Belated reflection for Wednesday, Feb 27, 2008

Romans 8:14-30

It is human nature to want what we haven't got. It's hard to not look at the latest gadget or fashion trend and want it for our own, regardless of what our better angels might advise. Or, as Paul put it in this selection, "hope that it is seen is no hope at all." (v. 18) This desire is bad enough when it comes to our material comforts, but can be insufferable when matters of the sprit are concerned. At least we can stare at the latest iPod; what can we look at or touch to make us feel better about our fears and hopes? The iPod won't help - nor will any other tangible thing in the long run.

The answer is that our present wants cannot compare with the glories to be revealed within us (v. 18). No matter what is in front of us - problems at school, with friends, the Knicks - all of these daily frustrations are insignificant compared to the promise of being reunited with Christ in heaven. But being human - and wanting more immediate comfort - what can we turn to?

Sometimes we may not even understand what is causing our frustration or sorrow. The beauty of the Holy Spirit, though, is that we don't even have to know what it is we need from the Lord - "in the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness." (v. 26) We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit itself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. How amazing is that! God knows what we need and what we are feeling even before we know ourselves; all we have to do is pray without words and the Lord hears our hearts and responds for our good. "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (v. 28)

This doesn't mean that we will get everything that we want out of life or that only good will happen to us once we trust in the Lord. I'm sure we have all had times when our parents forbid us from doing something that we wanted to do saying that it's "For your own good" - and most of the time they were right! If our parents, who are human and therefore fallible, move at times for our own good, how much more does God, who loves us with a perfect and holy love, arrange things for our good. Our final act of faith is to understand that what is best for us in God's eyes is not something we can truly grasp, but we put our hope and trust in him regardless of what that might mean for us in the present.

By Katy and Matt

FPC and the ...... Boston Celtics???

'Ubuntu' is also the rallying cry of the Boston Celtics

bostonherald.com — The team adopted the African term "Ubuntu" (which roughly translates to "I am because we are") as a rallying cry for team unity. Doc Rivers had his rookies make a presentation to the team about the term, and the message apparently stuck. The Celtics shout "Ubuntu" as they break their huddle after practice. Coach Doc Rivers says he chose the chant over the typical "1, 2, 3, Celtics!" after reading about Bishop Desmond Tutu over the summer.

-- Spotted and Forwarded by David Mulle

Reflection for Thursday, Feb 28, 2008

(Note, we've missed a few days due to technical confusions, snowdays and the flu, but we've kept reading on our own. See the calendar at the bottom of the page for each day's reading.)

Romans 8:31-39

God in the ER.

Last night, I took James to the ER. At 5:30pm, he started projectile vomiting and everything else and then just went limp after an hour. It is scary for a parent to see her child so listless and vulnerable. This is the part of the atonement that I have never understood, the part about God, a Father that would sacrifice his son. And yet, I know that God feels the pain of parents and children who suffer. In the ER, David and I, although confused about James, felt lucky. There was a toddler with a large head wound, a 5-year old girl with very painful condition similar to kidney stones that required multiple CT scans, a teenager with a sever asthma attack and no parents around, and a 12 week-old with 103 degree fever. The room needed a lot of prayers. When faced with another person’s suffering and with my own helplessness, I often ask, “where is God in this place?” I’ve always loved this passage because it seems to ask the same question I ask in these situations: “Who will separate us from the love of Christ?” Hardship? That 5-year old had gotten used to all the needles and tests at a young age. Distress? Parents who can’t fix it for their child, live with stress every moment. Famine? James stomach went from jolly to sunken in just 2 hours without nutrition, I can’t imagine not being able to feed my child for days. Nakedness? In different states of undress or just in confusion and at a loss, we were all vulnerable. Peril? War? Do these separate us from God’s love? It feels like it, but (at the risk of sounding like a Huckabee campaign) isn't God's love "more than a feeling."

