From your (other) pastor and teacher, Leif:

“So again Jesus said to them,
‘Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep… 
I am the good shepherd. 
The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep… 
I know my own and my own know me.’”
John 10:7, 11, 14

   According to the dictionary, a pastor is someone who exercises spiritual guidance over a church or congregation.  The root of the word comes from pastoris, “a shepherd” (cf. Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony, etc.).

   When asked for a popular definition of the word, 45% of online voters chose the term shepherd as best describing the work of a pastor.

   While not perhaps the most dignified of professions, being a shepherd certainly beats the alternative of being a sheep!  Sheep are notorious (I am told, by relatives who own these animals) for being slow-witted and for blindly following a leader wherever he/she/it may lead.

   This last Sunday (January 31), I was privileged to experience the thrill and fulfillment of my installation service at Redlands UCC.  After the high of such an experience it would perhaps be understandable for a pastor to somehow feel that being the “shepherd of the flock” entitles one to feelings of uniqueness and “specialness”, verging on the border of better-than-thou.

   But, as Sharon so (tactfully!) pointed out in her address at that meeting, being the pastor of a congregation does not entitle one to feel that she/he is “the Shepherd”.  There is, after all, only one rightful Shepherd of God’s flock, found in the life and example of Jesus the Christ.  The best that pastors can hope to do is to be helpful in pointing the flock to the principles taught by the true Shepherd.

   Which brings me to that other word used to describe our profession — “minister”.  And this word, perhaps, signifies in a more satisfactory manner our true calling.  For a minister is, after all, another word for servant.  We are called to serve, not to take personal credit.

   Perhaps the promise I made on installation Sunday best sums up my hopes and aspirations for service to this congregation: “I am willing, and I promise to serve this church faithfully, preaching and teaching the word of God, administering the sacraments, and fulfilling the pastoral office, according to the faith and order of the United Church of Christ.”

For that, after all, is the work of a minister.

In Christian faith, hope, and love.

Leif

Worship Themes for Epiphany 2010

“Be still and know that I am God…Be still and know…Be still…Be…”
 from Psalm 46:10

This month we conclude the season of Epiphany and begin the higher-profile season of Lent.  While Epiphany brings enlightenment and an emphasis on story—most especially a punctuated form of the Jesus story—the season of Lent invites us to walk more reflectively with Jesus during the weeks leading up to the cross and empty tomb.  For some, Lent is a time of sacrifice, of giving up something so as to experience a shadow of the sufferings of Jesus.  During our Lenten worship services, rather than giving up something, we will focus together on adding something.  That “something” is prayer!  Read on…

February 7 – Communion Sunday – Loring Fiske-Phillips, preacher
Isaiah 6:1-8, Psalm 138; 1 Corinthians 15:1-11; Luke 5:1-11
Newly installed as RUCC President for a third term, Loring will offer the morning message.  Born and raised in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), which coincidentally celebrates communion each and every Sunday (and sometimes in between!), Loring has much of value to say about this holy meal.  Come to hear…stay to eat!

February 14 – “Beyond the Veil”
Exodus 34:29-35; Psalm 99; 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2; Luke 9:28-36
In our day, it is common to speak of “the veil” as that invisible demarcation between the physical and the spiritual worlds, between earth and heaven, if you will.  Brides, of course, also wear veils to keep alive the mystery of their beauty.  Interesting that Moses wears one in today’s story, and the author of 2 Corinthians invites 1st century believers to remove the veil, i.e. to speak boldly from their faith.  What of veils?  Perhaps it is time to move beyond them to the life they seek to cover…

Wednesday, February 17 – The Beginning of Lent – 7:00 pm in our sanctuary
Joel 2:1; Psalm 51:1, 6-8, 10-12; Isaiah 58:3-12; Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent by recalling the very first sign of God’s love—the gentle divine touch on our foreheads soiled by a bit of dust from the ground—reminding us that we are made from earth and filled with Spirit.  The evening’s scriptures nudge us to pray discreetly and to give secretly, so that justice will realize its quiet revolution throughout the land.  Music from the Taizé community in France will guide us as we focus our thoughts and center our prayers.

February 21 – First Sunday of Lent – Jen Neibling, preaching
We welcome to the pulpit our seminary intern, Jen!  This will be a first for her, and we look forward to her thoughtful message. 

February 28 – Second Sunday of Lent – “Teach Us To Pray…”
Many of you wrote in your 2010 covenants that you would like to strengthen your prayer life, and in response, the remainder of our Lenten worship services will be dedicated to learning more about the so-called “Lord’s Prayer.”  We pray it each Sunday, maybe a bit by rote…we turn to it in times of sickness and stress…we find comfort in it’s familiarity…  Now we shall spend time, together, meditating upon it’s meaning for us 21st century Christians.

Worship will be deeper and richer with your presence as we experience together the Spirit’s movement among us.

—Sharon R. Graff