A Sermon for the 2nd Sunday in Advent...

Written & Preached at Montecito Covenant Church by Diana R.G. Trautwein, 12/6/09

I have decided I am not a fan of surprises. Now don’t get me wrong – I like GOOD surprises. But I’m not sure I like those kinds of surprises well enough to make up for the other kind of surprises – those things that shock and startle and wound and worry. In fact, in recent weeks, I have found myself very, VERY wary of such surprises.

And I know that I am not alone in my wariness – a lot of people – a lot of you dear people, and a lot of other people in my life as well – are reeling from strange and scary surprises that have literally smacked them upside the head and left them seeing stars. Let me list just a few:

A hard-earned graduate degree has proven to be a handicap not a help in a long-term job search;

Surprise!

A beloved child is discovered to be wildly abusing controlled substances;

Surprise!

A devoted wife is startled by the sudden exit from her marriage of a husband of nearly 40 years;

Surprise!

An elderly woman’s sudden black-out causes a brain-bleed leading to permanent full-time care;

Surprise!

A struggling middle-aged man on the way to a better life is found dead in his sleep;

Surprise!

These are the kinds of earth-shaking, unexpected happenings that can quickly over-whelm a person. These are the kinds of events that hurt and startle rather than delight and refresh. Surprises like these can change the course of our lives, re-arrange the texture of our days, re-focus our emotional energies, and alter our personal and family story. So, I’ll say it again: I am not a fan of surprises.

And the text before us this morning tells us about a humdinger of one –a surprise that not only changed a personal and family story, but changed the very history of the world. Turn in your Bibles, if you wish, or you might choose to simply listen, to the first chapter of the gospel of Matthew, beginning at verse 18:

¹⁸ This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. ²⁰ But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹ She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." ²² All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ²³ "The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" (which means "God with us"). ²⁴ When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. ²⁵ But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

This is the word of the Lord for us this day.

Given the time and culture in which we live, I think it is more than a little bit difficult for us to wrap our minds around how hard this particular surprise was for a good, first-century, Jewish man like Joseph. Unmarried women surprise their families with pregnancies every day in the current age, if the tabloids are to be believed, and marriage is quickly becoming an afterthought – last, rather than first, in the line of happenings that used to follow a more particular order. There was, at one time – long, long ago - in another galaxy – far, far away - an old schoolyard poem that went something like this:

“First comes love, then comes marriage,

then comes (you fill in the blank with a pair of names) with a baby carriage.”

Not any more. More often than not, the baby carriage precedes either marriage or love, and there is little, if any, public shame or censure. So you’re going to need to put on your cultural sensitivity hats for a while this morning to more fully grasp the poignancy and the point of this morning’s primary text.

In first century Jewish life, marriage was a big deal – a really big deal. Necessary for the protection of women, who had few, if any rights, and who were always under the wing of a man - either a father, a husband or a son. So finding a husband was something that was done by the entire family and was never left to the vagaries of chance or “love.” Marriages were arranged, and betrothals, engagements, were entered into with all the seriousness of any legally binding contract of the present day. As Don mentioned last week, girls were often between the ages of 12 and 15 when they were betrothed, and men were usually in their late teens or early twenties, sometimes even older. The period of engagement lasted about a year, and it was serious, it was permanent, it was almost the same thing as marriage – it’s just that the couple did not yet live in the same physical space together. The girl remained with her parents, the young man remained with his. At the point of the actual wedding celebration – the young woman would move into the house of her fiancé. But until then, the couple was considered to be married – bound by law and commitment, a union which could only be severed by official decree of divorce.

So when Matthew describes Mary as ‘pledged to be married to Joseph’ in one sentence and in the very next breath calls Joseph ‘her husband,’ he is not contradicting himself. Their commitment was complete, it was just not yet consummated. Which makes the fact that Mary is found to be pregnant more than a little bit troublesome. Because her ‘husband,’ Joseph – a simple man of trade, as the song put it –Joseph, a righteous man as Matthew describes him – Joseph knows that this baby growing inside Mary is not his. No way, no how. Joseph is a good, observant Jewish person. He knows the rules. He lives by the rules. He values, even cherishes the rules and views them as a source of life and power and order. He knows he has honored the rules about betrothed couples staying away from full physical intimacy before the official wedding night. And he knows that he has honored those rules. He does not know that about Mary. Joseph also knows that, if he chose to do so, he could have her publicly humiliated – even stoned – for adultery.

