Join the Living

Bus station hospitality

2011-03-24T11:24:00.000-07:00

One of our friends wrote this reflection about her experience of going with community members of the Restoration Project to the bus station last week. Our community house, Casa Mariposa is one mile from the Tucson Greyhound station. Through our work with the Florence Project and with immigrants and asylum seekers being detained, we've realized that sometimes people end up stranded at the bus station over night when they are released. This is part of the response.

I didn’t know what to expect when we walked into the Greyhound station that evening around 8:30. Inside a television played low in the corner. A wall of vending machines and video games including one named “Target, Terror,” buzzed and blinked at us. A few people were dozing on benches under the low ceiling and fluorescent lights. None of the released detainees in sight. Two folks from the Restoration Project, who live at Casa Mariposa in Tucson, Arizona, and I set up camp to wait it out.

An hour or two later, a lone ICE agent raced into the station and headed for the bathroom. Slowly, a small line of people formed in front of the counter. The ICE agent returned, racing as quickly out of the bus station as he had entered, muttering, “Good night, gentlemen” as he blew through the door. We exchanged bemused looks with the released detainees at the agent’s behavior. They each hugged a clear plastic bag stamped with Homeland Security’s insignia. They were quiet and some seemed scared. As they waited for the Greyhound attendant to return from his break, we began getting a feel for the group’s needs. Our small contingent had gone that evening to look for a specific woman who was to be released and stay at Casa Mariposa. Her bus ticket was for the next morning. She was not in the van that evening[1], the others said, so we spoke with them instead.

The group consisted of a woman from Nicaragua, a young man from Ecuador, just 18 years old, and men from Haiti, Mexico, the Punjab region of India, and Eritrea. They were going to Chicago, New York, Minnesota and California. Some had been housed in ICE detention centers in Eloy for just a few weeks, others for a few years. Some were fighting asylum cases, others had been apprehended for other immigration reasons and were being released on bond to continue their immigration cases from outside the prison walls.

Sometimes people the Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project have represented stay at Casa Mariposa between their release and when transportation to their final destination can be arranged. Sometimes it is just overnight. Sometimes for a few days. We’ve met people from Eritrea, fleeing forced inscription and the gender-based violence involved in forced military service. We’ve met people fleeing war in Somalia and political persecution in Ethiopia who have lived in multiple countries en route to getting to the U.S. to seek asylum. These are often torture survivors who are re-traumatized as they are forced to live in the detention center.

Other people are released from ICE custody directly to the bus station after posting bond. It is always at night. Sometimes family members or friends have pre-arranged a bus tickets or wired money that is waiting for them through Western Union. But sometimes people arrive with no clear plan. Sometimes the buses are full and no ticket can be purchased until the next day. Sometimes there are errors that delay a money transfer through Western Union.

The Tucson greyhound station closes after the final bus leaves around midnight, leaving some people outside to wait until it reopens the next morning. In these cases, people who have been in custody for prolonged periods of time have sometimes found themselves on the street or struggling to find an all-night restaurant where they can wait until morning. For some, this is their first experience of the United States outside of the immigration detention center.

The night we went to the bus station, I sat for a long time with the young man from Ecuador, who was able to purchase a ticket to Chicago. He talked quietly and seemed anxious. He asked how many times he would need to change buses before arriving in Chicago. He followed closely behind some of the other men who had taken him under their wings. I wrote down the specific instructions he’d need, and phrases in English he could use to ask for help if he needed it.

At the end of the night, two men, from India and Eritrea, were not able to secure bus tickets. We offered them a place to stay for the evening until they could arrange transportation in the morning. After we had been with them for a few hours, they agreed, and came with us to Casa Mariposa.

Hospitality is not simply the process of opening one’s home to someone in need of a place to go. That in itself is an often radical act. Hospitality is also the process of opening one’s heart and spirit to another, inviting both to share in a common human experience. Hospitality is a willingness to be transformed by the sharing of the other person’s experiences.

This bus station hospitality here in Tucson is happening organically. The next evening one of the community members walked to the station with one of the guests to catch his bus. It was the last one leaving that day. A man from Haiti, just released from the detention center, was there without a ticket. He stayed at Casa Mariposa that night. The next day, before he boarded his bus, the two of them played Bob Marley songs on guitars together in the living room.

Last month a Florence Project staff member was picking up a woman just released from the detention center, and called Casa Mariposa to ask if they had room for several more people to stay. That night four women in all, including an older woman, stayed and shared a meal at Casa Mariposa instead of an all night restaurant or on the street.

Members of the community have gone to the bus station several times over the last few weeks. Most nights everyone gets on a bus and on his or her way. But not always. And so the community and the Florence Project are taking steps to have small groups of people take turns going and waiting weeknights at the greyhound station, just to be present and see what people might need. It is happening in small steps, in each one a careful attention to the spirit of God as it appears in the experiences of people in need.

[1] Unfortunately, ICE dropped her off the following morning at 6 am. The station was closed until 7 am. She had no coat. It was about 45 degrees. She waited outside. They were trying to be helpful since her bus didn’t leave until that day.

Vicki Kline recently moved to Tucson from Baltimore, where she worked with unaccompanied minors through Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services. In Tucson, Vicki works with No More Deaths, and has greatly improved the beauty of Casa Mariposa through a home makeover of the breakfast nook. She believes the dream of the 90s might still be alive in Tucson.

Community and Tradition

2010-08-25T12:39:00.000-07:00

One of the slippery areas we've encountered in creating spiritual community outside the inherited church structures is how to hang on to parts of tradition while focusing more on being the church instead of doing church. It takes some imagination and some work.

There seems to be a growing understanding, even a longing for, being real, live community together, not just enacting religious rituals at the same time with other people in a building. It's the difference between, "They will know we are Christians by our love," and, "They will know we are Christians by our brass candle sticks, fancy robes, and approved liturgical language."

Now, I'll be the first to say that some of that approved liturgical language and ritual is completely beautiful and serves as an invaluable container for encountering the Sacred. And of course, the tradition isn't just the outward elements of our worship. It's also the stories. It's our sacred stories held in scripture as well as in the lives of the faithful on whose shoulders we stand. Our tradition gets carried on in the quiet integrity of lives lived out of humble service and the alternative values that following Christ calls us to. And then there is the tradition of wisdom writings and the artful expressions of the last 2,000 years. No one is saying let's just pack it all up and send to the curb.

And yet, what I sense going on today is a deep longing to be part of the flowing tradition, to be creators of the living tradition, not just consumers of the past tradition. One of my seminary professors, Christopher Duraisingh, talks of the need to always keep traditioning. Tradition is an alive thing, like a flowing river, we step into it. We are part of it. We keep it moving and breathing, he taught us.

Recently I read an interesting article by a rabbi that speaks to the tension of wanting to create deep community and what that means for the tradition. I agree with a lot of it. The following is by Niles Elliot Goldstein and was published by the Alban Institute. Full article here.

The icons, symbols, and images of the past no longer hold power for this new generation of Americans. Some of the largest and most dynamic megachurches, for example, do not even have crosses in their facilities, let alone fixed pews or pulpits. What people seem to crave is a sense of community, a feeling of being wanted and known.

Ultimately, we want to be loved, and to find protection through that love.

I believe that we need to rethink our congregations today less as houses of worship than as sanctuaries in the true, etymological meaning of the word—a place of safety and security. These are troubling times, and offering Americans a safe haven amidst the maelstrom around us is a very appealing gift. A sanctuary is different from a church or a synagogue. A sanctuary is not about symbols, rituals, sacred texts, or holy days—it is more about, as the Jewish evening liturgy states, being “guarded under the shelter of Your wings.” ...

If we can transform congregations into sanctuaries and safe havens, we can begin to offer the shelter that so many people yearn for but cannot seem to find. But then new questions will arise that we must confront:

With less emphasis on prayer, study, and theology, and more on interpersonal connection and inclusivity, what is it exactly that our spiritual institutions stand for?
Are we simply giving the people what they want, or are we holding fast to age-old values and principles?
Is it possible to strike the proper balance between creating innovative projects and initiatives and conserving the traditional pillars of our rich and ancient faiths?

These are difficult questions that are appropriate for these difficult times.

We are living into all these questions within our community everyday. Here are some reflections.

First, I think these are more complex than either/or situations. I don't think we have to choose for instance between deep community/ innovative projects and conserving "the traditional pillars of our rich and ancient faiths." I think there is a "both/and" path through all this. It just will take some trial and error as the generations alive now and into the next 100 years or so make our way through. We will have to find a way to not pit innovation against tradition. And we'll need to have the creativity and patience to walk that both/and way to give birth to the new thing God is doing in the world today.

Okay. Now. It is true, our community spends more time tending the depth of our relationships, than in studying scripture or praying together. It's not that we've completely abandoned the latter. We've had theology discussions over oatmeal and while standing around making meals together. Last summer we met weekdays for morning prayer. This summer we've gathered sporadically in the living room for night prayer. We go on retreats together twice a year. Some of us take a weekly Sabbath. We have an altar in the corner where we light candles when we are praying for someone lost in the desert or in distress. We hosted an all night Easter vigil, baptized someone in the backyard, designed and led a few public spiritual gatherings, like the time we offered prayers, songs, and reflections in front of the federal building when a friend was on trial for offering humanitarian aid to undocumented migrants.

We could be more intentional about declaring what we stand for spiritualy and doing spiritual practices together. And that is an important growing edge of our experimental life here. At the same time, nurturing community is an important expression of what we stand for and figuring out what we—an ecumenical community of smart, compassionate, social justice driven young adults—stand for collectively in terms of faith and religious tradition is complicated.

Our mission statement actually puts relationship front and center. It starts like this..."Nourished and empowered by the Spirit, the Restoration Project community seeks to live in right relationship with one another, the community, and the earth ..." I can only speak for myself here, but for me, after several decades of studying scripture, theology, and praying, I got the point that that wasn't the point. It's all a "finger pointing to the moon." Here's what I think is the point: To rest in the presence of God, to know our own belovedness, and then from that to be alive in our own special way and join in God's dance in the world that is already happening. Jesus was trying to invite us to dance, not to sit in a pew.

We can spend all the time in the world studying and praying, but if the quality of our presence, the depth of our love, the playfulness of our creativity, the lightness of our laughter, the gentleness and patience and the realness of our friendships don't show, then what is the point.

For me, spiritual disciplines are important tools to keep the windows of our souls open for the Spirit to blow through. They help us stay alive and breathing. Finding ways to pray, interact with scripture, and do theological reflecting, authentically and in life-giving ways in our everyday lives is the both/and path that we are trying to live out in community. We will keep experimenting, and learning from the rich tradition of monastics, Catholic Worker houses, saints, artists, poets, who have done this in beautiful and meaningful ways long before we attempted it. Community and spiritual practices go hand in hand.

In our community, we've also talked a lot about what does "spirituality" mean? And we don't really agree. But we keep listening to each other and talking about it. And since we are an ecumenical bunch, we each wrestle with our inherited tradition in different ways. We've even discussed at times if everyone was comfortable identifying as a Christian community. Some folks are recovering Catholics, or lean more toward Buddhist meditation, or are progressive in their Christianity and so recognize the wisdom and validity in other traditions. Others consider themselves to be spiritual, but not religious. One of the founding members is now studying to be a Unitarian Universalist minister. We are all okay with this. That's just the way our generations roll.

A gift of being an inclusive, eclectic community is that we are a safe space to have honest discussions and to get into the nitty gritty. Here's an image. Imagine that faith and tradition were a car. For some young adults it has stopped running. Here in our community, we have enough space, time together, collective knowledge/training, and grace to dismantle it, lay the pieces out on the back porch, and let them stay there awhile. We have the tools to clean the pieces, share parts from other "cars"/ faith traditions, and work together to put it back together (if that is what is wanted). It's an organic process. And it happens over drinking coffee, playing music together, chopping vegetables, resisting injustice, and cleaning out the chicken coop.

I don't think this is limited to communities that live together. I experienced this level of spiritual support as a young adult at St. Hildegard's in Austin, Texas. They don't live together, but they make a tremendous commitment to be a community to one another. They even call themselves a eucharistic community, not a "church."

From my vantage point, the inherited tradition has messed a lot of young adults up. The patriarchy, the power trips, the homophobia, the lack of seeing the reality of Jesus' teachings lived out in real day to day life, makes some of the tradition very unappealing to smart, compassionate, global-minded people of all ages. When we ask as the author of this article does, "What exactly do our spiritual traditions stand for?" Many of us don't like the answer. But we also know that there are many answers. And that some answers are just being shouted more loudly than others into the public realm. We have a different answer, a refreshing one, to share. But without a real relationship witha real person who has a different answer, who really cares to listen to it.

A recent poll of young adults by the Pew Foundation shows that more young adults than ever before are choosing to not affiliate with a religion or denomination. The full Pew Report is jam packed with interesting charts that show the landscape of religious and spiritual life among our younger generations today. Check it out here. For those of us living it, it's not big news.

For those of us trying to build faithful spiritual communities in light of these realities, I hope it is understood by those in "traditional church models" that we too want to share "our rich and ancient faiths" with the emerging generations. Craving and creating community isn't a barrier to tradition. Community is the boat that will carry us and the tradition through the passage into the unknown future. And if the water gets a little choppy and the storm a little scary, it's okay. We aren't alone in this. Jesus was never very afraid of storms. It's going to be okay. In fact, it's going to be better than okay. That's just the way God rolls.

Reflections on the last 3 years

2010-08-25T11:32:00.001-07:00

This fall will mark three years since Kate and I followed what we sensed was the nudge of God into the unknown.

We felt a call to create spiritual community for those not comfortable in church. We sensed that the greatest gifts the church had to offer those outside the doors was community and spiritual practices. So we walked outside the church doors and went exploring.

Before we tried to do anything, we wanted to listen and learn.
So for three months we interviewed leaders and innovators. We observed young adults worshiping and finding meaning.

We got up at dawn to sing love chants to God and do yoga with some young spiritual leaders in Santa Fe.
We sprawled on the floor of the Episcopal cathedral in Seattle along with hundreds (yes. hundreds) of young adults.
More than 500 people packed the pews and floor on a rainy, dark, Sunday evening for sung compline.

We passed wonder bread and grape juice communion with members of an intentional art and social justice community in the Mission District of San Francisco.

We visited a church with punk/funk/trance worship music, a church that met in a bar, another church that met in a Jazz club, others that worked with lay-led worship planning groups to create wildly creative experiential worship services each week.

We interviewed church planters, bloggers, priests, ministers, college chaplains, professors of social change, and a seminary professor who has studied young adults and congregational development.

Some of that journey we chronicled here on this blog. Since then we returned to Tucson, tried some experiments, met new friends,
and were part of forming an ecumenical, intentional community.
We've lived in community for the last 16 months.

Three years seems a good amount of time to step back a bit and do some reflecting. Over the next few months Kate and I will use this space to reflect on what we've experienced, learned, and the questions that we are living with now.

Birthday Party tonight

2010-04-17T10:35:00.001-07:00

The Restoration Project community at Casa Mariposa is one! We are celebrating with supper and a concert tonight at the house. Come join us. More on the community blog at www.restorationproject340.wordpress.com

Kate preaching at St. Andrew's

2010-04-11T16:42:00.000-07:00

Kate preaches once a month at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Tucson. She'll preach there next on May 23. Here is Kate's sermon from today. It's about Thomas encountering the risen Jesus, wounds and all.

Holy Week at Restoration Project

2010-03-30T14:45:00.001-07:00

The Restoration Project community is hosting Holy Week experiences at the house.

Details are on our blog: www.restorationproject340.wordpress.com.

Be daring and be bold!

2010-02-05T14:48:00.000-08:00

The following is from Thomas Brackett, the Episcopal Church's go to guy for new church thinking, planning, and doing. And "church" is loose. I like that. He went over to England to sniff out what the whole Fresh Expressions thing is about. He asked a lot of good questions and got some great answers which he shares below.

Here in Arizona, Kate and I are part of the statewide group in the Episcopal diocese that has worked with the Fresh Expressions way of thinking. Our group –called the Mission-Shaped program group–is available to churches to lead groups and workshops to bring this way of thinking and living into expression here. Let us know if your church would be interested.

“Twenty years ago, we were unintentionally pushing our young people out the back doors of our churches – mostly through indifference to the gifts they tried to offer. The long term impact of that benign neglect is that we traded a generation of young leaders and artists and prophets for various attempts to maintain the status quo. Today, we are working on bringing new young leaders into our churches, but that’s not the same as nurturing the prophetic voice in community – training new leaders to cultivate community with a hoe instead of directing with the verger’s mace. That takes time to develop. It’s an art of ‘being in community’ that very few have ever experienced, nonetheless mastered.”

I pressed my conversation partners further and asked, “So then, how would you recommend that we Americans might respond to this hard-earned wisdom you’ve offered?” Their answers were straightforward: “Start now – don’t wait until you have this all figured out. Experiment joyfully and publicly with new forms of ministry that match the cultures in which you find your ministries. Fail early and fail often until you learn what works. Learn to trust the young prophets in your midst and don’t be afraid when the visions they share are out beyond your comfort zones. Be daring and be bold!”

Searching for hope in the night

2009-12-12T10:27:00.001-08:00

We are mostly posting over at our community blog these days: www.restorationproject340.wordpress.com

We've been doing Christmas Conspiracy events at the community house. This Sunday, Dec. 13, is the Barter Bazaar. We've had gift-making parties and showed the film What Would Jesus Buy?

This advent season we've also been very involved with the federal court re-sentencing of our friend and original Restoration Project community member Emrys Walt Staton. He left gallons of water on trails in the desert south of Tucson where it is known that migrants walk and sometimes die of dehydration. Two hundred and six people died just in the Tucson sector of the desert between Oct. 1, 2008 and Sept. 30, 2009.

Emrys (also know as Walt) was given a ticket for "littering." As a humanitarian trying to save lives, he refused to pay the ticket. He was tried by a federal jury, who under pressure from the judge, gave a guilty verdict after first saying they were not in full agreement. He has refused to do the 300 hours of community service hours, saying to do so would be admitting he did something wrong. He now faces the possibility of 25 days in prison. His next appearance before the judge is Monday, Dec. 21, 9 am, at the federal court house in Tucson.

Last year Kate and I wrote Advent meditations. Here is a repost of the meditation for the third Sunday of Advent. We could still use the dawn of hope...

The Dawn of Hope
Third Week of Advent

The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to provide for those who mourn in Zion-- to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit. They will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, to display his glory. They shall build up the ancient ruins, they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.

—Isaiah 61:1-4

These verses from Isaiah were written from among a people experiencing profound loss. They had been exiled from their home, torn from their land—from all that made life make sense. They were living with the sense that God had abandoned them. Much lament and heartache come before this hopeful vision full of possibility.

One of the first public things Jesus did according to the gospel of Luke (chapter 4, verses 14-22) was read some of these words from Isaiah. Jesus did not first demand repentance from people. First, he stood in the spiritual community of his youth and read the words from Isaiah...freedom to those held captive, good news for the poor. Jesus says that God is looking with favor on God’s people, not judgment. He’s letting us know that God shows up first with an open hand to those on the bottom. This grace-filled gesture is what Jesus first points to. This is the kingdom of God that Jesus says is already present among us. If we just wake up to see it.

The 20th century theologian, Paul Tillich, once wrote,

“Grace strikes us when we are in great pain and restlessness. It strikes us when we walk through the dark valley of a meaningless and empty life...It strikes us when, year after year, the longed-for perfection of life does not appear.”

The author of Isaiah, Jesus, Paul Tillich, they are all trying to tell people in great pain, people like us, that God will keep showing up.

We can live with hope, not because we ourselves necessarily have any. But because God tells us and shows us time and time again—through prophets, through the birth and teachings of Jesus, through tiny moments of grace in our own imperfect days—that we are not alone and that freedom is both here, now, and coming.

Hope drags us out of our beds of despair into the cold streets to stare at the dark horizon and wait for the dawn. We may find ourselves standing, waiting, half asleep and shivering, but God whispers to us, “It may be cold, but I’m still here, the dawn is coming, and I want you to be free.”

