Stealing Honey from a Swarm of Bees…

It’s been sunny three days in a row now.

The scary thing is, I’m starting to believe it.

In Seattle, where it rains upwards of 40 days in row, you really can’t get your hopes up about one sunny day. It could just be a 24 hours sanity break. But three days in a row? Now that’s temptingly Spring-like. Not to mention the crocuses are randomly blooming in my front lawn. (Remember that part in Generation X, where they throw playing cards on the front lawn and plant a daffodil bulb wherever one lands? I liked that.) Oh, and my neighbor’s ornamental cherry is all rosy…and this morning, at 7:30, it was vaguely … {read more…}

Recently I watched Kingdom of Heaven. There were three things that struck me about the film. The first was that prior to Christianity’s occupation of Jerusalem, the city was relatively open. Though Muslim controlled, Jews and Christians alike were allowed to come and worship. It was only after the crusades that the city became closed to one faith or the other. Second, I was struck by the way each side of the Muslim-Christian conflict would claim that God had issued their marching orders. This wasn’t news to me – we’ve obviously been doing throughout humankind’s long history. But there was something about seeing the various generals crying out “God wills it!” or “Allah wills it!” that brought the reality home … {read more…}

Wednesday, December 21
Winter Solstice

After two weeks of solid migraines I finally got into the neurologist today. I’m down to three options. 1) Try a new med which will make me dizzy and sleepy and see if it works. (It’s just the luck of the draw whether it works for my body or not. )2) See a gynecologist who specializes in endocrinology and see if we can get my body chemistry (i.e. hormones) in better alignment. (This option is most hopeful.) or 3) Botox most of the muscles in my head every three months.

I don’t want to think about it.

My migraine was down to a 3 on the pain scale, so I managed to get to yoga today. As … {read more…}

We went to church this weekend – twice, actually. For most pastors this is not unusual. But for any of you who have been reading along with me for awhile, you know I don’t fall under the category of “most pastors.”

Friday night we went over to the Seattle Vineyard, a place that was my church home for 15 years, the place which first released me into pastoral ministry. One of our monk-friends, Mike LaJoie, was having a CD release party there and we headed over to celebrate. Eden was immediately in seventh heaven. In addition to bright lights and dancing, there were snacks and dozens of grown up playmates to get reconnected to. She flitted about like … {read more…}

My husband Paul, is not a naturally artsy guy. He doesn’t often join us in the collage world, or even in the world of journaling. So when he makes something with the Monkfish folks, I pay attention.

At our All Soul’s night Paul made this memorial for Rosa Parks. He found a picture on line of Ms. Parks holding her police booking number. (She was arrested for refusing to sit in the back of the bus, which is where the “coloreds” were supposed to remain.) In most icons there is a lot of symbolic imagery — St. Julian is always holding a cat, St. Catherine is often pictured with a … {read more…}

The Scripture:

When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my delight, for I bear you name, O Lord God Almighty. I never sat in the company of revelors, never made merry with them; I sat alone because your hand was on me and you had filled me with indignation. Why is my pain unending and my wound grevious and incurable? Will you be to me like a deceptive brook, like a spring that fails? Therefore this is what the Lord says, “If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve me; if you utter worthy, not worthless words, you will be my spokesman.”
Jeremiah 15:16-19a

Phrases that … {read more…}

The Scripture:

Then the Lord answered Job out of the storm. He said: “Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. “Where were you wehn I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were it’s footings set, or who laid it’s cornerstone — while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?”

Phrases and images that arose during lectio:

while the morning stars sang in chorus…all the angels shouted … {read more…}

What you don’t know about me would fill a book.

I’m feeling sad this morning. Sometimes I wonder if I’m mentally ill, because yesterday I was high as a kite! I’d suspect bipolar disorder only my cycles are way too short.

Anyway I’m feeling sad this morning and it has something to do with a couple of emails I’ve received this week. I can’t quite shake it, and I can’t quite suss it all out in my head, so there’s nothing to do but to write it out.

So I got these two emails this week, one from a pastor at a local church who I do not know, and one from a distant acquaintance. In both emails these men expressed … {read more…}

Guest Blogger: Lindell Alderman

Most days my faith is not a comfortable place. It’s not a warm, fuzz-balled sweater that snuggle over myself when I’m feeling lost or confused or depressed. It’s not a shot of whiskey that I take to turn off my brain when the thoughts won’t stop racing. It’s not an epic liturgical drama that allows me for a moment to suspend my disbelief. It’s not the thump of a bass drum and the drone of a keyboard that wash over me in estatic worship.

Faith is tension. Faith is paradox. Faith is struggle. Faith is forcing myself to sit in uncomfortable spaces: Wrestling with ideas and … {read more…}

A week ago Thursday, we celebrated Diaz des los Muertos, Day of the Dead, All Saints … there are lots of names for this set of holidays. I tend to gravitate towards “All Souls,” myself, because it includes both the family members we want to remember and the historical figures that have inspired us.

In typical Monkfish fashion, we did our religious buffet and sampled from a bunch of traditions. Mr. Gill, the librarian at Eden and Cate’s school gave us sugar skulls to decorate. A stack of art supplies, saint cards from the local Catholic supply store (trippy!), and some family photos gave us plenty of fodder for creating icons … {read more…}