These perplexed questions of grief and astonishment are often the questions asked after a loved one dies, especially when we are not ready for them to pass from this life to the next.
Jesus spoke the commandment to love one another as a friend. I find these words vague. It’s like he tossed these words into the air for us all to decide for ourselves what that means.
This is the point of the story. This is the yes of the story
The shepherd edures and remains and keeps showing up even when there is discomfort.
This story is everything incarnate - embodied, fleshy and very, very new. For the disciples and for Jesus.
It oozes everything Easter. Things that resurrect and bring new life. Exciting adventures, new jobs, easter dresses and fresh flowers.
“We have done the work, together, and now it is time to celebrate, together! It’s time to birth something new.”
Some thoughts about Lent from Pastor Marta
From dust we come to dust we shall return. / Ashes to Ashes. These are two phrases often spoken on Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent each year. We are marked with the cross marking the first day of the season of Lent.
These words are neither the first nor the last word. These phrases are not simply about death. Often when we hear the words of dust and ash, we think gone, dead, passed. These phrases are not specifically biblical scripture but are derived themes that have been drawn out of our sacred text. For example, “God formed man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and humans became a living creature.” Genesis 2:7.
These phrases of dust and ash are phrases of unity and common humanity. We all were born from the earth and we will all return to the earth and then there is everything in the middle. We call that life.
At the beginning of Lent we are invited to remember our birth, our lives, and our vulnerabilities, knowing that we will return to dust. We are invited to repent our sins and spend some time thinking of how we might change. Our faith calls us to this practice at least once a year. Some of us might give up nightly television to read a good book. Others will commit to taking a walk three times a week, while others will choose to be more generous with their time and resources or volunteer at the local food pantry. Usually these practices come out of our personal vulnerabilities and are a way to repent bad habits.
We remember our own births and lives in the same way that we tell the stories of Jesus’ birth (Christmas), life (teaching and parables), vulnerabilities (prayer and desert time), death (Holy Week) and ultimate resurrection. During this season we often want to grieve those who have already returned to dust and it is okay to do that. But Ash Wednesday and Lent are so much more than the memories of our saints, ancestors, or what some might call our cloud of witnesses.
The season of Lent is a personal faith practice and a season to either give up the gluttonous ways of our lives or take on good works or simply go to our quiet spaces for intentional prayer. In doing that we are reminded that we are mere mortals who simply came from the dust of the earth and will return. The good news? We are invited to individual practice within a communal setting. This part acknowledges our common pursuit. It was what Jesus had hoped for. That we would not do this hard work all by ourselves but in a renewed, loving, non-judgemental setting.
The term cloud of witnesses, from Hebrews 12:1 (Bible Scripture here), serves to remind us of those heroes, heroines, divine beings, prophets and prophetesses, saints or mentors in our midst that hang around us like big fluffy clouds, bearing witness to lives well lived. Some might call them the Holy Spirit. Nonetheless, they are cheering us on and serving to energize us to unfold God’s kin-dom.
Roger referred to the term cloud of witness in the biblical text suggested for last Sunday 2/21/2021) and reflection questions, from Seeds of Devotion, Weekly Contemplations on Faith called For Ash Wednesday (page 56). It was in homage of those people that have walked alongside him even in the failures and despite the despair. Those people were with him. For the people of the Bible the cloud of witnesses were most likely people like Moses and Abraham and Elijah - the great prophets of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament.)
Lent is a season of the Liturgical Calendar that comes after the Season of Epiphany and before the Season of Easter. Each Season has been assigned a liturgical color and number of days and a coinciding biblical text. Lent’s color is lavender and it is forty days and nights long. The number of days refers to Jesus’ forty days and nights in the desert. (Matthew Chapter 2 ) Jesus also needed some time to pray, contemplate, repent, and be aware of his humanity. He realized, in his desert time, what he was capable of and what he needed to accomplish, not without hardship and not without God’s grace.
There have been many seasons of Lent in my life when I have said, “I am going into my cave.” Mostly meaning, that I am not going to engage in relationships that take up too much emotional energy and honoring my introverted self. Sometimes this has meant a social media fast or staying home each weekend. I am not going to do either of those things this year. This year of global pandemic has been like a twelve month Lenten season rather than just 40 days and 40 nights. For some of us, we have been practicing new ways of living for twelve months! Instead, I am engaging in embodied activities that move my physical self in different ways. Because of the global pandemic and our cave-like lifestyles my bones and muscles have gotten a bit rickety. I am taking extra walks, yoga practices, running on a treadmill and having massages. This way, my prayer will not be of the mind but of the body.
