April 27, 2011 Newsletter Article

…According to John The Lenten Season and Easter Sunday are past and what a glorious time it was. Thank you to all the people who rehearsed and performed music, who decorated the church, who led us through the “Journey to the Cross”, who participated in the All-Church Picnic and Easter Egg Hunt, and who participated in our Lenten Morning Prayers. I truly believe the Holy Spirit was experienced here. I have been reflecting on my Lenten Journey and have written about it on my blog. You can access it there if you are interested. On a personal note, I want you to know this has been one of the most spiritually moving Lenten seasons of my adult life. Now where do I go? Where do we go? A few months ago I sent Don Johnson and David Eck to a workshop sponsored by the Oklahoma Disciples Foundation entitled “Creating a Congregational Culture of Generosity”. The basic premise of the workshop was the more connected congregants become, and the more involved they become, then the more generous they are with their talent, time, and treasure. To me the connectedness and participation comes as a result of increased spiritual depth. Everything changes when we grow in our relationship with God through the Risen Lord. As we, collectively and individually, focus on our Walk, then old concerns pass. Members are passionate and eager to serve. Participants intentionally invite and welcome others into our community. There is a joy and hope that is palpable, so much so that others want to experience it. Negativity and criticism are abated. There is a profound desire to serve God through participation in the faith community. How are we fed? First, it is individual initiative and action. Jesus stands at the door and knocks. No one else can open it, but you. The discipline of daily prayer and Bible reading is a priority only you can establish. I send out daily emails and scripture readings. Perhaps that is a start, but the “still small voice” speaking is always a personal experience. Second, we participate in corporate worship…regardless of the “style”. In corporate worship we stand before God with our praise and thanksgiving. The efficacy of worship is not determined about how we feel about it or “if our needs were met”. The power of worship is that one chooses to praise and worship God, regardless of life circumstances. Third, we are fed when we seek to feed others, to teach children, sponsor youth, call on the sick and homebound, make evangelistic calls, pray for our neighbors, work for the poor, seek justice, etc. Too often we equate depth of spirituality with busyness. Numerous meetings, obligations, and scurrying do not lead to a more profound relationship with God. Increased spiritual depth leads to increased involvement. Can one see that on the outside, which it is? Yes. Our involvement is an expression of our devotion to God. We do our “work” joyfully, not complaining or commenting on others “lack of commitment”, their “lack of participation”, or “the way they did or didn’t do their job”. We serve, not out of obligation, but out of love. Grace and peace, John McLemore

Personal Reflections on Lent 2011

For the last two Lenten seasons I have initiated a discipline that has benefited me and hopefully others. In 2010 I began a morning email to interested parishioners that included a prayer along with a few joys, concerns and announcements. The prayers were not original, but they were meaningful. While not a major undertaking, it did require about thirty minutes each morning. This practice added depth to my personal journey and the response from the recipients was very affirming, so much so that I continue the practice to this day. The email list expanded to over 200 email addresses which included between 225 and 250 members of the church. I am told that some also forward these emails to other family and friends. On June 25, 2010 I decided to also post the emails to a blog which can be accessed through the church website . Later in the summer of 2010 I decided to write my own prayers. Such an endeavor has challenged me to be more appreciative of God’s “still, small voice” within me, a voice that directs, when I am receptive, my thoughts and actions. As of this writing I have posted over 300 days of prayers, joys and concerns. The blog has had over 3,300 “hits”, averaging a little over ten a day. A few months ago I added another feature. In the back of the Chalice Hymnal there is a suggested reading list of scripture passages that will take the disciplined reader through the entire New Testament and through most of the major events and personalities of the Old Testament in three years. Beginning with Advent in 2010, I have included these readings in my emails and blog posts, yet another activity that undergirds spiritual journeys, mine and others. Today we are on week 22 of year “A”. Of course, I have no idea how many recipients actually read these emails and blog posts, but the practice has made a huge impact in my life, one that words are inadequate to express. Now to Lent 2011, a few months ago I talked to a family member who was engulfed in despair and spiritually bereft. My church and most protestant churches offer opportunities for holy encounters in chapels and sanctuaries, but not daily, not contemplatively, and not anonymously. At the same time, I remembered major public figures, namely the judge killed in the Arizona shooting and Sargent Shriver, when he was able, who lived their Roman Catholic faith by attending Mass on a daily basis. Almost reluctantly I considered a daily practice at Central Christian Church during each day of Lent 2011. What would it look like? Would anyone attend? I finally decided to offer daily Lenten Prayers at 7:00 a.m. each of the forty days of Lent, Monday through Saturday. I would use our Chapel, have subdued lighting, lots of candles, play Taize music and print a daily bulletin which included scripture readings for the day to be read in silence, an opening responsive prayer, brief meditation, prayers of intercession and a closing prayer. The whole experience would conclude by 7:15 a.m. I found a Roman Catholic website and used much of their material, editing and changing certain parts. I announced to the congregation that this would be a part of my personal Lenten discipline. If others wanted to join me, they were welcome. As it turned out there would be as few as four and as many as thirteen each day. Some came daily, others once a week, some only once or twice. Over thirty different people participated, and that was good. The real impact, however, was personal. Getting up at 5:30 a.m. is not my usual practice, but I did it. Spending time preparing the bulletin, the candles, even the music, was in addition to my normal routine, but I did it. Sitting in the Chapel each morning of Lent in silence, listening to the contemplative Taize music, reflecting on the scripture readings, clearing my mind of the clutter that normally lives there, reading the responsive prayers and focusing on Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem and the cross moved me to a spiritual place that I have seldom visited. Certainly I can pray and reflect of the Mystery of the Divine in my office, in my study at home or while driving, but this was a different and much more profound experience. Others responded similarly. I am changed. Will I do this again? Yes, absolutely. Will I find other opportunities to provide this experience for congregants and myself? Definitely. Will I continue the daily emails? Certainly. Will others continue to be impacted by these practices? I don’t know. Have these practices impacted my spiritual journey and will they continue to do so? Without question!

