A Blessing for Everything!

Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits... Psalm 103:1

A Blessing for Everything!
By Rev. William Dohle

It's so cute.  My 2 year old son, Nicholas, has just started talking in words that we can understand.  For weeks now he's been talking in incoherent sentences, stringing along phrases and groans and grunts that we just don't understand.  But just this week he said his first "word" that we can understand.  And that word is...

Amen!

That's right!  It sounds kinda silly(and even stereotypically pastorly) that he would say that, but he does.  In fact, he folds his hands in front of him and says, "Amen."

I think he got it, not from church, but from our table prayer.  Every evening, before we eat at home, we say a table prayer and at the end we always say...

Amen!

Our 2 year old has picked up on the fact that "Amen" means "Let's eat!"  In fact, he's been known to say "Amen, amen, amen!" when he wants more food!

So I don't know if this is a story of success or failure?  Amen means more food??

It brings to mind, though, the times when we do say blessings over things.  I was raised to say "grace" over our meals every time we eat at home(outside of home we skip grace... go figure!).  I have, in the past, prayed with my children right before they go to sleep at night.  Or when our beloved fish died.

But that's about it.  Besides church and my spontaneous prayer that seeps through my day, we don't really bless God all that much.

Not like others do.  Not like Moses did.  Moses and the people whenever they would set out from a place would pray:

Arise, O LORD, and let your enemies be scattered, and your foes flee before you. (Num. 10:35)

And when they would rest he would say:

Return, O LORD, of the ten thousand thousands of Israel. (Num. 10:36)

This pattern, of blessing both the rising and return, is found in both Judaism and Christianity.  In Judaism there is literally a blessing for everything.  In the Talmud, it is written:

"Abayei said, when one comes out of a privy he should say: Blessed is He who has formed man in wisdom and created in him many orifices and many cavities. It is obvious and known before Your throne of glory that if one of them were to be ruptured or one of them blocked, it would be impossible for a man to survive and stand before You. Blessed are You that heals all flesh and does wonders."

In Christianity, this same pattern applies, only here it becomes prayers for every occasion.  There are prayers, for instance, that are recited upon waking up in the morning, at noontime, at evening, and right before you go to bed.  There are prayers for when you leave and when you arrive, when a new birth happens and a death occurs.  There are prayers for every occasion you can think of.

For instance, at the start of a journey we could pray...

In my journeying with you,
may I never lose my sense of direction,
never lose sight of the landmark
towards which I travel.
And should cloud or rain obscure my vision,
may I draw closer to you,
so that my feet may tread
in your footsteps,
your words be my encouragement,
and your love my protection
against the storms that assail me.

What if we took this tradition to heart and actually "blessed" our day this way?  Asking God's blessing upon the details of our lives brings God to life in those details.  It makes him real.  Instead of God being secluded to one particular day of the week or place or time, God becomes real throughout the day.  Even our time in the restroom can be considered holy when we are brought into God's presence.  Our little "Amens" can be raised anytime, even if we're not eating or worshiping.  For everything in life is a blessing from God!

Blessed are you, Lord God, King of the Universe, for you have given us so many things to sing your praises for.  Give us a spirit of gratefulness that we may give thanks for everything you have given.  Amen!

Welcomed Visitors!

"Do not leave us..." Numbers 10:31

Welcomed Visitors!
By Rev. William Dohle

The world is changing!  All around us!

It use to be true that a couple or family would visit your church for awhile.  Then, after one or two visits, you, as the pastor, would approach them about joining the church.  They would ask what was involved and you might detail some program that you were starting that fall for them.

Or you'd advertize such a program in your bulletin on Sunday and then, miracle of miracles, people would show up.  Real, live visitors wanting to join and become members of your church.

That day, I believe, is at an end.  Or at least I'm seeing the end of it.

A few years ago I set out to follow "the pattern" and bring some regular visitors into the fold.  I organized a "Get to Know St. Paul" day between services and invited our visitors to join.  To one I handed out a membership form(because she'd been visiting every single Sunday for months).  To the others I just said come!

At that meeting I had not a single regular visitor show up.  More than that, the regular visitors that I had invited all stopped visiting our church.  Every single one of them!

Now, it might just be me.  Granted, I'm not the best at inviting people to things.  But given the fact that we now have three regular visiting families at our church right now... and they've all been given lots and lots of chances to join but they're still visitors... I'm not sure how far off I am.

Life is changing.  Or maybe... life is changing back!

Communities of faith have always incorporated outsiders and visitors.  Welcomed them in fact!  In the Torah, the first five books of the Bible, there are countless examples of God commanding the Israelites to welcome the stranger and the foreigner and the visitor in their midst.  Those that don't "belong" to the community are still welcome in the community.

Take this example from Numbers.  As the company of Israel were setting out into the wilderness, destination The Promised Land, they had a "regular visitor" among them.  His name was Hobab, son of Reuel the Midianite.  He was Moses' father-in-law.  He had camped out with the people now for sometime, after reuniting Moses with his wife and children.

Now, as the people of Israel were breaking camp, he figured it was time to leave.  He didn't "belong" to the community.  So, now was as good of time as any to high tail it out of there.

Only Moses would have none of that.

