Seeking Authentic Voice

Songbird over at RevGalBlogPals offers this Friday Five: 1) Will you be watching? If so, is this your first royal wedding? I am watching, and yes it is my first royal wedding. When Diana married I was in my 20's and not interested in getting up early to watch the event. I do remember my mother getting up to watch it, making me feel as though I have become my mother (LOL). 2) The bride has chosen as her wedding cake a fruitcake. Where do you stand on this pastry? I think their wedding fruitcake will be delicious...I hear thay are also going to have a chocolate cake, which would be my preference. 3) The dress code for royal weddings has not seen the same sad decline as that for most other weddings. If you could design your own royal wedding hat, what color would it be and what special decoration would it feature? I'd probably wear a subtle shade of pink or ivory, with a fun ribbon and floral trim. 4) Any chance the Archbishop of Canterbury is using a Sustainable Sermon

A year ago around this time I flew to Tucson to pick up my car, the fated VW Passat, that had the engine sludge. If you are an owner of a 2000-2004 VW Passat you know what I am talking about, because you are part of class action suit which is about to be settled. The engine in our Passat died in December of 2009, launching us into some intense negotiations with VW. In the end we paid over $5,000.00 to have the engine replaced. When we moved in February of 2010 we were still negotiating arguing with VW and left the car at the dealer. By the end of April we forked over a large chunk of change and had it fixed. But, then I had to go get it. Last spring was warm and dry. Day after day of sun. The leaves on trees unfolded in April, instead of the middle of May, which is the norm around here. So unlike this spring, with day after day of relentless rain. My trip to Tucson led to a wonderful drive back to Chicago. I picked up my son, who was with friends in Phoenix, and his dog (little mi

My earworm this morning is Joni Mitchell, "Woke Up It Was a Chelsea Morning" - which means I need to listen to this song on my iPod. Joni Mitchell was a favorite of mine when I was in high school back in the 1970's. I haven't listened to her since then, until I recently when I loaded a couple of her albums into my iTunes library. Anyway, the sun is not shining, it's another rainy chilly day, which seems to be the new norm for this region. I don't mind though. I still have a fair amount to do to organize this new residence where my husband and I live. We arrived here a week ago, our belongings arrived the next day. And, now, we are mostly unpacked, just a few boxes of odds and ends remain. Today I anticipate hanging our artwork. And also I give thanks that everything made it here safe and sound, following a move from Arizona, a year in storage, and then the move here. I am especially relieved because my husband and I packed everything, and he drove the (monst

Mystery open us to your mystery of love. Open us as you  were opened for us in love. God of all being Reaching out your hand in love May we take the hand extended, open for us. And may we offer the same extended love, all. Amen. Crossposted on RevGalBlogPals and A Place for Prayer

Am I a stone, and not a sheep, That I can stand, O Christ, beneath Thy cross, To number drop by drop Thy Blood’s slow loss, And yet not weep? Not so those women loved Who with exceeding grief lamented Thee; Not so fallen Peter weeping bitterly; Not so the thief was moved; Not so the Sun and Moon Which hid their faces in a starless sky. A horror of great darkness at broad noon – I, only I. Yet give not o’er But seek Thy sheep, true Shepherd of the flock; Greater than Moses, turn and look once more And smite a rock. - by Christina Rossetti

I have learned that the Rev Terry Jones is planning a visit to my new home town. And, as if all of his recent behavior hasn't been in bad enough form, as it he doesn't reflect the worst of Christianity, he has chosen Good Friday as the day of his visit. Here is a quote from an email I received: "Jones seems to have been joined by an interesting crew. The protest won't be in front of the Islamic Center of America but they intend to hold a press conference on Good Friday between 5 and 8 pm. They will be discussing jihad, sharia and the radicalization of 'Moslems' (their spelling) in America. Participating in the press conference will be: Ahmed Abaza of The Truth TV who claims to be a former Muslim who has found Jesus, Rabbi Nacham Shifren of L.A. - right wing, West Bank settler type, and Frank Fiorello, the founder of the Order of the Dragon. They say: 'We are holding a demo about the middle east the peace process by exposing some lies about Israel/Palest

Up early this morning to find that the rain has turned to snow. We have an accumulating snow storm, with about an inch or so and it is still snowing. It is beautiful. But a bit frustrating since I have packed everything - even my winter coat - presuming I'd be ok with several layers of fleece. After all, today is moving day, and I will be active. We spent the weekend packing, with only last minute things to pack today. I begin my new job on Monday, May 2, so I'll be in transition for awhile...and I don't want to offer many details because some folks from my new community and parish stop by this blog. (Hi! Looking forward to meeting you in real life). The congregation is in a transition of its own - toasting and celebrating the good work of their interim and this transition time. Endings are an important part of transitions - I want to stay under the radar until it's time for me to enter the picture in early May. I'm also thinking about Holy Week and wondering

