Hard, hard day

Today... ALL of today (10 am to 5 pm) was spent at a funeral for an 18 year old. Never have I been an on-looker for someone so young. And the ways in which the Lakota people have services are like I've never experienced before. Karen and I went to the wake last night. We ended up leaving around 9:30, but we're pretty sure it went on until around midnight. At wakes, we have a prayer service where the minister(s) give words of condolences and after the service relatives and friends can offer words, prayers, or songs. It's beautiful and moving and unlike anything I have ever experienced. Usually there's at least two nights of wakes, but there was only one for this boy. The funeral service was today. We had a traditional church service and then we had a Lakota traditional "service." I'm not sure if there should have been more to it, but it seemed like the same traditional ceremonies as we did for his grandfather only five weeks ago.... the pallbearers and the body were smudged was the biggest difference... it was really hard to watch and be a part of this funeral. I kept thinking about my family, and realizing how hard this must be for his siblings. It's tradition for the pallbearers to help dig the grave and then cover the body, and others tap in and out to help.... the boy's brother and sisters help put mother earth on their brother... it was beautiful yet heart wrenching at the same time... I don't know if I could do that... my prayers go out to this family. May God enfold them in His peace and bring them all together again...

Adonai, I lift up my heart and I cry

My Adonai

You are maker of each moment

Father of my hope and freedom

Oh, my Adonai ~Avalon

July 22nd Sermon

The document from my sermon from Sunday:

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:3). Let us pray. Lord, let the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen.

I grew up in a loving, Christian household where we went to church almost every Sunday and prayed together daily. The first two prayers I ever learned were “God is great, God is good. Let us thank Him for our food; by His hands, we all are fed. Give us, Lord, our daily bread” for meals and “Now thy lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep. Guide me safely through the night. Wake me by the morning light” before bedtime. Then, as I grew and heard the repetition of the Lord’s Prayer each Sunday – Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory. Forever and ever – I was able to recite it along with the congregation. Prayer is universal to many religions. Wikipedia defines prayer in this way: “Prayer is a form of religious practice that seeks to activate a volitional connection to God, or any deity, through deliberate practice. Prayer may be either individual or communal and take place in public or in private. It may involve the use of words or song. When language is used, prayer may take the form of a hymn, incantation, formal creedal statement, or a spontaneous utterance in the praying person. There are different forms of prayer such as petitionary prayer, prayers of supplication, thanksgiving, and worship [or] praise. Prayer may be directed towards a deity, spirit, deceased person, or lofty idea, for the purpose of worshiping, requesting guidance, requesting assistance, confessing sins or to express one’s thoughts and emotions. Thus, people pray for many reasons such as personal benefit or for the sake of others. Most major religions involve prayer in one way or another. Some ritualize the act of prayer, requiring a strict sequence of actions or placing a restriction on who is permitted to pray, while others teach that prayer may be practiced spontaneously by anyone at any time.” Many aspects of this definition is how prayer is viewed for Christians today and has developed over time, but we were first taught how we should pray by Jesus through his words recorded in the gospels.

Our gospel lesson today begins with Jesus just having finished praying at an unspecified time after his visit with Mary and Martha and in an unspecified place: “One day Jesus was praying in a certain place” (11:1a). The disciples have asked for Jesus to teach them to pray. This is noteworthy because in Matthew, the disciples and Matthew’s intended audience seem to know about praying: “When you are praying…” is seen in Matthew 6:5, but here in Luke the disciples are asking to be taught how to pray: “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples” (11:1b). They seem to not know how to pray, at least as followers of Jesus. Jewish masters used to give their followers some short form of prayer, as an identifier of their relationship to them. It is quite probable that John the Baptist had done this for his followers and Jesus’ disciples are now asking this of Jesus. Just as a Jewish disciple’s prayers defined who his master was, so to our prayers define us, and Jesus’ disciples are to pray differently than those who follow another.