We learn something really important about Joseph right here: We learn that Joseph was a man of righteousness – yes – but he was not a stern moralizer nor a harsh judge. He knew that the ‘right’ thing, the legally obedient thing to do was to end his legal betrothal; but he also knew that he did not want to be vindictive, he did not want to be highhanded, he did not want to be proved righteous in a public forum of any kind. Our text implies that he gave a lot of thought to what to do next, that he very carefully considered his options - and then he did what any thoughtful, deliberate person would do – he decided to sleep on it.

And here’s where our story gets really interesting, isn’t it? And here is also where we connect this text for today to our year-long, self-designed lectionary preaching series on the Holy Spirit, most especially, this is where we connect to the short series-within-the series for Advent this year – looking at how God’s Spirit speaks to people through special messengers called angels. But of all the angel encounters we’re looking at this Advent, this one is unique. This one is different from the others – because in Joseph’s portion of the story of Christmas – he angel comes in a dream, not in person.

I really like that fact, I have to say! Because I’m with Don on this one – angels are not something I’m totally comfortable even thinking about, much less teaching or preaching about. So to look in depth at a story about a dream-angel was somehow easier for me. Because I believe that dreams are powerful psychological and spiritual events and that God can and does speak to us through them. Dreams are a gift of God that enable us to process things that are happening to us in our conscious lives while we’re unconscious, while we’re sleeping. So to spend time studying Joseph’s dream the past few weeks has been both a joy and a privilege.

And here’s what I really love about this dream: in it, God encourages Joseph to re-define what it means to be a righteous person. God invites Joseph to walk right through his fears, to look this strange and scary surprise squarely in the eyes and embrace it. The angel takes what Joseph thought to be bad news and tells him that not only is it NOT bad news, it is the best news he or anyone has ever heard.

For you see, the kingdom of God is breaking into history. The kingdom of God is pushing through that unseen barrier between time and eternity. The kingdom of God is, by God’s choice and God’s design, folding itself into the form of a tiny human life, silently growing within the willing, obedient body of a young, Jewish virgin named Mary. Mary, who is betrothed to a righteous and good man named Joseph, who just happens to be in the line of David, the greatest king in Israel’s history, the line through which the Messiah – the Anointed, the Chosen One will come to save Israel.

And Matthew has taken the first 17 verses of this opening chapter to lay that connection out really clearly. He lists a genealogy which traces Jesus’ human lineage back to Abraham. And along the way, he takes a few – 5 to be exact – surprising detours - by listing women in that family tree – all of whom are of questionable moral character, at least according to the thinking of their neighbors. The fifth of those five is, as we have already noted, Mary, whose morals were questioned even by her betrothed husband.

And then, at verse 18, Matthew’s focus shifts to become much more specific about Joseph, the man who will raise Jesus as his own. We’ve only got 8 short verses here – not a whole lot of detail – but what we do have is pretty amazing. We’ve already discovered that Joseph was both righteous and merciful. We’ve seen that he was deeply thoughtful, reflective and deliberate in his decision making. Now we know that God had a very specific word for him – a word of comfort, hope and challenge.

The angel addresses Joseph with respect, using the title “son of David.” He goes right to the heart of the problem with the words, “Do not be afraid…” Because – let’s be honest here – isn’t fear so often the big ugly thing at the bottom of so much of what motivates us most of the time? Fear of what others will think of us. Fear of what God will think of us. Fear of what will happen if we go this way or that way. Fear of what will happen if we don’t go any way. Fear that we won’t measure up. Fear that if we give up our right to worry, we’ll ‘lose’ control over all those things we really don’t control anyhow! Fear that the surprise – whatever it may be in our own lives – will be too hard, too horrible, too painful, too overwhelming, too, too, too… too much or us to bear.

