In our hands...

"When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him."
Luke 5:11

Most likely our calls to follow Jesus were less dramatic than Jesus calling the fishermen, Simon Peter, James and John. Maybe our call was more gradual, predictable; becoming a wife, a mother, a teacher, a nurse, a builder of stuff. For Jesus calls us to follow him, but Jesus also called us to our lives--our daily, work-a-day lives, as well. Where else would we practice following Jesus, if not in our everyday lives? The first apostles left their working lives to follow Jesus, but, for most of us, we are called to follow Jesus through our working lives. Jesus calls on us to act in our daily environments and situations as Jesus, himself, would act...with love and compassion. Jesus did not wall himself off in the temple, day and night, praying. Jesus took his prayer out to the streets and among the people. He turned his prayer into action, serving all who needed him. Jesus fed, nourished, healed and cared for all who others may have cast aside or banished to the fringe. Following Jesus means we must do the same in our own time and space. Believing in Jesus is one thing--easy, really. Oh, I believe in Jesus, sure. But following Jesus to the very edge of ourselves is something else all together. From our very edge, we can let go of our own efforts and let God take over, using our hands and feet. Today, our (hopefully) last 90+ degree day in Boise, let's recognize that God's work in the world is in our hands. Let's take that to heart in our Thursday! Love, heidi

Start a new habit!

"Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up, as indeed you do."
Thessalonians 5:11

Hummm...not always do I build others up. Sometimes, I'm more concerned with building myself up. Making my own needs known, stating my own opinions. Remember me? I'm the one with a huge "purse of my own opinions" as St. Francis called it. Except mine's a footlocker, not a purse. I had a little realization, deep in the night when I couldn't sleep (again) and that is this: the only way I can change these things about myself is to let go of them, set them down and leave them. The best way to do that is to faithfully engage in some kind of contemplative prayer, like Centering Prayer, everyday. I have so much trouble with actually doing that, even though I know it's so helpful. It takes such discipline for me to sit myself down and turn my head off for a time. My head spins around like the little multi-color wheel on my MacBook when the system has stopped responding. And that's the whole point...the circle is going nowhere, like my head at that point, spinning, spinning, not responding. This is a new month, a new school year, a new season. It is an excellent time to adopt a new habit and build it into our day. For me, it's Centering Prayer--a gift of turning my spinning brain off, a couple of times per day. What about you? Are there any new habits you'd like to build into your day? Let's all begin together! And encourage each other, building one another up! Love, heidi

Hang on!

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give it to you. Let not your hearts be troubled..."
John 14:27

I've never been skydiving in my life (it's not even on my bucket list, if I had one), but from what I hear, it's quite an experience. You may go tandem at first, with an instructor strapped to your back to guide your movements and make sure the parachute opens--all that good stuff you want to happen. So, you have some reassurance all will go well; someone else is attached to you who knows just what to do.  You're just along for the ride...sort  of. I was thinking the other day of difficult or stressful times in our lives and I wondered if it would help if we could image God, in tandem with us (even strapped to us) just there to make sure we arrive safely on the ground (or through the difficult time). It seems helpful to me, but I like picturing God with me all the time, through good and difficult times. The strapped-to-my-back is a new image, but hey--I kind of like it. There's no getting away from God right there with me, hanging onto me, steering me through. It's a nice image. Today, as many are navigating new experiences and life-changing events in their lives, let's pray they can feel God, the Being of pure love, embracing them and holding them tight--all the way to their destination.  Love, heidi

Take delight!

"Do you take delight in doing the will of God? Or do you find it too difficult?"
Pray-As-You-Go, 8/22/19

Depends on the day, really...Tuesday, I found it too difficult! Yesterday, it was a bit easier. I look at the will of God as doing whatever we do with love and for the glory of God. Whatever our station in life, whether we are working or retired, parents or empty-nesters, volunteering or whatever-we-do, if we do it with love and offering our activity to bring glory to God, that is God's will. Thomas Merton said our desire to please God, actually pleases God, so our intention is important. Our success may not matter as much as our intention. We encounter people each day and if we encounter them with love and compassion, that's God's will. And sometimes, let's face it, it can be difficult. And God understands that. Let's go through our late-August Thursday with the intention of encountering others with love...and let's take delight in that--for that is God's will! Love, heidi

Serve in love...

"There are those who seek knowledge for the sake of knowledge; that is curiosity.
There are those who seek knowledge to be known by others; that is vanity.
There are those who seek knowledge in order to serve; that is love."
St. Bernard of Clairvaux, as quoted in "Give Us This Day"

I wish I'd read this yesterday when I could have made good use of it! Instead, I wallowed around in the second verse, seeking knowledge to be known by others--in other words, in vain. Argh, that. We are experiencing what every other school experiences the first week; the stress of figuring it all out again. We'd settled into a rather lovely routine last year, but it was not without its growing pains either. What I need to remember is that God holds it all. God has placed us here, in this space, in this time, with these kids. All to accomplish God's will--that we serve in love. The knowledge we seek is so we can serve the best we can. No matter what we are doing, we are called to serve each other in love. We are called to cheerfully (that's a tricky part!) help each other navigate our lives on this planet. We all need each other, and God, to accomplish anything at all. So, today, as we embark on the Hump Day of the Trickiest Week Of All, let's remember what we are here to do and who we are here to serve! Love, heidi

Growth from change...

"Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth?"
Luke 12:51

As unsettling as it seems, Jesus surprised us in yesterday's Gospel by sounding sort of crabby. The division he speaks of in Luke 12:49-56 may make us uncomfortable and squirmy in the pews. But, there it is. What we learned in our sermon yesterday makes sense to me, though, as I see it played out in history. Sometimes division is necessary for growth and positive change to happen. Sometimes something disconcerting leads us to make a change in our lives--a change for the better. Jesus asks hard things of us. We can't have an encounter with Jesus and come out unchanged. And that change may come with division. As Pastor Gretchen said, unity at all costs may not always be the way of growth. One example she gave is that, nearly fifty years ago, the ELCA branch of Lutheranism decided women should be ordained. Fifty years ago! That must have brought division and discomfort, certainly. But as I listened to her powerfully reflect on the word of God, and watched her preside over the Eucharistic table, I thanked God for the division that led to THAT change. And speaking of change, after attending Immanuel Lutheran Church for over six months, I have officially become a member. Sometimes growth means change...Love, heidi