The Invitation

We are invited to be in relationship with God, will we accept it?

The Sin - Franz Stuck, 1909

This last week I had a lovely conversation with Thea Curry-Fuson who told me a bit of her conversion story. She told me that she had never heard that you can have a personal relationship with God, and what it might look like, until some lovely Czech women witnessed to her.

I always love to hear how people came to know God, how He’s changed and healed their hearts and lives. But as I’ve considered Thea’s story, it also makes me deeply sad, that obviously there are so so many people still, both in and outside the church, that don’t understand what this personal relationship could look like.

Part of my “call to ministry” was realizing as a very very young child that people didn’t know Jesus loved them, and I was very compelled to help people know this. So much that I wrote out my message many times and delivered these missives door to door in the town where I now live. When I moved back here fourteen years ago, a lady in that same neighborhood dug out this piece of paper for me and showed me my earnest handiwork that I’d done as a tiny child.

My message needed a smidge of refining, but this core belief compelled me then and still compels me now — God loves us and wants to be close to us!

Maybe you have heard this term a lot, that we should have a “relationship with God.” For many of us, its been pitched as the highest goal and the most important thing, but do we really stop and actually think about what that means?

I’ve had other people tell me that the concept of relationship with God borders on heresy. “How can the God of all the Universe, who’s all knowing and all powerful, possibly have any interest in me? How gauche¹ of us to even think we can approach Him, much less be in a friendship!”

And yet, this is Jesus’ invitation to His disciples and to us². This is the culmination of the story of our God. He is not distant, He is not removed from our suffering (see exhibit 1,000,000,057, “Cross”), He is near, He invites us into relationship. And while we constantly make crummy partners in friendship, He does not. He is reliable, generous, kind, gracious, patient and trustworthy. Even in the face of my mistakes, my stinginess and scarcity, He invites me close. But again, what does this “closeness” mean?

Many of us answer that question by trying to focus on doing whatever God wants, “Just tell me Your will God, and I’ll do what you need/want.”

I don’t think this is a bad place to start, but it’s hardly a real relationship. What if my marriage was built on such an arrangement? HA! Those of you who know me, might very well say, “Isn’t it? Doesn’t Husband just does what you tell him!?” This may well be how it sometimes appears from the outside, but that’s not really the marriage we have. We have our areas of expertise and inside those we have agreed to lead and follow however it falls. Neither of us is really the boss, we are partners, and friends.

So what if we explored this idea of a friendship more as a partnership, like the friendships most of us desire and dream about? God doesn’t just want to “tell us what to do” because He wants to partner with us in the work of revealing His Kingdom on Earth. He has certainly made us with unique personalities and interests and hobbies. This week a woman who’s really into reptiles came to show our homeschool co-op class part of her collection of 50+ snakes. She’s a snake freak! I can’t even imagine this life for myself! And yet, I’m so glad that somebody else takes such an interest in this part of God’s creation — of exhibiting, understanding and celebrating snakes! Wow! I’m so so thankful that people start small businesses and run restaurants and build things and that we all somehow become a part of this beautiful web of creation by doing simply what we liked, enjoyed and wanted to participate in.

If we have an ongoing and healthy relationship with God, I’m not sure that most of life is made up of right and wrong choices³, but mostly I believe (and have seen in my own life) God asking, “What’s your preference in this? What interests you? Where do you feel most compelled?” Certainly there are times when He calls on us to help in specific ways, but as it’s part of our relationship. These things are part of a long dialogue that will last our whole lives. The fact that the God of all the known and unknown wants to partner with us is flabbergasting indeed. But I don’t think it’s heresy, I think it’s truly the good news. We matter to God, He has come to us when we least expected or even deserved it, and invited us to return to that true partnership. He shows this by coming to Adam and Eve in the Garden, even after they choose to do their own thing. By constantly looking for partners with whom to reveal His plan in Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And ultimately by coming Himself through humanity to minister to us when we are most rebellious and ready to kill Him because He was blocking our view of “god.”

