Thunder Blunder

“Thunder is good, thunder is impressive; but it is lightning that does the work.” -Mark Twain

My prayer for the congregation?

Almighty God, the expanse of nature is at your fingertips. From the distant roll of thunder to the closer, boisterous reaction of shaking windows, we are alerted to an oncoming storm. We remember old tales used to ease our apprehension, yet even though we are calmed, gasps of surprise may still escape our lips. But while the thunder is boisterous it is the precision strike of lightning that leaves its mark on the earth. Let us be wise with our words, and not be heard as a roll of angry postulations or prideful boasts. Let our way be strikingly clear and may the mark of our pure actions led a pathway back to you. Amen

Wait! Wait!

I think I’ve found a solution to my proclivity for procrastination. And there’s no better time. Just last week I couldn’t seem to find the time to share mid-year evaluations at work, which is actually a breeze compared to the end of the year evaluations when extra forms and written submissions are required. I knew about the evaluations before I even left to go to Colorado, but I was busily trying to close open items I had on my desk so that no one else would have to come behind and try to master my computer filing system. Returning from vacation can be equally unstable, so how could that be the right time for something as focused as evaluations? What’s so sad is that we have great people, which is undeniably an incredible blessing! The sad part is that I shouldn’t get so anxious, hesitant, and full of dread. Usually my justification to procrastinate is that the reviews will take away from the time I need, and my co-workers need, in production for our customers and deadlines they require. Part of my delay may be that I dislike being in a judgment position. “When you point a finger at someone else, you are pointing three at yourself.” Sometimes in our reviews I’m the one who comes up short. It comes back that I haven't followed up on my end: trying to find more ways to share information, trying to work within the system to get some needed repairs completed, trying to improve consistency in our shared work projects, and trying to let people know how much they are appreciated. My solution to procrastination? I will perendinate! Who gives reviews on a Monday??

From Latin perendinare (to defer until the day after tomorrow), from perendie (on the day after tomorrow), from dies (day). The word procrastinate is from Latin cras (tomorrow). So when you procrastinate, literally speaking, you are putting something off till tomorrow.
Mark Twain once said, "Never put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow." In other words, why procrastinate when you can perendinate? (A.Word.A.Day – wordsmith.org)

My prayer for the congregation?

Gracious God, You are strong, just and sure. We long to share a bit of your merit and we turn to you when our own character falls short hoping that we can find the impetus to change our habits within your word, examples, and by your intervention. Help us in our weakness to put off hard and inconvenient deeds. Remind us that there are no excuses for delaying those actions which you have commanded, to love our neighbor, to help the poor, to do what is just, and to share the good news. Help us to review our own actions when we are quick to judge others. How can we further their work? How can we help them become the person You created? How can we help them to know You? How can I live as a Christ follower? Help us to spend more time responding to your commands then creating excuses and delays. We find our strength in You. Amen.

Looking High

Some of my favorite places to visit are college campuses. I don’t know if it’s the aura of possibilities, the atmosphere of learning, or the presence of commitment by those who choose to be there, rather than mandatory attendance, and maybe it’s a combination of those things and more that cause a level of energy that is tangible to the senses. The campus we visited today is one that I had attended. When our son asked me what drew me to the school, instead of saying it specialized in the academic field I intended to study, or because of its history for securing placement in jobs, or because of scholarships received I had to tell him it was because coming back from a rafting trip I saw this campus that stood grandly on the hill and it looked so cool. At night the campus is lit to show off their unique structures and you are drawn to know more about it as you drive by on Interstate 35. During the orientation today they were proud to point out that the largest structure on campus is not the football field, as the university 30 miles north would boast, but rather their library. Probably a better vein of rationalization to include, but as we entered the highway to return home, I couldn’t help but look over and still admire the way the little city looked on the hill.

My prayer for the congregation?

