Month: August 2016

Beauty of Nature, Stars

A Moment of Magic

Rev Kathy

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This year’s Perseid meteor shower might be the most magical thing you’ll ever see. We all love a good astronomical event taking place above our heads, especially if it’s shooting beams of light through the sky. This shower in particular has been well known since the year 1992 and will only occur once more, in the year of 2026.

The sky began falling on July 17th, and we will be able to see these wonders until the 24th of August. The best time to be outside viewing this amazing astronomical phenomena are between the days of the 11th and the 13th of August. That’s now.

This time around, the Perseid meteor shower is expected to be the most vivid and beautiful spectacle compared to the last time it made it’s great debut. The reason why we are able to view this grand performance of the stars is due to the comet shedding pieces/fragments that scatter into our atmosphere.

The fragments are hurling toward the Earth’s gravitational pull at about 100,000 miles per hour, which burns them up, creating a small burst of light just as they are about to poof into thin air.

What an exciting event that reminds us of the vastness and beauty of our universe. I hope to make time to watch for the showers of meteors and take in the moment of magic. I know it’s science, of course, but to me it’s magical, a sight to behold that may appear just once in my lifetime. So don’t miss this moment of magic. Go outside into the night. Take your love for the universe and your love for the world.

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars that you have established;
what are human beings that you are mindful of them,
mortals[a] that you care for them?
Yet you have made them a little lower than God,[b]
and crowned them with glory and honor.

Psalm 8:3-5 (NRSV)

Thanks be to God!
(Information from higherperspectives.com)

Politics

Not Enemies but Friends

Rev Kathy

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Donald Trump crossed the line of decency when he referred to a possible violent action toward Hillary Clinton by “Second Amendment people.” In the eloquent words of Dan Rather . . .

No trying-to-be objective and fair journalist, no citizen who cares about the country and its future can ignore what Donald Trump said today. When he suggested that “The Second Amendment People” can stop Hillary Clinton he crossed a line with dangerous potential. By any objective analysis, this is a new low and unprecedented in the history of American presidential politics. This is no longer about policy, civility, decency or even temperament. This is a direct threat of violence against a political rival. It is not just against the norms of American politics, it raises a serious question of whether it is against the law. If any other citizen had said this about a Presidential candidate, would the Secret Service be investigating?

Dan Rather is correct when he says that “we are a democratic republic governed by the rule of law. We are an honest, fair and decent people.”

In trying to come to terms with this discouraging development, Dan Rather summons our greatest political poet, Abraham Lincoln, for perspective:

“We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.”

Lincoln used these stirring words to end his First Inaugural Address. It was the eve of the Civil War and sadly his call for sanity, cohesion and peace was met with horrific violence that almost left our precious Union asunder. We cannot let that happen again.

Dan Rather, you are spot on! Must we let this political race make us enemies? Or can we protect the sacredness of friendship and unity? May God grant us the will to do that.

Freedom, Inspiration

Toward a Brighter Season of Hope

Rev Kathy

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In this time in history, we should make time to look through all that is happening, to look beyond violence to see peace, to look beyond rancorous politics to see hope. As a nation, we are better than what we are seeing on our newscasts every night. We are a brighter people, full of promise that we seem to have lost. We can ride this wave of disunity and let it guide our way, or we can say “enough!” There is not one political candidate or issue that should have the power to divide friend from friend, family from family. We can look higher. We can be better.

This writing by Steven Charleston says it all. I hope we will hear his words and lift our eyes to a brighter season of hope.

Time to look up. Time to look through the valley mist to see the sun sparkling on the mountains beyond. Time to move. Time to begin again the journey that brought us through so much celebration and sorrow to this place of new beginning. Time to gather the community. Time to make sure we have all of our tribe from every clan and family ready to walk together. Time to pray. Time to ask for a blessing on what we are about to do and to give thanks for the power of hope that carries us forward. Time to sing. Time to let the valley echo and the mountains ring with the sound of our voices as we set off once more on the great adventure of the human story. Time to love. Time to be who in our hearts we know we are.

Amen and amen!

Child protection

“You Can’t Help Me”

Rev Kathy

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When I look back on my years of working with victims of violence, one young boy stands out. His story changed my life. I will never forget the day he said to me, “Why should I tell you anything? My dad would find out and things would be worse for me. You can’t help me.”

He was right. We couldn’t help him, in spite of our tireless efforts. No matter how we approached advocating for him in family court and with the Division of Children and Family Services, we failed. At times, we even made the situation worse. Eventually the corrupt family judge banned our staff from the courtroom.

I have included in this post a picture this child drew. It is heartbreaking to know that a child would be forced to live with an abusive father. But it happens every day in this country. According to one conservative estimate, more than 58,000 children per year are ordered by family courts in the United States into unsupervised contact with a physically or sexually abusive parent.