As Jesus is teaching his disciples to pray, the Greek translation of the verbs found in verse two are in the second person plural form – y’all. By not using the second person singular, Jesus makes this prayer communal rather than personal. This is further seen by the plural pronouns of “our” and “us” being used within the prayer. This was given as a prayer to define “us” and separate Jesus’ followers from others. That definition is not necessarily in the words, but in the fact that we pray it together, confessing and asking for the same things at the same time. Unfortunately, today we seem to have to explain which version of “The Lord’s Prayer” we’re going to pray when various denominations gather in one place. But the important thing is that we are aware of these differences and we adapt and adjust to one another, working together and praying together as one community.

As Jesus begins to pray, he teaches us to address God as “Father.” This address, no matter that our society views it as formal, refers to an intimate relationship for Jesus. Jesus had this intimate relationship with God, and we too are to have that same close, personal, intimate relationship with God. Before Jesus was sent to earth, God was seen as unreachable and feared. The individual was not the one who offered sacrifices to God; the individual took their sacrifice to the priest who offered it on their behalf. We were not to have such a personal relationship with Him. Through Jesus and his ministry, we are given full access to God; we are people who have a father-child relationship with the almighty God, a perfect relationship that is nothing like the worst nor even the best father-child relationships of this earth.

We are to address God – Father, Daddy – and then we are to tell him – actually command, since this is translated from the imperative part of speech – to make his name be holy, sacred, sanctified and then command for his kingdom to come to earth. After these commands, we are given more commands to order God to do: “Give us,” “Forgive us,” “Lead us not.” What does this mean that we are commanding God? In last week’s gospel lesson, Martha was politely reprimanded for telling Jesus what he should do and now we’re supposed to tell God, the Father – whom we felt we didn’t have such immediate access to – what to do? This is quite confusing. The best answer for this is that we are requesting God to do what God would do anyway. We are asking God to provide for us daily, and He does. We are asking God to forgive us our sins as we also forgive everyone indebted to us, and He does. In asking God to “lead us not into temptation,” we are calling upon our Father to protect us from whatever might threaten our lives or our relationship with the Father, and He does.

The first four verses of our passage today give us what we should pray as community, while the next three sections explain how and why to pray. The parable of the friend at midnight occurs only in Luke. It’s tied to the previous prayer by the words “bread” and “give.” The key word in this part of the passage occurs in verse 8, which is the Greek word anaideia. This is the only place in the New Testament that this word is found. Many Bibles translate this word as “persistent,” but it would actually be better translated as “shameless.” Our petitions to God, Jesus says, should be bold, audacious, shameless. We should keep on asking, seeking, and knocking until we receive an answer. Verses 9 and 10 encourage us in this shameless out-pouring in our prayers: “For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” The last three verses give an explanation as to why we should pray so insistently. If we know what is good and how to give good gifts, though sin and evil are a part of our world, how much more is God capable of giving us the things we need?

As Wikipedia’s definition confirms, prayer is much more than asking for things. Prayer is praise, worship, thanksgiving. It is a conversation with God, it’s questioning God, arguing with Him, lamenting to Him. Prayer is all these things and so much more. But prayer is also in its most fundamental form asking God for what we most need and desire. Shamelessly. This asking is so central because it confirms our essential dependence on God. God has given us many, many gifts, yet we never stray far from our original condition of ultimate dependence on God’s mercy, goodness, and grace. When we ask God for something in prayer, we acknowledge both our need and God’s goodness. We can also count on God listening to our prayer. There is nothing more important to God than being in relationship with us, and so when we speak we can count on God’s attention. I don’t have children, but I can imagine the attachment and the want to love, protect, and provide for your own. I have a dog, a little cocker spaniel/poodle mix named Scottie, that I had to leave behind with his “grandparents” this summer. I love him as if he was a person, my child, and I miss him more than I ever thought I could miss a pet. He is my family when I am away from my parents and siblings. I feel guilty at times that I am neglecting my responsibilities for him, but I know when I get back to South Carolina he will welcome me with kisses and his little nub of a tail twitching his whole backside. If it is so for people with children and pets – this want, this urge, this love that is shared – Jesus asks us, how much more so is it with God?

