Rev. Valerie's Reveille

Family reunions are not a part of my life experience. My mother was an only child and my father’s family lived far enough away that we didn’t visit much.  On those rare occasions when we did visit – usually around a death or wedding – I felt surrounded by strangers who shared stories I didn’t know.  I knew I was connected to these people in some way, but it didn’t feel organic, like when I was with my nuclear family. There are times when coming to church can feel that way, knowing that all the people in the space are connected, but not quite knowing how to tap into those underpinning narratives.  While we sense a familial bond, like I did at those long ago family gatherings, we also feel disconnected because we don’t necessarily know each other’s stories.  Yet we know we are connected by our shared Christian story.  We come together baptized into the Body of Christ, sharing the identity of being God’s beloved children.  We tell the stories of faith pas...

Being of German heritage, the idea of an Ocktober Fest appeals to me, although I don’t drink much beer nowadays (too much gluten!).  We can, however, re-purpose this time of enjoying the fruits of our labors in other ways.  It seems especially fitting to do so during our discernment time about Stewardship to consider all the gifts and talents God has given us and how we can give those back in service to God. Yes, we need financial resources in order to run an organization, but we also need energy and enthusiasm in order to do the work God has given us to do.  It may be helpful to discern where our gifts and talents can be the most helpful by first knowing what our gifts and talents are.  In Scripture, these are known as “spiritual gifts” and are described by Paul in several of his letters.  A condensed list is: Administration, Apostleship, Discernment, Evangelism, Exhortation, Faith, Giving, Healing, Knowledge, Leadership, Mercy, Shepherd, Prophecy, Serving...

As a child, I remember a poignant anti-littering campaign with “the Crying Indian.”  These commercials (staring an actor named Iron Eyes Cody) did to me exactly what they were intended to do – to have a visceral reaction to someone else’s pain toward careless consumption and waste.  I remember getting angry at my father for throwing an apple core out of the car window – only to be (rightly) told it would decompose and actually help the earth.  This was my early ecological education (or lack thereof), tied mostly to emotional conviction to “do the right thing.”  Unfortunately, no one really explained to me the realities of the cycle of garbage.  We even had a compost pit in our backyard that was put on the garden, but I didn’t know that was eco-friendly.  I do remember driving by the garbage dumps off of I-95 near Newark and holding my breath because it smelled so bad, but didn’t think about the amount of garbage that 4.5 billion people (in 1980) make o...

I love autumn.  It is my favorite time of year as nature puts on a show of sights and smells.  From the colors of the leaves to the smell of leaves on the ground (yes, I like that!), plus the cooler temperatures, I enjoy God’s wondrous creation. What is even more awe-some is that there is nothing that humans can do to make all of this happen.  It is an established pattern that plays out year after year over which we have no control.  While I am sure there are some that wish they could control the falling of the leaves when and where that happens – I believe the subtle variations each year remind us who the Creator is, and that it isn’t us! Such insight should garner both our gratitude and acceptance of the created order.  As part of that order, we need to understand our place within it rather than trying to work above or around it.  No longer can we separate what humans do in our daily lives as if it doesn’t matter “in the long run” on how creation works...