Rob Benson
Sermon Outline for July 21, 2002
[When a sermon is preached from an outline, we post the outline knowing that you probably had to be there to understand it. ]

Moving on to Maine

 

 

I SC formed “conditions of possibility” of Peter’s birth

– community / church Peter born into

– process of saying goodbye

– apologetic for why going to Maine

– permission to go

– answer Q of what diff. has SC made for us, for me ?

– our story but focus my story (permission to share CMLB parts)

 

 

II some facts: going to Maine, POI, MSCMS

– 2 yrs ago, realized that `other church’ wasn’t where we’d want to

raise or baptize a child we hoped to have

– began to feel frustrated, alienated w/ community there (limited

intimacy, limited sense of indiv. or corporate call)*

– prior conn. w/ SC through Banksons, F @ W, Tiff; occas. visitors

– tried a few Lutheran churches, kept coming back to SC

– feelings of hope, excitement, attachment

– Yoga-rhythmics: meditation & vision of boy (vs. girl)

– CMLB pregnant à more freq. visitors (vs. alone w/ hopeful,

anxious secret); broadened circle in SC: quilting, folk singing

– [DREAM: Fri night, dreamed preached this @ Amoss’ house]

– CMLB & RSB both feeling need for community for & with each

other; feeling excitement in & hope for that in SC; 2 introverts

making friends

          – first miscarriage Oct 2000: deeply apprec. of intense nurture, truth,

            support, love (beyond our tacit commitment to SC)

– felt comfort knowing CMLB had community, & of women after

NCS & Luther House; RSB & men after Luther House: SC Chaplain

Corps, grounded & growing middle-aged men*

– knew more deeply SC would be place we, & child, would be

welcomed, nurtured – apprec. depths of relationships, weekly

worship

– feel valued as much for what can’t do well as what can; CALL is

educational, growth-filled

– deepened w/ experience of 2^nd miscarriage May 2001

 

III RSB: sublimation of miscarriage feelings in marathon swimming

– intense grace of SC support for LI Swim, Swim-for-life

– overwhelmed by interest, financial support, ribbon (beyond what I,

as somewhat fringe member of community, would `merit’)

– [“not as the world gives do I give:” not an investment but love]

– LI swim: twice overcome by tears, rage, emptying / purpose

– returned to SC w/ hope, satisfaction, eagerness

– 3^rd pregnancy: known to SC earliest among our communities

(encouragement of others’ `this has got to work’ vs. our `this has

never worked’)

– RSB times of anxiety (roller-coaster) tied to ground (Jesse, T-

giving); times felt couldn’t take the waiting

– stood @ recommitment Sunday – members of SC

– excitement / anticipation / expectation of raising child in SC

 

 

IV Prepare to move, aware of unfinished business

– call to also feels (difficult, sad) like call away: security, received

community & nurture toward more balanced / intentional nurture

(Tiff phone calls)

– group of men – more comfortable among women, ripe time, expand

gender role(s) and connect w/ father archetypes

– [group of women] – new parents

– realization of spreading too thin: balance, focus) and intentional

community; maintain lots of friendships @ certain level vs. natural

intimacy & balance (true if staying here as in moving); choosing

church & commitment (Pat lead the way)

– lots provided for us here in DC; invitation / challenge is to discern,

create, nourish what’s important up there – [monumental idiocy:

(sold TV)] rental house, boat have them

– miss in DC: SC, community, friendships of substance, folk sings,

Tues dinners / SCL, good sermons, sacred silence in worship,

children honored & listened-to [coffee hour sign], life friends, DWJ

& KWJ & Isabel (prom 17 yrs from now), spiritual mothers &

fathers, sisters & brothers

– community into which PSSB born, community in which & through

which CMLB & RSB, couple & me as individual, re-born / re-hoped