This summer I have an internship with "Interfaith Worker Justice." I am going to Chicago June 8-13 for training and networking. I just found out today that I will work with "Service Employees International Union" here in Denver. (They have been active in the "Justice for Janitors" campaign) I really have no idea what to expect, but I know I will learn a lot! =)
I will also participate in an immersion trip led by my ethics professor in August. We will work with the group "No More Deaths" and will work and sleep in the desert camps providing humanitarian aid to immigrants. My only regret about the trip is it is during the Democratic National Convention...
It should be a transformative summer! =)
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Thursday, May 1, 2008
The Best and Worst Parts of Us
Today my heart is sad. Many Iliff students attended/are attending General Conference and the rest of us have been following it from Denver. (General Conference is held every 4 years and is the governing body of the United Methodist Church)
A petition had been brought forward by the legislative committee that recommended eliminating the phrase in the Book of Discipline that said "homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching" and replacing it with the phrase "faithful, thoughtful people who have grappled with this issue deeply disagree with one another; yet all seek a faithful witness." It was rejected.
Another petition stated that "although the pastor is to educate and counsel the person seeking to unite with the local church, God’s redemptive gift is available to all persons, and the pastor is to faithfully receive all adults willing to affirm our vows of membership." The petition would have made it harder for pastors to deny church membership based on sexual orientation. It, too, was rejected.
The discipline currently states that "self-avowed, practicing homosexuals" cannot be ordained, and pastors cannot perform same-sex unions. Both were upheld.
Part of my hesitation to enter ordained ministry has been my belief that the church body has the capability of bringing out the very worst in humanity, and that we fail to live the radically inclusive love Jesus practiced.
However, today at noon, nearly 30 of us--some Methodists, some not, some gay, some straight-- gathered together to pray. We prayed for the delegates at General Conference. We prayed for the people who are excluded and rejected by the Church. We prayed for the people who exclude and reject. We prayed for the gifted preachers, scholars, and care-givers who cannot be ordained in the tradition that rasied them.
And we cried. We cried because exclusion not only causes damage to the children of God who are exluded, but also to the Body of Christ itself.
I have to hope the Church will eventually correct this. The American Methodist church was founded in 1784, but it refused to ordain women until 1956...
"The moral arc of the universe is long, but it bends toward justice." Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
A petition had been brought forward by the legislative committee that recommended eliminating the phrase in the Book of Discipline that said "homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching" and replacing it with the phrase "faithful, thoughtful people who have grappled with this issue deeply disagree with one another; yet all seek a faithful witness." It was rejected.
Another petition stated that "although the pastor is to educate and counsel the person seeking to unite with the local church, God’s redemptive gift is available to all persons, and the pastor is to faithfully receive all adults willing to affirm our vows of membership." The petition would have made it harder for pastors to deny church membership based on sexual orientation. It, too, was rejected.
The discipline currently states that "self-avowed, practicing homosexuals" cannot be ordained, and pastors cannot perform same-sex unions. Both were upheld.
Part of my hesitation to enter ordained ministry has been my belief that the church body has the capability of bringing out the very worst in humanity, and that we fail to live the radically inclusive love Jesus practiced.
However, today at noon, nearly 30 of us--some Methodists, some not, some gay, some straight-- gathered together to pray. We prayed for the delegates at General Conference. We prayed for the people who are excluded and rejected by the Church. We prayed for the people who exclude and reject. We prayed for the gifted preachers, scholars, and care-givers who cannot be ordained in the tradition that rasied them.
And we cried. We cried because exclusion not only causes damage to the children of God who are exluded, but also to the Body of Christ itself.
I have to hope the Church will eventually correct this. The American Methodist church was founded in 1784, but it refused to ordain women until 1956...
"The moral arc of the universe is long, but it bends toward justice." Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Trying to sort it all out
I haven't posted in awhile because there's been some craziness around here! Not only is it midterms, but I've had interviews for summer internships and am trying to figure out where to do my Advanced Field Education next school year. We are also dealing with the drama of paying for David's school and daily we ask ourselves..."Was this the right thing to do???"
Then in chapel yesterday, we sang a song from "The Faith We Sing" and I had to fight back the tears:
"The Summons"
Will you come and follow me if I but call your name?
Will you go where you don’t know and never be the same?
Will you let my love be shown, will you let my name be known,
Will you let my life be grown in you and you in me?
Will you leave yourself behind if I but call your name?
Will you care for cruel and kind and never be the same?
Will you risk the hostile stare should your life attract or scare?
Will you let me answer prayer in you and you in me?
Will you let the blinded see if I but call your name?
Will you set the prisoners free and never be the same?
Will you kiss the leper clean, and do such as this unseen,
And admit to what I mean in you and you in me?
Will you love the “you” you hide if I but call your name?
Will you quell the fear inside and never be the same?
Will you use the faith you’ve found to reshape the world around,
Through my sight and touch and sound in you and you in me?
I don't really believe in signs, but the timing of these words is certainly appropriate! =)
Then in chapel yesterday, we sang a song from "The Faith We Sing" and I had to fight back the tears:
"The Summons"
Will you come and follow me if I but call your name?
Will you go where you don’t know and never be the same?
Will you let my love be shown, will you let my name be known,
Will you let my life be grown in you and you in me?
Will you leave yourself behind if I but call your name?
