Last Wednesday was Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Lenten Season. I was able to help with the service at Burks UMC, the church that sent me into ministry. It is always good to be able to participate and serve there.
Here is the Ash Wednesday prayer from the UMC Hymnal #353:
O God,
maker of every thing and judge of all that you have made,
from the dust of the earth you have formed us
and from the dust of death you would raise us up.
By the redemptive power of the cross,
create in us clean hearts
and put within us a new spirit,
that we may repent of our sins
and lead lives worthy of your calling;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
This service is a special one because it allows for reflection as we enter a season of reflection. I wore my special stole given to me by a colleague and friend in Massachusetts.
I have plans to walk and pray the labyrinth at Burks UMC this Lent, but haven't made it yet.
"True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice". ~Martin Luther King, Jr.
The first of the three EJI Legacy Sites we visited in Montgomery, AL was The National Memorial for Peace and Justice. This site was particularly powerful and overwhelming as huge steel markers show the state and county, along with the lynched. At first you walk through them. Then, as you go downhill, they are higher and above your head. There is something to craning one's neck to read the counties that wasn't lost on me. It was a humbling experience. As one looks for counties, one hopes to not find those one has lived in or currently lives in. But I knew Whitfield county, GA was there. I didn't know about Hamilton county, TN, but it was there too.
After walking through these, there is another set of the markers laying flat on the ground. They are a bit easier to read that way, though they look like grave covers in that position, akin to the ones I have seen made of marble in South Georgia at the church cemetery where many of my ancestors are buried.
After making one's way through these, there are some statues and then replica markers.
As you make your way back to the beginning, there is much to contemplate.
Near the entrance/exit, there are other statues and writings to read and absorb.
The educational offering is unlike anything I have experienced, though the Holocaust museum in Israel, Yad Vashem, comes close. That place was a huge educational experience for me too-- powerful, humbling, haunting.... Just like The National Memorial for Peace and Justice.
It isn't easy to see all those markers. It isn't easy to realize how horrible our society treated people.
But it is important to know the true history, to honor lives taken, and to seek reparative justice.
I included a link for The National Memorial for Peace and Justice in the first paragraph.
Here are two photos taken by our group leader that show me looking up at the Whitfield county marker:
I highly recommend a trip to Montgomery, AL to see The Legacy Sites. There is so much to see, learn, experience.... so much that I didn't hear or learn growing up.
It's time to bring peace, justice, and healing to our society. This trip was a part of me doing so on the journey.
The Freedom Monument Sculpture Park was the 2nd stop of the day. (I'm writing in reverse order.) If you click on the link highlighted, you can see some photos of the park, some quotes about it, and some information. There is also a video that I encourage you to watch. It tells about the park, the art, etc. The Freedom Monument Sculpture Park is also part of EJI-- Equal Justice Initiative-- as is The Legacy Museum that I wrote about previously.
Visitors are allowed to take photos at a few locations inside the park-- 1 at the beginning and then the rest at the end.
As you wind around the path, much of the art is bigger than life. So many pieces remind one of the horrors of slavery. The huge ball and chain was one of those for me. There were also pieces that showed how people lived -- 2 plantation homes; a boxcar train to show how slaves were transported.
One piece that caught my attention were fingers coming out of the ground. HUGE fingers. They surrounded a tree that was tall and upright. It was as if life had grown out of that hand.
Walking through the woman who opened her chest cavity for us to walk through was powerful, humbling. It was as if we were invited in-- invited in to her life, her pain, her story. Yet, we passed through to the other side.
The biggest piece in the park is shaped like an open book and contains the surnames from the 1870 census, the first census in which black people were included. There are over 100,000 names engraved on this monument. You can find more information on this piece-- size, background, etc.-- in the link posted in the beginning of this post about the park.
This piece was something to behold. Not only was it huge, but names were on both sides. I didn't go around to the back, but I did search for some names. In the video on the link above I learned that not all surnames were taken from connections with slave owners and families. Only a percentage. I believe I heard 40%, but would need to listen again to verify.
There is a fountain after this and then you are back in the beginning.
There is a statue of Harriet Tubman at the visitor center and photos are allowed there also.
There is a big computerized data base of the census inside that you can look up names. You can look them up by state and county. That was informative. I believe I saw a theater in there as well.