So I was surprised to open my Bible today and find my favorite passage waiting for me on my day to reflect: Romans 8:38-39
“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

James is on the mend. I hope too are the other infant, the toddler, and Leah, the 5-year old and Leah, the 14-year-old, (there was cute moment when the doctors got confused by the Leah’s and for a moment they left their own fear of their condition and identified with the other’s). Mended or not, they are not alone, not alone in their suffering as God as Jesus too has suffered great pain nor parents alone in their distress, for God too has known their vulnerability. I guess God, too, was in the ER.

Cool things that FPCers are up to!

In case you haven't looked at the actual blog for a while, you might not be aware of some additions to the margins here...

1. You can get an email when there are updates posted to the blog. Put your email address into the "Get notified of new blog postings" box and click "Subscribe".

2. Featured blogs:
Gabe and Gwynne each have their own blogs that are featured in the right margin. Gabe's is an exploration of religion in science fiction and popular culture; Gwynne reflects on Religion & Absurdity in pop culture & the Media. Both are quite interesting.

There is a new "FPC Brooklyn-y" blogclip that is a compilation of interesting blogs including:

• Rev. Dr. Paul Smith's blog
  
• Rev. Beth's husband David's blog
  
• The Brooklyn Green Team, all about recycling and ecological education in Brooklyn


• A blog called "The Faith Divide", written by a muslim-american in Chicago, that "explores what drives faiths apart and what brings them together"


• The blog for First Church Families' ministry

Along with some other links and things under the heading "Related (or not) Links". Have you checked out Faith Streams for media content, or RELEVANT Magazine for teen and young adult topics related to Christian living?

3. Featured Bible Verse of the Day - now moved to the top of the page

4. We still have the calendar of Youth birthdays and an inspirational quote of the day at the bottom of each page. In addition, the Mission Statement for the Youth Group is on every page, and the calendar includes the daily readings for our Lenten reflections of Romans.

5. The previously mentioned (in an e-mail) "Clicks for a Cause" section includes many charitable sites, including the vocabulary building FreeRice.com game.

Let us know about your activities and you never know who might show up at your game, play, musical, recital, match, tournament, etc. For example, do you recognize last year's Confimand that is teaching Sunday School in this picture?

You can also keep up with some of us on our Facebook pages, just "friend" Mark and/or connect to others.

Check out these features, and feel free to suggest others.

Reflection for Thursday, Feb 21, 2008

Romans 6:15-23

Slaves to sin? That is strong language. Perhaps a better term for how sin rules our lives and the world is “occupation.” A friend told me about a short documentary nominated for an Oscar this year.

The film starts with a woman and her son who is 5 years-old and contracted HIV; they have just run out of his medication. The film follows the woman as she tries to get healthcare and medicine for her son. She treks out into a desert town. She knocks on what seems to be a clinic. She is told she needs certain paperwork. She treks outside again. There are tanks in the background. She is in Iraq. She goes to one government agency after another. As she tells the story of how her son got sick from a blood transfusion, she is given more paperwork and told to go to yet another place for more before she can see what few doctors there are and get what few rations of HIV drugs are available. She is a mother who wants to help her son. Perhaps the doctors, soldiers, and government officials want to help her son too (or maybe they think they have by referring her to some better place), but the bureaucracy set up by the occupation will not let them. Meanwhile, his right ear grows more deformed, his eyes more sunken and skin sallow. Their world and each individual life is “occupied.” They feel helpless—unable to break the cycle of sin in order to serve this boy. (But could they? Could one individual—the doctor, the nurse, the soldier, the official, even the film-maker with his access to the Western world, get this 5 year-old boy his medication? Or slowly change the rules of occupation in Iraq?)

Earlier in Romans, we learned that we are slaves to sin, but we are not set free by our own attempts to be sinless but by God’s grace.

