Prepare and Hope - An Advent Sermon by Alison Williams

GOSPEL:
The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 
As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, 
"See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way; the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,'" 
John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 
Now John was clothed with camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, "The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." 

“Prepare the way of the Lord.”

 This is what John the Baptizer preaches. This is what we hear from the prophet Isaiah. “Prepare the way of the Lord.” This is what the Advent season is all about. Preparing for the birth of that tiny baby boy who will change the world with his life and death and resurrection. This is what we take time to prepare for.

And yet, I am not altogether sure that we know what or how we prepare for the coming of the Christ child. We all know a lot about preparing for the holidays. Even our church has been beautiful decorated this weekend. And I know that I really enjoy shopping for a great present that I know someone will love and choosing wrapping paper that compliments the decorations up in my living room and tying on a beautiful bow. I know about decorating Christmas trees and making cookies and ensuring that I have carrots to put out on Christmas eve for the reindeer next to the milk and cookies for Santa. I even have special glitter to put on my lawn so the reindeer can find my house easily. Trust me, it works.

But I need God to be bigger than holiday glitter and advent devotions and beautiful hymns. I need God to be bigger than whatever meager preparations I might make to prepare a place in my heart and mind and soul and schedule for the Christ child. Perhaps this is because I feel powerless in the face of recent news. I have had an overwhelming depression settle about me in the last few weeks as I read more and more about black people dying. It seems never ending: the ugly backlashes as people jump to blame the police, the ignorant commentary from either side of the discussion, and the frustration and anger of many who have protested. I mourn for Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin, for the deaths that have not reached national news, for the hundreds upon hundreds of black children who have been killed in Chicago in the last few years, for the racial injustice of our world and the fear that is a part of each and every one of us.

Xmas and Happy Holidays: Why Christians Need to Use These Words

<Begin rant.>

I get cranky this time of year. Not bah humbug type of cranky, because I love the holidays but cranky at all the self righteous Christians who berate people for saying an inclusive Happy Holidays or who tell me to keep Christ in Christmas when I use Xmas. I'm sure you've seen something like this on Facebook or perhaps shared it yourself:

I do not agree. It is Merry Christmas if I'm talking to a Christian. But saying Happy Holidays does not condemn me to hell or assume that I'm a terrible Jesus-hating Christian. I would hope it would assume something completely different, for instance, respect of other traditions like Kwanza, Winter Solstice, Hanukkah...

Walking the Talk

Alison Williams - Sep 28/29, 2014 - Bethel Lutheran Church - Prayer Shawls, 50th Anniversary for BLC Foundation, 3rd Grade Bibles, Baptisms

(Readings below)

Today, Jesus tells a story about two sons responding to their father’s instruction to go and work in the vineyard. One son says he will go but he doesn’t actually go. Another says he will not go but then he eventually does. So one is a verbal yes but with no action. And the other is a verbal no but with action. Then Jesus asks, which son do you think did what their father asked?

The answer seems as obvious to me as it was to the disciples: the one who did the will of his father was the one who actually worked, not the one who merely SAID he would. And we all know the adage, “Actions speak louder than words.” Then again, I also heard a different one growing that goes, “Do as I say, not as I do.” Did any of you get that growing up or say it when raising your kids?

Though the issue is laid in two extremes, each of us are scattered along the line in between the two extremes. We move along that line from day to day or from one situation to the next. We all say no to certain things and eventually change our minds and take action. We all say an immediate yes to something, only to never get around to actually doing it. Regardless of where you fall on the scale, I'd like to explore the idea that we are not the workers in the vineyard, that there are parts of us that SAY yes to God, but do NOT work.

Ass of you and me

I wasn't sure how it became September and now it is half way through September. I don't know where I picked up on the idea that summers were slower around church?? It's a lie.

So here's where I'm at. I'm frustrated with everyone. It seems it is just far to easy to NOT assume the best of people. I misread reservation dates and missed a reservation at a restaurant for a group I lead. I don't hear about this until a week later and it makes me sound like I am the biggest jack ass on the planet. Do they honestly believe I was sitting at home, laughing manically going, "Ha! This will show that restaurant. I bet they're holding that table open for me right now. SUCKERS!!"

