Son of God, Son of Man... Sudden Insight.

Hello dear Water's Edge team!

First, a quick reminder that we will NOT be holding services at Water's Edge this Sunday, December 25, 2011. On that Christmas Sunday, please consider attending the 9:30am or 11 am service in the main sanctuary. We'll return to the Cove on New Year's Day, January 1, 2012, which is also a special day in church history: Epiphany.

We will be reading about Jesus' baptism, the moment when his parents realized the magnitude of his being. Jesus was not only their son, but the Son of God and the Son of Man. All the great joys related to "their" baby boy would be shared with the world. And they realized this.

For we mere mortals, this is often of time of recommitment, refreshment and a new start. You will have that opportunity as we will be sharing the history of, and reading, the UMC covenant prayer in a renewal service. Check it out on page #607 in your Methodist Hymnal.

I would also like to remind you that (the inmates are running the assylum) the Water's Edge team is leading the Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at 11pm. Chris and the band will play in the santuary, Rev. Molly will share the homily, and several of your W.E. faithful will deliver readings of scripture and Christmas-related poems.

One of the favorites this time of year, John Bell's "Cloth for the Cradle," is pasted below. (Click on the highlighted link to hear an audio version from a Mission Viejo church). We won't be reading it at 11pm on Christmas Eve, so I thought I'd share it with you here, for good measure, as it sets my heart at ease.
This is such a busy time of year, with shopping and shipping to be done, worries about finances, health, travel, family gatherings, crazy relatives... if there is one thing I'd like to close with, it's this: please take care of yourself. Take time to sit in silence, whether you listen to Christmas carols, watch the blinking Christmas lights, or just soak in the silence and the dark, take some time to listen for God. In this busy, exciting, expectant time of year, God leans in close to us, through the creche and baby Jesus. We have but to reach out and take his tiny hand to feel whole again.

See you on Christmas Eve!

Cloth for the Cradle- John Bell

When the world was dark
and the city was quiet,
you came.

You crept in beside us.
And no one knew.

Only the few who dared to believe
that God might do something different.

Will you do the same this Christmas, Lord?

Will you come into the darkness of tonight's world;
not the friendly darkness
as when sleep rescues us from tiredness,
but the fearful darkness, in which people have stopped believing
that war will end
or that food will come
or that a government will change
or that the Church cares?

Will you come into that darkness
and do something different
to save your people from death and despair?

Will you come into the quietness of this town,
not the friendly quietness
as when lovers hold hands,
but the fearful silence when the phone has not rung
the letter has not come,
the friendly voice no longer speaks,
the doctor's face says it all?

Will you come into that darkness,
and do something different,
not to distract, but to embrace your people?

And will you come into the dark corners
and the quiet places of our lives?

We ask this not because we are guilt-ridden
or want to be,
but because the fullness our lives long for
depends upon us being as open and vulnerable to you
as you were to us, when you came,
wearing no more than diapers,
and trusting human hands
to hold their maker.

Will you come into our lives,
if we open them to you
and do something different?

When the world was dark
and the city was quiet
you came.
You crept in beside us.

Do the same this Christmas, Lord.
Do the same this Christmas.

Amen.

4th Sunday in Advent: Love

Dear Ones!

I hope you are enjoying this Advent season at The Water's Edge as much as I am. Many thanks to all who have helped with our weekly lighting ceremony, and to everyone for participating in the "call and reponse" of our Advent readings.

This week's candle -- the fourth -- represents LOVE.
God sent love in the form of an angel to tell Mary about what was to happen. And Mary, I'm still amazed, answered with a loving, trusting heart.

'Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’

And then, she breaks into song! I don't know if I would have had the strength or the wisdom to do the same; to trust God so completely that you just do it. Even when I am considering my own call toward ministry, I come up with a handful of different scenarios and run them by God, as if He's going to pick and chose from a list of my possiblities/plans. (You wanna make God laugh? You know the punchline).

Mary's trusting nature fits in so well with our churchwide theme of "More than you asked for..." It's true. We've all experienced it to some extent and many of you have shared those experiences in our Sunday discussions. We ask for X; God delivers X, Y, and Z. And we could never have predicted how great it would be. How to remember and trust that... well, maybe, it would work if we remembered what the angel said to Mary.

When she asked "How can this be?"
The angel answered "... For nothing will be impossible with God."

If we could just remember that in our daily outreach -- whether dealing with a rude co-worker or a close friend stuck in an addictive cycle or a neighbor who's lost a job - when the situations we're in seem like they'll never change, we have but to remember that 'nothing will be impossible with God.'

Consider those words when we're praying this Sunday. We've gathered a list of "more than we asked for" for ourselves, for others, for our church, and now we will ask prayers for the world. Let 'er rip! Lose your mind! Ask for the biggest and the wildest thing you can imagine. World peace? An end to hunger? No more war? Economic stability? Ask! And remember what Mary knew: "nothing will be impossible with God."

I will miss this Sunday and Darin, who's returning from school, will be assisting Elbert, with help from Simon and Evan. Molly is in the sanctuary and I'm officiating a wedding in Berkeley. My dear friend, whom I've known since we were 3 years old (that's us in her parent's crazy 1970s flowered kitchen), is getting married and she asked me to perform the ceremony. I'm honored and excited. I hope and pray that officiating this sacred union is the beginning of something big... Why not? Nothing's impossible, right?

You're in my prayers and my heart, always!
See you on Christmas Eve (if not sooner).

Advent 3: Joy!!!

Dear Ones!

The third Sunday in Advent is all about pink! The pink candle which reminds us of the Joy brought to Earth by the Christ Child's birth.

Truly, I can't think of a better color to represent JOY. My precious little niece, Grace Mae, is starting to out-grow her 'everything pink is perfection' phase and it's killin' me! I love that she loves pink. The joy she brings into my world is framed perfectly by her passion for pink! Her favorite book is (was) Pinkalicious, for Halloween she dressed as Super Girl (who wears pink) and last Christmas, she had a pink tree in her room, covered in pink ornaments. But, alas, she has discovered navy blue is fabulous too!

