As you may know, last week’s btw theme was about facing our fears about going to the other side. We saw Jesus and his followers go through stormy times and come to peaceful resolution… then they landed on the other side and did some serious healing of a very strangely needy man. The healed person went out to spread the word all over this foreign territory, that Jesus was the one to get you connected: to health, to joy, to God.
This week we see continue the voyage back to the “home turf” side of the sea. As soon as we land on the shore, it becomes obvious that our homeys are just as in need of Jesus’ connecting-force as the foreigners over there. Our readings and prayers can serve to launch you into this exploration of what it means to be in dire need of wellness… and what it means to find it… and then share it.
Reading #1 is from a song written by Jim Strathdee, and some words of prayer follow:
When pain of the world surrounds us with darkness and despair,
when searching just confounds us with false hopes everywhere,
when lives are starved for meaning and destiny is bare,
we are called to follow Jesus and let God’s healing flow through us.
The church is a holy vessel the living waters fill
to nourish all the people, God’s purpose to fulfill.
May we with humble courage be open to God’s well.
We are called to follow Jesus and let God’s Spirit flow through us.
We praise you for our journey and your abundant grace,
your saving word that guided a struggling human race.
O God, with all creation, your future we embrace.
We are called to follow Jesus and let God’s changes flow through us.
God, we do see so much pain, in our world and in our own lives. As we reflect on your Word tonight, help us to hear your call to follow Jesus and to sort out just what that means. Let your healing power flow into us tonight… and let it flow through us, here in this community, and outward into your world. In your name we pray… amen.
Reading #2 is part one of our story from Mark’s book of the Bible:
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%205:21-34;&version=65;
Healer Jesus, you encouraged this frightened woman to tell the truth, to tell her story. You helped her become well, in body and soul. You called her, “Daughter,” and praised her faith. Help us to find that kind of healing in you, as we tell our truths and listen to others, as we discover what it means to be your daughters and your sons. In your name we pray… amen.
Reading #3 completes the account:
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%205:34-43%20%20%20;&version=65;
Lord Jesus, you answered the cry of a desperate father, not listening as the cynical crowds made fun of you. You went forward on your journey, lifting up this little girl into new life with you. Lift us up, too, out of our deadness. Help us explore what is separating us from the fullness of life in you. Be for us our refreshing well of salvation and healing. In your name we pray… amen.
This is a story of two desperate souls who push their way through curious crowds to humbly ask Jesus for help: one a nameless woman cut off from community, and the other a well-connected Jairus wanting wellness for his dear daughter. The irony of the story is that these two desperados are the “healthiest” ones of the bunch. Their health comes from knowing their need, from knowing the truth that on their own they have nothing. But with Jesus’ touch, they are connected… and all is well.
How strange it is that Jesus praises the faith of a woman who is trembling with fear while she tells her story. Fear and faith are not opposites in this story; they compliment each other. Fear (and truth telling) lead you into God’s hands where faith and healing can be found.
~ Think of how fear and faith flow in and out of your life. Does your fear lead you toward God or away from God?
~ Have you ever found healing just from telling the truth, from telling your story?
When Jesus calls this woman, “Daughter,” he is bucking the system bigtime. The system says that this woman who is hemorrhaging is untouchable, cheaper than dirt, not worthy of a name or a place in God’s graces. The system is far sicker than this woman, because it divides people into those who are “good with God” and those who aren’t. Those who assume they’re good with God just because of their status or what they do… they’re the ones the most in need of a wake-up call.
~ What systems operate like that in our world? And how would Jesus buck those systems if he were here? Assuming Jesus is here (like the first reading says), how is healing flowing through you and me as we challenge unjust systems?
Jairus and Jesus keep heading toward J’s sick daughter even when the crowds deliver the grim news of her death. They know a truth that the crowds don’t know: that at the hand of Jesus, death is only sleep… that death is temporary in the hands of God. The wellness Jesus gives us is a confidence that even death cannot separate us from God’s enlivening power.
~ What kind of wellness are you hungering for? How (if at all) is God a deep well of healing and salvation for you?
~ What other insights or questions do have after dwelling on these stories of healing?
Please feel free to join the conversation. Be well as you live your days, swimming between fear and faith, between questioning and confidence, feeling God’s healing flowing into you and out through you to our world.
Peace,
Kari
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Well, well, well
Sometimes those who pray get distracted by the task of choosing the right words, and the praying gets lost in the process. Praying – relating/speaking/listening to God – can be wordy or wordless, to be sure. Or sometimes just one word will do.
