Give us this Day our Daily Bread.

Give us this Day our Daily Bread.

“Our Daily Bread”, at the bare minimum, is a prayer that we are taken care of as individuals, but I believe this prayer is much deeper and broader than that.  God cares for ALL people –and we are called as children of the kingdom to do the same.

Pope Francais is quoted as recently saying “you pray for the hungry and then you feed them.  This is how prayer works.”

I think that we tend to be very good at discussing what the Lord’s prayer means for us – but we are not always as good at giving concrete examples of how to live out this prayer.  Well – really we KNOW what we can do, but to actually get organized and find time and make it a regular part of our lives, now that is a different story.  We need vision, we need help, and we need to get out of our heads.

A few weeks ago one of our members took a new job as a youth director at a nearby church.  Her first week on the job the church had set up a “week of service” for the youth to participate in ministry around Ventura, LA and Santa Barbara counties.  Their work included cleaning and weeding in different areas, learning about native plants and how to care for them and learning about different ministries and how they can partner with them.  What a wonderful way to start nurturing our members in living a life in terms of the other – in terms of Daily Bread. 

What can you do in the next few weeks to be a prayer for God’s hands in the world – in participating in the action of prayer and ensuing others their daily bread?

A few simple actions can be to pray for our youth and leaders who are in the midst of life-changing experiences.  Especially those on the mission trip to Detriot this week.

From TLC Sean Crayne, Eric Zeko, Nichole D’Onofrio, Chris D’Onofrio, Linnea Lindberg, Nick Rainwater, Isabel Rose, Hannah Howard, Emma Zeko, Elise Lindberg, Cameron Becker, Aliso Staples, Daniel Staples, Nathan Staples, Erick Grewe, Mitchell MacIntyre, Heath D’Onofrio, Mattias Lindberg, Mason Beling, Zoe Wilson, Michaela Magallanes, Katie Nolan, Alison Payne, Madison Barnard, Noah Panapa, and Kimmy Petty.

And all the other leaders and students and speakers and musicians and volunteers who are a part of the event.

You are also invited to write to Johan Boas who just started his time with the Merchant Marines.  You can send him notes of encouragement at

The United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA)

Candidate N. Johan Boas

300 Steam Boat Rd

Kings Point, NY 11024

We are always open to assist in finding (and carrying out) ways to share our Daily Bread. 

Peace to you in Christ

Pastor Erin

“Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven”

“Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven”

(the third petition of the Lord’s Prayer)

I have been thinking a lot about this petition in the last week.  In particular because of how we teach kids (and honestly ourselves) about heaven, and how we use our language to solidify this imagery.  Are earth and heaven really different places?  Some may say yes.  Some may say no, some may talk about the “thin places” where we can actually see/feel the heaven next to us.

What if we revised this petition just a little and said “Thy will be done on earth – as earth IS in Heaven.  If we can talk about God being all encompassing – why would it be so difficult to shift our thinking to the understanding that heaven is also all encompassing…

It’s maybe both comforting to believe in the possibility that we already are in the “space” of God’s home and compelling for us to live as though we are in that space. 

Would we live out our lives differently if we saw this earth as a part of heaven?   

May the peace and light of heaven surround you always. 

Pastor Erin

Thy Kingdom Come

“If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” – Mark 5:28

While there are many reasons for us to pay attention about keeping our hands to ourselves – touch is one of the most prominent “connectors” in our humanity.  Without touch we become strangers to one another.

Americans are among the world’s least tactile people. Touch is our most social sense. Unlike seeing, hearing or smelling, touch typically indicates an interaction with another person.  But we have become so afraid of accusations of “abuse” that touch has become “taboo”.  We de-sensitize ourselves to the necessity of this kind of human contact and we become more and more isolated.

The gospel of Mark is a reminder of the close proximity that people had to one another and to Jesus.  In the narrative, of both the leader of the synagogue who comes to Jesus on behalf of his daughter, and the woman who was hemorrhaging, we are reminded that we cannot separate touch from healing.   Vulnerability, touch and presence are all a part of God’s healing. And in healing we see God's Kingdom as a very real presence with us. 

Check out this article written 10 years ago about why touch is important and what happens to us when we miss out. http://www.healingheartpower.com/article1.html

We are called to follow Christ (be present with one another) we are called to act as Christ does (be a healing presence) we are created in God’s image – we are created to be healers…It’s no wonder to me that we find ourselves more isolated from one another and from God as we retreat into our own private worlds. 

