I AM OFFICIALLY A GRADUATE OF THE WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE at Hartford Seminary!
I will write more about it at some point...if I don't, yell at me...but for now, I just had to say that!
Good night! :-)
active in God's will
5 days ago
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Prayer
At church we've been going through Habakkuk, looking at his relationship with God and talking about/thinking about our own. At first I kept thinking back to undergrad...the time when my prayer life/time with God was intense and constant. When I'd wrestle with things in bathroom stalls or pray for people as they'd walk by. Prayer became something constant and automatic for me...something I could do as I went about other things during the day. Don't get me wrong, there were times that I consciously sat and journaled etc., too, but it was way more than that.
As we've gone through the series and talked through Habakkuk, one of my prayers has been that I would get that CONSTANT, deep relationship back. I'm not even sure I realized it, but it was something in my thoughts and in my heart constantly. And God answered. I realized that I have that connection back where even if I'm not journaling (which I have started again...not consistently, but started!) or I am doing other things and my mind may not even be focused on Christ, my HEART is and I can FEEL it. I'm not even sure it's even something that can be described for someone who hasn't felt that...but does ANYONE know what I'm talking about? SO AWESOME.
As we've gone through the series and talked through Habakkuk, one of my prayers has been that I would get that CONSTANT, deep relationship back. I'm not even sure I realized it, but it was something in my thoughts and in my heart constantly. And God answered. I realized that I have that connection back where even if I'm not journaling (which I have started again...not consistently, but started!) or I am doing other things and my mind may not even be focused on Christ, my HEART is and I can FEEL it. I'm not even sure it's even something that can be described for someone who hasn't felt that...but does ANYONE know what I'm talking about? SO AWESOME.
Boy, what have I not "dumped out" since my last entry?
I am not good at keeping this thing up! 4 classes this semester...planning for the "Day of Respect" on campus March 16 (also the day I was baptized, confirmed and took my first communion 12 years ago). I'm doing my presentation on physical access that day. Using the presentation I did for my worship class last semester with a couple minor changes.
Did I ever write about my thoughts on the Living Word after my friends and I from school went to synagogue? I don't think so. It was really cool to hear about and see in action beliefs about the Torah.
http://www.jewfaq.org/torah.htm This probably would explain way better than me
http://www.beliefnet.com/News/2005/10/Christian-Gives-Ruined-Torah-Scrolls-Jewish-Burial.aspx Cool related story
It made me think of my own conversations within Christian circles about our interpretation of the Word of God. Some believe you shouldn't write in your Bible because it's the Word of God. For someone like me, writing in it helps it "stick"...and it helps to go back and see thoughts I've had when I've read it or things I have been taught that I thought were important enough to write down and remember in relation to the passage. Some believe the Word is literal, some believe it is something up for interpretation...others believe it's both (I tend to be in the "both" camp). For me, I rarely look at it the same way when I open it. I see something new every time. That's what makes it LIVING for me. Some of it seems historical, and other things are like getting a peak into someone's diary/prayer journal etc. Whether it's one or the other or both...it's all something to learn from and to help me grow closer to the LIVING GOD.
What is YOUR interpretation of The Living Word? I was going to write about one other thing, but leaving things on a question note might be a good idea. :-) That will leave more to come!
Did I ever write about my thoughts on the Living Word after my friends and I from school went to synagogue? I don't think so. It was really cool to hear about and see in action beliefs about the Torah.
http://www.jewfaq.org/torah.htm This probably would explain way better than me
http://www.beliefnet.com/News/2005/10/Christian-Gives-Ruined-Torah-Scrolls-Jewish-Burial.aspx Cool related story
It made me think of my own conversations within Christian circles about our interpretation of the Word of God. Some believe you shouldn't write in your Bible because it's the Word of God. For someone like me, writing in it helps it "stick"...and it helps to go back and see thoughts I've had when I've read it or things I have been taught that I thought were important enough to write down and remember in relation to the passage. Some believe the Word is literal, some believe it is something up for interpretation...others believe it's both (I tend to be in the "both" camp). For me, I rarely look at it the same way when I open it. I see something new every time. That's what makes it LIVING for me. Some of it seems historical, and other things are like getting a peak into someone's diary/prayer journal etc. Whether it's one or the other or both...it's all something to learn from and to help me grow closer to the LIVING GOD.
What is YOUR interpretation of The Living Word? I was going to write about one other thing, but leaving things on a question note might be a good idea. :-) That will leave more to come!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
"Disability" and the Bible
My papers in my New Testament class this semester all had to do with "disability" and the Bible.
