Wed, 04 Apr 2012 07:36:45 -0500WeeblyTue, 17 Jan 2012 17:53:44 -0500http://www.clarkstonumc.org/1/post/2012/01/power-in-prayer.htmlThis Sunday we will continue a prescription for the disease of our spiritual lives.  The focus will be on the power of prayer.  I have a request of you.  I encourage you to write me at this blog to share with me your questions about prayer.  I also would love for you to share with me moments where you have experienced prayer in a powerful way.  Perhaps you recieved an answer to prayer.  Maybe more than an answer, you became aware of the presence of God in a powerful way. 
Prayer is a broad topic and one where everyone has both questions and experiences. Please share them with me.  You can either respond to this blog or write me at rdake@clarkstonumc.org.  I look forward to hearing from you. ]]>Mon, 16 Jan 2012 09:44:35 -0500http://www.clarkstonumc.org/1/post/2012/01/a-day-of-remembrance-a-time-of-commitment.htmlToday, we pause as nation to remember the legacy and lessons of Martin Luther King Jr. Today there are remembrance services in communities and businesses closed in honor of a time of change. I began today by listening once again to "I have a Dream Speech". It remains a call for social holiness and proclaims the Gospel vision of our national community. Now almost 50 years later, our nation continues to struggle to fulfill the vision. Certainly there have been positive strides in racial relations. Yet there remains a crisis of poverty and racial imbalance. There remains a crisis of racial disproportion in incarceration, single parent families and poverty.  Racism is still a factor in the perceptions of every racial segment of our society.  
In our world today, we are still blind to the power of systemic and personal racism and the way our politics and personal are influenced by them.  The church is not exempt from racial bias.  The Gospel vision of holy community is challenged not only in the racial divide on Sunday mornings.  It exists in the parochial attitudes about witness and mission that often limits the outreach of a congregation.  

Today is a day to give God praise and thanks for the progress that has occurred since 1963. It is also a day to humbly acknowledge that the legacy given to us today calls us to continue to do the work of social holiness and equality. 
In this speech, Dr. King said, “When will (we) be satisfied?  We can never be satisfied…we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.”  

 May God give each of us a holy restlessness until all God’s children are counted as equal, holy and living in hope.  


]]>Mon, 09 Jan 2012 20:28:30 -0500http://www.clarkstonumc.org/1/post/2012/01/sunday-reflection.htmlThis past Sunday I introduced a new series on Spiritual Health.  Our focus was
the health of our spiritual life and allowing God to enrich that part of our
life.  The scripture foundation for the message was Psalm 139.  This is my favorite Psalm.  It describes an
intimate relationship between the Psalmist and God. 
This Psalmist knows how close God is in all his life and finds joy, blessing and wonder in this awareness. 
For me, that is both a description of some of the holiest moments of my life and a description of
what I desire most.  

There are verses in this passage that are unsettling. In verses 19-22, the Psalmist expresses a wish
that God would kill the wicked and is proud of how much he hates those who hate God. 
These verses should give us pause. 
Clearly, wishing others (even the wicked who often look like us) to be
killed or lifting up hate as a virtue goes against the core of our beliefs.  
 
The strength of this passage in expressing the wonder of God gives over to strong language
used to address those who oppose God. That is not justification, just human truth. 
Perhaps, there is room here for us to talk about a strong yes requiring strong no’s. Are there not
expressions of evil in this world that draw out of us holy hate? 
Is it not true that there are moments we are guilty of being too complacent when we live alongside
 injustice, sin and evil?

If we take the truth of this scripture, we
also must see that even in this part of his life the Psalmist knows God is aware
of his thoughts and feelings. 
Perhaps that is why the Psalm ends with these words, Search me, O God, and know my heart; test
me and know my anxious thoughts.  See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.  

]]>Tue, 06 Dec 2011 09:38:06 -0500http://www.clarkstonumc.org/1/post/2011/12/post-title-click-and-type-to-edit.htmlBabies can change the world.  When babies arrive, the agenda of the entire family is shifted.  Our sleep schedule and social commitments change.  What was once a simple trip to the store now becomes a complex mission.  Diapers, wipes, bottle, change of clothes, stroller, nook and burpees (Dake code) are all essential to a successful adventure.  Our houses no longer are arranged to meet our esthetic style.  They become baby proofed and baby dominated.

