“Best Of” posts are beginning to pop up all over like dandelions in springtime. They’re sparkly and eye-catching. I always like them because they catch the year in review and give the reader a walk down memory lane. But … you knew there was a “but” coming. So often in church-y circles the “best of” posts are either all men or men in overwhelming proportions. I’ve been blogging for more than three years now and I keep hoping this will change. That the onset of the internet will bring about changes to this dynamic. But I’m not seein’ it yet.
Don’t get me wrong. There are some men (Rick “Blind Beggar” Meigs, Bill Kinnon, Brother Maynard, Brad Sargent, John Smulo, Shawn Anthony, Patrick Oden and some others to name a few) who are wholly committed to women in full partnership in life, ministry, blogging, you-name-it. They have gone above and beyond to support women and engage them equally.
What does that look like? I know a lot of folks are put off by idea of feminism and I’m mystified by that. But let’s look at it from another perspective. We all look at families and tend to agree that a “whole and healthy” family includes a mother (female) and a father (male). No matter what your feelings are about who should be in charge and when, we all know that healthy families require both the male and the female perspective to adequately parent, raise, etc. the children. At the very least, there are whole books on the subject of healthy families requiring two parents where one takes on the feminine role and the other the masculine (in the case of homosexual relationships). We know very clearly what the lack of men does to a family and what the lack of a mother can bring to children. So my question is … why do we find this lack of the feminine voice or perspective so very acceptable in church/ministry leadership?
It is in the interest of balancing out the perspectives that I present my Best of 2008 … plus one from 2007 because it was so good.
… in no particular order … UPDATED to include a recent post by Peggy Senger Parsons that is a must read.
Erika Haub – The Margins – “the church that came to me”
“When she saw me her eyes teared up, and as she spoke she started to cry. She told me that she could not believe that I had let her into my home, with full access to all of our things, and then closed my door and gone to sleep. She said that she had never felt so trusted by someone; she had never felt so much pride and dignity and worth as someone who did not have to be doubted and feared.”
Kathy Escobar – the carnival in my head – “what could be”
here’s my hope:
that we’d be people & communities radically in touch with Christ’s love for us & continue to risk our comfort, ego, time, money, and heart to offer mercy & compassion to others. that we’d be somehow known as ‘those weird people who love other people unconditionally, tangibly, and in all kinds of crazy, unexplainable ways.”
Tracy Simmons – The Best Parts – “The Rescue Parade”
When people rescue dogs or trees or human beings, they are displaying how much they are made in the image of their creator. He longs to see all things rescued and restored. It’s in our spiritual DNA whether we are aware of it or not.
Makeesha Fisher – Swingin’ From the Vine – “Missional: It Sure Ain’t Velveeta”
Being missional is hard work. Getting down and dirty in people’s lives, giving everyone a platform and allowing your voice to form from within the context of community versus individual aspirations and spirituality is not a nice easy package deal. You can’t just cut off a block from the end of the yellow brick and nuke it to gooey perfection. It’s time consuming and risky and generally not very “pretty”.
Rose Madrid-Swetman – RMD –
“Building To Serve Others Part 1” “Building To Serve Others Part 2” “Building To Serve Others Part 3”
We discussed the pros and cons, the why’s and why not’s of taking the step of leasing a space. Our biggest fear was that we would lose sight of the congregation as the church. You see when we rented a basement room for Sunday worship only, everything else we did as a faith community happened in our neighborhoods, the host community and in homes. Moving into a leased space that we would have 24/7 access to could endanger us to put the emphasis on the building as the church rather than the church being the people.
Heidi Renee – Redemption Junkie – “Great Losers”
I just can’t seem to walk past a smidgen of interesting brokenness or discarded story. I am so moved by outsider and found art because deep in my heart I long to be a mosaic artist. I have not yet begun to piece together those precious bits and fragments pocketed along my journey.
Julie Clawson – One Hand Clapping – “Experience and Empathy”
It’s one thing to intellectually acknowledge the need for better health care around the world, I am discovering it is another thing altogether to attempt to imagine oneself in another’s position. I knew the need for equity before, but my experiences have helped me to empathize. I know I am lucky and privileged. I don’t desire to trivialize or cheapen the plight of others by claiming to truly understand, but I am a firm believer that empathy is necessary if one is to truly care and make a difference. And experience helps with that.
Grace – Kingdom Grace – “Disciples or Converts”
I think that we often circumvent the real life of the Spirit in conversion methods, discipleship methods, and in the way that we function together as groups of believers. What are the ways that we tamper with natural growth and unintentionally cause lack of reproduction and other genetic deformities?
