Seeking Authentic Voice

Julie over at the  RevGalBlogPals  offers this Friday Five meme: Friends, the times may be dark, the days uncertain, but this we know – God is light and life and love and together we can overcome.   Today for your Friday Five contributions – share your favourite bible verses, photos, times of day and poetry – in any combination you choose in order to shed light on our darkened world. 1. Favorite Bible verse: I really can't choose just one. I could use the same verse Julie selected, from the prologue to the Gospel of John. That verse, and the idea of God expressing God's self as "word" into the world, word that took human flesh, has really formed my understanding of faith, who I am and who God is. But this morning I'm choosing this one: Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.  2 There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him.  3 Mary too...

3dogmom, over at the RegGalBlogPals blog offers this Friday Five: So here it is, the first day of a brand new year. Let’s try a less conventional lens to think about the blank slate of 2016 with these prompts. The questions are intended to help explore the category–how you answer is up to you! Share with us what new horizons might be in your sights related to: Food : I have made a lot of food and entertained a fair amount over Christmas and New Years. It's been fun, and something I like to do. However, in 2016 I'd like to explore some new restaurants in my area - we hardly ever go out to eat, it would be nice to check out some of the local favorites.  Reading, writing, and ‘rithmetic : I am currently reading the 8th book from the Outlander series. I hear Diana Gabaldon is writing a ninth...not sure when it is due. I have not yet read the last released book from Julia Spencer Flemming, which I have in hard copy, signed by the author. Perhaps I'll get to that this y...

Deb, over at RevGals offers this Friday Five: ...   being thankful is a spiritual discipline. So I invite you to list five things, people, events or pets that you are truly thankful for this year. BONUS:   As spiritual careGIVERS we often forget to plan time to care for ourselves and we end up getting the dregs of our energies and self-care. What are you doing to make sure you aren’t getting the LEFTOVERS of your schedule for self care? 1. On Nov. 5, 2002 we adopted Ruby (sorry for the scary dog eye glare...) she was a great dog. Playful, always happy, very attune to my feelings, a joy and a delight.  She died a few weeks ago, suddenly, at the age of 13, leaving me bereft. I am so grateful that she found us and for the gift she was in our lives.  2. Then we were found by this pup: We named her Delilah (Lila). She is sweet pup - playful, yet calm. She's been a source of healing and love in our family. And, oddly enough I realized that we adopted...

Marie, over at RevGals offers this Friday Five meme, following the end of her favorite television show. For today’s Friday Five, tell us about  your  guilty pleasures. TV Show:  I always end up with a love/hate response to television shows, even ones I have watched for years. I just hate the way the writers will build a completely ridiculous story line, especially when most of the time the story line is engaging. I watch Scandal, Good Wife, Madam Secretary, and Grey's Anatomy. I also really LOVE Call the Midwife, when it runs in the spring.  Food: I'm not really big on any particular food. But I always need to have a good cup of coffee in the morning. When I developed acid reflux last year I had to change the kind of coffee I drink, no more high acid Mexican coffee, now I have to drink coffee grown in the Pacific or Indonesia (Sumatra, for example). Thankfully Sumatra is a really tasty roast. Reading Material: I am thick into the "Outlander" series....I'v...

3dogmom over at the RevGals blog offers this Friday Five. I haven't played in a long while... What is your “gotta go!” breakfast that you can grab and take with you in the morning when you’re in a rush? I don't usually grab a breakfast to go, I usually have a bowl of yogurt with a fresh banana and some granola or a bowl of steel oats for breakfast. But, if I really have to run I take a peanut butter sandwich on Ezekiel sprouted grain bread. There was a time when I drove to work and then I usually stopped off for a Starbucks latte and a scone. But that was also the season in my life when I gained 22 pounds. :-)  When was the last time you had a fun evening out, and what did you do? I haven't been out for fun in awhile. However, on a trip to Baltimore for refugee training we spent an evening on the top floor of LIRS (Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services). It was a gorgeous night and from that floor we had a panoramic view of all of Baltimore, with an outdoor deck to en...

3dogmom over at RevGals offers this Friday Five meme: We’re midway through summer (for us northern gals and pals), a good time to pause for a moment to take a breath before the force of autumn’s gravity takes hold too fiercely, and pulls us into its grasp of programming and schedules and commitments. This might be the last chance we have to pause and check in with our inner divine compass, the soul, and reflect on our inner life.  Here are a few questions to consider as we do so. What is one thing bringing you joy today? The weather is glorious - sunny and warm. We are actually having a real summer this year, and for that I am grateful! What is a disappointment you are experiencing today? I feel like just resting and playing today, but I have too much work to do. This seems to be my norm - I so want to just play but I have stuff I have to do. I will have a vacation in August, a week with just my husband as we celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary. I am very excited abo...

