New Age Mission: Day 4

21. August 2010 by Rose Southwell.

Day 4

I awoke about noon-ish to discover that the air mattress we were sleeping on had deflated in part. That translates into people’s bodies weighing more than the air in the mattress, thus ending up in a pile in the center of the mattress with a bearer of air forcing one into an air pit. I push the sleeping grant off of me and go to find Lauren, Will must have left the couch sometime earlier in the morning. I find Lauren sitting up in her room stareing at the wall.

“Well good morning sunshine” I say.

“hey”

“did you sleep well?” I ask

“yea, I haven’t been up long.”

“how do you feel about Chinese?”

“ummm. I don’t know. What do you mean?” Lauren ask.

My tummy grumbles. “ I need Chinese!”

            That’s right ladies and Gents I may have ended the dire need for texmex. Now I need Kug Pow chicken is calling my name. Mmmm. We whip out the laptops, and turn on the TV. House marathon! Exalent! We type and play away on FB and wait for the delivery of the food. We watch several episodes of House and Grant findly awakes from his death sleep. Chieese arrives and we eat away.

            Grant and I hit the road to Dallas to see my folks and prepare the way for the group gathering that evening. We fight traffic from Fort Worth to Dallas and almost die. (thanks Dallas traffic, and construction mark you exits better…)  BY the way I need to mention that Lauren dose drink coffee. She doesn’t own a coffee pot. And I am driving in five O’clock traffic with ZERO caffeine. We don’t even have soda in our systems. Grant is trying to counter balance my grumpiness and play games with the other cars. I just get more frustrated. I call a head to ask my parents to brew a pot for me, and my dad says.

“Believe it or not Kiddo, were out of coffee”

“what?” I scowl

“we’ll get some before you get here, don’t worry sweetheart I’ll take care of it”

Got to love daddy’s who understand coffee addictions. We arrive in McKinney and my spirits are lifted. HOME at last. We pull into the naborhood, behind my parents and while jamming some Pirate Metal! The windows are down and the music is up. Were dancing along and my mom Hops out and runs to my door. I jump and get a BIG HUG! Parents are the best. Mom informs me that dad got my favorite kind of coffee even though he doesn’t drink it. We head inside.

            After some brief catching up my dad introduces Grant to our families Sparking Mead and I devour the coffee. Sitting down Mom asks why I haven’t had any caffeine.

“because Lauren doesn’t drink coffee, she doesn’t even own a coffee pot” I respond

Plainly mom asks “ Is she a communist?”

“Or worse… democrat” Dad adds.

After a good laugh, we keep on with the jokes. Mom and Dad tell us about the new stuff there doing in the brewing and wine making business. They let us know about their plans to move and honey hook up. I’m so excited that they are doing what they love. They seem so happy and like they have joy in what they do again. After and exceptional dinner Joe, Grant and I head off for the last Hooray of our road trip.

Grant dubbed the night “Presbapulza 2010 the Electric Boogaloo!”We meet up with  Emmaline, and Edward. Then some of my other Dallas friends join us. We hang out and listen to this pretty good. Grant, Joe, Lidia, and I get into another game of Pig. Which gets intense. After a triumphant win by Lidia. Gant teaches us to make origami and Joe dose some magic. We head back to the house. Joe and Grant start to get into a conversation about wing men and relationships. And the boys give me advice, after a long winded story that took us to 4am. I head off to bed.

            The last morning Mom makes a killer breakfast and we load up in the car. We drive downtown, and Grant gets to the greyhound. We hug and thank each other for such a spectacular week.  Its good to see friends check on them, laugh and cry together. It doesn’t get better than that. What a wonderful trip.

Ya know, I have realized over this trip several things.

 One: I love Texas, and miss it dearly.

Two: God has gifted me with wonderful friends.

Three: In making sure others are doing well, you do yourself a lot of good.

 Four: If I ever hear someone say “Awesome Sauce” I may smile, or kill myself. (thanks Grant)

Five: I am really really blessed in more ways than I realized.

