Reflection

A Sermon by Megan Sorensen
Preached at Urban Abbey on December 24, 2018

This week, I ordered a new Willow Tree figurine. Inquisitive boy….a denim clad, blond haired child sitting like only a child can. Clearly listening to something, learning, absorbing the world around him. When it arrives I will add that boy to my collection…one that currently contains a mother cradling a baby, a father sitting on the floor legs outstretched with a young girl looking admirably at him, a second young girl, this one sitting, but also listening. And of course, the dog. I am not a collector of figurines. In fact, this set is all I have on display in my home and candidly, it is on the bottom shelf of the end table and one would really need to be intentional to see it and to realize that it represents us…this group of humans (and creatures) we have collected in our home.

Since I was first asked to consider this worship and what I could say related to motherhood, I have not stopped listening. Waiting for the right idea and the right words to come to me. I was actually hoping it might be in dramatic fashion…maybe even fireworks or glitter or something. I should know now that that’s not exactly how the Spirit speaks to me. She likes to make sure I am paying close attention. So I have been simultaneously thinking about Advent and this worship service. Chris and I are using Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s God is in the Manger as our Advent devotional. As we have read I have been considering Mary and thinking about motherhood.

What I have heard in this intentional listening is the real work of Advent. Hoping. Waiting. Listening. Praying. Knowing that God will come. That perfect love became human and enters into the most imperfect of circumstances. I think that is the work of moms. The overarching theme of motherhood in all its forms. Imperfect circumstances. Youth, faltering relationships, uncertain environments, struggling finances, ignorance. In all of these circumstances we prepare, we wait and we hope.

In her memoir The Blue Jay’s Dance: A Birth Year, Louis Erdrich writes “Our baby gives herself to me completely. There is no hesitation, no reservation, no holding back, no coldness, no craft, no tremor or fear in her love. Although our relationship may encompass tears, frustration, even fury, it is an utterly reliable bond. As it grows, her love is literally unadulterated. Her love is wholly of the child, pure in its essence as children are in their direct passions. Children do not love wisely, but perhaps they love the best of all.”

In our children we see a glimpse of that perfect love incarnate. The love that we wait for in every moment. When we hope for a child, when those hopes are shattered, when our child was born with physical limitations, when we send one of them across the country or across the world to find her story, when we spend hours in conversation with our son about kindness and being a good teammate, when he signed the papers that made their child the child of another. We are drowning in imperfection with the hope of a glimpse of perfect love. In our children, both those we see and those we cannot, lies the hope of perfect love, the face of God.

No experience brings such clarity to this hope as the one we have been through personally in the past weeks. In the midst of imperfect circumstances 26 years ago, Chris and his partner decided to give a child up for adoption. Perfect love in imperfect circumstances. Perfect love that put the needs of another above the their own. Pain and grief that then waited in hope in preparation. Life moved on. Marriages, children, careers, but still hope and patience. In the perseverance and the hope, God was there. Several weeks ago, we received word of a son. A 26 year old, now man, with blond hair and an affinity for all things sports. A son who is seeking to connect with his birth parents. After a lifetime of patience and guilt and hope and grief, we see that glimpse of perfect love. In a matter of seconds the possibility of a step son became a reality and the depth of that love was instant. Perfect love in imperfect circumstances. Deeper love for my husband, deeper love for my children and a new and aching love for a child that had only been present in waiting. It is the face of God.

So this week I will add that new Willow Tree figurine to our display. A representation of joy and wonder at the end of the wait….of an incarnate God who became human to be among the imperfect. To be present with the love of a mother.

In the words of Deitrich Bonheoffer “Just be aware, be watchful, wait just another short moment. Wait, and something quite new will break over you: God will come.”

May it be so.

EXPLORING MARY – as a Grandmother

A Sermon by Dr. Carole Patrick
Preached at Urban Abbey on December 24, 2018

Have you ever thought about the fact that there is no grandma at the manger scene? When I became a grandmother this year, this became an important mystery because I realized if there was a Christmas pageant, I no longer had a part.

