Murphy needs to find a new church! It seems that in the last year Murphy, the one whose laws explain all that goes wrong, has set up a law school at OSLC, especially as it comes to our building.

The Sunday before Christmas was the latest when a loud "boom" shook the church at the beginning of the 8:00 a.m. service and random portions of our electricity service went down. The smell of an electrical arc faintly filled the sanctuary, and the Sun was causing an illogical melting of snow on the roof for such a cold morning. The result was a call the fire department and firefighters walking back and forth in the narthex while we tried to continue our worship.

It all just seemed like a fitting way to end a year that saw the lower levels of all our buildings flood in August. That mess put off our fall programming to November, and we are just now finishing up the kitchen. If it could go wrong, it did. Murphy has taken up residence.

So, at this end of 2007, let us all pray for Murphy to join a different church. We are a very open and welcoming church, but I’d just as soon push Murph out the door once and for all.

I sincerely thank everyone who put in extra time and cash to help us meet the building needs over the last year. If there is anything good about Murphy’s presence, it brought out the best in all of us as we dealt with the difficulties of water damage and seepage and all else "if it can go wrong it will." Still, I’d be more than happy to send a transfer.

Pastor B.

It's pretty early on Christmas Eve morning as I write this.  I lay in bed awake for quite some time hoping to drift back to sleep but knowing that a thousand little loose ends needing to be tied up before worship services tonight were attacking like pin pricks to my mind.

 

Yes, this will be a final morning of preparation before celebrating the Nativity of Our Lord.

 

In church there are some added decorations for tonight.  Paraments change from blue to white.  Scores of poinsettias await their place in the chancel.  Candles need to be readied, worship folders are prepared but now need to be set out.  Altar rails will be moved, the extra coat rack will be set up, tables used for all the activities earlier in the season now must get out of the way.  The meditations are finished, but the prayers need to be written and plans for children's sermons finalized.  Oh, and there's a light over the chancel that needs to be replaced.

 

At home, Susan has plenty of preparing also.  Tomorrow is our celebration time, and friends and family will be welcomed to our home.  I quess we will need to eat something today, too.

 

Hopefully, preparations will go smoothly this morning, and I will be able to take a nap this afternoon.  And, most importantly, I will need to find some time for personal reflection and preparation for the birth of Jesus.  That often happens in the darkness of the sanctuary when everyone has gone home about 12:30 Christmas morning.

 

May all of you have a beautiful and blessed Christmas, and may there be some time in your schedules to reflect and prepare for the birth of our Lord.

 

Pastor B.

 

The politicization of Christmas continues to amaze me. In Madison the pols can find nothing better to do than argue about what to call the huge tree that fills the capitol rotunda. Christmas or holiday? Two common signs pop up every year. One says "Remember the reason for the season" and the other proclaims "Keep Christ in Christmas."

Both of these are worthwhile sentiments with some political overtones. They reflect, I think, the polarized "conservative" versus "liberal" climate in which we live. I have a hunch that by focusing on keeping Christ we may feel less guilty about our runaway gift buying.

I want to have a sign that says "Keep Mas in Christmas." Years and years ago the church designated December 25 as a day in the year to celebrate the incarnation of God at Bethlehem. The reasons for choosing that date are unimportant here, but the church set the day apart for the Christ Mass, a festival worship service.

The word "mass" comes from a Latin word at the end of a worship service that means send. Today we might translate it "go in peace." Now it refers to the entire Eucharistic worship service though we tend to reserve the name for our Roman Catholic brothers and sisters.

Keeping the "mas" in Christmas helps us focus on what is truly important maybe even more than keeping "Christ" in Christmas. Just think of what it means for us to come to December 25 with our hearts set on worship.

- It means that we come to the day as the creation of a creating God, and that we acknowledge that we are far inferior to him.

- It means that we want to glorify what God has done more than anything else on Christmas.

- It means that the worship of the shepherds is the primary posture of the Nativity.

- It means that we fully accept our humbleness in the presence of God.