As we prepare to light the third candle in advent, JOY, we have an opportunity to shift our focus a bit. If you've been at Water's Edge the past couple weeks, or are following the advent lectionary on your own, you know that our scripture readings have been... well, let's just say the scriptures have not exactly painted a rosy (another word for pink) glow of Christmas tidings around the good news of Christ's birth. They have been a tad more somber than we're used to at advent.

Back in the day... advent season was much longer and the focus leaned more toward repentance and penitence... a time for reflecting, followed - eventually - by a time of joy and celebrating the birth. In our modern times, we tend to focus more on the birth and the great news of Jesus' coming. And because this week celebrates the lighting of the (pink) joy candle, we will shift gears, to celebration. Even the Isaiah scriptures follow suit, replacing ashes with garlands and mourning with gladness.

Our ongoing prayer list -- "More than you asked for..." -- continues as well. During our first week, we prayed for our own concerns; last week, for others; and this week, we will concentrate on praying for More for the church... Our fourth week will be devoted to prayers for the World.

Put on your thinking caps and prepare for a stimulating, thought-provoking and JOYOUS Sunday.

See you soon!
Kim

PS- aren't you glad I didn't write this blog blurb in pink?

More Than You Asked For... Part 2

Dear ones!

Our friend and fearless leader, Rev. Molly, returns to Water's Edge this week after leading all three services in the Sanctuary last Sunday. Many thanks to Rev. Elbert for helping ignite our passion for the Advent Season (we almost had a real fire when one of the altar candles got a little too happy).

Nancy and Mark Palmer lit our first advent candle: expectation, leading us in a tradition that we will continue each week for the season. If you are interested in lighting a candle, contact kedwards@fumcsd.org

"More Than You Asked for..." is the church-wide theme for this advent. Last Sunday we gathered ideas from the congregation at Water's Edge regarding what YOU are asking for. We received some positive feedback on our "list" of things or gifts concepts/ideas and this Sunday, we'll have that list compiled for all to see and share. We'll add to it those things that you wish for OTHERS.

This week, our advent study continues with some relatively somber scriptures as we are concentrating on 'waiting,' preparing the way of the Lord. Other portions of the season will focus on the more joyous birth of Christ and celebrating/anticipating/preparing for His coming.

Rev. Molly posed this question in our weekly meeting, "What am I spending my time on that is 'preparing the way of the Lord?'" We'll take up that discussion as well as take a look at the invitation God issues in this week's scripture.

If you're interested in knowing more about advent - especially the part about waiting -- visit this site featuring the arch Bishop of Canterbury... a quiet but well-shared lesson about some of our traditions.

Be thinking about your Wishes for Others and come ready, as always, to share at WE!

See you Sunday!

More Than You Asked for...

Happy Holidays All!

Time to start your engines because this season is going to be short and power-packed. Even though we will have barely digested our turkey and cranberry sauce, we will be kicking off the Advent Season on Sunday.

Advent means many different things to each one of us and we will explore those thoughts and feelings. But this year, the church-wide "theme" for the season is "More than you asked for..." That can be good and that can be cause for pause. Maybe it means you get more of the best stuff you've ever wanted in life: happiness, love, laughter, serenity, understanding... It can also mean more of the stuff you might not have realized comes with your wishes: responsibility, decision-making, leadership... The list goes on!

Speaking of lists, that's exactly what we're going to do for prayer time this week. We'll fashion a way for you to come forward and share your wishes and thoughts on paper. What would you like to have "more than you asked for..."? (We're thinking intangible but if you really want a red Ferrari, no one's going to judge!)

Rev. Elbert will be preaching (Rev. Molly is in the sanctuary 8. 9:30, 11am) and leading us through what can be some tough scripture readings. But, as always, his insight and passion for the Bible will shine though and Advent 1 at Water's Edge will unwrap a season of great love and hope for all of us.

See you Sunday!

Clueless and Humble

Whew! Buckle your seatbelts... it's going to be a bumpy ride across the seed-strewn farmland we plan to harvest again this Sunday! Plenty of "food for thought."

If you were at Water's Edge last week, you know Rev. Molly tackled what can be a very heavy scripture reading... The Parable of the Talents. Armed with her courageous honesty and innate humility, she simply let us know that "It bothers me too." That set our course for a great journey. We explored what it means to use your God given talents... as well as various takes on wealth and want, the haves and have nots.

This week will be another soul-searching quest as well when Rev. Molly leads us through the Judgment of the Nations... the sheep v. goats. Yep. That one. No easy task, but fear not! We will learn together and will also explore Psalm 100, a prayer of thanksgiving... which provides our Hollywood, happily-ever-after ending.

Communion and prayer time will be celebrated after the sermon, giving us an opportunity to tie-in the teachings with our joys/concerns and communion prayers of supplication, thanksgiving and confession. We will be able to individually contemplte, over an individual communion serving, our role in the sheep v. goats scenario.

If you read ahead to Matthew, keep this in mind: the goats and the sheep were both clueless as to what they had (or hadn't) done to be invited into the kingdom. They were goats or sheep long before they came to be judged. And, we're not each called to save all of our brothers and sisters on Earth from sickness, hunger and imprisonment, all the time. We are to help in the here and now, when we can, which allows us to live the life that reflects the gospel. So, bring your confusion, cluelessness and a health dose of humility, and we'll ponder together!

See you Sunday!

A Beautiful Attitude

Dear ones! What a treat we are in for this Sunday! Rev. Molly will be back from Mexico -- thank you for your prayers for her safe journey and return -- and we will be exploring The Beatitudes.

Somewhere along this path, I started to see 'Beatitudes' as two words in one: beautiful and attitude. And, if you follow the scripture, and put the spirit of its message into play in your everyday life, that's bound to be the outcome, a beautiful attitude. Verdad? (That's for Molly).

If we are feeling poor in spirit, ours is the kingdom of heaven. If we are in mourning, we will be comforted. If we are merciful, we will receive mercy. The pure in heart will see God. Those who thirst for righteousness WILL BE filled. And the peacemakers will be called Children of God.

