Tomorrow marks the end of my first week of student teaching and it has gone very well so far. Every day we are supposed to put an "essential question" on the board for the students to think about (and answer if we remember to bring it up). Today's question was "Why do we watch the conductor?". This question came about after all kinds of problems in every class with students not watching myself and my OSTE and therefor running into all kinds of problems throughout the music and making class a lot less fun as we got more and more frustrated with the students. It got me thinking though...
Why do we watch the conductor in music? To keep tempo, to see dynamics, for expression instructions... the list goes on. The conductor is the one leading the band, and supposedly they are the one that will always be there as a constant when things fall apart in the music. Kind of like God (don't tell any conductor that though!).
God is our conductor. He gives us our life's tempo, leads us in our expressions and dynamics. When things get tough and start to fall apart, we run to God asking and praying for help in various forms. But just like any band (especially excited middle schoolers), we get full of ourselves and our abilities and we tend to take our eyes off of the conductor, putting our focus on ourselves, all too often. Maybe we just figured out a problem/ rhythm on our own, or found our pure tone and niche... but is it really on our own?
The conductor may not always be right there to fix every problem (or so it seems), but they give us the tools to do so from day one. The last two days I have been providing the very basic tools to my 6th graders as I teach basic music theory. "This is a staff, this is a treble clef, this is a quarter note..." By teaching this to my students, I am providing them with the tools they need to work out complicated parts later on when we move on to harder music. They may not think of these first few days as being the source of the solutions, but how often do we think back to that time on the cross or the afternoon on the hillside with thousands of hungry people as the solution to our problems?
So, why do we watch the conductor? Because God is the source of life- he leads us through the troubled times, even putting down the baton and clapping out the tempo for the times when we can't see but maybe we can hear. He helps us to learn how to express ourselves and our love, he leads us through the dynamic ups and downs of life, celebrating with us when it is done correctly and we are excited, and working with us when it isn't quite right.
The best part about OUR conductor? If we can't always watch, he is always there beating in tempo with our lives waiting for our eyes and ready to assist as soon as we need it.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Just some random thoughts...
1) Today is going to be absolutely amazing.
2) I am more than excited about student teaching.
3) As I start preparing my presentation about Pilgrimage, I can't help but feel like I am still lost and still missing something.
4) I have the best friends anyone could ever ask for.
5) It is almost time for me to actually be an adult and that is somewhat terrifying.
6) A year from now, I will be in Richmond probably studying Greek.
2) I am more than excited about student teaching.
3) As I start preparing my presentation about Pilgrimage, I can't help but feel like I am still lost and still missing something.
4) I have the best friends anyone could ever ask for.
5) It is almost time for me to actually be an adult and that is somewhat terrifying.
6) A year from now, I will be in Richmond probably studying Greek.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Helping the World Reach Agape
This past week was the first of my last two weeks with Summer in the City. Those of you who may not know, SITC is a service based camp for middle school youth from the Raleigh area Presbyterian churches. The week is spent doing various service projects at local shelters, food pantries, thrift shops, and any other non-profit organizations (usually Christian based). This is my fourth and final year working with this camp, and every year I fall more in love with it.
This year's theme is "Feed My Sheep" based off of John 21:17 (expanding out to John 21:15-17).
15When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?"
"Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."
16Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?"
He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."
17 The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you."
One thing to note is that scripture follows Peter denying that he knows Jesus prior to his crucifixion. This denial occurs three times. In this scripture, Jesus is asking Peter if he loves him, to which Peter responds "You know all things, you know that I love you." Interesting... but that is for a later time when I know more about how to approach it and all of that :)
Back to the point though... the original translation (Greek) uses the words Agape and Philo in place of love.
Agape being an unconditional, eternal, unexpecting, freely given love, one that is very hard to reach for humans because there is always an underlying bit that we might think of at some point preventing from this full agape love that I believe only Jesus/ God/ Holy Spirit is capable of. Sure, you can say that you have this love for your significant other or your best friend... but what if they cheat on you? Or they lie to you? can you honestly say that you would not falter one bit in your love for them? Jesus and God DO NOT falter in their love for us.
