Forsaking All Others?

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

All peace treaties are divine possibilities.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

Time flies. Fortunately, I am having fun. I hope you are, too. With the weight of the cosmos on you, I wonder about that – you having fun. But I suppose you like challenges. I get the sense that we humans are a major challenge for you, so proud of our independence and all. I hope you get some enjoyment from us.
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“Oh, didn’t I tell you Mom, I’m going on the road with these 12 guys… That’s right, just guys.”

[First Gay Pride Parade? No, He never said this.]

D. Blog: Tuesday Haiku

Has there been a saint
Whose love for God
Required forsaking all others?

Sainthood's Dark Complement

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

How come I never heard the church say “Save another Commie for Christ”?

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

“The future looks grim.”
“The future looks bright.”

Could both be true?

I might decide to eat, drink and be merry.
I might decide to follow the bright path.

Yeah. That one.
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“Do you sell cranberries? I hear they’re the super-fruit, far better than figs or grapes.”

[Not what He said when He shopped at the Save-way.]

D. Blog: On Sainthood

So, what we call sainthood comes about when societies lack the will to exercise compassion enough to correct injustice?

So, if societies took care of their poorer members, we’d have no reason to designate individual saints?

So, societies and their religions create saints because they don’t take care of their neighbors?

I think I get it. When the saints go marching in, a lot of us will watch the parade…

God as Grave Robber

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

My citizenship is not limited to any nation.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

You’re a grave robber; you empty tombs. You cannot be said to honor places of the dead, for you overcome death with life. You mark graves with flowers, then you take from them everything of value. Perhaps it is better to say that you take what is valuable from the dead before death realizes it has an empty victory. You frustrate death, which ends one kind of life but cannot compete with you when it comes to eternal life. From the nothingness of death into the fullness of life is your obsession, what you do just because you’re you. I salute you, you who rob from death and give to life.
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“I take it back.”

[What He did not say on innumerable occasions. After healings, for instance, or in disputes with authorities, or the sermon on the mount…]

D. Blog: Sowing Seeds

I can certainly identify with the sower in Jesus’ parable. It seems I toss seeds about me wherever I go, whenever I write, whenever I share a photograph or an idea. A few take seeds root and flourish. Most do not. But there came to me a new insight (a seed from elsewhere). Neither the sower nor I concern ourselves with a harvest. The task is to sow. We trust the Holy One will tend to the growth and the harvest. And that’s great; it relieves a burden from our shoulders. The growth and harvest are God’s responsibility. The sowing is good enough for me.

As God Is My Witness

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

“I only ask for what the angels promised: Peace on Earth.” – Lawrence, age 13

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

You see it all, the good, the bad, and the ugly.
You see it all, our successes and failures, our moral strength and our moral weakness.
You see it all, our wisdom and our stupidity.
You see it all, how we learn and how we refuse to learn.
You see it all, when we seek your way and when we run away.
You see it all, and you do not turn away.
You bear witness in hope that we can see, too.
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“Here, guys. See how many of these WWMD bracelets you can sell to this crowd. Having the What Would Moses Do? reminder might help people apply the 10 commandments in their lives, instead of just admiring the tablets in the synagogue.”

[It didn’t turn out that way, and He never said it.]

D. Blog: Earth Can Live Without…

5. Styrofoam

4. News-tainment

3. Strip mining

2. Clear-cutting

1. Ozone depletion

It's in the Bag

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

War destroys far more than it protects or preserves.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

I think I gave it to you willingly, without reservation or condition. It is yours to keep, no matter whether occasional doubts and questions arise. Those are no threat to our relationship; they simply make it more interesting and exciting. My soul is yours to keep. I trust you to keep it safe. You will not misplace it or lose it, trade it or sell it. You will not put it on display as an object in a collection. You will treasure it as something precious to which you relate, something like a parent whose child comes of age and enjoys being with its parents. You respect it for its history and its future. You embrace it as a part of your being. Keeper of my soul, there is nothing better I could have done than to give it to you.
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“Blessed are those who kill people to proclaim the sacredness of life.”

[Sorry, doctor killers, He never said it.]

D. Blog: It’s In the Bag??

[Thanks to idiomsite.com]

"In the bag. Meaning 'secured'.

This idiom Originated in Great Britain when a bag was placed under the Speaker's chair. If there was a petition that was 'put in the bag' then it must be raised on that day."

