Meaning and Authenticity

Thanks for your prayers for Joyce. They were suppose to do surgery first thing this morning, but when I got to the hospital at 1:00, she was still in her room, waiting. She was in no pain, just lying there, so we got to talk a bit. They took her to pre-op about 2:00 and I haven't heard anything yet from her son. Oh, the world seems in such chaos right now to me, somehow. My husband's home church, which he dearly dearly loves~the church in which we were married~is in a horrendous uproar. D is there tonight for another meeting. Dear God, may everyone there open themselves to your Spirit's nudgings toward justice and reconciliation. That's my fervent prayer. And that's what happened at my previous church, so I have good reason to hope. Oh, and my dear friend Seeker Executive. I just found out that she is driving to another city tonight to be with a friend who is near death. And this friend of hers is so very close to her heart; they have been like sisters since their c...

Please pray for my friend Joyce. She's in her 80's and fell today and broke her hip. She's a friend from my previous church, and I love her so much.

It's been a busy few days (aren't they all?) I'm beginning to love my new church. Another couple invited me for lunch today, and I had a fabulous time. He was with the State Department for a while, and they have traveled the world many times over. Beautiful home. Not huge, but stunning. Everywhere I looked my eyes fell on something glorious. When I walked in, I was struck by the sunlight filtering in everywhere. We entered the small dining room through two potted plants that have grown, literally, to the ceiling! She is a gourmet cook. Chicken crepes, salad, homemade bread and jellies--for lunch! And for desert she had made some kind of ... I don't know what to call this. A rolled cake thing. :-) It was filled with cream surrounded by cake and topped with yummy icing. Amazing. They regaled me with stories of their travels. She's Dutch, and they met when he was in Europe with one of the World Council of Churches' work camps back in the 50's. Great story. I do...

Obama runs away with South Carolina primary Jan 26, 2008 19:07 EST, BBC ~Obama Routs Clinton in Racially Charged SC Primary, Regaining Momentum~ "Barack Obama routed Hillary Rodham Clinton in the racially-charged South Carolina primary Saturday night, regaining campaign momentum in the prelude to a Feb. 5 coast-to-coast competition for more than 1,600 Democratic National Convention delegates."

Why is beauty so important? In my twenties I was hardly aware of it, my soul so full of fear, self-absorbed. As I began to heal, the context in which I lived and worked came into view. The harshness of the flueorescent lights under which I worked at the oil company suddenly weighed on me. I began to buy furniture and home decor that spoke to me of the difference the divine can make. I yearned for an environment, a context for living and working, that mirrored the opening toward which I felt myself drawn. Why is beauty so important?

One Sunday morning, the pastor noticed little Alex standing in the foyer of the church staring up at a large plaque. It was covered with names with small American flags mounted on either side of it. The seven year old had been staring at the plaque for some time, so the pastor walked up, stood beside the little boy, and said quietly, "Good morning, Alex." "Good morning, Pastor," he replied, still focused on the plaque."Pastor, what is this?" he asked. The pastor said, "Well, son, it's a memorial to all the young men and women who died in the service." Soberly, they just stood together, staring at the large plaque. Finally, little Alex's voice, barely audible and trembling with fear, asked,"Which service, the 8:30 or the 10:45?"

A man walks into the lingerie department of Macy's in New York City. He tells the saleslady, 'I would like a Southern Baptist bra for my wife, size 34 A.' With a quizzical look the saleslady asks, 'What kind of bra?' He repeats, 'A Southern Baptist bra. My wife said to tell you that she wanted a Southern Baptist bra, and that you would know what she wanted.' 'Oh, yes, now I understand,' says the saleslady. 'We don't get as many requests for them as we used to. Most of our customers lately want the Catholic bra, the Salvation Army bra, or the Presbyterian bra.' Confused, and a little flustered, the man asks, 'So, what are the differences?' The saleslady responds. 'It is all really quite simple. The Catholic bra supports the masses, the Salvation Army bra lifts up the fallen, and the Presbyterian bra keeps them staunch and upright.' He muses on that information for a minute and says, 'Hmm. I know I'll regret asking, ...

