Day 1 in Greece: Corinth

After having a few glitches in our travel plan and arriving a day late to Greece, we made it! We ended up having to stay overnight in at an airport hotel in Rome without our luggage and catching a flight this morning (Wednesday). We were without our luggage overnight and the youth did great! No complaining! We got to Greece around 11:30, and jumped straight on a bus to go to Corinth. At Corinth we saw lots of ruins...they were in pretty bad shape. We saw the acropolis and tons of other amazing things. Every large town in Greece had similar features including a gymnasium, stadium, music hall, shops, and temples. What was fascinating was how all of the ruins were from different eras--a lot of the Greek ruins were 5 century while right beside them were Christian ruins.

The acropolis is the big stone mountain in the background.

Group shot!

At the first gate on the acropolis. 

An amazing dinner tonight in Athens!

It's been a great day and look forward to another tomorrow!

Interactive Prayer Stations for Lent, Week 2: I am the Light of the World

Week 2: "I am the Light of the World"

"Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.'” John 8:12

"The Lord went in front of them in a pillar of cloud by day, to lead them along the way, and in a pillar of fire by night, to give them light, so that they might travel by day and by night.  Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people." Exodus 13:21-22

Interactive Prayer Station #1: Prayers of Confession

"The people who walk in darkness

have seen a great light."

Sometimes there are things that we are ashamed of, mistakes that we have made, and things that we regret.  These things feel like darkness.  Spend some time talking with God about some of your mistakes and regrets, and ask for God’s help and forgiveness.

On their journey through the wilderness, God did not leave the Israelites burdened by darkness or regret.  Instead God gave them pillars of cloud and fire to guide their way into a new life.  Create your own pillar of fire or cloud as you think about God’s love, forgiveness, and guidance that transforms our sin and lights our way.

Materials: 

• Tissue paper (red, yellow, orange, white) 
• Cotton balls (for clouds) 
• Glue 
• Plastic for floor 
• Plates or Cardboard to build on 
• Markers 
• Construction paper (red, yellow, orange, white) 
• Cardboard Tubes 
• Any other crafty things that would be helpful for pillars of cloud and fire

Interactive Prayer Station #2: Prayers of Petition and of Intercession

“I am the Light of the World”

Take a light.  Think about all of the times you turn on lights or use lights... in your car, house, even outside at night.  Thank God for all of the light in your life, for the ability to have electricity and light to brighten the darkness. Turn on the light as you think about people throughout the world who need light in their life. 

Place the light on the table and notice all of the other lights. 

Listen as God tells you ways you can share the light of God's love with others.

"I will make you a light to the nations."

Isaiah 49:6

 Materials: 

• Tea lights 
• Globe 
• Square table
• Markers 
• Construction paper (red, yellow, orange, white) 
• Cardboard Tubes
• Any other crafty things that would be helpful for pillars of cloud and fire

Interactive Prayer Station #3: Prayers of Offering and Dedication

Just as God sent us Jesus to show us the way and give us hope, we too are called to share light with others when things feel dark.  Take a sun, moon, or star.  On one side, write or draw ways God has been with you in hard times.  On the other side, draw or write one way you would like to help someone this week.  Once you are done, place them in the basket.

Materials: 

• Sun, moon, and star cards
• Basket
• Crayons/markers

Interactive Prayer Station #4: A Place to Listen to God

When asked about how she prayed, Mother Teresa replied, "I sit with God and listen. " When asked what God does, she replied, "he listens too. "

Here is a good place to join God in listening… to the story… to the needs of the world… to the desires of your heart.

• You may wish to experiment with light.  Turn on the flashlight.  Try to cover the light.  Can you hide the light?  It is really hard to hide light, especially in darkness.  Now try to shine the light around you.  As you do this, give thanks for the gift of Jesus and the gift of light.
• You may wish to tell the story again with the figures or materials.
•  You may wish to read the story again from one of the story Bibles.
•   You may wish to hold one of the crosses and quietly listen for God as you breathe in and out slowly.

Materials:

• story Bibles marked at the story page 
• Godly play figures, desert box 
• story quilt 
• crosses to hold 
• purple cloths and pillows 
• flash lights

Interactive Prayer Station #5: A Way to Listen to God: Coloring Prayer

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.”

Draw a circle around the words, "I am... the light of the world."

Color the circle in and think about the ways that Jesus has been light to you.  Where have you seen the light of Jesus in others?

Add circles or shapes or maybe rays of light to your page.  Write words of people or things that bring light to your life and thank God for these things.

Write words of people or things that need God's light and pray for these things.  As you draw and color, watch for the ways God is directing you to bring the light of God's love to these people and these situations.

    Materials:

• cards at each table
• Markers/Crayons
• Paper with center circle that says, "Light of the World"

Interactive Prayer Stations for Lent 2014: I am the Bread of Life

Who do you say that I am?