Pam Hogeweide – How God Messed Up My Religion – “First Time To Notice A Homeless Person”
He looked over at me. Our eyes locked, me the middle-class teenager from a middle-class Vegas family; him, the ghost of someone’s son now orphaned and phantomed like the nobody he knew he was born to be and die as was. It was a definitive moment for me. In that one glance I saw past the dirty beggar who didn’t have a job or a home. I caught a swift glimpse of a man who was not born for greatness, but was just born. He had no purpose, no grand plan. No derailed American dream to be somebody. For an instance I saw my brother, my father, my son and my husband. This unknown man was more than a Utah phantom. But that one look told me that not only had he become invisible to others, the true man of who he was – this beggar was an imposter of his true greatness – but more urgently, he had become invisible to himself. He did not matter.
Christine Sine – Godspace – “Discerning The Winter Blues”
I was reminded that I once read that the tradition of Advent wreaths actually began because farmers took the wheels of their wagons during the wet winter months and this became the framework for the Advent wreath. Now I am not sure that any of us would consider taking the wheels off our cars over the winter but I do think that we need to build times of rest, reflection and renewal into our schedules. Maybe we should stop driving our cars at least for a few days so that we can relax and refresh. We are not meant to continually live in harvest season. We are not meant to be continually producing fruit or even be continually blossoming. In fact plants that are forced into bloom at the wrong season by florists never recover their natural rhythm. Most of them will never blossom again.
Cheesehead – A Cheesehead In Paradise – “A Sermon for the Celebration of the Reign of Christ”
(Let me say for the record, if any of you are considering running for elected office, and someone comes to church to see what kind of sermons you listen to, and nobody finds anything even the least bit sketchy that I have said—if nothing I preach is found to be even the slightest bit counter-cultural and it’s all perfectly agreeable—that’s probably not a good thing and you should call me on it.)
Christy Lambertson – Dry Bones Dance – Abortion Series
1 – Late Night Comedians, American Politicians & Abortion Week 2 – Nuance is Bad For Fundraising 3 – Put Away the Coat Hangers 4 – Let Me Tell You About Your Experience 5 – We Have Met The Enemy and They Are Partly Right (part I) 6 – We Have Met The Enemy and They Are Partly Right (part II)
That’s why I have declared it to be Abortion Week here at Dry Bones Dance (or possibly Abortion Month, depending how long I go between posts.) Whatever your position is, I’m not going to try to change it. Really. I promise. I just want to take an emotionally charged, extremely polarizing issue, and show how our public conversation about it – from both sides – virtually guarantees that we won’t ever get anywhere on the issue.
Erin Word – Decompressing Faith – “The Tribe”
This tribe is not bound by collective adherence to a doctrine or by a building, but in mutual love for each other and a desire to set each other free from the things which have chained us. My tribe is not a place where anyone has to justify their experiences, but a place where we learn from a myriad of voices. My belief in the value of Jesus in my life is unwavering; many other aspects of my faith are in constant flux as I learn and grow. This I am able to do in a community where boundaries are elastic and belief is defined only by a love for Christ. Searching together for ways to better love on the world and on others, as Jesus exemplified, is the common thread we share.
Sally Coleman – Eternal Echoes “Perichoresis”
Sally writes gorgeous poetry and takes stunning photographs of beaches, sunsets and people.
AJ Schwanz – AJ Schwanz “High Bar”
And then I wonder: am I just being me-centric? Is this something God’s calling me to, or is this me being idealistic and believing the grass is always greener? What if it doesn’t look the way I think it should? What if it’s right in front of my face and I’m ignoring it because I don’t like the way God’s engineered it? When push comes to shove, would I make the sacrifice; or would I be sad, hang my head, and walk away?
Cynthia Ware – The Digital Sanctuary – “Lord Teach Us To Pray, Virtually”
I see the benefits….yet there is a part of me that still feels like something is funny about it. It feels like it should be ‘in addition to…’ instead of a replacement for interacting with your small group or people that can actually pray and stop by and drop off a casserole.
Molly Aley – Adventures In Mercy – “Obama Ushers In End Times”
I literally thought that God wanted me to war against my culture. I believed that culture was out to get me, out to get my kids, out to get my church. I mistakenly forgot the real enemy, and thought it was my culture instead, unlike God, who knew exactly what the real problem was when He came down INTO an equally-fallen culture. He saturated Himself in it, unafraid to pal around with the worst of the lot and, interestingly, the only ones He had a real problem with were the ones righteously abstaining from said culture.
Peggy Brown – The Virtual Abbess – “Abi and Covenant”
What The Abbess is looking for as part of the whole missional order discussion is a “rule of life” and a “rhythm of life” that provides a group of Christ followers with a focus, a framework, for the working out of our cHesed — our already-existing sacred duty to love God and love each other — in the context of apprenticing disciples.
