tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10451646715452534102024-03-05T14:46:17.398-06:00RevSisWhen I finally said "yes" to ordained ministry and shared my decision with my family, my mother -- after a lengthy silence -- had one question: "what do we call you?" I suggested "Your Most Holy Reverend Daughter" but my sister came up with "Rev Sis" instead. I invite you to not take yourself too seriously here as well...RevSishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13973144102860035312noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1045164671545253410.post-31733342149939600702014-04-23T17:06:00.000-05:002014-04-23T17:06:52.909-05:00But You Can't....You're a Female. Seriously, dude?
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It really should have pissed me off. I mean, really pissed
me off. And the weird thing is, as I starting thinking that I should be mad, I
also stepped back and realized it just wasn’t worth getting mad over. Damn it.
That’s like a grown up thing or at least a step towards maturity (which I
consider profanity).</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">For the first time in my ministry, I’ve been denied access
to a pulpit. A dear friend is preparing for her husband’s death and the family
has asked me to officiate at his funeral service. At a Presbyterian Church (PCA
not PCUSA). After much hem-hawing around, someone – a male person – from the
church called me and explained that their building policy prohibited a female
from leading a worship service.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Really.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I was gracious. Even when this male went on to tell me that
he would gladly rearrange his schedule in order to be able to lead the worship
service. I was given the option of saying a eulogy but not the homily (that’s
church talk for saying I could stand up and talk about the deceased but I
couldn’t be the one to celebrate his life through the lens of scripture). And,
still, I was gracious.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In the back of my mind, though, that generally obnoxious
part of me that wants to rebel against being told what I can and cannot do,
started revving up…and I stopped it. Weird. The thing is, it really isn’t worth
getting mad over – though the family is plenty mad about it.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It seems all of the Christian churches in North America are
going through their own struggles over issues related to ethnicity, gender, and
sexual orientation. Some have progressed much further than others and all
involved are sure that their interpretation of scripture is the most authentic.
We have expended tremendous energy (and anger) arguing for one side or the
other on any of these issues to the point that all parties have been wounded. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Frankly, I think it’s a good thing. No, I don’t mean that
inflicting pain and injury on each other is commendable. What I do mean is that
we need to struggle through these things in order to let God redeem our work
together. Considering that we just celebrated the death and resurrection of Jesus,
it makes sense to me that we are going through a bit of a death in our
understanding of who we are called to be as followers of Jesus Christ. I have
absolute faith that as that understanding dies, God will resurrect within us a
new way of living out our life as beloved children of God.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I was surprised to receive a phone call from one of the
pastors at a neighboring Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) mainly because his first
words to me were an apology on behalf of the church that had denied me access
to their pulpit. Obviously, he doesn’t need to apologize on behalf of someone
else but I understood what he was feeling. This kind of struggle tends to paint
a negative picture of the whole denomination, regardless of strand (PCA, PCUSA,
etc) and often bleeds over onto all Christian denominations. I get that. It
makes me want to apologize profusely for our universal inability to simply
follow the primary commandment to love God and love our neighbor.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, I’m not mad. We have a terrific church in Austin who is
delighted to minister to this family alongside me. But, damn it. I do think I’d
feel better if we could come up with another word besides “maturity.” </span></div>
Yvonne Coonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03214217820610958979noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1045164671545253410.post-48986626864698002912014-04-06T22:49:00.000-05:002014-04-06T22:49:56.300-05:00Too many vowels but a great concept...Paideia<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ordinarily, I would be more tempted to clean out my
refrigerator than I would be to watch a video of a college president’s
inauguration address. Ordinarily. But, when a friend sends me the link with the
added prompt of “check him out, he’s attractive, single, and local,” I thought
the least I could do was watch a little bit of it. Congratulations,
Southwestern University. You have both an attractive new president AND one with
both humor and intellect. In all fairness, the previous president was a great
guy, too…just not single. But anyway…</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ve been at a handful of SU campus events and have seen the
word “paideia” incorporated into both spoken and printed materials. I didn’t
have a clue what it meant until I listened to President Burger’s speech. Even
then, I clicked over to the transcript so I could make sure that I heard what I
thought I heard.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maybe I heard what I wanted to hear because, even reviewing
the transcript, I’m hard-pressed to boil it down to a brief little definition…but
it sounded to me that paideia was about connections between people and
connections with ideas. He spoke about learners learning from teachers and vice
versa. It sounded an awful lot like a community of people discovering,
exploring, growing, and transforming together. In other words, it sounded a lot
like what I envision in the church community.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As a pastor, I am well aware that I do not have all the
answers to such questions as “what is the meaning of life?” or “what did Jesus mean
by a desolating sacrilege?” or “where is it written in the Bible that so and so
said this or that?” (btw, I am not your Bible trivia girl…ask Steve or get
online and look it up). Actually, there are many, many things I don't have the answer to...get over your disappointment. I struggle just like you do. There are many aspects of our faith that I wrestle with…mostly
I wrestle with those things that I learned or inherited growing up or as an
adult that I now go…wait a minute. Is this right?</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, I need a community that creates space for me to
discover, explore, grow, and be transformed. I need some paideia, too. I bet
most of us do. Even if we can’t say that weird word with too many vowels…</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Kudos to SU for their intentionality in creating such a
community. I think your president is pretty cool and has some great insights on
how to truly educate the whole person. Wonder what it would look like for our
church community and this learning community to come together and explore
creating space for paideia moments in a wider context? I’m thinking there’s a
great big opportunity here. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Imagine looking at issues such as poverty in our community
alongside students and educators in sociology. Imagine collaborating on such
basic human needs as food, clothing, and housing in ways that honor and bring
dignity to all parties. Imagine a dialogue on contemporary social issues that
extends beyond bible thumping and considers the character of God alongside the
human condition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I think SU is really on to something with this paideia
thing. I also think it’s time we started exploring the synergies possible
through partnerships with churches and educational institutions – not because
we want to swell our membership rolls (don’t get me started on that) but
because we live in a world that is in need of transformation on all fronts. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Turns out this might have been more fruitful than cleaning
out my refrigerator…hmmm.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Want to see the video? <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRmkHRQnPTk#t=2211" target="_blank">Inauguration Address - Edward B Burger, 15th President of Southwestern University</a></span></div>
Yvonne Coonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03214217820610958979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1045164671545253410.post-11321098474269327972014-04-04T22:44:00.001-05:002014-04-04T22:44:49.787-05:00Warning: Expletives and Honesty Ahead
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It’s rare that I get a non-fiction book and can’t put it
down. And yet, such was my experience with Nadia Bolz-Weber’s book, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pastrix</i>. If you don’t know who she is, let
me just encourage you to do some googling and reading. I don’t think she’s old
enough to be my role model but she is anyway…</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ve finished the book and know that I will go back and read
it again. Crazy thing, though…as I finished reading it, I was just annoyed. At
myself. You see, I really did not want to go into ordained ministry. Throughout
the whole looooong process of ordination, I honestly expected someone to
finally look me in the eye, and go, really? You think you’re called to
ministry? Ha! No way. You see, I know myself pretty well and I know that I am
not one of those people.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I started the process after having a good long chat with
God. That would be me doing the chatting. It went something like, “fine…I’ll do
this, but I’ve got to be me. I can’t be all preachy and pious and serious and
church-lady-like.” I figured since no one said “no” to me that meant God was
satisfied with our little arrangement.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Except, I didn’t keep my end of the bargain. I sold out to
some of the expectations I had as to what it meant to live into the vocation of
ordination. I am mostly nice to people. I do not generally express my emotions using
expletives or profanity. I don't even have a cute little butterfly tattoo on my ankle. I maintain a calm, perhaps even serene, demeanor. And
there are times I just want to scream.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">No, that doesn’t mean that I want to express all of the four
letter words that are very much a part of my “normal” vocabulary at all times
and in all places. It means, though, that I get tired of trying to live up to
all the expectations (including my own) because I am NOT that person. I am so
freaking human and flawed it’s not even funny. What’s really, really crazy
about that is that I KNOW that God loves me anyway. That God gets my humanity
and embraces it, that God uses my humanness to help me love more deeply because
I can’t get there without going through the messy work of accepting my own
shortcomings. So, I’m a little – ok, a lot – tired of being what some might
call a hypocrite. Yes, it’s easier for me to just be easy-going and calm and
nice and all that…but holy (expletive), it really means that I’m stuffing all
that down in front of people only to let it out somewhere else. Stupid, if you
ask me. Good for my continued appointment, but…really? Stupid.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I mentioned in last week’s sermon, when we were looking at
the beatitudes regarding the peacemakers and those who are persecuted, that
there is something about this vocation that invites a kind of persecution. I
know, deep gasp on your end, but hear me out… First, I am a single, female
clergyperson. If you were to invite me to a social gathering and introduce me
to your friends by both my name and my vocation, I guarantee you all
conversation will stop. There is a predictable and deafening silence that
always – ALWAYS – follows. No one knows what to do with a preacher lady. And,
as they give me that kind of deer-in-the-headlights look, I can also see the
giant thought-balloon above their heads – did I say anything offensive? Should
I hide my wine/beer/mixed drink behind my back? How soon can I move on to a
more comfortable group of people?</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Not to be offensive, but it is really starting to piss me
off (see, I just can't let go…). And, yes, I know this is absolutely NOT what
Jesus was talking about as far as persecution goes. As far as I know, no one is
out to kill me because of my vocation. But (expletive), it makes it really
(profanity) difficult for me to connect to people with any
sense of honesty on either side.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, yes, I was annoyed as I finished her book. Annoyed
primarily at myself but also at you people. I don’t want all of your
expectations. I want the freedom to just be me, with all my flaws and
(expletive). I don’t want all of my expectations, either. And now I sound like
a whiney (expletive)…and that irritates me even more.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here’s the deal…I choose to live as fully as I can into who
God created me to be, with all my flaws, all my shortcomings, all my gifts, all
my annoying habits, and all my passions. Sometimes, it will not look like the
ideal of a clergyperson. It may be that many times it won’t look like that. The
thing is, God is working in and through me. I am not finished. But I cannot
completely ignore all those parts of me that you might prefer not to see. That’s
not fair to me or to you. So, I’ll be the me I am today and let God be at work
moving me to the me I will be in the future. Meanwhile, you be you. God’s doing
some cool stuff in your life as well. I’m pretty excited with what God can do
in both of us…but (expletive) can we please just accept each other as is for
now?</span></div>
Yvonne Coonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03214217820610958979noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1045164671545253410.post-12153368120123867362014-03-31T23:18:00.000-05:002014-03-31T23:18:52.247-05:00Busy, Tired, and Awed...
