Rev. Mindy’s Meanderings

Zimbabweans are going to the polls today. Let those of us who live so far away join our prayers with those in the country who are voting. My prayer for the troubled country of Zimbabwe is for peace, justice, and a stable economy.

I hope a free and fair election happens, but I have serious doubts. Last week when talking about the elections to a Zimbabwean, his reply was we already know what the result of the election will be. The exclusion of the media and international election observers, along with irregularities in the 2002 and 2005 elections, does nothing to foster confidence in the process.

And now, how to NOT do Biblical interpretation, brought to you by the Zimbabwean ambassador to South Africa. As the ambassador was briefing members of South African Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Foreign Affairs on the 2008 elections in Zimbabwe, he indicated that there were many requests for accreditation to cover the elections. He then went on to say that many are called, but few are chosen. He was using this Bible reference to suggest that limited numbers would be granted permission to cover the country’s election.

I am for unfettered access by election observers. However, if the Zimbabwean government isn’t going to allow this, please don’t hide behind misquoted Biblical references in a lame attempt to lend your side credibility. In the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 22, Verse 14, Jesus does say, “For many are called, but few are chosen.” Jesus said this in response to a story about a wedding banquet to which the invited guests didn’t turn up. This passage is not a justification to exclude, rather it reminds us that God’s judgment comes upon all. Jesus keeps us from sitting around self-satisfied because he invites us to reflect upon how our lives will be judged. To me the signs don’t look good, but it is God who judges and when God judges those involved in the Zimbabwean elections I pray that all may be found righteous.

Happy Easter! Easter is too big a celebration to be contained to one day, so the church year gives it an entire season lasting seven weeks. I find this extended Easter season helpful because sometimes it takes quite a while for the miracle of new life and abundant joy to sink deeply into our heads and hearts. So please don’t think Easter is finished as you put your Easter dress back in the closet, pack up your Easter bonnet, or finish the last of the chocolate eggs. You can go to church in the coming weeks and still appropriately greet people with a cheery “Happy Easter!”

This photo of a first century Jewish tomb in Israel was taken in the summer of 2004. The tomb is now just by the side of the road. I took the picture while traveling in the Middle East with a group of seminary students on the Middle East Travel Seminar.

It did snow on Easter!

I left the house at 5:45 am for a sunrise service and there were just a few snowflakes casually drifting down. Thus I then concluded that the forecasters were wrong and the snow had missed us. Needless to say, I was very surprised when I emerged from church following the service and a lovely breakfast.

Perhaps the outdoor part of the service, where the congregation gathered around a small fire, should have alerted me to how cold it was (not mentioning the thermometer on my car said it was -1 C on the way to church). This outdoor bit of the service included putting the wounds (gold-colored, nail-like things) into the Christ candle. This was attempted, but it was cold enough that the wax was brittle and after the service the candle had to be mended with tape!

This was the scene that greeted me upon leaving the church. In the parking lot my car was covered (similar to these) despite having been clear of snow upon being parked less than two hours before.

I drove to the village of Hanslope so intent on driving safely I was unable to appreciate the beautiful countryside shrouded in white. Upon entering the village I was able to relax a bit and appreciate the picturesque scenes which greeted me. I thought this thatched roof cottage looked magical under its dusting of snow.

As you can see, the weather didn’t prevent people from coming to church to celebrate Easter!

The above is the front entrance to Hanslope Methodist Church at the 9am Easter service. By the time I left Stony Stratford Methodist Church after the 10:30am service most traces of snow were gone.

Now, you may be calling me a “weather wimp” but please be kind in your judgment. After all, for a woman who grew up in warmer climes, snow at Easter is unheard of and very memorable. I am glad to say that the snowflakes didn’t dampen spirits and the congregations were still able to gather and celebrate together saying, “He is risen, indeed. Alleluia!”

On a Friday in March, youth from the north side of the Methodist Circuit gathered for a deviation from our regular Youth “Movie” Night. We didn’t watch a movie; instead, after gathering around a bring and share meal, we used symbols to tell the story of the journey to Easter and then finished with a craft project.

