What it means to give fully to God…

“O Lord my God, to you and to your service I devote myself, body, soul, and spirit. Fill my memory with the record of your mighty works; enlighten my understanding with the light of your Holy Spirit; and may all the desires of my heart and will center in what you would have me do. Make me an instrument of your salvation for the people entrusted to my care, and let me by my life and speaking set forth your true and living Word. Be always with me in carrying out the duties of my salvation; in praises heighten my love and gratitude; in speaking of You give me readiness of thought and expression; and grant that, by the clearness and brightness of your holy Word, all the world may be drawn to your blessed kingdom. All this I ask for the sake of your Son, my Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.”

Taken from The Divine Hours Pocket Edition  by Phyllis Tickle.

The Moving of the Spirit

`Since January 1 was going to fall on a Sunday, I had this great idea—why not do something different?  Doing something different almost always means more work for me, but the heck–it’s a new year, a new start, perhaps doing things just a little different is what we all need.  (I know I was wanting the Spirit to move and jostle me around a bit.)

I don’t think anyone’s world was too shaken when I had us worshiping in our fellowship hall, although some asked why we were back in there, “Aren’t we dont with the Sanctuary and Chapel renovations?” one person inquired. Yes, yes, we are done with the renovations and there are NO leaky roofs or building space malfunctions.  It was ALL me and my decision (with the approval of the Worship committee and Session—I am a good rule following teaching elder after all).

During the time usually used for a sermon, I did a brief mediation on Christian hope and then turned things over the Spirit and the people seated in the room.  Those present were encouraged to write, draw, ramble, etc their response or thoughts about the following questions:

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

After reflecting on the first three questions, you are invited to write your thoughts and prayers for the last question in whatever style you like—letter, poem, image, etc,—and place it in an self addressed envelope to be mailed to you later this year.

 

~What guides us into the coming year?  

 

~What lessons from last year lead us into the future?

 

~Where is God’s exhortation and challenge for us individually and collectively?  

 

~What are your hopes for this coming year—personally, spiritually, for our community, and for our world?

 

Then they were encouraged to either place them in a self-addressed envelope (to be mailed to them at a later date) or bring them home with them.  I was quite surprised at the number of folks who chose to have them mailed to them during the year.  Lots of great things happened in and through this worship service.  I was surprised what I wrote in response to the questions (and I made up the questions).  Praise be to God that the Spirit does truly move when we give space and trust in the presence of God.

 

 

During Advent….

During the weeks leading up to Christmas, I will be posting prayers, pictures, and thoughts here:  http://alifegivingadvent.wordpress.com/

The Journey

The Journey

by Mary Oliver

One day you finally knew

what you had to do, and began,

though the voices around you

kept shouting

their bad advice–

though the whole house

began to tremble

and you felt the old tug

at your ankles.

“Mend my life!”

each voice cried.

But you didn’t stop.

You knew what you had to do,

though the wind pried

with its stiff fingers

at the very foundations,

though their melancholy

was terrible.

It was already late

enough, and a wild night,

and the road full of fallen

branches and stones.

But little by little,

as you left their voices behind,

the stars began to burn

through the sheets of clouds,

and there was a new voice

which you slowly

recognized as your own,

that kept you company

as you strode deeper and deeper

into the world,

determined to do

the only thing you could do–

determined to save

the only life you could save.

When Life Gives You Lemons….

…make lemonade. Or so that is the saying. But what if I am tired of making lemonade and can’t stomach the thought of just another sip of that sickening sweet drink. Is there anything wrong with just sucking on my lemons for a few days? Is there anything wrong in living in and amidst the yuck of the moment? I am not talking about self wallowing or depression, just the idea that sour things happen in our lives and perhaps we shouldn’t rush to squeeze the sour into something sweet. Maybe the gift is in the sour.

Our 5 year old was recently learning about her five senses in her pre-k class at Margaret Brent Elementary/Middle School. The teacher is great about doing hands on learning and experimenting in the class. One day they must have done a taste test and talk about how we can taste different things like sweet, salty, sour, and spicy. At dinner, still thinking about what she learned in school, she asked which taste we liked the best. My answer was spicy, her answer was sweet, and her older sister’s answer was sour. Our 5 year old asked her sister why? if you know our eldest you know there is not a simple answer. She explained how she has always liked sucking on lemons, even since she was really little. Then she said, “and you know I love sour patch”. She continued, “Sour Patch taste good only because you start with the sour and then taste the sweet. It wouldn’t be so yummy if they was just sweet.”.

I think my oldest is onto something. The sweet things in life definitely wouldn’t be as sweet and “yummy” if we didn’t also experience the more sour aspects of life. Now I can’t say that I am always super thrilled when lemons are thrown my way, but without them would I be able to fully taste the sweet?

A Right to be Diasppointed?

I must admit, I was completely disappointed in the showing of the Mayor and councilmen and women at the Transform Baltimore event last night. I get that they are busy and they have important events, meetings, and need personal and family time. However, how often does one have the opportunity to sit and listen to the real concerns of students, facility, parents, and friends of the schools?

And the worse of it for me, isn’t that I am let down, but what about our students? A good friend and fellow parent at Margaret Brent Elementary Middle School spent quite a few hours working with a 7th grade student helping her put together a speech that would tell Mayor Rawlings Blake and our councilman, Karl Stokes, just what it is like to live and studying in this type of environment.

Our wonderful 7th grader practiced her speech numerous times, she wanted the message to be clear and direct. She even practiced looking up at the Mayor and our councilperson at certain points of the speech to help drive her point home. But is hard to make eye contact when they don’t appear to care enough to be in attendance.

The good news is that there were hundreds of others there who did care. And there were dedicated councilmen and women who do care about our kids and our schools, not just when it is time to get re-elected. Mary Pat Clarke was there like she always is. She heard our concerns and I hope she will continue to be our advocate, as she has been in the past.

Councilmen and women and Mayor Rawlings Blake, I get that you are a politicians, but can you please show our kids that you care about them and their future?

I Take After My Mom, the Rock Star

I love it!!  I just love walking into my daughter’s school because each time I do, I have encounter the cool factor. It is almost like I am celebrity with all of Ellie and Maggie’s classmates waving to me in the hall.  I feel almost like a “rock star” with little girls running up for hugs and the boys coming over for fist bumps.

I clearly remember my mom coming in to my fourth grade classroom to work an ESL student once a week.  When she did, I also remember experiencing that “rock star” status.  All the kids would come up to me and say, “Wow, you are so lucky your mom comes into school.”  I experienced the “rock star” status again in 6th grade when my mom became a published romance novelist and shared with our class the challenges of writing, being critiqued, and the many times she was rejected before she was published.

There was a semi-cool factor freshmen year when all the parents came in-town for Parents’ Weekend and a group of friends from my hall and all our parents went to dinner together—but it just wasn’t as cool as it was in 4th or 6th grade.    I miss that.

Yes, I do have lots of really super awesome proud moments—like each time my mom gets a hole in one (she has done it twice),  how amazing of a wife my was when my father was sick and in the process of dying from cancer,  and how she is always there in a minutes notice for family, friends, or her church.  As adults, we don’t get too many opportunities to make our parents feel like rock stars like we did when we were young.

I love just how proud my daughters’ are of me and my hubby.  I love that they think we have completely hung the moon in the sky.  And yes, I know one day soon they will think we are the meanest more horrible people on earth.  But I do hope when they get older they will remember the “cool” and proud moments they have of us.  And I hope they will be “rock stars” to their children.