Sermon: Advent IV, Year B: YES!
3 years ago
Friday, August 21, 2009
800 Mile Wall Trailer
I saw this entire film while in Tucson this summer. It is profound!! If it comes to your area - SEE IT!!
800 Mile Wall trailer
800 Mile Wall trailer
Sunday, July 12, 2009
More Humanitarians Fined for Leaving Water in Desert
Things are heating up on the border between humanitarians and the federal government:
Read these articles:
Criminalizing humanitarian aid on the border
Watch this newscast:
Humanitarians fined - KOLD 13 Tucson
Read these articles:
"The Activist Question:Tensions between humanitarians and federal officials are on the rise along the border"
13 No More Deaths volunteers fined for leaving waterCriminalizing humanitarian aid on the border
Watch this newscast:
Humanitarians fined - KOLD 13 Tucson
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Thought for the Day
“To restore the land one must live and work in a place.
To work in a place is to work with others.
People who work together in a place become a community,
and a community, in time, grows a culture.
To work on behalf of the wild is to restore culture.”
-- Gary Snyder
To work in a place is to work with others.
People who work together in a place become a community,
and a community, in time, grows a culture.
To work on behalf of the wild is to restore culture.”
-- Gary Snyder
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Gift of "Noodling" Time
For my birthday this year I gave myself the gift of time. Yes, 6 days of being "meeting/planned activity/program/to-do list" free. No scheduled activities - no "shoulds" - no wearing a watch. Just being in the moment - praying, walking, reading, thinking, cooking simple meals, meditating, journaling, "puttering," and reflecting - all in my own time and at my own pace.
Here's a picture of my hermitage at the Spiritual Life Institute/Nada Hermitage in Crestone, CO. (Is that a burning bush?)
This is the view from the window seat in my hermitage. That's the glow of the sunset reflecting on the 14,000' Kit Carson peak.
I used some of my time at the hermitage for what I call "noodling" (what Brenda Ueland, in If You Want to Write: A Book About Art, Independence and Spirit, calls "moodling.") Noodling is not idle time, it is not "doing nothing," it is not "wasting time." Rather, this regular dose of unstructured, unscheduled "puttering" is a necessary time of slowing down for "creative laziness" where I can nurture my soul, care for my mental and physical well-being, and foster creativity. As Ueland says, "True creativity is a slow flowering, cultivated by lots of idle time. The imagination needs moodling - long, inefficient, happy idling, dawdling and puttering. . . People who are always briskly doing something and are as busy as waltzing mice . . . have no slow, big ideas."
She continues,
"What happens when we shut the noise off for a while? If we hang out long enough to let our ears stop ringing and the after-images fade from in front of our eyes, we discover . . . quiet. And in the quiet we begin to hear our inner voice. And just maybe, if we listen to ourselves long enough, we will discover an essential self that doesn't depend on purchases, possessions or prestige to feel whole. Then we can begin to make life choices based on our own true humanity, rather than on the dictates of our consumption crazy, growth-driven society. That's a subversive notion, indeed!"
I am reminded of a conversation with Richard Rohr, founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation, last summer. He shared that through the years he has learned that the most radical acts we do are not our engagement in social justice issues. Rather, our most radical act is sitting in silence, seemingly "doing nothing" for the 20 minute sits, twice a day. In doing so we embody that there is nothing else in our lives - in our "doing" - more important than this. This is subversive!
I am thankful for my time away to be quiet and to "noodle" - not doing anything in particular. I return to my relationships and work more rested, centered, and grounded. I have had time to think, imagine, and reflect. Having the time and space for creative musings will prove beneficial as I continue planning for the academic year. This was a rewarding and enriching time - a true gift. I recognize and name my privilege in being able to take this time - for many would not be able to do so. For this I am profoundly grateful.
Here's a picture of my hermitage at the Spiritual Life Institute/Nada Hermitage in Crestone, CO. (Is that a burning bush?)
This is the view from the window seat in my hermitage. That's the glow of the sunset reflecting on the 14,000' Kit Carson peak.
I used some of my time at the hermitage for what I call "noodling" (what Brenda Ueland, in If You Want to Write: A Book About Art, Independence and Spirit, calls "moodling.") Noodling is not idle time, it is not "doing nothing," it is not "wasting time." Rather, this regular dose of unstructured, unscheduled "puttering" is a necessary time of slowing down for "creative laziness" where I can nurture my soul, care for my mental and physical well-being, and foster creativity. As Ueland says, "True creativity is a slow flowering, cultivated by lots of idle time. The imagination needs moodling - long, inefficient, happy idling, dawdling and puttering. . . People who are always briskly doing something and are as busy as waltzing mice . . . have no slow, big ideas."She continues,
"What happens when we shut the noise off for a while? If we hang out long enough to let our ears stop ringing and the after-images fade from in front of our eyes, we discover . . . quiet. And in the quiet we begin to hear our inner voice. And just maybe, if we listen to ourselves long enough, we will discover an essential self that doesn't depend on purchases, possessions or prestige to feel whole. Then we can begin to make life choices based on our own true humanity, rather than on the dictates of our consumption crazy, growth-driven society. That's a subversive notion, indeed!"
