It’s almost Thanksgiving – that one time of the year that we take time to be thankful – we plan a whole day for it, actually, but let’s be honest! Most of us spend more time in front of the television or the stove! But since we have a few more days to consider how fortunate we are, I’d like to throw my “Top Things to Be Thankful For” into the mix! Here is what I’m thankful for this year!
l. Water. It was Mark Twain who once said “Whiskey is for drinking. Water is for fighting over.” We Americans take our access to water and its plentitude for granted – but all that may change – and perhaps in our very own lifetimes. I recently learned that if the cure for AIDS was one 8 oz glass of clean water every day for every person infected with the disease – we couldn’t cure AIDS – we don’t have enough clean, fresh water in the world to meet that need. Shocking! It is predicted that the next world war will not be over oil – it will be
about water. So be thankful for water -- think and pray about water – try to conserve it as much as possible.
2. Food: We live in a country of unbelievable abundance. A trip to a market in Europe will reduce your choices of breakfast cereals about 85%. If you don’t like Wheatabix – well you’re pretty much out of luck. Seventeen children die of hunger every MINUTE in the worl. On Thanksgiving Thursday we will waste
more food than most of the people of the world will see in a month. Pray about food –its use and abuse and for those who may die because of the lack of it. Think about giving a donation of time or money to a local food bank!
3. Healthcare: – On this Thanksgiving, I’m thankful even with various aches and pains that I can walk; I can see; I can think and if for some reason I become incapacitated, I have within my grasp some of the best medical minds in the world – I have access to health care. It means that if my knees give out, I can replace them – if my eyes go bad I can have surgery to correct them. Within our own country there are men, women and children who do not have that luxury. Ten dollars per child is all it takes to immunize a child from all the diseases that American children routinely are immunized against – but the world cannot seem to raise that kind of money – guess we’re too busy buying Big Macs!
4. Employment- In Haiti the unemployment rate is 85%. In the U. S. it’s about 10% depending on where you live – and it’s the worst it’s been in about 23 years -- and we’re very upset about that. Have you thought about how lucky you are to have a job? Not the job you want? – well, in this country you have opportunity. In many places of the world your job is dependent on your family – if your father was a plumber – you can expect to be a plumber -- to do something else would be unthinkable. That may be OK if you WANT to be a plumber – but consider how many opportunities we have and don’t have to consider our parent’s occupations. So this Thanksgiving, pray for your work, your retirement and all your sources of income. So this Thanksgiving, pray for your work, your retirement and all your sources of income.
5. I’m thankful that I’m an American Woman: In many places in the world women are not allowed to drive a car – or shop in a store without a male escort. They can hold jobs – but only certain jobs… like teachers, nurses and childcare workers. They are forbidden to supervise men and their wages are a sharp contrast to their male counterparts. In many places in the world a woman can be fired from her job if a man applies for it – that’s all it takes – one male applicant and you lose your source of income. I’m thankful to be a woman in the time and place in which I live. Could it be better? Of course! But I’m grateful for what I have.
6. I’m grateful that I live where I am free to make my own decisions. I met a woman this week at a formal dinner who was wearing a beautiful white caftan – when she was asked where she bought it she said that she had recently been in Kuwait meeting with women about their rights– where the women must wear black caftans, veils and headscarves whenever they are in public. The men wear white caftans that are much cooler. My friend suggested to the women she was meeting that she would like one of those lovely WHITE caftans – and the Kuwaiti women were aghast!! A woman cannot buy men’s clothes in Kuwait! – they cannot go into a men’s store. As she was preparing to leave Kuwait the women presented her with a gift of a white caftan – one of the women had sent her brother, who is about the same size as my acquaintance – because you see, in Kuwait a man who was buying clothes for a man other than himself would also come under suspicion. Be grateful for your liberty!
7. Friends and Family- Sometimes we take the people that we love for granted the most. I talked recently to a man whose wife died and he said, “I wish now that I had told her more how much I loved her”. So often we say, “if only I had done this or that”. The saddest words in all the world are “if only”. Tell someone today how much you care for and love them. Thank God for these important people in your life.
8. I’m thankful that I can stand up for what is right – and that I can make a difference if I choose to act on my values and beliefs. I can volunteer, I can write to my representatives in Congress or the Senate. I can vote and I can spend my time and my money to make the world a better place to live. I have a voice, if I choose to use it. I can stand up – or sit in – or petition or write a letter. I have power if I choose to use it – and use it, I should!
9- I would be terribly remiss if I wasn’t thankful for the children in my life – the littlest ones and the ones who are nearing adulthood– because they give me great joy and help me to see the world through their eyes.
9. I am incredibly grateful that time moves forward – that just when we begin to believe that humanity has all the right answers, we find out how truly off base we were. I’m grateful that most of the time, we’re wrong! There were those who claimed that women would never have the vote in the United States – that women could never serve in ministry, that African-Americans were not equal to Caucasians in intelligence or logic. It was once believed that children were just “miniature adults” and should be taught to work and be responsible at a very early age – so that they would make “better” adults. At one time alcoholism was a “sin” and so was homosexuality, divorce and working in the entertainment field! I’m SO glad times are a changin’ and that we learn and grow (evolve!) from generation to generation.
10. I believe that the problems of this world belong to us – but that we belong to God. The “present time,” you see, isn’t a prepackaged stew that we have little choice but to serve and to endure. The present time is God’s time. Events and decisions are still ours to shape – we can’t get off that hook – but God has chosen to give us guidance and assurances to help us along the way. That’s Good News!
So, this Thanksgiving make up your own list of what you’re thankful for! It’s a wonderful world – appreciate it!
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
Thoughts on Halloween, etc.
It's "that time of year" again! Makes me just crazy when I hear those folks of the religious right proclaim that Halloween is "the devil's birthday" and hand out tracts to children who come to the door looking for "treats". What kind of nonsense is that!! A little reading of church history would inform our ultra-religious cisterns and brethren that what we celebrate today is a remnant of religious practice by some very committed Christians and others. What we now do for fun, was once done by both children and adults in deadly earnest!
The history goes like this: Named “All Hallows Eve,” the festival was first celebrated by the ancient Celts in Ireland in the 5th century, BC. October 31 was the official end of summer and Celtic households extinguished the fires on their hearths to deliberately make their homes cold and undesirable to disembodied spirits. They then gathered outside the village, where a huge bonfire was built to honor the sun god for the past summer’s harvest and to frighten away spirits.
