Category Archives: A Word From The Pastor

I’ve heard that Helen Keller was once asked if there was anything worse than being blind. She responded, “Yes, to have no vision.”

A quick check with Merriam-Webster helps us more clearly understand the difference between being able to see, and having vision. The act of seeing involves the observation of something tangible and in the present. Having vision involves seeing something other than by ordinary sight: a vivid picture that is created by the imagination, or exceptional wisdom that can foresee what is going to happen in the future. Helen Keller may not have been able to perceive the world through her eyes, but she wisely knew the value of having vision.

It seems to me that vision is exactly what Jesus shared with us during his time of teaching nearly 2,000 years ago. As he sermonized on the mount, shared uncomfortable tales in parable form, called out the often clueless disciples, and walked toward the crucifixion cross, he was continuously in a state of sharing the vision of God’s kin-dom here on earth. He helped us imagine such a world through both his words and his actions, and through the divine love and wisdom that compelled his followers to drop everything for the sake of that vision.

As we celebrate the resurrected Christ in our midst during this month of May, it seems that, as followers of Jesus, we, too, are called to follow his example of visioning. While it is absolutely crucial that we observe and perceive the realities of today, it is also absolutely crucial that we look beyond today and create a vivid picture in our mind of how Kirkwood UCC might be “a church of Jesus Christ” in 10 or 15 or 25 years. It is absolutely crucial that we pray for wisdom about how God is calling us to be the hands and feet of Jesus during that time; how that call might be woven together with our identity as a faith community that is welcoming, progressive, relevant…; and how our facility might serve as a means to be so.

For the past eight months a task force made up of several of our congregants has been meeting regularly to ponder a vision for our church facility. While I truly believe that a church is not its facility, I also “see” that in order to worship and do our mission work, a facility will come in very handy.

The Facility Visioning task force has been faced with the challenge of balancing immediate needs – and we have plenty of those to go around – with our more visionary needs. While this has been fun and exciting work, it has not necessarily been easy work. And so, it is time for the task force to engage the assistance of the entire faith community – through discernment, through prayer, through visioning, through sharing. As the discussion unfolds and evolves during the next few months, I encourage you to become a part of the journey. Imagine the possibilities! And pray for wisdom.

God’s peace, Betsy

“Blessed are the gentle: they shall inherit the land… Blessed are they whose hearts are clean: they will see God” – Matthew 5:5, 8

Hold on to your hearts, for we are about to receive an awesome gift: that is, the intentional opportunity to take a step back, reflect on our inner selves, repent for what we’d like to leave behind, and clear the way for a more liberated and reconciled life ahead. The gift will last about six weeks, and if it’s taken seriously, it could turn out to be a gift that keeps on giving.

On Wednesday, February 22, we will begin the church season of Lent with the observance of Ash Wednesday. Lent will continue for six weeks, through Maundy Thursday, or the commemoration of the Last Supper, which falls on April 5th this year. Now, traditionally the season of Lent, a period of time focused on self awareness and repentance, centers on practices of self-discipline, such as giving up something you enjoy, or giving out to others in need. These are fine ways to focus on the season, and I encourage you to consider engaging in one of them if it speaks to you.

Here’s an alternative: I recently came across a wonderful book entitled, “Simplifying the Soul: Lenten Practices to Renew Your Spirit”, by Paula Huston. Ms. Huston suggests that practicing a posture of humility is the key to Lenten practices, rather than focusing on growth in spiritual greatness. She provides a list of spiritual practices for us to keep during the season, including ways to simplify space, our minds, use of money, care for our bodies, schedules, relationships, and prayer. These practices are meant to keep us centered on a Lent that is holy and built around humility.

Paula Huston writes, “Truly humble people are grounded in reality; they neither preen under illusions of greatness nor suffer agonies of self-hatred…Freed from the terrible frustrations that accompany idealistic perfectionism…we quietly accept the truth of who we are: weak human beings, prone to fail and tempted toward evil, yet at the same time, filled with an almost unbearable longing for goodness, love and intimacy with God.”

Perhaps this Lenten season could provide us with a unique opportunity to learn more about what humility is, as well as how to practice it in our everyday lives. As I mentioned earlier, done with a spirit of respect and curiosity, this year’s Lenten season could be the gift that keeps on giving.

God’s peace, Betsy

i. Huston, Paula. Simplifying the Soul: Lenten Practices to Renew Your Spirit, Ava Maria Press, Notre dame, IN, 2011, p. xii.