blessings + peace

2011-10-17T18:06:00.000-07:00

As we enter into a time of contemplating our giving in the coming year we offer this reflection and prayer:

We make a living by what we get.
We make a life by what we give.
- Winston Churchhill
Daily Prayer

God of Grace,
our hearts yearn to be at one with you
to live as blessed and blessing creatures.
In the dawning of each new day,
walk with us and strengthen us;
Through the hours of the night,
guard our sleep and comfort us.
Fill us with faith, with hope, and with love.
Fill us with the generosity of your intentions
for this world that we may shine this day
with the brightness of your glory.
Amen.

- Pastor Laurie

2011-03-29T16:25:00.000-07:00

By Its Cover No. 1 - encaustic, book pages and cover 10 x 8 x 3" - 2009 - Shannon Newby, artist

I have always loved libraries. One of my strongest memories is walking from home to the old Seattle Public Library in Ballard on Market Street. In order to check out a book you had to know your address and be able to sign your name on a small yellow card. This meant that you had to be able to write in cursive which meant—in the 1960’s at any rate—you were in the second grade.

Once I knew my address and could write my name, my mother took my younger sister and I to the library and I filled out the precious yellow card that would be like a passport to other worlds; I loaded up my arms with children’s books.

The old Ballard Public Library exuded mystery and a sense of the holy. It was an old brick building set up off the main street with many stairs leading to the entrance. Once inside there were even more stairs that wound around each side of the main entrance finally leading to the actual library.

It was a hushed place with lots of dark wood and leaded glass and rows upon rows of books. And this was the thing that astonished my second grade self and astonishes me still today—they let you take books home! Can you imagine that?

These people trusted me enough to give me books for a certain space of time after I signed a small yellow card on which I promised to bring them back! Wow! Where else does this kind of trust exist?

Over the years I have realized that when I purchase a book, if I believe that I “own” it, I have a much harder time reading it than if I check it out of the library. When I own the book I can read it anytime which translates for me as sometime off in the future.

For me, library books command a different kind of attention. You run the book’s bar code under the scanner and your time starts now! Maybe you’ll be able to renew the book and maybe not. Maybe other people want to read it too. Maybe you yourself waited quite some time for someone else to read it and return it and you want to keep the book in circulation and move it along to the next patron.

It got me thinking about life, about the gift of life, about this quality of living on borrowed time, that none of us will live forever, that at some point we will be returned to our Creator’s love and care. In the meantime we do not have an endless supply of days in which to offer our gifts to the world, to be present, to be a present.

As we walk through these last days of Lent leading to Easter we will hear again the story of Jesus’ last days. We will learn what was important to him as he faced impending death: bread and wine, gathering around a table to share a meal with friends and enemies, robust prayer that cries out to God, truth-telling to those who held his fate in their hands, and a steadfast commitment to love that overcame the most tortuous kind of suffering imaginable.

Everything is borrowed.

Everything is a gift.

Maybe you too signed a small yellow card at sometime in your life and pledged to return your life to God as a gift of love.

On my better days I can see us all out there circulating around, books of God as if on loan. It fills me with joy to imagine us “checked-out” to the world.

2011-03-02T11:13:00.000-08:00

The other morning I looked out the window onto the bird feeder and a small bird with bright yellow striping, a Townsend’s Warbler, caught my eye.

Underneath the bird feeder amongst the fir cones and leaf litter still cluttering the wood deck a Rufous-sided Towhee scratched for seeds alongside three Dark-eyed Juncos. Then a few Chickadees flew in for a landing on the feeder each taking one seed and flying off to the rhododendron for shelter.

A few years back I took a morning bird watching class at Discovery Park. I learned some about our native birds and was able to catch a glimpse of a juvenile Spotted Owl.

For a while I took my binoculars on my morning walk and enjoyed hearing bird calls and then searching to find them. After a while I stopped taking my binoculars but I continue to listen for bird calls which fill me with delight.

This year the time between Christmas and Easter is about as long as it can get, from December 25 to April 24, so we’ve had a little extra time to move through the hardest parts of winter. The returning light feels particularly welcome this year and I have taken heart in the courage of the sturdy daylilies beginning to poke their leaves up into these really, really cold days.

As we approach Lent, which begins on Ash Wednesday, March 6, there is still time to think about what steps you might want to take to include time for prayer and reflection in your daily journey.

For many years now I have made it a practice to start some kind of spiritual practice each Lent.

One year I began a prayer journal, clipped pictures from magazines, glued them in the journal, and then wrote short prayers.

One year I began a time of focused reflection on the work of the writer Parker Palmer.

One year I played music and moved my body in ways that felt a lot like prayer.

And one year I sat in quiet meditation soaking up God’s love and mercy.

From these experiences what I know is that the form of prayer does not matter. What matters is that I choose something and do it.

From these experiences what I know is that it is really, really difficult to do one thing (other than brush my teeth) every single day.

And from these experiences what I know is that the important thing is to pick up the practice again and again and again.

I’m not sure yet what form my Lenten practice will take this year but I’m looking forward to it.

Maybe I’ll sit in the living room and stare out at the birdfeeder and offer simple prayers for the birds of the air who, as Jesus observes, “neither toil nor reap” but know God’s tender care nonetheless.

Something tells me I could learn a lot from them.

2011-01-13T10:28:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, January 2, we prayed to see if a particular word might reach out to us as a focus of spiritual discipline for the coming year. These are the words we generated.
"Wordle" was used to create the "word cloud." It gives you a composite sense of our congregation at this particular time. May you find and live out your particular calling and blessing for this new year. May God's presence be near to you.

2010-07-14T12:17:00.000-07:00

Kasey is 10 years old and just completed 4th grade at Whittier Elementary in Seattle. Kasey is a Jr. Deacon and a member of the Seeds [Sprouts] of Knowledge Class at Queen Anne Christian Church.

On Saturday night, June 12, her dad still needed to prepare his elder’s meditation for Sunday morning. She asked her dad, “What is an elder’s meditation?” After some discussion, Kasey went off on her own.

Her mom later found Kasey with a yellow pad and pencil and asked her what she was doing. Kasey told her she was writing her dad’s elder’s meditation for him. This is what she wrote:

What does it mean to be kind?
Helping someone on the asphalt when they skinned their knee?
Well, lots of things are kind.
Please and thank you.
Can I help?
What’s wrong?
Many things you do everyday can help. Little changes help people around you.
My oldest daughter, Kasey, likes to help worms not getting killed in the rain on the sidewalk by picking them up and putting them in the nearby dirt. That is very kind.
If all the worms die in the world the plants would die because of no air holes in the soil.
Some people out in the world are mean and hurt people both inside and out.
Deep down inside them is a yearning for love and happiness. They have been scared and now want other people to feel their pain. If someone just helps and loves, his or her heart will be healed.
Help others in need.
Love others.
Someone could and can really change how they see the world.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I cannot say it any better.
The work of God through this church touches lives in a myriad of meaningful ways.
Let us love kindness and walk with humility as God’s partners in this most blessed life.

2010-05-29T15:14:00.000-07:00

The mystery of God touches us — or does not —in the smallest details: giving a strawberry, with love; receiving a touch, with love; sharing the snapdragon red of an autumn sunset, with love.
—Marion Woodman, Coming Home to Myself

Recently a friend sent me a beautiful poem, a reflection on wild strawberries in a cemeterty and it got me thinking about those luscious red fruits.

I am not talking about the ones we can now get year round in the plastic containers. I am talking about those beautiful Northwest berries—so fragile that you need to hold the green cardboard box with tenderness as you carry it to the car, so sweet that you hardly need any sugar but you put a little on them anyway so they make some juice.

I grew up in a meat and potatoes family that reflected my father’s North Dakota farming roots. In that family supper was not complete without bread and butter. It was the same in our family. The table was not set unless we had bread and margarine resting on their little plates.

My mother’s side of the family, going back three generations, is from Seattle. They usually ate in a meat and potatoes fashion as well except for once a year.

Sometime, usually around the end of June or first of July, whenever the strawberries were really ripe, mom would make biscuits the size of a dinner plate. Hot from the oven she split them open and put a huge pat of butter on the bottom half. Next she piled on sliced strawberries sweetened with just a little sugar. Then she plopped on freshly whipped cream flavored with just a little powered sugar and vanilla. Finally, the top of the biscuit was placed like a crown on top of all that and more strawberries and whipped cream were added to that. Then we ate dinner: that was dinner.

Once a year my sister and I stared incredulously at the biscuit, the pile of strawberries and the dripping whipped cream concoction simply unbelieving in our good luck to be born into this particular family.

Sometimes we had bacon on the side, a concession, I think, to my father who could not imagine a meal without protein.

So I’ve been thinking about this meal unlike any other we ate all year. I’ve been thinking about dry times in our lives when it seems like the same meat and potatoes meal will be our sustenance forever.

Agatha Christie has written: I have sometimes been wildly, despairingly, acutely miserable. . .but through it all I still know quite certainly that just to be alive is a grand thing.

I think she might be talking about grace. . .the iris so deep blue-purple you want to dive into the yellow center and drown in its light; the soft chick-a-dee-dee-dee that falls on your ear like a forest Muzak; the buoyancy of prayers that lift us up in times of sorrow and grief; of unexpected moments of reconciliation in relationships that take our breath away.

This life we have been given—so precious, so tender—it is as if God offers us strawberry shortcake each moment of every day and our only task is to remember to eat with gratitude.

Laurie Rudel

2010-05-25T11:10:00.000-07:00

Being extravagantly generous is an enchanting way to become holy and Godlike, for God is awesomely extravagant — as is revealed by even a casual glance at creation.

Edward Hays
The Great Escape Manual

Last month I received the last inheritance check from my mom's estate. Again I decided to tithe (plus a little bit more) from that amount. Yesterday I wrote out the checks to two organizations I want to support.

The first time I adopted this spiritual practice I had a hard time dropping the checks in the mail so they traveled around with me in my car, in my purse, making the journey between home and church, between Queen Anne Hill and Lake Forest Park.

This time it seems ever so much easier. I'm realizing that giving takes practice. We practice giving by giving something away, by being generous givers.

Maybe we start small. And maybe we notice all the different ways that generosity comes our way. We give thanks. We share with others. We receive. We begin again.

Life is meant to be lived in this cycle of grace.

blessings + peace, Laurie

2010-02-19T12:00:00.000-08:00

Our Lenten Journey

Lent began Ash Wednesday, February 17, ushering in a season of reflection that takes us through Holy Week to Easter.

During this time we are invited to move in two directions—in and out—kind of like breathing.

On the one hand we might choose to do things a little differently. Traditional Lenten activities often involve such practices as dedicating time for prayer each day, or we might fast and then offer the money from our meals to our food bank. We could begin a practice of taking a walk each day or visiting someone who is lonely.

All these kind of practices could be described as "breathing out," showing up in the world in a slightly different way.

On the other hand we might choose a "breathing in" kind of practice. We might take time each night before sleep to notice where our lives seemed strained that day or out of balance. We might also notice what was particularly life-giving.

We could begin a simple journal where we make a list of just those two things: what was life-giving, what was life-draining.

We might want to search our heart for places of tension where we need to offer the gift of grace and forgiveness, not only to others, but also to ourselves.

We might also reflect on the nature of our thoughts: how often do we respond reflexively to someone. Are we really listening to what the other is saying or do we already know what we will say next?

The capacity to focus our attention deeply on ourselves might seem, at first glance, a little self-serving. But these are the very kinds of practices that begin to open us up to the leading of God, to free our hearts and minds for the mission of God’s work in the world.

Our part, again and again, is simply to reduce the interference within us, to be clear channels of God’s grace.

blessings + peace, Laurie

2009-12-26T01:00:00.000-08:00

A Prayer for the Twelve Days of Christmas

Peter Drury:

Holy One, I pray for peace between peoples

and the wisdom of leaders.

I pray for peoples,

for countries,

and for the spirit that may unite us together.

I pray for a sense of identity

which is more profound than national, but global.

I pray for peace on earth,

good will toward all,

and a song of joy everywhere.

Help us to mend the earth, O God.

I pray for people – here and everywhere –

that we may grow in understanding,

in hope,

in prosperity,

and in faith.

Help the religions of the world not cause division,

but nurture peace.

Help me understand my place in the world.

(Silent Prayer)

Amen.

2009-12-25T01:00:00.000-08:00

Christmas Day - December 25

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.
John 1:14

Marietta Tower:

One of my favorite ways to picture Jesus is on the day of his birth. As he lives his life he becomes someone I respect and strive to emulate, but not someone I can easily see myself in. On the day he is born, however, he is just like every other baby that has ever been born – a perfect blend of the human and the divine. I remember looking at each of my babies faces at the moment they were born and being struck by how tender and raw they were, so beautiful it was almost incomprehensible. The light of God seemed to radiate off of them. I remarked on the day my first child was born and I still maintain that I don’t see how anyone can not believe in God when they have witnessed a birth and gazed into the face of a newborn baby.

We need to remember that we each started out just as precious and light filled as Jesus did. We too started with an even mix of God and humanity, but the difference is that Jesus maintained this balance throughout his life while the rest of us covered up and buried that piece of God inside us under thick layers of hurt, sadness, anger, unkindness, and greed. Our job as Christians is to work to peel away some of those layers and let the light of God within us shine. We are all precious children of God, full of grace and truth; let us remove our protective shell and share that divine part of us with the world.

2009-12-24T01:00:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve - December 24

And the angel said to them, "Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people . . .
Luke 2:10

Juanita Kirkland:

Christmas, truly kept, is love. A person very close to me lives by the creed, "If whatever you do is done in love, you are indeed doing the will of God."

Are you willing to forget what you have done for others, and to remember what other people have done for you . . .

To ignore what the world owes you and to think what you owe the world . . .

To see that your fellow humans are just as real as you are, and to try to look behind their faces to their hearts, hungry for joy . . .

To close your book of complaints against the management of the universe, and look around for a place where you can sow a few seeds of happiness . . .

Are you willing to do these things, even for a day?

Then you can keep Christmas!

Are you willing to stoop down and consider the needs and the desires of little children . . .

To remember the weakness and loneliness of people who are growing old . . .

To stop asking how much your friends love you, and ask yourself whether you love them enough . . .

To trim your lamp so that it will give more light than smoke . . .

Then you can keep Christmas!

Are you willing to believe that love is the strongest thing in the world - stronger than hate, stronger than evil, stronger than death . . . . and that the blessed life which began in Bethlehem 2000 years ago is the image and brightness of eternal love?

Then you can keep Christmas!

And if you keep it for a day, why not always? But you cannot keep it alone . . .

God of Christmas,
God of our hearts,
May we bear the Christ
to all who need Him,
and allow His birth
in us again. Amen.

2009-12-23T01:00:00.000-08:00

Love - Wednesday, December 23

You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.
Deuteronomy 10:19 (NSRV)

Jeremiah Oliver:

To love with an open heart is the highest command Jesus delivers. To love the stranger, to love that which is unknown, no matter the actions they have performed, no matter who they are, no matter the actions they plan to perform, is to acknowledge that the heart is more important than having clues and evidence and concrete judgements. Loving fully is an act of courage, saying: not only are you worthy of the graces light offers, but the parts of me which I do not know or am not happy with or do not appreciate, these too, are worthy of the love that transforms strangers into friends, friends into families, families into communities. Love acts through compassion—approaching people and situations from a point of view that is not singular, is not judgemental, but is open to hearing and learning. Love binds light together. Love is what creates life, the greatest miracle. Let our hearts be a channel for the love that lets us see strangers as we see ourselves.

May the earth support your heart and make it strong and whole.
May the winds blow through and leave it clear and open.
May the heat of fire fill it with passion and energy.
May the waters flow through your heart, carrying that love to others.
May the divine light illuminate all that is good for your heart, awaking that good all around you.

2009-12-22T01:00:00.000-08:00

Love - Tuesday, December 22

Lori Hutchings:
At the age of six I spent a week in the hospital, and most of the memories are not pleasant. Everyone was kind, but things were different 50 years ago. No one wanted to explain to kids what would happen; it might scare them. The grown-ups talked in whispers a lot.

I remember calling for my mother often during the first night. She was always there. Years later she told me that the staff was displeased at her refusal to leave. My parents were charged extra for a "private room" — for the privilege of my mother’s spending the night sitting in a metal folding chair, surrounded by four little sick kids in white-painted iron-frame beds.

It was a long week, though visitors and presents arrived every day. Abdominal surgery made stomach sleeping impossible. Early one morning I was awake at 3:00 AM. My roommates had gone home; it was dark and the halls were quiet. Restless, bored, and insignificant, I leaned toward the window and looked out, resting my chin on the bedrail. There were only a few cars in the parking lot. Far below, someone was walking. Squinting, I tried to get a better look. He was wearing a white coat——a doctor. Suddenly he stopped, turned, looked up, saw me and waved. Thrilled, I waved back. He stood there a few moments, waving, then blew me a kiss and continued walking to his car. Comforted, I watched him drive around the corner and out of sight, then settled down and fell asleep wondering how that doctor could see me way up there, looking out one window in hundreds.

Psalm 36:5 Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies, and to one little girl on the 28th floor of Children’s Hospital, Washington D.C. in 1958.

2009-12-21T01:00:00.000-08:00

Love - Monday, December 21

Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fatted ox and hatred with it.
Proverbs 15:17 (NRSV)

Maria Drury:

Advent: "The coming or arrival of something extremely important."

My father blessed many people with his gift of baking and cooking. For many years he used that gift in his ownership of a bakery and restaurant, but clearly the gift went beyond that. After he retired, he continued to bake and cook for others. His talent and labors touched many people, and he was very gifted at his craft.

But his gift transcended the years of training and practice that he invested in his livelihood. His special ingredient was love. It went into every twist of a pretzel and loaf of bread.

Well before Christmas, he would be preparing dough and batter for the baking that would culminate in gifts to friends and family. When he owned a bakery, it was a professional necessity. After he retired, it was a true labor of love, and no less important to him.

Baking was not my father’s first choice of a profession; it was something of an afterthought. He learned the craft of bread-baking, and taught himself pastries when learning that side of the baking trade was denied as an apprenticeship.

Learning the baking trade was his preparation for life work. The love he gave to his work and to the people who received the fruit of his love labor was spirit-filled and touched many lives.

This season is a fine time to practice the labor of love in our preparation, whether that be for gifts or as tasks, at home or office. How we do what we do touches our own lives, and ripples out to the world around us. May our doing be the gift.

2009-12-20T01:00:00.000-08:00

Love - Sunday, December 20

In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.

And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy.

And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord."

