Summer in Montana

Summer is upon us and with it comes a change of pace. For some folks summer is a time to shift into a slower gear. For others it doesn’t really slow down but it does provide different opportunities. Around the church we take a break from some things, such as less meetings, for example. But one thing that doesn’t change is the importance of staying connected – with God and with each other. Whatever shape your summer takes, whether it is picnics by the lake, time in the garden, or travel with family and friends, remember to be on the lookout for encounters with the Sacred. Savor the gift of slowing down so you might recognize the surprising ways God is seeking to get your attention. Join us for worship when you’re in town, and let us know what you’re up to when you’re not in town so we can hold you in prayer. Make it a spiritual practice to expand your awareness of the many ways in which God accompanies you as you travel through your days. May your summer be filled with holy encounters, and may you notice.

- Roger

(keeping my feet firmly planted in the flow)

Welcoming Angels - Even When They Are Blue

When visiting my office you might notice an angel up in one corner. She is a product of my late wife’s wonderful artistic creativity. One of the features of this particular angel is that she is blue. A friend of ours once asked, “Why is she blue?” Veronica’s immediate response was, “Because she wanted to be!” I love that. It offers a powerful image for what it means to be the Church. We are called to be a place where blue angels are not only welcomed but also encouraged to shine forth in all of their wonderful uniqueness. Our culture is filled to overflowing with assumptions, expectations, and judgments concerning “acceptable” ways of looking and acting and being. And if the truth be told, none of us fit perfectly or comfortably into that unrealistic and unhealthy mold. Which is why it is so vitally important for the Church to be a safe sanctuary where each unique child of God can be celebrated and affirmed. When that begins to happen then the world becomes a more vital and enriching place for all of us.

In another burst of creativity Veronica wrote a poem about watching for unlikely angels.

~ Inconsequential Details ~
by Veronica Lassen ©2009

I keep saying: “I’ve never seen an angel.”
But I’m starting not to believe myself –
My life is full of angels.
They love me and help me,
Talk to me and challenge me,
Hold me,
And believe in
Me.
I just don’t see wings.
I’m going to try squinting,
And looking out the corner of my eyes,
Quickly.
If that doesn’t work,
I’ll give up on this idea of wings altogether.
Then I’ll see angels all the time.

May we learn to see angels all the time, in all of their multi-colored glory. And may we continue to become a church where such angels are welcomed, affirmed, celebrated, and encouraged.

- Pastor Roger
(keeping my feet firmly planted in the flow)

Civil Discourse in a Time of Hate

This column was published on Saturday, May 28, 2016 in the Independent Record newspaper in Helena, Montana on their Religion Page. Click here to view the column as it appears on their page.
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My name is Roger Lynn, and about seven months ago I became the pastor at Plymouth Congregational Church. I am so grateful for the warm welcome I have received here in Helena. People both inside and outside of my congregation have been kind and gracious. Sadly, such kindness is not always in evidence in our world. I find myself troubled by the ways in which we all too often talk to each other these days. Whether it occurs within the political arena, or the on-line comments section following news articles, or on Facebook and other social media sites, public discourse in our society frequently seems to be defined by insulting, threatening, demonizing, and hateful speech. People talk at each other and about each other rather than with each other. Genuine dialogue and understanding disappear whenever lines are drawn and sides are chosen. 

What does it mean to be the Church?

What does it mean to be the Church? Over the years countless volumes have been written about this question. I’m quite certain that there is no single “right” answer. Indeed, multiple answers are probably required to even begin to convey the fullness of Church. But beyond all the words that have been written on the subject, I want to tell you that I saw the answer to the question dramatically lived out last week right before my eyes. It was, to say the least, a very full and very emotional week in the life of Plymouth Congregational Church. Our biggest fundraising event of the year (Let’s Talk About It) took place on Thursday, and it was an “all hands on deck” occasion. So many people devoted so much time and energy to making it a success. And that was only the beginning. Two well-attended memorial services and receptions followed over the next two days. So many details required attention. And so many people stepped up and met the challenge. What does it mean to be the Church? Among other things it means people coming together to do what needs to be done to provide hospitality and to bring comfort to those in grief. Thank you for being the Church. Thank you for the privilege of being your pastor.

- Pastor Roger

(keeping my feet firmly planted in the flow)

Boldly Stepping Into God's Future

I have now been your pastor for almost 6 month. We’ve been through Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter together, to say nothing of a successful stewardship campaign. And through it all I have felt welcomed, appreciated and cared for. The joyful enthusiasm which was evident at my installation service, on Easter morning, and, indeed, every Sunday, fills me with gratitude for the opportunity to be your pastor and walk this path of ministry with you. As I meet people around the community and they find out where I work, one of the first things I hear over and over again is what a positive reputation Plymouth has in and around Helena. We have an important role to play and we are well positioned to play it. Which is why I am excited about the upcoming Visioning Process which you will read about elsewhere in this newsletter. It will provide us with the opportunity to listen for God’s guidance and focus our energies towards the areas of ministry where we can make the most difference. I believe you will find it to be an exciting and enlivening experience, and I hope you will choose to participate. Together may we step boldly into the future to which God is calling and leading us.

- Pastor Roger
(keeping my feet firmly planted in the flow)

Paying Attention in Each Moment

Winter is slowly (and sometimes not so slowly) giving way to spring. The cycle of the seasons reminds us that the dark and cold will not not last forever. Warmer, brighter days do eventually come again. But the seasons also remind us that even the darker, colder days are a part of the cycle. As we move from Lent into Easter the same lesson is there for us to experience. One of the great gifts of the cycle of liturgical seasons is the way they flow into each other. It takes all of them together to experience the fullness of a year. So I invite you to resist the temptation of wanting to skip over or push quickly past the darker, colder seasons of your life. To do so is to risk missing the blessings which are waiting for you there. God is present in the winter months as fully as in the summer ones, as completely in Lent as in Easter, as profoundly in times of sorrow and grief as in those of joy and laughter. When we learn to slow down and spend time in the “what is” of each moment, rather than always looking ahead to the “what might be” of some future moment, we come to experience the fullness of God’s presence (and thus also God’s abundant blessings). Pay attention to each moment – each breath – each step along the way. I am convinced that it is there you will discover the deep richness of life. Enjoy the journey.

- Pastor Roger

(keeping my feet firmly planted in the flow)

The Season of Lent Begins

The Church’s liturgical calendar is structured around seasons which flow from Advent and Christmas through Epiphany and into Lent, Easter, and Pentecost, followed by the long period known as Ordinary Time and then back once again to Advent. Each season has its own character and its own themes. One of the gifts which comes with paying attention to such a calendar of seasons is the opportunity to really immerse ourselves in the themes. The truth is that we may or may not be experiencing the realities represented by the various seasons when that season is occurring. The joy of Christmas may not be ours at that moment. The wonder of Epiphany may not resonate with where we find ourselves on January 6^th. The notions of sacrifice and reflection which present themselves during Lent may seem foreign to us. But the seasons allow us a chance to “try them on” so that when we do find ourselves in such circumstances we will have some spiritual resources available to us which can be brought to bear.

On February 10^th we will once again enter the season of Lent, which is 40 days (not counting Sundays) preceding Easter. It is a season which offers us the chance to explore some of the “darker” aspects of life – sacrifice, loss, suffering, betrayal, etc. This year our worship experiences during Lent will, in one way or another, center around the theme of wilderness. I hope you will take the opportunity to allow this season to be a time of spiritual exploration and growth as together we discover what it means to be people of faith even in challenging times.

- Pastor Roger

(keeping my feet firmly planted in the flow)