Will you care for cruel and kind and never be the same?
Will you risk the hostile stare should your life attract or scare?
Will you let me answer prayer in you and you in me?
Will you let the blinded see if I but call your name?
Will you set the prisoners free and never be the same?
Will you kiss the leper clean, and do such as this unseen,
And admit to what I mean in you and you in me?
Will you love the “you” you hide if I but call your name?
Will you quell the fear inside and never be the same?
Will you use the faith you’ve found to reshape the world around,
Through my sight and touch and sound in you and you in me?
I don't really believe in signs, but the timing of these words is certainly appropriate! =)
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Missing Kansan Spring!
I am used to thunderstorms, hail, lightening, and tornado watches, but THIS???
AND, yesterday was in the 80's! =)
AND, yesterday was in the 80's! =)
Monday, April 14, 2008
Called to the Periphery
So a couple of things have happened in the past week that led me to this post.
First, I was riding the bus to school. Every Tuesday I take the #40 down Colorado Boulevard to the Colorado Station where I transfer to the #21 that takes me to Iliff. So I'm on the 40 and a gentleman gets on the bus and starts talking to people. I'll admit I was uncomfortable and secretly hoped he would leave me alone. I'm not sure if he was homeless, differently abled, or both, but he was chatting it up with the bus driver...asking him where he went to the barber and other such questions.
There was also a man who got on, sat down across the aisle from me, and pulled out a package of bologna! He started rolling up slices of bologna and eating them whole.
And I caught myself smiling. Because it suddenly occurred to me that if we had a modern-day Jesus, he wouldn't be hanging out at Iliff with me and my theology-studying friends. He'd be hanging out on the 40 eating bologna....
And the second thing that happened was I'm reading a pheomenal book for one of my classes called, "Announcing the Reign of God" by Mortimer Arias. I absolutely adore this book and have worn out my highlighter reading it, but I thought this particular section was "blog-worthy..."
Arias writes "There are peripheries in the world and in the global economic system, and there are also peripheries in central countries and areas of the world. Wherever the periphery is, there we are called to be...to be in solidarity with the suffering people of the world. In their witness to the Kingdom of God in words and deeds the churches must dare to be present at the bleeding points of humanity and thus near those who suffer evil, even taking the risk of being counted among the wicked. No less than this is necessary if we want to announce--credibly and authentically--the kingdom as gift."
First, I was riding the bus to school. Every Tuesday I take the #40 down Colorado Boulevard to the Colorado Station where I transfer to the #21 that takes me to Iliff. So I'm on the 40 and a gentleman gets on the bus and starts talking to people. I'll admit I was uncomfortable and secretly hoped he would leave me alone. I'm not sure if he was homeless, differently abled, or both, but he was chatting it up with the bus driver...asking him where he went to the barber and other such questions.
There was also a man who got on, sat down across the aisle from me, and pulled out a package of bologna! He started rolling up slices of bologna and eating them whole.
And I caught myself smiling. Because it suddenly occurred to me that if we had a modern-day Jesus, he wouldn't be hanging out at Iliff with me and my theology-studying friends. He'd be hanging out on the 40 eating bologna....
And the second thing that happened was I'm reading a pheomenal book for one of my classes called, "Announcing the Reign of God" by Mortimer Arias. I absolutely adore this book and have worn out my highlighter reading it, but I thought this particular section was "blog-worthy..."
Arias writes "There are peripheries in the world and in the global economic system, and there are also peripheries in central countries and areas of the world. Wherever the periphery is, there we are called to be...to be in solidarity with the suffering people of the world. In their witness to the Kingdom of God in words and deeds the churches must dare to be present at the bleeding points of humanity and thus near those who suffer evil, even taking the risk of being counted among the wicked. No less than this is necessary if we want to announce--credibly and authentically--the kingdom as gift."
Sunday, April 13, 2008
A Sunday Hike
We finally got some decent weather here so decided to take the dogs to Dinosaur Ridge for a hike. It was beautiful and a great break from studying! =)
A view of Red Rocks
I think she's tired!!!
A view of Red Rocks
I think she's tired!!!
Thursday, April 10, 2008
A Prayer from Prison
A prayer for...
Friends, family, foes
Strength for those who feel weak
Guidance for those who feel lost
Love for those who feel unloved
Peace for those who feel like warring
Softening for those whose hearts are hardened
Rising for those who suffer death
This prayer was written by a female inmate at the Adams County Jail outside Denver. Iliff has a group called "The Beatitudes Society" and today at our meeting, we read the prayer concerns given to us from inmates at the Adams County Jail. Many prayers were for family members of the incarcerated persons and many expressed concern over upcoming trial dates. This prayer was the one I was given to pray with and I thought it was amazing, so I'm taking the liberty to post it.
Friends, family, foes
Strength for those who feel weak
Guidance for those who feel lost
Love for those who feel unloved
Peace for those who feel like warring
Softening for those whose hearts are hardened
Rising for those who suffer death
This prayer was written by a female inmate at the Adams County Jail outside Denver. Iliff has a group called "The Beatitudes Society" and today at our meeting, we read the prayer concerns given to us from inmates at the Adams County Jail. Many prayers were for family members of the incarcerated persons and many expressed concern over upcoming trial dates. This prayer was the one I was given to pray with and I thought it was amazing, so I'm taking the liberty to post it.
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