[A public insurance option soon in the bag, perhaps?]

Hoisted

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

The peaceful you will always have with you.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

With you we experience warmth and love.
With you we find shelter.
To you we return for comfort and renewal.
With you we know care and encouragement.
With your support we venture out among friends and strangers.
From you we take courage to try new things, to stretch the limits of what we can do.
You provide us with a sense of worth, the knowledge that we can contribute to the community around us.
In you we enjoy simple pleasures and joyous celebrations.
You are the base that forms our identity.
You watch our goings out and our comings in.
In you our lives are secure.
Amen.

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“You underestimate my value, Judas.”

[Yes, Judas did. But Jesus didn’t say so.]

D. Blog: Un-funny, Sanford

Gov. Mark Sanford (R, SC) made a reputation among conservatives during the Clinton impeachment proceedings over sexual improprieties with an intern. Now he admits to wandering away from his job for five days without notifying anyone he would be out of the country, without appointing anyone to be head of the state while he was gone, without telling his wife he was taking a cruise with his mistress.

I don’t know what to call such behavior. Stupid? Unfaithful? Hypocritical? Hoisting himself on his own petard? Wander-lust? Irresponsible?

His wife apparently thinks it was an impeachable offense in terms of their marriage. Interesting to see whether the people of South Carolina also feel betrayed…

Questions, I Have Questions

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

He offers the world peace.
So He must die.
So He lives.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

I respect the fact that you died horribly and that it was on some level “for us.” But I don’t dwell on that, for I know the rest of the story – that you now live for us. That is so much more motivating. May you live well and prosper in us.
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“A bit of Light each day will take care of your SAD, Martha.”

[Not what He told her when she complained about Mary not helping in the kitchen.]

D. Blog: Wondering…

- Don’t “creationists” give God too little credit for creation?

- At what point do those who claim to be full of the spirit seem to just be lettin off a lot of hot air?

- Who can argue against modern capitalism being a monument to greed? (It has little relationship to what Adam Smith envisioned.)

- What are the hidden costs involved in “free trade”?

Hand Me My Crutch

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

Any alien life form must be alienated upon observing our warring behavior.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

Critics of religion have called you a crutch for the weak. Who among us does not limp without you? Who among us does not have weakness? Not that you become an excuse, but you are what you are to us – a support and encouragement. We do lean upon you. You make us more secure on our walk. We do not deny our responsibility, but we know we cannot fulfill it without your help. You make us whole.
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“Martha, how do I steer this broom?”

[He never got the hang of flying, but He never said this.]

D. Blog: Tuesday Haiku

How many saints,
How many geniuses
Have died on war’s altar?

Cosmic (not cosmetic) Beauty

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

Mother, may I? – Take a giant step for peace?

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

In my opinion, you have much better things to do than to count the hairs on my head. As far as I’m concerned, you needn’t bother with that sort of micromanagement. My sense of your caring does not depend on such an extreme degree of personal attention. Counting heads will do, thank you.
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“I didn’t mean that.”

[If He could speak with Bible thumpers, maybe. But it’s not recorded.]

D. Blog: Beauty

In recent years, astronomers have made available photographs taken by phenomenal space camera technology. The pictures are fantastically beautiful shots of distant galaxies. One wonder among many is that they can take such photographs. More wondrous is the beauty in the swirling galaxies. That such beauty is built into the structure of the vast reaches of space counts as another wonder. Beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder, but credit for the beauty goes to the artist, not the observer. That the life force shapes things of beauty, large and small, leaves the impression that was expressed by the Genesis writer: It is very good!

Jesus as Goalie

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

People once believed the gods made war in the divine realm. Now many people believe God sanctions wars on Earth. In the future, people will believe wars occur only in hell.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

When they wanted a healer, you healed.
When they wanted a teacher, you taught.
When they wanted a prophet, you prophesied.
When they wanted a hero, you just looked the part.
When they wanted a sacrifice, you accepted a cross.
We want life, joy, hope, peace.
You deliver.
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“I like playing goalie so I can make a lot of saves.”

[No, He didn’t play hockey, or soccer, or lacrosse, or …]

D. Blog: Civilization? Who needs it?

It’s difficult to locate civilization in the US. We’ve been too busy borrowing or destroying them and have paid too little attention to creating one of our own. We have focused more on profiteering and turning a profit rather than turning civilized.

