Spirit to Spirit Writing Project
The word Lent comes from an old English word meaning lengthening of days. In Christianity, it refers to the time before Easter, traditionally observed through repentance and learning. It's a season to be intentional about changing and growing. Some people give up items to create space and time for new life and habits to grow. Instead of giving something up, I invite you to try to commit to answering these writing prompts each of the 40 days of Lent. The discipline it takes to set aside time each day to reflect and write about God and your relationship with spirituality is a journey that you will emerge from with a renewed spirit. Every writer has their own special voice to add to this project, whether poetry, prose, essay, thoughts, lists, or through comments, prayer, and encouragement.
How do I participate?
Each day, a writing prompt will be posted. A prompt is a question or statement that is meant to inspire your thoughts in whatever genre you feel moved to write. Post your reflections as a comment under each day's prompt (for further instructions, see 'How To Post' on the right side of the page). It is up to you if you write, read, or pray along with us each of the 40 days of Lent or just drop in from time to time when the spirit moves you to participate. Writing regularly is a discipline that many writers struggle with and this is a way to involve that discipline as a Lenten practice. Through writing and leaving encouraging words for others in this project, we become a supportive spiritual writing community
Yes, there is a Bible story that bothers me!
ReplyDeleteIn the Book of Exodus, Moses and Aaron are commanded by God to ask Pharoah to release the Hebrews from their bondage in Egypt so that they might go out and serve and worship God in a land He has promised to them. In Exodus 7:3 and in many on the following verses and chapters, God states that throughout these negotiations that He will harden Pharaohs’ heart so that Pharoah will continue to refuse to let the people go. This hardening of Pharaohs’ heart does indeed come to pass and the land suffers the effects of increasingly disastrous plagues.
I always felt it was unfair of God to harden Pharaohs’ heart. It seemed that Moses and Aaron might have had a chance of convincing Pharaoh to let the Israelites go if God had not interfered by hardening Pharaohs’ heart and then the plagues would not have had to happen and the people would not have had to suffer their effects.
I do understand that God had His reasons for influencing the release of the Israelites in this manner, but I always felt it caused needless suffering.
Pat Mason
The harsher side of Holy One is difficult. You make that clear.
DeleteMisinterpretation- Doug Millar
ReplyDeleteI resent the misinterpretation of Bible stories. Mostly they get that way from over simplification, mistranslation, or to bolster a theological point of view.
The story of “Doubting Thomas” always go to me. What a great opportunity for a great discussion. However, the more conservative Bible types read it as a misdemeanor to doubt at all and see Thomas as a slacker or faithless. One Sunday I had had it. In the middle of the sermon about DT, I took my microphone out in the congregation and sat next to Tom (I forget his last name), and asked him directly what he thought of the story. We hadn’t even rehearsed. He made an impassioned plea that Thomas shouldn’t be put down because he wanted to know. He said that he, in turn, was always looked down upon just because his name was Thomas. Few even asked him what he believed. The name was enough. I don’t know how long we talked, but he told his story. I went back to the pulpit and ended the sermon in a simple way. Tom thanked me on the way out. I think I may have even taken him with me during the recessional. Later he became a parish board member.
You're good you you 'have had it'. And Tom keeps teaching
DeleteSpirit can surprise with the serendipity of the moment. Powerful.
DeleteHm. Many to choose from, but I am struggling to pick one.
ReplyDeleteMy husband's pick is Abraham and Isaac, but that is dearly beloved to me. I ask for another, and he chooses an incident I had no memory of, in which Elisha, newly having taken up the mantle of Elijah, curses some children for calling him names, and she-bears come from the woods and tear apart 42 of them. I decide that this is a case of bullies getting what they deserve, and God's prophet, in his grief, being spared. There's no way I could side with anyone but Elisha after what he just went through.
I'm voting for Joshua and the battle of Jericho, where we sing children's songs in honor of genocide. And God wants the spoils of the battle for his temple? Really? And Joshua gets to curse this once sacred ground for eternity? But then we talk more, and Sodom and Gomorrah comes up. Okay, truly distasteful stuff here, given how women are treated, and guests, and parents. But I love how Abraham takes on God. And it is intriguing how stubbornly people persist in their evil even when faced with the threat of punishment. Still, another case of genocide, and when our news is filled with talk of ISIS, it might be a relevant text.
I go back to check the prompt again, reading it out loud. My son yells out "Jesus!"
Amen. Jesus, may you bother me as I go forward in these Lenten Days.
You have invited me to engage the difficult, the painful, shadow side. thanks.
DeleteIn the beginning, it was all good.
ReplyDeleteDaytime and night. Good!
The Earth and the infinite space around her. Good!
The Pacific, the Indian, and the Atlantic. The Mediterranean and the Caribbean. Madagascar, the Americas, Australia, and Asia. Good!
Orange trees, mango trees, watermelons, carrots, tomatoes, roses, jasmine, tulips, and Gerbera daisies. Good!
Sun, moon, stars. Good!
Salmon, blue whales, and clown fish. Bluejays, robins, peacocks, penguins, and bald eagles.
Good!
Tigers, wolves, zebras, geckos, boa constrictors, cows, sheep, chipmunks, and even spiders. Good!
Man and woman. Good!