The best explanation may be that grandparents are intended to have supporting roles. Before we become grandparents, one of our most important parenting challenges is to release our child or children toward independence – making their own decisions, experiencing their own consequences, choosing their place in this world and the people with whom they surround themselves.

It’s a lot more difficult than it sounds; it’s a challenge because we spend years investing ourselves into a growing human, and it’s hard to let go. That’s because sometimes we’re confident in a child’s ability to fly; other times we’re genuinely frightened. Sometimes that changes from day to day!

One of the true gifts of being a grandparent (in my case, being Bubby) is watching that beautiful cycle of childhood begin again. I love watching my child and her husband invest themselves into this little life and being available when they need me. That means understanding and respecting my supporting role and believing that my daughter, who I will always consider “my baby” is completely and wonderfully capable of all the joys and responsibilities of parenting another.

The birth of my grandson, Hugh, has unsurfaced all sorts of memories; some wonderful, and some that taught great lessons. Perhaps my greatest realization as a parent was the value of time. By that, I mean the importance of showing up and being present in my child’s life.

One thing I’ve learned and believe with all my heart: the things that scream the loudest in this world are not the most important; and nothing says LOVE more than showing up to hear and see and be part of the small things in another person’s life.

The things that scream the loudest in this world are not the most important. In the Christmas story, it’s easy to focus our attention in multiple directions – singing angels, wise men, shepherds and their sheep, lots of animals surrounding the manger. But when we quiet those things, what’s left is two young people with a new baby feeling just a bit of pressure because that baby was born to be a Savior!

My daughter grew up during the 1990’s when cell phones began to take prominence in our society. But we had an agreement at dinner time that we set all things that made noise aside (cells, land lines, TV) and ate dinner together. It was mostly small conversation, but we both learned a lot about each other. In giving that gift of time to one another, when the big things did arise, we knew how to communicate. We knew how to love. We knew how to recognize the good in each other, even in the middle of difficulty.

How do you measure a year in the life? That’s a line from one of my favorite songs in the musical, RENT. The answer is love. Seasons of love. The small things that lay the foundation for the big things. Time is never, ever wasted when we spend it on those we love. Merry Christmas.

Reflection on Motherhood

A Sermon by Maria Walker
Preached at Urban Abbey on December 24, 2018

My experience of mothering begin many moons ago, but I will focus my attention today on what occurred 14 years ago. If you know my girls and can do the math, you can guess that this reflection does not begin with them. If that is your guess, you are correct. It was a little over 14 years ago that my sister and her husband shared with us that she was pregnant and my first nephew would arrive that following summer.

During that holiday season and well into the new year I would listen to the song Mary did you know over and over and over again. I would listen with excitement and anticipation wondering who this person would be that was just about to join our family. How would he add to the family dynamic?What would be some of his favorite things? I had this unique sense of excitement and anticipation of waiting and longing to know this little person.

And I thought of Mary and her feelings awaiting the arrival of a new member to her family. Did she feel that same wonder? What did she know as she took on this new role? Was she overwhelmed with the uncertainty of it all? I imagine she was feeling so many emotions, just as we were during this time of waiting.

Finally, on a hot day in July, the day of delivery arrived and Jack Durham Marable joined our family in all of his 10 pound and completely bald glory. About a month later, I was able to travel to Georgia to meet him. My plane landed in Atlanta and I then traveled the two hours it took to get to my sisters house. I remember walking into her dark and cool bedroom and seeing him for the first time in his bassinet. I remember having this unique experience of a complete flooding of emotion consuming me. My only logical reaction was to of course cry. I was so overwhelmed with the gift of this little boy and all the potential he had.