Laura and I love when our grandchildren come to our house.  The joy they bring more than makes up for the change of schedule and household decorum. Perhaps the most amazing observation is watching your children parent and seeing yourself melt in ways you thought was no longer possible.  Lives are changed when babies arrive.

When babies become toddlers, life changes again.  When they enter school, we adapt to that life style as well.  Our lives are forever affected as our babies become our graduates, our launching adults and eventually our care givers.  It is an amazing cycle.  Of course, it is also a journey filled with moments of frustration, heartbreak and worry.  There are times our hearts are broken and our souls emptied.  There can be the ache of yearning for children that is unfulfilled and unimaginable grief when their lives end before ours.

Perhaps that is in part why God chose to come into the world as a baby.  Innocent, vulnerable, loving and life changing, God came into the world one night as a baby destined to change the world.  Upon his arrival, the lives of all humanity was blessed and changed.  If you are still reading this article, I know this child has changed your life.  This Christmas, we celebrate the birth of the baby we know as Jesus.  Of course, like all babies, our relationship with him changes all the time.  That is why no two Christmases are alike.  That is why this December, we can and will receive new joy, blessings and knowledge as we worship, pray, give and serve in His name.

I pray your world is ready to be shaken, blessed, and transformed by receiving the baby we call Lord.  For unto you is born…..a baby, who is Christ the Lord.  That is good news but is means some things are going to have to change in your life and mine.  For that, we give thanks to the Lord.  Blessed and Joyous Advent and Christmas to all!!

Pastor Rick

]]>Fri, 30 Sep 2011 11:58:49 -0500http://www.clarkstonumc.org/1/post/2011/09/world-wide-communion-sunday.html This Sunday is World Wide Communion Sunday.  In 1936, the Presbyterian Church began the tradition of having all Presbyterian congregations in all nations celebrate communion on the same Sunday.  The United Methodist church began participating in a day of global communion in 1971.  The first Sunday of October is intended to be day where our faith is drawn to remembering and recommitting to our role as Christians who are part of a large family of faith. 

World Wide communion Sunday is a day when our imagination can help us see the communion table in our sanctuary as expanding into one extending around the world.  As we receive communion, we know in addition to those in the service who are joining with us, there are Christians from all nations also coming to the table of Christ. 

On this Sunday, I think of moments of worship I have shared in around the world and this nation. When I receive the sacrament this Sunday, I feel connected to Christians and communities who have blessed me in the past.  As we offer our communion prayers, we are praying a global prayer offered to the one Lord. 

Most families have meals where everyone is expected to eat together.  It may be supper or a holiday meal. Those meals may be simple fare or great feasts.  Often there are special dishes that we assume will be there.  But the same food eaten alone is not the same.  The relationships and love that is shared makes the meal special. 

This Sunday we will share communion with Christians around the world.  We will have our children’s ministry join with us in worship as the sacrament is celebrated.  This Sunday, our simple meal will feed the world and sustain us for all time.  Come and eat.  Come and be blessed and join with the global Christian community act of worship. 

