Luke 1: 46-55
And Mary said: My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my savior, for God has been mindful of the humble state of this servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the mighty one has done great things for me -- holy is God's name. God's mercy extends to those who fear God, from generation to generation. God has performed mighty deeds with an arm; has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts, has brought down rulers from from their thrones, but has lifted up the humble, has filled the hungry with good things, but has sent the rich away empty, has helped God's servant Israel , remembering to be merciful to Abraham and Sarah and their descendants forever, just as was promised our ancestors.
and from "Response to New Trends in Religious Life:a Franciscan Experience by Ilia Delio, OSF
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Reflections
Without Mary's "yes" to God' s invitation to carry Jesus we would not be celebrating Advent. It is also helpful to remember that we too are called to give birth to Christ. In the Gospel message, Mary writes about herself: "God has been mindful of the humble state of this servant. In a section of the Delio article, she recognizes our call to name the good that exists, to identify with the good as sister or brother and to help bring Christ to birth. Our goal is to share the human condition because in solidarity of personhood we see the goodness of God shining through fragile humanity. They both see our fragility and yet call us to make Christ alive, to birth Christ from within.
We cannot see God in ordinary flesh, without seeing God first in our own human hearts. Therefore it is necessary to hold solitude, prayer and silence as important dimensions to our every day life. The pattern of Jesus' life is fundamental to life, especially the values of compassionate forgiveness, reconciliation, love and peace. In striving for these precious qualities, we are whole makers. To be saved is to attain a healthy life for a healthy compass. While I believe that Jesus is the Christ, I also believe that Christ is more than Jesus because as Word Incarnate, Christ includes every person every creature and the whole universe. Therefore what God has done to Mary, we see that what God wishes to do to each and every one of us.
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1. Are there situations where you sense a call to be a "whole-maker"?
2. How do you see the world as rich in God's blessings?
3. How do you see that the universe is incomplete, in which Christ is still coming to be?
4. What are the implications of the following belief: Our goal is to share the human condition because in solidarity of personhood we see the goodness of God shining through fragile humanity?
5. What does Advent teach you about living as a person in relationships?
6. Is there a reflection which you would like to add to questions? If so, please do.
Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless CompassionBook Review by Marie Gettel-GilmartinI first heard of this book when our pastor read a memorable story during her sermon--of taking two homeboys out to a restaurant for the first time in their lives. Gregory Boyle is a Jesuit priest in Los Angeles and the founder and executive director ofHomeboy Industries--the largest gang intervention program in the country. The organization's motto is "Nothing stops a bullet like a job." Fr. Boyle has been working amongst gang-afflicted kids and young adults for 24 years.
This book is a collection of his stories--full of gut-wrenching pain, beauty, loss, and grace.
He tells stories about homies who are shocked to their core that someone actually believes in them or takes the time for them. Kids who have never felt any worth finally get real jobs and make lives for themselves. Sworn enemies work side by side and become friends. He writes about the women of his church, who love these kids through their flaws and felonies.
The stories are interspersed with lovely quotes that help emphasize his stories and message, such as this one:
"It's when we face for a moment the worst our kind can do, and shudder to know the taint in our own selves, that awe cracks the mind's shell and enters the heart." --Denise Levertov Some of these kids have been abandoned or abused by their parents and have never experienced the Japanese concept of "amae," living in a deep sense of being cherished.
Fr. Boyle and his colleagues attempt to do this for the homies. He notes, "The great encounter with the 'father wound' is every homeboy's homework." He also writes about moms who take seven separate buses to see their sons, every Sunday, and compares this dedication to the expansive heart of God.
He writes about hardened, violent, criminal gangsters who turn into emotional little boys when they are deeply loved unconditionally.
The title, "Tattoos on the Heart," comes from this story, which gives you a brief glimpse of the deep, enduring effects Fr. Boyle (or "G," as they call him) has on the young people he helps:
"Once, after dealing with a particularly exasperating homie named Sharkey, I switch my strategy and decide to catch him in the act of doing the right thing. I can see I have been too harsh and exacting with him, and he is, after all, trying the best he can. I tell him how heroic he is and how the courage he now exhibits in transforming his life far surpasses the hollow 'bravery' of his barrio past. I tell him that he is a giant among men. I mean it. Sharkey seems to be thrown off balance by all this and silently stares at me. Then he says, 'Damn, G...I'm gonna tattoo that on my heart.'"In his 24 years of working with homeboys and homegirls, Boyle has buried 168+ of them. Can you imagine?