Peace.

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New Age Mission: Day 3 Part 1&2

18. August 2010 by Rose Southwell.

Day 3:

This morning I was awoken by the screeching sound of the alarm on my phone….”Ughh, where am I?” I thought. “Did I dream about being on a roundtrip with Grant and Jesus?!” Oh Wait… I am doing that… because the Buddy Christ is on my background of the computer!!!

For those of you who have seeing me early in the mornings you know one thing is VERY true. I am not functional until there is at least one cup of coffee in my system. Grant is learning Very well that I am Zombie Rose until the second cup. In my sate of disillusion I stand in the bathroom putting on makeup. BK is making coffee and Grant is getting ready. He walks over and peeks his head into the bathroom. He is wearing a black Christian “hardcore” band shirt some tight (ya’ll I mean tight) cut off shorts, Chocó’s and the Presbyterian Gagster hat…. He looks at me as I put on my eyeliner and says in the most Gangster way he can

“word.”

“Yes, Grant… that’s what they called Jesus” I reply simply

“Fo Sho”

As we finish getting ready and running out of the house to a VERY full day of meeting up with Mo peep’s BK’s Mom is right there chatting with us. BK himself is in a state of half awake so he is very quite. We load up in the cars and set off to MO RANCH!! We have a lunch date with a One Mr. Clayton, and One Mrs. Laura. SO SO SO SO EXCITED we start the drive. Because If I were to drive it would be unsafe because of lack of coffee Grant gets behind the wheel. I make a crack about if we get pulled over I might get a ticket for ‘driving without the influence of coffee’

            We start down the road, and stop at a McDonalds  for coffee and soda… because we can… take that Universe!! Not but twenty min’s into the drive we start the relationship talk. Its bound to happen in any long trip with good friends.

“Sooo… Rosie, how’s the dating life?”

“Really Grant? Were gonna do this?” I say.

“Of Corse! Besides, you brought it up” he says.

Guilty as charged. We begin to spend the rest of the trip to Mo talking about relationships, prospects, ex’s, and our different thoughts on marriage. Grant tells me the story about the most recent ex that he broke up with because she didn’t have unlimited text and didn’t like the Goonies. “good reasons” I thought.  It was a lot of fun listing to Grant talk about his ‘type’ and joking about CR’s and everyone we know who is getting married.

Grant cleverly states “Marriage is like becoming a minster of a church, all it is about is being faithful and putting up with a bunch of crap!”

“Truth.” I smile

As we hit Kerrville, Grant realize that he has never actually driven to Mo. He’s always carpooling, or in a van. Nice, that this trip can do that for you. We listen to Ben Folds and start down the last stretch of the road. As we go through Ingram, we see stone hinge.

“WHAT?!” Grant yells

“are they moving stone hinge?”

“no…” Grants eyes squint.

As we drive down 1340 we see that they are intact MOVING Stone Hinge… The Easter Isle statues are already gone. Sorry folks. But at least it is staying in the area. So don’t cry to much, it will be ok.

As we drive the winding roads towards the place of my baptism I fly my hand out the window like an airplane. Its beautiful… the sky has the perfect number of fluffy clouds, is 86 degrees of Perfect Texas heat, the longhorns are out, God is smiling down on us every worry and everything else in my life disappeared except the smile on my face…. Perfect moment.

We cross over the Mo bridge and Grant hits the traditional Horn Burst and I WOOHOO out the window. We Had Arrived! We fallow the new roads in (which I’m still not use too) and park by the registration office and walk over to the Program office. We not that despite the fact that Clayton had said he ‘might have time for us’ the parking lot is Shockingly empty… “Sure Clayton” I think, “ you were just trying to conceal your excitement… he missed me.” We walked into the program office and the front room was empty. Finally we make it back into Clayton’s office where he is hiding. We laugh and he gives me a big hug.

