Get Screened
This past week I got a belated but expected birthday gift: a colonoscopy. I turned 50 in December of last year and it didn't take long for my health insurance folks, who are very preventive conscious, reminded me of my age and the need to have this screening done. 
I have heard all kinds of stories from people about what goes on before and after, mostly before, this screening is done. I have to say I was very nervous as the time approached: what will they find? Will it be good or bad? Will I have to get one again next year because of what they find? Sometimes, I get ahead of myself. We all do. We start thinking far beyond today to a time we have not even gotten to. Sometimes we wind ourselves up so much we lose perspective and panic about what might be rather than taking a day at a time. 
So it was with me. I got my "night before prep" kit. I can see why people have anxiety over this part. I also understand the need to be 'close to a bathroom" once you start.
I arrived at the facility the next day again with much anxiety. I did my best to breath, meditate a little and pray as I approached my turn in "the operating suite." I made sure that while I prayed for myself, I offered up all the staff and those who would be caring for me and others that day. I met my CNA, Pat, who told me I would be receiving propafol...hmmm that sounds familiar. In 10 seconds I was off to dream land and then woke up out in the recovery area.
The doctor came in and gave the report with pictures no less, of finding one polyp. I was not sure how to react. I would have rather had none but I guess one was okay. Then doc gave me the statistics about colon cancer. These I got from the CDC web page:
-Colorectal cancer can be prevented by removing precancerous polyps (abnormal growths), which can be present in the colon for as many as 10 years before invasive cancer develops.
-When colorectal cancer is found early and treated, the 5-year relative survival rate is 90%. Because screening rates are low, less than 40% of colorectal cancers are found early.
-One U.S. clinical trial reported a 33% reduction in colorectal cancer deaths and a 20% reduction in colorectal cancer incidence among people offered an annual fecal occult blood test (FOBT).
The statistics speak for themselves. I have friends who have parents who died from this type of cancer. One of them without question will do what it takes to be sure she is screened regularly. Another knows that it runs in his family but for whatever reason has not even thought about scheduling a screening. 
Whomever, you are and no matter what your family or personal history is, please take care of yourselves when the time comes to get a screening for colo-rectal cancer. Note the first statistic about when it is found early. Know your family history. Please take the time for yourself and your family to go through the screening process. 
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Stop Pinchin' Jesus!
A couple weeks ago, I and another colleague were invited to offer a short seminar on Holy Communion for a district's licensed local pastors. I am part of a group called the Order of Saint Luke. The Order of Saint Luke is dedicated to sacramental and liturgical scholarship, education, and practice. As a religious order, it is a dispersed community of women and men, lay and clergy, from many different denominations, seeking to live the sacramental life. The Order is Wesleyan and Lukan in its spirituality, Methodist in its origins, sacramental in its practice, and ecumenical in its outlook. Part of our rules of life include magnifying the sacraments. It is about worshiping them it is about holding them up as symbols of our faith, as symbols of God's grace and a way to living as a holy and a living sacrifice in union with Christ's offering for us.
That being said we had a wonderful exchange of ideas and questions regarding practice, liturgy and some nuts and bolts of the How tos. Overall I know my colleague and I were very pleased with what we heard in their practice remaining faithful to the sacraments.
During both sessions, my colleague Kathy asked the question about how many of these pastors saw people during the use of intinction for Holy Communion, pinch the bread with two fingers and try to dip the bread in the cup or faux dip the bread so they didn't have to touch the juice in the cup. Many of the grou p giggled at what they heard and yes that had happened. Kathy proceeded to share that God and Jesus don't want us to "take" a pinch but receive all that God has for us through Christ. When we come to communion, we are looking for grace to continue our journey and to receive abundantly.
There are two services where I serve. At the early service, we get a small number of people and I do not always have someone to assist in communion. So I will bring the bread and the cup forward, saying the words as they take some of the bread. I had to laugh and giggle a little bu moreover became concerned as all of the 15 plus people in worship all took only a pinch of Jesus. Then some didn't even let the bread, small as it was, it the grape juice or they confidently "faux" dipped the bread in the cup. I was concerned one because some see intinction as a way of transmission of germs. Well when one takes only a "pinch of Jesus" and then hits the juice with that tiny bit and their fingers, is it any wonder people see it that way. I was also concerned that in their taking only a "pinch of Jesus" that they were saying, this was all their faith could handle or how much they really wanted to have Jesus in and around their life.
At the end of the service, I asked everyone how many took only a pinch of bread. I shared with them that Jesus did not say come to me all you were heavy laden and I will give you a pinch. Jesus didn't say I have come that you might have life but only a pinch. NO! Jesus came that we might have life and have it abundantly! I make two large loafs of bread each month just for this service. God's grace is not given out in a pinch but in overflowing abundance.
The sacrament of Holy Communion is an outward and visible sign of an inward spiritual grace given to us even though we do not deserve it. We should not come and approach receiving the sacrament as if we don't deserve it or are worthy. The fact is we are not BUT...because of what Jesus did for you and for me, we are made worthy, as we are justified in our faith to come forward and partake of the holiest meal!
So the next time you have communion at your church, help people to understand they need to stop pinching Jesus and take hold of all God has promised through him by accepting or breaking off a hunk of bread so that we all might "taste and see how good the Lord!"

Have a Blessed Holy Week and a Joyous Celebration of the Resurrection!
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