This book brought tears to my eyes multiple times. Boyle lives out his belief that it is our responsibility as human beings to make sure "the voices on the margins get heard and the circle of compassion widens." I feel honored to have witnessed a tiny glimpse of this compassion through these stories.
Luke 2
15-18 As the angel choir withdrew into heaven, the sheepherders talked it over. "Let's get over to Bethlehem as fast as we can and see for ourselves what God has revealed to us." They left, running, and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. Seeing was believing. They told everyone they met what the angels had said about this child. All who heard the sheepherders were impressed.
19-20 Mary kept all these things to herself, holding them dear, deep within herself. The sheepherders returned and let loose, glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen. It turned out exactly the way they'd been told!
Images, emotions and memories surround these familiar words: “ Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger.” Seeing was believing.” Mary, the mother of God.
As long as I can remember the first Christmas decoration that came out in my childhood and for over forty years in our own home is the nativity set. I inherited ours from a great aunt. It is not fancy, it is depression era, and several pieces have been mended, some are missing. Four generations have moved these ceramic pieces around. The hand made stable has the remnants of a label –it was built from a box of oranges imported from Japan. I walk by each day, say a little prayer, and often rearrange a piece or two.
So how 2000 years later do I see and believe. I see through experiences of grace in my life, the unexpected glimpses of God’s work within and among us.
Moments from today:
• In my files I found a message sent by Pastor Laurie from the Sunday we were snowed out a few years ago.
“We are all meant to be mothers of God. What good is it to me if this eternal birth of the divine Son takes place unceasingly but does not take place within myself? And, what good is it to me if Mary is full of grace if I am not also full of grace? What good is it to me for Creator to give birth to his Son If I do not also give birth to him in my time and my culture? This, then, is the fullness of time: When the Son of God is begotten in us” Meister Eckhart (14th Century)
• An e-mail newsletter “On Being with Krista Tippet” included a review of “The Book of Customs: A complete Handbook for the Jewish Year”. The phrase “navigating life while marking sacred time” stood out. I am reminded of my desire to understand more of our Jewish heritage.
• The MoTA e-news lead me to Bruce Flath’s review of “The Great Emergence How Christianity is Changing and Why” by Phyllis Tickle. I was struck by the “observers think it will, rewrite Christian theology — and thereby North American culture — into something far more Jewish, more paradoxical, more narrative, and more mystical than anything the Church has had for the last seventeen or eighteen hundred years.” I want to read this book.
• Kathy Truman’s Facebook post with Amy Grant singing “Breath of Heaven” (Mary’s song) the refrain “Hold me together, be forever near me” resonated with me.
• Reflecting on Mary, the mother of God, the feminine God I think of our trip to Mexico City in October Ed and I were both unexpectedly moved by the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe in the Cathedral. For me miracle of the shroud is the blending of cultures, symbols beliefs and faith. It was powerful reminder of the power and presence of God, the Mother.
For the shepherds “Seeing was believing” For me experiencing God’s presence is belief. I am blessed on a daily basis to be part of our amazing church family. God’s presence can be seen and felt in interactions, compassion, sharing, worshiping, discernment, studying and preparing ---Together we are navigating life while marking sacred time.
Do you ever feel the eager spiritual anticipation of the shepherds in Bethlehem?
How and when do you “see” God in your life?
Think of a time when you heard God's Word where you least expected it.
Have you shared those deep experiences with "everyone you've met?” With anyone?
Hosea 11
When Israel was a child, I loved him, and I called my son out of Egypt. But, as the saying goes, "The more they were called, the more they rebelled." They never stopped offering incense and sacrifices to idols and other gods. I took Israel by the arm and taught them to walk. But they would not admit that I was the one who had healed them. I led them with kindness and with love, not with ropes. I held them close to me, as one holds an infant; I bent down to feed them.
I believe that we are still learning about God’s goodness and love for all. Though at times we rebel and do not appear to listen and follow the message of love and kindness. Today, we have many false gods and idols: money, power, celebrity and material possessions that grasp our attention. It is easy to lose sight of God in our culture.
As I stand in the mist of the forest of life, I sometimes do not see things clearly. Then, a Spirit transcends my weakness and I am reminded to be kind and loving. The Teacher is and always has been by my side. He does not force me to enter his house of love and kindness but rather leads me to the threshold within my own mind. I don’t always listen. Sometime my faith waivers. However, I know that the loving Spirit is always with me in spite of my doubts. And, I know that God is always with each of you by your side with love and gentle kindness.
Has a Teacher ever transcended through the mist of your doubt and shown you the loving way?
Do you always listen to that voice?