Do we have the moral and political will to do whatever it takes to protect vulnerable children? Can our communities and our faith communities find way to advocate for abused children? Can we help end this national shame and protect the children? God grant that we never hear the words, “You can’t help me.”

Creating, Faith, Inspiration, Spirituality or Religion?

The Soul of Music

Rev Kathy

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Music is the stuff of the soul, a universal language that speaks to the depths of our being. I have long been a devotee of the choral composer John Rutter. I have marveled at his art and his giftedness. I recently read an article about his faith. Here is what he said.

You certainly have to have a sense of faith. That is not usually difficult for a musician, as musicians move easily in the realm of the mysterious and the transcendent. I don’t think it matters whether you are a signed-up believer of one particular faith.

I learned also that his faith is not of a specific tradition. It is more about spirituality than religion. He describes himself as a reverent believer at the time he is working on a sacred piece. He adds,

When I take a sacred text I believe every syllable of it while I am setting it to music because I think it’s part of an artist’s job to enter into states of being which are not necessarily his or her own. As long as I’m writing or conducting I am a firm believer and when I have finished I go back to being what I am the rest of the time, which is Agnostic.

Regardless of our religious tradition, God places a kind of brilliance within us. John Rutter, no matter his faith, has inspired the world of sacred music for decades. Music emerges from the soul, and John Rutter has created music of the soul.

I invite you to listen to his brilliant arrangement of the hymn, “For the Beauty of the Earth” at https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PaMkj4_H8WM.

Adventures, Courage, Dreams, Freedom, Inspiration

A Strange and Wonderful Concept

Rev Kathy

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What a strange and wonderful concept . . . Running toward something instead of running away from something. Ten athletes without a country will compete in the Rio Olympic Games. They are refugees. They have persevered after losing home and country, some after losing parents.

These ten refugee athletes will act as a symbol of hope for 21.3 million refugees worldwide and bring global attention to the magnitude of the refugee crisis when they take part in the Olympic Games Rio 2016.

One of the refugee athletes, Yusra Mardini, is a swimmer. About two years ago, Mardini was swimming to save her life and others. She was one of 20 refugees crossing the Mediterranean Sea in a boat when the motor stopped running.

Mardini fled the Syrian war in 2014 with her sister, who was with her on the boat. They dived into the water with one other passenger and pushed the boat to the shore. Everyone on board was saved.

She will compete for the Refugee Olympic Team (ROT) – the first of its kind. They marched proudly into the Olympic Stadium at the opening ceremony immediately before the host nation, Brazil, waving the Olympic flag.

How important a lesson we can learn from these athletes! How to survive in crisis. How to find strength and hope in the midst of loss. How to thrive after losing home. How to keep trying when others might have given up.

I am moved by their bravery, their tenacity and their resilience. I pray for good things to come to them. I pray that the world will be inspired by their example, to lift our eyes up to hope, to move forward into brighter days, to always strive to be the best we can be.

Faith, God's Faithfulness, Hope

Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Rev Kathy

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“Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow.”

These are words from the beloved hymn, “Great Is Thy Faithfulness.” There is so much truth in the words of that hymn.

 

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee,
Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not,
As Thou hast been, Thou forever wilt be.

Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me!

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above;
Join with all nature in manifold witness,
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own great presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today, and bright hope for tomorrow
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside.

Throughout my life, the faithfulness of God has sustained me. Life has not always been easy. I have experienced illness, abuse, betrayal and grief. At times, I felt abandoned and alone. At times, I almost gave up hope. But there was always strength for the day, no matter how despondent I was. And there was always the promise of bright hope for tomorrow. It’s all about faith that can endure the darkness and wait for the light. Anne Lamott describes faith so beautifully. “Faith includes noticing the mess, the emptiness and discomfort, and letting it be there until some light returns.”

Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning, great is Your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, ‘Therefore I hope in Him!”

Lamentations 3:22-24

I pray that, no matter what comes your way, you will have bright hope for tomorrow.

 

Faith, God's Faithfulness, Hope

His Eye Is on the Sparrow

Rev Kathy

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Sometimes I feel as if I am worth nothing. Fortunately, it is a brief feeling. Yet, it can be a strong, oppressive feeling. Most of us pass through difficult times. Most of us doubt our worth at times. Most of us feel insignificant at times.

I am reminded of these words from scripture:

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Matthew 10:29-31 (RSV)

Civilla Martin, who wrote the lyrics of the hymn “His Eye Is on the Sparrow,” said this about her inspiration to write the song.

Early in the spring of 1905, my husband and I were sojourning in Elmira, New York. We contracted a deep friendship for a couple by the name of Mr. and Mrs. Doolittle—true saints of God. Mrs. Doolittle had been bedridden for nigh twenty years. Her husband was an incurably disabled and had to propel himself to and from his business in a wheel chair. Despite their afflictions, they lived happy Christian lives, bringing inspiration and comfort to all who knew them. One day while we were visiting with the Doolittles, my husband commented on their bright hopefulness and asked them for the secret of it. Mrs. Doolittle’s reply was simple: “His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.” The beauty of this simple expression of boundless faith gripped the hearts and fired our imagination. The hymn “His Eye Is on the Sparrow” was the outcome of that experience.

