Preached at Urban Abbey on July 28, 2019
My name is Rev. Rebecca Hjelle (That’s right, yell-e – it’s a good Norwegian last name!) and I am just finishing my second week as the new Director of Spiritual Formation here at the Abbey! These past 2 weeks I’ve been learning about the magic of the coffee bar, I’ve been organizing and ordering books, and learning about Fair Trade – and I’ve been taking notes on some of the things that Debra has on the radar for this coming year. And I’ve got to tell you, it’s exciting!
There are going to be some wonderful mid-week experiences including Wesley Pub and Open Mic Worship. We’re working on some Fierce Spirituality Circles, we’re talking about curriculum, and how to share the good work that you’ve all been doing with a wider circle of faith communities who are seeking progressive perspectives on faith and life and how it all connects.
It’s going to be a big year, and I’m truly honored to get to be with you all as it begins!
Now, I have known some of you through our United Methodist connections for a number of years – and some of you I have met during these past two weeks when you’ve come in for coffee and books and conversations – but many of you I am meeting for the first time, I thought it would be good to start by sharing just a bit about myself.
I am an Ordained Elder, just like Debra, and I’ve been serving local churches in Nebraska for just over 11 years – I’ve been out in Kearney, up in Blair, just down the road in Elkhorn, and now I’m living in Bellevue, which is actually where I grew up. So, it’s good to be home!
My family all lives in this area and that means I get to see them all the time – my parents are both retired. My mom was an elementary school teacher and my dad sold Marvin windows and doors for the Chicago Lumber Co. which is just across the railroad tracks on 14th Street. My younger brother is a high school math and engineering teacher at Omaha North, and my sister-in-law is a stay-at-home mom with their 3 kids – Oliver, Henry, and Luna.
Being an aunt is the best job I’ve ever had – and I’m certain that you’ll hear about them from time to time in my preaching and leading. They are hilarious and smart, and they always keep me on my toes!
Now, there is one other important person in my life that I wanted to make sure I told you about – and that’s my puppy, Hope. She is a Portuguese Water Dog and Goldendoodle mix, which means she is called a Portie Doodle. And whenever people aren’t quite sure about that Portuguese Water Dog part, I remind them that those are the dogs the Obama’s had in the White House. So, she could also be called an Obama-doodle.
Hope is the second dog that I’ve had the honor of calling “family.” My first dog was a cockapoo that I rescued from the Human Society here in Omaha. His name was Oscar and he was two years old when I got him – so, he was out of the puppy phase when he came home with me. There was one night when he tried to water my indoor aloe vera plant, but other than that, he was done with puppyhood!
Hope is another story; she was just eight weeks old when she came home with me and we had to learn everything together. And I say “we” because that’s what I learned in puppy class – it was as much about training me as it was about training her. We worked on “sit”, and “stay”, and “high five”, and “shake”. And there were so many treats when she finally pottied outside instead of just chewing on wood chips and sticks!
Again, I’d never been through this puppy phase. It was all new to me. And to be honest, for the first 4-6 months I felt a little bit like I was being held hostage – I couldn’t take my eyes off her because she was always chewing on something or someone, she was always exploring and pushing the boundaries.
It was exhausting, but I’m happy to report she is now two and a half and we have pretty much learned all the things. We have officially survived puppyhood – and only a few slippers, and socks, and winter gloves were destroyed along the way!
There are going to be some wonderful mid-week experiences including Wesley Pub and Open Mic Worship. We’re working on some Fierce Spirituality Circles, we’re talking about curriculum, and how to share the good work that you’ve all been doing with a wider circle of faith communities who are seeking progressive perspectives on faith and life and how it all connects.
It’s going to be a big year, and I’m truly honored to get to be with you all as it begins!
Now, I have known some of you through our United Methodist connections for a number of years – and some of you I have met during these past two weeks when you’ve come in for coffee and books and conversations – but many of you I am meeting for the first time, I thought it would be good to start by sharing just a bit about myself.
I am an Ordained Elder, just like Debra, and I’ve been serving local churches in Nebraska for just over 11 years – I’ve been out in Kearney, up in Blair, just down the road in Elkhorn, and now I’m living in Bellevue, which is actually where I grew up. So, it’s good to be home!
My family all lives in this area and that means I get to see them all the time – my parents are both retired. My mom was an elementary school teacher and my dad sold Marvin windows and doors for the Chicago Lumber Co. which is just across the railroad tracks on 14th Street. My younger brother is a high school math and engineering teacher at Omaha North, and my sister-in-law is a stay-at-home mom with their 3 kids – Oliver, Henry, and Luna.
Being an aunt is the best job I’ve ever had – and I’m certain that you’ll hear about them from time to time in my preaching and leading. They are hilarious and smart, and they always keep me on my toes!
Now, there is one other important person in my life that I wanted to make sure I told you about – and that’s my puppy, Hope. She is a Portuguese Water Dog and Goldendoodle mix, which means she is called a Portie Doodle. And whenever people aren’t quite sure about that Portuguese Water Dog part, I remind them that those are the dogs the Obama’s had in the White House. So, she could also be called an Obama-doodle.
Hope is the second dog that I’ve had the honor of calling “family.” My first dog was a cockapoo that I rescued from the Human Society here in Omaha. His name was Oscar and he was two years old when I got him – so, he was out of the puppy phase when he came home with me. There was one night when he tried to water my indoor aloe vera plant, but other than that, he was done with puppyhood!