“Hey Chicha!” He says

“Well hello Slim!” I say noting that he had lost 30libs

“Long time no see!” grant says

Chuckling Clayton Responds “ How are you brother”

            They do that man handshake hug thing… I have never quite put tougher that one. Oh well. WE sit down and now that the pleasentries are done the trash talk begins. … Ahhhh! How I have missed the signs of real friendship. One insult after another fly across the room as we find out about how the summers have been, the families, how I feel about seminary and so on.

            Grant and I head over to the main office for a few min’s while Clayton “works on some email” Sure. And run into the Jordan’s and Laura Kean. We chat it up, then Laura Grant and I head over to the Wagon Wheel. YES!!! Toco Salad, how I missed you! That makes meal number 4 that’s been TexMex in a row.

            While in the Wagon Wheel we see Conn, John, and  Gray Batty. Were chatting it up and having a great time. We pass out the road trip Evert’s and Clayton like a jerk breaks the trend and gets his on his left wrist versus the right ankle that everyone else has been doing. Gary gives Clayton a look and says that he wants his on the right ankle. We laugh and thank him for being so wonderful. We leave after an inspection of my car by Clayton. He states that I should come and visit again for a little bit longer next time

“but not too much longer!” we laugh and Hug “see ya later chicka, we miss you.” he says.

 I smile. “ I miss ya’ll to say Hi to Kate for me.”

It sure is good to be loved. Mo Ranch, you stole my Heart three years ago… and today was proof you still have it.  We leave towards Kerrville to see Sarah Wilcox… now Sarah Lenard. We think that we are meeting at the starbucks. Grant sat outside to work on his Chaco Tan but she ended up not coming there. We follow her directions ( strange as they were) and visit her at her DESK JOB! OH Sarah, that place has changed you. We laugh and giggle and talk about life and how things have been. We tell her all about the trip so far and catch her up on the state of our Mo buddies. Hearing Sarah’s laugh made me sooo Happy. How I have missed her. We hoped in the car and drove on our way trying to make it to Waco to see Avocado. As were driving Sarah starts to blow up our phones with text. Grant and Sarah get into this conversation:

G: I noticed your big girl job has changed you a bit. We heard you say something old Sarah would never say. “I’m sweating, gross”

S: HAHAHAHAHA!!! Buncha bullshit, ain’t it???!! I HATE being stuck at a desk. My vagabonding gypsy spirit isn’t cut to be “normal”.

We drive down the road and get Stuck in Austin Traffic!!!  There is always something in Austin. Always (DAMN YOU RUBBER NECKERS!!! ) After an hour of getting from one side of Austin to the other we find out that we will not be seeing Avocado… Bummer. She apparently had a tough day, and we were running really late. So we drove on. As we crossed into Waco, we stopped and ate at Fazollies. (Amazing btw)

At the restaurant we got into a complaining fest about the things we hate. We decided that we hate rubberneckers, people that toss salt over there shoulder, automatic bathroom towel dispensers, and shmucks.  We tossed up a what’s up to the skies for Amanda and Dave Hyers, and drive on. The rest of the drive we listen to Pandora on the phone and jam out. I started the blog and we JUST arrived in Fort Worth. Since this evening will probably be so epic that it needs its own blog… I will leave you for the night. RoseAndGrants and LaurnSturn are reunited!!

More tomorrow.

Peace.

*************PART 2**********************

Day 3-part 2

            As we are driving into Fort Worth we change the address to on the OnStar from Laurn’s apartment to this little place called Woody’s. The OnStar Guy is Having a hard time finding the address, he says

OSG: “I’m Sorry Ms. Southwell, it will take just a moment while it searches”

R: “No worries”

OSG:” How are you all doing this evening?”

G: Doing really great man! We have a and Awesome(sauce) day!”

OSG: “That’s great”

R: “Yea Dude were on a road tip across Texas to see all of our fiends”

OSG: “Oh that’s wonderful, well Ms Southwell I have set up your route, enjoy your road trip!”