What kind of plan is that? What kind of GPS gets you there? Surely not one of Earthly making. As Rev. Molly explained, that's the great news about Jesus: His grading rubric is different from all the other instructors.

His plan is not about having the most toys. It's not about having the most gold. How great we look and our Earthly successes are not on the extra credit list. His plan centers on what we do for others, how we love God, and how we handle adversity. And, as Molly emphasizes, even when we blow it -- we don't stand up for righteousness, we fail at peacemaking -- even then, we are not kicked out of the club. When we fail, that's when Jesus really shortens the distance between His steps and ours. That's when He leans in really close and whispers into our ear "I love you and always will."

Sunday is also All Saints' Day. It is celebrated in many ways, around the globe:
Krakow
New Orleans
Manila
Mexico
San Diego

We will remember those who have left us by lifting up the names of loves ones, and we also take prayer concerns, lifting up the concerns of those currently suffering. During this time, there will be candles available for lighting and remembering or celebrating... we will light candles and say names aloud.

So pack your attitude... good or bad... bring the names of those you love, in memory or in person... and we'll work on a beautiful attitude, together.

Gather Up the Fragments... So More May Eat

This Sunday launches FUMCSD's financial campaign, "Beyond Our Wildest Dreams." It's a financial update as well as a reminder of our collective power, our collective faith that God will always provide.

Our scripture, John 6:1-14, highlights the Feeding of the 5,000... one of the best known stories in the Bible. Rev. Elbert is creating a message that will stimulate conversation, and, provide some relief... perhaps even prompt a couple "Amens!"

But the key idea I'm dwelling on is this, as Elbert explained: When Jesus gathered the 5,000 together and said to His disciples "What do we have to feed them?," they immediately resorted to typical human reactions: calculating cost and impossibiliites of the situation. Meanwhile, Jesus knew God would provide. The disciples saw scarcity; Jesus saw an opportunity for generosity...

I've learned, time and again, that if I stop and think of God first, before reacting to a situation, I will be provided for, the situation will resolve peacefully, and there will be no time wasted in worry. They key is remember to STOP my human reaction and go for my faith... see the opportunity for generosity.

Hope to see you Sunday!

Also, a reminder that this is our last week hosting the Saint John's Bible series in Trotter Chapel. Please go! I've been more than once and get something different every time. And, if you haven't already seen it, here's last week's appearance of the Saint John's creator/art director, on the Today Show.

Are You on the Barren Path? Or in the Rocks? Thorns? Good Soil?

Our scripture study for this week is based on one of the many parables Jesus told in his teachings, one you likely know well... which we will read three times at Water's Edge (more on that later).

The scripture is the parable of the sower, again, paired with the corresponding illumination in the Saint John's Bible. The picture shows a modern Savior, a Jesus in Jeans, sowing seeds across four variations of land: a path, rocky, thorny, and good soil.

Rev. Molly is out of town so Rev. Richard Smith will be preaching, or, as he put it, "Lead Listener." Why "listener?" Because we are going to employ some of the tools from "lectio and visio divina" to explore and understand the text and the illumination.

"It's a process," explains Richard. "Listen to the text with new ears. See the illuminated text with new eyes. And open a prayerful dialogue with God through scripture."

Consider this: back in the day, most early Christians could not read, so they had to "get" the word through aural delivery. They had to hear it and digest it to interpret it for themselves. That is one step in our three step process. We will read. We will listen. We will look.

As you look at the Sower illumination (click here for a more indepth analysis), consider this:

- What grabs you the most?
- After relating to the illumination or text, what would your prayers be?
- What is this scripture asking of you?

Rev. Richard will explain in more detail on Sunday, but it will be a nice time for personal reflection within a community in communication with God...

We will also be handing out bibles to the kids who have reached that age and will wrap up with a visit from our missionaries. A busy Sunday!

THE LAW: Limitation? Chaos? Freedom? What Do You See?

For some this may be a week of "heavy" scriptures. At least that's how I felt when we first read Exodus 20. That's the great and iconic scripture when God delivers the 10 Commandments to the "slaves" He has brought out of Egypt. This is the serious stuff. This is where we get our marching orders, right?

Yes. But it doesn't have to be "heavy" or restricting. In fact, perhaps it's freeing. In our Wednesday night discussion with Dr. Standiford, one attendee opined that this 10-item "to do" list freed and liberated God's people. No more multiple gods. Just one. The great I AM. And no more worrying about what's required in sacrifice. It's laid out. 10 Steps to Salvation. Done. Not easy. But simple.

The artist's interpretation (seen here, top) is also an interesting take. There are four panels dipicting acts of God, overlaid with God's word to the Israelites... But, as you'll notice, the words of the 10 commandments begin to fall apart, or become kind of chaotic, in the middle. What's that about? We'll tawk. On Sunday. You will definitely want to hear Rev. Molly's interpretation. Trust me. She nailed it.

Here's a hint: Remember that the gold lettering, or any trace of gold in the Saint John's Bible, indicates God's presence. The illumination begins with HERE I AM. I AM THE GOD OF YOUR FATHER. I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD. And it ends with similar wording. Perhaps another nod toward simplicity?

In the sanctuary, Dr. Standiford will also be discussing the second image (bottom image) of Paul as we read from Romans 3. Paul is holding a dome (St. Paul's Basillica in Rome) in his hand... and it's broken. What was broken in Paul's time? What about later in church history? What part did Paul's writings play in the great Reformation? Ahhhh. Yes, these questions will be pondered and perhaps answered on Sunday.

If you haven't yet seen the illuminations from the Saint John's Bible, please do. I'm absolutely obsessed with the interpretations. That doesn't mean I agree or even like all of them. Some I absolutely LOVE... but, most importantly, it has us talking about SCRIPTURE!!! Real dialogue about what the Bible means to each of us, individually and collectively. Exciting, promising and uplifting.

Take a listen here to the interview Tom Fudge of KPBS (his parents are members at First Church) conducted with one of the Saint John's experts in Minnesota. And thanks again to our dear Liz Cogdill for arranging another great interview.