Enhancing the Spiritual Journey

According to John . . .

    In the book, A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future by Daniel H. Pink the author says: "The paradox of prosperity is that while living standards have risen steadily decade after decade, personal, family, and life satisfaction haven't budged. That's why more people—liberated by prosperity but not fulfilled by it—are resolving the paradox by searching for meaning. As Columbia University's Andrew Delbanco puts it, "The most striking feature of contemporary culture is the unslaked craving for transcendence."

    This is the book I am currently reading (on the Kindle the congregation gave me. Thanks again.) I am impressed by the above quote, so much so that I posted it on my Facebook page. Naturally I believe that an experience of the transcendent and ultimate meaning are found in the community of faith, but a growing part of our culture isn't looking there, particularly the younger generations. Issues of worship style and practice are thought to bridge part of this gap, but I am convinced neither old hymns nor upbeat praise songs attract or impact a large number of unchurched "seekers". Somehow coming into a building for an organized service, regardless of the potential "experience" one might have, is not an option. Now don't get me wrong. I strongly support all of our current worship experiences: traditional and contemporary. They are providing opportunities to encounter the Holy and are meeting many needs, but I wonder if we shouldn't consider other options.

    Lately I have been considering an outdoor "meditation garden" or something to that effect. It could be a place where anyone could come at any time, either in groups or as individuals, to meditate, pray and seek an encounter with God. I have been motivated by the Lenten Devotional material which we received from the Regional Church, based on the concept of a labyrinth, which is a vehicle to enhance one's spiritual journey. What if we were to develop a "garden" on our property on the north side of Broadway (my preference) or on the lot to the south of the offices? It might include a labyrinth, places to sit, Christian symbols, maybe even a water feature. One could hear and see the traffic of Van Buren and Broadway (or Maine), but it could be developed as a spiritual oasis where one could mediate, pray and make a spiritual walk. There would be materials and instructions available. Certainly it would be open to anyone in the neighborhood or the larger community. The church could have outdoor "services" there from time to time. It could be another vehicle to nurture, support and possibly invite others into a life changing, life transforming relationship with God. Think about it. I would appreciate your response.

    Grace and peace,

"Christian" vs. "Disciple"

"We might say that Christians are people who have entered a certain sedentary membership or arrived at a status validated by some group or institution, while disciples are learners (and unlearners) who have started on a rigorous and unending journey or quest in relation to Jesus Christ. It’s worth noting in this regard that the word “Christian” occurs in the New Testament exactly three times and the word “Christianity” exactly zero. The word “disciple,” however, is found 263 times."

A New Kind of Christianity: Ten Questions That Are Transforming the Faith (Brian D. Mclaren)