God of all hopefulness, God of my life On this holy day of Palms and Passions  and through this  the holiest of weeks, when our Lenten journey finds its completion through pain sorrow despair illness losses of all kinds, through fear anger hatred vitriol and finger pointing. Through a (self) examination of all the ways we work against you - against your hopes and dreams  for creation against your love poured out  in flesh and blood - we hang our heads and bow our hearts seeking your forgiveness yearning for your guidance desiring your compassion. Fill us we pray, with the ability to turn to you, kneeling before your grace open our spirit that we may take you in let you in receive you in  taking You in.. Into our hearts and minds and souls  Let you in that we might turn to you,  return to you,  be transformed in you,  through you, by you,  for you. Transformed  once more, this day, this week, into a new self,  me, you. May we become a new

Jan, over at RevGals offers this Friday Five: April is a month of family birthdays for me: Today is my mother-in-law's 80th birthday and on Sunday my third child's 26th birthday, so I am thinking about birthdays. Easter would have been my mother's 93rd birthday, but she died when she was only 72 years old. I love to celebrate birthdays, but I know others don't like to as much. My second child doesn't care about birthdays that much. How about you? What do you think of birthdays? 1. What are your feelings about celebrating birthdays, especially your own? I love to celebrate birthdays. Life is a gift to be celebrated. But I don't really need to make a big deal out of them. In my family we typically have a festive meal with cake or pie and gifts. Usually that meal is home cooked (or BBQ'd) although for my birthday, since I am the primary meal preparer, we do go out to one of my favorite places. 2. Do you have any family traditions about birthdays? Al

I'm awake and up before sunrise. The pleasant breeze and songbirds roused me from sleep and beckoned me out of bed. A mug of hot coffee in hand and a "To Do" list forming in my head. I am anxious - filled with anticipation - the moving company loads the truck a week from today. I want to pack as much as I can in the next few days, every possible extraneous thing. And then make the big push on Friday and Saturday to pack everything else. Frankly, we don't have that much to pack. But almost everything that remains unpacked is something we use daily. What can we do without? I thought my summer shoes were fine to pack. Those went in a box last week. But yesterday's 87 degree sunny heat demanded that I pull out a pair of walking sandals. My husband and I spent the day in Chicago, along the lake front. Our daughter ran in the Shamrock Shuffle, an 8K race through the city. Some 40,000 people raced, and plenty of people watched and cheered. It was scalding hot and hum

Let us pray for the whole world for all creation, for every living creature for plants and flowers, for animals and for fragile human beings. Gracious God, in your mercy, Hear our prayer. Let us pray for those who suffer the sick and dying, for sorrow, and for the loss that separates us from the love of the eternal God. Gracious God, in your mercy, Hear our prayer. Let us pray for the nations of the world for all people, for the land and water that sustains and renews life. Gracious God, in your mercy, Hear our prayer. Let us pray for the leaders of nation and cities; May they remember to lean into you and to listen to your words. Gracious God, in your mercy, Hear Our Prayer. Gracious God, protect those who have no place to live and no one to love them. Help them to know you, and to know love. Gracious God, in your mercy, Hear Our Prayer. We offer up our prayers of concern particularly for those we love, family, friends, and others. Fill us with Your

Cartoon from here

Over at RevGals Dorcas is yearning for liturgy that enhances the season of Lent and leads us through Holy Week into Easter. (Those of us in liturgical traditions understand how powerful these liturgies are...) From that place of longing she offers this Friday Five: Meanwhile, today I am asking for your thoughts on that movement from darkness to light. Tell us five ways in which you are anticipating, or your life is moving towards light, joy, hope--new things: new ideas, new hobbies, new people...and so on. 1. Darkness: Many years ago, at an all night prayer vigil/watch held between Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, I spent an intense hour in prayer. It was 1:00AM, and I was alone in a candle lit chilly chapel, surrounded by the consecrated bread and wine, plants, a few candles. It was the first time I had observed this "praying with Jesus in Garden of Gethsemane." It was profound. Places of darkness, while not comfortable, are always places that are leading us to new life

I offer this for my Monday Morning Musing, thanks to Katherine E at Meaning and Authenticity....I encourage your to watch the entire clip.

God of light and night, hear our prayers Into the deep of night, in a world of pain, despair overwhelms - for the sick, the dying, the lost, those who weep, those who mourn, for those who tend to the weary and care for the tired - what can we do, when You, oh God, seem so far away? God of light and night, hear our prayers. Into the deep of night, a sorrow unveiled, the sin, our sins hurt, and, hurting - for the broken places, for the wounded spirits, for things known and things unknown, for all the ways we contribute to the chaos that separates us from you - what to do? O God, what? God of light and night, hear our prayers. God, Spirit, You in the deep of night, cause roots to form, new life springs forth, turning our hearts and minds to your heart, your desire, for hope, love - what can we do? Trust in you. God of light and night, hear our prayers Fill us with your kindness like healing oil of Samuel anoint us with your grace name us as y

Kathrynjz, over at RevGals is offering a quick pick Friday Five asking what five things are going well in our lives right now. All five of mine are wrapped around this: The very best thing is my new call and the preparation involved to move and begin that position. I'm excited and looking forward to joining this community in ministry. I wrote about this in previous posts, you can read more if you wish.