Thursday Thoughts
Light in the Darkness
by Rev. Dr. Amy Chilton on 12/12/24
Many of you have shared pictures of your Christmas tree either on social media or via text. During the (literally) darkest season of the year, many of the PMBC families are lighting up their homes and neighborhoods. My own Christmas tree is set up and decorated with our collection of Christmas ornaments dating back to my birth year and collected from our various travels. Many were made by my mother.
Did you know that in the first few centuries of the church, Christmas trees and greens were condemned? As the church was trying to figure out what it meant to be the church in a world already full of other religious holidays and was wrestling with its own temptation to exert power and control, Christmas greenery was hotly contested. Literally.
The second century theologian Tertullian condemned Christmas decorators to the fires hell: “Let them over whom the fires of hell are imminent affix to their posts laurels doomed presently to burn: to them the testimonies of darkness and the omens of their penalties are suitable. You are a light of the world, and a tree ever green. If you have renounced temples, make not your own gate a temple.” He argued that decorating with Christmas greens was idolatrous and unfitting for a Christian.
Clearly Tertullian lost the Christmas tree dispute!
While I agree with Tertullian on the need to be attentive to what we have idolized, let me say a word in defense of Christmas trees. Lights only shine bright when the world around them is dark. We learned this as children playing with flashlights. As we stand in the midst of the darkest time of the year, in a time in history that also feels dark, shining our lights - Christmas or otherwise - seems prophetic.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus proclaimed,
“you are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one
after lighting a lamp puts it under a bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and
it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine
before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your
Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16). Jesus wants his followers to live lives of
justice, of hungering and thirsting for righteousness, of purity of heart, and
of peacemaking - and he wants us to live that out so that we shine light by
which others can navigate a dark world.
So, this year as you enjoy your own or others Christmas lights and trees, let those lights remind you that you are called to be a light in this world. As much as we might not like the dark, the dark needs your light. In fact, lights only shine bright in the dark.
Blessings,
Pastor Amy
Blessed are You Who Bear the Light
Blessed are you
who bear the light
in unbearable times,
who testify
to its endurance
amid the unendurable,
who bear witness
to its persistence
when everything seems
in shadow
and grief.
Blessed are you
in whom
the light lives,
in whom
the brightness blazes-
your heart
a chapel,
an altar where
in the deepest night
can be seen
the fire that
shines forth in you
in unaccountable faith,
in stubborn hope,
in love that illumines
every broken thing
it finds.[1]
[1] Jan Richardson. Circle of Grace: A Book of Blessings for the Seasons (Orlando, FL:
Wanton Gospeller, 2015).
The Beautiful and the not so Beautiful
by Rev. Dr. Amy Chilton on 11/21/24
It is interesting to see what is in our trees
now that many of the leaves have fallen. One tree on my street dropped its
cover to reveal a large paper wasp nest. I know that hornets are good for
something (they eat pests, for example). But since I am allergic to them, the
sight of a large paper wasp nest brings something considerably less than joy.
As I was walking the dog past this particular tree, I thought to myself, “that
thing has been here all summer, this close to my house, and I didn’t even know
it! Ugh!”
I was then struck by the fact that the leaves had covered not only a hornets nest, but also a squirrel nest. Since the squirrels don’t bother me and are just cute and fluffy, I didn’t have the same reaction. That tree had held both of these nests, presumably all summer, and I had walked the dog past it many times without knowing!
What a metaphor for life. Our lives hold within them both beautiful things and not so beautiful things, ease and hardship, friends and enemies. We ourselves also contain dichotomies within ourselves: we love and hate, we rejoice and grieve. We are complex creatures, none of us all good or all bad, and all of us a mix of beautiful and not-so-beautiful things. And yet, just like the tree still offered shade and beauty even with its juxtaposed contents, so too can we offer light even with our juxtaposed contents.
We were, after all, created as creatures with free will - Adam and Eve showed us that when in the second creation story (Genesis 2-3) they embrace both a desire for wisdom and a desire for control over God. We often call this eating from the forbidden tree the “first sin.” But, they weren’t that different from us - who amongst us wouldn’t like to wrest control from God every once in a while and do something out of anger or fear or smugness?
Y'all can put your hands down now!
Of course we want to follow Jesus as a people who embrace that which is good. Paul ended his letter to the Philippians by encouraging them to do “whatever is true, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Phil. 4:8). But, we also follow as complex people who sometimes also carry wasp nests in our hearts. This is the nature of being human.
So, when you turn on the news and someone tries to convince you that people on the other side of our profound political divide are all bad and you are all good - remember the tree. And remember that each one of us, no matter what complexities we carry around inside of us, are called and gifted by the Holy Spirit to be light in this world. YOU are called and gifted - now go and be a light!
Blessings,
Pastor Amy
PS - Need a soundtrack for this Thursday’s Thoughts? Let me recommend Michael Franti’s “Life is Amazing” or Amos Lee’s “Little Light.”
Remember Your Baptisms
by Rev. Dr. Amy Chilton on 11/14/24
I’ve
spent some time this week working with our sexton, Tom, to test the baptismal
tank for an upcoming baptism. Good news - the baptismal holds water!
This has given me the opportunity to remember my own baptism - a story that I’ve shared with some of you in sermons. My dad baptized me. He isn’t a minister, but in that tradition this was allowed. I remember the congregation following me from our evening sanctuary to the big sanctuary where the baptismal was (my baptism was at night so my Catholic grandmother could be there and not miss her own morning mass). I remember being nervous when I had to come forward during the invitation time to tell the congregation I had decided to be baptized.
“Do you accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior?” was the question I was asked. My answer, of course, was “yes.” This wasn’t a vow, exactly, but it was a covenant with the Lord I was committing to follow.
