A sermon based on Philippians 3:4-14

By Rev. Dr. Bradley Gabriel

Indiana Jones, legendary hero of the movie screen and DVD.

Like millions of other people, I enjoyed the films. Some more than others.  For today, I want to look at the films as if they are an analogy of how our faith works in our life, not an allegory to explain faith. 

Let’s start, then, with a word of warning. J.R.R. Tolkien [of Lord Of The Rings fame] reportedly got tired of readers claiming that his entire LOTR trilogy was an allegory of  World War II. 

He is quoted as saying: “I cordially dislike allegory in all its manifestations, and always have done so since I grew old and wary enough to detect its presence. I much prefer history—true or feigned—…”

Let’s treat the Jones stories with the respect Prof. Tolkien asked for his stories. They are tools to consider our faith, not substitutes for it. And I won’t try to take the analogy too far. Steven Spielberg, responsible for these and other great movies, was once asked about the meaning of some things in a movie of his. 

He answered: “You tell me what they mean. I’m always interested in the things people see in my films that I never knew were there.” 

To start, we need to have the films in their correct chronological order, not the order of their release. Raiders of the Lost Ark came out first. But Raiders is set in 1936. The second film released is actually set a year earlier than Raiders, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is set in 1935. The Last Crusade is set in 1938. Crystal Skull is 1957 and the last Dial of Destiny is 1969. Why does this matter? Because the movies show Indy in different stages of moral development concluding, possibly, with his redemption.

In the first, chronologically at least, film,  Temple of Doom we are introduced to a remote village in India where children are disappearing and a land is dying. Jones’ companion, a young Asian boy (dismissively nicknamed “Short Round”) discovers what is happening and reports to Indy. Indy’s response is that missing Shankara stones, ancient and sacred stones, that were invented for the film are at the root of the problems. 

Short Round asks what the Shankara stones are, and Jones replies, “Fortune and glory, kid.”

In “Raiders,” we are quickly introduced to government officials from Army Intelligence who visit Indy at the University where he teaches.  The officials flatter Indy and set in action his quest for the lost Ark of the Covenant. Prior to that conversation, however, Jones is shown negotiating with a university official to buy items of dubious ethical provenance.  

A scant two years after Raiders, at least in the Indiana Jones universe, Indy is recruited to find no less than the Holy Grail, not the item sought by the Monty Python troupe, but the actual chalice, the cup of Christ. This is the “Last Crusade.”  

Indy starts out as little better than a grave robber. Children may be at risk. Children may be dying. What matters to Indy? “Fortune and glory.”  Those are his desires. By the end he is a bit better, but only a bit.

He hasn’t grown much spiritually at the beginning of Raiders.  He steals antiquities from indigenous people, sells them to finance his adventures and takes more pride in being an adventurer than a teacher. 

Government agents interview Indy and call him, “Professor of archeology, expert on the occult, and, uh, how does one say it? Obtainer of rare antiquities.” Indy is a star.  A mere two years after “Raiders,” Dr. Jones is sought out for another quest, this time to find the Holy Grail, the Cup of Christ. The film ends with four comrades in adventure riding off into the sunset, heroic music playing. WOW. Talk about being a star!

Now, the trilogy is where a lot of us thought the stories should end. But Spielberg and company decided that having found artifacts sacred to Hindus, the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy Grail, defeated Nazis, always a good thing to do, both in 1938 and today, and having earned his father’s love and respect, Indy needed to defeat the Soviet threat and find space aliens here on earth. That film, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, ends with Indy reconciled with his estranged son and married to his lost love. But there is a snake in the garden. Indy cannot get out of his own way. He takes his trademark fedora from his son at the end of the movie.  What matters first for Indy is still Indy. Is there anything wrong with achieving, with being a star? Not necessarily.  But there are limits.

We have a letter about stardom and its limits from one of Jesus’ first followers. He is the one we call Saint Paul. A portion of a letter that he wrote to the church in the ancient city of Phillippi goes like this.

“Others may brag about themselves, but I have more reason to brag than anyone else.  I was circumcised when I was eight days old, and I am from the nation of Israel and the tribe of Benjamin. I am a true Hebrew. As a Pharisee, I strictly obeyed the Law of Moses.  And I was so eager I even made trouble for the church. I did everything the Law demands in order to please God.“

Paul thinks well of what he achieved. He was a star. A Roman citizen, a rising light in the established faith, learned, and able to have official papers allowing him arrest those he deemed to be troublemakers.  That was then. His life now, at the writing of this letter, has new meaning.

“But Christ has shown me that what I once thought was valuable is worthless. Nothing is as wonderful as knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have given up everything else and count it all as garbage. All I want is Christ and to know that I belong to him. I could not make myself acceptable to God by obeying the Law of Moses. God accepted me simply because of my faith in Christ. All I want is to know Christ and the power that raised him to life. I want to suffer and die as he did, so that somehow, I also may be raised to life.” 

Paul writes that he now has something greater than stardom, greater than fame, more important than fortune, or glory.  Paul now knows the love that God has for him and for every one of us. God, who creates the great barrier reef and the Angel Falls, the One who fashioned the rings of Saturn and hummingbirds, the Creator responsible for the beauty of a field of wildflowers and the staggering immensity of an Elk, looks at this creation and decides that it will not be complete without you. Each of you. Paul discovers that God loves him, Paul, as he is.  

Paul knows the healing and the meaning that come with being loved absolutely, unambiguously, and eternally. Known in that love, Paul continues his life with as much vigor as before. Only now, Paul is seeking healed relationships, a sense of creative purpose, and centered in the peace that comes when we trust in God’s future. Come what may, Paul has what is needed for a whole life, a holy life.

Indiana Jones at the beginning of the last movie, not so much. Indy does not have Saint Paul’s awareness of God’s love that makes life good. The movie starts with Indy retiring a bit past his 70^th birthday.  (That hits a little too close to home for some of us.) He lives in a small apartment with noisy neighbors, in a society focused on the future, and with students who find both archeology in general and him in particular boring. His marriage is crumbling. He has lost his son. What Indy, the once upon a time star, must learn if he is to have any peace or any meaning in his life, is that life is about more than himself and his achievements. What he forgot, if he ever knew it, is that a person all wrapped up in themself makes a very small package, easily overlooked and quickly forgotten.

