IDR Christmas Party '07

The Christmas Party this year was a fun and food-filled time! We missed those who weren't able to be there -- but Julie can probably find some extra white elephant gifts if anyone wants a little recycled "treasure" to plop down under your tree. : )


Merry Christmas to all!

Reflections

There is a river somewhere on the road between here and Virginia. I have crossed it many times over the past 10 years, but the day I took this picture it struck me as exceptionally beautiful. I have this photo hanging in my office at work, and yesterday I found myself looking at it, wondering for the hundredth time - how can the reflection in the water be more clear than the hazy sky?

Now for the very short deep thought of the day - do we see God more clearly as He is reflected in others? My prayer is to be that clear reflection to those around me. I can maybe go one step further in the analogy before stretching it too far - only still waters can reflect so clearly. Think about it.... (Psalm 46:10)

-Karin

Advent Hope

Last Friday there was an advent reflections luncheon hosted by Campus Ministry. It was a nice opportunity to take a break from this very busy season in the academic and personal calender and focus on the meaning of advent. It was a time of guided reflection and sharing - begining by meditating on three words: waiting, patience, and hope.

It was interesting to hear the different thoughts and emotions evoked in various people - for some, waiting elicits excitment and anticipation, for others a sense of anxiety and uncertainty. It was agreed by most everyone present that patience does not come naturally! It takes practice and discipline, and is a trait that is ever more difficult to master living in a culture that thrives on instant access to whatever the heart desires.

And what about hope? Hope, for nearly everyone, evoked positive feelings - a sense of joy in what is to come, a way to see us through the waiting (patiently or otherwise!). The leader remarked that in Christian usage, hope has a very specific meaning: it is the confident expectation that God's plan will be revealed - for our lives, and for our world. For me this gave a richer meaning to the word. Hope is not the same as wishful thinking - in that case we wish (hope) that good things will come to pass, but have no real certainty that they actually will. Hope is intimately tied to faith - as followers of Christ, we are certain that God's grace and love are extended to us - no matter how much our current circumstances may make it feel otherwise. That hope is what allows us to patiently wait for the revelation of God's love.

So during advent we wait. Expectantly. Actively. Preparing the way for the light and hope of the world!

A blessed advent to you all.

--Lisa

Lord, give us safety?

At 3:30 this morning I was awakened by a loud beeping noise downstairs. It was the security system that was installed on my dining room wall by the people who lived in the house before me. And even though I have been under the impression that the sercurity service is no longer monitoring the house, the monitor device still lights up and looks menacing at night, so I have left it there to deter would be burgalers.

So, here it was 3:30 in the morning and the alarm was going off. I tripped over the cats, hurried downstairs -- flipping all of the lights on as I passed -- and stood in front of the monitor feeing suddenly a little bit worried. The alarm service monitors for break-ins at the front door and back door, and "motion in the living room." And suddenly I wondered two things: 1.) Is this service actually still working. 2.) And if so, has someone just broken into my house?

I grabbed the cell phone, dialed 9-1-... and carried the phone with me, finger on the 1, as I checked all the dark spaces downstairs -- the closets, the front and back doors -- praying all the way "Lord, keep us safe tonight."

All was safe in the house. And when I called the security alarm people, they said it was likely just a problem with the battery. I crawled back into bed and said the prayer again, just to be sure. "Lord, give us safety for the rest of the night."

And then I thought about it. Why was my first instinct to ask God for "safety?" Why not "courage" to face whatever situation was about to present itself to me?
And I wondered
Is it a cultural thing?
Are we so used to having "safety" here in our country -- where the police are generally NOT corrupt, where wars fought by our nation are generally played out on other nations' soil and near other peoples' homes -- that we cannot imagine having to face danger and still trust God in the midst of them?

Or, on the other side of that coin, are we so afraid in this country -- where gang violence, house break-ins, thefts, and drug related crimes are regrettably common in urban settings like ours -- that we pray only for "safety," so that we don't have to see what our God is really made of when things get scary around us?

And if we habitually pray for safety and not for courage, what will that mean when we again enter an era in this country when tough choices about reputation and safety must be made on behalf of what is right? Choices like those that people made during the era of the underground railroad, the civil rights movement of the 60s, or even during the Holocaust in Europe? What about folks who make these tough decisions in their daily lives today? Peace workers in South America, Iraq, and Congo; Church leaders in underground churches in Indonesia and beyond...

And so at 3:30 in the morning I paused to ask the question: Are we really so far from a time when we as U.S. Christians must also ask for courage in addition to just safety? And if we do so, what amazing things might God be able to do among us and through us?

I admit, I prefer safety. But perhaps I should think of these things more often at 3and 4 in the morning.

Because now I wonder this: Is setting off alarms in my house at 3am the only way that God can get me to sit in silence in the dark...and really, truly listen?

Perhaps it is.

- Janelle