Yesterday was my first visit to The Legacy Museum (one of the three Legacy Sites of EJI-- Equal Justice Initiative) in Montgomery, AL. It's a place I had heard of, but hadn't had the opportunity to go. Because of the Whitfield Remembrance Project, I was able to join in on their bus trip yesterday. It was a long, yet powerful and meaningful day.
I don't know if I can process everything I saw and experienced. And, I didn't experience it all. There were short movies that I didn't stop to watch inside theatre rooms. I watched clips of some movies in the main room along the way. There were more interactive people to listen to throughout the museum. I did listen to a few. There were MANY things to read. I read some here and there. I tried to soak in all I could. It is information I want and need to learn. I don't remember learning about lynchings in school or the "poll test" that war required of people to pass in order to vote. There were sample poll tests.
Here is a link to a real poll test from the state of Alabama from 1965. They were also called "literacy tests". It is eight pages long. Honestly, if I had had to ta take suck a test in order to vote when I turned 18 years old, I don't think I could have passed it. I don't think I could pass it now without studying. That, my friends, is called white privilege. And that hurts my heart.
Another thing that stood out to me in The Legacy Museum was going through the waters. The floor path led you through what felt like the bottom of the sea. On both sides were heads and bodies of the men, women, and children who died in the transatlantic slave trade. Nearly 2,000,000 (that's 2 million) lives were lost during the ocean crossing. That's horrific. Sadly, that's only part of the horrors of the story. From the beginning of being taken to those that made it across the ocean, horrific truth after truth is available for us to learn. And learn we must.
We weren't able to take pictures at The Legacy Museum. But we did take a group photo outside, with the jar of soil that we brought to go into the museum.
Scroll down to the bottom of this page to "Soil Collections" for information about the jars of soil.
Here is a link to see the wall of the jars of soil at The Legacy Museum. It is a photo that can be ordered as a print.
I will write more about the soil we took to the museum and the other two sites we visited. We were able to take a few pictures at the 2nd site and lots at the first site.
Meanwhile, you can read the links I've posted to learn about all three sites. If you read the Whitfield Remembrance Project link I posted, you can read about the soil that was taken.
When I get the group photo from the museum, I will post it.
Here is the one photo I have from The Legacy Museum:
My cousin Michelle and her husband David flew in from Colorado to go on this trip with me. It was a special day to spend with them.
There was a gift shop/bookstore at the museum. I didn't buy any books or t-shirts. SURPRISE! I know. There was a t-shirt that had a perfect quote on it, but it was mustard yellow and that color does not look good on me. I wish I had taken a photo of it or even written the quote down because I don't remember the exact quote. It had to do with hope. I don't think this is the quote, but it is a quote on hope:
“The kind of hope that creates a willingness to position oneself in a hopeless place and be a witness, that allows one to believe in a better future, even in the face of abusive power. That kind of hope makes one strong.” ― Bryan Stevenson, Just Mercy
Though I didn't buy a book or a t-shirt, I did, however, buy a magnet with a different quote that resonated with me:
"The true measure of our character is how we treat the poor, the disfavored, the accused, the incarcerated, and the condemned." ~Bryan Stevenson
There is much more to say, to process, to remember. I will make some time to do just that.
Meanwhile, I hope you might join me on my journey to learn, to seek truth, to do better.
A favorite verse of mine, Micah 6:8, puts it this way (abbreviated version):
do justice, love mercy, walk humbly
I have a t-shirt with that quote on it from The Happy Givers. I wore it to a special event in September. I will share that in a later post.
I had the privilege and pleasure of preaching again at Red Bank UMC in Chattanooga on January 26th. It is a good place to pulpit supply.
Here is the sermon:
“We All Belong to the Body” 1
Corinthians 12:12-31a (NRSVUE) January 26, 2025 Red Bank UMC 3rd Sunday after the Epiphany (Green)
As
we continue in our time of worship this morning, will you pray with me?
“God of Light, open our hearts and minds by the power of your Holy
Spirit, that, as the Scriptures are read and your word proclaimed, we may hear
with joy what you say to us today. Amen.”(Prayer for Illumination, UMH,
in Upperroom WorshipBook, page 35)
Listen
for what words or phrases stand out to you.
1 Corinthians 12:12-31a (NRSVUE) [New
Revised Standard Version Updated Edition]
12 For just as the body is one and has many
members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is
with Christ. 13 For in the one Spirit we were all baptized
into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of
one Spirit.