O God of Wisdom, there is nothing that is beyond your understanding. We cannot always explain why we do the things we do, lost in a web of irrational desires and impulses, but you are intentional and wise. Let us turn to you for direction, open your word for inspiration, and stand as a beacon on a hill to draw attention to your course. Let our congregation be literally a buzz with an energy of excitement and commitment as we choose to follow you in a manner that is infectious and challenging. Amen.

"Here's another way to put it: You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand. Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.”
Matthew 5:14-16 (The Message)

Friday's Here

Perhaps it’s the “coming down from the mountain” letdown, or perhaps it’s an offset to an “over commitment” of time, or perhaps it’s hoping to take advantage of typical beautiful spring weather, but for some reason churches experience an especially low attendance on the Sunday after Easter. It’s not just our church, but a noticeable trend through all denominations. I could be included so easily as a statistic. I’m leaving with #1 son tonight to so that we can tour a college campus in San Marcos tomorrow. Who wouldn’t want to spend extra time in the hill country of Texas in the spring? And it’s as much economic pulls that are bringing us back after one night as the call to commitments on Sunday. Last Sunday, Anne told of a service that Tony Campolo helped lead worship and after he finished with what he considered one of his finest sermons, the pastor said as much. But then the pastor said he would show Tony how it’s really done, almost like a street poetry slam. Tony was anxious to hear the response. The pastor got up and for over an hour used the same tag line with increasing power and conviction: “Friday’s here, but Sunday’s a comin!” By the end the congregation was worked into frenzy in anticipation of Sunday morning.

My prayer for the congregation?

Gracious God, You are the one whom we worship and adore. Let us return, over and over to you, not just on special occasions, or time of need, for “Friday’s here, but Sunday’s a comin!” Replenish our souls after weeks of concentrated study and contemplation, for “Friday’s here, but Sunday’s a comin!” Let Easter be an appetizer of things to expect throughout the year and not the finale of a high holy day. We can make each day holy by looking for miracles and sacrifices. Yes, “Friday’s here, but Sunday is a comin!” Let us be called to worship! Amen.

Swan Song

I never was a huge fan of “The Gong Show.” I think it’s a guy thing, like “The Three Stooges,” all a little too over the top for my tastes, and as the wiry gray-headed woman walked on the stage, it had all the makings of one of their trademark ridiculous acts set up of for the benefit of entertaining the audience like a court jester. The crowd shots showed people whispering to each other in anticipation of a simpleton prepared to sacrifice their honor for a few moments of TV fame. The judges began grinning, knowing that they were being put on the spot to evaluate an obviously hopeless candidate for the sake of TV ratings. She came out grinning as if she wasn’t going to be able to hold in the joke long enough to carry it out. She was middle-aged, a little plump, and dressed as a country girl coming to town in her best dress. It was hard to tell if she was genuine or playing a stereotype to an exaggerated extent. There was good-natured banter as the judges asked her questions, again believing that it was only a matter of time before the gig was revealed and the outlandish act would begin. They probably wished this was the Gong Show so that they could mercifully end the performance early.

"Why hasn't your dream worked out before now?" - Simon Cowell
"I've never been given the chance before, but here's hoping it will change!" - Susan Boyle

The judges sat back, responsive to her warmth, but still preparing for the onslaught of their senses. Susan Boyle opened her mouth and let out the first pure notes of “I Dreamed A Dream.” The judges’ mouths dropped in utter surprise. Mid-way through the song, the audience was standing in appreciation of her performance. The judges looked at each other in joyous disbelief, not because they had found a new star to promote, but because it was a splendid moment of beauty, emotion, and transformation, not just in Susan, but in how others saw her anew.