“What then? Should we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!” Paul really cuts to the quick with this opening question. How often when confronted with the intractable situation of evil and human sin (and my own desires to satisfy myself first), do I say, why bother trying to serve others, why bother trying to do as Jesus would, it won’t make a difference and isn’t God supposed to love me anyway? Isn’t that what makes God, God and me, human? I know that reaction sounds hopeless, selfish, and on the brink of great depression, but it is actually a subtle reaction that comes each time I decide whether or not to buy a drink in a disposable bottle, to sign up to volunteer, or don’t unplug my electronics and zap more energy from the grid than I need. Why not take? Why not sin just this once (oh and the next and the next)? I can’t save the environment alone? I can’t change our dependency on oil and the international conflicts fighting over resources, right? My choices (my sins) don’t make a difference to the world being saved or my salvation right? To feel like your sins don’t matter so why not sin anyway just like everyone else is to be enslaved by sin. To feel like nothing you do, even the right choices, can free you. Maybe so, but Paul tells us that our slavery is a state of mind and heart. God has freed us. God asks us to be “obedient from the heart” to God’s teaching so that we may understand that we are free, that our choices do matter, and that our efforts to save the environment and seek world peace do matter. The teachings of God (the law) and the love of God (grace) offer us freedom. When we must choose and change our complicity with sin, God’s teaching/law frees our minds. When we struggle with our desires to serve ourselves and with our hopelessness that serving others makes little impact, God’s grace frees our hearts. We are saved from the helplessness of sin's occupation by God's grace so that we may have hope and may act in and for hope.

By Rev. Beth

Reflection for Wednesday Feb 20, 2008

Perhaps the most striking language of the passage from Romans 6:1-14 is the way in which death is invoked repeatedly to further the idea of finding grace through Christ. The idea of dying through baptism - what is usually a joyous occasion - is dissonant, to say the least. What Paul is getting at, though, is made evident in verse six: it is our old self, the one that has not acknowledged Jesus as our savior, that dies in baptism, and with it the burdens of sin. And baptism, by this meaning, is not the sacrament most often celebrated with bouncing babies, but our conscious choice to embrace a life of faith. With this spiritual baptism we look to the death of our sinful desires - our natural instinct to seek earthly pleasures, even though we are all created in God's own image. It is this part of our lives that must die to live as Christ lived.

The term "death", of course, implies finality - it's hard to be sort of dead. And by using "death" Paul seems to give us a zero-tolerance challenge: you must kill all of your base desires and actions to offer yourself to God. But Paul also includes a counter-offer of sorts by mentioning life right after he talks about dying to self. In every instance the focus is on the fact that, if only we can bring ourselves to give up our desire to be the one in charge, then we can truly become alive with Christ by living our life in a new way.

Given that we are human, and therefore imperfect, there will be times when we will give in to sinful impulses, and not stay “dead”. It is impossible for us to live up to Christ’s law, so we will all fail at some points in our lives. Thankfully, the verse 14 reminds us that salvation does not come through following the law, but through grace. And under grace, provided by Christ’s sacrifice, we will be forgiven and we need not be perfect.

by Katy and Matt Sandiford

Reflection for Monday, Feb 18, 2008

Romans 5:1-11

Sorry this is late. Being off of work yesterday completely threw me off.

In Chapter 5, Paul begins to speak about the effects of our salvation through faith.

Paul's message in this passage - that our salvation breaks down the barriers that we have built up to separate us from God and that God's love provides strength for us when times are bad - is sometimes tough to remember. It is not easy to be as trusting as Abraham. But I loved the image of God's love being poured into our hearts. I think that very accurately describes those times in my life when my faith is strongest. It has almost always arisen during worship services when the Holy Spirit's presence is palpable to me. That intense feeling may not last long but I can then draw upon those experiences when times are bad or when I am feeling isolated.

By David Mulle

Reflection for Saturday, Feb 16, 2008

ROMANS 4: 13-25

"Grace alone, faith alone, Scripture alone [are] principles of understanding which continue to guide and motivate the people of God in the life of faith." That comes from our Book of Order (G-2.0400), part of the Constitution of our Church. And in this part of Romans, we are in the thick of Paul's clear reasoning for these "Protestant watchwords."

What catches my eye in these few verses is: "He [Abraham] grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God." It's sometimes hard for us to understand what it means to "give glory to God." It can sound so ancient or fanatical or seem like God is someone with a big ego who needs to be flattered all the time.

God doesn't need us to give God glory.

God doesn't need us to pray.

God doesn't need us to worship or go to church.

We don't do these things FOR God. We do them for US.