For the past few months, my one-word prayer has been: well. Breathing in, breathing out, I let that one word fill my soul, chasing out the random thoughts (you know, cutting myself down, thinking of all I should be doing, etc.) that would separate me from God. Sometimes I dwell on the different meanings of the word, “well”, and other moments my thinking slows and I just plain become the word, resting in and being challenged by the Living One I’m being with.
Just to give you the idea:
Well… Well? What’s next God?
Well… God, make me well again, give me the healing I need.
Well… God, you are my wellspring of life, my only source of saving grace
Well… How precious the gift of water! Move me, God, to advocate for those who don’t yet have safe wells to draw from
Well… All is well and all is well and all is truly well…
This Thursday night, by the way will be exploring two intertwined stories from Mark’s book of the Bible about Jesus. They have quite a bit to say about all the dimensions of being well, becoming well, and not being well at all. Take a look if you like. It’s one of my favorites:
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%205:21-43;&version=65;
Come join us at 7pm at Nashua’s Crowne Plaza, if you can, or join in our conversation here at the blog.
Be well,
Kari
For the past few months, my one-word prayer has been: well. Breathing in, breathing out, I let that one word fill my soul, chasing out the random thoughts (you know, cutting myself down, thinking of all I should be doing, etc.) that would separate me from God. Sometimes I dwell on the different meanings of the word, “well”, and other moments my thinking slows and I just plain become the word, resting in and being challenged by the Living One I’m being with.
Just to give you the idea:
Well… Well? What’s next God?
Well… God, make me well again, give me the healing I need.
Well… God, you are my wellspring of life, my only source of saving grace
Well… How precious the gift of water! Move me, God, to advocate for those who don’t yet have safe wells to draw from
Well… All is well and all is well and all is truly well…
This Thursday night, by the way will be exploring two intertwined stories from Mark’s book of the Bible about Jesus. They have quite a bit to say about all the dimensions of being well, becoming well, and not being well at all. Take a look if you like. It’s one of my favorites:
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%205:21-43;&version=65;
Come join us at 7pm at Nashua’s Crowne Plaza, if you can, or join in our conversation here at the blog.
Be well,
Kari
Friday, June 19, 2009
the other side and getting there
When you’re crossing a stormy sea, do you row like crazy just to avoid the rocks… or do you focus your energies on getting to the other side? Do you turn to God yelling, “Why the hell are you asleep on the job: help me! Or do you breathe in God’s calm and take on the storm together?
Not that it’s an either/or thing, mind you. Storms are never that clear cut. Faith journeys aren’t either. But it’s good to process how we face our storms, and it’s good to be in community when we do it. That’s kind of the bytheway way anyway.
Last night’s Bread for your journey gathering at the Crowne launched us into all this stuff with the following readings and prayers. Come on into the boat and see where it takes you.
Reading number one’s from Mark 4:35-41:
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%204:35-41;&version=65;
God, we know what those storms are like, our times of anxiety or even panic, when everything seems off and we’re afraid. As we get into your word, help us hear you calling out to us in the middle of our storms. And let us also hear where you are calling us to go and how we are to find the courage to get there. In your name we pray… amen.
Reading number two’s from a 19th century hymn by Edward Hopper:
Jesus, Savior, pilot me over life’s tempestuous sea;
Unknown waves before me roll, hiding rock and treacherous shoal.
Chart and compass come from Thee: Jesus, Savior, pilot me.
As a mother stills her child, Thou canst hush the ocean wild;
Boisterous waves obey Thy will, when Thou say’st to them, “Be still!”…
May I hear Thee say to me, “Fear not, I will pilot thee.
Jesus, you come for a ride with us in our boats, this ride we call life. Let me borrow from you your calm assurance, your determination, your love for those on the other side. Forgive me for being afraid, for being focused on my own needs for safety. Reclaim me and send me out with renewed faith in you. In your name we pray… amen.
Reading number three is short but full, a haiku by Yamaguchi Seishi:
Under a blazing sky
A sail in the distance—
The sail in my heart.
God, when the storms have quieted and the sky is clear, let me see your vision, what you want for the future of your people and your planet… and let me sail out to make your vision my own. In your name we pray… amen.
+ + +
So you’re one of a dozen or so who’ve been completely drawn into the wandering work of this captivating healer Jesus. You’ve been traveling with him all over the western side of the Sea of Galilee. And it’s been an amazing ride.
Then one day, Jesus says let’s hop into the boat for a sail. Sounds good, Jesus. I suppose we’ll be hanging out along the shoreline, our home turf, healing and showing those nasty demons who’s boss, right? No? We’re going to the other side? Excuse me, did you say the other side?
Already the storms are brewing, inside of you. ‘Cause you’ve heard stories of the people on the other side. They’re not like us. Why go there when there’s so much to be done here?
