Mary of Nazareth, Mother of Jesus, Theotokos
That pain was sickening. The anticipation of his reaction fanned the flames of panic within her as she prepared to tell her soon-to-be-husband something that he, surely, would not believe. Something he would hate and something for which he very well may hate her. Her life had made so much sense and been comfortably predictable. She had been betrothed to a nice man who loved her and desired to provide for her. They would have children. She would provide for them and, then, the angel came and destroyed her predictable plans. It had told her that she was blessed. Yet, in this moment of anxiety she definitely didn’t feel it. (more…)
Of “Lights” and Soul-Liberation (Confessions From a Real-Life Journey Moment)
“Honey, thou dost protest too much, methinks,” says my wife frequently. Oh, she’s not always so Shakespearean about it, but she does say essentially that.
Denial is a funny thing. Refusing to accept the truth about your own self often leads to projecting your loathing upon others. Plus, it’s just hard to love others if you don’t love yourself, and it’s tough to love yourself when you hate things about yourself.
I recently sat down with my friend Jimmy Arnold – a professional musician who can play the guitar and sing like nobody’s business. And, he’s a just an all-around great guy. There we were in a Memphis restaurant talking music and spirituality, and he started telling me about his own spiritual journey, which included a few stories about his long-time friend Jonathan Cain. (more…)
Yoga Theology: The ALL of Surrender
When I was teaching yoga regularly, the classes often began with an invitation to surrender. I would encourage the students to leave their cares and concerns outside of the room with their shoes. As we gathered on the mats, we were “to let go of our worries with each exhale.”
It seemed so easy — until I became a student again.
I spent this past Tuesday on a monthly Pastor’s Prayer Retreat, a day when I seclude myself in order to pray for both personal needs and requests submitted by parishioners. The six hours spent in prayer were enlivening yet challenging, and I was grateful for the Spirit’s guidance in this time away. The day concluded by attending a community yoga class, a time for me to unwind. (more…)
Sailing into Shabbat
I.
I have walked
through the week
A land of
boundaries
conflicts
obstacles.
Not without
Beauty
charm
hope
But trudging,
walking
step
by
step
Climbing over some barriers
bulling through others.
Tired
Walking with resolute steps
but
Feeling collapse is near
Pushing though this landscape
landscape of nations
petty princedoms
endless bureaucracies
numb
caffeine powered
vibrating without
energy
vitality
strength
fading
(more…)
The Mystery of Communion
We were as silent as mice as we hid behind the trees on the west side of the church parking lot. The early dark of the evening aided us in hiding. We four boys were on a mission of discovery. Any minute we knew we would see them. One of our number had seen them go over. It was only a matter of time before they came back. They never stayed all that long, and they always came back.
Moments later we heard the sound of a screen door opening and then the muffled sound of the men’s voices. “Wait! Don’t forget this.” Was that a woman’s voice we heard? Walking slowly, the men made their way across the backyard of the house before disappearing behind the church. Thanks to an early and full moon, we did catch just a glimpse of the silver. (more…)
The Seat May be Hard and Wooden, but the View from a Child’s Chair is Amazing
This past week, about 25 children came to Vacation Bible School. Four churches, whose children’s programs are struggling and whose numbers are few, came together to try and teach and show and share the love of Christ.
To give more details: twenty-five loud, happy, whiny, excited children, sang lovely songs, made beautiful crafts (can you remember the VBS leather craft smell?), and heard several passages from the Bible that spoke about giving to and caring for one’s neighbors.
We found that one answer of “Who is our neighbor?” included people we will never meet or see and who might live thousands of miles away. And so, we collected enough quarters to buy two goats and a flock of chickens for the Heifer Project, about $260. (more…)
Basil of Moscow, the Blessed, Wonderworker, Prophet
In 1468, Basil was born near Moscow to a poor family of serfs. Their poverty had a lasting impact upon Basil in a variety of ways: 1) Basil learned what it meant to be impoverished, 2) Basil was not tempted to affluent disregard like so many of his contemporaries, and 3) Basil gained a powerful prophetic voice by virtue of his upbringing. In spite of their poverty they arranged to have their son sent off to be apprenticed to a cobbler. Making and repairing shoes would not be a luxurious or respectable job but it would be a way to make a steady living.
