At Home, At Church

In an article written by Lisa Miller, she quotes that according to a recent survey by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public life, seven percent of Americans say they attend religious services in someone's home. This surprising number has been "lost" while the media claims that Americans are still vague at best in their religious practices. Seven percent is quite a number when you consider atheists in America are around six percent and Jews account for two percent of the population. For so many Americans to be praying at home speaks not just of religious pluralism but what so many Christians have been saying recently; the established ways of worship aren't working anymore. The mega-church with its Wal-Mart approach to spirituality has become a fixture of the suburban landscape. What sets them apart is the family atmosphere: the potluck supper where the bread and wine are served- and, above all else, the expectation that every member contribute prayers, teachings and songs. House church members support each other, encourage each other, hold each other accountable and mentor each other . Their meetings are a shared responsibility, a time set aside for praising God and appreciating each other. Like beer, food, magazines and music, people are rejecting the one -size-fits-all approach and yearn for a church experience that is more personal and homemade.

Laments & Promises

2009 was a terrible year for me. A laundry list of disappointments, challenges, and lack of pretty much everything. I can't remember a time when I felt more discouraged but especially in my spirit. I am praying that 2010 will be better. For the first time in my life we went to a food pantry to get assistance with groceries. In the past, we were there to make donations or help bag up the food. This time we were clients. Help from family and friends was also necessary and no matter how lovingly that help is given, it does not take away the feeling of loss and failure. In spite of the fact that we were not alone and that many friends were in the same boat, we still found ourselves feeling lonely and disconnected. What I did learn from all of this is that there is a whole lot of people suffering out there. That the struggle is not week to week but sometimes minute by minute. I felt so helpless when I would hear stories from others worse off than me and yet I was unable to help except to offer a listening ear. While I didn't loose my faith, it certainly became weak. I struggle every day just to gain an inch on rebuilding it. I hope in 2010 to make myself better and stronger and to forge a stronger relationship with God and His people. Human misery can be overwhelming to the point where I became paralyzed from it all, and that is the worse thing that can happen. As much as I want to do God's work, I must arm myself with the necessary tools or else risk becoming a victim of the devastation around me. I pray this will be a better year for me, for all of us.

Winter Morning by Ogden Nash

Winter is the king of showmen,

Turning tree stumps into snowmen

And houses into birthday cakes

And spreading sugar over lakes.

Smooth and clean and frosty white,

The world looks good enough to bite.

That's the season to be young,

Catching snowflakes on your tongue.

Snow is snowy when it's snowing

I'm sorry it's slushy when it's going.

A Wisp

We are all beggars at the door of God's mercy.

The Journey of a Mother Part III

Your mother is always with you. She's the whisper of the breeze as you walk down the street, she's the smell of certain foods you remember, flowers you pick and perfume that she wore. She's the cool hand on your brow when you aren't feeling well, she's your breath in the air on a cold winter's day. She's the sound of the rain that lulls you to sleep, the colors of the rainbow, she is Christmas morning. Your mother lives inside your laughter, and she is crystallized in every tear drop. A mother knows every emotion - happiness, sadness, fear, jealousy, love, hate, anger, helplessness, excitement, joy, sorrow. And all the while hoping and praying you will only know the good feelings in life. She's the place you came from, your first home, and she is the map you follow with every step you take. She's your first love, your first friend even your first enemy, but nothing on earth can separate you. Not time, not space...not even death!

May we never take our mothers for granted.

The Journey of a Mother Part II

Year after year, she showed them compassion, understanding, hope, but most of all...unconditional love. And when they reached the top, they said, "Mother, we could not have done it without you." The days went on, and the weeks and the months and years and the mother grew old and became little and bent. But her children were tall and strong, and walked with courage. And the mother, when she lay down at night, looked up at the stars and said, "This is a better day than last, for my children have learned so much and are now passing these traits on to their children." And when the way became rough for her, they lifted her and gave her their strength, just as she had given them hers. One day they came to a hill, and beyond the hill they could see a shining road and golden gates flung wide. And the mother said, "I have reached the end of my journey and now I know the end is better than the beginning, for my children can walk with dignity, and pride, with their heads held high, and so can their children after them." And the children said, "You will always walk with us Mother, even when you have gone through the gates." And they stood and watched her as she went on alone, and the gates closed after her. And they said, "we cannot see her, but she is with us still. A mother like ours is more than a memory, she is a living presence.
To be continued...

The Journey of a Mother, Part I

The young mother set her feet on the path of life. "Is this the long way?" she asked, and the guide said, "Yes, and the way is hard, and you will be old before you reach the end of it, but the end will be better than the beginning." But the young mother was happy and she would not believe anything could be better than these years. So she played with her children, she fed them and bathed them and taught them how to tie their shoes and ride a bike and reminded them to feed the dog, do their homework and brush their teeth. The sun shone on them and the young mother cried, "nothing will ever be lovelier than this."Then the nights came and the storms, and the path was sometimes dark and the children shook with fear and cold, and the mother drew them close. She covered them with her arms and the children said,"Mother, we are not afraid, for you are near, and no harm can come." And the morning came and there was a hill ahead, and the children climbed and grew weary, and the mother was weary, but at all times she said to the children, "a Little patience and we are there". So the children climbed, and as they climbed they learned to weather the storms, and with this, she gave them strength to face the world... to be continued.