It’s not long before the weather outside matches the wild weather inside your anxious head. You and your buds try hard to avoid the rocks and bail out the drowning waters. Nothing’s working but your panic response. You’re not going to make it.
Hey, guys, what’s up with Jesus, sleeping like a baby?! Doesn’t he care that it’s all going to end here if he doesn’t get involved?
Yeah, Jesus is snoring in the stern, as unperturbed by the whipping wind as he is by thoughts of going to the other side. You shake him awake. He shouts out to the wind-and-waves with the courage and confidence of a tiger-tamer. And all is at a dead calm. Except that all hearts are still racing. Everyone’s amazed. Including Jesus.
You’re amazed at his shalom, his power, his chumminess with nature. He’s amazed that you’re amazed. He’s astounded by the tentativeness of your faith.
But he’s not daunted. The journey to the other side continues. (Feel free to read the rest of the story if you’d like, of the unsavory characters the crew meets and greets (and loves and heals) on the other side. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%205:1-20;&version=65; )
What does this story stir up in you? What’s the “other side” in your life? When you’ve got storms brewing, what’s the difference between shouting, “God save me!” and “God save me, so I can be reaching others with your saving love!” ?
The difference is this. “God save me” is the shout of a human being, the natural cry of someone in need, someone who’s hit the bottom. And the bottom is where Jesus tends to hang. There Jesus is with the hand held out. Come with me. Die to yourself. Rise up in me.
Ok. I will. I’ll do it new every day. And occasionally I’ll even find myself with the depth of faith to say, “God, save me, so I can be reaching others with your saving love!” But that will not be me talking. It’s the Christ in me, the Risen One alive in me.
~ Kari
Not that it’s an either/or thing, mind you. Storms are never that clear cut. Faith journeys aren’t either. But it’s good to process how we face our storms, and it’s good to be in community when we do it. That’s kind of the bytheway way anyway.
Last night’s Bread for your journey gathering at the Crowne launched us into all this stuff with the following readings and prayers. Come on into the boat and see where it takes you.
Reading number one’s from Mark 4:35-41:
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%204:35-41;&version=65;
God, we know what those storms are like, our times of anxiety or even panic, when everything seems off and we’re afraid. As we get into your word, help us hear you calling out to us in the middle of our storms. And let us also hear where you are calling us to go and how we are to find the courage to get there. In your name we pray… amen.
Reading number two’s from a 19th century hymn by Edward Hopper:
Jesus, Savior, pilot me over life’s tempestuous sea;
Unknown waves before me roll, hiding rock and treacherous shoal.
Chart and compass come from Thee: Jesus, Savior, pilot me.
As a mother stills her child, Thou canst hush the ocean wild;
Boisterous waves obey Thy will, when Thou say’st to them, “Be still!”…
May I hear Thee say to me, “Fear not, I will pilot thee.
Jesus, you come for a ride with us in our boats, this ride we call life. Let me borrow from you your calm assurance, your determination, your love for those on the other side. Forgive me for being afraid, for being focused on my own needs for safety. Reclaim me and send me out with renewed faith in you. In your name we pray… amen.
Reading number three is short but full, a haiku by Yamaguchi Seishi:
Under a blazing sky
A sail in the distance—
The sail in my heart.
God, when the storms have quieted and the sky is clear, let me see your vision, what you want for the future of your people and your planet… and let me sail out to make your vision my own. In your name we pray… amen.
+ + +
So you’re one of a dozen or so who’ve been completely drawn into the wandering work of this captivating healer Jesus. You’ve been traveling with him all over the western side of the Sea of Galilee. And it’s been an amazing ride.
Then one day, Jesus says let’s hop into the boat for a sail. Sounds good, Jesus. I suppose we’ll be hanging out along the shoreline, our home turf, healing and showing those nasty demons who’s boss, right? No? We’re going to the other side? Excuse me, did you say the other side?
Already the storms are brewing, inside of you. ‘Cause you’ve heard stories of the people on the other side. They’re not like us. Why go there when there’s so much to be done here?
It’s not long before the weather outside matches the wild weather inside your anxious head. You and your buds try hard to avoid the rocks and bail out the drowning waters. Nothing’s working but your panic response. You’re not going to make it.
Hey, guys, what’s up with Jesus, sleeping like a baby?! Doesn’t he care that it’s all going to end here if he doesn’t get involved?
Yeah, Jesus is snoring in the stern, as unperturbed by the whipping wind as he is by thoughts of going to the other side. You shake him awake. He shouts out to the wind-and-waves with the courage and confidence of a tiger-tamer. And all is at a dead calm. Except that all hearts are still racing. Everyone’s amazed. Including Jesus.