G: WOOOOOO!

R: WoooHOOO!!

OSG: WOOOO!

(Pause)

R: did he just wooohoo with us?

G: Yes he did!!!!

R: That’s Fantastic!!

OSG: (chuckles in the background)

The called ended and the directions were sent to the car. The excitement to see Lauren was so thick in the car we had to roll down the windows.  We missed it by accident and pulled into a gas station. (because we can!) and I ran in for a moment. The guy at the counter as me how my day had been I I told him that I had just had the best day that was going to get even better. And that anyone who had a better day than I had, Should die… and leave on the best day of their life.  I giggled and walked out of the store. We ran into to discover that Lauren had not arrived yet. So we find a place to sit and wait. The mins drag by, but then… There she is!!!

            I run and give her a hug about knocking over the door guy in the process. I say Hi to Brynn whom Grant, Lauren, and I all hang out with on our December trip in Fort Worth. We sit down and start talking. Grant and Brynn Zone in on the Mets game and Lauren and I chat about life and my summer internship. Poor Lauren has gotten  one of those “God Hates ME! I-Don’t-want-to-do-this-anymore !!!” Crying phone calls over the summer. So I has some major catching her up to do. Yes I am staying in seminary…. For now.

            More of Lauren’s friends arrive and we proceed to have a wonderful time. After some good laughs at Woody’s we go back to Laurens place and play with a question ball. The three of us do some watering of plants… That right. Apparently Lauren had a FOREST of Basle in her apartment! HAHAH! I can’t get anything to grow no matter how hard I try but Lauren… by accent gets 200 basle pants to sprout. After question ball, we chat it up until 6:30am! We question it up with Will and Lauren and take ourselves off to bed.  This night lived up to the EPIC statues that Only RoseAndGrants and LaurenStern can only achieve.

            Friends, I remembered why I do what I do. Good people, Good times, and lots of laughs.

 

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New Age Mission: Day 2

18. August 2010 by Rose Southwell.

Tuesday Day 2:

The day started off at 6:30 in the morning with Elle bounding in on me. KB said goodbye to me, and sweetly kissed a sleeping Grant on the forehead. Later we woke up for real and I started working on the blog Gant hoped in the shower. I was disappointed that we still hadn’t heard from Willem, He was the reason for starting this trip. He was in a wreck last week and we wanted to check on him, “he must still be in the hospital” I thought. Typing away my phone rings. Who is this number I think as I stare at my phone.

“Hello?”

“Rosie?? Do you know who this is?”

“Willem?!?!?!”

“Hey baby!”

“OH MY GOD!!! HEY!!!!!!”

“I just got out of the hospital, are ya’ll still in Austin?”

“YES! Lunch?”

“deal!”

At this point in my excitement I begin to beat down the door of the bathroom, yelling at Grant that I have Grizz on the phone. Grant cant here me over the shower and his own opera that he is writing and belting out as he bathes. Grizz and I make plans for us to meet up with him and his lady. Torchy’s Tacos. We gather ourselves together to meet up with my long lost love Grizz. So excited I can barely focus on driving. We pull up and I begin to scan the lot for Grizz, hiding in the back corner of the Trailer Park Eatery, there he is. I take off running.

“Grizz!” I squeak

He hops up and showers my cheek with fuzzy beaded kisses. Gant and Willem Hold a long and sexy embrace. Bromance is such a beautiful thing. We meet the lady and head for the tacos. We order and begin to catch up. He tells us about the wreck, of which he has stitches in his head, a concussion, a shattered hand and other injuries that cannot be mentioned. Other were hurt in the wreck as well. (keep them in your prayers) He tells us about Guatemala and his year of taking the Gringos hiking. Protecting the coffee crop and is new found family that he lived with. His face sparkled when he spoke of the mountains. You can tell that they stole his heart.

