The readings from the Transformation Journal yesterday and today are a couple of my favorite Old Testament stories. First, the Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah, two courageous women who not only disobey Pharoah's unjust orders, but follow through with an amazingly clever lie! "How come you're not killing the boy children like I told you to?" Pharoah wants to know. And the midwives answer, "Well, our women are vigorous and strong--not like the refined Egyptians--and their labor goes so fast we never get there on time!"
And then there's God's commissioning of Moses, and his heartfelt prayer: "O my Lord, please send someone else!" Who hasn't prayed that same prayer once or twice? I know I have!
The Journal asks us to reflect on what God expects of us. Someone wise once said, "God doesn't call those who are fit; God makes fit those whom He calls." Do you think that's true?
Monday, December 10, 2007
Sunday, December 09, 2007
something to get you in the spirit!
Greetings! Here's a link to a version of "O Holy Night" that I just listened to courtesy of Pastor Rick McKinley's blog over at Harbor UMC.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIDLhJGDPUY
I hope you enjoy it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIDLhJGDPUY
I hope you enjoy it!
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Genesis--the covenants
Grace and peace to all of you! If you're keeping up with the daily readings, you'll notice that we've moved from what's usually called the "primeval history" (Genesis 1-11) to the "ancestral history" (Genesis 12-50) of the Israelite people.
Here are some notes adapted from a resource I'm using to help organize my own thoughts about this material which is so familiar, yet so strange.
We're deep into Priestly material here, and according to the Priestly view, each period of history begins with a covenant--the new age of the earth and humanity by the covenant with Noah, and the age of Israel's ancestors by this covenant with Abraham. Just like the covenant with Noah, the covenant with Abraham is established by God as an everlasting covenant, and is accompanied by a covenant sign. (With Noah, it was the rainbow. For Abraham, it is circumcision.) These are symbols of God's promise of blessing and security.
And so it's these gifts, these blessings, that Abraham wants to share with his son, Ishmael. The book asks us, "Who is your Ishmael?" Who is it that you want to bring into God's covenant through Jesus Christ?
I'll bet every one of you has an answer to that question. Maybe it's a child or a grandchild. Maybe it's a coworker or a friend. Maybe it's a parent. All of us know someone who's in need of the light of Christ, and a new relationship with God. Let's all pray today for these folks with whom we long to share the goodness of life with God.
Here are some notes adapted from a resource I'm using to help organize my own thoughts about this material which is so familiar, yet so strange.
We're deep into Priestly material here, and according to the Priestly view, each period of history begins with a covenant--the new age of the earth and humanity by the covenant with Noah, and the age of Israel's ancestors by this covenant with Abraham. Just like the covenant with Noah, the covenant with Abraham is established by God as an everlasting covenant, and is accompanied by a covenant sign. (With Noah, it was the rainbow. For Abraham, it is circumcision.) These are symbols of God's promise of blessing and security.
And so it's these gifts, these blessings, that Abraham wants to share with his son, Ishmael. The book asks us, "Who is your Ishmael?" Who is it that you want to bring into God's covenant through Jesus Christ?
I'll bet every one of you has an answer to that question. Maybe it's a child or a grandchild. Maybe it's a coworker or a friend. Maybe it's a parent. All of us know someone who's in need of the light of Christ, and a new relationship with God. Let's all pray today for these folks with whom we long to share the goodness of life with God.
Genesis -- the beginning
Grace and peace to all of you! Just a few thoughts on the readings we're doing together:
Wow--it has been a long time since I read the flood story--Tuesday's reading from the Transformation Journal! Probably because of the course I'm taking on the sacraments, I kept thinking about the words in our baptismal covenant: "In the days of Noah you saved those on the ark through water. After the flood you set in the clouds a rainbow."
You know, this is a confusing set of chapters, mostly because there really are two flood stories being woven together here. One comes from a source scholars call "P" for Priestly, and the other from a souces called "J" for Yahwist. (The insight comes from German scholarship, and they use J where we use Y.)
