CCC Blog

Talk Less… Listen More!

“Can you hear me now?”  We know exactly what those words imply.  Someone is talking on their cell phone and there is a disruption in the conversation.  Desperate to reconnect, one caller asks the other “can you hear me now,” knowing there is no point in continuing the conversation unless the other one is fully tuned in.  A generation (or two) ago, something similar could be said with a T.V.’s antenna.  “Can you see me now?” the television set seemed mockingly to ask as someone in their living room or dorm room would frantically manipulate the antenna’s long arms – even wrapping wadded up aluminum over the ends – in the attempt to see the picture clearer and receive a stronger signal.

Believe it or not, these everyday examples teach us an important aspect of prayer.  In both, the disruption in communication comes not from the sender but the receiver.  The one sending the message is talking away and sending all kinds of information over the airwaves.  The problem lies not with them.  They are communicating just fine.  But if the receiver is actually to receive the message, the receiver has to do something – move, adjust something, take on some activity until the signal is reconnected.  Similarly, when it comes to faith, God is continually and constantly communicating to us - through revelation in the natural world; through our conscience and instincts; through our lived experiences; and certainly through the Holy Word.  The question is “Are we receiving the message God is sending?”

Enter prayer… where prayer is as much about listening as talking.  It is removing the clutter, distractions and noise from our lives so that we can hear a God who is always speaking.  It is making adjustments in our daily lives and creating the kind of environment where the signals God sends can be received. 

In our Christian walk and certainly in our worship, we rush to fill voids with words.  When it comes to prayer, we discuss techniques and methods for how to pray.  These usually involve what kind of words we are speaking to God and in what order.  There is clearly value in such things.  The words we speak matter.  They should include things like praise, adoration, confession, thanksgiving and a concern for others.  Yet, I like to think of prayer first and foremost as listening.  “Be still and know that I am God” says Psalm 46:10.  So it is that when we allow moments of stillness to permeate our lives, listening is much more likely to follow.

The first commandment God gave to Moses in Exodus 20 is given in another way in Deuteronomy 6:4-5.  “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.  You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might.”  These two verses have a name.  It is “Shema” in Hebrew, which literally means “hear” and is taken from the first word of the commandment.  Our ancient ancestors have been calling this “The Shema” for millennia, as though they understood that for there to be any kind of action involving heart, soul and might, listening was required. 

So this week, as you are taking time to devote your attention to God, give yourself a break and worry not about your words – whether they are sophisticated enough; theologically proper enough; even whether they are pleasing to God.  Rather, consider taking a few moments to just “be still” and listen.  After all, God gave us mouths that close and ears that don’t.  Maybe that is for a reason?? 

The Season of Lent

Face. F-a-c-e. A four letter word with at least that many meanings and connotations. As a noun, “face” represents our identifying mark. Like snowflakes or stripes on a zebra, no two faces are alike. Our face is uniquely and  singularly us! Now, there may be things about our face that we don’t like.  Things we wish we could change or that we try to cover up, but our face bears the imprint of God – who created each of us with a loving touch and delights in our individuality. 

As a plural noun – faces – we may think of crowds. Faces in the crowd. Faces that make up the crowd.  Faces (plural) shows that we are part of something bigger than ourselves. Each of us is one part of many; each face shares a common humanity with all the others, yet faces in the crowd can sometimes get lost in the crowd, like a stadium full of spectators. The sea of humanity is so large that it becomes easy to lose the individuality of any one, particular face.

As a verb, “face” can refer to our posture and position; how and in which direction we are standing. To face is to look at; to see; to gaze upon – as when we face the mirror and see our reflection in it, but “face,” as a verb can also mean “to confront;” to “call things for what they are;” not to deny the truth but to admit and accept it, no matter how difficult that might be.

The season of Lent, which begins with Ash Wednesday this week (February 26), is the period of time in the church year that encompasses the seven weeks   prior to Easter. The word “Lent” comes from a word that means the “lengthening of days,” which happens in the Springtime. Lent is an opportunity for us to walk with Jesus as he made his journey to the cross- to listen to him; watch him; pay attention to him. It is the goal of every Lenten season that we, through this intensified and intentional focus, grow in our ability to let go of our will and trust more in God’s.

The season of Lent is therefore all about the word “face.” It’s about facing the cross – seeing and gazing upon the sacrifice of Christ; his death and resurrection. It’s about confronting our own sin – from which Jesus died to save us. Sin is about “missing the mark” of perfection; failing to adequately live by God’s Word and Will. The vast majority of sins are committed not because we mean to, but rather in spite of that fact that we don’t. We certainly don’t try to miss the mark, but even in spite of our best efforts, we fall short of the glory of God.

Lent is about confronting this reality; accepting that we are part of a crowd – a common humanity, whose nature it is to do the very thing we shouldn’t do and to fail to do the very thing we should. Lent is about not hiding our face in the crowd and hoping we don’t have to admit this truth. Rather it is about accepting the responsibility that we all have – as unique individuals – to examine ourselves and admit our need for Christ; his forgiveness; his grace. No one can do that work for us but us, and Lent is God’s invitation to accept this important and saving work. 

