Dear Hyde Park Family,

We are now in graduation season here in the Tampa Bay area, as we celebrate high school seniors embarking on an exciting and unfolding future. We will be honoring our seniors this Sunday in worship, as well as praying for graduating students at every level of education.

Yesterday I re-read a passage from Jeremiah that I have often turned to in times of transition and unsettledness in my life, which I also commended to Grace and Madelyn during their own recent graduations from high school:

“The Lord proclaims: Stop at the crossroads and look around; ask for the ancient paths. Where is the good way? Then walk in it and find a resting place for yourselves.” (Jeremiah 6:16)

Addressing the Israelite exiles, who were at a significant crossroads of change and uncertainty, Jeremiah called them to look for the “ancient paths” and the “good way.” He encouraged them to lean into the values and principles that formed them and were imparted by their ancestors.

In that spirit, I offer these words of guidance to our graduates:

• Look for the ancient paths. Remember the way integrity and obedience to God. Follow the path charted by all those who entrusted the faith to you, and you will always find “a resting place for yourselves.”

• Cultivate the qualities of empathy, curiosity, and humility. These three will serve you well as you meet new people, navigate new challenges, and become a better human being.

• Orient your life toward generosity and compassion toward others and toward yourself. Remember how the most important adults in your life demonstrated those qualities for you.

• Enjoy the discovery of who you are, and who you are not.

• Know that a life of independence will mean you can make many of your own choices, which means dealing with your own consequences.

• Remember that sometimes the most important lessons will only be learned in the hardest of ways. You will succeed at times, and sometimes you will fail. You will gain great knowledge, as well as learn the limits of your understanding. You will sometimes come up short, even if you do all the right things.

• Remember that you will never be alone. Your family and friends will cheer you on. You have a church that will be praying for you over the months to come and will always be a spiritual home that will welcome you back.

• Recognize that your parents will be changing, too. They will be navigating a new kind of parenthood, shifting toward becoming more of your mentor, coach, and adviser. Give them grace, as they do the best they can.

• Most of all, hold on to your faith. God began a good work in you from the moment you were born. As you stay faithful to your spiritual roots, you will discover God’s fruit born in and through you in ways you cannot imagine.

Friends, our future is bright because of these rising generations of young people. Born in the shadow of 9/11, raised during a major recession, educated during a global pandemic, and joining in the great social and political challenges of our day, their resilience and determination can give us hope. We pray for them and give thanks for the difference they will make in the world.

Happy Graduation!

Magrey

Dear Hyde Park Family,

In preparation for this Sunday, when we celebrate and honor the mothers and mother figures in our lives, here is a reprise of a prayer for Mother’s Day that I first offered years ago. May it guide us into a deeper appreciation for these special persons, and reflect on the character of God, who is like a mother to us all.

A MOTHER’S DAY PRAYER

God of Provision and Unconditional Love,

On this day when we acknowledge the importance of motherhood among us, we first give thanks that you are a loving parent to us all. From your being all life was born, and from your bosom all creation is nurtured. You have formed us in your image as your children, and gathered us together as a brood under your wing. You have united us as kindred members of one human family, and we celebrate how your love is reflected in human expressions of motherhood.

We give you thanks for the mothers among us, and ask that you strengthen them in their daily tasks. Grant them wisdom in the lessons they teach, both by word and example. Give them patience in the discipline they provide, and persistence in their daily labors. May they be given the honor and thanks they deserve but often do not receive.

We thank you for all mother figures: grandmothers, aunts, sisters, wives, step-mothers, foster mothers, guardians, babysitters, teachers, neighbors, and friends, who practice self-sacrifice and compassion to all within their influence. Grant them vigor and satisfaction in their work.  

We acknowledge, God, that even amid our grateful celebration, many of us come with restless spirits, reluctant to name the difficulties of this day.

