Neighbors

 

Neighbors in Media, bringing in the New Year on State Street

December 23

Neighbors

Isabelle - the 10-year old who welcomed me,
the older gentlemen next door who didn't,
a parishioner who groused that I was sitting in his seat,
the woman who greets me every week with a hug,
friendly store shop owners, 
teachers, preachers, business people,
garbage collectors, pan handlers, 
warmongers, peacemakers, antagonists, justice-seekers,
cheaters, liars, thieves,
the abuser and the abused,
RushLimbaughLarryO'DonnellJonStewartBillO'Reilly
AnnCoultertheKochbrothersWarrenBuffetRachelMaddow
GeorgeBushBarackObama,
weak and powerful,
extraverts and introverts,
libertarians, conservatives, liberals, progressives,
sighted, hearing, blind, lame,
homeless and multi-house owners,
over eaters and those dying from hunger
caregivers, narcissists,
the terrorist and the terrorized,
the bullied and the bulliers,
gun lovers, addicts, healers,
fundamentalist and progressive Christians, Muslims, Jews,
atheists and non-affiliated,
students, mentors, 
the inspired, uninspired, wanderers, certain ones,
mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters,
gay, straight, transgendered, bi-sexual,
people of every nation and every race,
demonizers and angels,
evolutionists, creationists, those in between,
communists, capitalists, socialists,
perceived enemies and friends -

God's children, everyone (no exceptions):
    All with stories we do not know,
    Stories that connect in unexpected ways.
Neighbors, all
     Making enemies of the other
     Before the stories are revealed.

Neighbors.
Each held in the palm of God's hand,
No exceptions.
Neighbors.
All.

How can I learn to love those with whom I disagree or those whom I do not like? How can I be the neighbor to someone I do not see as neighbor to me?

Sign

December 22
Sign

She shakes her head, disgusted
The opportunity, she missed
She wasn't totally clueless:
There were signs,
There were signs.

He wonders what has happened
Unexpected turn of things
It makes him ask the question:
Were there signs?
Were there signs?

The church is almost empty
Members clinging to the past
What to do, how can they save it?
(There were signs,
There were signs.)

The wisemen, keen observers
Saw the star rise in the east
And they knew at once with wonder:
Heaven's sign,
Heaven's sign.

Past and future speak to us
In the visions of our youth
In the wisdom of our seniors,
They are signs,
They are signs.

Awake, awake take notice
Eyes and minds kept open wide
To watch and see God's wonders
In God's signs,
In God's signs.

Where are my eyes closed to God's signs? What are the signs I should be paying attention to now?

Prophet

December 21
Prophet

Prophets today
Are not afraid of dying institutions
Or increasing numbers
Of "religious unaffiliated."

They simply move forward
As church,
(Not the building)
Being church.

Hear and learn
From these prophets.
They are taking us
Someplace new.

What do I hear today's prophets telling me? How can I "be church" where I live, where I work, where I play?

Good News

December 20
Good News

Not to be bottled up,
Withheld, hidden away.

Not to ignore,
Kept secret, locked in one's heart.

Share it!
Shout it out!
Tell the world!
Make some noise!

Live it
Live it as though you
Believe it.

Good news,
God's good news:
No matter what happens
God is with us now and into the future.
Immanuel!

And that's some really good, good news.

How can I live my life in such a way that will show others that I really believe God's Good News for us all? Where does God's Good News need to be made known and how can I be part of making it known in those places?

Patient

December 19
Patient

Oh, dear child!
You have taught me all I need to know about patience!
There were days I wondered,
   and worried,
      and waited,
And times when I ached for you,
   nursing a knot in the pit of my stomach,
      mystified as to why you would choose a harder way.
I was rooting for you all along -
The silent cheerleader you couldn't hear.

I cry a prayer of help,
Laying it out for God, and letting go
Learning to live with this somehow,
Knowing full well, with confidence
That God was with you, holding you
Wherever your path might lead.

And thus my patience was born.

When have I experienced God's patience with me? When has God been my cheerleader?

