The opening ceremony was beautifully choreographed and staged. There were people skating, dancing and flying through the air – music, lights, and special effects. The whole thing came to a climax when the torch was brought into the stadium by six-time Paralympics medalist Rick Hansen. Hockey great Wayne Gretsky and a few others were also invited to participate in lighting the Olympic flame.

With great fanfare and anticipation, the celebrity athletes waited on the floor of the stadium as millions of viewers watched from all over the world. The floor opened and up came the various parts of the massive torch – the centerpiece surrounded by four other torches encircling the center. The drama! The beauty! The – wait, something’s not working. One section of the torch was stuck in the floor!

Of course, the show went on. The parts of the torch that did function properly were lighted and the games began. Many hundreds of hours later, the athletes and fans gathered once again for the closing ceremonies. When the focus turned again to the giant torch, once more the one arm of the torch seemed to malfunction. This time, however, a clown popped up from the hole and eventually persuaded the stubborn piece to take its rightful place.

I loved by the graceful and humorous way Canada handled a potentially embarrassing situation. So often, when things don’t work out as planned, we erupt with anger or blame. Instead of finding a way to laugh, our actions only make things worse. In the end, it isn’t so much what goes wrong as how we respond. How we finish makes all the difference!

There is a television commercial that began running during the Olympics that carries a simple reminder of this truth. It shows Lance Armstrong on his bike, Deron Williams driving to the basket, and a six-year-old in China learning martial arts. Their movement is a universal language of beauty, drama, tragedy and triumph. And the words of the
song that play behind the images are a reminder that the road to athletic greatness is not marked by perfection, but the ability to overcome adversity and failure: “It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. It’s not where you’re from, it’s
where you’re at. Everybody gets knocked down, how quick are you going to get up?”

There is a reason the Apostle Paul used sports imagery so much in his writing; the parallels to a life of faith are obvious. The original Greek Olympics were in full swing during Jesus’ and Paul’s time. Sports are something early Christians not only had in common with one another, but also with us. As we consider our own lives, it would do us well to remember the beautiful words of Hebrews 12: “… let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, 2looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you may not grow weary or lose heart. “

It’s kind of like a Peanuts comic strip I read in which Lucy is leaning against Schroeder’s piano. She says to him, “I have examined my life and found it to be without a flaw. Therefore, I am going to hold a ceremony and present myself with a medal. I will then give a very moving acceptance speech… After that, I’ll greet myself in the receiving line. When you are perfect, you have to do everything yourself.”

Lucy may have found her life to be “without flaw” – but she is a cartoon character. Real people have flaws. Even the very best among us need to practice the discipline of confession and repentance.

In C.S. Lewis’s classic book, “The Great Divorce,” he describes a bus ride from hell to heaven, in which the inhabitants of hell are greeted by angels and offered the opportunity to live in heaven. All they have to do to stay is let go of the one thing that has kept them from true happiness and forgiveness. In the end, only one of them has the courage to stay. As one angel says, “There is always something that they prefer to joy – that is, to reality. They are like spoiled children that would sooner miss their play and their supper than say they are sorry.”

I know it can be easy to cling to old ways of thinking and behaving – even when we know deep down they are essentially destructive. Sometimes we are like spoiled children. But God is waiting and fully prepared to offer us joy and light. Are you prepared to receive it?

On Valentine’s Day our team brought gifts of red carnations to share with the residents. We heard stories ranging from Valentine wedding anniversaries to childhood memories to the latest birthday gift of a leather bound Bible given by his son. We also listened to a stroke victim who could only communicate with her eyes since her words were difficult to decipher. The love and happiness she generated through her smile and eyes were evident and heart touching.

