tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47195020685674845412024-03-13T15:59:04.305-04:00RevDiscoUCC Seminarian contemplating a new church start in Maine. A mission focused church, concentrating on disaster response, UCC style.revdiscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13959066695601091095noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719502068567484541.post-14794308309552129282009-12-18T12:18:00.001-05:002009-12-18T12:20:41.799-05:00<span class="trackbacks-link"><br /></span>revdiscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13959066695601091095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719502068567484541.post-46427528731837344112009-12-18T10:17:00.002-05:002009-12-18T10:29:15.471-05:00Adopting the gifts of winter<p><a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gospel_of_Matthew" title="Gospel of Matthew" rel="wikipedia">Matthew</a> 1:18-25</p><p>Now the <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nativity_of_Jesus" title="Nativity of Jesus" rel="wikipedia">birth</a> of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_%28mother_of_Jesus%29" title="Mary (mother of Jesus)" rel="wikipedia">mother Mary</a> had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: "Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel," which means, "God is with us." When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><p class="zemanta-img zemanta-action-dragged" style="margin: 1em; float: right; display: block; width: 310px;"><a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Anthonis_van_Dyck_-_Die_Ausgie%C3%9Fung_des_Heiligen_Geistes.jpg"><img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c7/Anthonis_van_Dyck_-_Die_Ausgie%C3%9Fung_des_Heiligen_Geistes.jpg/300px-Anthonis_van_Dyck_-_Die_Ausgie%C3%9Fung_des_Heiligen_Geistes.jpg" alt="Anthonis van Dyck - Die Ausgießung des Heilige..." style="border: medium none ; display: block;" width="300" height="375" /></a><span class="zemanta-img-attribution">Image via <a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Anthonis_van_Dyck_-_Die_Ausgie%C3%9Fung_des_Heiligen_Geistes.jpg">Wikipedia</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Someone asked today what is one of<span style="font-size:100%;"> gifts of this season. I was in a class of mature women doing group physical therapy and most had little positive to say about this cold, dark time period. After reading this passage, I am struck with how the authors of the Bible go to great lengths to show Jesus lineage and then this passage conveys a great mystery and reality. Jesus is the son of God, not Joseph and God inspires Joseph to parent Jesus as if Jesus was born of him. <br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;">ADOPTION</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;">We can take bad news, or challenging news such as an unexpected pregnancy, or cold weather or snow storms or darkness as unwanted news, or we can look for the gifts within these and adopt the gifts rather than the burdens.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Gifts of the season..briskness, the smell of fires in fireplaces, music, snowflakes, mittens, hot cocoa, sharing hearts, friends, most relatives.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p> <div style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;" class="zemanta-pixie"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://reblog.zemanta.com/zemified/14d054bf-c0d1-4ae2-bacf-a50445c17748/" title="Reblog this post [with Zemanta]"><img style="border: medium none ; float: right;" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=14d054bf-c0d1-4ae2-bacf-a50445c17748" alt="Reblog this post [with Zemanta]" /></a><span class="zem-script more-related pretty-attribution"><script type="text/javascript" src="http://static.zemanta.com/readside/loader.js" defer="defer"></script></span></div>revdiscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13959066695601091095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719502068567484541.post-65619626709346094892009-11-24T08:10:00.002-05:002009-11-24T08:50:30.630-05:00While Planning for ThanksgivingI am not the most organized grocery shopper. That is why it seems like I have to go the local grocery store several times a week. Now part of the joy of the frequency comes down to seeing my neighbors. I see all sorts of folks when I am at HRD food store. Since I grew up in this town, I find I see retired teachers, parents of old friends, neighbors who I don't normally see when it is too cold to stroll around the neighborhood. So what I am saying, is that shopping can be as social as getting my groceries, and so I guess that is why I haven't spent much time over the past few months or years organizing to get down to one trip per week.<div><br /></div><div>Now that it is Thanksgiving week, I have noticed that the pace of shoppers at HRD food store is more frantic, and people are more cranky. I decided, I am not returning again accept with a list so that I wont have to make several trips during the week or even in one day for the duration of this busy week.</div><div><br /></div><div>One of the traditions of my home Church is to have the parishioners buy an additional item each week for the food pantry. If I forget to pick up the tuna, I will make a special trip to get it and then to drop it off in the basket at home Church so I can see people there. As I prepare for Thanksgiving, I am thinking about how lucky I am to be able to make these trips and put extra things in my basket, as I am aware that many are without jobs, or means of income and many are hungry, right around me.</div><div><br /></div><div>It gets me thinking about how do we expect folks to create "go-bags" for emergencies, when many can't even access basic necessities. Perhaps congregational planning for emergencies or disaster will help people also make this connection within their own congregations. Perhaps while helping folks to prepare a communication plan and a "go-bag" they will become mindful of the disparity in their midst and start to understand the disparities in a more personal and profound way. If we start thinking of our C/church more collectively, perhaps we will start to break through our culture's bent of individualistic thinking. </div><div><br /></div><div>While we collectively think about how we prepare ourselves in case of emergency, we will put an extra flashlight or communication plan on our to do list to help another person plan. Maybe we can have 4-5 families go in on a generator so that when the next ice storm hits, there is a collective group of folks who look after each other and make sure they are warm enough. Perhaps our churches could be warming shelters or emergency shelters for seniors who lose their power or for folks who have nowhere to go when emergency hits. Planning adequately for the inevitable...yes there will snow and ice and subzero temperatures this winter, of that I am certain...helps us to take inventory of what we have, what we need and who our neighbors are and what they need. It is not just a "keeping up with the Jones' inventory", it is a "how are we going to get through this together inventory".</div><div><br /></div><div>A new colleague of mine who works for fire and rescue mentioned that hypothermia and dehydration are rampant within the senior community in winter and especially during ice storms. Folks who dont have heat stop moving around and hunker down. They drink tea rather than water and within a day many get confused and become hypothermic or dehydrated. Knowing this, if we looked at collective solutions in the towns that we have churches, we may find a new and helpful use for our underutilized old church buildings that would create reason and resources to renovate them and revitalize them. People may not be there on Sunday, but they will be there to get warm on a few other days during the cold weeks, and they will make friends and connections there and may look for other activities to do within those walls, like give thanks. If these activities bare fruit, there are other ways to obtain renovations to make buildings handicap accessible and to provide showers and washers/dryers where we dont already have them.</div><div><br /></div><div>Sometimes we need a purpose other than just being. Sometimes we have to plan for emergency or disaster to force us to take inventory of the treasures that we have and decide how best to share those treasures. If our Church's treasure (or dis-ease) is our buildings, then we need to plan for how to best use them for the benefit of our parishioners and those yet churched. When we think outside our walls for how we serve our communities and therefore ourselves, we open the doors to a host of possibilities that we could not even imagine before!