As I sit here, looking at the temperature outside (77 degrees, 90 % humidity), the work out edition of Friday Five beckons.
From Mompriest at RevGalBlogPals
1. Do you work out physically, spiritually, or psychologically? (I'll let you define what that might mean to you)
My goal is to work out 6 days a week. This week I'll hit four or five (going canoeing on Saturday, so don't know whether that will count, skipped yesterday). My goal is to run three days a week, bike three days a week and swim a couple of times, plus weights, stretching and Pilates. I try to journal every day and do centering prayer. No, I don't have enough time to work.
2. Are you more inclined to join a gym, or a book club?
Yes. Actually, I am a member of both.
3. Are you more inclined to read self-help books like Gail Sheehy's "Passages" or spiritual books like Richard Rohr or Theresa of Avila? And if so, what is your favorite?
I've pretty much stopped reading self help books. I read exercise books (Running until you're 100 is the last). I'm reading Into the Silent Land by Martin Laird (recommended by Robin at Metanoia) and will be teaching a class on centering prayer beginning in about 10 days. I have no favorite. My real favorites are mysteries, particularly those with female protagonists. I loved the first and third of Steig Larsson's Millennium Trilogy: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is the first.
4. Are you a loyal fan of a sports team? Or do you join the bandwagon when the local team is winning? And, if so, which one?
Yes. My college team and the Cleveland Cavs.
5. Or do you lean more toward having a favorite theologian/Spiritual writer or self help author and if so, who? And, why.
I really don't. I read wide and far. I suppose if one it would be Thich Nhat Hanh.
Bonus: What was the last play-off series you watched and did your team win?
The NCAA Basketball March Madness. Yes, my team won. Go Duke!
OK Now it's time to take the garbage and recycling out and then run.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Generation Gaps
Maybe I've just missed this or am incredibly dense. There is a generation gap in my congregation. In our understanding of who God is. Or there is a gap between the older (and a few younger) members and me (who only the 90 year olds would call young). The older members see God as a God who comforts, who makes life easier, who helps them through the difficult spots. I see God as a prod, a pusher, someone who challenges me and the church. My challenge now is to appreciate the God who comforts.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Friday Five Politics
I love politics. So, here's the Friday Five from RevGalBlogPals
So what do you think about the mix of faith and politics:
1. Jesus a political figure: discuss...
What is a political figure? If one were to go back to the Greek root, polis, then the answer must be no because politics has to do with citizenship and democracy. And there was no democracy under Roman rule in Palestine. Unless one was a Roman citizen, I don't think there was a way to influence decision making. Of course, I might be wrong. OTOH, if politics has to do with the way we live our lives, with how we respond to those who rule us, then I'd have to say yes. I do believe Jesus did have something to say about the response to Roman rule and to the wrongness of Roman rule. Luke's gospel in particular is full of political responses from God: He has overthrown the mighty, the rich go away hungry, etc.
2. Politics in the pulpit, yes or no and why?
No and it's unavoidable. I don't believe in preaching my political beliefs as God's word. On the other hand, I do believe the scriptures speak to political situations and scripture has influenced my political beliefs. I believe that politics are a part of life and that we are called to preach to and about all of life. So, I believe that it is unavoidable to preach about politics. Everytime I remind people that we are called to feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty, visit those in prison, it's a political statement. I don't say vote Republican or Democratic, though.
3.What are your thoughts on the place of prayer in public life...
Hate it, pure and simple. I believe religion in the public sector gets co-opted to serve the purposes of the public sector. I believe that religion should critique the public sector. When religion becomes entwined with the public sector, then it cannot.
I believe that prayer in the public sector is diluted prayer or offensive prayer. I am concerned that public religion will become state religion and infringe on my right to profess beliefs that may be contrary to the state religion. I believe our First Amendment protects me from the imposition by the state of beliefs to which I do not adhere. One only has to look at the take over of the Texas State Board of Education to see the dangers. They are promoting a religious belief system that I do not adhere to as the acceptable religion and perspective through which one should view history and science.
4.Is there a political figure, Christian or otherwise that you admire for their integrity?
Jimmy Carter, of course. Nelson Mandela.
5.What are your thoughts on tactical voting, e.g. would you vote for one individual/party just to keep another individual/ party form gaining power?
Yep. It frustrates me to see Greens in the US vote in close elections so that a Republican is put in office instead of a Dem. In the small political realm which I used to inhabit, I was a tactician. Getting into office is the important thing, getting those who most closely favor your position is what is important, IMHO.
I will say based on my small experience, making public decisions is far more difficult than it seems. It looks very different from the inside than from the outside.