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, You see the beauty in your creations and love each as attentively as if that one was your sole commitment. Help us to find the same beauty that you see within each one, setting aside our assumptions and conjectures. We want a benefit of doubt given to us on first impressions, knowing people critique others using simple or complicated overviews of clothes, shoes, hair color, weight, race, and even toe nail color. Let us look into the eyes of our brother or sister, seeing the Christ living within, and giving them a chance to live their dreams, both God and our neighbor. Amen

Easter Water

Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old.
I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth,
do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
The wild animals will honor me, the jackals and the ostriches;
For I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert,
To give drink to my chosen people,
the people whom I formed for myself,
So that they might declare my praise. (Isaiah 43:18-21)

It’s a strange promise God makes, when you think about it. God doesn’t promise to subdue the wilderness; only to make a way through it. God doesn’t promise to take away the desert, or take you out of it, only to find some water in it…. The only promise is to make a way and to find the water, so that even the wild animals and partners and ordinary people will stop and see the new thing, and honor God.

I think that is the promise for us, for all of us. God will do a new thing. No matter how wonderful things seem to us today, God will do a new thing. No matter how tired we may be tomorrow, God will do a new thing. No matter how mundane the routine, or sleepless the night, or painful the argument, God will do a new thing. And it isn’t clear what that will be; there is no promise to fix or mend or put more hours in the day. There is only the promise to make a way in the wilderness, a river in the desert—if we will look for it. “I am about to do a new thing,” says God.
Anna Carter Florence – on 30 Good Minutes

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This was the passage we studied in our class on Easter Sunday, and as often happens, timely. At the end of our first service we had to call an ambulance to assist with a member who had fallen; later x-rays proved the hip was broken. I thought it was going to be hard enough to return to work after a week of vacation, but instead of slowly reacquainting myself to the office was quickly thrust into the world of rearranging priorities. In our small department of seven people, one was with a spouse at MD Anderson for cancer treatment, one was with a spouse in the emergency room for critical care, and our dear secretary became a widow, again, Sunday night.

“God doesn’t promise to take away the desert, or take you out of it,
only to find some water in it.”

Even living in the glory of Easter Sunday doesn’t separate us from the desert we sometimes journey, but gloriously we are provided water: friends on whom we can rely, words of encouragement, hands of healing, prayers of support, and experiences that bring a better understanding of God’s hand in our lives. This is still the continuing story of Easter.

My prayer for the congregation?

Sustaining God, You are our comfort, our guide, our strength. We turn our eyes and hearts toward You in times of need and in times of praise. Let us not separate the two but praise you as we seek your aide. Help us to provide water for those pilgrims in the desert. Keep our eyes aware of their plight, our hearts receptive to their needs, and our hands ready in response. Amen.

Easter is Here... and There

It struck me so odd, although rationally I should know it, but it’s so easy to think that the rest of the world lives just like I do. The Good Friday meditation started by describing the fall weather... you see my problem. Fall weather? Good Friday? Not correct. Even across the Atlantic, on Good Friday, it’s spring; Asia, it’s spring; Middle East, it's spring. Easter IS spring with new growth, fresh beginnings, and hope confirmed.

The problem was not with the facts, it was with my perception. I’ve been lucky enough to travel and I try to have global awareness, but it never occurred to me that Easter could be anything else but the way I’ve known. Of course the author lived in the southern hemisphere where seasons are reversed from ours. I could see where they might have the advantage for the dark moments of the Lenten journey, as leaves are falling and nights grow shorter, but how does Easter morning translate to their lives? They joyfully celebrate the Risen Christ who offered atonement for their lives as well as ours. "Christ is risen! Christ is risen, indeed!"

The Southern Hemisphere has constellations, like the Southern Cross, that we will never see unless we travel below the equator. If we have such a hard time perceiving beyond our limited horizons, how can we expect to fathom what God can do?

My prayer for the congregation?

