When you cry, who can help?

 As a pastor, I have been asked this extensively.  When there is loss, pain, and suffering, it is difficult to know where to turn.  Crying overpowers any other perspectives.  And, crying is a response to the world out of control, heading no direction.  Therefore, why turn to a pastor and a community for any help?  

I believe that a pastor and the community needs to be prepared to answer exactly this kind of question.  The most helpful response is one that is collectively offered.  Crying and hopelessness will happen – that is a given, especially when we live any kind of life which is interactive with the world around us.  Crying and hopelessness will happen.  As Christians, we need to be prepared.

 There are many possible responses, but let me suggest that the pastor and the community should consider the following Christian response.  I will respond as a pastor and you, as community, can find your own special place in being a follower of Christ:

 What do I do and how do I begin?

 Crying with someone who is lost can be a very good start, so long as you are identifying with their pain and not joining them in a feeling that all is lost and all hope is gone. Internally a Pastor (and/or the community) must be prepared to go to where there is no hope and yet remain connected to the source of hope.  I do not want to sound trite, but this is why it is very important for a pastor (and/or the community) to maintain good spiritual discipline.  In preparing to speak to a community in the midst of tragedy a pastor must ground (anchor) himself/herself in prayer, scripture, and the collective memory of struggle from past communities within their experience.  (Example: What did St. Louis do during the flood of 93, the winter storm of 82, or more recently the summer power outages)? 

 People appreciate honesty  "Sunshine lies" are not going to be convincing.  You must be able to, in your heart of hearts, believe the hope you are professing and attesting; i.e., If someone is in a pit of quick sand and they are calling out for help, as a pastor (and/or a community) I have several choices.  We need to think these through, one by one:

1.  I can ignore their cries for help and let them figure it out for themselves.

2.  I can hear their cry and run for help hoping to get back in time before they sink completely.

3.  I can hear their cry and sit down and cry with them as they sink.

4.  I could jump into where they are and hope that I can pull them out before I begin to sink with them.

5.  I could hear their cry, listen to their situation, assess my resources, find a rope of hope and throw it to them hoping that the rope itself will pull them out or that they can pull themselves out.

6.  I could hear their cry, listen to their situation, cry with them, assess my resources, find a rope of hope, tie it off to myself and throw it to them and hope that by connecting them to my rope of hope which is tied off to me, we can pull together and in the struggle together pull them from the pit of sinking sand.  Again, hoping that they do not pull me in with them.

7.  I could hear their cry, listen to their situation, cry with them, assess my resources, find a rope of hope tie it off to something more substantial than myself and throw it to them and hope that by connecting them to my rope of hope, tied off to something more substantial, we can pull together and in the struggle together pull them from the pit of sinking sand, knowing that I have anchored the rope of hope in something other than me.

8.  I could hear their cry, listen to their situation, cry with them, assess my resources, find a rope of hope tie it off to something more substantial than myself and throw it to them.  When I throw the rope to them I can dialogue with them, and in the dialogue help to remind them of where they are anchored and help them come to the conclusion that they may have a rope of hope of their own that is anchored to something more substantial than themselves, and then pulling together on both of our ropes of hope, and in the struggle and dialoguing together, pull them from the pit of sinking sand.  Knowing that I have anchored the rope of hope in something other than me and I have helped them identify their own rope of hope that was already there.

Things I would do for an entire community would be similar; i.e., helping by asking the community to share their memory of how they have handled past struggle in their particular community, reconnect to the collective connection to our common hope in God, profess the collective recognition that we are not the only ones going through the current struggle, and helping them by proactively getting the community involved in solving the community tragedy through setting up and organizing volunteer and ministry opportunities that bring relief through involvement.

 Crying and hopelessness will happen – that is a given especially when we live any kind of life which is interactive with the world around us.  Crying and hopelessness will for sure happen.  As Christians, we need to be prepared – individually and collectively.  We can do this the best together.

