The Psaltery

Guest Blogger: Maggie

2009-07-03T20:54:00.003-05:00

Greetings to Mama's hew-min blog friends. This is Maggie, and Psalmist is my new Mama. I thought it was time to come introduce myself.

First, let me clear up something. I'm not a Munchkin cat. Mama thought so at first, because one of my foss-tur mamas told her so, and because I stayed hunched down low to the floor when Mama met me and when I first got to our part-mint. I even inspected the bottom of the loveseat for most of the first two days there, so it took Mama a while to find out that my legs are normal length for a cat my size. I'm just very pet-tite, Mama says. She picks me up and says I'm a feather-weight. Well, duh! A tiny cat like I am isn't going to weigh very much, now is she? Silly Mama!

I'm starting to like my new sister-cat, Molly. Molly wasn't too nice to me at first, though, despite all the grand promises she made here. That was before she found out that Mama would hold and pet me a lot. She had Mama all to herself for a while and she didn't like sharing her. But Molly's better about it now. I know how she feels, because I think Mama needs to hold and pet Molly less and me more. I'm tinier, and I meow softer, and I'm the new kitteh here. Don't you think that makes me deserving of more Mama time?

Speaking of Mama, she has got to get herself to the cat food store and get us some GOOD food. Molly and I are on a hunger strike. No more of this hard kibble for us. Mama said we needed to eat it, that it's perfectly good food. Nuh-uh! Not this fancy feline, nor Molly either. We're fond of Greenies, but cat doth not live by Greenies alone. We'd prefer Fancy Feast or Sheba or some other smelly, 'spensive wet food. We've told Mama this. She needs to heed our wishes.

I keep Mama quite entertained with a game. It's called Keep-Away. When I don't feel like cuddling, I sidle up to Mama and meow at her, tail all up in the air and all, as if I can't wait to be picked up and petted. Then, as soon as Mama bends her pudgy self down to pick me up, I prance away. If she comes after me, I run behind the loveseat. Then, a minute or two later, I start it all over again. Heheheheheh . . . Mama falls for it every time. She says I'm a sassy girl. I wonder what her point is.

Well, Molly is over there, looking kind of scruffy. I think she needs some grooming. So I'll finish up this greeting and go do my sisterly doo-tee. 'Bye for now, hew-mins!

Love,
Maggie

RevGalBlogPals Friday Five: It's All in the Look

2009-07-03T20:34:00.002-05:00

Gosh, I haven't done one of these things in ages! This one seems like a great one with which to jump back in.

Sally , as she cleans her wardrobe (what we Americans call our closet), pauses to ask:

1. Are you a hoarder, or are you good at sorting and clearing?
I'm most definitely a hoarder; look up "hoarder" in the dictionary, and there's liable to be a photo of me to illustrate it! I am good at sorting and clearing, I simply don't do it nearly often enough.

2. What is the oddest garment you possess and why?
I'm not certain this really qualifies as a garment anymore, but it's a simple A-line evening dress that looks like it came from about 1972, floor length, short sleeves, jewel neck, and made of an oddly beautiful fabric that features a black background covered with small gold, blue, and green medallions, woven in brilliant metalic thread. (Scratchiest fabric ever conceived, I'm sure.) I've cut a few pieces out of it over the years for craftsy projects, but most of it is still there. And since the fabric is some sort of "space age" acrylic stuff, moths and other destroyers never seem to touch it. I've owned it for over 20 years. It will probably still be intact 500 years from now.

3. Do you have a favourite look/color?
I favor simple, classic feminine lines, being 50, short, and plumpish. I alternate between liking pinks and purples, and blues, and have both in my closet. And since I get compliments every time I wear something red near my face, I try to do that at least once every other week or so. We who bear the "curse of the Celts" (ruddy complexion) seem to do well in the one color that is ruddier than we are, I guess!

4. Thrift/ Charity shops: love them or hate them?
I don't get to them often, but I do like them. I tend to find more decorating items (vintage hats, gloves, hankies, embroidered linens) than clothes that fit me, though. And given my hoarding tendencies, that's mostly a good thing.

5. Money is no object, what one item would you buy?
A custom-made, superbly tailored navy or gray suit, with both slacks and skirt. (And if that counts as three items, I don't care.) We shorties of the plumpish persuasion simply cannot find good suits that fit well on the racks, no matter what store we try. (And no, the Lane Bryant wrinkle-in-a-second separates marketed as suits neither fit well nor look good. A coworker of mine proves that nearly every day, poor dear.)

Another Belated Blog Birthday Celebration

2009-06-15T22:59:00.005-05:00

The Psaltery (such as it is these days) turned three on Saturday.

Here's to another year, hopefully one in which I get back into the swing of blogging.

Thank you bunches to my little band of readers for hanging in there with me. You mean more to me than you can know.

Guest Blogger: Molly

2009-06-10T21:52:00.005-05:00

Hello to my mama's blog friends. I'm Molly, and Psalmist is my new mama. (This picture isn't me, but it sure looks like me. Mama brought me home so fast, the foss-tur peoples didn't get my picture made. That's how we say it here in Texas. Nobody gets their picture taken, they get pictures made.)

My old mama died, and my new mama's kitties died, so she says I'm a gift from God. Silly Mama...as if I didn't know that! Of course I am! When Mama came to the Pets Are Smart store where I was, God told me exactly what to do, because I was supposed to go home with Psalmist. So I sat on her lap, then snuggled into her shoulder and purred. That's all it took! She cried and hugged me and told me what a beautiful girl I am (again, Mama's awfully silly, saying something so obviously true), and she found out that I like to be petted and scratched almost everywhere. It felt really good. Mama's a good petter. So she got the carrier and a pretty pink blanket, and in I went. I was a VERY good cat; I didn't make a sound the whole ride home. Mama was very impressed with that.

When we got home, I met my sister-cat Jenny. Mama didn't know that Jenny was getting sick with a broken heart, but I knew something was wrong. She didn't want to play with me, and she almost never wanted to even eat anything, even when Mama gave her (and me) some really 'spen-sive yummy wet food. Jenny was missing her sister-cat, Rosie. I didn't meet Rosie, but Mama told me Rosie died, so I snuggled her even more and told her it would be all right. Sometimes it still gets pretty wet when Mama is missing Rosie and now Jenny, too, but I don't mind. My Mama needs to cry, because that's the way God made her. She just misses her old kitties an awful lot. And since I miss my old mama, too, we're very good for each other.

Guess what? Mama says that she met another kitty at the Pets Are Smart store. Mama says her name's going to be Maggie. She's a munchkin cat. Here's a picture of her. I'm glad I will have a sister-cat again. Poor Maggie's old sister-cat got adopted first and they wouldn't take her, too, so she needs Mama and me. Mama says I will have to share her lap with Maggie, but that's OK. She's supposed to be really little, even though she's a grown-up kitty. She has really short legs, so I bet I can jump higher than she can.

Mama says that Maggie will come home on Saturday. I'm already practicing how I'll show her around our part-mint. I'm also going to show her how to beg Mama for Greenies. She's such a push-over! Next to snuggling with Mama and getting my ears scratched, eating Greenies is my very most favorite thing. I just know that Maggie will like them, too.

I'm going to be the BEST sister-cat ever! I'll keep you posted. Meanwhile, I think Mama is overdue to rub and scratch me. Duty calls! Bye, hew-mins!

Another farewell: My Jenny

2009-05-13T21:49:00.002-05:00

My sweet fluff girl died last night. Unlike Rosie's death, however, I was expecting this. Jenny began going downhill not long after Rosie died, and simply lost interest in everything except sleeping. If she hadn't been so absolutely terrified of being put in her carrier and riding in the car, I'd have taken her to the vet, but I really did fear that would scare her to death. So slowly, over these past few weeks, I've watched my poor kitty get thinner and thinner, slowing down, and eating and drinking a little bit, just to please me. It broke my heart.

The loss of both my dear companions in less than two months is simply too much to bear. I see now what a blessing it was that I felt compelled to go find Molly when I did, as I don't believe I would have done that had I waited any longer, with Jenny getting weaker and sicker. Poor Molly didn't know what to make of Jenny and mostly just kept her distance. However, she has bonded fast and firm with me. I'm afraid she's in for a lot of holding and tears and petting on my part.

Dear God, hold both my dear old kitties for me. I trust that they are whole and happy, wherever and however you care for them in your eternity. And hold me too, I pray. This is very hard.

Grief and Love

2009-03-26T02:23:00.003-05:00

I miss Rosie terribly. It's been ten years since I lost a pet before this, and I guess I forgot just how much it hurts. There will never be another cat like my sweet, sassy little Rosie Lee.

How strange it is to be feeling love for Jenny with equal intensity, and now, for her new "little" sister, Molly, as well.

I couldn't shake the thought Monday afternoon and early evening that I wanted to go "see the kitties" at PetsMart. Therefore, after work I decided to go and just take a look. All the cats there (about 9 or 10) have been fostered out of a neighboring county's Humane Society, and most had very sad stories, such as a woman with 15 (!) cats having had a stroke and needing to find homes for all of the cats, and at least one other cat who had lived with Molly when their human died, back in November, and they'd been in a foster home ever since. I talked to and picked up several cats. One of them looked so much like Rosie that I cried. She didn't like that too much, poor thing! But Molly stole my heart. It was as if my lap was made for her, and she took it over, purring and play-rolling and gazing up at me with her brilliant green eyes. She's mostly black with very plush fur, with white whiskers and a tiny white chin, white socks, and darling bikini markings on her tummy. I've always had either ear kitties or chin kitties before (preferring to be scratched on one but not the other), but Molly likes both. In fact, I haven't found anywhere yet that Molly doesn't like to have scratched! And it's been years since I had a cat who really liked lap-sitting, but Molly has let it be known that my lap is her favorite seat in the house. She and Jenny are getting to know each other, though Molly did hiss and growl a bit when Jenny took that to a too-personal level. I think the two of them have the potential to be much better companions for each other than Rosie and Jenny were. Rosie was so strongly an alpha cat that Jenny was constantly on the defensive, though occasionally I would find them on the recliner together, almost touching, catching a nap in between epic battles.

I have been reminded once again that one never gets a new pet to "replace" one who dies. If we love our pets, they come to occupy a unique place in our hearts, I think. So I have to figure out how to both mourn Rosie and welcome Molly at the same time. So far, Molly has made that much easier: it's a great comfort to have a warm furry little creature on my lap, needing much petting, while I cry for a cute little brown-and-white tabby who left this world far too soon.

Rest in peace, sweet girl Rosie - your mama misses you and hopes to see you again someday. (In the mean time, do try not to intimidate the other kitties at the Rainbow Bridge, OK?)

Welcome to your new family, my beautiful Molly, and thank you for choosing me to come home with.

Both of you are gifts from God, and I'm grateful.

Good-bye, Rosie

2009-03-22T12:44:00.002-05:00

I'm again breaking my blogging hiatus, this time for a very sad reason.

My little Rosie, one of my two feline companions for the past ten years, died suddenly and unexpectedly yesterday. I don't think I've fully grasped yet that her little chirps of happiness won't be greeting me when I get home anymore, nor will her little body twine around my feet almost to the point of tripping me when it's mealtime, or just "mama time."

Jenny seems quite upset by her death, and has already taken to talking a lot more, as if to ask where her sister-cat is. They may have fought like the proverbial cats and dogs, but they kept each other company during my long hours away from home. Every so often, detente would break forth and I'd catch them napping together on the recliner, almost touching.

I haven't figured out a pat theology of how our pets will figure into eternity, but my head keeps telling me that Rosie is just fine now and forever. My heart simply misses her terribly.

To those inclined to prayer for this kind of grief, I thank you for it.

I just had to share this story!

2009-01-25T22:13:00.004-06:00

I'm still frightfully over-committed and under-completed on some important tasks, but I simply had to relate a story I heard tonight. However, to appreciate it, I probably need to give you a little background. (If you're easily made queasy, you might want to skip down to the "SAFE" spot.)

We lost our Mr. M., one of my dear children's choir assistants, due to some very sad and painful issues last summer, which I will not go into. So it's back to "Miss M." and "Miss [Psalmist]" working with the young musicians right now. And while the children and she and I miss Mr. M., we have a great partnership; I honestly do not know what I'd do without Miss M.'s generous, supportive presence each week.

Now back on the Fourth Sunday of Advent, a day upon which much churchitivty was scheduled, I woke early and felt a little "off." So what? You just go and serve anyway, right? Well...by the end of the early service, I knew that my digestive system was badly out of sorts. By the time the late service began, I knew I was in trouble. I had already warned the adult choir that I might have to step out fast and a vague explanation of why. They said they'd be in prayer for me. Thanks to those prayers and some stern self-talk, I kept it together through the early part of the service. The first anthem of the morning was a very lovely one, which featured three young sisters (as in, three girls, ages 7 - 12, from the same nuclear family -- dressed in Christmas red taffeta dresses and white sweaters...what could have looked sweeter?) singing the solo part together. I wish I could say I remember every beautiful nuance, but it's mostly a panicked blur to me. When we reached the end, I managed a cut-off of sorts, but before I could express my thanks and pride to the girls, I was already past the point of no return. I left the adults to seat themselves while I fled to the closest restroom to be as sick as I've ever been in my life. My one conscious thought was gratitude that I made it to the restroom without disgracing myself.

Did I mention there was a stomach bug making the rounds, both at my day job and at church?

One of my altos, a retired RN, came to help me. I did feel wretched, and probably looked worse. It would have been wise to go home at that point, except that there was another anthem to conduce and I was scheduled to sing "O Holy Night" near the very end of the service. So I coughed and rinsed and did other unfortunate but desperate things to clear out my throat, then touched up my face and lips. Amazingly, due to some primal urge to protect my vestments while, uh, "doing the sick thing," there was no sign of my incapacitation on my choir attire. By this time, it was nearly time for the second anthem; it was then or never about leading it. I led it, then made my way to the hallway to pull myself together a little more fully. My innerds were still protesting, but less violently. I remember praying hard that I could make it through the rest of the service before hurling, passing out, dying, or any combination thereof.

I made it through the next anthem, "O Holy Night" (though that one, I know not how), and leading the final hymn and benediction response. Only my choir members, the pastor, and the pianist knew what was going on, though I could hardly have looked very good to the congregation. After the response, the choir filed out, wisely keeping their distance. I sat, foggy and exhausted, in my assigned "psalmist's" seat, while the pianist completed her postlude. That's when she went to work on me. My next gig of the day was supposed to be to direct the children's choir Christmas program at 5:00 p.m. and I had given none of the children any indication that I might not be there. However, the pianist insisted in the strongest terms that she did not want me there; in addition to wanting me to take care of myself, I should also protect the children and the attendees from whatever plague I was suffering from. The pastor concurred. So, after another sojourn into the poor unfortunate restroom, I headed home, with a brief detour to the local supermarket to get sugar-free sports drinks and popsicles and some chicken broth and saltine crackers. I made it home without mishap (surely only by the grace of the Almighty). By the time 5:00 rolled around, I had gotten into my coziest nightie, up-chucked once more for good measure, forced down some strawberry Zero, and was fast asleep. Forgive me, dear children and beloved colleagues and volunteers, but I did not spare you much thought.

Did I mention that Miss M. is an angel?

She, the pianist, and the pastor made the program happen. Miss M. explained to the children that I had to go home because I was very sick from a tummy virus, and I couldn't be there. By all reports and some sweet pictures, it went quite well. The children's Christmas gift of a snappily-dressed teddy bear I still don't exactly understand, but it touched me when I got it on Christmas Eve the following week.

It's safe to start reading again now.

Did I mention that Miss M. also teaches Sunday School to the 4th - 7th graders?

After we said good-bye to the children following tonight's choir rehearsal, Miss M. told me about a conversation she had with K., a 5th-grade member of the choir, the night of the program. It went something like this:

K. asked Miss. M. who was taking care of me while I was sick. (Choking up here. . .) Miss M. said that I was taking care of myself. He opined that that was wrong, that somebody ought to be taking care of me. He asked if I had a husband to help me (answer was no), and then if I had any children to help (again, no). Miss M. assured him that she and the pastor and I are very good friends and that the two of them would be checking with me to see if I needed anything, but that when someone has a stomach virus, they probably just want to be left alone to get well. She tried to assure him that single people are used to not having someone else living with them. He asked if she thought I was happy being single. Miss M. said that I seem very happy and content with my life. She did mention that my two cats were probably very good company; he reportedly frowned a bit; he and his brothers do love their dog and treat cats with suspicion. K. then asked Miss M. whom I was going to spend Christmas with. Miss M. reminded him that I was going to help lead both Christmas Eve services, so I'd have time with all kinds of church friends. He wasn't buying it, though. She assured him that single people get lots of invitations from friends, and I would probably be going to someone's house for Christmas dinner. And while she said that didn't really satisfy K., he agreed to pray for me to get well soon. And Miss M. thought that was the end of it.

