As you can imagine, meal times are pretty important around the DeLoach Ranch. I am certain has been true for many generations. My grandfather’s favorite table blessing went something like this: “Bless the Meat, even the bones/Got anymore, bring it on.” While we giggled my grandmother glared disapprovingly in his direction. We DeLoaches love eating and we love eating as a family. Mealtimes were not a picture from the canvas of Norman Rockwell. My grandmother’s house did not have a dining room, or china, or linen napkins. We (seven of us) all ate in the kitchen crammed around a table fighting over the last biscuit and working our way in and out of the unfolding flow of conversation.

We discussed politics, religion, grades, feed prices and milk prices, but mostly we laughed, fussed, and teased. In other words, we were a family and the table centered us. One by one we grew up, some of us moved away and all of us married. Both my grandparents are now deceased and my father has since remarried. Still, from time to time, we come back home bringing our own children and our own stories and find a place at the table. In fact, we need several tables when we all show up.

As a husband and father meal times are just as important for me as they were in my childhood. True, we are busy with church, sports and school, but we strive hard to prioritize eating together for breakfast and supper. Soon both of my sons will be driving and it will not be long before they too will move away and into their life waiting to be discovered. I hope they will look back and remember not only the biscuits and gravy but the conversations and love centered by our battered table in the kitchen (we do not have a dining room either).

The most important thing about a meal time is not the menu, or the place setting, or even the place. It is to simply show up. Making the time to be present and knowing that when we cannot make it we are missed is essential to a healthy family.

It is no wonder we call church family. As a family we come in all shapes and sizes: single, married with or without children, foster children and grandchildren. Young and old, we are all part of a family of faith. Every Sunday we are invited to just show up; to be counted and loved; to be missed and cared for; to nourish and be nourished.

I hope to see you this Sunday, to be counted with you that we may laugh, weep, or just simply be together as a family. It is where we love God together and love our neighbor as ourselves.

Peace be with you,

Greg

February 17, 2010

Matthew 6:1 “Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 “So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 5 “And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 6 But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you…

… 16 “And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Ash Wednesday, today, marks the beginning of a forty day pilgrimage towards Easter. Easter we know about: crowded worship services with vibrant singing; brand-new clothes and spring hats. Easter we know about: breaking dawn; an empty tomb with cast aside grave clothes - glorious resurrection. Yet we tend to forget, or politely ignore, the journey it took to get to Easter. Did not Jesus say: “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24) I like Easter; it is the getting to part that I find difficult.

So today we begin the journey of forty days with Jesus, mindful of his own forty days in the wilderness as well as our own call to follow Jesus all the way. We begin this time curiously enough – with ashes.

Ashes are mentioned throughout the Bible, both Old Testament and New. The ash heap was more or less a garbage dump where refuse was burned. Abraham described his own mortality with the words, “I who am but dust and ashes.” (Genesis 18:27). Job said much the same as he contemplated his suffering. Ashes were a sign in Biblical times of humility before God and a symbol of mourning and sorrow for one’s sin. The Ninevites, the Israelites, Tamar, Mordecai all showed their lamentation with ashes. Thus the name Ash Wednesday comes from the ancient practice of placing ashes on worshippers’ heads or foreheads, which goes back to at least the ninth century.

Tonight we carry on this ancient observance by marking ourselves for God. We do so for at least two reasons.

We mark ourselves out of penitence:

It is such a public thing, to be marked by ashes. I feel like such a spectacle. Did we not just hear from the gospel of Matthew a warning against not making a public spectacle of your piety? Sharing, praying and fasting are not acts of public devotion for public admiration.

We are not, however, out in front of everybody. We are here together, tonight as a family. This whole business of being marked by ashes got started centuries ago when sinners were singled out for the public in order for them to be brought back into the church. As time went on others came forward acknowledging that they too have sin.

“If you only knew…,” we think to ourselves, “the sin that soaks my heart.” Sin is not merely about doing bad things or thinking bad thoughts. It is a failure to live up to God’s own Image. We are created, all of us, in the image of God. Jesus spoke of loving our neighbors and loving our enemies. Jesus spoke of forgiving, without limits. Jesus spoke of denying the self and thinking of others.

