United Church of Two Harbors

During Lent at United we are observing periods of extended silence during worship. Silence can be intimidating for many people. If you feel uncomfortable with it, you are not alone. Here are some things you might want to consider doing during the periods of silence in worship or your own silent prayer practice.

Wrestle with your "Monkey Mind"
This is what some people call the chattering part of your brain that is always trying to get your attention. It's the part of your mind that is filled with to do lists, nagging thoughts, and other urgent nothings. Let these wash over you as much as possible. If they really can't be ignored, write them down and pray over them. Clearly if your mind is bringing them up they must be of some importance, so use these things as a springboard for prayer.

Focus on your Breathing
Sometimes the silence is deafening and you can't even form a coherent thought or concentrate. When this happens people often find it helpful to focus on their breath. Breathing is involuntary and necessary. Remember that every breath is a gift from God. A simple prayer can be formed by simply slowing down your breath and as you exhale think of releasing your spirit to God, giving your life back to God, acknowledging your total dependence on God. As you inhale give thanks for all the gifts that you receive from God's hand, the beauty of the world around you, the very gift of life that we so often take for granted.

Reread the Scripture for the Day
Take the time to reread the scripture readings for the day and enter into them. Don't be afraid to take a pencil or pen and highlight passages that speak to you, even if you don't know why. Find one sentence or even a phrase and roll it over in your mind.

Consider Prayer Concerns
Make a list, either mental or physical, of events or people that weigh on your heart. These could be anything from world events to things happening in your own community or family. After you list them let your spirit rest on them and pray for God's will to be done.

It is the tradition of the Pastor's Report to reflect on the year past. I want to break tradition with that and look ahead to the year before us. While there is much to celebrate in 2007 with new members, great Christian Education events, vital worship, new and revitalized Bible studies, wonderful fellowship, all of that can be dealt with in individual reports. I want to talk about our future.

I believe in the power of church. Of course I believe in the creative power of God, the saving power of Jesus, and the renewing power of the Holy Spirit, but I also believe in the power of being church. There is no other institution like the church in our society.

I believe in a place where you can sing in public regardless of your natural aptitude.

I believe in a place where you can mingle with the generations.

I believe in a place where you can sit down at a table over a cup of coffee and talk with a total stranger.

I believe in a place that is genuinely concerned with the plight of someone living hundreds or thousands of miles away.

I believe in a place where scripture is read and heard and studied and acted upon.

I believe in a place which values beauty and truth for their own sake and not simply for how we can profit from it.

I believe in a place where people are being perfected in love, not expected to be perfect already.

And United is and can continue to be that place. But we cannot be complacent. We cannot fall into the trap of being a preservation society. The mission of the church is not to preserve itself.

We are not here to preserve a building. The mission of the church is larger than that.

We are not here to preserve our way of worship. The mission of the church is larger than that.

We are not here to preserve our values and way of life. The mission of the church is larger than that.

We are not here to preserve our lives. The mission of the church is larger than that.

My hope for 2008 is that we will not simply exist, but that we will thrive. And I believe what will make us thrive is a renewed sense of mission. A nun was reflecting about the lack of new initiates and, taking the long view, she said that when this country was young and there were still untamed places we needed hospitals and universities and her order did that. Now that stage of the mission is over, so it's natural to be in decline.

I do not believe our mission is over, but it may be in flux. The church will not thrive on sentimental support. It will, at best, linger on in a half existence and victimized by low expectations.

So I'm going to ask some dangerous questions. What difference does United Church make? What difference can we make? What would you miss if our congregation disappeared tomorrow?

We need to be engaging these questions directly in the year to come. We cannot afford to drift because the honest truth is that complacency in our mission will mean that we will either have to radically reconsider our staffing resources or our physical resources or both because our current direction is not sustainable. We might be able to make it as we are for a few years. Maybe even ten. But not long term. And, personally, I want to leave our congregation better than I found it. I hope you do too.

So in the year ahead, expect to be challenged. Expect to give of yourself. Expect to think. Expect to be asked hard questions. Expect to be asked to sacrifice. And, most of all, expect joy.

May God bless us in our journey.

Our own Lee Campbell is featured in this on-line photo essay. She made the ice candles that decorated our steps this past Christmastide. Thanks, Lee!

You've read Roger Anderson's Travel Log here, now you can read an interview with him in this week's Lake County News Chronicle.