I spoke of seminary and how its going, I told of the Spiritual formation center and how I still want to do conference ministry. I talked about the preaching scholarship and my other hopes and dreams for school. Gant told stories of the Willem/Grant adventures and we laughed, smiled and Joy filled us all. After a while we all parted ways.

Grant and I headed toward San Antonio. The drive flew by as we danced in the car and raped our way down the road. We arrived at BK Lounge. We forgot our coops, but were welcomed by a slobbery dog and warm hospitality. We sat around and joked and laughed. BK told us about his job search and the pains of searching for a job this crappy market fresh out of college. We decide to go eat Mexican… again (I’m having TexMex withdrawals from living on the east coast)

We stopped by the store and picked up some drinks. When we arrived back at Bk’s we proceeded to get into a wicked dice game called “pig”. Grant and Bk whoop us all over me in this game. I mean it was sad, I could not cut a break. Ego deflated…

We get into a fun conversation with the parents about wine, life, and everything under the sun, BK, Gant and I move into the room and they start me on my fist time of chatrulatte. We met some fun people. One guy we chatted with for along time, he was in Florida. He has broken his hand, he showed us this Godzilla toys. Grant used his phone translator to talk to a French-Canadian. At that point I headed to bed, and fell into a sweet sweet sleep.

Day two was great and defiantly filled with lots and lots of smiles, and laughter. More tomorrow.

Peace.

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New Age Mission: Day 1

17. August 2010 by Rose Southwell.

Sunday Grant and I decided to go and to a “new” Kind of mission trip. We are on a mission to see  our Mo Friends and check in on them. Like the Good friend that we are. Our plan is to see KB, Willem, John and Mitch, BK, Clayton, Amanda, Newsom, Sam and any other Mo person we catch along the way.

Monday::

            We got a late start today. We kicked off the morning with a fantastic lunch with the Keaton family. Grants parents and I talked about seminary and ministry (Grant rolled his eyes and snuck out of the room. )

            We get in the car to start our craziness and somehow we slipped in to the Tylight Zone!!! We were looking for a simple thing, I needed coffee  and smokes and Grant needed a pop. Simple enough right?! Go to a Gas station, or a fast food place and get smokes later down the road. One would think.… After crossing downtown Houston we exit the highway. We proceed to drive… and drive… and drive the feeder. No gas station, no fast food… There are the occaitional sit down placed, but nothing to get a quick drink. We continue driving, 5 mins goes by, Nothing, we pass a Sam’s club. Suddenly there is a stream of car dealerships. (surely there’s a Gas station near here right?) Nope… Not one. I see on the other side of I-10 there is gas station, and  I say to Grant, “should we just cross over and hit up one of those stations?”

 “Na!” He says, “Hold strong Rosie”  he pats my hand and smiles.

“Ok, there’s got to be one of this side soon right?” I sugest

We continue down the road. We begin a discussion about how if we would open a Gas station on this side of the highway we would make bank! We could pay for everything, because this side of the highway is a baron wasteland… Seriously Its baron!! There is shopping malls and strip centers and gas stations Galore on the other side of the road! We have empty fields and rundown apartments…. We Pass another Sam’s Club.

“REALLY?!?!” I yell, “What if someone ran out of gas! What would they do?”

“Right?!?” Grant states ”Or needed a Big mac… Stat”

“This is starting to creep me out.”

“yea,” grant said “ OH wait!!! Look at that highway sign!”

And there is was one of those Blue informational signs that said there was a station with a shell/sonic that was Actually going to be on this side of the Highway! Cheers erupted in the car. All is well I thought, my coffee intake will be refueled soon! We drive up to the light and notice there is nothing at this corner. NOTHING! NO, Sonic, No Shell, No coffee..

“What?!?!?” I proclaim “Is the Universe out to get us??”

“That sign said it was on this side! WTF is happing?”

“I don’t know, why there is nothing on the side of the road! I haven’t even seen a Starbucks!”