</div><div><br /></div><div>While planning for Thanksgiving, I was thinking that there is still more light to break through regarding God's truth....a quote from John Robinson of our Pilgrim days. May we pause to reflect on how the gifts we have and the gifts some take for granted, may be used to help others.</div>revdiscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13959066695601091095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719502068567484541.post-67728624183533174572009-11-20T22:21:00.002-05:002009-11-20T22:30:08.381-05:00Friday Five<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; "><h2 class="date-header" style="margin-top: 1.5em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 86%/normal 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 1.4em; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 0.2em; color: rgb(148, 15, 4); ">FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2009</h2><div class="post hentry uncustomized-post-template" style="margin-top: 0.5em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-color: rgb(127, 127, 127); padding-bottom: 1.5em; "><a name="8978735065609188138"></a><h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="margin-top: 0.25em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 20px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.4em; color: rgb(140, 70, 0); "><a href="http://revgalblogpals.blogspot.com/2009/11/friday-five-thanksgiving-thoughts.html" style="color: rgb(140, 70, 0); text-decoration: none; display: block; font-weight: normal; ">Friday Five: Thanksgiving Thoughts</a></h3><div class="post-header-line-1"></div><div class="post-body entry-content" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.75em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica; font-size: 12px; "><span style="font-size: 12px; "><b>The Cure</b><br /><br />Lying around all day<br />with some strange new deep blue<br />weekend funk, I'm not really asleep<br />when my sister calls<br />to say she's just hung up<br />from talking with Aunt Bertha<br />who is 89 and ill but managing<br />to take care of Uncle Frank<br />who is completely bed ridden.<br />Aunt Bert says<br />it's snowing there in Arkansas,<br />on Catfish Lane, and she hasn't been<br />able to walk out to their mailbox.<br />She's been suffering<br />from a bad case of the mulleygrubs.<br />The cure for the mulleygrubs,<br />she tells my sister,<br />is to get up and bake a cake.<br />If that doesn't do it, put on a red dress.</span><br /><br />--Ginger Andrews (from <i>Hurricane Sisters</i>)<br /><span style="font-size: 12px; "><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; ">So this Friday before Thanksgiving, think about Aunt Bert and how she'll celebrate Thanksgiving! And how about YOU?<br /></span></span><span style="font-size: 12px; "><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; ">1. What is </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; ">your</span><span style="font-weight: bold; "> cure for the "mulleygrubs"?</span></span></span></div><div class="post-body entry-content" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.75em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica; font-size: 12px; "><span style="font-size: 12px; "><span style="font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;">calling an old friend, planning an adventure, getting my hair cut</span><br /></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; ">2. Where will you be for Thanksgiving?</span></span></span></div><div class="post-body entry-content" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.75em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica; font-size: 12px; "><span style="font-size: 12px; "><span style="font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;">At home with both sets of parents</span><br /></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; ">3. What foods will be served? Which are traditional for your family?</span></span></span></div><div class="post-body entry-content" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.75em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica; font-size: 12px; "><span style="font-size: 12px; "><span style="font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;">turkey cooked in a paper bag, 2 kinds of stuffing, dutch treats mashed potatos and peas, mom's pies and English Parsnip Soup</span><br /></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; ">4. How do you feel about Thanksgiving as a holiday?<br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;">I like it ...very little baggage and lots of great smells</span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="post-body entry-content" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.75em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica; font-size: 12px; "><span style="font-size: 12px; "><span style="font-weight: bold; ">5. In this season of Thanksgiving, what are you grateful for?</span></span></span></div><div class="post-body entry-content" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.75em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica; font-size: 12px; "><span style="font-size: 12px; "><span style="font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;">For another Thanksgiving with everyone in the immediate family alive and reasonably healthy</span><br /></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; ">BONUS: Describe Aunt Bert's Thanksgiving.</span></span></span></div><div class="post-body entry-content" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.75em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica; font-size: 12px; "><span style="font-size: 12px; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;">Her church brings her and uncle Frank a Turkey dinner. A few of the folks stay to help serve it and eat it with them. Aunt Bert is grateful but sad that her life has gotten to this that others have to wait on them. She wonders if they will do this again for Christmas. She is happy to have some company besides Frank, even though she loves him. They stay to help with dishes and wrap up the leftovers. She wonders if she will have any time to knit mittens for the Christmas fair. She wonders what next year will bring. Still she is thankful that some folks thought of her and Frank and came to dinner. She couldn't fix Frank's favorate stuffing but dinner was better than what they had most nights and the company was lovely.</span><br /></b><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: arial; ">As always, let us know in comments if you play and visit each other if you can. Post a direct link to your blog entry in your comment using the following formulation in the comment box: <a href="http://revgalblogpals.blogspot.com/the%20url%20of%20your%20blog%20post%20goes%20here" style="color: rgb(4, 137, 148); text-decoration: none; ">what you want the link to say goes here</a> For a complete how-to,</span><a href="http://revgalblogpals.blogspot.com/2006/12/so-you-want-to-post-direct-link-to.html" style="color: rgb(4, 137, 148); text-decoration: none; font-family: arial; ">click here</a><span style="font-family: arial; ">. (Somehow my computer never lets me post the correct formulations, so you can always go to another </span><a href="http://revgalblogpals.blogspot.com/2009/11/friday-13th-five.html" style="color: rgb(4, 137, 148); text-decoration: none; font-family: arial; ">Friday Five</a><span style="font-family: arial; "> to discover it.)</span></div></div></span>revdiscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13959066695601091095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719502068567484541.post-15887072281384094292009-11-18T07:45:00.002-05:002009-11-18T07:50:17.621-05:00What would it take?Every family should have an emergency plan or a contingency plan of some sort, right? What if a house burnt down, or there is a snow storm that that closes schools while mom and dad are at work, or a bad storm where aunt or uncle live 6 hours away and you need to get in touch to check in on them? There are so many tools that exist for planning now, it is wrong not to take advantage of them. Every family should have at least:<div><br /></div><div>a card with all contact numbers, medications,doctors and nearest relatives numbers</div><div>a go bag for each family member and pet</div><div>a list of local resources to contact in the event of an emergency </div><div><br /></div><div>If you had these you would be ready for any emergency, disaster or life event....and of course being a woman of faith, I would also say all these and a prayer, because that is the most effective source of help, I have ever found!