'What and Why'

The story’s been told – I’m sure at some have heard this:

A Mother and young daughter were busy in the kitchen preparing the food for the holiday meal. The mother asked the daughter to get the ham out of the refrigerator and the knife from the drawer. The mother cut the end off the ham, placed it in the roasting pan, and then, as she opened the oven door to begin the cooking, the young girl gave her mother a quizzical look and asked, “Why did you cut the end off the ham like that?” The mother replied, “for as long as I can remember, I saw that your grandma cut the end off the ham; I guess I never really thought about it. But, I don’t know. Let me call you grandma and find out.”

She made the phone call to her mom, explaining the situation and the question ‘Why do we cut the end off the ham before it goes in the roasting pan?’ To which the mom (grandma) replied, “Uh, I don’t know why. As far back as I can remember I’ve helped my mother prepare the ham and she always cut the end off, but I guess I never really knew why.”

As the family gathered for their holiday meal, the opportunity to ask the great grandmother the unanswered question, “Why do we cut the end off the ham before putting it in to be roasted?” to which she responded – “I don’t know why you do it, but I cut the end off the ham so it would fit in my roasting pan.”

A humorous look at a dynamic of passing along family traditions, from one generation to the next – and a realization that in addition to question of ‘what’ (what traditions, rituals, where do we spend the summers, where do we vacation, how do we pay bills) it’s also important, if we are to pass on a fuller sense of the family tradition, the question of ‘why’ must be entertained for sure.

And so is the function of a well-put together Christian Education program in any church: entertaining both the ‘What’ and the ‘Why’ questions. Christian Education – in passing our Christian traditions, ritual (our faith) along to the coming generations – engages the question of ‘What.’ What do we believe? What are the stories in the Bible? What does God expect of humanity? What happened 2000years ago that changed how we understand the nature of power? What happened when God Spoke? (What happens when God Speaks?) These, and more, are all questions that some people have entertained in Sunday school as they were growing up? Others, as they have come to the Christian faith have learned to answer these question. As we meet for Bible study – sometimes it’s the ‘What’ questions that we stop to ponder.

And so addressing ‘What’ the Bible says – we learn within these sacred texts history, and poetry; we hear God saying ‘Thou shalt not’ and we hear God also saying ‘Thou Shall Do;” we hear the Word of God indicting humanity for a prideful arrogance and see that arrogance played out in the course of the history of the people; we read of the people’s humble reliance upon their (our) redeemer and note the restful shalom the people are invited to enjoy.

The ‘What’ questions are integral questions that help give shape to a community, but in many ways the ‘What’ questions relegate the story to the past. It’s in asking the ‘Why’ questions that we engage the story and allow it to find a fuller meaning in our lives in the here and now; ‘why’ did God create light on the first day, but it was Day 4 that the sun, moon, and stars were created? Why did God give us these specific 10 commandments? Why is God so concerned with the widows, orphans, resident aliens? Why was Christ born in such a slowly state? (Should be noted that another way of phrasing the ‘Why’ questions is by asking ‘what is the significance of {or meaning of} or even by asking ‘Why is this important?) However we ask the ‘Why’ questions – it’s in the asking of them that we are able to enter into the historical events, the parable teachings, the poetic meditations.

The ‘What’ questions seem to be less difficult that they ‘Why’; more often than not, it’s in asking ‘why’ that we find ourselves wrestling with the answers, grappling with what we think the meaning should be, yet finding significance we’d not previously observed. As Jacob wrestled with God and (in addition to his bum hip) he received blessing of newly revealed name and purpose in his life. Maybe the hip thing was a small price to pay; but then again, ???

As we endeavor to find ways of bringing depth of knowledge, meaning and participation through our Christian Education program, I invite your prayers, your encouragement, your participating questions of ‘What’ and ‘Why.’ As we take seriously the challenge before us to better understand the ‘what’ and ‘why’ of God’s claim upon our lives, generations following in our footsteps will be lead and encouraged to do likewise: take seriously God’s calling to be stewards of the God’s gift of creation, to be disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ, and embody power perfected through servant leadership. As we wrestle with our faith, may God bless you.

Draft of Stewardship Letter

In seasons past, you have found a copy of a budget (either a ‘Line-item’ or ‘Narrative’) accompanying the yearly ‘Stewardship Letter.’ Using either of the two documents, you’ve been asked to consider the financial needs of 1^st Presbyterian Church of Phoenix as you made your financial plans and commitments for the coming year, and you’ve been encouraged to give generously. This year, in anticipation of 2011, you are invited to consider something quite different: your own particular needs.

This invitation is not intended to be an exercise to assess how much you’ll be able to give the church, whether the particular financial situation you face at home can be flexed to free up some additional financial contributions, or whether the increased expenses and decreased income translates to less contribution in the offering plate for 2011. It is intended to be a reflection, a meditation, a prayerful consideration of your needs: your need to give.

There are many reasons why we give; there are just as many (if not more) ways to give. We can give of our time; we can share the talents, gifts, skills, and abilities with which we have been blessed, and all for the greater glory of God. We can (and do) give to medical research, to charity organizations, to philanthropic causes, to the person standing on the street corner. We can (and do) give to those organizations and causes that impact our lives, help make us better, seek to make the world a better place to live. We give so that people whose lives have been uprooted by tragedy need not be swallowed up by despair; we give so others will know they are not alone. We are a giving people, and the truth is, it feels good to give.

Why does it feel good to give? Because that’s the way we’re internally hard-wired. In creating humanity in God’s own image, God imbued humanity with the best of the Divine’s traits: the capacity to Love, willingness to be in relation with others, and desire to do all things with a generous spirit.

Another way of speaking to purpose is to imagine a cup. The intent of cup is not simply to be full, where it may sit on a table or on a shelf with contents near to spilling over the rim, but to be filled, and then drained, to be filled, and once more drained with the anticipation of being filled yet again. That is the intent and purpose of a cup.

Similarly, God blesses generously; God fills to overflowing, not that we should ever be satisfied or content with just being full, but that we should be fulfilled in living into our purpose by allowing God’s abundance to joyfully flow through our God-created lives. It’s joy we can experience as we render to God from the abundance that God has given us.

In this season of giving thanks for the promise of Life that God shares, you are invited to prayerfully consider the joy with which you will share God’s blessings in the coming year and into the years to come.