iHOPE

Advent Devotional Guide

  Advent is the season to prepare ourselves for Christmas. Its a time to shake off the dust of our hearts and refresh our weary lives.   More than ever, with all the activity that surrounds this season, it is good to have a time to think, reflect and pray.

  Here is a site that I am going to use as part of my Advent devotions. Its online and its easy to use. There are some instructions at the beginning and each day there is a theme, a scripture, a devotion, prayer and benediction.  Haven't used this site before, but it looks like it is worth a try. Anyone care to join me?

  The site is called Follow the Star.  If you use it, let me know. If you have something you like and are willing to share, let me know that, too! I'll be sure to pass it on.

Community Thanksgiving Service

  There is more to preparing for Thanksgiving than just getting the food on the table.  If you are in the area, you ought to come be a part of a great Castle Rock tradition:  The Community Thanksgiving Service. Its on Wednesday, November 25 @ 7:00 and it is a wonderful way to prepare your heart.

  For more years than I can count, several of the community's churches have met together to celebrate Thanksgiving.  Typically, a different church hosts the event each year (we hosted it last year. It was the first official service in our new sanctuary) and this year, it is being hosted by St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church (2746 5th St, Castle Rock).

  The theme this year is 'Thanksgiving for People On the Way', recognizing that while none of us has arrived where we want to be (especially this year!), we can still give thanks for God's presence and grace. Various pastors and participants will share scriptures and BRIEF homily (everyone appreciates the 'brief' part!) and the highlight of the service is the music provided by the combined choirs.

  The offering taken will go to support the Douglas/Elbert Task Force. For a list of food items that are especially needed, click here.  Of course, monetary offerings are welcomed, too! 

  The service is about an hour and there is a reception after with some goodies and time to meet neighbors and friends from around the community.  Its a wonderful service and a great way to prepare for Thanksgiving the next day. You can get directions to the church by clicking below:

St. Francis of Assisi

Feeling Thankful at Thanksgiving?

  Is Thanksgiving overrated?

  Many people tell me that Thanksgiving is their favorite holiday. The Food, Friends, Family, Food, Football, Food, Fun- and Food, all contribute to a day of celebration.

  But what if you aren't feeling all that thankful? 

  A tradition many families observe at Thanksgiving is to go around the table and share, "One thing I'm thankful for?" We've done this. It can be a terrific way to celebrate.

  But what if you are having a tough time coming up with something to share?  What do you do when the things that occupy your mind are things like a lost job, lost health- or even a lost loved one?  What if you are too stretched, too tired or too worried to be thankful? What if celebrating Thanksgiving is beginning to feel like a sham? 

  What do you do if you don't feel thankful at Thanksgiving?

  Come find out on Sunday (of course, if you DO feel thankful, you can come on Sunday, too!).

 

Ready to Trot?

  The 5th annual Turkey Rock Trot is set for Thanksgiving Day. Have you signed up yet?

  The Rock Trot is a terrific way to start your Thanksgiving Day. Its a 5K Family Fun Run (or walk!) with the proceeds going to the Douglas/Elbert County Task Force. You can have a great time with neighbors and friends, make a difference in our community and be able to justify that extra piece of pie because you burned all those calories!

  The Rock Trot started with some mission-minded members of New Hope as a way to create a positive community event that helped the Task Force address hunger in our area.  It quickly grew in popularity and outgrew our ability to hold it in the Meadows. It starts and stops at the County Fair Grounds and while the many of the volunteers and organizers still come from New Hope, this is truly a community-wide event. If you are in town, you should be there!

  You can get more info by following this link:  Turkey Rock Trot

Connecting With One Another in the Age of Social Media

   I've been thinking about how we connect with one another these days. This video got me thinking even more.   Facebook, Twitter and other sites (even blogs!) underline how much we like to connect with one another. Connecting with one another is a vital part of what they church is all about. 

  So, how do we use social media to help us do what we do- better?  I'm open for ideas and suggestions!

Grief in the Holidays- What Can You Do?

   Here come the holidays- are you ready?

  I love this time of the year, but I learned years ago that some people dread them. You may know them. You may be one of them.

  These are not 'Grinch'-type people. Some of them used to love the holidays, too.  What happened?

  Loss happened. Tragedy happened. Grief happened.

  People who have experienced a significant loss recently sometimes dread the holidays because they feel so disconnected from the joy and anticipation they used to feel. The more they try to 'cheer up', the worse it gets. 

  Its hard on the people around them, too. Nobody seems to know what to say or do. It seems like everything they try just makes things worse.

  That is why I am so grateful for our 'Grief in the Holidays' workshop on November 14 from 10 am- 2 pm. Over the years, it has been a big help for those who are looking for some help in navigating the holidays in the midst of grief. No one tries to 'fix' anyone or try to cheer them up. Just honest conversation and practical help. Good stuff.

Keeping Sabbath: Part 2

  Should we bring back the 'Blue Laws'?

  Of all the responses I got from Sunday's sermon on reclaiming the gift of 'Sabbath Rest', the most interesting to me were the people who afterwards and expressed a desire to restore the 'Blue Laws'- the old laws that required businesses and other activities to be closed on Sunday.

  Hmmm.

  Maybe they were expecting the preacher to be in favor of something more compulsory, but that's not where I was going. Frankly, its not where I would want to go in the future, either. Part of the problem with even trying to talk about Sabbath Rest is getting past all the bad memories people have of imposed restrictions on what could and what couldn't be done on Sundays.  Do we really want to go there again? Do we really want a 'parental' faith, telling us what we can and can't do?

Keeping Sabbath: Part 1

  Yesterday's sermon was about recovering the gift of Sabbath Rest- and I had help from my Facebook friends!

  I know the words 'Sabbath' and 'gift' don't occur in the same sentence for many people. Memories of restrictions, rules and compulsory religious training has robbed most people of any joy or sense of giftedness surrounding the concept of Sabbath. Too many people would echo Barbara Brown Taylor's recollection of how the 4th Commandment was applied when she was growing up in the South:

Remember the Sabbath and keep it...boring!

  I know from people's response yesterday that this more than just a 'southern' tradition!

  Last week I posted a question on Facebook to get some ideas of how people 'keep sabbath':

The 'Tsunami' of Fort Hood

  Sometimes a news story hits me in such a way that its hard to even put words to it. The tragedy at Fort Hood is one of those stories.  We are used to thinking about disasters in terms of tsunamis, earthquakes or terrorists. Fort Hood just had their own version of a tsunami.  The tension and anguish for families with loved ones stationed in hostile places around the world is hard enough. To have to worry about what could happen in the 'safety' of our own in country must be unbearable. That this occurs on Veteran's Day weekend only underscores that anguish.

  One thing that is similar for disasters, whether they occur across the globe or down the street is the response of the Church. It will be the local congregations that serve the population of Fort Hood that will absorb the initial emotional and spiritual shockwaves. I was gratified to receive an update on how the Presbyterian congregations and presbyteries are responding.  In fact, the entire denomination gets involved in crises like this. A part of our church is called Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) and they have already mobilized. You can read about it here.  Sometimes, people wonder why we give to mission or special offerings like The One Great Hour of Sharing. This is why.

  This Sunday, we will once again honor our veterans and the sacrifices they have made. We will be especially mindful of the sacrifices that are being made right now.