wonders and reflections in God's presence

After waiting and jumping through insurance company hoops for a year, I actually had my lap band placed last Wednesday, July 30, 2008.

I was sore for a few days, but back to regular routine by Saturday. I preached on Sunday morning and went to the office yesterday. I would be there today, too, if it weren’t for the arrival of Eduard this morning.

I’ve actually lost about 8 pounds since the day of surgery. I’m eating a soft food diet now … and not very much … my biggest challenge is that I need to remember to drink more. I get busy and forget to keep that water with me.

I’ve been a part of the RevGalBlogPals blogroll for awhile now … usually I’m just a lurker, but today I’m playing the Friday Five.

So lets have a bit of fun:

1. Barbeque’s or picnics ( or are they essentially the same thing?)

My idea of picnics are eating outside in a pretty place like a park or alongside Laura Ingall’s Plum Creek. It doesn’t involve cooking … just eating and enjoying nature or a special place.

Barbeque’s are about cooking outside. In New York it was hamburgers and hot dogs, in Texas it’s “barbecue”. The best Fourth of July barbecue for me was when I was a kid and got to eat lobster for the first time.

2. The park/ the lake/ the beach or staying at home simply being?

I’ve done it all …. and, well, I like just staying home the best these days. My favorite Fourth of July celebration was a Sunday (free day) at Chautauqua Institution. We hear one of the great military bands in the afternon and watched the fireworks over the lake totally lined with luminaires. Even made me feel somewhat patriotic.

3. Fireworks- love ‘em or hate ‘em?

Love ‘em. Love to watch … lots of color.

4. Parades- have you ever taken part- share a memory…

I remember missing the parade when I was 6. I had the chicken pox and had to listen to the parade on the radio from my grandparent’s backyard. It was supposed to be the first parade I would march in … what a disappointment for a six year old.

5. Time for a musical interlude- if you could sum up holidays in a piece of music what would it be?

Anything John Phillip Sousa

One of the things I love about the Presbyterian Church is that it allows for differences of opinion. Our constitution says, “we also believe that there are truths and forms with respect to which men of good characters and principles may differ.” (G-1.0305)

For me, allowing ourselves to disagree on issues while standing firm in faith, is what makes us strong, keeps us challenged, and encourages us to think outside of our own world views. It’s precisely this strength which will keep us alive and well as the world becomes flatter and more global.

Nowhere do we see it played out as in the area of ordination standards and homosexuality. This week the Presbyterian Church (USA) threw out its “Authoritative Interpretation” of 1978 and all subsequent affirmations of that statement which basically said that homosexual activity was contrary to the will of God and, therefore, unrepentant homosexual men and women could not be ordained in the church. This week that changed.

Two decisions of the General Assembly 1) to throw out the authoritative interpretation and 2) to ask the presbyteries to ratify a change in the constitution to replace the “fidelity in marriage and chastity in singleness” clause with a much broader statement including fidelity to faith.

Let’s face it. The PC(USA) is still divided on the issue of the sinfulness of homosexual activity … not unlike the American public. A recent Gallup Poll states, “Americans interviewed in Gallup’s 2008 Values and Beliefs poll are
evenly divided over the morality of homosexual relations, with 48%
considering them morally acceptable and 48% saying they are morally
wrong.”

How does a church which values different opinions live respectfully and with “mutual forbearance” on an issue like this? We avoid national standards on homosexuality, and allow for “local option.” In other words it’s up to the governing body autorizing the ordination whether or not a gay or lesbian could be and elder, deacon, or minister of the word and sacrament.

I think that brings the debate to a local level and includes real and specific people which makes the issue much more personal … it will take people of great integrity and discernment to decide which “scruples” are against the essential tenets of the faith and which are not … it calls the church, each corner of it, to engage in careful and prayerful consideration … not so bad in my opinion. It’s what makes us strong.

Of course, the news media is saying this ruling allows homosexual ordination as if every church in America will be forced to have a gay or lesbian pastor. No. Pastors still need to have calls in order to be ordained, Churches still initiate those calls and Presbyteries confirm or deny them. The Church decides.

Those who believe the PCUSA as fallen off the deep end into a moral abyss … no, we are merely accepting the reality that this is a moral issue which divides the church just as it does society. Let’s be models of Christian respect … of realizing that men and women of sound mind and doctrine may and do disagree.

