Favorite Quote

One of my all time favorite quotes is from Isak Dinesen, "The cure for anything is salt water -- sweat, tears or the sea." I believe there is great truth in these words. Certainly, with physical ailments, it is often a sweat that signals a fever breaking or a turn toward health. Working up a good sweat can assist the body in getting rid of toxins. Salt water may also be the cure for life's ordinary troubles. Sometimes we just need to pick ourselves up and get back to work. In the day in and day out familiar routine of work we sweat our way through a whole host of issues. Sometimes we need a good cry. I've learned the hard way, that if the tears come, they are a sign that I need to pay attention. Tears are cleansing and they honor the deep emotions that prompt their flow. Sometimes we just need to sit on the edge of the sea, listening to waves lap and crash and whush upon the sand, watching the water continually rolling over and over and over. It begins to sink into us, that to the sea, we are as tiny and as significant as a grain of sand. The awareness of the immensity of the sea helps to put the rest of life into perspective and we begin to remember that compared to nuclear war, whatever it is we are facing just isn't so bad.

May you always have as much salt water as you need, but may those times of salt-water-need be few and far between!

Christmas Tree

My Christmas tree is up. Actually it has been up since last Wednesday (the day BEFORE Thanksgiving). Now granted, the tradition in my family as I was growing up was that the tree and Christmas decorations went up the weekend after Thanksgiving. As an adult, I have not always followed that tradition and in fact, last year, just a couple of days before Christmas, I finally put out a little miniature tree not much more than a foot tall. This year... this year the song line that keeps circling in my head is "I need a little Christmas, right this very minute." So my tree is up ... and it is a 4 foot pink tree swathed in 72 feet of bead garland. It is a bright, silly, cheerful spot in my living room and it makes me smile.

I think many of us need a little Christmas. I think we are longing to re-focus our thoughts and energy on something besides the economic crisis, besides politics with its never-ending commentary and analysis, besides the war in Iraq, besides the crime rate starting to climb. So, yes, we do need a little Christmas; however, we need Christmas in more ways than the happy distraction it can provide. We need Christmas for the message that is at the heart of this celebration. We need to remember Emmanuel, God-with-us. Christmas celebrates the incarnation of God in Jesus of Nazareth. Christmas is all about a God that loves us so much, that God chose to be born in human flesh, to understand humanity from the inside out. Christmas reminds us that God is immanently close and involved in our world. We need a little Christmas to remember that God is with us, that we are not alone in our struggles, and that God will help us face whatever we must face.

We are not alone. God IS with us, closer than the air we breathe. God loves us with a steadfast, abiding love. This knowledge, this truth lifts my spirits and renews my hope. And my silly pink Christmas tree is simply a symbol that points me back to the center of my faith.

Plaintive and Hopeful

Earlier this week, I attended an event at the Washington National Cathedral. The evening included selected readings of Rumi's poetry accompanied by traditional Turkish instruments. One of Rumi's poems was about one of those instruments -- a reed flute. For me, the sound of the reed flute was mesmerizing. At one and the same time it was plaintive and hope-filled. As Rumi suggested, these two disparate qualities are reflective of the human condition. For most of us, life is a mixture of rough seas and smooth sailing. Sometimes the rough seas go on and on and on and we naturally lament such difficulties. And yet, and yet, inside most of us is a resiliency that arises from the deep within -- a sheer, possibly tenuous, hope which rises on the stubborn will to live. Evocatively the reed flute was able to blend both the plaintive and the hopeful into one gently poignant sound and between the note-sounding and the ear-hearing the Spirit wafted past. Thanks be.

Kindom Circle and Picasso

Hanging in my office for as long as I have been in ministry is a print of a Picasso art piece. It is one of his later works -- a rainbow-colored crayon sketch of people in a big circle holding hands and a dove with an olive branch in the center. The simple lines suggest dynamic movement. The colors express joy. For me, this is an image of the kindom of God -- the "harmony of harmonies" that God is continually luring us toward. Last Sunday, I shared the print with the congregation as a visual for my sermon. Much to my surprise when the service was over, one of the members shared with me that years ago he interviewed Picasso. To quote at tried but true cliche' -- what a small world. And what a wonderful reminder of the ways that we are all pulled into the circle of life and God's love.