“My prayer for you, is that you will rise each morning and say to yourself and those you love, ‘Today, God is about to do a new thing.’ And then, I hope you will go out and look for it.”
-Anna Carter Florence

Counter Talk

We would all agree that evil is to be rejected and overcome; the only question is, how? How can we stand against evil without becoming a mirror—but denied—image of the same? That is often the heart of the matter, and in my experience is resolved successfully by a very small portion of people, even though it is quite clearly resolved in the life, death and teaching of Jesus.
[Jesus gives us] a totally different way of dealing with evil—absorbing it in God (which is the real meaning of the suffering body of Jesus) instead of attacking it outside. It is undoubtedly the most counterintuitive theme of the entire Bible.
– Richard Rohr

Sometimes ideas have to simmer, especially when truth whispers of insights that don’t necessarily follow society’s norms. Whispers can have an advantage over emphatic ideas because otherwise they have an especially hard time being heard over barriers of “supposed to” and “should be.” Counterintuitive ideas have to be allowed to rest and rise. On Holy Saturday, we are called to wait and keep vigil. In our Easter world, it is quite illogical to be still when so many preparations are needed for the day we know is fast approaching. And what logical mind would recommend that one deals with evil by allowing God to absorb it? What was Rohr thinking? Interestingly, a completely different tradition offers similar advice. Aikido is a martial art, but one whose aim is peace not fighting. This is a healing art that embraces conflict. Its intention is not to conquer and overcome, but to prevail without perpetuating the cycle of violence. A healing art that embraces conflict? Don’t strike back at evil on the outside? Absorb and transform?
“Be powerful without strength; then grow in potential.”
It’s no wonder these are whispers of tension, if they were blurted out in public, what would people think?

My prayer for the congregation?

Gracious God, allow our hearts and minds to be transformed during this time of rest and vigil. On a day when everything has been said, desperate actions taken, and with a realization of our consequences, we wait and come to realize that left to our own devices, we are ruined. If we know that the status quo has not brought us redemption, then this could be a perfect day, as we wait, to consider new manners and listen to the quieter counterintuitive voices. There is tension in the air. We can embrace it, absorb it and use it. Let our strength rise in character, will, devotion and compassion. Amen.

Stationed in Kairos

I had the opportunity to walk the Stations of the Cross for the first time on this Good Friday. From the earliest of times pilgrims have wanted to walk where Jesus walked to help connect more closely to the Passion. As it became more difficult to travel to Jerusalem, the walk was recreated as shrines using artwork and liturgy throughout Europe in the 1500’s and eventually spread worldwide. There are fourteen “stations” that depict different scenes along the route starting with Jesus being condemned to die and progressing until the last scene of Jesus being laid in the tomb. Today we physically walked as a united band of pilgrims within the sanctuary of the Episcopal Church. At each plaque there was a reading offered and a prayer followed by a simple song as we journeyed to the next scene. Often I was a bit distracted considering how this same experience could be transposed to our own congregation. This is just the sort of thing I can spend hours investigating on the web as I initially did trying to find churches that offered Good Friday services. I thought it was a bit odd that all of the Catholic churches began their Stations of the Cross promptly at 3pm. My fellow learned pilgrim was sure the reason had something to do with the time of Jesus’ death. According to the Gospel of Mark, Jesus was crucified at 9am, darkness fell at noon, and at 3pm he died. Ouch, my head is starting to hurt again. Wasn’t this just what our Associate Pastor shared during last night’s service? Chronos vs. Kairos. Clock-time vs. Soul-Time. There are churches that will hold vigil through Saturday midnight for Easter’s first light. Yes, we’re quite proud of our ability to transform unwieldy mystery into neat hospital-bed folds of facts and explanations with our planning and interpretation. Why we’re even able to parse down the text into Twitter feed as a Good Friday practice. Perhaps soon enough we’ll be able to jump to the end of the story and bypass Good Friday all together.

My prayer for the congregation?