The Celts believed that on Oct. 31, all persons who had died in the previous year assembled to choose the body of the person or animal they would inhabit for the next 12 months, before they could pass peacefully into the afterlife. To frighten roving souls, Celtic family members dressed themselves as demons, witches and goblins to make themselves undesirable for the spirits to inhabit. At this point a poor (living) soul, who was deemed to be possessed by appearance or mannerism, would be sacrificed on the bonfire as a lesson to any spirits contemplating human possession. Not very "nice" of them -- that's for sure -- but remember, these were very primitive people and superstitions gave them a sense of hope and control over a world that was very mysterious! Sound like anyone you know today?
The Romans adopted Celtic Halloween practices in 61 AD, but forbade the sacrifice of humans, substituting instead, effigies. In time, the belief in spirit possession waned, and Halloween became an amusement.
Christians celebrated All Soul’s Day (November 1) beginning in the 9th century. They would walk from village to village begging for square biscuits made with raisins called “soul cakes”. The “beggars” promised to offer up prayers for the dead relatives of the donors, the number of prayers to be proportional to the donors’ generosity with the raisins in the cakes. It was believed at that time, of course, that limbo and purgatory were the initial stopping place for all soul’s bound for heaven, and it was believed that a prayer, any prayer from any person, could shorten that stay.
All Saints’ or All Souls’ Day: November 1 is the actual day, but is recognized on the first Sunday of November within the present Christian calendar. It commemorates all Christian people of all time and place who have gone on to "Glory" and the “communion of the Saints” both living and dead...to recognize the common bond between the church on earth, which, unfortunately is termed "the Church Militant" and the "Church Expectant" (those who have "gone on to their reward") and the "Church Triumphant" (the gathering of the church upon Christ’s return). These are all "terms of the church" -- and if you are from a Catholic background, you probably learned them, and their definitions, in your confirmation class. The "Church Militant" referring to the living church today (YIKES!) means that we Christians are supposed to be "fighting the powers of evil" in the world. Gosh, I wish we really were!
All Souls’ Day was vigorously objected to by the Reformers (Calvin, Luther and Zwingli, among others) because it continued the “veneration of the saints.” Ironically, many denominations today use All Saints’ Day to remember and “venerate” the Reformers! They would be appalled!
So -- go tricking and treating!! Dress up and have fun! Hand out safe snacks to the children and ignore the "hype" from the right! It's just a fun day with an unfortunate past.... which makes it just like so many of us!
Pastor Nan
The history goes like this: Named “All Hallows Eve,” the festival was first celebrated by the ancient Celts in Ireland in the 5th century, BC. October 31 was the official end of summer and Celtic households extinguished the fires on their hearths to deliberately make their homes cold and undesirable to disembodied spirits. They then gathered outside the village, where a huge bonfire was built to honor the sun god for the past summer’s harvest and to frighten away spirits.
The Celts believed that on Oct. 31, all persons who had died in the previous year assembled to choose the body of the person or animal they would inhabit for the next 12 months, before they could pass peacefully into the afterlife. To frighten roving souls, Celtic family members dressed themselves as demons, witches and goblins to make themselves undesirable for the spirits to inhabit. At this point a poor (living) soul, who was deemed to be possessed by appearance or mannerism, would be sacrificed on the bonfire as a lesson to any spirits contemplating human possession. Not very "nice" of them -- that's for sure -- but remember, these were very primitive people and superstitions gave them a sense of hope and control over a world that was very mysterious! Sound like anyone you know today?
The Romans adopted Celtic Halloween practices in 61 AD, but forbade the sacrifice of humans, substituting instead, effigies. In time, the belief in spirit possession waned, and Halloween became an amusement.
Christians celebrated All Soul’s Day (November 1) beginning in the 9th century. They would walk from village to village begging for square biscuits made with raisins called “soul cakes”. The “beggars” promised to offer up prayers for the dead relatives of the donors, the number of prayers to be proportional to the donors’ generosity with the raisins in the cakes. It was believed at that time, of course, that limbo and purgatory were the initial stopping place for all soul’s bound for heaven, and it was believed that a prayer, any prayer from any person, could shorten that stay.
All Saints’ or All Souls’ Day: November 1 is the actual day, but is recognized on the first Sunday of November within the present Christian calendar. It commemorates all Christian people of all time and place who have gone on to "Glory" and the “communion of the Saints” both living and dead...to recognize the common bond between the church on earth, which, unfortunately is termed "the Church Militant" and the "Church Expectant" (those who have "gone on to their reward") and the "Church Triumphant" (the gathering of the church upon Christ’s return). These are all "terms of the church" -- and if you are from a Catholic background, you probably learned them, and their definitions, in your confirmation class. The "Church Militant" referring to the living church today (YIKES!) means that we Christians are supposed to be "fighting the powers of evil" in the world. Gosh, I wish we really were!
All Souls’ Day was vigorously objected to by the Reformers (Calvin, Luther and Zwingli, among others) because it continued the “veneration of the saints.” Ironically, many denominations today use All Saints’ Day to remember and “venerate” the Reformers! They would be appalled!
So -- go tricking and treating!! Dress up and have fun! Hand out safe snacks to the children and ignore the "hype" from the right! It's just a fun day with an unfortunate past.... which makes it just like so many of us!
Pastor Nan
Monday, September 21, 2009
ROB HUDSON AND ME - ANSWERING THE UNANSWERABLE QUESTIONS!
Dear Readers: It seems I don’t know how to do a SHORT blog! But, never mind. Here is this month’s offering:
I recently had a wonderful email exchange with Rob Hudson – one of our newer members at Trinity. If you were at our church picnic over Labor Day weekend you remember Rob answering the question “What does being a part of Trinity mean to you?” with the answer that he spent his life trying to stump all of his Jesuit priest teachers in school with what he thought were the “unanswerable questions”. The only answer he ever received to these difficult queries was “you must have faith!” In Rob’s words “all I ever got back from those priests or nuns was “the F word”.
When Rob joined Trinity he thought he’d take the opportunity to try out some of his unanswerable questions on me – and thus began this email exchange that I’ve referred to. When it was all said and done, it was Rob who suggested that I turn it into a blog – and since I have such a dickens of a time coming up with anything for blogs (but I’m trying!!) I thought I use Rob’s questions and my answers this time. (Remember Rob – this was YOUR idea!) So here goes (with only slight editorial modifications to protect the writers -- and with Rob's approval -- it was actually his idea!)
Hi Pastor Nan,
I'm going through my old email, and found your question (based on mine as to whether or not Jesus was divine). You asked: "If you found out today, that unequivocally, Jesus was neither divine nor the Son of God, what difference would it make in your life?"
