Where have your feet taken you?
Look back on your life – think of all the places you’ve lived, worked, played, visited, cried, sang, danced… Where have your feet taken you?
This past week my feet took me to San Francisco, CA. It is a part of the country I had not seen, smelled, or experienced before. I got to breathe in the rich smell of the redwood forest, the creatively made wines and admittedly the stench of the sea lions. I got to see the beauty of the vineyards, redwoods, Pacific Ocean, and the hilly city.
Each of these new experiences made me realize how much I have yet to see in this world. I have traveled quite a bit in my life, but there is still so much more to experience. God created a world so rich how can we not want to experience it all?
It is easy to want to experience the world around us. Yet, it can be difficult for us to experience God. I mean how do we experience a supreme being – not of earthly laws – who loves us even when we don’t love. Who longs for our devotion when we’re busy worshiping the things God has created instead of God.
Our feet may take us many beautiful places here on earth. However, the most precious place they can take us is a little disturbing – it’s not a place we would expect. The most precious place is when our feet stand at the foot of the cross. It is in this unexpected place that we can experience God.
It is natural to expect a supreme being – not of earthly laws – to be sitting in that high glorious throne waving a judging gavel at us. Yet, at the foot of the cross we see a God who suffers so we don’t have to suffer. A God who is not high on a throne but a God who is willing to go to the most vulnerable of places so we can know how much we are loved.
Where have your feet taken you?
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Selfishness and Seinfeld
By Johanna Johnson
[The man said], “I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” 20But God said to him, “You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?” 21So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich towards God.’ (Luke 12:18-21)
My family and I are big Seinfeld fans. For those of you who don’t know, Seinfeld is a show starring the comedian Jerry Seinfeld, and the premise of the show is: nothing. It is a show about nothing. But what it becomes is a show about four extremely selfish people trying to lead “normal” lives in New York City. Their constant concern only for themselves and their needs is comical, and gets them into ridiculous situations, which they attempt to solve with yet more selfish antics. It’s hilarious, because it reflects some of the worst qualities we see in people from day to day, qualities we hope we don’t have, or at least, that no one will see in us.
I think of Seinfeld when I read this text from Luke, about a man who rejoices in his abundance by selfishly hoarding it away. He could have fed the hungry with that surplus, or even invited people to his home for a party. At the very least, he could have thanked God for it – nowhere in the text is any thanksgiving offered, but rather, he pats himself on the back. In one episode of Seinfeld, one of the character’s parents realize that they have a fortune in the bank that they have never spent. So they buy a condo in Florida, where the cost of living is higher than Queens, NY, so they can burn through the money as quickly as possible. This is somewhat the opposite of the man from the story, in that rather than hoarding it away for no one to see, they flaunt the money by burning through it quickly. Their approach, however, is no less selfish.
What is the best way to respond to abundance? In Thanksgiving! And what is thanksgiving? I’d like to think of the word less as “thanksgiving,” and more as “thanks, giving.” Certainly, offering joyful thanks and praise to the God who provides is warranted. But let us not forget about the second part of the word – the “giving” part. God has blessed us in so many ways. What can you give? Surely from a God whose very identity is one of abundance, any given person has more gifts than one person can use alone. Hoarding them away doesn’t help anyone. Sow the seeds of God’s gifts so that they may grow and reach more abundance in more people. In the words of a song my mom sings with her kindergarten students, “Love is like a magic penny: hold it tight, you won’t have any. Lend it, spend it, you’ll have so many!”
[The man said], “I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” 20But God said to him, “You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?” 21So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich towards God.’ (Luke 12:18-21)
My family and I are big Seinfeld fans. For those of you who don’t know, Seinfeld is a show starring the comedian Jerry Seinfeld, and the premise of the show is: nothing. It is a show about nothing. But what it becomes is a show about four extremely selfish people trying to lead “normal” lives in New York City. Their constant concern only for themselves and their needs is comical, and gets them into ridiculous situations, which they attempt to solve with yet more selfish antics. It’s hilarious, because it reflects some of the worst qualities we see in people from day to day, qualities we hope we don’t have, or at least, that no one will see in us.
I think of Seinfeld when I read this text from Luke, about a man who rejoices in his abundance by selfishly hoarding it away. He could have fed the hungry with that surplus, or even invited people to his home for a party. At the very least, he could have thanked God for it – nowhere in the text is any thanksgiving offered, but rather, he pats himself on the back. In one episode of Seinfeld, one of the character’s parents realize that they have a fortune in the bank that they have never spent. So they buy a condo in Florida, where the cost of living is higher than Queens, NY, so they can burn through the money as quickly as possible. This is somewhat the opposite of the man from the story, in that rather than hoarding it away for no one to see, they flaunt the money by burning through it quickly. Their approach, however, is no less selfish.