And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.

His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.

He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever."
Luke 1:39-55

2009-12-19T01:00:00.000-08:00

Joy - Saturday, December 19

Rejoice in the Lord always:
Again I say, Rejoice.
Let your gentleness
be known to everyone.
The Lord is near.
Philippians 4:4-5 (NSRV)

Jeremiah Oliver:
Have you ever just had a cranky day for no particular reason? And, then, sometime during the day, maybe you see a stranger smiling, or hear a loved one laughing, or see people happily bantering—and it brightens your mood, and you find yourself smiling. You then choose to put the cranky feeling aside because you do not know its reason in the first place, and share a smile with someone. Joy is contagious. Joy is a conscious decision, and a powerful one! Joy can banish anxiety and needless depression, unrest and dis-ease.

When you choose joy, you choose to be a beacon of light for anyone who may be having an unreasoned cranky day. It is a simple, curious love, suitable for all situation, fostering the attitude that finds the silver lining or gives thanks for small miracles, or makes the act of just being one of more than just contentment—it is joyful! Again I say, Rejoice! (Why do people always do it once half-heartedly before they will give in and just do it?!) Joy is contagious! Bring some to the table.

2009-12-18T01:00:00.000-08:00

Joy - Friday, December 18

You show me the path of life.In your presence there is fullness of joy,in your right hand are pleasures evermore. Psalm 16:11 (NSRV)

Devin Kitchel:

There are times in life when we are so ready for joy that it is inevitable. A beautiful summer wedding, the birth of a child, the start of a long-overdue vacation - the list goes on… major events that bring the happiness that we anticipate. I’ve taken on the practice of noticing little things that bring joy to myself and others, for really life is made up out of so many more little events in our lives than the major ones. The following might be cliché but I refuse to let that interfere with the pleasure that they can bring! An infant’s dimples as you give them a wink and a smile, the look of happy surprise that a stranger gives you when you complement her on her colorful scarf, putting away your groceries – knowing that you’ll be well fed, the smell of nature after a cleansing rain, the warmth and comfort of a good hug, the tangy bite of a juicy tangerine, the refreshment of a clear relaxing breath. Happiness is there to be found and experienced in the everyday. The most simple of actions can bring joy and gratitude if you celebrate it. I am aiming for bliss in just being, with no action necessary. If I can revel in the moment by merely existing, then (as my dear German Teacher, Frau Clauson would say) everything else is just gravy!

2009-12-17T01:00:00.000-08:00

Joy - Thursday, December 17

When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy.
Matthew 2:10 (NRSV)

Maria Drury:

Rising stars, shooting stars, flickering stars… So much of our star imagery involves moving stars. The motion indicates increasing power, excitement, or perhaps awe at the distance of space. And yet here is a short little bible verse in which a star stops. The motion ceases. It sounds like equivalent of time stopping. The natural movements of the universe have suddenly shifted – or come to a complete standstill.

That sounds like a terrifying prospect. Historically, such phenomena as eclipses have struck terror into the hearts of people across cultures and eras. A star stopping is an even greater phenomenon. And yet, "they were overwhelmed with joy."

What a concept it is, to be "overwhelmed with joy." It flies in the face of stoicism. The idea of being "overwhelmed with" allows us to consider joy as a cataclysmic force – a power to change the way things are, an upheaval of the "natural state of things," yet in a direction completely opposite of the destruction that the word "cataclysm" implies.

There are many possibilities for experiencing fear in our day-to-day lives; the news reports bring us numerous examples. Occasionally, those reports will include reasons for celebration, and those are to be noticed, remembered, and lifted up.

More often, we must find our own versions of the "stopped star" and let that occasion overwhelm us with joy. These days, that might require some permission or some seeking. But really, those who first saw the star stop were seeking, weren’t they?

Let us seek within our own lives and daily experience for opportunities to be "overwhelmed with joy." It is an awesome idea.

2009-12-16T01:00:00.000-08:00

Joy - Wednesday, December 16

I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and your joy may be complete.
John 15:11 (NRSV)

Juanita Kirkland:

Is your joy complete? I have considered myself a person who does not experience joy easily. Yes, there are moments of quiet joy: in the sun which softens the winter world, in the reawakening of earth and the freshness of new life bursting forth in the spring, in the sunshine and warmth of long summer days, and in the colors and "settling" of Autumn. Joy also abounds when I witness my grandchildren empathizing with a distressed friend or with me.

Joy IS all around us. It is I, who is out of tune! There is a stumbling block which nags and bruises like a pebble in my shoe. Its name is "Expectations."

My mind snares me with an image of a perfect Christmas, peopled by a perfect family. Each one of them is full of God’s grace and love. Oh, the joy we will feel! But of course the bubble bursts when reality hits. The perfect family has feet of clay, the children are exhausted, the hostess is grumpy about an over-cooked turkey and lumpy potatoes . . . . You can no doubt add to the picture.

I need to learn to let go of expectations and perfectionism, and learn to be fully present to each moment of joy, and to be thankful for each gift from God who blesses us so freely that our cup of life should overflow with pure and abundant joy.

I wish each of you that Holy gift in the Holy season. I WILL remove that rock from my shoe!

I hear laughter deeply felt and am wrapped in a blanket of joy.

I see God smile and experience a sacred moment.

How will you receive the gift of Jesus this Christmas? Will you show and feel joy and gratitude to God and share your excitement with others?

2009-12-15T13:23:00.000-08:00

Joy - Tuesday, December 15

How happy are those who hear the Word of God
and practice and obey it!
Luke 11: 28 (NSRV)

Lori Hutchings:

Have you ever had a good deed "backfire," or a situation doesn’t turn out the way you expect? Dad’s elderly cousin ate a few bites of my homemade chili, put the bowl down for the dog, and announced, "He likes it!" as Bosley gobbled the food. A friend asked me to play the piano at the Norse Home. At age 22, I felt important for giving up my Sunday afternoon. As we walked in, a resident pointed at me and said, loudly, "What makes you think you can come in here?" At a Weight Watchers support meeting, my neighbor and I didn’t feel supported. Most people there had already met their weight loss goals. One slender creature said "I’m having trouble eating enough to use all my points for the day." My neighbor whispered in my ear, "Shall we take her out and make her eat dessert after the meeting?" Oh, well.

On the other hand, have you ever been especially successful at pleasing someone? Last Christmas our nephew Chris really liked his multi-function fishing tool. My brother said "I’ve been wanting one of these," about his solar powered light and compass. Our nephew Andrew loved the buckwheat-filled travel pillow he got — just in time for the trip home to New Zealand. It feels good to "get it right." It feels even better to get it right with God; we don’t have to guess at what pleases Him.

A while ago Juanita and I were discussing after-school care of grandchildren, and she mentioned supervising homework every afternoon. "That’s the Mom’s job," I said loftily. "My dues are already paid. No more field trips, bake sales, auctions or fund-raisers, either." Possibly because of my bad attitude, a few days later God told me to volunteer in my grand-daughter’s classroom. No doubt about it, this idea was not my own. But I offered, the teacher accepted, and the time spent was so rewarding, I always left school smiling. What joy there is in the blessings that follow obedience!

2009-12-15T13:19:00.000-08:00

Joy - Monday, December 14

. . . let the field exult, and everything in it.Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy . . .Psalm 96:12 (NSRV)

Marietta Tower:
I am blessed to live with someone who is a living embodiment of the word "joy" on a daily basis – my dog Bailey. Bailey is a twelve year old Golden Retriever/Cocker Spaniel mix who we adopted a little over four years ago. Like many dogs, Bailey would prefer to be with us twenty-four hours a day, which makes him get a little lonely when Michael and I are at work and the kids are at school. Due to this, every time we come into the house after being gone for any length of time, when we open the door there Bailey is smiling and prancing around on his paws, running from one of us to the other giving us happy little sniffles, his two inch long Cocker Spaniel tail wagging so hard his whole backside sways from side to side. You can feel the joy radiating off of him, and no matter how bad of a day I have had I can’t help but feel joyful as well.

As we get older and older it seems we refrain from showing our joy to other people, maybe out of embarrassment or maybe just because the joy gets overshadowed by our larger worries and concerns. As Bailey has shown me, however, joy is contagious, and if we could just freely express ourselves in those joyful times we will brighten the lives of those we come into contact with. Especially in these difficult economic times and short, rainy winter days, my hope is that we can each recognize those joyful moments in our day and share them with those around us with uninhibited abandon.

2009-12-15T13:17:00.000-08:00

Joy - The Third Sunday in Advent

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.

Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near.

Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:4-7

2009-08-08T11:21:00.000-07:00

Ebb and Flow

We typically assume that leisure is a privilege for those who can take time for it, but it is not. Leisure is a virtue. It is the virtue of those who give time to whatever takes time and give as much time as it deserves. In so doing, we are working leisurely, finding meaning in work and becoming fully alive. If we have a strict work mentality we are only half alive. We are like people who only breathe in, and suffocate. It really doesn’t make any difference whether you only breathe in or only breathe out; you will suffocate in either case. . . . We have to breathe in and breathe out and so we keep alive. This is really what we are all after and iswhat all religion must be about – aliveness. . . .

One last question: Why are we not more alive? The answer is one word—fear. One thing is at the root of everything that distorts or destroys life—and that is fear. We are simply afraid to be alive. Why are we afraid to be alive? Because to be alive means giving ourselves, and when we really give ourselves, we never know what’s going to happen to us.

—Brother David Steindl-Rast
Common Sense Spirituality

When I awoke this morning I did not want to get out of bed. Putting off the inevitable, I opened David Steindl-Rast’s book and read the words quoted above.Somehow they spoke to me in a way I can’t even quite articulate.

Perhaps it is his understanding of leisure; the sense of leisure as a virtue rather than a state of being, something to be lived right now in whatever circumstances we find ourselves—even in the middle of our work—rather than in some far off “retirement” or the realization that “Thank God It’s Friday.”

Perhaps it is his image of the breath— the ebb and flow of our lungs, the balance of work and leisure, the flowing essence of our very being—without which we die.And perhaps it is because I have been working so hard to finish numerous tasks before a week of vacation and a week of General Assembly that I am totally out of balance on the leisure part of the equation!

I know it is bad when Barb asks me over dinner, “So how are you doing, Sweetie?” And later, after deflecting her concern for my state of mind and simply restating my to-do list, I’m compelled to apologize for nearly suffocating myself and her simply because I forgot to exhale, forgot to find leisure in the midst of work.

One of the things I know about worship is that it is absolutely good for nothing! In the act of worship we produce no product; we make no plans (aside from those omnipresent to-do lists that run down the side of the order of worship). We don’t even come to make ourselves better people, though over time that might be a nice byproduct for some.

No, I’m beginning to think that our time of worship could best be described as leisure, as exhale, as a gift we give ourselves to restore balance; a safe-haven, a sanctuary, a place to practice aliveness; to leave fear at the door and walk into pure unadulterated grace.

What is true is this: this particular day will soon be over, night will fall again. The accumulation of our days continues to a point; they are not endless.

Our work then might very well be our leisure, our sheer enjoyment in living, all contained within the spacious heart of God.

blessings + peace,

Laurie

2009-06-04T12:07:00.000-07:00

Come, all of you who have wandered far from the path,
who have separated yourselves from Love;
A banquet is prepared for you in the heart’s Secret Room.
—Psalm 114, Psalms for Praying

High up in one of our Douglas fir trees two branches form a vee-shape. We only noticed this because we first noticed that some bits of fir branches had piled up beside the garage. We only noticed these bits of fir branches because Barb had just swept up all the old branches that fell over the winter. After looking down and pondering these new branches it finally occurred to us to look up: that’s when we saw the nest.

As nests go this one is made entirely—in so far as we can tell— from the ends of fir boughs about ten inches long. This nest is big! And it is way, way up there in the tree. We have no idea what kind of animal (it doesn’t seem like a bird’s nest) built it. A squirrel family seems like a good guess but we really don’t know.

I got out the binoculars but they didn’t help much. The nest is just too high up in the tree. I thought about getting up on the roof but even that wouldn’t get us close enough.

Then, before coming to church, I took a walk around what passes for our "block" in Lake Forest Park. The air was warm, the sun was shining, and I guess, because I had been looking up at the nest I spent most of my fifteen minute walk looking up.

All around me birds whirled and called out to one another. In the process of walking, looking, and listening I became aware of this entire other world that literally passes right over my head every single day. What I’m realizing is that the world of the Spirit operates in much the same fashion.

For most of us we go about our days plodding along, and as we plod our mood shifts this way and that leading us down one path and then another, our mind grinds away remembering this hurt and that problem until thought by thought we end up in a galaxy far, far away from this very moment on planet Earth!

All the while the continual energy of God surrounds us, waiting for us to stop and notice; to smile at the beauty that surrounds us, to look deeply into a child’s eyes, to gently cradle a hand grown creaky with arthritis, to laugh deeply, to love with our whole heart, to give of our ourselves with grace.

I don’t know—perhaps the Holy Spirit built a nest in our yard—that’s what I’m imagining right now.

Meanwhile in the back of my mind I hear my Grandma Rudel as she attempted to put things in perspective for her two impatient granddaughters, Only time will tell.

Meanwhile, while we wait, we are given this earth and one another to love with whole and generous hearts, abounding in grace and forgiveness.

Now. Right now. Look up!

Laurie Rudel

2009-03-30T11:42:00.000-07:00

...the deepest level of communication is not communication, but communion. It is wordless, it is beyond words, and it is beyond speech, and it is beyond concept. Not that we discover a new unity. We discover an older unity. My dear brothers and sisters, we are already one. But we imagine that we are not. And what we have to recover is our original unity. What we have to be is what we are.
—Thomas Merton

I’ve been playing around with a definition of church.
See how this feels to you:

Church—
a community of strangers
who become friends in Christ
with the intention
of being changed
by and for one another
and for the sake of the world
in the presence of God,
sustained and inspired
by the Holy Spirit.

As I’ve lived and played with this definition it seems to have a grounded quality, something lasting that calls me forward and supports my work in the present. I love that it sets out right away to acknowledge that really we are all strangers, one to the other, no matter how long we have known each other.

At the same time it acknowledges our friendship with one another through the energy of Christ. I also love how it notices the unseen presence of God which underlies our influence upon one another.
I also love the reliance upon the inspiration and guiding nature of the Holy Spirit which to me implies an openness to change, a spirit of discernment, and a willingness to move ahead when the way becomes clear.

As our Core Values Task Groups continue to meet we can test out this definition of church to see what is missing and take stock of what needs to be changed but for now I want to offer it up as working definition of what we are about together in this time and place.

As the world shifts and turns around us, as our literal fortunes rise and fall, we need "church"as sanctuary in which to find communion with others, reflect on the deeper meaning of our lives, and name our dependence upon God and one another.

—Laurie Rudel

2009-02-27T13:49:00.000-08:00

Fruit Stand at the Corner

Sun-Kist navels the sign said
they meant oranges of course
but I saw instead
that ancient connection
of mother and child
that puckered place of our
beginning before first breath
infused with light and shining

Laurie Rudel

February 10, 2009

2009-01-19T14:20:00.000-08:00

Kindness: an action word

Life is short and we have not much time for gladdening the hearts of those who travel the way with us. Oh, be swift to love, make haste to be kind!
-Henri Amiel

I had not realized until after the unexpected death of our mother, Betty Gallagher, early in the morning on Monday, November 10, that kindness is an action word.

My experience: While our family desperately hoped to arrive in Chico, California (where mom had lived for the past eight years with her identical twin sister) to see her one more time before her death, it was simply not possible. Instead of meeting at the hospital as we had imagined, we gathered at my aunt’s home, full of love, full of tears, full of stories.

As Monday unfolded we began to make plans to remember mom and take care of all the details associated with death. We decided to host a gathering of family and friends on Thursday late morning to celebrate her life and then invite everyone to stay for lunch. On Tuesday afternoon my cousin Barbara, who is about to retire from teaching grade school, called to tell us that the staff at her school would cater the lunch on Thursday. I promptly burst into tears.

On Tuesday Martha Dimmers, Chaplain at Children’s Hospital and friend of Queen Anne Christian Church, called to let me know that she and Peter Drury, former Pastor of All Pilgrims Christian Church and friend of QACC, would take care of worship on Sunday. Up to that point I had assured myself that I was fully capable of taking care of the needs my family and coming home to lead worship on Sunday.

On Wednesday Patty (my sister), Gary (my step-brother), and I invited the immediate family for lunch at the Sierra Nevada Tap Room. Mom and Auntie, sprightly ninety year olds, were “regulars” known by sight as “the girls.”

As usual we had a lovely meal and felt the table surrounded by love. We told more stories. We talked a little about what would happen on Thursday. Eventually Gary asked for the bill but our server was adamant: there would be no bill. This lunch was on-the-house, their gift to us in a time of loss.

On our way home we spent a little time in the Sacramento airport waiting for our flight back to Seattle. I was wrestling with a knitting project (my first two-color stranded knitting in the round) and in a fit uncorrectable mistakes I raveled the project back to the beginning probably for about the seventeenth time (I am not lying about that number!). It was a mess. Barb had wandered off for something and there I sat with a pile of tangled yarn trying to turn it all back into two balls.

An older woman sitting across the way noticed my distress and came and sat beside me. “Can I help?” She was dressed and looked pretty much like my mother! “Can I help?” By that time I had it more or less under control but she sat with me for a quite a while and held one ball while I worked on the other. “Thank you,” I said. “But I didn’t do anything,” she said. “You did more than you know,” I said.

When we arrived home in Seattle on Friday afternoon, Barb headed into work for a few hours. Our dear friend Maria Drury called. “I’ve made some lentil soup, may I bring it by?” So Maria, along with young daughters Rowan and Cora, stopped by to drop off everything needed for a simple meal and while we ate in grief, we also ate in love.

Kindness. In Micah 6:8 we are instructed to “seek justice, love kindness and walk humbly with our God.” I’d never thought much about the kindness piece of these instructions. Now I know: kindness is a simple action, unprompted, probably unexpected, and it makes all the difference in the world.

Laurie Rudel

2008-12-20T12:11:00.000-08:00

In anticipation of a severe winter storm on Saturday evening

we have cancelled worship at church this Sunday, December 21.

Below you will find a service for you to use at home.

Please join us Wednesday for our

Christmas Eve Service at 5pm.

The Fourth Sunday of Advent

—meeting in our homes—

Hum a few bars of: O Come, O Come Emmanuel

Light a candle and call it Love

Prayer: Bodypsalm for the holidays

Remember each day is a hol(y)day,

a place to recall presence.

