Feeding The Root

Congratulations, Jamie!

noreply@blogger.com (Melanie) — Mon, 21 May 2007 15:04:00 +0000

My sister graduated from St. Kate's this weekend with her Master's in Social Work. It was such a wonderful weekend of celebrating all of her hard work! I am so proud of her and all of the work that she put into this - working, doing an internship, writing a thesis, and going to classes all at the same time. She deserves a nice, long break!
Jamie will be a great social worker and the world is a better place to have her in it!
Mel

Back after a hiatus...

noreply@blogger.com (Melanie) — Mon, 07 May 2007 23:03:00 +0000

I'm back! It took much longer than I thought, but Holy Week and the weeks following have been rather busy! I have now entered the 21st century more fully, with internet access at the touch of a button in my very own home, so I expect to have an easier time with keeping up on the blog.

I thought I would share a picture of a party the young adults at Centennial hosted to celebrate my upcoming ordination. I couldn't believe how kind and thoughtful they all were with putting this together. We had cake and played "compatibility" (one of our favorite games) and had lots of fun sharing stories! I ate my first ever "Jesus cake" - they special ordered a preaching Jesus cake for the occasion - it was great!!!

Melanie

Thanks so much...

noreply@blogger.com (Melanie) — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 20:58:00 +0000

to everyone that sent in a lenten reflection for this post. It was an honor to read your thoughts, ideas, and reflections. I fell out of cyberspace during the last days of Holy Week, and am spending the best of today sleeping at home before going back to work tonight with several meetings. Other than that, I'm crawling out of my "post-Easter" crash of exhaustion and will be up and running in the next day or two!
Usually Easter reminds me of spring, but not so this year, with the snow expected to come tomorrrow...ack!
-Melanie

Jan Daniels writes...

noreply@blogger.com (Melanie) — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 16:03:00 +0000

I once had a wonderful, wise mentor who gave me a piece of wisdom that has been of enormous help many times in my life. When I first received the suggestion, I was the new acting director of nursing at a long term care facility. I had been an employee health and clinic nurse in this facility for several years. My appointment was well received by all but two nursing supervisors on the pm and night shifts. They barely knew me as I always worked days.

I was discussing my concern with my mentor and he suggested I keep the advice of Dr. Erich Fromm: "How it changes someone for us when we begin to love them." I admit to some skepticism, but I wanted to win these women over. Subsequently, I met with them separately, asked what would make their respective shifts better for themselves, co-workers, residents. Some of the changes they suggested could be made an, over a period of only months, I began to feel their support. They came to believe that I was temporarily in the Director of Nursing position because I could possible affect change. They became supporters and even cheerleaders! When a permenant director was named, the supervisors gave me a luncheon. At the luncheon, one of the "converts" told me: "I was wrong about you and I apologize for my disbelief and lack of support. Please know how much I support you now." The other supervisor said, "Amen!" It worked! And it has worked in the thirty years since then. We all encounter people we don't like or who don't like us. Just try Dr. Fromm's advice; it really works!

Jesus, in his ministry, often used his enormous love for us to change our lives. How it changed all of us because He loved us!

Anita Mayfield writes...

noreply@blogger.com (Melanie) — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 21:10:00 +0000

The Will of God

In 1974 our son, Robert, had his first heart surgery at age five. After two more heart surgeries in his teen years and many difficult times, he passed away in l989 at age nineteen. Reverend Ken Rice, who spent time with us at the first surgery, gave me a small booklet called "The Will of God”. It has defined and clarified my faith and beliefs over the years.

Written in 1944, during the bombing of London in World War II, it is actually a series of sermons given by Reverend Leslie D. Weatherhead, a pastor in the Church of England. In his effort to comprehend God’s will in those horrific times, he examines the subject by dividing it into three:
Intentional Will – God’s ideal plan for us
Circumstantial Will – God’s plan within certain circumstances, and
Ultimate Will – final realization of God’s purposes.

Because of this book, I found a better way to see God’s will in my life - in ways I’d never thought about. When I think, and listen, and apply this understanding, I have been able to find a certain amount of peace and acceptance. When I so often fall away from God’s intentional will, I feel God guides me through my failures or the many situations beyond my control, to recognize His circumstantial will. And, above all and after all, I know that somehow God’s control and guidance and His ultimate will prevails.