—Carol Bradsen

Prayer

Great light of the new dawn, you rise each morning in the face of deep darkness. So may we too find a way to remember the hope that we are called to, and work to plant it in ourselves and in all those whom we encounter. Amen.

Prayer for lighting the third advent candle this week

God give us hope, because we need it.

Ways to try living with hope this week

Watch the sunrise. In Tucson this week the sun rises at about 7:15 am. Try going outside to watch the sky, and wait for the sunrise. Listen. What is God trying to say to you?
Light candles of gratitude. Gratitude helps nurture hope. At the end of each day this week, find a few candles, or light the candles on your advent wreath. As you light each one, think of something you were grateful for that day. Another way is to think about the moments of the day in which you felt most alive, or happy. Sit in the silence for a few minutes before you blow the candles out.
Be kind. Smile at strangers. Offer hope to people who need it.
Resist oppression. Sometimes hope is incarnated in us when we say no to the powers that seek the death and destruction of those on the margins.

Bread & Oranges magazine

2009-06-22T15:23:00.000-07:00

First issue still in the works.
But coming soon!

The theme of the first issue is Borderlands with lots of first hand experiences of folks from the U.S./ Mexico border. Regular feature sections like Roots, Blessing, Morsel, and Slices include some great writing and bits you just probably won't find anywhere else.

Thanks for hanging in there. It will be delicious.

The Restoration Project

2009-06-22T12:57:00.000-07:00

The Restoration Project Community has tons of photos on Facebook. We hope you'll go there and become a fan.

Since moving in March 1, we've hosted a May Day Wine and Fondue party. More than a 100 people enjoyed the live classical music, wine tasting, and good community vibes. And there was a fun surprise acoustic performance by band members of The Runaway Five.

Also, back in March, we threw a Greening O' the Casa St. Patrick's work day, supper and worship party. After unloading sheep manure, digging garden beds and planting trees we ate corned beef, sang Celtic hymns, and danced in the hall way.

The chickens were part of the wildly popular, sold-out Tucson Chicken Coop tour. More than a 100 chicken enthusiasts came to our back yard to meet the girls and learn about how we are trying to live sustainably as a community.

When one of the Restoration Project community members was put on trial for offering humanitarian aid to migrants in the desert, our community worked together to lead a peaceful, prophetic action in front of the federal courthouse to support him.

We've also opened our doors to welcome visiting priests, activists and family and friends who have stayed in our two hospitality rooms along with many others who have joined us for a meal or a cool drink and conversation on the porch.

We've gathered folks together to study innovative ways of doing church.

We invited clergy in their 20s and 30s from many denominations in Tucson to come have supper together at the house and meet one another.

College students visiting the border from other states have come to the community to study us. They came to learn about how we offer spiritual support to activists and work together to offer life-giving options to the separation and pain that the border often causes.

We often are the site of meetings for the border action group, No More Deaths.

We are growing eggplant, tomatoes, squash, cucumber, basil, okra, peppers, watermelon, cantaloupe, in the garden.

As a community, we continue to gather for our weekly Sabbath meal and community check-in. And take turns making supper most of the rest of the week. The support we give and receive from one another is already making a difference in our lives and work out in the world.

It has been a real joy to live into our mission statement and we have only just begun...

"We seek to live in right relationship with one another, the community, and the earth through hospitality, simple and sustainable living, playful spirituality, and peaceful, prophetic action."

Come see us sometime: 340 S. 3rd Ave., Tucson, AZ 85701

More Light Sermon, June 14

2009-06-22T11:48:00.000-07:00

Here's the text from the sermon Carol gave on More Light Sunday at Southside Presbyterian church, June 14, 2009, Tucson. More Light Sunday is a tradition in Presbyterian churches that want to celebrate the gifts of gay, lesbian, bi, and trans folks in their congregation. Currently the Presbyterian church does not ordain leaders who are gay. Carol grew up in the Presbyterian church and around the age of 12 started getting inklings of becoming a Presbyterian minister some day. She was ordained a deacon in the Presbyterian church as a teenager. Presbyterians ordain lay people, you see. But these days Carol pals around with the Episcopal tribe.

It is a real honor to be with you today. This church lives out what it means to be the beloved community and to share good news. Thank you for your witness not just to Tucson, but to the world. And thank you Alison for inviting me to speak to your community on this Sunday when you are celebrating the lives and gifts of gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, and transgendered folks. It’s really something for me to be here today. It’s humbling and challenging and encouraging.

18 years ago, this exact week in June, I attended the Presbyterian General Assembly. I was a youth advisory delegate. We met in Baltimore. And the hot topic that year was the Report on Human Sexuality. At that national gathering of Presbyterians, I voted to deny gay and lesbian people from serving as leaders in our church. Little did I know that I was voting against myself.

That summer I was also the editor of my university newspaper and I published a column about it. I voiced my absolute approval of the Presbyterian church’s action. The church should be like a lighthouse, I wrote, shining out truth, no matter how loudly the waves of our culture clash against rocks. Pretty poetic and dramatic, eh? At that time, I thought the scriptures were clear on the matter. I personally wanted nothing more than to please and serve God. And God’s way seemed straightforward.

So, how in the world, 18 years later, do I stand before you in this Presbyterian congregation on More Light Sunday. How do I stand here as a woman wearing this ring to proudly announce to the world that I have made a commitment to love and cherish another woman for the rest of life? How do I stand before you today with the good news that the love of God is surprisingly bigger and deeper and more creative than we might imagine.

How, indeed?

In the gospel reading this morning we hear Jesus tell this parable about the mysterious way God works.

"The kingdom of God is as if someone scatters seed on the ground, and then goes to sleep and gets up again the next day, day after day, and then the seed sprouts and grows, she does not know how.”

I’m part of an intentional community called the Restoration Project. And one of the things we are doing is growing a garden together. It is quite a learning experience. One of our housemates planted some squash seeds early on in one of the garden beds. At first I diligently watered the dirt. Some of the squash came up and other seedlings started to take off except a couple of the areas where some of the squash seeds were. I figured they were just bad seeds or something. I told my housemate, I think those seeds didn’t make it. She said, "Let's just wait. You never know."

And then I got busy and other people were watering the garden for a few days. And the next time I went out there, there was a squash plant, and several days later, there was another one. It’s like they came out of nowhere. And, I don’t mean to get all Jesusy about it. But one of those zucchini plant is now truly the biggest one in the garden. It was kind of hard to believe when I first saw it. I wasn’t sure how it happened.

And that’s a lot like the way God has worked in my own life. I might not believe it if it had not happened to me. I’m not sure why I’m surprised. Jesus tries to warn us. When the seed of God gets planted in you. Watch out. Transformation is on its way. And it’s not just about you. It’s going to be for the whole community.

Could you imagine, if you could talk to a seed, and tell it. Look little guy, this tree is what you will become. I bet it would laugh. Or just not believe you. The seed might say, No, thanks. I like being a seed. I could syphathize with a seed like that.

It took me a while to come fully alive. To live into the edges of all that God intended and wanted for me. Years after that Presbyterian General Assembly, when I began to question my sexuality, I didn’t want to believe it. At first it was too much. At that time I placed all authority in life outside myself: in the bible as others had explained it to me, in the church, in a God that left no room for my own passions and experience, in a God that seemed to want me dead, or at least to be miserable.

When you are like a little seed, buried in dirt, awaiting transformation, you can’t see what’s going to happen. And it’s scary. That in between place, between being planting and the harvest.

And so I can have compassion on those in the church who are in that place about what to do with gay folks. It’s a frightening thing to let go of what you thought God was like. To die to all that came before, and not quite understand how a harvest of anything good could come.

We might not understand it. But this is the way God works. And the scripture tells us, we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love God and who have been called according to God’s purpose.

When Jesus healed people it was a sign of God’s kingdom. And when he healed people, part of the healing included restoring people back into community. When I was coming out I couldn’t stand to go to a Presbyterian church. It was too painful to listen to all the familiar songs and scripture that I had heard for years as condemnation, not good news. At the beginning it was hard enough to fight for my own life, I couldn’t also fight for a place in the church. But at the same time I was led into a progressive Christian community that held me while my faith fell apart and then helped me begin to rebuild.

Looking back on that time I spent buried in the dirt, when I was struggling to come out, I can now see that God never abandoned me. God wasn’t trying to hurt me. God just wanted me to be fully alive, to have abundant life, to grow toward the light.

It is not unreasonable for God to do things that surprise us. Or through out time, for our faith communities to be led by the Spirit into new places that surprise us. Jesus talked about the reign of God in very surprising and subversive ways. Jesus himself was surprising and subversive to the way many things of his day were understood.

In history, the bible has been used to justify slavery and to stop women from being ordained. We can now see that it is reasonable and faithful to see those verses and teachings in the context of their time.

When we hang in there with God, there are gifts. There is a harvest after all the transformation. In my life, coming out was like a crowbar that opened my heart up to God’s love. Realizing I was gay and being honest about it put me on the margins of the church and in much of society. And even that is a gift. As a white person in the United States, I was blind to much of my privilege. Coming out helped me gain some understanding of what it is like to live on the margins. It opened my eyes to see others on the margins. And to see the injustices. And helped me gain more understanding about Jesus and all that he taught. Because he preached to folks on the margins. Under the thumb of an Empire.

When Jesus told stories like today, and talked about the Kingdom of God. I think he was being subversive. One of the ways to think about the kingdom of God, or reign of God, is the way things would be if God’s way was lived out. And that’s very different from the Roman Empire in Jesus’ day, or some of the parts of Empire we live under in the United States.

The reign of God is a revolution of love that subverts the status quo. And it is very queer. I’m sorry if some of you take offence to that word, queer. These days emerging generations of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people have reclaimed the word queer. I like it because it puts me in solidarity with everyone else whose sexuality and gender identity puts them on the margins. And it also points out that I’m not trying to pass as straight. I am queer. I’m not trying to fit into the status quo. I don’t see the world as others might. I’m queer. And so was Jesus. And so is the kingdom of God.

This kingdom isn’t a place you could visit, like the state of Arizona. It seems Jesus was saying it is more like a state of mind. When we begin to live into the reality of how things are and could be through God’s eyes, we’ll be seen as queer by the powers that be. But Jesus let us know through his teaching and death and resurrection that those other powers are of no consequence. It’s God’s Empire, God’s way of doing things, God’s family that matters.

And where God rules there is liberation and freedom for all people. In this day and age, liberation and freedom for all people is pretty queer.

When God rules in our hearts the Roman Empire or the United States Empire isn’t the final word. When God rules in our lives, the religious authorities or the denominational powers that be don’t have complete power over our lives. When the seed of God gets into our mind and heart and life, it takes root and we begin to know that we are God’s beloved. We are not powerless in the face of absurd and power-driven hierarchy. We are not merely victims of prejudice and fear. We are the beloved. We are friends of God. And together we can live into the reality of the reign of God in the here and now.

The Presbyterian church may try to stall and squash the ordination of people like me for the time being. But not even the Presbyterian church can stop the kingdom of God. The Presbyterian Book of Order might officially forbid queer folks from enacting religious rituals in the name of the church, but they can’t stop us from living in the name of God. We will still embody the good news. We will still heal and bless and proclaim that all of life is sacred. And we do it in the name of God.

No matter if you are queer because of who you love, or queer because you follow Jesus. The powers that be can’t silence you either. They can’t stop us. We are part of God’s Reign. We are God’s beloved community; we already have our marching orders. Forget the official papers, or permission slips. There is nothing stopping us from going right on ahead and making the Reign of God reality right here in our lives and community.

Following Jesus’ lead: We can feed those who are hungry right in this courtyard outside.
We have permission to give water to those who are thirsty in the desert. Nothing is stopping us from writing letters and visiting those locked up and treated badly in our prisons.
Or from welcoming strangers into our homes with radical hospitality.

No matter if you call yourself a More Light church or not, you can go ahead and welcome all people into the beloved community, You can welcome compassionate lesbians and gay men, bi-sexual moms, gender-queer teenagers, beautiful drag queens, and sexy drag kings, folks who are right in the middle of transitioning to the gender God made them on the inside, and all the good and faithful people who are just questioning everything.

When the seed of God’s justice and love is planted in here, we’ll do all those things and more. We’ll know that we are the beloved And Love will grow in us. And we will be a force of love that this neighborhood and town just can’t get rid of. We will send out our roots deep and strong. We’ll be a shelter for all those who need a home. And we will love. And we will demand and work toward justice for all.

Jesus said that is what God’s kingdom is like. And that it is here. It is among us and in us. Right now. We have no excuses. God’s kingdom is here and it is coming. So come on. Let that seed of God grow in you, if you dare, if you really want to be fully alive. And let us go forth together, to live and love in the name of God.

How finding like-minded spirits changes the world

2009-04-15T10:28:00.000-07:00

This article is great. It was posted by Tom Brackett, who helps midwife innovation in the Episcopal church. He posted it on the Anglimergent ning site.

I'm personally finding a lot of connections between what's happening within The Restoration Project community and all this. --CB

USING EMERGENCE TO TAKE SOCIAL INNOVATIONS TO SCALE

by Margaret Wheatley and Deborah Frieze ©2006

In spite of current ads and slogans, the world doesn't change one person at a time. It changes as networks of relationships form among people who discover they share a common cause and vision of what's possible. This is good news for those of us intent on changing the world and creating a positive future. Rather than worry about critical mass, our work is to foster critical connections. We don't need to convince large numbers of people to change; instead, we need to connect with kindred spirits. Through these relationships, we will develop the new knowledge, practices, courage, and commitment that lead to broad-based change.

But networks aren't the whole story. As networks grow and transform into active, working communities of practice, we discover how Life truly changes, which is through emergence. When separate, local efforts connect with each other as networks, then strengthen as communities of practice, suddenly and surprisingly a new system emerges at a greater level of scale. This system of influence possesses qualities and capacities that were unknown in the individuals. It isn't that they were hidden; they simply don't exist until the system emerges. They are properties of the system, not the individual, but once there, individuals possess them. And the system that emerges always possesses greater power and influence than is possible through planned, incremental change. Emergence is how Life creates radical change and takes things to scale. Click here to continue reading...

Prayer in Action

2009-04-14T10:02:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago Carol spoke with students at the Episcopal Campus Ministry at the University of Arizona. They were headed to a weekend retreat on the theme Prayer in Action and asked her to speak to them about the theme. Here are her notes from beforehand...

This morning I fed our chickens. Eight full grown hens. It was my first time to get to feed and water them at our new place since they moved over from our friend’s house yesterday. I loved it. And I smiled the whole time. Watching them crowd the gate when I brought their feed inside the coop. I even smiled as I carried over a bucket of water. They are beautiful creatures. A couple are Rhode Island Reds, most of the others are, and there’s one black and white speckled one.

After feeding the chickens, I walked over to St. Andrew’s Episcopal church. I go there on Thursday mornings to volunteer in the kitchen. They make hundreds of meals a week that go to folks too sick to cook for themselves. This morning I chopped carrots and celery and washed a giant stack of pots and pans.

Why am I telling you about chickens and carrots and dishes? Because within these very mundane things are examples of prayer in action.

In the Book of Common Prayer there are written prayers of the people. One of the lines from form V says, “For a blessing upon all human labor, and for the right use of the riches of creation, that the world may be freed from poverty, famine, and disaster, we pray to you, O Lord.”

For the right use of the riches of creation…
The chickens are helping reclaim the soil beneath their coop. Their nutrient rich poop, their scratching and pecking will renew the dirt that for years was under an inch of asphalt. We actually tore up the asphalt this week. It came up in huge hunks of black tar.
By getting rid of that section of asphalt we’ll help in a very small way to liberate the earth and to live in right relationship with it. The temperature will be lower in the backyard because that tar won’t be there to absorb the sun. It won’t solve global warming in and of itself. But it is a step we can take.
We pray to you, O Lord.

That the world may be freed from poverty, famine, and disaster…
The chickens, or “the girls” as our housemate Emrys calls them are helping us produce some of our own food. We are also growing some squash, and are getting basins ready to plant some tomatoes and peppers and watermelon, and corn and well, we have a long list. By using permaculture techniques we hope to grow a lot of our own food. This will cut down on our collective use of fossil fuels to transport food to us, and hopefully one day we will grow enough that we can share some of the vegetables with our neighbors who may not have enough to eat.
We pray to you, O Lord.

For the poor, the persecuted, the sick, and all who suffer; for refugees, prisoners, and all who are in danger; that they may be relieved and protected…
At St. Andrew’s kitchen meals are made every weekday for people who have HIV-AIDS and have become too weak to cook for themselves. The deacon there is a chef and directs the volunteers preparing and packaging things like smothered steak, chicken enchiladas, tamale pie, brownies, and meatloaf and mashed potatoes. More volunteers come earlier every morning to pick up a map and bags of food to take to people all over the city. Some of the clients who are sick have lost the support of family and friends or they spend any extra money they have on medications and have nothing left for food. The volunteers who bring the meals may be one of the only people they see each week.

In the chopping of carrots, the washing of dishes,
We pray to you, O Lord.

The word Liturgy actually means, “the work of the people.” Without us there is no worship. Without we the people, the prayers have no life. Verna Dozier, who was a lay woman in the Episcopal church and wrote and taught a lot about what it means to be the church, said some good stuff about all this. In her book, The Dream of God, Verna warns us that we shouldn’t get so distracted by doing church, that we loose site of being church. She challenges us to not just worship Jesus, but to follow Jesus. This is true prayer in action. She writes:

“Worship is setting Jesus on a pedestal, distancing him, enshrining (enshrouding) him in liturgies, stained glass windows, biblical translations, medallions, pilgrimages to places where he walked—the whole nine yards. Following him is doing what he did, weeping over a situation that was so far removed from the dream of God and spending his life to make it different. Following is discipleship.”

Following Jesus is putting feet and hands and tears and callouses and ears to our prayers.

It does not mean giving up worship or prayer. Following Jesus just means embodying our worship and prayers when we leave the pews or pillows or couches.

The baptismal covenant is a great guide to what it means to put prayer into action. Every time we who follow in the way of Jesus head out the doors of a church or service we are going out into the world to live into this covenant. Many churches place a bowl of water near the entrance/exit. Next time you leave a service and see water. Try touching it. Remember the covenant. Pray that with God’s help, you will live into it.

and then we read them together...
Will you continue in the ….

Blessed

2009-03-11T12:04:00.000-07:00

About 75 people came to the house blessing and open house on Sunday. Thanks to all those who blessed us in person and from afar. It was an incredible day.

The very next day this little friend was seen in the backyard of Casa Mariposa (The Butterfly House). Gretchen got this picture before he flew away.

Upcoming Restoration Project happenings

2009-02-25T09:07:00.000-08:00

This weekend is the big move. Eight of us. Four separate households combining stuff. I'm not sure we have any idea what we are in for. And that's okay. We are taking it one step at a time. And singing. And trusting. This community spirit is so much bigger than us.

The Restoration Project will host weekly gatherings at the community house at 34o S. 3rd Ave. All are invited.

Starting this Sunday, March 1, we'll host Sunday mornings at the house.

SUNDAY BRUNCH CHURCH
This gathering will include silent meditation (from 10:30 am till 10:50 am), readings from the bible and other sacred, provocative sources, singing, group reflection, and sharing bread and wine as part of communion (from 11 am till noon) and then brunch/lunch (noon). Anyone can come to any part. We'll meet in the back yard until we get a chair ramp into the house built. You can enter from the alley. We'll still have boxes and stuff everywhere this Sunday. But we wanted our first official day in the house to begin with worship. So come join us in our incomplete imperfection.

The weekend of March 7 & 8 will be a busy one at the house.

YARD SALE
Saturday the 7th we're having a yard sale in the back yard. 8 am till 4 pm. Enter through the alley.

HOUSE BLESSING
Sunday, March 8, is an open house and house blessing. We'll serve lunch after the morning worship and then have an open house till 2:30 pm. The house blessing ritual will happen around 1:30 pm. Come for lunch or for the blessing or just stop by before 2:30 pm. After that we'll probably all be taking Sabbath naps!

