The Pacifist Aggressive

One of my ministry gifts is being able to see things with fresh eyes. One of my favorite parts of motherhood is watching my girls learn things and experience them for the first time. Seeing through the eyes of a child is truly wonderful. I often use the technique of defamiliarization in sermons to let us get at old stories and reveal something new. " Defamiliarization i s the artistic technique of presenting to audiences common things in an unfamiliar or strange way in order to enhance perception of the familiar. " In central Kansas, we are in the calm before the storm. Pastors in NY and other overwhelmed places are writing out and saying that first come the online worship services and the questions about how to be community. But soon those concerns change to “How do I comfort the dying when they are quarantined?” “How do I comfort the widow in quarantine?” “Do I livestream a funeral??” As Joy Harjo writes, “What shall I do with all this heartache?” Artist Geof

My body has forgotten how to cry. I mean, I regularly tear up, I’m not a monster. But to cry, actually let the tears slip down my cheeks, sob, any actual catharsis, no. I cried at the beginning of last summer. It was the last day my family was worshipping at the church where we had attended for 11 years, where I had been the youth pastor, where my girls were born, with the people who rebuilt my house after the fire . It was also the last Sunday some of our best friends would be there. They were moving to Iowa. I cried from the moment worship began and all through the carry-in meal. I cried as I told them, “Thank you for allowing me to help raise your children and for helping me to raise mine.” That was the last time. Before that, I cried twice in the fall of 2018: both pretty intense circumstances. But, generally, the tears don’t come. They ball into a painful pressure at the top of my sternum. (Yes, I am aware that’s the heart chakra.) The world feels like it’s falling down. I have n

The OT scripture this week for Lent 3 Year A is the beginning of Exodus 17. The Israelites are thirsty and need to drink water after all the manna they have eaten in Exodus 16. The amount of dialogue in this text lends itself easily to an interactive reading. Narrator : The Israelites left the western Sinai desert. They traveled all together from place to place as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim (ref-i-deem) -- a resting place, but there was no water for the people to drink. So they turned against Moses and started arguing with him. Congregation : “Give us water to drink.” Moses : “Why do you bicker with me? Why are you testing the Lord?” Narrator : But the people were very thirsty, so they grumbled against Moses. Congregation : “Why on earth did you bring us out of Egypt? Did you bring us out here so that we, and our children, and our cattle will all die without water?” Moses : “Lord, what can I do with these people? They are ready to kill me.” The Lord : “Go before t