Back to the Journey

Well, it has been a couple of weeks since I wrote. Two weeks ago, I worshiped at ST. Andrews (my home church) due to a family member being in the worship service. Last Sunday, I was feeling under the weather so I chose to stay home. So this week I was back to the journey! During my time away from visiting, I have been reading The Bhagavad-Gita. A reflection on that scripture will follow at a later date.

This week I chose a place to worship in that does not look like much from the outside. I was pleasantly surprised by the beauty within. This was a very small sanctuary and a very small congregation, but a welcoming one! I meet a congregational member in the parking lot and she invited me to sit with her and her husband. Most people welcomed me and there was a moment of fellowship after the service in which many people welcomed me, before they headed off to Sunday School.   I have grown up in a tradition where Sunday School was before the worship service. Many places I have visited this summer do the opposite, a concept that I am having an interesting time wrapping my mind around. It is interesting how you tend to hold onto what you grew up with.

I enjoyed the service I attended at lot, partially because the service flowed like the services I am used to and because my beliefs were right in line with the theology of the pastor. Until we got to communion. On a side note, I think I have taken communion more this summer in other places that I have in my home church this year...It has been interesting trying to figure out the logistics of taking communion in different places. Anyway, I grew up with the belief that communion should be taken by those who have been baptized and those who fully understand what it is all about. I did not belief that if you were a visitor or if you belonged to another denomination, that you you should be exempt. After attending St. Andrews, I became comfortable with the table being open to ANYONE. You all know I am a very inclusive person  and I do believe that it is for everyone, however I find that I am still struggling with the idea, of say my youngest step-son taking communion and having no idea what it is about or why he is doing it. So, attending a service where I was reminded that the table is open for all who have been baptized and who are followers of Jesus brought back that internal struggle that I often encounter in my mind. I welcome any thoughts or discussion on the issue.
Please feel free to comment, if you desire.

Speaking of internal struggles, the message was exactly what I needed that day. I have spent the last two weeks getting my classroom set up for the beginning of school. I have also started graduate school at Lehigh and I am already overwhelmed with work. I was reading from one of my text books, the house was quiet, those who were up were out and the rest were sleeping, and the temptation to continue and not go to worship was great. However, I know that I need God in order to do it all, so I put the book down and left for church. One of the scripture readings was Matthew 6:25-34 (one of my favorites!). I was not only worried about my job and my school work, but also about some other personal situations going on in my family. I so needed this reminder that I do not need to worry about what I will eat or drink or wear as God will provide. "So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today." (Matthew 6:34). What an incredible reminder of what God does for us!

The message came from Matthew 11:25-30. Another message that I needed to hear considering all the work I have been doing. I need to set aside time to nourish my spirit and to rest. We are all so much more than our jobs, if we don't take time to rest,  build our faith, nourish our souls, and maintain our relationship with God, the rest is for nothing.

Things I took away this week:
1. God reveals things to children because at times, our intellect gets in the way of listening and knowing things our hearts know.
2. The Father and Son (God and Jesus) have an exclusive relationship. God has revealed all to the Son. To know God, you must know Jesus.
3. Look to Jesus to learn as he will reveal these things to you. He provides rest for our souls. Rest from the stress and daily grind that we often face in life.
4. I also learned that sometimes things are meant to be....I needed that message on that day. It is amazing how God works, that I chose the place that Sunday with the message that I needed that day! Gos is amazing!

Worship August 11

Often during a summer worship, you may encounter a worship service that is different from then norm, such as a VBS closing program or a pastor on vacation. This Sunday, I went to a worship service that was planned and led by the music and worship staff member. There was no formal sermon, however there was plenty of music and readings that several members of the congregation participated in throughout the service. I thought it was neat how many people participated!

Upon first entering this place of worship, I was greeted by a women with whom I had worked with last summer during the extended school year program that I worked at as a special education teacher. We chatted a little and I explained to her what I was doing. She invited me to sit with her family. It was wonderful to meet her family and experience worship with them! It was helpful to have someone fill me in on which hymnal we were singing out of (there were two), since there were so many songs in the service and to explain how communion was taken (yes, I hit another communion Sunday). She also let me know that this was not the typical service, as there was usually a sermon. I love seeing people I know and meeting new people as I go no this faith journey. It is interesting to see who God puts in our paths.

