Author: Pastor Cheryl Griffin

Hebrews 11:29-12:2    

10^thSunday After Pentecost

What do you know about your family tree?  In recent times, we have become fascinated with locating ourselves in our families and culture.  The movie Rootshelped to spark our interest in “finding ourselves.”  Technology has helped make it easier for us to track our lineage.[1] Companies like 23 and Me and Ancestryhave tested more than26 million people’s DNA to add to their family tree data base.[2]  Where we come from and who we come from is an integral part of who we are.  One of my husband’s relatives, Mary Lewis, searched their family tree.  We never knew what she found because she burned all her research.

Ancestry was significant to the writer of Hebrews.  [Frankly, he or she was a bit of a name dropper.]  Abel, Enoch and Noah, Abraham and Moses are mentioned as our ancestors by faith.  In our reading today, we hear of those who passed through the Red Sea, and of Rahab. Rahab was King David’s great, great grandmother and is named in Jesus’ family tree in the Gospel of Matthew.  Rahab helped in getting the Israelites to the promised land.   Betraying her people, she hid Joshua’s spies on her roof, and sent the king’s men in the opposite direction.

All from the book of Judges, the writer of Hebrews names Gideon, Barak, Samson, and Jephthah.  All were unlikely heroes.  On God’s instructions, Gideon defeated the Midianites. Jephthah led the Israelites to victory against the Ammonites. Our ancestors in the faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, quenched raging fires, won strength out of weakness.  Living by faith and through faith, they have made a difference.  So, who is your favorite saint?  Who showed you what faith looks like? Who encouraged and inspired you?

There’s a chance that your favorite saint is also your favorite sinner.  Our ancestors cited by Hebrews as examples of faith are also flawed. Rahab was engaged in the world’s oldest profession.  After completing his mission, Gideon had clothing made for himself out of gold. In exchange for his victory, Jephthah made a vow to sacrifice whoever would come out of the door of his house first.  His daughter was the first one out, and he kept his promise.

Going further than the list of people we are given, there is Peter, who was one of Jesus’ closest disciples, denied he even knew Jesus.  Paul, who had been known as Saul, was a relentless persecutor of those who followed Christ.  Peter, Paul, – and then there was Mary, of course…  Moving on, Judas, one of Jesus’ disciples, sold him out to those who wanted him dead.

These are not just the Bible’s stories, they are ours. We are participants in their stories, and in God’s.  God uses flawed people to speak and do those things that will help to accomplish God’s purposes. Particular to our Lutheran heritage, Martin Luther spoke sometimes using language that was rather earthy.  He was a fierce anti-Semitic.  The ELCA has issued a few apologies on his behalf.

When Mother Teresa’s letters were discovered, the world was shocked.  The deeply committed woman who was Jesus to the poor and dying in India was also full of doubt about God.  Her witness through her love and care of people continued despite her dark thoughts.

We see people giving witness to God’s goodness every day.  The nurse who cares for people at their worst, and still manages compassion and a smile.  The person holding the door open for someone struggling to walk.  Someone saying, “I’m sorry.”  Whenever we act out of love, that is through the Holy Spirit.  As is joy, peace, patience, kindness generosity, gentleness and self-control.  So it is faithfulness.[3]  Some days are better than others, though.  Just as Moses, and Rahab, and Paul were sinners and saints, so are we.

God uses broken people, cracked pots if you will, to bring God’s desires to life.  God uses us to do God’s work, even with all our shortcomings. (If you don’t think you have any shortcomings, just ask your partner.)   There is both comfort and hope that as flawed as we are, Jesus still works through us. We, along with those who have died in the faith, are the great cloud of witnesses.

Isn’t that a rich phrase, “great cloud of witnesses?”  The image of clouds conveys enfolding each other, being surrounded and held.  Each cloud is unique.  From a meteorological perspective, there are cirrus, nimbostratus, different types of cumulus clouds, and others.  From an imaginative perspective, there are those that look like elephants, or big marshmallows, hearts or hummingbirds.  This tapestry of the faithful is as diverse as the clouds. We, who are both sinner and saint, are embraced by it, contributing to its shape.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.

The baton has been passed to us.  God calls us to go forward.  Put aside those things that weigh us down, put our sin behind us, and run the race. Run the race, despite our fears, and our hurts.  Don’t focus on the distractions of current affairs.  Just keep running. Look at Jesus, right in front of us.

God does not ask us to get there first; Jesus always has been and always will be first.  God simply asks us to hang in there, to keep going, with the promise that we don’t go it alone.

~Pastor Cheryl Ann Griffin

[1]https://time.com/133811/how-genealogy-became-almost-as-popular-as-porn/accessed 08/16/2019.

[2]https://www.technologyreview.com/s/612880/more-than-26-million-people-have-taken-an-at-home-ancestry-test/accessed 08/16/2019.

[3]Galatians 5:22-24.

Genesis 15:1-6   Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16   Luke 12:32-40

9^thSunday after Pentecost

Last Sunday morning, 27 people were injured, and 10 people were killed within 30 seconds in Dayton.  The dead included the sister of the shooter, and the shooter himself. I found out about the shooting from a text message that my daughter, Kelly, sent to me.

By the time I was able to search for the details, 22 more people were killed, this time in El Paso at a Wal Mart.  24 more were injured. The death count for that shooting is now at 31. The investigation so far indicates that the shooter hated immigrants, and wanted to get rid of Hispanics and Latinos.[1]  This was a hate crime.

Many mass shootings are related to domestic or family violence.  In 54% of killing sprees, the perpetrator has a history of violence toward women, and a partner or a family member is among those who are shot.  These shootings are acts of revenge or retribution for perceived slights and wrongs.  TIME magazine’s most recent issue lists 253 cities in which mass shootings have taken place.  Their cover reads, “ENOUGH” and “We are being eaten from within.”[2]

It was about quarter-till-10 in the morning when my daughter Kelly called.  That was shortly after a second person had been shot, making it clear that the 7:30 a.m. murder was not an isolated incident.  Resident dorms were locked down, andmessages came pouring in saying to stay wherever you were. Information was confused, but urgent. She was scared and crying.  It was a Monday, April 16, 2007, and she was a senior at Virginia Tech. Kelly’s lab partner and 3 of her classmates were killed.  Aftergraduation, she went to work for Tech in the Department of Recovery and Support.  Her job was to engage with those who were injured, and with the mothers and fathers, and sisters and brothers of the dead.  She plans remembrances and arranges for worship services. Her work continues to bring both comfort and pain.