Bonus- is there a song which might sum this all up- if so post a video or a link...
Canticle of the Turning
So what do you think about the mix of faith and politics:
1. Jesus a political figure: discuss...
What is a political figure? If one were to go back to the Greek root, polis, then the answer must be no because politics has to do with citizenship and democracy. And there was no democracy under Roman rule in Palestine. Unless one was a Roman citizen, I don't think there was a way to influence decision making. Of course, I might be wrong. OTOH, if politics has to do with the way we live our lives, with how we respond to those who rule us, then I'd have to say yes. I do believe Jesus did have something to say about the response to Roman rule and to the wrongness of Roman rule. Luke's gospel in particular is full of political responses from God: He has overthrown the mighty, the rich go away hungry, etc.
2. Politics in the pulpit, yes or no and why?
No and it's unavoidable. I don't believe in preaching my political beliefs as God's word. On the other hand, I do believe the scriptures speak to political situations and scripture has influenced my political beliefs. I believe that politics are a part of life and that we are called to preach to and about all of life. So, I believe that it is unavoidable to preach about politics. Everytime I remind people that we are called to feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty, visit those in prison, it's a political statement. I don't say vote Republican or Democratic, though.
3.What are your thoughts on the place of prayer in public life...
Hate it, pure and simple. I believe religion in the public sector gets co-opted to serve the purposes of the public sector. I believe that religion should critique the public sector. When religion becomes entwined with the public sector, then it cannot.
I believe that prayer in the public sector is diluted prayer or offensive prayer. I am concerned that public religion will become state religion and infringe on my right to profess beliefs that may be contrary to the state religion. I believe our First Amendment protects me from the imposition by the state of beliefs to which I do not adhere. One only has to look at the take over of the Texas State Board of Education to see the dangers. They are promoting a religious belief system that I do not adhere to as the acceptable religion and perspective through which one should view history and science.
4.Is there a political figure, Christian or otherwise that you admire for their integrity?
Jimmy Carter, of course. Nelson Mandela.
5.What are your thoughts on tactical voting, e.g. would you vote for one individual/party just to keep another individual/ party form gaining power?
Yep. It frustrates me to see Greens in the US vote in close elections so that a Republican is put in office instead of a Dem. In the small political realm which I used to inhabit, I was a tactician. Getting into office is the important thing, getting those who most closely favor your position is what is important, IMHO.
I will say based on my small experience, making public decisions is far more difficult than it seems. It looks very different from the inside than from the outside.
Bonus- is there a song which might sum this all up- if so post a video or a link...
Canticle of the Turning
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
So frustrated. There is a core of seven or eight or nine older adults who don't want to do anything different. Session was awful. One session member said that the older people would quit giving if we moved worship from the sanctuary to the fellowship hall for two months this summer. She was adamant that we shouldn't do this.
I want to have worship there so we can do more creative things. I want to have worship on communion Sunday around a meal as the early Christians did. I want to be able to use movie clips and art with my sermon. I want to design worship to be experiential beyond traditional (and frozen chosen) dead.
I want to be creative. I am frustrated that people I love oppose me.
I think it is time to retire.
I want to have worship there so we can do more creative things. I want to have worship on communion Sunday around a meal as the early Christians did. I want to be able to use movie clips and art with my sermon. I want to design worship to be experiential beyond traditional (and frozen chosen) dead.
I want to be creative. I am frustrated that people I love oppose me.
I think it is time to retire.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Energy
Not mine, but mine. So, in the last few weeks, we have lost 29 men to a coal mine and untold natural resources to an oil well explosion. We seem to have these catastrophes and then forget about them and get on with our lives of using more and more energy. And of course, I don't do anything either. But, it bothers me.
It looks like the wind farm off Conn will go ahead which is good. People oppose wind energy because it destroys the vista. Vistas are important, but people and fish and shrimp are more important. We have to make a choice and yet we continue to live as if the pantry is full. One day, we will open the door and find only skeletons.
We need an energy policy that will foster green tech. We need an energy policy that will impute the real cost of energy into oil and coal: the real cost of making sure the environmental costs are included and that we drill and mine with safety first.
I need to make changes of my own. I'm already switching to CF bulbs as the incandescents burn out. I'm almost done with the switch. My new resolution is to bike or walk where I can for shopping. I can walk or bike to either Easy Way (the fantastic produce store) or to one grocery store for those piddly items I seem to run out of. I'm trying to figure out how to bike one day a week to church. When I get to where I can leave my laptop there, then I think I can.
My thoughts for the day.