No. Stop it.

Dull Saws and Burnout

I heard about this story from my amazing Spiritual Director a few months ago and then looked for the story again tonight as it was ringing true for me (this quote from here):

 "Stephen Covey tells a story of a man who’s working laboriously to saw down a tree. The work is difficult, and although he stays at his task diligently sawing away, very little progress is made. The saw blade is dull, too dull to make much of a dent in the tree trunk. When asked why he doesn’t sharpen the saw and therefore make the work easier and faster, the man says he can’t afford to stop. The tree must be cut down, and there’s no time to stop and sharpen the saw!" 

As I sat in that same Spiritual Director's office last week, sinking farther and farther into her couch, I told her how exhausted I was and how I didn't want to go to work lately and just felt blah. She looked across at me, almost lost to the folds of her couch and told me that these were early signs of burn out. She recommended vacation. ASAP. I of course said there was too much to do. I'm too far behind. 

Battered By the Waves

Suicide Is Not A Cause for Public Fear

It's been a shitty week. For a myriad of reasons, I'm sure. General depression. Bruce's sentencing. Change of the weather. My lovely housemate moving and the ensuing depression of my cats. Work is always difficult.

There are good bits sprinkled in of course. Coming to church on Sunday was a highlight. I love my people so much. And I've been working on a new counted cross stitch of the Lord's Prayer. Been chilling on my couch watching movies or listening to Barbara Brown Taylor's "A Walk in the Darkness" (which is fantastic as she reads it for the audio version which is like a mini sermon every chapter).

But on Tuesday, something happened that pissed me off. UW Police sent out a warning that there was a woman who was suicidal and possibly armed. They evacuated 300+ people from the vicinity. They hunted (I'm aware of the verb I'm using) down the woman who had fled into a grove of trees. As the police were talking to her, she shot herself. Jean Gibson died yesterday. She was known to my homeless friends though not to me personally.

News: "Gibson was found by police and shot herself while police tried to communicate with her.   Gibson was taken to the hospital with life threatening injuries. UW Police say she died Wednesday from the injury and the case is still under investigation." (link to full story here)

Bruce got sentenced to 10 years

Here's the News : http://www.channel3000.com/news/former-bishop-to-be-sentenced-in-deadly-owi-crash-case/27243598

I'm crying and listening to loud rock music. Not sure how else to function at the moment. So I guess I'll share my pain with you.

As someone called to this synod by Bruce and then as one who was ordained by him… I'm very attached. I will hold all other Bishops up to his standard. It is very high.

Let's Talk About Sex, Baby

The church does a horrible job of talking about sex. Pretty much, we just avoid talking about it or we tell teenagers to "wait for marriage."I've heard people say their defense of this is "because it's in the Bible." That annoys me. Maybe I missed it?

Just read a great blog post by Jaime the Very Worst Missionary where she writes:

"To top it off, we've done a really bad job of teaching about sex in the Church. Our approach has been to shame girls for having it, and shame boys for wanting it. And when the smart kids ask, "Why wait?", we shrug our shoulders like a hillbilly and say, "Because the Bible says." Then we give the girls a purity ring and we give the boys nothing and we cross our fingers and hope they'll cross their legs. So dumb."

When I was in high school, I attended a class called "Good Sex" at a friends church. It was taught by the Youth Pastor and his pregnant wife. They began the class by saying, "So, we've had sex. Obviously." It was great! Well, some of the theology was superb. Some of it was stretched.

You've all seen this literal drawing, right?

I recall a lesson on "Do not stir or awaken love until it pleases." It's from Song of Solomon, that sketchy book about breasts and climbing them. And what that doesn't say is "wait to have sex until you are married." What it does say is, "Don't manipulate and force love. Wait for the right time."

Honestly, I'm not fussed if people have sex before they are married. I'm fussed if people abuse the holy act that is sex. I hate the idea that I could go out to a club and get picked up by a guy I've not previously met and go back to his place and have sex with him and then never see him again.