Philo love is a brotherly love. This is typically the love we feel for our best friends, significant others, family... it has a stronger basis than Eros (emotional and physical, easily broken) but is not as strong as Agape.
When I was discussing this with my small group on our first night, one young lady (7th grade I believe) tied it very nicely into what our week at SITC was about... "To help the world reach AGAPE". WHAT A GREAT MOTIVE!! If we can truly work to help the world reach agape, can you imagine how much nicer it would be? Even if it never happens, even a miniscule difference could be incredible.
I truly think that is how the youth approached this week at SITC. In talking to some of them over a box of toilet paper (we had to cut packs of 4 in half to make packs of 2...), a rising 8th graders told me that they didn't really want to come to camp because of the work... they would rather be home at the pool or watching tv. However after they saw the difference they were making (or were potentially making), this was so much better than any tv show. That right there is exactly why I love the program so much and can't wait to continue along the same line in my ministry.
Going back to the theme of the week, "Feed My Sheep", as the week continued we asked the youth about the scripture- What is love? How do we show love to others? To God? What does it mean to "Feed My Sheep"? How can we feed HIS sheep outside of SITC? This spurred lots of conversation and thought in my small group as we came to many conclusions about each, however it became very apparent that there is no single answer to any of it, just as it should be (and completely against my list that I had already written, waiting for the check marks to go by each item). Every person has their own answer and none of them are wrong. Oh the things you learn from children!
What a wonderful thing when we can appreciate and respond to the needs of our world... whether that be some toilet paper that a family may not be able to get if they didn't go to this organization for help, or that extra push closer to agape. So here is my question after all of this- 25 middle schoolers came last week, and there will be 27 this week, all working towards providing for even the most "simple" needs of others they don't even know and may never know and helping the world reach agape, what are you doing? Are you sitting at home watching tv or tanning by your pool? Or are you looking for ways to do what these youth are doing? How are you feeding HIS sheep?
Trust me... it isn't always found on a check list, so go out there and find your way, and DO IT!
This year's theme is "Feed My Sheep" based off of John 21:17 (expanding out to John 21:15-17).
15When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?"
"Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."
16Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?"
He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."
17 The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you."
One thing to note is that scripture follows Peter denying that he knows Jesus prior to his crucifixion. This denial occurs three times. In this scripture, Jesus is asking Peter if he loves him, to which Peter responds "You know all things, you know that I love you." Interesting... but that is for a later time when I know more about how to approach it and all of that :)
Back to the point though... the original translation (Greek) uses the words Agape and Philo in place of love.
Agape being an unconditional, eternal, unexpecting, freely given love, one that is very hard to reach for humans because there is always an underlying bit that we might think of at some point preventing from this full agape love that I believe only Jesus/ God/ Holy Spirit is capable of. Sure, you can say that you have this love for your significant other or your best friend... but what if they cheat on you? Or they lie to you? can you honestly say that you would not falter one bit in your love for them? Jesus and God DO NOT falter in their love for us.
Philo love is a brotherly love. This is typically the love we feel for our best friends, significant others, family... it has a stronger basis than Eros (emotional and physical, easily broken) but is not as strong as Agape.
When I was discussing this with my small group on our first night, one young lady (7th grade I believe) tied it very nicely into what our week at SITC was about... "To help the world reach AGAPE". WHAT A GREAT MOTIVE!! If we can truly work to help the world reach agape, can you imagine how much nicer it would be? Even if it never happens, even a miniscule difference could be incredible.
I truly think that is how the youth approached this week at SITC. In talking to some of them over a box of toilet paper (we had to cut packs of 4 in half to make packs of 2...), a rising 8th graders told me that they didn't really want to come to camp because of the work... they would rather be home at the pool or watching tv. However after they saw the difference they were making (or were potentially making), this was so much better than any tv show. That right there is exactly why I love the program so much and can't wait to continue along the same line in my ministry.
