Forgive More

Have you ever attended a seminar or conference and been inundated with information to the point that by the time you leave you can’t remember much of anything that you heard, even though you took copious notes?  That is a common occurrence and one that I had this past weekend at this year's Seattle University’s "Search for Meaning" book fair.  This event brings together authors whose works focus on our never-ending search for meaning in such arenas as spirituality, diversity, and social justice. After spending the day listening to amazing speakers I walked away struck by just 2 words that I heard in one of the sessions.  These 2 words weren’t an integral part of the presentation but they wouldn't leave me.

The two words that stayed with me?  Forgive More…I don’t know why but they resonated somewhere deep inside.  I struggle with forgiveness – of others and of myself.  I know the importance of forgiveness but more forgiveness?  I’m pretty happy with Forgive Just Enough.   

Many years ago I was walking thru a grocery store and said hello to a woman I knew from church.  She looked surprised and said, “Oh, so you’re talking to me now?”  I was confused.  “What do you mean by that? Why wouldn’t I be talking to you?” “Well Roberta,” she replied, “You've been ignoring me for awhile now, but I'm not surprised because everyone knows that you can hold a grudge for a very long time.”  Ouch….I felt defensive and my ego’s first response was “No I don’t do that, it’s just not true!” but after really thinking about it I realized there was truth in what she had said.  It doesn’t help that holding grudges is part of my DNA.  I come from Northern Ireland, a country that has raised the level of holding grudges into an art form.  It was common in my family of origin to cut people off for years after an offense or a perceived offense.  But that is no excuse.  Good grief, I wasn’t even aware that I wasn’t talking to this woman!  And there are those two words again:  Forgive More.

In my work as a hospice chaplain one of the prayers that people love to hear and recite is The Lord’s Prayer.  You know how it starts:  "Our Father, who does art in Heaven, Harold be your name."  Are you familiar with that version?  No?  Well children are! Probably because they haven’t learned all the rules about the “right way” to pray and they have the wonderful ability to hear and interpret words they don't understand in their own way.

There is another line in that prayer that is my favorite interpretation of the Lord’s Prayer. It was written by a 4 year old – and we all know how wise a 4 year old can be. In Jesus’ version the line says “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”  What is a trespass?  An offense, sin, wrong, transgression, or debt.  Here’s the 4 year old version of that verse:  “Forgive us our trash baskets, as we forgive those who put trash in our baskets.”

Forgive more.  Maybe it means to empty my trash basket.  Maybe it means to think about what trash I'm putting in others’ baskets.   And maybe it means to just Forgive More. 

 

photo from here

The Prodigal Pup

Today's gospel is from Luke 15 in which Christ continues to shock both pharisees and scribes by hanging out with the less desirable members of society.  In response Jesus gives them the parable of the Prodigal Son. 

Below you will find a reprint of my blog post from three years ago.  I loved it then and I love it now.  And frankly (no pun intended), my wiener dog is the perfect prodigal prop.

"Every time I return home my dog, Lucy, goes berserk. First there's that sweet moment when she realizes that I have returned from wherever I've been. Then there is that mad dash to get to me. This can occur at a dizzying level of speed. This is followed by the jumping up on me, the piddling, the squeaking, and the frantic tail wagging. And the length of time that I'm away doesn't seem to factor in to her uber-excitement. I can be gone a week or 20 minutes. It's all the same to Lucy. And I love it for who else is so consistently overjoyed just by my walking into their range of sight?

Here's what I know about my dog. She is the spittin' image of the Father in the parable of The Prodigal Son. You know the story, boy is unhappy with his lot in life, asks dad for his inheritance, dad hands it over, boy blows it all and has to crawl back home. He is expecting to hear a litany of "I told you so's" but instead his dad acts just like my dog. Running, kissing, hugging, and I am undone by such a display of love - as I'm sure that son was. Like the Prodigal Son's Father, Lucy's mercy is neverending. I continue to learn a lot from her.

P.S. Oh yeah, and about that "put-out attitude" of the older brother. Definitely cat behavior."

Our Mothering Hen

Today’s Gospel reading from Luke 13 has the Pharisees trying to convince Jesus to run away from Herod in fear.

But Jesus doesn’t give in to the “what ifs” because there is nothing that will stand in his way of heading towards Jerusalem.

Speaking of Jerusalem, Jesus laments:



"How often have I desired to gather your children together

as a hen gathers her brood under her wings,

and you were not willing!"

I took this photo and the following prayer

(which was based on the Lord’s Prayer) from a previous blog post

because it was just that good!