Deb, over at the RevGals offers this Friday Five: Sometimes, as pastors, chaplains, moms or just itinerant workers, our purses and backpacks do become “carry-alls.” So this made me wonder: what are you carrying around that perhaps you could unload or set aside? Please share Physical:  What do you ALWAYS carry in your purse/wallet/coat pocket/backpack?  I always carry chapstick. I use Burt's Bees pomegranate.  Whimsical:  Is there a surprise inside? What’s among the unusual items.  No surprises, but among the usual - lipsticks (a variety of shades and brands), the chapstick, receipts for various things, sometimes my Kindle, keys, business cards. Practical:  As a chaplain, I always have some breath mints and tissues. How about you? Yes, always. The tissues, however are for me and my perpetually runny nose, although I'd offer a fresh one to anyone who needed it.  Spiritual:   Share a question or lesson from your spiritual life that you’re ...

Cindi, over at the RevGals offers this post-tax day Friday Five:.... Taxes : W hat events do you find “taxing”..... I am taxed when life throws me endless demands and I have to switch up my schedule, over and over, to meet them. Often this means that the things that keep me calm and healthy, like yoga and other exercise, fall by the wayside. Eventually I get back on track but it's ironic that when I need those practices most, I am unable to engage in them.. Withholding : Aside from money, what do you put aside for when you need it? During those unplanned demands that happen from time to time, and soon as I can, I take some time to rest and renew. Sometimes this means reading a novel while riding the exercise bike (two birds with one stone...). When the weather is nice I walk to yoga, again two birds... Exemptions : What things do you do to take some time off? I like to go away to visit family in Chicago or Utah or go off with my husband to a quiet place in the country to ren...

RevKarla, over at the RevGals blog offers this, her final Friday Five meme after 8 years of hosting the game (thank you Karla!): 1.  What are you wearing right now?  (a question from my first FF play.) I bought a new pair of jeans the other day, a pair that actually fit me, so I am wearing them along with a black cotton turtleneck and a sweater, and a pair cute sketchers shoes.  2.  What are you having for lunch (or dinner)?   (another question from my first FF play.) I will probably have carrot/ginger soup for lunch with toast and peanut butter. Dinner will be left overs: ham, smoked polish sausage, homemade potatoes au gratin, salad (finishing off the belated Easter dinner).  3.  Share an experience of community that was transformative or precious to you. Being part of church communities for almost thirty years has certainly influenced my life. Thankfully my first adult experience of church community was a gift and a blessing of other young ...

MaryBeth, over at RevGals invites to write about what we are reading for this week's Friday Five meme: 1. Rise and Shine by Anna Quindlen 2. Women and Redemption by Rosemary Radford Ruether (only about 25% through this book, will take awhile to finish it; very good). 3. Radical Wisdom by Beverly J. Lanzetta (I've finished this one, but still thinking about it, excellent book!) 4. Real Simple, April edition 5. Absence of Mind by Marilynn Robinson (I finished this, but still thinking about it. Very thought provoking.)

Jan, over at the RevGals blog invites us to name five signs of spring: 1. Baby bunnies in green grass 2.  Dogwoods in bloom 3.  Planting the garden 4.  Spring flowers in bloom 5.  Easter egg hunt

Over at the RevGals, Karla offers this Friday Five: 1.  What have you got going on today? I hope to get my sermon written today, because my husband is off work tomorrow (he often works on Saturdays) and the church has a fundraiser for the youth pilgrimage this summer. Thus, there will be too many distractions tomorrow to write a sermon. So far I have already ridden the recumbent indoor bike for 60 minutes and read "Feasting on the Word" in preparation for writing the sermon. I have a few ideas..... 2.  What about a prayer request, how can we pray for you today? I am still on the mend from six weeks of viral/bacterial cold/bronchitis/sinus infection crud, prayers for ongoing healing are appreciated.  3.  What makes you curious? After years of interior peacefulness, my inner life is being stirred up. I have no idea what this means or what will come of it. I don't particularly like it, especially at my age (58), when all I really want to do is settle in until ret...

Deb, over at the RevGals blog offers this Friday Five meme: 1. For The First Time in Forever:  Tell us about a magical first snow day – for a child, a transplanted southerner, or maybe you have a great story from the first snowfall in your area this season.  As a child I loved to ice skate and go sledding. I lived in Salt Lake City until I was nine, there the opportunities for great sledding hills were prolific. It was thrilling to race down a hill and then exhausting to walk back up to the top only to be repeated. These hills were really mountain foothills... When my kids were little I made sure to do the same with them. I have fond memories of ice skating and sledding with my kids, always followed by hot chocolate for them and tea for me.  2. In Summer:  Tell us what you look forward to when it’s warmer again. I look forward to the ease of summer - shorts, t-shirts, sandals. Long walks outside. Warm temperatures. Having the house open, a nice breeze blow...