It wasn't. Now, a month later, in Sunday School this morning, K. brought up the subject of my singleness, relative to my having no designated care-taker if I get sick again. She told me the child was extremely concerned about this problem. Apparently they had a repeat of their Christmas program discussion, sans the "Where's she going to spend Christmas" question. And again, K. said that something ought to be done so I never had to be sick all alone again. He said something about "She needs somebody."

(From your mouth to God's ear, child! I kinda, sorta got "somebody," but pretty soon he'd better decide if he's going to fish or cut bait. This "somebody," however, is not being discussed with any except my closest friends, and won't be unless and until we're seriously dating. He is NOT a topic of conversation with the choir children!)

Now mind you, I was in tears throughout most of this story. The child in question has only recently come back to choir after over a year away (he was "King A." in our Esther musical). He has had a great attitude, but he and I haven't ever talked a whole lot; he's a firstborn introvert -- something I know a bit about. And he wasn't at choir tonight. I'm not to let on to K. that Miss M. and I had this conversation, and I won't. And no, I won't set his mind at ease by explaining I have "somebody."

But dang! Isn't that a great story? Who wouldn't melt at a youngster having such genuine concern and empathy for oneself -- or for anyone?

My choir children sing like angels, but K. has earned his wings for sure. And my child-loving Wesleyan heart has been warmed a bit extra tonight, thanks to a fifth-grade boy's and a grandmotherly choir assistant's love. I only hope they and my other young musicians perceive something of the love I have for them, too.

Sometimes, you just know that life this side of the veil couldn't possibly be much sweeter.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T01:04:00.001-06:00

Quietly,
humbly,
into poverty and need,
sin and greed,

The Holy One
entered
time,
in flesh and bone,
becoming one
with humankind.

Amid the
sounds--
beasts stirring,
Virgin laboring,
stillness of the
small, heedless,
sleeping town--

A Child draws breath,

And Creator joins
with creation:

Behold!
The Almighty
is doing a
new thing!

The Ancient of Days
slumbers,
swaddled,
in the trough.

Copyright [Psalmist], 2008

Published again!

2008-12-12T01:21:00.002-06:00

Another anthem utilizing one of my texts has just been released. Because this publisher markets well and includes authors in their online search options, my name actually pops up prominently for the two versions of this new title. For that reason, I won't link to those pages...I do value my privacy and safety in this crazy online world.

Anyway, it turned out quite nicely. The composer anticipates very good sales, and we have a good deal with the publisher, so eventually I may see a little income from it. And it's nice to have a text receive positive feedback, which has come both from the composer(obviously, since he chose to use it) and from the arranger. The arranger in particular is well-known in the business and carries a fair bit of clout.

Finally, I've also signed the contract for another anthem collaboration with the same composer and arranger/editor. And the composer is asking for two more texts, one of which is for a commissioned anthem for a mutual friend. Imagine...it's supposed to be about grace! What an inspiring theme! So I'm attempting to commit something good to paper. Yet I'm pop-in blogging...that's what happens when the words aren't coming along very well, I guess.

Of Silver Stars and Ingrates

2008-12-11T22:58:00.003-06:00

Warning: Those who deny that women should be serving in the U.S. armed services, don't watch, on danger of being proved wrong...

Watch CBS Videos Online

Once I read on an infamous blog about an ungrateful male soldier who, after having had his life saved by a female medic -- one who just happened to be awarded the Silver Star for the heroism involved in saving his and another male soldier's life --had the ingratitude and tunnel vision to give as his sole comment for the story "Women have no business being on the front line," I simply had to watch the clip for myself. I hope you will watch it, too...but be sure to watch it all.

Then-Private Monica Brown saved the lives of two fellow soldiers at considerable risk to her own life. We laud male soldiers who shield their fellows with their own bodies and tell of their heroism decades and generations later. Yet one of the two men she saved, seemingly thinks she shouldn't have been there at all. And that, because it supported his misogynistic opinions despite the overwhelming witness of the other parties in the story to the contrary, is the only thing Bayly quoted from the entire story.

I'm not sure I'd trust the opinion of an ungrateful, badly wounded junior soldier over the witness of Private Brown's unit's Sergeant Major and brigade commander; they had somthing very different to say about this woman, who served with conspicuous bravery to save her fellow soldiers' lives. I think he -- actually, the soldier AND Bro. Bayly -- is really showing a highly stubborn, egotistic, sinful attitude: "I'd rather die than be saved by a woman."

Jesus offended many in his parable about the Good Samaritan for precisely that kind of reason. The Samaritan was the hero of the story, and the priest and the Pharisee were revealed for the self-righteous, callous sinners they really were. "Good" Jews would rather have died than be saved by a Samaritan, and for telling that parable, Jesus showed that the "good Jews" among his listeners would rather have died in sin than be saved by a Samaritan-loving Jew like Jesus. (Overly simplistic observation, perhaps, but one worth considering.)

Just who, I wonder, would you or I prefer to die than to be saved by?

Meanwhile, here's an old Army veteran and fellow Texan who wishes she could salute Specialist Monica Brown. I'd say she ought to wear her Silver Star proudly, but she's self-effacing enough that she maintains she was only doing her job. And isn't that the sticking point, really? She WAS doing her job, the job she was trained to do, and going above and beyond it in order to save lives under enemy fire. Despite certain blowhard misogynists' bigoted opinions, I suspect that an awful lot of women can relate to serving other people selflessly and at great personal risk. Perhaps much better than said bigoted blowhards can...

(Classic dogface sound-off here)
Monica Brown, you are indeed a hero. Long may your valor be remembered!

Checking back in

2008-12-11T22:53:00.002-06:00

Hello to those who stop by.

Medical issue is in the myriad diagnostic tests and procedures phase right now. Surgery still seems likely sometime early in the new year, but how extensive depends on some more imaging and some pathology reports.

Move still isn't done, but slowly progressing. I had *better* make significant progress this weekend (I tell myself, sternly)...

I was briefly checking my Bloglines, and my least-favorite patriarchs-in-pastors'-clothing brothers are at it again concerning women in the military, this time in support of an ungrateful wounded soldier's denouncement of the heroic woman who saved his life.

I'll post about that next. Amazing...

A blessed mid-Advent to all.

Happy New Year!

2008-11-29T22:56:00.005-06:00

I'm breaking my self-imposed hiatus to wish a blessed beginning of the new Christian year to those of you who observe Advent. (To those who don't, the first Sunday of Advent--Advent being the season beginning the fourth Sunday before Christmas and ending on Christmas Eve--marks the beginning of the liturgical/Christian year.)

A brief update for you:

I did indeed see my new doctor. I have a significant medical problem that will almost certainly result in surgery, probably after the first of the year. Right now, I'm being poked and prodded and anticipate more of the same, in order to determine what exactly we're dealing with and to rule out for certain any of the scariest (remote) possibilities. Several other more mundane conditions are being medicated again after all this time, and I'm starting to benefit from the results. Most of my "stuff" is a function of the aging process--happy looming 50th b-day to me--and being overweight (about which I'm making some progress). But I'm grateful beyond measure for the blessings of health coverage and an excellent physician. May I never take these gifts for granted!

In the midst of it all, I have begun living at my new apartment, in a much more spacious unit in a very much safer complex. Meanwhile, the old apartment still holds the majority of my belongings, which I'm (too slowly) sorting through and carting the 3 miles to my new place. Jenny and Rosie, my two aging kitties, have handled the move quite well, though Jenny freaked when I brought my friend Stacey in today in the process of the two of us moving a couple of pieces of new-to-me furniture (Stacey's old recliner and a cute floral loveseat finally taken out of lay-away at a nearby antique mall). She's such a chicken when it comes to having anybody but her mama in the house with her! To say I didn't entertain much at the old apartment is an understatement.

My kitchen is mostly set-up now, in crisp red and white to go with the funky retro cabinets; I'm cooking nearly all my meals now, which is a switch for me. My new bed is dressed in pretty pale blue sateen in my new quiet, peaceful bedroom, which was a very good thing to have ready when I had to spend a couple of days last week mostly in bed. The bathrooms (one for the cats, and one for me) are at the ready with a white-on-white theme, dressed up with some lovely blue-and-white pieces to hold various bath necessities, and of course the ever-present "cat box" in the girls' bathroom.

I just received a plea from my dear composer friend with whom I've collaborated on three published or accepted for publication anthems. He's asking for two more lyric texts, one for a commission he has received from a mutual friend for an anthem in his youngest daughter's honor; it will be a text focused on "Grace." The other is for the "senior song" he writes each year for his youth choir to premier on their summer choir tour, in honor of that year's senior members. He has used my texts the past two years and both have been picked up by a good publisher that markets their anthems well (unlike our first collaboration; Abingdon does nothing much in the way of marketing; my last royalty check was for 30 copies!)

Church is doing well, and well into the swirl of activities inherent to Advent. Our sanctuary is nearly all decorated, except for placing the chrismons on the tree. This will be done at our Hanging of the Greens service tomorrow night, after which we'll all repair to Fellowship Hall for a rice and beans supper and a "fiesta" to gather, sort, and prepare to transport the gifts we're all bringing for our annual mission trip to the Rio Grande Valley (both sides of the border). The choir is presenting two anthems per week in lieu of an extended work this Advent. I wrote a simple drama for the children's choirs, and the children are hard at work on it, learning the songs and their lines like champs. We're taking it easy this year; no "bathrobe pageant"--the children will wear regular clothes and even bring their school backpacks as part of the story line. The theme is gifts, and at the end, each child will place a gift box or bag under the Chrismon tree as symbolic of the various gifts they can give the Christ Child. Then it's off to the Hall for a Christmas party, with a certain jolly old elf making an appearance once everyone has had the chance to decorate a gingerbread house. Fun traditions.

I'm still really liking my administrative job. I've really got the best boss ever, a fine Christian man with impeccable ethics and a genuine humility rarely found in C-level executives. He, along with our CEO and now a brand-new COO, are interims. I am praying that he and the CEO become permanent in those positions, or at least as permanent as anybody is in any job in these troubled times. I'm proud to work for my boss, and especially proud to be a part of a hospital and health network that remembers our primary mission: serving the poor of our county with excellent medical care.

Well, this has turned into a LONG entry, hasn't it? A lot has happened and is happening. I don't anticipate getting back into regular blogging until after Christmas, but I didn't want you faithful few readers to wonder what has become of me. I'm where I've always been: in God's providential hands, and those hands have poured out an extra measure of blessings on me lately. I am content.

Happy Advent and Christmas to you all!

Psalmist on Indefinite Hiatus

2008-10-17T08:53:00.002-05:00

Hello, my dear blog friends.

As the calendar shows, it's been well over a month since my last entry. Given that I'm only making this once because I'm home sick, I think it's best if I concede at least temporary defeat to the tyranny of a two-job, about-to-move, stressed-out life and cross blogging off my never-finished "to-do" list.

I'm especially disappointed that my Lectionary music feature won't continue, but there just isn't time or energy to do it for now.

Bright spot: Finally, after far too long, I have a doctor's appointment in less than a month. My benefits have kicked in!

Bye for now, and may the light of God's countenance shine upon you all.

Psalmist

Bulletin Blooper

2008-09-07T18:34:00.003-05:00

Since our church's administrative assistant does not read this blog, I'm going to blog about a hum-dinger of a blooper from this morning. And ultimately, I share the blame for it making it to print, since in the pastor's vacation absence, I was the official bulletin-proofer.

We print our hymn texts in our bulletins. Today's final hymn was "Nothing But the Blood." Leading verse 3 in the bulletin was this gem:

"Nothing can for gin atone . . ."

Well, that IS true . . .

Music for Sunday, September 28, 2008

2008-09-07T18:20:00.002-05:00

20th Sunday after Pentecost, Year A
Proper 21 (26) - Ordinary Time

Exodus 17:1-7
Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16 (UMH 799)
Philippians 2:1-13
Matthew 21:23-32

What will your congregations and choirs be singing? What will you or your other instrumentalist(s) be playing?

Please share your thoughts, plans, pleas for help, bright ideas, and anything else that might encourage us all to excellence in making music to the Most High!

For a display of the Scripture texts, as always, I recommend the Vanderbilt RCL resource for this week. It can be found here.

Music for Sunday, September 21, 2008

2008-09-07T18:14:00.004-05:00

19th Sunday after Pentecost, Year A Proper 20 (25) - Ordinary Time
Exodus 16:2-15
Psalm 105:1-6, 37-45 (or Psalm 78) (UMH 828, UMH 799)
Philippians 1:21-30
Matthew 20:1-16

What will your congregations and choirs be singing? What will you or your other instrumentalist(s) be playing?

Please share your thoughts, plans, pleas for help, bright ideas, and anything else that might encourage us all to excellence in making music to the Most High!

For a display of the Scripture texts, as always, I recommend the Vanderbilt RCL resource for this week. It can be found here.

Music for Sunday, September 14, 2008

2008-08-17T20:57:00.004-05:00

18th Sunday after Pentecost, Year A
Proper 19 (24) - Ordinary Time

Exodus 14:19-31
Exodus 15:1b-11, 20-21 (UMH 135)
Romans 14:1-12
Matthew 18:21-35

What will your congregations and choirs be singing? What will you or your other instrumentalist(s) be playing?

Please share your thoughts, plans, pleas for help, bright ideas, and anything else that might encourage us all to excellence in making music to the Most High!

For a display of the Scripture texts, as always, I recommend the Vanderbilt RCL resource for this week. It can be found here.

Fanfare!

2008-08-13T21:13:00.004-05:00

At LONG last...a permanent, full-time job!

I accepted an offer today for the position I've filled as a temporary since mid-May. The pay rate will be over 50 percent higher than what I've been making as a temp. I will be eligible for most benefits immediately, including very good medical and disability benefits. I begin banking paid time off immediately and can begin requesting the banked time off after 90 days. I start on August 25th.

There is much rejoicing among Psalmist and her friends. If it would not have been an unacceptable breach of office propriety, I would have shrieked my delight so that this notice would not even have been necessary! However, since I received the job offer in the middle of the work day, I had to let a few very discrete phone calls and several e-mail messages suffice at the time.

But now:

IGOTAJOBIGOTAJOBIGOTAJOBIGOTAJOBIGOTAJOBIGOTAJOBIGOTAJOB!

In all seriousness, praise be to God. And much gratitude as well goes to my boss, who reveals himself a man of remarkable character and goodness more every day. He made this happen, though he has told me that it's my own hard work that led him to do so. (See...he's even humble!)

Several readers and commenters have told me they've been praying for me in this regard, and I do very much appreciate those prayers--and you who offered them on my behalf.

Now, I'd better get home and to bed (I've been working at my OTHER job, the one that's kept me from being homeless these last four years--serving my dear church). Tomorrow holds a very important board meeting, and I have to be in early for it.

Thanks again, dear friends, and thanks be to God for this great blessing in my life. I pray--and invite you to join me in that prayer--that God will guide me clearly in how to use this blessing to, in turn, bless others. Blessed to be a blessing...that's what it's all about, no?

Music for Sunday, September 7, 2008

2008-08-10T22:43:00.004-05:00

17th Sunday after Pentecost, Year A
Proper 18 (23) - Ordinary Time

Exodus 12:1-14
Psalm 149 or Psalm 148 ( for UMs, that's UMH861 in the Psalter)
Romans 13:8-14
Matthew 18:15-20

What will your congregations and choirs be singing? What will you or your other instrumentalist(s) be playing?

Please share your thoughts, plans, pleas for help, bright ideas, and anything else that might encourage us all to excellence in making music to the Most High!

For a display of the Scripture texts, the most excellent Vanderbilt RCL resource for this week can be found here.

And now, for the Day Job news

2008-08-06T21:32:00.003-05:00

It's about to become a "permanent" day job.

My new boss told me Monday that he wants to extend a job offer to me as soon as he and our HR department can work out the details. He considers it an issue of fairness, because he's confident I'm a good fit for what he needs in an assistant, and he doesn't want me without benefits any longer.

Friends, I've been waiting for this since I got laid off from my LAST hospital job in 2003. While I've considered/been considered for other kinds of jobs (including full-time church positions), nothing's worked out. As Arsenio Hall used to say, "It's TIME!"

Since it's not a done deal yet, I was hesitant to post anything. But this really is good news. When I actually accept the job offer, however, I doubt I'll need to post an update; y'all will hear me clear around the hemisphere, I suspect.

Music for Sunday, August 31, 2008

2008-08-03T22:11:00.005-05:00

16th Sunday after Pentecost, Year A
Proper 17 (22) - Ordinary Time

Exodus 3:1-15
Psalm 105:1-6, 23-26, 45c (for UMs, that's UMH 850 in the Psalter)
Romans 12:9-21
Matthew 16:21-28

What will your congregations and choirs be singing? What will you or your other instrumentalist(s) be playing?