Who Needs Them?

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

Peace requires a mature perspective on life and relationships. Childish tantrums do not agree with peace, and should be treated as what they are – immature, selfish behavior.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

You provide stability and security. In your shadow we find rest. You are strength and protection, a shelter from life’s storms.

You have been all of this for ages. So I think I understand the image. However, I wonder whether we overdo it with the stress on your age. For while you go back a long way and you’ve witnessed everything we humans have done, as the eternal one you also have an ever-new quality. Just as you bring newness all the time, you are new to us. You never become “old” to us. You do not permit stale to attach to you. The opposite of stale, you are hip. You welcome the new. You rock.
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“Who says the science behind global warming is flawed?”

[He said something about reading the signs of the weather, but this wasn’t it.]

D. Blog: Things Earth Can Live Without

5. Toy guns
4. Hair gel
3. “Survivor”
2. SUVs
1. War

Soundbite = Claptrap?

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

Peace floats. Join the parade.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

For such a death as this, we ask your pardon.
For such a word as forgive, we listen in wonder.
For such pain as this, we cringe.
For such a time as this, we pray for hope.
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“Rambo is my hero. I’ll bet he could even take Samson, the first super-hero.”

[He was an ultimate fighter, but He didn’t say this.]

D. Blog: Word of the Week – “claptrap”

[Thanks to answers.com]

Pretentious, insincere, or empty language: “I hate … that air/Of claptrap, which your recent poets prize” (Byron).

[Obsolete: claptrap, a theatrical trick to win applause : CLAP + TRAP.]

Pretentious, pompous speech or writing: bombast, fustian, grandiloquence, magniloquence, orotundity, rant, turgidity.

Something that does not have or make sense: balderdash, blather, bunkum, drivel, garbage, idiocy, nonsense, piffle, poppycock, rigmarole, rubbish, tomfoolery, trash, twaddle.

Informal: tommyrot.
Slang: applesauce, baloney, bilge, bull, bunk, crap, hooey, malarkey.

[Does it strike you, as it does me, that we have a lot of unusual words for this phenomenon? I'd like to add "soundbite" to the list. -- And, I wonder how applesauce got in there...]

God as Recycler

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

It amazes me that so many people choose the terrors of war over the promises of peace.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

You are the ultimate recycler, not only in nature, but also among humans. You take worn out, misguided, depraved people and make good use of them. You see bitter and cynical people and pull love and idealistic visions from them. You enlist physically handicapped and emotionally disturbed and mentally unhinged sufferers and train them to be agents for your cause. You find the lost, lift up the oppressed, and encourage the hopeless so they march with you on the road to justice and mercy. You restore the abandoned and outcast so they become part of your community. You even have room for the proud and haughty when the recover their sense of balance. You leave none behind who want to join you, for all have a place at your banquet table.
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“One of Herod’s true successors will be a man named Chain-ey.”

[Might seem like it, but He never said it.]

D. Blog: New Birth

Too many people are playing roles they were taught as children, rather than being themselves…
- Princess
- Patriot
- Scholar
- Warrior
- Joker
- Rebel without a cause
- Center of attention
- Failure
- Mr. or Ms. Nice Person
- etc.

It takes a lot of grace, a lot of love, to discover and accept and claim who we are, dropping the masks and costumes, forgetting about the lines we were given and speaking our own truth. This, too, is a kind of new birth. I celebrate it when I see it in my mother, in my children, and in myself.

Calling the Peace Roll

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

When the roll for peacemakers is called, I’ll say “present.”

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

Everywhere I look, you!
You’re amazing!
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“I’ll call you friends even though you don’t do as I tell you.”

[That’s not how it’s recorded in the Gospel.]

D. Blog: Wondering…

- Does Rush know he has a log in his eye?

- How far to the right can you go before you go over the edge?

- Who was Jesus’ undertaker, and was he a failure?

- If Jesus did not die for His country, why do so many of His followers think it’s good to do so?

The Peace Corps: Be All You Can Be

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

We don’t hear much about the Peace Corps these days. Too bad.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

The traditional Christian marriage vows could apply to your relationship with us quite well. As the book of Job showed, you remain our God no matter what our circumstance may be. You remain our God when some want to turn from you in their despair. You remain our God when some want to turn from you because of their good fortune. You remain our God when some would turn from you in the face of death or loss. You remain our God even when death would part us, because it cannot.
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“All I wanna do is have some fun.”