With the great turmoil in our country and world today, I’ve wondered how all this hatred and warring could be God’s will. I’ve tried to understand how we’ve gotten to this terrible place from just a few years ago, with the future so much more uncertain than I’ve ever known. But Rev. Weatherhead’s ideas concerning God’s will, have given me an anchor for understanding. Amidst so much that’s been lost, I believe there are many things to be gained as well, even if we can’t see them very clearly right now. In whatever small ways possible, we can each contribute to the good in this world. It is surely a time of renewed challenge to help achieve God’s ultimate will in these dire circumstances.

An example that beautifully reflects God’s will was in the answer to a question asked of a young Amish girl after so many of her schoolmates were killed last year. The question was “how can you accept this awful thing and still go on?”. She responded by saying, “we learn to let it go and turn it over to God to make something good out of it.”

We can be certain that it was never God’s intentional will for that terrible event to happen, but in the circumstances of it having happened, she knew God’s ultimate will prevails.

David Wright writes...

noreply@blogger.com (Melanie) — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 15:37:00 +0000

"Mr. Atherton, may I please have your autograph?", the young boy asked me as I exited the Metrodome following an afternoon game in 1988. In order to make ends meet, I was employeed as a beer vendor by the Metrodome from 1988 - 2003. The lad (obviously) mistook me for the Twins' relief pitcher and began to cry as I explained over and over I wasn't Keith Atherton. I eventually gave in and signed his ball "Keith Atherton".

It's not the only time I have been mistaken for someone, I have had a drive through clerk drop my order because she thought I was Garth Brooks as well.
Not being a country music fan, I hadn't a clue who "Garth Brooks" was.

The week before Palm Sunday a lady stopped and talked with me after the service and asked if she knew me. Obviously, I'm not sure if she did or not. Who am I? What is my "faith story?" Good questions for certain. I don't have a favorite spot to sit in during Sunday services. In fact, I tend to drift around on purpose; one Sunday towards the rear on the left side of the church, the next, right side, middle, and the next....who knows? My seating is similar to my faith,...all over. I've been influenced by my mother, Pastor Al Maetche, who when finding out my father was deceased treated me as his own son, and authors such as Og Mandino, Norman Vincente Peale, and Anthony Robbins.

Faith to me can be summed up simply in being open to see what is being shown to you from God. It may be as simple as a breeze, or as straight forward as a billboard not seen before. Or perhaps, it's just a case of mistaken identity.

The prayer I share most often is: God grant me peace, love, health, happiness and the power of your holy light, now and forever, amen.

Melissa Kerr writes...

noreply@blogger.com (Melanie) — Sat, 31 Mar 2007 16:43:00 +0000

Many times in our lives, we face hardship. We’re forced to deal with death, broken hearts, letting go, and so much more. Sometimes it’s hard to believe that God is really there through all the tough times.
One of my favorite Bible stories is found in 1Kgs 18, when Elijah faces the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal to cut up an ox and lay it on wood and he agreed to do the same. Elijah told them to call on their god and he would call on his God, and whoever puts fire under the wood is the true God.
When the prophets of Baal called on their god, nothing happened. However, when Elijah called on his God, the Lord not only lit fire to the burnt offering, but he also made the fire so large that it “licked up the water” (v.38) in the trench that Elijah had built around it.
Elijah had extreme faith to believe that God would not let him down. Like Elijah, we should also have extreme faith. Elijah believed that God was powerful enough to start a fire, so there’s no doubt that God is powerful enough to bring us through every situation. No matter what hardships we might face, we should always remember to have extreme faith that God will bring us through it.

Mary Hopkins writes...

noreply@blogger.com (Melanie) — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 21:10:00 +0000

As my thoughts went to Jesus this Lent, I thought I mightwrite a poem, but could not. I can only offer what I have in mind. My thoughts went to the beginning of Matthew 8:27,"What sort of man is this? What would happen if I inserted after the word this what appears in scripture --or other phrases, thoughts -- that even the winds and the sea obey him? that heals the physically and mentally ill? that challenges hypocrites? that prays without ceasing? that talks about forgiving seventy times seven? What manner of man is this?

None of us can see him face to face, and even in my imagination his face remains hidden. But all day long I feel a current as of flowing water repeating the words,"This is my beloved son, my beloved, beloved, beloved. Listen to him, listen, listen."

