Elijah

Burnout

A Broken Church Sign

I was driving to Albany to do a hospital visit when I saw this sign, which caused me to pause and think about the message:

It reads, “Sign Broken… We are not”

I started to think about how “cute” it was for a church to put that up instead of their broken sign, but then I thought about how the sign’s message may not be ccurate. Henri Nouwen was know for consistently stating that we are “broken” people.

If this church in the picture wants to draw people in, is this the right message about our brokenness? Does it give an air of perfectionism? Continue Reading…

death

From Depression to Declaration

Have you ever been to a funeral in New Orleans? Or, at least seen one? It is a very different experience because of the cultural understanding of grief, death, and suffering. The experience is truly unique. Rev. Dr. Kimberleigh Buchanan on her blog has a good description:

The brass band begins its solemn procession at the church, playing hymns like “Free as a Bird” and “Just a Closer Walk with Thee”-no improvisation, no frills. Nothing but sadness blown low and blue to the beat of a muted snare drum.

Once the procession arrives at the cemetery, though, after the final words are spoken and the body is lowered into the ground, the mood shifts. Brightly festooned umbrellas burst open, the snare drummer removes his mute, and the funeral procession heads back into town to the raucous strains of “Didn’t He Ramble?” and “When the Saints Go Marching In.” Folks who heard the somber hymns earlier in the day wait for the procession’s return…because they know a celebration’s coming…and no one in New Orleans wants to miss the funeral celebration.

Why all the celebration for death?

Transfiguration

Facebook or Facetime?

I started using Facebook.com shortly after I entered graduate school in 2003. Facebook is a social networking internet webpage that connects people, organizations, families, and business. Some of my college friends began to use Facebook and I saw it as a way to stay in touch with people. Facebook was confusing. Why I could see everyone’s business: who they talked to, what they posted, what they said, etc… Now, Facebook is ubiquitous. My parents, who are retired, even have a Facebook page!

Facebook is a great way to connect, but have we replaced Facebook with true “facetime?” Have we replaced what we would do with our friends and family with what we should do in person? Have we lost a sense of personal touch with the use of Facebook? A social networking website cannot replace what we experience in real life.

In our scriptures for Sunday, so much is made about “facetime” with God. In the Old Testament lesson, Moses is face to face with God. After the experience, Moses’ face changes. Moses puts a veil over his face to hide it from the Israelites. In our Gospel text, Jesus’ face and complexion change during the Transfiguration.

Why all this attention to the Transfiguration? The Transfiguration is important and Darrell Jodock in the Christian Century explains why:

A Broken Church Sign

From Depression to Declaration

Facebook or Facetime?

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