Of all of the mysteries of faith, I struggle most with the divinity of Christ. It seems awfully convenient for God to send his (or her?) son to Earth to connect with people, and the stories seem more like a contrivance of man than a true story. Is it possible to accept God as an all-powerful creator, but not to accept Christ as my savior? I'm having trouble believing. The more I learn about how human interpretations of God have shaped what I was taught to believe, the more skeptical I am of the belief system, and the more inclined I am to view church as a community of people than a pathway to the Divine. Also, the little doubting spark of energy inside me gets a bit more fuel; what other beliefs, with study of history over time, are just waiting to be dismissed as human constructs? How do you reconcile the magical and the spiritual with study of human misinterpretation or misuse of the Divine acts of God? ROB (or J.O.E. – Jesus Or Else!)
FROM REV NAN: Good questions all!! But you didn't answer the original question – which was "what difference would it make in your life if you found out that Jesus was NOT divine??" Answer that one -- and we'll go from there. Pastor Nan
FROM ROB: Eh. For me, it wouldn't make much of a difference; because I'm not sure I believe it in the first place (I who still shudder at the Exorcist and get creeped out by Lovecraftian movies about demons). Very funny! :(
FROM REV NAN: SO -- if it already doesn't make a difference -- what's the catch? Are you feeling creeped out because you were taught something that may be a lie? Are you angry that the whole world is caught up in some kind of religious conspiracy? Join the club!
The first thing we learn in seminary is that everything we thought we believed -- we don't. Everything we thought was true, probably isn't, (or maybe we heard what we wanted to hear!) That God isn't nearly as mean and bad-tempered as we chose to believe -- and that Jesus' death on the cross was tragic and cruel -- but may have nothing to do with my hereafter... that all of that "stuff" was constructed by the powerful elite of the early church who wanted to control the people, governments, money and all the rest -- and they did! They stifled science, mathmatics and philosophy. They ignored the gifts of women and minorities and punished anyone who said anything differently. (Burning witches at the stake was a favorite pasttime -- most of those "witches" were strong, independent women who spoke up to authority.)
So what are we left with? I think something better, actually. Just what you suggested. A gathering of people who want to make life better -- for themselves, for others and especially for those who may be marginalized or forgotten for some reason. Who else in society will do it? Who else HAS done it??
Good, faithful (read religious) people have done some extaordinary things over time -- like built the first hospitals -- the first colleges that excepted women, blacks or other minorities. There wasn't an Ivy League school in the country that would accept a Jew until Harvard did in the 1960's (it's historically Congregational -- remember them?? The Puritans!). The Women's Temperance Society started by the Methodists makes you shudder until you realize that it was an early attempt to protect women and minor children from abusive husbands/fathers and boyfriends who got drunk and beat up their families! Churches led the fight for abolition
and were the first groups vocal about the Viet Nam war. And I could go on.... and on, and on...
"The Church" has done a lot of damage -- but "the church" -- by which I mean a small group of Presbyterians hell bent on bringing justice to the world or some UCCer's who want to make our streets safe for gays and lesbians -- is still doing great stuff!
Who else is? - on such a regular and well organized level? American Red Cross? (Started by a religious woman!) Amnesty International (started by religious folks!) NAACP (started by strong willed Baptists!) Would they have been so motivated without a "religious" bent? Don't know!
It's ok to strain your religion through your own perceptions and abilities to believe. You can leave the magic behind and still have a faith that works!
So what do you do with prayer -- and rituals -- and all that? Well, you remember that God isn't Santa Claus!
I like one of the Buddhist explanations of life. It goes something like this:
We are all part of a great ocean of water that flows along -- until one day, we fall over a great cliff into a waterfall -- and as we are falling, we separate from the great ocean as a tiny bit of spray -- a single iota of water -- a droplet of infinitesimal proportions... and in that moment we say to ourselves "Look at me!! I am completely unique! I am unlike anyone else and I am powerful beyond measure! I'm SO special!! There is something else out there that knows me -- that loves me -- that seeks me -- that is watching me. I'm going to try to control it! I'm going to try to ...... "
And just when we think we have it all figured out -- we join the rest of the great watery mass at the bottom of the cliff and swirl on as one gigantic sea! Pastor Nan
FROM ROB:
I guess I also feel like if that was a lie, maybe God is a lie, and maybe we just punch out of life into the ether or disappear completely. That philosophy starts tending towards "nothing we do matters," and on a daily basis, that there is not someone watching over us to help. That would be a chilling revelation -- if we were
alone. -- Rob
FROM REV NAN: Here are my thoughts on your comments. First: I'm sorry to do this, but I think you're blowing smoke up my nose (or some other part of my anatomy that pastors shouldn't refer to!) Your responses sound just like what you were taught in all those good Catholic schools. Let's see if you really believe what you say, ok??
Here's the challenge: You say you would be saddened/disheartened/devastated
to learn that "God was a lie" BECAUSE then it would feel like "nothing we do matters" (your words, not mine). So I gather from that comment that you are VERY concerned that "your life matter" -- and by inference, that it matter to God! Right? Is that what you mean? Because if THAT is what you
mean I need to ask you: "How many times a day do you stop to ask yourself: 'Is this important in the wider scope of things?' Or 'Is God pleased with this thing that I am doing?' or 'what can I be doing that would make my life matter more?' HMMMM?
Being a person who is so concerned that your life "matters to God" I am sure you must frequently be questioning your motives/actions/thoughts/... and oh, yes -- that of course since you want God to know that YOU are HERE -- not just that GOD is THERE -- you are frequently thanking God, praising God, and invoking God into your life, work, relationships, etc, etc. etc..... I've got to be on target here -- right??
Given your grave concern for pleasing God and having a life that matters???
So, maybe you don't praise/thank/invoke God every day?? How about every week? HMMM? OK --So have you asked yourself any of those questions this decade??? IF you really WERE concerned that your life "mattered" what difference would THAT make?? I preach this stuff every Sunday to a bunch of empty chairs --people just like you want God to "be there" when they want God -- but have very little time to invest in a God who won't answer their every prayer and be "present" in a tangible way TO THEM PERSONALLY! How hubristic can we get! It’s all about MY God – not OUR God (you know, the one we pray to in the Lord’s Prayer?)
