Friday Five: Words

Jan from RevGalBlogPals wrote this:

There is a dramatic and surprising venue for Spiritual Formation/Sunday School classes at my church: Each week a different person teaches about a "word" that expresses his/her passion or interest. The first week someone spoke about "hospitality" with abundant treats on her mother and grandmother's china arrayed on tables. Other words have been "connectivity," "Trinity," "money," and "dreams." No one knows which person will be teaching until the class convenes. I am teaching this Sunday and plan to talk about "stirrings."

For this Friday Five, please list five words that identify your passions, spirituality, and/or life. Describe as much or as little as you wish.

1. faithfulness--When I get discouraged, all I have to do is look back at God's continual faithfulness throughout my life and the lives of so many. This stirs up within me a desire to be a faithful servant of God.

2. passionate spirituality--If I cannot be passionate about my relationship with my Lord, then something is very wrong. Walking with God is far more than a job or vocation, it's my whole life.

3. love--Without this we are nothing. God's very motivation for sending Christ was love. I desire love to be my motivation for everything I do.

4. security--I struggle at times with insecurity. I cannot be secure in my own strength, but in God's. God is my strength and my security. When I acknowledge this then I am secure in who I am because of who God is.

5. grace--Regarding something I was worried about, my internship supervisor once told me, "Trust in the grace." That has stuck with me. It is God's grace that sustains us, that keeps us going. Thankfully there are people around us that operate out of grace-filled lives.

Friday Five: Mid-Lent Check-In

Sophia wrote:

The pastor of my grad school parish once gave a fascinating reflection, at about this mid-point in the season, called "How to Survive the Mid-Lent Crisis"! As I recall, his main point was that by halfway through the season we have often found it very challenging to live up to our original plans....But, he suggested--on the analogy of the healing and reframing of our life plans that can happen during a mid-*life* crisis--that that can be even more fruitful.

So here's an invitation to check in on the state of your spirit midway through "this joyful season where we prepare to celebrate the paschal mystery with mind and heart renewed" (Roman Missal). Hopefully there's a good deal of grace, and not too much crisis, in your mid-Lenten experience!

1. Did you give up, or take on, anything special for Lent this year?
I took on something, increased attentiveness to hear God's voice, to quiet myself to listen, especially through lectio divina. A group of us gather 3 mornings a week for that and God's presence has been almost tangible in our time together.

2. Have you been able to stay with your original plans, or has life gotten in the way?
Not 100%, but pretty much I've been able to stay with my original plan.

3. Has God had any surprising blessings for you during this Lent?
Absolutely, there have been 2 in particular. I have not been as wound up and obsessed inside about my school work and have been able to enjoy being in the moment with family and friends. The second is that wonderful sense of God's nearness and presence.

4. What is on your inner and/or outer agenda for the remainder of Lent and Holy Week?
For my inner agenda, I just want to be open to God and the multiple surprises in this journey of faith. Part of my outer agenda will be the stations of the cross, which I have never participated in.

5. Where do you most long to see resurrection, in your life and/or in the world, this Easter?
In my life I long to see resurrection in remembering why I'm at seminary and God's baptismal call in each of our lives. For the world, I long to see it impacted by the reign of God through God's people sharing God's love.

Bonus: Share a favorite scripture, prayer, poem, artwork, or musical selection that speaks Lenten spring to your heart.
What Wondrous Love is This.

flickr picture

Friday Five Pets

Sophia wrote:

My son's tiny beloved lizard, Elf, is looking and acting strange this week. His skin/scales are quite dark, and he is lethargic. We are adding vitamin drops to his lettuce and spinach and hoping and praying that he is just getting ready to shed his skin--but it's too soon to tell. Others in the ring have also been worried about beloved pets this week. And, in the saddest news of all, Songbird has had to bid farewell to her precious Molly, the amazing dog who is well known to readers of her blog as a constant sacrament of God's unconditional love.

So in memory of Molly, and in honor of all the beloved animal companions who bless our lives: tell us about the five most memorable pets you have known.