14 Indeed, the body does not consist of one
member but of many. 15 If the foot would say, “Because I am
not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a
part of the body. 16 And if the ear would say, “Because I am
not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a
part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where
would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of
smell be? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the
body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single
member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many
members yet one body. 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I
have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of
you.” 22 On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to
be weaker are indispensable, 23 and those members of the body
that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less
respectable members are treated with greater respect, 24 whereas
our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the
body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, 25 that
there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same
care for one another. 26If one
member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all
rejoice together with it.
27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 28 And
God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third
teachers, then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance,
forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues. 29 Are all
apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work powerful deeds? 30 Do
all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But
strive for the greater gifts.
We don’t have the time
to go over all the great parts of this passage today. It would make a great
study.
As I reflect on this
passage, two things stand out to me: belonging and body/community.
I don’t know about you,
but I think of a few different things when I reflect on these words.
We are not all alike.
We are all different, unique. Each part of the body serves a purpose, has its
place. We cannot all be the ear, the eye, the foot, etc. Okay, so what comes to
mind for me? Mr. Potato Head. Maybe it helps you visualize this passage a
little better. If all Mr. (or Mrs.) Potato Head had were eyes or ears, or
feet…. That would be silly, right?!?! There is no way it could “function
properly”. Whatever that means for a potato toy. But, we can play around with
it, giving it several sets of eyes, ears, etc., placing them where we want
them. BUT, it’s not real life.
We are individuals,
with unique gifts and graces, with unique backgrounds, with all kinds of
differences. With all of our differences, we are still one. We are one body.
That is what we read and hear today.
And, together, we
rejoice with one another, we suffer with one another, etc., because we ARE one.
Each part, each person
is needed in order for the whole to function at its best.
Now, we may not like
the nose or the ear or the foot. There may be parts of the body that we don’t
understand.
Let me offer a
different analogy. How many are familiar with Winnie the Pooh and Friends? You
may have noticed that the stole I am wearing today is Winnie the Pooh and
Friends. It’s full of green, so it fits right in to today’s liturgical color for
the Ordinary season.
Each of the characters are different and have
their unique personalities, right? Some of them might be more “beloved” in our
eyes than others. Think for a moment—which of the characters do you relate best
to and why? Now, which of the characters do you not relate to and why? We might
relate to or become frustrated with Tigger’s extreme energy and constant
bouncing. Or, we might find Eeyore’s attitude to be a bit too much or find we
relate to it. Or, we may find Rabbit to be too controlling or bossy or none of
those. And so forth. Yet, they live in community, do they not?!? And they offer
one another strength, insight, love, care, compassion, etc. One thing we learn from our friends in the 100 Aker Wood is that they
respect each other’s differences. They live into their inclusive and diverse
environment, recognizing that they need each other and that they are part of
each other--that is what helps them survive. They understand that each one of
them belongs to the body, to the community.
Belonging--Belonging is
the feeling of security and support when there is a sense of acceptance,
inclusion, and identity for a member of a certain group. It is when an
individual can bring their authentic self to work. When employees feel like
they don’t belong at work, their performance and their personal lives suffer.
Creating genuine feelings of belonging for all is a critical factor in
improving engagement and performance. It also helps support business goals.
If we were to take that
definition and apply it to a faith community, it might sound like this:
Belonging--Belonging is
the feeling of security and support when there is a sense of acceptance,
inclusion, and identity for a member of a certain group. It is when an
individual can bring their authentic self to church. When people feel like they
don’t belong at church, their worship and their personal lives suffer. Creating
genuine feelings of belonging for all is a critical factor in improving
engagement and performance. It also helps support community goals.
Maybe you’ve heard the
expression, ‘we’re better together’. When we find ways to live as the body of
Christ in community, allowing the gifts that each person brings to grow, our
hearing improves, our vision improves, we are able to be the hands and feet of
Christ more effectively.
You may or may not know
who Hezekiah Walker is. He is a gospel musician and a pastor at a church in
Brooklyn, NY.
Hezekiah
Walker has a song “I Need You to Survive”:
“I
need you You
need me We’re
all a part of God’s body Stand
with me Agree
with me We’re
all a part of God’s body It
is [God’s] will that every need be supplied You
are important to me I
need you to survive.”
