I echo mike in saying that last night's gathering was excellent. we read from the lectionary and prayed the psalms. discussion centered around Matt. 16:13-20:

And so I say to you, you are Peter,
and upon this rock I will build my church,
and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven.
Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven;
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
Then he strictly ordered his disciples
to tell no one that he was the Christ.

We questioned why Jesus would tell his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ. In context of the surrounding verses it seemed to make sense to us that the jewish people (and even his disciples on some level) were expecting the coming messiah to be a violent revolutionary and that he would choose the way of power to overthrow the powers of their age. But Christ immediatly begins to tell his disciples about the way of suffering and servanthood. From that time Jesus went on to make clear to his disciples how he would have to go up to Jerusalem, and undergo much at the hands of those in authority and the chief priests and scribes, and be put to death, and the third day come again from the dead. So much to unpack here about our relationship to the powers of our day...

Discussion also surrounded the part about binding and loosing... and earth and heaven. The body of Christ reveals that the Kingdom of heaven is at hand through binding and loosing, through forgiving one another's sins, offering words of healing, bringing restoration, offering reconcilliation. If one would ask "so then where is this 'heaven' you say has come to earth?" we would offer them the body of Christ in the manifestations of these very tangible tasks of the body. These things are glimpses into the Kingdom... showing very practically that there is a NEW WAY TO BE HUMAN

thanks friends
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currently playing::Matisyahu

praying the psalms for the suffering & oppressed

"the psalms support the suffering and oppressed. these texts summon the community to participate with Yahweh in acts of liberation. the contemporary trend to spiritualize the psalms can lead readers to miss the fact that these texts call the worshiping community to create and support just societal structures. the psalms do imply vested interests. considered as a whole, the book's primary interest is fullness of life, a basic component of which is justice. the psalms declare God's support for justice in the human community."

-W.H.Bellinger, JR. from Psalms: Reading and Studying the Book of Praises

Psalm 94

14 For the Lord will not forsake his people; he will not abandon his heritage; 15 for justice will return to the righteous, and all the upright in heart will follow it. 16 Who rises up for me against the wicked? Who stands up for me against evildoers? 17 If the Lord had not been my help, my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence. 18 When I thought, "My foot is slipping," your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up. 19 When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul. 20 Can wicked rulers be allied with you, those who contrive mischief by statute? 21 They band together against the life of the righteous, and condemn the innocent to death. 22 But the Lord has become my stronghold, and my God the rock of my refuge. 23 He will repay them for their iniquity and wipe them out for their wickedness; the Lord our God will wipe them out.

a note from my new friend pam

Priorities

It is a frequent experience in my line of work to talk to people who are panicked about their health and frightened about whether or not they are going to have a future, or what that future will look like. Cancer patients, people undergoing bypass surgery, diabetics facing amputation, people hospitalized for unknown ailments - these people have several things in common. One is that they do what I call "making deals with God." They pray for an opportunity to live and they'll promise to do anything, even eat tofu, if afforded that chance.

The second thing they do is to develop a certain clarity about what is important in life. They begin to think differently, act differently and appreciate more. Ernestine Bradley, the wife of former New Jersey Senator Bill Bradley and a breast cancer survivor says, "Having had cancer and seeing that there could be an end to what you take for granted has given me a lot of strength to make the life I now have more intense, more conscious, and therefore more wonderful."

The problem is that everyone knows they're going to die some day, but no one thinks about what this really means. And, people never think this is going to happen to them. Especially if they are young. Or athletic. Or successful. Or wealthy. Serious illness is something that is going to happen to someone else at some other time. Not us. Not now.

Addionally, so many people think, "If I indeed develop a medical condition, I'll get treatment." They don't stop to think about all of the people for whom the treatment doesn't work, which is a good percentage, or for whom the treatment completely takes away their quality of life.

The reality is that serious illness is happening to people like us, right now. It's happening at younger and younger ages. And Western Medicine is not curing it. A friend of mine has a good friend whose 22-year-old son is dying of cancer right now, after over a year of unsuccessful traditional treatment. This is right now, today, in my circle of acquaintances. Not some other time to some other people who I don't know.

Another friend has breast cancer and is undergoing chemo and radiation. She's my age. This is today, right now, happening in my life.

I know that these things are happening to the people you know and love and care about too.

So, I'm going to suggest two radical thoughts. First, instead of waiting until you're sick to make a deal with God, make one now that you're going to take excellent care of yourself staring today. Promise you'll set an example for others to follow. Promise you'll do this even if it means you're different from others, or they think that you're strange. Better to be a strange and healthy person than follow others into sickness and degeneration.

And, take a good look at the things you take for granted every day and develop a new appreciation for everything. Ask yourself what is really important to you right now, today. Not some other time, not 20 years from now, but now. Are you living the life you want? If not, make changes. Mend relationships. Renew contacts. Do something different. Take a chance. And for Pete's sake, don't tell yourself you can't, other people wouldn't understand, you're being selfish, or you don't have time.

Remember that we all are dealing with a limited amount of time on this planet. Remember that you can control, to a certain extent, how long you do have by taking great care of yourself. And, remember that the time you have here is precious. Don't waste it!

Dr. Pam Popper

via dan

found this site through dan... thought i'd type in where I work sometimes

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Chicago

so this is my first time in Chicago... tawd, blake, and I are here for a conference. we are staying in a really nice community living space just outside of downtown. I guess I never realized how big Chicago was. We drove in yesterday along Lake Shore Drive and saw hundreds of Chicago inhabitants enjoying the lake side, riding bikes, rollerblading, etc. The city scape seemed to span for miles. Last night at the conf. I experienced my first ever "footwashing." I was a bit leary at first, not sure if it was something that would be culturally significant in the 21st cent. A powerful message was given on how "washing feet" in our society was a prophetic way to live in opposition to the powers that be. New life was breathed into how I understand servanthood. This sybolic act represented a rejection of power and authority over others. It was amazing how everyone in the room was immediatly on a level plane. Very significant to me... very humbling.

Choosing Poverty

The Gospels clearly indicate that Jesus voluntarily accepted poverty in view of the coming kingdom. He also commanded his disciples to practice the redistribution of their capital. During the time of Jesus, land and flocks were the people’s only wealth, or in today’s terminology, “capital.” Yet Jesus taught, “Seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor” (Luke 12:31–33).

André Trocmé - Jesus and the Nonviolent Revolution
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currently playing:: Cat Stevens