Ah, Holy Jesus, Who brought this upon You? We dare to walk in the roads you traveled; we dare to sing of Your lonesome walk; we dare to sit in draped chapels, but do we dare to drink Your cup? Help us to find ways to harness the majestic story into words and images that we can readily understand, but not be so bold as to think we could author such a royal narrative. It is a delicate balance of accusation, sorrow, dismay, disbelief, grief, promise and hope. We anticipate Your joyful victory but must first spend time examining the slow, deliberate steps that deliver the cross. Amen

2 Who was the guilty? Who brought this upon You?
It is my treason, Lord, that has undone You.
’Twas I, Lord Jesus, I it was denied You;
I crucified You.

5 Therefore, dear Jesus, since I cannot pay You,
I do adore You, and will ever praise You,
Think on Your pity and Your love unswerving,
Not my deserving.
“Ah, Holy Jesus”

A New Commandment

Maundy Thursday. It’s always a challenge to tell other people who don’t have services on this day why we do, and what that strange word “Maundy” even means. Maundy Thursday is the first of the three days of Easter. It might be easier if we called it “Holy Thursday” as some traditions do, but once you realize Maundy comes from the Latin word mandatum meaning "commandment" – it begins to make more sense and even right, as the events of the night in the Upper Room are replayed. Our congregation shares a simple meal of soup, bread and water, perhaps not a true Seder meal, but one that holds the same emphasis of community and serving each other. Moving into worship service, the readings tell of Jesus washing the feet of the disciples and we hear him say, "I give you a new commandment: love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:34-35).

We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand
We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand
And together we'll spread the news that God is in our land
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
They will know we are Christians by our love
"They'll Know We Are Christians" by Peter Scholtes

On this night we realize something momentous has affected our worship, first by the actions and words of Jesus, and finally as all of the adornments and decorations are taken out of the sanctuary and black cloths are draped over the remaining fixtures on the altar. "The rhythm of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter is the rhythm of baptism: hearing the commandment of love, dying to the old way of life, and rising with Christ to show this love to all." (pcusa.org)

My prayer for the congregation?

Jesus, our feet are dirty from the journey.
We have not loved one another as you have loved us.
Callousness and violence stain our hearts and lives.
How will we become clean again?
We see the table there,
but who will make us clean and ready for the meal?
Where will we find water for these soiled soles?
Restore us to the joy of God's salvation.
Amen.
- Daniel Benedict

Have I Got Your Attention?

Man may have made the world smaller by advanced transportation, but until any location can be reached in four hours or less, there are still some issues to be resolved. Sure it’s amazing to make a 1200 mile trip in 17 hours instead of three months by covered wagon, but I’m not sure parts of my body recognize the difference. The last place I want to be today is sitting in front of a computer, and I had to think twice about driving 1.5 miles to the grocery store. No, standing or lying is much preferred. In fact, one of the first things I started doing this morning was going through clutter in a bedroom. It’s something I’ve been meaning to do for quite awhile, but in the past I found other diversions like sitting and reading a book, or sitting and searching the internet, or sitting and looking at recipes, or sitting and watching television. My options were greatly reduced today when sitting was not an option.

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, You are never idle, constantly creating new life, opportunities, and lessons. When we become stagnant and self-absorbed, some inventive instigation may be needed to bring back the desire to set our own wants aside in favor of others needs. Let us pay attention to the smaller tugs and discreet signs, so that there is no need for the bigger shoves and firmer actions prompting us to repent. Surely we don’t need pain to trigger our right response. Plagues, storms, prophets and even death have been used as prods in the past. Let us turn our full attention to you. Amen.

Home

Jane here, continuing my guest stint as Nancy's fill in.

I have another friend named Nancy and I enjoy each one so much they sometimes get intertwined in my conversations of wisdom. So I think of them as Nancy1 (Nancy Gray) and Nancy2 (Nancy Greenfield.) I had lunch with Nancy2 last week and wanted to talk to her about Passover since she is Jewish.

But she sent me an open letter to all Christians, which was convenient for me since that meant I didn't have to write anything for my own blog yesterday. It's always interesting to talk to Nancy2 because there are so many basic ways her thinking is very different from mine but, at the same time, so much alike. I think the fundamental difference is that she was born Jewish and I was born Christian. We are each saying the same thing about the universe but using different languages to say it.

