Original post at http://rebekahsimonpeter.blogspot.com/2013/04/good-things-take-time.html

After 3 years, 1 broken contract, 3 web designers, input from 70 people, 2 major updates to current site, 2 efforts at re-branding, my new website www.rebekahsimonpeter.com will finally go live by Monday, May 6!  

(Really, don't try it yet...it won't work!)  

Through the process I have gotten to re-think who I am, what I do, why I do it, and how I do it. It has been painful, exciting, tedious, scary, jam-packed and above all CLARIFYING. 

What I have learned in the process: 

1. Who I am today is not who I was. 
2. Clarity takes time. 
3. Websites, like people, grow and change. 
4. It was worth it. 
5. I like who I am.
6.  God is still calling me.
7.  When I do my work I get to fulfill my purpose in life, and others get to fulfill their purpose in life.  That requires "making the ask."

Original post at http://rebekahsimonpeter.blogspot.com/2013/01/december-31-2013.html

Between tweeting, texting, phone calls, emails and blogging, it's hard to get a thing done! If you're like me, you can sit at your desk and simply respond to the next electronic thing that blinks, flashes, chirps or vibrates.  Staying busy while getting further and further behind.

It happens with the big things, too.  For many of my friends who pastor churches, death is taking up an increasing amount of time.  How does one ever plan for the future if it's all about tying up loose ends from the past?  How do we birth a new kingdom if we are always attending to endings?

I took some time between Christmas and New Year, after two deaths in my own family, to turn it all off and tune in to my spirit and to the Divine nudge.  What does God want from me?  Where are my gifts calling me?  Where does the world's deep need and my own gladness meet?

I spent several days dreaming, reflecting, writing.

Then I wrote a letter dated December 31, 2013.  Yes, 2013.  In the letter, I reflected on the year just passed.  I coded my dreams, along with the Spirit's nudge, into words of gratitude and thankfulness for all that transpired. It was playful, intentional, and inspiring.  Then I read it aloud to my husband and my friend Lyna.  Now I have it in a place where I can review my dreams once a week.

Will I actually get to be on Talk of the Nation?  Or manage to meditate every morning?  No telling.  Will my new writing find publishers this year?  Will my giving exceed that of last year's?  Who knows?  Will I grow all the vegetables I intend?   Or serve all the people I envision?  No telling on any of this.  Hey, I might be not even be alive by the end of the year.  (No, there's nothing wrong with my health. It's just that none of us really knows how much time we have.)

But I do know this:  the clearer the vision I have for the year, the more tuned in I am to the prompting of God, the steadier the course I can chart.  So when things begin blinking, flashing, chirping, and vibrating I can choose responsibly.  When  funerals begin to pile up and the needs of those I love collide, I know where to get back on course.

The world will invariably be sweeter, wilder, and more unpredictable than I can imagine.  But God is faithful.  And, like Paul, in my own way I intend "to press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."  Phil 3:14

In fact, I'm looking forward to 2013.  And to reading that letter at year's end.  Most of all, I'm looking forward to being of service, and building the Kingdom of God, in ways great and small!    

What about you?

Original post at http://rebekahsimonpeter.blogspot.com/2012/11/on-eighth-day-of-christmas.html

Do you remember what happened on the 8^th day of Christmas? 

While the family is at the Temple for the redemption ceremony, two righteous and devout Jews, Simeon and the prophetess Anna, recognize Jesus as a sign of God’s salvation and praise God, for this “light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel” who would himself redeem Jerusalem.  (Luke 2:32, 2:38)



After these mitzvot (plural of mitzvah) are fulfilled, Jesus and his parents “returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.”  At home in Nazareth the mitzvot, blessings, prophesies and praises take root:  “the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.” (Luke 2:39-40)
___

Excerpted from the forthcoming book, "The Jew Named Jesus" (Abingdon Press, 2013) by Rebekah Simon-Peter. 

Original post at http://rebekahsimonpeter.blogspot.com/2012/11/when-interfatih-dialogue-doesnt-work.html

Recently the longstanding Christian-Jewish Roundtable sinned.  As in missed the mark.  Big time.   

Christian leaders from the group--including representatives of the National Council of Churches, the United Methodist Church, the Lutheran Church and the Presbyterian Church (USA)--sent a letter to Congress on grounds of "moral responsibility" asking that US aid to Israel be reevaluted in light of the Jewish state's alleged human rights violations against Palestinians.

The missed mark?   Here's one of them.  The letter was sent shortly before the whole group was to meet for a regularly scheduled meeting.  Jewish dialogue partners include leaders of Reform and Conservative Judaism, the American Jewish Committee, and the Anti Defamation League. 