The killing of so many is hard to forget, particularly if you have a personal connection.[3]  Every time there is another mass shooting, memories and emotions rise up.  The ripple effects of these events are innumerable and immeasurable.

Mass killings are well publicized and so frequent.[4]  Dayton marked 251 shootings in 216 days.  Are we numb yet?  Is this too much for us to deal with?  Have we lost hope?  Where is God in all this?

“Do not be afraid, little flock,” Jesus says.  But we are, aren’t we?  If you aren’t, then you aren’t paying attention!  It’s not just the mass murders.  Frequent shootings and public declarations of prejudice and hate permeates the media,and we know that are more than what we are told.  We hear of children who comehome from school one day and their parents are gone.  Exploitation of land and waters along with climate changethreaten the world’s food supply.[5]  We have personal fears, too.  What are yours?

“Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”[6]  God’s intention is for allGod created to flourish.  The giving of God’s kingdom is God’s promise, rooted in God’s generosity and desires for us. The kingdom of God became flesh among us in and through Jesus. It’s a kingdom that is was, and is, and is yet to come.  Yet even though God’s kingdom is breaking in now, it’s hard to see and even harder not to be afraid.

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen,” the author of Hebrews writes. Abraham lived in hope.  For ten years, since God first promised, Abraham had been looking up at the stars in thesky, picturing each bright light as his descendant, while Sarah waited and waited for the gift of life from God.  The unnamed writer of Hebrews addresses a community caught up in their own challenges,and unable to see a better future.  They were looking for hope.   That sounds like us, doesn’t it?

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen,” If hope is made visible, what does it look like?  I asked Kelly this question.  She said she saw hope in the Blacksburg community coming together in response to tragedy. They worked to heal the injured, to remember those who died.  They cried together and dried each other’s tears.  They drew sustenance from each other, and recognized that they were connected by their humanity.  They were family.

Frederick Buechner says of Christian hope, “…despite the facts that sin and death still rule the world, [Christ] somehow conquered them.  The hope that in him and through him all of us stand a chance of somehow conquering them too.”[7]

We place our hope in God, but I think God places God’s hope in us, too.  In Luke’s gospel, Jesus says to be dressed for action, with our lamps lit while we wait with hope for God’s promises to be fulfilled.  It’s not a passive activity, nor an individual one.  We wait together, as a flock. We become sanctuary for eachother until we can breathe again.  Speak through the voice of God’s love. Care for those who are suffering.  Feed the hungry.  Spend time with those who are lonely or grieving.

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that,”  Dr. Martin Luther, King, Jr. said.

We lift our face looking for the light of Jesus, and discover that in our holding on to each other, we become light, too, and our blessings are as numerous as the stars in the sky.

~Pastor Cheryl Ann Griffin

[1]https://www.businessinsider.com/deadliest-mass-shootings-almost-all-have-domestic-violence-connection-2017-11

[2]https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/08/media/time-cover-mass-shootings-trnd/index.html

For details of mass shooters and shootings, see the web site https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/12/mass-shootings-mother-jones-full-data/

[3]Those who are still at VT are reminded every time they open a door from the inside because the push bars on the doors were all replaced with safer ones.  Just so you know, our exit doors are in accordance with current safety standards. Several members and I attended police led workshops on church safety.  A police officer has toured our facilities, and we have implemented those recommendations. A task group has recently been formed to further study and report on security and safety.

[4]Mass shootings are defined as 4 or more people shot or killed, not counting the shooter.

[5]https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/08/climate/climate-change-food-supply.html

[6]This statement is found only in Luke’s Gospel.

[7]Buechner, Frederick.  Beyond Words. San Francisco: HarperOne, 2004. 160.

Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12-14, 2:18-23     Luke 12:13-21

18^thSunday after Pentecost    

They say that you can’t take it with you, but that doesn’t mean that people haven’t tried.  Civil War Confederate Major William Wise was buried with his horse, his favorite hunting dog, and a sword.  He was convinced he was going where he could track down and kill Satan.  Jamaican reggae legend Bob Marley took his red guitar, a Bible, and marijuana with him to his grave.  More recently, people are being buried with their cell phone.  During the visitation, friends all call the person.  I wonder if, when the call goes to voice mail, the caller hears the message, “I’ll be right back.”  Some people get so attached to their stuff, it’s hard for them to let go.

This is why self-storage facilities are so popular.  The first modern units appeared in Texas in the 1960’s. Today there are more than double the number of self-storage facilities than there are McDonalds and Starbucks combined. [1]Almost 9% of American households rent a storage unit, and 67% of them live in single homes.  We like to hold onto our “stuff.”

Jesus’ parable in our readings this morning relates the story of a productive farmer.  The farmer has so many crops that he doesn’t know what to do with them.  Then he had the brilliant idea to tear down his barns and build bigger ones.  He was compelled to hold onto his “stuff.”  When would it be enough? This farmer was not planning on sharing his abundance of crops with those who did not have enough to eat.  He didn’t try to sell it and give the money to the poor.  The bigger and better buildings he built would not provide shelter for the homeless.

But having stored up that much food was not simply greed. Having enough for himself for a gazillian years must have given him some sense of security and allayed some of his fears.  I know because I have stacks of an essential paper product in my garage.

Generosity is a gift of the Spirit, and you all are well blessed with that gift! You are extremely generous people!  Our endowment and scholarship funds are growing, and our budget for benevolence is large.  Thank you!  Our financial giving is important!  But these words Jesus speaks are ours, too; Take Care! Be on your guard againstall kinds of greed. Jesus speaks to all kinds of things that we hoard, — forgiveness, love, guilt, power, food, shoes, paper products.  Jesus speaks to the things we store up and cannot let go of, like grudges, prejudice and hate.