]]>Wed, 21 Sep 2011 11:48:41 -0500http://www.clarkstonumc.org/1/post/2011/09/changing-times.htmlI am sitting in a meeting where the conversation is about the ability of people to now take 2/3 of seminary education on line.  The majority of those in the room who have a seminary training did it the old fashion way.  We "went to" seminary.  We lived there.  We took three or four years of our lives and dedicated it in study, engagement in community and service.  We left with deep affinity to the places we had gone, a foundation for lifelong ministry and in many cases significant debt. 
But now people can continue to live at home, raise families, work....and attend seminary at an estimate of half the cost.  The reaction of those in the room is varied.  Some are having a hard time thinking of how on line communities can really help shape and enrich spiritual and theological life.  Some are excited about the possibilities of what this could mean in helping others come into ministry who are called of God but cannot jump through the hoops of a traditional model.
This conversation reflects so much of what the church faces in every facet.  The way people are thinking about church is shifting from buildings and worship attendance to programs and mission and service.  In the midst of a changing time, we often get lost believing we must land on one side of the converstaion or the other.  Either we take a conservative stance and hold on to once was or we grab on to the new.  My guess is the truth is the call to claim the truth of the past and embrace the new ways of living it out in the present day.
Worship will forever be foundational to the church, but worship without conversion and transformational mission coming from it is no longer viable.  Knowing the called cannot always get into a traditional seminary structure should not mean we simply say to them, too bad.  The church must find a way to raise up new leaders who are effective, challenged and challenging, and able to fulfill the call of God upon their lives and the church.
We live in the midst of amazing shifts in needs, blessings and possibilities. In this time, all of us must resolve to listen more than we speak, act in compassion and conviction and trust.  God is a mighty God and the Holy Spirit will always birth holy possibilities.  It is fun to be in a place where this is happening.  It is a privilege to live in such a time and join with you as we continue to be a church desiring to honor our Lord and serve all of God’s people.

  ]]>Wed, 14 Sep 2011 10:28:56 -0500http://www.clarkstonumc.org/1/post/2011/09/moving-out.htmlIt is difficult living in a foreign land when you want to communicate something important. There were times in India when I wanted to engage in conversation but could not because I only spoke English. Often, my frustration would be lived out in ever insistant actions that made me look like I was playing charades on a sugar rush. I would get frustrated at my own lack of language skills. I would even start to get mad at those who did not know my language. But mostly, I would remain quiet. I would find ways to exist that did not cause me to interact with others. I would allow the lack of common language to become a wall of isolation keeping me apart from the culture around me.

We are living this same experience today as the church becomes more isolated from society.
It seems as if the church and culture no longer speak the same language. Perceptions and past hurts build barriers isolating one from the other. Each makes assumptions about the other that squelch any desire to engage at a deep level. Failures on both sides to genuinely connect drain energy when we begin to try again. In many ways, we have been isolated from each other for so long it is easy to accept living apart as the norm.
This comes at a cost. When we no longer connect with each other the church becomes neurotically focused on the trivial and the community loses the gifts of the Body of Christ offering true grace, mercy and joy to the world. So how do we break through our seperation?

In India, I was motivated to try again when I became too lonely. I realized I needed the moments when there was connection. I discovered that it really was true there is more we share in common than the differences keeping us apart.

As we launch into a new program year, we are recieving clarity about the direction of our ministry in the days ahead. A significant part of our calling is focused on taking this exciting ministry out into the community. We cannot wait or expect the world to come to us. We must go to the world and enter into honest relationship. In doing this we will discover a lot of truth about ourselves, our faith and the amazing way God can make a way where none previously existed. It will begin when we as individuals reach out to others seeking genuine friendship. When we break through the barriers and really listen and care for others, we will find our address will have changed. We will no longer be in a foreign land, we shall be in the Kingdom of God. ]]>Mon, 07 Mar 2011 17:58:10 -0500http://www.clarkstonumc.org/1/post/2011/03/say-your-sorry.htmlIt begins when we are very young.  I was playing on the floor and an other child came up and took a toy out of my hand.  How dare they?  Don't they know who I am?  I am the center of the universe.  My parents get excited over my every action.  My toys are part of my kingdom.  They are there for my enjoyment.  If I chose to share them, fine.  But how dare some other child come into my space and take a toy out of my hand?  For that matter, even after I put a toy down, is it not an unwritten rule no one else can touch it until I say so?  When I reached out and sock the other child for taking it, which seemed like a fair punishment.  So why did I get in trouble? 

My mom came over and instead of praising me, put me in a time out.  Then after this embarrassment, actually make me go to the little thief who took my toy in the first place and kept saying, "Rick, say you’re sorry".  So I said I was sorry so I could get back to playing.  But I was not sure why I was in the wrong.  Why didn’t the other kid have to seek my forgiveness? 
I was not even in school yet I and my questions about forgiveness were already starting.

