Just Start

Often during this time of the year we are invited to reflect on the past and to make resolutions about how we would like to live in the year to come. Personally, I would rather reflect on my life than change my behavior or patterns.

Although this might have something to do with the abundant amount of food and festivities over the Christmas season I think that it has even more to do with the reality that resolutions take planning and effort. It can be difficult to know where to begin…what most needs to be changed? Where or how could God be calling me right now? Where should I start?

This is precisely where we want to start together during January. At the end of our last annual meeting Pastor John pledged that throughout the upcoming year we would be working to strengthen the global mission focus in our congregation. Since that time we have hosted meetings, attended training events, prayed for direction and listened to how God is calling us forward. We have learned a great deal during this time of reflection and research.

I believe that our learnings can be summed up eloquently by Mother Teresa who said, "Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin."

As we take an honest assessment of the world around us locally and globally we see evidence of social injustice, racism, inequality and political oppression. For some of us, this can be as overwhelming of a reality as stepping on the scale New Year’s Day!

We can let the enormity of the problem paralyze us or we can just start – which is precisely what we are inviting and encouraging you to do at Gethsemane during the months of January and February. Let’s just start doing something new, something more than we’ve done before about mission.
Our just start initiative will include:

• a weekly preaching focus on "Becoming a Good Samaritan" including a guest preacher on the accompaniment model of mission work;

• using Latino-inspired liturgy in worship
• engaging adult and high school Sunday morning education with a DVD-based curriculum
• a visit from a refugee author sharing her story;
• a community movie and discussion night;
• and special education opportunities for our Sunday School students.

Throughout the mission-focused study and reflection time we will come to understand how we can become Good Samaritans, right now, right where we live.

Let’s take this next step together! Join us in fully embracing the mission and spirit of our faith as we seek to obey Jesus’ command to "Go and do likewise" and just start Becoming A Good Samaritan! Throughout this 6-week initiative we will be challenged to identify our next steps individually and as a congregation related to mission.

The Unfolding Light

"There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world." John 1:6-9

As we enter the season of Advent we begin to see a change in the world around us. The days are getting shorter, the weather is turning colder, and our lives are getting busier with events and happenings. I find it interesting that as we near the winter solstice, the darkest day of the year, we are more than ever reflective on and aware of the light that is around us.

This is the time of year when people feel called to put Christmas lights that bring joy and delight to many who see them. These light displays bring an unfolding of light to an otherwise dark and dismal forecast. Without them, we all would be left, well… in the dark.

Advent is the time of year when we each are called to reflect the light of Christ, to "testify to the
light," as John the Baptist did. We know that we are not perfect, that we are not the light of Christ ourselves. But we each have been blessed with a gift of life and love that is a beacon of hope in an otherwise dismal world. In our worship space and throughout our church we are hanging little stars, symbols of the ways we each "let our light so shine," as the challenge in our baptismal call says.

One Sunday in worship many of you wrote on the stars the ways that you are Engaged in a Living Faith, at home, at church, or in the world. For when you are engaged in your faith, you are letting the light of Christ shine as you are testifying to the one who came down to earth and made a difference in your life.

I invite you all to consider what type of "light display" your faith is making? Do you love your neighbor as yourself? Do you do your job with honor and integrity? Do you care for your family as God cares for you? Do you come to worship and study God’s word as a faithful follower of Christ? For when you do all of these things, the light of Christ unfolds more and more in the world around us. Not by our own light, but by the true light that comes into the world and enlightens everyone about this amazing gift we are given in Christ Jesus.

So go ahead, flip that switch and let the light of Christ shine through you!

Star Light, Star Bright: How does your light shine?

Stars are everywhere. Some of the first songs and nursery
rhymes we learn as children have star references. At dusk we look for the first star of the evening to make a wish upon. "Stars" are featured on the cover of magazines, and some people will do anything to become a "star." For an unusually large dollar amount you can even buy and name a star or if you become famous enough you might be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

2,000 years ago the star that led the shepherds and the wisemen to the manger meant only one thing – something special was happening.

On Celebration Sunday we celebrated What’s Right at Gethsemane by asking the congregation to write on a star how they are engaged with Christ - either in their home, the church, or the world. For inspiration I picked up a couple of the stars that members had written on.

One couple reads passages from a prayer book every day.

One youth wrote that they are a junior confirmation guide at Gethsemane.

One person makes a "drive thru" difference; paying for the car behind them at a drive-through and having the window attendants tell the recipients, "to have a blessed day."

Another person wrote that they volunteer in the local community.

These are just the first ones that I picked from the pile of stars – and already I can tell that we do have a lot to celebrate. Gethsemane is definitely engaged by Christ in our homes, the church and the world. One star in particular stood out because it was beautifully decorated with pencil drawings; when I turned it over it just said "draw." Each of us in our own special way can be engaged by Christ – bringing joy to others through words, actions or sometimes just being. Some people "reach for the stars" and are able to implement new ways to serve others and Christ while others wait for an opportunity to come to them. In whatever way you have chosen to serve, your part, like a little star, helps the constellation of Gethsemane shine.