“If you only knew how I far I have failed in living up to the Image of God, but the sin is mine, right? My sin is my business, right?” This public worship which includes the marking of ashes is an acknowledgment that we are in this sin business together. Not one of us gets by in our life, let alone this day, without having fallen short of God’s glorious hope for us. Just as the scriptures take sin seriously not merely for the individual but for the entire community, so we too are making a covenant to move forward, together, as God’s fellowship, God’s community, God’s family of faith.

Ashes remind us that sin is deadly and left on our own we are hopeless. They are a sign that we are in this together.

We enter this season reflecting on what it is we need to “die” to, repent from, and live towards. It is a time to walk towards the restoration and redemption that comes by way of cross and tomb.

And like the cross and tomb, we do not have to stay there. Just as we will soon wash the ashes away from our hands or foreheads, we are reminded that we are marked to walk in a new life. We mark ourselves out of penitence. We have sinned.

We mark ourselves as mortal:

Perhaps this is the most sobering of all. Last year I shared with the church that the ashes we use are compliments of our sister congregation, The Church of the Good Shepherd. I decided I had too much on my mind than to try to figure out how to burn, sift, and mix ashes for the service. The dear chair of the altar guild offered to give me a can of ashes, which she would have waiting for me at their church.

Last year when I arrived to pick up the can (formally cashews, which was a surprise for those that reached in for a few nuts), there on the lid of the can was written: Ashes – Greg DeLoach (he is not in here). This is an important disclaimer of which I am happy to confirm.

Yet is this not what Ash Wednesday is about? There will come a day that our earthly remains will be nothing more than a can of dust. All we have to do is walk outside to our Memorial Gardens and consider those who have gone before us whose remains are nothing more than ash scattered beneath grass. Margaret Daniel, Jack Patrick, Tommy Blanchard, Amy Varnell, Harold Malone, Clayton Menefee, Jaque Kearns, George and Sue Balentine, Hilton Garrett and many, many others are co-mingled in the earth in the shadow of the resurrection window. They at one time lived and walked this earth. They raised children, cooked suppers, laughed, lived, loved and worshipped alongside us. Now just dust.

Philosophers have long exclaimed that the way to prepare for life is to contemplate death. Morbid? I don’t think so. Often Jesus spoke of the need to release one’s life (which is in itself an enormous act of faith) in order to gain it (Matthew 10:7; 16:25). We know that Jesus’ journey takes him to the deadly timbers of the cross.

We are surrounded by silly symbols of our anxieties that are little more than death denying. We see it manifested in our frantic over-consumption, with our lust for violence in speech and action and then there the attitudes of individualism and selfishness. Yet we are all, in the end, destined to be no more than a can of ashes on this earth.

Ash Wednesday and Lent call on us to ignore the anxious voices that cannot believe in anything but the self, and listen to the voice of the One, who out of dust, breathed in each the breath of life. There will come a day when our breath returns to the Creator.

Finally the ashes that mark us on Ash Wednesday are an invitation to follow. For me this season is an important reminder that whatever it is I face or will face in my life – and one can scarcely imagine what awaits us in our lifetime – its scope does not exceed the reach of God. I do not know how I will face all that confronts me, but then again that is not my primary concern. I am called to follow on this journey.

To acknowledge that we are but dust is itself a great act of faith. For then we can more fully enter into the largeness of God.

Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.

Benediction:

Through dust and breath, we have been marked by God and for God.

Through ashes and water, we have been marked by God and for God.

And through the cross and hope of Easter we have been marked by God and for God; today and all our days. Amen.

I suppose keeping a blog already hints that one has to have a pretty inflated ego to think that others may be interested in what I am writing. It seems I am only adding to that suspicion by offering a list of books that I read last year by further assuming you may be interested. Nonetheless it is part of my job as a pastor to read and any reader likes to share with others good books as well as not so good books.

