I read a great article this morning that Don Zank sent me. It talked about a "Quid Pro Quo" God. The idea of "If I do this....God will do this..." Also known as "You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours." The article is at http://www.ctlibrary.com/ct/2010/marchweb-only/19-41.0.html It's title is "Love of Unimaginable Proportions."
It's an appropriate thing to ponder this Holy Week. I'm always amazed when I hear the stories of this week. I particularly love Maundy Thursday. Jesus sharing a meal, his last meal, with his disciples. Locked away in a private room. It's such a contrast to the cross and all that happens on Good Friday.
Jesus washes their feet and gives them a new commandment "Love one another as I have loved you." Love, service, sharing meals, forgiveness, sacrifice. How do we do this for one another without getting caught up in that cycle of "Quid Pro Quo"?
May God bless you this week with the ability to accept Grace and let go of a "Quid Pro Quo" image of God.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Prayer for Today
Prayer for the People of Chile and Asia
by Safiyah Fosua
Terror
Terror
Terrible times!
God of Ages and Generations,
Be with neighbors across the globe,
While it looks like the world is caving in upon itself
And there is nowhere to hide.
Be with Chile
When the aftershocks come without warning
Making mini-missiles of once-harmless things
And any glass that remained falls to join the shards on the ground.
Be with the people of Chile who just suffered one of the worst earthquakes recorded
With the people of Japan and Hawaii and points in between who ran in terror for high ground.
Be with worried relatives and people digging with their hands
As we watch our neighbors search for survivors yet again -- so soon!
Let what we see with our eyes
Move our hearts to compassion,
Our lips to prayer
Our hands to generosity in this time of great need.
Be with us all, O God,
While the earth quakes its discomfort
And mirrors our yearning for your return.
Wrap your arms around Chileans, Asians and Haitians,
People in danger everywhere
People right here.
Remind all of us of your promises
Never to leave us
That we are not forsaken
That our names are carved in the palm of your hand
That we are your beloved.
The earth is quaking.
Things familiar are falling to the ground.
God, be with us all in these
Terror
Terror
Terrible times! Amen.
by Safiyah Fosua
Terror
Terror
Terrible times!
God of Ages and Generations,
Be with neighbors across the globe,
While it looks like the world is caving in upon itself
And there is nowhere to hide.
Be with Chile
When the aftershocks come without warning
Making mini-missiles of once-harmless things
And any glass that remained falls to join the shards on the ground.
Be with the people of Chile who just suffered one of the worst earthquakes recorded
With the people of Japan and Hawaii and points in between who ran in terror for high ground.
Be with worried relatives and people digging with their hands
As we watch our neighbors search for survivors yet again -- so soon!
Let what we see with our eyes
Move our hearts to compassion,
Our lips to prayer
Our hands to generosity in this time of great need.
Be with us all, O God,
While the earth quakes its discomfort
And mirrors our yearning for your return.
Wrap your arms around Chileans, Asians and Haitians,
People in danger everywhere
People right here.
Remind all of us of your promises
Never to leave us
That we are not forsaken
That our names are carved in the palm of your hand
That we are your beloved.
The earth is quaking.
Things familiar are falling to the ground.
God, be with us all in these
Terror
Terror
Terrible times! Amen.
Monday, January 25, 2010
The "I"s Have It!
Today I am thankful for:
Ice: There is a skating rink outside my window, on the south lawn of the church, along with a huge mound of snow. There is no school today for the elementary kids, so the daycare is active. The kids are sliding down the snowbanks and then shooting across the ice! It is so fun to see them. It energizes me and helps me remember the JOY of being a child. And the JOY that we are all children of God. Today I will try to keep a child-like attitude and faith. Not childish, but child-like!
Ice Cream: I know it's close to ice, but how could I NOT be thankful for ice cream?! I love the stuff. I was definitely born with my Grandma Murken's sweet tooth. My dad loves ice cream, too, so I probably also get it from him. He took me out for ice cream every friday night when I was growing up. That was awesome, not just because of the ice cream, but because I got to spend time with my dad. My seminary roomie, Emily, and I would often go for ice cream together too, when we had a bad day or wanted to celebrate something. It is so good to enjoy God's gifts with people that we love!