We have a Facebook page. It has lot's of pictures from the three Saturday work parties. Type in "The Restoration Project, Tucson" to find it on Facebook.

Saturday morning house party

2009-02-11T13:33:00.000-08:00

Okay, so the party includes paint brushes and mops and scrubbing. But it will be great fun. Come on over to the new community house to say Hi and help out. We'll be working on the back porch where worship, meditation, and lots of gathering will happen. As well as the giant hall where potlucks of great delight will soon begin to flourish.

This coming Saturday and next we'll work and clean from 9:30 till noon. Saturday, March 7, we'll sell all our stuff that doesn't fit in the house at a yard sale. Come on over and lend a hand! We'd sure appreciate it.

Location is: 340 S. 3rd Ave. (South of downtown a few blocks).

The Restoration Project is now on Facebook: The Restoration Project, Tucson. Check out more there.

Sermon from Sunday

2009-02-09T17:50:00.000-08:00

Carol preached at First Christian Church in Tucson Sunday. Here's the gist of it...

Year B
Fifth Sunday after Epiphany
February 8, 2009

Isaiah 40:21-31
Psalm 147:1-11, 20c
1 Corinthians 9:16-23
Mark 1:29-39

In the small town I grew up in, the Presbyterians were pretty proud of the fact that they always got of church earlier than the Methodists across the street. This was exiting to the Presbyterians because it meant that on most ordinary Sundays they got to the one restaurant in town first.

It was a pretty ordinary Sabbath when Jesus left the synagogue. Maybe he and his friends were hungry. I’m guessing there weren’t any restaurants in town. Maybe they were hoping that Simon’s mother-in-law had made that delicious fish casserole she promised last time. For whatever reason, on this ordinary Sabbath day they head straight to Simon and Andrew’s house after synagogue. And when they get there the first thing Simon says to Jesus is that his wife’s mom isn’t feeling too good. She’s got a fever. There will be no famous fish casserole.

We don’t really know what is going on behind the scenes in this family. The disciple Simon has or had a wife. Maybe she’s died; maybe she’s taking care of the children. The Bible doesn’t always mention women and children, even when they most surely are there. But here is Simon’s mother-in-law.

Now what Jesus does next isn’t really socially appropriate, if you follow all the rules. In this culture at this time, men weren’t supposed to be touching women they weren't related to. But Jesus goes right in and takes her by the hand. Jesus crossed a line here. He crossed the boundaries of who is family and who isn’t. It was love and compassion that compelled him. You could call Jesus a border crosser. Crossing borders brought healing. Not playing by the established social rules, brought healing and freedom.

After Jesus heals her, this dear woman gets up and starts serving all the four men gathered there.

At first this perturbed me. Here you go, here’s some healing, now make us supper, woman.

Most translations shortchange this healed woman by translating the word for what she did next for Jesus as “serve.” … Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them. In Greek the word used here for serve is the same used just a little earlier in Mark when it talks of Jesus being tempted in the desert for 40 days, and it says that angels “waited” on him, or in some translations, “ministered” to Jesus. The Greek word is the same. What this woman offered to Jesus was on the same level as angels.

Her healing allowed her to offer her gifts, and perhaps it truly was her deepest hearts desire to minister to her guests. Hospitality is a tremendous spiritual gift. It can be as comforting as having angels minister to you. And she was freed to serve, to share her gift.

As another generous response to her healing, she next opens her door to the whole community. Other families and friends brought those who were sick or possessed with demons to her house to be touched and healed by Jesus. From the threshold of her home, healing poured to a whole community. She gives us an example of faithful discipleship. She did what she could, opened her home, as a source of healing. She didn’t do anything drastic, just opened the door on an ordinary day. And the whole city limped and was carried and made their way there where Jesus healed many of them. Notice it doesn’t say, all of them. Many of them.

Early the next morning, before the sunrise Jesus goes and finds some solitude and talks to God. Wouldn’t you like to watch and listen to Jesus pray? Don’t you just wonder what he was thinking that morning?

Maybe he had questions?
Why couldn’t I heal everyone? Didn’t you see that man, the look on his face? Why couldn’t I heal him? Why wouldn’t you heal him?

Maybe Jesus was afraid?
You heard those demons. They knew who I was. They are going to out me. I’m not ready for everyone to know

Maybe he had doubts about what to do next.
I love these people so much. I’m so welcome here. There’s more I could teach them. Do I have to go? Simon’s mother in law could really use a new table. I could stay here and build her a table. And all those people. Those faces. They need me here.

Don’t you bet Jesus could still picture their faces from the night before? All those people, longing for healing. Wanting to be free. Pressing into him with so much hope and despair in their eyes.

It wouldn’t surprise me if Jesus did have questions and fears and doubts. He was human. He was one of us. And so many of us wonder what to do next. We question our ability, we are afraid.

Gandhi once gave some good advice to people like us. It’s wisdom that Jesus seemed to know and live by too. I’m pretty sure they were both tapped into some of the same sources of wisdom. Here’s what Gandhi said…

“Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man or woman whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him or her. Will he gain anything by it? Will it restore her to control over her own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to swaraj [freedom] for the hungry and spiritually starving millions? Then you will find your doubts and your self melt away." [quote changed to use inclusive language]

By the next morning, when his friends found Jesus, if he had any doubts and self, they seemed to have melted away. Without fear or hesitation, he said, “Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do.”

I am struck by the phrase came out…“for that is what I came out to do.” This passage is at the beginning of Mark. Jesus is just getting things rolling. He’s just coming out. The night before he didn’t want the demons to out him publicly. He wasn’t ready. But perhaps it was those faces, that woke him up early, that drove him to prayer, that made his next step clear.

When the issues and headlines turn into faces for us, we often know what to do next. We may at first be disturbed and loose sleep. But Jesus gives us a model that will show us what to do. He prays. He takes time to perhaps share his doubts and fears with God, perhaps he sits in silence or perhaps he only groans. Those faces plant seeds of compassion. When compassion takes over it leads us along the way of Christ. Perhaps the issue is the border. Maybe it’s racism. Maybe it’s gay marriage. Maybe it’s poverty. But when that “issue” has a face and story and name, we often stop and re-consider our next steps.

This passage for today shows that we have a very queer God. Jesus didn’t obey the social norms of who was family and who was not. Jesus was creating a new family of God. This was part of his message. This was part of the way he lived. Even Jesus had to “come out” about who he was and how he was meant to do his loving in the world. Yes, this one sent to incarnate God among us, points us to a very queer God indeed.

As Jesus unmasks this God to us. We find a transgressive God. A God that moves beyond social codes, that transgresses boundaries and borders. Jesus was a border crosser. God is a border crosser. God is willing to go where we don’t expect.

We also discover through this act of Jesus that God comes to us in ordinary ways. We don’t get any indication that this dear woman was in danger of dieing. She wasn’t getting to live fully. Jesus wanted her to have abundant life right then. And so he healed her.

But what about us? What about those of us who are unemployed or underemployed. Where’s our abundant life? What about those of us who can’t afford medicine that we know we need? What about those of us who owe more on our house or car than it’s worth? Where’s our abundant life? What about those of us knocked down time and time again by one of those demons named ism…racism, sexism, ageism, classism? Where’s our healing? Where is the healing for our community?

We are living in extraordinary times. The front page of the New York Times this morning tells the story of Lehigh Acres, a town in Florida. One in four residents received food stamps in December. 221 families stood in line for free bread at a church one recent Friday morning. The reporter calls it the American Dream in high reverse. And says, I quote, “and now the bust is testing whether the experience of shared struggle will pull people together or tear them apart.”

Isn’t that the question for all of our communities these days? Will the shared struggle pull us together or tear us apart.

Jesus lived in a time when empire and poverty was trying— and often greatly succeeding in tearing people apart. Jesus responded by healing whole communities as he did in the passage today. He restored those who were outcast by their diseases back into community. He touched and restored women, even in a society that didn’t care much about them. He showed that he meant it when he said, “I have come that you might have life, and have it to the full.”

He also said, I will not leave you alone. Whenever two or three of you are gathered in my name, there I will be with you.

We are not alone in this. You are not alone in your struggle and pain and heartache and grief. You do not have to face your demons alone. God is still at work and the spirit of Christ is here. God wants you to be free. God wants the whole world to be free.

As difficult as our lives may seem sometimes here in Tucson, Arizona, in the United States of America in 2009, most of us are pretty blessed compared to much of the world. Bombs don’t fall on our city everyday. Drinkable water comes out of public and private faucets. The air is clean enough that we can see the mountains around us almost everyday. A free lunch and clean clothes are available for those who can get to Casa Maria. We don’t have to worry about being blown up by a buried bomb in the dirt as we walk down the street.

Some of us don’t need healing. We just need to wake up to our freedom. Our healing has come. We are freed. Now it’s time to serve.

No matter where you are today, desperate for healing, out of touch with your own pain or grateful for the healing and freedom you’ve been given from God, Christ is here among us and with us.

Christ still stands on the threshold. He’s not afraid to go in. He’s here and willing to meet you at the place of your deepest pain and longing. He’s still willing to take your hand, lift you up, and free you to serve.

Let us pray.

God you are as near as our breath. We thank you for the life that flows through us. For the gift of breath, of shelter, of food, of community. You have promised never to abandon us. We know that nothing can separate us from your love. God we know that you want all people to experience abundant life. And that wherever healing is present, you are its source. Transform us now in our body, mind, spirit, emotions, and relationships to be more free, more whole, more able to serve you and love our neighbors. Amen.

First Work Morning at the Restoration House

2009-02-04T07:42:00.000-08:00

This Saturday, February 7, will be the first work day at the Restoration Project community house.

We could sure use your help in cleaning, painting, and getting garden beds ready. Bring a shovel, paint brush, mop, if you have one, or just come on over and help make it a real community house!

340 S. 3rd Ave.

9:30 am till 12:30 pm

Front, Back, and inside

Introducing the Restoration Project

2009-02-02T05:09:00.000-08:00

For almost exactly 9 months, 7 of us have met weekly to discuss how we might integrate our faith into everyday life and how we might be freed up to love and serve the world more.

As we sang together, shared a meal almost every Friday, and dreamed, it became clear that we wanted to live closer together. We imagined the abundance we might feel if we took turns preparing meals. If there were more eyes and hands to watch over and play with little ones. What if we could check in with one another over coffee at breakfast instead of spending an hour going through our calendars to find an evening next month. (this happened to us once, no joke.) What if we could work together to use permaculture techniques to transform the yards into almost year round edible beauty. And how great might it be to have others to pray/meditate with daily.

From bottom, center, and clockwise:
Maryada, Lilly, Gretchen, Ben, Kate, Carol, Patricia (not pictured is Emrys.)

After a retreat in the fall, lots of visioning, and sitting in silence, we knew that our next step meant finding a house where we could all live, or at least live nearby one another. Last week way opened. If all goes well, we will be moving into an old boarding house just a couple of blocks south of downtown Tucson on March 1. There's room enough for all of us and to have extra room to offer hospitality.

In the near future we will offer ways to come and be part of community and spiritual practices at the house. So far there's talk of a Wednesday night meal and silent worship led by a member of the community that's a Quaker. And Kate is talking about a Sunday morning house church sort of gathering followed by brunch and daily contemplative prayer, probably at 6:30 am. And there's plenty of gardening and permaculture to get going. But we'll share more details when they are all in place.

Here's our freshly minted mission statement...

Nourished and empowered by the Spirit, the Restoration Project seeks to live in right relationship with one another, the community, and the earth through hospitality, simple and sustainable living, playful spirituality, and peaceful, prophetic action.

Right now among us are a 29-year old Quaker folk singer, two Presbyterian ministers in their early 30s, and their 18-month-old daughter who is learning sign language, Spanish, and English all at once. A 30-year old Episcopal priest with a call to re-imagine Christian community to be sustainable into the next generations, a 25-year-old who was raised evangelical and for the past two years lived in a Catholic Worker house and worked full time on humanitarian issues around the U.S./Mexico border, a 27-year-old Unitarian Universalist peace activist and independent journalist. And a 37-year old writer with an M.Div. and a penchant for mysticism.

Living in community is our attempt to live with hope and imagination during this time of global economic and environmental insecurity. Here in the desert and borderland of Southern Arizona we face many harsh realities—dwindling resources, water scarcity, a militarized border. By joining together in ecumenical worship we hope to be sustained for the work of serving and loving our community. By living simply and sharing resources we hope to live with a sense of abundance and to leave behind fear and scarcity. By using permaculture techniques we hope to eventually be able to grow a lot of our own food, and even have enough to share with others. We pray that our lives will be used by God and that we may join in Love's restoration of all creation so that all the earth may one day live in joy and harmony.

One of the songs we like to sing as a group is Freedom is Coming... "Oh Freedom, Freedom. Freedom is coming. Oh, yes I know." It captures that tension of living into the dream of God, knowing that it is both here now and yet longing for it to unfold even more fully.

We are blown away by the Spirit's work in our midst. And are walking around these last few days in awe-filled gratitude for the opportunity to live into the vision stirred within us. More to come!

Join the Living in Congregations magazine

2009-01-26T11:26:00.000-08:00

Uprising, the all-night interactive Easter vigil we threw last year is explained in the latest Alban Institute's* Congregations magazine.

A few years ago at an Episcopal Easter vigil I noticed that something was missing. Someone, actually. No teenagers were present and only a few people in their twenties or thirties were in the gathered congregation of about 80—and that included me. I remember thinking, How sad, because this is the most creative, sensual service we’ve got going.

That experience re-sparked questions that I, and many others, ponder: What would it take to make the stories and rituals of our tradition meaningful to our rising generations? And how can we share the gifts of our faith with others who would never, ever, dare set foot inside a church?

A deep consideration of those questions led my partner and me to form an organization called Join the Living, whose broad mission is to connect our next generations with spiritual practices and community. In the spring of 2008 we hosted our first collaborative experiment: an all-night interactive Easter vigil in the desert of southern Arizona. We called it Uprising, a celebration of the force of life that cannot be stopped.
Continue reading here.

*The Alban Institute was founded in 1974 as a major resource for American congregations facing the challenges of a changing society. Alban stands at the forefront of knowledge and experience regarding congregational vitality and positive trends across denominations and faith traditions. Our work is helping shape the strong congregations of tomorrow.

Flash Mob at the Cathedral

2009-01-26T11:22:00.000-08:00

At St. Paul's Cathedral in London Everyone brought a walkman along and at 18:46 pressed play and danced. I just love this particular flash mob scene. The Spirit is alive and kicking it outside the cathedral at least.

Upcoming Tucson Events Worth Noting

2009-01-14T07:01:00.000-08:00

A lecture by a leading Jewish scholar and a Hootnanny for peace are two out of the ordinary events happening January 25 & 26 in Tucson. We were excited to hear about them and plan to attend. Just wanted to pass the news on to Tucson folks.

First up is Amy-Jill Levine. Dr. Levine is Jewish and writes and lectures about Jesus. I heard her speak once in seminary and was blown away by her insights. This is an incredible opportunity to hear her in person.

Jesus: The Misunderstood Jew
Special Lecture by Dr. Amy-Jill Levine

Jesus: The Misunderstood Jew
Date: Monday - January 26, 2009
Time: 7:00PM
Location: The Tucson Jewish Community Center

Jesus of Nazareth followed the Torah of Moses, found inspiration in the Prophets of Israel, and offered a teaching that some Jewish men and women found compelling. Yet too often Christians and Jews incorrectly regard Jesus as rejecting Judaism. Prof. Levine' lecture will explore her recent research on this historical Jesus and his portrayal in the earliest sources. She will explain how understanding Jesus in his Jewish context can bring new meaning to his parables, his politics, and his piety. At the same time, this new understanding can offer new a path for Jewish-Christian relations.

Amy-Jill Levine is the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Professor of New Testament Studies at Vanderbilt University Divinity School, Department of Religious Studies & Graduate Department of Religion. This lecture is sponsored by Arizona Center for Judaic Studies at the University of Arizona.

Hootnanny for Peace
Jews, Muslims, and Christians eating and singing together

A Multi-faith Folk Festival
Date: Sunday - January 25, 2009
Time: 6:00PM
Location: St. Francis in the Foothills Methodist Church, 4625 E River Road

Jews, Muslims and Christians, will gather together to sing folk songs, peace songs, and oldies by Judy Collins, Peter Paul and Mary, Joni Mitchell, Pete Seager and The Weavers. Added to this will be Jewish Folk songs, and Sufi Dancing. Those gathered will also eat and pray together. Are these not the ingredients for creating Peace on Earth?

The evening starts with a Pot Luck dinner at 6 pm.

Organizers have asked that if your last name begins with

A-J: Bring a Main Dish for eight.

K-Q: Bring a Salad for eight.

R-Z: Bring a Dessert for eight.

Members of the Tucson Mosque will teach dancing. Three folk groups will lead the singing, which starts at 6:45 pm.

Community in the neighborhood

2009-01-12T15:04:00.000-08:00

Loss is everywhere it seems lately. Jobs, retirement savings, houses.

Community helps make the sting not hurt quite so bad. Just today an older neighbor and her dog came over to visit our dogs at the Howard House. She said she hadn't been feeling too well. "Sometimes it seems life is slipping away from me," she said. But the sunshine and conversation we shared in the backyard made her feel a little better, she said.

And then as I walked her back to her house since she was feeling a little wobbly, we met two other neighbors we didn't know. Walking with dogs always helps with these connections it seems. We admired our new acquaintance's beautiful, shiny white hair. Learned her accent was Russian, that her husband had died just three years ago, and she'd recently lost her house in a fraud case. And then she and her son walked on with us. Soon we were sitting in another backyard. More connections were made. Conversation and fresh oranges from trees planted by our neighbor years ago were shared. I'm sure we'll all visit with one another again soon. This is what neighborhoods are for. And I'm grateful for my neighbors who shared the gift of community and presence with me today.

—Carol

Daily Advent Reflection: Dec 21

2008-12-21T07:49:00.000-08:00

Fourth and Final Week of Advent, December 21 — December 24

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! God is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus.
— Luke 1:26-31

In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.”
—Luke 1: 39-42

And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for God has looked with favor on the lowliness of God’s servant. ... God has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; God had filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.”
—Luke 1: 46-48, 52-53

“With haste” Mary went to visit her relative Elizabeth. Mary had just found out, from an angel, that she was pregnant. And the angel told her that Elizabeth, her older cousin, was pregnant too. So it must have been a comfort to be with Elizabeth, another woman, a relative, someone else who was pregnant, during an undoubtedly scary time.

Mary was in big trouble—by society’s standards. She was to be married soon to Joseph. To outsiders, she was simply knocked up outside the boundary’s of what was acceptable. Joseph wasn’t involved. By the law of their society, Joseph could have Mary stoned to death.

Keep in mind that Mary was very young, maybe about 13. She was living in an occupied land. Empire seeped into her everyday life. Violence of all sorts, killing, rape, extortion, were common. She was not powerful. She had no voice in this culture. And from this context, perhaps afraid, and running for her life, she seeks the comfort of another woman.

And Elizabeth smiles and embraces her, and calls her blessed. From this embrace of blessing, she remembers the words of the angel, “God is with you.” And Mary’s soul sours. She sings a song of liberation. It is a song for all who experience oppression. For all who have been forced to live with the stares of others brought on from breaking society’s sexual norms. Even though she lives in the belly of the empire, she holds within her hope. And her song, can become our song, and our hope, too. God will bring down the powerful and lift up the lowly. God’s mercy is great. God is with us. God will bring life where there was shame.

Let us be quick to remember our blessing. Let us be quick to bless. And never forget that in the reign of God the voiceless give birth to hope and sing songs of liberation that bring life to the world.

Prayer

Sweet mother of us all, only you know the true potential that is carried deep within each of your children. May we live with pregnant expectancy in the coming weeks, as we wait and work for your justice.