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, I’ve started my blog about 5 or 6 times tonight…I can’t
figure out if I want to share how busy I am, how tired I am, or how awed I am.
Frankly, none of those seem all that interesting to me…even the awe experience
was quite selfish. Seriously, who really cares?</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When I was in Victoria visiting mom, she shared with me a
story about her homeless friend, Pete. He lives in his van and usually is
parked at one of the truck stops on Highway 59. He told her about a man who
successfully crossed into Texas from Mexico and hitched a ride <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">underneath </i>an 18-wheeler as far as Inez,
Texas. It was the Sunday that cold front blew in. By the time the truck
stopped, he was wet and freezing cold. He knocked on the window of Pete’s van
and Pete freely shared what food he had, along with dry clothes.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">No, we don’t need to talk about how busy or tired or awed I
am.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After I left Victoria, I drove up to San Antonio to have a
birthday celebration brunch with my eldest son and my future daughter-in-law.
Josh (my son) was telling me about the certifications he had received that week
– something about a simulator and learning how to evacuate from a helicopter if
it hit the water (the certification allows him to go out to the rigs in the
gulf). I was just amazed listening to him describe the various scenarios they
went through in his training.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">No, we don’t need to talk about how busy or tired or awed I
am.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">On Saturday, after leaving Mom’s house and meeting up with
Josh, I got home and then met with a family to plan a memorial service for
their patriarch. I had met with him, his wife, and his daughter just two weeks
prior…and knew he was terminal. But, the prognosis was at least 2-3 more
months. Yet, he died less than two weeks later. There is something I can only
describe as holy that happens when I am invited into the lives of people who
are hurting or grieving. We celebrated his life today and I honestly cannot
imagine what it looks like to move forward after spending nearly 50 years with
your childhood sweetheart. She will, I know. Her faith is strong and their
relationship was such that she is equipped…but oh my. What an incredible gift
to have had that love, that bond, for so long.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">No, we don’t need to talk about how busy or tired or awed I
am.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In between meeting with the family and officiating the
service, my youngest son and I had to make that hard decision about our 21-year
old cat. Jasmine – or Jazz – has been part of our family since this son was
only 6 months old. This past year, she has certainly shown her age. Six months
ago, she had a seizure and we thought, this is it. But, she pulled through. At
least until this past weekend. She had another seizure Saturday night and just didn’t
come out of it well…she was disoriented and weak. She woke me in the middle of
the night and she couldn’t seem to figure out what to do with her limbs. So,
after I finished with our morning worship services and returned home, Nate and
I agreed it was time to let her go.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It was peaceful and quick…I don’t really think she felt
anything other than the peace of knowing she wouldn’t struggle anymore. We
brought her home and Nate spent the afternoon digging in our rocky, hard soil
so we could bury her. And we did, last evening after our Sunday night worship
service.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, yes I’ve been busy and tired and awed.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Thank you, God, for filling my life with so many who mean so
much…for giving me good reason to be busy and tired and awed.</span></div>
Yvonne Coonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03214217820610958979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1045164671545253410.post-67842863229566372932014-03-26T23:20:00.000-05:002014-03-26T23:27:02.618-05:00Mother Theresa Liked It<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;">Someone sent this to me earlier this week, as
a follow up to Sunday’s sermon. We’ve been taking an in-depth look at the
Beatitudes in Matthew’s gospel throughout Lent. This past week’s focus was on
the merciful and the pure in heart. I was pretty upfront that this last one,
pure in heart, was a tough one for me to interpret. </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;">There are lots of ways we can look at it,
and I wrestled with many of them…but finally, what seemed appropriate for me,
at the time, was the idea that when we live out of the commandment to love God,
love neighbor, and love self, we are more likely to respond to others in ways
that reflect our understanding of God. It’s really simple. And, really hard.
Because we – ok, I – have not yet gotten to the point where this commandment, this
crazy love-attitude, is my knee-jerk reaction. I have to take the time to stop
and think, to restrain myself from acting out of my natural human response.</span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;">The poem that was sent to me included a
notation that it was penned by Mother Theresa of Calcutta. I don’t doubt that
she could have written something like this but…I have gotten into the habit of
verifying things, especially before I put them back out in cyberland. From what
I can find, these words were originally written by Kent Keith when he was a 19
year old sophomore at Harvard College in 1968. Mother Theresa had the words
(not the full text of Keith’s work) enlarged on a poster that she hung up on
the wall of Shishu Bhavan, her children’s home in Calcutta. In response, those
who visited assumed she had written it.</span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;">Even without her authorship, these words
point us to an attitude about ourselves that frees us from the need for
approval or acceptance from anyone other than God. I’ve read them several times
this week and thought you might enjoy them, too. </span></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">People are often unreasonable, irrational,
and self-centered. <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></i></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Forgive them anyway.</span></i></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish,
ulterior motives. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Be kind anyway.</span></i></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful
friends and some genuine enemies. </span></i></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Succeed anyway.</span></i></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">If you are honest and sincere people may deceive
you. </span></i></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Be honest and sincere anyway.</span></i></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">What you spend years creating, others could destroy
overnight.</span></i></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Create anyway.</span></i></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">If you find serenity and happiness, some may be
jealous.</span></i></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Be happy anyway.</span></i></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The good you do today, will often be forgotten.</span></i></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Do good anyway.</span></i></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Give the best you have, and it will never be enough.</span></i></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Give your best anyway.</span></i></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">In the final analysis, it is between you and God.</span></i></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">It was never between you and them
anyway.</span></i></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Candara;">There's something about the last line that doesn't sit all the way well with me but I haven't figured it out yet. Maybe its the idea that me and God are all I need when, really, God intended specifically for us to be in community, to be in relationship with one another. So, I think it matters what between us -- not for approval or acceptance, but for the sake of responding to God's love.</span></div>
<br />
<br />Yvonne Coonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03214217820610958979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1045164671545253410.post-20223122663985388632014-03-25T23:48:00.000-05:002014-03-25T23:48:54.855-05:00Sticks and stones...and even words hurt
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;">Yesterday, I mentioned a monthly seminar
some from our staff participated in on Monday. It’s possible you’ll be hearing
me talk more about this over the next several posts (although, honestly, I don’t
know what I’m going to write about until I sit down and face the white screen
of “paper” in front of me…). We covered some deeply thought-provoking concepts
and, as I work through them, they may become topics…as does today’s
installment.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;">Here’s the quote that has stuck in my mind:</span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;">You do not build a society up by
breaking the people within it down.</span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;">Immediately, I think of all the facebook
posts that just make me cringe with their animosity towards some group or
individual. And yes, do this enough, and I will just hide your posts. There is
nothing helpful about ranting against a group of people, especially when you
personalize it. We end up polarized and a polarized society is just a
compilation of arguing factions all pointing their fingers at some other group. Hate wins.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;">As a people of faith – and no, not everyone
on my “friends” list is a declared, card-carrying believer in Jesus Christ…or
God, for that matter – but, for those of us who claim a Christian <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>identity, we are called to take seriously the
commandment to love God, love neighbor, and love self. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the guiding principle for our faith.
We can disagree on all kinds of things but we do so out of a stance of love.
