Digging Deeper into the Scriptures--thanks, Steve Harper!

Photos are of my yard signs and garden flags. DD

This past week, Steve Harper did a mini series for four posts/days on his blog Oboedire. The focus for this mini-series was LGBTQ+ Writing: Liberating Scripture.

You can go to his blog (link above) and find the posts or you can click on them below.

I am grateful to Steve Harper for doing this mini-series. 

Steve Harper was one of my 2 Year Academy Faculty when I went through Academy #32. I also did an independent study course with him on discernment for seminary. Those are the only two courses I've had with him, but I've kept up with his leading and teaching through his blog and on Facebook. I've read his books. I invite you to check out his books, if you're not familiar with his writings. In particular, I invite you to check out Holy Love: A Biblical Theology for Human Sexuality.

I continue to learn from him and appreciate his scholarship.

Here are the four posts.

LGBTQ+ Writing: Liberating Scripture 1

LGBTQ+ Writing; Liberating Scripture 2

LGBTQ+ Writing: Liberating Scripture 3

LGBTQ+ Writing: Liberating Scripture 4

I posted each of these on my social media (Facebook) page, with brief comments and/or quotes from what I had read from each of them.

For #1--An insightful and encouraging reflection to begin the Lenten season. Just as we learned the earth wasn't flat, we can be open to science and to the ongoing teaching of the Holy Spirit.

For #2--Day 2 of inspirational and insightful writing. Lent is a season for reflection. May it be so. Thank you, Steve Harper.

For #3--Taking a deeper look into the Scripture. Thank you, Steve Harper. "Sexual orientation in general and homosexuality in particular were not in Paul's mind."

For #4-- More research. More learning. Thank you for this series, Steve Harper. 

I invite you to check it out.

May we do better because we know better.

"New discoveries at the micro and macro levels of existence enable us to recognize the previous errors, and correct them."

"Luther Allan Weigle, head of the RSV translation committee, wrote "The RSV committee decided the word "homosexual" was an inaccurate translation of malakoi and arsenokoitai in 1 Corinthians 6:9.""

Those are brief quotes I posted. There are many more nuggets of learning and research in the four posts. I invite you to read them with an open heart and an open mind. 

The Holy Spirit continues to teach and guide us.

May we live into love, loving God and loving others as we love ourselves.

Peace, 

Rev. Deb

P.S.

United Methodist Insight carried the first post. Maybe it carried the others too. You can find it here: UM Insight.

First day of Lent-- Labyrinth and Ashes

Yesterday was Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. I have felt that praying the labyrinth will be my Lenten practice this year. Thiugh I don't know how often I will do it, I think I will at least be able to walk and pray once weekly. 

Before our Ash Wednesday service I took some time for walking/praying.

Here are my reflections and photos from that:

Labyrinth on the first day of Lent.
I entered this circle not knowing what to pray. I simply want to be open to the love of God. It is love that enters my mind-- love of God and love for others. I offer thanks. As I enter the center, the carillon bells of the church begin to ring. I sit. They stop playing too soon. I  rise to take with me the music, the breezes, the blowing branches and moving clouds. May I hear deep within the Voice of Love.
Breathing in and breathing out.
@burksumc_hixson
#labyrinth

There were some things that caught my attention from Pastor Tony during his homily at the service. 

These are the words and phrases that stuck most with me:

• Be still and trust.
• What Lent is about.
• Let God take away the pain and bind up the wounds.
• A different kind of Lent-- keep trying. Don't give up.
• Colossians 3:12
• Take on the work of God. 

A photo of the ashes:

A photo of the ashes on my forehead:

It is different not doing a service and simply being there, participating. It is part of the time I am in. I trust it. I trust God. I know I am where I am supposed to be for this time.

Today I had the privilege of going with my parents to my dad's best friend's celebration of life in Dalton. They grew up together,  went to high school and  played football together, and went to West Georgia together. Our families grew up together, my brothers being closer in age to the kids than I was. But we all took trips together from time to time. I last heard dad's friend on the phone a few weeks back. Today's pictures showed his infectious smile. He will be missed. By many. The church was packed out. 

It is for these special times and others that I know I am right where I am supposed to be.

The Lenten journey toward the cross has begun. I look forward to what my reflections might teach me these 40 days.

Peace, 

Rev. Deb

Curiosity as a spiritual practice

Me, heading to Costa Rica on Feb 3, 2023-- curious what it would be like after 11 years.

Curiosity led me around the corner of the parsonage to find this beauty at the Pital Church!

Curiosity as a spiritual practice?!?!