What is it that you hold on to?  What do you have trouble letting go of?  Why? Is there an underlying fear involved? The man who approached Jesus told him, which is different than asking him, to settle a dispute. “Tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.”  Was the man the younger or the older brother?  Did he want more than his share?  If those kinds of details were important, they would have been shared.  When we talk about money, it is always about more than just money.  If you have ever been part of an estate distribution, it triggers emotions and memories that are rooted in relationships.

The details of this man’s request that are shared reveal that he saw Jesus as a judge, not a savior. He was not interested in a relationship with Jesus based on love and serving.  His interest in Jesus had nothing to do with relationship, or forgiveness or salvation.  He viewed Jesus as the one who would give him what he wanted, even if it was not what he needed.

This son placed his trust in things, not in God.  Jesus responded with a parable that echoed the son’s lack of recognition, let alone gratitude, for all that God had given him.  This man and the farmer in the parable both saw life in terms of what they deserve, and they earn.  The farmer in Jesus’ story envisions the time when he will have piled up enough.  “I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat drink and be merry.’”

A similar phase appears in the book of Ecclesiastes [8:15].  Although they both intended to drink champagne and eat hors d’ouevres, their reasons were different.   The writer of Ecclesiastes, the “Teacher,” assessed the things we have in life as vanity, or better expressed, emptiness or meaninglessness.  He, too, had worked hard and had much. In his search for meaning, he found that working got wearisome, and the search for wisdom brought sorrow.  Pleasure ended up as hollow and unsatisfying. Unlike the son and the farmer, the Teacher recognized that we are not promised tomorrow, and the things for which he worked may end up as someone’s inheritance.

While our reading from Ecclesiastes leaves the writing and us in a state of despair, the verses immediately following, which are not part of our reading, shift perspective. “There is nothing better for mortals,” the Teacher writes, “than to eat and drink, and find enjoyment in their toil.  This also, I saw, is a gift from the hand of God, for apart from him, who can eat or who can have enjoyment?” It is God who gives our work, our lives, our pleasure, meaning. Enjoy today what God has given to us, and give thanks.  It is enough.

If you haven’t fallen asleep yet, remember back to the beginning of our sermon  when we recalled Jesus saying, Take Care! Be on your guard againstall kinds of greed.  We don’t need to hoard all the things that we do, — forgiveness, love, guilt, power, food, shoes, or paper products. Whatever that hole is that we are trying to fill can only be filled by our God, who loves us beyond all measure.  We are enough.

~Pastor Cheryl Ann Griffin

[1]https://www.simplyss.com/storage-options/self-storage-statistics/web accessed August 1, 2019.

Good morning,

My wife and I have been members of St. Stephen for a little over a year and we have grown spiritually here and love this church more than any we have attended.

I’m pretty old…I’m even older than Pastor Ballentine…but in all of those years and despite attending a number of churches, I don’t think that I have seen so many positive ministries undertaken within a church on behalf of others in the church or in the surrounding community.

Let me give you some examples of ministries at St. Stephen…

Some of the ministries have been large cooperative efforts with other churches and groups in Williamsburg aimed at helping those who are less fortunate.  Our participation with Community of Faith Missions to help shelter and prepare meals for the homeless in Williamsburg is a wonderful ministry that has a huge impact.  Seeing the appreciation those individuals have for a great well-rounded hot meal and a good safe place to sleep after a tough day is a huge reward!

Some of our members work with the FISH program to make sure others in the community have food, clothing and other necessities that they may not otherwise be able to buy for themselves.

Other ministries are very visible and greatly enhance the spirituality of our worship. The Music Ministry within our church is nothing short of amazing.  Thanks not only to Karen but also to the incredible talents of the other musicians in our midst, we are lifted up on a weekly basis.

There are also ministries that we don’t always realize are there…until they are not there, like George Vonderheide keeping the air conditioning going on these hot days, or Chris and Randy Punchard with their Gardening and Lawn Mowing crews that have the outside looking beautiful and manicured each Sunday. And don’t forget the behind the scenes work of those arranging acolyte schedules, usher schedules, lectors, alter guild, communion bread baking, and all the other details that keep our services running so well week after week.  And Reed Nestor keeping us informed with the Quill in our mailboxes each month.

One very successful ministry in our church that has us well known throughout Williamsburg is the Preschool, which continues to provide an excellent early learning experience.   That experience doesn’t just happen….It is carefully nurtured and overseen by the administrator, by the teaching staff, by an advisory board and by the pastors. And I am always delighted to see how well the church turns out to eat at the fundraisers for the school…  Well, maybe a good turnout for food isn’t that surprising…

The College Ministry, coordinated by Pastor Ballentine, has been hugely successful as demonstrated by the beautiful service conducted by our William and Mary Students just before graduation a few weeks ago.  The weekly meals provided to the college students by the good cooks in our congregation also add a great deal to that ministry.

The Health Ministry has the important task of reaching out to those medically challenged in our congregation.  They also help those of us fortunate enough to be in good health, stay that way.

The Social Ministry helps to make our church a home, often supplying wonderful food in times of celebration or in times of bereavement.

There are a number of other ministries I have noted in our church that have made me incredibly proud to be here…

Like the crew led by Harlan Schone that typically builds ramps for shut-ins, but when a house burned down and a man and his ailing wife were left stranded, they “ramped up” their game and built a house instead of a ramp…

Or the members of the church buying new gym shoes for whole classes of school kids that would otherwise have to go without…

Or the large number of volunteers that without fanfare, go and check on shut-ins, often taking communion for those who have not been able to get to church for a while…

Or the goodly number of congregation members who are caretakers for family members in failing health or with various stages of dementia.

The outpouring of love by the congregation in adopting an immigrant family, who otherwise would not have a Christmas last December, and the generosity and thoughtfulness in the gifts they selected for each family member…

I know of one artist in our church who had a recent art show and made a donation to the church for each painting sold…

And how much have we benefitted when experts in our congregation enlighten us with programs such as Nancy Egloff’s presentation on “Tenacity” at Jamestown, or the timely legal insights on immigration law from Sharon Powell.

Needless to say, the caring and the ministries within St. Stephen are endless.

Well, now let me get down to what I particularly want to highlight in our congregation today…

This year, our congregation has reached a great milestone. We at St. Stephen have now been a Stephen Ministry congregation for twenty-five years.