[Not what He said to Caiaphas.]

D. Blog: Tuesday Haiku

Has there ever been a saint
Who had no love for the world?
I think not.

Presuming Too Much

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

At the next corner, turn toward peace.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

How presumptuous of us to think we could “save” someone’s soul. That is absolutely your domain. You preserve soul-ness. Soul is the essence of who we are, the connecting “stuff” between us and you. On the level of soul, we are in constant contact with you. On that level you shape us in your image, make us more real, authentic human beings of substance, grace and compassion.

You send us the experiences and relationships that are nourishing sould food. We digest it and grow soul-ful. The product of soul is precious to you and you cannot allow it to go to waste. The collection of soul s the bed wherein grows the love that makes the world go ‘roun and helps power the universe. You’re the one who knows sould, the expert in that priceless, elemental, invisible essence of being.

It is reassuring to know you know its true worth. My soul hungers and you feed it. Glory be!
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“That Samaritan adulteress I met at the well demonstrates more spiritual enlightenment than you guys do, Peter.”

[Not exactly what He said to the guys – something like it, perhaps.]

D. Blog: Scatterer of the Proud

Lessons in humility hit hard with some people. If we think too highly of ourselves, jokes at our expense can be especially hard to take. In biblical texts, God is said to scatter a people that is proud and haughty, a nation that thinks itself above reproach, a nation that thinks it stands ever on the moral high ground, a nation that assumes it has divine favor in whatever it does. Such presumption, such self-absorption, such price lead to a fall, says the oft-cited verse. It fits precisely with the claim to the knowledge of good and evil. It fits with the assumption that we are granted power to judge the two in all cases. It fits with having eaten the forbidden fruit from that particular tree in the story of the Garden of Eden.

I’ve drawn my comparisons in recent history. How about you?

Word Power

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

In a time of war, all hopes turn to peace.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

You speak and worlds are created. You utter a sound and a big bang comes forth. You speak and people listen. You speak for us all. You are the speaker of the house of humanity.

You spoke the word at the beginning, the word that became flesh and dwelt here on Earth among and for humans. You spoke through Him and others so we could learn about you and your ways.

You continue to speak with authority born of absolute knowledge and uncoditional love. You speak to an audience of waiting humans, bound to listen because we know we lack knowledge and we lack love. We heed your voice because you speak for the living and for the dead. You speak and it is so. We’re all ears.
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“Touchdown!”

[Not what He said when He stepped out of the tomb.]


D. Blog: Androgynous Pronouns

A friend wonders why we don’t have androgynous pronouns to use when we speak of the Holy One (God). I thought about it. We should have them. If I could control the English language, here’s what I would propose to fill this need:

Bie (pronounced “Be”).
a. This would replace he/she.
b. The “B” because it refers to one who carries Both female and male characteristics. Likewise adding the “I”, which also helps distinguish it from the common verb, to “be”
c. “Be” pronunciation, nevertheless, because it suggests living, being, aliveness, existence.
d. The “e” because our current subjective personal pronouns end with that letter, so we carry it on into the androgynous subjective pronoun.

Bwu.
a. This would replace her/him.
b. The “B” for the same b. reason listed above.
c. The “u” carries on the ending for “you” and “thou’ in the objective pronouns.
d. Making the Holy One an object, as with an objective personal pronoun, is not something we can do lightly, so I suggest this three-letter combination that is not natural in the English language.

Bos.
a. This would replace his/hers, the possessive personal pronoun.
b. The “B” again for the reason listed above.
c. The “S” picks up the usual possessive indicator.
d. The “O” is neither the “e” from the feminine possessive nor the “I” from the masculine (nor from the neuter). “O” also suggests an inclusive circle, thus indicating the all encompassing character and all-possessing claim of Divinity.

There you are. Pronouns to suit the Divinity. You can help fulfill my friend’s wish by using them.

Opiate God

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

As long as there are children, the dream of peace will live.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One, Opiate of the People?

Marx actually said it of religion, not of you specifically. But my guess is he would have said the same of you. In some ways it fits: you can be addictive, you provide comfort, and you help us cope with our troubles.

But you do not provide an escape from reality. You help us to see reality more clearly, put us in touch with reality beyond superficial forms. With you, we are not starved of nutrients that sustain our spirits; instead, you supply those things without which we cannot be fully human.