WHAT THE HELL IS THAT??

Being Girly and Pastor-like

Me at my Ordination in Dec 2012

I am a female pastor. Well, really, I'm a female AND I'm a pastor… but the two separate identities are so intertwined that when I discuss one, the other arises.

The topic of women in ministry is in many ways a very old debate and in others, still quite new. My church body, the ELCA, has been ordaining women since 1970. I had a female pastor in the church I was confirmed in. I knew that female pastors were rare, but there was never a time that option was closed to me as it was to women even a generation before me. 

I remember thinking, when I first considered being a pastor, that I didn't want to become a frumpy pastor. This is tragically judgmental commentary on how I felt about female pastors at the time. Most of the females I had met in ministry had short hair, dressed in pants and button up tops, and were not…. girly. 

Romeo and Juliet kill themselves for love (and other reasons to listen to teenagers)

"My child is yet a stranger in the world; She hath not seen the change of fourteen years, Let two more summers wither in their pride, Ere we may think her ripe to be a bride." -Daddy Capulet

Juliet is 14. The character is so often portrayed by a woman in her 20's or 30's that I worry that we miss much of the story. Romeo and Juliet are teens. They have so much passion. Juliet threatens to kill herself once, drinks a potion that might kill her or will ideally let her sleep for 72 hours, and ultimately takes a dagger to her own body. 

Suicide. Two attempts. One complete. And that's just Juliet. Romeo wants to die as soon as he hears that he is banished. He also threatens to kill himself unless someone can come up with a solution to this banishment which means he cannot be with his love. He drinks poison and dies by a sleeping Juliet's side.

Q&A, Millennial style

I just got back from a week long mission trip with 50+ teenagers. I'm still recovering from the lack of sleep. But I'm also reveling in the amazing conversations that I had at midnight that caused the lack of sleep.

Did you know that teenagers ask amazing questions? Seriously. Everything from LGBTQ questions to the realities of heaven and hell. And the answers from me are taken with a grain of salt (or two) and added to the mix of all the answers and information available at the moment. They weigh what they hear from religious "authorities" against what they experience in their daily lives, in and outside of a church building.

This is how our generation operates. We question. We discuss. The conclusions we draw are rarely case closed, period, end of sentence. We're open to ideas that might come to us years down the road. We've seen too many people so staunchly fixed to their beliefs that anytime those ideas are threatened, people get hurt.

For I Know the Plans I Have For You

... says the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29:11

Rev and Dr Baker

It's always been one of my favorite pieces of scripture. And if you've been around me long enough you know how much I hate the whole "God will never give you more than you can handle" crap. So this is the promise I turn to. That God has plans for me and they're good.

This last Friday I got to stand up with one of my best friends as he married an amazing woman. And having been his friend since the beginning of seminary and bonding over the ups and downs of relationships that come and go and are amazing and then crap… well, I was overjoyed for him.

Because we had both asked so many times (over a delicious brew at Goose Island where we earned our Masters of Beer Appreciation) if there was anyone out there for us. And we had to battle through all the bullshit of being best friends who were opposite sex and all the times that people told us we looked like we were together and surely one of us liked the other and just wasn't sharing that. We heard it a lot over the years, even when we were in Iowa and Montana for internship. We wallowed away a New Years Eve on Skype together, each in our own timezones.

Sermon: An Unknown God

Pastor Alison Williams – Bethel Lutheran Church – May 24/25, 2014 - 6^th Sunday after Easter

FIRST READING Acts 17:22–31

²²Then Paul stood in front of the Areopagus and said, "Athenians, I see how extremely religious you are in every way. ²³For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, 'To an unknown god.' What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. ²⁴The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, ²⁵nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things. ²⁶From one ancestor he made all nations to inhabit the whole earth, and he allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where they would live, ²⁷so that they would search for God and perhaps grope for him and find him — though indeed he is not far from each one of us. ²⁸For 'In him we live and move and have our being'; as even some of your own poets have said,

Do you ever get bored?