Mercy

December 18
Mercy

"Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner,"
I say as the prayer beads slip through my fingers.
"Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner."

Sweet mercy,
sweet gift.

Battered self dwells on faults
   inadequacies,
      brokenness
Sorry, I'm so sorry.
Aching, longing for wholeness, help.

Mercy.

Yet, here is mercy
(Prayed for or not!)
God's Compassionate Gift
   so unexpected, so unearned:
My healing begins in mercy's embrace.

I give thanks for God's gift of Mercy. To whom do I need to show mercy? How do I live differently, experiencing God's mercy for me?

Free

December 17
Free

When I think of the word "free" I have two remembrances
Of you at age four and a half:
One of you at the beach with your arms spread wide,
As though you want to fly into the sea, embracing it -
(This is always how you approached the expansive sea).

The other is of you splashing in a huge puddle
In the midst of a deluge,
Joyfully jumping, skipping,
One foot, then two,
No cares about the rain or being wet.
Just living in the moment,
Free. (Such delight!)

When I remember these images,
It is as though I feel the liberation you are experiencing
And my heart soars.

Jesus, Immanuel
Frees us, too, if only we would open our eyes to see it,
Takes away our sorrows,
Burdens,
Fears,
To set us free
Soaring in the wild abandon of
God's amazing grace. 

What do I need to let go of in order to fully experience the freedom Jesus has already given to me?

Strong

December 16
Strong

Jesus, our bridge,
Strong and secure:
Carrying the weight of our burdens,
Holding us all,
Connecting us with God
   and one another.

Rejoice

December 15
Rejoice

"This is the day the Lord has made,
Let us rejoice and be glad in it!"

The sun beams blaze across the morning sky,
Waking the dark world with light.
Rejoice!

The Son comes into our hearts,
Waking our fearful hearts with hope.
Rejoice!

Gather

December 14
Gather

A prickly, fragrant rose,
An orchid - showy and complex in nature,
Bold-colored tulips
Brushing against a trumpet-shaped, perfumed lily
And a friendly sunburst of daisies
Are gathered together in a clenched fist
Creating an amazing splash of color and aroma.

Alone, each is lovely,
But, together they are more than the sum of their parts -
A most radiant rainbow.
.
Jesus comes - Immanuel -
Makes us God's bouquet,
Drawing each in to God's hands.
Separately - each is lovely.
Gathered -  we are much more wondrous to behold.

Justice

December 13
Justice

Shining like a blinding light,
Justice scatters the darkness
(Falseness and lies
Are exposed),
Focuses its beam
(Like the sun's rays
Burning through a magnifying glass)
On the once-hidden
Truth.

Jesus comes,
As justice, scatters our darkness
Reveals our weaknesses,
Our self-centered nature and sinfulness.
Focuses his love-justice
Showing us how to look beyond our navels
To the needs and well-being of the other
With compassion,
Love.

What are the injustices I see today - and what can I do about them?

Hope

December 12
Hope

If hope were a color
it would be green,

Signs of life appearing                
in expected places:
     the fresh buds of blossoming trees,
     a sea of corn in the summer

Life popping up
in unexpected places:
     blades of grass rising from a crack in the sidewalk,
     a butterfly-beckoning garden on an urban rooftop

Persistent life
in places of sorrow:
     the prayer vigil for a wounded child,
     laughter in the midst of death (you do not have the final word)

Signs of hope
Abundant, surprising, tenacious
Greening everywhere.

Where are signs of "greening" in people around me? Where are signs of "greening" in what seem to be bleak places? 
(For Claire and those who pray for her - and Walter and those who remember him)

Steadfast

December 11
Steadfast

Bury your roots
Deep in my heart, God,
Planting yourself steadfastly
Through all the winds
And storms
That divert my attention
From you.


When I look back over my life, where do I notice God's steadfastness - which I may not have noticed at that time?

Holy

December 10
Holy

Spirit
Shrouded mystery
Like a breath or a wisp of wonder,
Deep, intense awe

May the words on my breath
Be holy
May I look closely in the other to find
The holy.

