Pine Island Pastor Musings

My Advent sermon series has been on the Songs of the Season.   There was "David's Song" (2 Samuel 23:1-7); "The Prophet's Song: A Song No One Wants to Hear!" (Luke 3:1-6);  "Zechariah's Song: Singing in the New Day" (Luke 1:59-79),  " Zion's Song: Singing the Blues Away" (Zephaniah 3:14-20).  This coming Sunday we will consider "Mary's Song" (Luke 1:46-55); and on Christmas Eve, "The Angel's Song: Glory to God in the Highest"  (Luke 2:14), the almighty, transcendent God who takes on flesh in human form and comes near to us in Jesus of Nazareth. In addition to this sermon series, at Pine Island Church we have been learning a couple of new songs at worship: a candle lighting song with a Jewish tune, a John Bell song, "Cloth in the Cradle," which speaks of weaving our individual pieces of cloth together to make a welcoming cradle prepared to receive Jesus.  We're also learning a "Glori...

I'm writing this week in response to a comment from a white man on my last post.  He wrote, " See they want me ta die."    Wow!    To which I replied, "No, sir.  That is the last thing that any of us would want."  This is a teachable moment.  So here goes. So what happened?  As an outreach strategy to make our ministry better known in our community, I posted my blog on my congregation's Facebook Page, and paid Facebook to boost it in our zip code.  It's the 21st Century's equivalent to knocking on doors. I wrote about the multi-racial, multi-cultural nature of the Pine Island Church.  I included a photo of the multi-colored blanket we created in worship from strips of different colored cloth, which worshipers placed on a doll bed, as a symbolic act to make ready for Jesus' birth.  I suggested that the blanket is a symbol of the beautiful diversity of the church of Jesus Christ worldwide and of our particular congregation. T...

On the First Sunday Advent at Pine Island Church each worshiper was given a strip of fabric by our children.  As we sang John Bell's song, "Cloth For The Cradle," each worshiper placed a strip of cloth on a doll's bed.  In so doing we created a beautiful woven blanket to receive infant Jesus on Christmas.  A basket of fabric strips still has some strips in it.  We will again sing "Cloth For The Cradle" as one of our gathering songs each Sunday of Advent.  Worshipers who have not done so can still add to our cradle preparation.  Come join us. This image of fabric strips of different colors and textures woven together captures for me a beauty of the Church of Jesus Christ worldwide.  Each person in his or her own unique color, gender, orientation, personality, skill set joins with others to make a beautiful diverse community of faith.  This is particularly true of the Pine Island Church.  We are and may be the only multi-racial, multi-cultu...