The end of December is a perfect time to ponder humanity’s place in the whole creation.

As we live our daily lives in this human-dominated world, our experience and routine awareness let us think that “this is the way it has always been.”

Of course, we know about the scientific cosmology that tells of a vast sweep of time. We know that modern humans occupy just a tiny sliver of that long historical record. But we hold that knowledge in our heads, not our guts. The vast 4.6 billion year history of the Earth is way too big for us to grasp in a meaningful or personal way.

And so I have often been touched by narratives that condense the history of the Earth into a more manageable time frame. There are many variations — some do it in a week, others in a single year. Some start the story with “the big bang” while others begin with the formation of the Earth as a recognizable planet.

New Year’s Eve is a wonderful occasion to feel the long story of the Earth, and to appreciate our part in that narrative. On the last day of a calendar year, it is easy to connect with the “one year” image. And so, as we come to the end of December, I invite you to feel a condensed time frame for the Earth’s story …

January 1^st marks the origin of Earth. Continue reading

Reflection on O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

Reflection on Hark The Herald Angels Sing

Reading Micah 5

Reading John 1

Reading Isaiah 40

Reading Isaiah 9

Blue Christmas Service Bulletin

Blue Christmas full script

    

From Boston.com - AP Photographer Charlie Riedel just filed the following images of seabirds caught in the oil slick on a beach on Louisiana’s East Grand Terre Island. As BP engineers continue their efforts to cap the underwater flow of oil, landfall is becoming more frequent, and the effects more evident. (8 photos total)

From the NCC Eco-Justice Ministries, Peter Sawtell’s weekly column Eco-Justice Notes Deepwater Failure: “There have been any number of failures related to the flood of oil into the Gulf of Mexico from the Deepwater Horizon fiasco. Each of those failures is lamentable, and each fuels the anger that many of us feel with this continuing crisis. Over the last week, though, I’ve come to the conclusion that the most important of the failures is of our worldview. . . . On a societal scale, we live out the saying, “It is easier to ask forgiveness than permission.” We live from a belief that there are no problems that can’t eventually be fixed. As a result, risks are not taken seriously.” Read the entire article.

In the NY Times, Andrew Revkin notes that the “Macondo Prospect, the name for the reservoir of oil slowly draining into the gulf – is considered a small deposit. While its dimensions remain poorly known, BP officials have estimated it contains no more than 100 million barrels of oil. That’s five days and change worth of American demand for this precious fuel.”    

How, then, shall we live?

Reflection on the Oil Spill and Simple Living:

“As the oil spill continues in the Gulf of Mexico, I feel a bit stuck. I cannot remember such an ongoing environmental disaster. And what can I do?” Katie Holmes in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s Environmental Ministries Office has posted a reflection on the Gulf Coast oil spill and how we might respond.    Read her answer.

Green Living Living green means practicing our faith through caring for the creation. Scripture and the Reformed tradition call humans to be stewards of the earth and to participate in God’s call to justice. Living into God’s call is a responsibility that requires effort on our part as global disciples. Navigating through the world and living with a keen environmental awareness embraces this call. Each of us has the power to make choices that reflect our faith commitment to preserve life. Together we can live each day in homage to God by living green and sharing our witness with the world. Download Green Living
and explore expanded content in the online version.    

• A full one- to two-hour family program. Whether this is after worship on Sunday or at a mid-week gathering, this provides a focused time for us to share with people in an organized way. This time gives us an opportunity to use a greater variety of ways to interpret the life and work of our partners. The additional time also provides for greater depth or breadth in the discussion. This may be combined with a potluck meal, but it can stand alone without it.
  
• Sunday School. We will be glad to meet with children, youth or adults. The program can be adapted to fit with the interests and levels of the group, but we need you to describe the group to us. Possibilities include, but are not limited to: a board game, multi-media presentation, questions and answers, and thematic discussions.
  