Going back to the theme of the week, "Feed My Sheep", as the week continued we asked the youth about the scripture- What is love? How do we show love to others? To God? What does it mean to "Feed My Sheep"? How can we feed HIS sheep outside of SITC? This spurred lots of conversation and thought in my small group as we came to many conclusions about each, however it became very apparent that there is no single answer to any of it, just as it should be (and completely against my list that I had already written, waiting for the check marks to go by each item). Every person has their own answer and none of them are wrong. Oh the things you learn from children!
What a wonderful thing when we can appreciate and respond to the needs of our world... whether that be some toilet paper that a family may not be able to get if they didn't go to this organization for help, or that extra push closer to agape. So here is my question after all of this- 25 middle schoolers came last week, and there will be 27 this week, all working towards providing for even the most "simple" needs of others they don't even know and may never know and helping the world reach agape, what are you doing? Are you sitting at home watching tv or tanning by your pool? Or are you looking for ways to do what these youth are doing? How are you feeding HIS sheep?
Trust me... it isn't always found on a check list, so go out there and find your way, and DO IT!
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Memories and Changes
Eventually (hopefully sooner rather than later) I am going to be painting both my bedroom and my sister's in prep for us to switch rooms. Since I am moving home after graduation so that I don't have to pay rent in Greensboro for 6 months while I sit around, Mom decided that it would be a good idea for me to be in the big bedroom again so that I can have my space and room for all of my stuff. My lack of job and anything exciting to do in Raleigh led me to start packing up all of my stuff today to make things a bit easier. My room went from "cluttered" to bare in all of an hour. I got thinking during all of this though, and there is a whole lot of history and memories sit in my bathroom hallway in cardboard boxes.
I filled boxes with books, pictures, horses, and other random things. Some I have read once, others I have read 10 times. Then the yearbooks from highschool and all of the notes in them... "friends forever", "good luck", "cant wait to see you with a symphony"... Then the posters came down, and all of the band pictures and awards... You really relearn a lot about yourself when you pack your life up. For me, I was THE band geek who loved horses (but only rode once), and everything about my room showed that.
That was then though, and this is now. I started thinking about what I will actually keep out once I unpack all of it in a few days. Will all of the band pictures and awards go out again? Most likely not. The horses? Absolutely. The posters from Music Ed conferences? Nope. Miles Davis? Maybe. Prom stuff? Probably not. In a way it hurts packing all of this up, but I also know it will always be there when I want to dig it out again to look at and remember.
I have to laugh at the thought process though... as I look for a new comforter set and paint color, I keep telling my sister I want it to be "adult". I want to leave the bright, fun colors behind and have something a bit more down to earth and modest. Part of me feels like it is because I am scared to let everything go and don't know exactly what will be next, so I originally picked white, the "safe" color. She vetoed that though. What does it really matter how my room looks though, as long as it is what I want?
I am noticing that a lot though as I begin to make my transition out of college. I am throwing away the old music theory notebooks and opening space on the shelf for all kinds of devotional books, bibles, and other resources to begin digging through as I get ready for seminary. I am packing up some of the old pictures from high school to put pictures from college in their place. I am finding a safe box for my corsages to be put in so that there is "free" space and less clutter.
I held onto so much for so long, thinking it was what kept me rooted in who I really was. If I could look at the picture of me and Andy, with my "boyfriend" bear right next to it, I would remember all of the fun we had and somehow that would make me have fun now. Or the pictures from the show choir trip to NYC... I never talk to them anymore and couldn't even tell you their names, but I still felt it was important to hold on to so I could see it when I came home.
It is hard to admit that the world is changing around you, and even harder to jump on and change with it. Sometimes it is ok to leave those pictures out to look at, but other times it is also ok to put them in storage for a while so you can put new memories out that are more relevant to where you are. High school was great, marching band was my life, but that was 5 years ago and in another world basically. I know that if I take the steps to move into my new life, God will be with me and make it a bit easier. That is really all we need to remember in life, as long as we are willing to take a step forward, he will be there to hold our hands or even carry us when need be.