Have you ever wondered about forgiveness?  Has anyone ever hurt you and it has been difficult to forgive them?  Is someone still in need of your forgiveness?  Have you forgiven someone and later discovered you still harbor feelings about them or what they did?  Do you know someone who is so angry at God they say they will never forgive God? 

What questions about forgiveness do you have?  What are the hardest parts of forgiveness?  When has forgiveness received or given changed your life? 



]]>Sat, 26 Feb 2011 12:00:14 -0500http://www.clarkstonumc.org/1/post/2011/02/shower-of-joy.htmlTomorrow we remember our Baptism. Before we start worship tomorrow, let me ask you. Do you remember you baptism? What do you remember about it? Who was there and where did it occur? 
If you do not remember on your own, what do you know about it? What have you been told about it and who told you? If it is possible, call someone today who was there and find out what you can about the moment. I only found out last year the day I was Baptized. I enjoy knowing when my baptismal anniversary was so each year I have a day to remember it and give thanks.
To be counted as a baptized child of God means you are intitiated into a life of faith and as a part of the family of the church. This marking of baptismal water is an outward sign of a miracle occuring with in the life of the baptized and the Body of Christ. 
God pours in to our lives grace to both clease our life from the power of sin and equip us to live as the redeemed and blessed children of God. It is a time of blessing and a sign of fulfilled hope. 
As the baptized, we seal our connection to each other with vows of mutual support and fellowship. 
Tomorrow we are celebrating Baptism in worship. We are inviting those who have not been baptized to hear the call of Baptism and receive this free gift of God's amazing grace. For those who have already been baptized, we are inviting you to come forward to remember your baptism as you feel the water and give thanks for this priceless gift. 
Prepare your self for worship tomorrow by thinking and remembering your baptism. Come and be part of the family of faith as the holy water is stirred and showers of joy pour upon us all.
Come to waters and let us give thanks to the Lord. 
]]>Sun, 20 Feb 2011 03:00:00 -0500http://www.clarkstonumc.org/1/post/2011/02/money-questions.htmlToday, Pastor Amy and I had a conversational sermon on money. Or more to the point, it was on the worry, stress and power money has in our lives. It is so hard to have a genuine conversation about money. Many assume if clergy are talking about it they are just trying to get more more money for the church. This is understandable since part of our responsibility is to help make sure the ministry we share is adequately funded. 
But there is a desperate need for a honest faith based conversation about money. So much of our life is impacted by the underlying assumptions we have about ourselves, our future, our security and our worries as they get lived out in our financial lives. The passage for today from Matthew 6: 24-34 that we read in church speaks of our inability to serve God and wealth. It called us to not live with worry. It also suggested God will provide for our needs. But I have worries in my life. I am not always at peace when I think about the financial picture of my life or the church I love. So how can I find the peace and joy of this passage of scripture and set my mind and soul at ease on every aspect of my life, including my finances?
This coming week, I hope we can have a conversation about faith and money.
I will share what we considered this morning. John Wesley suggested a template for Christians to follow for their financial lives. He said, "Earn all you can, Save all you can and Give all you can". If you want to read his sermon on money, you can find it here:
http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umhistory/wesley/sermons/50/ (Be aware it is written in 18th century English)
The power in his message is the integrity of how our faith in Christ is demonstarted in both how we earn our money, how we save it and give it. Faithful discipleship can be reflected in how we earn our income. The telling question is does the way we earn our income bring us peace? Are we injuring our health, our spirit or our relationships with others? Does our work reflect the integrity of the faith we desire?
As we strive to save, are our purchases in balance not only with our income but also our life as stewards of God's intent for life? John Wesley challanges us to consider if what we buy reflects genuine Christian character. Are we honoring God with our purchases? Are we pleasing instead the desires of our eyes, stomach, whims? Are we trying to impress others or keep status instead of reflecting balance and holy perspective?
Giving is both the inevitable fruit of our faithful stewardship and the foundation. Wesley rightly assumed Christians would want to invest in the kingdom work of God. But even that is expected in balance to the rest of our lives and the immeasurable grace we receive from God. 
Some have taken this threefold mantra of Earn all you can, Save all you can and Give all you can and put an equation to it. It is live on 80%, save 10% and give 10%. More on this tomorrow.
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