there was anything left to say. Jesus had done exactly what he promised and defeated death by rising again.

Trusting in the promise of new life in Christ and the destruction of sin and death let us rejoice that Jesus Christ has Risen!

Happy Easter,
Brett

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Maundy Thursday Blog: Live from Stauf's Grandview

Welcome to my 1st ever on-location blog post. The other day my fancy new Dell Netbook came in the mail I am excited for the ability to take the blog out into the community.

Today in Maundy Thursday, the day where Jesus and his Disciples gathered in the Upper Room and celebrated the Passover Seder as a family. The Seder is a traditional Jewish celebration of the Passover where the family gathers and through a series of questions explores the meaning of Passover. As a church family we will gather for our own Seder meal and there around tables we will celebrate the community that is our family, lean into the history that gave us our Christian faith and celebrate communion. I am excited!

Because this is a family celebration children of all ages are encouraged to attend but for those parents who wish to drop off their smallest ones Childcare will be provided. The service begins @ 6 pm.

Note: There is no dinner time! The meal that we will all share together is part of the service and integral to the meaning of the Seder. Everything will begin at 6 PM. I have no idea how long it is going to last!

Hope to see you there!
Shalom,
Brett

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

It's Wednesday and the Lenten Series is over

It feels a little weird...for the past 5 weeks I have been writing a blog post about the Lord's Prayer and now that the Lenten Dinners and Classes are over I am feeling a like I need to write something. Therefore as a way to get the last of the Lord's Prayer info out of my system let me offer a few parting shots in no particular order...
  • As we moved our way through the prayer I remain struck by the real life nature of what it was were praying about despite the fact that the prayer has been for many years encased in the formality of antiquated language and liturgy. Jesus was giving us a prayer for the everyday, nitty-gritty aspects of the real life we were going to live. If we do not come to terms with this reality then I think that our Lord's Prayer will become a museum piece that is trotted out on Sundays rather than the everyday, everybody prayer that it was intended to be.
  • I can't overemphasize the importance of Grace. In our discussion of "forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors" the sober reality hits us that if we indeed seek God to forgive us in accordance to how much forgiveness we are willing to show others then the vast majority of us are not living up to our end of the bargain. Then the question flows naturally: Am I being forgiven for my sins if I haven't been able to forgive the sins of others? Asking that question creates a crisis but it is here that we must remember the promise of Grace. Grace comes to us from God and it is in grace that we live our lives. We must strive to forgive in all things but the reality is that forgiveness is often easier talked about then actually done. As we work towards forgiving others we are overcome by the grace that supports us as we go.
  • I wish that I was able to hear the conversation around the question of the things in life that are earned and the things that are given. I think that the question is an interesting one. Reflecting back on my life the earning of my degrees, the satisfaction of paying off my first car early, and times when hard work really paid off were sweet but they pale in comparison to the times in my life that so much was given to me so freely that it was humbling. The difference between earning and giving is so black and white in my mind that I would have liked to have heard your thoughts on the matter.
Well, I think that I got most of it out of my system. I want to thank all of you who came out to the dinner and stayed for the class. I hope that it was interesting and that we achieved our goals of moving the Lord's Prayer out of pure memory and into the realm of actually praying.

Peace,
Brett

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Thank you Ken!


Thank You Ken Odiorne for my new blog photo of the doors and stone carving of Boulevard's Northwest Blvd. entrance. If you would like to see more of Ken's great photos of the church and grounds you can check out the Boulevard photo site http://www.flickr.com/photos/blvdchurch/.

Here is a small sample...

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Eco-Palms and Palm Sunday


Today is Palm Sunday, the day where we celebrate the beginning of Holy Week and the anniversary of Jesus entering into Jerusalem flanked by crowds of people waving Palms. As we celebrate today you might take a minute to notice the palms that we are using. For many of us these palms seem different - they are. The Palms we are using are known in Presbyterian Circles as Eco-Palms and they are a little lesson in stewardship.

The stereotypical Palms that many congregations will use today are stiff, strong and come from a type of Palm tree that is older, and slower to regenerate it's frons. The harvesting of these classical Palm frons for Palm Sunday is not easy on these trees and often it takes a great deal of time for them to regain their former beauty. Sensing our duty as co-members of this great Creation the Presbyterian Church began a project called Eco-Palms which provides PCUSA congregations the chance to purchase fast growing, ecological friendly palms from growers that offer a fair living wage. To learn more about this project please click on the provided link.

http://www.pcusa.org/palms/church.htm