Paul, on the other hand, discovered the delight of a life spent following Jesus. He finds himself in the mission of living for Jesus.  He gains peace simply by walking in the way of Jesus and sharing the good news of Jesus. The good news is clear. 

The healing, the purpose, the peace that come with living in the way of Jesus reveal the ultimate truth.  And the truth is that love wins.  

Living in the compassionate love of God that is shown in the life of Jesus lets us see that life is more than a short shuffle to the grave. The truth is that the Jesus way of compassionate love is the way of life, abundant and peaceful and meaningful.

Indy dealt with several kingdoms: criminal enterprises, authoritarian regimes, the Nazi’s white supremacy, corporate fascism. Those kingdoms keep coming back. They always do when we rely on ourselves. 

Saint Paul discovers that following Jesus builds an alternate kingdom, a kingdom on earth that is like the one in heaven. This is not a kingdom of statues or artifacts, neither space aliens nor antiquities. This kingdom is seen in healed relationships and just living.  This is a kingdom marked by compassionate love. This is the kingdom Jesus seems to have had in mind when he taught the Disciples what we call “The Lord’s Prayer.”  In his life, Jesus taught and demonstrated to everyone who was willing to learn that the practice of compassionate love begins the healing presence and the just kingdom of God that is available now not simply in the next life.

The compassionate love of Jesus, both his and that of his followers in all history, creates an openness to offer hospitality and full welcome to all people, to those in and out, to family and friends, even to those whom others would call alien or enemy.  Paul learns this and lives it for the rest of his life. What Indy must learn for his redemption is what Paul discovered. A whole and healthy life is lived through practices of compassionate love. Our message about Jesus, that his life is the way to live fully in the way of God’s compassionate love, is  found by the rest of the world in what has been called the medium through which that message is expressed. The message and medium are your life. What we say and how we live must constantly be brought into greater harmony until there is no gap between what we claim we believe and how we live.

How does all this tie back to Indian Jones? 

Dial of Destiny has its share of theology, and reviewers have explored that. The most important point, though, is its central message. Near the end, after far too many lengthy detours, foolish mistakes, and obvious errors, Indiana discovers that compassionate love is honestly more important than all the knowledge, all the acclaim, all the star power, all the fortune and glory in the world. The end of Dial has Jones with his one true love, a new and expanded family, stability in the face of chaotic change, and at peace with the world.  He finds this truth when belief in and use of the central object of the film are combined by a person who is invested in his ultimate wellbeing and who acts out of compassionate love for him.  Jesus of Nazareth, then, by analogy, is our Dial of Destiny, the one most fully invested in our ultimate well-being and fully willing to act on our behalf. 

The compassionate love of Jesus, our “dial of destiny,” transforms the human heart and so the human life. Compassionate love in daily life will take many forms.  Will we feed the hungry. Yes. Do we house the homeless? Of course.  Are you finding ways to visit people who are sick and people in jail? No need to ask. Jesus names these acts and more acts of compassionate love. Acts like these can be found throughout the scriptures. 

Are there other ways of expressing compassionate love through our actions?  Of course. Some will be great and bring acclaim.  For most of us, our acts will be intimate, possibly unknown to anyone beside than you and the other person.  Have you not heard from a friend or family member in a while?  Don’t assume the other person is unhappy with you. Sometimes life is overwhelming them.

Don’t wait for that someone to make the first move. Pick up the phone and call them.  They may need your support. Has someone hurt you by what they either said or did, or maybe didn’t say or do?  Rather than thinking that person is malicious, consider that they may be careless. Take the first step, take the risk, and reach out to attempt healing the hurt. Accept the simple truth that none of us is all that we need. Together, through our actions, we create a community that gives life. Listen to understand. Be kind.  Act in love.

The summer after my first year of Divinity School, I had a job as Chaplain at the Knoxville World’s Fair, the Energy Exposition. One day an older man came into the office where some of us worked. He said that he had lost his wife. He said that she suffered from Alzheimer’s disease. He said that they had separated to use the toilets in a building and had agreed that they would meet by a bridge just outside of that building. He had been overly long, and when he arrived, she was not at the bridge. Could we help?

Those of us in the office agreed what parts of the Fair we would search and when we would report back. For some reason I was unusually thoughtful that day. I thought about what I knew. The man and woman agreed to meet at a certain spot. He had been delayed.  He did not see her at that spot. She was dealing with Alzheimer’s and may have wandered off. Maybe not, I thought. Maybe she had been delayed. I walked back to the bridge.

If Hollywood needed a character to play an older woman waiting for her husband, the woman I saw at the bridge would have been her. Wearing a blue print dress and holding her handbag in front of her, the look on her face showed that she would wait on that spot until the earth dissolved or her husband returned, whichever came first. Patient commitment was the way she acted out compassionate love. Her husband’s act of compassionate love was to recruit total strangers in ever increasing numbers until his wife was found.

There is nothing wrong with being a star. Go into the world and do the best you can. Compete, strive, achieve, win. Become the best you possible. And never forget as you do, the best you is always the one who allows the compassionate love of Jesus to guide you in all your words and deeds. That’s your destiny.

Why not set your dial to get there sooner rather than later. 

by Dr. David Galloway

I had a conversation this past weekend with a friend who is struggling with his sense of purpose in life, or as he frames it, his “call”.

I have heard it said that your purpose in life is to find your purpose in life. A bit circular but nonetheless is at the heart of the matter.

What is your “calling”? 

When I was growing up, a “calling” was narrowed in my South of God community to refer to being called by God to preach. That was very specific. However, it did not take me long to begin to expand my own view of that to refer to serving as a physician, a teacher, a public servant…even a lawyer (said to jab my good friends who clearly experienced such a call). I think my son has a calling to be a musician, a songwriter…sometimes a calling is tough work.

What is it that you think you were put here for? Do you think of your life, your vocation, as a calling?

I have worked with a bunch of clergy over my lifetime, helping them to discern a sense of call, or being liberated from such folly. Has God called you into the ministry? The pastor that baptised me sixty-three years ago advised me that if you can do anything BUT go into ministry, do that!