Hope is another story; she was just eight weeks old when she came home with me and we had to learn everything together. And I say “we” because that’s what I learned in puppy class – it was as much about training me as it was about training her. We worked on “sit”, and “stay”, and “high five”, and “shake”. And there were so many treats when she finally pottied outside instead of just chewing on wood chips and sticks!
Again, I’d never been through this puppy phase. It was all new to me. And to be honest, for the first 4-6 months I felt a little bit like I was being held hostage – I couldn’t take my eyes off her because she was always chewing on something or someone, she was always exploring and pushing the boundaries.
It was exhausting, but I’m happy to report she is now two and a half and we have pretty much learned all the things. We have officially survived puppyhood – and only a few slippers, and socks, and winter gloves were destroyed along the way!
Looking back, I had no idea that getting a dog would teach me so much. You see, both Oscar and Hope have taught me rich lessons about life and joy and patience and rest. They’ve taught me how to embrace adventure and enjoy the small things that fill each day: like food that falls from the table, scratches behind the ear, an afternoon sitting outside on the deck in the sun. They have filled my home with a warmth that welcomes strangers and friends. They have given me a safe space to land when life feels overwhelming and uncertain. And I have a feeling that I’m not alone this morning.
Many of you have brought your beloved pets with you today. Some of you have brought their toys, their blankets, their photos to be blessed and taken back home. Some of you are remembering those who are no longer by your side, and you’re giving thanks for them today – and that’s a beautiful thing.
This morning’s Pet Blessing is an opportunity for us to celebrate the things that our beloved pets have taught us, and it’s also an opportunity for us to celebrate the connection that we share with all of God’s good creation.
In our scripture reading, Job reminds us that God is the one who “holds the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind.” Job says that the birds of the air, the animals of the world, the fish of the sea, and the earth itself, all understand this: God is Creator – Redeemer – and Sustainer. And when we have that perspective, when we view life through that lens, and open ourselves to the lessons that the rest of creation can teach us, we begin to understand the responsibility that we have to care for that creation and to be good stewards of all that is around us – this world and all of its resources, all its habitats and hillsides, all of its creatures and communities.
We are connected – and what we choose to do here and now matters because it shapes what will happen then and there. And that’s true for our individual lifestyles, our business practices, our national policies, and our international efforts.
We must be in this together, and we must start taking our responsibility to care for this world seriously.
Now, there are several things that I love about being United Methodist –
This morning’s Pet Blessing is an opportunity for us to celebrate the things that our beloved pets have taught us, and it’s also an opportunity for us to celebrate the connection that we share with all of God’s good creation.
In our scripture reading, Job reminds us that God is the one who “holds the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind.” Job says that the birds of the air, the animals of the world, the fish of the sea, and the earth itself, all understand this: God is Creator – Redeemer – and Sustainer. And when we have that perspective, when we view life through that lens, and open ourselves to the lessons that the rest of creation can teach us, we begin to understand the responsibility that we have to care for that creation and to be good stewards of all that is around us – this world and all of its resources, all its habitats and hillsides, all of its creatures and communities.
We are connected – and what we choose to do here and now matters because it shapes what will happen then and there. And that’s true for our individual lifestyles, our business practices, our national policies, and our international efforts.
We must be in this together, and we must start taking our responsibility to care for this world seriously.
Now, there are several things that I love about being United Methodist –
Emphasis on Grace…and this beautiful reminder that God is at work in our lives long before we can name that. God’s love is with us and for us, before we know that is what it is.
Emphasis we place on Scripture, Tradition, Reason, and Experience to shape our theological reflections and thinking. Debra mentioned that in her sermon last week too, and if you missed it, be sure to check it out online!
Connectional Nature – a global denomination, a worldwide church – which is not without its challenges, but also has its incredibly beautiful opportunities to be at work in mission and ministry in places near and far – making the world a kinder, more loving place. Bringing “up there down here.”
Social Principles – This conviction that our faith shapes the way we live and love and serve each day. In the Introduction to these Social Principles it says, “The Social Principles are a response to the pressing needs we see among people and for the planet today. We practice a living faith that is both personal and public, one we express in acts of mercy and justice that seek to meet the needs of people and the planet…consider the consequences to our church, society, and planet when those needs are left unaddressed or unmet.” (p. 13)
Our faith is made real in the ways that we live and love and serve each day – and so, this morning I encourage you to think deeply about the following question…
How can you love and care for those around you and the world we share in ways that are meaningful and help meet real needs?
Our answers are all going to look a little different, and that’s the best part. You do your part, I do my part, they do their part, and together we change the world.
May it be so. Amen and amen.
Emphasis we place on Scripture, Tradition, Reason, and Experience to shape our theological reflections and thinking. Debra mentioned that in her sermon last week too, and if you missed it, be sure to check it out online!
Connectional Nature – a global denomination, a worldwide church – which is not without its challenges, but also has its incredibly beautiful opportunities to be at work in mission and ministry in places near and far – making the world a kinder, more loving place. Bringing “up there down here.”
Social Principles – This conviction that our faith shapes the way we live and love and serve each day. In the Introduction to these Social Principles it says, “The Social Principles are a response to the pressing needs we see among people and for the planet today. We practice a living faith that is both personal and public, one we express in acts of mercy and justice that seek to meet the needs of people and the planet…consider the consequences to our church, society, and planet when those needs are left unaddressed or unmet.” (p. 13)
Our faith is made real in the ways that we live and love and serve each day – and so, this morning I encourage you to think deeply about the following question…
How can you love and care for those around you and the world we share in ways that are meaningful and help meet real needs?
Our answers are all going to look a little different, and that’s the best part. You do your part, I do my part, they do their part, and together we change the world.
May it be so. Amen and amen.
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