Throughout the weeks of Lent, the Families at Five service is thinking about the different “I am” statements of Jesus.  The service meets regularly in the chapel for a short thirty minute child-friendly service each week.  However, we wanted Lent to be different.  During the six weeks of Lent, we will discover through prayer stations who Jesus says that he is.  It is my hope that I will be able to chronicle our discoveries and explorations each week!
Who does Jesus say he is?  Jesus says that he is: “the bread of life,” “the light of the world,” “the gate,” “the good shepherd,” “the true vine,” “the way, truth, and life,” and ultimately “the resurrection.”  It is through our knowledge of Jesus, that we learn more about who we are as children of God.  Through this journey of discovering who Jesus says he is, we will worship using our entire selves.

Week 1: "I am the Bread of Life"

"Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." John 6:35

"Then the Lord said to Moses, “I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day." Exodus 16:4

Interactive Prayer Station #1: Kneading Through Our Sin (Prayers of Confession)

Jesus is the bread of life.  Bread takes a long time to make. It requires flour, yeast, water, and lots of kneading!  Just like dough, we are being shaped and formed my God.

Take a piece of dough as you tell God about your struggles and ways you would like to be changed and formed by God.  Work the dough in your hands.  Knead it as you talk to God.  Create a shape with the dough that reflects God’s love for you.  Place it in the basket.  After kneading the dough, clean your hands off in the bucket of water.  Receive God’s forgiveness and know you are being shaped and formed by God.

Materials:

·         Dough

·         Plastic for floor

·         Place for dough after done (basket?)

·         Bucket of water

·         Towel

·      

Interactive Prayer Station #2: “I am the Bread of Life,"  “Give us Each Day our Daily Bread” (Prayers of Thanksgiving and Intercession)

Take a piece of bread. What does it feel like in your hand? What does it smell like? Eat it slowly. What does it taste like? What does it mean that Jesus is the bread of life? Thank God for good food to eat, each day that gives us life.

Take another piece of bread.  Hold it in your hand and remember those are hungry, whose parents cannot or do not give them good things to eat.  As you place this piece of bread in the basket in front of the globe, ask God to give bread for this day to those who are hungry.   Listen as God tells you ways you can help to make sure that everyone has their daily bread.

"God is great God is good let us thank Him for our food by his hands we all are fed, give us Lord our daily bread."  

Materials:

·         bread

·         globe

·         3 baskets

·         

Interactive Prayer Station #3: Manna from Heaven (Prayers of Offering)

Just as God sent us manna for the Israelites to eat in the desert, so we have been given so many good things to eat and amazing gifts.  Take a piece of manna.  Draw or write things that you are grateful for and gifts you have been given.  Once you are done, place them in the basket.

Materials:

·         Manna cards

·         Basket

·         Crayons/markers

Interactive Prayer Station #4: A Way to Listen to God: A Coloring Prayer

Jesus said, “I am the bread of life.” 

What does this mean to you? 

How does bread help us?  Why do you think Jesus called himself bread?  When was the last time you ate bread?

Use one of the cards to draw what comes to your mind when you think of Bread of Life.  Use this quiet coloring time to listen to God and to tell God what is on your mind.

Materials:

·         Cards at each table

·         Markers/Crayons

·         Paper with center circle that says, “Bread of Life”

Interactive Prayer Station #5: A Place to Listen to God

·  When asked about how she prayed, Mother Teresa replied, "I sit with God and listen. " When asked what God does, she replied, "God listens too. "

Here is a good place to join God in listening… to the story… to the needs of the world… to the desires of your heart.

• ·       You may wish to tell the story again with the figures or materials.
•         You may wish to read the story again from one of the story Bibles.
•         You may wish to hold one of the crosses and quietly listen for God as you breathe in and out slowly.

      

Manna and Grace

Grace--What is it?  I don't know exactly how to define grace, or what parameters to set on God's favor.  How do we see grace, know what is grace, thank God for grace?  The Israelite asked this question too, "What is it?" while looking at manna.  Gifts from heaven pour down each day--manna and grace.  We are called to collect them, to wonder at them, to ask, "What is this?"  The next day, they disappear.  They go bad.  Don't worry though, we are not left hungry.  We are given more instead.  Is this what grace is like?  Manna from heaven appearing on the ground--strange, confusing, foreign to us.  It is our sustenance for the day, if we can only realize it is good for eating.  It will carry us to tomorrow, but we can’t too tightly grip.  Poof.  Collect to hoard and it’s gone.  God’s grace can’t be saved for later, for security or promises of future.  It must be felt right now.

I think there are a great number of us who are spiritually hungry in our culture because we are unable to see the grace-manna that can fill us up.  "What is it?  Whatever it is, it is not good for eating!"  We forget the goodness of manna and that it comes from God, so we gorge ourselves on things that are not sustaining.  We live a life full of scarcity, thinking that grace and manna are in short supply.  So we hoard, hide, grab, and take everything that we can.  We fear that if we aren't careful, if we don't save enough it will be gone.  What's more is we collect the wrong things.  We desire and hoard, "junk food" that leaves us empty.  We eat things like success, money, fame, societal approval, popularity, security.  We wonder why we still are hungry.  Why there is never enough.  We attribute the good things in our lives to ourselves instead of seeing them as manna, flowing from heaven. 