Let’s think about that for a few minutes…

That means that for the last twenty five years, lay members of this congregation, like Kathy, Pete and Alison who were commissioned today, have committed to and completed extensive training in order to help men or women who may be down and struggling.

Those receiving care from a Stephen Minister may have lost a loved one, gone through a divorce, felt lonely or depressed, gone through a major or debilitating illness, lost a job, or may have had some other major challenging life experience.   They may be the caretaker of someone with dementia or failing health.

In such situations, Stephen Ministers in our congregation have met with their care receivers regularly, usually weekly, for months, sometimes even for years, to carry on a supportive, caring, spiritual relationship.  They have helped others through challenges that many of us will have to face at one time or another as we go forward through life.

These woman-to-woman or man-to-man ministries have been caring and thoughtful, free of charge but alwayspriceless.

These ministries are veryconfidential. Even in supervision groups, identifying information or details are not revealed; only non-identifying information that allows each individual to receive the best ministry possible is discussed. Therefore, each care receiver can feel confident in sharing their innermost concerns with their Stephen Minister, knowing that those concerns will remain confidential.

The Pastors and the Stephen Leaders coordinate the Stephen Ministers within the Congregation, and keep the Stephen Ministry going strong.   At St Stephen, Pastor Ballentine, Pastor Griffin and Stephen Leader Jane Wills deserve tremendous credit.  They, with God’s help, have done great work and have helped many individuals by working with and through the Stephen Ministers.

In addition, the many Stephen Ministers who have served our congregation over the years truly have been sent by God.  The Stephen Ministers have great trust placed in them by their care receivers, their pastors, their Stephen Leaders and our congregation.  They truly are given the opportunity to walk in the footsteps of Christ and to help many of us in the most difficult times of our lives.  Stephen Ministers are not there to replace psychiatric care or professional counseling but are often a welcome addition to add spiritual support and long-term care through extended challenges.

The care extended by the Stephen Ministers is Christ-centered.  As Jesus prayed according to the Gospel of John, “I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”  He has taught believers in him to go forward with Christ-centered caring relationships in his name.

Congratulations and thanks to all Stephen Ministers of the Congregation for your contributions to this twenty-five year milestone.

Now for the challenge going forward…

We have a job for every adult in the congregation!

Don’t worry!  Not everyone needs to become a Stephen Minister…

However, we do need a few more good men and women to consider becoming Stephen Ministers.

Yes, there is a fairly major time commitment for training, meeting with your care receiver, and for supervision

But the rewards are great…..Most Stephen Ministers would tell you it is one of the most rewarding things they have ever done.

We aren’t necessarily looking for big talkers…..We are looking for good listeners, who can internalize and take to heart what their care receiver is experiencing and provide strength and spiritual support to help with his or her challenges.  But most importantly, we need someone who can reliably be there for him or her in a time of need.

Another task available….

We always need people in the congregation who can sense when things are not right for their friends:  Who can tell when their friends are under stress or duress.   Those friends may be individuals who would greatly benefit from having a Stephen Minister.  If you know of anyone who could be helped by a pastoral visit or possibly having a Stephen Minister, call Pastor Griffin.

And finally, another important task…

If someone suggests to you that you consider getting a Stephen Minister yourself, give it some careful thought.  They probably have looked at you lovingly and have seen you suffering or have seen you alone, possibly dejected.  We men are particularly slow at admitting that we could use a little help.  Be open to your friend’s suggestion.

One last important note about the Stephen Ministry…Of upmost importance to the continued success of the Stephen Ministry is confidentiality.  If you have concerns about a friend and are seeking help, please do so by direct conversation or by phone but not by e-mail or social media.

Again, I congratulate our congregation on this great anniversary and on its many wonderful, large and small, collective and individual, but all caring and heartfelt ministries.

God is with us all.

AMEN

Bill Dichtel

June 2, 2019

John 5:1-9    

6^th Sunday of Easter

“Do you want to be made well?” Jesus asked.  I am captivated by this question every time that I read it.  “Do you want to be made well?” These were Jesus’ first words to the sick man lying in the vicinity of the pool.  He had been ill longer than most people were alive.  He was slow to move, and when Jesus spotted him, he was lying down.  Could he even get up?

We with bodies that are fully functional can only imagine the impact of his disability.  Control of bodily functions may be compromised. Personal hygiene is difficult, which leads to other issues such as social isolation. There is no family present in our story, and our unnamed man lamented that he had no friends.   He was highly dependent on others for help.  Holding a job was impossible, so he was also dependent upon the generosity of strangers. The unnamed man was an invalid. In his society, he was viewed as in-valid.

How different are we in our society?  It was not until 1990 that the American with Disabilities Act came into existence.[1]  It’s a civil rights law to ensure that everyone has the same opportunities. While new building codes ensure compliance, older buildings are not always accessible. A person with inadequate vision and slowness of step told me about trying to get outside during a fire drill.  Obtaining adequate medical care presents other challenges, especially if employment pays minimum wage or is non-existent. For those with disabilities, everyday life can be a battle.

The in-valid man found lying down had given up hope that someone would help him to the pool when the water was stirred up.  The pool was known as a place of healing that was supposed to come from Asclepius, the Greek god of healing. The man waited there, and waited, hoping that this god would save him.  Yet he remained as broken as he was the day before, and the years before, and the decades. Soon he was no longer Frank, or Joe or Bob.  He was that nameless and helpless man lying by the pool.  His sickness became his identity.

Then one day, a Sabbath day, Jesus showed up at the pool, where the blind, lame and paralyzed,–the unnamed in-valids were hanging out.  “Do you want to be healed?” he asked.  “Of course, I do!” the man shouted.  “I’ve been waiting most of my life for this moment!”  I am just kidding!  What the sick man really said to this stranger is, “I have no one to put me into the pool, and when I start to make my own way, people jump in front of me.” We don’t know if these were excuses, or complaints, but it was this man’s reality.  He thought he needed the stirred-up water to heal him.  That’s where he placed his faith.

