Some recommended web sites for prayer and meditation

Over a period of time, I've discovered through various sources a number of web sites I have found to be helpful in my own journey in prayer and meditation. The sites listed below includes a variety of approaches to prayer and medication. I offer them in the prayerful hope that one or more will be helpful for others.

www.missionstclare.org
www.kyrie.com
www.sacredspace.ie
www.centeringprayer.com
www.mertonfoundation.org
www.laybenedictines.org
www.thesoulgym.org
www.worthabbey.net/bbc
www.findingsanctuary.org
www.anamchara.com

God's Peace!
Pastor Garry White

Christianity is Simple

Someone once said that "Christianity is simple, but it's not easy." On days when I find my ministry to be especially challenging, the following has often been of comfort to me (sorry, I don't know the author for this, either):

"The will of God will never take you
where the grace of God cannot keep you,
where the arms of God cannot support you,
where the riches of God cannot supply your needs,
where the power of God cannot endow you.
The will of God will never take you
where the Spirit of God cannot work through you,
where the Wisdom of God cannot teach you,
where the army of God cannot protect you,
where the hands of God cannot mold you.
The will of God will never take you
where the love of God cannot enfold you,
where the merc of God cannot sustain you,
where the peace of God cannot calm your fears,
where the authority of God cannot overrule for you.
The will of God will never tak you
where the comfort of God cannot dry your tears,
where the Word of God cannot feed you,
where the miracles of God cannot be done for you,
where the omnipresence of God cannot find you.

May the peace of Christ be yours!
Pastor Garry

Formation of the North American Lutheran Church

Triggered by the move away from a strict Biblical view (of sexuality and perhaps other things), a new Lutheran denomination has now been formed out of the matrix of disenchantment with the ELCA. The North American Lutheran Church has been welcomed in some quarters by genuine celebration, and received in others with a more cynical, "Great. Another Protestant sect to add to the 35,000 already in existence."

At this point, the NALC is very small, but the future may see it grow, depending on the ELCA's future course. The new denomination may have some features which will help it grow, such as support for congregational ministries being high on its stated list of priorities. As always, time will tell.

Our Presiding Bishop Mark Hansen has called for tolerance and unity, but the Reformation itself is a reminder that calls for unity do not always trump faithfulness to scripture. In the meantime, be at peace. This as everything else, is in God's capable hands. Trust in God's capacity to set things right when and where He chooses!

Blessings,
Pastor Garry

Dr. Michael Root Converts to Roman Catholicism

See Rev. Tony Metze's blog at the right for the details ("The Bible is God's Word -- Lutheran Style'). Dr. Root is a fine theologian of deep discernment and great integrity. He has served the Lutheran Church for 40 years, and will continue his service and witness in the Roman Church. May God enfold him in His grace.

Blessings,
Pastor Garry

Shooting around the mark

Being the pastor of a very traditional Lutheran congregation for some time, I've noted a phenomenon that may be worth sharing. It works like this: We begin by worshiping God, holding Him/Her to be the ground of being (to use Tillich's phrase). Since we hold God to be holy, the things close to God, that is, proximate to God, also partake of this same holiness (things such as the bible, the Church, the sacraments, Law and Gospel, the liturgy, the Creed, perhaps even clergy in some minds).

And then something curious begins to occur. After a time, our worship focus begins to include those things which are proximate to God. So that we begin to place the bible or our liturgy or the Law on a level near to or even equal to God Himself. And suddenly the bible in our view becomes something without error, and our liturgical worship becomes something that must not change, and the Law becomes a focus of worship in its own right. And God Himself, who began as the proper focus of our worship, begins to be surrounded by idols of a more subtle sort than the usual idols of money, power, and coercion that we have learned through hard experience to be wary of.

Major Premise: We worship only God
Minor Premise: Things close to God are not God
Therefore: We do not worship things close to God

Although we may of course reverence them.

Just a thought.

Blessings,
Pastor Garry

Spirituality again: Consistency

Here's a thoughtful article on consistency for those who try to have a spiritual life without participating in a congregational family.

www.jacksonsun.com/article/20100707/LIFESTYLE/7071302/Being-a-Christian-cannot-be-separated-from-being-in-church

Solo Christianity is something like being a solo quarterback. You can have wonderful skills in passing and running and playmaking, and you can discuss football in convincing detail. But you can't ever actually play the game without the rest of the team present.

Attending church again once you're out of the routine takes effort. But if you decide to go back to church or to try a new church, I bet you'll be warmly welcomed!

Peace,
Pastor Garry

Are we smarter than God?

For a follow up to the last posting:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/jun/3/were-smarter-than-god/

Peace!
Pastor Garry