I hope it will be a priority for you to make worship and the activities at Central taking place between now and Easter (April 12) a priority in your life. This season of the year reminds us like no other of our brokenness; our need for Christ; and our desire to keep facing the cross throughout our life of faith. For as the old hymn tells us, it is “In the cross, in the cross,” that our individual souls will find their true home and ultimate rest.      

Blessings… Michael

The Dreams of Isaiah

Of all the prophets in the Hebrew Bible, Isaiah is the one who points to the coming of Jesus Christ most. His were the visions, rich with vivid imagery, that inspired hope in the coming of a Messiah.  He was the one who spoke of seeing a light in the midst of darkness.  He was the one to envision branches of life growing from dead stumps and waters and rivers flowing in barren deserts and wildernesses.  His were the visions that gave rise to our cherished songs like “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” and “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming.” He was the one to prophesy a virgin being with child and that child being named Wonderful Counselor and Prince of Peace.  This Advent we seek our own hope and         inspiration from his ancient words and dreams.  We stand on the cusp of a month filled with truly enlightening, uplifting, and inspiring experiences, and we hope you will be able to participate in as many of them as possible.  In such instances as prevent that from happening, please remember that our 10:30 service is live-streamed weekly https://www.cccdisciples.org/worship/sermon-live-stream/). 

Sunday December 1 The Power of Dreams Isaiah 2:1-5

Decorating our Worship Space with Evergreens 9:00

Hanging of the Greens Service (one traditional service only) 10:30

Sunday, December 8 Dreams of Light amid Darkness Isaiah 9:2-7

Baby Dedication Sunday                All services

Sunday, December 15 Dreams Inspire Homage and Worship Isaiah 35:1-10

Contemporary Worship 9:00

Millikin Chamber Orchestra 8:00 and 10:30

Brunch served after 8:00 and 9:00 a.m. worship; luncheon served after 10:30 worship

Sunday, December 22 Dreams Reveal Perpetual Possibility Isaiah 11:1-10

Contemporary Worship 9:00

Bring-a-bell-to-Worship 8:00 and 10:30

Tuesday, December 24 Dreams Fulfilled Christmas Eve

Contemporary Worship with Candle-lighting 5:00 p.m.

Sanctuary Harp Concert 6:30 p.m.

Children’s Crafting 6:30 p.m.

Traditional Worship with Communion and Candle-lighting 7:00 p.m. 

Blessings… Michael

An Unlikely Pairing

What do Moses and Jimmy Stewart have in common?  More than we might think.  This past weekend we focused on Deuteronomy 26 in which God, through Moses, reminds the people of God to bring the “first fruits” of their harvests as an offering to the Lord.  This was to ensure they would not forget that it was God who provided them the land in which to live; that it was God who was the source of their bounty.  But it wasn’t enough simply to bring the first fruits as an offering for Moses.  As the people presented these offerings to the priest, they were to recite a litany.  These words essentially traced their history from their journey into Egypt; their rise in number over time; their subsequent enslavement by the Egyptians; the harsh treatment they suffered; how God heard their cries and delivered them, and ultimately led them to a promised land.  The litany was an acknowledgement of what God had done for them and it was because of their recognition of this, that they were inspired to give first fruits back to God.  

It was almost as though, for Moses, the reciting of the litany was just as important – if not more – than the actual gift given.  In fact, there are just three verses dedicated to the giving of the gift.  Yet there are twice as many (six total) verses devoted to the explanation of the litany of God’s provision.  Giving the first fruits of the harvest is what they are to do.  But the how and the why they do it is clearly revealed by the words of remembrance of God’s saving activity in their lives.

Which brings us to Jimmy Stewart.  He plays George Bailey in the uber famous Christmas movie It’s a Wonderful Life.  In depression era upstate New York, George perpetually sacrifices his own dreams and hoped-for adventures for the sake of others.  As the director of the family-run savings and loan, he uses his bank to help countless people in town through their tough times.  Toward the end of the movie, it is discovered the money is missing and if it is not found, the savings and loan will go under and George himself will be sent to jail.  Yet in the climactic scene the townspeople rush to George’s aid, bringing their spare cash to more than make up for the missing money.  One of the townspeople, as he marches to table full of piled high with money and surrounded by a throng of his neighbors singing “Auld Lang Syne” slaps down his monetary contribution and says, loud enough for everyone to hear, “I wouldn’t have a roof over my head, George, if it weren’t for you!”  And it is though his saying those words is just as important as the gift he’s given.  It is his own litany and recitation of what was done for him.  And that recognition of what was done for him is the motivation for the generosity he expresses in the moment. 

How many times, when we give anything – a favor to a friend; a gift to someone in need; an offering to the church – do we recite a litany of our own?  And what would our own litany sound like?  How often do we bring to our consciousness the acts of grace that have delivered us to where we are today?  We can be forced to undertake any action.  We can become accustomed, through habit, to do anything.  But to grow into spiritually mature people of faith, we must be intentional about confessing our dependence on the grace of God in our past for wherever it is that we stand today.  I believe that is why Moses went to the trouble of describing the litany of remembrance the people were to recite as they gave their offerings to God.  And I believe it’s what that townsperson from Bedford Falls understood as he gave his gift to George Bailey.  May we likewise learn from both as we seek to cultivate our own hearts of generosity.