In speaking and in finding
Holy
We speak with and
approach one another
In love.

Help me see the holy even in people who irritate me.

Delight

December 9
Delight

Seeing the snow-covered branches sparkle as the sun shines on them from a baby blue sky the day after a blizzard

Relishing a new flavor that makes all the taste buds on the tongue come alive in an unexpected way

Feeling the firm grasp of a new born babe's tiny hand around a stubby old finger

Smelling the fragrance of lilac in springtime, wafting on a gentle breeze

Finally hearing those long anticipated words, "I love you," from a new love

Through all our senses God is there

In taste and touch, smell, sound and sight.

Abundantly! These gifts are given.

Awake! Awake to God's delight!

Where will I experience delight in this day?

Wisdom

December 8

Wisdom

"Oh, come, our Wisdom from on high,
Who ordered all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show,
and teach us in her ways to go.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!"

We pray for wisdom
And sometimes we get it in the form of saints:
Mahatma, Martin, Nelson
The wise ones rise from oppression and torture
And somehow preach forgiveness and reconciliation
Showing us that revenge is not God's way.

Wisdom is:
Loving your enemy
Knowing how to be a servant leader
Showing respect and learning from those with whom we disagree
Wholeness

I give thanks to you God, for the witness of Nelson Mandela. Where do I need to use more wisdom in my life and work?

/quotes/authors/n/nelson_mandela.html#TcSO97jlyPrE3COB.

We must use time wisely and forever realize that the time is always ripe to do right.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/n/nelson_mandela.html#TcSO97jlyPrE3COB.99

Ready

December 7

Ready

She slices the vegetables on the cutting board,

the knife making a chop, chop, chop sound

each time it makes a cut through a tomato, 

a cucumber or piece of celery.

She scoops up the crisp sliced pieces,

puts them in a large serving bowl,

places the bowl on the table.

The soup is almost done. 

The bubbles rising to the top,

she stirs the pot to keep the soup from 

sticking to the bottom.

She grabs a ladle from the drawer,

slowly releasing it into the pot,

and carries it to the table, placing it on

a shiny silver trivet.

The table is set, the candles lit.

Walking to the bottom of the stairs,

she calls up to those on the second floor,

     "Dinner is ready!"

She sits in silence, noticing her breathing

in and out, deep breaths filling her lungs,

leaving her lungs.

Her eyes are closed and she becomes aware

of her body,

relaxing her forehead, her shoulders, her arms,

letting go of the tension from the top of her head 

to the tips of her toes.

She opens her heart, reluctantly at first, perhaps

but as she breathes in yet another time

and feels her stresses melt,

she calls out in silence,

    "I am ready, Lord Jesus.

    There is room in my heart for thee."

And so it is:

Preparing leads to being ready;

Being ready leads to change.

How will I make myself ready to hear what God has to say to me? How will I be changed by what God is saying?

Awake

December 6

Awake

I am of a certain age
Where it is way too easy
 To move through life mindlessly.
Old habits are written into my DNA
Just as my eye color, or gender, or the shape of my ears:
I don't think about any of them.
They just are.

Advent is my wake up call
To be mindfully present in each moment,
Even in the daily rituals that I take for granted.
Awake is to pay attention to the subtle details:
Hearing the sound of coffee pouring into my mug
Feeling cold granite flooring under my feet,
Seeing every line and expression on my lover's face
Being mindful enough to
Thank God for this amazing gift
Life.

What am I missing? What needs my attention? Where is God calling me to be mindfully present?

Flood

December 5
Flood

Oh, my God!
There are so many kinds of floods.
They rage and rise
So fast
That sometimes we are
Drowning before we are aware of it.

Maybe it starts with a child moving out, an empty nest left behind
too many deadlines to meet in a short period of time
worries for a friend in a bad situation
that life-sucking crisis at work
a death of a parent
a car accident
health issues
a new job
poverty
violence
hunger
disease
death

(Enough. Already.)
Thesurgingwatersneverseemtoend
(never seems to end
never
 )

We wait.