I'm still working on that whole, close-down-the-laptop-and-put-down-the-phone thing.
In the meantime, I cruise Pinterest and Life hacks. Monday is my day off!!

Hilarious things I've discovered on the inter-webs:

The Space Jam website has not been updated since 1996.  http://www2.warnerbros.com/spacejam/movie/jam.htm
You're welcome.

There is a website that makes tiny stuffed dogs JUST LIKE YOUR DOG. No joke. http://www.shelterpups.com/shelter.php

Staring at the Wall

A gorgeous tree in bloom here in Madison. Finally!

I see a Spiritual Director (who is amazing) once a month to talk about life, faith, being a pastor, being a child of God… all those good things. Over the past year I've made collages, written letters to God, begun praying for a future husband, created a mantra which I put on a ring I wear 24/7, and done lots of great work.

That's been my "homework" in a way. I saw her Monday. But my life has been kind of crazy lately with good things, random things, family things, work things, new relationship things, homeless issues and news media. As I listed one thing after another, including my new interest in suicide prevention, she and I were at a loss as to what my homework might be for this month. Stream of conscious journaling? But on which piece. I joked that I just felt like staring at a wall for a while. And we decided that's my homework for this month. Stare at a wall.

I love this homework. And it is still really hard. I'm really good at reaching for my cell phone to play 2048 or check email, at putting on a movie, finding new things on Pinterest, or organizing. Work has seemed so overwhelming of late that my mind kind of shuts down instead of selecting one task of the myriad of ones I need to do. So of course, I started organizing my shelves in my office. Not a great response, brain.

So today, I'm going to intentionally stare at the wall. Perhaps with a kitty cuddled up beside me and a cup of tea for my sore throat/head cold. No electronics. No noise except what happens in my neighborhood and whatever the cats crash in the house. (I might cheat and open the window and stare at that wall, but it still counts, right?)

QPR: like CPR for Suicide

In between worship services today we had a training on QPR - the CPR of suicide prevention. The idea is that as we talk about suicide as a culture and recognize those tell tale warning signs, the very high suicide rate will decrease. I even corrected a few of my own misunderstandings and myths during the workshop.

QPR stands for Question, Persuade, and Refer. You can get trained in an hour. The idea is that EVERYONE needs to get training on this, much like we as a culture have responded to breast cancer, HIV/AIDS, and heart disease.

Suicide has to stop being taboo. We all have to be bold and brave and ask that question that feels crazy, "Are you thinking about killing yourself?" She assured us that no one has ever been pissed for being asked this.

So there's that.

Also, if you are thinking about killing yourself, please call 1-800-273-TALK or 1-800-SUICIDE. I'm here, too.

Rama and Jesus (and Ravana)

If you have ever seen the 1995 version of "A Little Princess," directed by Alfonso Cuaron, you'll know a little about Rama. He's the man in blue, married to Sita, who defeats the evil Ravana.

This story is not unique to this version of A Little Princess. The story of Rama is the Ramayana, told in Hinduism. Rama is the seventh avatar of Vishnu. I studied him in college for my senior thesis, as he compares to Jesus, the Christian version of an avatar of God. An avatar is an incarnation.

I love Rama. I'm sure it springs from my love of A Little Princess (which if you've not seen, you need to come over and watch immediately, and cry), but there is a lot to love about Rama. And Christians so easily dismiss anything about other faith traditions that we often miss rich gems like the one I'm sharing at XYZ chapel today.

For the Mothers and Those Who Wish They Were

[If you are unfamiliar with Joan Walsh Anglund, go here: http://www.joanwalshanglund.com]

Happy Mother's Day, all! I'm pretty stoked that I get to see my Mama today. And my Grandma. We are celebrating Grandma's 90th birthday!!

Depression in the Sunshine

I like to blame dark gray skies for my depression on the days when the sky is cloudy and gray.

Days like today? No excuse. The sun is out. It is gorgeous. It is warm.

It makes it more difficult to describe to people what depression is. But think of it like tree branches that creep up into a bright blue sky. Against a back drop of blue sky, they appear all the more dark and black. And they extend up towards the sky, reaching as high as they can, interrupting the expanse of blue.

