God In Full View!

Good morning, Loved Ones,

Welcome to a brand new day. New opportunities, new chances to redeem yesterday and claim tomorrow, new hope, new faith, new grace.

Psalm 84 (The Message)

A Korah Psalm

^1-2 What a beautiful home, God-of-the-Angel-Armies! I've always longed to live in a place like this,
Always dreamed of a room in your house,
where I could sing for joy to God-alive!
^3-4 Birds find nooks and crannies in your house,
sparrows and swallows make nests there.
They lay their eggs and raise their young,
singing their songs in the place where we worship.
God-of-the-Angel-Armies! King! God!
How blessed they are to live and sing there!
^5-7 And how blessed all those in whom you live,
whose lives become roads you travel;
They wind through lonesome valleys, come upon brooks,
discover cool springs and pools brimming with rain!
God-traveled, these roads curve up the mountain, and
at the last turn—Zion! God in full view!


Today I give thanks . . .

. . . for Dr. John Perkins, a humble preacher with a third grade education who has worked for 50 years for racial reconciliation in Mississippi and around the country. Dr. Perkins is a friend to all, even the klansman who nearly beat him to death. He will not allow others to box him in and sees new perspectives even at 80 years of age.

. . . for Pastor Alfonso, Maria, Greg and Ingrid, traveling companions on the road to Mississippi and partners in the AQUI work of building healthy community here in KCK.

. . . for Carmen Flores who can even interpret for Randy Lopez! Carmen communicates God's grace and love regardless of who is in the pulpit.

. . . for Randy Lopez who does it all --- preaches, leads the youth, emcees fiestas, coaches youth basketball, mentors, loves his community and his family . . .

. . . for honest friends who value relationships enough to confront and speak the truth.

. . . for all those who allow God to travel life's roads with them and who are blessed by the Life that comes into full view in them.

Have a wonderful day and know that we are all waiting for you to "gimme cinco"!

Pastor Rick
http://gimmecinco.blogspot.com/

One Precious Day

Good morning, Loved Ones,

One more piece to share from the New Sanctuary trip.

Every day, Creation is renewed.
Wake up and see unfolding
In the spreading light of dawn,
The world and all it contains
Coming into being, new, fresh,
Filled with divine goodness
And love.
Every day, Creation is renewed.
Reflected in the great lights
We see a new day,
One precious day,
Eternity.

This precious day I give thanks . . .

. . . for David Cliburn, Interim Associate Executive Presbyter, who suggested that Heartland Presbytery might want to come and meet at a small, urban congregation that can't even figure out what language to speak. I thank God that he saw something in us that others, perhaps even we, missed.
. . . for presbyters -- elders and pastors -- who ventured off their beaten path to enter a neighborhood and community they might have once feared only to be welcomed, included, fed and nourished at the Lord's table.
. . . for Lucas, Natalie, Bump, Javier, Ruben, Max, Pastor Tom, Carmen, Karina, Pastor Alfonso, Pastor Rick, Pastor Terry and Randy who allowed the Holy Spirit to speak through them in worship.
. . . for friends like Arnold and Esther Rogers who come out of nowhere to lend a hand for friends and even for people they don't know.
. . . for One Precious Day to be remembered, celebrated and cherished as a sign of what the Lord can do through us and as an inkling of what we have to share that can build up the church and point us toward the Kingdom of God.

What do you "see unfolding" in this "spreading light of dawn?" It's a new day. Renew your heart, mind and soul with thanksgiving. Gimme cinco!

Pastor Rick
http://gimmecinco.blogspot.com/

Subtle Graces of Life

Good morning, Loved Ones,

Here is another piece of the Jewish liturgy. Again, it was shared at our NSM gathering in New York. It is called Aleynu. The Aleynu praises God for allowing the Jewish people to serve him, and expresses their hope that the whole world will recognize God and abandon idolatry. As we are spending many hours this week in service, preparing for the Presbytery meeting on Saturday, I thought this piece was appropriate.

It is up to us to hallow Creation,
to respond to Life with the fullness of our lives.
It is up to us to meet the World,
to embrace the Whole even as we wrestle with its parts.
It is up to us to repair the World and to bind our lives to the Truth.
Therefore we bend the knee
and shake off the stiffness that keeps us
from the subtle graces of Life
and the supple gestures of Love.
With reverence and thanksgiving we accept our destiny
and set for ourselves the task of redemption. (Rami M. Shapiro)

Today I give thanks for . . .
1) . . . the supple gestures of love being performed by the many who are painting steps, replacing ceiling tiles, pouring concrete, cleaning stairwells, installing toilets, plastering walls and on and on and on . . .
2) . . . team leaders - Amy, Javier, Telma, Gigi, DeDe, Carmen, Dedric and Pastor Alfonso who are "wrestling with the parts" to make this meeting the best it can be.
3) . . . fiesta performers - Sudanese, Korean, Kenyan, Indonesian, Mexican, Guatemalan and Grandviewparkian.
4) . . . the opportunity for service the Presbytery meeting has provided us, the strength it will give us to do the next "task of redemption", and for the elevation of our self-image and for increased faith and trust in God.
5) . . . Sunday. It will truly be a day of rest for us, a Sabbath day of worship and celebration for service to God and our neighbors.