I filled boxes with books, pictures, horses, and other random things. Some I have read once, others I have read 10 times. Then the yearbooks from highschool and all of the notes in them... "friends forever", "good luck", "cant wait to see you with a symphony"... Then the posters came down, and all of the band pictures and awards... You really relearn a lot about yourself when you pack your life up. For me, I was THE band geek who loved horses (but only rode once), and everything about my room showed that.
That was then though, and this is now. I started thinking about what I will actually keep out once I unpack all of it in a few days. Will all of the band pictures and awards go out again? Most likely not. The horses? Absolutely. The posters from Music Ed conferences? Nope. Miles Davis? Maybe. Prom stuff? Probably not. In a way it hurts packing all of this up, but I also know it will always be there when I want to dig it out again to look at and remember.
I have to laugh at the thought process though... as I look for a new comforter set and paint color, I keep telling my sister I want it to be "adult". I want to leave the bright, fun colors behind and have something a bit more down to earth and modest. Part of me feels like it is because I am scared to let everything go and don't know exactly what will be next, so I originally picked white, the "safe" color. She vetoed that though. What does it really matter how my room looks though, as long as it is what I want?
I am noticing that a lot though as I begin to make my transition out of college. I am throwing away the old music theory notebooks and opening space on the shelf for all kinds of devotional books, bibles, and other resources to begin digging through as I get ready for seminary. I am packing up some of the old pictures from high school to put pictures from college in their place. I am finding a safe box for my corsages to be put in so that there is "free" space and less clutter.
I held onto so much for so long, thinking it was what kept me rooted in who I really was. If I could look at the picture of me and Andy, with my "boyfriend" bear right next to it, I would remember all of the fun we had and somehow that would make me have fun now. Or the pictures from the show choir trip to NYC... I never talk to them anymore and couldn't even tell you their names, but I still felt it was important to hold on to so I could see it when I came home.
It is hard to admit that the world is changing around you, and even harder to jump on and change with it. Sometimes it is ok to leave those pictures out to look at, but other times it is also ok to put them in storage for a while so you can put new memories out that are more relevant to where you are. High school was great, marching band was my life, but that was 5 years ago and in another world basically. I know that if I take the steps to move into my new life, God will be with me and make it a bit easier. That is really all we need to remember in life, as long as we are willing to take a step forward, he will be there to hold our hands or even carry us when need be.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Pilgrimage Project 2010 (readers digest version)
Well, the Pilgrimage Project 2010 has officially come to an end, but that doesn't mean the concept has.
Monday, I returned from a 12 day pilgrimage to the Isle of Iona in Scotland. I traveled with a great group of 13 other people from all backgrounds, but we were all looking to broaden our understanding of our faith among other things. The journey started back in September with monthly bible studies based around the book "The Geography of God" (Michael Lindvall) and came to a "close" through our trip to Scotland.
We left two weeks ago from RDU and flew to PHI and then GLA. After spending a few hours in Glasgow, we took the train to Oban. Oban is a small fishing town on the west coast and is absolutely gorgeous. We were hosted by the Church of Scotland Parish in town and many families from that congregation. While in Oban, we spent lots of time exploring and shopping, and some of us climbed up to the remains of Dunolie Castle. It was only one tower of the castle, but it was incredible to look at, not to mention the view of the water and town!
Saturday was another travel day. We took the ferry from Oban to Mull (and saw the castle from "Entrapment" along the way!), took a bus across Mull, and then another Ferry from Mull to Iona. It was a hectic and long day, but not nearly as bad as the 39 hours of planes, buses, and trains it took to get us to Oban and our beds there. The rest of the afternoon was fairly relaxing as we began to explore the island and meet the others that were staying at the abbey (a mix of people there on thier own, D. Min. students from McCormick Seminary, and us).
Sunday through Thursday was full of community, worshipping, and working in the Abbey. Tuesday was the Pilgrimage day when we went on a 7 mile hike to different sites all over Iona, including Columba Bay. This is where Saint Columba landed with 12 monks after being exiled from Ireland. Iona was the first place that he landed and could not see Ireland (it was a cloudy day) so they stayed there and began to build a community. The pilgrimage was a struggle but completely worth it!