I stayed with my sister and brother-in-law during that time to help out. There were times when she was so exhausted but I would sleep on the floor beside her bed so I could be ready to help her as quickly as possible. I quickly learned that mothering was not glamorous, it afforded very little sleep, and it was not restricted to the experience of delivering biological children. It also involves a lot of bodily fluids and the true perfume of motherhood and a baby was actually spit up. I discovered that mothering, for me, was a commitment to being there for the spit up and the cooing noises, the sleepless nights and all the magic in between. It's the experience of inexplicable floods of love for the people that are gifted into my life, in whatever way they arrive.

I have since had 3 other nephews enter my life, 2 daughters, and many more little people with parents generous enough to allow me to share in some way in their mothering. With each one, the challenges and sacrifices remain, as does the magic and experience of floods of love. May we all give and receive that love to ourselves and others today.

Here Am I - Say It Like Mary and See What Happens

A Sermon by Rev. Debra McKnight
Preached at Urban Abbey on December 2, 2018

Dear Abbey Friends,

Mary’s story is about having a baby, so we wrap it up in pastels. We make her story sweet and soothing; more lullaby than power-ballad, more pregnant than prophet, more mommy than badass - like she can’t be both.

Mary’s story is a birth story but it is not just any birth story. And I don’t say that because her baby is Jesus, I say that because her story is the story of a prophet. Her story follows all of the makings and markings, all of the patterns and struggles of every other prophet in the Bible. She is called, it is a call story just like Moses, Jeremiah, Jonah and Isaiah. All of them have this same pattern.

Encounter God - sometimes in a burning bush or by angelic messengers

Asked to do something - usually hard, like toppling an empire

Object to call, like Jonah not wanting to go to Nineveh

Be reassured and then given an assignment - saying yes like Mary

MOSES

Take a look at Moses. He is tending flocks when he encounters a bush burning but not consumed. It seems like this bush had been going for a while; like God had the phone on speaker with hold music playing, just waiting for Moses to pick up.

“When the Lord saw that he (Moses) had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, ‘Moses, Moses!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ Then he said, ‘Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.’ He said further, ‘I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.” (Exodus 3: 1-6)

This is the encounter portion of the call story.

Then the Lord said, ‘I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey…So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.’ (Exodus 3: 7-10)

This is the big ask…a really big ask: go free people from the most powerful empire around.

But Moses said to God, ‘Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?’ (Exodus 3: 11)

Moses gets the call and he dissents with God. Moses names his insecurities. He actually goes on debating God for another chapter - it may be the longest anyone debates God in the Bible. At one point God has Moses put his hand inside his cloak and then pull it out and it's leprous. God really has to win Moses over. It goes on and on, Moses turns a staff into a snake with God’s help and still he pushes back saying, I am not a great public speaker, “I have never been eloquent, slow of speech and slow of tongue.” God responds, I have your brother Aaron lined up. P.S. I got this, I’m God, the Creator of the Universe, just go (well that’s not the exact translation but you get the point). So eventually Moses goes and the work is hard. His enslaved people topple the most powerful empire around but that is really just the beginning of the quest.

Moses spends 40 years wandering in the wilderness, often with disgruntled people complaining about their freedom, wanting to turn back, getting mad at God and Moses, worshiping idols, and wanting different food. They are difficult until they arrive at the land of Milk and Honey, the Promised Land, which Moses never gets to see.

JEREMIAH

The same thing happens to Jeremiah, when he encounters God. God says I created you…

Now the word of the Lord came to me saying,
‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
and before you were born I consecrated you;
I appointed you a prophet to the nations.’ (Jer 1:4-5)

Then Jeremiah objects

Then I said, ‘Ah, Lord God! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy.’ (Jer 1:6)
Jeremiah does not meet the minimum age requirement for prophet. Then God responds.

But the Lord said to me,
‘Do not say, “I am only a boy”;
for you shall go to all to whom I send you,
and you shall speak whatever I command you.
Do not be afraid of them,
for I am with you to deliver you,
says the Lord.’
Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth; and the Lord said to me,
‘Now I have put my words in your mouth.
See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms,
to pluck up and to pull down,
to destroy and to overthrow,
to build and to plant.’ (Jer 1: 7-10)

Jeremiah objects only once to God’s call and then with a touch, Jeremiah takes on the sacred words and work, he embodies them. He enters a dangerous journey in the risky politics of his day, but God’s words are like fire in his bone and he is weary with keeping them in - so he speaks bold visions for the future that are rooted in the past, in the hope that his community changes in the present.