Other
lyrics of the song:
“I pray for you You pray for me I love you I need
you to survive I won't harm you with words from my mouth I love you I need you to survive”
As
you look around the sanctuary today (yes, take a moment to look around), the
faces you see are all a part of God’s body. We need each other to survive, to
grow as followers of Christ, to live out the gifts each one has.
As
people who belong to the body of Christ, may we find a way to pray for one
another, to love one another, to support one another, to rejoice with one
another, to grieve with one another.
Will
you pray with me?
Creator
God, we are reminded today that each of us has a different gift to share in the
body, in community. We are not all the same. You have created us uniquely. Help
us to learn from one another in our differences. Help us to work together,
recognizing we all belong to the body. Help us lean into your love as we seek
to become a community that thrives because of our differences. Thank you for your love and your grace that
allows us to be your beloved children. Amen.
I attended a new Wild Church in our area yesterday: Wild Wood Gathering.
It was St. Brigid's day so the focus was on the transition into spring. It was a perfect day weather-wise for it.
This poem by Mary Oliver was shared:
Have you ever seen anything in your life more wonderful than the way the sun, every evening, relaxed and easy floats toward the horizon and into the clouds or the hills, or the rumpled sea, and is gone-- and how it slides again
out of the blackness,
every morning,
on the other side of the world,
like a red flower
streaming upward on its heavenly oils,
say, on a morning in early summer,
at its perfect imperial distance--
and have you ever felt for anything
such wild love--
do you think there is anywhere, in any
language,
a word billowing enough
for the pleasure
that fills you,
as the sun
reaches out,
as it warms you
as you stand there,
empty-handed--
or have you too
turned from this world--
gone crazy
for power,
for things?
We shared any reflections we had from the reading.
We were invited to spend time wandering around the property, engaging with the land, nature. I spent time with trees.
I found shoots of new life coming out of the ground, little green stems about 3-4 inches tall that will eventually bud, blood, and become the flowers they are.
I found a small stump shaped like a heart. It's the only photo I took. It was across a small ditch. With the rain we had recently, I didn't want to jump for a closer photo. The heart was a good noticing for me. It made me happy to see it.
#SeeAHeartShareAHeart
The sky was clear blue and the warmth of the sun was wonderful.
We gathered back together and shared our reflections.
We had a time of prayer.
Someone read a short reading about Saint Brigid from John O'Donohue's Anam Cara.
We closed with the song "Here Comes the Sun" with the host playing guitar, someone drumming on a beatbox (cajon box/drum). It was a perfect ending.
Clouds had begun to float across the clear blue sky by now, creating different patterns above us. They covered the sun off and on, but didn't take away the fullness of the sun.
It was good to have this time with another Wild Church.
I have been facilitating Bamboo Encounter since May 2019. It is good to sit back and receive, to be fed at times instead of leading.
I am grateful for the space to be outside, to spend time reflecting, wandering, gathering with others, and worshipping. I look forward to the next gathering.
This morning I was reflecting on today being the 12th Day of Christmas.
I wrote and posted this:
"On this 12th day of Christmas I give thanks that a human being so different from myself shows me how to live, love, and lead. Jesus reminds me that the color of my skin, hair, or eyes is not what makes me a kind and compassionate human. That comes from within. Jesus teaches me to love all God's children. Can I look beyond the skin, hair, eyes, gender, sexual orientation, attraction, language, finances, etc. to see the person inside? Can I take time to get to know the person that God created regardless of what my preconceived thoughts tell me? Maybe, if I listen, really listen, barriers will be destroyed--- barriers of language, ignorance, fear, mistrust, lack of knowledge, etc.
As Epiphany nears and I reflect on the gifts brought to the Christ child and the gift givers who brought them, may I be willing to continue to journey to see, to be in the presence of the Holy.
May the Christ child continue to draw people together to bring hope, peace, joy, and love into the world.
Rev. Deb"
At church, I was reminded that I am loved, that Jesus came to love and that we are to remind others that they are loved.
I can't think of a better lesson as we move into Epiphany.
Love. Jesus was and is about love. He taught us to love God and love neighbor as ourselves.
As I rejoice in the birth of a brown-skinned, Middle Eastern, undocumented immigrant, I reflect on how I might live, love, and lead like him.
How are you going to celebrate this 12th day of Christmas?
How does the birth and life of tbe Christ Child offer you insight into how you will live into 2025?