Nancy2 and her family went to Israel last summer. When I asked her what the experience was like she told me it was the most comfortable feeling; it was like going home.

In her open letter to Christians I noticed she referred to the United States as a "safe haven." But she didn't call it home. The ties to her ancestral home are so strong that it is more home to her than the country where she was born.

I'm going to a funeral today for one of the most beloved members of our church. And I know somewhere in there will be a reference to Alfred "going home."

My prayer for the congregation:

Keep us safe while we are here on earth, dear Creator. Help us to find a safe haven during our life and help us to understand people who don't feel safe and to help provide safe haven for them. When it is your time for us to leave, may we go home to eternal rest. Amen.

Curiosity Killed the Cat

OK, it’s Tuesday. Can I stop now? This Tuesday? Next Tuesday? Which Tuesday?

Until Nancy comes home I promised to produce something for her blog. When I started my own blog I had enough sense to only promise weekly offerings. But your Nancy, dear readers, told you she would pray every day.

While I was sitting here trying to think of something to write about, the cat climbed into the file cabinet and couldn’t get out. Let me say this about Murphy, our cat: he is very curious. He loves heights and climbs trees with ease. He especially loves to climb up to the highest book shelf in our office and peer down on us. We, in turn, love to watch him outside our kitchen window while he sits by the creek bank watching “things” in the creek. He can spend hours like this. He is the first cat I’ve ever seen who likes water and will jump up onto the bathroom sink to play with the water as it comes out the faucet. So we know that he is the cat they spoke of when they invented the phrase, “curiosity killed the cat.”

He’s also fairly clumsy for a cat. He has fallen from the bookshelf more times than we can count, bringing books and papers down with him. He disappeared for a week a while back and when he finally showed up his tail was more than just “dragging”, it was broken and partially paralyzed and, ultimately, had to be amputated. He’s a cat who gets himself into a lot of jams that he can’t get himself out of.

So we weren’t surprised when he climbed into the file cabinet when he saw the opened drawer. Then he jumped down behind the drawer to the floor inside the cabinet behind and under the drawer. I’m not sure that explains it so I’ll just say that once he got in there he couldn’t get himself out. We had to take all the files out and take the cabinet apart to get him out.
And, once out, I knew there was no assurance that it wouldn’t happen again. But he’s our cat and we love him. We love to watch him enjoy his freedom. Is this how God feels about us?

My prayer for the congregation?

God, we know you pull us out of a lot of jams we get ourselves into. And then we run right out and do the same stupid thing again. Thank you for your immense love and patience. There’s no way we can repay you. All we can do is try to learn from our mistakes but we can’t guarantee that we will. Ask Jesus. Maybe He can explain. It’s just very hard to be a human. Thank you for loving us even when it's a lot of trouble. amen.

Positively Substituted but Still Sure of Grace

Jane Els here. I am being punished for remarks I made that Nancy had fallen into bad habits and wasn't posting on a daily basis anymore. She came up to me in the middle of the Passing of the Peace yesterday and said something about did I want to be Positively Indecisive while she went out of town.

To start with, a person should never agree to anything presented to you in church. You are far too full of the Holy Spirit and agreeable in the house of the Lord. But it's always so hectic at church that I wasn't really sure what I had agreed to until she emailed me the password to this blog. Apparently I am to start immediately and continue until "Tuesday." This Tuesday? Next Tuesday? Tuesday Weld?

I can do the writing part in a half-assed way. I do that all the time. It's the Praying part that Nancy does here that will be new to me. Maybe that's the first prayer: Lord, give me words.

The sermon yesterday was a great one to comment on. I had the added benefit of hearing it twice at two different services. And I DO mean different. We have an alternative/experiential worship at 8:30 and traditional at 11. (Except it's not really 11, it's 10:50. Who on earth came up with that time, anyway? It makes no sense. But I digress.)