No day is more special than the other, but you can breathe into each day differently.

Remember the simple things – a deep breath into all your cells,

the gorgeous limb of one branch, a place of connection

between a friend or a stranger.

The art of life comes to you everyday, unfolding from its skin

and asks for a greeting.

Welcome the unexpected

and have compassion on the expected.

Live with bold colors from a place of still silence.

Come back to quiet.

May the inside of your body be a zen garden.

Nap daily, for sleep is the sustenance of surrender.

Remember beauty walks before you, now just walk.

Incremental steps, even backward steps towards wonder.

Know you will not get everything done, said,

written, wrapped, made or thought of.

Celebrate incompletion and know that can be enough.

It is all about cracks of opening

into heart, body, mind, soul.

Make peace with the cracks and the interruptions,

for they are echoes of the divine.

Greet the ordinary with fresh eyes,

here is the fragrance of a day set apart.

Know you are held in a wider embrace.

Let the natural world hold you and give in to the weather.

Here you are called back to release.

Bare beauty on the back of December

and lend yourself to rest.

Sip small beginnings of calling yourself and

those around you to the juice of joy.

And drink from your own deep well

and spill when necessary.

—Celeste Snowber, December 2008

Sing a favorite carol!

Read: Luke 1:26-38

Reflect on what it means to say yes to an angel . . .

Pray . . . for those out in the cold . . . for emergency

preparedness workers . . . for utility crews . . . for all those

who cannot be with their family due to the weather . . .

for Ruth McLaughlin, mother of Lori Hutchings,

who hovers near death . . .

for your concerns and for your joys . . .

Drink and eat a little something

that brings you joy . . .

remember the immensity of Love

and call it communion

Sing another carol!

2008-11-04T15:26:00.000-08:00

A Voting Prayer by David Seidenberg

With my vote today, I am prepared and intending to seek peace for this country, as it is written (Jer. 29:7): "Seek out the peace of the city where I cause you to roam and pray for her sake to God YHVH, for in her peace you all will have peace."

May it be Your will that votes will be counted faithfully, and may You account my vote as if I had fulfilled this verse with all my power. May it be good in Your eyes to give a wise heart to whomever we elect today and may You raise for us a government whose rule is for good and blessing, to bring justice and peace to all the inhabitants of the world and to Jerusalem, for rulership is Yours.

Just as I participated in elections today, so may I merit to do good works and to repair the world with all my actions, and with the act of...[fill in your pledge]...which I pledge to do today on behalf of all living creatures and in remembrance of the covenant of Noah's waters to protect and to not destroy the earth and her plenitude.

May You give to all the peoples of this country the strength and the will to pursue righteousness and to seek peace as a unified force in order to cause to flourish, throughout the world, good life and peace, and may You fulfill for us the verse (Ps. 90:17): "May the pleasure of Adonai our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands for us; may the work of our hands endure."

2008-10-27T13:43:00.000-07:00

End of Sabbatical Reflection, October 27

What can I say at the end of this sabbatical time except, thank you.

I say these simple words with humble gratitude that my need for rest found open hearts and minds.

As these Sabbath days reverberate within me I find that monastic rhythm of reading, physical work, and silence during the day filled me with a gentle knowing:

the energy of God seeks expression in the world;
human beings struggle to attend the deep yearnings of the soul toward God;
God’s love surrounds us and will fill us given the slightest opening;
loving ourselves, loving our neighbors, and loving God just might be the purpose of our lives.

I am filled with gratitude.

I am ready to come back.

I missed you deeply and look forward to seeing you Sunday, November 2.

Laurie

2008-10-13T10:58:00.000-07:00

Sabbatical Reflection, October 13

Last week, following concerts in Tacoma and Olympia and preparing to attend the Turner Lectures in Yakima, I missed my Monday morning writing time.

In the meantime I caught a cold and have spent some amount of time desperately trying not to cough while singing! I’m recovering and am grateful that this past concert series has concluded.

After this week at home, Barb and I fly to New Mexico on Saturday for a week of traveling with dear friends around the land we so love. We’ll be staying in Espanola, about half-way between Santa Fe and Taos. It will be the last opportunity to stay in the casitas owned by Jan Hart, my beloved watercolor teacher, who moved there some time ago.

One of the things I most appreciate about Jan is her capacity to flow with the intentions of the universe for her life (I’m not sure she would use the word God, but she might). Jan was trained as an architect at the University of Washington and taught there. At the same time she began a weekly watercolor class at a small studio just off Stone Way between Wallingford and Fremont.

I had become intrigued with painting while taking, oddly enough, a color theory class for weavers. As part of the class we mixed colors using poster paint. While I like color theory, I learned I really liked using a paint brush!

I found Jan’s flyer tacked to the announcement board at Daniel Smith, a local art supply store. I loved Jan’s class and kept at for a few years until Jan “knew” she needed to move to New Mexico. At the time she had been making frequent trips from Seattle to New Mexico to paint the desert landscape and always came home refreshed and renewed.

What I know, what we all know at some level, is that guidance comes to us in surprising ways. This is Jan’s story as I remember it. One day, a long time ago, Jan was in a drugstore. She picked up a paperback novel. She opened it at random and read these words, Heart, someday you will be a famous artist. She quickly closed the book and put it back on the shelf!

At that point, while she may have harbored artistic ambitions I believe they felt pretty far out of reach. But painting by painting she worked on her craft and her art so much so that she is indeed an accomplished artist who has shown her art work in Santa Fe art galleries and who recently published a beautiful book on watercolor technique.

Over the last few years, while living in Espanola and continuing to teach painting, she also began taking folks on painting trips to Costa Rica. Last year she “knew” it was time to move again. She purchased property in Costa Rica and in the new year will be moving once again.

What I love about this kind of “knowing” is that it incorporates head and heart, it gives energy to vision that allows one to “keep on, keeping on” in spite of setbacks and unexpected obstacles.

While attending the Turner Lectures last week, Sandy Messick (acting pastor during my sabbatical) and I shared a meal together. We talked some about the church and the work you have accomplished while I’ve been on sabbatical. As she talked I found my heart leaping for joy.

I love the emerging directions you are in the process of considering. I’m looking forward to nurturing a collective sense of “knowing” that offers helps us name our purpose and gives us extra energy to pursue God’s dream for us.

I am just about ready to return: two more weeks that will fly by, and then, I so look forward to basking in your presence. You are a beloved community.

blessings + peace,

Laurie

2008-09-29T11:06:00.000-07:00

Sabbatical Reflection, September 29

Today I am thankful, filled with gratitude for another day of life; for warm sun (just one more day before fall fully sets in), Flickers scrambling about on fir trees, racing squirrels, and a body that can dance and sing and pray.

This week I want to carry this poem from Mary Oliver in my back pocket.

blessings + peace,

Laurie

MESSENGER

by Mary Oliver

My work is loving the world.
Here the sunflowers, there the hummingbird —
equal seekers of sweetness.
Here the quickening yeast; there the blue plums.
Here the clam deep in the speckled sand.

Are my boots old? Is my coat torn?
Am I no longer young, and still not half-perfect?
Let me keep my mind on what matters,
which is my work,

which is mostly standing still and learning to be astonished.
The phoebe, the delphinium.
The sheep in the pasture, and the pasture.
Which is mostly rejoicing, since all ingredients are here,

which is gratitude, to be given a mind and a heart
and these body-clothes,
a mouth with which to give shouts of joy
to the moth and the wren, to the sleepy dug-up clam,
telling them all, over and over, how it is that we live forever.

2008-09-22T15:38:00.000-07:00

Sabbatical Reflection, September 22

One my persistent delights in life are public libraries. Barb can tell you that I will go out of my way to visit a new King County Library (our current system) whenever we happen upon one.

I remember how at age eight my mom took me to the old Carnegie Public Library on Market Street (now an antique store) in Ballard to get my first library card. The little yellow index cards asked for name, address, and phone number. At the bottom of the card there was a place for you to sign your name. At that time in order to get your own card you had to be able to sign your name. I’ve been checking out books ever since.

In the King County Libraries my favorite shelf is called “Paperback Picks.” There I often find books that I have wanted to read but never got around to putting on hold. My “Paperback Pick” last week was How Starbucks Saved My Life: a son of privilege learns to live like everyone else by Michael Gates Gill. I loved this book!

Each chapter begins with a quote printed on a Starbucks coffee cup. One that called out to me went like this:

The irony of commitment is that it’s deeply liberating - in work, in play, in love. The act frees you from the tyranny of your internal critic, from the fear that likes to dress itself up and parade around as rational hesitation. To commit is to remove your head as the barrier to your life. – a quote from Anne Morriss, a Starbucks Guest from New York City

Something about this quote awoke a fierce feeling in me that went something like, YES! I want to be strong, committed, and clear!

The most immediate application of that thought led me to work really hard in the last week to really, really, really, learn my music for our upcoming Esoterics concert. I want to be confident and strong in my singing.

I took on this project because I was on sabbatical and had the time for it. I took on this project because I love to sing. I took on this project because I love to sing with Barb and it was something we could do together as part of our sabbatical time. I took on this project to support our director, Eric Banks, who has thrown his heart and soul into writing a unique piece of music.

But when it came to time to follow through and I looked at the rather arduous schedule again, I found myself wishing I was doing something else, feeling incompetent musically, and generally thinking I had made a big mistake.

What I remembered in this past week, I learned from InterPlay: we get into and out of trouble in little tiny steps.

Measure by measure I began to go over the music. Measure by measure I learned to sing in a new language. Measure by measure my musical confidence began to return.

I still have work to do but I have sent my “internal critic” on a little vacation to an island filled with lush palms, sandy beaches, and a really good book. She is happy for the moment, and so am I.

Laurie

ps: I hope you will come to one of our concerts. Check out The Esoterics website for more information on times and locations: http://www.theesoterics.org/

2008-09-15T09:32:00.000-07:00

Sabbatical Reflections, September 15, 2008

This past week Joan Dennehy, Pastor of Findlay Street Christian Church, and I flew to San Jose on Thursday and traveled south to Land of Medicine Buddha Retreat Center in Soquel, not far from Santa Cruz in the Redwood forests.

The night before I left, Stan Larsen (a member of QACC who died last December) came to me in a dream and held pine needles under my nose urging me to take in the scent. I took it as a good sign that Stan’s love of the out-doors (he continued to back-pack in the Olympics well into his 90’s) would be with me on this journey.

The retreat center itself is set on the side of a very steep hill at the end of the road. The Redwoods make our Douglas firs look like babies. During our time there the weather turned chilly and the sun barely filtered through the trees and costal fog.

Much earlier in the year Joan and I committed ourselves to attending this facilitator training event for SoulCollage ®. We both love art, we love collage, and we love deepening our understanding of self and soul and leading others along the path of mutual discovery.

Without exactly knowing what we were getting ourselves into we could sense that there was something here for us, so in March we took our hearts (and credit cards) and threw them out over the months to this past weekend in September.

The backbone of SoulCollage are pieces of mat board (usually 5x8 inch) covered over with a background image which in turn hosts another image (or images) that continue to amplify a particular energy.

The idea is to each card reflects one kind of energy of our souls that could be described with the words: I Am the One Who . . . procrastinates over large piles of paper, delights as a happy child, knows melancholy, finds joy in creating with my hands, brings forth fruit from the garden, and so forth. Each energy has its own card so that when you lay out all of the cards you have created it is like looking at a kaleidoscope of your soul!

The SoulCollage process also invites us to name and hold the larger energies that sometimes grab us (some examples might be: The Great Mother, The Warrior, Death, Resurrection, The Creator, The Fool,. . .).

In addition we also make cards for our allies, guides and challengers who have walked upon this earth (for me that list includes Barb, our families and friends, various teachers - some of whom I have studied with and some of whom I have read but never met, pets . . .). There is, of course more to all this than I can describe here but I want you to have a flavor of what we experienced.

The overall idea behind SoulCollage is that the Many (all the parts and pieces of ourselves) are contained in the One. For me, that One is the unity of God-energy that permeates all of creation. In creating SoulCollage cards we bring to consciousness various pieces of our life-energy and allow those parts to be recognized and given voice.

It’s like this: within us, at any given moment, there are a myriad of voices vying for attention: I want another cup of tea. No, you need to start the laundry. Monday is laundry day, remember? What I really want to do is finish that novel.

SoulCollage helps us have a sense of humor about it all and make it easier to choose which voice, which part of the soul, to bring forward in any given moment.

Throughout our time together Joan and I came up with lots of ideas about how to bring this back to our congregations. We hope that some folks in each of our congregations might be willing to sit down with us for a few hours. All we need are some old magazines, a pair of scissors, a piece of mat board, and some glue. It really is that simple.

Laurie

If you want more information check out the SoulCollage website: www.soulcollage.com/home/index.php

2008-09-08T09:54:00.000-07:00

Sabbatical Reflection, September 8

It was a family-full weekend. On Friday grandchildren Maggie (6) and Ambrose (3) spent the night. Our evening outing took us to St. Edwards State Park where the play structure for children is outstanding! Built by community volunteers, they spent the vast majority of their time before construction talking to children about what they liked to play on and around.

Once the volunteers finished their extensive research the actual building of the structure went rather quickly. The result takes kids up and over and down and through a castle-like building. Around the outside of the castle children can swing on bars, walk on a balance beam, play in the sand, climb a rock wall and more!

In the soft evening light of almost fall children jumped and swung and played and swarmed all over the structure. I heard three languages in our time there.

After playing, with Happy Meals in hand for the grandchildren and Kidd Valley burgers for the Nana’s we sat outside Kidd Valley and watched the traffic whiz by on Bothell Way. Meanwhile Maggie and Ambrose were totally mesmerized by two brothers, maybe a year older then each of them, who cavorted freely around the out-door seating area bouncing off the shrubbery, the garbage can, the tables, and each other.

The father sat nearby. He stared off into space seemingly exhausted from a week’s work and unable to summon enough energy to connect, to teach, to do the hard-work of parenting. He uttered not one word to his (from my perspective) completely out-of-control children who off and on strayed (from my perspective) way too close to the busy street. Meanwhile Maggie and Ambrose stared with open mouths at that much mayhem so close at hand.

In all honesty, my heart went out to the dad. Who knows what was going on at work? Who knows, maybe both children are hyper-active? Maybe he chooses his battles wisely and this was not one of them.

On Saturday we dropped the grandkids off at home and took Great Aunt Gladys (102) to a Dahlia Garden in Sea-Tac. This particular garden is in the midst of a residential area. We drove up, got out, and looked at the small garden in the front of the house. Aunt Gladys was not impressed.

She had really wanted to see a Dahlia Garden in Tacoma that she had learned about while watching Martha Stewart. We could not find out which garden that was but found Sea-Tac Gardens practically in her own back yard – which was part of the problem – Aunt Gladys wanted to get out of the Burien area!

We wandered around in the front garden and could see that there were more gardens beyond the gate so we walked on in. From a distance we thought we saw three more rather small gardens. Still unimpressed, Aunt Gladys grumped a bit about how she had seen larger gardens elsewhere. Then it came into view.

Just over a small rise there were thousands and thousands of Dahlias. I have no idea of the acreage; suffice it to say that we did not get around the entire garden. We eventually talked with the owner of the garden who has propagated over forty varieties Dahlias. His life’s work is right there for all to see; beautiful Dahlias laid out row by row and dug up every fall. He does a mail-order business all over the country. Order forms in hand we marked off the ones we intend to plant next spring.

At first glance once can never know the true state of any given situation. From outward appearances we think we know, we make suppositions, we guess, we intuit . . . but unless we open the gate and walk into another’s life we cannot know the extent of the beauty and the pain mingled side-by-side.

For this week I want to remember one of my favorite benedictions by Henri Amiel:

Life is short and we have not much time for gladdening the hearts of those who travel the way with us. Oh, be swift to love! Make haste to be kind.

Laurie

2008-09-01T11:36:00.000-07:00

Sabbatical Reflection, September 1

By nature I am an instruction follower. I frequently read the instruction booklets that come with new equipment and I am forever going on-line to find about how to do things that I’ve never done before.

Last weekend we finished cleaning and pressure washing the deck. Then it rained. And it rained some more. And then it really rained. By the end of the week I could feel the mold creeping back. The instructions on the sealer told us we needed the deck to dry out and we needed 24 hours without rain after sealing and staining.

Discouraged, we scanned the weather forecast each day, and each day the forecast would drift from sun to chance of showers to sun. No matter how carefully we had prepared we could not control the weather!

By Friday, the weather report looked a little more hopeful and I nearly started sealing and staining but a “chance of showers” loomed for the afternoon and I so I worked on yet another house project – removing moss from a brick walkway: truly, in the course of this sabbatical the putty knife and I have become one!

Saturday morning, the sun was shinning, the deck was all dried out (it had not rained on Friday after all). The forecast predicted “very slight chance of showers” early Sunday morning: we went for it! By the end of the day we had finished sealing and staining the deck.

That night the slight chance of showers rained down. Puddles formed on the deck. The sealer remained nearly as wet as when we left it Saturday afternoon. By today, Monday, it is slightly drier and I live in hope that all will be well.

It got me thinking about life in general. You can do all the planning and prep work possible, internalize all the directions and follow them, and if the conditions are not right – it doesn’t matter. Knowing when to move and how to shift becomes an art in itself and we don’t always get it right.

As I’ve worked, my mind has been freed to think about church and its purpose, as well as my life and my purpose. Scraping away at accumulated “smutch” between the boards of the deck or scraping off accumulated moss on bricks I can sense that I’m also removing a sort of plaque that had built up around my soul. I can feel a certain joy beginning to return to me; a tiny bubbling up of simple purpose.

This Sunday we attended worship at the Ananda Community, a blend of east and west that comes out of the tradition of Yoganada, founder of Self-Realization Fellowship. Barb had been active in this community for a number of years and she was able to re-connect with her teachers from that time.

Each worship service we attend offers something of interest and I find myself also longing for our dear home – Queen Anne Christian Church. Thank you for these days of labor and reflection.

Laurie

2008-08-25T10:23:00.000-07:00

Sabbatical Reflection, August 24

I love it when things just work out and flow with the mysterious meanderings of the universe.

Sunday we attended worship at University Christian Church, the church that shaped me as a child and young adult. Their new pastor, Rev. Janetta Cravens Boyd, began her work there in August. We enjoyed meeting her and greeting old friends, some of whom I've known now for over forty years.

In the tradition of many a church-goer and in addition to the order of worship, we also held in our hands the Sunday afternoon shopping list: Dunn Lumber, Seattle Paint, and Home Depot. We had carefully created this list Saturday evening while sitting in the sun on our newly pressure-washed deck. Each item on our list would move some project forward, the most important one being sealing and staining the deck.

