tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-169408092024-03-07T03:52:14.180-05:00church.nuexplorations in creativity, ecclesia, and other adiaphoraBobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13756603962925894681noreply@blogger.comBlogger309125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16940809.post-73473394617474469012023-02-22T13:30:00.003-05:002023-02-22T13:47:40.075-05:00Humility and Connection<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS6XRL4oiC8v5d0GJDsgnYHUoiaKUojdwWSZfA2917-WJCVmqS1cYMEU06955sFcjPjwZKQxTmrFiq5go1_A7vqwfnGEpRGFKcNuQHeSoq2uhfNzelBdVyao_buSNlgxD7xRvj7bG8hi1JnkdjkG7N1BXfGMAeAWSpniIQ0846NhVyTXqXGQ/s5400/sonika-agarwal-yO6Uv6Pv7Qg-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3600" data-original-width="5400" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS6XRL4oiC8v5d0GJDsgnYHUoiaKUojdwWSZfA2917-WJCVmqS1cYMEU06955sFcjPjwZKQxTmrFiq5go1_A7vqwfnGEpRGFKcNuQHeSoq2uhfNzelBdVyao_buSNlgxD7xRvj7bG8hi1JnkdjkG7N1BXfGMAeAWSpniIQ0846NhVyTXqXGQ/w640-h427/sonika-agarwal-yO6Uv6Pv7Qg-unsplash.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p><i style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">…Remember you are from the earth, and to the earth you will return. – Gen. 3:19</i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Ash Wednesday speaks to our mortality, yes, but at its heart is a call to humility. Death is real, and not one of us can escape it. Death is one experience that connects me to my companion pets, to the birds singing to wake the trees, to the milk cows, the wild foxes, the gulls ingesting perma-plastic refuse. It humbles us and makes the strong case that life/the world is not about me.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Such realistic humility has been essential to my evolving spirit. Humility helps me to approach divine mysteries with awe and respect. Without awareness of interdependence and fragility, one can be tempted to use brokenness or resurrection as a cudgel that subjects others to an imagined self-superiority.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Recalling that I am from the earth renews the divine call to care for the planet and all its living things. Remembering that I will return is a warning that my hope of reconciliation is wrapped up in the restoration of earth and the cosmos. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Ash Wednesday reminds me that I am connected to the golden starlings, the Maine coon, azaleas, and Marcellus shale. We are more alike than I sometimes wish to think. None of us are God, yet we’re all holy, and all culpable. Can we work together to restore the divine creation, while there still is an earth to return to?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@sonika_agarwal?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Sonika Agarwal</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/fauna?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a></p>Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13756603962925894681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16940809.post-80216820484077991672022-08-01T17:04:00.005-04:002022-08-01T17:09:42.919-04:00Fully Known<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7FwC72i6hDJ-Pg3k-HE9itmkOcchYAKDZsTYCoh60vbf2kVPUFsongPXO1XoRDTFNR8XR1mjn4k9_JeXHsucPCqZ-waP5ziTNCHQPaz0pFJbA1Nf1681xp0VGj6T0l6NqlFRylGWANsoaeJQ-nnbOqWv5cSKx0m8QXRtkj8S_NIS7llT5bA/s1619/Rublev-trinity-Public-domain.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1619" data-original-width="1300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7FwC72i6hDJ-Pg3k-HE9itmkOcchYAKDZsTYCoh60vbf2kVPUFsongPXO1XoRDTFNR8XR1mjn4k9_JeXHsucPCqZ-waP5ziTNCHQPaz0pFJbA1Nf1681xp0VGj6T0l6NqlFRylGWANsoaeJQ-nnbOqWv5cSKx0m8QXRtkj8S_NIS7llT5bA/s320/Rublev-trinity-Public-domain.jpeg" width="257" /></a></div>Yesterday I preached on my favorite Psalm, 139, for Welcome Church. It's a church with and by people experiencing being unhoused in Center City Philadelphia. Thanks to Pastors Violet Little and Schaunel Steinnagel for the invitation.<p></p><p>I also use this text regularly in the worship I lead weekly at Penn Foundation Recovery Center. It's beautiful in whatever version you read it in.</p><p><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+139%3A1-18&version=NRSVUE" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">NRSV</a> | <a href="Read full chapter" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Message</a></p><p><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sermon on Psalm 139</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Welcome Church, July 31, 2022</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When I sit at my desk, I look up at a print of a famous Russian icon — The Holy Trinity, created by Andrei Rublev in the 15th Century.</span></p><p class="p4" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It depicts the circle of love within the Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit gathered around a table and a chalice of wine. Their eyes draw the viewer around the circle of divine love and we notice Christ holding his hand, two fingers extended to signify his divine and human natures, over the chalice. But the Spirit is pointing downwards. To what?</span></p><p class="p4" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">On the front of this altar is a small rectangle the Spirit points to. Some art historians speculate that a small mirror may have been placed there, so that the viewer would see his or herself invited to the table, included in this divine circle of love.</span></p><p class="p4" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I think of this icon when I read Psalm 139. The psalmist’s prayer is a mirror that invites us into the writer’s intimate relationship with God. She knows that while life has its dark and isolated places, she is never alone and unseen by the Holy One.</span></p><p class="p4" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This psalm is a beautiful description of what it means to be “fully known.”</span></p><p class="p4" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">God knows when you wake up in the morning and when you nod off to sleep.</span></p><p class="p4" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">God knows what you are going to say before you think of the first word — in the way that close friends and partners talk finish each other’s sentences.</span></p><p class="p4" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">God is always present and close enough to touch!</span></p><p class="p4" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This kind of closeness can make us vulnerable, and that can be scary. We all have those things that we would prefer that people not know about us. So I understand why the writer muses about fleeing from the divine presence, as Adam and Eve did to hide their shame.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p4" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Yet the writer finds that Divine Presence whether she is having a mountaintop experience or bowed down in her own personal hell.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p4" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">What is more amazing is that this psalm was written during a time of trouble and oppression. The psalm continues to tell us that unknown enemies — bloodthirsty and wicked — seek ill for the writer and her community. This sounds a lot like our world today: People in Ukraine are losing their homes and being killed during a brutal invasion. Some people we know are getting sick or dying from viruses that we aren’t being protected from. We exist in a system that only works if many people don't have jobs or are underpaid, and which is ok with many not having shelter, or enough food, or access to medical care.</span></p><p class="p4" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is what is so beautiful about this psalm. The God who created us for good is not hidden from us during the dark times when we come up short or are weighed down by the world</span></p><p class="p4" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The God for whom darkness is the same as light is pursuing US with, as the song says, rare, relentless grace.</span></p><p class="p4" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The triune God, the father, son, and Holy Spirit, invites each of us to come to the table to see ourselves as part of the dance of divine mystery, and to see the image of the Holy in our selves and each other.</span></p><p class="p4" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Now that is knowledge that, as the writer says, is too wonderful to fathom, too much to take in.</span></p><p class="p4" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">May you be loved and known by the God who leads you in God's way everlasting, now and forever. Amen</span></p><p class="p5" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="p5" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="p5" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Bonus: "Known" by Tauren Wells really captures the mood of this scripture and sermon:</span></p><p class="p5" style="font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xckDgX8xNfg" width="320" youtube-src-id="xckDgX8xNfg"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Let me know what you think.<br /><p><br /></p>Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13756603962925894681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16940809.post-42254951883402005582022-08-01T16:50:00.003-04:002022-08-01T16:50:32.830-04:00Moon over Bucks County<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdwrXFdsktgO5ebAqUvmA52ym_Knvvo3zfNhMOeO9XLE1ybPJA6v2F-toZNYoi8WD5WtdHI0ssZGUezyF1V8XedvCKDa2rTOGmYgJJ3a_NfqBoMPQyEpQmiS7PsG2zRcHoFuZwO33vojkpMCkk1c9ku7jQJIIAaEwNdbNtweUbcfymZDVNkw/s1809/moon%20over%20bucks.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1010" data-original-width="1809" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdwrXFdsktgO5ebAqUvmA52ym_Knvvo3zfNhMOeO9XLE1ybPJA6v2F-toZNYoi8WD5WtdHI0ssZGUezyF1V8XedvCKDa2rTOGmYgJJ3a_NfqBoMPQyEpQmiS7PsG2zRcHoFuZwO33vojkpMCkk1c9ku7jQJIIAaEwNdbNtweUbcfymZDVNkw/w557-h312/moon%20over%20bucks.jpeg" width="557" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-size-adjust: auto; white-space: pre-wrap;">Moon over Bucks County Feb. 12, 2022. Nikon D7100. f4.5, 1/800, -2.0EV, manual focus, 300mm handheld.</span></div><br /><p></p>Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13756603962925894681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16940809.post-45698353757009867402022-08-01T16:45:00.000-04:002022-08-01T16:45:03.537-04:00Reboot<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ymdCzxLziSr8txIbc0bi_NRlCLMA7yUxlW0Xf2aBdLEfdSGkESEkJDu3wYqON1eFtZMzHvf1sYZ893bouzKe6xv_qQf8MqWnPX9yL4rOcwQummlAWK7bn5sWNObOwaC_KsPQthAfktMXRYsKNLX2XvgvJ1dsw8rMK31c3rQi73Rfha0pfg/s960/Bob-ordination-group.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ymdCzxLziSr8txIbc0bi_NRlCLMA7yUxlW0Xf2aBdLEfdSGkESEkJDu3wYqON1eFtZMzHvf1sYZ893bouzKe6xv_qQf8MqWnPX9yL4rOcwQummlAWK7bn5sWNObOwaC_KsPQthAfktMXRYsKNLX2XvgvJ1dsw8rMK31c3rQi73Rfha0pfg/s320/Bob-ordination-group.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Wow. It has been a long time since I've been active here. I skipped an entire presidential administration, and then some. What's been going on in all that time? Well, since no one asked:<p></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://facebook.com/kairos" rel="nofollow">Kairos Communities</a> has formed as a synodically authorized worshipping community of the <a href="https://ministrylink.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod</a> of the ELCA.</li><li>I completed the Theological Education for Emerging Ministries program at <a href="https://www.unitedlutheranseminary.edu/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">United Lutheran Seminary</a> in Philadelphia.</li><li>I learned so much in the Clinical Pastoral Education program at the Penn Foundation Recovery Center, working with people starting or re-starting recovery from substance use.</li><li>I was ordained to the ministry of Word and Sacrament in the ELCA.</li><li>We had a little thing known as the pandemic that turned life, ministry, and work upside down. 🙃 Sadly it is still going on two-and-a-half years later. 😢 😡</li><li>My ministry turned overnight from communicating about the work of the synod to equipping and encouraging pastors, deacons and lay leaders as they were thrust into online ministry.</li><li>Kairos rapidly transitioned from a house church/missional community to an online gathering. In the time when no one was holding in-person church, we had a number of visitors. And we missed people who were not drawn to church on Zoom</li></ul><div>Through the course of this journey my non-work writing slacked off along with my attention to this site. I'm creating more content (I really hate that word, but it works) these days and I'll be sharing more frequently. </div><div><br /></div><div>Hope to see you here! Talk to you in the comments.</div><div><br /></div><p></p>Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13756603962925894681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16940809.post-76418497904620242732016-07-10T12:17:00.002-04:002016-07-10T12:17:15.296-04:00A Time for Lament<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidO-IpeUrkaos1blKEHhywLvFGo5rh8pC8bQzWy0TNgZw1ozVRIqp03jH-6DZWzb_7QUvn7UsUlXkZm_Z93-G958vAW_y8hWPonDDbsBwC6kV04eCb2a_4tLfe-eNCMdFIX7q1/s1600/DSC_1554.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidO-IpeUrkaos1blKEHhywLvFGo5rh8pC8bQzWy0TNgZw1ozVRIqp03jH-6DZWzb_7QUvn7UsUlXkZm_Z93-G958vAW_y8hWPonDDbsBwC6kV04eCb2a_4tLfe-eNCMdFIX7q1/s320/DSC_1554.JPG" width="211" /></a></div>
