Prayers of the People: Lent 2/28/2010

Jesus, be the centre
Be my source, be my light
Jesus

Jesus, be the centre
Be my hope, be my song
Jesus

(Chorus)
Be the fire in my heart
Be the wind in these sails
Be the reason that I live
Jesus, Jesus

Jesus, be my vision
Be my path, be my guide
Jesus

by Michael Frye (c) 1999

Prayer Song:
Lord, listen to your children praying,
Lord, send your Spirit in this place;
Lord, listen to your children praying,
Send us love, send us power, send us grace.

Pastoral Prayer:
Lord, listen to your children praying.
Lord, we yearn for your Spirit in this space;
Lord, we gather here as your children, praying.
Lord, strengthen us with your Love;
empower us; fill us with your grace.

Loving God, we come together at this time
As a community Confident in the promise
That you are the place where we can fix our eyes,
Encouraged by the promise
That you will guide us wherever we fly,
Comforted by the promise
That you are the center of our lives wherever we go

Fire up in our hearts the flame of your Spirit,
Show us new ways to share unconditional Love
Be our vision – help us to see beyond our own needs and fears,
Lift us up with your Spirit Wind of change and renewal

Hear us, now, Lord, as we begin to name – silently and out loud –
Our prayers for one another, for your Church, for all humanity, and for all your Creation.

Guided Responsive Communal Prayer:
Together, let us pray for the earth and all her resources,
For the air, water, wind, and earth which call out to us
Through earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, famine, drought
Let us pray to become mindful stewards of the gifts we have been given,
Grateful for the light and warmth of sun, moon, and stars,
Grateful for the strength of mountains and hills, and for the quiet of valleys
Grateful for beauty of water, still or in motion,
Grateful for wind in its gentleness or strength

Together, let us pray for our neighbors
In villages, towns, cities, states, and countries near and far
Which need our prayers and support in rebuilding lives and homes,
Especially for the peoples of Haiti and of Chile,
And for all others whom we now name

Together, let us pray for our national and world leaders,
For the international community that leads us into a new century,
For our President, Vice President, and Congress,
And especially for leaders who are committed to
Issues of equality and social justice

Together, let us pray for all our clergy,
For our lay leaders, and
For all members of God’s church,
Especially for Bishop Brown,
for District Superintendent Extrum-Fernandez,
For Pastor Peter, and for Pastor Emily,
For the Chinese ministry council
For the English ministry council
And For whom else should we pray?

Together, let us pray for our friends and coworkers
From whom we receive companionship and strength
By naming them individually, let us give thanks for those people
who have enriched and transformed our lives

Together, let us pray for our families and relatives
For those we have not heard from
And for those with whom we break bread daily
By naming them individually, let us give thanks for those people
Who have touched our lives

Together, let us pray for our selves;
Let us give thanks for strength of body
For the workings of our hands and the journeyings of our feet
For the seeing of our eyes and the hearing of our ears

Merciful and loving God,
When our eyes no longer see, when our hearts no longer hear,
When our feet are tired and our hands are weary,
Help us remember
That you are our Vision,
That we offer one another the Hope you have shown us,
That we sing for each other the Song of Joy in times of trial

As we journey through this Lenten season,
help us remember that we are One body,
Help us remember the assurance in the prayer your Son Jesus taught us so long ago:

“Our Father who art in heaven…”

[Prayers of the People offered during Lenten Worship 2/28/2010]

Lent 2010: Meditations and Reflections on the Baptismal Covenant

As I begin thinking about the upcoming Lunar New Year, I am reminded that following close on the heels of the Tiger (Tet Canh Dan) is Ash Wednesday (February 17th) and the liturgical season of Lent. There is much to do, and even more to meditate on. For those who are interested, I offer a series of weekly meditations and reflections which I crafted by combining our baptismal covenant with our church's selected Focus Scriptures for each Sunday of Lent. Consider reading the text first, and meditate on it daily throughout the week (you might also try the practice of lectio divina). Consider how you might weave this reflection time into your chosen faith ritual throughout the Lenten season.

To see all lessons from the Revised Common Lectionary for the entire Lenten season, visit the Vanderbilt Divinity Library here.

1st week of Lent: Feb. 21st – Into the Wilderness/ Luke 4:1-13

Do you renounce the spiritual forces of wickedness, reject the evil powers of this world, and repent of your sin?

Share and discuss one or two examples that you have witnessed in your life which you might define as “evil powers”. How have you experienced these negative forces at play in your life? What tools might you draw upon to renounce and reject these forces of wickedness and evil powers? Where have you experienced the “desert” of your repentance?

2nd week of Lent: Feb. 28th – Luke 13:31-35

Do you accept the freedom and power God gives you to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves?

In this week’s focus scripture, we hear Jesus refer to Jerusalem as the city that violently rejects its prophets and visionaries. In our baptismal covenant, we are asked to accept, not reject, the power which liberates us to live fully as children of God, and to accept the freedom that calls us to create a just, peaceful, and joy-full world of equality. Share an example of a time or place where/when you experienced the overwhelming power of God’s love, mercy, and grace in your life; Give thanks for this experience. Name one or two examples of obstacles or challenges that stand in the way of your resistance to evil, injustice, and oppression; Lift them up in prayer.


3rd week of Lent: Mar. 7th – Isaiah 55:1-9

Do you confess Jesus Christ as your Savior, put your whole trust in his grace, and promise to serve him as your Lord, in union with the church which Christ has opened to people of all ages, nations, and races?

We can often find saints in our lives who fully embody the Love and Mercy of God as exemplified and fleshed out in Jesus the Christ; these are the people who promise to serve God all their lives, in different ways; or, perhaps in only one or two instances, they demonstrated God’s grace. Share and discuss one or two examples of people whom you know to demonstrate unfailing trust in God. How have they witnessed to you and to others about God’s faithfulness, God’s abundant blessings? In prayer, give thanks for their presence and lives. God invites all who are thirsty to “come to the waters” (Is 55:1). In which areas of your life have you experienced unquenchable thirst? Lift up in prayer a time when you might have heard such an invitation. In what ways might you as a person of faith re-iterate/re-issue such an invitation to others, or help them recognize and respond to such an invitation to come receive the life-renewing waters of baptism?

4th week of Lent: Mar. 14th – Lost then Found / Luke 15:1-3,11b-32

Will you nurture the children of God in Christ’s holy church, that by your teaching and example they may be guided to accept God’s grace for themselves, to profess their faith openly, and to lead a Christian life?

