Week 1: The Red Tent

I began my reading adventure with a book that I had heard many good things about, had purchased at one point in time, but have never taken the time to read. The Red Tent by Anita Diamant, captures the attention of the audience by walking the reader through the life of Dinah, Jacob's (from the Bible) only daughter amidst 12 sons. She masterfully weaves Dinah's narrative alongside her mothers stories as well, because  to understand one's own story one must also understand the mothers who raised them.

It was a powerful concept to grasp, understanding your mother's story to fully appreciate your own. Dinah was raised by four mothers and had four stories woven into her own. They helped shape who she became and how she interacted with the world. It made me wonder about how much I understand my own mother. I was raised in an age where sharing personal stories with your children isn't as common. Leaving a legacy tends to be defined more in monetary and societal terms today, and less about being shaped by the stories of those who have come before you. As I was reading this, my mother wanted to spend a day together, and I hesitantly agreed (unbeknownst to her). Within the first couple of hours I found myself getting agitated by the differences in our personalities and closing myself off to the possibilities of where the day could lead. It took a conscious effort to regain an appreciation for her, and also recognizing that she was probably just as frustrated with me-but she was trying. Making the effort to try made all of the difference.

The Red Tent also brought to light a tale that does not get told very often. Many times, Dinah is overlooked and thought of only in the context of being raped. I appreciated Diamant's use of agency for women in that time and her recognition of how some voices fall silent in the course of history. I am not sure if I will be able to think about the 12 tribes of Israel in the same way, but now I have deeper appreciation and connection to the names that fill those pages. Those names that shape our history to this day.

Letter Grade: A
It was captivating, intriguing, and thought provoking. The kind of book that is hard to put down and makes one grieve finishing it.

Twas the Wednesday before Christmas...

My friend Timothy unleashed the Pandora's box of creativity on a night when all finals were completed...each line was built upon the other by a different person, most of which became a dialogue between Brigitte and I. This is what happens when one has too much theological education. 

Hope you enjoy!

Twas the last Wednesday before Christmas and all through the church, everybody came to a start with a lurch
...the hymns were chosen and well prepared, even the potluck was ready to be shared...
The decorations were hung around the altar with care, anticipation of Christ's birth was in the air.

As soon as the pastor was practicing the sermon, there were doubts all around that it wasn't in German
"What will we do?" asked the choir with fear... Pastor said, "Leave it to me and go have a beer."
When what to our wondering eyes should appear! two plates of cookies, mixed nuts, and some beer!

We gobbled them up and drank them all down, not even the curmudgeons were faced with a frown
When out came Santa with a stern look on his face, and said "why is there a mess all over this place?!"
"I came here looking for cookies but indeed have found none, if you want presents for Christmas to the church basement you must run."

And down through the heavens there rose such a clatter, Jesus Christ swiftly appeared saying, "look I've brought batter!"
So we raced to the kitchen to bake Santa a treat, while santa and jesus watched and had a seat.
Then the tributes were picked and started the bake off, only the good Lord will know what will happen if you start to cough...
Then from the corner i heard a harsh squeal- and I yelled at the top of my lungs, "AWWW SHIT JUST GOT REAL!"

Santa and Jesus peered on with a grin, if you can guess which one is real: you just might win
Jesus said, "Santa, how's the misses? I don't see her around here." Santa said, "She's getting her nails done... and waxing her rear."
With a look of astonishment and fingers laced around a spoon, He did not anticipate envisioning THAT full moon.

I went to the corner from which the squeal came, and found Jill with a mouse who was apparently lame.
She said, "Look at this mouse. Tragic, is it not?" Then Jesus came over and said, "Let me see what I've got."
With a wave of his finger and wink of his eye, that mouse began walking, and jumping real high!

"Praise be to Jesus, who healed the mouse who was lame!" "For any of you, I'd do the very same."
It didn't take long to notice that the mouse had found swagger, even the dust bunnies were thinking he looked like Mick Jagger

Then down through the chimney, shimmying with care, Adam Levine and Maroon 5 were now there!
Then the tribute from Bethlehem: meek with a pretty face, whispered, “The cookies are ready, but first, let’s say grace.”
"Bless us lord Jesus, we don't want to be rude, but we baked so that we could offer Santa some food."
The the Adam Levine yelled, "Don't yet scatter! These treats are for all since Jesus brought us the batter."

With that proclamation the organ did chime, and the rest of Maroon 5 brought salt and a lime.
Then Jimmy Buffet sauntered in with free will, and they all began singing "Margaritaville."
Santa, Jesus, and the performers were happy, although not all the tributes seemed equally sappy
They knew it was nearly time to take their last breath in an annual celebration and fight to the death.

