Advent prayer

Advent is a season of yearning not only for the birth of a Savior, but also the return of the King.

In this season I do a lot of reading, searching for faithful ways to share the old, old story of God's mercy, love and grace.  It still blows my mind that God chose to come to earth as a baby, of all things, to teach us about His will for our lives (love God, love one another), to redeem the world and to invite us to journey in His footsteps as disciples of Christ empowered by the Holy Spirit.

I came across this gem from CS Lewis in a daily devotion, from a collection of his works called "The Business of Heaven.  It is a rather lengthy quote from Mere Christianity, but worthy of consideration.  There are many folks my age (49 and holding) who worry about what is happening to their church and why so many have turned away from the faith.  There is also a lack of civil discourse about many things these days which paints Christians as hateful or narrow-minded folk, and this deeply saddens me as well.

Lewis begins by talking about how God chose to come as a man - a simple man, and yet this flesh and blood man was very different...and his presence made all the difference in the world.

"What, then, is the difference which He has made to the whole human mass?  It is just this; that the business of becoming a Son of God, of being turned from a created thing into a begotten thing, of passing over from the temporary biological life into timeless 'spiritual' life, has been done for us.  Humanity is already 'saved' in principle.  We individuals have to appropriate that salvation.  But the really tough work - the bit we could not have done for ourselves - has been done for us.  We have not got to try to climb up into spiritual life by our own efforts; it has already come down into the human race.  If we will only lay ourselves open to the one Man in whom it was fully present, and who, in spite of being God, is also a real man, He will do it in us and for us...one of our own race as this new life.  If we get close to Him we shall catch it from Him.

Of course, you can express this in all sorts of different ways.  You can say that Christ died for our sins.  You may say that the Father has forgiven us because Christ as done for us what we ought to have done.  You may say that we are washed in the blood of the Lamb.  You may say that Christ defeated death.  They are all true.  If any of them does not appeal to you, leave it alone and get on with the formula that does.  And, whatever you do, do not start quarreling with other people because they use a different formula from yours."  (Mere Christianity, Bk IV, Ch5) (emphasis added)

Brilliant!  Simply Brilliant!!  And I say brilliant because of its simplicity.  Why do we seem to make things so difficult for ourselves, let alone others who yearn for something more, but have trouble wrapping their minds around images and words that seem dated or violent for that matter?

This has given me pause in the midst of this busy time of year.  My Advent prayer and my New Years resolution is to help folks find their formula and live into the fullness of the gift of God's love, mercy and grace.  Won't you join me?

in Christ, together,
Deborah

musings ~ the day after Thanksgiving

Not that anyone asked, but...

I do not go shopping on Black Friday...I am still digesting my food and reflecting on the day of fellowship with family from Thanksgiving, plus I am an introvert and hate crowds.  Have fun, if shopping and bargain hunting is your idea of fun, but I am deeply disturbed by the accounts of violence at stores here and there.  No 'black Friday deal' is worth harming another over.

I am looking forward to going with Lauren and her family to cut down a Christmas tree (won't Zayden be excited?!!  I can't wait!) and perhaps Justin and I will start listening to some Christmas music... or not - we will see how we're feeling.

There is some pie left, that will go nicely with a cup of tea and I have knitting to do, like Hannah this is a knitting season.   Christina - if you read this - your first sock is almost done!

Today I am most curious to learn about the fate of Comet ISON.  Accuweather.com Astronomy has been a great Facebook page to follow the past few weeks.  Will it continue on its path and give us a good show in December or did our sun do a number on it?  The jury is still out!

Be curious, stand in awe of something greater than yourself - maybe even a baby born in a manger in the backwater town of Bethlehem!

On this day after Thanksgiving be about peace and goodwill, dear friends...this is the true meaning of the season.

in Christ, together,
Deborah

for all the Saints...

