6 days ago
Friday, March 18, 2011
Sick sick and more sick
Unfortunately, I've been super sick since being home, and I haven't had the energy to muster up blog posts for the time being. I will make them up, but the project is being put on hold until my head stops feeling like it's going to explode.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Lenten Challenge Day 7
Post:
The Nobodies written by Eduardo Galeano
Fleas dream of buying themselves a dog, and nobodies dream
of escaping poverty: that one magical day good luck will
suddenly rain down on them- will rain down in buckets. But
good luck doesn’t even fall in a fine drizzle, no matter
how hard the nobodies summon it, even if their left hand is
tickling, or if they begin the new day with their right foot, or
start the new year with a change of brooms.
The nobodies: nobody’s children, owners of nothing. The
nobodies: the no ones, the nobodied, running like rabbits,
dying through life, screwed every which way.
Who don’t speak languages, but dialects.
Who don’t have religions, but superstitions.
Who don’t create art, but handicrafts.
Who don’t have culture, but folklore.
Who are not human beings, but human resources.
Who do not have names, but numbers.
Who do not appear in the history of the world, but in the
police blotter of the local paper.
The nobodies, who are not worth the bullet that kills them
Source: http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-nobodies-written-by-eduardo-galeano/
---------------------------------------------------
Response: I'm honestly not sure what to post in response to this poem. I'm not prepared with any thoughts, but I'm going to keep thinking on this poem and come back to post. But for the time being, I'm very sick and congested and can't really think straight! Perhaps sleep will help to clear my head a bit so I can post something a bit more intelligent!
The Nobodies written by Eduardo Galeano
Fleas dream of buying themselves a dog, and nobodies dream
of escaping poverty: that one magical day good luck will
suddenly rain down on them- will rain down in buckets. But
good luck doesn’t even fall in a fine drizzle, no matter
how hard the nobodies summon it, even if their left hand is
tickling, or if they begin the new day with their right foot, or
start the new year with a change of brooms.
The nobodies: nobody’s children, owners of nothing. The
nobodies: the no ones, the nobodied, running like rabbits,
dying through life, screwed every which way.
Who don’t speak languages, but dialects.
Who don’t have religions, but superstitions.
Who don’t create art, but handicrafts.
Who don’t have culture, but folklore.
Who are not human beings, but human resources.
Who do not have names, but numbers.
Who do not appear in the history of the world, but in the
police blotter of the local paper.
The nobodies, who are not worth the bullet that kills them
Source: http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-nobodies-written-by-eduardo-galeano/
---------------------------------------------------
Response: I'm honestly not sure what to post in response to this poem. I'm not prepared with any thoughts, but I'm going to keep thinking on this poem and come back to post. But for the time being, I'm very sick and congested and can't really think straight! Perhaps sleep will help to clear my head a bit so I can post something a bit more intelligent!
Lenten Challenge Days 6 (belated)
I was traveling home after the conclusion of my college choir tour and didn't have the opportunity to respond. So, today I'll try and make up for it. However, I'm not entirely sure what to make of the past two days of postings on the Lenten Blog, so I'll do my darndest.
Post From 3/15:
My Prayer is that I Will Never Become Indifferent
By Ellen Teague
Indifferent to
The wailing of mothers whose babies suck at the dry breasts
The whimpers of old people dying of heatstroke with no water
The weakness of young people with full-blown AIDS
The screams of children abducted to be child soldiers
The despair of refugees who cannot find a home
The powerlessness of farmers whose fields are full of landmines
The smells of open sewers in shanty towns
Indifferent to
The commodification of life through patenting
The alteration of the genetic integrity of plants and animals for profit
The destruction of rainforests and unknown species
The pollution of the great oceans
The burden of debt and unequal trade borne by poor countries
The threat to the poor of climate change
The legacy of nuclear contamination for future generations
My prayer is that I will never become indifferent.
(From “Let Justice Roll Down: A Worship Resource for Lent, Holy Week & Easter)
--------------------------------------------------
Response: With all the "bad" advertised in our world...specifically on the news, it's hard to feel concern and worry for every single event that takes place. But at the same time, we can't be totally numb to all that goes around us. So much of the time, I think negative events happen in the world to help keep our lives in perspective. We're so often reminded of how blessed we are to have our health, our families, our homes, and those who love us. Unfortunately, it sometimes takes examples of a different life to help remind us of those blessings.
Recently, the devastation of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan has dominated the news...and rightly so. Having been on tour without much access to the news/tv/internet, I've been a little in the dark about the entire situation, but I DO know that it's a tragic one. It's hard to know that such devastation is taking place in our world, yet we can't really do much to immediately help. Not all of us have money to donate, or the time and ability to physically go over to help. The most I feel I can do right now is pray and continually think of all of those who have been affected by the events. However, a part of me feels guilty about my lack of ability to do anything, making me feel as though I'm becoming indifferent to the situation at hand. Because I can't do anything drastic to help the situation, I feel as though I'm simply stepping aside and letting others take care of it. But what else can I do? Any suggestions would be welcome.