1. The first is my beloved black lab, Tasha who I had to say good-bye to a number of years ago. She loved everyone and if she saw anyone playing a with a ball, she wanted to play too.
2. Abby, who is still with us is next. She's Ray's retired Seeing Eye Dog. Abby's mantra is, "Whatever," as you can see in the picture at the right. It was taken a couple of years ago when Grace was home sick and we were watching her. Grace wrapped Abby in the pink and white blanket and snuggled and played with her all day. The only part of Abby that's visible is the black fur.
3. Amity isn't technically a pet, but she's added some interesting dimensions to our lives and has afforded Ray continued independence. She is his current Seeing Eye Dog, who is half black lab and half golden retriever. She's in the top left picture with her "cousin" Cherokee, whom she just met over the holidays. Amity is on the right. We sometimes call her a giraffe because she will stretch her long neck to see things.
4. As a child, I had a cat named Ringo, who was a handful. He like to eat green olives.
5. As a very young child, we had a do who was part German shepherd, part collie named Julius. He saved my life. Once as a toddler I had wandered out to the front yard and was on my way into the street. Julius knocked me down to prevent me from doing so.

Those are the pets in my life and I am thankful for them all.

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Thanking God for You

Thanks to Singing Owl for this Friday Five.

Ours was spent on campus with the rest of the "remnant" that didn't go away. We gathered in the seminary refectory for a traditional Thanksgiving pot luck dinner. The fellowship and food were wonderful.

1. How do I limit the number to 5???? Anyway, I am first of all thankful for my husband, Ray, and for his supportive patience as I go to seminary. His love and encouragement have enabled me to make this change in our lives.

2. These are of course not in order as far as the amount of thankfulness I have. But my adult children Sarah and Christian are next. They have both grown into wonderful people whom I love with all my heart. For them I give thanks.

3. My granddaughter, Grace, a precocious nearly 5 year old. I am grateful for her and her unabashed love for Jesus. She is precious.

4. I'm very thankful for Marisa, my son's fiancee, who has turned his world upside down. He's a different man.

5. And finally, I am thankful for friends--so many in my life--too many to name--new and old, and of classmates and others here in PA.

To God be the glory for all those that surround and support us in this journey through life!

Vulnerability Friday Five

Sally at revgalsblogpals posted the following for the Friday Five:

I have recently been reading a book entitled Jesus wept, it is all about vulnerability in leadership. The authors speak of how Jesus shared his earthly frustrations and vulnerabilities with a select group of people. To some he was the charismatic leader and teacher, to others words of wisdom were opened and explained and some frustrations shared, to his "inner circle of friends: Peter, James and John, he was most fully himself, and in all of these things he was open to God.

So I bring you this weeks Friday 5:

1. Is vulnerability something that comes easily to you, or are you a private person?
It comes to me very easily, at times too much so. I feel that I have nothing to hide. Of course, I'm in seminary with a wonderful community of faith. In the parish I suspect I will need to be more guarded in what I share and with whom.

2.How important is it to keep up a professional persona in work/ ministry?
I despise pretense and artificiality. Though one must be professional, how can one be an example if he or she appears so perfect? I have found it encouraging when a pastor has been able to share that he or she wasn't sure if they did the right thing in a particular situation (ie. when someone comes to the church off the street that's in financial need).

3. Masks, a form of self protection discuss...
Yes they are. If we do not reveal our true selves we do not have to worry about being hurt or misunderstood. Masks become uncomfortable as well after time for the one wearing them. To maintain that distance from others takes a lot of work.

4. Who knows you warts and all?
My husband and children as well as a few close friends that have walked with me through hell and back. I would add to these my spiritual director in RI. As a sidebar, I would appreciate prayer as I seek to establish a relationship with a new spiritual director while at seminary.

5. Share a book, a prayer, a piece of music, a poem or a person that touches the deep place in your soul, and calls you to be who you are most authentically.
There are several, so I will post 2, 1 a song and 1 a prayer.

AND THEN YOU
We arranged our lives as best we can,
to keep your holiness at bay,
with our pieties,
our doctrines,
our liturgies,
our moralities,
our secret ideologies,
Safe, virtuous, settled,
And then you -
you and your dreams,
you and your visions,
you and your purposes,
you and your commands,
you and our neighbors,
We find your holiness not at bay,
but probing, pervading,
insisting, demanding.
And we yield, sometimes gladly,
sometimes resentfully,
sometimes late... or soon.
We yield because you, beyond us, are our God,
We are our creatures met your your holiness,
by your holiness made our true selves.
And we yield. Amen.