When were you held in God's embrace? When did you first experience God as a gentle God? How is God leading you now?
-Ed Armstrong
Deuteronomy 10:14-18
Look around you: Everything you see is God's—the heavens above and beyond, the Earth, and everything on it. But it was your ancestors who God fell in love with; God picked their children—that's you!—out of all the other peoples. That's where we are right now. So cut away the thick calluses from your heart and stop being so willfully hardheaded. God, your God, is the God of all gods, the Master of all masters, a God immense and powerful and awesome. This One doesn't play favorites, takes no bribes, makes sure orphans and widows are treated fairly, takes loving care of foreigners by seeing that they get food and clothing.
How do we know who we are? I come from a family that loves stories. I grew up hearing Bible stories, stories about what life was like for my parents and stories about their parents who were immigrants to this country. We often had missionaries as guests in our home. . . . and yes, we heard their stories as well. As I read these verses from Deuteronomy, ancient words written for the Jews but no less true for us, the connection with the stories of my childhood are unmistakable. Certainly the love God had for my parents, grandparents, and me . . . echoed in those stories, but God’s love for the “ancestors” of others in countries far away was just as evident. It enlarged my experience and gave me a perspective of my identity in God far beyond what I was capable of imagining on my own.
These past few weeks we have been hearing incredible stories of faith told by and about members of our community, young and old. We are hearing in these stories who we are as individuals and as a community. Calluses on my heart have certainly been cut thin by the generosity of spirit, the sincere show of love for God who is in the whole of the universe as well as the details. They have touched me deeply. I pray that as we open wide the doors of hospitality to the strangers around us, they too will rejoice and find their identity in God and hear the story of God’s love and passion for justice in this world.
Eugene Peterson uses the idea of God falling in love with our ancestors in this translation. What thoughts and feelings come up for you when you think of God falling in love with YOUR ancestors? What are the thick calluses around your heart right now?
Isaiah 11
1Like a branch that sprouts from a stump, someone from David's family will someday be king. 2The Spirit of the LORD will be with him to give him understanding, wisdom, and insight. He will be powerful, and he will know and honor the LORD. 3His greatest joy will be to obey the LORD. This king won't judge by appearances or listen to rumors.
4The poor and the needy will be treated with fairness and with justice. His word will be law everywhere in the land, and 5honesty and fairness will be his royal robes. 6Leopards will lie down with young goats, and wolves will rest with lambs. Calves and lions will eat together and be cared for by little children. 7Cows and bears will share the same pasture; their young will rest side by side. Lions and oxen will both eat straw.
For several years now, I’ve understood that the utterances of prophets, psalmists, and wisdom writings in the Hebrew Bible were intended for the Hebrews themselves, not for folks like us centuries into the future. In some readings God is silent or hidden. In some readings, the people are excoriated; in other times and situations, they are given promises of deliverance and hope.
In the first seven verses of Isaiah 11, the people are given a vision. And even though we weren’t part of the original intended audience, these verses are a part of the legacy given to us in our Scriptures. “Bible Study” means we try to ‘get’ the original intent, the context of time, culture and situation that made the utterances prophetic. But our major task is to “appropriate” them - to make them our own. They can be “true” for us as well.
Verses 1- 7 describe a system of justice that no Democrat or Republican, however well-intentioned and dedicated, could hope to achieve; no political or religious society however homogeneous, diverse, well-governed and inspired, could hope to implement and sustain. Verses 6 – 7 do not describe the real world as we know it; the meat-eating animals will all die of starvation; they can’t survive on grass. (And we know what happened to the others).
The first lesson I take from this vision is not to place any final or ultimate hope on human intentions, abilities and the institutions we create. No matter how much effort I may put into electing any candidate or even supporting the Oregon Ducks, I am bound to be disillusioned and dismayed.
The second lesson. By placing my trust in the person, life, and example of Jesus in his world, who reveals what God is like - maybe I can reconcile, in my own inner world – the leopard and the goat – which inhibit me from bringing peace and life to those around me.
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Where does your heart most feel the injustice of the world? What is the most painful burden you carry now? Do you trust a God who hears you, and believes in you? Can you offer some of the burden to be shared by God? The vision of the lion and the lamb lying down together has been a powerful one. When you let your mind go, and your imagination play, are your dreams or visions for humanity's future?
From Neal Stixrud
The Crying Tree: Redemption and forgiveness in the midst of tragedy
by Naseem Rakha
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Any book that I stay up reading until 2 a.m. deserves five stars. I hadn't done that since Harry Potter 7 came out...and I had jet lag then because we were in Hawaii.