We need to remember, though, that prayer is not like putting coins in a vending machine. We can’t put our prayer in the right slot, push the right button, and then wait for the vending machine God to give us exactly what we want. God is not a vending machine. God is our Father, our Daddy. Prayer is a relationship; an intimate, loving, caring parent-child relationship. I remember when I was little always, always being the kid who wanted everything when we went in a store: “Ooo! Mama, can I have this? Daddy I want Fruity Pebbles! Can we get Fruity Pebbles? Mama I need this! Please, can we get it?” Sometimes I was answered with a yes. Sometimes I was answered with a no. Many times, as any of us know, the answer is, “We’ll see.” What does that even really mean!? Most of the time I was already pouting because I just knew it meant “No.” I did hold on to the hope that it would change to a yes, though! Sometimes that is the intention. My parents didn’t want to hurt my feelings at that moment, and they were probably hoping I would forget about it soon enough. Sometimes it worked… most of the time it didn’t, though, because I was a pretty stubborn child! Sometimes, however, it really did mean, “We’ll see.” We may not have had the money at that moment, a birthday or special occasion was coming up soon, or they simply knew I didn’t completely understand all that I was asking for. I feel this is what we can compare the answers God gives us to our prayers. We rejoice when He tells us “Yes” and we may pout when we feel the answer has been “No,” but I think we forget about the third option all too often. “We’ll see” is a perfectly acceptable answer to any question or prayer. God knows that we can’t really handle whatever it is we’re asking for. If you think about it, even Jesus’ request in the garden was answered with a “We’ll see.” It may have been possible for Jesus to avoid the suffering and death if all the leaders suddenly converted, repented of sins and believed in him. But, as we know, that didn’t happen. We pray for healing. The answer is often, “We’ll see.” Sometimes our prayers may result in healing, perhaps miraculously or through the human knowledge and skills of the doctor, nurses, and medicines. Sometimes the best efforts of the medical team and our prayers aren’t enough and the “we’ll see” becomes a “no.”

Prayer, above all else, is a relationship – a child with parents, friends talking with each other. The second part of our gospel lesson uses the image of a friend asking another for some food for the sake of another friend. Sometimes we’re able to meet the need of our friends: “Can I borrow a screwdriver?” “Can you help me with this?” But there are many times – and perhaps their most important requests, where we can do nothing to change the situation: “I’m out of work, can you get me a job where you work?” “I’ve got cancer, can you make it better?” “I’m so depressed. I don’t know if I will ever be happy again, can’t you do something to help me?”…

Prayer is a relationship, a presence. It’s the presence of daddy or mommy, not always saying or doing things to change the situation, but their presence can often change you as it brings their comfort and love to the situation. And perhaps you are better able to accept what lies in the future with their support. You are better able to live the uncertainty of the “we’ll see” answer as you patiently wait together to see what will happen. Prayer is the presence of God. It’s not that God will always change the situation, but knowing that God is with us, and that God is going through the tragedy or suffering or depression or even death with you, not as a far off God who is unreachable, but as your very close and loving father.

Let us pray. Dear Daddy, We are grateful for this opportunity to come to you in prayer with the knowledge that you listen and answer. Be with us this day, guide us, and help us to remember that you want to hear from us. Help us to pray as Jesus instructed us, this day and always. In Your Name we pray, Amen.

Our God is an Awesome God

Sunday went really well (in my opinion). I preached to a congregation of more than 85 people from all different backgrounds. We had Koreans, Baltimore Presbyterians, Wisconsin Lutherans, and Native Americans from different tribes. Talk about challenging to bring a message that will touch all! I think I did a good job of it, though :) Both the pastors of the group that's staying here at the retreat center complemented me as well as the pastor with the Korean group. I impressed one of the pastors when I asked him if he would believe that I found out the Thursday before at noon... he found me impressive :p

Monday was about as relaxing as it could be. I'm trucking through getting everything set up for VBS next week. I can't believe how quickly it got here! I'm excited that Joanie and Seiji will be here Saturday!!! Even though I'll probably be out when they arrive. Ashley and I have decided to go to Wind Cave and hike Harney Peak. Yes. Alicia is going to hike! Monday night was amazing because I got to hear Will Peters speak again and meet his wife. They are two of the most amazing people I have ever met. Will and his son have produced an album, and Will/Jess wrote all of the songs. One of my favorite songs from the album is called "Hard Life." The lyrics will be at the end of this post. He has such drive and passion to turn reservation life around... I throughly admire him. He and his wife CHOOSE to live on the reservation. They have the credentials to work almost any place they want, but they choose to stay on the reservation, working to make life better for all.