And about that whole "watching us" stuff and "being alone" – Good Grief!! Have you stopped to consider that you are one of about 7 billion people on this planet and that being "alone" is almost impossible?? That the one thing that we know about God is that God wants us to be "in community" --
that we should love and depend and care for one another??! That we are, in fact, "God" to each other -- but do we really care?? We want a "personal” God to "watch ME" and make sure that I get all the good stuff and that I'm taken care of! That's the God we want!! We seem to have forgotten that the God that has been revealed to us is the God who says (among other things)
"As you do it even unto the least of these, you have done it to me"
"If your brother is without a shirt, give him yours!"
"Clothe the naked; feed the hungry, visit those who are in prison."
"Do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with your God."
And I could go on!! Alone, Rob???? Start feeding the hungry and reaching out to those in need and then tell me how alone you feel. Volunteer at the local AIDS walk-in center or the Arch Street Center for the mentally ill and then we'll talk about whether or not your life has meaning – but, frankly, if you do
those things, I know it won't be much of a conversation anymore.
What you really mean by your questions is what we have all somehow learned over time -- and
it's so sad and so irrelevant! It's this: "If God doesn't take care of me, then what good is God? If God doesn't reward me and see me and praise ME, then I have no time for God, and if God can't seem to make it on my schedule, then I'm not interested in God.”
Given all these "realities" it sure feels like God is dead -- and THAT must be why we feel so lonely and unfulfilled!! It's all GOD'S fault! Do ya get my drift, Rob? Amen and Amen!
FROM ROB: Wow! You are 100% right! Thank you for being honest. I have a lot to
think about.
Dear Readers: Rob, not a very frequent church-goer, was with us for worship the following Sunday! MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!
I recently had a wonderful email exchange with Rob Hudson – one of our newer members at Trinity. If you were at our church picnic over Labor Day weekend you remember Rob answering the question “What does being a part of Trinity mean to you?” with the answer that he spent his life trying to stump all of his Jesuit priest teachers in school with what he thought were the “unanswerable questions”. The only answer he ever received to these difficult queries was “you must have faith!” In Rob’s words “all I ever got back from those priests or nuns was “the F word”.
When Rob joined Trinity he thought he’d take the opportunity to try out some of his unanswerable questions on me – and thus began this email exchange that I’ve referred to. When it was all said and done, it was Rob who suggested that I turn it into a blog – and since I have such a dickens of a time coming up with anything for blogs (but I’m trying!!) I thought I use Rob’s questions and my answers this time. (Remember Rob – this was YOUR idea!) So here goes (with only slight editorial modifications to protect the writers -- and with Rob's approval -- it was actually his idea!)
Hi Pastor Nan,
I'm going through my old email, and found your question (based on mine as to whether or not Jesus was divine). You asked: "If you found out today, that unequivocally, Jesus was neither divine nor the Son of God, what difference would it make in your life?"
Of all of the mysteries of faith, I struggle most with the divinity of Christ. It seems awfully convenient for God to send his (or her?) son to Earth to connect with people, and the stories seem more like a contrivance of man than a true story. Is it possible to accept God as an all-powerful creator, but not to accept Christ as my savior? I'm having trouble believing. The more I learn about how human interpretations of God have shaped what I was taught to believe, the more skeptical I am of the belief system, and the more inclined I am to view church as a community of people than a pathway to the Divine. Also, the little doubting spark of energy inside me gets a bit more fuel; what other beliefs, with study of history over time, are just waiting to be dismissed as human constructs? How do you reconcile the magical and the spiritual with study of human misinterpretation or misuse of the Divine acts of God? ROB (or J.O.E. – Jesus Or Else!)
FROM REV NAN: Good questions all!! But you didn't answer the original question – which was "what difference would it make in your life if you found out that Jesus was NOT divine??" Answer that one -- and we'll go from there. Pastor Nan
FROM ROB: Eh. For me, it wouldn't make much of a difference; because I'm not sure I believe it in the first place (I who still shudder at the Exorcist and get creeped out by Lovecraftian movies about demons). Very funny! :(
FROM REV NAN: SO -- if it already doesn't make a difference -- what's the catch? Are you feeling creeped out because you were taught something that may be a lie? Are you angry that the whole world is caught up in some kind of religious conspiracy? Join the club!
The first thing we learn in seminary is that everything we thought we believed -- we don't. Everything we thought was true, probably isn't, (or maybe we heard what we wanted to hear!) That God isn't nearly as mean and bad-tempered as we chose to believe -- and that Jesus' death on the cross was tragic and cruel -- but may have nothing to do with my hereafter... that all of that "stuff" was constructed by the powerful elite of the early church who wanted to control the people, governments, money and all the rest -- and they did! They stifled science, mathmatics and philosophy. They ignored the gifts of women and minorities and punished anyone who said anything differently. (Burning witches at the stake was a favorite pasttime -- most of those "witches" were strong, independent women who spoke up to authority.)
So what are we left with? I think something better, actually. Just what you suggested. A gathering of people who want to make life better -- for themselves, for others and especially for those who may be marginalized or forgotten for some reason. Who else in society will do it? Who else HAS done it??
Good, faithful (read religious) people have done some extaordinary things over time -- like built the first hospitals -- the first colleges that excepted women, blacks or other minorities. There wasn't an Ivy League school in the country that would accept a Jew until Harvard did in the 1960's (it's historically Congregational -- remember them?? The Puritans!). The Women's Temperance Society started by the Methodists makes you shudder until you realize that it was an early attempt to protect women and minor children from abusive husbands/fathers and boyfriends who got drunk and beat up their families! Churches led the fight for abolition
and were the first groups vocal about the Viet Nam war. And I could go on.... and on, and on...
"The Church" has done a lot of damage -- but "the church" -- by which I mean a small group of Presbyterians hell bent on bringing justice to the world or some UCCer's who want to make our streets safe for gays and lesbians -- is still doing great stuff!
Who else is? - on such a regular and well organized level? American Red Cross? (Started by a religious woman!) Amnesty International (started by religious folks!) NAACP (started by strong willed Baptists!) Would they have been so motivated without a "religious" bent? Don't know!
It's ok to strain your religion through your own perceptions and abilities to believe. You can leave the magic behind and still have a faith that works!
So what do you do with prayer -- and rituals -- and all that? Well, you remember that God isn't Santa Claus!