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It has been a hellish week.</div>
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Too many innocent victims. Too much unfathomable violence. Too much hate on far too public display.</div>
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Beneath it all is a spiritual disorder: Too many of us are letting our fears, our preconceptions, our talking points and maybe even our paranoia obscure the common humanity that we all share.</div>
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In the midst of our failure, Jesus weeps.</div>
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The Gospel of Jesus Christ is unequivocal: ALL lives matter. Yet Jesus’ identification with those who were marginalized and oppressed calls us to name those who are at imminent risk: BLACK lives matter. BLUE lives matter. This especially needs to be said by those of us who can trust that our white lives always matter.</div>
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There are powerful forces that use weeks like this to further distrust and division. It’s understandable that some feel pushed into an us-or-them mentality. Police officers and African-American males are especially on alert now. But this fear draws us deeper into our spiritual disorder.</div>
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Our tilted criminal justice system, the rampant economic inequality, our impulse to focus on small differences instead of the vast similarities we share — all of these we have come to accept (however grudgingly) as the status quo. In this week of innocent victims we remember Jesus, who was arrested with overwhelming force, and was executed for the crime of threatening the status quo of his time.</div>
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The message of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection is that we are all in this together. He consistently challenged systems of superiority, exclusion and oppression. He did not victimize others or play the victim, and he neither minimized suffering nor advocated “eye-for-an-eye” retaliation. Richard Rohr notes that Jesus rejected the natural human response to transmit our pain — which aptly describes our culture cycle of violence, outrage, divisive argument, then complacency followed by more violence — and instead chose to transform it, by holding it in himself on the cross.</div>
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A first step towards transforming the pain we feel this week is to lament, to sit with the pain and just acknowledge it for what it is. Experience the anger and frustration, and recognize our powerlessness in the face of pain. </div>
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By stepping back we can see that by holding the world’s pain Jesus transformed an unjust execution into the path to a new way of life. And by looking past the urgent rush to criticize and co-opt — which dissipates just as quickly leaving us where we were — and bringing a different energy to the struggle, we gird ourselves for the slow, backbreaking work of bending the moral arc of our society towards justice.</div>
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Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13756603962925894681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16940809.post-86042967122313107122016-03-27T10:39:00.000-04:002016-03-27T10:46:10.530-04:00Holy Thursday<div class="p1">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn2CN9Blz-gx3CSwAHEm0IMnTe5w8MXkHVGH8WL1eb7WxkhkX2Ln7QqoIXthk7TMGcUTXeU5cPNogXMv6G4lf3BuOLsIsnmYeHUSL__9QIg7sHdfXl897LXjn5JMg0ZsI2YWUp/s1600/11wcfw1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn2CN9Blz-gx3CSwAHEm0IMnTe5w8MXkHVGH8WL1eb7WxkhkX2Ln7QqoIXthk7TMGcUTXeU5cPNogXMv6G4lf3BuOLsIsnmYeHUSL__9QIg7sHdfXl897LXjn5JMg0ZsI2YWUp/s320/11wcfw1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<i><br /></i>
<i>“…Mary was an only child…”</i></div>
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<span class="s1">Art Garfunkel’s high tenor gently filled the car as we turned onto Sixth Street, on the way to take a meal to The Well, a women’s shelter run by The Welcome Church. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><i>“…but she shone like a gem in a five-and-dime store.”</i></span></div>
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<span class="s1">In the basement of a small Episcopal church on a side street, two of the women of The Well looked up from the movie they watched on a tiny screen to greet us warmly. As we busied ourselves in the kitchen preparing a beef stir-fry, other women arrived. They put down their carts or bags after a long day on the streets, free for a while from the burdens of homelessness. Most then went off and took a few minutes to themselves before joining the others around the table,</span></div>
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<span class="s1">It was a familiar, domestic scene — except their “private” space was half of the tiny fellowship hall, jammed with cots hidden from the rest of the room by a makeshift curtain. And “home” didn’t open until 7:30 pm, and would send them back to the streets 12 hours later.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
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<span class="s1">While the meal cooked we sat and talked over fresh vegetables and dip. Their concerns were heartbreakingly ordinary: The difficulties of getting to medical appointments. How hard it was to find fresh, healthy food. Missing the camaraderie of singing in the church choir.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
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<span class="s1">Suzanne broke out her guitar and we sang old chestnut hymns. <i>Shall We Gather at the River? Precious Lord, Take My Hand</i> — “Oh, that’s my favorite,” Carol* said. Alice recalled a song from the old hymnals in the basement that she and a couple others had read the other night. “Could we hear what it sounds like?” Shirley passed out the worn books and we sang <i>Lord of All Hopefulness. </i></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"><i></i></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">The women sang with joy and gusto. One voiced an especially gorgeous soprano. “God gave the the gift I wanted, the ability to sing,” she said. This eclectic congregation shared church. Where many would have experienced despair, the dingy basement hall was truly a place of hope.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">During dinner, more stories. Carol shared her multiple medical conditions. But instead of whining, she offered gratitude for finding good doctors who care about her. Most are south of the airport, so she has to take a bus multiple times a week. “God has really provided for me,” she said.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
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<span class="s1">Over pear cake with caramel sauce, Lisa shared that she had once lived and worked in New York City, and still enjoyed listening to NPR. Her situation, she hoped, was temporary. “I feel bad that I haven’t given up anything for Lent,” she said. “I guess being homeless is my Lent,” she allowed.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Before we knew it it was time to leave. After hasty goodbyes, and see-you-again-soons, we started the long drive back on the winding roads of Bucks County. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
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<span class="s1">During the drive, and since, I’ve been reflecting on this unexpected Holy Thursday. </span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">I was chastened to realize how little gratitude I feel every day for simple gifts — a healthy meal, health care, songs to sing, a comfortable home. </span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
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<span class="s1">I was a bit uncomfortable with the realization that, like Lisa, I (and any of us) could be an unlucky turn away from poverty. Or that, like Carol, health concerns can snowball into larger issues.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
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<span class="s1">Mostly I was aware that Christ was truly present in that room — and that had more to do with the women’s joy and honesty than anything I brought to the table.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">God showed up here — and can show up anywhere — even if we don’t have eyes to see. As the Garfunkel song concludes:</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><i>“…then you might have seen Jesus, and not have known what you saw.</i></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><i>“Who would notice a gem in a five-and-dime store.”</i></span><br />
<span class="s1"><i><br /></i></span>
<span class="s1"><i>*The women are not identified by their real names.</i></span></div>
Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13756603962925894681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16940809.post-77407135838167840862015-02-18T09:28:00.000-05:002015-02-18T09:28:33.305-05:00An acceptable fast?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh88-_rZ0elRQqs0MRnuEjcBoeTVgkWJTQyUOkG_F_56Eyq29VRwHjh8qBTAMufCETuM21eausnJgHBt0H8qjBnYGttj0ui44PJVCFHZQ3BjMnUuysE705V7JtkeKFI-QpAtjGT/s1600/Bob_ashes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh88-_rZ0elRQqs0MRnuEjcBoeTVgkWJTQyUOkG_F_56Eyq29VRwHjh8qBTAMufCETuM21eausnJgHBt0H8qjBnYGttj0ui44PJVCFHZQ3BjMnUuysE705V7JtkeKFI-QpAtjGT/s1600/Bob_ashes.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<span id="goog_111541078"></span><span id="goog_111541079"></span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+58%3A1-12&version=NRSV" target="_blank">Isaiah 58:1-12</a><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="text Isa-58-9" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; position: relative;">If you remove the yoke from among you,</span><br />
<span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: monospace; font-size: 0.42em; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Isa-58-9" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil,</span></span><br />
<span class="text Isa-58-10" id="en-NRSV-18797" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; position: relative;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; left: -4.4em; line-height: 22px; position: absolute; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">10 </span>if you offer your food to the hungry</span><br />
<span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: monospace; font-size: 0.42em; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Isa-58-10" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">and satisfy the needs of the afflicted,</span></span><br />
<span class="text Isa-58-10" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; position: relative;">then your light shall rise in the darkness</span><br />
<span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: monospace; font-size: 0.42em; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Isa-58-10" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">and your gloom be like the noonday.</span></span><br />
<span class="text Isa-58-11" id="en-NRSV-18798" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; position: relative;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; left: -4.4em; line-height: 22px; position: absolute; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">11 </span>The <span class="small-caps" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span> will guide you continually,</span><br />
<span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: monospace; font-size: 0.42em; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Isa-58-11" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">and satisfy your needs in parched places,</span></span><br />
<span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: monospace; font-size: 0.42em; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Isa-58-11" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">and make your bones strong;</span></span><br />
<span class="text Isa-58-11" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; position: relative;">and you shall be like a watered garden,</span><br />
<span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: monospace; font-size: 0.42em; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Isa-58-11" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">like a spring of water,</span></span><br />
<span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: monospace; font-size: 0.42em; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Isa-58-11" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">whose waters never fail.</span></span><br />
<span class="text Isa-58-12" id="en-NRSV-18799" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; position: relative;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; left: -4.4em; line-height: 22px; position: absolute; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">12 </span>Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;</span><br />
<span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: monospace; font-size: 0.42em; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Isa-58-12" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;</span></span><br />