Anyway, you tell which source is being quoted by looking at the name used for God. The "J" or "Yahwist" author always uses God's proper name, YHWH, usually pronounced "yahweh." It gets printed in English Bibles as LORD in all caps. In the verses from the Priestly souces, God is called God--from the Hebrew "elohim."
Now, if I haven't turned you off the reading completely, check back for some more spiritual reflections later this week!
Wow--it has been a long time since I read the flood story--Tuesday's reading from the Transformation Journal! Probably because of the course I'm taking on the sacraments, I kept thinking about the words in our baptismal covenant: "In the days of Noah you saved those on the ark through water. After the flood you set in the clouds a rainbow."
You know, this is a confusing set of chapters, mostly because there really are two flood stories being woven together here. One comes from a source scholars call "P" for Priestly, and the other from a souces called "J" for Yahwist. (The insight comes from German scholarship, and they use J where we use Y.)
Anyway, you tell which source is being quoted by looking at the name used for God. The "J" or "Yahwist" author always uses God's proper name, YHWH, usually pronounced "yahweh." It gets printed in English Bibles as LORD in all caps. In the verses from the Priestly souces, God is called God--from the Hebrew "elohim."
Now, if I haven't turned you off the reading completely, check back for some more spiritual reflections later this week!
Friday, November 23, 2007
gratitude attack
Grace and peace to you! In my first few years of sobriety, I used to get what I called "gratitude attacks" fairly often. They came on suddenly, and they affected me really strongly--even physically. The hair on the back of my neck would stand up; I'd breathe in really suddenly; I'd get goosebumps even. And they happened whenever something in me clicked, something like, "Thank God I don't have to do THAT anymore!" or when I saw something really beautiful that I might not have noticed before. In fact I remember my first "attack" was triggered by a stand of daffodils in bloom that I saw somewhere in Brighton on my way to a meeting.
Well, they don't happen as often as they used to, and when they do, they come on a little more slowly, a little more quietly. They last a little longer these days too. And I've been having a rather extended gratitude attack ever since dinnertime yesterday. I got together with my brother, his wife, my nephew and nieces, and, unusually, my 94-year-old Dad. Dad--deaf as a plank--held up his end of things pretty darn well (except for the incident with the gravy, but hey . . .) And we had a chance to talk in the car on the way home, about how things are for him, about how hard it is--he used the phrase, "It breaks my heart"--not to be able to do some of the things that need to be done. "I used to see work and go do it," he said. "And now my body tells me what I can and can't do."
When we got to the house, he had a little trouble getting out of the car, and he was kind of unsteady on his feet. "I think I'll go lie down," he said. Good idea. But this is the man who was riding his bike last summer, and who still sat cross-legged on the couch a few short months ago.
So why, for Pete's sake, am I having a gratitude attack? Simply this--he's still around. He's remarkably sharp. And I love him. It was just wonderful to have him there for Thanksgiving dinner, to see him doting on his grandson, Daniel.
There's a lot of sadness, a legacy of unspoken disappointments between us. But those things seem to be fading lately. And I do love him, and I'm awfully grateful he's still around.
Well, they don't happen as often as they used to, and when they do, they come on a little more slowly, a little more quietly. They last a little longer these days too. And I've been having a rather extended gratitude attack ever since dinnertime yesterday. I got together with my brother, his wife, my nephew and nieces, and, unusually, my 94-year-old Dad. Dad--deaf as a plank--held up his end of things pretty darn well (except for the incident with the gravy, but hey . . .) And we had a chance to talk in the car on the way home, about how things are for him, about how hard it is--he used the phrase, "It breaks my heart"--not to be able to do some of the things that need to be done. "I used to see work and go do it," he said. "And now my body tells me what I can and can't do."
When we got to the house, he had a little trouble getting out of the car, and he was kind of unsteady on his feet. "I think I'll go lie down," he said. Good idea. But this is the man who was riding his bike last summer, and who still sat cross-legged on the couch a few short months ago.
So why, for Pete's sake, am I having a gratitude attack? Simply this--he's still around. He's remarkably sharp. And I love him. It was just wonderful to have him there for Thanksgiving dinner, to see him doting on his grandson, Daniel.
There's a lot of sadness, a legacy of unspoken disappointments between us. But those things seem to be fading lately. And I do love him, and I'm awfully grateful he's still around.