- It means that we love the Lord more than anything else.

- It means that Christmas is about God and not about us.

As you make your plans for the Nativity of Our Lord, be sure that they reflect the meaning of the day itself. Remember to keep "mas" in Christmas.

Pastor B.

Two recent football games have raised the ire of local sports fans. First the Wisconsin Badgers against Michigan. Then the Green Bay Packers versus the Dallas Cowboys. In both instances the games were only available to those with the money to pay for the special networks that carried those games. Only a few, the elite, were allowed to watch from home. Others grabbed onto the coattails of the elite by visiting their homes or packing the nearest saloon.

This all kind of began with cable television. Suddenly some of the games which had been broadcast to anyone with a television and antenna were transferred to a wire that requires a subscription contract. We went from free to $50 a month over just a few years.

Satellite television soon arrived on the market competing for shows and again that require a payment beyond that of the television itself. So another venue for paying for what once was free now sits atop our houses.

All of this highlights the growing elitism of professional and major college sports. Ordinary folk at one time had an avenue for enjoying sports that cost very little. Baseball had knot-hole day for kids so dads could afford a ball game with the family. And some seats were almost a give-a-way.

My brother was treated to a hockey game a few weeks ago. For his good seats the cost was over $70 per ticket. Once he figured in parking and one trip for refreshments, the cost escalated to over $400 for four people.

So sports now belong to corporations and the wealthy. As we peons chase after our favorite teams happily forking over more and more of our limited cash, we are really swimming in the wake of the elite and being pulled to places we might envy but truly can’t afford.

I enjoy sports, but the elitism of professional and major college sports rubs me more and more the wrong way. The game isn’t for the enjoyment of everyone. The game, it seems, is more for the fleecing of everyone. The sports business far outweighs the sport itself.

My writing (whining?) about elitism in sports won’t make it go away, of course. I suppose I long for the "old" days when sports and media allowed the everyman in us to find enjoyment at little cost.

But I think there is even more to it than nostalgia. I think there is a warning here about growing gap between the elite and non-elite in our American culture. This gap shows up in many places and has been revealed in several studies.

Am I giving up on sports? Of course not. But I will be careful of any temptation to chase after the elite to places I cannot afford.

Pastor B.

A recent Harris Poll asked people to list three jobs they considered to be the most prestigious. The list was topped by firefighters, scientists, and teachers. Real estate agents, bankers, and actors live at the bottom of the prestige poll.

The article didn’t mention where clergy fit into the list. It did say that, since the poll began in 1977, only teachers and clergy have actually increased in prestige of the 11 professions in the original question and answer gathering.

Of course, prestige is totally subjective. It’s all about perception. Especially in the category of clergy, I wonder how many poll takers actually know a clergy person. Since a goodly portion of the population is unchurched, what clergy folk did they have in mind? It would almost have to be some television clergy personality. Hmm! Amazing that we aren’t at the very bottom scavenging with real estate brokers. No offense to you brokers out there. We have several in the congregation, and I don’t see them as the scum of the earth. Again, it’s perception.

Most of the clergy folk I know are hard working, caring individuals trying to balance their servant-leader role. We clergy are not cookies form the same cutter. We represent a wide range of interests and talents. Our commonality is in our sense of call to ministry.

Have I known a few clergy who maybe don’t have the qualifications? You bet. And in today’s world of ordination certificates by mail, the profession teeters on the brink of losing credibility. There are no governmental standards for clergy. No clearing house approves clergy and provides them with an identification card. Seminaries have accrediting agencies, but many don’t use them and churn out men and women for ministry anyway. For the right money, you too can be a prestigious pastor.

Having said all that, I wonder what it is that allows a profession to be perceived as prestigious? The three top vote getters have little to do with financial affairs. The three at the bottom do bring dollar signs to our eyes (assuming we perceive actors as rich).

For me, any profession (or any job) ranks high on the prestige meter when the person doing it understands how we all fit together in a community of humanity. All things are prestigious that work to build community in just and equitable ways.

Pastor B.