You may be asking yourself if that is truly "a thing".

Well, I was CURIOUS, so I started doing some research recently and LO and BEHOLD (what a great expression!), it is!

Not only is it a spiritual practice, but Albert Einstein calls curiosity "holy".  He writes this:

"The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing. One cannot help but to be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery every day. Never lose a holy curiosity."

"Old Man's Advice to Youth: 'Never Lose a Holy Curiosity'". Life magazine, p. 64, May 02, 1955.

Dealing with Mystery, the unknown, it seems normal to be curious and therefore to have a holy curiosity. One of my favorite authors on the unknown is Thomas Merton. His prayer on the unknown from Thoughts in Solitude has helped me live into holy curiosity before I knew it was a spiritual practice.

"My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope that I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone."

Asking questions is good; it is normal; it is holy.

We might even learn something new.

We will likely learn something new.

We can learn from so many things and people-- those who are different from us-- younger, older, from different places, those who are of different faiths, those who don't look like us or sound like us, even those who follow a different political party.

Yes, I believe we can learn from one another if we listen to one another, share our stories, and keep a holy curiosity.

We can learn from the marginalized, the oppressed, the unwanted, the ostracized. Who are those people in your community, in your state, in your country? Has that person ever been you?

In my state (and in many states right now), the transgender, non-binary community is being ostracized as bill are being written and passed against them. This matters to me. It matters to me on several levels--1-- on a human level, how other humans are being treated; 2-- on a faith level-- I don't believe it's how Jesus would treat these humans; and 3-- on the parental level.

I wonder where holy curiosity is among the legislature? Do people want to get to know their transgender and non-binary siblings? Do they want to hear their stories or is there something to the "difference" that keeps people in the legislature from seeking information to understand? Could ignorance and fear of the other be part of the barrier? That's where holy curiosity can come in-- getting to know 'the other'. With the bills that are in legislation, it feels that those on capitol hill have no understanding nor desire to understand what transgender and non-binary people experience.

They could attempt understanding. There is good science and research available for those who seek to learn and understand. There is information on gender affirming health care. The two links below show the importance for transgender health care. I am not going to get into all the statistics here about how gender affirming health care is life saving, but I wish and hope that legislature would have a holy curiosity toward the topic and would recognize that taking away gender affirming healthcare is anything but healthy. (The two links below are WPATH and WHO.)

WPATH-- World Professional Association for Transgender Health

WHO-- World Health Organization on gender incongruence and transgender health

How, you might ask, have I arrived to be here, to be someone that is open to listen to others?

In some ways, it started when I was you and I got to know all sorts of people. Camp played a role in it for me as well. As campers, we were all equal. It didn't matter who we were during the year or where we were from, etc.-- at camp, we were campers. Now, we did get into some big tribal/club competition and that mattered. :) In high school and in college I made friends with people of various pigmentation. In college I travelled to Spain and Mexico and saw the world from a different lens.

As I have traveled my faith pilgrimage over the years, I have met all sorts of people with deep faith in different places. 

I have met many LGBTQ+ persons of deep faith, those who follow Christ and those of other faith traditions and backgrounds. 

Holy curiosity to ask questions and to listen has helped me get to know "the other" rather than dismissing them simply because of differences or not fitting what I had been taught.

There is much room for mystery and the unknown, allowing growth and change to what I thought I knew and what I had been taught. As I remain open to the Holy Spirit who continues to teach me (as Jesus said in John 14:26--"The Companion, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I told you.")

A few articles on the spiritual practice of curiosity:

The Spiritual Practice of Being Curious by Jean Wise

The Spiritual Practice of Being Curious 2 by Jean Wise

Holy Curiosity as a Way to think about effective listening

As I am curiously exploring curiosity as a spiritual practice and what it means to listen effectively and to have a "holy curiosity", here are some of the things I plan to practice:

• keep and open heart and mind toward others
• practice active listening
• ask open-ended questions
• allow curiosity to guide

I won't get it right all the time. Like any practice, it takes practice.

I look forward to exploring curiosity more.

May it be an adventurous journey!

Rev. Deb

A previous post on being curious:

Embracing Soul Care-- Be Curious! (May 31, 2018)

Journey to the Center-- labyrinth time

This past Monday I felt compelled to visit a nearby labyrinth on my way to work in Dalton, GA. The morning air was cool and crisp and the ground was frosty and crunchy.

Walking and praying a labyrinth has been part of my spiritual practices for a while now, but I don't do it regularly. I am considering it as a regular Lenten practice this year, though I don't know how often I can commit to it. We'll see.