"Our Mothering Hen

Who art brooding over us

hallowed be thy sheltering wings.

Forgive our unwillingness to come into your embrace

And gather us in, reluctance and all.

Free us from fear of foxes

And the sharp bite

of anything that separates us from you.

Open our eyes

To the plenty around us.

Open our hearts

That our plenty be shared.

Lead us not into contention

But into the dance of connection.

For thine is the grace that wakes us each new day

And thine is the mercy that puts our souls at ease

And thine is the love that sets our hearts alight.

For ever and ever, amen."

Tammerie Day - posted at Day at a Glance

bless our journeys

This past weekend while attending a retreat

at St. Andrew’s House on the Hood Canal

I walked over to Harmony Hill and spent some time

within this exquisite seashell labyrinth.

And this morning I came across

this prayer from the Iona Community

which fits perfectly:

 

“Lord, bless the journeys we never planned to take,

but through your surprising wisdom

discovered we were on.”

-Peter Millar, "A Time to Mend"

 

 

Which of us could have predicted where our

journeys have taken us?

Sitting on bench in middle of labyrinth,

looking forward to the journey back.

 

plaque at entrance to shell labyrinth

“In memory of all those who have

walked this path"- The Ferrari Family

happy valenswine's day?

Happy Valentine’s Day.

Oh No!

You just remembered that you gave up all sweets for Lent?

Never fear!

There is always roses...

And even better...Bacon and Roses combined!

Does it get any better than this?

photo from here

Season of letting go

When I was a kid this was the appropriate facial expression

for the season of Lent. Somber, Dutiful, Suppressed.

After all, we deserved wrath for our wickedness.

But this is the beginning of the season of letting go.

Letting go of all that hinders us from being who we really are.

Letting go of all that is false – not true.

For we are loved and cherished by God who never ever stops

giving to us. Recalling that we are dust and to dust we

will someday return is not all gloom and doom

but a call to wake up. Our time is short.

Love one another with a holy love.

What will that look like on your face this season?

Mater Dolorosa

Just returned from a trip to Southern California where I visited

 Mater Dolorosa in Sierra Madre 

with Anita, my best friend from high school. 

Our school made an annual trip to the beautiful grounds

of this  peaceful retreat center, which  includes a walkable Stations of the Cross

and the Seven Sorrows of Mary. 

The photo below is of yours truly taking a photo of a quote

from St. Paul of the Cross that was on a glossy surfaced pillar.

. 

"Nourish yourself with God's Holy Will.

Drink of the Chalice of Jesus.

Close your eyes and do not seek to know

what it will contain.

It is enough to know that Jesus offers it."

St. Paul of the Cross

Mater Dolorosa

meanness

 

My Spiritual Director shared the following quote with me,

which she received from her Spiritual Director.

Thought I should pass it on.

 

“Once you understand what Jesus asks for in following him,

you have to follow, or choose your own form of meanness.”

-Flannery O’Connor

fan the flames

“Father of my soul, Mother of my heart,
I know your love for me is

limitless beyond imagining.
You care for me as a loving parent.
Through my smallest Lenten sacrifices,
help me to become less selfish
and more aware of your ways.
Fan the flame of my desire
to draw ever closer to you.
Guide me to seek your love.”

photo from here

prayer from here

the beauty of Ash Wednesday

“The beauty of Ash Wednesday is

that very ordinary people,

heading to the train, to work or school,

exercise the simple act of wearing their faith

for this one day a year.

A very old ritual against the backdrop of

modern society.”

 Greg Miller, photographer,

who for the past 15 years has been photographing people in midtown Manhattan,

who have just received ashes at nearby churches.

Visit Greg’s website – Dark Cloth Diaries, to see more

of his very moving images from his annual collection – Unto Dust.

Greg’s photo is from NPR article.

Ash Wednesday

Today is Ash Wednesday - the first day of Lent -  and I cannot decide what spiritual discipline to take on for this season...so once again I am posting the prayer that was read last night while we watched the burning of the palms from last year - a prayer that offers a myriad of fasting/feasting options.

Fasting and Feasting
Fast from worry; Feast on trust.
Fast from words that hurt; Feast on words that heal.
Fast from anger; Feast on patience.
Fast from discontent; Feast on thanksgiving.
Fast from gossip; Feast on the courage to go to the source for more accurate understanding.
Fast from discouragement; Feast on hope.
Fast from bitterness; Feast on forgiveness.
Fast from suspicion; Feast on truth.
Fast from fear; Feast on love for stangers.
Fast from judging others; Feast on the Christ within them.
Fast from focus on differences; Feast on the love that unites us all.