We left Iona on Friday and began the journey back to Glasgow (back across Mull and to Oban to meet the train). Once in Glasgow, we met up with our new hosts and went home with them for the rest of the evening (we actually walked through Queens Park).
Saturday was Edinburgh and doing all of the touristy stuff. It was nice, but I wouldn't rush to go back. I did get to walk the Royal Mile, see the castle, Queens Palace, and the Legislature building though. That evening, our (me and Callie) host and one other host family (Kelly and Lois) took the four of us girls to hear a 60s cover band at a pub outside of town. This was my favorite night by far! In addition to bonding with some incredible people, the band gave us lots of shout outs and even played the national anthem for us at midnight to celebrate Independence Day.
Sunday we went to church and then to the art museum. This was lots of fun, but I was dead and only thinking about coming home.
Overall, the trip was incredible. I learned a lot about myself, thought a lot about things going on at home (mostly a long the lines of what I have posted about in the past), and learned a lot about many other things that I saw and experienced. It was a new thing for me to sit and eat dinner with gay ministers and their partners and transexuals, have theological discussions and discussions about my ministry hopes with D. Min. students and professors, and just laugh about nothing. I am still thinking about some of those conversations and others gave me a push that I didn't realize I needed. The genuine care and support from the community was amazing. I can still hear what Kathryn Ann said to me before separating in the Queen St. train station in Glasgow, "I know you have your life scheduled for the next few years, but don't be afraid to let it change some because you never know how some things will fit into the plan." It was so nice to hear that from someone who I opened up to about my life and who has been through the same stuff.
I am still not sure exactly what happened while I was there, and I may not know or see the effects for a while. One thing I know is that I am more sure about my call to ministry than ever, and even about where I will be going to seminary. I am more relaxed about letting my schedule change in some ways, but not looking for those ways. But even more so, I have more questions to ask and look for answers to. The questions will hopefully lead to a stronger ministry on my part. My next step? Start looking for some answers and prepare myself for the next few years. It will be hard, but I know that I have family and friends that will be with me the entire way. After that? I would love to go back to Iona on Pilgrimage after I finish seminary and see what has changed for me, and maybe take someone new with me when I go so they can experience it as well :)
Monday, I returned from a 12 day pilgrimage to the Isle of Iona in Scotland. I traveled with a great group of 13 other people from all backgrounds, but we were all looking to broaden our understanding of our faith among other things. The journey started back in September with monthly bible studies based around the book "The Geography of God" (Michael Lindvall) and came to a "close" through our trip to Scotland.
We left two weeks ago from RDU and flew to PHI and then GLA. After spending a few hours in Glasgow, we took the train to Oban. Oban is a small fishing town on the west coast and is absolutely gorgeous. We were hosted by the Church of Scotland Parish in town and many families from that congregation. While in Oban, we spent lots of time exploring and shopping, and some of us climbed up to the remains of Dunolie Castle. It was only one tower of the castle, but it was incredible to look at, not to mention the view of the water and town!
Saturday was another travel day. We took the ferry from Oban to Mull (and saw the castle from "Entrapment" along the way!), took a bus across Mull, and then another Ferry from Mull to Iona. It was a hectic and long day, but not nearly as bad as the 39 hours of planes, buses, and trains it took to get us to Oban and our beds there. The rest of the afternoon was fairly relaxing as we began to explore the island and meet the others that were staying at the abbey (a mix of people there on thier own, D. Min. students from McCormick Seminary, and us).
Sunday through Thursday was full of community, worshipping, and working in the Abbey. Tuesday was the Pilgrimage day when we went on a 7 mile hike to different sites all over Iona, including Columba Bay. This is where Saint Columba landed with 12 monks after being exiled from Ireland. Iona was the first place that he landed and could not see Ireland (it was a cloudy day) so they stayed there and began to build a community. The pilgrimage was a struggle but completely worth it!
We left Iona on Friday and began the journey back to Glasgow (back across Mull and to Oban to meet the train). Once in Glasgow, we met up with our new hosts and went home with them for the rest of the evening (we actually walked through Queens Park).