And so we listen to him and we observe what he does. And as disciples we follow, we try to imitate. We look to see if we can have his mind in us, a mind that was free, yet obedient. Paul in the letter to the Philippians writes, "..though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, . . being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross."(Philippines 2:6-8) The letter continues with the manner in which God has exalted this Jesus. We know that Easter follows, a gift of grace to us.

Jonathan Ozanne writes...

noreply@blogger.com (Melanie) — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 23:52:00 +0000

The theme for Centennial UMC’s Lenten Blog this year is “Enter the Story”. The Centennial Lenten Blog is made up of a collection of reflections about how friends and members of Centennial UMC have participated in the story and watched and listened for signs in which their lives are reflected the lives of the early disciples.

It has been inspirational to read these Lenten reflections and now it is my turn to share…

“He summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them, Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” Mark 8:34.

Reading this passage broadly, it says that following Christ is not easy, and must involve the follower denying himself or herself. (See also Matthew 10:34-39, Luke 14:25-35). Whether you take a literal or figurative interpretation of these gospel lessons, the message is that followers of Christ are called to let nothing stand in the way of following Christ. This denial could come at great personal cost in terms of family or worldly goods or both.

At the Ash Wednesday Service, a worksheet was handed out with a checklist of Personal and Social Disciplines to help prepare for Easter. As another Inward and Personal Discipline I am giving up “ice cream”. I am giving up “ice cream” to focus on the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. A sacrifice that is infinitely greater than the trivial sacrifice of giving up “ice cream” for Lent. However my trivial sacrifice, denying myself “ice cream”, has not been easy. My sacrifice has also helped me focus on how much I like eating ice cream and on legalistic ways around my “denial”. (Is an ice-cream cake, considered cake or ice cream? Are sherbet and frozen yogurt considered to be ice cream?)

Denying ourselves that which gets in the way of worshipping God and following Jesus Christ is not easy, but it is something that we are called to do as disciples of Jesus Christ.

If you went to the Ash Wednesday service, take another look at the “My Preparation for Easter” checklist and see how you are doing and if there is another “denial” you could make. If you didn’t go to the Ash Wednesday service, think about what you could do to “deny” yourself.

This denial could take many forms. Maybe it is going to church instead of sleeping in on Sunday morning. Maybe it is giving up eating out once per week and donating the money saved to a mission project or to help the needy. Maybe it is denying the fear of rejection and inviting a friend to worship on Sunday. These are just a few ideas. There are lots of good ideas on the “My Preparation for Easter” checklist.

As disciples, we are called to deny ourselves and follow Christ.

Christi Wirth-Davis writes...

noreply@blogger.com (Melanie) — Sun, 25 Mar 2007 12:49:00 +0000

In the preface to his little book How to Find Your Mission in Life, Richard Bolles refers to "one of the indignant Biblical questions": "Has God forgotten to be gracious?" (Bolles says the answer is a clear No.) This is a helpful question for me--akin to someone looking me straight in the eye and saying "Snap out of it!" Life has serious ups and downs and sometimes I allow the particular bumpy road I'm traveling to take over my consciousness. Bolles suggests the beginning of each of our missions on earth is to seek to stand hour by hour in the conscious presence of God, the One from whom our missions are derived. Before we go to work in the world, we need to establish contact with the One from whom we came and the One to whom we shall return.

Our scriptures and tradition tell the story of God who is always with us, who loved us first, forgives us when we need it, and loves us forever. This grace--the graciousness of God--means I don't have to justify my existence or prove my value with cultural status symbols. In the Connectivity class at Centennial we just completed a study of The Centered Life, an initiative based at Luther Seminary. The Centered Life suggests that in the "whosoever love" (John 3:16) of God we can find a dependable center for our lives. In Soul Cravings futurist and postmodern pastor Erwin McManus reminds us that Jesus Christ called to those with exhausted souls, encouraging them with the good news "that God will be for us our place called home." We can depend on God's faithful love and then live out of that center into our callings. Being awake to God's presence and graciousness is essential for living a faithful life moment by moment. Grace--let's stay awake for it!

Merry Flanagan writes...

noreply@blogger.com (Melanie) — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 16:15:00 +0000

My mother arose every morning, pulled the curtains up and said,

"This is the day the Lord has made,

Rejoice and be glad in it."