<span class="text Isa-58-12" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; position: relative;">you shall be called the repairer of the breach,</span><br />
<span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: monospace; font-size: 0.42em; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Isa-58-12" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">the restorer of streets to live in.</span></span></blockquote>
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On Ash Wednesday many churches read the prophet Isaiah's dramatic rendition of what is true devotion to God -- and what isn't.<br />
<br />
Isaiah starts with the people's satisfied cluelessness: They "seek me and delight to know my ways,<br />
as if they were a nation that practiced righteousness." The people whine that God does not see their ritual piety and sacrifice. "Why do we fast but you do not see? Why humble ourselves when you do not notice?"<br />
<br />
In their humanity the people of Israel then make the same mistake modern people of faith continue to make. We like to confuse the container with the contents; safely imitating the finger rather than the moon it points to. "The Jewish prophets had the uncanny gift to recognize when people were confusing partial and passing knowledge/information/data with eternal truth," Richard Rohr observes. We the people don't like our confusion pointed out so directly, so ancient prophets (like Jesus) were often killed; modern prophets are marginalized or branded heretics.<br />
<br />
The people's confusion is a good example of what Rohr calls the first half of life. Traditions, rituals and doctrines provide safety and structure. I can know (and control) that I am not eating today, or wearing sackcloth and ashes. I can also know, judging from these external behaviors, who isn't in my tribe. I can do this even while I am mistreating workers or ignoring the poor, as Isaiah points out.<br />
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As the passage continues Isaiah describes God gently calling the people toward the second half of life, that place where meaning and connection trump the walls and barriers we like to erect.<br />
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The "fast" God calls for isn't merely an abstinence from food, but a felt and engaged connection with the afflicted, the marginalized, the hungry.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="text Isa-58-6" id="en-NRSV-18793" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; position: relative;">Is not this the fast that I choose:</span><br />
<span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: monospace; font-size: 0.42em; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Isa-58-6" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">to loose the bonds of injustice,</span></span><br />
<span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: monospace; font-size: 0.42em; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Isa-58-6" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">to undo the thongs of the yoke,</span></span><br />
<span class="text Isa-58-6" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; position: relative;">to let the oppressed go free,</span><br />
<span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: monospace; font-size: 0.42em; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Isa-58-6" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">and to break every yoke?</span></span><br />
<span class="text Isa-58-7" id="en-NRSV-18794" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; position: relative;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; left: -4.4em; line-height: 22px; position: absolute; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"> </span>Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,</span><br />
<span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: monospace; font-size: 0.42em; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Isa-58-7" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">and bring the homeless poor into your house;</span></span><br />
<span class="text Isa-58-7" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; position: relative;">when you see the naked, to cover them,</span><br />
<span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: monospace; font-size: 0.42em; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Isa-58-7" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">and not to hide yourself from your own kin?</span></span></blockquote>
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In other words, the fast is not to indulge the ego's need to "be seen" as upright and worthy. It is to develop the humble seeing that knows that there is no difference, no separation between me and the imprisoned, the oppressed, the hungry, homeless and naked. God calls us to loose chains, to share bread, heated homes and clothing <i>not so we can feel good that we have done so,</i> but to honor the holy connection God has forged between all people and, indeed, all creatures and our planet.<br />
<br />
This is how the light of God's people shines. The trajectory of Isaiah's prophecy is worth noting: It moves from the reality of the people's false, external religion to participating in the true feast that God desires -- which is really loving others as I love myself. The arc ends with a vision much more beautiful than being "seen" by God as dutiful. The ultimate goal is to emulate God's mercy and justice in the high calling of restoring ancient ruins and restoring the very streets upon which we and all God's people live.<br />
<br />
This Ash Wednesday it is important to receive ashes, to fast, or whatever our tradition is. But let these practices reorient you from the ritual to the romance that lies beyond as you see your connection to all people and to God's deep desire for reconciliation and forgiveness.<br />
<br />
A good way to do this today is to sit for 20 minutes with Isaiah's text, letting the words flow over you and noticing where the Lord stirs up discomfort, anger, longing or peace. Let the story embrace you and identify where you are within it, and where you desire to be.<br />
<br />
<i>In what ways do I find the rituals and traditions more comforting than the risk of connection and service to others?</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>What practices can I begin today</i>Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13756603962925894681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16940809.post-67192201150123699902014-09-10T09:39:00.000-04:002014-09-10T09:39:32.409-04:00Jesus’ Gift to the Rich Young Man<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=mark+10%3A17-22&version=NRSV" target="_blank">Mark 10:17-22</a></blockquote>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
The more I read this story the more I am convinced it is not
about treasure, but about trust; not about keeping rules but about seeing the
big picture.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s initially interesting in Mark’s telling of this story
that the man calls Jesus “Good Teacher.” Jesus questions him saying: “No one is
good but God alone.” To me this hints at the basis for the interaction. This
man sees God active through Jesus; he is not just another teacher. He is drawn
to Jesus, perhaps to be validated as “good,” but mostly because he is seeking
something more.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Jesus first gives the standard “religious” answer: Keep the
commandments. This is a checklist, but more than a checklist. This is the
binary realm of dualistic consciousness: You have stolen, or not; you have
murdered, or not; you have honored your parents, or not. It’s a guide for what
Richard Rohr calls “the small self,” the ego that seeks to build itself up, put
others down, and exert control.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The law can be a great source of certainty on a simplistic
level. It implies a transactional deal with God: “If I do this (or don’t do
that), God will accept me and welcome me into eternal life.” It also implies a
separateness from those who don’t keep the same laws. And if we’re honest for
most of us it allows us to say, “Thank God I’m not like them!”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is approach is also about “control.” And it is our
control, not God’s that really matters. It is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I</i> that keeps the commandments, and God is bound to offer suitable
rewards. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The man quickly affirms that he has kept all of the commands
since his youth – for as long as he has been accountable to do so. As I imagine
this scene playing out, I do not hear the man boasting or arrogantly demanding
his inheritance. He has come to Jesus as a seeker, asking for eternal life. I
imagine the young man saying this in slight puzzlement, with a twinge of
sadness. “I have kept all the rules – why am I still seeking?” Knowing the
Hebrew texts he might be questioning the psalmist: “I have made the Lord my
shepherd; why do I still lack something?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This deep question gets Jesus’ attention. Mark shares a
detail that Matthew and Luke skip over: “Jesus, looking at him, loved him…” One
commentator says that the Greek word translated “look” really means to see
deeply, to observe someone and know a truth about them. And what Jesus sees in
this rich man moves him to compassion. He understands why the man is
dissatisfied by keeping all the rules and desires a fuller, “eternal” life.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Many Christians have translated the phrase “eternal life” into
“a place in heaven when I die,” an “eternal reward.” Scholars note that the
phrase “eternal life” is difficult to translate. In <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Secret Message of Jesus </i>Brian McLaren calls it a life
distinguishable from the common life most of us live. It is “a life that is radically
different from the way people are living these days, a life that is full and
overflowing, a higher life that is centered in an interactive relationship with
God and with Jesus. Let’s render it simply “an extraordinary life to the full
centered in a relationship with God.”” N.T. Wright calls it “the life of the
coming age” – the age Jesus calls the Kingdom of God. Brian Stoffregen says
eternal life is “experiencing God through the one God sent.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In that understanding, it makes sense that Jesus “loved” the
man (Stoffregen says this is the only place in the three synoptic Gospels that
Jesus loves someone) by presenting to him not yet another command, but an act
that can move him fully into this Kingdom-shaped life. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If I am honest I must admit that sometimes I get hung up on
Jesus’ call to “go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor.” Our
culture places a lot of value on what we own, and teaches us to derive identity
from it. This command touches on the weaknesses in McLaren’s contrast to
eternal life – “life as people are living it these days.” In many discussions
of this text that I have participated in, solid Christians focus on the
importance of providing for ourselves and our families and don’t consider the
import of what Jesus says next: “you will have treasure in heaven; then come,
follow me.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I hear Jesus not simply calling the man to let go of his
possessions, but calling him more deeply into a life marked with surrender and
solidarity. Jesus calls him to surrender the illusion that keeping the law
earns him anything. He is asked to consider the possibility that God may have
use for his wealth that have nothing to do with him, and to let go and live
into that possibility. Selling all one’s possessions is not charity but a change
of lifestyle. It moves him from seeing himself as different from the poor –
even from seeing himself as a benefactor – and recognizing that he <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">is</i> the poor, and the poor are just like
him. Selling is an act of solidarity, of standing with the poor in their
poverty (as God does), of acknowledging the shared humanity and humility
ignored by “life as people are living it these days.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This entire exchange is about making the transition to a
higher stage of the spiritual journey. Jesus calls this man to move from
keeping the law’s externals to embodying its spirit. He is asked to leave the
dualistic thinking that allows him to keep the law while separating himself
from those who are different and enter the world of what Rohr calls “unitive
consciousness,” where he would see himself as both saint and sinner, both rich
and poor, and experience relationship with God through humble relationship with
all of God’s people (not just those like him).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The young man knows he lacks something, and thinks he wants
this kind of alternative life, with less focus on the wealth and the
rule-keeping that he knows doesn’t satisfy. Jesus offers him that way, which
requires taking on a more expansive, less ego-driven way of thinking. (Jesus
knew, long before Einstein, that transcending our problems requires new ways of
thinking.)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s not surprising that the man is “shocked, and went away
grieving.” Jesus’ solution is the last thing his everyday small self would
think of, and elevates following the rules to surrendering to the rule-giver.