What came out of it for me is that more often, "disability" is used to explain something spiritual. What we understand is physicality, so it's used to help our understanding.
But I'm wondering if, for the pharisees and for people in our day, it really backfired and people look at it as physicality and exclude themselves from passages.
And there are passages where I'm wondering if Jesus was feeding into the way society looked at "disability". (There was a part in Luke 7 last night where my version used the word "wretched" while other versions use poor. Some think that that's another group of people, but if it's looked at as the people with "disabilities" in those days WERE part of the poor/oppressed/wretched, couldn't that just be explaining each group talked about before (it was verse 22).
I get that a lot of healing etc. was also used to show who God was, and is still used today. But why does it matter? Is it important because YOU need it to really see and believe in God or because you think I do? If it's the latter, you don't know me very well.
The one thing that I will say is that I used to beg God for it if it meant that someone I loved would come to know God. I know I don't need it for myself, but if someone else does, I hope that God will use me in that way. But I get to see how God uses me the way I am every day. Those who can't or don't allow themselves to see it, I think, are those who are truly blind. Isn't spiritual sight etc. way more important than physical? Look at the blind men in the Bible who knew Jesus and what He could do even before they could see with their physical eyes.
I could go on...I just wrote a 20 page paper about it all... :-)
What came out of it for me is that more often, "disability" is used to explain something spiritual. What we understand is physicality, so it's used to help our understanding.
But I'm wondering if, for the pharisees and for people in our day, it really backfired and people look at it as physicality and exclude themselves from passages.
And there are passages where I'm wondering if Jesus was feeding into the way society looked at "disability". (There was a part in Luke 7 last night where my version used the word "wretched" while other versions use poor. Some think that that's another group of people, but if it's looked at as the people with "disabilities" in those days WERE part of the poor/oppressed/wretched, couldn't that just be explaining each group talked about before (it was verse 22).
I get that a lot of healing etc. was also used to show who God was, and is still used today. But why does it matter? Is it important because YOU need it to really see and believe in God or because you think I do? If it's the latter, you don't know me very well.
The one thing that I will say is that I used to beg God for it if it meant that someone I loved would come to know God. I know I don't need it for myself, but if someone else does, I hope that God will use me in that way. But I get to see how God uses me the way I am every day. Those who can't or don't allow themselves to see it, I think, are those who are truly blind. Isn't spiritual sight etc. way more important than physical? Look at the blind men in the Bible who knew Jesus and what He could do even before they could see with their physical eyes.
I could go on...I just wrote a 20 page paper about it all... :-)
Friday, December 5, 2008
Muslims and terrorism
One of my friends in a class recently commented on the stereotype of "terrorist" that's connected with Muslims. She asked if we think of terrorism when we see her. That's not at all what I see when I see her...but it was interesting to think about. Especially considering all the fear and stereotypes surrounding Muslims since 9/11/01.
She gave me permission to share that and pose the question to you. So, what do you see when you see someone who is Muslim or hear about the Islamic faith? Do you connect Muslims with terrorism? If so, did you before 9/11?
She gave me permission to share that and pose the question to you. So, what do you see when you see someone who is Muslim or hear about the Islamic faith? Do you connect Muslims with terrorism? If so, did you before 9/11?
Sunday, November 23, 2008
The semester is winding down...
I couldn't believe that blog entry title even as I typed it. All I have left is a few weeks full of BIG papers. I rocked 2 presentations recently (so I've heard) and handed in papers that I hopefully rocked, too. Now time to ROCK those big papers!!
I can really say now that I LOVE where I am and what I'm doing. I get to worship EVERY week with awesome people, hear different perspectives and share my own. I have found the ability to be who I have always been...out loud! I am finding my voice for myself rather than pretending another voice is also my own...and really am HEARD by those around me. Some have wondered if this school has changed me...and they don't seem to mean it in a good way. But if it's changed me, it's in an AWESOME way. It's helping me share more of who I've always been and the God I have always known (and letting me get to know It more) and letting me get to know people I would probably NEVER know otherwise.
I can really say now that I LOVE where I am and what I'm doing. I get to worship EVERY week with awesome people, hear different perspectives and share my own. I have found the ability to be who I have always been...out loud! I am finding my voice for myself rather than pretending another voice is also my own...and really am HEARD by those around me. Some have wondered if this school has changed me...and they don't seem to mean it in a good way. But if it's changed me, it's in an AWESOME way. It's helping me share more of who I've always been and the God I have always known (and letting me get to know It more) and letting me get to know people I would probably NEVER know otherwise.
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