Tag: Faith

Have sign, will protest

On By fosteringyourfaithIn Defending democracy3 Comments

Thank you for all your wonderful suggestions for my sign for the protest on April 5th!

I am inspired by your creativity and your engagement in this ongoing battle to defend our democracy.

Here are the ideas I received from you…

  • Fund Elmo, not Elon
  • Hands off our history
  • DEI is actually a Christian value
  • “Musk and Trump, grandmothers everywhere are ashamed of you! You turned out rotten!”  (quote from Bill McKibben)
  • If empathy is a sin, sin boldly.
  • We don’t want your Nazi cars.  Take a one-way trip to Mars.  (Timothy Snyder BlueSky post)
  • Get your greedy hands off our elections!
  • Let’s put ICE into deep freeze
  • The anti-Robin Hood:  Thief of the needy, benefactor of the greedy
  • I don’t want Greenland or Canada.  I want PBS, Social Security, and the Smithsonian.

I liked all of these.  And then I came across this quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer: “Your ‘yes’ to God requires your ‘no’ to all injustice, to all evil, to all lies, to injustice, to all oppression and violation of the weak and poor.”  So my sign reads: “Saying YES to God requires saying NO to all evil.”

Since Bonhoeffer, a German Lutheran pastor, bravely stood up to the Nazi regime during a time when too many churches and congregations were silent, he is a role model. His sermons and his letters from prison offer insight and inspiration even now, 80 years later. His deep faith provided him compassion for the millions who suffered under the Nazis and the courage to voice his resistance to Hitler. 

His words speak to me because I believe in a loving God who calls us to care for one another.  And especially to care for those who are outcast, poor, suffering, and too often forgotten.  We are called to do whatever we can – large or small – to help one another.  To ignore the pain around us is evil. 

I want to say “no” to evil. 

I want to say “yes” to God with my words and actions – day by day, moment by moment.

That’s what my sign means to me.  And that’s what I will be sharing during the protest on April 5th.

Let’s stand together and say “no” to evil. 

Sign of support: Patti protesting the firing of so many National Park Rangers:

Signs of support

On By fosteringyourfaithIn LGBT2 Comments

People are being erased.

Records are being wiped clean.

History is being rewritten.

And it’s frightening just how easy it seems to be.

According to the AP, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered military websites to erase images in order to “remove content that highlights diversity efforts in its ranks.” Pictures of service members including women, people of color, and LGBTQI are being deleted. The purge even included – so ridiculous it would be funny if it weren’t tragic – references to the aircraft that dropped the first atomic bomb in World War II, the Enola Gay.

Is it any surprise that increasing numbers of people are afraid or feel under attack?

It is time to be intentional about showing support. 

Many churches are good at this.  In recent weeks, I have been appreciating church signs that proclaim their welcome to all of God’s people. It’s a message they want the whole world to see. 

The people most affected by these hateful attacks may never step foot in a church, but I hope they will notice the signs and symbols that remind them that they are cherished by a loving God.

Today I attended a church that provided pins and buttons with the encouragement to display them proudly to help spread the Good News of love, inclusion, and respect. 

Think of this as an ongoing campaign of support for those who are being threatened simply for being who they are. What signs have you seen? How can we share messages of solidarity and encouragement?  Here are some examples…

Wells of Wisdom

On By fosteringyourfaithIn Listening2 Comments

Gather around, everyone.

Come and draw deep from the wells of wisdom that exist around us.

This is not a time to be alone.  This is not a season for isolation.

We need one another – we need each other’s perceptiveness and insight, courage and indignation. 

Just as the ancients used to gather in the village square to draw water from the community well, we also need to come together to feed our spirits and allow our parched spirits to be nourished. 

In an earlier blog, I asked the question – what words or phrases offer you encouragement in these challenging times?

Let’s listen to some responses…

Drew: [God said to Joshua] “Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of good courage; Be not afraid; Neither be thou dismayed; For the LORD thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest.” (Joshua 1: 9 KJV)

Mark: “For nothing is impossible with God.” (Luke 1:37)

Roger: “Whatever you do in life will be insignificant, but it is important that you do it, because nobody else will” (Mahatma Gandhi).

Tom’s email signature proclaims, “Work for justice.”

Suzanne:  “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well” (Psalm 139: 13-14). These words help me to remember that God created me to be the way I am, with gifts and challenges, and that all of them are there for good. 