Though he was a cobbler by profession, he was a holy fool by vocation. As a holy fool, he followed in the footsteps ofEzekiel the Prophet and engaged in foolishness in a prophetic fashion. By refusing to live by people’s expectations, he constantly challenged people to reconsider what they felt and believed. A holy fool redefines foolishness. (more…)
Spotting God…In the Hardcore
John Dahlz was the overall winner of the 2012 Vineman Ironman on Saturday, July 28. He swam 2.4 miles in the Russian River (half against the current and half with) in less than 49 minutes. I took exactly an hour longer. He biked 112 miles on the hilly roads of Napa Valley in 4 hours and 57 minutes. I rode the same course in 8 hours. He ran the 26.2 mile three loops through the back roads of Windsor, California in 3 hours and 52 minutes. I ran – walked much of it – in a painful 6 ½ hours. Most of us would agree that John Dahlz is a hardcore athlete…
I was way too sick to have begun this race, but had trained too long and too hard to walk away from the start line. Four days before the race I contracted…a sore throat…that turned into a chest cold…that – by race day – had gone full blown head cold. Amazingly, I was able to cough and spit and blow my way through the swim and bike legs with little discomfort. But by mile three of the run, the sickness overwhelmed me. It was like having the flu…times ten! Determined to finish, I trudged on. By mile fifteen, my pace had slowed to the point that I knew I would not make the ‘time cutoff’ required to begin loop three. The thought of quitting entered my mind…but I walked on. When I actually missed the cutoff – and knew that I would be ‘officially’ listed as DNF (did not finish) – the embryonic thought of ‘giving up’ grew. A friend, who had accompanied me to the race, simply asked me, “Do you want to finish?” And then offered to walk the last eight miles with me. My only sane thought seemed to be, ‘who quits a 140.6 mile race with only 8 miles to go’. Coughing, straining and puking…I dragged myself through the final miles. To my surprise, the finish area was not empty when I arrived. I crossed the finish line and a volunteer draped a medal around my neck…handed me a finisher’s t-shirt…gave me a hug and said, “You are an ironman.” John Dahlz finished his race in 9 hours and 29 minutes. It took me almost 17 ½ hours.
This was not the way I’d dreamed the day would go. In some ways it was an uglier finish than I had imagined. I am a runner. I worried for weeks about the swim and the bike. I knew, however, that once I got to the run I was in my element. I had envisioned – over and over again – sprinting across the finish. In other ways, however, it was a beautiful finish. A long walk with a friend and fellow warriors, the grace and true understanding of finish line volunteers, and the knowledge that even when the world – or at least the race officials – tell you you’re beat…you can keep going. It has been said that when you’ve finished an Ironman, you have the strength to tell the rest of the world to ‘go to hell.’ It’s true. Reflecting on my journey – months of training, hours in the pool, miles on the bike, step after step after step of running, and 17 plus hours facing down every demon I have – I really don’t give a damn that the ‘Results Page’ of a website labels me as DNF. I finished. Even when it seemed I had no legitimate reason to finish…I finished. I am an Ironman.
I wasn’t the only athlete waging war in the darkness. Keeping pace with me was a lady…carrying an inhaler…fighting asthma for the last 8 miles. Others were on the course limping – impaired along the way by injury or cramps. Others had missed time cutoffs for other reasons, but were pressing on…silent, slow, steady, determined…to be Ironmen and Ironwomen. Suddenly, it was an honor to be among such a crowd. John Dalhz won the Vineman Ironman, July 28, 2012 in 9 hours and 29 minutes. A lot of people would say he is a hardcore athlete – and he is. But the unknown ‘hardcore athletes’ were the ones who pushed their bodies into the late hours of a cold night…and finished the course…not for prize money, but for the pride of knowing we could finish – Ironmen and Ironwomen.
I like that God persistently pursues lost sheep and lost coins and lonely runners at the back of the pack…
The Duties of a 1913 Preacher in Cleveland, MS
I’m really glad that I was not a minister in Cleveland 99 years ago.
Yesterday I was sifting through the written histories of my two parishes and came across the following news clipping from 1913:
For those who are unable to enlarge the above picture or read the fine print, this is an advertisement for Cleveland Holiness Camp Meeting in 1913. The name of the preacher and song leader are provided, but the line that caught this preacher’s eye was the following: “Many other preachers and workers will be present to help push the battle against sin.” (more…)
The Sacrifice
She will die.
If I do not act,
She will die.
I did not mean to love her.
At first,
I only gazed upon her,
Then I desired her,
I sent for her,
I lay with her.
I did not mean to love her.
He is a good man,
A good soldier,
A good officer.
She is his.
She carries my child.
He has been in the field,
He has not lain with her. (more…)
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