What is the best way to respond to abundance? In Thanksgiving! And what is thanksgiving? I’d like to think of the word less as “thanksgiving,” and more as “thanks, giving.” Certainly, offering joyful thanks and praise to the God who provides is warranted. But let us not forget about the second part of the word – the “giving” part. God has blessed us in so many ways. What can you give? Surely from a God whose very identity is one of abundance, any given person has more gifts than one person can use alone. Hoarding them away doesn’t help anyone. Sow the seeds of God’s gifts so that they may grow and reach more abundance in more people. In the words of a song my mom sings with her kindergarten students, “Love is like a magic penny: hold it tight, you won’t have any. Lend it, spend it, you’ll have so many!”
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Spiritual Snorkeling
by Johanna Johnson
Matthew 16.25: "For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it."
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about salt. This started especially on a recent trip I took to the Florida Keys (my first!), on which my boyfriend and I went snorkeling. I was really looking forward to diving down deep and seeing this beautiful and mysterious world right up close. He instructed me how to do this: take a breath, and then keep some of the air for when I come back up, so I could get a good strong blow through the snorkel to get the water out. Gearing myself up, I took my breath and broke the surface. It was as beautiful as I’d hoped… for about 8 seconds, when I suddenly realized I had gone quite a few feet below and now feared I wouldn’t get back. In my surprise, I blew out all my air and scurried frantically to the surface, now with no more air to blow through the snorkel. I spit out my snorkel, coughing and gagging at the extremely salty taste now in my mouth. I floated there for a few moments, catching my breath, remembering the fear of thinking I would not make it back to the life-sustaining oxygen. But how glorious that first breath was!
It occurred to me that this isn’t unlike baptism. Some traditions, particularly in the historic Church, baptize in such a way that a person is held beneath the water until they really feel the fear of death, then are lifted up once again into life. This is reminiscent of Jesus’ own death and resurrection – in entering the watery tomb of baptism, then being lifted out once again, we are baptized into Jesus’ death and life. We are given the new life for which Jesus died.
Also in some baptismal rites, salt is placed on the lips or tongue of the one being baptized – salt in fact has significant spiritual implications. Salt, for example, preserves, purifies, cleanses, provides nourishment, and heals – all functions we find also in our baptism. Once one has come up from the watery tomb of baptism, one has been cleansed of sin and purified, preserved by the cross of Christ, nourished in faith, and healed of the work of the devil. And to feel that brief albeit very real fear of death under the water, then to take that first life-giving breath of air, and to taste the residual saltiness on my lips, preserving me in the safety I find only in Christ’s own resurrection… Quite a stunning transformation – not unlike baptism – that happened upon my terrifying but redemptive emergence from the salty waters off the Florida Keys.
Matthew 16.25: "For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it."
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about salt. This started especially on a recent trip I took to the Florida Keys (my first!), on which my boyfriend and I went snorkeling. I was really looking forward to diving down deep and seeing this beautiful and mysterious world right up close. He instructed me how to do this: take a breath, and then keep some of the air for when I come back up, so I could get a good strong blow through the snorkel to get the water out. Gearing myself up, I took my breath and broke the surface. It was as beautiful as I’d hoped… for about 8 seconds, when I suddenly realized I had gone quite a few feet below and now feared I wouldn’t get back. In my surprise, I blew out all my air and scurried frantically to the surface, now with no more air to blow through the snorkel. I spit out my snorkel, coughing and gagging at the extremely salty taste now in my mouth. I floated there for a few moments, catching my breath, remembering the fear of thinking I would not make it back to the life-sustaining oxygen. But how glorious that first breath was!
It occurred to me that this isn’t unlike baptism. Some traditions, particularly in the historic Church, baptize in such a way that a person is held beneath the water until they really feel the fear of death, then are lifted up once again into life. This is reminiscent of Jesus’ own death and resurrection – in entering the watery tomb of baptism, then being lifted out once again, we are baptized into Jesus’ death and life. We are given the new life for which Jesus died.
Also in some baptismal rites, salt is placed on the lips or tongue of the one being baptized – salt in fact has significant spiritual implications. Salt, for example, preserves, purifies, cleanses, provides nourishment, and heals – all functions we find also in our baptism. Once one has come up from the watery tomb of baptism, one has been cleansed of sin and purified, preserved by the cross of Christ, nourished in faith, and healed of the work of the devil. And to feel that brief albeit very real fear of death under the water, then to take that first life-giving breath of air, and to taste the residual saltiness on my lips, preserving me in the safety I find only in Christ’s own resurrection… Quite a stunning transformation – not unlike baptism – that happened upon my terrifying but redemptive emergence from the salty waters off the Florida Keys.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Oh... to be a child again!