Jill: “All will be well” (A quote from Sister Julienne/Call the Midwife, PBS) 

Julian of Norwich; (a 14th century nun whom Sister Julienne from the TV show is likely quoting): Even in the presence of sin, “all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.”

Pastor John’s email encourages, “Grant us wisdom, grant us courage, for the living of these days….”

Would you like more encouragement?  Sign up to receive a daily Scripture verse and inspirational quote at  Sojourners 

We need these words.

We need each other.  Now is the time to gather together, to offer one another encouragement and the reminder that we are not alone. Join a church. Find a community where you feel safe. Be with people who celebrate who you are.  Volunteer with folks who are making a difference.

Come together online or – even better – gather in person. Break bread together. 

Share words of power and proclamation so we can resist the evil and indifference that is being thrust upon us. 

This is a marathon, not a sprint. We will need sustenance for this journey.

Gather around, everyone.  Let’s open our minds and hearts so our spirits can be renewed.

And then –  let’s work together for justice.

Bedtime prayers

On By fosteringyourfaithIn Prayer4 Comments

When I was young, my mother would sit on my bed and listen to my bedtime prayers.  Before I got to the long list of “God bless” everyone in my family, all our pets, and my best friend, and prior to ending with the fervent wish “and make Susie a good girl,” I would pray the “Now I lay me down to sleep” prayer.

But my mother taught it to me with an important change from the traditional chilling images of dying before I woke up:

Now I lay me down to sleep

Pray the Lord my soul to keep.

Be with me throughout the night

And wake me with the  morning’s light.  

That image of God lovingly watching over my slumber is embedded in my psyche.  It is  especially meaningful at the end of a long or draining day. My childhood prayer reminds me to “lay down” my worries as I prepare for bed.  Or, as my wise seminary mentor warned me, “Make sure you don’t take your congregation to bed with you.” In other words – there are times when I need to let go.  Times when I turn my very real concerns over to God’s care so that my nighttime rest is not haunted by the actions of callous and uncaring people.

I am leaning into a practice that I started a couple of years ago. Instead of my mother witnessing my prayers (which, at age 95, she actually would still be glad to do…), I go to our front door, open it up, and lean out into the fresh air.

I look up.

  Some nights I observe stars and gauge the moon’s phase. I recognize a few constellations and point out a planet or two. Some nights it’s overcast with no light in the sky. Other times it’s raining or snowing.  

But every single night, I say goodnight to God and entrust the world into God’s care. In those moments I am intentionally trusting that God is actively present. Looking out at the universe reminds me that powers much greater than my own are at work. It helps me believe that ultimately, God’s goodness will prevail even when I can’t see the way forward.

My new favorite nighttime prayer comes from the New Zealand Prayer Book.   It offers me comfort and peace as I prepare to rest so that I can be strengthened to begin again tomorrow. 

Lord,

It is night.

The night is for stillness.

         Let us be still in the presence of God.

It is night after a long day.

         What has been done has been done;

         What has not been done has not been done;

         Let it be.

The night is dark.

         Let our fears of the darkness of the world and of our own lives

         Rest in you.

The night is quiet.

         Let the quietness of your peace enfold us.

         All dear to us,

         And all who have no peace.

The night heralds the dawn.

         Let us look expectantly to a new day,

                     New joys,

         New possibilities.

In your name we pray.

Amen. New Zealand Prayer Book, p. 184

Do you have a favorite nighttime ritual?

When to avoid church

On By fosteringyourfaithIn Church, Faith6 Comments

Much has been written about Bishop Mariann Budde’s sermon to the newly elected President on January 21st. Now the recently presented House Resolution 59 whines that her words from the pulpit were a display of “political activism” and should be condemned.

There is a simple solution for those who don’t wish to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ proclaimed  – don’t go to church.

If you don’t want to hear Jesus’ command to care for the least of these, skip church that day.

If you would rather not know that all of God’s people are expected to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with our God (Micah 6:8), by all means avoid the faith communities who proclaim that ancient truth.

If you don’t want to be reminded that all of us are called to care for the stranger and welcome the foreigner, then you should absolutely give communities of faith a pass.

Just don’t go into a place of worship and imagine that you can dictate which words should be spoken that day. 

Holy Scripture in every tradition calls us – commands us – to share God’s compassion especially with those most in need.  That truth must be proclaimed to the people in attendance so that they will be inspired to embody God’s love with their actions.

So – 

If you are looking for inspiration in these wearying days of bad news – go to church.

If you yearn to be reminded that you are not alone even while our leaders try to isolate and divide us – find a place of worship that fills your spirit with hope.