On the other hand, I heard the quip that plowing in the hot Georgia sun” “called” many a man, or woman, into the ministry, although some of the characters I have run across in congregations could give a hell-hot sun a run for its money.

I actually was forced, “invited” to go through a discernment process in the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta to determine if I was “called” to be a priest in the Episcopal Church. The fancy name for the nine-month process was the Vocational Testing Process, or as it came to be known as the VTP. At the time, there were a number of folks who wanted to become priests with a limited number of slots to be filled. To say that it was competitive is an understatement.

VTP was a well-designed process which tested how you approached authority issues, how you dealt with the freedom to create, as well as how you feel about being a “sacramental” person, with all the projections that it entailed.

Almost forty years later, having worked with many aspiring priests and ministers, I have come up with my own format for discernment. These days, post-Covid, I have had many clergy asking if they are still feeling a sense of call, or should they do something else. I work almost daily with young clergy who are leaning into their first parish with a predictable question arising, “Is this the right job for me? Am I in the right place?”. Others are late in their career and wondering if it might be the right time to stop, or maybe do something else.

On the other hand, I have worked with lay people who felt “out of place” in their current work, prompting them to wonder to themselves, am I missing something? Several have figured out new ways to do the vocation that they committed to years ago, while some have found the courage to leave the known path and set out for something new, something unknown on their horizon. And, I have worked with CEOs of major organizations who are wondering if there is more to life than their salaries and benefits. This is existential stuff, the stuff of the soul, and deserves our best attention and self-awareness if we are truly serious about our calling, our purpose.

My formula for discernment may seem a bit simple, non-philosophical. I would call it pragmatic, and I like that. It aligns with my Franciscan spirituality which focuses more on orthopraxy than orthodoxy, that is, it is about what we do with our lives, in the living of them, as opposed to thinking the right things and mouthing conventional statements.

So my first question is highly pragmatic: Does the work that you are doing bear fruit? 

In the business world, such things have metrics that measure one’s productivity. Are you getting the job done? Are you producing results? Can you honestly point to signs of success that are associated with your work? In spiritual work, or less easily measured work, this question may take some probing and some assessment, perhaps using a 360 style of finding out how others that you work with assess your work. This can be tricky, but has the possibility of yielding great breakthroughs. It requires radical honesty with oneself, and a humility that is rare.

Is your work, your life, producing fruit?

The second question is perhaps my favorite, the one that I would push myself on relentlessly. Is there a “fit” between my particular and peculiar constellation of my gifts and the particular and peculiar needs of this group (congregation, business, school, organization) at this particular and peculiar time? All three dimensions must be aligned for it to be the “right”.

Every person, every one of us has certain strengths and gifts. The unique combination of gifts is not linear, or perfectly balanced. That is why I employ the word “constellation” implying a star-swirling, mystical fit that is dynamic, ever-changing, adjusting. And, we each come with liabilities, weaknesses that we have picked up along the way that will affect our work and leadership. I am convinced by Barry Johnson that we have specific polarities that are in play within our psyches that make us “just right” (Goldilocks) for some jobs, places, and times, while some combinations of polarities render us dead in the water. Discernment and self-awareness have to be in play and remain engaged if one is to find that Goldilocks “fit”.

As I indicated, this “fit” is with a unique organization with its own history and developmental needs. Specific times in the life of an organization may call out for some particular leadership skills and styles. This need may change as the organization develops, or is faced with historical circumstances that must be addressed. This is truly a dynamic process. An organization can outgrow what once was a tight “fit”, and calls for one to move on, or adapt.

The person, the organization, and the times form the matrix out of which a “fit” may emerge, or not. This takes self-awareness as well as the emotional intelligence (EQ) to “read” the culture that one is hoping to function healthily within. And, as I said, it is a moving target.

Is there a “fit” between your particular and peculiar constellation of gifts and the needs of the community?

Finally, this is the third question that often is relegated to the back burner, or ignored completely if one is in a martyrdom mode, which is often true with long-suffering clergy. Does your work bring you joy? 

I’m not talking about happiness in Hallmark Card terms. Rather, is there a deep sense of satisfaction as you are doing your work, feeling as if your very being is aligned with a force that is bigger than you?

I often find myself unconsciously smiling after having finished a session with one of my people, feeling as if I not only contributed my time and energy to them as a person, but also was participating in a process that was beyond me. A sense of joy is pervasive, though it does not rid me of the tedium of scheduling, administrative work, and other parts of my work. But there is no question that my work is bringing me joy, which prompts me to think that I may be doing something right for me. Hello, Goldilocks!

How is this for you in your work, your endeavor? Is there a deep sense of joy, of satisfaction that fills your soul? Does this just happen to be a “dry season” in your career? Has joy been there in the past? What has changed? Are you needing to make a change, altering the way that you are going about your work? Or, is there a deeper change that is calling to you?

Does your work bring you a deep sense of joy?

So there it is, my offering of three markers for a calling. I encourage you to think about it. Reflect on it. Journal about it. Talk to friends and associates who have been a part of your trajectory to see what they have observed in you in the past, and how it is for you in this Present Moment.

Finally, I would invite you to PLAY with this sense of vocation, exploring possibilities, tightening up loose ends that you have not paid attention to in a while, imaging a “next chapter” in your life story, in your calling. Seriously playful, and playfully serious, face and engage the pregnant question, almost bursting with new life: “What is your calling?”.

Harnessing the Power Within: The Art of Emotional Regulation by Rev. Dr. Teresa Angle-Young

In our daily lives, we encounter a wide range of emotions, from joy and excitement to sadness and frustration. Our ability to regulate these emotions plays a crucial role in our overall well-being and how we navigate the challenges that come our way. Emotional regulation refers to the process of understanding, managing, and expressing our emotions in healthy and constructive ways. Here are some practical strategies to help you harness the power within and achieve emotional balance.

Understanding Emotions

The first step in emotional regulation is developing a deeper understanding of our emotions. Welcome your emotions as messengers. Take the time to identify and label your feelings accurately. Recognize that all emotions, even the uncomfortable ones, serve a purpose and offer valuable insights into our inner world. By cultivating emotional intelligence, we become more self-aware, enabling us to respond to our emotions in a healthy and adaptive manner.

