Vocation

Epiphany: God-Sightings and The Work of Christmas

/ Sharon / Leave a comment

After singing about “a partridge in a pear tree” for so many years, I’ve now embraced the notion that there really are twelve days of Christmas and I’ve been more mindful of the significance of Epiphany this time around.  As it was for the shepherds (Luke 2:8-20) and the Magi (Matthew 2:1-12), having a revelation of God in Jesus Christ continues to be a gift.  

Today was the last day of a week-long course that I attended and one of my classmates opened the session with a time of reflection.  She invited us to mention any “God-sightings” which pointed to our recent awareness of the presence of God in our lives.  After we testified of the gift of God in our lives, our classmate then reminded us that the gifting must continue.  She presented the following poem (written by Howard Thurman) as a call to extend the grace that we have received:

The Work of Christmas
By Howard Thurman

When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flocks,
The work of Christmas begins:
           To find the lost,
           To heal the broken,
           To feed the hungry,
           To release the prisoners,
           To rebuild the nations,
           To bring peace among the people,
           To make music in the heart.

Your Call:  Think about how Epiphany applies to your life. What “God-sightings” do you recall from this week?   Take some time to meditate upon Thurman’s poem.  How do you think God is calling you to continue the “work of Christmas”?

The Shutdown

/ Sharon / 1 Comment

Image

But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” The angel answered, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time.”  Luke 1:13,18-20

After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.” Luke 1:24-25

This year, Advent has found me a bit drained, mostly because of my fall schedule. But I must also confess that there’s been a restlessness within as I approach the end of another year in waiting mode. Perhaps this is why I find myself identifying with Zechariah and Elizabeth these days.  A few months ago, I asked my students to come up with questions to ask this couple as we studied the Gospel of Luke together.  One particular inquiry to Zechariah really struck me: “Did your relationship with God grow while you were mute?”  This question challenged my assumption that Zechariah’s inability to speak for a season was merely punishment for his doubt.  Suppose his mute state was a means of preparation?  In the meantime, Elizabeth did eventually conceive and went into seclusion for five months.  Whatever was going through her mind, surely the time without a multitude of voices in her ear was beneficial.  I can’t help but think that God set her apart and had her come aside for a reason.

Silence and solitude can pave the way for us to be more intentional about listening to and receiving from God. Yesterday, I attended a gathering for women in ministry and one of the hosts led us in a period of meditation on selected Scripture verses revolving around call (Jeremiah 1:4-10; Isaiah 42:5-9, 43:1-4). While I have read those passages before, there was something about having them read to me and over me.  Slowly. As if being served a meal to be savored. There were moments of silence in the room for reflection, but I also got quieter within as the Word of God refreshed my soul and reminded me of God’s grace in my life.

As I think back on the class with the “interview” of Zechariah and Elizabeth, I recall that it ended with a student praying “Lord, thank You for the Shutdown!”  I recall saying to myself, “This prayer is for real…” Elizabeth and Zechariah were about to bring forth a prophet, and a wilderness prophet at that.  They had to be strengthened and prepared for raising John the Baptist and releasing him to God’s call on his life.  By the power of the Holy Spirit, Elizabeth and Zechariah showed up.

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!”  Luke 1:41-45

His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied: “… And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.” And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the desert until he appeared publicly to Israel.  Luke 1:67,76-80

If we would birth and be faithful to the call that God has placed in us, we must submit to the shutdown, a space where we can hear God’s whispers in the midnight hour, the dry season,  or the valley.  To be clear, the shutdown is not for the purpose of isolation or self-protection. In fact, its goal is just the opposite.  The shutdown prepares us for the Show Up in all its fullness.

Your Call:  Can you recall a time when God was calling you to a season of “shutdown” in your life? What did you hear and receive from God during the process?  How has it helped you to “show up” more fully?

Legacy, Part 2

/ Sharon / 2 Comments

CC Image courtesy of Lane 4 Imaging on Flickr

As I look at pictures from the recent MLK memorial dedication, the 30 foot tall statue of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. seems larger than life.  So it is with the notion of legacy, especially when you consider all that Dr. King accomplished before the age of 40.

Reflecting upon the lives of those who have made a notably “visible” impact in the world can be inspiring and overwhelming at the same time.  Now that I’m forty-something, my perspective on legacy is being tested and is surely evolving in this season of my life. Anyone in any kind of leadership role knows the temptation to measure legacy by visibility.

Truth be told, Dr. King’s legacy was strengthened by many who were relatively less visible:  Rosa Parks, Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth, Fannie Lou Hamer, and Ella Baker, to name a few. And even less visible:  21 teachers (my mother included) in Elloree, SC, who resigned rather than renounce their NAACP memberships.

Perhaps legacy begins when we act on opportunities to plant seeds of eternity along the way, wherever our journeys take us.  A few months ago, I posted a blog in tribute to my father that spoke of his legacy in a metaphorical way.  To be more concrete, I can say that my father modeled a willingness to question, intellectual curiosity, awareness of what’s going on in the world, not being caught up in popularity or pretension, and love of family and friends.  Not that I’ve mastered these values by any means, but they serve as a compass for me nevertheless.

