Friends
This week in Blain, Perry County, Pennsylvania, seven children from one family died in a house fire. While they are still in the grieving process trying to find some way to make arrangements for a loss many of us cannot even begin to understand, the Westboro Bapstist Church has decide to protest at the children's funerals. A much as I find this just disgusting and unforgiveable, I must go back to my faith and find a way to answer this group of people who have differing views of what God's kingdom is all about. In reading all this I am reminded of Matthew 5:43-48 (The Message)

^43-47"You're familiar with the old written law, 'Love your friend,' and its unwritten companion, 'Hate your enemy.' I'm challenging that. I'm telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that. ⁴⁸"In a word, what I'm saying is, Grow up. You're kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you."


I would call on all of us who are profess Christ, to stand up and let the family know there are people who do care, and grieve with them and do not hold this particular church's views. 
The first link below is from one of the local tv stations in the Harrisburg area. It provides an address for people to help send donations to the family. The second link is one from a story about the Westboro Baptist Church deciding to protest the funerals. 


Let's fight back in love. Let their worst bring out the best in us. Let's live generously and graciously towards this family just as God does with us!

I have been following the news this morning regarding the earthquake /tsunami in Japan causing death and devastation and now the warnings all long the west coast of the US and other areas some type of tsunami. With what is happening globally and what is happening locally here with flooding as well as up and down the east coast, I think we need to pray for each other here and around the world. I would encourage you to pray the following prayer I found on the General Board of Discipleship Website www.gbod.org and pass it along for others to pray:
Our Hearts Ache Eastward(For victims of floods, earthquakes and tsunamis in the Pacific)Safiyah Fosua

Over my life, I have come to appreciate all kinds of music. Being a pastor, of course, I love sacred music, hymns, praise songs etc. I find myself every so often leaning towards today's pop hits. I have heard some new artists and others that I have heard before. Katy Perry, Usher, Tai Cruize, Bruno Mars etc have become some of my new favorites. One of the artists I have heard before and enjoy their music is the artist Pink. Her current single, "Raise Your Glass" has become, dare I say it an anthem for me. I know sounds crazy. Here is a link to the official video via YouTube.
VIEWER WARNING: Some of the scenes and language may be offensive. http://youtu.be/XjVNlG5cZyQ
The lines which have meant the most to me in the song are the following: "So if you're too school for cool, And you're treated like a fool, You can choose to let it go, We can always, We can always, Party on our own."
In the video towards the end, the words to the chorus play as the faces intermingle on the screen. A reflection of the diversity of who we are and how much we all hold in common. As a Christ Follower, the song for me means we are truly to be outside of the secular world. We are to be a place that people want to point at and say "Hey look at that!" We want to be "out there" so people are so curious about us that they will want to see what makes us so strange. Peter in one of his letters even says, always be ready to answer the question as to why you have this hope!
As I struggle in my current ministry setting, there are people here feeling much like I am. Judged by what they wear, their life, their jobs, their addictions and even worse the balance in their checkbook. I am drawn to and have shared with this group words from Paul in 1 Corinthians 4 which says (Message version):"^9-13It seems to me that God has put us who bear his Message on stage in a theater in which no one wants to buy a ticket. We're something everyone stands around and stares at, like an accident in the street. We're the Messiah's misfits. You might be sure of yourselves, but we live in the midst of frailties and uncertainties. You might be well-thought-of by others, but we're mostly kicked around. Much of the time we don't have enough to eat, we wear patched and threadbare clothes, we get doors slammed in our faces, and we pick up odd jobs anywhere we can to eke out a living. When they call us names, we say, "God bless you." When they spread rumors about us, we put in a good word for them. We're treated like garbage, potato peelings from the culture's kitchen. And it's not getting any better. ^14-16I'm not writing all this as a neighborhood scold just to make you feel rotten. I'm writing as a father to you, my children. I love you and want you to grow up well, not spoiled. There are a lot of people around who can't wait to tell you what you've done wrong, but there aren't many fathers willing to take the time and effort to help you grow up. It was as Jesus helped me proclaim God's Message to you that I became your father. I'm not, you know, asking you to do anything I'm not already doing myself."
Lent is a time of self-examination and repentance. A time to reflect on who we are, who God calls us to be and no matter how we have failed to be restored to relationship with God, each other and welcomed back into community. On this journey, if you have found yourself being judged, "being too school for cool" as Pink says, being treated like a fool, judged, take time today to come back in faith to who you are in Christ Jesus. We may be the prodigals who have spent everything. God is the prodigal as well in that God continually and without hesitation, will pour out love, grace, mercy and forgiveness on all the people. Even the people who have been judged unworthy by the Pharisees in the church. Oh and the cool thing? The Pharisees have that available to them as well!
"So Raise Your Glass, if you're wrong in all the right ways, All my underdogs, we will never be never be anything but loud, and nitty gritty, dirty little freaks, won't you come on and raise your glass."
Signed
Your fellow underdog, dirty little freak, wrong in all the right ways, Jesus Freak, brother Christ Follower!