ISAIAH

Mary’s story seems most like Isaiah's. Mary responds the same way Isaiah responds. “Here am I, send me.” Isaiah experiences not just one angel but a whole team of celestial beings. And he, like Mary, expresses astonishment.

I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. (Isaiah 6: 1-2)

Then the angels start singing a song that sounds a lot like our liturgy and a reminder that Christians are borrowers

And one called to another and said:
‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory.’ (Isaiah 6: 3)

Then Isaiah objects, he names his concerns about the reality of life and community.

And I said: ‘Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!’ (Isaiah 6:5)

Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. The seraph touched my mouth with it and said: ‘Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.’ (Isaiah 6:7)

God responds to Isaiah's objection and he consents.

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I; send me!’ And he said, ‘Go and say to this people. (Isaiah 6:8)

Then God gives Isaiah something to say. Isaiah is the least reluctant prophet. He doesn’t say oh I’m not quite good enough. I didn’t pass my speech class. I’m not old enough. I hate Nineveh. I have my own plan. I have these sheep to tend and these things to take care of before I get to this. Isaiah doesn’t negotiate with God for more vacation time, a different strategy or a different assignment. He says, “Here am I. Send me.” And then he dives right in to the politics of his day. In fact, this first portion of Isaiah shows some of his impact by keeping the country safe from regional conflicts.

This is the work of a prophet, they speak truth to power, they help their community navigate the choices and values and happenings in the present, they work in the now. They do this work by being rooted in the past. Their primary tool is painting a vision for the future but their work is all about the present, the now. Sometimes their vision of the future is grim, violent, and distressing. Sometimes their vision is a wildly hopeful one, like when Isaiah proclaims that God is setting a big table with the fattiest food and the best wine, a table where everyone is welcome. But, even in looking to the future, they are helping their community navigate the choices of the present. Remembering who they are and dreaming into a more hopeful place: a land of milk and honey, a big inclusive table, and a baby born to a poor unwed mother changing the dynamics of power. There are few things more hopeful than bringing a life into the world, deeming the world worthy to live up to the care of a new vulnerable dream.

MARY

That’s what Mary is up to. She gets a call from God, just like the prophets before her. She encounters the Divine in the form of an Angel named Gabriel.

26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth….And he came to her and said, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you."

Then she asks some questions.

29 But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.

And then she is reassured and gets a big assignment.

30 The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." 34 Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?" 35 The angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you;

She given details and the language of “overshadow you” is used. I have often disliked this portion or this term, but this same language appears in Exodus when God provides manna in the wilderness, or chats with Moses on the mountain top, or celebrates the creation of a tabernacle at the end of the Exodus story. This moment of Divine presence is connected with God’s liberation. Mary’s story is connected with Exodus, when slaves toppled empires, without any of the tools. God gives Mary a choice and she says yes. God seeks consent. And when she says yes, she sounds a lot like Isaiah. Here am I. I imagine her learning it, hearing it…over an over growing up dreaming of a different world and now embodying it.

38 Then Mary said, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word."

She says yes, with out all of the drama of Moses or disbelief of Zechariah. Here am I. She is confident and humble, with out hesitation she assumes the call of God. Here am I. Mary doesn’t try to manage God’s intrusion into her life or control the process or direct the divine. She doesn’t say, “Sure I’m in but can we do this some other way..like without me having a baby when no one thinks I should be pregnant.” Mary doesn’t believe that the work of God’s love will be easy, if it was God wouldn’t have to show up to ask.

Mary says, “here am I let it be with me according to your word” and the first thing she does is sing a song. She sings an old song reaching into the tradition she loves. The song links joy and justice, thanksgiving and liberation. She sings of God lifting up the lowly and filling the hungry with good things. Mary says, “Here am I” and her life is never the same. And we every year, share her story and probably think: oh good for Mary - glad it's not me.