You’re amazed at his shalom, his power, his chumminess with nature. He’s amazed that you’re amazed. He’s astounded by the tentativeness of your faith.
But he’s not daunted. The journey to the other side continues. (Feel free to read the rest of the story if you’d like, of the unsavory characters the crew meets and greets (and loves and heals) on the other side. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%205:1-20;&version=65; )
What does this story stir up in you? What’s the “other side” in your life? When you’ve got storms brewing, what’s the difference between shouting, “God save me!” and “God save me, so I can be reaching others with your saving love!” ?
The difference is this. “God save me” is the shout of a human being, the natural cry of someone in need, someone who’s hit the bottom. And the bottom is where Jesus tends to hang. There Jesus is with the hand held out. Come with me. Die to yourself. Rise up in me.
Ok. I will. I’ll do it new every day. And occasionally I’ll even find myself with the depth of faith to say, “God, save me, so I can be reaching others with your saving love!” But that will not be me talking. It’s the Christ in me, the Risen One alive in me.
~ Kari
Saturday, June 13, 2009
When God shows up (what do you do?)
If God does indeed show up, in and around us, then how do we know? How do we tune in? How can we tell the difference between just “feeling good” and feeling God?
Those questions get at the heart of what last Thursday’s Bread for your journey gathering was all about. Feel free to step inside and do your own pondering as I recall how it went…
After checking in with one another, lighting our central candle, and connecting with God through prayer, we got into our rhythm of reading/candlelighting/prayer, starting with this:
What was so near
“I didn’t know what was so near, or that it was mine.
This perfect sweetness blossoming in the depths of my heart.”
Tagore’s poem makes me think about the inward/outward journey and how we are led, little by little, to treasure what we didn’t know was so near, or that it was ours. Finding “this perfect sweetness blossoming in the depths of my heart” should be so simple but proves to be a lifetime’s search, and basically proves to be impossible, in my experience, if we don’t seek it, resist it, ponder it, embrace it, loathe it, love it, sometimes leave it … together, in community.
Excerpt from “I didn’t know what was so near” by Kayla McClurg on inwardoutward.org
God, it’s sometimes hard to know what is treasure and what is not. Sometimes we miss the wonders you’ve planted around us, and sometimes we just don’t know what to think. Thank you for showing up this evening, in this community. Thank you for all the communities of our lives that help us to figure out where the treasure is, where you are, where you are showing up around us. In your name we pray… amen.
And a second reading followed by words of prayer:
Mark 4:26-29
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%204:26-29;&version=65;
So we have this picture, God, of seeds being thrown all over the place. And they’re growing… all by themselves, all over your world. Help us to absorb this reality, that the seeds of your presence are here, there, and everywhere. Bless our conversation tonight, that we might grow in the knowledge of how you are at work, all around us and through us. In your name we pray… amen.
And a third reading is a song by Jason Mraz, which you can hear/read with this link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VzUPZ0heAU
God, this songwriter seems sure that you are moving through us… and also that you rest in reason. Help us to reason together where you are present, how you are moving, and what we are to do about it. In your name we pray… amen.
Our time of discussion followed… quite a powerful time of digging into the readings and finding pieces of our own stories to provide insight for one another. Here are some questions/comments to guide you into your own ponderings:
What’s the most unusual place you’ve ever noticed God showing up? (if at all) It’s a good question for two reasons:
~ Some tend to keep God in their own “boxes”, seeing God active in certain “holy” places/times, rather than in surprising unexpected spots, and:
~ Some go through their lives never expecting God to show up at all, and miss out on the many opportunities to connect and be empowered.
Thoughts on the first reading:
When (if at all) have you noticed that “perfect sweetness blossoming” in your life?
Kayla mentions the importance of “community” in understanding (and struggling with) the experiences of God that we treasure.
~ What are the dangers of assuming, all on our own, that we know what God is saying to us and how biblical texts are directing us? How do we, in community, help one another to recognize God at work?
Thoughts on the text from Mark’s book about Jesus:
God shows up by throwing out seeds, generously and thoroughly, all over the place. And those seeds grow without our input (the Greek word for this is automatos, or automatically). How much power there is in a tiny seed (!), sown by God, all set to grow.
~ It’s humbling (appropriately so) to become aware that God’s out there accomplishing so much, without our efforts! We need to recognize how much our own limitations weigh us down and trust in God’s power to open our eyes and overwhelm us with grace.
And the Jason Mraz song:
What do you do when God moves through you? Do you say, “I do”?