Prayer for lighting the fourth candle.

May we remember our blessings, and be a blessing to others.

Activities for this week

Attend a Christmas service. Many churches have candlelight services, or reflective services that can help create a space of calm and beauty in the midst of a stressful season. Join the Living will host a candle light service on Dec. 21 at 6:30 pm at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church 545 S. 5th AVE, Tucson. The church will also be open for quiet meditation from 4 pm until 6:30 pm. We’ll offer a meal to share together at 5:30 pm. Come for any of the evening. See the blog entry below for more about the service.
Remember those whose sexuality makes them second class citizens. Women as well as people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered (just to name a few) are often demeaned or discriminated against because of issues related to sexuality. If this resonates with your own experience, consider how Mary’s story may speak to you. If you aren’t already an ally to the LGBT community, consider becoming one and becoming more involved at wingspan.org.
Give money away. A movement called Advent Conspiracy invites people to give more money away at Christmas. If you have money to give, consider helping build water wells in Africa (www.water.cc), or helping the Community Food Bank in Tucson, which last we heard, was so overwhelmed with trying to meet people’s basic food needs, it did not have enough resources to provide Christmas boxes to families this year.

Longest Night Christmas Service Tomorrow

2008-12-20T08:01:00.001-08:00

Sunday, Dec. 21 Join the Living will host space for meditation, community meal sharing, and a time for collective reflection and prayers. All are welcome to participate in any part of the evening.

4 — 6:30 pm

Silent, personal meditation and prayer in the Sanctuary.

The small stone and wood sanctuary of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church will be lit with candles and decked out with fresh Christmas greens. It will be true sanctuary and refuge. Come and go any time from 4 to 6:30. Simply sit in the silence for as long as you like, or light a candle, or say a prayer. It's open space for you. All welcome.

5:30 pm

A meal will be available in the parish hall.

Vegetarian. Local food. By pay-what-you-can donation.
All welcome.

6:30 pm

A short service of readings, prayer, reflection, and music.

We will honor the longest night, as well as the grief, sadness, fear, and anger we may carry with us at this time, but we will also celebrate the light of Christ, and pray that the light be born in our world anew. All Welcome.

St. Andrew's Episcopal Church is located at 545 S. 5th Ave (at the corner of 5th Ave and 16th Street).

Parking is available on the street in the neighborhood. The church is wheelchair accessible.

Daily Advent Reflection: Dec 20

2008-12-20T07:08:00.000-08:00

Perhaps you've heard of the Advent Conspiracy. It's a national movement to bring the true story and spirit of Christmas back. In Tucson several churches have joined together to support one another in living out the Advent Conspiracy, www.actucson.wordpress.com

But the idea of celebrating Christmas without so much consumption has been around for a while. In 1973, a group called Alternatives for Simple Living formed as a protest against the commercialism of Christmas. Alternatives for Simple Living is still around encouraging people of faith to examine and challenge our consumer society.

Check them out and their many year-round resources for churches and families at www.simpleliving.org

Alternatives for Simple Living also produced a Christmas song book, Carols with Justice, a while back. Thanks to our friend Patricia Morrison, who introduced us to the group and let us borrow the song book.

Here are some of the alternative justice verses for some old favorites. Just add them in to the original song after singing the original first verse...

Away in a Manger

Teach all the world leaders there's no room for hate.
Peace, love and compassion will justice create.
Let kindness and fairness for all folk prevail.
Our care for each other shows God's love is real.

When children are crying and mothers distressed,
Because those in power with greed are obsessed,
We seek to find justice, compassion for them
Because of Christ Jesus born in Bethlehem.

We want to be gentle like this little one
Who sleeps in the manger, God's own precious son.
We ask the Lord's blessing that we may do right
To those all around us and those not in sight.

Silent Night

Silent night, holy night!
When will peace
conquer might?
Pray that justice will set victims free,
Those who are shackled to bleak poverty.
Christ be born in each heart,
Christ be born in each heart.

We wish you a merry Christmas

Regular chorus and first verse, then...

Remember the poor, the sick and the old;
Your love for all people is worth more than gold.

Make freedom and peace and mercy your aim,
For Christ came at Christmas to set hearts a flame.

Daily Advent Reflection: Dec 19

2008-12-19T06:10:00.000-08:00

This weekend memorials for those who have died without homes and on the streets will happen nationwide. Many cities are planning memorial services around the Longest Night of the Year, which is Sunday, December 21.

Today in Tucson, Primavera Foundation will host our community's annual Homeless Memorial. The public is welcome to attend.

The memorial service, begins at 4 p.m. at Evergreen Cemetery and Mortuary, 3015 N. Oracle Road. This past year 128 people died in Pima County's streets and desert washes.

Kate will be one of the religious leaders to speak at the service.

The rascally righteous modern prophet dude, Shane Claiborne, is pictured above.
Click on the pic to go to a story about when he got arrested
for standing in solidarity with his friends without houses in Philly.

Jesus was born in situational homelessness. Maybe it was a covered shed for the sheep. Maybe it was a small cave carved from the side of a small hill. The community shelter: the inn was full that night. His parents were traveling to be counted for a census demanded by the Empire in which they lived. And in the midst of this movement that was not by their choice, far from home, Jesus was born.

And later as he walked and taught in his homeland, Jesus was pretty much homeless. He once explained to someone who wanted to follow him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head." (Matthew 8:20)

How To Save A Life This Winter

by Shannon Moriarty

Published November 22, 2008 @ 12:46PM PST, on homelessness.change.org

It's cold out there. As the temperature drops, people living on the streets face an increased risk of frostbite, hypothermia, or even death. Earlier this year, in February, four Atlanta homeless people died in one night due to the freezing weather.

But it doesn't have to be this way. Doctors and nurses from Boston's innovative Health Care for the Homeless program have compiled a list of tips for people who want to help save a life this winter.

"Can you hear me?"
In extremely cold temperatures, it's important not to dismiss an unconscious individual. It takes just a few seconds to check if someone is responsive by asking if he or she can hear you. If you don't get a response, call 911.
Extra Coffee
Purchase a small, decaffeinated coffee (caffeinated may add to dehydration) during your morning coffee run and give it to someone on the street. Just a small hot drink can warm someone up. Hot chocolate is a good alternative.
Disorientation
Disorientation, confusion and even "inappropriate" behavior might be signs of the onset of hypothermia. In the dead of winter, if someone appears confused and disoriented, it is important not to misunderstand and dismiss these symptoms. Look for the other signs of hypothermia - extreme shivering, exhaustion, slurred speech and drowsiness - and call for help if they're present.

Instead of turning the other way when you see a homeless person on the streets this winter, pay attention. You could save a life.

Daily Advent Reflection: Dec 18

2008-12-18T07:42:00.000-08:00

A modern reflection on Isaiah 61: 1-4

The spirit of the one who Will Be Who She Will Be is with me, because She has breathed her life into me; she has sent me to bring good news to those who sleep on the streets, to wash the blistered feet of the migrant worker lost in the borderland desert, to bring warm meals and news from the neighborhood each week to the elders alone and captive in their homes, and release to the prisoners locked by the shame of the past, to proclaim the year that God winked and danced with us, and the mere day when the fallen powers get what’s coming; to comfort all who weep and grieve with heavy hearts; to provide for those who mourn so much they keep calling in sick to work day after day—to place a wreath of sweet honeysuckle and roses gently on their heads with a kiss, to let the smile lines of gladness take up permanent residence on their cheeks instead of tears, and let them be enveloped in praise instead of weighted down by a faint spirit.

People will see them and say, “They are like oak trees. I want to curl up on the soft grass under their strength and shade.” They shall transform super fund sites into play grounds, they shall turn whole despairing neighborhoods into urban gardens; they shall inhabit the abandoned places of Empire and open up pay-what-you-can organic cafes, and the devastations of many generations shall be overgrown with bike lanes and fruit trees and all shall live in "a friendly world of friendly folk beneath a friendly sky."

Thanks to Howard Thurman, an African-American mystic and theologian, who brought the "friendly folk" image into the world. The rest was written by Carol Bradsen at Time Market cafe while drinking a cup of coffee on this cloudy morning in Tucson.

Join the Living in the Tucson Weekly

2008-12-17T20:48:00.000-08:00

The Tucson Weekly published the following article about Join the Living today.

A local group seeks to promote the true meaning of Christmas--and spirituality

By IRENE MESSINA

Dr. Seuss got the true essence of Christmas right in How the Grinch Stole Christmas! At the end of the story, the Grinch realizes the holiday isn't about materialism.

"Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas ... perhaps ... means a little bit more!"

The Grinch's realization is lost on many people, who flit from store to store and even trample each other to get bargains. But change is afoot, thanks to an international movement called the Advent Conspiracy, which seeks to replace Christmas consumption with four concepts: Worship fully; spend less; give more; and love all.

Tucsonans have been participating in this movement with its own Christmas Conspiracy. Activities have included potluck gift-making and a barter bazaar. The last event--at 4 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 21, at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church--is a service with meditation, a meal, prayer and candlelight.

The events have been coordinated by Join the Living, a soon-to-be nonprofit that focuses on spiritual practices and building community. Co-founders Carol and Kate Bradsen exchanged vows in a blessing ceremony last year.

A goal behind Join the Living is to help others find meaning in their lives.

"I wanted to answer a larger call," explains Kate, an ordained Episcopal priest. "Part of that call is about helping other people answer theirs. The idea is we can all become fully alive in whatever way that means to us."

Specifically, Join the Living focuses on spiritual practice and community building while offering various collaborative projects including a blog, creative liturgical community events (such as the Christmas Conspiracy), an Easter vigil, services and an upcoming magazine called Bread and Oranges.

The magazine "is a collection of personal stories and essays of how people are living with hope, imagination and community," says Carol, a freelance writer and graphic designer.

The couple seeks to move forward with a new living model called the Restoration Project. Seven ministers and activists meet weekly and are interested in living in a spiritual community and doing social-justice work.

"Our bottom line is about living with love, justice and peace," says Kate. "We want to all live in close proximity and offer retreats, classes, a pay-what-you-can café and daily prayer."

The couple identifies as Progressive Christians--those who include all people regardless of sexual identity and religious path.

"Progressive Christians read the Bible in such a way that the love and justice of God celebrates the diversity of humanity," explains Carol.

Inclusion is an important part of the Christmas Conspiracy.

"We're taking part of what we believe to be the essence of Christmas, but making it accessible to people who may or may not be Christians, may or may not celebrate Christmas, may or may not go to church but still they can get something from it. ... Christmas is not supposed to be about debt and consumerism. It is supposed to be about relationship, love, justice and peace and the things that are so important to who ... human beings are," explains Kate.

She sums up Christmas in a simple yet profound way: The joy of Christmas is that light shines in the darkness--and that light is the fact that God is always with us, even in the dark of winter.

An eloquent explanation comes from Carol, spoken clearly without pause.

"Christmas is a Christian holiday, and it's been co-opted by our consumerist society as a tool for profit. Jesus was a prophet with a 'ph,' not with an 'f.' The real story is being covered with bows and wrapping paper and credit-card debt.

"The real story is that Jesus came to give the message that God was for the poor, the oppressed. That God wanted to see justice done, wanted to see people love each other, and wanted people to be free and didn't want people to be suffering. That's what Jesus was trying to say and offer people. And that's the message of Christmas, and that's the hope--that God is still with us. ... If we love each other and look out for each other, we can join in with that power, and that force of love will change the world."

Change is the keystone of the Advent Conspiracy, which asks, "What if Christmas became a world-changing event again?"

I'd say if the Grinch can increase his heart size by three, there's still hope for Christmas.

Daily Advent Reflection: Dec 17

2008-12-17T12:48:00.000-08:00

The Language of Hope

This activity for kids could also be something folks of any age could try today. It's making your own Hope Haikus. It's an activity posted on the Loyola Press website.

The details are below. But the main thing is just remember 5-7-5 and give it a go. If any one tries it, we hope you'll add it to the blog via the comment section at the end of the entry.

Happy haikuing.

Activity Objective
The young people will be led to personal reflection and expression of the meaning of hope.

Lesson Outcome
The young people should be able to explain the virtues of faith, hope, and love.

Materials

Scratch paper, one sheet per young person
Pencils
Two sheets of paper (4.5 x 5.5 inch) per young person
Eight-inch piece of string (one per young person)
Tempura paints
Black markers
Small containers for paint
Newspapers
Instrumental music
CD player

Solo Activity

Share with the young people the form of Japanese poetry called haiku. Explain that a haiku has three unrhymed lines. The first line has five syllables, the second has seven syllables, and the third has five syllables.
Allow the young people time for silent reflection and to gather their ideas about how to describe hope. Then have them use scratch paper to write two haikus about hope. The haikus should refer to nature and use a simile or metaphor. For example:

Glowing orange sun

Darting through scattered gray clouds

Reminds me of hope
Distribute the sheets of paper (4.5 x 5.5) and the string.
Direct the young people to follow these steps:
- Dip the string in tempura paint.
- On one of the sheets of paper, form the string into a design.
- Cover the design with the other sheet of paper.
- Place a book on top.
- Slowly pull out the string.
- Remove the book and separate the papers to dry.
- Print or write the haiku with black marker on the dry paper.
Display the artwork.

Approximate Time
25 minutes

Hints

Playing instrumental music helps to create a reflective atmosphere.
Have several containers of each paint color to alleviate congestion.
Cover painting surfaces with newspaper.

Learning Styles

Art/Space Smart
Self Smart
Word Smart

Finding God Themes

Hope
Living Our Faith
Virtues

Daily Advent Reflection: Dec 16

2008-12-16T07:59:00.000-08:00

Daily Advent Reflection: Dec 15

2008-12-15T06:36:00.000-08:00

This short film below is a story of prophecy and of hope for the future.

The images and ideas of the film are shaped around the knowledge and vision of Willy Whitefeather, a Cherokee elder.

It is beautiful, moving, profound and well worth 7 minutes to watch (the last minute is credits).

Directed by Catherine Margerin, Visionary Willy Whitefeather, produced by Mary Mathaisell

Daily Advent Reflection: Dec 14

2008-12-14T18:42:00.000-08:00

The Dawn of Hope
Third Week of Advent

The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to provide for those who mourn in Zion-- to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit. They will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, to display his glory. They shall build up the ancient ruins, they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.

—Isaiah 61:1-4

“Grace strikes us when we are in great pain and restlessness. It strikes us when we walk through the dark valley of a meaningless and empty life...It strikes us when, year after year, the longed-for perfection of life does not appear.”

—Carol Bradsen

Watch the sunrise. In Tucson this week the sun rises at about 7:15 am. Try going outside to watch the sky, and wait for the sunrise. Listen. What is God trying to say to you?
Light candles of gratitude. Gratitude helps nurture hope. At the end of each day this week, find a few candles, or light the candles on your advent wreath. As you light each one, think of something you were grateful for that day. Another way is to think about the moments of the day in which you felt most alive, or happy. Sit in the silence for a few minutes before you blow the candles out.
Be kind. Smile at strangers. Offer hope to people who need it.

Daily Advent Reflection: Dec 13

2008-12-13T19:54:00.001-08:00

A little "Prepare the way" from Godspell.

Daily Advent Reflection: Dec 12

2008-12-12T09:10:00.001-08:00

Okay. Prepare the way. That's the theme this week.

But how do we know what to do? How do we prepare? Where's the list?

What if ...

our doing is best preceded by being.

And our being is best done in God.

And God is perhaps best known in whispered stillness.

And in stillness there is waiting and listening.

The Tao Te Ching asks:

Do you have the patience to wait
till your mud settles and your water becomes clear?
Can you remain unmoving
till the right action arises by itself?

—Tao Te Ching 15

And once that "right action" arises from the clear stillness, we can step out to do.

All the while remembering that our right action is our right action. It is our piece in the larger mosaic. We are freed from trying to do everything. My list won't look like your list.

So today, prepare the way for God to be born in the world anew! But first, wait.

—Carol Bradsen

Daily Advent Reflection: Dec 11

2008-12-11T11:39:00.000-08:00

How do we prepare the way for God, for a new way of living? Love is usually a good answer to most questions like this. How then do we love? Here's one thought...

To love is to be responsible like this in everything:
the work we do,
the things we buy,
the food we eat,
the people we look up to,
the movies we see,
the words we use,
every choice we make from morning till night.
That is the real measure of love; it is a wonderfully demanding responsibility.

—Eknath Easwaran

Daily Advent Reflection: Dec 10

2008-12-10T07:04:00.000-08:00

Today's daily office reading according to the use of the Episcopal Church includes these verses from the book of Isaiah in the Hebrew Scriptures.

A Vision of God in the Temple

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. And one called to another and said:

‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory.’

The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. And I said: ‘Woe is me! I am lost, for I am one of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!’

Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. The seraph touched my mouth with it and said: ‘Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.’ Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I; send me!’

—Isaiah 6:1-8

Today is also national Day Without a Gay day. A day when many in the queer community plan to call in "gay" to work, and instead volunteer in the community to take a stance against hatred by spreading love in the world.

It is also International Human Rights Day, and the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The declaration begins,

"Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world, ..."

You can read it in full here in 360 different languages.

by Medi Belortaja, Albania

None of us are free until all of us are free.

In light of today's reading and the historical nature of this day, here is a video for reflection from the Cathedral of Hope choir in Dallas, Texas, singing Here I am, Lord. Cathedral of Hope is the largest predominantly gay congregation in the world.

Daily Advent Reflection: Dec 9

2008-12-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

As we wait, it is not easy.

As we long for God to show up and fix everything, we are just reminded during Advent that once when God did show up, God was a baby. Vulnerable and crying.

As we prepare the way for God and for justice, it can be exhausting and disheartening to honestly confront just how high the mountains reach and how low the valleys go.

In this video and song by Michael Franti and Spearhead: Hey World (Don't Give Up Version), I imagine God is singing to the world, "Don't give up on me, I won't give up on you. Just believe in me like I believe in you."

What do you hear?

Daily Advent Reflection: Dec 8

2008-12-08T07:41:00.000-08:00

School children tell the story of an angel visiting Mary and the birth of John the Baptist...

From Brown Bag Films, "Give Up Yer Aul Sins," is a series of short films based on Dublin school children telling bible stories to their teacher in the 1960s.

Christmas Conspiracy Gift Making Party Today

2008-12-07T08:01:00.001-08:00

Today, Sunday, Dec. 7, is the second gift-making party.

We'll have a sewing machine set up, lots of paint and various creative supplies.

Bring any thing you'd like to add to the communal pile of shared creative supplies. But you can also just bring your own project and hang out. We've checked out about a dozen books from the library on making your own gifts to help spark ideas. Today we'll also have a big bucket of paper mache goo ready to go. It can be formed into all sorts of shapes and then painted.

Next Sunday is the Barter Bazaar. No money will be exchanged, just trading.

Both begin at 4 pm at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church Parish Hall, 545 S. 5th AVE, Tucson.

At 5:30 a vegetarian meal will be available for a pay-what-you-can donation.

Daily Advent Reflection: Dec 7

2008-12-07T06:59:00.000-08:00

Week 2
December 7th-December 13

Preparing a new way

A voice cries out:
‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all people shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.’

—Isaiah 40:3-5

Of all the characters in the Bible, John the Baptist is the one you would most likely run from if you saw him on the street. The biblical stories of him tell of a crazy man, wandering the wilderness dressed in camel hair and eating locusts. But more than looking and acting a little crazy, John the Baptist talked crazy. Like so many of the prophets before him, he claimed that things were going to get better. He called out to a people who lived in poverty under the thumb of a repressive regime and told him that some day everyone will be equal. Someday justice will be served.

I have heard that when people initially went to register African American people during the civil rights movement, many of them refused. They believed that white men were going to do whatever they wanted. They did not believe that they would ever truly be granted power in the political system. If you had told them that some day there would be an African American president, they would have scoffed at you.

They thought that John the Baptist was crazy.

Sometimes I do too.