But before we could go shopping we also engaged in the fine “after church ritual” of lunch. In this case we stumbled upon Ivar's Lake Union take-out just west of the freeway bridge. We sat outside, warm and cloudy, with our salmon chowder and fish and chips. Just as we finished the rain began. We dashed to the car and drove one block to Dunn Lumber to get the sealer/stain: no luck, one gallon in stock. We looked at each other and kind of lost heart about the rest of the list. Let's go to Trader Joe's and pick up a few things.

Cheese, vinegar, tea, chocolate soy milk, crackers . . . we turned the corner and there we saw our friend Martha Dimmers, with all three children and two shopping carts. We briefly blocked the aisle and learned that Stephen was ill. Martha had assured him that she would be fine on her own with the toddler twins, Gabriel and Genesis, and five year old daughter Carys. And indeed she was fine. With the twins in one shopping cart, she had her helper Carys - the envy of every five year old dressed in a lovely pink tutu - pushing the other cart.

We offered to help and Martha told us no worries, Carys is a good helper, all will be well. In a moment of sheer insanity we all believed this and went our separate ways. Half-way down this aisle, Barb turned to me and said we have to help Martha, you finish our shopping, and off she went.

Our check-out went quickly and so we hung out with the children while Martha negotiated the check-out line.

Earlier this weekend Barb had read the book Sleeping with Bread, that details a simple exercise to end each day: What brought you life today? and What was deadening to your spirit? I'd like to do this, she said.

We began on Sunday night: What was life-giving? We both answered that the most life-giving part of our day revolved around unexpectedly meeting Martha and the children at Trader Joe's.

The Spirit of God blows where it will, we are told in scripture. And sometimes, despite all our careful planning, life finds a deeper, truer, more blessed flow and we find ourselves blown to just the right place at just the right time.

Laurie

2008-08-18T08:04:00.000-07:00

Sabbatical Reflection, August 18

Over the past week I’ve continued to grow in my learning of religious history from Karen Armstrong’s book The Great Transformation: the Beginnings of our Religious Traditions. Armstrong's work feels like an intensive self study course on the development of religious thought in China, India, Israel, and Greece. It feels like material I ought to have learned years ago in school. Did I fall asleep or perhaps boredom set in?

No matter, I get it now and sometimes become so excited that I over dinner I regale Barb with the significance of Greek tragedy and the words of Confucius. I’m amazed at the intensity with which these sages thought about life. They left the world significantly different by their diligent searching and teaching, and in the process left their cultures a pathway to an expanded consciousness.

On the physical labor side of life my body tells me that for today, Monday, take a break! By the end of last week I finished flossing the deck. Over the weekend Barb and I began cleaning and pressure washing which meant that this Sunday we did not attend worship. We got about two-thirds of the deck cleaned. I’ll keep at it this week after a day of rest.

I’ve spent a lot of time on my hands and knees thus far during sabbatical – most of it has not been in prayer, but I do find myself marveling - really, praying with, in a way – those who must labor day in and day out.

As I struggled to carry three gallons of “tsp water” from the kitchen to the deck without tweaking my back, my thoughts have turned to those all over the world whose lives depend on the physical capacity to carry water long distances each day. The handle of the bucket, the sheer heaviness of water digs into my hand and leaves an imprint on my heart.

This past week I finally gave my self permission to take naps in the afternoon. I’ve found that it has taken a few weeks of sabbatical to truly realize how tired I have been. I continue, to the best of my ability, to treasure each day.

Laurie

2008-08-11T08:43:00.000-07:00

Sabbatical Reflection, August 11

My days begin to take on a certain kind of rhythm: a walk first thing in the morning, breakfast, reading and reflection, lunch, physical work in the afternoon.

Of course not every day goes like that. Appointments come up, a friend needs help unpacking and the morning works best, sometimes my reflection time goes on into the afternoon, but I’m finding that just lightly holding my intentions gives me a simple structure that sustains my soul.

In the past week I “flossed” about two-thirds of our nearly 1,000 square foot deck that wraps around almost a quarter of the house. By flossed I mean working on my hands and knees with a putty knife, slicing between every single board to bring up all the fir needles and smutch.

In the building of this particular deck the builder placed the boards way too close together. To put it another way: nothing falls between these cracks. And to answer your question, pressure washing (at this point) does not help the situation one bit, in fact it makes it worse. I do have a putty knife duct-taped to a pole but I find that motion hard on my back. I hope by the end of the week to finish “flossing” and get on to the cleaning/pressure washing and staining while the weather permits.

This weekend we painted our bedroom and dressing room. When we remodeled the upper level of our tri-level home two and a half years ago we painted one wall with an accent color, York Harbor Yellow. We like the color so much we painted a second wall the same color but in the end chickened out and left all the other walls a neutral color that we didn’t like all that much.

Gradually as we’ve lived with these colors it became clear: paint all the walls the same yellow/gold color! And so we did. We like painting together and so had a companionable weekend.

On Sunday morning we attended the second service (out of three) at Center for Spiritual Living to listen to the teachings of Rev. Kathiann Lewis. Affiliated with Science of Mind and based on the teaching of Ernest Holmes, Center for Spiritual Living’s purpose could be summed up in this Holmes quote, “we don’t tell you what to think, but how to think.”

Sunday evening found us at Queen Anne Christian Church for an Esoterics rehearsal . . . which, honestly, felt a bit odd! However between Esoterics rehearsals and an InterPlay training session at the end of September, I will be in and out of building a fair bit.

I continue to be so thankful for this time apart. I can feel my body begin to come to rest. My mind relaxes from the need to communicate clearly, to make meaning, to hold so much. Just for today, I relish the freedom to be.

blessings + peace,

Laurie

2008-08-04T10:07:00.000-07:00

Sabbatical Reflection, August 4, 2008

Saturday we took our grandchildren, Maggie (6) and Ambrose (3), to Barb’s company picnic at her work place (Phillips) in Canyon Park. Filled with large inflatable structures and fueled by BBQ chicken, hot dogs, baked beans, potato salad, and ice cream bars, children bounced their way toward an inevitable nap time. Hoola hoops made an appearance along with a gunny sack race and egg toss.

Sunday I attended worship at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church www.stpaulseattle.org/ (Melissa Skelton, Pastor) at the bottom of Queen Anne Hill. Barb intended to attend as well but excessive incense drove her back to the car to listen to a book on tape.

After worship we drove to Burien to pickup my Great Aunt Gladys (102) and drive to the Museum of Glass in Tacoma www.museumofglass.org/ What a great place! The variety of glass objects astounds the mind as you keep asking yourself, how do they do that?

As if to answer that very question the core of the museum contains a “hot shop” amphitheater where glass artisans offer daily demonstrations of their art. “I’ll remember this day as long as I live!” Aunt Gladys said.

We made her day complete with a quick stop at Fred Meyers to top off the gas in her Lincoln Continental, pick up a brass hose nozzle and new garden gloves (three to a pack!); she was ecstatic!

In the past week I read two memoirs that may be of interest to some of you.

Apples & Oranges: My Brother and Me, Lost and Found by Marie Brenner tells the story of an estranged brother and sister that moves between Texas, New York, and Wenatchee. A beautiful story, this book not only takes a close look at family history and sibling relationships but also brings you close up to the apple industry in our own backyard.

The Film Club by David Gilmour explores the relationship that developed between himself and his teenage son. The son struggles with school and David, in a fit of compassion and frustration, offers a way out that involves dropping out of school provided that together they watch three movies a week which David (a film critic, himself “between jobs”) will select. This memoir heartbreakingly charts the uneven path of teenage life and takes a brutally honest look at the father’s own life.

I continue to plug away with The Great Transformation: the Beginning of our Religious Traditions by Karen Armstrong reading a section each day. Today I begin the chapter on “Suffering” that takes a look at religious thought between 600 and 530 BCE.

blessings + peace,

Laurie

2008-07-29T13:44:00.000-07:00

Sabbatical Reflection, July 28

Barb and I returned from our one week vacation on Monday, July 28. Months ago, when we initially set aside July 22-28 for vacation, we had planned to install new flooring downstairs in our home and then head off to Ellensburg for “Jazz in the Valley” with dear friends.

In preparation we picked out the “peel-and-stick” tiles we wanted that would never stain with cat throw-up. Barb ripped up the old carpet (well past its prime and mightily stained with the aforementioned substance), pulled up the tack strip, and made a dump run. We were ready.

But one afternoon, a little over a week before our project was to begin, we made a quick trip to Costco to buy a folding ladder on sale and stumbled across other kinds of flooring. More options! We listed pros and cons for each type of flooring when it hit us: there was no way we would be installing a floor during this week of vacation. Barb said, “This is a crazy idea but what if we drove down to Chico, California to visit your mom and her twin sister and then drive from there to Ellensburg.”

One more discernment chart later we knew. Gas will never get any cheaper than it is right now. We wanted to visit my mom at some point during the sabbatical time and this would be the only week of vacation that Barb could take. Plus, we like road trips. In the end, it just felt right.

And it was. Each day we gave thanks for this “best ever” vacation. In Chico we helped my mom and aunt sort through old boxes of “stuff” from a storage unit they closed out. Mom sat in her chair and I knelt on the floor near her. Box by box, one at a time over the course of three days we cleared out about eight or nine boxes. Most contained pictures and photo albums from travels around the world and Mom was ready to let them go.

We filled two large trash bags in addition to the garbage can. Then we filled my aunt’s Lincoln Continental with other boxes of usable items they had already sorted and dropped them off at the Salvation Army. In the evenings we played Chicken Foot (a dominos game) and laughed ourselves silly.

The drive to Ellensburg up through central Oregon exposed us to parts of the state we had never seen before – high desert, rolling hills, deep canyons. Friday night after an almost 11 hour drive we arrived in The Dalles where fell in love with the Columbia River Gorge.

“Jazz in the Valley” featured fabulous musicians, beautiful weather, and time with old, dear friends. On Sunday morning, as part of the jazz festival, we rocked out with The Total Experience Gospel Choir and for an hour and a half found ourselves swept up in the utter joy of singing and praise.

Each day a joy . . . each day, just right . . . as I formally begin this time of sabbatical my hope is to remember that – this day matters –don’t think too far ahead, be present now and relish what is.

blessings + peace,

Laurie

2008-07-19T17:40:00.000-07:00

Sabbatical Reflections

As I begin this time of sabbatical I find myself reflecting on this lovely poem by Vassar Miller. It catches the sense of what Sabbath time can mean.

-Laurie

Resolve

I must go back to the small place,
to the swept place,
to the still place,
to the silence under the drip of the dew,
under the beat of the bird’s pulse,
under the whir of the gnat’s wing,
to the silence under the absence of noise,
there bathe my hands and my heart
in the hush,
there rinse my ears and my eyes,
there know Thy voice and Thy face,
until when, O my God, do I knock
with motionless knuckles
on the crystal door of the air
hung on the hinge of the wind.

by Vassar Miller

2008-05-30T14:07:00.000-07:00

Be Blessed: Be a Blessing

Stewardship Emphasis for 2008-2009

In the end
all any of us can say
is thank you.

Thank you
for your
generous giving
Thank you
for your
largeness of heart
Thank you
for your
presence
Thank you
for your
love
Thank you
for your
intention
to live
a life
blessed by God
that you, too
may be
a blessing.

—Laurie Rudel

Every generous act of giving,
with every perfect gift, is from God.
– James 1:17 (NSRV)

2008-05-25T01:39:00.000-07:00

Be Blessed: Be a Blsesing

Stewardship Emphasis for 2008-2009

I came across some guidelines that offer three steps to tithing and thought you might be interested in them as well.

It has taken me many years to come to terms with giving money away with grace. Sometimes I slip back into possessiveness.

And sometimes I remember: open hands can receive as well as give—open hands can be blessed as well as be a blessing.
—Pastor Laurie

1. Become a First Fruits Giver
Whenever you receive money, give thanks by giving something back to God. Don’t worry about how much, just this FIRST, before all of your other spending.

2. Become a Percentage Giver
No matter how large or small, decide what percent of your income you want to give to God and begin doing it.

3. Increase As You Are Able
Pray often. Talk it over with God so that God can help you decide when to take risks and when to play it safe.

For reflection -

The Power of Jesus

You rise again
between us and among us
Power of Creation
Power of Salvation
Power of our power
Length of our eyes
Soundness in our ears
Calling in our mouths
Sureness in our steps
Concentration of our mind
Largeness of our heart.

—Mary Jo Leddy
Radical Gratitude

Every generous act of giving,
with every perfect gift, is from God.
– James 1:17 (NSRV)

2008-05-18T11:29:00.000-07:00

Be Blessed: Be a Blessing

Stewardship Emphasis for 2008-2009

I’ve been thinking about how our giving to the annual budget forms the foundation of the life of our congregation. It is easy to overlook but it is our giving to the annual budget that makes everything else possible.

Our annual budget at Queen Anne Christian Church is like a three legged stool made up of pledged and unpledged giving, fees from building use, and money from our endowment fund.

Each leg of the stool helps us support the ministry of this congregation.

At this particular time it is to our advantage to strengthen our pledged giving. Increased pledged giving will help decrease our dependence on our endowment fund and give us needed breathing room to make decisions about our future with grace.
—Pastor Laurie

For reflection:

You are
the Still Purpose.

You come down
as snowflakes onto
the tops of the mountains.
You flow through the world
as streams and then
as mighty rivers rolling
toward the great ocean
of Your Love.
You sow seeds
of Your purpose
throughout the world
in all nations and peoples
and gather them up again
in Your due season.

You are Still Purpose
We begin in Your name
and end in Your name
Amen.

—Mary Jo Leddy
Radical Gratitude

Every generous act of giving,
with every perfect gift, is from God.
– James 1:17 (NSRV)

2008-05-14T11:10:00.000-07:00

Be Blessed: Be a Blessing

Stewardship Emphasis for 2008-2009

The word stewardship implies that we have resources to "steward." It implies that we have been given gifts to care for, to watch over, to give away.

Like many other congregations we frequently pair stewardship with our financial support for the annual budget of the church. This pairing is important but it narrows down stewardship to a relationship between us and our checking accounts!

As we begin the process of New Beginnings we would do well to reflect on the nature of all God’s gifts to us as individuals and as a community of faith.

What if in the week to come we made a list of all our blessings? What if we looked closely at the smallest things that bring joy to our lives? What if we came together and compiled our lists? Can you see it?

So many blessings stacked upon one another: would not this community truly be over-flowing with goodness and grace and gratitude? And then what?

Well, then we probably would have plenty to give away.

Once we know we are blessed then anything is possible.

For reflection:

We give You thanks
for You sustain us
with real food
and real drink.
You nourish us
with friends as real as food
with joy as clear as water
with love as good as this meal
this is enough.
We do not ask for more.
This is more than enough
reason to bless Your name
Forever.
Make us always mindful of those
who do not have enough
food and friendship
water and love and joy.
Give them enough
that they may be thankful
Amen.

—Mary Jo Leddy
Radical Gratitude

Every generous act of giving,
with every perfect gift, is from God.
– James 1:17 (NSRV)

2008-05-01T14:23:00.000-07:00

Seeds of Compassion

A number of us connected to Queen Anne Christian Church attended some part of the Seeds of Compassion event in April which featured, among other world religious leaders, His Holiness, the Dalai Lama and Desmund Tutu.

The event was inspiring and invigorating. Here are three reflections—

blessings + peace, Laurie

Maria Drury—
Attending several session of Seeds of Compassion touched me deeply in ways I am still discovering. Our community has been deeply blessed to host such a gathering, as its effects will continue to ripple through each person and our very geography for a long time to come. As I sat in the sessions, I witnessed national and international “experts” in dialogue with wise people — in the form of His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, and youth who spoke wisely as they offered reflections and asked questions that many adults struggle to answer for ourselves.

I heard information and wisdom that I perhaps know already on some level, but it had renewed impact as I heard these ideas spoken with compassion in a space I had set apart from daily routine. I experienced community in the friends and family I sat with, and in the sense of a larger community brought closer together by gathering in witness to the importance of practicing compassion in its many facets — towards self, towards other, towards community, towards the world in which we live.

Just today Peter and I read a story in the sports section of the Seattle Times, in which two college baseball players carried an opponent around the bases after she injured her leg while responding to the only home run she would hit in her softball career. They ensured that team’s victory, but touched many more lives by displaying ultimate sportsmanship in such compassion. Whether or not those young women knew about the gathering in Seattle, their choice is linked in my own mind with what I witnessed at Seeds of Compassion.

I feel truly blessed by this incredible gathering.

Sarah Swanson—
I am still feeling inspired by the Seeds of Compassion and am hoping to incorporate some of what I heard to my everyday life. Laurie, after you pointed out the pennies for peace [this program supports the work of Central Asia Institute to bring school supplies to children in Afghanistan], I brought Julian, Tyler and Mia up to put some pennies in.

I was amazed how they responded with basically how come these children don’t have what they have and how can they help. I really underestimated how they would understand this concept because of their age, but what I am feeling now is that the time is now for my children to learn compassion and being socially responsible. Hearing from these great public figures that they learned compassion from their mothers was empowering—and I am ready to commit to do more.

Amy Graff—
I was struck by the first question to the panelists: When do you remember the first time you experienced compassion? Many of the answers were incredible; especially the woman who remembered that she was three when she first knew she made a difference in her family—she could make them laugh.

Another question they answered was when you have had a tragedy in your life, how did you deal with it and go on? One panelist suggested we draw on the infinite strength we have in ourselves.
The Dalai Lama explained that if there is sadness in our lives—and he took his fingers to twist a dial 180 degrees—then we need to create more happiness.

2008-04-04T15:03:00.000-07:00

I found the news coverage of the simmering controversy about Barak Obama's pastor, The Rev. Jeremiah Wright, to be disturbing on a number of levels.

Then I read Ruth's Good Friday Reflection. I commend it to you as her writing and thinking reflects many of my concerns.
—Laurie

Good Friday Reflection

by Ruth Fletcher
Regional Minister, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Montana

I am not a big fan of Jeremiah Wright. He’s loud. Shouting loud. When he spoke to us at the Ministers’ Breakfast at the General Assembly a few years back, I had to put my fingers in my ears just to make out the actual words he was saying.

And the man has no tact. I think there are times for a minister to be tactful—to use softer language for the sake of getting a better hearing when it comes to controversial subjects. But when Jeremiah Wright has a choice between being diplomatic and being strident, he seems to always opt for the most inflammatory expressions he can find.

