05 Thursday Sep 2019
God of Mystery-
As the night peels away from the far reaches of the sky
And the dew visits the tips of grass’ blades,
May your calmness wrap around our souls
Like a blanket.
May the sounds of morning’s friends
Welcome us back from dreamland.
Rescue us from the grasps of anxiety
And the claims of hopelessness.
Sing to us the songs of mercy,
And grant us the grace to embrace this fresh start that we see with each sunrise.
Amen.
01 Saturday Jun 2019
Posted in Life, Pop, Social Justice
Tags
domestic violence, hunger, Poverty, Prayers, progressive Christianity, Summer, summer break, violence in community, youth
Possible Trigger Warning of Child Abuse
God of the Midmorning, the Early Summer, the Dusk-
We often focus on the youth who rush out of the classrooms into their summer. We focus on their anticipation of free days and joy like the summers afforded us.
The stars aligned for us… but didn’t for many children.
What we forget is our youths’ dread and concern of extra spending time at home during summer break- houses empty of food and filled with stress and violence.
We forget that they wake in worry of what the day will bring- extra bruises, extra hunger, extra chaos.
May their summer days be filled with activities of fun. As they spend time outdoors, may they find safety in friends and neighbors. May they be able to afford programs that the community offers.
As the fireflies return in the evening, May their homes be filled with peace. May they not feel the emptiness of hunger or the fullness of trauma. May their sleep be restful, and may their tomorrows be overflowing with hope.
Amen.
26 Sunday May 2019
Tags
Church, grief, grief and music, hymns, Let There Be Peace on Earth, loss of father, loss of loved one, loss of parent, Music
This morning, I supercried at church – weeping like a small child.
The song was “Let There Be Peace on Earth.” Beyond the voices of the choir, I could hear the sound of my dad’s voice…
Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me…
My dad would sing the song with every fiber of his being. His (probably) tenor voice would sing each syllable with intent. As a civics teacher, a Genocide survivor’s son, and a person who believed Christianity was an active faith, the song was probably the best representation of what he believed.
Let peace begin with me, let this be the moment now…
And so, when this song is sung as it was today with the choir, every piece of my being remembered him. I remembered his articulation of faith, of his voice singing a song that was a prayer in his heart. I remembered our time sitting next to one another in church as my faith grew next to his more matured, more articulated faith.
Songs connect us with people and the past. Of moments of joy and of losses. We know what we no longer have, but we know that we’ve been given the gift of something spectacular – the holiness of song, of love, of spirit.
To take each moment, and live each moment, in peace eternally-
Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.
24 Wednesday Apr 2019
Posted in Current Events, Life
Tags
Armenian Genocide, Armenian Genocide 1915, Armenian Genocide Centennial, Armenian Martyrs' Day, Prayer, Prayer for Armenian Genocide
This was originally posted on my blog in 2015.
Soothing Spirit,
Whose gentle winds hovered over the Euphrates,
Surround our souls with support in these days of remembrance.
Strengthen our resolve to never let anyone forget
The atrocities of April 24 and beyond –
The genocide of the Armenian People.
They wanted to kill all of the aunts and uncles and grandparents
And place the very last one in a museum to show their sordid victory.
But they did not win.
Hate was not victorious.
We remember the spirits of our ancestors,
Of our sisters and brothers in Christ,
Marching through the mayhem
Of death, confusion, loss.
We remember their steps on the march to Deir-Zor-
Their empty stomachs and heavy hearts.
Their lives chipped away
As they lost their mom, or baby, or brother,
and endured violations of body, mind and soul.
In gratitude, we remember those who defied their people,
The Turkish and Kurdish souls who rebelled against the powers-that-be
Saving the lives of our kin.
We are grateful for those who stand against the powers today
And refuse to call these events anything but a genocide.
Heal our hearts as the deniers’ speeches become
Louder and louder.
Their words will melt into the pool of justice one day.
We give voice to the trauma that lingered in survivors’ hearts
From the days they left their homes in the ‘Old Country’
To the moment when they saw the face of God.
Help all who carry the stories of the past into the future
So that we will not forget,
And we will not stand by,
As more of God’s children are massacred.
We pray for the survivors of all genocides that burned our earth
And stole our siblings-
Armenia, the Holocaust, Rwanda, Cambodia, Bosnia, Darfur, and then some…
And then some more…
Knowing that God will give them resurrection from the ashes of yesterday,
rising into the winds of tomorrow.
Read my grandfather’s story of survival during the Armenian Genocide here.
23 Tuesday Apr 2019
Posted in Life, National Day Prayers, Pop, Prayers
Tags
Grace, National Take a Chance Day, Prayer, Prayers, Prayers of courage, progressive Christianity, Take a Chance Day
Chaotic, Creative God-
The winds of change hover over your creation, nudging us towards a new heaven here on earth.
