Presby-Musings

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Where to Find Happiness

- September 22, 2023

One of the most challenging issues many of us face centers around happiness--where it comes from and how to find it. In fact, for some of us this very well might be the greatest challenge we face. Finding happiness and holding on to it has been one of the most difficult things I've had to deal with in my life, and I suspect I'm not alone in the way it has challenged me. For most of my life, I have sought happiness outside of myself. I believed I could find it in people or in things. The problem with this is that when the focus of our presumed happiness is outside of us rather than inside, it seldom lasts. And here's something else I've begun to figure out. When you place the burden of your happiness on others, they feel that burden. It can become so weighty that they find they can't bear it. The same goes for the things we seek happiness through, like work, success, money, possessions, and even religion. The shift from looking outside for happiness to lo

The Tenderness of Pain

- September 21, 2023

I like having a plan. Nothing is more satisfying than making plans, having all the details sorted out, knowing what will happen, seeing it happen, and then celebrating that the plan was executed. It's not that I can't pivot and respond to unforeseen circumstances, mind you. But usually, I've already thought of most of the unforeseen circumstances ahead of time and have at least formulated something of a contingency plan if the unforeseen becomes seen. Over the past few years, however, I've been learning what it means to live in the tension of uncertainty, even though I crave the exact opposite. The reason for this? Well, I've finally figured out that no amount of planning can account for the unexpected, and even when I think I've accounted for it, the unexpected always shows up. I have had more than a few times in my life when I had no idea what to do as I watched my well-thought-out plans go up in smoke. Sometimes, it's something minor, like a plan

The Truth About Loneliness

- September 20, 2023

In his book The Zen Monkey And The Lotus Flower, Tempa Yeshe tells the story of a lonely elephant who searches for others of his kind to find company. After a long journey, the elephant stops by a lake to rest. A wise turtle in the water asks him why he is so sad, and the elephant relates the tale of his loneliness and his company search. Then the turtle responds: "You have searched far and long, but you have not searched in your heart. Loneliness is not the absence of company, but the absence of connection. Connect with the world around you, with the trees, the water, the wind and the stars. Connect with yourself, your breath, your thoughts, your feelings. You will find that you are not truly alone. " The line from that quote that struck me was the one that reads: "Loneliness is not the absence of company, but the absence of connection." The clearest lesson I've had in recent memory regarding this concept of Loneliness was when I spent a week on a sil

Creating Space for The Creative

- September 19, 2023

I have been reading The Creative Act by legendary music producer Rick Rubin, and I am finding so much wisdom in the book that I thought I would share some of what I'm learning. Rick Rubin has produced albums from many artists over the years. His discography includes albums from Johnny Cash, Run-DMC, Beastie Boys, Slayer, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Neil Diamond. I saw an interview with him recently where the interviewer asked him about his skills in the recording studio, to which Rubin replied that he didn't have any. He admitted he couldn't run a soundboard, didn't know how to mix songs, and didn't know his way around too many instruments. And yet, he has produced some of the most iconic albums ever. Rubin modestly states, "I just know what I like." But there is much more to his artistry, as he reveals in his book: How do we pick up on a signal that can neither be heard nor be defined? The answer is not to look for it. Nor do we attempt to predi

Friends Who Tear Up Roofs For Us

- September 18, 2023

There's this story in the Gospel of Mark chapter 2 about a time when Jesus was teaching inside a house, and there were so many people in and around the house it was impossible to get near him. There was also a group of friends of a paralyzed man who decided to get their infirm friend to Jesus no matter how big the crowd was. They believed if they could, Jesus would heal him. So they tore open the roof of the house, digging through the dried mud and thatch to create an opening above Jesus, and then lowered their friend down through the hole. The Scripture says, "When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, 'Son, your sins are forgiven.'" After a brief dialogue with the religious leaders who took umbrage with Jesus' declaration that he could forgive sins, Jesus healed the man. The part of that story that I never really paid all that much attention to is the fact that Jesus chose to heal the man based on the faith of his friends. Their will

The Gospel According To Jesus - Week Seven: "Forgive As You Have Been Forgiven"

- September 17, 2023

Today, we are continuing a sermon series that will take us through September as we explore the Gospel lectionary texts from Matthew. This sermon series will take us through some of the key teachings and lessons from the life of Jesus as recorded in Matthew’s Gospel—to hear the Good News directly from Jesus himself. Many people in our current culture claim to speak for Jesus, yet when you hold up what they are saying next to the actual words of Jesus, it doesn't add up. This is why it's important to go directly to the source and read Jesus's stories and teachings. If we are going to call ourselves Jesus-followers, it makes sense to know what he wanted us to do to follow him more fully. Today, we will explore a story that Jesus told about forgiveness and the nearly impossible standard he set. What are some things that you find hard to forgive? Here's a short list of things I have a hard time forgiving... 1. People who call a store to ask questions as I am sta

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