Seeking Authentic Voice

I have been on a book reading binge lately. My primary genre, a relatively new one for me, murder mysteries. I've read Julia Spencer-Flemming, all but the first two in the series - and now anxiously await her next book, which I heard is due this spring? I've also read the "Girl Who" trilogy - just awesome! And, a couple of Elizabeth George. I've also read most of the Jennifer Weiner books, I have one left "Goodnight Nobody" which I will start today. Other than fiction I've been reading Karen Armstrong, most recently "Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life." And, poetry - Mary Oliver and Denise Levertov, mostly. So, tell me, what are you reading?

Mary Beth, over at RevGals offers this Friday Five Meme: For today's Friday Five, please share with us five spiritual practices or disciplines from your experience. They can be ones that you have tried and kept up with, tried and NOT kept up with, ones that you flirt with at various times, or even practices that you have tried and found are definitely NOT your cup of tea. Let us know what's worked for you...and not. 1. Silent prayer/meditation: My primary spiritual discipline, one I have practiced since I was 19 years old ( so, uhm, 35 years, give or take a few years when I gave it up because I didn't think it helped me - only to find out it does help me feel focused, grounded, and clear-headed.) 2. Walking: When I am preparing a sermon or need to think something through in a deeper way I take a walk. Often I walk my dogs. My most favorite was walking my dogs at a big dog park in Chicago that had woods, fields, and a pond. My spiritual director used to comment on t

I have accepted the call to serve as Rector at Christ Episcopal Church in Dearborn, Michigan... My husband and I are very excited to join this community in ministry. In the meantime we have to prepare to move. Tentative move around end of April, start date May 2. Other things I'm working on: My job as the Consultant to the Episcopal Church for the WordsMatter Project comes to an end March 31. I established a working group for the WordsMatter Expansive Language Project, we had our first WebEx call last week. I will continue to chair a working group and move the project along even as the main thrust of my work with this project is complete. This group will help move the project forward in new ways and places. I'm excited about the working group - some awesome folks are helping. And, I'm thrilled to be moving back into parish ministry, especially with this congregation.

I though I had found a swan but it was a migrating snow-goose. I thought I was linked invisibly to another's life but I found myself more alone with him than without him. I thought I had found a fire but it was the play of light on bright stones. I thought I was wounded to the core but I was only bruised. Denise Levertov "Life in the Forest" New Directions Publishing, 1978

Jan, over at RevGals offers this Friday Five: Whether we liked it or not, we all "sprang forward" with the change to daylight savings time in the USA this past Sunday. There is lightness and brightness slipping in as spring approaches, so let us consider what is springing forth in our lives right now. Name 5 things that are springing forth, possibly including: what you hope for I can't say just yet, but yes, something I've been hoping for has happened. It's very exciting. But more than that, I really hope for some stability to settle over our world. I suspect we have always been a people who choose violence and war to get our way, but I just hope we can make greater efforts to minimize this and find other ways to resolve conflicts. what you dread I am saddened by the events in Japan and the impact on these people and the world, not to mention the on going issues in Haiti, Egypt, Libya, and other places around the world. I dread further collapses of nuc

O gracious God, who created this earth who brought order out of chaos who designed land and water earth and sky and all creatures be merciful in your grace once again restoring order through the calamity of the earthquake and tsunami that struck disaster and took lives in Japan. O gracious God, fill the hearts of those who are unable to find their way home who have lost food and house, family and friends, fill their hearts with peace, despite all evidence to the contrary. Fill broken spirits with grace through the kindness of strangers, the love offerings of hand and heart, through which you, O God, take action. O gracious God, enable the people of the world to take action, to find the lost, tend to the injured, mourn the dead,. Help families and friends, neighbors and co-workers as the shock wears off, help them to find the help they need for food, water, housing, and comfort. Help us know how to respond, effectively. O gracious God, protect the people of Japan

Last night I watched "Dateline." I never watch the news programs, tired of media portraits of social issues. But last night, before I could change the channel, I was caught up on the edition that dealt with teen bullying. In the kitchen making dinner, I was a captive audience, so to speak. But the article was well done and I'm glad I watched it. I've written a lot about the human rights, social justice and injustice, and violence against women and children. On Facebook I posted a status update on the Charlie Sheen syndrome, and why many in society ignore the reality of his abusive behavior, and accepts his "bad boy" behavior with fascination. I encourage you to read this article from the NY Times, The Disposable Woman . Yesterday I finished the "Girl Who..." series. Much violence and abuse against women and children in these books, but reflective of the real world. I appreciate the strong characters in this series, the systemic response to abus

Report on the 55th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW) and the NGO parallel events including Anglican Women’s Empowerment (AWE), February 20-26, 2011: Anglican Women’s Empowerment AWE , Kim Robey, Chair. And, AWE at the UNCSW . My trip to NYC and the UNCSW was sponsored by AWE. Also sponsored was a woman from Haiti and a woman from the Philippines. What I learned In every workshop I attended at this UNCSW I learned that while nations and countries sign treatises and adopt laws, resolutions, and regulations pertaining to the equal access of women and girls to education, employment, and safety, there are no mechanisms in place to ensure the implementation of the treatises, laws, resolutions or regulations, nor process of accountability for living into them. Laws that emphasize “Domestic” ie domestic violence tend to do four things: they perpetuate the idea that women are victims and therefore helpless, they minimize the role of the perpetrator they minimiz

How to prepare Attending the UNCSW and the NGO parallel events is an amazing experience filled with more opportunities than one can possibly participate in. Here are some things I learned: Acquire the NGO event and workshop schedule, available on line at the UNCSW website approximately a week before the event begins. Review the schedule and preplan the workshops and events you want to attend. Decide if you are going to focus on one theme, say issues around violence or issues around economic realities, or if you are going to aim for a wide range of learning opportunities. Plot out workshops that seem to meet your agenda. Pre-register for the Ecumenical Women’s Orientation and the NGO orientation and any evening reception/dinner events that interest you. Workshops begin at 8:00am and end at 7:30pm, running for 90 minutes with 30 minutes in between (8-9:30, 10-11:30 and so on). Workshops are offered in two primary locations, the United Nations Church Center on 44th Street and 1st A