So Good I Laughed, I Cried

Ben and I watched "The Bucket List" tonight. It was seriously funny and very well-written. Not so well edited; we enjoyed watching some minor issue with the cut but nothing that was really distracting. We laughed a lot.
But it's also a kind of sad movie. The main characters are dying, after all.
Can't tell you anything else without spoiling it, so I won't. Go see it yourself.

Just for the sake of posting

moar funny pictures

Friday Five: January Deep Freeze Edition

1. What is the thermometer reading at your house this morning?

Well, it was evening by the time I got to this...35 or so. Cold for us!

2. Snow—love it or hate it?

Love, love, love, perhaps because I so rarely get to see it.

3. What is winter like where you are?

Cool but not cold, with few real frosts or freezes, and rare snow.

4. Do you like winter sports? Any good stories?

I like to watch hocky and football (it counts, since it doesn't end until February). No good stories though.

5. What is your favorite season, and why?

Fall and Spring are my faves...not too cold, so I can knock around in jeans and a sweater. I don't like hot weather.

Bonus: Share a favorite winter pick-me-up. A recipe, an activity, or whatever.

Hot chocolate, always!

Tell Us What You've Found Poetry Party

I'm only 1 day late this time!
Christine at Abbey of the Arts offers this picture for reflection:

Empty boat
Empty sea
Empty shore
Empty me

Tell you what I see?

I look up, and I see...
me
and the shore
and the sea
and the boat

And you, calling me.

Friday Five Book Edition

This week's Friday Five is all about books. If you know me well, you know I could talk about books forever...so I'll try to be concise.
What book have you read in the last six months that has really stayed with you? Why?

Fiction: His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman--a really great fantasy story but not something I'd encourage my youth to read.
Nonfiction: Organic Community and The Search to Belong both by Joe Myers--a must read for anyone interested in community-building

What is one of your favorite childhood books?

So many...The Trumpet of the Swan, Huck Finn, Marvin K. Mooney, Will You Please GO Now (A Dr. Seuss fave)

Do you have a favorite book of the Bible? Do tell!

Colossians, mostly, especially from The Message. As I was discerning my call to ministry, Peterson's paraphrase really helped me articulate my faith.

What is one book you could read again and again?

To Kill a Mockingbird. Ben and I want to write a Bible study curriculum using it as a text.

Is there a book you would suggest for Lenten reading? What is it and why?

From the Edge of the Crowd, by James E. Sargent. It's a series of letters written from the perspective of someone on the periphery of Jesus' ministry. Great questions and doubts and a wonderful view of what it might have been like to be there.

And because we all love bonus questions, if you were going to publish a book what would it be? Who would you want to write the jacket cover blurb expounding on your talent?

I want to! I just don't know what yet. Maybe, Is Paradise the Plural of Paradox? Pondering Faith for Everyday People with a jacket quote from Len Sweet and maybe Phil Wyman.

The WonderMutt went to school

I sent Cletus to class today, figuratively.
My Drew classes use online meeting software, which means that we do instant messaging with live camera feeds. I think it's meant to be cooler than that, but it's okay. Except today I was at home, and eating carrots, which is not all that attractive. So I took the camera, got the hound to look at me a second, and the froze the picture.
It's the little things that make me happy.
If only I could have signed him on as Paraclete Duke, but I think I would have had to pay tuition for that, and I know he won't do the work.

I need more tv or maybe less.

There's nothing on.
Seriously. It's primetime midweek and unless you like so-called reality tv, you're pretty much out of luck. I was hoping for a sit-com or a science-based drama (where is David Boreanaz when I need him?), but no, my choices are limited and scary.
Let me start by saying I have only basic cable. Yep, that's it: 3 shopping networks, 2 Spanish-language channels, and MTV2 (all blocked), the 4 big networks and We. That means my choices tonight are Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, American Idol, Power of 10, Wife Swap, and Janice Dickinson.
It's hard to escape in a little mindless frivolity when all the frivolity is crap. I don't like reality tv--can you tell? Have I made that clear yet? I will be glad when the reality tv fad is over. I remember when Stephen King's "The Running Man" came out--we all thought it was horrifying (the concept, not the movie with Ahh-nold). But "Fear Factor" and "Survivor" just about top it. Sure, no one's *trying* to kill the contestants, but it kind of looks that way.
It's enough to make me want to give up on tv entirely. But then there are the shows I really enjoy: CSI, Bones, NUMB3RS. I think that's about it.
At least Jericho is coming back soon.

Life is good...and a little stressful...