Grant shuddered “Ooooo your right, I am creped out now…”

We continue to drive along… and drive. The emotions in the car switch back and forth between giggling about the silliness of it all and being angry in a haze of caffeine withdrawals. We keep driving

Giggling I say “Ya, know is this getting kind of ridiculous”

Grant’s face changes and he yells “ IS THAT ANOTHER F’ING SAM’S CLUB!?!?”

I burst into laughter!! “ It IS!!!”

“Three Sam’s clubs and not ONE fast food or Gas station!!! What the Hell is going on!”

“I’m not sure” I say “maybe we should get back on the highway and try again a little down the road”

“NO Rosie!!! Were doing this”

“Grant”, I say” its been like 20 miles…”

“Hold strong doll face, Hold strong”

“ok….”

We keep driving. Another five/ ten min goes by… No one speaks. The only sounds in the car are the occasional scoff of disappointment, and the chuckle/headshake of absurdity. As we drive along, I begin to realize that we are moving into a one lane feeder. I start to get a little worried that we are going to veer away from the highway. The we crest the top of the hill and…. The road ends!! It ends!!

“WHAT?!?” I scream!

“Did the road just beat us?!?”

“The road ended… I CAN NOT belive this!”

So we flipped around, and got on the highway. Disappointed and a little heartbroken we realize that we drove 26 miles on the feeder with nowhere to stop. As we continue driving One mile up on the highway, There was a Love’s Station, on our side of the road.

            Damn You Universe!

After that we drove in to Austin and See  Katie Beth! We met up with her and her fiancé and they told us there engagement story. Its was wonderful. Gant took notes on an etch-a-sketch After that KB, Grant and I went back to KB’s and talked about wedding stuff and My internship this summer. Grant got suckered in to the wedding talk, and I got him hooked on this website call Off Beat Bride. After that we stayed up all night and caught up. Day one ended and it was WONDERFUL!!!

Day two has kicked off to a good start. More on the NEW AGE MO RANCH MISSONAL ROAD TRIP tomorrow!!!!!

Peace.

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Misguided Muscle Memory

2. August 2010 by Rose Southwell.

Ilumin us O God, Bring your sprit into this place that we might see hear and feel your presence with us. Great creator, be with the words of my mouth and the meditations of all of our hearts. May they be pleasing and acceptable in your sight. Amen

Misguided muscle memory.

Mussels are a fascinating part of our bodies,and since there are doctors in the room, I will not clam to know to much about them. But I have always been interested in muscle memory. Apparently no one really know what part of the brain that forms muscle memory and its not actually “memory”, its something else,but we do believe that it comes from repetitive motions.Doing the same activity over and over again, eventually trains the muscles to “memorize” The activity until it becomes second nature. It moves from a conscious action to a subconscious action. For instance,  as infants we did not  know how to walk but I would bet that by now, most people in this room don’t put much thought into walking we just do it. But it is a complex action that take a lot of focuse. In the beging… This happens with all kind of things in our life. Typing on a computer, driving a car, dancing, swimming, riding a bike. The list goes on and on…

In our Colossians passages the writer asks us to take a good look at ourselves. It says that: If you have been raised with Christ you should look at the things which are above and not below. Because you have died and your life is hidden with Christ. It tells us to put to death. Things like: anger, wrath, malice, slander, abusive language, fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire and Greed which it says Greed is Idolatry.

 

Interestingly enough, our Hosea passage talks about these things.  Despite the fact that God called the people (whom God refers to as my child.)  God calls them out of Egypt. But the more God call them the more they turn away. They keep sacrificing to other Gods, and sacrificing to idols.  SO somewhere between 8^th Century BC with the profit Hosea, and about 60 AD and the apostle Paul, we Humans  still doing the same thing. Offering to idols, or as Idolatry named in Paul’s letter Greed.

 

WHOOO!! I’m so glad we don’t need to worry about that anymore, ………Thinking about Greed, and false idols….