In that way, he stands in the long tradition of the Biblical prophets who didn’t mince words when it came to naming the idolatry of pledging allegiance to that which was not God, who named the sins of the nation and spoke of God’s judgment for the prideful who had lost their ability to blush.

This last week, the media has repeatedly aired a few selected sound bytes of Jeremiah Wright’s sermons taken out of the context of a lifetime of preaching. I was exercising in the gym when one of them was played for the umpteenth time on the TV monitor above my head. The snippet was followed by an outraged commentator asking the rhetorical question, "Should children be subjected to this kind of preaching?"

"YES!" I answered aloud, much to the surprise of the people on the exercise machines on either side of me.

If we want our young people to grow up and confess that Jesus is Lord, then somewhere along the way they will need to hear the voice of a preacher who will warn them to beware of the gods of materialism, violence and greed that will compete for their loyalty. They will need to hear sermons that will inform them that being a Christian is not just about the power of positive thinking but about confessing complicity with sinful systems of oppression such as racism that still plague our country.

As members of God’s beloved community, they will need to learn that they have a responsibility, not just to themselves, but to the "least of these" who go without health care and food and shelter in this wealthy nation. They will need to be taught how to discern the voice of falsehood from the voice of truth, the voice of fear-mongering from the voice of wisdom, the voice of sensation from the voice of fact.

The scriptures we have heard on this Good Friday remind us that following Jesus is not always easy—discipleship often puts us at odds with popular opinion, principalities and powers. May we have the courage to continue walking the path that leads to new life.

Have a blessed Easter.

2008-03-20T10:48:00.001-07:00

Manudy Thursday Reflection

Matthew 26:17-23

one of you will betray me . . .

In The American Heritage Dictionary
on the opposite page you can find
a picture of a "bevel gear"
and a map of Bhutan

on the same page there is a photo
of Mary McLeod Bethune
who lived from 1875 to 1955—
an African-American educator
who sought improved race relations

There is no picture, no map, no photo
for the word betrayal—just a definition:
to give aid or information to an enemy
to commit treason against
to deliver into the hands of an enemy
in violation of a trust or allegiance

to be false or disloyal to
to divulge in a breach of confidence
to make known unintentionally
to reveal against ones’ desire or will
to lead astray, deceive

in other words:
rat on, stab in the back,
let the cat out of the bag,
blab, blurt, let slip, bamboozle,
pull the wool over one’s eyes,
abandon, forsake, leave behind,
walk out on . . .

As readers of The Gospel of Matthew
we already know that Jesus will be betrayed
and that the disciples remain clueless
so when Jesus drops the bombshell word betrayal
everyone scatters for cover
talking over each other to gain assurance
from him that they are not the one

It’s a peculiar scene:
we might assume that the disciples
know their own hearts
that after all this time with Jesus
they are rooted in his teachings
that they possess an inner compass
orienting them
toward the work of God in the world
but that is not the case

On this night self-doubt and anxiety
shoot around the table
and ricochet off Jesus
who remains cool as a cucumber
centered in his purpose

The Sufi poet Hafiz writing in the 1300’s puts it this way:
The subject tonight is Love
And for tomorrow night as well,
As a matter of fact
I know of no better topic
For us to discuss
Until we all
Die!

So what is love in the face of betrayal?
What is Jesus like as he sits at table full of knowing?

Anthony DeMello tells us that in India
the poets and mystics say that
a holy person is like a rose.
have you ever heard a rose say,
I’m going to give my fragrance only to good people
and deny it to evil people?
No it is the very nature of the rose to spread fragrance.

or, a holy person is like a lamp lit in a dark room.
can a lamp say that it is going to shed light only on good people
and keep from shining on bad people?

or, a holy person is like a tree
giving shade to both good people and bad people.
the tree gives its shade even to the person cutting it down.
and if it is aromatic, it will leave its smell after being cut.

so perhaps around this table of betrayal
after the bomb has been dropped
after the denials die down
there exists a strange kind of calm
and other words begin sing in their minds:
God makes the rain to fall on the good and the evil
the sun shines on the just and the unjust

the days ahead will take their toll
all disciples will betray him
but in the air there lingers
the earthiness of bread
the sweetness of wine
and a scent called love
given freely to each of us
purifying basest intentions
releasing us from our worst actions
and placing us here and now
ready to begin again

- Laurie Rudel

Hafiz peom translation by Daniel Ladinsky
Anthony DeMello, Walking on Water, The Crossroad Publishing Company, NY, 1998, p. 64-65.

2008-02-15T11:26:00.000-08:00

Your word is a lamp for me steps, for the path just ahead of me.
- Psalm 119:105

Our congregation’s Lenten Meditations consist of a small envelope containing forty different words: patience, direction, openness, healing . . . The instructions are simple: draw a word each and live with it, do with it what engages you.

Okay. There are forty words. Since Lent began on Ash Wednesday, February 6, I have drawn nine words. Five of them are the same word: love.

I’ve been thinking about this, praying about this and the word that keeps coming to mind and my heart is curiosity; that in some profound and powerful way love and curiosity are linked.

Imagine for a moment that you are entering a new situation, you are not sure what is expected and you don’t know anyone. In these kinds of settings I often find that my first reaction is one of narrowed vision - of being physically unable to take in information that surrounds me.

Usually this occurs when I have some fear of the future. When I can relax into the situation and engage my curiosity, I find that colors pop out, more detail can be observed, and that a sense of friendliness takes over.

Curiosity can be inner directed and other directed: humm . . . I wonder why I needed to eat absolutely everything on my plate and eat dessert when I was full after eating the dinner salad; or, I wonder about the person sitting next to me – what makes their heart sing with delight, what do they love more than anything else . . .

When I can relax (another word here could be trust) and engage my curious self, life becomes full of light and small details shine with unexpected grace. Really, this is how I want to live each day – curious about what will unfold; aware of the undercurrents of the Holy Spirit; noticing the presence of Christ; following the leading of God.

May you be blessed with a curious day!

Prayer
God, open my heart to trust each step.
Let me not jump ahead of myself or of your leading.
Fill me with wonder, curiosity, and love.
Amen.

- Laurie Rudel

2008-02-06T17:11:00.000-08:00

Ash Wednesday, February 6

Thomas Powers tells this story: The composer Stravinsky had written a new piece with a difficult violin passage.

After it have been in rehearsal for several weeks, the solo violinist came to Stravinsky and said he was sorry, he had tried his best, the passage was too difficult and no violinist could play it. Stravinsky said, "I understand that. What I am after is the sound of someone trying to play it."

While this conversation took place between an musician and a composer it could have taken place between God and a disciple.

Disciple: I’m sorry but the part you have given me to play in life is much too difficult. I’m doing my best and it isn’t good enough.

God: I understand that. What I am after is the sound of someone trying to live the life I’ve given them.

What I know about living the spiritual life is this: we do our best. We stumble. We try again. We fail. Our best seems insufficient. We stop.

We may turn to God and ask that another life be given to us, or more commonly, we sink deeply into the couch and with remote in hand search the channels for someone else’s life that we imagine we will like much better than our own.

Of course this makes us lethargic and maybe even cranky—after all, how can it be that with hundreds of channels there still is nothing on TV that fills our souls, nothing that tells me who I am?

Lent is the time of year that asks particular, focused questions: Will you come and follow me to the very end? What is the sound of your heart beating at one with the heart of God? When as a community our hearts beat together as one heart what does God intend for us to do?
Again and again, we may say it is too difficult. We cannot live this life of full-hearted love: it is impossible. I am not Jesus!

And God says: "That is precisely the point! You are not Jesus, you are _______ (fill in your name): a child of mine in whom I long to dwell. So show me the sound of you trying to live the life I’ve given you."

Lent. There is a wildness hidden in here that whistles through our hearts and calls us by our true name: Love incarnate. Listen. Listen.

2008-01-29T14:33:00.000-08:00

Meditation for January 29

In my meditations over the past few months I have leaned heavily on two thoughts. The first is: Don’t fret. Be peace.

The second one is: there is nothing that needs to be changed. It is this one that really caught me up short: there is nothing that needs to be changed.

Like a blow to the gut this simple phrase gets at my tendency to fix, to meddle, to want something other than what I have in this moment in time.

I found myself repeating it throughout the day. As I laid these words out in my heart over and over I could feel a sense of calmness, an inkling of the words of Julian of Norwich: and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.

As I look around our community of faith I confess that at times I get very caught up in wanting things to be different: more people in worship, more shared leadership, more time for pastoral care, more hours in the day to do difficult reading and thinking. And yet moment by moment this is true: there is nothing that needs to be changed.

What this meditation is allowing me to do is to dwell with a sense of quietness—the noise in my head decreases significantly when I remember this truth, and trust—God is in this moment, the next one, the next . . .

blessings + peace, Laurie

2007-12-24T13:47:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, December 25

O God return to us—let your face smile on us, and we will be saved!
(Psalm 80:3)

Dr. Allen Lee
General Secretary of the Disciples' World Convention
(1924 – 2004)

Allen Lee was born in Yakima, Washington, and grew up as an active member of the Yakima First Christian Church. As an ordained minister, he served seven Disciples congregations, and in 1971 was called to be the General Secretary of the World Convention of Churches of Christ, with headquarters in New York City.

In that position for more than two decades, he traveled all over the globe--a truly worldwide pastor. Wherever he went, which might be to a struggling little congregation meeting in Poland one day and to the Vatican for an audience with the Pope the next, Dr. Lee moved among people as though God were smiling on them all--and his faith and joy were infectious.

In 1999, when King Hussein of Jordan died of cancer and was being eulogized as a beloved ruler and a calm force for peace in a turbulent region, Allan Lee recalled how he had been on a trip to the Holy Land in 1960 while serving as pastor of Seattle First Christian Church.

At a passport check on the Syrian border, he and his fellow travelers paused, and an official with the Jordan tourist bureau came in and asked if anyone was from Seattle. The official asked Dr. Lee to help a Jordanian student get to America. Allan Lee promised his assistance, and, true to his word, helped the student eventually enroll in the University of Washington.

Dr. Lee later included a chapter about him in his book, Under the Shadow of Nine Dragons, a copy of which he sent to King Hussein. In response, Dr. Lee received a letter of gratitude on behalf of the palace, stating that they were "encouraged by the efforts and support of people such as your good self."

After that, Dr. Lee began receiving an annual holiday card signed by King Hussein himself. Because of that simple gesture, Dr. Lee thought of the King as a "warm-hearted leader" and a great stabilizer in the world's least stable region.

Prayer
O God, my world parish is SO big and needs SO much care.
My prayers, letters, calls and cards go out to churches and people around the globe . . . .
Oh, that I might have the vitality to listen to her cries, to heed her prayers,
to bind up her wounds, to encompass her with the ties of fellowship and faith.
God, give me strength to serve my parish. Amen.
(Dr. Allan W. Lee, 1974)

- Doug Dornhecker

2007-12-23T21:26:00.000-08:00

Monday, December 24

O God return to us—let your face smile on us, and we will be saved!
(Psalm 80:3)

St. Nicholas
Bishop of Myra
(4th Century)

Admired beyond the power of words, patron of Russia and Greece, of children, sailors,pawnbrokers, and prostitutes, it is hard to reconcile the influence and appeal of St.Nicholas with the scarcity of facts about his life.

His transfiguration into Santa Claus has been traced to Dutch Protestants in New Amsterdam. In America and England, whereon Christmas Eve young ears are attentive for the sound of reindeer’s hooves, we are further removed from the original bishop. However,linking the hopes of children with the memory of St. Nicholas does echo ancient stories.The image of childhood reflected in them has little to do with “sugar plums”.

In one story St. Nicholas rescued three young girls whose father, for want of a dowry, was about to sell them into prostitution. He tossed three bags of gold through an open window, enough to pay the dowry of each. In another story, these three bags of gold became the heads of three little boys who were murdered. The bishop uncovered the crime and restored the boys to life.

He might be remembered not only as the jolly source of toys but also as the protector of those whose lives and innocence remain threatened today by violence, poverty, and exploitation. Well does he deserve to be the patron of children.

Prayer
On this eve of the Christ child’s birth the stars collect themselves,
inhale the hopes and fears of our small and precious lives,
and breathe light into the dark corners of the world.
Glory and Amen.
We pray for children everywhere.
Deliver them from evil.

- Joan Dennehy

2007-12-22T19:57:00.000-08:00

Sunday, December 23

O God return to us—let your face smile on us, and we will be saved!
(Psalm 80:3)

Wangari Maathai
Environmentalist
(1940 –

Growing up in Nyeri, Wangari Maathai was able to pursue higher education in the United States, a rarity for girls in rural areas of Kenya.When she returned to Kenya, Wangari Maathai worked in veterinary medicine research at the University of Nairobi, and despite the skepticism and even opposition of the male students and faculty, was able to earn a Ph.D. becoming head of the veterinary medicine faculty, a first for a woman at any department at that university.

She started the Green Belt grassroots movement after planting seeds for nine trees in her back yard. In 30 years the movement planted 30 million trees in Kenya and 12 other countries in Africa, empowering women in the process.

A winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 Wangari says, “When our resources become scarce, we fight over them. In managing our resources and in sustainable development, we plant the seeds of peace.”

Wangari observes, “All of us have a God in us, and that God is the spirit that unites all life, everything that is on this planet. . . . It's the little things citizens do. That's what will make the difference. My little thing is planting trees. . . . We can work together for a better world with men and women of goodwill, those who radiate the intrinsic goodness of humankind.”

Prayer
O God, help us see the little things right in front of us.
Through your Spirit give us courage to move forward
that peace and goodwill might flourish on earth.

- Laurie Rudel

2007-12-21T21:49:00.000-08:00

Saturday, December 22

Say to those of faint heart: Take courage! Do not be afraid. (Isaiah 35:4)

Eliza Davies
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Lay Leader
(1820 – 1880)

"There comes the great Mr. Campbell,” the man beside her said to Eliza Davies as she sat in the church in Paisley, Scotland. She had attended out of sheer curiosity. Most of the Christianity she had experienced in both her native Australia and in Scotland had been unpleasant and unhappy. Departing from his usual practice, Alexander Campbell preached on one verse that day, 'So faith, hope, love, abide . . . but the greatest of these is love' (I Corinthians 13:13).

He made no gestures and never raised his voice, but Eliza had never heard a sermon like it. She said, I saw creation in a new light. God's love permeated the universe. I felt a great desire to do something for my fellow-beings, to show my appreciation of God's love for me. This sermon was a pivot on which my destiny turned. Eliza followed Campbell back to America.

Mrs. Campbell and the girls called her Our Little Dove as she nursed the sisters through their terminal illnesses. When a school for orphans was opened in Kentucky, she went there as dean of women. Later, at the pleas of her family, she returned to Australia and operated schools in the most primitive districts and gave the Bible to the people. Eliza Davies was not ordained, and no one commissioned her as a missionary. Yet everywhere she went, education flourished, the church of Christ grew, and the Bible was distributed.

An independent woman, she is honored each year as two women at Midway (Kentucky) College receive the scholarships she endowed from her meager means."

Prayer
Gracious Spirit, give us eyes
to see creation in a new light,
to see your love permeating the universe,
and to see in the faces of those whose needs are great,
your smile reflected in theirs.
Through Christ our Savior, Amen.

- Doug Dornhecker

2007-12-20T20:59:00.000-08:00

Friday, December 21

Say to those of faint heart: Take courage! Do not be afraid. (Isaiah 35:4)

Thomas Merton
Monk and Author
(1915 – 1968)

After a rambunctious youth and adolescence,Merton converted to Roman Catholicism while at Columbia University, and on December 10th, 1941 entered the Abbey of Gethsemani, a community of Trappist monks. The twenty-seven years he spent in Gethsemani brought about profound changes in his self-understanding which impelled him into the political arena, where he became the conscience of the 1960’s peace movement.

Referring to race and peace as the two most urgent issues of our time, Merton was a strong supporter of the nonviolent civil rights movement, which he called “certainly the greatest example of Christian faith in action in the social history of the United States.” For his social activism Merton endured severe criticism, from Catholics and non-Catholics alike, who assailed his political writings as unbecoming of a monk.

During his last years, he became deeply interested in Asian religions, particularly Zen Buddhism, and in promoting East-West dialogue. After several meetings with Merton during the American monk’s trip to the Far East in 1968, the Dali Lama praised him as having a more profound understanding of Buddhism than any other Christian he had known.

It was during this trip to a conference on East-West monastic dialogue that Merton died, in Bangkok on December 10, 1968, the victim of an accidental electrocution. The date marked the twenty-seventh anniversary of his entrance to Gethsemani.

Prayer
Be good,
keep your feet dry,
your eyes open,
your heart at peace
and your soul in the joy of Christ.
(Thomas Merton)

- Laurie Rudel

2007-12-20T08:47:00.000-08:00

Thursday, December 20

Say to those of faint heart: Take courage! Do not be afraid. (Isaiah 35:4)

St. Agnes
Virgin and Martyr
(d. 304)

It is said that Agnes was born to a rich and noble family of Rome, and that at a young age her beauty attracted the interest of many prosperous suitors which she rebuffed. Her suitors, denouncing her choice to be a Christian, brought her before a magistrate.

He tried various forms of persuasion, ranging from mild entreaty to displaying instruments of torture, but nothing would compel her to worship other gods. She was condemned to a house of prostitution where every man might have free use of her. It is said no one could lay a finger on her because she exuded a powerful aura of purity. The judge then ordered her to be beheaded.

If she would not be one man’s wife, she might as well be every man’s whore—failing these options, she might as well be dead. At the time of her death she was thirteen years old. This is a conflict between a young woman’s power in Christ to define her own identity versus a patriarchal culture’s claim to identify her in terms of her sexuality.

Agnes did not choose death. She chose not to worship the gods of her culture. The God she worshiped set an altogether different value on her body and her human worth. Espoused to God she was beyond the power of any man to have his way with her. Virgin in this case is another
way of saying free woman.

Prayer
We pray today for young women and men who are coming of age.
We pray for those who are defiant in the face of oppression and violence.
Help us, Holy One, to have the courage of our convictions.

- Joan Dennehy

2007-12-18T22:03:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, December 19

Say to those of faint heart: Take courage! Do not be afraid. (Isaiah 35:4)

Clara Celestia Hale Babcock
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Minister
(1850 – 1924)

Born in 1850 in Fitchville, Ohio, Clara Hale Babcock "was reared in the Methodist Church, an eager, faithful, and willing worker in that tradition. When Disciples evangelist George F. Adams conducted a series of meetings in Sterling, Illinois, Clara, age twenty-five, attended some of them. She was so impressed with the teachings and method of baptism practiced by the Christian Church that she decided she wanted to be baptized by immersion like her Savior. Clara and her husband, Ira, were baptized . . . [and] united with the Sterling congregation.