Practice Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a powerful tool for emotional regulation. It involves bringing non-judgmental awareness to the present moment, including our thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations. By practicing mindfulness, we can observe our emotions without immediately reacting to them. This allows us to create a space for reflection and choose how we want to respond, rather than being driven by impulsive reactions.

Develop Coping Strategies

Identify healthy coping strategies that work for you. Engage in activities that help you relax and recharge, such as exercise, listening to music, practicing deep breathing exercises, or engaging in creative pursuits. These strategies serve as outlets for pent-up emotions, helping to release tension and restore emotional balance. Experiment with different techniques to find what resonates with you and incorporate them into your daily routine.

Seek Support and Connection

Building a support system is essential for emotional regulation. Reach out to trusted friends, family members, or mentors who can offer a listening ear and provide guidance. Sharing our emotions with others not only lightens our emotional burden but also offers different perspectives and insights. Additionally, consider seeking professional help if you find it challenging to regulate your emotions consistently. Therapists, coaches, or counselors can provide valuable tools and strategies tailored to your specific needs.

Reframe Negative Thoughts

Our thoughts influence our emotions, and negative thought patterns can intensify negative emotions. Practice cognitive reframing by challenging negative or irrational thoughts and replacing them with more positive and realistic ones. By shifting our perspective, we can alter the emotional impact of a situation and foster a more optimistic mindset.

Self-Care

Taking care of yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally is fundamental to emotional regulation. Prioritize self-care activities that nourish your mind, body, and soul. This includes getting enough sleep, maintaining a balanced diet, engaging in activities that bring you joy, setting healthy boundaries, and practicing self-compassion. When we prioritize self-care, we build resilience and equip ourselves with the capacity to handle emotions effectively.

Emotional regulation is a lifelong journey that requires self-awareness and practice. By understanding our emotions, practicing mindfulness, developing coping strategies, seeking support, reframing negative thoughts, and prioritizing self-care, we empower ourselves to navigate the highs and lows of life with grace and resilience. Remember, emotional regulation is not about suppressing or denying our emotions but rather acknowledging and embracing them in a healthy and constructive manner. As you embark on this journey, may you find inner balance, cultivate emotional well-being, and experience greater harmony in your life.

Gratitude in Action: Honoring and Thanking Volunteers in Your Church By Rev. Dr. Teresa Angle-Young

Volunteers are the lifeblood of any church community, dedicating their time, talents, and energy to serve and support the ministry. Their selflessness and commitment deserve our deepest appreciation and recognition. As a church leader or member, it is essential to cultivate a culture of gratitude and regularly express heartfelt thanks to those who give so generously. Here are a few ideas to thank the volunteers in your church and some practical ways to honor and appreciate their invaluable contributions.

Acknowledge Their Importance:

Start by recognizing the vital role volunteers play in the life of your church. During sermons, announcements, or church gatherings, take the time to acknowledge their commitment and express gratitude for their service. Share stories of how their efforts have impacted individuals, families, and the broader community. By publicly acknowledging their importance, you validate their contributions and inspire others to get involved.

Personalized Notes of Appreciation:

A simple yet powerful way to thank volunteers is through personalized handwritten notes. Take the time to write heartfelt messages expressing your gratitude for their specific contributions. Be specific about how their efforts have made a difference and touched lives. Personalized notes demonstrate your genuine care and appreciation while leaving a lasting impact on volunteers.

Celebratory Events:

Plan special events or gatherings dedicated to celebrating and honoring your volunteers. Consider hosting an annual volunteer appreciation dinner or a volunteer appreciation Sunday service. Use these occasions to publicly recognize individuals, share stories of their service, and present small tokens of appreciation such as certificates, plaques, or personalized gifts. Such events provide an opportunity for the entire church community to express their gratitude collectively.

Feature Volunteers in Newsletters or Social Media:

Another way to honor volunteers is by featuring them in your church newsletters or on social media platforms. Share their stories, testimonies, and photos highlighting their contributions and the impact they have made. By showcasing their service, you not only express gratitude but also inspire others to join in and serve their community.

Provide Training and Growth Opportunities:

Invest in the personal and spiritual growth of your volunteers. Offer training sessions, workshops, or conferences that equip them with new skills or deepen their understanding of ministry. By providing these opportunities, you show that you value their development and recognize their potential to make an even greater impact. This investment demonstrates your appreciation and encourages volunteers to continue serving with renewed enthusiasm.

Pray for and with Your Volunteers:

One of the most powerful ways to express gratitude is through prayer. Regularly lift up your volunteers in prayer, both individually and collectively. Pray for their well-being, strength, and discernment as they serve. Additionally, consider organizing prayer gatherings specifically dedicated to praying for the volunteers and their specific needs. By praying together, you create a sense of unity and support, fostering a deeper connection with the volunteers and with God.

Thanking volunteers is not merely a formality but an essential practice that strengthens the bonds of community within your church. By acknowledging their importance, expressing personalized appreciation, organizing celebratory events, featuring them in newsletters or social media, providing growth opportunities, and praying for and with them, you create an environment that fosters love, encouragement, and a deep sense of belonging. As you express gratitude to your volunteers, may your church community flourish, and may more individuals be inspired to join in the joy of serving others.

The Rev. Dr. Teresa Angle-Young

The summer season is upon us, and churches have a unique opportunity to embrace the warmth and energy of the season to foster growth and strengthen their congregations. With longer days, and an abundance of outdoor activities, summer provides the perfect setting for churches to connect with their members and reach out to new individuals in the community. Here are some strategies that can help your church maximize the potential of the summer months to enhance community engagement, facilitate spiritual growth, and ultimately grow your church.

Embrace Outdoor Activities:

1. Summer offers a wealth of outdoor activities that can be integrated into the life of the church. Consider organizing picnics, barbecues, or outdoor worship services in local parks or church grounds. These events create a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere, encouraging fellowship and bonding among members and providing an excellent opportunity to invite neighbors, friends, and coworkers to join in.

Engage Youth and Families:

2. Summer break often means more free time for families and young people. Capitalize on this by organizing summer camps, vacation Bible schools, or youth retreats. These events provide an environment for children and teenagers to learn and grow in their faith while fostering friendships and connections within the church community. Tailor the programs to include fun activities and interactive learning experiences to make it an unforgettable summer for the younger members of your congregation, and offer incentives (like a free ice cream cone) for bringing friends!

