step out of the culture wars

I have been so troubled by the current and personal levels of political rhetoric, sometimes referred to as the culture wars.   The closer the date for the election comes, the more fierce is the dialogue, the more polarized the community becomes.   People get caught up in emotion.


In an election there must be a winner and I think some people may actually feel it best defines them to know who the winner is. This stays strangely true no matter who is elected. 

I  have believed forever that every story has two sides, I once rested my soul in that balance that there was truth somewhere hanging in the middle, sort of like a hidden Easter  egg or maybe a pinata.  That unfortunately doesn't bring me comfort any more because I now realize the problem is with these exact words [two sides]. If it is really two and only two opposing sides then there is at the end of the analysis a broken egg or pinata, a right and a wrong, good and bad;  and of late who is Holy and who is Evil.     Have we somewhere in all the mess let the politics of our time define the truth of our faith life and vice versa.   


Now  so many of us are upset because winds of political change are moving through our religious beliefs, beginning to tell people of faith, we have to change who we are and what we believe, because there are (according to popular pollsters] more people who believe something different. Popular media tries to say the members define the community of faith rather than the other way around. If popular belief was followed at the time of Christ then people would be worshiping Elijah or John the Baptist.


Christianity isn't a platform reminds The Outpatient Monk, Douglas Harrison.  The Christianity I know is a journey of people to God through Jesus, it is also a compilation of all our identities it is both who we all are, and it is each of us and each of our stories. It is dangerous territory when someone starts
linking our Christianity and holiness with our political platform.

Grafitti somewhere said Christians aren't perfect just forgiven, But I know deep in my heart that we aren't the only ones who meet that criterion. God is not a Catholic and he is not a Republican nor a Democrat. Jesus walked among us and told us to give to Ceasar what belonged to Ceasar, but to Give to God that which belonged to God; that being us. No person belongs to the political process or to a political party we belong to God. We are here to love each other and care for each other.  I just want to see it so I can act like it

get with Life

The Offer Is Life
What did Jesus mean when he promised us life? I go back to the source and what I find is just astounding. I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. (Psalm 27:13) I tell you the truth," Jesus said to them, "no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and, in the age to come, eternal life" (Luke 18:29-30). Jesus doesn't locate his offer to us only in some distant future, after we've slogged our way through our days here on earth. He talks about a life available to us in this age. So does Paul: "[G]odliness has value for all things, holding promise both for the present life and the life to come" (1 Timothy 4:8). Our present life, and the next. When we hear the words "eternal life," most of us have tended to think, "a life that waits for me in eternity." But eternal means unending, not later. The scriptures use the term to mean you can never lose it. It's a life that can't be taken from you. The offer is life and that life startsnow. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives (Romans 6:4 NLT). The glory of God is man fully alive? Now? Hope unbidden rose at the thought that God's intentions towards me might be better than I thought. His happiness and my happiness are tied together? My coming fully alive is what he's committed to? That'sthe offer of Christianity? The offer is life. Make no mistake about that. (Waking The Dead , 11, 12) Ransomehearts.com

So OK,  I don't see "Happiness" specifically spelled out like once I accept Eternal Life I am always happy forever....because that would be false theology. There needs to be something more supportive maybe even restful maybe about life going on now.

The surrender thing? Will that bring what I need to achieve the eternal life here now.
Am I more fully alive after I surrender? hmmm I'm usually more joyful, more open.

I am more fully alive because Christ was raised from the dead. It is a life that cannot be taken from me, but somehow I seem capable of misplacing it, or maybe giving it a back seat. Bring me more fully alive Oh Christ!

Unwind

This is not the way it is supposed to be, We are not supposed to be without God. God came to delight in us, and in return we will delight in Him.

His Spirit is here I believe this, so why do I feel so alone.

 David is home now for another month or so, spending one or two days a week reconnecting with friends,  He will go back to the boat in January to the mess that is constantly generating, the people who constantly tell half truths. I shudder at this. I vowed my support and so it goes.

The letting go thing is my task, but I can not just let go of everything so I have to see it as allowing myself to be unwound. Slowly the tightness of things I have controlled is slipping out becoming looser and moving away out of my grip. As this happens I feel like I am reviewing old moments of foolishness, old mistakes, I want to jump up and explain but that isn't part of it.  I need to have faith in what not to say. When not to speak, When I do not need to know.

I try to move forward with my life and be better but feel like a character in a movie who has just agreed to reform and I have no where to begin.

What will the day hold Lord? Will others need me and will I see it and respond appropriately;  or will I just be waiting here like my old dog just sleeping in her chair, waiting for some one to call me loud enough that I hear and respond.

Feel this moment

What will I ever become in this moment...

Please, let me see the secrets that are locked up on this day.
Allow me a minute of understanding,
A pause, a clarity.
Everything seems so shadowed so unclear, like I am in a fog so lost
I cannot even find my balance.

Let me know something this day oh God
So I can swallow
So I can stand up and find a direction
Let me hear just enough
that I can find you
in each encounter, each person,
each moment, each deed.

If darkness is not to win
Let me know
send your light to burn out the fog and
show me where I am today
where my brother and sister are
what do they need that
I may be some small comfort

Let me know some small thing of youI cannot be the one in charge
I am lost
I am without direction
my map is full of holes
I follow my own directions and I crash
I fall over every cliff trip over every log
slide helplessly down every slope

Let me know something this day Oh God.

get the one liners...

Just when I thought I couldn't stand to hear one more political comment here comes Paul.