 But greed is not the only things listed. We also find Anger, Malice, Abusive language, Impurity and Evil Desires. Paul gives you a list, But Hosea through the words of God Names it simply as My people are BENT on turning away from me. Its sad… Its hard to see,

 

When we were in Honduras Greed, and idolatry were exposed to me in a whole new way. It hurt, and I felt guilty. But It is not just Greed, We come in Every Sunday, and confess.(LONG BEAT)  The ways that we are bent.

But in thinking about our passages this week I started wondering about spiritual muscle memory. Dose that exist? Is it something we can do? Can we train ourselves spiritually to do something as second nature? Or are some things NOT second nature, but human nature?

Part of the reason we come in and confess every week is so that we Acknowledge, week after week that we are sinners. From the beginning… 

 Brothers and sisters if we say we have no sin we only deceive ourselves… But who is in a position to condemn, Not me, not these guys, not  any other religious authority, not the person sitting next to you, Not even yourself. You cannot condemn yourself. Only Christ is in that position.  And Christ didn’t condemn you, Christ died for you.

Even though we come in ever week we sometimes forget, that it doesn’t matter, what we do, it doesn’t matter how hard we try, or how good our intentions, we sin… 

 

Do you know the story of the scorpion and the frog? A scorpion wants to cross a river, but it can’t swim. It asks a frog to help. The frog is weary, but the scorpion promises «I won’t sting you, because if I did we would both drown». Seeing the lodgic the frog agrees. In mid river the scorpion stings the frog. The dying and sinking the frog asks «why?» and the drowning scorpion answers «that’s my nature».

 

But what that story doesn’t have is a hand that scoops up the frog and the scorpion and places them on the other side. But we do, We are redeemed people, who it is our nature to fall. It is Hard, It is not easy.  But we have the desire… The revelation that has changed us into something new.

Our Colossians passage says that we are new creations because we have died with Christ. Almost every Sunday at this church we baptize someone, We bring them into the family of brothers and sisters in Christ.  But we also clam that as there death. Did you know that? Baptism is the death of the old, and the birth of the new. You become a new creation. But it is hard to believe it’s that simple? Alright your new! Put off the old! (fold arms, beat beat beat) are you new yet? (beat) what about now? Its kind of silly right?! We act like this passage is some kind of magic. But its not easy ya’ll. If it was that easy we would need to come in every Sunday and  confess our sins. And sometimes we feel guilty about that.

 

*Ya know, the interesting things about this muscle memory stuff is that its starts when were infants.* When were new …to this world.* No one expects an infant to be able to dance.  And God certainly doesn’t expect you to have perfect form either.

Our Colossians passage dose not say that you become new when your baptized.

It says you become new when Christ is reviled to you. So think about it… when was Christ reviled to you? when was that moment? Was it in confirmation? Was it when you were an angry teen? Were you a lost soul in your twenties? Can you even pin point it? When was Gods greatness relived to you? (Smile) That is when you become new… Something changed….

The rest of it is Theology, and humans trying to grapple with the vastness of god.  But what changes it the Desire… the desire to want to serve this great God. The desire to put off the old. And live into being New.

 If muscle memory starts at infancy, How then do we begin to form spiritual muscle memory?? DO we pick up a practice? And do it over and over and over again, until it becomes second nature. Do we decide that every morning your gona get up and say the same prayer. “God Lead me today” Or we decide that every night before you go to bed your gona read one verse in the bible.  Your gona go and work at a food bank one day of the week for a year. Disciplined practice.  Then it builds on itself. Because we do it over and over and over again. Then you can take the next step.

 *As babies.

Once we learn to roll over,

 we can learn to crawl,

once we learn to crawl we can learn to stand,

once we learn to stand we can learn to walk,

after walking we learn to run,

after running we learn we learn to dance.

But No one expects the crawling baby to be able to dance!

when he’s trying to learn to walk,

it’s not the baby’s fault when he falls,

the baby doesn’t feel guilty that he didn’t do it.