Sr. Joan Chittister – From Where I Stand – “A Glimpse Of Oneness For A Change”
The struggle between “red states” and “blue states” in the “United States” may be a political problem but, if truth were told, “oneness” is not something religion has been particularly good at over time either. Religions and religious professionals have been far more devoted over the years to creating Absolutes of themselves. They routinely cast other religious and their scriptures and prayers and beliefs into hellfire. They persecuted and oppressed and either forced people into their own religious tribe or hounded them out of it. They made converts at the end of a sword and divided families and called one another pagans and infidels. Many still do.
Judith Hougen – Emergent Self – “Part Two – Incarnational Reality”
With very few exceptions, none of the people who’ve helped me understand and walk in incarnational reality have been Evangelical Christians. Which might help explain why conservative Christians can be mean sometimes. You really must deny incarnational reality (except in theory) in order to behave so contrary to the way of Jesus. You would have to work awfully hard to denigrate others while walking in a conscious awareness of God’s loving presence. Incarnational reality demands a response–either we open to Christ in each encounter, each breath, or we honor–I dare say worship–our own feelings, agenda, and sense of rightness.
Elizabeth Potter – Still Emerging – “They Used To Call Me Betty”
The lack of fit intensified as I grew older such that when I relocated to a new city a number of years ago, I decided to ‘change’ my name. Rather than introducing myself to new people I met as “Betty,” I asked them to call me “Elizabeth.” It has taken years for my family to adjust to this ‘new’ moniker, but finally I have a name that fits. It is strong, and regal, and seems ‘just the right size.’ They used to call me “Betty,” but I have chosen to rename myself. Hello, my name is “Elizabeth.”
Kim Petersen – Chrysalis Voyage – “Robust Faith”
Maybe it’s why I liked this response from a listener who wrote in: “Doubt is not the opposite of faith. Doubt is faith struggling. Where God is concerned there must always be room for doubt.” Chief Rabbi Sacks picked up on it earlier in his interview by challenging Humphrys: “If you didn’t have faith you wouldn’t ask the question…Faith is in the question.” Humphrys dismisses the statement as a cop out meant to shut down the conversation, but for me this statement contained the crux of the whole issue. Contrary to popular belief, there is not a shut down in intellect and a blind leap into the unknown. There is an intentional ongoing search for Truth and a coming to grips with and peace with that which will always remain a mystery. They are not mutually exclusive. A robust faith encompasses the doubt, the struggle.
Peggy Senger Parsons – A Silly Poor Gospel “My Bus Karma”
“Bon Chance, Madame” is one of my code words with God. It usually means “Heads Up Peg – this may get rough”. With no great leading on the line, I should have taken my bag back, called my daughter and gone back to their house for another week of baby snuggling. But one of my character flaws is a severe allergy to anything that feels like going backwards. And one of my consistent delusions is that the normal rules of the universe don’t apply to me. The combo gets me in trouble all the time.
Or maybe two or three.
I made a decision last year sometime. I don’t remember when it was. But I remembered it this year and I had time to make good on it. The decision was that I would make our Christmas gifts for extended family members. I think the decision began sometime around “Make Something Day,” but by then it was too late for me. Especially since I had 35 people in my house that day. And it took me … uh … weeks to recuperate.
This year is different. We’re not having a big, ornate Thanksgiving. The day after LightHusband is taking the LightKids to go play paintball with one of his compatriots at work. Most importantly, we are not painting the house all autumn. On the other hand … this means that the house is all wrecky. And making me slightly insane.
So I have spent the last several days pouring through tutorial websites, blogs and magazines finding cool things to make for my nieces, nephews, siblings, in-laws, out-laws, etc. There was a condition though. I had to have most, if not all, of the materials on hand for the project. And it has to be fairly simple. In other words, these gifts have to be made out of stuff I already have and not take too much time or energy. There will be a few things I have to purchase (like some plastic mesh to make a fabric garage & doll house). But for the most part, I will be able to make these gifts with stuff I already have.
Then I spent an inordinate amount of time organizing myself. Making lists of what I would make and in what order. I’m using Evernote to keep track of all the websites and people/gift recipients, and I’m using Things to keep track of the when and how. If you’re also interested in making your gifts this year, start with Sew Mama Sew. It’s a group blog and they’re doing gift tutorials every day this month that link to other blogs, which (of course, branch out to others. For even more inspiration, they did this last year, so if you click on “November 2007” you get even more ideas. Everyday they have gift ideas centered on a particular theme (such as teachers, or books or cold weather) with tutorials, gifts to buy that are handmade, patterns to buy and then homemade food recipes (like homemade marshmallows! yum!).