Like many of us in Western consumer society, he has many possessions and he is
attached to them; selling them is a form of death of the assumptions he has
played by his entire life.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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I like that this story, unlike so many of Jesus’ encounters,
does not resolve with a clear answer or an easy moral. The step Jesus is
calling for is not a quick “decision for Christ” as much as a process of
developing a new way of thinking, seeing and living. We do not learn whether
the man takes Jesus’ offer or settles for his old pattern of keeping the
commandments and his personal wealth. Because ultimately this is not his story.
It’s ours. And its questions call attention to those we must face on our
lifelong spiritual quests.<o:p></o:p></div>
Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13756603962925894681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16940809.post-61721436764577707282014-08-27T14:01:00.002-04:002014-08-27T14:01:26.911-04:00What I learned from posting a viral meme<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhKxabuCuDsegjeRoOSq8YQUM2_VIolZ2Oa0KX_zrrVRm5efVj1101ohEThjRwTTRD-6bz7krGkUIrxL0ste9CF3IbNDAfPZxhSQE9E-dODrqUE5_SdX8lk07Vry1wwcaEjAS1/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-08-27+at+1.32.18+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhKxabuCuDsegjeRoOSq8YQUM2_VIolZ2Oa0KX_zrrVRm5efVj1101ohEThjRwTTRD-6bz7krGkUIrxL0ste9CF3IbNDAfPZxhSQE9E-dODrqUE5_SdX8lk07Vry1wwcaEjAS1/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-08-27+at+1.32.18+PM.png" /></a></div>
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This image was posted, without explanation, last Saturday around 12:30 pm. By Sunday night Facebook reported that it had "reached" more than 100,000 people. As of today it is still getting a few "likes" and "shares." According to our page Insights:</div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li>It has been served to more than 132,000 people.</li>
<li>It has been shared more than 2,000 times, with an equal number of "post clicks."</li>
<li>More than 9,000 people "liked" some version of the post.</li>
<li>More than 735 people commented on some version.</li>
<li>We also added 28 "fans" to our page over this time.</li>
</ul>
<div>
This is for a page with 1,100 "fans," where posts reach 200-500 people on average and engagement numbers in the single digits or teens are the norm.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
So what did I learn?<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>When inspiration strikes, go for it! With all of the pouring water videos going around thanks to ALS fundraising, and some humorous responses, I thought of this simple image of our bishop baptizing an infant during a visit to Tanzania a couple of years ago. So I just jumped into Pixelmator and knocked this out for immediate posting. (This was our photo, shared on our Flickr page, so there were no permissions issues. Don't just grab images that are possibly copyrighted.)</li>
<li>Keep it simple. There are memes out there with a lot of text, but when you have an emotional image like this, let it speak for itself. (Also, in trying to boost another image post, we found that Facebook rejected it because text made up too much of the image.)</li>
<li>Humor works. Just have fun with it. Not that profound sayings won't work, but stay away from preachy. People already think the church is preachy.</li>
<li>Don't point out that you are responding to a trend. We didn't say anything about the ALS challenge, although people picked up on it and added comments to their shares, suggesting that people give or that they remember their baptism and respond.</li>
<li>Boost, but be realistic. We did experiment and spent $20 to promote the post to our fans and their friends. That did reach more than 2,000 people, but the vast majority of the shares, likes and views were viral...people seeing that through the normal exposure of our page and of our fans to their friends, and then passing it on themselves.</li>
<li>Interestingly most of the new likes came from the promoted post, which makes sense as we targeted friends of people who were already fans, some of whom were likely Lutherans who would be interested in our content. </li>
</ul>
<div>
So if you have an image, an idea or an event that is meme-able, dive in. Be strategic about whether or how you promote it. And don't be disappointed if the post reach is only slightly larger -- or slightly smaller -- than your norm; we've had image posts go both ways. </div>
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Happy meme-ing!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13756603962925894681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16940809.post-70250695073147055482014-08-27T13:24:00.000-04:002014-08-27T13:32:50.694-04:00Reorganizing Church<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguL5m8zOkv0YZMYnjOxSGrkSrNpT9US5BM1UZg4pI7G3wgU170r-_ozJEMqtnLTZq8A9nga7Stmcq7JpUESijQF53IRNN4M2tezuWG0u0A9uUlauxp6sHqJIrl8v94gxRecrYY/s1600/abundance2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguL5m8zOkv0YZMYnjOxSGrkSrNpT9US5BM1UZg4pI7G3wgU170r-_ozJEMqtnLTZq8A9nga7Stmcq7JpUESijQF53IRNN4M2tezuWG0u0A9uUlauxp6sHqJIrl8v94gxRecrYY/s1600/abundance2.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Welcome Church "Welcome Table" 2013 by (C) Bob Fisher</i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
David Lose, new president of the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, put up <a href="http://www.davidlose.net/2014/08/what-role-does-the-church-play-in-our-lives/" target="_blank">a thoughtful post</a> earlier this month titled "<a href="http://www.davidlose.net/2014/08/what-role-does-the-church-play-in-our-lives/" target="_blank">What Role Does the Church Play in Our Lives?</a>"<br />
<br />
It's well worth a read. There are a couple of points in the post and its comments that I want to reflect upon:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #7a7575; font-family: 'Droid Sans', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Given how many other groups and movements legitimately lay claim to our allegiance today, can the Church ever expect to exert the level of influence in our lives that it once did?</span></blockquote>
When I first came to the church in the 1970s I recall folks at the small Lutheran parish that I joined wistfully recalling "Church Night," the idea that community groups -- even the schools -- would block off Wednesday nights (in our town) to kids to be at church events. The actual practice was long gone, but the sense of entitlement to it remained. Similarly I still hear church folks complaining that youth sports and other civic programs don't respect "church time" on Sundays. But the days of "Blue laws" are over and for many people catching up on laundry and chores, and even sleeping in, don't respect "church time," either.<br />
<br />
So I don't think the church can "expect" to exert its former level of influence. It might earn some of that respect back, however, by creating spaces where people in the community can explore their doubts, talk about big issues, and maybe experience helpful spiritual practices <i>without being expected to immediately become just like the people in the church.</i><br />
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What, then, do we expect of the church? Do we expect it to be “first among equals,” taking priority over every other affiliation (even when we often devote more time, energy, and money to other groups)? Do we expect it to help bring our other activities into focus, that we might see these different enterprises in light of our faith? Do we treat it as one of several groups that is important to us?</div>
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I lean toward the middle option, hoping that my participation in congregational life deepens me in the faith so that the Christian story provides a lens through which I look at and make sense of the rest of my life.</div>
</blockquote>
David, I lean with you toward the option of the church as a lens that brings our other activities into focus. This would strengthen the connection between "religion" and life out in the world. A lot of people seem to wish for the "first among equals" option, but that is just that--wishful thinking.<br />
<br />
I think this role of providing context for the experiences of life is valid even for people who are engaged in the church. Without going to church I can experience <a href="http://www.patheos.com/blogs/nadiabolzweber/2014/08/sermon-on-the-beatitudes-preached-at-greenbelt/" target="_blank">deep, transformative sermons</a>, <a href="http://pray-as-you-go.org/home/" target="_blank">contemplative prayer experiences</a>, <a href="http://www.onbeing.org/blog/lovingkindness-metta-meditation-sylvia-boorstein/2599" target="_blank">meditation</a>, <a href="http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Richard-Rohr-s-Meditation--The-Ultimate-Paradigm-Shift.html?soid=1103098668616&aid=Xd_qYFgg-wo" target="_blank">wise</a> <a href="http://brianmclaren.net/archives/blog/q-r-unforgivable.html" target="_blank">teaching</a>, and find sacred music at my fingertips. A congregation that sees itself as a purveyor of religious goods and services is no longer a sole source. It would be a huge help to many people if congregations would create places where they can wrestle and learn and discuss in community -- and recognize that these spaces are as much "church" as formal worship.<br />
<br />
A couple of readers offered their experiences and concerns in the comments:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #7a7575; font-family: 'Droid Sans', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">As a preacher I have become increasingly dismayed at the apparent lack of change in those who hear the proclamation each week, including me. I pray for the movement that only the Holy Spirit can bring that will breathe new life into the dry bones that make up so much of our church.</span></blockquote>
and<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #7a7575; font-family: 'Droid Sans', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">How might our preaching, teaching, and conversations create faithful people who are transparent in their faith, open enough that anyone is willing to engage with, and who have an abiding relationship with God, their faith community, and their surrounding community (the up, in, and out of 3DM), that simply by living their lives, they provide the pictures, the glimpses, and relate the story of faith and God’s relationship of love and grace with the world in an easy, engaging way?</span></blockquote>