</div>revdiscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13959066695601091095noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719502068567484541.post-55987401866952786692009-11-12T18:51:00.002-05:002009-11-12T19:02:47.359-05:00Rapture, what rapture????<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 18px; "><p>Luke 17:20-25</p><p>Once Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, and he answered, "The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed; nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or 'There it is!' For, in fact, the kingdom of God is among you." Then he said to the disciples, "The days are coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. They will say to you, 'Look there!' or 'Look here!' Do not go, do not set off in pursuit. For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. But first he must endure much suffering and be rejected by this generation."</p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">I just looked at lectionary for the 29th and began to talk about my next preaching gig at wonderfully warm urban church. First gig after thinking about taking on Disaster Ministry for my vocation. Of course cart is before horse, as so far it is just between me and my town. And I haven't accepted yet. I suppose I need to seek guidance. Okay so all of that is the backdrop personally. Meantime, pianist has gotten her first punctuation mark, we are busy declutterizing to have our house on the market, the home inspector for the dream house called to say he is on page 36 of his report and still has more to go...... Life feels overwhelming and yet, there is H1N1 looming, global warming, 2012, financial crises for many, basically, I have heard it said recently, what other signs do we need. </span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande', 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">Well Luke reminds us that indeed all these are empty signs. Of course he was speaking of when Jesus was alive and present with them. We are living in the post resurrection when we live with the spirit and the Word being with us always. What else do we need. Times are tough. But God is right here with us and God is still speaking!</span></span></div>revdiscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13959066695601091095noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719502068567484541.post-41089958330069661472009-11-10T10:15:00.004-05:002009-11-10T10:35:13.230-05:00an H1N1 scareI have had way too many moments of clarity lately. Yesterday was a case and point. Dutch treat and I arrived home after doing an inspection of our new dream home to find pianists eyes swollen shut. She told me she had the H1N1 vaccine and had developed a bad headache, and couldn't hear that well and her eyes were scratchy and swollen. She looked like she had been in a prize fight and she was having tics, which is to say her face was twitching. I called the school nurse, and then her doctor who advised me to call 911, especially after she started talking funny and saying her throat was getting scratchy.<div><br /></div><div>As the coordinator for Dirigo State Disaster Response Team, I was hoping that I could assist others when they had emergencies or disasters, not be prepared to manage my own so much. We kept her calm, the rescue came, they started and IV and pumped her full of benadryl. The ER, which was full of people gaining access to basic healthcare, took a few hours to navigate, but the upshot (pardon the pun) was that Pianist was observed for an hour, given steroids for the neurologic happenings and will be part of the state CDC database.</div><div><br /></div><div>It is a good thing too as both parents have neurologic issues, I with MS and Dutch Treat having had guilliam barre's syndrome as a young adult and who suffers with UC now. Basically both parents having autoimmune diseases. I can't help but wonder if there are connections with flu and epstein barr virus (I had mono before I got MS) and chicken pox and other virus' that recombine to create a more pronounced disease. Anyways, I am not a doctor and I dont play one on tv, so today, I am just thankful that all is somewhat returned to normal and I will pray that nothing further develops. I am greatful that we were close by and came home and she wasn't left on her own, although I believe she would have done the right thing and called for help. I reflect on a doctor that once told me I would never have kids because of the MS, and I am thankful I was in a rebellious stage and didn't listen.</div><div><br /></div><div>With everyone safe and where they are supposed to be, after praying and shuffling around, I still believe God has a plan for me to be an ordained minister. Given my limitations and the gifts that come with those, I have faith that God will show me in God's time. God is still speaking........A wise professor once said, "You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you strange." I am feeling like things are pretty strange right now. I have come to the conclusion that the truth is way stranger than any fiction I have ever read.</div>revdiscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13959066695601091095noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719502068567484541.post-37708118300077798572009-11-06T05:37:00.003-05:002009-11-06T05:45:56.274-05:00God what are you saying?Blogging is an interesting venue. It has become an online journal and exploration for me. I had hoped to make connections and meet people, but I am not that good at it, so it has not yet evolved into that kind of resource. It has become a theological reflection tool for me. As I am not yet in a pulpit, I sometimes check lectionary and sermonize on blog. I like doing that. Given the lack of interaction I am getting, I suspect I am the only one who likes to my sermonizing. Perhaps that means I am not meant for the pulpit. I think I need more lessons from revsongbird..be that as it may, I am assured that wherever I am on life's journey, I have not yet arrived at my destination so I need to keep going. I dont see the last few weeks as anything but part of the journey...the journey necessary in healing, discerning, re-integrating what has come before and what will come next. I pray for patience, clarity and faith.revdiscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13959066695601091095noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719502068567484541.post-39948252663737956652009-10-31T19:24:00.002-04:002009-10-31T19:32:04.611-04:00Wedding Banquet<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 18px; "><p>Luke 14:1,7-11</p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#660000;">On one occasion when Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the sabbath, they were watching him closely. When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honour, he told them a parable. "When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honour, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, 'Give this person your place,' and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, 'Friend, move up higher'; then you will be honoured in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted."</span></p><p>This piece of scripture feels very close to me right now. As I finish seminary and watch my colleagues and compatriots prepare for ordination and for call, I find I am terrified that there is no place for me. I am disabled, legally and I cant jeopardize that. I need my medical benefits. I am also differently abled and living with chronic illness. With the condition of multiple sclerosis and I find each day, each changing season brings new challenges for my weak and bumbling body an soul. I have been trying to "pick" ministry which accomodates for my situation. In really reflecting on that, it seems somewhat disingenuous that I would have to work so hard to find a ministry. If I have the faith I profess all should have, then maybe I can let go of my fear and listen for God's message. I can choose the lowest seat and wait for God to show me where I am supposed to sit.