When we praise God (give God glory), what we are really doing is reminding ourselves of the most important things: we are deeply loved; we are loved unconditionally; no matter how bad things get or whatever bad things we may do, God loves us still. And there's more...we remember how beautiful Creation is -- the trees, the animals, people; we remember that people try their best, even though they may come up short; we remember that we are part of a community of people all over the world, people we don't even know, people we love who have died, and people we have yet to meet.

When I remember these things, I feel stronger. I feel better. I feel hopeful.

When you read this, take 30 seconds (or an hour) and remember.

By Paul Mowry

Reflection for Friday, Feb 15, 2008

Romans 4:1-12
"(2)For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness." Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as an obligation. However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness."

We are reminded in this passage that Abraham, our glorified forefather, is justified in his covenant with God because of his faith in God. Faith and faith alone is pointed out as the single necessity for righteousness as before God, Abraham is justified only by his faith, not my his works- "something to boast about." Martin Luther, John Calvin, and the other Protestant theologians pointed to this very piece of scripture and many like it more than five-hundred years ago as they fought against the excesses and contradictions of salvation through indulgences. While one's inward faith might mean salvation, as this passage tells us, we must not limit our thinking of being a good Christian to faith and salvation, but also in the way we interact with the world and one another. Specifically, we must commit to acts of love, compassion, and charity, not as something to boast about, but as a responsibility of our faith.

Today as I was pouring through the subway station, making a transfer from one line to the next which required walking up two flights of stairs and walking down two others, I noticed an elderly woman, who looked rather fatigued and concerned, unsure of whether she even had the strength to carry her bag up and down all of those stairs (Her bag must have weighed at least sixty or seventy pounds and I thought as I carried it up a flight of stairs that indeed, she did not have the strength to carry it.). Hundreds of people must have walked briskly by her, all in too much of a rush, or careless, or figuring someone else could help. Some, many, maybe all of those people have strong faith, maybe they all are devout church-goers but not a single one stopped to help someone in need, not a single one offered a hand of compassion, and love, as Christ taught us.

We are all human, tossed in a world that at times can overwhelm and suppress, antagonize and depress, but if we do not express our faith and our Christian fellowship in a positive, loving way every day and every time we are able, then I charge that we cannot hope to change this world, to ameliorate the harshness of our struggle and that of others even if faith and faith alone means salvation.

By Breisen Miller

Reflection for Thursday, Feb 14

Romans 3: 21-31

"For there is no distinction , since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; for they are now justified by God's grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus..."

All of us fall short. This is a great lesson that love in a committed relationship teaches us. Romance is wonderful--it is full of fantasy. We can play the best version of ourselves and believe in the best version of the other person. It is a time when our life truly feels like a movie and all seems possible. It reminds us of the great things we want for our life and the great love we want to transform the world. Romance promises new beginnings whether it is your first Valentine's Day or your fiftieth. But what balances romantic love is committed love. This is love that picks you back up when the fantasy falls flat, when the movie film goes static, when you realize you don't always want to be the hero or heroine, but sometimes you just want to fade into the background and be loved anyway. God's love doesn't make a distinction between the best version of ourselves and the one that falls short. God loves us for our endless possibilities and loves us in our shortcomings too.

Last night, a few of us discussed our Valentine's Day menu:
"I'm making the only dish I know, meatloaf, but I'm experimenting with a new side of tabouleh. (I'm nervous about this.)"
"We'll skip dinner all-together and just graze on chips and salsa as usual. It's more relaxing that way."
"I'm making seared diver scallops with a blackbean/mango/passionfruit salsa and crabmeat crepes tied with chives. I've been planning this forever!"
"It's not about us, but the kids, we'll work as a family, filling mugs with candy for their classes."

The people and the plans were so diverse in their ideas of romance and of commitment, who could compare them. They each showed something beautiful about their hope in love and comfort with their beloved. Me, I made Magnolia-recipe cupcakes as David laid down linoleum over our wood floor to protect a soon-to-be crawling James from the splinters we often get. Later, our neighbors came by with champagne to celebrate some surprising good news they'd received that day. Our day would definitely fall short of a romantic movie, but it was full of love: the love that comes from being accepted for the small efforts we make to delight each other with lopsided cupcakes, the love that comes in showing an appreciation for safety through a baby-proof apartment, or the love that comes in being the first friends to call with good news. I couldn't feel this love without the knowledge that David, our neighbors, myself, and everyone with whom I'm in relationship have at one time fallen short, perhaps even fell short today, the most idealistic day of the year, but that we are loved still. And God loves us still.