The parent doesn’t angry yell at the child for not getting it right.

The parent chuckles, makes sure there are no burses, and lets the baby try again.

But why dose a baby try and learn to walk. Crawling would suffice. Maybe as babies we don’t want to get stuck crawling, maybe we have the desire to do more. But how many times have we seen a parent stand a baby up, take a step away, and open there arms.

And the babies DESIER,to be with the parent… That helps them to take a step forward. To be in the loving arms of their care giver.

How beautiful faith is…

That we can learn. And relearn… how to walk.

But just as we are learning, and creating new spiritual muscles we are Bent on turning away from God.

A friend of mine said to me recently that as soon as a baby learns to walk. The child starts to walk away. It gets distracted by shinny things, The playground, or a toy on the other side of the room.

“Once a baby learns to walk the parent starts to half to do a lot more chasing.” I thought. Sometimes I feel like God feels that way about us.

But there is optimism in this, concerning God’s love for what God has made. It is in God’s ability to accomplish the ultimate good which is intended for creation. Everything that is good Comes from God.That is where we find salvation. Because we are bent on turning away from God, God redeemed us. That is Grace!! But as we mature, we are not to become more independent… But dependent. We are created with a need for God, because we are flawed, were not created to grow out of God.  The new creation is one of GREAT Dependence on God.

But we have the desire to be closer to our parent…

The revelation that has changed us into something new.

Now we try and build new muscles memory. .

And practice and partice and practice.

In closing, I want to leave us with scripture. 

This passage is God speaking, and it comes fallowing several chapter about how wicked Israel is, and how they will be destroyed. Then Gods tone changes in this chapter. We find a God of compassion and of TURE TRUE Grace. 

 But I want you to hear this as response from God as if Someone has just asked God WHY.  “WHY?!?! Why do you continue to care? Give up on them.”

Then God says: 

When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. ²The more I called them, the more they went from me ³Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk, I took them up in my arms; but they did not know that I healed them. ⁴I led them with cords of human kindness, with bands of love.* I was to them like those who lift infants to their cheeks. I bent down to them and fed them.

*Then, frustrated and heartbroken God says: (almost in tears)

They shall return to the land of Egypt, and Assyria shall be their king, because they have refused to return to me. ⁶The sword rages in their cities, it consumes their oracle-priests, and devours because of their schemes. ⁷My people are bent on turning away from me.

But then God says:

How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, O Israel?  My heart recoils within me (at the thought); my compassion grows warm and tender. ⁹I will not execute my fierce anger; I will not again destroy Ephraim; for I am God and no mortal, the Holy One in your midst, and I will not come in wrath.

Friends this is Gods word to the church..

Gods Grace abounds.

And like a loving Parent calls us back to try again. 

Amen.

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Worship Planning Aug 1, 2010

2. August 2010 by Rose Southwell.

18th Sunday in Ordinary Time  

Call to worship:

Some wandered in the desert wastes, finding no way to a city to dwell in;

hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them.

            They cried to the Lord in their trouble,             And he delivered them from their distress.

            He led them by a straight way till they reached a city to dwell in.

            Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,

            For his wondrous works to the children of men!

            For God satisfies the longing soul,            And the hungry soul God fills with good things.

First hymn: 356 Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessings

Prayer of Confession:

            Faithfull God, we confess our unfaithfulness. Our hearts are fickle, and our eyes wonder, and we trick ourselves into serving false gods. We speak lies, we accept lies, and we live lies, destroying ourselves along the way.   We confess the ways we have turned from you;

Silent confession

Loving God, we know that we are prone to wonder, forgive our waywardness and lead us back to you. Allow that we remember your faithfulness, so it may animate our trust in you. Gracious God, allow that your truth settle in our souls and comfort us. Amen

New Testament reading: Colossians 3: 1-10

Old Testament Reading: Hosea 11:1-12

Sermon Title: Misguided Muscle Memory

Final Hymn:372 Lord, I Want to Be a Christian

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