</p><p><br /></p><p>God grant me the ears to hear your words in me, the courage to know they are meant for me and not someone else and the grace and fortitude to not be distracted by fear.</p><p><br /></p><p>Amen</p><p><br /></p></span>revdiscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13959066695601091095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719502068567484541.post-13920793532208472292009-10-26T04:16:00.003-04:002009-10-26T04:25:25.199-04:00Theology of Pink FlamingosOnce upon a time, a young seminarian tried to connect God to flamingo's. And it worked out pretty well. I haven't been able to find that sermon recently, but if I remember it even vaguely it went something like this.<div><br /></div><div>flamingos are remarkable creatures that have survived over 3 million years without evolving because they occupy a unique niche. They are special and unchanged</div><div><br /></div><div>they live in special places that most of us can only dream of visiting</div><div><br /></div><div>we make "icons" of them to remember their specialness</div><div><br /></div><div>the icons can cause controversy and annoyance</div><div><br /></div><div>the thought of them in reality and in plastic makes me smile...just like the bobble body Jesus on my dashboard</div><div><br /></div><div>anyway...that is the gist of it. I may revise it and preach it again. I kinda like it.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>revdiscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13959066695601091095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719502068567484541.post-72249312015843306932009-10-25T06:07:00.002-04:002009-10-25T06:26:23.538-04:00I see said the blind manI looked at sacred space.org before blogging this morning and read todays lectionary. Blind Bartimaeus.....hmmmmm. For I was blind and you healed me Jesus. I feel that way in my own life these days. It is soooo easy to forget gratitude. So as of today I am adopting a attitude of gratitude. I will say Kate Braestrup's prayer before every meal and pray morning and evening prayers. Kate's prayer goes like this:<div><br /></div><div>God, thank you for this food, and the hands that prepared it. Thank you for family and friends, Amen.</div><div><br /></div><div>It doesn't get any more simple than that and it says it all. I love what a wise professor once said to me. Keep it simple when praying. Remember who you are praying to..the uncreated creator who knows all of our hearts and minds. Rambling on is preaching not praying. The five- six types of prayer....</div><div><br /></div><div>thanksgiving</div><div>intercession</div><div>petition</div><div>adoration</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>well anyway, I forgot the rest...I got up too early this morning. When praying in the morning and at bedtime I hold people in prayer , I give great thanks for the many blessings in my life and I just talk to God for a while. It clears the head or the chest and gives me peace.</div><div><br /></div><div>Thinking about these 5 or so prayers times during the day reminds me of Islamic tradition which is also an Abrahamic faith. (shares lineage from same Abraham of Genesis) Minus the ablutions (ritual washings), and prostration and praying toward mecca, this could be considered almost Islamish to pray 5 times a day.</div><div><br /></div><div>I was thinking how fearful some Americans are of Muslims and think that freedom of religion means freedom to be any type of Christian denomination you want and maybe even Jewish but probably not. It pains me to think that a religion that holds fast praying 5 times a day to remember who you are and whose you are that you may keep good perspective, is not even understood on a very basic level by many of the people of my country. </div><div><br /></div><div>May Jesus heal our eyes that we may see our brothers and sisters and neighbors not as a mirror reflection, but as they are: and love them as we are called to do.</div>revdiscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13959066695601091095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719502068567484541.post-22439699557744808222009-10-08T22:47:00.002-04:002009-10-08T23:04:16.886-04:00The Seagull and Miley CyrusOkay, when I did my first class of mentored practice and my first theological reflection for that class it was tough. I was serving at USM as an interfaith chaplain and when I imaged God after an interfaith fishbowl experience, God was a seagull in a dory off of Cliff Island. I cant imagine why that was. I was honest about that image and I even wrote the best reflective piece I could, but my MP partners kind of made fun of my image.<div><br /></div><div>In my moments of clarity in these last few days, for the first time in 11 years of living in this house, a seagull has been hanging around. All of a sudden when my call seems to be integrating the presence of God or the Holy Spirit or just a bird that WAS NOT present in my yard before now is here. We have 15 turkeys regularly strutting through the yard which is FABULOUS.....but gulls..never do I remember one. Maybe this is an indication that I am whole again...that I survived the deconstruction process and then reintegration process successfully...I dont know. I feel whole again and I am not sure I ever felt whole.. My joy is back. And that is no small fact for someone dealing with the challenges of Chronic Illness that I face. I need more sleep. More joy, More friends and above all else...More God!</div><div><br /></div><div>Its the climb. We will never meet perfection in this life.. Jesus the Christ offers us.....Its the Climb. God will be with us as we hike up that mountain...Like Moses we dont need to see the other side, because we are content knowing that whatever it is w do.....we are welcome to do it....we are welcome on this journey. Praise God..Amen </div>revdiscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13959066695601091095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719502068567484541.post-54933986672264952032009-10-02T22:04:00.002-04:002009-10-02T22:20:48.901-04:00The Greatest CommandmentAs I have been working on nailing down a disaster response plan for Dirigo State Church, I have and had been going through scripture in my head appropriate for basing a a state wide plan on and in some regards starting a ministry. As one of the core elements is reaching out within community and to neighbors, of course it would make sense to draw upon the great commandment. As I talked about this with my leadership team, I recently found out that some of them have a real prejudice against non Christians. Which makes me wonder, how do you perceive yourself as Christian when you openly hate others.<div><br /><div>When you love God with your whole heart, mind and soul and you accept God as creator of all the earth, am I daft to assume God created ALL people? And then to have it said in three different Gospels, love your neighbor as yourself...that doesn't just mean the Smiths to my right and the Jones to my left....as I am privileged (or not) to live in an insular and rather homogeneous area. COME ON...ITS THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT. And Jesus doesn't just even answer the "who are my neighbors" He teaches us about it in parables..the syrophoenician woman, the woman at the well, the man with the withered hand, and the list goes on. Jesus lives it folks...EVERYONE is our neighbor...Love everyone as you would yourself.</div><div><br /></div><div>Anyways, I defaulted to Matthew 25 for my scriptural foundation......</div></div>revdiscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13959066695601091095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719502068567484541.post-73696460571094540292009-09-29T10:28:00.003-04:002009-10-08T20:39:50.539-04:00Did I mention discernment is hard?!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;color:#880000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;color:#880000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Discernment is no easy task! I find that I am in a strange deconstruction phase. It is almost as if I have to unlearn the patterns of my past behavior that were critical to being a successful business person, or succeed in a competitive, male dominated, hierarchical world. Reading is great and it feeds me on many levels. Listening doesn't hurt. But I always have to experience things to integrate learning and to truly understand. So for me deconstructing means experiencing and making mistakes and integrating the learnings from those mistakes, integrating what I learn from those mistakes and then continuing on my process.