Today begins the week of Prayer for Christian Unity. One faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all. A zillion denominations, ideas, opinions. Why can't everyone just get along?
Perhaps division is as important for bodily health as unity. Each finger, each toe, divided from the other grants a flexibility for pounding the keyboard that web feet don't have. (No, I don't type with my feet--just follow the quacky metaphor.) Love assumes connection despite differences, despite the great divide that appears when you look from finger tip to finger tip. Love struggles on.
LOCALS: It looks like I'm going to be doing a monthly column in the Sentinel (local newspaper) on "church events & news." Thanks to all who prayed as I worked toward this (don't stop now!). Thanks also to those who confirmed tidbits of info for what we'll call the "dialogue" columns (unpublished) over Christmas. I'll try to rework the info into future columns. Meanwhile please help me out by sending interesting bits of information, news, gossip, church events.....
WEB FEAT: www.cyberhymnal.org is a great place to look up the words to the third line of that song you've been singing under your breath. You can read interesting details about the hymn while your computer merrily plays the music and waves a banner with a relevant verse of scripture. Unfortunately you can't hum a few bars into your computer and have the site dish out the name of that illusive song that's been bugging you. At least not yet.
I read BLESS ME ULTIMA right before going to Mexico. Good literature although somewhat distressing from a Christian point of view. Mexican spiritism: the church's magic a pale thing next to the old bruja, whose herbs and magic hold the real power. Yet perhaps that is how it should be, the church's treasure always deeper than magic, as Aslan has pointed out to anyone who ever read THE LION , THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE. Nevertheless, ritual and social structure have never been enough, as reformation after reformation has taught us. Scripture, sacrament and the power of the Holy Spirit....Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.
THE JOURNALING SYMPOSIUM was so much fun that two-thirds of the participants insisted on making it a monthly event. We are now meeting on the last Friday of the month at noon. The Final Friday Folk. So we have a First Tuesday Writer's Group that meets at 7:15 pm, and the Final Friday Folk at noon. (Stay tuned for the Mid Monday Meeting, or the Wicked Wednesday Wenches--yet to be designed.) These meetings are open groups; you are most welcome.
OF COURSE I couldn't resist checking out some books on Journaling. Here are three worthy of mention: A TRAIL THROUGH LEAVES--The Journal as a Path to Place by Hannah Hinchman $18. Hannah is a scientist/artist who inspires you to slow down and LOOK, and add pictures to your journals. Along similar lines is WILD DAYS-Creating Discovery Journals by Karen Rackliff $9.95. Karen is a home school mom, and this book is not only eye opening for any would-be journalist, it is also full of ideas on how to bring children into the joys of journaling. I wish I had read it fifteen years ago.
On an entirely different tack, WRITING TO BE WHOLE by Eddie Ensley & Robert Herrman is a very Jesus centered journaling book with questions and meditations designed to bring healing, release, and spiritual awareness. It has a spiral binding with sections to write right in the book. I always prefer writing in my OWN books, but you can do that too, and then pass the text on to someone else. $17.95
A LOVELY TWO BOXES of books waited on the doorstep one morning: Pythches's COME HOLY SPIRIT, Lovelace's DYNAMICS OF SPIRITUAL LIFE, Lee's PAUL, THE SPIRIT, AND THE PEOPLE OF GOD, Leland Ryken WORLDLY SAINTS on the Puritans and various other gems that already have gone out the door. Right about the time I get tired of schlepping through boxes of old books, in comes some creme of the crop. Thank you whoever you are.
BOB BROUGHT in several boxes of 50's & 60's Christian fiction, primarily published by Zondervan. Just looking at the covers is a time trip. We're sure that ONE of them is that thousand dollar rarity. We just haven't figured out WHICH ONE yet.
IF YOU LIKE POKING around books and entertaining angels, consider joining The Word Shop staff. We could use a weekly person on Tuesday or Thursday mornings, or a monthly shift commitment on a Sunday afternoon. You will get quiet time to read, spiced by surprise guests. A shifty adventure.
MYSTERIES ARE morality plays in disguise, and British mysteries are still the top in my book. I read P.D. James's DEATH IN HOLY ORDERS while on vacation. Murder and mayhem in a remote Anglican seminary. A great two day read. Now I want to find her autobiography, TIME TO BE IN EARNEST. One book does lead to another.
I'M DOING accounts. Last year I promised myself that I wouldn't leave the whole year until January, but here I am. Up one month, down another....I keep reminding myself of a billboard I saw in the bay area: "It's a balance sheet, not a scoreboard." Right.
What is becoming clear, however, is that the months we are invited to a conference are the months we are in the black. Think of us when you plan your next event.
All the world's a stage and most of us are desperately unrehearsed. -Sean
O'Casey, playwright (1880-1964)
Blessings,
Alliee +