Okay, what a weekend! Sr. pastor's been out because his wife had knee replacement surgery. A little complication this weekend, but I think she's over the worst of it. It was a bad weekend for her.
A good weekend for me, though. I wasn't in love with the sermon (posted below) but it was very well received. Sunday school with the middle schoolers went well; I'd like to do it more often than never but less often than weekly. And then there was the evening service. My voice started to go by the end of the worship team practice, which wouldn't have been a problem except I had to sing all those songs again, to a huge crowd. It made me very happy. A home group from another area church came by on a "field trip" to worship with us. I was pleased with the sermon, although I can't tell you now what I preached. Christ, and community, I'm certain, and I know that I meant to convey that being a Christian is hard work, not for the faint of heart, and that conversion does not automatically mean we will live a charmed life...but it is a good life, and we live it together, and that's exactly the message we need to share with those who have no church, and no community, and no Christ.
Anyway, it was a great service. The worship team was "on" and sang about the best they ever have. Everyone seemed to feel good, to be happy to be there. But I woke up sore and hoarse today!
I have a paper due the end of this week. I don't know when I'll get it done, or even how. I'm supposed to be collaborating with a classmate who is generally so far over my head in the class discussions that I feel lost all the time. But I'll do it, and it will be what it will be. So far, this class (on Christian Futuring) is as hard for me to grasp as reading tea leaves or crystal balls.
One of the RevGalBlogPals posted a marvelous quote about being under the loving gaze of God here. Go read it. It will be good for you! It was for me.