Visiting nursing homes may appear as a daunting task full of unknowns. However, once you participate, you realize the love and interest given by the residents far outweighs any time or effort on your part. They just want to chat, share their love for God and experience worship. They share tales of favorite hymns, family members and interest in what is happening in your life. It is an opportunity for us to deepen our spiritual nature and to – amazingly enough, be refreshed. Where else can you find people of such diverse denominations consent to worship as one? It is one of the best examples of God’s love in action you will ever experience.

Central provides services the second Sunday of each month. While we visit both homes, it is possible to sign up for either the 1:30 or 3 pm service. The Elders deliver the message, but always welcome having members assist with greeting, reading scripture, prayers, passing communion or sharing a gift of instrument or song. Or, if you prefer, just join the team to sit in the audience and enjoy the service. Contact Rex Strine, Bob Wheeler or any Elder to answer your questions and sign up for upcoming services. As one resident put it – “We don’t have anyone to take us to church so thank you for bringing church to us”.

This twelve week study begins Sunday, March 21st on
subjects:

Jesus Parties

Hidden Heroes

The Voice of God

Surprised by Grace

What Is Your Price?

The Choice

Vengeance Is Whose?

Geronimo!

How Does God Spell “Relief”

Warning! Warning!

Healthy Habits

The study will be led by Merle Kidd and held in the Meeting
Room. Literature will be furnished. If you have any
questions, please contact Merle Kidd at 256-3808.

There is a turning point in all of the Gospels at which Jesus sets his face steadfastly toward Jerusalem.  Jesus began to recognize it was part of God’s will that he go to Jerusalem where he would be arrested and executed.  From that point on, everything he did pointed in the direction of Jerusalem.

Jesus’ resolve to go to Jerusalem, despite what laid in front of him, gives us the structure for Ash Wednesday and Lent.  The primary themes for the season are mortality and obedience.  When Jesus sets his face towards Jerusalem, he is doing so in the full knowledge that it will lead to his death.  But, at the same time, he is being perfectly obedient to the will of God.

The purpose of Ash Wednesday is to remind us of our mortality and our need and desire to get back into a right relationship with God.  On Ash Wednesday we also set our faces towards Jerusalem as we prepare ourselves for the coming events of Holy Week and the joy of Easter morning.

One of the first things that come to mind when we think of Ash Wednesday is the use of ashes to mark people’s foreheads.  Ashes are used because they are a symbol of our mortality.  In Genesis, when Adam and Eve are forced out of the Garden of Eden,  God  says  to them,

“In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”  For obvious reasons, when people come to terms with their own mortality, they also recognize the need to repent, to get right with God before they die.  Therefore, beginning with Ash Wednesday, Lent is a season of repentance and returning to God.

Ash Wednesday and the season of Lent are solemn events, but obedience to the will of a loving and merciful God can only bring joy.  These are the words from the closing order of worship for Ash Wednesday in the UCC Book of Worship:

Almighty God does not desire the death of sinners,

but rather that they may turn

from their wickedness and live.

Therefore we implore God to grant us true repentance

and the Holy Spirit,

that those things which we do this day

may be pleasing to God,

that the rest of our lives may be lived faithfully,

and that at the last we may come to God’s eternal joy; through Jesus the Christ.

Thanks be to God.

As we begin the Lenten season this week, let us all spend some time thinking about how we can better serve our God.  Let us turn once again toward Jerusalem, letting go of our sins and our pride, and be filled with the joy that can only come from true obedience to God.

If you aren’t familiar with the premise, each week a President/CEO of a large company goes “undercover” in their own organization. On the first night, the president of a large waste management company went to work at a number of the company’s various divisions. He cleaned Porta-Potties©, worked at a landfill, sorted through refuse, rode along on a garbage truck and tried to collect blowing trash. It was hard work. In fact, he was so slow and uncoordinated on one job he was fired on his first day!

I heard someone describe “Undercover Boss” as “the right show at the right time” and after having seen it, I think I understand. One of the most striking aspects about the show was how disconnected even a caring, professional leader can become from the people who work for him (or her). Even more significant, however, was how much a person could change by spending even a little time with the “little people.”