All Saints Sunday morning I shared a story about my mom's pie crust...here is an excerpt of my sermon.  The text for this day is Luke 6:17-31 (click here for link)

This past year many of you purchased a home made pie for our Africa University missionaries.  While we appreciated your support of the team, you need to know that the pie crust recipe isn't a Coble family secret.  Not by a long shot!  

Elinor-Ann Lazarus Coble

The truth is my mother made horrible pies. They were legendary because of just how bad they were. Now sticky buns or cakes – she was the absolute best, but pies – no way. My entire childhood we never had a two crust pie – mom would make crumb top pies – and we wouldn’t eat the bottom crust – they were just a handy holder for the delicious fruit filling.

I was totally unsuccessful at making pies when I had my own kitchen. I chalked it up to a genetic deficiency – the Lazarus gene (my mom was a Lazarus, from NE Pennsylvania)… and so I bought Pillsbury - just thaw, unfold and away you go!

That is until I moved to Apple River, Illinois where I met Lola Brainard. Lola made the most amazing pies. During basketball season, at the home game cake raffles, it was Lola’s pie that was always selected first… always. When our mission team needed to raise money, fast, Lola suggested we take orders for pies and make her world famous pies. The first Easter pie baking we made and sold about 100 pies. The next Thanksgiving – around 150… by the next Easter we were over 200 pies!!

Somewhere in the midst of one of our pie baking days Lola asked me to help…I was terrified… I didn’t want to mess things up – I do, after all, have the Lazarus gene…I was sure it would be a flop… but instead – the pie turned out delicious… my genes were healed… the rest, you say is history – and I have now baked pies with folks in Spirit Lake, here at Trinity and at our family reunion this summer at my parents church.

My cousin, Susan, teaching my niece,
Grace, how to make lattice crust!

The recipe is being passed down to others – and they too are having success… it’s almost a miracle!

If I can be taught the recipe for making an apple pie from scratch…and go on to teach others how to bake a delicious apple pie - why can't we use the same idea to share our faith stories with others…as a way to live into this gift of God’s amazing love for us!

We desperately need to tell the stories of the saints – those whom we have loved who are no longer here – who have gone home to be with the Lord. At the same time we have to stop acting like our faith is private – and instead we have to be more vulnerable with one another…sharing our joys, our concerns, our prayers, our fears and our dreams with one another.

The Coble grandkids, surrounding
Grandma Coble (circa 1985)

Jesus, in his life, modeled the faith not only of his Father God, but also the faith of his earthly parents- Mary and Joseph. Their faith laid the ground work for us all.

In Jesus’ time – most faith stories were shared at meal time… just like for many of us Christmas and Thanksgiving and even Easter traditions go back multiple generations.  What we eat and why we eat it – is just as important as sharing grandma’s secret recipe for stuffing or 7 layer dip.

So….gather together for meals at the table. I know schedules are busy – but that time is precious! Even a quick sit down is better than nothing. And say a prayer while you're at it. My grandson, Zayden, looks at us like we are crazy when we sing the Johnny Appleseed Song, but this has been our prayer since I was a child. My sons in law both know it – and Z will one day soon.

Take note of the seasons of the year… in the Christian church we keep time with the colors of the paraments while today is a special day – and thus we have the white paraments out - right now we are in what is called ordinary time, green is the color of the season – has been since Pentecost.

But during advent the color is purple. What if your family used purple napkins during Advent?  Imagine the conversation that could come up around the table about the anticipation of the season of advent – both for the birthday of Jesus and the return of Christ the King?!

And during Lent – why not eat fish on Fridays like our Catholic brothers and sisters do – and talk about Jesus who walked along the shore of Galilee inviting ordinary folks – like fishermen - to follow him?!

These are just some simple ideas off the top of my head to help start the conversation…

You see, one of the most challenging and important things about learning is that we have to keep moving from being keepers of information, experiences, knowledge – to people who are vulnerable enough to share from our hearts –

In this morning’s gospel lesson Jesus is teaching those gathered around him how to live God breathed lives – they had forgotten – and needed reminding… just as we need reminding – this is why we gather to celebrate in worship – and why we have small groups, bible studies and yes – even worship – to learn more about the nature of our loving and amazing God.