Or, at least, that’s what our faith calls us to do.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;">I have hurt people in my life. I guarantee
you that I have not always operated out of that great commandment. I can not
only get angry, I can employ sarcasm with a barbed and hurtful tongue. The more
I grasp the love that God has for me, barbed tongue and all, the more I can
step back and at least think before I spew. Most of the time. It’s something I
have to work at…and sometimes, I do a better job than at other times. It is
frighteningly easy for me to put my emotional needs ahead of my connection to God.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;">I share that to say that I get it. We
struggle with our need to insist on our own way, our own needs, our own ideas,
our own beliefs. But, the minute we tear someone or a group of someones apart
because their ways, needs, ideas, or beliefs are different from ours, we are
complicit in tearing down God’s people. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;">And that reminds me of another quote (no
idea where I heard this but it has stuck with me for a long time)…</span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;">It is better to be in right
relationship than to be right.</span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;">This is day 18 of the 40 days of Lent. What
would it look like for us to choose to build up the people we encounter (or
hear about on the news/online/etc) for the remainder of this season? What if we
stopped finger-pointing and name-calling for the next 3 or so weeks? We are
called to build up people, to love them just as they are – no matter how
misguided and uninformed we may think they are. After all, God loves us just as
we are…regardless.</span></div>
Yvonne Coonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03214217820610958979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1045164671545253410.post-23682037545601920662014-03-24T21:18:00.000-05:002014-03-24T21:18:20.070-05:00Hurry up and wait
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;">I am the baby in my family…the youngest of
my generation on both sides of the family tree. Yes, there are advantages. Truly,
I appreciate these advantages much more today than I did when I was younger…</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;">But growing up? <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Everyone</i> got to do things that I wasn’t allowed to do. The response
to every request seemed to be, you can do that…<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">when you grow up.</i> To say I was impatient to be “grown up” enough to
do things is a terrible understatement.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;">Looking back, I imagine I drove my parents
crazy. I could ask mom but…no, I’d really rather not hear her take on my
impatience. I’m sure I was a trial. It was a trial for me as well.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;">It seemed I struggled with patience and
waiting at least until I was somewhere in my 30s. My guess is, I saw my
children growing up so quickly and decided I could wait. Please. Amazing how
quickly time passes from rocking a sleeping infant to hauling half the team to
baseball practice to high school graduation. I learned to slow down and wait.
Mostly.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;">These days, I find I am most impatient with
myself or, rather, with becoming whoever it is God intended me to be. I am much
more comfortable in my skin that I was in my early years…and, at the same time,
I see myself as unfinished, not yet fully me. I’m curious about these next
however many years and do have to sit myself down occasionally and remind
myself to be patient…to trust and wait. At home and in my office, I have the words of Psalm 46:10 displayed as they have become my mantra..."Be still, and know that I am God." I need the constant reminder to be still...and to trust.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;">This morning, in a monthly leadership
seminar several of us from our church staff participate in, I was introduced to
the deeply mystical work of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin – French Jesuit priest, philosopher,
paleontologist, and geologist (1881-1955). Our instructor shared this
devotional, entitled <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Patient Trust</i>,
by Teilhard…and it struck a deep chord in me. May it do so for you as well.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;">Above
all, trust in the slow work of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
are quite naturally impatient in everything to reach the end without
delay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We should like to skip the
intermediate stages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are impatient of
being on the way to something unknown, something new.</span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;">And
yet it is the law of all progress that it is made by passing through some
stages of instability – and that it may take a very long time.</span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;">And
so I think it is with you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your ideas
mature gradually – let them grow, let them shape themselves, without undue
haste.</span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;">Don’t
try to force them on, as though you could be today what time (that is to say
grace and circumstances acting on your own good will) will make of you
tomorrow.</span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;">Only
God can say what this new spirit gradually forming within you will be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Give our Lord the benefit of believing that
his hand is leading you, and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself in suspense
and incomplete.</span></i></div>
Yvonne Coonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03214217820610958979noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1045164671545253410.post-70520676323446977402014-03-21T22:07:00.000-05:002014-03-21T22:07:29.836-05:00Logs and Specks
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">With the death of Westboro Baptist’s lead figure, Fred
Phelps, yesterday, I really expected to see a great deal more of a response on
facebook than I did. I must say, I was pleasantly surprised that so few felt
the need to comment and that those who did, did so in a rather graceful way.
Your newsfeed may have been different from mine – obviously we all have a
diverse group of “friends” – but I was really grateful for the lack of
snarkiness that could have easily been offered in the wake of his death.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">For as much as he was about marketing hate, he was a very
tortured man. I can’t imagine what it would be like to constantly be about the
business of encouraging and mobilizing people to exhibit and vocalize their
hatred of other groups of people. As one person shared on facebook, I pray he
has found the peace in death that eluded him so much in life.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have come to know a great many people, especially as they
journey through crises or challenges. It’s one of the most sacred aspects of my
job, this entrée into the lives of others. It strikes me that we have enough in
our own lives to deal with without making something that another group is
involved with a primary focus for us…and, yet, we do this so we can ignore our
own stuff, if only for a little while. We are such strange, strange creatures.
It’s that whole “take out the log in your eye before you remove the speck from
your neighbor’s eye” message Jesus tried to teach us. We just have such a hard
time choosing to deal with our stuff first.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, I pray that Fred Phelps finds peace. I pray that those
who followed him can let go of the banner of hatred they have carried so long
and find peace as well. I also pray that I will have the strength to deal with
my stuff and give you the freedom to deal with your own stuff at your own pace…</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></div>
Yvonne Coonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03214217820610958979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1045164671545253410.post-29581647373704711482014-03-20T22:53:00.001-05:002014-03-20T22:53:23.866-05:00Giving the Shadow it's Due...
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I am reading a fascinating book by Robert A. Johnson
entitled, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Owning Your Own Shadow.</i> I’ll
start with the confession that I am not terribly familiar with Jungian
psychology which incorporates this concept of our “shadow” side…but I am enough
of a human and enough of a student of life to acknowledge that we all have
within us the equal capacity for good and evil.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Most of us, though, would rather not admit we have such a capacity.
I don’t know that I could have put it in those words before myself. But, I see
it. When my life was in such awful turmoil, my brother-in-law came over one day
to help me sort through some of the financial mess and then took me to a gun
range. He had brought several of his pistols and we loaded up on ammunition as
we headed into the shooting area. He walked me though the basics, ensuring I
had at least a rudimentary understanding of gun safety. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It was an amazing release! No, I can’t imagine actually
firing a weapon at a live human but wow…I did some serious damage to that paper
target. As I begin to understand the balance we keep between our “good” side
and our “shadow” side, I can see how this gave my shadow side an outlet…one
that didn’t cause harm to another or myself but simply was expressed and
released. The result? I really did feel better, more balance and more in control of myself.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ve thought back to the early days when things at my house
were really tough and remember assigning the boys with the task of replacing
fence boards in our back yard. Just that act of hammering nails into wood was
sufficient to release a lot of that bottled shadow-y stuff. And, my fence got repaired, so it was a good deal all around.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The author makes the case – though I’m not finished with the
book and may amend this – that we do well to seek balance between the two, less
we go overboard on our so-called “good” side and then turn around a smack
innocent bystanders with our shadow stuff. I know that I have been in those
situations where I am almost gritting my teeth into nubs, trying desperately to
maintain my calm and cool…and the minute I am removed from the situation, I
erupt. That stuff has to come out somehow and the author, thus far anyway,
encourages an awareness that will allow us to tend to our shadow eruptions
without inflicting them in ways that are harmful.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maybe all this sounds just a bit far-fetched. Maybe it seems
that I am dipping my toe a bit too heavily into a realm beyond our faith-filled
upbringing. I don’t think so. Take some time to look through the gospel
accounts of Jesus. Notice how often he went off by himself, got away from
others. Yes, he went to pray but I would imagine he might have thrown some
rocks or screamed into the emptiness just to vent out all of that stored up
frustration. One of the strangest stories is the story of Jesus cursing the fig
tree as he was making his way from Bethany into Jerusalem the day after his
glorious arrival into town. It wasn’t fig season. The tree should not have had
any fruit on it. And, yet, Jesus let loose with a curse…and the fig tree died.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We are currently in a season of high anxiety and stress. We
are trying so hard to keep our nice on, to be loving and kind and generous…and
really, we’d like to kick something. Or maybe that’s just me and I’m projecting
on to you…if so, I apologize. I would like to kick something. But I’d rather
you didn’t see me kick anything. Therein lies the struggle in balancing the
goodness within us with the shadow side we all have as well.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Wonder what it would be like if we stopped acting like this
whole shadow side didn’t exist? What if we could be more open and honest about
our complete selves…the good, the bad, and the ugly? I’m not suggesting we go
around kicking each other. But wouldn’t it help if we could incorporate and
encourage space in our daily lives to at least own that dark stuff, give it a
healthy outlet, and find a balance unlike any we have really experienced
before?</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I may just need to find me a gun range…</span></div>
Yvonne Coonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03214217820610958979noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1045164671545253410.post-57698747503093609592014-03-19T00:46:00.000-05:002014-03-19T00:46:07.006-05:00Sowers and seeds
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Let me just say there are days when I feel like perhaps I
may qualify for “mother of the year” and days when I absolutely do not… today
was one of those do not days…</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In fact, if I were to be completely honest, I’d say the
whole day was a bust. I find that, for the most part, I get along with most
people. I don’t have a whole lot of expectations and rather pride myself on
being open to differences and so forth. But. Oh My God. Not today.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ve spent the last few day prepping for my message tomorrow
during our noon mid-week communion service. We are focusing on the parables in
Matthew during this Lenten season and my turn comes up tomorrow….the parable of
the sower.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read this parable and
tried to convince myself what good soil I am. And, yet, as I did my study and
spent time wondering about this parable, I finally saw something new. The sower
was something else.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I want you to notice that the sower spread seed <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">everywhere. </i>Good soil, thorny soil, bad
soil – it didn’t matter. The sower was extravagant in spreading the seed in all
places.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">What, then, does that mean for us? Well, we can take a lot
of time wondering on the different types of soil. I get that most of us assume
the unasked question, what soil are you? But, let’s be serious for a minute.