Getting a fix of you also requires no outlay of cash; you are readily available to us. With this positive spin on the phrase, I have no problem applying it to you. I wish more people could be addicted.
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“Confidentially, James, I think Aunt Elizabeth must have dropped Cousin John on his head a time or two. I mean, locusts and wild honey? Does he think he’s a bear?”

[Poor John… But Jesus never said this.]

D. Blog: Five More Things Earth Can Live Without

5. Violent video games
4. Child pornography
3. Battery powered toys
2. Electric air fresheners
1. NASCAR

Word of the Week: Kakistocracy

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

Try peace; you might like it.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One, Freedom Giver,

You are free as a matter of course. Nothing can bind you. Made in your image, we yearn for freedom by our very nature.

It astounds me sometimes that you support our freedom enough that you grant us freedom to fail. But that freedom for us presents the same freedom to you; our failure is in a way yours as well. Our freedom to fail grants you the same freedom. For us, freedom to fail seems only natural; for you it seems, from our perspective, like a major step, for you are God.

In addition to giving freedom, you must also love freedom. Its limitation by tyrant, by law, by fear, by need, by sin, by religion – all are contrary to your hope for us. Your trust in us is amazing.
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“’Til death do us part. After that, Mary, who knows?”

[Lots of speculation and fantasizing, but no record that He ever said it.]

D. Blog: Word of the Week – “kakistocracy”

1829, "government by the worst element of a society," coined on analogy of aristocracy from Gk. kakistos "worst," superl. of kakos "bad" (which is perhaps related to the general early English word for "defecate") + -kratia "rule of," from kratos "strength, power, rule"

[There seems to be an ongoing contest to deserve this term, but no one I know has been applying it…]

Buying Local?

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

With world peace on the list of top 10 wishes of almost everyone on the planet, why not make it happen?

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

You seem to have a lot of faith in us. You entrusted us with your creation and enough intelligence to make a mess of things on Earth. Have you also given us the intelligence necessary to clean up the mess?

You entrusted us with power to destroy most life on Earth. Have you also given us the heart necessary to restrain that power?

You gave us a hunger for the good things of life and a thirst for rich experiences. Have you also given us an equal hunger and thirst for righteousness, justice and peace, lest we become unhealthy with our broad experience?
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“It is true that I’m merciful, but not so much as to forgive those physically healthy but morally handicapped folks who park their carts in spaces reserved for the physically handicapped.”

[I agree with the sentiment, of course, but He didn’t say it.]

D. Blog: Buying Local?



I passed by this roadside stand...

Quoting Scripture

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

Light one candle for peace.
Light two candles for peace.
Light three candles for peace.
Bathe in their glow.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

You are the source of all artistic urges. You inspire the muses who in turn inspire our creativity.

When I see a well-acted scene in a drama, I see evidence of you. When I hear a monologue with the ring of truth in it, I know that you, too, have spoken. When I see a painting that moves me, I know you are the force behind the moving. When I read a poem or story or article that touches me in some way, I know it is your Word alive in the words. When I hear a song that makes me want to sing along, I suspect you hummed that tune into the songwriter’s ear.

That you lend some of this power to us is a blessing. That you continue to try to inspire us is an even greater blessing. I’m grateful that you know how to reach our hearts.
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“Oh, never mind.”

[Not what He said at the end of the Sermon on the Mount.]

D. Blog: Quoting Scripture

The widow of a Southern Baptist preacher marveled at her former husband’s ability to quote scripture on almost any topic. But then, after his death, she privately shared her conclusion that he never had an original thought.

God as Weaver

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

You’ll have to start your next war without me. Give me a call when you get serious about making peace.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

You weave together a cloth of community that provides beauty and practicality in clothing, rug and tapestry. For that to become something that endures, you need people of different colors and different strengths. I feel my life is greater when I am part of one of your diverse tapestries. In it I can feel strong, beautiful and part of something important. You include all those who make themselves available for your weavings. Your weavings inspire observers to want to become part of similar creations of yours. Weave us into a thing of beauty, grace and strength.
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“I swear, Peter, you can’t walk and chew gum at the same time. Spit out the gum and come over here.”

[Not what Jesus said when Peter couldn’t stand on the water.]

D. Blog: Tuesday Haiku

Has there ever been a saint
Who did nothing to help the poor?
Of course not!

Anybody Got a Clue?