Please share your thoughts, plans, pleas for help, bright ideas, and anything else that might encourage us all to excellence in making music to the Most High!

For a display of the Scripture texts, the most excellent Vanderbilt RCL resource for this week can be found here.

Music for Sunday, August 24, 2008

2008-08-03T22:02:00.009-05:00

15th Sunday after Pentecost, Year A
Proper 16 (21) - Ordinary Time

Exodus 1:8 - 2:10
Psalm 124 (for UMs, that's UMH 846 in the Psalter)
Romans 12:1-8
Matthew 16:13-20

What will your congregations and choirs be singing? What will you or your other instrumentalist(s) be playing?

Please share your thoughts, plans, pleas for help, bright ideas, and anything else that might encourage us all to excellence in making music to the Most High!

For a display of the Scripture texts, the most excellent Vanderbilt RCL resource for this week can be found here.

Music for Sunday, August 17, 2008

2008-08-03T19:12:00.003-05:00

14th Sunday after Pentecost, Year A
Proper 15 (20) - Ordinary Time

Genesis 45:1-15
Psalm 133 (for UMs, that's UMH 850 in the Psalter)
Romans 11:102a, 29-32
Matthew 15:(10-20) 21-28

What will your congregations and choirs be singing? What will you or your instrumentalist(s) be playing?

Please share your thoughts, plans, pleas for help, bright ideas, and anything else that might encourage us all to excellence in making music to the Most High!

For a display of the Scripture texts, the most excellent Vanderbilt RCL resource for this week can be found here.

Music for Sunday, August 10, 2008

2008-08-03T14:57:00.008-05:00

13th Sunday after Pentecost, Year A
Proper 14 (19) - Ordinary Time

Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28
Psalm 105:1-6, 16-22, 45b (for UMs, that's UMH 828 in the Psalter)
Romans 10:5-15
Matthew 14:22-33

What will your congregations and choirs be singing? What will you or your instrumentalist(s) be playing?

Please share your thoughts, plans, pleas for help, bright ideas, and anything else that might encourage us all to excellence in making music to the Most High!

For a display of the Scripture texts, the most excellent Vanderbilt RCL resource for this week can be found here.

New Focus for The Psaltery

2008-08-03T14:42:00.003-05:00

For a long time now, the reason this blog is called The Psaltery hasn't been much in evidence. Oh, the references to getting handbells serviced and being proud of various choirs are a part of my work as a music minister, to be sure. I don't intend to stop posting blurbs of that nature. However, both the discipline of weekly worship planning and the practice of the art of sacred music have been discussed very little here.

That's about to change.

I'm "back in harness" after two weekends away and now two Sunday mornings' worth of worship services. My adult choir -- our church's regular loft choir -- will resume rehearsals on Wednesday. And true to form, I'm L-A-T-E in getting 6-8 weeks' worth of music planned for us to rehearse!

My proposal: To offer to my fellow worship planners (clergy and musicians alike) a "think tank" for planning worship music. This might evolve, if enough people get involved, to include other worship arts and perhaps acts of worship such as litanies and responsive readings. Think of the RevGalBlogPals' "Lectionary Leanings" and "11th Hour Preacher Party" features, but with an intentional focus on music.

Right now, I will be using the United Methodist version of the Revised Common Lectionary as my starting point. I will create a different entry for each week. The title of each of these entries will be a Sunday of the liturgical year, but identified by actual calendar date (such as this coming Sunday, August 10). I will post the UM Scripture references (though not the texts themselves, as I wish to honor copyright law for my preferred translations) and invite comment on what hymn, anthem, solo, and other musical resources I and others plan to use for the week. If you're in a different tradition that uses other texts for these days, I hope you'll participate anyway. If I can manage to keep up with an index feature, this could, in time, turn into a very helpful resource.

Want to play? (Sorry; I couldn't resist that worn-out pun!) Please jump right in and let's spark some creativity in one another!

Something Good to Write About!

2008-07-21T21:29:00.006-05:00

(A summary of my mini-vacation originally posted to a good friends e-mail list)

I had the BEST time in Kerrville! Anybody know James Avery jewelry? I went to the workshop, though it wasn't working hours for the craftsmen. Bought a discontinued pendant to put in our Lord's Acre auction in October; couldn't afford the pieces that could only be purchased there, as they were all in gold. But discontinued is the next best thing; I wanted to get something that was made there and could be purchased only there, and I'm sure it will sell better because I got it in Kerrville.

My little B&B cottage was all I could have hoped for. I spent some time hiking (slowly and leisurely) through the various gardens: herb, bamboo, sculpture, and some without names but lovely as could be. There were wind chimes all over the place, and there's always at least a light breeze. The sound was scrumptious! It was a long drive, and I was tired, and I had my first ever jet tub bath. Total relaxation! Comfy bed, VERY quiet at night. Because it was outside of town and Kerrville isn't very big, I got that totally dark night sky that I've missed since moving to the metroplex (Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area). Woke up on my own Sunday morning, ate more of the fresh fruit the proprietors provided, enjoyed a cup of tea, packed, and then headed for church down at the bottom of the long hill from where I stayed.

THAT was the only blot on the weekend. I had called ahead and decided to go to their 11:00 service. The drive down took longer than I realized it would, so I was a minute or two past 11:00 when I got to the parking lot. There were NO spaces! I nearly turned around and left then, but went around again and finally found one. By now, it was about 6 or 7 minutes after 11. Went inside, and they were already a third of the way through the service! And wouldn't you know it, there were no easily accessible seats to slip into. An usher asked a couple on the end of one pew if they'd shift to let me in, but they just stood there. I'd already tried the one end spot I saw, and people had put purses and bulletins and Bibles in the three spots' worth of space. I'm not proud of myself, but I slipped back out and left. I've NEVER done that before. I understand better what some of the "experts" mean about being visitor-friendly. That service HAD to have begun before 11:00. Ours does, too, which is why all our literature and recordings say 10:45. We make sure that end seats are available, especially in the back. (It's easier for us, because we generally don't have capacity attendance, but still...) All in all, it was a humiliating experience and I'm going to do whatever I can to be sure my church doesn't let that happen to people who visit us.

So, I headed back up to the other side of town, into another country road area, to pick up the handbells. They look like brand-new! Loaded them in the car and headed to Fredericksburg, a touristy town on my route home. Had lunch in one of their cafes. It's a heavily German-heritage area of the state, and I had some half-decent German potato salad with my sandwich, along with an overpriced, so-so serving of that Texas staple, peach cobbler with Blue Bell vanilla ice cream. It's peach season here, and I thought for sure the cobbler would be made with fresh peaches, but no such luck. But I got one more auction item in the Christmas Store (which everybody said I just had to check out) - a European-style nutcracker (wooden figure) decorated as a cowboy. We're big on cowboys 'round here! It will get some attention in the auction hype because it's from the Fredericksburg Christmas Store. Then it was back in the car to take the "scenic route" home, and I went through a bunch of little towns I'd only seen on maps. Dropped the handbells off just as youth group was letting out, and talked to the pastor for a while. One baby born while I was gone and one due tomorrow, a downright miraculous good diagnosis for a very sick member, two of our older saints having some medical trials, youth director and several of our junior-high youth gone on a mission trip, Jurisdictional Conference over with three new bishops elected (one being assigned to our area)...all having occurred since I left on vacation. Took a while to catch up. I told her about my experience at the church in Kerrville, and I felt better when she said she'd have left over the parking problem!

ANYway, I'm back and getting into the routine again. The weekend needed to be more like a week away, but that was what I could manage. Too bad handbells need to be machine-cleaned only every 8-10 years! (The church gladly paid my mileage, since it amounted to far less than if we'd paid to ship the bells.) VBS starts Sunday night, and we music folks have a workshop to drill the new music this Wednesday. And my adult choir resumes rehearsals after having July off, on the 30th. Summer is definitely coming to a close soon. And I will love having all my groups back up again after Labor Day.

(I would love to go back to Kerrville again, and stay at the same place, for several days in a row. Perhaps when I get an honest-to-god real paid vacation from the day job, I can do that.)

On not writing

2008-07-13T20:14:00.004-05:00

I've had a rare weekend of vacation this weekend, with another -- involving a short trip -- next weekend. It's been a time of rest and relaxation for me, though with an indisposition (upon which I won't elaborate) which resulted in my not attempting to visit another congregation for worship. I even managed to sleep through broadcast church services!

It's been strange to me that I've had nothing to say here on the blog. Not that I didn't want to, but I still really don't have anything I wish to "put out there." Other than to update my few readers on the goings on here in Psalmist-land, I just don't have words to share.

So...here's the update!

* I recently signed a contract with a major sacred choral music publisher for the publication of an anthem for which I provided the lyrics. I'm pleased that there is a well-respected editor, and that both SATB and two-part editions are in the works. The respected release date is Spring 2009, and potential royalties at least a year out from then. But unlike my first published work, this publisher markets well and this is also less of a "niche" text. I anticipate that it will sell well among youth choirs and in school markets open to religious texts.

* My secular work situation is fairly promising, if a bit of a roller-coaster right now. I have been on a temporary assignment as (senior) administrative assistant to the CFO of a major hospital network for about two months now. It was only announced last week, though I had known for several weeks, that my boss resigned and a new interim CFO appointment has been announced. This occurred only a few weeks after our CEO was asked by the board to step down, and an interim CEO was announced. He (the interim CEO) went out of his way to tell me that he had received excellent reports about, and seen for himself, the good job I've been doing; he was very much in favor o fmy staying on the assignment indefinitely, if I wanted to. Though it has been very difficult to handle the uncertainty involved in an about-to-resign and completely absent boss -- one I truly liked and enjoyed working for -- I realized I'd be a complete fool to leave. Had my first boss stayed, all the signs were there for me to be hired permanently. Well, now that I've met and worked with my new boss just a little, again I see signs that he would like for me to stay as long as I wish to; he stated that he has no desire to bring in anyone else for the position and he values my input as far as procedures and perceptions of how we can best get the CFO's duties done well. SOOOO...all that to say, I'm in a pretty good situation, for a temp! It's the temp part of it that I want to see change. I'm still in that limbo of being unable to take any time off to see a doctor, and there's just too much that I've put off for too long. Not that I couldn't afford the visit, but the tests and the meds would bankrupt me. I've been that close to the financial edge for that long.

* Church continues to go well. I missed "my people" this morning, but I need this time away as well. I worked lots of extra hours so I could be ready to be completely gone for two weekends in a row, and in the wee hours of Saturday morning, I finally made it back home and hit the sack. I've decided, and have the pastor's blessing, to limit my schedule to two nights per week as much as possible. This will mean combining my youth and adult handbell ensembles, probably on Tuesday nights, and continuing with my adult choir on Wednesday nights. Between gas prices and the official number of hours of my employment, to say nothing of running myself ragged with three nights per week, I think this will be better stewardship of my time and energy. Meanwhile, once I return from vacation, that next Wed. night I'll be meeting with my team for VBS music, then we kick it off the next Sunday night. I'll have to ask to leave early from the day job Mon - Thurs of that week, which is a lot for a temp to ask for. Fortunately, my new boss is a Christian and I think will understand and concur, as long as I get my work done. We (the day job) have a budget workshop that next Saturday, for which I have to prepare lots of the materials, but I don't actually have to be at the workshop. It's always something. At least I'm not bored.

*To the several who have been interested in hearing about the "romantic relationship," it's ongoing, but very low-key. There is significant geographic distance involved, and neither of us, by mutual agreement, is planning any travel to be together for the time being. He's been through some seriously difficult family issues lately, and we've been drawn close in prayer about them. You're welcome to pray, too, if you're so inclined. Names and specifics are not important; God knows all concerned. :)

*And so, I continue to walk by faith and not by sight. Just reviewing what I've written shows that other than my part-time church position, nothing could be considered "stable." After all these years of instability, I'm not sure what I'd do with a suddenly "stable" life. (Isn't "stable life" for horses?) God always has been, and remains, sufficient. And perhaps that's why there isn't more to write. What more is there, really, that needs to be said?

Happy Belated Second Blog Birthday to the Psaltery!

2008-06-17T17:46:00.002-05:00

The actual date was last Friday -- yes, the 13th!

Guess I was too busy to mark the day, or even think about it, until today. And with me too sick with a tummy bug for real cake, I guess this is the closest I can get to enjoying a treat in honor of the occasion.

Thanks for continuing to read, my friends.

A little vacation coming up!

2008-06-17T16:42:00.001-05:00

I'm going to be here for too brief a stay next month.

Just thought my few and faithful readers would be glad to know I'm getting away for at least one of my three weekends off this year, and maybe even envy me a bit.

:)

Romanticized Notions of Warfare and the Military

2008-06-07T09:35:00.004-05:00

Recently I got involved elsewhere in what I will loosely call a discussion about the military, specifically about women who serve in the military. Having done so myself some years back, I have an interest and some knowledge about this subject.

The interchange was based on a couple of points raised in reaction to the Baylys' Memorial Day slam against women in the military (see the entry below this one).

I ended up dealing with some highly inaccurate, romanticized notions of what warfare and military service entail. There is, for one thing, the idea that there are or can be secure, segregated sleeping facilities for men and women. While that is a given in permanent and secure deployment situations, it cannot happen when the mission involves extended movement or when the unit is taking hostile fire. As I tried to explain, sleep happens when and where it can, fully-clothed, and if anything, illicit or felonious interaction between male and female is less likely than in those supposedly secure, segregated quarters. In other words, the mission overrides the need for sleep, or at least seriously intrudes upon it. You catch a few hours here and there in the vehicle, your improvised cover (be it standing or dug-in), or wherever/however, in uniform, your weapon at the ready, instantly alert. Sex is NOT on your mind, whether you're male or female, or if it is, it's one of those fleeting thoughts that does not get acted upon.

But no. There must be secure, segregated sleeping quarters in ALL circumstances, with the added "precaution" of removing any women from combat, where incidents of sexual assaults are an increased risk. Right. Remove the women, that will solve the problem. More of that romanticized idea that sexual assualt is primarily about sex. More resignation to the idea that it's normal behavior for men to assault women (sexually or otherwise), so remove the threat by removing the potential victims. Oh, but no! Just remove the women in addition to clamping down on the men who commit the crimes, because "many" of them do.

I was chastised for daring to say that I believe such an opinion does a disservice to men and women in uniform. Well, I still fervently believe that it does. We continue to cast military personnel in the guise of the last way we saw them prior to their enlistment: as hormone-plagued teenagers who will "hook up" if we give them the slightest opportunity. We discount the idea that they can and do mature (very quickly!) past that spoiled, immature teenage state into disciplined adults who are not "distracted" by the presence of the opposite sex. We either want to say that the right to defend their country should be denied to women altogether, or we somehow want to create artificially "safe" situations in which women will never be threatened by sexual assault or by war wounds or, God forbid, death in combat. It's based on a myth that is absolutely unfair to the good, law-abiding personnel who serve in our armed forces.

That's where another romanticized misconception is revealed. "Combat zones" are essentially the entire theater of conflict in modern warfare. There are no longer "front lines" and secure "rear areas." And as plenty of National Guard and Reserve personnel have discovered, if you enlist, you are subject to active duty service in an area of conflict. Probably several tours' worth of service. If you volunteer to serve, you volunteer to put your life on the line. Thankfully, most who do volunteer know this, even if the civilians back home refuse to recognize it.

The fear-driven "what-ifs" came up in this "discussion." What about if we fight a "real" war (apparently Iraq and Afghanistan aren't real enough), because if we do, the enemy will set up brothels of POW women if we don't wake up and stop allowing women to serve in the military, or we don't at least keep them in "safe" places. By all means, we must radically change military policy in order to plan against the most improbable and horrific fantasy that a civilian can conjure up! All I can say about such a ludicrous idea is that it's a good thing some civilians don't have a say in policy-making. It's obvious the man who put up this "proof" that women don't belong in the military, has never been trained in the military. Personally, I hope someday he (and people who think like he thinks) is in a position for a military woman to protect him. Because he's the civilian, for all his grandiose talk about the inadequacies of women to serve in the military.