"Do not leave us, for you know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you will serve as eyes for us.  Moreover, if you go with us, whatever good the Lord does for us, the same we will do for you."(Num. 10:31-32)

Do not leave...why?  Why would Moses beg his family to stay after his father-in-law admitted not being a part of their group?  Because his father-in-law, a visitor to the community, knows something that the community does not.  Hobab has gifts that the community needs.  Moses knows this.  Moreover, the community itself will bless Hobab and share with him everything that God does for them.  Hobab too will be better for staying.

Notice Moses doesn't start the conversion process.  He doesn't try to make Hobab like Aaron.  He doesn't give him membership papers to sign.  Instead, Moses welcomes him JUST AS HE IS...knowing that their relationship is a mutual one.  Knowing that both the Israelites and Hobab will be blessed by the other's presence.

Maybe we need to remember this too...especially with our "regular visitors."  They possess gifts that we do not.  They have eyes that see into the wilderness.  They can help us understand what people are looking for in a church and what they crave in their souls.  They can help guide us along the way.  They needn't be incorporated into membership.  They are a blessing just as they are.

If they want to join...fine!  If not...that's okay too.  They can still be an active part of our congregation.

Instead of categorizing people on whether they are members or not, maybe we need another group, one filled with people that serve as our eyes in the wilderness of this world.  Maybe we need a "Regular visitor" category to help us see how invaluable they are, just as they are.

Moses didn't require his father-in-law to join Israel.  Moses saw God in his presence with them.  Can we do the same?  Why should we "require" them to join our assembly either?

God, in our need to divide the world we shut some out because they don't want to belong.  Help us to include and embrace those in our community and outside.  Amen.

Listening for the Trumpet

"Make two silver trumpets...and you shall use them for summoning the congregation, and for breaking camp."  Number 10:2

Listening for the Trumpet
By Rev. William Dohle

I don't know what it is about the trumpet that attracts my family to it, but, as of now, we have two trumpet players in my family.

My brother, Samuel, is by far the best trumpet player in my family.  He took up the trumpet in Jr. High when my mother informed all of us kids that we were going to choose an instrument to play.  He chose the trumpet.  He played it in marching band and even after.  In fact, to this day, my brother still gives trumpet lessons, though he hasn't really found another "group" to play with in awhile.

My son, Matthew, also chose the trumpet when we asked what he wanted to play.  He's less enthusiastic about it than Samuel is, but still does a very good job with it.  I'm so proud of him sitting in the chair, ready to play!

Of course trumpets have taken on a different role in our world than they had in the time of the Exodus.  In the book of Numbers trumpets weren't used primarily to play music.  At least that's not why God instructed his people to make them.  Trumpets were made to gather people together.  To bring them out of their individual lives and unite them in a communal life.

When both are blown, the whole congregation shall assemble before you at the entrance of the tent of meeting.  But if only one is blown, then the leaders, the heads of the tribes of Israel, shall assemble before you.

These trumpets was a way to rally the people together.  To unite them.  Imagine going about your day in your own tent when you head the trumpet blown.  Not one trumpet, but two.  In the days before loud speakers, this would have been an important tool to have.

Not only do these trumpets rally the people together for meetings, but at other times too.

When you go to war in your land against the adversary who oppresses you, you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, so that you may be remembered before the lord your God and be saved from your enemies.  Also on your days of rejoicing, at your appointed festivals, and at the beginnings of the months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over your sacrifices of well-being; they shall serve as a reminder on your behalf before the Lord your God. (10:9-10)

Notice who also is listening for the trumpets?  It's not just the people.  It's God too!  The people "will be remembered before the Lord your God" during war time, so they may be saved.  And during festivals they shall serve "as a reminder on your behalf."  These trumpets call the community together, not just among its human participants, but also with God too.

Communities of faith gather together today in much the same way as they did back during the Exodus.  As congregations and communities, people of faith gather, either on Sunday morning for Christians or on Friday for Jews and Muslims.  And we gather with the sound of music.  At the church I currently serve, we have a tall bell tower that rings before services each Sunday, reminding people in our neighborhood that the people of St. Paul are beginning to worship the Lord.  In Muslim countries, the sound of chanting can be heard throughout the day as Muslims are encouraged to stop what they're doing and pray.

Music is important to gather people together.

Still, I wonder sometimes how much we pay attention to that sound.  How busy are we with our own lives?  Do we even hear the trumpets sounding overhead?

I wonder what Israel would have been like if, after the trumpets had been sounded, everyone just continued doing exactly what they were doing before.  Nobody really cared about anyone else, just their own tribe and family.  They peeked up from their cell phones and nodded, or perhaps they didn't even blink as the trumpets blared overhead.  How far would the people have journeyed through the wilderness then?

Not far at all.

We too need to stop what we're doing and pay attention sometimes.  God's trumpets are sounding still.  God still calls people of faith together.  Are we too busy to listen and respond?  Or will we take the time, stop what we're doing in our lives, and join the crowd that has gathered to worship and work for God's kingdom?

It's our choice.  The trumpet still sounds.  Won't you join us in the courtyard?

Gather us, O Lord, into your sacred community that together we might work to further your kingdom.  Amen.