On a Spectrum

I purchased a gorgeous rainbow scarf Saturday at the synod assembly from a man who was selling things from Jerusalem. I love it. In part because I really love being in solidarity with people of all sexual orientations and gender identities. Wearing a scarf is just one way to show my support. :)

If you are clever, you'll realize that when I say people of all sexual orientations and gender identities, that's all people. Including you. What's most important is that it includes the people that others consider, well, less than human in some way. I've certainly seen that in how people look on those who are transgender. Heck, I've seen a dad look askance when his son comes home from daycare with painted toe nails before telling him that's something for girls. We've all seen it - from the very innocent gender bias (I love this dad and kid I speak of) to the horribly brutal acts waged on the misunderstood across cultures.

Perhaps it is a millennial generation thing, but what's the big deal? Do you honestly think God would have made someone, then turned around and said, "Just kidding about that one, folks. Can you fix IT?" Doubtful. Actually, impossible.

Our identity and sexual orientation are part of who we all are. It is not a choice. For instance, I don't remember making a choice to be heterosexual. I just remember liking this boy named K.C. in kindergarten and chasing boys around the playground and putting on fancy dress up box weddings with my male cousin. Was there a choice in that? Nope.

Sermonating

Since it's an easy thing to post and many of you weren't there to hear this in person, my sermon from the end of March. Year A - Lent 4 - March 29/30, 2014 - John 9:1-41

CONNECTIONS AND COMMUNITY

Jesus likes to heal people. Jesus likes healing a lot. Oftentimes when I say prayers while I am in the hospital with one of you, I pray to the Great Physician, Jesus Christ. I believe in a God who cares for our souls AND for these bodies of ours. If God knows every hair on our head (or lack thereof with some of you??), then surely God knows every thing about our bodies. Aches and pains and joys. We could say God knows us, warts and all.

So we have a healing story today. Jesus, wandering around, doing his thing, comes across a man who is blind. People ask Jesus how this man became blind, assuming it was his sin or his parents sins that caused then. The response is interesting and has caused some theological turmoil. Jesus says, “He was born blind, not because of someone's sins, but so God's works might be revealed in him.” What is tricky about this is that one could assume that all our ailments, every tragedy and death, is God's plan.

Experimental Zone - Watch for Falling Objects

This is an experiment, if you will. I spent all four years of seminary (and that awkward transition time before and right after seminary) blogging. I miss it.

On the one hand, I can't read all there is out there as it is. Why would I want to contribute more text to a world that is weary of text? Of reading. We are getting more and more visual as a culture and I'm definitely a part of that. I see a page of text and I better have a really, really good reason to read all of it. Otherwise, I'll read the first paragraph or skim.

On the other hand, people seem to need to hear my voice. I lament that it is unique, not only amongst my generation, but amongst Christians in general. I'm not trying to claim that I have a corner on this market. In truth, there are many who have said whatever I will say in a more eloquent way or a more succinct way. I have friends who write some killer blogs that I will likely link you to. And I will point you to amazing books if you want to know more. My voice is not a solo voice.

But I'm acting as a bridge. A blog as a bridge from the highly intellectual, theological, progressive world to a world that pulses with doubt and questions and craves conversation over conversion. People have told me I'm an approachable pastor. That's got to be a gift from God because I'm certainly not sure how I "do" that. At times, it is taxing to stop and listen to someone's story, though I'm usually glad I did.

If you are appalled by what I say, let me know why it bothers you - do not correct me. I believe we all have our own perspectives and this blog is mine. You cannot debunk my lens for seeing the world without debunking your own in the same breath. That being said, the biggest growths I've done in my life so far are when people questioned my perspective and offered an alternative angle. If you are in it for the conversation, comment away. If you want to convert, try preaching to my cats. (They're easily lured by Greenies, tuna flavor, and a warm lap.)

But I hope you'll see this blog as a starting point for conversation within your own world. A launching point for exploration into your faith.

Here we go. Thanks for joining in on the ride.