I have heard of "trail marker trees" before, but I've not done much research on them. When a friend pointed out that one of the trees I photographed on my 1st day hike was a Native American trail marker tree, I decided to do some research.
Here is the photo of the tree I took yesterday on the Green Gorge Loop Trail on Signal Mountain, TN:
Green Gorge Loop Trail
Signal Mountain, TN
In hindsight, I wish I had spent more time with the tree. How old is it, I wonder?!?! How long has it been showing the way?!?! Is this tree truly a trail marker tree?!?!
Also in hindsight, I wonder how many of these I've seen on hiking paths over the years. I may go through my photos, simply out of curiosity.
Here are some links I have found on "trail marker trees":
I just finished watching "The Six Triple Eight" tonight on Netflix. I had seen it advertised and I wanted to watch it.
I saw a little while back where a dear friend and colleague posted that she had watched it.
Wow. Read that backwards--wow.
Until I started seeing advertisements for the movie, I didn't know there was such a thing as this troop. Did I miss that in history class? That is possible. I struggled to learn history. Maybe I learned but forgot. That is also possible.
Having seen the movie, I want to learn more.
These women were incredible soldiers, trained and ready to serve their country. A country that treated them poorly, even those in the military, their colleagues treated them poorly. (Not everyone was this way-- there were lights of kindnessand respect.)
What caused the poor treatment? In my humble opinion, it was racism. It could have also stemmed from fear or ignorance. Both of these things cause racism and bigotry to live and thrive.
I could be wrong. If there is a good explanation that I am missing, I am open to hear it.
But what causes a human being to treat another human being poorly?
While watching the movie my emotions were all the place. I felt joy to see young love. I laughed when one of the characters said things. She seemed to be comic relief in some ways. She was raw, said it like it was, yet also showed compassion. I felt sadness and anger when overt racism reared its ugly head. I felt admiration for the captain who became a major and later a lieutenant colonel. She spoke truth in tough love and led her people well.
The war scenes at the beginning were difficult, but so was the racism.
I was amazed at the end when one of the main characters, Lena, was reading a document, as herself, at 100 years old.
The 6888th Battalion accomplished something no one else had done. They weren't expected to be able to do it
They showed grit and determination despite all the situations against them.
At times I had tears.
As I write, I am attempting to not give away any spoilers, in case you haven't seen it.
If you have seen it, share what struck you.
It did not escape my attention that the troop started off in Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia. I found that interesting. It made me want to learn more about the days of it being an active army post.
It was a powerful and poignant movie.
It was definitely worth my time to watch it and reflect on it.
Thanks (Gracias) to Bart Stewart for sharing about this trail yesterday on social media. It's a new (to me) trail. I knew I wanted to get out and hike somewhere today, so trying out the trail he posted yesterday seemed the perfect idea.
It was!
The loop has several access points, 3 bridges that cross Shoals Creek, goes close by the creek for much of the hike, has a great tree canopy, and has rocks and other fun things to check out.
The gurgling of the water, the singing and chirping of birds, the fresh air and the cool breezes today made for a perfect hike for the first hike of 2025.
Additionally, we ran into someone I knew from Welcome Home of Chattanooga. We chatted for a few minutes. Then a family passed us by that I recognized, but it took a moment for me to recall their names. That's the age thing. :) There were other people on the trail, but no one else that I knew.
Though it was 37 degrees Fahrenheit while we hiked, it was not too cold. I dressed in layers and had one of my hiking hats on.
To be so close to homes and streets, yet have the full feel of being in nature was a true gift. How have I not heard of this trail before?!?! If I lived on the mountain, it would definitely be a go-to hike.
There were spots where the water was so still and serene.
My favorite bridge was the first one. When we got to the other side, there was a sign that told us "no running or jumping". Thankfully, I didn't break that rule..... today. :) Truthfully, it's not a bridge I would feel comfortable running over.... it dips. As for jumping... I see the temptation.
I saw some really neat trees along the path. (see the photos below)
Not everyone is a nature person or one that enjoys getting out in the colder weather.
first bridge-- we went over it and went counter-clockwise
plaque on rock to left of map kiosk
"Patten Park"
The Green Gorge Loop Trail allowed me to try a new trail, get into creation, breathe in some air, and enjoy the Creator. There was some good silence and solitude time too. Outdoor and nature therapy is a huge part of my being. I'm grateful to have gotten some of it in today!