I heard Rakha being interviewed on NPR and knew I had to read her book. A broadcast journalist for "All Things Considered" and an Oregonian, she covered the first execution in Oregon for 30 years, and the seed of this book was planted.
I'm fascinated by the themes of deep forgiveness and grace, perhaps because I wonder whether I would have the capacity to do such a thing myself if one of my loved ones were brutally hurt or worse yet, murdered.
Irene Stanley is an old-fashioned wife in rural Indiana when her sheriff's deputy husband comes home one day and announces that they are moving to eastern Oregon. No discussion, no argument, she is advised by her pastor to accept her husband's decision, even though she feels in her soul that is a very bad move.
A year after the family has settled into Blaine, Oregon, her son, Shep, is found brutally murdered. Each family member--mother, father, and sister--react to his death in different ways. Irene becomes an alcoholic and severely depressed. Bliss, only 12 when her brother was killed, grows up feeling completely neglected by her parents.
The killer is prosecuted and put on death row. Years after Shep's death, Irene finally begins to come out of her cocoon and feels compelled to write to Daniel, her son's killer. And gradually, she finds a way to forgive him. Rakha's characters find that just like hate, forgiveness fills you up. And forgiveness is like "pain and grace all tied up in one."
As Irene's life and world view changes, the secrets begin to leak out.
The book's format is to alternate chapters between the 1980s (when the murder occurred) and 2004, and to alternate perspectives among the family members (mostly Irene), Daniel (on death row), and a deeply damaged but compassionate-at-heart Oregon prison superintendent, Tab Mason. (Usually these shifting times and character viewpoints bother me, but it didn't in this book.) Other reviewers have criticized the book for including one-dimensional characters, but we all know for a fact that there are people like Irene's sister, pastor, or husband out in the world among us. People can have very simple, even hateful views of anything that conflicts with their way of thinking and being.
A few people commented that they would have liked the book to be longer, so they could have learned more about Irene's relationship with her son, or what was going on in Nate's mind. But I believe that Rakha kept that deliberately fuzzy for the purposes of the story.
I saw a few of the plot elements coming, but Rakha might have wanted this. It didn't matter anyway. I loved this story of pain and grace, and I especially enjoyed reading this fictional story of forgiveness after reading the memoir Picking Cotton earlier this year...a story of a woman who was raped and forgave her rapist, only to discover that he wasn't really her rapist after all and she had accused the wrong man. Not only did she forgive him, but he forgave her and they actually became friends. Do you have such a capacity to forgive in you?
Review by Marie Gettel-Gilmartin
Isaiah 11
1Like a branch that sprouts from a stump, someone from David's family will someday be king. 2The Spirit of the LORD will be with him to give him understanding, wisdom, and insight. He will be powerful, and he will know and honor the LORD. 3His greatest joy will be to obey the LORD. This king won't judge by appearances or listen to rumors.
4The poor and the needy will be treated with fairness and with justice. His word will be law everywhere in the land, and 5honesty and fairness will be his royal robes. 6Leopards will lie down with young goats, and wolves will rest with lambs. Calves and lions will eat together and be cared for by little children. 7Cows and bears will share the same pasture; their young will rest side by side. Lions and oxen will both eat straw.
For several years now, I’ve understood that the utterances of prophets, psalmists, and wisdom writings in the Hebrew Bible were intended for the Hebrews themselves, not for folks like us centuries into the future. In some readings God is silent or hidden. In some readings, the people are excoriated; in other times and situations, they are given promises of deliverance and hope.
In the first seven verses of Isaiah 11, the people are given a vision. And even though we weren’t part of the original intended audience, these verses are a part of the legacy given to us in our Scriptures. “Bible Study” means we try to ‘get’ the original intent, the context of time, culture and situation that made the utterances prophetic. But our major task is to “appropriate” them - to make them our own. They can be “true” for us as well.
Verses 1- 7 describe a system of justice that no Democrat or Republican, however well-intentioned and dedicated, could hope to achieve; no political or religious society however homogeneous, diverse, well-governed and inspired, could hope to implement and sustain. Verses 6 – 7 do not describe the real world as we know it; the meat-eating animals will all die of starvation; they can’t survive on grass. (And we know what happened to the others).
The first lesson I take from this vision is not to place any final or ultimate hope on human intentions, abilities and the institutions we create. No matter how much effort I may put into electing any candidate or even supporting the Oregon Ducks, I am bound to be disillusioned and dismayed.