Please keep me, my work, and the members of the Tapestry Church that will be traveling here on Saturday in your prayers. Thanks to all who have been, and for all who read my musings of my time here :) May God bless, keep, and hold you all until we are brought together again. Pilamaye.

Hard Life:

A young man walkin’ with his head hangin’ down

Tryin’ to find a job but it’s so hard to do

He’s been strugglin’ for most of his life

When you’re born on the rez you don’t stay young long

Oh wo oh It’s a hard life

Eh he oh hard life

A young woman cryin’ in the middle of the night

Tryin’ to feed a baby with no daddy in sight

Her only money comes around once a month

It’s gone in a flash, she’s back to square one

Oh wo oh it’s a hard life

Eh he oh hard life

We’ve got to find a way

Stand on the hill and pray

We’ve got to keep on hopin’ for a better day

Oh-ho-oh

An old woman sighing as day turns to night

Tryin’ to raise some children with no parents in sight

She should be restin’ Lord knows she earned the right

She feels like cryin’ instead she just prays

Oh who oh it’s a hard life

Eh he oh hard life

High on the mountain his hands to the sky

An old man is singin’ he’s ready to die

He’s been strugglin’ for most of his life

When you’re born on the rez you don’t stay young long

We’ve got to find a way

Stand on the hill and pray

We’ve got to keep on hopin’ for a better day

We’ve got to find a way

Stand on the hill and pray

We’ve got to keep on hopin’ for a better day

Hard life

Eh he oh hard life

It’s a hard life

Hard life

Eh he oh hard life

Yeah, yeah, yeah

Crazy July

I know it's been a while... sorry... life is crazy, beautiful, amazing, and unpredictable!

Last week was filled with a meeting Monday night, a meeting Tuesday at lunch, Wednesday was spent making sure I was ready for Kid's Time for Wednesday and Thursday as well as making sure the sleep over that was about to commence was planned out. Then, I hosted a sleep over for what started out as 10 girls, but ended up being 8. I had to send two home because they just weren't listening and I knew there was no way they were going to make this endeavor easy.

It turned out great. I think the girls really enjoyed and appreciated all that I had put together. Wednesday night was spent relaxing, bathing, choosing beds, making a covenant (which they did surprising well and stuck to), and watching The Blind Side. We actually didn't finish it that night because the girls said they were tired. We all know this should be translated into, "we're tired, but we want time to play around without supervision." So we stopped the movie around 10ish, went into the room, had a devotion and prayers, and I left them. Of course, I knew what was going down so I went down every so often. They did do something that reminded me of my 16th birthday, though. Just as several unsupervised girls in Leesville broke one of my mom's figurines, so to, these girls ended up breaking a lamp! Fortunately, it was not the pretty painted part nor the bulb; only the part where the light bulb screws in (sorry I'm not down with the technical jargon). This quasi-helped them to calm down and settle into their sleeping bags. They were at least not talking by 11:30 so I felt confident in going to sleep myself and thanked God for the peace.

Thursday got me up early - defined as before 8 o'clock - so I could make sure I was prepared for the day before I woke the girls up. My surprise for the day was when I woke the girls up at 8:45 I expected them to be ready for breakfast at 9. This isn't an unrealistic expectation... they all bathed the night before and they had one set of clothes to change into, there's no decision process! It only takes me 10 minutes to get up, straighten my hair, pick clothes, put them on, and be out the door. I think it took them 45 minutes... only because they all decided to shower again. This somewhat floored me, but I completely understood it. Many of the girls who stayed with us don't have access to running water daily. Or their families are so big, they may have to take turns showering only every so many days. Our little retreat center was a haven for them... it still touches my heart and gives me chills...

