Bob Carlton sent me this Patriarchy-to-English phrase book. The one I’ve most often experienced is:

Patriarchy: ‘you’re too emotional’
Translation: ‘this issue only hurts women, so why get upset?

Tom Sine at Mustard Seed Associates invited me to present at The Church Has Left the Building. It’s an experiential weekend to help folks inspire each other to live more incarnationally/missionally. Like most postmodern/emergent type events, it’s evolving as the planning goes on. My workshop/practice will be on creating sacred space, and rituals that you can do with multi-faith groups of friends. I’ll also be presenting at the pre-event COTA learning party on neo-monasticism and there is an “after” day in Silverdale at a Christian co-housing project. It’s a pretty electic offering and I think it will prove quite interesting. If you are in the Northwest, you might want to check the weekend out.

So I’ve been pondering Lent for a bit. I have a love hate relationship with Lent — which is the 40 days before Easter. On the one hand I resist the tendency of the religious culture I was raised in to see Lent as a nice long period of self-flaggelation and general bad feelings. On the other, I adore the idea of spending 40 days with Jesus — in the desert or otherwise. Added to this is my general love of all things self-improvement oriented and 40 days of any sort of noble goal is very motivating to me.

This year, I’ m trying to think through a couple of things about how we at Monkfish Abbey should celebrate Lent. … {read more…}

I bashed up the minivan AGAIN yesterday trying to get out of a tight parallel parking spot on the very steep Capital Hill. The reality is I am just not a good enough driver to manage a minivan in the city — the car is too big for city driving and parking. We also got hit by someone in a parking lot (an SUV by the looks of it) a few weeks ago so the taillight/bumper damage I did yesterday has been addeded to the three panel-dents and scratches from the hit and run.

Suffice it to say we are going to take a bath on this car (it’s only two years old) because we have to trade it in … {read more…}

I live in a city where a mega church pastor repeatedly instructs his young congregation to see women as subservient to men…

I practice a religion where systemic dysfunction keeps many women from being who they were truly meant to be….

I dwell on a globe where women and girls are systematically raped and murdered in order to allow the violent and the powerful to be more violent and more powerful…

“If I had a hammer, I would smash patriarchy.” – Maybe in my blog, I’ve found it.

What about you? Where do you live? What do you practice? Do you have a hammer?

March 8th is International Women’s Day. Let’s make it the day we raise our voices, the day we … {read more…}

Well, I got the infamous botox treatment for migraines yesterday. Paul went with me to keep me company. The scheduler said it would take 20 minutes, but we were there for over an hour, so that’s good to know for the next time (if there is a next time.)

First I put ice packs on my neck and forehead for 40 minutes. This was actually nice because I had a migraine at the time and the ice on my neck helped the pain back down. Then my doctor came in and offered to get me “something for the pain.”
“I have demoral at home.” I said.
“Yes, well you might want something for now because it is 20-25 needle … {read more…}

The elevator doors open with a hiss, with a sigh. Jake sighs. He moves heavily through the retreating doors, shoulders creeping unknowingly towards his ears, his head weighty on the stem of his neck. He wills his feet to move him towards his car; puts his hand into the large square pocket of his canvas coat; his fingertips reach for his keys. Instead he finds the ridged rim of a prescription bottle. It rattles. Jake encloses the cap with two fingers and a thumb, extracts the culprit. Lyrica, 20 milligrams, 60 count. Do not operate heavy machinery. Do not take with alcohol. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. Lyrica. Such a pretty name. Like a sultry goddess. Like … {read more…}

give some love away today!

I’ve recently made a new acquaintance, Tonya Sargent. She’s not only beautiful, sensitive, and intellgent, she’s also a damn fine writer and has a passion for global justice.

Tonya has recently written a piece on the Women of Congo which you can read here. Unlike most articles about international crises this piece does not leave you feeling overwhelmingly sad and vaguely guilty. Instead, Tonya includes helpful, practical, empowering suggestions for taking action. I strongly encourage you to click over there and give her fifteen minutes of your time.

Much Shalom!

Rachelle

I don’t know why I write about my mirgraines so much, other than I’m trying to stay present to everything in my life — not just the good. This is what I wrote this morning:

“I don’t feel good and my head hurst and something is wrong. I don’t know what to do. I just sit in my room with the shades closed and it’s still not dark enough. It’s a perfect Spring-like day and I’m sitting inside a darkened room. It’s ironic, becuause I’m acting just like I did when I was depressed in college — curl up in a ball, hide out in my room, cry. But the wierd thing is, I’m not depressed. My body is defintely not … {read more…}