Friday Five. Revelation of God.

Sally at RevGalBlogPals Friday Five:

"With this Sunday's gospel reading in mind, that wonderful revelation of Christ to the companions on the Emmaus road. I wonder where you might have been surprised by God's revelation recently. So with no further waffle I offer you this weeks Friday 5:

How has God revealed him/herself to you in a:

1. Book.

Oh, so many choices here. One of the most recent was a novel by Stephanie Kallos called Broken for You. I cried. Cried some more. Then used a portion of the book in a Communion Meditation.

2.Film.

As I've written, I love movies!

I'll say Dead Poet's Society in which God's self was revealed to me through the courage of the character played by Ethan Hawke. Although his best friend had committed suicide and his favorite teacher had suffered betrayal, banishment and gross injustice, I saw God's redeeming power displayed in how Hawke's character found himself through this terrible tragedy. Found himself and was thus able to stand up to the power of oppression all around him. What he does at the end of this movie is a testament to the ultimate power of God in this world, the power of good, the power of empowerment itself, the power of authenticity and integrity in one human being. Oh, I love that movie for how it reveals the love--even the joy--of God in the midst of terrible pain.

3. Song.

I recently downloaded from I-Tunes Helen Reddy's I Am Woman. Every time I hear it, I feel empowered, more hopeful and more confident. Ally McBeal's therapist prescribed music therapy for her--remember? It's so true! God is at work through music. I am Woman, hear me roar in numbers too big to ignore, and I know too much to go back and pretend. I've heard it all before and I've been down there on the floor. No one's ever going to keep me down again. Yes I am wise, but it's wisdom born of pain. Yes, I've paid the price, but look how much I've gained. If I have to, I can face anything. I am strong. I am invincible. I am Woman!

Remember? Oh, yeah!

4. Another person.

Again, so many choices. I'll say my therapist, Mary R_____. She is the mirror through which I really came to see my God-given true and authentic self. She is a healer and her wisdom reminds me of Jesus Christ every time I think about it. I try to model my own pastoral counseling practice on what I experienced of Christ through Mary.

5. Creation

I know from experience that God inhabits beauty. I recently completed (sort of) a project to put all my old photographs on a private blog--it's a good way to organize them and share them with family members and friends. Going through those photographs I remembered so clearly my time in Weesen, Switzerland. I spent a few days there by myself. My days were filled with walks along the lake, sitting in a little park by the lake watching the ducks and feeling God's presence surround me. I journaled some, but mostly felt at peace in the world in a way that was somewhat new to me. The beauty of that place haunts me still. Calls me, still.