The same feelings go towards the other things listed in this poem, although some I feel I can do more to make a lasting impact. Many events are so large and so saddening that it feels like a single person can't do anything to change it, so many fall indifferent. At least that's how I see many things. However, I know that I contribute to things like helping the planet, simply by not polluting myself, or helping to recycle. But beyond that, how do we make a change? How do we put an end to being indifferent and letting injustice continue? I don't have an answer, but I'll continue to pray about it.
Post From 3/15:
My Prayer is that I Will Never Become Indifferent
By Ellen Teague
Indifferent to
The wailing of mothers whose babies suck at the dry breasts
The whimpers of old people dying of heatstroke with no water
The weakness of young people with full-blown AIDS
The screams of children abducted to be child soldiers
The despair of refugees who cannot find a home
The powerlessness of farmers whose fields are full of landmines
The smells of open sewers in shanty towns
Indifferent to
The commodification of life through patenting
The alteration of the genetic integrity of plants and animals for profit
The destruction of rainforests and unknown species
The pollution of the great oceans
The burden of debt and unequal trade borne by poor countries
The threat to the poor of climate change
The legacy of nuclear contamination for future generations
My prayer is that I will never become indifferent.
(From “Let Justice Roll Down: A Worship Resource for Lent, Holy Week & Easter)
--------------------------------------------------
Response: With all the "bad" advertised in our world...specifically on the news, it's hard to feel concern and worry for every single event that takes place. But at the same time, we can't be totally numb to all that goes around us. So much of the time, I think negative events happen in the world to help keep our lives in perspective. We're so often reminded of how blessed we are to have our health, our families, our homes, and those who love us. Unfortunately, it sometimes takes examples of a different life to help remind us of those blessings.
Recently, the devastation of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan has dominated the news...and rightly so. Having been on tour without much access to the news/tv/internet, I've been a little in the dark about the entire situation, but I DO know that it's a tragic one. It's hard to know that such devastation is taking place in our world, yet we can't really do much to immediately help. Not all of us have money to donate, or the time and ability to physically go over to help. The most I feel I can do right now is pray and continually think of all of those who have been affected by the events. However, a part of me feels guilty about my lack of ability to do anything, making me feel as though I'm becoming indifferent to the situation at hand. Because I can't do anything drastic to help the situation, I feel as though I'm simply stepping aside and letting others take care of it. But what else can I do? Any suggestions would be welcome.
The same feelings go towards the other things listed in this poem, although some I feel I can do more to make a lasting impact. Many events are so large and so saddening that it feels like a single person can't do anything to change it, so many fall indifferent. At least that's how I see many things. However, I know that I contribute to things like helping the planet, simply by not polluting myself, or helping to recycle. But beyond that, how do we make a change? How do we put an end to being indifferent and letting injustice continue? I don't have an answer, but I'll continue to pray about it.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Lenten Challenge Day 5
Post:
The Intentionality of Keeping Sabbath
Matthew 11: 28-30 – 28: ‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (NRSV)
Having been inspired by Trey’s sermon this past Sunday, I wanted to raise this question: Do we rest alone or do we rest with God?
There is no doubt that resting is good for the mind and body in both the psychological and the biological. Most of us can attest to the fact that running around all day with things to do is straining and can, in the long term, do violence (as Trey reminded us) to ourselves.
But theologically, the concept of resting is important to consider in light of the verse above and alongside the story we see in Mark 2:23-28, where Jesus declares himself Lord over the Sabbath as he and his disciples are in the process of breaking the Judaic law to rest. The law was no longer ruler of all things, Jesus was, and so Sabbath was not a matter of finding rest through a set practice, but Jesus became the Sabbath. “I will give you rest.”
I think taking time to chill out and forget all the millions of concerns is important. I am about to go insane waiting for the weather to change so I can be outside and do that more often. But in doing Sabbath, perhaps we should not be resting alone. We rest in God, in Jesus. It sounds cheesy as HECK to say “I’m going to jog for God!”, and I think the connotation there can be misleading and presumptuous, so I am not going to say that. But hopefully you catch my drift. There is a difference between running because you want to lose weight, and running to gain the space and clarity to connect with yourself and something bigger than yourself. I hope moving in this manner will enrich the experience all the more, and we can claim God’s promise that we will find rest for our souls.
--------------------------------------------------------
Response: PERFECT timing for this post, as I write this while during some downtime of my choir tour. We've been going, going, and going, and we're all EXHAUSTED. We've had downtime, don't get us wrong, but then the amount of energy we have to muster up to nail our performances really takes it out of all us. In addition, I had to go to Urgent Care today to get my ear checked out for a potential ear infection. FUN. So, life has been a little high strung and slightly stressful these past few days. It will be nice to have some rest while at home (ha- maybe. I have quite the schedule planned for my few day reprieve.)