Do you know the story of Ezekiel in the valley of dry bones? It is found in the book of Ezekiel in the 37^th chapter verses 1-14. I am so impressed with the imagery of rejuvenation in this story. It is very encouraging to consider all that God promises to do if only we would be receptive to God’s spirit. The breath of God is one of the most active aspects of the nature of God. It is the part of God that brings life to the lifeless. That breath, as I understand it, is that rejuvenation from living in right relationship. This right relationship has three aspects. First, there is self-relationship: as humans, we are really good at this aspect of relationship. It is innate within us to take care of ourselves. From the day we are born to the day we die we seek to meet our needs. The second aspect of a right relationship is in other-relationship, which also forms pretty early on in our development. In other-relations, we realize that we must rely on others, many times, in order to accomplish what we desire. God-relationship is the final aspect of the right and rejuvenating relationship. This is the relationship we have with the One we believe who helps us understand our world better. Being in "right" relationship is not necessarily about keeping these three aspects properly prioritized, rather "right" relationship (a.k.a. righteousness) is more about practicing all three aspects of the breath of life evenly. It is when we become unbalanced in our practices of relationship that we find ourselves headed for dry bones. So to rejuvenate our own personal dry bones, find our right relationship with God, and our world, we must listen to Ezekiel in the Valley of Dry Bones, and "hear the Word of the Lord."

Ezekiel 37:1 The hand of the LORD came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. ² He led me all around them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. ³ He said to me, "Mortal, can these bones live?" I answered, "O Lord GOD, you know." ⁴ Then he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. ⁵ Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. ⁶ I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the LORD." ⁷ So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. ⁸ I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them. ⁹ Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord GOD: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live." ¹⁰ I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude. ¹¹ Then he said to me, "Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, 'Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.' ¹² Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. ¹³ And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. ¹⁴ I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken and will act, says the LORD."

On September 21st the National Museum of the American Indian opened it’s doors in Washington D.C.  The museum was 15 years in the making and expects to draw 4 million visitors a year.  One of the contributors said that they want it to be a “living museum,'' as well as telling the story of a native people and its culture, including its beliefs, its arts, and its contributions in history.  Its founders also want it to be a constant visible reminder to the nation’s capital that the native peoples in the Americas have a long and sophisticated culture and community.  One of the interviews from Gannet News Service quoted Marie Junaluska, a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokees' tribal council, as saying “she hopes museum visitors will learn who the Cherokees are and what their culture looks like.”   She also said, ''We're in the history books a little bit” and ''We want people to know we're still here and we didn't go away.''

 I took this information off the web and tried not to infringe on any copy write legalities, in the above quotes but I want to raise awareness about a modern day people telling their story to the world.  Sometimes we think that our Christian faith story is in the past; that it is old history and not alive today.  This American Indian testimony to their culture was deliberately centered in Washington, D.C. as a living reminder to all who pass.  And after reading about its opening celebration I could not help thinking about the Christian history and all of the world’s Christian churches which house historical artifacts, architectural building wonders, art in its finest, and the living people who represent its beliefs, cultures, and passions for a faith.  Each and every church in any place, on any corner, in every neighborhood represents the faith story.  And, each and every congregation as well as each and every Christian represents the living image of God to any one who passes.  Our churches, though need to take another lesson from the museums of today, in that we need to be a place of experience and a place where the policy is not always “Don’t touch”.  We to want to say we are in the history books a bit and we want to say that we are still here too and we didn’t go away.  So, it can be said for any people who have a passion for their culture and beliefs.  This is the easy part.

 Now, the hard part.  What is it that you represent?  Is it a loving God? Is it a servant washing the others feet?  Is it a God who feeds the hungry, comforts the afflicted, and tends to the poor?  Is it an instrument of peace and justice? What is in your personal living museum that you display for the whole world to know?  We may not be able to do much about all the Christian churches in this world or even many in our very own cities, but we can do something about our own building where we worship, our own neighborhoods we serve, and our own individual passions as we demonstrate our faith in our own expressive ways.  I challenge you to do as the people who are passionate enough about the Native American culture, and open your personal and community living museum and let people know that the teachings of Christ did not go away.  Let’s live faithfully, passionately, and most of all respectively together and honor each other’s expressions of faith.

 God’s blessings upon all people,

 Rev. Bill Foglesong

With the Eyes of Faith

 As I prepare for a High School age summer camp program I am amazed at how the wonders of nature play such a significant role in understanding the Christian faith. 

 ·        Mountains which represent solidarity and stability.  How Mountains touch the sky and meet both the heavens and the earth. 

 ·        Water which gives life, has a depth and mystery both dangerous and comforting.  Water which represent all things purified and cleansed.

• Even stones have their place in nature.  Stones of oppression, stones of coldness and lost-ness.  Yet, stones can represent sacred places, and jewels of treasure. 