Saturday was Edinburgh and doing all of the touristy stuff. It was nice, but I wouldn't rush to go back. I did get to walk the Royal Mile, see the castle, Queens Palace, and the Legislature building though. That evening, our (me and Callie) host and one other host family (Kelly and Lois) took the four of us girls to hear a 60s cover band at a pub outside of town. This was my favorite night by far! In addition to bonding with some incredible people, the band gave us lots of shout outs and even played the national anthem for us at midnight to celebrate Independence Day.
Sunday we went to church and then to the art museum. This was lots of fun, but I was dead and only thinking about coming home.
Overall, the trip was incredible. I learned a lot about myself, thought a lot about things going on at home (mostly a long the lines of what I have posted about in the past), and learned a lot about many other things that I saw and experienced. It was a new thing for me to sit and eat dinner with gay ministers and their partners and transexuals, have theological discussions and discussions about my ministry hopes with D. Min. students and professors, and just laugh about nothing. I am still thinking about some of those conversations and others gave me a push that I didn't realize I needed. The genuine care and support from the community was amazing. I can still hear what Kathryn Ann said to me before separating in the Queen St. train station in Glasgow, "I know you have your life scheduled for the next few years, but don't be afraid to let it change some because you never know how some things will fit into the plan." It was so nice to hear that from someone who I opened up to about my life and who has been through the same stuff.
I am still not sure exactly what happened while I was there, and I may not know or see the effects for a while. One thing I know is that I am more sure about my call to ministry than ever, and even about where I will be going to seminary. I am more relaxed about letting my schedule change in some ways, but not looking for those ways. But even more so, I have more questions to ask and look for answers to. The questions will hopefully lead to a stronger ministry on my part. My next step? Start looking for some answers and prepare myself for the next few years. It will be hard, but I know that I have family and friends that will be with me the entire way. After that? I would love to go back to Iona on Pilgrimage after I finish seminary and see what has changed for me, and maybe take someone new with me when I go so they can experience it as well :)
Thursday, May 27, 2010
What are we waiting for?
One of my favorite songs "What are you waiting for?" by Natalie Grant has been running through my head lately...
Sometimes I get that
overwhelming feeling
so sad the faces on TV
If I tried to make a difference
would it help anyway
But then I stop and to
myself I say.........
CHORUS:
So you wanna change the world
What are you waiting for
You say you're gonna start right now
What are you waiting for
It only takes one voice
So come on now and shout it out
Give a little more
[ Find more Lyrics on http://mp3lyrics.org/AZ4C ]
What are you waiting for
Sometimes I feel a little helpless
Seems like I can't do a thing
But anything Is possible
just you wait and see
Good things happen if you
just believe.........
CHORUS
Someday somehow
You're gonna take that step
Cause time is ticking away
Right here right now
Before it's too late
Gonna face tomorrow today
Going along with that, the sermon at the church I played at on Sunday, was also titled "What are we waiting for?". Needless to say it got my attention and sent me running home to write again (yea... this has been done since Sunday, just haven't had time to post).
So, keeping with my last two posts, what ARE we waiting for? We have so much going on around us, both good and bad, and we are taking many different approaches. Some are going out, torches in hand, doing everything they can to make changes. Others are sitting home, thinking things through and making a plan before they pull out their torch. Others may not be doing anything. This goes hand in hand with prayer. Those that are out already, torches in hand, are praying for guidance but they are not waiting for an answer, rather praying that God will change their direction if needed and continue to show them the way. Others, the ones still planning, may be praying for guidance on where to start and how to do it. Neither way is right or wrong, but God can only do so much without us actually acting.
The story that the minister told on Sunday is about a man and the lottery. Every night before the man went to bed, he would pray to God, "God, if you would only let me win the lottery, I will give all of the money to the church's building fund." This went on for months until one night, God came to the man in a dream. "Son, I believe you and know your heart is true, but help me out some and go buy a lottery ticket!"