I'm guilty of not always taking time out for God...but rather for myself. I often get to the end of my day, and as I lay in bed about to fall asleep, I realize I haven't even thought of God that day, which always startles me. I'd like to think I'd take more time out for God, but I greedily take my free time for myself. But at the same time, taking time to myself is taking that reprieve that God allows. Those times that we do take time for ourselves, God allows by taking on the burdens so we don't have to deal with them temporarily. I've never thought of it in that regard, but it's true. He gives us the breaks we need every now and then, and we just have to trust in those moments. And enjoy them. He makes it so we don't go TOTALLY insane!
The Intentionality of Keeping Sabbath
Matthew 11: 28-30 – 28: ‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (NRSV)
Having been inspired by Trey’s sermon this past Sunday, I wanted to raise this question: Do we rest alone or do we rest with God?
There is no doubt that resting is good for the mind and body in both the psychological and the biological. Most of us can attest to the fact that running around all day with things to do is straining and can, in the long term, do violence (as Trey reminded us) to ourselves.
But theologically, the concept of resting is important to consider in light of the verse above and alongside the story we see in Mark 2:23-28, where Jesus declares himself Lord over the Sabbath as he and his disciples are in the process of breaking the Judaic law to rest. The law was no longer ruler of all things, Jesus was, and so Sabbath was not a matter of finding rest through a set practice, but Jesus became the Sabbath. “I will give you rest.”
I think taking time to chill out and forget all the millions of concerns is important. I am about to go insane waiting for the weather to change so I can be outside and do that more often. But in doing Sabbath, perhaps we should not be resting alone. We rest in God, in Jesus. It sounds cheesy as HECK to say “I’m going to jog for God!”, and I think the connotation there can be misleading and presumptuous, so I am not going to say that. But hopefully you catch my drift. There is a difference between running because you want to lose weight, and running to gain the space and clarity to connect with yourself and something bigger than yourself. I hope moving in this manner will enrich the experience all the more, and we can claim God’s promise that we will find rest for our souls.
--------------------------------------------------------
Response: PERFECT timing for this post, as I write this while during some downtime of my choir tour. We've been going, going, and going, and we're all EXHAUSTED. We've had downtime, don't get us wrong, but then the amount of energy we have to muster up to nail our performances really takes it out of all us. In addition, I had to go to Urgent Care today to get my ear checked out for a potential ear infection. FUN. So, life has been a little high strung and slightly stressful these past few days. It will be nice to have some rest while at home (ha- maybe. I have quite the schedule planned for my few day reprieve.)
I'm guilty of not always taking time out for God...but rather for myself. I often get to the end of my day, and as I lay in bed about to fall asleep, I realize I haven't even thought of God that day, which always startles me. I'd like to think I'd take more time out for God, but I greedily take my free time for myself. But at the same time, taking time to myself is taking that reprieve that God allows. Those times that we do take time for ourselves, God allows by taking on the burdens so we don't have to deal with them temporarily. I've never thought of it in that regard, but it's true. He gives us the breaks we need every now and then, and we just have to trust in those moments. And enjoy them. He makes it so we don't go TOTALLY insane!
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Lenten Challenge Day 4
Post:
source: http://www.openbible.info/blog/2009/02/top-100-things-twitterers-are-giving-up-for-lent/
In two weeks, Pastor Chris will be talking about the idea of sacrifice, and part of that discussion will revolve around the practice of fasting. I feel it is far to say that in our current American culture, unless our vanity is the motivator, the notion of self denial is foreign one. Yet the Bible is full of examples of fasting, specifically as the practice of denying oneself food, and the tradition of lent is commonly thought of as the season for some sort of fasting. For a number of us, these 40 days will involve self denial in one way or another, and today, I thought it would be interesting to look at the things people choose as the subject of their Lenten fast.
This word cloud has been created from twitter feeds pertaining to Lent fasts, and the larger the word is, the more that people have identified it as an object for fasting. Perhaps it is worth its own reflection to look at the types of things people choose (my personal favorite is “flaky guys”).
---------------------------------------------------------------
Response: I literally laughed out loud when I first looked at this post. Why? Because FACEBOOK is the largest word out there - it stares you right in the eyes! I laughed because Facebook was what I opted to give up this Lent. So far, absolutely no problem. I haven't even really had the urge. I cut myself off COMPLETELY this year, removing all email notifications that Facebook normally sends me, in the hopes that the thought "out of sight, out of mind" would work wonders for me. So far, it has. Without those nagging little emails flooding my inbox, and without my saved 'Facebook tab' present in my internet browser, I've not thought to check Facebook. No impulse, no desire. It's nice!
Granted, I've been busy lately. I'm not on tour with my college choir, performing in various Oregon locations, so I haven't really had the time to mindlessly sit on Facebook for hours on end. When tour is over and I have more time to relax at home, things might be different.
What's amazing to me about this web of words, however, is how much things have changed throughout the years. Yes, the ever-present temptations of CHOCOLATE and ALCOHOL are listed boldly among the mix, but who would have thought the vast majority of these words would be used in the same sentence as Lent some 10 years ago? 5 years ago? Notice how much social networking, the internet, and technology have changed our ways of life. I'm guilty, too. I'm one of those MANY that opted to give up something like Facebook for Lent. Why? Because these things have become so ingrained in our daily lives. It's almost as if we can't live without them now that we've had a sampling of them. But Lent is about proving we can live without these addictions, living more like Jesus and making sacrifices for the betterment of ourselves. The temptation of those addictions is a reminder of how we need to turn to God. No Facebook. No Twitter. No Social Networking. Just more time for God!