To call out for equality, to work for justice, to try every day to answer to a different bottom line than the systems of oppression and violence that keep so many people down—this is no easy work. There is no easy road to freedom. But if there is any clear, dominant message of the Bible, it is that we must spend our lives working for justice and equality.

John the Baptist is so named in part because he is the person who baptized Jesus. It was a crazy man who thrust Jesus into his ministry, and the message of that same crazy is as true today as it was two thousand years ago. This world is not the world of God’s dream. The way we live is not the way God imagined we would at our creation. All of us need to turn back. We need to change the way we live individually. We need to change the way we live as a society.

While this call, like the call to keep awake, can be overwhelming, that is no excuse for inaction. Like any road, the road to freedom begins with one step. Our ancestors would never believe how far their steps have taken us. We may not see the dream of God in its fullness, but we owe it to ourselves, to each other, and to the generations that come after us, to take the next step.

—Kate Bradsen

Prayer

God, prepare in us your new way. Make the places in our heart where love lives, a little bigger. And give us courage to accept and tend what you plant there.

Prayer for lighting the second advent candle this week:

May this light guide us as we take the next step to prepare for the dream of God.

Some ideas for preparing for a new way in your own life

Prepare yourself for the day. If you do not do so already, take a few minutes each morning to prepare yourself for the day. One way is to sit in silence, and take a few deep breaths. Remember that God says to you, “You are my beloved.” Rest in that reality for a few minutes before you do anything.
Write down your dreams. The more you pay attention to your dreams the more they will speak to you. How might the Spirit be stirring in your dreams to prepare a new way in you?
Reach out to those who are preparing for a long journey. Thousands of people forced from their homes for lack of economic opportunity are preparing to cross the border this week. Many are separated from their familes. From October 1, 2007 to September 30, 2008, 183 people died while crossing the border in Arizona.

The organization, No More Deaths, seeks to end death and suffering on the U.S./Mexico border through civil initiative. Their action and humanitarian aid is based on the conviction that people of conscience must work openly and in community to uphold fundamental human rights. The work of No More Deaths embraces the Faith-Based Principles for Immigration Reform and focuses on the following themes:

• Direct aid that extends the right to provide humanitarian assistance
• Witnessing and responding
• Consciousness raising
• Global movement building
• Encouraging humane immigration policy.

The Unitarian Universalist Church of Tucson has created an interactive, holiday resource for families to learn about the border and then donate money to No More Deaths. Parts of the project have been reprinted below with their permission, including part of the introduction and the questions for this week.

The questions are designed to help us understand a complex situation that is playing out on our southern border with Mexico. Every day and night, hundreds of people embark on a journey to enter the United States in the hopes of finding better jobs, providing children with better educations, sleeping in safer homes, building more promising futures.

Politics, trade policies, enforcement strategies and national security all play a key part in this story of migration, but we want to focus on the moral and spiritual aspects. How do we welcome the strangers in our land? How do we treat others as we wish to be treated? How do we make sure that justice and compassion cross all borders?

We hope this activity will spark interesting conversations and lead us to consider things that we may not have thought about before. We also hope this activity will help generate some funds that will go to support our ministry of No More Deaths, whose volunteers are working year-round to provide humanitarian aid with the ultimate goal of ending the death and suffering in our backyard.

This is only a suggested donation - be as generous as you feel comfortable.

Sunday 12/7
When migrants are repatriated back to Mexico, it's
common that all their money has been taken except
for a little bit of change, which is all they have to
survive on. How much change do you have in your
pocket or purse right now?
(Add actual amount) =

Monday 12/8
Since people without documentation cannot easily
open bank accounts to cash pay checks, they must
rely on check cashing services that take a percentage
of their money. How many of these services
(CheckMate, Payday Loans, etc.) did you pass today
as you went around town?
____x $.25=

Tuesday 12/9
Migrants have to sleep under trees along the path.
How many beds do you have in your home?
____ x $.25=

Wednesday 12/10
Migrants will often bring a small piece of paper with
a few phone numbers or addresses of people they
will look up when they get to their destination. How
many phone numbers are stored in your cell phones?
____x $.10=

Thursday 12/11
Some migrants cross several borders before arriving
at their final destination. How many countries have
you been to?
____x $.25=

Friday 12/12
If detained by the Border Patrol, a migrant will have
all of his/her personal belongings taken and
sometimes not returned. How many accessories (belt,
watch, wallet, jewelry, hat, etc.) are you wearing?
____x $.25=

Saturday 12/13
Many loved ones send a love letter or meaningful
note with the person making the journey North
hoping it will give them strength for the challenging
trip. How many notes have you sent to loved ones in
the last month?
____x $1.00=

TOTAL= ________

Daily Advent Reflection: Dec 6

2008-12-06T08:29:00.000-08:00

Today's reflection comes on a Saturday, the weekly day of rest and reflection our Jewish sisters and brothers honor as commanded by God. The following was spoken by Rabbi Arthur Waskow and can be read in its entirety here.

In the following excerpt, Rabbi Waskow is telling about the two names that God reveals to Moshe (Moses) through a burning bush...

"The first one is Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh. "I will be who I will be." I am not stuck in who I was, or who I am. I am becoming. Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh. A great spiral of transformation, in which we draw again and again on what has gone before us, ancient and just 25 years ago. We draw on what has come before us in order to move forward deeply on the great spiral. Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh. With such a God, we, too, can become.

And the second name that God reveals: God calls Moshe aside, intimately, and whispers, "Let me tell you my nickname. What is my nickname? Yud Hey Vov Hey." No vowels. Not Jehova or Yahweh. Certainly not Adonai, Lord. These are strange letters. Not quite consonants, not quite vowels. Yud Hey Vov Hey. In English, Y-H-W-H. This is the name we have been taught not to pronounce.

So, on a day that honors rebels, I invite you -- l don't command you -- I invite you, if you are willing, quietly, to try, simply, to pronounce it. Y-H- W-H, with no vowels. Y-H-W-H. With no vowels. For me, it comes out [DEEP EXHALE] just breathing. The most intimate name of God, just breathing. What we breathe out, the trees breathe in. What the trees breathe out, we breathe in. We breathe each other into life. We gather together to breathe words with each other, to join the Breath of Life. And the Breath of Life breathes out, as well as in. The Breath of Life inspires, and the Breath of Life expires."

© Rabbi Arthur Waskow [Permission is given to reproduce for personal use, provided the entire text is kept intact, including this notice. Other uses require the permission of the author.] Rabbi Arthur Waskow founded and directs the Shalom Center and is the author of Godwrestling, and other works of Jewish renewal.

This 2006 video is of Rabbi Waskow calling for peace. May we be provoked to wake up, take a deep breath and join the Breath of Life in becoming peace ...

Daily Advent Reflection: Dec 5

2008-12-05T09:12:00.000-08:00

Today's reflection comes from The Song of Simeon and the Book of Common Prayer order for compline, which is an ancient night-time prayer. It can be read alone at any time, or try reading it with your dear ones at night before sleeping.

Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping; that awake
we may watch with Christ, and asleep we may rest in peace.

Lord, you now have set your servant free
to go in peace as you have promised;
For these eyes of mine have seen the Savior,
whom you have prepared for all the world to see:
A Light to enlighten the nations,
and the glory of your people Israel.
Glory to God, and to the Christ, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

All repeat the Antiphon

Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping; that awake
we may watch with Christ, and asleep we may rest in peace.

Daily Advent Reflection: Dec 4

2008-12-04T05:32:00.000-08:00

In the spirit of keeping awake, and in light of yesterday's division in the Episcopal church, receive this blessing today from Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson.

Advent Reflection: Dec. 3

2008-12-03T13:34:00.000-08:00

"Darius and the Clouds"
from The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

"You can never have too much sky. You can fall asleep and wake up drunk on sky, and sky can keep you safe when you are sad. Here there is too much sadness and not enough sky. Butterflies too are few and so are flowers and most things that are beautiful. Still, we take what we can get and make the best of it.

Darius, who doesn't like school, who is sometimes stupid and mostly a fool, said something wise today, though most days he says nothing. Darius, who chases girls with firecrackers or a stick that touched a rat and thinks he's tough, today pointed up because the world was full of clouds, the kind like pillows.

You all see that cloud, that fat one there? Darius said. See that? Where? That one next to the one that look like popcorn. That one there. See that. That's God, Darius said. God? somebody little asked. God, he said, and made it simple."

Gift Making Party & Workshop This Sunday

2008-12-02T13:47:00.001-08:00

Our second gift-making party is Sunday, Dec. 7. at 4 pm at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church.

You can bring your own project and hang out or jump into the big pile of supplies and idea books on hand.

This week we'll have a sewing machine set up (thanks to Alana who fixed it!), a bucket of paper mache goo ready to go, and a color printer and computer for making t-shirt transfers (we have a few transfer sheets to share), along with an iron and ironing board.

At 5:30 we'll serve some homemade soup. Supper is a suggested donation of $5 or pay-what-you-can to help cover the cost of the seasonal, mostly local food.

Here are some scenes from last weeks gift making party.

Daily Advent Reflection: Dec. 2

2008-12-02T06:29:00.000-08:00

Keeping Awake

Let me respectfully remind you:
life and death are of extreme importance.

Time swiftly passes by and opportunity is easily lost.
Each of us should strive to awaken, awaken, awaken.
Take heed, do not squander your life.

—Buddhist Gatha

God we do not want to squander our lives. Help us to wake up. And to be ready to welcome you with open arms where ever you show up this week.

One way to awaken is through meditation. The website from the younger folks involved in the World Community for Christian Mediation is a good place to start...

thespiritualsolution.com

And here's a bit more on breathing from Tom Harpur, who wrote the book, Prayer: The Hidden Fire. (Kelowna, BC: Northstone Publishing, 1998)...

"Catch your breath and it will free you. Breathing properly is perhaps the most basic factor in meditation. You can base an entire period of meditation just on your breathing. In fact, some styles of meditation center their entire approach on breathing alone. The breathing pattern of most of us is too rapid and shallow. Anytime you find yourself struggling with meditation, check your breathing. Slow down the pace, breathe deeply, and relax.

Simple Breathing Meditation Exercise

Sit quietly in an upright position ...
Close your eyes ...
Become aware of this body-self that is you ...
Focus on your breath ...
Notice the pattern of your breathing ...
as it moves in ... as it moves out...
Notice how fast you are breathing ...
Notice whether you are breathing deeply
or with shallow breaths ...
Notice where your body moves when you breathe ...
Is the movement in your chest...
or in your belly? ...
Watch your breathing for a moment ...
You may find that just attending to your breath
will allow you to relax ...
As you focus and breathe ...
let your breaths become slower ...
and deeper ...
Let your body relax ...
and move to a sense of peace ...
Notice where your body is sore or tense ...
Imagine the breath moving to that place
and gently massaging the tightened knots
of tension ... or fear ... or anger ...
Simply allow the breath to open up your body ...
so that your life energy can flow freely...
As you do so, you are preparing yourself for prayer ...
As you focus on your breathing ...
you may notice thoughts coming and going ...
Just notice the thoughts ...
then let them go ...
You may want to imagine them as clouds
floating across the horizon ...
or as leaves on a stream being carried away ...
Just as your lungs generate breath ...
your mind generates thoughts ...
As thoughts arise ...
gently return your focus to your breath ...
Notice the space that opens inside you as you relax ...
as you gradually come into your sacred centre ...

This reflection by Tom Harpur on breathing was found at stillpresence.com. It offers a good written introduction to Christian meditation and centering prayer from some of the leading teachers on the subject, including John Main (his teachings started the World Community for Christian Meditation) and Cynthia Bourgeault, an Episcopal priest, hermit, writer, and teacher of the contemplative path.

Daily Advent Reflection: Dec. 1

2008-12-01T06:39:00.000-08:00

Monday, December 1st
World AIDS Day, 20th Anniversary
Tucson event: Massive community gathering of music, stories, and art at Club Congress tonight, 4pm-8pm

Keeping in this week's theme of staying awake...

"History will judge us on how we respond to the AIDS emergency in Africa… whether we stood around with watering cans and watched while a whole continent burst into flame… or not."
—Bono

I'm not sure buying a red shirt/ipod/bag/cup of coffee is enough.

The theme for World AIDS day this year is leadership. To find out how you can make a conscious choice to fight AIDS go to:

http://www.worldaidscampaign.org/

Happy New Year!

2008-11-30T09:39:00.001-08:00

Today, Sunday, November 30, is the first day of the church new year. The first part of the church calender begins with the season of Advent, which begins today and goes until Christmas. (See previous post for more about all this.)

We've written an original weekly Advent meditation.

Get your own - Open publication

We'll also update the blog daily through out Advent with daily reflections that include art, music, and videos.

Here is the first reflection based on the scripture being read in many churches today.

Sunday, November 30th
First Sunday of Advent Conscious Living

"Jesus said, ‘But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. Therefore, keep awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.’ "
—Mark 13: 32-37
(Read the whole chapter of Mark 13 to get a larger sense of the story)

Part of the Christian story is the idea that Jesus will come again to judge the living and the dead. Some people take this idea very literally, and there is tremendous Christian mythology about how exactly the world will end (think The Left Behind series). According to the Bible, Jesus made predictions about the destruction of the Jewish temple and about a time when there would be (among other things) plagues and famines, false messiahs, and persecution of those who followed him. Of course, all of these things and more have already happened in the two thousand years since Jesus was alive. Jesus’ suggestion that people must be ever ready was not merely a helpful hint in the face of these pending disasters, but also important advice for life.

Whether or not all the details of the various ideas about the end of the world ever come to fruition, the truth of every human story is that there will be unexpected events, tragedy, and death. Many religious traditions share Jesus’ admonitions towards constant vigilance. Ideas that our lives are precious and finite, or that we must live in the moment, that all things whether good or bad are only momentary are common across not only religions but philosophy as well.

Conscious living is one of the hardest things we are called to, but it is such an important part of life. Try this week to keep awake. This is not advocating insomnia, but rather the conscious presence in every day waking life. Feel every breath in your lungs; taste every morsel that comes into your mouth; look into the eyes of friends and strangers. Be awake.

The idea that we are slaves keeping track of a household that the master might come back to at any moment is terrifying in many ways. However there is also some truth in this imagery. Jesus told this story not to scare people, but to raise their level of consciousness. Sometimes we are so overwhelmed by the complexities and implications of life that we become numb to our everyday existence. The call to keep awake then, is not meant to scare people, but rather to awaken them to the mysteries that surround us. What comes to us when we live consciously is both terrifying and beautiful. It is amazing what your life becomes when you live with your eyes open.

Prayer
God we do not want to squander our lives. Help us to wake up. And to be ready to welcome you with open arms where ever you show up this week.

Activities to try on for the week to make a space for more conscious living

* Practice breathing. One way to do this is to pick something that comes up frequently in every day life and to notice your breath when you interact with that thing. For example, you might focus on water or sunlight or laughter. Every time you experience that thing, pay attention to your breath. You can also check out the website for some links to breathing exercises.

* Journal. Writing about your day can help make you more aware of what happened to you and how you experienced it. You can journal in a notebook or on your computer or on napkins. You can share your journal with someone or everyone or no one. Just write your own life and see what happens.

* Enjoy Silence. Turn off the TV, radio, or computer. Go for walks, read, meditate.

* Connect to someone you love. As you prepare for Christmas, think about how you might reach out to someone you care about. It could be someone you see everyday or someone you have not talked to in a long time. How could you give them a gift that would show how much you care about them? Could you write them a letter? Make them a coupon book of activities you might enjoy together? Think of a way to deepen your relationship.

* Practice compassion. All over the world there are people whose waking lives are torn with hunger, violence, and suffering. Many of these people do not have the luxury of quiet walks or journal time. What can you do this week to reach out to someone whose waking life is more like a nightmare? Be mindful every day of these people who are often overlooked.

The New Year (Intro to Advent Reflections)

2008-11-29T17:54:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow marks the beginning of the season of Advent, and the start of a new year for the church-- which basically means reading from a different gospel. As part of our Christmas Conspiracy, we're making some weekly Advent reflections, which will be available in print tomorrow. We'll also be posting reflections here daily throughout the season.
We hope to see you tomorrow at the gift making party (fabulous winter squash and apple soup to follow) and wish you a blessed new liturgical year!

Here's the introduction to our meditations for Advent:

What is the season of Advent?

Within the Christian tradition, the season of Advent is typically a season of waiting and preparation. In the most traditional sense, Advent is the season of waiting for Christmas, telling the stories of those who prepared the way for the birth of Jesus, and examining how we prepare our own lives for Christ. Christian scripture contains both Jesus' own words about conscious living, as well as stories of prophets who prepared a new way. Scripture in Advent also explores the story of Mary, specifically as she learns that she is pregnant and waits to give birth. In exploring these stories and images of hope in the midst of a darkening season, we ask a larger question: what are we waiting for?

What's this reflection thing about?

Each Sunday of Advent we will list a reading, reflection, prayers, and activities focused on a specific theme related to the season. The scripture from which the theme comes will be posted along with a short prayer that is designed to be used with people of all ages. There are also some ideas for simple activities you might do throughout the week to explore the theme further. Here on the bog, we will post daily reflections with music, video and art that relate to that theme throughout the week.

Creating Advent/ Christmas space

How you celebrate the season of Advent is totally up to you. You can use these reflections to create a space in your own life to explore the questions and themes of Advent. This space might be literal—creating an altar or placing an Advent wreath at the center of your dinning room table, or it might simply mean taking time each day, or at the beginning of the week, to reflect on the theme of that week.

As you pray and reflect during the season of Advent, you join your intention with millions of others around the earth who seek to walk the way of hope and peace and life that Jesus taught.

However you prepare for Christmas this season it is our prayer that your journey leads to transformation, for you, those you love, and for your community.

Next Up Christmas Gift-Making Parties

2008-11-24T08:19:00.000-08:00

We had a great time being disturbed by consumerism and then eating pumpkin soup last night. We watched What Would Jesus Buy? as the kick off to the Christmas Conspiracy projects.

Next Sunday, November 30 is the first gift-making party. Think of it like a giant Stitch N' Bitch. You can bring your own project to work on. Or you could come pour over books and magazine that we'll bring with ideas on things you can make. Also, it's sort of like a craft-supply potluck. If you have things like wrapping paper, brown paper bags, buttons, old Christmas cards, containers, glitter, yarn, that you'd like to share/or get rid of, bring them. We'll put all the stuff for sharing on a table in the middle. The church where we are having the parties has a lot of tables and chairs in the parish hall and an outdoor courtyard. And there's a kitchen if you need it.

We'll have a couple of demonstration projects set up. This week, we'll show you how to make an advent wreath, for instance. If you are an artist or crafter or just know of a nifty project that you'd like to share with others, we'd love to give you a space to set up to teach a mini-workshop on the spot. We just want to create a space where people can share creative ideas, and feel safe enough to take some creative risks if it's new to them, and have a great time.

Gift Making Party
4 pm
St. Andrew's Parish Hall
545 S. 5th AVE, (enter on 16th St.)
Free. All Ages.
Local, seasonal vegetarian meal
5:30 pm.
$5 suggested donation for adults, $1 for kids, but whatever you can give is great.
Extra funds collected through out the season will go to the Community Food Bank.

Th Bible as a Graphic Novel

2008-11-22T15:05:00.000-08:00

A new book from Church Publishing offers a new way to chew on Paul.
It's a graphic novel (that just means comic book style) by Steve Ross about the Apostle Paul. Picks up where his previous novel, Marked, left off.

Also, check out this Manga Bible and this story about it in the New York Times.

Catch Kate Preach This Sunday

2008-11-19T12:47:00.000-08:00

Kate's preaching in Tucson at Christ the King Episcopal Church at 10:30 am, November 23.

She said she plans to weave in stories from teaching 5th grade this year at Imago Dei Middle School.

What Would Jesus Buy? This Weekend

2008-11-18T14:52:00.000-08:00

We're showing What Would Jesus Buy? this Sunday.