Sensing this man’s resignation to his situation, Jesus asked him, “Do you want to be made well?”   The obvious answer should be yes. Healing would bring change. Relationships, responsibilities, expectations—all would impacted. What is it in your life that you would like to be healed?  What are the changes that would come along with that? Who else would that affect?  In a family system, when one person becomes more emotionally healthy, it is difficult for the rest of the family to adjust. “Do you want to be made well?” That is Jesus’ question to all of us.  The sick man never said yes.  Jesus healed him anyway.  “’Stand up, take your mat and walk.’ At once the man was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk.” God’s kingdom broke in.  It was a miracle.  It was resurrection.

Out of all the ill people in the porticos, why did Jesus choose this person?  Isn’t that among the top 10 questions we desperately want Jesus to answer? Our gospel writer John never explains.  In fact, Matthew, Mark and Luke don’t tell us why or how people are healed, either.  In this case, it was not the man’s faith.  It can’t be that he prayed the right words, or prayed long enough. He did not pray. He did not ask Jesus to help him. Jesus did not take this man into the pool, but instead cured him on his terms.  If you read the rest of the story, after the unnamed person was healed, he never expressed his gratitude.  In fact, when the religious authorities admonished him for carrying his mat on the sabbath, he blamed the man who told him take it up.  He did not even know Jesus’ name.

What we learn is that it’s not the quality or quantity of our faith that makes miracles happen. If only there was a formula, or some magic words, or maybe lucky socks.  If only we could use Magic Eraser to wipe out our illness, or how about even erasing our mistakes.  Then we would be in control.  We would be the ones who made things happen.  Maybe it’s a miracle when we realize that God is God and we are not.

There was nothing that the man lying by pool did to deserve his healing.  Jesus doesn’t bring us to wholeness because we deserve it.  We don’t get what we deserve, thank God.  Jesus doesn’t heal us because of what we do, or who we are. Jesus brings healing because of who he is.  God’s grace reaches all the way down into our dark places.

Not all healing comes in the form legs that run and ears that hear.  God’s ultimate healing is death. When our tears flow because our hands can no longer hold our loved ones, God’s grace is most abundant.  The one we love is still in God’s hands.

Jesus comes that we may have life, and have it abundantly.  Although he shows up in the church, he also walks to the pool where those who are blind, and lame, lonely and hopeless sit and wait for someone to help them.  He comes without our asking offering forgiveness and unconditional love. Sometimes, we even  recognize God’s miracles.

~ Pastor Cheryl Ann Griffin

[1]https://adata.org/learn-about-ada. Accessed May 22, 2019.

John 20:19-31    

Second Sunday of Easter

Easter was glorious, wasn’t it?  Our worship space filled with flowers, music that stirred our souls, and lots of smiling people. The atmosphere was joyous!  How very easy to forget that only two days earlier Jesus hung on a cross until he died. We had little thought to Jesus’ pierced flesh.  We have no problem putting that in the past and disconnecting it from Jesus’ victory over death.

When it was evening on that day.  That day was the first day of the week, the same day that Mary stood weeping outside the empty tomb, and the same day she saw the resurrected Jesus.  On that day, his disciples retreated, shutting the doors of the house and locking the world out.  Now Jesus stood in front of them, and his first words were, Peace be with you.  The Risen Christ’s first words were his gift of grace.  See my hands and my sides, he invited them.  Thomas wasn’t with them at the time, but a week later, Jesus came to the house again.  Put your finger here, he said.  Put your hand inmy side.  They weren’t scars.  They were wounds, and deep enough to put your hand in.  The places where the nails and the spear pierced Jesus’ flesh were so fresh, they might bleed if you touched them.

How many of us are walking around with fresh wounds?  Who among us does not bear scars?  When you experience something awful, is it literally gut-wrenching?  Our bodies react in various ways,–headaches, upset stomachs, and our heart pounding so hard we can hear it in our ears.  If the upset is constant, we may try to shut it off with drugs or alcohol.  People who study trauma have found that it can lodge itself into our bodies.

Bessel van der Kolk, a leading innovator in the treatment of traumatic stress, tells a story from the 1970’s when he began working with the Veterans Administration.  The first patient he saw was a Vietnam veteran who suffered with terrible nightmares.  He prescribed medication, which the veteran never took.   Van de Kolk’s patient explained, “’I did not take your medicines because I realized I need to have my nightmares because I need to be a living memorial to my friends who died in Vietnam.”

Trauma victims hold in “their hearts and minds and bodies and brains” things that no longer exist.  Their experience never fades; the memory of it remains as if it were happening currently.  Trauma lands in the parts of the brain that help people see clearly.[1]  There responses and decisions become impaired.  Perhaps that is what made the man in California filled with hate, so much that he killed one and wounded three other Jewish people gathered at their synagogue.

To a lesser degree, all of us at one time or another become impaired.  We experience parts of our brain shutting down when our emotions are high. Van der Kolk provides this example:  You get really upset with your partner or your kid, suddenly you take leave of your senses and you say horrible things to that person.  And afterwards, you say, ‘Oh, I didn’t mean to say that.’”[2]

The things that happen to us, chronic illness, addiction, abuse, violence, anything that leaves scars, become part of who we are.  Our woundedness goes with us wherever we go. Jesus entered the locked room, carrying his wounds with him.  Even in his resurrection, Jesus shares our humanity. When the Word became flesh, God affirmed the goodness of our bodies.  When that flesh became broken, God honored our experiences.  Jesus’ raw wounds did not define him, but rather testified to his real presence.  The same is true for us.  We are more than the things that happen to us.

Thomas returned to the house. We know him as Doubting Thomas, even though he did not ask for anything the other disciples had not already experienced.  His need to verify was not unique to him.  After all, the women who saw the empty tomb were thought to be telling an idle tale at first.  But now Thomas was in the middle of believing people, his friends, who had already seen Jesus. In front of them all, Thomas declared his doubt.  We should all be brave enough to voice our doubts! He had so many questions for Jesus floating around in his head.  Why would someone as sinless as you suffer?   Are you staying? What does this all mean? What questions are you asking?