I like one of the Buddhist explanations of life. It goes something like this:
We are all part of a great ocean of water that flows along -- until one day, we fall over a great cliff into a waterfall -- and as we are falling, we separate from the great ocean as a tiny bit of spray -- a single iota of water -- a droplet of infinitesimal proportions... and in that moment we say to ourselves "Look at me!! I am completely unique! I am unlike anyone else and I am powerful beyond measure! I'm SO special!! There is something else out there that knows me -- that loves me -- that seeks me -- that is watching me. I'm going to try to control it! I'm going to try to ...... "
And just when we think we have it all figured out -- we join the rest of the great watery mass at the bottom of the cliff and swirl on as one gigantic sea! Pastor Nan
FROM ROB:
I guess I also feel like if that was a lie, maybe God is a lie, and maybe we just punch out of life into the ether or disappear completely. That philosophy starts tending towards "nothing we do matters," and on a daily basis, that there is not someone watching over us to help. That would be a chilling revelation -- if we were
alone. -- Rob
FROM REV NAN: Here are my thoughts on your comments. First: I'm sorry to do this, but I think you're blowing smoke up my nose (or some other part of my anatomy that pastors shouldn't refer to!) Your responses sound just like what you were taught in all those good Catholic schools. Let's see if you really believe what you say, ok??
Here's the challenge: You say you would be saddened/disheartened/devastated
to learn that "God was a lie" BECAUSE then it would feel like "nothing we do matters" (your words, not mine). So I gather from that comment that you are VERY concerned that "your life matter" -- and by inference, that it matter to God! Right? Is that what you mean? Because if THAT is what you
mean I need to ask you: "How many times a day do you stop to ask yourself: 'Is this important in the wider scope of things?' Or 'Is God pleased with this thing that I am doing?' or 'what can I be doing that would make my life matter more?' HMMMM?
Being a person who is so concerned that your life "matters to God" I am sure you must frequently be questioning your motives/actions/thoughts/... and oh, yes -- that of course since you want God to know that YOU are HERE -- not just that GOD is THERE -- you are frequently thanking God, praising God, and invoking God into your life, work, relationships, etc, etc. etc..... I've got to be on target here -- right??
Given your grave concern for pleasing God and having a life that matters???
So, maybe you don't praise/thank/invoke God every day?? How about every week? HMMM? OK --So have you asked yourself any of those questions this decade??? IF you really WERE concerned that your life "mattered" what difference would THAT make?? I preach this stuff every Sunday to a bunch of empty chairs --people just like you want God to "be there" when they want God -- but have very little time to invest in a God who won't answer their every prayer and be "present" in a tangible way TO THEM PERSONALLY! How hubristic can we get! It’s all about MY God – not OUR God (you know, the one we pray to in the Lord’s Prayer?)
And about that whole "watching us" stuff and "being alone" – Good Grief!! Have you stopped to consider that you are one of about 7 billion people on this planet and that being "alone" is almost impossible?? That the one thing that we know about God is that God wants us to be "in community" --
that we should love and depend and care for one another??! That we are, in fact, "God" to each other -- but do we really care?? We want a "personal” God to "watch ME" and make sure that I get all the good stuff and that I'm taken care of! That's the God we want!! We seem to have forgotten that the God that has been revealed to us is the God who says (among other things)
"As you do it even unto the least of these, you have done it to me"
"If your brother is without a shirt, give him yours!"
"Clothe the naked; feed the hungry, visit those who are in prison."
"Do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with your God."
And I could go on!! Alone, Rob???? Start feeding the hungry and reaching out to those in need and then tell me how alone you feel. Volunteer at the local AIDS walk-in center or the Arch Street Center for the mentally ill and then we'll talk about whether or not your life has meaning – but, frankly, if you do
those things, I know it won't be much of a conversation anymore.
What you really mean by your questions is what we have all somehow learned over time -- and
it's so sad and so irrelevant! It's this: "If God doesn't take care of me, then what good is God? If God doesn't reward me and see me and praise ME, then I have no time for God, and if God can't seem to make it on my schedule, then I'm not interested in God.”
Given all these "realities" it sure feels like God is dead -- and THAT must be why we feel so lonely and unfulfilled!! It's all GOD'S fault! Do ya get my drift, Rob? Amen and Amen!
FROM ROB: Wow! You are 100% right! Thank you for being honest. I have a lot to
think about.
Dear Readers: Rob, not a very frequent church-goer, was with us for worship the following Sunday! MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!
Monday, August 31, 2009
GOT SILK?
GOT SILK??
I’ve been thinking about parachutes! (Don’t ask me why – who knows with a mind like mine!!) Did you know that when parachutes were first invented they were made from silk? Think about those beautiful silk parachutes – as soft as lingerie…all billowed out above the glider like some gigantic silken mushroom. During WWII silk was one of the “rationed” items in American life so women had to go without stockings. I remember my mother telling me that women used to paint brown lines up the back of their legs to mimic the seams in stockings so that it looked like they had stockings on! Funny!
Today the term “parachute” is a metaphor for more than that skydiving apparatus. To have a “golden parachute” mean that you are leaving your job with some pretty amazing benefits. We also think about the parachute image when we talk about taking enormous risks in life – or being in a life situation that feels, frankly, like a “free fall”.
I’ve been dreaming about parachuting lately. Not that I would ever actually jump out of a plane! Not unless it was safely on the ground would I ever consider such a thing! I’m a chicken, through and through (with my apologies to all my barnyard friends.) I like my adventures well planned and my risk-taking completely thought-out. I like surprises to be gently hinted at so that I’m not “surprised”!! For those of you who were around at Christmas when my two adult children and their off-spring decided to descend on me without warning for a week, you know how I was both delighted – and appalled!! I LOVED being with them, having the children near me, hearing them, seeing them, even smelling them!! But I was nearly deranged about not having enough groceries in the house – or sheets and towels! At one time I had an extra 11 people in my house and not having enough places to sit to eat meant bringing lawn chairs and patio furniture into the dining room. As much as it all “worked” I felt like I needed a parachute from time to time to break my fall into utter chaos!!
Do you know that if you check out the internet for “parachute” references you will find instructions on how to survive a “free-fall”! YIKES! That’s enough to scare me out of skydiving altogether – but I’ve been thinking about all of this and wondering what message my mind/spirit is trying to give me.
Perhaps it’s “Loosen up Nancy”. Let the good times roll (and the bad times too). Trust the silk above you and begin to enjoy the view! You CAN survive a free-fall – but it appears that, at least today and in this moment, you have a wonderful, full-blown protective covering over your head – so quiet your stuttering heart and take a deep breath and glide down to wherever you land.”
That’s my message for all of my “readers” this month.
Got silk?
