Monday, March 31, 2008

Politics

Laugh - lighten up :)

A little boy goes to his dad and asks, 'What is Politics?'

Dad says, 'Well son, let me try to explain it this way: I am the head of the family, so call me The President.
Your mother is the administrator of the money, so we call her the Government.
We are here to take care of your needs, so we will call you the People.
The nanny, we will consider her the Working Class.
And your baby brother, we will call him the Future.
Now think about that and see if it makes sense.'

So the little boy goes off to bed thinking about what Dad has said.
Later that night, he hears his baby brother crying, so he gets up to check on him.
He finds that the baby has severely soiled his diaper.
So the little boy goes to his parent's room and finds his mother asleep. Not wanting to wake her, he goes to the nanny's room. Finding the door locked, he peeks in the keyhole and sees his father in bed with the nanny.
He gives up and goes back to bed.
The next morning, the little boy say's to his father, 'Dad, I think I understand the concept of politics now.'
The father says, 'Good, son, tell me in your own words what you think politics is all about.'
The little boy replies, 'The President is screwing the Working Class while the Government is sound asleep. The People are being ignored and the Future is in deep shit .'

Friday, March 28, 2008

Anomalies...

anomaly
–noun, plural -lies. 1. a deviation from the common rule, type, arrangement, or form. 2. someone or something anomalous: With his quiet nature, he was an anomaly in his exuberant family. 3. an odd, peculiar, or strange condition, situation, quality, etc. 4. an incongruity or inconsistency.
My life is full of anomalies. I AM an anomaly. I am a liberal Christian - which I'm told is an anomaly these days. I consider myself not very high maintenance, but I LOVE to get my nails done. I am a pacifist as much as I can be - but I value and respect intensely a soldier who serves her or his country. I will soon have a graduate degree - but I most certainly have my moments in which my lack of common sense painfully shows through. I am addicted to my computer and the internet, and my cell phone, but I try not to live into consumerism. I like to dress up and wear formal clothes, while I also have fun not showering for three days and camping in the middle of no where and swimming in the river or the lake. I love beer, and I love me a cosmo. I am a minister, but I'm also frustrated with the church and may choose to not go some Sundays (when I'm not being paid to be there) :). I want to honor the earth, and "fight" to protect it, but I drive my car on a daily basis and think nothing to continue paying $3.00/gallon. I'm a sorority girl, but I loathe shaving my legs and wearing makeup all the time.

I could go on for days... but I wonder. I wonder if this is a blessing, or a curse? Is this something I should embrace, or something I should work on? I'm not necessarily looking for an answer... just wondering...

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Your Opinion...

I've been presented with this situation in a class for school, and I'm interested in other's opinions...
"The town in which you are a pastor has a population of approximately 80,000. Some new businesses in town have attracted new residents. A group of these new residents have approached you. They are Muslim and there is no mosque or existing Muslim community in the city. They wish to begin to gather for prayer on Fridays and have requested the use of your sanctuary. Given your interpretation of the gospel of Jesus Christ and your argument concerning the nature and purpose of the church, would it be appropriate to open the space set apart for Christian worship in your church building for weekly Muslim worship? Make sure to demonstrate your theological method as you argue for a position."

Leave comments, send me emails... either way... let me hear your opinion :)

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Don't let me


I'm growing my hair long again.... no one let me convince myself to cut it... :)


(I'm also working on the flatter stomach that I had when I took this picture - but one thing at a time - and remember I'm in graduate school - I spend my life reading books and typing!) :)

Friday, March 21, 2008

Being Proven Right

Soooo... I've been on a few dates lately... and I try to be open minded and hope for the best. But I'm also honest, realistic and lets face it, a bit cynical.

I prepare myself - thinking the worst of people - yet its still a huge disappointment when I'm proven right. I expect the worst and hope for the best, but somehow I'm still surprised with the worst is what is proven right.

But here's the thing. On Good Friday - I can only imagine this was a bit of how the disciples felt. Or how I would have felt, had I been there.