I have finally finished my list from last year and post it for you to mull over. I confess up front, not every book I read was, in my limited opinion, a good book. Some books listed, like “Walden” I have re-read (and in that particular case, I have re-read “Walden” many times. Some books are new releases, like “South of Broad” (which I did not particularly care for. I am not sure what is going on with Pat Conroy) and others are old classics, such as “The Wilderness World of John Muir.”

I will be happy to dialogue with anyone interested concerning any of the books listed.

Non-Fiction

Unpacking Boxes, by Donald Hall

Final Exam: A Surgeon’s Reflection on Mortality, by Pauline W. Chen

The Universe in a Single Atom: The Convergence of Science and Spirituality, by Tenzin Gyatso

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, by Robert Pirsig

The Book of Dead Philosophers, by Simon Critchley

Brother to a Dragonfly, by Will Campbell

Walden, Henry David Thoreau

The Wilderness World of John Muir, by John Muir and Edwin Way Teale

1776, David McCullough

Essays

Eagle Pond, by Donald Hall

Poetry

Leavings, Wendell Berry

Spirituality

The Asian Journals of Thomas Merton, by Thomas Merton

Thoughts in Solitude, by Thomas Merton

Theology

Questions to all Your Answers: The Journey from Folk Religion to Examined Faith, by Roger E. Olson

Biblical Studies

Excavating Jesus: Beneath the Stones, Behind the Texts, by John Dominic Crossan and Jonathan L. Reed

Fiction

Siddhartha, by Herman Hesse

Ahab’s Wife: Or the Stargazer, by Sena Jeter Naslund

Unaccustomed Earth, by Jhumpi Lahiri

Peace Like a River, by Leif Enger

Robinson Crusoe, by Daniel Defoe

Housekeeping, by Marilynne Robinson

Everything that Rises Must Converge, by Flannery O’Connor

South of Broad, by Pat Conroy

Pastoral Care

The Couple Checkup, by David H. Olson. I actually read this book in 2008 but forgot to put it on the list.

I have two words for you - hummus bar. It is just that delicious and so I am thinking about adding a new food selection for Wednesday night dinners. I will ask Rodger Murchison what his opinion is when I get back. Speaking of food, several of us went out to make a falafel run but all the vendors had closed their stands, so I came back to the lobby to work on this blog. To my surprise and delight a DJ had set up a turntable and along with a partner began crooning to us some strange version of Hebrew disco. You just don’t see that every day in Augusta!

Friday morning began with a wake up call at 6, breakfast at 7 and on the bus for Cana at 8. Cana is a rather congested town dedicated in part to celebrate the first miracle of Jesus - turning water into wine at a wedding. The village of Cana is only mentioned in the Gospel of John. The problem is that scholars do not agree as to whether this is the exact location of the original Cana. The Romans destroyed the original Cana during the great Jewish revolt around 66 AD. The Cana we visted today was one of three probable locations. Nonetheless it serves as an important place to reflect on the extravagance of God through this first miracle as well as the reach of God through the healing of the royal official’s son. We toured through the Church of the Wedding commemorating this first miracle.

We boarded the bus and traveled 15 minutes to the City of Nazareth. During the time of Jesus Nazareth was nothing more than a small, isolated village with just over 400 residences. It was religiously and politically unimportant, which is striking when we consider the world-wide impact Jesus has made in the lives of billions.

Today Nazareth bears a marked contrast to its former times. Densely populated, it is shared by Muslims and Christian Arabs. Our first visit was to St. Gabriel’s Church, the traditional location of Mary’s visit by the angel Gabriel. It is an Eastern Orthodox church where there are strict traidtions regarding worship, attire, etc. When we arrived there was a group in worship therefore we were forbidden to go inside. I certainly understand. I know that I would not like to watch a tour group go through our sanctuary while in the middle of Sunday morning worship.

We made a 20 minute walk, which was in places a bit harrowing as cars zipped among us, to the Church of the Annunciation. Along the way some within our group strayed as the listened and at time patronized the many street vendors hawking their one of a kind items. We eventually made it to the church with the entire group intact. The art and modern architecture was stunning and proved to be a place of inspiration as it reflected nations from around the globe.