Anne set the stage very vividly for Christ's entrance to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. As he entered on a donkey through the East gate, Pontius Pilate's army entered by the West gate. Anne's question at the end of the sermon was "Which procession did we want to be part of?"

The humble, meek and non-violent procession or the powerful military procession? But then she also threw a bunch of facts out to confuse us. The truth is that the world's future is changing and the people who used to be in charge won't be much longer. The minority will soon be the majority. The last will soon be first and the first, last. Does that change which procession I march in? Where do I line up and what if I get in the wrong line?

Dear God,
Put us in the line you want us in. Help our congregation grow the way you want us to grow. When we get confused help us to understand that we don't really have to understand as much as love. And, please, dear God, give me some words to use until Nancy gets home.
Amen.

Poetic License

“To be a poet is a condition, not a profession” - Robert Frost

I watched both Dr. Zhivago and Man of LaMancha within the past week. Dr. Zhivago, I’ve watched too many times to count, but this was the first time I saw Man of La Mancha. I had heard of Don Quixote, knew he fought windmills, and was well aware of “The Impossible Dream,” one of the main songs from the musical, but I didn’t know the plot of the story. Cervantes is jailed during the Inquisition for the crime of being a poet and uses his talents as a storyteller to win over the other inmates and save his manuscript. Dr. Zhivago is closely watched by his government because of the poems he writes, and I had to question, what makes a poet so dangerous? Both men arrested for subversion of words next to words, not swords next to swords. The Frost quote explains the threat of the poet, not that one makes a living as a poet, but that one thinks like a poet at all. There are some experiences in which poetry is the involuntary response – love, beauty, and grace. A poet sees the world with new eyes and writes to capture the moment.

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, You are the author of life. You fill our days with prose and song and fill our minds with promises and possibilities. When we are most finely tuned to your presence, we are engulfed by emotion and strength. Let us see as a poet, and consider the world anew.

To dream the impossible dream
To fight the unbeatable foe
To bear with unbearable sorrow
To run where the brave dare not go

To right the unrightable wrong
To love pure and chaste from afar
To try when your arms are too weary
To reach the unreachable star

This is my quest
To follow that star
No matter how hopeless
No matter how far

To fight for the right
Without question or pause
To be willing to march into Hell
For a heavenly cause

And I know if I'll only be true
To this glorious quest
That my heart will lie peaceful and calm
When I'm laid to my rest

And the world will be better for this
That one man, scorned and covered with scars
Still strove with his last ounce of courage
To reach the unreachable star

Limited Supplies

The health and beauty manufacturers have made me who I am today. I look better with makeup than without, but that’s not who I am.

It’s getting harder and harder to find the same product when it's time to replenish. It doesn’t seem to matter if it is foundation, shampoo, eye shadow, or toothpaste the one I used and liked is no longer available and I’m left to guess about the color of the new merchandise, how it applies, or the way it interacts with my body. I wouldn’t mind as much if they weren’t so costly, but indeed they are and it makes the decision of which new product to try that much harder. I have gone on-line to try and order a favored item that may be in someone’s warehouse, but manufacturers must have the approach of limited production as a way to increase sales. Consumers are bullied into trying different goods, each knowing that some may find improvements, but others will be a waste of money and the shopper may return to buy something else even though it was not depleted. To add to the offense, it is not healthy to pass along many health and beauty products to other people. Shoppers aren’t forced to buy anything, it is their option, but you’re not going to find many people willing to give up shampoo for the cause.

So more and more I am becoming a hoarder, buying larger quantities of the items that I like, knowing that two months later the same product could easily be discontinued.

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, You are steadfast and resolute. In a world that changes second by second, we are worn by constant disorder. Let us rejoice in the knowledge that your love remains unwavering, your care is continuous, and your conviction is firm. There is no guessing, no wondering, no testing needed to realize that you remain unchanged, offer the same grace, and bless without qualifications. You are the same God that directed Moses, the same Savior that healed the sick, the same Spirit that moved through Pentecost, and the same Lord working through my life. It is not possible to hoard the blessings and gifts we are given, they are too numerous to restrain. Let us become the creation you readied, the congregation you dreamed, and the neighbors you demand. Amen.