Jesus never once asks that question.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Again, I focus on the sower. Here is God or Jesus or whoever
you assign the role of the sower…and the seed gets cast all over the place,
over and over again. No one is stopping to evaluate the efficiency of the
method. No one is pausing to ponder the futility of such extravagance. It just
is.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Isn’t that true for us? Don’t we receive grace we absolutely
do not deserve? And, if we receive such grace, doesn’t it make sense that the
sower is calling us to spread whatever seed, whatever witness we are prepared
to offer, indiscriminately?</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And yet…we don’t. We calculate the odds. We wait until we
feel confident enough that the hearers are well prepared for our words of
wisdom. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The sower didn’t make such calculations. The sower simply
went out, casting what he knew without much concern about where it landed.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I look at my church and I see such amazing calculation. We
are so afraid that we will make a mistake, that we will fail, that we hold
tightly to what we might offer until we are absolutely convinced it is right. That’s
not what Jesus did. Or lived. Or taught.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">What will it take for us to assume the posture of the sower?
What will it look like for us to let go of our stuff and acquiesce to what God
is calling us to?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think it’s pretty
radical. And not easy. But, oh my Lord, I pray that we can find a way to stop
being so caught up in ourselves.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maybe I won’t be so feisty tomorrow….maybe. But, at least my son and I are on much better terms.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></div>
Yvonne Coonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03214217820610958979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1045164671545253410.post-3154744642896114142014-03-17T22:33:00.001-05:002014-03-17T22:33:53.212-05:00For everything there is a season...including change...
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Isn’t it interesting how we tend to think that there is only
one <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">right</i> way of doing something, or
one <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">right</i> answer…I mean seriously.
There are all kinds of right ways and answers with some degrees of better
thrown in.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Tonight, I got to listen to a group of people get worked up
over what, in their mind, is the RIGHT way to move forward on a project…a
project that they are not involved in at all. It occurred to me that when we
are in a place where our anxiety is high, we can easily become critical and
choose not to trust others.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ve recently finished reading Phyllis Tickle’s book, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Great Emergence.</i> I got to hear her
speak last May on this concept of the emerging church and looked forward to
reading her book. In that work, she talks about how our culture/society/world
goes through a major shift about every 500 years. She reasons that we are in
the midst of one of those such shifts today. After reading her book and
reflecting on the changes I have witnessed, I tend to agree with her. She makes
an alluring and impressive case.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In terms of our shifts from a faith perspective, she lifts
up that the last major shift occurred about the time of the great Protestant
Reformation. If you know your church history, you’ll recall that those within
the Catholic church were calling for reforms, calling for the church to stick
more closely to what was recorded in scripture rather than expounding on it to
the point of adding requirements that had no basis in scripture (collecting
money for things such as indulgences – papal prayers for those caught in
purgatory).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Indulgences were a kind of
fundraiser perpetrated by the church with the goal of building St. Peter’s
Basilica. But there were those who had an issue with this practice, such as
Martin Luther (though there were others, he is the most noted among the
protestors). Out of that season of conflict and challenge came the call to
dismiss anything that did not have roots in scripture – sola scriptura,
scriptura sola – only scripture and scripture only. And the Protestant churches were born, in a violent split from the Catholic church.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Today, we are caught in a shift because we’ve argued with
scripture. Where scripture spoke about slavery but not against it, we
eventually came to see slavery as the evil it was…but that wasn’t because we
were staying “true” to the biblical mandate. Later, women would receive rights
they were never allowed according to our biblical witness. And, now, we are
faced with a changing perspective in terms of sexual orientation. We think we
know what the Bible says but at the same time we recognize something different
and so that tide is shifting as well. As a result, we are no longer looking at
scripture as the leading authority…and that creates a huge shift in our
religious culture.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It’s not isolated to religion or matters of faith. Every
aspect of our culture, our society, is experiencing a major shift. And, let me
tell you, that just breeds anxiety upon anxiety. We don’t know what to expect.
Our world is changing and we can’t keep up. We are like the ancient Hebrew
people released from bondage and living in the wilderness – and, Lord, we want
to go back to Egypt. We want desperately to go back to what we know, to what is
familiar and comfortable and predictable.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But we can’t. And, let’s be honest, it pisses us off. We get
anxious. We get caught up, worked up, and we do just about everything we can
think of to stop the tide of change. We insist that we know the way out of
this, that we have all the right answers, and we don’t even bother to look at
who we might be stepping on to ensure we get our way.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Yeah, I’m a little annoyed, tonight.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The one question we rarely ask when we are feeling anxious
or threatened is this…where is God in all of this? It’s like we get so caught
up in our own needs and wants and desires that we can’t even think to stop and
seek discernment of what God is doing and where God is leading.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Statistic after statistic predict a great decline in the Christian
churches of America. We, supposedly, are becoming more and more irrelevant.
Why? Because we are trying too hard to hold on to yesteryear and we are scared
to death that tomorrow may bring about a change that challenges our
expectations.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And yet…there is so much that is hopeful and promising in
the midst of this great shift. We are asking questions and being more honest
about who we are and how we relate to God than we’ve done in years upon years.
The cool thing about these 500 year shifts is that the church always benefits…there
has historically been an increase in people who strive to live into their
relationship with God.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, we’ll argue and fuss and get mad and disappointed. But,
in the end, we’ll get to that place where we simply put ourselves into God’s
care and let go. The kingdom of God is near…again.</span></div>
Yvonne Coonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03214217820610958979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1045164671545253410.post-46983450768710848102014-03-15T21:11:00.000-05:002014-03-15T21:11:30.054-05:00Be Present
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Have you ever stopped to think about all the textures you
encounter each day? I’m talking the emotional ups and downs as well as those
occasional glimpses of contentment, peace, awe, and wonder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still not following me? Let me try it this
way…</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I am not a morning person. In my perfect world, Sunday
morning services and pretty much any other morning activity would start
sometime after 10. I’m a night owl and can stay up, engaged and lively but, oh.
my. Lord. early mornings are just painful.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After a fabulous late night in Austin, taking in SXSW (at
least as much as you can without badges or wristbands) and enjoying the sights,
vibes, and occasional weirdness that is Austin, my friend and I called it a
night and decided to set our alarms for dark-thirty (which is my way of saying
way too early to be getting up, especially on a Saturday).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My subconscious was looking out for me because
my alarm never went off (so hard to see am or pm on my phone without my groovy
readers) but…her alarm went off as scheduled. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Our goal was to go to the KUTX/Four Seasons Hotel SXSW venue
and take in the four bands slated for Saturday morning...8am. We didn’t have time to do much
in the way of getting ready so we’ll just say I wasn’t looking my best. I was
dressed. There had been make-up slapped on my face and I did my best with my
hair. We arrived early enough to at least get seats and I mainlined coffee for
the first 30-45 minutes.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The first band started at 8am. I can’t spell or pronounce
their name. I think they are more of a late afternoon or evening sound because
at 8am it sounded like a lullaby and I was doing my best not to nod off and
drool.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After 3 songs, they said something about technical
difficulties and exited the stage. Speculation was that the other band members
had done like I had and set their alarms for PM. We assumed they were off
snoozing somewhere. I’ll admit to a twinge of jealousy.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We had quite a wait before the next band took the stage (new
band at the top of every hour…), but WOW. They were not just incredibly
talented. They took performance and talent to a whole new level. Amazingly,
this was a band of two…a drummer, who performs shirtless (that’s all I’m going
to say on that) and a guitarist/vocalist. The duo is from Canada but they were
previously in another band before moving to Austin and succumbing to the
influence of our local talent. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The next group was really entertaining – talented, humorous…kind
of big band meets pop with a hefty dose of humor thrown in. And the finale,
while touted as the talk of SXSW, was a bit of a disappointment. Granted,
anyone who can get on stage and perform to a crowd of 600-700 people deserves
credit. They weren’t bad at all…just different in a way that didn’t resonate
with me.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Are you picking up on the ups and downs? Overall? I am so
glad I went, even at that hideous hour on a Saturday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We did sneak out a bit early as I had an
appointment this afternoon. And here’s where more emotional texture comes in…got
home, caught up with the younger child, drank more coffee, showered, then went
to my meeting. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This particular meeting was prompted by a terminal diagnoses…4-6
months with no viable treatment options. I get that most of you reading this
will do that sigh thing and feel sorry for this unnamed family. That is
completely understandable and appropriate. However, because of their openness
and desire to face these next however many months, we were able to recognize
that this family had entered into a truly holy time. Every single time they get
together will be filled with meaning. No one will hesitate to express their
love for one another. Memories will be shared and made and stored for comfort
later, when memories come back to remind us of the great gift of God each of us
are for those we love.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Each one of us will face our own death. That’s just a given.
