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First Congregational

United Church of Christ

... exploring the frontiers of faith in Jesus

When the moment arrives

When the moment arrives, will you be ready? When Jesus comes, will you be ready?

That’s the important question, because there is no question Jesus is ready. Jesus is ready to receive you! Jesus is ready to welcome you! Jesus is ready to invite you in to the wedding feast! There is no hesitation, no pause for consideration, no weighing the merits of whether to welcome you in or not. Jesus is ready to receive you, no matter who you are. The question is, will you be ready to receive him?

In Jesus’ parable, five young women were not ready. Five young women were left outside because they were not prepared when the moment arrived. All ten young women were eager to meet the bridegroom when he came, but when, after some delay, the moment finally arrived, five of them were ready and five were not.

Because, Jesus says, five of them were wise and five of them were foolish. At first hearing, this doesn’t seem fair to me. I mean, the foolish ones are doomed from the start, aren’t they? After all, they are the foolish ones! Of course, they’ll not remember to bring along some extra oil! It’s just who they are ... foolish young women. They’re doomed from the start. Aren’t they?

I don’t think so. The more I hear the parable, the more hopeful it seems. The foolishness of the five young women is not an identity trait. It is an assessment of what they did, or, rather, what they failed to do. At that time, in that moment, all ten young women have a choice. All ten have the opportunity to be ready for the bridegroom when he comes. All ten are capable of doing the wise thing. It is the decision to bring extra oil that is wise.

At this time, in this moment, you have a choice. You have an opportunity. You can be wise! You have no predetermined destiny. You not “the foolish one,” not “the one who always messes up.” In this one moment, you are free. Every possibility is open to you! So when the moment arrives, will you be ready? When Jesus comes, will you be ready? When Jesus comes, will you be ready to receive him?

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Will he find faith?

While we have been listening to the parables of Jesus on Sunday mornings, a couple dozen folks from the church have been discussing the parables at our Wednesday night Bible study. We held our last session this last Wednesday. I had asked the class members to write their own parables and to share them with the rest of us.

And they did! They did a great job! Their stories were poignant and powerful and provocative, just as parables should be. I didn’t think of it at the time, but I think I should collect their parables and publish them, so the rest of you can enjoy them and be challenged by them, too.

The first parable to be shared Wednesday night was Linda Waldon’s. She told us the story of a bird. She didn’t title the story herself, but the comments of other class members suggested several possible titles. Depending on whom you ask her story might be best titled:

  1. The persistent robin,
  2. The all-too clean window, or
  3. The dumb bird!

It seems Linda is awakened each morning by a “thump” and then another “thump” ... the sound a robin’s body makes when it smashes itself into a bedroom window! “Thump” ... not once, not twice, but 20-30 times. “Thump” ... each morning ... “thump” ... for two years ... “thump” ... the same robin ... “thump.”

So what do you think? Dumb bird? Overzealous window washer? A very persistent and very special robin?

As I think about the story, as a parable, I like to think of that robin as a knight of faith ... a knight of faith. What courage! Hurling his frail body against that unbending window pane day after day after day. What tenacity! Not giving up, scorning the pain, shrugging off the muddled head and the aching bones and gathering himself to do it again! What faith! Thinking this time -- this time! -- maybe the window will be open, or maybe somehow, some way, this time -- this time! -- I will be able to pass through the window and reach the promised land on the other side!

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From my blog, a believer's journal ...

obama on his pastor

I have been thinking about how best to respond to folks who ask about the flap over Barack Obama and his former pastor at Trinity United Church of Christ, Rev. Jeremiah Wright. But Obama himself has provided the best response in a speech delivered today in Philadelphia. It is a remarkable speech, putting our nation’s “original sin” of racism in broad historical context, and challenging us as Americans — of all races and political persuasions — to find a way to move beyond the divisiveness that has so dominated and damaged both our political discourse and our common destiny.

Read the rest of this blog post and leave your comment at: obama on his pastor. Check out some of my other entries while you're there!

Psalm 82: resources for hearing and doing!

God says: You must stop judging unjustly ...

  1. Restorative Justice Online
    - www.restorativejustice.org
  2. Death Penalty Information Center
    - www.deathpenaltyinfo.org
  3. National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty
    - www.ncadp.org

God says: You must no longer be partial to the wicked ...

  1. Vote your conscience!
  2. Demand that our leaders pursue a foreign policy based on the aims of justice, peace and human rights, not of accumulating wealth and power and short-term advantage. The enemy of my enemy is not always my friend! (And sometimes my enemy is not really my enemy ... or God's.)
  3. Make your concerns known to your congressional representatives.

God says: Defend the rights of the poor and the orphans ...

  1. Amnesty International: working to protect human rights
    - www.amnesty.org
  2. National Religious Campaign Against Torture
    - www.nrcat.org
  3. Living Wage Resource Center
    - www.livingwagecampaign.org

God says: Be fair to the needy and the helpless ...

  1. Justice and Witness Ministries of the UCC
    - www.ucc.org/justice
  2. Join the Justice and Peace Action Network! (JPANet)
    - www.ucc.org/justice/join-the-network/

Healing Services

We hold healing services on the first Sunday evening of each month (expect July and August) at 6:30 p.m. in the church sanctuary. This is an opportunity to pray specifically, for ourselves and for each other, for God's healing of the broken places in our lives and in our world. You are invited ... to help us do God's work and to seek healing for your own spirit and body.

communion tableCommunion table at December healing service ... greenery, candles, chalices
(click on photo for a larger view)

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