Words of Faith
Saturday, March 23, 2013
List of Faith-Emergency Contacts...
List 15 people that you would like to call upon - or have called upon - to help you with faith questions and inspiration (assume that the Trinity will already be on another super-list somewhere else). They can be people you've met, people in your family alive or dead, people in history, the Bible, perhaps even fictional characters. List the people (and in some cases, who they are) and what how they would influence and/or help you on your faith journey.
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My influences in no particular order are: Lao Tzu, Martin Luther, Martin Luther King, Allan Watts, Dali Lama, Thomas Merton, Krishnamurti,Benjamin Tutu, Kierkegaard, Paul Tillich, Alfred N. Whitehead, William James, Father Frank, and many more including
ReplyDeletedozens of parishoners who, by their quiet example, gave me insight to my journey. Doug
Doug,
DeleteI've got a rowboat. Let's find a desert island to enjoy these folks.
ronaldo
In Case of Spiritual Emergency
ReplyDeleteMy soul-mate, Carol Kristine Berg Melver, keeps my back
As we face each day’s challenge there never seems a lack.
Our children in birth order: Erik, Kirsten, Matthew, Naomi, our brood.
Grown into amazing adults with lives of their own, tried, trued.
Brothers and sisters, in-laws and outlaws, rally as needed.
Handling stresses, deaths, medical strife’s, even gardens weeded.
Cousins who’ve shared life’s relational joys and sorrows,
Too many to call out but ever ready for begs and borrows.
Dwindling Aunts and an Uncle, more wisdom combined than most.
Sis, Dorothy, John, remain active, available, even at a fun roast.
Pastors but a phone call away will hear my struggle, come to play.
Jim, John Q., Roy, John K., John M., David, John B. have had their say.
Bountiful friends faithful, again so many, we’re blessed.
Ready at a heartbeat to hear joys, sins confessed.
‘Mongst the company of triumphant several stand tall:
Luther, Bonhoeffer, Hammerskjöld, C.L. Lewis, Tillich, Kierkegaard, St. Paul.
Gandhi, Mandela, Martin Luther King, Merton, Tolkien, movers each,
Moyers, Campbell, Rohr, Tolle, Wangerin, Johnson, Jung, Adler could teach.
Relationships rich cause me a measure of peace as this list I behold
Spirit has called together abundance as life’s story we’ve boldly told.
The Rev. Ronald Allen Melver, M.Div.
23.3.13
This was harder to write than I anticipated. I don't want to leave anyone out (I probably did) and I didn't want anyone to feel bad that they weren't the first one listed (so I listed everyone at random). Anyway, in no particular order, here are all my faith emergency contacts, in case I need them:
ReplyDelete1.) Emily Dickenson: for being still, observant, witty and real about life, spirituality and God’s creation
2.) Nadia Bolz-Weber (http://sarcasticlutheran.typepad.com : Turning faith on it’s head, where it makes more sense in the first place and moving me to inspired tears when I need to be
3.) Nani & Bops (grandparents): Dichotomy of peace, compassion and a harmony of wisdom
4.) My Mom: Devotion, grace, fighting for yourself with God as your stronghold, unconditional love
5.) Jim (my husband) for roots, grounding, planting and having the patience to stand by those as they grow – I need to learn patience.
6.) My Dad: resilience, non-conformity in faith, passion, knowledge and innovation
7.) Pr. Mike: Gentle, firm challenges that I always know are absolutely true, even if it’s scary
8.) Pr. Katy: Listening to others and encouraging their ideas on being the hands that build our church, no matter how ‘out there’ they may seem at the time. Walking with others in their journey no matter where they are
9.) Pr. Cindy: For inviting everyone to love themselves – children of God - including their flaws. For courage to address issues in church that I didn’t know we could talk about and it was a relief to hear them addressed there.
10.) Anna: For being able to witness her spiritual gift of prayer and dance
11.) Mary Magdalene: I would call on her for strength to live as a woman in a ‘man’s world’ of women faith-bearers in a still-mostly-male-led organization.
12.) Lillith: for simply being a seed of potential in a part of a story which was cut off. Yet her story still exists.
13.) The scribes, priests, women, men and others that put the Bible together – writing for God and inspiring others and building pyramids of faith, which they will never see finished.
14.) My Kids: for also turning faith on it’s head to look at it and raise the questions that are hard to answer, but need to have words and be in existence (Lent, Holy Week, Pets, Life & Death, Love, etc.)
15.) Kids in general: Our future, God’s legacy, seeds, planted, who in return plant more seeds of faith back into us and change us.
such a rich list. you have a blessed life. you are a blessing. thanks for the leadership this lent.
Deleteronaldo
Annie my dear wife who knows me and loves me
ReplyDeleteChidren Jessica, Andrew and Elisabeth who listened and listen to my bad sermons
My dad who served 47 months as MP in WW2 - he did not say many words about God - he did not need to
My mom who told me how difficult she had it in confirmation class - she memorized the catechism, every question, hymns and Psalms - in her words: "perfectly word for word"
One of my Sunday School teachers when I was very young - I am not sure of her name but I know she loved me and so I knew God was real
Pastor Luther our youth pastor who let us take risks and showed us that faith can be fun
My teachers at Lutheran Bible Institute who taught me the content of the Bible
My two grandmas who loved going to church and played canasta and aggrevation with me
Thomas Merton
Pastor Gary
Mother Tereasa
Father Tim
Ann and Larry Thompson who taught me the power of simple faith
The "communion of saints" who pray morning prayer with me in the sanctuary when the pews are empty
Pastor Roger who confirmed me and who I wish I could have known when I finally became a pastor
Joel Lohafer
you've listed important folks. isn't it amazing how Spirit gathers those we need close by! thanks
Deleteronaldo