To the commenters I say: Seems to me the transformation you are talking about will happen best in interactive, safe and trusting conversations -- in 1-on-1's and intentional groups (like 3dm huddles), coffee conversations, committed small groups, etc. -- rather than in large group lecture mode. Worship might be a way to seed these ideas, but I think they will take root more deeply in environments where people can interact, share and struggle safely, question and doubt, and process how (if?) faith influences their lives. Now that would take some reorganization of time, people and priorities! Those situations seem to me to be as much worship as a regular Sunday liturgy.<br />
<br />
The second commenter also wonders:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
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As our shift is taking place now and folks do not feel compelled or the need to enter into those doors to even look at the stained glass, what are we called to do?</div>
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I see this post as a humble way of asking ourselves and our contexts how we might become stained glass for the world. How might we strip down the lingo, language, jargon, insider speak, or need for someone to come into the walls and windows of the building?</div>
</blockquote>
I like the idea of being stained glass for the world. If people aren't inclined to come to us and give us authority, then our best option is to look like Jesus to the people around us, and to go out into that world to eat with them, heal them, celebrate with them, and stand up for them. That method seemed to work pretty well for the Lord, as I recall.<br />
<br />
Eliminating the barriers of jargon, insider relationships, judgment of others and the requirement to enter our buildings will require some creative, discerning and fun re-invention. Not everyone is going to do this, of course. Despite the trends there are people for whom church-as-we-know-it "works," even if not enough to support the weight of our current building- and staff-heavy paradigm. To speak to the people David Lose is writing about -- those for whom the church is not the top allegiance or on whom it exerts little to no influence -- the church has to make safe spaces where people can experience God's mercy and justice, see God's people on mission to the world, express their doubts, hear the church confess its shortcomings, and find a way to give meaning to their stories by relating them to God's story.<br />
<br />Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13756603962925894681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16940809.post-24754698664313037562014-07-02T10:26:00.000-04:002014-07-02T10:26:53.855-04:00Moving the goal line<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=amos+5%3A14-15%2C+21-24&version=NRSV" target="_blank">Amos 5:14-15, 21-24</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkI5Kd1hFwxNF8VCa8OMAhMSAfrFyNiqpwiW3NdHsmcMJqMqNJFDJo2OSoEHTsCGHhvFSm0Qo0d9IcGeRs2To2k6Vn75ZR18v1DJ33i74gz2jh792Wc7VGUD2__JTKIHUNJ8GD/s1600/14429576246_713dd4b498_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkI5Kd1hFwxNF8VCa8OMAhMSAfrFyNiqpwiW3NdHsmcMJqMqNJFDJo2OSoEHTsCGHhvFSm0Qo0d9IcGeRs2To2k6Vn75ZR18v1DJ33i74gz2jh792Wc7VGUD2__JTKIHUNJ8GD/s1600/14429576246_713dd4b498_m.jpg" /></a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Take away from me the noise of your songs; </i><i>I will not listen to the melody of your harps.</i> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>But let justice roll down like waters, </i><i>and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. - Amos 5:23-24</i> </blockquote>
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</blockquote>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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Our worship, our prayer, our study are not ends in themselves. They are the exercises that prepare us to join in God’s work of bringing justice to all people.</div>
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</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
…[W]e have a responsibility to think bigger…these days. If spiritual practice is relaxing, if it gives us some peace of mind, that’s great — but is this personal satisfaction helping us to address what is happening in the world? The main question is, are we living in a way that adds further aggression and self-centeredness to the mix, or are we adding some much-needed sanity? — Pema Chödrön, “Taking the Leap”</blockquote>
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo: Fairy Rapids, by Flickr user fs999 under Creative Commons license. </span>Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13756603962925894681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16940809.post-90448555318732450682014-07-01T11:23:00.001-04:002014-07-01T11:28:04.877-04:00Weathering the storms<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0HpOqHpiyDHP5UabIn79WdNbSxCPxwZx6JeCw3VBd-5In2BrWtGAEh79AX0d1lxbf-wSWLldjUpbWyivowIsQVgiHTXfWvKGTIsNA-Wl_-IeG_ZnBHmK3V6B7IazaYsLNSR5c/s1600/rainbow_clouds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0HpOqHpiyDHP5UabIn79WdNbSxCPxwZx6JeCw3VBd-5In2BrWtGAEh79AX0d1lxbf-wSWLldjUpbWyivowIsQVgiHTXfWvKGTIsNA-Wl_-IeG_ZnBHmK3V6B7IazaYsLNSR5c/s1600/rainbow_clouds.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%208:23-27" target="_blank">Matthew 8:23-37</a><br />
<br />
<div class="p1">
<i>“Lord, save us! We are perishing!” — The disciples</i></div>
<div class="p1">
<i>“Why are you afraid, you of little faith?” — Jesus</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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Jesus says that faith and fear are not compatible.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
It is comforting to know that the chaos around us is ultimately in Christ’s hands. But not every storm that rages around us — meteorological, existential or emotional — is stilled in the outward sense. Tornados destroy schools. Diseases don’t respond to treatment. Jobs are lost. Angry words continue to be spoken.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
I need to admit, as the disciples did, that these storms are bigger than I am — “Lord, help me. I am going down.” Yet safety is not in the rescue; not in the calming of the sea, the avoidance of discomfort, nor in vindication. The safe place is simply Jesus’ presence, and the inner stillness to connect to his peace when the waters rise, rather than scrambling for what I take for “solid ground” under my own power.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Storms come. Chaos surrounds us. The solution is not to pray them away but to experience the presence of Christ in the midst of my fear and anxiety.</div>
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<br /></div>
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</div>
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<i>How will I handle the squalls that will come today? How will that affect my ability to handle life’s Category 5 storms?</i></div>
Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13756603962925894681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16940809.post-66232329253065906252014-02-21T11:22:00.001-05:002014-02-21T11:25:31.068-05:00Tech Tip: Time to upgrade Windows XPFrom my church tech side. This was written for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod website. If you're not connected with a non-profit or church, the technical advice still applies...unfortunately not the non-profit discounts on hardware and software.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4zhCb8SenDdnA9Q-sHpYLsPhDp3Q159gALYV-_VFPv-miMqvimY27NvHchkHgewPeQb5NBdhZ2gmZwOrOWttUMvcjv9yRkUPEpkIe8tVl7ek1Ly_ArepMtRWx73CpiElgNZt1/s1600/stockvault-woman-using-computer115011_400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4zhCb8SenDdnA9Q-sHpYLsPhDp3Q159gALYV-_VFPv-miMqvimY27NvHchkHgewPeQb5NBdhZ2gmZwOrOWttUMvcjv9yRkUPEpkIe8tVl7ek1Ly_ArepMtRWx73CpiElgNZt1/s1600/stockvault-woman-using-computer115011_400.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Key takeaway: Windows XP and Office 2003 will no longer be
supported after April 8, 2014. You should make plans to replace computer
hardware and/or upgrade your software as soon as possible.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Microsoft’s venerable Windows XP was introduced in 2001, and
has had an long and stable life. But nearly 13 years and three versions of
Windows later, Microsoft is taking XP off of life support. This means that XP
users will no longer receive free security updates through Windows Update after
April 8. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">This puts your computer at risk
because exploits and malware will continue to emerge for this now unsupported
platform.</i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Read Microsoft’s FAQ at </span><a href="http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/end-support-help" style="text-indent: -0.25in;">http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/end-support-help</a><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
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Office 2003, although still functional for many users, will
also stop receiving updates on April 8. Without getting too technical, Office
2003 uses older and less secure file formats, which have commonly exploited
vulnerabilities. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Once support ends fixes
for these exploits will no longer be released, which puts your system at risk.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To make matters worse, there is no direct upgrade from XP to
Windows 7 or 8. Instead you must backup all of your data, do a clean install of
the new Windows version, and then reinstall your programs and restore your
data.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Another complicating factor is that Windows 8 introduced a
new interface that can be confusing to new users. Windows 7 is a solid
operating system that will be supported until 2020. However, Microsoft
officially stopped selling it in December. Because your congregation is covered
under the ELCA’s 501(c)(3) designation, you can request donations of Windows 7
licenses from <a href="http://www.techsoup.org/" target="_blank">TechSoup</a>,
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>an organization that specializes in
non-profit tech needs (free registration required). TechSoup donations carry a
small administrative fee, currently $12 per Windows license. If you do not
qualify for TechSoup donations, you should be able to get discounted charity
pricing from retailers such as CDW. You can also find Windows 7 licenses at
some online retailers.</div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">From TechSoup: </span><a href="http://forums.techsoup.org/cs/community/b/tsblog/archive/2012/11/5/comparing-windows-7-and-windows-8.aspx" style="text-indent: -0.25in;" target="_blank">Comparing Windows 7 and Windows 8</a></li>
</ul>
<br />
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If your computer is still running Windows XP, it is likely
four to 12 years old, which means it may have trouble running newer software.