~ When we have profound experiences of God’s presence and unconditional love, what do we do with them? Just use them to feel good about ourselves and our choices? Or do we take them as challenges to share the wealth of God’s generous love?
To take this all one step further, consider these words of Jesus on seeing God show up, not in some holy cathedral or in a miracle of nature or in the kindness of a friend… but in really awful circumstances, surprising and tragic and disconcerting:
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2025:34-40;&version=65;
So what do YOU do when God moves through you? when God shows up in strange places and ways? Add to our discussion here, if you like. And do feel free to come and join by the way next Thursday as we continue to journey onward in faith.
Peace,
Kari
Those questions get at the heart of what last Thursday’s Bread for your journey gathering was all about. Feel free to step inside and do your own pondering as I recall how it went…
After checking in with one another, lighting our central candle, and connecting with God through prayer, we got into our rhythm of reading/candlelighting/prayer, starting with this:
What was so near
“I didn’t know what was so near, or that it was mine.
This perfect sweetness blossoming in the depths of my heart.”
Tagore’s poem makes me think about the inward/outward journey and how we are led, little by little, to treasure what we didn’t know was so near, or that it was ours. Finding “this perfect sweetness blossoming in the depths of my heart” should be so simple but proves to be a lifetime’s search, and basically proves to be impossible, in my experience, if we don’t seek it, resist it, ponder it, embrace it, loathe it, love it, sometimes leave it … together, in community.
Excerpt from “I didn’t know what was so near” by Kayla McClurg on inwardoutward.org
God, it’s sometimes hard to know what is treasure and what is not. Sometimes we miss the wonders you’ve planted around us, and sometimes we just don’t know what to think. Thank you for showing up this evening, in this community. Thank you for all the communities of our lives that help us to figure out where the treasure is, where you are, where you are showing up around us. In your name we pray… amen.
And a second reading followed by words of prayer:
Mark 4:26-29
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%204:26-29;&version=65;
So we have this picture, God, of seeds being thrown all over the place. And they’re growing… all by themselves, all over your world. Help us to absorb this reality, that the seeds of your presence are here, there, and everywhere. Bless our conversation tonight, that we might grow in the knowledge of how you are at work, all around us and through us. In your name we pray… amen.
And a third reading is a song by Jason Mraz, which you can hear/read with this link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VzUPZ0heAU
God, this songwriter seems sure that you are moving through us… and also that you rest in reason. Help us to reason together where you are present, how you are moving, and what we are to do about it. In your name we pray… amen.
Our time of discussion followed… quite a powerful time of digging into the readings and finding pieces of our own stories to provide insight for one another. Here are some questions/comments to guide you into your own ponderings:
What’s the most unusual place you’ve ever noticed God showing up? (if at all) It’s a good question for two reasons:
~ Some tend to keep God in their own “boxes”, seeing God active in certain “holy” places/times, rather than in surprising unexpected spots, and:
~ Some go through their lives never expecting God to show up at all, and miss out on the many opportunities to connect and be empowered.
Thoughts on the first reading:
When (if at all) have you noticed that “perfect sweetness blossoming” in your life?
Kayla mentions the importance of “community” in understanding (and struggling with) the experiences of God that we treasure.
~ What are the dangers of assuming, all on our own, that we know what God is saying to us and how biblical texts are directing us? How do we, in community, help one another to recognize God at work?
Thoughts on the text from Mark’s book about Jesus:
God shows up by throwing out seeds, generously and thoroughly, all over the place. And those seeds grow without our input (the Greek word for this is automatos, or automatically). How much power there is in a tiny seed (!), sown by God, all set to grow.
~ It’s humbling (appropriately so) to become aware that God’s out there accomplishing so much, without our efforts! We need to recognize how much our own limitations weigh us down and trust in God’s power to open our eyes and overwhelm us with grace.
And the Jason Mraz song:
What do you do when God moves through you? Do you say, “I do”?
~ When we have profound experiences of God’s presence and unconditional love, what do we do with them? Just use them to feel good about ourselves and our choices? Or do we take them as challenges to share the wealth of God’s generous love?
To take this all one step further, consider these words of Jesus on seeing God show up, not in some holy cathedral or in a miracle of nature or in the kindness of a friend… but in really awful circumstances, surprising and tragic and disconcerting:
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2025:34-40;&version=65;
So what do YOU do when God moves through you? when God shows up in strange places and ways? Add to our discussion here, if you like. And do feel free to come and join by the way next Thursday as we continue to journey onward in faith.
Peace,
Kari
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Godtobe unstoppable
What’s the most unusual place you’ve ever encountered God?
Now for those of you who aren’t accustomed to encountering God anywhere and don’t even know what that might mean: don’t tune me out just yet.