Along those same lines, he brought up the "unfairness" of the different score requirements for men and women for military physical fitness evaluations. He apparently thinks that it is a military necessity to be able to do 70 push-ups. (Hint, fella: not all military men can do 70 in two minutes.) That's a critical military task, right? He appears to be unaware that it's called "physical fitness" for a good reason: the physical fitness tests measure an individual's PHYSICAL FITNESS. I'm well aware, despite his false charge, that men and women are built differently. One of those differences is in where the strongest bones and muscles in the body are located. It doesn't take a genius to recognize (and most human beings seem to appreciate) that a man's greatest bone and muscle mass is in his chest and arms, while a woman's is located in her pelvis and thighs. Men are built so as to make it EASY to do push-ups. A woman who can do, say, 50 push-ups in two minutes is actually far more fit in terms of her upper body, than a man who can do only 50. The requirements for sit-ups, the PT critic failed to mention, are roughly equal for men and women. Is he going to cry "unfair" about that, too? Of course not. And given a woman's slightly smaller lung capacity and shorter stride, the time requirements for a two-mile run are slightly faster for men than for women. The point, of course, is that the military has for years now tested and refined its test parameters in order to ensure that an easy-to-administer, low-equipment physical fitness test actually does, accurately, test a military member's physical fitness. Having been in a test unit for the first establishment of the three-event test for Army women (it used to be a silly seven-event test reminiscent of junior high gym class), I do know a little of the history and the rationale behind the three-event test as it is administered to military women. And believe me, a woman who "maxes" her PT test is an extremely fit individual, just as is a man who "maxes" his. And there's little mercy if you don't make the minimum on a PT test. Bottom line: If you want an army of push-up doers, you will require men and women to do the same number of push-ups. If, however, you want a physically fit army, the current PT standards are an excellent measure of that fitness.

Other silly things got said, but I'm tired of this. I couldn't qualify for military service anymore even if they did want me (and to date, I've received no recall letters). I happen to honor the men and women who set aside their dreams in order to serve their country in uniform. I respect them immensely for going where they're sent, doing what they're superbly trained to do: protect freedom and engage the enemies of freedom. I don't care if a military member is male or female, as long as he or she has been trained well and obeys the law. And if ANY servicemember breaks the law, I expect (as should any loyal American) that he or she be prosecuted. There is no place in the American military for the "boys will be boys" blind eye expectation that sexual (or any kind of) assault against fellow members or civilians is regrettable but inevitable. We DO do our forces a disservice to state that it's better to remove women from combat zones because the men are just too likely to commit crimes against them. Military service is not safe. Criminals are criminals. War is war. And misogyny is misogyny, and has no place in the armed forces or anywhere else in civilized society.

Final statement: I believe in the ideal of peace in this world. Most military personnel pray fervently for peace, because they know they will pay the price when we fall short of that ideal. And because we, as a society, have made it our policy to fall short of that ideal, we need the best and most capable personnel we can get to volunteer for our armed forces. We don't need the rhetoricians hearkening back to a time that never really was, telling us our woes would be lessened if we just prohibited women from serving in the military. (They don't know how perilously close the U.S. came during Korea and Viet Nam, for instance, to DRAFTING nurses. No women, except when we couldn't get the job done without them, I suppose.)

But that's the thing about America, and one of the things that our military protects for us: the right to expression of our opinions without fear of governmental retaliation. While the Patriot Act does threaten that right, still by and large, we have it, and do we ever exercise it! And my opinion is, whatever we bloggers say or how odiously we say it, we need policy-makers who rely more on logic and law than on emotions and religious proof-texting to regulate our military. Women ARE doing the job, and doing it well. And if they're uniquely threatened by unlawful behavior, then eliminate the unlawful behavior, not the women. We can't afford to lose good military personnel, especially not to the "friendly fire" of criminal assault.

Mindless Braying

2008-05-26T19:45:00.005-05:00

Some time back, I mentioned the braying of a couple of non-veteran so-called men of God who declared women unfit for military service.

At that time, I declined to give their blog further traffic by linking to their mindless writings (see the title of their blog if you think this characterization is harsh).

But now, on Memorial Day no less, they open their mouths to bray mindlessly yet again against female veterans.

"Gentle"men, the right for you to spout your historically uninformed, reactionary, religiously-popular yet biblically proof-texted nonsense was won for you by men and women in uniform. Your obvious disrespect for the women who have served and continue to serve our country in uniform is your constitutional right to express. This, however, was not the day to express that profound disrespect, especially given your failure to post any evidence that you honor even male war dead. I realize it's asking too much for you, who never wore the uniform, to honor female veterans and heroes; in fact, it would be lying for you to do so, after your anti-woman rhetoric so many times over on your blog.

God forbid that this country, especially your community, should ever be threatened such that you would have to accept protection from a woman in uniform. She would honorably extend that protection to you, as she would to any other citizen. If such were to happen, perhaps you would finally understand that it is not the gender of the warrior, but her selfless sacrifice--a sacrifice you declined ever to make--that would be the important factor in your protection as civilian citizens of the United States of America.

I am proud to be an American, and proud to be a veteran. I am, however, ashamed of you, as fellow civilian citizens and as brothers in Christ. Would that you had the grace to be ashamed of yourselves for your misogynistic attitudes and the horrible timing of your disrespectful, dishonorable rant. Keep your so-called "compassion" to yourself. You owe all the veterans who protected your freedom, your profound gratitude and respect. If you couldn't be bothered to express these, then you ought to have had the grace on Memorial Day to keep to yourself your self-serving rant against the women who served.

Edited: The Baylys' dishonorable, disrespectful diatribe against female veterans (written to blast certain Presbyteries that support the law of the land that provides for women to defend their country) still stands. However, they did add a short entry purporting to thank those who served and are serving, as well as the families of those who gave their lives, late on Memorial Day evening. To these, they say they are "deeply grateful."

To My Fallen Brothers and Sisters

2008-05-26T11:59:00.004-05:00

Today, I honor you.

I, who served in peacetime.

I, who lived to enjoy the blessing of freedom for which you gave your life.

I, who say a prayer of gratitude today for your selflessness and patriotism.

You took enemy fire.

You faced starvation, torture, and imprisonment.

You died on land, in the sea, and in the air.

You died doing the duty you promised to our country.

You never returned.

You paid the price.

I served, but you served and died.

I honor you.

I will never forget.

May eternal light shine upon you,
and upon the memory of your sacrifice.

Finally able to breathe!

2008-05-24T18:27:00.005-05:00

It's good that summer has essentially arrived. Good for my sanity, that is.

Don't get me wrong. I adore the musicians I lead and our ministry together. I'm simply very tired. The frenzy of activity in the month of May was enormous this year. I'm making a promise to myself to not ever again attempt a major multi-group concert in May, ever again, even if the holidays coincide well for it. (We presented our every-musical-group-in-the-church-does-a-patriotic-bash-concert last Sunday evening, the day after Armed Forces Day and the weekend prior to Memorial Day weekend.) The concert went extremely well, despite some marked under-rehearsal on the part of several of my groups, and was well-received, but it was TOO.MUCH for this time of year.

My school age children did very well as the loft choir the Sunday before the concert, which was Pentecost, and also the observance of Mother's Day. That was also a coinciding of two "heavy" days that I'm glad doesn't happen very often.

Oh, and I started a new day-job assignment the Monday prior to the patriotic concert, one that my agency didn't tell me had an end time of 6:00 p.m. every day. Mind, I had a 7:00 down-beat for final rehearsals on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday nights. If I'd known about that requirement, I'd have turned down the assignment or else negotiated a 5:30 p.m. end time (which is, this past week, how it did get negotiated, after it became clear that I was expected to donate a full hour of unpaid overtime, eating at my desk or in the conference room and answering all the calls that came in). It's an assignment supporting the CFO of the county hospital, and entails a fairly high stress level, especially here at the beginning. I don't know the end date of the assignment. A candidate for the permanent position turned it down, they don't have an answer from their other permanent candidate yet, and if she turns it down, they have to start from scratch. I actually meet all the desired and required qualifications, so it's not outside the realm of possibility that I could end up being considered, in which case I'd have to temp through a contract period and then be hired. But that's unhatched chicken territory, so I'm not thinking too much about that. I'm doing a pretty good job. The 7-month temp prior to me kind of made a hash out of a lot of the job, and I'm getting the office more organized. I acquitted myself well at a Board of Managers finance committee meeting on Thursday, a major hurdle. Major stuff is happening, including the CEO being replaced; we had a new boss after the Board meeting Friday afternoon, and Tuesday morning (early) it's all getting laid out for the C-level and VPs.

But anyway, my rehearsal schedule is d0wn to one evening rehearsal per week and one more per month. We take July off for both those groups, too, and I'll be taking two back-to-back July Sundays off; much needed. I'm hoping to take a weekend in Kerrville to get our handbells reconditioned. The tech came on-site last fall and this is a once-per-five-year-or-so thing. He's got a neat deal set up, where he has modest accomodations for those who bring their bells to him. Drop them Friday night or Saturday morning, spend the night, and leave Sunday afternoon with your shiny, reconditioned bells. It's one of the loveliest areas of the state, or so I'm told; I've never been there. (If you like James Avery's jewelry, that's where his studio is, too.) I haven't had a get-away vacation in nearly ten years, and finally I'll have enough money niched away to afford the lodging (the church has already agreed to pay my mileage, which is a bargain compared to the cost of shipping handbells).

So, a saner pace, a mini-vacation to look forward to, and

(trumpet fanfare)

A romantic relationship developing. Not going to say much about that at this time, but it's been WONDERFUL to my heart. He's a fine man who's genuinely attracted to me as a human being and as a woman. We're taking things very slowly for the time being. "And that's all I'm going to say about that."

God is good.

For the Motherless and the Childless

2008-05-09T19:40:00.004-05:00

empty arms

empty heart

empty hole in the soul

seeking she-who-is-not-here

and child-who-never-came

only a white rose to wear

for the one-who-was-incapable-of-mothering

and

no one to rise up and call me blessed,

or wear a red rose for me

Lord, how I love my sisters

and their children!

but you know,

in my deepest silent honest place

how empty my arms are

and how my motherless heart weeps

and how my soul aches

on this day

dedicated to

mothers.

You,

who gave me first and second birth,

wrap your everlasting arms

around me once again,

and around all those whose

arms are empty

and whose hearts long to nurture

and whose souls cry out

for

mother.

Please note that, like all my blog entries (except where otherwise attributed), this entry is my original writing. If you would like to link to it, you are more than welcome to do so. Please do not copy it for reading or distribution elsewhere without my permission, which I will be happy to give, provided you request permission in the comments. Many thanks!

I spoke too soon.

2008-05-06T19:49:00.003-05:00

I am no longer being considered for the church staff position I mentioned in the last blog entry.

The senior pastor of that congregation called today--the day of the interview, and with me already dressed for it and at work on a short-term assignment--to tell me that the committee with whom I interviewed last Thursday had decided not to recommend either of their finalist candidates to the Staff-Pastor-Parish Relations Committee, so tonight's interview with them was cancelled. The other committee (Children's Ministry) simply doesn't know what they want. That was obvious from several of the questions they provided for me to answer last week.

As was the case with the church that did not hire me last summer, it's probably ultimately a good thing that it didn't go any further than this.

Still inhales, though.

(Interpret that as you will.)

Coming up for air

2008-05-05T14:15:00.004-05:00

No, I haven't dropped off the face of the earth.

No, Jenny the Righteously-Angry hasn't taken me hostage.

No, I haven't given up blogging for the latter part of the Easter season.

I've just been engulfed in real life.

I'm in the middle of being considered for a full-time staff position with a church almost an hour away and have gone there twice for interviews; a third is scheduled for tomorrow night.

I've just finished working many hours at the United Methodist General Conference (like so many other UMs who live relatively close to Fort Worth). In my case, I spent nearly all that time editing verbatim transcripts of sermons and plenary legislative sessions. (Can you say "terminal headphone hair"?)

'Tis also the season for much serving when one is engaged in music ministry in the local church. My children's choirs' year-end concert was last Sunday, my school-age children's choir is scheduled to be THE service choir next Sunday (Pentecost AND Mother's Day--wheeeee!), and all the church's music groups will be performing for "A Patriotic Celebration" on Sunday evening, May 18th. Most of those groups (that is, all the ones I lead) are decidedly under-prepared, so we're just this side of frantic right now.

Oh, and I'm still between day-job work, General Conference ($12/hour) and a few one-day assignments here and there notwithstanding.

But other than that, nothing much is happening.

But yes, there is, actually. However, it's not something I'm ready to blog about just yet. But it's big, or at least has the potential to be big in the near future.

And THAT is all that's happening at Chez Psalmist. Well, no, there is even more than that, because God is truly good and merciful, but there aren't words.

I'm OK. Truly. Just very, very tired.

Guest Blogger: Jenny

2008-04-15T13:22:00.005-05:00

MY REBUTTAL
by Jenny

My human slave has grossly overstepped her boundaries and dared to bathe me. I do not intend to forgive her, perhaps for a very long time.

It is not my fault that "stuff" got stuck in my "fluff" in the panties region. I am a long-haired cat. Such things, annoyingly, happen.

If my uppity human slave had not intervened, I would have taken care of the problem. She has no concept of how cats must cope. She is essentially hairless and has such innovations as a commode and toilet tissue. Truly, she has no clue what is entailed in having to deal with permanent long-haired panties, clay bits in a box for a toilet, and being no more than one foot off the floor except when jumping or hanging out in high places.

She places more value on keeping her furniture and belongings free of "cat stuff" than she does on my autonomy and self-bathing. It is intolerable.

Yes, I am outraged at my human slave. Were you in my place, you would be too.

Never mind that my panties region is "stuff-free" now. I'd have got around to it eventually.

*#%^&@$+! human.

P!$$3d off,
Jenny

I knew better...

2008-04-12T23:48:00.003-05:00

Yes, I did.

But I did it anyway. I really had no choice.

I will spare you the worst of the mental image. Suffice it to say that my sweet fluff girl Jenny, who is pure white with long silky hair and two different colored eyes (gold and copper), let some *stuff* get stuck in her *fluff*, around her luxuriant "panties." It had apparently been there since early this morning, and was thus dry. It was NOT pretty.

So I did what any good cat mama would do: First, I cut off a bunch of the "stuff," resulting in a significant loss of "panties" fur. Then, I put some gentle shampoo in some nice warm water in the bathroom sink, and I gently carried my darling in there, and I scruffed her neck just so, and I soaked and eased the nastiness from her fur.

Now, I must say, my darling girl was very good. Though she throatily cried bloody murder, she only lashed out once (at least once that she actually connected), and gave me only the smallest of scratches (through my shirt!) on my upper arm, near my armpit. I guess she thought turn-about was fair play. And she even stayed put while I ran more nice warm water to rinse her off.

But alas! My sweet girl escaped while I was toweling her dry. I now have wet cat foot- and body-prints all over the apartment. She hisses and growls and aims sharp scratches at me and will not let me near her. I can't say as I blame her. (NOTE: Image is not Jenny, but embodies her attitude about being bathed by her human slave quite well.)

But she *does* have nice clean "panties" now. I can stand to look at her from the back, which is good, because she keeps turning her back on me. Cats are like that.

I would not be surprised if she gives you her side of the story sometime soon. Like the "stuff" in the "panties fluff," I'm sure it will not be pretty, either.

The "Winnie the Pooh" Quiz

2008-04-05T18:51:00.002-05:00

Your Score: Rabbit

You scored 15 Ego, 15 Anxiety, and 15 Agency!

IT was going to be one of Rabbit's busy days. As soon as he woke up he felt important, as if everything depended upon him. It was just the day for Organizing Something, or for Writing a Notice Signed Rabbit, or for Seeing What Everybody Else Thought About It. It was a perfect morning for hurrying round to Pooh, and saying, "Very well, then, I'll tell Piglet," and then going to Piglet, and saying, "Pooh thinks--but perhaps I'd better see Owl first." It was a Captainish sort of day, when everybody said, "Yes, Rabbit " and "No, Rabbit," and waited until he had told them.

You scored as Rabbit!

ABOUT RABBIT: Rabbit is generally considered Clever by his many friends and relations. He is actually a much better reader and writer than Owl, but he doesn't consider it worth mentioning. Instead, Rabbit's real talent lies in Organizing Plans. He organizes rescue parties, makes schemes to reduce Tigger's bounciness, and goes on missions to find out what Christopher Robin does when he's not at the Hundred Acre Woods. Sometimes, however, his Plans do not always go as Planned.

WHAT THIS SAYS ABOUT YOU: You are smart, practical and you plan ahead. People sometimes think that you don't stress or worry, but this is not the case. You are the kind of person who worries in a practical way. You think a) What are my anxieties about and b)what can be done about them? No useless fretting for you. You don't see the point in sitting around and waiting for things to work out, when you could actually work them out today and save yourself a lot of time and worry. Your friends tend to rely on you, because they know that they can trust you help them work things out.

You sometimes tend to be impatient with people who are less practical in their ways. You don't have much patience for idiots who moan about things but never actually DO anything about them. You have high expectations of everyone, including yourself. When you don't succeed at something, or when something goes wrong despite your best efforts to prevent it, you can get quite hard on yourself. You need to cut yourself some slack and accept that everyone has their faults, even you, and THAT IS OKAY. Let yourself be faulty, every now and then, for the sake of your own sanity.