And the angel of the Lord speaks directly into that fear: “Do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife.” There it is. Complete the deal, Joseph. Make it official. Let go of your fears, of your need to be the man in charge, your need to obey the rules you know… because…some of the rules you know are about to be tossed around like fruit salad. Some of the rules you live by are no longer pertinent. Some of the rules that form your own definition of yourself are slipping out of your hand, changing shape, taking on new colors and textures and interpretations and meanings. Why?

Because what is conceived in Mary is from the Holy Spirit, that’s why. Because life as you know it is changing in ways both subtle and dramatic, that’s why. Because a Holy God has stooped to hide within a human womb, that’s why. Because a mighty plan of salvation, and companionship and transformation is being set in motion…..and you, son of David, you are to be an integral part of that plan. You are to give this plan, this babe who will become a man – you are to give him his name –Yeshua – God saves! For “God saves” – Yeshua – JESUS – will save his people from their sins. Surprise!

And then the entire dream-angel message is set firmly within the context of fulfilled prophecy with those closing words taken from Isaiah 7 …. “they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God with us.’” God saves. God with us. About as full and complete a picture of Jesus the Messiah as you can find in two names. The name he was called –Jesus. The name that describes who he is and what he came to do – Immanuel. The amazing, saving, incarnate God – fully human, fully divine.

And here’s the last little piece that we must not miss, we simply must not miss. The dream-angel is gone. And Joseph is no longer sleeping, but wide awake. And what we read, in simple and elegant words, is that Joseph did as he was told. He, like Mary in last week’s lesson, did exactly what the angel asked him to do. He immediately brought Mary home as his wife. He cared for her throughout the remainder of her pregnancy. And when she gave birth to that long-promised son, Joseph named him Jesus. And with that simple, obedient act, he gave Jesus not only is given name – but a family name –allowing the miraculously conceived son of Mary to have a full, legal, legitimate place in his first century Jewish home.

In a very real sense, that’s what you and I are asked to do as well, isn’t it? To name Jesus – to allow him full, legitimate access to all of who we are – to listen to the angel of the Lord as he spoke words of promise and hope to Joseph, and to listen as the Holy Spirit speaks those same words to us: Do not be afraid. Call his name Jesus. He shall save his people from their sins. He will be called Immanuel, which means, God with us. Surprise!

Let us pray:

Good and surprising God, who can take even the most difficult of surprises

and somehow work redemption through them,

hear our hearts this morning.

Prepare these hearts to receive you anew,

to name Jesus as savior and lord,

to savor the sweetness of the with-us-God,

who joins us in this vale of tears and says,

“Do not be afraid!”

As we gather round your table of life today,

hear our prayers of confession and contrition.

Remind us again of your gracious choice

to forgive us,

to walk with us,

to encourage us to live our lives in tune with the Holy Spirit,

the Spirit who gives us life with a capital “L,”

and who daily reminds us of your love and grace.

In Jesus’ name we pray.

Amen.

A PRAYER FOR THE SECOND SUNDAY IN ADVENT, 2009

“A strange way to save the world,” indeed. If we’re really honest with you and with ourselves, Lord God,we don’t completely ‘get’ what you’ve done for us in the coming of Jesus. We get pieces of the puzzle, and we celebrate joyously what our limited imaginations can grasp. But we, too, can easily join the chorus of, “Why him?” “Why here?” “Why her?” And I, for one! (and probably many others in this room might join me in this) I am very often one to second-guess what angels have to say!

I try, and fail, to wrap my mind around the mystery of the incarnation, the mystery of salvation, the mystery of faith itself, and I second-guess everything, a lot! It sometimes seems like a highly visible, high and mighty, fully-grown military leader extraordinaire might fill the bill as savior a whole lot better than

a red-faced, squirming, squalling very needy, tiny baby who makes his grand entrance on the scene with no one but animals and shepherds and dirt-poor parents for company.

And when my second-guessing takes me down that particular road, it’s time for me to stop, to slow down, to step back, to breathe in and breathe out, and be still.

Still enough to hear your voice of love through all the garbage in my head.

Still enough to allow your Holy Spirit to re-capture my imagination.

Still enough to remember that You are God and I am not.