This week’s focus scripture presents, on the surface, a narrative of a parent who welcomes home a child with feasting and celebrating, demonstrating forgiveness and loving grace. Share one or two examples of when you experienced a sense of being loved and accepted as a child of God. Give thanks for those experiences and for those who embodied for you God’s compassion. In our contemporary context, how might you as a member of Christ’s holy church “nurture the children of God”? Our baptismal covenant asks us, as Christians and as Methodists, to enrich the lives of others through our teaching and by example through our living. Are there people whom you know who might welcome the chance to “be found”? Lift them up in prayer.

5th week of Lent: Mar. 21st – Doing New Things / Isaiah 43:16-21

Will you remain faithful members of Christ’s holy church and serve as Christ’s representatives in this world?

As members of God’s global faith community, we are called to hold lightly onto our traditions and beliefs, and we are also asked to steadfastly change the world for the better – to seek justice, equality, peace. By striving to show God’s love, justice, and mercy to the world, we are God’s church. Wherever you have been, and wherever you are headed, how have different communities of faith transformed your life? Pray for the communities of which you are a part, and also pray for the communities that you have moved from. Isaiah’s text in 43:16-21 recalls the exodus from Egypt, when the Lord “made a way through the sea”, by essentially carving “a path” not on land but through water. Constructing such a new thing, and traversing that walkway, takes miracles and faith. Share and discuss one or two examples of when you, as Christ’s representative, attempted a new thing. Pray for courage, energy, and faithfulness as you continue to represent God’s church in this world.

6th week of Lent: Mar. 28th – Luke 19:28-40 (Palm or Passion Sunday depending on which lectionary text you decide to focus on)

Do you, as Christ’s body, the church, reaffirm both your rejection of sin and your commitment to Christ?

As disciples of Christ, sometimes we are asked to fulfill tasks that appear, to us and to others, as quite absurd – not unlike the situation of the disciples who were asked to go find a colt for Jesus to ride on (Luke 19:28-40). To complete these tasks, to commit to accomplishing our work in bringing forth God’s good news, we often must address what others perceive as ridiculous or meaningless. Have there been times when it is difficult to remain committed? Have there been times when commitment requires, for you and for others, too heavy of a sacrifice? Discuss, then lift them up in prayer. For our faith community, in what ways might we as a group reaffirm our commitment to Christ? Pray for strength and vision so that you can join in with “the whole crowd of disciples” who are eager and ready to “praise God in loud voices for all the miracles” (Lk 19:37).

Easter Sunday: April 4th – John 20:1-18

Will you nurture one another in the Christian faith and life and include one another in your care?

For many of us, the spiritual journey may appear like it is a solitary one. It is not unusual to think that we must walk the path -- however circuitous, however fragmented -- as individuals seeking our own communion with our Creator. At times, it might even seem strange to think of traveling the road communally, as a member of a diverse faith family. Our selected text for Easter Sunday comes from John, and in it, we are reminded of the band of disciples who, upon hearing the shocking news that Jesus's body was gone, had trickled one by one by two by threes toward the tomb where Jesus had been buried. This scene, in whatever way you imagine it, is echoed by the question of our baptismal covenant, asking us to nurture and include one another in our quests for truth and hope. As members of a faith community, we are invited, nay, challenged, to attend to each other, to nurture and provide, to protect and not exclude, to share and to encourage. The desert of our repentance, our pathways to the new and the truth, need not be solitary. In seeking, we must also share -- like the disciples who grabbed one another saying, "Come, see for yourself..." Think of one or two individuals, or perhaps one or two communities, that recently transformed your ways of journeying. Lift them up in prayer.

Room at the Table: on Christ the King Sunday and Harvest Thanksgiving

Soon and very soon, we will load our dining tables with baskets of bread and butter, Indian corn, and cranberry sauce. We will have turkey meat and mashed potatoes with gravy. We will dine on pumpkin pies and whipped cream or hot chocolate and creamed coffee. Perhaps we might have a steaming bowl of beef porridge with Chinese donuts. Maybe an extra large bowl of pho noodles with tripe and brisket. In whatever way we celebrate Thanksgiving, most of us will not fret about whether or not we will be fed, be clothed, be warmed. We will surely appreciate the abundance of food that will nourish our bodies, and we will certainly feast on the laughter, joy, and conversations in the presence of family and friends around the table.

Yet, as we move towards Thanksgiving, as we await the celebratory feasting, let us not forget that there are those who hunger. Starve. Those with empty stomachs growling as they line up at soup kitchens and food pantries in the cold Bay Area weather. Are there those around us who desire something more? Where we are now, who are the people in need of "something to eat, drink, or wear" (Mt 6:25 CEV)? Matthew 6:32 reminds us that "only people who don't know God are always worrying about such things".

If we examine this statement from our self-focused point of view, then we might frame the clause in this way: I worry about this and this and this, therefore I don't know God. That is a worrisome conclusion, indeed. Today, let us hear the invitation in a different way: People to whom we have not shown signs of God's love and mercy and grace might always worry about such things as this or this or that...

This Sunday is Christ the King Sunday, which is a major feast day in the Christian calendar, a day when we celebrate the just and merciful reign of God. Regardless of the diverse definitions and interpretations for the "kingship" of Jesus our Christ, this day should remind us to answer the invitation -- meet the challenge -- which we have been given as children of God and a community of faith: As we feast and dine with abundant thanks, how do we embody God's reign of peace, justice and love? How do we exemplify love, joy, peace to those around us? How do we help "people who don't know God" to worry less, to be clothed and fed, to be filled and warmed? Because doing that is bringing the reign of God into reality.

Perhaps there are those who hunger and worry because they need us to embody God to them, now. Perhaps there are those just waiting for us to show God's love in concrete ways that help them remember God. In this coming week, seriously consider the invitation for you to make room at the table...

Let us then continue united in prayer and faith, and realize more nd more the truth and mercy of God in our lives. For we are called above all to be signs of His mercy in the world, and our fidelity will in its turn be a small sign to others of His fidelity, not that our fidelity has nay value of itself, but it enables Him to give us richer blessings and to manifest Himself in doing good to us who are nothing. - Thomas Merton, The School of Charity, Pg. 261-262

Christ who suffers

As part of the Uganda mission trip, I'm reading the book Compassion by Henri Nouwen, Donald McNeill, and Douglas Morrison. We're supposed to be reflecting on the readings, asking ourselves questions that probe why we are committed to this mission work. So far, I've completed Chapter 1 (slow reader!) and have been trying to blog about this for some time, without any success.

