Strength for the Season by Andrew Fairfield

Dear friends,

I hope this finds each of you in high spirits and peak health, but if your December has been anything like mine then you may be feeling a bit run down right about now. The holidays are certainly a wonderful time but they can also be a lot of work -- ever feel like you need a vacation after coming back from vacation? Not to mention those of us who are battling illness or dealing with conflicts… for many people, “the happiest time of the year” can be pretty rough!

So I came to this week’s lectionary scriptures looking for something to bolster and empower, and my eye fell on Romans 16:25-27, Paul’s final words to the church in Rome. It’s a prayer of praise - giving glory to God - but you have to fight your way through three verses of Paul’s famous word salad to figure that out. In fact, it took me a good long while to figure out that Paul is offering praise for how God strengthens us, individually and as a church.

We are strengthened, says Paul, by four things: By the good news shared by Paul; by the teachings of Jesus the Messiah; by the revelation of a mystery (presumably the mystery of God’s self-sacrificing love); and by the command of God. 
How do we know God will have our backs, will be with us even when we are bent out of shape by stress or fear or frustration? Because we know the story of Jesus and we have seen that story replayed in our own lives: God is on the side of those who suffer. 

So in the midst of your celebrations and feasts, don’t forget to remember the brokenhearted. And if a low moment comes to you, too, try to pause and let yourself feel the Lord there with you in a special way. Such moments are an opportunity to remember the deep wellspring of strength that lies buried in each of our hearts because we are acquainted with Emmanuel, God With Us. 

God’s strength be with you this and every day,
Andrew

Bright Sunshiny Day by Andrew Fairfield

Dear friends,

What a clear, beautiful day after the swirling, bitter cold. There was a point last night when it seemed like the snow would blow forever. You’d think that after a decade or two of riding the ups and downs of life we’d finally get used to how quickly and profoundly things can change, but there’s always that part of us which still thinks that whatever we’re experiencing at the moment is all that matters.

But no darkness lasts forever, and when things change it can be with wonderful speed. I thank God for the moment of national repentance that we are passing through with the #MeToo movement, a movement begun ten years ago to help lower income women of color band together and deflect the shame of sexual exploitation and harassment from them and back onto the perpetrators. Now their courage and hard work are paying off for our whole society as the silent plague of daily harassment is lifted in one workplace after another.

1 Thessalonians 5:20-22 says “Do not despise the words of prophets, but test everything; hold fast to what is good, abstain from every form of evil.” We have heeded the Apostle Paul’s words; we have finally listened to some of our prophets.

But just as the blue skies and bright sun today won’t last forever, this moment of clarity is already under threat by a backlash. Some of the backlash is reasonable; yes, we don’t want a humorless world, nor one where single people aren’t free to flirt. And of course we have to be wary of false accusations, as always. However, the vast majority of the backlash against #MeToo is a plain attempt to go back to the old ways of silence, complicity, and constant abuse.

Just because the night is coming doesn’t mean we have to meet it unprepared. We can do work in the day that will make a permanent difference, no matter how bad things get. Certainly there’s reason to hope that #MeToo has produced a lasting change in what we consider acceptable behavior. As the Apostle says,

"May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The warm rays of God’s truth be with all of you this week,
Andrew

Finding God's Fight by Andrew Fairfield

Dear friends,

It’s been almost two weeks since I promised to follow up on your brainstorming about how to effectively fight, using the weapons of Christ, for the coming of God’s Kingdom. In particular, I challenged all of us to look for ways to put our money where our mouth is, to think about how we can use economic action like strikes and boycotts to put backbone in our symbolic and spiritual acts, our protests and prayers.

I’m glad that I waited to hear Sam’s message last week on “Embracing the Messiness of Peacemaking” before getting back to you because her message is an important part of this; as you may have found if you tried to research the issues that God has placed on your heart, this stuff does get messy fast. As soon as you start talking about using money to pursue justice you step into muddy, muddy waters.

We’ve got to accept that. Mistakes will be made and barriers encountered, but we muddle along and do our best because for those walking in Christ’s way doing nothing in the face of so much suffering and destruction is impossible. Of course we try to find as much clarity as we can, and one good way to do that is to look at local issues and local power players, to call for local action.