To remember: that you always do things in unexpected ways, that you continually confound those who are wise in their own eyes, that you choose to make yourself visible in the weak, the lost, the little, the least; that you are not in the business of taking over the world by force, but rather you are in the business of wooing your human creatures in ways that are subtle and strange, surprising and mysterious.

And for that, we most humbly say, “Thank you.”

And for that, we most humbly ask, “Woo us, O Lord.”

For we’re here in this place today, God, to say that we need a Savior, we need a healer, we need a companion on the way. Many of us are dreading these days ahead –

we’re missing people from our family circle, through illness or death or divorce;

we’re struggling with illness and pain ourselves;

we’re tired of the overhype and the overkill;

we’re broke and we’re frightened about the future;

we’re struggling to find our place in the world and we don’t quite know where to put our feet next;

we’re facing into exams and papers due and not enough time or energy to do any of it;

we’re facing the harsh reality of aging, failing bodies and we yearn for heaven;

we’re a mixed up, crazy bunch here, Lord.

And we truly don’t ‘get it’ a lot of the time. But … and this is a huge word here…

BUT – we deeply desire to get YOU.

Through all the questions and all the wrestling, and all the sighing and all the wondering, we want you.

We want you to be – in us and through us –

the God who surprises people with grace.

We want you to be – in us and through us –

the God who welcomes the stranger with words of hope and peace.

We want you to be – in us and through us –

the God who comes to us as one of us, tiny and squalling, poor and needy.

The one who cries tears of compassion over our lostness.

The one who heals our diseases and feeds our souls.

The one who lives a fully human life,

and dies a fully human death,

and who is resurrected by the power of Divine Spirit,

and who will come again to bring justice and mercy where justice and mercy are due.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus! Amen.

A Prayer for All Saints' Sunday - November 2, 2008

Hallelujah, hallelujah, indeed -

"Eternal God, unchanging, mysterious and unknown."

Today is a day when we can sense

those seraphim

circling round your throne more clearly than on most days.

Today is a day of rejoicing in life eternal,

in the transcendence of your presence

beyond what we can see and experience

within the limits of our space-time continuum.

Thank you that you are God beyond our ability to understand.

Thank you that you are God beyond our ability to articulate.

Thank you that you are God beyond us.

Today is also a day when we celebrate and remember

with love, affection and longing those of our number

who are no longer with us here inside the bounds of physical space and time.

Today is a day when we remember our limits

even as we celebrate your limitless love

and creative energy and imagination.

We are very much aware today, Lord,

that we have bodies that bear the marks of time,

bodies that eventually wear out

and are laid in the earth to await your resurrection day.

And yet...

And yet...

in some miraculous, mysterious way-

we also remember today

that the inhabitants of those bodies are -

in some way we cannot even begin to understand -

here with us, even in their absence.

It is a paradox too amazing for us,

yet we know it to be true.

For as we experience your presence with us today,

we also acknowledge the loving presence

of all those who have gone before us on this journey of faith.

And we thank you for the heritage that is ours

because of them.

We thank you for the richness of memory

and the reality of shared experience

and the gift of connections that stretch across the limits of time.

Strengthen our faith as we remember theirs.

Enrich our community with one another

because we share community with them.

Enliven our conversations

because we have been blessed to know them,

to read the words of so many others,

even across the centuries,

to somehow share in those lives already lived

even as we live ours today.

Continue to bless us as we live for you

on this side of the veil;

empower us to be salt and light in the here and now.

Remind us of those in our community who are even now grieving

those who are gone from us,

though present with you.

Help us to help each other as we walk our own journey

to the hereafter.

Grant us grace in the living of these days -

as our country faces into one of the most important elections

in our national history,

as we find our way through the current financial and healthcare crises,

as war is waged around the world.

Help us, Lord God, to keep looking up,

to set our sights higher,

to walk in the way of the saints gone before us,

to walk in the way of Jesus.

In whose name we pray today. Amen.

A Prayer for Anointing.....November 15, 2009

"Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,

prone to leave the God I love.

Here's my heart, Lord,

take and seal it,

seal it for they courts above."

Fall on me, Lord.

Fall on us.

How we long to say with the prophet Isaiah,

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

because the Lord has anointed me..."