 We could say these things of so many wonders of nature such as wind and fire, rain and snowflakes, trees and flower petals.  More, really, than time permits me to contemplate.  All of these images have been used by great thinkers, eloquent poets, passionate philosophers, and of course inspirational religious leaders. 

 One of the age-old desires to find the answer as to how to strengthen our faith, how to more firmly believe, how to see the love in a soul, how to feel the touch of God, and I could go on and on again listing these faith desires.  I don’t think there is just one magic answer for every person.  I believe that there are many answers to these questions.  But there is an answer.  The answer is in seeing all the riches and the barrenness through the eyes of faith. 

As I sit in my proverbial fishing boat on a calm lake in the awakenings of spring and summer, I know that I can choose to see just the water, just the river, just the wind, and sky, and trees as nothing more than the biological act of a planet’s ecological process, or I can choose to see these marvels as an inspiration of faith.  In the bible there are many references to these wonders.  Some have names such as Tabor, a sacred mountain, living waters as referred to of water in a well, stones which make a sacred remembrance of a special place of honor to God, and again many more.  Do you know what is said about the mountains in the bible?  Do you know of the references to living water and life changing floods?  Do you know how stones were used to cause death or shout hosanna in the presence of Christ the King?  Do you know what the faith-filled people said God thought of these natural elements?  Want to build your faith?  Read the bible and discover for yourself how to see past the ordinary and see the extra-ordinary of God’s creation through your own eyes of faith. 

 As I sit here in my imaginary fishing boat, through my eyes of faith, I can now see the face of God, and feel God’s loved creation.  Join me in seeing through the eyes of faith.

I Can’t Believe These Gas Prices!

I have heard the above statement more often in my life than I want to remember.  The lowest gas price I remember paying was $.50 per gallon.  I used to be able to buy a gallon of gas and then mow two large lawns or 4 small lawns on the one gallon of gas.  Times have changed, I used to charge $5.00 for a small lawn and $10.00 for a large lawn.  Today I would be hard pressed to find someone to mow my lawn for $10.00.  As a matter of fact a large lawn today costs somewhere between $25-$40 to be mowed and trimmed.  But of course everything goes up, why should gas prices be any different?  I used to pay a dime to use a payphone.  Now it is anywhere from $.35 to $.50.  I used to be able to see two movies for $.99 or a Saturday matinee for a quarter of a dollar.  Now I pay anywhere from $6.00-$8.00 dollars.  The price of everything goes up and up!  But so do our wages.  If I made in 1977 what I make today I would have been the wealthiest kid in school.  But it seems like wages never go up as fast, and of course, there is the “fixed income” issue which is even a bigger problem.

 But all of that aside, it does seem that the prices are out of control at times, doesn’t it?  These memories of economic hardships remind me that there are still some things that we can do.  The problem is that too often we are unwilling to make any sacrifice or be inconvenienced in order to have an impact on the market.  I am not talking about a one day strike on gas stations or boycotting movie theatres!  What I would suggest is that we change our lifestyles a bit.  And, it could begin with our neighbors, friends, family, and even our church.  We could join and combine our lifestyles with others close to us, and we then affect the demand on the market and even be better stewards of our combined resources.  When I go to the grocery store my van does not get totally filled.  If I carpooled with one neighbor, friend, or church member, and we all went to purchase groceries, then we would have saved gas, had some time together, and completed a home chore.  Instead of going to work in different cars, find several people who go to your workplace and car pool with them.  Each one of you would only have to drive one time every few work days.  Of course you say but that would not be convenient (even Lisa says this to me).

 To those of you who say that “Doing a lifestyle change would not be convenient” I say you are correct, but if you want convenience you must be willing to pay the price dictated by your desire to have the convenience and be accountable for possibly using excessive resources.  Our desire for convenience is what drives the supply/demand feature of our American economy.  I am suggesting that if we want to change things we must first start with ourselves.  We need to take the time to examine our lives, be willing to share with each other even if we are inconvenienced, and maybe even be an advocate for better use of our community resources.  We really can make a difference if we share our ideas with each other and find a way to be better citizens of the earth.  Because I think this is exactly what Jesus was trying to teach about community sharing, we need to set some time aside to get together with others who need some encouragement to act upon this concern.  I want to make a Christian difference on our market economy, even if it is just a little in my community part of the world.  Join me?  Let’s talk soon.