See you Sunday!

Feelin' Like a "Bag O' Bones?" Join Us!

The dark illumination to the left is from the Saint John's Bible.

Look at it.

No. Really look at it.

There is a CAR in this Bible! (Two, in fact. You just can't see the other here). This is not your long-gone Granny's Bible. This Bible is for You.

This is a contemporary take on a classic story. The committee and artist who crafted the Saint John's Bible have provided their "take," and we'll share that below, but first, let's find out what this says to you.

Hearing and seeing what God is saying to you is one of the key hopes of the creators of the Saint John's exhibit. What does the Bible say to each individual through the illuminations?

This week, the entire church is moving into week #2 of the Saint John's Bible tribute. At Water's Edge, Rev. Molly says she will be concentrating on the Ezekiel passage. Here's what it says to her: "This passage emphasizes that, even when hope feels as far away from you as a pile of dried up bones is from a vibrant life, God comes into that hopelessness and pieces us/it back together again."

Union Tribune religion reporter, Karla Peterson, wrote an article regarding the month-long display in Trotter Chapel. Karla describes the Ezekiel piece as a "stunning print featuring both a dark tangle of bones, skulls and wrecked cars and a brilliant blur of rainbows and golden menorahs."

And in the article, Rev. Elbert explained what the illumination says to him. “In the midst of tragedy, there is hope and light here before us. This is the message we preach, that there is hope in the world. This is what I just love.”

So, look again. Any thoughts? Feelings?

I see the bones and mangled mess we humans are apt to make of life. And I have had moments when I feel as far from God and hope as a bunch of dried up ol' bones. But, His word always brings me back. And as He told Ezekiel, surely He tells us: "I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live." And again, "I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live." In this illumination, that spirit, for me, is shown in the rainbow explosion at the top of the illumination.

What about you? Please visit the Saint John's Bible exhibit! I promise you will not be disappointed. Saturday's from 10 am - 4pm and Sundays 10 - 2m to 2pm, or weekdays by appointment. Call 619-475-6628.

View. Take in. Experience. Ponder your interpretation of the illuminations. As the director of the project told the Union Trib reporter, "Don’t worry about having someone tell you what it means. Make it mean something for yourself.”


P.S. If you still want to know what the "official" Saint John's word is on the Valley of Dry Bones illumination, check this out. Author Susan Sink explains in the viewer's guidebook.

Next Sunday, October 2, is a busy day, with two meaningful themes occurring at the same time.

First, it's World Communion Sunday, one of six "special Sundays" in the United Methodist calendar. Your offering gifts given on this day helps provide scholarships for racial and ethnic minority students. During the last four years, the UMC family has raised $900,000 to $1.1 million each year.

Secondly, October is Saint John's Bible Month at First Church and we will be celebrating this remarkable achievement church-wide.

Our scripture for this week -- Genesis 1 - 2, there's only one because it's rather lengthy -- is a rather fitting way to honor our opportunity to participate in the Saint John's Bible tour. This is the only handwritten and illuminated Bible commissioned since the advent of the printing press more than 500 years ago. The bible was written and drawn entirely by hand using quills and paints hand-ground from precious minerals and stones such as lapis lazuli, malachite, silver, and 24-karat gold.

Prints of some of the artwork and scripture will be on display at FUMCSD throughout October. This Saturday, First Church is hosting a kick-off evening, an opening gala with a price that can't be beaten, $10. If you haven't registered, but sure to do it soon. We expect a lot of interest. There are also classes and events throughout the month of October that will satisfy your need to learn more.

Those who attended the Wednesday evening classes with Rev. La Due and Rev. Smith agreed, the classes set the stage for a deep learning experience. We reviewed some of the illustrations from St. John's Bible and you may be surprised, as we were! "The Saint John’s Bible illustrates scripture from a modern perspective, reflecting a multicultural world and humanity’s enormous strides in science, technology and space travel, as well as recent wars and genocide." One of the prints we studied, pictured above, showed a communion table as one might imagine it in biblical times. however, if you look closely, there are modern-day reference. For example, in the upper left-hand corner, the small chapel. Definitely NOT from biblical times. In fact, it is a chapel on the Saint John's campus.

What I have enjoyed most is reading the reviews... imagine! People getting excited about the Bible. What a tribute, what a miracle... Why? According to the Pew Research Center, in 2010, religion stories accounted for two percent of all coverage, up from one percent in 2009. "The uptick in coverage was driven by a few big stories, including controversy over the Ground Zero Mosque and Pastor Terry Jones' plan to host a Koran-burning event."

Now, thanks to the folks behind the Saint John's Bible, the world is taking notice. Perhaps this "undertaking of biblical proportion..." will touch a new heart, change another life... and the Good News marches on!


See you Sunday!

Rivers, Oceans, Bodies of Water

We have reached our fourth and final Sunday in our Season of Creation celebration: River Sunday. But since your Water's Edge Worship Team is San Diego-based, we had to broaden the subject a wee bit. We're going to celebrate the ocean too, and frankly, just about any body of water that is sacred or significant to you!

I'm guessing a lot of you will feel like Beckie Henselmeyer and I, two girls who grew up Boogie boarding and body surfing in the great Pacific: to us, the ocean is God. The power and majesty of crashing waves, the never-ending horizon, the place where your crazy day comes to a close with a breath-taking sunset. Our ocean is a constant and reliable reminder of just how small we are and how much bigger God is. Surely, if he can handle the great waves of the Pacific, he can handle our concerns and problems, no?

I lived in Missouri for the first year or so of my reporting career. My house was in Macon, Mo., a very small town with one stop light, a Wal-Mart and an adorable town square centered next to the courthouse. The nearest body of water was right there, Long Branch Lake State Park (Picture above). I made about 10 cents an hour back then so my days off were filled with free recreation. I often loaded up my bike and headed for the lush, tree-rimmed lake. One time, a friend and I rented a canoe and promptly tipped it over. We were laughing so hard we couldn't get back in the canoe, but made new friends when a speed boat full of folks came to rescue us.