By Rev. Beth

Post your Valentine's Day stories below: past or present!

Reflection for Wednesday, Feb 13, 2008

Romans 3:9-20

Most of the selections from Romans so far (and the reflections) have emphasized that we are all the same in the eyes of the Lord, and that we should not focus on immaterial differences. The final two verses of this selection emphasize what is important in our relationship with God, and especially His law. One of us - thanks to his day job - couldn't help but see the distinction raised by Paul as one of obeying the letter of the law versus obeying the....well, spirit of the law (Law of the Spirit?). What matters is not that we tick the boxes on a spiritual checklist to affirm our relationship with the Lord - instead, following God's word is how we truly become aware of that relationship, and following God's law should illuminate and guide our actions. Simple really, but defining one's relationship with God this way turns it entirely from something passive (simple obedience) into something far more engaged, complex and personal - not to mention demanding.

Of course, that does not mean that the law has no intrinsic value. We all sin no matter how hard we try to do as God would have us do. None of us can say that we are without blame or blemish, because no matter how hard we try, we will never be perfect enough to get into heaven on our own merit. "There is no one righteous, not even one". If we did not have the guidelines laid out in the Bible, i.e. the Ten Commandments, "Love your neighbor as yourself", and the rest of Christ's wisdom and admonishments, then we would not be able to recognize that we need Christ's sacrifice and help in order to be accepted in God's sight. Jesus is willing to become our champion before God, but we have to be able to recognize our failings and weakness through the law so that we will realize that we need Jesus in order to be cleansed of our sins.

-- by Katy and Matt Sandiford

Reflection for Tuesday, Feb 12, 2008

Romans 3: 1-8

We know that God tells us that the Jews are favored people and the biggest indication of that was he spoke to the Jews directly versus the Gentiles where he used Jesus Christ to redeem us. Injustice is a challenging word because it is for us and not against us and what God does is allow the devil to tempt us while He tests us. God gave his people another chance for the Jews are religious. As for the Gentiles, through Jesus Christ a covenant was established with God.

We've all experienced the disappointment that descends upon us when we are passionate in speaking God's word. Some are regarded or labeled as "liars","fanatics" or a idealist full of rhetoric. Romans 3:1-8 tells us that though many people may consider us liars when we speak of God or speak of his word, we must remain steadfast and strong. We must not allow for how nonbelievers perceive us to affect how we view God or affect our faith inGod. Even though many people choose not to believe in God, or believe that he is fair, just and loving, these same nonbelievers do not nullify who God is to us. Our faith remains strong. Our faith is what brings us through the storms of life. Even though some may not believe in God, or may not trust in God, God will always believe in them, care for them and love them because we are all Gods children whether Jew or Gentile. Though some may condemn the concept of God, it is ironic that they unwillingly further justify that God is fair because God does not condemn them in return.

-- by Stephanie Murphy

Reflection for Monday, Feb 11, 2008

Romans 2: 17-29

I thought the concluding verse was very powerful "For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God."

This is a powerful message because it calls us to look within ourselves. We cannot act as like the Pharisees and create barriers between those of us in the Church and everyone else. We cannot be smug about the fact that we are Christians because our outward professions of faith are not what matters. Instead we are need to reach out and manifest the love in our hearts and our spirit.

It made me think back to the readings we did in confirmation class last year. Jesus was constantly struggling against the Pharisees who wanted to create divisions and advocated a strict adherence to the law even when it ran contrary to their spirit. For example, in the parable of the good Samaritan Jesus asked a lawyer "so which of these three do you think was a neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?" The lawyer responded "He who showed mercy on him". Then Jesus said to him "Go and do likewise". It didn't matter that the Samaritan was not a Jew, what mattered was that he showed mercy to someone in need.

by David Mulle

Reflection for Saturday, Feb 9, 2008

Romans 2: 1-16

Do you not realize that God?s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? (2:4)

While Paul's tone is harsh here, I think the message is so important. He echoes the words of Jesus in Matthew 7:1, "Do not judge, so that you may not be judged."