We wait.

We wait for the One
     Who walks on water,
         Calms the storms at sea,
             Changes water into wine.

O Come (please, oh my God, please)
Emmanuel.

Time

December 4

Time

She hoops.
Her body moves rhythmically in a circle
To keep the hoop from
Falling around her ankles.

She hears
Words from Harry Chapin ring in her ears,
"All my life's a circle - sunrise and sundown,"
And she smiles.

This hoop is like time
Going round and round
    From spring to summer to fall to winter to spring again
       From Advent to Christmas to Epiphany
       Lent to Easter to Pentecost to Advent again
             From birth to childhood to adulthood to birth again

God, the Hooper,
Stands at the center of time
Holding everyone in the cyclical and rhythmic dance
Of life's many seasons.

What does it mean for me to be at this particular time in my life? How will I use the time I have left to do what matters to God?

Peace

December 3

Peace

Sometimes peace doesn't come in the quiet. In fact, being in a quiet place can sometimes be downright disconcerting.

When I had to think of "peace," the first thought that came to my mind was how at peace I felt by getting some work accomplished around the house. That explains the photograph of the list which I took for today's word. I'm not one to keep lists, but knowing that I was getting some tasks completed where I could actually see the results of those tasks felt very calming. I felt at peace at the end of the day.

Peace is not always quiet or being still. Peace often means work.

It is said there can be no peace without justice. Justice takes intentional work. We don't have to look far to see so many injustices in our world. For example, at the present time, the top 1% of the US population owns 38% of the financial wealth in America while the bottom 60% percent owns 2.3% of the wealth in America. That's hardly just. Looking at the distribution of wealth in the whole world is equally obscene.

Jesus is often referred to as the "Prince of Peace," and the only way that title makes sense for me is knowing how Jesus worked for justice, knowing that peace and justice go hand in hand.

Where are the places where justice is lacking today? How is God calling me to work for peace in those situations? What behaviors do I need to change?

Bound

December 2
Bound

My wedding ring serves as a reminder that my life is bound with Wayne's. Almost 32 years ago, we made a promise - a commitment - to share our lives with one another and to support one another as we both moved forward through life together.

I remember distinctly saying to Wayne on that day that it was essential for us to remember that this thing we were doing, this marriage, was a commitment - and that even in times when love fades, ebbs and flows, we would need to be willing to stick with our relationship and work at it. Even at that time, on that beautiful day in December all those years ago when our love was shiny and new, I knew that the future would not be like the present. It never is, after all. Our love was bound to change in all kinds of ways.

That binding, that commitment is significant. My relationship with Wayne reminds me of God's relationship with us...that God binds God's self with us in a relationship made possible through God-made-flesh, Immanuel. God will not give up on us, no matter how irresponsible or unkind or selfish we are. And while we human beings break our promises all the time, God never does.

Bound.

 

Go

Note: I have decided to blog again for the days in Advent. Recently I read about an exercise on Facebook, shared by the United Methodist Church, called "Advent Photo-a-day" (#rethinkchurch). A list of twenty-five words have been generated - a word a day from December 1 through 25 - and the objective is to take a photograph that best (for the individual) represents the given word.

This inspired me to create an Advent devotional blog based on these twenty-five words. Interested in taking photos through Advent like this? Check out the list of words and snap away!

In the meantime, here is my photo and reflection for the first word on the first day of Advent:

December 1
“Go”

What does the word “go” have to do with Advent, a time of waiting and expectation?

I believe Advent moves us forward as we anticipate God's kingdom coming again. We do not sit idly by and wait for the kingdom to come. We participate in God's ongoing story of salvation. Go. Into the world. Beyond the church doors. That's where we will find God coming again and again. God kingdom breaks through in unexpected places.

I like this photograph of Brandon crossing the bridge at Bear Creek Camp. He wasn't too sure about “going” across. But, he did it!

God calls us all  to move into uncomfortable places.

Where is God calling me to be?