I still do the same -

"This is the day the Lord has made,

Rejoice and be glad in it."

The phrase helps me - may it also help others.

Shirley Parker writes...

noreply@blogger.com (Melanie) — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 18:08:00 +0000

2 cor 4: 3 & 4
"and even if our Gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.
In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers to keep them from seeing the Light of the Gospel of the Glory of Christ, who is the image of God."

This has always bothered me in the past, but Brian's meditation Wed. Feb 28th, light & dark, angels & demons, helped me see for the first time that the unbelievers are not predestined by God to be blind to the gospel. The god [small "g"] of this world is the little red guy with the pitchfork on the left shoulder, not the messenger [angel] from God [capital "G"] on the other shoulder whom we need to focus on, which we do by carefully and prayerfully studying the scriptures daily.

Dear God, Holy Spirit, Truth Divine, dawn upon this soul of mine. Word of God and inward light, wake my spirit, clear my sight. A Men.

Shirley Parker writes...

noreply@blogger.com (Melanie) — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 18:08:00 +0000

Andy Schultz writes...

noreply@blogger.com (Melanie) — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 20:47:00 +0000

Here is a prayer I received a few years ago when I was in confirmation:

My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself,
and the fact that I think that I am following your will
does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road
though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust you always
though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear, for you are ever with me,
and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.
- Thomas Merton

I like this prayer because it reminds me that there is much I don't know about the consequences of my actions. Even if I think I have made a mistake ("lost and in the shadow of death"), maybe I didn't mess up as badly as I think I did, and things will turn out ok ("you will lead me by the right road"). At the same time, this prayer affirms what we do know about God. God always leads us in the right direction, and God is always with us. Even in times of despair, God provides hope.
Keep this prayer in mind during the Lenten season.

Katy Lee writes...

noreply@blogger.com (Melanie) — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 16:51:00 +0000

During the first week in March, I had the opportunity to spend my first college spring break in Coronado, California with three friends from my dorm. Not to brag, but if you have never heard of Coronado, you might want to consider learning about it by watching the Travel Chanel’s “Best 10 U.S. beaches” countdown; my friend, whose father is in the Navy, has the privilege of living on this beautiful island off of San Diego where year-round the average temperature is about 70 degrees. After spending the last four months stuck in the bitter, windy Chicago winter, we spent our last two miserable days before break in a frozen sleeting blizzard, in absolute disgust of Illinois and with desperate hopes that our plane flight wasn’t canceled. Thankfully we made it off Wheaton’s campus and four hours later arrived in sunny Southern California.
I did not realize how much I had winter depression until I came out of the cold and darkness; it was amazing! We had left Chicago with fleece jackets, and mere hours later were bathed in tropical sunlight with toes in the sand. It was absolute heaven, and that “something” (probably Vitamin A) that had been missing in my life was suddenly there. I could hardly handle it, I was so overjoyed to see mountains, a new city and most of all the bright Pacific Ocean.
I wanted to share this because I think so often we let ourselves live in a spiritual winter without even realizing it--and by that I mean the January/February sort of winter, not the November/December winter. At least at the beginning the newness of white snow is exciting, but our spiritual winter is more like C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe where it is “always winter and never Christmas.” Slowly our day-to-day walk with God becomes a kind of chore, boring and almost so “everyday” that it does not even seem special. For me it came it came out in the form of stagnancy for my relationships and schoolwork. When I was not letting God be the living, active force behind everything I was doing, life became unexciting. I was bitter and selfish about being cold, physically and spiritually, and was uninterested in anything new. When I came back from vacation I felt like it was Easter morning for my spirit: because I’d let in the sun, I felt a newness of life, and a readiness to enjoy things again, to walk and play outside. I hope this Lenten season can be more and more about letting God be a part of everything we think and do, dousing our lives in the sunlight of prayer and His word: only then will we experience true joy, whether we’re on the beach or in the snow, and see the true joy the disciples had at the first Easter.