If I had been a disciple, raised in the Jewish faith, raised knowing my family, and my ancestors had been hoping and waiting for a Messiah their entire lives, and then waiting for that Messiah my entire life, I can only imagine the certain amount of cynicism that must have still lurked. There's a certain amount of "magic" that we hope is present in these stories of when Jesus called his disciples, that they believed without fail, and without falter. But there's also a certain amount of truth that we should face, that the disciples probably still had a certain amount of cynicism.

They expected the worst, and hoped for the best. Expected that this guy, from Bethlehem, might be just another false prophet, claiming to be the Messiah, but hoped that Jesus was right, that he really was of, and from God. Hoping that all the works Jesus performed, that the life Jesus led mean he really was the Messiah, the coming hope for the nation of Israel.

Which makes Good Friday all the more depressing and hopeless. To be proven right...that the worst you expected was right, and that the best you hoped for seemed to be in vain. To hope for the Messiah, and then it seems to be proven right, that the man hanging up on the cross was no more "powerful" than the thieves he is hanging there with. To not know what is coming in just a few days, and to be proven right, that the worst you expected is what happened I can only imagine why the disciples scattered and denied knowing Jesus. We read those stories and preach on them as if we wouldn't do the same thing - but lets be honest. Your worst fears have just come to life, and you've watched your fears hang on a cross, yet you still act as the most faithful person in the crowd?

Holy and ever-living God,
In your humility, you suffer;
In your holiness, you suffer;
In your grace, you suffer.
You suffer with us, as we grieve our fickle human nature;
that in one day we rejoice at your triumphant entry,
only to betray you and deny you just days later.
In our suffering,
we lift it up to you.
We give all our suffering over to you,
even our inability to get past suffering.
Yet we hand over our suffering to you,
frustrated and angry.
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Why are you so far from our cries?
Why are you so far from our distress?
We cry in the daytime, but you do not answer;
we cry in the night, but we do not find rest.
We are so thirsty for your healing water;
we crave your presence among us;
we know we are told you will never leave us;
that you have never abandoned us;
but as we look at the suffering of the world, we wonder.

We think of war, that runs rampant, and often without cause.
We lament over suffering of families, broken, abused, and neglected.
We grieve for our inabilities to do more in the ruins of humanity.
We suffer in our inability to understand, as we experience loss.
We mourn as hope seems to be overtaken by shadows of darkness.
We distress at our own iniquities and our own inabilities.

As we stand here today, and look at you on the cross,
we cry out in desertion.
My God, my God, why have you left us here to suffer?
Why have you abandoned us, when we put so much hope in your presence?

We pray for your gentle reminder
that you are indeed with us.
We beg for your reminder
that you suffer with us.
We plead with you, that you help us to know
you will never leave us.
We pray for your presence,
knowing that you are indeed with us;
even unto death, you are with us;
even beyond death, you will never leave us.

We pray these things,
as we wait anxiously for your Good News,
in the name of the one who suffers with us,
Amen.

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Just War Theory

I recently received my Disciples Peace Fellowship newsletter and found an interesting article. In light of the 5 year anniversary of the war in Iraq, we are reminded of the Just War Theory, which received so much face while "we" were all deciding whether or not to enter into this war. But I'm in agreement with this article, in that many people don't understand Just War Theory, and many people don't understand that NOT supporting a war does not mean I do not support individuals who choose to serve their country in that particular capacity.

"If the church is serious about either the Just War Theory or pacifism, it must recognize that there are times when war must be condemned as unjust and wrong. If there are times when war is unjust and wrong the, likewise, there are times when the church must be willing to call for esistance and then stand in solidarity with the resisters."

More than anything this article reminds me of the churches role as a radical. Jesus was a radical. Jesus did not come and simply talk about doing things outside of "the law" - but he broke the laws in order to do the work of God. Granted - I'm not condoning those who break civil laws in the name of God - because there is definitely something about Jesus that made it ok for Jesus to go against the teachings of the day. That being that Jesus was/is God - so its not as if its possible that Jesus go the message mixed up, or let his personal ideas get in the way of God's voice. So those people we hear about that kill others in the name of God need to prove themselves as the Messiah before I'll believe its ok to kill others in the name of God.

"Fear of loneliness more than fear of punishment can inhibit people from doing what they believe to be right."