It's the kickoff event to 5 weeks of Christmas Conspiracy events. It and all other happenings begin at 4 pm at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church parish hall. That's in Armory Park, just south of downtown, 545 S. 5th AVE.
After the movie is over we'll serve a vegetarian meal if you'd like to hang out. For those who can swing it, a suggested donation of $5 is requested to help cover the cost of the local, seasonal goodness.

This documentary came out last year and it is both a hilarious and disturbing hard stare into consumerism. It's also rated PG, so we'll have a kid friendly video and activity ready.

If you can't make it Sunday, there will also be a free showing on Saturday, Nov. 22, at 7 pm at Mountain View Nazarene Church, 410 S. Pantano Rd, in East Tucson. See www.actucson.wordpress.com to see what else is happening at Tucson area churches to support the Conspiracy.

Here's a trailer for What Would Jesus Buy?

Map to St. Andrew's ...

View Larger Map

Tucson Christmas Conspiracy

2008-11-06T15:36:00.000-08:00

Stores are already stocking the shelves with Christmas kitsch. So, it's time to get subversive. Introducing the next Join the Living project: The Tucson Christmas Conspiracy. We're offering opportunities and tangible ways to embrace the spirit and revolutionary love of Christmas without all the stress and credit card debt. And we aren't the only ones. A whole slew of creative churches and communities around Tucson are participating in a national movement called the Advent Conspiracy.

The Tucson Christmas Conspiracy is our way of bringing the idea to life locally. Join the Living's offerings kick off the Sunday before Thanksgiving, and continue every Sunday at 4 pm until December 21.

The scoop on The Tucson Christmas Conspiracy:

• November 23: First off is a showing of the documentary, "What Would Jesus Buy?"
• November 30 & December 7: For the next two Sunday's at 4 pm we'll buck consumerism and the mall. Instead we'll gather for a group craft/art/creative extravaganza. Like a giant Stitch & Bitch, with the purpose of making gifts for our friends and loved ones instead of buying them.
• December 14: Barter Bazaar and Baking. Bring things you've made or have laying around the house for trading with others. One person's trash is another person's Christmas gift! At the same time make and decorate cookies and baked goodies.
• December 21: Longest Night Christmas Service. Join however makes sense for you. From 4 to 5:15 is meditation. 5:30 is a shared meal. And at 6:30 we'll offer prayers and sing while recognizing both the pain of the world and the light of Christ being birthed in us. This is the actual longest night of the whole year.

All events will begin at 4 pm in the parish hall of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, 545 S. 5th Ave., just south of downtown Tucson. Each gathering will include a vegetarian meal at 5:30. We'll use local seasonal food. A $5 donation is suggested if you can swing it to cover the cost. Any extra funds will be donated to the Community Food Bank.

Everyone is invited. So come, spread the word and bring some friends!

Retreating again

2008-09-29T20:48:00.001-07:00

This coming weekend, we are attempting again to go away and do some community planning. Vision and location are the themes. For the last few weeks we've been gathering on Friday nights to transition into a day of rest through food and singing.

In other news, Bread & Oranges is still accepting submissions. Join the Living's magazine will now launch after the first of the year. Theme is Borderlands. Check out the mag page on www.jointheliving.com for more. If you'd like to receive a printed copy on 100 percent recycled paper, the cost will be $9 per issue or $27 for a one-year subscription. If you are in it you get a free copy. So submit. Or write me with your questions, breadandorangesATgmailDOTcom

Peace out.

—Carol

Kate's back in the pulpit

2008-08-30T10:40:00.000-07:00

For tomorrow at least.

Kate is preaching at Southside Presbyterian Church at 9:30 a.m.

The scripture is the call of Moses.

The perfect imperfect way

2008-08-17T12:38:00.000-07:00

Well, we didn't go up the mountain. Not everyone ended up being able to get away. So we had supper, checked in, walked around the neighborhood, talked about our vision for community, and sang and prayed.

We remembered that any community, church, and attempt at living the Christian way, always comes up short. We toasted to imperfection and to loving each other anyway.

In the midst of our singing and sharing about lousy summers, something beyond us seemed to settle in. It was a gentle presence. A palpable spirit of quiet hope. And I was transformed by being there with this presence. It only comes when I am with others.

It doesn’t seem to matter if we are all in despair, threadbare, and wandering around the landscape of our lives dumbfounded. It seems to calm us.

I experience this presence as it returns me to the truest grounding. Expands me beyond myself. This is God to me. And this is Christian community. The “Where ever two or more of you are gathered in my name, there I will be with you,” sort of community.

I can’t really explain it. But it’s why I believe in something more than we can see. And it’s why I keep on this path.

Retreating for Depth

2008-08-12T08:19:00.000-07:00

We are giddy with expectant hope.

This weekend we will drive up our favorite mountain with some new friends. Our purpose is to get away to listen. We want to talk and pray and sing our way into the nitty gritty of forming an intentional community.

We know a few things. We like singing together. It's like prayer. Or chocolate, maybe. Among us are two singer-songwriters, one of us who can make up a song about her dogs at the drop of a hat, and a real-live dancing and clapping baby. The others of us like to join right in with great gusto. So, we want to keep singing together. We know that.

We all love food. Growing it. Cooking it. Navigating local farmers markets. Supporting local farmers and native seeds. Water harvesting. Sharing meals. Offering hospitality and parties centered around food. So, food. We like it. We want to have some. And share it. We know that too.

We all seek the flow that brings abundance. We want our shared life—gathering for prayer, silence, meals, conversation, weed pulling, and playing—to not be an end to itself, but a way of integrated life, that generates life. We want to live in a way that frees us. Frees our time and resources to be given away more generously. Frees our schedules to be more attentive to our individual calls in the world. So, we want to life life with joy, freedom, and a sense of abundance that allows us to live with generosity for others. Abundant life. Yeah, we'd like some of that too.

We've been pondering over the 12 marks of new monasticism. Kate and I have been talking a lot lately about Third Way thinking and Walter Wink's theology.

We look forward to what the spirit continues to stir up within and among us this weekend. It is beyond us and yet we get to participate in bringing it to life. I like working with the pieces of the dream of God that we get to be part of. I hope you'll keep us in your prayers.

Bread & Oranges magazine

2008-06-25T13:56:00.000-07:00

You can view the pilot issue online now. It's a morsel to let you see just some of the sorts of things you'll find inside Bread & Oranges.

A one year subscription includes two print issues and an art surprise mailed right to your door.

Print! Snail mail! Art and Creativity you can hold! It's retro! And can be yours. $27 per year. Sign up online via pay pall. Or send checks made out to Join the Living to:

Bread & Oranges magazine
c/0 Join the Living
P.O. Box 42766
Tucson, AZ 85733

3 life-giving morsels for you

2008-06-19T12:52:00.001-07:00

Well, just to keep things interesting, here are three things that I ran across recently that are bringing more life to the world. May they inspire you.

As for Join the Living updates, the first issue of Bread and Oranges is coming together. There is still time to submit and now is always a good time to get a subscription. Also, locally, we are meeting regularly with some folks to discuss and discern forming an intentional community together.

Now, on to those life-giving morsels as promised...

First, a documentary that we saw recently: Young at Heart. It is about a chorus of seniors in their 70s—90s who sing rock songs. Makes you think about life and death, what it means to our souls to keep on singing, and how humans can bless one another just by doing something that makes us come alive. It's wonderful. Here's a "Staying Alive/ I will Survive Montage."

Second, Girl Effect, is a group that is hooking girl power up to the social change machine and pressing, "Go!"

And third, here's another creative, social change machine. The pedal-powered Bloom device from the lovely minds at Society Creative llc.

"The Bloom device is meant to be a subversive and inspirational tool for our concrete jungles. Similar to the tuft of a dandelion as the wind carries the seedling, we propose a way of dispersing seedlings with bubbles and bicycling. Seeds are co-mingled with a bubble mixture and upon pedaling to your destination , you release the floating seeds which land in cracks and crevices throughout the city streets. Over time, the seeds grow into flowers and plants to create a green "fringe" to our sidewalks and streets."

June 7 Learning Party

2008-06-02T20:07:00.001-07:00

Saturday is another chance to hear about our research and insights into the ways church is transforming today. Some call it the emerging church. Though it's bigger than that. Some call it alternative worship. That's a part, but just the beginning. We'll help you understand and cut through the buzz words.

We traveled 5,000 miles and conducted dozens of interviews in the fall. We talked to church leaders, folks who fled for the hills out of churches, and still others who were limping around in the hills trying to find others to build something new. We talked to vegans and artists. Professors and spiritual entrepreneurs.

We noticed some trends. We learned a lot. And now we are back in Tucson living into some spiritual experiments.

Saturday, June 7, is a chance to encounter some of the communities we studied via photos and stories. We've got video and interactive stations to give you a glimpse of the creative spirit that is a foot.

Come join us Saturday.
4 to 6 pm,
St. Andrew's Episcopal Church:
545 S. 5th Ave., Tucson

See you there!

Becoming

2008-05-16T08:39:00.001-07:00

Recently we re-met some folks who've also been dreaming about community.

At the beginning of the month we went to a supper to hear about a potential new, national ecumenical order for peace that is stirring.

About 25 people came. Mostly youngish. We all shared our dreams and longings for re-imagining Christian community in life giving ways.

From that gathering we re-connected with some people we had sort of met before. But come to find out they've been thinking/dreaming/planning some of the same things we have. So naturally we invited them over for supper the following week. We've met twice now and will again next week. The fun has begun.

We all long for a community to pray with daily, and to share the daily tasks of cooking, gardening, child raising, so that we are freed to do the things we are called to in the world. We want to live in a neighborhood and be good neighbors. And to work toward making our community a more just and peaceful place together.

It is good to feel in the flow of a longing and vision much bigger and deeper than us alone. I think that's called the Holy Spirit doing her thing. Happy Pentecost.

Thanks

2008-04-23T09:10:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all the U of A students, Join the Living supporters, and friends who participated in the Learning Party on Saturday. It was a wonderful conversation.

We forgot to take any pictures. The moment is often more compelling than documenting it to me. But the exhibits included a wheelbarrow full of what we are currently planting and growing, corrugated sheet metal full of photos, micro-brew beer boxes for the "taking church out of the box" interactive station and a giant map documenting our travel route.

For taking church out of the box we placed photos and quotes and items inside the micro-brew beer boxes. Each box "held" a church we studied on the tour: The Refuge, Church of the Beloved, Church of the Apostles, SEVEN Community, and Thad's. The micro-brew boxes was a nod to Dave in Flagstaff who describes his church start as more of a micro-brew endeavor than a factory, industrial sort of project.

COMING UP FOR JOIN THE LIVING...

Hiking Church will meet at Sabino Canyon from here on out. Our last Sunday will be May 4. Meet us at 9 am at the welcome map in front of the main center. Let us know if you'd like to carpool.

Soul Lullaby: The final Soul Lullaby of the Easter Season will be Friday, May 2, at sunset which is at 7:06 pm that day. We'll fill the courtyard of St. Andrew's with candles and luminaries. This coming Soul Lullaby will focus on women mystics and the sacred feminine, because several of them are remembered around this time of the year on the church calendar. There will be music, some readings, silence, and time to ease into the weekend. And each Soul Lullaby actually ends with a sung lullaby blessing.

Tour Party & Hiking this weekend

2008-04-15T09:19:00.000-07:00

Coming up this weekend for friends of Join the Living in Tucson are:

• Saturday afternoon come-and-go learning party, April 19, 4 to 6 pm, St. Andrew's Episcopal Church parish hall, 545 S. 5th Ave. Come learn what we discovered on our fall research tour. Interactive learning stations, snacks, conversation. Kate and Carol will give a brief presentation around 5 p.m. that will expand your mind and make you look at the world, your community and your spiritual life differently.

• Hiking church returns to Sabino Canyon this Sunday, April 20. Meet at the Welcome Center map at 9, or let us know if you'd like to carpool from the university area.

Spending Sunday mornings in the desert has been soothing to the soul. We take only easy hikes, for about 30 minutes to an hour. There's something about not trying to domesticate the Sacred inside and instead encountering the Divine in the wilds that is grounding and provocative.

After we shared communion on the first hike we saw a bright red cardinal in the tree beside us. It reminded us of the cardinal we saw when we were about to begin this journey several months ago. (See one of our very first blog posts for more on that). The next Sunday we talked about the gospel reading as we walked. The gospel for the day was the walk to Emmaus, where two of the disciples figure out they are walking along with Jesus, they just didn't recognize him. And last Sunday we had a great discussion about the divinity of Jesus as we sat on a rock and watched lizards scamper by.

We hope you'll join us and feel free to bring some friends.

Finger Rock Hike this Sunday

2008-04-08T20:46:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, April 13, we're taking hiking church to Finger Rock.

We plan to hike about a mile on the easy part, read the gospel for the day and talk about it, share some communion and hike back. The trail is free.

If you'd like to carpool from Epic coffee house on 4th Ave, let us know. We'll leave there at 8:25 am.

To get to the Finger Rock trailhead:

From Skyline Drive go north on Alvernon Way until it dead ends into the parking lot and trailhead. Alvernon Way is between Campbell and Swan. Click here for a map.

Sunday Hike

2008-04-04T10:35:00.000-07:00

Sunday, April 6, 9 am.

We'll hike the Pima canyon trailhead.

Either meet us there at 9 am or call to carpool.

Directions: head north on 1st ave until it comes to a T; turn right; trailhead at end of road.

Soul Lullaby

2008-03-29T14:40:00.001-07:00

Next up is Soul Lullaby and hiking church.

On Friday, April 4, we launch Soul Lullaby. This Friday is also the 40th anniversary of the murder of Martin Luther King, Jr. We'll remember MLK and the ongoing work of justice and racial equality through personal stories, conversation, and readings.

The candle-lit service will happen in the courtyard of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church at sundown. It's located at 545 S. 5th Ave. You are invited to gather at 6:30. We'll begin with silence. After it's over there will be some light food and drinks available. Entrance is on 16th street. Look for the Luminaries.

The Soul Lullaby series will continue at least to next month's, first Friday, at sundown. On May 2, we'll honor the sacred feminine. Sundown on May 2 is 7:06, silent meditation will begin 30 minutes before. Also to be in the St. Andrew's Courtyard.

Starting this Sunday morning we are going to hike in Sabino Canyon and do church.

If you'd like to join us, meet at the Sabino Canyon welcome center map at 9 am. Kate will probably have her giant straw hat. So that will be hard to miss. We'll hike for about 30 minutes, find a shady, quiet spot and talk about the gospel reading for the day, share some communion, and hike back. We'll go to brunch afterward. We'd love for you to join us. We'll do this every Sunday morning through May 4.

If you'd like to carpool to the site, email us: jointhelivingATgmailDOTcom. If you don't have a pass, the cost to get into the parking lot is $5.

And finally, a big thanks goes out to all the folks who made the Uprising happen and who came and participated. To me it was a quietly powerful experience to watch the moon arc over us all night, to talk about death around the fire, to hold bones, to walk the labyrinth by luminary light, spontaneously sing songs at first light and to remember to not be afraid. Life is stronger than death.

We look forward to inviting even more artists and musicians into the mix for next year. Thanks to Aldea, Cary from Icon, Church of the Apostles in Oro Valley, and music master, Fred Bevins for helping plan, set up and host. Thanks to St. Phillips who gave us a gift of $200 which we used to buy supplies and food for Uprising. It was truly a collaborative event, and we are already imagining ways to creatively expand things for next year: Easter 2009~April 12.

Uprising

2008-03-22T07:32:00.001-07:00

Well, tonight is Uprising.

The Uprising is our first collaborative liturgy party. We've joined forces with Tucson's Aldea Spiritual Community, an artist from the Icon Collective in Belfast, and Church of the Apostles in Oro Valley.

Uprising starts with the ancient liturgy of the Easter Vigil and dances on from there.

At 10 pm we'll kindle the fire and continue all night until Eucharist at sunrise and then breakfast. Fred Bevins is mixing the music. There's a tent set up for artmaking. Plenty of food and drink. Chances for spontaneous communal music making. Because it's pretty isolated in the desert, we can play drums and strum all night under the fullish moon. Low temp tonight is expected to be around a lovely 50.

Setting up luminaries last night at the site, I watched the full moon rise from the mountains. As she rose and lit up the Catalinas with a soft glow she spread her blessing onto us and the ground we will walk tonight.

Uprising:
Where: In the desert scrub around Church of the Apostles: 12111 North LaCholla, (just north of the light at Tangerine, the entrance is on the left)
When: 9:30 pm until breakfast
Why: To celebrate the force of life that cannot be stopped
What to bring: If you'd like, food and drink to share, sleeping bag, musical instruments, kids, dogs, friends, and whatever the force of life that cannot be stopped compels you to.

Yes Ma'am I See Your Hand

2007-11-29T06:17:00.000-08:00

On Sunday we decided to conclude our tour of churches by visiting one of the five largest churches in the country. Admittedly, lifechurch.tv differs from most mega churches in that it functions more like a denomination with satellites all over the country (although mostly in Oklahoma). So there were only about 800 of the nearly 20,000 members of this church at the one of seven "experiences" (which is what they call worship services) at this particular location.

For me, the experience was fascinating-- something like a cross between a rock concert, a movie, and a trip to the mall. Men in orange vests with glowing wands showed us to a parking space (which was really unnecessary-- the parking lot was half empty). Then we followed the sounds of Van Morrison into the building. Carol got coffee in the foyer so we were a little late getting in, but no worry-- a nice lady with a flashlight was able to show us to a seat where a cup holder was available on the arm of the plush theater-style chair.

There was no order of service, just a brochure detailing upcoming events and a place to fill in the blanks during the teaching, along with some take home notes. The lack of a printed order of service was probably due to the fact that there really was no order of service, just: music, teaching, pray for people to accept Christ.

The music was what you might expect: praise, rock band sort of stuff. The "teaching" was actually pre-recorded and resembled a music video, meaning that the pastor moved from park to city street to comfortable hotel room as he espoused the various benefits of the the Bible. You can watch it and other videos here, or by clicking "watch messages" from the main site

I did my best to participate in the service and take it seriously. Truthfully, I find rock music in church sort of fun. But when the music video sermon began with the man saying that we know that across the many voices and books of the Bible there is "absolute, 100 percent congruity" and I laughed out loud (assuming it was a joke only to realize that it wasn't), I knew there might be some problems. Still, I tried to follow along-- filling in the blanks on my worksheet and paying attention to the arch of the message.

It struck me sort of as an advertisement for Jesus. The initial part of the talk seemed to focus on how we were desperate, broken, etc-- without saying that explicitly. Then, came the convenient solution: the Bible in 5 easy steps. My hypothesis was best confirmed however, by the conclusion of the service.

At the end of the video, the pastor asked us to pray. Basically the prayer was for those of us who had accepted Christ to renew our commitment, and those of us who had not accepted Christ to do so. It seemed a very long prayer to me, and it talked a lot about how wonderful it is to accept Christ, how is the best thing you can do, how it will transform your life, etc. The praying pastor on TV moved seamlessly into a praying pastor in real life, who talked more about how great it is to accept Christ. Then, while our heads were bowed he asked people to raise their hand if they wanted to accept Christ. Much to my surprise and chagrin, he then simply acknowledged them by saying something like: "yes ma'am, I see your hand".

That in case you were wondering, is what life transformation looks like.

Now I have no idea what went on for the three or so people that did raise their hands, but I felt that the community and its leadership did very little to acknowledge whatever that was. They spent all this time talking about how great it was to accept Christ, and here was a chance to show us, here was an actual person actually doing it, and there was nothing but a simple acknowledgment from the stage, followed by a diatribe about how ashamed he was of this community for not having more people saved. The people who had decided to change their lives, who had taken this big step were worth little, because they didn't meet the quota.

I really am a different kind of Christian. I had heard tell of this other faith, this other world-- seen glimpses of it even, but truly, I had no idea.

Worship Space

2007-11-14T19:15:00.001-08:00

Some worship spaces we encountered in the last couple of weeks on the journey...