Today's passage was about the mystery of God's compassion as embodied through Christ Jesus:

In Jesus, all suffering was sensed with a perfect sensitivity. The great mystery revealed to us in this is that Jesus, who is the sinless son of God, chose in total freedom to suffer fully our pains and thus to let us discover the true nature of our own passions. In him, we see and experience the persons we truly are. Jesus who is divine lives our broken humanity not as a curse (Gn 3:14-19) but as a blessing. (15)

Now that we are in this seemingly silent space before Sunday morn, I can't help but think about what it means for us to dwell on a Christ who suffers for us and with us. Not one who is a knight in shining armor, charging down the streets on a white steed, ready to save us in a grand and triumphant way, but one who suffers with us. This is a Christ who hungers with the hungry children in Uganda, thirsts with the women and children who have to carry water for miles and miles, ails with the children sickened by malaria, dies with the children dying of HIV/AIDS.

Easter Sunday has not been a mystery for us for quite some time -- at least, not like the mystery fraught with uncertainty on that one morning thousands of years ago. We know the story. We can pretend to re-enact the fear, the uncertainty, the anxiety, etc., but we all believe and know what happened. (Come now, how many of us recall that story about the empty plastic Easter egg that symbolizes the empty tomb on Easter Sunday morning?)

But for some kids in Uganda, in Africa, in Vietnam, in China, in the U.S., each morning is an uncertainty -- do they die from cold, thirst, malnutrition, sickness? Do they live to see the sunrise? Will there be another morning of light and freedom from death?

My thoughts are convoluted tonight as I write, but I'm struck by the messages about compassion in this book... Compassionate being, compassionate living.... It's not that easy. As I read the section on "Toward New Life," I wondered how many people think that for the millions who are suffering, does that mean God is not compassionate? Or, what if some folks believed that there were not enough people praying for the sick, the elderly, the weak, the dying? What are we saying about God? What are we thinking about God? Are we defining God with our limited human understanding? How dangerous it would be if we started thinking that God's compassion Being is measured and defined by who is rescued and who is not!!

"The mystery of God's love is not that our pain is taken away, but that God first wants to share that pain with us" (14). Indeed. That makes sense to me. It's not that we are unloved if we are not "saved" or "cured" or "rescued". It's not that God is not compassionate to me, to them, to us. It is about how we as the Body of Christ choose to embody Christ in the best way we can -- to be instruments of Godly compassion and vehicles through which Christ's resurrection is seen, felt, experienced, and understood.

Unraveled

I've been learning to knit, thanks to a great friend who happens to be the super mom, wife, sister, daughter and writer of the universe. I don't know why she likes to torture herself by teaching me to knit, but she apparently does. The first day that I held the yarn and sticks in hand, she showed me a very basic, simple thing, which I then went home and dutifully practiced. Several weeks passed, and today, she showed me how to do the 2nd step. Took me a while, but I finally managed to clumsily get it done several times. Then she sent me home with the balls of yarn and lots of confidence, which now in hindsight were completely unfounded, because I came home and promptly forgot everything my teacher showed me. I not only knotted up everything, I couldn't remember how to restart. The bit of yarn that I practiced with her in the cafe is now so frizzy that I can hardly recognize it as a string of yarn -- more like fuzz. So everything's unraveled except for the very first knot. Sadly, I even called her, plaintively begging for help. As she is an extremely busy person who is well-loved and needed by everyone, I feel terrible for adding to her burden. But I shamelessly blame my friend for introducing me to this wonderfully fun and challenging addiction. She will probably rue the day she said she'll teach me how to knit.

But, I'm loving it. It's one more thing that I can do in addition to origami. Instead of papering my apartment and my office with origami cranes, I'm going to actually do something that is worthwhile and useful. My mother thinks that I'll be able to knit her and my dad something for Christmas. I said, sure, Christmas 2012 they'll get their first scarves knitted by me. Maybe. If my teacher doesn't kill me first.

Drowned in a well: drought or flood?

For all of human history, people have desired to live closer to water for food and sustenance. Water is a necessity for life, yet so many people in the developming world struggle to access a clean source of this basic element. Every day, 4,000 children die from water-borne disease. Join us in creating sustainable sources of clean water for families who cannot survive without it. (- from Episcopal Relief & Development 2009 Lenten Meditations)

I have two observations, and the only correlation is water.

A few weeks ago, I saw a segment on the History Channel's program called "How the Earth was Made." The show for that day elaborated on the Marianna Trench in the Pacific Ocean, telling viewers about the majestic system of tectonic plates and magma currents. I found out that the trench is the deepest trench in the earth's oceans, and it is the place where "old crusts" go to die, to be swallowed up again underneath the ocean floors. As the crust is swallowed up slowly over time, the ocean will slowly "shrink" and over millions of years we will no longer have a Pacific Ocean. Water will be gone. The continents will shift, and Australia will be neighboring Seattle. California will no longer have a Pacific Coast. Our earth, as we know it, will change forever, and if we don't pay attention to change our ways, the earth will be destroyed faster than the human species can evolve and adapt.

Our church supports something called Youth and Child Visionary Ministries. YCVM is a local Christian effort to care for orphan children of Kumi in Eastern Uganda. Months ago, we found out that the project to build a well was successful, but tragedy struck soon after the project was completed. A child drowned in the well.

During Lent, as we reflect on water and the suffering of no water or too much water, I'm reminded that in the beginning of Creation, "God made the expanse and separated the waters which were below the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse" (Gen 1:7). With our God given knowledge, we have pushed in the dark expanse of the universe, and we have delved deep into the ocean waters. We've peered into the nucleus of the atom and we've replicated DNA. We humans have boldly crossed boundaries and borders of different kinds; we have systematically chipped away at the good separation of earth and skies; we have failed at our duty to be good stewards of this earth and this heaven. We've crossed boundaries in exciting and dangerous ways, pushing us farther and farther away from our responsibilities, and we do so sometimes with carelessness, sometimes with respectful awe. Are we ready to face the consequences of our careless destruction of God's creations? Have we forgotten what we were entrusted with? Emboldened with the knowledge to harness the powers of the earth, the skies, the waters, we must take seriously our responsibility in using that knowledge. If we build a well, we must never forget its life-giving and life-taking powers.

Do You Believe in Lazarus?

Do you believe in Lazarus? Do you believe a dead man can be resurrected?


Does it matter?


It might.


That was one of the refrains that I heard while watching Marilyn Campbell's and Curt Columbus's adaptation of Dostoevsky's novel Crime and Punishment at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre.