I’ve been thinking about parachutes! (Don’t ask me why – who knows with a mind like mine!!) Did you know that when parachutes were first invented they were made from silk? Think about those beautiful silk parachutes – as soft as lingerie…all billowed out above the glider like some gigantic silken mushroom. During WWII silk was one of the “rationed” items in American life so women had to go without stockings. I remember my mother telling me that women used to paint brown lines up the back of their legs to mimic the seams in stockings so that it looked like they had stockings on! Funny!
Today the term “parachute” is a metaphor for more than that skydiving apparatus. To have a “golden parachute” mean that you are leaving your job with some pretty amazing benefits. We also think about the parachute image when we talk about taking enormous risks in life – or being in a life situation that feels, frankly, like a “free fall”.
I’ve been dreaming about parachuting lately. Not that I would ever actually jump out of a plane! Not unless it was safely on the ground would I ever consider such a thing! I’m a chicken, through and through (with my apologies to all my barnyard friends.) I like my adventures well planned and my risk-taking completely thought-out. I like surprises to be gently hinted at so that I’m not “surprised”!! For those of you who were around at Christmas when my two adult children and their off-spring decided to descend on me without warning for a week, you know how I was both delighted – and appalled!! I LOVED being with them, having the children near me, hearing them, seeing them, even smelling them!! But I was nearly deranged about not having enough groceries in the house – or sheets and towels! At one time I had an extra 11 people in my house and not having enough places to sit to eat meant bringing lawn chairs and patio furniture into the dining room. As much as it all “worked” I felt like I needed a parachute from time to time to break my fall into utter chaos!!
Do you know that if you check out the internet for “parachute” references you will find instructions on how to survive a “free-fall”! YIKES! That’s enough to scare me out of skydiving altogether – but I’ve been thinking about all of this and wondering what message my mind/spirit is trying to give me.
Perhaps it’s “Loosen up Nancy”. Let the good times roll (and the bad times too). Trust the silk above you and begin to enjoy the view! You CAN survive a free-fall – but it appears that, at least today and in this moment, you have a wonderful, full-blown protective covering over your head – so quiet your stuttering heart and take a deep breath and glide down to wherever you land.”
That’s my message for all of my “readers” this month.
Got silk?
Monday, July 20, 2009
Taking the "Trinity Challenge"
If you’ve been around me for very long you know that I am an Oprah fan. I watch her show whenever I have the chance. Recently her program was on a relevant topic – how to scale back in these tough economic times. Two families took an “Oprah challenge” that involved reductions in spending, time spent on the computer or in front of the television and driving. As I watched, I couldn’t help but think how a challenge like this would be good for everyone – and wondered if as a church we might engage ourselves in a similar challenge.
Here is what Oprah proposed:
One day without spending.
One week without using your credit card
One month without going out to eat or ordering take out.
Additionally, her families had other restrictions involving prohibitions on electronics (TV and computer) and for some, giving away “excesses” to charities.
What would it be like to take the Oprah challenge? Could we come up with out own “Trinity Challenge” or could we offer each other the choice of taking the Oprah challenge or accepting our own challenge tailored to our congregation? I’d like to propose the following:
One day when I give an equal amount to my church or a charity what I spend on myself.
(Choose the day ahead of time – if it’s a Thursday, for instance, then you will need to keep track of all your expenditures on that day so you know what to donate.)
An “E-Sabbath” when you turn off all electronic devices for at least 24 hours – no Blackberry, no personal computer, no email, no cell phone, no television, no DVD or VCR, no Gameboys or other handheld electronics. (Exceptions can be made for those who use a computer at work… this is about your PERSONAL use of these items)
One week without going out to eat or ordering take out – and in addition, making an effort to “eat local” by avoiding all foods that have been grown in far-away places and shipped, trucked or railed to us. Eating local means shopping at a local farmers market and reading the labels about where you food comes from when you buy it at the grocery store.
Donate what you don’t need and what you can live without: Go through your closet and remove “duplicate” items. Do you have 4 cans of baked beans? 6 bottles of detergent? Are there clothes in your closet with the tags still on them that you haven’t worn? Do you have 8 pair of the same kind of shoes? Make some tough decisions! Donate those items to the rummage sale or to some other charity – or give them to a friend or family member who has less than you do.
Lastly, think of what else might belong on this list. Contact me and we can make decisions about the “Trinity Challenge”. Perhaps we can make some changes in our lives and the lives of others by doing some rather simple things.
I’ll wait to hear from you!
Here is what Oprah proposed:
One day without spending.
One week without using your credit card
One month without going out to eat or ordering take out.
Additionally, her families had other restrictions involving prohibitions on electronics (TV and computer) and for some, giving away “excesses” to charities.
What would it be like to take the Oprah challenge? Could we come up with out own “Trinity Challenge” or could we offer each other the choice of taking the Oprah challenge or accepting our own challenge tailored to our congregation? I’d like to propose the following:
One day when I give an equal amount to my church or a charity what I spend on myself.
(Choose the day ahead of time – if it’s a Thursday, for instance, then you will need to keep track of all your expenditures on that day so you know what to donate.)
An “E-Sabbath” when you turn off all electronic devices for at least 24 hours – no Blackberry, no personal computer, no email, no cell phone, no television, no DVD or VCR, no Gameboys or other handheld electronics. (Exceptions can be made for those who use a computer at work… this is about your PERSONAL use of these items)
One week without going out to eat or ordering take out – and in addition, making an effort to “eat local” by avoiding all foods that have been grown in far-away places and shipped, trucked or railed to us. Eating local means shopping at a local farmers market and reading the labels about where you food comes from when you buy it at the grocery store.
Donate what you don’t need and what you can live without: Go through your closet and remove “duplicate” items. Do you have 4 cans of baked beans? 6 bottles of detergent? Are there clothes in your closet with the tags still on them that you haven’t worn? Do you have 8 pair of the same kind of shoes? Make some tough decisions! Donate those items to the rummage sale or to some other charity – or give them to a friend or family member who has less than you do.
Lastly, think of what else might belong on this list. Contact me and we can make decisions about the “Trinity Challenge”. Perhaps we can make some changes in our lives and the lives of others by doing some rather simple things.
I’ll wait to hear from you!
Friday, June 12, 2009
ON FAITH
Faith. What is your faith? Not your religion. Not your beliefs. What is your faith?
James Fowler, the guru of faith development wrote Stages of Faith, a book that is part of every religious scholars reading list and found in most clergy persons personal library. In the first chapter of that book he describes the following story:
He was driving to a workshop on faith, which he was leading. He was rehearsing a set of questions he had planned for the opening session, questions designed to open up some honest talk about faith in our lives. They were the questions, which you have in your bulletin tonight. He felt satisfied with these questions; they were not easy questions. He congratulated himself for his cleverness in coming up with such a useful, probing workshop opener and then, it hit him. How would he answer his own questions?