I have been getting my take away from the message or sermon the last few weeks, so this was a bit challenging, as I had to put the songs and readings together to figure out what my take away was going to be this week. I realized that my take away could be anything, the way communion was done, the way the songs were sang, the little messages hidden within the readings and the music. My take away doesn't have to be from a sermon! The theme that ran though the service was God providing in his time and in his way.

It was clear to me that the music director was passionate about his gift for music as it relates to worship and praising God! He had children come up front and sing at two different parts of the service. Some of the songs were accompanied by a piano, some by a violin, and some were sung a capella. Some times he had us hum a verse, some times just the women sang, and sometime just the men.

A few things I took away:
1. I love experiencing the music in other places.
2. This was a larger congregation and communion was taken by usher guiding an entire pew to one of the four corners in the sanctuary where leaders served each person from that pew. Everyone gathered in a circle and the sacrament was offer to each person. I was asked my name, welcomed, and given the bread and wine (aka grape juice). In this community, one could take the sacrament as long as they were baptized. Children were baptized when they were able to make that choice although most would chose around age 6 or older. Those children not yet baptized, would go up front with their parent sand receive a package of friut snacks from the childrens' pastor. I loved that idea!
3. God provided for 5,000 from 2 loaves of bread and some fish...he will provide just enough for you as well.
4. When disasters occur, God sends people to help with the clean up efforts. All things are possible with God!
5. There was a special blessing for those leaving for college towards the end of the service. I though that was a wonderful thing!

Yesterday, while at the Yoga Life Institute in Devon, Pa, I was participating in a chakra meditation.  After having done a chakra relaxation, we were instructed to pick a chakra to meditate on. I picked the heart chakra. Then we were told to meditate on the back of this chakra, for example with the heart chakra, most often it is in the giving, but receiving is also part of this chakra. Those with big heart chakras (such as myself) are always giving but not so good at receiving. I took this time during meditation to reflect on all the blessings I have received from God. I feel as though this meditation was relevant to the message that I was able to take away from the worship service I attended today.

I thank God for all the blessings in my life and the opportunity to experience worship in so many different ways! I have been blessed as I have been welcomed and received in each place I have gone to for worship! Amen!

Book Study!!!

 

Due to my Yoga Intensive weekend from July 26-28th, I was not able to worship so I read book instead! If you know me, you know I LOVE to read! It is not uncommon for me to have anywhere from 3-5 books going at one time. Anyway, I read two books with very different views on religious pluralism. Both books were well worth the read and had excellent points about Christianity. I would like to reflect a bit on these books...

The first book I read was called " Encountering God" by Diana L. Eck. Diana is a professor at Harvard, teaching religious and Indian studies. She is the director of the Pluralism Project, which seeks to map the new religious diversity of the United States. She details her journey as a Christian from her childhood in Bozeman, Montana to her studies in Banaras, India. She reveals how other religions have shaped and enlarged her Christian faith. Her book is based on interfaith dialogue; exploring the challenges of religious diversity and the importance of inter-religious dialogue for mutual understanding and transformation not only for ourselves but for the world we live in. It is a wonderful read if you, like myself, enjoy interfaith dialogue and learning about other faiths. Diana takes you into the hearth of India lets you in on what challenged her Christian faith during her travels and studies and what made her faith stronger.

The second book I read was called "Jesus Among Other Gods" by Ravi Zacharias. Ravi Zacharias is a Christian apologist who disagrees with the current attitude of religious pluralism and searches for the truth. Having been born in India and raised Hindu, Zacharias came to Christianity as a young adult. He is very knowledgeable in both western and eastern religions.  His view is that all this religious pluralism and acceptance is absurd and that all religions simply can not be true. Zacharias considers six questions Jesus answered in a way that skeptics can not challenges Jesus' uniqueness in claiming he was the divine.

Although I lean more towards religious pluralism, Zacharias's book is a must read for Christians as it answers some tough questions concerning the Christian faith. I enjoyed reading both book equally, although there are some things I do not agree with. It is interesting to read others view points about religion. I strongly recommend both books to anyone interested in the Christian faith, inter-religious dialogue,  and religious pluralism.