How moral is it to ambush your dialogue partners with a request that is sure to bring up a complex of emotions and responses?

Why didn't they wait and speak to their partners in interfaith dialogue?  It certainly would have been messy.  It might have been indelicate.  Perhaps there would have been hurt feelngs.  Or big disagreement.

But all of that is happening anyway.  Without the benefit of having spoken together.  And now it may be hard to get the parties back to the Roundtable to talk.  This very Roundtable by the way was established in part to help diffuse differing opinions over US aid to Israel.

Interfaith dialogue between Jews and Christians has come a very long way.  Much has been accomplished. But this is a sign that there is still more work to be done. 

When does interfaith dialogue not work?  When it's not practiced.

Original post at http://rebekahsimonpeter.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-gop-changing-demographics-and-church.html

An eerie reminder of what mainline churches face. 

The popular wisdom is that President Obama was re-elected not only because of his grassroots campaign, but because his message and policies resonated with the young, the working and middle classes, singles, persons of color and ethnic groups. 

As mainline Protestants age, a majority of whom are white, the church has to find new ways to tell our story to reach our neighbors.  We too must continue to embrace the changing demographics of the American people.  And the technologies they choose.

Previously, Twitter hadn't figured into presidential politics all that much.  Until now.  But on Tuesday, President Obama Tuesday night's tweet, Four More Years has become the most popular of all time, racking up almost half a million re-tweets within 2 hours.

How are you using Twitter to communicate with your people?

Diversity has taken center stage in our nation.  Consider this.  As a nation, we chose between a biracial president and a Mormon.  Did you ever think that would happen?  Marriage equality bills passed by popular vote in three states.  More women were elected to Congress.   New Hampshire now has an all female delegation.  The first openly gay member of Congress was elected. As well as the first Hindu Representative and the first Buddhist Senator.  America is changing.

The church must too. 

Original post at http://rebekahsimonpeter.blogspot.com/2012/09/same-boat-different-stream.html

Schools are "failing" as you may have heard.  So are churches.  Oh, young people still go to school. And you'll still find children and youth in church.  But they're not always engaged--in either locale.

That came home to me recently at the Wyoming School Improvement Conference.  I was there in my other role as Educational Consultant to present two workshops on interpersonal communication.  That was neat.

Even better was learning about how much schools and churches have in common.  Turns out we are in the same boat, just on a different stream.

Both schools and churches have an uneasy relationship with accountability.  While teacher tenure may be disappearing and they'll be evaluated on results, pastors are facing the loss of guaranteed appointments and being relieved of duty for ineffectiveness.

Related and maybe connected is the fact that both schools and churches are using centuries old forms of engaging people.  Stand up front and talk basically.  And hope the students get it.  It's a top down approach that focuses on teaching rather than learning.  And on students consuming rather than producing.

But consider this. 


Students are producing!  They are making apps, posting movies on YouTube, publishing their thoughts on Facebook, and showing their work on Instagram.  They research just for the fun of it!  They text and tweet in a way that would make ee cummings proud.  Young people are wired, networked and engaged.

Just not so much in school or church.

At school, teachers and administrators ask students to put away their technology to "learn."  We do the same thing in churches.  But what's the message to these digital natives?

The drop out rate from both institutions is frightening.

There's a lot at stake. Together schools and churches form minds and spirits.  We offer critical guidance on moral, intellectual, and spiritual development.  We shape stories of the past and give voice to future possibilities.  We underscore the importance of  intergenerational interactions.  We give love unstintingly. And food.  

Perhaps it's time to change our very perspective on the Millennial generation.  Fellow presenter, Shawn Jensen asked, "If all you knew about these young people is that they author, publish, create, share, collaborate and are not afraid to make mistakes--thanks to the delete button--how would you do school differently?"

He suggested that educators include a digital native's real life skills in the classroom.  For instance, ask students to construct a FB timeline of Abraham Lincoln.  What might he have posted before giving the Gettysburg address.  After?  How might others have responded?      

Got me thinking about how we could engage students in worship and youth group via tweets, texts, and YouTube.  Instead of schooling them in our generation's way of doing things, why not let them school us in their way?  No, we'll never be caught up in all the social networking and technological changes that are coming our way.  But neither will they.  The point is we live in a time of constant change.  Get used to it.

We could learn a thing or two from schools.  And schools can learn from churches.  And we can all learn from the students in our care.

After all, we're in the same boat.  Just different streams.