February soon gives way to March--Costa Rica was a February highlight

Two  more days in February and then March.

I don't know about you, but 2023 is going by fairly quickly for me. Where has February gone?

I got to go to Costa Rica at the beginning of this month for 5 days. What a great experience that was! I hadn't been in 11 years, since a mission trip in 2012. This time I went with a colleague (Rev. Leslie Daniels) to a new place to me. We went to Ciudad Quesada, to a camp-- Campamento Nehemías. It was formerly called the Methodist Rural Center. Though we were there only 5 days (with two of those days being travel days), we got quite a bit accomplished. We got to see and participate in an English lesson --their first one-- on Saturday morning. We attended church in Pital on Sunday morning and stayed for lunch. On Sunday afternoon we handed out suckers to the kids in the neighborhood at Mirador. We had local guides (two kids) taking us around and helping us meet the kids. We experienced Walmart and helped shop for some school supplies as school was starting back up. We painted a concrete wall, first white on one day and then black on the 2nd day. The white was the base paint. We toured the camp, hiking down into the rainforest, seeing the beautiful creek area. We met two different mission teams from KY. The day we flew out, we got a great tour of Dr. Russell's property, seeing the incredible prayer chapel, the top of the land, the horses, and of course, the UT cart. It was a great trip and I am so glad I got to go, even though it was a quick one.

Coming back home, the retired guy had shoulder surgery and some clean up on his biceps the following week, so it was back to reality fairly quickly. All went very well with his surgery and his recovery is going well too!

Then, Ash Wednesday came and began the Lenten season.

Now we are heading into March.

As the fog gives way to broken clouds and blue skies, so February begins to give way to March. As the lyrics go: 'Time keeps on slippin', slippin', into the future.'

It was good to be back in Costa Rica-- was it the 14th trip?!?! I need to go back and count them all up-- a business trip while I was teaching at Bryan College, mission trips, honeymoon, a family spring break trip..... Can you tell I like this place? Landing was wonderful. Being able to speak Spanish, meet people, eat Costa Rican food, drink Costa Rican coffee-- all that was wonderful too. It was too short, but it did my heart, mind, soul, and body good.

Pura vida.

As I continue to live the adventurous journey, enjoy these pictures from the Costa Rica trip:

Leslie took this to prove I worked.

Leslie took a photo of  me in the amphitheater. There is a sweet spot where you can hear yourself. :)

Leslie took a photo of us with Dino at Walmart.

I had some stickers made for the camp.

Soda shop on the way from the airport.

Zarcero

Zarcero

the stained glass windows inside

still Zarcero

our friend

beauty everywhere

more beauty

more beauty

Costa Rican banana phone :)

chapel

mural (one of MANY)

inside the welcome center

English class on Saturday morning

getting the tour from Paul (center)

tile inside the one of the cabins, on the bathroom floor

there were several of these along the path in the woods 

mansedumbre--meekness

goso (gozo)-- joy

I think there must have been a "Fruit of the Spirit" trail and these were the only two signs I saw.

This truly was a "little piece of heaven".

Park in Ciudad Quesada, all decked out for February

Camp sign by the road

flowers at Pital church

at Pital church

Pastor Luis

communion bread-- melt in your mouth!

Sunday School hallway upstairs

Mirador

Mirador

Church in Mirador

cortesa amarilla-- yellow ? (in English)

Paul playing with the kiddos in Mirador

Cotton, yes, cotton, growing in the front yard

dogs playing and tails wagging

newest and youngest pup--Dingo

Tiny friend in my shower

Got the wall painted! With the help of Leslie's parents!

Ice cream break

Welcome center

Dingo-- so dang cute!

Leslie and her parents, Jerry and Chris

Leslie and I were left to paint it black by ourselves. 

Pavilion by chapel

We did it!

Way to go, Leslie!

Sunset, coming home from a quick visit to see a place where they feed folks.

Pineapple!

Queso on the left and Calucho on the right. 

The team got the wall up!

Breakfast! Gallo pinto and fruit!

Blanca, a wonderful cook and helper

If the steps down are too much, take this path.

One of Dr. Russell's horses

the infamous UT cart!

Dr. Jerry Russell feeding one of his horses

view from the prayer chapel

view of the creek from the prayer chapel

prayer chapel

prayer chapel

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