"Inscribed on the very heart of God's grace"

Notes From the Pastor:..

There is a question lingering in the back of our mind; it is lodged somewhere between our perpetual planning of dinner and the memories of summers spent at grandparents.  The question arises a few times a week
when we are confronted with the reality of faith, and it often is drowned out by the constant chatter of the urgent.  The question takes different language, nuance, and colloquial tone, but it always expresses the same sentiment: What should I do to practice by faith?

At Palm Sunday we hear a simple, yet challenging directive to the question of faithful behavior.  The Jerusalem crowds are overjoyed at the entrance of their possible Messiah.  They gather on the road and offer a joyous reception in song, palm branches, and the laying down of their coats on the road.  The scene
depicted by all four Gospels has Jesus received in great hospitality.  And there is not one among us that would not rush out to highway 70 to do the same if Jesus approached Ruidoso.

Hospitality is a simple, yet challenging means to practicing our faith.  Throughout Scripture we hear a divine decree to offer hospitality, and in doing so, we are informed that we actively welcome God in our midst.

Theologian Miroslav Volf writes in  Exclusion and Embrace: “Inscribed on the very heart of God’s grace is the rule that we can be its recipients only if we do not resist being made into its agents; what happens to us must be done by us.  Having been embraced by God, we must make space for others and invite them in  – even our enemies.” 

May First Christian Church continue to be known for her hospitality, and may we consistently invite friends and neighbors into our life of grace; as such, we live out the grace we have received.

Grace,
Pastor  Ryan

Traverse the Desert

Notes From the Pastor...

On Monday I drove to Las Cruces for a Clergy meeting with my peers from the border region of New Mexico and Texas.  The long desert view between the Organ and Sacramento mountains always draws me into the spirit of contemplation.

In the local history book, Tularosa, C.L. Sonnichsen countlessly depicts frontier men, women, and children traversing the desert from the populated community of Mesilla to rural outposts in Tularosa, Apache lands, and Lincoln.  The brave souls who traveled through a land that would become White Sands Missile Range did so keeping promises to others and themselves regardless of personal cost.

In the March 7, 2012 issue of  Christian Century I learned: Theologians have frequently viewed betrayal as a grave sin.  For John Calvin, unfaithfulness or infidelity is at the root of the fall.  […]  In Dante’s Inferno, the ninth and lowest circle is for those who betray what they should be most faithful to.

The Lenten journey to the cross is harsh.

We suffer the weekly reminder that Christian identity can be understood only as an act of identification with the crucified Christ.  Yet we fear such identification will cost too much.  While we demean betrayal as a grave sin, it is a great temptation.  After all, we have worked hard to get to where we are and the desert of Lent threatens to take everything we hold dear and let it fade in the sun, wind, and sand of discipleship.

To this I say, stay faithful my friends; keep your Lenten promises.  Jurgen Moltmann, in his great theological work, The Crucified God, informs, only a cowardly faith “tires to protect its ‘most sacred things’, God, Christ, doctrine, morality, because it clearly no longer believes that these are sufficiently powerful to maintain themselves.”

I trust our family of faith will not give into the ‘religion of fear’, but faithfully traverse the desert of the cross.
My prayer: may we possess a brave faith that journeys to the cross, and through our Lenten travels, may we find the cross has journeyed into us.

Grace,
Pastor Ryan

Let the words come alive

Notes From the Pastor...

Kristyn and I enjoy watching the NBC talent show The Voice; one thing we have noticed the coaches continually tell their team members when they perform a song, is they have to believe and experience the words even if they did not write the lyrics. Sometimes this is a difficult position even for talented vocalists.  The lyrics at times tell a story that is disingenuous to their life experience; yet they must find some part of the
song that they believe and connect with in order to become passionate about the message they are conveying.

On a higher, holier level there are significant portions of scripture that, even though I have studied their authorship, context, historical setting, and grammar, I have difficulty relating to and participating within my life’s journey.  With that said, recently a small portion of Ephesians has come alive within me.  At the end
of the letter to the church in Ephesus, the author (traditionally Paul) says,

“Peace be to the whole community, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  Grace be with all who have an undying love for our Lord Jesus Christ.”  

These words have come to mean everything I wish for the family of faith gathered at First Christian Church Ruidoso.  Peace, and love with faith, is my heart’s prayer.   I am blessed to be your pastor, and I celebrate all the tangible ways we are an open, inclusive, Christ-centered family of faith!  You are gracious with one another, patiently trusting that the Holy Spirit works in the life of all our members.  You give grace to anyone and everyone through the undying love of our Lord Jesus Christ.  I see within you the practice of peace and love with faith.

Without a doubt my growing family is blessed to be part of this large family of faith!

Grace be with all,
Ryan

Not up, DOWN!

Last week was a big deal for our growing family. I have been counting UP to track our baby girl's age and growth but last week when the weeks until our due date turned into a single digit, I started counting DOWN! We are now down to 8 and she could always surprise us. Jack was early so it's hard to not think she will be too, but whenever she decides to come is fine by us. Her dad has one request; he has asked her to please wait until after Easter : )

The double meaning in the title of this post is all about her position. When we were in the hospital during the hours between the start of contractions and the sound of our son's first cry, we were as set on natural birth as any expectant new parent (meaning we expected to be in control of the situation). We learned quite late in the labor process that Jack was breech and a C-section was needed right away before he got stuck in the birth canal. As my first surgery (besides my tonsils 20 years prior) this thought scarred me but it was my first lesson in parenting, that things don't always go as planned. The first of many decisions that I thought I had the right to make that I found out may not be in my power to control. 

That said, our daughter is NOT breech! She is in the position necessary for a natural birth. I am hopeful this will be possible this time and I am wiser and more prepared for the possibilities.

We can't wait to meet you Ellie and we hope we will have a middle name picked out for you by the time you decide you are ready to meet us!

See the "Other"

Notes From the Pastor...

My favorite song lyrics come from Tim McGraw:

Just to see you smile

I’d do anything

That you wanted me to

And all is said and done

I’d never count the cost

It’s worth all that’s lost

Just to see you smile

The self-sacrifice of discipleship has everything to do with denying self, taking up the cross, and following Christ to crucifixion. In such life-giving behavior you and I no longer consider the wisdom of cost versus benefit analysis.

In my observation there are two times that we as human beings naturally counteract our propensity to measure cost versus benefit.  First, when we see disaster.  Henryville, Indiana and West Liberty, Kentucky are only our newest images of self-sacrifice.  People from surrounding communities loaded up some food and tools, jumped in their trucks and with no care for time and energy were there to aid whatever the need.   This phenomenon happens even when the disaster hits a place where our enemies reside.  The second
time we counteract our evolutionary decisionmaking process is when we operate in family relations.  Few of us would not, or have not, given all that we have to a brother, daughter, father, or cousin.  These two subversive motivations against our normal operating procedure have one thing in common; in both disaster and family we see the “other” as human.

The great act of crucifixion, divine emptying of self, taking on the form of humanity, and sacrificing self for the sake of humanity, came to pass because God is love.  There is no greater love than to sacrifice all for the sake of the “other”.  This is why all of us who call First Christian Church our home, no matter our age, wealth, or background, have a position to fill in the “family of faith.”  We must participate in the crucifixion, and in so doing we start to see humanity in one another and act with no care for self.

Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.      

- Jesus of Nazareth

Grace,
Pastor Ryan