Link: The Deep and Meaningful Winnie-The-Pooh Character Test written by wolfcaroling on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test

Cheap "Grace" and "Forgiveness"

2008-04-01T20:28:00.003-05:00

Every so often I come across the idea--written, spoken, and expressed attitude--that grace is a duty and forgiveness can be demanded. I've been thinking a lot about both lately, and here's what has yet again been made clear to me through the Scriptures and my own considerable efforts to put them into practice.

First of all, grace is a gift. It originates from God and, apart from a vital relationship with God, is not a "natural" part of human living. We're too selfish, left to our own devices, to offer one another much grace. Grace is a lavish, wholehearted, selfless showering of godly love upon undeserving fellow sinners. It's neither ours to demand nor even expect. If it were, it would not be grace.

Forgiveness is one expression of grace. Similarly, it is a deliberate and wholehearted decision, specifically not to be bound by or to another's sin against us. If we have sinned against another, we have no right to demand that he or she forgive us.

Christians too often cheapen both grace and forgiveness. The "demand" for forgiveness cheapens the cost of sin; it glosses over the effect our sin has upon the other and seeks to absolve us of any responsibility for repentance and reconciliation. It short-circuits the restoration of true Christian community when we, the sinner, insist that the one we sinned against owes us his or her forgiveness. Which of us would dare to tell Jesus, "You HAD to forgive me; that was your duty"? None, I do hope! Yet there are Christians who stand firm in their unrepentant sin and loudly demand that those they've wronged, forgive them. No amends, no repentance, just ongoing sin--and the demand that it be forgiven because it's their Christian duty to forgive those who have sinned against them.

To me, that sounds an awful lot like the argument Paul refuted to the Roman churches (Rom. 6), that somehow they thought it was good to sin so that more grace would abound. No; instead, Paul showed that sin damages both the sinner and the body--the community, and it grieves the Lord who gave his life that we might no longer be slaves to sin. We ought to be outdoing one another in dying to our sins, not continuing in them even while demanding that those we sin against forgive us!

Grace is cheapened when it is expected. Forgiveness is reduced to a poor imitation when it is formulized and demanded. The sinner should deal with his or her own sin, with God's help, rather than meddling in the alleged lack of grace or unforgiveness of others. Each of us has plenty of sin to keep us busy repenting. We do not need another's forgiveness or grace in order to stop sinning and repent (turn another way) from it. We DO need to pay close attention to the leading of the Holy Spirit on what we ourselves can do to restore relationships broken by our own sin. And as mature Christians, we have a bitter lesson to learn: there are some relationships that may remain broken in this life. That can be a consequence of our sins against others. If we have consistently and unrepentantly torn into a brother or sister, he or she may not be able to trust us. It's going to take a lot of work on our part to become trustworthy, and we only prove our untrustworthiness when we demand "forgiveness" from him or her when we haven't even bothered to express regret or remorse for our sin, or stopped engaging in it in the first place.

The sham of blithe "I forgive you" statements TO people WE'VE sinned against, is especially cheap. When someone shows us that we've sinned against them, we ought to take that very seriously and stop doing it! If we're arrogant and proud in our continued sin against them, they are hardly sinning against us to tell us so. That pride in our sin is, itself, more sin on OUR part, not theirs. And even if they're not completely innocent in terms of sinning against us, we can only control our own behavior, not theirs. Claiming we're forgiving THEM, especially if we throw in a habitual insult in the statement, without ANY evidence of our own repentance, is meaningless. The most it could possibly do is deceive us into thinking we're without sin.

The other person's forgiveness of us, or lack of it, should have no bearing on our repentance. We ought to have repented and sought forgiveness long before they can even offer it. If our sin was unintentional, it's still ours to own and deal with once it's been shown to us. We who were bought at the price of the Lord Jesus Christ's death, can ill afford to deny the sins we commit against others. They may forgive us, but we're still dead in that sin if we deny we even committed it! The forgiveness frees the one we sinned against; we're choosing to live outside that forgiveness. It's no wonder that the self-righteous strive for outward perfection; "whitewashed tombs" was Jesus' description of such denial of sin.

Forgiveness demanded is the height of self-righteous delusion. A truly repentant person acknowledges that he or she has no right to expect any such thing. And in the upside-down paradox of God's economy, it is the truly repentant person who finds true forgiveness and grace, from God, if not always from others he or she has sinned against. One thing is certain, however: The one who insists on another's forgiveness and grace has a heart shut tight against the real article, for that one is still dead in his or her own sin. Repentance must precede acceptance of any forgiveness that may be offered.

Finally, it should be noted that many times, genuine forgiveness takes hard work. It can take time, and it is always a matter of choosing to forgive. It's like submission: if we're in a sinful system that demands it from us, it is no longer the real thing, but merely an outward behavior compelled by one who presumes to control us. That is not how Christians behave, not according to the Scriptures. None of us is in control over another adult believer, nor do we have any right to demand or compel premature forgiveness from another. Our own eyes' planks should concern us much more than the other's eye speck.

We are to take the "one anothers" of Scripture very, very seriously; how we treat one another, according to Christ, is how we treat the Lord himself. If we would not continue rebelliously in open sin against the Lord, we ought not to give even the appearance of doing so against others. If we wouldn't refuse to seek forgiveness from the Lord, we ought to rush to seek it from the brothers and sisters we've wronged. If we would be horrified to say "You deserve my insults" to Jesus, we should repent from insulting another.

If I want forgiveness, it's not mine to demand. I'm much more likely to get it if I do the hard work of ceasing to sin against my neighbor and seeking true reconciliation humbly, as the sinner I am. If I want real relationship with my brother or sister, I need to show myself trustworthy. If I want grace, I need to extend it--real grace, not saccharine words that bely my actions--to the other.

It's not easy to practice (especially if we're immersed in this world's "Me First" mentality), but it's simple. Even the world "gets" it, though it's not widely practiced. I even heard it in Basic Training: "What goes around, comes around." Jesus once again was right: "Do to others as you would that others do to you." I rather doubt that those who so loudly demand forgiveness from others while continuing in their sins, want to have forgiveness demanded from them by unrepentant sinners.

How I'm Doing (for Paisley)

2008-03-27T01:37:00.002-05:00

Hi, dear sister, and thanks for asking!

It's very late, and I should be sleeping, but we had a bit of a crisis at church this afternoon (a minor sought refuge with us because her mother was beating her--police involvement, then my rehearsal and the pastor's youth activity night...I stayed late debriefing with the pastor, then I had to go to my least favorite place--Wal-Mart--for something I was completely out of and can't find anywhere else--YUCK!) ---- ANYway, I'm kind of hyped up and can't sleep.

I'm finally working again, such as it is. So-so pay. It's a little distance from me, but in the light-traffic direction from where I live. "Fur piece" from church (as we say around here), though, on those nights when I have to go straight from one job to another. It's for a local government office. I accepted the assignment as a temp-to-hire, administrative assistant position. But it's a straight temp assignment, not longer than four months, as a cashier. NOT what I signed on for, so I'm putting out feelers again even as I'm continuing to work. I really despise the deceit that's so rampant in much of the staffing industry. Clients deceive the agencies, and both clients and agencies deceive the temps. Why not? We're expendable.

But again, I am glad for the work. I was out for nearly three months and things got pretty desperate financially.

Church is very good. Give me a little longer, and I'll try to post an entry about Easter worship. It was VERY good.

So all the things that really matter are going pretty well. I'm down tonight, but trying not to stay there.

Actually, I'm now going to try to get to bed.

Thanks again for asking, Paisley. I'll drop by your place and ask you the same question, or if you beat me to it, I'd love to hear how you're doing.

Resurrection Day (Easter)

2008-03-23T00:01:00.002-05:00

Scripture: John 20:1-18

"Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. . . But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. . . . 'They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.' Jesus said to her, 'Mary!' . . . Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, 'I have seen the Lord' . . ."

Hymn: "Christ Jesus Lay in Death's Strong Bands," UMH 319
Martin Luther, 1524, trans. Richard Massie, 1854

". . . So let us keep the festival whereto the Lord invites us;
Christ is himself the joy of all, the Sun that warms and lights us.
By his grace he doth impart eternal sunshine to the heart;
The night of sin is ended! Alleluia!"

Prayer:

You're alive! You stand before me, and call me by name. Lord Jesus, you're alive!

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

My Lord is alive! Listen, everyone: I have seen the Lord! He is alive!

Lent: Day 40 (Holy Saturday)

2008-03-22T06:59:00.002-05:00

Scripture: Psalm 22

"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? . . . For he did not despise or abhor the affliction of the afflicted; he did not hide his face from me, but heard me when I cried to him. To him, indeed, shall all who sleep in the earth bow down . . . and I shall live for him. Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the LORD, and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn, saying that he has done it."

Hymn: "Ah, Holy Jesus," UMH 289
Johann Heermann, 1630; trans. Robert S. Bridges, 1899

"Therefore, kind Jesus, since I cannot pay thee,
I do adore thee, and will ever pray thee,
Think on thy pity and thy love unswerving,
Not my deserving."

Prayer:

Crucified and buried Lord, grant me the faith to believe that the grave is not the end, that death has not won, that hope is not dead.

As you sleep the short slumber of this life's ending, wrestle death on my behalf. Conquer the tomb, and break the bonds of human sin and death.

Grant me a heart that waits trustingly for resurrection, Lord Jesus.

Lent: Day 39 (Good Friday)

2008-03-21T07:32:00.002-05:00

Scripture: Mark 15

"And they crucified him, and divided his clothes among them, casting lots to decide what each should take. It was nine o'clock in the morning when they crucified him. The inscription of the charge against him read, 'The King of the Jews.' . . ."

Hymn: "Go to Dark Gethsemane," UMH 290
James Montgomery, 1820, 1825, alt.

". . . Calvary's mournful mountain climb;
There, adoring at his feet,
Mark that miracle of time,
God's own sacrifice complete.
'It is finished!' hear him cry;
Learn of Jesus Christ to die. . . ."

Prayer:

"Crucify him!" Oh, dying Jesus, the screams echo in my ears. My Lord, my Savior, my Teacher, the very Son of God, you do not deserve this--yet no one else can do what you do here before my grieving eyes.

It is for me, it is for us all, that you die alone and in pain. There is nothing I can do to ease your anguish. You do it all.

I think I could die of this sorrow, Lord. Yet I will live, and witness, and watch for the sign of your promises. For I know this cannot, will not, must not be the end.

Lent: Day 38 (Maundy Thursday)

2008-03-20T07:03:00.003-05:00

Scripture: Mark 14:17-25

". . . While they were eating, he took a loaf of bread . . . Then he took a cup . . ."

Hymn: "One Bread, One Body," UMH 620
John B. Foley, 1978

". . . One bread, one body, one Lord of all,
One cup of blessing which we bless.
And we, though many throughout the earth,
We are one body in this one Lord. . . ."

Prayer:

You share the table with me, Teacher -- though I don't deserve it. You know what is in my heart, what I plan, and yet you pass the bread and the cup to me, and you tell me the gift is for me! I can't bear it.

For I have been Judas, and I have been Peter, and I have been the squabbling sons of Zebedee, and the doubting Thomas, and all the rest: slow to learn, quick to anger, and so frail in faith that I will deny you yet this night.

But still you love me, and give yourself to me. My shame bids me run out of the room, yet my love compels me to stay by your side. And so we sing our thanks to God, then depart for the garden.

Lent: Day 37 (Wednesday of Holy Week)

2008-03-19T07:17:00.002-05:00

Scripture: John 14

". . . I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. . . . Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. . . . Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. . . ."

Hymn: "Hymn of Promise," UMH 707
Natalie Sleeth, 1986

". . . In our end is our beginning;
In our time, infinity;
In our doubt there is believing;
In our life, eternity.
In our death, a resurrection;
At the last, a victory,
Unrevealed until its season,
Something God alone can see."

Prayer:

Send your Holy Spirit, Lord Jesus, for I know it will be impossible to face life without your presence. I need the comfort of knowing that this coming anguish is not the end, but the beginning of new life.

Speak past the darkness of my doubt, and teach me about the coming resurrection.

Lent: Day 36 (Tuesday of Holy Week)

2008-03-18T02:58:00.003-05:00

Scripture: Philippians 4:4-9

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. . . . Finally, beloved, . . . if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. . . . and the God of peace will be with you."

Hymn: "Rejoice, the Lord Is King," UMH 715
Charles Wesley, 1746

". . . Jesus the Savior reigns,
The God of truth and love,
When he had purged our stains,
He took his seat above.
Lift up your heart,
Lift up your voice,
Rejoice; again I say, rejoice. . . ."

Prayer:

I shrink from rejoicing today, Lord Jesus, but you call me to it. No matter what awaited you, you trusted in God and gave thanks in all things. And I want to be like you, Lord.

No matter what the circumstances I face today, I will rejoice and thank you, Jesus.

Lent: Day 35 (Monday of Holy Week)

2008-03-17T06:57:00.002-05:00

Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-18

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. . . . Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication."

Hymn: "Lead On, O King Eternal," UMH 580
Ernest W. Shurtleff, 1888

". . . Lead on, O King eternal,
We follow, not with fears,
For gladness breaks like morning
Where'er thy face appears.
Thy cross is lifted o'er us,
We journey in its light;
The crown awaits the conquest;
Lead on, O God of might."

Prayer:

The darkness is closing in, O God, and the cross is near. I want no part of it, yet my Master embraces your will. I fear the dark hill; I want to fight my way back into the light.

Help me to know my enemy, Good God, and how to use the powerful weapons at my disposal. Your truth and righteousness, peace and salvation, will never fail me; it seems all I lack is faith. Help me to trust you and to remember that the war is already won--only the battles of my own sin need to be fought. Victorious God, stand by me.

Sixth Sunday of Lent: Palm/Passion Sunday

2008-03-16T06:23:00.003-05:00

Scripture: Psalm 24

". . . Lift up your heads, O gates! and be lifted up, O ancient doors! that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory."

Hymn: "Hail to the Lord's Anointed," UMH 203
James Montgomery, 1821

"Hail to the Lord's Anointed, great David's greater Son!
Hail in the time appointed, his reign on earth begun!
He comes to break oppression, to set the captive free;
To take away transgression, and rule in equity."

Prayer:

King Jesus! Blessed are you; you come in the name of the Lord!

But Jesus, there are tears in your eyes! Tears for your beloved Jerusalem, a city of fickle treachery, even now welcoming the Savior whom they will put to death in five short days.

Not I, Lord! I will stand by you. I will -- I swear it! But my heart stops cold at my own words, for even in the brightness of Sunday's midday, I can already hear the crowing of Friday's dawn.

Jesus! Oh, Jesus! Give me grace to face this holiest and darkest of weeks as I trace your path. Even now, the cross casts its shadow.

Lent: Day 34

2008-03-15T10:38:00.003-05:00

Scripture: Isaiah 6:1-8

". . . 'Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.' . . . Then I heard the voice of the LORD saying, 'Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?' And I said, 'Here am I; send me!" . . ."

Hymn: "The Voice of God is Calling," UMH 436
John Haynes Holmes, 1913

". . . From ease and plenty save us;
From pride of place absolve;
Purge us from low desire;
Lift us to high resolve;
Take us and make us holy;
Teach us your will and way.
Speak, and behold! we answer;
Command, and we obey!"

Prayer:

Holy, holy, holy God! With the host of Isaiah's vision, I can find only this ancient heavenly cry to give words to my heart's fullness.

But you, holy God, require holy people and holy obedience. Can I be your messenger? Only with your help. Lord, burn away all that is unholy in me, and give me bold courage to go where you send me.

Lent: Day 33

2008-03-14T06:24:00.003-05:00

Scripture: Galatians 5:22-25

". . . And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit. . . ."

Hymn: Breathe on Me, Breath of God," UMH 420
George Matheson, 1890

"Breathe on me, Breath of God,
Fill me with life anew,
That I may love what thou dost love,
And do what thou wouldst do. . . ."

Prayer:

I want to bear fruit for you, Lord Jesus, my Vine. I am your branch. Why do I try so often to grow apart from you? What could I possibly be without you?

Let love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control grow among all your people, dear Lord -- but especially, let them grow in me.

Lent: Day 32

2008-03-13T06:58:00.002-05:00

Scripture: John 8:2-11

". . .'Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.' . . .'Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?' She said, 'No one, sir.' And Jesus said, 'Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.' "

Hymn: "Amazing Grace," UMH 378
John Newton, 1779

". . . ''Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed. . . ."

Prayer:

Alone with you, gracious Jesus, I cannot meet your eyes. No one else remains to condemn me, yet I condemn myself with the memory of my shame.

Yet you lift my face to your gaze, and I find love there! You, who are without sin, have no stones to cast at me. My Judge becomes my Savior. I have been set free!