For some, this day brings the sorrowful awareness of their own inability to conceive biological children. Draw your spirit near their feelings of self-betrayal and grief, and remind them that those who struggle with infertility have always shared a special place in your heart. We pray for those who have suffered miscarriages, those fatigued by fertility treatments, and those struggling through the process of adoption. May they remember that in your power and through your church, they can still leave a lasting legacy beyond themselves.

For some, this day is marked by loneliness and grief, as they spend this first Mother’s Day as a widower, an orphan, or a parent who has lost a child. To those who live in the wake of the death of a loved one, grant glimpses of the resurrection. Bring to them a steady restoration of their broken hearts, allow them to live into their future with hope, and empower them to carry out the legacy of lessons instilled within them.

For some, this is a day that surfaces ongoing tensions that exist within our own families. We ask for healing from the wounds of our past, a path of forgiveness for wrongs both experienced and committed, and the rebuilding of trust forged in honesty, authenticity, and love.

We give you thanks for the wide spectrum of motherhood represented among us today: new mothers and young mothers whose children are in their most tender years; mothers of grown children who transition into empty nests and a new chapter of self-discovery; mothers and grandmothers of advanced years, whose twilight of life is marked by frailty of body but a potency of spirit. Theirs is a cumulative reminder that though our lives are marked by transition and change, your nurture and affection for all your children remains the same.

God, remind us to live with a child-like faith, curious to every wondrous mystery, attentive to your every instruction, obedient to your every command, and willing to share with every one of your children. We give you thanks, O God, who is a loving Mother and Father to us all, and in whose name we pray,

Amen.

Dear Hyde Park Family,

There is a legend that someone once asked Ernest Hemingway to write a story using only six words. His response? “For sale: Baby shoes. Never worn.” Since then, the idea of a “Six-Word Story” has grown in popularity. One article defines it as “a short narrative that can have all of the emotional themes of longer stories—from funny to dramatic, sad to scary …. They have a subject and verb that give the reader a sense of what’s happened and a bit of conflict.”

Scan the internet for examples, and you’ll find lots of gems, from the funny (“Won food fight. Used canned vegetables.”) to the sorrowful (“The smallest coffins are the heaviest.”) to the poignant. (“He died happy, knowing he lived.”)

But did you know that the original six-word story, the most important in history, first coined two-thousand years ago, is in the Bible?

It is a simple, clear narrative that appears fourteen times in the gospels, in Acts, and in Paul’s letters:

“God raised Jesus from the dead.”

That’s it. That was Christianity in a nutshell over the first centuries of the church. When the first Christians gathered in house churches to worship, this was their creed. The resurrection was the central feature of the faith, and this six-word story reminded them that just as Jesus died a real death, he was brought back to real life.

And the most important part of that story is this: Jesus did not raise himself.

To put this six-word story in grammatical terms, Jesus was the direct object, not the subject. God did the raising; Jesus did the receiving. Of course, we can split theological hairs remembering that God the Father and God the Son are one in the same, so that technically, God did in fact rise from the dead.

But let’s not miss this important point: We cannot raise ourselves, either. God does the resurrecting, not us. We cannot rise on our own; we need the power of God to raise us to new life.

See you Sunday!

Magrey

Dear Hyde Park Pilgrims,

Don’t finish what you can’t start.

That’s a twist on the classic cliché, but it is sage advice for our tendency to jump quickly to Easter without moving through the Passion. Our stores are stocked with plastic grass and chocolate bunnies, yet you’d be hard-pressed to find a Maundy Thursday gift basket or a Good Friday greeting card.

It’s emblematic of a culture that wants the reward without the discipline, the quick fix without the sacrifice, the finish, without the start.

That’s why Palm Sunday is so important. It offers a formal invitation into a week of discipline and darkness that we would rather ignore. But such avoidance turns the empty tomb into an empty victory. As my seminary theology professor frequently asked: “If Jesus is the answer, then what was the question?”

If Easter is a day of victory, then what has been defeated?

