Rambling is Good for the Soul

TIME: Passion

The one thing that all of the people in Time’s December 26 issue had in common was passion. People walked into situations where they could have felt pity (or fear) but instead felt anger at the system and wanted to do something about it.

One of the best paragraphs comes from the introduction of Bono, Melinda, and Bill:
“This is not about pity. It’s more about passion. Pity sees suffering and wants to ease the pain; passion sees injustice and wants to settle the score. Pity implores the powerful to pay attention; passion warns them about what will happen if they don’t. the risk of pity is that it kills with kindness; the promise of passion is that it builds on the hope that the poor are fully capable of helping themselves if given the chance. In 2005 the world’s poor needed no more condolences; they needed people to get interested, get mad, and then get to work” (45).

What will you be passionate about in 2006? What will you do with that passion?

TIME: Reconciliation

The “Partners of the Year” can also serve as a power example of reconciliation for the US and the world. This idea struck me while reading the interviews and story in the December 26 issue of Time. I had heard about their travels and the good work that they were doing, but had not spent much time reflecting on it…

But they are men from the opposite spectrum coming together to make a difference in the world – to point out issues and help people get the help that they need. I think that this example is a great one for the people of the United States who have been spending an awful lot of time in separate camps. It’s not about “can’t we all just get along?” but about making alliances with people who used to be our enemies. It’s about coming back to say, “I have been hurt by you in the past, but we can make a difference in our world.” It’s about apologizing for the past – those things done wrong to us and the wrong that we have done – and choosing to live differently.

I have had the opportunity for reconciliation recently – a long standing separation with a long time friend. I also look forward to an opportunity to reconcile with another person with whom I’ve lost contact.

But the anger that I hold against these people doesn’t do me or others any good.

My Christmas...

Jen had this up...
My only complaint is that they missed "going to church" on Christmas Eve...hmm....

Your Christmas is Most Like: A Charlie Brown Christmas

Each year, you really get into the spirit of Christmas. Which is much more important to you than nifty presents.

TIME: Power

Power is a tricky issue that is dealt with most often in the political sphere, but can also be found in the church. Time (December 26, 2005) spent many pages talking about the power that people have and how they use it – sometimes to the detriment of others, but often times to the benefit of the world. The “Partners of the Year” are George Bush and Bill Clinton for the work that they have been doing in, what started as, disaster relief. They have enormous amounts of power even out of office. They are able to make things happen and get things moving and create results. I understand that this is after years of hard work and making connections and keeping in contact with people. It’s all part of the political game.

People in the church have power. How do we use the power and not be embarrassed by it? Several people were talking recently about the power that people in the church could claim – if they would just reach out and claim it. There seems to be an aversion to claiming that one has power. This is seen in lay people and in clergy – women and men. It seems that if one is a Christian, one doesn’t have power.

Over the last year, I have worked hard to claim power as a woman priest. I know that there are points when I should claim this power in order to begin change and I also need to treat this power carefully. I believe that I should use my power to help change things for the better for people. I need to help systems become healthy, help people feel comfortable, and encourage others to make change.

What power do you have and how are you using it?

Arizona on Christmas

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Well – the trip across Arizona has been great. Beautiful as always – and warm… Which means that it doesn’t seem like Christmas at all. Mom and I flew into Phoenix and then drove down to Tucson. We actually drove over to Deming, New Mexico for a couple of days – another of my mother’s relatives. We attended services at St. Luke’s. There seems to be no official web site, but I did find this site that has some really interesting information. It seems to be out of date, based on the experience I had last night. Very cute little church with a very nice visiting priest - they are currently led by a lay vicar. I'd like to ask him more about how that it working for him. Mom and I are going back for the service at 10:30 am.

We’ll be headed back to AZ tomorrow…the mountains first, and then back to Phoenix. Then back to the cold on Thursday.

Hope that you’re having a wonderful day!

TIME: Celebrity

So – Bono is out to save the world. He has the money, he has the audience (thanks to U2’s continued support of his work), and he is getting the contacts together to make a change. Angelina Jolie is working on saving the world. She has the money and the power to travel and bring light to some of the darkness in the world.

Time calls this last year the “Year of Charitainment” (93): the year where a bunch of celebrities picked and issue and started doing something. James Poniewozik writes the two pages that point out how hard it is to know which issue to pick to support – natural disasters, medical issues, hunger, clean water. And we can easily look at the celebrities and scoff at their work, “Why would they pick that one over all the other issues.” But Poniewozik says that we may see the celebrity as ridiculous, but only because we also are. “She has reminded us that we spend so much time on trivia that we ignore the matters of life and death to other people” (94). Yes, the star mags all have the info, but we sit around and read it…

Of course, I’m not saying “throw out all entertainment and work all the time.” I think that it’s another opportunity to look at balance in our lives. As I look at how I’m spending my time, do I think that it is a good way to do it? (Personally, I spend a lot of time watching movies because I like them - they are great entertainment.)

I think that celebrity brings with it a lot of power and for those who get famous quickly with little work, they have a harder time dealing with that. But those who can use the power for good can make a lasting change in how things are done.

But the question for the less famous – to whom will we listen? What are celebrities saying to us about being involved and helping with change?

TIME: Saving the World

Time, December 26, highlights the Persons of the Year: Bono, Melinda and Bill Gates. An amazing issue that highlights the many issues that these three have been working on addressing. World health is such a huge problem and people have continued to be overwhelmed at considering a solution for it. There is a comment about how Melinda and Bill could be the ones to save the world. While I don’t use or appreciate Bill’s work in the computer world, I do greatly admire the work that Melinda and Bill are doing and the passion that they bring to helping people. They seem to make a balanced team to address the complexity of the various situations with press, foreign powers, and the poor that they visit.