Italy: For their delicious food, their culture of welcome and family, and their beautiful country. I am so thankful I have had the chance to go there. I loved the landscape and the architecture, and the spirit of the people.
Ice: There is a skating rink outside my window, on the south lawn of the church, along with a huge mound of snow. There is no school today for the elementary kids, so the daycare is active. The kids are sliding down the snowbanks and then shooting across the ice! It is so fun to see them. It energizes me and helps me remember the JOY of being a child. And the JOY that we are all children of God. Today I will try to keep a child-like attitude and faith. Not childish, but child-like!
Ice Cream: I know it's close to ice, but how could I NOT be thankful for ice cream?! I love the stuff. I was definitely born with my Grandma Murken's sweet tooth. My dad loves ice cream, too, so I probably also get it from him. He took me out for ice cream every friday night when I was growing up. That was awesome, not just because of the ice cream, but because I got to spend time with my dad. My seminary roomie, Emily, and I would often go for ice cream together too, when we had a bad day or wanted to celebrate something. It is so good to enjoy God's gifts with people that we love!
Italy: For their delicious food, their culture of welcome and family, and their beautiful country. I am so thankful I have had the chance to go there. I loved the landscape and the architecture, and the spirit of the people.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Prayer: Living the Baptism of Christ
Holy God, before time you named us
Through time you redeem us
You call us, precious in your sight
May we love as you love.
Holy One, through the turbulent waters
Make us steady, your hands
Holding strong the fragile and weak
May we love as you love.
Gracious God, may the fruits of our lives
be food for the hungry, bread
clothing, shelter, fire, water, Word
May we love as you love.
God of justice, remove the chaff
Of our lives that keep us from
Hearing, following, Your call
May we love as you love.
Loving God, take this day our fears our
Worries, distractions, and all
Turn them into wheat, heart food
May we love as you love.
Amen
(from RevGalBlogPals blog)
Through time you redeem us
You call us, precious in your sight
May we love as you love.
Holy One, through the turbulent waters
Make us steady, your hands
Holding strong the fragile and weak
May we love as you love.
Gracious God, may the fruits of our lives
be food for the hungry, bread
clothing, shelter, fire, water, Word
May we love as you love.
God of justice, remove the chaff
Of our lives that keep us from
Hearing, following, Your call
May we love as you love.
Loving God, take this day our fears our
Worries, distractions, and all
Turn them into wheat, heart food
May we love as you love.
Amen
(from RevGalBlogPals blog)
Monday, November 9, 2009
Being that my name starts with this letter, it's always been a personal favorite! :)
Home: Okay, truth time. I'm hoping that writing that I'm thankful for my new house will help me feel more thankful for it. Right now, it's a huge stress ball. Just when we think we are done with the info for the mortgage people, we find out we need more!! I know I will love my new house when I get in, but why does it have to be so complicated?! But all that aside, I am thankful to have a place to live with my husband AND my doggie!
Holidays: I'm SO looking forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas! I love spending time with my family. Plus, it's great to take a break from the pace of everyday life and do something different. And we get to eat delicious foods. Like...
Ham: It's my favorite lunchmeat and holiday main course. MMM!
Home: Okay, truth time. I'm hoping that writing that I'm thankful for my new house will help me feel more thankful for it. Right now, it's a huge stress ball. Just when we think we are done with the info for the mortgage people, we find out we need more!! I know I will love my new house when I get in, but why does it have to be so complicated?! But all that aside, I am thankful to have a place to live with my husband AND my doggie!
Holidays: I'm SO looking forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas! I love spending time with my family. Plus, it's great to take a break from the pace of everyday life and do something different. And we get to eat delicious foods. Like...
Ham: It's my favorite lunchmeat and holiday main course. MMM!
Monday, October 26, 2009
Gee..
And we roll on!
Games: One of our wedding presents was a Wii. We played it this weekend, and it was so nice to have some time just devoted to having fun! We got lots of other games that we play together sometimes, and I look forward to playing with friends in our new house in the future.