Let's bend the knee today and shake off the stiffness. Gimme cinco!

Pastor Rick

We Are Loved

Good Morning, Loved Ones,

Today I'd like to share a liturgical piece from the Jewish tradition. It is an interpretive version of the Ahavat Olam (Unending Love).

We are loved by an unending love.
We are embraced by arms that find us even when we are hidden from ourselves.
We are touched by fingers that soothe us even when we are too proud for soothing.
We are counseled by voices that guide us even when we are too embittered to hear.
We are loved by an unending love.
We are supported by hands that uplift us even in the midst of a fall.
We are urged on by eyes that meet us even when we are too weak for meeting.
We are loved by an unending love.
Embraced, touched, soothed, and counseled . . .
ours are the arms, the fingers, the voices;
ours are the hands, the eyes, the smiles;
We are loved by an unending love.
Blessed are you, Beloved One.

Today I give thanks for . . .

. . . Cole Herder who is tirelessly committed to his little town of Humboldt, Kansas and stands ready to step in and help even when he is unsure what is needed.
We are loved by an unending love . . .
. . . Bump Haynes who is courageously facing his radiation treatments while at the same time planning to welcome his fellow Presbyterians to his church, Grandview Park.
We are loved by an unending love . . .
. . . Mike Spears, Kent Parrett, Linda Haynes and many others who have come on days other than official work days to complete a project at the church.
We are loved by an unending love . . .
. . . Bill McCune, Russell Hays, Al Swartz, Dedric Moore, Bob Bowlin and many others who over many years have devoted themselves to repairing, maintaining and improving our lovely old building.
We are loved by an unending love . . .
. . . Pastor Tom who works to bring an artistic sensibiity to whatever he does in his life, be it chalk drawings or pastoral care.
We are loved by an unending love.

Whose arms, fingers, voices, hands, eyes and smiles you are thankful for today? Gimme cinco!

Don't forget -- this Sunday is our last Work 'n Worship Sunday before our Heartland Presbytery Family comes home to visit. Get to the church between 9 and 2 and help us get ready!

Peace,
Pastor Rick
http://gimmecinco.blogspot.com/

Grant's Tomb

On my first morning in NYC at the New Sanctuary gathering I stumbled across Grant's Memorial Tomb which lies just NW of the Riverside Church. I thought of the old Grant's tomb joke and the quiet time for reflection that morning inspired a poem.

Grants’ Tomb
9/2/2009

Light advances on water, earth and flesh
Troops of day attack shadows of dream and dread
“Let us have peace,” said the Man ‘o War
A grand old party slogan long forgotten
Who lies in this tomb?
No one
The general has relocated
His portrait eyes the questioning heart
Has he gone to Hiroshima?
Maybe Kinshasha?
Could be Iona
Tomb cannot hold dream
The drunken soldier’s eyes shift toward the New Morning
Every dawn empties another grave
Commander-in-Chief trades night for day
In a house divided

Robust Community

Good Morning, Loved Ones,

Welcome to September! I give you Cinco today from the National New Sanctuary Movement Gathering at Riverside Church in NYC.

James 3:17-18 (The Message)

^17-18Real wisdom, God's wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor.


Thank you, Lord for . . .

. . . Pastor John Fife who started the Sanctuary Movement 30 years ago and had to leave us yesterday after his keynote to attend a court date in Arizona to defend himself against a charge of littering the desert. His group, "No More Deaths," puts water in the desert so that those who are crossing can survive the brutal passage. It is for this he is being prosecuted.
. . . The musical group Nueva Cosecha (New Harvest) who brought us the messages in song, "Don't Call Me Stranger" and "No Human Being Is Illegal."
. . . My friends, John, Ginny, Daniel and Laurie from IJAM (Immigrant Justice Advocacy Movement) who are here with me and listening, sharing and learning to help make a difference.
. . . Rabbi Michael, who yesterday reminded us that the Old Testament calls for us to "love our neighbor" once, but calls for us to "love the stranger" 36 times.
. . . The Personnel Committee of GPPC and the challenging work they have been doing over the last few months. I'm thankful that they listen well and embody the message from our brother, James, above.
. . . The people of Grandview Park Church are building a robust community by "getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor."
. . . This litle corner of NYC full of institutions of learning and faith, for Union Theological Seminary, Columbia University, Riverside Church . . . for a rich history of thoughtful discourse and positive conversations that have changed the course of history.

Woops! I did it again. 7.0 instead of 5.0. Oh well, you know how it is. Once you get started, it's hard to stop. We're all waiting to hear from you. Gimme Cinco!

Pastor Rick
http://gimmecinco.blogspot.com/