The Lord has chosen me -

has chosen us, even as Jesus himself was chosen -

to do such good work in the world:

to bring good news

to bind broken hearts

to speak freedom to those who are bound

to bring light to those who live in darkness

to say that the time of justice is now

to bring comfort to all those who mourn over what's been done to them.

But so many people have lost so much, Lord,

that we know in and of ourselves - we ain't got...

no good news

no miraculous salve

no gigantic, prison-opening key

no powerful lantern

no ability to bring fairness and order to a world

marred by inequity and chaos

no word of hope in a time of loss and loneliness.

Which is exactly why we hunger for an anointing, Lord God.

A touch, a mark, a physical reminder -

that we don't have to rely

on what we've got in and of ourselves

to do your work,

thank God.

We need you.

We need you to touch us,

to mark us as your own,

to remind us, deep within, that your Holy Spirit can do

in and through us

what we cannot do on our own.

For you, Holy Spirit, are the only true source for the work

we are called, chosen, anointed to do.

So, we come to you today - weary, heavy-laden,

and we are bold to ask for an anointing, Lord.

A sign -

an inner certainty -

a centering calm -

a reassuring, internal nod of the head

that speaks to us of YOU,

and of your call on our lives to do your work.

Speak powerfully to us through your servant Don this morning.

Sing to us through your Word.

Breathe in us, O Breath of Life.

Breathe through us,

enlivening our hearts,

enriching our conversation,

loosening our wallets,

strengthening our weak hands and our feeble knees,

calling us to our best selves,

urging us to do your good work,

loving us into conformity to your will,

molding us into disciples of Jesus in

every corner of our lives,

every minute of our days,

taking every thought captive

so that we might become

people who "restore the places long devastated,"

people who "renew those who are ruined,"

people who not only preach the good news,

but are the good news in a world that needs such news

more than it even knows.

For Jesus' sake we pray. Amen.

Prayer for the 1st Sunday in Advent…

Funny thing, Lord – it doesn’t quite feel like New Year’s.

But that’s where we find ourselves today, isn’t it?

The first Sunday in Advent – the very beginning of

the church calendar.

Starting over.

Looking back at the beginning again.

Yet also looking forward,

even leaning forward,

with anticipation and expectation and hope.

That’s what Advent is for us, Lord, and we’re so grateful for it.

And for the promise this season brings –

the promise of good things still to come,

the promise of the manger,

the promise of you – visiting us in some new way,

coming to us with your arms wide open,

ready to meet us, right where we live.

But… I have to admit that it’s sometimes tough to slide into the spirit

of this wonderful season when it comes

so close on the heels of the holiday just past –

we’re still full from all the feasting,

we’re still dizzy from all the football,

we’re still dealing with the aftermath of family

gatherings and conversations –

some of which were wonderful and refreshing;

some of which were exhausting and complicated.

So. Today – this morning – right now –

as we sit here with our heads bowed and our spirits quiet,

remind us again of why we ‘do’ Advent here.

Tell us the old, old story,

and open our hearts to hear it anew.

Whisper to us of starry nights,

and shepherds,

and wise men coming from faraway places.

Sing to us – and teach us to sing to one another – about

crowded inns,

and strange dreams,

and, O Lord, remind us about the angels!

Your special envoys, messengers come to tell us Big News,

Good News.

Help us to hear what the angels have to say –

what they have to say, certainly, to the lead players in the Christmas story of long ago Bethlehem –

and what they have to say to us,

today, right here, right now.

Bless and encourage our pastor Don as he brings us your word of hope this 1^st Sunday in Advent.

For that is our primary prayer this morning, Lord:

hope -

building that hope on the sure foundation of your word,

living that hope in the nitty-gritty of every day

decision making,

and relationship building,

and kid-tending,

and school assignments,

and jobs;

and sharing that hope in the hard places of our lives,

offering it to those who seem to have little of it.

So, Lord God, as we take in

the scent of this beautiful tree

and enjoy the beauty of our first lit candle,

and as we begin to move ourselves,

both literally and figuratively,

from the colors of autumn to the colors of Christmas,

call us again to hope,

hope in you.

Take the gifts we’ve brought today and multiply

them in the miraculous way that only you can do.