I invite you to take some of the suggestions from the end of the article above and get back in touch with the world around you – God’s world, our world.

Here are a few of the suggestions:

1  Make time for face to face relating. Don’t let yourself be quite so busy.  Pick up the phone and invite a friend or loved one to dinner instead of spending the night on e-mail.  

2  Go dancing. Partner dances, like Swing, Cha Cha, Salsa, Waltz, etc., integrate touch at the very heart of the dance.

3  Lend a helping hand.  Be proactive.   Reach out.  Ask permission and be respectful, yet willing to be of support.  

4  Pet a dog or cat.  Stroking a four-legged animal provides two-way love and affection.

Peace and Light

Pastor Erin

Called to Peace

“And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?”  But he turned and rebuked them.  And they went on to another village.”

Luke 9:54-55

We had a guest preacher this last Sunday, a pastor from Turkey, Pastor Ramazan Arkon.  He reminded us of the history, current events and culture of Turkey; a country that spans 2 continents, holds many of the earliest Christian church sites, and is now 99% Muslim.  He reminded us how our actions, attitudes and beliefs can impact the relationships of Christians and Muslims worldwide.

He reviewed the racism that is a clear and pervasive tension in the biblical narrative (Samaritans and Jews) and in the end he gave us a clear picture that the ONLY way to change this discrimination and intolerance is to have conversation and discourse in love. 

This is what we are taught by Jesus.  We are called to peace.  We are called to forgiveness, we are called to leave space for conversation.

This space for conversation is especially important (and especially difficult) for those of us who are in the majority.  I have learned that I cannot speak FOR my brothers and sisters who are oppressed, but I can speak with them, and stand with them. 

And we need to have these conversations with our children.  It is not enough to simply say “this is not my issue” or “I am not racist”… we must admit that racism is still a disease in our American culture and unless we are willing to be a part of the change we remain a part of the problem.

Our ELCA presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton says it this way…“We need to be honest about the reality of racism within us and around us. We need to talk and we need to listen, but we also need to act. No stereotype or racial slur is justified. Speak out against inequity. Look with newly opened eyes at the many subtle and overt ways that we and our communities see people of color as being of less worth. Above all pray – for insight, for forgiveness, for courage.”

Read the full letter here Letter from Bishop Eaton here http://download.elca.org/ELCA%20Resource%20Repository/long_season_of_disquiet_letter.pdf?_ga=1.227968345.578868222.1411494496

The issue may die down in the news, but let us be moved to work together, led by the love of Christ, to build stronger relationships and communities.

Peace to you in Christ

Pastor Erin

Hallowed Be Thy Name

“The Lord requires you to do justice, to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God.”

 Micah 6:8

This week we are taking time to be thoughtful about the first request in the Lord’s Prayer – “Hallowed be thy name”.

I have been thinking a lot about this first petition.  At first glance it seems a bit odd when you think about it.  Asking God that God’s name be holy.  Are we making a request?   Making a statement of fact?  Expressing a belief?  And if any of those are the case, how does this prayer change us, or our way of thinking?

It makes me think about how we use language – and how we are shaped by the way we use language.  For example – (and I know Pastor Dave uses this one), when we say we are going to “try” something, the word “try” suggests that we already think that we might fail. Or as Yoda says – “Do or do not, there is not try”. 

We use phrases when we are working out, or making our way through tasks that help us to move forward and get stronger… “We can do this”, “it’s a good day to have a good day”, “clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose”, “I choose Happiness”, “it’s not a race” (unless is it a race then…get moving).

Perhaps we can use “Hallowed be thy name” to remember who it is that leads us in life.  Maybe we can use this phrase to remind us that God is ever present.  Maybe we can use it to give us courage when we are working together to actually be the presence of the body of Christ in the world.  When we “do justice, love kindness and walk humbly”.

I wonder how different we would move through our days if we used this as a breath prayer for the next 7-10 days.  Would we be more open to see God working in us and through us?  Would we recognize when we belittle God in our lives?  Would we reach out more to our neighbor?  Or at the very least be more open to seeing the needs?

I invite you to take the time to breathe this prayer as a regular part of your day.  Let me know how it goes…and ask me to share my experiences.  (that way we can keep each other accountable.)

Peace and Light

Pastor Erin