Thursday, November 01, 2007
not that good at being bad
I came across this quote from Joan Chittister in my morning quiet time today:
Life is not a game we win, and God is not a trophy we merit. No matter how "good" we are, we are not good enough for God. On the other hand, no matter how "bad" we are, we can never be outside of God. We can only hope in each instance to come to such a consciousness of God that no lesser gods can capture our attention and no trifling, self-centered gods can keep us from the fullness of awareness that is fullness of life. It is the project of life, this coming to wholeness . . .
It made me think of what you hear sometimes in 12-step meetings, people saying how they thought of themselves as the worst of the worst, beyond any help, uniquely bad, only to find out after putting some sober days together that, in fact, they weren't all that good at being bad!
No matter how good we are--no matter how many good works we do--we can never be good enough for God. But thanks be to God, we can never be so bad as to be outside God's grace. We are never, ever, beyond God's grasp, never ever.
This week's Gospel (if you don't use the All Saints' readings) is the story of Zaccheus, the tax collector. His livelihood depended on defrauding others--stealing from them, in fact. He was, as far as we can tell, likely to have been pretty bad. And what does Jesus do when he sees Zaccheus in a sycamore tree? He invites himself over for dinner. This Jesus will eat supper with anyone, even those of us who are pretty good at being bad.
Thanks be to God.
Life is not a game we win, and God is not a trophy we merit. No matter how "good" we are, we are not good enough for God. On the other hand, no matter how "bad" we are, we can never be outside of God. We can only hope in each instance to come to such a consciousness of God that no lesser gods can capture our attention and no trifling, self-centered gods can keep us from the fullness of awareness that is fullness of life. It is the project of life, this coming to wholeness . . .
It made me think of what you hear sometimes in 12-step meetings, people saying how they thought of themselves as the worst of the worst, beyond any help, uniquely bad, only to find out after putting some sober days together that, in fact, they weren't all that good at being bad!
No matter how good we are--no matter how many good works we do--we can never be good enough for God. But thanks be to God, we can never be so bad as to be outside God's grace. We are never, ever, beyond God's grasp, never ever.
This week's Gospel (if you don't use the All Saints' readings) is the story of Zaccheus, the tax collector. His livelihood depended on defrauding others--stealing from them, in fact. He was, as far as we can tell, likely to have been pretty bad. And what does Jesus do when he sees Zaccheus in a sycamore tree? He invites himself over for dinner. This Jesus will eat supper with anyone, even those of us who are pretty good at being bad.
Thanks be to God.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Lights of Faith, October 2007
Grace and peace to all of you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ! At the Duxbury Interfaith Council meeting last month, I "held forth" a bit on the topic of casino gambling in Massachusetts. As we were all leaving, one of the Council members asked me to write something for the Clipper's Light of Faith column on the subject. So I did--here's the text:
“Gambling is a menace to society, deadly to the best interests of moral, social, economic, and spiritual life, and destructive of good government.” So says the United Methodist Church’s Book of Discipline, and so say I. But why? Haven’t we as Americans had enough experience with prohibition to know that it simply doesn’t work? What’s wrong with having a little fling at a slot machine every now and then? And besides, doesn’t a trip to the casino give us a shot at living “for the wonder of it all?”
Well, hardly. A recent Boston Globe article (8/19/2007) by Jonah Lehrer sheds light on how our brains react and adapt to the pleasurable stimulation of gambling. Neuroscientists studying dopamine receptors have demonstrated just how seductive the random rewards of gambling really are. When we pull that slot machine lever and win some money, we experience a pleasurable rush of dopamine. Eventually we may find ourselves riveted to the machine, just trying to get that “rush” one more time. It’s reasonable to expect that something similar can happen with a lowly scratch ticket, readily available in a vending machine at the supermarket checkout.
But surely only a small percentage of the population gets hooked, right? After all, most people can walk away from the slot machine. Most folks can at least wait until they get to their cars to scratch their tickets, can’t they? Sure. But the fact is that among people who live within 50 miles of a casino, at least 1 out of every 20 people becomes a gambling addict. And gambling addiction, like other forms of addiction, leads to crime, distressed, families, suicide and bankruptcy.