Launch Small Groups:

3. Summer can be an ideal time to start or revitalize small groups within your church. Encourage members to form groups based on shared interests, such as hiking, gardening, cooking, or book clubs. These smaller gatherings foster deeper relationships, allow for focused discussions, and create spaces where individuals can explore their faith in a more intimate setting. Small groups provide a sense of belonging and encourage accountability, resulting in spiritual growth and an increased sense of community.

Leverage Social Media and Online Platforms:

4. While summer provides ample opportunities for in-person activities, it’s crucial not to overlook the digital realm. Use social media platforms, websites, and email newsletters to keep your congregation informed about upcoming events, share inspiring messages, and provide resources for personal growth. Consider launching online Bible studies or streaming your sermons and events, enabling those who may be unable to attend physically to participate and stay connected.

Engage in Community Outreach:

5. Summer is a season of vibrant community engagement. Encourage your church members to volunteer their time and talents in local outreach initiatives. Organize service projects such as food drives, neighborhood cleanups, or partnering with existing organizations that address community needs. By actively participating in these activities, your church can build relationships with the wider community, demonstrate God’s love in action, and attract individuals who are seeking meaningful connections. If budget permits, buy t-shirts with the church name on it and ask members to wear them anytime they are volunteering.

Invite Guest Speakers and Plan Special Events:

6. Consider inviting guest speakers, renowned musicians, or hosting special events during the summer months. Collaborate with other churches or Christian organizations in your area to organize joint worship services, concerts, or conferences.Consider a choir swap with a congregation that has a different musical style than yours. These events create opportunities for cross-pollination of ideas and spiritual enrichment while attracting new attendees who might not typically visit your church.

Summer is a season ripe with potential for church growth, not a time to let off the gas. By embracing outdoor activities, engaging youth and families, launching small groups, utilizing social media, engaging in community outreach, and planning special events, your church can leverage the vibrancy of the summer months to foster community, spiritual growth, and ultimately attract new members. As you embark on this summer journey, remember to seek God’s guidance, remain flexible, and allow the Holy Spirit to work through your efforts. May your church experience abundant growth and blessings as you embrace the opportunities that lie ahead.

Reflections on needing a lung transplant
The Rt. Rev. Gretchen Rehberg
IX Bishop Episcopal Diocese of Spokane

“You need a lung transplant; you are very sick,” the pulmonologist said.

“But I don’t feel sick,” I said.

For over twenty years, I have had a lung disease that slowly progressed. I could ignore the slow progression and attribute the symptoms to other things.

I could no longer walk uphill. I justified that by being out of shape. My walks were shorter. I said that was due to time constraints. When people asked if I had been running to the phone because I sounded out of breath, I attributed that to my speaking fast. I did not want to believe that my lung disease was worsening until about ten years ago, when it was unavoidable.

The doctor told me that not only was I worse, my initial diagnosis was wrong, and I had a much more severe lung disease than previously thought.

After much testing, the doctor put me on medication and oxygen. I was to use oxygen at night and “with exertion.” Of course, I promptly justified that normal activities were not exertion. I did not want anyone to see me wear oxygen in public. After all, I was not sick!

Come forward ten years, my disease continued its slow progression, and my need to wear oxygen was even more evident. But I was unprepared to hear it was time to go on the transplant list. Oh sure, I was not who I had been, but I am not that unhealthy, am I?

“You have learned how to cope and are in denial,” the pulmonologist said.

A lung transplant is a frightening thing. It is not for the slightly sick. You must meet the criteria to be sick enough to need it and not be so bad that you are too ill for a transplant. The doctors told me that I fit this criterion well and that it was appropriate for me to go on the list.

As I wrestled and prayed with all this news meant, all that it implied about my self-image of being a person in good health, my ideas about what I want to be doing, and how I wanted to organize my life, it occurred to me that so much about my diagnosis applies to the church today.

While others saw how unhealthy I was, I did not. I had learned to justify, ignore, and cope with a significant illness that, without dramatic intervention, would kill me. How many of our congregations are the same? We want to cast our problems outward – no families with young children? It is Sunday soccer. Shrinking attendance? It must be the music. Without being able to say we are not healthy, we will not take the steps needed to become healthy.

I am one of many to connect the need to admit sickness and the ability to get healthy. People in recovery are well aware of this. We don’t often think about our congregations this way, but it would be helpful if we did. Our personal life can also help us think about our congregation’s movement for health. I have a spiritual director, a coach, and a physician. All these people are focused on me and what I need to do to be healthy. There are many resources for congregations, not only in the church world but the secular world. The key is that we do not need to try to get healthy all by ourselves, and we need to admit we need help!

I am in a transplant support group and have observed many types of responses to this reality, from anger and bitterness to resignation to determination. The same can be true of the church’s challenges and how we respond. What I am clear about in my own life is that I do not think that my illness came from God, and I do not believe it happened for some divine reason. My theology rejects that. Instead, I follow the God who came and suffered and died alongside us, the God who walks with me in my sickness and promises resurrection and healing. I will admit to some anger at the diagnosis and some frustration at what it meant, and I also know that God understands and accepts that anger and frustration, and if I am willing to engage in the process, I can find healing.

“Whether to go on the transplant list or not is up to you,” the team said.

Ultimately, I had to choose the scary and risky unknown to gain new life or slowly die from my illness. I decided to take the risk and live.

I hope our congregations will do the same, and ultimately, the choice is always theirs.

This Page, from Clergy Coaching Network, is offered for Clergy of all religious traditions.

Our Mission:

1. To CHALLENGE, EQUIP AND INSPIRE clergy for resilience and transformational leadership in an ever-changing world.  On this page we will be sharing relevant articles, book reviews, research, quotes, sermon ideas and illustrations, sharable memes, and occasionally a bit of humor about clergy, human nature, theology, or congregational life.

2. To ARTICULATE A VISION FOR FAITHFUL CONGREGATIONS. This may include but is not limited to Worship, Community, Hospitality, Discipleship, Inclusiveness, Evangelism, Social/Biblical Justice, Congregational Care, Service, and Leadership Development.

3. To INVITE CLERGY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR COACHING SERVICES. We hope that clergy and congregational staff teams will seek to employ one of our well-trained clergy coaches to assist them in their leadership and ministry.  