I got to use my Spanish today for more than telling a waiter my room number.  I had a manicure and pedicure this morning at the spa; the woman who was waiting on me didn’t speak English.  I said a few greeting to her in Spanish and she asked if I spoke … my typical answer, un pocito. She went on and started asking some basic questions, where are you from? How many children do you have?  Were you born in Texas?  Which do you like better, Texas or New York?  Is it pretty?  When she started working on my hands, she asked what I did … for work?  What do you do?  Soy una pastora.  She asked a few times … una pastora?  Sí.   At first it was hard for her to understand that a woman could be a pastor.  Then she asked if I believed in Christ.  When I said yes, she went on to tell me her story.  She didn’t believe in God or Christ.  Her father died of cancer a year ago; her husband died a month ago.  She cannot believe in a God who does this.  What is life after death?  What does it mean?  She was married in the Catholic Church, but they have no answers for her now.

I had nothing to say … let alone in Spanish.  But it was amazing to me, how I was able to understand what she was saying.  It must have been Spirit-led.  She spoke distinctly and intensely, and I understood just about every word.  Earlier when she asked if Texas had a lot of trees, I had to ask her to repeat what she said three or four times before I got it.  This time I understood everything I was meant to understand.  Lo siento, I’m sorry.  I told her I believed one day she would have hope again.  I didn’t have much to say … but I don’t think that’s what was important.   

I just wanted to practice my Spanish.  But communicating across cultures … it’s not just talking or playing games.  It’s real … in this case it was woman to woman, believer to griever, pastor to pedicurist.  I feel blessed; I pray she will one day feel blessed, too.

Amadeus has been one of my favorite movies. I’ve always sympatized with Salieri — his ability to recognize greatness, but unable to achieve it. He calls himself the patron saint of mediocrity. As I face mid life, that’s my fear … that the best I could hope for was to be considered good, but not great; excellent but not extraordinary. Of all things, I’d most hate to have my life described as mediocre. But then again, most of us only ever achieve mediocrity — genius by definition is only for the few. I guess that’s why so many can relate to the show.

Mozart and Salieri were contemporaries; in fact, after Mozart’s death, Salieri became the teacher for Mozart’s son, Franz. The strained relationship between Mozart and Salieri became legendary with a short play by Aleksandr Pushkin in 1831 (not long after Salieri’s death in 1825) called, Amadeus and Mozart. The movie we’re most familiar with was based on a play by Peter Shaffer (1979) … and the Baytown Little Theater is producing that play this season … actually, it opens on Friday.

Dwayne, my talented husband, is playing the part of Salieri. F. Murray Abraham won the academy award for best actor for playing this part in the movie. It is by far the most challenging part Dwayne has ever attempted. He’s onstage the whole show; he has many monologues, and quite a few lines in Italian. He has to show the breadth of emotion, be just a little crazy, but credible. He’s doing wonderfully. In fact, the whole show is shaping up very nicely. Yesterday I overheard Mozart practicing the harpsichord

I plan to be at just about every show … I already have tickets reserved for opening night, the middle weekend when my parents are coming to see it, and closing night when Kate will be there.

Tickets are on sale now … call the box office 281-424-7617. Perfomances are Feb 8, 9, 15, 16,22, 23 at 8 PM and Sunday, Feb 17 at 2:30 PM. Tickets cost $12 for adults, and $8 for students. I hope to see you there!

What if church had no building, no programs, no pastor, no budget? Would it be church? What if a community of Christians cared for each other, studied together prayed together, and discerned God’s spirit together, would they be church?

I spend my days in churches, thinking about churches, helping churches, starting new churches and closing churches … I preach 2-3 Sundays every month at many different churches … I hear about the programs, the budgets, the pastors, the sessions, the choir, the women’s association … I love churches, and I hate churches. I practically live in churches, but I don’t have one to call “home.”

Actually, in my own life, I’m tired of dressing up, of sitting in pews, of listening to bad choirs (I like the good ones, but I don’t get to hear too many of them). I’m tired of potlucks and picture directories and building campaigns. Yet … I long for church … simply church.

So …. some friends and I are being church together … no frills … just spiritual community. We’re meeting twice a month in my kitchen (maybe someday in my hottub); we’re reading a book together; we’re praying for each other and encouraging each other as we all live the lives to which God calls us out.

There’s a “simple church” movement taking off in the US … church in the workplace, church in bars, church in homes, church in school cafeterias, church in coffee shops and bookstores and dormitories … you name it, wherever two or more are gathered in my name … These are just groups of people loving Christ together and seeking to expand our understanding, our commitment, our prayer life, our compassion, our mission … not much different than the Christ followers of the first century. It’s an organic approach to Christian community rather than a programmatic approach. It’s more about being Christ in the world than gathering on a Sunday morning.

If this sounds intriguing to you, if you think you might like to join us … send me an email, message me, call me, or just leave a comment … I’ll tell you when we’re meeting next.

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