This is the key point- we need to act so that God has something to work with! The hungry won't be fed until someone takes some food to them. Racism won't end until we ourselves put it to an end in our own lives. Religious persecution will continue until we make ourselves aware of it in all aspects and do something to stop it! We can create a domino effect if we will just get up and act. Once we do, others will see us and do something as well and it will keep spreading (like the State Farm Insurance commercial from a few years ago- one person smiled and it got spread around until it came full circle).
God can't act and speak through us until we begin acting and speaking! It isn't easy, but it needs to be done if we are ever going to get the world to come together. We can do it by breaking our chains and rewriting history (the figurative way- not through a new textbook!).
There is so much out there to do, but we continue to sit and wait. What are we waiting for?
One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed
a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean.
Approaching the boy, he asked, “What are you doing?”
The youth replied, “Throwing starfish back into the ocean.
The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them back, they’ll die.”
“Son,” the man said, “don’t you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish?
You can’t make a difference!”
After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish,
and threw it back into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said…”
I made a difference for that one.”
Sometimes I get that
overwhelming feeling
so sad the faces on TV
If I tried to make a difference
would it help anyway
But then I stop and to
myself I say.........
CHORUS:
So you wanna change the world
What are you waiting for
You say you're gonna start right now
What are you waiting for
It only takes one voice
So come on now and shout it out
Give a little more
[ Find more Lyrics on http://mp3lyrics.org/AZ4C ]
What are you waiting for
Sometimes I feel a little helpless
Seems like I can't do a thing
But anything Is possible
just you wait and see
Good things happen if you
just believe.........
CHORUS
Someday somehow
You're gonna take that step
Cause time is ticking away
Right here right now
Before it's too late
Gonna face tomorrow today
Going along with that, the sermon at the church I played at on Sunday, was also titled "What are we waiting for?". Needless to say it got my attention and sent me running home to write again (yea... this has been done since Sunday, just haven't had time to post).
So, keeping with my last two posts, what ARE we waiting for? We have so much going on around us, both good and bad, and we are taking many different approaches. Some are going out, torches in hand, doing everything they can to make changes. Others are sitting home, thinking things through and making a plan before they pull out their torch. Others may not be doing anything. This goes hand in hand with prayer. Those that are out already, torches in hand, are praying for guidance but they are not waiting for an answer, rather praying that God will change their direction if needed and continue to show them the way. Others, the ones still planning, may be praying for guidance on where to start and how to do it. Neither way is right or wrong, but God can only do so much without us actually acting.
The story that the minister told on Sunday is about a man and the lottery. Every night before the man went to bed, he would pray to God, "God, if you would only let me win the lottery, I will give all of the money to the church's building fund." This went on for months until one night, God came to the man in a dream. "Son, I believe you and know your heart is true, but help me out some and go buy a lottery ticket!"
This is the key point- we need to act so that God has something to work with! The hungry won't be fed until someone takes some food to them. Racism won't end until we ourselves put it to an end in our own lives. Religious persecution will continue until we make ourselves aware of it in all aspects and do something to stop it! We can create a domino effect if we will just get up and act. Once we do, others will see us and do something as well and it will keep spreading (like the State Farm Insurance commercial from a few years ago- one person smiled and it got spread around until it came full circle).
God can't act and speak through us until we begin acting and speaking! It isn't easy, but it needs to be done if we are ever going to get the world to come together. We can do it by breaking our chains and rewriting history (the figurative way- not through a new textbook!).
There is so much out there to do, but we continue to sit and wait. What are we waiting for?
One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed
a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean.
Approaching the boy, he asked, “What are you doing?”
The youth replied, “Throwing starfish back into the ocean.
The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them back, they’ll die.”
“Son,” the man said, “don’t you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish?
You can’t make a difference!”
After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish,
and threw it back into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said…”
I made a difference for that one.”
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Rewriting History?
I am all for "rewriting history" in the sense that we open our minds and change the direction of what we are doing and therefor "rewriting history". But this is ridiculous.