It's easy to hear this as, don't do it because you wouldn't want someone to do it to you. But I hear it as, God has forgiven you! That's the "good news"! So don't judge someone because God has forgiven them and if you judge someone else it means you've probably forgotten that God has already forgiven you, too! Who cares about judging someone else when we know that we are forgiven, that we are okay?

For a long, long time, the Church has put the message out in such a way that most often we only feel bad about ourselves. But that's a mistake. God's Grace has already forgiven us. My experience is that when someone has been kind to me, I feel much better and am more likely to be kind to someone else. I think that is what Paul is getting at in this verse.

I'm glad to be blogging with all of you!

In peace,
Paul

Life Lessons from the Superbowl?

Patrick Dail was one of the retreat planners and sent the following note out to the bocce team members. I thought it was "good" and seemed worth a post. Feel free to add your comments...

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Below is the morning prayer that was read over the P.A. at Fordham Prep on Monday, February 4, 2008 by Director of the Service Program Paul Homer. 4 February 2008 - Giants Super Bowl Victory

Please stand for this morning's prayer:

Today is the Jesuit Feast of the Martyrs of the Mission, but I think these holy men will forgive us if instead we reflect this morning on another great religious theme: miracles in the desert, in particular the one that took place last night in Arizona.

The sports section in recent years has rivaled police blotters for stories that seem to expose the dark side of human nature. Headlines are more likely to feature words like sadism, salaries, and steroids, than they are words like challenge, character, and championship.

But last night's victory by the Giants over the Patriots was filled with moving images and life lessons that reflect sports and humanity at their best.

The Giants game plan reminded us that the hard work of planning and executing can make up for what may be inferior talent. Their total team effort reminded us
that we are at our best when we work for and with others. And it reminded us
that each of us can make a contribution, whether we're a star adored by millions
or a no-name loved only by our mothers.

The play of the defense reminded us that we can do great things when we act with enthusiasm and intensity.

The images of Jacobs and Bradshaw reminded us that sometimes we measure success in inches, and, at other times, we've got to look to burst out of our current environs to seek new horizons.

Manning to Tyree reminded us never to give up even when we're being dragged down, to always use our heads to keep our acts together, and that a Hail Mary is never out of place.

Watching Peyton root for Eli reminded us that, unlike the Cain and Abel story, genuine glory seeks to be shared, not hoarded.

And, most importantly, this year's Super Bowl is a reminder, going as far back as the Tower of Babel story, that it is not for humans to seek perfection; rather, we are called to do the best with we've been given and to ask God that that be enough.

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, we thank you for the gift of sports in our lives, for the fun and recreation they make possible, but especially for the values they can teach and the virtues they can instill.

Amen.

Reflection for Friday, Feb 8, 2008

My first daily reflection assignment is Romans 1:18-32 (God's Wrath Against Mankind), and as I wrote to Beth in an earlier email, it is a difficult selection for me to reflect upon. On a historical note, one interesting aspect of the Christian faith in the United States in the past one-hundred years is a greater degree of personalization of religion. That is not to say that scripture and the tenets of Christianity can be used to justify anything for anyone, but for a human being to accept everything they hear and read, every human interpretation of God's word, and accept it as the only way is probably unfairly excluding a lot of the richness of life, of human experience, and of the Divine. When I read this particular section of Romans about the revealing of the wrath of God to all the "wicked" and "sinful" people, it clashes with my personal feeling, as a Christian, of God's love.

When we come together as citizens, neighbors, and Christians at First Presbyterian Church of Brooklyn, we are not coming together as wrathful people looking to annihilate people who, according to this passage are evil. We come together out of love, desire for peace, and the fellowship of the goodness of God's word. While much of the book of Romans (The Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Romans) does exclaim faith in terms of God's love, I am bothered that passages such as God's wrath have been used throughout history and could still be used now to justify hurting and even killing people, inflaming prejudices, and inciting wars based upon their belief that their wrath is God's wrath and whatever they think is "wicked" must be destroyed. We must be mindful of the time in which Paul was writing his Epistle to the Romans, a time when Antisemitism was growing as a schism evolved over the the Jesus, the Messiah or Jesus, the Prophet. Paul was still subject to the social constructs of his time.