To continue the day, I made pancakes, eggs, and bacon for them, then we finished watching The Blind Side, discussed it and then watched Everafter. As Everafter was playing, I also had to answer the door, make sandwiches, and answer the phone. Thankfully, there was a group in that ended up helping do the sandwiches so I was able to stay with the girls and watch the movie. The one thing I would have changed was that movie. It was just too long for their attention spans, but we still ended up having a good discussion about it afterwards. I just upset when they didn't listen to my devotion... then again, we had just watched a movie and we were eating lunch and we had discussed said movie. Anyway, after that bomb we made cookies for the meal after Kid's Time for the rest of the afternoon. Then, it was Kid's Time, worship, dinner, some stayed to help clean up, and then they were gone! It was amazing and a great challenge/experience for me. I feel it was the same for the girls.

Friday... I don't really remember at this point... I just remember going to the movies with Ashley to see Inception. I know I was exhausted... and now I remember some! :) I got up and fixed oatmeal for Gabby, we had devotions and he prayed! How could I have forgotten that... Gabby prayed more open and honestly and fervently than anyone else I've ever heard. I truly felt the Spirit move. Gabby believes very strongly in the power of prayer. I do believe in the power of prayer, but I feel I'm starting to believe even more fervently because of Gabby. I did some type of work (haha) and then Friday night Ashley and I went on another "date." We went to see Eclipse the week before and then last week we saw Inception. It was an awesome movie and it's been great to have some girl time!

Saturday I got up early and fixed and almost completely country breakfast :) Grits, eggs, hashbrowns (made by Marc, one of the passer-bys), and biscuits. The only thing missing was bacon or sausage! I then laid back down for a bit then went to Hot Springs to cash some checks (woo hoo!) and get a pedicure (don't judge me... I haven't done that in a while! I enjoy loving myself every so often). I didn't get back until Kid's Time, which I participated in and then was pretty veggie the rest of the evening. Sunday wasn't too typical... I was invited by members of the group that was out there for the week to come have breakfast with them... which reminds me that I went to Makasan on Friday to practice the organ, which I ended up chickening out on playing on Sunday. The group had a music teacher and I graciously stepped down to let her do the playing for the day! The potluck lunch was pretty typical and I got invited to come back to Makasan that night to hear their speaker that was coming in. I ended up eating all my Sunday meals there :p And Leonard Ten (?) Fingers (I can't remember if it's Ten or Little) was amazing! He explained mitakuye oyasin in a way I have never heard before, which gave me new insights to the meaning... It's so much more than "all my relatives." It encompasses the relationships we not only have with each other, but also God, our creator, and earth, our mother. It was a beautiful night....

This week was spent preparing early for Wednesday and Thursday nights as well as completing research and finalizing my plans for my VBS. I can't believe it's only a little more than a week away... I'm starting to get nervous! Tuesday and Wednesday I spent all morning with the Baltimore group at the Presbyterian church next door observing and helping out with their learning camp program. I must say it was one of my favorite camps of the summer! Their interaction with the children and the joy that radiated from everyone involved was very rewarding. Everyone was tired by the end of the time together, but it was still amazing to watch and be a part of it. I have once again found a group that I will truly miss once our time together is up.

Thursday was spent making sure everything I needed put together for my mid-point Advisory Committee meeting was ready and making lunch for everyone. It went well... for the most part. I did a chicken recipe by the exact specifications the recipe called for, but it wasn't done after an hour. I was a little disappointed, but everyone was encouraging. And the meeting went well. Everyone was impressed at what I have planned. I just hope I can live up to everyone's expectations... including my own. I can't believe how big I've dreamed with this project! I hope I can pull it off. With God, I know I can...

Today was spent on research and exegesis for my sermon that's Sunday. That's right. I'm preaching again. Sunday... I just found out Thursday at my meeting. They decided to play "test the intern." I took the challenge, and I hope I can come through. I feel like I have a direction, it's just putting it on paper... and making sure it comes off the right way. Prayers would be nice :D

And now you're up to date. Tonight will be filled with some writing (maybe) some dinner before the group leaves in the morning, and maybe The Blind Side.... blessings and peace to you. Thanks for caring enough to read my long winded thoughts!

As promised, my sermon from July 4th...