Knowing that that time is imminent enables us to transition into a whole new
perspective, a whole new set of priorities. What an amazing gift such a time is
for those who are willing to accept rather than deny.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, again, a day full of a range of emotional texture. I survived
an early morning wake-up. I experienced incredible (and not so incredible)
music. I was invited into holy time with a family struggling to honor the gift
of good-bye time. And, I got a nap.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I really think the key to fully experiencing each and every day
is to be as present as you can be, with or without coffee. I don’t know that a
day has gone by that God hasn’t gifted me with a surprise of some sort…though I
confess I haven’t always been present to notice. If today’s experience in
emotional texture has given me anything, it has been the reminder to choose to
be present. I’m curious to see what tomorrow brings, even knowing I have to get
up really, really early.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></div>
Yvonne Coonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03214217820610958979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1045164671545253410.post-65712703190864583842014-03-14T17:54:00.000-05:002014-03-14T17:54:47.518-05:00Lucinda Williams<br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Well, I missed a day. I could fill the page with all kinds
of excuses (maybe even some that were true) but…we’ll just leave it at I missed
a day and move on…</span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Last night, I got to hear/see Lucinda Williams at a funky
new venue in North Austin called The Roost (no, this isn’t one of my excuses…just
let it go, already). Anyway, it’s the first time I’ve been to something like
this – concert in a nightclub where everybody just stood crowded around the
stage for a couple of hours – in a long time. Reminded me of when a bunch of us
went to the Silver Wings Ballroom in El Campo to hear/see George Strait. Back
in high school. Except, Lucinda and George aren’t really alike and no one threw
articles of clothing up on the stage for her to sign. But I digress…</span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I had forgotten how awesome it is to take in live music like
that. I knew none of her songs (actually had not even heard of her when my friend
suggested we go…I know, I know.) so it wasn’t like I was singing along. But she
gave us a great show, along with her borrowed bass guitarist (who was amazing),
her guitarist/upright bass player, and drummer. Standing about 10-12 feet from
the stage, taking it all in, feeling it deep inside, it was quite an awesome experience.
</span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now, I’m hooked again and, lucky for me, I live so close to
the bounty of live music that is Austin, Texas. So, I’m off again tonight to
take in some of the great (and maybe not-so-great) SXSW music. God certainly
knew what she/he was doing when God created our bodies to resonate so deeply,
in such an indescribable way with the rhythms of music. </span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Speaking of SXSW, Lucinda opened her show with a call for
healing thoughts and prayers for all who were touched by Wednesday night’s tragic
accident. In memory of the two who died and in honor of the injured, she opened
with this… (difficulty uploading youtube...here's the link)</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span id="goog_895269953"></span><span id="goog_895269954"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tE2uEl_aB9E" target="_blank">Lucinda Williams - World Without Tears (live 2006)</a></span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Go, listen to some music. Feed your soul with this amazing gift
God has made possible for us.</span></div>
<br />Yvonne Coonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03214217820610958979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1045164671545253410.post-10396191511482013072014-03-12T22:33:00.001-05:002014-03-12T22:33:57.852-05:00Live Into Your Belovedness
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Once upon a time, I recall hearing a communication rule that
went something like you have to hear something 7 times before it sinks in or
before it becomes knowledge for you. I have no idea where I learned it nor do I
know who determined such a thing to be true…but, I am willing to agree that repetition
helps us remember and store ideas, concepts, information, etc.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It started last week, on Ash Wednesday. Following our
service (held at our church but with all four UMCs here in Georgetown involved
in the service), we clergy types stood around at the end of the service,
following the benediction. It’s always sweet to hear the accolades – nice service,
lovely worship, etc – and our congregation is especially gracious in offering
such words of kindness. One couple came up to me, each of them hugged me and,
during the hug, both of them separately said to me, “live into your belovedness.” It was
such a surprisingly different sentiment that it kind of knocked me back a
minute. I remember thinking, wow, I want to hold on to that thought and just
sit with that idea for awhile.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Before long, though, I got busy saying goodnight to others,
writing up my blog for day one of the Lenten journey, dealing with things at
home. Later, I tried to remember what they had said and couldn’t be exactly
sure I heard them right. Two times is apparently not enough for it to stick
with me.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Then, this past Sunday, I was standing my post,
shaking hands at the end of the service at one of the exterior doors, and here
they come. Again, they both tell me in the middle of a hug, “live into your
belovedness.” But that was at the early service and I had an appointment
between services, needed to get my microphone checked, and then lead the 11am
contemporary service. And we had lost an hour of sleep. These are my excuses
and I stand by them. So, no, four times is also not enough for something to
stick with me…even something I find intriguing.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Lo, and behold, I got an email this morning from the mister
in this couple…and there it was again. This time, he phrased it : <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">as
I’ve been telling you lately, I hope you are spending some time during this
Lenten season “living into your “belovedness.”</span></i></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ve read it several times
now. I think I’ve surpassed the 7 times mark as the phrase simply keeps
cropping up in my mind. Am I living into my belovedness? What does that look
like? For me, at least tonight, I’m hearing an invitation to not just rest in
God’s love but to live as one who knows herself to be God’s beloved child.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’d like to say that gives me
permission to not worry too much about what you or anyone else may think of me.
And, I guess, it does to a degree. But…<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">living</i></b> into my belovedness seems to
be inviting me to something more…something to do with how that sense of
belovedness empowers me in my relationships with others. To love more…to extend
grace and mercy and forgiveness and kindness more.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m not always good at that.
In fact, I fall short quite a bit. So, I’m thankful I’ve encountered this at
least 7 times now. I hope it sticks. And I hope I can get unstuck as I seek to
do as I’ve been invited to do.</span></span></div>
Yvonne Coonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03214217820610958979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1045164671545253410.post-72888104184383030042014-03-11T21:01:00.000-05:002014-03-11T21:01:05.552-05:00RSVP by....
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Thinking a lot about families today…I imagine if you were to
draw my kids’ family trees, they’d look like some sort of unidentifiable art
form. Lots of really strange branches and off-shoots…plus the ones we’ve
grafted on simply because they feel like family to us.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My oldest son recently got engaged – and oh my! I love this
girl! They are a good fit, bringing out the best in each other and gently
smoothing out the rougher edges we all come with. It’s fun to see them
together. So, yes, I’m excited!</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But, planning a wedding? Who to invite? Is it ok to not
invite someone? It gets really, really complicated.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Reminds me a bit of Jesus, when he was told that his mother
and brothers were looking for him and he…well, he dismissed the relationship. I’ve
always struggled with getting but not quite getting the dynamics in Jesus’
family. I mean, I can see where his brothers would be less than thrilled to
have no less than God incarnate as their older brother. Puts a damper on what
you can do and really raises the bar beyond what anyone else can meet. And
Joseph, dear old dad, probably has to work to love this firstborn – not of his
flesh, possibly the result of an affair but then again the angel said no and
Joseph is left to just have faith. Fortunately, he has other children though I’m
sure he struggles to love Jesus as much as he loves his other children. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, yes, I see where Jesus would be willing to
discount his family but…this is Jesus we’re talking about! Jesus doesn’t
discount or exclude anyone, right?</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Then again…Jesus doesn’t discount or exclude anyone from
belonging to the family of God. He just doesn’t get caught up in our family of
origin and extended family nonsense. We are all viewed as God’s children,
created in love and called to live in relationship with God. When family
relationships become more important, Jesus gets dismissive. It’s almost like he’s
saying --- hey! keep your focus here! This is not about your petty family
squabbles, whether you are embarrassed or ashamed or whatever…this is about
seeing ourselves, first and foremost as God’s beloved child.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So maybe there’s some permission in that….permission to
politely overlook the ones who would make this wedding about them and not about
the gift of love God has formed between these two of his children. While not a
sacrament in my United Methodist tradition, weddings are services of worship
with vows that include a covenant between the couple and God, with the gathered
community serving as both witnesses and support system to do all they can to
help the couple honor their covenant with God and one another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Regardless of where you stand in the service,
it is all about God first – God’s love and God’s purposes in uniting these two,
including their extended families and friends.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maybe the wedding list ought to be prepared from that
perspective…who do we invite that will readily join in the commitment to do all
they can to support and love and nurture this couple? Something to think about…</span></div>
Yvonne Coonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03214217820610958979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1045164671545253410.post-23282773032874438442014-03-10T22:52:00.000-05:002014-03-10T22:52:00.374-05:00Being Blessed
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Not long ago, a friend sent me a link to a blog/article that
talked about how Christians should stop using the word “blessed.” I referenced
it in my sermons this past Sunday and have had some interesting conversations around
our use of this word. Here’s the link if you want to read it: <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/scott-dannemiller/christians-should-stop-saying_b_4868963.html" target="_blank">The One Thing Christians Should Stop Saying</a></span><br />
<br /><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The gist of it is that stating we are blessed because we
have received some sort of material gain says something about God that I don’t
think many of us actually believe. Or, I hope we don’t. The author believes
this evokes an image of God bestowing “cash and cars” on believers as a kind of
positive reinforcement for good behavior. Perhaps some do believe this, but I
do not understand this to be the character of God. It doesn’t make a lot of
sense to me for so many of God’s devout children to be living on so little,
even when they are doing “the right things” and also think that God doles out
BMWs to others. Now, the gift of a new (or gently used car) to someone enabling
them to have transportation for themselves and their family – different story.