In spite of times of discouragement, even when we feel disconsolate, there is a God who cares for us. There is a God who watches over us in sunshine and in shadow. There is a God who reminds us of our worth. I leave you with the message of the gospel song, “His Eye Is on the Sparrow.”

Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come,
Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heav’n and home,
When Jesus is my portion? My constant Friend is He:
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.


I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free,
For His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

“Let not your heart be troubled,” His tender word I hear,
And resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears;
Though by the path He leadeth, but one step I may see;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Whenever I am tempted, whenever clouds arise,
When songs give place to sighing, when hope within me dies,
I draw the closer to Him, from care He sets me free;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

peace

A Night Devoid of Stars

Rev Kathy
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http://www.hqpixs.blogspot.com

The newscasts report on our enemies. The politicians call out their names, adding that we should kill them before they kill us. They call them by name: “radical Islamic terrorists.” “ISIS.” “Al-Qaeda.” The list could go on.

We watch the bloodshed on our televisions. We entertain fear of the terrorism that could happen anywhere, at any time. There is no shortage of people who demonize our enemies.

To be sure, there is danger swirling about us. But as Christians, how do we justify killing and carnage? How do we justify millions of refugees trying to find a safe place to call home? I have no sure and certain answers to such wrenching questions. But my better self calls on these words from Dr. King.

I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. — Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

How shall we then live without adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars?

Faith, God's Faithfulness

Sunlight and Shadow

Rev Kathy

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Like most people, I have experienced both sunlight and shadow in my life. I have learned some very important lessons on how to thrive in either. Sunlit days are not so hard. But days filled with shadows can be exhausting. Those shadowy days definitely test my resolve, my courage and my resilience.

Shadowy days are filled with questions, with sadness, with trials in many forms. I survived such days, sometimes barely. But I did survive, and from there I can offer a witness to the utter and graceful faithfulness of God.

Shadowy days call to mind one of my favorite passages in the Bible.

We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed . . .

2 Corinthians 4:8-9

I have been cast down in my life, but never destroyed. Never in utter despair. Never forsaken by a loving God. I leave you today with the words of Bishop Steven Charleston.

I cannot take away what troubles you the most and I would not offer you easy answers to your hardest questions. Like you, I have been around long enough to know that sadness is a long distance runner and that healing is never a work of magic. All I can honestly offer is a witness, a shared moment of common sense experience, a reminder that life is far less fragile than we might imagine. We do survive. We heal. We reconcile. We do find an answer and we do change. Shadows cannot exist without sunlight, but sunlight can exist without shadows.

Faith, Transformation

We See God

Rev Kathy

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In the living of our days, at special times, we see God. Just when we least expect it! In the flutter of a hummingbird’s wings. In the whisper of the evening breeze. In the steady drop of gentle rain. In the sunset. In the moonlight. In the birdsong.

When we most need to, we see God. And every time, our hearts burn within us at the glory of God’s presence with us.

To be sure, it doesn’t happen often enough. We have dry days, days of feeling empty and uninspired, days when God does not seem near at all. We travel those days alone, it seems. And yet we remember the words Jesus spoke in his last days on earth.

And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it sees him not, neither does it know him him: but you know him; for he dwells with you, and shall be in you.I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world will see me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.

John 14:17-19

Yes, we do see God. We see God in so many ways, at so many times. And in those holy times, our hearts burn within us.

And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.

And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.

And they said one to another, “Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?”

Luke 24:30-33 (KJV)

I see God just when I most need to. When I see God, the Holy Spirit stirs my heart and comforts my soul. No matter what difficulty I am facing, the Comforter dwells within me and holds me close until the trial passes. When I see God, I am transformed, even if just for a moment.

God's Faithfulness

Just a Tiny Speck

Rev Kathy

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You and I are but a minuscule speck of dust in a vast universe. Yet, that reality doesn’t mean we are insignificant. Jesus talked about how the “very number of hairs on each of our heads is numbered.” (Matthew 10:30) even if we feel insignificant, we are very significant to the God who knows every sparrow that falls to the ground.

Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Matthew 10:29-31 New King James Version (NKJV)

Knowing this soothes us when we feel small and unimportant, when the world knocks us to the ground. Knowing that God knows us brings great comfort when we feel small and weak. When life circumstances beat us down, we have this good word from the God of the universe.

For it was you who formed my inward parts;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
that I know very well.
My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.

Psalm 139:13-15 RSV

Certainly, it is true that we are just a tiny speck in the universe, but we are a speck of great value to the God who created us.