This is why John Wesley the founder of the Methodist movement, gathered people in small groups called classes – to learn from one another and to model Gods love to one another – they did this by gathering a collection for the poor, by studying together, praying with and for one another, and caring for the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of those in their faith community. This is why they formed their lives in community with one another under a rule of life – do all the good you can, avoid evil, and love God by living into the means of grace….which includes, worship, prayer, studying the Bible, celebrating holy communion, and fasting.

What we do, how we live our lives has meaning… and implications for our children and our children’s children and so on and so forth.

This building, that we are investing in over the next several years will stand… the question is – who will be here to celebrate, learn and serve from this place…and what can we do about this? Who will tell the stories of the faithful who walked up from the old church to dedicate this beautiful worship space? Who will teach our children in Sunday school or sing in the choir when we are gone?

This is why the concept of learn-ing is so important – and why we must continue to learn until we catch our last breath – and even in our dying – we have the opportunity to teach our dear ones about our faith in God – and the hope that we have for new life in Christ Jesus.

This is the good stuff friends…. 

Alan, my stepson, on the day I married
his dad.  Alan died December, 2012
In worship yesterday we lit a candle
remembering his life.  He was 36.

On this day, this All Saints Day we remember. We remember those who have died and gone home to be with the Lord this year – and those from years past as well – but let us not forget to share their legacy, their stories with those who are here…let us give thanks to God for the gift of their life and love.

In the name of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Dox

I stopped by the Friends and Neighbors community garden on my way home this afternoon.  The fun thing about gardening is you never know what's going to be ready to harvest.

Today I lucked up!!  A handful of tomatoes will be just right with tonight's dinner.  Truth is as I was looking through the vines I couldn't resist...as anyone knows - tomatoes really are best right off the vine!  As I bit into a beautiful Roma tomato the Doxology came to mind:

Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him all creatures here below;
Praise Him above ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.  Amen.

And so I give thanks....
for the beauty of the earth,
for fresh veggies,
for the hard work of all of those who donate their time to cultivate the garden,
and to God for being so creative.

Fresh tomatoes right out of the garden sure do taste amazing!!

Go grow something - and if you're in Waverly and have some time - stop by the Friends and Neighbors community garden.  Check out the beautiful produce, pull a few weeds while you're at it and enjoy the beauty of God's good creation.  

Peace, love in Christ,
Deborah

say "cheese"

My current Facebook profile and cover pictures make me smile.  

Z and me!

One is a picture of Zayden Michael, my grandson, and me.  It was taken during a meal break while we were at the Smithsonian Air and Space museum in April.

I love the look of joy on Zayden's face as we play with a simple cup and straw.  Isn't it amazing how it truly is the little things that bring children joy?

The other was taken last weekend and is of the Jay Coble 6.  We are scattered around the globe now, but whenever we are together we take lots and lots of pictures.  Most are regular, garden variety poses but we also always try to take one that is a bit goofy, much to the embarrassment of spouses and our children.  

Elizabeth, Stephanie, Glen, Jay, me and Mark

In this picture we are holding up our brother Mark, number 4 of 6 and the biggest of us all.  (He warned us before we hoisted him up that he was a big guy...and I sure am glad we didn't drop him!) 

Mark was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins type lymphoma in May and is undergoing chemo this summer.  I love Mark's expression as the five of us do our best to keep from dropping him.  He appears to be flying...and that seems appropriate for a day when we all did our best to be normal and to allow the love of family surround him and his wife and daughter.  While the reality of cancer was dancing in the wind we soared with laughter enjoying our time together.

That's the beauty of capturing memories.  One picture can carry us back in time to something as normal as eating lunch or doing your best not to let your baby brother bonk his head.  