If your computer meets Microsoft’s hardware requirements (<a href="http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/upgrade-from-windows-vista-xp-tutorial">http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/upgrade-from-windows-vista-xp-tutorial</a>)
you can use the backup and clean install approach. Windows 7 and 8 run well on
older PCs. At the Synod office we have upgraded a number of 2008-vintage PCs to
Windows 7 by adding memory, and they work fine. Replacing your old hard drive
with a fast solid-state disk (SSD) can also extend the life of your PC.</div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">From TechSoup: <a href="http://forums.techsoup.org/cs/community/b/tsblog/archive/2014/01/13/windows-xp-upgrade-tips-will-your-existing-software-hardware-work.aspx" target="_blank">Will Your Existing Software andHardware Work?</a></span></li>
</ul>
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If its time for a new computer, you have options. Unless you
are already familiar with Windows 8, you can request refurbished computers with
Windows 7 from TechSoup, which start at about $300. Vendors that sell to
corporate clients, such as Dell, can also provide new computers with Windows 7
installed. Your local electronics retailer, though, is likely to only sell
Windows 8.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
New licenses for Office 2010 and 2013 can also be requested
via TechSoup; the admin fee of $32 is less than a tenth of the price of Office
Professional 2013 on Microsoft’s website.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After a baker’s dozen of years, it really is time to bid
farewell to Windows XP and its cousin, Office 2003. If you have questions
contact your IT provider or retailer, or visit the Community section of the
TechSoup website.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13756603962925894681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16940809.post-78150828943595340862014-02-18T09:32:00.001-05:002022-08-01T18:05:33.366-04:00Your Child of God self<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial;">At Kairos we continue to explore ways to make space for God's love in our lives at our gatherings.</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>This week's practice: </b>Sit quietly, and get in tune with and slow your breath. Take full, deep breaths. As you breathe, remember the promise made to you at your baptism: </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
(Your name), <i>Child of God</i>, you have been sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ <i>forever.</i> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
(If you wish, divide this promise into two parts. On the in-breath: (Your name), Child of God. On the out-breath, You have been sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ forever.) </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Do this as long as you have time for. If you don't have 10-20 minutes at once, try this for 3-5 minutes several times during your day.</blockquote>
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<b>When we gathered Sunday</b> we discussed the various ways we all experience our identity, and noticed how many of up went to what we "do" or other societally assigned roles: mother, middle child, peacemaker, the strong one. Almost all of these "identities" that we discussed refer to what we do externally rather than who we are at the core.</div>
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<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial;">
Richard Rohr and others call this the "false self." We quite naturally assume these identities as we grow, learn and figure out our lives. </div>
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<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial;">
It is also a key part of our spiritual path that we eventually begin to search for the elusive and well-buried "true self," or what the Zen masters call "the face you had before you were born." This true self is beautifully named in The Message's rendering of John 1 as our "child of God self".</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial;">
Whatever identity you take on in life, and however those identities change, remember that God has defined your true identity, the one you had before you were born, as being God's child!</div>
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<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial;">
God's peace to you this week.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial;">
Bob</div>
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<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial;">
John 1:9-12 (The Message)</div>
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<span face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" id="en-MSG-11170" style="color: black; font-size: 16px;">The Life-Light was the real thing:</span><br />
<span face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: monospace; font-size: 0.42em; line-height: 0;"> </span><span>Every person entering Life</span></span><br />
<span face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: monospace; font-size: 0.42em; line-height: 0;"> </span><span>he brings into Light.</span></span><br />
<span face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 16px;">He was in the world,</span><br />
<span face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: monospace; font-size: 0.42em; line-height: 0;"> </span><span>the world was there through him,</span></span><br />
<span face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: monospace; font-size: 0.42em; line-height: 0;"> </span><span>and yet the world didn’t even notice.</span></span><br />
<span face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 16px;">He came to his own people,</span><br />
<span face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: monospace; font-size: 0.42em; line-height: 0;"> </span><span>but they didn’t want him.</span></span><br />
<span face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 16px;">But whoever did want him,</span><br />
<span face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: monospace; font-size: 0.42em; line-height: 0;"> </span><span>who believed he was who he claimed</span></span><br />
<span face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: monospace; font-size: 0.42em; line-height: 0;"> </span><span>and would do what he said,</span></span><br />
<span face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 16px;">He made to be their true selves,</span><br />
<span face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: monospace; font-size: 0.42em; line-height: 0;"> </span><span>their child-of-God selves.</span></span></div>
Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13756603962925894681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16940809.post-71351416277841758062014-01-04T13:01:00.002-05:002014-01-04T13:01:31.413-05:00We hold these truths to be self-evident?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIISlyJPfw2mzQ-FrvqiaM-uhxoaAMQYuUFOjrCBH2QPFd4WUu9toyirJGiu3VHa6IElIvPz4-kFmFqabxa4d38DC9w11vlwQAU2BWQz5O8kOTdpTNffraBc1prgyRHqUEieLy/s1600/entrance_flickrCC_loop_oh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIISlyJPfw2mzQ-FrvqiaM-uhxoaAMQYuUFOjrCBH2QPFd4WUu9toyirJGiu3VHa6IElIvPz4-kFmFqabxa4d38DC9w11vlwQAU2BWQz5O8kOTdpTNffraBc1prgyRHqUEieLy/s1600/entrance_flickrCC_loop_oh.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
There's <a href="http://lutheranforum.org/blogs/stranger-in-church-a-meditation-from-an-unlikely-source/" target="_blank">an article making the rounds</a> in my circles from an ex-pat Lutheran pastor who visits home and finds some surprises going to church. First, she is acutely aware of being a stranger in <i>this</i> congregation, even though she is steeped in church culture. Second, she confronts the comfortable idea that once someone crosses the threshold of a church, the liturgy, prayers, and sermons convey what the people there believe. She says:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Baskerville, Garamond, serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px;">It’s a nice idea, but I no longer think it’s remotely true.</span></blockquote>
I've been pondering this idea for a long time. In my tribe we tend to think that if we can just accompany someone to church and get them involved somehow, they'll "get" faith. But I don't think this "attractional" model works so well any more. Many of the people I know who aren't involved in church don't see relevance to Sunday worship (at best), or have been bored by it or burned by the experience (at worst). Frankly, I know more than a few "church people" who are bored and looking for interaction and community and more depth than can be found in most liturgies.<br />
<br />
(Disclaimer: these are anecdotal observations; I don't claim to "know" what "unchurched people," "nones," the "formerly religious" or any group think. Because individuals have different stories and experiences. And its individuals who embark on the journey of faith, not demographic cohorts.)<br />
<br />
What's no longer remotely true is the idea that most people in our culture are looking for the Sunday-morning-go-to-meeting experience. Congregations that are waiting for such people to show up may be waiting a long time.<br />
<br />
Nor is it true that people are waiting to be invited to a church service, of any style. "Church" is a meaningful experience for many people, most of whom already attend at least semi-regularly.<br />
<br />
In my tribe we have long assumed that people are looking for traditions and theology and then form community bonds. And we've watched while (mainly evangelical) churches connect with people over contemporary music and coffee and build community -- and then teach them theology and practice. Our observation is usually that we don't agree with the theology. But the point is that we can share our treasure of God's mercy and grace and presence only after we are in relationship with people. And if we expect them to come with our history and ideas, there will not be much of a relationship.<br />
<br />
(Aside: I am really uncomfortable with most of the terms we use in the church for "outsiders." "Unchurched" implies that others lack something, which they don't; God works with people who are not part of the church, sometimes more easily than with insiders. "Non-Christians" is similarly dismissive. "Not-yet-Christians" is even ruder. And please don't get me started on "the lost," possibly the most arrogant church term I've come across. So I'm going to talk about "our neighbors.")<br />
<br />
Building relationships with our neighbors isn't a wish or a program or an ad. It's a commitment. It's a slow process that starts with "being there" where they are in daily life. It's an out of the building experience.<br />
<br />
It can be tempting for us church geeks to focus on how we can make worship more inviting, more participatory, more clear about what we believe; to move toward becoming communities of Christian practice, not just Christian doctrine. That's important, for the faith formation of the people who are in church now.<br />
<br />
Connecting with neighbors who are not participants requires new entry points into the life of faith that will seem odd to those of us steeped in church culture. Community centers to help youth with homework and offer space for music and art, rather than lock-ins. Theology pubs and coffee conversations -- in bars and coffee shops -- rather than classes in the parlor. Community service projects that engage the community rather than "just us" doing stuff for "them," so neighbors can hang with us with no expectation other than to help with painting, or cleaning up, or feeding people.<br />
<br />
We need to get close enough to our neighbors that they might actually catch the faith we have been incubating. Then we need small, personal spaces where people can get to know each other and talk about their ideas of faith, as a step into the traditional gathering we know. Or maybe not. Maybe these entry points will become their "church." We could do far worse.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Photo by Flickr user loop_oh under Creative Commons License.</i><br />
<br />Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13756603962925894681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16940809.post-50364436706655247782013-11-03T07:31:00.001-05:002013-11-03T07:31:33.687-05:00<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">The Commemoration of All Saints -- a day to remember those who have gone before, and those yet to come; those who have influenced us, and those we influence; those who are included and, perhaps most importantly, those who have been excluded.</span>Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13756603962925894681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16940809.post-75036137710247907462013-10-16T12:32:00.002-04:002022-08-01T18:07:52.314-04:00Some Debt Crisis Humor<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 0.1px;">Tonight’s TV Highlights</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 0.1px;">
8:00 -- <b>The Big Bang Economy. </b>(2013) <i>Sheldon and Howard put aside their long-standing differences and work together to build an anti-doomsday machine, but Raj, insecure in his manhood, blows it up. Leonard and Penny have coitus.</i></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; min-height: 14px; text-indent: 0.1px;">
<i></i><br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 0.1px;">
8:30 -- <b>Two Broke Houses. </b>(2013) <i>Faced with a disagreement about paying the bills of their cupcake business, Max and Caroline pout. Oleg steps in to acquire the business in for pennies on the dollar. Sophie liquidates her assets and stashes them in her boa.</i></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; min-height: 14px; text-indent: 0.1px;">
<i></i><br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 0.1px;">
9:00 -- <b>House of Cards</b> (2013) <i>After arm-twisting, promises of pork, offers of drugs and prostitutes and threats of murder fail to broker a deal, Francis throws his hands up in the air and decides that the U.S. Congress is, in fact, a house of cards.</i></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; min-height: 14px; text-indent: 0.1px;">
<i></i><br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 0.1px;">
9:30 -- <b>Arrested Development</b> (2013) <i>Buster has an inspiration to grow the Bluth family’s remaining assets in an insider trade, but loses everything unnecessarily. Guest stars: Tea Party congressmen.</i></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; min-height: 14px; text-indent: 0.1px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 0.1px;">
10:00 -- <b>Survivor: Washington Finale</b> (Repeat, 2011) <i>After posturing for most of the season, two teams, the Donkeys and the Elephants, address a series of difficult, time-sensitive tasks. After a faltering start, each team proposes solutions, then quickly sabotages them. In an intense tribal council, the American People appear and vow to vote both teams off the island.</i></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; min-height: 14px; text-indent: 0.1px;">
<i></i><br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 0.1px;">
11:00 -- <b>Late Local News</b> (live) <i>Accidents, random shootings and sports continue to distract people from the real crises ahead.</i></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; min-height: 14px; text-indent: 0.1px;">
<i></i><br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 0.1px;">
11:30 -- <b>Movie: Thelma and Louise</b> (1991)</div>
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<div style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: 0.1px;">