The Text for the day was Luke 10:1-11, 16-20

Let me start off by saying how excited I am to have this opportunity today. As some of you know, I am a rising senior at Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary in Columbia, South Carolina studying Christian Education and going through the ELCA’s Candidacy process to be a rostered Associate in Ministry. I was born and raised in Leesville, South Carolina, which is a rural town about thirty-five miles south west of Columbia. Leesville is still home to my parents, my siblings, and my grandparents. My brother, sister, and I were very fortunate to grow up around family. As I’ve observed during my time here so far, there are many aspects of this community that remind me of home and how I grew up. It’s a blessing that few people experience nowadays, and one that is sometimes not seen as a blessing until much later in life.

In 2006, I graduated from Newberry College in Newberry, South Carolina with a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Communications with a focus on Public Relations and a minor in Music. From the time I graduated up until the end of this past April I worked in State Human Resources, a few months for the South Carolina Department of Transportation and the remaining time for the South Carolina Office of the Adjutant General. I have always enjoyed helping, working for, and serving others. God has done amazing things in my life, and it is in listening to Him that I have been brought to Pine Ridge, South Dakota for the summer. I’m not sure where God will lead me next, but I know this will not be the last of my work with the reservation. God is doing amazing things here, and I want to continue to be a part of His work in this place.

So, July Fourth. The average person probably thinks about fireworks, hot dogs, and apple pie, maybe the American flag. For me, it never fails to bring back memories of my great grandmother. She was born on the Fourth of July, and she definitely was a firecracker up to the very end! As my family gathered together on this day, it was a celebration of life more so than one celebrating the achievement of independence from Great Britain. My great grandmother was one of the strongest women I know, and I was blessed to know her twenty-one years of my life. She helped instill in me Christian and family values that I will always carry with me and use when I have my own family. She joined the church triumphant in January of 2006, where she now experiences Shalom – more than peace, she is now whole again, she now is experiencing God’s kingdom as we will some day. This Shalom, this wholeness that she is now experiencing – the kingdom and reign of God, is a dominant part of the passage we heard from Luke. It is one of, if not the, most important parts of this passage. Jesus was sent into this world to restore it to completeness, to atone for the sins of humanity, to bring the kingdom of God to us. He did this by healing the sick, spreading his message, and by eventually being the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. This is why we are here today, this is why we can rejoice and give thanks to God. This is why we are also sent out into the harvest.

Jesus sent out the seventy extra laborers to take his message to others and to help restore all people. In Luke 9, Jesus sent out only the twelve disciples among Jewish towns and villages. This is good news for us because it assures us of the extension of the kingdom of God; it is not limited to just Jewish nations. It gives us assurance that all people of the world are meant to have a relationship with God, and He cares for all of humanity. Now, in this second mission, it is implied that Jesus is sending the seventy to cover the entire known world during this time – friendly nations as well as hostile nations and hated ones. This is why Jesus tells them that they are being sent out “like lambs into the midst of wolves.” As the seventy disappear two-by-two into the dusty roads before them, Luke tells us that they are empowered to share in the work of Jesus. The peace that they give will be the peace of Christ. This is why Luke is so careful to tell us that there were seventy. Just as god commanded Moses to gather seventy elders to share the unbearable load of the wilderness wandering, Jesus appoints exactly that number and then pushes them beyond their comfort zones and into the world. “Go on your way.” No longer safe on the sidelines, these followers are now sent out, to share peace and table fellowship, to cure the sick, to proclaim the kingdom of God. In short, they were called to live out and practice the faith that they had confessed. And it is in the doing that the seventy are transformed from bystanders to active participants in the work of God.