 I now have a quote which I will repeat often throughout my lifetime.  Right after we closed on our first home, Lisa and I began the process of painting the entire interior (which was sorely needed).  The house had a layer of old semi-gloss paint and a smoky film from years of the previous owners obvious addiction to cigarettes.  We wanted to turn most of it back into flat wall paint.  A friend of ours, in his infinite wisdom and with plenty of experience, told Lisa and I that it was going to be difficult, but “the success of painting is all in the preparation.”  How right he was.  One day, while moving some furniture into our home, we accidentally scratched the paint in our hallway, and would you believe it began to peel in sheets away from the wall.  We watched in disbelief that the paint would peel so easily!  We were sure we had prepared it properly according to Jim’s instructions.  After half the hallway peeled off, the paint finally quit peeling and adhered, as it should to the rest of the wall.  We had visions of waking up one morning and finding the whole house in various stages of paint falling off the walls.  “It is all in the preparation!.”  In the areas that had been prepared correctly, the outcome was as had been promised by Jim.  In the hallway we must have not done such a good job in our preparation.  The outcome was less than satisfactory and very disappointing after all that work.

The statement, “It is all in the preparation” applies to many things in life.  The Christian life is meant to be the living out of such a time for preparation.  If we do not spend the time and effort in preparing our spiritual selves, then the outcome could be as disappointing as that paint peeling off our walls.  I believe that Jesus knew this a long time before all of us.  Jesus spent the time and effort in preparing his spiritual self as he answered God’s call.  Each of us is called by God in someway, and it is our privilege and our responsibility to prepare our selves so that the outcome will be pleasing to God and our selves.  Remember, “It is all in the preparation!” if you believe this and you need a place to prepare your life come join us on Sunday mornings during our worship!

With all the news lately about individuals becoming instant millionaires through the lottery and other means I thought it would be interesting to take a stroll through the Bible to see what it says about wealth.  Here is some of what I found:

·                    (Deu 8:17-18 NRSV)  Do not say to yourself, "My power and the might of my own hand have gotten me this wealth."  18 But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, so that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your ancestors, as he is doing today.

·                    (Psa 49:6,10,16-17)  those who trust in their wealth and boast of the abundance of their riches?  10 When we look at the wise, they die; fool and dolt perish together and leave their wealth to others.  16 Do not be afraid when some become rich, when the wealth of their houses increases.  17 For when they die they will carry nothing away; their wealth will not go down after them.

·                    (Psa 52:7 NRSV) "See the one who would not take refuge in God, but trusted in abundant riches, and sought refuge in wealth!"

·                    (Prov 13:8 NRSV) Wealth is a ransom for a person's life, but the poor get no threats.

·                    (Eccl 5:10, 19 NRSV)  The lover of money will not be satisfied with money; nor the lover of wealth, with gain. This also is vanity.  19 Likewise all to whom God gives wealth and possessions and whom He enables to enjoy them, and to accept their lot and find enjoyment in their toil--this is the gift of God.

·                    (Jer 9:23 NRSV) Thus says the LORD: Do not let the wise boast in their wisdom, do not let the mighty boast in their might, do not let the wealthy boast in their wealth;

·                    (Jer 17:11 NRSV) Like the partridge hatching what it did not lay, so are all who amass wealth unjustly; in mid-life it will leave them, and at their end they will prove to be fools.

·                    (Hab 2:5 NRSV) Moreover, wealth is treacherous; the arrogant do not endure. They open their throats wide as Sheol; like Death they never have enough. They gather all nations for themselves, and collect all peoples as their own.

·                    (Mat 6:24 NRSV) "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.

·                    (Mat 13:22 NRSV) As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing.

·                    (Mark 10:23 NRSV) Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!"

Yours in Christ,

 Rev. Bill Foglesong

 P.S.            Let us receive the wise counsel of scripture and be good stewards of what has been given to us; may God protect us from allowing our wealth to cause our perspective to be skewed.

Waiting…waiting…and waiting some more

Just like many of you, the conflicts around the planet are not far from my conscious thoughts.  Unless my mind is occupied with work or some distraction it usually drifts toward the latest news that I have heard regarding the conflicts. 

We wait to hear the news – the news of POW’s, the news of casualties, the news of peace on the horizon.  So, we wait.  It seems like we are always waiting for something.