That question (or something like it) was posed to a group of over 500 people at a conference I attended a few weeks ago. We broke off into groups of 2 or 3 and swapped stories. The intention of the question was to open up our minds to the possibility that God is showing up all around us. Our job is to notice. The benefit of doing so can be huge.
Too often people keep the divine in their own little boxes. Like: God shows up in places of worship (especially MY place). Like: God comes to me through my friends who believe the same thing I do. Like: I only feel God’s presence when I’m out on the golf course. There are all kinds of boxes we use to keep God in check, and most of us don’t realize we’re doing it.
And plenty spend their whole lives “believing” in God, “worshiping” God, without ever expecting God to show up at all.
So I’m here to challenge you to look in those unusual venues. See God showing up in totally unorthodox places. I’ll give you an example. I was catching up with my friends on Twitter. I followed one of the links that mdubayou posted (hey, thanks, btw). And I saw God showing up in a surprising place. Take a peek and tell me what you see. http://bit.ly/16eFjK
This was hardly your typical “holy” place. I don’t have a clue where the dancing guy was coming from or the youtuber either, for that matter. But something holy happened in me as I watched it. The unstoppable spirit that inhabits me was dancing.
Let’s talk more about how God moves us and where God shows up, either here on the blog by leaving your comments, or by coming to Bread for your journey this Thursday 7pm at Nashua’s Crowne Plaza.
(To see one example of how Jesus encourages us to see God showing up in surprising places, like in the face of a convict, for example: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2025:34-40;&version=65; )
Peace,
Kari
Now for those of you who aren’t accustomed to encountering God anywhere and don’t even know what that might mean: don’t tune me out just yet.
That question (or something like it) was posed to a group of over 500 people at a conference I attended a few weeks ago. We broke off into groups of 2 or 3 and swapped stories. The intention of the question was to open up our minds to the possibility that God is showing up all around us. Our job is to notice. The benefit of doing so can be huge.
Too often people keep the divine in their own little boxes. Like: God shows up in places of worship (especially MY place). Like: God comes to me through my friends who believe the same thing I do. Like: I only feel God’s presence when I’m out on the golf course. There are all kinds of boxes we use to keep God in check, and most of us don’t realize we’re doing it.
And plenty spend their whole lives “believing” in God, “worshiping” God, without ever expecting God to show up at all.
So I’m here to challenge you to look in those unusual venues. See God showing up in totally unorthodox places. I’ll give you an example. I was catching up with my friends on Twitter. I followed one of the links that mdubayou posted (hey, thanks, btw). And I saw God showing up in a surprising place. Take a peek and tell me what you see. http://bit.ly/16eFjK
This was hardly your typical “holy” place. I don’t have a clue where the dancing guy was coming from or the youtuber either, for that matter. But something holy happened in me as I watched it. The unstoppable spirit that inhabits me was dancing.
Let’s talk more about how God moves us and where God shows up, either here on the blog by leaving your comments, or by coming to Bread for your journey this Thursday 7pm at Nashua’s Crowne Plaza.
(To see one example of how Jesus encourages us to see God showing up in surprising places, like in the face of a convict, for example: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2025:34-40;&version=65; )
Peace,
Kari
Saturday, June 6, 2009
When your mission becomes impossible
For a peek into last Thursday’s Bread for your journey gathering, come and have a seat in the circle of chairs that’s been set up for you and others who might wander in. After you all chat a bit about how your day has been, you settle down with some quiet words of prayer, the lighting of a candle, and an overview of tonight’s theme: the exhilaration of being chosen for a mission… and the seed-planting that takes place even if your mission becomes impossible.
Three readings are offered, each followed by the lighting of a votive candle and some words of prayer. The first is an excerpt from the poetry of the 13th century Sufi mystic known as Rumi:
Exerpt from "An Early Morning Eye"
If you become addicted to looking back,
half your life will be spent in distraction,
and the other half in regret.
You can live better than that!...
Solomon had a habit of visiting the mosque at dawn,
because then he could see
with an early morning eye
the new spirit-plants that were growing.
Encourage that freshnessin yourself,
and not what clouds youwith dullness and futility.
Source: Delicious Laughter by Rumi
God, we begin our gathering tonight, hoping for some freshness, for a breath of fresh air to come and fill our lungs and enliven our imaginations. Thank you for speaking to us through poets of ancient times and through the words of each other. In your name we pray… amen.
The second reading is from a book of the Bible named for the prophet, Isaiah of Jerusalem, the 6th chapter, verses 1 – 8:
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%206:1-8;&version=51;
Holy God, like Isaiah when he saw an awesome vision of you and heard your call, we sometimes get that thrilling sense of you at work in our lives and in our world. Come and visit us, in this time and place, that we might know where you are sending us next. In your name we pray… amen.