It looks like the wind farm off Conn will go ahead which is good. People oppose wind energy because it destroys the vista. Vistas are important, but people and fish and shrimp are more important. We have to make a choice and yet we continue to live as if the pantry is full. One day, we will open the door and find only skeletons.
We need an energy policy that will foster green tech. We need an energy policy that will impute the real cost of energy into oil and coal: the real cost of making sure the environmental costs are included and that we drill and mine with safety first.
I need to make changes of my own. I'm already switching to CF bulbs as the incandescents burn out. I'm almost done with the switch. My new resolution is to bike or walk where I can for shopping. I can walk or bike to either Easy Way (the fantastic produce store) or to one grocery store for those piddly items I seem to run out of. I'm trying to figure out how to bike one day a week to church. When I get to where I can leave my laptop there, then I think I can.
My thoughts for the day.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Spirits and Cancer and Me
It has now been two years since my diagnosis. Well, not really. The final page of the path report disappeared and it took a long time to get the original and then they wouldn't give me the results over the phone. So, I was blissfully in denial for a while.
So, someone asked me if I felt God's special presence during the cancer treatment. I made something up because I didn't. In fact, all the wonderful things that are supposed to happen when you have cancer--you know, more spiritual, more appreciative of live, and so on didn't happen.
In retrospect, I was in a pretty dark place. Mostly angry. About mortality. I realize the anger has seeped away.
Yesterday I ran and the in the afternoon, swam a mile. I am trying to get in shape for a trip to Bhutan which will entail hiking for two to four hours or more in the Himalayas. High up with thin air. I remember Jan 08 when I was in Uganda hiking up and down volcanos looking for mountain gorillas. I had to be pushed and pulled. I was so embarrassed. I had no idea that I was so out of shape. It was simply awful. Of course, I had cancer at the time and didn't know it.
I feel better than I have felt in a long time. I love life and I am trying to slow down to enjoy this world while I am here. But, I haven't had the blinding light experiences people seem to expect from pastors. I'm just me.
So, someone asked me if I felt God's special presence during the cancer treatment. I made something up because I didn't. In fact, all the wonderful things that are supposed to happen when you have cancer--you know, more spiritual, more appreciative of live, and so on didn't happen.
In retrospect, I was in a pretty dark place. Mostly angry. About mortality. I realize the anger has seeped away.
Yesterday I ran and the in the afternoon, swam a mile. I am trying to get in shape for a trip to Bhutan which will entail hiking for two to four hours or more in the Himalayas. High up with thin air. I remember Jan 08 when I was in Uganda hiking up and down volcanos looking for mountain gorillas. I had to be pushed and pulled. I was so embarrassed. I had no idea that I was so out of shape. It was simply awful. Of course, I had cancer at the time and didn't know it.
I feel better than I have felt in a long time. I love life and I am trying to slow down to enjoy this world while I am here. But, I haven't had the blinding light experiences people seem to expect from pastors. I'm just me.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Friday Five
1. When was your last, or will be your next, out of town travel? Monday, Monday, I can't wait. Austin for the College of Pastoral Leaders at the seminary, Yosemite, Carmel for a meeting with seminary friends, Monterey, then home.
2. Long car trips: love or loathe? Loateh
3. Do you prefer to be driver or passenger? Driver
4. If passenger, would you rather pass the time with handwork, conversing, reading, listening to music, or ??? Sleep. I tend to fall asleep the minute I get in the passenger seat.
5. Are you going, or have you ever gone, on a RevGals BE? Happiest memories of the former, and/or most anticipated pleasures of the latter? One day, I'd love to go. It has tended to conflict with other plans. Maybe next year.
6. Bonus: a favorite piece of road trip music. right now: Graceland. Not road trip music, but here and now music.
Am now trying to figure out how to get two more weeks of vacation. I found a wonderful trip I want to take, but I'm already scheduled for vacation (and paid for airfare etc.)
2. Long car trips: love or loathe? Loateh
3. Do you prefer to be driver or passenger? Driver
4. If passenger, would you rather pass the time with handwork, conversing, reading, listening to music, or ??? Sleep. I tend to fall asleep the minute I get in the passenger seat.
5. Are you going, or have you ever gone, on a RevGals BE? Happiest memories of the former, and/or most anticipated pleasures of the latter? One day, I'd love to go. It has tended to conflict with other plans. Maybe next year.
6. Bonus: a favorite piece of road trip music. right now: Graceland. Not road trip music, but here and now music.
Am now trying to figure out how to get two more weeks of vacation. I found a wonderful trip I want to take, but I'm already scheduled for vacation (and paid for airfare etc.)
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