In 1888 she was ordained into the Christian ministry, being the first woman in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) to have that honor. She served the Erie, Illinois, congregation for fifteen years, was very active in the WCTU in Illinois, and served as county president in the Sterling area. Clara was a good evangelist as well. By 1917 she had conducted twenty-eight very successful meetings, made 1,400 converts, and baptized 1,000 of them herself.

Clara's mission in this life ended in 1924. Her faith was strong and through her long labor of preaching and evangelizing, she won many to Christ and helped organize several new congregations—truly led by the Spirit of God."

Prayer
O Gentle God,
when I am afraid
to move outside the boundaries of my own expectations,
or tempted to remain inside the barriers of my own fear,
pour out your Spirit upon me
and lead me into a life of fearless obedience to Christ.

- Doug Dornhecker

2007-12-17T20:24:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, December 18

Say to those of faint heart: Take courage! Do not be afraid. (Isaiah 35:4)

Desmond Tutu
Bishop
(1931 –

Bishop Desmond Tutu was born in Klerksdorp, Transvaal. Following his schooling he taught high school for three years and then began to study theology, being ordained as a priest in 1960.

Desmond Tutu was Bishop of Lesotho from 1976 until 1978, when he became Secretary-General of the South African Council of Churches. From this position, he was able to continue his work against apartheid with agreement from nearly all churches. Tutu consistently advocated reconciliation between all parties involved in apartheid through his writings and lectures at home and abroad.

In 1984, Tutu was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize citing his “role as a unifying leader figure in the campaign to resolve the problem of apartheid in South Africa.” After the fall of apartheid, he headed the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Tutu has written: “When missionaries came to South Africa, we had the land, they had the Bible. Then they told us, ‘Let’s close our eyes and pray.’ When we opened our eyes we saw that we have the Bible, they have the land.”

“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.”

Prayer
Good is stronger than evil;
love is stronger than hate;
light is stronger than darkness;
life is stronger than death.
Victory is ours, through him who loves us.
(Desmond Tutu)

- Laurie Rudel

2007-12-16T21:26:00.000-08:00

Monday, December 17

Say to those of faint heart: Take courage! Do not be afraid. (Isaiah 35:4)

Etty Hillesum
Mystic of the Holocaust
(1914 – 1943)

From the day the Dutch Jews were ordered to wear a yellow star to the day she boarded a cattle car bound for Poland, Etty bore witness to the power of love. She kept a diary of her experiences and the unfolding of her interior life. This book is now one of the great moral documents of our time.

When a friend commented that her love of enemies sounded like Christianity, she responded Yes, Christianity, why ever not? Her determination to affirm the goodness and beauty of existence was nothing short of miraculous. I must try to live a good and faithful life to my last breath, so that those who come after me do not have to start all over again.

The greatest task any person can perform is to preserve a spirit of love and forgiveness in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary. This was her vocation. She was called to be present at the heart of suffering, to become the thinking heart of the concentration camp. From the window of the train she tossed out a card that read we have left the camp singing. She died in Auschwitz at the age of twenty nine.

Prayer
God Incarnate, help us to find life beautiful and meaningful
even in the face of suffering.
In a time when so much is being swept away,
may we hold fast to what endures—
an encounter with you in our own soul and in others.
May we spread our warmth, our genuine love for others,
wherever we go.

- Joan Dennehy

2007-12-15T20:46:00.000-08:00

Sunday, December 16

Say to those of faint heart: Take courage! Do not be afraid. (Isaiah 35:4)

Rosa Page Welch
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Musical Ambassador
(1900 – 1994)

A descendant of African-American slaves, Rosa Page Welch was born in Port Gibson, Mississippi in 1900. As a teenager she was admitted to the Disciples' Southern Christian Institute in Edwards, Mississippi. She recalled her mother saying, as she boarded the train to go to school, "Don't hold hatred in your heart. You are going out into a world where you may not even be treated as a human being, but remember the words of Jesus, Treat other folks like you wish they'd treat you,--not like they do sometimes."

Rosa became a singer of remarkable giftedness--but she used that gift always, not to enhance her own reputation, but in service to Christ and the church. For example, Disciples missionaries Drs. Aigi and Kiyo Kamikawa stated: "In September, 1952, Rosa made a trip to Japan, alone. Her visit in the early life of Japan's recovery from World War II . . . made a great contribution. She sang her heart to the Japanese youth; many heard a Negro singer for the first time. She was an ambassador for Christ, a missionary at heart."

In 1976, she wrote that the "predominantly white, middle, and upper income church and community . . . is where freedom is most lacking, powerlessness is most evident, irresponsibility is most devastating, self determination is least to be found. What is already taking place in the black ghetto must also take place in the church and in the white community: Rebellion! Rebellion against all that imprisons us and keeps us from acting as responsible children of God."

Prayer
O Lord Jesus Christ,
help the church to be able to see and describe itself
as the source of freedom and power,
so that it can communicate with the world
and participate in the revolutionary changes that are taking place.
And help it to find the joy which comes through involvement, with your help,
in making all people free. (Rosa Page Welch, 1976)

- Doug Dornhecker

2007-12-14T20:23:00.000-08:00

Saturday, December 15

You will treat poor people with fairness and will uphold the rights of the land’s downtrodden.
(Isaiah 11:4)

Oscar Romero
Archbishop of El Salvador and Martyr
(1917 – 1980)

Oscar Romero was born in Ciudad Barrios, El Salvador. From his early years he preferred to pray and study rather than learn the skill of carpentry to which he was apprenticed. At thirteen he began to study for the priesthood.

He grew in commitment and became a hard nosed traditionalist who opposed any effort to “modernize” the church. As archbishop, Oscar Romero initially worked against priests engaged in the struggle to better the life of the people of El Salvador. He believed that the church ought to transcend the world not intervene in it.

No one knows what changed in Oscar Romero but over time he awoke to the violence that surrounded him and the injustice that trampled over the rights of the people. He called the people of San Salvador to gather in worship as a demonstration of solidarity. Meanwhile the rich waged million-dollar campaigns designed to break his spirit and the government taunted him.

He wrote: “If they ever take our radio, suspend our newspaper, silence us, put to death all of us priests, bishop included, and you are left alone – a people without priests – then each of you will have to be a messenger, a prophet. The church will always exist as long as even one baptized person is left alive!” On the evening of March 24, 1980 he was shot while delivering a homily.

Prayer
God of grace, open our hearts to the injustice that surrounds us;
open our minds to your expansive realm;
open our hands in caring for others.
Amen.

- Laurie Rudel

2007-12-13T22:42:00.000-08:00

Friday, December 14

You will treat poor people with fairness and will uphold the rights of the land’s downtrodden.
(Isaiah 11:4)

St. Francis of Assisi
Founder of the Friars Minor
(1182 – 1226)

Wealthy, attracted to adventure, frivolity, and romance, he went off to war at age twenty, was captured and spent a year in prison. A serious illness followed from which he recovered slowly.

These experiences provoked a spiritual crisis. A fastidious person, Francis was repulsed by paupers and the sick. As he was riding one day he saw a leper. Dismounting he shared his cloak with the leper and then kissed the poor man’s ravaged face. Life now took shape around a new agenda, contrary to the values of his family and the world.

While praying in a dilapidated chapel he heard a voice speak to him: Francis, repair my church, which has fallen into disrepair, as you can see. At first he took this assignment literally, physically restoring the ruined building. Only later did he understand his mission in a wider sense. His vocation was to recall the church to the radical simplicity of the gospel.

In an age of crusades and other expressions of “sacred violence” he lived a radical commitment to nonviolence. Everything living or inanimate reflected God’s love and in this spirit he wrote his famous Canticle of Creation singing the praises of Brother Sun and Sister Moon.

His identification with Christ was so intense that while praying he received the “stigmata,” the physical marks of Christ’s passion on his hand and feet. On his deathbed he said, I have done my part. May Christ teach you to do yours.

Prayer
Shape us around your will, O God.
May we embody in our life the message we speak.
Open for us the heart of the gospel, the preferential option for the poor.

- Joan Dennehy

2007-12-12T21:30:00.000-08:00

Thursday, December 13

You will treat poor people with fairness and will uphold the rights of the land’s downtrodden.
(Isaiah 11:4)

Mattie Younkin
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Activist
(d. 1908)

The little prayer band of six women who met in the church basement that cold February night were uncertain what they could do. But they were certain that they and the Disciples of Christ must do something about the growing numbers of homeless persons, especially children and women, in America's cities.

Gradually the answer came: They must galvanize the energies of the whole denomination in a ministry of caring for the needy. With pitiful resources, great faith, and a strong sense of sisterhood, they opened St. Louis Orphans' Home . . . Soon they had to have a mothers’ and babies' home, then a home for the indigent elderly. And so it grew. The moving spirit was Mattie Hart Younkin.

Orphaned in her early teens, she had married her college sweetheart. Deeply moved by Jesus' words, As you did it to one of the least of these, you did it to me (Matthew 25:40), she called the band together. She traveled over the heartland raising funds for the home.

The first woman ordained to the ministry in Missouri, she endured the convention catcalls and the frequent rejections. She died of cancer six days before the convention accepted the women's association as its own ministry, the first denomination-wide benevolent association in America.

Prayer
Mothering God,
we believe you appointed us to bring glad tidings to the afflicted,
and to proclaim the time of God's favor.
Give us the courage to help others when we ourselves feel overwhelmed,
so that we may truly understand sadness and loss,
and more fully offer your love.

- Doug Dornhecker

2007-12-11T19:07:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, December 12

You will treat poor people with fairness and will uphold the rights of the land’s downtrodden. (Isaiah 11:4)

Our Lady of Guadalupe
Feast Day of Mary,
Mother of God

In 1531 a “Lady from Heaven”—Mary, the mother of Jesus—appeared to a humble Native American, Juan Diego, at Tepeyac, a hill northwest of what is now Mexico City.

The story is told that Mary first appeared to the bishop in the area requesting that he build a church on the hill. The bishop asked for a sign.

So it was that on a winter day Mary appeared to Juan. She filled his “tilma” (a rough cactus cloth that fits over one’s head somewhat like a poncho) with roses as a sign for the bishop. She identified herself as “the ever virgin Holy Mary, Mother of the True God for whom we live, of the Creator of all things, Lord of heaven and the earth.”

As a celebration of this feast day people get up before dawn and meet outside the church. Accompanied by mariachi bands they sing together and remember Mary who sang a song about God’s love for the poor: God has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. (Luke 1:52-53)

After the singing everyone enters the church for prayer and then celebrates with breakfast of hot chocolate and sweet rolls.

Prayer
Mary, Mother of God, unclench our fingers that long to cling;
loosen our heart-strings that we might give freely out of abundance;
open our eyes that we might never loose sight
of the miraculous all around us.

-Laurie Rudel

2007-12-10T21:04:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, December 11

You will treat poor people with fairness and will uphold the rights of the land’s downtrodden. (Isaiah 11:4)

Felipe and Mary Barreda
Lay Apostles and Martyrs
(d. 1983)

Felipe was a watchmaker, Mary was a hairdresser, and together they had raised six children and had fifteen grandchildren. Leaders in the base community movement in Nicaragua their lives came to center around the Gospel as expressed in service to the poor.

Living under the notorious dictatorship of Somoza, the base communities provided strongsupport to the growing Sandinista revolutionary struggle. When victory came, the Barredas threw themselves into the work of reconstruction and support for the new government programs. This revolution was unprecedented in the degree of Christian participation, but not all agreed. The church came to be bitterly divided.

Political opposition was joined by the military campaign of the contras, a rebel army sponsored by the United States. Operating out of bases in Honduras the contras waged a war of terror. Because the Sandinista government depended heavily on the sale of coffee, the contras focused terror against coffee harvesters.

In a letter Mary said the opportunity to go and pick coffee will be converted into health,clothing, homes, roads, and food. For this, I am going to pick coffee with all the love andenthusiasm of which I am capable.

In December Felipe and Mary were kidnapped by contra rebels while picking coffee, forced to march to a camp in Honduras, subjected to beatings and torture, then executed. To the end they responded with prayers and affirmations of their Christian faith.

Prayer
Help us, God, to accept that faith is not expecting that you will give us whatever we ask and everything will turn out as we want. We put ourselves in your hands, whatever happens, good or bad. You will help us somehow.

- Joan Dennehy

2007-12-09T16:36:00.000-08:00

Monday, December 10

You will treat poor people with fairness and will uphold the rights of the land’s downtrodden.
(Isaiah 11:4)

Dorothy Day
Social Activist
(1897 – 1980)

Dorothy Day dedicated her life to serving others; however, that was not how her life began. As a young adult she completely dropped out of life living as a bohemian in Greenwich Village. An unwed mother, she lived a life of poverty and unemployment.

She said: “I see only too clearly how bad people are. It’s my own sins that give me such clarity.”Yet something else stirred within her. She converted to Catholicism coming to believe in“the church of the poor Christ who came that they might have life and have it more abundantly.”

With her awakening she opened soup kitchens and began houses of hospitality in New York City. She inspired hundreds of thousands of people through The Catholic Worker movement.

She summed up her life-work in this way: “The spiritual works of mercy are to admonish the sinner, to instruct the ignorant, to counsel the doubtful, to comfort the sorrowful, to bear wrongs patiently, to forgive all injuries, and to pray for the living and the dead. The corporal works are to feed the hungry, to give drink to the thirsty, to clothe the naked, to ransom the captive, to harbor the harbor-less, to visit the sick and to bury the dead.” She said, “People want peace, but not the things that make for peace.”

Prayer
Today and tomorrow, O God, guide our hands in acts of service and prayer that we might practice the ways of peace with our lives. Amen.

-Laurie Rudel

2007-12-08T20:03:00.000-08:00

Sunday, December 9

You will treat poor people with fairness and will uphold the rights of the land’s downtrodden. (Isaiah 11:4)

Barton Warren Stone
Disciples Founder
(1772 – 1844)

In the story of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), few names are better-known than that of Barton Warren Stone. Stone was born into a wealthy and influential Maryland family with "sizable holdings of land."

He was a descendant of the first Protestant governor of Maryland, and the cousin of one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Stone's father died when Barton, his youngest child, was only three years old. As Barton grew, "intent on achieving wealth and status," he invested his inheritance in a liberal education. But, unlike his classmates who went on to greater wealth and prominence as attorneys and politicians, Barton Stone chose to become a Presbyterian minister.

When his mother died, he inherited two of his father's original sixteen slaves, but believing that "slavery is inconsistent with the principles of Christianity as well as civil liberty," he freed them and provided for their education.

As his religious sensibilities grew, he gave up a comfortable salary, which had provided for his wife and young family, so that he could withdraw from the Synod of Kentucky and pursue his ideals for Christian reformation. His life from then on was a process of "downward mobility," using whatever meager resources were available to carry on his pastoral, publishing, and reformatory ministries.

Known for his generous hospitality to strangers and travelers and those in need, he shared whatever was placed on the family table, however meager, with any who came. He died in virtual poverty, having literally given his life away, a beloved friend of both his reforming allies and his religious opponents.

Prayer
O Christ of the narrow way,
teach us how to treat other people with lavish generosity,
that having cleared our paths of excess, we might walk with you.

-Doug Dornhecker

2007-12-08T10:17:00.000-08:00

Saturday, December 8

Come, let us walk in the light of God. (Isaiah 2:5)

St. Hildegard of Bingen
Abbess and Visionary
(1098 – 1179)

Born the tenth child in a German province, at age eight she was given to an abbey to be raised. At the age of eighteen she put on the habit of a Benedictine nun.

From the age of three she had visions neither in sleep nor dreaming, nor in madness, nor with bodily eyes or ears, nor in hidden places, but wakeful and alert with the eyes of the spirit and inward ears.

Her major work, Scivias, is a record of visions concerning the relations between God, humanity, and the cosmos, accompanied by extraordinary paintings. She shows humans as living sparks of God’s love. She shows the effects of sin and the drama of redemption that ultimately restores the world. Human beings are the universe in microcosm, called to be co-creators with God in shaping the world. She refers to God as “Living Light” and employs a remarkable word—greenness—to describe the energy or grace of God that shines forth in all living things.

She avidly studied the use of medicinal herbs and seems to have anticipated the principles of homeopathy. She composed religious music of haunting beauty and originality.

For eight hundred years this author, theologian, prophet, preacher, musician, composer, poet, artist, doctor and pharmacist remained in obscurity. Only in recent decades has she emerged into the light, partly due to the contemporary interest in the role of women in history. Her ecological and holistic spirituality speaks to our time.

Prayer
Like a flame that is hot without burning, may our hearts burn with original blessing.
Make known to us an understanding of the world and our place in it.
Open the eyes of our Spirit.

- Joan Dennehy

2007-12-06T21:08:00.003-08:00

Friday, December 7

Come, let us walk in the light of God. (Isaiah 2:5)

Clarence Jordan
Farmer and Scholar
(1912 – 1969)

Clarence Jordan was one the founders of Koinonia Farm, a small but influential interracial Christian farming community near Americus, Georgia. He authored the Cotton Patch translations of the New Testament and was instrumental in the founding of Habitat for Humanity.

With a radical commitment to embodying the teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, the Koinonia partners bound themselves to the equality of all persons, rejection of violence, ecological stewardship, and common ownership of possessions. For several years the residents of Koinonia lived in relative peace alongside their neighbors. But as the civil rights movement progressed, white citizens of the area increasingly perceived Koinonia’s commitment to racial equality as a threat.

In the 1950s and early ’60s, Koinonia became the target of a stifling economic boycott, repeated violence, and several bombings. When Mr. Jordan sought help from President Eisenhower, he refused to intervene and referred the matter to the governor of Georgia, a staunch supporter of racial segregation. The governor responded by ordering the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to investigate Koinonia’s supporters for purported Communist ties.

Upon death his body was placed in a shipping crate from a local casket manufacturer and was buried in an unmarked grave on Koinonia property. The citizens of southwest Georgia treated him in death as they had in life: his funeral was attended only by his family, the Koinonia partners, and the poor of the community. “He be gone now,” reflected a neighbor in 1980, “but his footprint still here.”

Prayer
God, help us to live out the radical good news of Jesus.