Leave of Mind

One indication that it’s time for me to take a few days of leave is when I have to make deliberate choices to bypass the first exit towards Houston and Galveston and instead steer towards the second exit which leads north, to work. I can’t say that Houston would be listed within my top ten getaways, but the sign acts as a siren, calling me to remote locations that don’t include a desk, a computer or deadlines. And a few times my equilibrium has been confused by mistakenly taking the higher ramp because of fog or distraction, but each time I turn around at the first exit and realign myself to the appropriate direction. I might not consider the sign so inviting if I was reminded of the work involved prior to vacation: creating lists, detailing directions, tying up loose ends, and communicating unresolved questions and orders. That’s at work! Another set of actions takes flight at home with washing, packing and cleaning. It’s a wonder we even look forward to vacation! Even though I normally have a difficult time releasing work duties, once I leave the gate for vacation, poor work is like a forgotten toy that one has outgrown, left in the corner, unattended and disregarded.

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, We retreat to your arms and find peace. We often make lists of exclusions and complexities that postpone our response to your call. We may be drawn to leave our daily routine, but then we allow our habits to supersede and we return by mote. Let us grow past our adolescent behavior and leave behind our childish ways. Once we step into your realm and leave our will behind, let us find that we do not miss the restrictions that once held us captive. Those ideas won’t have the same hold or allure; pushed aside by the desire to focus on our new life. Amen.

Foolishness

Of all the mornings to lie back down after my shower; I knew it was a bad idea but I did it anyway. Next I was awakened by my husband asking if I had the day off. NO! Then I had to make the phone call to my boss, “This is NOT an April Fool’s Joke. I am just now leaving the house when I am usually pulling into the parking lot at work!” When I finally got settled in my desk I glanced right away at the calendar. The calendar is designed to show three months at a time: the current month in the center, the past month at the top, and next month at the bottom. It’s all quite orderly and intentional. However, when I looked at the calendar this morning, March had been moved to the top, May was in the middle and June was at the bottom. There’s only one person who is as deliberate about changing calendars and I knew where to go for answers. “Well, with the kids gone I had no one to wake up saying ‘It’s snowing!’ so I had to spread my foolishness somewhere else!”

One of the books I have intended to read for several years is St. Francis and the Foolishness of God. I bought it, but I haven’t actually read it. Kind of like 100 other books on the shelf. There’s so much I want to read, and foolishly think I will, but you have to admit this title is catchy. Who could refuse? One doesn’t normally attach the adjective of foolish with God and it takes an entirely different mindset to even consider the question. God is wise, omnipotent, and powerful; not simple-minded and reckless. What would it mean to be foolish for God?

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, You honor child-like wonder, simple praise, and foolish acts of faith. It would be idiotic to resign a well-financed job to accept a volunteer position in the food pantry. It would be foolhardy to refuse favors until the rest of society was offered the same options. It would be ludicrous to forgo a vacation abroad to build houses in humid New Orleans. It would be comical to prepare an entire dinner only to ask your family to step aside for someone off the street. It would be preposterous to think that what we do makes a difference in the world. Let us be reckless, swift and faithful, relying on Your will to make sense of our abandonment of goals, treasures and careers. We know we are acting foolishly but have no recourse to act otherwise. You are wise, O Lord, and devoted to restoring peace. Living alongside your doctrines of justice anything less than reconciliation seems worthless. Teach us to care, to invite, and to anticipate moments of divine intervention, where we are to be instruments of your uncommon, unlikely, unfettered Grace. How foolish are we prepared to be in the discipline of loving our neighbors as ourselves? Let us be called fools for the love of You! Amen