Mark 10:13-16
Sometimes we need permission, or at least reminders, to be like a child. Children have a different way of looking at the world. As adults, our minds become so complex it is healthy to step back and let the innocence and uninhibited passions of the child within us shine. When life changes in unexpected ways – that alter the reality we know – looking at things as a child can widen our perspective on life.
I wonder how does a child receive the kingdom of God?
People were bringing little children to Jesus in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, "Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it." And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.
Sometimes we need permission, or at least reminders, to be like a child. Children have a different way of looking at the world. As adults, our minds become so complex it is healthy to step back and let the innocence and uninhibited passions of the child within us shine. When life changes in unexpected ways – that alter the reality we know – looking at things as a child can widen our perspective on life.
I wonder how does a child receive the kingdom of God?
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
God doesn't fit in a box!
Scripture tells us a story of a Canaanite woman, a woman on the outskirts, a woman who has no chance of finishing first (Matthew 15:22). She comes to Jesus and cries, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.”
And what does Jesus do? Jesus doesn’t do a thing – he says nothing at all! This is not the Jesus we know. Jesus offers healing all the time. The disciples urge Jesus to send her away, to rid them of this Canaanite woman shouting at them. She’s loud, she’s annoying – please get rid of her. And then Jesus explains to her: “Listen – it is not fair to take the good food from the Israelites and give it to the dogs – to you, a Canaanite woman.” She stands up to Jesus and says, “Remember that even the dogs can eat the crumbs that fall from the Master’s table.” (vs. 27)
Jesus hears her cry and admires her faith. She is able to say to Jesus, “Even I am worthy your love.” Jesus heals her daughter.
This story is out of the norm. It can make us reread asking, “Did this woman just change Jesus mind?” “Is that REALLY possible?” I mean, throughout scripture there are numerous stories of people doubting God and saying, “Really, you are going to use me?” Moses, Jeremiah, Job, Jonah, the fisherman… but there are not as many stories of the outcast saying to Jesus, “But remember, even I am worthy your love.” This story provides a twist that can stop us in our tracks. It is a disruption that can make us think.
Disruption can be difficult for us in the church. I can’t think of the number of times I’ve heard comments on my blog description. If you haven’t noticed, I use the pronoun “her” for God. If you’ve questioned it – that’s the point. If it stopped you in your tracks and made you pause – that’s the point. Sometimes we need a little jolt out of our norms. Our God – The Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – is beyond gender. God’s love is for both the Israelites and the Canaanites. God’s love seeps outside of our ideas of worthiness.
I am thankful for the Canaanite woman’s story. It can be a reminder that the moment we have God figured out and in a perfect pretty box, God rips a hole in the box and gushes out, revealing a love even more powerful than we can imagine.
And what does Jesus do? Jesus doesn’t do a thing – he says nothing at all! This is not the Jesus we know. Jesus offers healing all the time. The disciples urge Jesus to send her away, to rid them of this Canaanite woman shouting at them. She’s loud, she’s annoying – please get rid of her. And then Jesus explains to her: “Listen – it is not fair to take the good food from the Israelites and give it to the dogs – to you, a Canaanite woman.” She stands up to Jesus and says, “Remember that even the dogs can eat the crumbs that fall from the Master’s table.” (vs. 27)
Jesus hears her cry and admires her faith. She is able to say to Jesus, “Even I am worthy your love.” Jesus heals her daughter.
This story is out of the norm. It can make us reread asking, “Did this woman just change Jesus mind?” “Is that REALLY possible?” I mean, throughout scripture there are numerous stories of people doubting God and saying, “Really, you are going to use me?” Moses, Jeremiah, Job, Jonah, the fisherman… but there are not as many stories of the outcast saying to Jesus, “But remember, even I am worthy your love.” This story provides a twist that can stop us in our tracks. It is a disruption that can make us think.
Disruption can be difficult for us in the church. I can’t think of the number of times I’ve heard comments on my blog description. If you haven’t noticed, I use the pronoun “her” for God. If you’ve questioned it – that’s the point. If it stopped you in your tracks and made you pause – that’s the point. Sometimes we need a little jolt out of our norms. Our God – The Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – is beyond gender. God’s love is for both the Israelites and the Canaanites. God’s love seeps outside of our ideas of worthiness.
I am thankful for the Canaanite woman’s story. It can be a reminder that the moment we have God figured out and in a perfect pretty box, God rips a hole in the box and gushes out, revealing a love even more powerful than we can imagine.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
el Verbo
I used to babysit an 8 year old, Miles. He was one of those kids with endless amounts of energy. I’ll never forget one day when I showed up to the house. I wasn’t halfway up the stairs to the door when I noticed Miles getting off this bike and running up the stairs ahead of me.