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

Peace has fallen through the cracks -- and the safety net of our national budget.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

You are before the beginning and after the ending. You are the soil in which things grow, the dust to which they return. At the start, you nourish and invigorate. At the end, you receive and remember. The beginning is a coming out party; the ending is a celebration of achievement and remembrance. Both are occasions of joy. Say hello. Say goodbye. Carry on.
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“I say it was Professor Plum in the library with a chainsaw.”

[He didn’t have a Clue, did He?]

D. Blog: Medical Insurance Questions

- When 25% of the nation’s population has no health care insurance, what does national security or a threat to national security mean?

- Have insurance companies and the insurance “industry” lobby sold their birthright by seeking profit more than helping provide good medical care to the public?

- About 3,000 people were killed in the terrorist attacks of 9/11/2001. More than 4,000 US military persons have died in Iraq since 2003. In that same time period, approximately 150,000 US citizens have died in the “secured” homeland because they had no health insurance. Hello, Congress, is anybody there?

- So, those 30,000 unnecessary deaths each year are unfortunate collateral damage in the war against universal health care, right?

Odd, What Happens with Our Taxes

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

We allow our taxes to kill strangers in other countries, but don’t want our taxes to give citizens in this country a decent life. Go figure.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

Because you are more than we can imagine, we honor you.
Because you create a universe of diverse and numberless possibilities, we honor you.
Because there is none other like you, we honor you.
Because you encompass all love, compassion, justice and peace, we honor you.
Because you lift the downtrodden, free the oppressed and heal the sick, we honor you.
Because you save us from death and protect us from deadly enemies, we honor you.
Because you inspire us with the life and teaching, death and resurrection of Jesus, we honor you.
Because you surround us with people who love and care for us, we honor you.
Because without you life would have no life, we honor you.
Because you provide us with hope, assurance and purpose, we honor you.
Because the world and our lives in it look beautiful with you, we honor you.
Because you are over, under and within all, we honor you.
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“You, Peter? Why shouldn’t I marry this woman? What’s it got to do with your peace?”

[Peter might not have held his peace, but Jesus didn't say this.]

D. Blog: Spice

Too much rain makes us appreciate sunshine.
Too much sunshine makes us appreciate rain.
Too many clouds in the sky make us appreciate blue sky.
Too much blue sky makes us long for clouds.

Just another testimony to the truth: variety is the spice of life.

Saints Depend on Sin

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

My contract with government contains nothing that requires me to kill other people. My contract with God requires that I not kill other people.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

You leave clues for us to find so we will trace them back to you.
You fill our lives with mini-mysteries (a book lying in the street, a newspaper marked at a particular article, a woman crying in a subway car) so we retain our alertness and interest in life as we experience it day by day.
You give us an open future, inviting us to find it overflowing with wonders.
You prompt our imaginations to speculate about the great unknown that lies beyond death.
Faced by this multitude of mysteries, I am led to adopt a stance of faith, that as the author of mystery, you know how it all resolves. Well.
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“Sure, she’s a saint. But why perpetuate the horrible conditions that required her to be a saint to the dying? Now she’s a dead saint and the people she cared for are still dying because of those same horrible conditions.”

[He could have been talking about any “Good Samaritan.” We turn them into saints rather than correct the conditions. But He never said this.]

D. Blog: Five More Things Earth Can Live Without

5. The Deadly Seven (sins)

4. Acid Rain

3. The NRA

2. Granite countertops

1. A “World Record for the Largest Custard Pie Fight”
[There is such a thing!!! How about calling it the “stupidest way to waste tasty food when millions of people are hungry”?]

Goin' to a Shindig

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

An old man recalls the glory of his youth, when he fought for freedom and for democracy. During the war, he was a pacifist.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

Like a loving Mother, you raise me up to more than I can be. You alone.
Like a loving Mother, you provide more than I need to enjoy life. You alone.
Like a loving Mother, you fill me with good food, good things, good people, good experience. You alone.
Like a loving Mother, you bless my soul with your very presence. You alone.
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“If I can get this kite in the air, Benjamin, I’ll show you a Light-ning trick.”

[You think all He did during storms was walk on water? No way! But He never said this.]

D. Blog: Word of the Week – Shindig

[Thanks to brownielocks.com]

Maggie Valley, NC (just over the hill from us) is the Square Dance capital of the world. The word comes from the fact that many rookies who try to square dance end up swinging their feet wildly, often digging into the shins of their partners or other dancers. So any dancing event that leaves marks on its participants gets the name shindig.

