Praying for New Orleans

I read a National Geographic article detailing this hypothetical stuation just a few weeks ago:

Gone With the Water.

A quote from the article:

"The Federal Emergency Management Agency lists a hurricane strike on New Orleans as one of the most dire threats to the nation, up there with a large earthquake in California or a terrorist attack on New York City. Even the Red Cross no longer opens hurricane shelters in the city, claiming the risk to its workers is too great."

I'm not a big one for intercessory prayer--I don't pray in the hope of divine intervention against nature, but I do pray for the peace of mind, hope, strength, and courage that residents of Louisiana are going to need, and for a response of love and generosity from the rest of us.

A treatise on Plain Dress.

With a wink, I give you one man's reasoning for plain dress:

Well, you wonder why I always dress in black;
Why you never see bright colours on my back;
And why does my appearance seem to have a sombre tone.
Well, there's a reason for the things that I have on.

I wear the black for the poor and the beaten down;
Livin' in the hopeless, hungry side of town;
I wear it for the prisoner who has long paid for his crime,
But is there because he's a victim of the times.

I wear the black for those who've never read,
Or listened to the words that Jesus said,
About the road to happiness through love and charity;
Why, you'd think He's talking straight to you and me.

Well, we're doin' mighty fine, I do suppose,
In our streak-of-lightnin' cars and fancy clothes.
But just so we're reminded of the ones who are held back,
Up front there ought to be a Man In Black.

I wear it for the sick and lonely old,
For the reckless ones whose bad trip left them cold;
I wear the black in mournin' for the lives that could have been:
Each week we lose a hundred fine young men.

And, I wear it for the thousands who have died,
Believin' that the Lord was on their side.
I wear it for another hundred thousand who have died,
Believin' that we all were on their side.

Well, there's things that never will be right I know,
And things need changin' everywhere you go.
But 'til we start to make a move to make a few things right,
You'll never see me wear a suit of white.

Ah, I'd love to wear a rainbow every day,
And tell the world that everything's OK.
But I'll try to carry off a little darkness on my back,
'Til things are brighter, I'm the Man In Black.

--Johnny Cash

:)

I wanted to lift up...

...this post.

That is all.

More about Yearly Meeting

It's been a while, and some of the things I was intending to talk about were discussed on other blogs (notably) the NEYM Young Friend's Minute about the quality of worship. However, I have a highly anecdotal mind, and the things that stick out from the sessions for me were not really connected to big "issues" or "questions". They were all very personal, in the context of the larger gathering.

Strangely, one of the more spiritually gathered and important moments for me was the one session where I was a "microphone spacer". They used to call the position "microphone runners", but realized that the name gave the wrong idea. It was a complete accident - I didn't even sign up. Someone cancelled, and I stepped in. Basically, the job is: when someone stands to speak in open worship, or in a session, you wait for acknowledgement from the clerk, and slowly and measuredly walk up to the indicated person and hand them the microphone. The end. There were a couple of things that were great about it. First of all, showing up at sessions without feeling "a part" of things was stressful for me. I always want to be behind the scenes - involved in the "real thing", not a spectator. I hadn't helped to plan it or anything, and being able to volunteer on the spot, even for something so minor made me feel like a part of the community. Deciphering who the clerk was indicating, and trying to move respectfully without hurrying when I saw the waiting speaker looking impatient, or feeling awkward when I passed someone who clearly wanted to speak but hadn't been recognized was a gentle challenge, and a reminder of how people-pleasing ways can sometimes get in the way of faithfulness. Also, eveyone did a great job of making me feel valued afterwards. It was such a little thing, but no less than 5 people came up and thanked me for it afterwards. It's not that I needed to be thanked or anything, but their acknowledgement made me feel a part of the group.

Meals were very important to me, as well. I found it daunting to try to start conversations just out of the blue, but every meal brought at least one new face and fascinating conversation and fellowship. Over the course of a few dinners, I became fast friends with a plain woman named Anna. She exuded warmth and joy and good humour, and we had conversations that burst at the seams with spirit. We discussed a lot of things close to our hearts and she told me some things about her journey to the Society of Friends and her plain conviction that hit very close to home and shed new light on some of my own thoughts. I have a standing invitation to visit their homestead in Maine.