He turned around and with excitement and joy and yelled, “Dana, I was playing baseball in the park.”
I said well, when I talked to your mother she said you were playing soccer.
“I did that too.”
I pointed at the bike, “And now you’re bike riding what else did you do today.”
He smiled and said, “I went swimming.” All I could do was laugh.
Then he asked me to go play. I was overwhelmed by his energy and the fact that he was in action all day and could have kept going all night (and trust me he did). If I become overwhelmed with the amount of action a child has… how can I even begin to grasp the amount of action that God has in our lives.
Do we realize how active God is? John writes, “And the Word became Flesh.” The Greek, logos in English is translated as Word. The logos made Flesh. The Word made Flesh. What is interesting is that the Spanish Bible translates logos as el Verbo, which in English translates to Verb. The Verb made Flesh. The Spanish translation gives a much more active interpretation of God in our lives.
May we become more aware of how el Verbo, the Word, God is taking action in our lives. So, that God’s love may be shared, borrowed, given, and reminded of, to one another and the world!
He turned around and with excitement and joy and yelled, “Dana, I was playing baseball in the park.”
I said well, when I talked to your mother she said you were playing soccer.
“I did that too.”
I pointed at the bike, “And now you’re bike riding what else did you do today.”
He smiled and said, “I went swimming.” All I could do was laugh.
Then he asked me to go play. I was overwhelmed by his energy and the fact that he was in action all day and could have kept going all night (and trust me he did). If I become overwhelmed with the amount of action a child has… how can I even begin to grasp the amount of action that God has in our lives.
Do we realize how active God is? John writes, “And the Word became Flesh.” The Greek, logos in English is translated as Word. The logos made Flesh. The Word made Flesh. What is interesting is that the Spanish Bible translates logos as el Verbo, which in English translates to Verb. The Verb made Flesh. The Spanish translation gives a much more active interpretation of God in our lives.
May we become more aware of how el Verbo, the Word, God is taking action in our lives. So, that God’s love may be shared, borrowed, given, and reminded of, to one another and the world!
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
God in the Unexpected
I remember my drive to Florida a year ago: as James and I drove through the mountains, we experienced both day and night. James pointed out that neither day nor night was more beautiful. At night, the sky was full of stars and the moon was bright. As the car climbed the mountain our imaginations were at work, thinking of the beauty surrounding us hidden by the darkness. During the day we were able to see off into the distance. We stared in awe at the rock formations and the vegetation admiring God’s creation. Both the light and the dark provided a different view of the same landscape.
I think we often like to compare things. Do you prefer night or day? Do you like the ocean or a lake? Do you prefer the mountains or flatland? Do you like pews or chairs? Do you prefer common cup or individual cup?
God is in both the night and the day. God created the ocean and the lake, the mountain and flatland. God does not prefer one over the other! God knows our praise if it’s from a pew or a chair. God's forgiveness is experienced in common cup and individual cup. Sometimes we’re so sure that God is only in the “best” things – yet God is in the most unexpected places.
God is in the Israelite slave. God is in the unnamed woman. God is in our hymns of praise. God is in Amnon who raped his sister Tamar. God is in the immigrant, widow, and orphan. God is in Judas who betrays Jesus. God is in the faith of Abraham. God is in the stranger and the alien. God is in Jonah when he is swallowed by the whale. God is in the children at Jesus feet. God is in Peter when he denies Jesus.
God does not live by the same limits we do. God’s forgiveness is much different than human forgiveness. God finds beauty in the potential of the darkness and beauty in the clearness of the light. God finds beauty in what we are scared the light will reveal, and beauty in the imagination that the darkness provides.
I think we often like to compare things. Do you prefer night or day? Do you like the ocean or a lake? Do you prefer the mountains or flatland? Do you like pews or chairs? Do you prefer common cup or individual cup?
God is in both the night and the day. God created the ocean and the lake, the mountain and flatland. God does not prefer one over the other! God knows our praise if it’s from a pew or a chair. God's forgiveness is experienced in common cup and individual cup. Sometimes we’re so sure that God is only in the “best” things – yet God is in the most unexpected places.
God is in the Israelite slave. God is in the unnamed woman. God is in our hymns of praise. God is in Amnon who raped his sister Tamar. God is in the immigrant, widow, and orphan. God is in Judas who betrays Jesus. God is in the faith of Abraham. God is in the stranger and the alien. God is in Jonah when he is swallowed by the whale. God is in the children at Jesus feet. God is in Peter when he denies Jesus.
God does not live by the same limits we do. God’s forgiveness is much different than human forgiveness. God finds beauty in the potential of the darkness and beauty in the clearness of the light. God finds beauty in what we are scared the light will reveal, and beauty in the imagination that the darkness provides.
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