This is long, but SO worth the read. It's Barack Obama's speech at the Ebenezer church in Atlanta on MLKing, Jr. Day this past Monday: From: http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/01/the-ebenezer-se.html ___________________ The Scripture tells us that when Joshua and the Israelites arrived at the gates of Jericho, they could not enter. The walls of the city were too steep for any one person to climb; too strong to be taken down with brute force. And so they sat for days, unable to pass on through. But God had a plan for his people. He told them to stand together and march together around the city, and on the seventh day he told them that when they heard the sound of the ram’s horn, they should speak with one voice. And at the chosen hour, when the horn sounded and a chorus of voices cried out together, the mighty walls of Jericho came tumbling down. There are many lessons to take from this passage, just as there are many lessons to take from this day, just as...

What great news I've carried in my heart this morning. First, a wonderful friend experienced a true blessing and huge affirmation from our Regional Committee on Ministry. When she got home last night, she was greeted by her beautiful, loving dog, C. In the greeting, the spontaneous and unconditional happiness dogs apparently feel when we walk in the door, she began to laugh. And then she found herself walking around the whole house, laughing ~ in pure delight, open to the joy at the very heart of God. Wow. And then my husband calls to give me more good news. I didn't ask if I could post about it, so I won't, but suffice it to say that he received a HUGE compliment from the powers-that-be at his university, along with an assignment that speaks of their trust and high regard for him. Again, what joy to be so well respected. Wow. My heart is singing today.

It seems to me that if the Ft. Worth Diocese of the Episcopal Church wants to withdraw to the Southern Cone, it will just have to accept the fact that it can't take its property with it. Baptists, Disciples of Christ, etc. own their own buildings. Not TEC. You can't have it both ways, Bishop Iker. The Christian tradition is valuable, of course. But Bishop Iker and all ultra-conservatives make the mistake of valuing their tradition above any belief that God is still working in this world, still calling us toward transformation, still nudging us toward repentence of the obvious EVILS (and I don't use that word lightly) perpetrated by that very "tradition" ~ one of the most glaringly obvious in my view being that of denying ordination to women. That one horrible belief alone makes me want to throw up. Katie Sherrod' s recent post is exactly right. She writes: "Someone once said that if fish could think, water would be the last thing they would discover. They...

I got this from Jan at Yearning for God , who found it at Episcopollyanna , who got it from A Catholic Mom in Hawaii . From What Privileges Do You Have? , based on an exercise about class and privilege developed by Will Barratt, Meagan Cahill, Angie Carlen, Minnette Huck, Drew Lurker, Stacy Ploskonka at Illinois State University. If you participate in this blog game, they ask that you PLEASE acknowledge their copyright. Bold the true statements. 1. Father went to college. 2. Father finished college. 3. Mother went to college. 4. Mother finished college. 5. Have any relative who is an attorney, physician, or professor. 6. Were the same or higher class than your high school teachers. 7. Had more than 50 books in your childhood home. 8. Had more than 500 books in your childhood home. 9. Were read children's books by a parent. 10. Had lessons of any kind before you turned 18 . 11. Had more than two kinds of lessons before you turned 18. 12. The people in the media who dress and talk li...

A word from The Art of Pastoring this cold Sunday morning : Your role as a pastor and your congregation's life as a church will both come to an end. Only the Word is without end. Therefore be aware of the temporary and never give it too much importance. If people gave less attention to the multitude of things temporary, and more attention to the One thing permament, there would be room in their hearts for the writing of the Word and there would be no more need to teach for all would know. (Author's observations: Whatever you are worried about right now, whatever is distracting you from the Word ~ it is temporary. Relax. And be free to love.)

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The title of Bob Herbert's recent article says it all: Misogyny Is America's True National Pastime The New York Times. Posted January 17, 2008 "If there was ever a story that deserved more coverage by the news media, it's the dark persistence of misogyny in America. Sexism in its myriad destructive forms permeates nearly every aspect of American life. For many men, it's the true national pastime, much bigger than baseball or football. "Little attention is being paid to the toll that misogyny takes on society in general, and women and girls in particular. "Its forms are limitless." Here's the link to the whole editorial: http://www.alternet.org/reproductivejustice/74004/

From the BBC, Friday, January 18 : "The United States has been listed as a country where prisoners are at risk of torture in a training document produced by the Canadian foreign ministry. "It also classifies some US interrogation techniques as torture. "The manual - part of a training course on torture awareness for diplomats - also includes Israel, China, Iran and Afghanistan on its watch list. "

Just some odds and ends this evening: I've been feeling GREAT lately. Don't know why...there's nothing particularly different from those days last week when I could hardly move, I was so tired. Struck me today how much I love being a minister. A retired couple from my new church invited me over for lunch, and we just sat and talked while feasting on homemade soup and cornbread. Comfort food! They invited me out back to tour his office, formerly a tool shed that he converted. Wow. I admire the ability to build like that. And then we sat in their living room and spoke about the church for a while. They are both at the center of things there. It was under her direction that every spring the church plants wildflowers. This church is set up on a hill, surrounded by about four acres of grass and trees--beautiful park-like setting. In October church members come together to make about 2,000 seed balls~the size of your fist~an amazing process that keeps the birds from ea...