Elizabeth Bloch's+ adaptation of William Arthur Ward's Lenten prayer.

the path

As we start to turn the corner

and see Holy Week on the horizon,

let us contemplate the upcoming journey

that Jesus will make on our behalf towards Jerusalem.

"You cannot travel the path

until you have become the path."

- Buddha

photo from this pilgrimage

Lenten Fast?

Lenten Morning Routine

by Steven Robinson

snitched from here

less is truth

It does not require

many words

to speak the truth.

Chief Seattle

this goes along with my Lenten desire to fast on talking, feast on listening

Jesus, Our Holy Mother Hen

In last Sunday's Gospel from Luke, Pharisees came to warn Jesus that Herod was out to kill him. Jesus responded with a strong message for them to deliver in which he described Herod as a fox and himself as poultry. Really. Near the end of the reading Jesus had this to say about his love for Jerusalem:

"How often have I desired to gather your children together

as a hen gathers her brood under her wings,

and you were not willing!"

In Elizabeth's+ Sunday sermon she mentioned (amongst other brilliant insights) that Jesus could have compared himself to something with more power, such as a rooster, which could haved used its talons to fight the fox. Instead Jesus described himself as a mother hen. Check out this picture of a broody hen. Look at how covered up those chicks are. Is that you I see looking so dreamy under the wings of Christ? Ah yes, you do look quite protected, and oh so content. Carry on.

In my quest to find the photo I came across this blog with another insightful perspective about this Gospel reading along with a glorious mother hen prayer. And as the Lord's Prayer is so important to me during this Lenten Season I had to share what I found. I encourage you to click on the red link above to read the rest of Tammerie Day's thoughts:

"Our Mothering Hen

Who art brooding over us

hallowed be thy sheltering wings.

Forgive our unwillingness to come into your embrace

And gather us in, reluctance and all.

Free us from fear of foxes

And the sharp bite

of anything that separates us from you.

Open our eyes

To the plenty around us.

Open our hearts

That our plenty be shared.

Lead us not into contention

But into the dance of connection.

For thine is the grace that wakes us each new day

And thine is the mercy that puts our souls at ease

And thine is the love that sets our hearts alight.

For ever and ever, amen."

Tammerie Day - posted at Day at a Glance

so sorry

"I'm so sorry this happened to you"

This is a well-intentioned comment we emit frequently when someone relays distressing news. We don't want to see anyone suffer, and yet we all suffer. We really want to believe that we have at least a smidgen of control over the hills and valleys of this process of living our lives but deep down we know we don't. And so we say we're sorry that it happened in an attempt to bring comfort and express our empathy. And it always leaves us feeling inadequate.

I found this Barbara Brown Taylor quote on FB today and was moved by the reality of the work of suffering in our lives:

"Terrible things happen, and you are not always to blame.

But don’t let that stop you from doing what you are doing.

That torn place your fear has opened up inside of you is a holy place.

Look around while you are there. Pay attention to what you feel.

It may hurt you to stay there and it may hurt you to see,

but it is not the kind of hurt that leads to death.

It is the kind that leads to life."

Barbara Brown Taylor, from "Life-Giving Fear, Christian Century 1998.

and so we pray:
Almighty God, you know that we have no power in ourselves to help ourselves:

Keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls,

that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body,

and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul;

through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Book of Common Prayer, Collect for 3rd Sunday in Lent

photo from here

Beloved

This one is for Kim....

with whom I share the Lenten practice

of praying the Lord's Prayer....

Beloved,

You who dwell

at the heart of Creation,

come

and make yourself known to us.

Give us this day

life in its fullness.

Forgive us when we

deny it in others

as we forgive those

who take it from us.

Keep us from hopelessness

and despair and deliver us

into freedom.

For you are life,

and breath, body

and being in

every moment's

eternity.

Amen.

Antoinette Voute Roeder

Weaving the Wind

More on Pilgrimage

My desire to slip away from the stories and the choices we make

to secure our identity in everyday life has borne fruit again and again.

To go on a pilgrimage, I discovered

you do not need to know what you are looking for,

only that you are looking for something,

and need urgently to find it.

It is the urgency that does the work,

a readiness to receive that finds the answers.

Janine Pommy Vega, Tracking the Serpent: Journeys to Four Continents.

art: Pilgrimage by Dee Guja. explore her art here.

Lenten Pilgrimage

Lent is the time of pilgrimage -

and that doesn't have to be

to some faraway foreign shore.

It can be as close as your own soul.

I - Spy

They who are conscious of their own sins

have no eyes

for the sins of their neighbors.

Abbot Moses