As the dry winds from the south pick up, causing us to remain inside our comfort zones, your Spirit is throwing open doors and windows, begging us to move back into the world.
In a vulnerable state, we slowly emerge into ferocious terrain- an atmosphere which wants to remain at rest and at unrest.
But here you are, God, asking us to take chances, asking us to speak boldly, love courageously, and care fiercely.
Today, we ask for prayers of strength to advocate for our neighbors on the margins. We pray for bravery as we allow mercy to emerge from our traumatized, closed-up souls.
We are willing to heed your call and take chances that build a more-caring world and share love which unites us and magnifies your image in one another.
Amen.
16 Tuesday Apr 2019
Posted in grief, Lent Prayers, Life, Pop, Single in the Sanctuary
Trigger warning: abuse
The writing below occurred on a Good Friday over 20 years ago. I was verbally abused by a significant other during my mid-20’s. While he never physically abused me, I believe I would have left as soon as hits and shoves began. Instead, I wondered for months if what I was experiencing was verbal and emotional abuse, often convincing myself otherwise and telling myself that it would get better.
*****
From the rolling tears creeping down my cheeks
And the short breaths attempting to fill my lungs with air,
I inhale your disgust,
The grit spilling from your voice
Tastes like clouds of dust escaping from bottoms of sandals.
Our dinner the night before was a beautiful memory-
A time of quiet celebration…
But oh how the tone has changed quickly.
Even when my prayers begged for you not to betray me again, you walk back in.
Your hate-filled, dagger-edged sentiments
Came back to the room.
You weren’t finished.
Hit me, I think to myself.
I can finally come down off of the cross to which you nailed my spirit
And I can flee towards the lands of plenty
Where the God of hope and love has promised me
Milk, honey, vines drooping with grapes and nets overflowing with fish.
Hit me, I say to myself. I want to know where you stand
Instead of you driving the crown of thorns upon my sore spirit-
And removing it. Then placing it and removing it
Again
And again
And again.
Your repeated accusations and condemnations pick apart my heart.
You might as well smack my face or whip me across the back
Or pierce my side with the dagger you kept in your bag
Because I cannot tell if I’ve done something wrong
Or if you’re thriving from my pain
And stirring
Stirring
Stirring the energy around us to kill the dreams leading me forward.
Your ‘love’ dizzies me
Like a ride on a chariot.
Your ‘love’ lifts me
Like a soldier lifting the Christ’s cross.
Your ‘love’ pierces me
Like nails driven into a body.
Such ecstasy is too much for my soul.
You’ve taken my breath – my will to breathe – away.
*****
I’m ready for my empty tomb and riding on clouds
Because my night in spiritual Sheol has captured all of my tears.
I will no longer allow you to cast your die upon my mind.
And I will shed your sins that you have showered upon my soul.
*****
As we wake for the new day
And you wash your hands of last night’s agony,
I barely feel human.
It’s Saturday.
We say goodbye.
The next time we meet face-to-face,
I’ve left the tomb.
08 Friday Feb 2019
Posted in Epiphany Liturgy/Prayers, Life, Liturgy, Pop
Tags
bright, Brighten Your Winter Worship, Epiphany, Epiphany Liturgy, Illuminate Your Winter Worship, Isaiah 40, seasonal affective disorder
The idea for this worship service was brought to me at my last congregation by a retired pastor. As the days are often extremely gloomy and cold in January and February, this is a time to remind ourselves that God’s steadfast presence is near. For many of our siblings in faith, seasonal affective disorder is a struggle because of the dreary, chilly winter days. This worship service is to recognize that there are things that obstruct us from seeing God’s brilliance, and we are called to carry light even on gloomy winter days.
This is also an opportunity to look at darkness as something beautiful. While we are recognizing gloomy, cloudy, cold days as difficult, we recognize the night sky and darkness as glorious and a gift from God.
Ideas for Scripture texts:
Isaiah 60:1-5, Matthew 5:14-16, John 1:1-9
Call to Worship
One: In this space, God’s glow surrounds us.
Many: In this place, God’s glimmer brightens the surrounding gloom.
One: We yearn to see the radiance from the sun’s company.
Many: We hope to see the moon’s glow accompanying us until the morn.
One: Winter’s malaise will not last long.
Many: Arise, friends. For God’s warmth endures forever.
Invocation
Holy Radiance, Holy Spirit, in our seasons when gloom invades our skies, may your mirthful glow shine brightly. As brisk winds monopolize our air, may your welcoming breezes nudge us to comfort and serve our world. Help us to seek you beyond thick layers of clouds. Encourage us to steer our neighbors to see you in the short days of winter and the long nights of summer. Amen.