He then says: "I had to pull my car over to the shoulder and stop. For the next forty minutes, almost making myself late for the workshop, I examined the structure of values, the patterns of love and action, the shape of fear and dread and the directions of hope and friendship in my own life."
How easy it is to talk about faith – to preach about faith – to even teach about faith – how many of us can articulate our own faith? Fowler says that faith is not the same as religion or belief and that faith is not always religious in content or context. He says that faith is universal for all human beings, even for those with or without religious beliefs, traditions, or communities. Fowler’s definition of faith is this: "Faith is a person’s or group’s way of moving into the force field of life. It is our way of finding coherence in and giving meaning to the multiple forces and relations that make up our lives."
What are the values that are your ultimate concern? Fowler writes, "Our real worship, our true devotion directs itself toward the objects of our ultimate concern. Ultimate concern may be invested in family, university, nation, or church. Love, sex and a loved partner might be the passionate center of one’s ultimate concern. Ultimate concern is a much more powerful matter than claimed belief in a creed or a set of doctrinal propositions or a set of principles. Faith may or may not find its expression in institutional or...religious forms. If we understand faith in this manner then it involves how we make our most important decisions and it shapes the ways we invest our deepest loves and our most costly loyalties.” Where is your faith?
The key question of faith is not "What do you believe?" but "On what or on whom do you set your heart?" The Hindu, Hebrew, Greek, and Latin words for faith all involve an alignment of the heart or will -- a commitment of loyalty and trust. “ I set my heart on, I give my heart to, I hereby commit myself to, and I pledge allegiance to” are all meanings of the word "believe".
We tend to ask of one another, "What do you believe?" but I think we should try to reach another level of depth -- the question has to become one of faith: "On what or whom do you set your heart? What hope and what ground of hope animate you and give shape to the force field of your life and to how you move into it?"
I have a friend who is a rare commodity. She is younger even than my own children – but wise well beyond her years. She is the most “faithful” person I know. Sometimes she amazes her friends – sometimes she amuses us… but none of us doubts her true faith.
She cuts coupons from the paper and magazines and when she goes to the store she leaves them on the shelves next to the products they represent so that some other person might use them.
She regularly grocery shops for the food bank – she diligently tithes all that she earns, but also all that she receives in the way of gifts or windfalls.
She doesn’t hesitate to tell you she is praying for you – and she is the kind of person that when she says it, you know it will happen.
She has said that every night she prays for all the children of the world who are hungry or hurt or alone – and she truly believes her prayers will make a difference.
She is scrupulously honest. I have never heard her curse – and when she really became steamed at a man she knew she called him a “jack-behind” and her friends thought she was hilarious – but we also knew her choice of language came from integrity – not ignorance or self-righteousness. She thought it would be wrong to say “ass”.
When she is asked to be the lay reader at her place of worship, she routinely memorizes the texts – why? “Because people will understand it better if it isn’t read” she says.
She has often said: "I want to live the kind of life that God will want to answer my prayers."
Her focus was not really on God answering prayer but rather on living the kind of life that reflected her understanding of ultimate value. This woman could be Lutheran, or Jewish, Catholic or Buddhist. Her faith does not depend on the expression of her religion. She has found her faith – and I believe that all the underpinnings of her religion could be taken away, and she would still be a person of faith.
I think one of the reasons we don’t understand our identity, as a people of faith is that we have forgotten which questions to ask. Instead of prophetic questions, like Micah’s ‘What does the Lord require?’ (to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God), we are such products of consumer society that our questions about religion are upside down: ‘What do I require? – How is this church, this order of worship, this denominational identity, this way of looking at God helping/serving/informing/me? What am I getting out of this experience?”
Like Micah, my friend’s focus is on what is required of her. She understands how easy it is for us to fall into selfishness and behaving in ways to serve our own needs. She has the unconscious humility of the truly righteous. Certainly in my friend’s living -- in how she spends her time and energy, her faith and practice are intertwined. She, like Fowler, considers faith serious business and she has an infectious joy of life.
On whom or what do you set your heart? I can’t answer for you… but the goal would be to answer that question with honesty, with courage, with trust that the question itself can teach you something and can lead you to transformative growth. There are no right answers here – no wrong ones either.
I have two wishes for you. The first is that you may be caught by the question about faith in the same way that Fowler was that day in his car. To have one’s attention, mind, heart, and spirit caught in such a way is both gift and grace. The second wish I have for you is that, if you do not wish to enter into discerning your own faith – if this is something you abhor -- that you will listen and respond to others as they reflect upon theirs. Either way, I believe we can find transformation.
James Fowler, the guru of faith development wrote Stages of Faith, a book that is part of every religious scholars reading list and found in most clergy persons personal library. In the first chapter of that book he describes the following story:
He was driving to a workshop on faith, which he was leading. He was rehearsing a set of questions he had planned for the opening session, questions designed to open up some honest talk about faith in our lives. They were the questions, which you have in your bulletin tonight. He felt satisfied with these questions; they were not easy questions. He congratulated himself for his cleverness in coming up with such a useful, probing workshop opener and then, it hit him. How would he answer his own questions?
He then says: "I had to pull my car over to the shoulder and stop. For the next forty minutes, almost making myself late for the workshop, I examined the structure of values, the patterns of love and action, the shape of fear and dread and the directions of hope and friendship in my own life."
How easy it is to talk about faith – to preach about faith – to even teach about faith – how many of us can articulate our own faith? Fowler says that faith is not the same as religion or belief and that faith is not always religious in content or context. He says that faith is universal for all human beings, even for those with or without religious beliefs, traditions, or communities. Fowler’s definition of faith is this: "Faith is a person’s or group’s way of moving into the force field of life. It is our way of finding coherence in and giving meaning to the multiple forces and relations that make up our lives."
What are the values that are your ultimate concern? Fowler writes, "Our real worship, our true devotion directs itself toward the objects of our ultimate concern. Ultimate concern may be invested in family, university, nation, or church. Love, sex and a loved partner might be the passionate center of one’s ultimate concern. Ultimate concern is a much more powerful matter than claimed belief in a creed or a set of doctrinal propositions or a set of principles. Faith may or may not find its expression in institutional or...religious forms. If we understand faith in this manner then it involves how we make our most important decisions and it shapes the ways we invest our deepest loves and our most costly loyalties.” Where is your faith?