You expect and trust me to "go and sin no more." Go with me, Lord, and keep me close to you through the power of your Holy Spirit. I want, with all my heart, to keep myself from sin.

Lent: Day 31

2008-03-12T06:50:00.004-05:00

Scripture: Mark 5:21-43

". . . 'Daughter, you faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.' . . . 'Do not fear, only believe.' . . . And immediately the girl got up and began to walk about . . ."

Hymn: "When Jesus the Healer Passed through Galilee," UMH 263
Peter D. Smith, 1979

". . . The death of his daughter caused Jairus to weep;
'Heal us, heal us today!'
The Lord took her hand, and he raised her from sleep.
'Heal us, Lord Jesus!'"

Prayer:

Great Physician, I need your healing. Though the ailments of my body are annoying and irritating, my soul needs your healing far more than my body does. I fear there is wasting in places, and deadly growth in others. It is malnourished, unclean, and unhealthy.

Touch me, healing Lord. Give me the faith of Jairus and the desperate woman; let me look only to you, placing my faith entirely in your life-restoring hands.

Lent: Day 30

2008-03-11T07:01:00.003-05:00

Scripture: Philippians 2:1-15

". . . Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus . . . you shine like stars in the world . . ."

Hymn: "Jesu, Jesu," UMH 432
Tom Colvin, 1969

"Jesu, Jesus, fill us with your love,
Show us how to serve the neighbors we have from you.
Kneels at the feet of his friends,
Silently washes their feet,
Master who acts as a slave to them."

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, Servant of all, I want to follow you. Just as you humbled yourself for my sake, humble me for yours. Show me yourself in my brothers and sisters when they need your love shown to them. Teach me how to serve as you serve.

Even if it means your holy hands, washing my sinful feet, Lord, I want to learn. Please, give me feet to wash for you.

Lent: Day 29

2008-03-10T00:00:00.004-05:00

Scripture: Luke 24:13-35

". . . When he was at table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. They said to one another, 'Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?'. . ."

Hymn: "O Thou Who This Mysterious Bread," UMH 613
Charles Wesley, 1745

" . . . Of thee communing still, we mourn,
Till thou the veil remove;
Talk with us, and our hearts shall burn
With flames of fervent love. . . ."

Prayer:

O Lord of Bread and Wine, I can't thank you enough for the gift of yourself that we receive in your Supper. Just as the two disciples knew you in the breaking of the bread, somehow you reveal yourself to me, new, each time I eat and drink with my brothers and sisters.

Lord Jesus, open your Scriptures to me just as you explained them to the travelers on the Emmaus road. As I approach Jerusalem with you, help me to understand what you did and how you obeyed the Father's perfect will.

Lord, I love you. Thank you for this precious sacramental sign of your love for me.

Fifth Sunday of Lent

2008-03-09T00:01:00.000-06:00

Scripture: Psalm 131

". . . But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; my soul is like the weaned child that is with me. . . ."

Hymn: "It Is Well with My Soul," UMH 377
Horatio G. Spafford, 1873

"When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say
It is well, it is well with my soul. . . ."

Prayer:

I am too frantic and too busy, dear God. Quiet my soul. Soothe and calm my fears; settle the spoiled little child that I so often let myself become. Draw me close to you, and let me hear your reassuring voice.

Your love, gentle God, is all that I need. Nothing else matters, compared to the love that gave me life and keeps me in your sight. Call me home to your heart often, dear God.

Don't forget to "Spring Forward"!

2008-03-08T18:41:00.004-06:00

To my North American readers: Daylight Saving Time begins at 2:00 a.m. tomorrow. Set your clocks ahead one hour tonight.

Lent: Day 28

2008-03-08T09:38:00.004-06:00

Scripture: Romans 5:1-11

"Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. . . . God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. . . ."

Hymn: "Make Me a Captive, Lord," UMH 421
George Matheson, 1890

"Make me a captive, Lord,
And then I shall be free.
Force me to render up my sword,
And I shall conqueror be.
I sink in life's alarms
When by myself I stand;
Imprison me within thine arms,
And strong shall be my hand."

Prayer:

What a strange thing, O Lord Jesus, that only one thing can ever separate me from you: my own self. You have conquered my sin, yet you invite me to take part in that conquering with you. I can enjoy no victory if I do not fight!

Strong warrior Jesus, show me how to win this war of sin. Teach me the art of conquering, so that I never again allow sin to stand between my heart and your love.

Lent: Day 27

2008-03-07T00:01:00.000-06:00

Scripture: John 10:1-18

". . . I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. . . . I know my own and my own know me, . . . and I lay down my life for the sheep. . . ."

Hymn: "The King of Love My Shepherd Is," UMH 138
Henry W. Baker, 1868

". . . Perverse and foolish, oft I strayed,
But yet in love he sought me;
And on his shoulder gently laid,
And home, rejoicing, brought me.
. . . And so through all the length of days,
Thy goodness faileth never;
Good Shepherd, may I sing thy praise
Within thy house forever."

Prayer:

My Good Shepherd, Lord Jesus, I seek your protection today. There are many forces of darkness at work around me, and I want to remain your lamb, belonging only to you, loving only you. You are my Gate; you gave your own life for me.

O Lord, you also call your sheep to serve as shepherds in your name, guiding and guarding one another. Make me faithful and loyal, just as you are. Give me an extra measure of your holy love, until it overflows my heart and spills out in love for your people and for all the world.

Lent: Day 26

2008-03-06T22:54:00.005-06:00

Scripture: Luke 15

". . . 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost. . . . 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I lost.' . . . 'And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' "

Hymn: "Come, Ye Sinners, Poor and Needy," UMH 340
Joseph Hart, 1759

". . . Let not conscience make you linger,
Nor of fitness fondly dream;
All the fitness he requireth
Is to feel your need of him.

I will arise and go to Jesus;
He will embrace me with his arms;
In the arms of my dear Savior,
O there are then thousand charms."

Prayer:

Savior Jesus, Seeker of the lost, I am both lost and found. Though you never leave me, I go my own way over and over again. Like the son who demanded the wealth only to squander it, I waste and spoil the priceless gifts you entrust to me.

I want to come home, Lord Jesus! Just as you found me and rejoiced over me when I first turned to you, open the gates of heaven for me now, and let me feel your arms of welcome embrace my sin-sick heart.

Messed it up!

2008-03-06T09:20:00.003-06:00

I'm filling in in our church office (since yesterday, actually) and didn't get today's readings and prayer posted before leaving for the day. Here's a hymn quote for now, and early this evening I should be able to post the actual reading.

". . . What though my joys and comforts die?
I know my Savior liveth.
What though the darkness gather round?
Songs in the night he giveth.
No storm can shake my inmost calm
While to that Rock I'm clinging.
Since love is Lord of heaven and earth,
How can I keep from singing?"

from "My Life Flows On (How Can I Keep from Singing)"
Robert Lowry, 1860
The Faith We Sing, 2212

Lent: Day 25

2008-03-05T07:08:00.002-06:00

Scripture: Zephaniah 3:14-20

". . . The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing as on a day of festival."

Hymn: "Sing Praise to God, Who Reigns Above," UMH 126
Johann J. Schuetz, 1675; tr. Frances E. Cox, 1864

"Sing praise to God who reigns above,
The God of all creation,
The God of power, the God of love,
The God of our salvation.
With healing balm my soul is filled
And every faithless murmur stilled;
To God all praise and glory."

Prayer:

It doesn't get any better than this, O God! How could I not be faithful to you, when I am reminded that you take such delight in me? You throw a lavish party for your redeemed people, and you sing for joy over our salvation.

I love you, my God of joy and gladness. My soul is overflowing today with your goodness.

Lent: Day 24

2008-03-04T06:16:00.005-06:00

Scripture: Isaiah 45

" 'Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. . . . You are my witnesses,' says the LORD, 'and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. . . . Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing . . . I, I am He who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins. . . .' "

Hymn: "How Firm a Foundation," UMH 529
"K" in Rippon's Selection of Hymns, 1787

". . . 'Fear not, I am with the, O be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid;
I'll strengthen and help thee, and cause thee to stand
Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.' . . ."

Prayer:

Called by name! O loving God, you know my name!

I want to follow you, dear God, wherever you lead me. I give you myself, including my darkest fears, and trust you to use my life in the way that pleases you most.

I ask only that you keep calling my name, God. I belong to you.

Lent: Day 23

2008-03-02T23:25:00.002-06:00

Scripture: John 3

". . . Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above. . . . For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. . . ."

Hymn: "And Can It Be, that I Should Gain," UMH 363
Charles Wesley, 1738

"And can it be that I should gain
An interest in the Savior's blood!
Died he for me? who caused his pain!
For me? who him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be
That thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
. . . No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine . . ."

Prayer:

O Jesus of the Truth, I draw close to you. Like Nicodemus, I sometimes crave the darkness of night so that I might keep my seeking a secret. But you, Master, have promised daylight to me, light that never ends, in God's reign.

Lord, I know that the only condemnation is the one I bring on myself when I choose darkness over light. Hold me close to your side, precious Jesus, and help me choose your light.

Fourth Sunday of Lent

2008-03-02T23:17:00.003-06:00

(Wow...I thought I posted this early this morning! Color me embarrassed . . .)

Scripture: Psalm 91

"You who live in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty, will say to the LORD, 'My refuge and my fortress; my God in whom I trust.' . . . When they call to me, I will answer them; . . . With long life I will satisfy them, and show them my salvation."

Hymn: "Praise to the Lord, the Almighty" UMH 139
Joachim Neander, 1680; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1863

"Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise him for he is thy health and salvation!
All ye who hear, now to his temple draw near;
Join me in glad adoration! . . ."

Prayer:

O holy, living God! How strange it is that I so often run from you! You have promised to be near me and to sustain me, yet I force you to seek me when I could be enjoying the matchless peace of your presence.

Set my heart on fire with longing, O God, for the perfect dwelling place for my soul: in the shadow of your unending love.

Lent: Day 22

2008-03-01T00:13:00.005-06:00

Scripture: Revelation 21:1-18

". . . See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them as their God; they will be his peoples, and God himself will wipe away every tear from their eyes. . . ."

Hymn: "O Holy City, Seen of John," UMH 726
Walter Russell Bowie, 1909

"O holy city, seen of John,
Where Christ, the Lamb, doth reign,
Within whose four-square walls shall come
No night, nor need, nor pain,
And where the tears are wiped from eyes
That shall not weep again."

Prayer:

Lord Jesus Christ, heaven's worthy Lamb, I long for eternity with you. I trust your promise that where you are, there your servant will be also.

Your servant . . . Lord, you are here. You have called me to serve in the kingdom of heaven here and now, not simply to wait for its fullness in eternity. O holy Jesus, let me live in your heavenly kingdom now as well; help me make this life heaven on earth for your children.

Lent: Day 21

2008-02-29T10:03:00.004-06:00

Scripture: Luke 1:39-55

". . . My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior . . . He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy . . ."

Hymn: "I'll Praise My Maker While I've Breath" UMH 60
Isaac Watts, 1715; alt. John Wesley, 1737

". . . Happy are those whose hopes rely on Israel's God,
. . . Whose truth forever stands secure,
Who saves th'oppressed and feeds the poor,
For none shall find God's promise vain. . . ."

Prayer:

Strong God of eternal promises, I thank you for entering this world for our sakes. Just as Mary sang for joy at the wonderful news, let me rejoice at your continuing promise to always be near me.

O Lord, I know that such news is too good to keep to myself, but I confess that I excel at doing exactly that. When I forget or refuse to share the gospel, let that old, old story burn a hole in my heart until I let it pour out like water to a thirsty soul.

Lent: Day 20

2008-02-28T00:49:00.003-06:00

Scripture: Isaiah 42:1-9

". . . Thus says God, the LORD . . . I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a . . . light to the nations. . . . See, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare . . ."

Hymn: "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" UMH 211
9th cent. Latin, various translators

"O come, Desire of nations; bind
All peoples in one heart and mind.
From dust thou brought us forth to life;
Deliver us from earthly strife.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel."

Prayer:

Maker of my heart, you know how shallow and easily bored I am. I want to be entertained and cherished; it's far more difficult for me to bring joy and love to those close to me and to recognize your blessings. Yet they're all around me!

You promised to do a new thing, and you kept that promise. You brought my life out of the pit and made me your child! O holy God, give me eyes to see your mercy, and the wonder of a little child as I experience your world new in this adventure of following Jesus.

Lent: Day 19

2008-02-26T23:56:00.003-06:00

Scripture: Isaiah 35

"The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; . . . Say to those who are of a fearful heart, 'Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God.' . . . And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, . . . everlasting joy shall be upon their heads, . . . and sorrow and sighing shall flee away."

Hymn: "Heralds of Christ," UMH 507
Laura S. Copenhaver, 1915

"Heralds of Christ, who bear the King's commands,
Immortal tidings in your mortal hands,
Pass on and carry swift the news you bring;
Make straight, make straight the highway of the King."

Prayer:

O Jesus, my Way, I confess that grow weary of road-building sometimes! I can't see clearly enough the plan that you have; I merely see my often sloppy, half-hearted paving job. Can't you simply speak the word and build your own road?

No, I know that is not how you desire your peaceful way to come to the world. You have given your life to buy me back for God after I sold myself to sin. Now I mumble about your call to use my hands and feet and heart to serve you.

Forgive me, Lord Jesus. It is an honor to work on the building of your highway. Turn my heart around so that I desire only to serve you.

Lent: Day 18

2008-02-26T00:01:00.001-06:00

Scripture: Isaiah 11:1-9

"A shoot shall come out of the stump of Jesse, and a branch grow out of his roots. The spirit of the LORD shall rest on him, . . . His delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. . . . "

Hymn: "O Day of Peace, That Dimly Shines," UMH 729
Carl P. Daw, Jr., 1982

". . . Then shall the wolf dwell with the lamb,
Nor shall the fierce devour the small;
As beasts and cattle calmly graze,
A little child shall lead them all.
Then enemies shall learn to love,
All creatures find their true accord;
The hope of peace shall be fulfilled,
For all the earth shall know the Lord."

Prayer:

O God of peace, I long for your rule in this world and in my heart. You promised so long ago to turn things right-side up and restore your ways, yet the hope glows only faintly in the distance sometimes.

St. Francis prayed, "Make me an instrument of your peace." That is my prayer as well, O God. Just as Jesus came to bring a peace that the world can't give, let me share his peaceful kingdom with the world.

Lent: Day 17

2008-02-25T08:25:00.005-06:00

Scripture: Isaiah 9:2-7

"The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; . . . For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. . . ."

Hymn: "Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus" UMH 196
Charles Wesley, 1744

". . . Born thy people to deliver,
Born a child and yet a king,
Born to reign in us forever,
Now they gracious kingdom bring. . . ."

Prayer:

O God, what a plan you have revealed! The warring factions of the world, and the hardened hearts of your children, will be undone by the Child who was born in Bethlehem. We, who think babies are weak and powerless, have ourselves been saved by the Baby Jesus who came in such a humble way.

According to my own puny sense of time, Eternal God, this plan seems to have failed. We still make war, and our hearts are still hard. Yet you wait, and you work in and through our history, in order to bring about your will. When will I ever learn to trust that you are always on time? Past, present, and future all meet in the coming of Jesus.

Thank you for sending your own Word -- Jesus -- to be our Prince of Peace.

What a sweet day!

2008-02-24T21:13:00.004-06:00

It's been a good day. Other than a touch of digestive upset, which I'm hoping isn't the onset of a bug that's been going around, it was mostly delightful.

First of all, being at church, with loving, mature Christian people, is always a good thing. Sundays tend to be the best day of the week for me, the long hours and hard work notwithstanding.

Early service went well, the singers and players "syncing" better than usual, though the medley was more of a popular than a theologically super-solid offering. (I don't pretend we do great music, particularly at this service. The medley was "More Love, More Power" with "Open the Eyes of My Heart, Lord.")

One troublesome thing was that my adult assistant for the youth handbell ensemble never showed. She also missed last week's rehearsal with no notice, and hasn't returned messages left for her. I am concerned.

But with some last-minute fill-ins, we managed to pull it together pretty well. The kids rang as well as they possibly could have, and it's only their second time ever to ring in public. I was very proud of them, and grateful to the substitutes.

So once the ringers had rehearsed and I'd warmed up the choir, so began the second service. The hymns were pretty good and the congregation sang them enthusiastically. The choir had, I thought, got the anthem's two troublesome rests ironed out in warm-up, when several people sang through them due to not watching. Blast if we didn't have an unintentional "soloist" and "small group" do the same thing during the actual presentation of the anthem, though! Still, the singing was remarkably good (other than the unobserved rests). It didn't hurt that it was a very good anthem, Lloyd Larson's "My Savior's Love." Overall, I was very pleased.

The sermon was even better than our pastor's usual excellent. It was easily the best sermon I've ever heard on John 4:5-42 (the Samaritan woman at the well), and I've heard quite a few (and preached that text once myself).