These seventy have been sent out in a highly dangerous and vulnerable state. They are to “carry no purse, no bag, no sandals.” They are to have nothing but the clothes on their backs. Can you imagine that, going off into a new town for a week or two and taking nothing with you? Can you imagine the faith and trust that took? This helps to show that their mission is one of peace, though. They are not a threat to anyone that they may meet because they have no resources. The order to greet no one gives them protection as well as shows how urgent their mission was. There was no need for them to establish positive relationships on the road. Their relationships were to be built once they reached their appointed town. They were to first offer peace whenever they entered a home. Secondly, they were to give their message: the kingdom of God has come near. Offering peace is a greeting and gift of the kingdom of God. It is the first gift of the government that Jesus will establish; shalom will be restored to all who believe and are marked with the seal of the Holy Spirit. Peace offers a spiritual power and establishes a spiritual relationship between the one who offers and the one who accepts. This peace then has the power to open the one who receives it to draw near to the message of God’s kingdom. But even if a town they entered rejected them, the seventy were to still proclaim their message as they left. The reception of the message was not dependant upon the messengers. “Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me” (Luke 10:16). Authority has been given to the followers so that no evil will harm them and they are able to spread the message and heal with confidence.

Many may be tempted to disagree with Jesus in so strongly asserting that the God’s kingdom has come near. All we have to do is look around here and see that we do not live in what is promised to be an amazing place. There’s poverty, gangs, suicide, and broken promises all around this reservation. If we look further out, we see wars raging on with few signs of stopping. The gulf coast is still being damaged by the oil spill. Poverty and hunger claim the lives of so many while others live in comfort with more than enough. Many people are unsafe even in their own homes, while other enjoy the security of gates and fences. These are not the sign of the kingdom that we would expect. In fact, if the kingdom itself knocked on our door with no sandals, no food, and no money… we might be tempted to ask it to leave us alone.

Jesus is insistent, though. They proclaim to all, whether they receive the message of the kingdom or not. How could they do such a thing? The places they were going were not that well off either. If the kingdom has indeed come near, what are the signs of its coming? Let’s look again at the instructions Jesus gave the seventy: they were to enter a town and where welcomed they are to stay. This is Christian hospitality. Secondly, they were to eat what was given to them. This is table fellowship. Next, they were to cure the sick. This shows compassion and care. Finally, in the end, they were to proclaim that the kingdom of God had come near.

If Jesus’ sending the seventy is a function of God’s kingdom realized in Jesus himself, then God’s kingdom is exhibited in things like hospitality, outreach to strangers, compassionate healing, the proclamation of peace, and the ultimate sharing of good news. All too often today we see many congregations maintaining inward focused programs. They are far more concerned with what happens inside their walls than with what’s going on outside of them.

Have you felt the presence of the kingdom in your own life? Have you had those experiences when the thin veneer of ordinary human existence is broken and the glory of God shines through? Never have I felt God’s kingdom more closely than in this community. In our sharing, in being welcomed so openly, in the fellowship we’ve had at meals, in the care that has been offered me I know the kingdom of God is near and in this place. We are all fellow travelers on this road to bring the mission of the church to others. If we refuse to get our hands dirty and our hearts changed then we risk missing the kingdom that has already come near in Jesus. We risk missing the terrifying and empowering journey that requires nothing but faith in God to sustain us and trusting in each other for support. Like a song we used to sing in church when I was young says: I am the church, you are the church, we are the church together. All who follow Jesus all around the world, yes, we’re the church together! The church is not a building, the church is not a steeple, the church is not a resting place, the church is a people. We’re many kinds of people, with many kinds of faces, all colors and all ages, too, from all times and places. An when the people gather, there’s singing and there’s praying, there’s laughing and there’s crying sometimes, all of it saying: I am the church, you are the church, we are the church together. All who follow Jesus all around the world, yes, we’re the church together!

Jesus is sending us out into a complex and hostile world, like sheep in the midst of wolves. The bad news is that all we carry is a message. The good news is that the message is this: the kingdom of God has come near!

Amen :)

Rainbows, Pow Wows, Sermons, and Monkey Bread

Yup. That's the kind of WEEKEND it has been! This week was even crazier! We had a group in, so I was over the retreat center by myself on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday were OK because the group was here building a very nice fence and painting the building, Thursday and Friday weren't so bad either. I treated myself to Twilight/New Moon/Eclipse Tuesday night :) It was AmAzInG! LOL! It's nice to finally feel comfortable doing things on my own. I missed seeing it with Amy and Ashlyn, but it was still so, so good! It definitely made my week even though I've been sick and trying not to have to go to the doctor. Prayers for healing would be amazing right now...