<b>Reviewer’s recommendation:</b> Skip this drivel, and nostalgically seek out reruns of “Let’s Make a Deal,” or “Mister Smith Goes to Washington,” and dream of a functional government.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13756603962925894681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16940809.post-31196153305787371212013-07-01T18:00:00.001-04:002013-07-01T18:05:36.259-04:00Notes from the dust<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="text Ps-103-8" id="en-NRSV-15558" style="position: relative;"><sup class="versenum" style="display: block; font-size: 0.75em; font-weight: bold; left: -4.8em; line-height: normal; position: absolute; vertical-align: top;">8 </sup>The <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span> is merciful and gracious,</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="font-family: monospace; font-size: 0.42em; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Ps-103-8" style="position: relative;">slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="text Ps-103-9" id="en-NRSV-15559" style="position: relative;"><sup class="versenum" style="display: block; font-size: 0.75em; font-weight: bold; left: -4.8em; line-height: normal; position: absolute; vertical-align: top;">9 </sup>He will not always accuse,</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="font-family: monospace; font-size: 0.42em; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Ps-103-9" style="position: relative;">nor will he keep his anger forever.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="text Ps-103-10" id="en-NRSV-15560" style="position: relative;"><sup class="versenum" style="display: block; font-size: 0.75em; font-weight: bold; left: -4.8em; line-height: normal; position: absolute; vertical-align: top;">10 </sup>He does not deal with us according to our sins,</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="font-family: monospace; font-size: 0.42em; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Ps-103-10" style="position: relative;">nor repay us according to our iniquities.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="text Ps-103-11" id="en-NRSV-15561" style="position: relative;"><sup class="versenum" style="display: block; font-size: 0.75em; font-weight: bold; left: -4.8em; line-height: normal; position: absolute; vertical-align: top;">11 </sup>For as the heavens are high above the earth,</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="font-family: monospace; font-size: 0.42em; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Ps-103-11" style="position: relative;">so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="text Ps-103-12" id="en-NRSV-15562" style="position: relative;"><sup class="versenum" style="display: block; font-size: 0.75em; font-weight: bold; left: -4.8em; line-height: normal; position: absolute; vertical-align: top;">12 </sup>as far as the east is from the west,</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="font-family: monospace; font-size: 0.42em; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Ps-103-12" style="position: relative;">so far he removes our transgressions from us.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="text Ps-103-13" id="en-NRSV-15563" style="position: relative;"><sup class="versenum" style="display: block; font-size: 0.75em; font-weight: bold; left: -4.8em; line-height: normal; position: absolute; vertical-align: top;">13 </sup>As a father has compassion for his children,</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="font-family: monospace; font-size: 0.42em; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Ps-103-13" style="position: relative;">so the <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span> has compassion for those who fear him.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="text Ps-103-14" id="en-NRSV-15564" style="position: relative;"><sup class="versenum" style="display: block; font-size: 0.75em; font-weight: bold; left: -4.8em; line-height: normal; position: absolute; vertical-align: top;">14 </sup>For he knows how we were made;</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="font-family: monospace; font-size: 0.42em; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Ps-103-14" style="position: relative;">he remembers that we are dust. (Psalm 103:8-14)</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="indent-1"><span class="text Ps-103-14" style="position: relative;"><br /></span></span></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjJp1iZsXrFfuxsf_YvD9LXNeFBmgeWhKH-RNgS8aeC78gsgovh_TNNycQATE1rsbQjummRWkBst-4ZTo7bbvEqW5A6Jz-S62rF-Qdf_gow92msetjP39NdYwnCRvpqzMKcHKo/s400/rainbow_clouds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjJp1iZsXrFfuxsf_YvD9LXNeFBmgeWhKH-RNgS8aeC78gsgovh_TNNycQATE1rsbQjummRWkBst-4ZTo7bbvEqW5A6Jz-S62rF-Qdf_gow92msetjP39NdYwnCRvpqzMKcHKo/s320/rainbow_clouds.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After the Storm, Ocean City by Bob Fisher</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">Many people I know envision an angry, accusing God. Some of us, myself included, carry accusing voices in our heads sometimes, and it can be hard to turn off the chatter and hear the loving God who speaks in the stillness. (In fact, it can be hard to find moments of stillness to even listen to God!)</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">This psalm reminds us of two of God's most wonderful attributes -- grace and compassion. </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">Our culture and economy is built on the idea that what we put in is what we get out, that we get what we deserve. Yet grace, most poignantly displayed in the life and mercy of Jesus, turns those assumptions upside down. Jesus the Christ got more than he deserved -- he got what we all deserve -- so that we could see the loving, compassionate side of God. Grace reminds us that God operates in ways that are higher than we know.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">Bono puts it well in the U2 song, "Grace":</span></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">What once was hurt</span> </blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">What once was friction</span> </blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">What left a mark</span> </blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">No longer stings</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">Because grace makes beauty</span> </blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">Out of ugly things</span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">But it takes being in a relationship with a living God to receive this message amid all the external (and sometimes internal) blame and shame.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Many people will often give more grace to others than they give themselves. We all screw up from time to time and we need to look honestly at ourselves, but we can grow further by starting with grace. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Many struggle often with the internal blame game, the voices of judgment and failure that remind us how far we fall short. As my spiritual director reminds me, that voice is not the voice of God. The One who separates us decisively from our failures and transgressions, who remembers that we are but dust, turns to us with steadfast love and a parent's compassion.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; font-size: 16px;">From down here in the dust, that seems like an offer too good to refuse!</span></span></div>
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Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13756603962925894681noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16940809.post-29268876228641953602012-04-15T09:04:00.001-04:002012-04-15T09:04:41.580-04:00RedefinitionA "purpose-driven life" is not one animated by pursuit of goals to accomplish (even for God) but a life lived intentionally, to experience life on purpose. <br />
<br />
God's plan for my life (or yours) is not to achieve some lofty (or common, or even holy) purpose but to live in relationship with God, as God intended. Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13756603962925894681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16940809.post-35027906434636937232012-03-09T13:58:00.003-05:002012-03-09T13:59:21.068-05:00Something to think about...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip2JB1ATXg9fCPs1NnBo-6rog2aItCaBo0SSKvk4lUKcCEEyHy6qVJx9ijwj25CLhg8e8HcBzEzyInetMQF4AIko5PBdot3CUPdu-QleVnezDeNYuH1d7nePeHxW8UILREqkoo/s1600/what-should-church-look-like.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip2JB1ATXg9fCPs1NnBo-6rog2aItCaBo0SSKvk4lUKcCEEyHy6qVJx9ijwj25CLhg8e8HcBzEzyInetMQF4AIko5PBdot3CUPdu-QleVnezDeNYuH1d7nePeHxW8UILREqkoo/s400/what-should-church-look-like.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
This meme has been floating around the internets for a while. I got it <a href="http://bishopmike.com/2012/03/07/something-to-ponder-from-jane-marbill-schwertlich/" target="_blank">via Bishop Mike</a>.<br />
<br />
Seth Godin has been making the point for a while, in books like Linchpin, that the world of work and the sources of good jobs have changed, yet schools haven't. He has a <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/stop-stealing-dreams" target="_blank">new manifesto</a> posted now called <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/stop-stealing-dreams" target="_blank">Stop Stealing Dreams</a> in which he claims that our misaligned education system does just that.<br />
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The work sphere reads the shift first, because the balance of profits and losses, costs and opportunities shift immediately. The modern school system developed to help meet the need the barons of capitalism had for a predictable supply of workers who could follow factory protocols. The church was already comfortable with having people sit in rows and the experts up front, and adapted its methods to take advantage of the new supply of good students ready to absorb expertise and follow the rules.<br />
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Here's my addition to the meme:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZtkt0uWrzivguhN5rBkLY701KaVIpyldQEHe0_zkIDkBr_-ODvMjz94MR5H0X092OfogHRgtBZ5VgDQ7yadmQREa08Uoa4-EOotrDPH1d-No_NGKsJgPLtzH4l2zy4K5jWltQ/s1600/PonderChurch.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZtkt0uWrzivguhN5rBkLY701KaVIpyldQEHe0_zkIDkBr_-ODvMjz94MR5H0X092OfogHRgtBZ5VgDQ7yadmQREa08Uoa4-EOotrDPH1d-No_NGKsJgPLtzH4l2zy4K5jWltQ/s400/PonderChurch.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Yes, schools are evolving into spaces for group work and interaction -- when they are not busy teaching to standardized tests. But there is a bigger shift in learning going on. No, its not about technology, but is centered in the individualized, on-demand self-learning that is mediated by the availability of always-on technology. What does it mean for learning that a worshipper can learn more about the subject of a sermon from a smartphone right in the pew? That students can go online to access information and commentary that is newer than the latest books? That self-regulating communities of amateurs, like the contributors to Wikipedia, can produce resources that rival edited, refereed publications? We don't know for sure, but we know the energy is flowing away from the center.<br />
<br />
Beyond the ongoing shift from the factory floor to the office park, increasing numbers of knowledge jobs are freeing workers from offices. They are finding synergy working in public spaces like coffeeshops, creating virtual communities some wags have dubbed "laptopistan." And professionals working from home offices are banding together to support co-working spaces, in which knowledge workers share space with peers from outside their own corporation or agency. While many people have trouble recognizing these as workspaces, think of the collaboration and cross-pollenization and plain old inspiration that can launch in these spaces.<br />
<br />
Its not clear what church in this new world should look like. But it's clear we have to respond.<br />
<br />Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13756603962925894681noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16940809.post-1335154176502031872012-02-21T13:00:00.000-05:002012-02-21T13:00:07.668-05:00Refocusing for Lent<br />
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Ash Wednesday: <a href="http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=196839653" target="_blank">Isaiah 58:1-12</a></div>
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As many of us prepare to receive the sign of ashes to begin
our Lenten journey, the Prophet Isaiah offers wise words to put our action into
perspective. To bow down on our knees and wear ashes, to dress humbly and go
without food, is not acceptable to God if the purpose is to call God’s
attention to our faithfulness in participating in the rituals. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We live in a world where there are no sinless options, and
our motives are often mixed. We are all colored with the brush of a society
where others have to work to provide us with our day off. Our self-interest,
God’s interests and the interests of “the least of these” are often confused
and conflated, both when we ignore the needs of the poor and when we provide
easy service to make ourselves feel better. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The fast God desires – today and everyday – looks more like
this: Seeking to end injustice even when that means ending the extra benefits I
receive from that injustice. Making my daily bread feed not just my family but
some others who are hungry. Not turning my face from those who are homeless and
ill-clothed but seeing them as my brothers and sisters. Daring to ask why we
place heavy yokes on the shoulders of many people in the name of
self-sufficiency.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We, of course, cannot live this acceptable fast perfectly,
or even well. Even with our best intentions we quietly slip back into our own
lives and motivations. That is why we need Ash Wednesday. We need to come
together with others, with fellow travelers and fellow citizens, to be reminded
that God desires better for us and for all God’s children, and that God has
empowered us to do better.<o:p></o:p></div>
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One of the prayers in the Ash Wednesday liturgy has us pray
these petitions:</div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: 'Lucida Grande';">For
self-centered living,</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: 'Lucida Grande';">and
for failing to walk with humility and gentleness:<br /> </span><b><span style="color: #262626; font-family: 'Lucida Grande';">Holy
God, holy and mighty, holy and immortal,<br /> </span></b><b><span style="color: #262626; font-family: 'Lucida Grande';">have
mercy on us.</span></b> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: 'Lucida Grande';">For
longing to have what is not ours,<br /> </span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: 'Lucida Grande';">and
for hearts that are not at rest with ourselves:<br /> </span><b><span style="color: #262626; font-family: 'Lucida Grande';">Holy
God, holy and mighty, holy and immortal,<br /> </span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626; font-family: 'Lucida Grande';">have
mercy on us.</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626; font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><br /></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: 'Lucida Grande';">For
misuse of human relationships,<br /> </span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: 'Lucida Grande';">and
for unwillingness to see the image of God in others:<br /> </span><b><span style="color: #262626; font-family: 'Lucida Grande';">Holy
God, holy and mighty, holy and immortal,<br /> </span></b><b><span style="color: #262626; font-family: 'Lucida Grande';">have
mercy on us.</span></b></blockquote>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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The discipline and journey of Lent is not about denying
ourselves some of our favorite pleasures nor even about taking on new service
to others in need (although both can be very helpful practices). Lent is about
refocusing our internally directed vision and seeing with new, clear eyes.