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;color:#880000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;color:#880000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">My spiritual advisor says that contemplative practice and prayer is essential for discernment. I didn't always believe her until I made it the center of my mornings. After reading Brian McLaren's, Finding Our Way Again, and instituting lectio divina via sacred space.org, I also started reading 1 Corinthians 13 every day. I sometimes turn to a different version of it...i.e. The Message. Sometimes, I just go onto oremus Bible Browser and read the NSRV. What I find is that reading it everyday creates context from which to review what happened in my life yesterday and creates a peaceful heart for what I set out to do for the coming day. I am attaching the link so that if you read my blog, you might finish it with reading this famous passage........</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;color:#880000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;color:#880000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><a href="http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=121233748" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 187); ">http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=121233748</a></span></span></div>revdiscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13959066695601091095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719502068567484541.post-44048721550351182112009-09-17T09:39:00.007-04:002009-09-17T11:38:37.617-04:00Pianist's Birthday<div>Jeremaiah 13:15-17 (The Message, trans)</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Then I said, Listen. Listen carefully: Don't stay stuck in your ways! Its God's Message we're dealing with here. Let your lives glow bright before God before God turns out the lights. Before you trip and fall on the dark mountain paths. The light you always took for granted will go out and the world will turn black. If you people wont listen, I'll go off by myself and weep over you, Weep because of your stubborn arrogance, bitter, bitter tears, Rivers of tears from my eyes, because God's sheep will end up in exile.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>I love the Prophets, and the Prophetic tradition of the Old Testament for which Jeremaiah was a part. I am reading Brian McLaren's <i>Finding Our Way Again, </i>this sums it up for me, "Comfort and Power can become great enemies of true spirituality and true humanity, which explains why we often say that the prophets come to not only bring comfort to the afflicted, but also to afflict the comfortable." (McLaren, 2008. p23.) </div><div><br /></div>My oldest daughter turns 12 today! I can't give you the exact time, because she was born in Alaska and by emergency C-section, so between the time difference and my alternative state of mind, I really can't sure. I guess tomorrow we can call her 12 without worry. I am in awe of her and of God because of her. She is taller than me now...officially by 1/2 inch after Monday's checkup. Her feet are 2 sizes bigger than mine. Being in 7th grade in our school system, means she will be getting a macbook soon that will follow her public school education. (THANK YOU FORMER GOVERNOR ANGUS KING)<div><br /></div><div>I have had a macbook for 2 1/2 years. I love it and use it for my seminary education and classwork, organizing and doing disaster response ministry, creating and maintaining sermons, funerals, papers, this blog, powerpoint presentations, in fact I even made a movie title the Isaiah Project on this macbook. It's pretty good, I edited it, added text pages and music and everything. Okay it's not THAT good, but pretty good for someone who is not very tech savvy and relatively intimidated by technology. With all of the things I do on my macbook, I realize I am not using it to it's fullest potential. I know there are applications and uses that would enhance my life, my family's life, even my ability to organize my time and work. </div><div><br /></div><div>Pianist has been getting lessons on hers for two weeks and doesn't even have it to take home yet. Last week after her first 20 minute lesson on the applications of her computer, she came home and completely reorganized my document files with color coding.....which I didn't even know was possible. I have been saying to people ever since that she will go farther in the next month on her laptop than I have gone in 2 1/2 years. Last night she told me about an interesting application and we sat down together and found it, downloaded it and enjoyed it. Its called omnidazzle and allows for you to shake pixie dust all over your screen and presumably in your electronic publications. I am so glad she shared it and we sat down and did it together, although I must admit that I felt a little intimidated that she could totally "drive" the computer and I was left in the virtual pixie dust.....I felt uncomfortable.</div><div><br /></div><div>I can't stay stuck in my ways! I am a mom. My children won't leave me there without inflicting temper tantrums, pouts, demands for love and attention or a batch of cookies ......that is not to say I am a Donna Reed kinda mom, because God knows I am estranged from my vacuum, and am not in dialogue with my iron other than for melting beads animals. As Jeremiah states pretty clearly we must live fully into our lives.....OUR LIVES...before the lights go out. My life is not to be in relationship with my vacuum but my daughters. </div><div><br /></div><div>So I'm not entirely stuck....although I am a little stuck with my computer. It's useful, but I didn't even appreciate how useful, until the creative gift that my daughter is...the miracle of creation that is now 12 years old, turned her bright fresh new mind toward computing and then loved me enough to share with me her new knowledge. Her collective 3 hours worth of learning has out-trumped my 42 years of schooling and higher education, experience, tradition, reading, blogging, facebooking, yadda, yadda, yadda. That makes me feel a little uncomfortable and happy and yet happy that someone, someday may fully realize the potential of mac and use it for greater things than I can.</div><div><br /></div><div>We who are privileged with higher education and resources to obtain technology should never become comfortable with the gifts that these things bring us. Angus King was genious to realize that the if you could find a way to put technology in the hands of every 7th grader, they would outpace their elders, and train us how to use the technology. Still it is not a mandate for schools to purchase the laptops and many public schools dont have the financial resources to not only buy them at a bargain prices, but hire the tech staff to support an entire program around the laptops that includes, repair, maintenance, internet security and protection, education of use, policing and the list goes on. And so, the communities of educated, wealthy folks (like mine) who understand King's message and intent, who provide enough tax dollars as a result of their big homes and higher property taxes, can subscribe to the program. Others dont. I feel sad for the other kids in Maine and around the Country who wont get a macbook and learn a whole new language and technology that could transform their life. Those of us with education and privilege are obligated morally to share these opportunities beyond our wealthy boundaries. </div><div><br /></div><div><i>Teach your children well, a mother's hell, will slowly go by. </i></div><div><i>Feed them on your dreams, the one they pick, is the one you'll know by</i></div><div><i>Dont you ever ask them why, if they told you you would cry, just look at them and sigh, and know they love you....................Crosby, Stills and Nash</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>Sometimes our obligation is not to force our dreams or education or leadership on others, but to let their light shine. I ponder this as the United Church of Christ speaks of Alternative Paths to Ministry. I hear colleagues offer concern about letting less educated clergy into the club of ordination. One concern that I share is that this may encourage the proof-texting, zealous, hierarchical approach to religious leadership, that my tradition is trying to offer an alternative to.