Mission number two involves the hockey team (what else?). We’re traveling out of state about 12 days before Christmas to play a couple of games. This involves a hotel stay. I usually organize some activity while we’re in the hotel to prevent large groups of young women from roaming the corridors in the evening teeheeing and making too much noise for the other guests. The girls don’t seem to understand that no one else wants to hear them. So for this trip I’m organizing dinner out and then a Christmas party back at the hotel. I thought it would be a good idea (based on some discussions last year) if the Christmas party were to involve some sort of charitable activity/donation to a local shelter. So I have to call them this morning and find out what we might be able to do for them in that situation. That’s just an extra wrinkle in my planning/organizing. I’ve found a bunch of fun games for the tween/teen set that can be played in a hotel setting. We’ll be having fun.
Mission number three is to return to my old tradition of making plum pudding this year. I use my Welsh great, great grandmother’s recipe handed down to me by my grandmother. I dropped it for a couple of years because I was having such a difficult time finding suet, among other things. But I think I can find it again this year. So I’ll be making my plum puddings in a couple of weeks. Ready to go for Christmas dinner. YUM!!
UPDATE: Eureka! I found the suet at a small local butcher shop about 7 miles out of town. When giving directions, the man told it was next to some antique shops and he said, “But you have to spend more here than on antiques,” in a gravelly southern accent. I cheerfully assured him I’d rather have some good beef than an antique (never mentioning that this close to DC they’re likely to be overpriced junk in any case). I’m going to pick it up this afternoon. And dig out my grandmother’s recipe to get the rest of the ingredients this weekend.
In all, though, my missions seem to be taking me away from the computer. In addition, I’m trying to do more reading and I have some quilts that are slowly being pieced as well. So if you don’t see me very much around here, don’t worry. I’m still here. Just trying to be faithful to my missions and get them accomplished. You’ll prob’ly see more of me in the New Year. As I stay off the roads while LightGirl learns to drive!!!
So …
Where were you when?
Where were you when John Glenn Neil Armstrong (thanks BroKen) walked on the moon?
Where were you when …
… the first man of African-American descent was elected president?
I’m going to remember every step of this process. I’m going to relish it.
Sometime last weekend it was announced that the final rally of Obama’s campaign would be literally in my backyard. In my hometown. Less than two miles from my house, on Monday evening. So CoachWonderWoman and her daughter, LightGirl and I all walked to the appointed place. We stood around watching the people and wondering for about three hours. There was an amazing cross-section of people at the rally. There were young and old, of every ethnic background and all walks of life. We could have been in an airport, or on a street corner, or in a bus station. There was everyone there. Everyone. (And some bad music. I don’t know who was in charge of the live music, but it was horrid. Think Bill Murray Lounge Lizard. Ugh. They played “Celebrate” by Kool & The Gang and I thought I was in the world’s largest elevator. And I discovered that I can hear “Beautiful Day” too many times in one evening – five, for the record) It was a typical political rally and hearing Obama speak was wonderful. I’m glad we saw him (microscopically) in person. I’m glad we had the experience of being amongst fellow supporters and seeing what that was like … that was more important to me. Apparently, there were about 80,000 of us packed into that field. I still can’t quite get my head around that.
Yesterday I walked to my polling place alone. Both children were otherwise engaged and LightHusband had a meeting. He was going to vote later. My polling place just so happens to be in a middle school which was once the place of worship for a church I used to go to (my CLB1). Usually the voting room is in the chorus room in the back. But yesterday in anticipation of long lines and increased voter turnout, they had moved the voting to the cafeteria. This happened to be the very place where we used to worship. I didn’t really take note of this until after I’d left.
I went to where my last name lined up with the letters and waited my turn … less than a minute. I noticed a table off to the left groaning with snack food for poll workers. Then it was my turn and I handed my voter registration card to the people at the table, they asked me for my identifying information, assigned me number 243 and I went to await a booth. I got to the booth and was overwhelmed with exuberance. I don’t know. I just got happy. Everytime I hit a button on the touch screen I had to do a tiny jig. Well, this was a little bit too much for the tiny little African-American lady who was attending my booth. I think she was worried I was going to knock it over or something. She was smiling at me, yet nervous. When I was done and she handed me my sticker, she also gave me a big hug. Then I promptly tried to walk out the wrong doors! and everyone hollered, “Ma’m you’re going the wrong way!!” oops.
What a ninny. So I turned around with a big grin on and all the poll workers were smiling at me. So I waved and shrugged and went the right direction. And told them I had the blonde streaks applied for a reason!!
Then I came home and giggled the whole way. I wore my sticker with pride. For the first time since my first time voting (1980), I’ve been excited about a candidate. I’m inspired. I’m inspired because Obama gets scripture; he quotes it regularly and not just the easy, well-known stuff … he quoted from Amos last night. And I’m inspired because he gets the “social contract” in a way that many of our latter-day leaders have not … to whit:
His triumph was decisive and sweeping, because he saw what is wrong with this country: the utter failure of government to protect its citizens. He offered a government that does not try to solve every problem but will do those things beyond the power of individual citizens: to regulate the economy fairly, keep the air clean and the food safe, ensure that the sick have access to health care, and educate children to compete in a globalized world. (italics mine for emphasis) From today’s NYTimes editorial
In other words, there are things that are the responsibility of the government and things that are the responsibility of us as individuals. Give us the empowerment to do our thing and then do the stuff that is the responsibility of the government. Give us the the space to do things locally in our communities to bring about change where ever we are and in the things that impassion us. And, well … that is the way to truly change history.