What a view - my room overlooks the Sea, which is surrounded by gently rolling hills. The Sea itself is dotted by fisherman plying their trade according to 21st century methods! Speaking of the Sea of Galilee, it is not really a sea at all, but a large fresh water lake about 750 feet below sea level. The weather here is absolutely outstanding - temperatures in the 70s and bright sunshine.

Breakfast included a variety of yogurts, cheeses, eggs, breads and fish. Since most places are kosher, the dietary restrictions prevent serving dairy products with meat. Fish is the exception (which I still do not understand after all these years). There were plenty of fresh fruits, olives and dates as well as coffee and juices. We will not starve on this tour.

Today we visited sites all around Galilee, also know as Lake Tiberias. In Hebrew it is called Kinnert because it is shaped like a kinnor or harp. Our first stop was at the modern church commemorating the Beatitudes. While not a “historic” location, it is provides a striking perspective of how it may have looked when Jesus uttered words of peace, mercy and comfort to the crowds. Next we visited Kibbutz Ginosar and saw a resortred first century “Jesus boat” which was discovered in 1986. We then made our way to Capernaum, the hometown of Jesus’ ministry and works.

Just before lunch we took a private boat ride across the Sea of Galilee and stopped mid-point to reflect, sing and pray. Rev. Darwin Caldwell, Carla Burrow’s father, read to us from Mark chapter one, and Keith Burrow led us in singing. It was a welcome pause in our busy morning.

We dined along the Sea on St. Peter’s fish (it looked like bream to me) and were treated to Turkish coffee afterwards. We filled the afternoon with a visit to Tabgha, the location of the multiplication of fishes and loaves and a visit to the Jordan River.

While at the River Jordan Bok Bemis came prepared to be bapized but I did not prepare to do the baptizing! Not to worry, because I learned you can rent a robe. Wayne Koon also thought this a good idea so we entered the chilly waters of the Jordan and held a baptism service. I hope to be able to post some pictures tomorrow.

Soon we will have our dinner and a bit of quiet time for the evening. Several of us plan to walk along the town center of Tiberias and see the sites. It has been a full and good day.

Peace be with you.

Having finished packing my luggage only hours before departure, one of my last things to do is to sit down and write this article. From January 5th to January 14th I will be touring the “Holy Land” along with 41 others members and friends of First Baptist Church of Augusta. This will be my second tour of Israel but for most in our group it will be their first. For all of us it will be an opportunity to experience the land where the Bible comes alive as we tour such notable places as Bethlehem, Nazareth, Capernaum, the Sea of Galilee and of course Jerusalem. Sacred places.

One does not need to travel to the other side of the world, however, to experience sacred places. While it is quite moving to visit the places where Jesus walked and taught and served, places made sacred are not exclusively reserved for the footsteps of Jesus. For Henry David Thoreau, it was a small cabin on the edge of Walden. For the relatively small number of Creek Indians it was a rock formation in the shape of an eagle in middle Georgia. For the new parents it is the sterile enclosure of a delivery room where they saw their newborn for the first time. Sacred space. We do not always name our memorable points as sacred, but that is what they are - sacred, holy. It may be your grandmother’s kitchen thick with the smell of biscuits out of the oven and coffee whisping in the air. It may be a favorite oak tree from the family home place where you once watched the passing of the afternoon sun of summer. Sacred. Holy. Places that are alive to us still and we now know that surely God was present, even if such a presence was simply as a quiet observer, like a mother periodically glancing out the kitchen window to make sure the kids are okay.

The geography of the Bible is scattered with sacred spaces and holy terrain. There was a burning bush and a bare foot Moses. Another time God sanctified Mt. Horeb with a silent whisper and a hushed Elijah. There is an empty tomb somewhere in Jerusalem and a road to Emmaus is a holy reminder that God was there.

While I am walking over the ground of Jerusalem and reflect on the footsteps of Jesus I will also be thinking of the sacred steps Christ has walked with me throughout my life. I will also be thinking of you dear church, where Christ continues to walk with us reclaiming the mundane and redeeming the profane and creating sacred spaces for all.

In the end, we are all wandering through the Holy Land.

Peace, shalom,