Breathing Room

I am recently returned home from a retreat. I journeyed to the Mandala Center outside of Des Moines, New Mexico. Yep, that's right, not a typo -- Des Moines, NEW MEXICO. It's kind of right next door to the middle of no where and it was wonderful being there. Living as close as I do to the great metropolis of Washington DC and all the surrounding urban/suburban sprawl, I lose sight of the toll the population density and the congestion can take on one, until I get away from it. As I drove up I-25 from Albuquerque, there were stretches of highway where no other car was in sight. The landscape spread out around in wide open space and the sky stretched high and tall and I could feel my being unwinding and relaxing in a way that I never do living beneath big city lights. The photo above is the view from the deck of the retreat center. Twas good for my soul to be out where I was reminded of the grandeur and vastness of God's creation. Twas good for me to be where there was lots of elbow room. Both of which are what retreats are all about -- time away from the things that crowd up every day life so we draw closer to God and regain perspective. I wonder if when Jesus went away from the crowds, he too, was looking for elbow room, wide open space, and a reminder of God's immense reach?

What's This Thing Called Grace?

I enjoy conversations that range wide and go deep -- the ones that make me think and push me to accurate articulation. A while back, I was in the midst of just such a conversation when my friend asked me to define grace. Right then. Right there. On the spur of the moment define "grace" -- a concept that took John Wesley pages and pages and sermons and sermons to articulate. So without Harvey's "Handbook of Theological Terms," without Wesley's Complete Sermons, without the New Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible, I tried to define grace, to distill into a few words the essence of this concept that is foundational and transformational to faith and life. What I came out with is that grace is "unmerited mercy imbued with a genuine compassionate concern for the other's well-being." This definition sums up my experience of grace. I have been recipient of unmerited mercy from God and from people. God's grace saves me; and humbles me; and empowers me. The grace I have experienced from other people fills me with gratitude. Our common task is to find ways to extend grace to one another and to our world.

Creativity in the Moment

When I first started preaching, I would write out a manuscript every week. I would carefully figure out how I wanted to say things, I would tweak a phrase just right and it would be a finely crafted sermon. Then I was appointed as an associate pastor for 2/3 of my appointment working with Cole. Now, I was fresh out of seminary and about a foot and a half shorter than Cole. Well, Cole never used even a note, much less a manuscript when he preached. He would walk out of the pulpit and just start preaching. It quickly became clear to me, that if I wanted to even hold my own with that congregation, I was going to have to preach without notes. So that's what I started doing. Truth be told, I have a bit of a competitive streak that got tapped into. The surprising thing for me, is that I found preaching without notes enabled me to connect more fully with the congregation. For years now, this is how I have preached -- doing all the preparation ahead, letting it incubate and then on Sunday morning, preaching. Recently in reflecting on the process of preaching and how I go about this weekly task, I realized that this way of preaching takes the creative aspect of preaching right into the worship time and moment. When I prepared a manuscript for a sermon, the creative aspect of preaching happened when I was alone with pen and paper or keyboard and screen and what I did in worship was a presentation of something that had been created earlier. When I preach without notes, the creative moment and presentation moment and the hearing moment are all one and the same. The congregation becomes the context where the sermon creation takes place. So, I do not have files of old sermons to pull out and present again. Each sermon is an "in the moment" experience. It means that each sermon is a fleeting thing -- a creation for a particular time and place. Sometimes I feel a tinge of regret that I do not have a written record of this life's work, but most times I feel a certain sense of contentment and appropriateness that each sermon is for a moment -- created in worship and set free.

Where Did May Go?

Well I knew that May was kind of a crazy month and that it had been a while since I had posted any musings on this blog, even so, I was surprised to realize it has been almost a month since I had a new posting here! The poll about the ballpark foods was prompted by my attending a Nationals baseball game at their new stadium. Now, mind you, I am not a sports fan by any stretch of the imagination, but when a free ticket came my way to go to the game with a good friend, I went. It was actually a beautiful spring day and I learned that good company can make even a baseball game enjoyable. We joked that day that it would probably be six years or more before I ever got back to the Nationals stadium. Oddly enough, I was back at the stadium for ANOTHER Nationals game in just 3 weeks! Again, a free ticket and good company. Now the second game was on an evening when it was unseasonably cold -- so that night, my favorite ballpark treats were the coffee and the hot chocolate! Chilli seemed popular, too, with the folks sitting around me. The Nationals won the first game I attended, and they lost the second. Readers of this blog, are any of you baseball fans?