Back to Worship

 

Many of you may have noticed that there was no post last week. That is because I was attending a yoga intensive all weekend. Although I enjoyed the weekend immensely, and experienced some personal growth, it did not allow me time to attend a worship service. I did, however read two books last week, by two religious scholars with two very different views on religious pluralism. I will be reflecting on these books in a post later this week.

I am a strong believer in whatever brings a person close to God, helps them get to know God, encourages worship and a relationship with God, and supports them spiritually (as long as it doesn't bring harm to themselves or others) is a wonderful thing. I know what I prefer when it comes to worship. I prefer to worship in a sanctuary with pews and stained glass windows. I prefer an alter with a cross somewhere on or around it. I prefer singing traditional hymns accompanied by an organ. I prefer scripture readings from the Bible. I prefer a small community where intimate relationships can form and where I know almost everyone by name and know something about them. This is what I prefer and how I like to worship. Part of this journey I have embarked on has taken me out of my comfort zone and put me in places that do not provide these things as part of worship. The place I chose to worship at today, I chose since my son has been attending youth group at this church, as well as participating in youth activities at our home church. I was blessed to have him join me for worship this morning!

As I entered the room that was being used for worship, I was a little disappointed that there were no pews and no stained glass windows. My son informed me that this was the room they played basketball in before youth group. I looked at the chairs set up,at the stage with the instruments, microphones, and screens, with the sound system in the back and wondered how this worship experience was going to go for me. I do love live music so that part was exciting, however I felt as though I was at a concert or a presentation, not a worship service. The service started with singing and prayer. As I relaxed a little, I realized that the environment isn't what is important, I can worship and connect with God anywhere! He was present in that building and in the people that were present that morning! A church this big has a large congregation and two worship services on Sunday mornings. People kept coming in as the service continued with the collection of the offering. A church of this size also has several pastors. I saw in the bulletin who was preaching, but did not think anything of it at the time. Next was communion. I was a little anxious as I did not know what to expect. How was communion done in this denomination and at this church? Was the table open to all or just to members? My anxiety was relieved as a pastor invited all believers to the table, members or not. As this part of the service unfolded, I had a profound realization. When taking communion at my home church, I was so used to the routine, at times it seemed that I was just going through the motions, without focusing on the meaning of the act. Being in an unfamiliar place, I was able to fully immerse myself in the act of taking communion without it being a route routine! My first blessing that morning was my son coming to worship with me. My second blessing was the communion experience!

Finally, it was time for the message. This particular church was in the middle of a series of sermons and I happened to attend worship on the Sunday set aside for the sermon about finances. The message was from Matthew 6:24 " No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth." The message was long but very relevant to me, and I am sure many others who feel as though they are "slaves" to their debts, money, and/or lifestyles. The pastor did an excellent job of unpacking many ideas that could be considered helpful to those of us (myself included) who often put wealth above God. As the pastor preached, I realized that I recognized his face. I looked in my bulletin at the name and sure enough, this was a man I had gone to school with and graduated with. We had not been close, however I was thrilled to see that this was the path he had chosen and was greatly impressed with his message! I was able to speak to him for a few minutes after the service, which was pretty cool!

A few (of the many) things I took away:

1. God is our cornerstone during the storms that will come through.
2. I know what I prefer when it comes to worship,but I can worship anywhere. God is present in all situations!
3. When we cleave tight to our money, we do not get the opportunity to see God provide for us. We also miss the opportunity to help others.
4. If we serve money some of the time, and God some of the time, the two will eventually collide and you will have to make a choice.
5. No one wants to live feeling as though they are a "slave" to their money. Take steps to gain control of your finances keeping God as your focus and at the center of your choices. Try to resit the urge to impulse buy or to justify purchases with the "I work hard and I deserve this" mentality. God will provide all that we need! 

Christmas in July

This past Sunday I sort of cheated in my faith journey of worshiping in different places, as I had heard the Pastor of this church preach before, but I had not attended worship in his church before this past week. As I have stated before, the denomination, the name of the place of worship, or any other names associated with my worship experience are not important.  What I am focusing on during this phase of my walk is the take away and what I am learning about myself and my faith, as I reconstruct my beliefs. The denomination of this place of worship, however was very similar to my own home church.