But don’t worry if you've been short sighted.  If you have lived life thinking, "I am not enough," "what I have is not enough," "I will always be hungry."  We haven't lost out on our opportunity for manna-grace.  Tomorrow has it’s own manna too.  It might look a little different. It is not under our control.  But how beautiful that it shows up again and again and again.  The fullness of God's manna.  The fullness of God's grace.  Amen

Full of Grace

It's been a while.  I decided (with a friend's encouragement) that I should get back into blogging.  I only have a few more months in Indy, and want to share more of my adventures.  This year I have decided to have a word that would set my intentions for this year.  Grace.  It sounds strange, but I feel like the word grace chose me.  Anna means, "Full of Grace."  I was reading the lectionary at the end of December and came across the stories of Anna and Hannah (both mean full of grace).   Anna and Hannah suffered and went through difficulty.  Hannah was barren; she faced jealousy and ridicule.  Anna had a husband for seven years.  Then he died, and she was left on the margins. Both suffered and were low on the societal totem pole.  In their situations, I bet their names felt like mocking--full of grace?  But grace and favor is what they had...and prayer.  Both prayed in the temple fervently.  Hannah has the courage to express her emotions and pleas to God and Eli.  Anna at the age of 84 sees the face of God--Jesus.  For years she is a prophet, praying and fasting continuously.  I wonder, was this her first glimpse of God--in the eyes of the baby Jesus?  Full of grace these women rise from pain and suffering to preach and proclaim the grace of God in unexpected births.

This year, my challenge and gift is to look and see the grace of God everywhere.  How do I show God's grace to others?  How do I see and receive grace?

First Days

It is official….I have moved to Indianapolis.  I have been planning and thinking about this move for months, so it is strange that it has finally happened.  The move went really well.  In spite of my freak outs, my family was so supportive and helpful, making the move go well.  A family friend came with us who is a pro at packing and unpacking, and really made the moving process ten times faster and easier.  The most stressful part was making so many decisions so fast.  Time sped up while people were here.  Now that people have left, time has slowed, and I have started to experience what is like being the “new kid” again. The nervous knot that you have in your stomach as you walk up to a group of people you hope will accept you.  The burning questions in the back of your head: Will people like me?  What will my teacher be like?  Am I ready for this?  The awkward introductions, the standard questions people ask to get to know others that only seem to skim the surface, the desire for normalcy to return.

The first day of school always brought out my insecurities and vulnerabilities and this experience is not any different.  I have this need to feel in control and comfortable NOW, not tomorrow or in a month or two, but immediately.  Anything new that we face, whether it is a new job, a new city, or even just a new routine can suddenly shift our world until we feel like we are living in a upside down, mixed up world.  There is almost a pattern to it: we are oriented and understand the pattern of our life then suddenly something new comes our way and we are disoriented, trying to make sense of the new and unexpected.  As hard as they can be sometimes, it is good for me to have “first days” because it reminds me that the disorientation only lasts for so long.  It is the disorientation that allows me to see beyond what I have experienced before and when I am lucky enough, catch a glimpse of God.   That does not make “first days” any less difficult or scary in the moment.  However, I hope that I remember through these many “firsts” to breathe, trust, and know that God is present.

Moving Nostalgia: Finding God in the Ordinary

In anticipation of moving, I have been left feeling nostalgic. The sheer anticipation of moving in two days is making me look back on every moment and want to press “replay!”  It does not help that my room is empty, and all of my boxes are packed.  It probably did not help that I went to print out pictures and looked back over the past three months.  That’s when it all hit.  Pictures with friends, graduation, San Francisco, Montreat, and ordination came popping up making my heart hurt.  Each picture was such an amazing moment that I still carry with me, but can never be replicated.  None of those people will be in the exact same place again.......and it made me want to smile at the image captured, but also cry that things are changing.

Here are some of the moments... 

Graduation and leaving amazing friends!

Missing the "yawning" moments when I there are two fantastic people next to me and an awesome view twenty feet away! 

During this time on the cusp of change, I have been reminded there is something holy about the daily tasks of our lives.  Holiness happens not when we are planning the major events of our lives.  We experience God unknowingly most of the time in the moments that we do not capture.  In the customary tasks we often take for granted until they are suddenly gone.  Stopping by on an impulse to chat with a friend and then staying for the next two hours.  Holding a baby.  Sitting on the floor to read books with a toddler.  Weekly walks and runs.  Classes each day.  Instinctively picking up the phone to recount the details of your day.  

I did not realize how precious many of these habitual activities meant to me, how they fed my spirituality until I was suddenly faced with change.  Sure, I will create my own new routine that will soon be second-nature, but this move has allowed me the gift of seeing what I often cannot see in my own routine-driven world: it is the small things that make the difference.  We meet God when we least expect it: when we are rushing around doing daily routine or our marking off our to-do lists only to be confronted with a burning bush.

          So today I miss the routine, the average days that I had at seminary and this summer.  Because it is in the average that we experience Emmanuel: God with us, not just on the exceptional days but always.