I hadn't signed up for any worshops, since I was only going to be there a few days, and didn't want to start something I couldn't finish. On Monday, as I was wandering around thinking what I should do with myself during the worshop time, I checked the board and saw that there were a few 1-day workshops. I wandered over to Peterson Toscano's workshop and was moved to giggles and even a few misty-eyed moments. It was wonderful.

I went for a few late-night walks with Jeff. The stars were very thick - I've been living in cities for several years now and forgot how homesick I can get for a sky crusty with light. You could see the milky way and there were even meteors. It was perfect, very condusive to awe and worship. Lying on the grass and staring up, I felt some things knit together inside me.

Those are the main things I brought away with me from those three days of NEYM.

Muppet Lust

Yes, yes, yes, I will write more about yearly meeting...I know you're all clinging to that faint hope with great anxiety.

But first....just last night, as I was having a little goodbye dinner with Jeff (who is up in the air right now, so say a little prayer, please) I was thinking how well this plain thing has been working out, even if I still struggle with parts of it. There used to be all this stuff I wanted, and suddenly I realized that I wasn't being heroic anymore in not buying it...I just didn't think about it! I was cured of wanting stuff! Hooray.

And then, oh, then...

Must. Consume...

and, then...

Must....buy...

Since I know that most of you read this blog hoping against hope I will someday drop Amanda-Gift-Giving-Hints, and since I know that since it's already August, many of you are frantically trying to finish your Christmas shopping, well, now you know.

:)

Hmm

As I sat in Max Carter's first bible half-hour on Firstday morning, I was reading chapter 7 of Luke, from where the theme text of sessions, the parable of the seed, was taken. I am crazy about context, and I wanted to see what had happened just before this story was told. I came across this passage, which I had not read in a long time, and had never thought about it. I'm trying not to wrestle too hard with the Jesus question, knowing that I need more quiet than I do a surplus of new thoughts, but this spoke to me deeply, and set the tone for the rest of my experience at sessions. This is Luke 7:16-23

And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people.
And this rumour of him went forth throughout all Judaea, and throughout all the region round about.
And the disciples of John shewed him of all these things.
And John calling unto him two of his disciples sent them to Jesus, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?
When the men were come unto him, they said, John Baptist hath sent us unto thee, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?
And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight.
Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached.
And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.

My abbreviated NEYM post about my abbreviated NEYM experience

Oh gosh. I have a lot to talk about. I was reluctantly torn from NEYM this evening after three days that were huge, unexpected gifts. (I say torn..I only planned to attend Sat-Mon because after a month on the job it seemed a bit much to ask for a whole week off. In reality I was given the blessing of staying much longer than I expected today through the generosity of a Friend who drove me to the train station after dinner.)

I went to Yearly Meeting full of fear and doubt, closed up and unprepared. As soon as I woke up on Sat. morning and gathered my things for the trip to Bryant college, I felt I had made a terrible mistake. Here I was, about to barge straight into the business and fellowship of a corporate body I had no experience of. My dust has hardly settled from my arrival in New England. I just felt absolutely terrible. There was lovely conversation in the car, with Jeff Hipp, and two wonderful Friends from Cambridge meeting, but my unease continued. When we got to Bryant college, I checked in, and feeling lost, went to hide in my dorm room for some quiet, worship, reading and peace(read - naps). I spent several hours there, unable to force myself into the community. I spent some time in Worship with Jeff, and finally felt scaffolded enough to venture out.

And when I did, I found so, so, so much that lifted me up and gave me a boost over the wall of my own small sufferings, at least for long enough to refresh me and gird me up for the next push.

And I'm very tired, so I'll share more of these things with you soon. In the mean time, Friend David Colleta is blogging live from the rest of yearly meeting.

Love to you all.

A reason to rejoice...

"BALLYCUMBER (n.)
One of the six half-read books lying somewhere in your bed."

....taken from The Meaning of Liff

The introduction reads:

In Life*, there are many hundreds of common experiences, feelings, situations and even objects which we all know and recognize, but for which no words exist.
On the other hand, the world is littererd with thousands of spare words which spend their time doing nothing but loafing about on signposts pointing at places.
Our job, as wee see it, is to get these words dow off the signposts and into the mouths of babes and sucklings and so on, where they can start earning their keep in everyday conversation and make a more positive contribution to society.

Douglas Adams
John Lloyd



*And, indeed, in Liff.


I needed a new dictionary.