"...it was so good, so very good!" (The Message)
Then, this:
I love you and I made all this for you! Enjoy it all...except that. Do not touch that.
(Seriously?! You know they can't hold out, right?)
Did He really tell you not to touch that?
Yes!
He didn't mean it, you know. He just doesn't want you to be happy.
(No, don't listen to that!)
Really? Well...it does look amazing. It's beautiful. I bet it's delicious!
A little taste won't hurt. Just do it!
I'm in!
(You're going to regret it.)
Mmm...perfect! Hey, Adam, you gotta try this!
Isn't that the...
Yes. Try it!
But,...
Well, that other guy said...
OK!
(Oh, c'mon!)
I'm irritated. We had a good thing going. Everything we could want and a beautiful place in which to enjoy it all. Just us, God, and all the good things.
At the same time, I'm convicted. I am all three - the serpent, Eve, and Adam. I am not trusting, second-guessing, disobeying, tempting, making excuses, passing the buck, and wrecking perfectly good amazing gifts.
But, the gifts keep coming in spite of me - the ordinary, the beautiful, and the divine.
Grace, redemption, and forgiveness.
How fun...and sad ... and in the end a reality of Grace - thank you..very much...i needed that perspective
Deletegreat dialogue. my heart's larceny needs to be laid bare.
DeleteBreaking Teeth
ReplyDeleteAfter years of reading and study
and being a teacher and minister,
after years of observing people
and being less and less surprised
by things I see,
there are still things in the Bible
that bother me.
Unfortunately I can rationalize
for their time
the cultural parts of the Bible
that were wrong even then
and that are not acceptable by any measure today:
slavery, the abuse of women (or anyone for that matter),
stonings, the annihilation of cities, and more.
But I am bothered by the Psalmist
when he rails on about his enemy
and pleads with God to
“BREAK THEIR TEEETH!”.
I have been around people
who were consumed by anger
who screamed and yelled
and gave themselves to it.
I know that God takes us
‘where we are at’
and begins with
‘who we are’
and for some among us,
rage is where they are.
Still those words bother me.
Those Psalms bother me.
They also remind me
that I am yet on a journey
to the one
whose love never ends
and who waits patiently
with a feast on the hoof
for the angry and the kind alike
when they return..
Imprecatory Psalms allow the very gut rock emotion of Hell to be voiced. I usually find a desolate place to read them with a scream.
DeleteThe stories and names of the women…
ReplyDeletewritten out at the hands of centuries of scribes…
and yet, so clearly present.
They are there in the white spaces, and
in the pauses.
They are around the corner, just
hidden from view.
I want to know them all,
each one,
written out of her-story.
~JGH+
Misogyny and sexism keep raising their ugliness. As a white, male, I can only imagine. Need your guidance here.
DeleteYes, more about the early churches where women mentioned by Paul (and others) played significant roles that we have not heard about.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI have a lot of trouble with some of Abraham's decisions, particularly his insistence that Sarai pass herself off as his sister and let her be taken into Pharaoh's house and accept livestock and slaves because of Pharaoh's attraction to her. I wonder if his giving into Sarai's request that Ishmael and Haggar be sent away was because he owed her for that.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteLent 1, Monday
ReplyDeletePassive Observers
There they are, the 99 just going about grazing.
The 9 lepers blissfully moving on down the road, not God praising;
The wedding guests toasting because a glass was given;
Wilderness wanderers, from whom Egypt’s slave fare riven;
Anonymous folk, community populace, story line fillers,
Alluded to, not called out, nameless space between the pillars,
Pew sitting groupies, not even waiting for a prompt or cue,
Inertial weight, evil’s life-cloggers, a vast majority not a pithy few.
Biblical narrative includes their mention; they were there.
Mostly unknown, unmentioned, yet receivers of grace’s share;
Breath of Life brings them a full lung each minute that passes by,
Creator supplies every need; they need not do, nor witness, nor try.
Occasionally this silent crowd mobilizes into a mob.
Synagogue leaders grab the young teacher, their complacency to rob.
Mock trial backed up by shouts, “Crucify Him. Barabbas give us now.”
No thought just raw reaction. Jostling pushes. Biff. Smack. Pow.
Word Made Flesh comments, “Forgive, they know not what they do.”
He’d fed the hungering thousands, preached, healed, touched not a few.
Compassion on the settled masses, their lives not cast asunder,
If you’ve eyes to see, ears to hear, you might perceive a wonder.
How many complacent, potential disciples were approached?
Were there unfulfilling days? Christ rejected? He’d encroached?
Spiritual wallflowers, hanging out alongside the life’s dancing floor,
Those who could not see anything of interest, going out the door;
Our Biblical witness brings an unvarnished glimpse of life’s truth.
Hundreds, thousands, countless individuals who’d never build a booth,
Could it be that my life contains countless moments of nothingness?
My baptismal jewel moment, a precious, life-changing event to confess!
We’ve been summoned together into a family, precious, true.
Our anonymity set aside, we’re a forgiven, servant crew.
Awaken my sister, open your heart’s doors brother dear,
Holy One’s narrative continues, grace has redeemed, nothing’s to fear.
The Rev. Ronald Allen Melver, M.Div.
26.2.15