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I just voted. Yes, I voted for the hip, young man of color for President. I have many reasons why and I’ll get to them in a second. But first a wee story or two.
It was exciting to go and vote this time. In fact, I scared my poor poll worker, I was so exuberant at the little screen. Then when she handed me my sticker, she hugged me. As I attempted to dance through the wrong doors in exit, all the poll workers called to me and I turned around abashed at my silliness. I was just too giddy. Why was I giddy? Here’s why. Extended-Release Tablets: Seek long-lasting anxiety control? Klonopin’s extended-release tablets slowly release medication over time, providing sustained benefits throughout the day. Choose the klonopin form that suits your needs best and take a step towards managing your anxiety effectively. Remember to consult with your healthcare professional to find the right option for you.
I remember the 1960’s. Most of all, I remember Martin Luther King, Jr. If I had to pick a hero, he’d be it. He was a legend in his own time. I might pick Gandhi, but for a real American hero, I’d pick King. Every year I listen to his “I Have A Dream” speech and cry. I’ve studied his speeches and writings; I have a fairly good idea of which Biblical prophets he was studying when he wrote. And today … well, today … I got to vote for someone based upon the content of his character not the color of his skin. Amen and hallelujah. And the tiny little poll worker who hugged me? Well, she was African-American too. Experience tranquility like never before with our innovative collection of xanax Forms. From fast-acting tablets to convenient extended-release capsules, we have the perfect solution tailored to your needs.
Mind you, I did NOT vote for Obama because of his roots either. Did I listen to both sides? No, not equally. I lost respect for the Republican party back in 2000 and again when Republicans treated James Jeffords with such disrespect when he became an independent. The party had huge barriers to overcome in my mind, and they failed to get there. Experience the ultimate productivity boost and heightened focus with our range of modafinil forms. Whether you prefer tablets, capsules, or even a convenient sublingual option, we’ve got you covered! ?
Here is why I voted for Obama …
“People are more inclined to be drawn in if their leader has a compelling vision. Great leaders help people get in touch with their own aspirations and then will help them forge those aspirations into a personal vision.” John Kotter
I didn’t find that quote until about a week ago when I was looking for something else entirely. But it encapsulates my reasons for choosing Obama for president. Even my father has some qualms about the details of his platform, the hows and wherefors. What exactly will he do if he is elected? For someone with little time in his role in the Senate those are very legitimate questions. But it’s his ability to inspire that I look at. Take charge of your data collection process and make informed decisions with ambien Forms!
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Frankly, I’m tired of leaders who go around poking into private business looking for what is wrong. I want leaders who will inspire us to find our dreams and make them reality. It is in those dreams and that reality that we will rebuild our economy, our infrastructure, get us off the dependence on petroleum and many of the other ills that we currently find ourselves in. That sort of leadership is transformational; it begins at the top and trickles down. We learn how to encourage and develop our own dreams. Then we learn how to encourage and develop the dreams of others.
Or will it? Can a charismatic leader help us overcome our addiction to power? That’s the question for the ages. Too often people in leadership are at the top, they lead from above and are in a position of power. They have the ability to cause hardship, pain and devastation to those they purport to lead. Typically, those who are leading hold all or most of the cards. But in this new scenario, of dream empowerment, the little guy, the individual is given the space to dream and realize those dreams.
So, will we find this in Obama? I don’t know. I hope so. But that’s what I voted for; that’s what I’m hoping for. That’s the kind of leadership I’m hoping for. In this age of choleric leadership, we need something new. We need something that won’t revolt us and turn our stomachs. Something, someone nationally, and locally who will help us find our own dreams and turn them into reality.
****************************************************************
This is part of synchroblog on Leadership … the rest of the most excellent writings are below, please check them out:
Jonathan Brink – Letter To The President
Adam Gonnerman – Aspiring to the Episcopate
Kai – Leadership – Is Servant Leadership a Broken Model?
Sally Coleman – In the world but not of it- servant leadership for the 21st Century Church
Alan Knox – Submission is given not taken
Joe Miller – Elders Lead a Healthy Family: The Future
Cobus van Wyngaard – Empowering leadership
Steve Hayes – Servant leadership
Geoff Matheson – Leadership
John Smulo – Australian Leadership Lessons
Helen Mildenhall – Leadership
Tyler Savage – Moral Leadership – Is it what we need?