I am reminded of a conversation with Richard Rohr, founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation, last summer. He shared that through the years he has learned that the most radical acts we do are not our engagement in social justice issues. Rather, our most radical act is sitting in silence, seemingly "doing nothing" for the 20 minute sits, twice a day. In doing so we embody that there is nothing else in our lives - in our "doing" - more important than this. This is subversive!
I am thankful for my time away to be quiet and to "noodle" - not doing anything in particular. I return to my relationships and work more rested, centered, and grounded. I have had time to think, imagine, and reflect. Having the time and space for creative musings will prove beneficial as I continue planning for the academic year. This was a rewarding and enriching time - a true gift. I recognize and name my privilege in being able to take this time - for many would not be able to do so. For this I am profoundly grateful.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Into the Silence
Here are some closing thoughts and pictures (for now) on this border journey. Today I enter into a silent retreat at a hermitage in Colorado where I am choosing not to be "plugged in" for a few days. I will take my experiences with me for deeper reflection and prayer.
Though I experienced the harshness of the desert landscape, I also witnessed her beauty. The paradox!
The colors of the sunset were amazing each night.
The moon setting in the glow of a 5:00 a.m. sunrise.
A reminder of God's covenant with humanity and all the earth.
Mark Adams offers this thought for us to consider -- What might it be like if the vertical "walls that divide us are turned on their sides, becoming tables that unite us." Can we feast at the banquet together?
Pictures of the Border Wall from the Nogales, Sonora, Mexico side - with graffiti and art installations.
Finally, this quote by Elizabeth O'Conner (of Church of the Savior in DC), sent by a new friend in Asheville:
"Whoever joins God's liberation movement must be content to spend time in the wilderness, to live in tents and not know what the morrow brings."
Though I experienced the harshness of the desert landscape, I also witnessed her beauty. The paradox!
The colors of the sunset were amazing each night.
The moon setting in the glow of a 5:00 a.m. sunrise.
A reminder of God's covenant with humanity and all the earth.
Mark Adams offers this thought for us to consider -- What might it be like if the vertical "walls that divide us are turned on their sides, becoming tables that unite us." Can we feast at the banquet together?
Pictures of the Border Wall from the Nogales, Sonora, Mexico side - with graffiti and art installations.
Finally, this quote by Elizabeth O'Conner (of Church of the Savior in DC), sent by a new friend in Asheville:
"Whoever joins God's liberation movement must be content to spend time in the wilderness, to live in tents and not know what the morrow brings."
Environmentally Sustainable +Socially Just, + Spiritually Fulfilled
While in Denver this past week I participated in a facilitator training for the symposium, "Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream," created by the Pachamama Alliance. Their mission is:
"bringing forth an environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling and socially just human presence on Planet Earth."
They see these seemingly separate issues as one - not three - intimately interconnected. So do I! (In fact, what I experienced in the Symposium when I was introduced to it in April is one of the most profoundly integrated ways of thinking and being I have ever encountered! I can't wait to bring it home to campus and my religious communities.)
On my journey, I witnessed this interconnectedness to be true in profound ways. The social justice issue of abject poverty in Mexico leads people to cross the border, which increases the human impact on the fragile desert lands - the migrants deposit the belongings they carry which increases the amount of litter in the desert, and Border Patrol agents drive their vehicles violently over the desert landscape creating new roads and destroying sensitive ecosystems as they seek to enforce immigration policy. The Border Wall has created huge environmental issues as it has blocked migratory routes for many species and prevented access to natural habitats and grazing lands, as well as causing flooding which has impacted humans, plants and animals. The Wall has also blocked access to sacred lands, and burial grounds of indigenous peoples who moved freely across the region for generations.
The Sierra Club Borderlands Campaign is working to address some of these issues. Check out their website for more information. They've also created a DVD, "Wild vs Wall." You can see a clip by clicking here.
Here is some of our work to eliminate the litter (and re-use our jugs). Many humanitarian organizations coordinate on-going trash removal efforts, even as they continue to place water in the desert.
"bringing forth an environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling and socially just human presence on Planet Earth."
They see these seemingly separate issues as one - not three - intimately interconnected. So do I! (In fact, what I experienced in the Symposium when I was introduced to it in April is one of the most profoundly integrated ways of thinking and being I have ever encountered! I can't wait to bring it home to campus and my religious communities.)
On my journey, I witnessed this interconnectedness to be true in profound ways. The social justice issue of abject poverty in Mexico leads people to cross the border, which increases the human impact on the fragile desert lands - the migrants deposit the belongings they carry which increases the amount of litter in the desert, and Border Patrol agents drive their vehicles violently over the desert landscape creating new roads and destroying sensitive ecosystems as they seek to enforce immigration policy. The Border Wall has created huge environmental issues as it has blocked migratory routes for many species and prevented access to natural habitats and grazing lands, as well as causing flooding which has impacted humans, plants and animals. The Wall has also blocked access to sacred lands, and burial grounds of indigenous peoples who moved freely across the region for generations.
The Sierra Club Borderlands Campaign is working to address some of these issues. Check out their website for more information. They've also created a DVD, "Wild vs Wall." You can see a clip by clicking here.
Here is some of our work to eliminate the litter (and re-use our jugs). Many humanitarian organizations coordinate on-going trash removal efforts, even as they continue to place water in the desert.
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