Our coaching services are available to leaders of all religious traditions.  Learn more at http://www.clergycoachingnetwork.com

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Posts on this page come from a variety of perspectives and seek to address the issues, challenges, and opportunities facing clergy, congregations, and the communities in which they minister.  While we do not coach thorough our Facebook posts, our posts are selected to address the concerns identified by our coaching clients and the congregations that they serve.

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By David Galloway

I discovered a book, Positive Intelligence, written by Shirzad Chamine, a professor at Stanford, that provides an amazingly sophisticated and accessible model of human behavior. I wrote this summary for a number of my clients that I am working with in my coaching practice.

I began my path into this theory by going to Dr. Chamine’s website at www.positiveintelligence.com. There you will find a brief description, a history of the research, and basic information. Shirzad starts by describing something that we know all too well in our everyday lives…Saboteurs. Those are the voices that come from our past which question our abilities and reasoning. Most of us have two or three Saboteurs that dominate our thinking. When you go to the website, you can take a ten minute assessment that is free, resulting in a document that shows you which Saboteurs tend to dominate your mind.

Positive Intelligence does not leave you there. It also points out our innate capacity for wisdom, which is called The Sage. The Sage has five capacities which also can be identified and strengthened. They are empathy, exploration, innovation, navigation, and activation. These five “powers” reminded me of the capacities mentioned in the theory of Emotional Intelligence. Fortunately, these capacities can be developed with attention and energy.

Shirzad’s unique contribution to mental fitness is his use of specific exercises that interrupt and intercept our Saboteurs, as well as strengthen the Sage capacity. He frames this as self-mastery. 

Below you will find a description of the Saboteurs, and how they get in your way. I give a brief introduction to the Sage. And then, I offer a brief summary of the “operating system” that gives you a key to understanding how you are living life now, and a strategy to make you both more productive AND happy. I have worked with all kinds of people on increasing productivity, or adopting a mindset of continuous improvement. Positive Intelligence adds the component of personal satisfaction and happiness that I find most attractive. 

I hope you will consider getting a copy of the book, or the books-on-tape, so that you can dive more deeply into this powerful way of thinking. If you have questions, feel free to email at my address above.

Let’s start where I started: The Saboteurs. I recommend that you do the online assessment at the website before reading my descriptions, but that’s your call.

The Ten Saboteurs

1. The Judge– universal to all. Constantly compels one to judge oneself or others. Justifies itself by the lie that without it, the unambitious would not produce. Masquerades as “tough-love” of reason.
2. The Avoider– focuses on comfort, the positive and the pleasant. Avoids difficult and unpleasant tasks and conflicts, using procrastination and side-stepping. The lie is that you should just be positive.
3. The Controller– runs on anxiety-based need to be in control, to take charge, bend people’s will to your own. Dichotomizing in that you are either IN control or OUT. The lie is that you need high control to get results. This creates resentment in others and does not develop others’ capacity.
4. The Hyper-Achiever– dependent on constant performance. Self-respect and esteem rides on success rather than internal validation for happiness. The lie is that your self-worth is conditional on performance. Result is unsustainable workaholic tendencies.
5. The Hyper-Rational– relies on rational processing of everything. Leads you to be impatient with peoples’ emotions. Results in a cold, distant, and intellectually arrogant person. The lie is that the rational mind is the most important. Leads to impatience with non-analytically minded people.
6. The Hyper-Vigilant– intense and continuous anxiety about danger and what could go wrong. With such danger threatening, you simply can not afford to rest. The lie is that the danger is too big to handle and the only way to handle is extreme vigilance.
7. The Pleaser– goal is to gain acceptance and affection by helping,  pleasing, flattering, or rescuing. You lose sight of your own needs and become resentful. Side effect is that people become dependent on you. The lie is that you are a “pleaser” because you are a “good” person, a “do-gooder” when actually you are trying to gain affection and acceptance indirectly.
8. The Restless– constantly in search for a “better deal”. You are never satisfied or at peace, as you scan the horizon for the next shiny object, or challenge to conquer. You lose focus on relationships and things that matter. The lie is that being so busy, you create the illusion that you are living fully, when in truth, you are missing the dance.
9. The Stickler– seeks perfection, order, and organization. It makes you and others uptight and anxious. It saps your energy by insisting from yourself and others a too rigorous measure of perfection. The lie is that perfectionism is the highest calling and  that it does not exact too high a price.
10. The Victim– wants you to recognize the deep pain and hurt as a way of gaining attention and affection. Often this appears in martyr’s attire, and leaves people feeling frustrated in the inability to  make you happy, as you constantly remind them of your sacrifice. The lie is the belief that making people feel sorry for you is the best way to attract caring and attention for yourself.

The Sage is presented after the unveiling of the various Saboteurs. As there are ten Saboteurs, there are five powers of the Sage, capacities that we all have.

The Sage

The Sage represents the deeper and wiser part of you. The Sage brings perspective to the engagement, not losing himself/herself in the drama of the moment. The Sage sees any challenge as an opportunity and a gift for learning. It has access to five powers:

1. To explore with great curiosity and an open mind.
2. To empathize with yourself and others, bring compassion and understanding to the situation.
3. To innovate and create new perspectives and outside-the-box solutions.
4. To navigate and choose a path that best aligns with one’s values, mission, and greater purpose.
5. To activate and take decisive action without the distress, interference, and distraction of the Saboteurs.

(Side note: Creative Interchange= trust, curiosity, creativity and tenacity)

The Mental Operating System:

Recognize Saboteurs– identify those thought and emotional patterns, seeing that they do not serve you. Identify and label them when they show up. Have a sense of humor about them!

Strengthen your Sage-consciously shift to the Sage perspective, intentionally accessing the powers therein to handle the situation at hand. Have confidence that you have a Sage within.

Strengthen your PQ Brain Muscles– remember the Survivor Brain, which is more primitive and responds to fear, typically fight or flight, as opposed to the PQ Brain that brings into play the five powers of the Sage. 