The gospel’s answer to that question is found in the stories of Holy Week. After Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem:

• He cursed a fig tree for not being fruitful.
• He emptied the temple of self-serving moneychangers.
• He confronted religious leaders who questioned his authority.
• He challenged notions of financial stewardship by praising a poor widow.
• He warned his followers of imminent persecution and called them to vigilance.

And that’s before we even get to Maundy Thursday, before we enter the upper room. If we have any inclination to jump ahead to Easter morning, the Bible proclaims, “Not so fast. You’re not ready. There is much you need to hear.”

It’s captured in the words of Medieval mystic Thomas a Kempis:

“There will always be many who love Christ’s heavenly Kingdom, but few who will bear his cross. Jesus has many who desire consolation, but few who care for adversity. He finds many to share his table, but few who will join him in fasting. Many are eager to be happy with him; few wish to suffer anything for him. Many will follow him as far as the breaking of bread, but few will remain to drink from his passion. Many are awed by his miracles, few accept the shame of his cross.

If you want to experience a truly powerful, meaningful Easter finish, then start the journey this Sunday with humility, repentance, and obedience to God. Remember your membership vows and use Holy Week as a time for spiritual renewal.

• Offer God your Prayers of praise, confession, gratitude, and intercession for others.
• Worship God with your Presence, with less a need to be entertained and more a desire to glorify God.
• Present God your Gifts, not for your own benefit, but for the work of God’s Kingdom.
• Pledge to God your Service, knowing that your only reward may be a cross.
• Honor God with your Witness to others, inviting them to experience God’s love with you.

At the very least, I invite you to join us for all of Holy Week, not just for Easter morning. Allow the services of Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday to stir your conscience and call you to discipleship. For the full schedule of Holy Week, click here. Be sure to sign up to serve in hospitality on Easter morning. And invite others to join you in services all week long.

Through scripture, sacrament, and solemn ritual, let’s experience the drama, passion, and power of the week that turned the world upside-down.

See you at the starting line!

Magrey

Dear Hyde Park Family,

Last Sunday morning, I spent the 9:30 hour with about thirty of our seventh-grade confirmation students, to walk them through a rehearsal for our Confirmation Service on April 24. I also spent time with the entire youth group, for a special Pastor’s Q&A with our teens.

You would be amazed by the earnest and deeply reflective questions our youth are asking about Jesus, the Bible, and the Christian faith. I knew of a few of their questions in advance:

• Why do bad things happen to good people?
• What is it going to be like when I die?
• I understand God, I understand Jesus, but I do not understand the Holy Spirit. Can you help me understand it more?

And then there were the questions that they asked spontaneously, in real time, straight from their hearts:

• What do we do with all the violence in the Bible?
• What do we do with all the contradictions within the Bible?
• How can we make sure we don’t use the Bible to justify hate?

I walked away from my time with the youth group full of gratitude for the faithful way our kids ask hard questions about the faith. I am also grateful to be serving a church which creates an environment where our children feel safe to ask those questions, without fear of being judged or shunned. The great 20th century missionary Elisabeth Elliot said, “Faith does not eliminate questions. But faith knows where to take them.”

I give thanks for the amazing adult confirmation facilitators, youth group volunteers, and staffers Katherine Cosmas and John Barolo for reminding our youth each week that in this church, our faith can handle the questions that they carry with them.

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL!

And then, throughout the morning, I watched as our children’s ministry staff and volunteers were joyfully promoting our upcoming Vacation Bible School, taking place June 27-30, 9 a.m. to noon. Registration is now open to members of our church, and to the general public next Monday.

More importantly, I encourage you to consider volunteering for Vacation Bible School this year. There is an open volunteer slot for VBS with your name on it, just waiting for you to say yes! Even if you have never volunteered for VBS before, and even if you never thought you could do children’s ministry, you can be trained and resourced with all that you need to make a huge difference in the life of a child. Click here to inquire about ways to serve.