In Memoriam

Panda

May 1996 - May 2008

I am a bit sad tonight. On Sunday evening, my little dog, Panda died -- age finally catching up with her. She was a good dog and a companion that could always make me smile. One of my favorite sounds in all the world were her little snores as I drifted into sleep. Here is a poem I wrote about "The Princess" (a well earned nickname) a few years ago:

Ode to Panda

Lonely rooms are enlivened by

the fur ball with feet

She greets me at the door

tail sashaying, eagerly prancing

Her canine grin calls forth

my answering smile

Certain of her inalienable right

Her imperious paw lays claim

to my attention and lap

Her gentle snores blanket the

long night with comfort

We share space, breathe the

same air

Always, she lingers near

Close at hand

Closer yet to heart

Spring Is In the Air

Spring is in the air. Your opportunity to indicate what you like best about spring on the little poll I have going, is about to expire. So far, it seems that more people like flowers blooming and trees budding best of all. This photo is one I particularly enjoy. My father took it last spring at the Botanical Gardens in Baton Rouge. My favorite flowers bloom in spring -- daffodils. My heart delights in their cheerful bright yellow color against earthy green stems. After a long gray winter it is a feast for the eyes to see all the vivid colors of spring. And you? What is your favorite flower and why? Post a comment, let me know!

Honoring, Remembering

April is National Crime Victims Memorial month. For those who have lost loved ones through violence, a time designated for remembering can be important and a reassurance that the broader community acknowledges that grief is never completely swept away by the passage of time. For a while now I have been wondering what it is about April in particular that makes it rife with tragic events -- isn't mid to late April when so many violent tragedies have struck? The bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma, the stand off in Waco at the David Karesh compound, Columbine, Virginia Tech?? Why? Why this time? If you have any ideas, post a comment. If there is anyone you would like to remember during this National Crime Victims Memorial month, list their name in a comment.

The Lingering Hours

Some of my fondest memories are of times spent around a table, sipping coffee, losing track of time in the midst of good company and conversation. The tables may be different, the faces change from time to time, but there is a universal quality to the time -- lingering hours -- where we pause, where we stay present, where we listen and share new stories and old tales, philosophical speculations and only-in-that-moment humor. In the lingering hours tasks are laid aside, agendas lost, and watches forgotten. Such times open up the possibility for rising to numinousness, when all present are fully present in the moment, attentive, engaged, open, free, connected one with all present, all with each one present. This is communion through and true. Cherish lingering hours.

Flutter Ballet

Last week I took a few days vacation and went to visit friends in Cleveland. Now most people this time of the year head to warm climes -- I headed north where winter still has a strong hold along Lake Erie. Despite the chilly cold and snow flurries, I had a great time. It is always good to connect with friends. While in Cleveland, I had the opportunity to go to the Botanical Gardens and dawdle awhile in their "Glass House." In the "Glass House" they have re-created two distinct habitats -- one mimicking Madagascar and the other a Cloud Forest in Costa Rica. One dry, the other humid. In the cloud forest section there were dozens and dozens of beautiful butterflies. These butterflies were fascinating to observe. I tried to watch every flutter and turn of their spritely dance, but it was difficult to keep up. Every so often, one would land on a stem or leaf and for a few minutes I could observe their intricate patterns and brilliant colors. Like a butterfly on wing life flees past with unexpected turns and happenstance meetings, a beautiful and chaotic dance that we are not able to predict. As I watched the butterflies, they did not always go where I thought they would. I could not determine any kind of pattern to their dipping and soaring and pirouetting in midair. So too, life may bring us to unexpected places or almost forgotten faces, and we turn in surprising new directions to continue the dance.