My hope is that during our online Lenten retreat, you will begin to reflect on what Lent will be for you too.
BFCC has a story to tell…
We did a really cool thing.
Good morning and blessings to all of you on this third day of the new year! I am Sylvia, the intern as Leslie said and I am nervously excited to share a brief message with you today. As we all know 2020 brought many disruptions, challenges, and sorrows, but it also made us keenly aware of our priorities, our interconnectedness, and our ability (or not) to adapt to creative ways of connecting and maintaining a sense of community even as we social distance and wear masks. I also believe that 2020 launched us into a need to reexamine our understanding of what it means to love our neighbor as ourselves and who our neighbor is.
Bishop Michael Curry in his book, Love Is the Way, writes that our neighbor is anyone in need of our love and not the sentimental romantic love, but agape love, the love for the other. Everyone is our neighbor, everyone.
In our reading today we hear about John testifying and pointing the way to the light, the light that is NOT overcome by the darkness, the light that we know to be Jesus, the Word-made-flesh, God-with-us, Emmanuel. Jesus, who lived out love of neighbor every moment of his life. It infused his ministry and it should infuse our lives and ministry as well. We are called to point to Jesus through our own agape actions towards others, actions that seek nothing in return, nothing for ourselves but are solely a response to someone in need because of our common humanity. So, what can love in action look like? I offer you the story of Eric and Henry as an example.
In November 2019, a young man named Eric spent a month or so in Ghana. While there he befriended Henry, a young moto-taxi driver who invited Eric to his home and introduced him to his sister, mother, and six-year-old son. A few weeks into his trip, Eric became seriously ill with a kidney infection and a UTI that landed him in the hospital for three days and eventually requiring an emergency evacuation back to the US. However, while he was in the hospital, Henry visited him every day bringing food and acting as a translator for Eric. When Eric had to evacuate, Henry journeyed with Eric to the airport (a 7 hour round trip) to simply make sure Eric made it ok. All without asking for anything in return. This is agape love in action and in my mind, Henry's actions point to the light, to Jesus.
So, I challenge you this year to be awake, be alert, and ask for the courage to boldly love your neighbor as yourself and point others to the light. May God be with you.
Here is a guide to Christmas Eve.
I am personally a member of the Sanctuary Coalition because of God's repeated invitations and commands throughout the Bible to love my neighbor and welcome the stranger. I hope you consider joining me.
Psalm 51:6, which says “You desire truth in the inward being; therefore, teach me wisdom in my secret heart,”
This past Sunday, Pastor Marta interviewed Rev. Kyndall Rae Rothaus and Robin Stretch-Crocker on Spiritual Direction. It was a lovely description of their experience as a Spiritual Director and what it is like to be a directee. We hope you enjoy this piece.
Bios:
Rev. Kyndall Rothaus and Robin Stretch-Crocker. Most of you know Kyndall and her delightful baby girls. She is also partner to church member Alivia who is in California right now doing work. Kyndall is an ordainded minister a spiritual guide, preacher, poet, and feminist theologian. She often works with people on the margins of the church, and she is particularly interested in religious trauma, feminist spirituality, mystical traditions, and the intersection of systemic oppression and soul work. She is the author of Preacher Breath and her next book comes out in 2021. She completed her spiritual direction certification through The Haden Institute. Kyndall is also founder of the conference Nevertheless She Preached that is each September. You can learn more about Kyndall at her website.
Robin has been attending BFCC for the past month. She lives in Monument, has four children and has been married for 33 years. Robin has a MA in Spiritual and Pastoral Care from Iliff School of Theology. She comes from the Catholic contemplative tradition and her ministry is called: St. Photina Spiritual Care and Direction. Her ministry is ecumenical in depth and breath and provides a safe and welcoming space for all people. She takes very seriously the privilege and responsibility of a spiritual director and the ministry of journeying with another on their spiritual path as they seek to deepen their relationship with God as they understand God (or the holy and sacred.) Robin completed her spiritual direction certification through Benet Hill Monastery. Robin also has a website where you can find more information about her and her ministry.
Spiritual Direction
M: Tell me what spiritual direction is, and how you came to be interested in spiritual direction?
