The Ongoing Process of Heart-Writing

Sticker Charts, Inner Motivation, and the Ongoing Process of Heart-Writing 3/7/2024 - by: Josh Lunde-Whitler - Starting With Scripture Share Joshua Lunde-Whitler currently serves as the Youth and Community Outreach Minister for Payson Park Church (UCC) in Belmont, MA. He also teaches in a variety of contexts on lifelong faith formation, narrative identity, theological ethics, and faith in the public square. Involved in active ministry since 2007, Josh is currently a Member-in-Discernment in the Central MA Association of the SNEUCC. He would love to talk with you about the future of the church and faith formation, and/or how storytelling and games can facilitate formation. Scripture: Jeremiah 31:31-34 (NRSV) The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, ‘Know the Lord’, for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more. Reflection: Sticker Charts, Inner Motivation, and the Ongoing Process of Heart-Writing Recently in our home, we have started homework and chore charts for our nine-year-old son. It’s amazing how much a daily sticker, and the ability to track progress on a refrigerator, has deescalated the once-daily tug-of-wars to get his work done. (Ok, yes, I suppose earning an allowance might also be part of the appeal, too.) We’ve long known this kind of thing works well for him, so why did we wait so long before fully committing to this process? Well, because at one point he didn’t need it. He liked helping us out with simple tasks; he enjoyed his reading practice. He was doing stuff he was good at and enjoyed, and knew that his parents would be proud of him for it. But over time, school work started to come less naturally to him. He was asked to do chores that he wasn’t thrilled about doing. And as much as we parents wish that he would keep finding enjoyment or a sense of personal accomplishment in doing these new things, that isn’t a very realistic expectation. Both kids and adults often need that little something “extra” to jump-start a new practice, or to develop a new habit, even if the new thing itself has its own rewards. But these can be harder to see at first when we’re still struggling to learn. A painter learning a new technique might need to start by first setting incremental goals (such as, practice this new thing for 15 minutes, then you get to paint what you want); eventually the new thing can be incorporated into the repertoire, and the technique can now add to the enjoyment of painting. We want our children to be intrinsically motivated to enjoy learning, to be kind people, to be creative and free thinkers, to love God, etc. In other words, we want them to love and relish the life they have been given – and we want this too for ourselves! But the truth is, we often need extrinsic motivations. We need speed limits, overtime pay, a lollipop from the doctor after getting a shot. (For my son of course. Not me. Really.) God’s vision for the liberated slaves of the Israelites was to become the people of God, who lived and acted differently because of who God was, and what they had gone through. God’s steadfast hesed love was promised through the covenantal law, the Torah, which set the Israelites apart. Social and cultic practices, rewards and consequences, were to provide the extrinsic motivation that would over time shape the people into a community that loved mercy and justice, who were generous, who took care of the disenfranchised (because they were once so). Unfortunately this reality never fully materialized…Maybe a sticker chart would have helped? Jeremiah’s words sought to comfort a conquered people, by assuring them that God would renew those ancient promises, despite the fact that the people had not lived up to their end of the bargain. This time God would “write the law on their hearts.” The motivation would come from within. Early church writers certainly made the connection between Jeremiah and Jesus, and the sending of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost in Acts 2. Christian faith is rooted in love, and in the grace of God who loves us! Yes! But… As 21st-century Christians, if we’re being honest, how often do we feel intrinsically motivated out of love? As it turns out, the feeling of love, and of God’s loving presence, isn’t always readily available, especially when we’re caught up in our to-do lists, or when our heart sinks into our stomachs after seeing the most recent headlines. Even if we know this Love, we know that it’s a foretaste, a starting point. God is not done with us; God is still speaking to and in us, our churches, our world. The Law of Love is still being written on our hearts to shape us into a people who seek justice, wholeness, mercy, and compassion for all. The athlete falls in love with basketball, but then has to commit to practice in order to grow as a player; the artist loves to paint but strives to grow. My son loves to read, but is working on growing as a writer and in communicating his creative and insightful way of thinking with others. What’s amazing is when the work pays off. What was learned becomes a part of you. And what’s more, the joy and the passion of the thing grows, as your wisdom and ability expand. During this Lenten season, have you incorporated any new spiritual practices into your life? How successful has that process been? (Did a “sticker chart,” or whatever the equivalent would be for you, help you get started?) How have those new practices cultivated love in your life? How might love (for ourselves, for our neighbors, our enemies, for God) be something we practice living out, in concrete ways? What is God seeking to write on your heart this week, as we approach Holy Week? PRAYER Holy Spirit, speak to us your words of comfort and hope. Where our service or worship has become stale, awaken holy Love within us that reinvigorates us. Where dark nights of the soul seem never ending, show us the path forward, and walk with us through the darkness. Shine your light on our fears and doubts, that we might grow in our love not in spite of them, but because Grace has embraced us as we are. May Your Love continue to be written on our hearts, so that Love overflows into works of compassion, mercy, and justice-seeking for all. Amen. New Prayer Requests: We ask churches and church leaders to join us in the following prayers either by sharing them during worship, printing them in bulletins, or sharing them in some other way. To make a prayer request, please contact Marlene Gasdia-Cochrane at cochranem@sneucc.org. Prayers of Intercession: For the people of Ukraine and the Middle East whose lives continue to be shattered by war, as well as the many landscapes that are currently embroiled in conflicts . For those grieving or suffering due to the ~2,900 gun violence deaths that happened in the US since the start of the year. For trans and non-binary people, their queer siblings, and their loved ones who experience suffering due to acts of violence and deaths following new anti LGBTQ+ laws. Prayers of Joy and Thanksgiving: For clergywomen leadership. For opportunities to regroup, including praying together. (You are invited to participate in Pause for Prayer, Wednesdays @ 12:30, Live on Facebook. Add your prayers through the chat feature, and recordings can be found on the SNEUCC Facebook page or our webpage.) This Week in History: March 12, 1933 (91 years ago): President Franklin D. Roosevelt gives his first national radio address—or “fireside chat”— speaking earnestly to the American people about his hopes and dreams for the nation. Roosevelt took great care to make sure each address was accessible and understandable to ordinary Americans, regardless of their level of education, and helped explain the often complex issues facing the country. [History] “Study the past if you would define the future.” — Confucius Joshua Lunde-Whitler Josh Lunde-Whitler Joshua Lunde-Whitler currently serves as the Youth and Community Outreach Minister for Payson Park Church (UCC) in Belmont, MA. He also teaches in a variety of contexts on lifelong faith formation, narrative identity, theological ethics, and faith in...