It's amazing how our ideas of religion and technology now intertwine. We're hooked into technology in all parts of our lives...including God. Take this blog I'm following, for example. Who would have thought that a church would be publishing posts everyday online throughout Lent? Who would have thought a church would have a blog, in general? Our society is changing, and our addictions and daily goals reflect those changes.
source: http://www.openbible.info/blog/2009/02/top-100-things-twitterers-are-giving-up-for-lent/
In two weeks, Pastor Chris will be talking about the idea of sacrifice, and part of that discussion will revolve around the practice of fasting. I feel it is far to say that in our current American culture, unless our vanity is the motivator, the notion of self denial is foreign one. Yet the Bible is full of examples of fasting, specifically as the practice of denying oneself food, and the tradition of lent is commonly thought of as the season for some sort of fasting. For a number of us, these 40 days will involve self denial in one way or another, and today, I thought it would be interesting to look at the things people choose as the subject of their Lenten fast.
This word cloud has been created from twitter feeds pertaining to Lent fasts, and the larger the word is, the more that people have identified it as an object for fasting. Perhaps it is worth its own reflection to look at the types of things people choose (my personal favorite is “flaky guys”).
---------------------------------------------------------------
Response: I literally laughed out loud when I first looked at this post. Why? Because FACEBOOK is the largest word out there - it stares you right in the eyes! I laughed because Facebook was what I opted to give up this Lent. So far, absolutely no problem. I haven't even really had the urge. I cut myself off COMPLETELY this year, removing all email notifications that Facebook normally sends me, in the hopes that the thought "out of sight, out of mind" would work wonders for me. So far, it has. Without those nagging little emails flooding my inbox, and without my saved 'Facebook tab' present in my internet browser, I've not thought to check Facebook. No impulse, no desire. It's nice!
Granted, I've been busy lately. I'm not on tour with my college choir, performing in various Oregon locations, so I haven't really had the time to mindlessly sit on Facebook for hours on end. When tour is over and I have more time to relax at home, things might be different.
What's amazing to me about this web of words, however, is how much things have changed throughout the years. Yes, the ever-present temptations of CHOCOLATE and ALCOHOL are listed boldly among the mix, but who would have thought the vast majority of these words would be used in the same sentence as Lent some 10 years ago? 5 years ago? Notice how much social networking, the internet, and technology have changed our ways of life. I'm guilty, too. I'm one of those MANY that opted to give up something like Facebook for Lent. Why? Because these things have become so ingrained in our daily lives. It's almost as if we can't live without them now that we've had a sampling of them. But Lent is about proving we can live without these addictions, living more like Jesus and making sacrifices for the betterment of ourselves. The temptation of those addictions is a reminder of how we need to turn to God. No Facebook. No Twitter. No Social Networking. Just more time for God!
It's amazing how our ideas of religion and technology now intertwine. We're hooked into technology in all parts of our lives...including God. Take this blog I'm following, for example. Who would have thought that a church would be publishing posts everyday online throughout Lent? Who would have thought a church would have a blog, in general? Our society is changing, and our addictions and daily goals reflect those changes.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Lenten Challenge Day 3
I felt the need to share the entire post from today:
Matthew 14:13-16 - 13: Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. 14When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick. 15When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, ‘This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.’ 16Jesus said to them, ‘They need not go away; you give them something to eat.’ (NRSV)
One of the main ideas that drove this Lenten Devotional Blog was the hope that we could use some of this space to reflect on issues of justice, equality, and poverty. Let us open ourselves up to the ways in which God may speak to us regarding these issues.
Recently, I had a job interview in which the interviewer asked me what I thought the connection was between the gospel message and the work of social justice. I had not prepared for such a question as it is not one that common interview guides really talk about. But the thing that immediately came out of my mouth was the word “dignity”. The gospel message, at least in one of its interpretations, is that Jesus ministered for the dignity of each person, looking deep into their personhood, acknowledging their status as children of God, and offering love to that very core. Each person he healed was not a tool for the demonstration of his power, but a human being deserving of his compassion. He looks upon the crowd of people and is moved to heal and feed them. The gospel message is that you are somebody…somebody worthy and deserving of God’s grace.
As Urban Village Church starts to engage more and more in social ministry, through serving food, teaching cooking classes, planting gardens, etc., we must be cognizant that this work is not a means to an end. That each person we try and help along the way is not a tool for some greater cause of justice. That we must not use people to fulfill our obligations. The act of loving another human being, the giving of ourselves for others, is an end in itself.
From the journal of Father Oscar Romero:
Nothing is so important to the church as human life,
as the human person,
above all, the person of the poor and the oppressed.
Besides being human beings,
they are also divine beings,
since Jesus said that whatever is done to them
he takes as done to him.
That bloodshed, those deaths,
are beyond all politics.
They touch the very heart of God.
