December 26, 2008, on the way for a family post-Christmas day gathering, Phil and Louie (Louise) Baldwin Rieman hit a patch of ice, spun out and were hit by a tow truck, killing them instantly.
Phil and Louie were a married pastoral team, Sudan peacemaking missionaries, loving advocates for glbt persons and those who are marginalized by the church.....and two individuals who brought God's shalom to countless numbers. The Church of the Brethren has been struck by a stunned stand still as the word spreads quickly via phone, facebook, email, embraces and silent meditation of their deaths.
I have a memory. They were about 20 years older than me, and when I was a freshman in high school, my mother felt strongly that the youth of our church should have some solid (progressive) sex education from a religious perspective. She invited Phil and Louie to our church for a weekend long youth "lock in". We talked about everything that weekend, all centered on the love Christ calls us to. Because most of us had grown up together from infancy, there was a great deal of comfortableness in the conversation....a lot of humor during the embarrassing moments....but it was a deeply safe place to learn about our bodies, desire, responsible sexuality, realities of irresponsible sexuality....loving ourselves and others. I know that my own sexual health stems from this bold and open discussion.
While the talk about sex and stuff was interesting, eye opening, great fun, and serious business.....one thing that I've always taken from that weekend was the desire to be like Phil and Louie. I wanted to be wise, and open, and able to talk about uncomfortable subjects in comfortable ways. I wanted to be able to infuse wisdom and reflection into ordinary everyday conversations.
Phil and Louie went to the Sudan several times. It was their great ministerial love. I recall one story Phil and Louie shared about civil war in Sudan, where the women of both sides grouped together, refused sex to their husbands if the fighting continued. They were tired of their husbands dying, their sons dying, their brothers dying....and they used the only power they had. Phil and Louie brokered peace talks, they taught peace in war torn villages in a way that was not theory but reality.....
They made a difference. They will not be remembered just as nice people. There will be thousands of stories told of the impact that can be made by faithful individuals who take living the life that Christ teaches to live seriously, lovingly, compassionately, invitingly and without fail. If the Church of the Brethren had saints, Phil and Louie would be sainted. But we don't. Instead, all of us who have been shaped by their witness must let that impact grow....that the kindom of God may be felt by many more.
God bless Phil and Louie Baldwin Rieman. Amen.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Monday, December 22, 2008
Santa Clause
If there is anything I collect, it is pottery, local restaurant knowledge, and santas. I don't have many santas, but I have a nice row on a high decorative window in our living room. I've decided that I can only have as many santas as can fit on that window ledge.
I just read an article about a man who is on a mission to save Christmas, and redeem the story of Saint Nicholas, aka Santa Claus. His concern is that Santa Claus has replaced the creche, the red suit has replaced the manger.
Saint Nicholas was a compassionate bishop, who loved the poor and cared for those with needs beyond their own ability to meet them.
Santa Claus is about presents, more presents, many many many present to everyone whether they need them or not. In fact, the quality of one's Christmas is often summed up in how many presents one received, or how much money was spent.
But I want to go back to the dear man's concern that the religious meaning of Christmas will be lost, so something needs to be redeemed. Its an interesting fear that is driving him....he from the large Anglican Church. From my rather smallish viewpoint of the Church of the Brethren I ask: why the fear? The Church of the Brethren has instilled in me that I am to be in community with others. That does not mean the community of faith that I choose.....those comfortable if not quirky folks who sing like me, and share a common heritage. It is this, actually...but also a community beyond our choosing, when need raises its presence and I have the ability to act. I am connected to my brothers and sisters....those who worship as I do, and those who I do not know.
How "Christmas" be lost if there is but one person acting with love for another? How can Christmas be "lost" if one enemy deigns to love another enemy? And how can Christmas be lost as long as there is the Divine Source of Life, infusing the world. As my mentor and friend likes to say (or at least something like this): it is the height of arrogance to believe that humans can thwart the will of God.
Just because the majority do what they will with a holiday and the name of a good man who once was (Jesus? Santa?), does not mean that I....or any individual.... needs to bend their direction.....fearing to stand alone in the sight of what is loving and just.
Santa, Saint Nicholas, whatever.......
In hope,
amysgr
I just read an article about a man who is on a mission to save Christmas, and redeem the story of Saint Nicholas, aka Santa Claus. His concern is that Santa Claus has replaced the creche, the red suit has replaced the manger.