Don Hopkins writes...

noreply@blogger.com (Melanie) — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 16:48:00 +0000

Are not you also one of this man's disciples?Are not you also one of his disciples?Did I not see you in the garden with him?(John 18:17, 25, 26)

These three yes-no questions were faced by Peter after Jesus was arrested and put on trial. His life depended on his response. In various forms his answers were "No" "No" and "No!" Peter's denial always makes me think of the times I have denied that I am a disciple of Jesus. It has never been life-threatening, just inconvenient. I have failed to speak out in defense of a cause or a person that I know for certain that Jesus would have defended. Why do I think it's that important not to offend people? Will they think less highly of me? I sometimes rationalize by thinking that if I stay on their good side, I might be able to change their minds someday. Or perhaps offending them would do more harm than good. Like Peter, I go away feeling guilty and ashamed. Do you love more than these?Do you love me?Do you love me?(John 21:15, 16, 17)

Jesus asked Peter these three yes-no questions after the resurrection. In various forms Peter's answers were "Yes" "Yes" and Yes!" Jesus' response to Peter's "Yes" was a gentle command to feed His lambs and feed His sheep. Jesus didn't tell Peter to atone for his denial by confronting his enemies like a man and get crucified right then and there. He tells him to perform acts of kindness. I am reminded of the song "They'll know we are Christians by our love." Praise God! Jesus gives us a second chance to turn our "No" into a "Yes!" He gives us a third chance, a fourth chance, a ...

Prayer: Loving Father thank you for the power of the resurrection in our lives that turns our "No" into a "Yes." Help us to admit that we are one of Jesus' disciples by our words and by our deeds of love. Amen

Manny Esguerra writes...

noreply@blogger.com (Melanie) — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 18:37:00 +0000

In the Philippine capital city of Manila, large pink road signs warn pedestrians "Walang Tawiran Nakamamatay," or "Don’t cross here - You will die." It’s understandable, given that many Filipino drivers treat lane markings, stop lights, and even curbs as merely suggestions. Despite the warnings, you’ll still see a lot of people crossing the road or even walking among the cars. Some of them are taking the shortest route to their home or to the bus stop. Some, many of them children, are trying to make a few pesos selling candles and cigarettes, or they simply begging.
Our society sets up all kinds of obvious and not-so-obvious boundaries that we can choose to cross or not. I was once in the Hall of Dinosaurs at the American Museum of Natural History and I wanted to get a closer look inside a dinosaur’s mouth, so I climbed up on the little railing. A guard barked at me, "Hey, getoffadere!" My wife Deb still laughs about this, because I was 36 years old when it happened. Apparently I do things like this all the time. When I first moved to Minnesota from the East Coast, I started coaching my daughter’s soccer team. I ran up and down the field with the kids, loudly encouraging them the only way I knew how. When I returned panting to the sidelines, one of the other adults who’d been standing there the whole time remarked, "You’re not from around here, are you?" Deb tells me I have this way of getting so involved in something I love, that I forget and cross some social lines I’m not supposed to.
In his love for all people, Jesus crossed much more serious boundaries. He quietly exposed the hypocrisy of the stone-wielding Pharisees and elders who wanted to stone the adulterous woman; he spoke truth to Pilate’s power.
He paid with his life. What little boundaries are we willing to cross to show our love for Jesus and his message?

Bonnie Eidman writes...

noreply@blogger.com (Melanie) — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 15:49:00 +0000

How Are Decisions Made?

Shortly after Hannah entered kindergarten her mother asked her, “How do you like kindergarten?” Hannah responded, “Rules, Rules, Rules!” Hannah evidently thought that rules would inhibit her freedom of making her own decisions and choices.

God created humans with an advanced brain. But at birth the brain is not fully developed. Thus, children are not capable of making safe, sound, and reasonable decisions. I have recently heard that the frontal lobe, which is the part of the brain that aids us in making decisions, is not fully developed until around the age of 20.

Today’s children are exposed to violence, drugs, immoral behavior at an earlier age than their parents and grandparents. We need role models for our children. The athletics with tattoos covering their back, arms and neck, rock starts singing immoral lyrics, and violent TV shows and movies are making it difficult for the younger generation to make wise decisions.

Parents and grandparents may feel that they are standing alone when teaching their children/grandchildren values, respect and caring for others. The 40 days when Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, was in the wilderness and tempted by the devil, Jesus stayed focus on God. We too will over come our fears of our children’s temptations of following the devil’s path by showing them to stay focus on God.

Let Centennial UMC and Christian families be the role models for our children. Always focus on God.