In the coming weeks the written-upon stars will be made into a piece of art that will hang in our sanctuary as a way to lead us through Advent into the Christmas season. Following the light of Jesus Christ we will celebrate what’s right, discover growth areas and then take the next step.

Today we may not have a bright star in the sky to lead us to our Savior, but every day opportunities abound to help us live like Christ. What will be your next step to be engaged by Christ? What will be Gethsemane’s next step? Tonight when you see the first star of the evening make a wish and say a prayer that in whatever ways we choose to serve the Lord it will help the light of Christ shine upon even more of God’s people in our homes, at church and in the world.

On Being Engaged

Have you seen that little smiley face that often adorns t-shirts, water bottles, ball caps and coffee mugs? As legend has it, Jake (that’s the smiley guy’s name) was created by two brothers from Boston. The brothers had a dream to start a business and tried unsuccessfully for five years to sell t-shirts from the back of their van, on street corners and at art fairs. After many failed attempts the brothers created Jake and a franchise was born. They titled their line of goods, “Life is Good” and it has since spread across America.

Even in the midst of poor business prospects and a struggle to survive these two brothers remained focused on their future. A sense of optimism and hope had grabbed a hold of their hearts. Optimism engaged them and they couldn’t help but to respond.

What has grabbed a hold of your heart? And how do you respond? To be fair, I suspect that many things grab our hearts, at least temporarily; things like: diet/exercise plans, a self-help model, our health, people and issues that we care about, and sports teams. But few of these things grab our hearts or engage us in such a way that we can’t help but to respond. None of these things offer ongoing sustenance and have the ability to transform our hearts and lives.

Perhaps this is why I love the phrase, “Engaged by God” in our mission statement. It explains the grabbing, the taking hold, and the unearned relationships that happen at God’s initiation. The Bible is full of ways that God has engaged the hearts of people over the course of history – God heals, God creates our amazing world and all of its inhabitants, God knows us like a shepherd knows his sheep and God forgives. This incomplete list includes just some of the ways that people throughout time have been engaged by God. The Bible is also full of examples of people responding to God’s grabbing their heart – they praise, they thank, they walk away changed, they tell others and yes, they even question and doubt.

Each of us is engaged by God. How do you respond? How do you live out your faith in response to God’s engagement?

The Elements of a Living Faith point to seven ways that we can respond to God taking a hold of our heart. At Gethsemane we offer opportunities for you to participate in stewardship, spiritual friendship, worship, acts of service and justice, Bible study, telling God’s story and prayer. We know that you participate in these elements in your homes, at school, on the sidelines, in your car and your work places as well. This fall we will have the opportunity to explore the many ways and places that we respond to God’s engagement in our lives as we celebrate what is right in our life and faith.

We also want to encourage you to look for additional ways to respond to God engaging you – take the next step. It’s worth it!

After all, God engages us just because He loves us – wow! Life is Good!

Engaged by God in Worship

Worship is one of our 7 Elements of a Living Faith. "Engaged by God" is part of our mission statement.
I write this article just as the church music groups are all starting up again for the season, and they’re doing a great job. We in the music department know that our primary job is to lead the congregation in song. We prepare week after week to effectively do this. We know that music is a treasured gift that we use to worship God as a community, whether we are a seasoned professional or an eager volunteer.

We also realize that our job as music leaders is becoming increasingly more difficult as we observe that many are not engaged to be led. Have you noticed that some people come to be observers only? Not opening the hymnbook or bulletin? We know that contemporary communication and entertainment has made it easy for us take in much information and to be critical observers, but not always participants. So where do we all fit in?

It is an age-old belief that worship is a "community effort," meaning that the whole community is included in the act of worship. In fact, worship is one big dialogue. Leaders speak (sing) and the community (congregation) responds. What a great plan for group participation.

Leader: In peace let us pray to the Lord
ALL: Lord have mercy.
Leader: Hear us O God
ALL: Your mercy is great.
Leader: The Lord be with you
ALL: And also with you.
Leader: Go in peace, engaged by God
ALL: Thanks be to God.

What about music? Hymns and songs are chosen because of the function they play or the themes that they present. Congregational song provides a way for the community to join together in a powerful collective to proclaim what we believe and what we value as a Christian community.

But what if you cannot sing? Because so much of our music comes from scripture or Christian poetry, we maintain that the words themselves are a great witness to our beliefs. So if you cannot sing, you might wish to just follow along (or sing softly) to be involved with the whole community.

Where to start? Consider raising the importance of Children and Youth Choirs for your family. We Adult musicians have been doing this since we were in children’s choirs and we were groomed to be active in the life of our church in all aspects (teaching, mission, stewardship, outreach) through our experiences.

Our Children’s Choir does a great job, but should have many more members. Would you like your child to be on a path of life-long church participation? Perhaps Children’s Choir is perfect for your family and for our whole faith community’s future.