For those of you who were baptized as infants, you don’t remember what was asked of your parents. And for those of you baptized as older children, teens, or adults, perhaps the question was somewhat different. But, no matter the question asked or the age at which you were baptized, all who are baptized are part of a water-sealed covenant with our Triune God.
In Paul’s letter to the Galatians he tells his readers to remember their baptisms and in remembering them to live as people of faith and justice in the world.
“For in Jesus Christ you are all children of God
through faith. As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed
yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer
slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in
Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26-28).
It has been a rough week and a half in our country - no matter what side you are on politically. And as we worry about what the future will bring either between neighbors or on the political stage, let us remember our baptisms. Let us remember the covenant we share with our Creator to live as a child of God, walking in Christ’s footsteps and seeking unity and the healing of destructive social distinctions. Our baptisms call us to this!
And, for those of you who aren’t baptized but are considering whether you are ready to take this step and share in this ancient Christian rite, I assure you that baptismal tank holds water well! (There’s a sermon in there, I’m sure of it.)
Remember your baptisms in all things.
Blessings,
Pastor Amy
PS - For reference, here is the PMBC ministry statement: Reflective of God’s love, and responsive to our evolving community’s diverse needs, Phillips Memorial Baptist Church strives to be an inclusive, nurturing, and Christ-centered church family. We are an open and loving community of faith for all people, of every age, race, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, cultural background, socio-economic status, mental or physical ability, marital status, and any other distinctions of society.
Today
by Rev. Dr. Amy Chilton on 11/07/24
I
have wrestled with what to say here since I woke up this morning and read the
news (I’m writing this on Wednesday). I knew heading into today that no matter
the outcome of the election, our work as Christians would remain the same:
doing justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly with God (Micah 6:8). I
reminded myself that history is cyclical and Empire keeps popping up over and
over again.
Despite these reminders, today still feels raw. Or like the collective breath we all took in yesterday was followed by a punch to the gut preventing us from exhaling.
Now, I know we aren’t all aligned politically. I also know that we have covenanted together to be a church of radical welcome. So, hear these words not as endorsing one candidate - but rather as recognizing that anger, vitriol, fear, and grief have gripped our nation. Vulnerable people are numb and afraid. Organizations supporting LGBTQ folx (AWAB and the Trevor Project) are putting out mental health hotline numbers.
So, what do I say when the words won’t come?
First, our work as Christians remains the same no matter who sits on earthly thrones. We are still called to love God and love our neighbors as ourselves. We still aren’t given an out on who our neighbors are. The calls to praying in all things and acting in love remain.
Second, we are not alone. The book of Revelation shows us that even when the
Empire is at its worst, God is still on the throne and we are still surrounded
by a great cloud of witnesses. So, don’t isolate yourself during this time.
Come to church and reach out to your support system.
Third, the work of justice is community work. As Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., wrote in his Letter from a Birmingham Jail, “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Our divided country map shows us how far we have to go - and we won’t get there on our own.
But, for today, on a day when the words don’t want to come, it is okay to sit in silence. Sometimes silence is the best place for us to hear God speak.
Lord who moves mountains,
When the map is colored in and we see how much division, anger, and vitriol live in this nation, give us eyes to see Your light at work in this world.
When we are victims of others’ fears, hatreds, or prejudices, Lord grant us safety.
When we are perpetrators of violence, hatred, or prejudice, Lord stop our hands and tongues.
When we want to give up the fight for a more kind and just world, Lord be with us as we sit back and grieve and then relight the fire under us.
When we forget to remember our neighbors, remind us.
Amen
Blessings,
Pastor
Amy
Who is My Neighbor?
by Rev. Dr. Amy Chilton on 11/01/24
When my 18 year daughter was little, I loved making Halloween costumes for her. One year she was a cowgirl, complete with pearl snap buttons and leather cowgirl boots. That year we went to a harvest party at my grad school that included pony rides and she had to match! One year she was a dragon and I was a princess. One year she was Rosy the Riveter and I was a victory gardener. Another year she was a Park Ranger and I was a hiker. Those days of her letting us match were great! When she was really little I really did not like the idea of her taking candy from strangers, so we didn’t trick-or-treat but we always dressed up.
I do now embrace our children reveling in the joyous generosity of strangers on Halloween. Think about it, on what other night do you knock on a stranger's door let alone do so with the reasonable expectation that if their light is on they will greet you with excitement and a gift?!
In Luke 10 when a lawyer was trying to trip up Jesus by asking who his neighbor was, Jesus responded with the story of the Good Samaritan. In that story, a man is waylaid by robbers who beat and mug him and leave him for dead. Of all the people who pass by, it is only the one who stops and helps that man who is lifted up as the example of one who loves God and their neighbor. Who are the lawyers' neighbors? Anyone who needs mercy. And what is the lawyer to do? Show mercy to his neighbors.
I think we all agree that our country is in a lot of turmoil right now as we are being pitted against one another in the battle for the White House. No matter what happens next week, our job as Christians remains the same. That job, in the words of Jesus to the lawyer, is this: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27).
Sometimes I think of loving my neighbor as loving others only in moments when someone is under duress - such as the man left for dead in the parable Jesus told. But, loving your neighbor is also to “rejoice with those who rejoice” (Romans 9:15a). It is feeding the hungry and handing out candy to the eager children knocking on your door - loving one’s neighbor is bigger than only responding to need.
Friends, tonight when you open your door for the umpteenth time and drop a Three Musketeers or Peanut Butter Cup (because those are the best!) into the hands of a ghost or Mario, I hope you feel the joy of being a present and generous neighbor to strangers. I pray that joyous generosity spreads to the other 364 days of the year.
Who is the good neighbor? The one who shows mercy.
Blessings,
Pastor Amy?