Bonnie Eidman

Erica Zowghi writes...

noreply@blogger.com (Melanie) — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 19:38:00 +0000

The Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy;

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

I’ve always liked this prayer, and I thought I’d share it, especially because I think it fits nicely with Lent. Although to most Lent means giving something up, most people don’t think of the gain. A couple years ago I gave up television for Lent. The first couple days I went through some withdrawal symptoms (mainly boredom), but then I increased my volunteer hours at the nursing home for people living with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. I would paint the ladies’ nails, take the residents for walks, and play games with them. After Lent ended, I found myself bored with the television, and going over to the nursing home more often to converse with the residents. I never realized during Lent how much I liked their company. I learned that it truly is in giving that we receive.

Donna Kulakowski writes...

noreply@blogger.com (Melanie) — Sun, 11 Mar 2007 20:35:00 +0000

As the Lenten season approached, I wondered what my Lenten task might be. Exercise more, meditiate more, give up chocolate??? Then, on Ash Wednesday, I was presented with the following quote by Leo Tolstoy, " Everyone thinks about changing humanity; nobody thinks about changing themselves". The following sunday, Brian's sermon challenged each of us to figure out "who am I?" Following these two prompts, I decided that maybe my task for this Lenten season was to figure out how I might be changed or renewed during this season.

I have regarded myself as a compassionate person--I am a therapist, it comes with the job. But, several days after Brian's sermon, I met someone who challenged that belief. I left our encounter feeling that I might have nothing to offer this person and that his problems were largely the result of many bad life choices. How could I help? What could I offer? After much reflection, and prayer, I understood God telling me that we had more in common than I had realized, similar struggles, difficulty in changing behavior. I realized that God was telling me that I could help--by being a compassionate presence, not a judging presence--and that by doing this, I might also become closer to God.

So, my prayer for this Lenten season is that God will guide my journey towards being more loving and compassionate, and will continue to present me with opportunities to grow in love and compassion.

A friend shared this story with me. I feel honored to pass it along to you.

A wise woman was teaching a group of children about life. She said, "Inside me there is a terrible fight going on--as though between two wolves. One is anger, envy, greed, sorrow, regret, and ego. the other is joy, peace, love, kindness, serenity, and compassion. And my children, this same fight is going on inside all of you, inside every person, everywhere."

One of the children asked, " Which wolf will win?"

The wise woman replied, "The one you feed".

Love and light,
Donna

Karensa Fischer writes...

noreply@blogger.com (Melanie) — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 17:20:00 +0000

My husband gave me a valentine this year that says "If you want what you have, then you have what you want". Over the past few weeks, this thought has creeped into my mind so many times. Besides the obvious choice of spouse context, this truism is applicable in many areas of daily life. Our media and culture is constantly bombarding us with things we "should" get to make our lives better: a new diet book, a bigger house, a better habit, a new way to relax, a new way to organize, a new way to look at the old way...we can even buy new body parts these days! We do live in overwhelming times.
It becomes increasingly difficult for me to sort out my "needs" from "wants". And then, even more difficult, to sort out my "wants" from the things I "think I want". The one thing that continually runs true for me is that the more I can whittle down my lists of "needs", "wants" and "think I want", the more free I am to enjoy being the person God made me to be. I am more likely to concentrate on the things that matter most when I am not letting myself be bogged down by more stuff, including all the things we want to do and be. Goals are good, but sometimes it's just plain overwhelming! Yes, I want to be healthier...and nicer...and more generous...and a better role model...and more frugal...a better public speaker...more noticeable to employers...and, of course, more dedicated to meditation and prayer....and I need to read more, write more, create more, sleep more, do more. You get the picture. But really it comes down to one thing: loving more. That's do-able. Not easy, but do-able. Sometimes I have to remind myself to "keep it simple, Silly."
So, my suggestion for Lent is that we not only realize that God provides generously for all our needs, but also that He has already provided us with many of our "wants" in that He has made us who we are and that does not include perfection! If we sit down and take stock of what we already have (and are), we probably will find that we really do not "want" for much more. Spiritual growth is important, but sometimes we need to just appreciate where we are in our journey and where we started from. Many of us have so much already. We have family, friends, jobs, a warm bed, and food on our tables (arguably too much food on our tables), but most important of all is that we were given the love of God before we even knew we "wanted" it. Live and love the moment you're in. "If we want what we have, then we have what we want". We are blessed, indeed.