Gummi Bears: So delicious and chewy :) I also loved the cartoon show- does anyone remember that?
Grace (my congregation and the thing that God gives me!): It is so great to celebrate the reformation each year and to be reminded that Grace is so key to our faith as Lutherans. God is so good. It means so much to me to know that I have God's love even when I fail and don't do what I am aiming to do. Knowing I am forgiven gives me strength to keep trying.
And Grace on 6th Avenue is pretty great, too! I love you all and so does God! I am so glad to be doing God's work and sharing God's word with you each week.
Games: One of our wedding presents was a Wii. We played it this weekend, and it was so nice to have some time just devoted to having fun! We got lots of other games that we play together sometimes, and I look forward to playing with friends in our new house in the future.
Gummi Bears: So delicious and chewy :) I also loved the cartoon show- does anyone remember that?
Grace (my congregation and the thing that God gives me!): It is so great to celebrate the reformation each year and to be reminded that Grace is so key to our faith as Lutherans. God is so good. It means so much to me to know that I have God's love even when I fail and don't do what I am aiming to do. Knowing I am forgiven gives me strength to keep trying.
And Grace on 6th Avenue is pretty great, too! I love you all and so does God! I am so glad to be doing God's work and sharing God's word with you each week.
Monday, October 19, 2009
For the love...
Moving right along...it's a good day to be thankful for things here. Gorgeous leaves, warm temp, sunshine. YAY! So that makes it easy to be thankful for...
FALL: I am soaking up the amazing colors and the last days of leaved trees. God made such a beautiful world. I am in awe of the blazing colors and how they all compliment each other and the blue sky and the green grass. It is a magical time to be outside. Brian and I took Jonah for a walk at Lion's Den park in Grafton on Saturday. It was so fun to walk along the paths, crunching in the leaves and enjoying being outside before we have to bundle up in our snow suits!
FRIENDS: Okay, I know I talked about Emily in the last post. But I got to meet up with her last week on our days off and it was great. Like she said on FB, sometimes you just need to be with one of your dearest friends. And those times seem to be too few and far between for me these days, so I really appreciate it when it happens. To have someone who knows you and you can really be yourself with is such a gift. Thank you God for good friends!
FUZZY SWEATERS: That one might be a stretch for the "F" category, but it is a Monday morning and I'm not quite at full capacity :) But I've been loving lately the chance to snuggle up in some warm clothes. And talk about grateful- what a gift it is to have so many warm things to wear. At this time of year my thoughts always turn to those who don't have warm clothes or places to live, and how I can help them. The sermon yesterday was awesome, and a good reminder that by supporting our church we are a part of great ministries like Lutheran Social Services. If you didn't hear it, you should definitely listen to it. It should be up soon at http://www.gracegrafton.com/podcast/index.htm
FALL: I am soaking up the amazing colors and the last days of leaved trees. God made such a beautiful world. I am in awe of the blazing colors and how they all compliment each other and the blue sky and the green grass. It is a magical time to be outside. Brian and I took Jonah for a walk at Lion's Den park in Grafton on Saturday. It was so fun to walk along the paths, crunching in the leaves and enjoying being outside before we have to bundle up in our snow suits!
FRIENDS: Okay, I know I talked about Emily in the last post. But I got to meet up with her last week on our days off and it was great. Like she said on FB, sometimes you just need to be with one of your dearest friends. And those times seem to be too few and far between for me these days, so I really appreciate it when it happens. To have someone who knows you and you can really be yourself with is such a gift. Thank you God for good friends!
FUZZY SWEATERS: That one might be a stretch for the "F" category, but it is a Monday morning and I'm not quite at full capacity :) But I've been loving lately the chance to snuggle up in some warm clothes. And talk about grateful- what a gift it is to have so many warm things to wear. At this time of year my thoughts always turn to those who don't have warm clothes or places to live, and how I can help them. The sermon yesterday was awesome, and a good reminder that by supporting our church we are a part of great ministries like Lutheran Social Services. If you didn't hear it, you should definitely listen to it. It should be up soon at http://www.gracegrafton.com/podcast/index.htm
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