CC Image courtesy of VoiceBrazil on Flickr

As I’ve studied and taught on Luke’s account of the Gospel for the past few weeks, I am struck by Jesus’ willingness to become human in such an unassuming way.  He could have simply showed up grown and regal, but chose another path, immersing Himself into the vulnerability of the human experience. Jesus did not shrink back from moving in visible ways or acknowledging His identity, but He did so on His own terms, leaving a legacy of love, redemption and empowerment for us to follow.  While this legacy is also larger than life, it also transcends our limitations and shows us where to start: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  Love your neighbor as yourself. Act justly. Love mercy. Walk humbly with your God.

Your Call: If someone were commissioned to sculpt an image that represented you, what would you want it to look like?  What do you want to be remembered for?  How can you be more intentional about leaving a meaningful legacy?

Full Voice

/ Sharon / 2 Comments

Falsetto
sounds real pretty
but only momentarily
so
Work your range.
Sip Living Water.
Breathe deep.
Let Air do what Air does best
in Full Voice.

I have spent just about all of my adult years singing in one choir or another.  As an alto, I have been called upon to venture into “soprano” territory from time to time.  This “falsetto” tone is not “full” but has a quality about it that works for a particular part of a given song.  But I can imagine what it would be like to have to sing falsetto all of the time.   My vocal cords would be worn out.   My voice would be strained.  Not a good scenario.  Fortunately, I get to sing within my range most of the time, so “full voice” is the norm.

Recently, I’ve been thinking about how this concept of “voice” applies to other areas of expression, like speaking and writing. In our consumer-driven society, our creativity can be seen as a mere commodity instead of the gift from God that it is. The temptation to compare or compromise our voices is very real.  A connection with our Creator is our only effective strategy against this.

What does it mean to discover and embrace your unique voice in the spoken and written word as well as the lived life?  How can we live in “full voice” and instead of settling for the “falsetto?”  There are no formulas or quick fixes here, but my opening poem is my way of working through these questions.  Whether you sing on a platform or in your living room, I invite you to consider how the imagery in the poem speaks to you. 

Your Call: In what area is God calling you to increased commitment to discerning and developing your unique voice?  What highlights and challenges have you encountered on the journey to “full voice?” 

The Gifts, The Gifted, and The Giver

/ Sharon / 4 Comments

flower purple petal gift decoration color colorful pink christmas paper package advent christmas decoration gifts art joy birthday loop made packed give surprise gift packaging mother's day children's birthday packet loop origami paper wedding favors

So Jacob’s gifts went on ahead of him, but he himself spent the night in the camp.
Genesis 32:21 (NIV)

When I was studying and teaching on the life of Jacob and his family last fall, I looked forward to the discussion around Jacob’s wrestling match (Genesis 32:24-32), one of my favorite narratives in the Old Testament.  The intensity, vulnerability and mystery of that encounter have always intrigued me, especially since Jacob emerged from it with a greater sense of identity.   Of course, broken relationships make up the context of this scene. Jacob must eventually face his brother Esau, who he had betrayed years earlier.  In response, Jacob decides to send his possessions in an attempt to appease him.  I’ve looked at this text on a number of occasions, but this time, I was particularly struck by the notion that “Jacob’s gifts went on ahead on him, but he himself spent the night in the camp”  It’s as if the gifts served as some kind of shield for Jacob, a means of protection from the wrath to come.  But God then turns Jacob’s scheme on its head. As a result of sending his gifts, servants and family members ahead, Jacob is left alone to face not his brother, but himself.  And so, the wrestler appears and the wrestling begins.  The next day, Esau greets Jacob not with a chokehold, but a hug.  Perhaps he’s had his own wrestling match. In the end, grace prevails.

As fascinated as I was with this study when I shared it with my class, I had this sinking feeling that I would have to enter into this text like I never had before.  As much I appreciate Jacob’s journey, I wasn’t trying to hang out with him like that.  It’s one thing to be a spectator in a wrestling match, it’s quite another to find yourself thrust into the ring.  But in an age where celebrity status, constant busyness, and social isolation are such temptations for ministry leaders, I have to yield to the necessary wrestling if I am to live and serve with integrity and wholeness.  So in this phase of my life, I’m confronting my tendency to define my value by what I do, what people think of what I do, and how “productive” I am.   This is not to say that I don’t value good stewardship of my gifts, but my identity needs to be rooted in the Giver so that my “gifts” are actually gifts, God-breathed and grace-filled.   What’s more, I don’t want my gifts to be a shield that blocks me from experiencing life-giving community.  In her book Stories from Inner Space: Confessions of a Preacher Woman and Other Tales, Rev. Dr. Claudette Copeland wisely observes that we are often “more comfortable with our assignments than our relationships.”

So what does this mean for me going forward?  Both of the hats I wear (minister and career advisor) involve speaking and “wordsmithing.”  So quite often, I’m thinking and praying about what to say and how to say it.  But what would it look like to have Sabbath spaces, in the presence of God and community, where I can just be?   With nothing particularly profound, clever, or witty to say.  Wrestling and resting. Giving and receiving.  Letting grace prevail.

Your Call: Is there a situation in your life that has resembled Jacob’s wrestling match?  As you make the most of your God-given gifts, how do you maintain a commitment to integrity and character?  Do you have a community in which you are embraced for who you are and not merely defined by your giftedness?