[My new excuse for not dancing; I don't like hurting other people.]

Susan Boyle and Beauty

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

Peace is always welcome at our house.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One, Conceiver,

Your creative, life-forming eggs spill out into a limitless universe. You are the ever-fertile source of ideas and images and entities. From you, life springs forth and finds a place in the world. You make use of human brains and bodies to multiple and fill this Earth. I am in awe of your conception. No wonder there is the universal image of Mother Goddess. The DNA matches.
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“A celibate priesthood would be a way to reduce sexual abuse of women by priests. On the other hand...”

[Nice idea, but then… And He never authorized it.]

D. Blog: Wondering…

- I wonder: does anybody else see an unholy trinity in Dick, Rush, and Holy Newt!?

- I wonder: whose idea was it to turn television into a 24-hour box of junk ads in every home?

- I wonder: if LeBron, Kobe and Dwight are such basketball superstars, how come none of their teams have won the championship in more than five years?

- I wonder: if Susan Boyle fit our notions of beauty, would the media have hounded her into psychiatric care?

Asheville Crime Wave Continues

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

A pacifist transforms anger into constructive action.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

You make life interesting with all the surprises you send our way. I’m not always good at responding to surprises, but I hope you keep sending them my way. I enjoy the way they shake me free from the little routines I fall into. I like the unexpected graces carried by a phone call, an invitation, a graduation announcement, a rainbow, an exceptional act of kindness, a song that touches my soul, a friendly face or hello in a crowd, a spur-of-the-moment visit or outing. They all help remind me that you send us joy in a multitude of gifts. They surprise me, but I’m now accustomed to being surprised by you.
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“Your wife is a beautiful woman, Pilate.”

[If He said it, then Pilate obviously took it the wrong way. But He never said it.]

D. Blog: Crime in Asheville – Too much

ASHEVILLE — Police say an Asheville woman stole a fifth of Bacardi Gold rum from an ABC store. Meloney Ann Killion, 26, charged with misdemeanor larceny and released on a written promise to appear in court, according to a warrant served Tuesday. The liquor was valued at $13.95. Killion also was charged with defrauding an innkeeper.

[No room, I guess.]

N Mark Corbin Christy, 21, of Waynesville, charged with breaking and entering and larceny. According to the arrest warrant, Christy broke into a building and stole a video game system. His bond was set at $2,000.

[“I was just playing around, judge.”]

--Asheville Citizen-Times, June 3, 2009

Faith in a "Recession"

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

To a homeless person, being given a bowl of soup can be an act of peacemaking.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

Your tears fill the oceans as you see the pain and misery suffered by your children. You cry in agony for the ways we slaughter each other, whether in war or interpersonal conflict or random acts of violence. Cain and Abel were mere symbols of our deadly sibling rivalries. If we could see your face, I’m sure it would reflect the torment of grieving for your many losses. A beloved son crucified, humanity slain with impunity. Jesus said “blessed are those who mourn,” and that includes you. You shall know joy. May we be among those who bring you joy.
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“Personally, I always put my faith in a free market economy.”

[That might be in corporate America’s bible, but He never said it.]

D. Blog: Tuesday Haiku

Wonder… Appreciation… Thanks…
For being here
What a treat it is!

Crime and Embarrassment?

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

Those whose bombs kill children deserve no name but murderers. We can forget talk and celebration about warriors or heroes or liberators or defenders of freedom unless we also talk about murderers.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

Some educated people have declared Christ dead. Foolishness.
Some people of the utmost degrees declare you are dead. Foolishness.
Has love died?
Has hope died?
Has art died?
Has beauty died?
Has joy died?
They will outlast any certificates of death, for they are of your spirit, surviving beyond the exaggerated reports of their demise.
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“I asked Dad, but He never gave me an answer. So, what should I do, Mom?”

[It happened in my youth, why not His? – Perhaps, but the question would not have been in English.]

D. Blog: Crime and Embarrassment?

Two Target employees were charged with embezzling two picture frames, two totes and salt and pepper shakers from the store. Serena Michelle Corbin, 22, of Candler, and Jennifer Lynn Wilson, 30, of Asheville, were both released under written promise to appear in court Monday. – Asheville Citizen-Times, May 30, 2009