As beautiful as it was, that lake did not tap into my spirit as a visit to the shores of our Pacific would. I could not shake the feeling that I was land-locked. I longed for the violent crashing roar of some monster waves. Years later, living at the edge of Lake Michigan, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, I thought that feeling would ease, afterall, that horizon seems never-ending too. Not a chance. I need the ocean. Even though God is with me wherever I go, and I never doubt that, I get claustrophobic if I can't "feel" the nearby shoreline.

Hmm. Whadya make of that? My cousin (pictures above) would say, "You're a bird!" By that, she would mean I'm odd. I say, "Okay, I may be a bird, but at least we know what kind of bird I am: a seagull!"

Where in God's great creation are the waters that speak to your soul?

See you Sunday!

Jesus' Wilderness

This Sunday is Wilderness Sunday, according to the Season of Creation liturgy. In previous posts (see below), some of us mentioned trees, flowers, mountains... as the images that come to mind when "wilderness" is mentioned.

But Rev. Elbert pointed out that, in Jesus' time, and really throughout the Bible, "wilderness" is more akin to a desert scene.

In Mark, we read about Jesus' baptism and his temptation... in the wilderness/desert. In Hebrew, the word "midbar" means wilderness, uninhabited land, tracts of land (around cities). So, wilderness is more than a place; it's a concept... an area that is beyond: beyond cities and organized civilization. Perhaps that's why the word, in our modern day, elicits thoughts of getting away, putting down the electronics, turnning off the phone, and spending time in a place and space where faith can be honed and the spirit can take root.

See you Sunday... and leave your Blackberry/iPhone at home! ;-)

Call of the Wild

On Sunday, September 18, our third in the Season of Creation series, we will be celebrating wilderness. (Forests. Land. Wilderness. Rivers.)

The related Bible verses are many... we'll chose key portions for Sunday's service, but, if you'd like to read all of the related texts, here's what the Season of Creation liturgy recommends:

Joel1:8-10, 17-20
Psalm 18:6-19
Romans 8:18-27
Matthew 3:13-4:2 OR Mark 1:9-13

Do you have a favorite spot in "wilderness?" I'll admit, I'm not much of an outdoorsy gal. Silver-level Girl Scout badge aside, I'd rather read about wilderness from the comfort of a down-filled hotel bed... or so I thought.

Then, I read John Steinbeck. His capacity for description is boundless. He made me fall in love with the Salinas Valley before I ever set foot near it. After reading this, I made a pilgrimage of sorts to Monterey-Salinas to experience- in person- Steinbeck's Salinas wilderness.

In East of Eden, (modern version of Cain and Abel... man was cast out, East of Eden, after his "fall.") Steinbeck describes the good and the bad in all of us, beginning with the land. He hits this theme, from the opening chapter, using the splendor of Salinas Valley, saying

I remember that the Gabilan Mountains to the east of the valley were light gay mountains full of sun and loveliness and a kind of invitation, so that you wanted to climb into their warm foothills almost as you want to climb into the lap of a beloved mother. They were beckoning mountains with a brown grass love. The Santa Lucias stood up against the sky to the west and kept the valley from the open sea, and they were dark and brooding—unfriendly and dangerous. I always found in myself a dread of west and a love of east. Where I ever got such an idea I cannot say, unless it could be that the morning came over the peaks of the Gabilans and the night drifted back from the ridges of the Santa Lucias. It may be that the birth and death of the day had some part in my feeling about the two ranges of mountains.

Later, he describes the bounty of the flowers, in all their glory... and this is truly, exactly what I saw:

The whole valley floor, and the foothills too, would be carpeted with lupins and poppies. Once a woman told me that colored flowers would seem more bright if you added a few white flowers to give the colors definition. Every petal of blue lupin is edged with white, so that a field of lupins is more blue than you can imagine. And mixed with these were splashes of California poppies. These too are of a burning color—not orange, not gold, but if pure gold were liquid and could raise a cream, that golden cream might be like the color of the poppies.

Land Ho!

As we head into our second week in the Season of Creation, we're leaving the forest and heading out to explore "the LAND, the soil and land creatures."

The particularly cute "creature" in the picture above is Marion Hart's son, at home in the garden, enjoying the soil! Thanks for sharing, Marion! And to all of you who sent photos, many thanks.

Do you have any favorite memories of land? Maybe it's the land that your favorite school sits on? Or memories of a special hide-away you built as a kid? Land, soil, Earth - the connection can provide stability and calm in so many ways.

When they were young women, my great aunts joined their father and "homesteaded" in the great land rush in Oklahoma in the late 1800s. Even though I grew up in California, I love the idea of being connected to that land.

Maybe it's because I'm Irish, but I adore that scene in Gone with the Wind when Gerald O'Hara promised Tara plantation to Scarlett: "Land is the only thing that lasts..." he said.

And, eventually, even Scarlett O'Hara set aside her vanity and recognized the the power of that land and of going home.

Connecting the land back to its Creator God, our creator, is our Season of Creation journey for this week. So, come on back to the Water's Edge... come home...

Hi all,

Just thought you might enjoy reading the poem that Bill wrote and shared in Sunday's (9/4) service at the Cove.

Pride

The task of every generation is to make sure

They don't end up knowing a lot about nothing.

Wisdom is knowing what is and is not important.


In my "tribe"

There are those who are "in" and those who are "out."

There are those who are "good" and those who are "bad."

There are those who are "saved" and those who are "lost."


What tribe does God belong to?

How do we break through our prejudices and judgments?


Who I listen to depends on what I hear.

Do I listen to CNN or CNBC or Fox?

Do I listen to the Democrats or Republicans?

Do I listen to the Conservatives or the Liberals?


Jesus, listened to the victims, the persecuted, the survivors.

If I am to make it through this crisis I am in,

Then I must seek the courage and humility

To expand my love so that no one is left out.

Not even the one who is causing me so much hurt.


I must be open to the breath of God into my life...

The breath that is common to all of us.