A study published in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine (May, 2006) states that illegal underage and adult pathological drinking account for between 38 and 49% of the profits of the alcohol industry. Is there really any reason to assume that the gambling industry is any different? I don’t believe there is. I think it reasonable to assume that a similar percentage of gambling industry profits will come from the exploitation of underage and addicted gamblers. And if casino gambling becomes a reality in Massachusetts, we will pay a high price.
Let’s tell it like it is. This is a moral issue. Slot machines are the most addictive form of gambling ever devised. There can be no justification for allowing casino style gambling in our state.
Not in my backyard. Not in your backyard. Not in anyone’s backyard.
We'll have to see when (and if!) it gets published.
“Gambling is a menace to society, deadly to the best interests of moral, social, economic, and spiritual life, and destructive of good government.” So says the United Methodist Church’s Book of Discipline, and so say I. But why? Haven’t we as Americans had enough experience with prohibition to know that it simply doesn’t work? What’s wrong with having a little fling at a slot machine every now and then? And besides, doesn’t a trip to the casino give us a shot at living “for the wonder of it all?”
Well, hardly. A recent Boston Globe article (8/19/2007) by Jonah Lehrer sheds light on how our brains react and adapt to the pleasurable stimulation of gambling. Neuroscientists studying dopamine receptors have demonstrated just how seductive the random rewards of gambling really are. When we pull that slot machine lever and win some money, we experience a pleasurable rush of dopamine. Eventually we may find ourselves riveted to the machine, just trying to get that “rush” one more time. It’s reasonable to expect that something similar can happen with a lowly scratch ticket, readily available in a vending machine at the supermarket checkout.
But surely only a small percentage of the population gets hooked, right? After all, most people can walk away from the slot machine. Most folks can at least wait until they get to their cars to scratch their tickets, can’t they? Sure. But the fact is that among people who live within 50 miles of a casino, at least 1 out of every 20 people becomes a gambling addict. And gambling addiction, like other forms of addiction, leads to crime, distressed, families, suicide and bankruptcy.
A study published in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine (May, 2006) states that illegal underage and adult pathological drinking account for between 38 and 49% of the profits of the alcohol industry. Is there really any reason to assume that the gambling industry is any different? I don’t believe there is. I think it reasonable to assume that a similar percentage of gambling industry profits will come from the exploitation of underage and addicted gamblers. And if casino gambling becomes a reality in Massachusetts, we will pay a high price.
Let’s tell it like it is. This is a moral issue. Slot machines are the most addictive form of gambling ever devised. There can be no justification for allowing casino style gambling in our state.
Not in my backyard. Not in your backyard. Not in anyone’s backyard.
We'll have to see when (and if!) it gets published.
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Here goes--again!
Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ! Well, it was nearly two years ago that I created this blog. As you can easily see, I never went back to use it. I'm excited by the possibilities of this type of thing, but a little bewildered as to how to go about it.
I'm in the office preparing a class for the St. john's Episcopal Men's Breakfast Group about the trials and tribulations (and gifts and graces!) of being a Methodist pastor. I'm finding myself strangely intimidated--not strangely warmed! But the review of Methodist history has been good for me. What an amazing set of circumstances has brought or church to the place it is today!
Just think--if John Wesley had persisted in his conviction that Methodist pastors had to be ordained Anglican (Church of England) priests, we would never have even taken root on this continent, never mind flourished the way we did.
God is good--all the time!
In Christ's service,
Pastor Barbara
I'm in the office preparing a class for the St. john's Episcopal Men's Breakfast Group about the trials and tribulations (and gifts and graces!) of being a Methodist pastor. I'm finding myself strangely intimidated--not strangely warmed! But the review of Methodist history has been good for me. What an amazing set of circumstances has brought or church to the place it is today!
Just think--if John Wesley had persisted in his conviction that Methodist pastors had to be ordained Anglican (Church of England) priests, we would never have even taken root on this continent, never mind flourished the way we did.
God is good--all the time!
In Christ's service,
Pastor Barbara
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