And I think that many people would probably agree - that the fear of being alone in their opinion, or in their belief surpasses any fear that they will be punished or admonished. It's one thing to be punished or admonished while others stand with you in solidarity. It's a completely other thing to stand there alone - especially when others who share that opinion stand there in silence because of their fear. How many of us stand alone in our opinions - when in reality we only feel alone because we are uncertain? How many of us think we stand alone in our opposition to war, when really we all just stand quietly for fear of being admonished ALONE? It's a tough thing to say that "you" are against the war in Iraq. Instantly people think you don't support the troops. Granted, I don't support what the troops are doing, but I admire someone who chooses to serve. They may choose to SERVE differently than I have - but don't we at least have some sort of connection because we both have chosen to serve in some capacity? I stand in opposition to this war because I don't believe there was enough evidence for us to go into Iraq in search of weapons of mass destruction. If the United Nations did not think there was enough reason to go into Iraq, I think it is arrogant of us to say that we are more capable of making such a decision. It's similar to saying that you are Pro-Choice - that does not mean I am pro-abortion - it simply means I don't believe the government has a right to determine what a woman is allowed to do to her body. I don't hope for abortion - EVER - and I most certainly think it is ABSURD for women to use abortion as a form of birth control - but because I say one thing, does not necessarily mean I say something else. Because I say I do not support the administration which keeps our troops in Iraq, does not mean I am against troops who have chosen to serve their country.

More than anything though - the church needs to speak up. Christianity began as a religion in opposition to the "norm," in opposition to the state - and like I said - Jesus was a radical. It's about time - we started acting like we really were following his teachings.

"It is not a monologue of resistance that is needed in an unjust war but a discourse that gives rise to action which stands opposed to wars that are unjust. The church has an obligation to make it clear to its members who are in the military as well as to the state that Christians who refuse to fight in wars that the church has condemned as unjust are not just acting on their own but they are acting as faithful members of the church."

Saturday, March 15, 2008

a good thought...

maybe if i write something beautiful enough

maybe if i write something honest enough

i can make someone love me

Wednesday, March 05, 2008

who am I?

I try to be who I am, and I hope that I am this... I know I'm not always the person I want to be, but in the end I try...I hope that I am centered, selfassured, charismatic, and engaging, but not full of my self. I hope I silently command respect in both business and personal life but that I am not arrogant. I want to be able to own the room but remain grounded enough to not take myself too seriously. I hope I'm not cynical, and that I'm not pejorative or patronizing. Regardless of my limited, but desired success, I don't want to impress you with my professional persona, but hope you are much more interested in my real person. I try to be capable of accepting my own flaws as well as those of others, without thinking they need to change. I hope I can intelligently converse on a wide variety of topics yet let others know that I still sing in the shower, have a favorite cartoon and cry over sappy chick flicks. I want to interact with people from all walks of life and at the same time handle myself appropriately in a variety of social situations. I try to have a big heart and care about the world around me. I like to think I have a quick wit and can be playfully sarcastic. I have a spiritual foundation and compatible values, which I hope I live out in my daily life. I hope to be completely financially secure in the near future, (following grad school and student loans) but also recognize that my bank account means nothing if I am not living honestly and with integrity. I enjoy finer things and simple pleasures equally and at the same time. I know that random acts of kindness speak louder than money, textbook knowledge or words upon words of intention. I try to takes care of myself. I try to be stylish but not overly cosmopolitan, nor grounded in money that is required to be so. I hope I am emotionally mature, that I appreciate the intellect of others and that I can engage it without fear. I hope I express myself freely and that I do it without fear of embarrassment. I have and continue to learn from my past experiences and try not to treat them as 'baggage.' I understand who I am as a person and am content with the world I have created around me, yet I am not content with the world, nor am I complacent about changing the world to what it was meant to be. I try to be confident in what I want and need life. I know that love isn't a product of ideal circumstances, rather it's a decision that requires mutual sacrifice....and this goes for love of all types. I'm eclectic, and dialectic. I contradict myself sometimes. I love to have my nails done, but don't mind getting dirt under them. I love watching sports, but suck at playing them. I hope I am, and hope for, a lot of things. More than anything, I hope I am the person that I want to be....

Sunday, March 02, 2008