K: I think if you haven’t heard of spiritual direction before, you might get the wrong idea from the title. “Direction” sounds like, well, being given directions. But really, spiritual direction isn’t about telling people what to do at all.
I think of it like this: Spirituality is a journey you take, and the terrain is made up of how you’ve experienced God, but it’s also made up of your experiences with church, with religion, things you’ve been taught to believe, ways you’ve been harmed by religion and ways you’ve been helped. All of that makes up your inner territory, and to really connect with the Divine in an authentic way, you’ve got to navigate all that terrain. A spiritual director is someone who has experience navigating the inner life, so you don’t have to figure it out alone. A spiritual director isn’t a google map who can tell you to turn left in 1.3 miles. A spiritual director is like a guide who helps you sort through your own clutter and chaos so that you can really hear your own inner wisdom.
I spent the first eight years of my career as a pastor, but over the last year and a half I’ve transitioned to working one-on-one with people in spiritual direction . . . and I like it so much better! Because I get to do really deep work with people and help them become their truest selves . . . and bonus: I don’t have to go any more church committee meetings!
R. I became interested in spiritual direction about 14 years ago when I was reading a book on discernment. The author wrote about the value of working with a spiritual director as a way to learn how to better listen and respond to God working in our life. This was something that I deeply desired, and soon sought out a spiritual director to work with...and I must say that my spiritual life and my relationship with God has been both expanded and deepened by my explorations in spiritual direction.
Having experienced spiritual direction as both a directee (the person receiving direction) and as a director, I have come to understand spiritual direction to really be about the art of spiritual companionship. It is a relationship that includes nonjudgmental and compassionate listening of sacred stories, gentle guidance, and a deepening in the ability to listen, notice, and respond to God and the Sacred (as experienced or understood by that person). It can be hard to journey alone and spiritual direction gives us a unique way to walk the path with another trusted person while seeking God and the holy in our lives.
M: What are some of the topics that come up in spiritual direction?
R. When we hear the words “spiritual” direction many people might assume that they can only talk specifically about God or spirituality, which are certainly important topics, but as Author Paula D’Arcy says, “God comes to you disguised as your life.” And so the topics that people bring to a session are as varied as the people themselves. For example, we might talk about spiritual practices or prayer, images of God, discernment of a major life decision, or social justice issues and activism…and those are great topics. But equally important are the hard conversations when someone is experiencing chronic illness, grief and loss, being a caregiver for a loved one, or mental health challenges such as anxiety and depression which are so prevalent right now. All of these life experiences can pose unique spiritual challenges, and in spiritual direction we explore these with openness and sensitivity.
Our work as spiritual directors is to create a holy and contemplative space which invites deeper reflection based on what is shared, while being mindful of the Holy Spirit’s movement throughout our time together.
K: I tend to see a lot of people who are processing religious trauma or church hurt, maybe because they were shunned by the church for being gay, or they were ridiculed for having too many doubts and questions, or because they were abused by clergy. I also see a lot of people who feel disconnected from church or religion but are trying to figure out how to cultivate their spiritual life. Some people come to me when they are dismantling their old belief systems, others come when they are trying to discern God’s call on their life, or because they are working through an issue that has spiritual connotations, such as figuring out a new sexual ethic or dismantling their own white supremacy or trying to figure out what it means to pray. I see a lot of people who are waking up to the Divine Feminine after serving a patriarchal god their whole lives.
M: When you think of spiritual direction, do any Scripture passages come to mind?
K: A verse that comes to mind for me is Psalm 51:6, which says “You desire truth in the inward being; therefore, teach me wisdom in my secret heart,” because ultimately I believe spiritual direction is about being as honest as you can be about what’s happening on the inside of you, and once you can be honest about how you’re feeling, what you’re thinking, what you need . . . that’s when wisdom starts to emerge and we’re able to live with integrity from our truest self.
M: How would you say spiritual direction has helped you personally?
K: One of the really unique things spiritual direction has done for me is introduce me to dream work. Interpreting your dreams sounds kind of hokey if you haven’t done it before, but I have been astounded at what I’ve learned from my dreams! If you think about it, dreaming is when your conscious self goes to sleep, which allows for your unconscious to speak to you. But the unconscious speaks in the language of symbols and image and story, so you have to learn the language before you can understand what your dreams are saying to you. But once you start to get a feel for it, the dream world is just a window into your psyche. It gives you the opportunity to look at your life from a whole new angle.