To breathe yet again,

And deeper,

And bring me to my own soul's awakening.


It is then that change and hope will follow.

A Poem as Beautiful as a Tree

Trees on the brain. That's my new malady. I've been thinking about trees all week. As we approach our first Sunday in the Season of Creation, we will be considering and honoring the forest. That could mean any creature in the forest... lush ferns, tiny, hopping frogs, freshly-fallen pine needles... But, what's the most prominent picture you see when you close your eyes and picture the word "forest?"
For me, it's the trees.

My sister-in-law, Jennifer, loves to re-connect with nature and God by visiting the Muir Woods in Northern California. For her, it's an all-senses experience with sounds: birds, babbling brooks, a quiet where "everything stops"; smells of pine and fresh air; sight- those magnificent redwood trees. "It's so majestic. You couldn’t possibly be any closer to God than when you're lost among in those trees. I feel like such a tiny, little spec next to something so huge and old and gorgeous."

What are your favorite trees? The avocado tree in mom's backyard? Palms trees in Hawaii? Share your memories with us!

For more on writing about trees, I turned to an expert- Joyce Kilmer: poet, journalist, father and man of faith. Some say his poems were too simple, but his most famous - TREES - surely speaks to what we are celebrating on Sunday.

TREES
by: Joyce Kilmer (1886-1918)

I THINK that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth's sweet flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in Summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.

See you Sunday!

We're Gettin' Out the Slide Projector

So you never got to show your neighbors those fabulous photos of your nature trip to the Australian Outback? Well, even if your trip was only "outback" on grandma's farm, Water's Edge wants to see your photos!

Send us your favorite pictures and/or videos of you enjoying/experiencing nature! We are celebrating the Season of Creation and want our Water’s Edge friends to participate.

What’s the Season of Creation? You’ve probably heard of some of the “seasons” in the Christian year: Advent (Christmas), Epiphany, Lent and Easter. Each of these seasons celebrates the life of Christ; Pentecost celebrates the Holy Spirit; and now, the newly designed “The Season of Creation” celebrates the Creator God. This provides an opportunity to remember our kinship with Earth and the creatures of Earth.

http://seasonofcreation.com/

We have a different theme for each of the four Sundays in September:

September 4 1st Sunday in Creation – Forest Sunday
September 11 2nd Sunday in Creation – Land Sunday
September 18 3rd Sunday in Creation – Outback Sunday
September 25 4th Sunday in Creation – River Sunday

Please send us some of your favorite moments in nature… either pictures or video… and we’ll share them in Water’s Edge various services.

Thank you for participating. This is a new “season” at Water’s Edge and we’re looking forward to exploring it together.

An Invitation to the Good Stuff

Yum!

That's the best way to describe today's gathering at Water's Edge: yum! From scripture selection to baptism to the sermon, the main message centered on the deliciousness of what it means to follow Jesus... to leave behind our lives as we knew them and follow His lead into this new way of living.

Rev. Molly's sermon wove together a scrumptious picture of ancient scriptures by using very relatable imagery - specifically dark chocolate, her favorite.

(http://bit.ly/pe7zwX Click here to read about a completely chocolate hotel room created by Godiva!)

You know when you're craving a certain something... such as good chocolate... but you grab what is nearby to fulfill your momentary hunger? How satisfying is that? Halfway through the nasty, no-name chocolate bar, you realize, "Ugh! This is not what I wanted! Wish I'd gone for the good stuff."

When we follow Jesus, we're reaching for the Good Stuff. And He promises that when we feast at His table, we will be sated.

In Isaiah 55, (this week's scripture), we are reminded that this invitation to follow Jesus is extended to everyone. Yep. Everyone. Even your annoying neighbor. And that mean kid from high school. Rev. Molly explained why this open invitation works: because we have the power of transformation when we take this journey together. When we feast together, everyone is invited to "... eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness- the profuseness of spiritual joy (Amplified)."

Like I said, yum!!!

Kim

PS- More to come on Lucy's baptism. We'll post pictures.

Remember Your Baptism (and the Communion Bread)

Greetings Dear Ones!

We are well into week two of my role as Water's Edge Worship Coordinator and so far, so good! Thank you for making me feel so welcome. I felt very much "at home" last Sunday, despite the fact that it was 8:55 a.m. before I remembered that I am supposed to bring the communion bread!

This Sunday we will be participating in a very special ceremony that is a perfect fit for the shores of the Water's Edge: baptism. Rev. Molly will baptise Becky Henselmeier's youngest... and we, as believers and friends, will have the great honor of standing witness for this beautiful, new spirit.

This is also an opportunity for each one of us, as a child of God, to remember our own baptism and to be grateful. During communion, you are invited to renew your baptism with us at the front altar as well.

I was baptised in the Methodist Church in Tuskegee, Alabama... where my mom's family lived. The dress I wore is pictured here, on my niece, Grace Mae. Gracie, her daddy Kyle, and my cousins Jamie, Robin, Riley, Judson and I were all baptised in this dress! My mom bought it in Wales, more than 50 years ago, when she was teaching overseas on American Air Force bases. She also had the good sense to get several vials of holy water, from the River Jordan, while traveling through Israel. Several of the children in our family were baptised with that water. Coincidentally -- my brother was baptised by Rev. Bob Fehlman (Our Rev. Bob!) when he was senior pastor at Riviera United Methodist, in Redondo Beach, where I grew up.

Do you remember your baptism?

I'll bet most of us were too young. But I surely do remember the baptism of the little baby girl in that picture above! My brother and his sweet wife, Jennifer, asked me to be Gracie's godmother. I am so honored to have that role and it thrilled me to NO END when, upon being sprinkled with water and not liking it, she reached out for her Auntie Kim! Holding that baby doll in my arms is one of the greatest gifts of my life. Her hugs are the best! And my prayers for her well-being are never-ending. I take very seriously my role as a guide in her faith journey.

So, my friends, as you cruise through the remainder of this week, take a moment to recall the baptisms in your life, and be thankful. Together we will celebrate all every single one on Sunday...