Walter Brueggemann from Awed to Heaven, Rooted in Earth

Flickr picture.

Friday Five: What You Absolutely, Positively, Can't Leave Home Without

Singing Owl, one of the Revgals asks this for the Friday Five: what are the five things you simply must have when you are away from home? And why? Any history or goofy things, or stories?

We travel pretty light for road trips, as much as possible. Most have been trips to Rochester to see my daughter, granddaughter, and friends. However, next week at this time, the moving van will be here loading up everything for the biggest and most life altering road trip we've had in our five years of marriage--the trip to the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg. One of the best parts of this particular trip is that it will begin on our 5th wedding annivarsary.

So much for background. Five things I simply must have when away from home:

1. Clothes--the why is pretty obvious.

2. Toiletries--deodorant, shampoo etc.--again an obvious why--who'd want to be around me?

3. A place to stay halfway through the trip. From our current home to Rochester we always broke the trip in Albany. I just can't do the 6-8 hour stretches of driving by myself anymore.

4. Traveling music which is my husband, the audiophile's responsibility. Besides CDs, he tunes in the radio to the local stations as we travel.

5. Thanks to Diane for this reminder--prescriptions, or as my daughter says, our "pharmacy."

One goofy thing happened on our first road trip from home to Rochester. I was sure I had remembered to pack everything. I was confident until I started unpacking. I didn't bring underwear which necessitated a shopping trip. Our first few trips to Rochester, one of us always managed to forget something. The last few times however, we got this particular road trip down pat. Since next week everything will be out of our apartment other than us and the suitcases, I don't think we'll forget anything.

Flickr picture.

Friday 5--What's in a name?

Thanks to RevHRod at RevGals for this week's Friday Five.

1. So how did you come up with your blogging name? And/or the name of your blog? I use my own name. The name of my blog comes from a line in the ELCA mission statement, "Marked with the cross of Christ forever, we are claimed, gathered, and sent for the sake of the world.”
2. Are there any code names or secret identities in your blog? Any stories there? I'm afraid not.
   
3. What are some blog titles that you just love? For their cleverness, drama, or sheer, crazy fun? Tribal Church, Reflectionary, Lutheran Chick's "L" Word Diary, Cheesehead in Paradise, Proclaiming Softly...there are so many.
   
4. What three blogs are you devoted to? Other than the RevGalBlogPals blog of course! Tribal Church, Law and Gospel, The Heart of a Pastor.
   
5. Who introduced you to the world of blogging and why? I came across it out of sheer necessity. For an assignment in an undergraduate course, I wanted to have a webpage so I could keep the info up to date and have room for comments. I didn't want to spend the money on a webpage however. Then I came across Blogger through a Google search and rest is history.
   

Bonus question: Have you ever met any of your blogging friends? Where are some of the places you've met these fun folks? I haven't met any, but will be meeting two of them this fall in seminary.

Friday Five: Fireworks Edition

Sally at Rev Gals posted today's Friday Five. And here they are!

1. Barbeque's or picnics ( or are they essentially the same thing?)
They're essentially the same thing, but we call them picnics.

2. The park/ the lake/ the beach or staying at home simply being?
Normally we'd enjoy getting together with friends at home or at their place. I like gathering at the park or lake, not the beach. This year it's just the two of us at home.

3. Fireworks- love 'em or hate 'em? I love them.

4. Parades- have you ever taken part- share a memory...
I have only watched them. When I was little my brother was in one an we went to watch. Today we're watching the Bristol, RI parade, the oldest continuous running 4th of July parade in the country.

5. Time for a musical interlude- if you could sum up holidays in a piece of music what would it be? The "1812 Overture" performed by the Boston Pops. Oh yeah, "Stars and Stripes Forever" too.

Now a question of my own. Will there be/should there be patriotic music at church this Sunday? What are your feelings about that?

Friday Five: Beach Trip

Those RevGals are such party animals.