Together, let us continue to provide a safe, warm, and joyful place for our children and youth to grow, learn, and most importantly, ask questions without fear.

Grace and Peace,

Magrey

Dear Lenten Pilgrims,

In March 2010, during a family trip to Paris, we visited the Rodin Museum, featuring the work of the great sculptor Auguste Rodin. We saw his most famous sculpture, The Thinker, along with many other amazing works.

In contrast to the smooth finish and polished marble of the Greco-Roman statues we saw at the Louvre, Rodin’s pieces are raw and rough, with the appearance of weight and gravitas that portray his view of the human condition. To be human, for Rodin, was not to be light and perfect, but to be encumbered by frailty and struggle.

The most moving example of this quality is his sculpture of The Prodigal Son, whose story is our scripture passage in worship this Sunday:

Notice dark and heavy it appears, much like the story itself. The man is on his knees, his body anchored into the ground, weighted down by life, unable to move. Yet he still reaches upward, his arms extended in a sweeping, soaring arc of repentance and desperation, hoping and longing for some way – and some one – to get him out of his mess. His right hand is open, begging, pleading for a blessing and a second chance. But the other hand is clenched, a fistful of anger and bitterness at his lot in life.

PRAYING AS THE PRODIGAL

Over the next few days, I invite you to prayerfully prepare for worship by pondering how you are like the prodigal right now. In what ways are you both open-handed and clench-fisted? How are we both beggars for a blessing, while also bitter at life? Longing for mercy, while angry at our situation? How do you feel stuck, yet still able to reach up and reach out for the love and mercy of God?

As part of your prayerful meditation, consider this beautiful poem by the great nineteenth century poet Christina Rosetti, told from the perspective of the prodigal at the lowest point of his despair:

A Prodigal Son

by Christina Rossetti

Does that lamp still burn in my Father’s house,

Which he kindled the night I went away?

I turned once beneath the cedar boughs,

And marked it gleam with a golden ray;

Did he think to light me home some day?

Hungry here with the crunching swine,

Hungry harvest have I to reap;

In a dream I count my Father’s kine,

I hear the tinkling bells of his sheep,

I watch his lambs that browse and leap.

There is plenty of bread at home,

His servants have bread enough and to spare;

The purple wine-fat froths with foam,

Oil and spices make sweet the air,

While I perish hungry and bare.

Rich and blessed those servants, rather

Than I who see not my Father’s face!

I will arise and go to my Father:–

“Fallen from sonship, beggared of grace,

Grant me, Father, a servant’s place.”

Join us Sunday as we explore the beauty and power of this important parable, and experience the grace, love, and forgiveness of God, freely given to you.

Grace and Peace,

Magrey

Dear Hyde Park Family,

         Last week, I returned from spending a few days in San Diego, where my older daughter Grace is a junior at San Diego State. My younger daughter Madelyn flew over from Washington, D.C., giving the three of us a fun time to reconnect.

         One day, Maddy and I decided to hike up Cowles Mountain, the highest elevation in San Diego County. It is a 1.5-mile trail that ascends 940 feet above sea level. By the time we got to the top, our smart watches told us we climbed the equivalent of 62 flights of stairs. Though the trail was clearly marked, it was filled with stony, uneven terrain, making for a cautious hike the entire way up. Here is a picture of one of the steep, rocky inclines:

         Along the 45-minute walk up, there was a lot of time to ponder. And that meant time for this preacher to connect the hike with the experiences of life.

UPHILL AND DOWNHILL MOMENTS

         Life is filled with highs and lows, mountains to climb and valleys to descend. We’ve all experienced both. Uphill climbs are hard, as we navigate steep grades of struggle and suffering, and every step is a challenge. You may be going through such a time now.

Then we have better moments, over the top moments, when life feels like a downhill cruise full of freedom and joy.