If you have not been following the news, you may not be familiar with the textbook controversy in Texas. So here is the rundown- Texas conservatives got together and decided that our history textbooks are very liberal and biased. The solution? Rewrite them, "balancing" the liberal and conservative views. This includes changing the view of slavery, civil war, civil rights, native Americans... it basically seems like if it isn't involving white protestants in a positive way, it will be changed. Well, it all passed yesterday. (http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/texas-textbook-controversy-10714896)and http://blogs.abcnews.com/nightlinedailyline/2010/05/texas-christian-textbooks-coming-to-class-.html
I understand the whole "This is God's country" view. I am not against that in any way. I say GOD BLESS AMERICA and ONE NATION UNDER GOD with pride, but I personally don't think that when our country was founded, it was under the pretense that everyone would be Christians. And really, as terrible as it may sound since I am going to seminary, I am glad that we aren't all Christians- it provides variety and learning opportunities. Like I said in my last blog, we all have our differences and God made it that way for a reason. Do you think that he wasn't thinking things through when other religions were created? But this whole forcing our views on everyone and REWRITING HISTORY to fit them is absolutely ridiculous.
Yea, we have a dark history in some cases- I hate that we had slavery, and wars about everything. I hate that life wasn't always peaceful and people died for crazy reasons. But that is part of what makes this such a great country- WE OVERCAME IT. When our ancestors came to America, no matter who you are, they had a great influence in some way. Maybe they were with the Native Americans that fought to protect the land when the Europeans came. Maybe they were those Europeans that came to create a civilized land. Maybe they were the ones that befriended the enemy and helped to find a compromise at some point. Maybe they came on a slave trade ship and plowed the earth, creating some of the most gorgeous land there is. Everyone had bad moments, but everyone had good moments.
Yea, history may not look on the white protestant favorably at times, but rather than rewriting the textbooks to make us look better, why can't we all change our attitudes and actions now? Isn't that a much better way of rewriting history?
Even further, people think this only effects Texas. WRONG. Texas is such a huge center for education, this will all eventually come to us. This is what our children will be learning. How sad.
If you have not been following the news, you may not be familiar with the textbook controversy in Texas. So here is the rundown- Texas conservatives got together and decided that our history textbooks are very liberal and biased. The solution? Rewrite them, "balancing" the liberal and conservative views. This includes changing the view of slavery, civil war, civil rights, native Americans... it basically seems like if it isn't involving white protestants in a positive way, it will be changed. Well, it all passed yesterday. (http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/texas-textbook-controversy-10714896)and http://blogs.abcnews.com/nightlinedailyline/2010/05/texas-christian-textbooks-coming-to-class-.html
I understand the whole "This is God's country" view. I am not against that in any way. I say GOD BLESS AMERICA and ONE NATION UNDER GOD with pride, but I personally don't think that when our country was founded, it was under the pretense that everyone would be Christians. And really, as terrible as it may sound since I am going to seminary, I am glad that we aren't all Christians- it provides variety and learning opportunities. Like I said in my last blog, we all have our differences and God made it that way for a reason. Do you think that he wasn't thinking things through when other religions were created? But this whole forcing our views on everyone and REWRITING HISTORY to fit them is absolutely ridiculous.
Yea, we have a dark history in some cases- I hate that we had slavery, and wars about everything. I hate that life wasn't always peaceful and people died for crazy reasons. But that is part of what makes this such a great country- WE OVERCAME IT. When our ancestors came to America, no matter who you are, they had a great influence in some way. Maybe they were with the Native Americans that fought to protect the land when the Europeans came. Maybe they were those Europeans that came to create a civilized land. Maybe they were the ones that befriended the enemy and helped to find a compromise at some point. Maybe they came on a slave trade ship and plowed the earth, creating some of the most gorgeous land there is. Everyone had bad moments, but everyone had good moments.
Yea, history may not look on the white protestant favorably at times, but rather than rewriting the textbooks to make us look better, why can't we all change our attitudes and actions now? Isn't that a much better way of rewriting history?
Even further, people think this only effects Texas. WRONG. Texas is such a huge center for education, this will all eventually come to us. This is what our children will be learning. How sad.
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