The Rev. Joanne Sanders, Associate Dean for Religious Life at Stanford showed us the interfaith worship space. It has nooks for meditation, open space for each group to configure, and artistic banners representing several traditions. There are even special washrooms around the corner designed just for foot washing, a Muslim tradition before prayer.

At Glide Memorial in downtown San Francisco, about 500 people packed into the sanctuary for the early 9 a.m. service. They anticipate crowds every Sunday and add extra seats to aisles. The band is to the right in the picture. The full choir filled the stage for the service. They recorded part of a Christmas album live the day we visited. Rocking. Hopefully they'll sell it online.

This is part of the unique building of St. Gregory's Episcopal Church in San Francisco. They built it to fit their liturgical traditions. There is an saying in churchy circles, "The building always wins." This means no matter what your theology or congregation, if there is a giant pulpit, or an altar rail, or pews all facing forward, or pictures of just white men in all the stained glass windows, it says something. And even when your theology is trying to focus on something more egalitarian and multi-cultural, it's going to be really hard, because "The building always wins." So anyway, St. Gregory's built their own building.

Eucharist happens in the round hall. On the walls above is a 360 mural of saints through the centuries. They are dancing. Some you'd expect, St. Francis dancing with a wolf, and others are more surprising finds in a Christian place of worship, like Gandhi and Malcolm X.

During worship the congregation sits facing one another. The liturgical leaders sit near the painting as seen above. The preacher sits on something like a flat throne.

Some of the many crosses of St. Gregory's.

The baptism font was outside on a side porch. The Sunday we attended two kids were baptised and the whole church danced outside to gather around. It took about five conga lines, but we all got out there.

Thad's in Los Angeles is also an Episcopal inspired church. They meet in the Jazz Bakery, a non-profit Jazz club, though the music of Thad's is more rock-a-billy, blue grass than jazzy. They will have a cd out soon of some of their original music. The band creates a song to go along with the scripture reading. They finished 61 weeks of preaching through 1 Corinthians the day we visited. Yes, folks sixty one weeks. Check their website www.thads.org for this great find and really good, original, spiritual themed music.

The coast of the western United States is a worship space like no other.

Sometimes evening prayer needs no words.

San Fran feast

2007-11-06T16:22:00.000-08:00

Whew.

Last Sunday we went to three churches/ faith communities in San Francisco:

Glide Memorial
St. Gregory's of Nyssa
SEVEN

Later this morning we head to Thad's in Los Angeles.

Here's a tid bit on Glide. We'll write about the others soon.

GLIDE

Glide meets in downtown San Francisco. The church awnings along the sidewalk could be for anything. It's a big downtown looking building. The walk to the church filled our nostrils with urine. I actually saw a woman passed out cold, legs laying in the gutter, head on the sidewalk. This is the neighborhood they serve. But not exclusively. Glide is for everybody. We heard the actress Sharon Stone goes regularly and likes to sit near the front.

On our way in we could have either gone to a free breakfast or to the service. Inside the place was packed. There are two services on Sunday mornings. Both full blow out worship events.

Here's a bit from the Glide history books as presented on their website. Perhaps it explains a bit of how they got to be the truly diverse, welcoming, and social change agents that they are to this day...

"In 1963, winds of change were blowing mightily through San
Francisco. Nowhere were these forces of transformation more
visible than at Glide Memorial Church. That year, a young
African-American minister named Cecil Williams came to Glide
determined to bring life back into the dying congregation. Cecil
changed both the policies and practices of the conservative
church, helping to create the Council on Religion and
Homosexuality in 1964. In 1967, Cecil ordered the cross removed
from the sanctuary, exhorting the congregation instead to
celebrate life and living.
"We must all be the cross," he explained. As the conservative
members of the original congregation left, they were replaced
by San Francisco's diverse communities of hippies, addicts,
gays, the poor, and the marginalized. By 1968, the energetic,
jazz-filled Celebrations were packed with people from all classes,
hues, and lifestyles. That year, San Francisco State University
erupted in protests over demands for ethnic studies and
affirmative action. Cecil and the Glide community helped lead the
demonstrations; the church became a home for political, as well
as spiritual, change. Glide offered a safe space to groups ranging
from the Hookers Convention to the American Indian Movement
and the Black Panthers. In the midst of their political work, Glide
never forgot the basic needs of the community. The meals
program was launched in the 1960s, serving one free dinner
a week to all comers. As a decade of clamoring change came to a
close, Glide further added to the joyful noise: The world-renowned
Glide Ensemble choir held its first rehearsals in 1969. And Janice
Mirikitani, a noted poet and dancer, had also just been appointed
Coordinator for Glide's programs. The church would never be
the same again."

Even though this church has become a bit of a tourist attraction in the city, I experienced a glimpse of the real church—the kindom of God—at Glide on Sunday morning. The congregation and leadership was diverse in every way. Downstairs hundreds of people were getting a free breakfast. I knew that someone had already checked on the lady in the gutter and would again when she came to. The announcements that flashed up on the screen before the service were for things like the gay and bi men's group. Ushers welcomed us, but not in a cheesy or fake sort of way.

As things were about to get going, the jazz and blues band started riffing. Then the congregation started clapping. At first quietly, then it grew. Something powerful and palpable started rising up out of the very midst of us. Then the gospel choir started walking onto the front "stage." They started swaying and clapping and the momentum picked up even more.

Now I know that my friends who are professional church musicians might say I just got caught in an musically manipulated moment. But it was more than that. The joy came from feeling like I could trust this church because of their bold and messy, generous giving during the week.

San Francisco

2007-11-03T21:58:00.001-07:00

On our way down the coast to San Francisco we lingered in the Redwoods. The giant, mysterious, delicious smelling, awe inspiring, ancient Redwoods along the coast in northern California.

We prayed morning prayer among them on Wednesday morning.

It is ridiculous to take pictures. How can you capture awe. It slips right out. But we tried anyway.

Beauty and Biodiesel

2007-10-30T21:58:00.000-07:00

Today we made our way from Southern Oregon into Northern California.

We caught our first glimpse of the ocean during this pilgrimage. Breathtaking.

Rocky had a moment of Zen at the Pacific Ocean.

And we filled up at a biodiesel station not far outside Eugene, Oregon.

The SeQuential Station that we stopped at is the only one that the company currently operates. The guys working inside said they understood it to be the only one of its kind in the Unites States. It reminded us of The Station in Oracle, Arizona, just a bit more urban and corporate. SeQuential Station sells biodiesel and ethanol in various grades.

They also have solar panels on the roof over their pumps that supply 30 to 50 percent of the station's electricity.

The roof of the store has living plants on it that help to keep the building cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

The store sells local products including Kettle potato chips. Kettle provides a lot of the waste veggie oil that the company turns into biodiesel.

The Spirit of music

2007-10-17T16:11:00.000-07:00

Turns out I passed my horrible cold onto Carol. But before we holed ourselves up for healing this week, we went to two Sunday services this past Sunday.

The first was a community called the Bridge. Everyone and their brother told us to check them out. Somehow I got the picture that it would be something like Stomp. Which was not far from the truth. Stomp with Jesus, obviously. Music was pretty central to the service. It was very rhythmic: Drums were key. They lyrics were relatively short and repetitive. There was something almost trance-like about it.

In the evening, we went to the Taize service at the cathedral. Taize is also rhythmic, repetitive and trance-like. Just without drums and sometimes the songs are in other languages. It was created by monks in France, if that gives you any ideas.

I was struck by how different and yet how similar the two services were. Both were led by groups of talented musicians who took their ministry through music seriously. Both used music as a medium to connect people to what I would call the Spirit. The crowds were about the same sizes, and in both crowds people participated with the music by singing or moving as they felt comfortable.

However, if we're giving out Spirit awards (and I don't mean the kind you get at cheerleader camp) my vote goes to the Bridge. Because the main difference between the two services was that the Bridge allowed and invited people to respond to the music and the teaching and whatever else happened in whatever way felt right for them. So people sort of skatted along (you know, like in jazz), calling out lyrics or melodies or coming forward to the mic to speak out what the Spirit was saying to them.

Now, admittedly, Episcopalians do not usually engage in this sort of behavior. We like our Spirit to wear a tie to church and stand up only when it is designated in the bulletin. Still, one of the things I like best about Taize is that its this collective singing project. You don't know when the chants will end. You just sing together until its time to stop. And people sing in rounds or take different parts. Its one of the few places in Episcopal type liturgy when the boundaries are a little bit looser.

But at the cathedral service there seemed to be clear boundaries even at Taize. The choir, who were clearly the ones who knew how to lead us and who we were all supposed to watch, stood in front of us and in turn followed their own leader. It was odd, because at the Bridge, I was struck by how intensely moved the musicians were by what they were doing. And so even though it was not what I am accustomed to, nor probably how I would express a Spirit filled connection, I knew the Spirit was in that place. The same could be said for the Taize choir. They seemed to be connecting to the Spirit through song, but because I felt I was supposed to follow- that there was a particular role for me to follow, I didn't feel the Spirit in the same way.

The Spirit cannot be controlled, nor does it do well coming from the top down. She's a wild and crazy one, and I understand how the terror of that can make people want to put up strict boundaries. But those boundaries quickly become fences that keep people out. And everyone should get a chance to dance with the Holy Spirit

Conversion

2007-10-08T15:18:00.000-07:00

Often used as an example of what could get young people to come to church, the compline service at St. Mark’s Cathedral has gained notoriety for the hundreds of young people who show up each Sunday at 9:30pm to listen to a small group of men sing the night service. As we walked to the cathedral late last night, a car pulled in front of it and out jumped six college age men who raced up the steps to the service that had already started. When we walked in the giant doors, we were met with a room full of people. We joined the group of younger people who were lying or sitting on the floor in the back.

Not too surprisingly, I had been skeptical. The idea that you could just sing night prayer and draw young adults to church seemed ridiculous to me.

But it was beautiful. The cathedral is an old giant building with white brick walls marked with water stains and patched cement floors. And the music was peaceful and gentle. People sat silently with their eyes closed except to stand in unison for the singing of the Nicene Creed. When the service was over the choir filed out and people milled about, listing to a presentation of the altarpiece from South Africa and lighting candles at the peace station or listening to the organ music.

When we were in Santa Fe, learning about kundalini yoga, my friend told me that the group of sheiks who brought the practice to the United States did so with no intention of converting people to be sheiks. They just thought it was a beautiful, life-giving practice that they wanted to share with people.

When we were in Salt Lake City, we visited the Mormon Temple. I found the experience incredibly disappointing because I really wanted to learn about the Mormon faith, even though there’s almost no chance I would ever convert. Instead, we were met with pairs of missionaries at every turn who were constantly trying to tell us that Joseph Smith was the true prophet and seemingly evading the questions we asked, which I thought seemed rather straight- forward. Everything about the place seemed secretive. No one can go into the temple. The movie on Joseph Smith that we watched left out any part about him that might make him look less than desirable (his multiple wives, arrest as a gold seeker, etc) and skimmed over the parts where basically everyone from the Bible came to him and restored the true church. It took us three hours to find any depiction of what is actually in the Book of Mormon or what Mormons actually believe.

I left the Temple wondering why it is that we as Christians need to convert people. Why we can’t be like the sheiks and offer to others the practices of our faith that we find life-giving. Like singing compline in an ancient cathedral. Or walking the labyrinth. Or praying the rosary, or sitting in silence or reading stories in the Bible—or whatever. I understand that if you believe that people who don’t accept Jesus Christ as their personal savior are going to burn in hell for eternity, why such information might seem at the very least urgent if not the most important thing you had to give as a Christian. But you have to admit that its not very life-giving.

Compline at the cathedral works because it does not demand conversion. Instead it is a beautiful offering of an ancient practice that honors God, which the cathedral chooses to share with the community. I’m sure there are people who come to that service and eventually convert to Christianity or being Episcopalian or going to St. Marks, but it didn’t seem like that was the intended result. It seemed like the men who sing compline loved it, and wanted to give it as a pure gift to the larger community in the hopes that it might give them a glimpse of something eternal.

My generation can see a salesman a mile away. So when churches start new services or open coffee shops or put up cool websites in the hopes of attracting people to come to their church or accept Jesus as their personal savior or whatever, they’re mostly like to skip it. What makes compline attractive is its an offering of pure joy. The service itself is the expected end result.

We have good things to offer. The early Christians built the church by living as Christians and offering what was life-giving to them to those around them. Maybe its time for us to do the same.

Salt Lake City

2007-09-30T14:33:00.001-07:00

We went to the Episcopal Cathedral this morning. Then to the One World Cafe for lunch.

St. Mark's Cathedral had a very interesting welcome/explanation statement on the back of their bulletin. It is long, but worth sharing here...

"If you are passing by and feel intimidated or angry because of religion, please know that there is immunity granted when you enter St. Mark's Cathedral. Immunity from the ravages of religion and misuse of Divine revelation.

We live in a time of religious zealots, abortion clinic bombings, and TV evangelists attempting to take power in our land. How do you find persuasiveness rather than coercion and will-to-dominate in religion? An answer is St. Mark's Cathedral. Here operates an unconditional surrender to the freedom of God to speak to whomever in whatever language is understandable to you. Immunity from religious control is granted you upon entry. St. Mark's offers sanctuary to everyone and promises this glorious freedom of God as the climate to explore the healthiest living that religion affords.

If you are passing by and feel hesitant to join in the ranks of a particular denomination or buy into the creeds of millions, please know that most people who enter St. Mark's every week are practicing no regular religious discipline. The rule of St. Mark's is the stranger making himself or herself at home. All names are sacred here but none must place one's name on a membership list to be taken seriously.

Perhaps you quietly dropped by wanting to reconnect in your relationship with God, or to surrender a burden. Or to pray for a loved one. Or to meditate on a hard personal dilemma. Or find a moment of peace. A cathedral has a high ceiling and long aisles to allow the contained soul an opportunity to venture forth in multiple directions without the encumbrances of forced community. St. Mark's offers ages of spiritual space to which anonymous individuals may be on pilgrimage.

If you are passing by and feel that life is fragmenting into a vast number of irreconcilable, shattered pieces, then please know that St. Mark's holds an outrageous hope that, in God alone, all aspects of life are in unity. We believe that God is the Alpha, the beginning and that God is the Omega, the ending of all things.

So we are called to extravagant hospitality in the confidence that a gracious welcome is central to a cathedral's purpose. And yes, we are part of a specific religious tradition. We are so, not because one religious tradition exclusively contains all truth, but because when one goes on a long journey toward ultimate unity, one has to depart form one specific place. St. Mark's Cathedral, Episcopal Diocese of Utah, is our point of departure. And our companion and ultimate confidence in the journey is Jesus Christ. We believe Him to be the clear manifestation of God's love for the whole world and the expression that all of our lives are in ultimate unity even beyond the finality of death.

In the midst of what appears to be an ever-increasing fragmentation of life, St. Mark's offers a House of Prayer for all people, an abiding hope that there is a Oneness at the center of human life.

Enter, pray and may your time here be blessed."

Detour

2007-09-29T17:37:00.000-07:00

We are in Evanston, Wyoming tonight.

Our contact in Jackson Hole didn't work out, and besides, it was supposed to snow there this weekend.

So we headed toward Salt Lake City, Utah, this morning. But then mid afternoon it started raining. Then the windshield wipers stopped working. Then it started snowing. And so here we are.

Rocky is wearing her sweater and we have the space heater going.

And besides, it's time for Sabbath rest taking anyway.

We ran on veggie oil for part of the way today once we got it warm.

We filled up the 20 gallon tank at the New Mandarin Chinese Restaurant in Laramie. We highly recommend it for scrumptious morsels and WVO (waste vegetable oil) should you find yourself there.

Rainbow Community

2007-09-28T18:38:00.000-07:00

We went to the Rainbow Resource Center at the University of Wyoming today.

It was created by the University in response to Matthew Shepard's death. The Center displays all the latest periodicals, plus a wall of books about GLBT history, coming out, memoirs, and such. It felt lively and welcoming.

A couple of years ago the university moved the growing resource center to the first floor of the student union. Students often gather at noon to eat lunch together, they told us. We had a fun time talking to some of them today.

The memorial to Matthew Shepard on the university is this bench.

Laramie

2007-09-28T10:02:00.000-07:00

I wonder if I would find Laramie, Wyoming such a chilling place if I didn't know about Matthew Shepard.

--if I hadn't been a college student myself almost 9 years ago, when the rallies began around what had happened to him. I tied that green and yellow ribbon to my purple backpack, and it stayed there long after I had left college.

When Matthew Shepard died, I thought everything was going to change. I wasn't even really out to myself then, but I cared a lot about queer rights. I remember marching through downtown Chicago, listening to the names of all the LGBT people who had been murdered that year in Chicago alone. I thought, "This is it. This is what will bring enough attention to these horrible acts to end them. Things are going to be different. No one else will die because of who they love, or because of how they understand gender and sexuality."

But last night, creeping out of the camper in the dead of the night to go to the bathroom, I was scared. I felt a chill in this place deeper than the cold air. The moon was high and almost full and I wondered how Matthew felt that night tied to the fence as the life drained out of him. I wondered what he thought of as he saw the sunrise over the fields.

They passed the Matthew Shepard Hate Crime Act, I'm told. I also hear that President Bush will veto it. No special treatment for queer folk. If someone wants to kill them just because of who they are, that's no different than it would be if they killed them for their wallet.

I wonder if Matthew Shepard's parents would agree. I wonder if the people of Laramie would agree. I'm sure there are queer folk here and homophobic folk and every kind of person in between, but I doubt most of them would beat a man to death for supposedly hitting on them.

Yet still, almost nine years later, its a cold place.

The Week in Pictures

2007-09-27T13:54:00.000-07:00

We sent our latest email update this afternoon. If you didn't receive it and would like to be sure and sign up on our website.

Here are some pics from the last week.

In Boulder one day we did our morning 20 minutes of silence in this field. It was near one of three Boulder Community Centers.

With the main waste veggie oil tank still broke like a joke, we filled up on 100 percent biodiesel in Boulder.

We went to Denver to visit the S.A.M.E. cafe. Which you can read more about on the website (www.jointheliving) under Encounters.

We drove to the "Denver East KOA" to stay after our visit to Denver. It was about 25 miles outside of Denver, however. On our way to the site we saw a sign for "Oklahoma State University memorial site." Because that's where Carol graduated we had to go. It was what she sadly expected down the miles of dirt road it took to get there: the site of a plane crash in 2001 that killed 8 of the basketball staff and two student athletes.

We were pleased to get to meet up and coming assistant professor at the University of Colorado, Patricia Malesh. She introduced us to the Boulder Tea House and taught us a great deal about social change. One interesting highlight: If you are trying to convert people to the vegan life, you don't show people pictures of dead rabbits. Instead you throw a fabulous dinner party and invite people to taste the goodness for themselves. Read, inwardly digest, and apply to your particular cause.

We had a fabulous time hanging out with the Refuge. We went to their theology pub night, their longterm visioning meeting called Infusion, a Sunday night service under a tent, and had coffee with their co-pastors Kathy and Karl who are a total hoot and tremendously gifted and creative ministers.

Rocky is now our only travel companion.

Here, Rocky is on the lookout for mating Elk northeast of Estes Park, Colorado.

Travels with Rocky

2007-09-26T19:21:00.000-07:00

Rocky, our smallest dog, is now the only pet traveling with us. Perry and Houston being safe in other homes until we can be re-united after our trip.

She is mostly content to sit quietly beside us. She loves fetch and the sun. But she is also very nervous about strange places and big dogs, and she has been barking and growling more than usual since we have begun our travels.

So I have been trying to train her to be quiet. It goes something like this:

Rocky: Bark! Bark!
Me: Quiet, Rocky, quiet!
Rocky: Grrrrrr
Me: No. Quiet.
-Pause-
Good Quiet.
Rocky: Grrrrrr
Me: No. Quiet.
-Pause-
Good Quiet.

She might be getting it. But in sitting and repeating this pattern for several minutes several times a day, I have realized that I often have this same conversation with myself. All of my anxiety in this living off the grid thing, all of my fear about things unnamed, is like a little scared dog that I keep trying to quiet. And it works for a moment, but then I'm scared again.