If you need to be assured that you are created in the image of God and loved by God just the way that you are today – find people who are proclaiming this life-giving Good News.

There are many churches, synagogues, and mosques who are living God’s words of hope – search for them.  Support them. Become part of a congregation because we are always stronger together.

Here is a way to find a church in my tradition (United Church of Christ) in southern New England:

Gather with the people of God.

Be inspired by God’s Word that proclaims peace, justice, and hope.

Go out into the world and share God’s mercy and love.

Does it feel like Advent to you?

On By fosteringyourfaithIn AdventLeave a comment

Does it feel like Advent to you?

           Although we are in the midst of spring with summer just around the corner, it seems like Advent to me.  Advent is a time of waiting and preparation, of going into an unknown future while placing our trust in God’s guidance.  The promise of Advent is that God is “Emmanuel,” always with us.

            As I prepare for my retirement, my congregation is preparing for a future with a (yet unknown) new minister. After June 16th, my congregation and I will be on separate journeys.  After sharing our lives, work, and worship together for over 36 years, we will be on different paths.  I will venture into retirement and the congregation will continue their ministry with new leadership.  None of us can know what the future holds.  This is always true – but with a particular date in mind, it becomes even more apparent.

We can trust that God is in the midst of all of these changes and offering guidance, strength, and direction. We remember God’s promise that God’s steadfast love endures forever.

            Trying to plan for an unknown future reminds me of anticipating parenthood before any baby was born.  Before I had children, I had lots of ideas (and ideals)  and envisioned myself as a source of wisdom with boundless patience, someone who would offer delicious home cooked meals after afternoons of craft time and outdoor adventures.  The reality, not surprisingly, was somewhat different.  Life was often chaotic. I often lost my patience. There were meals on the table, but Julia Child was not threatened by my cooking skills.

 It all worked out, but it was not what I expected.

We just can’t know ahead of time what challenges await us.  Our paths will take unexpected twists and turns.   The promise of Advent – that season of watching and wondering as we enter the unknown – is that God does not change. God is steadfast even as our world shifts and evolves.  God will be with us wherever the journey leads. 

We will undoubtedly be surprised at what we learn and experience along the way.  We will be invited to try new ways of doing things and to experiment with different ways of being. Step by step and day by day, we are invited to notice how God is weaving in and through our lives.

Along the way we can be intentional about being grateful – notice the blessings that God places in our lives. We can give thanks that God is with us and rejoice that we are not alone on this journey.

Where will we all end up?  Just like Mary and Joseph, we cannot discern the entire path. But also like them, we can look for signs and wonders, we can be open to visitors and strangers who bring us good news of a God who loves us, and we can trust that God is leading us into new ways of serving and celebrating God.  

And through it all, let’s keep one another in our prayers.

Easter: Endings and Beginnings

On By fosteringyourfaithIn Easter1 Comment

Resurrection – what does it mean to you?

Is resurrection a one-day event?  Or does resurrection speak to us beyond Easter Sunday?

When I was in seminary, our New Testament professor would lecture us every year just prior to Easter. He would sternly remind us, “When you are preparing your Easter Sunday sermon, do not focus on the resuscitation of a corpse.”

Or to put it another way – Easter is not just a history lesson about something that happened to one man, one time, thousands of years ago.  Yes, resurrection is about Jesus.  And it’s also about so much more.  Not just one body coming alive again – but all of God’s children receiving a Spirit of renewal.

Easter is about new life for all of us, every day. 

It’s about new beginnings for all of God’s children. 

It’s about hope seeping gradually into the darkest corners of despair.

Easter proclaims new life being offered when only endings are apparent.

It reminds us that endings evolve into – sometimes unplanned, often previously unimaginable – new beginnings.

Easter is about Jesus living again (alleluia!) – And it’s about new life for you and me, every day.

            Our lives are always changing.  Endings and beginnings are a natural part of every life.  Sometimes we choose those endings (graduations, leaving a job, completing a task) and sometimes those endings abruptly disrupt our life. Sometimes the next step – that new beginning – melds seamlessly into our routine.  Other times the way forward can be a rocky road, with lots of twists, turns, dead ends, and false starts.

            Resurrection tells us that something new – an attitude, an idea, a behavior, an outlook, a possibility – is coming. Resurrection hints at a new beginning, even when it is hidden from our view.

            Easter is coming!  Celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ!  And celebrate the gift of new life and hope that God gives us every day.

Photo credit: Darkdiamond67