Saint Nicholas was a compassionate bishop, who loved the poor and cared for those with needs beyond their own ability to meet them.
Santa Claus is about presents, more presents, many many many present to everyone whether they need them or not. In fact, the quality of one's Christmas is often summed up in how many presents one received, or how much money was spent.
But I want to go back to the dear man's concern that the religious meaning of Christmas will be lost, so something needs to be redeemed. Its an interesting fear that is driving him....he from the large Anglican Church. From my rather smallish viewpoint of the Church of the Brethren I ask: why the fear? The Church of the Brethren has instilled in me that I am to be in community with others. That does not mean the community of faith that I choose.....those comfortable if not quirky folks who sing like me, and share a common heritage. It is this, actually...but also a community beyond our choosing, when need raises its presence and I have the ability to act. I am connected to my brothers and sisters....those who worship as I do, and those who I do not know.
How "Christmas" be lost if there is but one person acting with love for another? How can Christmas be "lost" if one enemy deigns to love another enemy? And how can Christmas be lost as long as there is the Divine Source of Life, infusing the world. As my mentor and friend likes to say (or at least something like this): it is the height of arrogance to believe that humans can thwart the will of God.
Just because the majority do what they will with a holiday and the name of a good man who once was (Jesus? Santa?), does not mean that I....or any individual.... needs to bend their direction.....fearing to stand alone in the sight of what is loving and just.
Santa, Saint Nicholas, whatever.......
In hope,
amysgr
Monday, December 15, 2008
advent for a year
Of late, I've been pondering the religious assumptions of my life. Not my faith assumptions, like the merit of following Jesus, God embodied in the life of Jesus, forgiveness, salvation (although not classically defined) etc. But more, the presumptions of "church" as the standard bearer and paradigm for living. It all started with a listening conversation of a good friend who was planning (is now doing) a ministry placement with the "churched" and "unchurched". "What do you suppose the 'unchurched' call themselves?" I asked......and have not stopped thinking about this.
I am one who is 4th generation Church of the Brethren, and have always known church as the present paradigm for my living. I'm ok with that. I have been one of the few lucky ones to have been brought up in loving, caring, thoughtful church families. My faith and religion is pretty solid, and has created me to be a good neighbor and a woman of open faith. Blessed be all of those churches that nurtured me.
But I find myself thinking about what it would be like to live without the presumption of church and church language. How does one express pure joy, transcendence, selflessness, community giving....without the words of the church? I'm certainly not saying that it can't be done. On the contrary! I want to know how to do it! I want to know what it is like to experience what I call God, without naming it so.
Our online hometown paper has a number silly and embarrassing chat threads going. Oh, how the pontificating just makes everyone look a little stupid. There was a thread about what good does christianity do. There was also the converse thread of what harm does christianity do. In neither case was my form of christianity cited. It was all about heaven/hell/judgement/narrowmindedness.
But, out of that blathering thread of inane thought, I've started thinking about what is the difference between the Kiwanis and the church? (I'm not picking on the Kiwanis. Rotarians and Ruritans fit as well).
Both are organizations that meet weekly, have words that express belief, some fun and fellowship, and they do good. I would say that probably most Kiwanians go to church somewhere.
I don't have the answer to the differences, and I think that this is ok. Perhaps we are not so different. And I don't think its important that we can name our differences.
This past Sunday, though, I had an experience that put an underline to my sense of church participation. I was in Sunday School, which is led by a Christian Education scholar, and attended by Old Testament and church history scholars.....I have an Mdiv and work in a seminary, so God talk is a daily thing for me. I don't go to church for God education, even though I geek out a bit on the scholarship of these people, they were all my teachers and the taught me well. Nothing they present deepens my faith. it deepens my knowledge, but not my faith.
Well, anyway, we are in a series talking about lives of purpose. Elizabeth was this week. A woman from the church....an incredible woman of many years of leadership....was invited to share about her life of purpose. I know much of her call and even more of her leadership so I assumed that I would be hearing a well told but well known story.
She surprised me with a circuitous route from death (she is in her mid 70s and hopefully a long way from death) and the limits of our days.....back to how she wakes every morning to a renewed sense of call. Not CALL, as in The Call. But call. Purpose. Reason to believe that she has been granted another day for some good she can do.