R. Spiritual direction has given me guidance and accountability in my own spiritual journey. There have been many ebbs and flows in my spiritual life (which are very normal by the way), and my spiritual director has been a sacred witness to it all. Spiritual direction is a safe place in which I can be transparent and authentic about my life and my relationship with God, and with my director we explore what is working and what isn’t, and how God seems to be showing up (or not) in all of it, which is something that we don’t always have in our everyday life. For me, I cannot imagine doing this sacred journey alone, and spiritual direction gives me a way to have companionship as I grow in my love for God and others.
M: And finally, if someone was interested in finding a spiritual director, how would they do so?
R. Another helpful resource is Spiritual Direction International. It is a worldwide community that advocates for, and celebrates the service of, spiritual direction. Their website has a wealth of information on spiritual direction and it also has a listing of spiritual directors from around the world. Their website is sdiworld.org.
We would like to invite you to explore this avenue of spiritual companionship if what we have shared has piqued your curiosity. And if you have any questions both Kyndall and I will be available after our church service today.
This is Poetry and Music Sunday. Poems written by modern day artists, modern psalmist bringing us good news through the emotion of poetry. Today is a different kind of sacred Word.
We don’t say, “welcome” and now be just like us. When we say “welcome,” it is actually an invitation to change.
I have the white privilege, the class privilege, the economic privilege, the educational privilege, the gender identity and sexual identity privilege to just stay in the boat.
“Jesus was creating space for a better future. The shock and awe of his teachings was a way to confront the insidious hatred, violence and injustice that first century peasants and common people dealt with each day.”
Marta and Mandy use the Last Supper text and the Loaves and Fishes text and talk about what Jesus invitation to a aknowledge our brokeness, our blessings and to use that to heal the world.
By Reverend Kyndall Rae Rothaus and Captain Alivia Kate Stehlik on Pride 2020
“In fact, we think the unconventional part makes it even better.”
In case you missed it, it’s been a busy week. All across the city, nation, and globe people are organizing, marching, and protesting in defense of Black lives. Personally, I’ve been so impressed by the amount of people who continue to show up to the protests and gatherings day after day. But the reality is, while protesting is ‘trendy’ right now, this is long-term work. It will not be trendy forever. This is a marathon not a sprint and, as any runner knows, you need to have *a lot* of determination to push yourself all the way through a marathon.
“But Amelia,” you say, “I have that determination! I’m ready for the marathon!”
Okay, great! Can you articulate what fuels that determination? Because it has to be more than liking to go out and chant behind some organizers. It has to be more than just reposting some stuff on your Facebook or Instagram story. Because without a firm understanding of what exactly lights the fire within you to keep fighting, that fire is gonna die out, and we can’t have that. We need you to keep showing up and being loud.
There is so much more to this movement than just the chants of a few protest organizers. Listen to them, participate with them, always have their backs, but make sure you aren’t relying on them to light your fire. We may get tired, but we cannot stop. History has shown that the vast majority of the people coming to these protests right now *will* get tired and stop; that’s when it’s even more important to know and be committed to your “why.” Why are you passionate about these issues? Why do you come out to protests, or donate, or sign petitions, or repost? What are the concrete changes you want to see?
So, by all means, keep protesting and signing and donating and educating yourself and others. We need your support! But, before you come out to your next protest, have a conversation with yourself and answer this question: what is your “why”? Hold that in your heart as we march forward. Let’s go.
—Amelia Kemp
Dear Members and Friends of BFCC,
On May 10th, we spoke of the fatal shooting of black man, Ahmaud Arbery in our virtual service. On May 23rd, Reverend Doctor Stephany Rose Spaulding, person of color, pastor, professor and public servant, spoke (during our virtual service) of the courage and resilience of the black and brown community in Colorado Springs before and during the Covid-19 Pandemic. More African Americans are dying from coronavirus in the United States than whites or other ethnic groups.
Again, this week another black person has been murdered. His name is George Floyd. The president of Iliff School of Theology (where I am working towards my D.Min.) says that this murder and in the face of racism, clouds “the vision for change, disguised the chance for seeing racism for what it is, an inability Inand/or unwillingness to admit to acts of sustained and continued violence against black and brown communities, and other communities of color, a lack of self-reflection, compassion, and accountability.”