I had a meeting immediately after worship, with youth and their families. Was able to "plug" the youth handbell ensemble and I think I may get to welcome another player or two in the near future.

My voice student then had her final lesson prior to her college program/scholarship audition. She will be transferring in and I'm very proud of her. She's a very young singer and isn't totally a "natural," which means she's had to work hard to accomplish all that she has. Together we chose a fairly ambitious pair of audition pieces for her and she stepped up to the challenge. I wish I didn't have to wait until Saturday to hear how it goes!

Then followed our brief evening service and meal, then time for pre-school choir. Only two of our potential six little ones showed up, but those two were delightful and sang their precious hearts out. I can hardly wait until next Sunday,when they'll sing for the first time this calendar year. Then off to activities they went, and my school-age bunch arrived. I pinch myself every time I hear this group. When they're all there, there are ten of them. Tonight I had eight. Every one of them matches pitch extremely well. They could rival any premier children's choir I've ever heard for purity of tone and pitch accuracy. They will be singing in two weeks. They're preparing "Wade in the Water," and it sends chills up my spine how good they sound.

And it didn't hurt that, as we gathered for our prayer circle at the end of rehearsal, the adult leaders prompted them to sing "Happy Birthday" to me before we began sharing prayer requests. I don't know how I managed not to cry; maybe it was the their much-loved addition of "And many more on Channel 4 . . . (I always forget what follows for Channel 2 and Channel 9)" at the end. And as usual, prayer time with both choirs proved the best moments of the evening. Their tender little hearts trust God SO much, and they love to pray for others.

It was a good day to start my 50th year on, I think. God IS good!

Third Sunday of Lent

2008-02-24T00:01:00.000-06:00

Scripture: Psalm 42

"As the deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God. . . . By day the LORD commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life. . . ."

Hymn: "Spirit Song" UMH 347
John Wimber, 1979

"O let the Son of God enfold you with his Spirit and his love.
Let him fill your heart and satisfy your soul.
. . . Jesus, O Jesus, come and fill your lambs."

Prayer:

This sacrifice, O Lord! When will it ever become a hunger for you, rather than a hunger for the petty things I choose to give up? I want to want you! Do you really honor the attempt as much as you would honor a complete victory? Will I ever know for certain?

Ah, Lord God, this day, I choose you. This hour, I choose you. In this very moment, I choose you. Fill me with your Spirit, I pray.

Lent: Day 16

2008-02-23T00:29:00.003-06:00

Scripture: Job 19:25-27

"For I know that my Redeemer lives, . . . then in my flesh shall I see God."

Hymn: "All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name," UMH 154 & 155
Edward Perronet, 1779,
alt. by John Rippon, 1787

". . . Ye chosen seed of Israel's race,
Ye ransomed from the fall,
Hail him who saves you by his grace,
And crown him Lord of all. . . ."

Prayer:

Risen Lord Jesus, at mid-Lent I thank you for the reminder that you have already won the battle. Even as I practice the discipline of waiting, help me to remember that you are my Redeemer, the One who has saved me. You have already brought me back safe and sound to God.

O Christ of Resurrection as well as of the cross, help me live as one who has not only been crucified with you, but also raised with you. Give me grace to live fully, joyfully alive in you this day.

Lent: Day 15

2008-02-22T00:34:00.003-06:00

Scripture: Romans 8:18-39

". . . If God is for us, who is against us? . . . in all things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. . . ."

Hymn: "Jesus Loves Me," UMH 191
Anna B. Warner, 1860

". . . Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so."

Prayer:

How long has it been, dear Jesus, since I simply allowed you to love me? When did I give up the trust of a little child and begin to try to earn your love, then to settle for living outside that love? What happened inside my heart?

Gentle Jesus, heal my grown-up pride. I want to regain the faith that you called the greatest: a simple conviction that God will always provide. Let the children I love remind me that I must believe and live as they do, if I wish to live in your Kingdom.

Lent: Day 14

2008-02-21T09:21:00.002-06:00

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13

"If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. . . . And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love."

Hymn: "The Gift of Love," UMH 408
Hal Hopson, 1972

". . . Come, Spirit, come, our hearts control,
Our spirits long to be made whole.
Let inward love guide every deed;
By this we worship, and are freed."

Prayer:

Rework my heart and my life, O Spirit of God's love, until those qualities true of love are true of me as well.

Make me patient and kind. Make me slow to envy or boast, take away my arrogance and rudeness. Teach me to give up my insistence on my own way, remove my irritability and resentments. Show me how to rejoice in the truth, rather than in wrongdoing. By your power, help me to bear, believe, hope, and endure all things.

And when this life is over, precious Holy Spirit, and I have long since given up my childish, unloving ways, reveal to me the fullness of never-ending love, face to face with God.

Lent: Day 13

2008-02-20T00:11:00.003-06:00

Scripture: Matthew 6

". . . Pray then this way: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. . . . Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life . . ."

Hymn: "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms" UMH 133
Elisha A. Hoffman, 1887

". . . What have I to dread, what have I to fear,
Leaning on the everlasting arms?
I have blessed peace with my Lord so near,
Leaning on the everlasting arms. . . ."

Prayer:

"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And do not bring us to the time of trial,
but rescue us from the evil one." (Matthew 6:9b-13)

(Offer this modern translation of the Lord's Prayer slowly, reading deliberately, as if for the first time. Stop after each phrase and listen for what God may be saying to you through this "blueprint for prayer" that Jesus gave his disciples so long ago.)

Lent: Day 12

2008-02-19T00:38:00.004-06:00

Scripture: Matthew 5

". . . Then [Jesus] began to speak, and taught them, saying, 'Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. . . . You have heard that it was said, "You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy." But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. . . .' "

Hymn: "Rejoice Ye Pure in Heart," UMH 160
Edward H. Plumptre, 1865

"Rejoice, ye pure in heart;
Rejoice, give thanks, and sing;
Your glorious banner wave on high,
The cross of Christ your King. . . ."

Prayer:

Jesus of hard teachings and harder living, I don't know what to make of your definition of "blessedness." I want so much to be blessed with things, while you call me to a lifestyle of self-denial.

Yet, Lord, I do want to see God, and that takes a pure heart. So take my heart, no matter how I try to keep it back, and remove whatever I cherish within it that keeps me from seeing the One who made it. Hold me as I grieve for the petty little idols I have settled for in the past, and show me the true God worthy of my best.

A Little Housekeeping

2008-02-18T14:50:00.003-06:00

There were several other blogs listed in my profile that I have either never contributed to, or haven't written for in a long time.

In the interest of accuracy, I've removed these other blogs from my profile, so that only my sole-owner blog, The Psaltery (this one) appears in the profile.

I have a great deal of respect for women in the emergent church movement. However, as a Christian who worships and serves within an established denomination (The United Methodist Church), and as someone who has never participated in emerging church activities, I'm not going to continue to unwittingly misrepresent myself to careless readers as "emergent." Some people apparently are willing to decide they know all kinds of things about my knowledge of the Holy Scriptures based on the titles of blogs listed in my profile. (Silly, yes, but it's happened.)

Yes, the religiously-popular "f-word" (feminist) is accurate enough about me. I'm one of those radical people who believes that feminism--that is, the inherent equality of men and women as fellow members of the human race--is an essential part of correctly understanding who we are as created beings in the family of God.

I'm not sure my latest accuser will ever actually bother to read what I write here. No matter. She already has her reward, as do those who join her in false accusations and character assassination about anyone who doesn't accept their false premise that this world's tradition of men ruling over women is godly. They say that patriarchy is an essential of the gospel. Some gospel, yes, I'm sure. But not the gospel of Jesus Christ, into whose image all Christians are called to be conformed. Biblical equality IS biblical. I call my critics to repentance in their attacks against me and my fellow egalitarians. If they ever decide to deal with the truth, they'll find in me a sister in the Lord. They're the ones who've sinfully decided that accepting a worldly practice--patriarchy--is the deciding factor in who's a member of the body of Christ.

1 Cor. 12:12-31

Lent: Day 11

2008-02-18T08:35:00.003-06:00

Scripture: Acts 2

"When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. . . ."

Hymn: "I Love To Tell the Story," UMH 156
Katherine Hankey, ca. 1868

". . . I love to tell the story, for some have never heard
The message of salvation from God's own holy Word. . . ."

Prayer:

O Holy Spirit, the force of creation, the Breath of God, blow down on me from heaven so that I may tell the Good News with fresh power.

Open my mouth to speak, open my heart to give, open my eyes to new opportunities to share the gifts of God.

Spirit of God, most of all, open my ears to your clear voice of direction. Without you, I have nothing to say and nothing worth saying. With you, we who are the body of Christ have new life to share with a dying world. Use us, and use me, most Holy Spirit.

Second Sunday of Lent

2008-02-17T00:01:00.001-06:00

Scripture: Psalm 84

"How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts! My soul longs, indeed it faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God. . . ."

Hymn: "I Love Thy Kingdom, Lord," UMH 540
Timothy Dwight, 1801

"I love thy kingdom, Lord,
The house of thine abode,
The church our blest Redeemer saved
With his own precious blood. . . ."

Prayer:

God of holiness, who delights in the praises of your children, accept my praise today. I love you! You are my Creator, and I want nothing more than to be in your presence.

You made us with a need to come together for worship, O Lord. You make our ordinary little human structures holy with your presence in our midst. We worship not to make you greater, for you are perfect beyond our understanding. No, we worship because we need to remember Who you are and Whose we are.

May your Spirit guide our worship, O God, and make our offerings of gifts and lives holy in your sight.

Lent: Day 10

2008-02-16T00:01:00.000-06:00

Scripture: Matthew 28:16-20

". . . Go therefore and make disciples of all nations . . . And remember, I am with you always . . ."

Hymn: "Here I Am, Lord," UMH 593
Dan Schutte, 1981

"I, the Lord of sea and sky, I have heard my people cry.
All who dwell in dark and sin my hand will save.
I, who made the stars of night, I will make their darkness bright.
Who will bear my light to them?
Whom shall I send?
Here I am, Lord . . ."

Prayer:

Jesus, Teacher of all disciples, make me a disciple-maker for you. Teach me first, make me your faithful disciple by your Holy Spirit's power, then send me out to catch people for you.

Here I am, Lord. Send me.

Lent: Day 9

2008-02-15T09:17:00.004-06:00

Scripture: John 15:1-17

". . . This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you."

Hymn: "Draw Us in the Spirit's Tether" UMH 632
Percy Dearmer, 1931

". . . All our meals and all our living make as sacraments of thee,
That by caring, helping, giving, we may true disciples be.
Alleluia! Alleluia! We will serve thee faithfully."

Prayer:

Dear Lord Jesus, it seems to me that all your teachings can be summed up in one active, urgent word: "Love!"

Teach me to love as you loved, O Lord. You gave it all. You set your glory aside and washed our feet. You healed and taught until you were exhausted. You shared a table with the dregs of society, and hung between two common thieves, after forgiving your executioners. You loved!

If they truly will know we're Christians by our love, dear Jesus, then I wonder if anyone can tell for sure about me. Enroll me in your remedial "Love 101" course and put me through your paces. I want to love those whom you love. And Lord Jesus, I want to love you.

Lent: Day 8

2008-02-14T06:47:00.003-06:00

Scripture: Micah 6:6-8

"With what shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before God on high? . . . He has told you, O mortal, what is good . . ."

Hymn: "Lord, Whose Love in Humble Service," UMH 581
Albert F. Bayly, 1961 (alt.)

"Lord, whose love through humble service bore the weight of human need,
Who upon the cross, forsaken, offered mercy's perfect deed:
We, your servants, bring the worship not of voice alone, but heart,
Consecrating to your purpose every gift that you impart. . . . "

Prayer:

Jesus of justice, you served the world as God's law: a costly mercy and a lavish forgiveness. You gave yourself to free the prisoner.

Kind Jesus, you served the world as God's compassion: lifting up the weak and healing the sick. You gave yourself to make the broken whole.

Humble Jesus, you served the world as God's humiliation: a sinless life exchanged for undeserving sinners. You gave yourself to raise us back up to God.

Give us grace to follow you as you show us how to live lives of justice, kindness, and humility. Lord Jesus, I want to live your way.

Lent: Day 7

2008-02-13T06:22:00.002-06:00

Scripture: Mark 12:28 - 34

". . . The second [commandment] is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no greater commandment than these."

Hymn: "Lord God, Your Love Has Called Us Here," UMH 579
Brian Wren, 1973

"Lord God, your love has called us here,
As we, by love, for love were made,
Your living likeness still we bear,
Though marred, dishonored, disobeyed;
We come, with all our heart and mind,
Your call to hear, your love to find. . . ."

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, your love amazes me. In loving neighbor as yourself, you bore our sins to the cross, and put them to death as you died. You, God-with-us, called me your neighbor! How then can I presume to love myself and despise my neighbor?

This commandment, Lord, cannot be kept with words. Though I may sai I love God, I have lied if I do not then love my neighbor sacrificially. I cannot love my neighbor with cheap words. You paid a high price to love me.

Bless me, dear Jesus, with your Spirit's gifts when I spend myself in love for my fellow human beings. When I do not do that, Lord, bless me with a heart full of sorrow for loving neither God nor neighbor.

Singing Owl: In God's Bakery

2008-02-12T19:49:00.001-06:00

I don't think I've ever gone public here about how much I love and admire my long-time internet friend, Singing Owl. It's surely high time to remedy that!

She's going through some big, tough stuff right now. Be sure to read her posts from January 30 and February 2 and you'll see what I mean.

Now read this. I'm blown away. Praise God for my dear, faithful friend! S.O., you're a true blessing to me. I'm praying for you, as always, but especially right now.

Lent: Day 6

2008-02-12T00:01:00.000-06:00

Scripture: Deuteronomy 6:1-9

". . . Hear, O Israel: The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. . . ."

Hymn: "Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing," UMH 400
Robert Robinson, 1756

". . . Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love;
Here's my heart, O take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above."

Prayer:

Holy God of the Covenant, you created me to give you glory. I belong to you. My heart, my soul, and my strength are all to be reserved for you.

Yet you know, and I know, that I give my heart away to other things. Sometimes, God, I wonder if even you can find my poor, dry, shriveled soul. I waste my energies on things that just don't matter, and I come to you empty-handed.

Forgive me, O Lord. As you commanded your people so long ago, help me to inscribe these words on my heart and to keep them close to me and those I love. Let me never again forget that I belong first, foremost, and always, all of me, to you alone.

Lent: Day 5

2008-02-11T00:01:00.000-06:00

Scripture: Exodus 20:1-17

"Then God spoke all these words: I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery: you shall have no other gods before me."

Hymn: "The God of Abraham Praise," UMH 116
From the Yigdal, Daniel ben Judah, ca. 1400; paraph. Thomas Olivers, ca. 1765

"The God of Abraham praise, who reigns enthroned above; Ancient of Everlasting Days, and God of love; Jehovah, great I AM! by earth and heaven confessed I bow and bless the sacred name forever blest."

Prayer:

God of deliverance and Law, I worship you today. You have given us your chosen way of life, promising to be faithful to your children. Keeping your Law is both a mark of our faithfulness to you and a blessing in our life together as human beings. Yet too often, O Lord, I forget the first and most important commandment: to allow you and you alone to rule me. So many things crowd you out, mostly fruits of my love of myself. Make me remember these sins, most holy God. Let me know them and count them and weep over them, so that in the future, in my weakest times, I will think twice and choose you instead. I want to obey you, my God. Help me choose obedience today.

First Sunday of Lent

2008-02-10T00:01:00.000-06:00

Scripture: Psalm 23

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. . . . Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me . . . Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life . . ."

Hymn: "The Lord's My Shepherd, I'll Not Want," UMH 136
Scottish Psalter, 1650
"Goodness and mercy all my life shall surely follow me; And in God's house forevermore my dwelling place shall be."

Prayer:

O Lord of the rod and the shepherd's staff, thank you for your love and care for this wayward sheep of your flock. How often you have searched for me, how often you have rescued me from disaster! Yet I continue to wander off again and again. How my waywardness must grieve you! Teach me, O Shepherd of my soul, to trust your boundaries and loving guidance. Call me again and again until I learn to listen for your voice alone. For I know, dear Jesus, that only in your care can I truly live.

Lent: Day 4

2008-02-09T00:01:00.000-06:00

Scripture: John 1:1-18

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things came into being through him . . . And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory . . . full of grace and truth"

Hymn: "Word of God Come Down on Earth," UMH 182
James Quinn, 1969

". . . Word eternal, throned on high, Word that brought to life creation,
Word that came from heaven to die, crucified for our salvation,
Saving Word, the world restoring, heal the world by our sin broken."