A third piece is offered for our reflection: words seen as a Facebook “status message” of a young woman in Jerusalem (from the same location as Isaiah but with a time differential of about 2750 years!):
William Blake once wrote: “There are things that are known and things that are unknown. And in between, there are doors” 9:42am, Thursday, June 4
God of the unknown, God of open doors, walk with us as we try new ways of being, whether we are in unfamiliar territory or the same old places. Give us good courage and healthy caution, as we venture out to be taking care of your people and your creation. In your name we pray… amen.
Next comes “R&D” time (reflection and discussion) where we get into our texts, not only examining what they mean but also how the meanings are enhanced when we add our own stories to the mix. Though I can’t recreate Thursday’s discussion, I can relay some of the questions and comments that came out of our exploration.
Imagining Isaiah’s awe-inspiring yet terrifying experience of being chosen to speak for God, some of us shared our own stories of being chosen, what it felt like and how it affected our lives after that point.
~ Can you see God calling you through these experiences, even though you might not have noticed it at the time?
~ As you look back, is there a difference in your living, in your sense of meaning and purpose, when you had a sense of being “called” or a feeling that God sees some potential in you?
Take a moment to read the next piece of Isaiah’s story, 4 verses in which God says what Isaiah’s call will be like:
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%206:9-13;&version=51;
We talked about how much easier it would be to forget these verses and end the story with the thrilling words, “Here I am, send me!”, but also about the value of tackling “difficult” readings in the Bible.
~ Is God really setting up Isaiah for failure (as it first looks)… or just acknowledging the extreme difficulty of Isaiah’s mission… and that “success” and “failure” may be defined differently by God than most people see it?
~ How do we (with God’s help) define success differently than our world tends to?
Earlier in the book of Isaiah, God talks about how God’s people have dropped God in favor of living for themselves, and the justice and compassion God likes to see is getting harder to find.
~ Though Isaiah may have had a “mission impossible” in calling people to live justly, he kept at it, even as his world was imploding around him.
~ How is our world of economic crisis similar to this, and how can we be redefining success and failure? Certainly not alone! We need God's power and to be surrounded by faith community.
We ended up our R&D time each with pen and paper in hand, thinking about how we are being “sent”, how we are being called to speak out and/or to be planting seeds for the future. We then took some “open space” time, to use as we choose: to pray and light candles, to eat of our homemade bread, to talk more with one another, to let God care for us in whatever way is needed…
We reconvened briefly to pray for our world, especially those who are suffering, sending one another off into the world to live out our callings.
Peace,
Kari
Three readings are offered, each followed by the lighting of a votive candle and some words of prayer. The first is an excerpt from the poetry of the 13th century Sufi mystic known as Rumi:
Exerpt from "An Early Morning Eye"
If you become addicted to looking back,
half your life will be spent in distraction,
and the other half in regret.
You can live better than that!...
Solomon had a habit of visiting the mosque at dawn,
because then he could see
with an early morning eye
the new spirit-plants that were growing.
Encourage that freshnessin yourself,
and not what clouds youwith dullness and futility.
Source: Delicious Laughter by Rumi
God, we begin our gathering tonight, hoping for some freshness, for a breath of fresh air to come and fill our lungs and enliven our imaginations. Thank you for speaking to us through poets of ancient times and through the words of each other. In your name we pray… amen.
The second reading is from a book of the Bible named for the prophet, Isaiah of Jerusalem, the 6th chapter, verses 1 – 8:
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%206:1-8;&version=51;
Holy God, like Isaiah when he saw an awesome vision of you and heard your call, we sometimes get that thrilling sense of you at work in our lives and in our world. Come and visit us, in this time and place, that we might know where you are sending us next. In your name we pray… amen.
A third piece is offered for our reflection: words seen as a Facebook “status message” of a young woman in Jerusalem (from the same location as Isaiah but with a time differential of about 2750 years!):
William Blake once wrote: “There are things that are known and things that are unknown. And in between, there are doors” 9:42am, Thursday, June 4
God of the unknown, God of open doors, walk with us as we try new ways of being, whether we are in unfamiliar territory or the same old places. Give us good courage and healthy caution, as we venture out to be taking care of your people and your creation. In your name we pray… amen.
Next comes “R&D” time (reflection and discussion) where we get into our texts, not only examining what they mean but also how the meanings are enhanced when we add our own stories to the mix. Though I can’t recreate Thursday’s discussion, I can relay some of the questions and comments that came out of our exploration.