In the house with Thomas were his grief, his fear and his uncertainty.  Wounded Jesus showed up and said, “Peace be with you.”  Suddenly, Thomas didn’t need to touch him, or to ask any questions.  He needed nothing else but Jesus to be right there next to him.  When Thomas’ doubt met Jesus still bearing wounds, something happened.  He saw the world differently.  He began to live into a new identity and new stories. Thomas began to live resurrection life.

I think trauma really does confront you with the best and the worst,Bessel van der Kolk says. You see the horrendous things that people do to each other, but you also see resiliency, the power of love, the power of caring, the power of commitment, the power of commitment to oneself, the knowledge that there are things that are larger than our individual survival. And in some ways, I don’t think you can appreciate the glory of life unless you also know the dark side of life.[3]

Each of us has known that dark side of life.  Together, we are the wounded body of Christ.  We are witnesses who have survived our brokenness. We are living testimony that through Christ, we have life of abundance.  The risen Christ is with us this day, in our sharing of the peace, in our prayers and in our praise, and in the hearing of the word.  Christ comes to us in the breaking of the bread, and the drinking of the wine, the body and blood of Christ.  In all these ways, Christ comes to be with us.

Church historian Jaroslav Pelikan said, “If the Resurrection of Jesus actually happened, then nothing else really matters.  If the Resurrection of Jesus did not actually happen, then nothing else really matters.”[4]  Our belief in the resurrection is more than a confession of faith.  It is a declaration of a relationship.  He is Risen!  He is Risen indeed!  Alleluia!

~Pastor Cheryl Ann Griffin

[1]https://onbeing.org/programs/bessel-van-der-kolk-how-trauma-lodges-in-the-body-mar2017/.   Accessed April 23, 2019.

[2]Ibid.

[3]Ibid.

[4]Bruner, Frederick Dale.  The Gospel of John. Grand Rapids:  William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2012, 1163.

John 13:1-17, 31b-35    

Maundy Thursday

In Northern Ireland, there were three decades of deathly struggles between Catholics and Protestants.  The Troubles, as the conflict was called, was both religious and political.  Although the Good Friday Agreementin 1998 was to end the conflict, low-levels of violence and open wounds still exist. A community leader, Pádraig Ó Tuama, ministers to heal broken relationships between Irish Catholics and Protestants. Using an Irish idiom to talk about trust, he says, “You are the place where I stand on the day when my feet are sore.” He says, “It’s so physical, that beautiful understanding.  You can find that with each other, even when you think different things.”[1] To me, this says that when the foundation of my being hurts, and I cannot go another step, it’s good to be together, and to rest in our relationship. “You are the place where I stand on the day when my feet are sore.”

We come from a history of religious and political “troubles.” Jesus sparked an atmosphere that grew more tense the longer he was around.  He threatened the established political hierarchy, social system, and economic structures.   When the time drew near for Passover, people wondered if Jesus would show up at the Passover festival.  “Keep an eye out so that we can arrest him,” the religious leaders plotted.  Most recently, Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead. Now the religious leaders wanted to kill both Jesus and Lazarus. Some people believed he was the Messiah, the one who came from God to save them from their oppression. Some didn’t.  The struggle was a both political and religious.

It wasn’t only Jesus’ enemies speaking of his death. Jesus himself began talking about it, too. To say that Jesus’ healing and proclamation of love and God’s forgiveness brought misunderstanding is an understatement.  Anger, even hatred, rumors and collusion permeated the air.  Tension, and suspicion were at every turn.  Where were truth and trust?  Where do you stand when your feet are sore?

For over a century, people attended the churches in the St. Landry parish in southern Louisiana.  Generations of families had made these predominantly black churches their spiritual home. About three weeks ago, over the course of ten days, three of the churches in this parish were destroyed by fires that were intentionally set. The 21 year-old man who destroyed the buildings was charged with hate crimes and arson. Parishioners have said that although their churches were destroyed, their spirit was not.  Statistics show that most hate crimes in our country are committed by white people who are motivated by race, religion and sexual orientation.[2]Where do you stand when your feet are sore?

Our “troubles” are also fueled by issues surrounding immigration, The organization Human Rights Firstcompleted a study of “the mental, physical, and legal impacts of massive overuse of immigration detention in California.” The report documents sexual assault complaints, verbal and physical abuse, lack of legal representation, lack of mental and physical healthcare, and poor detainment conditions.”  Many people are held for years despite the fact that they“qualify for release under U.S. law, regulations, and other relevant criteria.”[3]  In addition to this, thousands more children were separated from their families than previously thought.  It could take up to two more years for them to be identified and reunited.[4]  Where do you stand when your feet are sore?

Jesus and his disciples gathered privately for what would be their final meal together.  Sitting around the table were Judas, who will soon betray him, and Peter, who will come to deny Jesus not just once, but 3 times. James and John, the ones who will be unable to keep watch or pray with Jesus in his dark hour were there, as well. They were sitting among others who will abandon Jesus at the cross.  Though Jesus knows these things, the word we hear Jesus speak repeatedly in John’s gospel islove. He says this word 31 times in his Farewell Discourse.[5]

As Jesus shares his last meal before his death, we are drawn back to the waters of baptism.  During supper, after the meal had started, Jesus got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around his waist.  He poured water into a bowl. and washed their feet, and then dried them with the towel, Judas, and Peter, and James and John, and the other disciples– no one was excluded from this radical act of love.

Peter was horrified.  He couldn’t accept Jesus serving him, and refused to have his feet washed. Martin Luther posited that it is often our “righteousness” rather than our sin that gets in the way of our relationship with the Lord.[6]  Jesus explained that his relationship with Peter depended on servanthood. Peter, putting himself in charge– again, and not understanding– again, told Jesus to give him a bath.  “Oh, Peter!”  Jesus said, shaking his head. “You really don’t get it, do you? Trust me.”

Just like everything else Jesus did, he turned the custom of washing feet upside down.  When guests came to a home, they had walked along dusty dirt roads.  With sandaled feet, they walked the same dirt path that animals walked, and they stepped in what animals leave behind after digesting a hearty meal. When guests arrived, the dinner host had servants wash their dirty, tired feet before the meal. By washing the disciples’ feet, he demonstrated radical love that overcomes status and power.  It upsets the imbalance of privilege.  Jesus’ simple act of hospitality put relationships on the basis of equality and mutual respect.  “Do this,” Jesus told them.  Where do you stand when your feet are sore?