Prayer:

Lord Jesus Christ, the Word of God who lived our life and died our death and rose again so that we might all live, speak to me. Let my silence now be filled with your voice, speaking God's truth to my heart. I listen and long for you.

A Book Meme!

2008-02-08T10:04:00.000-06:00

Thanks to Singing Owl, I'm finally going to play the book meme! It goes like this:

Pick up the nearest book of 123 pages or more. (No cheating!)

It's the venerable 1932 Methodist Hymnal, which (incidentally) was much-loved and in use when I was born.

Find Page 123.

Find the first 5 sentences.

Post the next 3 sentences.

Go ye forth with joy to meet Him! And, my soul, be swift to bring
All thy sweetest and thy dearest For the triumph of our King!
Amen.

This was from hymn #123, "There's a Light upon the Mountains," text by Henry Burton, 1840-1939. Tune:, MT HOLYOKE, by Maurice L. Wosterholm, b. 1887.

Tag 5 people.

So many people have already been tagged! So at this point, I'm reading back to Jan. 1 in prospective tagees' blogs. If you haven't blogged this meme since then, I'm considering you fair game!

TAGEES:
St. Inuksuk
Paisley
Crimson Rambler
Judith
Zorra

Lent: Day 3

2008-02-08T08:55:00.000-06:00

Scripture: Psalm 139

"O Lord, you have searched me and known me . . . you hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. . . . Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence? . . . I come to the end--I am still with you."

Hymn: "I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light," UMH 206
Kathleen Thomerson, 1966

". . . God set the stars to give light to the world.
The star of my life is Jesus.
In him there is no darkness at all.
The night and the day are both alike.
. . . Shine in my heart, Lord Jesus."

Prayer:

Seeking and finding God, how foolish it is for me to try to hide from you! Yet I do, so often! O God, help me to stay close to you, so that I have no need to hide my face and my deeds from you.\

With the psalmist, I am in awe of your perfect design and my unique place in your world. You wasted nothing and made no mistakes, dear God. Remind me never to waste myself on things that have no value to you or to those I love. Teach me to treasure your constant presence with me; help me to look to you as my Friend and Companion.

Walk with me today and always, dear Lord.

Lent: Day 2

2008-02-07T00:01:00.000-06:00

Scripture: Genesis 1:1 - 2:4a

"In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void . . . while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. And God said, 'Let there be . . .' . . . God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good . . ."

Hymn: "I Sing the Almighty Power of God," UMH 152
Isaac Watts, 1715

"I sing the goodness of the Lord, who filled the earth with food,
Who formed the creatures thru the Word, and then pronounced them good."

Prayer:

Holy, eternal Creator of all that is, I am in awe of your power and love. I can understand such a tiny fraction of your design for the universe, yet what I see reveals your majesty and glory.

You are God, O Lord! I am nothing compared with you, but you don't compare. You create, you sustain, and you love with abandon what your hands have made. You choose to have a relationship with me.

O God, help me to choose you, too. I love you.

Lent: Day 1 (Ash Wednesday)

2008-02-06T08:59:00.000-06:00

Scripture: Psalm 51

"Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. . . . a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." (NRSV)

Hymn: "Be Thou My Vision," UMH 451
Ancient Irish hymn, translated by Mary E. Byrne, versed by Eleanor H. Hull, 1912

"Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart . . .
Thou my best thought, by day or by night . . .
. . . Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my vision, O Ruler of all."

Prayer:

O God of new beginnings and second chances, accept this broken heart of mine. You made it, you know it through and through, and it belongs to you. Mend my broken places and make me clean again. Accept my tiny sacrifices as I learn to make the only one you truly desire: my life in all its fullness.

Walk this journey of Lent with me, O Savior, leading me where you walked so long ago. Guide me by your Holy Spirit as I seek your narrow way.

A Devotional Series for Lent

2008-02-06T08:49:00.001-06:00

Seven years ago, I was preparing to leave ministry as a United Methodist local pastor of two churches I had come to love more than I'd ever dreamed possible. While I have continued to work in the church as a musician most of the time since June 2001, I have not returned to pastoral ministry; it's been as though a large part of my heart and soul have gone dormant and cold.

Part of preparing to leave involved a Lenten project that I called "What Wondrous Love Is This, O My Soul? Readings and Prayers for Lent 2001." I re-read that little book over the weekend and was blessed again by it. In the hope that it will meet someone else's need in some small way, I will be posting each day's page here. Here is my preface to that project:

Dear friends,

This is the fourth and final Lent that I will be sharing with you. In order to prepare this little devotional book, I first compiled a list of some of my favorite Scripture passages and hymns.

I can't begin to explain what a blessing this exercise has been! (Try it sometime. Sit down with a good concordance and think of all the words and phrases from the Bible that have meant a lot to you, then thumb through a hymnal to find your favorites. List these selections, and see what they say about your faith.) I learned that the books of Psalms and Isaiah and the Gospel of John hold some of my most treasured passages, and that my favorite hymns are the ones addressed to God, rather than ones about God.

My favorite part of this, however, has been the time I've spent in prayer over each pairing of Scripture and hymn. The results are given for each day's readings; I hope that you, and any others you may share your home with, will use these little prayers in your daily devotions. (Notice that there are no "amens" on the prayers. They are meant to be open-ended for you to finish.)

. . . .

My heart is very full right now. Amid the sorrow of preparing to leave, however, is the joy of having shared so much of life together with you. Please accept this book as a gift of gratitude to you for being a part of the body of Christ, the church family, with me. And most of all, may God grant you every rich blessing as you observe this holy season of Lent. Let us all follow the Lord Jesus on his journey to Jerusalem, the cross, and the Resurrection.

Please note, friends: I am NOT going anywhere now. This is from 2001. Please don't worry!

.

I want some dumb fluff: Which Wife of Henry VIII Are You?

2008-02-01T19:06:00.000-06:00

Which of Henry VIII's wives are you?
this quiz was made by Lori Fury

(ht to Crimson Rambler)

Congratulations! You are Katherine Parr.

Katherine Parr spent nearly her whole life married to crotchety old men: Henry was the THIRD old fart she was forced to marry. Is it any wonder she turned to books and religion to occupy her time?

Katherine wasn't just smart, she was a tiny bit uppity, too: she almost got herself thrown in jail for arguing with His Royal Fatness about some theological issues. After Henry croaked, Katherine dropped the prim and proper act and married Thomas Seymour, a handsome, dashing pirate kind of guy who was also as dumb as a post.

Which goes to show you that even bookworms know how to get it on.

Taking a comment break from Complegalitarian

2008-02-01T17:21:00.000-06:00

I've decided to take a break from commenting at Complegalitarian. I've been targeted as being to blame for a number of things that aren't perfect there, most of which I think are ridiculous. Most of all, I've been blamed for "forcing" someone else to stop commenting. I'm tired of the controversy and I'm angry at being used that way.

I own that decision. No one's making me do anything I don't choose to do. I'm not making anyone else do anything they don't choose to do. I think Complegalitarian is too important an effort for understanding, for any one person to be the focus of controversy, whether deliberately or by someone else's efforts. I didn't make up the unreasonable rules, I don't agree to them, and I don't have to play by them. I'm not going to engage anyone anywhere else about the issue, most certainly not by e-mail. I don't get into comment exchanges with people I don't believe I'd be wise to trust, on venues they control. Been there, done that, have the bloody t-shirts to prove it. It's one of the rules I set up for myself and it's been serving me well since I finally learned my lesson.

For the record: I'm responsible for my own statements. I'm not responsible for others' statements, nor are they responsible for mine. There is no "collective" who should be expected to restrict me or anyone else. I stand by having stated the truth on Complegalitarian. I'm not going to let myself nor other egalitarians be burned further by my continuing to comment there for the present time.

I am responsible for dealing wisely with my anger. I am angry right now. I'd be just as angry, probably more so, if this were happening to anyone else (and it has been happening to someone else as well). Taking a break is my first step to controlling my anger over this sidelining of constructive interaction on a blog I've come to love (Complegalitarian).

I'm posting this here just so anyone who might wish to know why I'm not commenting, can get a little of the information without my distracting Complegalitarian conversation any further. Complegalitarian shouldn't be about me, any other individual, or any real or perceived "side." It should be about growing in understanding of one another so that we can grow into fuller unity in Jesus Christ. To that end, I'm praying for the participants there and for myself.

What Hubris!

2008-01-20T21:34:00.000-06:00

Warning: What follows will most definitely constitute a rant.

What hubris does it take for church leaders who declare themselves guardians both of the patriarchal traditions still common in many corners of Christendom, AND of what they call biblical manhood, who have always been civilians themselves, to disparage those military veterans who are women?

Just who, I wonder, had the courage and the spirit of self-sacrifice to spend years of their prime young adulthood in service to their country? Not these sanctimonious, self-appointed judges of what they neither understand nor have experienced personally.

Where were they and what were they doing when I wore the uniform? Oh, yes, doing the "manly" thing: marrying and fathering children, while presuming to dispense religious wisdom to the hapless who consented to their leadership. What were they studying while I delayed my education in order to become a weapons expert? Based on their current rhetoric, presumably they studied how to talk a walk they have little experience making on their own steam. While I served in two infantry divisions and endured field conditions in three countries and four states and while I participated in the first Inaugural celebrations for President Reagan in sub-freezing January 1981, these bastions of cheaply held convictions were building their little religious empires. When Gramm-Rudman kept me from being paid on time in order to be "accountable" to the taxpayers, these so-called gentlemen's parishioners were paying them quite well.

Did they ever meet both men's and women's physical fitness standards while both were being studied, all while also learning how to be a soldier at the age of 18? Did they go from never having held a weapon to becoming a rifle expert? Did they qualify to hold three different military occupational specialties? Did they obey orders from openly unlawful and sadistic superiors and have the courage to report the one order they could not ethically obey? Did they find the grace and dignity to ignore the blatant bigotry of those, like themselves, who would never enter military service, yet who dared to lie about their morals and lifestyle simply because of their gender? And did they ever have to manage to be a Christian in uniform and maneuver with integrity through the tensions between the two loyalties?

No, of course they didn't. That's why it's pretty easy to laugh at the stupidity revealed by their petty, graceless, ignorant opinions about female veterans and those women currently serving their country in uniform. Gentlemen (and I use the term loosely), these women, like their brothers at arms, serve and have served to preserve your freedom to demonstrate your bigotry for all the world to read. Bray on.

Musings on Anthropology and Identity

2008-01-19T09:53:00.000-06:00

I've been reading a lot lately about how girls and women ought to be identified, and it got me to thinking about names and identities and what our Christian faith says about these things. I can promise you one thing: this will NOT be a scholarly treatise. Rather, it will by my attempt to work out my own understanding of a complex issue that I believe is causing major problems for our Christian witness in the world.

This crystallized for me with what I assume is a misreading of a comment at the CBE Scroll, in which one commenter took another commenter to be saying that a wife ought to respect her husband as HER father. (I had read the comment in question, and I think rightly read it to say that a wife ought to respect her husband as the father of their children.)

The second commenter talked about how creepy it is for there to be any sexual overtones in a father-daughter relationship, and I completely agree. (I merely disagree that the other commenter intended to describe any such creepiness.) I think that's why most of us rightly question the "purity balls" and "daughter as daddy's helpmeet" practices that are popular events and teachings in a few highly patriarchal, self-described Christian circles. Then there are the mothers (and fathers) out there who are describing their daughters not as girls, but as "maidens" or further as "maidens of virtue." They pride themselves on sequestering their daughters so that they will remain virgins until their wedding nights. Now, I uphold virginity as a virtue, but I question the practice of sequestration to enforce it. I think it is a virtue worthy of the word when a child--girl OR boy--is taught chastity and supported in refraining from sexual activity until marriage. Avoiding temptation does not strengthen one's resolve to resist it.

Then there's the whole issue of names. A boy or a man is rightly known as Firstname Lastname, at least in majority practice in North America and most of Europe; that's my culture, so it's the one I can think and write about with some degree of accuracy. The problem comes with insistence by some Christians that women must still comply with the largely-outdated practice of being known as Mrs. Husbandfirstname Husbandlastname, or at a minimum as Wifefirstname Husbandlastname, but certainly as Mrs. Husbandlastname for short.

"Maiden" vs. girl. "Wife" vs. woman. What's the deal? It's the old practice of identifying a female human being not by her actual identity as the unique human being she is, but primarily by her sexual status. Is she a virgin? Is she sexually active as a wife? "Miss" vs. "Ms." Ooooh...that horrible "feminist" notion that a woman's sexual status is no more pertinent a matter of public identity than a man's is!

Dig into the matter some more, and it gets downright disturbing. If there's no ring on the finger or she doesn't go by "Mrs.", she's fair game for trolling (for men to try to "pick her up"). If she DOES go by "Mrs.", then you deal with her husband, not with her, if you're going to deal socially or in business with her. Parents who proudly call their daughters "maidens" are telling the world that their daughters are "untouched" and are potentially in the market for a husband, as long as he meets some pretty stringent (and perhaps impossible) standards. Deal with her father to try to win her hand and the right to take her name from her and give her your own. Wooing/courtship/marriage negotiations are viewed as a matter of warfare, of "conquering" and mastering a woman and excising her from her family. (Don't laugh; I've read that model for obtaining a bride from a couple of well-known advocates of patriarchy and female subordination who identify themselves not only as Christians, but as pastors.)

We human beings are members of the animal kingdom. (If that's offensive, consider that the other options are plant and mineral.) There are certain aspects of being animals with sexual (as opposed to asexual) reproductive capacity that are not all that comfortable to talk about, but are nevertheless true. If our species is physically to survive, we must reproduce. As civilized beings, we have overlaid this need to reproduce with relatively civilized practices and rituals. But from time out of mind, the issue of sexual access to the female has been of critical importance.

Other higher mammals tend to leave this largely to the female, though for many species the male of highest status may combat with lower or outsider males for access to the females of his group. The female, however, ultimately mates or refuses to mate with the male (or males) of her choice.

Not so the human animal, at least not in Western history. As a social group that organized according to the rule of the strongest, the male emerged as ruler: of nuclear families, of clans, of tribes, of nations. This rule extended to the right of sexual access to females. The great Western religions accepted this practice and at least tacitly approved of fathers/clan and tribe leaders/regional rulers controlling marriage (that set of practices that control sexual access). Despite the monotheistic religions' teachings that marriage is about more than sexual access, that remained (and in many circles, still remains) the most important aspect of marriage practices.

Fast-forward to the present. There are still pockets of Christians who assert that fathers should select husbands for their daughters and protect their daughters' virginity for the sake of those future husbands. Even if their wives married THEM for love (or whatever other reason women make when they choose a husband), they will arrange marriages for their daughters, who are expected to support their fathers as an extention of their mothers' role as "helpmeet" to those fathers. Thus, the daughters are encouraged to obtain an education only toward the end of being homemakers and supporters of their future husbands and mothers of those husbands' future children. They subscribe to the ancient practice of making the patriarch the center of life and are taught to perpetuate that practice.

So who ARE these women? Will anyone know them? Will anyone even get a glimpse of the true woman God created them to be? Or will their identity, from birth to grave, be as a man's future wife/wife/widow, with perhaps "mother of (how many children)" added to boost her status?

Let me pause here to explain that I think marriage and motherhood are wonderful things and I believe God blesses these aspects of women's lives--those women who marry and who bear/adopt children. But I believe also that just as men are not totally and exclusively defined by who they marry and by the children they father, women should also not be totally and exclusively defined by their marriage partners and their children. First and foremost, any person, male or female, is a beloved child of God, redeemed at the highest possible cost. Thus, any human being's highest calling is to live out that redeemed life in service to God and to humanity. I believe God calls each of us in specific ways, many of which have little to do with whether we're male or female. I believe God calls us BY NAME, and I really do not think God says "Mrs. Husbandname, I call you" in that calling. "Firstname, my beloved child," is generally the way it works.

And if it works for God to use our names, why are our names not sufficient for identity? Why the focus, for us women, on whether or not we're virgins, or married, or mothers? Why the obsession with sexuality?

I think the short answer is, we are still members of that animal kingdom. When we operate out of our animal-ness (the flesh), we show the truth of God's observation that, once sin entered our world, the man would dominate the woman and the woman would nevertheless desire the man above all else (including God). Though the Second Adam has redeemed us and called us to newness of life, we settle for life in the fallen state. And for some, we idolize that fallen state and codify it and teach one another and our children that we are commanded to live in that state. Our fallenness controls us; there's no room for God the Holy Spirit to guide us in life as the new creation we're called to be in Christ.

I am called by God, by my name. I am not my marital status, I am not my sexuality, I am not my father...I am me, God's beloved child. I believe that status is the only one that matters and that it's every child's birthright (whatever the age or other status of that child). I stand for the freedom of every boy and girl, man and woman, to live out that identity in Christ.