That’s closer to a blessing.</span></div>
<br /><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">See, I think it’s the gift aspect that helps determine if
something is truly a blessing or an attempt to cover up our pride of purchase
by using the language of faith. It’s more than just a gift, though…it’s a gift
that speaks deep within us and tells us that we are loved, cared for, and
worthy. That, I think, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>is what makes it
a blessing. We are blessed when we receive that experience of undeserved love –
from God, from family, from friends, from strangers. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br /><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I think we’ve taken the language of blessing and turned it into
a means of uttering thanksgiving. And, in so doing, I think we’ve robbed
ourselves of the distinction that separates these two acts. I can give thanks
for many things – for the ability to have a roof over my head, a car to drive,
healthy children, an interesting and rewarding vocation – the list goes on, and
YES, I am very thankful for these things. But these are not blessings. </span></div>
<br /><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Blessings are God-gifts. Blessings are the unexpected steps
on holy ground that surround us with the sure and certain knowledge that God is
present, God loves us, and God is and always will be faithful to God’s promises
to us. Oftentimes God does this through other people.</span></div>
<br /><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Not too long ago, I got to feeling sick and decided it would
be best for me to go home and crawl into bed. I had to cancel a meeting that
afternoon with a couple of very understanding ladies from my church. Within a
couple of hours, my dog was letting me know that someone had either come to the
door (I always know when the mail carrier has been to my house) or someone had
dared to walk near our house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was
adamant in her barking that I should investigate. And, there, on the front door
step, was a grocery store tote filled with a container of homemade soup,
crackers, and dessert. The food was wonderful. But the love and the care and
the fact that I had done nothing to earn this (it wasn’t payback or a return
favor) – that love and concern were the blessing. This was a gift of God’s
grace and love delivered through someone willing to be one of God’s
instruments. I was blessed.</span></div>
<br /><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I don’t want to advocate for the end of the use of the word,
“blessed.” But, I do want to encourage us to use it appropriately. Be “thankful”
for stuff. Be “happy” about material things. Let’s reserve our use of “blessed”
for those experiences that remind us of God’s deep, unconditional love for us.
May God bless you with such an experience.</span></div>
<br /><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></div>
<br /><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></div>
<br />Yvonne Coonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03214217820610958979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1045164671545253410.post-75402833628303825362014-03-09T22:38:00.002-05:002014-03-09T22:38:47.709-05:00Sabbath<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Just in case you are wondering...Lent gets "suspended" on Sundays, this side of the cross. So, no blog post today. See you tomorrow!</span>Yvonne Coonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03214217820610958979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1045164671545253410.post-34343507399673833902014-03-08T21:37:00.003-06:002014-03-08T21:39:28.550-06:00Sing! Sing a song! Sing out loud! Sing out strong!<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Like many people, I really enjoy music. I usually can't be still with music playing -- I'm either keeping time with my hands or my feet or dancing. For me, dancing is easy, natural. Singing, on the other hand, not so much. But this morning, I listened to an interview with Bobby McFarrin (OnBeing with Krista
Tippett – recorded a couple of years ago but relisted on her site recently) and it made me think differently about singing. It
was a fascinating interview and included a bit of a challenge from Bobby…</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here’s the link to the challenge: <a href="http://www.onbeing.org/blog/bobby-mcferrin%E2%80%99s-daily-singing-exercise/4218" target="_blank">Bobby McFerrin's Daily Singing Exercise</a></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I can’t imagine myself singing, out loud, for 10 minutes. I’m
a little intimidated to even try it. I have no idea if I have a good, ok, or
lousy singing voice – I mean, I sing great along with the music really cranked up but I’m very
self-conscious about singing where people can hear me. Even the birthday song. I intentionally sing it badly, in a funny way, if I can't hide behind someone else's voice.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I know why I don’t sing for others. I remember quite
clearly. In 6<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> grade, I was in the school choir. I took the class
because one of the options for being in the choir was to learn how to play the
guitar and I really wanted to learn. After about two months, we were busy
getting ready for the fall concert and I was having a hard time playing and
singing, at the same time. I would get so focused on putting my fingers just
right and strumming that I would stop singing or get off if it took me too long
to switch chords. It was my version of rubbing your head and patting your
stomach. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Anyway, our choir teacher had each of us come in,
individually, and play/sing the piece we had been working on. I did not do
well. She didn’t think so either, because she told me to pretend at the
concert. Just act like I’m playing the guitar and singing. From that point on,
I did not sing for anyone. I kept working on playing the guitar but not for
much longer. I just quit. That one directive – just pretend – changed my whole
outlook on my musical abilities (or rather cemented the belief that I had
none).</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, I really, really am intimidated about trying this
10-minute improvisational singing – out loud. But, I’m also curious. What if my
singing isn’t that bad? What if I discovered I could sing ok enough to let go
of my fear that someone will hear me and let me know, like that teacher did,
that I wasn’t good enough? </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I did sing today, though – just not 10 minutes on my own
without any instrumental accompaniment. I was home, by myself, so I popped in a
favorite cd and sang. I am pleased to say that Rigby did not howl, not even
once. She wasn’t real sure what I was doing but she didn’t voice her
disapproval. Progress for me!</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">One of the things Bobby shared in his interview was the
amazing way that singing can shake you out of a bad mood. I wasn’t necessarily
in a bad mood but I can say that I had such fun singing for me that my mood was certainly uplifted afterwards!</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I don’t know all the gifts God has given me. I am
comfortable with the idea that we receive gifts at different times in our lives
and that we also lose them. I am not at all ready to claim that I have the gift
of singing. But I am more than happy to claim the gift of joy that singing
brings me.</span></div>
Yvonne Coonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03214217820610958979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1045164671545253410.post-78913609526003420952014-03-07T23:24:00.000-06:002014-03-07T23:24:32.021-06:00Letting Go of the Negative<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you’ve never gone down an endless trail on the internet,
just go ahead and close this window. Today, I ended up on one of my favorite
sites for worship videos, The Work of the People, and watched several of their
Lenten videos. One of the new ones, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Surrender,</i>
really resonated with me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The video includes a number of speakers sharing their
insights on this concept of surrendering. I don’t mean giving up in the midst
of battle. I mean surrendering who you thought you were to who you were created
to be.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What hit me was the connection between our origins – we are
each uniquely, lovingly created by God – and our tendency to manufacture an
identity based on what we perceive society expects from us. I’m pretty sure
there is a big gap between the two. I know there is for me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a young person, a child, I guess I understood at some
level that God loves me. But, as I got older, I bought into the idea that I had
all kinds of gifts and skills that would enable me to be successful, admired,
and respected. I did well. I got the college degree. I got the career that
brought me accolades and a steady stream of spending money. We had a nice
house, new cars, and didn’t have to nickel and dime our way through the grocery
store. Life was good. I had arrived.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Without going into all the details, let me just say that I
landed at a place where all of that fell away. The forever and ever amen
marriage didn’t survive. The bank wanted the vehicles and had their eye on the
house (say what you want about mortgage reforms, but I say thank you). Every
single thing that I had built my life on – my dreams, my desires, my work, my
achievement – all of it, fell apart.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Maybe you can’t surrender until you get to that ugly low
point. What really hit me today, though, was the way we – you and I –
internalize all of this. Again, you may not be like me, but I can certainly
play through a whole litany of negative messages about myself. Not getting
along with someone? Must be something wrong with me. Not feeling happy and
joyful? Must be something lacking in me. The list, the endless list, goes on
and on and on….</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And yet…God created me. Knit me together in my mother’s
womb, according to the psalmist (Psalm 139). Stamped me with God’s image,
breathed into me the breath of life and declared that I was “very good.”
