vacuum man

It's just not possible to love God in a vacuum.

We need each other. We need community.

photo of vacuum man outside a store

in south carolina from here.

spiritual opportunity

 

“...spiritual opportunity knocks in relationship,

not in isolation;

...people are not obstacles to the spirit,

but paths to it.”

- Rabbi Dennis S. Ross

Art is by Anne C. Brink.

“face to face”

1 Cor. 13:12

visit her website to see more of her glorious art.

call back every judgment

"Whenever a judgment or evaluation
Arises within you,
Whether positive or negative,
Add the three words: '. . . just like me.'
You can go ahead and judge another as lazy,
But be inclusive with it: He is so lazy, just like me.
She is arrogant, just like me.
They are incompetent,
She is unreliable,
He is angry,
Just like me.
Call back positive judgments in the same way:
The Dalai Lama is so wise, just like me.
She is so compassionate,
He is so strong,
Just like me.
In this way, call back every judgment to yourself
And realize that there is no other out there:
It is all you."

— Arjuna Ardagh

revision as spiritual practice

“If a teacher told me to revise,

I thought that meant my writing was a broken-down car

that needed to go to the repair shop. I felt insulted.

I didn't realize the teacher was saying,

'Make it shine. It's worth it.'

Now I see revision as a beautiful word of hope.

It's a new vision of something.

It means you don't have to be perfect the first time.

What a relief!” – Naomi Shihab Nye, writer

Today’s quote is from Wisdom Commons – a wonderful source.

What drew me to this photo (which is by Chris Goldberg on flickr)

is that it is of a classic car on the side of the road in Cuba.

This is a '58 Buick worth repairing –

and a good reminder that the creative process is worth the work that it elicits from us. 

For a first/second/third draft of a poem, story, or sermon is a jewel that is just waiting to be mined.

Revision is a great spiritual practice!

a favorite from 2009

"Advent is all about

the unexpected arrival of God."

Paul-Gordon Chandler

Incarnation happens when you least expect it!

As do polar bears arriving for din-din :)

Love vs. Death

"The resurrection doesn't answer any

of our curious questions about life after death,

Such as how will it be? How will it look?

But it does reveal to us that, indeed,

LOVE is stronger than DEATH.

After that revelation, we must remain silent,

leave the whys, where, hows, and whens behind,

and simply trust."

-Henri Nouwen, Our Greatest Gift

window art from  here

stones and love

Today's reading from Acts 19 tells of those who came from Antioch and Iconium, who influenced the crowds to stone Paul. And when they were done, (ie. pretty sure they had killed him) they dragged him out of the city. Imagine the frenzy, the intenisty of their fear and rage. Don't mess with our beliefs buddy!


But then the disciples showed up, surrounded him and behold! He got up and headed for the nearest bed and breakfast for much needed rest and then....what? Oh, he didn't head for the B & B? He went back into the city? What kind of crazy fool goes back into the place where people tried to kill him? Oh yeah, Jesus. And you, and me.


I have to believe that there was divine power in the disciples surrounding Paul as he lay dead on the ground. Just goes to show - grace and love abound in those who surround us with their love...thank God for them today and may you be given the strength to rise up and continue to love....even those you don't really want to love today.

Rhoda's Story

Acts 12:13-15 (The Message)

Still shaking his head, amazed, he went to Mary's house, the Mary who was John Mark's mother. The house was packed with praying friends. When he knocked on the door to the courtyard, a young woman named Rhoda came to see who it was. But when she recognized his voice—Peter's voice!—she was so excited and eager to tell everyone Peter was there that she forgot to open the door and left him standing in the street.

But they wouldn't believe her, dismissing her, dismissing her report. "You're crazy," they said. She stuck by her story, insisting. They still wouldn't believe her and said, "It must be his angel." All this time poor Peter was standing out in the street, knocking away.

This scripture is from this morning's daily office reading. Let's raise a toast to Rhoda - a woman who stuck by her story when no one believed her. I wonder if those present apologized after they saw Peter at the door.  Whatever you are facing today, may God give you the grace and strength to stick to the truth that you know, no matter the obstacles.

Good News

“What was achieved in the body of Mary

will happen in the soul

of everyone who receives the Word.”

Gregory of Nyssa

people's stories

"If there's anything worth calling theology,

it is listening to people's stories,

listening to them and cherishing them."

- Mary Pellaur

where's God in this?

It was easy to love God in all that

was beautiful.

The lessons of deeper knowledge, though, instructed me

to embrace God in all

things.

St. Francis of Assisi

(for those who cannot find hope

 in whatever this day has brought)

be fully alive

June 28th, Feast of St. Irenaeus

Bishop of Lyons, c. 202

"The glory of God is a human being fully alive;

and to be alive consists in beholding God."

— Saint Irenaeus

opaque or transparent?

"Your life is something opaque, not transparent,

as long as you look at it in an ordinary human way.

But if you hold it up against the light of God's goodness,

it shines and turns transparent, radiant and bright.

And then you ask yourself in amazement:

Is this really my own life I see before me?

~Albert Schweitzer

art work is actually a tissue paper project.

wanna make one? check here for complete instructions.

between the givens

In that tiny space between all the givens is freedom.

~ Sue Bender

How I miss her!

"While we have the gift of life,

it seems to me the only tragedy

is to allow part of us to die --

whether it is our spirit,

our creativity or

our glorious uniqueness."

- Gilda Radner

Lucy's Love

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.

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

step forward

"Take one step towards God

and God takes

seven steps towards you;
Walk to God

and God comes

running.

- Muhammad

photo from here

Grateful for the questions

Most of the time spent in a Spiritual Direction session involves my remaining silent and listening.  But sometimes when I'm listening to someone who is confused or who seems to be filled with more questions than answers, I start to think that I should be coming up with answers.  And once I start thinking of answers I know that I have stepped away from Spiritual Direction and moved towards fixing and advice-giving....and this is not my role...

This story from Anthony de Mello  speaks well to what my role truly is:

Two men were once walking through a field when they saw an angry bull. Instantly they made for the nearest fence with the bull in hot pursuit. It soon became evident to them that they were not going to make it, so one man shouted to the other, “We’ve had it! Nothing can save us. Say a prayer. Quick!”

The other shouted back, “I’ve never prayed in my life and I don’t have a prayer for this occasion.”
“Never mind. The bull is catching up with us. Any prayer will do.”
“Well, I’ll say the one I remember my father used to say before meals; For what we are about to receive, Lord, make us truly grateful."

If we are able to develop the spiritual practice of being grateful for all the impossible situations that we encounter on a daily basis then the questions may dissipate in the realization that they are all already answered.

I'm still at the beginning stages of this level of gratefulness.  How about you?

Opening the Heart

"The Christian life is not about pleasing God the finger-shaker and judge. It is not about believing now or being good now for the sake of heaven later. It is about entering a relationship in the present that begins to change everything now. Spirituality is about this process: the opening of the heart to God who is already here." - Marcus Borg  (HT to Elly)