“I will give you a new commandment, that you love one another.  Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.”  Jesus’ words are not just for the disciples around the table.  They are for us, too. What makes this mandate to love one another newis its source, Jesus. Love them, Jesus says. Love the one who betrayed you.  Love the denier, the self-centered and inattentive. Even love those who refuse to stand with you through the things that kill you.  Love the black one, the brown one, the purple one, the Jewish one, the Muslim one, the atheist, the straight one, the gay one.  Love them enough to wash their feet.

Where do you stand when your feet are sore?  Stand with the One who will wash them.  And then stay for dinner.

~Pastor Cheryl Ann Griffin

[1]On Being with Krista Tippett, https://onbeing.org/programs/padraig-o-tuama-belonging-creates-and-undoes-us/.  Accessed April 12, 2019.  Pádraig Ó Tuama is the community leader of Corrymeela, Northern Ireland’s oldest peace and reconciliation organization.

[2]https://www.justice.gov/hatecrimes/hate-crime-statistics.  Accessed April 17, 2019.

[3]https://www.gcir.org/resources/prisons-and-punishment-immigration-detention-california. Accessed April 17, 2019.

[4]https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/06/us/family-separation-trump-administration.html.  Accessed April 17, 2019.

[5]John 13:31-17:26.

[6]Bruner, Frederick.   The Gospel of John: A Commentary. Grand Rapids:  Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2012.  767.

Isaiah 55:1-9    1 Corinthians 10:1-13    Luke 13:1-9    

3^rdSunday in Lent

Frank had been accepted into a doctoral program at Harvard. He and his family were active members in the church my family attended. Frank’s dad had formed a large and prominent company, and I imagined that Frank would be quite an asset there after graduation.  He hung around with friends over the summer.  In the fall, two of his friends would begin their graduate classes at Yale. When the news came that Frank and these two friends had all died in a car accident, the community was in disbelief. Frank was intelligent, young, handsome, and had a bright future in front of him.  How could this have happened?

A drunk driver had entered the interstate going in the wrong direction and hit their car head on.  Was there a reason this happened, other than someone irresponsibly chose to drive after consuming more than enough alcohol to impair his judgement?

After the funeral service, Frank’s parents stood in the church gathering space as people moved in a line to offer their words. Frank’s dad was numb, and his face expressionless as people shook his hand.  Frank’s mom tried hard to graciously smile.  As I waited to greet them, I thought that there were no words, really, that could offer comfort.  As I took her hand.  I asked, “Did you get to say good-bye?”   She told me that she had spent a couple of hours in conversation with Frank before the service that morning.

I remember some of the things that I heard others say to her.  “God must have needed another angel,” and “This was part of God’s plan.” “Everything happens for a reason.”  “God never gives us more than we can handle.” I looked to see if they found solace in these thoughts.  Some people do.  The people who spoke these things were answering the question of “why.” We humans try to find a reason for everything. There must be a linear connection, a cause and effect, for what happens in our world.  After Frank’s mother told me about her final time with her son, she said, “I asked God what it was he had done, or that we have done, to deserve this.”

Since Jesus was born, Christians have struggled to find answers to why God allows suffering and evil in our world.  “Theodicy” is the word for this.  We continue to try to make sense of that which makes no sense to us. We have yet to find satisfactory answers, and so we keep asking.

A few people who were among the crowds listening to Jesus expressed their concern that Pilate had slaughtered a group of Galileans and mixed their blood with the blood of their sacrifices.  In the background was the news that 18 people were crushed to death by the collapse of the tower of Siloam. Their concern was really about themselves, and Jesus knew it.  “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans?”  In other words, was God punishing them?  Will God punish us like that, too?  We like to think that people get exactly what they deserve in this life, good or bad. Do children deserve to be abused by someone they should trust, or to become refugees?  Do adults get dementia because God is angry with their whole family?  Every day we hear of bad things happening to good people.

How does Jesus respond?  A flat and simple “No.”  He does not explain any further.  He gives no answer as to why.What he does say, however, is “But unless you repent, you are going to lose some blood, too.”[1]  With these words, Jesus takes their fear to motivate them to turn back to God.  Instead of leading people to their death, he was trying to lead them to life!  That’s God’s desire for us!

Our second reading contains the source of another platitude.  Paul writes to the Corinthians, “No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone.  God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the test he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it” (vs.13).  In other words, turn to God when you are tested, and God will help you. Put this in context and you will find that Paul is speaking of temptation, not of adversity.  Some have transformed this into, “God will not give you more than you can handle.”[2]   Tell that to the family of a suicide victim.

If you think through the things we say to those who are already suffering, and those who are grieving, you will realize that many of them are terrible!  They are dismissive.  They shut the door as if everything is settled. They communicate the message, “Just get over it because this is God’s will.  It must be okay.”  Our cliché sayings keep us from living in the uncomfortable mystery and grief.  They keep us from entering the holy space of suffering with someone.  They disconnect us from humanity, and deny our own brokenness.

If we could just understand why, then we wouldn’t have to live with the uncertainty of mystery.  We would not have to be afraid.  We could prevent tragedies from happening.  We would be in control.  Maybe “why?” is not the right question.

In our Gospel reading Jesus continues, telling us a parable about a fig tree in the vineyard, a fig tree with no figs on it. “Cut it down!” the vineyard owner said.  ‘It’s wasting soil!”  We, who are so results oriented, probably agree with the owner.  If your metrics at your place of work are off for the month, you are out of there.  If something breaks, we throw it in the trash.  The gardener, however, wants to provide the tree with all it needs to thrive, and live into possibilities.  “Give it one more year. I will dig around it.  I will put natural fertilizer on it. I will give it what it needs.”  This is our God, the one who will not give up on those who stray, who sweeps the house all night looking for a lost coin, and leaves the 99 sheep to find the one has wandered away.  Our God is the father who stands on the porch waiting, looking for us to return, and runs in his robe to greet us when we come home. Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters.