Seeing that I am not God. Seeing that the reflection of God that is in me is in
everyone I meet. Seeing that I already have so much more than I could ever
lack. <o:p></o:p></div>
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May you see God and yourself more clearly this Lenten
season.<o:p></o:p></div>
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(Prayer quoted from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Evangelical
Lutheran Worship</i>)<o:p></o:p></div>Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13756603962925894681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16940809.post-55491193392481577872012-02-21T10:21:00.001-05:002012-02-21T11:06:28.046-05:00Desperate housewife<br />
The Bride of Christ, the mystical community of saints called to follow their Lord, is beautiful. She is ravishing in spite of her blemishes; her humanity acknowledges her divine nature.<br />
<br />
Like a desperate housewife, though, this bride struggles with situations and expectations she is barely aware of. She wraps herself in vintage dresses of liturgy and music not to honor the path they describe but to insist on their timeliness by the very wearing. She chafes against necklaces of inherited dogma and a belt of tradition that make her movements slow and less agile. Her gait is hobbled by the tight shoes of hierarchy and privileged leadership.<br />
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Instead of dancing freely in the world, she is often found kneeling with a bucket and brush, doing housework. She is stuck in the kitchen and the pulpit even as a hurting world beckons her to help. Sometimes she teaches her children to fight rather than to cooperate; she may impart separateness, pride and apathy -- the opposite of what she wishes to teach. Often the ruminations of her mind overwhelm the meditations of her heart. Caring for her clan and setting the table for their meals, she can be so busy with many things that she forgets the one thing that is needful -- listening at the feet of her Bridegroom.<br />
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But it does not have to be this way.<br />
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I hear this mystical bride (not just denominations or congregations but what Luther called the "hidden" Church) mumbling and yearning for a better life. She longs to be light on her feet and follow her husband's lead. She longs to untether herself from the house and immerse herself in the pain and joy and boredom of ordinary life outside on the streets, as the Bridegroom did. She desperately wants to raise children who want as much to live out a new kingdom now as think about heaven someday.<br />
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It's up to us.<br />
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How we lead, how we participate in or consume her, these define the extent to which she is bound to our notions or free to follow her Spirit. How we treat her matters to her husband.<br />
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What will he say about what we have done -- or not done?<br />
<div>
<br /></div>Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13756603962925894681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16940809.post-65529186397498644362012-02-21T10:19:00.000-05:002012-02-21T10:20:42.838-05:00Going down to go up<a href="http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=196837476">Mk. 9:30-37</a><br />
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Just as Peter did a few days ago, when he rebuked Jesus for talking of his coming death, the disciples in this reading are again confused and disarmed by Jesus’ frank talk of his necessary fate. I understand their befuddlement. It is hard to hear that the one you left everything for – nets, families, familiarity – is headed for what most would consider a failure. Even his promise that he will rise in three days has no reference in their experience.
What’s interesting is their response.<br />
<br />
Instead of facing the uncertainty and asking Jesus to explain himself, they simply ignore the part they don’t understand and don’t want to hear and busy themselves with…arguing about which one of them is most important! Delicious irony. Their dreams of high regard are a way of not dealing with the fact that Jesus, the one who actually is the greatest, must cast all that aside in order to fulfill his purpose. No wonder they were silent when Jesus asked them what they had been talking about.<br />
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It is easy for us to get caught up in this same trap, to focus on God’s power and Jesus’ glorification and to assume that we will be rewarded with what the world will call success. But this ignores what Luther called the theology of the cross and what Richard Rohr calls the language of descent. If God chooses to show power veiled by what our culture views as weak, who are we to think that we are rewarded more than we must empty ourselves?<br />
<br />
Jesus’ response is to gently bring them back to kingdom reality. It requires a mind shift – the back of the line is really the front, and the place to lead from is under the heap, not on top. How we honor God depends not on how we defer to power but how we welcome and honor the weak and defenseless. This is not a perspective our natural minds, steeped in a culture of strength and privilege, comes to on its own. But stopping to listen to Jesus in a loving relationship, and being bold enough to express our questions and doubts, can open us up to this bigger picture.Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13756603962925894681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16940809.post-67497692094783265152011-11-27T11:17:00.001-05:002011-11-27T11:40:41.230-05:00<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2064:1-9&version=MSG">Isaiah 64:1-9</a><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Charis SIL', charis, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Oh, that you would rip open the heavens and descend, make the mountains shudder at your presence—</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Charis SIL', charis, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">As when a forest catches fire,</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Charis SIL', charis, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Charis SIL', charis, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> as when fire makes a pot to boil—</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Charis SIL', charis, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">To shock your enemies into facing you,</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Charis SIL', charis, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Charis SIL', charis, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> make the nations shake in their boots!</span></blockquote>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Charis SIL', charis, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">The prophet speaks for people of all times when he voices the desire for God to show up -- right now! -- to defend his holiness and his people. Preachers and politicians still call on God to stand up for the righteousness of their cause. The problem, as Isaiah goes on to say, is that none of us meet the standards of <i>that</i> God:</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Charis SIL', charis, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Is there any hope for us? Can we be saved?</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Charis SIL', charis, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">We're all sin-infected, sin-contaminated. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Charis SIL', charis, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> Our best efforts are grease-stained rags.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Charis SIL', charis, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">We dry up like autumn leaves— </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Charis SIL', charis, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> sin-dried, we're blown off by the wind.</span></blockquote>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Charis SIL', charis, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Advent is a season when we want to hold these realities in tension. We want our desire for God's presence with us to boil over, not to highlight other's defects but to make friends with our own "grease-stained rags." </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Charis SIL', charis, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Charis SIL', charis, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is the good news: Our God, who </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Charis SIL', charis, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>could</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Charis SIL', charis, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> descend from the severed heavens and send chills down the spines of the powerful, instead </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Charis SIL', charis, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>chooses</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Charis SIL', charis, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> to come quietly as a vulnerable child in a filthy stable, revealed to animals and shepherds instead of priests and princes. The Christ is humble, to teach us to surrender our pride. He is vulnerable, to teach us that we can soften and risk for the sake of love. He "empties himself" (in St. Paul's phrase) to show us how to let go of our illusions of control. He is poor, to remind us where our true wealth lies.</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Charis SIL', charis, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">Still, God, you are our Father. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Charis SIL', charis, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"> We're the clay and you're our potter: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Charis SIL', charis, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"> All of us are what you made us.</span></span></blockquote>Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13756603962925894681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16940809.post-48802290373885382932010-12-23T10:31:00.003-05:002010-12-23T10:40:33.772-05:00What's the goal?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4008/4564135255_23e3aee2ac.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 333px;" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4008/4564135255_23e3aee2ac.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Photo: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/angietorres/">angietorres</a><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>A friend recently described for me her church's confirmation class' goal of "ending hunger in our town by the time we graduate."<br /><br />How excellent it is to see the church's young people focused out on the world and hoping to bring a congregation along with them. Theirs is a goal that exudes youthful exuberance and confidence that "we can do anything we put our minds to." We need that kind of faithful response, trusting that with God all things are possible. Even if it sounds like "pie-in-the-sky" to someone who has lived long enough to see the truth in Jesus' statement that the poor will always be with us -- sometimes in spite of my (our) best efforts and sometimes because of my (our) indifference.<br /><br />Even if hunger can't be ended in their town in a handful of years (and I pray that it can be, everywhere), their goal suggests some deeper objectives that can shape their lives for years to come:<br /><ul><li>being aware of what they are blessed with, and what others lack</li><li>creating a way of life that includes sharing with those in need</li><li>getting to know those who are hungry and in poverty</li><li>raising awareness among their complacent neighbors of the needs of the poor</li><li>learning about and advocating against the causes of as well as the results of hunger</li></ul><div>I hope that these young people name these as goals, too, and not just as tasks and strategies to be ticked off along the way.</div><div><br /></div><div>We're a culture that loves to set impossibly high goals and then give ourselves excuses for not meeting them. (Made your New Years' resolutions yet?) Would it surprise you to know that <a href="http://gizmodo.com/5716100/each-december-everybody-searches-for-the-same-thing-gyms">Google searches for the word "gym"</a> peak sharply each December and then quickly trail off into January? And how often do people say "I don't have the resources to really make a difference about hunger," so they do...nothing.</div><div><br /></div><div>And we in the church are not immune. Don't we set practical goals like increasing giving by 5 percent, or welcoming 20 new members, or adding seating for 200 at worship? Or we resolve to become spiritually deeper (which means..?) or to read the Bible in a year. Or (let's be honest here) just to stay open a while longer and try to keep things the same in a changing world?</div><div><br /></div><div>With the exception of that last sentence, there's nothing wrong with such goals. But I fear we often get it backwards, using our relationship with God, our prayer, our faith as mileposts on the way to those goals, rather than the eternal journey and destination. Jesus doesn't call us to be faithful as a tactic in order to enact social change. He calls us to perceive and live a new reality...which will change the world.</div><div><br /></div><div>Ending hunger. Filling the pews. Knowing the Bible. These are all good tactics to keep us motivated as we pursue the lifelong task of personal and social transformation. The goal of our faith remains threefold: to know Emmanuel, the God who is with us and loves us wildly; to perceive the radically upside-down kingdom that is God's dream for us; and then living as if that dream is already true (which is the only way the kingdom actually arrives). </div><div><br /></div><div>When we do these things, the Holy Spirit can take it from there.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13756603962925894681noreply@blogger.com0