Kim

PS- No worries on the communion bread! I already bought it this week!

"You've Got Some Big Shoes to Fill"

Greetings Dear Ones,

Right about now, our intrepid Water's Edge Worship Coordinator, Darin Arntston, should be somewhere in the great state of Texas. She is on the first "leg" of what I pray is a grand, alluring and never-ending journey through her walk with God.

As most of you know, Darin is attending Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta, GA. http://www.candler.emory.edu/ This is an incredible school, ranked among the top 20 national universities, according to US News & World Report http://www.usnews.com/rankings. Candler is also one of several universities founded by the United Methodists. (Coincidentally, I graduated from American University, in Washington, D.C., which is another UMC school http://www.american.edu/).

This past Sunday (Aug 14), Molly announced that I would be joining the Water's Edge Team to (try to) take up Darin's mantle. Upon hearing this, one of the Water's Edge regulars pondered aloud, "You've got some big shoes to fill." I couldn't agree more!

Darin is actually the person who encouraged me to consider this position. She knows that I, too, am searching for discernment. I adore being part of the Lay Liturgists group-- the regular folks who offer prayers every so often in the Santuary services -- but I feel a pull to do more. Do what? I don't know, exactly. But Molly -- along with Revs LaDue, Standiford, and Ristine -- has graciously shared her time with me and provided an ear as I try to figure it all out. This opportunity is perfect and very important to me.

I am thrilled (and a smidge nervous) to be joining the Water's Edge Worship Team. Please say hello this Sunday. Let me know what's going on in your life... your thoughts about how we can do more here, virtually... anything you think might help my transition at Water's Edge.

Yes, I have some big shoes to fill. Darin is kind, intelligent, funny, beautiful and a LOT younger than I. (Maybe I should quit right now). But, I do have something in my favor: great shoes. Did you catch a glimpse of her shoes on Sunday? Taupe suede with 4" heels! Excellent! This, I can do!

See you, and your shoes, on Sunday, August 21!

Blessings,

Kim Edwards

2 Corinthians 5: 7 (more about shoes)

"For we walk by faith, not by sight."

you, me, and jesus

This has been a pretty incredible year for me. Not only with lots of new and exciting changes and challenges in my personal life, but with a fullness of blessings and growth in my journey with God, too. I have been incredibly lucky to have spent so much time worshipping and talking about faith with the Water's Edge family, and have been blessed by the welcoming, gracious, and loving nature of this congregation (within a congregation).

In addition to getting to know wonderful members of this family, I feel like this year has opened me up to a deeper understanding of my relationship with Jesus as well. Through the detailed studies of the last 24 hours of Jesus' life during lent, and now discovering the different ways Jesus interacts with me through the "Glimpses of Jesus" series, I feel these roots deepening-- a foundation settling and strengthening. These feelings are a gift to me as I prepare to embark on a journey of theological education and life committed to ministry. And, as the message from last week illuminated, it is not a result I can claim to be solely mine.

If you were not in worship last week, I apologize, but it would not do remote justice to attempt a summary here. The theme was "Jesus in one another," and I suggest you take Molly out to coffee some day to discuss her perspective... it's a good one. But, I will mention the bit that challenged me, and all of us, to see how every person we encounter can teach us something about Jesus-- that there's something unique in each person that allows him or her to teach us this one thing better than anyone else. This call to see Jesus in each other is not just about the challenge of accepting and appreciating everyone-- even those who are more than difficult to love-- but about the importance of community.

This connectedness, and strengthening relationship with Christ I feel is rooted in the community here. By learning your stories, strengths, joys, and hardships-- through the faith of this congregation paired with its diversity-- I have witnessed a broad spectrum of Christ-like qualities. My faith has been strengthened by your openness to share with me your gifts, your lives, your faith, and your membership in the body of Christ. And, through learning more about you, I have been able to see myself more clearly, and how I fit into this life in Christ also.

This coming Sunday we'll be talking about Jesus as our light. Sometimes we see this light as it illuminates a new path, or guides us through uncharted territory, but other times it's the porch light, or lighthouse beacon, reminding us how to get home. I have been blessed to have found a new home with you all at the Water's Edge, and will hold fast to the gifts you have given me throughout this past year. Thank you for your love, encouragement, and support, and for empowering me to know and share the goodness of our God and Jesus Christ.

:)

a warm welcome

We are blessed this Sunday to be welcoming Rev. Christian DeMent as our guest preacher. Christian is the appointed pastor of a new church start in the Otay Ranch area named Foundry UMC. He is also the associate pastor at Foothills UMC in La Mesa, and a dear friend of mine.

Christian was (back in the day) a youth director at La Mesa First UMC and then at Foothills, where he played a foundational role in fostering faithfulness in countless youth and young people (including me!). He has served as the leader of mission trips to places like Waveland, Mississippi and Vladivostok, Russia, demonstrating his commitment to Christ-like service. His dynamic personality and compassionate demeanor are reflected in his ministry, and make him an all around great guy to know.

Christian is taking a new approach to church building. Rather than starting by developing a worshipping congregation, the Foundry is involving members in existing community service events and activities-- building it's foundation first in mission. Christian will be offering the message this week at the Water's Edge, incorporating some of his ideas about evangelism and the language we use as Christians to share the word of God. At 11am, he will also be offering a brief presentation about his efforts in Otay Ranch, and how the Foundry UMC, if supported in healthy ways, may also strengthen our own community here at First Church as well as other congregations in our district.

For more information about Christian and the Foundry visit:

http://www.foundryotayranch.org/

or Foundry United Methodist Church on facebook

I hope you will join me in welcoming Christian this Sunday, and in offering our support to him as he works to expand the reaches of Christ's love and light here in San Diego.

moved by the spirit

Pentecost is this Sunday. Usually when I think of Pentecost I think of red, or fire, or even Pentecostals and their zealous worship and speaking in tongues. I'm not a huge fan of red, or overly dramatic improvisational dance (it's those mild-mannered Methodist roots...), but the beautiful thing about Pentecost, I'm discovering, is that those are actually outside indicators of something amazing that happens on the inside.