Can we train ourselves? Should we?

Bread & Oranges

2007-09-26T13:19:00.000-07:00

You can now download a pdf of the pilot issue of Bread & Oranges, the forthcoming magazine of Join the Living.

On THIS page of the website look under Bread & Oranges for a link to the pdf download.

Why the name Bread & Oranges? It came to me in a dream. What does it make you think about?

Same Cafe up on the website

2007-09-26T10:40:00.001-07:00

We have stopped traveling for a few days to integrate all that we've encountered so far.

We now have two stories up on the Encounters page on the website. One is about the SAME (So All May Eat) Cafe in Denver. It's a pay what you can restaurant. The other article is about a Lutheran minister in Flagstaff, Arizona, who is starting a new sort of church.

We have many more to come: An interview with a professor at Naropa University who teaches community building. How social change has changed in the last 50 years, from a conversation with a professor at the University of Colorado. More about the alternative church called the Refuge that we hung out with for a week. And that's just Colorado not to mention all we experienced in New Mexico like the Center for Action and Contemplation, the progressive Episcopal church in Albuquerque, Earthships in Taos, and more more more.

We are asking people what makes them come alive these days. Here's a clip from Brad Birky, co-founder of the SAME cafe in Denver answering the question.

Mountain Living

2007-09-21T08:09:00.000-07:00

This week we've spent in the Boulder/Denver area.

The word of the week seems to be: Community.

We've hung out with a community called The Refuge for several of their events this week. Their co-leaders used to be on staff at a gigantor Christian church that questioned the okayness of women preaching on Sunday. They found it to be less than life-giving. Wounding even. So a year and a few months ago they followed their hearts and now find themselves co-pastoring an off the grid community. This community of Jesus followers seek to take Jesus words seriously and live accordingly. Full of love, unperfectness, and more questions than answers, they were fun to be around.

Earlier this week we traveled to Denver where we interviewed one of the founders of the SAME cafe. SAME stands for So All May Eat. It is a volunteer or pay-what-you-can lunch cafe. Brad and Libby Birky started the cafe because they think that all people regardless of their abiltity to pay for it deserve to eat healthy food. Only a few weeks after opening, folks started to volunteer their time in exchange for a meal. Now almost two years later they are breaking even on expenses. Considering that most restaurants go out of business with in two years, they are doing fabulous. Brad said that the community that has emerged in and through the cafe gives him life these days.

We shared a lovely tea time with a Colorado University professor who studies social change. For her Ph.D. she studied the religious language in vegan/vegetarian conversion stories. She lives in a vegan community and was delightful and inspiring.

More later.

In case you're wondering about our day to day

2007-09-19T09:39:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we ate at a cool local diner in Boulder, filled up on some local biodiesel, tried unsuccessfully to find some local veggie oil, and decided we should just fix the cracked tank instead.

We also went back to visit the refuge, where they were doing something they call infusion-- reflecting together as a community on their future. They were incredibly welcoming to us, and we found the whole process fascinating.

Today we head to Denver. We'll let you know what we find.

Free Running at the Refuge

2007-09-17T14:11:00.000-07:00

Kate is writing up our church experiences from yesterday.

In the meantime, I'll post our first video. Some of the teenage guys at Refuge in Broomfield, Colorado, were being alive and free running.

The video is pretty dark. But they were fun, and I told them I'd try to post this. Sorry I didn't get your names, guys. Keep being free and expressing yourselves.

Church

2007-09-17T13:59:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, we went to church for the first time since Scottsdale UCC, in Arizona before the pilgrimage began.

We actually went to church twice, in fact. Maybe we were trying to make up for something.

Our first stop was the regular kind of church. We wanted to find a progressive church in Colorado Springs, which is the seat of Focus on the Family, and thus, seemingly dominated by conservative Christians. We chose to go to First Congregational Church, a Christian church in the United Church of Christ tradition.

I realized I have not visited an Episcopal church since I stopped working at one, but this is mostly because, to be honest, there is no guarantee we would be safe in a Episcopal church, and frankly, life is too short to sit in a church where I can't hold my lovers hand. I don't have time for that.

And, we did learn that the Episcopal Church in Colorado Springs is trying to leave the diocese over the whole Gene Robinson thing. Rather, the priest and a small group of parishioners have taken over the building we were told. The remnant is worshiping in a Christian church down the street. The man we spoke to seemed to believe it was ironic that the priest had started lambasting the Episcopal Church right after it became clear he was using bequests to the church to fund his children's education, etc. I hope you will pray for them all, if that is your scene.

Anyway, I've begun to think that life is too short to spend it in a church even if you can hold your lover's hand.

Here are my observations about Church #1

1) Church is boring. If we really believe the Bible to be sacred, how is having someone lecture about it for 20 minutes treating it as such? How are you supposed to connect to God at a show with 200 other people?

2) Everyone wants to be Episcopalian except the Episcopalians. I don't know much about the UCC, so forgive me if I'm speaking out of turn, but I gather they're not a very liturgical tradition over all.

But this church stood and sang before the gospel readings and had acolytes and overall seemed to be trying to push toward that more liturgical style of worship. They also hosted a Taize service.

Meanwhile, in my part of the world, Episcopalians seem to long to be evangelicals, in the hopes that it will grow our dying denomination. Who can explain these things?

3) Most mainstream churches are not comfortable with anything but hope and joy. There's no place for lament. And very little room for confession or despair.

It's funny, because we're so good at Lent and we seem to pretend Easter's not there. But maybe that's because we spend the rest of the year pretending there is nothing but resurrection. That death doesn't happen. I do not want to sing Amazing Grace, because I still feel lost in grief over loosing my mother. So what am I supposed to do while a room full of strangers passionately belts out that song?

Church #2

I found the second church we went to Sunday through an emergent church website.

They're called The Refuge and they say they want to be "a different kind of Christians," that they care more about following Jesus than church and religion.

This month, they are exploring God out of the box, and yesterday they had two people who wrote a book called Jim and Casper Go to Church come and do a talk and question and answer session.

In a twist of irony (given the theme), they were forced outside of the church where they regularly meet, and so we gathered to jazzy sort of music from a live band under a tent with 100 other people and rice krispie treats and brownies and bottled water to hear an atheist and an evangelical talk about how church might need to change.

Here are my observations on Church #2:

1) I liked this church a lot better. Although I missed taking communion (the UCC church did not offer it either at the 11 a.m. service). But instead of pretending a lecture is church, why not just have church be a lecture? Especially since this one had questions and answers!

2) Everything about this church felt more free. People laughed and joked a lot. I was initially nervous about this church because it seemed to be a little heavy on the brokenness when I read their website. But for someone who wishes the church allowed for more brokenness, I had a lot of fun.

I left feeling light and energized. Jim (the evangelical on the right in the picture above. Matt Casper is the atheist on the left) said he follows Jesus because he's the freest person he knows of. If that is true, then church should be a free feeling place, right?

3) The church has a lot to learn from atheists. I feel I could go on forever on this point, but here are three things listening to Casper (the atheist) made me think about:

• Language matters. How we talk about God matters. The exact things that Casper said made him not believe in God, are the things that I use to describe why I believe there is a God. For instance, Casper said that it strikes him as more awe inspiring that we became conscious beings on a long shot, than that a God zapped us into being. It was also a little awkward to hear talk of "non-Christians," the "lost," and "unchurched," in the presence of someone who they were referring to. Those words are insider language and do nothing to create a welcoming atmosphere for someone like Casper.

• Open-mindedness should be authentic. If you are going to e in dialogue with someone you need to realize that they may leave the conversation with a different opinion than you.

• If we are calling ourselves Christians, how we manifest following Jesus in our lives should be 100% more important than putting on a good show at church.

It's a funny and insightful book so far. They travel all over the country to the biggies of mostly the evangelical church world. The back cover sums up what Casper said after leaving church with Jim after one worship service, "Is this what Jesus told you guys to do."

I recommend it.

Meet Ted

2007-09-17T07:18:00.000-07:00

Want to be inspired, fascinated and engaged?

Watch some videos from www.ted.com

From the website: "TED is best thought of as a global community. It's a community welcoming people from every discipline and culture who have just two things in common: they seek a deeper understanding of the world, and they hope to turn that understanding into a better future for us all."

Signs along the way

2007-09-15T19:46:00.001-07:00

Some of the signs we've seen lately...

The car this sticker was on is from the Golden Rule car dealership.

Tiles outside the Peace & Justice center of Albuquerque.

"Your Spirit is Free," proclaims this dancing deer outside Santa Fe.

Don't tell my brother the cattle rancher this...

Saw this one at a local coffee shop in Taos...

Healing

2007-09-14T18:20:00.000-07:00

Today, we filled three empty film canisters with holy dirt, and then went to a house made of garbage.

Santuario de Chimayo is a sacred miracle place for healing. Eileen, who I met in Santa Fe because of a dream I had, told me about it. She said that when they decided to build a church there, they put a cross in the ground where they wanted to build a church, and they woke up the next day and it was in a different place.

So they put it back. And then the next day it was moved again. And so it went. Until they finally realized they needed to build the church in the place where the cross kept moving to. So almost 200 hundred years ago they built this beautiful little chapel. The altar is wooden, and there's a little room off to the side filled with crutches and pictures of Jesus and statues of saints.
Then, off that room, is the place with the sacred dirt. Apparently, it heals people. In addition to filling the three vials, I put the sand on my hands and heart and head. I'm going for the full on healing thing. Chimayo, the surrounding town, has a ancient, happy, beautiful spirit to it, which radiates from the chapel. It was a place of great peace. I left a cross on the fence in memory of my mother.

Earthship is a new kind of sustainable housing. There's a whole community of people a few miles north of Taos who live in houses that collect their own energy and water and grow their own food. Plus they're made of old tires and bottles and cans. The man who started the whole thing has built houses all over the world. And they're nice, pretty houses.

Today, I believe that anything is possible. That even if we cannot save ourselves, the universe might save us anyway, and that for every person who has lost hope there is at least one who is bringing hope to the world.

And I can't wait to go back to Tucson and build a church out of old tires and put a little magic dirt in a shrine to all those who seek healing.

Grab bag

2007-09-14T08:28:00.001-07:00

Today is a clean and organize the camper and writing sort of day. Later we are going to check out some houses that are totally self-sustaining with water/solar/everything.

It's crazy cold here in northern New Mexico. Which means it's 70 degrees and we have to wear socks in the shade. I don't know what we are going to do. At night it's like 50. Why didn't we bring that other sleeping bag! Just some ridiculous whining from a desert dweller.

We finally saw some pics from our wedding back on August 9 on Mt. Lemmon. Here's one of Kate looking very fabulous.

If you didn't hear or see it. One of the Tucson news stations did a story about our trip before we left last week. This link will take you to a page where you can read a story and click on the tiny tv camera to watch the video.

Fullness

2007-09-13T20:00:00.000-07:00

A quick update.

On Monday we made it Albuquerque where we lunched with the Rev. Carole McGowan, a progressive priest. That afternoon we sat in silence with the folks at the Center for Action and Contemplation, and were invited to supper with the six work interns there.

We were privileged to get to hear the heart longings of what made them leave their lives as they knew it to travel there and live for a while with daily silence and intentional spiritual formation.

On Tuesday in Santa Fe, Kate met a woman who literally came to her in a dream a few weeks ago.

On Wednesday morning we sang chants at 5:30 in the morning with Joan and Jeff, two very devout yoga practitioners.

And we sabbathed (rested with great intention and gratefulness) yesterday at a communal Japanese inspired bath/spa with naked women laying around in the sun like lizards.

We are running on biodiesel that we pumped in Santa Fe.

We haven't been able to collect waste veggie oil yet due to a crack in our main collection barrel on the roof. We are on the lookout for a new one.

Tonight we are at a friendly RV camp between Santa Fe and Taos. Tomorrow we go to look at Earthships.

Two miracles for today

2007-09-08T20:51:00.000-07:00

Today two miracles occurred:

1) We left Tucson! (a feat I had begun to believe was impossible)

2) We drove all the way to our first destination on veggie oil (which we had believed would be equally impossible)

Hooray for today!

Begin. The rest is easy.

2007-09-08T20:45:00.001-07:00

Not long ago one of us got a fortune cookie that said, "Begin, the rest is easy." Whew. How true. It takes more time and energy to do things out of the box.

While we have no idea what adventures will come. So far, waking up to the sunrise, and the joy of being on this pilgrimage, are far easier than getting ready to begin.

Yesterday we checked in one last time with our cat Perry at his new foster home. Thanks to Alicia and Mark for taking him in.

All of our stuff fit into storage. Barely. It is freeing to live without much in the camper.

The gospel reading for this morning ends with Jesus saying, "So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions."

I'm not sure how Jesus would feel about storage units. Maybe our trip will teach us to live with less and to let more go. I hope so.

One last shot in front of the first house that Kate and I lived in together.

And then a shot of the second house we will live in together.

We drove out of town on veggie oil and even got up to around 60 miles per hour.

It's nice rambling peacefully along at an easy pace. Judith of St. Hildegard's writes that perhaps we are like 21st Century pioneers using veggie oil instead of horses.

It's a word picture that goes well with our pilgrimage. Tony Jones, a guy who is the point person for Emergent Village right now, used a similar image to describe the new incarnations of faith communities and cultural shifts of our day. We heard him speak at the national cathedral in May for a church for the 21st Century conference.

Many have already gone before us to set up posts in the frontier. We'll send dispatches as we discover them.

Friday Take Off

2007-09-05T23:16:00.001-07:00

It is nearing midnight.

We are just back from picking up the truck at the veggie mechanic near Phoenix. $598 later it has better electrical wiring. The mechanic said it could use a new veggie fuel pump. Which may explain why it now doesn't seem to run on veggie oil at speeds over 40 miles per hour.

We are planing to drive out on diesel on Friday and get a new fuel pump down the road. Our first stop is Elephant Butte Lake in New Mexico, on our way to a retreat center to interview some young adults who are working/interning there.

Tomorrow we'll clean the camper, stuff our things in. Maybe give it some paint. Take the rest of our stuff to storage. Try to finish up final changes for a freelance client on an annual report. Try to do some last minute phone calls and paper shuffling to get our health insurance in place. We currently don't have any. We started applying for it way over a month ago.

We also don't have a place for the pets. There's one more possible home for Perry the cat to check out. And we can only hope Kate's dad will let the dogs stay in Colorado for a while.

What's done is done. What's left undone is left undone. This day is over. It is time to rest.

Veggie Immersion

2007-08-31T18:13:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow we are heading up to Oracle to learn about The Station. It's a bio-fuel-community center sort of place. It's all still part of our pre-tour research & planning. After interviewing the founder and some of the folks who hang out there in the morning, we are heading up to Mesa to drop the truck off at the Veggie Garage for a tune up to get it all ready for the big trip.

This week we had some work done on the truck, new idle arm, new transmission pan since it was leaking pretty bad, bought new road tires to replace the worn all terrain ones that came with it. We also changed out three of the filters. Two were completely full and nasty.

We've also ordered a two-hour DVD called Liquid Gold II from Golden Fuels Systems. It comes highly recommended as a key learning tool in all things veggie oil.

We've been told by our mechanic and a guy with an rv shop that the camper is a little old school. Well, that's not exactly what they said. "You should take that thing to the dump and toss it over the side," was more what the rv dude said. He was a little extreme in most everything he said ("This would cost $6,000 to fix the side," "Take it to Mexico, someone there might touch it."), so I didn't really trust his opinion fully. They were both concerned about it safely staying hooked on. The veggie oil has leaked all over the sides and has softened the wood, making the bolts securing it more likely to come loose. And the camper is from 1979. So we are also consulting with some handyfolk to secure this a bit more before painting and artsy-fying the whole thing. More on that when we get back.

Sabbath

2007-08-26T18:51:00.000-07:00

We finally got back to Tucson late this morning.

We encountered an accident about 45 miles outside of Phoenix and got stuck for several hours in stop and wait and inch forward traffic. Around 7 pm there was no relief in site, so we pulled of into the next town. Just off the highway was a pizza joint and a RV site. Done and done. We spent our first night in the truck camper and woke up to an amazing sunrise over mountains.

Tomorrow we will pick up where we left off with preparations. Today we are Sabbathing.

Patience and presence

2007-08-25T09:26:00.000-07:00

We bought our truck. Complete with camper and veggie oil conversion. The only trouble is its leaking oil. And the part to fix it had to be shipped in. And then it was the wrong part. So, although we planned to return late Wednesday night, we will most likely not be back until late tonight (Saturday). And I'm not even counting on that.

We spent most of our time in Prescott (where we bought the truck) waiting. When it became clear that we would not be returning to Tucson, we drove over to Flagstaff and have been here a couple of days. Also with little to do but hang out with our friend Tamie. (which was much more fun than waiting)

At first, I found this inability to "do" anything incredibly frustrating. All I could do was worry about what we had to do: We need to finish cleaning out our house. We need to get driver’s licenses with our new names. We need to pick up our incorporation papers and open a bank account. And write a hundred thank yous. And finish all the work to get our health insurance. And about a million other things that are all primarily located half a days drive from where we are currently stuck.

We ran out of clean clothes, and I worried about what it means for us financially to spend time where we we have neither food to eat or a place to stay (and thus must spend wads of cash to acquire).

But there’s something to be said for not being able to work.

When it was impossible to do anything, I found myself becoming more and more alive.

In these last days, as I have felt myself being frustrated. Sitting. Doing nothing. Thinking of all that needs to be done. I try to just be. To bring my awareness to the present moment- to all that is surrounding me and all that is giving life in my very presence.

And let me tell you friends, life is pretty sweet in this very moment. There is so much laughter, and love and light in the universe.

And the truth is, whatever we need to do might as well always be half a day's drive away. Because the future is not now. It's half a day's drive away. And all we can really do is be right now.

An ability to be present to what is happening now and worry only (if at all) about what needs to happen next is the learning I hope most to take from this journey. Since this is surely the first of many events I did not plan for. And since we will spend much of our time meeting new people. And just being.

I hope that I can do it. More than that, I hope I can keep it. I don’t know why I fill so much of my life worrying about what will come next.

But today, I'm not going to worry about why I worry.

I'm just going to be.

Moving and Waiting

2007-08-18T08:49:00.001-07:00

So, we've been packing.

Thanks to our self-described minion Michi who carefully wrapped the antique dishes and squirreled away theology books and pictures on the piano.

While sorting through the paper dunes in my office I found a Henri Nouwen quote. It seems wildly appropriate to inwardly digest:

To wait open-endedly is an enormously radical attitude toward life.

So is to trust that something will happen to us that is far beyond our imaginings. So, to, is giving up control over our future and letting God define our life, trusting that God molds us according to God's love and not according to our fear.

The spiritual life is a life in which we wait, actively present to the moment, trusting that new things will happen to us, new things that are far beyond our own imagination, fantasy, or prediction. That, indeed, is a very radical stance toward life in a world preoccupied with control.

— Henri Nouwen

We have been unable to control much of anything lately. We haven't left town yet. We don't know what we will drive away in. The dogs don't have a home.

And yet, wonderful out of our control happenings are swirling. We were invited to a creative, progressive UCC church in Scottsdale to speak about our trip. My niece, Anna, and her cool Significant Other, Jake, are working to organize a fundraising party for us in Breckenridge, Colorado.

We long to be moving, beginning. And yet we are here. Forced to be present to the moment—to the watercolor sunset last night as we drove away in our rental car from yet another test drive of a vehicle. Alive right now—laughing ourselves silly over who knows what as the morning sun tickled us awake this morning. Caught in between the old and the future—still living in the rectory, but now it is mostly empty.

Oh, sure, there is plenty to fear, should I choose to dwell on it. But this morning I'm going to imagine instead that we are being held close and tight, that we aren't caught. That we are right where we need to be. Everything just right. I will stop flailing about. And be still. Let God define things. And let myself be molded by love. I will trust that new things will happen to us. New things far beyond our own imaginations.