Prayer of Reconciliation
One: God of breezy nights and dreary days, we hoard Divine Brilliance for ourselves – even when we have been reminded that to love our neighbors means to spread light into the world.
All: Without thinking, we cast shadows across the earth. Shift our perspectives so that we avoid becoming obstacles to God’s gleam. May we become carriers of light instead of barriers to God’s glow. Amen.
Assurance of Grace
One: God will always share Divine Beauty with us. God will call us to find splendor in darkness and magnificence in daylight as both are where God abides. God will continue to ask us to share radiance and joy with our neighbors. God gives us second chances, calling us again and again to be channels of love and warmth.
All: Amen! Thanks be to God!
Call to Offering
Holy Radiance, you fill our hearts with levity and our souls with joy. Even in the seasons that appear gloomy, your steadfast presence kindles our spirits, sustaining us until the new season approaches. In our gratitude for love and light, we share our gifts and our luminosity with our world. Loving God, let us take these moments to share our treasures and reflect on how we share your Divine Glow with our world.
Prayer of Dedication
We look to you for what we need, God of Love. We ask that you continue to fill our hearts with your Divine Glow. Ignite our spirits so that we can pass along your radiance with our world. We pray all of this with hearts of hope. Amen.
Benediction
One: In seasons of despair, God’s Glow will warm our hearts.
In seasons of hopelessness, Christ’s Light will spark our minds.
In seasons of gloom, Holy Radiance will sustain our souls.
As clouds droop low and shadows stretch, let us carry Divine Illumination into our world! Amen!
All: Amen!
26 Saturday Jan 2019
Posted in Church Life, Life, Pop
Tags
1 Corinthians 12, Body of Christ, Christianity, evangelical, Evangelical Christianity, judging Christians, judgment, Mainline Protestant, Mainline Protestantism, progressive Christianity
All views are solely mine and not necessarily the perspective of any group in which I am associated.
Many times as a younger person, I was hurt by Christianity.
Most of those times it’s been from people of the Evangelical perspective. When I was in college, I was told by a Christian counselor that I needed to dump a boyfriend because he wasn’t a Christian. In my 30’s, I was told that I wasn’t going to be allowed in heaven because I different views on salvation. I was told that I was in that same decade, I also had to stand up to a pastor because he dismissed me after I told them that his pro-marriage views belittled me. I had to stand up to him because he wouldn’t sell a property to people of another major religion because they didn’t hold the “truth.” And he told me that he couldn’t support me to go into the ministry if I believed that people who are LGBT should be allowed to be married or ordained.
I’ve seen how some Christians have told a City Manager who is transgender that Jesus would want her fired. I’ve seen how people with these perspectives have shamed women who have been raped or had abortions.
(Before we go any further, I’d like to say this: many who consider themselves Evangelical are absolutely NOT like this. A few have tarnished the reputation of the many. If you consider yourself Evangelical but do not identify with the above, I acknowledge and appreciate your perspective. Likewise, there are many fellow Mainline Protestants that can be equally judgmental.)
Pieces of my soul have been itching to recover from my spiritual injuries. And they’ve left not just scars but scar tissues that flares when triggered by words and sentences.
And yet, I’ve refused to let them kick me out of the Body of Christ. Instead, I’ve felt responsible to continue to be a part of the Body of Christ and create spaces that welcome and include people.
I’ve been working for years to make sure to care for my wounds that continue to reopen and keep the wounds covered so as not to infect my ministry. Yet there are some piece of my experience that I never want another young person (or anyone) to experience, and I will reflect deeply to make sure to separate my wounds from the reality of the situation. But I will also reflect deeply to ensure those who I minister to are emotionally and spiritually safe.
There’s never been a unified Christianity. Ever. It’s a myth. Right after the time of Jesus, the early Jesus movement folks were arguing about the necessity of following the purity issues and circumcision. Even today, Catholics, Mainline Protestants, and Evangelical Protestants range from liberal to conservative. Assuming that a person has certain beliefs and values solely based on their religion or their place of worship is damaging to them, us, and the church. It’s truly important to speak to each individual before making assumptions about their theology.
I suppose we all “other” some Christians who believe differently than we do. Who gives us the right to establish a purity test for the faith? Yet as leaders in the faith, we should be in relationship with people who think differently and learn something from our relationship with them them even when we are called to create programs that fall in line with our ethics and values. I don’t expect a person on a different side of the Body to be pro-choice. However, I will not support programs or perspectives which condemns those with my view and those that try to inject shame into our faith community or spiritual lives.