-March 16th, 1980 (The Violence of Love)
------------------------------------------------------------
Response: The thought of poverty and inequality has been HEAVY on my mind this semester, thanks to my class "American Schools." The class has primarily focused on problems facing our school systems in the United States, and how race and socio-economic status affects those problems. Having been raised in predominantly white, upper-middle class, suburban neighborhoods my entire life, it's been a foreign concept for me to grasp. Diversity and economic turmoil have not had a great impact on my life, and it's difficult for me to grasp these concepts when I have little-to-no exposure to them. As much as I try to understand, I'll never be able to pull from first-hand experience on the subject matters.
However, the more I work in the Tacoma public schools (especially volunteering at a tutoring program for elementary kids), I'm becoming more exposed to those different than me, especially when it comes to those issues of race and economic divide. Tacoma certainly isn't an inner-city region, but there is much more diversity than my known land of manicured lawns and homeowner association regulated house colors. I'm beginning to learn how different life can be when you're not as privileged as I am fortunate enough to be.
And as I learn to work with these amazing kids, I'm realizing how truly brilliant they are. Every time I work with a kid, they teach me. They blow me away with their ability and their brilliance. Teaching really is a miraculous profession, one that allows you to see people for who they really are, despite stereotypes and preconceived notions. Although you may expect one thing from a student, they can rock your world and change your entire perspective. Even in the few weeks that I've been able to work with these kids, I've learned to reconsider how you approach working with them.
My experiences are helping me to realize how Jesus looked at the world. He didn't see people for their race, their diseases, their poverty, or any other labels that the rest of society had for them. He saw them as a child of God, and refused to judge them or discriminate against them. His work defied those laws (whether written or not) set in place by the rest of mankind and treated every man, woman, and child as the special creature that they were. He was a Teacher, after all, and he sat side-by-side with those willing to learn. We all could take a lesson from the Teacher. He knew how to treat his neighbor.
-Amy-
Matthew 14:13-16 - 13: Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. 14When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick. 15When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, ‘This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.’ 16Jesus said to them, ‘They need not go away; you give them something to eat.’ (NRSV)
One of the main ideas that drove this Lenten Devotional Blog was the hope that we could use some of this space to reflect on issues of justice, equality, and poverty. Let us open ourselves up to the ways in which God may speak to us regarding these issues.
Recently, I had a job interview in which the interviewer asked me what I thought the connection was between the gospel message and the work of social justice. I had not prepared for such a question as it is not one that common interview guides really talk about. But the thing that immediately came out of my mouth was the word “dignity”. The gospel message, at least in one of its interpretations, is that Jesus ministered for the dignity of each person, looking deep into their personhood, acknowledging their status as children of God, and offering love to that very core. Each person he healed was not a tool for the demonstration of his power, but a human being deserving of his compassion. He looks upon the crowd of people and is moved to heal and feed them. The gospel message is that you are somebody…somebody worthy and deserving of God’s grace.
As Urban Village Church starts to engage more and more in social ministry, through serving food, teaching cooking classes, planting gardens, etc., we must be cognizant that this work is not a means to an end. That each person we try and help along the way is not a tool for some greater cause of justice. That we must not use people to fulfill our obligations. The act of loving another human being, the giving of ourselves for others, is an end in itself.
From the journal of Father Oscar Romero:
Nothing is so important to the church as human life,
as the human person,
above all, the person of the poor and the oppressed.
Besides being human beings,
they are also divine beings,
since Jesus said that whatever is done to them
he takes as done to him.
That bloodshed, those deaths,
are beyond all politics.
They touch the very heart of God.
-March 16th, 1980 (The Violence of Love)
------------------------------------------------------------
Response: The thought of poverty and inequality has been HEAVY on my mind this semester, thanks to my class "American Schools." The class has primarily focused on problems facing our school systems in the United States, and how race and socio-economic status affects those problems. Having been raised in predominantly white, upper-middle class, suburban neighborhoods my entire life, it's been a foreign concept for me to grasp. Diversity and economic turmoil have not had a great impact on my life, and it's difficult for me to grasp these concepts when I have little-to-no exposure to them. As much as I try to understand, I'll never be able to pull from first-hand experience on the subject matters.
However, the more I work in the Tacoma public schools (especially volunteering at a tutoring program for elementary kids), I'm becoming more exposed to those different than me, especially when it comes to those issues of race and economic divide. Tacoma certainly isn't an inner-city region, but there is much more diversity than my known land of manicured lawns and homeowner association regulated house colors. I'm beginning to learn how different life can be when you're not as privileged as I am fortunate enough to be.
And as I learn to work with these amazing kids, I'm realizing how truly brilliant they are. Every time I work with a kid, they teach me. They blow me away with their ability and their brilliance. Teaching really is a miraculous profession, one that allows you to see people for who they really are, despite stereotypes and preconceived notions. Although you may expect one thing from a student, they can rock your world and change your entire perspective. Even in the few weeks that I've been able to work with these kids, I've learned to reconsider how you approach working with them.