This time in the labyrinth I felt and heard the crunch of the mulch beneath me. I heard the songs of birds surrounding me in nearby trees, though I didn't really see many of them.

My custom is to take a moment before entering the labyrinth, taking a moment of stillness and offering the time to Creator. Then I began the journey and offer whatever names and situations come to mind as I walk the journey in, offering them in prayer to Creator. When I get to the center, I stop. I rest. I listen. In this labyrinth, there are three benches in the center for just that-- stopping and resting. 

When I begin my journey out, I offer whatever names and situations that come to mind in thankfulness and praise to Creator. 

As I reach the end, I step out and take a moment of stillness, giving thanks for the time with Creator.

Though I may not know 100% what has transpired within me during this time, it is more than not a time of calming, strengthening, renewing, and centering for me. 

I am grateful to have this labyrinth so close to where I live and grateful that I listened to the "nudge" on Monday.

I posted this on my social media while I was in the center:

"Come with me to the center. Join me at the labyrinth and walk/pray with me. Your burdens and joys are likely different from mine, yet we can offer them here. We can listen to the birds sing and hear the crunch of our feet on the frosty mulch. Breathing in and breathing out. (The video is about 5 1/2 minutes. It only contains the journey in.) #labyrinth #spiritualpractice @burksumc_hixson"

Here are photos and the video from the labyrinth:

Peace on the adventurous journey, 

Rev. Deb

Trusting. Letting Go. Being.

The photo is the sky as we headed down to the birthday party. 

The post is from last January.  I didn't write much last year and fully skipped February. "Don't give up"-- the signs in a neighborhood yard were meaningful. 

https://alienadventurejourney.blogspot.com/2022/01/thoughts-on-not-giving-up.html

My attempt to live, love, and lead like Jesus was difficult for many reasons. However, I continued and continue to do my best to live, love, and lead like Jesus. 

I didn't give up. I finished the best that I could. 

As I wrote recently, I am healing. Healing takes time. I  kinda knew it would take a good six months. And, that's okay.

I still don't have answers to all my questions. Nor do I understand all things of the past or even present.  And, that's okay too.

Thomas Merton continues to remind me to trust in the One who knows me. That One will show me the way. And Chardin reminds me to trust in the slow work of God.

Trusting. Letting go. Being. 

DD

Healing takes time

This morning I read a post that caused me to pause some. I read Kat Garcia Hunt's posts daily. They often cause me to pause, offering me encouragement, insight, or something else. I was introduced to Kat's postings by her husband Patrick, whom I met several years ago in an Advent group. His yearly Advent wreath in his yard have encouraged me for years.  I have just "met" his wife recently and her posts, both the words and the art, have been uplifting and encouraging. The post included a cool photo, of a water whirlpool, but what stood out to me was the earthworm in the poem. I looked all day for an earthworm. I finally found one, on my afternoon walk. It's not a complete one, but it fits.

The reading/quote this morning was this: 

Healing comes less like a falcon
with mighty wings,
and more like an earthworm
that slowly, slowly moves
beneath it all, tightening up,
then stretching out, tightening up
and stretching out, a simple
two-part rhythm. Some days,
that is all the body can do.
Contract. Expand. Contract. Expand.
In the meantime, through this
artless act, what is dense
becomes porous.
In the meantime, what is stuck
and clotted gets moved around.
What is dead passes through,
is processed by the grit inside.
There are tunnels now in the soil of me,
thin channels of recovery—
a blessed loosening,
a gradual renewal. It’s unhurried, but
I feel the air, the rain,
the life coming in.
~Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer

I am not familiar with Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer. First, let's learn a little about the author. You can read about her here.  She lives in Colorado. Hmmm... next time I'm in that awesome state, maybe I can look her up. :)

Her poem, "How the Healing Comes", can be found here.

How the healing comes..... I didn't know the title until just now.  What stood out to me as I read it this morning was that healing comes slowly, like an earthworm. "Contract. Expand."  As I read the poem, it reminded me of Chardin's "trust in the slow work of God". Healing does come slowly, or at least it has been for me. It is taking months upon months for healing and I'm not fully there yet.

However, I am encouraged in that what is stuck is being moved around and what is dead is passing through, there is recovery and there is a loosening, there is renewal, life is coming in.

There are many things attributing to my healing process-- LOTS of outdoor time, silence, solitude, time apart, time away, time serving family, therapy, spiritual direction and supervision, spiritual practices, painting, putting up guttering, putting together a bench from scratch (cutting the wood, painting it, etc.), hiking, walking, travel to CO and UTAH, etc. 