Build your kingdom in this world, Lord,

and use us and our gifts to help do that!

And build your kingdom in us –

heal our diseases,

bind up our broken hearts,

forgive our sins,

transform our very beings so that we might

look more and more like Jesus,

who is - as trite as it sounds! - the reason for the season,

and in whose name we pray today,

Amen.

Trolley Cars, FLOWERS, and Great Food...

Do you prefer your blooms beautiful now? Or in the future? Like things looking gorgeous year-round? Well, might I advise a trip to the Amsterdam flower market (aptly called Bloemenmarkt). Such fun! A whole string of permanently temporary, medal-sided, over-sized sheds lines one side of Singelgracht (for 'gracht,' read canal) near one of the city's main hang-out areas - Spui (pronounced 'spow' - who knew??). We first saw this lovely market from our canal boat tour two days ago and determined to make it back there on foot. Actually, we took a number of different trolleys to get around town today. Rode the #13 back to the Dam Square (largest one in city), got on the #5 headed out to the Rijksmuseum, where we spent about two hours in the very truncated viewing area while most of the museum undergoes extensive renovation. Thoroughly enjoyed several Rembrandt masters, several of his students and contemporaries, including a Vermeer I love - the woman reading the letter in the light of a nearby window. Lovely, lovely things of beauty which provide remarkable insight into a people and time long gone. Wish they'd had more of those wonderful, large cushion/benches that allow lingering looks and observations. Lots of people to move through, lots of paintings just a little too closely spaced together to do much reflecting, but still wonderful to see.

Then we got back on the #5 trolley/tram and took it back to Spui for the flower market experience you see pictured here. As I looked at the spread of bulbs below (and there were several stalls specializing in bulbs rather than blooming plants), I couldn't help thinking....what if some impish person came along and just sort of casually started mixing things up - who would know? And the gardener thinking s/he had purchased the makings of a wonderful pink and lavender bulb bed might be surprised to find orange and green showing up next spring. Hmm....

As has been our pattern for each of the last 3 days, we returned to our dingy, damp apt. and flung ourselves down on bed and couch for a 2-3 hour nap! I must have been sleep-deprived for a very long time, because I am sleeping a ton, especially in the afternoons! Then we followed our feet this time to a highly recommended dining experience from our 'friend,' Rick Steves. He did not disappoint. The Cafe Restaurant de Reiger, pictured below in the soft 8:00 p.m. light. Dick had the special salad with smoked salmon. I had the zucchini/chicken soup - we both LOVED our opening selections. Then he had a lamb shank special and I ordered the vegetarian dish, which was described to us as a souffle of several cheeses, but was, in real life not quite that. Whatever it was, I loved it and enjoyed every bite. Then we meandered back to our last night in this strange home of ours and began to pack up for delivery to the Viking Spirit tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. More later...

Arriving in Amsterdam...

After a rather tense two weeks, we left home for a long-planned (and paid for!) 45th anniversary trip to Europe. (Well, it's a year early - but we were never very good at counting. :>) We rented an apartment, sight unseen, alongside the lovely canal above, planning to stay 4 nights and then board a Viking river cruise ship on Sunday afternoon for a 2 week voyage up the rivers of Central Europe to Budapest. Why the tension? Dick's mom took a very bad fall on the 26th of August, hitting her head hard and suffering lingering after effects, including inter-cranial bleeding, dizziness, confusion, volatile blood pressure and an erratic heartbeat. She now seems relatively stable, so we kept our original plans in play and flew out of LAX on Tuesday evening, the 8th of September.

We got bumped to business class by our booking company due to some badly managed seating arrangements - much to our delight and refreshment. This is the first time I have ever actually slept more than about 20 minutes on any flight of any kind, ever. The seat reclined almost fully and the food was almost too good. We arrived in Amsterdam at about 1:00 p.m. the next day and were met by a driver we had arranged for with the limo service we used at home - which was a great idea. Even though public transport in this city is excellent, trying to maneuver streets and canals and side streets and side canals when you don't speak the language is a major challenge, especially when faced with jetlag and general exhaustion from just trying to get outta town!