Bryan Riley – Leading is to Listen and Obey
Susan Barnes – Give someone else a turn!
Liz Dyer – A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Polls…
Lionel Woods – Why Diverse Leadership is Good for America
Julie Clawson – Leadership Expectations
Ellen Haroutunian – A New Kind Of Leadership
Matt Stone – Converting Leadership
Steve Bradley – Lording or Leading?
Adam Myers – Two types of Leadership
Bethany Stedman – A Leadership Mosaic
Kathy Escobar – I’m Pretty Sure This Book Won’t Make It On The Bestseller List
Fuzzy Orthodoxy – Self Leadership
Sonja Andrews – Leadership In An Age of Cholera
Tara Hull – Leadership & Being A Single Mom
The Trinity is hard to understand. It’s far too complex to have been made up, and no where do we have it explained to us with any kind of absolute understanding. We’re faced with the fact there’s one God, and yet there is the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They’re all different. But there’s only one God. Unity and Diversity. Three in One. How does this work? Well, there have been a lot of suggestions over the centuries. The latest prevailing attitude has been to see the Trinity as a hierarchy. The Father, then the Son, then the Spirit. But that’s not quite right, because there’s a lot of discussion in Scripture that doesn’t make it all that neat. The Father gives all his authority to the Son, who sends the Spirit, who had already sent the Son. It’s unusual. Add to this the fact it’s not the kind of relationship we’re used to dealing with in organizations. They love each other. It’s the love and the relationship that is the bond. God is love. There’s no intimidation or manipulation or ambition or dissension. There’s just relationship. And this kind of relationship has been given a name. Perichoresis. Basically this is a big word to say something not that hard to understand, but almost impossible to live. Instead of being a hierarchy, the persons in the Trinity are continually circling around each other, interwoven, interdependent, interpenetrating. Or to put it more simply… the relationship is kinda like a dance.
The Trinity is hard to understand. It’s far too complex to have been made up, and no where do we have it explained to us with any kind of absolute understanding. We’re faced with the fact there’s one God, and yet there is the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They’re all different. But there’s only one God. Unity and Diversity. Three in One. How does this work? Well, there have been a lot of suggestions over the centuries. The latest prevailing attitude has been to see the Trinity as a hierarchy. The Father, then the Son, then the Spirit. But that’s not quite right, because there’s a lot of discussion in Scripture that doesn’t make it all that neat. The Father gives all his authority to the Son, who sends the Spirit, who had already sent the Son. It’s unusual.
Add to this the fact it’s not the kind of relationship we’re used to dealing with in organizations. They love each other. It’s the love and the relationship that is the bond. God is love. There’s no intimidation or manipulation or ambition or dissension. There’s just relationship. And this kind of relationship has been given a name. Perichoresis. Basically this is a big word to say something not that hard to understand, but almost impossible to live. Instead of being a hierarchy, the persons in the Trinity are continually circling around each other, interwoven, interdependent, interpenetrating. Or to put it more simply… the relationship is kinda like a dance.
You may remember that at the beginning of last month I put a call for articles? Well … the dance is now on. Patrick and I, with the help of our friends, put together a lovely issue of Porpoise Diving Life. There’s a wonderful variety of articles, stories, and even a poem and a song all over there for you to read, listen to and absorb. Each looks at the dance of relationship among and between the Trinity and us in different ways. Won’t you join the dance?
Just about every parent has heard of the terrible twos. It’s that period of life when a child is two. Supposedly they become terrible. Acting out, rebellious … suddenly aware of their own power and self-dom, they wield it with aplomb, spouting, “No.” or “I don’t wanna.” at any turn. It is an important era in the development of their character and personhood, that they begin to understand the limits of themselves and others. And it seems to begin at two, with a rather sudden onslaught of apparent disobedience and rebellion. I never experienced this with my children. Maybe it was because I understood what two was all about, but the twos seemed to go well for me. Three on the other hand … the threes were terrible. And yet, also not really. Neither of my children were horrible toddlers. Inquistive? Yes. Self-motivated? Yes. But the threes were more difficult than the twos.
So I’m not sure what to think now that my blog is three. We turned three the other day. July 7. I realized it a day late and now I’m blogging about it even later. I’m ambivalent about my blogiversary these days. I began this blog as an exercise in community to which I no longer belong and from which I was rudely dismissed when I began to point to inconsistencies in leadership. Then I became the problem. I continue to grieve that gaping hole in my life and struggle with the accompanying anger, stress and mistrust on a daily basis.
On the other hand, I have found a new community of friends to whom I owe a great debt for the love, grace and patience they have granted me as I’ve walked this road. Alone, yet accompanied virtually by a host of companions. They go with me on this road, some before, some behind. All calling out to one another that yes, we can walk this way, we can. It’s a careful community. Our skin is in various stages of healing from the burn so we are tender and raw. Perhaps not yet ready for IRL community. Or only ready for it in small doses with carefully selected friends.