Dwight Peterson writes...

noreply@blogger.com (Melanie) — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 21:01:00 +0000

"See the morning sun ascending, radian in the eastern sky; hear the angel voices blending, in their praise to God on high! Alleluia, Alleluia, Glory be to God on high!" United Methodist Hymnal #674

Radiant or cloudy, the beauty and wonder of God's creation echoes throughout this galaxy in song, word and deed as we dedicate each day as a response to God's call as expressed in Micah 6:8..."He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"

Jesus Christ leads us in a parallel path of radical discipleship. He spoke to the crowd in Galilee, saying "You are the light of the world. A city build on a hill cannot be hid...let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works, and give glory to your Father in heaven." Mathew 5:14

Christ calls us each day to Live his message; to Love as his message says....everyone; and to Follow his message.

Alleluia!

Photo from Manny Esguerra...

noreply@blogger.com (Melanie) — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 21:32:00 +0000

Please see Manny and Deb's reflection posted on March 1st. Manny just emailed me this photo of the clinic they worked at, saying "It shows some of the hundreds of people who lined up for free medical care in the rural province of Bohol."

For today, I think this picture speaks louder than words, as we reflect on being servants of Christ.

-Melanie

Glenda Thors writes...

noreply@blogger.com (Melanie) — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 20:57:00 +0000

Who is this Jesus?

At a teachers’ conference for the Catholic schools I attended a lecture from a St. Johns’ University professor regarding Art and the person of Jesus. During the lecture he showed pictures of Jesus as imagined by artists from different eras of art. It was interesting to note that most of our “pictures of Jesus” were painted by the Italian artists and were therefore painted as if Jesus were an Italian noblemen in ancient garments. There is the painting of Jesus soulfully gazing toward heaven, his fine features and light brown, curling hair giving him an “angelic” appearance. Then, there is the picture of him knocking at the door of one’s heart—looks like the same artist to me. There are the tragic portrayals of Christ on crucifixes. And in the 20th century, more modern images of him show him with darker skin and hair and hair that is more mussed and less elegant.

Some scientists, according to this lecturer, “figured out” what Jesus looked like—the image portrayed was far from the elegant Italian figure. It was closer to the caveman image and definitely would be unacceptable to many church people, even though it is possibly a closer image to what he really looked like. Our friends of color sometimes portray Jesus with very dark skin and the curls of the African. Being that Jesus’ place of origin was where it was, they could be right.

It was an interesting lecture.

In my own spiritual journey, I am more interested in what Jesus was than what He looked like. What charisma did He have that was so compelling that fishermen, without thought of how their families would be sustained, dropped their nets and traveled with him? How could those whose lives were lived on the desolate side of life, the group that readily mocks righteousness and goodness, be so trusting of Him and enjoy His company? Children flocked to be with Him, understanding that He cared deeply for them. Women, ordinarily snubbed and ignored by the men of His time, listened at His feet and sought His power to change their lives.

It would have been interesting to have known the Jesus that came before the last three years of His life—to see Him laughing with family and friends; to see Him carefully crafting a piece of furniture or part of a structure; to watch Him in meditation and prayer with such peace surrounding Him; to see Him playing sports or cuddling the newest baby in the family. I like to think of that Jesus. Sometimes the Jesus in the New Testament is so intense, as He had to be to get out His message and suffer the death He suffered.

My favorite pictures of Jesus were by a young artist who did pencil drawings of Jesus with babies, children, and teens, smiling and laughing with them and listening to them. Would that we could see the loving, gentle, sparkling Jesus as He was with children—perhaps it would be easier to understand the great love He has for us.

Wendy Lucas writes...

noreply@blogger.com (Melanie) — Sun, 04 Mar 2007 17:58:00 +0000

On one of the women’s retreats sponsored by our church, we made prayer books. Here’s a prayer I wrote for my book; may it help your mornings as it has helped mine.

Morning Prayer

Higher Power
Gently, warmly move me.
Shower me.
Cleanse me.
Wrap me up.
Bless my head.
Whisper in my ear.
Gently care for mother’s voice;
envelop her with soft white wings
as she beats, harps, screams.
Keep her safe as you guide me in daily choices.
Help me do, complete, accept.
Gentle goals.
Noticing all with clear heart.
Guide me home.
Help me stay present with loved ones
and move ever closer.
Amen.

Wendy Lucas