My experiences are helping me to realize how Jesus looked at the world. He didn't see people for their race, their diseases, their poverty, or any other labels that the rest of society had for them. He saw them as a child of God, and refused to judge them or discriminate against them. His work defied those laws (whether written or not) set in place by the rest of mankind and treated every man, woman, and child as the special creature that they were. He was a Teacher, after all, and he sat side-by-side with those willing to learn. We all could take a lesson from the Teacher. He knew how to treat his neighbor.
-Amy-
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Lenten Challenge Day 2
Post: Leviticus 20:26 – You shall be holy to me; for I the Lord am holy, and I have separated you from the other peoples to be mine (NRSV).
Response: To be honest, I wasn't sure about this passage without the context of the rest of Leviticus 20, so I looked it up. And, again, to be honest, I realized this is one of those biblical passages that I don't see eye-to-eye with. In my opinion, the Bible is something man-made that was divinely inspired...therefore I do not believe the Bible to be infallible, but rather a tool through which God can provoke our thoughts and help us make our own decisions. Nothing bothers me more than the Bible-beating preachers who declare the Bible to be 100% true and without error. Sorry - wrong! If that were the case, we'd have BIG problems according to Leviticus! But that's a whole other tirade that I won't delve into, since that's not the point of today's reflection!
More appropriately, I think this passage, "You shall be holy to me; for I the Lord am holy, and I have separated you from the other peoples to be mine," is yet another reminder to us of why we do what we do in our Christian faith. We, as humans and Christians, have the power to assemble and worship, to sing praises, to read the Bible, to discuss our religion, and to do works in the name of God. If you compare our privliges to the rest of the world's living things, you begin to understand how blessed we are. We're given gifts from God not necessarily granted to the rest of creation, so we need to recognize those gifts and DO something with them!
Response: To be honest, I wasn't sure about this passage without the context of the rest of Leviticus 20, so I looked it up. And, again, to be honest, I realized this is one of those biblical passages that I don't see eye-to-eye with. In my opinion, the Bible is something man-made that was divinely inspired...therefore I do not believe the Bible to be infallible, but rather a tool through which God can provoke our thoughts and help us make our own decisions. Nothing bothers me more than the Bible-beating preachers who declare the Bible to be 100% true and without error. Sorry - wrong! If that were the case, we'd have BIG problems according to Leviticus! But that's a whole other tirade that I won't delve into, since that's not the point of today's reflection!
More appropriately, I think this passage, "You shall be holy to me; for I the Lord am holy, and I have separated you from the other peoples to be mine," is yet another reminder to us of why we do what we do in our Christian faith. We, as humans and Christians, have the power to assemble and worship, to sing praises, to read the Bible, to discuss our religion, and to do works in the name of God. If you compare our privliges to the rest of the world's living things, you begin to understand how blessed we are. We're given gifts from God not necessarily granted to the rest of creation, so we need to recognize those gifts and DO something with them!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Lenten Challenge Day 1
So- today is Ash Wednesday...aka day numero uno of the Lenten season! I swore this year that I would give up all things dessert, but then my mother pointed out two important things to me:
1) we had a LOT of baking plans lined up for my homecoming next week...and not getting to eat all of those would be pretty sad and
2) Also while I'm home, I'll be sampling food for my brother's wedding in July - and with that sampling comes tasting wedding cake! Whoops! Can't deny myself of that! =P
So instead, I've decided to:
1) give up facebook (again..I've done this before, but it helps me be more productive!)
2) Blog daily with a Lenten reflection.
I've always liked the thought of journaling and being reflective, but I've never really had the time or the motivation to do so. But since I like typing much more than I like writing, I figured my blog would be the prefect outlet! I Googled "Lenten blog project" and found a church that will post daily questions, reflections, or ideas throughout Lent, so I plan on using those daily postings as my journaling catalyst!
The introduction to the blog reads:
For Lent 2011, Urban Village Church will be posting a daily devotional on the church Blog, so that during these upcoming forty days (Sundays are not included), each of us can have the opportunity to reflect as individuals and as one body. These daily devotionals will revolve around themes of spiritual practices in light of the greater social issues around us. Bible verses, personal meditations, news articles, book excerpts, and whatever else possible will be used in order to help us draw nearer to God and to the pain and suffering of our brothers and sisters both near and far.
Today, March 9th, the post by blogger Tim included:
“Lent serves as our annual invitation to come closer to God. It provides a time to look at our lives and ourselves so we can identify the obstructions that keep us from God. Thus Lent offers a gift of time and a promise of closeness. It gives us time to see our current state of affairs in complete honesty.” – Sarah Parsons (A Clearing Season: Reflections for Lent)
I posted this quote in the introductory post for the Lenten Devotional Blog a week ago, but I thought it would be worth revisiting as we enter this season together. During today’s meeting with Urban Village staff, we went around the table discussing our experiences with Lent, and to my surprise, I found that I was not the only one who had grown up a non-participant of this ritual. It always seemed that random people around me, most of whom I would never have known to be religious, would suddenly stop eating candy, drinking soda, playing video games, etc., and so I pegged Lent as some sort of strange time of adhering to law without engaging in relationship.