So in honor of summer, please share your own beachy memories, plans, and dreams with a "Beach Trip" Friday Five.





1. Ocean rocks, lake limps? Vice versa? Or "it's all beautiful in its own way"? I enjoy being out in nature of all kinds, but prefer lakes to ocean. And even better, prefer a swimming pool.

2. Year round beach living: Heaven...or the Other Place? I'm not a real beach fan, but as long as there is shade, maybe it should be considered purgatory.

3. Any beach plans for this summer? None that I'm aware of. There is plenty of recuperation and packing for the move to Gettysburg with little, if any, vacation time.

4. Best beach memory ever? Our granddaughter's first steps into the Atlantic when she was an infant. She cried, but it was their first trip to see us in R. I., so it was special.

5. Fantasy beach trip? Hawaii sounds good.

Bonus: Share a piece of music/poetry/film/book that expresses something about what the beach means to you. This is a picture of sunrise on the Galilee in Israel. In the 80s we spent numerous vacations there while living in Bethlehem, which is still near and dear to our hearts. Secondly, Jesus spent lots of time on the beach with his buddies.


Picture from flickr.

RevGals Fri. 5

Weekly, RevGalBlogPals has a meme for us. This is the first I've actually participated in and is very apt for this time in my life. Let me know your responses to the following. Mine are.

1. How important is the "big picture" to you, do you need a glimpse of the possibilities or are you a details person? Primarily a big picture person who doesn't worry about the details, sometimes even though I should.

2. If the big picture is important to you how do you hold onto it in the nitty gritty details of life? Lots of prayer and communication with friends who help me keep on track, particularly if I am comparing myself with others too much and second guessing myself.

3. Name a book, poem, psalm, piece of music that transports to to another dimension ( one....what am I thinking....) "I am a Servant."

4.Thinking of physical views, is there somewhere that inspires you, somewhere that you breathe more easily? When I'm sitting, reclining on the swing on our deck. I can hear the birds singing and hear what God is saying through creation and his word.

5. A picture opportunity... post one if you can ( or a link to one!) See above picture.

Let us know in comments if you play. And for even more visits to your blog, post a direct link in your comment using the following formulation:
<a href="the url of your blog post goes here">what you want the link to say goes here</a>
For a complete how-to, click here.

Wait and Pray Friday 5

Sally created this week's Friday Five, posted over at RevGalBlogPals:
Part of the Ascension Day Scripture from Acts 11 contains this promise from Jesus;

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Then he was taken from their sight into the clouds, two angels appeared and instructed the probably bewildered disciples to go back to Jerusalem, where they began to wait and to pray for the gift Jesus had promised.

Prayer is a joy to some of us, and a chore to others, waiting likewise can be filled with anticipation or anxiety....

So how do you wait and pray?

1. How do you pray best, alone or with others?

It depends on the kind of prayer: worship, intercession, etc. In the morning I have my alone time in prayer, which I cherish. Without it, the day doesn't seem to go right. Before bed, my husband and I pray together for each other, our family, friends, whatever other needs we're made aware of.

2. Do you enjoy the discipline of waiting, is it a time of anticipation or anxiety?

I don't mind waiting unless an issue is unresolved, for example when I was waiting to hear if I was accepted into seminary. Now I don't mind the wait before moving to Gettysburg because I know that's what we're doing.

3. Is there a time when you have waited upon God for a specific promise?

There have been several times. After my divorce, I never thought I would have anyone to truly share my life with, but I do. And I never could have imagined where it would lead--now off to seminary and ministry. Since we've been married, we have prayed daily for my kids to return to faith. My daughter has and has discovered what she was missing out on. She's involved in a wonderful community of faith. We are still praying for my son and his fiancee. We have seen God's faithfulness in answer to prayer in our time together.

4. Do you prefer stillness or action?

Probably action. It depends on my mood. Sometimes I just enjoy sitting and reading a good book.

5. If ( and this is slightly tongue in cheek) you were promised one gift spiritual or otherwise what would you choose to receive?

Wisdom and discernment--not so tongue in cheek. But if I could have power to heal all the hurts in the world, that would be great, though not realistic, so I'll stick with wisdom and discernment.

Picture from flickr.