Imagining Isaiah’s awe-inspiring yet terrifying experience of being chosen to speak for God, some of us shared our own stories of being chosen, what it felt like and how it affected our lives after that point.
~ Can you see God calling you through these experiences, even though you might not have noticed it at the time?
~ As you look back, is there a difference in your living, in your sense of meaning and purpose, when you had a sense of being “called” or a feeling that God sees some potential in you?
Take a moment to read the next piece of Isaiah’s story, 4 verses in which God says what Isaiah’s call will be like:
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%206:9-13;&version=51;
We talked about how much easier it would be to forget these verses and end the story with the thrilling words, “Here I am, send me!”, but also about the value of tackling “difficult” readings in the Bible.
~ Is God really setting up Isaiah for failure (as it first looks)… or just acknowledging the extreme difficulty of Isaiah’s mission… and that “success” and “failure” may be defined differently by God than most people see it?
~ How do we (with God’s help) define success differently than our world tends to?
Earlier in the book of Isaiah, God talks about how God’s people have dropped God in favor of living for themselves, and the justice and compassion God likes to see is getting harder to find.
~ Though Isaiah may have had a “mission impossible” in calling people to live justly, he kept at it, even as his world was imploding around him.
~ How is our world of economic crisis similar to this, and how can we be redefining success and failure? Certainly not alone! We need God's power and to be surrounded by faith community.
We ended up our R&D time each with pen and paper in hand, thinking about how we are being “sent”, how we are being called to speak out and/or to be planting seeds for the future. We then took some “open space” time, to use as we choose: to pray and light candles, to eat of our homemade bread, to talk more with one another, to let God care for us in whatever way is needed…
We reconvened briefly to pray for our world, especially those who are suffering, sending one another off into the world to live out our callings.
Peace,
Kari
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Here I am... but how long, Lord?
It's thrilling to be chosen for an honored position, yes? And it's terrifyingly thrilling to be chosen for an honored position that is desperately important AND way beyond your skill set, yes?
Can you get any more terrifying than that? Well, yes. The one who chose you for this honored position that is desperately important and way beyond your skill set, can say to you, “Oh, by the way, you will most certainly fail, and when you have failed, all will be in ruins… except for a seed of hope that will be planted in the midst of the mess you’ve made.”
You have to admire those who would take such a job, those who’d be so committed to the vision and the One who envisioned it, that they’d give it all they’ve got.
Such a one lived about 2750 years ago. His name, Isaiah.
What a seed he planted. And what an amazing body of writing emerged from his public speaking because he did not tell God to take this job and shove it. Isaiah could well be the patron saint of tasks doomed to fail within our lifetimes… but will plant seeds for the future.
There’s something about Isaiah’s story that says God walks alongside us, urging us on, no matter how tough the job is. It also seems to say that God is just as crazy as we are, that is, those of us who keep trying to do the impossible tasks of loving the world.
Let’s dig into this challenging reading this Thursday, 7pm, at the Crowne Plaza. Many faith communities around the world will be reading this story this weekend, from the 6th chapter of Isaiah, verses 1-8. That’s the creepy-but-gloriously-exhilerating part of the story. We’re going to go on and tackle the weird-and-ugly part: verses 9-13. You can read it now, if you like, by linking through the title of this post.
Peace to you in all your missions-impossible,
Kari
Can you get any more terrifying than that? Well, yes. The one who chose you for this honored position that is desperately important and way beyond your skill set, can say to you, “Oh, by the way, you will most certainly fail, and when you have failed, all will be in ruins… except for a seed of hope that will be planted in the midst of the mess you’ve made.”
You have to admire those who would take such a job, those who’d be so committed to the vision and the One who envisioned it, that they’d give it all they’ve got.
Such a one lived about 2750 years ago. His name, Isaiah.
What a seed he planted. And what an amazing body of writing emerged from his public speaking because he did not tell God to take this job and shove it. Isaiah could well be the patron saint of tasks doomed to fail within our lifetimes… but will plant seeds for the future.
There’s something about Isaiah’s story that says God walks alongside us, urging us on, no matter how tough the job is. It also seems to say that God is just as crazy as we are, that is, those of us who keep trying to do the impossible tasks of loving the world.
Let’s dig into this challenging reading this Thursday, 7pm, at the Crowne Plaza. Many faith communities around the world will be reading this story this weekend, from the 6th chapter of Isaiah, verses 1-8. That’s the creepy-but-gloriously-exhilerating part of the story. We’re going to go on and tackle the weird-and-ugly part: verses 9-13. You can read it now, if you like, by linking through the title of this post.
Peace to you in all your missions-impossible,
Kari
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