- Laurie Rudel

2007-12-05T19:30:00.000-08:00

Thursday, December 6

Come, let us walk in the light of God. (Isaiah 2:5)

David Kagiwada
Minister in the Christan Church (Disciples of Christ
(1929 – 1985)

In 1908 a group of Japanese Christians in Los Angeles organized a Japanese Christian Church. By 1942, there were nine rapidly growing Japanese Christian Churches in Southern California. That year they were all forced to close when Japanese Americans were sent to concentration camps.

David Tamotsu Kagiwada, born in Los Angeles, was a second-generation Disciple. His mother had graduated from a Disciples sponsored mission school in Tokyo. As a youth, David and his family were sent to an Arizona internment camp, an injustice that inspired David to channel his Christian faith into fighting injustice of this and every kind.

After the war, he pursued studies at the University of Chicago and was ordained a Disciples minister. The focus of his ministry, serving five different congregations in California and Indiana, was always to reconcile and heal antagonism among all people; to support and be an advocate for racial/ethnic minorities and women; and to help the church recognize and appreciate the gifts of people of Asian heritage.

When I was attending my first Disciples General Assembly as a young minister in 1979, David, whom I had never met, introduced himself to me because he knew I had been recently hired to serve a congregation in California near one of his former parishes. To have been sought out and found by this palpably kind, enthusiastic, and generous human being in the busy corridors of the St. Louis Convention Center will always remain with me as a singular experience of having walked together in the light of God.

David Kagiwada died in 1985, having served as the first Convener of what is now called NAPAD—North American Pacific/Asian Disciples.

Prayer
Shining Spirit in whom all are one,
where each of us is known and everyone is cherished,
seep through the spaces that separate us.
Weave us together and make us whole.

- Doug Dornhecker

2007-12-05T07:17:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, December 5

Come, let us walk in the light of God. (Isaiah 2:5)

Pierre Teilhard deChardin
Mystic and Scientist
(1881 – 1955)

The volcanic hills that surrounded his home stimulated a lifelong fascination with rocks and fossils. He was a Jesuit prophet who labored to reconcile the language of science and the language of religion. Afire with a vision of the divine mystery at the heart of the cosmos, he worked to integrate evolution with Christianity, yet little of this was recognized in his life. His religious superiors denied him permission to publish his theological writings or lecture publicly. This caused him severe frustration and suffering, yet he submitted, thinking his function akin to John the Baptist: one who points to what is to come.

He called the final terminus of evolution the Omega Point, where spirit and matter must eventually converge. He spent twenty three years doing research and field work in China, sent there to keep him out of the theological limelight of Europe. His last “exile” was to the United States. “I should like to die on the day of the Resurrection,” he said. And so it came to pass, a heart attack on Easter Sunday.

His vision was at last released to the world: The day will come, when, after harnessing the ether, the winds, the tides, and gravitation, we shall harness for God the energies of love. And, on that day, for the second time in the history of the world, man will have discovered fire.

Prayer
God of the Cosmos, we see you everywhere,
in all that is most hidden, most solid,
and most ultimate in the world.
We pray for those who are denied the right
to give their gifts to the world
and for those who find a way to do it
regardless of all obstacles.

- Joan Dennehy

2007-12-03T21:05:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, December 4

Come, let us walk in the light of God. (Isaiah 2:5)

Saint Thecla of Iconium
Evangelist and Healer
(1st century)

Saint Thecla was a saint of the early Christian Church, (Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox) and a follower of Paul. The earliest record of her comes from the Acts of Paul and Thecla. These writings are part of a Pauline tradition that provided apostolic blessing for women’s leadership roles in the church. According to tradition, Thecla was a young noble virgin who listened to Paul’s “discourse on virginity” and became a follower.

Thecla’s mother and fiancée became concerned that Thecla would follow Paul’s demand “that one must fear only one God and live in chastity,”and punished both Paul and Thecla. Saved from being burned at the stake by a storm, she traveled with Paul to Antioch. There a nobleman who desired Thecla attempted to take her by force. Thecla fought, assaulting him in the process. She was put on trial and sentenced to be eaten by wild beasts. Again she was saved by a miracle.

Tradition holds that Thecla lived a long life outside Seleucia where she offered healing and teaching in the name of Christ. Santa Tecla is the patron saint of Tarragona, Spain, where her feast day is the major fiesta of the city and the cathedral is dedicated to her. In Spain, she is sometimes facetiously referred to as the patron saint of computers (teclado means
“keyboard”).

Prayer
Just as you have freed the most blessed Thecla . . . from three cruel
torments, so also may you deign to free the soul of your servant.
(Prayer for St. Thecla’s Feast Day)

-Laurie Rudel

2007-12-02T21:19:00.000-08:00

Monday, December 3

Come let us walk in the light of God. (Isaiah 2:5)

Cynthia Pearl Maus
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Educator and Author
(1880 – 1970)

Cynthia Pearl Maus believed in Christian Education because she believed that young people and adults could learn from each other and walk together in the light of God. She was born on a farm in Iowa. She went to a teachers' college in Kansas, then to university in Illinois, and at the age of 30, began developing church school literature for Disciples of Christ.

By 1919, she had helped invent "graded lessons," Vacation Bible Schools, weekday Bible schools, and summer camps and conferences. She organized the first national convention for Disciples youth in 1926. She wrote voluminously to assist teachers and published a series of widely-read
devotional anthologies. During her long life, Cynthia Pearl Maus' scholarship and devotion gave thousands of people, young and old, an opportunity to walk in the light of God.

She is often quoted as saying: “You may have tangible wealth untold, caskets of jewels and coffers of gold. Richer than I you could never be; I know someone who told stories to me.” Thewonderful stories she told were stories of God at work in the world. They were "light" to be shared with others.

It's Advent. Are we telling stories? Are we listening to others tell them?

Prayer
O God, joy of the young that see you,
peace of the old that love you,
and strength of all that seek you,
help us walk this day in the light of your presence,
speaking gently as we go,
listening to others in true community,
through Jesus our teacher, our friend, and our light. Amen.

- Doug Dornhecker

2007-12-01T16:54:00.000-08:00

Sunday, December 2

Come, let us walk in the light of God. (Isaiah 2:5)

Brother Lawrence
Carmelite Lay Brother
(1611 – 1691)

One day in his early life he was standing outdoors on a cold midwinter day in the presence of a gaunt and leafless tree. The thought that in a little time the bare branches would again be covered with leaves filled him with the power and care of God.

From a humble background and little formal education Brother Lawrence spent forty years in a monastery kitchen in Paris scrubbing pots and chopping vegetables. In the noise and clatter of my kitchen, he wrote, while several persons are at the same time calling for different things, I possess God in as great tranquility as if I were upon my knees in church.

Were it not for the impression he made on a visitor he would be one of the anonymous saints of everyday life who, for all we know, are secretly at work redeeming the world. His conversations with the visitor were published under the title The Practice of the Presence of God. His method was to be mindful at all times of the presence of God, making all his activities hallowed. God regards not the greatness of the work, but the love with which it is performed.

Prayer
We take time this day, God of Presence, to notice a part of your creation, to see you in it. We pray that in our life the time of business will not differ from the time of prayer. Whatever task we perform we will do it mindful of you. Then shall we be in a state of continuous conversation with you, our soul’s yearning.

- Joan Dennehy

2007-12-01T16:44:00.000-08:00

An Advent Daybook - 2007

Anatole France said that when he was a little boy he read the story of the life of St. Simeon Sylites, that strange gentleman of ancient times who lived for thirty years on a small platform atop a sixty-foot pillar in Syria.

By means of a ladder, visitors were able to ascend. For some reason Anatole decided he was called to perform a similar act of saintly heroism. So he went into the kitchen, climbed up on the kitchen cabinet, and stayed there all morning.

At lunchtime he got down. His mother, who understood what was happening, said: “Now you mustn’t feel bad about this. You have at least made the attempt, which is more than most people have done.”

This year Joan Dennehy, Doug Dornhecker, and I set about to chronicle the lives of those who have made a difference in the world. Some we might call saints. Others might be known as holy people. This year we imagine them lighting the Advent path, showing us another way to live.

We hope you enjoy these daily meditations.

blessings + peace, Laurie Rudel

2007-11-03T14:26:00.000-07:00

In May of this year Barb and I took the most amazing trip to Turkey. Our first stop was Istanbul where we spent four days seeing the sights and getting over jet lag from the West Coast.

It was our first trip to this part of the world and we found ourselves more often than not looking up in amazement. Aya Sofia was one of those sights.

2007-09-05T11:14:00.000-07:00

Communion Prayer for Share the Feast!

Come, let us
prepare the table of thanksgiving
with open hearts
and generous spirits:

out of nothing
God created
Earth
the creatures
and it was good

from abundant resources
we create
scarcity

we manufacture
anxiety

we sell
dissatisfaction

from thin air
Jesus calls us:

You give them something to eat!
You . . .
and you . . .

—Laurie Rudel

Share the Feast!
The General Assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Ft. Worth, Texas- Sunday Morning Worship - July 22, 2007

2007-03-30T11:33:00.000-07:00

Holy Week & Easter
On this last week of our Lenten Practice we trace the journey of Jesus’ last days on earth. Take time to read the story. Meditate on courage in the face of fear and certain death.

Throughout the week look for signs of God’s presence and God’s grace. See the world through God’s eyes. Allow the weight of this week to sink in.

Throughout the week read the selected verses of Psalm 118 in the morning and in the evening.

Psalm 118: 1-2, 19-29
Yes, You opened to me the gates of truth and justice
that I might enter through them.
Praise be to You, O Merciful One!
This is the gate to Life;
those who know Love shall enter through it.

I give thanks to You, O Beloved, who answers our prayers
and invites us to new Life.
The stone which the builders rejected
has become the foundation of our lives.
This, O Eternal Listener, is your work;
it is marvelous in our eyes.
This the day which You have made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it!

Remain ever by our side, O Friend!
Come, live in our hearts as Loving Companion Presence!

Blessed are all who enter through your gates!
Blessed are all who dwell in the house of Love!
For You lead the Way, You forgive our misguided ways, and
You bring Light into darkness.
Come, all you who will, partake of the Great Banquet!

You are my Beloved, and I will give thanks to You;
You are my Beloved, greatly will I praise You!

We give thanks to You, O Blessed One,
for You are kind; your steadfast love endures for ever!

from: Psalms for Praying by Nan C. Merrill

Monday, April 2
Reading: Luke 19:28-40

Tuesday, April 3
Reading: Luke 22:7-23

Wednesday, April 4
Reading: Luke 22:47-53

Thursday, April 5
Reading: Luke 22:66- 23:25

Friday, April 6
Reading: Luke 23:32-46, 50-56

Saturday, April 7
Reading: Pihilippians 2:5-11

Sunday, April 8
Reading: Luke 24:1-12

2007-03-27T12:43:00.000-07:00

Lenten Practices - Week 5
During this fifth week of Lent we are invited to ponder the nature of deep joy. (Psalm 126)

As a Lenten practice you may want to begin your day with a candle and few moments of quiet reflection. You might keep a journal to record your thoughts as you move through your day. You may want to end your day with quiet reflection or shared prayer with your family.

Psalm 126
When Divine Love enters the human heart,
all yearning are fulfilled!
Then will our mouths ring forth with laughter,
and our tongues with shouts of joy;
then will we sing our songs of praise,
to You, O Beloved of all hearts.
For gladness will radiate out for all to see;
so great is your Presence among us.

Restore us to wholeness, O Healer,
like newborn babes
who have never strayed from you!
May all who sow in tears
reap with shouts of joy!
May all who go forth weeping tears of repentance,
bearing seed for sowing,
come home to You with shouts of joy,
leaving sorrow behind.
—Psalms for Praying by Nan C. Merrill

Monday, March 26
Carry Psalm 126 with you through the week.
Pray this psalm in the morning and in the evening each day.

Tuesday, March 27
In your prayer time invite Divine Love to enter your heart.

Wednesday, March 28
What is your song of praise today?
Make up a song as you go about your day!

Thursday, March 29
Imagine your life restored to wholeness.
How will your life be different?

Friday, March 30
What does it mean to you to "come home" to God?

Saturday, March 31
Share your experience with a family member or with a friend at church on Sunday.

2007-03-17T16:04:00.000-07:00

Lenten Practices - Week 4
During this fourth week of Lent we are invited to take a close look at our lives and seek reconciliation with God. (Psalm 32)

As a Lenten practice you may want to begin your day with a candle and few moments of quiet reflection. You might keep a journal to record your thoughts as you move through your day. You may want to end your day with quiet reflection or shared prayer with your family.

Psalm 32
Blessed is each one whose wrongdoings have been forgiven,
whose shame has been forgotten.
Blessed is each one in whom Love Divine finds a home,
and whose spirit radiates truth.

When I acknowledged not my shortcomings,
I became ill through all my defenses.
And day and night, guilt weighed heavy in my heart;
My spirit became dry as desert bones.

I admitted my faults to the Most High,
and I made known my regret;
I cried out, "Forgive me, O Comforter,
for those times I have sinned in
my thoughts, my words, and my deeds;"
And the Beloved created a clean heart within me.

Therefore, let everyone who is sincere
give thanks to the Beloved;
For whenever we feel overwhelmed by fear,
we shall be embraced by Love.
Dwelling in the heart of the Beloved,
we are free from distress, free to live creatively.

O my Beloved, you are my guide and my teacher;
Be watchful of me, give me your counsel.
I pray for the gifts of inner peace and wisdom,
For the gift of reverence for life.

Many are the heartaches of those separated from Love.
Steadfast love abides with those
who surrender their lives into the hands of the Beloved.
Be glad and rejoice, all you
who walk along the path of truth!
And shout for joy, all you upright of heart!

—Psalms for Praying by Nan C. Merrill

Monday, March 19
This week carry Psalm 32 with you.
Pray the psalm in the morning and in the evening.

Tuesday, March 20
Remember at time when you were out of relationship with a friend and found true reconciliation. Is there an out of balance relationship that needs attending to now? Offer a prayer for reconciliation.

Wednesday, March 21
Spend this day in gratitude to God.
Meditate upon God’s tender mercy.

Thursday, March 22
Pray for "the gifts of inner wisdom and peace."

Friday, March 23
Take a walk outside and notice signs of Springs transforming work. What new bud is growing in you?

Saturday, March 24
Share your experience with a family member or with a friend at church on Sunday.

2007-03-12T09:59:00.000-07:00

Lenten Practices - Week 3
During this third week of Lent we are invited to notice our yearning—our "thirst"—for God and to seek rest and refreshment in the heart of God. (Psalm 63)

As a Lenten practice you may want to begin your day with a candle and few moments of quiet reflection. You might keep a journal to record your thoughts as you move through your day. You may want to end your day with quiet reflection or shared prayer with your family.

Psalm 63
O Love, you are my Beloved, and I long for You,
my soul thirsts for You:
All that is within me thirsts,
as a dry and barren land with no water.
So I have called out to You in my heart,
sensing your power and glory.
Because your steadfast love is Life to me,
my lips will praise You.
I would radiate your love as long as I live,
becoming a blessing to others in gratitude to You.

My soul feasts as with a magnificent banquet,
and my mouth praises You with joyful lips,
When I ponder Your kindness, and
meditate on You throughout the night;
For You have been my salvation,
and in the shadows of your wings I sing for joy.
My soul clings to You,your love upholds me.
The fears that seem to separate me from You
shall be transformed and disappear;
As they are faced, each fear is diminished;
they shall be gone as in a dream when I awaken.
And my soul shall rejoice in the Beloved;
You who open your heart to Love
will live in peace and joy!

—Psalms for Praying: An Invitation to Wholeness by Nan C. Merrill

Monday, March 12
This week carry Psalm 63 with you.
Pray this psalm in the morning and in the evening for the week.
If you remember, pray the psalm before lunch.

Tuesday, March 13
Notice when you are thirsty.
Notice what your drink.

Wednesday, March 14
Eat at least one meal with mindfulness.
Put your utensil down between each bite.
Chew slowly and swallow before your hand moves to pick up the utensil for the next bite.

Thursday, March 15
Be a radiator of God’s love!
Be a blessing to others!

Friday, March 16
Meditate today on the nature of joy.
Gaze deeply on the transformation of spring.

Saturday, March 17
Share your experience with a family member or a friend at church.

2007-03-04T17:32:00.000-08:00

Lenten Practices - Week 2
During this second week of Lent we are invited to take a look at our fears and place them in the light of God. (Ps. 27, see below)

As a Lenten practice you may want to begin your day with a candle and few moments of quiet reflection. You might keep a journal to record your thoughts as you move through your day. You may want to end your day with quiet reflection or shared prayer with your family.

Monday, March 5
Choose a phrase from Psalm 27 to serve as your companion prayer throughout the week. You may want to write out the prayer in your journal. Write it on a slip of paper and put it somewhere where you will see it, maybe on the bathroom mirror, on the dashboard of your car, or in your purse or wallet.

Psalm 27
Love is my light and my salvation,
whom shall I fear?
Love is the strength of my life,
Of whom shall I be afraid?

When fears assail me,
rising up to accuse me,
Each one in turn shall be seen
in Love’s light.
Though a multitude of demons rise up within me,
my heart shall not fear.
Though doubts and guilt do battle,
yet shall I remain confident.

One thing have I asked of Love,
that I shall ever seek:
That I might dwell in the Heart of Love
all the days of my life,
To behold the Beauty of my Beloved,
and to know Love’s Plan.

For I shall hide in Love’s heart
in the day of trouble,
As in a tent in the desert,
Away from the noise of my fears.
And I shall rise above my struggles, my pain,
Shouting blessings of gratitude in Love’s Heart
And singing melodies of praise to my Beloved.

Hear, O my Beloved, when I cry aloud,
be gracious and answer me!
You have said, "Seek my face."
My heart responds,
"Your face, my Beloved, do I seek;
hide not your face from me."

Do not turn from me,
You who have been my refuge.
Enfold me in your strong arms, O Blessed One.
Though my father and mother
may not understand me,
You, my Beloved, know and love me.

Teach me to be love, as You are Love;
Lead me through each fear;
Hold my hand as I walk through
valleys of doubt each day,
That I may know your peace.

I believe that I shall know the Realm of Heaven,
of Love, hear on earth!
Wait for the Beloved,
be strong with courage of the heart;
Yes! Wait for the Beloved of your heart!

—Psalms for Praying: an Invitation to Wholeness by Nan C.Merrill

Tuesday, March 6
Pray your companion prayer in the evening before you go to sleep.

Wednesday, March 7
When you awake this morning pray your companion prayer.
Pray it again in the evening before you go to sleep.