Here is Chardin's "Trust in the Slow Work of God", which was shared at my last in person residency this past November. It was another one of those "cause for a pause" moments. Impactful. Meaningful.

"Trust in the Slow Work of God" 

Above all, trust in the slow work of God.
We are quite naturally impatient in everything to reach the end without delay.
We should like to skip the intermediate stages.
We are impatient of being on the way to something unknown, something new.
And yet it is the law of all progress
that it is made by passing through some stages of instability—
and that it may take a very long time.
And so I think it is with you;
your ideas mature gradually—let them grow,
let them shape themselves, without undue haste.
Don’t try to force them on,
as though you could be today what time
(that is to say, grace and circumstances acting on your own good will)
will make of you tomorrow.
Only God could say what this new spirit
gradually forming within you will be.
Give Our Lord the benefit of believing
that his hand is leading you,
and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself
in suspense and incomplete.

~Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, S.J. (1881-1955)

Healing. It's a good thing. It's okay for it to take time.

May it be so.

Rev. Deb

An Opportunity to Serve

Me and Rev. Leslie Daniels 

On Sunday, January 8, 2023, I participated in worship at Burks UMC. Though I have preached twice at Fairview UMC during my leave of absence, this was my first time to serve in any capacity at Burks UMC. Burks UMC is my "sending" church, the church that voted for me to pursue candidacy and supported me through the process. It is now my charge conference church while on family leave of absence. We attend there primarily.

The Associate Pastor, Rev. Leslie Daniels, had asked me if I would help with the liturgy that day because the Senior pastor, Rev. Tony Collins would be out. I said yes since we were going to be in town that day. I helped with the call to worship, the affirmation of faith, the prayer before the tithes and offerings, and with holding a bowl for those who wanted to remember their baptism. 

It was a special experience for me. 

I haven't served at Burks UMC since I left as a lay person. It was meaningful for me to look around, to see faces known and unknown, and remember that this church had supported me on my journey to become a pastor.

The dear people at Burks UMC presented me with a hymnal to celebrate my ordination. People had written in the front and back, and on hymn pages. It has always been encouraging and heart warming to open up the hymnal to sing a hymn, and read what someone had written.

On January 8th, being at Burks UMC, opening up that hymnal and seeing words of encouragement was even more encouraging.

The hymns we sang that Sunday were: "Lift High the Cross" #159. There I saw the words "In all we do, " before the title of the hymn and the names Dave & Debbie Bruggink. The next hymn was "Amazing Grace" #378. Carol Harris signed it with a heart, along with Ron & Pam Elsea. I couldn't help but notice the writing on the left hand page as I sang "Amazing Grace". There were two notes on "It Is Well with My Soul". Yes, I thought to myself, it IS well with my soul.

During the time of remembering our baptism, the musicians played and sang "Holy Water". I don't remember hearing this song before, yet as I looked up the lyrics, it does seem familiar. As I stood there holding a bowl of water for people, it was a holy moment.

Here are the lyrics to the song:

God, I'm on my knees again
God, I'm begging please again
I need you
Oh, I need you

Walking down these desert roads
Water for my thirsty soul
I need you
Oh, I need you

Your forgiveness
Is like sweet, sweet honey on my lips
Like the sound of a symphony to my ears
Like Holy water on my skin

Dead man walking, slave to sin
I wanna know about being born again
I need you
Oh, God, I need you

So, take me to the riverside
Take me under, baptize
I need you
Oh, God I need you

Your forgiveness
Is like sweet, sweet honey on my lips
Like the sound of a symphony to my ears
Like holy water on my skin
(On my skin)

I don't wanna abuse your grace
God, I need it every day
It's the only thing that ever really makes me wanna change

I don't wanna abuse your grace
God, I need it every day
It's the only thing that ever really makes me wanna change

I don't wanna abuse your grace
God, I need it every day
It's the only thing that ever really makes me wanna change

I don't wanna abuse your grace
God, I need it every day
It's the only thing that ever really makes me wanna change

Your forgiveness
Is like sweet, sweet honey on my lips (yes, it is)
Like the sound of a symphony to my ears
It's like holy water

Your forgiveness
Is like sweet, sweet honey on my lips
Like the sound of a symphony on my ears
It's like holy water on my skin
It's like holy water on my skin
It's like holy water

-----------------------------------------------------------

Here is a video of the song sung by "We the Kingdom"

I am grateful for the opportunity to serve in the church that sent me into ministry. It's not the only church responsible for my becoming a pastor, but it had much to do with it. 

Peace in and on the journey, 

Rev. Deb