All of my life I have wanted to save the world. It’s a long-standing issue – at which many of you will not be shocked. Over time, I have started to get over it – people telling me that it can never be done, trying to say that it’s too much stress or too much work or just impossible. One person can do a small part that is good – but nothing so grand as saving the world. So, I’ve found ways to help people near me and support organizations that are doing good work.

The last Sunday of the term (Dec. 4), I preached on imagination. I talked about how Advent is a time of waiting – and when we can sit and be quiet, invite the Holy Spirit in to inspire us, our imaginations can run wild. In these times, we can imagine amazing things – things that might be miracles or things that can change the world. Mary could imagine the fulfillment of God’s promise, and so carried God into the world. I encouraged the students to use the last 2 weeks of Advent (the first two weeks were filled with reading week and finals) to take time off and let their imaginations run – to be inspired to find solutions to the world’s problems – AIDS, environmental damange, homelessness, hunger. In that moment of making a list, I was inspired by the Holy Spirit – that any of the people sitting in the congregation could have the answers to these questions…

And then I wonder if I should give up my dream of saving the world. How am I called to imagine a different future? Bill, Melinda, and Bono are doing it now. Yes, the have star power and celebrity, and a whole lot of money. But I have passion and drive and perhaps a calling. What I am going to do with it?

How will you save the world?

Time: Big Issues

Blogging has been a bit sporadic lately – due to some travel and being distracted. I’m now on the way to Arizona for a week of visiting more relatives. I hope to do a series of posts based on the December 26, 2005 issue of Time. There are several things that were of interest to me and made me want to write and process some of the information. I hope that you’ll read and respond – where are you at with these things?

Homeless Young Adults

One of the best ministries for serving homeless young adults is Open Door/Next Door. Consider supporting them with your tax deductible donation. (Perhaps a Christmas present?)

Celebrating at "home"

So - the rumor is that "a prophet cannot proclaim in [his] hometown"...

Well, I was invited to come back to celebrate at my home church of Good Shepherd in Allegan. It was an incredible opportunity, that ended up by being tainted by the actions of one person (so - perhaps I shouldn't have bothered to try to go back...). But, overall, it was a greaet experience. Tripp will be interested (but not surprised) to know that I cried during the Eucharistic Prayer and giving the bread. Glad to see everyone and have the opportunity to worship with people who were so important in my development.

Dan’s Ordination

Congratulations to Dan – now a deacon in the church! It was fun to be back in the Cathedral at Western Michigan – remembering my ordination from 2 years ago. A great reminder of who I am and where I have been.

Nathaniel Fick

While driving around in New England (yes, this is a really old saved post), I heard Nathaniel Fick on NPR. I thought that what he had to say was interesting as he talked about his book One Bullet Away.

I also found his critique of Jarhead. It was interesting to glance through and see what’s going on with people who have military experience.

Siobhan’s Ordination

Congrats to Siobhan!!!!!! Now a deacon in the church! It was a great and fun service. I’m so glad that I went…definitely worth the really long trip. Ordinations are so much fun! Good thing that I get to do it again next week…

Thanks to Frank for planning and driving to this one. Next week, I get to take Amtrak.

Second City

So – tonight I went to Second City for their annual fundraiser for Santa Letters. It was a great night. The improv was entertaining, but the best part was Robbie Fulks. He was AMAZING – the guitar playing was great. He did a few of his own things, but also Dancing Queen and Billie Jean. So very funny.

My Date with Drew

Mad Hot Ballroom

Watched Mad Hot Ballroom the other night. It was very cute. I really enjoyed watching the dancing. Again reminded me how much I want to learn to really dance.

Amazing to watch children get the opportunity to learn how to dance, many of whom would never have gotten the opportunity without the program in their school. I was also struck at how good it was that the children were able to have the experience of touch with another person. In neighborhoods that are often violent, touching in a positive way could help with their interactions with others. Scary for them, I’m sure…but I think a good thing.

iPods

Also in the July/August 2005 Utne, there was an interesting article called “Hell is Other iPods” by Caspar Melville. There was the comment: “There is no zeal like the zeal of an Apple Mac user; just try asking one innocently, as I once did, if there really is any substantial difference between a Mac and a PC.” Well – yeah…

However, then there’s a paragraph that talks about iPods adding to social fagmentation. It takes away from “community” and any sort of interactions that might happen between people in public places.

Being a person who is always about community, I’ve wondered about how the iPod will change life for us – in negative ways. I do not own an iPod, but not because I’m opposed to them. I think that they are very cool and always was jealous of Phil listening to books on his.

Other thoughts? What are the bonuses to the technology? How can we work on community? Or, is it already too late?

Utne – July/Aug 2005

So, I’m a little behind on blogging about this issue of Utne – but there were several things worth noting.

They mentioned Code Pink – an effort to stop the war now (well, perhaps then and still?).

David Schimke wrote an essay titled “Turn Up the Quiet” that deals with the fact that the world is really too noisy. I’ve been blaming the city for being so loud that I often can’t sleep – or that it wakes me up. However, after spending a week at a friend’s house at 94 and Lawrence, I found that really, it’s just my house that’s loud. The drunk people yelling outside of my house in the middle of the night, the many road work projects. It is a problem for me.

They also talk about getting trees planted. Check out American Forests, Future Forests, or the Better World Club to see how you can get trees planted to offset the driving or flying that you do.