Elizabeth (the delinquent, ecumenical) (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
hermionesviolin) wrote2010-01-13 08:43 pm
hermionesviolin) wrote2010-01-13 08:43 pm
"I lift up my eyes to the hills -- from where will my help come?"
As I was setting up before Rest and Bread tonight, my cell phone rang. I almost didn't answer it because I didn't recognize the number and I figured they probably wanted my money, but hey I was way early and if they were someone I wanted to give my money to I had my credit card in my pocket. It was the therapist I'd left a vm with this afternoon. (The woman Tiffany referred me to is out-of-network and I have an HMO, and the two people she named are also out-of-network, so I did a brief browse of the in-network online search.) I felt bad that I was chatting in the chapel ('cause partway through a guy came in and hung out a bit and then left) but it turned out that he was a guy who had come a while ago and didn't know we'd moved service to 15 minutes later than it was before so he was just very early.
After I'd finished set up and gotten off the phone, I went upstairs to Laura Ruth's office. She told Keith (who had been in Puerto Rico) that I was "AWESOME!" on Sunday. She then said. "I met her mum and dad on Sunday, and you know that thing she does? [demonstrates standing behind me, her hand on my back/shoulder] Her whole family does that." This is apparently a thing that I/we do without even thinking, because I had to think to remember that yes my mother did that, and had to work even harder to remember that this is a thing that I do. Hugging I know I do -- and random shoulder massages I know I used to do a lot. But that way of maintaining physical contact with someone even when you're not directly engaging with them... yeah, that is totally something me and my mom would do but is not something I ever would have thought of.
Laura Ruth was cold, as per usual, and I asked, "Would you like fingerless gloves?" She was resistant to the idea of my buying her a pair as a gift (what is WRONG with people?) but she is letting me get her a pair (I said, "They're like five bucks," and she gave my a $5 bill and said she would give me whatever additional money it cost; I am reminded of how ungood it is to not allow people to bestow a gift on you -- but seeing the $5 biill in my pocket when I was emptying my pockets before bed reminded me that I need to find her a pair, so that's good).
***
Psalm 121
Ephesians 2:12(?)-22 (I thought of Yoder's "Baptism and the New Humanity" chapter.)
Rest and Bread is following FCS Sunday morning in doing a series on "Race, Immigration and Justice."
During Prayers of the People, I said, "I pray for the trans woman I read about today who was forcibly de-transitioned by medical professionals as they sought to put her body back together after a car accident that nearly killed her. And I pray for all those who do not have control over their own bodies because of gender, disability, class, race." (After I finished, I realized I should have said, "or any other reason.")
And later I listed a litany of prayer requests and closed with prayers for myself that I be able to take care of myself with all this stress. \o/
Inviting us to Confession, I said, "We acknowledge the moments where we have missed the mark -- where we have done that which we wish we had not done, and where we have failed to do that which we know we should do. And we acknowledge those moments, knowing that after we acknowledge them to God, we can let them go, let go of the guilt -- knowing that God is always welcoming us into that light, into that love."
After I'd finished set up and gotten off the phone, I went upstairs to Laura Ruth's office. She told Keith (who had been in Puerto Rico) that I was "AWESOME!" on Sunday. She then said. "I met her mum and dad on Sunday, and you know that thing she does? [demonstrates standing behind me, her hand on my back/shoulder] Her whole family does that." This is apparently a thing that I/we do without even thinking, because I had to think to remember that yes my mother did that, and had to work even harder to remember that this is a thing that I do. Hugging I know I do -- and random shoulder massages I know I used to do a lot. But that way of maintaining physical contact with someone even when you're not directly engaging with them... yeah, that is totally something me and my mom would do but is not something I ever would have thought of.
Laura Ruth was cold, as per usual, and I asked, "Would you like fingerless gloves?" She was resistant to the idea of my buying her a pair as a gift (what is WRONG with people?) but she is letting me get her a pair (I said, "They're like five bucks," and she gave my a $5 bill and said she would give me whatever additional money it cost; I am reminded of how ungood it is to not allow people to bestow a gift on you -- but seeing the $5 biill in my pocket when I was emptying my pockets before bed reminded me that I need to find her a pair, so that's good).
Dear Beloved Congregation,(This tempts me to attend the retreat.)
At 6:30 PM today, we will gather for Rest and Bread, to pray and share the feast of Communion. Music for meditation begins at 6:15.
In Davis Sq., one of our neighbors is the Haitian Bible Baptist Church at 45 College Ave. We'll pray for this congregation and all our neighbors whose families are affected by the massive earthquake in Haiti.
Speaking of praying, our Annual Retreat is coming up, February 5 & 6. Our theme is Prayer. We will be exploring the ideas and practices of prayer, looking for ways of praying that feel real, are real. Some of us need to draw in order to pray, some need to move our bodies. Some of us need to pray with words and some of us don't know how to find words, but we can find the alignment of our spirit to God's presence. Some of us are at the beginning of a prayer practice and some of us begin again each morning. Please contact Liz [redacted] and Betsy [redacted], copied here, to register.
Love,
Laura Ruth
***
Psalm 121
Ephesians 2:12(?)-22 (I thought of Yoder's "Baptism and the New Humanity" chapter.)
Rest and Bread is following FCS Sunday morning in doing a series on "Race, Immigration and Justice."
During Prayers of the People, I said, "I pray for the trans woman I read about today who was forcibly de-transitioned by medical professionals as they sought to put her body back together after a car accident that nearly killed her. And I pray for all those who do not have control over their own bodies because of gender, disability, class, race." (After I finished, I realized I should have said, "or any other reason.")
And later I listed a litany of prayer requests and closed with prayers for myself that I be able to take care of myself with all this stress. \o/
Inviting us to Confession, I said, "We acknowledge the moments where we have missed the mark -- where we have done that which we wish we had not done, and where we have failed to do that which we know we should do. And we acknowledge those moments, knowing that after we acknowledge them to God, we can let them go, let go of the guilt -- knowing that God is always welcoming us into that light, into that love."
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Lord have mercy, WHAT IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE??
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