</div><div><br /></div><div>Juxtaposed with this however, is the notion that there are many other people do not have the privilege of access to even an adequate public education system that could prepare them to study our white, male, privileged tradition of Christianity. I have worshipped in New Orleans in black congregations where lay ministers preached so powerfully and scripturally sound that the spirit of God moved deeply inside me and tears flowed down my cheeks and goose pimples covered my arms. </div><div><br /></div><div>There is effectively no public school system in NOLA. When working on rebuilding homes, we were cautioned about walking down the street alone as young gang members roam the streets and prey on homes (still vacant or repaired or somewhere in between) looking for copper pipes to sell on the black market, or looking for a place to do a drug deal, or worse. One of the homes we worked next to had a picture of a 16 year old boy on it. When I looked at the picture it was a memorial for a young boy, the resident's grandson that had been shot to death across the same street we were working on a few weeks before we came. She had been raising her grandson, as her son had been shot after he testified against a gang person, when his son was a few months old. During Katrina, she lost her brother who lived 2 blocks away from where were working. He had been trapped for days in his attic, and then trapped for hours on his rooftop rescued and dropped into the stagnant water. He developed an awful rash after it all and died.</div><div><br /></div><div>Perhaps that was an aside for some of you reading this. But if you were a person growing up in that America, and you had a story to tell..you had God's story in your life to tell......and you didn't get the privilege of public education, or perhaps even the right of safety to walk your streets, protection from law enforcement when you stood up to the evils in your midst or the due diligence of response from our Government to warn you, rescue you or even take responsibility for their failure to do any and/or all of that, how am I even going hear your story? How will I know your tragedy, and my role in it as someone who wont read about it in the paper in my community. I wont hear it from your people because they are shut out of the education system, shut out of technology, hell we don't even keep you warm and safe and dry . I was privileged to be invited..hell, allowed to participate in your remarkably beautiful and powerful and authentic praise and worship.. Many of your congregation still living in trailers, out of work, burying your teenagers weekly, still thankful to God for life for God's presence......I am glad that my church recognizes we should find another way to invite you to be equal partners in ordained ministry. I hope we of privilege have the strength and Grace to follow through.</div><div><br /></div><div>Our children have so much to teach us! My hardest challenge continually is slowing down to listen. The Bible has so much to teach us! My hardest challenge is to find more dialogue partners with experiences other than mine to help me interpret the fullness of its meaning in my life. Life has so much to teach us! We have eyes to see and ears to listen...God grant us Grace that we may truly see and hear Your will and understand it in our lives!</div><div><br /></div><div>Happy Birthday my darling Pianist! Let your light shine and burn like the newest SuperNova, like a campfire, life fireworks, like sunset, like a fully lit Christmas tree, like an erupting volcano. Let it flow out of you, through you, in you and out to light all of our worlds.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>revdiscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13959066695601091095noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719502068567484541.post-37787040756129110762009-09-10T15:55:00.002-04:002009-09-10T16:05:08.461-04:00A vision of HOPEPrayers and internal discernment are so helpful. Friends, mentors, acquaintances are critical, but of course none of it is possible without the Holy Spirit flowing freely and quickly! The vision is coming together. An interfaith center in Portland, Maine possibly designed around the model of the Interfaith Center in Columbia, Maryland. Meeting space with some joint missioning. Missioning around homelessness, access to internet and Skype, and ongoing disaster preparedness and missioning around unmet needs. The center can have common gathering areas and some specific offices or worship spaces for individual faith expressions worship needs. The building itself will not have symbols. The UCC/DOC would have a participating community of faith or church. The church and or interfaith model would be HOPE, hands of peace extended. The church would work with Seeds of Peace to develop camp opportunities for Maine populations that are being stretched by growing diversity and possible help sponser some camps through seeds or Pilgrim Lodge for new residents (from Iraq, Somalia, etc to attend alongside children from our local rural populations who have few opportunities to interacts positively with "others" .<div><br /></div><div>I have reached out to many connections to discuss this. I will pray about this vision and see if this is God's will or just another part of my process........</div><div><br /></div><div>Thoughts about the idea</div>revdiscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13959066695601091095noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719502068567484541.post-37814701361292842592009-09-04T11:43:00.003-04:002009-09-04T11:57:18.937-04:00Recharged/ recharging Friday Five<h3 class="post-title entry-title"><br /></h3> <div class="post-header-line-1"></div> <div class="post-body entry-content"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4gMr1cvzbmeMCloV8mOhSoQUU8amf-hld3W_zz96V3vcw_LFL5Oba7Fr5_4bdglZGo267O1d63DMNajm23UxHnidALSzmrshntZtf82k06m9MDvXRJcfSr9BMYAurdSM-1MT6nYa-cUSy/s1600-h/plugged+in.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 236px; float: right; height: 320px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377563345636583730" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4gMr1cvzbmeMCloV8mOhSoQUU8amf-hld3W_zz96V3vcw_LFL5Oba7Fr5_4bdglZGo267O1d63DMNajm23UxHnidALSzmrshntZtf82k06m9MDvXRJcfSr9BMYAurdSM-1MT6nYa-cUSy/s320/plugged+in.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>A few weeks ago my lap-top battery died, suddenly I found myself looking at a blank screen and was rather relieved to find that it was only the battery and not the whole computer that had failed. This morning a new battery arrived in the post, and suddenly I am mobile again!<br /><br />After a week with what feels like wall to wall meetings, and Synod looming on the horizon for tomorrow I find myself pondering my own need to recharge my batteries. This afternoon Tim and I are setting off to explore the countryside around our new home, I always find that walking in the fresh air away from phones and e-mails recharges me. But that is not the only thing that restores my soul, so do some people, books, pieces of music etc....<br /><br />So I wonder what/ who gives you energy?<br /><br />1. Is there a person who encourages and uplifts you, whose company you seek when you are feeling low? <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#990000;"><i>My bff Tara usually makes me smile when I am down along with my bff&h Pieter. They can usually zero in on what the issue is an offer me a lift out of it or comfort if there is not lift.</i></span><br /><br />2. How about a piece of music that either invigorates or relaxes you?</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#990000;"><i>There is no end to musical resources that do both. I am so addicted to my i-pod....I love jazz, blues, gospel, rock, classical, show tunes.........For invigoration, I would have turn to 80's dance music. For relaxation I would turn to U2 or REM.</i></span><br /><br />3. Which book of the Bible do you most readily turn to for refreshment and encouragement? Is there a particular story that brings you hope?<br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#990000;"><i>I enjoy the book of John for it's mystical undertones and mischievious invitations to come and see.</i></span><br />4. A bracing walk or a cosy fireside?</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#990000;"><i>Both sound delicious. If my body is responding well....a walk. If my body is not responding well....the fireside.