This will be my first Lent, and I am resolved to put aside past prejudices for the sake of the “promise of closeness” Sarah Parsons describes above. Like the constant calendar pop-ups I set on my iPhone, reminders are a necessary part of life, and my hope is that this season of Lent will be such a reminder for all of us. A reminder that we are human beings who struggle to know a God who is so far beyond our capacity to fully know. A reminder that there are things in our lives that create barriers towards this quest of knowing. A reminder that we must be evermore vulnerable and vigilant in seeking relationship and intimacy with our God. A reminder that this personal move is intrinsically connected with the public faces that make up God’s creation.
There is much more to come in this space, so I would like to close this first day asking a question for reflection (and do share if you are willing).
What reminders do you need in your life during these next forty days?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So, now begins my Lenten journal! Future posts will not be this long, but I needed an introduction!
Q: What reminders do you need in your life during these next forty days?
A: Lent has always been an interesting time in the church year for me. Having always grown up in the church, I'm rather familiar with the traditions and practices, but I can't always explain why things are the way they are. While making a quick grocery run the other night with my friends Matt and Laura, we found ourselves on the topic of Lent, and they both questioned what exactly Lent was all about- and I was able to explain what Lent to me, which was exciting! To me, Lent is a time to challenge ourselves and take time to reflect on all that Jesus did for us. His sacrifice was greater than any sacrifice we could possibly make, so to honor him, we take these 40 days to recognize the life that He gave us. Every time we're tempted throughout Lent, or every time we take time to journal, give back, or reflect, we take those moments to think of Him and all that He did for us. It's like our constant little ribbon around our finger - we have constant reminders throughout the Lenten season (that hopefully can translate to the rest of the year) to think of all that we have.
So I suppose the reminders I need throughout these 40 days are just my little ribbons on my finger. Giving up things during Lent has always been a "fun" thing for me (as much fun as it can be), because I'm constantly reminded of why I gave up what I did. Every time I have an urge to log onto Facebook, I'll remember. Just those little moments offer me time to think and be thankful. Then I'll have this journal. This project will challenge me to think and express myself in ways unfamiliar to me. I'm usually not one that openly speaks/writes about my religious views, so this project could present uncomfortable challenges, but I'm ready to tackle them to the best of my ability!
As a daily reminder, I would LOVE to hear other people's reflections and thoughts on these postings. Part of my desire to do this "blog style" is to have that community of other's thoughts. I honestly don't know how many people read this (I know my mommy does!), but if it catches on, I'd really enjoy reading other people's musings and making it more of a community project than a solo one. So, please, if you feel inclined, respond and reflect!
I'm excited! Happy Ash Wednesday and Lenten Season! Be thankful for Him and all that He has done for us!
-Amy-
1) we had a LOT of baking plans lined up for my homecoming next week...and not getting to eat all of those would be pretty sad and
2) Also while I'm home, I'll be sampling food for my brother's wedding in July - and with that sampling comes tasting wedding cake! Whoops! Can't deny myself of that! =P
So instead, I've decided to:
1) give up facebook (again..I've done this before, but it helps me be more productive!)
2) Blog daily with a Lenten reflection.
I've always liked the thought of journaling and being reflective, but I've never really had the time or the motivation to do so. But since I like typing much more than I like writing, I figured my blog would be the prefect outlet! I Googled "Lenten blog project" and found a church that will post daily questions, reflections, or ideas throughout Lent, so I plan on using those daily postings as my journaling catalyst!
The introduction to the blog reads:
For Lent 2011, Urban Village Church will be posting a daily devotional on the church Blog, so that during these upcoming forty days (Sundays are not included), each of us can have the opportunity to reflect as individuals and as one body. These daily devotionals will revolve around themes of spiritual practices in light of the greater social issues around us. Bible verses, personal meditations, news articles, book excerpts, and whatever else possible will be used in order to help us draw nearer to God and to the pain and suffering of our brothers and sisters both near and far.
Today, March 9th, the post by blogger Tim included:
“Lent serves as our annual invitation to come closer to God. It provides a time to look at our lives and ourselves so we can identify the obstructions that keep us from God. Thus Lent offers a gift of time and a promise of closeness. It gives us time to see our current state of affairs in complete honesty.” – Sarah Parsons (A Clearing Season: Reflections for Lent)
I posted this quote in the introductory post for the Lenten Devotional Blog a week ago, but I thought it would be worth revisiting as we enter this season together. During today’s meeting with Urban Village staff, we went around the table discussing our experiences with Lent, and to my surprise, I found that I was not the only one who had grown up a non-participant of this ritual. It always seemed that random people around me, most of whom I would never have known to be religious, would suddenly stop eating candy, drinking soda, playing video games, etc., and so I pegged Lent as some sort of strange time of adhering to law without engaging in relationship.