Jan, over at the RevGals, offers this Friday Five: This is the beginning of the season of Lent. What are your thoughts, hopes, and prayers? For today’s Friday Five, share five things about Lent. If you’d like some guidance, here are a few suggestions: 1. books - the church I serve, along with a sister church in our town, are reading and engaging in the book, "The Restoration Project" for our Lenten series.  2. new ideas - At my church we will engage "The Restoration Project," and it's emphasis developing formational Christian practices, during coffee hour on Sunday. We will have a variety of themed table tops where people can chose to sit. Two will have jigsaw puzzles (The Last Supper, The Life of Jesus) with the idea that as people put together the jigsaw puzzle they will engage in conversation and build relationship. One table will have knitting and crochet for starting our prayer shawl ministry. Another table will have mandalas, blank pieces of pap...

Jan, over at the RevGals invites us to reflect on five ways we cope with the cold: 1. I drink lots of hot beverages, tea and coffee. 2. I eat wintery meals - pot roasts in the slow-cooker, soups and chili. My favorite soups are lentil, white bean chicken chili, beef stew, and chicken vegetable. I make up my own recipes, make everything from scratch, and no two are ever the same. 3. I exercise in-doors using a stationary bike and yoga classes. 4. When I have to go outside, I bundle up as much as possible, leaving very little skin exposed. 5. I light a fire in the fireplace, drink hot tea, and read a book.

MaryBeth, over at RevGals offers this "random" Friday Five with a theme of "New." 1. If you have one, what is your new resolution? I don't make New Year's resolutions. But I do make efforts through out the year to improve myself. Last May I went on a health kick, eating less carbs and sugar and more veggies and protein. I lost some weight as a result, although that wasn't exactly what I was going for. Now I find, ironically that I have to add those carbs back into my diet because I have developed reflux and seem to need a more a simple and relatively bland diet. Eating more simply, along with some medication, seems to help. Also, as I always do in the winter, I am trying to keep up with my exercise. We bought a recumbent bike and I use that for cardio and then my usual go to yoga as much as possible. Yoga has made me stronger. A lot stronger. Also, I am a Spiritual Direction intern, so I am working on the spiritual side, too. And I am taking classes w...

3dogmom over at the RevGalsBlog offers the Friday Five meme this week, reflecting on what one hopes to accomplish in 2015. She has a list of projects for herself, but also suggests we consider Parker Palmer's questions posted on Krista Tippets blog for "On Being."  He began with Rilke's Letters to a Young Poet: ....be patient with all that is unresolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves...do not seek the answers which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you then, gradually without noticing it, live along some distant day, into the answer. Then Palmer offers these questions: What can I let go of in order to find aliveness? What is my next challenge in daring to be human? How can I open myself up to the beauty in nature and in humans? Who or what do I need to learn to love next? What is the new creation that yearns to be born in or throu...

Deb over at RevGals offers this Friday Five: The season of lists is upon us! At least, that’s the way I cope with the many events, worship services, visits and potlucks that squeeze in during this holiday season. So let’s talk about how you cope (or don’t) with celebrating minus the stress. 1. Keeping your ducks in a row:   Tell us how you manage the craziness. Lists? That faithful old-fashioned pocket calendar? Smart phone reminders? Wall calendar? Sometimes I make lists. Sometimes I write reminders on my iPhone. Often I keep it all in my head and work to calm my adrenalin driven heart until I get through the in-my-head-list. 2. Must-Do Events:   What is one event on your list that you look forward to every year and NEVER miss? Not church services — something else that makes the season bright. Bonus points for a picture from a previous year’s event. Every year is a different year, I don't really have an annual "must-do" events. I do have a number of traditions we do...

Jan, over at the RevGals blog offers this Friday Five meme: Since I am going out of town for the weekend, I am seeing Thanksgiving suddenly approaching in the USA six days away–order food or buy it to cook?? That will be decided next week if I’m not in a  funk : The Cure Lying around all day with some strange new deep blue weekend funk, I’m not really asleep when my sister calls to say she’s just hung up from talking with Aunt Bertha who is 89 and ill but managing to take care of Uncle Frank who is completely bed ridden. Aunt Bert says it’s snowing there in Arkansas, on Catfish Lane, and she hasn’t been able to walk out to their mailbox. She’s been suffering from a bad case of the mulleygrubs. The cure for the mulleygrubs, she tells my sister, is to get up and bake a cake. If that doesn’t do it, put on a red dress.–Ginger Andrews (from  Hurricane Sisters ) So this Friday before Thanksgiving, think about Aunt Bert and how she’ll celebrate Thanksgiving! And how abou...

3dogmom, over at the RevGals blog offers this Friday Five: It happened again this week. In a social setting, during a conversation with people that included some I had just met, I made a reference to the church I serve. “Oh!” one of the new acquaintances exclaimed, “I shouldn’t have said hell!” Sigh. This kind of projection can be so tiring, as can the general need to be mindful of how our words and actions are perceived as appropriate (or not). In light of that, I relish moments to myself when I can shed all such perceptions and projections and just be. Occasionally this involves what might be known as a guilty pleasure. For this week’s Friday Five, share with us five “perception be damned!” pleasures in which you indulge. We promise we won’t judge, or tell. What happens at RevGals stays at RevGals. My responses below are less about "guilty pleasures" and more about the reality of my life as an ordinary human being who is  also an ordained person, an Episcopal priest....