While I normally change my Facebook cover picture frequently, I think I'll let this one stay there a bit longer.  Thinking of our time together last week makes me smile and we all need to smile a little more, love more deeply and belly laugh from time to time.

peace, love in Christ,

Deborah

because bigger is not always better

I come from a long line of early adopters.  My grandpa brought home a television set before the tower was even up in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  WGAL went on the air in 1949, the fourth tv station in Pennsylvania and the first outside of Philadelphia.  What's even more interesting is that my grandfather was the 6th generation to live on the family farm just down the road from Lancaster.  A farmstead that has now been in the family for over 250 years.

My dad was into livestock genetics before it was cool.  Back in the 70's he switched from raising purebred Angus cows to swine because it was faster to see results from selective breeding.  Now my dad has a small herd of Angus cattle and he does DNA testing on every calf soon after birth! Here's a segment from I Am Angus on RFD TV about my dad and step-moms farm and their livestock breeding program.  Can you tell how proud I am of them?

When I think about my family with their long standing history (250 years of working the same 160 acres of clay bottom land in Pennsylvania) and yet at the same time their drive to be early adopters I can't help but think about how this relates to what the institutional Church, and the United Methodist denomination in particular, is facing today.

There are some of us who are eager to set out in new directions, but at the same time we desire to be part of a mainline denomination.  The United Methodist Church is unique in its ethos.  We are the church of the early adopters, there were circuit riders out criss crossing the homesteads of rural America well in advance of the train lines and before cities could organize Methodist societies sprouted up in cabins and under shade trees from coast to coast.

But then, as my United Methodist history prof reminded us in seminary, the circuit riders got domesticated.  These cabin based communities of faith wanted to build churches like the other guys and focus went from conversion to building projects.  Still, there was a Methodist (or Evangelical or United Brethren) church in every village.

What is uniquely Methodist isn't our buildings, our choirs (although we do love to sing), or the vast number of outposts (churches), what is uniquely United Methodist is our focus on piety (loving God through study, prayer and worship) and action (loving God through our engagement in and with the world).  Oh, and another thing - we like grace - a lot.  God's grace poured out, overflowing and abundant...oh, and assurance...the ability to know that God's love is for me, even me and for you too!  This is good stuff.  This is stuff that needs to be told and heard by people all people...but some times, we may not be able to use words...given the new realities of the world in which we live, our actions do speak louder than words that to many ears sounds like clanging cymbals.

The sad reality is that we are bogged down by buildings and institutional structures that often keep us from engaging with our broken and hurting world.  We have professionalized ministry to such a degree that we have a very well educated clergy, but a un-formed laity...our best resource (the people called United Methodist) is under utilized and so we are floundering, just a bit.

If you have any doubts, take a look at this video made by the General Board of Finance and Administration: (click here)  It's titled United Methodist realities.

I am not a prognosticator, there are some who say that time is running out.  I am not so sure about the timing of any of this, but I do believe that we need to have these types of conversations beyond denominational meetings.  We can talk a good game - but are we actually willing to DO something new/different/with courage?!

We need to confess to our congregations that things are not going to return to the way things were and the future is uncertain for some of our sacred spaces.  We need to own the ambiguity and lean into change.  We need to stop messing with numbers and really be about radical hospitality, building relationships beyond our walls and transformed lives.

Change is hard.

Some things are going to have to be approached in new ways, some things may need to be let go.

Not everything that will go away is bad.

We just can't do it all.

While the statistics are sobering, there are also some exciting realities.  This is OUR time.  We DO have everything that we need to share the Good News of Jesus Christ to a broken and hurting world.  We just may have to work a little harder, pray a bit more and actually step outside of our positions of comfort and taste and see these times of change as times of great possibility.

It's time to own this and turn folks loose for ministry empowered by the Holy Spirit in the name of Jesus Christ!