I beat and then tied Paul's sandwich record on Tuesday and Wednesday! Tuesday I made 84 sandwiches and Wednesday I made 83. It was insane... I enjoy the ministry because I get to see different faces and different levels of appreciation for what we're doing. I'm scared at the same time, though because of some of the things I'm faced with, such as being hit on... and "proposed" to (the guy was like, "Let's run off somewhere and get married!")... I'm sure he wasn't serious on that part, but I'm pretty dang sure he's at least quasi-serious on pursuing me. That's the only part I really don't like... How do you politely tell someone who's persistent no? I'm still working on that growing edge...

All week I worked on bits and pieces of my sermon I preached today. It was slow going with everything going on (people coming in, the phone ringing, sandwiches, kid's time...) and having a sinus infection-type thing. I've been taking Mucinex, and it's helping as long as I keep on it. I'm hoping to not have to find a cheap doctor! I finally felt better Saturday, and finished my sermon in plenty of time for revisions and practice :) It went well today (I thought, anyway!). I felt I was confident and delivered well as well as did a good job on my research and exegesis. July 4th is a tough day to deliver a sermon here, but I feel I knocked it out of here... if I can pat myself on the back a bit! :p

South Dakota has brought out an amazing change in my life. I'm more confident in who I am, what I am called to do, who I am called to be, and my knowledge in theology. I am not the person I started as this summer. I'm not finished in the changes that will occur to me. I am open to God and where He is leading me and I am following all the way...

I'll post the written text of my sermon soon.... probably as soon as I'm done with this post...

So, on to the rainbows, pow wows, and monkey bread... the rainbow happened Friday night at the pow wow. For the first time in my life, I saw a full rainbow! I mean, both ends, the arch, wanted to go looking for the pot of gold it was so clear and so big and SO beautiful. The beauty of God's creation is breath taking. It was so big I couldn't get it in one photo! I'm planning on downloading the pictures I took and piecing it together in a collage fashion...

It was so good to get to go to the Batesland Pow Wow :) The regalia that is worn is so beautiful and artistic. I love to watch the dancing and am excited that I'm able to identify more types of regalia and dances. Kelly and Susie Looking Horse were there. It was actually their prodding and new friends that got me to go! It's great having another person here for the summer. She's quite amazing and helped me realize how much I've missed having peers near... whether she knows that or not... :) ... Kelly and Susie's grandson was there and he is SO adorable! I actually met him on Monday when they stopped by the center. My first impression of this kid: I was rounding the corner to look down the stairs at who was coming in and as I have a visual, he shoots at me with one of those guns that has suction darts! Favorite. Kid. EVER! He's just too, too cute! I could bring him home with me :p Saturday night the interns decided to go back to the Pow Wow (it was Friday, Saturday, and tonight) to celebrate feeling better and finishing a sermon and because they're just too amazing not to go :) Not too long after we got there we saw Kelly in the Pow Wow ring (I guess that's what it's called) and went to look for Susie. She was at a booth they had set up to sell their artwork and t-shirts. Saturday night is the night the families of the community honor different relatives for different reasons. Well, two of Kelly and Susie's daughters graduated from school (one high school, the other college) so they were honoring their daughters' achievements. The entire family is involved in this... so we (the interns) were randomly asked to watch the booth! I found it ironic for two white girls to be selling Lakota crafts and Lakota t-shirts :) I also found it very touching to be trusted enough to help them sell and watch after everything. We spent the rest of the night at the booth, watching the dancing, talking, playing with the kids... it was an amazing night....

For the first time ever today... I botched monkey bread! I was disturbed by this and felt it was because I tried to do it away from LTSS! Then I started over, and I feel like it was my best batch ever :p I make it to take to the Cohen Home - a nursing-type facility - where we host a prayer service twice a month. I was surprised that many of the people there had never heard of it! Even so, they all enjoyed it. And that made my day even more special....

July 4th.... the anniversary of so many things in my life... and the one I think about the most is my great grandmother... she's the only person I've ever witness taking their last breath... I miss her... but I know I will one day see her again!

God is good... ALL THE TIME!!! All the time... GOD IS GOOD!!!!!