The other morning I picked up a copy of the Republican and after a minute realized that the guy smiling back at me in the picture was me! (I was grateful they cropped enough of the picture to hide most of the girth of my waistline!)

Seriously, what I felt was great sense of pride for the smiling group of people in the picture with me and the wonderful work they had accomplished with the Open Your Heart silent auction this year. The work they did, along with others not pictured, will feed many, many people throughout the Cazenovia community. Whether you worked with this smiling group, donated something for the auction, hung kites in the Meeting House, prepared or served food, bought something or work with CazCares, thank you. You all brought much joy to many, as well as, food to the hungry. Good for you!

            Last weekend, the village of Cazenovia added a new tree to its plethora of stunningly beautiful trees.  We have trees of all sorts: deciduous, evergreens, flowering, scented, old and young, trees that excite and delight our senses and turn spring days into a virtual kaleidoscope of color and scents. This new tree, however, in addition to adding its evergreen beauty to all the others, will have a very special function.  In years to come, this tree will grow tall and in time come to symbolize the Christmas Season for many generations of Cazenovians to come.

           Looking at our current Christmas tree, standing in front of the manse, still holding its now unlit lights, I wonder about the past it has seen.  I imagine the children that have played around its base, the parades that have marched past, the nights it has stood as a sentential in this park in the midst of the village.  Maybe it chuckled and waved its branches at the guy who climbed the rope to paint the steeple.  Maybe it was amused by the comments of   others who stood watching.  How many Christmas celebrations do you suppose it has witnessed?  How many lovers do you suppose sat in its shadow and chatted with each other?

          This Arbor Day, the past and the future come together here on the corner of Albany and Sullivan Streets.  We will rightly celebrate and honor the past upon which the village has been built and we will look to the future with hope and anticipation of continuing growth.  This sounds like Arbor Day and also Christmas, don’t you think?      

                                                   Steve

     “Reality” may seem an inappropriate word in referring to events of faith such as Lent and Easter. “Reality” TV in our day and time would have us believe in factual, intense, winning at all cost, self-centeredness. This is their “reality”. This is their norm. By their standards, it should be ours as well and people strive to be winners like all those other winners they see from business to sports to entertainment. Easter presents a different “reality”.

     This God of ours is not in the business of beating us. Winning is the last thing on his mind, if there at all. This God of the cross is willing to loose everything, even life, to demonstrate his love for us and his desire to be in relationship with us. This God is willing to serve us, not force us into serving.

     Scripture tells us that our strength lies in our weakness. The Christ demonstrates this reality as he arises from the failure of the tomb to the glory of life; bringing you and me along with him. No competition here. No self’-centeredness here. But Oh the intensity of God’s love and power.

Happy Easter, Steve

We are so busy in this world in which we live that we often “meet ourselves coming.” We are bombarded from all directions with messages from without competing for our attention and our time. Voices every where call us to such busyness, that we often loose ourselves in attempting to respond to their needs. Such a fast and furious pace in which we live!

Lent provides us an opportunity to “give up” some of this busyness so that we can better reflect on the phenomenal gift of faith that God has granted us. “Giving up” for Lent is much more than giving up candy or beets or something we love in sacrifice. “Giving up” for Lent is laying down those things that come between us and the God who loves us. Seeing more clearly and thereby reclaiming our gift of Christ is the true objective of “giving it up” for Lent.

This is not just a simple annual ritual. It is removing barriers, any barriers, which prevent you from seeing and experiencing anew the beauty of this gift of faith which nurtures and sustains us through out our lives. As you “give it up”, may this season of Lent be a wonderful season of rediscovery for each of you.

Blessings, Steve

We have not done badly as a faith community this past year. In fact, you have bucked the trends of most churches. Your membership rose above 300 this year. Through your faithful giving of time, talent and money, along with sound management by your various boards and staff, you have kept us within our budgets. We enter into 2010 with some strength.

This is not to say that we are out of the financial woods. We still face a couple years of reduced income from the Wendell-Hubbard Fund due to value reduction and a new three-year averaging formula implemented last year by the fund to compute income. You, however, are the bright and shining stars in this scenario! Through the giving of your time, talents, skills and money, we have seen pledge income remain stable in difficult times and we are projecting a modest increase for 2010. Thank you for your faithfulness!