And here's another one I've always liked. (Scanners are TOO fun!) This is the Temple of Poseidon, Crete. This was taken back in the mid 70's during my very first trip out of the state of Texas. Okay, okay...one more before I call it a night! This is photo of the little town of Weisen in Switzerland. I went with some friends, but decided to spend a couple of days by myself in this little village while they stayed in Zurich.

This is Hong Kong. I took the photo in the late 80's from the balcony of my friend Amy's high-rise apartment. I've always loved this ...

I spent Friday night at what we call our "Girls Overnight." My friends Joyful Laugh and Life Giving One and I try to schedule a couple of times each year when we rent a big room at a B&B and spend some time together. This time Joyful Laugh's husband and son were away on a camping trip together so we got to spend our time at her beautiful new house. Joyful Laugh is one of the most creative friends I have, and her house shows it. Wow. It's so beautiful ~ the large family room has ceiling-to-floor windows looking out on a creek, so trees and wildlife are plentiful. And she had a landscaper design the patio. She and Life Giving One stayed up Friday night until 2:30 watching a movie, so when I woke up at 8:30 the next morning I had the house to myself, basically. Made coffee (several cups, actually), went outside and sat on her new covered swing-set, prayed, listened to the birds and the sound of the fountain she installed on the patio. Amazing. My soul felt lifted up....

Happy Birthday, Blonde Beauty. The beauty of this image reminds me of you.... Your beauty was evident from the moment you were born. I remember thinking how your complexion was so perfect, your eyes the bluest blue, and your fuzzy blonde hair so lovely. And your beauty continues today, my dearest A. Not only in your physical self but in your friendly disposition, your openness to others and to Life, and the hospitality you offer so naturally. May you know in your deepest heart how truly you are loved, simply for being who you are. You have enriched my life beyond measure through these 27 years. Rest assured that if you are ever in need, D and I are here. May you always know the deep serenity I think the swan image conveys. Katy _____________________________ Here are a couple of photos of my niece when she was about 2 years old and 4 years old. See why the swan reminds me of her?

Feminist Theology in an Age of Fear and Hope has posted an essay of mine on Matthew 3:3-17. It's about identity and how we form our identities within a pervasive system of patriarchy and from the imago Dei. Many thanks to MomPriest at Seeking Authentic Voice for starting this blog on such an important topic.

After seeing this, I'm not upset that Hillary beat Barack. I'll still vote for Obama over Clinton, but I won't mind too much if she ends up being the nominee.

I don't know why I'm feeling so tired. Utterly exhausted is a more descriptive word for it. It's as if I'm not getting enough oxygen, but the doctor said my breathing was okay. I could just barely drag myself out of bed this morning, and after church yesterday I slept for a solid three hours. Ugh. Can't have this! Too much to do!

Hat tip to Serena @ Rev S S ... Here is Barak Obama's speech after his win in Iowa: Remarks of Senator Barack Obama: Iowa Caucus Night, Des Moines, IA January 03, 2008 Thank you, Iowa. You know, they said this day would never come.They said our sights were set too high.They said this country was too divided; too disillusioned to ever come together around a common purpose.But on this January night - at this defining moment in history - you have done what the cynics said we couldn't do. You have done what the state of New Hampshire can do in five days. You have done what America can do in this New Year, 2008. In lines that stretched around schools and churches; in small towns and big cities; you came together as Democrats, Republicans and Independents to stand up and say that we are one nation; we are one people; and our time for change has come.You said the time has come to move beyond the bitterness and pettiness and anger that's consumed Washington; to end the political st...

Obama! Obama! Obama!

A friend of mine has joined the blogging world! Kathy is the "artist friend" whose words influenced me so greatly here . Her blog is My Heart Leaps , and on her website you can enjoy many of her beautiful expressions of faith and feeling. Welcome to the blogosphere, Kathy!