Waiting is bad enough, but waiting alone is worse - much worse.  Think of those innocent families, waiting in the midst of exploding sounds near their family homes.  While they may be waiting with each other, they do not think about us waiting with them.  It seems like the whole world is in waiting, as this global village tries to resolve its conflicts.  We must take the time to realize that we are not waiting alone.  That is not just one prayer of a faithful few, or just one church with special services.  It is not just one pastor who is comforting a military family with absent members. 

Are you waiting alone?  Do you think there is no one who cares?  Do you believe that there are just a few who seek peace and justice as soon as possible?  I am telling you, this is just not so.  God has given us each other, many of the faithful from many walks of life.  As Jesus gave His Mother to John at the foot of the cross, so God has given us to each other.  We can wait together

Since we spend so much time in this mode, perhaps we should consider what we do with this time.  We can spend our waiting time in worship, fellowship, and prayer.  Knowing that God is with us can make the waiting bearable, if not enjoyable.  When my thoughts stray to the worries of war, I pray for peace.  When my thoughts stray to the why questions, I softly whistle a little song of thanks for all I do have.  If I am waiting and feel hopeless, I seek out my community and feel revived.  There will always be times of waiting; it is up to each of us to decide how best to wait.  God is waiting for our response, our prayers our love.  And you are waiting for…  Do not wait alone in fear, instead, wait with those who love God, for He is waiting for us.

Awaiting your reply,

pastorbilldoverplace@earthlink.net

That is the difference, I believe, between those individuals who have a living testimony of their faith and those who are just giving lip service to their faith beliefs.  This experiential basis of faith is also what separates those who are actively involved in a ministry from those who are just marking time and doing nothing (playing like they are doing The Church’s, Christ’s, work).  Now you may be asking, “So how can I gain an experientially based faith?”.

The answer is in becoming involved in doing some kind of ministry.  Becoming involved in either a current ministry or starting a ministry that you are compassionate about yourself.  That’s right, your church may not be covering all of the ministry needs in your community.  If you know of a need that is currently not being covered, get involved and see if there is something you can do to create a new ministerial arm of your Church.

Try this and I believe you will find your faith more grounded and you will find yourself going past the point of no return as you are hooked by an experiential faith basis.  And you will be surprised at how many people will want to join you, as you begin to tell about your experiences in the ministry of your choice and your faith development.

Experientially yours in Christ,

 Rev. Bill Foglesong

On the way to Lisa’s office at Nestlé Purina, there is a small diner on the corner of Choteau and 9^th which name is “Eat-Rite” (not the usual words of Eat-Right) I have seen that sign many times and it continues to cause me to Go Fishing.  It is sign rather short in length, and the words just barely fit.  I have often wondered if that was just the way of getting the letters on a short sign – or maybe it is a misspelling, or maybe it has a different naming tradition for the owner.  But, it might also be making a faith statement about the religious rites of eating together.  It doesn’t look like much from the outside and I must confess I have never eaten there, but at breakfast, it is usually full of the local personalities.  It is the name that causes me to Go Fishing every time I see it.

 The Rites of the eating experience has always been one of the central points of religious faith.  There are many ways in which this Rite is expressed:  the preparing, the offering, in the sharing, in religious fasting, the way of cleansing, what foods are used and when… on and on, if you look at the Scriptures.  Eating is a necessary part of our daily existing and it seems natural to incorporate it into our faith community life. 

 Even though it is important to share in the joy of church pot-lucks, Sunday dinners, and breaking bread with friends, the most important meal we can share is at the communion table at invitation of the Christ.  At His table we can truly participate in the Eat-Rite experience.  This one experience of sharing together is the Rite which reminds us of God’s grace, of forgiveness, of answering the call to servant hood, of healing, of thankfulness and much much more.  This is one Rite which belongs in community, which is meant to be shared among us and with the world.  The communion table belongs to each one of us.  We are the guests from the highways and byways, from the outlands, and cities.  Each one of us is on our own unique journey and the Rite of communion is a part of our individual answer to Christ’s offering hand being held out for our response.  Take it for yourself, offer it to someone else, share it, have faith in it, and live the meaning daily.  We cannot deny that there is a place at the table which is always set for everyone. 

 If you have a special need for communion and cannot make it to the church’s communion table, please call me and I will bring communion to you.  The table can be set anywhere – that is Christ’s invitation.  We don’t have to go to that diner in downtown St. Louis to embrace the Eat-Rite experience.  We do that in every worship service and at our meal activities at church.  Let’s continue to Eat-Rite together.