</i></span><br /><br />5. Are you feeling refreshed and restored at the moment or in need of recharging, write a prayer or a prayer request to finish this weeks Friday Five....</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#990000;"><i>Gracious God who is here in me and in these words</i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#990000;"><i>Thankyou for my friends and family</i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#990000;"><i>Thankyou for this day</i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#990000;"><i>Thankyou for my entry into new worlds...of technology, or friendship, of growth in and </i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#990000;"><i><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>through you</i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#990000;"><i>Bless all who read these words and transform them to do and be your will</i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#990000;"><i>Amen</i></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>revdiscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13959066695601091095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719502068567484541.post-63409406931252194782009-09-04T11:35:00.004-04:002009-09-04T11:38:40.262-04:00Hanging with my peeps on RevGalPalsTrying the new blog ring quiz.revdiscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13959066695601091095noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719502068567484541.post-14657799124922561032009-09-02T10:46:00.003-04:002009-09-02T10:54:46.564-04:00What about cafe church?I meet-up with people all the time at local coffee hot spots. I began wondering if the post-modern gen, which isn't necessarily attracted to church in the box religion, would be attracted to meet-ups once a week for worship or three time a month with one meeting per month out doing mission, which would include not only hands on working, but also learning about not for profits, community demographics and unmet needs.<div><br /></div><div>This kind of church would be for people like me, only who I dont normally see in the pews of traditional church. Limited overhead, except for tech savvy to develop web material , group can grow together into whatever they feel called to grow into. Thoughts??????</div>revdiscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13959066695601091095noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719502068567484541.post-23678411391319720412009-08-29T19:54:00.003-04:002009-08-29T20:20:27.856-04:00Two Roads DivergedTwo Roads Diverged in a yellow wood<div>and sorry I could not travel both </div><div>and be one travelor</div><div>long I stood</div><div>and looked down one as far as I could</div><div>to where it bent in the undergrowth.......</div><div><br /></div><div>These words by Robert Frost are forever etched in my memory. As freshmen in an excellent school system, Nancy Shaw, my 9th grade English teacher made us memorize this poem. I am so indebted to her! I still remember most of the poem and certainly this opening stanza. This stanza is a work of pure genius because it represents the human condition to a tee! I have found myself reflecting on it often throughout my life years after leaving high school. </div><div><br /></div><div> I thought about it my senior year of college when I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and decided to leave behind my dreams of grad school for a job with health benefits. I thought about it after a few stormy relationships in early adulthood and a come to Jesus discussion initiated by a wonderful friend. I thought about it when I contemplated a long and rich career in the Federal Government in WDC versus exploration and adventure in other areas of the country. I am thinking about it now as I contemplate graduating from seminary and thinking about a new church start rather than ordained ministry as it is currently understood. </div><div><br /></div><div>There are many years between some of these contemplations. I substituted contingencies for contemplations when my disease became more challenging than I could manage without a great deal of medicine or scientific intervention. I thank the Rev. Bob Molsberry for helping me to revisit my life in handicapdom. Blindsided by Grace, is a wonderful book about his struggle through accident and adaption to life in a wheelchair. I had the good graces of meeting him at the New Church Leadership Institute in Atlanta. I happened to mention to him that I still feel uncomfortable when I see someone in a wheelchair, ever since I was diagnosed with MS. Grace indeed set in and a wonderful discussion ensued. And then of course I read his book.</div><div><br /></div><div>Grace happens everyday in my life. My messy, broken, sometimes weak, sometimes tingly life. Sometimes the right side of my body refuses to work in concert with the left. Sometimes I am so confused, I cant remember my daughters names. Sometimes I wish I was all okay again so I could get up and go to work like the mover and shaker that I used to be and fulfill my public service in the Federal Government. </div><div><br /></div><div>Two roads diverged in a yellow wood</div><div>And sorry I could not travel both</div><div>and be one traveler</div><div>long I stood</div><div>and looked down one </div><div>as far as I could</div><div>til where it bent in the undergrowth.....</div><div><br /></div><div>I guess I am still sorry and angry I cant travel both.</div><div>Even though I am sure that there is so much goodness that comes out of my contingency. God has carried me and I have been mightily thankful, but part of me wants to look down one as far as I can and see what might have been. How do I let go...really let go?</div><div><br /></div><div>Maybe that is why I moved back to my hometown with my family. Maybe I have to re-shape what it means to hear and fulfill one's call. Not in a perfect sort of way...but on the path or road that you are given....that may be my call, my road. There should be a place for everyone to find purpose and meaning despite what comes their way....perhaps that is the road I am taking.</div>revdiscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13959066695601091095noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719502068567484541.post-53487157998275156972009-08-24T11:13:00.002-04:002009-08-24T11:16:15.922-04:00Acts on OrdinationMy conclusion to a paper about Ordination. Would love comments on this one.<div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>The purpose of this paper was to discern the specific meaning of and intention for the word ordination by the author of Acts. The addition of examining the MOM’s interpretation of meaning and intention for ordination was an afterthought inspired by my own journey and my recent attendance of a New Church Leadership Institute in Atlanta. I realize that the UCC has a great distance to go to marry up their vision of being a church for welcoming folks “wherever they are on life’s journey”, with UCC polity on ordination. Perhaps God’s call to me is to simply illuminate that distance. Ordination is how the Holy Spirit calls someone to contextualize the meaning of a living God in their own specific setting. If we as a denomination limit who may be called to ordained service by virtue of the exclusions mentioned and the many that have not been, we exclude the next generation of Paul/Paula from spreading the good news in a language and context that brings God alive for them. We will have kept God in a box for ourselves and lost site of the Great Commission.</div>revdiscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13959066695601091095noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719502068567484541.post-33419543535090439242009-08-23T11:28:00.002-04:002009-08-23T11:53:12.786-04:00emerging callIts been a while. I have given over to the blessing or curse of everyday mayhem that motherhood, or should I just say life, stirs into my mix. It has been a while since I have posted and I realize I have not posted much specifically about my emerging church and my emerging call. I think that is because I am not particularly bloggified or bloggifiable yet.....and it has become easy for me to express my call to something non-traditional, and yet hard to articulate what that something is. Being an external processor, I find I need to talk idea out loud and then refine them based on conversations, corrections or revisioning that happens.