Ring them bells, ye heathen from the city that dreams. Ring them bells from the sanctuaries cross the valleys and streams.

Is it possible this si the first time I'm quoting Bob Dylan? Probably the greatest lyricist of all time, if not the best singer, I present my first quoting of Dylan; from his song Ring Them Bells. Click the title to visit his site.

For some reason this story was in my head all day.

This Pastor that I know was the guest preacher at a church in Southern Indiana one Sunday. The service was going smoothly, his sermon was well recieved, but after the sermon the congregation stood and the janitor rang the church bell three times, before they said the Lord's Prayer together. He recalled how choppy this moment was, they had to stand in silence while this ancient janitor rang this even older bell and the echo dissipated in the small sanctuary only when they communally recited the prayer together. When they were done the service continued, but he was still a little unsure about why the dramatics were neccessary. He was greeted by the church as they left and asked to come again soon. A few months later he was called to fill in again for them and came willingly back to speak. Again the service went well and his message well recieved, yet again, just as before the whole congregation stood and waited in silence for the bell to be rung three times. Again the minister thought this was an unfortunate tradition as it distracted from the service. This time, when the church people came up to thank him he began to ask him why they had the bell ringing in the midst of their service, and it seemed none knew, until a white-haired old lady stepped up and told the story of the church bell. The church had been founded by a few farming families, and while they thought worship was important, many Sundays there was work to do in the fields, so they came up with a plan. Before the congregation spoke the Lord's Prayer together they would ring the church bell, so that any members who happened to be at work could pause for a moment and say the prayer with them. The church had rung its bell every Sunday three times for 126 years. The Pastor thought the story was a beautiful tale of community and tradition, but noticed that many of the other church members seemed just as surprised as he was to learn the orign of the tradition.

Now here is the moral of the story....
There is great beauty in tradition most often, and once explained, many of our rituals are deeper and more than they appear. But if we fail to tell the story or ask the question why, we are simply reenacting empty habits of formerly meaningful traditions. It's in the sharing of why that we find beauty and transcend distraction.

So don't forget to share the stories.
And don't ever forget to ask the question.

Don't you know I'm still standing better than I ever did.

Again, the title/lyric is a bit obvious, but it's late. Click the link to read an article about Elton John, the singer of these words in his hit I'm Still Standing.

Got this one in just under the wire...

THE WEEKLY INAPPROPRIATE CHURCH SIGN

Imagine going to a church that had a sense of humor AND was encouraging of others...


You think he came back for four?

You're in control, is there anywhere you wanna go? You're in control, is there anything you wanna know? The future's for dicovering...

The title today is a Coldplay lyric, from their X & Y album, entitled Square One. The album is great, this song is great, check out their website by clicking the title. It's...pretty great.

Haven't posted in a while. here's largely why...

Dear youth, members, and consistory of First United Church of Christ,

I am someone whose life has been spent planting for another day’s harvest. I am one who has been fed by love and the reflected power of the potential of young men and women. For this call and for these moments I will always hold First United Church of Christ, especially “my kids” close to my heart. I will be carrying the lessons learned within the walls at 301 West Cherry Street and with its members for the rest of my ministry and my life. I have also tried always to instill in the youth I have worked with a strong sense that God does call us to serve, in often unknown and foreign places. Had you said I would be living in Bluffton, Indiana through my twenties I’d have doubted it. Listening to God’s call is what led me here, to this church and you people. It is too, what now leads me away.

I’ve known this day was coming since October 1, 2001 and I’ve been mourning it almost since. We’ve all known this day was coming soon and even announced it to ourselves, but yet this moment carries so much more than I ever anticipated. I am hereby resigning as Director of Christian Education/Youth Ministry. My last Sunday will be August 6, 2006.

The most a man can do serving a church as Youth Director is inspire the youth to follow their heart, rely on their faith, and trust that God will be with them. I have challenged the kids of this church, and I suspect some of the grownups too, to have a deep faith that they can articulate, share, and validate through their own Biblical interpretation. I have asked the kids always to be themselves and have faith that God created them, sustains them, and speaks to them even now. If I am relying on my own faith, if I am being my truest self, and if I am listening to what God is speaking to me I must now depart this lovely church on West Cherry Street in Bluffton.

I wish I could tell you what it is I plan on doing then. I can not. I wish that I could tell you that I think I’ll find something better. I do not. I wish that I could even say that I’ve done all I can do here. I have not. I am glad I’ve gotten to see the storm clouds dissipate. I’m glad I’ve gotten to see this church begin to heal and confront its own calls to serve. I look forward to seeing more of this in the next few months. But as I look ahead at where you are going and where I find my interests shifting I am struck with the clear reality that I feel no longer called to serve the church family here at First. I am ready for the next adventure. Even then, it is not an easy decision to make, but if I’m living up to the very lessons I’ve tried to teach, I must listen to these new whisperings of my future calls.

There are opportunities on the horizon that I may explore. But July-November cast many doubts on the paths I’d laid out for the future. Perhaps Seminary awaits and perhaps not. Perhaps I belong in the UCC and perhaps not. I feel I can’t make these decisions in the midst of guiding the Youth Ministry any further. And there is another level this program could reach. I remain committed to your kids and will gladly serve as counselor to them via phone or email when and where appropriate. I will look forward to being their Camp Director if they return to Merom in the summers. It is time now that I as an individual called by God and you as a church family called by God, take the paths God has prepared us.

I will be ever grateful for this amazing opportunity. I am humbled at the deep sense in me that my time here has mattered. I will always be praying for your success and happiness. To the almost seventy of you aged 3-21 that I had the privilege of serving as Youth Pastor to I must say something extra; your friendship and love has lifted me up, will lift me up, and will remain what makes this not just a building but a church family to me. You are saints already and I have faith that you will lead lives that show us all how to be better disciples of Jesus Christ. Know that you will always have a friend, an ally, a fan, and a better man to call upon for having spent this time with you here.

With deepest humility and gratitude,

J.D. Rose