Progress Seasoned with Humility

Where would we be without good friends? I was talking with my good friend, Sharon (on the left in the above photo) the other day. In the course of our conversation, I shared with her that I had started this blog -- she just started laughing. She reminded me that she knew me way back when -- when I wanted next to nothing to do with computers, when I thought computers were tearing away at the fabric of community, when I would have rather directed a second week of vacation Bible school rather than get online. Ah, thanks be for Sharon who knows me well enough to know my foibles but cares for me in spite of them. These are the kind of friends that keep us humble. I suppose I will never be one to rush to acquire new technology but eventually I can be pulled into this century. Computers are indeed valuable tools. Computers may provide a modicum of social networking. Computers make many aspects of life a little easier to handle. This progress is to be celebrated. But less progress get too puffed up, it helps to remember that there are still some things that a computer cannot replace -- emoticons fall short of a genuine face to face smile; e-mails lack the rich personality of a handwritten letter; and my computer has yet to give me a hug! So Sharon helps keep me humble. Who helps keep the computer humble?

The Discipline of Gratitude

A spiritual discipline that helps keep me mindful of God's steadfast, abiding presence is a gratitude journal. One of the last things I do before turning out the light to go to sleep, is to write a prayer to God listing at least five things for which I am thankful that day. This is not an original idea -- I think I heard it suggested on "Oprah" years ago. It also certainly hearkens back to the old hymn "Count Your Blessings" and even further back to the Psalms that offer praise for how the writer has seen God at work. Of all the spiritual disciplines, this is the one I have followed most faithfully and most consistently over the years. Now granted, some days I have trouble coming up with five things specific to that day to list. On those days there is always the basic five I can go back to -- family, friends, my dog, a good job, a warm home, food to eat. However, I will take time to reflect on the day and try to come up with more detailed or timely items to list. Maybe I am thankful for the beauty of the forsythia blooming or for the smell of fresh ground coffee or for the kind words someone said or for making it safely home around the DC beltway. Often the items I list are events where I have seen God's gentle, persuasive presence at work in the lives and world around me. Pausing at the end of the day to write a little prayer of gratitude is a way to praise & honor God. It is also a way to lift my spirits. So for March 24, I am thankful for: 1. the modern technology of the Internet 2. a phone conversation with my mom who lives in Baton Rouge 3. a washer and dryer on the same level as all my living space 4. a few days off this week after Easter 5. Panda (my dog, see photo) sleeping at my feet as I sit here at the computer. Thanks be!

Holy Week

Today marks the beginning of Holy Week. Over the years, I have come to cherish these seven days -- days when Christians are called to be particularly attentive to the gospel accounts of Jesus' final days. This morning in worship we presented a Reader's Theatre style interpretive reading from the Gospel of Matthew. We had some EXCELLENT readers that were willing to do some focused rehearsing and pour their hearts into the task. Thanks to the hard work of all involved, the people present were able to have the story Jesus come alive in a meaningful way.
So often it is easy to just skip from the pageantry of Palm Sunday to the joyous festivity of Easter without pausing to reflect on what happened in between. A few years ago, Mel Gibson gave us his cinematic interpretation of what might have happened between Palm Sunday and Easter. And while I would take issue with Mr. Gibson on a number of points about the movie, I do appreciate that his movie helped to raise awareness of the events of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.
Our understanding of Easter celebration is deeper and fuller when we take the time to reflect on the events that led up to God's doing a new thing in the resurrection. Human sinfulness caused the crucifixion -- humanity took God's love incarnate in Jesus of Nazareth and rejected God by crucifying Jesus. Our sinfulness caused the crucifixion and sitting with the guilt and discomfort of that knowledge is important to help us realize our need for God. In the face of the crucifixion I think God pondered long and hard if God wanted anything else to do with humanity. Easter Sunday answers that question with a powerful YES!
Yes! God seeks us out to be in relationship.
Yes! God loves us so much that God sends us back God's son in the resurrected Christ.
Yes! God still has grace, mercy, hope and love for this tragic, pain-filled world.
Yes! God says yes to us even in the face of our harshest "No."

May you have a blessed and meaningful Holy Week!

Getting Started

Hi,

If you have stumbled across this blog you will realize that I am just getting this started. Hope to get it figured out and designed in the next couple of weeks.

Peace! Mary Kay