When Heaven Speaks, sermon on Isaiah 42:1-9 and Matthew 3:13-17

Everyone wants to hear from God. Don’t you? We hear stories of the saints who have heard God speak to them audibly. We read the email stories about lost children who are returned home or rescued whole from a wrecked car or saved from an accident by a mysterious disappearing stranger who is later recognized as something more. I don’t think I know anyone who has heard God speak to them out loud, like you would talk to the person next to you, but I know that most of us kind of wish God would, just once, speak to us out loud, give us an answer, show us a sign.
It’s been a long time for the people of God since God spoke so clearly …since the signs were so obvious that everyone around knew that something extraordinary was happening. Once upon a time there was no denying when God spoke: things changed, people moved, they were dramatic and startling and amazing demonstrations of God’s power. These are the stories we tell in Sunday School, and the ones that get etched in our memories, these tales of when Heaven speaks to us:
The act of Creation itself, when God spoke, and the sun and moon were born, stars lit the sky, the earth formed, oceans divided from land, plants grew, and birds and animals covered the ground;
Adam and Eve lived in the Garden of Eden, walking and talking in perfect fellowship with God, until their relationship was disrupted by their sin;
Noah heard God’s call and built the big boat, rode out the flood with his family and animals of every description, and received God’s promise in the form of a rainbow;
Abraham, whose visitation from God brought the news that this old man and his old wife would give rise to the nation of Israel, multitudes of the people of God, in the person of a child, their child, child of their barren marriage and their old age;
Moses, who had repeated encounters with God: a burning bush that spoke, plagues and Passover, pillars of cloud and fire, time spent with God in a cloud on the mountain, with thunder and lightning crashing around him, coming down with his face so changed that he had to put on a veil so people could stand to look at him, and bearing tablets of stone with the foundation of the Law written on them;
Samuel, who was awakened in the night by God calling him, and answered with a life of service, saying, “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening”;
Elijah, who challenged Baal’s prophets to see whose god would speak the loudest and was answered when God set a water-logged pyre ablaze;
Ordinary people named Zechariah and Elizabeth, Mary and John, who took their places in the history of God’s relationships with people and in the genealogy of the Savior;
And on to the generations since who in various ways have followed the word of God speaking to them. God does still speak…but I haven’t seen a pillar of cloud or of fire lately, and the shrubbery’s been silent.
Something singular happened in Jesus Christ. We’ve spent the Advent season and Christmas pondering the coming Messiah and the birth of the infant Christ. Last week Eric talked to us about the Wise Men and how their lives were changed by their encounter with Jesus, and with Herod. Something dramatic and drastic happened when Jesus was born, and God took on humanity to be one of us. We begin to get a glimpse of it in today’s gospel story, the story of the baptism of Jesus Christ.
We know that John was the last of the old time, Old Testament-style, prophets, and that this cousin to Jesus (on his mother’s side, of course) was one of the first to know Jesus for who he was. We know, too, that he had his own ministry, his own followers, preaching the coming of the Lord. John baptized people for repentance, which we know Jesus did not need…but clearly this baptism was important for Jesus, as it was attended from above by the voice of Heaven speaking: “this is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
Jesus came to be many things: the Messiah, the anointed one of God, the Savior, the Lord…and yet Isaiah describes the coming of the Messiah as the coming of a servant…one who would suffer for and serve his people, one who would come to bring righteousness and justice, mercy and grace. This Servant, says God through Isaiah, will come not with trumpets and fanfare, not with torches and swords, but with a quiet voice and a gentle spirit, with loving persistence and constant care for his people. And he will come, says Isaiah, to be a light to the nations, to restore sight to the blind and to release those who are captives.
These words of Isaiah would be recalled by Jesus as he spoke about his calling and about his Father, God. And although they would have been familiar to any of the Jews with whom he came in contact, still people were confused about who he was, this son of a carpenter, this Nazarene from Galilee, this man…and yet so much more than just a man.
Who Jesus is, according to the Gospel of John, is the Word of God, in the flesh, incarnated for us and in us. This gives a whole new meaning to what happens to us when heaven speaks, as we find grace, power, and presence in Christ in our lives, in our fellowship, in our service.
When heaven speaks, things change. Blind Bartimaeus regained his sight and his place in society. Mary Magdalene found a sense of healing, acceptance, and belonging in Jesus’ welcome. In the story of how Prodigal Son returned home, to the unending love and forgiveness of the prodigiously loving Father, the crowds learned about the endless love and grace of God. In stories about the love of God and ordinary things: mustard seeds and mountains, houses built on sand and rock, lost sheep and lost coins, and in the graciousness of Jesus Christ, the word of God, people learned to love God, to trust God more, that they could themselves talk to God…and that God would hear, and would answer, those prayers. Paul was knocked off his high horse (okay, maybe it was a donkey) and into an understanding of the grace of God.
When heaven speaks, lives are changed. I was in Montgomery, Alabama this week, where Martin Luther King, Jr. preached and Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus…where the civil rights movement helped remind a nation that in Christ, there is neither slave nor free, Jew nor Greek, male nor female, black nor white. In Afghanistan, Iraq, Sudan, and all over the world, Christian missions are providing food, shelter, water, clothing, companionship, and care for people who have lost home and family and livelihood to war. In Morehead City, North Carolina, pastors and lay preachers bring worship and Bible study to nursing homes and rehabilitation centers so that those who cannot go to church, have church brought to them.
When Heaven speaks, anything is possible. Water becomes wine and a simple meal of bread and wine becomes the life-giving gift of Christ. Mud becomes salve for the healing of those in need. A sack lunch for one becomes a feast for a multitude listening to Jesus preach and teach. A gathering of 2 or more ordinary people suddenly becomes a moment in the presence of Christ among believers. And the tumult of our lives becomes calm, when Jesus speaks peace into the storms of our lives.
When Heaven speaks, everything takes notice, everything listens: and if we do not speak about the greatness of God in our turn, then creation, down to the very rocks, will witness to the goodness of God. Imagine, do you think there was anyone around on the day of Jesus’ baptism who didn’t hear God speak? Who didn’t wonder at the sign? Who didn’t ask, who is that man? We know from the Gospels that despite the prophecies, despite the signs, despite this clear word from God, many, dare I say most, people still misunderstood. They still missed the point. They still failed to grasp that there, in their presence, was God in the form of Jesus Christ.
Is it any wonder our world now is no different? It is filled with people, starting right outside our doors and extending to the other side of the world, with people who have not heard about God, who do not know about Jesus Christ, who do not understand that there is a Savior who died and was resurrected for them. And many of those who have heard, like those Jews who did not recognize God in Jesus, simply don’t get it…they don’t understand the message…they have not heard Heaven speak in the words and deeds of Christian men and women who are trying to share the Good News.
This is where Heaven speaks today: in our words, in our actions, in our kindness to others, and in the way we live out the great love we have received. Heaven speaks when we pack up a shoebox to send to a child we don’t know, who will hear for the first time about Christmas, and the Christ who came for love, and peace, and justice for all people.
Heaven speaks when we deliver a meal to someone who might otherwise not eat that day. Heaven speaks when we make room in our buildings and in our hearts for LOGOS, for Nar-Anon, for work teams and Sunday School and all the other ways we reach out. Heaven speaks in our Methodist Men, Women, and Youth, all of whom give generously of themselves to others. Heaven speaks when we welcome someone into our worship, fellowship, and service here at Ann Street, whether it is on a Sunday morning in the sanctuary or a Sunday evening in the fellowship hall or a Terrific Tuesday meal.
Heaven still speaks to us. And here is a part of what Heaven says: let them come. Tell them about Jesus. Show them his love, and let them sense his presence in you. And Heaven still speaks through us as God’s gathered people, when others see our love, and Christ in it. When we share Jesus’ kindness to others, Heaven speaks; when we welcome strangers into our midst, Heaven speaks; when we fulfill Jesus’ commands: Love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love our neighbors as ourselves, Heaven still speaks.
The challenge, for you and for me and for all of God’s people is to speak clearly the words of Heaven: God is love, for you, and for me, and for all people. We are called to speak Heaven’s message, not our own, and that can be incredibly hard for us to do. But there is a world out there lost and listening, dying for a sense of connection, of community, of being a part of something beyond themselves, and that’s what we have to offer in Heaven’s words: we have an US that is God’s people, God’s family, God’s gift that we are living out. So we have to speak them well, and honestly, and own them as a part of ourselves. We have to open up our church and our family to those who are not a part of it, and speak to them the loving words of Heaven, not the condemning words of the unkind, unloving world in which we live.
Just as Heaven spoke in Jesus Christ, the incarnate Word of God, so too Heaven speaks to us, and through us, the Body of Christ, alive with the Spirit of God. Are we listening? And are we sharing those words, that love, that belonging, that Heaven speaks?
Years ago there was a great ad campaign for an investment house. The slogan was simple: “When E.F. Hutton talks, people listen.” Remember that one? In the commercials, if E.F. Hutton was mentioned, everything stopped: people were listening, waiting for some word of wisdom, some piece of knowledge, some gem that would improve their lives. Of course, it was easy to tell when E. F. Hutton was talking…they heard a voice, and everyone stopped and listened. A lost, lonely, hungry world is listening to every word we speak. What do you want them to hear? Let’s offer them love, and hope, and belonging. Let’s speak Christ to them.
Amen.