A key to the unique genius of Positive Intelligence is to strengther one’s capacity of self-mastery. Build that muscle through reps of mental focus, mindfulness, being aware in the moment. Literally, focus your awareness on any of your five senses for TEN seconds. Stop the thinking process and become aware of your physical sensations. This activates the PQ Brain and develops this capacity through time and reps. It rewires the brain, adding versality to the tendency to stay in “automatic” or default mode of the Survival Brain. Feeling the physicality and sensation of three breaths is just about one rep, but other physical, body awareness can be creatively engaged. Physical exercise, daily routines, mindful savoring of meals, listening to music, participating in sports, being with loved ones can offer opportunities to build this PQ muscle.

A specific program, aided by an ingenious app on your phone, is available to focus on building these mental muscles, just like you would go to a gyn to develop physical muscles.

Again, if you have questions or want to talk more about this work of identifying your Saboteurs, focusing on your Sage capacities, and strengthening your mental muscles, feel free to email me at dgalloway@gallowayconsulting.net. 

Welcome to CcNet on Facebook! The CcNet Facebook page is offered for our Clergy Clients & their Congregational Leadership Teams from all religious traditions.  While the public is welcome to see this page, please remember that our posts are selected to address the concerns identified by our clergy clients.

The three-part mission of this Facebook page:

To CHALLENGE, EQUIP AND INSPIRE our clergy clients and their congregational leaders for transformational leadership in an ever-changing world.  We will do this by sharing relevant articles, book reviews, research, quotes, sermon ideas and illustrations, sharable memes, and occasionally a bit of humor about human nature, theology, or congregational life.

To ARTICULATE A VISION FOR FAITHFUL CONGREGATIONS. This may include but is not limited to Worship, Community, Hospitality, Discipleship, Inclusiveness, Evangelism, Social/Biblical Justice, Congregational Care, Service, and Leadership Development.

To INVITE CLERGY AND CONGREGATIONAL LEADERS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR COACHING SERVICES. We hope that clergy and congregational leadership teams will seek to employ one of our well-trained clergy coaches to assist them in their leadership and ministry.  Our coaching services are available to leaders of all religious traditions.  Learn more at http://www.clergycoachingnetwork.com

At present our coaching services are limited to clergy and congregational leaders in North America.  

Posts on this page come from a variety of perspectives and seek to address the issues, challenges, and opportunities facing clergy, faith leaders, congregations, and the communities in which they minister.  While we do not coach thorough our Facebook posts, most of our posts are selected to address the concerns identified by our clergy clients. Because our clergy clients are diverse, some of our posts will confirm what you already think. Others will challenge assumptions and invite the exploration of new possibilities.  

If you are uncomfortable with posts coming from a variety of points of view or religious perspectives(conservative, moderate, and progressive, sacred, and secular), this may not be the page for you.

COMMENT GUIDELINES: 

If you choose to comment on a post, we ask you to familiarize yourself with our mission and follow these Comment Guidelines. (By “liking” or “following” this page, you are agreeing to abide by these guidelines.)

• As people of faith, we are called to a higher standard than the vitriol that often shows up in some Facebook comments.
• Always read a complete article before making a comment. Commenting on a headline, a tag-line or picture, without reading the article, perpetuates the shallow thinking that dominates much of social media. When it is obvious that the commenter has not read the article, the comment will be deleted.
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Guest Post: a sermon by Rev. Dr. Brad Gabriel (part of a Lenten Series entitled: The Lonesome Road) Text: John 12:20-33

Adaptive cruise control is a new car technology.  According to Numlock News, the technology uses radar to determine the distance between the car and the vehicle ahead of it and manage cruise control actively with that information. This makes cruise control more dynamic. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety carried out a study of the technology.   The Institute loaned cars with the technology to 40 Boston-area drivers. The results show that adaptive cruise control made speeding much easier. Monitors in the cars showed that drivers were 24 percent more likely to speed when using adaptive cruise control than when they were not.

Going on cruise might not be 100% beneficial, then.  This is true for our spiritual journey as well for commutes to work, vacation driving, and road trips to the grandparents.  This Lent for our spiritual journey we are walking that Lonesome road with Jesus.  In today’s lesson, something expected, but still new, comes up. 

“Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”  

Ok, good. Thank you. I do, too.  We still are dealing with lingering pandemic, continued civil strife, and potential religious divide, so, yes, I wish to see Jesus.  I wish to see Jesus in good news as well.  I want to see him celebrate with us as more vaccines are more widely distributed, as vaccinated parents and vaccinated children get to hug one another, and other signs of renewed life are reported.

I wish to see Jesus in the face of bad news. It only takes one news report about the looming humanitarian crisis on the Southern border, or some white guy with a gun committing a heinous crime to send us all reeling.  What are we doing? Why? How do we do something else? I wish to see Jesus in our current context. On this Lonesome road, I wish to see Jesus. 

 Traveling this Lonesome road with Jesus has made clear once again, that regardless of how I may feel or what I may think about anyone else’s behavior, my errors are many, my sins grievous, and my vision more than a little hazy.  Yes, I wish to see Jesus. Seeing Jesus will make sure that I stay on the road.  Seeing Jesus helps me avoid getting too close to the guardrails, because even that is too close to losing my way entirely.  I wish to avoid falling into the error of going on spiritual cruise control.   I know the temptations. This is not my first season of Lent.  Or second, or fiftieth. 

I wish to see Jesus because I want to remember that the discipline of this season allows me to remember the central parts of our faith. From what I read and hear and see, I do not think that I’m the only person these days who is tempted to slip into a comfortable and culturally approved spirituality that looks a whole lot less like Christianity and a whole lot more like what one observer called a “new belief system [that] is a blend of self-optimization, therapy, right wing Q-anon conspiracy theories, economic thoughts, wellness, astrology, left-wing political orthodoxy, and Dolly Parton.”  So, hearing these Greeks come and tell Philip “We wish to see Jesus,” and reading about what comes after, serve as course corrections.  

The setting of today’s Gospel matters as much as the Greeks’ request. I am certainly not the first person to notice this. Earlier in this chapter, we read that some of the authorities have decided to kill Jesus. The reason is because he raised Lazarus from the dead.  I might have thought that raising a good person from an untimely death would cause general happiness.  Apparently, the fears of those leaders were that such miracles might lead to yet another pre-doomed popular uprising against Rome. The last doomed revolt was only about 30 years prior. The pain, the destruction, the deaths, of that time are still too fresh.  The miracle of defeating death was one problem for those who choose a comfortable if slightly oppressive stability over fidelity to the will of God. 