 In Christ’s service,

 Pastor Bill

 When Aria was a little puppy Lisa and her used to go for walks near our house, on one particular walk, in a park near our home, Lisa reported a real faith lesson learned.  In this park there is a murky green water pond with a small island in the middle where ducks nest.  There were numerous baby ducks swimming in the pond following their parent in a line.  Aria was on a long leash and was walking along the edge of the pond when she noticed the swimming duck.  She got very excited and decided to get an, “up-close” look.  She started running toward the ducks and before she came to the end of her leash she hit the water at a dead run (and I am sure she was believing) that she was going to get face to face with these feathery creatures.  Lisa thought she would stop at the pond edge, but much to Lisa’s surprise she didn’t even skip a step and went out on the water toward those ducks.  As you might guess after the two step momentum she sunk like a rock.  It surprised and frightened Lisa who then gave a big pull on the leash and yanked the puppy out of the water in which she had been completely under.  Even Aria had a look of horror and disbelief that the water did not hold her weight and she went under without even trying to swim.  Aria had never been near any water other than her baths and we are sure that the she thought that the green water looked like solid carpet.  Well, the jerk of the leash sent her flying out of the water and back through the air to pond edge toward Lisa.  You can just imagine a jerk of that kind of force on her little neck, but Lisa believed that it was better than taking a chance her drowning.  Aria was scared and scampered up into Lisa’s arms dripping wet with dirty smelly pond water, shaking and trying to climb as high as possible in Lisa’s arms (even though that’s not very high for Lisa) away from the water. 

 Aria believed she had the situation well in control before her encounter with the water.  She found that her experience in faith was not dependable and it did not have the outcome for which she had hoped.  She could have been angry at Lisa for letting her get in that mess, or she could have decided never to trust Lisa again for that terrible jerk on her little neck, or she could have decided never to try anything again.  But, she did none of those things.  Instead, she let Lisa take her near the water again, even though she was still very cautious, knowing from experience that she was not going to step out on the water, but just look at the edge and sniff.  At first, she stuck close to Lisa but after a while she again began her usual doggy activity.  Aria’s faith in water was changed, but not her faith in Lisa. 

 All of us make decisions based upon our faith.  Sometimes those experiences are not helpful and we fall under water.  But God is always there watching out for us, and the church is always there to hold us high until we can regain our lost faith and redirect our faith experiences.

 Besides listening and learning from others we must make an effort to develop our own experiences which can teach us about building a faith in which we can trust.  And, when we discover that some of our experiences do not turn out as we had hope or had expected, we must remember that the church is there to pick us up if we fall and help us to continue upon the road to develop our faith.  God is always there 

Over the years (regardless of how many we have experienced) each of us learn about what is important to us.  As an introduction to you I would like to share some of what I believe is important. 

Christian Faith is important.

            We would not have any reason to gather as a Christian church were it not for our faith in Christ.  Our faith is a telling of a story that expresses truths which help us to find meaning for our lives.  I believe that a faithless people easily lose hope.  It is important for us to keep the faith strong and truthful so that the world can see within each of us, as an individual and as a church community, a way of living and loving all persons.  Following Jesus of Nazareth and learning how to be a servant, offers loving leadership to those who are currently feeling hopeless and faithless.

Community is important.  

            I find a strong community to be an important foundation to a growing congregation.  Open communication is one important element to growing this type of community.  The church’s mission is to proclaim the gospel, to empower the community of faith, and to respond with love to those whom God has given into our care.  I continually search for ways to empower others to seek out their connectedness with a community of faith and God.  We must offer a community of faith in such a way so that it uniquely meets the needs of individuals as they search for purpose for their lives.  I believe that all persons have a special calling to be active in the body of Christ.  I believe in helping to provide the energy to enable the faith community to share a common vision, and to reach out to those persons seeking a relationship with God.

Worship and Music is important

            I am a lover of music and am professionally trained in singing.  I believe that expression through music is a very important way of communicating with God.  Therefore, I believe that music needs to be conscientiously considered when using music to create a worshipful environment.  My undergraduate degree was in music focusing on the therapeutic value of music.  I am skilled in employing music to help individuals, both collectively and singularly, to learn and grow.  A fulfilling and inspiring worship experience is an important part of reaching out to our community as well as growing personally.

YOU are also important to me.