If nothing else, a passage like this makes me reinforce my appreciation that there are churches and Christian groups today that are accepting and loving of people because they accept an accepting and loving God. We are blessed to have such a place, blessed to be with such people and I am truly thankful for that.
By Breisen Miller

Reflection for Thursday, Feb 7, 2008

Romans 1:1-17
Paul is expressing how much the church in Rome means to him despite his never going to it. He is a pastor to people he rarely sees. This is how I often feel with the people in our church, especially the young people who have so much in their lives that make it impossible to come back and visit us. I understand this, but it doesn’t change the way I feel about them. I find myself begging parents or friends to tell me what is going on with the absent.

Paul writes, “without ceasing I remember you always in my prayers, asking by God’s will I may somehow at last succeed in coming to you. For I am longing to see you so that …we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.”

Some people might believe that a pastor gets encouraged directly by God or some unwavering faith, but I think most of us are encouraged by the journeys of the people around us, particularly the youth. When you let me into your lives, minds and hearts, I understand how truly amazing God is for making a person as unique as you with unique qualities and yet struggles we share. I waver on what it means to “pray without ceasing” but I become aware that I am doing it when I am going about my day and a thought of someone just appears.

Since having James and being constantly aware of his needs and schedule even when I am not with him, I realize how memory isn’t just what is on our brain at any given moment, but that the memory of the people whom we care about live in our bodies all the time. When I become conscious of people with a thought like, “hey I wonder if Emma is in a new play?” or “how Christopher, Anna and Eliza are getting on at their new schools?” or “what’s Jessica and Juan’s new house like?” it only reminds me that you have been with me the whole time, “without ceasing I remember you always in my prayers.”

Maybe prayer, like memory, is something that stays with us always, a place where we hold people and events that mean something to us forever. We are not always conscious of “praying” just as we don’t always know when it is we will pull something from our memory for “remembering” but whom and what we care about are always in these parts of us.

-- by Rev. Beth

Ash Wednesday Reflection

Reflection for Feb 6, 2008
Ash Wednesday is a day when we are reminded of our mortality. The phrases we say as we anoint heads with ashes is “from dust you came and to dust you return.” They come from Genesis 3:19 after Adam and Eve have eaten from what was God’s alone. They remind us of our mortality. It is scary to think of ourselves as dust, and yet we are also the breath of God. God took dust and breathed life into it. We are frail particles and immortal ether. I am more emotional this Ash Wednesday because I look at James, my 7-month old son. Is he dust? (No I have 24 hours of back labor to prove that! How much easier birth would be if it was a science experiment like those neon powder figures we used to just add water too!). And yet he and I are both mortal. At 4 months, James went from a sleeping body into a smiling and laughing child. I could see God’s breath in him then and now. We are dust but we are also full of God. When I imposed ashes on foreheads last night, I said “From dust you came, dust you shall return.” I also paraphrased from a verse of Romans, “From God you came, and to God you return.” We are always with God, for God is in us.
I hope you will all consider reading Romans these 40 days of Lent. Just 5-15 verses a day (with Sundays off as a Sabbath). Our youth leaders will take turns reflecting on it and posting it to the blog. Feel free to comment if you are moved.
by Rev. Beth

Join us for a Group Lenten Practice

Calling all youth and youth leaders:

Looking for something to do to observe Lent? Read Romans (in the New Testament) with us. We are reading between 5 and 15 verses a day for 40 days (Sundays we take off for the Sabbath). Each day, a youth leader will post a reflection here on the blog. Please post your comments too or send a reflection to bethfpc@aol.com to post. Start today with Romans 1:1-17 and tomorrow with Romans 1:18-2:1. We may post the other readings on the calendar here, but you can always just read 10 verses at a time and keep up!