The apartment? Well...we've had better luck with other internet finds. It's on the dingy side, smells of the damp and is very long, narrow and dark. BUT it's got a small kitchen, a bed that's moderately comfy and it sure feels good to come back to after a long day hiking around a new city.

We've had 2 full days here now - been to Anne Frank's home, Westerkirk, the Dam Square, took a one hour canal boat tour, rode the tram home (think trolley car, very modern - only we missed our stop and had to walk about as far as we might have if we'd skipped the dang thing entirely). Today we took the train to Haarlem, toured the Church of St. Bevo on the lovely city square and went through Corrie ten Boom's home. Each day we've enjoyed lunch at an outdoor cafe and dinner at a different neighborhood restaurant near our apt. in the Jordaan neighborhood. Tomorrow, we head to the the Rijksmuseum, then Sunday we board our boat and the next morning, they take us on another canal tour and a trip to the Van Gogh museum. That night, we sail to Cologne and begin our river adventures! Looking forward to it all!

Table Prayer

For Communion Sunday this month, we are moving our 'Prayer of Intercession and Dedication,' which usually follows the offering, to our time around the table itself.

"All who are thirsty, all who are weak, come to the fountain.

Dip your heart in the stream of life..."

Today, Lord, we come to the fountain,

to this table,

so that the pain and the sorrow of this past week can be

"wash'd away in the waves of your mercy."

And we sing: "Come, Lord Jesus, come.

Come, Holy Spirit, come."

We know that we've said and done things this past week

that have caused pain and sorrow,

for others and for ourselves.

And we recognize today that, before we can say another word,

we need to say this word:

"We are so sorry."

Hear, O Lord, our prayers of confession and contrition

as we offer them silently to you now:

-- Silence --

We thank you that your word to us is love,

your word is

forgiveness,

pardon,

encouragement to do better tomorrow,

to take our newly washed and cleansed selves and,

empowered by your Holy Spirit at work within us,

go back to our homes,

our jobs,

our friends,

our family,

our neighbor

and to give gentle witness to what happens in us

and through us

because of your loving forgiveness and acceptance.

And so we pause now to say, "Thank you!"

for this, and for so many good and lovely things in our lives

and in our world.

In this time of silence,

hear the thankful prayers of our hearts as we offer them to you.

-- Silence --

Lord God, we are your free and forgiven children,

we are your thankful children,

and we are also your broken and worried children,

fully aware of our own needs

and the needs of others in our community.

We remember Bryan Anderson and his family today,

in the loss of his dad this past week.

Will you bring healing, peace and hope in the midst of

this pain, this pain of grief and loss?

We remember Kathryn Trautwein today,

still suffering the after-effects of a serious head injury

sustained in a fall two weeks ago and aggravated

by a second fall just days ago.

In your good and perfect plan, will you bring whatever healing is needed?

We remember all of the students in our midst

who are beginning again -

studying hard, trying to find new friends,

figuring out how to live life well while keeping all the plates spinning evenly.

Be very near to them, O Lord, whispering your words of hope and love

as they move through their days.

We remember the teachers in our community, as well.

They, too, are beginning again,

taking up the load of guiding, informing, counseling, grading,

meeting the expectations of students and parents and administrators.

Encourage them, Holy Spirit. Remind them of the deep and lasting difference

they can make in this world.

And so we pray also for parents today, Lord.

For wisdom and patience and the ability to see

and appreciate

the wonder that is their child.

You give us no richer gifts than these children of ours -

may we see them as such,

even when they exhaust and frustrate us,

even when they mystify and puzzle us.

Each of us in this room is holding in our hearts

some worry or concern that we need to bring to you today.

It may be something deeply personal,

it may be something public and political,

all of it is welcome in your presence.

So, dear Holy Spirit, come and remind us,

pray in us,

so that we might,

in this silent space, offer these cares to you.

Lord, hear our prayer.

-- Silence --

So, now, O Lord, we are ready.

We are ready to meet you in the bread and in the cup.

We are ready to share in this holy meal with you,

and with one another.

Set aside these simple table gifts for

sacred and transforming purposes.

We pray this, and all these things,

in the name of the Father,

and of the Son,

and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.