In my opinion, as a Christian community we gather to know God in relationship with the others, unfold God’s Kin-dom by fighting for human dignity and equality because it is biblical and it is theological. We are not here to judge the matter, but to believe that when those communities that are crying out, we must listen. In faith, in humility, in love.
On this Sunday, May 31, we will take a few moments to remember that George Floyd’s life matters. Black Lives Matter. I wanted to pass along a link that was helpful for me a few years ago: https://www.racialequitytools.org/resourcefiles/mcintosh.pdf. The link is Whte Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack by Peggy McIntosh. You can also google her youtube- it’s quite good. She says, “I was taught to see racism only in individual acts of meanness, not in invisible systems conferring dominance on my group.” This work is a journey and creating change and unfolding God’s Kin-dom is our call, on earth as it is in heaven.
My prayer is that communities like ours take this issue seriously, read, educate and try to understand and that love reigns over those suffering in the midst of this tragedy. If you need to talk, pray, cry or strategize please do not hesitate to reach out.
Peace & Grace my friends,
Marta
P.S. There are two peaceful rallies today, downtown. One at 3pm and one at 4pm. Details are posted on our Facebook page.
Here are additional resources, an article, podcast, song and kids book list:
Book List for kids: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/lists/coretta-scott-king-book-award-winners
Podcast: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/23/podcasts/1619-podcast.html
Article:https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/05/americas-racial-contract-showing/611389/
Song: The Seven Last Words of the Unarmed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdNXoqNuLRQ Here’s a link to an article that talks more about the piece…
https://emorycreates.wordpress.com/2018/06/27/joel-thompson-10c-13m-musician/
Dear Black Forest Community Church, Friends and Neighbors!
This coming June we will once again transition into a new way of being church together. We are launching our Kinship Connection MINIstry groups and have organized the members, regular attendees, friends and neighbors into small groups. Our Vision for June (and perhaps the summer) is a deeply connected small group model which we are calling Kinship Connections. Playing off the idea of kinship as a web of social relationship and kin-dom that we refer to in our Lord’s prayer. The Purpose of the small groups is two fold. Primarily 1) to strengthen our community as a whole. 2) to care for each other as we move into the next stage of Covid-19.
We have organized our members and regular attendees into seven small groups based off of life stage, geography and interest. We have recruited seven facilitators to lead throughout the month of June. These small groups will be VERY flexible. Here is what it may look like (please keep in mind we are learning as we go):
The facilitator will gather their Kinship Connection MINIstry in one of several ways, once per week.
Zoom gathering
Weekly check in. What’s your story? Do you have joy or sorrow to share? or...
If you are in person, light a candle and invite God’s presence and Spirit. or...
Book study. or...
Perhaps, you just check-in and then provide an activity for the week or as a group.
In person: living room, back yard, trail or at the church. This could happen with the above check in, then meal time. Perhaps it is simply a fellowship or service project.
Or in a combination of ways: some meet in person while others are taken care of in other ways by the whole of the group.
The main purpose is that the group takes care of each other in one way or another and CONNECTS each other on deeper levels as it feels comfortable to each individual. You may have already been contacted by your facilitator, if not, you will hear from them in the next week or so. We hope to launch this new way of being together the week of June 7. Mandy and I will visit one group per week so that each group has a visit from one of us in the month of June.
We will continue our on-line presence. Mandy Todd (Director of Worship & Arts) and I will share a fifteen minute (or so) Sunday morning at 10am video on Facebook with a Greeting, Scripture/message, prayer and song. These videos may be used as a resource for your small group or prompts for discussion or might simply be used as individual spiritual development. The same video will premiere on Thursdays at 7pm if you miss the Sunday at 10am. More than anything your small group will serve as your church for the next month or more. The small group is a model of the early church--how they met, gathered, prayed and worshipped together.
Lastly, we encourage you to invite friends, neighbors or other family members to join your small group over the next few months. We think that these virtual and/or small group doors will serve our physical doors in the interim. Our first goal is to maintain and care for our community and then the second goal is to continue to grow and thrive as we were prior to Covid-19.
Here is the link to the ALL-CHURCH zoom gathering on this Friday, May 29, at 5pm. If you need help please contact me. Leslie Sheley also has made a video that explains how to use and access zoom meetings. Please do not hesitate to reach out and come with your questions and thoughts and ideas! I look forward to seeing all of you this Friday.
Peace & Grace,
Pastor Marta
P.S. If you are interested in our Friday Zoom informational and social hour meeting- please message us for the link and information.