Meaning and Authenticity

I am introducing Companions in Christ: The Way of Grace to my new congregation. Nine folks signed up for this small group, and the introductory meeting last Sunday gave me confidence that it will be an enriching group for all. If you've done this study, you may remember the first chapter. It contains Walter Brueggemann's intriguing description of grace as: God's transforming disposition towards the whole world. Then the text says: Divine grace is expressed as a creative will for dynamic life and goodness, full of ongoing possibilities for transformation and renewal. God bestows on human beings the risky gift of freedom of divine love, a risk extended for the sake of transformation, for greater wholeness, for fullness of life. ... Jesus calls his disciples who will shortly misunderstand as much as they understand. Why? For the hope of transformation. Advocacy is risked by Jesus for a woman who has been caught dead-to-right in sin. Why? For the potential of transforma...

Oh, I've been away from blogging too long! I barely started reading, and already I've been inspired to further reflect on my experience last Fall ( seeking authentic voice ), I've laughed and wanted to copy and save ( search the sea ), and I've been reminded of nature's mystical beauty and how it can take us straight to God ( my heart leaps ). Wow. And I have yet so many more blogs to read!! (Wish I had the time...) Thanks, RevGalBlogPals!

My daughter-by-marriage Beautiful Genuine Drummer Girl (I need a new name for her since she is no longer interested in being a professional percussionist!) has finished high school. Yippee! Friday was her last day. I picked her up from City to the South yesterday. My inlaws, her grandparents, and one of her cousins, are in the air as I write, flying here to be part of the graduation ceremony next week. We're having a big cook-out in her honor tonight. Tuesday night is her Senior Piano Recital (she's majoring in piano at her local community college, with her eye on transfering up here to a major university after one or two years), and Wednesday evening is GRADUATION! After that, I'm not sure when we'll see her. She has a job and she is moving into her own apartment in City to the South. Last night we went to Target and bought her some things for the apartment, and this morning we went through some boxes in the attic--dishes, pots and pans, etc. Young Man with Integ...

From Thomas Merton: When psalms surpise me with their music And antiphons turn to rum The Spirit sings: the bottom drops out of my soul And from the center of my cellar, Lo ve, louder than thunder, Opens a heaven of naked air. I send Love's name into the world with wings And songs grow up around me like a jungle. Choirs of all creatures sing the tunes Your Spirit played in Eden. Zebras and antelopes and birds of paradise Shine on the face of the abyss And I am drunk with the great wilderness of the sixth day of Genesis. Antiphon The most wonderful moment of the day is that when creation in its innocence asks permission to "be" once again, as it did on the first morning that ever was. As we worship God this morning, may the bottom drop out of our souls, and may we, too, send Love's name into all the world!

Yikes, what a week I've had. I promised myself that with a part-time job I would actually work part-time, but that didn't happen this week! Not by a long shot. Every day, including Saturday, it was dawn to dusk. Good things, though. We've started a Prayer Sponsor Ministry, linking adults to pray for each child and youth in our church. I prepared some resources and put them in a packet, along with each child's profile, photo, etc. And then I prepared a little "certificate" for each child, so they would know who was praying for her/him daily, along with the pray-er's photo. Easy, but time intensive. I played "The Prophet" in my church's drama group's presentation this morning. In place of the sermon, we did a little play for Pentecost. This acting thing (so to speak) has been my move-out-of-my-comfort-zone project this Spring, and it's turned out to be fun. I decorated Adventure Village (Sunday School rotation model) for the children. P...

Well, I have to say that I'm disappointed in Jeremiah Wright. Except for the Moyers' interview, Obama's best interests are not being served. He should have stayed in the background.