In this season of Lent and while looking toward Easter, it's not surprising that I tuned into that refrain. As I sat in the theater listening to Raskolnikov arguing with his conscience, watching as he struggled in every way possible with his soul -- tipping so precariously on the cusp of redemption -- I was reminded of who we are as a people, as a global community guilty of the slow death of the planet, death of the people on this planet, death of the trees and birds and all other creatures inhabiting this earth. Do we believe that we can be redeemed and rise again? Or perhaps, can we redeem ourselves and help the earth to "rise again"?

There's no ambiguity about our guilt, our culpability, in the earth's slow destruction. We've had a hand in destroying the planet. Not only have we had a hand in it, we've thrown our full force behind it -- not ust individuals but also (or more so) whole corporations and companies ganging up on the poor planet. We've perfected the art of killing. In fact, we are doing it now with little effort. We may not have killed a pawnbroker like Roskolnikov did, but we've taken an ax to the forests, oceans, mountains, valleys, icebergs, plains, etc.

And I'm not sure that we are doing all these things in pursuit of a higher purpose. Are we?

If we believe that something dead can be brought back to life, if we have faith in the power of resurrection, if we trust in the resurrecting power of Community, then we can change what is happening now and reverse the negative effects on the environment. Take a look at the different groups that are now populating the internet to provide us information and suggestions on how to live green. Take a look at the churches and different faith communities that are taking action in hopes of reviving, regenerating the earth. Take a look at the countries that are taking part in the global effort to heal the world and build a better place to live. (I can link you to some samples, but what if you went in search of them yourself? Make an educational experience out of it for your kids, even. But, if you need recommendations, let me know in the Comments section. Or, if you'd like, recommend some sites for other readers to research and explore. If in CA, I do suggest that you check this out, though.)

If you believe in Lazarus, and if you believe that life can be brought back, you can make a big difference because the planet is not yet dead. We have much hope. Struggle with your conscience, but also start by turning off running water when washing hands, or changing the lightbulb on your lamp. Carpool, bike, or walk. If you must drive, drive a hybrid. Start composting. Write to your congressional leaders urging them to pass bills that support green energy. Invest in companies that care about sustainable development. Talk to your children about being green. Join an advocacy group. Donate some money. Plant a tree. There's so much to do...

God, help our unbelief...

Row Row Row Your Boat

Nobody preaches about how hard it is to stay in the boat. There is a raging storm, the boat's probably about to capsize, there are no lights, and yet attention is always focused on the guy who abandoned ship. Why is that? Why does no one preach about how hard it is to try and stay afloat?

Yesterday, we heard a(nother) sermon based on the passage in Matthew 14 (vv.22-36) about Peter walking on water. We've all heard these sermons. Regardless of how well the homilist preaches, the majority of the sermons that I've heard focus on one of several things: Peter's great big faith that allowed him to leap out of the boat; Peter's tragic weakness and lack of faith in the face of a surging storm; Peter's ardent desire to be like Jesus; Peter's vanity in wanting to be like Jesus; Peter's faith restored; Peter willing to take risks; etc, etc etc. Whatever the homily, whatever the occasion, whatever the context, sermons that I've heard about this passage often focus on the narrative, the dramatic, the suspense. Even Children's Time talks often focus on the magical image of Peter walking on the surface (not even ankle deep, mind you!)...

So given that we're talking about the Sea of Galilee, the scale is like 100:1, but I want to imagine a bit here...

What happens when we are trapped in the middle of a large body of water, tossed about by raging winds, the boat flooded with salt water, boat-mates frozen in fear (or scared out of their wits with frenzy, fear), and the guy who always wanted to be in charge has suddenly abandoned ship by jumping overboard? Might we paddle a bit harder? Might we lunge after sails and ropes, try and secure our safety, strap ourselves to some planks, some barrels, maybe some railing? And if it be a little baby of a boat, wouldn't we be even more scared at the prospect of capsizing? Would the seemingly imminent death by drowning force us to cast about for some sort of rescuing device? If that little boat is about to overturn, would we be frantic about staying firmly planted, using those wooden buckets to prevent the boat from taking on water? Do we sit still and pray?

The more I hear this more, the less impressed I become with Peter's great faith. I don't doubt the strength or degree of faith that is necessary for him to lunge into the waters. I want to shift the camera just slight and pan the lens toward the people back in the little boat. Imagine the camera zooming in to see their faces, their concentrated eyes and scared faces. Sometimes, it is much harder to stay on board that it is to simply jump overboard. Sometimes, the people trying to keep the boat afloat often end up workig the hardest.

In my opinion, a lot of courage is needed to continue working and treading water when you feel abandoned, confused, lost, as if God was not present at all. It's one thing for Peter to head toward Jesus, to turn his faith toward God, but he did so at great risk -- one could even imagine at the cost of abandoning his friends and companions. How much harder it must be to row an entire group toward Christ, to steer the boat in the direction of hope, faith, and security!

At our church in Chinatown, how many of us feel like we want to jump overboard to head to some safer place, some better shelter away from the winds? How many of us want to find a church that is not decaying or retrogressing? How many of us want to flock to some megachurch with preplanned services, ready-made spiritual formation programs, or 95% full church pews that don't require us to do any work other than to show up on Sunday mornings or during Lent and Christmas? Wouldn't that make things easier? Why work so hard to waste our energy by staying behind to build up a faith community? Why save a dying church? Why not join another?

In our workplaces -- at CDSP even -- how many of us want to find alternate employment to help us out of our terrible economic rut? How many want to find some other organization with a different mission statement and differing views to work with and work for? How many of us want to jump ship to another office in another city in another state? How many other workplaces can we find, how many other institutions can we buy into without having to work overtime to help an academic institution with a rapidly decreasing donor base and a slowly growing (if not static) enrollment count? Why not jump overboard and join another institution?

And, how many of us want to escape to another country? I'll be honest and admit that during the presidential election, I spoke candidly to a friend about the possibility of moving out of the country, perhaps to travel or to work or study abroad, to escape at all cost if my candidate of choice did not win the presidential election. I considered becoming an expat; the prospect of abandoning ship was not so terrible but grew even more enticing when a certain candidate decided to name a female running mate whose politics and demeanor I disagreed with. The situation seemed bleak, and I was ready to jump in with any other country if any would have this American. I practically climbed over the side of the "American ship" to make my plunge b/c surely trying to walk on water was better than staying onboard.