But here’s the thing: often, it feels like both at the same time. Most moments can feel like an indistinguishable combination of both highs and lows. Struggling in some areas, liberated in others. That may be where you are right now, uphill and downhill, all at once.

And maybe that ambiguity is okay. Both the uphill and downhill moments offer us spiritual wisdom.

GRACE IN THE UPHILL

         As I climbed Cowles Mountain, it was obvious what a chore it was. My legs burned, my feet became sore, my back and shoulders began to ache. But because each step was treacherous, the uphill climb forced me to slow my pace, walk with intentionality, and be more mindful of each moment.

Uphill climbs, as hard as they are, prompt keener awareness, focus and clarity, and a greater appreciation of sites we might otherwise speed past.  You also exercise muscles that can be made stronger for the long haul. Going uphill might seem laborious, but it has its redemptive qualities.  It is tough, but it is good. 

GRACE IN THE DOWNHILL

       Walking downhill was a different story altogether! There was greater enthusiasm and energy, as Maddy and I believed that the worst was over. Our pace quickened; each step felt lighter.

But we discovered that going downhill also has its challenges. The walk might have felt easier, but the need to focus was even greater. We had to watch our feet to avoid even a slight misstep that could lead to a tumble. The wear of Maddy’s soles was more noticeable, and she slipped much more often going down than on the way up. At one point, she mused, “I think gravity can be both friend and foe.”

Downhill moments might feel more joyful, but they still require awareness. We have to be even more mindful of slowing down when life is going well, so that we can savor and be present to each moment. 

GRACE IN EVERY MOMENT

         There is both grace and caution in every moment of life, whether it is an incline, a decline, or most often, a combination of the two. We discover that a secret to a grounded life, one that is centered in Christ, is one that refrains from letting our highs get too high, or our lows from getting too low. Each moment brings reasons for gratitude, discipline, reflection, patience, and joy.

         By the time Maddy and I got down the hill and headed for our car, there was relief and a sense of pride in our accomplishment. There was also gratitude that we were able to experience it together, and that neither of us were alone.

         And neither are you.

Grace and Peace,

Magrey

Dear Lenten Pilgrims,

Five years ago, I wrote a Midweek Message titled “Ten Other Things You Might Give Up for Lent,” which was subsequently picked up and published by Ministry Matters, our denomination’s online publication. You may wish to refer back to it as a guide for your Lenten journey.

This year, I’ve decided to add to that list, with three more aspects of life that you might choose to surrender over to God:

Give Up Negative Self Talk

We all tend to be our own worst critics, and there is nothing inherently wrong with identifying ways to improve. But there comes a point when self-motivation can drift into self-mutilation, and you need to offer grace to yourself. Identify the triggers that get you wandering toward self-negativity, and before you go too far, remember that you are fearfully and wonderfully made, and deeply loved by God. (Psalm 139:14)

Give Up Confirmation Bias

Whether we realize it or not, we each have implicit biases that govern the way we seek, process, and internalize information that confirms our prior beliefs and values. There may come a point where such confirmation bias insulates us from an awareness of and appreciation for a diversity of perspectives, and diminishes our capacity for empathy and the possibility of reconciliation. Adopt a mindset of openness to opinions that are not your own, so long as those opinions are not harmful to others. Diversify the sources from which you get your information. Assume a posture of humility, curiosity, and empathy in your conversations with others. (1 Corinthians 3:1-9)

Give Up Your Fear of Taking the Next Step

We would all prefer our lives to have more certainty and less ambiguity. We would love to have our future paths brightly illuminated and unmistakably clear. But God doesn’t always guide us in this way. What we have, most of the time, is just enough clarity to take the step that is before us, without knowing what next step is beyond that. As hard as it is to live this way, this is how we develop trust and obedience in our relationship with God. Take things one step at a time, at God’s pace, in God’s direction. Over time, you will discover that self-surrender – and not self-reliance – will move you into the bright future God intends for you. (Proverbs 3:5-6)  

Grace and Peace,

Magrey