I did not know the service this particular Sunday was going to have a Christmas in July theme, however I was very excited when I realized that I was going to get a chance to sing Christmas Carols! I was very much in my element as I love EVERYTHING about Christmas! I love the feeling of peace and goodwill, the birth narrative, the giving, the decorations, the baking, and the music! It was very cool that I picked this place to worship on this particular Sunday!

Before the service started, a women asked me if she could sit with me. We started talking and I explained to her what I was doing. She expressed that she thought it was a wonderful idea, that she had moved around a lot due to her husband being in the military and had enjoyed worshiping in different places, and explained that she felt she had been on this journey for 70 years and was still learning. First, I couldn't believe that she was 70. I would have put her somewhere in her fifties, but I am a terrible judge of age. I told her that I believe that we continue to learn all our lives. We continued to talk until the service started and after it was over, she invited me to stay for coffee and we talked for about 45 more minutes. I would probably never had met or struck up a conversation with her if I had not visited her church. I didn't expect to make such connections when I decided to expand my horizons in this manner! I am excited to see who elese I connect with on this walk!

The first hymn was "O come, All Ye Faithful (one of my favorites!). After the Call to Worship and the Opening Prayer, the pastor led us in a Christmas Carol Hymn sing. The way this worked was anyone who wished called out a hymn and we sang two verses of that song. If you are familiar with most Hymnals, you know that the majority of Christmas hymns are in the same section of the hymnal. When the pastor announced that this was going to be the last hymn, a gentleman called out a hymn number that was not close to the other numbers, however it was the hymn "Let There be Peace on Earth" and it was just perfect for that moment! Of course, this is another of my favorite hymns! I would wager to say that I have MANY favorite hymns and Christmas Carols! This hymn always invokes a rush of emotion in me as I sing it. I had already found my first take away before the message!

The message was from the Old Testament, the book of Ezra chapter 1:1-7. In this scripture passage the focus is on rebuilding. Those who had been exiled by King Nebuchadnezzar were permitted to return and rebuild as per King Cyrus. I took several things away from this message:

1. We all have baggage. It is hard to rebuild with all that baggage we lug around.
2. Terrible things happen, but God is still here! Amen!
3. Things will never be "like they used to be" and if we get stuck in that though, we are missing out on a lot of wonderful things that God has in store for us.
4. Sometimes the foundation is where we need to start and celebrate the journey as the foundation grows. 
5. If we take the time to look, there is always hope and opportunity during tough times.
6. When things get tough,  that is when we really need God, and many of us (myself included) will often "forget" to connect with him in prayer. God works in his own time and in his own way, we just need to be open to it.

This was a very positive and inspiring worship experience for me!  I will end with a few questions for discussion:
1. Where do you find your hope and strength when things get tough?
2. Do you look for the hope and opportunity or do you get stuck in lamenting the way it used to be?
3. Do you celebrate the little thing along the way?

 

 

Worship Sunday July 14, 2013

 

As I break free from the things that hold back my faith, I am taking this next three months to experience worship in other places. This personal journey of reconstructing my faith is focused on my walk so it serves no purpose to mention the names of the places I will worship in, the denomination, or the names of people I encounter on this path. I am sure that I will have experiences that do not match my own personal beliefs, however my goal is to take something positive away from each and every experience. The positive take away will be the subject of my reflections.

This past Sunday, I chose a place of worship solely on the beauty of the building. I had often driven by this building, was drawn to it, and had eagerly wanted to enter it and worship there. The building was small and simple but it's beauty spoke to me. Once inside the structure, I was pleased to see that it was just as beautiful, if not more so, on the inside! I had arrived early for the service and was greeted by the Pastor who introduced me to his wife and a few other congregational members who had gathered early. I was able to explain to the Pastor what it was I was doing with my faith journey.  He offered to give me a tour of the building as we talked. By the start of the service, I had been introduced to every member of the small congregation, that was present that Sunday.

I absolutely loved the music in the service! And the people's expressions of their faith as they sang and throughout the service. It was wonderful to see such expressions of faith and such love for God! The message was based on the book of Acts chapter 17:1-11. This was exciting to me as the last sermon I had preached, on May 12, 2013 was on Acts 16:16-34.