Finally, how many of us want to escape off this planet? Clean, renewable energy seems so fantastical; the water's polluted and clean water is being depleted per every shower I take in the mornings; the trees are being cleared faster than I can count the number of pages I print from my personal printer; the climate is warming up at alarming rates, the ice is melting, the animals are dying. Poverty, hunger, sickness, death... all that should make us want to jump ship twice over.

Truth is, we can talk about moon colonies and Mars colonies, but there is only one planet Earth. At least in my lifetime and probably that of my children, I won't be able to abandon this planetary ship. We are stuck here and we are stuck good. We'll need to paddle harder, faster, smarter, and more creatively. We'll need to stick together, with no one going rogue. It's not easy to turn things around, not easy to overturn a boat that's 2/3 capsized, but it's not impossible if we do it together.

Consider the efforts of the United Nations and the Millennium Development Goals, consider the Heifer project, and consider the ONE Campaign. These are strong examples of people huddling together in that figurative boat trying to stay alive. If we imagine the earth as a massive ark in which we all have to contribute to keep afloat, we'll see the connectness of Creation. Sometimes a body (or nation) needs to be pushed just a bit harder (ahem, the U.S. only contributes 0.16% when every other nation promised to contribute 0.7% of the GDP to developing nations).

We need to make the (sometimes) harder choice of staying in the boat, of being chastised as being weak and poor in faith. And perhaps that's what we need to wake us up to the fact that we
all carry the responsibility to live well because we are a part of Creation -- to be good and faithful albeit scared stewards, we each need to stay firmly grounded.

One thing I forgot to mention? While Peter's jumped overboard and these guys were struggling in/with the boat, Jesus is headed in their direction. They were never far from the grace, peace, love, and calmness that they needed. We, too, are never far from the Peace and Love that we need in order to live through something so terrifyingly uncertain. We need to make a commitment now. Abandon ship, or stay onboard and row row row your boat.

Goats don't fit in paper arks

As you have probably already read, I've been trying to fill up my Noah's Ark. Last Saturday, we were asked to think about Goats. Since I was born in the year of the Goat and I'm pretty goatish in nature, I decided to add a bit extra in the ark. You can do the same! Visit here if you are interested in giving a goat (for $120), or sharing in giving a goat ($10).

Goats Are Great for Families

The gift of a dairy goat represents a lasting, meaningful way for you to help a little boy or girl on the other side of the world.

Goats can thrive in extreme climates and on poor, dry land by eating grass and leaves. The gift of a dairy goat can supply a family with up to several quarts of nutritious milk a day - a ton of milk a year. Extra milk can be sold or used to make cheese, butter or yogurt. Families learn to use goat manure to fertilize gardens.

Goats often have two or three kids a year making it easy for Heifer recipients to pass on the gift of a goat to another family in need. This great investment allows our partners to lift themselves out of poverty by starting small dairies that earn money for food, health care and education.

You can also view the Gift Catalog to find the right gift fit for your pocket. There's a wonderfully cute picture of a llama and a flock of chicks, too!

Fill up the ark: Week 2

OK, here we are with suggestions for week 2 of the Heifer International Project, An Ark for Today's World.

Week 2
"The earth is the Lord's and all that is in it, the world, and all who live in it." - Psalm 24:1

Sunday: Protecting Nature
Heifer International stresses the need to protect our planet. We strongly support "buffer zones" around rain forests and other tropical areas; our programs teach farmers to raise animals and grow trees and grasses. This training helps ensure that people do not disturb the protected forests, home to precious water supplies and many endangered species. Add your own ark contribution today.

Monday: Bulls
Ecologically-sound farming practices are being taught in the U.S., where families are enjoying thenutritiona and economic benefits of heifers and bulls. Seeing eye-to-eye? Add a nickel for every argument you've had this week.

Tuesday: Rabbits
Rabbits are a good choice for families with small amounts of land. Rabbits can live in small, confined areas and eat available grass. And they can be moved in a basket if necessary. What's up doc? Give a nickel for each carrot in your refrigerator.

Wednesday: Fish
In the Phillippines, fresh fish were scarce but there was plenty of water. AFter receiving fish fingerlings supplied by Heifer, women built a pond and filled it with tilapia fish. Now everyone is eating well and all share inthe fishy harvest. Are you a swimmer? Add 20 cents if you can swim. Add 25 cents if you can't.

Thursday: Fertilizer
Purely organic, manure improves the soil and can dramatically inrease a family's garden production. Compost made from manure holds moisture and prevents erosion. Do you compost? Add 10 cents if you do; 25 cents if you don't.

Friday: Bison
Enormous herds of bison once roamed the plains of North America. Today, many farmers keep domesticated bison, alson known as buffalo, for their high-quality, tasty meat. Have you ever eaten a buffalo burger? If so, give 15 cents. If not, give 10 cents.

Saturday: Guinea Pig
In Bolivia, guinea pigs provide an easy-to-manage protein source and a source of income. This animal is enabling many families to become self-supporting in this South American nation. Animals are valued in every land. Add 25 cents for every pet you have. If you only have stuffed animals, add 10 cents for every animal.

Fill up the ark... Yay!!!

Fill Up the Ark: Week 1

Participating in the Ark project means that each day we fill the paper ark with the goal of expressing God's love and grace to others. The giving calendar that Heifer Int'l gave to us in addition to the paper ark includes daily suggestions for how to fill it up (of course, we can put in as much as we want!). The first week comes to a close soon, but just so you can see some of the hilarious ideas, here they are:

Week 1
"They, and every wild animal of every kind, and all domestic animals of every kind, and every creeping thing that creep upon the earth... They went into the ark with Noah. " Genesis 7:14-15

Sunday: The Gift of Hope
The most important gift people receive from Heifer Int'l is one they can't see, feel, or smell. It's the gift of hope. Because of your donation, lies can be restored. Families can become self-supporting again. And they can share their hope with others by "passing on the gift." Hope is contagious, and it starts with your gift. Add your own ark contribution today.

Monday: Bees
Heifer gives beehives to families in Kenya. Honey and wax from the hives provide income and an be used for medicine. Where's the honey jar? Add 25 cents for every jar of honey in your kitchen. (I used to have 1 jar so I put in 25 cents, plus 50 cents for not using it all before throwing it away in the move ove the summer.)

Tuesday: Dairy Cows
To increase nutrition levels and family income through milk and butter sales, 60 Ukrainian families received 30 pregnant heifers. Got milk? Add 15 cents if you have chocolate milk in your refrigerator, 20 cents if white milk. (I have soy milk, so 30 cents!)