Thursday, March 8
Pray your companion prayer when you wake.
Pray it again in the middle of the day and again in the evening before you go to sleep.

Friday, March 9
Pray your companion prayer when you wake.
Pray it again in the middle of the day and again in the evening before you go to sleep.
Choose one of those times to sing it quietly to yourself.

Saturday, March 10
Share your companion prayer with a family member or a friend.

2007-02-26T10:50:00.000-08:00

Lenten Practices
At the beginning of Lent we pray for a "clean" heart and ask God to put "a new and right spirit with us." (Psalm 51)

As we enter this first week of Lent take some time to look deeply into your heart.

To facilitate this process you may want to begin your day with a candle and few moments of quiet reflection.

You may want to begin a journal to record your thoughts as you move through your day. You may want to end your day with quiet reflection or shared prayer with your family.

Monday, February 26
In your prayer time and as you go about your day take note of irritations that arise within you. Invite God’s spirit to breathe with you and clear your heart.

Tuesday, February 27
Begin your day with an intention, for example: God help me to slow down and listen to others with an open heart.

At the end of the day notice if you remembered your intention. There is no shame in forgetting. Forgetting, as well as remembering, is part of the journey, give thanks that you are noticing.

Wednesday, February 28
Look for opportunities to say "thank you." Be indiscriminate!

Scatter "thank yous" wherever you go like beautiful seeds.

If you drive somewhere make up a God, I thank you for. . . song.

Thursday, March 1
Sometime today, in a private moment (or not!), open your arms open really wide and the stretch of your muscles around your heart.

Invite God to help you take that sense of openness with you throughout the day. Notice how your heart can open and close just like breathing. Notice when that happens.

Friday, March 2
Just for today, turn off the news. Listen for signs of spring. Notice your own thoughts. At the end of the day notice how it feels to unplug from the news of the world.

Saturday, March 3
Call someone you love and have a heart-to-heart conversation.

Following the phone call offer up a prayer of love on behalf that person.

Sunday, March 4
Read: Luke 9:28-36 and 13:31-35

2006-12-25T08:44:00.000-08:00

December 25, Christmas Day

Laurie Rudel

. . . the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.
Galatians 3:22 (NSRV)

Creature of the earth

of clay and spit and water and blood

what might be born in you this day?

What newness seeks expression?

What dream stirs within your beating heart?

Look! look! A newborn lies beside you

in need of tender care.

2006-12-23T21:24:00.000-08:00

December 24 - Fourth Sunday of Advent - LOVE

Joan Dennehy

Mary said, My soul proclaims your greatness, O God, and my spirit rejoices in you, my Savior. For you have looked with favor upon your lowly servant, and from this day forward all generations will call me blessed.
Luke 1:46-48 (NRSV)

Lady of Guadalupe, Black Madonna, Queen of Patriarchs, Mystical Rose, Miriam, the Jewish girl from Nazareth said, "yes" to life. Gabriel and God and all the heavens stood in suspense, hanging on the woman’s answer. This story means that each of us is asked to bring the light of Christ into the world.

Barbara Brown Taylor describes it this way: "If you decide to say ‘no’ you simply drop your eyes and refuse to look up until you know the angel has left the room. Or you can listen, you can decide to take part in a plan you did not choose, doing things you do not know how to do, for reasons you do not entirely understand. You can agree to smuggle God into the world inside your own body."

The angel can come into any human life, any family, any nation with the good news that we are not lost or forgotten. Protestants have ignored Mary for too long. She represents the feminine side of God. In folk art she is depicted huge and powerful, holding a tiny Christ on her lap.

Sit quietly and breathe slowly.
Bring to mind a time when you said "no" to life, went back to whatever it is that is familiar to you.
Bring to mind an image of Mary and ask her to speak to you.
Keep breathing slowly until your heart and her heart feel like one.

We are all meant to be mothers of God, for God is always needing to be born.
- Meister Eckhart

2006-12-22T19:14:00.000-08:00

Saturday, December 23 - LOVE

Joan Dennehy

But I say to you love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.
Matthew 5:44 (NRSV)

Desmond Tutu, Archbishop Emeritus of South Africa, spoke at St. Mark’s Cathedral this year:
"All. All belong. Jew, Palestinian, Buddhist, Muslim, atheist, secularist. All. All. All. All are held in this wide embrace with a love that will not let anyone go. God has no enemies, and certainly my enemies are not God’s enemies. Each and all are precious, with a preciousness that cannot be computed. Each of us is known by name.

So what? Well, no one can be excluded. Saddam Hussein, Bin Laden. George Bush. The Iranian president. The North Koreans. All. All belong. Just think of the person you can least stand. Do you know God loves that person as if they were the only person on earth—just as God loves you?"

Fountain of Light and Truth, we confess that we continue to spend what can only be described as obscene amounts on budgets of death and destruction, when we know that just a fraction of those budgets would ensure that God’s children everywhere, our sisters and brothers, would have enough food to eat, clean water to drink, a decent home, affordable health care, a good education. Be born in us anew that we will believe again in your dream.

One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life; that word is love.
- Sophocles

2006-12-21T20:07:00.000-08:00

Friday, December 22 - LOVE

Laurie Rudel

You shall also love the stranger,
for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.
Deuteronomy 10:19 (NSRV)

In one translation of this text the word "love" is rendered as "befriend." You must befriend the stranger. We can ponder this teaching at a couple of levels.

Despite the history (some would call it a "sacred contract") of our country as a lamp to the "poor huddled masses yearning to be free" we have not been the most hospitable of people. We worry ourselves sick that a stranger is getting something for nothing and that there won’t be enough to go around. We have determined that indeed "fences do make good neighbors." The truth is that all but a very few of us came here from "somewhere else": we were strangers once ourselves.

At another level there are parts of ourselves that cry out for recognition: pieces of us that we perceive to be less attractive or even repellent. We call these pieces by a variety of names and rarely draw attention to them.

If we believe that we are linked inside and out then how we love/befriend others who are strange to us helps us to love/befriend all the varied parts of ourselves and how we love/befriend the varied parts of ourselves allows us to love/befriend others.

The point is: we’ve all been there.
Remember that! God tells us.
You are special, but not that special!
Remember when you . . .

[Love] is not something that we must create, it is us. Love is our essence—the fundamental energy that nourishes us. It is our birthright.
- Benjamin Shield

2006-12-20T21:28:00.000-08:00

Thursday, December 21 - LOVE

Laurie Rudel

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these? He said to him, Yes, Lord; I love you. Jesus said to him, Feed my lambs.
John 21:15 (NSRV)

Love is a verb

an action word.

It is not a lumpy thing

that sits on a shelf taken

down occasionally for dusting

as if a prized possession.

Love is alert, looking, seeing, noticing:

how is it with your soul?

Make many acts of love, for they set the soul on fire and make it gentle.
- St Teresa of Jesus

2006-12-19T20:42:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, December 20 - LOVE

Joan Dennehy

We know that God makes everything work together for the good of those who love God and have been called according to God’s purpose.
Romans 8:28 (The Inclusive New Testament)

Silence is a place of hearing and it is finding its way back into worship. Removal from the noise of this world lifts the heart and asks us to think of the things of heaven.

In our society, noise disconnects us from others and drives us deeper into isolation. Perhaps we often overuse electronic gadgets for the same reason we spend countless hours shopping: We do not want to be left alone with our thoughts. When was the last time we followed a thought where it would take us without our eyes or ears being pulled away by a screen or an artificial sound?
Carl Jung said, "If you can’t stand to be alone in silence with yourself, why do you inflict yourself on us?" Meister Eckhart, 14th century Christian mystic, said "Nothing in all creation is so like God as silence." That means to run from the self is to run from God.

I have found that only in silence can this mystery of everything working together for good be met and integrated into human flesh where the mind continues its work of dividing and sorting everything while the heart serenely pulls the fragments into a whole we can feel if not exactly see.

O God of Wonders let us see that the measure of the pain we feel in any loss is the measure of love we’ve had.

Love makes any place agreeable.
- Arabian proverb

2006-12-18T21:38:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, December 19 - JOY

Laurie Rudel

. . . suffering produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
Romans 5:3-5 (NSRV)

God’s love has been poured into our hearts . . . not sprinkled, or rationed out, not saved or held back for a rainy day . . . poured . . . just like the little girl with the yellow umbrella on the Morton Salt container who pours out salt behind her like there is no tomorrow.

In a very real way there is no tomorrow for God. No yesterday either for that matter. For God the thing that matters is now. This moment, then the next one. Mark Nepo writes: Do one thing at a time and do it entirely, and it will lead you to the next moment of love. When we can be present in this way our everyday life begins to carve out a path leading us toward deeper and deeper love.

And the deeper we go in love then the more we will experience the radiance of grace that infuses all aspects of our life including times of great suffering. Nothing, not even suffering can separate us from the love of God.

• Pause in prayer and ponder the state of your heart.
• Imagine God pouring love into your heart and especially filling the empty places.
• Take it in, treasure it, and remember your heart-full of love as you go about your day.

It is only necessary to know that love is a direction and not a state of the soul. If one is unaware of this, one falls into despair at the first onslaught of affliction.
- Simone Weil

2006-12-18T09:12:00.000-08:00

Monday, December 18 - LOVE

Joan Dennehy

Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fatted ox and hatred with it.
Proverbs 15:17 (NRSV)

My five children tease me now about how much I watered down the orange juice while they were growing up—just one of many humble offerings at the table when budgets were tight. The pedestal table is a six foot round butcher block which found its way into the church library and now sits in storage waiting for a better day. It will take some sanding to remove the years of elbows, gouges, sliding plates, schoolwork, art projects and sewing efforts. It was the only table big enough for most things.

I was sitting at that table one day with a young one on my lap, rocking back and forth crying, Thank you, honey, thank you. She had brought me a handful of flowers, the flowers I had spent all spring trying to grow, trying to create just one beautiful thing, something that would take me outside the house. When she saw that finger-painting of colors humming against the blue air, she could think of nothing but to pick them and bring them to me, wilting already in her hot little hands. Thank you.

Close your eyes and erase the many thoughts and images that arise. Then ask to see a table in your own life where love was shared. Breathe deeply and feel the energy of love in the air surrounding you.

Love cures people—both the ones who give it and the ones who receive it.
- Karl Menniger

2006-12-17T16:08:00.000-08:00

Sunday, December 17 - The Third Sunday of Advent - JOY

[Winter storms hit us hard this past week.
Power is back on after three days . . .]

Laurie Rudel

Rejoice in the Lord always: Again I say, Rejoice.
Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near.
Philippians 4:4-5 (NSRV)

This letter from Paul links rejoicing, gentleness, and proximity to God as keys to a faithful, trusting life.

We don’t hear much about gentleness or joy these days. On the whole our culture values displays of visible power. Gentleness is frequently perceived as a weakness. Our children learn early on to develop thick skins, to "toughen up". Having protective outer skin is helpful and necessary in life, however at what point is enough "toughness" enough and at what point to do we lose our capacity for gentleness and joy?

To live close to God is to live close to the ground—the humus. As it has been observed, we are not human beings attempting to be spiritual: we are spiritual beings attempting to become human. To live close to God is to become fully human capable of the full range of human emotions. There is joy in accepting exactly where we are in life and to cease our striving to be someone or something that we are not.

God, give us this day a full measure of gentleness as we offer a full measure of gentleness to others. Keep us from the temptation to wield power over others, especially over those weaker than ourselves. True power belongs to you, O God. May we grow this day in humility and tenderness and joy.

Joy fixes us to eternity and pain fixes us to time. But desire and fear hold us in bondage to time, and detachment breaks the bond.
- Simone Weil

2006-12-15T20:30:00.000-08:00

Saturday, December 16 - JOY

Laurie Rudel

So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.
Matthew 28:8 (NSRV)

Life is never quite as straightforward as we think it is. As a matter of fact the path of our lives can rarely be described in a linear fashion. We live within a huge arc from birth to death and within that arc we experience many little deaths and births: ideas, dreams, jobs, loved ones. Destruction and creation are both necessary for fullness of life. Fear and joy travel together as necessary companions.

When the women came to the tomb they had no idea that God had spoken a word to re-create the energy of the human-Jesus into the Christ-God empowered energy that would inspire millions of people to love and serve and offer their own lives on behalf of the world.

Just as God has spoken a new word, just as the women ran to speak a new word to the disciples—so we are called to speak our unique word to the world.

• What is your greatest fear?
• What is your greatest joy?
• Who will you tell this to?

Joy and sorrow, life and death, always so close together!
- Dorothy Day

2006-12-14T21:26:00.000-08:00

Friday, December 15 - JOY

Joan Dennehy

I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you,
and your joy may be complete.
John 15:11 (NRSV)

Times are tough. There is a global anxiety that seeps into the window at night and makes for fretful sleep. There seems to be a real shortage of joy these days. You don’t see a lot of adult people skipping and twirling around. Joy seems almost irreverent in a world where so much is going wrong.

Imagine you are in a plaza with a big water fountain in the center and people sitting around all over the place. It’s early spring, the sun is shining, and pigeons are flapping in the sky overhead. You are talking to your friend when all of a sudden she just snaps. She runs over to the water fountain, plunges her hands into it, and drenches herself. Then she runs back to you and puts her cold wet hands on either side of your face. You are appalled. Everyone is staring. You want to throw a scarf over her head because her face is so completely open, so utterly defenseless that you can hardly stand to look at it.

Joy happens when God is present and people know it, which means it can erupt in a depressed economy, in the middle of a war, in an intensive care waiting room.

Gracious God, though joy might seem to be too revealing, we, for heaven’s sake, want to learn not to protect ourselves so much, not to have such a grip on ourselves. Help us make room for you like Mary did. Help us see how she started humming a tune the church is still singing to this day. Teach us to sing.

No earthly joy is acquired without tears.
- Phillipine proverb

2006-12-13T21:37:00.000-08:00

Thursday, December 14 - JOY

Laurie Rudel

. . . let the field exult, and everything in it.
Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy . . .
Psalm 96:12 (NSRV)

Recently, in a retreat setting, I worked with a group of people teaching them how to do hand dances in pairs. We began quite simply by placing the palm of our hand against the palm of our partner’s hand. We pushed a little, pulled a little, made some shapes with our hands and pretty soon our hands were dancing with each other. Then we made some space between our hand and our partner’s hand, just a little bit. Some of us could feel energy pulsing in the space between.

The next morning our retreat group took a meditative walk through the forest. Folks in the group were of differing physical abilities. At the beginning of the hike we were told that if anyone needed to stop for a moment and rest that the whole group would pause until that person was ready to move on again.

So in this manner we walked and stopped all along the trail. One man who was quite fit began to become irritated at all the stops and starts. Then he remembered the hand dances. Now each time we stopped he centered himself and let his energy reach out to the tree closest to him. It became a sort of a human-tree dance.

To our ordinary eyes trees appear to be still. Rooted in one place how can a tree dance and sing for joy?

Gracious God, open my eyes to the joy that floods the world and let me sing!

One joy scatters a hundred griefs.
- Chinese proverb

2006-12-12T21:35:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, December 13 - JOY

Laurie Rudel

You show me the path of life.
In your presence there is fullness of joy,
in your right hand are pleasures evermore.
Psalm 16:11 (NSRV)

In this season of waiting we prepare for what will come. We purchase gifts, send cards, make cookies, and decorate while visions of the holy-holiday dance through our heads. The trick, as always, is to not miss what is happening right in front of us right now!

When we ponder that "in God’s presence there is fullness of joy" perhaps we might want to see what that fullness looks like right now rather than tossing away today as one more day to cross off on our way to the main event.

So, today give yourself an early Christmas present of God’s presence and:

• Go outside. Take a good breath . . . what does the air smell like?
• During one of your meals really taste what you are eating.
• Before you go to sleep notice where you experienced a tiny sliver of joy.

Health is not just the absence of disease. It’s an inner joyfulness that should be ours all the time—a state of positive well-being.
- Deepak Chopra

2006-12-12T05:53:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, December 12 - JOY

Joan Dennehy

With joy you will draw waters from the wells of salvation.
Isaiah 12:3 (NRSV)

The writings of C.S. Lewis have taught me three things about joy. The first is that joy surprises. It comes unbidden and unplanned for. I have tried to coerce it, even gently cajole it into existence, but like the Spirit, it blows where it will. Lewis tells of his first experience with joy, when as a child of five, his brother make a little toy garden of twigs and flowers in the lid of a biscuit tin. The sight enchanted Lewis and he fell under its spell.

Secondly, joy is not the same as pleasure, fun, happiness. If you have tasted it you know you won’t exchange it for all the pleasures of the world.

Finally, joy co-exists with pain. In the midst of affliction, joy gives proof of its power. It is the anchor that gives us the stability we need to endure all kinds of upsets and struggles.

• Sit quietly and bring to mind a time when joy has surprised you.
• Now think about a struggle you are now experiencing.
• Breathe through this struggle and bless the buried part of you just waiting for its turn in the world.

When you finally allow yourself to trust joy and embrace it, you will find your dance with everything.
- Emmanuel

2006-12-10T21:20:00.000-08:00

Monday, December 11 - JOY

Joan Dennehy

When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy.
Matthew 2:10 (NRSV)

In the Christmas story something powerful led the magi on a long and dangerous journey to see the one who would embody wisdom in this world. As they knelt to give their gifts I wonder how they imagined the future of this baby.

"It’s strange the way everybody has their own pet notion about Jesus..." was the musing of one of The Brothers K, in a novel of the same name by David James Duncan. "Grandawma, for instance, says he’s just a defunct social reformer. Then there’s Papa, who once said he God’s Son all right, and that he survived the crucifixion just fine, but that the two-thousand-year-old funeral service his followers call Christianity probably made him sorry he did. Bet spent a whole day making a Christmas card for Uncle Marv and Aunt Mary Jane last year, then got so proud of the card that she refused to mail it to anybody but herself. "That’s the Christmas spirit!’ Everett told her. Then we looked to see what she was so proud of, and it turned out to be this whole army of crayon angels, in these gold sort of football helmets, charging into Bethlehem and in the sky above them huge red and green letters copied from a book Bet couldn’t yet read proclaimed:

JOY TO THE WORLD!

THE SAVIOR RESIGNS!

We wish, Answer to All Mysteries, that it was perfectly clear who Jesus was and is. He’s a Word, a bridegroom, a vine, then a thief in the night. He’s the messiah, a rabbi, a third of a Trinity, a fisherman, then a broken loaf of bread. Yet something powerful leads us every year to the manger and awakens in us the gifts that are ours to give.

Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile is the source of your joy.
- Thich Nhat Hanh