I’ve taken Mary’s suggestion to start a thread for our prayer needs. Please feel free to post additions/deletions here, or email them to me to post. Private matters can of course go through the email list.
Anthony's Dad's heart health and his stress test this week
Caci's sister and father, who are biking cross-country!
Mary's school and laptop situation
Kristen's younger brother, Nathan, and his fiancee, Daniela
Anthony's old campus minister
Charmian and her aging aunts
Michael's aging family members
Cheryl's father and sister
Kristen's Grampa B. (peripheral neuropathy), Gramma B. (edema, osteoporosis), Grampa E. (Alzheimer's), and Gram E.
William
Maria, her unborn baby boy, her mother (hysterectomy), and her youngest brother (concussion)
Imy’s brother, Johnny, and his youth ministry
Imy's mother and her church
Kristen's Aunt Suzy's bone and breast cancers
Jason, who left for Iraq 5/11
Cunningham Children’s Home kids and staff
Wesley UMC, Faith MC, Savoy UMC—that they find ways to do Kingdom work despite or through human nature and failings
Peace and justice in the world: Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Israel/Palestine, Mexico, Darfur/Sudan, Congo, Zimbabwe, Northern Ireland
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8 comments:
For my Lenten devotions each day I have been posing questions and asking people to reflect on various topics. On Wednesday I had them reflect on the questions we discussed in grad study. First, Do we include God as a member in our community? and Secondly, What does Jesus' Sacrifice mean to you? Here is a reflection from my boss from General Board of Global Ministries. Alycia is wonderful and I always am glad to have her insight. I thought I would share it with yall too!
~Brooke~
My thoughts and reflections:
We are not inviting God is as a community member if we exclude anyone from our community with our thoughts, prejudices and actions. I believe the divine dwells within each of us and if we exclude someone we are in fact excluding the divine. Which in turn means our community will suffer, because it will never be whole.
Jesus sacrifice....ahh here is where my theology strays from the traditional theology I was brought up on....
Jesus' presence on earth was terrifying for the Roman government. A government that oppresses wants its subjects to adapt, accept and become complacent with the norm. They want their subjects in a since to surrender the will to the government and live their lives in a relatively peaceful manner, never assuming any change can come. And if change comes it will come from the government and the subjects will obey.
Jesus inspired the imagination of people. He introduced the concept of value of all, introduced the equality of all and awakened people to realize that no matter what their station in life they had the power
within themselves to make changes, to access their rights. When one
inspires the imagination to envision a world different from what people are experiencing, to tell people that the government is not correct and that laws are not always right or for the benefit of all, people began to imagine something different. A place where their voice was heard, a place where they had enough to eat, a place to live, a place where they were not robbed of their dignity, true peace because it incorporated true justice. And then Jesus went to some of the oppressors and explained these ideas to them. Some received them well and some saw it as a threat to their power and wealth. Some changed their ways, which was also terrifying for those in power, because he was building bridges between people who did not associated, who were kept separate from eachother due to socio-economic status, ethnicities, countries of origin, gender and so on. Jesus not only spoke of a different world but lived it out, teaching about a God of liberation not of a oppressive cruel master God.
When one challenges systems that have abused power to such an intense level they are bound to be sacrificed to some extent. These systems have acted without accountability and therefore have built networks that can do as they so please without repercussions. Sometimes it is death, or social out casting, or imprisonment, taking away of children, losing benefits, being exported, foreclosure, disappearance, a life of poverty, etc. But if you believe in something with your whole heart and you feel that it is in line with your theology of God, and you know that God is ever present, then you have no fear or are able to push it aside and move forward disregarding the fear. If you have no fear, then not even death is able to stop you.
Peace,
Alycia
She captures my liberal-progressive theology and christology quite well. Jesus offered an alternative vision to Pax Romana: the Commonwealth [or Kingdom or Empire or Kin-dom] of God. He fell victim to the Pax Romana but overcame it through the Resurrection of his spirit in the lives of those who followed him. The work of God in relation to the cross is that the cross was a comma, not a period. Lent is preparation for Easter, for Resurrection, for the rebirth of the spirit of Jesus in our lives and in the world. It gives me hope for the catholic (=universal) church and the world that God's presence cannot be contained or overcome by the alienating and oppressive forces in any faith community and in the world.
I appreciate greatly her contribution to the discussion of God's presence in community. Thanks so much for sharing that Brooke!
Re: my mom
Thanks so much for all your prayers. My mom's surgery went well according to the doctor and she is expected to be released Friday. Continued prayers are welcome as she is in a terrific amount of pain and as she goes through the recovery process.
I'd like to add First Baptist Church in Maryville, whose service was interrupted this morning by a man who shot and fatally wounded their pastor, and who stabbed himself. Two parishoners were injured trying to subdue him. This is not what we expect in the House of God. Please pray for this community.
Also my mother's parents, who are not doing so well. Apparently my grandfather fell in the shower recently, and also knocked someone over with his scooter, so now he doesn't want to use it anymore, even though he just got it. It seems like they are constantly having to adjust to something, and it's just exhausting. Please remember them and pray for some flexibility and stability.
Brooke, very very well said!
Alycia: I was thinking the same thing! That GOD should be treated not only as Our Creator, but also as a Community Member!
Prayers for those in nursing homes.
... for those we love who dwell within these homes;
... for all the care-receivers;
... for the care-givers;
... for the care-receivers' social networks.
And as today's news is a reminder, for those who are victims of violence in all forms during their sunset years.
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