Wednesday: Hay
After Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in 2005, even farmers living 100 miles inland suffered storm damage. High winds ripped away barn roofs, exposing the cattle fed inside to rain. Much of the feed was ruined. Heifer stepped in to help provide fed to get these farmers' animals through the winter. What do you hear? Give 10 cents for every time you yell "Hey Mom" today. Give 25 cents every time she yells back. (10 cents for every hour of tv I watch this evening!)

Thursday: Chickens
Kentucky families who make less than $6,000 a year benefit from added income from dairy and beef cattle, dairy goats and chickens for egg and food production. What's in the fridge? Add 5 cents for every egg you find in your refrigerator, or 50 cents for every dozen. (I had no eggs in our fridge, so I put in 5o cents for one jar of butter and one jar of creme fraiche.)

Friday: Vegetables
By growing vegetable gardens, youths living amid violence and poverty are being taught valuable entrepreneurial skills while contributing to household income. Does ketchup count? For every different kind of vegetable in your refrigerator, add 5 cents.

Saturday: Goat
Humans have relied on goats for their milk, meat, hair and skin for thousands of years. Because goats are friendly and affectionate, caring for them is often considered a good chore for children. Do you like cheese made from goat milk? If so, give 15 cents. If not, give 20 cents.

Fill up the ark... Yay!!!

An Ark for Today's World

Last Sunday, our pastor preached on the covenant of the rainbow based on the story of Noah and his ark (Genesis 6-9). As I sat listening to reminders of promises of God's faithfulness and grace in saving the people of the world, I thought about different kinds of floods that threaten to destroy our earth. Poverty. Hunger. HIV/AIDS. Environmental degradation. As a people of faith, we are called to live out a different kind of faithfulness, I think. It's about our call to share our resources -- bread, nets, clothing, housing, etc. -- and in embodying Christian stewardship, we are bringing the Good News of Christ to all peoples.

For the 2009 Lenten season, my church is participating in the Heifer International project for congregations: An Ark for Today's World.

People of faith can work together to provide the earth's poor and humble people who are close to God's heart with the means of a livelihood. Heifer animals -- llamas in Ecuador, pigs in Cameroon, water buffalo in Thailand, chickens in Mississippi -- offer ongoing sources of milk, meat, or eggs. They suppl fertilizer and draft power that enrich the environment, not deplete it.

In partnership with congregations, Heifer International is an art of refuge for hungry families. Heifer puts faith into action with its time-proven principle of "passing on the gift." Every family who receives livestock agrees to pass on one or more of its animal's offspring, or the equivalent, to another neighbor in need. Project partners pass on new ways of animal husbandry and land management, too -- a rainbow of hope for the whole community.

I am pleased that our very small congregation is willing to take on this project to challenge ourselves. With this project, we take concrete action to bring real solutions to the families in need. We can think about protecting the environment and also help educate as well as empower.

Each faily in the congregation is given a paper ark where we can collect money. The arks are small but the gifts they bring are too big to even estimate.

As it was with Noah, the ark is about hope, about a new beginning. For Heifer families, animals can provide:

• food for the children like milk, eggs or meat
• income for housing, health care, school fees and other needs
• motivation to plant trees and grasses and make other environmental improvements
• a catalyst for community development

In 2008, over 140,000 families were helped by Heifer International's "values-based community development model that includes gifts of animals and training and 'passing on the gift'." I hope that what we do for Lent this year will help other families in the same way.

And, look @ what we might end up giving:

• Chicks
• Cows
• Fish
• Goats
• Llamas
• Pigs
• A Trio of rabbits
• Sheep
• Water buffalo
• Package of Seedlings
• The Gift Ark: a boatload of $5000 that represents pigs, camels, water buffalo, guinea pigs, trios of ducks, flocks of chicks, oxen, cows, rabbits, donkeys, beehives, sheep, llamas, flocks of geese and goat

We began on Sunday, and will continue for four weeks. Let the fun continue... Yay!!!!

Connectional Living

Message to the People of The United Methodist Church
from the President of the Council of Bishops,
Chair of the Table of General Secretaries,
and the Chair of the Connectional Table


The global financial crisis is bringing hardship and suffering to people in every part of the world. For those in wealthy nations, it causes anxiety and uncertainty about declining pension accounts and the threat of lost jobs. Others are coping with unemployment and foreclosed mortgages. And for still others who live in places with scarce resources or exist in conditions of poverty, it means empty stomachs, lack of care for urgent health needs, and no prospects to earn a day's bread.
The International Labor Organization projects a loss of 50 million jobs globally by the end of 2009. The World Bank warns that an additional 53 million people will fall into poverty (living on less than $2 per day) and that 200,000 to 400,000 more children will die by 2015 if the crisis persists.

Local congregations, annual conferences, and the general agencies likewise face economic constraints, requiring them to reassess how they carry out ministry and to seek greater effectiveness and economies while keeping focused on loving God and neighbor.
In addition, the crisis is generating increasing global unrest and violence, creating even more misery and an insecure world. It is a prophetic reminder that our destiny as a worldwide community and a global church is interwoven with complex bonds of prosperity, security, dignity, and justice. We are no more secure than the most vulnerable among us; no more prosperous than the poorest; and no more assured of justice and dignity than those who live in the shadows of power, void of fairness and equity. We reclaim anew Jesus' teaching, “as you [cared for] the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me” (Matt 25:40), as an urgent appeal for how we can live today.

At all times, but especially in fearful and dangerous days, we followers of Jesus are called to live in hope and in the assurance that God is present with us. Facing hard times, the Apostle Paul asked: “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? . . . No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:35 and 37, 39).

To the Israelites, having lost everything and living in exile, God offered assurance: “Do not fear , for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you” (Is. 41:10). The psalmists are similarly convinced: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear” (Ps. 46:1, 2).

With this firm assurance that the whole of creation lives within the embrace of a loving God, we are confident that the Four Areas of Focus for the mission and ministry of the people of The United Methodist Church affirmed by General Conference 2008 are among the most important ways we faithfully bear witness to the Gospel. We urgently need principled Christian leaders for the church and the world. People searching for meaning are seeking new places of welcome and hospitality for worship, prayer, and spiritual growth. It is abundantly evident that United Methodists must engage in ministry with the poor and tackle the diseases of poverty that rob people of the fullness of life, health, and wholeness.