Another problem that we will read about next week, was what happened when Jesus and his followers came to Jerusalem for the Passover celebration. His entrance had all the trappings of a nationalist uprising.  That was sure to anger the Roman occupiers. Messianic, nationalistic, religiously excessive, and, the authorities tell one another, the whole world is going after Jesus.  

One commentator remarked that these events smacked of foreshadowing to him. Do you remember learning about foreshadowing as a literary device? When do our teachers talk to us about that?  Eight grade?  Ninth?  Both of our sons talked a lot about foreshadowing when they learned about it.  We would watch a TV program and they say, “Oh, look, that’s foreshadowing. Let’s see how it works in the story.”  

My favorite example is the scene in the first Jurassic Park film when the T-Rex is chasing people who are in a car.  You see the monster’s face in the side view mirror of the car. What is printed on the bottom of the mirror? “Objects in the mirror are closer than they appear.”  

Foreshadowing. A hint of what’s to come.   The whole world is going after Jesus.  A fulfillment of what we read last week. John 3:16, “for God so loved the world…”  Now the world appears to be going after Jesus.  Those asking for the introduction didn’t have to be Greeks. Any ethnicity would do, I suppose.  Italians. Celts. Iberians. Egyptians. Tennesseans.  These Greeks, though, these outsiders, these foreigners, these others, these who are “not our type of people,” come up. They say to the Disciple with the Greek sounding name, (which is, also a foreshadow of coming events) “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”  The whole world is going after him.

The appearance of these Greeks in turn, foreshadow Jesus’ sacrifice for the whole world. Their appearance foreshadows the church’s mission to include all people. “For God so loved the world….”

Philip and Andrew two Greek named disciples bring the request to Jesus and he says in response, not, “Let’s sign them up.”  Instead, Jesus says, “Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.”

Those of us on this side of the cross know that he is talking about his own death.  At the very least, his death. Of course, as has been noted on stage and screen and classroom, he didn’t have to go through with it. 

He could take it all back. “Excuse me?” he might say.  “Is that what you heard me say about the Temple hierarchy?  About Rome?  About people who are always looking for someone to feel superior to?  My bad.  Sorry.  Tell you what, how about I toddle on off back to Nazareth.  Join the family business and we just file this all away as a misunderstanding? One day, we’ll look back at this and laugh. Right?”    

He could have.  He won’t.  He didn’t. Jesus understands his life is the seed that will bring the harvest of God’s love, reconciling all things to God’s own Self, as the apostle writes in Colossians 1:20 “and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven.” At the risk of sounding too flexible, this is a universal love.  Jesus knows that when he dies to all the external trappings of power and prestige and popularity, he knows that when he speaks the truth in love, and when he lives the truth in love, and when he loves, in truth, the whole world and all its people, he knows that the outcome is inevitable.  He knows the outcome. It’s on that hill. Just outside the city gates. 

He also knows that staying on that lonesome road, being lifted up, being cast down and entombed, all of that, will bring the harvest of love that is the only way to re-shape this world, beginning with your life, with my life.  “When I am lifted up, I will draw all people to myself.”  “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”  “The whole world is going after him.” “For God so loved the world.”  All of it and all of us. 

How do we grasp that? We keep Jesus in our sight.  We can’t afford to go on cruise control.  We will see Jesus in the scriptures, in the sacraments, and in the means of grace.  The question for Lent on this lonesome road is, will people see Jesus in us? 

Did you see the television series called “The Queen’s Gambit?”  A colleague called it to my attention.  (Careful, here, there are spoilers ahead.) Fictional, it is the story, set at the height of the Cold War between the US and the USSR, of an orphan girl who discovers that she is a chess prodigy.  Beth Harmon, the name of the woman in the show, rises in the world of chess. She falls in her private life, alcohol and drug abuse, isolation, and anger that reflect the abuse and betrayal that she experienced as a child and younger woman. 

At one point in the show Beth is going to play the world champion for the title of Grand Master. She is rescued by an old friend who comes to help, to sacrifice for Beth, to support, and most important to tell her the plain and simple truth in loving and unvarnished terms. Beth learns that she can never become great in isolation. People whom she had cut off return and support and provide advice and direction. Beth wins the chess match, defeats the Russian and is cheered by the entire world it seems. 

Beth is escorted by a state department official to be received and praised by the President of the United States.  She is dressed ambiguously, in a long white coat, wearing a white beret style hat with a pom-pom on top she looks like the White Queen, possibly the most powerful piece of a standard chess set.  Or is she a pawn ready to sacrifice herself for the good of the other? Beth leaves the State Department car. She walks away from power and prestige and popularity and does for an old man sitting alone at a table with a chess board on it that which no one had done for her until almost too late. She invites him in, “Let play.” 

We are to invite in the whole world. As they are.  Jesus will work on them just as he does.   We must participate in this life and the next. We must make sure that all of our remaining sins are on the table.  That means the areas of work Jesus has in my life includes my racism or sexism or classism or homophobia or chauvinism or greed or arrogance or desire for power or prestige or even popularity.  Those areas have to be removed so they do not get in the way of showing Jesus to the world in all that we say and all that we do in all of our relationships, all the days of our life.  Certainly, you will continue to show Jesus to the world in the service that you give aiding the hungry and thirsty, and naked and homeless and sick and in prison, those to whom Jesus points us.  

We must keep Jesus in our sight. The one who is lifted up.  The one who falls to the ground.  The who is the seed of God’s all redeeming love.  The one who teaches us how to love and who makes your love for others and for yourself possible.  The one who witnesses and blesses your sacrifice that lets the kingdom expand a bit more today. The one who already understands that your sacrifice is never a way to earn what Jesus already gives freely.  Jesus accepts your sacrifice as the “Thank you” to him that it is. 

I can’t do this on my own.  No matter how modern and fancy my cruise control might be.  While I may be wrong, I suspect that none of you can do it on your own either. Stay aware. Stay engaged. Stay on the road.  Keep Jesus in your sight. Continue with your joyful sacrifice of time and resources and money and prayer. Continue imitating the Jesus you love as you become his hands in the life you live with others.