So what have you seen? What do you know? It doesn’t have to directly relate to preventing warfare, although of course that is a hugely important concern. Is there a gas station famous for ignoring its leaking fuel tanks? Is there a hospital famous for overcharging and hidden costs? Is there a nursing home where people are mistreated? I invite you to reply to this email with your knowledge and your concerns. Together we can make a difference here in the New River Valley. If we find the right tipping point, if God is with us, even a small stone can start an avalanche.

May God bless us with the awareness and the eagerness to be that small stone.

God’s peace be with and through you all,
Andrew

Readiness for Trouble by Andrew Fairfield

Dear friends,

This week has been a doozy for me. Monday started with a long and uneventful drive up to Pennsylvania where Mennonite Church USA got together a group of half a dozen of us new pastors to receive some training,  some education, and a lot of opportunities to get to know one another and provide mutual support over the course of 3 days. It was awesome.

And then on the way back, my car broke down. Everything’s fine now, I was able to get a tow and a fix, and after a mere 24 hours got back on the road, but that uncertainty, when you don’t know how severe the problem is, how much it will cost to fix (IF it can be fixed), who to call, what to do, the uncertainty chews at you. You’re alone, in the dark, by the side of the road (and it doesn’t help if your phone is out of power). You feel the stress of the situation threatening your heart, putting pressure on your mind, throwing you off balance and making it easy to become paralyzed or make poor decisions. You feel blinded.

I was blessed and sheltered by God in ways I could never have asked for, and still I felt that pressure: I broke down 15 miles north of Harrisonburg, where I have friends and family aplenty. The tow truck driver was willing to trust me and bill my credit card in the morning after their office opened back up. God accompanied me in so many ways, most visibly in the face and hands of a rest stop attendant who shared openly about his incredibly rough past while showing me all kindness and care, helping me get clarity on what was wrong (serpentine belt fell off) and helping me get in touch with repair shops.

And yet for all that, I still felt chaos knocking on the door. We do our best to prevent and prepare for these things, but even the most minor hiccup in our plans carries the potential to derail our fragile sense of security. This week’s passage from 1 Thessalonians talks about how we Christians, of all people, should know to expect bad days, and know to prepare for them.

But how? How do you expect the unexpected, prepare for the unpredictable? By digging deep wells of peace, by building one another up with strong bonds of friendship, by taking moments to open our eyes to God’s action. In a word, by abiding in Christ.

The new pastors’ meeting was that kind of preparation for me. My time with you in worship and fellowship is that kind of preparation for me. My time with scripture; my time with family; my time with Creation, all these things, stored up over time, allowed me to take each setback, each moment of uncertainty over the last two days, and put it in perspective. So here I am, attending to my weekly responsibilities-- a day or two late, to be sure, but all is well.

When the boat rocks, when the engine locks, let us remember that all will be well.

Blessings on all of you for the readiness you have given me,
Andrew

While We Were Gathered by Andrew Fairfield

Dear friends,

"Holiday Season" supposedly doesn't start for another few weeks, but I'm already seeing some Christmas decorations in stores. It's no wonder; Christmas is America's favorite holiday by far, and there are many people who want to get into the "Christmas Spirit" as soon as possible. It's a time of year when we tell stories about generosity and encourage one another to be kind and hospitable. What could be wrong with that?

Well, if you're looking for someone to tell you what's wrong, you never have to look farther than the words of the prophets, and this week's passage from Amos cuts right to the heart of why we often feel so upset with public displays of religion in America. 

Why would God say "I hate, I despise your festivals, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies"? Isn't it good to go to church? Isn't two months of holiday cheer better than none?

While we were gathered this past Sunday, 27 children of God were killed by a young man who should have seen himself as beloved and his 26 victims as family and friends. Instead he was, by all accounts, filled with petty hate and inspired by the supposed glory of taking human life. 

When a country filled with churches and obsessed with Christmas sees so much bloodshed and injustice, both here and around the world, I resonate with the grief and impatient fury felt by God and expressed by the prophet. How dare we as a nation claim God's favor? How dare we look forward to the Day of Reckoning? 

I don't think God really wants us to give up our festivals and our solemn assemblies. But I do think God wants us to keenly experience the divine grief and anger at violence and injustice that blossoms while we look the other way, and I think God wants us to do something about it. Let that holy fury make you strong and bold, make you stiff-necked and sure-footed in the fight for justice. Because without that fight, the Reason for the Season is just so much noise.

Blessings of fortifying fury and healing grief be with you all this week,
Andrew