As we enter into the season of Lent we are called to reflection, repentance, and sacrificial living. Lent is a time of preparation when we look beyond human frailty and the brokenness of the world to resurrection, hope, and new life. We are reminded that our faith does not rise and fall with the financial markets but resides in the enduring love of God who is present with us as we struggle and strive to love God and our neighbors. This Lent can be a time when we recommit to practice every day the Wesleyan values to do no harm, do good and stay in love with God.
A church-wide conversation is asking that we envision ways to reinvigorate our outreach to a hurting world and offer hospitality to those seeking deeper spiritual understanding. Local congregations are engaging in self-examination to “Rethink Church” and strengthen their outreach beyond the doors of the church buildings. Annual Conferences are working to ensure the human rights of the poor, to address the diseases of poverty, and to offer direct intervention to relieve human needs arising from poverty, including those of women and children in local communities and of persons who lack opportunity for artistic expression.

The general agencies of the church are finding ways together to achieve economies and assure greater effectiveness in support of annual conferences and local churches. Information on the Four Areas of Focus can be found by contacting the general agencies of the church directly and at www.umc.org/focusareas.

“You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Lev. 19:18) calls for individual and corporate responsibility. John Wesley wrote, “The gospel of Christ knows of no religion, but social. No holiness but social holiness. Faith working by love is the length and breadth and depth and height of Christian perfection” (Hymns and Sacred Poems, 1739, ¶ 5).

As we pray and reflect this Lenten season, may we embrace life with hope, expectancy, and the assurance that God through Christ Jesus is calling us to prepare our hearts, minds, and hands to work for the New Creation. And may we nurture and care for one another and for those to whom we are inextricably connected by God’s grace around the world.

With expectancy and hope,
Bishop Gregory Palmer
Neil Alexander
Bishop John Hopkins

Corporate Prayer for Ash Wednesday

For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. (Psalms 51:3, NRSV)

O, God, when we pause to look back at our lives on this Ash Wednesday, we realize that we have been weighed in the balance and found wanting.

We have neglected to do good when it was in our power to do so.

We, like believers of old, have pulled down your altarsand erected idols crafted in our own image.
We have turned our backs on the poor, choosing instead to criminalize poverty.

We have ignored the cries of the motherless, the fatherless,the widow and the widowerchoosing instead to turn children and the elderly into the new poor.

We have bankrupted the country with our greed andconsumed more than our share of the world's riches

We have not dealt honorably with our enemies or our friends, and we have feigned a place in the company of the righteous.

Forgive us, O God, for turning sackcloth and ashes into a fashion statementby pursuing form without substance.

Forgive us, O God, for the times we have neglected to provide our childrenand our world an authentic example of Christianity.

As we begin the journey of these 40 days
Wash us, O God and we shall be clean
Cleanse us, O Lord, and we shall be made whole. Amen.

(Silence)

Words of assurance: Hear the Good News. The LORD, our God, is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love (Joel 2:13). God hears the earnest cries of the repentant and forgives our sins.

A Corporate Call to Confession for Ash Wednesday, Year B Copyright © 2009 General Board of Discipleship. All Rights Reserved. Posted on the General Board of Discipleship Worship website: www.umcworship.org. About the Author: The Rev. Dr. Safiyah Fosua serves as the Director of Invitational Preaching Ministries at the General Board of Discipleship in Nashville, TN, and is a clergy member of the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference. Safiyah is the associate editor of The Africana Worship Book series, the author of several books and writes Preaching Helps for the General Board of Discipleship's Worship Website, www.umcpreaching.org.

Ash Wednesday & artistic Lent

Ash Wednesday again. Tomorrow begins the season of Lent. What does this mean for those of us who are observers of Lent? Some will undoubtedly engage in the competition to "give up" something for Lent. Some will "take up something" in resistance to the tradition of giving up something. Some will look at the "givers" and the "takers" with much amusement and wonder how any of that will help in our spiritual journey.

For the 2009 Lenten season, the Lenten Meditations created by Episcopal Relief & Development will focus on the Millennium Development Goals Inspiration Fund, which focuses on three of the MDGs (goals 4, 5, and 6). "Lent offers us the opportunity to reflect on our lives, our neighbors and our world." Indeed, as we each think about our own lives, our own families, and our own faith communities, we must also remember to think about and pray for and take action with our neighbors in need.

Short version of the MDGs:
1) Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
2) Achieve universal primary education for children
3) Promote gender equality and empower women
4) Reduce child mortality
5) Improve maternal health
6) Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
7) Ensure environmental sustainability
8) Create a global partnership for development

In 2000, the international community developed the MDGs to halve the number of people living in extreme poverty by the year 2015. We are in year 2009, and very far from reaching our goals. For this Lent, I can give up all the chocolate in the world and it wouldn't make that much of a difference to the people around me, unless the money I would have spent on chocolate is put to some good use (e.g. contributed to a fund or program or organization like Episcopal Relief & Development to help buy insecticide-treated nets to prevent malaria).

A good friend has invited me to join her in an artistic observance of Lent. For the 40 days of the season (excluding Sundays), we are invited to create/develop/build a small art or writing project -- whatever inspires us and revitalizes our creativity. Since I haven't done anything artsy for a long while, I'm tempted to accept her invitation, with a bit of a twist, actually. I'm going to focus the art on the MDGs. Let's see where the Spirit takes us during this season!!

"Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing." - Luke 10:41

"He saw the heavens torn apart"

As I was pondering about this week's lectionary and the painting below by He Qi, I wanted to blog about the words "torn apart" in Mark 1:10, mostly because I don't always envision the scene as this painting depicts it: a holy ray of light shining down on Jesus's head with the Spirit descending like a dove. I wanted to say that sometimes, I think about the ragged edges that are "torn" -- not something that can be seamlessly sewn together after being ripped asunder. I wanted to say that even if the heavens were torn, the scene probably wasn't as beautiful and peaceful as we often imagine it to be. I wanted to talk about so much more. But then I found this incredible sermon by the Rev. Dr. Barbara K. Lundblad, who articulated everything I wanted to say, and much, much more.

Here is a small excerpt:

But the torn place is where God comes through, the place that never again closes as neatly as before. From the day he saw the heavens torn apart, Jesus began tearing apart the pictures of whom Messiah was supposed to be--

Tearing apart the social fabric that separated rich from poor.
Breaking through hardness of heart to bring forth compassion.
Breaking through rituals that had grown rigid or routine.
Tearing apart the chains that bound some in the demon's power.
Tearing apart the notions of what it means to be God's Beloved Son.

Nothing would ever be the same, for the heavens would never again close so tightly.

Does that not blow you away? Read it here. Dr. Lundblad is Associate Professor of Preaching at Union Theological Seminary in New York, and is ordained in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America.