I was impressed by the serious though and contemplation that was given by the youth to the events leading to Easter and Easter itself. We laid out the symbols to tell the story in chronological order (as documented in the picture) then read the story from the Bible to make sure we had told it correctly. We had! Then we discussed which part of the story spoke to us in a special way. Then we closed in prayer before adjourning to the table to make Easter bonnet refrigerator magnets. A good time was had by youth and adults alike.

I hope you too were able to take some time to prepare for Easter. Our patterns of life allow us to easily jump from the celebration of Palm Sunday to the celebration of Easter, bypassing the difficult days in between. I find it important to live through these intervening days of Holy Week in order to more fully understand Christian hope and the promise of new life. When we don’t live through Good Friday it is easy to forget that the new life of the resurrection follows death, it doesn’t bypass death.

In the midst of the sorrow of Holy Week we can also find comfort that the muck of life (pain, violence, betrayal, greed, etc.) is also known by God. Jesus the Christ experienced the fullness of life, the muck and the celebrations, just like we do. Jesus’ intimately knows the worst life can hold and can related to our own very human difficulties following his command to love God and neighbour.

At the end of the two Good Friday services I led, I closed with this poem written by Gregory of Nazianzus in 381 AD.

Who was Jesus?

He began His ministry by being hungry, yet He is the Bread of Life.

Jesus ended His earthly ministry by being thirsty, yet He is the Living Water.

Jesus was weary, yet He is our rest.

Jesus paid tribute, yet He is the King.

Jesus was accused of having a demon, yet He cast out demons.

Jesus wept, yet He wipes away our tears.

Jesus was sold for thirty pieces of silver, yet He redeemed the world.

Jesus was brought as a lamb to the slaughter, yet He is the Good Shepherd.

Jesus died, yet by His death He destroyed the power of death.

It doesn’t quite have the same catchy ring to it as the Christmas song of the same name, does it? (In case you are curious, the above picture was taken in 2005, just after Christmas, at a church in the ecumenical parish where I ministered.)

I have been hoping it would change as the actual day approached, but throughout the week the weather report for Easter Sunday has consistently forecast snow on Easter Day. Snow on Easter just seems wrong to me because I grew up in warmer climes. After all, for me I some of the cultural celebrations of Easter include not only eggs but also frilly spring dresses… dresses of the kind one couldn’t wear in snow and cold blowing wind. Well, I will guess I will find out if the forecasts are right when I wake up tomorrow morning. In the meantime, I will give some though to putting together an outfit that will provide warmth, go with non-slip shoes, and still look Easter-y.

While I am sharing my weather-related musings, I want to take the opportunity to share one more of my climate and church related adjustments to life in England. I now live in a place where palms don’t abundantly grow. As I always have been able to before, I now can’t pop into my (or a neighbor’s) garden to gather a few palm fronds. I find this slightly distressing becasue I have creative ideas about how to decorate the sanctuary for worship on Palm Sunday, only to be stymied by the lack of plam fronds. The churches I have pastoral care of have a tradition of distributing palm crosses. It is a nice tradition, with good symbolism which continues beyond Palm Sunday to take us through Holy Week, but when palms are folded into crosses they don’t much resemble a palm one might wave at a celebration. (deep breath) Well, in the bigger scheme of things it is just one small adjustment that reminds me that I now live in England.

To impress upon you my sincerity about the weather I must share that it just started hailing… uggg! (I have now taken long enough to edit this post that the skylight in my office now only provides a dim light because snow has followed the hail and the window is veiled.)

My latest Charity Shop find! Ted thinks it is awful and not even worth the £1 I spent on it. However, I can’t imagine a better St. Patty’s Day vase than an overgrown leprechaun’s slipper. It makes me smile when I walk past and besides I have envisioned a whole scenario for it… I can image the kid who found while walking in a field near her home calling out toward the cottage, “Ma, who knew they grew so big ’round here?”

Happy St. Paddy’s Day however you celebrate and whenever you celebrate Patrick’s missionary activities! (For Catholics in the Republic of Ireland, the celebrations were moved to Saturday the 15th so as to not be in Holy Week this year. In the Catholic Church in England and Wales the day is simply not on the calendar of feast days this year.)