A belated Poetry Party

Christine over at Abbey of the Arts offers a new Poetry Party. Actually, she did it Monday, but I'm just getting to it today.

So much for New Year's resolutions...I'm late, but here I am anyway...


With short-sighted loneliness
I imagine I'm the only one
Grey clouds
Cold breezes
and endless travel ahead

When I open my eyes
Grace shows me the truth
Many more
than I imagined
Take this journey with me

New Year's Resolutions Friday Five

Well it had to be didn't it, love them or hate them I bet you've been asked about New Year resolutions. So with no more fuss here is this weeks Friday Five;

1. Do you make New Year resolutions?

Yep. See my post below. I especially like the picture.

2. Is this something you take seriously, or is it a bit of fun?

Yes and no. I do take these seriously, and so tried not to make them things that are to off-the-wall or ambitious. It's just a set of plans for the next year, not a life list!

3. Share one goal for 2008.

Get something I write published somewhere (again). I want to be a writer, in addition to all the other roles I have.

4. Money is no barrier, share one wild/ impossible dream for 2008

Travel, travel, travel. Spend a week with my gorgeous niece, Jamie the Exceptional. Take the dog to the Grand Canyon (I think he'd like it). Take a long cruise to Alaska. Go back to Europe for a couple of weeks to be with Tonya.
I know it looks like a lot, but it's really only this:TRAVEL!

5. Someone wants to publish a story of your year in 2008, what will the title of that book be?

Hmmm..."Where's the Coffee? A Caffeine-Fueled Year of Life, Love, and the Pursuit of Happiness"

New Year's Resolutions

more funny pictures

Yep, it's another funny critter picture. But really, how was I supposed to resist this? It's time to think about New Year's resolutions. Past time, actually, but I don't believe in stressing myself out ahead of time. Here are some resolutions I've set for myself in the coming year:
1. Try to set reasonable goals.
2. Do the RevGalBlogPals Friday Five each week (with time off for holidays, of course), and keep up with the Poetry Party at Abbey of the Arts. Blog, and do outside writing as well. Try to sell another magazine article.
3. Don't take the computer home every day. Some time spent without the computer is good for me. Some time spent without the computer is good for me. Some time spent without the computer is good for me...Oh, sorry. Trying to convince myself.
4. Keep up with my coursework. Today is the first day of my 2nd DMin class, and I've managed to read the prerequisite book...but there are 4 more to read by the end of the month.
5. Take better care of me: keep up with meds, eat right, exercise (the WonderMutt's getting a little pudgy, too), get plenty of sleep and be intentional about getting downtime. Don't forget spiritual stuff, too.
6. Seek out community and friendship wherever I can find it: with my classmates, my Bible study group, my clergywomen's group, etc. Especially look for new ways to meet people who are not connected to the church.
7. Take a good vacation. Next week's trip to AL to clean out the mother-in-law's house does not count.

Okay, I'm already tired. That seems like more than enough for now.

Goals. I have them.

Peace on earth

moar funny pictures
Happy New Year!