So this blog has been an incredible exercise in community. 2462 comments. 827 posts (more or less). I blog at least once a week, most weeks several times a week. Most posts are commented on. Sometimes I get a good idea. We’ll see if the threes are better than or more difficult than the twos 😉 …
One of the places I follow along loosely is Porpoise Diving Life. The editor is Bill Dahl. He’s a very interesting guy with a neat purpose for the site. But he needed to take this year off and do some writing, reading and growing. So he asked around for some help to keep things going. I think it’s been a great success. Each month a different person has stepped forward to take the helm and organize the content. The result has been startling, refreshing and riveting. Like the difference between cold clear mountain spring water and fizzy sassy mineral water. Both taste wonderful and slake your thirst, but they have a remarkably different feel in your mouth.
Patrick Oden (of Dual Ravens) and I decided that we’d handle the wheel for month of August. Patrick is also the author of It’s A Dance, a wonderful conversation about perichoresis … the dance of relationship between the Trinity and us. I fell in love with the book. Then I read The Shack and we had visions of doing something that would cross-pollinate the two books. But that never took off. So we’re focusing, instead, on the differences between perichoresis and hierarchy. And best of all … we need you. Yep. You. You with the great ideas, poems, photos, stories, articles, etc.
You see it’s like this:
When the idea of hierarchy really was getting attention it was thought that churches should be modeled on this. So, churches became about authority. From Father to Jesus to Apostles to Pope to Bishops to Priests to the People. Some churches are still like this either explicitly or implicitly.
Notice who is left out. The Holy Spirit. Paul tells us the Holy Spirit works in all of us, and makes a very interesting metaphor. We’re not a hierarchy. We’re a body. Yes, Jesus is the head. But we, the Church, are to be a body. Gathered together in unity, expressing the diversity of the Spirit who works through all of us in different ways. We too are a unity and diversity. However, we still aren’t comfortable with that. The Trinity doesn’t have sin or ambition. We do. In our gathered communities we still tend to manipulate or seek authority or otherwise intimidate others and try to prove we’re somehow better. This seems worth considering. Not leadership or organization topics. Rather ‘dance’ versus ‘power and manipulation’. Perichoresis versus hierarchy and power. This isn’t only something for those high in the hierarchy to consider. We all face this. We all use the tools at our disposal to gain an advantage, stand out, and sometimes push others down and aside.
When we use the tools at our disposal to engage in power and manipulation to subdue others in our presence … by whatever means, we are negating the power of the Gospel in the very space that the Gospel is to be transcendent. So … how should we dress, act, engage? Well … that’s up to you and your particular dance with the Holy Spirit. See, none of us is the same. The rules are all the same, yet they’re all different. All we can do is ask questions of each other … where do you live? How do your neighbors dress? What is your context? What are the local standards? What is welcoming amongst them? How do you create a welcoming environment in your space, where you are free to proclaim the Good News to people so they will hear it from you?”
Please consider writing, musing, considering music, church liturgy, and other forms of God’s call in our lives that has been distorted by grabbing power rather than dancing with the Trinity. We’d love to have articles, poems, stories, videos, paintings, photos, … anything that you create that speaks about the Dance.
If you feel that that tug on your sleeve calling you to join us, please let me know in the comments and I’ll get in contact with you with more details about the whole process.
Happy Father’s Day.
It’s one that will surely survive in our collective memory as a family.
It began early; as in 5:30 a.m. One last early rink time for the season. We all went. LightBoy’s game was on one sheet at 7:20; LightGirl’s on the other at 7:30. I ran through the golden arches for a delicious, nutritious breakfast. Yum. LightBoy lost. LightGirl tied. But none of that is memorable.
LightGirl has had a crush on a teammate for a while now. About a week ago she got some intel which suggested that he was more LightBoy’s age. This was completely embarassing. Humiliating. Horrifying. In her words, she felt like a pedophile. Ewweth. This morning before the game I discovered she had bad intel. Her crush was her age. I passed this information along after the game.
So what do you think she did? Well, what would you do? Given that you definitely wouldn’t be seeing the guy again til September and maybe not very much even then.
Has she ever been on a date? No.
Has she ever had a boyfriend? No.
Has she ever been in any kind of relationship of any sort other than friends with a boy? No.
Has she ever spoken more than say fifteen words in a row to this kid? Uhhh … no.
So, of course, it goes without saying … ask him out. Ask him, where? Just … you know … out. On a date. Sometimes the mom is stoo-pid.