1Cor 3:1-9
Brothers and sisters,
I could not talk to you as spiritual people,
but as fleshly people, as infants in Christ.
I fed you milk, not solid food,
because you were unable to take it.
Indeed, you are still not able, even now,
for you are still of the flesh.
While there is jealousy and rivalry among you,
are you not of the flesh, and walking
according to the manner of man?
Whenever someone says, "I belong to Paul," and another,
"I belong to Apollos," are you not merely men?

What is Apollos, after all, and what is Paul?
Ministers through whom you became believers,
just as the Lord assigned each one.
I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth.
Therefore, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything,
but only God, who causes the growth.
He who plants and he who waters are one,
and each will receive wages in proportion to his labor.
For we are God's co-workers;
you are God's field, God's building.

Jealousy and rivalry and ugliness it seems like our country is doomed.
There are so many lies and deceit. There is no right way to turn ones loyalty.

Here Paul tells me to get over myself because it is all about the Lord God.

It is God who will cause the growth,

we are only God's coworkers!   Most of the time he doesn't need us anyway.

I can't believe how quickly I get swept onto a bandwagon,
I know how hard I try to stay off.

Where are the pithy sayings for these Godly beliefs?
Why no one liners?
no 1% or
the other 98% 
what does it all mean anyway?
Can I possibly make any difference!
Please Lord, give me the wisdom and patience to look for your love, 
and bless me if you desire to serve as a citizen of your kingdom and as an American.
I ask for wisdom to look for your ways when I know the answer is between the lines
in the fraction of a percent, in the hearts and service to
 those forgotten.

Today I read this prayer from Father Mychal Judge a priest and firefighter who died in 9/11

“Lord, take me where you want me to go; 

let me meet who you want me to meet; 

tell me what you want me to say; 

and keep me out of your way.”

Get on with...

There is a line in a storybook, that goes "Could this go on all Day and Night? It could you know and it just might!" Why is it some things like this just stick in my head? God's Comic relief I am hoping. (Stop That Ball by Mike McClintock)

Why is it when there is something unnerving or unpleasant to be done I find myself procrastinating, weighing all the scenarios, when really the answer should be who cares just get it done. or else it will indeed drag on all day and night.

1 Cor 2:10b-16

Brothers and sisters:
The Spirit scrutinizes everything, even the depths of God.
Among men, who knows what pertains to the man
except his spirit that is within?
Similarly, no one knows what pertains to God except the Spirit of God.
We have not received the spirit of the world
but the Spirit who is from God,
so that we may understand the things freely given us by God.
And we speak about them not with words taught by human wisdom,
but with words taught by the Spirit,
describing spiritual realities in spiritual terms.

Now the natural man does not accept what pertains to the Spirit of God,
for to him it is foolishness, and he cannot understand it,
because it is judged spiritually.
The one who is spiritual, however, can judge everything
but is not subject to judgment by anyone.

For "who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to counsel him?"
But we have the mind of Christ.

I think when I worry or procrastinate I am living as the natural me and not in the spiritual me.
In trusting God I can be the real me God has created me to be. Only God knows the depth of me,

get back home

I just made a plane reservation to go back home to Austin to see my grandchildren. I am light headed and happy with a pit of butterflies in my stomach.


I have become more aware of nerves or dread whenever I make plans and fix them in place. It is like I discover this dark thing off in the background of my plans. It can be huge sometimes like a wide still lake, or like a big puddle covering a street intersection dark and mysterious, It leaves me feeling strange and off balance like I have forgotten something or cheated someone. Is it the same for anyone entering the unknown? What is so funny, when I was much younger anything different was exhilarating I never worried about how things might change, I loved change....like a junkie!

It is amazing today how this one small change feels like it adds or takes away color in my world. I had been thinking this wasn't possible to make this trip; but then like I had this a tap on my shoulder I decided to start praying that if this could work out that it would, and amazingly it has.

Philipians

Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God.

Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. ⁶

Keep on doing what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me. Then the God of peace will be with you. ⁷

⁸ I rejoice greatly in the Lord that now at last you revived your concern for me. You were, of course, concerned about me but lacked an opportunity.

Not that I say this because of need, for I have learned, in whatever situation I find myself, to be self-sufficient.

I know indeed how to live in humble circumstances; I know also how to live with abundance. In every circumstance and in all things I have learned the secret of being well fed and of going hungry, of living in abundance and of being in need.

I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me.

When has the world knowingly changed? Almost never , we just don't know what is going to happen. I ask myself often why didn't any one know about this or that...

I have a heightened sense that I have left disappointment in the wake of my plan. but WHY? My husband has offered numerous times to let me go visit. This time it was my request and not his offer but he said sure. Why do I feel so uneasy? Do I always have to have show girls singing and dancing so I know I am OK that I did the right thing?

The boat progresses, I am truly excited and happy and scared. I am also deeply sensing David's apprehension. He doesn't dare allow himself to get excited about completion. I really sense it is near. The boat I have realized is really a huge puzzle that until our project only existed on paper. There isn't a manual of what to do when, that is why we are so very grateful for John Shaw the company owner and builder. He is the one with all the knowledge in his head. We build a part and hook it with a previous part. If that doesn't work he has a whole list of ways to try and make it work out. So far there have been delivery delays and missed worker who are ill that has slowed the project down


I remember watching Jesse James build cars on a TV show, and there was this thing if the car didn't start when they were done, he blew it up. How crazy is that.

The boat will get finished. All will be well we will sail. And in the mean time with my trip back to Austin I will be making lists of things I just can't live without; and plan to hug my grands to pieces. I will be there for William's Birthday, I can maybe watch one of his soccer games and pick Layla up from school and visit my friends for coffee. Oh excitement.

Rejoice in the Lord!