According to our scriptures – and more importantly in my mind, according to the
character of God portrayed in our scriptures – God takes great delight in you
and me. God loves us, without condition, regardless of what the world says,
regardless of what we’ve done or not done. Regardless. Unconditionally, Without
us having to do one single thing to earn it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If God pours all of that on us, if God looks upon us with
such love, such desire…who, then, are we to discount what God has created and
loved? Today, anyway, I believe that I dishonor my creator when I listen to all
those negative messages. If God loves me and has created me in God’s image,
declared me “very good” (Genesis 1 or 2 – look it up) – what right do I have,
as God’s created, to argue, to say “oh no, God, you messed up with me?”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have no idea what kind of negative messages play in your
head. I only know mine and they have the potential to be very powerful. Today,
I choose to let them go. I choose to accept who I am in light of who created
me. I don’t think it will change the world or end global poverty. But, by God,
I believe it will equip me to live more fully, more joyfully, more abundantly
into the life I was created to live. The same is true for you, too.</span></div>
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Yvonne Coonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03214217820610958979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1045164671545253410.post-28541605475713951032014-03-06T21:29:00.000-06:002014-03-06T22:04:07.061-06:00Splitting the difference<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCjamOvWPV2nfLTNrN08a1Ehyk5sfEPrzzGCGsdkLOX4HUTV9nlXJKSkDekrWoTpO5IN_bI5Va54gqy_i-YeSzb7lR_vmJep7xjcFhpQbttBd7bA8hgrOy-SWCD_3SmWRp_0pBuYcOFNMh/s1600/17+mph.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/AVvXsEgCjamOvWPV2nfLTNrN08a1Ehyk5sfEPrzzGCGsdkLOX4HUTV9nlXJKSkDekrWoTpO5IN_bI5Va54gqy_i-YeSzb7lR_vmJep7xjcFhpQbttBd7bA8hgrOy-SWCD_3SmWRp_0pBuYcOFNMh/s1600/17+mph.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, I’m driving into the parking lot of the hospital, down
in Round Rock, and I see this speed limit sign posted. Yes, I literally did a
double take – and no, I am not proficient in Photoshop. Of course, I had to
take a picture and then I started wondering about how that decision was made…</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Can you just imagine being on the hospital parking lot speed
limit committee? Can you imagine taking this to the Board of Trustees (or
whoever the authoritative body is for such matters)? I can see it…um…we were
undecided. Half of us felt like 15 mph was appropriate and half of us deemed 20
mph an acceptable speed. After much debate, we split the difference and agreed
on 17 mph.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I confess that I did look at my German-engineered
speedometer and tried to figure out where the tick mark for 17 mph would be…and
then I did the 10% math trying to compute my safe speed above that, on the off
chance I felt the need to go faster, but within the legal limits. Mostly, I
just laughed and thought about how accustomed we have become to certain kinds
of numbers in our lives.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Generally speaking, posted speed limit signs are in
multiples of 5 (I know, duh, Yvonne). But think also about pricing – it’s
almost always in multiples of 5 or ending in 9. The lunch special is $6.99 or
$7.50 or $7.95. The house down the street is listed at $209,995. I never see
anything advertised for $7.23 or $18.42 or some other “oddish” number.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Reminded me of a story a non-blonde friend told me years ago
about getting a ticket on one of the state highways during her first trip to
Texas. She saw a sign that said “77” so she drove 77…on state highway 77 and
got to meet one of our state patrol officers. Most of us just aren’t used to
something this different (unless we’re from out-of-state, perhaps – I can’t
speak for all the signs beyond Texas).</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, this sign stood out to me. Different, as in this case,
can be funny but, in other circumstances, it can be very challenging. Change is
hard…well, change that affects </span><i style="font-family: Calibri;">us</i><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> is
hard. It can also be very good.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m still trying to live into who I am as God’s child. Some
days are easier than others. Then, some days, I encounter something unexpected,
something different, and really have to wrestle with my response, with why I
responded the way I did. In addition to the odd sign, I had an encounter with
someone today that really has me pondering my comfort zone. To go a bit deeper,
it has me wondering what is going on in me that has me struggling in this
relationship. Taking a deep look like that into ourselves is on par with
dealing with difficult change. It is hard. And, it can be very good.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As God’s child, I get that I am going to spend the rest of
my life growing into who I was created to be. Growth means change. I know I
will mess up many times. I will resist. I will act foolishly or impulsively or
emotionally. But, I’m trying and I am grateful for the signs that call me to
re-adjust. So, maybe I just split the difference for now and see where it takes
me…</span>Yvonne Coonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03214217820610958979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1045164671545253410.post-10807777029625122702014-03-05T21:36:00.000-06:002014-03-05T21:36:20.014-06:00iCons, iDols, and iPhones
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Today was one of those rare days when I woke up way before
the alarm was supposed to go off. Typically, I roll over and go back to sleep. Yes,
I’m one of those people who would rather grab a few more minutes - or, in this case, another couple of hours. I am not a
morning person. But I couldn’t get back to sleep. I guess with all of our
scheduled Ash Wednesday services and other things filling in this day’s
calendar, my mind immediately started sorting through all the things I needed
to do. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">At noon, we had a wonderful service with our neighbors
across the street at St. John’s UMC. Then, as is our custom, all of us leading
worship went to lunch together afterwards (this was not our day to fast from
Dos Salsas). I so enjoy these times when we can fellowship together as we
rarely have (or make) time to get together. Filled with yummy Mexican food, I was dreaming of a brief siesta...but, alas, no time for it.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Afterwards, I spent two hours in a meeting before leading
my Wednesday afternoon bible study. I will admit that, at this point, I was
starting to notice the early morning start, the full stomach, and was dragging. In my study, we
are working our way through the book of Jeremiah. We read/listen then discuss
and have made good progress through the first half of the book.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But my tired must have caught up with me. The prophet
Jeremiah has spent at least the first 28 chapters speaking out against the idolatry
of the people and alerting them to their fate for having chosen other gods to
worship, for putting other things before God in their lives. It hasn’t been
uplifting reading. Not much of what we’ve read would find its way onto an
inspirational plaque to hang in your home or office. Obviously, Jeremiah was
not aware of the power of positive thinking.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In our conversation today, we acknowledged a similarity between
the expectations of the people as they lived in exile and the intent behind our
observance of Lent. Both were/are opportunities for us to return to God, to let
go of the things we have placed between ourselves and God. And here’s where my
tiredness caught up with me…in the middle of this discussion, one participant
said we need to let go of our icons, our idols. I thought he said let go of our iphones. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I took just a few minutes talking about our
phones before someone corrected me. Humbling, really humbling.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, I’m pondering. I can come up with many valid reasons why
turning off my phone for 40 days would be a bad idea. For one thing, I don’t
have a landline and my mother would have no other way of reaching me (she does
not get online, so no email or social media). For another, it would make it
difficult for church members or our office to be in contact with me when I’m
away from the office. Oh, the rationale could go on and on…</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It does have me thinking though. I’ll confess that I’m more
than a little hesitant to look too closely at the myriad things that I turn to
throughout the day that may actually turn out to be obstacles in my
relationship with God. So, I’ll sleep on it. With the alarm on my iphone set…</span></div>
Yvonne Coonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03214217820610958979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1045164671545253410.post-4968539594771422482014-03-04T19:53:00.000-06:002014-03-04T19:53:33.072-06:00Lent Eve (hey, we have Christmas Eve so why not?)
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Two months ago, we were celebrating the birth of Christ and
now we are about to enter that somber season of Lent as we journey towards his
death and resurrection in Jerusalem. Depending on who you listen to, his
ministry lasted anywhere from 1-3 years and, yet, we can only deal with it for a
few months…but I digress…</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Lent is such a strange season to me. Growing up in South
Texas, in a region with a strong Catholic influence, Lent was the time of year
when my friends gave up Cokes, chips, and chocolate, along with meat on
Fridays. I do remember, with fondness, the cheese enchiladas our school
cafeterias served every Friday. But this whole “giving up” concept was strange
to me.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It would be later, when I got older, that I would begin to
see the benefit of this “giving up” concept. Eventually, I came to understand
that, by giving up something you enjoyed, something that was at least
marginally painful to give up, the sensation of desiring the forbidden was an
invitation to recall the sacrifice of Christ and thereby stand in some kind of
solidarity with him. For those of us who struggle with self-denial, this can be
a good thing…to a point.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Then, I discovered that there are loopholes! Sundays,
apparently, don’t count during Lent. Sundays, on this side of the cross, are
always celebrated as “little Easters” – that is, days for recalling the
resurrection of Christ. Days of joy not to be messed with by doing without that
heavenly bit of dark chocolate. In other words, on Sundays, you can gorge or
fill yourself on whatever it was you gave up during the previous six days of
the week.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have to say, as I think this through, this sounds more
like a game than any kind of intentional effort towards becoming more…well, more.