The tribute from Joppa said, "Do we have to do this?" Santa said, "Well, you could just kiss."
"Ewww" shouted the tribute from Judah, if I wanted to do that I would have prayed to Buddha
Jesus said, "lean in real close- i don't want to hear it, but make sure you leave a little space for the Holy Spirit."
The tribute from Hebron with wild exhilaration puckered up his lips in great anticipation
The tribute from Moab applied some lip balm while the tribute from Canaan read us a Psalm.

Then Jimmy Buffet yelled, "No this is wrong. Why don't you all just let me sing a song?"
Jesus pondered this moment and that invitation, it seems his purpose in life was for their justification
The tributes were saved by his body and blood, even Noah was jealous for he endured the flood

In the church that night a new decree had been made, Jesus brings a light that will never fade
The meaning of Christmas was suddenly clear- Salvation through Christ so that God would be near
The people rejoiced and began to tell their friends, it is a love so amazing that it never ends.

The cookies, the treats, they were all just fine, but at the heavenly banquet we're invited to dine.
So, come one, come all, and hear the tale, it's a journey so crunchy but never goes stale.

The story's for you, if you believe it or not, but Jesus will still love you... even if you're a snot.
Here ends our tale of the last Wednesday before Christmas. We hope you enjoyed it and we ask for your forgiveness.

Challenge Accepted...

I am continually searching for the next book to read. Being a student means that I read all the time, but very rarely find time to read novels or works of inspiration outside of the classroom.

While procrastinating studying for the test that I will be taking in 4 hours, I came across this list 100 Books You Can't Put Down

It contains childhood classics, modern mysteries, and all around good books! I have only read around 15 of these and am currently reading number 16. My challenge will be to read at least one of these a week and write a book review on here to reflect on life, love, and the pursuit of happiness...

Here begins a journey of sorts...

Book Review: Click 2 Save: The Digital Ministry Bible

Warning: Do NOT read the paper back copy while in extreme heat! The binding will loosen almost instantaneously causing loose pages to flee everywhere. 

Click 2 Save: The Digital Ministry Bible by Elizabeth Drescher and Keith Anderson is a really fascinating resource for the Christian Public Leader. It offers an in depth view on a variety of social media platforms, how they can be utilized, and an opportunity to envision yourself using them. Though very simplistic, I appreciate how they make Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube accessible to even the most anxious techno-phobe. I also really appreciate their emphasis on utilizing social media as a means for relationship building. These platforms are not meant to be the end-all conversation, but simply a new way to approach it. The worksheets at the end of each chapter encourage communities of people who may be curious about social media to envision together. This book would be a great resource for congregations imagining who they are and where God is leading them, because it opens the doors of conversation and allows space for others to give their input. 

One key aspect that I have been ruminating on is the role of social media in our day to day lives. I started college in 2005, when Facebook was something that had just begun and was only open to those with a college email address. It quickly became the way that people stayed connected (mind you, this was also the same time that I received my first cell phone), and since then it has grown to include many different networks and capabilities.  

Now, as I am currently still a student, referencing Facebook in lectures and normal conversation is completely acceptable. It is no longer just "Facebook stalking," but a means to have a quick conversation deeper than the brisk, "How are you? Good" (one breath) as you are walking. It has also become a way to share worldly information, a way to grieve when someone passes, a way to support those going through joyful or tough times, along with "just keeping in touch." Recently, I ran into a woman from my home congregation 2,000+ miles from home. As we said hello, after not seeing each other for a very long time, she introduced me to her friend and gave a very accurate summary of where I was in life. We had not spoken in a long time, but because of Facebook, she remembered more details about myself than I did. Thankfully, everything she said was wonderful and painted a fun and quirky picture of this 26 year old standing in front of them.

Yet, it begs the question, how are people perceiving me? How are people perceiving the pages that I manage? What is the driving identity that is being portrayed here? Drescher and Anderson discuss these questions and invite the reader to map out the specifics of the churches mission and vision alongside what they see when they Google or find their church on other social media platforms. What does the public picture look like and what do we want it to look like? Are we in touch with the gospel? Do we welcome visitors with an easily accessible site? 

There are far more questions than answers, and in that lies the beauty. This is not something that can be solved in one sitting by one person, but it is an opportunity to learn and grow in community--both online and in person. 

Here is to creating safe, healthy, and fun conversations about where we see the gospel in the world.  Cheers. 

An Opportunity to Reflect

About two months ago, I began this journey into blogging as a class assignment/spiritual practice. It seemed to be the fitting avenue for a final project, for a course on media and technology in the realm of theological education. No brainer, right?