The key question of faith is not "What do you believe?" but "On what or on whom do you set your heart?" The Hindu, Hebrew, Greek, and Latin words for faith all involve an alignment of the heart or will -- a commitment of loyalty and trust. “ I set my heart on, I give my heart to, I hereby commit myself to, and I pledge allegiance to” are all meanings of the word "believe".
We tend to ask of one another, "What do you believe?" but I think we should try to reach another level of depth -- the question has to become one of faith: "On what or whom do you set your heart? What hope and what ground of hope animate you and give shape to the force field of your life and to how you move into it?"
I have a friend who is a rare commodity. She is younger even than my own children – but wise well beyond her years. She is the most “faithful” person I know. Sometimes she amazes her friends – sometimes she amuses us… but none of us doubts her true faith.
She cuts coupons from the paper and magazines and when she goes to the store she leaves them on the shelves next to the products they represent so that some other person might use them.
She regularly grocery shops for the food bank – she diligently tithes all that she earns, but also all that she receives in the way of gifts or windfalls.
She doesn’t hesitate to tell you she is praying for you – and she is the kind of person that when she says it, you know it will happen.
She has said that every night she prays for all the children of the world who are hungry or hurt or alone – and she truly believes her prayers will make a difference.
She is scrupulously honest. I have never heard her curse – and when she really became steamed at a man she knew she called him a “jack-behind” and her friends thought she was hilarious – but we also knew her choice of language came from integrity – not ignorance or self-righteousness. She thought it would be wrong to say “ass”.
When she is asked to be the lay reader at her place of worship, she routinely memorizes the texts – why? “Because people will understand it better if it isn’t read” she says.
She has often said: "I want to live the kind of life that God will want to answer my prayers."
Her focus was not really on God answering prayer but rather on living the kind of life that reflected her understanding of ultimate value. This woman could be Lutheran, or Jewish, Catholic or Buddhist. Her faith does not depend on the expression of her religion. She has found her faith – and I believe that all the underpinnings of her religion could be taken away, and she would still be a person of faith.
I think one of the reasons we don’t understand our identity, as a people of faith is that we have forgotten which questions to ask. Instead of prophetic questions, like Micah’s ‘What does the Lord require?’ (to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God), we are such products of consumer society that our questions about religion are upside down: ‘What do I require? – How is this church, this order of worship, this denominational identity, this way of looking at God helping/serving/informing/me? What am I getting out of this experience?”
Like Micah, my friend’s focus is on what is required of her. She understands how easy it is for us to fall into selfishness and behaving in ways to serve our own needs. She has the unconscious humility of the truly righteous. Certainly in my friend’s living -- in how she spends her time and energy, her faith and practice are intertwined. She, like Fowler, considers faith serious business and she has an infectious joy of life.
On whom or what do you set your heart? I can’t answer for you… but the goal would be to answer that question with honesty, with courage, with trust that the question itself can teach you something and can lead you to transformative growth. There are no right answers here – no wrong ones either.
I have two wishes for you. The first is that you may be caught by the question about faith in the same way that Fowler was that day in his car. To have one’s attention, mind, heart, and spirit caught in such a way is both gift and grace. The second wish I have for you is that, if you do not wish to enter into discerning your own faith – if this is something you abhor -- that you will listen and respond to others as they reflect upon theirs. Either way, I believe we can find transformation.
Monday, June 8, 2009
TO BLOG OR NOT TO BLOG … THAT IS THE QUESTION!
“We are drowning in information but starved for knowledge.” – John Naisbitt
I come from the “old school”. You know, the days when one person’s opinion was shared with those who wanted to hear it – and generally, needed to ask – not with the entire world wide web! I come from a generation that was taught to believe that if you wanted to really impress people with your wisdom and knowledge, that “less is more”? So I am in a bit of a quandary. There are people in my life who have encouraged me to “blog” – to share my “wisdom”, to break forth with snippets of life experience or to share “what are you doing now” so that all the world can see (or at least those who happen to log on to my blog!)
But I feel daunted by that task! Who wants to know what I think? Don’t I do enough of that on any given Sunday morning?? And shouldn’t I be listening more and ranting less? Seems to me that’s the way it should work… but I continue to be encouraged to say more, write more, opine to my heart’s content. Jeez!
“The right to be heard does not automatically include the right to be taken seriously.” Hubert Humphrey
And so, perhaps I have come upon a plan! I will write occasionally – when, in fact I think I have something to say. But in the meantime, I would be happy to “listen” and answer any questions that anyone might have for me that they think I might be able to answer. (I’ll give it my best shot!) Questions about religion, faith, the bible, current events, etc. I can wax eloquent for hours (I think) if someone else gives me the topic!
“If my doctor told me I had only six minutes to live, I wouldn't brood. I'd type a little faster.” Isaac Asimov.
So, let’s give it a try! If you have a question, let me know and I will try to give a fair answer – my opinion or maybe my understanding given the knowledge I have – but none the less, an answer.
Are you up for it?
“We are drowning in information but starved for knowledge.” – John Naisbitt
I come from the “old school”. You know, the days when one person’s opinion was shared with those who wanted to hear it – and generally, needed to ask – not with the entire world wide web! I come from a generation that was taught to believe that if you wanted to really impress people with your wisdom and knowledge, that “less is more”? So I am in a bit of a quandary. There are people in my life who have encouraged me to “blog” – to share my “wisdom”, to break forth with snippets of life experience or to share “what are you doing now” so that all the world can see (or at least those who happen to log on to my blog!)
But I feel daunted by that task! Who wants to know what I think? Don’t I do enough of that on any given Sunday morning?? And shouldn’t I be listening more and ranting less? Seems to me that’s the way it should work… but I continue to be encouraged to say more, write more, opine to my heart’s content. Jeez!
“The right to be heard does not automatically include the right to be taken seriously.” Hubert Humphrey
And so, perhaps I have come upon a plan! I will write occasionally – when, in fact I think I have something to say. But in the meantime, I would be happy to “listen” and answer any questions that anyone might have for me that they think I might be able to answer. (I’ll give it my best shot!) Questions about religion, faith, the bible, current events, etc. I can wax eloquent for hours (I think) if someone else gives me the topic!
“If my doctor told me I had only six minutes to live, I wouldn't brood. I'd type a little faster.” Isaac Asimov.
So, let’s give it a try! If you have a question, let me know and I will try to give a fair answer – my opinion or maybe my understanding given the knowledge I have – but none the less, an answer.
Are you up for it?
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