John Ira Coble family (1976) at Coble family homestead

in Christ, together,
Deborah

because Katie Z asked...

I love serving the church, I can usually find something interesting in committee meetings, I like funerals and believe church ladies are the best cooks.  I wake up extra early Sunday mornings because I am so excited to get to church for worship.  Even though I am '49 and holding' I'm still relatively new to this whole full-time ordained clergy thing.  I am a 2nd career pastor.

In my 'past life' I worked over 20 years as a marketing type for radio and television stations.  I'm the one who tried to convince you to stay at home and watch a tv show/movie/news broadcast.  I fear I may just be a part of the whole culture that so many Christians are fighting against.  My kids were in day care, as recently as two years ago my son played midget football on Sunday afternoons, we spend more time on-line and on our electronic devices than around the dinner table and 2 1/2 years ago I went through a divorce.  I am a single mom with 2 of my 4 children still at home and sometimes I lose my temper and a bad word or two may slip out.  But, I love Jesus and I love the Church and I think God has a great sense of humor to use someone like me to serve in His name.

I believe it's time for the church to be more of the culture than fight this silly war against it - we are doing grave injury to our very souls.  The only way I think the Church will be able to wrap its mind around the realities of this brave new world we are now a part of is to revisit the doctrine of Incarnation.  A doctrine that is both mysterious and prone to messiness.

Richard Rohr writes in Things Hidden: Scripture as Spirituality; (p. 121)

"The mystery of the Incarnation is precisely the repositioning of God in the human and material world and not just part of that world. Common variety top-down religion often creates very passive, and even passive-dependent and passive-aggressive Christians...Bottom-up, or incarnational, religion offers a God we can experience for ourselves and a God we can see—and must see—in everyone else." 

As we gather as an Annual Conference to consider our Strategic Priorities I believe it is essential that we set aside ourselves and consider the every day realities of the people we are called to walk alongside.  Jesus was known to prefer meals with ordinary folk over fancy dinner parties, the folks he chose to hang out with even got him into trouble!  We need to pause and be quiet and seek to be more fully present with "The Word [who] became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood."  (John 1:14a The Message)

Or, as Paul explained so eloquently in Acts Chapter 17; 

“People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.  

“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’

(Acts 17:22-25)

While I agree with the overarching goals of the Iowa Annual Conference Strategic Plan, I think we have to be careful about appearing to impose expectations on congregations from the top down.  It will be important for me as a leader in the church to spend more time listening, engaging the community and even setting aside some of the 'priestly' tasks, those things that have become part of my daily or even weekly routine, in favor of things that may seem like trifling away time - like hanging out at the pool with the young families or at the coffee shop with students at our local college or at the city council meetings even.   

I am all about change, don't get me wrong.  At the same time, I want to ask the Iowa Annual Conference to take time to listen deeply to their lay and clergy folk.  I fear that we are attempting a quick fix on something that has been building (or falling apart - depending on your point of view) for a generation or more.  Bottom line, I want us to be faithful to how God reveals God's self to the world.

what do you see in the phrase above? 

We have to be intentional about taking time to look at where God is already at work, and who God is gifting to engage in ministries and new faith community starts and we need to be ok with the idea that these new places for new people may not look like what we are accustomed to.  They will certainly take a great deal of energy and in fact, many of these new faith communities may not be able to pay apportionments - ever.  Are we going to be ok with this IF it means that the Good News of Jesus Christ is shared with those on the margins?  (cause isn't this what its all about?)

We find ourselves in an interesting season and I look forward to the discussion at Annual Conference.  I pray that we are able to take the time to really think deeply and pray together and discern where God is calling us in our unique, beautiful and often messy contexts.  I also pray that we are willing to engage this discussion boldly and with courage!  The world is hurting and in need of redemption, reconciliation and resurrection and the Good News is that this is available to us anew each and every day.

To God be the glory for the great things He has done, is doing and will do through each of us!

in Christ, together,
Deborah