I’m old enough now that I’m not so interested in these kinds of games. I get
that there are no special rewards for having suffered through 40 days without
Godiva. Or whatever. I get that most of us won’t be adamant that our suffering
during this time be included in our obituaries or engraved on our tombstone. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So what is the point?</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">That’s a really personal question. I don’t know where you
are in the story of your life, so I can’t answer for you. Is your relationship with
God everything you expect it to be? Is there this sense of something missing
deep within? Are you so caught up in just trying to breathe that Lent can come and
go without you? Lots of ways you may respond to this…so, no, I don’t have YOUR
answer.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">For me? I’m at a place in my life where I want to add more,
rather than take away. No, that isn’t a cop-out so I don’t have to do without
my chocolate or wine or whatever. Instead, for me, this season of Lent will be
geared towards living intentionally as a child of God. As much as I’d like to
fuss that we have to wait for a strange season on the Christian calendar, I won’t.
I’ll simply take advantage of this strange time and make a few additions to my
life. So…</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I will commit to a daily blog (I’m sorry if this places you
in a position of whining over something else to read; feel free to skip it). I’m
looking at it as a way for me to be intentional about reflecting on what it
means for me to live as a child of God…including the ways I fail and fall
short. It’s an adding in rather than a taking away, one that I hope will lead
me deeper in my relationship with God and, in turn, deepen in my relationship
with each of you.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Pray for me. Encourage me. Hold me accountable. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you have determined your focus for Lent, let me know and
I’ll do the same for you.</span></div>
RevSishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13973144102860035312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1045164671545253410.post-84537638818108971262012-05-21T21:57:00.000-05:002012-05-21T21:57:25.550-05:00House: The End<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Hoisted on my own petard!
Or…be careful what you say because it can come back to bite you…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m pretty sure there must
be something “off” within me, something that makes me mourn a completely
made-up, make-believe work of entertainment fiction coming to an end. For the
past 8 years, Hugh Laurie has entertained us as Dr. House, the “everyone lies,”
pain-pill popping, pain in the butt, arrogant physician on the television
series, “House.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ve watched it off and on
for a few years. Over the last two years, though, this has been the ONLY show I
watch and something I share with my youngest son. Even when he was off at
school or I had meetings, it was dvr’d and we caught up. Together.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maybe what I miss is
knowing that we had that in common. Maybe what I miss is watching the recorded
shows and him telling me when not to watch. And then, when I could watch again.
Maybe what I miss is the drama, the arrogance, the philosophy and the
psychology of all the characters, including the guests who had the misfortune
of strange illnesses that could only be solved after numerous attempts and a
final “a-ha!” moment by Greg House.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But my “petard” (what on
earth is that, anyway?) is that I have long been an advocate of change. Yet,
here I am, annoyed and disappointed that change has invaded my peaceful
existence. Change has impacted my life and bled over into my relationship with
my son. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Or not. If I could handle
being all grown up for a minute, I might recognize the gift of this show and
the connection it gave me with my son. If I could act like an adult, I might
celebrate and give thanks for two years of normalcy in a period of marked
instability.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Change can be incredibly
good. I know this because I have lived through it. I’ve even lived through good
change that I did not initiate. So, my grown-up, adult voice wants to say thank
you for a great run, a great opportunity to share something (even something as
banal as a television series) with a child I care so deeply for….while my inner
child would love to throw a tantrum and say, “No! I’m not ready for this to
end!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And it ends with Guy
Lombardo…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Enjoy yourself, it’s later
than you think</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Enjoy yourself, while you’re
still in the pink</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The years go by, as
quickly as a wink</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Enjoy yourself, it’s later
than you think</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Allll-rightey then. Bring
on the change. I’ll enjoy myself and trust that this change will lead to
something else I don’t necessarily want to let go of…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>RevSishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13973144102860035312noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1045164671545253410.post-18086080459211417162012-05-03T22:40:00.000-05:002012-05-03T22:40:49.259-05:00To Love or To Judge...That is the Question<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In a lot of ways, I could
say it doesn’t matter. My “job” doesn’t depend on one outcome or the other. But
my heart…my faith…yeah, it matters.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">On Thursday, May 3, at
General Conference in Tampa,
Florida, an amendment was offered
to a petition that has appeared at at least the last 2 General Conferences…and
likely extends further back than that. It is a petition to change the language
in our Book of Discipline and our Social Principles with regards to our view on
homosexuality.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Yes, it is a
highly-charged, much conflicted issue. We have a handful of Scripture passages
from an ancient society on one hand…and a whole lot of interpretation of
teachings on love and acceptance on the other. (Already you can see my bias. I
admit it.)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here’s my stance. God
doesn’t need me to judge. Our Scriptures even tell us not to judge, that that
is God’s role not ours. Period. God, in both the Hebrew Scriptures (it made the
Top Ten!) and the New Testament, calls me to love. Love God, love my neighbor,
love myself. I figure (my interpretation) that I am called to simply love and
not judge.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">However, the UMC, through
the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Book of Discipline</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Social Principles</i> states something along
the lines of homosexuality being incompatible with God’s will. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I just don’t know that to
be true. Yes, I know there are passages of scripture that support this. Just as
I know there are passages that warn against judging and call each one of us to
love each other.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m not God (thank God –
and you should, too!). I leave all these details in God’s hands. Instead, I
rely on the mandate that I am called to love. Not question. Not interrogate.
Not sit as judge and jury for the Almighty. I have one purpose and that is to
love all that God has created.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My very first funeral to
officiate occurred when I was a candidate for ordained ministry in the UMC. It
was for a friend who died of complications from AIDS. Yes, he was gay. He was
in a monogamous relationship for many years. Before he died, he was on hospice
care and I spent a great deal of time with him, his partner, and their friends.
Initially, I was greeted with animosity and distrust from his friends, as many
of them had been turned away from the church – whatever denomination. The
stories they shared of their experiences were simply heartbreaking. We have no
right to treat one another that way.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This “issue” – if you want
to call it that – will come up again, at General Conference 2016, I have no
doubt. Isn’t it time for us to stop worrying about what God thinks about
homosexuality and start focusing on what God might think about our selective
love?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">You don’t have to agree
with me. But I think you do have to figure out for yourself what God means,
what Christ means, when you and I are called to love unconditionally.</span></div>RevSishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13973144102860035312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1045164671545253410.post-56825604511142569462012-05-03T21:57:00.000-05:002012-05-03T21:57:32.217-05:00Church: Noun or Verb?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">You just never know what
will spark a conversation.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I am so privileged to
serve a historic congregation. We worship in a building that was constructed in
1893 (at least, our traditional services are held in this building). We
recently sent off our pipe organ for restoration – an addition that was
installed in 1909.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are so many
stories to be told about the people who sacrificed and worked to make our
current facilities possible.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And, at times, I feel like
an ungrateful child. Don’t get me wrong – I LOVE this building. I LOVE the
architecture and the stained glass windows and the wooden pews and the cool
seats in the balcony with the hat racks under the seats. But…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Aren’t we more than a
building? Isn’t church supposed to be a verb? A way of living that mirrors the kingdom of God?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, the “conversation spark”
recently had something to do with the tradition…the sameness, the history. I
get that, I really do. I am the first to say, “Yes” let’s do the Gloria Patri
and the Doxology and the Lord’s Prayer and the Apostle’s Creed. I grew up with
this stuff and it somehow screams “church” to me when we do it. I mean that in
a good way.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But…what is really
happening when we gather on Sunday mornings for worship? Are we paying homage
to a historical building, enjoying the beauty of this now nearly ancient
structure? Or, are we gathering to celebrate the living God among us?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My life has taken so many
detours and wild turns, albeit most of them once I accepted the call to
ministry (which leads to a whole other train of thought…)…I’ve been the girl
who was on top of the world, unshakeable, successful. And I’ve been the girl
who could do no more than fall to her knees.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I learned a lot more on my
knees.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Whether we sing the Gloria
Patri with glorious sunshine streaming through the gorgeous stained glass
windows or not…we are simply children of God, called to love one another without
judgment. We aren’t in charge, aren’t in control, aren’t leading the way…we
simply respond to what God is doing with joy and good humor.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Surely there was laughter
in our tradition. There has certainly been much in my life, mucked up though it
may be. We aren’t a building, beautiful though it is. We are a people,
beautiful and “very good” in God’s eyes. Thanks be to God.</span></div>RevSishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13973144102860035312noreply@blogger.com0