• Preaching. While neither of us is an ordained minister we welcome this opportunity to share with the whole congregation. While our inspiration does not always lead us to a traditional style of delivery for the message, we are committed to the holiness of worship. We hope an opportunity for preaching will be combined with some opportunity to share in a more interactive way, such as meeting with a Sunday School class or having a full hour program.
  
• Moment for mission. While we welcome this opportunity to share with the whole congregation, we would like to see this combined with some other opportunity to share more fully. This moment could be used to share a little to entice people to come to a later program.
  
• Mission committee or session. Depending upon the amount of time allotted and the specific interests of the group, a multimedia presentation or a written document can be prepared as a catalyst for discussions.
  
• Presbytery presentation or workshop. While we’re flexible in how we share we’d ideally like to have adequate time to share about our work. Time for our 20-minute multimedia presentation would be wonderful.
  
• Mission conferences. We welcome such an opportunity to work with others in lifting up the diversity of the mission of our church. From formal presentations and questions and answers to a board game that sparks further discussion we see many opportunities possible in such a setting.
  
• Youth and family camps, weekend retreats. We’ve had several opportunities to share in this way. While much sharing takes place informally, time can also be set aside for organized sharing to a larger group. The above options give a good indication of what is possible. This is a wonderful opportunity to reach some children who we’d otherwise perhaps not meet.
  
• Others. Presbyterian Women’s meetings, new members or confirmation classes, session meetings, children’s messages are yet other opportunities we’d welcome for sharing the mission of the church. If you have other ideas, please share them with us.
  

Specific interpretation tools

• Multimedia presentation. Computer-based multimedia presentation involving slides and movie clips while one or both of us comment on the images and answer questions. A version of this can also operate on a video player and television.
  
• Board game. This game depicts the lives of African students as they struggle to get an education. This provides fun and learning for any age, but most importantly it peaks the interest of players from which comes wonderful opportunities to discuss the work of the church.
  
• Bulletin inserts. We could develop color or black and white bulletin inserts based on a particular aspect of the mission of the church in which we’re engaged.
  
• Various maps, photos, artifacts, brochures, and handouts. This could be combined with a digital slide show running in the background.
  

EASTERN REGION APCE PRESENTS

Imagining the Church:

The Role of Imagination in Christian Education

Monday – Wednesday,

April 26-28, 2010

Rhodes Grove Conference Center, Chambersburg, PA

Keynote: Dr. Rodger Nishioka, Benton Family Associate Professor of Christian Education, Columbia Theological Seminary

What does it take to grow and develop an imagination that is infused by God in this day and age? How might Christian Education and spiritual formation be impacted by discovering and unleashing the imagination?

Worship Leader: Bill Carter, Sr. Pastor at the First Presbyterian Church, Clarks Summit, PA and founder/leader of the Presbybop Quartet

Download Brochure

January is the month of Epiphany and the month in which I need epiphanies. I wore a short sleeve bright yellow golf shirt to work the other day just so I could pretend there was some sun. God must have heard my prayer because the sun actually shone in NW PA that day. Trust me- it felt like a miracle. We don’t get many days like that in the winter.

I think winter is my desert. I wander for “40″ plus days in a land of barren snow and unrelenting clouds. The land is not scorching sand nor the sky burning sun, but they have the same effect of drawing life and creativity from me. It reduces me and I become very aware that I have been traveling by my own determination rather than depending on God.

Maybe I am simply blaming the weather and the desert is of my own making. In my unrelenting schedule of programs and ministry I can walk a long way without drinking from a well. With Sunday and weekday programs on the near horizon, I push aside quiet time and enriching reading. I parch myself.

It is hard for me to overly exaggerate the restorative blessing to me of the two oases I stop at each year: National APCE and Eastern Region. Through each of you and many other gifted educators I am given the epiphanies I need to live in this place. As worship is celebrated and lectures shared I soak in what I have denied myself for months- God taking care of me. In private conversations I hear God in your ideas and insight into education. You and God are like water offered in a desert.

The sun helps too. I hope we have good weather next week in Nashville and in Chambersburg in April. If not I will be looking for people to sit next to who are wearing yellow.

Peace and love to you, Keith