Now, that was a powerful witness to me. But mostly because I kept thinking, "Where else will we hear these stories? Where does the world gather to speak of purpose? Where do those who do not attend church get to talk about living lives out of an ethic of love?" Later, in worship, we had a powerful Advent service of Lessons in Song. Choirs, children, brass, scripture text, silence, prayers of the people.....it was magnificent. No TV production could have touched the truth of love and the highlighting of waiting and watching for something great to arrive. And again, I thought, this is why I attend church. I love the people. I love the message. And where else do we get to talk and sing about hope with the expectations of its arrival?
There will be more on this, as I step away from the church in slight ways this coming year. Not a disinvestment or weakening of my commitment do I plan. But rather, a broadening of my experience. I don't need to prove that going to church is best. I am not out to prove anything for anyone. I am out to seek the holy in its many forms, and to experience my belief that "God" is in all things.
It will be advent all year for me. For I know the end point. It is what will happen between now and then that I long to discover.
Peace be,
Amysgr
I am one who is 4th generation Church of the Brethren, and have always known church as the present paradigm for my living. I'm ok with that. I have been one of the few lucky ones to have been brought up in loving, caring, thoughtful church families. My faith and religion is pretty solid, and has created me to be a good neighbor and a woman of open faith. Blessed be all of those churches that nurtured me.
But I find myself thinking about what it would be like to live without the presumption of church and church language. How does one express pure joy, transcendence, selflessness, community giving....without the words of the church? I'm certainly not saying that it can't be done. On the contrary! I want to know how to do it! I want to know what it is like to experience what I call God, without naming it so.
Our online hometown paper has a number silly and embarrassing chat threads going. Oh, how the pontificating just makes everyone look a little stupid. There was a thread about what good does christianity do. There was also the converse thread of what harm does christianity do. In neither case was my form of christianity cited. It was all about heaven/hell/judgement/narrowmindedness.
But, out of that blathering thread of inane thought, I've started thinking about what is the difference between the Kiwanis and the church? (I'm not picking on the Kiwanis. Rotarians and Ruritans fit as well).
Both are organizations that meet weekly, have words that express belief, some fun and fellowship, and they do good. I would say that probably most Kiwanians go to church somewhere.
I don't have the answer to the differences, and I think that this is ok. Perhaps we are not so different. And I don't think its important that we can name our differences.
This past Sunday, though, I had an experience that put an underline to my sense of church participation. I was in Sunday School, which is led by a Christian Education scholar, and attended by Old Testament and church history scholars.....I have an Mdiv and work in a seminary, so God talk is a daily thing for me. I don't go to church for God education, even though I geek out a bit on the scholarship of these people, they were all my teachers and the taught me well. Nothing they present deepens my faith. it deepens my knowledge, but not my faith.
Well, anyway, we are in a series talking about lives of purpose. Elizabeth was this week. A woman from the church....an incredible woman of many years of leadership....was invited to share about her life of purpose. I know much of her call and even more of her leadership so I assumed that I would be hearing a well told but well known story.
She surprised me with a circuitous route from death (she is in her mid 70s and hopefully a long way from death) and the limits of our days.....back to how she wakes every morning to a renewed sense of call. Not CALL, as in The Call. But call. Purpose. Reason to believe that she has been granted another day for some good she can do.
Now, that was a powerful witness to me. But mostly because I kept thinking, "Where else will we hear these stories? Where does the world gather to speak of purpose? Where do those who do not attend church get to talk about living lives out of an ethic of love?" Later, in worship, we had a powerful Advent service of Lessons in Song. Choirs, children, brass, scripture text, silence, prayers of the people.....it was magnificent. No TV production could have touched the truth of love and the highlighting of waiting and watching for something great to arrive. And again, I thought, this is why I attend church. I love the people. I love the message. And where else do we get to talk and sing about hope with the expectations of its arrival?
There will be more on this, as I step away from the church in slight ways this coming year. Not a disinvestment or weakening of my commitment do I plan. But rather, a broadening of my experience. I don't need to prove that going to church is best. I am not out to prove anything for anyone. I am out to seek the holy in its many forms, and to experience my belief that "God" is in all things.
It will be advent all year for me. For I know the end point. It is what will happen between now and then that I long to discover.
Peace be,
Amysgr
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