<div><br /></div><div>Sooooo.. Here is where I am today. HOPEMEUCC ..Hands of Peace Extended. A progressive Christian Church without walls that seeks to form Christian Community in new ways and places. Joyfully following an incarnate God, we see to identify the presence of God around us and in others. </div><div><br /></div><div>We meet 4x a month in different places for different purposes. Our first meeting of the month will be a celebratory meal with music, bible study and discussion. It probably wont be church music as most know it, but a mix of jazz, blues, folk, rock from whatever live artists we can invite to our meal. Different and differing voices will read the text and discussion will be opened up to all to discern the voice of the Divine.</div><div><br /></div><div>The second meeting of the month will be "it's all about us" and will have the elements of reading the Scripture and talking about the UCC identity and how we are living it out or at least how we want to be living it out. This meeting will continuously explore the Church identity alongside our Christian identity.</div><div><br /></div><div>The third meeting of the month will be "and now for something totally different". This meeting will focus on our Christian text and then on ecumenical and interfaith understandings of our faith. We recognize that our own context is that of being Christian, but seek to discover God's meaning for our lives as Christians in a multicultural and changing world. We will draw on other faith leaders to educate us and dialogue with us to enhance all of our understandings and to expand our knowledge of and faith in a living God.</div><div><br /></div><div>The fourth meeting of the month will be "Jesus has left the building." We will do mission on this meeting in a variety of forms and forums. We may work on a habitat for humanity home, or serve dinner at a soup kitchen. We may learn about green energy opportunities in our community or what is going on with local food cooperatives, or how to interface with local seniors with special needs. The fourth meeting will be about getting out, looking for Christ in our midst as well as being representatives of the incarnational God in our communities.</div><div><br /></div><div>If the month happens to have a fifth Sunday, my exhortation will be to go explore elsewhere so that we remain in touch with what else is happening in church communities and so we can share our story.</div><div><br /></div><div>THOUGHTS PLEASE??????!!!!!!</div>revdiscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13959066695601091095noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719502068567484541.post-62857036931500936592009-07-21T08:51:00.002-04:002009-07-21T09:00:30.962-04:00New Church Start, cont.Pray for protection, persistence and fruit. That's what one book about starting a new church gives as first advice. It also says the first team to recruit is a prayer circle to pray for these things constantly and ceasingly for this effort. Being a progressive Christian who isn't always open or comfortable with the spiritual, that advice made me flinch.<div><br /></div><div>And second of all...what is the fruit I seek? I am visioning a church that is radically open, radically inclusive, that is not only open to all that will place people next to one another who normally wouldn't find each other close by. For mission projects, for coffee, for a meal.......to talk about how they experience God. It doesn't require a building. Maybe some lawn chairs or a campus or a work site. </div><div><br /></div><div>My experience of society is that people become so dogmatic and niched in their comfort zones that they forget that the creative energy that we call God is found in the diverse expressions of all of humanity. We are to love our neighbors as ourselves.......The church I am visioning asks the question...do we need to seek out some new neighbors? </div>revdiscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13959066695601091095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719502068567484541.post-29686008026927065172009-07-20T21:30:00.002-04:002009-07-20T21:38:48.868-04:00A Day at the BeachWith all this Discerning...With all this surgery...With all this family organization, my mother recently reminded me that I stopped having fun with my life. I remembered internally rolling my eyes..and yet when a friend of mine called today and said, we have to go the beach today it may be the only beach day this week....I hesitated. I haven't been to the beach all summer. It's mid-July. I hesitated. When did I get old?<div><br /></div><div>So, I cleared the schedule and said..oh yeah...we are there. I called my mom to see if she wanted to come. She did. We packed minimally, picked up mom and friend...and headed to beach. I still cant carry much, but everyone was willing. Once my chair was set up and the sunblock applied, I sat in my chair and stuck my feet way into the sand. The kids had to go into the ocean at once. I was so happy to see it and sad that I can;t yet submerge.</div><div><br /></div><div>I give thanks to God. The smell of the ocean. The sound of the birds. Little kids running around, gleefully. The smell of coconut sunblock. Salty fragrance stinging my nose. Waves crashing, wind blowing, peace settling in my soul. I FORGOT! How peace settles in someone's soul from the sensual. Wind Blowing, waves crashing. Salty fragrance stinging my nose. The smell of coconut sunblock. Little kids running around gleefully. The sound of birds. The smell of ocean. I GIVE THANKS TO GOD.</div>revdiscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13959066695601091095noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719502068567484541.post-85320090438023899472009-07-14T19:34:00.003-04:002009-07-14T20:17:20.587-04:00Bathed in Dog/GodPerhaps its a little irreverent to mix this metaphor, but I oversaw a very Holy experience today! My husband, for whom I will designate P1, and the pianist, my oldest daughter, were bound and determined that this was to be the day. Bailey has had an ear infection and has stinky ears. And due to my recent surgery and planning forgetfulness, I had forgotten to give her Frontline and found an engorged tick on her. So we all decided that was the last straw between her and a bath. I am on light duty and giving the dog a bath is in no way light duty....or so I used to think.<div><br /></div><div>Bailey, at two years old, has only recently begun to enjoy swimming. Ponds, rivers and ocean beware....she will lunge at any body of water now with great enthusiasm. So when we lined the bathroom with towels, started filling the tub with cool water, taking out the dog shampoo and dog brushes; rather than run as far away from the bathroom as possible, she curiously stayed close to the tub. The pianist was braced for a fight. I told her, time to get Dad, I can go no further with this activity. All of a sudden, Bailey stepped right into the tub and sat down. We gushed praise all over her and laughed about it. We called for P1 and shared the story with him while he came in to take over the heavy duty.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'd like to think that the naturally refreshing baths and water time we have had with Bailey, this loving time between humans and dog...has created trust and she no longer fears what may come at our hands. That is one possibility. The other is that she now loves water and all of it's manifestations and can't wait to get wet. As I observed her patience at the hands of P1 and pianist, I marveled at the blessing we have in this good natured, now clean canine. For about 20 minutes today she had 3 of our complete attentions at the same time and maybe that was the real reason she sat patiently in the tub.</div><div><br /></div><div>If St. Augustine was right....and I can't really be sure of that for many reasons...humans have a built in longing for God. That is part of his apologetic for why there must be God. For those of us fortunate to live in peace and relative prosperity, believing in God; bathing in God becomes a refreshing and splendid experience. Even when potholes form after long cold winters, we become patient for strength and fortitude to withstand; and for fill to smooth the bumps. Us modern day Christians or should I say post-modern day Christians forget that being a little uncomfortable with what is going on for us is okay...as long as we remember that we always have our Creator's full attention and loving will working for all of our best interests.</div>revdiscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13959066695601091095noreply@blogger.com1