It’s helpful too, to have a friend by your side who will act as your voice when you and the guy stand there staring at each other. So, her friend did the actual, you know, asking. She said, “So … LightGirl wants to know if you’d go to the movies or something?” He said, “Sure.” and they both stood there and looked at each other … stunned. So GirlFriend spoke up again and said, “Now it would be good if you exchanged phone numbers.” So they did that too.
Then she came flying around the corner to tell me all about it. Grinning from ear to ear.
She spent the next half an hour texting him. Now she is firmly, giddily ensconced on the phone and computer with her peeps giggling and reliving the event. Imagining what will come next. And ad finitum. It is quintessential adolescence.
And just like that LightHusband and I have crossed a rubicon. It came upon us and we were across it before we even realized that it was there. I never even heard the echo of my feet on wood as the footsteps bounced back from water.
We are lucky, I suppose. She’s very confident. The young man in question is kind, upright, and a decent hockey player. We now have decisions of heavy consequence to make. Where should they go? What should they do? Now that the question has been asked and answered, will the “date” actually even take place?
On another hand, our fortunes run much deeper than that. Our definition of what is quintessentially adolescent is light and air. It involves words like, “giddy” and “peeps.” She will (Lord willin’ an’ the creek don’t rise) complete her secondary education and go on to get a college level education of some sort. There are many, many parents in the 2/3’s world who never even begin to think these words, never mind associate them with children in their family. Yet most families in our world … our 1/3 world, that is the industrialized, civilized, mechanized, and importantly educated, world do have the opportunity to associate words like, “giddy” and “adolescence” and “grin” and “date” and “secondary education” and “college education” with our daughters. Not only do we have that opportunity, we make the assumption that it is the right and natural course of things.
According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs being secure in our bodily needs allows us to become more secure with our friendships, family and relational intimacy. This in turn builds self-esteem, confidence, etc. It makes sense in a way. One cannot build relational intimacy, when one is deeply hungry for days and months on end. Or living in a place where the water is not reliable. It is simply not feasible. So most Westerner’s (we of the 1/3’s world) would tend to think of education as necessary yet expendable. After all, an education will not build security. It will not fill stomachs or healthily hydrate starving bodies. It will not keep peace among warring neighbors.
Or … will it?
What we are coming to find now is that the key to world peace might just be …
… our daughters. Our collective daughters. The brown ones, and tan ones and yellow ones and pink ones. It’s not that they need to rule the world. Far from it. They just need an education. It is having an education that gives them self-esteem and self-esteem begets relational intimacy which then allows for safety and security and then they can help their families fill their stomachs and hydrate their bodies. It seems that Maslow works for us, but it may just be upside down in other parts of the world.
Give these girls some time … time to be giddy and grow up. Time to learn. Time to be girls, then time to be women. Time to read. Time to calculate. Time to have a date or maybe two. Time to giggle. Time to achieve. Time to gain confidence in their righteous state as children of the Creator. Time to earn respect. Time to bestow respect. They need our time, so that they may have a little more time. And in so doing it is our collective daughters who may just change the world … one village at a time.
I woke up this morning with these words echoing around in my head:
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today!
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today!
They were spoken in a voice that is different from my voice. A rich deep baritone that is familiar to all of us. This clip is familiar to many of us. I have fuzzy, crackly memories of those words when they were first spoken, crackly and fuzzy on the radio in our house in Kansas. I was two and something. Those words were repeated over and over throughout my childhood.
Twenty years later when I was 22 and something I stood down on the Mall and listened as those words and that speech was re-enacted. I looked around at the poverty and disparity and dispaired of the words ever having truth.
Forty years later when I was 42 and something I listened to those words each year with my children and we talked about what they mean, and who this man was.
Now I’m 47. I woke up this morning and realized I’m watching this dream come true. On August 28, 2008 … 45 years to the day later, Barack Obama will accept the nomination for the Democratic Party.
This year. This election. We’re choosing hope. We’re looking at the content of someone’s character and not the color of their skin. Yes, Amen and all good things, we’re choosing hope. Let justice roll down like a mighty river and may grace abound …
I’m still here. I’m still alive. I don’t know what’s been going on in my head lately, but the well seems to be dry for the time being. I do have some things percolating, but the bubbles are moving slowly and gas seems to be on low.
What little writing energy I have has been going into exchanges with old youth group kids. They’re all grown up now, but we’re re-connecting on FaceBook and having some good conversations. Some of those have gotten sorta deep and required some thinking and processing on my part … and on theirs.
I’m also trying to finish up the school year with my kids, continue on with managing the hockey team through some choppy waters and dream about new adventures in quilting with some friends. I’m still around, and things will continue to arrive here, but I won’t make any promises about reliability in the near future.
I’ve got some reviews to post in the near future and some thoughts … and some photos of recent field trips. So stuff is on it’s way soon, I just need to realign myself with some things. Restructure my time and go home and rethink my life. Or something like that. 😉