The second lesson. By placing my trust in the person, life, and example of Jesus in his world, who reveals what God is like - maybe I can reconcile, in my own inner world – the leopard and the goat – which inhibit me from bringing peace and life to those around me.
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Where does your heart most feel the injustice of the world? What is the most painful burden you carry now? Do you trust a God who hears you, and believes in you? Can you offer some of the burden to be shared by God? The vision of the lion and the lamb lying down together has been a powerful one. When you let your mind go, and your imagination play, are your dreams or visions for humanity's future?
This second Advent reflection comes from Barbara S:
1 Peter 5:4-7
When God, who is the best shepherd of all, comes out in the open to rule, God will see that you've done it right and commend you lavishly. And you who are younger must follow your leaders. But all of you, leaders and followers alike, are to be down to earth with each other, for—God has had it with the proud, but takes delight in just plain people. So be content with who you are, and don't put on airs. God's strong hand is on you; you will be promoted at just the right time. Live carefree before God, for God is most careful with you.
The author of 1 Peter was writing to the broad community probably of the late first century. He was addressing people of all stations, leaders and followers, young and old to help them put order into their lives. His message is as valuable today as it was to the people of this earlier time. We are to lead lives of authenticity and truth no matter what our role in life is. When life becomes a struggle, we must trust in God and know that God is always with us, loves us and cares about us.
“Be content with who you are, and don’t put on airs.” That was a zinger for me. I get myself in a lot of trouble when I find myself in a situation where I am out of my comfort zone and am trying to fit in. Often my tongue engages before my brain which leads to more discomfort. I do not see myself as a leader, but as a faithful follower. I have had a number of authentic leaders or mentors in my life, first and foremost was my grandmother, who raised me. She was a simple lady who had much adversity in her life but accepted life as it unfolded with quiet humility and faith. I’ve also had a number of good friends who led by example with a deep faith in God and love of people. I feel blessed to have my life enriched with such authentic leaders.
Do you have ancestors or elders in faith you admire? What attributes do you identify that make them able to mentor others? What would it mean to be “content with who you are?”
Bruce Flath
November 28, 2011
Christianity’s Great Rummage Sales
A Review of
Tickle, Phyllis. The Great Emergence: How Christianity is Changing and Why. Baker Books, 2008.
Every 500 years or so the Christian Church holds a rummage sale, selling off old ideas and adopting new ones. Each of these “re-formations” comprises decades of change and results in the creation of a new vision for the Church.
So claims Phyllis Tickle, the author of The Great Emergence. Tickle was the editor of the religion section of Publishers Weekly, from which she retired. She is now a eucharistic minister in the Episcopal Church and a senior fellow of Cathedral College at the National Cathedral in Washington.
Five hundred years ago the Church underwent the Great Reformation. Approximately 500 years prior to that occurred the Great Schism, when the Orthodox and Roman Catholics broke away from each other. Another 500 years before that lived Pope Gregory I, or Gregory the Great, who instigated reforms arising from the growth of monasticism. Each of these “great” events contributed to the latest change that the Church is experiencing which Tickle calls “the Great Emergence”.
Tickle argues that each of these re-formations comes about because those uncomfortable with the institutional Church ask the question, “Where is the authority, now?” In the Reformation, Luther answered that authority lies within the Scriptures and only within the Scriptures. For contemporary Christians, however, the authority of the Scriptures has been steadily eroded over a century of critical inquiry. Furthermore, North American Protestantism has had to contend with several “assaults”, as Tickle calls them. These have included changes in attitude toward divorce, the ordination of women, and the place of homosexuals within the various denominations.
Tickle views the Emerging Church movement as the embodiment of the Great Emergence and predicts that it will mold the future of Christianity. She says that the answer to the question, “Where is the authority, now?” will be found in conversation between the various groups of Christians who are struggling with this question. Out of this conversation will arise a future Church that will be a dynamic network rather than a single institution. Tickle writes that if “the Great Emergence does what most of its observers think it will, it will rewrite Christian theology — and thereby North American culture — into something far more Jewish, more paradoxical, more narrative, and more mystical than anything the Church has had for the last seventeen or eighteen hundred years.”
This book should appeal to those who are interested in the Emerging Church movement and models of change within the Church. My biggest complaint about the book is that the author assumes that the reader already has some familiarity with the Emerging Church movement and contemporary North American Protestantism. Because I know little about the Emerging Church movement, I was hoping that this book would provide an introduction to it; in that regard I was a little disappointed. Furthermore, some Catholic readers may be confused by the use of theological language perhaps unfamiliar to them. Nevertheless, the book should generate food for thought within a wide audience on the future of the Church.
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