They, you are still our greatest assets. I give thanks to God for you.

Steve

We will celebrate with them, because these young people are embracing their dreams, and at the same time we will experience the sorrow of knowing they will no longer be the children we know and love. It is a reality that we all share. We want them to grow into the independent, healthy and successful adults that they are, but at the same time we want them to stay the same. So we wave goodbye with a smile on our lips, tears in our eyes and pride in our hearts.

To all who, this year, finish one goal and move on to another, please take with you our pride and our love.

Your combined creativity demonstrated in the planning for, the conducting of and the follow through of the silent auction for CAZCARES in May was stunningly brilliant. The $7,000 raised and donated that evening to feeding the hungry in our area will become “stuff of legend.”

I will also remember the character you all demonstrated behind the scenes. I will recall that the idea came from you. I will remember that you put all your talent and creativity behind the goal of helping. I will remember stories of individuals wheeling and dealing for items and services to auction. I will remember the amazing variety of items you found. The stunning beauty of the transformed Meeting House, the exquisitely served hors d’oeuvres and drink will always be a part of my memory.

What really caused my heart to smile though was watching all of you working together. Young, old, in between, member, non-member, you all showed up with passion and spunk bringing yourselves and your talent. You brought spirit to the bidding and you invited the whole community to join you.

That evening we had a chance to see the wealth of the church in action. You were beautiful.

God bless,
Steve

After complying with his instructions, I entered the Court House and found I had to negotiate my way through Homeland Security. The armed guard looked somewhat skeptically at the medical card which said I couldn’t go through their scanners because it would mess up my ICD. Escorting me around the scanner, he had me cover my ICD with my hand while he scanned the rest my body with a smaller hand held scanner. After careful inspection of my possessions and me, he pronounced me OK and sent me to the fourth floor where I would find the Social Security Administration.

Arriving at their lobby, I was greeted by yet another guard, a mass of people milling around and a computer touch screen. When I got close enough to read what was on the screen, I touched the button stating that I had an appointment, entered my SSI number and received a number with an invitation to sit down until I was called. Fifteen minutes later, I was called and went in to apply for Medicare. On yet another computer, the agent pulled up my whole life. When we finished the process, I told Gigi to take me home. She only had to “recalculate” twice. I got my letter of eligibility this morning.

Technology and people have certainly changed in the fifty years that have passed since this then young fifteen year old got his Social Security Card. Multiple generations have been born into our society and things are just not the same. I still marvel at the new technology becoming available, while newer generations of our young ones take it for granted and are astonished at how ignorant I am about it all.

Unknown to me, while I was pondering the generation gaps, Saunda was doing some studying about these new generations and just how we proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a generation or two who relate and communicate in ways we can’t name much less understand. Anyone “tubed” or “twittered” lately? Enjoy Saunda’s article.

ARE WE READY TO GET THE WORD OUT TO THE “NET” GENERATION?

Lynette Hawkins is a Presbyterian elder and founder of Awesome Insight, a strategic communications resource of Beyond Marketing Group, Inc. Her recent article in Presbyterian Outlook Magazine provided some thought provoking ideas.

Lynette writes, “As Presbyterian congregations seek to reach and invite people in their 20’s and younger, we must understand who they are. This generation, often referred to as “the net generation,” views technology as common as sliced bread and lives in a world with interactive community-building web 2.0 tools like blogs, podcasts, Twitter, Facebook, and other social networks. For this generation, the standard church Web site may appear more like a digital brochure with limited one-way conversation.”

It’s all about relationship, relationship, relationship for those who use the web 2.0 tools. The upshot of the article is that today, a growing number of congregations, denomination leaders, and other protestant churches are paving the way to build community on the Internet.

The article goes on to affirm that the Message has not changed but the way people are building relationships is in constant movement. Connecting by sharing ministry photos, events, and videos in settings that are comfortable and real to the net generation creates a more relevant way to reach out and invite them to come and join us.

Here are a few examples Ms. Hawkins provides in her article:

Set up your church or youth group as a group page on a popular social networking site like Facebook.