The three main points I took away from the message were:

1. Wherever town Paul ended up in his journey, he found a synagogue and  went to it. He may not have been well received at all of the synagogues, but he went. No matter where we go, we can seek out God in any place of worship.

2. The Jews in Thesalonica  examined the scriptures every day. Studying scripture daily is essential for our spirit and soul. I make an attempt to do this daily.

3. These same Jews also examined the scriptures to see if what Paul and Silas preached was true. The take away for me here was to study for yourself and not just believe what others say. It is easy to be deceived. Listen to what people tell you, but study and learn for yourself.

Something I found myself reflecting on, as a result of this message, is how literally do we take the Bible. People can find a scripture to defend any of their beliefs, if they choose. Was the Bible meant to be taken word for word? Or is there a deeper meaning imbedded in the stories? I welcome any discussion on these questions.

How did I get here and where am I going?

This first post is just to give you a little background on who I am, where I am in my faith journey, and why I am choosing to do what I am doing. My name is Jessica Reese. I am 38 years old. I am married and have four children, two cats, and a dog. I work as a Special Education Teacher in the Pennridge School District in Bucks County Pennsylvania.

As a child, my family had an on again, off again relationship with the Christain church. We would go to worship on Sunday mornings for long periods of time, stop going for longer periods of time, then go again. Periodically, I attended Sunday School and sang in the Children's Choir. I would often participate in Youth Group activities including my favorite "Habitat for Humanity". Two summers in a row, we traveled to South Carolina and built houses with this organization. It was an incredible opportunity to go back the second year and meet the families that were residing in the houses we had helped build the year before. This was my first experience with selfless service to others.

Despite my on again, off again relationship with the church, I was a spiritual personal with a faith based in Christianity. We attended a Brethren Church and I knew all the Old Testament stories, the story of Jesus birth, and the Crucifixion.  I knew a few New Testament stories but had no real in depth study of any of the scriptures. I would often read my Bible on my own, struggling for some meaning behind the stories. I would pray. I would hold conversations with God. I had the beginnings of faith that would carry me through some rough times as an adult. I started reading spiritual texts and practiced mediation in my early twenties. I had no church home at this time. A good friend of mine took my son to Vacation Bible School one summer at St. Andrews UCC in Perkaise, Pa. Of course, I attended the closing program and thought the church was nice. My son attended VBS the following summer and once again, I attended the closing program. I remember being impressed that the Pastor remembered my name. However, it did not feel like home.

A couple of years later I decided to look for a church home. I had a strong desire to attend worship regularly, as I recognized the need for community and I enjoy worship. I had been through a lot at this point in my life and knew I had gotten though all of this stuff with the help of God. After visiting many places of worship, I returned to St. Andrews, which felt like home this time and there I have worshiped for the past 10 years. I have participated in many aspects of church life and worship at St. Andrews. I have volunteered for VBS, taught Sunday School, volunteered in the Nursery and Children's Church, served as the Christian Education Directer for 5 years, served on Consistory (even was president for a short time), served as an usher, and as a liturgist. I am sure I am forgetting some other things such as worship planning, Dinner Theater, White Gift Service, and Women's Services as well as Women's Retreats. I must also remember mentoring four young people on their Confirmation Journey and attending two Confirmation Retreats as well as Youth Group Retreats. As if that isn't enough, I preached six sermons. While this is all wonderful stuff and I loved every minute of it, all this business has taken me away from my core, my true self, the essence of my faith and beliefs. I have come to a point where I need to step back and reconstruct my own faith.

A few years back, I took a World Religion class. I became hooked on the Islam Faith. Shortly after that, I became enthralled with Hinduism and Buddhism. Each of these three beautiful religions have contributed to what I believe today and where my faith is taking me on this journey through life.

This is where I am today so I have decided to spend the next three (or more...) months worshiping in different places in order to expand my faith journey. Have no fear my St. Andrews friends, I will be back sometime in the fall. I have started this blog to include you on my journey, if you wish to accompany me. I plan on posting at least once a week, after each worship experience.  I encourage and welcome dialogue as I make this journey. I ask that all comments be positive as this experience is personal. I am allowing you in on my journey so please be respectful of my  decision to do so and refrain from any negativity in your comments. The Peace of our Savior Jesus be with you all!