In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased." - Mark 1:9-11

the artist He Qi

The above painting of the Baptism of Jesus is by the artist He Qi. His art is the mastery of traditional Chinese folk art with Western modern art. If you visit his gallery, you can see paintings rendering biblical passages with images from Chinese culture and tradition. In the example below, the Adoration of the Magi, you can see the wisemen being dressed in the garb and makeup of traditional Chinese opera. Asian Christian art -- I see it more and more as our awareness expands about the rich diversity of the gospel. How refreshing to not always see a Jesus with blond hair and blue eyes.

a Case of the Middle Child Syndrome?

There are days when nothing - or few things - go right. You missed an important phone call. You forgot an important note for the office. The wrong people were consulted for a project. The right ideas come a little too late, and the wrong ideas are blurted out too soon. The words you choose aren't perfect -- in fact they're absolutely the worse words in the English vocabulary to utter at this particular meeting. The people you meet -- try as you might, you can't seem to get on their good side. They turn their bodies away from you in a conversation and look the other way -- body language that effectively silences any hope of reconciliation, introduction, familiarizing. They appear onery, but only to you, because everyone else finds them cheerful, kind, generous. You, however, are dismissed like insignificant children not spoken to at the dinner table. The phone call you expect never comes. Who knows if the text message you sent was received. Everything - nothig - is out of sync.

All this was my day. My ordinary, extraordinary day. And it was my friend's super birthday, too.

Did John the Baptist feel something akin to this lack of synchronicity? He was neither the first (not a prophet, he says, not a prophet!) nor the One to come. Sadly, his was the voice crying in the desert. Neither the one with the elder-child responsibilities, nor the favored. Neither the first, unique voice, nor the final, lasting impression. Stuck in the middle.

How frustrating it must have been! Continuously striving to distinguish yourself, to get it done right, to get your point across. Not the smartest, nor the sweetest. Not the prettiest or the most desired, longed for. Something in between. Something to "tie things over". A bridge, but not really a bridge -- merely a disembodied voice crying in the wasteland.

What does it mean to be stuck in the middle? I'm not so sure how this connects, but I think of what's happening all over the globe. The earth is dying a slow, torturous death -- decay, destruction, pollution. Here we are in the middle talking about what we've inherited and bemoaning what we're leaving behind (or not leaving behind). Again, it's like we're a people stuck in the middle. Not the Adams or Eves of the beginning when the earth was rich and plentiful. And not the children who will inherit an earth transformed by Christ's second coming. We're the ones in the midst of the death and decay b/c we can't figure out our problems or live out our solutions.

And look at what's happening with the economy. We're neither the banks nor are we the automotive companies, but boy are we steeped in the middle of it. Right up to our elbows and eyeballs. We're not the ones who caused "it" but we surely are in the midst of "it" whatever you want "it" to be. We're not gonna fix it, but we definitely are living "it".

I'm falling into generalities now, so let's bring it back to NOW. Advent. This Sunday is the fourth Sunday in Advent. We are in Advent. Stuck in the middle of anticipation and waiting. We're wallowing in all its ugly glory. The frustrating mystery, the throat-clenching unknowing. The waiting, the waiting... the waiting. For something to happen. For someone to come. For some.

Remember this?

Be still and know that I am God.

Be still and know that I am.

Be still and know.

Be still.

Be.

Be

Are you planting another tree to replace the one you chopped down?

Our upstairs neighbors have already purchased their freshly cut Christmas tree. Soon they'll be stringing popcorn and other organic ornaments. They'll have lights and maybe even fake snow and possibly the little Christmas time trains that circle the base of the tree.

I envy the fresh smell of pine, the sticky sap, the needles falling everywhere, the bushy arms sticking out everywhere stealing space that we don't have in the living room. But today is only the 2nd day of December. Isn't it too early for Christmas trees? It's hardly Advent -- how can we already be decorating? Do I put out the ornaments and the bells and reindeers and stockings? Do I string up the lights? (And what does all that mean when I will most likely be spending Christmas with the parents in snow country? Is it worth doing it here in our own little apartment?)

Where do you make room for a plastic Christmas tree pre-decked with flashing lights? Next to the Charlie Brown Christmas Tree purchased from Urban Outfitters? In the middle of the room surrounded by books and unnecessary furniture? Out in the back yard facing the blinking lights of the city sprawled below? Opposite the little phalaenopsis orchid that has lost is yellow blooms?

What if, for this year, we didn't put up anything...?

Get @ HAT through The Rumor

On Saturday, instead of doing the 10 things on my TO DO list, which all have similar impending deadlines, I decided to upgrade my Sprint phone. Needless to say, it is an extravagance. Was my other phone working properly? Yes. Did I recently drop it? No. Was it malfunctioning? No. Was it possible for the one or two friends that I have remaining still contact me through said hand-held device? Yes. Could I have used the said mobile device for another 2 years without having any technical problems. Yes. Would I have saved $50 bucks if I'd just kept the old one? Yes.

Nevertheless, I had to do it. The ridiculous retail price is $279.99. What with the instant savings that I qualified for (being the faithful, loyal 2-year customer that I am), and the mail-in rebate, I paid $108. Which isn't bad, considering I didn't need the silly phone. It just looks great. GPS. Bluetooth. Video. Camera. Music. And the pretense of me being "cool." (I'm vaguely aware that by my saying so, any chance of me being cool just flew out the window. Bear with me please.) It's black (but comes in white as well), and slides out sideways to reveal and Qwerty keyboard. Small enough to fit into the palm of my hands, it features a 1.3 megapixel camera and a videocamera, and supposedly also plays music. I have no idea, b/c I haven't the faintest idea the full capacity of this wonderful device. I am now married to my phone, with the single exception of taking it into the bathroom.

Tempted as I am to blame it on the disembodied "evil voice" that persuaded me to purchase The Rumor, I need to take full responsibility for the decision to buy this phone (which I've not had a chance to use except to call my parents, and, Paco). I am the only person to blame for it existing in my world as of Saturday. I have no one to blame or thank. Naturally.

So, this morning, the homily was directed right at me, and The Rumor. As we pass through the first Sunday in Lent, I am reminded that the One much greater than I was able to give up so much in order to attain the Bread of Life, and here I am clutching my Rumor. Not donating to charity (done last week -- does that count?). Not caring for the elderly. Not feeding the hungry. Not clothing the poor. This, sadly, then, was my very first act of Lent -- to shamelessly, heedlessly, ridiculously, unreservedly buy a brand new product of which I have no need.

Help me, Lord, but I do still love it.