Instead of giving any answers to our questions of why, Jesus gives us both a promise and an invitation. “Come to me. Return to me. Bring your tears and your anger. I will sit right there with you.  I will care for you.  I will love you in your living and your dying.”  This Lenten season, you are invited to return to God.

~Pastor Cheryl Ann Griffin

[1]One can interpret Jesus’ statement as meaning that we will cause our own downfall through our own bad choices because we do not follow Jesus.

[2]For further study of familiar platitudes, read Adam Hamilton’s book, Half Truths:  God Helps Those Who Help Themselves and Other Things the Bible Doesn’t Say.  Abingdon Press, 2016.

Luke 4:1-13

First Sunday in Lent   

What tempts you?  Scripture is full of stories of temptation.  Of course, it began with Adam, Eve, a talking serpent, and a fruit tree. Moving on, Cain murdered Abel.  Then there’s King David who gave in to his lust for Bathsheba. Joseph’s brothers sold him to strangers when they could not control their jealousy.  Although we don’t know exactly what was in his heart, Judas betrayed Jesus for silver.

What have you been tempted to do?  Did you actually do it?  Remember the last time you drove down the interstate and that guy pulled within an inch in front of you and didn’t even have on a turn signal?  We are tempted to put things off, to worry, to eat way too much at the pot luck meals, to spend too much money, and the list goes on.  Is there a person who tempts you?  Perhaps you become competitive with a particular person, or given to gossip, or maybe you are tempted to judge someone. Is there someone who draws you into behavior of which you are not proud?

Lent, which began this past Wednesday, invites us to look at these things that separate us from God. Those who came to church had ashes imposed on their foreheads, as the pastor invited them, “Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” These are the words God spoke to Adam after the infamous apple incident. “By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; you are dust, and to dust you shall return” [Genesis 3:19].

This dusty cross that marks us reminds us of our sin, our fragility and our death that will surely come.  The first cross that is traced on our foreheads was imposed during our baptism.  In that marking, God claimed us as God’s own child.  We were adopted as God’s beloved, with God’s promise that God will never let go of us.  That sooty cross does not negate our baptismal cross.  It is placed on top of it, and the promises of baptism remain foundational to who we are. Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return. + While we are God’s beloved, we will also die.

At Jesus’ baptism in the river Jordan, “the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove.  And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved.’ [Luke 21b-22]. Despite God claiming Jesus as God’s precious child, it is God who brings Jesus to temptation.  Listen again:  “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil.”

Jesus was told by God that he was God’s child and God loved him.  He was full of the Holy Spirit.  Yet God sent him to the wilderness.  This sounds like our story, too.  In the wilderness, you are uncertain if you will make your way through because it is a harsh land, and because the path is not clear.  You have been there.  You have been there waiting for the results of medical tests, and through the exhaustion for being a caregiver.  Wilderness surrounds us in the struggle with depression or drug addiction. It is a place where we hunger for wholeness, and question our worth.

Jesus had nothing to eat for 40 days when the devil tempted him.  “Ifyou are the Son of God,” the devil said, which is pretty funny because out of all those who encountered Jesus, the devil was most aware of Jesus’ identity.  “If you are, turn those stones into loaves of bread.”  God’s son should not be hungry!  Debie Thomas sees it this way:

In the devil’s economy, unmet desire is an unnecessary aberration, not an integral part of what it means to be human. In inviting Jesus to magically sate his hunger, the devil invites Jesus to deny the reality of the incarnation. To ‘cheat’ his way to satisfaction, instead of waiting, paying attention to his hunger, and leaning into God for its lasting fulfillment. Along the way, the devil encourages Jesus to disrespect and manipulate creation for his own satisfaction.  To turn what is not meant to be eaten—a stone—into an object he can exploit.  As if the stone has no intrinsic value, beauty, or goodness, apart from Jesus’ ability to possess and consume it.[1]

For what do you hunger? Sit with ashes in this season of Lent. Sit with our hunger, and learn from it. The challenge is not to let the devil talk us into satisfying ourselves instead of waiting and listening for God to nourish us.  The devil will try to convince us that God must not love us if we are walking in the wilderness and hungry.  The truth is that God leads us to discover that because we are God’s beloved, we can not only survive, but grow in faith and strength.

After tempting him with hunger, the devil offered Jesus power over the world if he would worship him. This authority was not the devil’s to give. Our ego wants the whole world to love us, but following the devil only leads to broken relationships and false ego.  The devil’s lies tell us that our worth comes through perishable attributes rather than being God’s child.  Listening to the devil encourages us to act out of our pain rather than love, and to forego compassion.

Lastly, the devil took Jesus to Jerusalem.  His suggested that Jesus throwhimself from the top of the temple, thereby testing God’s love for him. If God loves us, God will keep us safe.  This may be the devil’s most enticing and harmful lie.  We get cancer, lose jobs, and suffer losses that threaten to break us. We question our identity and forget who we are in the word and water of our baptism.  We forget that the cross of baptism forms us first as God’s beloved.

I want to share with you a poem that I came across a poem entitled, Beloved Is Where We Begin, authored by Jan Richardson.[2]

If you would enter

Into the wilderness,

Do not begin

Without a blessing.

Do not leave without hearing

Who you are:

Beloved,

Named by the One

Who has traveled this path

Before you.

Do not go without letting it echo

In your ears,

And if you find

It is hard

To let it into your heart,

Do not despair.

That is what

This journey is for.

I cannot promise

This blessing will free you

From danger,

From fear,

From hunger

Or thirst,

From the scorching

Of sun

Or the fall

Of the night.

But I can tell you

That on this path

There will be help.

I can tell you

That on this way

There will be rest.

I can tell you

That you will know

The strange graces

That come to our aid

Only on a road

Such as this,

That fly to meet us

Bearing comfort

And strength,

That come alongside us

For no other cause

Than to lean themselves

Toward our ear

And with their

Curious insistence

Whisper our name:

Beloved.

Beloved.

Beloved.

In the name of Christ, giver of all grace, Amen.

~Pastor Cheryl Ann Griffin

[1]Thomas, Debie.  “Human and Hungry.”  Journey With Jesus. Web accessed 3 March, 2019.

[2]http://paintedprayerbook.com/2016/02/11/lent-1-beloved-is-where-we-begin/