I never hear God tell me exactly what to do, particularly from a burning bush, and I’m not sure I would know what to do at the sight of a six winged creature bringing a coal to my lips. Perhaps that’s one reason I, myself, have never experienced God that way. We may not see bushes burning or angles with wings, at least many of us, but I suspect you, like I, have felt a nudge. Those moments when you know you have to say something, your whole body tells you too, even if it's risky to speak up. Perhaps you have felt compelled, you intuition and the right moment lining up. Maybe there is something that breaks your heart or keeps you up at night and suddenly you find yourself driven to a new work. Mary’s story is asking us to take the risk. Mary says, “Here am I” and ask us to do the same.

Try it and see what happens….
Here am I, when trans lives are taken.
Here am I, when our systems for mental heath care are so far from adequate.
Here am I, when creation is parceled up and sold off for profit.
Here am I, when the anniversary of Sandy Hook passes once again without legislation for change.
Here am I, when survivors of human trafficking receive more jail time than powerful predators.
Here am I, when a child dies in US custody, away from her family and without the basics of care.
Here am I, when our systems for mental heath care are so far from adequate.

Here am I, may we have the courage to say it, embody it and be ready for where it takes us.

May it be so. amen.
Rev. Debra McKnight

© 2018 Rev. Debra McKnight, Urban Abbey

Celebrating our Partnership with UNO's Student Veteran Organization

Dear Abbey Friends,

As you may have heard, last month Urban Abbey received the 2018 Community Partner of the Year Award from the University of Nebraska at Omaha's Office of Military and Veteran Services. This was for our work and partnership with UNO's Student Veteran Organization (SVO), with whom we co-host our Coffee Talks Student Veteran Small Group. This small group is led by Joel Walker and provides a space for student veterans to connect and discuss their experiences and the unique challenges that come with being both a college student and a veteran. As the daughter (and granddaughter) of a veteran, I am eternally grateful to each and every one of these students for their service and sacrifice, and to UNO for providing such an array of services to their student veterans. I give thanks that we as a faith community are able to make space for UNO's student veterans to talk, share, and make connections on campus.

I'd like to thank Rev. Chris Jorgensen for establishing Coffee Talks in 2016; SVO Presidents Eric Velander (2016-17), Kat Clyde (2017-18), and Kyle Keener (2018-19) for all their work to make Coffee Talks a success; UNO's Office of Military and Veterans Services staff for their partnership, generosity, and support; and to Joel Walker for his leadership of this group since 2017. This year, Joel and Kyle together have helped grow this small group from an average of four students per week to an average of ten, providing space and opportunity for more and more students to fellowship and deepen their relationship with one another. And, as always, thank YOU for being with us on campus each week as part of the Urban Abbey community!

Warmest Wishes,
Sierra

Sierra Salgado Pirigyi
Chief Operating Officer

 

“I am really excited about the partnership between Urban Abbey and the SVO, and our recurring coffee talks is an event that I look forward to each week. Together, we have created an atmosphere where everyone feels comfortable and we are able to discuss different viewpoints on a variety of topics. Plus, the fresh brewed coffee and donuts are a great way to kick start a Wednesday morning in a positive way! Thank you, Joel, Sierra, and everyone at Urban Abbey for the continued support.” - Kyle Keener, UNO SVO President (2018-19)

"What an honor it has been to facilitate the Coffee Talk discussions with the veterans and military members at UNO. Despite the diverse backgrounds and perspectives these students bring to the group, a deep civility and respect of one another is abundant. Whether we are talking about exams, family life, military experiences, politics, or spirituality, I always know that everyone leaves having learned something new about others in the room. Minds have been stretched in new ways, and rich fellowship has occurred. The world outside of Coffee Talks would benefit from seeing what goes on in that hour each Wednesday morning.” - Joel Walker, Coffee Talks Student Veteran Small Group Facilitator