My High School Clique, they say

We were the BHS Buccaneers!

What Highschool Clique Do You Belong To? created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as Geek/Nerd Haha! ok. go computer geeks! Geek/Nerd 80% Loner 67% Hot 53% Emo Kid 33% Jock 27% Prep 27% Goth 13% Punk 13% "Ghetto" 7% Stoner 0%

Not ashamed of the gospel

Does this look like an anti-war protester? Or a DFH? It's actually a picture of a faithful and courageous Christian leader who is not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Yesterday, Rev. John Thomas and Rev. Linda Jaramillo, both national leaders in the United Church of Christ, were arrested for attempting to deliver to the White House a petition for peace in Iraq. The petition carried some 60,000 signatures, including mine, I'm happy to say.

Mainline church leaders have never been asked to the White House, nor has the president of the United States found time in his schedule to grant even one meeting that mainline church leaders have requested.

In 2003, as war in Iraq is promoted, President's schedule "too busy" to meet with mailine church leaders

Methodist leaders encourage Bush to repent

Yet, he has been very accessible to, and influenced by, the likes of James Dobson and the (far) religious right.

Bush meets with Religious Right to get support for Iran policy

As a disciple of Jesus Christ who seeks to be a peacemaker, I am inspired today, and energized, by the witness for peace that led to the arrest yesterday of John Thomas and Linda Jaramillo at the White House gates.

Friday Five: Thankfulness

RevGalBlogPals Friday Five:

List at least five things (people, places, graces, miracles...) for which you are thankful. You may elaborate as you wish, or keep it simple.

What a great topic! I'll play ...

* My children who are all grown, scattered (NYC, Oregon, and L.A.) and, still today, a bottomless source of inspiration and joy:
* The church I am privileged to serve, for which no picture would be adequate.
* Nature -- all kinds, all places -- human and otherwise -- reminders of God's beautiful and redemptive presence in unlikely places. So, add travel to this one, too.
* My family of origin -- incredible people, all. They show up in my life at all the right times! I'm also thankful for the Edwin Friedman family systems theories that have turned out to be so helpful in ministry and so true.
* Friends -- including cyber-friends. You all know who you are. Still, you will never fully know how much I cherish you and all the reasons why.
* Vocation, because meaningful work is more gift and grace than $$$ and luck.
* Rest and Recreation, even though my response to this gift, far too often, is "no thank you." God help me!
* Mexican food, and other international food. Love to cook it; love to eat it at home or out. Wish I could find more of it here, and some adventuresome people who enjoy eating something different.
* BOOKS -- all kinds, all the time!
And this is not all ... oh, no, this is not all!

Digging, for God's Sake

Baton Rouge, April 2010: Final resting place of Maya the kitty

Yesterday, I finally got to the bottom of the pile of stuff that had built up before, during and after my sabbatical leave. I would like to say that a clean desk, for me, means that my ministry life is running smoothly and is cleaned up, in every sense. Well ... maybe ... but ... The act of cleaning up my desk is just as likely to indicate that I'm either avoiding some thing(s) outside the office or trying to get control when I feel out of control.

Ditto, ditto for cleaning the house or digging in the garden. Cleaning up can be just what needs to be done, and gardening can be simply a wonderfully satisfying act of caring for my space. Or, depending on the ferocity applied, either of those might just be an incredibly cathartic physical exercise in the nick of time.

Sometimes -- well, lots of times -- when I go digging, I dig up something great. The "garden surprise" was a tiny red salamander thingy and was one such blessing that it still makes me smile. Yesterday, in my office cleaning frenzy, I dug up a part of myself that I had lost, and I certainly wasn't expecting that! Grace, you surprised me once again!