This will be my first Lent, and I am resolved to put aside past prejudices for the sake of the “promise of closeness” Sarah Parsons describes above. Like the constant calendar pop-ups I set on my iPhone, reminders are a necessary part of life, and my hope is that this season of Lent will be such a reminder for all of us. A reminder that we are human beings who struggle to know a God who is so far beyond our capacity to fully know. A reminder that there are things in our lives that create barriers towards this quest of knowing. A reminder that we must be evermore vulnerable and vigilant in seeking relationship and intimacy with our God. A reminder that this personal move is intrinsically connected with the public faces that make up God’s creation.
There is much more to come in this space, so I would like to close this first day asking a question for reflection (and do share if you are willing).
What reminders do you need in your life during these next forty days?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So, now begins my Lenten journal! Future posts will not be this long, but I needed an introduction!
Q: What reminders do you need in your life during these next forty days?
A: Lent has always been an interesting time in the church year for me. Having always grown up in the church, I'm rather familiar with the traditions and practices, but I can't always explain why things are the way they are. While making a quick grocery run the other night with my friends Matt and Laura, we found ourselves on the topic of Lent, and they both questioned what exactly Lent was all about- and I was able to explain what Lent to me, which was exciting! To me, Lent is a time to challenge ourselves and take time to reflect on all that Jesus did for us. His sacrifice was greater than any sacrifice we could possibly make, so to honor him, we take these 40 days to recognize the life that He gave us. Every time we're tempted throughout Lent, or every time we take time to journal, give back, or reflect, we take those moments to think of Him and all that He did for us. It's like our constant little ribbon around our finger - we have constant reminders throughout the Lenten season (that hopefully can translate to the rest of the year) to think of all that we have.
So I suppose the reminders I need throughout these 40 days are just my little ribbons on my finger. Giving up things during Lent has always been a "fun" thing for me (as much fun as it can be), because I'm constantly reminded of why I gave up what I did. Every time I have an urge to log onto Facebook, I'll remember. Just those little moments offer me time to think and be thankful. Then I'll have this journal. This project will challenge me to think and express myself in ways unfamiliar to me. I'm usually not one that openly speaks/writes about my religious views, so this project could present uncomfortable challenges, but I'm ready to tackle them to the best of my ability!
As a daily reminder, I would LOVE to hear other people's reflections and thoughts on these postings. Part of my desire to do this "blog style" is to have that community of other's thoughts. I honestly don't know how many people read this (I know my mommy does!), but if it catches on, I'd really enjoy reading other people's musings and making it more of a community project than a solo one. So, please, if you feel inclined, respond and reflect!
I'm excited! Happy Ash Wednesday and Lenten Season! Be thankful for Him and all that He has done for us!
-Amy-
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Creative Creations
*you'll see the connection at the end of this post...maybe*
As I sit here eating my delicious Tomato Basil Soup from the Met, waiting to Skype with my wonderful best friends from Cottey, I decided I should update about my weekend! This weekend has been one of creating...both with edible and non-edible materials.
I made it a mission of mine this weekend to bake them, but I wanted to bake them with my friend Matt. Only problem is...Matt's a vegan! So, being flexible, we set out to make these bad boys vegan style! It was pretty easy, though, since Oreo's are vegan by nature. So our modifications consisted of substituting margarine for butter and "egg-replacer" for the eggs. They turned out pretty darn good!
I was mad that I forgot my camera since I knew ahead of time I wanted to blog about this baking endeavor, but I did have my phone on me. I apologize for the poor quality of these photos!
Matt now knows, after two baking sessions with me, that I'm more obsessed with the cookie dough than the actual finished cookie. He's had to stop me from eating the vast majority of dough these past two weekends. Ooops!
Here's the remainder of the Oreo-infused Chocolate Chip cookie dough
(yup, we ate ALL that was remaining after we dished up the cookies for baking)
Oreo-infused Cookies. WINNERS! So tasty!
Our second round consisted of Oreo-filled Chocolate chip cookies. They were MONSTERS! (Well, they had to be big because there was a whole cookie sandwiched in the middle!)
After baking!
The cross-section!
The verdict from all who have sampled:
The oreo-infused cookies trumped the oreo-filled cookies, simply due to the base cookie dough recipe. The latter was more flour-y and not as sweet as the oreo-infused dough. So in the future, I'd recommend mixing and matching...using the dough recipe of the first and smooshing oreos in the middle, like the second!
My other big project to tackle this weekend was an assignment for my Vocal Pedagogy class. We had to build a model of a larynx to help learn the anatomy of our vocal structure! So, I set out to make something that would last me for years so I could show future students what a larynx actually looks like (since, let's face it, most people don't know!)
I started with Sculpey clay so I could form everything, then bake it and have it harden.
All of the pieces post-baking, ready to be assembled.
The finished product!
Behold! A larynx with the Hyoid bone, Thyrohyoid membrane, Thyroid cartilage, Cricothyroid membrane, Cricoid cartilage, Epiglottis, vocal folds, Arytenoid cartilages, and trachea.
Ta-da!
*Now do you see the connection to the video above? Sing it with me...all together now! "The hyoid bone's connected to the Thyrohyoid membrane...the Thyrohyoid membrane's connected to the Thyroid cartilage..." Yeah...ok...it doesn't quite work. Oh well!*
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