What a friend.

with love,

sierra

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Ask a Priest

Q: I am wondering why you don’t seem more politically minded? Shouldn’t the church, and by proxy its ministers, care about politics? Shouldn’t it take a stand on important issues? -Zealous

A: This question seems to come up often in the church today. People are either wanting way more or far less specific “political” talk in church. We’ve heard that if the pastor doesn’t talk about specific issues/current events/etc., you should find a new church. And when other pastors do take stands and sometimes even tell their congregations how to vote, and that’s another reason to leave. In my view I think the church is naturally quite political, but not in the way of picking one American side of Republican or Democrat. After all, the church has been around far longer than the United States and will outlast all countries. But saying that we believe that Christ is King is hugely political. Saying that we are working to bring the Kingdom of Heaven to Earth is also shockingly political. Have we just heard these things too much to really hear them anymore? This is precisely why the church has faced such bitter persecution in all ages — because it’s a real political threat. I wonder if perhaps you have equated “political” with the wrong things? It saddens me that so many people replace “American politics” with religious affiliation and a sense of purpose and belonging. I’m not sure that being red, blue, or any other color can really hold us in any deep long term way. When we choose politics over God’s kingdom we often find that we’re angry, burned out and empty. I myself am a strict monarchist, and am working very hard in this movement of bringing the Kingdom of Heaven closer. Do I always succeed? Do I get it wrong? Do I even fully understand what this means and how best to accomplish this? Of course not! It’s a slog, (pray for me!) but I see that God has always been moving, and that the arc of His Kingdom on Earth is bending ever so slightly more and more towards Truth, Goodness and Beauty. I am confident that I will continue to see glimpses of this on Earth in my lifetime!

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Bits & Bobs

As part of our household Lenten cut back, I canceled all our TV streaming services. We had two, but still… it’s so much money! Turns out I read a lot more when I can’t just kick back and watch TV. I’ve seen that streaming is loosing ground… sounds like people are becoming increasingly annoyed by the idea of renting interminably but still being forced to watch ads. Will be interested to see what happens.

This week I finished “The Correspondent” by Virginia Evans. Apparently it was all the rage last year. I’m normally wary of popular books, but this was very good. An excellent listen as it employs different readers for the different letters.

I also finished a paper novel, which is very very rare for me… I might be back on an actual reading kick! I raced through, “Search” by Michelle Huneven. It’s about the drama and intrigue of a search committee looking for their next pastor. It’s set against the backdrop of a Unitarian Universalist church, but really, it’s the story of every church and organization as it navigates the choices that will sustain or destroy it into the future. Anyone who’s been involved in any way in ministry will laugh and cry, regardless of the denomination and politics.

Several years ago I sorted my clothes into three month seasons, instead of the usual summer and winter. I’ve since added all kinds of other seasonal shifts, scents, cosmetics, coats, etc. It’s an exciting transition every three months! I’ve noticed that I usually get tired of a season (and all my clothes) right around this three month mark, and it gives me a creative outlet and something to look forward to. This practice has also has helped me cherish a season, instead of feeling that it’s a drag. March is my least favorite month, and winter in practice is nowhere near finished for us. But somehow changing into my “spring” coat (it’s bright green!) and wearing more spring color, and bright floral scents, helps jolt a bit of happiness into my routine. Winter may grind on, but of course spring will return again.

My painting choice this week is a bit tongue in cheek… Also, so creepy, right?! But the snake lady who came to show and tell also said she’s been studying how different kinds of animals show emotions. We mammals have certain ways of exhibiting our feelings (warmth) and reading other mammals emotions too. But reptiles and other cold-blooded animals show emotion differently. How interesting to consider the layers of experience that are all around us.

1. gōsh - tacky, crass, crude. We need to bring this word back!

2. John 15:15

3. though of course right and wrong is a factor… I’m talking here more about choices that are equally right, with no clear better one.