Here are just a few of the things the “boss” learned by going undercover: 1) He learned some of the rules he put in place as CEO were being used by others in management to harass and even oppress workers. For instance, in the interest of productivity, garbage truck drivers didn’t have time to even take a bathroom break. One woman driver was forced to take a jar on her route in case of emergencies.

At another facility, workers were being docked 2 there is more courage and honor being reflected in the lives of his workers than he ever imagined. The man who had to fire him on the first day had been undergoing kidney dialysis for 18 years and was still going strong.

Others who worked in the worst conditions did so with grace and humor and took great pride in their work. Indeed, some were doing the work of two or three employees, and doing so without fair compensation. Probably the best part of the show was when the truth was revealed to everyone. The workers who had worked most closely with the undercover boss were brought together in one room and were obviously surprised to see the “new guy” had actually been the president of the company! Back in the President’s office, he then went about making the necessary changes in the way his company did business. It was moving to see his response.

I found it interesting the one person the undercover boss felt he needed to correct wasn’t an employee, but a fellow manager. When he confronted the man, he said, “You had a new employee here last week… It was me.” The manager had never taken the time to meet the new guy.

The parallels to the Gospel story seem very plain to me. God became human and came among us, full of truth and grace. He was at once ordinary and yet extraordinary. He experienced the world in the same ways we experience the world and suffered just as we suffer. Those with whom he had the most difficulty weren’t the ordinary workers (or sinners), but those who were supposed to represent the “boss,” but used their status in selfish and wicked ways.

How wonderful to see the Gospel in a show that has no pretensions of being religious. All I can say is, “stay tuned.”

CENTRAL CHRISTIAN CHILI CHALLENGE

March 6, 2010 at 4 pm

Champion Prize of $100.00 and a Trophy

Proceeds benefit the Food Pantry

Entry Deadline – February 25th by 3 pm.  Fee of $5.00 must accompany Entry

Entry Form and Rules are available here.

In a matter of seconds, the lives of innumerable family and friends were changed irreversibly, all due to the carelessness of one driver. My guess is the driver of the car who caused this tragic accident had absolutely no intention of doing so. There’s even a chance they don’t know anything about the accident.

The lessons we can draw from this tragedy are many. For one, it is a reminder that death can come to us anytime and anywhere without warning. When Jesus was approached by his disciples after some Jews were killed by the collapse of the Tower of Siloam collapsed on them, he asked them all a question: “…do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did.” (Luke 13:1-5) Another way of saying this might be, “Don’t think the same thing couldn’t happen to you! Death can come for you at any time so always be ready; always be right with God and with each other.”

Another lesson we learn from this is that sometimes even our smallest decisions and actions can have momentous consequences. Somewhere, right now, someone is very likely racked with guilt and shame knowing their  thoughtlessness caused so much destruction. They may not have intended for such a horrible thing to happen, but nonetheless it was avoidable. Simply taking a little more time and care could have changed everything.

It is so important to remember even a careless word or comment can create damage of which you may not be aware. It is not all right to go through life causing pile-ups and destruction wherever you go. Just because you may be unhappy about some circumstance in your own life does not give you license to sow seeds of negativity, cynicism, and anger in the lives of others. God put you in this world to be a light. Whenever you catch yourself being careless with the hearts of others, it is important to stop and remember how even the smallest gestures can have dramatic effect – both for good and bad.

Finally, it is important to remember even in the midst of the worst the world can do, God is faithful. At the heart of our faith is both Good Friday… and Easter. We neither turn away from the reality of sin or death nor do we seek to discount its power. No matter how repellent, the cross stands firmly in the middle of our story. Death and sin are real and so are their consequences. But in the end there is life – abundant and eternal. As the Psalmist wrote, “Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning.” (Psalm 30:5) The light has come into the world and the darkness has not overcome it! You have a choice to make, every day. For God’s sake, choose the light.