I began with some hesitancy, as outlined in an earlier post, because my experience with blogging has not always been positive. Yet, I was still oddly intrigued by other bloggers and how much I seek out the voices. Thus began the adventure...

I have learned....

I am really not that interesting. 

My ego gets really excited when I receive over 8 views in one day. 

Thoughtful reflection about life events is really fun, and profoundly beautiful.

Somedays, I just make stuff up.

Linking other sites and Youtube videos is extremely easy, for example: How I survived this Project

Photos were not so easy...

...Ok, maybe easier than I thought. 

Having a place to reflect on books has been awesome.

The book reviews were the most viewed posts. 

Also, thinking publicly has presented many new ways to view the world. 

And finally, I still don't think I am that interesting. 

End Result: I'll probably keep the blog because I really enjoyed having an outlet to process different ideas. It will be even more exciting if/when people begin to comment on various posts. Maybe someday it will help me refine my blogging capacities. In the book Click 2 Save, which we had to read for class, it advocated for simply playing with the various social media platforms. The authors used very detailed approaches of how to dive in, and then they encouraged play. This may be how we release the fear and anxiety that comes with social media, by simply playing until we understand. It is also a beautiful model for ministry, when something is unfamiliar to immerse ourselves in something new, so that we may be transformed. 

Book Review: Healing the Heart of Democracy by Parker Palmer

I received  this book about a year and a half ago, when Parker Palmer was leading a book reading in Minneapolis, MN. I sat in awe as he poetically wove the "broken hearted" issues that America faces and how we can approach them. Also, I must have appeared to be one of those "young people" who had been dragged along because my face was in my smart phone. However, I was not texting, facebooking, or wishing I was elsewhere; in fact, I was taking diligent notes while being in the presence of a beautiful soul who chose to speak.

The book sat upon my shelves and made the cross country journey that I embarked on last year, with good intentions to allow it to be the next on the list. It never quite got there, until I began a spiritual practice of reading while on the treadmill. In my opinion, best spiritual practice, ever!

Healing the Heart of Democracy subtly and concretely addresses the tension among American discourse. Palmer speaks of the tension that we feel as one marked by fear, shame, and anxiety. He names it as "broken hearted," because how else do people respond once their dreams have been broken? When one is broken hearted there is a process of grief and unknowing that occur. He then calls the reader to be broken hearted "openly", meaning to allow themselves to enter into the conversation without judgement or assumptions. By openly processing those moments of pain or confusion, it allows the person to grow and become strengthened. It is also not easy to be open to these moments. People tend to have fight or flight mentalities, in times of stress, and openness does not come naturally. How do we open ourselves up to one we feel oppressed or wronged by? Or vice versa?

For me, this book has been a beautiful way to think about approaching conversations-especially around political hostilities. This past year I heard more anti-Islamic conversations than I ever care to again (and have a strange feeling that I will hear more), and this book gave me ideas of how to approach the beautiful people I am conversing with, without diminishing their character, and also holding firm to my belief that Islam is not inherently bad or evil, but merely a religion that tends to be misunderstood in modern America.

However, I probably would not utilize this book as a book study with a congregation. I can find nuggets of information and beauty, but there were also moments of feeling talked down to. I did not appreciate the chapter recap at the end of every chapter, it felt as though it assumed I was not reading intently. The overall feel of the book felt like it teetered between intellectual conversation and a push into a spiritual practice (without explaining the what or why). That is not something I am willing to enter into with a group of people.

Book Review: An Altar in the World by Barbara Brown Taylor

“What is saving my life now is the conviction that there is no spiritual treasure to be found apart from the bodily experiences of human life on earth. My life depends on engaging the most ordinary physical activities with the most exquisite attention I can give them…what is saving my life right now is becoming more fully human, trusting that there is no way to God apart from real life in the real world” (Taylor, xvii).

Barbara Brown Taylor skillfully entwines the mundane activities of everyday life and creates a moment of sacred around them. She utilizes practices that can be found in the daily life of any human being, such as walking on the face the earth, wearing skin, encountering others, getting lost, saying no, and being present, as spiritual disciplines that one can learn and cultivate. Her poetic use of traditions, world religions, and everyday life draw the reader into a world where anything can bring one closer to God. She also utilizes practical applications that can be done with communities of people, making this book an interesting tool in relation to interactive sermons and bible studies. It is a call to celebrate life and the mysteriousness of the divine that captivates the soul. In many ways, it sparked glimpses into my own experiences and drew them deeper into my sense of identity. My word of warning: don’t read if you are not able to underline or write in the margins, my copy is now filled with life, pen markings, and ideas for ministry.

**Side note: We were to write book reviews for my Senior Preaching Course this semester, and I thought I'd share.**