2. Blog (Weblogs). Establish a pastor’s blog that allows members as well as outsiders opportunity to be inspired, get spiritual food, or simply express personal feelings in an environment that can be anonymous and less intimidating.

3. Establish your ministry’s social network. Utilize social network services like Ning.com to set up a custom network for your congregation. This medium can allow members and the outside community to connect on common hobbies, careers, or other interests.

4. Create sermon or Bible study podcasts. Upload an audio file that is downloadable from the computer or iPod and allows people to hear a message and connect with your ministry even if they are not yet ready to visit your church.

5. Upload a video clip to YouTube or other video sharing mediums. Consider sharing video clips that help to give people a peek of what it is like to praise and worship at your church.

Get ready to take the plunge. If social media terminology sounds like a foreign language, ask a young person in your circle of friends or family to show you what this looks like. Explore the options and then move in ways that are relevant, comfortable, and allows God to use even technology to reach more people and share the Gospel.

(Adapted from an article written by Lynette Hawkins in The Presbyterian Outlook, Feb. 23, 2009, pp. 13 and 14.)

]]> http://www.cazpres.org/blog/pastorsmessage/one-more-right-of-passage/feed 0 http://www.cazpres.org/blog/pastorsmessage/easter-large-and-small http://www.cazpres.org/blog/pastorsmessage/easter-large-and-small#comments Thu, 02 Apr 2009 13:03:26 +0000 admin http://www.cazpres.org/blog/?p=148 Easter is a wonderful event celebrating the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We may get a little (or maybe a lot) annoyed with all the commercial hype and selling associated with this religious holiday, but we will be reminded that for many Easter is a time to celebrate the Christ’s victory over death and our participation in that victory.

The accompanying hope this act of grace brings is a gift we will spend our lives attempting to understand and receive. Revel in the joy and hope that Christ gives as symbolized by all the icons of Easter: eggs, candy, flowers, babies, new clothing, soaring worship services filled with special music, rites and candles, family and friends coming together to share each other. Go ahead and give thanks for this tremendous gift of salvation and all its potential that we are enjoying!

However, celebrate also the truth that Easter is not just this large celebration in the spring. This celebration is but another icon of Easter. Resurrection also takes place in smaller, quieter ways during any season of the year. Easter is immediately present anytime we experience any kind of new life, of new hope.

Resurrection may be triggered by a feeling, or an idea, or a new understanding. When we feel new energy surging through us, filling us with life and hope, we are experiencing a small Easter. Well, maybe this really isn’t so small?

Happy Easter,
Steve

]]> http://www.cazpres.org/blog/pastorsmessage/easter-large-and-small/feed 0 http://www.cazpres.org/blog/pastorsmessage/a-time-for-reflection http://www.cazpres.org/blog/pastorsmessage/a-time-for-reflection#comments Tue, 03 Feb 2009 19:26:57 +0000 admin http://www.cazpres.org/blog/?p=131 In today’s busy world it is a blessing to be reminded of the need for and to actually participate in a time of personal reflection. On Ash Wednesday, February 25th, we are invited by the season of Lent to enter into the desert and do just that.

Lent means “fortieth day” and points us to the time, following the Christ’s baptism, when he went into the wilderness and was tempted by Satan. Satan’s temptations challenged Jesus to reflect on his own relationship to God, the people of God, and his call to service (How he would use his God given gifts.). His refusal to be tempted by Satan during these “forty days” in the wilderness, clarified for him the mission he would carry out when he came out of his wilderness; a mission that would lead to Good Friday and on to Easter.

I know that the world is fast moving and scary right now, but please, allow yourself some time in the desert during Lent. Lent doesn’t care one bit if you give up chocolate or not. Lent would like for you to reflect as the Christ did. What is your relationship to God? Will you trust him? What is your relationship to others? What is God really calling you to do and be?

Walk into this wilderness. Don’t be afraid! God will be with you and angels will nurture and protect you. Clarify your call to service?

Strengthened and nurtured by your wilderness reflections, you will be ready on Maundy Thursday to begin moving out of the wilderness and on toward Easter with a clarity and strength you have not experienced before.

I look forward to hearing about your victories and your reflections.

Steve

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