Saying that you must believe (Fill in the Blank) in order to be a Christian is blasphemy. There are Christians who are pro-life, some who are anti-choice, and some who are pro-choice. There are Christians who believe in the sacrificial death of Jesus and others who believe that it was Jesus’ life that brought salvation to the world.
My challenge is this: When I am faced with allowing these competing perspectives into the places where I lead and into our programs, I take on a Mama Bear approach. Because these perspectives often exclude and shame people in the name of Christ, I want to protect others from having to go through what I have endured. I want them to experience Christianity in a more-loving and open way than I have experienced it.
So from this Mama Bear in the Pulpit to you – I’m doing my best to balance unity in the Body of Christ and ensuring that the spaces for which I’m responsible are filled with theology and ethics that stand for love. I’m trying my best to expose people to other Christian perspectives in dialogue but distance ourselves from those who say what Christianity MUST be. As an ordained person, I have a responsibility to reach out to people across the Body, and I have a responsibility to create faith formation that represents a loving, accepting, and inclusive Christ. I have a responsibility to ensure that vulnerable people experience safety for their bodies, minds, and souls as much as possible. All of this is a tough balance. I’ll keep doing the best I can in my service to God, neighbor, and Church.
13 Thursday Dec 2018
Posted in Advent prayers, Current Events, Holidays, Life, Pop
Tags
Advent, Advent prayers, Christmas, Hygge, Prayer, Prayers, progressive Christianity, Solstice, Warmth, winter, Winter Solstice
God who thrives in the shadows-
The frigid winds drive us back into our winter abodes
Nearly isolating us from our neighbors
And capturing our uplifted spirits until Spring.
As night arrives earlier than yesterday’s appearance,
We ask that this season refuses to keep us from spiritual seclusion
As we fight against our natural tendency to hibernate.
May this season of long nights
Be ones filled with warm memories,
Inviting conversations,
Cozy dwellings,
And rooms of mirth.
When the shadows grow long
And hope escapes,
May our spirits find breath to endure until tomorrow.
Amen.
26 Monday Nov 2018
Posted in Current Events, Life, Pop, Social Justice
Tags
aliens, border, Central America, Immigration, Immigration to United States, injustice, Jesus, Mexico, orphans, progressive Christianity, refugee, refugees, widows
“For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who is not partial and takes no bribe, who executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and who loves the strangers, providing them with food and clothing. You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” – Deuteronomy 10:17-19
“Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.’ Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, ‘Out of Egypt I have called my son.’” – Matthew 2:13-15
I remember through the seasons of The Walking Dead watching how Rick started as a person who wanted to stay as ethical as possible. As time passed and the situation wore on, Rick makes decisions in which his community unilaterally chooses to attack people in another group. While the others appeared more toxic, Rick and his followers forgot their system of ethics. To them, the end justified the means. Killing people out of a vague fear was a better decision than waiting to see what would happen next.
I feel that as Americans we have reached – or are at least nearing – this point once again. There have been times in the past which we have sunk this low. As Native Americans were slaughtered, slavery of people of color was encouraged, and people of Japanese ancestory were placed in internment camps, we were, without a doubt, the “bad guy.”
We acted out of fear and used privilege to invade our hearts. And now we watch refugees fleeing from dangerous parts of Latin America, and we refuse to have constructive conversations about this situation. When children are separated from their parents and kept in cages, we’ve reached an ethical valley. We’ve chosen to allow America to sink into the hole of injustice and fear once again.
We can’t just pretend that we are the “good guys” all of the time just because we are America. When we oppress aliens/sojourners/immigrants as well as widows/single moms and orphans/marginalized children, then we are absolutely not the “good guy.” I remember as children that we were taught that America was the best country and how fortunate to have been born here. As we got older, we heard history beyond the victor’s side. We’ve seen how America is the best country… but not for most Americans much of the time.
Back in the days of the Hebrew Bible, the Israelites always believed that God was on their side. But the prophets disagreed. As they left behind the widows, orphans, and aliens, God was not in favor of their actions.
So when unethical and marginalizing behaviors are being done in the name of America or the name of God, we must embrace a collective self-awareness that helps us to articulate that we have much room to change and grow. Just because we identify as American or Christian doesn’t automatically make us right when unhealthy actions are being done to others. If we wouldn’t treat Jesus this way, then why is it fine to treat others in the same manner?
Friends, it’s time for us to work together to end this reign of fear. It’s time for us to embrace the radical hospitality of Jesus. If we don’t, our country will keep regressing, and it’s spiritual flags will continue to become worn. By moving from exclusively nationalistic to inclusively patriotic, from fully autonomous to covenantal, and from fearful to embracing holy vulnerability, we will build the New Heaven and Earth God visions for our world.