I am finding, through participating with you in worship each week, that there is a large difference between when I try to be in control and when I let the Spirit guide me. Perhaps you can tell also... those times when words come more easily, prayers flow more smoothly, or elements piece together more fluidly. Though there is always careful preparation, I don't take credit for those times when things just seem "right." When those preparations are met with trust in the Spirit, the message communicates more distinctly and easily.

In the story of Pentecost, found in Acts 2:1-21, the notable piece is not that they were capable of speaking new languages without study or practice-- it was that the Spirit allowed them to communicate with those outside their own culture. The Spirit made it possible for their message to be articulated past language barriers to reach new people in more distant places. It's an exciting story about how the Holy Spirit allows us to communicate in our lives if we accept it and let it move us.

I'm looking forward to worship this week when we can explore some creative ways the Spirit breathes into us, blessing us here and now, and empowering us to share the message we've been given.

a plan to live

The rapture may be this Saturday, but I'm planning to be in worship on Sunday. It's not that I don't believe in heaven, or think I'm not worthy to go. I do. I just don't think I should wait to float up into the sky to be with God-- to experience fulfillment, happiness, joy.

A Time Magazine poll revealed that 56 percent of Americans believe the "prophecies in the book of Revelation will come true." I wonder how many people that actually signifies who are anticipating leaving all their earthly posessions behind this Saturday. I can't definitively say it wont happen, but I feel pretty cynical about it. This is because I don't think our lives here on Earth are some elaborate entrance exam into something else. I think our earthly lives are not just a way to kill time until Jesus comes to swoop us up and away with him. I believe Jesus came to live among us to show us that we are capable of living in ways that allow us to experience God's kingdom here and now. Not just after the rapture.

However, in order to experience heaven on earth we need to change or evolve. We must take responsibility for ourselves, our communities, our planet. To be raptured might be a nice escape into a new world-- a fresh start-- but I don't think it's that easy. In her article Why I Want To Be Left Behind, Brenda Peterson shares that she hopes to continue her life here to "figure out a way to fit more humbly into this abiding Earth, this living and breathing planet we happily call home, we call holy."

So, for now I'm planning to live-- to continue to follow the path I believe God calls me to, to hope for a future where we live constructively and peacefully with all who share this planet. I will plan to be faithful in my pursuit of the kingdom of God, on earth as it is in heaven.

I look forward to seeing you Sunday.

a wonder indeed

"All who believed were together and had all things in common...." Acts 2:44

This is the video that Molly made reference to in her sermon yesterday, Sunday May 15th.

Painful

In the last post, Darin noted that the time we've spent studying the last day before Jesus's death have led to some uncomfortable moments. For me, the most uncomfortable one is coming up this Sunday. Even more than the (admittedly horrible and inhumane) Crucifixion, I am hit, every year, by the torture scenes we'll read this week.

I have always hated to see people in pain. Once when we were kids, my brother had a splinter so bad that my parents took him to the pediatrician to have it removed. I was in the exam room when the doctor attempted to take it out, but fled the room minutes after my brother began to scream in pain. I hate it.

Needless to say, every year when we read the Passion story, I end up weeping right about the time that Jesus is handed over to the Roman soldiers to be flogged. I hate imagining Jesus in so much pain. When we read the Stations of the Cross (a Roman Catholic tradition) at school, I shied away from hearing about Jesus undergoing these hideous, cruel punishments.

These days, I still weep when we read the torture scenes, but not only for Jesus's unimaginable suffering. I weep because it was so needless. He was condemned to this treatment by ordinary people--the local clergy and congregations, the city and state government--and for what? I cry because I can't bear to think of anyone going through that, but also because it still happens all the time, today, in this world where we live--and for what? People are in pain, people suffer, because of the actions and inactions of ordinary people.

The question is, how can we live with this, and how can we change it?

it may not be comfortable...

Throughout Lent, we've been looking at the 24 hours before Jesus' death, and I'm finding that (despite my long history of church-going) I know very little about the details of that day in history. I imagine I'm partly to blame for this– typically avoiding scripture and images that aren't particularly uplifting. I wonder whether it is because in general I shy away from subjects that are upsetting, or if it's because in some way I feel responsible. Looking more deeply at Peter's denial of Christ and at the crowds who convict and condemn him yelling "Crucify him!," would I have done the same?

In our small group this past Sunday, the question arose whether or not we would recognize Jesus if he showed up in our presence today. How would we truly know THIS was the man to follow? How would we know this particular man was the one sent from God? If even those who claimed to be looking for Jesus sentenced him to death, how can we better recognize and receive the gifts God offers us?

It may begin with being open to experiences that are a little uncomfortable. It may mean opening ourselves to accept a new or different reality from what we know. In the next few weeks, as we near Easter, we'll be reading and exploring more deeply texts we normally like to glance over. Although we may think understanding the outcome is enough, perhaps this time around we'll learn something more from looking at the details. Maybe we'll find Jesus' offering and God's saving love to be even more incredible this time around because we sacrificed some of our own comfort to receive them.

making preparations

Lent is intended to be a time to prepare ourselves for the rich and powerful gift of the resurrection. Many of us participate in the practice of giving things up- chocolate, soda, girl scout cookies, t.v.- and if you live in my house you take the literal approach and sacrifice those things the 40 days before Easter NOT including Sundays. (Even God rested on Sunday...) Others commit to adding practices into their lives for those 40 days, such as daily devotion or prayer, acts of service, or communicating with friends and family. But how are these actions really preparing us for this incredible gift Christ offers? What are we really expecting on Easter?

I think the beauty of faith is being able to offer up our best intentions and let God work out the rest. In the first verse of this week's gospel reading Jesus tells the disciples to go and make preparations for the passover meal, but didn't reveal to them the particular significance of this meal together. He didn't expect them to understand fully the weight of their actions, only that they would take care to do what they were asked. I believe that's what Jesus asks of us also.

As we move through this season, I hope as a community we will be open and ready to receive the gifts God has in store- that through our preparations we will truly see his glory this Easter.